2012 was an outstanding year for the sport of horse racing. There were the incredible highs of the sport that saw I’ll Have Another win the first two legs of the Triple Crown and the brave Paynter fight off colitis and laminitis for a second chance at life. There were dark times, too, like I’ll Have Another’s scratch from the Belmont Stakes (G1), ending his Triple Crown bid.
The National Thoroughbred Racing Association puts forth a list every year giving fans the opportunity to vote on the biggest moment of the sport from the year. This year, the options are:
1) Rosie Napravnik becomes the first female jockey to win the Kentucky Oaks (G1), guiding Believe You Can to victory
2) I’ll Have Another and jockey Mario Gutierrez pull the upset from post 19 in the Kentucky Derby (G1)
3) I’ll Have Another runs down Bodemeister to win the Preakness Stakes (G1) by a neck
4) On the eve of a highly anticipated Triple Crown bid, I’ll Have Another is scratched from the Belmont Stakes
5) For the first time since 1874, the Travers Stakes (G1) ends in a dead heat as Alpha and Golden Ticket hit the wire together
6) Haskell winner Paynter overcomes deadly battles with laminitis and colitis and begins rehab for a possible 2013 campaign
7) For the second straight year, Royal Delta wins the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic (G1) for trainer Bill Mott and jockey Mike Smith, who registers his record 16th Breeders’ Cup riding win
8) Groupie Doll trounces her opponents in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1)
9) Shanghai Bobby digs in under Rosie Napravnik to win the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) and remain undefeated
10) Wise Dan breaks the course record in capturing the Breeders’ Cup Mile over an international field
11) Fort Larned holds off Mucho Macho Man to take the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1)
12) Shackleford ends his career on a winning note in the Clark Handicap (G1)
Let’s take a look at each of these moments, shall we? A word of warning: this is a blog, so it’s going to contain some opinions and thoughts as well as some moments where I go completely fangirl on certain horses. I’ll also be telling you what I picked as the NTRA Moment of the Year. Don’t agree with me? Fantastic! Feel free to hit me up in the comments.
Since there are 12 moments and we’re going to be looking at each of them pretty closely, we’re posting moments 1-6 today and moments 7-12 will be up on Friday. Enjoy!
1) Rosie Napravnik becomes the first female jockey to win the Kentucky Oaks, guiding Believe You Can to victory
This was a huge moment in racing history. There was a record crowd on hand on Kentucky Oaks day to witness Napravnik’s bold ride to take the Oaks, and despite the violent thunderstorm that rolled over Churchill Downs just before the race, the fans stuck around for the big event.
And what a treat they were in for. Rosie was determined in victory, fending off a game bid from Broadway’s Alibi to win her way into the history books.
After the race, Rosie was all smiles in the press room, clearly savoring the moment
She also had some encouraging words for little girls with big dreams:
2) I’ll Have Another and jockey Mario Gutierrez pull the upset from post 19 in the Kentucky Derby
I’ll Have Another was a definite underdog coming onto the “Run for the Roses” despite his victories in the Santa Anita Derby (G1) and the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G2) in the months leading up to the big dance. Now, I hate to brag, but I thought there was something special about him when I saw him win the Santa Anita Derby, and I actually picked him before the Derby. Booyah! Except for the part where I didn’t bet on him. Boo!
The little colt did look pretty great on his way to the paddock for the Kentucky Derby – with so many people and horses around him, he was a model of cool composure the entire time.
In fact, even as they made his way to the starting gate, I’ll Have Another and jockey Mario Gutierrez were unflappable amid the chaos.
That preternatural calm worked in their favor when the pair swept to an astonishing late-closing victory over favorite Bodemeister in one of the most exciting Derbies in recent memory.
3) I’ll Have Another runs down Bodemeister to win the Preakness by a neck
The Preakness was a huge test for I’ll Have Another and his team; the little colt and his unheralded jockey were still not getting the respect they deserved despite their victory in the Derby. In fact, I’ll Have Another wasn’t even the favorite in the Preakness, with that honor going to rival Bodemeister. Despite this, jockey Mario Guiterrez remained calm and confident, and definitely had his game face on going into the second jewel of the Triple Crown.
So, for that matter, did his horse. Again, the little red colt seemed unfazed by the crowd and excitement around him.
Once again, I’ll Have Another and Bodemeister hooked up in the home stretch of the race to duel in thrilling fashion, and once again I’ll Have Another and Mario Gutierrez prevailed.
If you have a half-hour of spare time this holiday season, I urge you to check out this documentary on I’ll Have Another’s incredible journey:
4) On the eve of a highly anticipated Triple Crown bid, I’ll Have Another is scratched from the Belmont Stakes
From the great heights of the first two legs of the Triple Crown came one of the more disappointing moments of the year: the time when we all learned that 2012 would be yet another year without a Triple Crown winner. Despite meticulous care and constant supervision, I’ll Have Another developed a tendon injury and was pulled out of the Belmont Stakes a day before the big race.
I will never forget hearing this news; I was up in the Belmont press box with my colleagues when the information broke on “The Dan Patrick Show”: trainer Doug O’Neil delivered the stunning news that it wouldn’t be in the horse’s best interest to run in the third leg of the Triple Crown. Chaos immediately broke out; this photo by Pat Cummings via the Downey Profile sums up the reaction in the press box:
Even longtime turf writers were shocked, and the prevailing attitude was one of profound disappointment. We all thought that this was the year and that this was the horse. Moments later, a press conference was called in the stakes barn at Belmont, and the entire press corps moved to hear updates. Reports and cameramen crowded together to try to get their stories as helicopters hovered overhead.
Dr. Larry Bramlage was kind enough to take some time out of his schedule to explain I’ll Have Another’s injury to our website; you can check out that interview below:
In the end, I’ll Have Another’s team made an incredibly difficult decision, but one that prioritized the welfare of the horse at the center of the drama. So it was with bittersweet feelings that, when we saw I’ll Have Another at the track on Belmont day, it for a retirement ceremony to say thank you to a valiant little horse who defied the odds.
5) For the first time since 1874, the Travers ends in a dead heat as Alpha and Golden Ticket hit the wire together
The Travers Stakes at historic Saratoga Race Course is known as the “Midsummer Derby”. Always a hotly contested race, the contest hasn’t resulted in a tie in 138 years. This year would be different, though, with favorite Alpha catching up to underdog Golden Ticket right at the wire.
Photo courtesy of NYRA
Winning trainers Kieran McLaughlin and Kenny McPeek were effusive in their praise for their horses and each other’s, and both horsemen seemed tickled by the historic finish. Here’s the video of the press conference after the race:
Traditionally, the canoe in the lake in the infield of Saratoga is painted with the colors of the winning Travers Stakes owner’s silks. This year, two canoes graced that infield for the first time in almost a century and a half of horse racing there.
Image courtesy of Horsephotos.com
6) Haskell winner Paynter overcomes deadly battles with laminitis and colitis and begins rehab for a possible 2013 campaign
Paynter showed his determination to win in the 2012 running of the Haskell Invitational Stakes (G1) at Monmouth Park. The striking dark bay colt cut a stunning picture as he schooled for the million-dollar race at the Jersey Shore.
When it was race time, the gritty colt, made the tough contest look like a walk in the park, winning with daylight between him and the runner-up.
It was with shock and horror, then, that the racing world learned that the beautiful horse with so much potential was stuck down with colitis, a disease of the colon known to be fatal to horses. Owner Ahmed Zayat took to his Twitter account to keep fans up to date on Paynter’s health, giving us unprecedented access to all that was being done to save the colt. Just when it seemed he may be out of the woods, Zayat delivered horrifying news: Paynter was stricken with laminitis in three of his feet.
Laminitis is perhaps best known as the disease that struck down 2006 Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro. While much research has gone into finding a cure, the diagnosis of laminitis is often a death sentence for horses. As fans grew more and more concerned about Paynter, Zayat made sure to keep everyone up to date through Twitter, and slowly the news emerged that Paynter was on the road to a full recovery.
Paynter is now recovering at Fair Hill Training Center and may even return to the races in 2013.
That’s it for the first half of the moments of the year; check back on Friday for Part II! If you’ve already made up your mind on who you’d like to vote for, head on over to http://www.formstack.com/forms/ntra-2012_ntra_moment_of_the_year and cast your ballot. May the best horse win!
