(Originally published in the January 29, 2011 issue of The
Blood-Horse magazine. Feel free to share your own thoughts and
opinions at
the bottom of the column.)
History was about to be
made. As the field for the 1988 Breeders’ Cup Mile (gr. IT) turned for
home over Churchill Downs’ deep, wet turf course, Miesque was on the
move. Despite going four wide into the first turn and four wide coming
out of the second turn, the French-trained daughter of Nureyev was
building up a head of steam, and by midstretch it was clear to everyone
she was about to become the first horse to win back-to-back Breeders’
Cup races.
Her trainer, Francois Boutin, nattily clad in a beige
overcoat, had been calm throughout, his binoculars zeroed in on his
filly. But now, as Miesque began drawing clear of the field, the dapper,
reserved Frenchman turned into just another demonstrative racing fan,
lowering his binoculars, stomping his feet, and pounding his hands
against nothing but air.
As Freddy Head, aboard Miesque, crossed the finish line, he pumped his fist and gave his filly a single smack on the neck.
Miesque
had set the standard for brilliance and consistency on grass in
Breeders’ Cup competition and elevated the European miler into another
realm, especially in the United States. The fans, having just exhausted
themselves the race before, cheering on Personal Ensign and Winning
Colors in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (gr. I), still were able to
appreciate the greatness and historical accomplishment they had just
witnessed and gave Miesque a rousing ovation. She no longer was merely a
French invader, but a part of American racing lore.
In 1987 she
had charged through a narrow opening along the rail to win the Breeders’
Cup Mile under the California sun, blazing the eight furlongs in a
course-record 1:32 4/5. One year later she took the outside route,
circling the field and then charging down the Churchill Downs stretch on
a rainy afternoon.
Prior to the race, as NBC was showing a replay
of Miesque’s victory over her main rival Warning in the Prix du Haras
de Fresnay-le-Buffard Jacques le Marois (Fr-I), European analyst Brough
Scott said as Miesque burst clear in the stretch: “Look at that speed.
When she stretches out like that, she’s unbeatable.”
And she
proved unbeatable in 12 of her 16 starts, finishing second three times
and third once. And 11 of those starts were against the boys. A true
miler, one of her defeats came in the Prix de Diane Hermes (French
Oaks-Fr-I) at 1 5/16 miles against the top-class Indian Skimmer.
After her first Breeders’ Cup Mile victory, Head proclaimed her, “The best I’ve ever ridden.”
More
than two decades later, Head, now a trainer, would eclipse his and
Miesque’s feat by winning three consecutive runnings of the Breeders’
Cup Mile with Goldikova, whose career has mirrored that of Miesque in
many ways.
Several years earlier another European filly, Ouija
Board, had stamped her greatness in the United States, winning the VO5
Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT) in 2004 and the Emirates
Airline Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf in 2006, and finishing
second in 2005.
One can debate for hours who is the greatest
European filly to compete in the Breeders’ Cup, but one thing is for
certain: Miesque became the standard by which all other European fillies
are measured.
She carried that greatness over to the breeding
shed, producing the top-class runner and sire Kingmambo, who won three
group I stakes in Europe and placed in three others. He has sired
champions in the U.S., England, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, and
Japan, and a European champion. Miesque also produced East of the Moon,
winner of the group I Prix de Diane and Dubai Poule d’Essai des
Pouliches (French One Thousand Guineas).
By Nureyev, out of
Pasadoble, Miesque most resembled Pasadoble’s paternal great-grandsire
Ribot, bearing little resemblance to broodmare sire Prove Out and great
grandsire Graustark. Pasadoble’s dam, Santa Quilla, was a half sister to
group I winner Comtesse de Loir, who was beaten a head by the great
Allez France in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Fr-I) after a memorable
stretch duel.
Miesque’s influence has spread from the racetrack to the breeding farm, reaching across the globe.
Sometimes,
one’s greatness is best described in simple terms. As Miesque crossed
the finish line in the ’88 Mile four lengths clear of eventual Breeders’
Cup Mile winner Steinlen, announcer Tom Durkin’s voice reached a
glorious crescendo, ending with the words: “Oh, Miesque, what a filly!”
That pretty much says it all.
Steve Haskin is The Blood-Horse's Senior Correspondent
