DEL MAR — The distinction between an obsession and a interest is usually decided by the way you select to view it. There are numerous elements, most of all of the lengths to which you’ll go to fulfill your want to do one thing about it.
In 1984, John Wawee, then a pupil at USC, was studying The Instances and ran throughout an article about this new occasion to be held at Hollywood Park the place the very best horses within the nation have been coming to Southern California to race for some huge cash. It was someday and solely seven races.
Wawee, who simply had a good friend educate him find out how to learn the Racing Type, was intrigued. However there was an issue. It was the identical day that No. 14 USC was taking part in No. 1 Washington with a Rose Bowl berth within the offing.
“I had to make a decision as a USC student and I decided to pass on the USC game,” stated Wawee, 61, who lives in Porter Ranch. “I went to the Breeders’ Cup and I had a little Sony Watchman, so I was watching the USC game in the box I had at the Breeders’ Cup. It was worth it. USC won and I went to an unbelievable event.”
Horse racing tremendous fan John Wawee feeds carrots to Silver Allure, the oldest residing Kentucky Derby winner, throughout a visit to Kentucky.
(Courtesy of John Wawee)
Quick ahead 41 years to this Friday and Saturday at Del Mar and Wawee shall be there, each as a fan — quick for fanatic — and a microshare proprietor of Distaff favourite Seismic Magnificence, attending his forty second consecutive Breeders’ Cup. He’s been to 12 totally different tracks, two international locations and defied the chances of attending a no public spectators occasion at Keeneland in 2020 due to COVID. His streak has outlasted two racetracks, Hollywood Park and Arlington Park, two whole rebuilds, Gulfstream Park and Belmont Park, and rising costs that largely exclude the informal fan.
“Now it’s just part of my life, a great part of my life,” Wawee stated. “I’m never going to miss it. I’ll be at every one no matter what, even though they continue to raise the prices like crazy. That’s money I’m going to spend for those two days.”
Wawee says when individuals study of his streak, they largely ask about 2020 at Keeneland.
John Velazquez, proper, rides Genuine to win the Breeder’s Cup Traditional horse race at Keeneland Race Course, in Lexington, Ky., on Nov. 7, 2020.
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Wawee was capable of get entry by a good friend of a good friend who had a horse farm in Kentucky. There was added incentive as a result of he owned a microshare within the horse Genuine by MyRacehorse, a gaggle that sells the expertise of proudly owning a race horse for quantities as little as $100. It couldn’t have labored out higher, Genuine received the Traditional, a very powerful race on the cardboard.
“I shouldn’t say this, but I actually snuck into the winner’s circle photo,” he stated.
In addition to Genuine’s win within the Traditional, his favourite race was in was in 1989 within the Traditional at Gulfstream. It was California-based Sunday Silence, winner of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, in opposition to New York-based Straightforward Goer, winner of the Belmont Stakes. Sunday Silence received the race by a neck, the third time in 4 races he beat Straightforward Goer.
“That was just amazing,” Wawee stated. “Getting caught up in that L.A. versus New York kind of thing. That was our L.A. horse and we had to beat those guys from New York, who said their horse was the greatest of all time.
“I wanted Sunday Silence to beat him so badly, especially after losing the Belmont.”
Jockey Mike Smith celebrates profitable the Breeders’ Cup Traditional race with Zenyatta within the winner’s circle at Santa Anita Park on Nov. 7, 2009.
(Getty Photos)
Whereas there have been many memorable races, lots of people recall in 2009 at Santa Anita when Zenyatta turned the primary feminine horse to win the Traditional, going from final to first.
“Zenyatta was unbelievable, he said. “The grandstand shook that day. I was high up in the grandstand and it felt like there was an earthquake. I probably would have ranked Zenyatta ahead of Sunday Silence if I thought she was going to win. I went there thinking there was no way she could beat the boys. It was just more of a shock than anything.”
It’s stated that sports activities and pure disasters are the 2 issues that may deliver individuals collectively. Enter Zenyatta.
“I have two daughters, my oldest one, Jaclyn, and I were really tight when she was growing up,” Wawee stated warning upfront that he may begin crying retelling this story. “When she was in her teenage years we started to drift apart, which I think is pretty normal for any father-daughter relationship. We were battling over things.
“After Zenyatta won the Classic, they retired her for about a month. But then she unretired and they were pointing for a race at Santa Anita [the Santa Margarita] in March. So, I started telling my daughter about Zenyatta, how special she is. She asked me if I was going to go to her race. I said ‘Yeah, do you want to go?’ And she said ‘Yeah, I’ll go with you.’ I knew a day with just the two of us might be a little much because we’ve been battling so much. So, I asked her if she wanted to bring some friends. Her friends came and we went to the Santa Anita race and Zenyatta won, of course.
Jockey Mike Smith rides Zenyatta, center, to the finish line of the Breeders’ Cup Classic horse race at Santa Anita Park on Nov. 7, 2009.
(Jae C. Hong/AP)
“Jaclyn thought that was so great. She just had a great time. Her friends did too. But after that she was constantly asking me ‘When is Zenyatta going to run again? What’s she doing? When’s she going to work out?’ Now, we were connected again because of Zenyatta. I firmly believe our relationship got back together, back being tight, because of Zenyatta.”
Wawee has some recommendation for many who run the Breeders’ Cup. He thinks it ought to solely be held at Del Mar and Keeneland, alternating years.
He’s additionally not a fan of the format the place all of the Friday races are for 2-year-olds and the Distaff (for less than feminine horses) has moved to Saturday.
“I don’t mind it as a two-day event, but I liked it better when the Distaff was the star of Friday and it wasn’t all 2-year-olds on Friday. When we had that Beholder-Songbird long stretch battle [at Santa Anita in 2016], that was fantastic. There have been so many great Distaffs, even last year when Thorpedo Anna won it pretty easily. They are superstars and they deserve their day in the spotlight. If Seismic Beauty wins this year, I’ll be saying the same thing.”
Wawee says he doesn’t guess that a lot any extra, as an alternative utilizing the cash to purchase microshares from MyRacehorse, of which he has about 15.
“I never bet on my horses, so it’s really not that much of a thing anymore,” he stated. “I’ve tried to explain to people that you can’t bet enough money to have the feeling you have when your horse wins, a horse that I own a share of. There is no amount of money I can bet to have that same feeling, so I just don’t bet.”
Wawee wouldn’t disclose how a lot his interest has value him by the years.
“I think ever since 2007, it has gotten so very expensive to go the Breeders’ Cup,” he stated. “So, you can understand why I stopped betting.”
