Belmont Selections

10 06 2011

Race 6: Grade 1 TVG Acorn

I Want My TVG

The TVG Acorn was placed at the front of the Pick 6 sequence, and this would appear to be at least partially due to the presence of  #2 Turbulent Descent.  The daughter of Congrats is 5 for 6 lifetime, losing only to Zazu last February (whom she promptly returned to defeat next out).  She won’t offer much value at 3/5, but she looks like a worthy favorite and would figure to be very tough to defeat in this race.  She’ll be a single on many Pick 6 tickets and for good reason.  Fellow handicapper Derek Simon has made a few counterpoints regarding the Acorn that are worth checking out, so for those of us singling on the heavy chalk we may find ourselves in Dire Straits attempting to get our money from nothing and our bets for free.

#4 It’s Tricky could be an interesting choice, assuming you are comfortable drawing a line through that last effort in the Gulfstream Oaks.  I think she may be a better horse than either #1 Her Smile or #3 Savvy Supreme, even if the latter can control things from the front end.   All of this sets up what appears to be a very chalky opening to the stakes exotics for the day, so why not spice things up a bit by adding in the longshot of the field underneath at 10/1?  #5 Victoria’s Wildcat is only a neck away from reeling off 4 straight wins since switching to the dirt, and has progressed through the Grade 3 ranks in the process.  She’s improving, has worked well, and at 10/1 I think she’s worth a shot in the underneath slots.

Exacta: 2/4,5

Trifecta: 2/4,5/3,4,5

Race 7: Grade 2 True North Handicap

If (like me) you consider chestnuts to be the most striking of thoroughbreds, the Grade 2 True North is the race for you with 6 of 8 horses sporting the dapper reddish-brown hue.  The formidable coupled entry of Anthony Dutrow runners breaking from the inside and outside (chestnuts both) have earned slight morning line favoritism at 2/1 and would appear to be logical horses you’d have to cover on the exotics.  #1 D’funnybone is best going another furlong, and #1A This Ones For Phil, while very fast, is lightly raced in the last year and a half.  I don’t think they can be considered slam dunks and I’ll make an attempt to beat them in my exacta/trifecta plays.

#3 Trappe Shot (also a chestnut) for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin is my top choice here.  The son of Tapit was 2nd in the G1 Haskell last summer while routing, and has been dangerous on this track and at the distance.  I still think he could have a future going 2 turns as well, but for now the connections seem content on sprinting.  I’ll also take a chance with multiple G3 winner #5 Calibrachoa (not a chestnut) on top in search of slightly greater value.  He’s won four straight before the recent break but will have to bring his best to win this.  #2 Wildcat Brief (another chestnut) could round things out rolling late for and underneath placement.

Exacta: 3,5/1,3,5  

Trifecta: 3,5/1,3,5/1,2,3,5

Race 7: Grade 2 Woody Stephens

There is no Woody Stephens, only Zuul!!!

Looking over the Woody Stephens field, I couldn’t help but remember the line in Ghostbusters just before the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man lumbered his way on screen.  ”The traveller has been chosen!”  That would seem to be a fitting euphemism for this year’s race, given the names of  two logical win candidates in this field.  Unfortunately, they are the top choices on the morning line.

#1 Travellin Man cuts back to the 7 furlong distance that he prevailed at in the G2 Swale.  Of particular interest for this race is his propensity to finish ahead of #6 Little Drama in two of his recent starts (though also note he was defeated by #7 J J’s Lucky Train last out).

James Jerkens will send out #5 Arch Traveller, who made a significant speed figure improvement in his last start over the Belmont dirt.  Bounce players may be looking for a regression, but the son of Sky Mesa has won his last three races that did not include the likes of Dialed In or Shackleford.  We’ll go ahead and make him top selection for now, but will keep a close eye on the tote board to see which travel-themed entry gives us the best value.

As for #6 Little Drama, like the name implies he is capable of making things interesting, but he seems more likely to settle for an underneath placement.   A horse that might be being overlooked here is the outside runner #7 J J’s Lucky Train.  As previously noted , he’s finished ahead of the favorite in the last effort, and has also beaten another of today’s rivals, #2 Justin Phillip (who is still seeking his first stakes victory).  I’ll be adding this one to my exotics and hoping for a possible price.

Exacta: 1,5/1,5,6,7

Trifecta: 1,5/1,5,7/1,5,6,7

 Pick 4 (Races 8 through 11): 1,5,7/1,2,5/4,7 /1,5,6,9,12

Race 9: Grade 1 Just A Game

Outside of the contentious feature race of the day, the Just A Game may be the best betting race of the sequence.  It’s certainly among the most difficult to decipher.  Many times handicappers will search for a key race to serve as a barometer when measuring closely ranked contenders.  While we don’t have that here, we do have what might be considered a key horse, as 6 of the 9 runners show a recent tilt against Never Retreat, with varying degrees of success.

Morning line favoritism has been awarded to #2 Aviate, who skipped over the Churchill surface on Derby day to win her first U.S. race (losing her U.S. debut to, you guessed it, Never Retreat).  The Churchill turf was listed as firm that day, but I think there was a little give in the ground and this daughter of Dansili would likely enjoy a little moisture if the heavens decide to open up.  She has trained over the Belmont turf within the last week and certainly is a serious contender you have to respect in the exotics, but as far as single race wagers go this race looks competitive enough to try and beat her at a price.

#1 Gypsy’s Warning heads out for trainer Graham Motion after a very disappointing 7th place finish in the G2 Jenny Wiley in mid-April.  Perhaps she just wasn’t fond of the Keeneland grass?  If you draw a line through that race, she’s a Grade 1 winner at the mile distance, although that was out at Hollywood.  A win for Graham Motion here would be totally mag (gypsy for magnificent), and 5/1 is a fair price in my opinion.   The rest of the field has taken turns beating each other and competing with Never Retreat, making them very difficult to separate beyond these top two.

I thought #5 Strike The Bell was a little interesting here at 12/1 with the always dangerous Ramon Dominguez aboard.  The daughter of Mizzen Mast seems to run her best at the mile distance and seems to do okay on the Belmont turf.  #6 Fantasia and #4 C.S. Silk are also logical contenders at decent odds.  #3 Amen Hallelujah is a near lock to hit the board, but I can’t play to her win as she hasn’t prevailed since last February.

Exacta: 1,2,5 (box)

Trifecta: 1/2,3,5/2,3,4,5,6,7

Race 10: Grade 1 Woodford Reserve Manhattan Handicap 

There’s a decidedly royal theme when looking over the field for the The Manhattan – which is fitting for a race marking the return of the U.S. turf king #4 Gio Ponti.  Gio will have to overcome the much ballyhooed Dubai bounce to prevail, but the 6/5 morning line favorite has been stateside for a while now showing 4 local works over the Belmont turf.  He’s thrived here before, winning 5 races and finishing in the exacta in all 8 attempts.  Just keep in mind that stranger things have happened as Gio lost this race last year to stablemate Winchester in a similar setup (prompting yours truly to declare Winchester “a repeater”).

To be fair, the rest of the field doesn’t look particularly difficult to overcome. We don’t have a contender coming in with form quite like Winchester did last year, but you may want to think about adding in #7 Prince Will I Am as a logical contender for top honors.  The son of Victory Gallop has quietly had a decent 2011 campaign with a victory at the G2 level and a respectable 5th in the G1 Turf Classic.

The other contenders that appear to have an outside chance include #6 Viscount Nelson, who would be more attractive to me if he hadn’t raced in Ireland as recently as 6/3, and #3 Windward Islands who appears to be a logical horse to use underneath in the exotics and could be a Falklands style thorn in the side of the other royals.  Lastly, for the feel-good story of the year, I’ll try to find a way to use #2 Bold Hawk on the bottom of my tickets.

Exacta: 4,7/3,4,6,7

Trifecta: 4/3,6,7/2,3,5,6,7

Race 11:  G1 Belmont Stakes

And down the stretch we come.  Every year it seems the end of the Triple Crown season gets here faster than before.  What a season it’s been for bettors as well.  Animal Kingdom and Shackleford lighting up the tote board in the Derby and Preakness?  Favorites failing in both legs so far?  One would expect that trend may continue here in the final 2 furlongs of the Belmont – a race which has not been particularly kind to Derby and/or Preakness winners in recent history.  That said, I do believe that #9 Animal Kingdom and #12 Shackleford have established themselves as the cream of the crop thus far.  Animal Kingdom in particular should get the Belmont distance without any trouble, but he’s going to need to be a bit closer up than he was in the Preakness as the Belmont does not traditionally setup well for a late closer.  Somewhere around midpack would be ideal, I would think.

Shack-attack drew fairly poorly to the outside, which means he may have to run a step or two quicker towards the first turn than they’d prefer.  His best chance would be to get clear and then try to slow things down, I would think.   As for the “world’s biggest Shackleford fan” here at home with me (my wife)?  She thinks he doesn’t have a good chance to win here due to the distance, and I’d tend to agree with her.  I’m still going to cover him in the exotics, but I’m definitely leaning elsewhere with my top selections.  As for the Animal?  Big chance – but the odds are too low to get excited about.

Looking elsewhere in the field, I thought #1 Master of Hounds was a logical horse to consider adding in at a square price of 10/1 on the morning line.  He finished respectably in the Derby (5th) and like the favorite should be able to handle the distance without too much difficulty.  I haven’t heard much about him this week though, and coupled with Animal Kingdom would make my selections a tad closer-heavy for the moment.

#6 Nehro is a fairly obvious contender to include on my plays.  To be honest, I’d probably make the fiddling emperor top choice if not for slight concerns I have about the distance and with respect to jockey Cory Nakatani’s ability to get a prime trip out of him.  That move he made in the Derby to challenge Shackleford looked like it was going to win the day, and a similar trip gets him first jump on Shackleford as the field enters the stretch, which should give him a big shot.  There’s not much value to be had though at 4/1.

I’m also going to add in #5 Brilliant Speed as the bomber play for my tickets.  Admittedly it’s a wing and a prayer, but I do love me some Dynaformers and I’d like to see trainer Tom Albertrani take a Triple Crown race like I thought he might do with Odysseus last year.  Hopefully, as has been rumored, he’ll be closer up early on and not just another late running closer in my selections.

Obviously then, if recent history is any indication, your likely winners will be the horses I’m not playing, in particular #2 Stay Thirsty, #4 Santiva, or #10 Mucho Macho Man.  I could make a case for these guys as well, but you know the drill – can’t pick ‘em all.

Exacta/Superfecta: 1,5,6,9,12 (box)


Comments : 11 Comments »
Tags: , , , , , ,
Categories : Animal Kingdom, Belmont Park, Belmont Stakes, Handicapping Selections, horse racing, Shackleford, Triple Crown, Triple Crown Coverage

Belmont State of Mind

6 06 2010

“I’m the new Sinatra and since I made it here I can make it anywhere.  Yeah they love me everywhere.”

Jasmine Villegas - who upset fans and horses alike with her god awful singing at Belmont on Saturday.

The above statement is contained in the opening lyrics of the Jay-Z/Alicia Keys hit “Empire State of Mind” – which in an ironic twist replaced the traditional singing of Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York”  on Saturday prior to the 142nd running of the Belmont Stakes.  With the original artists unable to attend, teen sensation Jasmine Villegas was called on  to offer her vocal skills to the crowd.  The result, at least from what we saw on the television broadcast, was an unmitigated disaster of epic proportions.

How bad was it?

The performance was so brutal that ABC actually cut away from the unfolding catastrophe in order to go to commercial break.  A merciful decision that no doubt spared the eyeballs of countless viewers from being jabbed with writing utensils or other blunt objects.  Upon returning to the coverage, it was suggested that the beached-whale-with-a-hernia sounding notes had actually upset Make Music for Me (rather ironic, given the horse’s name).

Look, I don’t mean to be too harsh (especially towards a 16-year-old) – as I’m all for trying new things in an effort to connect more with the next generation. It’s just that the performance by Villegas actually set a new standard of “bad” for me – replacing such cherished moments as William Hung’s initial American Idol audition and Roseanne Barr’s rendition of the National Anthem.  What I find absolutely unbelievable are the celebrity chasers out there calling the performance “brilliant”. Either those pieces were written ahead of time or it proves that some folks are so obsessed with celebs that no matter what they do it will be referred to as brilliant.

The sub par effort  by the “star” Villegas may have been a bad omen for the heavy favorite in the Belmont as well; Ice Box.   The son of Pulpit would never quite get unwound in the stretch, finishing completely off the board in 8th place.  Nick Zito mentioned that we “hadn’t seen the real Ice Box today” in post race interviews.  Indeed – just as we hadn’t heard the real “Empire State of Mind” either.  I’m sure the pedestrian opening half-mile fractions set by First Dude didn’t help the situation – and of course it’s always possible that Ice Box was still sorting out in his head whether Villegas effort qualified as music or whether NYRA had been sacrificing moose live over the PA system in some sort of shocking cult ritual.  In that sense, it’s understandable that he didn’t show up with his best stuff.

Villegas and Ice Box weren’t the only ones turning in crappy performances though.   If I’m going to be a harsh critic, it’s only fair that I do the same with my own selections.  I didn’t have the winner of the Belmont anywhere on my radar going into the race.  In fact, I had called Drosselmeyer a “money burner” in a conversation with a work buddy earlier in the week (in my defense, Drosselmeyer had lost as favorite in 4 of his 8 lifetime races coming into the Belmont, so the description seemed to fit for the moment).  He and Uptowncharlybrown were complete toss-outs for me that I expected would be overbet at the windows.  I gave them no chance.

Full Results Chart from Equibase

We had noted earlier in the week that the Belmont needed a hero. Thankfully, Drosselmeyer was not affected by the off-key tone and butchered notes.  The son of Distorted Humor sports German sounding nomenclature inspired by The Nutcracker (“Herr Drosselmeyer”), so perhaps we should not have been surprised?  It is the Teutons after all who celebrate the musical talents of David Hasselhoff and persist in keeping reruns of ALF culturally relevant.

None of that previous history mattered as Drosselmeyer entered the post parade.  He looked absolutely regal with his chestnut coat showing a fine glow and his ears perked up suggesting readiness for a top performance.  If I had spent just a few more moments focusing on the trouble he had encountered in the Risen Star, Louisiana Derby, and Dwyer Stakes (Grade 2′s all), perhaps I could’ve cashed in on his 13-1 goodness?

Instead, I was stuck ripping up my First Dude and Ice Box themed tickets.  In that sense, I seem to share the fate of Villegas and Ice Box – an utter failure on Belmont Saturday!

But wait – there’s more!!!

Did anyone out there actually get to witness the Woodford Reserve Manhattan Handicap?  Probably not, considering it wasn’t televised live anywhere.  I’m thinking there may have been a ripple in space-time that has opened up a series of tangent universes out there – where every conceivable possibility for the race has played itself out.  We seem to exist in one of  those bubbles in which an improbable outcome took place.  Winchester, an off the charts longshot, somehow managed to upset a defending 2009 Eclipse Award winner in Gio Ponti to win his second race in a row – proving that yes, definitively, Winchester is a repeater.

I don’t know who dropped the ball on this one, but to have an entire crew from ABC/ESPN on location covering the Belmont, and then to pay absolutely no attention to a Grade 1 turf race featuring the return of the top U.S. turf horse from the previous year?

Epic fail – perhaps even more so than Villegas, Ice Box, or my own god awful selections.

So where does the weekend leave us?  Just as expected, really – with more questions than answers.   I don’t think we have a clear picture of the 3-year-old division even now.  I’d still lean towards Lucky as the overall leader – but Drosselmeyer and Fly Down have moved into the discussion by finishing 1, 2 in the Belmont.  I really thought my boy First Dude was in good shape after the opening half mile – and I’d suspect we’ll see some more of him this summer as well – provided the dude abides.

Hopefully though we’ve seen the last of sub-par musical performances aimed at gen-next…and equally awful handicapping selections.

Hats off to the connections of Drosselmeyer for their big Belmont victory.  I sure hope SOMEBODY out there managed to take down that Pick 4 for $167k!!!!


Comments : 19 Comments »
Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Categories : Belmont Park, Belmont Stakes, horse racing, Horse Racing News, Ice Box, Triple Crown

Belmont Selections

3 06 2010

The dude abides the 142nd running of the Belmont Stakes

Almost as soon as the Triple Crown season begins – it comes to a close.  In some ways it feels like just yesterday I was watching Odysseus win the Tampa Bay Derby and wishing he would earn his way into the Derby.  We all know how that played out.  In other ways it seems a lifetime has passed since Lookin at Lucky finally got the trip he deserved and staked his claim atop the 3-year-old division.

On Saturday the season winds up with the 142nd running of the Belmont Stakes – but one might say that in reality the season is only beginning.  We’ve still just as many questions as we do answers, and the division as a whole (beyond Lucky’s victory) has not really shaken itself out definitively.  Much could change this weekend, but the consensus seems to be that we’ll see some fairly competitive and wide open races throughout the summer.

We’ll kick things off with our selections beginning in Race 8 – as that starts the “all stakes Pick 4″ sequence.  Technically the stakes action begins 2 races earlier in Race 6, but there’s not a whole lot to see beyond the matchup of Eightyfiveinafifty and D’funnybone.  The real action comes later.

Race 8 – The Grade 2 True North Handicap – 6 Furlongs

The True North is headlined by multiple stakes winning Custom for Carlos.  The son of More Than Ready has proved lethal at this distance with 5 wins and 2 place finishes in 7 lifetime starts.  One thing he has not done is prove victorious beyond the Grade 3 level.  That should change on Saturday.

The most likely contender that will take action at the betting windows is the French-bred Bribon – a proven Grade 1 winner that has specialized lately at the mile distance.  Prior to the races that appear on his past performances, he did run 4 times at the 6 furlong distance and was quite good – hitting the board 3 times and winning once.  Bribon is the most accomplished of the field on the Belmont main track, with 3 wins in 8 lifetime starts.

Of the rest of the field, two longer priced horses gave me pause.  Checklist exits a career best victory at Gulfstream Park in which he blew away a field of questionable quality by 11 lengths.  I don’t care who you beat – if you win a sprint by 11 lengths, you’re doing something right.  Together with Bribon, Checklist gives Todd Pletcher a formidable duo in this race.

The other horse that intrigued me was Elusive Warning.   He was no match for ‘Carlos in the G3 Toboggan and may be best used in the underneath positions of exotic wagers – but if you know me well enough you know that I love to play Alan Garcia in New York.  His bullet workout on 5/27 was a bit out of character – so I’m guessing the light bulb may have switched on here for the son of Elusive Quality.

Selections:

  • #2 Custom for Carlos (5/2*)
  • #3 Bribon (3/1)
  • #7 Elusive Warning (8/1)

Race 9 – The Grade 1 TVG Betfair Acorn – 1 Mile

The Acorn looks to be perhaps the most interesting race in the Pick 4 sequence.  Tanda is a horse I went into my handicapping fully expecting to single.  My hunch is that the daughter of Sweetsouthernsaint is one of the better 3-year-old fillies in the land.  That being said, it’s hard to take a full stand on a horse that is trying a new distance on a new surface for the first time.  I’m not one that generally worries about the synthetic-to-dirt angle – it’s just that this field also came up incredibly tough.  She’s still my top choice, but this may be a tough one.

Seeking the Title was a horse I was fairly high on going into the G2 Black Eyed Susan on Preakness weekend.  She promptly rewarded my loyalty by tossing Kent Desormeaux and failing to officially finish the race.  Thankfully she wasn’t injured – and I’d like to see her run the race this weekend that I was expecting 3 Saturdays ago.

A horse that may get lost in the shuffle that I think warrants strong consideration here is Much Rejoicing.  The lightly raced daughter of Distorted Humor is making only her 3rd lifetime start, but I LOVE what I see in her profile.  She’s won convincingly in each race thus far, and even managed to defeat another horse I think warrants some consideration in this field in Buckleupbuttercup last out.  If she moves forward on Saturday (and look who’s aboard – my man Alan Garcia), she fits with this group.

I’m taking a stand against Tidal Pool, Champagne d’Oro, and Amen Hallelujah, even though it would be no surprise to see any of them win as they are all capable.

Selections:

  • #2 Tanda (5/1)
  • #8 Much Rejoicing (10/1)
  • #4 Seeking the Title (10/1)

Race 10 – The Manhattan Woodford Reserve – 1 1/4 Miles

The Manhattan would become a lot more interesting if for some reason the Gio Ponti that we all knew and loved on the turf last year did not show up.  If he does, this race may be over before it’s run.   This is a fairly evenly matched field though, and all in all I decided to add in an old friend who cost me the Derby Day Pick 4 by failing to defeat General Quarters (Court Vision), and a horse that – as I had predicted in a chat on Iron Maidens the night before the Preakness – knocked me out of the Pick 6 at Pimlico in the Dixie Stakes (Strike a Deal).

Selections:

  • #1 Gio Ponti (2/1*)
  • #6 Court Vision (4/1)
  • #2 Strike a Deal (12/1)

Race 11 – The Grade 1 Belmont  - 1 1/2 Miles

Ah, the feature race of the day!  Belmont 134! The first thing that jumps out to me here is the interesting parallel to last year’s Belmont.  We went into the ’09 Belmont focused on “the Bird” in the form of Derby champion Mine That Bird, only to be wowed by the “other Bird” in Summer Bird (who oddly enough was just announced as being retired).   This year, instead of bird’s, we’ve got “dudes”, and you know what – the Dude abides.  The Dude most definitely abides.

Most of the attention will be rightly focused on the fast closing Ice Box, coming off his scintillating performance in the Derby.  My only problem with Ice Box is that the pace setup could be questionable.  First Dude looks like a possible lone speed candidate, but Spangled Star may have something to say about that.  First Dude will certainly have to go from the 11 hole, and if Spangled Star harasses him early on, one can picture the dude retorting “this will not stand, man!  This aggression will not stand!!!”

That might set things up for Ice Box, or perhaps even the “other dude” (remember – the ringer cannot look suspicious….even if filled with dirty undies).  Game On Dude should be positioned to be among those getting “first run” at First Dude and Spangled Star if in fact they do hook up on the front end.

Another closer I don’t think you can overlook in this race is Stately Victor.  The son of Ghostzapper is well-bred for this affair – and like Lucky in the Preakness could use a bit of racing help from up above.

So where do I wind up?  I’m guessing that Dude gets loose on the lead and that the others have a tough time reeling him in.  I can see Ice Box flying late just as he did at Churchill – and while I’ll definitely include him on my exotics, I’m going to make him 2nd choice.  I’m torn between Stately Victor and Game on Dude for 3rd selection, and went with the “other dude” based on the pace setup – but I’ll be using the statesmen as well.  Interactif could be somewhat interesting in here as well as he doesn’t figure to have as much left to do in the late stages of the race as others.

So, you know, that’s just like, my opinion, man.

And yes, before you ask – this means that I’m going slightly against the wishes of Otsu/Setsuko in our Belmont parody video.

Selections:

  • #11 First Dude (7/2)
  • #6 Ice Box (3/1*)
  • #8 Game On Dude (10/1)

As for that Pick 4 I’m thinking of playing?  It might go something like this:

2,3 with 2,4,8 with 1 with 5,6,8,11 ($24)

Best of luck to everyone!


Comments : 15 Comments »
Tags: , , , , , , ,
Categories : Belmont Park, Handicapping Selections, horse racing, Horse Racing News, Ice Box, Interactif, Triple Crown, Triple Crown Coverage

Breeders’ Cup Classic Selections

5 11 2009

Finally – it’s Classic time.  The “race of the year” (although not necessarily for Horse of the Year, as evidenced by recent history) for an overall purse of $5 million.  Obviously the story of the race is the entry of the undefeated mare Zenyatta – one of the sports biggest stars in North America and a hometown hero that the masses will turn out to support in droves for her first try against the boys.

Last year we had another equally beloved North American horse coming in as the heavy favorite.  Of course I’m talking here of my beloved Curlin.  Despite a bold move as the field neared the top of the stretch that at first glance appeared to be trademarked, patented Curlin - he ultimately floundered through the final furlong and wound up finishing 4th, passed by two horses that had shipped in from Europe in both Raven’s Pass and Henrythenavigator. 

Will things be different this year?  It was supposed to be the “year of the filly” – but the Fighting Phils blew the World Series to the N.Y. Yankees last night.  Still, might that be a favorable omen for Zenyatta?  Think about it – if her biggest threats are coming from across the pond once again, then is it a good sign that the “Yankees” won?   We horseplayers are nothing if not superstitious, so it’s something to think about.

Speaking of which – I’d encourage ALL horseplayers to go to our TBA homepage right now and play along with our “BC Picks” feature.  Basically it’s just a google doc spreadsheet.  Contact Handride if you have any questions about how to enter your picks.  I see at least one regular reader (Mark Ripple) is already there – hopefully we’ll see more of you shortly. 

Since this post will also be featured until I return from the Breeders’ Cup Sunday evening, I’d also like to point out that I’ve updated the page entitled “2009 Breeders’ Cup” so that you can easily navigate to the selections/analysis for each of the BC races this weekend.  Basically it’s the old “2009 Triple Crown” page that used to be in the same spot – only that information has been moved down a few notches.  Just trying to keep things as easy as can be for the readers here.

Getting back to the Classic, the field sets up like this:

  1. Mine That Bird (12/1)
  2. Colonel John (12/1)
  3. Summer Bird (9/2)
  4. Zenyatta (5/2*)
  5. Twice Over (20/1)
  6. Richard’s Kid (12/1)
  7. Gio Ponti (12/1)
  8. Einstein (12/1)
  9. Girolamo (20/1)
  10.  Rip Van Winkle (7/2)
  11.  Regal Ransom (20/1)
  12.  Quality Road (12/1)
  13.  Awesome Gem (30/1)

“Slow Cheetah come, it’s so euphoric.  Looks like it’s on today…”  (“Slow Cheetah” being my pet name for Zenyatta)

MINE THAT BIRD – the 3-year-old “little gelding who could” that shocked the world with his stunning 50/1 upset in the Kentucky Derby back in May.  Sadly, that was the last time he found the winner’s circle, although he did come charging well late against Rachel Alexandra in the Preakness.  He just hasn’t seemed the same horse since then, and his relatively uninspiring effort over the Santa Anita Pro Ride in the Goodwood (Grade 1) last month does not leave me thinking he’s got much of a chance here.  He’s shocked us before – so keep that in mind before you toss him out, but as much as I like this gelding and his trainer, Chip Woolley Jr., I’m just not seeing it.

COLONEL JOHN was my original selection for the 2008 Kentucky Derby.  Since then I’ve had a bit of a tough love relationship with him.  He’s a Tiznow colt, and I’m nothing if not a Tiznow fan, so he’ll always hold a special place in my heart.  It just seems like whenever I expect big things from him, he struggles, and whenever I dismiss his chances, he runs huge.  He’s capable of running big here, but I’m going to consider others as more solid selections for win honors.  If my Colonel John conundrum continues, that might suggest he’s primed for his best performance.  For now, I’ll say he’s a contender and leave it at that. 

SUMMER BIRD might be the forgotten colt of the entire field.  This is likely due to his lack of previous racing experience over the synthetic surfaces.  The son of Birdstone did train over the Santa Anita Pro Ride before joining the barn of Trainer Tim Ice – a man who was beyond awesome to my entire family on Haskell day at Monmouth Park.  Since we got to meet Summer Bird that day, and since he was my wife’s Belmont pick, you best believe he’ll be on all my tickets.  Am I worried about the synthetics?  Nope, not at all – and my gut tells me this guy is one of the better North American horses in racing.  Case in point – immediately following the Haskell, our conversations with Ice revealed that he didn’t want to run into Rachel Alexandra ever again, but he’s confident enough again in his colt following his victories in the Travers and the Jockey Club Gold Cup that he now publicly states he wants another shot at her.  Not many folks would say such a thing – and Tim is a consummate gentlemen, so don’t mistake that for false bravado.  He’s sincere in everything he says, which tells me this colt is poised.  Big factor – and expect to see those odd s of 9/2 improve dramatically once the betting windows open up.

ZENYATTA - what’s left to say about my beloved “Slow Cheetah?”  The 50-foot woman…the undefeated super star who has been the poster girl for California racing for 2 seasons now.  This is her biggest moment, and while she’s facing boys for the first time and taking on a new distance as well, she’s simply one of the classiest animals I’ve had the pleasure of seeing.  If this is indeed her swan song (which recent discussions suggest it will not be), then it shall be with a watery eye that I bid her farewell.  My love affair with Zenyatta began the evening she broke her maiden in her debut in late 2007.  I had just decided to start posting picks online and experimenting with these peculiarities called “blogs.”  The rest, quite literally, is history.  I’m expecting her finest hour – and that’s exactly what it will likely take to prevail.  If this plays out the way she usually does things, expect a heart-stopping photo finish type of cliffhanger ending at the wire.  You KNOW she’ll be flying late. 

TWICE OVER is the sneakiest of the European invaders by virtue of being 20/1 on the morning line.  I’ll say this, given the fact that European shippers ran 1, 2 in the 2008 Breeders’ Cup Classic, wouldn’t it make sense to at least take a flyer on a RIP VAN WINKLE/TWICE OVER exacta here?  We are, after all, talking about a horse that has won 3 straight overseas, including besting the filly Sariska in the Champion Stakes (Group 1).  He didn’t appear to run his best race when he tangled with RIP VAN WINKLE in the Eclipse Stakes back in July, but his running line denotes that he was “bumped’ in that race.  Further, he simply might be a better horse now than he was back then.  Very interesting and quite usable colt given the 20/1 value on the morning line.

RICHARD’S KID was the upset special for trainer Bob Baffert in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic in early September.  The son of Lemon Drop Kid shocked us all by beating EINSTEIN at 24/1, and then returned to run 3rd beaten only a length to COLONEL JOHN and Gitano Hernando.  In other words, he doesn’t appear to be a fluke, so you might want to keep him around on your tickets. 

GIO PONTI is probably the best North American turf horse at the moment.  So what’s he doing here rather than racing in the BC Turf?  I’m not entirely certain, although it would appear he does seem to favor the 10 furlong distance.  The son of Tale of the Cat did win here in the Sir Beaufort over the Pro Ride when that race came off the turf last December.  If you’re a believer that turf form translates well to the Pro Ride, then you shouldn’t have any doubts about his chances.  He has to be considered a player in here with a chance.

EINSTEIN is the hard trying son of Spend a Buck that has earned fans from all over the nation the past 3 years.  I’ll always remember the first time I saw him live on Preakness Day in 2007, when a spill caused him to toss jockey Robby Albarado just 2 races before Curlin’s date with destiny in the Preakness.  Ultimately we lost the colt Mending Fences that day, but since then Einstein has gone on to become one of the most versatile horses in all of racing.  His motto, if he could speak, would surely be something along the lines of “any surface, any track, any time.”  A rare Grade 1 winner on dirt, turf, and synthetics.  He’s run into some hard luck and close finishes this year, so it would be nice to see him fight his way back into the winner’s circle.  Ultimately I like him better as an underneath play here. 

GIROLAMO is the most lightly raced of the contenders, and a 3-year-old son of A. P. Indy.  He’s never been two turns before, but his pedigree suggests he’ll handle it.  For me the tougher question is figuring out where he might fit into the equation pace wise.  I’m guessing he’ll be right up there trying to go with Regal Ransom.  He’s definitely a nice colt that is on the improve and eligible to continue to move forwad, but he’ll be on a new surface, going two turns for the first time, and facing a level of competition he’s never seen before.  That might be asking just a tad too much here.

RIP VAN WINKLE is the main threat to ZENYATTA’s quest for glory here in the Classic.  The son of Galileo has been very sharp lately, taking both the Sussex Stakes and the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (Group 1 races both) in his last two efforts.  Prior to that he was only 1 length behind Sea the Stars in the Eclipse Stakes (and, notably, 4 1/2 lengths in front of Conduit – whom I just made top selection in the BC Turf….hmmmmm).  In fact, he lost 3 straight to Sea the Stars, but never finished worse than 4th and was never further than 2 1/2 lengths from the colt considered by many to be among the best they have ever seen in Europe.  Trainer Aidan O’Brien and jockey Johnny Murtagh will team up once again here and look to steal the victory from the hometown hero.  The obvious question will be how he handles the synthetics, and as always one must take a bit of a leap of faith in backing a runner like this, but he does look tough to deal with here.  In fact, he looks tougher than anything ZENYATTA has ever seen.  As much as it pains me to do it, he’s going to be the top pick. Don’t “sleep” on this guy (lame, I know, but I couldn’t resist).

REGAL RANSOM is a horse I was admittedly quite enamored with during the Triple Crown season earlier this year.  Things didn’t quite work out for him, as he finished 8th over the Churchill slop on Derby day, but he did return to wire the field in the Super Derby last out (Grade 2).  He seems to be a legit pace factor here, and that could have him in a favorable position if he were to get loose on the lead.  Of course, as mentioned earlier, GIRALOMO appears to want to have something to say about that, and so might QUALITY ROAD, so it’s not enough to make me think upset here.  Word is that he has been working extremely well here, so definitely think about using him underneath on the exotics.

QUALITY ROAD was once my top Derby selection for 2009.  This means that my top Derby picks for the last 2 years are now here in this race.  The speedy son of Elusive Quality has been unable to catch SUMMER BIRD in his last two starts over wet surfaces in New York.  I’d expect him to be on the muscle early on and looking to press REGAL RANSOM should that one try to waltz away with things untested early on.  It’s hard for me to think he’ll win this, but he can still be a factor.  One angle to keep in mind is that this is a colt who had some issues with his feet earlier in the year, and quite a few horses with similar problems have really taken to the softer synthetic surfaces. 

AWESOME GEM was the third place finisher in the 2007 Classic behind Curlin and Hard Spun. Last year he finished 6th in the BC Mile.  I’d give him a shot if we were on a true dirt surface and rain was in the forecast, but his 1 for 12 record on synthetics leaves me thinking he’s an outsider here.

How do I see this race playing out?  I think REGAL RANSOM, QUALITY ROAD, and GIROLAMO will contest things early on .  As the field nears the turn, ZENYATTA will start to uncoil and swing wide (like she always does) and start mowing down horses in front of her.  RIP VAN WINKLE will be a bit more forwardly placed along with SUMMER BIRD, EINSTEIN, and TWICE OVER.  This group will actually get frist run at the leading trio, with ZENYATTA, COLONEL JOHN, RICHARD’s KID, MINE THAT BIRD, and GIO PONTI further back. 

I like RIP VAN WINKLE and ZENYATTA to rise to the top, due to their respective class, and leave us with a finish for th ages.  I’m calling a photo finish that could go either way depending on the head bob.  Two gutsy, world class competitors leaving it all on the line.  No quarter shall be asked, and none shall be given.  God bless ‘em, this ought to be a good one.

Selections:

  • #10 Rip Van Winkle (7/2)
  • #4 Zenyatta (5/2*)
  • #3 Summer Bird (9/2)

Best of luck to all!  May this be a Breeders’ Cup to remember.  Don’t forget that we’ve got all 13 of the previous Breeders’ Cup races for the weekend covered as well.  For quick access, you can locate those posts here.


Comments : 5 Comments »
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Categories : Breeders' Cup, Breeders' Cup Coverage, Colonel John, Einstein, Handicapping Selections, horse racing, Mine That Bird, Quality Road, Santa Anita, Summer Bird, TBA, Zenyatta

The Stars Attempt to Shine

2 10 2009

This weekend kicks off an action packed, star studded 48 hours of thoroughbred racing action, capped off by the running of the world’s premier turf race, the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp.  If the weather holds up well enough, European phenom SEA THE STARS is set to go to post as the heavy Arc favorite.  Not to be entirely outdone, the U.S. has it’s own prestigious races to offer to the gods of weekend racing as the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup highlights a remarkable Saturday card at Belmont Park.

(NOTE: If interested, you can read my latest thoughts on the weekend races with Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic implications – namely the Beldame, the Fitz Dixon Cotillion, and the Cal Cup Classic in my most recent offering on the NTRA website.)

 

  

10/4 – Longchamp (France) – Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe

We’ll do things backwards here from a chronological perspective as obviously the Arc is the big story this weekend and rightfully deserves the most attention.  Roughly $5.84 million in purse money is on the line when the horses go to post this Sunday.  Epsom Derby winner SEA THE STARS has drawn comparisons to some of the all time greats while running up an impressive list of 5 consecutive Group One victories.  Trainer John Oxx has referred to him lovingly as “the horse of a lifetime.” 

The Irish colt’s dam, Urban Sea, was crowned Arc champion in 1993, meaning he’s got it in his genes beyond the obvious visual talent we’ve seen on display thus far.  The only concern might be mother nature, as he may be a bit vulnerable if rain enters the forecast.  For the moment at least, that does not appear to be the case. 

Lining up against SEA THE STARS is a salty group of accomplished runners, including CONDUIT, the 2008 Breeders’ Cup Turf champion.  YOUMZAIN will also be looking to make some noise and has shown an ability to hit the board in the Arc before.  Two ladies that I’ll be paying extra attention to are STACELITA and DAR RE MI, as at the moment there is still hope for enticing either of them to ship west for the Breeders’ Cup on November 6 & 7. 

I think this one goes to the favorite, as I can’t see SEA THE STARS being denied in the stretch.  He’s had a hard campaign, but if he’s half the horse that our friends from across the pond say he is (and they tend to know a thing or two about horses and their capabilities), than he should deliver the goods on Sunday.  I’ll probably play CONDUIT and YOUMZAIN underneath along with the two fillies (STACELITA and DAR RE MI).  FAME AND GLORY and CAVALRYMAN are two other horses I’d consider working into my plays, although I’m not fond of the latter’s post position draw (19).

 

10/3 – Belmont Park – Race 7 – The Grade 1 Vosburgh (6 Furlongs)

Moving both backwards in time and to the more familiar surroundings of Belmont Park, we’re confronted with the  70th running of the Vosburgh.  Only 5 horses are entered for this race, but it still has a bit of intrigue based on the horses that will (should) compete. 

MUNNINGS enters as the 3-year-old taking on older males for the first time, and you might think he’d have things easy here against a small field.  Not so fast, my friends.  While the son of champion sprinter Speightstown has chased admirably behind the phenom that is Rachel Alexandra, he’s managed to draw quite a dynamic duo with both KODIAK KOWBOY and FABULOUS STRIKE in his first race against older runners.  

I could see FABULOUS STRIKE getting a perfect trip here and making it look academic in the stretch.  KODIAK KOWBOY and MUNNINGS are talented enough to make it competitive, but would be a bit of a surprise if they managed to stage the upset.  GO GO SHOOT should be pace factor and thus has a shot of hanging on in the exacta. 

Selections: 5/ 1, 4/ 1, 3, 4

 

10/3 – Belmont Park – Race 8 – The Grade 1 Flower Bell (1 1/4 Miles – Turf)

We head to the turf for the 32nd running of the Flower Bell.  Seven horses will compete here in what is a deceptively competitive race.  First, there’s DYNAFORCE.  I don’t know what it is about this girl, but whenever I’ve played her in the past she’s burned me.  Last time out in the Beverly D, I jumped ship and went with PURE CLAN.  You don’t even have to look at the past performances to guess what happened. 

DYNAFORCE and PURE CLAN will get another crack at one another on Saturday, and will also run into a pair of runners for trainer Christophe Clement that includes Carribean Sunset.  The daughter of Danheill Dancer could be rounding into form at the right time, but must also answer questions about whether she wants go 10 furlongs. 

A horse that might be overlooked at the windows is MONEYCANTBUYMELOVE.  Leave alone for a second the awesomeness of a horse with a Beatles themed name (especially with the release of The Beatles: Rock Band last month) and instead focus on her running lines.  This seems to be a runner who gives a solid effort each time out, and note that she chased Rainbow View gamely.   We know she likes the distance, so the only question will be whether she’s shipped well enough.  Without the benefit of a recent workout over the track to offer a clue, you’ll have to check her out in the post parade to attempt to make that final assessment.

For now I’ll roll the dice with MONEYCANTBUYMELOVE for the win.  Underneath I’ll add in DYNAFORCE and PURE CLAN, with CARRIBEAN SUNSET added to the bottom of the trifecta. 

Selections: 7/ 3, 4/ 1, 3, 4

 

10/3 – Belmont – Race 9 – The Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational (1 1/2 Miles – Turf)

The 33rd running of the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic presents an opportunity for GIO PONTI, the dark horse longshot for Horse of the Year honors, to continue his fine winning streak that currently stands at 4 consecutive Grade 1 turf races going back to the Frank Kilroe Handicap in March.  He’ll run into a field of 7 other contenders including the upset winner of the Sword Dancer – TELLING. 

The buzz right now is that GIO PONTI is likely pointing to the Breeders’ Cup Classic rather than the Breeders’ Cup Turf.  If true, I’ve got to wonder why his connections are running here rather than opting for a prep like the Goodwood at Santa Anita next week?  Gio does own a victory over the Santa Anita Pro Ride back in December, but that was at the Grade 3 level against the likes of Medjool and El Gato Malo and not the level of class  he’d run into in the Classic.

Presious Passion will definitely be a part of the pace scenario – that much you can take to the bank with you.  The question, as always, will be whether he can slow it down enough to wire the field, or if he’ll run himself into a brick wall like what happened in his Arlington Million effort?  The distance seems to suit him fine – but he may not be as fond of the Belmont turf as he is, say Monmouth.

TELLING stole more form me than even I myself realized in the Sword Dancer, and I’m not sure I’ll ever forgive him.  That race wound up being the final in the career of Better Talk Now, and but for Telling, my beloved Blackie would’ve gone out a winner as he deserved.  I try not to hold grudges – especially not against a horse, but I can’t shake that last bit from my memory. 

I’ll play GIO PONTI for the win, figuring the model of consistency will continue to plug away and do what he always does – win the race.  I think TELLING could hit the board again here as well and will box him along with PRESIOUS PASSION and GRAND COUTURIER on the bottom of my tickets.  If he looks good on the track, I might also work MUSKETIER into the bottom of the equation, as he did run 2nd to GIO PONTI in the Man O’ War.

Selections: 1/ 4, 7, 8/ 4, 7, 8

 

10/3 – Belmont Park – Race 10 – The Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup – 1 1/4 Miles

 The feature race of Belmont’s sensational Saturday card is the 91st running of the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup.  It always brings me great pleasure to cover a race that my boy Curlin won – not once, but twice!  This year another horse that I’ve got some mojo with comes into the race with strong support; SUMMER BIRD.  The beautiful chestnut son of Bidstone has bookend Grade 1 victories in the Belmont and the Travers buttressing a 2nd place finish to Rachel Alexandra in the Haskell.  He absolutely destroyed QUALITY ROAD in the stretch through the slop at Saratoga to take the Travers.  This will be his first start against older horses, but trainer Tim Ice has believed since well before the Belmont that his colt was something special.

MACHO AGAIN will rightly take quite a bit of consideration here coming off a defeat by only a head in Rachel Alexandra’s historic Woodward victory.  We all know how this angle works; horses who have run competitively against Rachel Alexandra are virtual locks the next time they step onto the track.  Given that he holds the age advantage over SUMMER BIRD and QUALITY ROAD, and is as battle tested a Grade 1 older dirt horse as we have in the nation at the moment, MACHO AGAIN would seem to be the one to beat.  I’m just not sure he gets 10 furlongs as well as he usually gets 9.

Instead, I’ve got to stick with my man Tim Ice here and Summer Bird.  Either way, Rachel stands to have yet another feather placed in her cap when a horse she’s defeated adds the Jockey Club Gold Cup to their belt.  QUALITY ROAD is the x-factor here and could either run a huge race or prove to be better suited to shorter distances.  After all the unfulfilled hype surrounding this horse heading into the Travers, I’m going to make him beat me rather than support him.  I think he can hit the board though and would definitely include him underneath in the exotics. 

TIZWAY and ASIATIC BOY shoud also be considered for underneath play in the exotic wagers.  I’m not much of an ASIATIC BOY fan, but he has run respectable at this distance and has a tendency to wind up in the money.  TIZWAY could be interesting at a price considering he appears on paper to be a pace contender – plus you know I never like to discount the possibilities of Tiznow’s offspring. 

Selections: 3/ 2, 4, 7/ 2, 4. 5. 7

 

Best of luck to all!

We’ll be back next weekend for a look at the Lady’s Secret (featuring Zenyatta and Life is Sweet) from Santa Anita as well as the Spinster (featuring Icon Project) from Keeneland as we continue to countdown to the Breeders’ Cup Championships.


Comments : 16 Comments »
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Categories : Belmont Park, Better Talk Now, Handicapping Selections, horse racing, Horse Racing News, Presious Passion, Quality Road, sea the stars, Summer Bird

Whirlwind Saturday

11 07 2009

What a Saturday it’s been. It was an odd day, filled with the ups and downs that accompany horseplaying. Things didn’t go particularly well for my top selections in the pre-race handicapping, yet it sill seemed totally enjoyable to play along.  Usually I’m a bit “bummed out” if we’re losing, but today didn’t seem to effect me that much.  Most likely this is attributable to the fact that we did manage to get 5 second choices home (with one technically being a top selection by virtue of a scratch), but I digress.  Let’s look back for a moment on the afternoon that was:

 

 

Early in the afternoon, Game Face got back to her winning ways by taking her first Grade 1 stakes in the Princess Rooney Handicap.  I had mentioned her as a “possible play against” in the pre-race handicapping, but that was when I was focusing on Marina Ballerina, who ultimately scratched.  That left the class of Game Face to deal with what turned out to be a field of pretenders.  She seemingly won for fun and in doing so ads luster to the very strong contingent of female runners in North America at the moment.  I dubbed last year the “year of the filly” with the impressive performances of Zenyatta, Zarkava, and Goldikova (not to mention the Philadelphia “Phillies” becoming World Champions again for the first time since 1980), but this year could still wind up more impressive for the gals when all is said and done. 

 

 

 

Gio Ponti made it a hat trick of Grade 1 victories for the year by outlasting a fairly deep field of contenders in the Man O’ War at Belmont Park. The son of  Tale of the Cat just keeps on going strong, and with 3 Grade 1 turf wins now joins the discussion with Einstein for top male turf horse in the nation.  It’ll be interesting to see what the future plans are for this fall, as Gio Ponti owns a victory (with a 98 Beyer) over the Pro Ride at Santa Anita.  I’m fairly certain he’ll stick to the grass and point to the Breeders’ Cup Turf, but stranger things have happened.

 

 

Heavy 1/9 favorite Benny the Bull was upset in the Smile Sprint Handicap at Calder in the “Summit of Speed” event.  This was one of the races I totally crapped out on, as neither my 2nd or 3rd choice were able to pull the upset.  Instead, longshot Eaton’s Gift stunned everyone by holding off a late run from Benny the Bull in the stretch.  Many (including me) had been anticipating a big run from Benny, but his late punch just didn’t have quite the same “oomph” that we’d seen in previous efforts such as the 2008 True North Handicap on Belmont Stakes day.  To put this in perspective, Eaton’s Gift hadn’t cracked the 82 Beyer level in any of his last 3 efforts, and was running into a perennial 100+ Beyer figure monster in Benny.  None of that mattered in the stretch at Calder.  I guess Benny just can’t catch a break at there, as it was at Calder last year that he was injured and ulimtately sidelined for 11 months.

 

 

Last, but certainly not least, Rail Trip was able to upset the highly acclaimed Parading and the filly Life is Sweet to run away with the TVG/Betfair Hollywood Gold Cup.  The son of Jump Start (A.P. Indy) joins the likes of esteemed former champions Seabsicuit, Affirmed, and Cigar as horses who have taken the premier race of the Hollywood Park summer meet.  Who knows for sure if we’ll see another Gold Cup at Hollywood? 

I’ve got to tip my hat here to Superterrifc from Green But Game, who was tweeting  her support of the horse and mentioned that she did the “digital walk of shame” to fire up her betting account with more cash just to bet him.  Nice job, Dana!  No shame in that what-so-ever! Rail Trip sure did look good in the post parade!  Here’s hoping her bank account is now totally “ranch” (it’s an inside joke that she and a few other twitter followers will get…but do expect an occasional and totally gratuitous “ranch” reference in posts going forward).

Getting back to the Gold Cup, I thought Life is Sweet also looked fantastic in the post parade.  It’s nice to see that the filly was running on well for show when seemingly all of the other off-the-pace types and closers were running in place and not really doing much.  My initial thought was that they may have waited a moment too long to ask for Life is Sweet’s run, but I’m not sure it would’ve made a real difference either way considering how smoothly Rail Trip was gliding to the wire.  Still, hats off to the Wygod family for having the courage to race her against the boys.  She proved she could hold her own as the post time favorite, Parading, wound up totally out of the money (and looked rather sweaty and anxious in the post parade).  Little by little you can see that notion that “fillies shouldn’t run against colts” being seriously challenged, and in my mind rightly so. 

In other action throughout the day Just as Well took the Arlington Handicap (G3).  Atomic Rain upset Papa Clem in the Long Branch ($175k), and would appear to be bound for the Haskell next.  Might he run into the super filly Rachel Alexandra if he does?  Only time will tell.  And of course, Giant Oak pulled another “Giant choke” routine as the heavy favorite in the American Derby.

One other race struck me as rather noteworthy today – a race that, as Foolish Pleasure opines, might be somewhat “less heralded” than the above races.  Like an unstoppable rebel force, the procession of winners sired by Medaglia d”Oro continued today with a victory from 2-year-old daughter Dashing Debby in the 34th running of the JJ’s Dream ($100k) at Calder.  We’ve already seen Rachel Alexandra make history with her Preakness victory, which came hot on the heels of fellow Medaglia d’Oro offspring Payton d’Oro winning the Black Eyed Susan at Pimlico.  Add to that Gabby’s Golden Gal, C.S. Silk, Renda, and She’s our Annie.  That’s quite an impressive list for a sire who is only this year experiencing his first 3-year-old crop to go to post.

It would appear to be a two horse race between “Medags” (and yes, before anyone corrects me, I’m aware that the “g” is silent in Medaglia d’Oro) and Birdstone for top sire of the year honors. 


Comments : 2 Comments »
Tags: , , , , ,
Categories : Arlington Park, Belmont Park, Benny the Bull, Handicapping Selections, Hollywood Park, horse racing, Horse Racing News, Papa Clem, Rachel Alexandra


Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.