Horse: Stay Thirsty
Breeders’ Cup 2011 Entries: Stay Thirsty
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Morning Line Odds: 12/1
Career Record (Str-1st-2nd-3rd): 11-4-3-1
Career Earnings: $1,475,000
Pedigree: Sired by Bernardini out of a Storm Bird mare (Marozola)
Bernardini was named Champion Three-Year-Old Colt in 2006 following wins in the Grade 1 Preakness, Grade 1 Travers Stakes, Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup, Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes, and Grade 3 Withers Stakes. He was 2nd to 2006 Horse of the Year Invasor (ARG) in the 2006 Breeders’ Cup Classic.
Stay Thirsty is a half-brother to Andromeda’s Hero, winner of the of Sam F. Davis Stakes, and 2nd in the 2005 Belmont Stakes.
Key Stakes Wins: Grade 1 Travers Stakes (Saratoga), Grade 2 Jim Dandy (Saratoga), Grade 3 Gotham Stakes (Aqueduct)
Overview: Stay Thirsty was the dominant three-year-old at Saratoga this summer, winning both the Grade 2 Jim Dandy and the Grade 1 Travers Stakes. But despite his strong performances at the Spa and his good performance in the Belmont Stakes, there is a huge, looming question surrounding this colt as he heads into the Breeders’ Cup Classic: can he win outside of New York.
Stay Thirsty has raced outside of New York only three times in his career, and all three times he finished over ten lengths behind the winner. Last November, Stay Thristy finished 5th, over 14 lengths back of Uncle Mo in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. In April, he finished 7th in the Florida Derby, over 16 lengths behind Dialed In. And at this year’s Kentucky Derby, Stay Thirsy was 12th and 11 lengths behind Animal Kingdom. Three races outside New York with three loses by over 42 combined lengths. That’s not encouraging.
Whatever else we thing of this colt, it’s impossible to overlook those races. While those three blowout loses outside of New York could be flukes, it also could be a sign that the horse simply doesn’t ship that well. Or perhaps he simply prefers the surfaces at Belmont, Saratoga and Aqueduct. Who knows.? What we do know is that he hasn’t come within sniffing distance of the winner any time he’s raced outside of New York... and Saturday’s 2011 Breeders’ Cup Classic will be a run long way from New York.
2011 Travers Stakes
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