Bernardini was on the path to a championship that year. The bay son of A.P. Indy had picked up the pieces in that disastrous Preakness Stakes where Barbaro broke down the first time down the stretch. After that, he decisively won the Jim Dandy, Travers and Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes. Bernardini, who was riding a six race winning streak, captured his races with such ease that Horse of the Year honors were not out of the question. "Nonchalant brilliance," as Tom Durkin described it in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, was the name of the colt's game. If he could capture the prestigious Breeders' Cup Classic at Churchill Downs, Horse of the Year would be his.
Much was made of the rivalry between the Californian invader, Lava Man, and Bernardini, the prince of the East Coast. However, people - including me - disregarded the Argentinian-bred Invasor, a Uruguayan Triple Crown winner and three-time handicap winner in the States. Other horses vying for the Classic included Flower Alley, the previous year's runner-up; Lawyer Ron and Brother Derek, contemporaries of Bernardini; 2005's Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo; and English 2000 Guineas winner George Washington. It was a stellar field for a stellar race, but many thought Bernardini outclassed them all.
It was an odd day for the Breeder's Cup. The championship was being aired for the first time on ESPN after spending decades with NBC. Tom Durkin was no longer calling the races due to contract; instead, it was Trevor Denman in the booth. There were some triumphs that day - Ouija Board won her second Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf, and future Derby winner Street Sense was a ten length winner of the Juvenile. However, tragedy in the Distaff marred the day. The two favorites for the race, Fleet Indian and Pine Island, were pulled up on the backstretch; Pine Island was euthanized as a result of her injury. That event left me in tears, and what happened two races later did not make me feel any better.
Bernardini, clad in Darley's red and white silks, was set to etch his name in racing history. They broke from the gate and Brother Derek set the pace. Lawyer Ron, a future track record breaker at Saratoga, sat close behind. California's sweetheart Lava Man sat a comfortable third, and Premium Tap, who would test Invasor in future years, laid in wait in fourth. Bernardini was not far behind those; Invasor farther back still but in striking range. The closers were biding their time as the speedy Brother Derek ran a half mile in 46 and change.
It was too soon. That was the consensus of many horsemen, handicappers and fans upon reviewing the race. Bernardini was asked to go after the leaders as they began to round the turn, and at that distance, with formidable closers behind him, it was simply too soon. But the gallant bay colt began to pick off the leaders, one by one, gobbling them up with giant strides to take the lead. It was a magnificent sight to see, this blue-blooded horse, elegant head down and mane flying, running beautifully around Churchill Down's sweeping turn. They entered the stretch together, Bernardini and Brother Derek, but the bay colt soon put him away. It seemed as if this was it - Bernardini would streak away from his rivals as he had done in his previous six races.
These were higher caliber horses than what he had been dealing with in the past. The fact that Bernardini had started his run too soon around the turn had been his undoing. Wait a little longer, and maybe he wouldn't have been caught. As he desperately sought the wire, a persistent Premium Tap at his flanks, the blue and white colors of Invasor were starting to gain on him in the center of the track. Bernardini offered no resistance as Invasor rushed past him, for how could he? The bay colt, although brilliant, had never been truly tested in his life. He was no match for a seasoned older horse like Invasor.
So in the dim light of a Kentucky evening, Invasor crossed the wire a length in front of Bernardini. Behind them was Premium Tap in third; Giacomo had made a terrific run from the tail of the field but could only manage fourth. Lava Man, who was a particularly horrible shipper, put in a lackluster performance to finish off the board. My eleven year-old eyes took all this in, saw my beautiful bay favorite fail to win a championship race, and began to cry tears from eyes already reddened by the events of the Distaff. Although I was happy for Invasor and his young rider Fernando Jara, the truth was there for all to see. Bernardini would not be Horse of the Year. That award would go to Invasor, a four-time Grade 1 winner in 2006.
After that race, Bernardini was retired to stud. With an excellent book, many expected him to inherit his sire's crown as a leading producer. That honor has since gone to horses like Pulpit and Malibu Moon. Some say Bernardini has been a disappointment at stud. I disagree, for he has done great things, but it is true that the bar was set much too high for the colt as a young stallion. He has gone on to sire two Travers Stakes winners, Stay Thirsty and Alpha, and Woodward Stakes winner To Honor and Serve. No, to me, Bernardini will never be a disappointment.
Invasor went on to have a terrific first half of 2007, winning the Donn Handicap and then the Dubai World Cup in the second-fastest time for that race in its short history. He was poised to make a dynamic comeback in the latter half of the year, but was retired to stud after injury was discovered that June. Interestingly enough, although he was his better on the track in their only meeting, Invasor's accomplishments as a stud are nowhere near Bernardini's. However, this year, Invasor will be inducted into America's Racing Hall of Fame, with a record of eleven wins from twelve starts and earnings of nearly eight million dollars. He is more than deserving of this honor.
I will not remember Bernardini by his loss in this race. His open-lengths triumphs of races like the Travers and Jockey Club Gold Cup will always be my memories to keep of him. However, the sting of this loss has not gone away in seven years. I still think to myself upon watching the race, "What if he had made his move just a little bit sooner?" The end of his career may have just been a little brighter, and his legacy that much more pristine.
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