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Breeders’ Cup Buzz: The Rides Of A Lifetime

Behind every winning race is a winning ride, and the Breeders' Cup has produced some of the most impressive piloting efforts the sport has seen.

When considering those winning trips, a share of the credit must, of course, go to the jockey's agents who booked the mounts for their riders. An agent knows a good ride when they see it.

With 37 years of Breeders' Cup races to draw from, we polled six jockey's agents to get their picks for the greatest riding effort in Breeders' Cup history. The answers cast a wide net from personal victories, to betting scores, to rooting for childhood heroes.

Doug Bredar

“For obvious reasons, it would be Gun Runner in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar. I'm still surprised that Arrogate went off as the favorite. The bettors thought that Gun Runner would have issues going a mile and a quarter, but the connections felt otherwise. Arrogate had beaten him a couple of times, and it was not only an incredible thrill watching Florent Geroux win the race, but redemption for the way he did it. The fractions were 22.4, 46.1, 1:10.2 and 1:35. He went wire-to-wire and I thought it was an exceptional ride. Very fond memories of a special race.”

John Herbstreit

“Arazi and Zenyatta are the most impressive horse races I've seen. Even when Zenyatta ran second, she was impressive. Alysheba and Personal Ensign are my favorite wins. My favorite ride was Pat Day on Wild Again in the 1984 Classic.”

Ron Ebanks

“Randy Romero on Personal Ensign in the mud getting up the last jump to nail Gary Stevens on Winning Colors (1988 Distaff). He was my idol as a kid and I couldn't have been more happy and proud of him.”

Jimmy McNerney

“Pat Valenzuela aboard Fraise in the 1992 Turf stands out the most. It was the first Breeders' Cup that I was old enough to 'legally' bet and I put $100 across the board on him. He came from last and P-Val made every right move weaving his way through the pack through the turn. When they straightened, he dove down and snuck through along the fence and nipped Sky Classic right on the money. There's no other path that he could've taken and had the same result.”

Mike Luider

“Gulch in the 1988 Sprint. Angel Cordero Jr. was masterful!”

Brian Beach

“Julie Krone's ride on Halfbridled in the 2003 Juvenile Fillies was one of the best I've seen. It's not always about weaving though traffic and getting up at the wire. It's sometimes about getting your horse to perform its best under adverse circumstances, and that's what happened in this race. They broke from the 14 post and Julie was able to get her filly to relax while going wide and still not expending too much energy until she could get a better position down the backstretch. By the time they turned for home Julie had Halfbridled in a perfect winning position with something left in the tank for the run to the wire.”

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Brian Hernandez Jr. 12th Jockey To Ride 700 Churchill Downs Winners

Brian Hernandez Jr. became only the 12th jockey in Churchill Downs history to ride 700 winners at the Louisville, Ky., home of the Kentucky Derby when the 35-year-old won Thursday's third race aboard Dream On It for trainer Dallas Stewart.

Hernandez Jr., who began riding professionally in 2003, won his first race at Churchill Downs aboard Machine to Tower on May 27, 2004. Overall, the native of Lafayette, La., has won 2,233 races and his mounts have amassed more than $95.7 million from 16,164 starts during an 18-year riding career.

He won the Eclipse Award in 2004 as the nation's champion apprentice jockey. In 2012, Hernandez Jr. won the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita aboard Fort Larned for his biggest career win.

The top 12 jockeys in races won at Churchill Downs: 1. Pat Day (2,482), 2. Calvin Borel (1,232), 3. Robby Albarado (1,192), 4. Corey Lanerie (1,151), 5. Julien Leparoux (982), 6. Don Brumfield (925), 7. Larry Melancon (914), 8. Jim McKnight (883), 9. Charlie Woods Jr. (757), 10. Shane Sellers (738), 11. Shaun Bridgmohan (728) and 12. Brian Hernandez Jr. (700).

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Hardin Brothers Bring Passion For Racing To Churchill Downs Stable Gate

Donnie and Ken Hardin are hard to miss when backside employees enter the Churchill Downs Stable Gate each morning. The brothers, who work on the security team, bring their passion of horse racing and the spirit of their father with them to each shift at the Louisville, Ky., track.

“Churchill Downs stands for everything I love,” Ken simply stated.

The Hardins' faces light up every time a new horse racing star enters the stable gate or when they get the opportunity to tell a story about horses that strike up memories of their father. The Stable Gate office is filled with horse racing memorabilia and different photos where all of the employees, not just the Hardins, can share personal stories. One specific photo of Churchill Downs' all-time leading jockey Pat Day brings back memories of the Hardins' late father, Charles, every time they enter the office.

“I was about 14 years old when Pat Day won the (1992) Kentucky Derby (aboard Lil E Tee) but I remember it well,” Donnie said. “My dad was taken back by the legendary jockey's humble demeanor after his big accomplishment. I learned a lot from that.

“The next spring Churchill Downs had an autograph session featuring Pat Day. At the time, I collected sports trading cards, including jockey cards. I had acquired his card with his famous photo with his arms raised in victory following his Derby win. Knowing that my dad loved the picture, I gave it to him. We went to the track the day of the autograph session and I had Pat sign a commemorative coffee cup and my dad had him sign the card. My dad said, 'Pat, it's a pleasure to meet you.' Day replied, 'Thank you, the pleasure is all mine.' And he signed the card. It was the only autograph my dad ever got in his life.”

Charles Hardin passed away in 2009.

“We feel his spirit when we are on the grounds,” the Hardins said. “We both sort of take on his personality, like he is with us and always smiling. We carry that with us and try to share those good feelings with every interaction we have.”

The Hardin brothers grew up in South Louisville and both attended Iroquois High School. Their first time at Churchill Downs was in 1985. They had tickets in their family's box on Kentucky Oaks Day.

“The first time I was ever on the backside of Churchill Downs it was in 1987,” Donnie said. “I was 10 years old and got to see the Derby favorite, Demons Begone. I got to feel that Derby week excitement on the backside and it's always stuck with me.”

The Hardins have endless stories. Their favorite horses include Secretariat, Swale, Risen Star and Justify.

“Secretariat is the king. The first thing our father ever taught us about horse racing was about 'Big Red,'” Donnie said. “Kentucky Derby 110 was one of my first Derby memories. I was 7 years old at the time and Swale won. I thought he was the most amazing creature alive. He went on to finish off the board in the Preakness and won the Belmont Stakes. … I think that's where my emotional and sentimental connection to horse racing began.”

In 2018, Ken was diagnosed with cancer. He went through radiation for 29 straight days at 7 a.m. but never once missed a day of live racing at the Fall Meet.

Just a few months ago, Ken went to a follow-up doctor's appointment for his cancer. He brought a horseshoe worn by Kentucky Derby winner Authentic and one worn by Longines Kentucky Oaks winner Shedaresthedevil – two symbols for good luck.

His doctor said he was now 100% cancer free.

“The everyday excitement is what we love about Churchill Downs,” Ken said. “From meeting people from all different cultures with so many personalities and the amazing workers on the front and backside. Those who work under the Twin Spires have a special sprit about them. It is home. We take our jobs very seriously but Donnie and I will forever be reliving a great part of our childhood when we are here.”

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Quick Call To Have Ashes Interred At Saratoga’s Clare Court

The late Quick Call was more than a gritty horse with a knack for coming up big at Saratoga Race Course.

After winning nine of his 17 starts from 1986 to 1991 at the Spa, Quick Call transitioned in his post-racing career to another starring role in the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation's (TRF) pioneering “Second Chances” vocational training program, working with inmates at Wallkill Correctional Facility in upstate New York.

That blend of excellence earned Quick Call rock star status at both the Spa and at Wallkill – and now, a rare honor on the Saratoga backstretch. This week, the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) will bury the ashes of the two-time Grade 2 Forego champion at Clare Court, the bucolic, half-mile jogging track.

An unveiling of the memorial will be scheduled in July, along with a TRF event to celebrate his life in coordination with the running of the Grade 3 Quick Call on Opening Day, July 15.

“Few Thoroughbreds ever had that kind of dual career and did it so well for so long,” said TRF Director of Major Gifts & Planned Giving Kim Weir of Quick Call, who died in October 2019 from the infirmities of old age, at 35. “He had an aura about him. Quick Call was a legendary horse who earned respect from the other horses and from the men at Wallkill. To know he'll be at rest at Saratoga Race Course, which he loved so much, is a great ending.”

Quick Call will be put to rest at Clare Court, a serene and magical spot on the backstretch named in honor of Clare Belmont wife of the late August Belmont II. He will share the hallowed ground with a select group of Thoroughbred racehorses who were beloved stars at Saratoga Race Course.

He joins Fourstardave, another fan favorite from Quick Call's era who won at least one race for eight straight years at the Spa, as well as two other mid-1980s legends, the Irish-bred turf runner Mounjare, and A Phenomenon, a top sprinter. Like the others, Quick Call will have a headstone commemorating his accomplishments.

Over the course of his 86-start career for owner Lynda Stokes, the gelding won $807,817 on the track and established a 16-15-12 record. Putting his affinity for Saratoga to good use, Quick Call and Hall of Fame jockey Pat Day won the 1988 and '89 editions of the Grade 2 Forego Handicap. They narrowly missed a third straight win at the Forego in 1990, losing by a nose to Lay Down.

Prior to retirement, Quick Call, under Jorge Chavez, upset Sewickley in the 1990 Grade 2 Tom Fool at Belmont Park. The son of Quack was trained by Hall of Famers Sid Watters and Warren A. “Jimmy” Croll, Jr. The Quick Call Stakes, now in its 14th year at Saratoga Race Course, is named in his honor.

“He always showed up, he was always prepared, and my goodness, he loved Saratoga, where he had a knack and always stepped it up,” said Day. “Some horses have the talent, but no heart. Quick Call had both talent and heart.”

Just why Quick Call took so well to Saratoga is anyone's guess. “Whether it was the air, the cool mornings, the racing surface, or all of the above, we'll never really know,” said Day. “Quick Call was a good horse downstate, but took it to another level at Saratoga. It was a joy to ride him.”

Retired from the track in 1990, Quick Call became a riding horse, before joining the TRF herd in 2001, and spending the next 18 years at Wallkill, where he worked with inmates on the TRF “Second Chances” accredited equine care and stable management program. At Wallkill, Weir said, Quick Call quickly established himself as the most accomplished and respected horse at the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA) accredited program.

NYRA and its horsemen are committed supporters of the TAA, which accredits, inspects, and awards grants to approved aftercare organizations to retrain, retire, and rehome thoroughbreds using industry-wide funding.

Quick Call wasn't the first member of the TRF herd at Wallkill; the first to arrive was Promised Road. But at his passing, Quick Call was the senior resident among the approximately 50 horses at Wallkill as well as TRF's 500-member herd at farms across the country.

“Whenever his name is mentioned at a New York track, someone will tell a story about him,” said Pat Stickney, Executive Director of the TRF. “We were honored to have had him in the TRF herd for so many years. People would visit the farm to just see him and to have their picture taken with him. Until the end he was dignified and all class; he knew he was special.”

Bred by Warner Jones, Jr. and David Greathouse, Jr., Quick Call made five starts as a 2-year-old in 1986, winning a Belmont Park maiden race and finishing fifth in the Saratoga Special Stakes. In 1987, he broke through at Saratoga, winning three of four races to help Watters claim the meet championship for trainers with 12 wins. Quick Call was even better in 1988 when he won five of 15 starts including all three Saratoga starts and the first of those two consecutive Grade 2 Foregos.

NYRA TV's Ernie Munick, who was a handicapper with the New York Daily News when Quick Call reigned at Saratoga, vividly remembered him as a handicapper's dream – “a fast, classy and reliable horse who first and foremost, liked the wet track, and gave it his best every single time out.”

“He was an honest horse, one you knew would always give you 110 percent,” says Munick. “As a handicapper, I always looked forward to seeing him, and at Saratoga in particular. You knew he'd be there. God bless that horse.”

Day couldn't be happier that Quick Call's ashes will soon be at Clare Court.

“He loved Saratoga and I'm delighted he's getting that honor,” he said. “He really deserves it.”

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