Horse Racing Analysis: 2009 Year in Review
by Patricia Woo | Jan 4 2010
From Well Armed's shocking win in Dubai to Zenyatta's stunning victory in the Breeders' Cup Classic, 2009 was an incredible year of horse racing. Bodog Racebook takes a look at some of last year's most memorable stories from the horse racing world.
March: Well Armed Hits Target in Dubai World Cup
Eoin Harty's Well Armed traveled all the way to Dubai for the $6M Dubai World Cup on March 28 at Nad al Sheba racetrack looking to redeem a third-place finish in that race in 2008. But he was facing stiff competition from 2008 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and Gr. 1 Donn Handicap champion Albertus Maximus as well as last year's runner-up Asiatic Boy. And the race got off to a similar start for Well Armed, with jockey Aaron Gryder aboard, where he set the pace with the rest of the field in pursuit. But unlike last year, where he was collared during the home stretch by 2008 Horse of the Year Curlin, Well Armed had no challengers and drew away for a stunning record-setting 14-length win. The son of Tiznow had been sent off as a 9-1 shot. In September, Well Armed underwent bone chip removal surgery on his ankle, ending his 2009 campaign with a 4-1-1-0 record and $3,649,000 in earnings; his connections anticipate him returning to racing in 2010.
May - June: Year of the Birds
Overlooked by most in the horse racing world on Kentucky Derby day, 50-1 shot Mine That Bird rocketed to fame from obscurity with his breathtaking last-to-first surge on May 2, 2009 at Churchill Downs. With jockey Calvin Borel aboard, Mine That Bird relished the slop that seemed to hinder his foes - including favorite Friesan Fire - on his way to a victory that earned him $1,417,200. Though this Bernie Woolley trainee has been unable to duplicate his performance in the subsequent Triple Crown races, the Preakness Stakes or the Belmont Stakes, this son of Birdstone's incredible win stands out in a year of surprises.
Another surprise was the other son of Birdstone entered in the Kentucky Derby, Summer Bird. Trained by Tim Ice, this colt turned in a mediocre sixth-place performance for the Run for the Roses. But he was saving his best for the latter half of the year. He scored a 2 ¾-length victory as an 11-1 shot in the $1M Gr. 1 Belmont Stakes. And then he went on to win not only the $1M Gr. 1 Travers Stakes in August but the $750,000 Gr. 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes in October - a feat that no other horse had accomplished since 1989. Summer Bird is currently recovering from a fracture and is expected to return to training in the spring.
May - November: Fantastic Fillies Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta
Though they never met in competition, Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta are widely considered to be in direct competition for the Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year. Three-year-old Rachel Alexandra took on top 3-year-old males in the $1M Preakness Stakes in May and won, but her most jaw-dropping accomplishments came later in the year. In August, she took on 3-year-old males again in the $1M Gr. 1 Haskell Invitational Stakes at Monmouth Park and won; in September, she took on older males in a stacked $750,000 Gr. 1 Woodward Stakes at Saratoga and prevailed once more. Though the details of her 4-year-old campaign have yet to be decided, "Rachel" will nevertheless be thrilling horse racing fans in 2010.
Zenyatta, trained by John Shirreffs, retired in 2009 after her campaign as a 5-year-old with a career-long unbeaten streak intact. Though she raced against females exclusively, save for her final race, Zenyatta's style of blowing away all competition by incredible margins thrust her into the limelight. Her final test was against highly regarded males in the $5M Gr. 1 Breeders' Cup Classic in November and she rallied in spectacular fashion from last to first to cap off an incredible career.
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