There was no scarcity of superlatives tossed round earlier than, throughout, and after the 1998 version of the Breeders’ Cup Basic, and for good cause.
“Greatest discipline I’ve ever seen,” Seth Hancock, president of Claiborne Farm on co-owner of one of many 10 Basic runners (Arch), instructed BloodHorse earlier than the race. “You set up the cash and you’re going to get one of the best of one of the best.”
The cash Hancock referred to was the $5.12 million Basic purse that made it, on the time, the richest race ever run, and the deep solid of standout racehorses despatched to publish was worthy of the “All-Star Subject” designation bestowed upon it.
There was a lot hype to dwell as much as Nov. 7, 1998, at Churchill Downs, and the World Championships delivered then-record deal with and attendance (80,452). The star-studded solid for the Basic adopted go well with and served up a heck of a grand finale.
The 1998 Basic discipline was headlined by two-time Eclipse Award winner Skip Away making his last profession begin and Silver Attraction, winner of 1997 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes and the 1998 Dubai World Cup. The previous was bidding to repeat within the Basic, however regardless of an uncharacteristically boring efficiency in his last race, he nonetheless gained the Eclipse Award because the 1998 Horse of the 12 months and was inducted into the Racing Corridor of Fame in 2004; Silver Attraction’s Corridor of Fame induction got here three years later in 2007.
European star Swain, a four-time Group 1 winner in Europe making the ultimate begin of his profession, shipped over for the 1998 Basic, which additionally drew 1997 Belmont Stakes winner Contact Gold, 1998 Belmont Stakes winner Victory Gallop, and 1998 Haskell and Travers winner Coronado’s Quest.
Then, there was Superior Once more, who had gained the Queens’ Plate and Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes whereas posting three victories in six begins in 1997. Coach Patrick Byrne and owner-breeder Frank Stronach took a affected person strategy to his 4-year-old season, giving him an prolonged break of greater than 5 months earlier than resuming coaching in March 2018.
Superior Once more opened the yr with an allowance win Might 22 at Churchill Downs and have become a severe participant within the division with back-to-back clear victories within the Grade 2 Stephen Foster and Grade 1 Whitney Handicaps, utilizing a 14-pound break in weight assignments to beat Silver Attraction by a size within the Foster. He remained unbeaten in 1998 by including open-length wins within the Grade 2 Saratoga Breeders’ Cup Handicap and Grade 3 Hawthorne Gold Cup Handicap in August and October, respectively.
All instructed, the 10-horse discipline had amassed just below $30 million in mixed purse earnings and 31 Group or Grade 1 wins getting into that yr’s Breeders’ Cup Basic – and the race wouldn’t disappoint.
Coronado’s Quest bought off to an alert begin and went proper to the entrance, whereas Skip Away was shuffled again a bit however moved as much as third as the sphere handed the end line for the primary time. Skip Away settled into second, simply behind Coronado’s Quest getting into the backstretch, however Corridor of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey had a powerful feeling this was not his day.
“I knew 50 yards into the race I used to be in bother,” Bailey instructed BloodHorse. “He simply couldn’t deal with the observe.”
As Coronado’s Quest led the sphere by way of a half-mile in a :47.69 – an sincere however not particularly taxing tempo – Silver Attraction was loaded beneath Gary Stevens whereas stalking from fourth on the skin, only a size behind by way of the primary three-quarters of a mile. Swain tucked in behind Skip Away early earlier than jockey Frankie Dettori angled him just a few paths out on the backstretch, and the European invader additionally was in ideally suited place only a few lengths again getting into the ultimate flip. In the meantime, Superior Once more and Contact Gold have been rated close to the again of the sphere forward of solely deep nearer Victory Gallop.
As the sphere changed into the stretch, Silver Attraction swept to the entrance with an explosive rally as Swain, too, unfurled a robust bid to his exterior. Swain started lugging out noticeably whereas nonetheless ending determinedly by way of the stretch and Silver Attraction appeared to observe him out into the center of the racetrack whereas Coronado’s Quest fought on gamely from the rail.
Dettori aboard Swain (after being tossed twice within the publish parade) stated his horse veered out towards the lights arrange close to the winner’s circle for the NBC tv crew.
A gaping gap about 5 paths broad thus opened up for closers Superior Once more and Victory Gallop, with each surging into competition with loads of momentum.
Whereas Victory Gallop couldn’t maintain his rally, Superior Once more leveled off powerfully and reeled within the prime two with ground-devouring strides beneath Pat Day to win by three-quarters of a size.
“He was to date down inside, I don’t assume Silver Attraction ever noticed him,” Stevens instructed BloodHorse. “I by no means even noticed him till it was too late.”
Silver Attraction edged the wandering Swain by a neck for second with Victory Gallop one other nostril again in fourth, whereas 3-year-old Coronado’s Quest ran a monster race towards older horses and needed to accept fifth, crushed by solely two lengths. Skip Away pale to sixth in his last begin.
Superior Once more accomplished an ideal 6-for-6 season, capped by a win within the Breeders’ Cup Basic, however he didn’t take house a single Eclipse Award when Skip Away swept the older male and Horse of the 12 months championships. Superior Once more additionally closed out his profession within the Basic and went on to a terrific second profession as a stallion for Stronach, together with siring 2004 Basic winner and Horse of the 12 months Ghostzapper.
Observe: This story was first revealed in 2020 and has been up to date.
