Remembering Churchill Downs' first – and best – Breeders' Cup

The Breeders' Cup returns to its old Kentucky home when it runs at Churchill Downs on Nov. 2-3, with the two-day competition featuring 14 races, and the track's fabled Twin Spires serving as a backdrop for the ninth time in 35 years.

Thirty years ago in Kentucky, where horses are a long-standing tradition, surrounded by elegant horse farms and first-rate breeding programs that have raised Championship winners, hosted the Breeders’ Cup for the first time.

On a dark, chilly, wet November afternoon, over 70,000 fans filed into Churchill Downs to be part of a preeminent day of racing. A special feeling of excitement surrounded the Championships fifth running and anticipation was escalating rapidly, as America's most historic racetrack was ready to host its first Breeders' Cup. 

There appeared to be an endless supply of talented runners that featured sprinters, distaffers, juveniles, turf specialists and classic contenders assembled on that day.

The stage was set. High drama inundated the racing card with a succession of hotly contested races, and when the day’s spectacle concluded, racing aficionados exited the venerate grounds with indelible memories ingrained firmly forever.

I believe it to be the best Breeders' Cup yet.

In the opening race, Gulch, regarded as the nation’s best sprinter, became the first Breeders’ Cup champion ever crowned beneath the Twin Spires. The D. Wayne Lukas trained-star took full advantage of a blistering pace between Olympic Prospect and Very Subtle.

Rallying boldly from eighth place under jockey Angel Cordero, Gulch shifted off the inside to the center of the track and forced his way between rivals as the leaders began to tire from their early exertions. Matching strides through the stretch on the outside was Play the King, the longest shot on the board at 49-1. Holding off the threat of the menacing Canadian runner, Gulch edged away in the final sixteenth to win the Sprint by three-quarters of a length.

Gulch's victory in the lead-off event not only broke Cordero’s slump of winning just one race in 26 previous Breeders’ Cup attempts, but it also initiated what would be three Breeders' Cup wins that afternoon for Lukas.

The jockey-trainer tandem struck again in the next race when Open Mind took down the Juvenile Fillies. In a thrilling run to the finish, nine of the 12 fillies in the race were across the track in deep stretch, all with a chance to win, but Open Mind, next-to-last down the backstretch, and some fifteen lengths in arrears, finished best of all to win by 1 ¾ lengths.

In the race, jockey Julie Krone became the first woman to ride in the Breeders’ Cup. Her mount, Darby Shuffle, made a late charge for second. Stablemate Lea Lucinda was another three-quarters-lengths behind in third, giving Team Lukas an unprecedented sweep.

Two additional Lukas horses, Some Romance and One of a Klein, aided the sweep of their entry mates by pressing early leader Eloquent Minister into an exhausting fast pace over the sloppy track.

In the Distaff, matching up two of the best fillies of all-time, it was an epic battle right to the wire. Unbeaten Personal Ensign delivered an electrifying rally from a seemingly hopeless deficit to nail Kentucky Derby winner, Winning Colors, on the finish line to win by a scant nose, denying Lukas three consecutive wins.

The finish they produced still resonates three decades later.

Winning Colors went right to the front and opened an easy early lead while Personal Ensign settled in behind rivals. Winning Colors sprinted away from the field, and with a half-mile to run Personal Ensign trailed the free running Derby winner by eight lengths.

The muddy Churchill track was benefiting Winning Colors, while Personal Ensign struggled in the gooey going. 

As the field turned into the stretch, Personal Ensign had sliced the deficit in half, but with her proverbial “back against the wall” and a pristine resume at serious risk, she still had plenty of running to do.

Jockey Randy Romero then moved Personal Ensign off the inside, out widest in the racetrack for firmer footing and called on his mount to show her mettle.

Once in the clear and getting a better hold of the racetrack, she splashed forward through the mud with a combination of ferocious determination and willpower. Digging in and getting closer with every hard-fought stride through the long stretch, it appeared she would not catch Winning Colors. But inside the sixteenth pole, Personal Ensign produced a late herculean surge to win in a photo finish.

It was one of the most stunning victories in racing history -- the type of race that sends chills up and down your body.

Personal Ensign, returning to the winner’s circle a flawless 13 for 13, was greeted by a lengthy standing ovation from the crowd, for both the incredible feat they had just witnessed and knowing it was the last time they would see the filly compete. She became the first major American champion to retire undefeated in 80 years.

In the Mile, Miesque was back to defend her title, and did she ever, disposing her classy male opponents with relative ease to establish herself as one of the great turf milers of all time.

Loping leisurely along while 10-lengths back in the early part of the contest, the 4-year-old French filly gradually advanced. She seized the lead at the eighth pole and then kicked into overdrive to distance the field on her way to a four-length win over the rain-soaked turf course.

With her resounding victory, Miesque became the first horse to score a repeat Breeders' Cup victory, winning the Mile even more easily than she did the previous year at Hollywood Park.

Steinlen, from the Lukas stable, grabbed second by a head over Simply Majestic.

Undoubtedly, the human star of the afternoon was Lukas, winning three races and sending out three second-place finishers, along with a third-place finish. His third, but unexpected victory occurred when Is It True jolted the heavy favorite in an upset in the Juvenile.

Most of the attention focused on the highly touted Easy Goer, regarded as one of the most exciting 2-year-olds of the decade. The imposing colt easily ran down Is It True three previous times during the year. However, on this day, the Lukas runner, after turning back an early challenge, had a clear lead and Easy Goer, jostled a bit at the start, unaccustomed to the wet footing and failing to get a good hold of the muddy track, could not catch up in the final yards - a disappointing outcome for the overwhelming betting choice.

In a star-studded Breeders’ Cup Turf field featuring a stunning four horse stretch battle, the winner, Great Communicator, showed a remarkable display of grit and guts.  

Given a brilliant ride by veteran jockey, Ray Sibille, Great Communicator, an overlooked 12-1 California shipper, went gate to wire while being hounded the whole race and prevailed by a half-length over Sunshine Forever, the 2-1 second choice, with the English filly, Indian Skimmer the 1-2 favorite, another 1 1/4 lengths back in third. Tryptych, who was part of the battling quartet, faded from the fight late through the drive and finished fourth.

The three finishers behind Great Communicator had their noses in front of the eventual winner the second time around the far turn. But because of the slow, steady, easy pace Sibille allowed Great Communicator to set, the 5-year old gelding had enough left to withstand every challenge and not allow his pursuers to pass him.

Although the weather had been dreary throughout the day, spirits remained bright to see if Alysheba, returning to the site of his Kentucky Derby win 18 months earlier, could become the richest of racehorses in the programs final event, the $3 million Classic.   

With post time slated for 5:35 p.m., impending darkness added to the theatrics. Light rain had turned to snow flurries. With the Twin Spires, cloaked in an eerie November dusk, the world’s richest race was about to begin.

It was only fitting that under the ominous conditions surrounding Churchill Downs, Alysheba would face a menacing cast of rivals. To win the championship against tough opponents such as, Slew City Slew, Seeking the Gold, Waquoit, Forty Niner and wet track specialist Cryptoclearance, Alysheba would have to find success on a surface he previously never was effective racing over. Could he beat those odds? Could he beat this field?

Although the horses were virtually indistinguishable for most of the race, another fierce battle went right down to the wire.   

Under jockey Chris McCarron, Alysheba, sent off as the 3-2 favorite, settled in fourth behind dueling leaders, Waquoit and Slew City Slew, going around the first turn. Down the backstretch, McCarron was patient aboard his mount as the pair were about eight-lengths off the pace. Heading into the far turn, Alysheba made his patented closing move, accelerating four-wide. The star attraction pushed past the leaders to take command at the eighth pole and confidently held off a bold rally from Seeking the Gold by a half-length, to become the world's leading money winner.

Unaffected by the rain, snow or gloom of night, Alysheba emerged from virtual darkness having delivered a classic performance.

The historic achievement brought the rain-soaked record crowd to its feet.

There was not a dull or runaway race on the card. The 75 horses who participated provided clear evidence. In only one, the Mile, did the winner's margin exceed 1 3/4 lengths.

Three favorites, two second choices and a third choice reached the winner's circle. Only Great Communicator's victory at 12-1 in the Turf and Easy Goer's upset were considered surprises.

For racing fans everywhere, these were the memories of the 1988 Breeders' Cup. From every standpoint, the best edition ever in my opinion.