11 replies to this topic

[Farrell Fan]

As someone who enjoys both horseracing and ballet, I am always on the lookout for horses named for anything to do with dance. Over the years, this "system" has led to fairly consistent failure on my part. This year however, a l3 to 1 shot, Drosselmeyer, won a clear-cut victory in the Belmont Stakes, the toughest of the "triple crown" races, and handsomely repaid his backers. Congratulations are in order.  

[carbro]

So I was just informed by a friend who put $2 on this 13-to-1 shot.    Nutcracker -- or at least Xmas -- seems to have come early for some!

[sandik]

Oh this is just charming!

[Treefrog]

And he beat a horse named First Dude.  First Dude always seemed like a bad bet to me.  The more famous First Dude, Sarah Palin's husband, did not have a good run, losing first his race (to be, um, Second Dude?) and then his title (when his wife quit her job as governor).  Drosselmeyer seems more enduring, not to mention endearing (at least to me).

[dirac]

First Dude is a very nice colt, as it happens, with a beautiful stride. Not much of a race yesterday but congrats to the winner and his people, and compliments on the choice of name.

[dirac]

A happy sequel for Drosselmeyer, who went through some hard times after his Belmont win last season. Today he won the Breeder's Cup Classic, beating another Dude, Game on Dude, who was indeed very game. Drosselmeyer paid $31.60 to win.

Another horse named Baryshnikov ran in another race today but was not in the money....

[Mme. Hermine]

http://www.youtube.c...ch?vDuArzkTQ170

[MakarovaFan]

There was also a horse in the race named Headache.  What an unfortunate name for an animal, let alone a beautiful thoroughbred.

[Mme. Hermine]

A filly (!) named Balanchine won the 1994 Irish Derby:

[dirac]

MakarovaFan, on 07 November 2011 - 04:47 AM, said:

There was also a horse in the race named Headache.  What an unfortunate name for an animal, let alone a beautiful thoroughbred.

A headache of a name and no mistake. I suppose you could argue that the name applied, at least as Saturday's race was concerned, since he was certainly a headache for Havre de Grace.

[MakarovaFan]

dirac, on 07 November 2011 - 06:10 PM, said:

MakarovaFan, on 07 November 2011 - 04:47 AM, said:

There was also a horse in the race named Headache.  What an unfortunate name for an animal, let alone a beautiful thoroughbred.

A headache of a name and no mistake. I suppose you could argue that the name applied, at least as Saturday's race was concerned, since he was certainly a headache for Havre de Grace.

Excellent point, dirac!

[dirac]

Quote

A filly (!) named Balanchine won the 1994 Irish Derby:

Thanks, Mme. Hermine. I bet Balanchine would have loved having a filly named after him.