Down the Stretch

I think the word I'm looking for is "Privileged".

2009-11-07T17:50:00.004-07:00

There are many things I want to say about the Breeders' Cup weekend, but the two comments I'll post now are these:

When Zenyatta split the seam at the eighth pole, and the roar of the crowd overwhelmed Trevor Denman's call, I cried.
For having the courage and sportsmanship to run this brilliant mare on racing's biggest day, I say to the Moss' "Thank you".

"...playing the chalk is HAAAAARD!"

2009-09-06T19:36:00.001-07:00

13:28 - The Internet is for Betting! Today's Card: G3 Red Bank, G3 Saranac, G1 Pat O'Brien, G1 Spinaway, G2 Del Mar Derby, and G1 Pacific Classic. #

13:30 - (Monmouth, Saratoga, Del Mar, Saratoga, Del Mar and Del Mar, respectively. ^-^ Current Bank: $50.) #

13:45 - Hard to argue GET SERIOUS as heavy fave in Red Bank (9/5): unbeaten on the turf @ 1M. Will play $2EBX w/ him & KISS THE KID (4/1). BAL: $46 #

14:04 - GET SERIOUS prevails, but KISS THE KID never got rolling through traffic issues. Cest la vie. Off to the Spa! #

14:15 - Not much pace in the Saranac to play with... Will EXA Mott over Clement (AL KHALI over SAL THE BARBER / ARMSTRONG MILL). BAL: $42 #

14:23 - Also, can't help noticing Garcia is riding today @ the Spa. Guessing he got that stay of suspension I joked about? #

14:28 - Another few yards and I'd have had that exacta. Nice try, ARMSTRONG MILL. #

14:36 - Back to Del Mar: ZENSATIONAL lone speed in Pat O'Brien. Bet him over ALL because the field's so small. BAL: $34 #

14:39 - As expected: ZENSATIONAL blew out in the Pat O'Brien to win under a hand ride. Was a bit worried when he was rank down the backside, though. #

14:53 Spa: HOT DIXIE CHICK worthy heavy-bet in the Spinaway (1/5). Will play her EXA over BEAUTICIAN / OPUS A + SASSY'S IMAGE to show. BAL: $33 #

14:55 - (This is me learning how to bet. I can 'cap them just fine, but playing the chalk is HAAAAARD! ^-^') #

15:03 - HOT DIXIE CHICK cut that corner like a pro! If she can translate that to the synth, she'll be my top pick for the Juvee Fillies come BC. #

15:08 - Scratch that last. Didn't realize "Grace Stables" was the Barbara Banke version of Jess Jackson's "Stonestreet". We won't see her at SA. :( #

15:10 - (Would've loved to see her face off with MI SUENO, though. Guess we'll have to hope for the Oaks next May.) #

15:28 - 4 of the last 11 winners in the La Jolla have gone on to win the Del Mar Derby. This makes METEORE very appealing to bet (esp @ 8/1). #

15:38 - Right. DM Derby (shorthand): EBX 3-1, EXA 4/3,8. BAL: $30 #

15:46 - //sigh. I give up. RENDEZVOUS (1) headed out BATTLE OF HASTINGS (4) to win. Both were represented in my bets, but not on the same ticket. :( #

15:54 - ~54mtp for the Pacific Classic. Going to take a lunch break and consider my last bet of the day carefully. ^-^ #

16:16 - Joel Rosario just won his 4th race of the afternoon @ Del Mar. Almost makes me want to give SONG OF NAVARONE another look in the Pac C. o.0' #

17:15 - After much pondering, have decided to go with RAIL TRIP / INFORMED (EBX) and $2 WPS on MISREMEMBERED because Baffert's no joker. BAL: $21 #

17:25 - Bet the wrong Baffert horse apparently: RICHARD'S KID pulls 24/1 shocker. Did that race totally fall apart in the stretch, or is it just me? #

17:36 - The way Del Mar's played today, I should bet my last $20 WPS on some crazy random longshot in the last two races. Sweet Candy-coated Christ! #

18:25 - Having listened to race calls from both coasts today, I officially prefer Trevor Denman to Tom Durkin. Hands down. #

18:27 - (Neither is Chic Anderson, though.) #

18:27 - (But both are far superior to Mike Battaglia! LOL) #

18:46 - Tomorrow: Closing day @ the Spa w/ the G3 Glen Falls H & G1 Hopeful. Also, Baffert looks for his 9th win in the G1 Futurity @ Del Mar. WOOT! #

"Run Like A Girl" Indeed!

2009-09-05T17:31:00.016-07:00

Twitter

14:44 Nice touch by the bugler there. The only song more appropriate than "Always a Woman" would've been "I Am Woman (Hear Me Roar)". LOL #
14:46 thinks that if anyone is going to upset Rachel Alexandra, it'll be Bullsbay.* #
14:47 (* - but not enough to NOT box that exacta. haha!) #
14:56 Horse of the Year: LOCKED. If she doesn't win it, the jury is rigged. #
15:00 I don't care that she's not going to the Breeders' Cup now. She worked HARD for that win: taking the rest of the year off is A-OK by me. #
15:04 HAHA Jess Jackson's hat! #

"I don't care that she's not going to the Breeders' Cup now. She worked HARD for that win: taking the rest of the year off is A-OK by me."

What more can I say, really? It wasn't what I would call a "scintillating" win by any stretch of the imagination, but Rachel Alexandra didn't need to blow the field away to prove a point. In fact, I think the fact that she had to grit it out to the wire -- turning away not only a stretch run from Bullsbay, but digging in all-out to hold off Macho Again at the wire -- showed a new depth of character for the three-year-old filly we'd yet to witness.

"I never thought I had her," runner-up jockey Robbie Albarado admitted afterwards. "She's a champion. Champions do that. Champions find a way to win."

Primary-owner Jess Jackson was beaming in the winners' circle. "That's my Rachel," he said. "(Her next start) depends on how she comes out of the race. I hope she's sound, then it would be a question of whether there's something adequate for her."

With the victory, the rangy Medaglia d'Oro daughter became the first filly to win the GI Woodward in its 56 runnings. The last one to try -- Lady's Secret in 1986 -- finished 2^nd to Precisionist as a 4-year-old.

It also entrenched her atop the leaderboard for Horse of the Year honors. Should she win the Eclipse, she'll join the ranks of such elite mares as Azeri (2002), Lady's Secret (1986), All Along (1984), Moccasin (1965), Twilight Tear (1944), Regret (1915), and Beldame (1904). She'll also be the first three-year-old filly to accomplish the feat since Twilight Tear.

Rachel Alexandra. Truly a Filly for the Ages. And to think: We'll get to see more of her next year!

GI Forego @ Saratoga

2009-09-05T14:18:00.001-07:00

With all the focus on Rachel Alexandra’s quest for glory in the Woodward, I can’t help feeling that the Spa’s undercard has been overlooked. Especially the race that precedes the main event: the GI Forego.

At first glance, I could make a case for about half the field to top the board. In the end, I went with Kodiak Kowboy. There’s a lot of speed in here, which should set up well for his closing style, and his average winning speed is well above the others at 103 (his last two outs were monster efforts, posting 110 and 111).

I’m also using Pyro. His last out was his first in nine months: He finished 2^nd behind Gold Trippi in the 7f event, but posted a career-high Beyer figure of 102 in getting there. He makes his second start since switching to the barn of Saeed bin Suroor (who’s 7-3-0 from 13 starters to finish in the money), and he’s breaking from the rail (which has been posting a 20% win average). This horse keeps breaking my heart in the winner’s circle, but he’s fairly consistent on hitting the board, so I’d be crazy not to use him somewhere.

ETA – Effing Pyro. The one time I don’t key him into the win slot, he wins. //sigh

Lights. Camera.

2009-09-04T13:46:00.003-07:00

One of the perks of being part of the TBA and CDI is the sense of being "in the loop" I get from various industry publications. For example, every time Churchill Downs announces some big thing -- like the torrential rains that flooded the grandstand (and cost the Derby Museum an estimated $4mil), or Mine That Bird hitting the track prior to the WV Derby -- I get a personal e-mail notification. It's not generally scoop-worthy news, since anyone involved with either the TBA or CDI gets the same mail; but it's a handy resource, and occasionally it clues me in to something I didn't already know.

In point of fact, today's notification of open casting for extras for Walt Disney Pictures' Secretariat.

Yes. Seriously.

From IONCINEMA.com:

Scripted by Mike Rich, this is about the 1973 Triple Crown-winning racehorse and its owner, Penny Chenery (Diane Lane). Chenery was a mother and housewife who knew little about horses when she was pressed to take over her ailing father's horse farm in Virginia. Though Secretariat came along and began to take shape as a potential champion, Chenery was pressured to sell the farm after her father died and she was hit with a multimillion-dollar inheritance tax. She saved both the farm and the horse, and watched as Secretariat became the first thoroughbred to win the Triple Crown in 25 years, taking the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes in dominating fashion. Chenery became known as the "first lady of racing."

I'm kinda excited by this idea. Sure Disney may be on a roll recently in churning out pre-teen pop features like "Hannah Montana: the Movie", "Jonas Brothers Take Manhattan", and "High School Musical XVII"; but when it comes to "true story"-based sports dramas they've been pretty solid (Remember the Titans and The Rookie spring readily to mind). Mike Rich wrote the latter of those, along with Finding Forrester and Radio; and the film is set to be directed by Randall Wallace, who was also at the helm of We Were Soldiers and The Man in the Iron Mask.

Plus: Diane Lane. How brilliant is that casting?

Had I the spare cash and the time off to go, I would. I remember a similar announcement going 'round Lexington when they were filming Seabiscuit, and the few people I knew at the time who got to play extras in there had tons of fun (sweltering 1930's costumes notwithstanding). If anyone in the area makes it out and gets in, I'd love to hear about it! Currently slated for an October 2010 release, I'll keep an eye out for future casting announcements and promo shots to pass along.

ETA: FTR, I made that Jonas Brothers comment before I saw this. Oh, world. I love your random crossovers sometimes. ^-^

Quick Headline Roundup

2009-09-01T19:31:00.002-07:00

No real shock to this blogger: Alan Garcia has been suspended 7 days following his reckless stretch ride on Vineyard Haven in the GI King's Bishop last Saturday (replay). Wonder how soon he'll appeal to defer it to the end of the season?

In other news: Belmont/Travers winner Summer Bird may be JCGC bound. Given the short list of options heading into the Breeders' Cup, and the ever-shifting tower of 3yo colt supremacy, I think it's a great spot. A victory there could clinch him top honours among his peers come Eclipse time, assuming he follows it up with a start in the Classic.

A (Virtual) Day at The Spa

2009-08-30T12:42:00.000-07:00

10:26 A (Virtual) Day at The Spa officially begins with the 7th race, the G3 Victory Ride. Post time: 2:55 EST. #
11:02 Testing my 'capping strategy for an off track. Doing pretty well so far: Bet $6, up $31.40 (tip o' the hat to Get Stormy in the Lure). #
12:14 So far it looks like off-pace is ruling the dirt. My pick ran a game 2nd in the Victory Ride. Next up: BUMPER CARS! <3 (2yo maidens @ 6f) #
13:06 After much consideration, have decided to go with Rutherienne over Closeout / My Princess Jess in the G2 Ballston Spa. Good Luck! #
13:34 Headded by the insane Irish mare at the wire, so my exacta was busted. Ah well. Running with Tar Heel Mom & Music Note in the G1 Ballerina. #
13:50 Much obliged, Music Note. Nice little $21 return on the Ballerina. Just glad I didn't exacta the bet: THM backed up to last in the stretch. #
14:13 G1 King's Bishop: Laying money down on Munnings over Despite The Odds & the Vineyard Haven / Everyday Heroes entry. #
14:26 Justified DQ of Vineyard Haven. Almost looked rider-perpetuated from the head-on; who else thinks Garcia will see the Stewards tomorrow? o.0 #
14:49 still thinks Quality Road is overhyped. Going w/ Summer Bird here. #
14:57 & by "here", I mean "the G1 Travers". Computer crashed as the horses were loading; had to run into the other room to catch it on ESPN. '0.0 #
15:07 @raceday360 True, but if she gets beat in the Woodward the grouse will be "Well, if she'd been in the Travers, she would have won it." #
15:22 @superfecta Ditto. I thought for sure it would skyrocket considering his 1st crop get included a Derby & a Belmont winner. Good on them! #

Let's talk about the Travers. Jess Jackson took a lot of flack for opting to send Rachel Alexandra to the Woodward versus older horses next weekend instead of running her here against three-year-old colts she'd already beaten (the exception being Quality Road, but more on that in a minute).

While I believe the "official" reason he gave for this was because his up-and-comer Kensei was already aiming for the Midsummer Derby, many subscribed to the theory that her connections didn't want any part of 1 1/4 miles right now (the Woodward is shorter at 1 1/8), while others outright lambasted Jackson for "ducking" Quality Road.

Personally, I'm of the second option; hence the reply above to raceday360, prompted by the comment: "I assume all talk of Rachel Alexandra ducking Quality Road will cease."

In a perfect world, yes. But I'm also a realist, and as Quality Road was soundly beaten by a horse who, in turn, had been thoroughly bested by Rachel Alexandra in the GI Haskell, I will stand by my reply. If she loses the Woodward, and subsequently misses out on Horse of the Year because of it, I've little doubt that Jackson's choice to face off against older horses will come under heavy fire.

As for Quality Road: There's no arguing he has talent. It's not every day that a horse shatters records at both 1 1/8 miles and 6 1/2 furlongs, never mind he's done it in a single season. And he ran a pretty honest race overall, considering it's his second start in five months. But is he the top three-year-old in the country? Not by a longshot. I suspect his best days are yet to come, and look forward to seeing him knock some heads in the handicaps next year. Maybe on grass. Definitely at a mile.

Take nothing away from Summer Bird, though. He ran a hell of a race considering how close to the pace he was, and clearly he relishes the slop as well as the distance. Looking back, it makes me wonder how he'd have fared in the Derby with a little more racing luck on the day. The tweet-back to superfecta was in regard to his sire, Birdstone, who stands at Gainesway in Lexington for the blue collar price of $10,000. Given the result of his first crop I'll be very surprised if this doesn't change come 2010, however the Jockey Club prediction of "the smallest foal crop since 1977" may curtail a hike in prices across the board. Time alone will tell.

Al in all, (Virtual) Day at The Spa was a success and left this writer with a lot to think about in terms of the Breeders' Cup picture. We'll see how that plays out next weekend.

The Turf Meets The Surf

2009-08-09T15:10:00.004-07:00

With Zenyatta running in today’s 8th at Del Mar -- the GI $300k Clement L. Hirsch -- I thought I might amp up by tuning in to the track’s live feed on CalRacing.com and treating it like a day at the races. Thus, here I am: iced tea with lime in hand, DRF Formulator working overtime in the background, patio doors open and ceiling fan on high for that breezy summer feeling. All that’s missing is the roar of the crowd, but as I’ve yet to master the art of teleportation, it’s the closest I can get at the moment to being in California.

It’s not a bad undercard for the day, although the race that holds the most interest for me (aside from the feature) is the 4th -- the GII $150k Best Pal, a wide-open field of juveniles going 6 ½ furlongs on the synth.

A heavily bet debut winner at Hollywood Park last month, Lookin At Lucky is a slim morning line favourite at 2/1. He’s got familiar owner/trainer/jockey connections in Pegram/Baffert/Gomez, and is a Smart Strike son out of a Belong to Me mare.
Second choice Smiling Tiger (5/2) looks to make it 3-for-3 after scoring back-to-back victories at Golden Gate. He’s coming in off a 57-day break however: his last race, the LS $75k Lost in the Fog, was on 13 June.
Hurricane Ike (3/1) comes in with a maiden win at Hollywood and a bullet 6f work under his belt. Trainer John Sadler is having a very good season already, as is jockey Joel Rosario.
My top pick here is the 4th choice M/L, Classical Slew (7/2), who was last seen running 3rd to Necessary Evil in the GIII Hollywood Juvenile.
Rounding out the field, Make Music For Me (10/1) and Supraman (20/1) both look to break their maidens here. The former is running for the first time on Lasix, while the latter showed some late run in his last after hitting the gate at the start.

It’s 22min to post. Got your bets in?

Test Of Champions

2009-06-06T10:49:00.003-07:00

I heard the most ridiculous conspiracy theory the other day: That the only reason we're not seeing Rachel Alexandra in the Belmont Stakes is because Jess Jackson was paid by the NTRA to keep her out.

Visualize my incredulous look here as I say "Really?"

Now don't get me wrong. I'm not naïve. I'm sure this sort of thing happens more often than is publicized. But no, I won't subscribe to this. Because if that were the case, I think she'd have been running in the Acorn instead, not taking the day off.

For what it's worth, I was fine with the idea of her not going in the Belmont. In fact, my ideal path for her would have been the Triple Tiara (Acorn, Mother Goose, and CCAO), take August off, then run back in the Ruffian (12Sep) or the Beldame (3Oct) before shipping to Cali for the BCLC (6Nov). But since I'm not a decision-making member of her court, I just have to trust that those who are have the best course laid out for her through the rest of the year -- and hope that course takes her to a match-up with Zenyatta.

Moving forward, let's talk about the Belmont field. Derby winner and Preakness runner-up Mine That Bird is getting a lot of due respect, although I'm admittedly a little nervous that he's not had a work over the track, and that jockey Calvin Borel chose not to ride anything on the highly contentious undercard (if you haven't seen it, take a look; it's positively brilliant). The Big Sandy is a beast unlike any other in the states. I think you have to run on it to really understand it.

That said, I'm liking the other Birdstone get, Summer Bird, to get a piece of this race. Kent Desormeaux won three in a row early today, and he's obviously hungry for a little redemption following last year's debacle with Big Brown. On the colt, I have to point out that not only was his sire a Belmont spoiler (vs Smarty Jones in 2004), but he closed for a very respectable 6th in the Derby after going 7-wide into the lane. He's coming in fresh, having not raced since Churchill, and as a confirmed closer he looks to want to go a bit of distance.

Charitable Man is another son of a Triple Crown upset (Lemon Drop Kid, vs Charismatic in 1999), and has two wins over this oval to his 3-0-0/4 credit. With the track playing strongly to up-front speed, he could have more company early on than trainer Kiaran McLaughlin would like (Pletcher-trained Dunkirk being the biggest threat), but he looks too good to disregard.

Chocolate Candy represented well enough with a 5th in the Derby, his first traditional dirt start. He's reportedly worked well over the surface, and is reunited with Garrett Gomez; who piloted him to victory in the Real Quiet as a two-year-old. Being bred for a distance, and facing a fast track, I'd gladly back him to hit the board here

Finally, Nick Zito has built a reputation in recent years as the trainer of Belmont day giant killers -- one of those being the aforementioned Birdstone -- and of his dark horse entries this year, Miner's Escape has blossomed impressively since stretching out from the sprint ranks; he could be in the mix late.

Enjoy the race, folks. Happy betting!

2009-05-24T14:38:00.004-07:00

Yesterday's goodness aside (ie: Zenyatta is so much The Queen Freak I have to punctuate it with caps, and how can a victory by elder statesman Brass Hat be anything but cheer-worthy), let's not forget that this sport we love has its dangerous side.

Long-time Chicago-area rider Rene Douglas has been paralyzed following an accident in yesterday's running of the GIII Arlington Matron Handicap wherein his mount -- Born to Be -- was bumped and clipped heels, going down at the 3/16ths pole.

Thoughts, prayers, good juju... Whatever your Faith dictates, I'm sure it'll be appreciated by his family in this difficult time.

Shootin' Bulletpoints

2009-05-16T13:41:00.004-07:00

Rachel Alexandra. Her performance in the Oaks was what we like to call "won for fun". She stalked a solid pace, shifted into high gear without seeing a stick, and cruised home ears up. Jess Jackson is right to test her against the best in the country, gender be damned. Since there's likely to be an up-front speed duel between Big Drama and Pioneerof the Nile, she'll have something to follow and mow down in the stretch.
One other horse that could well benefit from the likely up-front pace is Derby winner Mine That Bird, who proved he could rate far back and make a sustained late run. With Borel stepping off in favor of Rachel Alexandra, he gets the services of classic closing rider Mike Smith. Which raises his stock in my betting book, but I still don't think he'll stack up against the filly.
Pioneerof the Nile, Musket Man, and Papa Clem -- 2nd, 3rd, and 4th in the Derby, respectively. Musket Man took a wide trip to the Derby-winner's rail-skimming move. As a result he got tangled up in the bumper car stretch run between Pioneerof the Nile and Papa Clem, and was checked out of the runner-up spot because of it. I love Pioneerof the Nile, but like his sire I don’t think he’ll shine brightest until Belmont.
General Quarters, Friesan Fire, and Flying Private -- 10th, 18th, and 19th in the Derby. As expected after his Tampa Bay finish, General Quarters balked in heavy traffic and could never get his game on. Friesan Fire has an excuse for the poor showing in pulling a quarter early on before bleeding his way around the slop. Flying Private was never a factor and lost in the Derby crowd. All three seek redemption here, but of them I think the first two are the only ones with any chance.
Luv Guv and Tone It Down are two newcomers with local ties, but I see little chance for either of them. In fact, if he weren't trained by D. Wayne Lucas, I'd never give Luv Guv a second glance. But he takes a big jump up in class here after running exclusively in the MSW ranks, where he held his own but didn't dominate in a way that makes me think he'll do much here, HoF conditioner or not.
Big Drama posted a 108 Beyer last out, but it was the 7f GII Swale on 28Mar, which was his first race since 8Dec... Granted the Preakness isn't supposed to be as "grueling" as the Derby, but with his front-running style I can't help thinking this horse will prove to be a rabbit in the end.
Terrain has butted heads with most of this field during his spring campaign: 4th behind General Quarters in the Blue Grass, 3rd to Friesan Fire and Papa Clem in the Louisiana Derby, 5th behind Big Drama in the Delta Jackpot: but the last time he finished before any of them was the Breeders' Futurity last October, when he bested Pioneerof the Nile by 3. He's a nice colt, but obviously out of his league in GI company.
Take The Points could be worth some value in the exotics. He’s coming in off a strong 4th place showing behind Pioneerof the Nile and Chocolate Candy in the GI Santa Anita Derby back on 4Apr, and has already proven himself a winner twice under Edgar Parado on dirt.

It's 30 minutes to post. Have you made your bets yet? ^-^

Anatomy Of A (Curtailed) Crime

2009-05-16T03:48:00.004-07:00

I think gender wars are silly.

Maybe it's because, as a child of the 70's, I came into womanhood in the 90's: long after the Women’s Lib movement had decided that the best way to get the bullies on the playground to show them some respect was to stop fighting with them and just pretend they weren’t there. Or maybe it's because my formative years were spent in a single mother household: a fact I neither bemoan nor regret as it laid a psychological foundation that has allowed me to see people as “people” first, and “man/woman” second (if at all; truth be told, I place “a credit to society” above gender any day, since my mother also taught me that a strong work ethic had nothing to do with whether or not you peed sitting down).

That said; I certainly respect Rachel Alexandra's connections in their decision to run her against her immediate peers in the Kentucky Oaks, rather than take on the colts in the next day’s Derby. But several fans of the sport were offended by the seeming sexist comments made in their post-race commentary, which included the following statement from Dolph Morrison, the “M” of L and M Partners LLC:

“The Triple Crown is the showcase of the future stallions of our industry ... Colts should run against colts, and fillies should run against fillies.”

Myriad bloggers responded, in varying degrees of outrage, post haste. As I read over the publications however, I admit I understood his point. In fact, I remain willing to concede to his way of thinking on one condition: that if we are going to cleanly gender-segregate the Sport of Kings, we need first to acknowledge the trials and accomplishments of the female of the species. Too much stock – too much responsibility – is being placed on the stud, and as anyone familiar with basic biology will confirm: breeding does not happen with testicles alone. Need I point out that the non-Mr. P half of Kingmambo is Miesque? Just sayin’.

[Sidebar apropos to the above: has anyone else noted the fact that 7 of Medaglia d’Oro’s top 10 performers are 3yo fillies, including both Rachel Alexandra and GII Black-Eyed Susan winner Payton d’Oro? I’m sensing a future broodmare sire here.]

But I digress. The point of this post was not to tangent on the merits of the Blue Hen. Rather to review quickly the events of the past two weeks in time for the second jewel of the Triple Crown: the 134th running of the Preakness Stakes.

For those who missed it, mere days after Rachel Alexandra’s exhibition of domination in the Oaks, she was purchased privately by Jess Jackson’s Stonestreet Stables (you might remember him from such hooplah as Team Curlin and the It’s A Sporting Gesture Band); who immediately moved the filly to Steve Asmussen’s barn, declared the sport should not be about the sexes, dropped $100k in supplemental fees to late-nominate the powerhouse filly to the Triple Crown, then secured a commitment from Calvin Borel for the mount, and pre-entered his new acquisition to the 12th race on Pimlico’s 16 May card. No word yet if this decision will supersede the immediately-post-Oaks report that she’d be Big Sandy bound to start the New York Filly Triple Crown, although chances are if she runs well against the boys here, she could well take on the Belmont.

And then, things got interesting. During interviews on HRTV and TVG, Ahmed Zayat (owner of Derby runner-up Pioneerof the Nile) made comment that he’d been contacted by Mark Allen (co-owner of the Derby winner, Mine That Bird), who informed Zayat of his intent to enter a second colt in the Preakness for the sole purpose of keeping Rachel Alexandra out. He allegedly sited similar views to Morrison’s (which in light of earlier comments about how they’d bought a gelding because they “wanted a racehorse, not a stallion” seems suspiciously hypocritical, but he’s also been accused of bribing a state official during the Alaskan public corruption scandal, so colour me shocked) and dropped co-conspirator names, including that of American Thoroughbred Aristocrat Marylou Whitney. While Zayat initially agreed to the idea, he later changed his mind in the wake of a media backlash:

“Her former owner’s original plan was not to run in the Preakness. He said he had respect for the industry, and that the Triple Crown was to showcase the 3-year-old colts and future stallions. I have never heard of a jockey moving from a Kentucky Derby winner to ride another horse. I find it disrespectful for America’s most coveted race. Considering all these factors, along with what I heard from other owners and breeders, I decided I would do what was in the best interest for all of us. To be honest with you, I’m not playing saint and am not above everything else. I have a vested interest; it was a business decision … Nevertheless, after talking to the president of the Maryland Jockey Club I have decided I don’t want to be viewed as not being a sportsman, so I am happy not to block her for the good of the game. Please understand this is not about me; this is about the industry, and although what is right is not very clear to me I am happy to reconsider my decision for the fans.” BloodHorse

Suffice it to say, the conspiracy fell through and Rachel Alexandra was not only admitted to the field of 14, she was made the heavy Morning Line favourite of 8/5. And I can’t say as I find fault in the assignment. My early prediction is she takes it by 5.

With Borel subscribed to pilot the filly, Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith has been tapped to pick up the mount on Derby winner Mine That Bird. While I’ve little doubt in mind that this year’s Run for the Roses was won by a lucky jock more than a talented horse (but please, feel free to judge for yourself), I will give the gelded son of Birdstone a wary eye now that we know he can come from well of the pace – which happens to be a Mike Smith specialty. All the same, I’m not convinced he can repeat the same effort twice in three weeks, and with a fair representation of early speed in the race I suspect he’ll fold early.

So Rachel Alexandra gets my top honours today: Not because she’s female, but because among one of the strongest crops of three-year-olds I’ve seen in recent years, she stands superior. Don’t agree? Watch the Oaks again. The last time I saw a performance remotely like this, as it aired, I was fourteen.

Finally, as a post-script: I know NBC did something similar in 2007, but I have this deep-buried recollection that, back in the spring of 1988, ABC ran a pre-race promo starring Winning Colors and Risen Star set to the tune of “Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better”. Is anyone out there able to validate this for me? YouTube has failed in this respect, and I’m reasonably certain I’m not crazy...

TWITTERpated

2009-05-02T17:08:00.003-07:00

10:36 Woke up this morning to news: I Want Revenge out of Derby w/ unidentified ankle swelling. :( #
10:42 Wet wet surface with an inside bias at Churchill. Liking Friesan Fire FTW right now. #
10:56 I <3 Randy Moss. #
11:47 ZOMG Bode Baffert! He's grown up so much! #
12:31 @JoeTalamo You're a class act, son. Also, love the suit. ^-^ #
13:16 Hank is starting to slip. Current odds 3/1 he's sloppy by Derby post... #
13:35 It's comforting to know I'm not alone in doing the Hokey Pokey on my picks. #
14:30 There's something uplifting about hearing my thoughts on racing needing a single ruling body being echoed by my mentors. #
14:55 Think Kent D is training up for a commentating position on retirement? :/ #
15:43 0.0 Calvin BoRail strikes again. Ho-ly crap. #
16:18 Good race. Glad I didn't bet it. ^-^ #

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Put Your Right Foot In

2009-04-25T10:48:00.026-07:00

"Who do you like in the Derby?"

It's the question I hear most often this time of year, and as such I'm generally braced for it. Everyone that knows me knows that, by mid-April, I've poured through miles of articles, crunched a mountain of stats, watched hundreds of hours of prep race video, and distilled the essence of the Triple Crown Trail to what I believe is its keystone component: The Kentucky Derby Winner.

When the query was posed to me yesterday during lunch, however, I realized three things:

that in spite of miscellaneous medical defections, the 2009 Triple Crown crop was, by and large, one of the nicer gatherings than I'd seen in several years;
the west coast preps are churning out just as many (if not more) Derby competitors than the east coast tradition; and
my sandwich needed mayo.

Third point being nonsensical, the bottom line was this: Here we were -- eight days from the first Saturday in May -- and I didn't have a single pick for Derby Glory. I could make a solid argument for no less than six three-year-olds. It was a realization delightful in its frustration.

I WANT REVENGE (Stephen Got Even) kicked off the year by running 3rd to Pioneerof The Nile and Papa Clem over the Santa Anita synth in the GII Robert B. Lewis. Since heading east to Aqueduct, he has marched up the ranks with a runaway win in the GIII Gotham [vid] -- which resulted in a percentage of him being sold to IEAH -- and a gritty victory in what I believe was the best prep of the season, the GI Wood Memorial [vid]. Flat-footed at the gate, the colt was taken well out of his usual game by trailing the field down the backstretch, before threading through traffic in the lane under a masterful ride by 19-year-old recently-turned-pro Joe Talamo (who incidentally has pledged a percentage of his winnings to New Orleans Children's Hospital should his horse win the Derby). That the colt is talented is of no dispute; however it would seem that few good things in this sport go without a tinge of conspiracy as his trainer, Jeff Mullins, was recently accused of and suspended for administering medication to one of his charges in the pre-race security barn at Aqueduct. Nevertheless, I Want Revenge still tops my list of Derby contenders.

Currently battling the aforementioned for my top honours, FRIESAN FIRE (A.P. Indy) has done little wrong this season; notching consecutive wins in the GIII LeComte, the GIII Risen Star, and the GII Louisiana Derby -- the last of which was run over a very soupy track against future GII Arkansas Derby-winner Papa Clem [vid]. With the possibility of an off-track looming, Friesan Fire could well oust I Want Revenge from my top spot on that principal alone. He is trained by the upstanding Larry Jones, who conditioned runners-up in both the 2007 and 2008 Derbies (Hard Spun and Eight Belles, respectively) and will reportedly be retiring at the end of this year.

In spite of being strictly synthetic raced so far in his undefeated career, PIONEEROF THE NILE (Empire Maker) gets my seal of approval for two reasons: 1] trainer Bob Baffert (three-time Derby winning conditioner and recent Racing Hall of Fame inductee) was very pleased with the colt's most recent work over the Churchill surface; and 2] jockey Garrett Gomez chose him over Dunkirk for the Derby. Also, his pedigree is, in my opinion, the least suspect for getting a classic distance; and he didn't get off easy in his last prep after pressing a rapid pace and then fending off a late-closing Chocolate Candy.

PAPA CLEM (Smart Strike) legitimized his Derby standings by grinding out a win in the GII Arkansas Derby [vid], and proved trainer Gary Stute's belief that he wasn't a California speedball. The colt stalked a mean pace down the backside before fanning out six-wide in the turn, wearing Old Fashioned down in the final sixteenth to get a neck in front. Since arriving at Churchill, he's gotten a solid 7f work in, and could breeze again a few days before the big dance. He looks to be on the improve, something I very much like to see in a Derby contender.

CHOCOLATE CANDY (Candy Ride [ARG]) was clearly second best to Pioneerof The Nile in the GI Santa Anita Derby [vid], but I can't help thinking it was just the sort of prep he needed. In fact, with the exclusion of I Want Revenge's trip in the Wood Memorial, it's my favorite prep this season. Coming in off a 7-week lay-off, Chocolate Candy settled well off the pace, bore 8- almost 9-wide out of the turn, and made the winner work every stride to hold on to that lead. Improving his chances at Derby glory will be veteran jockey Mike Smith in the irons, whose riding style will suit the colt's come-from-behind running style (ala Giacomo).

Honourable mention goes to GENERAL QUARTERS (Sky Mesa), who has a good stalking style and is most certainly the biggest human interest angle of this year's entries (although it, too, is not without its sullied side). If he can get a good outside trip and stay out of trouble -- which was exactly what didn't happen in the GIII Tampa Bay Derby [vid] and resulted in his lacklustre 5th place finish -- if he can do that, I have little doubt he'll run in the money versus any of those listed here.

Also, QUALITY ROAD (Elusive Quality), who gets cited here based off his track record-setting effort in winning the GI Florida Derby over a very gutty late move by Dunkirk [vid]. However chronic foot issues developing since then have tempered my opinion of his chances, trainer Jimmy Jerkens' teleconference commentary notwithstanding.

There's a few others I may wax lyrical about between now and then. The field is not yet set, and in a game where odds are made overnight and careers can change at the drop of a pin, seven days is a long time.

So I'll spend the week putting my right foot in. Doin' the Hokey-Pokey. Turnin' myself around.

Because that's what it's all about.

RE: 3.14 Preps

2009-03-14T20:44:00.009-07:00

Just a quick recap of the day's Derby preps and a little commentary on the winners. Tomorrow, I will post my Derby Top 10.

GII San Felipe : Pioneerof the Nile
I like a horse that can change tactics where necessary and not have a meltdown over it. Also, kudos to GoGo for recognizing that Talamo was killing the pace and sending his colt up early to press it. That right there saved him.

GII Rebel : Old Fashioned
Does 2nd here mean he can't run over a mile? Not in the least. I think it was a tactics beat, not a training or talent one. Suicidal opening fractions did him in. He was miles ahead of the rest of the field; the horse that beat him was a last-to-first move in the stretch.

GII Louisiana Derby : Friesan Fire [pic]
Moves to #1 with a bullet on my Derby list, for good reason. The ease he showed over the slop here was very appealing, especially since he was only :00.11 off of the final time for the San Felipe (which was run over a fast synth) and :01.21 off the final time I Want Revenge ran in the Gotham last week.

GIII Tampa Bay Derby : Musket Man [Yonaguska - Fortunesque (Fortunate Prospect)]
Last seen running 3rd behind General Quarters and Sumo in the Sam F Davis on Valentine's Day, he handed those rivals and seven others a sound defeat to the tune of 6-1. Chances are good his owners will supplement to nominate him for the Triple Crown off this victory, if they haven't already.

Aptly Named

2009-03-08T09:52:00.005-07:00

I don't know about anyone else, but my heart was in my throat by deep stretch of yesterday's GI Santa Anita Oaks. In case you haven't seen it: Go. Watch. I'll wait.

//insert Gershwin instrumental here//

Moving 8-wide off the turn, Stardom Bound ground out the final 16th in :06 and change. I'd be very interested in seeing her personal fractions in the final half, considering the pace held up pretty steady throughout, and she spotted the leaders nine lengths to start. If you watch closely, you can see the moment Mike Smith steps on the gas; just as they're entering the far turn, she quickens.

There was some talk before this race that, if she performed well, she could take on the colts in the Santa Anita Derby next month en route to a shot at the big dance in May. My opinion here is the debate is moot: This win was literally at the wire, and -- not to take anything from the three fillies that blanketed the finish with her -- I don't think the added distance of the SA Derby will be enough to sway Frankel to take on The Pamplemousse, Pioneerof the Nile, and I Want Revenge. So I'm not holding my breath to see her in the Derby. Either of them.

------------

Speaking of I Want Revenge, the 3yo son of Stephen Got Even proved he could make a successful switch to dirt by uncorking a devastating run in the final eighth of the GIII Gotham at Aqueduct yesterday. It was 8 1/2 lengths back to m/l favorite and pace-setter Mr. Fantasy, who was just nipped for 2nd by a very fast-closing Imperial Council.

"We thought the dirt would move him up," trainer Jeff Mullins said of his California invader's win. "I don't know if that's what did it or not. We might have just picked the right spot. He's going to stay here and run in the Wood (Memorial, GI, 4 April). We're going to think about this one for a while."

I feel his victory here pulls into sharper light his west coast efforts, which include a tough beat 2nd to the aforementioned Pioneerof the Nile in the CashCall Futurity last December. Assuming his synth/dirt switchover isn't a fluke (and if recent memory serves, I believe Colonel John and Street Sense both pulled successful campaigns just that way), who's to say that others won't follow the same track with similar results? The fact that I've yet to have an east coast dirt runner grab my attention quite like the Cali campaigners this year is jarring.

------------

I thought Einstein [BRZ] looked fantastic in taking on a very salty field of international 'cappers in yesterday's GI Santa Anita Handicap. The 7yo son of Spend a Buck, out of the Brazilian multiple Stakes-winning mare Gay Charm, was last seen running a lagging but steady 3rd in the GI Donn; he dug in here to hold off a typical late charge from Champs Elysees [GB] under a 121lb impost, the highweight of the 13-horse field.

The bit about this that truly makes me smile however is his trainer, Helen Pitts, who will go down in history as the first woman to train a Big 'Cap winner. "It's an unbelievable feeling," she was quoted as saying after the race. "He means so much to me. It's my biggest win."

It's a long way off, I know, but if his connections decide to supplement him for the Breeders' Cup, I'd certainly play him in the Classic.

RttR Opening Weekend Recap +

2009-02-19T15:17:00.009-07:00

Not a bad start for Vigorish Arizona this year, as the first four races landed me at 4113 of ~11706.

GIII Sam F. Davis (1 1/16mi, $225k) : General Quarters [Sky Mesa - Ecology (Unbridled's Song)] pulls a 13-1 upset in his first two-turn event at Tampa Bay, taking advantage of a wide-open rail to draw away by 3½ and paying $29 to his backers. As a human interest sidebar, this colt is owned and trained by a 75-year-old Louisville man.
GIII El Camino Real (1 1/8mi, $200k) : Chocolate Candy [Candy Ride |ARG| - Crownette (Seattle Slew)] proves the best over a short field of seven at Golden Gate, justifying his 1-2 odds with a grinding half-length win. The Jerry Hollendorfer trainee improves his lifetime record to 4-1-1 in 8, and will likely go to the GII San Felipe for his next start.
GII San Vicente (7f, $150k) : Evita Argentina [Candy Ride |ARG| - Jealous Wildcat (Forest Wildcat)] makes good on her 2-1 favoritism with a huge last-to-first move in the stretch under jockey Garrett Gomez. While she's not likely to be a Derby or Oaks filly, she will be one to keep an eye on come Breeders' Cup Sprint next fall.
GIII Southwest (1mi, $250k) : Old Fashioned, heavily played at the windows and going off at 1-2, gets a perfect stalking ride behind quick fractions before kicking on to win by 3¼ in 1:37². Trainer Larry Jones has reportedly penciled in the GII Rebel and the GII Arkansas Derby as the colt's projected path to Kentucky.

This week is a bit thin with only one scoring race: the LS Turf Paradise Derby (1 1/16mi, $100k), where a field of 7 are scheduled to go postward. They're mostly locals, however the top two M/L choices are also the only two shipping into Phoenix for the event, including Bob Baffert-trained / Michael Pegram-owned Mayor Marv [Distorted Humor - Miss Wineshine (Wolf Power |Saf|)]. Currently 1-3-1 from 6 lifetime, he comes in off a gate-to-wire $46k MSW win at this distance over the Santa Anita synth last out. Baffert's become a bit of a synthetics specialist in recent years and as such is overdue a Derby contender; but while I don't find it likely this colt will be it I will reserve final judgment until Sunday. After all, his damsire is Wolf Power, a grandson of Round Table, so we know he's bred to handle the classic distance.

In other news, 2007 Sunshine Millions Dash winner Storm In May is running in the 2nd at Gulfstream on Sunday (1m, $45k) for a $150k tag. He may be on the downward slope now at 5, but I still adore him.

And finally, veteran jockey John Velazquez has been named as the recipient of this year's George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award. Presented annually since 1950 to the rider who best exemplifies the sport of Thoroughbred racing both professionally and personally, the award is voted on by an audience of peers, and comes with a miniaturized replica of the statue of George Woolf found at Santa Anita.

The long-time first-call rider for trainer Todd Pletcher, 37-year-old "Johnny V" finds himself in esteemed company: among those previously awarded are Laffit Pincay, Jr., Pat Day, Chris McCarron, Jerry Bailey, and last year's recipient Richard Migliore. Hall of Fame rider Gary Stevens, who was presented the award in 1996, made the announcement. The official presentation will be made at Santa Anita in late March/early April. Congrats, Johnny!

@ Gulfstream Park, 2006

News from the Shed

2009-02-15T16:42:00.003-07:00

Two-time Horse of the Year Curlin "officially" entered stud duty on Friday, when he covered his first mare at Lane's End Farm.

Maggy Hawk, whose own career on the track was short-lived, has gained honour since then as the dam of Afleet Alex and Unforgettable Max, and as the grand-dam of MSW Cash's Girl. She is owned by Jess Jackson, who is the primary owner of Curlin.

"We are pleased to see Curlin move into his new career by breeding such an outstanding mare as Maggy Hawk," Lane's End owner Will Farish said. I couldn't agree more.

OpEd: The Road to Reform

2009-02-15T14:44:00.006-07:00

I've been thinking a lot lately about the state of the industry, and things that need to change in order to improve it. Admittedly I've been kicking ideas around for a while, many of them sparked by the mandatory conversion of all California racetracks to synthetic (which continues to wreak havoc on my ability to 'cap Cali-campaigned horses running on traditional dirt surfaces), and each as pipe-dreamy as the last. But I have hope that, if we take the time to voice ourselves with clarity and work together to the common end, widespread reformation can yet be achieved.

The California track surface mandate was a start, but the CHRB needs to take a closer look at some of their fine-print practices. The Slender Suit is a start: Clearly the Steward in this case overreached his station, and the appellate court agreed. First filed in December of 2005, the case alleges that an owner was prevented from taking his horse from the Del Mar grounds after his request to withdraw from a race was denied by the Steward. The horse in question (John's Kinda Girl) was recovering from an ankle injury, and while the owner wanted to give her another few weeks off and run her in a Stakes at Emerald Downs, the request was a day late and the Steward reportedly stationed guards at the horse's stall to prevent its departure from the grounds. The connections were forced to send her to post, where she finished 7th of 8 at odds of 28-1 and - according to the owner - was never the same. The appeal victory is sure to spark a small powder keg over some of the CHRB talking out one side of their face about the health and safety of the horses being their prime directive, but if nothing else will at least bring the writing of CHRB Rule 1530 into finer definition.

[As a sidebar to the above, does anyone else find it a bit startling that there are so many breakdowns being highlighted on Jockeys? Considering it's staged at Santa Anita (where the surface issues have been no secret among the media savvy in spite of a fatality-free Breeders' Cup under its belt), and all the sabre-rattling PETA loves to direct our way in the wake of Eight Belles, you'd think they'd find some way other than horses faceplanting to illustrate the dangers of a jockey's chosen profession. Just sayin'.]

Another brilliant notion that I've pondered in recent months - and, thanks to my inability to express the idea coherently, was totally scooped by fellow blogger Scot Gillies on Five-Cross Files last Wednesday (no hard feelings, mate. Great minds and all that. ^-^) - is the idea of a 100% interactive online database geared specifically for auction houses. Now I've worked my fair share of open and select auctions: Keeneland, F/T KY, and no small number of Standardbred sales including Harrisburg. I've seen the owners, trainers, and bloodstock agents toting around their Sales Bible like badges of honour: much abused, horridly dog-eared, coffee- and tobacco-stained; with weeks of painstakingly printed out research, scrawled over by personal remarks in crazed shorthand, disheveled as a teenage haircut. In today's technology, it's amusing in its absurdity.

Now imagine those same patrons with PDA's: Sleek, one-handed devices with all that information at their fingertip, and then some. Books can be updated in real-time, pedigrees can go back as far as you want to follow them, and there's never "not enough room". Want to know how well A. P. Indy progeny have been selling since opening day? Boom. Done. Want to see that two-year-old breeze again? Here ya go. Has that yearling been scoped? x-rayed? Why yes he has; here's the scans. It's also eco-friendly, likely to be cheaper in the long run to printing out catalogues, and could employ all sorts of geeks like me for a lifetime.

Granted, it'll likely cut down on the "compulsive buyer" driving up prices on horses - a factor I'm certain the auction houses bank on with every book they print. But in the spirit of reform, I think it'll lend itself to clearing out some of the rabble that have likewise driven up the price of the sport; making it less appealing for those who would like to get in, but don't much care for the IEAH hedge fund formula. Given the success of internet information companies such as Google and, to the niche side, IMDb, I cannot see this project falling under the ungettable get. But someone more technically inclined than myself will have to start it. ^-^

So there ya go. A little food for thought. Comments, of course, are always welcome.

Road to the Roses

2009-02-10T18:12:00.012-07:00

With the opening of Kentucky Derby Future Wager (Pool 1), Road to the Roses 2009 has been launched. My stable this year is as follows:

NAME: Vigorish Arizona

TRAINERS:
Steve Asmussen - 25 horses nominated.
Larry Jones - only 3 nominations, but they include Friesan Fire and Old Fashioned.

JOCKEYS:
Rafael Bejarano - 32-34-24 from 162 mounts*
Garrett Gomez - 30-29-17 from 140 mounts*

HORSES:
Alma d'Oro b. c. [Medaglia d'Oro - Brenda D S (Fortunate Prospect)] - Dutrow/Prado (5-2)†
My "dark horse" nod this year, who was an impressive winner 2nd out in a $40k MSW at Gulfstream on 15 January. Gets enough of my respect for sire and jockey to look past my qualms with the trainer.

Beethoven b. c. [Sky Mesa - Moonlight Sonata (Carson City)] - Ward/Borel (15-1)
Caught wide into the first turn of his 3yo debut (the GIII Holy Bull), he made a brief run at the leaders out of the backstretch, but ultimately gave way to finish 4th. It was his first start in 2 months however, so I'm banking on "he needed a tightener".

Coronet of a Baron ch. c. [Pure Prize - Time for a Crown (Time for a Change)] - Harty/? (5-2)†
3rd in the BC Juvenile Turf. Has yet to make his 3yo bow. At present, there are no workouts listed for him on the DRF. Since I invariably have at least one horse drop off the face of the planet by mid-March, I figured I'd beat it to the punch by picking a likely candidate right away.

Friesan Fire b. c. [A.P.Indy - Bollinger [AUS] (Dehere) ] - Jones/Saez (12-1)
Has shown a marked improvement with distance, winning both the GIII LeComte and the GIII Risen Star (on 10 January and 7 February, respectively). Will most likely run next in the GII Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds on 14 March, although the GII Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn on the same day is also possible.

Haynesfield ch. c. [Speightstown - Nothing Special (Tejabo)] - Asmussen/Dominguez (50-1)
Winner of the LS Count Fleet and the LS Whirlaway so far this year. Is slated to appear next in the GIII Gotham S. at Aqueduct on 7 March.

Midshipman ch. c. [Unbridled's Song - Fleet Lady (Avenue of Flags)] - bin Suroor/? (12-1)
The BC Juvenile winner is currently training in Dubai, where he'll reportedly make his 3yo debut in the GII UAE Derby at Nad Al Sheba on 28 March.

Notonthesamepage ch. c. [Catienus - Blue Holiday (Cure the Blues)] - Ward/Trujillo (30-1)
Has not raced since winning the LS Spectacular Bid at Gulfstream on 3 January (which incidentally was his first outing since running 11th over the Turfway synth in the Lane's End Breeders' Futurity last October), although I did get an announcement yesterday morning that he was entered to run at Longchamp on the 12th (Race 1, apparently) that I can't seem to substantiate. He was training at Gulfstream as late as 7 February.

Old Fashioned gr./rn. c. [Unbridled's Song - Collect Call (Meadowlake)] - Jones/Dominguez (10-1)
Dominated over the competition in winning the GII Remsen last November, has yet to make an afternoon appearance in 2009. However he's been training steadily since 7 January (including a bullet :48.40 half-mile last week) and the trackside scuttlebutt is he'll likely go to the GIII Southwest at Oaklawn this Saturday.

Pioneerof the Nile dk.b./br. c. [Empire Maker - Star of Goshen (Lord At War [ARG])] - Baffert/Gomez (12-1)
Closed the gap in the stretch like an old pro in winning the GII Robert B. Lewis over the Santa Anita synth in his debut 3yo start. Nothing's official for his next step, but I predict the GII San Felipe / GI Santa Anita Derby route is likely in store before he moves over to dirt.

Stardom Bound gr./rn. f. [Tapit - My White Corvette (Tarr Road)] - Frankel/Smith (12-1)
The BC Juvenile Fillies winner is undefeated in her last 4 starts, including a trademark, hands down, come-from-behind victory in her 3yo opener: the GI Las Virgenes at Santa Anita last Saturday. There's talk that she'll likely give the boys a go in the GI Santa Anita Derby on 4 April before they decide between the Oaks and the Derby, but the path they take to get there is uncertain.

* - as of 2/9/09.
† - denotes "All Others" in KDFW pool.

The New Media

2009-02-05T21:17:00.006-07:00

JOCKEYS, a docu-drama following the lives of seven riders on the SoCal racing circuit during the 30-day Oak Tree at Santa Anita meet in 2008, will premier tomorrow night (Friday) at 9pM E/P on Animal Planet. The 12-part series will be presented in two-hour blocks over the next six weeks.

While I'm generally opposed to the idea of another reality show, I recognize and accept the power it has as a media source; and if there's one thing the sport needs, it's more behind-the-scenes type marketing to bring in new fans.

Also, Mike Smith + Chantal Sutherland = 100% adorable.

And so I tip my cap to the series and wish it well. May it serve the purpose for which it was intended, and not become a rallying point for cynics and dissenters. I'll be watching!

Eclipse'd

2009-01-27T03:42:00.003-07:00

With an 86% voter participation rate, the Eclipse Awards have been tallied and presented, and Curlin enters stud duty with another feather in his cap: becoming the first horse since the mighty Cigar ('95, '96) to be awarded consecutive Horse of the Year titles. He also took Older Male by a landslide, much as Zenyatta took Older Female, Stardon Bound claimed Two-year-old Female, and Good Night Shirt secured Steeplechase Horse.

Midshipman was named Two-year-old Male: the Darley-owned son of Unbridled’s Song is currently in Dubai, where he'll apparently make his 3yo debut in the UAE Derby on World Cup day. No surprise really that Big Brown claimed the Three-year-old Male trophy, although the closeness of Three-year-old Female winner Proud Spell and tragic stablemate Eight Belles was: in fact, the entire list was closely contested, further proving the superiority of the fairer sex last season, if a girl may have an opinion.

I'm delighted that Indian Blessing and Benny the Bull received Female and Male Sprinter, respectively. It makes up for my disappointment that Conduit [IRE] was voted Male Turf Horse over the gritty double-threat Einstein [ARG] (although his connections to the Cunningham/Gallion muck could have played a part. At least Curlin was released from that mess before voting started). Also, the fact that people wrote in Muralakana [FR] for Female Turf Horse made me smile, even if there were only two of you and there was no chance of her beating Forever Together's 137-vote runaway.

Adena Springs took Outstanding Breeder honours for the fifth consecutive year, and Stronach Stables took Outstanding Owner. Now if Frankie could get his tracks in order as well, we'd all be better off.

As expected, Steve Asmussen and Garrett Gomez were awarded Outstanding Trainer and Outstanding Jockey. And it's a SoFla boy to be named Outstanding Apprentice Jockey - and of course, he didn't start riding until after I left. All the same, I'll be keeping an eye out for Pascacio "Paco" Lopez in the months to come.

And the hits just keep on coming...

2009-01-13T16:05:00.003-07:00

Top sprinter Indyanne, who fractured a sesamoid in her left front ankle during the GI La Brea Stakes at Santa Anita on December 27th, has been euthanized.

Owner John Sikura of Hill n' Dale Farms was quoted: "We did everything we could. It was unfair to continue treatment in a manner that would have been inhumane to this courageous mare. Her condition deteriorated to the point that she could not enjoy a pain free life. A lack of blood supply to the area of the injured limb caused a large wound that did not respond to treatment. Dr. [Larry] Bramlage could not do surgery to stabilize the joint under these circumstances. We did all we could and feel awful about the result."

A 4yo daughter of Indian Charlie, she was first purchased for $375,000 at the 2007 Fasig-Tipton Florida March sale of 2-year-olds in training. A multiple Graded Stakes winner, she captured her first four starts -- which included a 9 1/2 length score in the GIII Azalea Stakes at Calder -- by a combined 32 1/2 lengths. She was bought by Sikura after winning the GIII Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes last fall at Keeneland.

Her death brings the total of fatal injuries sustained at Santa Anita since the start of the winter/spring meet on December 26th to 4, with numerous non-fatal injuries being reported as track conditions continue to shift with the weather. Measures are currently underway to correct the problem. For more on this, including trainer opinions and notes from the ProRide expert, click here.

Tragic

2009-01-13T14:28:00.008-07:00

Sad news from the Mott barn, where 6yo Go Between has died of an apparent heart attack following a workout yesterday morning at Payson Park Training Center in Florida.

Why the story wasn't picked up until now is beyond me. According to BloodHorse, the Peter Vegso homebred son of Point Given pulled himself up after clocking 6f in 1:17 4/5, and appeared to be cooling out fine back in the shed row when his heart rate was checked. According to Vesgo it was "off the chart".

"[The] vet started treatments to stabilize the heart," he explained. "The best they could get it down to was 200 beats per minute. He laid down in his stall, and Bill said about an hour later he died."

Go Between was the winner of 8 in 27 starts, finishing on the board an additional 13 times. Frequently piloted by Garrett Gomez, he scored multiple Listed and Graded Stakes victories with a tremendous come-from-behind style: among them the Virginia Derby (GII-T), Fayette Stakes (GIII), Palm Beach Stakes (GIII-T), Sunshine Millions Classic, Unbridled Breeders’ Cup Handicap, and Cherokee River Stables Classic Stakes. At the time of his death, he was training toward a repeat in the Sunshine Millions in preparation for the GI Santa Anita Handicap.

"It's a real gloomy day around here for us," said Mott. "He had been in the barn since he was a two-year-old and was as sound and as healthy of a horse as you could ask for. It's just one of the terrible things that can happen. To be honest, we're all pretty in down in the mouth about it."

No further tests have been ordered to determine the cause of death. His remains will be cremated, and the ashes buried at Vegso's Ocala farm.

Highs and Lows

2009-01-09T15:06:00.008-07:00

It is with a heavy heart that I pass the word that venerable turf writer Joe Hirsch has died. Since I cannot possibly do justice to the man's exemplary past, I redirect here, and trust his colleagues at the Daily Racing Form to put it best. You were a class act and admired by many, Mr. Hirsch; this amateur blogger included. Godspeed, sir.

With the exception of Horse of the Year, finalists were announced today for the 2008 Eclipse Awards. A full listing (with links to bios) can be found at The BloodHorse, but if I could single out my picks, they would be as follows:

Two-year-old Colt - Midshipman. The Godolphin-owned, bin Suroor-trained son of Unbridled's Song (out of multiple Stakes-winner and former California Champion 3yo filly Fleet Lady) was impressive in his maiden voyage, grinding out a MSW win over highly-touted Street Hero back in August under the guidance of veteran trainer Bob Baffert. He followed that up by jumping right into GI competition, nipping Coronet of a Baron at the wire in the Del Mar Futurity. After running a game 2nd to Street Hero in the GI Norfolk, he was purchased by Godolphin, who capped off the year with a rousing win in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.
Two-year-old Filly - Stardom Bound. Or, as jockey Mike Smith calls her, "Little Zenyatta". She walked out of the gate in her first start, spotting the leaders about 15 lengths heading into the turn before looping the lot to miss the win by a nod. Since then, her races jumped up to Graded class and greater distance, and she's thrived on both: claiming the GI Del Mar Debutante, the GI Oak Leaf, and the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. The Tapit daughter has since been purchased by IEAH, who paid $5.7mil for her at the Fasig-Tipton November Select sale.
Three-year-old Colt - Raven's Pass. Partially because I'm sick to death of everyone thinking Big Brown was the biggest thing to hit the turf since Affirmed, but mostly because the 3yo season Raven's Pass put together was impressive as hell. He faced some of Europe's best and held his own before becoming the first Euro-campaigned horse to win the Breeders' Cup Classic.
Three-year-old Filly - Proud Spell. Although her connections opted out of the Breeders' Cup Distaff, once a month from February through September the wee Larry Jones-trained daughter of Proud Citizen (out of the Langfuhr mare Pacific Spell) strung together a series of Graded Stakes appearances that is almost unheard of by modern convention, and never missed the board.
Older Male - Curlin. Yes, he may have missed the mark in the Breeders' Cup Classic by running 4th in his only synthetic start. Yes, he may have been wearing down toward the tail end of the year against competition he'd have smoked at 3. But how many horses in the modern era have pieced together a jet setting season like he's done, and not folded completely under the strain? It's a rare talent and, take nothing away from Zito's iron horse Commentator, it's superior to his fellow finalists.
Older Female - Zenyatta. Hands down. A perfect 7-0 season (9-0 lifetime) capped off by an electrifying - and deceptively easy - Breeders' Cup Distaff win deserves nothing less. End of discussion.
Male Sprinter - Benny The Bull. I had a tough time with this choice, as there's no denying Midnight Lute's repeat in the Breeders' Cup Sprint was delightfully shocking. But he only raced twice in 2008, his only win coming in that race, and I hardly think that's enough to stand up to the early-season exploits of Benny The Bull. Before being sidelined with injury, the 5yo IEAH-owned Mt Livermore grandson racked up victories in the Sunshine Millions Sprint, the GI Dubai Golden Shaheen, and the GII True North and Smile Sprint Handicaps.
Female Sprinter - Indian Blessing. The best decision trainer Bob Baffert made with this filly was turning her back off a route. After winning the GII 7f Santa Ynez, she stretched out to hang on and come up short in her two subsequent races at 1 1/16mi. Foregoing the Oaks trail, she returned in June to run 2nd in the GI Acorn before rattling off three impressive Graded Stakes wins at 6-7f, including a 7 length victory in the GI Test.
Male Turf Horse - Einstein [BRZ]. Dual-nominated in the Champion Older Horse category, it's pretty clear where his strengths lie. And while he's no English Channel, the 6yo son of Spend A Buck did compile a strong résumé of turf accomplishments in 2008: wins in the GI Gulfstream Park Turf (over Dancing Forever) and the GI Woodford Reserve Turf (over Out Of Control [BRZ] and Artiste Royal [IRE]), 2nd in the GI Maker's Mark Mile (to Kip Deville) and the GII Firecracker Handicap (to Thorn Song). He also ran 2nd to former stablemate Curlin in the GI Stephen Foster, and bested Delightful Kiss and Commentator in the GII Clark; both run on dirt.
Female Turf Horse - Forever Together. Another tough decision, although infinitely harder than the Sprint as Goldikova [IRE] was tough as nails in winning the Breeders' Cup Mile over defending champ Kip Deville in her only US start. But the consensus seems to be that the Distaffers of 2008 were a superior lot compared to their male counterparts, and as such Forever Together butted heads with the best of them throughout the year. Along with the blanket finish victory over Sealy Hill [CAN] and Wait A While in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, she triumphed in the GI Diana (over Dynaforce and Rutherienne) and the GI First Lady (over Precious Kitten).
Steeplechase Horse - Good Night Shirt. After a 2007 season spent running in McDynamo's shadow, the 8yo gelded son of Concern carved a perfect 5-0 record in 2008 beginning with the GI Georgia Cup in April, and ending with a repeat win in the GI Colonial Cup in November.
Owner - IEAH Stables.
Breeder - WinStar Farm.
Trainer - Steve Asmussen.
Jockey - Garrett Gomez.
Apprentice Jockey - Once again, I have no input on this as none of the names listed are in the slightest bit familiar. If anyone out there would care to educate me, I'm eager to learn about these three up-and-comers.

This week, Public Handicapper challenges me with one from the Big A, two at Fair Grounds, and one from Santa Anita which is apparently still having tragic surface issues.

In the $65k Busanda S. (1mi 70yd, inner dirt, 3yo F restricted), I'll go with Flashing on top, who was well bet in her debut win and comes with the hot trainer/jockey combo of Albertrani/Dominguez. Kiaran McLaughlin brings Fitz Just Right to the gate after a nearly two month maturity layoff: he's on a roll with 5 winners from 13 starters, and she's 2 for 2 lifetime with a bullet :48 4f leading into this, so at 8-1 ML I'll pick her to place. I'll round out my ticket with Southern Charmer, who came up short at this distance her last out but was gaining well, and may improve with blinkers on here.

I don't have the PP's for the $75k Louisiana H. for 4yo+ at Fair Grounds, but since that didn't stop me from penning the trifecta in last weekend's Turfway Prevue (wrong order notwithstanding), I'll trust the M/L and go with Honest Man over Tend, with Secret Getaway third. Honest Man because of his trainer, Tend for the jock, and Secret Getaway because he's listed 3-1.

Also at Fair Grounds and officially kicking off the Derby trail is the GIII LeComte S. ($100k, 3yo @ 1mi). I'm topping my ticket with Asmussen-trained Uno Mas, who sports a 2-2-0 in 5 and looked sharp in winning his last out. Patena is making his first dirt start following a minor Stakes win over the Woodbine synth; he's 2-1-0 in 4 and his speed figures have been improving with each out. After running out of ground in his maiden start at 6f, Indygo Mountain blew the doors off the competition in a 1mi race at Churchill nearly two months ago; I'll be looking for a tightener here more than a win.

Finally, we go west for the GII San Pasqual H. (1 1/16mi, 4yo+). I cannot ignore the presence of Well Armed, who makes his first start in over 2 months for trainer Eoin Harty. He returns to a preferred distance here and should improve to his pre-Breeders' Cup 100+ figures, especially with stablemate Past The Point alongside to insure an honest pace. Marchfield has acquitted himself well on the synth even if his speed figures are below the average here; he's sure to have a good pace up front to run at, and that will help him. Mostacolli Mort has the hot hot duo of Sadler/Gomez behind him, who are 3-0-1 in 8 starts this meet.

Speaking of the Derby: CDI launched their site for the 124th running, and Road to the Roses is just a future wager away. Have you started picking your stables?

Why hello there, 2009.

2009-01-05T12:08:00.007-07:00

Hiatus over. Let's jump right in.

New Year's Day bid an official farewell to Garrett Gomez's chance of breaking Jerry Bailey's single season earnings record. The (soon-to-be two-time) Eclipse Award-winning jockey ended the year $10,609 shy of the honour, which was set at $23,354,960 in 2003.

Gomez, who turned 37 on January 1st, would have surpassed the record if not for an accident in the 2yo restricted Eddie Logan Stakes on December 27th when his mount, Back At You, bounced off the rail entering the stretch and went down. Taken to the hospital to be treated for several missing teeth and a gash to the knee, Gomez was forced to give up the mounts on Bsharpsonata in the GI La Brea (3rd behind Indian Blessing and Ginger Pop), and Proudinsky [GER], who won Sunday's GII San Gabriel. He returned to the track on the 29th, winning two, and the 31st, winning three. His final mount of the year, Baroness Thatcher, finished 3rd in the Kalookan Queen Handicap.

"In retrospect, though, I'm grateful that I even had a chance," Gomez was quoted as saying. "This was working out to become a pretty good story. But it was just a blessing to be riding [again]. The fall the other day was unfortunate, but that's part of our world. I look at it this way. It was time get some new teeth anyway."

It's been a good start of the year for Florida-based sire Put It Back, who appears to have a knack for throwing synthetic runners: His 6yo son In Summation rolled to a repeat win in the GIII El Conejo Handicap at Santa Anita, while 3yo Backbackbackgone inproved his record to 4-0-0 in 5 by winning the Golden Bear Stakes at Golden Gate Fields.

At Palm Meadows, trainer Michael Matz has been quoted as saying that Nicanor, the 3yo full brother of Barbaro, is "doing fine. If everything continues to go well he should be starting at the end of the month." Whether or not this highly anticipated debut lands him on the Triple Crown trail remains to be seen, although at this stage he'd have to take the Fountain of Youth / Florida Derby route to make the earnings grade.

BC Juvenile Fillies winner Stardom Bound -- who was purchased by IEAH at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky selected fall mixed sale for $5.7mil -- could kick off her 3yo season in the GI Las Virgenes at Santa Anita, according to new trainer Bobby Frankel. The 1mi event is slated for February 7th. Let's hope the track surface is sorted out by then... again.

Meanwhile, over at Public Handicapper, the new year began with two selections from Gulfstream (the Spectacular Bid and the Hal's Hope), one from Turfway Park (the Turfway Prevue), and one from Santa Anita (the Monrovia). As an editorial note, I detest the way Public Handicapper "pays out", and wish someone out there was willing (or that I was able) to write a new one*. But it makes for good motivation to 'cap races at least once a week and occasionally brings my attention to a race I'd otherwise have missed.

In the 3yo restricted Spectacular Bid Stakes, I went with Silent Valor [Lion Heart - Few Choice Words by Valid Appeal; winner of the GIII Sapling at Monmouth] to win, You Luckie Mann [Exchange Rate - Terri's Choice by West Acre; winner of the Birdonthewire, and 3rd in the Affirmed and Dr. Fager at Calder] to place, and Put It Back Twenty [Pit It Back - Ioweyoutwenty by Fabbavalley] to show. While I only hit the board with my place horse, winner Notonthesamepage [Catienus - Blue Holiday by Cure The Blues] was clearly the best on the day; finishing 8¼ lengths ahead of the field in a time just .02 hundredths of a second slower than the track record under a hand ride. The Ken and Sarah Ramsey homebred will start next in the GII Fountain of Youth on February 28th.

Delightful Kiss [pic], my win selection for the GIII Hal's Hope Stakes, did not disappoint. Piloted by Calvin Borel, the 5yo gelded son of Kissin Kris fired off a last-to-first rush in the stretch after spotting the leaders more than 16 lengths at the start. Bullsbay, making his stakes debut for trainer Graham Motion, closed from 10th to pick up the place and net me the exacta; while favored Bribon [FR], who I'd picked to show, finished 5th.

I can't take too much credit for pegging the 1-2-3 finishers of the 3yo restricted Turfway Prevue Stakes, since I didn't base my picks off anything more than the M/L odds. Still, if pacesetter Rudy Flyer [Mutakddim - Aunt Ginger by Fred Astaire] hadn't faded to 3rd in the stretch, I'd have nailed the trifecta cold. As it was, my place pick of Loch Dubh [Friends Lake - Star Landing by Caller I D] finished 1st and my show pick of Back to Gold [Put It Back - I See Gold by Sejm] finished 2nd. Not too shabby.

Finally, favored Jibboom (who I'd picked to show) prevailed in spite of traffic issues to win the GIII Monrovia Handicap. The 5yo Juddmonte Farms homebred daughter of Mizzen Mast, out of the Gone West mare Palisade, tracked early pacesetter La Tee through the opening stages before dropping back for a late run. Runner-up Christina's Heat carried herself a steady 2nd throughout, while Lethal Heat (who I had picked to win) closed well for 3rd. My place choice, Society Hostess, lacked a late response and finished 7th.

* - The system they use restricts players to win, place, show payouts only; you cannot box bets. It also does not award you for hitting a place or show unless you also had the win; so if the longshot you picked specifically to run second comes in, but the favorite you had winning doesn't, you get nothing. However, if the picks you made were perfection and everything hits the board, you only get w/p/s payouts: no exacta or trifecta bonus. It's a bit lame.

Breeders' Cup XXV - Day Two Results

2008-10-25T10:21:00.002-07:00

I've heard rumor that Curlin isn't handling the ProRide surface as well as we're being lead to believe. Not quite sure I'm on board with that analysis, but as I said in my previous post, the surface change certainly makes him vulnerable.

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MARATHON
The day opens with a spoiler as Muhannak [IRE] holds off a late rush from Church Service to take the inaugural Marathon, paying $26.80 for the effort. Delightful Kiss put in a fair run to get 4th. Sixties Icon [GB] was out-jockeyed, coming up with tons of run but nowhere to go, and finished 5th. Cedar Mountain [IRE] pressed the pace early, but faded to 6th.

TURF SPRINT
With the way the field scattered in the crossover, 36-1 longshot Desert Code gets an absolutely masterful ride from Richard Migliore, splitting horses off the hill to chase down Diabolical in the final strides, paying $72. Mister Nightlinger set the early fractions with California Flag, getting the lead and then blowing it in the turn while the latter was swallowed by a wall of horses in the lane; they finish 11th and 10th, respectively, and in front of Idiot Proof.

DIRT MILE
HUGE payouts continue in here with Albertus Maximus (15-1), Rebellion [GB] (16-1), and Two Step Salsa (12-1) rounding out the top finishers. Lewis Michael was up close early but lacked late response. Well Armed and Pyro both failed to show up on the day.

MILE
What a jaw-dropping move by Goldakova [IRE] to win this, the 3yo filly sitting chilly before unleashing an explosive bid in the stretch. Defending champion Kip Deville, who but for the filly would have had it, was nevertheless impressive in defeat. Whatsthescript [IRE] closed from dead last for 3rd. Daytona [IRE] took the lead from Thorn Song into the lane, but neither could sustain when faced with the closers. Shakis [IRE] vanished in a blanket finish by the rest of the field.

JUVENILE
Garrett Gomez is on quite a roll, piloting Midshipman to a win here for trainer Bob Baffert. Square Eddie, who looked pretty much beat at the top of the stretch, re-rallied to hold off Street Hero for place money. Terrain came flying late for 4th, and once again I am cursing the fact that I cannot OTB in Arizona; the superfecta paid $736.70 for $1.

JUVENILE TURF
Euro turf dominance continues with a 1-2 finish here as Donativum [GB] grinds it out in convincing fashion over Westphalia [IRE], paying $13.60 for the win. Coronet of a Baron holds off City Style for 3rd. Relatively Ready was close up in 5th; Bittel Road faded to 8th after pressing the early pace; Skipadate ran mid-pack early, but quit to 11th.

SPRINT
Midnight Lute sweeps out of the turn mid-track in defense of his Breeders' Cup title, making the distance in 1:07 with ears up and handing pacesetter Fatal Bullet-- who ran the race of a lifetime himself-- a very tough beat. Street Boss wove through traffic to get up for 3rd; followed close by In Summation, who was floated wide by the winner's move en route to finishing 4th.

[I have to take a moment to blink in awe at the benchmark weekend Garrett Gomez is having. 12 starters in 14 races, and he's sitting 4-0-1 with two mounts to go-- including Go Between in the Classic. Considering GoGo's career almost self-destructed a few years back, the fact that he's well on to way to a repeat Eclipse Award for Top Jock deserves a special mention.]

TURF
Clearly comfortable on the firm California lawn, Conduit [IRE] closed huge off some grueling opening fractions to win in 2:23 and change, paying $13.60 for the effort. Eagle Mountain [GB] stalked the leaders before moving wide to take command in the turn, but couldn't best the winner. Soldier of Fortune, too close to the pace early, was headed out by Dancing Forever for 3rd. Better Talk Now-- making his fifth consecutive appearance in this race-- spotted the leaders nearly 20 lengths early on, and passed tiring rivals to finish 8th. Likewise, Grand Couturier [GB] was farther back than Better Talk Now, and with too much ground to make up finished up the track last.

CLASSIC
In spite of looking like they were having a meltdown in the saddling paddock, it's a rare Euro-shipping double in the marquee event. Raven's Pass, paying $29 for the win, dominates over Henrythenavigator, Tiago, and Curlin in the final hundred yards. Go Between had a hard-luck race, getting stopped badly by a wall of horses and unable to break through until late; he finishes 5th.

Take nothing away from the reigning HoY: Curlin made a huge move on the turn, possibly a bit early, and was courageous in defeat by two of Europe's best. He was masterfully tracked by the eventual winner and was simply second best (or fourth, in this case) today. Also, big ups to Tiago; whose patented late rush nabbed 3rd money in the last strides.

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So, what does this do to the 2008 Eclipse picture? If the votes were cast tomorrow, I think Zenyatta would win HoY honours, and Curlin would settle for Champion Older Male. However, if Curlin bounces back off this and bests all comers in the Japan Dirt Cup, I still believe that his campaign was stronger overall and therefore deserves the award. Also, Zenyatta is coming back next season. Chances that we'll see Curlin race another year-- now that Jess Jackson is weeks away from possibly owning him en toto-- are fast approaching zero.

The highlight for me on the weekend was the lack of catastrophic injuries. With high profile fatalities plaguing the sports biggest days of late, it was pleasant to watch the races and get an adrenaline rush off a close finish rather than from watching someone go down. Not once did I see the ambulance, and by all reports so far everyone has come out of the event just fine. In all, I have to say that the ProRide experiment was (and I eat crow in saying this) a resounding success. Here's to looking forward to 2009!

Breeders' Cup XXV - Day Two

2008-10-25T04:19:00.000-07:00

Unlike Friday, where the races have been restricted to fillies and mares, Saturday's stakes are-- with a few exceptions-- open to either gender (although, not surprisingly, there are scant few of the fairer sex represented).

The marquee event is the 9th race: the Breeders' Cup Classic; where 2007 Horse of the Year Curlin will look to defend his title and become the first horse since Tiznow (2000, 2001) to win back-to-back editions of the race. The $10,000,000+ winning son of Smart Strike will break from the 9-hole, and will be racing over a synthetic surface for the first time.

But before we get to that, let's look at the prelude, shall we?

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BREEDERS' CUP MARATHON
3yo+, 1 1/2mi

Another inaugural event, at first glance this appears to be a two-horse race between SIXTIES ICON [GB] (2-1): winner of three straight GIII events in England at this distance or greater; and CEDAR MOUNTAIN [IRE] (6-1): boasting a similar record over the Hollywood Park turf, last seen coming up just shy following a late rally in the GII Sunset Handicap. Neither, however, has raced over an artificial surface. DELIGHTFUL KISS (8-1) on the other hand has turned a corner since moving to the synth, stretching his route, and gaining the services of jockey Calvin Borel. Also CHURCH SERVICE (10-1) could be a healthy addition to any ticket: he's capable of a late run, and with Edgar Prado aboard is almost certain to be a factor.

BREEDERS' CUP TURF SPRINT
3yo+, 6 1/2f T

The last of the three new races this year, it'll be run on Santa Anita's famous "downhill" turf. DIABOLICAL (6-1) makes his return to US soil following a 2nd-place finish in the GII Diadem Stakes at Ascot: trainer Saeed Bin Suroor is running 62% for hitting the board with oversea shippers, and this coupled with his early pressing speed could translate to a win. MR NIGHTLINGER (6-1) looks dangerous on paper: His speed figures since making the switch to grass have all been impressive three-digit scores, and but for the outside post and the two-month break since his last outing I'd peg him a cold winner. He's not faced class the likes of this however, and that's why I'd play him in the ticket, but not on top. IDIOT PROOF (8-1) started off the year pretty strong, then took nearly five months off after finishing second in the GI Dubai Golden Shaheen; since then he's run twice with mixed results, but if he can pull it together and run he'll be a factor here. CALIFORNIA FLAG (15-1) is coming off an impressive score in the GIII Morvich Handicap, where he posted a career best 105 over GET FUNKY (9-2).

TVG BREEDERS' CUP DIRT MILE
3yo+, 1mi

WELL ARMED (3-1) will be tough to beat: he's not taken a bad step since switching to the synthetic, and with early speed on his side he could well finish the race before the closers get started. LEWIS MICHAEL (5-1) takes a third stab at Breeders' Cup glory after finishing 11th and 5th (the '06 Sprint and the inaugural '07 Dirt Mile, respectively) in his previous attempts. It's also his third race of the year, his last a commanding win in the GII Pat O'Brien Handicap over the Del Mar Poly. TWO STEP SALSA (15-1) is a good value in a ticket: his only off-the-board finish was also his only start on traditional dirt, and paring back the distance here can't hurt. PYRO (20-1) could get a piece of this as well, assuming he gets a clean trip for once.

BREEDERS' CUP MILE - GI
3yo+, 1mi T

SHAKIS [IRE] (10-1) flirted with greatness mid-season by repeating in the GII Bernard Barusch, and the presence of solid early speed could help his closing style enough to get a spot on the board; but I feel that a mile may be too short for him against horses like DAYTONA [IRE] (6-1), THORN SONG (12-1), and the mare GOLDIKOVA [IRE] (3-1); all of whom are sure to be vying for the lead. WHATSTHESCRIPT [IRE] (4-1) is a legitimate threat here, coming off a win in the GII Del Mar Mile as well as a two-month break (and by the pattern of his past performances, he runs big off the sidelines). 2007 winner KIP DEVILLE (5-1) will have to run his A Game and then some to repeat here.

BESSEMER TRUST BREEDERS' CUP JUVENILE - GI
2yo C&G, 1 1/16mi

The lack of any early speed in here means this lot of two-year-olds are like to be slow early before taking a cavalry charge down the stretch; but with the "Keeneland bias" on Friday holding good form through the day, TERRAIN (20-1) could be a good value to any ticket: he missed due to traffic in the GI Breeders' Futurity, finishing 2nd to SQUARE EDDIE (9-2). STREET HERO (6-1) and MIDSHIPMAN (5-1) finished 1-2 in the GI Norfolk over this track their last out; given the rematch, I award the edge to the former if mostly for his ability to wiggle out of a tight spot and still come on to win.

[As a sidenote: I don't know if it's just me, but I'm looking forward to watching this group of colts develop. With a few exceptions, the overall bland of this year's 3yo classics crop makes me hopeful that 2009 will bring us something truly special.]

GREY GOOSE BREEDERS' CUP JUVENILE TURF
2yo C&G, 1mi T

BITTEL ROAD (7-2) is currently 3-for-3 lifetime on the grass (twice at this route) and will have plenty of speed up front to suit his closing style. RELATIVELY READY (12-1) ran a steady 3rd throughout the GIII Pilgrim in his last, holding on doggedly for 1 1/16m which, over a soggy Belmont lawn, was a more respectable effort than it looks on paper. SKIPADATE (6-1) should hold some value on a ticket: he was headed at the wire in the GIII Summer at Woodbine, but could also benefit from a rapid early pace.

SENTIENT FLIGHT GROUP BREEDERS' CUP SPRINT - GI
3yo+, 6f

A year ago I made the comment that, if he made it through the year, IN SUMMATION (10-1) would be the one to beat. Unfortunately I cannot in good conscience stand by that now, as the 5yo Florida-bred son of Put It Back simply hasn't put together the same season in 2008. Also, I made that statement before the emergence of STREET BOSS (3-1); who since January has been 2nd only twice, and since moving into the stakes circuit has posted consistent three-digit speed figures. Still, tons of early speed present could set up for a closer like In Summation, who's yet to run out of the money since making the switch to synthetics.

EMIRATES AIRLINES BREEDERS' CUP TURF - GI
3yo+, 1 1/2mi T

To say that GRAND COURTRIER [GB] (6-1) romped in his last race would be a grievous understatement: He took the GI Turf Classic Invitational by 10+ over a very yielding Belmont turf course, six weeks after winning the GI Sword Dancer by 2 from BETTER TALK NOW (10-1). CONDUIT [IRE] (6-1) has shown he can handle the distance by winning two of his last three, including an impressive score in the GI Ladbrokes St Leger at Doncaster last out. Likewise with SOLDIER OF FORTUNE [IRE] (7-2).

BREEDERS' CUP CLASSIC - GI
3yo+, 1 1/4mi

After the season he's put together, I would not think less of CURLIN (7-5) if he finished on the board but short of the win here. Except for his "failure" in the GI Man O'War (where he finished 2nd between two previous Turf champions in his first grass effort), he's been virtually flawless in his pursuit of another Horse of the Year title in 2008. But sympathies aside, realistically he's vulnerable in this, his first synthetic start; and while he's handled the ProRide surface in workouts, there are a fair number of synthetic specialists going to post with him that could make it a challenge.

For example: GO BETWEEN (8-1) has no issue with battling a horse down the stretch; having done so already with Heatseeker and Well Armed through the course of the season. COLONEL JOHN (20-1), too, is a dueling sort with an affinity for the artificial surface and a way of getting his head down at the wire that has broken hearts (re: the GI Travers). And then there are the British invaders: DUKE OF MARMALADE [IRE] (10-1), RAVEN'S PASS (6-1), and HENRYTHENAVIGATOR (10-1): who between them have claimed earnings in several of Europe's biggest races, and with Japan's CASINO DRIVE (10-1) represent the most foreign presence in a non-turf event in the 25-year span of the Breeders' Cup. Talk about a tall order to fill.

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As with Zenyatta's run in the Filly and Mare Classic, I can stay my enthusiasm for Curlin only so much before I have to say that, bottom line, this race is his alone to lose. If he does, I have little doubt that HoY honours will go to the undefeated filly-- and rightly so. But if he wins, then follows it up with a trip to the GI Japan Cup Dirt on 7 December, he'll have capped a jet-setting season the likes of which we haven't seen since Cigar, and to he should go the spoils.

Breeders' Cup XXV - Day One Results

2008-10-24T14:15:00.000-07:00

In spite of my best efforts, it would seem my tradition of missing the first few races on the card continues another year as I tuned into CalRacing just in time to catch them loading for the Juvenile Fillies. Still, the awesome thing about watching the races online is while the commentators are filling their broadcasting duties, I can flip over to another tab and watch the replays of the races I missed. No harm done. ^-^

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FILLY AND MARE SPRINT
Winner Ventura was not to be denied, making a mid-pack move in the stretch and cruising home by 4 under jockey Garrett Gomez. As nice a sprinter as she may be, Indian Blessing simply isn't the same horse on the synthetics as she is on traditional dirt, but good on her for running 2nd. It was two lengths back to place-running Zaftig, while Dearest Tricksi made a bid for the lead in the backstretch and ultimately faded to 11th.

JUVENILE FILLIES TURF
As expected, lone-speed Laragh set the early fractions and lead with confidence into the stretch, but was bested by a pair of closers 50 yards from the wire and finished 3rd. A head bob awarded Maram the victory over Heart Shaped, although the latter was clearly getting the better of the former when the wire passed overhead. Sugar Mom was off her game and couldn't manage better than 5th throughout, eventually finishing 7th. No scratches meant Internallyflawless did not make the gate.

JUVENILE FILLIES
It was all Stardom Bound with a massive outside move into the stretch, clearing the field before gearing down to win by 1 1/2. Dream Express, who followed the winner's move, got the jump on eventual show-runner Sky Diva to finish 2nd. Persistently, far back early and 5-wide into the lane, closed belatedly to finish 5th.

(An interesting note: Stardom Bound-- who was purchased earlier this year at the OBS Select 2yo-in-training sale-- will be run through the ring at Keeneland's November Sale as part of a dispersal of 81-year-old owner Charles Cono's stable. Personally, the smart money for who gets her is on IEAH.)

FILLY AND MARE TURF
Slow fractions early on lead to a virtual eight-way dogfight down the stretch in which Wait A While put in the run of a lifetime. But after fending off Halfway To Heaven [IRE] (7th), and Visit [GB] (4th), her tank was tapped by the time jockey Julien Leparoux produced eventual winner Forever Together on the grandstand side in deep stretch, and finished 3rd. Place-runner and longshot Sealy Hill made a big kick while splitting horses late to get up for 2nd. Folk Opera [IRE], who set the early fractions, gave up the lead out of the turn and faded to finish 9th.

~~LADIES'~~ FILLY AND MARE CLASSIC
Some part of me thought that if ever there would be a race to challenge Zenyatta's supremacy of the female division, this would be it. And yet, after dropping back to last and spotting the leaders a dozen lengths, the 4yo daughter of Street Cry [IRE] hooked well wide in the turn and cruised by the lot under a hand ride from Mike Smith to bring her record to 9-for-9 lifetime. It was a sprawling finish from there, with 1 1/2 lengths back to Cocoa Beach [CHI] in 2nd, and that distance again to Music Note in 3rd; followed in order by Carriage Trail, Hystericalady, Ginger Punch, and Santa Teresita. Bear Now, who set the pace from gate to stretch, gave way in the lane and finished last.

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I'm a bit chuffed that Roshani won the Los Palmas, paying $13.80 to her backers. Heavily favored Black Mamba [NZ] was far back early and couldn't make it up; she ran 5th.

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All in all, I'm okay with the way the day turned out, and an interesting point made during the broadcast has since turned my opinion on "Filly Friday" toward the positive. The comment? "Why should Zenyatta be a footnote to Curlin? She deserves a day of her own."

Having watched it, I agree. So kudos on that.

But I still think re-naming the Distaff was totally unnecessary. Or, if they must, at least pick something that fits the rest of the races. We don't call it the "Juvenile Ladies", do we? Or the "Ladies Turf"? So why should it be a "Ladies Classic", when "Filly and Mare Classic" serves perfectly well as a constructive, happy medium.

Later, I'll take a look at tomorrow's card.

Breeders' Cup XXV - Day One

2008-10-23T20:04:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, the Oak Tree meet at Santa Anita Park will host the 25th Breeders' Cup Thoroughbred World Championships. It will be the forth time since the event's inception that it will be run at the historic California track; bringing the venue to just one shy of Belmont Park (5), and two behind Churchill Downs (6), for number of years to have been awarded this honour.

This year's event is setting precedents on many levels. For the first time, traditional dirt races will be contested over a synthetic surface with the newly-installed ProRide: a fact that had some dirt-specialist trainers balking, but which has conversely drawn more overseas horses-- traditionally restricted to scoring big in the Turf races-- to compete in marquee events such as the Juvenile and the Classic. Furthermore, the 2008 edition also boasts three new races (the Turf Sprint, the Juvenile Fillies Turf, and the Marathon), has assigned two "also eligible" horses for oversubscribed fields, and will be the first to feature an all-filly and mare Friday card.

While there have been some disappointments along the way (including the retirements of elder statesman router Evening Attire, undefeated super-filly Zarkava, and last May's Kentucky Derby champion Big Brown), this year's Breeders' Cup may be, across-the-board, one of the deepest installments to date.

In this post, I will concentrate solely on the first day's races.

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SENTIENT FLIGHT GROUP BREEDERS' CUP FILLY AND MARE SPRINT
3yo+ F&M, 7f

In the full field of 14, it's hard to overlook INDIAN BLESSING: the 2007 BC Juvenile Fillies winner was sidelined after running second to eventual GI Kentucky Oaks winner Proud Spell in the GII Fair Grounds Oaks, and after coming up short again in the GI Acorn has since solidified herself as a world class sprinter. 2-1 on the Morning Line, however she just managed to hold off Golden Doc A for the win in her only other start over an artificial surface, the GII Santa Ynez, back in January. ZAFTIG (8-1), the filly who bested Indian Blessing in the aforementioned Acorn, posted a blistering work in prep for this and has shown brilliant speed at the distance, but has not raced since the Acorn. That said, there's enough early speed in here that it may set up well for a closer, and of them VENTURA (5-1) could fare the best. DEAREST TRICKSI (15-1) has shown an affinity for the synth and could bolster a home court advantage into a purse spot.

GREY GOOSE BREEDERS' CUP JUVENILE FILLIES TURF
2yo F, 1m T

The fact that this race oversubscribed in its inaugural year speaks volumes as to how many trainers had been waiting for it. SUGAR MOM (10-1) closes well and has good form for the grass: the daughter of 2001 Derby winner Monarchos was recently seen winning the Kentucky Cup Juvenile Fillies over the poly at Turfway in a steady grind, but with not much in the way of early speed this time she could have it tough. In fact, the lone speed on paper appears to be LARAGH (7-2), who could well run away with it if she shakes loose early on. Listed AE INTERNALLYFLAWLESS (8-1) comes in off a rousing $46kMSW victory over the course in late September, but will only get into the gate with a scratch in the top twelve.

BESSEMER TRUST BREEDERS' CUP JUVENILE FILLIES - GI
2yo F, 1 1/16mi

Morning Line favorite STARDOM BOUND (2-1) has done little wrong in recent months, racking up two GI wins in good company, with the latter of those coming over the course and distance she'll face here. Second choice SKY DIVA (7-2) made easy work of her foes in the GI Frizette in her second lifetime start, but as a side note: the runner-up in that race, PERSISTENTLY (15-1), was forced to alter her course twice in the stretch and but for that may well have made a bigger challenge for the winner.

EMIRATES AIRLINES BREEDERS' CUP FILLY AND MARE TURF - GI
3yo+ F&M, 1 1/4mi T

The rivalry continues between DYNAFORCE (6-1) and MURALAKANA [FR] (5-1), who were last seen running out 1-2 (respectively) in the GI Flower Bowl Invitational over the yielding turf at Belmont a few weeks back. That said, most eyes will be on 5yo WAIT A WHILE (3-1): who makes her first appearance in this race since running 4th to the formidable trio of Ouija Board [GB], Film Maker, and Honey Ryder back in the 2006 edition; and is coming off two very strong wins in the GII Ballston Spa Handicap and the GI Yellow Ribbon. FOLK OPERA [IRE] (10-1) could come alive as a wise guy bet: her only off-the-board showing was a lacklustre 8th in the FR-GI Prix Vermeille at Longchamp, which she followed up by winning the CA-GI E.P.Taylor over the Woodbine lawn in style.

BREEDERS' CUP ~~LADIES'~~ FILLY AND MARE CLASSIC - GI
3yo+ F&M, 1 1/8mi

A saltier group of distaffers I challenge anyone to find. Yet with the overwhelming presence of ZENYATTA (3-5), it's little wonder that the field is the shortest of the two-day event, with only 7 going postward to challenge the undefeated (8-for-8) Morning Line favorite. A case could be made for CARRIAGE TRAIL (8-1), who displayed an affinity for the non-traditional dirt route when she exploded on the Keeneland poly, winning the GI Spinster last out and posting a career-best 105 in the process. BEAR NOW (30-1) also has a convincing win over the synth, taking the GIII Kentucky Cup Distaff at Turfway by 4; but she may be outclassed here. 2007 Distaff victor GINGER PUNCH (9-2) will have her work cut out for her to finish on the board: she's never raced over anything but dirt-dirt, and was a heartbreak 2nd last out in spite of posting a 103.

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For personal interest, the race following the Breeders' Cup events is a pretty nice handicap: the GII Las Palmas, at 1mi on the Turf. BLACK MAMBA [NZ] rules the Morning Line at 5-2 following a late-bid 3rd in the Yellow Ribbon. Also, 10-1 choice ROSHANI could make up serious ground in her second start since a nearly five-month lay-off: she's worked well into this race, including a 5f breeze in 1:00.3 on October 18.

The British Are Coming?

2008-09-18T22:00:00.001-07:00

Most of the major publications this week were focused on Commentator running in this weekend's MassCap; Proud Spell chasing big bucks in the Cotillion and her now possible Breeders' Cup appearance; Indian Blessing paring back the distance but crossing the age divide, and Neil Howard's surprise (but not really) JCGC entry. And rightly so! It's newsworthy stuff, all.

Which is why, in all the din, it would've been easy to miss this bit o' wtf zooming by under the radar:

European three-year-olds will be able to earn a guaranteed place in the field for the Kentucky Derby from next year, as the result of a ground-breaking agreement between Kempton Park and Churchill Downs racecourse, the home of America's most famous race.

A new race to be staged over nine furlongs at the Sunbury track on March 18 next year, the Kentucky Derby Challenge Stakes, will carry prize money of $150,000 (£82,000).

However, it will also have the potential to turn its winner into a history-maker, as the first horse home will have a guaranteed start in the 20-strong field for the Kentucky Derby on May 2, and will also qualify for a bonus of $100,000 (£55,000) simply by lining up for the Run for the Roses.

. . .

[Churchill Downs V.P. Tom] Aronson acknowledged that some American trainers and owners may be disappointed at the track's decision to guarantee a starting position to a European horse.

"I have never seen anything happen in horse racing that did not have an adverse reaction somewhere, and I would be shocked and amazed if I do not get home and find myself reading something [negative] about this.

"But we set the rules, and the rules are designed for our customers. We believe that they will want to see a European challenger. Also, in practical terms, a horse that is 20th on the list of stakes earning, while being a wonderful horse, is likely to have been beaten several times by those horses higher up the list." - [The Guardian.co.uk]

Speaking as a fan who has thrice in recent years seen one horse bumped out of the top 20 by another that'd managed a lucky win in a big-money Graded stake (coughcoughDanthebluegrassmancoughcough), I'm mildly insulted by the belief that horses sitting on the bubble are automatically inferior to those higher up the list. Clearly, the fact that Pro Prado and Rock Hard Ten never met up before the Derby must mean that the formers' three-times-third to Afleet Alex in the Oaklawn preps were superior to the others' two Graded wins and a bad beat 2nd in the Santa Anita Derby.

I've made no secret of the fact that I loathe the current awards system in place for May's Big Dance. I much prefer the Breeders' Cup points-based system to the Derby's purse-based qualifier. But of all the things they could have done, I'm completely baffled by this move. What purpose will it serve, when they don't race on dirt across the pond and Churchill has no intent whatsoever to changeover its tried-and-true surface for the synth? Colour me confused, but I thought "international flavour" was what the Breeders' Cup was all about.

The View From Afar

2008-09-15T22:43:00.000-07:00

[When I left south Florida in the early spring of 2007, it was with little regret. The job market was crap, cost of living was outrageous, and the weather left much to be desired for a desert dweller like myself. But I would miss the horses. Hands down, the Miami-Dade area of Florida offered some of the best year-round racing to be found outside New York and California.

I'm not sure that statement could hold true now, eighteen months later. - Ed.]

Last week, Calder Race Course announced that it would be cutting overnight purses by 17% effective 18 September. In addition, eight $100k non-graded stakes races-- including the Shocker T and Hollywood Wildcat Handicaps, benchmarks of the Festival of the Sun card which runs this year on 18 October-- have been eliminated from the 2008 calendar.

The purse cut is the second since April, when negotiations between the Florida Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (FHBPA) and Calder's parent company Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI) failed to come to an agreement over distribution of revenue made from internet, out-of-state, and account-deposit wagering (ADWs). While the specifics have proven difficult to track down, the short form as I understand it is this: The FHBPA wanted a 40% increase in their share of said revenue; CDI countered that such an increase would make the venture unprofitable. As a result, the FHBPA prevented Calder from sending its simulcast signal to any tracks outside Florida under authority of the Interstate Horse Racing Act of 1978.

“The Florida horsemen’s refusal to allow out-of-state wagering on Calder’s races has left us with no option but to cut purses now in order to offset the amount of handle both Florida horsemen and Calder will lose every day that Florida horsemen refuse to send Calder’s signal out of state. Florida horsemen have chosen to single out and penalize Calder, as well as customers around the country who enjoy wagering on Calder’s races. We find that hard to understand when TrackNet Media Group, which negotiates simulcast sales for both Churchill Downs and Magna Entertainment Corp. racetracks, has nearly doubled the ADW host fee rate paid to horsemen in Florida compared to last year.” - Steve Sexton, CDI Exec. V.P. [Blood-Horse, 04.25.08]

Negotiations officially began late in May, after Calder announced total handle was down 73.5% for its meet that began 21 April. At that time, only New York Off-Track Betting Corp. was being permitted to send Calder's signal and take bets, having signed an agreement with the Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Group (THG); the company brokering on behalf of the FHBPA in its talks with ADWs (including TrackNet). Calder was also holding races without a purses contract, since the FHBPA said it would not sign a purse’s contract without a contract on future slot machine revenues. An issue separate from the ADW dispute, but equally as volatile, a contract for it was reached on 7 July, and nationwide simulcasting resumed on the 10th.

"Some questioned why the FHBPA found it necessary to negotiate a slots contract with the purse contract when there would be no slots until sometime in 2009. There were two primary reasons for doing this: First, for three years our purse contracts contained language that stated that in the event Calder obtained the right to operate slot machines then our purse contract was terminated until such time as the parties met to discuss the terms of a purse contract to replace it and to address the operation of slots at/by Calder. The second reason was timing. If we had put off a slot contract until Churchill built their casino, then they could say to the horsemen that we will gave you what every other South Florida pari-mutuel is paying to purses and breeders awards, namely 2% or less. We ended up with more than three times that amount, not including the breeders’ awards." - Kent H. Stirling, FHBPA Exec. Dir. [FHBPA News]

But the battle over the percentages of ADW revenue waged on, and word trickled out that negotiations had stalled after the original deadline of 6 August was pushed back to the end of that month. Talks reportedly continued through the weekend of 6-7 September, but on 12 September CDI announced the second, 17% purse cut.

CDI's Sr. V.P. Kevin Flanery cited that the track "has not fully recovered from the two and a half months at the beginning of the season when its signal was not allowed to be simulcast out of state", and that this-- along with the funds being lost over the ADW dispute-- was the cause of the decision; thus squarely putting the blame on the FHBPA. Alternately, Florida Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Assoc. (FTBOA) Exec. V.P. Richard E. Hancock has shown little faith that this will be the last of the reductions:

“We would like to see a statement from Churchill Downs that the four-day, $150,000 daily purse cuts are the final cuts for the meet to reassure the trainers and owners running at Calder," he said. “Several large stables from the Ocala/ Marion County area and other parts of the county have already left Calder because of the apparent lack of commitment and program there. Unlike other locations on the East Coast, Florida horsemen at Calder do not have the opportunity to stable there and run their horses at other locations. It will be tough to get these horsemen to return to Calder. CDI’s announcement of its slots contract at Calder, which they expect to increase purses by $25,000 daily, may not be significant enough for them to return.” - FTBOA

According to The Jockey Club Information Systems, Calder's all-sources handle through 24 August has declined 56%; while average field size appears to be holding steady at 7, down slightly from 8 in 2007. Some creative calendar work to make up for the cancelled races has resulted in several previously-unscheduled dark days: “We are doing what we can to help save this year’s meet,” said Stirling.

Stakes races slated to feel the sting are the Brave Raj and Foolish Pleasure Stakes (from %150k to $90k); and the La Prevoyante and W.L. McKnight Handicaps (from $200k to $150k); however all eight stakes races for the Florida Millions on 8 November were left unchanged, and purses for all overnight stakes will stay above $55k to preserve their “black type” status.

While many horsemen remain hopeful that things will improve, the track's meeting officially ends on 19 October; although the facility remains open for another 11 weeks for its Tropical meeting. Beginning the 20th, the Tropical usually draws top trainers from northern tracks and includes three cards in December with graded stakes. How much this will improve on-track handle remains to be seen however, as several fans at Calder have mentioned high-rolling bettors that stopped going to the track during the simulcast blackout and have not returned.

At present, the ADW dispute remains unsettled.

HoY thoughts

2008-09-13T17:19:00.000-07:00

You know what caught my attention the most about the Monmouth Stakes? The fact that Kent D never used his whip anywhere but on Big Brown's shoulder. Even when Proudinsky was breathing down his neck, that whip never moved behind the saddle.

And Big Brown still won.

I'm curious what this will do to the HoY standings since, to this point, I'd not been sold on BB's credentials for nomination. Sure he was a multi-classic winner, but as I've read several times (and agree completely) this year's 3yo colts have been so-so at best. BB beat a pretty salty field of turf goers in the Monmouth. He's secured 3yo colt honours to be sure.

But I'm still not convinced he's more deserving of HoY than Curlin. And I do hope you'll pardon me while I step up on my soapbox and explain why. To this aid, I call up a recent Q&A with Steve Haskin, dated 7.27.08:

"I think Curlin would have to win [the Woodward] impressively to pull into a virtual dead-heat with Big Brown... As we speak, I would give the edge to Big Brown, because he’s won twice as many grade I stakes as Curlin."

CURLIN	BIG BROWN
has won: GI Dubai World Cup GI Steven Foster GI Woodward finished 2nd in GI Man o'War	has won: GI Florida Derby GI Kentucky Derby GI Preakness GI Haskell DNF in GI Belmont

Looking at that list, I would hardly say BB has won "twice as many grade I stakes". But yes, at the time the quote was made, Curlin had yet to run the Woodward and the statement was true. Since that win, he's committed to the Gold Cup; while Big Brown will cool his heels after today's $500k Monmouth victory in anticipation of the Breeders' Cup.

"As subpar as the 3-year-old division may be as a whole, the only horse Curlin has beaten this year who has come back to do anything is Well Armed."

Seriously? I don't think Curlin should be penalized for the fact that most of his stiffest competition either retired last winter at the end of their 3yo year, or are running a little past their prime. The increasing trend we've seen with good horses being hustled off to the breeding shed ASAP is no fault of Curlin's; to imply that he's benefitting from soft competition and Big Brown is not is a bit ridiculous.

"As for Big Brown, yes, it hasn’t been a stellar year for the 3-year-old colts, but the horses who Big Brown did beat, and convincingly, have gone on to win to finish one-three in the Travers, one-two in the Jim Dandy, one-three in the Swaps, and the one-three in the Ohio Derby."

...all of which are 3yo-restricted races that Big Brown wasn't in, so should they really factor? Someone had to win those races, after all. And as exciting as the Travers finish was, I don't think it did much to flatter Big Brown's bid for HoY; just made the BC Classic a bit more likely to end with a synthetics specialist finishing on top (for the record, I'm thinking Go Between).

Curlin's only loss this year was in the GI Man o'War; where he finished 2nd between two previous Breeders' Cup Turf winners, going a distance a bit longer than he's comfortable with, over a surface he'd never raced on previously. I have little doubt that he'll repeat in the JCGC. I also believe the jury is still out on whether he'll go to the BC or not-- supposedly Jess Jackson has railbirds at SA keeping tabs on the surface for him, and the post-Woodward press conference left the subject well open.

According to this NY Daily News article from 9 Sep, if there's going to be a match race between them to settle the debate, it'll be after the Classic. Which would mean Curlin's connections would have to choose between it, and the Japan Cup Dirt Invitational on 7 December. Personally, I'm hoping they go to the Breeders' Cup and duke it out like the pros: Win, lose, or draw. I believe Mike Ivarone is pointing to the same end by making it very clear now: "The bottom line is that the horse will be sent to Three Chimneys in December. He definitely will be retired."

But if Curlin wins the JCGC, and both he and Big Brown get beat in the Classic, then Curlin jets off to win the JDC, there's no doubt in my mind who the better horse is. The industry should reward the older horses for sticking around, especially when he hasn't taken a bad step all year.

2008-09-04T19:17:00.000-07:00

The early word from Santa Anita is positive: HoF jockey Gary Stevens took a tour over the new Pro-Ride surface earlier in the week and has since given it a ringing endorsement.

"If this track is maintained properly and it remains as it is today, I can truthfully say it’s the best track I’ve ridden on,” said Stevens, who has been riding regularly in the mornings at Del Mar in preparation for a legends race during the Oak Tree meet at Santa Anita Park. [Thoroughbred Times]

Of course, they initially said something quite similar about the spanking new Cushion Track last September, so we'll see if it holds up.

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Something about Jess Jackson's attitude following Curlin's win in the Woodward last Saturday has lead me to believe that the man doth protest too much. With today's announcement that the 2007 HoY will be headed to Belmont for a repeat in the Gold Cup, my suspicion that we may yet see him in the Classic is closing in on valid.

"We are steering Curlin towards all the renowned competitions and certainly the Jockey Club Gold Cup is one of America's most prestigious races. In the past, many of America's top Thoroughbreds sealed their honors by competing in this race. Also, this contest is in New York State where Curlin has seen much success and received an outpouring of support. Both factors weighed heavily in favor of our decision to compete again at Belmont." [BRISnet]

The Woodward victory takes Curlin's lifetime record to 10-2-2 in 14, and catapulted him past Skip Away into 2nd place among the highest money-winning American runners in history. His bankroll (currently $9,796,800) is $203,015 away from 1st-ranked Cigar.

The GI Jockey Club Gold Cup, scheduled to run for it's 90th year on 27 September, offers a purse of $750k.

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Some happy news from the Bluegrass today as Michael Blowen's Old Friends Equine announced that California Iron-horse Lava Man will be joining their farm's roster beginning 16 September.

[Part-Owner Steve] Kenly said, “Michael called us about retiring Lava Man, and he was just so energetic and excited. I didn’t think there was that much interest in the horse outside of the West Coast, and Michael just said, ‘Are you kidding me?’ We’re not blue-blood, we’re not the uber-wealthy. Lava Man is a small guy’s horse and Michael is a small-guy’s farm, so we thought it was a perfect fit.” [Blood-Horse]

This story warmed me to the core, and I'm not ashamed to tell anyone that I shed a happy tear. I know there was talk/hope that he might stay with O'Neill as a stable pony (ala Funny Cide); but something about his last few races smacked of a bit track sour to me, and I'm happy he's going someplace with a strong reputation of doing right by the sport's elders.

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And there's reform, reform everywhere!

First, several states (including Kentucky and Louisiana) and the Breeders' Cup adopt strict new anti-steroid laws; while several other states (including [I believe] Texas, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia) have their own overhauls in the works. Once again, the tragedy of Eight Belles serves its silver-lining purpose.

Now, the four major US sales companies: Barretts, Fasig-Tipton, Keeneland, and the Ocala Breeders' Sales Co.: have come to agree that the under-tack shows for their respective Two-year-olds In Training sales will henceforth be conducted under strict whip regulations.

“The focus on safety and soundness issues within our industry brought us together, and we forged a united front to introduce important changes in the way under tack shows are conducted,” [OBS Chairman Mike] O’Farrell said. “The changes we have enacted can only enhance for buyers the reputation and image of the 2-year-olds in training sales program.” [Blood-Horse]

Likewise, the United States Trotting Association [USTA] has tightened up on their own whip-usage. From their website: "[drivers will] never be allowed to put the reins in one hand in order to strike a horse with a whip at any time during the race ... Penalties start at $100 for the first offense, but there is also an additional ruling that allows for anyone found to be whipping a horse excessively at any time to be fined up to an additional $1,000 and be suspended from competing and/or ejected from the property."

Here's hoping that these new adjustments continue toward improving the sport.

Bone to Pick

2008-08-30T13:41:00.000-07:00

So in all the stress of the past week, I never mentioned that Curlin is making his Saratoga debut today in the GI Woodward Stakes: the 10th race on the Spa card, 1⅛ miles on the dirt at 126 lbs weight-for-age impost.

The Woodward was where Jess Jackson first suggested Curlin meet Big Brown and, guess what? the Derby winner isn't here. But that's not why I'm scowling. I'm scowling because, after all the big televised racing of last weekend, not one station outside TVG/HRTV is covering the event. And that irritates me.

He's the reigning Horse of the Year; well on the road to a repeat. He's dominated the dirt handicaps in the US and Dubai. The NYRA made a website for him in anticipation of this race! He's a superstar of the game-- a King amid the Sport of Kings-- and I won't be able to watch the race until it's posted on CalRacing?!

This is starting to look like a catch phrase, but: What the F?

How are we to garner new fans when the standout performers aren't given their due? Yes, ABC and ESPN/2 are covering College football, which is to be expected. And CBS has the US Open. But NBC? The "Home of the Triple Crown"? It's the never ending excitement of Local programming.

Hey, fan panel: Any way we can get this issue addressed to the big wigs? Seriously.

BC Preps - 8.23 (recap)

2008-08-24T14:29:00.000-07:00

And I thought the Personal Ensign was close?

"I had my hands full trying to weave my way in and out. I was just going to have to bide my time and go through holes without using my horse. When he got left a little bit, then I thought, 'Oh, no.’ I squeezed him just a little bit to get him into the race. From then on, the race pretty much unfolded the way I wanted. The way he ran today was a heck of a performance." - Garrett Gomez [BloodHorse]

I feel a little bad for Robby Albarado. He thought he had it. But if I've learned anything about GoGo, it's that he knows how to get a horse to the wire. As Randy Moss said, "Is there an official margin shorter than a nose?"

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Right up until the final eighth of the King's Bishop, I thought Desert Key was going to go on with it from I'm So Lucky and Lantana Mob. But then, like a Christmas-coloured blur, Michael Matz-trained Visionarire blew past the dueling trio in a last-to-first move to win by 2+. The aforementioned three followed in a blanket finish that resulted in a photo for place and show, separated by noses each. Kodiak Kowboy was 5th.

"My horse, he came flying," said jockey Alan Garcia, who celebrated his fifth victory on the day's card.

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It's been a tough season for Shakis [IRE]: 6th in the GI Maker's Mark and 5th in the GII Dixie before running a disappointing 9th in the GI Manhattan last out. And the Bernard Baruch looked to be going no better for the 8-year-old son of Machiavellian [IRE] as he trailed third-from-last for most of the race.

Straightening into the lane however, he turned on the afterburners and passed the leader War Monger in deep stretch, claiming his second straight victory in this race by 3/4 of a length. Operation Red Dawn, who followed the winner's path to the wire, was 3rd.

“I didn’t think we had any chance at the top of the stretch,” admitted trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. “I was afraid that they weren’t going fast enough up front; I was looking for a faster pace. Alan did a great job. He’s really been unlucky. His first race back, he was 10-wide at Keeneland. Then, we went to Pimlico and he had a rough trip. He ran back in three weeks on short rest going 10 furlongs. (But) this is what he wants to do. He’s very sound and he trains good. We just wish they ran the Bernard Baruch twice a year.” [BloodHorse]

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It was nice to see ESPN's spotlight on Nick Zito. I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with the man, very similar to that I had toward Jimmy Croll back in the late 80's. Like Croll's Bet Twice dashed Alysheba's Triple Crown bid, so did Zito's Birdstone beat out Smarty Jones for the same honour. But the man is a phenomenal trainer, on the verge of a second coming I suspect, and it's become clear to me in recent months how much the man loves this sport.

So I close with this. From the official NTRA YouTube site: Mr. Nicholas P. Zito, thoroughbred trainer.

BC Preps - 8.24.08

2008-08-23T15:10:00.000-07:00

It would be remiss of me not to start this post by acknowledging yesterday's running of the Personal Ensign. But as I cannot properly put into words the level of greatness I saw, instead I give you this:

"I thought we got beat. She got the perfect bob," trainer Bobby Frankel said. "Today and in her last race, she had to overcome a lot of things. She's in heat—- and I was a nervous wreck. When I saw her in the paddock, she was (acting) as if she was ready to be bred. By the way Rafael was putting her in a drive, I thought she had a lot to do. As soon as she got to the quarter-pole, I knew she had a chance." [BloodHorse]

"The perfect bob" indeed. Assuming the 5-year-old daughter of Awesome Again shows no ill effect from the effort, she's likely headed to the GI Beldame S at Belmont on 27 Sep.

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The results of the Personal Ensign really throw the gauntlet down at Hystericalady [pic], whose connections have fallen under fire for choosing to send the 5-year-old daughter of Distorted Humor to the GII Molly Pitcher H instead of taking on the 2007 Eclipse Award-winning Older Mare. Whether it's an out-and-out duck, or a case of saving the big bout for the Breeders' Cup, I'll reserve judgment for now and not comment. Besides, there's been enough vocalization on the subject already.

That said, I really don't see much beating Hystericalady in the Molly P. But in the interest of finding some value for the bettors, I do like Cowgirls Don't Cry (making her first start since running 4th in the GI Ogden Phipps) and Rolling Sea (4th in the Lady's Secret) to round out a ticket.

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The 7f GI Ballerina S at Saratoga drew a decent field of eight: Among them Intangaroo, winner of the GI Humana Distaff; and 1-2 finishers of the GI Princess Rooney H Mistical Plan and Miraculous Miss.

Mistical Plan posted a personal best 111 in winning the Princess Rooney, so there's little doubt that a lot of money will be played on her here. Problem is, a case could be made for any of these mares to win and, of them, I like Jibboom. The four-year-old daughter of Mizzen Mast is 2-3-0 in 5 starts on turf/synth in spite of a form that looks more suited to dirt. At 15-1 Morning Line, she'd be worth a few bucks in the exotics.

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Out to the left coast now for a rock solid Del Mar card, beginning with the 8th race: the GII Pat O'Brien H, where Midnight Lute makes his first appearance in over nine months. The 2007 Eclipse-winning sprinter, last seen closing for 2nd in the GI Cigar Mile, was sidelined sometime in April and returned to the work tab for trainer Bob Baffert early this July. Since then he's put in some scintillating works, including a :58.1 5f drill over the Del Mar oval August 18th.

I'd be all sorts of excited about this if not for one thing: In Summation [pic]. Making his third start since being sidelined in January, the Florida-bred 5-year-old son of Put It Back (out of Fiesta Baby by Dayjur) came up just short of a repeat in the 6f GI Bing Crosby last out to current Sprint Division leader Street Boss. While I try not to let sentimentality get in the way of good handicapping, in respect to In Summation I am lucky. I adore him as a racehorse, and he's damned good. Look for a closing rally from just off the pace coming out of the turn. Zoom zoom! ^-^

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Cue the next run of foreign invaders for the GII Del Mar Mile, where 7 of the 10 entries are shipping in from the four corners.

The big story here is Daytona [IRE], who should improve off his 6th-place fade in the GII American while cutting back to a preferred distance here. Monzante rallied hard to win the GI Eddie Reed his last out, and got up to nose Lava Man from 2nd in the GI Charlie Whittingham before then: I'm not sure cutting back to a mile will help him here, as those were 1⅛ and 1¼, respectively; but trainer Mike Mitchell is sitting on 14-7-12 from 59 starters this meet (24%) and shouldn't be ignored. Still it's Whatsthescript [IRE] that'll likely garner the most bets: He's posted two triple-digit figures since switching to the red-hot John Sadler barn (25-20-5 from 50, 30%) in winning the aforementioned American, and running 2nd in the Eddie Reed.

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A very salty field of 11 going to post for the GI Pacific Classic including Awesome Gem (2nd in the blanket finish Wickerr H), Surf Cat (2nd in the GII San Diego H), Student Council (2nd in the GI Whitney H), and Well Armed (winner of the GII San Diego H). But the big money is likely to go on Go Between [pic] and Mast Track, 1-2 finishers in the GI Hollywood Gold Cup following the retirement of Heatseeker.

Of the pair, I prefer Go Between; if primarily because Mast Track was "deftly rated" by Tyler Baze in the HGC and he's not got the mount here, but also because GoGo is having a lights out season at Del Mar with 25-14-12 from 105 mounts.

For sake of argument, I'll also be watching Delosvientos: 6-0-0 from 11 lifetime, he's never raced on synthetic but he has posted big wins at a route, including a 2-length victory in the GII Brooklyn H at 1½ miles over the Big Sandy. Just a thought.

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And it looks like it's the GII Cotillion S next for current Distaff Division-leader Proud Spell. While trainer Larry Jones continues to shy away from Breeders' Cup plans, apparently owner/breeder Brereton Jones wants to keep it up for debate.

"I wanted to rule it out just because I don't think the synthetic surface is her favorite track, but Brereton is still keeping the option open," [trainer] Jones said. "It's not easy for her to get over it. I trained her on the synthetic [at Fair Hill] for the Alabama because I know she gets a lot out of it, because it's not easy for her ... I have learned that training on it and racing on it are two different things." [Thoroughbred Times]

Proud Spell is currently 7-2-2 from 11 lifetime starts with earnings of $1,966,366.

BC Preps - 8.23.08

2008-08-22T16:30:00.001-07:00

First, in breaking news: The Breeders' Cup this morning announced that, for the first time in the event's history, each race will be assigned two "also eligible" horses; preference to be determined "by the pre-race rankings established by the Breeders' Cup through a points-based system and the judgment of a panel of racing officials." [DRF, BRISnet]

I applaud this decision for multiple reasons. First, with so many W&YI horses already saying "no thanks" to the Synthetics' Cup, there's a gap in the selection process that needs to be accounted for; designating AE's is a way to split the difference and almost guarantee a full field in the gate. Second, maybe it'll give Churchill a nudge to implement the same for the Derby-- something I've been hoping for ever since Windward Passage was knocked from the top twenty by Danthebluegrassman for the 2002 Derby, and roared about in outrage when Pro Prado bumped Rock Hard Ten in 2004 (for the record, both races went off with an 18-horse field).

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Pyro [pic, left] and Macho Again [pic, right] hook up in the GI Travers S tomorrow at Saratoga for a rematch of the Jim Dandy, which saw the latter wiring the former by a neck over a track rated as as "good". Also returning from that race will be pace-setter Da' Tara (who appeared to be the lone speed before the surprise entry of Tizbig) and pack-running Tale Of Ekati.

If you toss out his no-factor in the Derby, and his no-show over the poly in the Bluegrass, on paper Pyro looks the one to beat. He improves with distance, and I believe the added furlong from the Jim Dandy route will work to his advantage here. Of course everyone and his brother will be putting money on this 7-2 Morning Line favorite, so if I were looking for a spoiler with some value, I'd pin a few bucks on 15-1 Cool Coal Man. This Zito-trained son of Mineshaft posted a 103 while running 3rd in the Haskell, and breezed 4f in :48.2 in prep for this race; a move very similar to the one he made prior to his Spend-A-Buck win (also a 103).

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Kodiak Kowboy [pic] seems to have returned with a vengeance: After running 2nd to Macho Again in the Derby Trial back in April, this colt took some time off, transferred to the barn of trainer Larry Jones, then posted a blistering 113 his first out in winning the GII Amsterdam S by a head over that race's favorite Desert Key.

I wish there were a way I could link direct to the Amsterdam replay. As there isn't, I urge everyone to head over to CalRacing and look it up. After opening fractions of :21.3, :44, and 1:08.4, Desert Key was collared in deep stretch by Kodiak Kowboy, and the pair came home in 1:15.2 for the 6½f sprint.

They'll meet up again in Saturday's GI King's Bishop S at Saratoga; along with J Be K (making his first start since winning the Jersey Shore BC at Monmouth on 4 July), Golden Spikes (winner of Calder's GI Carry Back S), and Kodiak Kowboy's stablemate, Lantana Mob (3rd in the Carry Back, his first race since making the same move from Asmussen's barn). As the Amsterdam winner ran a bit green through the stretch last time, I think the added ½ furlong will benefit Kodiak Kowboy here.

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The GII Bernard Baruch over the 'Toga Turf brings us a decent enough field of 10. Morning Line favorite Thorn Song [3-1] followed crackling fractions and weakened to 3rd in the Fourstardave last out; while 2nd choice Proudinsky [GER] [9-2] cuts back to a preferred distance after an abysmal 11th-place showing in the GI Manhattan. I like Christophe Clement-trainee Operation Red Dawn at 5-1: He finished a bumpy 3rd in the GIII Poker last out behind 2007 BC Mile winner Kip Deville. Also a more-than-possible factor here is 6yo Drum Major: making his first start since running 3rd in the 2007 edition of this race, but coming out of the red hot barn of trainer George Weaver (5-5-3 from 20 starters this meet, or 25% in the money).

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And it would seem that Alan Mann of Left at the Gate fame has a reader in Michael Ivarone?

His idea envisioned the race being held at Churchill Downs during half-time of a Notre Dame football game, with IEAH and Jess Jackson, Curlin's owner, each putting up $2 million, winner take all. The last day of Churchill's fall meet is Sat., Nov. 29, but the Notre Dame-USC game that day does not begin until 8 p.m. eastern. No response yet from the Curlin camp. [New York Post]

Funny how much that looks like Alan's pipe dream posted on 14 August, ain't it?

This comes hot on the heels of the Thoroughbred Bloggers Alliance getting some pretty heavy press lately. Following the aforementioned Mr. Mann's autumn run as an official Breeders' Cup blogger, several of its members were recently appointed to the NTRA's new Online Marketing Task Force.

Dana Byerly (Green But Game), Jessica Chapel (Railbird), and Patrick Patten (Handride) are all bloggers that I follow regularly, and I wish them the best of luck-- along with my heartfelt congratulations-- in taking part in this prestigious venture. I know y'all will do us proud! ^-^

BC Preps - 8.21-22.08

2008-08-21T14:19:00.000-07:00

5yo Wait A While [pic] seeks a repeat in the GII Ballston Spa H this afternoon at Saratoga. While she failed as the favorite her last out (7th in the GI Diana), the turf that day was listed "good" and did not appear to her liking. It's a short field of five going to post, but out for the run with her will be IEAH Stable's Sharp Susan from the Bill Mott barn, and the hard-knocking Christophe Clement-trainee Rutherienne.

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2007 Eclipse Award-winning Older Mare Ginger Punch headlines a field of seven for the GI Personal Ensign, tomorrow's 9th race at the Spa. The 5yo Adena Springs homebred is 4-for-5 this season, and was last seen drawing away in the GI Go For Wand H in July. Going to post with her will be stablemate Spring Waltz, Pletcher-trained Unbridled Belle, and on-the-improve Lemon Drop Mom. Notably missing from this event, however, is Hystericalady; scheduled to appear in the GII Molly Pitcher at Monmouth on Sunday instead.

Also running this weekend: the GI Travers, the GI King's Bishop, and the GII Bernard Baruch on Saturday; the GI Ballerina, the GI Pacific Classic, the GII Del Mar Mile H, and the GIII Pat O'Brien H will all be televised on ESPN2 on Sunday.

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The industry lost another young sire this week when Bowman's Band was euthanized following complications from colic surgery. The 10-year-old son of Dixieland Band recently completed his second full breeding season at Lane's End Farm.

Retired from racing at age 6, Bowman's Band was his sire's leading money winner with earnings of $1,315,774. He amassed a race record of 7-11-6 from 34 starts, 18 of those in Graded Stakes Handicaps including a win in the GII Meadowlands Breeders' Cup S (defeating Dynever and 2002 BC Classic winner Volponi) in 2003; and a place in the GI Metropolitan H (defeating Funny Cide, Saarland, and Azeri), plus shows in the GI Whitney, the GI Pimlico Special, the GI Woodward, the GII Saratoga Breeders' Cup, and the GIII Skip Away in 2004.

Out of the GI-placed mare Hometown Queen (by Pleasant Colony), Bowman's Band stood his first season at Maryland Stallion Station before moving to Lane's End. His first crop are now two-year-olds, from which he's produced the winners Just Hummm and Miss Charm City.

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And who's ducking now? Instead of waiting a week longer for the Mass Handicap, or two weeks for the GI JCGC, or running this week in the GI Travers, or next week in the GI Woodward, Big Brown will instead run in the newly-minted Monmouth Stakes over the Jersey lawn on 13 September. This, to me, proves that the Derby winner's connections-- in spite of Dick's constant goads to the contrary-- are not the least bit eager to face Curlin. So all is right with the world in that respect. (For the record, either the two front-listed races would have earned the Derby winner an automatic berth into the BC Classic.)

In other, happier news:

2008-08-18T14:59:00.001-07:00

Witness!My fangirlish squee of delight!

Retired Hall of Famers to ride at Oak Tree

Eight Hall of Fame jockeys -- with combined earnings of more than $1.5 billion from 49,163 victories -- will compete in a pari-mutuel wagering event, The Living Legends Race, on October 18 during the Oak Tree at Santa Anita meet as a prelude to the following weekend's Breeders' Cup.

Held in conjunction with racing's new Legends on Tour as well as the Breeders' Cup, Hall of Fame jockeys set to compete in Santa Anita's unprecedented race are, in descending order of age: Angel Cordero Jr., 65; Jacinto Vasquez, 64; Sandy Hawley, 59; Pat Day, 55; Chris McCarron, 53; Jerry Bailey, 51; Gary Stevens, 45, and Julie Krone, 45. Their average age is 55. [BRISnet]

The race (carded as the 4th) is an allowance sprint for Cal-breds at 126lbs, with mounts to be drawn at random by the riders. It will be preceded by a Living Legends Salute in the winners' circle: Laffit Pincay Jr., Eddie Delahoussaye, and Jorge Velasquez are scheduled to appear as Living Legends Ambassadors.

No word yet if this event will be televised anywhere other than possibly TVG/HRTV. Nevertheless I'm going to make red Cool-Aid, pour myself a big bowl of Cap'n Crunch, and revert to a twelve-year-old girl in front of my computer. Hand to God. ^-^

Genuine Risk dead at 31

2008-08-18T13:54:00.000-07:00

GENUINE RISK [Exclusive Native x Virtuous (Gallant Man)], the oldest living Kentucky Derby winner, died peacefully this morning in her paddock at Newstead Farm in Upperville, Virginia. She was 31 years old.

Purchased for $32,000 at the 1978 Fasig-Tipton Yearling Sale in Kentucky, and conditioned by future Hall of Famer Leroy Jolley, Genuine Risk went an undefeated 4-for-4 her juvenile year under future Hall of Fame jockey Jacinto Vasquez, who would guide the chestnut filly through 12 of her 15 career starts for owners Bert and Diana Firestone.

After a pair of overnight victories at the start of her three-year-old season, she first faced the boys in the 1980 Wood Memorial, where she ran 3rd to sprint champion Plugged Nickle. The effort was enough however to get her connections talking about the Kentucky Derby; and on that first Saturday in May, at the dismissive odds of 13-1, she became the second filly in history (the first since Regret in 1915) to capture the coveted Run for the Roses.

She next moved to Pimlico for the GI Preakness Stakes, which has since gone down as one of the more controversial runnings of the event in recorded history. Though the stewards declared no foul, Angel Cordero Jr., aboard Codex, floated the filly 6+ wide into the stretch. Unable to make up the ground, she finished 2nd by 4 1/2 lengths.

A rematch of the pair would be settled soundly in the Belmont Stakes, where Genuine Risk took control into the lane with no sign of Codex in sight. However, it would be 53-1 long shot Temperence Hill to win over the slop that day. Still, in finishing second, Genuine Risk became and remains the only filly in history to place in all three legs of the North American Triple Crown. She completed her 3yo season with a nose victory over Misty Galore in the Ruffian, securing an Eclipse Award for Top Three-year-old Filly. She retired at 4 with a record 10-3-2 from 15 starts and earnings of $646,587. She was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 1986.

As grand as her trackside exploits were, they were never reproduced in her offspring as, for most of her post-race career, the mare was plagued with fertility issues. Suffering numerous miscarriages-- including one to Triple Crown winner Secretariat-- it wasn't until 1993 that she carried to term a son of Rahy named Genuine Reward. Photos of the pair galloping together at Three Chimneys became iconic, and new hope bloomed that the troubles were over. However a second colt (Count Our Blessing by Chief Honcho, later gelded) in 1996 would bring an end to her broodmare days. Neither colt raced, although Genuine Reward is currently siring polo ponies in Big Horn, Wyoming. Genuine Risk was pensioned in 2000.

With her passing, the title of Oldest Living Derby Winner moves to Alysheba (1987). The 24-year-old son of Alydar is standing stud in Saudi Arabia. As for Oldest Living Triple Crown Race Winning Filly, the successor is of course Rags To Riches (2007 Belmont), who is currently at Ashford Stud in Versailles, Kentucky. She is in foal to Giant's Causeway for 2009.

Disenchanted

2008-08-17T12:02:00.000-07:00

I generally take a break from 'capping between Belmont and Saratoga to recharge my mental batteries, but I find it's been difficult for me to get into the summer racing season this year.

While I'd like to claim it was because I was caught off stride by the massive computer failure in mid-March, further hindered by my brother's wedding on Derby day, and then completely jaded by Big Brown's abysmal Belmont showing; the ultimate truth is I have held very little interest in this season because 1] the triple crown trail lacked overall lustre, and 2] it's hard to get excited about the big summer dirt races when the end-of-year honours will be contested on synth. Twice.

There's a sad trend taking place as a result, wherein the exciting dirt horses that I follow in hopes of hitting a BC win ticket appear to be passing the championships in favor of sticking to their surface of choice. It's a little revolution, I think, against the BC committee that, in a knee-jerk reaction to the recent outcry for "safer racing", are trying to railroad tracks into going synthetic.

Now this isn't to say I have anything against synthetic racing. I've said before that, as a training surface, I think it's wonderful. And there are horses that I watched make a steady decline on dirt who've seen new heights since making the switch (In Summation leaps out as a big one, and you'd better believe he'll have my dollar come BC Sprint time because of it). My problem is, as Steve Haskin pointed out not too long ago in his BloodHorse blog, when a dirt horse falls to a synthetic specialist on "racing's biggest day(s)", how do we deal with the next two Breeders' Cups in relation to the Eclipse Awards?

Jess Jackson has all but said that 2007 HoY Curlin will not be seeking a repeat in the BC Classic, and I can't fault him for it. Why should he? It's being run on an unfamiliar, virtually untested surface, against a field likely to be chock full of synthetic specialists-- and whatever they say, good grass form does not strictly translate to synthetic gold. Besides, if he takes the Woodward on the 30th, then flies out to conquer the Japan Dirt in October, he'll be just as worthy for a second HoY title as if he ran the BC. No American horse in recent history that I can recall (with the exception of Cigar) has managed the jetsetting 4yo campaign he has: wins in the Dubai WC and the Stephen Foster, a respectable 2nd (between two BC Turf winners) in the Man o'War. I don't think a showdown with Big Brown will prove anything, and there's been nothing to ping my radar yet that can keep up with him on dirt.

Of course, that's assuming Big Brown himself even attends the BC as a dirt horse. There's word he's running next on the grass; whether that's a feint to draw Curlin back to the turf, or Dutrow's way of gauging his horse's synthetic form, I cannot honestly comment. But I will say that there's no way he'd hold his own against the Euros in the BC Turf. Rather, I'd like to see him in the Classic against Zenyatta, then watch Dick eat his words that "Curlin got beat by a filly; we haven't".

Veteran marathoner Evening Attire has proved he's BC Marathon material by winning the Greenwood Cup (and anyone who watched this elderstatesman roll home without tearing up a little needs to have their pulse checked); but in spite of the automatic berth, the ten-year-old gelded son of Black Tie Affair won't be going to California. "I'm not thinking about the Breeders’ Cup right now," his trainer was quoted as saying in BloodHorse. "He can be quirky running on different surfaces." Fail.

And now another division leader, Proud Spell, is unlikely to go to Santa Anita. The Kentucky Oaks winner just put in one of the most grueling stretch drives I've seen this year in nosing out CCAO winner Music Note to win yesterday's Alabama Stakes at Saratoga. "Hopefully, that will settle the Eclipse Award," Jones said, citing the same notion as Haskin. "I just can't see them settling it on an artificial surface and using that as the one-race measure. That's why they have dirt horses and they have turf horses. And now you need a third kind of horse."

So with all these dirt horses pulling out, why watch the Breeders' Cup at all? My reply, quite simply, is turf racing.

Red Rocks [IRE] may have missed out on a thrilling stretch duel with Grand Coutrier [GB] and Better Talk Now in yesterday's Sword Dancer Invitational, but following the Irish transplant's Man O'War victory you can bet all three are likely to be in the gate come BC Turf time.
Spirit One [FR], Archipenko and Mount Nelson [GB] put in a thrilling 1-2-3 finish in the Arlington Million last weekend; Einstein [BRZ], who's riding high on a stellar season was taken out of his game early by stumbling out of the gate, closed for a hard-fought 5th.
Winchester won HUGE aver Plan and Tizdejavu in the Secretariat Stakes; no doubt we'll be seeing this trio hook up again.
Mauralakana [FR] uncorked a massive stretch run the capture the Beverly D. for trainer Christophe Clement. I anticipate the hookup between her and Black Mamba [NZ] in the BC F&M Turf will go down alongside Ouija Board / Film Maker.

And here I thought the turf division would suffer for the retirement of English Channel. How wrong was I there?

In a side-related note to my current BC ambivalence: What's Your Perfect Trip? This assembly of "some of the racing industry's best ... over the last twenty-four runnings of the Breeders' Cup": while bringing back memories and certainly full of good contests (I especially like Da Hoss' gutsy Mile finish versus Hawksley Hill and, in retrospect, Street Sense's Juvenile was one of the most breathtaking races I've ever seen from a two-year-old): has managed to needle me the wrong way by listing Round Pond's win in the 2006 Distaff among the top ten.

This bothers me for two reasons: First, because the '06 Distaff remains one of the most disturbingly screwed-up races I've ever had the displeasure to watch. What with Pine Island going down in the backstretch and Fleet Indian being pulled up off the clubhouse turn, the two race favorites were eliminated long before Asi Siempre started playing bumper cars all down the stretch. Who, then, did Round Pond have to fend off to earn her "perfect trip"? And second, nowhere in the write-up of this nomination does it mention the two fallen rivals. In fact, the video has been edited to remove Pine Island from it entirely. I cry foul.

Much better a nod, I think, would have been the 1996 BC Classic. Alphabet Soup prevails at the wire over Louis Quatorze, Cigar and Mt. Sassafras, having followed brisk fractions of :22.4, :46.2, 1:10.4, and 1:35.2 to set a new Woodbine track record of 2:01 for the 1 1/4mi event. Seriously, how does Round Pond rate over that?

On a lighter note.

2008-06-27T20:21:00.000-07:00

Heatseeker [IRE] is out of the HGC and will be retired to stud. Phooey.

In other, slightly less agitating news: I was watching The First Saturday in May-- which was a little lacking in focus but offered some nice footage of the 2006 Derby trail-- when... 0.0 What's this?

Why, it's me! Standing at the corner of the Gulfstream winners' circle for the Swale Stakes, with camera in hand.

And just as I was getting over the vast amusement this caused me:

There I was, again! This time for the Florida Derby, camera at the ready.

So there ya have it. Proof eternal that yes, I really was there. ^-^

Chiming in on some issues.

2008-06-27T00:44:00.001-07:00

Sometimes, you just gotta let it all out at once. You know?

Belmont Bust
Big Brown lost. We'll never know why exactly. He was the shortest-priced favorite to finish dead last in history. But that's what it is now; history. Still, if I had to put a face on it, I'd say it all came down to the lack of a serious pre-race drill. The horse was simply too keen to go, which made everything else-- being spooked by the starter on the track, the swerve that got him stepped on and his shoe half-pulled off, Desormeaux misinterpreting the surge forward as discomfort with the tight quarters forcing the premature move to the outside-- all of that was consequential. The colt in insanely talented. Easily the best of his generation. What beat him was Dutrow not drilling him before the race. He got cocky.

Spoiled Sport
Many have applauded Desormeaux for easing Brown in the Belmont stretch (indeed, as my friend Kara will attest, I was initially one of them). But after the Eight Belles tragedy, the sight of Big Brown being hauled to the center of the track after failing to fire in the turn left a sickening pit in my stomach. To find out there was nothing wrong-- that the jockey did it simply to save face because he "wasn't going to finish 5th (the last position with a pay-out)"-- my anguish turned to seething rage, which has since mellowed to mere bitterness. It was poor form from a rider who should know better, and anywhere other than America would have landed him a suspension by the Stewards.

Rose with Thorns
Did Jeremy Rose purposefully whip his mount, Appeal to the City, in the head during Monday's 3rd race at Delaware Park? It strikes me as startlingly out-of-character for the man, and as such I am inclined to believe him when he says it was accidental. He's footing the mare's medical bill and taking his 6-month suspension like a man, which shows character. Unfortunately the industry is under such a harsh microscope right now it could take longer than that to win back public favor.

Just Say "Neigh"
Meanwhile, the Farce On Drugs continues. Larry Jones (trainer of Eight Belles and Proud Spell) recently received his first test-positive in a 25+ year career, which many in the industry believe to be highly suspicious in the wake of the Derby. Not so with Rick Dutrow however, who was hand-slapped with a 15-day suspension in Kentucky after one of his charges tested positive for clenbuterol, this coming just days after IEAH primary stockholder Mike Iavarone issued a statement that all horses in the IEAH portfolio would (with the exception of Lasix) perform drug-free by October 1st. Steve Asmussen is fighting back against the Texas Racing Commission, who claim one of his horses tested positive for lidocaine but refuse to supply a sample for secondary testing. If charged, it will be Asmussen's second suspension in two years.

Inoculation
Which brings me to the sick, sad truth of the matter: The sport, as a whole, is in danger. Viewership is down. On-track handle is abysmal. And although bad press is still press, there's only so much more we can take before it all comes undone and we lose. Permanently.

Yet for all the tragedy, we find ourselves on the precipice of true and honest reform. We need but the courage to stand firm in our convictions, and believe that ours is a great sport worth saving.

The veterinarians who administer the drugs should be just as liable as the trainers who request them and the owners that pay their bills. Horses should be removed from the barns of suspended trainers if their owners want to race them, or if the assistant trainer takes over the string they should have full rights-- not act as a mouthpiece or by proxy for the suspended.

The crop is an aide, not an accelerator. Whip useage should be minimal. Horses are born to run. Thoroughbreds have been selectively bred to revel in it. Unilateral whip use would slow times, yes; but there would be far fewer breakdowns.

But above all, what we need is a singular governing body. No more state-by-state rulings, no more privately-owned tracks enforcing their own penalties. In no country outside the United States is there not a Racing Commissioner. And in no country outside the United States is racing in more dire straits.

I Ain't Dead

2008-06-26T23:05:00.000-07:00

First, a mountain of apologies for the radio silence these past few months, but it seems circumstance was stacked against me. For more on that (in abridged format) feel free to visit my LiveJournal.

Meantime, let's just jump right in, shall we? With the Triple Crown behind us, it's time to shift our focus to the summer races en route to the Breeders' Cup.

This year marks the inaugural launch of the Road to the Breeders' Cup Fantasy Challenge; with a focus on the Mile, the Turf, the Distaff, and the Classic. This weekends' lone scoring event is the GI Suburban at Belmont; which drew a field of eight including A. P. Arrow, Harlington, and Naughty New Yorker. But the real sleeping giant here could be Solar Flare [ARG], who came on very strong to win his US debut over the DelMar synth for trainer Larry Jones back on June 3rd.

There's plenty of top-notch racing this weekend not included in the RttBC. Out west we have a very salty field of ten going to post in the GI Hollywood Gold Cup, where the big money will likely be on Heatseeker [IRE] (pic); who enters off an emphatic 5½ length win in the GII Californian over this course the last weekend of May, but will bear the highweight impost of 123lbs. Trading shots with him yet again will be Tiago: who got the nod over Heatseeker in the GII Oaklawn back in April where the former was spotted 2lbs by the latter; and Go Between: who ran 2nd to Heatseeker in the Big Cap while posting a career high 109 speed figure. Student Council is coming off a late-surge win in the GI Pimlico Special, but it was his first appearance on the board in five starts since November so I'm inclined to believe his better days may be behind him.

With Acorn-winner Zaftig sidelined, Kentucky Oaks heroine Proud Spell (pic) will take on three others in the GI Mother Goose Stakes at Belmont. I can't bring myself to bet against her, but for the record I will say I like Hamsa to place: her trainer is having a very nice season at the Big Sandy, she posted a bullet 5f in :59 on Sunday, and she seems to improve as the distance increases.

Zanjero looks to break his runner-up streak in the GII Cornhusker Handicap at Prairie Meadows, where he'll be the 119lb highweight facing a field of seven others. I like Temporary Saint, who's proven at the distance with good speed figures to boot. Plus Jamie Theriot is riding a raging 43% in-the-money this year, whatever his figures at PM say.

RttR : Week 9

2008-04-04T21:48:00.000-07:00

Last week on Road to the Roses;

Big Brown continued his winning streak, taking the lead early to win the Florida Derby with aplomb. Smooth Air held on for second over a closing Tomcito.
It was a De Kock double header in the UAE Derby, with Honour Devil [ARG] and Royal Vintage [SAF] running 1-2. Cocoa Beach [CHI] up for third.

Slipped a bit in the standings. This weekend will be insane, though.

ElJay League - 3/6
Go Baby Go League - 3/8
TBA League - 8/15
Overall - 9524/19200

We're getting down to the wire here with only four weeks left before the big dance. Which in this era of Less Preps Are Better translates to two weeks of "holy, good match-up", and two of "eh, they might go". For the first time ever, I have to prioritize horses in a weekend other than the Derby. Of my 13 charges, 7 are running this weekend; 5 in one race alone.

Out west, we've got the $750k GI Santa Anita Derby. The rivalry between Colonel John and El Gato Malo continues here, with the added presence of Yankee Bravo (closed for 3rd in the Louisiana Derby) and Bob Black Jack (3rd in the San Felipe). Were I to bet this race, I'd see them running home in this order.

In the midwest, it's the $500k GII Illinois Derby at Hawthorne. Atoned appears to be Pletcher's last best hope for a Derby starter, which is a sad follow-up to his 2006 showing when D-Day was The Toddster Show. He'll have his work cut out for him here against the undefeated Denis Of Cork. Z Humor was empty running 4th in the FoY, but is the fastest of the lot in the speed figures here.

The big card of the day takes place out at the Big A with the $750k GI Wood Memorial, where War Pass (who had a rough flight from Florida to New York) will hope to improve upon his abysmal showing in the Tampa Bay where he ran last by 23 lengths. Court Vision finished a strong 3rd in the FoY last out and recently put in a :49.3 4f work in prep for this. Texas Wildcatter dueled to a just-short 2nd in the foggy Gotham. Roman Emperor was a distant 4th in that race saving ground in the slop; Giant Moon finished last after a labored trip but has worked strong since. Tale of Ekati and Anak Nakal both have a lot to prove here if they hope to make the Derby cut.

In other racing news;

Rafael Bejarano is back in the saddle just 21 days after fracturing T-5 and T-6 vertebrae in a spill at Santa Anita-- one of several accidents that took place during the reconditioning of the Cushion Track surface.
San Felipe and San Vicente winner Georgie Boy will miss out on the Derby due to a pulled back muscle. He'll take a few months off and return for the summer stakes schedule.
Curlin has returned to Belmont Park for quarantine following his extremely impressive win in the UAE-GI Dubai World Cup. He'll spend a few weeks touring the Big Sandy before heading to Keeneland while his connections plot out his summer/fall campaign.
Saturday is the 161st running of the Grand National at Aintree in Liverpool, England. The early favorite is Cloudy Lane; trained by Donald McCain Jr., the son of Donald "Ginger" McCain, who saddled Red Rum to three victories in the 1970s and also had 2004 winner Amberleigh House.

RttR : Week 8

2008-03-28T00:11:00.001-07:00

Coming to you from an alternate location because my computer is a big fat piece of crap.

Last week on Road to the Roses;

Big Glen made a sweet path change toward the rail entering the stretch to take the Rushaway by a long head over Miner's Claim. Icebad Crane steady for 3rd.
Edgar Prado may have found his Derby colt in Adriano, who took the Lane's End geared down over Halo's Najib. Photo for 3rd between Medjool and Racecar Rhapsody.

Is it wrong that I'd rather watch Turfway's races with the sound off? Seriously.

ElJay League - 2/6
Go Baby Go League - 3/8
TBA League - 4/15
Overall - 8823/19000

We're going mega money and worldwide this weekend with two big ones: the $1mil GI Florida Derby @ Gulfstream, and the $2mil GrII UAE Derby @ Nad Al Sheba.

Easily one of the deepest fields we've seen yet this prep season going postward in the FLA-D. Elysium Fields is likely to get hammered at the windows; his close for 2nd in the FoY was impressive ah all get out. Fierce Wind may have speed below the best of this field, but the rail is posting a shocking 31% right now and he's breaking from the 1 hole. The same can be said for his Sam Davis runner-up, Smooth Air, who's launching from the 2 post (where the win rate is 24% this season). Peruvian-campaigned mystery horse Tomcito makes his big bid for Stateside recognition in his first start since November; he's 4-1-0 in 5 lifetime and training like a freak. Undefeated Big Brown gets a tough break with the 12 hole in his first Stakes attempt, but he was a blowout winner in his two previous starts (a combined 24 lengths).

As for the UAE Derby, being away from my usual location means all I have to go on is the DRF. Which means M/L and name recognition. That said, the only RttR horse I have running this weekend is in Dubai; Massive Drama is 6-1 with GoGo in the irons after coming up well short of anything much in the San Vicente. Other names I know I've seen plugged here and there: Honour Devil [ARG], Strike the Deal, and Cocoa Beach [CHI].

RttR : Week 7

2008-03-21T16:09:00.000-07:00

Last week on Road to the Roses;

Georgie Boy stalked the leaders throughout and avoided a drifting Gayego in deep stretch to take the San Felipe. It would seem that the question of his ability to carry his speed around two turns has been answered: He looked to have plenty of gas in the tank at the wire.
At the top of the stretch, it was all Sierra Sunset in the Rebel; winning comfortably by four and posting $10.40 for his backers. Unfortunately the Bertrando son developed a hairline fracture in his left front ankle and will be sidelined until summer. Z Fortune ran a flat 5th, and Anak Nakal may have been asking for a rest or a pare back to sprints by finishing 7th.
Florida had something to add to the Derby picture as Big Truck (pic) rolled home to win the Tampa Bay -- pretty impressive since the announcer had written him out with a quarter mile to go. Atoned dueled strong down the lane but couldn't fend off the winner; the pair finished well ahead of the field. War Pass, fractious in the gate and pinched back at the start, ran like a fool when he didn't get the uncontested lead he's used to, then decided to take his toys and go home; he crossed the line last of 7.
And Liberty Bull shadowed the front runners of the WinStar, getting the better down the stretch to win it. Screen To Screen barely managed to hold the Place over Ablaze With Spirit.

It was a week where my standings were maintained, not improved.

ElJay League - 2/6
Go Baby Go League - 3/8
TBA League - 3/15
Overall - 8546/18800

It's back to the Poly this weekend with two races 'round the Turfway oval: the $100k LS Rushaway, and the $500k GII Lane's End.

Targe has shown himself to be a steady performer: The Michael Maker-trained gelded son of Monarchos is 4-1-0 in 6, including two wins over the track and one at the 1 1/16th mile distance. Holidaze was last seen (or not, as the case was) floundering through the slop in the Gotham, where he finished 6th after traveling 3-wide through both turns and became hopelessly lost in the fog; his performance here will determine if I throw that race out completely or not. Big Glen checked pretty hard at the 5/16ths pole in the Battaglia and recovered to finish 4th, but he's been consistently hit-or-miss.

A decent field of 12 going to post in the Lane's End. Halo Najib may be 2-1-1 in 6, but both his wins were on synth. Adriano showed a late rally to 4th in the Breeders' Futurity, his only previous poly venture; the winner of that race (Wicked Style) has since dropped off the map, and the runner-up (Slew's Tiznow) has been out with a series of issues including colic surgery, so it's hard to measure that effort. Racecar Rhapsody has posted some noteworthy works recently even though he hasn't seen competition in over 3 months.

In other news: There's a lot of off-track jockeying going on right now, with top tier riders finding themselves at odds over who to ride where. With big bi-coastal preps running simultaneously this year, commitments to one horse have forced several pilots (Gomez, Albarado, and Nakatani among them) to give up rides on others, leaving trainers somewhat in the lurch. Add to that the recent injury of Rafael Bejarano, and it looks like a virtual free-for-all in the race for the better mount come D-Day.

Curlin looks well prepped for continuing his International campaign in the Dubai World Cup next weekend, turning in six furlongs at 1:13.54 at Nad Al Sheba last Monday. Back on the home front, however, things look no closer to resolution in the legal case of that wretched 20% ownership by Gallion and Cunningham.

And finally, Strodes Creek: runner-up to Go For Gin in the Kentucky Derby, and 3rd in the Belmont and Santa Anita Derby in 1994: has been euthanized in South Korea after breaking a leg in a paddock accident. The 17-year-old son of Halo (out of the Topsider mare Bottle Top) raced under the colours of Stone Farm and stood stud there until 2000, when he was relocated to Japan. The sire of six stakes winners and 13 stakes-placed runners, including multiple Slovakian champion Mona Say and two-time U.S. stakes winner Doc D, in 2006 he was moved to South Korea.

"Bottle Top was a medium-size mare and half-tough and mean," [breeder, Arthur C.] Hancock said. "I bred her to Halo because I liked the cross, but then started thinking, 'If I do this, I'll probably get a mean little runt.' But Strodes Creek was a gentle giant, the nicest, kindest horse. The big thing is that he turned out to be a good horse." [BloodHorse]

RttR : Week 6

2008-03-13T17:02:00.001-07:00

In this age of "less preps are more", I find it difficult to suss out the creme of the crop from the chaff until sometime in April. Still, I don't think the 2008 group are any less talented than the 2007 colts; as pointed out by far better turf writers than myself, by this time last year the biggest movers and shakers come Derby weekend had done little by mid-March (Street Sense hadn't started until the Tampa Bay, and Curlin had won an entry level ALW). For what it's worth.

Last week on Road to the Roses;

It was a little hairy heading into deep stretch of the Louisiana Derby with Pyro (pic) seemingly locked in behind a wall of horses; some have given the rider flack, but I say kudos to Bridgmohan for sitting chilly when he had to and then jumping on the gas when tiring J Be K floated out. It's that turn of foot that going to make this colt so dangerous come Derby Day. Long shot My Pal Charlie lead throughout and held on for 2nd from a hard-closing Yankee Bravo. Blackberry Road ran a flat 4th.
Long odds were the call of the day as Autism Awareness sneaks by at the quarter pole to get one over on Nikki'sgoldensteed in the El Camino Real. After watching this replay several times, I'm convinced the runner-up was so caught up in bobbing heads with 3rd place Tres Borrachos down the lane he didn't see the winner until it was too late.
Inclement weather on the east coast turned the Gotham into a fog-shrouded mudbath. In the end, it was Matz-trainee Visionaire-- closing from far back on the turn-- nipping Texas Wildcatter at the wire. It was a long haul back to Larry's Revenge in 3rd, Roman Emperor 4th, and Giant Moon last.

Finally! Improvement in my standings!

ElJay League - 2/6
Go Baby Go League - 3/8
TBA League - 4/15
Overall - 7668/18400

Four scoring opportunities this weekend in the $200k GII San Felipe at Santa Anita, the $300k GII Rebel @ Oaklawn, and the $200k GIII Tampa Bay Derby on Saturday; plus the $600k LS WinStar Derby @ Sunland on Sunday.

Georgie Boy (pic) looks to stretch out his sprinting ways in the San Felipe: He's 3-2-1 in 6 lifetime-- including Graded wins in the San Vicente and the Del Mar Futurity-- with a late-running style that should transfer to routes. Bob Black Jack posted a bullet work on Mar9; he makes his first start since January and also his first at distance. Indian Sun has proven his speed at a mile, but fallen short at longer; still looks a better of the lot here.

Z Fortune is likely to be the favorite in the Rebel following his 2nd place effort to Pyro in the Risen Star. Anak Nakal was a disappointing 8th in his 3yo debut, but outside posts at Gulfstream have been posting lousy numbers all season and he broke from the 8 hole in the FoY; I hope to see improvement here. Sierra Sunset was a strong 2nd to Denis Of Cork over this course in the Southwest; he wasn't catching the winner that day, but was certainly the best of the rest. Golden Yank makes his first start since running 3rd by a neck to DH winners in the Delta Jackpot last December; those winners have gone on to show little in their 3yo starts.

While all eyes (and a healthy dose of the handle) will likely be on undefeated War Pass in the Tampa Bay, I'm looking forward to the return of Atoned (pic)-- a bad beat to Court Vision in the Remsen after nearly going down in the backstretch. The Dogwood Stable home-bred son of Repent is 2-4-0 in 7. Another to watch is Big Truck, a hard-closing 2nd to Fierce Wind in the Sam Davis last out.

And finally: Asmussen sends two postward in the WinStar; Poni Colada (8-length winner of the Borderland last out over this course), and Ablaze With Spirit (just-in-time victor over Gold Coyote in the Jim's Orbit at Sam Houston). They'll face off with eight including Liberty Bull (DH 3rd in the Southwest), Cape Time and No Jepordy (2nd/3rd in the Borderland).

Road to the Roses Special : 2nd Draft

2008-03-13T14:42:00.000-07:00

With the closing of the Derby Future Wager Book #2 this past weekend, it's time to add three more horses to the stable and take stock of the first round picks.

Stable Name	Vigorish Racing
Trainers	Steve Asmussen (definitely the most bang for my buck this season) Todd Pletcher (thinking I should have gone with Nick Zito here)
Jockeys	Garrett Gomez (still looking for his date to the big dance) John Velazquez (Shawn Bridgmohan would have been the better choice)
First Draft	Anak Nakal [Victory Gallop / Misk (Quiet American)] (disappointing 8th in FoY, returns in Rebel) Atoned [Repent / Amidst (Icecapade)] (makes 3yo debut in Tampa Bay) Blackberry Road [Gone West / Strawberry Reason (Strawberry Road [AUS])] (two run of the mill performances so far in '08) Court Vision [Gulch / Weekend Storm (Storm Bird)] (3rd in FoY, next likely start FLA D.) Kodiak Kowboy [Posse / Kokadrie (Coronados Quest)] (training @ FG, ~~race status unknown~~ entered in AOC on 3.14) Massive Drama [Kafwain / Peyvon (Slewacide)] (3rd in the San Vicente, next likely start UAE D.) Overextended [Monarchos / Way of Life (Gulch)] (training @ HOL, race status unknown) Pyro [Pulpit / Wild Vision (Wild Again)] (decisive 2x winner in '08, next likely start Bluegrass) Roman Emperor [Empire Maker / Lady Melesi (Colonial Affair)] (4th place Gotham finish had excuses) Tale of Ekati [Tale of the Cat / Silence Beauty (Sunday Silence)] (6th in LA D. may show route preference)
Second Draft	Colonel John [Tiznow / Sweet Damsel (Turkoman)] (Sham winner eyes SA D. for next start) War Pass [Cherokee Run / Vue (Mr. Prospector)] (undefeated champion makes 3yo Stakes debut in Tampa Bay) Z Fortune [Siphon [BRZ] / Fortunate Faith (Fortunate Prospect)] (Risen Star runner-up next starts in the Rebel)

For the most part I'm pretty happy. There have been some lackluster performances, but none of my stable are out due to injury and that's always a good thing. ^-^

Guess who's back?

2008-03-12T23:17:00.000-07:00

One hint: The answer is not, in this case, 'Slim Shady'.

^-^

OpEd : Racing to the Breeding Shed

2008-03-10T08:30:00.000-07:00

With yesterday's press release that Pyro would be going to Darley at the end of his 2008 season (an announcement which is by no means an admission of synchronous retirement, however given their track record I'd not lay odds against the possibility), I found myself involved in a discussion wherein I needed to explain why I believe The Sheiks' current trend of "racing to the breeding shed" is one of the most detrimental repeat offenses to the sport of Thoroughbred Racing in America. For this argument, I will use the aforementioned Darley Stud and its worldwide subsidiaries as illustration.

At the end of 2007, three of this nation's top three-year-old colts: Any Given Saturday, Hard Spun, and Street Sense: were retired and hustled off to the breeding shed at Darley Jonabell in Lexington. All three were sans injury. Two had finished head of the class in the Derby. One had broken the BC Juvenile / Kentucky Derby jinx. They had a fan base that carried through from spring to fall, when they all three appeared in the Breeders' Cup, and likely would have followed into winter of 2008; but then they were gone, and for no other reason than their owner wanted to preserve their race record lest they take a hit in stud fees.

I find this practice ludicrous, and maintain that this "preemptive retirement" is a major factor in the fragility of our modern American Thoroughbred. We don't race them long enough to see their flaws, so we breed on their imperfections and then blame the track surfaces for fatal breakdowns. Alas, that is a topic for another time.

But do note that I specify "American Thoroughbreds". From what I can tell (and readers, do correct me if I am mistaken), European racing isn't suffering this affliction. The stock is heartier, racers run well into four- and five-year-old careers even as breeding stock. But of Darley's 56 stallions currently shuttling between six locations worldwide (US, UK, FR, IRE, AUS, and JPN), the retirement age numbers break down like this:

Retired @ 2 - 2
Retired @ 3 - 16 (8 US bred)
Retired @ 4 - 17 (6 US bred)
Retired @ 5 - 18 (4 US bred)
Retired @ 6 - 1

Put in this perspective, retiring a horse at three doesn't look nearly so bad: the numbers equal out to 1/3 the breeding stock. What disappoints me-- and what I aim to draw attention to here-- is the raw percentage of US-bred horses versus Euro-breds that end their careers early.

1/2 of Darley's three-year-old retirees, and nearly 1/3 of the four-year-olds, were bred here. And while I understand the paradigm Darley is following Stateside is a simple case of "playing the game" (we want the fast horses, so we race to the breeding shed), it is, on the whole, detrimental to the growth of the sport in this country. As long as they continue to throw their cash around to perpetuate the mess, we will never garner those New Viewers the NTRA is so desperate to dredge up. Generally speaking, people follow sporting events with longevity. Baseball, basketball, football (both American and Everywhere Else); these are games where players and coaches are with us for years. In it's current incarnation, horse racing, unfortunately, is not one of those sports.

The first step: Stop racing to the breeding shed. Keep the sound horses* running. It does American racing a huge disservice to retire a good race horse at 3, because doing so does nothing to improve racing as a spectator event. We get very little television coverage as is, and the casual viewer of today-- the one who only knows about the Kentucky Derby, the Triple Crown, and (possibly) the Breeders' Cup-- is fickle and lazy. They want the comfort of sports with the same names attached this year as last; can't be bothered to learn a whole new cast of characters if they can't also be involved in voting them off the island. My suggestion would be to take a page from the book of NASCAR, and shift the focus off the horses and more onto the people behind them; the owners, trainers, and jockeys (again, a topic for a later date). Telecasts have moved toward that in recent years, but the movement could be greatly assisted by more familiar names in the mix.

I recently came to terms with the fact that I do appreciate what The Sheiks' money has done to protect the greenspace in the bluegrass. But their business acumen-- their practice of throwing obscene amounts of money at it just because they can-- is doing more harm than good.

* - meaning "sound" in both the physical and mental sense, as racing a track sour horse with a superstar name only to watch him lose is depressing (re: Better Talk Now).

The Highs and Lows of Racing

2008-03-09T17:18:00.001-07:00

It was a red letter day at Fair Grounds for Louisiana Derby Day, with a record all-sources handle (including modern-era and on-track betting) of $12,962,024 on the 12-race card; up 4.5% from the $12,400,747 of last year's 11-race card. Furthermore, attendance made a rapid climb as a crowd of 9,971 (up 57.7% from 2007's 6,321) bet a grand total of $1,027,467 on the day's races; an increase of 13.9% from $901,941. It was the first time in the track's history to break the $1mil mark for handle.

On the left coast, a four-horse pile-up in the 5th at Bay Meadows (an $8k MCL) put a blemish on an otherwise flawless day. The incident occurred on the far turn rail when Little G Man clipped heels with Latin and went down; Ward Brooks and Knoblock both tripped over him, while Irish Yodeler lost his rider avoiding the others. Jockeys David Lopez (Little G Man) and Luis Martinez (Knoblock) were taken to Stanford Hospital following the race; where the former was reported to have suffered a rib fracture and a bad bruise on his right thigh, and the latter a broken rib and a minor back fracture. Both men are reported to be released today. The other riders: Jorge Ayarza and Doug Portillo: were treated for minor injuries at the track and completed the day's races.

As for the horses, Ward Brooks and Irish Yodeler chased the field home and were caught uninjured. Little G Man suffered extensive injury and Knoblock fractured his left knee; both were humanely euthanized.

Trainer Bob Baffert today announced that Indian Blessing; who was handed her first career defeat in Saturday's Fair Grounds Oaks; may be skipping the May 2nd Kentucky Oaks. "I think I might just freshen her up," Baffert said at Santa Anita. "I don't know about the Kentucky Oaks. I might not run her." [BRISnet]

Indian Blessing closed at 4-1 favorite in the Oaks Future Wager #1, but after Saturday's defeat by Proud Spell, her odds drifted up to 6-1 for the close of #2.

And finally:

PYRO (Pulpit), a comprehensive winner of the Louisiana Derby (G2) and Risen Star S. (G3) in his two sophomore outings so far, will stand at Sheikh Mohammed's Darley near Lexington, Kentucky, upon the conclusion of his racing career, it was revealed Sunday. Bred and campaigned by Winchell Thoroughbreds, the dark bay sophomore will continue to sport the Winchell colors through this year's Breeders' Cup. [BRISnet]

I have no words beyond "Well there goes another four-year-old career". Pyro will next try his form over the synth at Keeneland in the GI Blue Grass on Apr12, his final prep before the Derby.

No Delicate Flowers Allowed

2008-03-07T15:28:00.000-07:00

I posted a few days ago the announcement by the Breeders' Cup Committee that all F/M races would be scheduled for their Friday card, which would be called "Ladies' Day".

This has turned out to be untrue. It's actually "Filly Friday", which is only marginally less demeaning.

There's a petition up; created by race fans like myself; to ask the BCC to 1] switch Friday's card to Sunday so working class people can attend, and 2] lose the asinine "Ladies' Classic" (because it sounds like golf) and change the flagship race back to "Distaff". Also, maybe they should get the fans involved instead of hiring a contingent of Sports Analysts who know dick about racing. Just sayin'.

Still, I spend so much time at the beginning of the year focused on the Triple Crown trail, it's easy to lose sight of the rest of the sport; especially when most of the handicapping sims I've joined focus on the Boys of Spring. With Road to the Roses at the top of the list, I become that which I despise the most: A sexist turf writer.

And so I dedicate this post to the ~~Ladies~~ Distaffers. We begin with this weekend's Kentucky Oaks preps.

I've already gone over the Fair Grounds Oaks (race 8 @ FG on Sat.); which has set up to be a match race between BC Juv. Fillies winner Indian Blessing (pic, right) and her maid-of-honour Proud Spell. My opinion of that race hasn't changed since that write up, so we'll move on.

I mention the FG Oaks again, however, to put the Santa Anita Oaks in perspective: Where Golden Doc A (pic, left), last seen winning the GI Las Virgenes following a 2nd place effort to Indian Blessing in the GII Santa Ynez, takes on a field of eight peers under jockey Rafael Bejarano. I won't say it's a lock for the daughter of Unusual Heat, but her chances are better than most here. Final Fling is also worth a look for the money; and Seattle Smooth for trainer Julio Canani, who came up just short last out in the California Oaks.

For the older mares this weekend features the GI $300k Santa Margarita @ Santa Anita on Saturday, plus the GIII $175k Azeri @ Oaklawn and the GII $200k Rampart @ Gulfstream on Sunday.

2007 Eclipse nominated filly Nashoba's Key (pic) makes the second start of her 4yo career in the Santa Margarita. She came up shy her 2008 debut; finishing a long length back of Quite A Bird in the Sunshine Millions F/M Turf, where she posted a 92. She returns to the synth where she was undefeated at 3, and gets a rider switch back to GoGo. Shirreffs-trained Zenyatta also makes her second '08 start. The daughter of Street Cry is a half sister to multiple Graded Stakes winner Balance (out of Vertigineux by Kris S) and is 3-for-3 lifetime.

Kettleoneup (pic) is listed as the 119lb highweight in the 1 1/16mi. Azeri. The 5yo daughter of Victory Gallop, coming in on a five-race win streak, will face off with five others including Hystericalady; currently 0-3 but taking a drop down in class here. The race is traditionally a prep for the GI Apple Blossom H. run on April 5.

Tessa Blue makes her first start since Nov22, where she finished 4th to Kettleoneup in the GII Falls City. Trained by Frank Brothers (who is 21% at bringing horses back to win from a layoff), she'll get the benefit of a hot Gulfstream rail at post position 1. Spring Waltz makes her first Stakes attempt after a long series of 1st or 2nd-place finishes in the OC ranks. The daughter of Silver Charm is 5-3-0 in 8 lifetime. Golden Velvet has come on pretty strong since shipping over from Dubai; she's 2-0-1 in 3, including a DH finish in the GIII Sabin H last out. She looks to like a little distance, so I anticipate the added furlong will do her good here.

On a completely off topic note: What's the deal with sage and rose? Seriously. Between the Oaks logo, my brother's wedding, and Tristan / Cassidy's big day (which I picked a colour scheme for over a year ago), I'm up to my eyeballs in green and pink!

RttR : Week 5

2008-03-07T12:19:00.000-07:00

Technically a day late, yes. But it took me the better part of an afternoon to write, so...

Last week on Road to the Roses;

As expected, it came down to Colonel John (pic) and El Gato Malo in the Sham, with the former proving to be the better. The question still remains if either can transfer their form to traditional dirt, however; which is why GoGo is still looking for a Derby mount, and neither of these colts are in my RttR Stable.
Your Round looked to have the race locked by the stretch, but it was Absolutely Cindy: dead last at the half and spotting the leaders some 20+ lengths: to pull a major upset against the boys in the Battaglia. This 3yo Arch filly was has shown an affinity for the synth; the Battaglia was her first win in three tries this year, and comes after a well-beaten 6th to Indian Blessing in the GIII Silverbulletday. She's now 3-2-3 in 10 lifetime, but not TC nominated. BTW, I still can't stand the Turfway announcer's voice. Gods, it's like snorting razorblades.

The downward spiral seems to have halted:

ElJay League - 3/6
Go Baby Go League - 3/8
TBA League - 9/15
Overall - 9533/17600

In contrast to last weekend, we've got three big ones this Saturday in the GII $600k Louisiana Derby @ Fair Grounds, the GIII $250k Gotham @ Aqueduct, and the GIII $150k El Camino Real @ Bay Meadows.

I would be a fool to jump off Pyro now, so I won't. But he'll certainly get a test here in this field of nine, two of which-- Tale of Ekati and Majestic Warrior-- make their 2008 debut following highly touted 2yo careers. Other interesting notes here: Blackberry Road gets a rider switch from Borel to Albarado, Yankee Bravo makes his first start on traditional dirt after wins on both turf and synth, and J Be K looks to stretch out from sprints to routes.

Giant Moon [Giant's Causeway / Moonlightandbeauty (Capote)] certainly appears to be the one to beat in the Gotham; he's 4-for-4 lifetime, two of those over the Big A course and at this distance or just shy. Visionare could be a spoiler, as could Roman Emperor. I'm very interested in Saratoga Russell [Trippi / Prologue (Theatrical [IRE])], who takes a jump up in both class and distance here after two blowout sprint wins in the lower ranks. If he can rate and not go crazy on the front end, he could get a piece of it at some value.

In the El Camino Real, I'll go with Nikki'sgoldensteed (winner of the Turf Paradise Derby last out) and Coast Guard (2nd to Crown of Thorns in the Robert B. Lewis). Bay Meadows hasn't switched surface yet to synth, so these Cali boys are running on the real thing.

What a fantastic race in last Saturday's Big Cap! Heatseeker [IRE] has turned a serious corner from his days of running sideways down the stretch staring at the grandstands; and Go Between showed clout in grinding out a 2nd. By and large, however, my favorite performance of the race was put in by Champs Elysses [GB] (pic), who charged in from another county while weaving a path through the masses to place 3rd. He's a distance runner, and I believe has a better turn of foot on the turf, but for his first Stateside dirt start the effort was quite respectable. Not sure yet if his connections are pointing him toward the BC Turf or the inaugural BC Dirt Marathon; my hope, with the retirement of English Channel, is for the former.

Go Baby Go

2008-03-04T17:48:00.000-07:00

Why can't I just do this full time? I mean, seriously. It's so hard to look for a new job when I'd much rather be 'capping races. ^-^ I need a full DRF/BRISnet subscription and a laptop, so I can do this on the bus...

Fantastic race card in line at Fair Grounds on Saturday, starting with the 5th and ending with the 10th.

The $200k LS Duncan F. Kenner drew seven entries, including Colonel Power S. winner Euroears (now undefeated in 5 career starts), King Cotton S. winner Semaphore Man, GIII Mr Prospector winner Noonmark and long-absent King of the Roxy.

Granted, Euroears is running his fool head off, and I think he'll continue to be the one to beat here. But I know Noonmark: He's gutsy and not afraid of a head-to-head duel in deep stretch. He's also strongest at this race's 6f distance, so if anything on that track is going to give Euroears the time of day, I believe it's Noonmark. Semaphore Man posted a bullet work in prep for this (4f in :46.1) and has been dancing on the LS/GIII line most of his career, but can't seem to keep it together past half a year. King of the Roxy makes his first start since finishing 7th by 11 in the GI King's Bishop last August; he'll take a major turn back in distance (which doesn't normally suit his style), but get the benefit of a hot Fair Grounds rail (which is producing winners at 17% this season). That's the order of finish, as I see it.

In the 6th, the $500k GII New Orleans H., we have seven going to post featuring a rematch of the GIII Mineshaft (with winner Grasshopper, runner-up Silver Lord, show horse Magna Graduate, and 5th placed Encaustic), the always salty Brass Hat (2nd in the GII Clark, 4th in the GI Donn) and 2007 Louisiana Derby winner Circular Quay.

Seriously? The Mineshaft was one hell of a race, and I do not lament one bit that this event drew four of the top five finishers. If Brass Hat brings his "A" Game he'll be very tough; his speed rating at the distance is far above the majority. That said, I maintain the one to beat here is Grasshopper. Magna Graduate adds blinkers, but I seem to recall the last time he ran with them he stumbled out of the gate and finished well back.

The 7th, the $500k GII Mervyn Muniz Jr. Memorial H., lines up ten horses on the turf. Most notably Daytona [IRE], running 6-2-2 in 12 including four straight Graded wins. There's little else to be said here, honestly. Proudinsky [GER] ran 2nd to Daytona last out and posted a 100 speed figure in the process; Twilight Meteor ran 4th to him in the Hollywood Derby and he posted a 103. Fracas [IRE] may be interesting to watch; he makes his US debut here for trainer Barclay Tagg, is a Group 3 Stakes-winner in Europe and often Group-placed (finished 2nd to Dylan Thomas in the Alleged Stakes last April) at distances farther than he's running here.

The 8th is the $400k GII Fair Grounds Oaks, which has shaped up to be a virtual showdown between Indian Blessing (Indian Charlie / Shameful {Flying Chevron}) and Proud Spell (Proud Citizen / Pacific Spell {Langfuhr}). These two have been splitting hairs between them since the BC Juv. Fillies, with the former prevailing over the latter by a decreasing margin each time. Not much for betting options here, but if nothing else this should be a great race to watch. ^-^

Nine three-year-olds face off in the 600k GII Louisiana Derby en route to the Kentucky Derby; including Blackberry Road, J Be K, Majestic Warrior, Pyro, Tale Of Ekati (pic), Unbridled Vicar, and Yankee Bravo. But we'll have more on that Thursday in my RttR post.

Finally, the $100k LS Bienville; a sprint on the turf at 5½f for fillies and mares. A few to point out:

Smitty's Sunshine is in great form as she seeks a repeat of her 2007 win
Stylish Wildcat is 5-3-0 in 9 lifetime
Danceoftherealm [GB] was a winner last out, same distance and course
Tres Dream makes her dirt-to-turf debut after winning two of her last three, and
Jazzy [ARG] returns to the turf after striking out in the BC F/M Sprint

BRIS favors Tres Dream here, but I'm not sold. I like Clement-trained Stylish Wildcat and the Hennig-trainee Jazzy [ARG]; both of whom make their 2008 debut and their first race since October. Both trainers are fierce on the turf, and very competitive at bringing horses back from a lay-off.

And in other news

2008-02-28T18:45:00.000-07:00

(because some things deserve an entry of their own):

As boring as the 3yo races look this week, there's some heavy hitting going on in the older horse division with the 71st running of the GI $1mil Santa Anita Handicap. And with all the issues SA has had with their new Cushion Track surface, the fact that Saturday's forecast calls for sunny skies and light breeze is exactly what the long hard winter season at the track has needed to pull itself out of the doldrums.

This year's Big 'Cap drew an all-star cast in a full field of 14; including Air Commander, Awesome Gem (pic), Big Booster, Champs Elysees [GB], Go Between, Heatseeker [IRE], Medici Code [GB], Monterey Jazz, Student Council, and Tiago.

The BRISnet 'cappers favor Champs Elysees [GB], who romped in a powerful way last out in the GII San Marcos. Monterey Jazz is a salty bastard and deserves my backing here: he triumphed by 4 1/2 over this course in the GII Strub. And Awesome Gem posted a bullet 6f work in prep for this; he's a workhorse that hasn't missed the board since switching to the synth, but faded to "best of the rest" 3rd last out in the GII San Antonio.

The Breeders' Cup committee continues to muck with the event, much to my chagrin.

On top of the back-to-back hosting by Santa Anita and the additional three Friday races, they've also expanded the Win! and You're In! Challenge to a total 49 races, and deemed that Friday's six-race card will instead be a five-race Breeders' Cup Ladies' Day.

Starting in 2008, all F&M-centric races will be run on Friday: the Juv. Fillies, the Juv. Fillies Turf, the F&M Sprint, the F&M Turf, and the ~~Distaff~~ Ladies' Classic.

"The initial response from the Breeders' Cup family including ESPN, our marketing partners, nominators and Trustees has been extremely supportive and enthusiastic," said Breeders Cup President and CEO Greg Avioli. "By shifting some of our traditional Saturday races to Friday, we ensure that Friday stands on its own as an international competition of the highest level. This new format provides a great stage to showcase the talents of the best female Thoroughbreds in the world."

Response from their affiliates may be stellar, but 9 out of 10 members of the TBA think it stinks. I count myself among them.

And finally, longtime New York rider and recent California transplant Richard Migliore will receive the 2008 George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award. The award, given to riders who best exemplify the high standards of personal and professional conduct both on and off the racetrack, is voted on by an audience of their peers.

The official trophy presentation (a 1' replica of the statue of George Woolf found at Santa Anita Park) will take place on March 30. Congratulations, Mig!

RttR : Week 4

2008-02-28T17:05:00.000-07:00

Last week on Road to the Roses;

Zito's got some guns in his barn this year as Cool Coal Man [Mineshaft / Coral Sea (Rubiano)], with Kent Desormeaux up, makes a wide bid in the turn to win the Fountain of Youth. The pace was a crawl however, with an opening quarter in 25.3 and a half in 49. Elysium Fields second, Court Vision up for third. Z Humor ran 4th.

My standings hit the tank, which makes me sad:

ElJay League - 3/5
Go Baby Go League - 3/8
TBA League - 9/15
Overall - 9108/16800

It's hard to stay excited about the Triple Crown trail when the offered races on any given weekend are strictly over the synth. The surface is a wild card, and figures just don't seem to add up later when stacked against the dirt preps. So it is with some reluctance that I announce this weeks sophomore features are the $100k LS John Battaglia Memorial at Turfway, and the GIII $200k Sham at Santa Anita.

In the Battaglia, I like Big Glen; he's a big closer that's taken a bit to mature into his stride. If Instill takes to the poly he'll play a factor; his speed figures over the distance are stronger than the majority. Also Your Round came up just short his last out over this track at a shorter distance; the extra furlong should help him here.

They're billing a big showdown in the Sham between El Gato Malo [El Corredor / One Bad Cat (Mountain Cat)] (pic) and Colonel John [Tiznow / Sweet Damsel (Turkoman)]-- both of whom are not in my RttR stable because of their California prep base. I foresee a tossup between them, so were I betting I'd box the exacta and call it a day.

Other races mentioned in recent weeks:

Gold Coyote lead throughout in the Jim's Orbit Stakes, but couldn't fend off a late run from Ablaze With Spirit in deep stretch and finished 2nd.
Idiot Proof stalked an opening quarter of 21.1 in the Phoenix Gold Cup, made a bid on the turn, but couldn't catch the leader Tribesman for trying and also finished 2nd.
Johnny Eves and Greg's Gold duked it out big time in the San Carlos, with the latter proving the better in the final pole only to get headed out at the wire by Surf Cat, who made a bold bid down the center in the closing yards. Soul City Slew ran 3rd, and Circular Quay finished a well-beaten 5th.
BC Juvenile winner and Eclipse Two-year-old Champion War Pass leveled a field of four in his 3yo debut. Can anyone say "public workout in company"?
Einstein [BRZ] pulled out a big win in the Gulfstream Park Turf, stalking solid fractions before taking the lead at the top of the stretch and fending off a late charge from Dancing Forever. Helen Pitts is on the verge of the big leagues here, and deserves some serious props for bringing this horse into the race in such great form.

speechless

2008-02-28T15:44:00.001-07:00

2007 Horse of the Year and Three-year-old Champion Male CURLIN made his first 2008 start Thursday in the 5th race at Dubai's Nad Al Sheba race course. The $175k Jaguar Trophy-- a 2,000 meter handicap in which he carried top weight of 132lbs, conceding no less that 15lb to his rivals-- was targeted as the colt's one prep race for the Dubai World Cup on March 29th.

Breaking from the inside post, Curlin was piloted to the outside early, and the colt settled nicely on his first trip around the triangular course. A small shake of the reins by regular jockey Robby Albarado halfway down the stretch, and that was all she wrote. He won, as they say, "for fun"; clearly geared down under wraps, and not once asked for his top form. [view race]

"We wanted to save a bunch for the World Cup," Albarado said in a post-race interview. "I just wanted him to settle. He needed this race mentally as well as physically, and I think we accomplished what we wanted to today." [DRF]

Taking the less-than-objective route, can I just say this colt looks massive? He's not lost an ounce of flesh since shipping overseas, and that is so very rare...

So here's to Curlin. May his ownership issues be sorted out in a manner that keeps him racing because, clearly, he loves to run.

Dropped the ball

2008-02-23T15:08:00.000-07:00

Someone, somewhere (at Gulfstream or at the DRF, but my cash is on the former), totally missed it with this Banner of Glory:

[click to embiggen]

"What's wrong with it?" I hear some of you ask.

Mainly? The horse they've chosen to use is INVASOR [ARG], who never ran in the FoY. He was in Argentina. You'd think if they were going to pimp a race, they'd at least use a horse that had won it...

Anyhow. On a totally sidenote, Down the Stretch has a fresh new layout. Why not drop by for a spell and have a look? ^-^ My ego will thank you.

RttR : Week 3

2008-02-22T13:32:00.000-07:00

Last week on Road to the Roses;

Fierce Wind took the Sam Davis in deep stretch, holding off a late run by Big Truck, who was hooked 5 or 6-wide into the lane. Nice effort by both. Favorite Z Humor ran his race in the saddling paddock apparently; reports are he was "washy" in the post parade, and he flattened to 5th.
In the Borderland, Poni Colada looped the field from last to first in the turn and won convincingly by 9. Cape Time finished second by a long length, No Jepordy third.
Denis of Cork continued his undefeated streak, surviving blistering fractions to pick up the pieces in the Southwest. Sierra Sunset was sideways out of the gate, ran a steady 2nd/3rd throughout, but didn't have the turn of foot to catch the winner in the stretch. Liberty Bull and Sacred Journey in a dead heat for third.

My current standings:

ElJay League - 2/5
GoBabyGo League - 3/8
TBA League - 5/15
Overall - 6659/14800

Only one scoring race this week for the sophomores: the GII $350k Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream. Several colts are making their 3yo debut in here, including Anak Nakal, Court Vision, and Monba (the Pletcher barn ninja). Z Humor wheels back insanely fast by conventional practice, although whether he runs or scratches is anyone's guess. Also worth mentioning: Halo Najib was hopelessly boxed in at the top of the stretch his last out, shook loose like a pro and won geared down; and Kentucky Bear put away an allowance field with aplomb his first outing, run at a mile over this track.

For points, I need the first three to do well. As a bettor, I'm giving a long look to Kentucky Bear for a piece of the money.

As a side note to the above: BC Juvenile winner War Pass will make his first 3yo start in the race immediately following the FoY, the $60k LS Silver Series Purse. The 1mi event will act as a prep for next month's Tampa Bay Derby, trainer Nick Zito told the DRF.

The Turf division seems wide open as multiple top-notch grass runners seek to fill the void created by the retirement of English Channel. One of these, Shamdinan [FR] (pic), runner-up in the BC Turf last fall, makes his 2008 debut in the GI $350k Gulfstream Park Turf. The 4yo son of Dr Fong will face 9 in the 1 3/8mi contest; including Stream of Gold [IRE], Zann, and Einstein.

And the twelve finalists were announced today for the Racing Hall of Fame. They are (in alphabetical order):

Contemporary female horses: Inside Information, Open Mind, Silverbulletday, Sky Beauty
Contemporary male horses: Best Pal, Manila, Tiznow
Jockeys: Edgar Prado, Randy Romero, Alex Solis
Trainers: Carl Nafzger, Robert Wheeler

Winning Colors euthanized

2008-02-20T01:41:00.000-07:00

Hall of Fame inductee (2000) WINNING COLORS, one of only three fillies in history to capture the coveted Run for the Roses, was humanely euthanized Sunday following complications from colic at Lexington's Hagyard Equine Medical Institute. She was 23 years old.

Heralded by turf writers as "an Amazon", she retired at age 4 with a record 8-3-1 from 19 starts and $1,526,837 in earnings. Sold for $4.1 million to Gainesway Bloodstock Services at the 1989 Keeneland November mixed sale, Winning Colors was the dam of 10 foals, seven of which started (one, Golden Colors, earning black type in Japan), and leaves behind two unnamed fillies: a two-year-old in training by Orientate, and a yearling by Mr. Greeley. She has been buried at Greentree Farm, a division of Gainesway, in Lexington.

"They can go out with her and die, or they can sit behind her and watch her ride away from them."
~ D. Wayne Lukas [New York Times, 5.8.88]

Virtually annihilating her peers under pilot Gary Stevens for trainer D. Wayne Lukas in the Santa Anita Oaks, she followed up by conquering the boys in the Santa Anita Derby [four links, full ABC broadcast]; then solidified her place in the racing annals alongside Regret (1915) and Genuine Risk (1980) when she bested Forty Niner in Kentucky Derby 114. She capped off her 1988 campaign with an Eclipse Award for Outstanding 3yo Filly, a title she cinched following stretch duel against the unsinkable Personal Ensign in the Breeders' Cup Distaff.

This took a bit to sink in and write; almost as long as John Henry's obituary last October. In my personal stable of all-time favorite racehorses, Winning Colors is one that I lovingly refer to as Foundation Stock. I was a fledgling race fan then: all of thirteen and starving for knowledge. The year before, I'd watched Alysheba nearly go down in the Derby stretch after clipping heels with Bet Twice, gather back up and come on to win (for the record: He, too, holds permanent settlement among The First Ones). She was an icon of my early years alongside Jim McKay and ABC's Wide World of Sports.

As young girls today look upon Rags To Riches with a sense of awe and respect, so did I see the roan daughter of Caro when she drove home on the lead that first Saturday in May, 1988. She stood immediately embossed upon my memory; her connections very nearly Deified in that two-plus minutes of history. And while she failed to repeat her brilliance two weeks later at Pimlico, or three weeks after that at Belmont, she never lost her lustre.

Rest in peace, steel magnolia. The child in me smiles to remember you, and promises to feed you carrots in the pastures of my imaginary pantheon.

RttR : Week 2

2008-02-16T03:13:00.001-07:00

Last week on Road to the Roses;

Pyro took the Risen Star with an overwhelming stretch run that marked him a deserving early favorite for the big dance in May. Stablemate Z Fortune was second, Blackberry Road fifth. Check It Twice, as suspected, scratched.
Nikki'sgoldensteed turned in a good performance, stalking a tepid pace before kicking into the stretch to win the Turf Paradise convincingly over EZ Dreamer and Meer Kat [IRE].
Georgie Boy took a center path over the refurbished Santa Anita synth (which, ftr, is still getting hit-or-miss reviews), winning the San Vicente over Into Mischief and Massive Drama.

My standings after opening weekend:

ElJay League - 2nd
GoBabyGo League - 3rd
TBA League - 3rd
Overall - 4414/11400

This week, RttR spotlights the $200k LS Sam F. Davis at Tampa Bay Downs, the $100k LS Borderland Derby at Sunland Park, and the $250k GIII Southwest at Oaklawn.

Everyone and his brother is going to put money on Z Humor [Distorted Humor / Offtheoldblock (A.P.Indy)] in the Sam Davis, and I can't say as I blame them. He's 2-0-2 in 5 and can carry the distance; his only bad race was a fifth place finish in the BC Juvenile, which he followed up with a dead heat win in the Delta Jackpot. He'll be tough here. That said, I'm keeping an eye on Zito-trained Fierce Wind [Dixie Union / Post Parade (A.P.Indy)], who's shown marked improvement since stepping up to a route distance and continues his steady march through the classes here; and Wise Answer [Wised Up / All The Answers (Colony Light)], who makes a return to dirt here after a failed turf attempt at Calder back on New Years day, his only off-the-board finish.

A short field of five for the Borderland, including Poni Colada [Volponi / Coconut Willimina (Pleasant Colony)], who hopes to return to his Zia Park form for Asmussen; and No Jepordy [Storm Boot / Tada (Tasso)], who comes in off a 1 1/8mi turf win at Santa Anita on Feb2. Looks like anyone's race, though; the longest odds on the board are 6-1.

As for the Southwest-- which was upgraded from a LS to a GIII this year, and in recent years has brought us Derby contenders Teuflesberg, Lawyer Ron, Smoke Glacken, and Derby winner Smarty Jones-- it's running on Monday this year and I have crap for details at this time. I'll give this a closer look after the draw on Saturday afternoon, but at the moment I'm pretty keen on Turf War [Dixie Union / Grass Skirt (Mr. Prospector)], the full-brother to Grasshopper who shared the dead heat with Z Humor in the Delta Jackpot; Denis of Cork [Harlans Holiday / Unbridled Girl (Unbridled)], a gutsy winner over Unbridled Vicar last out (who subsequently went on to finish a close 4th in the Risen Star); and multi-stakes winner Sierra Sunset [Bertrando / Toot Sweet (Pirate's Bounty)], last seen placing 4th over a troubled Santa Anita synth in the GIII San Rafael.

Also running this weekend: Gold Coyote [Gold Legend / Coyote Cafe (Seeking the Gold)]-- who some of you may remember from this post-- attempts two-turns for the first time in the $125k LS Jim's Orbit for Texas-bred three-year-olds. The 1m contest at Sam Houston drew a full field of 12 entries.

BC Sprint runner-up Idiot Proof (pic) makes his final US prep before heading off to Dubai for the $2mil UAE-GI Golden Shaheen at Nad Al Sheba. He'll take on eight others in the $100k LS Phoenix Gold Cup at Turf Paradise on Saturday over what is likely to be a cold and wet track. For the first time in months, I wish I had a car.

And long-absent Circular Quay makes his 4yo debut in the $150k GII San Carlos H. at Santa Anita, but the 7f sprint is a salty bunch; including Greg's Gold, Johnny Eves, and Surf Cat. I wish him luck, but I'm thinking he's out of his depth here.

The Title Remains The Same

2008-02-08T13:09:00.000-07:00

While I find it interesting that Santa Anita is still scheduled to host the 2008 Breeders' Cup after multiple canceled/rescheduled races this winter due to poor drainage on their new Cushion Track (which they claimed to have miraculously fixed this past week), I suppose it's too late to change venues what with the merchandise already at the printers. But what's this? They're getting 2009 as well?! And they're adding three more races to Friday's card?!

I'm ... beyond coherence. Since that would make for a boring entry, let's move to lighter things.

Risen Star news: Pyro [3-1] is the slim M/L fevorite over stablemate Z Fortune [7-2]. Blackberry Road is 5-1; Check It Twice [12-1] never shipped in from Florida and is a likely scratch.

On the undercard, Better Talk Now makes his nine-year-old debut in Saturday's $150k GIII Fair Grounds Handicap. He's been off the track since rallying for 4th in the BC Turf, and likely to get some stiff competition from four-year-olds Daytona [IRE] and Inca King. That said, I'm putting the elder statesman on top. I know he can handle the distance, and with his late running style vs. the younger pairs pacesetting, expect a closing kick in the stretch to eat them up in the final furlong.

Meanwhile, on the left coast, the $150k GII San Antonio Handicap drew a deep field of nine; including Awesome Gem, Student Council, and Sweetnorthernsaint. I like them in that order, and I think that's how I'll play them.

Finally, PH has listed the $100k LS Colonel Power as their 4th race of the week. I went with Stormin Baghdad, Euroears, and Fort Prado: three names I've heard enough times to recognize on the program. Sometimes, the not-so-fancy pays off. ^-^

RttR : Week 1

2008-02-07T14:06:00.000-07:00

Road to the Roses kicks off their opening weekend with three races; the Risen Star, the Turf Paradise Derby, and the San Vicente.

With the surface at Santa Anita continuing to wreak havoc on the racing schedule, I'm completely in the dark over who's probable to run in the $150k GII San Vicente on Sunday. I don't believe any of my first draft horses are training in Cali at the moment however, so this is unlikely to effect me.

[edit - Massive Drama is set to appear against four others including Into Mischief. Although whether it'll actually run on Sunday is anyone's guess...]

[[son of edit - Three things I like about Massive Drama here: Baffert has been pretty strong on the synth, he's flying GoGo in for the day, and they're cutting back the distance after two failed attempts to win a route. As for the track, SantaAnita.com assures us the drainage issue has been fixed, so... yeah. We'll see, sir.]]

Likewise in the $100k Turf Paradise Derby, although I should point out that Craig Dollase has a runner in here with the 6 horse, Meer Kat [IRE] (Red Ransom / Bush Cat [Kingmambo]). Last seen closing for 3rd by 5 lengths to The Leopard and Indian Sun in the GIII Generous at Hollywood Park, he's making his turf-to-dirt debut under Martin Pedroza (who, it should also be noted, is the regular rider of the 7 horse, Nikki'sgoldensteed). All that said, I personally like Ez Dreamer (In Excess [IRE] / French Debutante [French Deputy]), who was a blowout winner by nearly 10 lengths last out and looks to increase his route distance here.

The flipside to the other two: a fantastic draw for the $300k GIII Risen Star @ Fair Grounds; including appearances by Pyro, Blackberry Road, and Z Fortune (pic)-- who honestly should have been in my first draft, but I still score if he wins through the Trainer/Jockey connection.

Also of note: Pletcher sends out Check It Twice (Repent / Christmas List [Out Of Place]), who shares a dam line with Christmas Kid through Plum Cake. 3-1-1 in 5, he makes his first start since Dec1 under Johnny V.

I'll win points if the four finish on top in any order, but I'm backing Pyro and Z Fortune for the exacta. Pletcher is fierce at bringing horses back from a layoff to win, so Check It Twice over Blackberry Road for show.

Other big races this weekend include one for the Oaks girls: the $200k GIII Silverbulletday, a veritable BC Juv Fillies rematch between 1-2 runners Indian Blessing and Proud Spell; and the $150k GIII Mineshaft Handicap, featuring the return of Grasshopper as he faces off against hard-hitting Magna Graduate and Better Than Bonds. Both races take place at Fair Grounds on Saturday.

Road to the Roses 2008 Special (and other news)

2008-02-04T18:19:00.000-07:00

In the wake of the announcement that HoY Curlin is headed to Dubai for the World Cup (a decision I'm wretchedly torn on since [a] he'll face a level of worldwide competition the likes of which didn't attend the Breeders' Cup, while [b] it ups the possibility of him being bought out by the Sheiks and never coming back), CDI today announced the launch of their annual Road to the Roses handicapping metagame.

I'll admit, it's been hard for me to get into the races this year since my Derby day will be spent about as far from a track as one can possibly get (I really hope the photographer they've hired is a quick trigger). But who am I to shirk tradition? ^-^

Stable Name	Vigorish Racing
Trainers	Steve Asmussen Todd Pletcher
Jockeys	Garrett Gomez John Velazquez
First Draft	Anak Nakal [Victory Gallop / Misk (Quiet American)] Atoned [Repent / Amidst (Icecapade)] Blackberry Road [Gone West / Strawberry Reason (Strawberry Road)] Court Vision [Gulch / Weekend Storm (Storm Bird)] Kodiak Kowboy [Posse / Kokadrie (Coronados Quest)] Massive Drama [Kafwain / Peyvon (Slewacide)] Overextended [Monarchos / Way of Life (Gulch)] Pyro [Pulpit / Wild Vision (Wild Again)] Roman Emperor [Empire Maker / Lady Melesi (Colonial Affair)] Tale of Ekati [Tale of the Cat / Silence Beauty (Sunday Silence)]

Also, with the end of the "Winter of our Discontent" challenge, the game has been reset to 0, and so I've continued my account on Public Handicapper under the username JLDecker. My picks from last weekend landed me at 61/2804 with 3 wins from 4 races (I completely bombed on the Donn) and a profit of v$19.40. Seriously, I need to get paid for doing this. ^-^

In other news: Victory Gallop has been sold to Turkey. The 13-year-old son of Cryptoclearance is expected to depart WinStar Farm on Feb12, for his new home at Izmit Central Stallion Station not far from Istanbul.

"I think his ability to sire precocious horses and horses who want a distance of ground fits perfectly with their breeding and racing patterns," said coordinating consultant Ric Waldman, who has also managed the career of Storm Cat. He added that Victory Gallop’s versatility as a sire should serve the Turks well as they continue to upgrade their racing, which is conducted on both dirt and turf.

Best known as the spoiler for Real Quiet's 1998 Triple Crown (vid), Victory Gallop is the sire of 24 stakes winners from six crops of racing age, including the highly thought-of Tale of Ekati and distaff darling Kettleoneup.

And finally, California Iron Horse Lava Man is back in training after a three-month rest; which came following a sixth-place showing in the California Cup Classic Handicap early last November.

"He returned to Hollywood Park from NexStar Ranch on the afternoon of Jan. 26," trainer Doug O'Neill said. "He looks very good. He's fresh and happy."

The 7yo gelding is being pointed toward the Hollywood Park meet, set to run April 23 - July 13, with the ultimate goal of achieving a 4th straight Hollywood Gold Cup win. Last season, he became the second horse to win it three consecutive years (the first was Native Diver in 1967), and the first to sweep Southern California's three major GI events for older horses—- the Santa Anita Handicap, the Hollywood Gold Cup, and the Pacific Classic—- in the same year.

GI Santa Monica (redux); Donn "major US Prep for DWC"; Sophomore spoilers; Baze hits 10k on the nose

2008-02-02T03:11:00.000-07:00

GI SANTA MONICA (REDUX)
Inclement weather early January found the new Cushion Track surface at Santa Anita to be lacking in its touted safety features (including "slick spots" and "poor drainage"), causing several racing days to be canceled. One of those, the $250k GI Santa Monica H. (f/m 4+ @ 7f), was re-scheduled to a draw of six; three less than when originally planned.

Included in the cast is Hystericalady (pic), listed 6-5 on the M/L as the 122lb highweight. The 5yo chestnut daughter of Distorted Humor makes her first start since running a hard-fought 2nd to Ginger Punch in last November's Breeders' Cup Distaff. She stands to do well here with the turnback in distance and the absence of Nashoba's Key. Her strongest opposition here is most likely to come from Pussycat Doll (9-5), although I'm also keeping an eye on the Jeff Mullins-trained Silky Smooth (8-1).

DONN "MAJOR U.S. PREP FOR DWC"
The $500k GI Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park has gained a certain notoriety as a springboard for the $6mil UAE-I Dubai World Cup. Since the event's inaugural run in 2000, four horses have come out of the Donn to win the DWC, another placed 2nd, and the remaining two did not compete.

Last year, I was blessed and lucky to see Invasor [ARG]-- fresh off receiving his HoY Eclipse Award-- charge home to win over Hesanoldsalt and A. P. Arrow (pic) before going on to claim the desert jewel. Before him came Captain Steve (2001) and the indomitable Cigar (2000). In 2006 it was Donn-winner Brass Hat (a race I was also lucky to see, although my money had been on Andromeda's Hero) who ran 2nd in Dubai, but was later disqualified for a controversial "medication infraction"; while 2005 Donn runner-up Roses in May stepped up his game to win the DWC that year.

Talk is already underway that this year's heavy Donn Favorite, Daaher (5-2 M/L, 120lb highweight), will ship to Dubai should he perform well. But between him and victory are eight others, including Donn alumni Brass Hat (5-1) and A. P. Arrow (4-1), as well as the veritable workhorse Einstein [BRZ] (6-1).

SOPHOMORE SPOILERS
An interesting change on the Donn undercard as Gulfstream has moved the GIII Holy Bull to April 12th; making the race a perfect in-between for SoFla campaigners on the Derby trail (it's now two weeks after the GI Florida Derby), and possibly lending more creedence to the GII Fountain of Youth (on Feb24).

The odd man out here is now the $150k GII Swale Stakes, which in years past set the stage for the FoY-- and by it, the FlaD-- with spot-on performances by Adore the Gold (2007) and Sharp Humor (2006); the latter whom looked Barbaro in the eye all down the stretch of the FlaD. And so, while the mainstay analysts will no doubt toss out this race due to its timing and its 6.5f distance, I will look at it for future spoilers.

The M/L favors Pletcher-trained Wincat (Hold That Tiger / Tojur [Dayjur]), a big maiden winner first out by 6 3/4 just before new year. He posted a 101, and the chart notes that he "drew away under wraps" under Jeremy Rose; he gets Johnny V this out, at 9-5. Eaton's Gift (Johannesburg / Kit's Girl [Carson City]) stopped dead in deep stretch of the GI Cash Call Futurity over the synth at Hollywood Park last out (Dec22); it was an ambitious step up from ALW company into gong a route, and I like his chances here with the cutback in distance. The Dale Romans trainee is 6-1 M/L, Desormeaux up. I'm also watching Silver Edition (Silver Deputy / Sincerely [Meadowlake]), who duked it out like a champ before giving way late in the GII Hutcheson, finishing 2nd. Not a Derby horse that I can tell-- he's not done well in his two routes to date-- but the Lukas trainee could make some noise here at 3-1.

BAZE HITS 10K ON THE NOSE

And finally, NorCal circuit rider Russell Baze became the first jockey in North American history to win 10,000 races when the 49-year-old Hall of Famer piloted 5yo Two Step Cat to win by a nod in a blanket finish during the 3rd race at Golden Gate Fields on February 1st.

"It's a milestone, but not the final milestone... Milestones are points along the way, and I still have a lot of laps left in me." [NTRA.com]

The elderstatesman competitive of the Baze racing family (which includes first cousin Tyler and second cousin Michael), Russell's biggest claim to mainstream fame came as the regular rider of 2005 Eclipse-awarded Sprint Champion Lost in the Fog. He is committed to compete in the Shergar Cup at Ascot in August, where he will likely meet Brazilian jockey Jorge Ricardo; the world's only other recognized 10,000-race winning jockey.

Reports are in from the Asmussen barn:

2008-01-30T19:08:00.000-07:00

HoY CURLIN and Triple Crown hopeful PYRO worked 6f together this morning in 1:13 over a fast Fair Grounds track. The splits were impressive-- :24 3/5, :36 3/5, :49, and 1:00 4/5-- with the final quarter in :24 in spite of a strong headwind. The pair galloped out 7f in 1:26 and a mile in 1:40 2/5.

Asmussen, whose watch had the workout two-fifths of a second faster, reported, "I think we're right where we want to be with both of them." [BRIS.net]

PYRO (Pulpit -x- Wild Division [Wild Again]), the BC Juvenile runner-up and Eclipse-nominated 2yo colt, is about as regally bred as they get; his bottom line includes Shenanigans (dam of Ruffian, Buckfinder, and Icecapade). He's scheduled to begin his Derby campaign in the GIII Risen Star on Feb9.

As for Curlin, no official word yet on where he'll make his 4yo debut. But he's been nominated to the GIII Mineshaft Handicap on the same day, and that's promising.

The pair are scheduled to work again next Tuesday.

Eclipse Awards and Lots of Other Stuff

2008-01-22T05:25:00.000-07:00

Truth be told, the only time I actually miss living in SoFla is right now. For a fan of the sport, it is a very exciting time to be trackside at Gulfstream Park, camera in one hand and DRF in the other.

First, let's talk Eclipse Awards.

AWARD	WINNER (also nominated)
Horse of the Year	CURLIN (Rags to Riches, Invasor [ARG])
Three-year-old Male	CURLIN (Street Sense, Hard Spun) I'll admit, I did a little Hiro cheer when I saw Curlin's name not once, but twice on the top honours. Since the introduction of the Eclipse Awards in 1937, only one other horse has made such an impact and risen so fast in the sport as to be named Horse of the Year as a maiden-breaking sophomore (his name, for the record, is Tiznow). With 20% of his ownership still tied up in litigation, Curlin's been forced to the sidelines so far this year-- likely missing a chance to run in the GI Donn H. on Feb 2 as a result. However, majority owner Jess Jackson has assured the public that the colt will indeed race in 2008, saying: "We need heroes. And since we need them so badly, we've decided to race Curlin this year. We want to give the fans and the industry what we need." No word yet on if the "we" here includes the 418 fen-pfen plaintiffs, but it appears to at least peripherally. "We will continue to monitor these proceedings closely," says Richard Getty, the attorney representing Jackson's Stonestreet Stable. "Obviously we don't want anything to happen without our knowledge." Still, the news that Curlin will be back is beyond awesome since, with the possible exception of Rags to Riches, everyone that managed to give him serious contention last year-- Street Sense, Hard Spun, Any Given Saturday, and Lawyer Ron to name a few-- has been retired.
Three-year-old Female	RAGS TO RICHES (Octave, Panty Raid) Even if she finished her 3yo season way back in June; even if she doesn't run in '08 (as we've been lead to believe she will since October); the fact remains that RtR was the first filly in 101 years to win the Belmont, and the first ever to take it at the 1 1/2 mile distance. Hold that up next to the fact that she nosed out the eventual Horse of the Year to do it, and nothing against her rivals in nomination but this was honestly no contest.
Older Male	LAWYER RON (Invasor [ARG], Corinthian) It was fantastic to see him run another year when all signs pointed toward "retirement" after his 3yo campaign. The distinction here is well-earned.
Older Female	GINGER PUNCH (Nashoba's Key, Take D' Tour) I'll be honest: I had no idea who this mare was until last June. When she devoured the GI Go for Wand field in July, I knew I was witnessing something special. Her win in the Breeders' Cup Distaff was phenomenal, and in my heart I said goodbye to the now 5yo mare, convinced that she'd go the way of so many others and be retired... But what's this? Ginger Punch at the Gulf, scheduled to run in the Sunshine Millions Distaff? CAN I MISS SoFLA ANY MORE?!?
Two-year-old Male	WAR PASS (Court Vision, Kodiak Kowboy, Nownownow)
Two-year-old Female	INDIAN BLESSING (Country Star, Pure Clan) It seems to be par for the course anymore that the winner of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile / Juvenile Fillies get the nod for 2yo Top Dog. And I suppose that's all well and good. Still doesn't mean I'm going to jump them to the top of my list come Derby / Oaks weekend, though. ^-^
Turf Male	ENGLISH CHANNEL (Kip Deville, After Market) This is the first year I've taken an active interest in the turf runners, and I have to say that although EC was a blowout to take it, he was up against some serious muscle.
Turf Female	LAHUDOOD (Nashoba's Key, Precious Kitten)
Male Sprinter	MIDNIGHT LUTE (Hard Spun, Fabulous Strike)
Female Sprinter	MARYFIELD (Dream Rush, River's Prayer)
Steeplechaser	GOOD NIGHT SHIRT (McDynamo, Floodlights, Planets Aligned) The only one I'll argue because, Good Night Shirt? Excellent horse to be sure. But c'mon, people! McDynamo won the Breeders' Cup Grand National for the fifth consecutive time as a 10yo last October! Also: I wish there was a bigger steeplechase following in this country. Seriously.
Trainer	TODD PLETCHER (Steve Asmussen, Kiaran McLaughlin) It's all in the numbers, really. In spite of being on suspension at the start of the season, and spending the rest not getting to the winner's circle but still landing in the money, The Toddster beats all with both quantity and quality. He also got a filly to win the Belmont, and .. well .. what a hell of a way to break his Classic Jinx, right?
Jockey	GARRETT GOMEZ (Robby Albarado, Russell Baze) I love GoGo. And that's all I gotta say about that. ^-^
Apprentice Jockey	JOE TALAMO (Carol Cedeno, Arnaldo Bocachica) Forget the fact that he lost his apprentice status back in July; the kid's too damned hot not to get it. Future Woolf Award right there, folks.
Owner	SHADWELL STABLE (Stronach Stables, Maggi Moss)
Breeder	ADENA SPRINGS (Fares Farm Inc., Martin and Pam Wygod)

In other news: I would like to go on record now and say that-- assuming no ills befall him over the next nine months-- 5yo In Summation will be my money horse in the 2008 Breeders' Cup Sprint at Santa Anita. He's 4-for-5 over the synth, including a gritty win in the $150k Palos Verdes H. last Saturday, and was slated as a serious contender for last fall's championships before declining the invite due to a nasty cold. I continue to adore this horse beyond words. Seriously.

The Breeders' Cup unveiled their 2008 logo. I gotta say, it's a helluva lot prettier than 2007's.

KentuckyDerby.com is up and running with 9 prospective three-year-olds already being spotlighted (and speaking of ugly logos, WTF were they thinking?). But more than that, it also means Road to the Roses will be gearing up shortly. Never mind the fact that your little brother decided to set his nuptials for the One True Saturday. Break time's over, Jenna. Time to get your 'capping hat on. ^-^

And finally: this Saturday is the 6th running of the Sunshine Millions for FLA and CAL-breds. Following the alternating-year schedule: this year the Distaff, Sprint, Turf, and Oaks will be run at Gulfstream; the F/M Sprint, F/M Turf, Dash, and Classic will be held at Santa Anita (weather permitting-- the new synth has proven quite a pain in the ass in recent months, which is a whole other story that I shan't get into now). A full analysis of the card will take place once I have it in hand.

It's good to be back, y'all. Miss me? ^-^

Hesanoldsalt euthanized following accident

2008-01-17T15:39:00.001-07:00

Live Oak Plantation's homebred Graded Stakes winner HESANOLDSALT was euthanized on January 16th following a freak accident at Palm Meadows Training Center. The 5-year-old son of Broad Brush had only recently returned from a layoff, having shipped to the Florida training barn of Nick Zito the previous Tuesday.

"He looked great when he came in," said Zito. "He was gonna have a good year. It's sad, and when I think of all the good memories we had with him, it's just incredible. I loved that horse. He was a wonderful, wonderful addition to our barn."

Reportedly, the horse got away from his handler while walking the shedrow and was running toward the barn of trainer Michael Matz, where an employee of that operation attempted to flag him down. Hesanoldsalt veered into a tree, shattering his shoulder and forearm. He was euthanized immediately.

"Luckily for the kid, he didn’t run into him," Zito concluded. "But unluckily for us the horse ducked and hit a tree."

Winner of the GIII Fred W. Hooper Handicap in 2006, Hesanoldsalt faced off and held his own against some of the best horses of the decade; including a second to HoY Invasor in the 2007 GI Donn Handicap. Bred at Live Oak Stud in Kentucky out of the Cox’s Ridge mare Salty Gal, he was a full brother to Mongoose.

OpEd: The Whoas of Curlin

2007-12-02T02:18:00.000-07:00

Though this blog is relatively young, long-time followers of my LiveJournal will attest that, of all my passions, thoroughbred racing holds top honours. From December through June, August through October; I pour over the usual publications in search of the Next Big Thing.

Occasionally, I hit on one. This year, his name was Curlin.

I first saw him win a seven-furlong maiden race at Gulfstream Park on February 3rd. It was his competition debut, and he took it by 12½ lengths. Shortly thereafter, on February 8th, 80% controlling interest in the colt was sold to three other partners (Jess Jackson, George Bolton, and Padua Stables) for a reported $3.5 million. He was moved from Helen Pitts’s barn to that of Steve Asmussen; where he went on to win the Rebel Stakes, the Arkansas Derby, the Preakness Stakes, the Jockey Club Gold Cup and the Breeders’ Cup Classic, finish as a dueling runner-up in the Belmont Stakes, and run third in the Kentucky Derby and the Haskell Invitational. Presently he is short-listed (and heavily favored) for Horse of the Year, at three years old.

Curlin is the Total Package. He’s gritty, confident, professional, and smart; all the things you want in an A-list racehorse. He’s also sound, mentally and physically, with solid conformation and an attractive (some might say “aristocratic”) bloodline; just what the industry needs in a Classic-winning stallion. He stands to make a big showing in 2008 as a four-year-old: Especially since his top rivals of the past year-- Street Sense, Hard Spun, and Any Given Saturday-- have disappeared into the breeding shed; and the chance of a Belmont re-match with Rags To Riches has been greatly depleted with her injury.

After winning the Classic however, he virtually dropped off the grid.

Today, in spite of all his accomplishments this year, Curlin's future-- both on the track and at stud-- is thoroughly up in the air due to legal issues in his owning partnership. Racing may lose one of its brightest young stars not to injury and euthanasia, but in the litigation involving those originally holding his remaining 20% interest: class-action lawyers William Gallion and Shirley Cunningham Jr., the co-owners of Midnight Cry Stables who had bought Curlin as a yearling for $57,000.

Gallion and Cunningham first came under scrutiny when the Kentucky Bar Association began investigating a case involving the two and their participation in a 418-plaintiff fen-phen suit, which settled in 2001. The charges allege that the pair first withheld, and then misappropriated, upwards of $64 million in settlement monies rightfully belonging to the plaintiffs that had hired them. The story finally broke on February 11th; three days after Curlin had been sold into partnership. One common belief is Midnight Cry did it to protect the colt from being seized-- after all, Gallion and Cunningham had initially purchased him with funds that were now being called to question-- but continue to cash in on the horse’s success on the track.

In August, Gallion and Cunningham were incarcerated in a Boone County, Kentucky jail where they remain to await trial for conspiracy, fraud and forfeiture. On November 1st, five days after Curlin won the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic over a sloppy Monmouth Park track, Boone County Judge William Wehr ruled that the remaining 20% ownership in the colt be awarded to the 418 fen-phen plaintiffs. Wanting no part of the mess to come, Satish Sanan (owner of Padua Stables) sold his 29% interest to Jackson and Bolton.

There was a headline in the Daily Racing Form the other day that read "Curlin Joins Asmussen Barn Down South" and, for a moment, I was thrilled at the thought that a settlement had been reached between the parties central to his career. Unfortunately this was not the case, and so here we stand: With one of the nation’s finest horses hand-walking the sidelines (it’s a well-deserved vacation to be true, but one can only do it so long before losing their edge) because he happened to be bought two years ago by men of ill repute, and has subsequently ended up in the hands of 418 people who know little to nothing about racehorse ownership, and 2 who do. While his peers go off to new lives at stud, Curlin will walk … and walk … and walk: Most likely until someone comes forward with enough cash to buy the lot out, which happens to be the outcome least likely to occur.

News Dump

2007-12-01T01:40:00.000-07:00

Santa Anita announced the finalists for the 2008 Woolf Award earlier this week.

Named for legendary George "The Iceman" Woolf, the award has been presented since 1950 to the jockey whose career and character best exemplifies the sport of thoroughbred racing as determined by a nationwide vote of their peers. Past recipients of the George Woolf Memorial Trophy (a replica of the life size statue at the track) include Bill Shoemaker, Eddie Arcaro, Laffit Pincay Jr., Ángel Cordero, Jr., Ron Turcotte, Chris McCarron, Eddie Delahoussaye, Steve Cauthen, Pat Day, Jorge Velasquez, Jerry Bailey, Kent Desormeaux, Eddie Maple, Gary Stevens, Alex Solis, Craig Perret, Jose Santos, Mike Smith, Russell Baze, Edgar Prado, Robbie Albarado (pictured), and Mark Guidry.

This year's five finalists are:

Roberto Gonzalez (52) - this Bay Area mainstay rode his first winner 5.2.75 at Hollywood Park, and his 4,000th 2.20.06 at Golden Gate Fields.
Aaron Gryder (37) - the first and only apprentice to score top honours when he rode 31 winners at Hollywood Park in the fall of 1989. Recently returned to California after 12 years on the east coast circuit, he won his 3,000th race 3.7.07 at Santa Anita.
Randy Meier (53) - all-time leading jockey at both Hawthorne Race Course and (the now defunct) Sportsman's Park, he has come back from numerous injuries* in three decades of racing and continues to be a dominant rider in the Chicago area, winning his 4,000th at Arlington Park this past summer.
Richard Migliore (43) - relocation from the harsh New York circuit to SoCal has produced a career resurgence in "The Mig", who has notched more than 4,000 career wins over nearly thirty years in the sport.
Mario Pino (46) - hit the national spotlight this year as the regular rider of Hard Spun, yet is the all-time winningest jockey in Maryland. His first win came 1.16.79 at Bowie Race Course, and his 6,000th earlier this month at Laurel Park.

I am not a member of the Jockey Guild. But if I were, my ballot would go to Mario Pino. He showed true class when, after losing the mount on Hard Spun for the Belmont (following what many have called a questionable ride in the Preakness), he climbed right back aboard him for the Haskell and nosed out Curlin for 2nd. It was very "no harm, no foul" of him, if I might be so bold.

* - Breaking News - Meier's been injured again.

A rematch is on the bill for Sunday over the synth at Hollywood Park.

In Summation (pictured) and Greg's Gold will meet up for the first time since their GI Bing Crosby Handicap duel last July at Del Mar after the former was forced to opt out of the Breeders' Cup Sprint due to illness, a race wherein the latter finished an unhappy eighth. The meeting will take place in the $100k LS Vernon Underwood, and with an honest pace likely to be set by Bushwacker, Double Action, and Quinton's Fleet, the race looks to set up best for the stalking style of In Summation (who clocked a half-mile over the surface in :46 Nov10). Council Member completes the field of six that will head to post.

Another one to add to my 2008 Derby Watch:

WinStar Farm's Court Vision, who put in a spectacular performance in the GII Remsen at Aqueduct last Saturday under Eibar Coa. Hopelessly bottled up at the top of the stretch, the 2yo son of Gulch (out of the Storm Bird mare Weekend Storm) bullied his way through a wall of horses to chase down the leader and take the win by a long neck. This makes two Stakes victories in a row-- he also claimed the GIII Iroquois at Churchill on Oct28. Dogwood Stable-owned runner-up Atoned (Repent - Amidst [Icecapade]); who clipped heels hard heading into the backstretch and nearly went down; recovered strong and took the lead into the stretch, but could not fend off the winner.

And finally, Hall of Fame jockey Bill Hartack died last Monday at age 74. The five-time Kentucky Derby winner's body was found in a cabin near Freer, Texas, where he vacationed every year for hunting season.

Although he'd retired from race riding the year I was born, I knew who he was: Anyone who knew anything about the movers and shakers knew his name. And though I could wax lyrical about his accomplishments, the best of it can be summed up here, at the DRF:

"Hartack was a big name when racing was a big game, on a par with baseball and collegiate football, and he reigned as the fourth head on the sport's Mount Rushmore alongside Eddie Arcaro, Bill Shoemaker, and Johnny Longden."

Goodnight, sir. And safe journey.

RIP Gorgeous George

2007-10-28T23:34:00.000-07:00

The horse put down after yesterday's Classic was not the George that Britain knew.

For your viewing pleasure, I give you George Washington in the 2006 QEII at Ascot.

He was truly a turf champion.

Breeders' Cup Day 2 - 'Capping in Real Time

2007-10-27T09:49:00.000-07:00

And here we go again. ^-^ 'Capping in Real Time is brought to you by Dasani water and Chef Boyardee Beef Ravioli.

- - -

In the Juvenile (because just like last year, I missed the Juvenile Fillies //headdesk//), I like Wicked Style: 3-for-3 at a route and breaking from the outside. I'll back him up with two-turn veteran Old Man Buck, and Pyro for the closers. ||Watch the race.||

[edit @ 10:21] War Pass wins convincingly over Pyro. Kodiak Kowboy and Tale of Ekati finish the top four. Old Man Buck runs 6th. Wicked Style wanted nothing to do with the wet going and backed up big time at the half, finishing 10th.

The Filly/Mare Turf, Wait A While has been scratched due to the soft course, which doesn't shock me at all. Not that it matters to me: I'm all over Nashoba's Key-- but so is everyone else. So I'll put Passage Of Time (GB), Lahudood (GB) and Timarwa (IRE) in the box with her and cross my fingers. ||Watch the race.||

[edit @ 11:01] Lahudood (GB) strong in a crawling 2:22 and change. Honey Ryder closes well for 2nd over a fading Passage Of Time (GB). Nashoba's Key up for 4th; Timarwa (IRE) 6th.

The Sprint loses a major player in the scratch of Attila's Storm. With the wet track, I'm looking more closely at Commentator: he's 3-for-3 on off track and consistently wins after a lay-off-- he's not run in 3+ months. Like him or not-- believe the "bounce theory" or not-- Midnight Lute with GoGo up is a must-watch. The last seven (iIrc) Sprint winners have come from the left coast: Idiot Proof comes in from Cali (he's 4-1-1 in 7 this year), and Benny The Bull with Guidry up put in a bullet 5f work over this track last Monday. ||Watch the race.||

[edit @ 11:41] Midnight Lute with a long coasting stride swallows them up in the stretch to win big for GoGo/Baffert. Inquiry sign up for 2nd/3rd between Idiot Proof and Talent Search that doesn't effect the order of finish. Benny The Bull from way back last in the turn up for 4th, while Commentator backs up to 7th.

The Mile-- After Market is out with the soft footing. Excellent Art (GB) is made of class and guts and deserves my backing. I'd back him with Jeremy (IRE), and I'm liking Host (CHI) more by the minute. Nobiz Like Shobiz has excelled on the grass enough to get my attention, but hasn't run on an off course of any type (dirt or grass) so I'm not climbing that wagon. ||Watch the race.||

[edit @ 12:27] I need to stop second guessing myself because Goddammit, I started to post about Kip Deville and changed my mind... He wins, HUGE. Excellent Art (GB) closes from dead last for 2nd. Cosmonaut fades to 3rd after setting the fractions, with Nobiz Like Shobiz showing class to run 4th. Host (CHI) was dead last into the turn but closed big for 5th. Jeremy (IRE) got a bad ride, starting flat then running up heels the whole race with nowhere to go; he finishes 10th.

For the Distaff, it's all about Ginger Punch. I'll back her up with Hystericalady (who's fastfastfast with an off track pedigree and a huge G2 win over the course 25Aug), and Octave (because GoGo is frakkin hot today and I think she's Pletcher's best on an off track). ||Watch the race.||

[edit @ 1:13] Woo-hoo! Ginger Punch overcomes a game of bumper cars with Hystericalady down the stretch to win; Octave closing big for 3rd. I am a happy, happy horse racing fan. ^-^

This year's Turf has the potential to give us one of the greatest stretch drives ever as English Channel (arguably the best turf router in the States) takes on Dylan Thomas (IRE) (multi-Group 1 champion and Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe winner)-- the two leave the gate side-by-side in the middle of the track, 6/7. I'd box the two of them over Better Talk Now and Red Rocks (IRE). ||Watch the race.||

[edit @ 2:02] English Channel dominates. Shamdinan (FR) 2nd, Red Rocks 3rd, close between Better Talk Now and Dylan Thomas (IRE) 4th/5th respectively.

I have never had as much difficulty 'capping a Classic as I've had this year; deep field, evenly-matched, and damn if I don't have sentimental pull for every horse in it. Laywyer Ron has been a whole new horse this season; he's enjoying racing again, you can see it. Curlin has been on my radar since he broke maiden first out and I'm not about to give up on him now-- especially after his duel with Ron in the JCGC. I can't ignore how strong GoGo has been all day, and have to give a nod to Any Given Saturday. Hard Spun has handled this track and has a win on off going to his credit, but I don't think he can handle the 1 1/4 distance. And Street Sense may lose on synth, but every race he's had after that loss has been a MAJOR win...

Fuggit. Blanket finish: Curlin/Ron/SS/AGS. And I'll make an official statement that if Curlin does win the Classic, he'll join the other three in the breeding shed next spring. ||Watch the race.||

[edit @ 2:49] Curlin. Dear God, Curlin. What a huge performance by him and Robbie Albarado, covering the distance in 2:00.2 which is a very competitive time on a dry surface. Hard Spun showed his true grit and fought down the stretch but wasn't catching the winner. Awesome Gem nudged out Street Sense for 3rd. Any Given Saturday and Lawyer Ron finish 6th/7th.

- - -

After the Worlds Of Crazy that was last year's Breeders' Cup, this one was surprisingly (and pleasantly) without horrific incident. Aside from Simply Perfect pulling up in the F/M Turf after blowing the turn, and George Washington's unfortunate demise following the Classic (the same injury, I must add, that claimed Pine Island in last years' Distaff), it was on-air injury free.

//sigh// And thus ends another race year. All that's left are the Eclipse Awards.

After the effort I put in this Summer/Fall, I feel ... drained. I'm looking forward to the break before Triple Crown preps start up again in January. There'll be some 'capping here and there through the rest of the Fall/Winter (Churchill opens this weekend for one thing), but it'll be slow now that I'm out of SoFla and farther from the live racing scene. Guess I'll have to actually write about life stuff again. ^-^

Breeders' Cup Day 1 - 'Capping in Real Time

2007-10-26T15:46:00.000-07:00

For the record: I slacked off on 'capping the BC this week because after all my looking over the cards, the forecast in Jersey was possible for rain and goddammit wouldn't you know...

...so screw it. I'm watching the races streaming, and will 'cap as we go. ^-^

In the FM Sprint, I'm backing Maryfield: she's 2-0-0 for 7 this year, but 3-0-0 in 4 on wet going and that appeals. I'll back her up with Miss Macy Sue and Oprah Winney.

[edit] Maryfield in a late close to win. Miraculous Miss up the rail for second. Miss Macy Sue between horses for third. Oprah Winney finishes 8th. ||see replay||

In the Juv. Turf, I like Achill Island (IRE), but so does everyone else. So I'll back him with Domestic Fund (IRE) and Strike the Deal (Frankie Dettori up).

[edit] Nownownow from dead last in the lane to win. Achill Island (IRE) right there with him for second. Extremely tight for third between Cannonball and Strike the Deal, finishing that order. Strike the Deal and Domestic Fund (IRE) finish 4th/5th. ||see replay||

In the Dirt Mile (and 70yds), I'm bailing out on Discreet Cat: he's 2 for 2 on wet tracks, but he's going a two-turn mile for the first time and he's not in best form... I just can't play him to win. So I'll back Wanderin Boy and Gotcha Gold: both happy to run in the slop, but the former more so than the latter. I'd box the pair of them over Discreet Cat and Corinthian, because I'd be crazy not to put a little something on them.

[edit] Corinthian wins HUGE in a strung-out field: "They'd have to sprout wings to catch him!" says Trevor Denman. Gotcha Gold, Discreet Cat and Wanderin Boy complete the top 4. ||see replay||

Off to work now. Tomorrow, we go live with the 8-race Breeders' Cup card. See y'all then!

Breeders' Cup Analysis - Dirt Mile

2007-10-20T14:08:00.000-07:00

The second race in the series, the inaugural running of the Juvenile Turf, should have been analyzed yesterday. I didn't do it. But I have a good excuse. ^-^

It oversubscribed with 23 entries. This in spite of the fact that not four days ago I was staring at the Breeders' Cup site scratching my head and wondering where the 2yo for this race were hiding. Huh.

Only twelve will head to post; but since apparently there were no points earned for entry here, I'm either going to have to look at ALL OF THEM, or wait until entries are finalized next Wednesday...

...which sounds a frakload better. So let's move on to the Dirt Mile (and 70yds).

Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (and 70yds)

3yo+ @ 1mi. 70yds || Friday, 26 Oct.

Commentator Jck: n/a Trn: N. Zito Own: T. Farmer	6yo g. - Distorted Humor / Outsource [by Storm Bird] 3-1-0-1 in 2007 (14-9-0-2 lifetime) Does anyone else see the pattern on his chart where every time he gets a new rider, he runs like a house afire; but the next time out, he's dead up the track? I want to like this horse, honest I do. But he's just so inconsistent, and can't string wins together to save his life. He seems to do best off a long lay-off, and he's not raced in three months. I'm setting him aside.
Corinthian Jck: K. Desormeaux Trn: J. Jerkens Own: Centennial Farms	4yo c. - Pulpit / Multiply [by Easy Goer] 6-3-0-0 in 2007 (11-5-1-2 lifetime) This horse is a dirty-fightin' bastard and I love him for it. He's not raced since the Woodward (where he made a valiant bid for Lawyer Ron and faded to 4th), but I don't expect that'll be a problem for him. He's a keeper.
Diamond Stripes Jck: M. Luzzi Trn: R. Dutrow Own: Four Roses Thoroughbreds	4yo g. - Notebook / Romantic Summer [by On To Glory] 5-2-0-3 in 2007 (8-5-0-3 lifetime) He's been very consistent about hitting the board, but I'm not crazy about the quick run-back here. This gelding is used to five, sometimes six weeks between races; he'll have less than three here. Toss.
Discreet Cat Jck: n/a Trn: S. bin Suroor Own: Godolphin	3yo c. - Forestry / Pretty Discreet [by Private Account] 2-0-0-1 in 2007 (8-6-0-1 lifetime) This colt was crazy good at 3. Then he was trounced some 20+ lengths in the World Cup last March. He makes his second start since that lay-off here, and as much as I hate to buy into the hype, I honestly believe he's the one to beat. He'll be going a route, and I'm almost positive they'll get GoGo to ride it. Big keeper.
Forefathers Jck: K. Desormeaux Trn: W. Mott Own: Zayat Stables	3yo c. - Gone West / Star Of Goshen [by Lord At War (ARG)] 5-0-3-0 in 2007 (8-2-3-0 lifetime) Could be a live one; since being moved out of the Zito barn he's finished 2nd twice. The distance might be more than he's after however. Reluctant toss.
Gottcha Gold Jck: C. Lopez Trn: E. Plesa Own: Centaur Farms	4yo c. - Coronado's Quest / Gottcha Last [by Pleasant Tap] 6-2-1-0 in 2007 (22-7-3-1 lifetime) Likes Monmouth. Beat Lawyer Ron back in June. Winner his last two, but hasn't raced since Aug18. Also could get hooked up in a duel on the front end and spend himself before the stretch. He's gutsy, but I'll toss him here.
High Finance Jck: n/a Trn: R. Violette Own: West Point Thoroughbreds	4yo c. - Talk Is Money / Margay [by Conquistador Cielo] 6-2-1-0 in 2007 (15-5-3-1 lifetime) When he's good, he's very good; but when he's not out front, he's a dud. Nice colt, but too much of an "if" factor for me to back here. Toss.
Lewis Michael Jck: R. Douglas Trn: W. Catalano Own: F. Calabrese	4yo c. - Rahy / Justenuffheart [by Broad Brush] 6-3-2-0 in 2007 (19-6-6-2 lifetime) Only out of the money once this season; when he was swallowed up by Tiago and Awesome Gem in the stretch of the G1 Goodwood, and faded back to 4th. He's certainly in top tier company here. The "if" factor is he's spent the season campaigning on Synth. I think the surface change could work to his favor. Keep.
Park Avenue Ball Jck: n/a Trn: J. Ryerson Own: Char-mari Stable	5yo h. - Citidancer / Road To The Ball [by Cahill Road] 5-0-2-0 in 2007 (23-7-7-2 lifetime) Showed a flash of brilliance coming back from a 4+ month lay-off back in Mar, then another after a 3+ rest in Sep, but hasn't been in top form all season. However, he's hit the board 6-3-1 for 10 starts at Monmouth and is sure to be a wild card because of it. That said, I'm still tossing him.
Wanderin Boy Jck: R. Bejarano Trn: N. Zito Own: A. B. Hancock III	6yo h. - Seeking The Gold / Vid Kid [by Mr Prospector] 4-1-1-0 in 2007 (19-8-5-1 lifetime) Hasn't raced since finishing a well-beaten 7th in the G1 Woodward, but drilled a :48 4f at the Spa this past week and has three 109 speed figures at his back. Likely to set the pace, probable to improve at the shorter distance. I'll set him aside.
Xchanger Jck: n/a Trn: M. Shuman Own: Circle Z/Masone/Shuman	3yo c. - Exchange Rate / Saragoza [by Crafty Prospector] 8-2-1-1 in 2007 (13-4-1-3 lifetime) Been hit-or-miss all season; seems to buckle under G1 pressure. Nice colt, but not for me here. Toss.

So I'm keeping Discreet Cat, Corinthian, and Lewis Michael; and sitting on Commentator and Wanderin Boy.

Thoughts?