Breeders' Cup Memories: "And Arazi runs right by him!"

Breeders’ Cup News / Rich Perloff / 26 October 2011 / Leave a Comment

Arazi's 1991 Juvenile win is surely one of everyone favourite Breeders' Cup memories

"But, as the field straightened away for the run up the backstretch, the son of Blushing Groom commenced a rally that will forever live in the memories of racing fans..."

As we approach this year's Breeders' Cup, Rich Perloff casts his mind back over the years for some memories of Breeders' Cups past and offers three for your consideration...

1) November 10, 1984. Yes, I was there at Hollywood Park on that Fall afternoon; me and my dad. We rarely missed a weekend at the Southern California tracks back in those days. It was the inaugural running of the Breeders' Cup ("only" seven races!), and, as I sat under a bright blue sky in Los Angeles, with the flags of many nations fluttering in the breeze, I remember thinking to myself: "What a great day to be a race fan!" And what a day it was: Eillo, Lashkari, Fran's Valentine/Outstandingly, Chief's Crown, Royal Heroine, Princess Rooney...culminating, of course, with the unbelievable stretch run of Wild Again, Gate Dancer, and Slew o' Gold. It was apparent to everyone at the track that day -- and, I'm sure, to all of those watching the telecast -- that the landscape of racing was forever altered.

2) November 2, 1991. My all-time favorite Breeders' Cup race is the 1991 Juvenile. ARAZI came to the U.S. with a lofty reputation, having reeled off six consecutive wins in France, including three straight Group 1 races. But, for all that, nothing could have prepared us for his effort at Churchill. Breaking from the extreme outside post (#14) at 1 1/16 miles, Arazi had only one horse beaten into the clubhouse turn. But, as the field straightened away for the run up the backstretch, the son of Blushing Groom commenced a rally that will forever live in the memories of racing fans, picking off horses one by one, Pat Valenzuela weaving through traffic, inside, then outside, until finally only Bertrando was ahead of him. And then, in a heartbeat, Bertrando was in Arazi's rearview mirror, Tom Durkin memorably calling: "And Arazri runs right by him!" Arazi would visit North America twice more, flopping in the 1992 Kentucky Derby, and again in that year's Breeders' Cup Mile. He never managed to recreate the magic of his Juvenile win. But - do you remember? - he was the 4-5 favorite in the Derby, and he was a 3-2 favorite in the BC Mile...a testament to the brilliance he demonstrated in his astonishing Juvenile performance, and to the bettors' desire to see THAT run one more time.

3) November 7, 2009. ZENYATTA always had her detractors. You know, the "who did she beat?" contingent. Hard to imagine that a 13-for-13 racehorse, with 7 Grade I wins already to her credit, could possibly have that much to prove. But, to be fair, when she took her place in the starting gate for the 2009 Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita, the one thing she hadn't yet accomplished was a victory against males. As was her wont, Zenyatta lagged well behind the field in the early stages, and she was still 11th of 12 as the field left the 3/8 pole, prompting racecaller Trevor Denman to observe: "...she has a lot, a LOT of ground to make up; Zenyatta, if she wins this, she'll be a super horse...!" Which is just about the time that jockey Mike Smith hit the gas and maneuvered Zenyatta to the outside of horses, where - as usual -- she mowed down everything in her path, and went on to score the biggest win of her career. And, in so doing, she gave legions of race fans (this one included) a memory they'll treasure forever. Again, Trevor said it best: "This...is...un-be-LIEVE-able!"