2010 Breeders' Cup: Thoughts on the weekend

I don't know if everyone else has recovered yet from the past weekend of racing but I got back from Louisville yesterday afternoon and had little left in the tank.  I'm working on a bigger post re-caping all of the races from this past weekend but here's a quick that on my general thoughts from the weekend.

-Once again, the Breeders' Cup produced some big payouts and some really hard races to figure.  Shared Account and Dakota Phone were long shots that I just couldn't wrap my brain around at any point during the last few weeks.  

-Despite not seeing history made with Zenyatta in the Classic, the final race was a fantastic display of horse racing class.  That's why we watch and follow the sport - to see displays of equine talent like we did on Saturday.  

-Churchill Downs really knows how to put on a big event.  The grandstand area was chaotic, as it always is, but it was about as controlled a chaos as you could find in a setting like that. The clubhouse area was magnificent.  Really top class facilities.

-Churchill also knows how to run a cab line like I've never seen before at a sporting event.  They cue you up in these long lines and then bring in 15 to 20 cabs at a time, fill them with fans, and roll them out of there.  On Friday, I probably waited around 20 minutes to get a cab back to downtown but when you consider how many people were in front of me in line (I'd have to guess at least 100, maybe more) that isn't too bad at all.

-This was my first extended stay in Louisville as my previous visit brought me into town for just a few hours.  I really enjoyed the city and it's friendly people.

-Jim Beam Black goes down pretty good as a shot.

-It's a really long day of flying from Seattle to Louisville.  Of course, it's a long day of flying from Seattle to anywhere.

-This is back-to-back Breeders' Cup's at Churchill Downs that have absolutely kicked my butt on the wagering side.  I liked Dangerous Midge in the Turf but the way I played him left me with a big fat zero in that race.  In pretty much all other races my horses finished well back or in positions that I didn't need them in.  I need to figure out better game plan to attack Churchill before BC11.

-In 2008, I thought the most impressive winner at the Breeders' Cup was Goldikova.  In 2009, she was edged out by Zenyatta as most impressive.  This year, it's a tough call between the thrilling Classic duel and Goldikova's historical triumph but there really aren't words to write about that mare at this point; she is simply the best at what she does.  You can make a strong argument that she is the best turf miler of all-time.  I'm sure someone could find other horses to compare to her but if she's not at the top she's real close.

-Gio Ponti ran a great 2nd to Goldikova but there was no way on this earth he was going to get past her in the lane.  Still, for a horse that was targeting longer races the last two years, you have to be impressed with what he did in the Mile.

-Uncle Mo's dominating win in the Juvenile will make the next seven months an interesting adventure.  I'm not sold that he'll want a mile and a quarter just yet, but there's plenty of time to discuss that in the spring.  Right now, however, he is flat out the best two-year-old in the land.

-I hope everyone had a good Breeders' Cup and that you won some cash or at least had a good time.  Thanks for taking the time to read this site during the build-up to the Cup over the last month (the numbers have been up so I know there are more reading), and I hope you continue to read and comment whatever your thoughts are on the world of horse racing.