We recently had a look at the fastest horse in North America, and this week we will consider the top stayer. What is unusual about this duo is that they are both by the same stallion, Not This Time .
Cogburn , who on the basis of his American record of :59.80 for 5 1/2 furlongs set in the Jaipur Stakes (G1) might be the fastest horse not only on this continent, but anywhere in the world. Then we have Next, who has been almost invincible in long-distance events over the last two years.
Although Next has never displayed the speed of Cogburn, his early career did not initially point toward excellence at the extreme opposite end of the scale. He was forward enough to earn his place in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) following wins in a 6 1/2-furlong maiden at Kentucky Downs and an off-turf Keeneland allowance over 8 1/2 furlongs that he took by 11 3/4 lengths. At this stage, however, Next was far from ready for prime time, and he faded to finish last in the Juvenile, beaten some 40 lengths after pursuing the early pace for a half-mile.
The "next" incarnation of the gray was as a turf miler at 3, and in that role he did win the War Chant Stakes by 3 3/4 lengths. At 4, Next was claimed by trainer William Cowans for Michael Foster for $62,500 when running unplaced in a seven-furlong allowance/optional claimer at Keeneland. Following that effort was a score in a Churchill Downs $50,000 claiming event at nine furlongs on turf. Next, now a gelding, could only manage fourth in an optional claimer over the same distance in what would be his last start on the grass.
At Delaware Park in the off-turf Cape Henlopen Stakes over 12 furlongs, we would see the most potent version of Next. He romped by an astonishing 18 1/4 lengths and began an astonishing run of nine wins among 10 consecutive starts from 9 1/2 to 14 furlongs, all black-type events, by a total of 118.25 lengths, or an average of 13.14 lengths per race. The most recent of these was the Sept. 21 Greenwood Cup Stakes (G3), where he cruised home a comfortable 10 lengths clear in a race that saw him with 25 lengths to spare in the previous edition.
What aptitudes Not This Time might have possessed as a runner are concealed by the brevity of his career. He scored by 10 lengths in a mile maiden on his second try, romped by 8 3/4 lengths in the Iroquois Stakes (G3) on his third start, then missed by a neck to Classic Empire in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) on his only other outing.
Not This Time never had the opportunity to run on turf, the surface over which Cogburn excels, nor to attempt anything approaching the distances at which Next excels, but there are diverse elements of speed, stamina, and surface preference in his background.
Not This Time's sire, Giant's Causeway, was probably best around 10 furlongs. He was crowned champion in Europe at 3 for his turf performances but came within inches of defeating Tiznow in the 2000 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) in his only dirt start. Giant's Causeway's best offspring are mostly 8- to 10-furlong horses, and he didn't get a grade 1- winning sprinter—although he's paternal grandsire of the brilliant European speedster Blue Point—but he did sire a winner of the Ascot Gold Cup (G1) over 2 1/2 miles. Not This Time's dam, Miss Macy Sue, was a six-time stakes winner, all at six furlongs. She's also the dam of the brilliant Liam's Map , who won the Woodward Stakes (G1) and Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) but who has sired Starting Over and Churn N Burn, both stakes winners going 1 1/2 miles on turf. Not This Time's broodmare sire, Trippi, did win the Flamingo Stakes (G3) at nine furlongs early in his 3-year-old season, but was best over seven furlongs on dirt, where he captured four graded events, including the Vosburgh Stakes (G1). Trippi spent most of his stud career in South Africa, where he proved an effective turf sire, with grade/group 1 winners up to 1 1/2 miles.
Next's dam, Bahia Beach, was best sprinting on dirt and took second in the 6 1/2-furlong Musical Romance Stakes, although she did win an optional/claiming race over 8 1/2 furlongs and was a distant second in the Affectionately Stakes over the same trip. She was by Awesome Again, who at 10 furlongs on dirt won what is generally acknowledged to be the deepest-ever running of the Breeders' Cup Classic. Bahia Beach is a half sister to the dam of the Not This Time filly Cara's Time, who won the seven-furlong Joseph A. Gimma Stakes for New York-breds.
Next's second dam, Pop Princess (Alphabet Soup), won four races, and is a half sister to the Rampart Handicap (G2) winner Spring Waltz, one of the relatively few significant runners by Silver Charm. Pop Princess and Spring Waltz are out of Relaxing Rhythm, one of the best runners sired by another classic winner who was something of an underachiever as a stallion, Easy Goer. Relaxing Rhythm won the first eight of her nine starts, four of them in stakes, including the Molly Pitcher Breeders' Cup Handicap (G2). Relaxing Rhythm was a half sister to the Count Fleet Handicap (G3) winner Malagra, later a useful sire in Louisiana, and also to the multiple graded stakes-winning Devil's Bag horse Holy Mountain.
Relaxing Rhythm's own dam, Regal Gal, was a prolific stakes scorer who recorded her most prestigious victory in the Columbiana Handicap (G3). A daughter of Viceregal—which means Bahia Beach has the brothers Vice Regent and Viceregal 3x4, respectively—Regal Gal she was three-parts sister to Northern Dancer-sired graded stakes winners Northern Fling and Countess North (dam of New Orleans Handicap, G2, victor Westheimer). Regal Gal was also half sister to Arlington Park's Matron Handicap (G2) victress Impetuous Gal, dam of three stakes winners, including Ladies Handicap (G1) heroine Banker's Lady, and granddam of several other major winners, including the Super Derby (G1) victor Ecton Park.
Next follows champion turf horse Up to The Mark (dam by Ghostzapper) and Del Mar Debutante Stakes (G1) and Chandelier Stakes (G2) victress Princess Noor (dam by Wilko) as the third star from only 12 starters by Not This Time out of Awesome Again line mares. With that in mind, it's probably relevant that Not This Time is by a stallion who is a Northern Dancer/Blushing Groom cross out of a Mr. Prospector line mare, and that Awesome Again is by a Northern Dancer line sire and his dam is a Blushing Groom/Mr. Prospector cross.
