Raven's Pass wins the Breeders' Cup Classic 2008

$5M Breeders' Cup Classic 2008
Raven's Pass
Sire: Elusive Quality
Dam: Ascutney
Damsire: Lord At War
Country: United States of America
Owner: Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein
Trainer: John Gosden
Jockey: Frankie Dettori

[@Slinkyleia]

I was there, it was so hot! I do believe they said that the heat radiating off the synthetic surface was about 120 degrees(?). I think that was a significant factor. To give him his due, Raven's Pass was the best that day and he looked like a million bucks! His coat shined like a new penny, he was fit and ready at the right time. Curlin is an amazing horse whom I've had the pleasure of macking on at Lane's End. He was a perfect gentleman and seemed to like the attention. I still think about this race quite often.

[@bodrulhok3325]

One of my fav of all time

[@sgc1234]

raw power and talent demolishes the field. an elusive quality colt that can rate will run all day.

[@HungerGamesFanatic61]

Robby was all class in the post race interview.

[@latinostallion94]

Thanks for the great quality upload!

[@theLowestPointInMyLife]

2008 was such a strong year for Europe, we sent over Conduit, Ravens Pass and Goldikova to win at the Breeders Cup, and the two best horses were back in Europe, Zarkava and New Approach.

[@catalinab.6649]

Lanfranco! What a beautiful tactical ride! RP never left Curlins flank! Beautiful ride! Europeans 1st n 2nd! 🥇🥈🧡

[@dorpets]

"Look at Curlin go...! Is this believable?!"... Oh dear...! lol

[@ceciliamalipot9192]

What a ride by legend Jockey Frankie de torri beating the favorites,,,,,,

[@franklinrodriguezmora2474]

tremendo jockey Dettori

[@RogelioSolibaga-cv1gw]

Jockey frankie detorri a very funny man always praising his horse and trainer and owner after a great ride,,,,,,

[@Stonymypony]

Wow Raven's Pass is a beautiful horse. I love the jockey's accent!

[@a305crack]

what an awesome race i had forgot about this one almost what a gesture of sportsmanship by frankie and robbie to grade 1 jocks on grade 1 horses !

[@a305crack]

*two

[@user-rb5jn1hf5b]

КАК ЖЕ ЭТО ВСЁ МИЛО И БЕЗУМНО КРАСИВО!!!

[@StFidjnr]

frankie Dettori's quest for the BC Classic started in 2001 where he ridden sakhee to a 2nd place finish and in 2008 he has reached his destination

[@DanielSong39]

Should have won in 1998 but he butchered that one. Redemption was sweet!

[@horseflat9629]

affirmed, yes,yes and yes

[@uhegbu]

So the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes winner wins a biggie in the USA. Fantastic.

[@StFidjnr]

1st euro win in the BC Classic since that 1993 Classic where the toteboard delivered a huge surge of electricity paying over $200 for the win

[@bonezzzz6330]

Thank God we got rid of poly tracks for the Classic.

[@StFidjnr]

10:22 frankie's trademark star jump

[@guystlouis9328]

12 years later curlin becomes a great sire

[@michaelpflug7305]

I remember people were saying both of the foreign horses that went one , two looked washy and I gave them no look. Classic turned a good BC into a not so good one for my pocket.

[@StFidjnr]

@ 4:59 the interview with the winning jockey

[@MANUTD4LIFE171]

I love all the stupid excuses about the surface. Ravens Pass was a turf horse with dirt breeding, and he had never run on synthetics either. He was just to good for that old hound Curlin.

[@tylermcintyre1454]

Tyler Mac here come green

[@lukejfmccann]

Very similar profile to Gleneagles. Time to cash in at 12's methinks..

[@tonymcgrath700]

I agree Gleneagles is similar to Ravens Pass, top miler with a turn of foot going 2f further than he has before, and at 12-1 it's Christmas come early

[@HannahBay34]

+tony mcgrath Raven's Pass got to run on synthetic, which is very kind to turf form. Gleneagles was running 1/2 mile longer than his comfort zone AND switching to dirt, just too much to ask.

[@Spursrule1969]

+HannahBay34 2 furlongs is 1/4 of a mile.

[@lukejfmccann]

+HannahBay34 yeah it ended up a disappointing season for him. Shame really. He'll still do well at stud and Coolmore will still keep churning out those winners though..!

[@MikePike5]

10:24 to 10:25 frankie flies

[@paulbutler7291]

Jimmy fortune should of rode this

[@Caroni100]

Raven´s Pass (17 de febrero 2005 - ) * Padre: Elusive Quality * Abuelo paterno: Gone West * Madre: Ascutney * Abuelo materno: Lord At War (Argentina) * Sexo: Semental * Criador: Stonerside Stable * Propietarios: Princesa Haya Bint Al Hussein & Darley Racing * Entrenador: John Gosden * Jinetes: David Kinsella (De 2-1) Jimmy Fortune (De 9-4) Frankie Dettori (De 1-1) * 12 Salidas * 6 Primeros * 4 Segundos * 1 Tercero * 1 Cuarto * $ 3.658.556 producidos equivalentes ( $ 5.212.656 de 2023) * Saludos desde Venezuela Raven´s Pass (February 17, 2005 - ) * Sire: Elusive Quality * Grandsire: Gone West * Dam: Ascutney * Damsire: Lord At War (Argentina) * Sex: Stallion * Breeder: Stonerside Stable * Owners: Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein & Darley Racing * Trainer: John Gosden * Jockeys: David Kinsella (1 for 2) Jimmy Fortune (4 for 9) Frankie Dettori (1 for 1) * 12 Starts * 6 Firsts * 4 Seconds * 1 Third * 1 Fourth * $ 3,658,556 earned equivalent (2023´s $ 5,212,656) * Best regards from Venezuela

[@sgc1234]

1:59.27

[@Ballymac15]

Never heard so much talk about a horse that was bet fare and square..ravens pass won the race not curlin

[@ebbets1965]

Let's give credit to Curlin and his connections for not taking the easy road. Unlike Street Sense, and sadly, American Pharaoh after this year, he did run as a four year old. They won the Dubai Cup that knocks out a lot of horses, tried the Man o War and he lost soundly to Red Rocks who was already on the downslope of his career and ran him in this race despite reservations. There was much talk before the race about how he would handle Pro-Ride, but there was no consensus on how could possibly beat him. The fact that he was beaten by two grass milers and also Tiago suggests he probably was not at his best on this surface on this day. On a pure dirt course he definitely would have run better and very possibly would have won. Nonetheless, credit to the owners for not ducking this race. And credit to the many European horses (except George Washington who should not have run in the slop at Monmouth) who have travelled to the Breeders Cup and dealt with either the sharp turns and hard grass or the untried dirt or synthetic surfaces. P.S.,very classy, Robbie Albarado; and I love Frankie Dettori

[@postcardterry]

steven cooke Very true Steve! It takes a lot to keep a four year old colt`s attention on racing. You only need look at French trained Montjeu who was far and away the best horse in Europe but his form tailed off halfway through his final season.

[@HannahBay34]

+steven cooke I would give credit, but after Curlin's poor performance Jess Jackson refused to bring Rachel Alexandra to the BC in 2008 because of the surface, and so we never got to see Rachel and Zenyatta head-to-head. And since the BC is supposed to decide year-end championships and Rachel was a no-show, she shouldn't have been Horse of the Year that year.

[@postcardterry]

+HannahBay34 Hi Hannah, the Breeders Cup is great to watch but it doesn`t decide end of year anything. It comes very late in the year for most Europeans yet they still regularly win and neither Frankel, nor Secretariat(retired b4 BC Series) won at the BC but they seem to be universally regarded as the best.The BC would be much better if drugs were banned because yet again this year we saw Found(on drugs) beat Golden Horn(not). It shocks me that the A.S.P.C.A allow this situation in a country ,U.S.A, which is full of animal lovers.

[@HannahBay34]

Actually the Breeders' Cup was founded with the intention of deciding year-end awards and nearly anyone in the sport in the US will tell you that's what it's supposed to do. Secretariat didn't have the chance to run in the BC and I meant it decides year-end Eclipse awards for North American runners, not for Europeans.

[@postcardterry]

+HannahBay34 Sorry Hannah but the BC is great for prize money and live entertainment but little else, and lots of Americans call it the world championships, which it definitely is not! The English Derby and Arc De Triomphe are far more prestigious.

[@ThefightingCelt]

This is a perfect example of how the commentator follows the script only for the horse ( Curlin ) not to. Talk about playing the home card. Totally unprofessional. The Americans thought ( wrongly ) that victory was assured for their "superstar " but reckoned without Raven's Pass and Henrythenavigator - both the top two European milers at the time. Neither Raven's Pass nor Henrythenavigator had run beyond a mile or on a synthetic surface before. Their raw speed was enough to deny Curlin.

[@Icyhotboo]

The surface was enough to deny Curlin, as the DRF PP's clearly showed he had a dislike for turf. Which essentially was what they were running on at SA at that time. Why they ran him I still don't understand. RP and HTN were as much of a lock as one can get in a race per an exacta play, which I happened to have multiple times, and I'm an American. How it paid that much still baffles me with all the great European handicappers spotting this too. Sorry I forgot you don't handicap prior to the race, but through Timeform do an excellent job analyzing the race after it's been run.

[@ThefightingCelt]

Group horses like HTN and Raven's Pass do not compete in handicap races. The handicap figure is already set by the official handicapper prior to any race - based upon previous form.Timeform is an independent ratings organistion, albeit highly respected. HTN and Raven's Pass had not run on the surface either previous to the Breeders Cup either. American horse racing is in a mess - the use of steroids, which are banned in Europe, is a blight on the US racing industry. Horse racing in Europe is much better, has better class horses overall, and thus has a credibility rating the Americans would die for.

[@Icyhotboo]

Timeform is a scam. Rating Frankel over Ribot, not to mention devaluing Dancing Brave to get Frankel in the #1 spot. I realize you use lbs to handicap as do the handicappers in America. Weights added to horses under 15lbs over 126lbs is ineffective. I believe Dr. Fager disproved that fallacy. Either that or he was the best horse to ever run, which could very well be.

[@ThefightingCelt]

Dr Fager, good as he was, ran on the same left handed, flat oval, dirt tracks throughout his career. The tracks in America are almost all identical, so are therefore designed to maximise speed. Frankel won on various courses in Europe - left-handed, right-handed and straight - flat and undulating.He was given such a high rating by Timeform because of the number of consistently high class performances he put up in beating other high class horses - not even Ribot , Sea-Bird or Dancing Brave did that over a sustained length of time. The nearest to Frankel, in terms of continuously brilliant and sustained Group level performances came from that other great British miler, Brigadier Gerard.

[@Icyhotboo]

"not even Ribot" The winner of two Arc's at age three and four. Ribot who faced the best fields assembled. Ribot who never came close to being challenged. ok champ forget Ribot. I was at Epsom to watch Nijinsky annex the Derby, this alleged wonder horse who couldn't get past a mile until he was four years old was better than him too? Don't bother trying to snow me, sell the BS to the women and children! Frankel was a carefully managed horse who raced so as to construe invincibility by having him face minimum risk, thus an undefeated horse who faced nobody's that were beaten many times by others, including Excelebration who had his ass handed to him at the Breeders cup and whom he made his reputation on. This isn't even mentioning Cirrus des Aigles who had more losses that wins. Frankel would rate at about 9TH position, at best. Number one for a horse who can't get the classic distance, and didn't even attempt the Arc or BC is rubbish! Wise Dan would have handed him his ass too.

[@MANUTD4LIFE171]

just because there is abit of american bloood in some of our breeds it does not dispute the fact that our European horse regularly beat your US horses on your own patch, yet i cant any US horse doing anything over here. Goldikova was a decent miler here in europe but she was beaten many times by the likes of Makfi, Zarkava, Dream Ahead and Canford Cliffs. She was nothing special here in europe yet shes the most succesful BC horse of all time. She wouldnt get within 7 lenghs of Frankel.

[@kevinharrison5651]

To be fair though manutd, the Americans are masters of the dirt track. They don't want to run their horses on synthetic full stop, although they are fairer and safer tracks. The Europeans do ok to say they have to travel a long distance but are turf horses. That being said, the yanks have some excellent turf horses too and their jockeys are superb.

[@DanielSong39]

Curlin did not like the fake stuff

[@WESSERPARAQUAT]

Curlin was good BUT , RAVENS PASS went by him like he was a tree , the American commentators NOT covering themselves in glory or indeed T Denman on this occasion .....

[@johncahill3903]

Typical Americans 😂 their star gets beat and they basically ignore the European winner 😱

[@DanielSong39]

Well 3 horses finished ahead of Curlin

[@sleepyjoe1484]

Ravens Pass was an American bred stupid

[@edwinfuentes618]

Que mal el pony Boy lo quizo dar un abrazo a frankie y lo rechazo por eso yo no afamo a nadie.

[@jamalhamdan6295]

Curlin was the best on dirt.. Not his surface here .. Artificial turf is bullshetttt

[@anthonymahon4751]

a level playing field? It never was when they ran on dirt or medication.Medication if not banned in America,is a disgrace,Sport! what sport?

[@Rab1802]

I love the way they called it an 'upset' hahahaha upset for who ? Ravens Pass was backed by half of the UK, I myself took 19/1 American price and that shows that American bookies don't know what they're doing, 19/1 thats just downright disrespectful !