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.
More details can be found here
And here’s the bracket–Bracket
Today’s Race
Today’s matchup features two of the most memorable female runners of the past five years not named Zenyatta. This in-division match-up features two 3 year old Breeders’ Cup Distaff (Ladies’ Classic) winners – last year’s winner Untapable v. two-time Champion Royal Delta. Retweet the tweet setting forth today’s matchup if you believe Royal Delta should advance, or favorite it if you think Untapable wins this matchup. The winner will advance to the Elite Eight to matchup against the winner of Zenyatta v. Uncle Mo.
Royal Delta: The regally bred ‘Delta proved every bit as good as her breeding. She was named champion of her respective division 3 years in a row (3yr old female, Older Female at both 4 and 5). Along the way to those three championships, Royal Delta scooped up a number of prestigious events, including: the Black-Eyed Susan, the Alabama, Personal Ensign, the Beldame, The Delaware Handicap (x2) and the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (x2). Her size and versatile running style made her a force to be reckoned with in every event she entered.
Royal Delta’s Equibase Profile is available here: Royal Delta
And here’s her game, foe-repelling win in the 2012 Breeders’ Cup Distaff….. “No one beats Royal Delta”
Untapable: Like her competitor in this match-up, Untapable was a champion at 3, after beating older mares in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff. She might be the only horse in this field to get upstaged by her jockey when Rosie Napravnik announced her pregnancy and retirement following that win. However, Untapable proved unflappable against her division last year, never to be beaten by a female runner all year. Along the way she won the Kentucky Oaks, Mother Goose, Cotillion and Fair Grounds Oaks. Her only defeat came against Bayern and the boys in the Haskell. But it was her win the Breeders’ Cup Distaff that sealed her championship season.
Untapable’s Equibase Profile is available here: Untapable
Untapable’s Breeders’ Cup score, with the ‘unforgetable’ press announcement can be found here.
Let us know who wins this matchup and why. And come back tomorrow to see California Chrome take on Blame.
