If you look at the end of the race, Kinane is having a job pulling STS up! Great race, great horse, great jockey. Wishing them both a long and happy retirement.
Belatedly, I followed Secretariat on Dirt and Sea The Stars on Turf. The latter was the closest to Secretariat in my lifetime, but he didn't race at four.. My father would have argued for Man o War.
it was just great to see a horse finally do the Guineas / Derby double . Been hooked on racing since accidently catching the Las Meninas/ Balanchine 1000 in 1994 and it had never happened . All the stuff that followed was icing on top of the cake and each race was a major event . Truly great for all us fans of racing . Many thanks for posting and all you other guys who upload these great races
It was always apparent what a beautifully built and physically strong specimen Sea The Stars was. But I think it was his run here in the Epsom Derby where it became really obvious what well balanced horse he was, too. A lot of 3yo really struggle to stay balanced coming down the hill at Epsom in the Derby. When you see the head on shot of STS coming down the hill stride for stride on the inside of Kite Wood, it's a thing of beauty. Glided down that hill so effortlessly and didn't miss one stride
I see what you mean Gberet he's just lobbing along like he knows he's going to win in a canter , the best horse I've ever seen race and he left a lasting impression on me
Afer winning The Arc today See The Stars is the Greatest flat racehorse I've ever seen - what a Great mare Urban Sea (RIP) was to win The Arc and to breed two Great Epsom Derby winners
MrPapaBill. Yes. Of course I saw Eclipse run. Do you doubt it? Class horse. Won 18, you know. I was five years old at the time. It took me four years to get there by sailing clipper.
@horseracingfan, I agree 110% with that. When it comes to turf racing. There's none tougher in the world than you see the horses from Ireland and Great Britain racing and winning in. I've often referred to Ireland as the country where champions are made. Look at all the great horses from Ireland and Great Britain that have raced at the Curragh or Leopardstown. Shergar, Giant's Causeway, Galileo, Sea The Stars. Nowadays, even horses like Fame and Glory, Rip Van Winkle and Mastercraftsman.
@slickwillywize It is a good question.In his favour-mainly left handed and usually quick ground.Against-uphill,downhill requiring a very well balanced horse.He may have been slightly too big an animal to show his best here and would really depend on the opposistion.Lester always said how nimble a horse needs to be around Epsom,short and stocky(The Minstrel and Shergar being perfect examples).Sec was a very big long striding animal who's ability to gallop things into submission was awesome....
¡Nada menos que el DERBY INGLES DE EPSOM!. Derby de los Derbys. Mareado al ver la lista interminable de ganadores en tantos años. SEA THE STARS,the best of all times?
Es emocionante ver el Derby de Derbys. El Derby de Epsom,ganado por SEA THE STARS,considerado como mejor caballo del mundo durante 2.009. Para mí,siempre corría igual y su galope hubiera mejorado a cuatro años.
@Bizarroisb00n I've followed Frankel since his debut, Bred beautifully and a great story to go with it being named after the late Robert Frankel, Another great trainer remember seeing Ghostzapper run a few times. In my opinion Frankel will be the best miler next year, Im not sure he will line up at Epsom but I certainly feel he's the one to beat in the 2000 Guineas after his win at Newmarket in the Dewhurst., He could possibly race in the Greenham stakes before the Guinea's...
@147ard Have you seen the Coral Eclipse or the Arc? If you've seen those races and understand how horses run, then it should be blindingly clear that Sea The Stars idles when he gets to the front. Kinane and Oxx have confirmed this time and time again as well. Do you believe that STS was only capable of sprinting for 100 meters in the Arc and he was spent after that? Or that in the Eclipse he was going all out and Rip Van Winkle ran up to him and just faded (instead of STS picking up)?
Brilliant horse STS, can't believe he wasn't favored. Love Zenyatta too, no need to hate one or the other. Too bad they won't race against each other, though it's not unlikely they will meet each other in the future. Wonder what a STS-Z foal would go for?
@lazerus121 which triple crown is that then? would have won the leger doing handstands, but wasn't in the race... which imo is a real shame... but hey you can't have everything!
Mine That Bird is a little gelding with a lot of heart, but he hasn't won a race since the Ky. Derby. 2nd in the Preakness to R.A. 3rd in the Belmont Stakes, 3rd in the West Virginia Derby, and most recently, on October 10th, he was 6th in the Goodwood Stakes on the same track that the Breeders Cup will be ran on. That Easy Company Airborne, is that out of Ft. Bragg, N.C.? I was there from 1983-1986 with 5th Special Forces Group(ABN). Nothing like the rush of going out the door of a C-130.
@slickwillywize ...It is however very difficult to be in the van all the way around Epsom due to the steep uphill rise for the first 4 furlongs and there are few front running victories over 1m 4f,Slip Anchor/Steve Cauthen being the best.A very debatable and interesting question.
First class horsemanship. MB hides his horse as long as possible. Class horse, credits to Maestro AF, but at the end of the day, it was the jockey that won the race.
Sea The Stars was never tested to the Max. - he's the horse that would have dug deep and pulled a bit more out if anything had of came to within a neck of him. But nothing got that close.
@Bizarroisb00n If he wins the Guinea's who knows maybe Cecil could train him for the Derby but I think this is an horse of such talent that he wouldn't risk his reputation if he didnt think he'd stay. Maybe the St James Stakes after that. I certainly hope he furfills his undoubted potential because Henry Cecil deserves another superstar. My tip for the Derby this year is Recital the Ballydoyle horse, Looks a very very promising prospect out of the great Montjeu...
@GBeret83, but could STS of made up 12-14 lengths on a very good horse in 2 furlongs like the Great Dancing Brave did in the Derby? STS is a great racehorse, but i do not rate him as good as the Brave. Regards
dunnejamez, After Workforce's impressive maiden win and track record in the Epsom Derby, he was built up as being the one who would eclipse STS. Then, with all the juvenile success that Frankel had, he's now being billed as the one to eclipse STS. Both Workforce and Frankel are great colt's in their own right. No doubt about it. But what STS accomplished is extremely rare and very special. Workforce or Frankel will never close to doing what STS did in his career, IMO.
@bigttim1 How do you know DB would have beaten Sea Bird II?Afterall SB's opposistion was better even than what DB faced and beat them further without even being hit with the whip then being eased and patted down the neck.Find it really hard to agree.
Sea the Stars is obviously a very good horse but I have to agree with the tactics of the O'Brien horses was a bit baffling. Sea the Stars is by Cape Cross & he was by Green Desert & both were milers & even the trainer wasn't sure Sea would stay so the way to find out is to set a testing pace. The winner never had to work for this win & was ridden as if he would stay, whereas Rip van Winkle was ridden as if there were doubts, even though he was running on in the 2000 and is by Galileo.
I don't doubt it's the "supreme test of a 3yr.old colt," but I don't know if one could say it's the greatest horse race in the world or not. I'd say if you took a worldwide poll, the Kentucky Derby would score a higher % than the Epsom Derby. JMO.
i agree. i think ballydoyle were trying to set the pace that would ensure rip van winkle go tthe trip. a stronger pace would have suited fame and glory and may have shown up sea the stars stamina limitations. also totally agree about sea the stars being ridden as if he would stay whereas rip van winkle was not. i always say horses should be ridden as if they do stay and if it turns out they dont stay then so be it
The whole European argument over Zenyatta,as good as she is,is the fact that Twice Over is too close to her.He is rated officially 12lbs behind STS.He may actually have improved by the U.S conditions,but I would have been amazed if he got that close to STS.
this horse is brilliant- he is smart, never runs himself into the ground! he wont win by more than 2 lengths ever- he isnt the kind to gallop himself silly in the final few furlong and win by 5+ lengths. smart horse :) xxx
Don't remember Nijinsky,Mill Reef,The Minstrel and particularly Llammtarra(who broke the track record) winning by very far.Motivator won by 5 lengths yet do you honestly think he would have beaten STS?Lest we forget,what did Sharastani beat other than a horrendously unlucky DB?It was perfectly o.k for DB to idle in his King George win but not for STS in ALL of his?I'm with you Green.
@147ard All out?He was only doing what he had to do-as ever.Said it before,say it again.Because of this he was able to hold his form better than any horse in the last 40-50 years including Sea Bird,who because of his nervous disposistion,was underraced and Dancing Brave who somehow lost in the Derby but whom also had a 2 month break before his prep for the Arc.STS to me,is the most COMPLETE horse of this 40-50 year era who also improved both physically and in the form book with every run.
Opinions are what racing is all about through betting for the man in the street, right up to the official handicapper at the jokey club!It does seem though that no matter what this animal acheived some will crad him.They would argue the opposite of me and you.Simple fact though to me which I don't think can be argued is that he's one of the few,maybe only,of the modern champs that we never really saw the best of due to his tendency of self preservation.That,to me is why he has his unique record.
@AWrulez , STS is a great racehorse, i disagree with guitarlegend about 10 lengths, i just dont think he could of won all his races by 10 lengths, for example do you think he could of won the guines or eclipse by 10 lengths? To me it sounds ridiculous.
I live in Kentucky, only about an hour from thoroughbred country. American's can argue over who's the better horse, Zenyatta, or Rachael Alexandra, but this horse, now retired, would destroy either one of our champion females, imo. And I say that being a huge Zenyatta fan.
I personally think the mistake that Aiden O'Brien made was not running Mastercraftsman with Rip Van Winkle in the Classic. I think M.C. would have made a better accounting of himself in the Classic than he did in the B.C. Dirt Mile.
I agree Jacob that it wasn't the real Rip in the U.S.But why did AOB persevere with an animal that has such a history of leg/feet problems by going there in the first place.I am pretty confident Rip stays in training and I hope he does.A good winters rest will hopefully do him the world of good.AOB's comments throughout the year was that Rip was a wonder horse,a comment used for all his group 1 winners.He was beaten too many times to be put in the bracket of the Rock,George,Dylan or even Hawk.
i think a year on we can both agree FRANKEL is up there he his higher rated than STS taking nothin away from STS he is a great champion but the power frankel has and that long stride he has is a cut above the rest and what he is doin is extremely rare IMO hope he goes the breeders cup mile
look he is rated higher than any other horse even dancing brave sea the stars was a great but he never destroyed his field that way frankel is doin to his rivals his efforts are getting better and better he hasnt reached his peak yet cant wait for him to destroy them over 10f to shut u all up HYPE the horse delivers everytime every jockey on other horses cant believe how well he travels and quickens willie carson said he was the best he has ever seen and so many have said the same
Dancing Brave's defeat was purely down to atrocious riding... not even the mythological Pegasus could have got Greville out of the mess he got him in that day!!!
i do agree with your comment about the way the race was run. they crawled along for the first 5 furlongs and i dont think the derby was run at a great pace. however i believe that however the race was run sea the stars would still have won but i suppose we will never know
@GBeret83 Clearly,you dont know Epsom!! its the most demanding Flat surface , and I do believe secretariat didnt run there. Quit with the attitude too me , as the question is a valid one and needs no aggression from someone who didnt get the nature of the question given. Read before Answer in future mate :).
there the racing experts who have being up on really good horses and no what a good one looks and runs like , a man with 17 classic's 3828 winners doesnt have a clue what he is taking about and by the way a mile isnt a short distance 5f and 6f are short but not 8f and he has won a group 1 on a round track so it isnt basically running straight all the time
...frankel is a freak just like sea the stars hopefully nothin goes wrong and we wil see something special this year he wil go unbeaten and breeders cup mile is a dead cert as only danger uncle mo wil step up to the classic
GB. I saw Kelso, Troy and Kingston Town racing. None of these compare with the mighty Zenyatta. You have to go right back to Kincsem to get up to this standard. My favorite British horse is Eclipse. Sea the Stars is not in this league. Too pampered.
@guitarlegend32 He is a Monjeau horse a 1m4 should be ok for him. though i hear on his dam side he has lots of speed.And that speed will win the derby. there not a horse out there who will stop him from winning the derby
This race, IMO, is the one big mistake that Johnny Murtagh made riding for Ballydoyle. Choosing to ride Rip Van Winkle over Fame and Glory over 12 furlongs. I personally think that Fame and Glory is twice the colt that Rip Van Winkle is. Juddmonte International Stakes win and all. I'd bet Fame and Glory to beat RVW any day of the week, and twice on Sunday. Not that STS was going to be beaten in this race. But Murtagh had a better shot on F&G than RVW. As the result's clearly bared that fact out.
why u all argueing.. i just read 1 comment about him only beating the other horses in this field by a few lengths and they've gone on to do nothing better.. but sea the stars was never a prolific winner in any of his races, he just did enough n won the race, thats wat jon oxx said all along, and keybender your right, wat a foal sea the stars n zenyatta would make!
You feign knowledge and then say that the Derby is won by Irish donkeys and listed horses ? I love it when an Irish bred wins and then people say 'oh, the derby was shite that year.....' And GW was a donkey ? Expert mate, expert.
sea the stars was the best not like he was like workforce and faced a bad field in races he was beaten proven group 1 horses easy rip van, fame and glory , mastercraftsman ,conduit, delegator and ah arc from a impossible position jim mcgrath said it was was perfection in the equine form .....he always had alot letf in the thank he wasnt the type of horse who would destroy a field by 10 lenghts but he was more than capable of
he only ever did wot he had to do because he was a very intelligent an special horse if u think hes overrated u obviously no nothin. people who say that beat that so that wud beat that no nothing coz it just doesnt work like that end of.
@altormey You haven't a clue, Did you see the field Dancing Brave beat in the Arc? Its probably the best assembled in Europe since Sea Bird II won his in 1965. He demolished them in record time. STS was a great horse but quoting him better than Sea Bird II which is totally ridiculous. He won group ones on the bridle against top fields STS never did that, Hence timeform rating Sea Bird the greatest ever. STS was good but Sea Bird, Dancing Brave, Nijinsky are better for Me...
they had so many that thay had to make a decision they decided to run the race to suit rip van winkle but ended up settin it up for sea the stars the fact fame and glory and masterofthehorse finished best of o briens suggest that had they set a fast pace they cud easily hav won
