There was a time when winners of the Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga, where looked upon as super stars in the making. In those days the Hopeful Stakes was run at 6 1/2 furlongs. It's been some time since I watched Affirmed win the Hopeful in 1977.....he was the last 2YO that won the Hopeful who went on to win the Derby, and of course the Triple Crown. Foolish Pleasure in 74 won the Derby, finishing second in both the Preakness and Belmont Stakes. Also the great Secretariat won the Hopeful in 72 and went on to capture the Triple Crown. In those days The Hopeful was a very respected race and anyone with a good 2YO, who had designs on the Derby, was out to win that race.
They changed the distance to 7 furlongs in 1994 why, I don't know....but I don't think I've been as excited about a Hopeful winner's chances in the Derby as I am after watching Boys At Tosconova get the job done this year. Granted these 2YO's aren't the best, but Boys At Tosconova was under a hand ride and posted a respectable time considering Saratoga has been on the slow side this season. Watch how easily Boys At Tosconova does this, next stop Breeder's Cup Juvenile. If he stays sound.....we'll see him in the Florida Derby and the Kentucky Derby just Like Ricky Dutrow did with Big Brown. TJ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ww8abRzZ7W0
The Hopeful Stakes
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The Hopeful Stakes
Last edited by TJ on Tue Sep 07, 2010 3:26 pm, edited 3 times in total.
Tappiano wrote:So we'll get to see him run three times between now and the derby?
Hi Tap,
He won't be overly raced, I can tell you that. He will train into the Breeder's Cup which will be run Nov. 6th.....so don't look for him for the next two months....except on the work tab. The next move will be Gulfstream Park where Ricky Dutrow winter's....the barn area opens up Nov. 8th this season and he'll be among the first in. Gulfstream opens for racing Jan. 5th, 2011. You may see him run twice, at the most, before the million dollar Florida Derby which will be run Sunday, April 3rd, (those being possibly the Holy Bull on 1/29 or the Fountain of Youth on 2/26), and then on to the Kentucky Derby on May 7th. TJ
Last edited by TJ on Tue Sep 07, 2010 12:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Bast wrote:I'm not sure what year it was, but I saw the Hopeful run in two divisions one year because there were so many entries.
This year, only 4 horses show up to chase a $250,000 purse? Surely there are more than 4 good 2 y os in the east this time of year???
Hi Bast,
They had to run the Hopeful in two divisions in 1974 and 75. TJ
Bast wrote:Thanks for narrowing it down. It was 1975. I used to live 4 hours away from Saratoga and went there every summer.
Hi Bast,
Let's bring all the memories back....you saw Johnny Campo win with Elmendorf's Jacknife and Eustace for Eugene Cashman. I was about the same distance away on Long Island....would spent the entire meet up there for almost my entire life. TJ
TJ wrote:Bast wrote:Thanks for narrowing it down. It was 1975. I used to live 4 hours away from Saratoga and went there every summer.
Hi Bast,
Let's bring all the memories back....you saw Johnny Campo win with Elmendorf's Jacknife and Eustace for Eugene Cashman. I was about the same distance away on Long Island....would spent the entire meet up there for almost my entire life. TJ
I saw Secretariat get beat by Onion (I held a place on the fence all day in the sun to see this.)...saw Susan's Girl galloping in the morning...saw Wajima and General Assembly win the Travers.
Wonderful memories.
Bast wrote:TJ wrote:Bast wrote:Thanks for narrowing it down. It was 1975. I used to live 4 hours away from Saratoga and went there every summer.
Hi Bast,
Let's bring all the memories back....you saw Johnny Campo win with Elmendorf's Jacknife and Eustace for Eugene Cashman. I was about the same distance away on Long Island....would spent the entire meet up there for almost my entire life. TJ
I saw Secretariat get beat by Onion (I held a place on the fence all day in the sun to see this.)...saw Susan's Girl galloping in the morning...saw Wajima and General Assembly win the Travers.
Wonderful memories.
Hi Bast,
Too bad you were there for all that, I was hoping you were younger than me:>) I certainly remember that one, it was the Whitney Stakes....only the Chief (Allen Jerkens) could have pulled that off. Onion had set a new track record at Saratoga a couple weeks before he wheeled him back in the Whitney. Secretariat popped the gate open before the start of the Whitney and they later found out he had a fever......that was a bad week for Meadow Stable as Riva Ridge was also upset a few days before Secretariat was. Then Allen Jerkens beat him again when they got back to Belmont Park with Prove Out in the Woodward. TJ
Bast wrote:I'm not sure what year it was, but I saw the Hopeful run in two divisions one year because there were so many entries.
This year, only 4 horses show up to chase a $250,000 purse? Surely there are more than 4 good 2 y os in the east this time of year???
The field was larger. 3 or so pulled out to run in the Sapling. Chipshot was one of them I believe. It was 6 furlongs, and no need to face Boys at Tosconova. There would've been a real danger of finishing off the board, and the Sapling's still G3 so you pick up graded earnings for later. I have a feeling what with the purses of races like the Holy Bull and Florida Derby increasing, there's gonna be an even tighter squeeze for the top 20 graded earnings horses. We thought this year was insanely high, but depending how spread out the wins are, we might be in for another jaw dropper.
I almost can't process all the history of races like the Hopeful. I wish I could've seen Secretariat run. You guys are making me jealous.
"Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana"
Heidilady wrote:The field was larger. 3 or so pulled out to run in the Sapling.
....
I almost can't process all the history of races like the Hopeful. I wish I could've seen Secretariat run. You guys are making me jealous.
Even 7 would have been a small field for a race like this.
I also made pilgrimages to two other Secretariat races: the Marlboro Cup and his last race at Woodbine (damp, cold, windy day, miserable and nearly dark by race time). I don't regret the flirtation with hypothermia.
Bast wrote:Heidilady wrote:The field was larger. 3 or so pulled out to run in the Sapling.
....
I almost can't process all the history of races like the Hopeful. I wish I could've seen Secretariat run. You guys are making me jealous.
Even 7 would have been a small field for a race like this.
I also made pilgrimages to two other Secretariat races: the Marlboro Cup and his last race at Woodbine (damp, cold, windy day, miserable and nearly dark by race time). I don't regret the flirtation with hypothermia.
I agree 7 is not my idea of a good field. 4 is downright embarrassing. I'm still traumatized from the 3 horse field Rachel Alexandra occupied in last year's Mother Goose. Each runner guaranteed a G1 placing and nobody wanted to compete for 3rd. I wonder what it was like when Man O'War faced a walkover til Riddle's niece entered a horse. They call it good sportsmanship, but if your horse is facing certain defeat I dunno if I'd bother because it's not fair to the other horse. Maybe stage a time trial for MOW and be done.
"Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana"
Heidilady wrote:Bast wrote:I'm not sure what year it was, but I saw the Hopeful run in two divisions one year because there were so many entries.
This year, only 4 horses show up to chase a $250,000 purse? Surely there are more than 4 good 2 y os in the east this time of year???
The field was larger. 3 or so pulled out to run in the Sapling. Chipshot was one of them I believe. It was 6 furlongs, and no need to face Boys at Tosconova. There would've been a real danger of finishing off the board, and the Sapling's still G3 so you pick up graded earnings for later. I have a feeling what with the purses of races like the Holy Bull and Florida Derby increasing, there's gonna be an even tighter squeeze for the top 20 graded earnings horses. We thought this year was insanely high, but depending how spread out the wins are, we might be in for another jaw dropper.
I almost can't process all the history of races like the Hopeful. I wish I could've seen Secretariat run. You guys are making me jealous.
Hi Heidi,
The races at Saratoga meant so much more back then......they were all historic and all very hard to win as the best of the best made their way to that meet....eager to show the racing world their top horses. There was a time that all an owner dreamed of was to win a race at Saratoga.....any race, let alone a stake race, it was such an honor......the meet at one point was less than 3 weeks long, so winning at Saratoga wasn't easy with the limited amount of races and the tough competition.
Secretariat was amazing and if you were near him you could just feel his presence. My good friend, Jimmy Gaffney was his original exercise boy. He was galloping Riva Ridge one morning at Belmont, standing him in waiting for Riva to tell him we can gallop now:>) We started talking and he told me he had a 2YO that could beat Riva Ridge.....I started teasing him and telling him he must be losing his mind....so he invited me to come back to the barn with him and see him. At that time Secretariat was unraced yet I could still feel that presence he had about him...awesome! Jimmy was one of the best exercise riders in the business, through him I got to know Mrs. Penny Tweedy (Chenery). She was a true lover of horses, with a regal heir about her and a very lovely person and not just in appearance. She acted like an ordinary person.....more like an every day fan and was as awestruck by Secretariat's perfomances as any one of us who saw him when he was at his best. She is a good, decent, heartfelt woman who deserved to own such a Champion. Hollywood couldn't have picked a better actress to portray her in the movie. Jimmy is no longer with us.....he was on the set of the Secretariat movie as an advisor and a few months ago I tried to make contact with him to find out what he thought of the movie....if it was more Hollywood than real....but he had all ready passed away. That only leaves Mrs. Tweedy and Ron Turcotte left from Secretariat's nucleus. I watched Big Red's Belmont Stakes with Jimmy on the catwalk at Belmont Park.....two grown men crying like babies....good thing we were the only two up there:>) Still brings tears to my eyes....watch this extended coverage of Secretariat's Belmont Stakes win....very good footage and see Mrs. Penny Tweedy Chenery during her finest moment. TJ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cS4f6wiQJh4
Last edited by TJ on Wed Sep 08, 2010 2:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.