Horse Racing Tid-Bits Take a Look
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Senior Member
I have talked to Edward and have offered to help him contribute to this quality forum. I will be adding to this thread from this point on with mostly Derby Prep informatioin and oher horse racing tid bits I come across. I will also be posting picks on all Derby prep-races and any other race I think is worth wagering on.
KENTUCKY DERBY TID - BITS
Pyro, as everyone already knew, is heading to the Louisiana Derby, but he'll be joined in the race by a newcomer to the Asmussen barn, J Be K. Making his first start since Saratoga, and first since owner Ahmed Zayat took him out of Southern California and put him in Asmussen's care, J Be K scored a sharp five-length victory in an entry-level allowance sprint on Feb. 15 at Fair Grounds. He earned a spot in the Louisiana Derby - which will mark both his stakes and two-turn debut - with a solid solo six-furlong work timed in 1:13.40 on Sunday. Asmussen said Kent Desormeaux will ride J Be K in the March 9 Louisiana Derby.
Monday, Pyro and Z Fortune - who will start next in the Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn - were up, both working in company. Pyro went six furlongs with Zanjero in 1:14, while Z Fortune, whose race comes up a week later, was timed in 1:02 for his breeze with the graded-stakes-class sprinter Noonmark.
For Pyro, it was a welcome return to the typical after a loose horse disrupted his five-furlong work the week before.
"I loved the work," Asmussen said. "This is where I want him at rhythm-wise. The loose horse last week screwing things up, I didn't like."
Asmussen said Pyro would work in company again Monday, but not with Zanjero.
"We want him nice and relaxed the last week before the Louisiana Derby," Asmussen said. "Working with another horse really seems to set a rhythm with him. It keeps him from trying to impress anybody."
Z Fortune won the Lecomte Stakes at the ongoing meet, and was beaten for the first time when he finished second to Pyro in the Risen Star Stakes. Jockey Garrett Gomez described Z Fortune after the race as a big kid, but Asmussen said Z Fortune is coming around in a timely fashion.
"The time frame is for him to get a little quicker and be a little lighter on his feet, and I think that's happening," Asmussen said. "He's maturing at the right time."
KENTUCKY DERBY TID - BITS
Pyro, as everyone already knew, is heading to the Louisiana Derby, but he'll be joined in the race by a newcomer to the Asmussen barn, J Be K. Making his first start since Saratoga, and first since owner Ahmed Zayat took him out of Southern California and put him in Asmussen's care, J Be K scored a sharp five-length victory in an entry-level allowance sprint on Feb. 15 at Fair Grounds. He earned a spot in the Louisiana Derby - which will mark both his stakes and two-turn debut - with a solid solo six-furlong work timed in 1:13.40 on Sunday. Asmussen said Kent Desormeaux will ride J Be K in the March 9 Louisiana Derby.
Monday, Pyro and Z Fortune - who will start next in the Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn - were up, both working in company. Pyro went six furlongs with Zanjero in 1:14, while Z Fortune, whose race comes up a week later, was timed in 1:02 for his breeze with the graded-stakes-class sprinter Noonmark.
For Pyro, it was a welcome return to the typical after a loose horse disrupted his five-furlong work the week before.
"I loved the work," Asmussen said. "This is where I want him at rhythm-wise. The loose horse last week screwing things up, I didn't like."
Asmussen said Pyro would work in company again Monday, but not with Zanjero.
"We want him nice and relaxed the last week before the Louisiana Derby," Asmussen said. "Working with another horse really seems to set a rhythm with him. It keeps him from trying to impress anybody."
Z Fortune won the Lecomte Stakes at the ongoing meet, and was beaten for the first time when he finished second to Pyro in the Risen Star Stakes. Jockey Garrett Gomez described Z Fortune after the race as a big kid, but Asmussen said Z Fortune is coming around in a timely fashion.
"The time frame is for him to get a little quicker and be a little lighter on his feet, and I think that's happening," Asmussen said. "He's maturing at the right time."
Comments
No Blushing Groom-line horse has ever won a Triple Crown race. On the other hand, Cherokee Run, the sire of War Pass and a grandson of Blushing Groom, owns the lines best finish, a second in the 1993 Preakness.
As a sire, Cherokee Run has not been known as a producer of distance runners. Of his progenys 28 graded-stakes wins, only four have come at nine furlongs and none at 10. Maybe if the Kentucky Derby were a furlong shorter, the front-running War Pass would have a bigger shot. Maybe.
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Tale of Ekati (Tale of the Cat)
The warning label accompanying any Storm Cat-line horse being considered for the Kentucky Derby especially those by sprint sires such as Tale of the Cat should read as follows: The Storm Cat line has produced only one Classic-winning horse, and that was Tabasco Cat 14 years ago. Of more than 160 Grade I dirt races run at 10 furlongs-plus since 1994, only two have been won by tail-male descendants of Storm Cat.
El Gato Malo (El Corredor)
Smarty Jones gave his sire Elusive Quality (and by association other Gone West-line stallions such as El Corredor) a premature reputation as a Classic influence by winning the Derby and Preakness in 2004. Smarty Jones, however, is looking like an aberration. Gone Wests descendants Mr. Greeley, Grand Slam, El Corredor and Elusive Quality are overwhelmingly sires of sprinter/miler types, having produced no other horse even approaching Smarty Jones combination of stamina and class.
Elysium Fields (El Prado)
El Prado raced primarily at short distances during his brief racing career in Europe. At stud he has turned out a number of top-class, middle-distance turf horses, including champion Kittens Joy. El Prado has also sired a pair of top-class dirt runners in Medaglia d Oro (winner of the 2002 Travers) and Borrego, both of whom were legitimate 10-furlong horses. Elysium Fields looked like he
could be one of the latter with his strong second in Sundays Fountain of Youth.
Colonel John (Tiznow)
As a four-time Grade I winner at 10 furlongs, its no surprise that Tiznows best runners have been able to get a distance. Tiznow is a tail-male descendant of Man o War, whose line last produced a Derby winner in Triple Crown hero War Admiral in 1937. A Derby win by Colonel John would give a huge boost to a line known not only for its historic connections, but for its ability to endure through lean times.
Majestic Warrior (A.P. Indy), Pyro (Pulpit) and Cool Coal Man (Mineshaft)
A.P. Indy has sired nine Grade I dirt winners at 10-furlongs-plus, the most of any stallion over the past 15 years. In Bernardini (2006 Preakness) and Rags to Riches (2007 Belmont), he also has back-to-back Classic winners.
Pyro is the second prominent Derby horse Tapit was the first for Pulpit, who thus far is A.P. Indys most successful sire son. Fountain of Youth winner Cool Coal Man is from the first crop of Mineshaft, another son of A.P. Indy and the 2003 Horse of the Year.
A.P. Indy has been helped by the fact that so much of the focus of the breeding industry is on commercial bloodlines (Storm Cat, Gone West and Unbridleds Song, for example) that have shown little aptitude for winning Triple Crown races, thus leaving him with that much less competition as a Classic sire.
A.P. Indys success at stud has revived the male line of Bold Ruler, raising at least the possibility that the line of Secretariat, Seattle Slew and Spectacular Bid may return to its days of glory and influence.
FEBRUARY 28, 2008
by James Scully
Sunday's Fountain of Youth (G2) was another episode in the bizarre. The same thing happened in the Risen Star (G3), when PYRO (Pulpit) suddenly jettisoned past the entire field in the stretch, and it continued with an upset by FIERCE WIND (Dixie Union) in the Sam F. Davis and a surprising performance by DENIS OF CORK (Harlan's Holiday) in the Southwest S. (G3). Throw in the monstrous effort by EL GATO MALO (El Corredor) in the San Rafael (G3) and GEORGIE BOY's (Tribal Rule) trouncing of INTO MISCHIEF (Harlan's Holiday) in the San Vicente S. (G2), and it's all very confusing.
Are these races answering any questions about the Kentucky Derby (G1)?
COOL COAL MAN (Mineshaft) gets credit for winning the Fountain of Youth, earning his first stakes victory with a half-length decision, and the Nick Zito-trained colt favors the Gulfstream strip. He'll make his final Kentucky Derby prep over the track in the March 29 Florida Derby (G1).
Runner-up ELYSIUM FIELDS (El Prado [Ire]) turned in a good showing in his first start versus winners. An eight-length maiden special weight victor on January 19, Elysium Fields chased the pace down the backstretch and came back again after being passed in midstretch by Cool Coal Man, shifting course to the outside late while whittling an about two-length deficit. He owns room for improvement.
COURT VISION (Gulch), the 4-1 second choice, raced ridiculously far back during the early stages. Perhaps Garrett Gomez was under strict instructions to drop out of contact with the rest of the field; why else would he be 1 1/2 lengths back of 11th-place ANAK NAKAL (Victory Gallop) after a half-mile? The Remsen (G2) winner offered a solid finish, passing a lot of horses over a speed-friendly track to finish a clear third, and the well-bred colt is eligible to move forward off the race.
Z HUMOR (Distorted Humor) rebounded some from a disappointing fifth as the 6-5 favorite in the Sam Davis eight days earlier. The Grade 3 winner dueled on the lead before faltering last time, but Z Humor was taken a hold of on Sunday and got shuffled back to ninth at the half-mile mark. He closed wide to be fourth, 2 1/4 lengths back of stablemate Court Vision. The speedy colt might not be a 1 1/4-mile horse this spring, but he was taken out of his running style on Sunday and responded with a commendable effort.
It's difficult to get a gauge on the Fountain of Youth, and there's still plenty of doubt surrounding the overall quality of the field. The timer was malfunctioning during the race, and the top two finishers sat a perfect trip close to a moderate pace. Cool Coal Man benefited from the rail draw, saving ground a couple of lengths back before pouncing near the conclusion of the far turn, and he appeared ready to leave Elysium Fields in his wake in the final furlong. Then he suddenly started coming back to his rival. We don't know whether he got complacent or tired, but it was similar to his last win over allowance rivals (also from the rail) when he appeared ready to blow past GOLDEN SPIKES (Seeking the Gold) in midstretch but instead had to work hard for the one-length score.
I'd love to see Cool Coal Man make his final prep elsewhere, but it's a similar situation to 2005, when Zito was loaded with Derby prospects (eventually starting a record five entries) and decided to keep High Fly and Noble Causeway at Gulfstream (which both colts liked) for the Florida Derby. Cool Coal Man registered only a 100 BRIS Speed rating on Sunday. The big horse in the barn, WAR PASS (Cherokee Run), ran one race later.
The Barclay Tagg stable appears poised to make an impact in the coming weeks. His main Kentucky Derby hope, Futurity (G2) winner and Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) fourth-placer TALE OF EKATI (Tale of the Cat), will make his 2008 debut in the March 8 Louisiana Derby (G2), which is setting up to be a dandy, and Tagg has gotten results from Elysium Fields and BIG TRUCK (Hook and Ladder) recently. The latter recorded a career-best when finishing second at long odds in the Sam Davis, and Elysium Fields firmly established himself as a Kentucky Derby candidate in the Fountain of Youth. He overcame post 9 and a bumping incident on the first turn to finish a clear second, 5 3/4 lengths better than Court Vision.
Elysium Fields earned a career-best 99 Speed rating. Court Vision, who earned a low number (90) when capturing the Remsen in late November, received only a 93 in the Fountain of Youth.
KENTUCKY BEAR (Mr. Greeley) was bet down to 4-1 off his smashing maiden win at Gulfstream, but he was no factor in his second career start and wound up seventh. Kentucky Jockey Club S. (G2) winner Anak Nakal, who was making his seasonal debut for Zito, never got involved from off the pace and checked in eighth. MAKE THE POINT (Menifee) faltered badly after contesting the pace, tiring to 11th, and MONBA (Maria's Mon), the 7-2 favorite, wound up last. Monba was checked hard on the first turn and exited the race with a gash on his leg.
Unbeaten champion War Pass made his first appearance of the season one race later, and his four rivals were better suited for a $25,000 claimer than an allowance. As a result, it might as well been a walkover. War Pass did what was expected in the paid workout, running very professionally en route to a 7 1/2-length decision, but this race did little to change opinions surrounding the multiple Grade 1 hero. It was a one-turn, elongated sprint. His detractors don't think he'll get the 1 1/4-mile Derby distance under pressure. His supporters believe he's going wire-to-wire.
I was a little surprised to see War Pass, who received a 114 figure when winning the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1), earn only a 100 Speed rating on Sunday. I know he wasn't asked for his best by Cornelio Velasquez, but I just assumed he would register a number much higher than Cool Coal Man.
FERRAGAMO (Vindication) rolled to a good-looking 1 3/4-length score in Saturday's six-furlong Mountain Valley S. at Oaklawn Park. Two-for-two this year for Larry "Cowboy" Jones, the once-beaten colt owns the pedigree to stretch out in distances but appears better suited to sprinting right now.
CASINO DRIVE (Mineshaft) won't be in the Kentucky Derby, but it would be something if he could make the Belmont S. (G1). He impressively captured his debut in Japan on Saturday, rolling to a 11 1/2-length win, and his connections nominated him to the American Triple Crown. His older half-siblings, Rags to Riches (A.P. Indy) and Jazil (Seeking the Gold), have won the last two runnings of the Belmont, and Casino Drive would be quite a story if he could make it to New York in June.
Upcoming
Saturday's Sham S. (G3) will feature a field of seven, including San Rafael winner EL GATO MALO and CashCall Futurity (G1) runner-up COLONEL JOHN (Tiznow). The Craig Dollase-trained El Gato Malo is perfect from three starts, winning the San Rafael by 6 1/4 lengths last out, and he'll break from the rail with David Flores. Real Quiet S. winner Colonel John will be making his first appearance of the year for Eoin Harty.
Top 10
1) PYRO -- Risen Star winner is the one to beat in Louisiana Derby
2) DENIS OF CORK -- Southwest winner looks like the latest Arkansas sensation
3) COLONEL JOHN -- Excited to see him return in Saturday's Sham
4) TALE OF EKATI -- Tagg runner will make 2008 bow in Louisiana Derby
5) WAR PASS -- Looked good in allowance return; how far can he carry his speed?
6) COURT VISION -- Ridiculous trip in Fountain of Youth; look for improvement next out
7) MAJESTIC WARRIOR -- Needs a good showing in deep Louisiana Derby
8) EL GATO MALO -- Talented but we'll have to see how far he can run
9) GIANT MOON -- Richard Schosberg pupil is the one to beat in Gotham (G3)
10) COOL COAL MAN -- Must give him his due for Fountain of Youth score
Fountain of Truth
The final time of Sunday's Fountain of Youth will go down in the past performances and the record books as 1:50.07, and there is no reason to believe that isn't within a blink of the truth. Still, it was a tortured and ultimately unsatisfying process that got it to that point.
It was obvious that the Gulfstream teletimer had malfunctioned as soon as the opening quarter-mile of the race was posted as having been run in 25.78 seconds. The entire field was not under a stiff hold; on the contrary, horses were being pushed to gain tactical position. Nothing about the subsequent fractions of the race seemed amiss, but the slow first quarter inflated the posted final time to an unusually slow 1:51.85.
Shortly after the race, DRF reporter Mike Welsch manually retimed the first quarter of the race several times and came up with a far more plausible 24.10. Clearly, something had caused the timer to begin 1.68 seconds earlier than it should have, and it was later found that an outrider's pony 20 feet from the starting gate may have tripped the beam. That premature start explained the slow first quarter, and there was and is no reason to think any other segment of the race is in error. So Welsch substituted the posted 25.78 with the 24.10, used all the other posted splits, and DRF published a final time of 1:50.17.
It could and should have stopped there. Instead, Equibase then manually retimed the entire race and all the fractions off a tape and came up with completely different times that were grossly different from the perfectly good electronically-timed final seven furlongs of the race. In this version, which became the official chart published Sunday evening, the first quarter became a quick 23.56 and, most erroneously, a fourth quarter of 26.10 followed by an incongruously quick final furlong in 12.53, a full second faster than the original.
On Monday, Gulfstream officials understandably wanted to revise that "official" clocking. What they should have done was to retime the opening quarter and used the correct electronic timing of the rest of the race, as Welsch had originally done, but instead they chose to substitute their own manual retiming of the entire race. At least, as the chart above shows, it was pretty close to the electronic times.
So maybe it should be 1:50.17 instead of 1:50.07, but that's the extent of the remaining uncertainty.
Update: Well, maybe not. Randy Moss writes on an NTRA blog:
Gulfstream's newest clockings appear to have been made from finish pole-to-finish pole, as one might expect for a 1 1/8-mile race on a track 1 1/8 miles in circumference. The problem is that Gulfstream's oval isn't exactly 1 1/8 miles, as advertised. When the retooled oval was laid out in 2005 at the time of Gulfstream's massive renovation project, a measuring error was made resulting in the dirt track being slightly longer than 1 1/8 miles in circumference. Thus when 1 1/8-mile races are hand-timed at Gulfstream from finish pole-to- finish pole, the resulting clockings are about .50 seconds too slow. This discrepancy was confirmed Tuesday by Teleview Racing Patrol, which laid out the Gulfstream timing system. Because of the error in circumference, Teleview says timing for 1 1/8 races actually begins at a special timing beam placed 17 feet after the finish pole. (Videotaped replays of the Fountain of Youth show the outrider who triggered the beam positioned next to the outer rail at about that point.) Other distances are timed in a normal fashion, since the position of pole markers around the track compensates for the extra 17 feet. Hettel and his crew undoubtedly hand-timed the Fountain of Youth the way one would expect it to be timed, and I have no doubt that what appeared on their stopwatches was acceptably close to the actual time from finish post-to-finish post. But if you want to compare the Fountain of Youth with the earlier 1 1/8-mile race that day, or any other 1 1/8-mile race during the Gulfstream meeting, or if you want fractional and final clockings that don't represent an additional .50 seconds traveled, you'll need another set of timings that begin at the actual timing beam. So here you go. That's right yet another set of times.
The unbeaten Pure Clan, continuing her preparation for her three-year-old debut next month, Wednesday morning drilled five-eighths in 1:00 2/5 under regular exercise rider Steve Schmezel.
Working in frigid weather over a fast Oaklawn strip, Pure Clan (pictured) went the first eighth in :12 1/5, the quarter in :24 2/5, three eighths in :36 3/5, the half mile in :48 1/5, and galloped out three-quarters in 1:14.
This was the first five-eighths work for Pure Clan, who won her four starts last year at two, and who is scheduled to make her season bow in the $100,000 Honeybee Stakes on March 16 at Oaklawn.
"I was pleased with her work," trainer Bob Holthus said from his grandstand box. "She did it easily. Steve really didn't ask her. And she came back fine. Weather permitting, she'll come back with a good six-furlongs next Tuesday, and we'll go from there."
A chestnut daughter of Pure Prize, out of Gather the Clan -- and thus a half-sister to the Holthus-trained '05 Southwest and Rebel winner Greater Good -- Pure Clan capped her perfect juvenile campaign with a pair of graded stakes scores at Churchill Downs -- the Pocahontas and Golden Rod.
After a freshening, she was returned to training last month, and has been breezing once a week.
The Fair Grounds-based Julian Leparoux, who was aboard for three of Pure Clan's four victories at two, retains the mount for the Honeybee, a 1 1/16 mile Grade 3 for 3-year-old fillies.
Eight Belles, a winner of her last two starts by a combined 28 1/2 lengths, is also being pointed by trainer Larry Jones for the Honeybee.
"Obviously," Holthus said, "...if I had a choice, I wouldn't want to face that filly first time out of the box. She's a very impressive filly. But I have no choice."
Ramon Dominguez, the leading rider at the current Aqueduct meeting, will be down from New York to ride Eight Belles in the Honeybee.
The only other definite starter for the Honeybee at this point is the Dave Vance-trained Kadira, a last-out winner (via DQ) of the Dixe Belle Stakes over the track.
Two weeks back, controlling interest in Pure Clan was sold by breeder/owner Lewis G. Lakin to the IEAH Corporation of Garden City, N.Y. Under the terms of the sale, Holthus, a nine-time Oaklawn champion, will continue to train the filly.
Santa Anita
Race 7
Grade III Sham Stakes
Post Time: 6:00 ET
Purse: $200,000
Distance: 1 1/8 Mile
Surface: Synthetic
Post Horse ML Jockey Wt Sx M Trainer
1 El Gato Malo David Flores 120 G Craig Dollase - Big favorite and just might be very beatable.
2 Success Fee Michael Baze 116 C Doug O'Neill
3 Coast Guard Rafael Bejarano 116 C David Hofmans - A very good young colt that will get better as time passes and deserves a long look in this race at a price.
4 Trevor's Clever Tyler Baze 116 C Ted West
5 Victory Pete Joseph Talamo 116 C Alexis Barba
6 Colonel John Garrett Gomez 118 C Eion Harty - Is suppose to be sitting on a big effort and was told this one hasn't ran his best as of this date. Let's see on Saturday will probably be a overlay in this field.
7 Reflect Times Mike Smith 116 C John Shirreffs - The suppose wise guy horse in Cali, not really big on this one myself but pleny are let's hope he takes some change and pushes other upward in odds.
El Gato Malo, Colonel John Lead Sham Field
Posted Feb. 27, 2008
Craig Dollase will send out undefeated 3-year-old El Gato Malo (Looking Good) for West Point Thoroughbreds in the eighth running of the Grade III Sham Stakes, while Eion Harty has Colonel John (Looking Good) making his first start of the year in the 1 1/8-mile race.
El Gato Malo, a Kentucky-bred son of El Corredor, blew by the field in the stretch to win the Grade III San Rafael Stakes by 6 1/4 lengths in his most recent start. The January win came after the gelding took his 2-year-old debut by 5 1/2 lengths and the Gold Rush Stakes at Golden Gate Fields by 4 1/4.
David Flores returns to ride El Gato Malo for the second time--the bay was handled by Patrick Valenzuela last year. El Gato Malo will be the 120-pound highweight among seven starters in Saturdays race.
While El Gato Malo has more recency, WinStar Farms Colonel John brings a little more experience into the Sham. The homebred son of Tiznow won two of his four starts, with two seconds, last year. He's not raced since a strong second-place showing to Into Mischief (Looking Good) in Hollywood Parks Grade I CashCall Futurity on Dec. 22. Garrett Gomez replaces the injured Corey Nakatani aboard Colonel John.
Harty has called Colonel John the complete package. Should the colt go forward, he'd be entered in the Kentucky Derby off two starts this year.
Reflect Times, a Japanese-bred trained by John Shirreffs, has shown the ability to close going around one turn. His most recent race, and his first around two turns, was the Grade II Robert B. Lewis on Feb. 2.
In the Lewis, Reflect Times sat behind more moderate fractions than he'd experienced in his two prior races and edged out Indian Sun (Worth Watching) for third, beaten 6 1/4 lengths by the now-sidelined Crown of Thorns. Mike Smith returns on Reflect Times.
Second in the Lewis was Coast Guard (Worth Watching), trained by David Hofmans. Coast Guard used a forwardly-placed running style and stayed on well for the place in the Lewis, his first race of 2008. Last year, Coast Guard broke his maiden in his third start going a mile at Santa Anita on Dec. 29. He led all the way to win by 2 1/2 lengths. Rafael Bejarano will handle the reins.
Through Monday, Gomez led the meet standings at Santa Anita with 41 wins, closely followed by Bejarano with 40. Flores was next in line with 31 wins.
Success Fee (trained by Doug O'Neill, ridden by Michael Baze), Trevor's Clever (Ted West, Tyler Baze) and Victory Pete (Alexis Barbra, Joe Talamo) round out the Sham Field.
Sham Honors 1973 Santa Anita Derby Winner
"I think it's terrific that the Sham has become one of the more important races leading up to the Santa Anita Derby, because it's named after one of the best colts to ever run in California, in my opinion," HRTV commentator Jon White said.
"Early in 1973, Sham won an allowance race at Santa Anita by six lengths over Table Run. Later that year, I saw Table Run race at Longacres. Table Run won all three of his races at Longacres that summer, including the Longacres Derby by nine lengths. He later became one of the most successful sires to stand in Washington. When Sham won the Santa Anita Derby by daylight over Linda's Chief and tied the stakes record, it was clear that he was the real deal.
"Few people remember that Sham actually did beat Secretariat once. After the Santa Anita Derby, Sham beat Secretariat in the Wood Memorial when neither of them won. Angle Light, a stablemate of Secretariat, won the Wood in a photo finish over Sham. Secretariat finished third. But then, of course, Secretariat went on to become the first Triple Crown winner in 25 years, defeating Sham in all three races.
"If not for the misfortune of being foaled the same year as Secretariat, I think Sham quite possibly could have been a Triple Crown winner himself. He was that good. By the way, Sham and Secretariat had something in common besides both being very talented. They both were out of a Princequillo mare."
March 1: 1 1/16-mile John Battaglia Memorial Stakes, Turfway Park ($100,000)
turfway.com
Turfway Park
Race 11
John Battaglia Memorial Stakes
Post Time: 5:45 ET
Purse: $100,000
Distance: 1 1/16 Mile
Surface: Synthetic
Post Horse ML Jockey Wt Sx
1 Beneficiary Rex A. Stokes, III 115 C
2 Instill John McKee 121 C
3 Big Glen James Lopez 121 C
4 Mr. Harry William Troilo 115 C
5 Dixie Decison Dean Sarvis 115 C
6 Halo's King Jesus Castanon 115 C
7 Your Round Victor Lebron 115 C
8 Absolutely Cindy Orlando Mojica 116 F
9 Cherokee Triangle Miguel Mena 121 C
10 Best Buddy Brian Hernandez, Jr. 115 C
11 Briarwood Circle Patrick Husbands 115 C
Round Two for Big Glen, Your Round in Battaglia
Posted Feb. 27, 2008
The one-two finishers from the WEBN Stakes, Big Glen (Just In Case) and Your Round (Just In Case), return to contest the John Battaglia Memorial on Saturday at Turfway Park.
John T.L. Jones, Jr. & Bill Jones' Big Glen, trained by Frank Brothers, launched a run in the final quarter of the WEBN to prevail by a length and a quarter over an even harder-charging Your Round, who rallied from ninth. Jamie Lopez returns on Big Glen, while Victor Lebron rerides Your Round, owned by Katierich Stable.
But this is not a two-horse race by any means.
Mr. Harry, third in the WEBN, will be in the Battaglia as well. After a five-wide trip, he was passed late by the surging Your Round. Jockey William Troilo is back for the Battaglia.
While the fourth- and fifth-place finishers in the WEBN, U. S. Cavalry and Texas Fever, will sit out Saturday's race, Dixie Decsion, sixth in the prep, will give it another try with a new jockey, Dean Sarvis. Dixie Decision had a tight trip in the WEBN and will seek more running room in the Battaglia.
A co-highweight in the Battaglia, carrying 121 pounds, is Cherokee Triangle. He hasn't raced since struggling in the boggy conditions of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf last October, followed by a similar effort on yielding turf in the Grand Canyon Handicap.
Based at the Churchill Downs Training Center, Cherokee Triangle has been training well, putting in six workouts since mid-January for trainer Mike Maker. The Battaglia will be the first non-turf race for Cherokee Triangle, whose standout career effort was a 10 3/4-length win--on firm turf--in the Sunday Silence Stakes at Louisiana Downs in September.
Briarwood Circle comes into the Battaglia off a good synthetic track effort, albeit three months ago, when he was nosed out of the win in the Display Stakes at Woodbine. Patrick Husbands comes down from Canada to take this mount for trainer Mark Casse and nearby owner connections in Woodford Racing LLC.
Instill ships in from Chicago's Hawthorne Race Course. His last outing resulted in a fourth-place finish in the Smarty Jones Stakes at Oaklawn Park behind Liberty Bull, most recently third in the Grade III Southwest Stakes.
An interesting challenger in the Battaglia is Absolutely Cindy, a filly owned and trained by Ronald Kinmon. Victress of the Caressing Handicap at Churchill Downs last year, Absolutely Cindy will seek her her first win of 2008. In two starts this year, Absolutely Cindy was third to Bsharpsonata in the Tropical Park Oaks, followed by a distant sixth-place finish in the Grade III Silverbulletday at Fair Grounds on Feb. 9.
The rest of the field is comprised of Beneficiary, Halo's King and Best Buddy.
By MICHAEL VEITCH, On horse racing
War Pass in his recent 3-year old debut at Gulfstream. (AP photo)Comparisons to the immortal Seattle Slew are going to continue if War Pass keeps this up.
Last years champion |2-year-old reminded the racing world he is still the one to beat with a highly professional return to racing on Sunday at Gulfstream Park. In what amounted to a public workout at one mile, War Pass remained unbeaten in five starts and sent his career earnings to $1,433,400. Trained by Hall of Famer Nick Zito, he is scheduled to run next in the Tampa Bay Derby at Tampa Bay Downs on March 15.
Nationally known handicapper and author Andrew Beyer recently suggested comparisons to Seattle Slew in a Daily Racing Form column. Seattle Slew is the only horse in history to win the Triple Crown while remaining unbeaten.
While War Passs racing record is a work in progress, there is a fascinating similarity with Seattle Slew in terms of pedigree. Born in 1974, Seattle Slew was a son of Bold Reasoning, a grandson of the great Nasrullah stallion Bold Ruler.
Bold Reasoning won the Withers Stakes at one mile and the Jersey Derby at 1 1/8 miles, and finished second in the fabled Metropolitan Handicap. He also set a new track record of 1:08 4/5 for six furlongs at Belmont Park. Born in 2005, War Pass is a son of Cherokee Run, who also descends from Nasrullah.
Like Bold Reasoning, Cherokee Run was a major winner at one mile and 1 1/8 miles, those coming in the Derby Trial and Dwyer Stakes, respectively. He also finished second in the Metropolitan Handicap, and equaled a track record for 7 furlongs in 1:21 1/5 at Keeneland.
The strength of Seattle Slews female family enabled him to get through the Triple Crown and be successful in the demanding Belmont Stakes at 1 1/2 miles. His mother, My Charmer, is a direct descendant of the great mare Myrtlewood, whose granddaughter Myrtle Charm won the Spinaway Stakes at Saratoga in 1948. Myrtlewoods daughter Miss Dogwood won the Kentucky Oaks, while her daughter Durazna defeated males in the Breeders Futurity.
Duraznas family includes champion Typecast, who defeated males in the Man o War and Hollywood Turf Invitational, both at 1 1/2 miles. Duraznas tribe also includes champion Ajina, winner of the Coaching Club American Oaks at 1 1/4 miles.
War Pass is also blessed with a powerful female family. His mother, Vue, has also produced Spinaway Stakes winner Oath in 1996. Her great-grandmother is champion Bayou, who finished second in the Coaching Club American Oaks. Bayou is the mother of Alluvial, who produced Belmont Stakes winner
Coastal and Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Slew o Gold.
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So there you have it. War Pass and Seattle Slew each were sired by runners with class and high speed, and who were bred to families with stamina and strength.
Fountain of Youth Stakes
Sunday was wall-to-wall Zito, as he also sent out Cool Coal Man to win this important prep for the Kentucky Derby. The son of brilliant Horse of the Year Mineshaft sent his career earnings to $307,531, with a record of 4-1-0 from 6 starts. All his wins have been at two turns.
Finishing second in the Fountain of Youth was Elysium Fields, who swung out late in the stretch and was gaining at the end. Trained by Barclay Tagg, he joins Big Truck and Tale of Ekati as potential Derby runners from his barn.
The most significant effort in the Fountain of Youth may have turned in by Court Vision, who rallied from far back to finish third.It was his first race since the Remsen Stakes last November, and it was a perfect return.
Honors for The Mig
Richard Migliore has won the prestigious George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award for 2008. Begun in 1950, the award honors a rider whose personal character earns esteem for the individual and the sport.
Migliore won the Eclipse Award as top apprentice in 1981, and he has won major races with top runners such as Artie Schiller, Affirmed Success, Albert the Great and Wild Again. He joins the likes of Bill Shoemaker, Laffit Pincay Jr., Sandy Hawley, Eddie Maple and Don Brumfield as Woolf Award recipients. There isnt a nicer man in racing, and he thoroughly deserves this honor.
Agree wholeheartedly...i enjoy reading FB's posts.
Coastguard will scratch from the Sham with a minor ankle injury.
by Dick Powell
I don't really like WAR PASS' (Cherokee Run) chances in the Kentucky Derby (G1), but his seasonal debut was about as good as it gets, as long as you put it into the proper context. Returning to the races off a 120-day layoff, last year's juvenile champion showed up in a high-class allowance race going a mile at Gulfstream Park last Sunday for Nick Zito.
Even with its $60,000 purse, the race was essentially a walkover for War Pass, and the bettors bet him down to 1-20 favoritism. But unlike Bellamy Road, who ran a hole in the wind in his seasonal debut going a mile, Zito was determined to use the soft spot to do some experimenting.
Unlike in his prior four races where War Pass gunned to the front and ran blistering first quarters, he cruised to the front in the long run down Gulfstream's backstretch in a pokey :23.94. Visually, Cornelio Velasquez had a tight hold of him, but War Pass was offering no resistance and settled nicely. With his running start, he threw in a second quarter of :22.78 but was not headstrong at all.
He still runs with his head held rather high with his neck stretching out, but War Pass gets his hind end underneath him beautifully and has an immense stride. He galloped around the turn and pulled away in the stretch to win by 7 1/2 lengths in a final time of 1:36.38. His BRIS Speed rating of 100 was well off his 114 earned in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1), but in the context of what Zito was trying to accomplish, it was exactly what he wanted.
Considering his worktab did not begin until January 10 this year, it was a very impressive performance. Winning in fast time was not going to get him ready for the big races this year, so a good mile prep where he finished up strong should have him ready for a return to stakes company. The only question he needs to answer, besides going 10 furlongs which he won't get asked until the first Saturday in May, is whether he can run in behind horses. But when you are fast as War Pass is, it's not something he'll have to deal with very often.
One race earlier, Zito sent out a pair of Derby contenders for the Fountain of Youth S. (G2). Anak Nakal (Victory Gallop) was sent off at 10-1 odds despite winning the Kentucky Jockey Club S. (G2) in his last start. Despite his lack of stakes credentials, COOL COAL MAN (Mineshaft), who won an allowance race over the track at 1 1/8 miles, was sent off as the fourth choice at 7-1.
With a short run into the first turn, many 1 1/8-mile races at Gulfstream are won at the start and the Fountain of Youth was no exception. Kent Desormeaux, riding Cool Coal Man for the first time, broke him beautifully from post 1 and then used him a bit to maintain his position inside Golden Spikes (Seeking the Gold). As the field straightened out for the run down the backstretch, Desormeaux had prime position on the rail behind three leaders -- Golden Spikes, Make the Point (Menifee) and Elysium Fields (El Prado [Ire]).
Unlike other races when Cool Coal Man was rank and hard to restrain, Desormeaux had him behaving like a perfect gentleman. His head was steady and he was keeping up with little effort going into the far turn. Nearing the top of the stretch, it looked like Cool Coal Man might be dropping back, but Desormeaux was gearing him up for an inside-outside move. He dropped back a bit and then suddenly swung to the outside to go up after the leaders four wide.
You can watch races every day at every level at Gulfstream and rarely see the move that Desormeaux performed on Cool Coal Man. One second he's down on the inside; the next he's swooping the three leaders without losing momentum despite losing ground. Rather than wait for a hole to open, he circled the leaders at a point when you often see horses spin their wheels on Gulfstream's main track.
Poor Eibar Coa didn't know what hit him aboard Elysium Fields, but once Cool Coal Man opened a clear lead and drifted over to the rail, he re-rallied. It looked like Cool Coal Man was home-free, but Elysium Fields began to eat into his lead until his courageous late rally fell a half-length short. Considering that he was three wide every step of the way from post 9, it was a huge effort for Elysium Fields who was moving up to stakes company off a maiden win here last out.
Cool Coal Man has a few things going for him that could make him a major contender the rest of the year. He's four-for-five going two turns, he's trained by a Hall of Fame trainer that knows how to get young horses ready for big races, and his sire, Mineshaft, was a late-maturing colt. Now that Cool Coal Man has learned to relax and save energy, he could be a force to contend with -- especially if he has Desormeaux on board.
Helen Pitts has lost some good horses the past few years, but she still has EINSTEIN (Brz) (Spend a Buck), who continues to thrive at the age of six. He's a distance turf horse, but even with his tactical speed, he has managed to find trouble in many races.
After finishing last season in the Dixie S. (G2) when he lost his rider avoiding a fallen foe, he returned to the races this year at Gulfstream with a smart allowance/optional claiming win going a mile. Pitts then tried to expand his horizons when she ran him in the Donn H. (G1) last out, but he had a wide trip from post 8 and was beaten about five lengths.
Back to the turf and back to his favorite distance, Einstein was 6-1 on the morning line for the Gulfstream Park Turf S. (G1), a three-turn turf marathon. With the temporary rail down, his inside post position and tactical speed figured to be major assets and at post time he was bet down to 3-1.
At the start, Thorn Song (Unbridled's Song) went to the front and Jose Lezcano put Einstein in behind him on the rail. Even with a first quarter in :23.80 and a half in :47.44, Lezcano was worried that the pace might get backed down in front of him so he deftly steered Einstein to the outside of Thorn Song. With a perfect first-over position, Lezcano was now willing to bide his time and when they went down the backstretch for the second time, he looked like he had Thorn Song measured and was just waiting for someone to try to rally on his outside.
Einstein edged to the front nearing the top of the stretch the final time, and like always, he kicked in strong. The only closer that was making up any ground was Dancing Forever (Rahy), whose late rally fell a half-length short after waiting for room at the top of the stretch.
Despite carrying 123 pounds, Einstein earned a career-best Speed rating of 111. With three races already this year, Pitts is in a quandary since the logical choice would be to rest him up and keep him fresh for the rest of the year. The past two seasons, Einstein has done his best racing in the first quarter of the year, and Saturday was no exception.
Email Print RSS by Debbie Arrington
Date Posted: February 28, 2008
Last Updated: February 29, 2008
The CHRB is endorsing the concept of the "World Poker Tour" and adapting it to horse racing.
Photo: CHRB
Could the folks who invented the World Poker Tour do the same for horse racing? If so, deal California in.
At its Feb. 28 meeting in Arcadia, the state horse racing board heard the outline for the World Thoroughbred Tour, the brainchild of poker tour founder Steve Lipscomb.
Were extraordinarily excited about the possibility to do something in this sport, Lipscomb said. (After the success of the poker tour), weve had appeals from everything from bingo to blackjack. We passed. But there are so many parallels (between racing) with the poker market in 2001.
Thats when the tour started pokers rebirth.
At that time, poker rooms were closing in droves, Lipscomb continued. Fans were dying out. People asked how do we save poker?
Exploiting a hole-card camera and boiling the game down to super-simple basics, Lipscombs poker tour turned the centuries-old pastime into a spectator event and popular television. The tours biggest fans and most of its stars are under age 30. A tournament at nearby Commerce Casino the same weekend as the Santa Anita Handicap has a $7 million pot.
About a year ago, Lipscomb and his staff started thinking seriously about horse racing in a tournament format. Working with Drew Couto of the Thoroughbred Owners of California and Billy Koch of Little Red Feather Racing, the WPT crew developed a game that combined a pick-three or pick-five concept with poker tournament strategy.
Said Koch, We can create new heroes for our sport. Handicappers can be heroes.
In racing, we already stand on the shoulders of giants, Lipscomb said. People love horses. Its exciting to watch. But we needed a way to try to allow that young bravado thing, allow people to compete against each other instead of the anonymity of the pari-mutuel system, then translate that group experience to TV.
The rules of the tournament would be up to the host track. Under the proposal presented to the California Horse Racing Board, the races could be limited to the host track or include other tracks, both in and out of state.
Scientific Games, which services California tracks, has the capability to put the wager into action immediately, Couto said.
Its doable, he said. This can work both on and off track and through ADW (advance deposit wagering), too.
Heres the concept: A bettor buys into the tournament at a set fee, such as $25. In return, the bettor receives a fantasy bankroll loaded into a plastic swipe card similar to many tracks rewards cards or an online betting account. Tournament wagers are restricted to win, place or show, or a combination of those, on only one horse per pre-determined race.
Unlike a multi-race wager such as a Pick 6, the bettor decides his or her wagers between races and can go all in at any point. The bettor can also pass a race. Television monitors keep track of the leader board. At the end of the tournament, the pool is paid out to the top 5% of the players with the winner getting 45%.
Its certainly very interesting, commented CHRB chairman Richard Shapiro. It could add new life to another old game. Its a wonderful thing. Poker has been a phenomenon. This is a terrific concept.
Added commissioner Jerry Moss, We think its a good idea, but its up to the tracks how to implement it.
The board directed its staff to draw up a proposal in time for its March meeting and public review. Tour officials hope to have the wager in place in time to introduce it at Del Mar this summer.
Race #1
#2 - Tinz No Tiz Then
2 over 1-7-8-9-10
Race #6
#5 - Good Time Sally
Race #7
#6 - Colonel John
Big Cap I'm boxing the following horses and playing the horse with the longest odds across the board.
1-3-5-6-10
Great write ups & reading
By Paul Daley, Sun Racing Writer
Article Last Updated: 02/29/2008 12:55:09 PM EST
The date was Feb. 27. The place was room 2123 of the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, D.C. The purpose was a hearing on "Drugs in Sports: Compromising the Health of Athletes and Undermining the Integrity of Competition", conducted by the U.S. House of Representatives' Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection.
I'm now convinced, after listening to hours of testimony from the heads of all major sports organizations and leagues, including Mr. Alexander M. Waldrop, Chief Executive Officer of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, that no one takes the consumer (fan) into consideration when making their decisions. After all, we, ultimately, are the ones paying the salaries through ticket sales, merchandise, marketing and advertising.
Nowhere is this truer than in thoroughbred racing, where real money is lost and won on legal wagers allowed nationwide.
Here's the real question each racing fan must ask himself or herself. Do you want a level playing field for everyone or don't you care if the "fix" is in, as long as you're part of the fix?
For myself, I felt that Waldrop, former Sr. Vice President of Public Affairs at Churchill Downs, did the sport of horseracing no favors in his testimony, talking only about the use of steroids on horses while neglecting to speak plainly about other aspects of the sport which also could compromise its integrity with owners, trainers, jockeys, fans, and the welfare of the horse itself.
Why,
Mr. Waldrop, didn't you tell the committee that the 38 racing jurisdictions in the U.S. have their own sets of testing rules rather than constituting a unified body?
Why didn't you address drugs other than steroids, such as the snake venom which was found in trainer Patrick Biancone's barn, leading to a year's suspension, rather than a lifetime ban?
Why didn't you bother to talk about the jockeys, many of whom are bordering on anorexic and will resort to extreme methods in trying to maintain their livelihood?
Representative Joseph R. Pitts of Pennsylvania correctly pointed out that no data was presented regarding horse deaths or injuries and why these may have occurred. He also believes that tests should be based on blood plasma rather than urine and non-compliance of set rules should compromise subsidy to the sport in the state. Bully for him.
While talking mostly about the use of steroids on horses, Rep. Ed Whitfield of Kentucky, the top-ranking Republican on the subcommittee, suggested that horseracing lags severely behind the other sports regarding its handling of the issues regarding performance-enhancing drugs.
In his own words, he said, "Is it time to call the federal cavalry and send it chasing into your stables with guns blazing to clean up the sport of horse racing?"
In response to a query, Waldrop told the committee, "Pre-race testing would be prohibitive, cost-wise." Let me ask you, Mr. Waldrop, what price would you put on the integrity of the sport?
As much as the New York Racing Association has been maligned in many quarters, in spite of a few early glitches, the pre-race detention barn has been well received by horsemen and bettors alike for helping keepsake the integrity of the sport.
Perhaps horseracing can learn from the practices of the NCAA, which tests over 400,000 athletes per year. Any first offense in drug testing results in a year's suspension, with a second positive resulting in permanent expulsion. In a word, one strike allowed, and then you're out.
Sounds like a plan to me, but then horses can't talk for themselves.
9. "Casey's Shadow," 1978. Since this film, starring Walter Matthau as a crusty quarter-horse trainer, was drawn from the life of Randy Romero, I once asked Randy about the picture. "The only thing my mother wanted to know," Romero said, "was whether that bathtub scene was really true. There was a scene where the trainer and his sons had filled up the bathtub with all their dirty dishes. I had to tell mom that it was." There's the obligatory winning race at the end, but along the way, director Martin Ritt, who was an inveterate horseplayer, gets so close to the game that you can almost smell the backstretch. One day at Hollywood Park, an acquaintance asked Matthau for a tip on a race. "I'm not the one," Matthau said. "Go see Marty Ritt if you want a winner."
8. "The Black Stallion," 1979. Mickey Rooney, who appears on this list twice, was nominated for a supporting-actor Oscar for his portrayal of a once-successful trainer who's run into hard times. The action sequences are stunning and the photography is lush and sweeping. They finally got around to filming the novel that Walt Farley wrote in 1941. Kelly Reno, an unknown playing the boy who falls in love with the horse, was 12 years old when shooting began. A lasting career in pictures eluded Reno, who became a driver of 18-wheelers. The movie triggered a sequel, a prequel and a TV series. One day at Aqueduct years ago, I shared a table with Rooney and a few others. "Between all my marriages and the horses, I've lost millions of dollars over the years," he said. "But I've got a great marriage now, and I've got the horses under control." Standing behind Rooney in a mutuel line a little later, I saw him make an $800 win bet.
7. "National Velvet," 1945. Rooney again, philosophizing as he tries to pull off the impossible, winning the Grand National steeplechase for Elizabeth Taylor's "Pie," whom she won in a lottery. Director Clarence Brown telegraphs the ending about two reels ahead of time, and many of the lines are as high as an elephant's eye, but it's a heartwarming family picture and a teenaged Elizabeth Taylor, in her fifth film, gives a preview of coming attainments. To think that MGM considered Katharine Hepburn and Gene Tierney prior to hiring Taylor. Anne Revere, who played Taylor's mother, won an Oscar for supporting actress. Pie was played by a horse named King Charles, a grandson of Man o'War.
6. "Bite the Bullet," 1975. This is Gene Hackman (after Charles Bronson turned down the part), James Coburn, Candace Bergen and others in a 700-mile endurance horse race in the late 1890s. No exacta betting. The dialogue is snap, crackle and pop, the action is in your face, the location photography is incredible, and at the end the horses are to be more admired than the actors. There were races like this in this era, with no Humane Society to get in the way. Released the same day as "Jaws," the picture had no box-office steam, but has become an oxymoron, a minor epic. In a lifetime of stellar roles, Hackman has never been better.
5. "Premieres Armes," 1950. Every list deserves a sleeper. Also known as "First Weapons," the English translation, and "Winner's Circle," this is a dour French story about a 14-year-old boy who is sent by his father from Paris to Bordeaux to learn to become a jockey. The boy matures rapidly in the face of persecutions and abuse from the stable's trainer and his rival jockeys. The film pulls no punches in portraying his hard-knock existence. Rene Wheeler both wrote and directed.
4. "Seabiscuit," 2003. Full disclosure: My wife Pat and I were non-speaking extras on this film. We were part of a crowd of a few hundred that was made to look like tens of thousands on the day Seabiscuit finally won the Santa Anita Handicap. Those long shots make anything possible. Hollywood did well by Laura Hillenbrand's best-seller, and director Gary Ross got a best-picture nomination out of it. I'm not a Tobey Maguire fan, but Jeff Bridges, Chris Cooper and Gary Stevens were fine in their roles, and William H. Macy, with just a few pages to work with, stole the show as the motor-mouthed sportscaster who lightened the load of the Depression-era saga.
3. "The Killing," 1956. This was a taut telling of a heist that just happened to take place at a racetrack (Bay Meadows, in fact, after several East Coast tracks got wet feet). Sterling Hayden, the leader of the larcenous gang, worked for $40,000, and Stanley Kubrick, looking for a break-out picture, worked for nothing and shot the whole thing in 24 days. Hayden is surrounded by a who's who of character actors, including Elisha Cook Jr., who's as wide-eyed as ever. I don't know why, but Cook, a registered tippler, showed up unannounced in the winner's circle at Santa Anita one day, dressed like he was going to sea. I'm not going to spoil Kubrick's O. Henry ending, but the caveat about airplane travel still applied then: Don't overpack.
2. "Champions," 1984. This British entry would be labeled far-fetched if the story of jockey Bob Champion and his oft-injured veteran jumper, Aldaniti, weren't true. So the filmmakers were able to lather on the heartaches without being mawkish. Champion was a recovering cancer victim who rode Aldaniti to victory in the 1981 Grand National, England's 4 1/2-mile hurdling marathon. In perfect casting, John Hurt played Champion and Aldaniti, who was 11 when he won the race, played himself.
1. "Phar Lap," 1983. When I last ranked racing films, in 1989, this picture was at the head of the class, and it still is. Other than "Seabiscuit," racing films in almost two decades have failed to crash the old list. Meantime, good boxing and baseball movies have come at us at an assembly-line clip. A hint to moviemakers contemplating horse pictures: You don't have to make anything up. The Damon Runyon denizens of the racing world have had their day. "Phar Lap," "Champions" and "Seabiscuit" were good enough real stories that they didn't need embellishment. The Australian director Simon Wincer took the life of a sensational New Zealand-bred and just followed it to its bittersweet conclusion, a win in a $100,000 race at Agua Caliente and a mysterious death in Northern California. Wincer dug deep to make sure that the warts on Phar Lap's trainer (played by Martin Vaughan) showed, and American actor Ron Leibman, in the part of the owner, came off as a mercenary. Of all those around Phar Lap, only the horse's groom (Tommy Woodcock, played by Tom Burlinson) emerged unscathed.
Kevin Kangas was arrested yesterday. He's charged with theft by unlawful taking.
According to investigators, Kangas admitted to Turfway officials that he took money from petty cash and deposits made over the past 5-weeks.
Kangas is held on a 100-thousand dollar bond.
DC, Tale of Ekati is officialy entered in the Lousiana Derby. What are your thoughts on him? Wondering if you had any insight? All I have are his last year runs and a bunch of e-mailed workout reports that aren't too in depth. I've been waiting for this return since November.
Jockey Robby Albarado once again loses a family member to a heart attack, but he's able to get back in the saddle -- and win Tuesday, March 04, 2008By Bob Fortus
Jockey Robby Albarado takes pride in being a professional, doing his best no matter what's happening in his personal life, good or bad.
"That's one of my strengths as a jockey," Albarado said. "I can kind of separate my emotions from my career. . . . It's a gift that some of us have, that willpower, that strength to do this."
Since last week, Albarado has been on an emotional ride.
While he was on a flight Tuesday to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to ride Curlin in a prep race for the Dubai World Cup, his younger sister, Bobbie Jo Mahagan, 32, died of a heart attack at home in Lafayette. When Albarado called his wife, Kimber, upon reaching his hotel Wednesday morning, he received the jolting news.
"A lot of emotions ran through my mind, like my daddy," Albarado said. "That was a bad summer for me (1998, when his father died of a heart attack). I got my skull crushed. . . .
"I kind of thought of what my little sister would have wanted. . . . This is the highs and lows of life. Everybody has them. You can accept them and move on, or you can drown in your sorrows. I put myself in her shoes. She wanted me to ride horses. She was so proud of me."
Albarado rode Curlin to victory the next night. On Sunday, Albarado was back riding at the Fair Grounds. On Saturday, he'll be riding in five of the six stakes races on the Louisiana Derby Day card, for which entries were taken Monday.
In the four Grade II races, Albarado will be on Blackberry Road in the Louisiana Derby, Wisconsin Lady in the Fair Grounds Oaks, Grasshopper in the New Orleans Handicap and Brilliant in the Mervin Muniz.
Last year, Curlin provided Albarado some of the most significant victories of his career. The colt won the Preakness, Jockey Club Gold Cup and Breeders' Cup Classic on the way to earning Horse of the Year.
In the $175,000 prep race at Nad Al Sheba in Dubai, Curlin showed that he has retained his form. With Albarado keeping him under a tight hold most of the way, Curlin ran 2,000 meters (about a mile-and-a-quarter) in 2:00.60, about a second off the Nad Al Sheba track record of 1:59.50 set by Dubai Millennium in his victory in the Dubai World Cup in 2000.
But Curlin undoubtedly could have run faster.
"I didn't know the splits, but it felt like we were just loping," Albarado said.
He said that if he had hit Curlin once with the whip, Curline might have taken off and won by 15 lengths. The idea, though, was to save Curlin's energy for the $6 million Dubai World Cup on March 29.
"I felt good about it, the race and all, but I thought about (Bobbie Jo) the whole time I was there," Albarado said.
Albarado's major U.S. goal is the Kentucky Derby, and like many jockeys, he's trying to land on the right horse. He has two possibilities for trainer David Carroll -- Blackberry Road and undefeated Denis of Cork, who will run next in the Rebel on March 15 at Oaklawn Park.
In the Louisiana Derby, Albarado will be riding Blackberry Road for the first time. In the Risen Star, Blackberry Road encountered serious traffic trouble and finished fifth, 3 1/2 lengths behind winner Pyro.
"He breezed well (five furlongs Sunday in 1:02 1-5)," Albarado said. "He's coming to the race well. I'm going to try to give him a good trip and pick up the pieces."
Pyro is the 7-5 morning-line favorite in a field of nine 3-year-olds entered Monday for the Louisiana Derby.
"He looks good," Albarado said. "Obviously, he's a special horse, and Steve (trainer Asmussen) has made the right moves with him preparing him. But you know what, I'm pleased with my mount."
Pyro had his final pre-Louisiana Derby workout Monday, running an easy half-mile in 50 4-5 seconds.
"I was scared of doing too much with him because the racetrack's been so freakishly loose," Asmussen said.
In other workouts by Louisiana Derby horses, J Be K worked five furlongs Sunday in 1:01, and Unbridled Vicar worked five furlongs Sunday in 1:02 2-5. At Palm Meadows in Florida on Monday, Tale of Ekati worked five furlongs in 1:00 1-5.
In workouts Monday by Fair Grounds Oaks fillies, Indian Blessing worked six furlongs at Santa Anita in 1:11 3-5, and Proud Spell worked five furlongs at the Fair Grounds in 1:03. Grasshopper, the probable New Orleans Handicap favorite, worked five furlongs Monday at the Fair Grounds in 1:01 2-5.
by Blood-Horse Staff
Date Posted: 3/3/2008 5:08:53 PM
Last Updated: 3/4/2008 1:51:13 PM
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Golden Velvet, Darley Stables candidate for the March 9 Rampart Handicap (gr. II) at Gulfstream Park, and the dead-heat co-winner of the Sabin Handicap (gr. III) Jan. 6, was found after that race to have been sponged, track officials have announced.
Handlers of the 5-year-old mare found the sponge after detecting a strong odor, and they immediately contacted Gulfstream officials, according to a news release from the track. The discovery came days after Golden Velvet dead-heated with Lady Marlboro to win the Sabin, her second victory in three American starts since returning from campaigns in France and Dubai.
Sponging horses is a felony. A small piece of sponge is placed deep within a horses nostril to inhibit breathing, a practice that attempts to prevent the runner from performing at an optimum level.
The integrity of this sport is extremely important to all of us in this industry, said Gulfstream Park president and general manager Bill Murphy in the release. This matter is under investigation by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation and no compromises will be made as we protect the impeccable, better-than 70-year reputation this racetrack has earned and maintained.
The DBPR is racings regulatory body in the state of Florida.
The strong odor that Golden Velvets handlers noticed indicated that the deterioration of the sponge was well under way when the sponge was discovered, the release said. Investigators say there is no way of determining when or where the mare was sponged.
Eventual charges may include cruelty to animals and attempting to influence the outcome of a horse race, among others, track officials said
by Esther Marr
Updated: March 4, 2008
With some important Triple Crown prep races on tap for the weekend of March 8, many trainers are looking for victories that could bring them closer to stamping their contenders' tickets for the first Saturday in May.
When Steve Asmussen considered the chances of his talented colt Pyro in the Louisiana Derby (gr. II) at Fair Grounds, he was cautious, yet optimistic.
Pyro, a son of Pulpit owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds, is one of the early favorites among this year's Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) nominees, as well as the 7-5 morning line choice in the Louisiana Derby.
"We have an extremely talented individual in Pyro without the maturity of horses like Curlin or Zanjero have exhibited through their experiences," said Asmussen during a National Thoroughbred Racing Association teleconference March 4.
Pyro, who covered four furlongs in :50.80 in a March 3 workout, will enter the Louisiana Derby off an impressive two-length victory over Z Fortune in the Feb. 9 Risen Star Stakes (gr. III).
Asmussen said he felt good about the colt's recent work. "It was a lot smoother, like a horse that had accepted his race, and was in the middle of what he was going to do," he said in comparison to the aggressive workout Pyro posted prior to the Risen Star.
"Individually and pedigree wise, (Pyro) is on the warm side, and little bit anxious," Asmussen continued. "His state of mind and focus is extremely important to us at this stage, and I just want him to concentrate and go into the race realizing the big picture."
Asmussen said timing-wise and talent-wise, Pyro is a prime candidate for the Run for the Roses. Depending on the outcome of the Louisiana Derby, the colt could make his next start in the April 12 Toyota Bluegrass Stakes (gr. I) at Keeneland.
"He prepared for the (Bessemer Trust Breeders' Cup) Juvenile (gr. I) there, and I was pleased with how he trained over the (synthetic) racetrack," Asmussen noted, adding that the wet weather on Breeders' Cup Day last year had caused Pyro to become unsettled in the race, in which he finished second to War Pass.
"I don't think he focused as good as he should have," Asmussen continued. "He still ran a respectable race, but with time and maturity, I'm hoping to have a different horse mentally going into the big race (the Derby)."
Asmussen said other horses that are sure to show competition to Pyro in the Louisiana Derby include Tale of Ekati and Majestic Warrior, as well as stablemate J Be K, though he is still a bit green.
"J Be K is a tremendously talented 3-year-old," said Asmussen of the colt, who is owned by Zayat Stables. "He had a great foundation and works before his victory at the Fair Grounds (Feb. 15 allowance race).
"He has a lot of bottom in him as far as distance works. I'm concerned pedigree-wise, if he can go far enough," Asmussen added of the 1 1/16-mile Louisiana Derby. "But training wise, he goes over the ground extremely easily, and those that have ridden him have a lot of confidence in him."
Dawdling pace results in pedestrian Beyers for Colonel John, El Gato Malo
By Mike Brunker
Horse racing editor
MSNBC
updated 12:32 a.m. CT, Tues., March. 4, 2008
Mike Brunker
Horse racing editor
Speed figures have certainly made life easier for handicappers, but their shortcomings are there for all to see in the post-race assessment of Saturdays Sham Stakes (Gr. 2) at Santa Anita.
The problem with single-figure speed figures is they eliminate pace from the equation when measuring how fast a race was run. So when a race is run very slowly early, speed figures typically undervalue the outcome.
That certainly seems to be the case in the Sham, which saw pace-setter Victory Pete set dawdling early fractions of :24.97, :50.04 and 1:14.35. Winner Colonel John simply relaxed on his outside hip, then took off at the top of the stretch and sprinted to the wire.
The closing kick displayed by both the winner and runner-up El Gato Malo was impressive -- both covered the final 3/8ths of a mile in under :36 seconds. But because the early pace was so pokey, their Beyer speed figures were pedestrian. Colonel John earned an 86 for the effort, with El Gato Malo garnering an 85.
By comparison, Absolutely Cindy earned an 89 in defeating what almost certainly was a softer field in the John Battaglia Memorial at Turfway Park.
It remains to be seen how the West Coast contingent sizes up against leading Kentucky Derby contenders such as War Pass and Pyro, but I feel confident that they are better than the speed figures they earned on Saturday would suggest.
(What do you think? Id love to hear from readers this week how they think the West Coast horses compare to the Easterners. Click on this link to weigh in. Best responses will be published in next weeks column.)
Did pace affect Sham outcome?
In addition to deflating the Beyer figures, the pace in the Sham may have affected the outcome.
Colonel John got a dream trip under jockey Garrett Gomez and had enough energy to hold off the game El Gato Malo by half a length. The latter was patiently rated along the rail by David Flores until the top of the stretch, when he intimidated his way outward to get clear sailing, then flattened out and came hard after the winner, steadily closing the gap despite wandering a bit nearing the 1/16th pole.
El Gato Malo did have a recency advantage over Colonel John, who was making his first start since Dec. 22, but I came away wondering if the best horse won. Well know more if they meet again in the Santa Anita Derby (Gr. 1) on April 5, a race the connections of both horses said they are pointing toward.
Meantime, a big Hoofbeat shout out to the connection of Absolutely Cindy, winner of the $100,000 John Battaglia Memorial Stakes at Turfway Park on Saturday.
Keith Kinmon, the 53-year-old trainer, owner and breeder of the 3-year-old filly, ignored conventional wisdom by running the daughter of Arch against the boys so early in the year. Absolutely Cindy, who clearly loves the Turfway Polytrack, rewarded his faith with an eye-catching wide run around the turn that eventually carried her past Your Round in the final 50 yards.
Kinmon, who owns a steel company and has been training on and off since 1992, gets even more of our respect for staying realistic, indicating he will run his filly next against her own kind in the Bourbonette Stakes on March 22. After that, the Daily Racing Form reports, hes thinking maybe the Ashland Stakes at Keeneland and the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill, if she handles the dirt there OK in the mornings.
Readers weigh in on pair o preps
Last week, I asked for your opinions on the trend of giving Derby contenders just two preps before the Run for the Roses. Here are a couple of the better responses I received.
Steve Porter wrote that the trend of running fewer preps simply reflects the alarming erosion of todays breeding standards.
The current infatuation with the Storm Cat and Gone West lines tells the story, he said. These two produce horses with speed and precocity but they are as fragile and prone to injury as they are fast. Owners know this and are out to win big and early, then retire their horses to the breeding shed for the big money.
The Derby is a classic distance of 1 ¼ miles. The record clearly shows Storm Cat and Gone West do NOT produce runners suited for classic distances. Yet, as long as owners maintain a get-rich-quick mentality, the breeding industry must cater to the owners whims. This Catch-22 dilutes bloodlines and can ultimately destroy classic thoroughbred racing in the U.S.
But Jim Walters of New Jersey sees the lighter racing schedule at 3 as the wave of the future and a sign of hope for the handicap division.
Prior to last year I was not a fan of two preps and then the Derby, but after Street Sense and Curlin it seems like the way to go. As far as your Curlin question, I dismissed him last year going into the Derby due to his lack of experience, but after the race I realized I couldn't have been more wrong. As it turned out, in my opinion Curlin got beat by the brutal trip and raced way more seasoned than you would expect from a horse with so few starts. I also think the fewer derby preps allowed for the top horses to have a longer 3 year old campaign. Look at the quality 3 year olds that showed up in the BC Classic. It was great. Now if only we could keep some of them on the track as 4 years olds so we could see the Spectacular Bid/Affirmed type showdowns.
Late scratches
A bit more housekeeping before I go.
Author and handicapper extraordinaire Steve Davidowitz, with whom I was fortunate enough to share time in the press box in the San Francisco Bay Area, makes this salient point about the timing snafu in the Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park:
If the problem was as stated by GP that an outrider tripped the first beam too soon, then the only adjustment they should have made was the difference between the clocking at the first pole (taken against the video replay, either by hand or via a calibrated clocking).
Hes absolutely right that there was no reason for the fractional times to shift (see the chart in last weeks column). It should give pause to any handicapper who looks at times (and dont we all?).
And finally, Im delighted to say that Ive hit the big time now by accidentally naming my first blog.
Reader Chrys Bean was kind enough to tip a very intriguing Derby contender in the second installment this column, a horse with a defective GPS unit named Numaany. When I included her comment, I introduced it thus: When it comes to rank outsiders (literally), Chrys Bean of Arizona takes the cake.
Well guess what? Chrys is now writing a blog, titled Curlin Liquid Gold, under the handle you guessed it The Rank Outsider.
As she explains on the site, I call myself 'The Rank Outsider' thanks to a comment I made to Mike Brunker on msnbc.com about Numaany. He posted it, calling me a rank outsider, literally, and somehow it resonated with me. It's true. My fascination with horse racing has nothing to do with inside knowledge about the sport. Sometimes a horse will just grab me Curlin sure did and so did Numaany with his crazy maiden win back in November.
Welcome to the world of turf writing, Chrys, but I really need to explain something as well. I was referring to Numaany as the rank outsider, not you. But, hey, that handle does have a nice ring to it!
Yon can study a form day in and day out, but that alone will not make you a winner at betting the Ponies. I have almost gotten myself where I need to be behind the scenes in the horse racing industry and I'm still working on it harder than ever. I have made some many big scores on the ponies just by making good contacts you wouldn't believe. We made a huge score on Spriing At Last in the Donn handicapp of Daheer because we were told he took to the Gulfstream surface just like he did in Dubai and probably better. Spring At Last loves a hot climate and a very hard surface, why do you think they shipped him out of cali after that turf race and didn't run him on that sticky stuff.
FB
MAJESTIC WARRIOR (9-2). Im intrigued that a conservative trainer like Bill Mott is sending Majestic Warrior all the way to Louisiana from Florida when he easily could have found a much softer spot for the colt to return from a layoff. Garrett Gomez is making the trip from California to ride him. Not too long ago, I mentioned to Gomez between races at Santa Anita that it seems like a lot of people have forgotten all about Majestic Warrior. I mentioned that they seem to have forgotten how impressive he was when he won the Hopeful last year with Gomez aboard. Thats fine with me, Gomez said with a smile. I know I havent forgotten him. Hes a very good colt.
YANKEE BRAVO (4-1). Hes three for three, with his victories coming on three different surfaces in two different countries. He won a turf sprint in England by six lengths last Sept. 6, unleashed a furious rally to take the Eddie Logan Stakes on Santa Anitas turf course Dec. 29, then again closed with a rush in the stretch to win a roughly run California Derby on Golden Gates Tapeta surface on Jan. 27. The Louisiana Derby will be his dirt debut. Co-owner Richard Duggan told me that he felt Yankee Bravos acceleration gives him the chance to be at least as good as In Excess, who had great success as a multiple Grade I winner in the U.S. on the dirt after being imported from Europe through a deal brokered by Duggan.
TALE OF EKATI (7-2). Can he win? Sure. Does he offer value at anything close to 7-2? Not really. Tale of Ekati showed a lot when he rallied to win the Grade II Futurity at Belmont last Sept. 15. He finished fourth (17 1/2 lengths behind the victorious War Pass) in the Breeders Cup Classic at Monmouth Park on Oct. 27, but that race can be tossed out because of the sloppy track. Hes a grandson of Sunday Silence, who in 1989 won the Santa Anita Derby, Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, Super Derby and Breeders Cup Classic en route to the Horse of the Year title.
J BE K (12-1). Hes the threat to steal it. This colt is just plain fast. He zipped 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:03.13 to break the track record at Saratoga last Aug. 29 when trained by Bob Baffert. A 2-year-old breaking a track record at the Spa is pretty serious stuff. J Be K was transferred to Asmussen in February. In the colts 2008 debut, he cruised to a five-length allowance win on a wet track Feb. 15 at the Fair Grounds. Hes talented, undefeated and probably will be out there winging on the lead this Saturday. Look out.
BLACKBERRY ROAD (10-1). He certainly has had more than his share of bad racing luck. In the Risen Star, for instance, he finished fifth after being blocked during the stretch run. He also didnt exactly have the best of trips when he ran second to Z Fortune in the Grade III Lecomte at the Fair Grounds on Feb. 9. Now Curlins jockey, Robby Albarado, gives it a try. This half-brother to Eclipse Award winner Vindication is dangerous Saturday.
STEVIL (15-1). Same owner (Robert LaPenta) and trainer (Nick Zito) as 2007 Eclipse Award winner War Pass and 2008 Fountain of Youth winner Cool Coal Man. Stevil, a son of Marias Mon (sire of 2001 Kentucky Derby winner Monarchos), is adding blinkers. He has kept some pretty tough company at Gulfstream Park. He ran second to Visionaire on Jan. 4. Visionaire, who went on to finish third behind Pyro and Z Fortune in the Risen Star, is scheduled to run this Saturday in the Grade III Gotham Stakes after his trainer, Michael Matz, was quoted as saying he thought the Louisiana Derby came up too tough for his charge to run there. Stevil then finished third behind Face the Cat and Nistles Crunch on Jan. 30. Face the Cat is expected to run in the Grade II Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park on March 15. Nistles Crunch won a tough allowance race at Gulfstream last Saturday.
UNBRIDLED VICAR (20-1). He finished fourth in the Risen Star at 47-1 while far from disgraced in his stakes debut as he lost by 3 1/4 lengths. Unbridled Vicar had finished at least third in all six starts prior to the Risen Star.
MY PAL CHARLIE (20-1). He won a maiden claiming race by two lengths on a sloppy track Jan. 26 at the Fair Grounds, then posted a 1 1/2-length allowance victory there Feb. 14. My Pal Charlie is improving, but this is quite a steep class hike for him. If he somehow manages to pull off the upset, it could be quite a day for his sire. Indian Charlie also is the sire of Eclipse Award winner Indian Blessing, who will try to keep her unblemished record intact in Saturdays Grade II Fair Grounds Oaks.