2014 Breeders’ Cup Mile: Can Wise Dan 3-Peat?

The Mile has proven the most repeatable of any of the Breeders’ Cup races. The two-time defending champion, Wise Dan, is one of five horses to win more than one edition of the Breeders’ Cup Mile. If all goes well, in six short weeks, the fantastic gelding will line up for a chance to win his third consecutive Mile at Santa Anita. Winning three straight Breeders’ Cup would seem to be an incredible feat, but it has been done before, but just once. As Wise Dan moves ever closer to his date with destiny, let’s take a look back at the great repeaters of the Breeders’ Cup Mile.

Miesque - Perhaps the most dominant of all the great horses to run in the Mile, the great French filly became the first horse ever to repeat in any Breeders’ Cup race in 1988. She was top class from the first time she ever took the track, and in fact, just missed in a Group 1 race against the boys in her second lifetime start. From there she only got better, and by the time she was done, the daughter of Nureyev was a multiple champion on both sides of the Atlantic. In 16 career runs, Miesque never threw in a less than outstanding effort, while winning 12 times against the best middle-distance horses the world had to offer. There would be no chance for a 3-peat for her, though, as she closed her career with a victory in her second Breeders’ Cup Mile, and was off to begin a successful broodmare career. Here she is completing her magnificent racing career at Churchill Downs in great style ...

Lure - Despite losing by a nose to in his last prep for the Mile, Lure went into his third and final Breeders’ Cup as an overwhelming 9-10 choice in a large field of 14 in the 1994 Mile. It was not meant to be for Lure on that afternoon as the speedy Claiborne star never really got involved and checked in a well beaten 9th behind Barathea. The failed attempt at becoming the first three-time winner at the World Championships in his final career start did little to take away from an outstanding career. Despite never winning an Eclipse Award, Lure is remembered as one of America’s great milers. After switching to turf in the summer of his three-year-old season, he finished 1-2 in 17 straight turf races. Eleven of those were wins, while regularly competing against a pair of excellent rivals: Paradise Creek and Star of Cozzene. His first two runs in the Breeders’ Cup Mile resulted in overpowering, front running victories in racehorse time. Here is Lure winning decisively in his second of three Mile attempts ...

Goldikova - While Freddy Head rode Miesque into history, he came back to America with another great French filly, this time as the trainer. Goldikova made her own history when she became the only horse ever to win the Breeders’ Cup Mile three times. In fact, by winning it in 2008, 2009, and 2010 running, she remains the only horse to win any Breeders’ Cup race three times. The daughter of Anabaa danced every dance over her five seasons of racing, and only once failed to fire, while running exclusively against top notch competition. Much like our current star miler, Goldikova carried her excellence over a prolonged period of time. Amazingly, not only did the Irish-bred superstar win three, but she came back for a fourth attempt in 2011, and was in with a big chance as the field hit the stretch. Here is Goldikova at Churchill Downs demonstrating her class when scoring an unprecedented third straight Mile …

It should be noted that Da Hoss also won two editions of the Mile, although there was a year off between his two wins in 1996 and 1998. The Gone West gelding never got a chance to go for three, though, as his miraculous comeback win in ‘98 was his final career race.

Where does Wise Dan fit in with the best of the best in the history of the Breeders’ Cup Mile? Well, he is the only Horse of the Year of the group, and two times at that. So, is Wise Dan the best of the bunch? I’m not quite ready to say that he is better than the pair of fantastic French fillies. They are just too good. He certainly fits in with the best of them, though, and the good news for race fans, is that despite a scare with colic earlier this year, the racing career of Wise Dan continues on in style. Can he join Goldikova as the only three-time winner of a Breeders’ Cup race? Absolutely, he can. As the winner of 13 of his last 14 races, the great gelding only needs to keep doing what he has been doing without fail for the last several years. Wise Dan’s remarkable career already has cemented a place in history, but joining Goldikova as the only back-to-back-to-back winner at the Breeders’ Cup would only make his legend grow. Here is Wise Dan at his very best, winning last year’s Mile at Santa Anita …