Good article on the Remsen winner Old Fashioned
DiscreetCat
Moderator
from The Saratogian:
Make room for a potential star in Old Fashioned.
There have been three excellent performances by |2-year-old males so far in 2008.
Midshipman was most impressive in the Breeders Cup Juvenile, while Vineyard Haven romped in the Champagne Stakes.
Old Fashioned, with a tour de force in the important Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct on Saturday, joins the trio atop the division.
Bounding to the lead at the start of the 9-furlong Remsen, Old Fashioned immediately geared down for jockey Ramon Dominguez coming off the first turn.
The race was over at that point, and Old Fashioned cruised home effortlessly, getting just a single tap from Dominguez to keep his mind on business. The margin of victory was 7¼ lengths, but it could have been twice that had Dominguez asked for it.
Old Fashioned, owned by Fox Hill Farm and trained by Larry Jones, paid $3.50 to win and earned $120,000, sending his career total to $173,280. The gray son of Unbridleds Song is unbeaten in three starts, by a combined 23 lengths.
Unbridleds Song, a 15-year-old son of Kentucky Derby winner Unbridled, won the Breeders Cup Juvenile, Wood Memorial and Florida Derby during his racing days. He has become one of the best sires in America, with Grade I winners Unbridled Elaine, Octave, Splendid Blendid, Political Force and Buddha to his credit.
Old Fashioned, purchased for $800,000 as a Keeneland September yearling, is out of Collect Call, by Meadowlake.
Collect Call, winner of the Grade III Santa Ysabel Stakes, finished third in the Grade I Kentucky Oaks to Flute in 2001. Her immediate family includes Mitterand, winner of the Grade I La Canada Stakes, and her son French Deputy, winner of the Jerome Handicap.
The Grade II Remsen, always an important barometer for 3-year-old form, was run for the 95th time and carried a purse of $200,000. Its roster of winners has many famous runners who went on to win one or more of the Triple Crown races.
The list includes Johnstown (1938), Phalanx (1946), Carry Back (1960), Northern Dancer (1963), Damascus (1966), Pleasant Colony (1980) and Thunder Gulch (1994).
Whether or not Old Fashioned joins this crew remains to be seen, but I think he displayed uncommon talent in the Remsen. The Remsen is just a furlong shorter than the Kentucky Derby, and those 220 yards looked well within his scope. His victory was reminiscent another son of Unbridleds Song, that being Rockport Harbor and his Remsen tally in 2004 for the same owner.
And the trainer this time, Larry Jones, has finished second in the last two Kentucky Derbys with Eight Belles and Hard Spun.
I think we better stay dialed in on this story.
Make room for a potential star in Old Fashioned.
There have been three excellent performances by |2-year-old males so far in 2008.
Midshipman was most impressive in the Breeders Cup Juvenile, while Vineyard Haven romped in the Champagne Stakes.
Old Fashioned, with a tour de force in the important Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct on Saturday, joins the trio atop the division.
Bounding to the lead at the start of the 9-furlong Remsen, Old Fashioned immediately geared down for jockey Ramon Dominguez coming off the first turn.
The race was over at that point, and Old Fashioned cruised home effortlessly, getting just a single tap from Dominguez to keep his mind on business. The margin of victory was 7¼ lengths, but it could have been twice that had Dominguez asked for it.
Old Fashioned, owned by Fox Hill Farm and trained by Larry Jones, paid $3.50 to win and earned $120,000, sending his career total to $173,280. The gray son of Unbridleds Song is unbeaten in three starts, by a combined 23 lengths.
Unbridleds Song, a 15-year-old son of Kentucky Derby winner Unbridled, won the Breeders Cup Juvenile, Wood Memorial and Florida Derby during his racing days. He has become one of the best sires in America, with Grade I winners Unbridled Elaine, Octave, Splendid Blendid, Political Force and Buddha to his credit.
Old Fashioned, purchased for $800,000 as a Keeneland September yearling, is out of Collect Call, by Meadowlake.
Collect Call, winner of the Grade III Santa Ysabel Stakes, finished third in the Grade I Kentucky Oaks to Flute in 2001. Her immediate family includes Mitterand, winner of the Grade I La Canada Stakes, and her son French Deputy, winner of the Jerome Handicap.
The Grade II Remsen, always an important barometer for 3-year-old form, was run for the 95th time and carried a purse of $200,000. Its roster of winners has many famous runners who went on to win one or more of the Triple Crown races.
The list includes Johnstown (1938), Phalanx (1946), Carry Back (1960), Northern Dancer (1963), Damascus (1966), Pleasant Colony (1980) and Thunder Gulch (1994).
Whether or not Old Fashioned joins this crew remains to be seen, but I think he displayed uncommon talent in the Remsen. The Remsen is just a furlong shorter than the Kentucky Derby, and those 220 yards looked well within his scope. His victory was reminiscent another son of Unbridleds Song, that being Rockport Harbor and his Remsen tally in 2004 for the same owner.
And the trainer this time, Larry Jones, has finished second in the last two Kentucky Derbys with Eight Belles and Hard Spun.
I think we better stay dialed in on this story.
Comments