Dreaming of Cross-Country Showdowns

Last week’s Alabama Stakes was all about which 3-YO filly would come out on top of the division. In that race, the hype surrounded Grace Hall and her contenders. Then I asked, “What about Eden’s Moon?” In retrospect, I should have been more focused on Lady of Shamrock since the West Coast show down was contested on turf, but they do say hindsight is 20/20 for a reason. This week the big race is the G1 Personal Ensign and the continued rivalry between It’s Tricky and Royal Delta who have been billed as the nation’s top 2 older females. While both are certainly deserving of that title (despite my personal reservations concerning Royal Delta’s lack of a Grade 1 win this year), I again have a question. This time it concerns Include Me Out.

 

 

Back in June I put together a quick outline of who I believed was at the top of each division (read about it here), and I took some heat for initially leaving Include Me Out out of the Older Filly and Mare division. You better believe that I have taken notice of this 4-yo daughter of Include since then. In 5 starts this year, she is 4-1-0, and her only loss came at the hands of the late flying Love Theway Youare in the G1 Vanity Handicap. She is one of only a handful of horses that can be included in the presitigous “Multiple Grade 1 Winner” category this year, but yet, she gets no respect.

 

 

So while the Personal Ensign will certainly be a thrilling race pitting two of the nation’s top older fillies against one another, I would personally like nothing better than if Include Me Out were included in Sunday’s field. Sadly, since Include Me Out has not ventured off the West Coast, that meeting will likely not take place until November when all three will likely meet in the Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic. Include Me Out and Royal Delta are already guaranteed  spots in the starting gate due to their victories in the “Win and You’re In” Clement L. Hirsch and G2 Delaware Handicap, respectively. Should It’s Tricky prevail in the Personal Ensign, then all three will, barring any unforeseen disasters, be lined up to take on each other. Even if It’s Tricky does not win on Sunday, she is still expected to be at the Breeders’ Cup since that is the year end goal for the Godolphin owned filly.

 

 

It’s really too bad that there isn’t more cross-country travel for the nation’s top stars. Just imagine the possibilities and the rivalries that could emerge if the West Coast stars traveled east or the East Coast stars traveled west. Rather than having to wait until the year’s end to see some of the most anticipated showdowns, we could get to see them multiple times a year. Imagine seeing Include Me Out, It’s Tricky, and Royal Delta; Game On Dude, Fort Larned, Ron the Greek, and Mucho Macho Man; or Acclamation, Little Mike, Point of Entry, and Get Stormy duking it out several times a year rather than once or twice at the most. Unfortunately, it does not look as though that will happen anytime soon. In the meantime, we can all look forward to the Breeders’ Cup races and dream about what could be.