AMERICAN GRADED STAKES STANDINGS brought to you by Keeneland: BREEDERS’ CUP WRAP UP
Thursday, November 12th, 2009
There is no question who the biggest star was at the 26th Breeders’ Cup world championships, held at Santa Anita Park Nov. 6-7. It was Zenyatta, who thrust herself squarely into the Horse of the Year debate by becoming the first filly or mare to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic while putting the finishing touches on a perfect career of 14 victories from as many starts.
The Classic gave Zenyatta, a daughter of Street Cry, her fifth American Graded Stakes victory of 2009 and her third G1 triumph. This was her first attempt against colts. Rachel Alexandra, the favorite for Horse of the Year leading into the Breeders’ Cup, had already registered seven American Graded Stakes victories, including five G1, in 2009, three of them against male opponents. The daughter of Medaglia d’Oro ranks No. 1 in AGS wins for 2009 but was left on the sidelines by her owner, Jess Jackson, as the big dance approached because of his disdain for synthetic surfaces.
There is another very accomplished filly who has been racking up AGS victories all year, but who was overshadowed by Zenyatta at the Breeders’ Cup. That would be Informed Decision, whose victory in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint was her sixth American Graded Stakes victory of 2009 and third in a G1 race. The daughter of Monarchos, who races for the Augustin Stable of George Strawbridge (which campaigned 2008 female turf champion Forever Together and a third AGS winner of 2009 in Winter View), beat the top-class Ventura, winner of the 2008 Filly and Mare Sprint.
No one will be talking up Informed Decision as a Horse of the Year candidate, but what an outstanding year she has had for Strawbridge and trainer Jonathan Sheppard, winning six of seven starts, with a third-place showing in Saratoga’s Ballerina her only blemish. It’s true that she has performed best on synthetics (winning AGS races on Pro-Ride at Santa Anita, Polytrack at Keeneland and Arlington, and Tapeta at Presque Isle Downs), but she also won the G1 Humana Distaff at Churchill Downs on good old-fashioned dirt.
No individual had a better Breeders’ Cup than trainer John Shirreffs, who put the saddle on both Zenyatta and Life Is Sweet, a daughter of Storm Cat who won the Ladies’ Classic. Those two fillies gave Shirreffs a total of nine AGS wins for the year, and the Mizzen Mast colt Madeo made it an even 10 when he won the Inglewood Handicap earlier in the year.
None of the leading trainers of AGS winners of 2009 (Todd Pletcher, Kiaran McLaughlin, Steve Asmussen, Bob Baffert, Bill Mott) won a Breeders’ Cup race this year, and only two of the top owners of AGS winners (Godolphin and Juddmonte) earned a victory in one of the championships races.
