Freak Goes for Record 20 in a Row

image from Blackcaviar.net.au

Friday April 27 2012

Black Caviar, the Australian sensation, will run Saturday (that's Friday night, US time) at Morphettville in Adelaide, Australia, in the 1200-meter Group I Sportingbet Classic, seeking her 20th victory in a row. She's currently tied with Australia's with Desert Gold and Gloaming at 19 consecutive wins. She's only 5 years old.

She had a short break since her last race February 18; she had a 'jump-out' at Caulfield on April 17, an unofficial work as a simulated race of 800 meters out of the gate against several horses, where she 'won' by 8 lengths.

Black Caviar has been called 'the world's fastest racehorse', 'the best sprinter in the world', 'the number one rated sprinter of all time', 'the mighty mare', and a 'freak,' and who can argue with that?

While Trainer Peter Moody will see how she comes out of this race, he's already looking ahead to her next possible race at Adelaide in the Group I Goodwood, which would be her last start in Australia before heading to England to run in the Group I Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 23, and at Newmarket in July. It is hoped that she will meet the sensational unbeaten European champion, and world's top-ranked Thoroughbred Frankel there (he's nine for nine), but at this point it looks unlikely.

Really, I'm done with horse racing, and it still makes me hold my breath if I ever watch a race live, but some horses just grab your attention and reel you in for one more taste of Sensational. Black Caviar is one of those!

Black Caviar Update

Herald Sun Photo

February 24 2012

After Australia's rad racehorse Black Caviar's win last Friday in her 19th consecutive race, which came only one week after her previous win, she was possibly going to run again tomorrow, on only 6 days' rest again, in the $1 million Blue Diamond Stakes.

However, it appears owners and trainer Peter Moody have decided her next major goal will be at Royal Ascot in England in June. She will possibly go for her 20th win in a row in Adelaide or Brisbane before she flies to England. Those of us who know racing (and probably most of us who don't) are probably breathing a wee sigh of relief she is not running her third Group I race in 3 weeks tomorrow, although the trainer was confident she would have won again.

Moody said, "There's nothing wrong with her. To the contrary, she's at the top of her game. But it's all geared around having her at her peak when she flies across to England for the 6-furlong Diamond Jubilee Stakes. That's the Royal Ascot race the owners have had their sights on for some time and everything is being tailored like a Savile Row suit to have her cherry-ripe for that race on June 23."

There in England it is possible that Black Caviar, the world's current number 2 racehorse will meet the world's current number 1 racehorse in Frankel, though Moody's not committing to anything other than the Diamond Jubilee Stakes. (Frankel was 9 for 9 at the end of last year as a 3-year-old; his 6 length win in the 1-mile 2000 Guineas is called 'one of the greatest displays on a British racecourse". He has yet to start this year.)

(All this, and really, I'm not that interested in racing anymore after Zenyatta - really!)

Top photo is by the HeraldSun.com.au

Here's a video from last October comparing the two

**CORRECTION: Black Caviar was to run in the Futurity Stakes at Caulfield racetrack on Saturday. Not the Blue Diamond Stakes.
Thanks to Lorrie for pointing that out!

Shades of Zenyatta: Black Caviar

Friday February 17 2012

Lest we forget the magnificence of Zenyatta (which would NEVER happen), and as we await her first foal (due in March), another mare in Australia is following in her illustrious footsteps.

The 6-year-old black mare Black Caviar is sitting on an 18 for 18 record, and goes for her 19th straight win, just like Zenyatta did. Black Caviar has taken her world by storm, just like Zenyatta did here; and just like people did for Zenyatta, they are flying halfway around the world to see Black Caviar. Some of the fever has spread to Europe, where in England her races are shown live.

Like Zenyatta, Black Caviar was bought for $60,000 before the start of her career, and like Zenyatta, who was featured on the mainstream US news like Sports Illustrated, Time Magazine, People and 60 Minutes, Black Caviar has been on Australian Story. Unlike Zenyatta, Black Caviar is strictly a sprinter (races under a mile), but like Zenyatta, she has (so far) won 17 stakes races.

One article in the Australian Herald Sun written after her 18th win stated: "Every generation or so, it seems the racing gods deliver a 'Flying Pegasus' - a horse that literally lifts the industry from its humdrum, taking even those who can make no sense of it on a magic carpet ride." Another article called her "freakishly talented." World Thoroughbred Rankings rated her "the world's best racehorse."

Like Zenyatta, Black Caviar gets under the skin the race callers: as she's sweeping to another win, they've called her "the great mare," "the Pride of Australia," "awesome racehorse," "the greatest show on earth," "Australia's pin-up girl," "the invincible one," "this is why she's rated the best in the world," "the indisputed champion of the world," etc. (I think you get the picture!)

Black Caviar runs tomorrow at Flemington in the Group I Lightning Stakes, expected to be a tough race because she's shortening in distance from her last win.

It's said that the whole country of Australia shuts down for the annual 2-mile Melbourne Cup; another win from Black Caviar and she herself might become known as "the mare that stops the nation" when she runs.