Best fillies of the past 50 years?

Last week I happened upon one of Steve Haskin's blog posts. In this post he listed 50 of the best fillies in the past 50 years. The list was in no particular order. From that post readers of his blog got to vote on who would be in a top 50 list and when that was said and done, he posted that list. It was the fans' list that made me think about who I would put on my list of top fillies in the past 50 years. I have come up with my top ten list. Doing a top 50 list would have hurt my head and would have taken entirely way too long. So, who I think the top ten fillies in the past 50 years are:

1. Lady's Secret

Pros - Horse of the Year, won 25 of 45 starts, including 22 stakes, defeated colts in the Whitney, placed in 3 grade I stakes vs. males, won Breeders' Cup Distaff, won stakes from 6 furlongs to 1 ¼ miles, ran in 15 stakes as a 4-year-old, 13 of them grade I and 4 vs. males, and was never out of the money, won Ruffian under 129 lbs

Cons - Won only two allowance races in five starts at 5

2. Ruffian

Pros - Won all 10 starts in which she finished, broke down in match race, her average margin of victory was 8 ½ lengths, ran in 9 stakes at 7 different distances from 5 furlongs to 1 ½ miles and set or equaled a stakes record in all of them, swept Filly Triple Crown

Cons - Never defeated males

3. Personal Ensign

Pros - Retired undefeated in 13 starts, defeated Kentucky Derby winner Winning Colors in Breeders' Cup Distaff and Maskette, defeated eventual sprint champion Gulch in the Whitney, also won grade I Beldame, Shuvee, and Hempstead

Cons - Only raced 13 times

4. Bayakoa

Pros - Won 21 of 39 starts, won Breeders' Cup Distaff twice, won 16 stakes, including 12 grade I's, won Santa Margarita twice, Spinster, Ruffian, Vanity, Apple Blossom, group I winner in Argentina vs, males

Cons - 0-for-2 vs. males in U.S., lost last three career starts

5. Genunie Risk

Pros - Won Kentucky Derby, first filly since Regret, and finished 2nd in the Preakness and Belmont Stakes, won Ruffian, Demoiselle, finished third in the Wood Memorial

Cons - Concluded her career in three allowance races, beaten a nose by Bold ‘n Determined in Maskette Stakes

6. Inside Information

Pros - Won 14 of 17 starts, including 13 ½-length win in Breeders' Cup Distaff, 11-length win in Ruffian, and 11-length win in Acorn, also won grade I Spinster, Shuvee, and Ashland

Cons - Never raced against males

7. Shuvee

Pros - Swept Filly Triple Crown and won Alabama at 3, won back-to-back runnings of the 2-mile Jockey Club Gold Cup, won a total of 15 stakes, won major stakes at 2, 3, 4, and 5, including Beldame, Diana twice, Ladies Handicap, Frizette, and Top Flight

Cons - Beaten in 3 of her 4 meetings with Gallant Bloom, including Gazelle for 3-year-old filly honors

8. Ta Wee

Pros - Won 15 of 21 starts, defeated colts in the Vosburgh and Fall Highweight on two occasions, once carrying 140 lbs, won Interborough Handicap under 142 lbs, won Miss Woodford in 1:08 3/5, won 7f Vosburgh in 1:21 3/5

Cons - Strictly a sprinter

9. Azeri

Pros - Horse of the Year, won 11 grade I stakes, including Breeders' Cup Distaff, Apple Blossom 3 times, Vanity and Milady twice, Spinster, Santa Margarita, won 17 of 24 starts

Cons - Out of the money in only two starts vs. males

10. Gallant Bloom

Pros - Won 12 races in a row at 2, 3, and 4, easily defeated two future Hall of Famers in Shuvee and Gamely, champion at 2 and 3, won stakes from 6 furlongs to 1 1/8 miles, won Santa Margarita under 129 lbs, won 16 of 22 career starts, beat Shuvee 3 out of 4 times

Cons - Defeated twice by males late in career (injured in latter), suffered 3 bad losses at 2 after inexplicably losing her form


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Now, before I post the top ten on the fans' list, I'll remind everyone that I love Zenyatta and I think Rachel Alexandra is a good horse. With that said, I don't believe Zenyatta should be ranked first because a lot of the other horses on the list probably could have beat her (sad to say). And unfortunately, I don't think either Zenyatta or Rachel Alexandra is good enough to be on a top 10 list. Especially when comparing them to all these great fillies of the past. I hate saying that.

The top ten horses on the list that people voted horses on:

1. Zenyatta
2. Ruffian
3. Personal Ensign
4. Rachel Alexandra
5. Lady's Secret
6. Genuine Risk
7. Azeri
8. Go For Wand
9. Shuvee
10. Rags to Riches

For the hell of it, what Steve Haskin's top ten list would be if he was pressed to make one:

I'm actually not big on top 10 lists myself and this was geared more toward the fan. Also, with Zenyatta and Rachel still racing, the public perception of them could change by the end of the year. If Zenyatta were to win the Classic again or another big race on dirt, I would have to rank her No. 1.

But as of right now, I still would rank Ruffian No. 1 and perhaps Lady's Secret #2, followed by Zenyatta, Personal Ensign, Rachel Alexandra (she also would move way up with another big win vs. males), Gallant Bloom, Shuvee, Ta Wee, Dark Mirage, and Gamely.