Did Robert Williams forget what kind of race this was? He made the big move going to the mile, swept by the field, and then looked like he was pulling Diamond Exchange up when they hit the turn, like you do after a race is over. Lefevre had to make a quick move to go around him to avoid running him over!
I was at Roosevelt that night. When I saw that, I knew he was going to do that because Bob Williams (Diamond Exchange's driver) had clearly forgotten this was 1 1/2 Miles and not the standard Mile distance. Ideal caught a pace that completely collapsed in the last half-mile. Lutin D'Isgny (who won the next two Internationals in 1984 and '85) probably would have blown all of them away.
That is exactly what happened. I was there that night, right on the ground, right at the finish line. It seemed obvious that the guy lost track of the laps. If anything it was more obvious live than it even is on tape. A tragic mistake. I thought it was funny; I was young at the time. Of course Diamond Exchange was not about to win in any case. But he certainly made for a much more dramatic and exciting final half, with all that traffic he caused on the turn. And Jack's call down the backstretch might have been his very best call in a career of great, great calls. The best, he was.
Splendido cavallo.
SEIGNEUR,
QUE LE TROT
ÉTAIT BEAU.
IDÉAL DU GAZEAU
Did Robert Williams forget what kind of race this was? He made the big move going to the mile, swept by the field, and then looked like he was pulling Diamond Exchange up when they hit the turn, like you do after a race is over. Lefevre had to make a quick move to go around him to avoid running him over!
I was at Roosevelt that night. When I saw that, I knew he was going to do that because Bob Williams (Diamond Exchange's driver) had clearly forgotten this was 1 1/2 Miles and not the standard Mile distance. Ideal caught a pace that completely collapsed in the last half-mile.
Lutin D'Isgny (who won the next two Internationals in 1984 and '85) probably would have blown all of them away.
That is exactly what happened. I was there that night, right on the ground, right at the finish line. It seemed obvious that the guy lost track of the laps. If anything it was more obvious live than it even is on tape. A tragic mistake. I thought it was funny; I was young at the time. Of course Diamond Exchange was not about to win in any case. But he certainly made for a much more dramatic and exciting final half, with all that traffic he caused on the turn. And Jack's call down the backstretch might have been his very best call in a career of great, great calls. The best, he was.
Geoffrey Coleman the Greatest Harness announcer ever!!!!!
Ideal was NINE and went 2:33.1 after being interfered with. 3:03.4 is awesome given how wide he was.