Foolish Pleasure

Random Thoughts on Pedigree Handicapping for Saturday

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie Grash) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 05:44:00 +0000

Slowly but surely I’m emerging from my post-holiday blahs—theferocious return of winter on Friday made sitting in front of the computer,analyzing Saturday’s races, preferably to…well, cleaning the house. Here are afew races and horses that caught my attention, particularly due to their pedigrees:

Aqueduct 2 (3yo MSW 6f)

While Rockin Boogie is a very likely winner in his thirdstart, a couple first-time Darley starters of interest. The Distorted Humor homebredcolt Original Art is out of achampion Argentinean filly La Galerie (but she hasn’t produced much), while Le Bernardin’s dam La Rosa, winner ofthe G2 Demoiselle, has already produced G3 Sabin winner Taittinger Rose. Alsoexpect more from Hard Spun gelding Hardened Wildcat—his G1 Matron runner-up damWild Snitch has also produced the very nice G3 Bay Shore runner-up VengefulWildcat.

Gulfstream 3 (3yo MSW 7f)

Chad Brown sends out first-time starter Grouse whose dam is a half sister to promising G1-placedStopshoppingmaria; for Kiaran McLaughlin, the Invasor colt Al Aqsa is also interesting—his G3-placed dam is a half sister toG2 Alcibiades runner-up Galloping Gal, dam of G1 Cash Call Futurity victorLiaison. Other first-time starters: SpringHill Farm (whose G1-placed dam Colonial Minstrel is a half sister to thedam of G2 Jim Dandy winner A Little Warm) and Bird Tale, a Birdstone colt related to G2 Jefferson Cup victor IncaKing. A trainer switch for The GreatGonzo—his half sister is the dam of G1 Kentucky Derby runner-up EightBelles.

Laurel 6 (3yo fillies MSW 8f)

Back from England where her juvenile campaign was less thanstellar, Proud Pearl makes her dirtdebut for Graham Motion—she’s a full sister to the terrific champion ProudSpell. Not sure cutting back will make a difference, but the thus-far-disappointingHard Spun filly Boudicca finallygets Lasix which may make her a winner.

Aqueduct 7 (Ruthless Stakes)

While Ramon Dominguez may have chosen G3 Tempted runner-up Perennial Song as his ride, Better Lucky has the pedigree—her seconddam is G1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint champion Desert Stormer, while her dam Sahara Goldcaptured the G2 Beaumont. So too does WellKept whose second dam is another Breeders’ Cup Sprint champion, Safely Kept,and Corderosa whose second dam is G1Humana Distaff victress Celtic Melody. This looks to be a nice sprint race.

Gulfstream 7 (3yo MSW 7f)

Pletcher’s Ecabroniis the likely post-time favorite, but I’m curious to see the debut of Arm Force, full brother to G1 Dubai World Cup victor Well Armed. None of hissiblings have been precocious, but all five that raced are winners includingG1-placed Helsinki and G3 Railbird winner Witty. Nice workouts for Eoin Harty,but probably not this time. The other first-time starter Hunter Jak is a half brother to G1 Jockey Club Gold Cup winnerHaynesfield. However, based on his name alone, I like Old Time Hockey; not only is he by Foolish Pleasure descendentSmarty Jones, but also his dam is a half sister to Scat Daddy. No, his maidenrace was not a strong one, and he probably wants longer, but I’m rooting for him.

Turfway 7 (3yo fillies MSW 6f)

First-time starter InLingerie certainly has the pedigree, with her second dam being G1 Breeders’Cup Juvenile Fillies champion Phone Chatter (this is also the family of G1Norfolk winner Dixie Chatter); this Empire Maker filly also has a sharp workoutleading into this race. Being out of the G3 winner Cat Chat, what feline loverwouldn’t play In Lingerie with ChaoticCat and The Cat for thetrifecta?

Fair Grounds 9 (Marie G. Krantz Memorial H.)

While Cherokee Queen,Pleasantly Blessed and A She's Adorable will likely battle itout again for the victory, I’m intrigued by the trainer switch for Countess Lemonade—and would be pleasedas punch if former claimer Juanitahangs on for the win.

Night Racing

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie Grash) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 17:00:00 +0000

Last year I wrote a post called “Curiositiesof Winter and Night Racing” that included information about some ofthe earliest instances of electric lights being used for night racing in theUnited States. Referencing an August 21, 1894 article in the Milwaukee Sentinel, I discovered that Mazpeth Parkin Newton, New Jersey was about to open a 30-day meet “fitted with 880incandescent lights and 22 arc lamps.” Portland, Oregon also planned for a roofedhalf-mile track with electric lights around the same time. By 1896, Baltimore’sArlington Jockey Club had night racing, and soon after so too did Cincinnati,Baltimore, New York and Denver.

Well, in the midst of my current research on horse racing inwestern Pennsylvania, I stumbled across an August 18, 1894 article in Harper’s Weekly called “Horse-Racing ByElectric Light” which makes clear that St. Louis actually had the firstnight-time racing. Here it is in its entirety:

“There is but one place in the world in which horse-racingmay be seen at night. That is in St. Louis, Missouri. The track was built as aregulation daylight race-course, but Missouri pool laws soon after went intoforce and drove all the “talent” to the track across the river in East St.Louis. A stockholder in the venture suggested that the place be lighted up andrun at night as a sort of curiosity, but he did not dream that horses could berun successfully in a long meeting at the full distances that are common onshort courses. The venture was tried, however, and it succeeded from the start.Before the summer and fall were half gone the grand stand would not hold thepeople who thronged to see the races.”

“When the track was opened for business the stablingaccommodations were large enough for but forty horses. Now more than sevenhundred racers have their homes on the grounds, and new quarters are beingbuilt every month. All of the stables are lighted by electricity, and thestable-grounds are also well illuminated. The track is kept in good condition,and the rules that govern the National Association apply in its government. Ifa jockey has been ruled off the big daylight tracks he cannot ride here, and ahorse that has been disqualified elsewhere, or any owner who stands in theshadow of irregularity, has no recognition. The attendance this season hasaveraged two thousand people a night.”

“There is a bunch of electric lamps every twenty-five feetaround the track, which is five-eighths of a mile in length. Over twentythousand candle-power is expended on the course alone, not to speak of thegrand stand and those scattered about other parts of the grounds.”

“The entire atmosphere of the race-course, judged from adistance, is that of a circus. There are hackmen, tamale-venders,peanut-sellers, ticket-peddlers, and what not.”

“About the interior is evidence of everything but that whichwe commonly associate with horse-racing. The big plaza is brilliantly lightedby incandescent lights, and a throng of people in the cool garments of summerevening wear stroll slowly along to the entrance of the grand stand, which, ina glare of light, stands out against the dark sky in front.”

“When the track is lighted every part of it can be seen, andit shows almost which at the turns, where the force of light is doubled. Awayon the back stretch a pair of horses wearily drag a scraper along near thefence. Down in front of the grand stand the clods can be as plainly seen as ifit were daytime. Just across the track is the judges’ little stand, with agreat dial in front of it. “Next race, 8:30,” it says. It is an odd time to seeon an announcement dial at a race-course. The entire thing is strange. There isno dust, no glaring sun, no panting horses, and no perspiring jockeys.”

“Everything is managed as in the regular meeting.”

“The trumpeter calls the horses to the post exactly at 8:30.They enter the track at the gate at the first turn, and parade up past thegrand stand and return to the start. This is done in order to give the audiencefamiliarity with the numbers and colors.”

“Until this moment there is nothing in the generalatmosphere or familiar sights about the place to remind one of a race-course.But the work of the starter and his marshal is at once familiar. The animalsprance, break away, and are driven back time and again. Finally the flag falls.”

“They’re off!” is the shout that goes up from one end of thegrand stand to the other. The audience rises. Now it is the daylightrace-course over again. The scene is an exciting one. Suddenly, as the racerscome into the stretch, a powerful search-light is thrown on them from one offour little elevated houses that are situated at the turns. The colors, even tothose of the sashes worn by the jockeys, stand out in the perfection ofclearness. The search-light follows the horses around the turn, and thenanother one takes its place as the animals break into the stretch down past thestand. Never was a daylight race more exciting than this. The spectators yelllike mad as the animals go by the judges with a rush. As they reach the turnthey go into the glare of the steel-blue search-light, and again is thebeautiful color effect presented. The finishes are generally exciting, and therunning fair.”

What I found most interesting (in addition to the idea ofspotlights illuminating the racers) is the illustration by Max F. Klepper (aftera sketch by A. Russell) that accompanies the article:

Source: “Horse-Racing By Electric Light” Harper’s Weekly, August 18, 1894, p.788.

Looking Forward to 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie Grash) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 22:35:00 +0000

While perhaps not the best way to remember 2011, one of mymost poignant memories will be of 9-year-old gelding Secrets Untold, a gallant one-time G3 runner-up who, making his 77thcareer start today in the listedLyndhurst Handicap at Doomben, went down after clipping heels shortly afterthe start. Lying immobile on the turf, the dreaded green screen came out—but then,unbelievably, the old boy jumped to his feet! An unlikely miracle it seemed,but, alas, his condition (a broken shoulder) was such that hehad to be euthanized on track in full view of the grandstand. Moments likethis break your heart. Sadness replaced by elation, only to be smacked down by anguish.Thus is the emotional fate of any horse racing fan, and too many times in 2011I felt the tumultuous ups-and-downs of our sport.

However, in the spirit of optimism rather than negativityand regret, here are some of the things I’m most looking forward to in 2012:

Undefeated superstar BlackCaviar’s return to the track, with a campaign geared towards taking on theworld. Without a doubt, her 16-for-16 streak—not to mention the way in whichshe dominated her competition—made this BelEsprit mare the most exciting racehorse in the world last year, bar none. Afteranticipated starts in the G1 CF Orr (February 11) and G1 Futurity (February 25)both at Caulfield, Black Caviar willbe aimed for Royal Ascot in June.
The continuing internationalization of horse racing andbreeding, particularly the welcome influx of German strength and stamina. In2011, the most apple-pie of American races, the G1 Kentucky Derby, was won by Animal Kingdom—a colt by Brazilian-bredLeroidesanimaux out of the German-bredmare Dalicia. He wasn’t alone indemonstrating quality race horses result from good German breeding. GrahamMotion-trained German-bred Sanagas wonthe G1 Hollywood Turf Cup, while French-born (but entirely German-bred) Stacelita captured the G1 Beverly D andG1 Flower Bowl. And what about 3-year-old German filly Danedream—dominating winner of the G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe—notto mention 4-year-old German-bred BeFabulous, winner of the G1 Prix Royal-Oak (French St. Leger) over 15.5furlongs? A little stout German blood may do wonders for American dirtbreeding.
Celebrating the blue-collar horses who prove, day-after-day,that horse racing is ultimately about the joy of running. With so many “quality”horses lightly-raced these days, what a pleasure it is to enjoy the gallantwarriors who continue to race with such enthusiasm. Rapid Redux, Awesome Gem,Ravalo, Star Guitar, The Tatling,Mustard, Catlaunch, Joey P, Russell Road—I’ll watch these horsesany day of the week, and I do.
Yet another crop of promising 3-year-olds on the Derbytrail. Admittedly, I can’t help myself—I love the Derby prep races. Once againthis year, along with my fellow contributors at Hello Race Fans!, we’ll be picking apartkey races for our DerbyPrep Alert—sign up now!

Here’s hoping 2012 is prosperous and healthy for each one ofyou. Happy New Year!

Year of the Blue-Collar Horse

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie Grash) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 18:51:00 +0000

A post-Breeders’ Cup malaise combined with the arrival ofcolder weather and the end-of-semester crunch has left me uninspired. Can yousay “burnout”? I’m sure I’m not alone in admitting this and yet the sport feelscompelled to shove more and more racing at us. With the saturation point alreadyreached, I suspect other fans may feel as I do: if you take a break from it, it’seasier and easier to just forget about the sport altogether.

Over the past month, I’ve watched only a handful of races (includingRapid Redux’s 21st straight winning effort)—and I don’t think I’ve missed much.Each time I looked at the Paulick Report or another industry publication all Iread was negativity. Federal legislation signed that could allow horseslaughter plants to reopen in the United States. John Veitch “grossly negligent”in Life At Ten incident. One of Rapid Redux’s Charles Town races beinginvestigated for impropriety. Jockeys injured. Promising contenders injured andout of action. Breakdowns galore. Enough! Let’s hope 2012 is a damn sightbetter than 2011.

Still, reflecting back, one of the most interesting developmentsover the past 12 months is the rise of the blue-collar horse, led by RapidRedux. Oh, the narrow-minded have vocally proclaimed there’s no way he isworthy of an Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year, but, honestly, has there beenanother horse more consistent or successful at what they do this year than thePleasantly Perfect gelding? In a year in which no horse—male or female—dominatedgraded stakes events over any surface or distance, why not make a statement andgive the award to a horse that was not only masterfully handled in terms ofrace placement, but also just flat out ran, giving his best effort each andevery time? Watch his races—this isn’t your typical plodder. No matter whatdistance, at what track, over what surface condition, and with whatever jockeyaboard—Rapid Redux did what thoroughbreds are bred to do: he ran, and loved doingso!

He’s not the only claimer or former claimer to capture theimaginations of owners or potential owners everywhere. How about:

Mission Approved: Claimed in June 2010 for $35,000, this7-year-old stepped up to finish a mere neck back to Gio Ponti in the G1 Mano’War a month later; he began this year with a victory in the G1 Manhattan. Sincebeing claimed, he’s earned $425,000 for the Chatterpauls.

Calibrachoa: Dropped into the claiming ranks last Novemberby owner/breeder Nelson Bunker Hunt and trainer Steve Asmussen, this 5-year-oldson of Southern Image was claimed by Mike Repole and trainer Todd Pletcher for$40,000. Over the past year, he’s made $334,500 including three G3 wins and twothird-place finishes in G1 events—the Vanderbilt and Cigar Mile.

Juanita: Stakes-placed as a juvenile, owner/breeder PaduaStables dropped this 3-year-old Mineshaft filly down into claiming company inFlorida this past winter, where she was claimed for $25,000 in March. For hernew connections she made $181,517, including a win in the G2 Indiana Oaks overG2 Fair Grounds Oaks victress Daisy Devine and G1 Frizette winner AZ Warrior.

Jimanator: Claimed in June for $25,000, this 5-year-oldBroken Vow gelding has earned $123,720 for his new owners, including a victoryin the G3 Fred W. Hooper Handicap at Calder.

I’m sure there are others—feel free to chime in. It’s notjust former claimers stepping up in class that made news this year. How aboutsome love for those blue-collar workhorses that just keep plugging away, like12-year-old West Seattle Boy who won four of his 12 starts this year, includinghis 105th career start? Or 10-year-old Ohio legend Catlaunch who won five ofeight starts, topping $1 million in 91 career races?

In an age in which far too many horses are retiredprematurely and barely race, as a fan it’s hard not to love a warrior likeAustralian G2-placed Mustard, a 14-year-old gelding who recently made his 126thlifetime start, or 14-year-old English-raced The Tatling, a multipleG1-runnerup who capped his career recently with an improbable win in his 176thcareer race. In case you missed it:

If you didn’t shed a tear at that storybook finish, youhaven’t a heart. These are the horses we should be talking about, not the injury-plaguedflash-in-the-pan industry insiders too often focus on.

While Havre de Grace may indeed win the Eclipse for Horse ofthe Year—and rightly so given her performances against Blind Luck and againstmales in the Woodward—2011 will not be remembered in the U.S. as the “Year ofthe Chick”—instead, long live the Year of the Blue-Collar Horse! Happy holidays, folks!

Random Thoughts on Breeders’ Cup 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie Grash) — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 20:52:00 +0000

While this Breeders’ Cup certainly provided two excitingdays of racing, more than ever I’m left convinced that claiming it is both a “worldchampionship” event and vital to determining end-of-year honors rings hollow.All that it did prove is any good horse can step up and win a big race on anygiven day—and it’s definitely not always the best horse. I’m only half-kiddingwhen I suggest that Rapid Redux shouldwin the Eclipse award for Horse of the Year. Setting aside the issue of whetheror not a claiming horse could actual defeat any “top” horses on the racetrack,the fact is no other horse in America was so tested, nor rose every time to thechallenge, than Rapid Redux. He’s 17for 17 this year, racing at seven different tracks, from 5-furlongs to9-furlongs, and with six different riders. I know I’m in the minority here, butwith no other clear-cut candidate, if I had a vote, it would be for him. Letthe flame fest begin!

In retrospect, other than Perfect Shirl’s whopping upset inthe F&M Turf, the restricted-gender races were quite formful. JuvenileFilly Turf winner Stephanie’s Kittenhadn’t missed a placing in four starts, including a Grade 1 victory in theAlcibiades last out. F&M Sprint winner MusicalRomance had placed in eight of 13 starts this year, including a narrowsecond-place in the Grade 1 Princess Rooney in July, a win in the Grade 2 PIDMasters’ followed up by another close runner-up finish in the Grade 2Thoroughbred Club of America at Keeneland. Juvenile Filly winner My Miss Aurelia, undefeated in threestarts, had won the Grade 1 Frizette last out, while Ladies’ Classic (Distaff)winner Royal Delta had won three ofsix starts, including the Grade 1 Alabama before her runner-up finish behindHavre de Grace in the Grade 1 Beldame. Interestingly, none of those BC winnerssaw a jockey change, except PerfectShirl. That filly had run six times this year without a victory, but was inthe money four times including a narrow second-place finish in the Grade 2 Canadianmost recently.

The juveniles also provided little in the way of surprises.Juvenile Sprint winner Secret Circleremained undefeated, as did Juvenile male Hansenwhile Juvenile Turf winner Wrote hadnever missed a placing, including a third in the Group 2 Royal Lodge atNewmarket. None of the juvenile winners had raced too early in the year either:Stephanie’s Kitten (four startssince July 9), My Miss Aurelia (threestarts since July 22), Secret Circle(two starts since July 23), Wrote(four starts since August 15), and Hansen(two starts since September 9).

While those stats are understandable, the other results inopen company races defied logic in some instances. Marathon winner Afleet Again hadn’t won in eight startsthis year; his last victory was back in April 2010, in the Grade 3 Withers—14 startsago! Mile winner Court Vision wonlast year’s Grade 1 Woodbine Mile, but had been unplaced in four starts thisyear including a seventh-place finish last out. Far more seemingly qualifiedand formful horses just couldn’t pull it together, perhaps just indicative ofhow poor in quality racing has become at the highest level in this country, regardlessof surface and distance. Why? In many instances I’m convinced it’s poor oroverly-ambitious placement, chasing the Derby dream or aiming for all the wrongevents. Or perhaps the Breeders’ Cup races themselves have become too diluated…

Other random thoughts:

Mile winner Caleb’sPosse ran arguably the most impressive BC race, closing like a freighttrain to snatch victory from a game Shackleford,the latter looking amazing fresh making his 10th start of the year. If theyreturn as 4-year-olds, I’d love to see them hook up again in the Grade 1 MetMile and other events between 7- and 8.5-furlongs. Please, avoid the temptationto stretch them out.
Running Uncle Moin the Classic was not brave or gutsy; it was pure selfish egotism and nothingmore. Not only did he have to overcome a serious illness this year, but alsotake on more battle-tested older horses going a distance he had neverattempted. It was a ridiculous thing to ask of him—and someone should haveknown better. A start in the Dirt Mile would have been far more appropriate,although I’m not sure even he could have defeated Caleb’s Posse or Shackleford.
Talk about a powerhouse prep race for the Breeders’ Cup! Since its inaugural running five years ago, the Presque Isle Masters’ Stakes has produced 3consecutive F&M Sprint winners: InformedDecision (2009), Dubai Majesty(2010) and Musical Romance (2011).Kudos to PID’s Tapeta surface for providing just the right amount of fitnessconditioning, and to the trainers wise enough to make this out-of-the-way tracka key stop on the road to the Breeders’ Cup.
While at the time the Grade 1 Travers looked good, turns outthe Grade 1 Haskell was even better, with runner-up Shackleford second in the Dirt Mile and Ruler On Ice third in the Classic behind older horses. Travers winner Stay Thirsty and runner-up Rattlesnake Bridge finished well-back in the Classic.
Who would have thought that another key race this year wouldhave been the 5-horse Grade 2 Brooklyn Handicap? In addition to Marathon winnerAfleet Again who finished dead-last,the winner Birdrun ran second in theMarathon, while runner-up Drosselmeyercaptured the Classic.
And joke all you will about D’Tara, but the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes provides just the type ofstamina test our best horses need. 2010 Belmont winner Drosselmeyer and fourth-place finisher Game on Dude fleshed out this year’s Classic exacta, while Ruler on Ice justified his Belmont winthis year with his third-place showing in the Classic—not to mention Belmontthird-place finisher Brilliant Speedturned in a spectacular appearance capturing third in the Turf, and fifth-placefinisher Shackleford ran second inthe Dirt Mile. All hail, Big Sandy!

Breeders' Cup Saturday

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie Grash) — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 03:06:00 +0000

Other than MusicalRomance ($42.40) in the F&M Sprint and Perfect Shirl ($57.60) in the F&M Turf, Breeders’ Cup Fridaywas fairly chalky, as favorites captured the Juvenile Sprint (Secret Circle), Juvenile Fillies (My Miss Aurelia) and Ladies’ Classic (Royal Delta).

Some thoughts on Saturday’s races—if you haven’t already,join us on Twitter as theday promises to be lively in terms of real-time handicapping andlast-minute changes of heart.

Race 3—Breeders’ Cup Marathon (post 1:20 p.m.)

Never tested on dirt, the sole filly entrant Meeznah holds many charms here, havingwon over this distance in the G3 Lillie Langtry earlier this summer, defeatinga stamina filly I admire a great deal, Motrice. By Dynaformer out of a Sadler’sWells mare, she’ll be attempting dirt for the dirt time. Brigantin defeated Melbourne Cup winner Dunaden in FR-G2 PrixVicomtesse Vigier in May; his German-bred dam Banyu Dewi finished third behindHoney Ryder and Film Maker in the 2005 G3 Glens Falls. With Julien Leparouxaboard, this Cozzene 4-year-old colt has a big chance if he can adapt to dirt.Last year’s winner Eldaafer has runwell, but I expect A.U. Miner toreturn off his G1 Jockey Club Gold Cup race in better form.

Winner: Afleet Again($85.20)

Race 4—Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (post 2:02 p.m.)

The art historian in me is rooting hard for Caspar Netscherwhile the sentimentalist in me likes FantasticSong (his dam is a half-sister to Perfect Shirl who captured the F&MTurf on Friday). Finale has beenquite impressive since switching to grass, but his fellow Scat Daddy-siredbrethren Daddy Nose Best couldoutfinish him with a better post position. The Ramsey homebred Coalport could be dangerous cuttingback in distance, as could first-time turfster Majestic City (City Zip).

Winner: Wrote($25.20)

Race 5—Breeders’ Cup Sprint (post 2:37 p.m.)

Boy, I’d like to see old Euroears pop a surprise here! Runner-up in the G1 Dubai GoldenShaheen back in March, he failed miserably in the mud last out in the G1Vosburgh, but has worked gangbusters since then. Breaking from the rail, hewill contest the early lead with ForceFreeze, with Giant Ryan close aswell. Whether defending champion BigDrama is fit enough to make waves here is suspect; I do believe Jackson Bend will be moving well latefor a placing.

Winner: Amazombie($17.80)

Race 6—Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (post 3:21 p.m.)

Unfortunately, there’s no Black Caviar in here, but the Ramsey’s 3-year-old Kitten’s Joyfilly Holiday for Kitten made berounding into form at just the right time. Disappointing in the G1 King’s Standat Ascot, her narrow win over Musical Romance last out was certainly flatteredby that mare winning the F&M Sprint on Friday. The Aussie-bred Hoofit has captured both U.S. startssince arriving from New Zealand early this year—love his chances here. Lastyear’s Turf Sprint winner Chamberlain Bridge is getting a bit long in the toothand drew very wide (14); perhaps youngster RegallyReady is better suited to win here, having captured the G1 Nearctic lastout. Perfect Officer likely in themix as well.

Winner: Regally Ready($6.60) * only winning favorite

Race 7—Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (post 4:01 p.m.)

Had his connections so chosen, this race would be at themercy of Uncle Mo. Instead, we’re left with some tired 3-year-olds cutting back,and a few sprinters stretching out. Preakness winner Shackleford and pre-Derby hype horse The Factor are the early speed, breaking from the two inside posts,but I find it difficult to believe they will have much left at the end. Wilburn who comes in with a 3-race winstreak seems to be a progressive type, while Caleb’s Posse should enjoy the cutback (and, remember, he defeatedUncle Mo in the G1 King’s Bishop). TrappeShot was disappointing in the mud last out, but should improve. For alongshot selection, I see Barclay Tagg-trained Jersey Town reversing form off his defeat at the hands of Uncle Moin the G2 Kelso.

Winner: Caleb’s Posse($15.60)

Race 8—Breeders’ Cup Turf (post 4:45 p.m.)

Last year’s F&M Turf runner-up Midday takes on the boys this year—but her biggest competitioncould be the filly Sarafina Whiledisappointing in the Arc, Sarafinahas outperformed her nemesis of late. Lightly-raced Await the Dawn gets the services of Julien Leparoux, but I can’thelp but think he’d rather be on Dean’sKitten, perhaps the best American chance.

Winner: St. NicholasAbbey ($15.60)

Race 9—Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (post 5:25 p.m.)

Union Rags is thelikely winner, but since he’s never run beyond one mile there’s still somequery of his ability to stay the 8.5 furlongs. If he had been entered in theJuvenile Sprint, I’d been all over Crusade,first offspring of the talented sprinter La Traviata. Not sure I’m buying himhere, nor Daddy Long Legs who looksbetter suited to grass. However, I do like Optimizer,an English Channel colt with lots of precocious dirt performers on his damside.He lost last out to Dullahan, aCinderella story in the making, being a 1/2 brother to Kentucky Derby winnerMine That Bird. Out of G1 Apple Blossom victress Dream of Summer, G1 Norfolkwinner Creative Cause has thehighest BRIS speed figure in the field—and a nice mid-field post draw. Fartheroutside, Florida-invader Fort Loudonis getting no respect, but his 1/2 sister is the dam of G1 victor Jackson Bend.

Winner: Hansen($16.20)

Race 10—Breeders’ Cup Mile (post 6:07 p.m.)

I love Goldikova,and nothing would make me happier than to see her captured her fourthconsecutive BC Mile, but…time has perhaps caught up with her? Courageous Cat finished just behind himin the 2009 edition, as did Gio Pontilast year. Toss in Get Stormy and Turallure, and the top four are inthere somewhere.

Winner: Court Vision($131.60)

Race 11—Breeders’ Cup Classic (post 7:00 p.m.)

Havre de Gracefor me, with To Honor and Serverunning big for Bill Mott. I find it telling that Jose Lezcano sticks with To Honor and Serve rather than Drosselmeyer, thus give the former ahuge chance in here for a placing. I’ve never been a fan of Flat Out, but won’t deny he’s run bigthis year. I don’t believe Uncle Mocan get the distance, not to mention he’s incredibly light in race-fitness tocompete with the likes of these. So YouThink is a magnificent horse, but his schedule this year has been toospread out—when in Australia, he thrived on running back quickly. I wouldn’t besurprised if he was there at the end, but hard to factor him the winner over Havre de Grace. Ah, and then there’s Stay Thirsty—my Kentucky Derby pick.Hard to see him defeating Havre de Grace,but won’t discount his chances entirely.

Winner: Drosselmeyer($31.60)

Breeders' Cup Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie Grash) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 06:00:00 +0000

Some thoughts on Friday’s races—if you haven’t already, joinus on Twitter as the next two dayspromise to be lively in terms of real-time handicapping and last-minute changesof heart.

Race 5—Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Sprint (post 4:10 p.m.)

There’s little doubt that Secret Circle will go off a huge favorite here, but purely forsentimental reasons I love Trinniberg,being a huge fan of his hard-working sire Teuflesberg. He’s a Grade 1 runner-up witha lot of early speed, and look for him to reverse his narrow second-placefinish behind Vexor. With hisexperience over the track and early speed, Sumof the Parts is a likely place-getter as well; his G1-placed dam Enjoy theMoment didn’t fare so well in the 1999 Breeders’ Cup Sprint, but this son ofSpeightstown posted a sharp 5-furlong work in advance of this race. And howcould you dismiss Seeker from therail; this Hard Spun colt would only further validate the strong start his sirehas had at stud.

Winner: Secret Circle

Race 6—Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Filly Turf (post 4:50 p.m.)

A Group 1 winner in France, Elusive Kate is an obviously selection—her dam is 1/2 sister to BCClassic winner Pleasantly Perfect. However, fresh off his winning pick-up rideon Melbourne Cup winner Dunaden, jockey Christophe Lemaire is aboard Dear Lavinia, a Grand Slam fillypurchased by Bobby Flay just for this race (he won last year’s contest withMore Than Real). A direct damline descendent of the great broodmare Cosmah, Dear Lavinia probably wants fartherthan a mile, but could pop a surprise; her recent narrow second-place finishagainst French Fifteen was flattered when he captured the FR-G1 CriteriumInternational this past weekend. Also for a price, My Gi Gi is worth a hard-look; cutting back in distance andreturning to turf after a fourth-place finish in the Grade 1 Oak Leaf, she’sbeautifully bred for turf—her Sadler’s Wells dam Relish The Thought was Group1-placed over 12-furlongs in the English Oaks. This is also the family of Grade1 American Oaks victress Gozzip Girl and BC Juvenile winner Bucco. Stephanie’s Kitten is the choice ridefor John Velazquez, but I’m mildly concerned about her finding room to closelate. Another Kitten’s Joy filly, SweetCat may be more suitably placed for a strong finish with her early speed.Off her crushing defeat of males in the Cup & Saucer last out, Hard Not To Like (Hard Spun) isalso…hard not to like.

Winner: Stephanie’sKitten

Race 7—Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Filly & Mare Sprint(post 5:30 p.m.)

The much-hyped TurbulentDescent hasn’t raced since early August—either she’ll be brilliantly freshor lacking fitness in her first race against older mares. Another 3-year-old Ilike is Pomeroys Pistol—although herworst race of the year was here in the Grade 3 Eight Belles. Switch loves the 7-furlongs distanceand has run big all year. For a price, you can’t ignore Grade 2 PID Masterswinner Musical Romance who, in eightstarts since April hasn’t missed a placing. She’s a hard-trying, gutsyfilly—much like Shotgun Gulch whowas closely nicely in the Grade 1 Humana Distaff over this track in early May.The far outside 13 post won’t bother her, as Gomez is likely to drop her backearly, but she’ll need an extraordinary performance to close late against thelikes of Turbulent Descent and Switch.

Winner: MusicalRomance

Race 8—Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Filly (post 6:10 p.m.)

Undefeated My MissAurelia hasn’t stumbled yet, but neither has dual Grade 1 winner Weemissfrankie nor Grade 1 Spinawayvictress Grace Hall. A directdamline descendent of Preakness winner Nellie Morse, Grace Hall’s third damLife At The Top was a multiple Grade 1 route winner, and there’s tons ofquality in this family—loved her last race! Northern Passion attempts dirt for the first time; her dam is afull-sister to Canadian juvenile champion filly Ginger Gold. Aidan O’Brienships in the much-raced Homecoming Queen,a three-quarter sister to Dylan Thomas—a placing here would be surprising. Justas surprising would be Questing(Hard Spun), a direct damline descendent of the great Vagrancy.

Winner: My MissAurelia

Race 9—Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (post 6:50p.m.)

I just can’t get past Stacelitawho, frankly, I’d prefer to have seen in Saturday’s Turf race. However, it’sthe Euros Nahrain and Announce that will probably take allthe money; of the two, Announce hasmore upside, with strong form vs. Cirrus Des Aigles, as well as a Group 3 victoryover 13-furlongs—longer than this race. Among the American contestants, it’shard to fault the form of Dubawi Heights,but I question her stamina for this distance. For a longshot flyer, Distorted Legacy looks appealing—a half sister to Belmont Stakesrunner-up Vision and Verse, she’s been training well for this start.

Winner: Perfect Shirl

Race 10—Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic (post 7:30p.m.)

I handicapped the Distaff for ThoroFan—you can find the completeanalysis here.For me, it comes down to Plum Prettyoutlasting Miss Match, withupset-minded Ultra Blend and/or Ask The Moon at play for the exotics.Off her crushing defeat by Havre de Grace, it wouldn’t be too surprising to see Royal Delta run big for Bill Mott either.

Winner: Royal Delta

Good luck with all your wagers! [Updated with winners at 7:57 p.m.]

Victoria Derby Day Card at Flemington

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie Grash) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 14:43:00 +0000

What I love about spring carnival time in Australia are thefull race cards packed with stakes action. Last week it was Moonee Valley withthe G1 Cox Plate. Tonight beginning at 8:20 p.m. Eastern in the U.S. (Saturdayin Australia), it’s Flemington that hosts nine group events including four G1s.Right now, the track is rated a “Dead 4” so let’s take a look at the maincontenders with that in mind—and join the usual crowd later tonight on Twitter(@FilliesFirst):

G3 Carbine Stakes—Race 1

The topweight favorite is Darley’s regally-bred Galah (Redoute’s Choice) whose DistortedHumor dam Rinky Dink captured the G1 Australasian Oaks. He’s already a listedwinner, and given his breeding stretching out to a mile for the first timeshould not be an issue. The third and fourth-place finishers from his last racereturn here as well, with HighlyRecommended enjoying a better weight advantage, dropping two pounds.It may not be quite enough, but this Fastnet Rock colt comes from a family ofwinners, including half-sisters G1 Emirates victress Sky Cuddle and G3Tattersalls Cup winner Sky Love, as well as G2 runner-up full-brother Undeniably.Sentimentally, I’ll be rooting for another Redoute’s Choice colt, Cross of Gold; his second dam is adaughter of Foolish Pleasure, plus he is also a half-brother to champion Hasna,2003 winner of Australia’s 2-year-old Triple Crown. The only other seriouscontender is the field is Meethaqwho actually won at this distance last out—he’s a half-brother to the multipleG1 winner Mnemosyne.

UPDATE: Long stretch run and 1-2 favorite Galah needed everyinch of it, just nipping 16-1 Highly Recommended at the wire. 18-1 SaintEtienne was also up very close for third.

G3 Lexux Stakes—Race 2

Big field, with topweight Tullamore returning a mere week after his runner-up finish todefending Melbourne Cup winner Americain in the G2 Moonee Valley Cup [oops, he’snow scratched]. Green Moon finishedjust ahead of him in the G1 Caulfield Cup, so it should be an interestingrematch. I’m still on board with Anudjawunwho finished fourth behind Americain and Tullamore last week—now he enjoys adrop in weight, from 121 to 118, which may not sound like much, but withTullamore still toting 126, and Green Moon going up from 117 to 123, it mayjust make the difference. He’s also placed in the top three (though never won)all three times he’s raced on this track. The mare Midnight Martini drew a horrible barrier position (14), but thegranddaughter of G1 New Zealand Oaks winner Sawatdee has won over this track,ran very sharp fourth ahead of Anudjawun in the G2 Herbert Power before runningthird most recently in the G3 David Jones Cup. A win here guarantees her astart in Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup.

UPDATE: After leading early, Green Moon totally fell apart,and 7-1 Niwot quickly took advantage, pulling away from the field. 11-1 Macedoniansecond, and 18-1 Anudjawun third. At 50-1, Raffaello fleshed out a massive superfecta.

G2 Wakeful Stakes—Race 3

Undefeated AtlanticJewel won the G1 Thousand Guineas with incredible ease last out, and hasalready won carrying 128 lbs. like she does here; the only query is the9-furlong distance, but being out a Zabeel mare hints it shouldn’t be aproblem. Four fillies enter off the same listed race going this distance, withthe best of them the winner Gliding.Her half-brother is 5-time G1 winner Eremain, and with master Bart Cummings,you can believe she’ll be primed for this race. Sure to be running late is NewZealand-bred Dowager Queen, recentlyG1-placed in the Flight Stakes; she must be an iron horse, having already run15 times since last December 28 (but did enjoy a nearly 3-month break). For alongshot chance, I like Gioe in thetop-four after her bad-luck efforts most recently; her G1 runner-up dam MagicalMiss also won the G2 Memsie. Hands-down, the Cinderella story here would be awin or placing by yet-unplaced La DolceDiva, daughter of 3-time Melbourne Cup victress Makybe Diva.

UPDATE: Wow, Atlantic Jewel is a serious filly! Easy win at2-5, with 35-1 Rahveel second, 5-1 Dowager Queen third and 7-1 Gliding fourth.

G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes—Race 4

Unusual for American fans to witness, Flemington’s sprintraces are run over a straight track—and that is something even Australianhorses sometimes find hard to do well. Sepoyshouldn’t have a problem here, given that he’s already won twice over thistrack—not to mention captured nine of his 10 lifetime starts thus far. It’shard to look beyond him, but any rain affecting the track favors Hot Snitzel and good performancesearlier in the card by Galah and/or Highly Recommended would only lead furthercredence to the abilities of Masthead.For longer shots, consider UniqueQuality who ran a very game third to Sepoy over this track last out, andthe lightly-raced Zamorar who reallymoves up in class for this one (he’s related to Foolish Pleasure through hisdamsire Scenic).

UPDATE: Sepoy just lasted over Foxwedge, with 70-1 SatinShoes just ahead of 45-1 Zamorar.

G1 Mackinnon Stakes—Race 5

A number of likely Melbourne Cup runners in here, includingrecent G1 Caulfield Cup winning mare SouthernSpeed. The other mare Lights ofHeaven has yet to live up to her huge promise this campaign, but a goodbarrier position and the jockey-trainer combination of Luke Nolen-Peter Moodycould get it done here—top fours at the very least. Off his third-place finishbehind Pinker Pinker in the G1 Cox Plate last week, Rekindled Interest is a big chance. 7-year-old Wall Street has been running well of late—could the old boy pop abig one here? Umm, not if the reports of mild colic this week are true, I’mafraid. Not beyond the realm of possibility. Irish-bred Glass Harmonium disappointed in the Cox Plate, but the track mayhave been his downfall—he finished a narrow second to December Draw in the G1Turnbull recently at Flemington. Even though he’s a last-out G1 winner, The Verminator gets a HUGE weight jump,from 115 to 130 pounds—I can’t imagine him in the top four.

UPDATE: Glass Harmonium won, with 18-1 Mourayan second and post-timefavorite Rekindled Interest third. Superfecta fleshed out with 5-1 mare SouthernSpeed.

G1 AAMI Victoria Derby—Race 6

All of the money is on Manawanui,and rightly so—however, I’m sticking with Collaras a possible upset threat. I hated the way he was taken to the lead early atMoonee Valley, but his regular jockey Nick Hall is back aboard, so I expect amore even performance out of him here. Niagaraappears nicely-bred for this distance (by Encosta De Lago, out of a FusaichiPegasus mare), but his far-outside 18 barrier post sucks. Costly Commitment finished just behind Niagara last out, and hasdemonstrated improvement with each start; by Encosta De Lago out of anOctagonal mare, he should have no problem with the distance (good barrier posttoo!). Darley sends out listed Geelong Classic winner Induna whose full-sister Camarilla won the G1 Sires’ ProduceStakes; among her many nice performances, their dam Camarena swept both the G1Queensland Derby (2400m) and G2 Queensland Guineas (1600m) in 1999. The softerthe going, the better Induna’s chances. Last out G3 winner Sabrage breaks from a difficult post (16) and I’m concerned abouthis distance limitations, being by sprinter Charge Forward; his dam Galroof ransecond in both the G1 Doomben Cup (2200m) and G1 Queensland Derby (2400m), so Isuppose it’s possible, but his half-brother Pinnacles topped out at one mile,placing third in the G1 Doncaster (1600m). There’s definitely quality there,though.

UPDATE: Extremely roughly run race…Sangster narrowly winsover Induna, with Sabrage up for third. Longshot Zabeelionaire (35-1) fleshedout superfecta. Manawanui nowhere near the top finishers.

G1 Myer Classic—Race 7

Wow! Huge field of quality filly and mare milers here,beginning with 5-time G1 winner and top weight More Joyous; she won the G2 Tristarc last out, but niggling concernover recent comments by jock Nash Rawiller that she’s not the same powerhouse asshe once was. She may be favored, but there are plenty of others here ofinterest, including 3-year-old G1-placed Mosheenwho's getting a huge weight advantage over the older mares here, carrying only108 pounds (17-18 lbs. less than every other entry). Personally, I'm thrilled(but surprised) to see the return of Banchee,a multiple G1 winner in New Zealand last year who last I heard was off to thebreeding shed. Guess that didn’t happen, as she’s back here in a very toughspot (and bad barrier). At a price, Dysphoniacould surprise, as she’s been progressing nicely this campaign, as has Response who also loves this track. I’ma huge fan of Sacred Choice, but notsure the 6-year-old isn’t a tad disappointing this spring.

UPDATE: Hurtle Myrtle wins, with Sacred Choice second, andDysphonia a fast-closing third. More Joyous, Banchee both disappointing.

G2 Salinger Stakes—Race 8

Another straight track sprint, Stirling Grove could pull a shocker after his last out third-placeperformance behind Black Caviar and Karuta Queen; he’s 2 for 2 over this track,and this being his third start of the spring could be a revelation. Given hercurrent form vs. Cox Plate winner Pinker Pinker, not to mention Sepoy and Curtana (who’s also in here), Mid Summer Music looks extremely goodfor a top two finish at least, as does SisterMadly. Rarefied also appears astrong top 4 chance. Loving the fillies and mares overall!

G3 Tab.Com.Au (Chatham) Stakes—Race 9

Turning back to 7-furlongs looks just the thing Toorak Toff needs, though he’s yet toplace in two attempts over the Flemington straight track. Thankgodyou'rehere should likewise enjoy the cut back in distance(not to mention class). Doubtful Jackloves the track, but was so thoroughly thrashed by Black Caviar last week, it’shard to visualize a miraculous return-to-form (it’s been awhile for this boy). Onthe other hand, Launay is undefeatedin three starts at Flemington, and appears a real top four chance. Sentimentally,I’m on board Torio’s Quest, adamside descendent of Foolish Pleasure—a devastating G2 winner back in June, hopefully he’s back on track.

Getting the Inside Scoop

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie Grash) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 18:42:00 +0000

Just ask my journalism colleagues—dealing with “new media”issues in the classroom, not to mention in real life, is a bitch. With today’sstudents so technologically savvy, it’s actually become harder than ever to getthem to understand that not all the information they encounter online is truth.Critical thinking is nearly a lost art form, as we’ve become lazy when it comesto consuming, processing and reacting to information. Still, for all its fault,the internet is truly a wondrous thing, isn’t it?

A fascinating recent development has been the online engagementof trainers with racing fans, via Twitter and personal blogs. Want to know thecondition of Coolmore runners or upcoming racing plans? Trainer Aidan O’Brienrelays information to his wife Annemarie who tweets @aobballydoyle. Also amongtrainers worldwide who regularly tweet substantive information are Peter Moody(@MoodyRacing) in Australia andCarolyn Costigan (@arravaleracing)in Canada. American trainers tweeting are rarer. While not particularlyprolific, Bob Baffert occasionally tweets as @Midnightlute, but most of thebig name trainers are silent, leading to sometimes sarcastic, nearly alwaysamusing, faux-accounts for Steve Asmussen (@SteveyAsmussen) and ToddPletcher (@NotTheToddster).

For more in-depth writing, personal blogs serve a valuablepurpose, and without a doubt the queen in this regard is Australia’s renowned ladytrainer GaiWaterhouse who’s been blogging on her website since 2007. A wonderful mixof updates, impressions and even controversial comments, Gai is an engaging(and dedicated) writer, posting lengthy entries nearly every day. Really, ifyou want to learn something about Australian racing and training practices, herblog is a must-read.

Another I highly-recommend (with obvious bias) is Gina Rarick, anAmerican trainer based in Maisons-Laffitte, France, she’s been blogging at Gallop France since 2008 and is amember of our TURFcollaborative.

While American horse racing fan bloggers are plentiful,that’s not the case among American trainers. The most revealing site is Graham Motion’s Herringswell Stables,which regularly posts stable news, although not written by the manhimself. However, in his homeland of Great Britain, a plethora of trainers pentheir thoughts regularly on their websites, including top trainers like MarkJohnston, who has been recording his “Bletherings” since 2009 (archivesavailable here). Also prominent and free with stable news are Luca Cumani, although it’s notclear that the trainer himself is writing the material. Others who clearly areputting down their own very personal thoughts include:

John Berry, aNewmarket-based trainer since 1995, he took over Beverley House Stablesin 1997 and has been blogging at Stable Life since 2006.
Julia Feilden,a former racing secretary and English amateur jockey, she began training in 2005at Exning outside Newmarket and blogging in 2010.
JohnBest, a Kent-based trainer who posts an interesting weekly video blogupdate on his runners, although it’s not archived.
Amy Weaver, a formerassistant trainer for Michael Bell, she’s been out on her own since 2008, and is basedat Newmarket. She also regularly tweets @amyweaverracing.

I don’t have any particular insight into why Britishtrainers feel more comfortable than American trainers in penning theirthoughts, but it’s honestly quite refreshing—chiefly for fans and horseplayersalways hungry for inside information.

Examining the Cox Plate Card

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie Grash) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 02:53:00 +0000

Australia’s Spring Carnival action moves to Moonee Valleythis weekend with seven group races, including the prestigious G1 Cox Plate. Anoddly-designed sharp-turn anti-clockwise track, Moonee Valley usually requiressome previous success over it so take that into consideration whenhandicapping. My thoughts on Saturday’s (late Friday night here in the U.S.)races, considering the projected “Dead” track condition (but I reserve the right to change my mind too, so follow along on Twitter!):

In race 1, a maiden special weight sprint for juveniles,first-time starter Balmodena (GoodJourney) looks promising; her half-brother Masthead finished third behind theexcellent colt Sepoy and filly Hallowell Belle in the AUS-G1 Blue Diamond as a2-year-old—and actually finished second in this very race last year. Balmodenahas trialed twice in preparation for this. Go The Cats(Purrealist) should be of interest to Americans—her second dam is fantasticmultiple-G1 winner Frans Valentine, making her dam is a full-sister to FR-G1placed With Fascination and half-sister to multiple-G1 winner WithAnticipation.
UPDATE: Go The Cats was a pre-race scratch, while Balmodena a gate scratch. Not a good start.

Listed Essendon Jeep Stakes (1600m) Race 2

Bliss Street(Flying Spur) is the most accomplished filly in the race, winner of the G3 1000Guineas Prelude little over a month ago, then runner-up to Mosheen in the G2Edward Manifold. Last out, however, she underwent a vet exam after finishingninth of 11 in the G1 Thousand Guineas. This being her sixth start thiscampaign, and off that questionable effort, it’s hard to back her here,especially as topweight and a previous poor effort over this track. Maiden Torah (Spinning World) just missed lastout over this track, and is already a listed race runner-up. The trainer-jockeycombination of Peter Moody-Luke Nolen gives her a big shot to break throughwith a win, even from far outside post position.
UPDATE: Torah wins at 6-1. Bliss Street game to stay on for second.

G3 Red Anchor Stakes/1300 Australia Stakes (1200m) Race 3

While Karuta Queen(Not a Single Doubt) was no match for Black Caviar two weeks ago, she should bemore than enough against these. The Moody-Nolen colt Beckon (Charge Forward) steps up in class; out of the G2-placedmare Chatelaine, this boy is a full-brother to G1 winning mare Headway. Miss Stellabelle (Dehere) won the G3Champagne Stakes over this track most recently, meriting a solid chance aswell.
UPDATE: No problem for Karuta Queen at 8-5; Miss Stellabelle second. Beckon out of top fours.

G2 AAMI Vase (2040m) Race 4

The small field of six features a hot favorite, Manawanui (Oratorio) who was narrowlybeaten by the terrific Helmet last out in the G1 Caulfield Guineas. However,he’s never traveled this far, which is why I’ll be looking closely at the NewZealand-bred Collar (O’reilly) who wonthe listed Doncaster Stakes second-up this campaign, but as topweight finishedthird last out and underwent a vet exam. His half-brother Larry’s Never Late(Pentire) won at 2400m, even finishing a narrow third in the G1 QueenslandDerby in 2009; his dam Laebeel finished second to Sky Heights in the 1999 G1Caulfield Cup.
UPDATE: 1-5 Manawanui proved he could get the distance; 3-1 Collar runner-up.

G2 Schweppes Stakes (1200m) Race 5

Only four geldings are willing to take on undefeated Black Caviar (Bel Esprit), the best ofwhich is 3-time G1 winner Scenic Blast(Scenic), back on Aussie soil after campaigning last year in the United Statesfor John Shirreffs. He hasn’t raced for nearly 11 months so defeating BlackCaviar would be an extraordinary achievement. Betting the super mare makes it15 straight victories.
UPDATE: No contest. The Queen won with such amazing ease. Scenic Blast in an impossible spot first back, finished last of four that ran.

G2 Moonee Valley Cup (2500m) Race 6

Aprep for the G1 Melbourne Cup, some quality horses go in this race includinglast year’s Melbourne Cup winner Americain(Dynaformer). Sorry, but there’s no way I’m backing him. Gai Waterhouse-trainedTullamore (Savabeel) quickly backsup off an impressive third-place finish in last weekend’s G1 Caulfield Cup, andI really like the trajectory of Shewan(Blevic) who posted an impressive win in the G2 Herbert Powers last out. Themaster Bart Cummings trains the German invader Illo (Tertullian) who makes his first start since July; a listedwinner last out, he finished second to Elle Shadow in the G3 Grosser Preis derWirtschaft—and that G1 placed mare subsequently finished third in the G1Grosser Dallmayr-Preis. Last year’s Caulfield Cup runner-up Harris Tweed (Montjeu) just hasn’t beenthe same horse this year, so it’s hard to back him. However, longshot chance Anudjawun (Yamanin Vital) put in a nicefifth-place effort in the G2 Herbert Powers; his dam Perceptible was a G2runner-up in the 2000m Awapuni Gold Cup. Finally, gallant 7-year-old mare Swooper (Black Hawk) attempts groupcompany for the first time, but she loves this track, having won 4 of 7efforts.
UPDATE: Warning to other bettors: don't let emotions get in the way of betting. I'm not entirely sure why, but I've always had a hatred for Americain. So, he wins. Followed in order by Tullamore, Illo, Anudjawun and Shewan, which ultimately formed my superfecta. Don't you hate when that happens? Blah!

G2Crystal Mile (1600m) Race 7

Luen Yat Forever(Honours List) totally flopped in last year’s Cox Plate, but enters this raceoff a nice third-place finish in the G1 Toorak last out. G1-placed Triple Elegance (Mossman) faced muchtougher last out—but has never run counter-clock wise; this could be aninteresting outing. Ginga Dude(Istidaad) shorts up after finishing third last out in the listed CranbourneCup, and he won a race at this distance over this course recently. Lightly-racedSilver Grecian finished sixth (butonly 3.5 lengths back) in his last effort, the G1 Rupert Clarke. Last year, He’s Remarkable (Pentire) narrowly lostto Cox Plate favorite Jimmy Choux in the NZ-G1 2000 Guineas; after a 5-monthbreak, he’s come back this campaign with two straight wins in New Zealand—notcertain he’s up to this class. Wily veteran Danleigh (Mujahid) won the G1 Chipping Norton back in March, buthasn’t had much success since and carrying topweight might be too much.
UPDATE: Bit of a shocker with 4-1 Testa My Patience winning over game 40-1 Hawks Bay. Post-time favorite He's Remarkable (3-1) finished third, and 11-1 Happy Trails was fourth. Very disappointing race by some of the more seasoned horses.

G1 Cox Plate (2040m) Race 8

Disappointed to hear that Descarado (High Chaparral) is out of Saturday’s Cox Plate, I’m evenmore conflicted about whom to root for here. Darley’s 3-year-old Helmet (Exceed and Excel) with his hugeweight allowance will take lots of money, although he’s never run beyond onemile (Uncle Mo comparisons abound); by a champion sprinter, stamina is found inhis damline, through Singspiel and Mill Reef. If Manawanui performs well in theAAMI Vase, I’ll take him seriously. On his achievements already, New Zealandinvader Jimmy Choux (Thorn Park)certainly rates consideration regardless of track condition. He has formagainst Lion Tamer (Storming Home),but that one threw a clunker last out. RekindledInterest (Redoute’s Choice) boasts two victories in three starts over thistrack, including the G2 Dato'tan Chin Nam Stakes in September. All that said,it’s the mares to which I’m looking for value: King’s Rose (Redoute’s Choice), Avienus (Reset), PinkerPinker (Reset) and Secret Admirer(Dubawi). All four come in off G1 tries: SecretAdmirer and Pinker Pinkerfinished 1-2 in the G1 Epsom, King’sRose ran a narrow second in the G1 Toorak, and Avienus just missed against Descarado in the G1 Caulfield Stakes.Avienus is actually the only horse to return from last year’s Cox Plate, whereshe finished sixth of 10 with Craig Williams aboard—I much prefer her recentefforts with Brad Rawiller aboard. If pressed, I’d probably have to say Secret Admirer appeals to me most (eventhough she’s never run counter-clockwise); her unraced dam is a half-sister to2600m G1 winner Donegal Mist, who also won the G2 Moonee Valley Cup here over2600m. Interestingly for Americans too, SecretAdmirer is cross-bred 3 x 3 to Seeking the Gold.
UPDATE: So much for taking my own address about not playing based on emotion. I've always had tremendous success betting Pinker Pinker so I bet her across the board just in case...and she won, at 25-1! Wow! Helmet's distance limitations kicked in as he faded, and Jimmy Choux finished second, with Rekindled Interest third and 35-1 longshot Wall Street in fourth.

G3 Inglis Mile (1600m) Race 9

Finally, if you make it this far, More Strawberries (More Than Ready) returns off a disappointingeffort in the G1 Epsom, as does Raspberries(Lonhro)—talk about a fruity hunch quinella! For my money, So Pristine(Zabeel) looks to be rounding into form at exactly the right time, althoughtopweight—and last year’s winner—LadyLynette (Ladoni) can’t be ignored.

Despite Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra: Where the U.S. Is Severely Lagging Behind

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie Grash) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 20:37:00 +0000

As opposed to all the negative developments in horse racingin recent years, perhaps none is more pleasing (not to mention infectious) forfans than the success enjoyed by fillies and mares racing in open company racesat the highest level. Sunday’s shocking upset victory by Sarah Lynx in the G1 Canadian International—arguably the mostimportant non-restricted race run in Canada—only further fueled those flames. So,just how dominating has the “fairer sex” become racing worldwide? Over at myother blog Fillies First, since2009 I’ve been maintaining a spreadsheetof wins and placings by fillies and mares in graded stakes company around theworld, and the numbers suggest that their accomplishments are only growing.

In2009, fillies and mares won, placed or showed in group/graded open companyraces 321 times, with 92 occurring at the highest (G1) level,including 35 G1 victories.

In2010, fillies and mares won, placed or showed in group/graded open companyraces 380 times, with 112 occurring at the highest (G1)level, including 42 G1 victories.

In 2011, with still afull two months of racing yet to occur including the Breeders’ Cup, filliesand mares won, placed or showed in group/graded open company races 388 times, with 128 occurring at the highest (G1) level, including 44 G1 victories.

Impressive numbers, to be sure, but it’s the story behindthe numbers that’s even more revealing. Just how dominating have fillies andmares been in open company races at the highest level worldwide this year thusfar? Consider this: four times in G1races, they have swept the top three placings—and we’re talking about some ofthe most prestigious races in the world with full fields:

FR-G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Danedream, Shareta, Snow Fairy) 16runners
FR-G1 Prix Jacques Le Marois (Immortal Verse, Goldikova, Sahpresa) 12runners
AUS-G1 Epsom Handicap (Secret Admirer, PinkerPinker, Red Tracer) 17 runners
AUS-G1 Newmarket Handicap (Black Caviar, Crystal Lily,Beaded) 11 runners

While not graded because it’s restricted to sales graduates,the still-prestigious Magic Millions 2-year-old Classic (worth A$2 million),was also swept by fillies (Karuta Queen,Combat Kitty, Schiffer) in a field of 16. Mares also captured the top three positionsin nine other G2 or G3 events in Australia, England, France, India, Ireland,New Zealand and Zimbabwe.

Of the seven races thus far contested in the 9-race GlobalSprint Challenge for 2011, two have been won by fillies:

AUS-G1 Lightning Stakes (Black Caviar)
JPN-G1 Sprinters Stakes (Curren Chan)

Arguably the most prestigious race in South Africa, the G1 DurbanJuly, was won by a filly (Igugu), aswas Australia’s classic G1 Caulfield Cup (SouthernSpeed). Five times this year BlackCaviar has captured open company G1 events in Australia while Arc winner Danedream also twice won open company G1 races inGermany. In Australia, Shamrockerpulled off the G1 AJC Australian Derby-Australian Guineas double, while inIndia, Moonlight Romance won boththe G1 Indian Turf Invitation Cup and G1 Indian Derby, and in New Zealand, juvenileAnabandana captured both the G1Diamond Stakes and G1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce.

Other notable achievements:

Two fillies (Nayarra and Rose Eglanteria)ran one-two in the only G1 juvenile stakes race in Italy, the Premio GranCriterium.
In Australia’s 2-year-old Triple Crown races, juvenilefillies race second and third in both the Golden Slipper (Mosheen, Elite Falls)and Champagne (Pane in the Glass, Fast and Sexy), while Pane in the Glass finished third in theAJC Sires Produce.

By a huge margin, Australia leads the world in wins andplacings in open company races (115), followed by New Zealand (42), France (42),India (40), Japan (26), England (25), Ireland (20), and Germany (12). Thesefillies and mares won at distances from 5 furlongs (1000 meters) to 15 furlongs(3000 meters), with 4-year-old Motriceeven running third in the ENG-G2 Doncaster Cup at 18 furlongs (3600 meters). Obviously,most of these races were on turf, but even on dirt Life for Sale won the 11-furlong ARG-G1 Gran Premio Provincia deBuenos Aires en route to winning the La Plata Triple Crown.

And in the United States, how are we faring? There’s no niceway to say this—we are pathetic. Although this year we’ve enjoyed Havre de Grace winning the G1 Woodward,Keertana winning the G3 LouisvilleHandicap, Maristar running second inthe G3 Washington Park Handicap, and Stacelitaplacing third in the G1 United Nations, we’re still pitifully locked into a myopicmindset when it comes to challenging open company events. Come on, folks! Thetime has come for U.S. racing to actually come up to the level of othercountries in truly challenging the best of the best.

Why the Breeders' Cup is Bad for Horse Racing

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie Grash) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Let me preface my comments by saying that, like many of you,I’ll certainly be tuned in to the upcoming Breeders’ Cup—it’s two solid days of horse racing, and as a true fan, I appreciate seeing full,competitive fields as well as enjoying the expected (and, especially, the unexpected)results. That said, I firmly believe that the Breeders Cup as an entity—not tomention conceptually—has done far more damage to the sport than it has donegood in recent years, and nothing would make me happier than to see it end.Strong words, I know, but born from frustration knowing what the sport oncewas—and where it unfortunately seems to be heading. Yes, it creates a clear focus,an unambiguous public relations event, a “world championship” (although that’sa highly-suspect claim, and not in the least bit accurate) for the sport, itsfans and the general public, at a time when horse racing’s popularity isplummeting. Thus, one could argue that any exposure is a good thing. I beg todiffer.

The crux of my argument: by focusing entirely on getting ahorse to the Breeders’ Cup and the subsequent promise of an Eclipse award forwinning, the traditional concept of a “campaign” for the best horses has beendumped in favor of a “preparation.” During the year, instead of conditioningand building stamina and fitness through racing, horses are strategicallyplaced in relatively widely-spaced races, often resulting in being less racedoverall—and thus resulting in subsequently smaller fields for graded races, much to the chagrin of fans. While notbeing able to see the best horses race more often during the year may befrustrating, it’s also corrosive to the sport overall as there are less compellingreasons to watch (and wager on) big races. Fans and horseplayers want to seecompetitive races year-around, not just over the course of two days. And“Win-and-You’re-In” races hardly fit the bill, as they too are tragicallyunderwhelming in most cases.

From my point of view, most lamentable of all is the loss ofimportance once placed on traditional contests like the Brooklyn Handicap andPhilip H. Iselin Stakes—races that were once revered as the tests of champions,but now hardly attract “B”-level horses. We may no longer be the agrarianAmerica where farmers gathered to race their steeds against one another, andbreeding was truly about improving the breed, not about making as much profitas possible by producing brilliant yet fragile young speedsters. However, thatnarrative about who we were—mixed with the pure visual sensory experience ofwatching racing in person—is exactly what makes horse racing exciting andunique as a sport.

There are those that may scoff at such sentimentality, orveneration for history; certainly, in the rush to the future, it’s convenientthese days to ignore the past. However, it is the sport’s history that is,arguably, its strength. As much as baseball (apple pie and Chevrolet) definesus as a country, horse racing fills our collective psyche with nostalgia. Urbandwellers going to the track to breathe in nature, seeing and touching ourequine heroes, glimpsing the rich and famous enjoying the races, collectivelycelebrating great performances and compelling stories—these are what once madethe track a great place to be, and still could today. Of course not to the samedegree as in the past as technology makes it far easier to watch and wager fromhome, but shouldn’t we be concerned about improving the on-track experience asmuch as the at-home experience? It starts with better quality racing throughoutthe year, not just one weekend in November.

Instead of focusing so much money and attention on theBreeders’ Cup and a singular race, wouldn’t it be more beneficial (not tomention compelling) to invest in developing a series of championship races? Oncethere was the Triple Tiara for 3-year-old fillies, and New York once recognizedthe Handicap Triple Crown. I’m sure some entity could sit down and come up witha series of races in each category of dirt, turf and synthetic surfaces thatwould serve as a truer championship, forcing owners to actually run theirhorses against the best on a more regular basis rather than dodging thecompetition. Appropriately high monetary prizes would be awarded for thosehorses accumulating points from racing in each series, much like the Global Sprint Challenge does. As there already exists plenty of high-quality year-endraces, we could just do away with the Breeders’ Cup races altogether too.

Besides, hasn’t the Breeders’ Cup already lessened its own “championship”importance, diluted its own racing by adding too many specialty races over thecourse of two days? We didn’t need a Filly & Mare Sprint, let alone aMarathon (which is barely a staying race at all) or Juvenile Turf races, and wecertainly don’t need a Juvenile Sprint. By carding so many races, the Breeders’Cup is only obliging breeders and owners concerned about gaining that “Breeders’Cup Champion” label in order to promote a stallion or shuttle their horse off fartoo early to the breeding shed. It’s not interested in actually hosting thebest possible races and it’s mostly certainly not interested in supporting thesport overall. The Breeders’ Cup exists today to promote itself, and thategocentrism needs to end for the long-term benefit of the sport.

"Last-Out PID" Handicapping Angle for Keeneland

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie Grash) — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 02:14:00 +0000

On Keeneland’s opening day, the “last-out at PID”handicapping angle worked well for me—with Hoofit ($25.60) winning the G3Phoenix, and Gutsy Call ($12.40) taking race 10. Neither horse should have beenso underestimated. Well-bred Gutsy Call is a half brother to G1 Donn victorAlbertus Maximus (also BC Dirt Mile winner), while Hoofit had an excellent form line from his 2-year-old NewZealand races last April. He finished second—less than a length back—to LionTamer in the listed Champagne Stakes at Ellerslie. Lion Tamer went on to winboth the AUS-G1 AAMI Victoria Derby and the AUS-G1 Underwood Stakes. Here’svideo of the race:

In the NZ-G1 Manawatu Sires Produce Stakes, Hoofit finishedfourth, but just a nose behind third-place finisher Jimmy Choux, subsequent5-time NZ-G1 winner including the New Zealand Derby and 2000 Guineas—and aserious threat in the upcoming AUS-G1 Cox Plate.

We’ll see how this angle plays out—on Friday, all but onePID horse finished in the top four: Gracious (4th) and Arboria (6th) in race 1;Indian Fog (2nd) in race 2; and Touch Screen (4th) in race 4. Until it’sdisproven, I’m going to strongly consider the “last-out at PID” angle for allsynthetic track races at Keeneland on Saturday. With that in mind, who shouldwe watch out for?

Race 2:

This will be a serious PID angle test—Saturday’s Miracle(Any Given Saturday) ran well enough early, but seriously collapsed in thestretch to finish fifth, 15 lengths back, in her last race. She is a three-quartersister to G3 Jersey Shore runner-up Spin Master; her second dam Header Cardcaptured the G1 Oak Leaf as a juvenile, while another family member is dual-G1winner Sassy Image so sprinting is in her blood. Calvin Borel takes the reins.

Race 3:

Al Muhtasib (Distorted Humor) is in for the $80k tag in thisoptional claiming allowance event; he last finished sixth in the PID Mile afterbeing claimed from Shadwell by Merrill Scherer. Eagle Poise (Empire Maker) ransecond to Anak Nakal in a PID allowance race last out; this will be his secondstart off a long layoff.

Race 6 (G2 TCA Stakes):

Naturally, off their performances in the PID Masters, MusicalRomance (Concorde’s Tune) and Shotgun Gulch (Thunder Gulch) must be considered,but, honestly, a win (or placing) by either Promised Mandate (Full Mandate) orDances With Ashley (Wildcat Heir) would be a shock. As an aside, I’m looking forward to thereturn of Rapport (Songandaprayer) after near one year off.

Race 8 (G1 Breeders’ Futurity):

If he draws in from the also-eligible list, Fire Alarm(Fusaichi Pegasus) could be a real threat. Yes, it’s a big ask to go from amaiden win to a G1, but this is a beautifully-bred colt; his second damPortridee was champion 3-year-old filly in Argentina (not to mention a winnerof the G1 Vanity). His dam Sweet Beat’s full-sister is the very nice G3-placedKitty in a Tizzy; this is also the family of G3 runner-up Charmed Gift and G3Sunland Derby winner Endorsement. Gung Ho (Kitten’s Joy) broke his maiden atPID before moving on to win the Sunday Silence on turf at Louisiana Downs—with JulienLeparoux aboard for Mike Maker, the Ramsey colors could find its way into thewinner circle again. He’s from the family of BC Sprint champ Dancing Spree, multipleG1 winners Finder’s Fee, Heavenly Prize, Good Reward and Furlough, not tomention G2 With Anticipation runner-up Optimizer—who’s also entered in thisrace.

Race 10:

Both Corleone (Indian Charlie) and Pure Victory (Pure Prize)enter off the same PID race, and both have upsides here: Pure Victory breaksfrom the red-hot rail with Corleone enjoys advantage of having Julien Leparouxaboard.

Making Time Stand Still

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie Grash) — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 04:06:00 +0000

When one reaches a certain age, the obituaries are often the first section of the newspaper read each morning. Or so my mother tells me. Thankfully, I’m not quite of that age yet. Nevertheless, I did happen to glance at them yesterday, unfortunately due to tragic circumstances not (thankfully) directly affecting me, but something that occurred in my hometown—the murder-suicide of a couple and their two children. Another senseless tragedy left for the living to mourn and wonder what they could have done to prevent.

What caught my attention, though, was the obit of a man I didn’t know at all, a Mr. Michael P. Ondrick. The gentleman in question was 92 years old, and his obituary’s headline read: “Retired ironworker enjoyed horseracing.” In addition to being an ironworker for 71 years and (briefly) owning a family-operated bar, he is remembered as “a wonderful family man [who] enjoyed talking to all of his great-grandchildren and watching them play”—not to mention a chili aficionado who loved to cook for everyone. He golfed, bowled and played poker like just about every hard-working middle-class man I know. And then there was this tidbit:

“For 30 year, Mr. Ondrick owned, trained and bred thoroughbred race horses. He remained a great handicapper until his passing.”

His home being relatively far from any thoroughbred track—oh, perhaps Mountaineer if he drove still—and the closest off-track betting facility nearby being the Meadows racetrack and casino, I wonder if he had discovered the joys of advance deposit wagering online, but more importantly, I wonder if he passed his love for the sport on to his two daughters, their children and their grandchildren. I wonder if, when I die and my obituary is written, will someone remember to mention my love of horse racing too—or would that just be too unfashionable, or even obsolete?

For all the issues the sport must deal with to survive the 21st century, surely education tops the list—passing on to the next generation the thrill of the on-track experience. Hearing the thunder of hooves and snorting as the racers pass by as you eagerly hang over the rail, the thrill of watching your horse—the one you knew could win—either tenaciously cling to the lead or come roaring up through the field to win going away. I think that’s what I love most—for an event that moves so fast, it makes time stand still.

Juvenile Stakes at Woodbine on Saturday

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie Grash) — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 06:31:00 +0000

Good juvenile action upcoming at Woodbine on Saturday and a few horses of interest to me at a bit of odds, particularly in the deep G3 Natalma Stakes. Bill Mott sends out Anna Sophia with Pat Valenzuela aboard. Coming out of a disappointing (and distant) last-place finish in the G2 Adirondack, this Oasis Dream filly makes the switch to turf—and her breeding suggests she’ll love it, as she’s closely related to Quiet Oasis who finished mid-field in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and last out ran second, just a nose back, in the G3 La Habra on turf at Santa Anita. Through her dam, she’s related to not only multiple G1 winner Shinko Forest and multiple G1-placed Dazzling Park, but also multiple G1 victor and champion New Approach. Her last work on turf looked promising, and she’ll run on Lasix for the first time as well—nothing but positive indicators that she’ll be ready to run well.

Also in the Natalma, I don’t think Spirited Miss will get away at her 10-1 morning line odds. She’s already a sharp turf winner at Woodbine and her dam Little Hussy finished third in this very race back in 2004 (not to mention another close relative Talltalelady had the same result in 1989). Back from his French vacation, Julien Leparoux should be well-rested and ready to ride this Sky Mesa filly for Mark Casse.

Still, there’s also a lot to like about the Scat Daddy filly St Pancras whose dam Marylebone won the G1 Matron; she already won on turf going further. Northern Passion gave Tu Endie Wei a run for her money in the Ontario Debutante—and her turf stakes-placed dam A Touch of Glory is a full-sister to 2001 Natalma winner Ginger Gold. And then there’s the Hard Spun filly Hard Not To Like, a sharp winner on turf against males last out—plus her dam Like a Gem was a turf lioness.

While not quite as large a field, the G3 Summer Stakes looks to be at the mercy of Todd Pletcher-trained Finale, dominating winner of the Continental Mile last out. I love how Scat Daddy progeny are performing on turf this year, but I’m not convinced too much should be read into that Monmouth race. Maritimer ran a helluva race against the filly Hard Not To Like last out, not to mention posted a sharp work out since that event. For longer odds, I like the Giacomo gelding Jomelo—his unraced dam is out of multiple G1 victress Magical Maiden who also produced G1 Del Mar Debutante winner Miss Houdini (dam of Papa Clem).

Notable Names at Monday's Keeneland Yearling Sale

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie Grash) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 04:53:00 +0000

A couple notes on Sunday's opening night of Keeneland’s September Yearling Sale, particularly as related to Foolish Pleasure descendents:

Hip #74, a bay Henrythenavigator colt out of I’ll Get Along, is a half-brother to Smarty Jones—but only brought $175,000. Given the relative success of crossing the Foolish Pleasure bloodline with that of Sadler’s Wells, this could be one to watch, though, specifically on turf.
Marc Keller was the winning bidder ($200,000) on Hip #80, a Cape Cross filly out of the Rainbow Quest mare Lady’s Quest—not surprisingly, as Keller raced Grand Couturier (now at stud in France) who is a half-brother to Lady’s Quest. Their Sadler’s Wells dam Lady Elgar is out of a Foolish Pleasure mare.
Hip #94, a gray half-sister to Stardom Bound, failed to sell at $385,000—her second dam is by Foolish Pleasure’s son Marfa.

Monday’s session features the first offspring of such mares as: G1 Acorn winner Zaftig (Hip #139); G3 Ouija Board Distaff runner-up Tears I Cry (Hip #127); G1-placed Tasha’s Miracle (Hip #126); G1 Test winner Dream Rush (Hip #165); Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint victress Maryfield (Hip #192); and G1 Kentucky Oaks winner Proud Spell (Hip #207). A speedy bunch, to be sure.

Also selling will be siblings of: Desert Party (Hip #110); Dunkirk (Hip #113); Roman Ruler/El Corredor (Hip #116); Gozzip Girl (Hip #128); Nehro (Hip #129); Point Given (Hip #133); Wickedly Perfect (Hip #136); Medaglia d’Oro (Hip #153); Hostess (Hip #155); Christmas Kid (Hip #158); Good Ba Ba (Hip #166); Cash Included (Hip #177); Quality Road (Hip #183); Mine That Bird (Hip #194); Biofuel (Hip #199); and Proud Spell (Hip #201).

You can view the auction online live beginning at 7:00 p.m. from Keeneland’s website here.

Who Are the Unsung Stars?

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie Grash) — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 00:01:00 +0000

As if the point of my last post needed further bolstering, another blue-collar horse made the news on Monday—Rapid Redux captured his 15th straight race, an 8.5 furlong starter allowance event at Thistledown. Only a 5-year-old, this Pleasantly Perfect gelding has now run at 11 different tracks in his 35 starts—and as recent as last year, you could have claimed him for $5,000. In fact, he was claimed for $6,250 at Penn National in October; since then, he’s won 16 of 17 starts for new owner Robert L. Cole, Jr. Not bad for the one-time stablemate and running partner for G2 Remsen runner-up Atomic Rain.

Maybe it’s because as a child I was enthralled by Mildred Pace’s Old Bones the Wonder Horse, which chronicled the life of hard-knocking Exterminator—winner of 50 races in 99 starts, from age 2 to 9—but I’ve always had a soft-spot for older geldings who keep plugging away. And we should celebrate them, even if they aren’t the greatest or fastest horses running on the planet, because they win consistently against all who challenge them. They’re not sitting in the barn for extended periods of time, barely raced, or rushed off to stud like so many others. They seem almost like a throwback to another time, a better era for racing, and I’m sure there are more of them out there than I’ve heard of, so chime in with your candidates, maybe from your local track, that people should talk about.

In the previous post’s comments, Nicholas mentioned Star Guitar, a 6-year-old Louisiana-bred son of Quiet American who has been tearing up state-bred stakes for five years now, including a current 5-race win streak dating back to December. In all, he’s won 19 of 25 starts for owner/breeder Maurice and Evelyn Benoit, with total earnings nearly $1.4 million—almost all of which was earned in Louisiana. He finished fourth in the 2010 G3 Texas Mile at Lone Star, but even more impressive was his third-place finish in the 2009 G3 Alysheba at Churchill Downs behind subsequent G1 Whitney victor Bullsbay and G1-placed Cool Coal Man. Not a bad performance considering among those he defeated were next-out G2 Californian winner Informed, G1 Travers runner-up Mambo in Seattle, and next-out G1 Stephen Foster winner Macho Again. According to Mary Rampellini at DRF, his next three targets are the $100k Delta Downs Gold Cup (November 5), the $150k Louisiana Champions Day Classic (December 10), and the $200k Delta Premiere Night Championship (February 4).

What I particularly find fascinating (not to mention compelling) is how many of these blue-collar horses are bred and/or owned by the same connections for their entire career—like Star Guitar. Nine-year-old New Jersey-bred Joey P—a G3 winner early in his career—has now raced 48 times for owner/breeder John Petrini. Owner Mark E. Russell’s 5-year-old West Virginia-bred Russell Road has won 17 of 29 starts, mostly at Charles Town; his sole excursion to Aqueduct saw him finish fifth in the 2009 G3 Gotham—behind the likes of G1 Wood Memorial winner I Want Revenge, G2 Peter Pan runner-up Imperial Council and next-out G3 Withers victor Mr. Fantasy, but ahead of subsequent G1 Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Haynesfield. In Washington State, 9-year-old Cahill Road gelding Wasserman is still plying his trade for owner/breeder Howard Belvoir. In his most recent start (the 63rd of his career), he finished a respectable fifth of 11 runners in the G3 Longacres Mile won by Awesome Gem—a race Wasserman won back in 2008.

So, let’s hear it. From Woodbine to Golden Gate, Suffolk to Canterbury, Calder to Sunland, who are the local or regional heroes—male or female—that we rarely hear about in the mainstream press?

Edited to add: I've begun a Facebook page dedicated to these blue collar warriors; friend us here.

Shiny Beads and Shallow Flattery

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie Grash) — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 09:30:00 +0000

I’m as guilty as the next person of focusing adisproportionate amount of attention on the “stars” of horseracing—namely, 3-year-olds and a diminishing number of older horses challengingthe renowned G1 races. All-too-often their stories overshadow those of horses who,in another age, would have been worshipped for their durability. Yes,those types of race horses do actually still exist, and this weekend we witnessedby two of them exactly the kind of performances of which legends are made.

On Sunday, 8-year-old Awesome Gem won the G3 Longacres Mile at Emerald Downs with jockey David Flores aboard for trainer Craig Dollase—the verysame connections associated with this Awesome Again gelding since his first race at age 3. With 46 career starts and earnings now nearing $2.7 million, he’sstill plugging away, having finally garnered that elusive G1 win last year(Hollywood Gold Cup). Remember his third-place finish behind Curlin and HardSpun (and ahead of Street Sense, Tiago, Any Given Saturday and Lawyer Ron) inthe 2007 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Monmouth—and how relatively-quicklythose competitors retired to the breeding barn? Not an option for him, but he’sstill performing at a high level. The form of his G3 Lone Star Park Handicapwin back on May 30 was franked when runner-up Flat Out subsequently won the G2Suburban and then ran second in the G1 Whitney; third-place finisher Game OnDude next finished second, a mere nose behind stablemate First Dude, in the G1Hollywood Gold Cup. I’m not sure where Awesome Gem will turn up next, but I’m lookingforward to it regardless.

In winning the Remington Park Sprint Cup on Saturday night, 7-year-oldRavalo came within .18 seconds of setting a new 6-furlong track record, not tomention he posted his 16th victory in 45 starts, with earnings of $1,121,522. Howlong ago it seems since his juvenile campaign when, at 34-1, he finished secondin his maiden effort at Laurel. Since then, he’s had one trainer—Donald Barr—andone owner—Lindy Redding, the kind of consistency that Awesome Gem also enjoys. A multiple-G3 winner, the Mutakddim gelding’s greatestmoment may have occurred when coming within a half length of defeating VineyardHaven in the 2009 G1 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash. Now ungraded, the DeFrancis returns after a year hiatus, and is being considered for Ravalo thisfall. Not bad for a $30k yearling purchase. You can view a replay of his Remington Park win here.

These are the proven warriors we should be celebrating, far more than the flash-in-the-pan types that litter so much industry press today. Whether mere state-bred legends (like Russell Road in West Virginia, Joey P. in New Jersey, or Wasserman in Washington) or those like Awesome Gem and Ravalo who regularly trek across country, these are truly the horses that fans can follow with a passion. They are the horses the industry needs to built its image upon, not those that come and go like the latest fad. People (fans) want to be emotionally invested in horses that stick around.

Kelso' Greatest Fans

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie Grash) — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 19:35:00 +0000

The passing of Hall of Fame trainer Carl Hanford brought tomind fond recollections of Kelso, a horse who raced before my time, but onethat makes my top 10 list of those whose exploits I wish I could have witnessedfirsthand.

Of all his achievements, winning the 2-mile long Jockey Club GoldCup five consecutive times arguably best demonstrates Kelso’s greatness, but healso often took on the best turf horses as well, epitomized by his threesecond-place finishes (1961-63) in the Washington D.C. International—before capturingthe 12-furlong event in 1964, in a new American record time. On his excellentblog Colin’s Ghost, Kevin Martin wrote about Kelso’s performances in the International, and it’s well worth re-reading if you missed it the first time around.The conclusion of the race is viewable below:

Like Seabiscuit before him, Kelso was a mega-star, eveninspiring a pre-teen girl named Heather Noble to form a fan club dedicated tohim. The Kelsolanders (doesn’t quite roll off the tongue like Zenyatta, doesit?) wore Bohemia Stable’s yellow and gray colors, and followed him all overthe country whenever he ran. Here’s a link to a February 27, 1966 Paradearticle by John Devaney on Kelso’s legion of fans, and below is a photo ofHeather Noble with her hero. His connections even named Kelso’s half-sisterafter his biggest fan. Now, that’s the kind of passion we need more today! I wonder whatever happened to Heather Noble; did she grow up to be a life-long horse racing fan?

Before Kelso made his first International attempt in 1961,Sports Illustrated did a cover story on the 4-year-old reigning Horse of theYear (surprisingly, the only time he made the cover), and for several reasonsthe accompanying article by Whitney Tower is intriguing. First, it highlights afact that those knowledgeable of racing history already know—before theBreeders’ Cup, there were races that clearly stood out as championship-caliberevents, but it also took a body of work to crown a champion:

If there were such an event as the world championship horserace, only three classics around the globe could rightfully contend for thishonorary title. They are the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes inmid-July at Ascot, the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in early October at Longchampand the Washington D.C. International at Laurel on Veterans Day. All three arerun over the mile-and-a-half distance and over the internationally acceptedgrass surface.

On performance alone it would be hard to pick against Kelsonext week. Some few do not like his chances because this will be his firststart on a grass track...As a matter of fact, Kelso’s accomplishments have beenso outstanding this year (seven wins in eight starts) that he has alreadyearned our Horse of the Year title for the second season in a row—no matter howhe fares at Laurel.

You’ve got to love the sporting attitude of his owner Allairedu Pont who justified her entering of Kelso in the International by saying:

Kelso has already proved he can run any distance fromsprints to two miles. He has proved he can carry all the weight in the world.To those who claim that Kelso has yet to prove he can handle all kinds oftracks I say that we’ll run at Laurel and show that the grass won’t make anydifference to him.

We rarely find that kind of daring in today’s owners. Jess Jacksonwas such a man. So too is Rick Porter, whose Eight Belles took on the boys inthe 2008 Kentucky Derby and recently stated the Breeders’ Cup Classic is theultimate goal of his talented filly Havre de Grace. How great is it that bothshe and Blind Luck regularly knock heads? This is exactly the kind of rivalrythat horse racing needs, tapping into fans’ deepest passions for trulycompetitive racing.

In that 1961 SI article, I also found this passage ofparticular interest:

When Comte d’Ornano was advised that foreign horses seemunable to make much of an impression at Laurel unless they are fitted toAmerican shoes with calks or toes (disallowed in France) he replied, “Peoplewho have raced at Laurel have told me the same thing. For your type of courseand with the predominance of speed in your races, it is probably true thatunless a European horse is five or six lengths the best of his field, he shouldwear American plates at Laurel. Misti will wear them."

This past weekend, Euro trainer Aidan O’Brien shipped inCape Blanco and Treasure Beach to capture the Arlington Million andSecretariat, respectively. Both raced on Lasix for the first time—a fact thatthe industry press was quick to point out, as if somehow O’Brien’s capitulationwas either a ringing endorsement for Lasix use, or it epitomized the hypocrisyof Europeans’ continuing condemnation of American drug use in racing. As notedin the earlier quoted passage, it’s not a new phenomenon that folks recognizewhen an advantage is had, and will do everything in their power to negate thatadvantage whenever necessary to win. Today it’s still-legal drugs; then it wastoe calks. C'est la vie!

Will the Last Horse Racing Fan Please Turn Out the Lights?

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie Grash) — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 12:30:00 +0000

Reading accounts of Sunday’s Round Table Conference atSaratoga makes me wonder just how much money The Jockey Club wasted hiring the managementconsulting firm McKinsey & Company to write a report that basicallyregurgitated every single idea that bloggers and racing pundits have beenadvocating for years.

“Fewer, better races and better scheduling to increase fieldsize and showcase the best product” and “racing integrity reforms” have beenparticularly popular points of contention for fans, as have no-brainer issueslike “increased television coverage”, “a free-to-play website” and “innovativewagering platforms.” Why did it take some pretentious insider-connected firm tofinally make our long-argued complaints legitimate?

Let’s hope The Jockey Club, not to mention the industry as awhole, takes more serious and immediate action on this report than they did thelast one in 1991 on drug testing. According to The Jockey Club president andCEO James L. Gagliano:

“We now have in our possession a comprehensive and clearly defined strategy for growth. When the initiatives you heard about today have progressed from recommendation to reality, you will see sustainable growth for thoroughbred racing and breeding.”

No offense, Mr. Gagliano, but what malarkey! Taking on onlythe superficial issues of television coverage and creating a social networkgame (which apparently would be primarily geared towards women) is merelyputting a bandage on this industry hemorrhaging fans. According to their wastrelreport, McKinsey estimates that, if current trends continue, “thoroughbred racing will lose fans at a rate of 4 percent a year, and, by 2020, the fan base will be only 64 percent of what it was in 2010.” Considering the fact thathorse racing fans are, by far, an aging demographic—one that is quickly dyingout—it’s not likely they will be replaced by younger fans if all the industryplans to do is apply a little blush and lip gloss to its product.

The McKinsey presenter concluded that all this can be donewithout a “commissioner” and without wide-scale national regulatory action. So, here weare, once again paying lip service to the real issues—and once again frettingabout what is seemingly beyond anyone’s control, the self-destructive nature ofarrogance and power.

What must be addressed is the lack of national leadershipwhen it comes to scheduling and conducting racing, as well as the lack of uniformityin terms of racing regulations and wagering. The Jockey Club isn't the group to lead this fight, despite their apparent arrogant belief that they can. The bigger problem is no one entity wantsto give up their autonomous decision-making, regardless of how much this lackof homogeny hurts the sport—and the industry as a business. Until that day arrives, nothing can right this sinking ship, merely prolonging the agony.

Saturday's Grade 1 Turf Orgy

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie Grash) — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 14:00:00 +0000

Some terrific turf races on tap today, especially the big three at Arlington—the G1 Secretariat, G1 Beverly D and G1 Arlington Million—where the Euro invaders are getting a lot of respect. The G1 Sword Dancer at Saratoga looks short on substance—exactly why it sucks that there is no larger vision for horse racing this country, given that two important G1 turf races are being held on the same day in two different states.

In the Secretariat, I’m not on board with Treasure Beach who looks to want firmer ground than he’ll likely get on Saturday. That Irish Derby victory wasn’t against the strongest field, and he really didn’t look good in his last race, the FR-G1 Grand Prix de Paris. The DRF’s Marcus Hersh reports that he worked up quite a lather Friday morning, something that just doesn’t strike me as particularly positive, so I’m taking a stand against him. It’s actually the Americans who look best to me here, especially Banned and Willcox Inn. Garret Gomez has had good success with Banned, including a facile win in the G2 American Turf, and he appears to like soft turf as well as firm. I’ve been on the Willcox Inn bandwagon since before last year’s Breeders’ Cup, and there’s no doubt he loves his home track. I’m also not counting out Derby Kitten for a piece, now that he’s back on turf after his ill-advised dirt run in the Kentucky Derby. Also of interest is Suntracer, second behind Willcox Inn in his last two outings, but one who should appreciate stretching out to 10 furlongs. His half brother Free Fighter (Out of Place) won multiple times at 12 furlongs on turf (G3 Stars & Stripes, G3 Louisville Handicap), and this son of Kitten’s Joy has defeated Banned earlier this year; soft turf will be to his advantage.

In the Beverly D, I do like Stacelita who didn’t get the best ride in the G1 United Nations last out, yet still finished a close third to Teaks North and Chinchon. She likes it soft, and the distance suits her. One must respect Michael de Kock and River Jetez, but she would prefer firmer going; if she wins, give a HUGE boost to Wigmore Hall in the Million (although I really like his chances regardless). Of the Americans, Fantasia appeals to me, not only because she’s trained by Jonathan Sheppard, but especially due to her G3 Modesty victory last out. From the far outside post, Never Retreat may pop a surprise—she’s an absolute mud-lark—but the distance is a query. Still, her dam is a half-sister to 12-furlong G2 Orchid victress Sweetest Chant, second dam of Distorted Humor. I’m also a huge fan of Upperline, and although she’s never attempted the distance, I think she has a big chance.

For the Million, I’m betting on Wigmore Hall to repeat his strong performance behind Paddy O’Prado in last year’s Secretariat. Cape Blanco would be an appropriate victor, but likely too short a price, especially the softer the ground. However, French-invader Zack Hall looks like an upset chance cutting back in distance—and I think I can get a good price on him. What a cool story it would be if Mission Approved won! He’s been working well in advance of this, so if he gets the lead and then Jose Espinoza slows him down, he could be dangerous. I’ve never been a Gio Ponti fan so I can’t get excited about him, but have no doubt he’ll be in the top three—anything less would be a shocker.

In the G1 Sword Dancer at Saratoga, I find it interesting that Bill Mott is putting Drosselmeyer back on turf, where he began his 2-year-old campaign. The 12-furlong distance certainly isn’t a question and I love Jose Lezcano, so a big chance to upset. The “other” Distorted Humor colt, Boisterous intrigues me, especially considering his form against Cape Blanco and Gio Ponti. His second dam also once ran third behind 1988 Sword Dancer victress Anka Germania which I take as a sign (yes, one of those intuitive things that surely makes me a joke as a handicapper, but...). I’m still concerned about Teaks North getting the distance, and now 6-year-old Winchester may have lost a step or two.

How Do We Get It Done?

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie Grash) — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 12:00:00 +0000

The worst-kept secret in horse racing became official on Wednesday—the Breeders’ Cup is returning to Santa Anita in 2012. Was this decision made for the greater good of the sport? Surely you jest. Everything the Breeders’ Cup does these days is done solely for the benefit of a select number of individuals—and for as big a potential profit as possible. It has nothing to do with presenting the best horse racing possible, nor drawing the interest of fans. They’ve added too damn many races (over one too many days),and now they've pissed off New Yorkers by ignoring Belmont again. And it's all about needing to select a warm-weather site, my ass. How about a return to Lone Star then? Please, the "warm-weather" explanation is lame, not to mention disingenuous. Yes, I froze my tuckus off at Churchill last year, but that's hardly likely to happen again this year. Personally, I'd rather there be a slight chill in the air rather than roasting at 90 to 100 degrees. And besides, attending the races isn't about revealing as much boobage as possible, is it?

The Breeders' Cup organization has completely ignored the original mission of moving the event each year to various tracks, thus engaging a variety of local fans and boosting regional interest in the sport. Seriously, does anyone really think that it’s merely a coincidence that former Breeders’ Cup president Greg Avioli now works for Santa Anita (Frank Stronach) while current Breeders’ Cup president Craig Fravel last worked for another California track, Del Mar? I don’t think so. An inside job if ever there was one. What a joke!

Woodbine and Arlington have two of the finest turf coursesin North America—and each has sponsored the event before. Why weren’t theyconsidered? Oh, they could have applied some would argue, but thefact is, they knew better than to bother wasting time, as the BC is fixated onCalifornia and Kentucky, period.

Other than Californians, not many people are happy about the decision, if comments on forums and in the press are any indication. Most vocal in his outrage is Uncle Mo’s owner Mike Repole who suggests NYRA host its own championships by moving its top season-ending races to run head-to-head against the Breeders’ Cup. I don’t think it’s necessary to move them to the first weekend of November—simply moving key races to, say, Saturday October 20, and bumping up the purses would draw a significant group of prime contenders. And no stupid two-day event with diluted races. One day only with a pure, unadulterated orgy of racing. Can you imagine this 11-race card at Belmont?:

G3 Pilgrim (2yo, 8.5f turf)
G3 Miss Grillo (2yo fillies, 8.5f turf)
G2 Kelso (3up, 1 mile)
G2 Gallant Bloom (3up fillies/mares, 6.5f)
G1 Vosburgh (3up, 6f)
G1 Frizette (2yo fillies, 1 mile)
G1 Champagne (2yo, 1 mile)
G1 Flower Bowl (3up fillies/mares, 10f turf)
G1 Beldame (3up fillies/mares, 9f)
G1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (3up, 10f turf)
G1 Jockey Club Gold Cup (3up, 10f)

What more contests do you need? These existing races coverit all. Oh, they could toss in a maiden special weight and maybe a couple of allowanceraces before and after to flesh it out a bit, but this would be an amazingcard! It's about time someone stands up to the monstrosity that the Breeders' Cup has become.

Now, how do we get it done?

Gotta Love the Grinders

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie Grash) — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Once upon a time it was common to find warhorses that raced dozens of times per year, often with mere days between races—and it wasn’t just cheap low-class horses that did so. While not the most dramatic example, the great mare Gallorette who made 72 starts in 5 years once raced (successfully) three times in the course of 12 days—winning the 7-furlong Bay Shore, followed five days later by a runner-up finish behind Stymie in the 9-furlong Edgemere Handicap, and a week later captured the 9-furlong Beldame. In 1962, Kelso followed up his two-mile Jockey Club Gold Cup win exactly one week later by contesting the 12-furlong Man o’War over his less-than-favored surface (turf) and finished second. Devil Diver won both the Metropolitan and Suburban in 1945, exactly five days apart, and during her 1944 campaign which culminated with a new track-record setting win in the Hollywood Gold Cup, Happy Issue ran 21 times.

Today, in American racing it’s extremely rare to find such durability, but it’s definitely visible abroad, particularly in Australia where, come carnival time, horses are running much more frequently than we normal see here in the U.S. Perhaps that’s why I find it pitiful that recent Test winner Turbulent Descent (apparently without any physical issues to conquer) won’t likely start again until the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint—three months away. Blah! Yet another unfortunate consequence of the disproportionate and, indeed, sport-damaging impact of the Breeders’ Cup, with owners and trainers feeling it necessary to “save” their horses for one year-end race, one big effort. While perhaps financially beneficial, this tactic doesn’t do much to whet fans’ appetites as top horses are raced all too infrequently.

That’s why I love the grinders, horses that plug away regardless of their class level. For that reason, I’m intrigued by an English-raced 4-year-old gelding named Collect Art. By the extremely lightly-raced Footstepsinthesand—a Coolmore-owned son of Giant’s Causeway who only ran three times in his career—Collect Art is out of the Scenic mare Night Scent, which makes him a descendent of Foolish Pleasure. Trained by Andy Haynes who’s based near Bath, Collect Art is a handicap horse who, between January 13 and July 14 of this year, has already run 20 times, mostly in 6-furlong sprints, carrying between 120 and as much as 136 pounds!

What most caught my eye about him, though, was when I started to repeatedly see his name appear in race results in May. A third-place finish on May 2 (just one length back of the winner) was followed by a narrow 3/4 length second-place finish three days later, on May 5. Then he won by over two lengths on May 12, followed two days later by a third-place finish (in a 19-horse field), and then another win on May 20, followed eight days later by another narrow runner-up effort. If that frantic spurt weren’t already impressive enough, how about two consecutive victories (the first carrying the afore-mentioned 136 pounds)—on two consecutive days, on June 7-8! Just three days later, Collect Art was back, finishing a half length back in second, carrying 128 pounds, in a 20-horse field. Now this is the kind of horse that inspires fans!

Drinking the Kool-Aid, Bill Finley

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie Grash) — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 18:35:00 +0000

Like so many others these days stressed out by the state of the world, I’m cranky. Yes, I confess, it’s the little things that are starting to piss me off because I have no control over the bigger issues.

Such as the glut of bad “reality” television on nearly every channel. It’s bad enough that the testosterone-laden History Channel (where apparently only men do things of historical importance like forage for antiques and collectibles from somewhat mentally-challenged hoarders, or from those who must resort to pawning their valuables) has regressed to airing something as completely non-socially redeeming as “Swamp People.” Even Animal Planet is in on the action with the oh-so-culturally-interesting “Hillbilly Handfishin’.”

So-called “chick” channels are no better, where “reality” is filled with nary a working woman, just bad-girls, sluts, cheerleaders, teen moms or beauty pageant mothers. And isn’t that the kind of woman we all want our little girls to grow up to be?

This flood of poor-taste “reality” television is mind-numbing and dim-witted, perfect for a culture blatantly—and proudly—anti-intellectual. God bless America!

In that context, I was repelled by the notion of Del Mar’s recent “match race” between former fiancées Mike Smith and Chantal Sutherland. Seriously, what was the point? It was the horses they rode that ultimate won or lost the race, not them, and did we really need to see either of them awkwardly promoting the event in interviews? It was uncomfortable to watch, pathetic to wager on and just plain demeaning to both jockeys. Yet, over at ESPN.com, Bill Finley “found it to be a lot more entertaining than anything else that happened in horse racing over the weekend.”

Let that sink in for a moment. Yes, a guy who covers horse racing actually said that. Wow, talk about drinking the company Kool-Aid. It was just another in a series of bad ideas by those "leading" the industry, and classy Del Mar should be ashamed that they actually lowered themselves to this level. Then again this is the same track that hosts the not-in-the-least-offensive-or-demeaning Miss Cougar contest...

Truly Meaningless Polls

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie Grash) — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 00:59:00 +0000

The fact that Tizway is now within striking distance of being the NTRA’s top-ranked U.S. thoroughbred is so utterly ridiculous that it strongly calls into question the very existence of such a meaningless, utterly subjective poll in the first place. Jumping on the bandwagon of the latest G1 winner regardless of their body of work appears to be the modus operandi for industry voters—look how many Eclipse voters give disproportionate weight to Breeders’ Cup winners (Dangerous Midge, anyone?). So, in the long run, what possible benefit does such a blatantly biased poll serve the sport?

And it is extremely biased, favoring male routers (who are truly middle-distance horses, at best) over sprinters, turf horses and especially females. But five of the horses in the top 10 are fillies/mares you say? True—and rightly so, as their performances have so far outshone Tizway’s this year that we shouldn’t even be having this conversation. Both Blind Luck and Havre de Grace unquestionably belong in any Horse of the Year discussion, as does Turbulent Descent and It’s Tricky; between the four of them, only once (in a combined total of 20 races) has one of them finished worse than second.

Yes, Tizway won the G1 Met Mile and this past Saturday’s G1 Whitney—but his previous two races this year were hardly worth writing home about. And, yes, the Saratoga track was slowing on Saturday, but his final time (1:52.43) was by far the slowest time since Pilon’s 1:53 in 1959—surely the track wasn’t the slowest it’s been in over 50 years! Given the sad state of the older horse division—the lingering consequences of retiring male horses to stud way too early as has been the practice in recent years—his competition was about as good as it gets. Sadly, that isn’t saying much, but it should. Too bad the NTRA voters don’t have enough sense to consider that.

Among the horses better than Tizway that don’t appear in the top 10? Winter Memories comes to mind, as well as sprinter Sassy Image. Others that should be in the conversation: Courageous Cat and Inglorious, not to mention Euroears. If basing selection merely on G1 wins, Get Stormy should be there, and what about Zazu and St. John’s River, both of whom apparently received no votes at all?

Listen, I love Goldikova as much as the next person, but until a horse runs in this country during this calendar year, it’s seriously moronic to include her on the list. If you include her, why not Frankel, or So You Think, or Black Caviar, or Nathaniel, or...you get the point (I hope).

Bottom line: this poll is just one more dysfunctional thing wrong with how the powers that be approach “marketing” the sport, one more ineffective tool that distracts fans from fully appreciating truly stellar performances whenever and wherever they may occur. That also means we need to seriously rethink the current graded stakes system, since its definition of "quality" certainly appears questionable, not to mention disproportionate.