By Daniel Pryzbyla
Columnist EdNews.org

Educators living in Kentucky know the phrase "And they're off!" Maybe their state even uses it before starting their No Child Left Behind high-stakes tests. But unlike NCLB, the 23rd Breeders Cup championship "high-stakes" horse races at Churchill Downs in Louisville on Saturday are fairer to the contestants – win or lose.

Each year the traditional equine event is held at a different track, but all with similar 8-field divisions. For thoroughbred racing owners, trainers, jockeys and fans the one-day event is similar to a baseball World Series or football Super Bowl. Depending on seating capacity, crowds over 100,000 are not unusual. There are 5 races run on the "dirt" track, and 3 on the "turf" or grass track (adjacent, inside oval). Unless restricted, both male and female thoroughbred horses can compete. Each of the 8 Breeders Cup races represents the top-rated horses in their respective divisions, based on their recent racing performances. Each race is limited to a maximum of 14 entries. Like NCLB, these "high-stakes" races are all classified at the highest "Grade 1" level rating. That's where their similarities end.

Not all 8 Breeders Cup races are run at the same distance, or on the same "surface." Most of the entries have won "graded stakes" races at Grade 1, 2 or 3 levels, the highest rankings. In each race, it's not "winner take all." The top 5 finishers receive monetary rewards, with the 1st place equine receiving the highest share. Three of the races are separated specifically by gender, and 2 of these by age. The beginning race for the Breeders Cup, "Juvenile Fillies" (female) officially begins with Race 3 on the racing card. However, only 2-year olds can enter. In turn, the next race is called the "Juvenile," also limited to 2-year olds, but only for males. Both races are run at the same 1 1/16 mile distance on the dirt track with $2 million dollar prize money. Six races have a $2 million purse; one has a $3 million purse and the final race – the renowned "Classic" – has a $5 million purse. The winner of this 1 ¼ mile race run on the "dirt" is usually awarded with "Horse of the Year" honors. Yes, it's "open" to both male and female horses. Although with less fanfare, winners in the other divisions receive similar accolades.

Sound confusing? For a novice, it probably is. But, providing and determining "equal playing fields" for the thoroughbred breed of equines to compete for the "high-stakes" racing event gives each of the entrants a fairer chance of succeeding. Not all race horses are bred to run longer distances. Still others are bred to race better on the turf than a dirt surface. Also, but not always visible, a female horse's physical structure is not exactly similar to the male. They too have menstrual cycles that can affect their racing abilities – and those of any anxious males in the same race. This fairness of racing divisions can and does show up at the finish line. Don't be shocked to see a 30-1 odds horse win in a Breeders Cup race, and the 2-1 odds "favorite" finish 4th or even further behind.

However, it doesn't always happen that way. Sometimes the favorites do win, like Ashado did in the 2004 Breeders Cup at Lone Star track in Texas. She had been entered in the $2 million "Distaff" race (sponsored by Nextel) at 1 1/8 miles on a dirt track, restricted for "fillies and mares, 3-years old and upward." Being only 3 years old, she was racing with mostly 4-year olds with more racing experience, yet was the 2-1 favorite to win. Prior to the race, she had won 5 of 8 Grade 1 or Grade 2 races and came in 2nd once. Her total earnings in those races were $2,259,640. Not a novice by any means, she had also raced as a 2-year old, winning 4 of 6 races. She ran in the previously mentioned Breeders Cup "Juvenile Fillies" race for 2-year olds, placing 2nd only 2 ½ lengths behind the winner. She was not the pre-race favorite either, with only 13-1 odds.

At age 5, Ashado "retired" from racing. She had won 11 stakes races, including 7 Grade 1 stakes. Her total earnings at the track were $3,931,440. She had been purchased by a partnership of several owners at the 2002 Keeneland September sale in Kentucky for $170,000. (Can't you just see "investors" on Wall Street "crying in their beer"?) Of course, few well-bred horses reach these type mountain tops. But, when they retire from racing with a record like this, breeding becomes their new endeavor.

Some thoroughbred owners choose to sell their retired horses to specialized "breeding operations" for various reasons.

These too become high-stakes "bidding" affairs in closed quarters, especially when horses like Ashado are being auctioned. Before she had been sold, a partner Jack Wolf and Ashado's renowned trainer Todd Pletcher had a contest to see who could guess how much the final bid would be, wrote Amanda H. Duckworth in the special Blood-Horse magazine November 2006 "Buyers Guide." Wolf said Pletcher wrote a number down in his catalogue, and he wrote one down in his. "When she sold," said Wolf, "he opened his catalogue and I opened mine. He hit it right on the money - $9 million." Yes, a lot of money, but also sadness. Thoroughbred equine species, like many other animal species, can wrench the hearts of the human species too when gone.

"It was hard for us to part with her," said Wolf. "But I don't have enough money to be sleeping well at night with a $9 million broodmare with a $500,000 stud fee in her belly. From an economic standpoint, it surely made sense. From an emotional standpoint, it was sort of tough." Another partner Paul Saylor agreed. "We were all a little weepy, and we were over there feeding her way too many peppermints. We were all concerned about a number of things because she was a member of the family. Not the least of which was would she remain in this country and would someone buy her and try to crank a few more races out of her?"

But everything seems to have turned out okay. Ashado has settled into her life as a broodmare at Darley at Jonabell near Lexington and her previous owners get to visit her, wrote Duckworth. "It would be difficult to recognize her as a sleek, equine athlete of last year," said Darley farm manager Michael Banahan. "She is in foal. She has let down exceptionally well, is big and burly, and looks like a broodmare now." She was bred with the legendary thoroughbred Storm Cat, and her first foal is expected in late February 2007.Most recently Saylor and the Wolfs visited Ashado while in town for the Keeneland September yearling sale. "It's just been a nice transition for us and for Darley to be as nice as they have been helps to make it easy," said Wolf. "Laurie is about six weeks away from having a baby, so we got a belly-to-belly (photo) shot with Ashado while we were there."

In honor of the mare that gave them so much pleasure, Duckworth reported, the partners, also including Johns Martin, established the Ashado Scholarship through The Race for Education scholarship foundation. This year, Kristen Geary was honored as the first recipient, and Darley helped arrange for her to meet the scholarship's namesake. "We are going to renew that scholarship on an annual basis, so a new kid each year will have a four-year scholarship thanks to Ashado," said Saylor. "The horse went far beyond our expectations, and she wasn't just a horse anymore. She is somebody we want to keep in touch with." Equisearch.com reported October 31 the four-year scholarship in the champion race mare's name will be for a "female college student studying an equine-related subject, including veterinary medicine."

The Race for Education foundation is a nonprofit 501(C)(3) established in 2002 "to improve the quality of life for farm and track workers through education, attract younger, better educated individuals to careers in the Thoroughbred industry and help establish the racing industry as a good citizen in the community." It also provides "grants for equine industry-related programs such as English as a Second Language and GED preparation." There were 34 recipients in the 2006 program. In 4 years it has given out more than $1million in college scholarships, mostly to children of backstretch and farm workers. Each student applicant receives a score in 4 weighted categories: financial need, 30%; academic, 25%; personal interviews, 25%; and application presentation, 20%. The program also provides "career mentoring and internship opportunities for recipients of the scholarships to be provided by industry professionals and volunteers."

This year's pre-race favorite in the Breeders Cup Distaff race for fillies and mares by odds-maker and Daily Racing Form analyst Mike Watchmaker is Fleet Indian at 2-1 odds. "She's the one they all must get past to win this." His 2nd choice favorite is 5-1 odds Pine Island. "Top 3-year old filly would certainly be no surprise here." What about Bushfire at 20-1 odds? "Despite 3 Grade 1 wins, she is not fast enough." This might seem odd, but this is the Breeders Cup. Likewise, not all odds-makers picked Ashado to win in her 2004 Distaff race, even though she was the 2-1 odds favorite.

"Do you think Michael is worth 3-1 odds to pass his NCLB high-stakes math test?" Maybe, but watch out for Latrice in the 4th row at 10-1 odds. She can handle her fractions better than Michael.