Wild Again

Black Chip Stable’s 4-year-old colt Wild Again was a game winner in a wild climax to the first Breeders’ Cup Classic at Hollywood Park as he bravely held off a furious challenge from Preakness hero Gate Dancer to score by a head under jockey Pat Day. Gate Dancer was subsequently disqualified by the stewards and placed third for repeatedly brushing with favorite Slew O’ Gold in the stretch. Purchased as a yearling for a modest $35,000 by Black Chip Stable owner Bill Allen, Wild Again was easily the best horse trained by Vincent Timphony. Remarkably, Wild Again’s owners had paid a daunting supplementary fee of $360,000 just for the colt to have a chance to run in the race as a 31-to-1 longshot after having finished third in an allowance race on turf at Bay Meadows just two weeks before. Wild Again did have previously established credentials winning the Meadowlands Cup by six lengths at the 1 1/4 miles distance of the Classic in his previous start.