Most of racing’s nice battles of the sexes have been contested at two-turn distances.

A mere point out of them can resurrect recollections of Zenyatta’s two super begins within the Breeders’ Cup Basic or Rachel Alexandra’s triumphs within the 2009 Woodward, Haskell, and Preakness, or Swiss Skydiver, Rags to Riches, Profitable Colours, and Real Threat profitable Triple Crown races, or the ill-fated match race between Ruffian and Silly Pleasure.

But sprinters have additionally had their share of vigorous male vs. feminine duels.

Maybe the very best got here within the 1990 Breeders’ Cup Dash when a fleet Maryland-bred filly named Safely Stored met European champion Dayjur in a matchup that added worldwide intrigue to the inherent battle of the sexes and produced a race that will likely be lengthy remembered for the style by which it was determined.

Initially owned by her breeders, David and Jo Hayden, and skilled by Carlos Garcia, Safely Stored confirmed her grand potential from the very starting of what can be an illustrious Corridor of Fame profession.

Although she completed second on June 7, 1988 in her profession debut at Pimlico, she moved ahead impressively and received her subsequent begin by 6 ½ lengths, then breezed to a lopsided, gate-to-wire 7 ½-length win within the $54,000 Playpen Stakes.

After the Playpen, the Haydens offered Safely Stored to Barry Weisbord for $300,000 and he would later promote a portion of her to Richard Santulli of Jayeff B Secure late in 1989.

Safely Stored ran as sensationally for Weisbord as she did for the Haydens, profitable the $50,000 Sensible Angle Stakes at Pimlico by 9 ½ lengths in her first begin for her new proprietor.

Entered in a seven-furlong race for the primary time, the daughter of Horatius then weakened within the remaining furlong and completed third within the USFG Lassie at Laurel Park in what can be her remaining begin at 2.

When she returned at 3, she was transferred to the barn of coach Alan Goldberg and a promising Maryland-bred emerged into one of many nation’s greatest sprinters of any age or intercourse.

She began the 12 months with a four-length win within the Politely at Laurel after which moved up the East Coast to take the Grade 3 Budweiser Breeders’ Cup at Backyard State by 2 ¾ lengths and the Grade 2 Real Threat Stakes at Belmont Park by 4 lengths.

The highway present continued with decisive wins within the Remorse Stakes at Monmouth Park and Grade 2 Prioress Stakes at Belmont.

Off that five-race profitable streak, she was despatched to Saratoga Race Course for the Grade 1 Check Stakes at seven furlongs and for the primary time in her 11-race profession she was not the betting favourite. Despatched off at 5-2 odds with Craig Perret aboard her for the primary time, the speedy filly was a cut price at that worth as she cruised alongside on a transparent lead and registered a length-and-a-half victory.

Returned to Pimlico, she reeled off two extra stakes wins by a mixed 9 ¼ lengths after which headed to the Breeders’ Cup Dash at Gulfstream Park, the place she was one of many most important contenders in a wide-open race that featured six horses at odds of 6-1 or much less.

Safely Stored’s velocity, although, separated her from the remaining. She carved out fractions of 21 4/5 and 44 seconds and moved out to two-length lead on the eighth pole. Sadly in that remaining furlong, Safely Stored couldn’t resist a remaining bid by Dancing Spree who surged previous the decided filly within the final strides to win by a neck in a track-record time of 1:09.

It was a disappointing finish to her season, however didn’t diminish her accomplishments all year long. With eight wins in 9 begins, she was voted the champion sprinter of 1989. The award at the moment coated sprinters of each sexes.

At 4, Safely Stored had the form of 12 months most horsemen would covet, however it didn’t meet the impeccable requirements she set as a 3-year-old. She began 1990 with 4 straight victories towards distaff rivals, capped by a second straight win within the Real Threat, then confronted males in a Breeders’ Cup Handicap at Finger Lakes and received  by 2 ¼ lengths.

Her subsequent project was additionally towards the boys. She was despatched off as a 3-5 favourite within the $350,000 DeFrancis Sprint and turned in probably the most puzzling race of her profession. Ridden by Chris Antley for the primary and solely time in her profession, Safely Stored was not in entrance at any of the calls and was fourth after the opening half-mile.

On the end, she was fourth, 6 ½ lengths behind the victorious Northern Wolf.

Again towards fillies and mares, she received the State of Maryland Distaff at Pimlico and a Grade 3 Breeders’ Cup stakes on the Baltimore observe, however then flopped towards males within the Grade 3 Boojum at Belmont Park, which was the house of the 1990 Breeders’ Cup. Once more Safely Stored did not poke her head in entrance at any of the poles and wound up fourth.

Undaunted, Goldberg determined to carry Safely Stored again in 13 days and provides her a second shot on the Breeders’ Cup Dash, which lacked a dominant American entrant attributable to an damage that sidelined eventual dash champion Housebuster.

The 1990 Breeders’ Cup Dash attracted a subject of 14, however the horse everybody talked about was the 3-year-old sensation Dayjur.

Dayjur was referred to as by Racing Submit “the world’s quickest horse” throughout an excellent profession. Owned by Sheikh Hamdam al Maktoum and skilled by Dick Hern, Dayjur was coming off a straightforward victory within the prestigious Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp by which solely 5 rivals turned out to problem him.

Bettors made Dayjur a 2-1 favourite for the Dash, whereas Safely Stored was missed at 12-1 odds that have been almost double her worth within the earlier 12 months’s Breeders’ Cup.

The 1990 Breeders’ Cup Dash produced an unforgettable duel between the girl and the European.

In contrast to the Boojum, Safely Stored was as soon as once more at her greatest within the Dash and he or she shortly grabbed the lead beneath Perret. After a gradual begin, Dayjur, in his first begin on filth, rushed up beneath Willie Carson and joined her. Instantly, the duel was on.

On the half-mile pole, Dayjur edged to a brief lead over Safely Stored as they opened greater than two lengths on the remainder of the sphere. Across the flip and into the stretch, the 2 horses remained locked collectively, neither giving an inch. On the eighth pole they have been side-by-side and have been seven lengths forward of everybody else.

Dancing Spree, bidding for an encore victory within the Dash, would end almost seven lengths behind Safely Stored this time round.

The Breeders’ Cup Dash was a livid two-horse race to the wire and within the remaining sixteenth of a mile Dayjur grabbed a brief lead and appeared destined to win the epic battle. However then, with the wire some 40 yards away, Dayjur jumped a shadow on the racetrack.

With the European off-stride for a second, Safely Stored seized the chance and valiantly saved working, placing her head in entrance on the wire to win by a neck.

At 5 she continued her profitable methods. She reeled off three straight wins to open the 12 months, together with a 3rd consecutive victory in Belmont’s Real Threat, earlier than ending third behind Housebuster within the DeFrancis Sprint.

She would run three extra instances, shedding solely when examined round two turns for the one time, however didn’t make it to the 1991 Breeders’ Cup, retiring attributable to a proper entrance ankle damage. She left the racetrack with a stellar report of 24 wins in 31 begins and earnings of $2,194,206 that made her the first-ever sprinter to earn greater than $2 million.

“She was life-altering,” Weisbord informed BloodHorse after Safely Stored’s passing in 2014. “Twenty-five years later, Richard and I nonetheless personal many horses and companies collectively and Al has saved coaching for us. All of us stay close to one another, play golf collectively, and go to the races collectively. She modified our lives. Moreover all of the thrills she gave us, the actual fact she introduced all of us collectively is the present that may carry on giving.”

Thrice would have been good so far as the Breeders’ Cup Dash goes, however in her two visits to the world championships, Safely Stored gave performances that stamped her as among the finest sprinters of her period – and as a filly who confirmed battle of the sexes might be simply as vigorous at one flip as two.

Notice: This story was initially revealed in 2015 and has been up to date.

Enjoyable Details

• Safely Stored was inducted into the Nationwide Museum of Racing Corridor of Fame in 2011.
• She was the primary Maryland-bred to ever win a Breeders’ Cup race.
• Safely Stored entered the Maryland Thoroughbred Corridor of Fame in 2013.
• Her dam, Safely Residence, was claimed by the Haydens for $11,500.
• She received races at 11 completely different racetracks.
• Safely Stored had 17 straight wins in stakes restricted to fillies and males.
• Safely Stored is at the moment seventh on the all-time listing of Maryland-bred earners.
• Each Laurel and Arlington Park have named stakes after her.
• She received the Real Threat, Backyard State Breeders’ Cup Handicap and Maryland Million Distaff Handicap on three events.