1987 Breeders' Cup Classic - Ferdinand & Alysheba + Post Race & Interviews
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Published 2012-09-04
This was the first duel between Derby winners since Affirmed beat Spectacular Bid eight years ago, and once again the older horse prevailed. Ferdinand, last year's Derby winner, took the lead with a sixteenth of a mile to go and held on by just a nose over Alysheba, this year's Derby winner. Ferdinand paid $4 for $2 to win as the favorite and ran the mile and a quarter under Bill Shoemaker in 2:01 2/5. Shoemaker, who has won a record 8,707 races, was scoring his first Breeders' Cup victory after 13 losses.
Ferdinand's victory was sentimentally popular with the 57,734 on hand under clear and mild skies for the fourth edition of the Breeders' Cup. Ferdinand's trainer, Charlie Whittingham, who is 74 years old, and Shoemaker, who is 57, are California's favorite trainer and jockey.
www.nytimes.com/1987/11/22/sports/breeders-cup-fer…
All Comments (21)
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Yes. Tom Durkin at his absolute peak, aided by the tremendous roar of the crowd.
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Tom Durkin with what has to be one of the greatest stretch calls in the last 100 years! " Judge Anjelucci desperate"......" The two derby winners, hit the wire together!" You can really feel the passion in his voice at the very end there.
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Gives me chills every time I watch it. Such raw emotion from Durkin. Classic. One of my all time favorite calls and races.
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The best BC Classic ever. You’ll never see 2 Derby winners in the same BC Classic ever again. Proud to have been at Hollywood Park this day.
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How the Americans and Japanese could have let this champion horse be slaughtered is beyond me. I would have treasured him and have been honored to have him living the rest of his days on my property. Shame on everyone involved in his life.
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Why isnt there a stakes race named after Ferdinand in North America? He earned his title especially after his tragic demise
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2 Great Race horses this is what makes racing so fun .I have great memories of the race . The breeders cup in Louisville was alishebas race it was Sloppy alisheba stumbled coming down the stretch and still won the race . This group of horses in the late 80s was the best competitive I've ever seen ..
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Ferdinand deserved better
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No one would have ever imagined, that Mrs. Keck would send Ferdinand to Japan.
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Such a sad ending for this beautiful horse. Ive viewed this many times and get goose bumps around the far turn every time! Thank tou Ferdinand.
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If only McCarron had gone to the left stick a tick earlier. Late lead switch. But an absolute classic! One of the best races ever. And Judge Angelucci/Candy’s Gold gave their all.
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That crowd noise when they hit the 3/16 pole.
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Shoemaker could still ride when the money was on the line. A perfectly well timed ride by one of the best.
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Easily the best call of a horse race I've ever heard.
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One of the best calls in racing history along with sunday silence and easy goer in there classic, love it !
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To this very day the tragedy that befell Ferdinand in Japan leaves a worse taste in my mouth toward that country than Pearl Harbor ever could've left me with. Kentucky Derby & Breeders Cup Classic winners are forever icons in America. They're our national treasures that deserve to be treated as such, not shipped off to some low rent slaughter house somewhere in northern Japan.
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2 of the gamest and greatest horses you will ever see.
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THIS RACE GIVES ME CHILL'S I WITNESSED THESE 2 GREATS GO AT IT AS A TEENAGER AT HOLLYWOOD, AS I REFLECT I AM VERY THANKFUL I SAW THEM COMPETE.
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Alysheba took off like a rocket when McCarron went to the left handed whip....if he had done it a moment sooner, he might've won the race.
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Durkin was never one of my favorite race callers but this was a classic call, maybe the best ever.
