Saturday February 18 2012
It's confirmed: Black Caviar is a Freak. Just six days after her 18th straight win in a 1500-meter stakes race, yesterday at Flemington racecourse in Australia, the 5-year-old mare won her 19th straight race in the 1000-meter (about 5-furlongs) Group I Lightning Stakes. (And it was her second straight victory in the Lightning Stakes.) She almost set a new track record in doing so.
She also tied Australia's record of consecutive victories, set between 1915 and 1921 by Desert Gold and Gloaming.
I don't have a TV, so my friend Amanda recorded the race on her cell phone and emailed it to me! That's the video up top.
Below is a link to the race on youtube, though they don't show the break from the gate and the first furlong or so.
And, in fact, let's hear it for the Thoroughbred ladies who are taking over horse racing around the world!
The last three Horse of the Year titles in the US have gone to three ladies:
2009: Rachel Alexandra (Zenyatta was second in a hotly contested and contentious vote)
2010: Zenyatta
2011: Havre de Grace
In Australia, the last two Australian Champion Racehorse of the Year titles have gone to mares:
2010-11 - Black Caviar
2009-10 - Typhoon Tracy
Really, after my years on the racetrack, and especially after Zenyatta retired, I'm about done with racing… but when a Freak like this comes along, you have to pay attention and you can't help but love her and root for her.
Next on Black Caviar's schedule, if she comes out of this race good, is Dubai in March, and Royal Ascot in June.
The world will be watching - good luck Black Caviar!
She just puts the other horses away at the end. Amazing.
ReplyDeleteYup! She's a freak! What a great mare to follow Zenyatta. Will she race over here do you think?
ReplyDeleteShe'll be going to Dubai and then on to Ascot in the UK this June or July!
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