Bayakoa was a 5 year old during this race. She was a 4 year old the year prior when she win the Distaff in 1989. I really loved Go For Wand and its funny when I llok at RA she reminds me of Go For Wand so much.
Poor girl! It looks like she would have won it too :( If this was present day, PETA would have been all over this. Saddest distaff ever.... RIP girl! Run with all the greats in Heaven!
Go For Wand crumbled like Humpty Dumpty when she was challenged for the lead. Two-time Eclipse champion (Bayakoa) wouldn't let up on her and she finally had enough at the 1/16 pole.
Many of the horses on that list are just good. I am sure that you know there are a group of elite horses that are always mentioned when the all time greats are brought up. I'm sure that you also know that Bayakoa's name is never mentioned in that group. I'm simply saying the mare was good, but you would rarely hear her name mentioned among the very best filles ever. If you want to use the list as a reference - Bayakoa is ranked second last among the fillies and mares on that list.
Bayakoa got the raw deal with this race. She should have been a media sensation due to her winning back to back championships. But the media at that time was the worst it ever was. All they cared about back them was tradjedy and sensationalism. She was the best mare of her time, almost as good as Zenyatta. But almost everything she did got overshadowed by the media frenzy due to the Go for Wand tragedy.
Whether she was in front by a head or six lengths, the point is she was in front. Who can say for sure who would have won. However I do believe Go For Wand would have gone on to win because every time Bayakoa came to her she couldn't go by. I know one thing for sure - when they talk about the great fillies and mares of all time, Go For Wand's name is always mentioned. Bayakoa was good, but not one of the very best, and unfortunately for her this victory will always be tainted.
Her leg was completely broken off and held on by a strip of skin. I still remember that horrible day where 3 horses died during the Breeders Cup even after 19 years. I stopped watching races for several years because of it!!!
I know this comment is late, and a bit lengthy, but I think that people tend to take countdowns like the top 100 list too seriously, especially as regards female horses. The problem is that, all too often, people are swayed by emotionalism and media hype. On that list where are horses like Turkoman, who would have demolished Personal Ensign? Where are Greinton and Precisionist who starred in the consistently fastest dirt track rivalry on record? Lady's Secret, although viewed as a route racer, was actually a brilliant sprinter/extended sprinter, and she outran Precisionist for over 1600 meters in the Iselin, and for 1600 meters in the Woodward, only losing those races to superior male strength in the final 200 meters. How, therefore, can she rank below Go For Wand? Precisionist at his best would have buried Go For Wand. As for Bayakoa vs Go For Wand, how does Go For Wand rank higher? Bayakoa won Grade 1 races on two continents, 12 in all; ran the joint-fastest dirt mile on record by a female; won the Hawthorne Handicap twice, won the Spinster Stakes twice, the second time in a still-standing stakes record; and twice won the Breeders Cup Distaff, the second time tragically running Go For Wand into the ground. The connections of Go For Wand learned a lesson that fateful day--there's a difference between a horse running unopposed on an easy lead, and having to stave off a 'ruthless' challenger like Bayakoa who keeps coming and just won't go away. Go for Wand ran a sensational time in the Beldame Stakes, but that meant nothing when she met a fierce rival as determined as she. Where's Inside Information on that list? I couldn't see Go For Wand holding her off, either. What about Serena's Song? Maybe not as fast as Go For Wand, but tougher--15 graded stakes races in one year against both males and females, and never lower than third. I could go on, but this is enough food for thought for the hour.
Yeah, but again, I am not arguing whether or not Bayakoa was better than Go For Wand, but that there was no clear winner up until that point. It didn't matter who was the best, but that they were dueling and to say Go For Wand would have held up in front is as much speculation as saying Bayakoa would have won. But none of the horses on that list are just "good", there are the elites as you say, and the great ones, and the REALLY good. Leet's say Bayakoa was REALLY good, as a compromise. ;)
Bayakoa era superior a Go For Wand. En esa carrera las ventajas estaban a favor de la potranca, una campaña fresca. Bayakoa tenia tremendas batallas, el desgaste lógico de la edad, cosa que Go For Wand no tenia en contra y si las carreras de grupo 1 que gano en Argentina las hubiese ganado en EE.UU hasta el día de hoy tendría el record de sumas ganadas. y otra tema Bayakoa corría bien en pista de cesped, entra 2° en un grupo 1 en San Isidro frente a un caballo ganador de G 1.
Entiendo tu visión pero es solo una opinión, solo mira la evidencia, y las evidencias no se discuten. Bayakoa corrió bien en dos hemisferios diferentes y les gano a las mejores de varias generaciones en dos países lideres en la cría de caballos, Bayakoa demostró una rusticidad tremenda y una adaptabilidad pocas veces vista. y lo de Go For Wand es solo suposiciones tuyas amigo. Lo que tu dices es tan discutible como que yo dijera que Go For Wand en Argentina si solo se hubiese adaptado
She is on the list, but she is 23 spots below Go For Wand. Like I said, Bayakoa was good, but she was not one of the very best. Her name is rarely metioned in the same breath as Ruffian or Personal Ensign or some of the other all time greats.
She's on the list of 100 top horses (both male and female) of the 20th century and she is not one of the very best? Do you seriously think any of the horses on that list are just "good"? Besides, my original point was simply that there was no clear winner when Go for Wand broke down, and saying that she would hold her very small lead down to the wire is pure speculation.
yo no lo veo asi para mi go for wand fue mucho mejor ya que apenas empesava su carrera y ay caballos q corren mejor de 4 anos en adelante y luego los tiempos que asia eran muy buenos
