Breeders' Cup Distaff 1990

[FUCKUflylion132]

Go For Wand crumbled like Humpty Dumpty when she was challenged for the lead. Two-time Eclipse champion (Bayakoa) wouldn't let up on her and she finally had enough at the 1/16 pole.

[pencilcasegameboy]

was she ahead when she broke down?

[MUTenors14]

@pencilcasegameboy yes i believe so.

[RuffianQueenOfRacing]

@pencilcasegameboy yeah she was

[d9y8l7a6n5]

Why does tragedy seem to strike the Distaff when its run at Belmont? First this Go for Wand tragedy, then Exogenous in 2001 =( both great fillies, both only showed a glimpse of the greatness they were going to be :( RIP both fillies

[AEMoreira81]

@d9y8l7a6n5 Also of note - she broke her legs when she passed the spot where Ruffian is buried (Ruffian is buried in the infield).

[downhomesunset]

@thePAPsheets Shaker Knit-the horse that fell over Mr Nickerson was put down that evening because he was patially paralized...

[rhynes2]

Bayakoa was a 5 year old during this race. She was a 4 year old the year prior when she win the Distaff in 1989. I really loved Go For Wand and its funny when I llok at RA she reminds me of Go For Wand so much.

[llco0lml]

chris antley rode that horse

[ctswardour]

Randy Romero rode Go For Wand

[ashado19]

Go For Wand was too-int he list of 100 great TB horses

[tokiohotel9589]

how old was Bayakoa?.....6?

[F1LahudoodTsunade]

I know Bayakoa won the Distaff, but Go For Wand racing against her and died. That's so grotesque.

[RidingWithRuffian]

Poor girl! It looks like she would have won it too :(

If this was present day, PETA would have been all over this.

Saddest distaff ever....

RIP girl! Run with all the greats in Heaven!

[HorsePsycho]

OMG! Poor girl!! Thats so sad!! Did the jockey get back on her?! Was she euthanised on the track?

[LauraLovesMocha]

no... she broke her front leg, no body could ride her then, and she was euthanized on the track

[HorsePsycho]

Yeah, she broke her leg..... but i just saw a picture of a jockey on her shown after the fall so yeah i sorta assumed........ but yes i assumed wrong. Lol the horse shown at the end is the winner! My mistake. =)

[ctswardour]

Her leg was completely broken off and held on by a strip of skin. I still remember that horrible day where 3 horses died during the Breeders Cup even after 19 years. I stopped watching races for several years because of it!!!

[FanOBarbaro]

it was a tragic occurance,no one could have predicted Go For Wands fate..RIP girl

[ridingxruffian]

Go For Wand was a brilliant horse.

Running against Bayakoa was a poor decision. Bayakoa was a sprinter with freak speed. Chasing after her would put unnatural stress on any horse. If either of those fillies got hell-bent on winning, they would chase each other to the ends of the world.

[Wallyhorse]

A sad situation, but I would NEVER have run her against Bayakoa. Quite a few people, including horsemen I knew then all felt it was stress of running against Bayakoa that caused Go For Wand to break down.

I would have had her in the Classic against the boys, where he likely would have run a completely different race, coming from 10-15 lengths back that would have been far less stressful than what she had to do in the Distaff against Bayakoa.

[Wallyhorse]

Finishing the last post, whether she would have beaten Unbridled in the '90 Classic is irrelevant, as I have always felt she would have not broken down in the Classic where she would have been able to sit well off as I remember a four horse duel of :45 4/5 to the half in that race and closed off of that.

[ruffchamp1]

go for wand was no doubt one of the greatest fillies of all time

[samsam29]

God, I hate it how the voiceover narrator just takes over right when the pivotal moment of the race comes!

[FireGirlG]

I don't like how this recording kind of disregards Go For Wand, it seems a little disrespectful. He says the victory was bittersweet, which is true, but then it's like "oh well." I like the other posting of this race better.

[AdamJLemon]

Go for Wand had Bayakoa beat...so sad.

[samsam29]

They were head to head, there was no clear winner up until that point.

[GobinHalilal]

Go For Wand was in front.

[samsam29]

Yeah, by a grand head. A clear advantage, for sure. *sarcasm*

[GobinHalilal]

Whether she was in front by a head or six lengths, the point is she was in front. Who can say for sure who would have won. However I do believe Go For Wand would have gone on to win because every time Bayakoa came to her she couldn't go by. I know one thing for sure - when they talk about the great fillies and mares of all time, Go For Wand's name is always mentioned. Bayakoa was good, but not one of the very best, and unfortunately for her this victory will always be tainted.

[samsam29]

And yet Bayakoa is also in the top 100 American Thoroughbreds list of the 20th century... even though she was Argentinian!

[GobinHalilal]

She is on the list, but she is 23 spots below Go For Wand. Like I said, Bayakoa was good, but she was not one of the very best. Her name is rarely metioned in the same breath as Ruffian or Personal Ensign or some of the other all time greats.

[samsam29]

She's on the list of 100 top horses (both male and female) of the 20th century and she is not one of the very best? Do you seriously think any of the horses on that list are just "good"?

Besides, my original point was simply that there was no clear winner when Go for Wand broke down, and saying that she would hold her very small lead down to the wire is pure speculation.

[GobinHalilal]

Many of the horses on that list are just good. I am sure that you know there are a group of elite horses that are always mentioned when the all time greats are brought up. I'm sure that you also know that Bayakoa's name is never mentioned in that group. I'm simply saying the mare was good, but you would rarely hear her name mentioned among the very best filles ever. If you want to use the list as a reference - Bayakoa is ranked second last among the fillies and mares on that list.

[samsam29]

Yeah, but again, I am not arguing whether or not Bayakoa was better than Go For Wand, but that there was no clear winner up until that point. It didn't matter who was the best, but that they were dueling and to say Go For Wand would have held up in front is as much speculation as saying Bayakoa would have won.

But none of the horses on that list are just "good", there are the elites as you say, and the great ones, and the REALLY good. Leet's say Bayakoa was REALLY good, as a compromise. ;)

[MikePike5]

She fell like Sonador.

[sassygirl6969]

only worse