AWESOME AGAIN - Breeders' Cup Classic 1998

[@jamestfx2965]

Whoa this race was loaded with great sires and big names.

[@glyde69]

Greatest race I’ve ever watched!! Crazy field, crazy finish. Awesome Again a true champion!

[@incensejunkie7516]

So underrated as a racehorse. He beat Silver Charm twice, and the best BC field ever. Watch the Stephen Foster where he first beat SC, and you'll see the determination of that horse. SC's jockey Stevens eased him up before the wire, there was no getting past AA.

[@strickly60s45]

For Me...This Was One Of The Most Exhilarating Breeders Cup Races Ever Displayed. There Were Horses From The United States, Ireland, Canada And Possibly Other Countries Too. The Caliber Of This Group Was Top Notch. Silver Charm...Swain...Skip Away... Victory Gallop...I Love Stretch Runners So ..I Had My Money On "Victory Gallop"...It Was A Crazy Finish...2/3rds Up The Stretch...And You Still Can't Predict To he Winner. Too Bad That "Swain" Went Out Wide In Mid-stretch. Thanks ..Great Memory.

[@FreshCutFrenchFries]

My all time fav!

[@SKMRify]

+Incitatus The best horses in this race were all unlucky: Skip Away didn't enjoy this track, Gentlemen bled, and Swain drifted out in the straight.

[@FreshCutFrenchFries]

+SKMRify that's the excuse? Pft like most.. Nobody could admit that AA was the best horse. Go back and watch his campaign that year and I guarantee you'll agree that he was a deserving winner

[@SKMRify]

Incitatus Awesome Again was an awesome horse, there's no denying that. But this is just one race and all three of those horses were consistently faster _at their best_. *Skip Away* had run 1:58.80 and 1:59.16 over 10 furlongs, times Awesome Again was incapable of running on any track. *Gentlemen* had also run much faster than the final time of this particular race. And it's obvious that if *Swain* hadn't hung in the stretch he would have won--a blind man with wooden glasses can see that! In fact, for such a top class field this was actually a _mediocre race and running time_. *Even a six-year-old mare like Azeri ran roughly a second faster (around **2:01**.20) finishing fifth behind Ghostzapper six years later.* Based on this performance Awesome Again would probably have finished over four lengths behind Azeri in her race.

[@FreshCutFrenchFries]

Good points. On any given Sunday...

[@SKMRify]

Incitatus I agree.

[@Caroni100]

"The Lord has orchestrated a great career" Pat Day (1953- ) Retired jockey

[@DanielSong39]

Awesome Again won 3 big races but Skip Away was the deserving Horse of the Year.

[@bandovreal22]

Gary Stevens gave this race to Awesome Again, he floated Silver Charm about 10 paths in middle stretch giving up 2 to 3 lengths in the process, no way AA passes Silver Charm had he kept a straight line.

[@DanielSong39]

Frank Dettori gave the race away Swain would have crushed them all had he not turned right in the stretch

[@Horrormovieguy2.9]

I love how noone mentions just how good if a jock pat the rat ws best hands in the sport

[@DanielSong39]

Swain was best; only he decided to turn right just before the wire!

[@tizfrreecharm]

Twenty years later and I'm still seething over Dettori's and Stevens' antics down the Churchill stretch. I was a fan of both colts, bet them and Victory Gallop in what was really a great field. Taking nothing away from Awesome Again and Day's heads-up ride, Frankie's continued use of left- handed whipping and Stevens' lame-o excuse for allowing Silver Charm to drift out have to be considered two of the worst rides in BC history. Shame on both.

[@glyde69]

tizfrreecharm what was Stevens excuse??

[@tizfrreecharm]

that Silver Charm was better focused when seeing his adversary up close (i.e the '97 Preakness) so Stevens let him drift out to keep and eye on Swain. The head-on drive down the stretch shows that much of a drift wasn't necessary. Sour grapes on my part? You bet!

[@glyde69]

WHAT ABOUT SWAINNNN??

[@DanielSong39]

Oh they did not forget about him, Dettori was heavily criticized for his ride