One of my favorite races of all time. Durkin's call was perfection. "Mt. Sassafras clinging desperately to the lead, Alphabet Soup in with an upset chance, Cigar, and the heart of a champion tryin' to get him". An absolutely classic, Classic.

@dr.wardsonlinelessons

5 жыл бұрын

Tom Durkin was always a class act. It is a shame he is no longer calling races.

@11SEXMACHINE

3 жыл бұрын

I watch this every now and then just to hear that part. Absolutely a classic race and even better call.

@superemperador1

4 ай бұрын

I have played that line in my head so many times over !!

RIP Alphabet Soup. Brilliant race.

I was there on the rail cheering on the Canadian home bred Mt. Sassafras. Thought he was going to be swallowed up on the turn, and when he hit the top of the stretch with a one-length lead, I was going absolutely nuts. Most satisfying 4th-place finish of my life.

@signoresantinoburnett1169

7 жыл бұрын

I was rooting for him and the Soup that day in the Classic. Amazing race.

@dr.wardsonlinelessons

5 жыл бұрын

Mt. Sassafras gave it all he had all the way to the end. Can't imagine how pumped you were cheering for him as he was in the mix for a major upset.

Cigar and Skip Away two all time greats we’ll never see anything like them again. 30+ races for each and countless grade 1 wins. Just doesn’t happen anymore in the sport.

Cigar has been deny. Still ringing on my ears after 25 years.

I got to meet Alphabet Soup on Sunday at Old Friends Farms

RIP Alphy (3/31/1991- 1/28/2022) you cemented your place in history!

RIP Alphabet Soup, he was put down on January 28th due to chronic kidney disease. His win in the classic is top 2 classic races of all time with Ferdinands win over Alysheba being the other in what I believe is the last time 2 Kentucky Derby winners have faced each other.

I just saw Alphabet Soup at Old Friends in Georgetown, KY. I noticed he has "the look of eagles", even at age 25.

@herbporter9480

4 жыл бұрын

And he’s still alive and kicking today at age 29. Man how I love this old guy.

@gaborkovari5093

3 жыл бұрын

He just turned 30 now. Wishing him happy birthday and good health!

@yzpilot13

2 жыл бұрын

@@gaborkovari5093 i will be seeing soupie one week from today at Old Friends

@Caroni100

2 жыл бұрын

@@gaborkovari5093 Alphabet Soup (March 31, 1991 - January 28, 2022) * Sire: Cozzene * Grandsire: Caro * Dam: Illiterate * Damsire: Arts and Letters * Sex: Stallion * Breeder: Southeast Associates * Owner: Ridder Thouroughbred Stables * Trainer: David Hofmans * 24 Starts * 10 Wins * 3 Seconds * 6 Thirds * $ 2,990,270 earned (Current $ 4,911,018) * Rest In Peace, Champion! We´ll always remember you! * Greetings from Venezuela

@Caroni100

2 жыл бұрын

@@herbporter9480 Alphabet Soup (March 31, 1991 - January 28, 2022) * Sire: Cozzene * Grandsire: Caro * Dam: Illiterate * Damsire: Arts and Letters * Sex: Stallion * Breeder: Southeast Associates * Owner: Ridder Thouroughbred Stables * Trainer: David Hofmans * 24 Starts * 10 Wins * 3 Seconds * 6 Thirds * $ 2,990,270 earned (Current $ 4,911,018) * Rest In Peace, Champion! We´ll always remember you! * Greetings from Venezuela

Thrilling finish! Was shocking that Mt. Sassafras went off at like 101-1? He ran a bold race and he later defeated Skip Away at Gulfstream Park in 1997.

If you really watch the race Cigar had a rough trip wide in behind horses 4-5 wide in the back stretch 5 wide at the quarter pole only time he was in the clear was around the 8th pole and he only lost by a neck . He really was a champion.

I won a handicapping contest with Alphabet Soup that day. Will always remember this race. One of the best BCC.

It took me (a horse crazy kid who worshipped Cigar) a good long time to get over this one. But you couldn’t have asked him for anything more than he gave and he’s the greatest forever to me.

One of the best BC Classic ever!

Durkin another brilliant call

I won with the Soup that day, and boxed him with Mount Sassafras. That little guy MS ran a huge race against the big 3 down inside on the rail.

@stevencooke6451

5 жыл бұрын

Would have paid nicely and thrilled the home fans.

Mickey Walls what an incredible jockey!! His ride on Mt Sassafras by taking him to the front in the stretch made me think he was going to win! Mt Sassafras was an underrated colt and later beat the great Skip Away and Mickey Walls was one of the great jocks, he nearly booted the 101-1 shot Mt Sassafras home to a huge upset!!

The Alphabet Soup that day was the best horse in the classic heart of a champion . I was there to see it all big bet 50.00win 50.00place 50.00show nice day all around . Wise to see it come back to woodbine track that is how good horse are like Man War was at is time in life my dad was at the track to see Man War race at is time in life he was like a champion Big Red we own horses as well very luck to have them. All the best to see them race in our time in life.😷

Woodbine deserves another Breeders Cup!

@charlesdavis7523

8 ай бұрын

tapeta surface will kill that

Así es como se retira un Campeón🏆. Te Amo Cigar, sos inmortal !!!!!!

RIP Alphabet Soup 😢

RIP Alphabet Soup 1-28-22

The first and so far only time (to the best of my knowledge) horse racing's biggest weekend was held north of the border in Canada.

RIP champ

Bailey definitely cost Cigar that race. Perhaps he did not want to push Cigar to hard though for fear of that great horse being injured/killed. Fact is though they should have retired Cigar right after the win streak ended. They were taking a chance with his life by continuing to race him. Fortunately Cigar never broke down. Foot note: Alphabet Soup set the track record that day, so imagine if Bailey would have given Cigar a better ride that day. In my opinion Cigar would have won, plus would have beaten the track record even more so. Cigar had definitely not lost a step as some were saying. Thank goodness they did retire him though. Would have been heartbreaking to see him breakdown in a race. Not just him but any horse.......

@rcg9573

3 жыл бұрын

BS! Alphabet Soup was wide most of the way as well. Plus he broke from a far outside post giving up more ground on the run to the first turn, plus he was closer to the hot early pace than Cigar was. They could have run that race another quarter mile, and no one was getting by Soup regardless of what Bailey did or did not do. Earlier in the year Mott had watched the replay of the San Antonio Handicap where Alphabet Soup looked completely beat inside the 1/16th pole and then rerallied against Dick Mandela’s Soul of The Matter to win. Mott commented to Soup’s trainer Dave Hofmans that the horse in the Classic which worried him the most was Alphabet Soup because of his unwillingness to be headed and his penchant for rerallying against foes. Dave Hofmans said before the Classic that if Soup was on the lead at 1/8th pole no one would get by him. He ran very much like Tiznow did in that sense, he was tough as nails and once he got a horse in his vision he would not quit. And Cigar had lost a step. He was not the same horse in 96’ that he was in 95’. Sorry, he wasn’t and even Mott would admit that.

@anthonya2349

Жыл бұрын

Yea the horse could've died? How stupid you sound. Were you the vet?

Mt Sassafrass the run of the race

RIP!

Best horse won

RIP Alphabet Soup, age 31.

RIP Alphabet Soup

As a kid in small town ms 10 yes old I watched this race because I heard of cigar. This was the only time I heard of alphabet soup!! Did he ever win other races?

@patriciamerry7888

2 жыл бұрын

He had 24 Starts, 10 Wins, 3 Places and 6 Shows with career earnings: $2,990,270.

@patriciamerry7888

2 жыл бұрын

He had 24 Starts, 10 Wins, 3 Places and 6 Shows with career earnings: $2,990,270.

@superemperador1

4 ай бұрын

Had another race next year and finished second.

El inmortal Cigar no pudo, triunfo importante para el moro Alphabet Soup

Alphabet Soup standing stud in Saratoga Springs, NY

@fuzzipariah

6 жыл бұрын

Alphabet Soup is retired, can be seen at Old Friends in Georgetown, KY. I stopped by and saw him this week.

@giaguidera8905

6 жыл бұрын

Hes a sweetheart

My mare's daddy!!

@livenitupz

6 жыл бұрын

Hannah Sparks I would love to see video of your mare. I had one of the geldings off of AS for many years.

Gray horses rule

Cigar too much to do.

日本人居ますか?👍

Terrible ride by Jerry Bailey.

Terrible ride by Bailey,How does Alphabet Soup beat him for position.

@enriquejavierduenas4173

3 жыл бұрын

@Mr. Justin Nicklas In my opinion a better jockey

@ecology1st

3 жыл бұрын

Bailey definitely cost Cigar that race. Perhaps he did not want to push Cigar to hard though for fear of that great horse being injured/killed. Fact is though they should have retired Cigar right after the win streak ended. They were taking a chance with his life by continuing to race him. Fortunately Cigar never broke down. Foot note: Alphabet Soup set the track record that day, so imagine if Bailey would have given Cigar a better ride that day. In my opinion Cigar would have won, plus would have beaten the track record even more so. Cigar had definitely not lost a step as some were saying. Thank goodness they did retire him though. Would have been heartbreaking to see him breakdown in a race. Not just him but any horse....

@roc_dbf1434

3 жыл бұрын

@@enriquejavierduenas4173 Bailey was a great jockey but gave Cigar a terrible ride in this one and cost him the race. Too far off the pace and when he finally started to make his move got hung-up five (5) wide.

Alphabet Soup (March 31, 1991 - January 28, 2022) * Sire: Cozzene * Grandsire: Caro * Dam: Illiterate * Damsire: Arts and Letters * Sex: Stallion * Breeder: Southeast Associates * Owner: Ridder Thouroughbred Stables * Trainer: David Hofmans * 24 Starts * 10 Wins * 3 Seconds * 6 Thirds * $ 2,990,270 earned (Current $ 4,911,018) * Rest In Peace, Champion! We´ll always remember you! * Greetings from Venezuela Alphabet Soup (31 de Marzo, 1991 - 28 de Enero, 2022) * Padre: Cozzene * Abuelo paterno: Caro * Madre: Illiterate * Abuelo materno: Arts and Letters * Sexo: Semental * Criador: Southeast Associates * Propietario: Ridder Thouroughbred Stables * Entrenador: David Hofmans * 24 Salidas * 10 Primeros * 3 Segundos * 6 Terceros * $ 2,990,270 producidos ($ 4,911,018 actuales) * ¡Descansa En Paz, Campeón! ¡Siempre te recordaremos! * Saludos desde Venezuela

Track announcer: Tom Durkin