Goldikova makes it three and easy in Mile
Goldikova made history in the Breeders’ Cup at Churchill Downs when she won the Mile for the third time.
Freddie Head’s great mare had often been compared to Miesque, the mare that Head had ridden to win the Mile twice in the 1980s. But all comparisons were rendered redundant as Goldikova stormed home in great style.
The European challenge at this year's Breeders' Cup meeting had been looking rather limp after a first-day washout and there were even fears of no winners for only the second time since 1998. But, cometh the hour, cometh Goldikova.
Olivier Peslier eased Goldikova off the early speed as Sidney’s Candy took the field into the first turn, with Goldikova running quite wide. She was still only sixth at the start of the home turn and if Peslier was sitting comfortably it was more than could probably be said for her legion of fans.
As Peslier began to ask for her to lengthen there was just a moment when it looked as though Goldikova would not be finding much. But it was only a moment and then she began to power down the turf course, with her ground-devouring stride.
Sidney’s Candy was still in front but Joel Rosario could already hear the pride of France thundering first alongside and then clean past as she came home from Gio Ponti – runner-up in a Breeders’ Cup race for the second successive year – with The Usual Q.T. in third.
Paco Boy, who had been last of the main group at the end of the back stretch, was making giant strides in the final two furlongs but got there just too late in fourth.
“Winning for the third time at Churchill Downs after winning the same race on Miesque, it is something unreal,” Head said. “In the worst soap opera you can't imagine anything like this. I must be a very lucky person. She has everything you can imagine a horse to have. She is a tremendous athlete, very cool, and has a burst of speed that she can carry on for a long time.
"As long as she has a strong pace you can do what you like with her, and there is always another gear that makes her finish faster than the others."
Head had, for some time, tried to avoid comparisons between Goldikova and Miesque. But now he accepts that Goldikova has taken Miesque's mantel although he can see similarities in the way that they both adapted so well to American tracks. “She’s one of the best milers of all time – there’s no doubt.
“I think she’s even better here. She loves the turn and she loves running to the left. And, exactly like Miesque had, when they go out of the stalls here the first 50 yards, they go, which we don’t do in Europe. Usually we go out of the stalls and everybody pulls back.
“So she’s able to relax and she just follows the pace and that’s it.”
As a man who has won Breeders’ Cup races as both jockey and trainer, Head is in a rare position and he knows which he prefers. “I thought I had lived everything as a jockey but this passes everything. It’s a day you have once in your life I suppose.”
Or maybe three times?
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