The 'Runs Like a Girl' thread

[Mylute]

Filly Centinela (by Console) won the (G1) Clasico Copa Gobernador Stakes at Camarero over males last weekend.

[Starine]

'It was such a gamble bringing her over, but we've more than paid our way' - Aussie ace Asfoora strikes in King Charles III Stakes
https://www.racingpost.com/news/reports ... KL8K9jGeX/

[katmandu]

Click "Listen" after the mandatory advertisement...........

https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/tn ... -ada-limon

[Starine]

Star of Mystery faces males once again in Quick Call Stakes
https://www.drf.com/news/star-mystery-f ... all-stakes

[BaroqueAgain1]

The filly Star of Mystery (Kodiac) blows by the boys in the 5 1/2-furlong G3 Quick Call Stakes (T) at Saratoga.

[sweettalk]

stupid question, are males REALLY faster/better overall? it feels like the US is the only country that thinks fillies have no business racing males, while other countries race males and females with pretty decent success. some of the boy-beaters even have us breeding in their pedigrees. are horsemen/women here discouraged by Ruffian and Eight Belles (both were pretty traumatic, and if i recall match races pretty much ended that day in 1975)?

i've wondered abt this a lot but have been too afraid to ask. ty in advance!

[Squeaky]

stupid question, are males REALLY faster/better overall? it feels like the US is the only country that thinks fillies have no business racing males, while other countries race males and females with pretty decent success. some of the boy-beaters even have us breeding in their pedigrees. are horsemen/women here discouraged by Ruffian and Eight Belles (both were pretty traumatic, and if i recall match races pretty much ended that day in 1975)?

i've wondered abt this a lot but have been too afraid to ask. ty in advance!

I think turf sprints may be the exception. In longer route first races many of the mares who faced males were never the same after. It just takes alot out of them. Examples include Rachel, Swiss Skydiver, Genuine Risk, etc.

[BaroqueAgain1]

The difference may just be turf vs. dirt, since fillies and mares compete successfully against males in longer grass races, as well.
Black Caviar was a dominant sprinter, no matter the gender of her competition.
Just off the top of my head....Almond Eye, Buena Vista, Danedream, Enable, Inspiral, Goldikova, Treve, Vodka, Winx and Zarkava handled both distance and males.

[Palace Malice]

stupid question, are males REALLY faster/better overall? it feels like the US is the only country that thinks fillies have no business racing males, while other countries race males and females with pretty decent success. some of the boy-beaters even have us breeding in their pedigrees. are horsemen/women here discouraged by Ruffian and Eight Belles (both were pretty traumatic, and if i recall match races pretty much ended that day in 1975)?

i've wondered abt this a lot but have been too afraid to ask. ty in advance!

In Japan, females often race against males and are as strong as them even sometimes stronger.

That's one reason why racing in Japan is so great, you see the best females racing against the best males.

If you want some examples; Almond Eye, Gentildonna, Buena Vista, Vodka, Daiwa Scarlet, Lys Gracieux, Chronogenesis, etc...

[Curtis]

The difference may just be turf vs. dirt, since fillies and mares compete successfully against males in longer grass races, as well.
Black Caviar was a dominant sprinter, no matter the gender of her competition.
Just off the top of my head....Almond Eye, Buena Vista, Danedream, Enable, Inspiral, Goldikova, Treve, Vodka, Winx and Zarkava handled both distance and males.

Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding…….we have a winner! A filly or mare will sour fast if you keep tossing them in against males on dirt at middle distances on dirt. You can sprint them or run them in marathons but especially 9-10f is really rough more than an isolated race here or there.

[Squeaky]

The difference may just be turf vs. dirt, since fillies and mares compete successfully against males in longer grass races, as well.
Black Caviar was a dominant sprinter, no matter the gender of her competition.
Just off the top of my head....Almond Eye, Buena Vista, Danedream, Enable, Inspiral, Goldikova, Treve, Vodka, Winx and Zarkava handled both distance and males.

Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding…….we have a winner! A filly or mare will sour fast if you keep tossing them in against males on dirt at middle distances on dirt. You can sprint them or run them in marathons but especially 9-10f is really rough more than an isolated race here or there.

I remember Lady’s Secret eventually refusing to run after facing the boys a few times.

[Curtis]

The difference may just be turf vs. dirt, since fillies and mares compete successfully against males in longer grass races, as well.
Black Caviar was a dominant sprinter, no matter the gender of her competition.
Just off the top of my head....Almond Eye, Buena Vista, Danedream, Enable, Inspiral, Goldikova, Treve, Vodka, Winx and Zarkava handled both distance and males.

Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding…….we have a winner! A filly or mare will sour fast if you keep tossing them in against males on dirt at middle distances on dirt. You can sprint them or run them in marathons but especially 9-10f is really rough more than an isolated race here or there.

I remember Lady’s Secret eventually refusing to run after facing the boys a few times.

And Coach ran Lady’s Secret in the BC Distaff in 1986, the year she was named HOY. He knew if she dominated that race, it would take an absolute monster race by either Turkoman or Precisionist in the Classic for either of them to be named HOY. Lady’s Secret wired the field in the Distaff and Skywalker upset the Classic. So even DWL was starting to understand about going to the well too often. Although, two years later, he couldn’t resist with Winning Colors who never should have entered the Belmont. Coach did get a good Fall campaign from her though.

[sweettalk]

appreciate the insight re; my earlier question. funny, japan was indeed the first country that came to mind as far as power mares go!

hopefully we see thorpedo anna in this thread soon.

[Flanders]

appreciate the insight re; my earlier question. funny, japan was indeed the first country that came to mind as far as power mares go!

hopefully we see thorpedo anna in this thread soon.

I meant to reply. Japan is very different. Their horses race longer, there isn't a rush for them to go to stud immediately, the races get huge crowds, etc. But they do not have a lot of G1 races for 3/u f/m, there are only 2 as far as I know and only 2 G2s if the list I saw was right. So if they have a top class mare, they race the boys because there really isn't much of a choice.

[sweettalk]

appreciate the insight re; my earlier question. funny, japan was indeed the first country that came to mind as far as power mares go!

hopefully we see thorpedo anna in this thread soon.

I meant to reply. Japan is very different. Their horses race longer, there isn't a rush for them to go to stud immediately, the races get huge crowds, etc. But they do not have a lot of G1 races for 3/u f/m, there are only 2 as far as I know and only 2 G2s if the list I saw was right. So if they have a top class mare, they race the boys because there really isn't much of a choice.

ah, i didn't know that. kind of torn on that, but i guess it really forces the best of the best to prove themselves. just wonder how many very nice but not quite great horses gets lost in the mix?

[Starine]

Unbeaten Babouche Runs Down Whistlejacket in Phoenix
https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing ... in-phoenix

[Diver52]

Sort of surprised that Whistlejacket isn't protected. https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/pain ... stlejacket

[Izvestia]

Full Count Felicia won the Canadian S (G2) at Woodbine today, with authority.

[barbaro111]

Anisette wins the Yellow Ribbon

[Missbeholder]

appreciate the insight re; my earlier question. funny, japan was indeed the first country that came to mind as far as power mares go!

hopefully we see thorpedo anna in this thread soon.

I meant to reply. Japan is very different. Their horses race longer, there isn't a rush for them to go to stud immediately, the races get huge crowds, etc. But they do not have a lot of G1 races for 3/u f/m, there are only 2 as far as I know and only 2 G2s if the list I saw was right. So if they have a top class mare, they race the boys because there really isn't much of a choice.

Isn't that one of the main reasons that females race against boys so much more just about everywhere else in the world besides the US? I think we're the only country that has a whole division program restricted to fillies and mares, especially older. Across both oceans, once the Oaks season is over, higher level females have nowhere else to run besides against males. People grouse and complain that we don't run our girls against the boys here like they do overseas. We'll, we have all kinds of graded stakes to compete in without having to face males. That's pretty much not the way they do things everywhere else!

The turf versus dirt thing is truly a big deal in the question, but availability of options certainly factors in.