Emily's 13 in '13 - Firecracker Handicap

After his glorious 2012, Wise Dan became one of America's most beloved racehorses.  The chestnut gelding was coming into this year's Firecracker riding a win streak that included a solid handful of prestigious Grade 1 events.  However, last year's Horse of the Year would be up against it here.  The Firecracker was nothing new to him - he had won it in 2011 - but he was assigned a high weight of 128, which was more than ten pounds heavier than any other opponent in the race.

To make things worse, the track that night at Churchill Downs came up miserable, with cold rain buffeting the famous racecourse.  The turf course came up yielding, but the race was not moved to the main track.  Trainer Charlie LoPresti refused to scratch his champion gelding.  Wise Dan would run in the Firecracker.

Anxious eyes were fixed on the favorite as the gates opened...

Wise Dan broke well from the inside, letting the pacesetters do their work on the front end.  Tucking in beside Claiborne's Lea, he looked to have a good spot on the hedge behind a pace that was just right for the soggy conditions.  However, as the field made their way down the backstretch, it became increasingly clear to observers that his rivals were playing games with Wise Dan; the others were trying to box the champion in on the hedge.

Head bobbing, almost begging to run, Wise Dan loped along behind Seruni, whose rider was doing a terrific job at keeping the chestnut gelding at bay.  The other horses were beginning to make their moves on the leader, but Wise Dan had nowhere to run.  Hearts thudded heavy in throats as they swung around the bend, with the favorite still boxed in behind Seruni.

Jockey John Velazquez is well known for his courage; he mustered all the strength he had and muscled Wise Dan in the tiny gap between Seruni and the hedge.  With running room finally in sight, Wise Dan set down for the drive, ready to blow past Seruni, but it wasn't over yet.  The pacesetter and jockey Lanerie came in towards the favorite, nearly pinning him against that prickly barrier to his left.  Now breathless, fans watched as Wise Dan came back and began to pull away from his overmatched rivals.

Stumbling a bit over the soft ground, Wise Dan crossed the wire a winner.  Nothing had favored him that night, yet the champion had fought his way through biting rain and walls of horses to come out a victor.  No one would doubt Wise Dan's heart again.  He went on to win at Saratoga, then set a track record at Woodbine, and finally successfully defended his title in the Breeders' Cup Mile.

Though Wise Dan has won many great races on several tracks, this one - in my heart - will always be his greatest.

Emily's 13 in '13 - St. James's Palace Stakes

There were a lot of great performances at Royal Ascot this year, but my favorite of them all was this cracking race between two top-notch three year-olds.  Both owned by royalty, they had already met that year in the 2000 Guineas, with the flashy chestnut getting the better of his rival.  Toronado, who had finished off the board that day in fourth, sought revenge in Royal Ascot's St. James's Palace Stakes.  This event's history read like a who's-who of English racing, won by horses like Bend Or, Tudor Minstrel, Brigadier Gerard, and Frankel. 

It would not be easy for Toronado, for he had to handle Dawn Approach yet again.  The chestnut son of New Approach had floundered in the Epsom Derby against stayers, rank almost immediately out of the gate.  Many wondered whether that race had taken too much out of him; his connections obviously had enough faith in him to send him out against a fresher Toronado.  Also in the race was Magician, who would later win the Breeders' Cup Turf.

Leading the field early in white colors were Leitir Mor and Glory Awaits.  Not far behind was Coolmore's Magician; Dawn Approach was rank again, pulling hard against his rider's hands, but not so much as he was at Epsom.  Toronado settled comfortably near the tail of the field, keeping the colts before him in his sights.

They rounded the turn and had Leitir Mor to catch.  Mshawish attacked first, but there was drama to his outside; Glory Awaits lugged out into Magician, who then bumped Dawn Approach and the fast-closing Toronado.  Magician fell back, shaken by the interference, but Dawn Approach and Toronado came on just as fast, effortlessly breezing past the new leader Mshawish. 

Now the race was on!  Dawn Approach had the advantage, but Toronado was not far behind.  They locked horns late in the stretch - who would it be?  Guineas revenge loomed for Toronado; Dawn Approach could redeem his Epsom bumble with a win here.  The two colts hit the wire together, with daylight between them and the late rally by Mars.

The photo finish was won by Dawn Approach, who had successfully come back from the Derby a winner.  Toronado had put in the gamest performance of his career.  The next time the two would meet - the Sussex at Goodwood would be the backdrop for this race - Toronado would get the better of his rival at last, putting away both Dawn Approach and the highly regarded older horse Declaration of War.  

Emily's 13 in '13 - Paynter's Comeback

One of the most remarkable races of the year wasn't a Grade 1 at an elite track.  Instead, it was an allowance optional claimer, and it took place on the dirt of a dying racecourse.  Races like these are run every day, several times a day, around the world.  What made this one special was not its status in the racing world but the star member of its cast.

Paynter was a very good three year-old in 2012.  Taking a little time to develop, he finished a fast-closing fourth in the Santa Anita Derby before nearly going all the way on the lead in the Belmont Stakes, losing in the final strides to Union Rags.  He ran away with the Haskell Stakes and became a strong favorite for the Travers at Saratoga a month later. 

He never saw the Saratoga starting gate.  The bay son of Awesome Again spiked a fever during preparation for the big race, and it was soon discovered that he was suffering from colitis.  Things worsened as Paynter developed laminitis as well; for weeks in late summer, it seemed as if the once vibrant racehorse was knocking on death's door.  As the doctors did their work, all the rest of us could do was pray and hope.

The miracle of the year occurred when Paynter not only came back from his life-threatening situation but began to train for the track again.  After nearly a year without a race, Paynter came back in a race at Hollywood Park against a small yet solid field.  Could the Paynter of 2012 flash his speed here, or had the injury taken too much out of him?  That was the question on everyone's mind.

He came out with a bang, immediately rushing towards the front and running the others off their hooves, though he kept close to them for a while.  Setting quick but not wicked fractions, Paynter ran well within himself, daring his rivals to catch him if they could.  As it was a sprint event, they reached the turn quicker than Paynter had in a while, and now was the time for the others to go after the favorite.

But no one was catching Paynter that day.

Under mild urging, Paynter drew away with ease, pulling away to win by open lengths to the soundtrack of a happy crowd. 

"Welcome back, big guy!" Vic Stauffer called into the microphone, adding later, "Wow, good for you Paynter; he won by five," with obvious emotion clouding his tone.

Ears pricked, Paynter galloped out like the champion he was, returning to the winner's circle amidst smiles and cheers.  The miracle had come full circle.  Not only had he escaped death, he had crushed it under thunderous hooves.

Paynter would not win again that year, although he did put in some good performances, including a second place finish to eventual Breeders' Cup Classic winner Mucho Macho Man in the Awesome Again Stakes, named after his sire.  He even earned himself a spot in the Classic field; to see that bay colt strutting proudly, white saddlecloth fluttering in the wind and eyes bright with excitement, was a stark comparison to the sickly colt of the summer of 2012. 

Paynter will never be listed as a champion in the history books, but he will always remain a champion of the people.

Emily's 13 in '13 - Manhattan Handicap

Point of Entry seemed certain to win a turf male championship in 2012.  After an unlucky second to Little Mike in the Breeders' Cup, however, he lost that award to Wise Dan, the popular Breeders' Cup Mile winner.  Three Grade 1 wins that year did give him a lot of distinction, and his 2013 comeback was highly anticipated. 

It came in the Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap against Animal Kingdom, who was preparing for the Dubai World Cup on synthetic.  Despite it being a little bit short for the stayer - nine furlongs - Point of Entry showed his class by turning back the challenge of his chestnut rival to win.  That defeat set Animal Kingdom up for a big win in the World Cup a month and a half later. 

Point of Entry took a long break after that.  He was scheduled to run against Wise Dan in the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic, but was scratched when the ground came up quite soft.  (It wasn't all that bad of a day for his connections - they did take down the Derby with Orb a race later!)  His next start would be in the Manhattan Handicap over another yielding surface; this time, McGaughey would not scratch the dark bay son of Dynaformer.  He would face old rivals Optimizer and Twilight Eclipse, among others.  It was clear that Point of Entry was the class of the field - little did anyone know that he would have to use every ounce of that class on Manhattan day.

As usual, Point of Entry took back to sit near the rear of the field, comfortably running a distance behind Plainview, who was setting ambitious fractions for a turf route on soft ground.  Steady as could be, the heavy favorite slowly began to make up the ground on the backstretch, passing horses with those long, even strides of his.  They hit the sweeping Belmont turn and Optimizer rushed up to challenge the leader, poking a tenacious nose in front.  Point of Entry and the gray Bombaguia moved in tandem, but it wasn't long before Bombaguia could not match strides with him.

Meanwhile, a bay in red-and-white Ramsey colors was desperately looking for somewhere to run.  This was Real Solution, and later in the year, he would win the Arlington Million via disqualification.  As they straightened out, Real Solution swung to the outside to challenge Optimizer just as Point of Entry set his sights on the leader as well.  Point of Entry drew even with Optimizer and was poised to take the lead, but the Ramseys' colt was a new challenger on the outside.  In fact, it almost looked as if Real Solution would sweep right on by the favorite.

It looked bad for the favorite in mid-stretch, but something remarkable happened in the very last part of the race - Point of Entry would not let him by.  It must have been his Dynaformer blood, the same blood that caused his kin to irritably snap at passers-by...blood with a fierce reputation.  On Belmont's yielding turf, Point of Entry turned back Real Solution on the outside and Optimizer on the inside and drew away, winning by a length and a half. 

What seemed like a doomed favorite in the final furlong turned out to be the classiest winner of them all.

That edgy victory was not without consequence.  Point of Entry came out of the race with a condylar fracture and was sidelined for several months.  The Manhattan would be his final victory; he came back to finish a valiant fourth behind Magician in the Breeders' Cup Turf.  Adena Springs called his name next, and the gamest of turf stayers now stands at stud for $25,000.

Emily's 13 in '13 - Brooklyn Handicap

In the Breeders' Cup of 2012, a wiry bay stallion from Argentina swept across the wire first in the Marathon.  One thing set him apart from the others - he was nine years old.  The newly crowned oldest winner of a Breeders' Cup event finished fifth in his 2013 debut; that effort gave him 7-1 odds at post time for the Brooklyn Handicap in early June.

A sloppy track at Belmont Park awaited Calidoscopio for the Brooklyn.  At ten years old, he was old enough to be the sire of younger horses running that day.

Calidoscopio broke with the field, but it didn't take long before Aaron Gryder took his Marathon winner back.  The pair loped almost nonchalantly along as Percussion and Ruler on Ice dashed for the early lead.  By the time they reached the backstretch, Calidoscopio was double-digit lengths behind his nearest competitor.  It became almost laughable as he finally fell so far back as to be off the screen.  Up on the lead, Percussion was setting measured fractions, looking to carry that even speed all the way to the wire.

As they reached the far turn, a race was beginning to develop up front.  Despite having the lead all that time, no one was getting close to Percussion.  Many lengths behind, though, Calidoscopio was beginning to uncork that powerful closing kick of his.  Gryder angled his mount to the outside, and Calidoscopio began picking off his rivals one by one.  As they splashed down the stretch, defeated horses began to wilt after that distance and dropped out.

Not Calidoscopio, though.  He was just getting started.

Percussion's lead was fading, and it was fading fast.  Just a few furlongs ago, the frontrunner looked to have the race all sewn up.  Now Calidoscopio was eating into his lead with every long stride, and the ten year-old effortlessly sailed across the line a winner.  Percussion finished a gallant second, but even his even pace could not undo that remarkable closer Calidoscopio.

Soon after, Calidoscopio was given his well-earned rest - retirement to stud.  The ten year-old had done more than enough in his many years of racing and was now ready to pass on those hardy genes to his offspring.  His Breeders' Cup Marathon had been remarkable, but his Brooklyn win was one for the ages.

Emily's 13 in '13 - Kentucky Derby

The Kentucky Derby is, and will probably always be, my favorite horse race.  The build-up to the event is unlike any other; the feeling of those elite three year-olds springing from the gate and racing down the stretch of Churchill Downs gets the heart pounding.  The pageantry is superb and the history is stellar.

This year, a colt I fancied more than any other in a long while entered the starting gate as the favorite.  Orb was a product of racing royalty - his female family was that of the great Ruffian, and he was co-owned by the Phipps and Janney families, two names forever linked with this sport.  Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey called the shots for the bay son of Malibu Moon, and called them well.  After a few unsuccessful tries at breaking his maiden, Orb finally did so, and then went on to win the Fountain of Youth and then the Florida Derby impressively.

He looked great on the track all week, and it was no cause for concern when the late closer drew the 16 post position.  After all, he did like to do his best running on the outside.  Could Orb be McGaughey's first trip to the Derby winner's circle?




The track came up sloppy, and Black Onyx on the inside was scratched.  19 colts broke from the gate, each of them with a different story coming into the race but all with the same goal.  Palace Malice, who would get the better of his contemporaries in the Belmont Stakes, set a radioactive pace up front with his newly added green blinkers.  Highly regarded colts like Verrazano, Itsmyluckyday and Goldencents sat close to that hot tempo.  Where was Orb?  Back near the tail of the field, getting his famous white and red silks splattered with mud.

Palace Malice was running away from the field, but it wouldn't be long before he tired in the mud and they caught up to him.  Rounding the turn, Orb was beginning to pick off horses one by one, making an impressive bid to the front.  At the top of the stretch, Verrazano inadvertently ended the forward momentum of Will Take Charge, a colt who would end up the best of his crop in the end.  Normandy Invasion and Oxbow pounced in tandem on the leg-weary Palace Malice, but they didn't have the lead for long.

Orb, with his giant strides, had caught up to the leaders and was ready to go right on by - and go right on by he did!  Closers like Golden Soul and Mylute did their level best to challenge Orb, but no one was catching the favorite that day.  Covered in mud, Joel Rosario and Orb crossed the wire in front of the others as the crowd exploded.  Watching via television inside, Shug McGaughey watched solemnly, patiently...and it wasn't until he was met with embraces and cheers that a sweet smile began to spread slowly across his face.  In the winner's circle, the roses looked more than perfect on the newly crowned Derby champion.

Sadly, that would be the last race he would win.  Orb put in a dull off-the-board performance in the Preakness behind the front-running Oxbow, and then labored in third behind Palace Malice in the Belmont.  He came back with a promising third-place finish in the Travers Stakes, but was retired to stud a couple months after finishing last in the Jockey Club Gold Cup.  No one can take the 2013 Kentucky Derby away from Orb, though.  He rightfully owns that triumphant victory in the slop.

Emily's 13 in '13 - Dubai World Cup

Immediately following the high of St. Nicholas Abbey's triumph in the Sheema Classic, I witnessed another one of my favorite horses romping home to a victory in the desert.

Ever since his win in the Spiral Stakes at Turfway, I had kept my eye on Animal Kingdom.  The young colt, already adept on two surfaces, showed a lot of promise in that start.  He turned that promise to gold when he surged past 19 others to win the Kentucky Derby in 2011.  After finishing a fast-closing second to Shackleford in the Preakness and enduring a tough trip in the Belmont, his racetrack appearances were sporadic.  He came back in his four year-old season in a turf event at Gulfstream, prepping for the Dubai World Cup; Animal Kingdom won the race, but was sidelined with yet another injury after that.

He launched an incredible comeback from that injury, threading his way through the pack and finishing a brilliant second in the 2012 Breeders' Cup Mile to Wise Dan.  After a second to top turf male Point of Entry in the Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap, he was ready to shoot for Dubai again.




Joining him in the starting gate would be fellow Americans Royal Delta and Dullahan.  The former, a headstrong dark mare and winner of two Breeders' Cup Distaffs, was quickest away, taking the lead and setting the pace for the majority of the race.  Animal Kingdom sat right on her flank, biding his time.  Not far behind was Godolphin's Hunter's Light, and even further back was Red Cadeaux; the seasoned globe-trotter was waiting to make an explosive move in the stretch.

They reached the turn; Royal Delta could do no more and dropped back rapidly.  Taking her place was Animal Kingdom, whose strides lengthened as he entered the stretch.  He was a sight to see as he pulled away from his rivals, leaving them in the dust.  Only Red Cadeaux posed a challenge on the inside, but even he could not make up the ground on the Derby winner as they sailed across the wire.  Animal Kingdom became the first American horse to do well in the World Cup since Meydan Racecourse had opened in 2010.

Joel Rosario was aboard the sleek chestnut stallion.  It would be the first of many big wins for the jockey in 2013.   Graham Motion and Barry Irwin reveled in their horse's success.  Three months later, he would finish unplaced in his last start, the Queen Anne Stakes at Ascot.  Soon after that, he would join the stallion barn at Darley, shuttling between Australia and America and passing his stamina-laden pedigree on to his offspring.

In the Derby, Animal Kingdom was merely a prince.  The Dubai World Cup crowned him a king.