FallStars Diaries: Wonderful Wise Dan

The Saturday of opening weekend of Keeneland’s FallStars meet is always filled with sensational Thoroughbred action and tons of fun, and this year there were five huge stakes races highlighting the afternoon’s events.
I started out my day at Keeneland in my favorite way possible: by heading over to my friend Matt Watt’s tailgate to sample some of his very excellent pulled pork. It is the tastiest BBQ in the universe (and this is coming from a Southern-born and raised BBQ aficionado) and this is the expression on my face after I tasted it with his new and improved homemade sauce:

It’s really that good.
Matt is also one of the snappiest dressers in horse racing’s fandom, and he always brings a serious trouser game to Keeneland for FallStars weekend. Check out the pair that he rocked this year – so cool!

He is a hero.
I also just love visiting the tailgating area at Keeneland. No matter where you look, people are having a blast drinking cocktails, playing cornhole and football and just having a good time at the races.

Before I knew it, it was time for me to boogie back to the actual racetrack since the afternoon’s major races were about to commence. The first major stakes race of the afternoon was the Woodford Stakes; this is a test for horses three years old and up competing at 5 ½ furlongs (a furlong is an eighth of a mile) on the grass. As the horses assembled in the paddock, the massive crowd gathered to scope out their favorites.

While there were several talented horses in the field, the one I was most excited to see was turf sprint sensation No Nay Never; and I was not disappointed. He was sensationally beautiful, and I was very confident in his abilities when he was making his way from the paddock to the starting gate.

My confidence paid off (not literally; I didn’t have time to bet. Grrr .) when he won with ease, kicking off a day filled with impressive performances.

The next big race was the Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes; this not only is a major race for female horses three years of age and up, but it also gains the winner an all-expenses paid trip to the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint in Los Angeles on Nov. 1.  Six talented fillies and mares were lined up to duke it out, but it was longshot Leigh Court who took home the win and the trip to the World Championships.

I was very excited for the next race, the First Lady. Another competition for fillies and mares, this race is run over one mile on the turf and the 2014 edition was as tough a field as you’ll see anywhere. I could have thrown a dart at the racing program to pick my winner and had just as much confidence in my bet as I would if I’d spent the evening handicapping the race; so I was just excited to watch the nine fillies and mares run their race.

I was pleasantly surprised when Dayatthespa took home the victory; she’s a lovely filly who’s been very consistent throughout her career, but she was taking a step up in this race and performed beautifully against a talented field.

The eighth race was another terrific contest: the Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity is a top-notch test for two-year-olds and the winner gets a berth to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita in just 28 days. These are also the horses that may compete in the 2015 Kentucky Derby, so it’s always incredibly exciting to see high-caliber races like this for young horses.
There was a full field of 12 two-year-olds set to line up, and as they sprang from the gate the crowd was cheering and screaming.

And after a mile and a sixteenth, it was WinStar farm’s Carpe Diem who lived up to this name to win impressively by 6 ¼ lengths. Keep this horse on your radar, folks, he’s seriously impressive.

And then it was time for the afternoon’s biggest race and the one that kept me from getting a good night’s sleep yesterday evening: the Shadwell Turf Mile. You see, my absolute favorite horse in the entire world, Wise Dan, was running in the race for an astonishing fourth year in a row, and I had major Danxiety. (This is anxiety that happens to a lot of his fans every time Dan runs, and the struggle is real.)

#Danxiety selfie with @PenelopePMiller and Dan the Man himself pic.twitter.com/bXUqLCpmxp
— Nicole Russo (@nrusso) October 4, 2014

See, Wise Dan is not only a tremendous racehorse, but he also overcame a serious bout of colic (a potentially life threatening stomach ailment) this year. Plus, at seven years of age he’s usually quite a bit older than his competition. So I had major butterflies in my stomach as the horses entered the paddock to parade before the race. Obviously, I stationed myself right next to Dan and took as many photos of him as possible to settle my soul. The fact that Wise Dan insisted on making a bunch of funny faces at me definitely helped!

What a beautiful dork Wise Dan is!
As the entire field made their way from the paddock to the starting gate, I was simultaneously excited and slightly terrified.

The crowd there to watch the Shadwell Turf Mile was truly huge, and the noise behind us as the horses loaded into the gate and swept into the first turn was incredible.

And in an incredible move, after missing the start, traveling six wide around the final turn, and outrunning a talented field, Wise Dan won the Shadwell Turf Mile. It was an incredible moment, and I’m not ashamed to admit that I had tears after he crossed the wire.

And as he returned to the Keeneland winner’s circle to celebrate his victory, fans gave him a huge ovation. It was a truly marvelous thing to hear so many people cheer him home and recognize his achievement, and it’s wonderful to think how many horse racing fans are united by their respect for Wise Dan and his abilities.

Wise Dan gets an ovation from the fans at @keeneland! https://t.co/CcFaLG6JyY
— Americas Best Racing (@ABRLive) October 4, 2014

I also loved seeing Wise Dan’s human connections after the win; they’re so clearly proud of their horse, and their unbridled joy in his victories never fails to put a smile on my face.

And with that, my FallStars Saturday came to a very happy end. I feel so privileged that I have been present for many of his races. He is, in my opinion, the best racehorse I have ever seen in my lifetime, and his courage and determination on and off of the racetrack defines the heart of the Thoroughbred. I cannot wait to see him again in the Breeders’ Cup Mile on Nov. 1 at Santa Anita Park in Los Angeles. Happy FallStars Saturday, and I’ll be back soon with all of the Sunday stakes action out of Keeneland!