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'Gabriel Repeat for Proudinsky; Lava Man Last

2009-12-28T09:07:00.000-05:00

By Jack Shinar

Lava Man made his long-awaited return to competition in the San Gabriel Handicap (gr. IIT) (VIDEO) Dec. 27, but it was Proudinsky that found his way back to the winner's circle in the $150,000 turf event at Santa Anita Park.

With Rafael Bejarano aboard, Proudinsky edged even with the pacesetting Lava Man coming into the stretch before taking a slight lead and turning back favored Loup Breton when challenged in the final furlong to make it back-to-back San Gabriel victories. Lava Man, a multiple grade I winner with earnings of more than $5.2 million, was making his first start since he was retired more than 17 months ago.

Proudinsky, formerly trained by the late Bobby Frankel and now saddled by Frankel's longtime assistant Humberton Ascanio, prevailed by a neck over Loup Breton, who enjoyed a dream run along the inside for Garrett Gomez but came up a bit short as the 7-5 choice. The 6-year-old German-bred Proudinsky, sent off at 9-5 odds, completed the 1 1/8-mile San Gabriel in a quick time of 1:46.91 over firm going. He won last year's race in 1:48.39.

Loup Breton, a group II winner in France making his second U.S. start for trainer Julio Canani, was a clear second by 1 1/4 lengths over Acclamation, ridden by David Flores. Lava Man, the fourth choice in the field of seven, tired to finish last.

"I’m not Bobby Frankel, but I just do his thing," Ascanio said. "I knew Julio’s horse (Loup Breton) was going to come running at the end, but I was real confident. (Bejarano) had a lot of horse, and he told me he had a lot of confidence in the horse.”

Looking superb for his comeback, Lava Man, ridden by Tyler Baze, took the early lead and showed the way down the stretch the first time with his ears twitching. Proudinsky, a bit rank early, and Acclamation stalked on his outside. With Lava Man maintaining an easy lead of about one length, they stayed that way through the clubhouse turn and down the backstretch through quarter-mile fractions of :24.06, :48.14 and 1:11.81.

Proudinsky turned up the pressure on Lava Man on the turn for home with Acclamation also moving into position on the outside. Lava Man, already being asked for more by Baze, was in trouble while drifting out as they made their way into the stretch run. He continued to fight to mid-stretch but was losing ground while racing slightly off the rail as Proudinsky gained a short lead over Acclamation in the middle of the track. Loup Breton, saving ground, got through along the inside as Lava Man gave way and drew even with Proudinsky, but the latter proved his toughness in the charge to the wire.

“It looked like Lava Man was going to be the speed in the race," Bejarano said. "When (Acclamation at the rail) broke a little slow, I knew we’d have try to get into position to put some pressure on. When we passed the half-mile pole, (Acclamation) pressed us from the outside, so I let my horse run to hold our position. At the top of the stretch, I asked him and he gave me a good turn of foot. I could see (Loup Breton) was really running on the rail, but my horse was running faster and they couldn’t catch him.”

O'Neill said the 8-year-old Lava Man, whose regenerated ankles through stem cell treatment and surgery led to the decision to race him again, returned with a gash on his right hind tibia, probably sustained while leaving the starting gate.

“He just got tired," O'Neill said. "That’s what Tyler commented on. I thought I had him more fit than that, but it’s hard to simulate a mile and an eight turf race in the mornings. When he asked him to kick on, he said he gave him something, but he just couldn’t sustain it.

"I’m bummed, yeah. I was very eager to see him run today because he had been training like the Lava Man of old, and again, he really never had much of a layoff during the whole 3-year campaign that we had him on, so this was kind of a new thing to see. He definitely disappointed me in his results, but he really made me real happy, the fact that he got back here and I thought he looked great striding out."

As for the future, O'Neill said, “We’ll talk with the boys (owners STD Racing and Jason Wood) and Dr. Doug Herthel and see how he comes out of it and just put our heads together and see what’s the right thing for Lava Man.”

Owned by Johanna Louise Glen-Teven, Proudinsky posted his seventh lifetime win in 22 starts and boosted his earnings to $1,225,953 with the San Gabriel winner's share of $90,000. Proudinsky was coming off a fourth-place finish behind his stablemate Fluke in Hollywood's Citation Handicap (gr. IT) Nov. 27.

A bay son of Silvano out of the Dashing Blade mare Proudeyes, Proudinsky was bred by Dr. R. Wilhelms.

Sent off as the narrow second choice, Proudinsky shared top weight of 119 pounds with the runner-up and Lava Man. He paid $5.60, $2.80 and $2.20, combining with Loup Breton ($2.80, $2.20) for a $15.20 exacta. The 3-year-old Acclamation, third in the Hollywood Derby (gr. IT) in his last start for trainer Donald Warren, was $3 to show. Great Siege, Cherokee Artist, Sir Dave and Lava Man completed the order.

Copyright © 2009 Blood-Horse Publications. All rights reserved internationally.

Headley's M One Rifle Hits Malibu Bullseye

2009-12-27T09:35:00.000-05:00

By Jack Shinar

M One Rifle, a 7-1 shot, went all the way on the front end to post an easy win in the $300,000 Malibu Stakes (gr. I) (VIDEO) over favored Misremembered for veteran trainer Bruce Headley on opening day at Santa Anita Dec. 26.

The 75-year-old Headly, who bred and owns M One Rifle in partnership, said afterward he has wanted to win the race since 1952. He finally accomplished it with the 3-year-old son of One Man Army--Leanessa, horses that were also trained by Headley.

“Winning this race is an exhilarating experience, on a day like today, with all these fans here," Headley told HRTV. "I’ve been trying to win the Malibu my whole life, since 1952."

Ridden by Mike Smith, M One Rifle became the third consecutive California-bred to go gate-to-wire in the seven-furlong Malibu, following Johnny Eves in 2007 and Bob Black Jack last year. This was the first graded stakes win for M One Rifle. The dark bay or brown gelding who has won four of seven starts and while never finishing out of the money.

Breaking from the far outside in a field of 13, the winner went directly to the front and angled in. He set quick fractions -- :22.98, :45.28, and 1:08.60 -- tracked by Papa Clem and Square Eddie, and spurted away in the stretch to win by 2 1/2 lengths under left-handed urging, completing the seven-furlong test of 3-year-olds in a smart 1:21.05 over Santa Anita's Pro-Ride synthetic surface.

Misremembered, the 2-1 choice, rallied for second for Victor Espinoza after dropping back along the inside in upper stretch. Papa Clem, with Tyler Baze aboard, finished third.

Supreme Summit ran fourth, followed by Hunch, Square Eddie, Smart Bid, Coronet of a Baron, Jeranimo, Mythical Power, Join in the Dance, Kinsella and New Bay.

M One Rifle, who was favored in each of his previous six starts, is also owned by Ed Bernstein, Brian Greenspun, et al. Bernstein, Greenspun, and Irwin Molasky are also the co-breeders along with Headley. M One Rifle earned $180,000 for the victory, nearly doubling his career purse total to $378,572. He was coming off a closing third-place finish at Hollywood Park Nov. 29 against an optional claiming field going six furlongs.

The Malibu is the opening leg of Santa Anita's Strub series for horses foaled in 2006. It continues Jan. 16 with the 1 1/16-mile San Fernando Stakes (gr. II) and the 1 1/8-mile Strub (gr. II) on Feb. 6. Headley indicated that M One Rifle is most likely to remain in sprint races.

“I’m pretty sure we’ll keep him sprinting," Headley said. "I don’t know yet.

"In 1952 I was galloping Berseem," Headley recalled. "He broke a world’s record at Golden Gate in eight and three (1:08 3/5 for six furlongs) as a 3-year-old. He came back and ran in the Malibu (in 1954) and they broke the world’s record that day (1:20 3/5 for seven furlongs), but he got beat a nose by Imbros. That’s when I was 18, so I’ve always wanted to win the Malibu since that time. It’s taken me this long, 57 years.”

Carrying 117 pounds, M One Rifle went off as the second choice in an evenly-wagered event and paid $16.20, $6.80, and $5. The $2 exacta was $62.20.

The distance proved to be a hinderance for Misremembered ($4, $3.20), who was coming off a game runner-up finish to Blame against older rivals in the 1 1/8-mile Clark Handicap (gr. II) at Churchill Downs last month. A two-time grade II winner this year for trainer Bob Baffert, the son of Candy Ride was also stuck with the rail for the first one-turn race of his career.

Papa Clem, winner of the Arkansas Derby (gr. II) this spring before his fourth-place finish in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), was $6 to show. This was his first sprint race since he was a maiden for trainer Gary Stute.

Copyright © 2009 Blood-Horse Publications. All rights reserved internationally.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!

2009-12-23T09:35:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas from all of us here at all-about-horse-racing.blogspot

Santa Anita Set To Open Saturday, 12/26

2009-12-22T10:14:00.001-05:00

This Saturday is opening day at Santa Anita . The opening weekend festivities kick off with a 10-race card that will feature the G1 $300,000 Malibu and the G1$300,00 La Brea.

The 75th anniversary for Santa Anita will run through April 19th and will be highlighted by the G1 $750,000 Santa Anita Derby on Saturday, April 3rd.

A special early first post at Santa Anita on Saturday is set for 2:30pm Eastern/11:30am Pacific.

Futurity: Lookin at Lucky at the top of the class

2009-12-20T10:03:00.000-05:00

Jay Privman,
Daily Racing Form

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Lookin at Lucky clinched an Eclipse Award as champion 2-year-old male, set himself up to be one of the leading contenders for next year's Kentucky Derby, and gave trainer Bob Baffert his fourth win of the day, all with 2-year-olds, when he captured the Grade 1, $750,000 Cash Call Futurity on Saturday at Hollywood Park.

Lookin at Lucky ($2.60), under jockey Garrett Gomez, beat Noble's Promise by three-quarters of a length, with Make Music for Me another half-length back in third. The margin was deceptive, though, because Lookin at Lucky had to make several different moves during the race, then kicked clear at the top of the lane before coasting to the wire when the outcome was not in doubt. He covered 1 1/16 miles on Cushion Track in 1:43.30.

"Hell of a day, huh?" Baffert said. "That was nice. He's getting better and better."

Lookin at Lucky was more anxious than usual in the paddock before the race, then was aggressive early in the race after starting from the rail. The Program, a Baffert-trained stablemate, led early, but was a couple of lanes off the rail, allowing Lookin at Lucky to come through inside as the field raced around the final turn.

Noble's Promise, meanwhile, was caught four paths wide on the first turn and three wide on the far turn, yet resolutely kept to his task to gain the place.

Lookin at Lucky, owned by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman, has won five times in six starts, his lone loss coming when beaten a head in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

Baffert said Lookin at Lucky would get an extended break, and would have two preps before the Kentucky Derby next May.

HOLLYWOOD PARK
Saturday December 19, 2009 - Race 9
CashCall Futurity - Grade: 1
Purse: $750,000
Distance/Restrictions: 1 1/16M, Dirt, 2 Year Olds, STAKES
Winning Time: 1:43.30

Pgm Horse Win Place Show
1 Lookin At Lucky 2.60 2.10 2.10
6 Noble's Promise 2.40 2.10
5 Make Music for Me 3.40

Times in 100ths: :24.03 :48.30 1:13.12 1:37.06 1:43.30

Unplaced horses listed in order of finish.
Also ran: The Program, Marcello, Brady Blue Eyes, Seattle Ruler
Scratched: Wildlee Special

Wager Type Winning Numbers Payoff
$2 Daily Double 5-1 $10.00
$1 Exacta 1-6 $2.10
$2 Quinella 1-6 $2.60
$1 Superfecta 1-6-5-3 $34.90
$1 Trifecta 1-6-5 $8.30
$1 Pick 3 8-5-1 $36.50

Wildcat Heir Sets Record for 2yo Winners

2009-12-18T09:25:00.000-05:00

Florida first-crop stallion Wildcat Heir set a Northern Hemisphere record of 39 2-year-old winners in a year when his daughter Future Heiress won a maiden race Dec. 17 at Calder Race Course (VIDEO).

He shares the worldwide record of 39 winners with Chapel Royal , who set the record in 2008 with 38 winners in the Northern Hemisphere and one Kentucky-bred runner that won a race in Peru.

Wildcat Heir stands at Brent and Crystal Fernung’s Journeyman Stud near Ocala, Fla.

Copyright © 2009 Blood-Horse Publications. All rights reserved internationally.

Presious Passion aims for three-peat

2009-12-17T10:10:00.000-05:00

Mike Welsch,
Daily Racing Form

MIAMI - Nominations are out for the three graded stakes on the docket here at Calder on Dec. 26, and from the looks of things, local fans are in for some real post-Christmas joy.

The Grade 2 W.L. McKnight highlights the card and will feature the appearance of two-time defending champion Presious Passion, who will make his first start since his courageous second-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Turf. Trainer Mary Hartmann has already declared her intention to bring Presious Passion back to try for the three-peat in the 1 1/2-mile McKnight.

Presious Passion was one of 23 long-distance runners nominated for the McKnight and one of two Breeders' Cup runners-up on the list. Trainer Jonathan Sheppard also nominated Cloudy's Knight, who was equally gallant finishing a close second in the Marathon. Cloudy's Knight bounced back to win Woodbine's Valedictory Stakes on Dec. 6 for his third win in four starts this season.

The supporting features on the McKnight card are the $100,000 Kenny Noe Jr. and $100,000 Stage Door Betty handicaps, both Grade 3 events.

This Ones for Phil, who still owns the highest Beyer Speed Figure posted by any horse this year in races up to one mile with a 115, tops a list of 18 speedsters nominated to the seven-furlong Kenny Noe. This Ones for Phil began his career at Calder before being purchased privately and turned over to trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. prior to his 3-year-old debut.

Other prominent names eligible for the Kenny Noe include Biker Boy, Harlem Rocker, and Le Grand Cru, along with locally based stablemates Motovato and You and I Forever.

The Stage Door Betty could provide the setting for a rematch between Sweet Repent and Jessica Is Back, who finished one-two in the Elmer Heubeck Distaff Handicap on Nov. 14. They were joined on the nomination list by northern invaders Amazing, Flying Dixie, Kiddari, Morena, and Nicksappealinglady. Morena, trained by Michael Matz, is coming off a second-place finish in the Grade 2 Falls City Handicap at Churchill Downs on Nov. 26.

"I thought the nominations for all three stakes were excellent, both quantity and quality wise," racing secretary Mike Anifantis said.

Hypocrite continues to look sharp training up to the Kenny Noe. The four-time stakes winner worked five furlongs from the half-mile pole around to the seven-eighths pole in 1:00.21 with Kate Francy aboard on Tuesday, posting fractions of 23.51 seconds, 35.24, and 47.24 along the way for trainer Manny Tortora.

Could Tribal Casino Open Near NYRA Tracks?

2009-12-16T08:45:00.000-05:00

By Tom Precious

The federal government has given preliminary recognition to a Long Island Indian tribe, setting in motion development of a possible casino close to the New York Racing Association’s two downstate tracks.

The move raises the question: Will the Indian tribe get a casino opened faster than the long-stalled video lottery terminal facility at Aqueduct?

The Dec. 15 decision by the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs, an Interior Department office, means the Shinnecock Indian Nation of Long Island at a minimum can, if the ruling is given final approval next year, build a Class II casino—no table games permitted and VLTs instead of standard slot machines—on its tribal land in Southampton along Long Island’s coast.

But the tribe has indicated an interest in a possible off-reservation casino—with slots and table games—closer to New York City. There have been suggestions the tribe could be interested in locating a casino at Aqueduct or Belmont Park. Earlier this spring, the tribe contacted Gov. David Paterson to signal its interest in a downstate casino if it won federal recognition.

The state is moving to permit a private operator, one of which includes a partnership with a Florida tribal business, to run the Aqueduct VLT casino for the next 30 years. Those discussions, however, have been stalled for months, with Paterson and legislative leaders unable to pick from the handful of bidders interested in the lucrative operation.

The Aqueduct casino was first approved in 2001, but the state has gone through a series of false starts over the years to select an operator.

There has been a push by some Long Island lawmakers for a casino at Belmont, and the Shinnecock tribe could be in line for such a deal if it wins final federal recognition from the Obama administration. That, however, would require the Obama administration to break with the previous Bush administration’s Interior Department, which cracked down on the location of Indian-owned casinos off reservation land.

“As a result of this finding, our more than 30-year quest for federal recognition is finally within our grasp,” Shinnecock Board of Trustees chairman Randy King said in a statement released the evening of Dec. 15. “We look forward to reclaiming our rightful place on this list, which will enable us to qualify for federal programs long denied to our people. To be denied the ability to partner with the federal government on housing, health care, educational, and economic justice initiatives is no longer tolerable.

“This recognition comes after years of anguish and frustration for many members of our nation, living and deceased. As Indian people, even though we've maintained who we are for generations, and surrounded by some of the wealthiest communities in the country, perhaps this recognition will help some of our neighbors better understand us and foster a new mutual respect."

The statement by King and other tribe leaders made no mention of any casino plans.

The Interior Department’s BIA office said the tribe had met seven criteria for federal recognition, including that the Shinnecock’s have been “continuously identified as an American Indian entity since 1900,” and provided a list of its members who are descendants of “and historical Indian tribe.”

The tribe has called Southampton home since 1703, the government said. It has 1,066 tribal members.

The decision now begins a 90-day comment period, though that could be extended to six months.

Copyright © 2009 Blood-Horse Publications. All rights reserved internationally.

Bramlage: Resting Rachel Right Thing to Do

2009-12-15T10:14:00.000-05:00

By Deirdre B. Biles

While many racing fans were hoping Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta would square off in the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, prominent equine surgeon Larry Bramlage said recently that Rachel Alexandra’s connections did the right thing when they ended her 2009 campaign following the 3-year-old filly’s Sept. 5 victory by a head over Macho Again in the Woodford Stakes (gr. I).

“After 11 races (in less than a year), I’m glad they gave her a break,” said Dr. Bramlage during the American Association of Equine Practitioners’ 55th annual convention Dec. 5-9 in Las Vegas. “After the race she ran in the Woodward, when she basically ran her guts out, she needed time to recuperate and there was only a limited amount of time before the Breeders’ Cup.

"When horses campaign for more than a year and try to stay at the top level, their skeletons begin to fatigue; the same thing happens in the human athlete. It’s very tough to stay peaked for longer than a year, so I like to see horses after a year’s heavy campaigning getting a break of a couple of months because their skeleton has to catch up. They accumulate a lot of little damage that can then become something major, so I think it was good management of her career (to give Rachel Alexandra time off) even though I would have loved to have seen her running head-and-head with Zenyatta.”

Bramlage, who is based at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, operated on Rachel Alexandra’s left front ankle when she was a 2-year-old and removed a large bone chip and multiple fragments. As a member of the AAEP’s “On Call” program that provides veterinary expertise at major racing events, Bramlage has seen both Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta race in person.

“I think it would have been a hard race to handicap,” said Bramlage, a former AAEP president, of the result had Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta met on the track. “Orginally, I would have said Zenyatta would have won because she’s older, stronger, and bigger. But if you look at Rachel’s race in the Woodward, she defeated not only the front-runners and the challenge in the middle, but she also beat Macho Uno at the end, so we may not have seen the best of her yet. The nice thing is the debate. It keeps people talking, and that’s good for racing. The two greatest horses this year are females, and that’s another good thing for the sport.”

Copyright © 2009 Blood-Horse Publications. All rights reserved internationally.

Independent monitor releases public report on NTRA Safety Alliance and Integrity Alliance

2009-12-10T10:51:00.000-05:00

Eric Wing,
Special to NTRA.com

The Honorable Tommy G. Thompson, independent monitor of the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance, and the Washington, D.C., law firm of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld today released a comprehensive public report on the Alliance at the University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program's Symposium on Racing & Gaming in Tucson. The 47-page "Report of the Independent Monitor" (click here to download) covers the Alliance's progress to date in implementing safety and integrity standards and reforms.

The report cited the successful implementation of several meaningful safety improvements at accredited racetracks throughout North America and praised the Alliance for its sharing of best practices from track to track and for raising awareness of the industry's resolve in dealing head-on with safety and integrity issues. Suggested areas for improvement included the development of a mechanism to ensure sustained compliance, the creation of incentives to compel more tracks to seek accreditation, and the need to better educate the general public about specific improvements made at racetracks.

"The Alliance represents an excellent start and solid foundation for lasting industry reform," the report states. "Nonetheless, much more needs to be done…The Alliance has done a good job striking a balance between implementing substantive safety and integrity reforms that are ascertainable but not overwhelming, particularly at a time in which all agree that the industry is facing significant economic challenges in the current overall economy."

"I commend Governor Thompson and his team at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld for a thoughtful and thorough report based on first-hand observation, interviews with more than 35 representatives of industry stakeholder groups and comments solicited from the general public," said Alex Waldrop, President and CEO of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association. "This independent analysis spotlights many areas of achievement and several others where improvement is necessary in order to ensure the future success of the Alliance."

Thompson, the former four-term Governor of Wisconsin and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, has served as the Alliance's independent monitor since its inception in October 2008.

The Alliance, formed with the goal of establishing national uniform standards in the areas of safety and integrity, includes 55 racetracks in North America and every major national horsemen's organization. Alliance certification standards cover five broad areas: injury reporting and prevention; creating a safer racing environment; aftercare and transition of retired racehorses; uniform medication, testing and penalties; and safety research. Within those five categories, specific standards focus on areas including:

Systematic reporting of equine injuries
Aftercare of racehorses
Pre- and post-race veterinary examinations
Post-mortem examinations
Health and safety of jockeys
Riding crops and their use
Horse shoes and hoof care
Safety research
Safety equipment for jockeys and horse handlers
Exogenous Anabolic Steroids
Alkalinizing agents (TCO2)
On-track emergency medical care for humans and equines
Out-of-competition testing
Freezing and retrospective testing of post race samples
Continuing education
Security assessment and training

The accreditation program initially will focus on human and equine safety, but will be expanded to cover additional areas, including wagering security. Information on the Alliance, including the Alliance Code of Standards and the Report of the Independent Monitor, can be found at www.NTRAalliance.com.

Conflict Over Model Rule on Jockey Mount Fees

2009-12-09T08:36:00.000-05:00

By Tom LaMarra,

A controversial model rule that increases losing mount fees for jockeys generated lively debate Dec. 8 when both sides presented their case. One group, the National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association, has called for repeal of the rule.

There has been a movement toward increasing the fees, with about 20 jurisdictions having raised the minimum. But racetracks in major jurisdictions, including Arkansas, Kentucky, and Oklahoma, have not taken action.

According to statistics provided during the University of Arizona Symposium on Racing & Gaming in Tucson, Ariz., mount fees were $25 in 1964 and $45 in 2001. The model rule, based on purse levels, sets the range at $40-$115 at tracks where there is no agreement between horsemen and jockeys.

The model rule isn’t a mandate; state racing commissions don’t have to adopt it. Still, the National HBPA believes the Association of Racing Commissioners International, which oversees model rules, shouldn’t be involved in economics.

“Economics should be removed from the model rules process,” National HBPA president Joe Santanna said. “Economics should be determined between the affected parties. We feel RCI should not be acting as a union negotiator.”

The National HBPA proposal, approved by its board of directors Dec. 7, calls for a reallocation of the about $99 million jockeys earn each year. The proposal calls for winning jockeys to get 9% of a purse instead of 10%, which would free up $7.2 million for losing mount fees, roughly $30 per rider.

Santanna said $86 million of the $99 million goes to the riders of the top three finishers in each race, leaving $13 million for the rest—62% of all jockeys. He called it a “top-heavy plan.”

The National HBPA cites statistics that show horse owners lose $1.75 billion a year. Thus, the group believes, owners shouldn’t have to take another hit.

The Jockeys’ Guild has different ideas. Guild regional manager Jeff Johnston said reallocation of funds isn’t acceptable.

“We’re not fans of the Robin Hood plan,” Johnston said, suggesting a reallocation of funds for trainers, purses, and racetracks. “Why not have Churchill Downs share part of its money with Beulah Park and River Downs? An increase in jockey fees isn’t going to be the straw that broke the camel’s back.”

Alan Foreman, chief executive officer of the Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, said the THA isn’t involved in the debate because its affiliates all have cut deals on mount fees. But Foreman said he doesn’t believe RCI should be involved in the issue.

Foreman said the “core problem” is 30%-40% of jockeys make the bulk of the money, while the rest “get the scraps.”

“I’m trying to help that group,” he said. “(The model rule) isn't going to make a darn bit of difference.”

The Maryland plan is targeted to riders not at the top, Foreman said. Jockeys that make less than $100,000 a year with 50 or more mounts get a mount-fee bonus at the end of each year.

Foreman said the model rule limits the ability to “think outside the box.” He said economic conditions in the industry are forcing it to rethink how it does business, and maintaining an old structure for jockey mount fees is counterproductive.

Chicago-based rider Jerry La Sala, who aid he respects all points of view on the issue, noted mount fees weren’t increased for 37 years.

“How do you expect someone to even make it?” La Sala said. “It’s the guys running fourth through last that put on the show. Racetracks want these full fields.”

Santanna said some progress had been made before the RCI stepped in and requested agreement before its Dec. 5 meeting. Guild national manager Terry Meyocks acknowledged the working relationship but said the Guild was stymied by more prominent jurisdictions.

“It has been a tough couple of years,” Meycocks said. “We’ve had major problems with Kentucky and Oaklawn Park. It’s the tracks with purses of $400,000 (a day) and up that we’re struggling with, but smaller tracks like Fairmount Park and Finger Lakes have stepped up. We need to find some common ground.”

The Arkansas HBPA opposed the increase in mount fees, but the Arkansas Racing Commission approved an increase that will take effect during the 2010 Oaklawn meet.

Copyright © 2009 Blood-Horse Publications. All rights reserved internationally.

Jackpot: Rule turns back Uh Oh Bango

2009-12-08T08:35:00.001-05:00

Steve Bailey,
Thoroughbred Times

WinStar Farms’homebred Rule battled down the lane with Uh Oh Bango before inching away late to win the $750,000 Boyd Gaming’s Delta Jackpot Stakes (G3) at Delta Downs on Friday night.

The 2-year-old Roman Ruler colt won by a neck, earning $450,000 and virtually cementing a spot in the 2010 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1), which is limited to 20 starters with preference is given to the horses with the highest graded stakes earnings.

In the $500,000 Boyd Gaming’s Delta Princess Stakes Powered by Youbet.com (G3), the 1-mile companion race to the Jackpot for 2-year-old fillies, maiden Quiet Temper scored her first career victory in style as she took command on the turn and drew off impressively to a 7 3/4-length victory.

Rule burst onto the scene in his previous start, leading at every point of call in the Jean Lafitte Stakes on Nov. 6 at Delta. He powered to a nine-length victory and completed one mile in a track record of 1:37.45.

In the Jackpot, Rule again jumped in front early under jockey John Velazquez and took the eight-horse field through a half-mile in ::46.75 and six furlongs in 1:12.12 as Uh Oh Bango chased a close second, never more than a length back through the entire one-mile trip.

Racing neck and neck at the top of the stretch, Rule on the inside and Uh Oh Bango on the outside dueled determinedly with every stride before Rule was able to surge forward in the final strides to secure the victory as the even-money favorite, covering 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.63 on a track rated as sloppy after a rare burst of snow covered the area earlier in the evening.

Oak Motte made a late bid to finish third, 2¾ lengths behind Uh Oh Bango.

Trained by Todd Pletcher, Rule is the first starter out of the Personal Flag mare Rockcide, a half sister to 2003 champion 3-year-old male Funny Cide. WinStar bred Funny Cide, winner of the 2003 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes (G1).

Earlier on the card in the Delta Princess, Truth and Justice went immediately to the front and took the field through a half-mile in :47.40 and six furlongs in 1:13.35 while Quiet Temper rated in third, then second, under jockey Robby Albarado.

The bay Quiet American filly, who is trained by Dale Romans for owner Mark Stanley, then took command on the turn and pulled away with every stride in the stretch, covering one mile in 1:40.05.

Lone Star Stables’ Bella Diamante finished a well-beaten second, a nose in front of Joanie’s Catch. Pace-setter Truth and Justice, under jockey Joe Bravo, took a bad step exiting the turn, was pulled up and did not finish.

The victory was the first for Quiet Temper after three consecutive runner-up finishes to start her career, the most recent coming in a one-mile maiden special weight race at Belmont Park on Oct. 4.

Quiet Temper is out of the unraced Silver Deputy mare Dead Aim. Her second dam, Loping, is a half sister to Grade 1 winners Furlough, Dancing Spree, and Fantastic Find.

Kinsale King Rules Underwood for New Trainer

2009-12-07T07:57:00.000-05:00

By Jack Shinar

Trainer Carl O'Callaghan earned his first stakes win when front-running Kinsale King courageously held off the veteran sprinter Delta Storm by a neck in the $100,000 Vernon O. Underwood Stakes (gr. III) (VIDEO) at Hollywood Park Dec. 6.

Sent off at odds of 7-1, the 4-year-old Kinsale King was ridden to victory by Martin Garcia for owner Dr. Patrick Sheehy’s Super Horse. O'Callaghan, who turns 34 Dec. 7 and has been training for less than a year, called Super Horse "the backbone of my operation."

“I'll be 34 tomorrow,” said O'Callaghan, who has five wins at the meet. “I'm going to go home and cook a big fat steak and mashed potatoes then come back here and do it all again.”

Leaving from the rail, Kinsale King broke outward, bumping Machismo at the break while heading to the front with Delta Storm pressing on his outside in second. The 5-year-old Argentine Mr. Cacht, making his first U.S. start for trainer Jeff Mullins, raced in third. And that's the way they remained all the way around. Quarter-mile fractions for the opening four furlongs were an even :23.23 and :46.53.

Kinsale King took a slight advantage into the stretch and inched away a bit, but the 8-year-old second-choice Delta Storm, ridden by Rafael Bejarano, drew ever closer as they battled through the lane. Just as it appeared Delta Storm would finally overcome the leader in the final strides, Kinsale King found an answer with strong encouragement from Garcia to win gamely. It was 1 1/4 lengths back to Mr. Cacht and Felipe Valdez. The final time was 1:09.67 over the Cushion Track.

Noble Court, the 124-pound highweight and 2-1 favorite in the field of seven, rallied belatedly but lacked much closing punch and wound up fourth. He was followed by Paul's Hope, Machismo, and Talkin to Mom Roo. The latter was eased in the final furlong and removed from the track by horse ambulance after crossing the finish line.

Previously with trainer Eoin Harty, Kinsale King was turned over to O'Callaghan during the Del Mar meet this summer. In his only other prior start since, the Yankee Victor gelding scored by three lengths at odds of 61-1 at Oak Tree Oct. 30 in an optional claiming allowance race at six furlongs. He had been working in spectacular fashion at Hollywood since then, most recently blowing out three furlongs in a bullet :35 breeze Nov. 30.

“I was confident, very confident,” O’Callaghan said. “He trained so good going into the race. He's got a lot of heart, and that's what it's all about is heart. He's always had trouble with his feet -- he's had a lot of quarter crack problems. My blacksmith has been there every day with me, side by side, nursing him through the feet. We loved him last time, but he wasn't 60-1 today, was he?

The lightly-raced Kentucky bred ran his record to 3-0-1 in six starts. He more than doubled his earnings to $117,080 with the Underwood victory.

"The first time I rode him I found out he's a much better horse on the lead, so I was going to send him no matter what,” Garcia said. “I let him get comfortable on the lead. He has so much heart, he keeps going and going, he wasn't going to let anyone by. He's just a different horse when he's in front. Especially today, he ran with some really nice horses. I was surprised the way he won last time, but not today."

Marvin Little Jr. bred the dark bay, who is out of Flaming Mirage, by Woodman. Kinsale King sold for $67,000 at Barretts in May 2007.

Sent off as the fourth choice, Kinsale King paid $16.40, $7.80 and $5.80. A gallant effort in the stretch from 11-time winner Delta Storm resulted in second money for the Mike Mitchell trainee. He returned $3.80 and $2.80. Mr. Cacht was $6.40 to show in a solid U.S. debut.

Earlier on the card, Rummysecret War produced the highest priced winner at the meeting at $216.40. The Oscar Garcia-trained 4-year-old was ridden by Silvio Amador, who had his first Hollywood Park winner.

Copyright © 2009 Blood-Horse Publications. All rights reserved internationally.

Hialeah Asks to Run Thoroughbreds

2009-12-04T08:25:00.000-05:00

By Jim Freer

In letters it sent Dec. 1, Hialeah Park is asking other pari-mutuels in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale market for permission to start running Thoroughbred races during its Quarter Horse meet that extends through next Feb. 2.

Those substitute Thoroughbred races are not permitted for Hialeah’s meet under current Florida laws, according to the Florida Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering. Marc Dunbar, an attorney who teaches gaming law at Florida State University, said he agrees with that regulatory agency’s interpretation.

But Brunetti said he believes two provisions of Florida’s pari-mutuel law are “contradictory,” and that he plans to use one provision to pursue his request to start running Thoroughbred races. He said he and his attorneys had not determined whether and how they might make a request to the Florida DPMW.

Hialeah’s last Thoroughbred meet was in 2001. The track was closed until it began its initial Quarter Horse meet Nov. 28.

Brunetti said Thoroughbred races could help Hialeah Park economically. He noted that handle has been “disappointing” during the first four days of the Quarter Horse meet, when fields have been small because some horses are still being shipped from other states.

Brunetti said he was not aware that Calder Race Course on Nov. 30 cut off access for horses to ship in for stabling or to race until Dec. 14. Calder took that step as a precaution while it has quarantined three barns after one horse that previously was stabled there was diagnosed with Equine Herpes virus (EHV-1).

Calder on Dec. 1 indefinitely postponed the $100,000 Tropical Turf Handicap (gr. IIIT) and $100,000 My Charmer Handicap (gr. IIIT), adding that it plans no other schedule changes.

Brunetti said the timing of his request to run Thoroughbred races at Hialeah was “coincidental” with the situation at Calder.

Calder, which is racing through Jan. 2, and Gulfstream Park, which will begin its season the following day, are among tracks to which he sent the letter.

Officials of those two tracks declined comment on Brunetti's letter. On the afternoon of Dec. 3, Brunetti said he had not received any response from either track.

Brunetti has not determined how many Thoroughbred races he would run per day. But he said he would give first preference to Quarter Horses, and that trainers of those horses understand and accept his plan.

His interpretation of Florida law is that one provision would permit Hialeah to run as many as half its races as Thoroughbred races during the 40-day Quarter Horse meet--if approved by all horse and Greyhound tracks within a 50-mile radius of his track.

The Hialeah, Fla., track estimated its overflow attendance was more than 26,000 on opening day, a Saturday when it offered free admission and free parking.

But most in that crowd were there for the event, and not to wager. Data from Equibase Co. shows total handle of $233,833 for eight races--about $29,000 per race. A breakdown between betting on-track and approximately 100 simulcast sites, including tracks outside Florida, was not available.

But, as Hialeah officials expected, handle and attendance dropped for the eight-race cards for the next three days.

On Nov. 29, a Sunday, handle was $111,928, and Hialeah estimated attendance was 3,000.

Handle was $103,261 Nov. 30 and $139,563 Dec. 1. An individual who was at Hialeah said crowds both days were less than 1,000.

One industry official said those numbers don’t seem low for a Quarter Horse card on weekday afternoons.

But on Dec. 3, Brunetti said he expected all-sources handle for days other than opening day would average between $150,000 and $200,000.

Brunetti has said he has already spent about $20 million in renovating Hialeah. He is hoping for enactment of a pending law that would enable the track to have a 50-50 mix of Thoroughbred races and Quarter Horse races.

Officials of the DPMW said that agency would not speculate on whether enactment of the pending law this month would enable Hialeah to start running Thoroughbred races during its current meet.

The pending law also would enable Hialeah to build a casino with Las Vegas-style slot machines.

Enactment is being held up amid a dispute between the Florida legislature and Gov. Charlie Crist over terms of a gaming compact for the Seminole Tribe of Florida.

Dunbar, a partner in the Pennington Law Firm in Tallahassee, said he is one of numerous observers who do not expect a resolution of the Seminole issue or enactment of the law this year.

Hialeah will resume its four-day-a-week racing Dec. 5.

During its first four days, Hialeah averaged about 6.75 starters per race.

Brunetti said that is partly because some horses have not yet arrived from Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Tex., which ended its meet Nov. 28, and from several other Quarter Horse tracks.

About 500 of Hialeah’s 800 stalls are occupied. If all stalls are not taken by Quarter Horses within the next week, Brunetti said Hialeah Park would admit Thoroughbreds for stabling and training on its dirt track.

“Wesley Ward is interested, and I hear that several other Thoroughbred trainers are interested,” he said.

“Hialeah has a wonderful surface,” Ward said. “I would look forward to the possibility of having horses there.”

Ward said that could include stabling and training, along with racing, it if is permitted. Ward’s multi-state operation includes horses stabled at Calder. He is a regular at Gulfstream meets.

“If I raced at Hialeah, it would be with horses that did not fit (conditions) for races at Gulfstream or Calder,” he said.

The question of Hialeah being able to run Thoroughbred races during its current meet revolves around two back-to-back paragraphs in Florida racing law.

One paragraph allows a Quarter Horse permit-holder to run up to half its races as Thoroughbred races if it obtains written consent of all Thoroughbred, harness, and Greyhound Tracks within a 50-mile radius.

The second paragraph states that a Quarter Horse permit holder within 50 miles of a Thoroughbred track cannot run any Thoroughbred races while that other track is running a meet.

Gulfstream and Calder have a combined year-round schedule. Thus, the second provision prohibits Hialeah from running any Thoroughbred races, notwithstanding the first provision, Dunbar said.

Dunbar’s firm represents Gulfstream, its parent Magna Entertainment Corp. and several gaming industry manufacturers. He noted that Gulfstream and Hialeah were allies in passing the gaming law that has not been enacted. That law would allow Gulfstream to use its long-standing Quarter Horse permit to hold night racing--combining Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse races.

The pending law would remove the current law’s two provisions that restrict Hialeah from holding Thoroughbred races, for up to half its meets.

“I am making this request now to point to the importance of clearing up these contradictions and getting the new law in place,” Brunetti said.

Copyright © 2009 Blood-Horse Publications. All rights reserved internationally.

McLaughlin Takes Suspensions for Trace Levels

2009-12-02T08:53:00.001-05:00

By Claire Novak

Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin will serve three concurrent 30-day suspensions handed down by the Kentucky Racing Commission for three individual medication violations, the New York-based horseman confirmed Dec. 1.

The suspensions, which run from Dec. 1-30, are for positives of ipratropium bromide, a bronchodilator the Association of Racing Commissioners International has classified as a Class B drug—one that has the potential to impact performance. Traces of the drug were found in three of McLaughlin’s runners at Keeneland during the 2009 fall meet.

The levels were “sub-nanogram”--.16 nanograms, .26, and .39. McLaughlin in a Dec. 1 statement released the test results and said he was assured such levels wouldn’t impact a horse’s performance.

The positives include one in Bluegrass Princess, Dell Ridge Farm’s 3-year-old winner of the Oct. 23 Pin Oak Valley View Stakes (gr. III) division one. The other positives were found in Darley Stables’ 2-year-old Liston, winner of an Oct. 9 allowance race, and in a third-place finisher Oct. 15.

According to Kentucky state steward John Veitch, the horses were disqualified and placed last, and purse redistribution was ordered as part of the ruling.

Joe Mahoney, spokesperson for the New York State Racing and Wagering Board, said New York would uphold the suspension and that McLaughlin had already arranged to have his horses run in the name of his assistant, Art Magnuson.

According to the statement issued by McLaughlin, the traces of ipratropium bromide detected through urine samples came from a therapeutic medication called Atrovent, “recommended and prescribed by my veterinarian for horses in my stable that have developed a cough from recurrent airway obstruction–a bronchial reaction to hay dust.”

Atrovent, McLaughlin said, is a bronchodilator administered to the horse through the use of a facemask.

“It was recommended because it is short-acting and does not have the steroidal or corticosteroidal properties associated with other medications used for this condition,” the trainer said. “I was advised to withdraw use of the medication for any horse entered to race at least 48 hours prior to such race. I have followed these guidelines in each instance since I began using this medication.

“I have been informed that this drug is very short-acting and that its pharmacologic effect on the horse does not last beyond six hours, although the drug remains detectable at subnanogram levels beyond 24 hours.”

“The trainer freely admitted to us that he had given the medication used in conjunction with his training and treatment program in the past,” Veitch said. “He had been using a recommended period of withdrawal time that had been effective in the past and was understandably concerned that the withdrawal time was no longer effective.

“Through a number of unofficial telephone conversations with him, we were able to get his side of the story and explain to him the kind of penalty he was looking at, at which time he decided to waive his right to a formal hearing.”

“I do not believe that a protracted legal proceeding is in my best interest or the best interests of the racing industry at this time,” McLaughlin said. “Rather, I ask that the industry organizations and experts presently re-examining racing’s medication and testing policies look at this situation as it relates to zero-tolerance and, once again, the lack of uniformity.”

The first sub-nanogram levels of ipratropium bromide from McLaughlin’s Oct. 9 runner were detected by the University of Florida’s veterinary testing laboratory, which notified the Kentucky Racing Commission Oct. 28.

McLaughlin said: “I wouldn’t compromise my own integrity or the integrity of the business that I love.”

Copyright © 2009 Blood-Horse Publications. All rights reserved internationally.

Cardinal: Acoma looks hit or miss

2009-11-20T07:46:00.000-05:00

Marty McGee,
Daily Racing Form

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - If you start with the highweight and go from there, well, figuring out the Cardinal Handicap looks a bit tricky.

The $100,000 Cardinal, the Saturday feature at Churchill Downs, will have Acoma as the 121-pound highweight, but off back-to-back last-place finishes, the 4-year-old filly seems a shaky proposition. As trainer David Carroll said: "We're more hopeful than confident."

Acoma, with Jesus Castanon to ride, will break from post 3 in the Grade 3 Cardinal, a 1 1/8-mile turf race that drew nine fillies and mares. This will be the 36th running of the Cardinal, which anchors an excellent Saturday card as the ninth of 10 races.

Acoma (pronounced AK-uh-muh) exited the Grade 2 Delaware Handicap on July 19 with "her bloodwork awry," said Carroll. "It took us a while to get her back, but then she started training really well again" into the Grade 1 First Lady on Oct. 10 at Keeneland, he said.

But with Robby Albarado aboard, she ran poorly in the First Lady, leaving Carroll scratching his head.

"Robby said she was never really at the races," said Carroll. "Since then, she's trained forwardly, looks great. If she runs her race Saturday, she's got to be right there."

Indeed, when Acoma runs her race - as she has in winning 5 stakes from 13 overall starts, including the 2008 Mrs. Revere and 2009 Mint Julep over the Churchill turf - she is a bear. And on those merits, racing secretary Ben Huffman saw fit to give her opposition anywhere from two to six pounds of benefit.

That assemblage of challengers includes no easy throwouts. You Go West Girl is entered off back-to-back stakes triumphs versus New York-breds. Tizfiz won two ungraded stakes in open company this summer. Zaskar has improved steadily and exits a sharp effort at Belmont Park.

Also, Social Queen appears capable of a big late run. My Baby Baby comes off a good-looking allowance win over the Churchill course. And two horses exit rugged Grade 1 turf races: Leamington was fifth in the Flower Bowl at Belmont, and Lemon Chiffon was fourth in the Yellow Ribbon at Santa Anita.

Besides the Cardinal, the Saturday card also includes the $60,000 Bet on Sunshine (race 8) and two allowances (races 4 and 10). First post is 12:40 p.m. Eastern.

Churchill: Friday Night Lights

2009-11-18T07:58:00.000-05:00

Following the overwhelming popularity of a three-date market test this spring, Churchill Downs will stage six special “Downs After Dark” nighttime racing programs under the lights in 2010.

The announcement was made Nov. 17 during a news conference at the Louisville racetrack that also revealed Musco Lighting as the winning contract bidder to install permanent track lighting at Churchill Downs and a new online platform for patrons to purchase tickets to the track.
Churchill Downs will host its unique Downs After Dark programs on the final four Fridays of the 42-date spring meet and two evening cards during the 20-date fall meet, including opening night which doubles as Halloween.
Here is a complete list of the 2010 Downs After Dark dates (with scheduled first post time), pending final approval from the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission:
• Friday, June 11, 2010 (6 p.m. ET)
• Friday, June 18, 2010 (6 p.m. ET)
• Friday, June 25, 2010 (6 p.m. ET)
• Friday, July 2, 2010 (6 p.m. ET)
• Sunday, Oct. 31, 2010 (4:30 p.m. ET)
• Friday, Nov. 19, 2010 (4:30 p.m. ET)
Churchill Downs hosted night racing events earlier this year on June 19, June 26, and July 2. The average attendance was 29,705 and the three-night total was 89,115. A modern day track record of 33,481 attended the finale on July 2 – the largest crowd for a Churchill Downs racing program other than a Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Oaks or Breeders’ Cup. It topped the old mark of 28,396 for a pre-simulcast wagering era million-dollar Pick 6 carryover on Nov. 14, 1987.
The event’s popularity helped signal the go-ahead on a multi-million dollar project to install permanent track lighting at the home of the Kentucky Derby.
“We want to keep Downs After Dark a special and unique experience for our fans,” Churchill Downs President Kevin Flanery said. “For three nights this past spring, Churchill Downs was transformed into Louisville’s ultimate nighttime hot spot. The track was the place to be and offered the biggest party in town. Our distinctive events under the lights helped redefine the on-track racing experience and generated a tremendous buzz in the community and within the horse racing industry.
“It could not have been accomplished without the teamwork and support of our horsemen’s groups, neighborhood associations and employees and the fantastic support and participation we received from the Greater Louisville community. Our goal for the coming year is to deliver that same level of excitement to core customers, casual patrons and entertainment-seekers within these six special Downs After Dark events in 2010.”
Reserved ticket packages to 2010 Downs After Dark events are available for purchase online at tickets.churchilldowns.com – Churchill Downs’ new and convenient online box office platform.
Cover charge (general admission) to all Downs After Dark events will be $10. A special discounted general admission pass for entrance on all six nights is available for $45 (a $15 savings). Customers also have the opportunity to purchase a special $20 package that includes general admission, a box seat in the third-floor clubhouse and an official program. Additionally, Downs After Dark “Date Night” dinner and dancing packages are available for $59.90 and include a reserved seat in Millionaires Row, an official program and buffet dinner.
Downs After Dark combined live Thoroughbred racing with subtle facility changes and abundant ancillary activities that helped create a special and festive atmosphere in an evening setting under the stars. Food, fashion, music, parties and entertainment were showcased elements that added to the merrymaking.

Copyright © 2009 Blood-Horse Publications. All rights reserved internationally.

Hall of Famer Bobby Frankel Dies at 68

2009-11-17T07:47:00.002-05:00

By Steve Haskin

Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel, who had been battling leukemia for most of the year, died peacefully at his home in Pacific Palisades, Calif. at 5:40 a.m. (EST) Nov. 16. He was 68. Frankel’s ex-wife, Bonita, and his daughter, Bethenny, were at his side. Juddmonte Farms racing manager Garrett O’Rourke said Frankel had recently returned home from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and was “very lucid and aware of his fate.”

Frankel requested that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Old Friends retirement home, the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, and CANTER, an organization to find homes for retired horses.

“What a fighter he was,” said Dottie Ingordo-Shirreffs, wife of trainer John Shirreffs and Frankel’s medical power of attorney. “He fought such a tough fight right to the end. The last race he watched was Zenyatta’s Breeders’ Cup Classic (gr. I).

“His final words to John were, ‘What a helluva job you did with that horse, and to do it under that kind of pressure.’ After we left, John said to me, ‘Bobby is at peace with this.’ He could see it.”

Frankel had suffered from lymphoma several years ago, but it turned into leukemia this year, and he was forced to direct the operation of his powerful stable from his home through his longtime assistants Humberto Ascanio in California and Ruben Loza in New York. He had given up the majority of his horses, except for those owned by Khalid Abdullah’s Juddmonte Farms, with whom he had tremendous success over the years.

“Our relationship started out as a friendly one,” said O’Rourke. “But my admiration for Bobby and his achievements evolved into quite a close friendship, one that never was forced. Bobby could put on a cold exterior, but there was a softness inside him, especially for animals. He had a genuine love for and connection with animals, mainly horses and dogs. He had a very kind side to him.

“The Prince (Abdullah) recognized Bobby’s brilliance and rewarded him by turning over all his horses in North America to him. I didn’t have much of a hand in what went on in the barn. The Prince believed when you place the horses in the hands of someone that brilliant, you never questioned him, even if you didn’t understand what he was doing. That was the case with Intercontinental in the 2005 (Emirates Airline) Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT), when Bobby decided to stretch her out farther than she’d ever gone before and put her on the lead at all costs, and she led every step of the way. It was one of the great calls he’s made over the years and was part of the brilliance of the man.

“Bobby obviously valued his relationship with Juddmonte. He could get pretty irritated with owners when they forced his hand. Every now and then I’d make a suggestion, but I knew what to bring up and what not to bring up. With Bobby it was like giving Michael Jordan the ball and telling him to go win the game. Bobby was the one in whose hands you wanted the ball. His last request was to run in the Matriarch Stakes (gr. IT) with Ventura and we certainly will honor that. I remember having dinner with Bobby a few years ago and was inquiring about running a horse in the Del Mar Handicap (gr. IIT). I asked him, ‘Have you ever won that race?’ and he just looked at me and said, ‘Only four times.’ That certainly put me in my place.”

Frankel, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1995, trained 10 Eclipse champions in his 43-year career—Ghostzapper, Bertrando, Intercontinental, Leroidesanimaux, Possibly Perfect, Ryafan, Squirtle Squirt, Wandesta, Aldebaran, and Ginger Punch. His big moment in the Triple Crown was winning the 2003 Belmont Stakes (gr. I) with Juddmonte’s Empire Maker, who had finished second in the Kentucky Derby (gr. I) after missing training the entire week prior to the race with a foot bruise.

Frankel won the Eclipse Award as outstanding trainer in 1993, 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003. In 2003, he set a record by winning 25 grade I stakes, while earning a record $19,143,289, shattering D. Wayne Lukas’ previous mark of $17,748,340. After moving his stable from New York to California in 1972, he was the leading trainer at Hollywood Park nine times, including six consecutive years from 1972-77. He was the leading trainer at Santa Anita five times and at the Oak Tree at Santa Anita meet six times, and topped the trainers’ list four times at Del Mar, where he won the $1-million Pacific Classic six times, including four consecutive years, 1992-95.

In 2007 he became the second trainer in North America to reach $200 million in career earnings, joining D. Wayne Lukas.

Frankel was born July 9, 1941 in Brooklyn, N.Y., not exactly the spawning ground for Thoroughbred trainers. His first memory of horses was at age 10 when his parents wanted to watch the trotters on TV and he wanted to watch something else. He eventually accompanied his parents to Roosevelt Raceway and was captivated by the gambling aspect of the sport. He was enlightened to Thoroughbred racing when his father took him to Belmont Park, and it didn’t take him long to get hooked. He’d go to a candy store in Far Rockaway every night at around 8 o’clock to get the Daily Racing Form as soon as it came out, so he could get an early start on handicapping the next day’s races.

He attended C.W. Post College on Long Island but lasted only one day. “I got into a fight my first day and knew I didn’t belong there, so I got the hell out,” he recalled several years ago. “I looked for jobs where I could maneuver to go to the track in the afternoon. I worked in construction in the mornings putting up rock lath, and then I’d leave for the track.”

Frankel eventually became a hotwalker for trainers Bill Corbellini and Buddy Bellew in Florida, while gambling in the afternoons. He got started as a trainer by claiming a horse named Pink Rose off Allen Jerkens. After winning his first race with Double Dash at Aqueduct on Nov. 29, 1966, he built up his stable with the help of his main client, Wall Street trader William “Willie” Frankel (no relation). In 1970, Frankel made his first major impact on the sport, winning the prestigious Suburban Handicap with former claimer Barometer and Brighton Beach Handicap with Baitman.

It was William Frankel who was the impetus for Frankel’s move to California. The owner told Frankel he didn’t want to run his horses in Maryland during the winter any longer. It was after Frankel was denied stalls at Hialeah that he decided to head West. In his first year there he won 60 races for an astounding 33% win ratio.

“I was winning three a day like nothing,” he said. “It was unbelievable. Every horse I ran, they tested.”

Frankel built up a powerful client base, with Juddmonte, Edmund Gann, Frank Stronach, Jerry Moss, Bert Firestone, and Stavros Niarchos.

Frankel’s love of animals, especially his dogs, became well known, and he was often seen at the track with his Australian Shepherds, most recently Happy, Ginger, and Punch, the last two named after his champion mare Ginger Punch.

Frankel had a particular affection for any offspring from Juddmonte’s amazing broodmare Hasili, who produced grade I winners Champs Elysees, Banks Hill, Cacique, Intercontinetal, and Heat Haze, and grade I-placed Dansili.

The one dubious statistic Frankel carried around with him for years was his winless record in the Breeders’ Cup, starting out 0-for-38. That streak ended in 2001 when he saddled Squirtle Squirt to win the Penske Auto Center Breeders’ Cup Sprint (gr. I). He would go on to win five more Breeders’ Cup events—the 2002 Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT) with his own Starine, the 2004 Breeders’ Cup Classic - Powered by Dodge (gr. I) with Ghostzapper, 2005 Filly & Mare Turf with Intercontinental, 2007 Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Distaff (gr. I) with Ginger Punch, and 2008 Sentient Flight Group Filly & Mare Sprint with Ventura. Frankel did not attend the 2007 Breeders’ Cup, remaining at home, where he was attending to his beloved Happy, who was critically ill.

Frankel always remained optimistic about his winless streak in the Breeders’ Cup, believing it was only a matter of time that it would come to an end. One morning at Saratoga in 2001, Frankel was walking down his shed and stopped in front of one of the stalls. He pointed out the dark bay horse with his head over the webbing. “I just got this horse, and I’m gonna win the Breeders’ Cup Sprint with him,” he said. That horse was Squirtle Squirt, whom Frankel had just gotten from owner David Lanzman.

Frankel’s barn at Saratoga was a meeting place every morning for horsemen. Almost every jockey and his agent stopped by, as well as reporters, exercise riders, and backstretch workers, to talk about everything from sports, politics, handicapping, race strategy, and racing in general. Frankel was never lacking an opinion on whatever subject was being discussed.

Among his regular visitors was Louis Lazzinnaro, owner of the popular Saratoga restaurant Sergio’s, with whom Frankel was partners in Vineyard Haven, along with Major League manager Joe Torre. After winning the 2008 Hopeful and Champagne Stakes (both gr. I), Frankel, the majority partner, sold the colt to Sheikh Mohammed for a staggering $12 million.

To demonstrate how well Frankel knew the sport and his own horses, after winning the 2001 Jockey Club Gold Cup (gr. I) with Aptitude, who crushed his opponents by 10 lengths, Frankel, instead of being overjoyed by his colt’s impressive victory, was fearful he had won by too big a margin, having to come back in three weeks in the Classic. While most trainers would have gone into the Classic with great optimism, Frankel went in with trepidation. Sure enough, Aptitude made a big move on the turn but came up empty in the stretch.

Frankel loved the competition and loved winning. In fact, he hated losing and would often brood following a loss. Although the racing world was rooting for Funny Cide to win the Belmont Stakes and sweep the Triple Crown in 2003, Frankel was determined to beat him with Empire Maker, a son of one of his favorite fillies, Toussaud. He always felt Empire Maker should have won the Triple Crown.

“All this pre-race bull don’t mean a thing,” he said to jockey Jerry Bailey the day before the race. “If he beats us, he beats us. What are you gonna do? But we’ll see who’s the better horse.”

After Funny Cide had worked five furlongs in a blistering :574⁄5 three days before the Belmont, Frankel was all smiles. “Forget him; he’s done,” he said. “He needed that like he needed a hole in the head.”

Following Empire Maker’s victory, Frankel said, “I wanted this so much for the horse. Redemption—they taught me a new word today.”

Leaving the Trustees Room, he began to reflect on his relationship with Abdullah and how a Jewish kid from Brooklyn could hook up with a Saudi Arabian prince and have the success they've had.

Back at the barn, the softer side of Frankel emerged at the sight of his horse. “You did something important today, boy,” he said while patting Empire Maker on the neck. “Bigger and better things now, right?”

That was Bobby Frankel. Perhaps Ingordo-Shirreffs summed him up best: “He was a winner his whole life, and he was a winner right to the end.”

Copyright © 2009 Blood-Horse Publications. All rights reserved internationally.

Too Many Toyz too hot to stop

2009-11-16T08:00:00.000-05:00

Mike Welsch,
Daily Racing Form

MIAMI - When you're hot you're hot and when you're not you're not. The old adage certainly applied to the $200,000 Carl G. Rose Classic after Too Many Toyz registered his fourth straight victory with a thrilling one-length decision over the 3-5 favorite It's a Bird. The outcome completed a forgettable afternoon for It's a Bird's trainer, Marty Wolfson, and jockey, Julian Leparoux, who failed to win a race despite teaming up with odds-on favorites in four of the eight races on Saturday's Florida Million program at Calder.

Too Many Toyz came into the Carl G. Rose sporting a three-race winning streak but was taking a major step up in class after beating $16,000 optional claiming and allowance opposition. Too Many Toyz, a 6-year-old son of Northern Afleet, raced within easy striking distance of pacesetter It's a Bird from the outset of the nine-furlong Carl G. Rose, engaged that rival around the second turn, and after forging to a short lead in early stretch held tenaciously to post far and away the most important of his 11 career victories. Dream Maestro raced in perfect position himself turning for home but lacked the necessary closing response, finishing another 1 1/2 lengths farther back in third.

Leparoux, who had won three Breeders' Cup races at Santa Anita the previous week, was blanked in six tries on Saturday's program, including a second-place finish aboard the 4-5 favorite Family Foundation in the Arthur Appleton Juvenile Turf.

Too Many Toyz covered nine furlongs in 1:54.88 over a fast but very cuppy track and paid $12.20.

"He's been coming along good for a while now, and when the weather changed a few days ago, it really picked him up," said Luis Olivares, who trains Too Many Toyz for Osed LLC.

Bonnie Heath: Soldier's Dancer gets it done

A year ago, Soldier's Dancer stumbled leaving the starting gate and lost jockey Manny Cruz as the even-money favorite in the $150,000 Bonnie Heath Turf Cup. On Saturday, the stretch-running gelding had a little better luck, rallying from off a predictably slow pace to register a well-deserved half-length victory over Pickapocket in the 1 1/8-mile Bonnie Heath.

Soldier's Dancer, a 5-year-old son of Lost Soldier, was taken back to last during the early stages of the Bonnie Heath. Soldier's Dancer was forced to fan five wide while launching his bid into the stretch before wearing down Pickapocket in the final strides. Pickapocket stalked the slow pace of longshot Mean Sax, forged to a short advantage nearing the eighth pole, and held on until the final 40 yards. Mean Sax outlasted the others to finish third in a scratch-reduced field of six older Florida-breds.

The victory was the third in five starts this season for Soldier's Dancer, who also won the Sunshine Millions Turf and President's Cup at Philadelphia Park this year. The $120,000 first prize swelled his career earnings above the $1.5 million mark.

Soldier's Dancer returned $3.20 after negotiating the distance in 1:48.91 over a firm course.

"We knew going in there was no pace in the race," said trainer Davie Vivian. "We had the same situation in his last race at Philadelphia Park but he overcame it then and did it gain today. He's all class and heart."

Vivian said Soldier's Dancer will not run again until returning to defend his title in the Sunshine Millions Turf at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 30.

Elmer Heubeck: Sweet Repent easily

Sweet Repent, who squeaked out narrow victories in each of her previous two starts, gave her backers a little less stress in Saturday's $200,000 Elmer Heubeck Distaff Handicap at Calder, edging away to a relatively easy 3 1/4-length decision over the 3-5 Jessica Is Back in the co-feature among eight stakes decided on Florida Million Day at Calder.

Sweet Repent, a 3-year-old daughter of Repent, had posted gutsy nose triumphs in both of her last two outings, which included a victory in the Judy's Red Shoes overnight stakes on Sept. 26. With regular rider Manny Cruz aboard, Sweet Repent stalked the pace of Jessica Is Back while well in hand, engaged that rival from the better going away from the rail into the stretch, before edging clear in late stretch. Jessica Is Back was the fourth odds-on favorite ridden by Julien Leparoux and third trained by Marty Wolfson to go down to defeat during the first six stakes on the card.

Sweet Repent is trained by David Braddy for the Buongiorno A Tutti Stable. She covered the distance in 1:46.74 over a fast track and paid $9.

Dudley: Pashito the Che by a Neck

The $150,000 Jack Dudley Sprint Handicap came down to a battle of the Coas, with Eibar Coa aboard the 4-5 favorite, Pashito the Che, outgaming cousin Daniel Daniel and Prince Joshua by a neck to capture the six-furlong dash for older Florida breds. Little Nick finished another 4 1/4 length farther back in third.

Pashito the Che ($3.80) raced well placed just off and outside the pace contested by Prince Joshua and Little Nick. Pashito the Che gained the advantage in early stretch, but Prince Joshua fought on gamely from the deeper going along the rail to fail narrowly. The win was the third in a row, all stakes, for Pashito the Che, a 3-year-old son of Flatter trained by Scott Lake for the partnership of the Tuna Stable and Off the Hook LLC.

"We'll point him for the Sunshine Millions Sprint [Jan. 30] at Gulfstream," said Lake. "He won't run again until then."

Appleton: Bim Bam sets record

Bim Bam, who raced in the shadow of Jackson Bend throughout the Florida Stallion series, showed his versatility when rallying to a record-setting one-length decision over the 4-5 Family Foundation in the $100,000 Arthur Appleton Juvenile Turf. Show the Way J finished third.

Bim Bam finished third behind Jackson Bend, regarded as one of the top 2-year-olds in the country, in all three legs of the Stallion stakes. But Bim Bam, who was making his turf debut in the Appleton, is now undefeated in his last two starts without that nemesis, having won the Foolish Pleasure over the main track earlier this fall as a prelude to Saturday's victory in the Appleton. Bim Bam's final time of 1:41.73 for 1 1/16 miles over the firm course established a stakes record.

Family Foundation, under Leparoux, rallied belatedly after falling back near the rear of the field in the opening furlong of the Appleton.

Bim Bam ($13.40), a homebred son of Deputy Wild Cat, was ridden by Eibar Coa for trainer David Brownlee.

O'Farrell: Carphonic proves best

Carphonic remained undefeated and stamped herself as perhaps the best 2-year-old filly stabled in south Florida by overcoming a terrible trip to capture the $150,000 Joe O'Farrell Juvenile Fillies easily.

A daughter of Lion Heart, Carphonic broke slowly, steadied over heels midway down the backstretch, then had to swing five wide entering the stretch, but was still good enough to overtake pacesetter Rosebud's Ridge en route to a three-length victory over Joanie's Catch. Sweetlalabye, who won two legs of the filly division of the Florida Stallion Stakes, rallied belatedly to be third. Winey Taylor, the 2-1 co-choice along with Carphonic, chased the pace and tired to finish a well-beaten sixth in a field of eight 2-year-old fillies.

Carphonic($6.80) was ridden to victory by Luis Arango for trainer Bill White.

Wild Mia, Hear Ye Hear Ye pay well

Florida Million day began with a couple of real surprises when Wild Mia ($59.60) and Hear Ye Hear Ye ($43.20) won the $100,000 John Franks Juvenile Fillies Turf and $150,000 Jack Price Juvenile, respectively.

Wild Mia, a maiden coming into the day, rallied four wide under jockey Antonio Gallardo to defeat the 24-1 Dancing Rage by a length. Winsockie, the even-money favorite, set the pace and succumbed grudgingly in the final furlong to finish third. Wild Mia is trained by former rider Pete Anderson and gave Gallardo the first stakes win of his U.S. riding career.

Hear Ye Hear Ye altered his usual tactics, rating and rallying from just off the leaders to post a 1 3/4-length decision over pacesetter Good to Be Seen in the seven furlong Jack Price Juvenile. Mr. Green, the 4-5 favorite, raced well placed but lacked a rally and checked home another 3 1/4 lengths farther back in third. Hear Ye Hear Ye is owned by Jacks or Better Farm and trained by Stanley Gold, the same combination that campaigned Jackson Bend before selling the horse privately last month.

Aqueduct Cancels Stuyvesant Handicap

2009-11-13T08:06:00.000-05:00

By Jason Shandler

The Stuyvesant Handicap (gr. III), which began in 1916 and has been run consecutively since 1963, has been canceled due to a lack of interest, stakes coordinator Andrew Byrnes said Nov. 12.

The Stuyvesant, a nine-furlong contest for 3-year-olds and up on the main track, was scheduled to be run Nov. 14 at Aqueduct. It carried a $100,000-added purse. Byrnes said it will not be rescheduled for this year.
“We decided today because we only had five entries and two or three of them said they were not going to run if it rained,” Byrnes said. “The forecast calls for two inches (Nov. 14), so we didn’t want a field of two or three horses.
“We would have considered rescheduling it if more people showed interest, but that wasn’t the case. If we brought it back, there was no guarantee that we would have had any more starters. You have to remember, we have the Queens County (gr. III, Dec. 12) in a few weeks so there was no urgency for people to run (in the Stuyvesant).
Byrnes said the five entrants for the Stuyvesant were going to be Dry Martini, Honour Devil, Naughty New Yorker, Timber Reserve, and Tomcito. The connections of both Naughty New Yorker and Timber Reserve said they would likely scratch if it rained.
“Nobody is more frustrated than me about this,” Byrnes continued. “I don’t want to see graded races not go. But you have to get horsemen to support the races.”
The two most notable horses to win the Stuyvesant were Man o’ War, who triumphed in 1920 in the third running of the event as a 3-year-old, and Seattle Slew, who made the final start of his 17-race career there in 1978. Dry Martini won the 2008 Stuyvesant.

Copyright © 2009 Blood-Horse Publications. All rights reserved internationally.

New Yorkers licking Cup wounds

2009-11-12T07:38:00.000-05:00

David Grening,
Daily Racing Form

ELMONT, N.Y. - It was another brutal Breeders' Cup for New York-based horses. One year after winning just 1 of 14 Breeders' Cup races - Maram in the Juvenile Fillies Turf - the New York-based contingent drew a blank in last week's Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita. Tapitsfly, this year's Juvenile Fillies Turf winner, did race three times in New York, but she spent most of the year in Kentucky with trainer Dale Romans.

While a handful of turf horses ran well enough to be second, the New York-based dirt horses displayed yet again their disdain for synthetic surfaces, with many putting in abysmal efforts. Graded stakes winners such as D' Funnybone (last in the Juvenile), Devil May Care (11th of 12 in the Juvenile Fillies), Pyro (last in the Dirt Mile), Game Face (last in the Filly and Mare Sprint), and Girolamo (last in the Classic) epitomized the day for horses who had done most, if not all, of their previous running on dirt.

"Same thing as we thought going in - until you run on it you don't know," said trainer Todd Pletcher, who went 0 for 10 with two seconds and a third in the two-day Breeders' Cup. "I thought the horses we ran on the turf ran pretty well, and Ready's Echo [second, Dirt Mile] had some Polytrack experience, ran well. Some of the other ones did not run well on it. It's a guessing game."

Pletcher said it was evident from the start that Devil May Care - who won the Grade 1 Frizette at Belmont - was not enjoying her synthetic experience.

"She was the most obvious case, she never traveled well on it," he said. "We knew going into the first turn she was not going to run the same race that she had been running on the dirt."

Game Face won three graded stakes on dirt this year and finished third in the Grade 3 Masters over Tapeta at Presque Isle. She didn't lift a hoof over Santa Anita's Pro-Ride. Pletcher said Game Face will most likely be retired.

Pletcher said it was not fair to attribute Eskendereya's ninth-place finish in the Juvenile to a disdain for synthetics.

"I thought he had a horrendous trip," Pletcher said. "He took the worst of it in a pretty roughly run race around the first turn. It surprised me he even finished as well as he did."

Pletcher left Eskendereya in California to run in the CashCall Futurity at Hollywood Park on Dec. 19. Rose Catherine also stayed in Los Angeles to run in the Hollywood Starlet the following day.

Quality Road never had the chance to prove his ability over Santa Anita's Pro-Ride surface. He freaked out at the gate and had to be scratched after he suffered a cut on the gaskin, the region between the stifle and the hock, in a rear leg that required stitches. Pletcher said Quality Road had three problem-free schooling sessions at Belmont Park before he left.

"We tried to challenge him a bit, put him with other horses, back him out, put him in [with] rider on, rider off, try to get him to misbehave so maybe we could figure out if he were to misbehave what we could do different," Pletcher said. "Basically, in three sessions here he never so much as hesitated."

Quality Road will remain in Southern California until Pletcher and owner Ed Evans resolve whether to run him again this year or send him to Florida for a 4-year-old campaign. Pletcher said the possible spots this year for Quality Road are the Cigar Mile at Aqueduct on Nov. 29 - Quality Road won his debut at Aqueduct last year on Cigar Mile Day - or the Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs the previous day.

One horse headed to south Florida is D' Funnybone, who had won two graded stakes on dirt at Saratoga and Belmont before his last-place finish in the Juvenile.

"We're under the impression he didn't like the track, and we still don't know if he likes two turns," trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. said.

Dutrow said he has picked up Radiohead, who finished seventh, beaten only four lengths in the Juvenile. Before the Juvenile, Radiohead was purchased privately by IEAH Stables. He ran for trainer Brian Meehan in the Juvenile.

Trainer Bill Mott may have had the best showing of any New York-based trainer, sending out Mushka to a runner-up finish in the Ladies' Classic and Courageous Cat to a second-place finish behind Goldikova in Saturday's Mile. Both horses will remain in training in 2010, Mott said.

Only one can be the champ

2009-11-11T07:51:00.000-05:00

Jay Privman,
Daily Racing Form

ARCADIA, Calif. - It's all over but the debating.

Zenyatta's victory in the Breeders' Cup Classic on Saturday at Santa Anita's Oak Tree meeting has reignited the debate over the 2009 Horse of the Year between her and Rachel Alexandra, who had an equally brilliant year.

Zenyatta, 5, won all five of her starts this year, once against older males, and showed up for the sport's year-end championship event, in which she beat a star-studded field to complete a perfect career.

Rachel Alexandra, 3, won all eight of her starts this year, three times against males, once against older horses, but was kept out of the sport's year-end championship event and a chance to settle the debate on the racetrack.

The truly sensible, rational outcome would be for Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta to share the award. But the odds of that happening are statistically daunting, because the Eclipse Award ballot that will be sent to media members and racing officials next month does not allow for votes to be split in any category. Even if a voter would feel awful for slighting a horse he deemed a deserving champion, he would not be able to vote for both for Horse of the Year. Pick one or abstain. That's the choice.

The only way they can end up in a tie is if the number of voters who choose Rachel Alexandra for Horse of the Year is equal to the number who choose Zenyatta.

One thing is for sure - the Eclipse Awards dinner that will be held Jan. 18 in Beverly Hills, Calif., might be the most anticipated since January 1985, when the 1984 Horse of the Year vote came down to John Henry vs. Slew O' Gold.

If balloting were held Saturday night, Zenyatta would have won. Such was the understandable outpouring of emotion for what she had just accomplished. But with weeks until voters put pen to paper, there is time to soberly reflect on the magnificent accomplishments of both.

"I'm not taking anything away from that other filly," Jerry Moss, the co-owner of Zenyatta, said Saturday night, referring to Rachel Alexandra. "As I've always said, she ran a tremendous campaign, and they deserve a lot of credit. It's a tough one."

It's one of the few tough calls in flat racing left for Eclipse Award voters. Most of the divisional championships were decided following the 26th Breeders' Cup. Only a fool would deny Zenyatta (older filly or mare) or Rachel Alexandra (3-year-old filly) unanimous victories in their respective divisions. Zenyatta's form was flattered when stablemate Life Is Sweet won the BC Ladies' Classic on Friday, beating the likes of Careless Jewel and Music Note.

Summer Bird, who finished fourth in the BC Classic, nailed down the Eclipse Award as champion 3-year-old male for a year that saw him win the Belmont, Travers, and Jockey Club Gold Cup.

Gio Ponti, who finished second in the Classic, accomplished more than any other turf horse in this country this year and also put himself squarely in position to be named champion older male, a division that lacked a leader all year. His main rival for champion turf horse might be Conduit, who won the BC Turf in his lone North American start for the second straight year.

Like Conduit, Goldikova scored a repeat victory in a Breeders' Cup race when she took the Mile on turf. That should be enough to get her an Eclipse Award as champion female turf horse, since Midday, a less-heralded European invader, beat America's leading candidates the previous day in the Filly and Mare Turf.

Informed Decision, who won the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, locked up an Eclipse Award for champion female sprinter.

Male sprinter is far trickier. The upset win by Dancing in Silks in the BC Sprint certainly gives him a shot; he knocked off top candidates Zensational and Gayego in the process. But dirt specialists such as Fabulous Strike and Vineyard Haven, who skipped the Breeders' Cup, also will garner support. So, too, will grass specialist California Flag, who won the BC Turf Sprint.

Champion 2-year-old filly is another tough choice. She Be Wild's victory in the BC Juvenile Fillies could be enough to vault her past the speedy Hot Dixie Chick, who was kept out of the Breeders' Cup. One raced exclusively on synthetic surfaces, the other strictly on dirt. She Be Wild won around two turns, Hot Dixie Chick never ventured beyond a sprint.

Lookin at Lucky dropped a narrow decision in the BC Juvenile after a wide trip, but with improbable longshot Vale of York winning the race, the overall record of Lookin at Lucky makes him the front-runner for an Eclipse Award, especially with D' Funnybone running so poorly. The other viable candidate is Florida sensation Jackson Bend, who was kept out of the Breeders' Cup.

On the human side, the three Breeders' Cup wins for jockey Julien Leparoux gave him 10 Grade 1 wins for the year and vaulted him into first place for purse earnings this year. No rider had a better Breeders' Cup.

John Shirreffs will never have the purse earnings of trainers such as Steve Asmussen - who took over as Rachel Alexandra's trainer after the Kentucky Oaks - and Todd Pletcher, since Shirreffs trains a far smaller string of horses. But his two Breeders' Cup wins, with Zenyatta and Life Is Sweet, should make Shirreffs a strong candidate for the Eclipse Award as champion trainer.

Champion owner might very well mirror the debate for Horse of the Year. Both Jess Jackson, the majority owner of Rachel Alexandra, and Jerry and Ann Moss, who own Zenyatta, showed sportsmanship by putting their horses in challenging spots that stirred great emotion and elevated the sport when they prevailed.

Breeders' Cup Handle $150 Million and Rising

2009-11-10T07:39:00.000-05:00

By Blood-Horse Staff

All-sources handle for the 2009 Breeders’ Cup World Championships surpassed $150 million as global figures from Breeders’ Cup Saturday continue to be accumulated.

Through Sunday, a total of $150,205,639 was wagered on the 14 races of the Championships and five additional Oak Tree Racing Association races, held Nov. 6-7. For last year’s two-day program, there were 21 races, one more race per day than this year.

Breeders’ Cup estimates an additional $2-3 million in separate international pool handle has yet to be reported from France, Turkey, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and others. Reported handle from Hong Kong on four Saturday Breeders’ Cup races was $2,924,635. Separate pool handle in Mexico was $1,361,086. For the first time, Singapore took the Saturday Breeders’ Cup program, and generated a total handle of $156,706.

“The combined handle was actually 4% higher for the corresponding 19 races scheduled over the two days in 2008,” said Kenneth Kirchner, of Falkirk, wagering consultants to Breeders’ Cup Ltd. “International separate pool handle is up by more than $3 million over 2008.” Kirchner also noted that $2,172,266 was refunded to patrons that had wagered on Quality Road, who was scratched at the gate in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Not included in 2009 handle figures is the estimated total Betfair exchange wagering of $24.75 million over the two days.

“We had two great days of wagering with a number of people cashing some very large tickets,” said Kirchner. “We had tremendous payouts, with one player earning almost $1.9 million on Saturday’s Pick 6, five fans cashing over $155,000 each on Friday’s Pick 6, and we had a very successful Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge where the winner earned $41,125 through his wagering and another $125,000 in prize money.”

The Pick 6 handle rose significantly from 2008. Friday’s Pick 6 handle was $1,371,372, up 36% from 2008. The Saturday Pick 6 handle increased 15% to $3,313,224. The sole winning ticket on Saturday was worth $1,838,305 for the 6 of 6 correct selections and was a $48 ticket that was wagered through Royal River Racing. The winning ticket singled Goldikova and Conduit.

The inaugural Betting Challenge featured 75 players, who each paid a $10,000 entry fee and competed for $225,000 in total prize money. The winner was David Wilkenfeld, who came from as far back as Zenyatta when he won the contest in the final race, the Classic. WIlkenfeld hit the Zenyatta/Gio Ponti/Twice Over trifecta for $40,000. Second place was Brian Herrity ($40,000 in prize money) and third was Steven Hartshorn ($20,000).

The first Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic-Breeders’ Cup Classic special double of Life is Sweet and Zenyatta generated a handle $403,316, and returned $92.60. The consolation payout with Quality Road paid 18.40.

A total of $117,559 was wagering on the new Breeders’ Cup Jockey Bet. The Field entry, #14 was the winning wager, and paid $5.60

Copyright © 2009 Blood-Horse Publications. All rights reserved internationally.

ZENYATTA or RACHEL

2009-11-09T08:54:00.002-05:00

Two Queens in a King's court what shall we do. As we all know horse racing has always been a man's world.Until a great philly comes along like back in 1972.Born just 2 years after the King of Horse Racing Secretariat there was the most beautiful Filly to ever step on a race track,of course her name was RUFFIAN.She ran like no other and earned the nickname Queen of the Fillies. The problem was she ran better then the Men at least in this fans eyes which were full of tears the day she broke down and had to be put to sleep.She was not only the Queen but also the King.But now we have not one but two QUEENS, RACHEL ALEXANDRA and ZENYATTA.In my they should both get Horse of the year because they both ran and beat the boys and anyone else that was in their way. Don't choose between them they both deserve to be HORSE of the Year.

BREEDER'S CUP

2009-11-06T07:59:00.002-05:00

HORSES IN THE BREEDER'S CUP

Name Starts 1st 2nd 3rd Earnings

Well Armed 4 1 1 0 $3,649,000
Rachel Alexandra 8 8 0 0 $2,746,914
Summer Bird 8 4 1 1 $2,023,040
Mine That Bird 7 1 2 2 $1,892,200
Regal Ransom 3 2 0 0 $1,650,000
Champs Elysees 7 1 2 2 $1,509,683
Gio Ponti 6 4 1 0 $1,433,000
Einstein 6 2 1 2 $1,269,304
Gloria de Campeao 2 0 1 0 $1,210,000
Pioneerof the Nile 5 3 1 0 $1,090,000
Updated through 11/4/2009

JOCKEY'S

R. A. Dominguez 1453 345 245 217 $15,665,716
J. R. Leparoux 1166 216 188 140 $15,026,175
G. K. Gomez 859 190 143 121 $14,408,737
K. J. Desormeaux 872 167 123 121 $11,834,311
A. Garcia 938 165 115 115 $11,541,176
J. R. Velazquez 1033 179 135 122 $11,440,663
R. Maragh 1333 224 187 213 $10,912,309
J. Rosario 1268 241 216 180 $10,384,916
R. Bejarano 923 199 173 143 $10,089,434
R. Albarado 1011 185 154 135 $9,371,553
Updated through 11/4/2009

TRAINER'S

S. M. Asmussen 2464 553 412 328 $19,105,473
T. A. Pletcher 975 203 152 126 $12,995,247
B. Baffert 424 94 62 58 $8,060,215
K. P. McLaughlin 517 108 80 82 $6,658,097
W. I. Mott 611 102 91 89 $6,588,221
S. A. Lake 1282 278 208 189 $6,174,123
R. J. Frankel 284 40 55 39 $6,069,411
S. bin Suroor 63 18 13 10 $6,058,896
J. Hollendorfer 992 221 175 156 $5,918,365
C. Clement 398 86 68 55 $5,698,927
Updated through 11/4/2009

OWNER'S

W. Farm LLC 193 32 30 35 $6,076,391
M. J. Gill 2016 340 271 246 $6,039,606
Z. Stables, LLC 501 101 78 60 $5,884,317
D. Stable 298 74 46 46 $4,716,748
H. Racing Stable 685 129 119 91 $4,206,980
J. Farms, Inc. 100 23 22 9 $4,046,778
A. Stable 222 53 35 30 $3,821,410
M. Racing Stables, Inc 334 72 63 49 $3,459,454
E. P. Evans 168 37 40 24 $3,367,209
R. Stable 615 129 105 103 $3,259,918
Updated through 11/4/2009