TJ Connick (11/11/2009 8:38 PM)
Personal Ensign was sublime, but when she lunged across the wire, I experienced the ridiculous. Standing in a 2nd Ave OTB I had struck up an acquaintance with a couple of colorful characters. Holders of gloriously obsolete and thoroughly reinforced do-nothing jobs at one of New York's papers, so little was required of the pair that they merely punched in to start their shift and returned, barring overtime, to punch out some eight hours later. Instead of upholding tradition by devoting the intervening hours to methodical liver destruction, they made daily pilgrimage to the track. The Oliver Hardy of the duo was an action addict with a fistful of tickets and a stream of television-directed invective. His vocal power was drawn from a pair of lungs toughened by an outdoor regimen of heaping abuse at the usual band of transgressors: trainers, jockeys, horses. Stanley was as unlike the typical Belmont and Big A patron as could be imagined. Delicate and fastidious, he cast a dispassionate gaze at the early races on the card with a considered detachment. How very surprised I was to learn from Ollie that Stanley was a big-league plunger. According to Ollie, he studied hard, watched everything, but only made a wager in the "black-type" affairs. After long stretches in his desert of non-betting scrutiny, Stanley would slake his thirst by producing stout stacks of Franklins when they ran the big events. Ollie said that twenty years of daily trips to the races in Stanley's company were no help in trying to dope out his horse by looking at him. Win or lose, betting or not, the sphinx watched but shared with none his inner thoughts. Loading into the gate for the Distaff, Ollie whispers -- or gives his best simulation of same -- that Stanley has made a major vote of endorsement on the undefeated daughter of Private Account. The answer to my question about the general dimensions of such an endorsement: "Twenty-two large." [For the horse-loving audience who may not have developed their taste for the game in the company of degenerate gamblers, the financial translation for this peculiar bit of dialect: $22,000.] As we all know, the mighty Phipps mare looked beaten for sure. As I was a non-participant in that particular race, I took a careful look at Stanley as they were passing the 1/8th pole -- nothing. Personal Ensign's surge and the electric reaction of the crowded room made me forget about Stanley's uncanny calm and join the straining yells for her to "Get up! Get up!" Hopeless, she can't win this one -- then Bang! she did it. A jump or two past the wire, the glacier melted, and Stanley fainted dead away. Ollie and I broke his fall and laid him out on the floor, where Ollie delivered a couple of gentle slaps to resuscitate his pal. After a blink or two, Stanley came to, uttering his only comment of the day, "How did she do it?"

Slew (11/08/2009 12:56 PM)
I guess I have a new Breeders Cup memory. I've never cried for joy at the outcome of a race, but I did yesterday, as Zenyatta flew home in spectacular fashion. There might be to something to say about the "Collective conciousness". No matter what ticket you held, didn't everyone hope for this outcome? Perhaps the fans who have cheered on Rachel and Zenyatta are a collective force that spurred on their victories. And I hope we don't have a royal battle over HOTY. The TWO best horses in America today are Rachel Alexandra AND Zenyatta. One is a dirt track specialist, and the other is a synthetic specialist. It's an additional bonus that they both happen to be fillies. I don't want to see any match race. I'm satisfied that we have two queens who can best their own fields at any time. Break out the champagne...long live the queens!

Joe (11/08/2009 12:37 AM)
add Zeyatta's win in the classic. i was there. thank you Zenyatta

Dennis (11/07/2009 8:20 PM)
I was there for the Personal Ensign race and I still sit here watch it all the time.Now for the complaints.Who in the world at ESPN decided to show the races the way they did.You didn't know where your horse was or nothing with the stupid shots they had.I saw Zenyatta explode down the outside but had no idea the great ride Mike Smith gave her saving ground on the turn until I watched the replay from another channei.Thank goodness for TVG.WE need someone else to cover racing like a network channel anyway.

kyle (11/07/2009 10:55 AM)
The 87' Cup. Very Subtle outgunning Groovy. Epitome running down Jeanne Jones. And Ferdinand holding off Alysheba. Oh, and Theatrical winning one for the home team, back when we had grass horses in the US.