Before the start ~ your personal, pre BC I memories

[my miss storm cat]

I was wondering, and this question is for people who were into the game 30 years ago, about the first Breeders Cup.

I've read about it and all but what I'm interested in are personal accounts.

When was the first time you heard about the idea for it? What did you think? As it started coming together did you care? Were you excited?

Did it get press? Did you think it would be a one time event?

I'm not asking about the actual races or how profitable a day you had but what were your thoughts leading up to it?

Thanks!

[Danzig]

i remember it. there was a lot of positive press about it. and of course still some big time horses around for the first, with john henry and slew o' gold getting a lot of attention.
now, i wonder if it wasn't a bad idea after all....because back in those days, you have the fall handicap triple. when was the last marlboro cup? and why is everything a prep for either the derby or the bc now? christ, always prepping...it's like always a bridesmaid.

[freddymo]

I remember I thought Nialator had no shot on a 5/8th track against Dragon's Lair. And Roger Huston's call is magical.. Best Breeders Crown ever

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZUAAnTlNmI

[keithting]

I think people were curious more than anything about the Breeders Cup being run for the 1st time back in 1984. I remember that I had to miss the live telecast (attended a family wedding), but video-recorded the entire day on VHS and could not wait to get home to see it.

Remember there were no cell phones let alone smart phones and the best you could do was call a betting service that might announce the official order of finish just after the race was official.

The following year I was lucky enough to attend the 1985 Breeders Cup event at Aqueduct. The Big A never seemed so exciting, festive and crowded (and cold) to me than on that day.

So I would say that initial BC in 1984 was a huge success....

[my miss storm cat]

Originally Posted by keithting

I think people were curious more than anything about the Breeders Cup being run for the 1st time back in 1984. I remember that I had to miss the live telecast (attended a family wedding), but video-recorded the entire day on VHS and could not wait to get home to see it.

Remember there were no cell phones let alone smart phones and the best you could do was call a betting service that might announce the official order of finish just after the race was official.

The following year I was lucky enough to attend the 1985 Breeders Cup event at Aqueduct. The Big A never seemed so exciting, festive and crowded (and cold) to me than on that day.

So I would say that initial BC in 1984 was a huge success....

This is a great post. Thanks for answering.

You too Danzig.

... and Freddy, as always, thank you for your insight. Not sure if you're presently inebriated or if it's just a short bus kinda day or what but sure... it's appreciated.

[Aly-Sheba]

I went, but I can't remember the lead up to the BC. But it was a good year to be in LA, because they just had the Olympics and then the BC.

I just pulled out the Racing Form I saved from that day and the headline was:
" $10 in Breeders' Cup Purses Begin New Era today"
One of the articles said that "Nelson Bunker Hunt was the Chairman of the Site Committee and they traveled widely to hear countless proposals before choosing HP.

Also John Henry did not run. He was supplemented, but had a ligament issue leading up to BC.

[asudevil]

I remember them showing Dynasty patriarch, John Forsythe (Blake Kerrington), so I figured it must be a cool place to be.

[my miss storm cat]

Originally Posted by asudevil

I remember them showing Dynasty patriarch, John Forsythe (Blake Kerrington), so I figured it must be a cool place to be.

My dad was the head writer, the script consultant, and one of the producers. It's Carrington, with a C.

[my miss storm cat]

Originally Posted by Aly-Sheba

I just pulled out the Racing Form I saved from that day and the headline was:
" $10 in Breeders' Cup Purses Begin New Era today"

Do you have them from every special day?

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by Aly-Sheba

I went, but I can't remember the lead up to the BC. But it was a good year to be in LA, because they just had the Olympics and then the BC.

I just pulled out the Racing Form I saved from that day and the headline was:
" $10 in Breeders' Cup Purses Begin New Era today"
One of the articles said that "Nelson Bunker Hunt was the Chairman of the Site Committee and they traveled widely to hear countless proposals before choosing HP.

Also John Henry did not run. He was supplemented, but had a ligament issue leading up to BC.

yeah, it was too bad he couldn't make it to bc day. he got a lot of attention leading up to it, but bad luck intervened. and if it wasn't such a big day, i seriously doubt that the taylors would have run slew o'gold.

[Cannon Shell]

The thing I remember leading up to it was thinking how great it was that they were running all stakes races. There was a special edition of the Form I believe because we never saw hollywood pp's in the East. You have to remember that they didn't stack stakes races up on one day back then so having all those stakes in a row was unique. I don't think I cashed a ticket but that isn't that unusual even now. Still think that Day's ride on Wild Again was his best work.

[my miss storm cat]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

You have to remember that they didn't stack stakes races up on one day back then so having all those stakes in a row was unique.

Okay so this is a dumb question but since I didn't know the above I'll ask... did they have things like Pick 3s and 4s back then? Tris and supers? If not when did that kind of wagering begin?

Yes I did try, unsuccessfully, to find the answer to this.

[Aly-Sheba]

Originally Posted by my miss storm cat

Okay so this is a dumb question but since I didn't know the above I'll ask... did they have things like Pick 3s and 4s back then? Tris and supers? If not when did that kind of wagering begin?

Yes I did try, unsuccessfully, to find the answer to this.

ok they had 7 BC races that day, and they only had $5 exacta's on all races except the first 2 races, and they $2 pick six 2nd thru 7th race and $2 DD's only on first and 2nd races. Talk about old school !!

[my miss storm cat]

Originally Posted by Aly-Sheba

ok they had 7 BC races that day, and they only had $5 exacta's on all races except the first 2 races, and they $2 pick six 2nd thru 7th race and $2 DD's only on first and 2nd races. Talk about old school !!

Interesting... thanks!

(Glad that has changed! ).

[Aly-Sheba]

Originally Posted by my miss storm cat

Do you have them from every special day?

No just a few BC days, most likely from when they ran out in Ca.

[OldDog]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

Still think that Day's ride on Wild Again was his best work.

I was splitting my time between the Lexington Training Center and Mare Haven in mornings and UK's campus the rest of the day (it was the best of times ), and at the former two the excitement level was of course palpable. The Classic, controversy aside, was an incredible finish to the day. A lot of us thought that Wild Again's owners were crazy to pay the supplement. We would toast WA and PD and them that evening.

First place was worth $1.35 million, which didn't seem like a very good return, considering the money Wild Again's ownership had risked.
"Don't worry about us, pal," said Ron Volkman, one of the owners. "We more than made up for it at the windows."
Wild Again paid $64.60 to win, still a record for the Classic.
Pat Day, riding Wild Again--his first of six Breeders' Cup winners--followed orders from trainer Vincent Timphony, which included not hitting the colt because he might shy from the stick.
Said Day: "As we turned for home, Slew O' Gold ranged up on the outside of me, and my horse was tiring significantly at that point. I thought that was as far as we were going to go.
"But as Slew came to me, he never got by me. My little horse just refused to give up. He dug down with such a gutsy last quarter of a mile that it gives me goose bumps just to talk about it. I could hear him grunting every jump, just straining."
http://articles.latimes.com/1993-11-...eders-cup-race

Pat Day recalls:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anKQHZLf1GA

The Wild Inaugural Classic
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGoay4TJ-I0

Relive the day (thanks KirisClown)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JH0XVYLHnZg

[GenuineRisk]

What a delightful thread! Thanks for starting it MMSC.

[alysheba4]

Had Gate Dancer to win and place.........thought he got Hosed, still do. Hollwood park was so great back in those days

[Gate Dancer]

Originally Posted by alysheba4

Had Gate Dancer to win and place.........thought he got Hosed, still do. Hollwood park was so great back in those days

Amen..............

[randallscott35]

Forget my wagering stories.

What I remember from 01 and 05 at Belmont is it being really really cold. I'm a baby. I need warmth.