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Breeders’ Cup Classic Winner Alphabet Soup Dies

Alphabet Soup (Cozzene–Illiterate, by Arts and Letters), who won a memorable renewal of the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Woodbine in 1996, died Jan. 28 at Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Farm in Georgetown, Kentucky, due to chronic kidney disease. The oldest living Classic winner, the gray was 31 years old and had been pensioned at the farm since 2015.

Bred in Pennsylvania by Southeast Associates, Alphabet Soup was trained by David Hofmans for Georgia B. Ridder and came to hand at four in 1995, winning the GII Del Mar Budweiser Breeders' Cup S. at a flat mile and the GIII Native Diver H.

Proving an even better 5-year-old, Alphabet Soup won the GII San Pasqual H. and GII San Antonio H. early in the season before showing his versatility with a 3 1/2-length victory in the seven-furlong GIII Pat O'Brien H. over field that included future GI Breeders' Cup Sprint hero Lit De Justice (El Gran Senor). Disqualified to third from an apparent victory in the GII Goodwood Breeders' Cup H., Alphabet Soup was a 19-1 shot in that year's Classic, the first held north of the border, and managed to nose out that year's GI Preakness S. hero Louis Quatorze (Sovereign Dancer) and defending champion Cigar (Palace Music). He retired with 10 wins from 24 starts and earnings just shy of $3 million.

Alphabet Soup entered stud at Adena Springs and sired 39 stakes winners, 14 at the graded level, including Grade I winners Egg Drop, Alphabet Kisses and G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen hero Our New Recruit. He sired over 700 winners in his career.

“I'm saddened by the news today of Alphabet Soup's passing,” said Hall of Fame jockey Chris McCarron, who piloted Alphabet Soup to his Breeders' Cup win. “I truly enjoyed my relationship with 'Soupy,' and he will always have special place in my heart. He represented the U.S. well when he bested the Cigar and Louis Quatorze in the Breeders' Cup Classic. Rest in peace old friend.”

“It won't be the same around here without Soup,” said Old Friends President and founder Michael Blowen. “Over these seven years he was a delight to be around with his sweet nature and enormous popularity. He brought joy to everyone.

“His best friend, the donkey Gorgeous George, will miss him terribly,” added Blowen, “and so will everyone on the farm. We are so grateful to Frank Stronach and everyone at Adena Springs for giving us the privilege of retiring this fabulous champion.”

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Breeders’ Cup Classic Champion Alphabet Soup Euthanized At Old Friends Due To Chronic Kidney Disease

Multiple graded stakes winner and 1996 Breeders' Cup Classic Champion Alphabet Soup was euthanized Jan. 28 at Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement farm in Georgetown, KY., where he has been pensioned since 2015. The cause of death was chronic kidney disease.

At 31, the gray son of Cozzene was the oldest living winner of the Breeders' Cup Classic.

Bred in Pennsylvania out of the Arts and Letters mare Illiterate, Alphabet Soup was a late bloomer for owner Georgia B. Ridder, winning his first stakes at age four when he captured the 1995 Native Diver (GR3) and the Del Mar Breeders' Cup Handicap (GR2).

In 1996 he was the victor in the San Antonia Handicap (GR2), the Pat O'Brian Handicap (GR3), and the San Pasqual Handicap (GR2) en route to his greatest triumph, the 1996 Breeders' Cup Classic (GR1), where he defeated the “invincible” Cigar as well as that year's Preakness Stakes winner Louis Quatorze—all while setting a new track record at Woodbine.

Retired in 1998 to Adena Springs having captured 10 of 24 starts and earnings of over $2.9 million, Alphabet Soup sired numerous stakes winners, among them Grade 1 winners Egg Drop and Alphabet Kisses, and champions Our New Recruit, Phantom Light, and Sovereign Award winner Alpha Bettor.

“I'm saddened by the news today of Alphabet Soup's passing,” said Hall of Fame jockey Chris McCarron, who piloted Soup to his Breeders' Cup win. “I truly enjoyed my relationship with Soupy, and he will always have special place in my heart. He represented the U.S. well when he bested the Cigar and Louis Quatorze in the Breeders' Cup Classic. Rest in peace old friend.”

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Flashback: Street Cry Gives Jerry Bailey A Fourth Dubai World Cup Victory

The Dubai World Cup meeting celebrates its historic 25th anniversary on March 27, with six Group 1 races and three Group 2s, including one of the world's premier races, the $12 million Dubai World Cup, sponsored by Emirates Airline.

Over the next three weeks, the Dubai Racing Club will pay tribute to each of the previous Dubai World Cup winners. Today, we rewind to 2002 when Street Cry gave jockey Jerry Bailey his fourth and trainer Saeed bin Suroor his third Dubai World Cup title.

Champion American jockey Jerry Bailey collected his fourth victory in what was the world's richest race as the Godolphin owned and Saeed bin Suroor-trainee Street Cry dominated in the seventh running of the US$6,000,000 Group 1 Dubai World Cup.

Street Cry's success gave Bailey his fourth win in the event after Cigar (1996), Singspiel (1997) and Captain Steve (2001).

“It's great to have won this race four times but it's because I have had some nice horses to ride,” Bailey commented after the win, while for Saeed bin Suroor it was his third success after Almutawakel (1999) and Dubai Millennium (2000).

The seventh running of the Dubai World Cup proved to be a triumph for Middle East-based horses as the first five over the line were trained in either the United Arab Emirates or Saudi Arabia with the Japanese runner Agnes Digital the best from outside the area, finishing sixth. Bailey secured the ride on Street Cry after Godolphin stable jockey Frankie Dettori opted for Sakhee (winner of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe). That horse finishing third, over eight lengths away from the winner.

Street Cry was allowed to settle midfield on the inside of Sakhee and as the field approached and rounded the home turn. Sakhee went around the early leaders Western Pride and To The Victory, while Bailey had no hesitation in keeping to the fence on Street Cry. Sakhee got to the front momentarily, however Street Cry grabbed him quickly and then kicked clear. Sakhee was beginning to labour as Street Cry got a winning break at the 200m and it was Saudi Arabia's Sei Mi (fifth to Captain Steve in the 2001 Dubai World Cup) who came from last to finish second, four and a quarter lengths away.

Street Cry went to America and appeared certain to dominate after an impressive performance to win the Grade 1 Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs before a second in the Grade 1 Whitney at Saratoga, and then injury unfortunately brought a premature retirement to Jonabell Farm.

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Tuesday Throwback: Watch Cigar Post Thrilling Victory In Inaugural Dubai World Cup

The Dubai World Cup meeting celebrates its' historic 25th anniversary on March 27, 2021, with six Group 1 races and three Group 2s, including one of the world's premier races -its namesake feature-the $12million Dubai World Cup sponsored by Emirates Airline.

Over the next three weeks, the Dubai Racing Club will pay tribute to each of the previous Dubai World Cup winners. We rewind back to 1996, and the very first winner of the Dubai World Cup race – worth $4 million at the time, won in thrilling fashion by America's Cigar.

They say first impressions count for everything, and if that adage rings true then Cigar provided the perfect beginning to the Dubai World Cup. It was essential that the inaugural Dubai World Cup attracted the best from around the world and first and foremost on the list was Cigar, the phenomenon from America who was in the middle of a sequence of races that included a runaway victory in the previous year's Breeders' Cup Classic.

From Europe came that continent's champion Halling and from Oceania came the best from that part of the world in Danewin. However, all of the other continents combined, held no match for the American challenge.

Cigar sat behind the leaders in the early part of the race, stalking L'Carriere and Tamayaz, however from halfway Cigar stepped up the tempo, jockey Jerry Bailey making his move approaching the home turn. As Cigar straightened in front it appeared a repeat of the Breeders' Cup Classic was in store for those at Nad Al Sheba.

However, emerging from the back was Soul Of The Matter who began to cut into Cigar's lead. At the 200m it appeared Cigar was in trouble, but the great champion dug deeper, found extra reserves, and he eventually defied Soul Of The Matter to beat that horse by a half-length.

It was the first of a quartet of Dubai World Cup successes for Cigar's rider Jerry Bailey, who was to later prove successful on Singspiel (1997), Captain Steve (2001) and Godolphin's Street Cry (2002). The Dubai World Cup was the 14th win in Cigar's magnificent sequence stretching from October 1994 through until August 1996 when he was beaten in the Pacific Classic by Dare and Go.

Cigar's presence and his gallant defeat of Soul Of The Matter and a host of international stars provided the ideal launching pad for the latest addition to global racing's calendar. Cigar would retire at the end of the year following his third behind Alphabet Soup in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Woodbine. The racing superstar passed on in 2014 at the age of 24.

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