Throwback Thursday - 2011 Breeders' Cup Turf

On Monday, I had my Throwback Thursday planned and ready.  A day later, a sad occurrence turned those plans upside down, as life usually does to plans.  My remembrance of another race can wait for me to write a tribute to one of the coolest horses of this decade so far.  On Tuesday morning, champion stayer St. Nicholas Abbey injured himself in a morning workout and had to undergo surgery on Wednesday.  Prayers still need to be said for the bay son of Montjeu, as his life could be in jeopardy with any setbacks he faces.

The colt had done well across the pond before this race, winning Grade 1 races at two and four years of age.  However, it was this performance at Churchill Downs that drew me to St. Nicholas Abbey.  It is a race I remember less for the actual race and more for the pre- and post-race details.

St. Nicholas Abbey was under the care of the great Aidan O'Brien, the head of one of the greatest racing operations in the world.  Many famous jockeys had ridden for O'Brien in his Breeders' Cup triumphs, but in 2011, he would send his Coronation Cup winner to the Breeders' Cup Turf with his 18 year-old son Joseph aboard.  If Joseph O'Brien could win the Breeders' Cup Turf, he would be the youngest jockey to win a race at America's richest day of racing. 

There was much build-up regarding the O'Briens and Sir Nicholas Abbey before the race.  Young Joseph, at 5'11", towered over his fellow jockeys in the paddock, despite his baby face.  St. Nicholas Abbey, a regal bay colt with a white stripe down his long face, took everything in stride in his first trip to the States.  Trainer O'Brien calmly gave his son and Julien Leparoux, aboard Await the Dawn, their instructions for the race.

Cool and collected was Joseph O'Brien.  Answering questions fired at him from reporters and fans alike in his Irish lilt, the young jockey got a leg up on his mount and they headed off to try to make history.  It would be tough; a talented field would challenge the pair.  Among them were the females Sarafina, a multiple Grade 1 winner in France, and Midday, the 2009 winner of the Breeders' Cup Classic, as well as Juddmonte's talented colt Sea Moon and Brilliant Speed, the best American hopeful in the race.

St. Nicholas Abbey entered the gate first in the field of nine.  He got away a little slowly, but that was all right, for O'Brien tucked him away on the inside, keeping away from the pace up front.  That is where the colt stayed for the majority of the race.  There were some nail-biting moments for the O'Brien team, but turning into the homestretch, Joseph hooked St. Nicholas Abbey to the outside and called on his colt for all the run he could muster.

And run he did!  St. Nicholas Abbey began to fly past horses, overtaking Sea Moon and Brilliant Speed and taking the lead.  Putting the whip away, O'Brien hand-rode his horse to the wire as the colt drew away to win by open lengths. 

The result was explosive.  An 18 year-old son riding for his father in one of the richest races in the world was the perfect storyline, and here it had unfolded perfectly.  Joseph O'Brien became the youngest rider to win a Breeders' Cup race, beating out Fernando Jara, who had won the Breeders' Cup Classic aboard Invasor in 2006.  It would be his breakthrough victory; the jockey would go on to win riding titles and classic races alike.

It was also St. Nicholas Abbey's debut as an international star.  The bay colt would go on to win two more Coronation Cups, a Dubai Sheema Classic, and a third-place finish finish in the Arc de Triomphe, among several other outstanding performances.  He was slated to run in this weekend's King George and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, which boasts a field that includes French champion Cirrus des Aigles and Irish Derby winner Trading Leather. 

After the race, horse and jockey made their way to the winner's circle amidst much happy clamor.  They stopped to talk to the guys at the ESPN booth, they accepted pats and handshakes from the crowd gathering on the track, and finally, Aidan reached his son.  The look on his face said it all - pure pride and exultation.  Young Joseph beamed, helping the handlers lift the wreath of purple and yellow flowers onto St. Nicholas Abbey's regal neck.  The applause in the winner's circle was loud and joyful.  This was a win that everyone could celebrate.

A fractured pastern prevented St. Nicholas Abbey from proving his worth on the track yet again, but he is doing well so far and there is a great possibility that he can go on to become a healthy and productive sire.  His absence on the racetrack will be felt deeply.  I know I always looked forward to seeing the white-striped face of St. Nicholas Abbey and his young rider, clad in purple and white silks.  The image of them capturing the Breeders' Cup Turf together is a wonderful, and thankfully permanent, memory.