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, we feature what looks like a lopsided matchup on paper, but who knows how it will shake out when it comes to voting.  Shared Belief, a two seed (who had a strong argument for a one seed) goes up against Havre de Grace.  Havre de Grace was undoubtedly one of the best fillies of her generation, and famously took on – and beat – the boys, but today she runs into an absolute dynamo.  Shared Belief is the “now” horse of horse racing, and could very well be undefeated if it weren’t for some roughhousing by Bayern at the start of the 2014 Breeders’ Cup Classic.  Let’s break it down.

Shared Belief

Since his winning debut in October 2013, you really can’t argue with anything that this horse has done.  He has won every single time out with the notable exception of the Breeders’ Cup Classic.  And in that race, even the most strident Baffert/Bayern apologists have to admit that Shared Belief faced “extenuating circumstances.”  I will never be able to prove this, but I firmly believe that if the start of that race went smoothly, and Moreno was able to take off as expected, we would be talking about Shared Belief as an undefeated super horse.  But let’s move on from that.  Shared Belief’s Pacific Classic last year was sublime, and he has opened this year with consecutive wins in the San Antonio (over California Chrome) and the Big ‘Cap.  He is unquestionably horse racing’s current star.  Further, as a gelding, I am hopeful that we will get to enjoy his work for years to come.  Havre de Grace is in real tough here.

Here are Shared Belief’s near perfect stats.

You can watch his unforgettable domination in the Pacific Classic here.

Havre de Grace

Havre de Grace’s coup de grace was her victory in the 2011 Woodward Stakes.  She  triumphed in gritty fashion over Rule and Flat Out, showing yet again that a filly could take down the colts at Saratoga.  But though that race was her crowning acheivement, her resume includes far more than that.  She had 9 wins in 16 lifetime starts and finished out of the money just twice in her illustrious career.  Conditioned by Larry Jones and ridden by Ramon Dominguez, she also took down wins in the Beldame and the Apple Blossom, both Grade 1s.

Here are the stats for Havre de Grace.

Watch her turn back the boys at Saratoga here.

Who’s going to move on to the next round?  Vote on Twitter, and tune back in tomorrow to find out.

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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, we feature a battle of the type this format was meant to showcase. Two horses that race in different divisions, who would never meet on the race track– Groupie Doll v. Animal Kingdom.  Both these great runners were versatile, winning on multiple surfaces and tracks around the country and the world. We are really excited to see who prevails in the court of public opinion and advances to the Elite Eight.

Continue reading Horse Madness: Sweet 16 Matchup – (3) Groupie Doll v. (6) Animal Kingdom →

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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.

Befitting of the first Saturday of the NCAA basketball tournament, we have a dandy of a matchup for you today in #HorseMadness.  This matchup features two of my personal favorite horses of the past decade — Rachel “the Super Filly” Alexandra against “The People’s Champion” Mucho Macho Man.  I will admit that I have a huge pro-Mucho Macho Man bias.  I have loved that horse from the beginning of his career all the way through his curtain call in the 2014 Santa Anita Handicap.  And who doesn’t love Rachel Alexandra?  While many people point to her fantastic Preakness victory, or her absolutely Secretariat-esque Kentucky Oaks performance, I will never forget her scintillating Woodward victory at the end of the 2009 Saratoga meet.  I honestly don’t know which of these two I will be voting for.  I guess I have until 10:00 pm to figure it out.  Here’s the breakdown:

Rachel Alexandra

Rachel Alexandra is one of the most beloved horses of the past decade.  Her 2009 season was an exhibition of unparalleled dominance that included: (i) a Preakness win over colts (sidenote: the Preakness that year was sponsored by BlackBerry… LOL); (ii) a victory in the Kentucky Oaks by nearly 21 lengths; (iii) the Mother Goose Stakes by nearly 20 lengths (under wraps); and (iv) the Woodward Stakes against older males.   She notably skipped the Breeders’ Cup that year because of her owner, Jess Jackson, did not care for the Santa Anita synthetic surface.  Turns out, he was just a few years ahead of his time.  Although race fans missed out on seeing Rachel in the World Championships at the peak of her powers, it doesn’t take away from her unblemished 2009 record.  She is a sure-fire Hall of Famer.

Here are Rachel’s career stats:  Rachel Alexandra Career Profile

And here is her win in the 2009 Woodward: She is indeed Rachel Alexandra, THE GREAT!

Mucho Macho Man

Mucho Macho Man was a bit of a late bloomer, with an early habit of always being a bridesmaid rather than the bride.  In fact, after his 7th place finish in the 2011 Belmont Stakes he had won but twice — a maiden contest and that year’s Risen Star Stakes at Fairgrounds.  But in that same period, he had already racked up three place and three show efforts.  After the Belmont, however, it seems that his connections really figured him out, and he really hit his stride.  He began taking several months between starts, and the layoffs helped — he almost always brought his “A” race.  In fact, other than a DNF in the 2013 Sunshine Millions Classic and his 4th place finish in the 2014 Big Cap, he never again finished off the board.  In that time, he won the Sunshine Millions Classic twice, the Suburban, the Awesome Again and, of course, the Breeders’ Cup Classic.  He also finished an extremely game second in the 2012 Breeders’ Cup Classic to Fort Larned.

Here is the key information on Mucho Macho Man:  Mucho Macho Man Stats

And here is Mucho Macho Man’s fantastic Breeders’ Cup victory at picturesque Santa Anita Park:  Mucho… MACHO … MAN!!

Check back tomorrow to see which one of these two moves onto the Elite 8…

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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?

I’ll Have Another’s Profile

Here is I’ll Have Anothr’s Preakness rally:

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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 PP’s

Game On Dude’s 2014 Santa Anita Derby win:

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Retweet for Game on Dude and Favorite for I’ll Have Another.  The winner moves on to the Elite 8.

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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. 

Continue reading Horse Madness: Sweet Sixteen – Royal Delta v. Untapable →

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