So many story lines to the BC Classic and so many “battles” - the Lava Man (“Blue Colar”) vs. Bernardini (“Royal owned”) was attempted to be played up but I think the grudgematch of Coolmore’s George Washington vs. Godolphin (essentially) Bernardini is pretty interesting too …
DRF 11-1-06 “Racing’s royalty take off the gloves”
excerpt:
This is Magnier, arguably the most powerful man in Ireland, the proprietor of Coolmore Stud and Aidan O’Brien’s Ballydoyle training center, and the owner of George Washington, the best horse in Europe, vs. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, the unquestioned authority in Dubai, the commander-in-chief of Godolphin, Darley, and Gainsborough, and the owner of Bernardini, the best horse in the United States.
More than a horse race, this is a grudge match of epic proportions between Magnier’s dark blue colors and Sheikh Mohammed’s Darley maroon and white. Think medieval joust with lances unsheathed.
But King John [Magnier] was not laughing at the Keeneland September sales two months ago, when Sheikh Mohammed, his pockets bulging with petrodollars, outbid the Magnier team on every single yearling of mutual interest.
Magnier got some back when George Washington slammed Godolphin’s Librettist into sixth place when winning the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot on Sept. 24, but the Breeders’ Cup Classic is an even bigger fish to fry. Magnier knows from experience that victory in the Classic, or even a near miss like that of Giant’s Causeway in 2000, can add substantially to a European horse’s stud value. To do so at the expense of Sheikh Mohammed’s Bernardini would would double the Irishman’s fun, and return the smile to his face.
But at least it would have been a soft landing in all that mud.
. It was beautiful to watch. They also went into the gate once and back to the barns it was.
