Great but under-rated races: '98 KY Cup Classic
 

Preparing for the weekend, just came across the 1998 Kentucky Cup Classic where Silver Charm and Wild Rush dead heat..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-Grq60afzc


This terrific race, with a good Battaglia call to boot (!), brings up a fun thread idea:
WHAT RACE THAT YOU PERSONALLY RECALL WELL, NEVER SEEMS TO GETS MENTIONED AS A GREAT ONE?

Hacker Crafts sweeping maiden victory Jan 7, 2007

Very underrated in the maiden 15/polytrack division

The Test with You and that Carson City filly was really good.. but that might be considered a "great" race.

1984 Breeders Cup Classic with Wild Again, Slew of Gold and Gate Dancer
Just watched it again and it still Gives Me Goose bumps

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqin6...rom=PL&index=3

Afleet Alex in the Preakness:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfFzO...eature=related

I also thought he made a pretty good move in the Belmont that year too (I know it wasn't the greatest field in history, but it was still a big move).

1985 Strub with Precisionist, Greinton and a self sabotaging Gate Dancer.

Precisionist blazes on the lead, I think with the nice Halo horse Halo Folks. After putting him away, he then has to contend with Greinton from the turn all the way to the wire, in Affirmed-Alydaresque fashion.

As they come down the stretch, Gate Dancer makes his move but manages to get into trouble. He takes up and then manages to regather his momentum late but can't quite get there.

At the wire, Precisionist and Greinton are so close, not a single person at the track (50k or so?) knows who won. I believe both jocks said later on that they thought the other guy won. After a long photo, Precisionist gets the win and the track erupted.

It was pretty cool and is probably what really hooked me for good. That 3/8ths to 1/2 mile where they hooked up as one was just amazing.

That was the start of their rivalry in which they took turns beating each other at HP that summer. They were running miles in the 1.33 range and 10f in about 1:58.

Sightseek's Go For Wand 2003

Her Rampart the following year is also one of my favorite races.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_c8VlPZQGI

I always thought the inaugural Dubai World Cup was a terrific race.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ER5-u...eature=related

NT

:tro: :tro:

Kiri's Clown 1995 Sword Dancer over Awad.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGUB8_X--NY

Horse racing posse.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efSTvXN98A0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2ofD...eature=related

Lure/Devil his Due Gotham

Perhaps it's because I wasn't really able to enjoy the big races of the 80s and early 90s, but Curlin's 2007 Preakness victory will always be among the races I consider to be the greatest, for many reasons.

EC's first United Nations win over Cacique. Easiest hundo I ever made off a certain member of this board:$:

That was a great race... Johnson always seemed to have KC ready for his best in the Sword Dancer.

Definitely a great call on the '98 KC.

The '98 BC is probably my all time favorite race, amazing finish with a tremendous field including two of my top 5 all time favorites (AA and SC). Don't know if anyone would consider that "underrated" however.

How about the 2003 King's Bishop, where Ghostzapper really indicated his amazing talent by running a huge race against the massive bias that day only to be beaten by two crack sprinters? Can't find it on youtube though.

Special thanks to Kiri's Clown who puts all these videos up.

A couple good ones..

1994 Caesar's International: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKFL1nhLEns

1994 Hempstead Handicap: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxMIUTDDP0U

Da' Tara stealing the Belmont on the front end :$: :$:

A Huevo, 2003 WV Breeders Classic.