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Thoroughbred owners around the world (and especially here in America), take note: Goldikva (IRE), a three-time winner of the Breeders' Cup Mile, will return in 2011 in a quest for her fourth Breeders' Cup victory.
Why would the connections of this magnificent mare attempt a fourth Mile victory when they could easily send her to the breeding shed to cash in a future foal? Her owner, Gerrard Wertheimer, is quoted with the following statement in a story at the Thoroughbred Times:
"We think the Thoroughbred industry needs to do better job keeping stars in racing," Gerard Wertheimer said. "Especially fillies bring people to the races. If they stay only a short time, then people don’t get interested. The sport identifies with stars, like it did with Zenyatta. It’s a good habit to keep them in training."
Sometimes things are so simple.
Kudos to the connections of Goldikova for continuing to race this wonderful thoroughbred. She obviously has not lost her will to run, and if she's healthy and happy then there is no reason to send her to the shed. The money will be there. The opportunity to be a racing icon for decades will not.
In other news, there was an announcement regarding another Breeders' Cup runner.
Today is was announced that 2009 Kentucky Derby winner, Mine That Bird, has been retired. According to a report in the Daily Racing Form, the owners couldn't figure out why he was continuing to lose even though he's perfectly healthy.
May I suggest a reason? He's not a Grade 1 horse at this point....perhaps not even a Grade 2 horse.
Perhaps if Mine That Bird was placed in a race where he had a shot to actually win he would show a bit more heart. But when you run him in a race like the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (and the Firecracker last July), you shouldn't be surprised when he finishes at the back of the pack.