Kip Deville Defers to Lady in Breeders' Cup Mile
Gray Roan One of Four 2008 BC Defending Champions to Meet Defeat
Nov 19, 2008
The mile specialist Kip Deville closed late on a lady, Goldikova, in the 2008 Breeders' Cup Mile. The lady had her ears laid back while driving to the wire under jockey Olivier Peslier, and the three-year-old filly handily beat the five-year-old specialist by 1-1/4 lengths on Santa Anita's turf track.
Defending one's title in the BC World Championships in California proved a difficult task for America's best. All but one of five BC titleists fell short, including the heady gray roan trained by Richard Dutrow, Jr. Kip Deville, sporting blinkers on a white mask trimmed in blue stars and red stripes that matched the silks of jockey Cornelio Velazquez, was forced to blink good-bye to a second straight BC championship.
Back in the day (a few months ago) when trainer Richard Dutrow, Jr. of Big Brown fame called for a matchup between BB and Curlin, Dutrow claimed his BB hadn't lost to a filly, nor on turf, as had Curlin, insinuating that his three-year-old BB must be superior to the four-year-old defending Horse of the Year.
Those claims came back to bite, albeit in the BC Mile in a different match. Following the race, Dutrow, Jr. said of his charge, "He ran the race of his life, it looked to me..." The race of Kip Deville's life still wasn't enough against the determination of Goldikova.
Complete Order of Finish of 2008 BC Mile
The complete order of finish of the 2008 Breeders' Cup Mile, along with the entrants' 2008 race records prior to the contest, and their pedigrees and jockeys, follows:
- Goldikova (IRE) ----- 6:3-2-1 ----- Anabaa--Born Gold, by Blushing Groom (Fr) ----- O. Peslier
- Kip Deville ----- 3:2-0-0 ----- Kipling--Klondike Kaytie, by Encino ----- C. Velazquez
- Whatsthescript (IRE) ----- 3:2-1-0 ----- Royal Applause (GB)--Grizel (GB), by Lion Cavern ----- G. Gomez
- Precious Kitten ----- 4:1-1-0 ----- Catienus--Kitten's First, by Lear Fan ----- R. Bejarano
- U S Ranger ----- 7:0-1-2 ----- Danzig--My Annette, by Red Ransom ----- J. Murtagh
- Awesome Gem ----- 5:0-2-1 ----- Awesome Again--Piano, by Pentelicus ----- T. Baze
- War Monger ----- 6:1-1-2 ----- War Chant--Carnival Delight, by Half a Year ----- K. Desormeaux
- Bold Chieftain ----- 8:4-2-0 ----- Chief Seattle--Hooked On Music, by Seattle Dancer ----- R. Baze
- Thorn Song ----- 9:3-0-2 ----- Unbridled's Song--Festal, by Storm Bird ----- R. Albarado
- Daytona (IRE) ----- 6:3-1-0 ----- Indian Ridge (IRE)--Kyka, by Blushing John ----- A. Solis
- Shakis (IRE) ----- 6:1-1-1 -----Machiavellian--Tawaaded (IRE), by Nashwan ----- A. Garcia
Goldikova's Historic Victory
Royal Heroine (IRE) in 1984 (the inaugural year of the Breeders' Cup championships) and Miesque, back-to-back titleist of 1987 and 1988, were the only females to win the BC Mile before Goldikova.
A namesake son, Miesque's Approval, won the Mile in 2006. He also was named the 2006 Eclipse Award Male Turf Horse.
Historic Training Won Mile In 1996
Trainer Michael Dickinson asked an assistant trainer, Joan Wakefield, to walk the turf course for the Mile in high heels in 1996 in order to evaluate the condition of the grass course for his entrant, Da Hoss. The test proved a worthwhile venture.
Da Hoss, a gelded son of Gone West, romped the Mile, winning by 1-1/2 lengths over Spinning World. Dickinson's champ returned in 1998 to win again.
