This page will serve as a repository for my custom made thoroughbred racing videos on youtube.
Zenyatta - Slow Cheetah
- My tribute to the undefeated super-filly Zenyatta, who won the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic in October of 2008 to run her record to 9 for 9 lifetime. The daughter of Street Cry is now the undisputed top filly in N. America, and will return in 2009 for a 5-year-old campaign.
2007 Triple Crown: A Season From Heaven
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Highlights of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Stakes race replays combined with pictures of the winning horses set to “Just Like Heaven” by The Cure. My tribue to the 2007 Triple Crown series that I know I’ll never forget.
Curlin: 2007 Horse of the Year
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My tribute to my favorite horse of all time, the great Curlin. Each horseplayer is passionately devoted to their favorite animal, and luckily for me it looks like mine will return as a 4 year old in 2008. This video follows my awareness of Curlin from when I first saw him in the Arkansas Derby all the way through his triumph in the Breeder’s Cup Classic. Race replays are combined with photos of Curlin to the song “Love and Memories” by OAR.
I was playing Gulfstream the day Curlin broke his maiden and I feel it was his most impressive effort. Green as can be, blew the turn and still was drawing off in hand.
You’ve probably seen the video, but if not you can catch it on Youtube.
Oh I’ve seen the video. Sadly I wasn’t aware of him that day and didn’t catch him until the Arkansas Derby. Even then it was a race replay that I watched. I remember thinking ‘oh my god!!!” But then I questioned who in the world he had faced. From memory and looking back I think there actuallyl were a couple decent horses in the field like Deadly Dealer.
I watched the Derby from the simulcast monitors at Pimlico (with no sound) and had no idea what happened to him for most of the race. Thankfully I had tivo’d the race and was able to go back and watch it over and over again and the more I did the more convinced I was that Curlin was the most amazing horse in the field. I took a lot of heat for sticking by him, as it was quite fashionable amongst many of the pundits to say he was “too green” and that he’d never make up the lengths that Street Sense beat him by. I just knew that Street Sense was going to hit a brick wall soon enough and that all those tough races he had been in had to have taken something out of him.
Hard Spun and Tiago were two of my other favorites. I don’t know what it is about him but I never cared for Street Sense at all. I guess it was just because everyone talked about him as if he was a god or something. I notice the same thing is happening with War Pass this year, and if you notice I’ve already taken a similar stand against him so far. I’m trying to be open minded, but in all honesty I’m really hoping Majestic Warrior, Court Vision, Pyro, or one of the others surpasses him.
I don’t really have my favorites per say. The only two horses I really grew a personal interest in was Smarty Jones because I saw his maiden win, was able to visit his barn prior to the Preakness and saw him train live at Philly Park between the Preakness and the Belmont.
The other was Afleet Alex, I saw him brake his maiden and then went to Delaware for this 2nd start, a non-winners of one win. I didn’t go because of him, it was my birthday but he was impressive that day. I then was at Saratoga for the Hopeful Stakes that summer and he was erratic in the stretch that day but still overcame it. I was at Belmont for his Belmont Stakes win, which was awesome and I guess I grew a liking for him, seeing him two grade 1’s live and his Preakness was unreal.
Hard Spun was a cool horse this year, he was so versatile and possessed blazing speed. My knock on Curlin this year was Asmussen was suspended for 6 months last year. I know a lot of these guys aren’t real clean, but Asmussen is up there on my list with Rick Dutrow, Jeff Mullins, etc when it comes to miracle workers. I just don’t get a good story feeling when a guy wasn’t allowed to train for 6 months because of drug suspensions.
This year I haven’t decided on anyone as my Derby favorite yet. Pyro always puts a run in but he’s got that look of a plodder who no matter how far they go will never get there, kind of like Steppenwolver a few years ago. Jazil is another that comes to mind. Court Vision strikes me as interesting because he has shown some tenacity to overcome a tough trip and he likes to win. He can also be within striking distance as oppose to coming from last. It is early yet.
Really? I’d have pegged you as a guy with some deep running passion for certain horses? I loved Smarty and Barbaro as well. Barbaro in particular because he trained at Fair Hill, which is literrally within site of the house I grew up in. I have fond memories of sneaking into the Fair Hill races as a kid and getting covered in Poison Ivy while donig so.
Smarty was the best horse I had seen until Curlin came around. One of my good friends and probably my favorite “track buddy” when visiting Laurel/Pimlico is a gigantic Smarty fan. I remember at one point during his Belmont run thinking it was over and that a new Triple Crown winner had happened. Of course, I’ve got another friend from college that plays the horses during the Triple Crown each year, and he had a small fortune on Birdstone that day. If memory serves I even argued with him about how crazy he was to bet against Smarty. We should start seeing Smarty’s offspring here soon, right?
I know what you mean about Asmussen, but I don’t hold that against Curlin in any way. His owner situation has been well documented as well. It’s like I tell folks, I’m not cheering for the owner as much as I am cheering for the horse. It’s the horse that captivates me and since he has no say over those intangibles, I don’t hold them against him.
Asmussen can be a miracle guy just as you say. There were times this year (namely after the Haskell) that I seriously questioned “the plan” - but he seems to have known what he was doing.
Regarding Court Vision - glad you agree! That Remsen win was just full of guts in the stretch and I’m a total sucker for such heart and determination.
And don’t get me wrong, that isn’t to say I don’t love the animal part of this game. The heart and determination they show when in a battle is awesome. The stars of this game come and go far to often and the trainers are at times very questionable with regards to following the rules so I just have trouble finding that feel good horse.
And when I say ‘miracle worker” I don’t mean that he devises really good plans, I mean he takes a 3500 claimer like Golden Hare and turns him into a high 80, mid to low 90 Beyer machine that wins 12 of 13 starts in a year. The horse couldn’t win for 3500 dollars and ran a Beyer in the 50’s before they claimed him. Improvements such as those and his drug suspensions just cast a dark looking cloud over not only his barn and his horses but over the game itself, which has enough trouble overcoming the stereotypes of the uninformed world that believes the game is full of crooked criminals and is for the most part fixed. Having a trainer with such a nice horse and recognizable name spending 6 months on the sidelines is bad for every aspect of the game, just as Roger Clemens being named in the Mitchell report is terrible for baseball.
Solid points as usual, Phil. I know that HBO special with Bob Costas was quite a black eye for Steve A and the sport in general. You’re absolutely right that such issues present a hard obstacle for the sport to overcome, much like steroid abuse in baseball and other sports.