The Most Important Story of the 2007 Breeders' Cup

Plus capsule reports for all 11 Breeders' Cup races

A Column by Steve Davidowitz
October 31, 2007

The three Breeders' Cup races on Friday, October 26th and the eight on Saturday, October 27th clinched American Eclipse Awards for eight horses and left no doubt that Curlin is certain to be voted Champion 3-year-old and 2007 Horse of the Year. But all of that was overshadowed by the death of George Washington, an immensely popular champion from Great Britain.

"GW" had to be humanely destroyed after breaking bones in his right foreleg in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic, a race that I believe he never should have been in.

Consider the following:

It rained virtually 24/7 for four straight days, from Wednesday morning through five of the eight Breeders' Cup races on Saturday. While Monmouth could do little to improve the conditions of the soggy, very slow turf course, track officials worked feverishly to prevent the rain-soaked dirt oval from being washed away. Monmouth knew it had to do something, as seven of the 11 Breeders' Cup races on Friday and Saturday were scheduled for dirt.

To deal with the deluge, Monmouth officials properly decided to "seal" the surface - pack it down so that the classy Breeders' Cup show could go on as scheduled. But sealing always has consequences.

Simply put, a sealed track is one in which heavy machines with 1,000-pound rollers are navigated over the track surface to squeeze the upper three or four inches known as the "track cushion". This well-named mixture of dirt, sand and organic material is designed to minimize the jarring effect as fast-moving horses dig their hooves into the ground for traction. While sealing can save a rain-drenched dirt racing surface from being washed away, the compression of the track cushion lessens the intended shock absorbing effect. In other words, not all horses racing on this surface on Friday and Saturday would be comfortable extending themselves fully. Some might even come back sore from pounding into the harder track base. Others might lose their footing - especially if they had no previous experience dealing with such a surface.

Admittedly, it is not clear that GW found the racing surface difficult to navigate. But he did look lost out there, and he did slip and slide somewhat, and he did, in the end, break down.

Suddenly the gallant Thoroughbred was standing on three legs behind a dark brown screen near the 1/16th pole in near darkness. Sadly, the scene was being played out for the same breeders that had owned and bred the ill-fated 2006 Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro who broke down in the Preakness.

In Barbaro's case, there would be seven months of extraordinary operations and failed rehab before he was mercifully put down. At Monmouth on Saturday, the attending veterinarians decided quickly that there was not going to be any of that for GW. There were too many ruptures; this injury was more severe.

Ever since that tragic moment in time, a chorus of finger pointing has been aimed at Monmouth Park and the Breeders' Cup, blaming them for GW's breakdown.

"They should never run the Breeders' Cup at a small track like this," many said in so many words.

But such barbs seem misguided. If anyone is to blame for George Washington's premature and tragic end, I would point to the people who owned the horse and decided, against every shred of common sense, to run him in the Breeders' Cup Classic at 1 1/4 miles on dirt instead of the Breeders' Cup Mile on the grass, a race he would have been favored to win.

GW had run one prior race on dirt in his 13-race career - last year's Breeders' Cup Classic when he failed to muster a serious rally and finished a non-threatening sixth.

GW's popularity and racing reputation had been built competing well in nine Group 1 and Group 2 stakes from 6 furlongs to one mile. He won six, with five other in-the-money finishes. In fact, GW's best career performances were in one-mile turf races - the prestigious 2000 Guineas at the Curragh in Ireland and the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on the famous Royal Ascot grounds in England.

For his connections to choose a 1 1/4-mile race on the main track for this horse - against a field that many labeled among the strongest in Breeders' Cup Classic history - was more than a mere sporting gesture. It was folly. Moreover, in this specific instance on this specific day, it was dangerous.

When the skies opened up to spill water on the entire region, a bad choice was made worse.

Monmouth worked hard to preserve the dirt racing surface under these adverse conditions, but the conditions set up still another reason for GW's connections to scratch out of the race.

No doubt, GW's owners and trainer Aidan O'Brien privately acknowledge they made a tragic mistake. Their good intentions and sporting instincts aside, they will carry haunting images from last Saturday for a long time.

From my vantage point, there was a lot wrong with this Breeders' Cup and perhaps, as some have suggested, an artificial surface impervious to rain would have been a better forum.

But realistically, American racing is just barely in the synthetic track era and many adjustments are yet to come. At present, we have three competing synthetic track companies with several different synthetic tracks that respond uniquely to their respective climactic and atmospheric conditions. There is no clear-cut best synthetic racing surface, and no perfect track maintenance program is in place yet.

Next year? Santa Anita Park will host the 2008 Breeders' Cup and the synthetic Cushion track will be in use - as it has been this fall during Santa Anita's Oak Tree meet.

Beyond that, Santa Anita's turf course is just as small and tight-turning as the 7-furlong course that was in use at Monmouth, a course that left any horse in an outer post position at a distinct disadvantage at the one-mile distance on the turf. But stop for a moment and imagine what it would have been like if the 2007 Breeders' Cup had been run at Santa Anita this year. No rain-soaked racing surfaces of course, but there would have been a full week of raging fires and heavy smoke that proved to be a health hazard to man and beast from northern Los Angeles to the western hills of San Diego 100 miles away.

Traffic would have been untenable throughout Southern California. It is even conceivable that the conditions might have forced cancellation of America's richest gathering of high-class stakes. Half seriously perhaps, some who were at Monmouth last weekend are saying that a cancellation should have been an option there as well.

Friday, October 26th

The $1million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint at 6 furlongs: won by Maryfield

Speedy Dream Rush and La Traviata canceled each other out on the pace, with Shaggy Mane forcing the issue. This set the race up for stretch runners and Maryfield led four late movers to the finish line.

The $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at 1 mile: won by Nownownow

With favored Prussian setting the pace but slipping and sliding a bit while racing on the inside lanes, which had become waterlogged due to natural drainage from the crown of the course to the rail, Nownownow rallied convincingly down the center of the course with European Achill Island also closing well on the outside. Several horses in the field did not handle the soft footing.

The $1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at 1 mile and 70 yards: won by Corinthian

Benefiting from a fast pace and a preference for wet footing, Corinthian rallied smartly for a convincing victory over front runner Gottcha Gold, with the once powerful but oft injured Discreet Cat finishing a distant third. Corinthian earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 119, which equaled the figure earned by Curlin the following day in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic!

Saturday, October 27th

The $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at 1 1/16 miles: won by Indian Blessing

Indian Blessing, the fastest 2-year-old filly in America, opened up early and improved her position in a dominating performance over a sealed track that for a few races favored front runners. A good effort by Proud Spell for second.

The $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile at 1 1/16 miles: won by War Pass

Run almost like a carbon copy of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. War Pass set the pace while speedy Wicked Style could not get close early from his outer post position. Pyro closed well for second, replicating his performance behind War Pass in the Champagne. Few others showed their top form in the going.

The $2 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf at 1 3/8 miles: won by Lahudood

Lahudood was not supposed to be at her best on soft footing, but that proved to be dead wrong as she stalked the pace for nine furlongs and opened a winning margin at the top of the stretch. Persistent Honey Ryder got past the European Passage of Time nearing the wire. Neither was able to reel in the winner. "Sometimes you don't know what you think you know," trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said about Lahudood's reputation.

The $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint at 6 furlongs: won by Midnight Lute

Talent Search fizzled out a half mile clocked in 44.06 and Idiot Proof took over in the upper stretch only to be passed by Midnight Lute, who rallied from deep in the pack to win easily. Given the colt's physical scope, trainer Bob Baffert is sure to try this one at a mile or longer down the road.

The $2 million Breeders' Cup Mile on the turf: won by Kip Deville

As previously stated, Great Britain's high-class Excellent Art lost this race on Tuesday when he drew a disadvantaged outer post. This poor starting position forced him back in the pack to avoid a very wide trip around the first turn. Excellent Art did finish very well but was no danger to Kip Deville, who had a perfect stalking trip and recovered his high-class early season form at a generous 8-1. Jeremy, another well-regarded Euro, did not handle the footing at all.

The $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff at 1 1/8 miles: won by Ginger Punch

As the rain finally stopped and the main track began to dry out, Ginger Punch overcame a serious bump in deep stretch to nip front running Hystericalady. Octave rallied for a good third, but many in the field disliked the conditions.

The $3 million Breeders' Cup Turf at 1 1/2 miles: won by English Channel

On a course playing more than six seconds slower than par, Dylan Thomas never looked like a serious contender. English Channel stayed close throughout and moved to a clear lead in the upper stretch for his third win in three attempts on Monmouth's tight-turning grass course. Shamdinan, a noted soft course lover, was a distant second, Red Rocks was third, BetterTalk Now fourth and Dylan Thomas fifth. To know in advance that Dylan Thomas would be facing such conditions was to know that English Channel would be a good bargain at 3-1 odds.

The $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic at 1 1/14 miles: won by Curlin

On paper, at least six of the nine entered could win. In the actual running, Preakness winner Curlin, a strong-bodied, extraordinary specimen, made light work of Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense as the pair rallied to contention in the upper stretch. Curlin passed front runner Hard Spun quite easily to secure a highly rated win by open lengths.

Footnote: Not everyone in the Monmouth Park winner's circle was in the mood for a party. "We were there to celebrate a great victory for a great horse," said winning trainer Steve Asmussen. "But none of us really could enjoy it fully while we saw them tending to George Washington."

Steve Davidowitz has written two highly acclaimed books on Thoroughbred racing---Betting Thoroughbreds and The Best and Worst of Thoroughbred Racing. He also is a regular contributor to Daily Racing Form's Simulcast Weekly and DRF Plus and his columns appear in the Bodog Racebook each week.