Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Columnist Ralph Siraco: Azeri at home in the winner’s circle

Ralph Siraco's horse racing column appears Monday and his Southern California selections run Tuesday-Sunday.

If not for one misstep in her otherwise unblemished career, reigning Horse of the Year Azeri would be breathing the thin air in the purple haze of racing records.

A 5-year-old mare by Jade Hunter, Azeri finished second -- beaten a length -- at her first appearance in graded stakes company in February 2002, an experience she has yet to duplicate.

If not for that one runner-up effort to Summer Colony in the Grade II La Canada Stakes at Santa Anita, Azeri would be sitting on an unbeaten 14-race win streak and approaching the modern-day record of 16 consecutive victories established by the great Citation in 1948 and equaled by Cigar in 1996 and most recently by the filly Hallowed Dreams in 2000.

Azeri racked her 10th consecutive win at Saturday's Vanity Handicap at Hollywood Park. Equaling the highest impost she has carried at 127 pounds, Allen E. Paulson's Living Trust color bearer polished off an ambitious field of six challengers while repeating victory in the Vanity.

She is 3-for-3 in 2003, and will probably start only three more times this year on the way to defending her Breeders' Cup Distaff title at Arlington Park. The Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships will be in Azeri's home state of California at the Oak Tree meeting at Santa Anita this fall.

Azeri began this year with a spectacular and gutty victory over Take Charge Lady in the Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park in early April. Her tenacious run to get up in a photo-finish reminded observers of the sensational victory by Personal Ensign when she beat Winning Colors in a memorable Breeders' Cup Distaff renewal at Churchill Downs in 1988.

That final victory by Personal Ensign finished off a perfect 13-race career. Although taking a medicinal victory in the Milady Handicap after the Apple Blossom leading to the Vanity win, Azeri may still be in search of an ultimate spot among the other great distaffers in racing history. But it's history she is almost certain to write.

She is only the fifth female to win Horse of the Year honors, joining Twilight Tear in 1944, Busher in 1945, turf monster All Along in 1983 and Lady's Secret in 1986. She, however, did not beat the boys in the Kentucky Derby as Regret did in 1915, Genuine Risk did in 1980 or Winning Colors did in 1988. In fact, Azeri has yet to face her male counterparts and her connections don't intend to face them soon.

Azeri's ownership is controlled by Las Vegan Michael Paulson, son of the late Allen Paulson, whose trust Azeri runs under. Paulson also campaigned Cigar, who failed to become the modern-day win-streak record holder when he was beaten in the 1996 Pacific Classic at Del Mar going for 17 in a row.

So, some believe that as long as Azeri is not beaten, she will continue to race against her own division in quest of that record.

Don't expect to see any Azeri road shows, either. Paulson and trainer Laura De Seroux have mapped a carbon-copy schedule that led to her championship season a year ago.

Already in the books are defending title victories in the Apple Blossom, Milady and Vanity. Next stop will be a defending appearance in the Clement L. Hirsch at Del Mar followed by a repeat showing in the Lady's Secret at Oak Tree before her Breeders' Cup Distaff defense.

De Seroux has already stated that anyone wanting to take on the champ will have to come to California to face her.

So, while Azeri's latest victory was her eighth Grade I win for a career bankroll standing at more than $2.8 million, she is just behind Bayakoa in lifetime earnings as the 10th leading all-time female money earner. She is less than $1.2 million short of the $4,032,632 that Broad Appeal holds as the all-time distaff leader.

While great racing mares such as Personal Ensign, Ruffian, Gamely, Susan's Girl, Lamb Chops, Dark Mirage, Silver Spoon, Serena's Song, Paseana and Bayakoa line the record books, along with Regret, Genuine Risk, Winning Colors, Twilight Tear, Busher, All Along and Lady's Secret, there is no doubt that Azeri has already accomplished enough to be added to that list.

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