Dec 24, 2014 16:24:59 GMT -5
S u N f r O s T ~, Sammy, and 2 more like this
Post by Ripley on Dec 24, 2014 16:24:59 GMT -5
An Unmatched Rivalry: Forbidden To Fly vs. Mastermind
In a year where every division has been severely contentious, it usually comes as a relief to find dominance. Domination, has not cooperated, as it has two faces in Year Fourteen by the name of Forbidden To Fly and Mastermind. Their differing ages have kept them apart until this year as Forbidden To Fly is five and Mastermind, four. No longer separated the stallions have basically taken shots at one another all season long with Forbidden To Fly dominating at six furlongs and Mastermind beyond six. Forbidden To Fly has strolled to his 37 victories prior to his start in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint and Mastermind 31 victories prior to the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.
Forbidden To Fly has lost five races on the season, Mastermind six, and most of those losses have been to each other. Stride of Perfection Stable and Witch Creek Stable have molded the horses into greatness over the years, keeping well clear of the other. It is the journey that truly is incredible and should be told for many years to come for both horses have transcended the handicap division.
Forbidden To Fly, a sleek dappled gray, was born in Y9 to future Breeding Hall of Fame mare Forbidden Wings. She’d already produced Hall of Famers Pegasus Wings and Flashy Wings, as well as grade one star Silent Wings. He seemed destined for greatness, especially with his sire, Flying Colours, already in the Hall of Fame. He got off to a rocketing start winning the Unicorn Horn Juvenile, Magic Millions Colts Dirt Sprint, the Just A Trot Futurity and ended that year with a Breeders’ Cup Juvenile victory. He was a fast colt capable of beating the classic distance horses and the Kentucky Derby was never truly in the cards for him.
He won only a single Horse of the Year race as a three year old, the A Lot To Live Up To Stakes Grade Three+Dirt Sprint. In a time when the sprinter series and red mile series had not been created, Forbidden To Fly fell into the background as Eternal Phantom, ironically, his future foe’s half sibling, became Horse of the Year upon winning the Kentucky Derby and Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic. He finished second in the Y12 Breeders’ Cup Sprint to Star Thorougbred’s mare Seraphim. He’d been awarded an Encouragement Award in Y11, but finally took home recognition at The Wire as Sprinter Male of the Year.
Enter Mastermind.
The chestnut colt was a product of Hall of Fame Sprinter Speed Demon and versatile Hall of Famer El Sol Del Mar. From the beginning he was expected to do great things, especially when Eternal Phantom and Midnight Thriller lit up the boards as three year olds and four year olds. He did not just that ripping off wins in the Unicorn Horn Juvenile Dirt Sprint, Magic Millions Colts Dirt Sprint, Serendipity Handicap, Azalea Cup Colts, and ending with a win in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Sprint. Despite the impressive record, Mastermind took home a Y12 Encouragement Award.
Still separated by age, Mastermind and Forbidden To Fly began to step from the shadows of others into the mainstream media. Forbidden To Fly had the most early success in Year Thirteen, winning the Unicorn Horn Dirt Sprint and Forego Stakes. Mastermind only managed one victory until June, prompting discussion about a possible early retirement. Luckily, Witch Creek managed to get the colt straightened out on his true path. From June until December, Mastermind went on a tour de force, losing only the Star Party and Autumn Cup Grade One Dirt Sprint, versus older. Under his demolition fell one leg of the Turf Sprinter Crown, the Highway Stakes, two legs of the Dirt Sprinter Crown, the Red Wine Sprint and Speedway Stakes the Boy’s Party, the King’s Bishop, a win of Hall of Fame destined mare Lynara’s Kingdom and, you guessed it, Forbidden To Fly. That season culminated in a victory over Forbidden To Fly in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Sprint.
However, the awards were a pitched battle on all fronts. Forbidden To Fly had run to victories in the Wire Finish Cup Dirt, the Strub Stakes, the Smarty Jones and Invasor Stakes to make things interesting. Mastermind was unmatched though and had defeated Forbidden To Fly on two separate occasions. Forbidden To Fly took home another Encouragement Award while Mastermind swept to Best Sprinter, Sprinter of The Year and Colt Of The Year awards.
Suddenly, things became extremely interesting when both owners reported that Mastermind and Forbidden To Fly would stay in training. All of the history rehashing brings us to the current state of affairs. Is this truly one of the greatest, if not the greatest, rivalries in all of horse racing? Mastermind has rolled to eleven victories as of now, while Forbidden To Fly has gone to twelve. Neither of them have budged an inch in this heated debate.
Mastermind started the year off with impressive victories in the Dubai World Sprint and Unicorn Horn Dirt Mile. He continued on for a win in the Forego Stakes, beating Forbidden To Fly for the first time in the season. Mastermind took his first loss in the The Wire Finish Cup Dirt Sprint, leaving Forbidden To Fly to win the Unicorn Horn Dirt Sprint and Spring Cup Grade One Dirt Sprint. Mastermind lost in the Phoenix Gold Cup, Penn National Derby, Hudson Handicap, Maryland Million Sprint and Acceleration Stakes to Forbidden To Fly. Yet, he managed to win The Summer Dawn Treader Cup to the delight of his fans and furthering his ascent to legendary status. The Stephen Foster, Strub Stakes, where he beat Forbidden To Fly, Raven Run and his second King’s Bishop.
Forbidden To Fly lost the Strub, as the defending champ, the Stephen Foster in the summer, but won the Phoenix Gold Cup, Penn National, Hudson and Maryland Million Sprint. The sleek gray skipped the King’s Bishop in favor of the Short Stakes, which he won with ease now separated from his foe, Mastermind. The pair reunited in two bouts of impressive racing with Mastermind rolling to victory in the Bold Ruler Handicap and Forbidden To Fly stealing the Acceleration Stakes, their last official meeting ever.
The curtain is falling on the stallions’ careers, but they are going out with a bang. Fordidden To Fly anointed himself a king in the Sun Festival. Mastermind stole the show quite effectively in the Damascus Stakes. It is hard to believe that the rivalry is coming to a close when it has been so hard fought over a delicious season of nine meetings. Mastermind took four while Forbidden To Fly managed to get to five. Forbidden To Fly was truly the fastest in their matchups over six furlongs, but he had to work harder once he got into Mastermind’s range where he was forced to play cat and mouse.
The only horses who were able to beat them, outside of each other, on the season were Ventura and Innocent Passion, champion sprinters in their own right.
Just to add a little more dose of irony and coincidence: These losses came in the same week, March Week Two.
We must take the time to appreciate these titans of the dirt while they are around. We will never see this sort of rivalry again. Each horse will retire into stud at the end of the season, but never will their legacy be overshadowed. They have essentially become a part of the fabric of our history. So thank you Forbidden To Fly, Mastermind for you have provided enough good memories to last a life time.
In a year where every division has been severely contentious, it usually comes as a relief to find dominance. Domination, has not cooperated, as it has two faces in Year Fourteen by the name of Forbidden To Fly and Mastermind. Their differing ages have kept them apart until this year as Forbidden To Fly is five and Mastermind, four. No longer separated the stallions have basically taken shots at one another all season long with Forbidden To Fly dominating at six furlongs and Mastermind beyond six. Forbidden To Fly has strolled to his 37 victories prior to his start in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint and Mastermind 31 victories prior to the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.
Forbidden To Fly has lost five races on the season, Mastermind six, and most of those losses have been to each other. Stride of Perfection Stable and Witch Creek Stable have molded the horses into greatness over the years, keeping well clear of the other. It is the journey that truly is incredible and should be told for many years to come for both horses have transcended the handicap division.
Forbidden To Fly, a sleek dappled gray, was born in Y9 to future Breeding Hall of Fame mare Forbidden Wings. She’d already produced Hall of Famers Pegasus Wings and Flashy Wings, as well as grade one star Silent Wings. He seemed destined for greatness, especially with his sire, Flying Colours, already in the Hall of Fame. He got off to a rocketing start winning the Unicorn Horn Juvenile, Magic Millions Colts Dirt Sprint, the Just A Trot Futurity and ended that year with a Breeders’ Cup Juvenile victory. He was a fast colt capable of beating the classic distance horses and the Kentucky Derby was never truly in the cards for him.
He won only a single Horse of the Year race as a three year old, the A Lot To Live Up To Stakes Grade Three+Dirt Sprint. In a time when the sprinter series and red mile series had not been created, Forbidden To Fly fell into the background as Eternal Phantom, ironically, his future foe’s half sibling, became Horse of the Year upon winning the Kentucky Derby and Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic. He finished second in the Y12 Breeders’ Cup Sprint to Star Thorougbred’s mare Seraphim. He’d been awarded an Encouragement Award in Y11, but finally took home recognition at The Wire as Sprinter Male of the Year.
Enter Mastermind.
The chestnut colt was a product of Hall of Fame Sprinter Speed Demon and versatile Hall of Famer El Sol Del Mar. From the beginning he was expected to do great things, especially when Eternal Phantom and Midnight Thriller lit up the boards as three year olds and four year olds. He did not just that ripping off wins in the Unicorn Horn Juvenile Dirt Sprint, Magic Millions Colts Dirt Sprint, Serendipity Handicap, Azalea Cup Colts, and ending with a win in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Sprint. Despite the impressive record, Mastermind took home a Y12 Encouragement Award.
Still separated by age, Mastermind and Forbidden To Fly began to step from the shadows of others into the mainstream media. Forbidden To Fly had the most early success in Year Thirteen, winning the Unicorn Horn Dirt Sprint and Forego Stakes. Mastermind only managed one victory until June, prompting discussion about a possible early retirement. Luckily, Witch Creek managed to get the colt straightened out on his true path. From June until December, Mastermind went on a tour de force, losing only the Star Party and Autumn Cup Grade One Dirt Sprint, versus older. Under his demolition fell one leg of the Turf Sprinter Crown, the Highway Stakes, two legs of the Dirt Sprinter Crown, the Red Wine Sprint and Speedway Stakes the Boy’s Party, the King’s Bishop, a win of Hall of Fame destined mare Lynara’s Kingdom and, you guessed it, Forbidden To Fly. That season culminated in a victory over Forbidden To Fly in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Sprint.
However, the awards were a pitched battle on all fronts. Forbidden To Fly had run to victories in the Wire Finish Cup Dirt, the Strub Stakes, the Smarty Jones and Invasor Stakes to make things interesting. Mastermind was unmatched though and had defeated Forbidden To Fly on two separate occasions. Forbidden To Fly took home another Encouragement Award while Mastermind swept to Best Sprinter, Sprinter of The Year and Colt Of The Year awards.
Suddenly, things became extremely interesting when both owners reported that Mastermind and Forbidden To Fly would stay in training. All of the history rehashing brings us to the current state of affairs. Is this truly one of the greatest, if not the greatest, rivalries in all of horse racing? Mastermind has rolled to eleven victories as of now, while Forbidden To Fly has gone to twelve. Neither of them have budged an inch in this heated debate.
Mastermind started the year off with impressive victories in the Dubai World Sprint and Unicorn Horn Dirt Mile. He continued on for a win in the Forego Stakes, beating Forbidden To Fly for the first time in the season. Mastermind took his first loss in the The Wire Finish Cup Dirt Sprint, leaving Forbidden To Fly to win the Unicorn Horn Dirt Sprint and Spring Cup Grade One Dirt Sprint. Mastermind lost in the Phoenix Gold Cup, Penn National Derby, Hudson Handicap, Maryland Million Sprint and Acceleration Stakes to Forbidden To Fly. Yet, he managed to win The Summer Dawn Treader Cup to the delight of his fans and furthering his ascent to legendary status. The Stephen Foster, Strub Stakes, where he beat Forbidden To Fly, Raven Run and his second King’s Bishop.
Forbidden To Fly lost the Strub, as the defending champ, the Stephen Foster in the summer, but won the Phoenix Gold Cup, Penn National, Hudson and Maryland Million Sprint. The sleek gray skipped the King’s Bishop in favor of the Short Stakes, which he won with ease now separated from his foe, Mastermind. The pair reunited in two bouts of impressive racing with Mastermind rolling to victory in the Bold Ruler Handicap and Forbidden To Fly stealing the Acceleration Stakes, their last official meeting ever.
The curtain is falling on the stallions’ careers, but they are going out with a bang. Fordidden To Fly anointed himself a king in the Sun Festival. Mastermind stole the show quite effectively in the Damascus Stakes. It is hard to believe that the rivalry is coming to a close when it has been so hard fought over a delicious season of nine meetings. Mastermind took four while Forbidden To Fly managed to get to five. Forbidden To Fly was truly the fastest in their matchups over six furlongs, but he had to work harder once he got into Mastermind’s range where he was forced to play cat and mouse.
The only horses who were able to beat them, outside of each other, on the season were Ventura and Innocent Passion, champion sprinters in their own right.
Just to add a little more dose of irony and coincidence: These losses came in the same week, March Week Two.
We must take the time to appreciate these titans of the dirt while they are around. We will never see this sort of rivalry again. Each horse will retire into stud at the end of the season, but never will their legacy be overshadowed. They have essentially become a part of the fabric of our history. So thank you Forbidden To Fly, Mastermind for you have provided enough good memories to last a life time.
