The Scenic View From On Top, Down Under

The Australian racing season runs from August 1 (when all race horses officially turn a year older) until July 31, and thus, on Monday, champions were crowned in various categories and one was honored as Australian Horse of the Year.

What makes these awards so extraordinary—for me—is three champions are descendents of Foolish Pleasure, through Scenic (who died in 2005), a son of Sadlers Wells, out of the Foolish Pleasure mare Idyllic.


Scenic Blast (Scenic, out of Delgado mare Daughter’s Charm) was named champion sprinter, top international performer, and Horse of the Year, after three G1 victories—the Lightning Stakes and Newmarket Handicap at Fleming, and the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot. He is training in England for his next two races, October 4 G1 Sprinter’s Stakes in Japan, and December 13 G1 Hong Kong Sprint at Sha Tin. Currently, he is leading the Global Sprint Challenge, which requires that a horse win a minimum of three G1 races in three different countries, for a $1 million bonus.

Not surprisingly, G1 Melbourne Cup winner Viewed (Scenic, out of Khozaam mare Lovers Knot) triumphed in the Champion Stayer category, a great story as his win there was a record 12th Melbourne Cup for Hall of Fame trainer Bart Cummings.

Champion 2-Year-Old (Filly, Colt or Gelding) went to gelding Phelan Ready (More Than Ready, out of Scenic's son Blevic mare Nancy Eleanor) who not only won the $2 million restricted (non-graded) Magic Millions Classic, but pulled an absolute shocking in the $3.5 million G1 Golden Slipper. His championship award is tinged with sadness, though, as trainer Jason McLachlan accepted without his co-trainer, father Bruce who died unexpectedly in June.

Given his success this year—not just with Scenic Blast and Viewed, but also G1 New Zealand Derby winner Coniston Bluebird, G1 Doomben and G1 Brisbane cups victor Scenic Shot, G2 International Sprint winner Sunburnt Land (who tragically died in his paddock after being struck by lightning), G3 Roma Cup winner Grand Nirvana, and G3 Belmont Sprint winner Universal Ruler, plus the offspring of his daughters, such as G1 Galaxy winner Nicconi and his multi-G1 winning (Classic, Futurity, and Australian Cup) half-brother Niconero—wow! You would think Scenic would have won Champion Sire, but, alas, it went to Encosta de Lago. Ho-hum...

Other Australian champions for 2008-09 season:

Theseo—Champion Middle Distance
Sacred Kingdom—Australia-Bred International Runner
Samantha Miss—Champion 3-Year-Old Filly
Whobegotyou—Champion 3-Year-old Male
Pentiffic—Champion Jumper

The lady trainer Gai Waterhouse took home the prize for Group 1 trainer, while her stable jock Nash Rawiller won the jockey award.

Congratulations to all!

All Maidens are Not Created Equal

Perpetual maiden horses have always been a fascination to me, as long time blog readers know. For years I’ve marveled at the futile efforts of Four Acres, a gelding last seen running at Suffolk in late 2007. His 75 consecutive winless races is matched in ineffectiveness by the mare Diamond Kind, followed by others such as Breeze the Weasel (59) and Linda’s Lass (43).

Former Mountaineer regular Quinella Queen celebrated—in elegant prose and with appropriate libations on track—when a ten-year-old gelding named Punk broke his maiden—in his 69th start.

While most long-term maidens toil in racing’s bottom ranks, sometimes more talented horses take an exceedingly prolonged period to breakout—whether due to overly-ambitious placing or just bad luck. These maidens are certainly not of the same ilk as those mentioned above, and a prime example is the 4-year-old Australian mare Glowlamp .

By Encosta De Lago out of the Shirley Heights mare Push a Venture, her second dam is a half-sister to the great Riverman.

As a 2-year-old she caught my attention in her first effort, finishing a narrow third behind Portillo and Rock Me Baby in the listed Gimcrack Stakes at Randwick. After placings in the G2 Silver Slipper and G3 Sweet Embrace, she narrowly missed in the G1 Sires Produce, finishing fourth behind subsequent champion 2-year-old colt Sebring and champion 2-year-old filly Samantha Miss. One week later, in the G1 Champagne, she earned third, again behind Samantha Miss and Sebring. Her 2-year-old record: 6 starts, 0 wins, 1 second, 3 thirds (all but one in graded stakes).

Her 3-year-old campaign started promisingly with a narrow second placing behind Samantha Miss in the G3 Silver Shadow. Still, a victory proved elusive, although she placed third in the G2 Tea Rose, G1 Thousand Guineas, and G2 Light Fingers. Her 3-year-old record: 12 starts, 0 wins, 1 second, 3 thirds (again, all but one in graded stakes).

A $1.4 million yearling purchase, she has raced repeatedly against the best horses of her generation (Sebring, Samantha Miss, Love and Kisses, Portillo, Miss Scarlatti, Gallica, Purple, and Daffodil), with her poorest efforts coming on wet (slow/heavy) tracks and over 10 furlongs. Yet, as impressive as her efforts have been, she is still a maiden.

On Tuesday, August 25, as a recently-minted 4-year-old, Glowlamp made her 19th career start, in a measly $27k maiden plate going 5.5f.

She won.

A maiden no more, she's nominated for the G1 Cox Plate on October 24, but no firm plans about her next race have been announced.

Tiny Stars Shine Just as Brightly

Every track has them—horses that are local legends, not because they excel at the highest level on the national (or international) stage, but due to the relative degree of success they achieve with their talent and limitless heart.

In New Jersey, it’s Joey P. New Mexico has Peppers Pride. In Pennsylvania, there’s eight-year-old warrior Stringtown Wonder. In Alberta, Canada, it’s a tiny five-year-old mare named Tanika.



An $18,000 Keeneland yearling purchase in September 2005 (Hip #3950), Tanika has earned her owners over $440,000, with 11 wins, 9 seconds, and 1 third in 24 starts—never finishing worse than fourth, and winning multiple stakes at Assiniboia, Northlands Park and Stampede, from 6.5f to 9f. Broken and trained by Rod Haynes until his retirement in 2007, and now trained by Barry Brown for two Edmonton dentists, Kevin Lung and Rich Mah, who form Calmar Stables & Ranch, Tanika was 2007 Champion Three-Year-old Filly, as well as 2008 Champion Older Mare, in Alberta.

A Kentucky-bred daughter of Orientate, out of the Dixieland Band mare Bandango, her dam is a half-sister to G3 Arlington Matron winner (and G1-placed) Indy Groove, out of the G3 Arlington Heights Oaks victress Niner’s Home who was a half-sister to G1 Super Derby winner Home at Last. Tanika has a three-year-old half-sister Corbina (More Than Ready), owned by Heiligbrodt Racing Stable, who is in training at Saratoga under Steve Asmussen, and a two-year-old half-sister Pucker Up Baby (Purge).

Running where she does, mostly in Alberta, it’s hard to find race replays for Tanika, but you can view her victory in the 2008 Matron Stakes at Assiniboia here, with regular jockey Stephen Heiler up. It’s hard to believe that such a tiny mare has repeatedly carried 123 and even 125 pounds vs. her competitors.

In her first 2009 start, the five-year-old mare beat a field of males in an allowance/optional claimer race. That effort was followed by consecutive second-place finishes, in the 6.5f Wild Rose Handicap at Northlands (by a closing ¾ length), and the 8.5f Vancouver Sun Handicap at Hastings, the latter a tough fought battle which she lost by a neck, with a new jockey for the first time in her career. After failing to place in the 8f John Patrick Handicap at Northlands with Heiler back aboard, she ran in the 8.5f Madamoiselle Handicap, with a new jockey—and for the first time in 23 outings on Lasix. Unfortunately, she finished a distant third behind Summer Song.

When Tanika ran in the 8.5f City of Edmonton Distaff this past Saturday, it was only her second race with Lasix, and again she was minus her former regular rider Stephen Heiler, this time in favor of Woodbine jockey James McAleney, in town to ride Stylish Citizen in the CAN-G3 Canadian Derby. After briefly gaining the lead as they entered the stretch, Tanika faded to second behind favored Summer Song.

So, while I loved watching Careless Jewel destroy a nice field in the G1 Alabama, and my girl Nan nearly catch Internallyflawless in the G1 Del Mar Oaks, my real interest this weekend was Tanika, gutting out yet another tough race.

Win or lose, sometimes it’s the tiny stars that shine brightest.

Older Mare - 2008 Champion from thehorses.com on Vimeo.

Sometimes the Little Guys Win

Depending on how you look at it, for horseplayers and fans, Saturday may have appeared like Christmas, particularly at Saratoga where longshots ruled the day, resulting in a Pick 6 carryover of $262,998 for Sunday. And, for the most part, it was the little guys who got it done.

The highlights: in race 4, Ramon Dominguez-ridden Sean Avery and Saratoga Lightning with Jorge Chavez up fleshed out a $370.55 exacta, while in race 6, Jean-Luc Samyn won on dirt with Heavenly Blaze ($51.50), followed up by Norberto Arroyo, Jr. in race 7 on Prince Dubai ($57.50). The longest longshot winner: 33-1 Telling ($68) in the G1 Sword Dancer, a race that saw huge payouts—$2 trifecta ($9,045) and $2 superfecta ($79,644)—when the early leaders set insane early fractions, allowing the grand old boys—Better Talk Now and Brass Hat—to close for second and third, with 26-1 longshot Gentleman Chester in fourth.

God, it was good to see 10-year-old Better Talk Now finish second, although my neighbors must think I’m crazy, as I screamed in vain for Ramon to get him up for the win. As a fan, though, I could only marvel at the results, and be happy for trainer Steve Hobby who earned his first G1 victory for owners Alex and JoAnn Lieblong, as well as good guys Graham Motion and William Bradley with their old warriors.

The trend continued, with Larry Jones-trained (and wife Cindy Jones-owned) filly Just Jenda trouncing a nice field in the G3 Monmouth Oaks. The race prior—the Continental Mile—saw the biggest upset of the day, with 107-1 longshot Two Notch Road (a 2-year-old VA-bred gelding making his first turf start after three disastrous dirt outings) paying $216.40 for the win for owner-trainer Glenn Thompson, under the skillful riding of jockey Shannon Uske.

No absentee corporate trainers, or easy-to-dislike sleazy owners. Just the typical hard-working horsemen and horsewomen who care for their beloved animals, and hard-working jockeys who may not be the first or second (or even third) choice for mounts, but still work hard every day.

It just makes you shake your head, smile, and say, “Good for them.”

Yeah, it was a good day.

Signs, Signs, Everywhere There’s Signs

Maybe it’s just giddiness from studying Saturday’s races too long, but I noticed some pretty weird things happening. Okay, I admit, sometimes I chuck the standard analysis of speed figures, form and other logical angles, in favor of the much-feared (albeit scarily-successful) hunch bet. And today it’s happening in spades.

For example, is it just a coincidence that, on the 40th anniversary of Woodstock, one of the entrants in Monmouth’s Continental Mile is Wesley Ward-trained Mississippi Hippie, and it’s a race on grass? Okay, maybe that’s taking it a bit far, but how about the hockey angle? Yes, in race 4 at Saratoga (a race that also features an Allen Jerkens-trained colt named Clean Shot), Mike Hushion sends out Sean Avery, while on the other coast, the G2 La Jolla Handicap includes a 3-year-old Toccet gelding named Gretsky. Now that’s just weird.

Anyone else got football on the brain? Not only do we have U S C Fight Song in Woodbine’s race 7, and in race 2 at Saratoga, Bulldogger, but at Arlington in race 3, there’s a 12-1 morning line longshot named Terryhowieandjimmy, at Calder in race 4 Coaching, and in race 3 at Delaware someone Called an Audible.

And what’s with the foreign language phrases? At Del Mar in race 5, say hello to Buenos Dias, while at Canterbury race 3, it’s Gesundheit to you.

Whether it’s Devilin in race 1 at Emerald, or Mephistopheles in Ellis race 10, or Sent by the Devil in race 1 at Thistledown, they all sound like trouble. I’m so Discombobulated (Suffolk, race 4).

Enough! How about some real old-fashioned handicapping?

At Saratoga, race 2 features 2-year-old first-time-starters going six furlongs—always a tough race to handicap. Do you base analysis on workouts, jockey-trainer pairings, or breeding? The winner on all three accounts is Liston, by Storm Cat out of G1 Ashland winner (and G1 Kentucky Oaks runner-up) Rings a Chime. He’s a half-brother to G1 Alcibiades and G1 Hollywood Starlet victress Country Star so precocious he should be, and with leading jockey Alan Garcia up for Kiaran McLaughlin, he’s sure to be the post-time favorite. Or is he?

Brother Bird is a half-brother to G1 Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird, a big-time ($485k) Fasig-Tipton purchase in May, who goes out here for Todd Pletcher. Interestingly, it’s not John Velazquez up, but Ramon Dominguez, so I’m not quite sure what to make of that, as Velazquez is up on the Bob Baffert-trained Bulldogger, a Dixie Union colt that has been training very well at Del Mar, but ships in for this start. Shug McGaughey-trained World Record is another classy possibility. His dam Finder’s Fee won the G1 Matron at 2 (as well as the G1 Acorn at 3, and a host of other graded stakes), but she hasn’t had much success as a broodmare, and unfortunately died last month of colic. If you want a hot combo, how about Bill Mott and Kent Desormeaux teaming up with Chief Counsel?

The feature race at Saratoga is the G1 Sword Dancer, where I would love to see Foolish Pleasure descendent Grand Couturier make it a three-peat of this race. He obviously loves the Saratoga turf, and Alan Garcia does a good job with him. That said, I’ve got a sneaky feeling that today we’ll see magic, as 10-year-old Better Talk Now wins under Ramon Dominguez. The key will be a strong early pace, with Lauro, Musketier and possibly Americain prominent, and Quijano close up. With that pace scenario and a clean run, Better Talk Now can do it.

In the G3 Monmouth Oaks, I’d love to see Larry Jones-trained Just Jenda win, and off her smashing eight length win last out, it wouldn’t be a surprise. However, three others to consider for the exotics with red-hot angles: Medaglia d’Oro daughter Renda (hey...Jenda, Renda...), and Sweet Relish who’s been on a tear after losing to Rachel Alexandra back in October, as well as Malibu Prayer who was sandwiched in between Rachel and recent G1 Test winner Flashing in the G1 Mother Goose two back.

Finally, considering he’s unbeaten this year against Louisiana-bred company, Star Guitar looks a sure winner in the Evangeline Mile, and this speedy Quiet American 4-year-old should venture out of the bayou more often considering his third-place finish back in May in the G3 Alysheba at Churchill was less than two lengths back of recent-G1 Whitney victor Bullsbay and runaway Albert the Great Stakes winner Coal Coal Man.

Oh, and I can't resist...

Bernardini and Medaglia d'Oro Sell Well at F-T Saratoga: Thank God for Sheikh Mo

Tuning in online to the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Selected Yearlings sale Monday evening, I was surprised to see Hip #1 was a Pulpit foal I’ve wondered quite a bit about, as I love her dam Sabellina, a G3-winning turf mare that successfully raced while in foal. Unfortunately, the bay filly failed to sell (RNA) at $100k, and she wasn't alone. All told, of the 118 cataloged for Monday's session, 11 were outs and 30 did not sell.

Teeming—a half-sister to Rags to Riches, Jazil and Casino Drive—saw her Bernardini daughter (Hip #39) failed to sell at $1.6 million, a price which would have beat the $1.2 million Sheikh Mohammed paid for another Bernardini, a colt (Hip #34) out of Miss Preakness S. winner Storm Beauty and a half-brother to G2-placed filly Stormy West. However, the night’s highest price offering was a Medaglia d’Oro filly (Hip #88) whose dam Cat Dancer is a full-sister to G2 Monmouth BC Oaks’ winner and G1-placed Magic Storm; she was purchased by Sheikh Mohammed for $1.5 million. The two other $1 million+ purchases on Monday were both Bernardini colts. Hip #79 whose dam Bird Town is a half-sister to Birdstone, hot-young sire of G1 Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird and G1 Belmont victor Summer Bird, sold for $1.3 million, while Hip #107 went for $1 million; his dam Crystal Music was a G1 winner in Europe.

Other foals of note:

The first foal of multiple-G1 victress Splendid Blended, an A.P. Indy colt (Hip #28) sold for $900k.

A half-sister to gutsy G1 winner Honey Ryder by Bernardini (Hip #108) brought $300k.

A Giant’s Causeway filly (Hip #110) whose unraced dam Dancethruthestorm is out of the Canada Triple Crown winning mare Dance Smartly sold for $250k to Canada’s Sam-Son Farm.

A Ghostzapper filly (Hip #112) whose G3-placed dam Delta Music is a half-sister to Mineshaft, Tomisue’s Delight and Monashee Mountain—all three G1 winners—sold for $150k.

A full-brother to G1 King’s Bishop winner Visionaire (Hip #9) brought $170k.

A Smart Strike filly (Hip #99) out of Code Book, half-sister to G1-placed Dunkirk out of multiple-G1 victress Secret Status, sold to Sheikh Mohammed for $875k.

A Speightstown colt (Hip #46) out of Treysta, a half-sister to Hard Spun, brought $700k.

A Bernardini colt (Hip #22) who is a half-brother to G1 Haskell winner Roman Ruler, G1 Cigar Mile victor El Corredor and G1-placed Maimonides, brought $700k.

A Distorted Humor filly (Hip #98) who is a sister to the legendary Lost In The Fog, sold for $550k.

A Bluegrass Cat filly (Hip #36) brought $550k; she’s a half-sister to G1 victress Sky Diva, and her dam Swift Girl is a half-sister to Pure Clan and Greater Good.

A full-brother to G3 Colonial Turf Cup winner Summer Doldrums (Hip #109) sold for $400k.


The auction's second and final session begins at 6:00 p.m. Tuesday evening.

Devil’s Advocate

Don’t hate me, but I’m going to play devil’s advocate for a moment.

“Wasn’t that something! I thought I had it,” [jockey Mike] Smith said. “But I’ve got to admit I underestimated the company we were keeping today. They made her run.”

If Smith meant that Zenyatta’s G1 Clement Hirsch competitors were better than he thought, well, he’s delusional.

Oh, they are fine enough creatures, as Lethal Heat won the G2 Hollywood Oaks last June and finished third in the G1 Del Mar Oaks last August. However, her 4-year-old “campaign” prior to this consisted of two races, a G3 turf sprint in January (third) and $100k optional claimer last out (fourth). Second-place Anabaa’s Creation raced on turf in Europe and, while G3-placed, has yet to win a stakes—in fact, prior to her allowance n2x win back in April, the last two races she won were in the fall of 2006 (a maiden and listed race). Other than Life Is Sweet who finished third (nearly 8 lengths back) to Rail Trip and Tres Borrachos in the G1 Hollywood Gold Cup, all the others’ form is relative to Zenyatta or have no strong form: Dawn After Dawn’s 2009 wins were early (6.5f and 8f), and on turf; Champagne Eyes last out won an allowance for non-winners of two other than maiden; and Tidal Dance also last out won an allowance for non-winners in 2009.

The fractions were dawdling, and Smith made the now-patented “one-big-wide-move” (à la Stardom Bound) to just catch Anabaa’s Creation at the wire. Final time: 1:43.24, easily her slowest 8.5f race yet and nearly two full seconds slower than her track-record setting Clement Hirsch last year (1:41.48). Was the track slow? Well, in race 6, 2-year-old Champagne d’Oro nearly broke the track record (1:03.26) going 5.5f in 1:03.50, and Zenyatta went 22.49 in the final quarter, so the answer would appear to be “no.”

What really happened was Mike Smith gave a piss-poor, over-confident ride on Zenyatta, and he is damn lucky her pure class and talent got her to the wire in front. Does the man have no sense of timing? Okay, considering he blew the ride on Mine That Bird in the G2 West Virginia Derby, maybe it’s not surprising. He rode Zenyatta down to the level of her competition, which makes it even harder to gauge how good she really can be.

Oh, as for owner Jerry Moss telling TVG, “I've always said it would be great to have them run (against each other), but so far Rachel Alexandra has only raced against 3-year-olds, and we can't do that anymore.”:

Rachel may have “only” raced against 3-year-olds thus far, but, let’s see...she’s thoroughly-beaten the subsequent G1 Test victress Flashing, G1 Acorn victress Gabby’s Golden Gal, and G3 victress Just Jenda, not to mention G1 Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird, the G1 Belmont Stakes winner Summer Bird, the very-talented Musket Man, G2 WV Derby runner-up Big Drama, G2 Arkansas Derby winner Papa Clem, G2 Tom Fool winner Munnings...I think you get my point.

Don’t diss on Rachel when you are unwilling to run Zenyatta against males. It makes you appear overly-defensive.

Dream Big, Court Vision

If you’re going to dream, dream big (especially if you can’t pay your bills).

So IEAH and WinStar Farm thinks Court Vision can take on the big boys and girls in the AUS-G1 Melbourne Cup on November 3? Just one of the world’s oldest (1861), longest (2 miles) and richest (A$5.65 million, or approximately $4.76 million U.S.) classic distance races—with a son of Eclipse champion sprinter Gulch out of a Storm Bird mare? A horse who hasn’t won a race this year in five tries, taking on the best conditioned grass horses in the world? A colt who isn’t even running in the G1 Arlington Million, the winner of which gains automatic entry into the Melbourne Cup field?

Honestly, why bother tossing your name into the mix if there’s basically no chance of getting in? No American horse has ever run in “the race that stops a nation” so, unless you are serious, why bother? Is it an ego-thing, or just something to use for some innate marketing scheme?

Oh, and, by the way, Court Vision switched barns last month, away from Bill Mott and into the clutches of Rick Dutrow—wow, what a tremendous ambassador for American racing in its first foray Down Under! The Aussies would be jumping up and down to see in person the trainer whose colt Big Brown flopped in last year’s Belmont Stakes, avoiding what the nation’s newspaper dubbed “a big brown stain on the underpants of thoroughbred racing in the United States.”

I suppose we shouldn’t take this nomination seriously—in the July 24 DRF, Dutrow notes:

He [Court Vision] doesn't seem like he's the happiest thing in the world; he should have more to say...We breezed him on the grass the other day and he went good, but he hasn't been eating everything. I think something's bugging him somewhere. He doesn't look comfortable to me. I don't know what's going on.


Maybe Court Vision could use a little Melbourne Bitter?

Branching Out

As if one blog isn’t hard enough to maintain, I’ve gone out and done it now—started a new blog devoted exclusively to thoroughbred horse racing's great fillies and mares, called Fillies First. Check it out, and add it to your required reading. I promise it will be worthwhile.

My first project available on there is a spreadsheet recording the names and ages of every filly and mare who won or placed (second or third) in a G1, G2 or G3 stakes race around the world just this year—as of this post, there are 158. Any additions and corrections would be much appreciated as I’ll be updating it regularly.

Next for Rachel Alexandra?—The Woodward Stakes

Others have better articulated just how spectacular Rachel Alexandra’s G1 Haskell victory was, including the herself-peerless Railbird (Jessica Chapel) and our lucky man on the scene The Aspiring Horseplayer (Kevin Stafford).

Across the pond, Sam Walker in The Racing Post calls her the “she-freak” whose Racing Post Rating (RPR) of 127 not only tops the best performances this year by fillies Zenyatta, Vodka and Goldikova—all three tied at 124—but is the second highest in the world on dirt/all-weather, topped only by Well Armed’s 128 in the Dubai World Cup. Her 116 Beyer is the highest given this year to any horse.

Let me just add that, following that tour de force performance, there isn’t a doubt in my mind that she is already, hands-down, “Horse of the Year” no matter what is yet to come. I mean, seriously, what horse of any gender or age has come close to running—and winning—as many grade 1 races as she has this year? And unlike others lamenting the adamant declarations of Jess Jackson that he will not run her in the Breeders’ Cup, as a fan I’m completely fine with that.

That said, what is next for our heroine? I once preferred the G1 Travers, but I don’t think she has anything left to prove against this crop of three-year-olds—let Summer Bird and Mine That Bird thrash out that one. That leaves the August 30 G1 Personal Ensign against older fillies and mares or the September 5 G1 Woodward. Considering Zenyatta’s connections loathe NYRA’s detention barn, it’s highly unlikely she’ll contest the Personal Ensign, so the weight-for-age Woodward looks more tantalizing. Why?

If Jess Jackson the sportsman—and horse racing fans—want to see this filly tested, what would be better than running against the likes of Commentator, Macho Again, Asiatic Boy, Arson Squad and Smooth Air? Win or lose—and I’m not convinced that she would lose even against these monsters—Rachel Alexandra would solidify her legacy merely by taking on the challenge. Note:

• The last three-year-old to win the Woodward was Holy Bull in 1994.
• Only 13 three-year-olds have won the race in 55 years.
• The last filly to take on the Woodward was Lady’s Secret, who finished second to Precisionist in 1986.
• No filly or mare has ever won the Woodward.

Sword Dancer, Kelso, Buckpasser, Damascus, Forego, Seattle Slew, Affirmed, Spectacular Bid, Easy Goer, Cigar, Skip Away, Ghostzapper, Curlin—all winners of the Woodward. What august company to join!