For a 2 YO, no filly was better than Landaluce in 1982.

She won her debut at Hollywood by 8 lengths in 1:08 1/5.

Seven days later she won the Hollywood Lassie by 21 lengths in 1:08 flat.

She won her next three starts by a combined 20 lengths or so.

She died after her fifth start.

Anyone remember a filly McGaughey trained sometime in the early 90's named Grand Gala? I think McGaughey trained her. If memory serves me right, she raced down at Gulfstream.

You sure its not a recent Grand Gala? Or do you have the name confused? Grand Gala is a 2001 homebred for the Phipps by Dixieland Band out of Fantastic Find... and she was a winner once in 4 starts from what I can see.

Speaking of Shug trained fillies... I always heard Matlatcha Pass was one of the fastest horses the Phipps ever had... "freakishly fast" is what I was told. But she was also one of their most unsound horses. She only raced 3 times... in a sad point to that unsoundness, Matlacha Pass is/was the dam of the ill-fated Pine Island.

She was a bullet.

I get her debut, however, confused ( I think ) with Our Country Hideaway, who I believe won by the length of the stretch in 1:22 and piece in her first start.

I'm reasonably sure I was at Belmont for both of their debuts.

Matlacha was a Seeking The Gold right?

Yes.

I wasn't overly impressed with her.

Yes, a full sister to Pleasant Home and Country Hideaway.

Seeking the Gold is not known for breeding sound horses

I'd figured you'd jump all over Flitabout. She seems to get the most flack for it. Which, I feel has everything to do with Reviewer and Ruffian.

A haunting FYI-- Both Ruffian's dam, Shenanigans, and her sire, Reviewer, were put down after thrashing about and injuring themselves, much like she did after the attempt was made to save her life.

"Fastest" is pretty subjective but any list MUST include Kincsem...she twice won races at 6f or shorter by "distance" and another time by 10 lengths! Many of her 54 wins without a loss were at long distances but she won her share of sprints as well...how fast was she? Impossible to tell but she would have to be on the list!

didn't all 3 pass within a short time of each other...a truly sad ending for the 3.

Yes, it was pretty sequential if I remember the story right.

it's hard to view Ruffian's last race with a dry eye...the movie should be a real tear jerker...

I'm positive that it was back around 1991. I remember reading about her in that Racing Times publication. Maybe I have the name wrong or maybe they changed her name but that has stuck in my head for all this time.

Here's that maiden race...

Danseuse -vs- Capote Belle

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cYWh3cSpUY

You rock dude!

Can I be your groupie?

Oh wow, Above the Line was in that maiden race. I have a picture of me as a little girl at Overbrook with my brother and her. I dont remember much about her but I still have that picture.