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1980 Woodward (G1)

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Date/Track:

9/20/1980, Belmont Park

Distance:

1 1/4 m (Dirt)

Age/Sex:

3+ M

Time:

2:02.40

*Rank is current Power Ranking among all active horses, based on highest HRN rating. Rating is based on HRN member voting.

Fin

Silks

Horse / Sire

Rating

Trainer / Jockey

Last Start / Next Start

1st

Spectacular Bid
Bold Bidder

9.25

G. Delp
W. Shoemaker

1st, 1980 Woodward (G1)

What the Nation is saying about the 1980 Woodward (G1)...

1980 Woodward (G1)

Finished his career as a champion at 2, 3 and 4. We will never see that again. He wins the Belmont and it would be dificult to not include him in the discussion as the greatest of all time. Many believe he was even with those 4(!) losses.

Posted by Spec Bid · 25 days ago ·

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travel_vic · connections just left a bad taste in the mouth. Big guy did look good at Caliborne...Tired to nip both the groom and myself twice · 25 days ago ·

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cocoa2 · If they hadn't tried to go for Sec's record we might be looking for TC #13 · 24 days ago ·

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icyhotboo · You could include as a dirt horse but there were to many multi surface horses that deserve more consideration, Secretariat, Kelso, Fager. · 24 days ago ·

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Spectacular Bid Stands Alone: A Moment in Time

The date was September 19, 1980. The United States was about to elect a former actor as the Commander-in-Chief, and in the world of thoroughbred horse racing; a truly remarkable season of racing would culminate in a most unlikely way. From the beginning of the racing year, Spectacular Bid did nothin...Read More

Posted 169 days ago ·

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AndyScoggin · 26 wins in 30 starts Wouldn't it be great to have a horse like that again! · 169 days ago ·

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icyhotboo · He had a good year beating up on Flying Pastor but you can't seriously compare him favorably to Dr. Fager who raced against the like of Damascus. When did Spectacular Bid make his run on grass as did The"good doctor". Let's stay within the bounds of reason, he was a great horse yes but not in the class of a Dr. Fager. · 169 days ago ·

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morethanready111 · Spectacular Bid was every bit as great as DR. FAGER, and probably even a tiny bit greater. Both horses had phenomenal 4 year old seasons, but Spectacular Bid's 2 and 3 year old seasons eclipsed Dr. Fager. They both achieved great things at 4, however. I don't find much to separate them, and think of both as Top 10, if not Top 5 material, of all time. Flying Paster won 12 stakes in his career and looked like a world-beater when The Bid wasn't around, so he was definitely a top class and top notch racehorse. Spectacular Bid was truly phenomenal! Unbelievable! · 169 days ago ·

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travel_vic · Fager was a prodigy and one of the top 5 or 6 of the century. NO ONE, except maybe Ack Ack or Forego had the combination of surface/distance ability and weight carrying... · 169 days ago ·

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travel_vic · and Fager's speed has to equal · 169 days ago ·

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travel_vic · that should read NO equal · 169 days ago ·

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travel_vic · did Bid excel on the grass? Did he carry huge weights? · 169 days ago ·

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travel_vic · Fager usuallyt went UNDER 1:08 in many of his ROUTE peorformances. See anything today or for that matter historically who could run that fast that early and be around at the end? · 169 days ago ·

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buckpasser · Kelso won from distances of 1 mile to 2 miles on grass and dirt and won carrying 130 or more 20 times and beat the top horses of his generation . He was nowhere near as fast as the great Dr. fager but certainly in a class all by himself and certainly better than Bid · 169 days ago ·

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Mike in SB · The first time I went to the races I saw Bid win the Strub, I have been a racing fan ever since and have seen a lot of good horses but none better than Spectacular Bid. · 168 days ago ·

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stevebiscuit · It's a shame that something like scaring away the competition garnered so much praise back in 1980, yet nowadays horses who do that only seem to be scorned. · 168 days ago ·

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BrianZipse · It wasn't all praise back then, Steve, believe me. But the fact that it happened in the Woodward, which was even bigger pre-BC, speaks volumes of the respect held for Spectacular Bid. · 168 days ago ·

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Floridaf · Very good point Steve. Even if it wasn't all praise back then, it was still more respectable then than it is now. · 168 days ago ·

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travel_vic · Never did care for Bid, BUT has walkover time was hard to believe without a single bit of pace pressure. · 168 days ago ·

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MikeSek · At the age of 2, DR. FAGER won 4 of 5 starts, was second in the Champagne Stakes, and won 2 stakes races. At age 2, SPECTACULAR BID won 7 of 9 races, and was named Champion of his division. At age 3, DR. FAGER won 7 of 9, while skipping the Triple Crown; while SPECTACULAR BID won 2 legs of the Triple Crown that year and won 10 of 12 starts. One can easily see that SPECTACUALR BID was a far better horse at 2 and 3. At age 4 DR. FAGER won 7 of 8 starts, while winning at Arlington in 1:32-1/5 for a mile (1:07-3/5 for 6 furlongs that day) around one turn. He also ran a 1:20-1/5 in the Vosburgh while carrying 139 pounds. These two races represent him at his best and fastest. DR. FAGER won 7 of 8 starts while carrying 130 pounds or more. SPECTACULAR BID won 9 of 9 at age 4, carrying 130+ pounds to victory 5 times (winning them all), and put on speed exhibitions of 7 furlongs in 1:20, 9 furlongs in 1:45-4/5, and 10 furlongs in 1:57-4/5. I'm going with SPECTACULAR BID all the way. · 168 days ago ·

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icyhotboo · The nice thing about comparing horses even those that ran against one another is that it's all theoretical and an argument can be made for 20-30 horses at least. I always felt cheated that Secretariat didn't run as a 4yo as Riva Ridge had already saved the farm retiring him at 3yo was pure greed and started the gold rush that's killing horse racing today. · 168 days ago ·

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stevebiscuit · travel_vic, what do you mean you "never did care for Bid"? Do you think he was overrated? I'm curious because when I think of The Bid I think "what's not to like". He was probably more deserving of a Triple Crown than any of the Triple Crown winners. The horse faced top competition, carrying ridiculous weight(by today's standards), and in track/world record time. Plus, he was versatile as heck. He could win in practically any scenario pace or trip-wise. He did this on a consistent basis and on top of all that, the ease with which he did it all puts a huge exclamation point on his career. Were you a Flying Paster fan? If so, I feel for you. I always felt bad for The Paster because imagine his place in history had The Bid never existed. IMO if you took 12 of the greatest horses in history and ran them in the Breeders Cup Classic The Bid would just about always win. He may not have been as good as Secretariat at 12 furlongs, but at 10 furlongs he was the greatest there ever was. · 168 days ago ·

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buckpasser · Your last sentence says it all about what is killing horse racing icyhotboo. I could not agree more. · 168 days ago ·

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shadowno · I can preface this with Seattle Slew is my all time favorite and IMO the benchmark for the modern racehorse as an undefeated Triple Crown winner and was the best 3YO ever. However, for quite a while I have believed Spectacular Bid was the best 4YO ever and without a doubt, the best I have seen in the flesh. Saw all his west coast races and was also a big, Flying Paster "fan" who was in his own way as good as or better than the vast majority most who have set foot on a racetrack, simply born the wrong year, yet forced Spectacular Bid to be great each and every time they met. I also feel he was done a great disservice by having Donald Pierce for a rider, but that is another rant. BTW this is not intended as any kind of slam at the great Secretariat whose place in history is well deserved. · 168 days ago ·

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travel_vic · did not care for Gtover, one horse makes me a hall of famer Delp and the owners were real slobs new to raicing and newbies about all manner of race etiquette. I reacall after Affirned handed him his head (after thre moves whie Affirmed just kept cruisng0 they were screming for a match race. Barrera just laughed......Did not care for him does not mean I do not know all about him as he tired to bite me several times in the barns at Claiborne · 168 days ago ·

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travel_vic · Agreed that Kelso had the multiple adaptation to short long, dirt turf and weight carrier.We will never see the likes of that kind of triple corwn again · 168 days ago ·

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Buckpasser · To put Kelso's accomplishment in a different perspective no matter how good any three yr old was, or well they did in the triple crown races or after · 168 days ago ·

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Buckpasser · Was horse of the year for 5 straight years. · 168 days ago ·

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Buckpasser · That should've read no threeyr old regardless of triple crown performance was able threat horse of the year honors from Kelso for 5 yrs. that says alot about Kelso's dominance · 168 days ago ·

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icyhotboo · Dr. Fager was named Horse of the Year, champion sprinter, champion grass horse and champion older male -- the only horse in history to capture all four honors. · 167 days ago ·

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buckpasser · The Doctor was a once in a lifetime horse no question about it. My only point with Kelso was that he dominated the scene from 1960 to 1964 regardless of the exploits of any three yr old in the triple crown races or any other horse on grass or dirt · 167 days ago ·

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icyhotboo · @buckpasser- Kelso was awsome!!! he ran on anything at any distance if someone were to say he was the best it would be hard to argue against him. Curious I never saw Kelso live but I did see almost all of the others and Buckpasser was the best looking of them all, not to mention one of the best and a personal favorite of mine. If Damscus and Dr. Fager had caught him in his prime when he wasn't worn down from years of injuries I think it would have been a rude awakening for both. · 167 days ago ·

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buckpasser · @icyhotboo. Kelso was incredible in person and when he retired, it just wasn't Saturday at Belmont or Aqueduct without him. I loved Buckpasser, which is obvious, but I agree I think Damascus and the great Doctor Fager might well have gotten the shock of their lives running a fit and uninjured Buckpasser. I never thought he reached his potential due to his recurrent quarter cracks and other problems.. Richard Sone Reeves always said conformation-wise Buckpasser was close to the perfect horse. · 167 days ago ·

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Spec Bid · travel_vic You trash the Bid because his owners were"snobs"? And Delp had "one horse"? First of all the Meyerhoffs were often seen in jeans and walking around the grandstand with the regular folks. And they liked to have fun, quite the contrast from the typical blue-bloods associated with the game. And Delp? Over 3600 wins, 'nuff said. The Bid was one of the all time greats by almost everyones account who knows even a little about the game. · 25 days ago ·

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travel_vic · both Delp and the owners got a bug does of irrationality with that one. Fairly defeated by Affirmed they screameda nd yelled match race as their charge's name was not longer on the front page. · 25 days ago ·

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cocoa2 · Fager set a world record for a mile CARRYING 139 LBS, HOW THE HELL CAN YOU COMPARE BID TO HIM? · 24 days ago ·

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icyhotboo · While Dr. Fager is my personal favorite and I believe him to be one of the best 4yos Spectacular Bid really reached maturity in his 4yo season but I believe horses like Kelso,Slew,Affirmed did also and probably others I missed. Would have loved to see Secretariat run as a 4yo. · 24 days ago ·

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Storm Cat, Seattle Slew, Spectacular Bid, Sheikh Mo - September 20th

Two year old Seattle slew made his racing debut, winning a six furlong maiden race by five lengths at Belmont Park.Read More

Posted 250 days ago ·

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BrianZipse · I remember watching the 1980 Woodward on national TV ... It was nice to see one of the all-time greats have a moment like that, but it was also a little bizarre. · 250 days ago ·

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History · I know I watched it on TV as my mom always watched the races that were televised, but I do not remember much about it, unfortunately. Wish I could have seen some of these Greats race in person. · 250 days ago ·

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