In the spirit of March Madness, we are conducting a little experiment to determine how racing fans would evaluate the “best”, “greatest” or “most popular” (or any other criteria you think is applicable) horse of the last 5 or so years. Think of this as the “People’s Choice Awards” for racing. Use whatever criteria you think best determines which horses advance from round to round. Let us know how you arrived at your conclusions.
How it works: Each day from March 16 through the end of the month, we will feature one matchup. We will post career specifics and some highlight races on our site to help you in your handicapping. Then you the fans will vote– favorite the tweet if choosing horse A, retweet if selecting horse B. Voting windows will close by 10:00 p.m. each night. The horse with the most votes will advance to the next round.
Here is the Bracket
Today’s 4 v. 5 seed matchup features a pair of California based Classic Division runners. However, the similarities between I’ll Have Another and Game on Dude end there. One had a brilliant stretch of races only to have his career cut short because of injury, the other enjoyed a lengthy career filled with ups and downs. To me, this is the most compelling first round matchup as it will hopefully indicate what fans value more–promise and potential cut short by injury or longevity and sustained success from an overachiever.
I’ll Have Another
I’ll Have Another was a tough nosed runner for Doug O’Neil who despite two wins at Santa Anita (The Robert Lewis and Santa Anita Handicap) to begin his three year old campaign, was 15-1 in the 2012 Kentucky Derby after drawing post 19 and employing a relatively unknown rider, Mario Gutierrez. However, I’ll Have Another sat behind suicide fractions set by Bodemeister and the curiously entered Trinniberg, before making his move down the stretch to win the Roses going away.
IHA and Bodemeister squared off again in the Preakness–with the public making Bode the post time favorite. Not to be denied, however, I’ll Have Another rallied to pass Bodemeister (who set fractions two seconds slower than the Derby) just before the wire. It was an incredibly exciting Preakness which set the stage for IHA to head to Ne York in hopes of capturing the Triple Crown. However, amidst reports from clockers that IHA was not himself in the mornings, Doug O’Neil announced on Belmont eve that the horse was being scratched and retired due to injury. Union Rags went on to win the Belmont earning an uninspiring Beyer figure. What could have been?
Here is I’ll Have Anothr’s Preakness rally:
Game On Dude
Game On Dude won 16 of 34 starts over the course of his five year career. He captured eight grade 1′s and every prestigious race in California, including becoming the only horse to ever win three Santa Anita Handicaps.
However, Game On Dude is remembered by many for his disappointing losses–including three defeats in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Although a game second in the race in 2011, Game On Dude was soundly defeated in 2012 and 2013 as the favorite running at his home track of Santa Anita.
As Steve Haskins remarked, however, these losses should not define the Dude:
“When ranking Game On Dude among the greatest geldings, it is his accomplishments that must be considered more than his defeats. Kelso, Forego, and John Henry—arguably the three greatest geldings of our time, or perhaps of all time—lost 91 races among them….If one wanted to describe Game On Dude in a short sentence, it would be, ‘He knew only one way to run—fast!”‘
Game On Dude’s 2014 Santa Anita Derby win:
Retweet for Game on Dude and Favorite for I’ll Have Another. The winner moves on to the Elite 8.
