Breeders Cup Betting
Daily Racing Form
Equibase
Equidaily
Horse Race Insider
Horses, Handicapping and Hijinks
NTRA
Thoroughbred Times
Form Blog
Not to the Swift
Paulick Report
RacehorseGirl
Railbird
West Points
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
06 October 2008
Farewell, Fine Filly
My intention had been to write a comprehensive "catching up" post tonight. However, retirement season is upon us yet again. It seems that instead I was destined to write a send-off to one of my favorite fillies, and go to bed dreaming of Anna.
Back in 2006 (my first Breeders' Cup - has it been two years already?!), my pick for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies was Dreaming of Anna, who had impressively beaten males in Woodbine's Summer Stakes on the grass. Unbeaten. On grass, my surface of choice. Against males, always a promising sign. What could go wrong?
I was right. She wired the field, and the most memorable moment of Breeders' Cup day for me may have been watching Frank Calabrese tear up without shame as he watched his filly head into the winner's circle. From the death of his sister came hope ... every now and then, I'm able to forget that I'm supposed to be a hardened horror fan and get a little sentimental.
However, I need to confess something. My affection for her deepened a little bit when I saw the ad that Three Chimneys ran for her sire, Rahy - a sepia-toned photo of her blanketed with flowers. I know that I'm not supposed to think like this, but dammit, that filly was pretty! For two more years, she kept me occupied as I followed her career. After a lackluster sixth place finish in the Kentucky Oaks, her connections switched her to turf, much to my pleasure.
She didn't always string together wins. Generally she started out a bit sluggish, and it was one of those situations where you held on and kept the faith. And with a bit of patience, she always rewarded, always showed her class and sturdiness. In fact, only three times (the last being her final race) did she manage to find herself off the board. Out of seventeen starts.
I knew that the end was coming ... my heart sank a little bit when I read over the summer that the Breeders' Cup would be her final race. It sank a little bit more tonight when I saw the headline, which I'd guessed upon seeing the result of the First Lady Stakes (six of seven). So now both of my favorite fillies (Citronnade and Dreaming of Anna) have been retired.
But, you know what? I'm okay with it. Her connections let me enjoy her for three years, and I have my pick for an upcoming Breeders' Cup Juvenile or Juvenile Fillies' Turf ...
??? - Dreaming of Anna, by Rahy
I'm going to suggest my other favorite stallion at the moment, Rock Hard Ten.
Also worth noting is that another filly I've enjoyed watching over the past few years, Romance Is Diane (who captured my attention around the same time as Dreaming of Anna), very likely ran her last race on Sunday ... a heartbreakingly impressive head loss to Mr. Chairman in the California Cup Classic (against the boys, no less). She is catalogued as hip number 163 in the Keeneland November sale, and while she's listed as a racing or broodmare prospect, my guess is that her new owners will choose to breed her.
My intention had been to write a comprehensive "catching up" post tonight. However, retirement season is upon us yet again. It seems that instead I was destined to write a send-off to one of my favorite fillies, and go to bed dreaming of Anna.
Back in 2006 (my first Breeders' Cup - has it been two years already?!), my pick for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies was Dreaming of Anna, who had impressively beaten males in Woodbine's Summer Stakes on the grass. Unbeaten. On grass, my surface of choice. Against males, always a promising sign. What could go wrong?
I was right. She wired the field, and the most memorable moment of Breeders' Cup day for me may have been watching Frank Calabrese tear up without shame as he watched his filly head into the winner's circle. From the death of his sister came hope ... every now and then, I'm able to forget that I'm supposed to be a hardened horror fan and get a little sentimental.
However, I need to confess something. My affection for her deepened a little bit when I saw the ad that Three Chimneys ran for her sire, Rahy - a sepia-toned photo of her blanketed with flowers. I know that I'm not supposed to think like this, but dammit, that filly was pretty! For two more years, she kept me occupied as I followed her career. After a lackluster sixth place finish in the Kentucky Oaks, her connections switched her to turf, much to my pleasure.
She didn't always string together wins. Generally she started out a bit sluggish, and it was one of those situations where you held on and kept the faith. And with a bit of patience, she always rewarded, always showed her class and sturdiness. In fact, only three times (the last being her final race) did she manage to find herself off the board. Out of seventeen starts.
I knew that the end was coming ... my heart sank a little bit when I read over the summer that the Breeders' Cup would be her final race. It sank a little bit more tonight when I saw the headline, which I'd guessed upon seeing the result of the First Lady Stakes (six of seven). So now both of my favorite fillies (Citronnade and Dreaming of Anna) have been retired.
But, you know what? I'm okay with it. Her connections let me enjoy her for three years, and I have my pick for an upcoming Breeders' Cup Juvenile or Juvenile Fillies' Turf ...
??? - Dreaming of Anna, by Rahy
I'm going to suggest my other favorite stallion at the moment, Rock Hard Ten.
Also worth noting is that another filly I've enjoyed watching over the past few years, Romance Is Diane (who captured my attention around the same time as Dreaming of Anna), very likely ran her last race on Sunday ... a heartbreakingly impressive head loss to Mr. Chairman in the California Cup Classic (against the boys, no less). She is catalogued as hip number 163 in the Keeneland November sale, and while she's listed as a racing or broodmare prospect, my guess is that her new owners will choose to breed her.
Rock Hard Ten would represent a nice cross of Kris S and Rahy, but I'd prefer Dixieland Band; the Northern Dancer-Rahy cross has produced After Market, Giant's Causeway, Sophisticat and Jalil (according to True Nicks). Of course, we're breeding for grass :)
Another sire I would throw out there is Purim(Dynaformer-Roberto). Recently retired and you can get him for a song. He tried hard every time and I think he will do well at stud.
I tear up every time I watch the Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
I tear up every time I watch the Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
That dinner table scene? Where you start to really understand how all of it managed to happen? A few tears belong there!
Visceral and unsettling. See also: Funny Games, Michael Haneke's 1997 film. While Haneke never actually intended it to be a horror film, it managed to rapidly become one of the genre's finest examples (another little gem is Takashi Miike's 1999 Audition ... however, I'm always a little reluctant to recommend that, because the sadism there is truly gut-wrenching). Those are just two recent, more well-known examples of the 'upsetting' film.
TCM, however, was truly a defining moment in recent history and incomparable. Two other greats of hillbilly horror are, of course, The Hills Have Eyes and Two Thousand Maniacs! ... all of which I need to re-watch now!
Visceral and unsettling. See also: Funny Games, Michael Haneke's 1997 film. While Haneke never actually intended it to be a horror film, it managed to rapidly become one of the genre's finest examples (another little gem is Takashi Miike's 1999 Audition ... however, I'm always a little reluctant to recommend that, because the sadism there is truly gut-wrenching). Those are just two recent, more well-known examples of the 'upsetting' film.
TCM, however, was truly a defining moment in recent history and incomparable. Two other greats of hillbilly horror are, of course, The Hills Have Eyes and Two Thousand Maniacs! ... all of which I need to re-watch now!
< < Home
Post a Comment