Of Horses, Heroes, and Opportunity

26 03 2010

Blessings have been bestowed upon us, racing fans.  Not only is the weekend finally here, and along with it a duo of prep races for the 2010 Kentucky Derby, but also another chance at capturing a sliver of relevance from amongst the general populace.  Take Back Saturday returns, at least in theory, thanks to NBC Sports’ “Road to the Kentucky Derby” broadcast, beginning at 5PM (ET) on the USA Network.  One of our most popular racing personalities, Jill Byrne, will be helping to host the activities, along with former jockey Gary Stevens, Mike Battaglia, and a host of other on-air talents.

Personally, I’m a huge fan of Jill’s, and consider her one of the most insightful analysts out there who is capable of bridging the gap between experienced horse racing fans and those who are only novice players (or even first time viewers).  In other words, EXACTLY the right person for the job.  She’s got the charm, the wit, and all the intangibles necessary for the kind of presentation we need.  If you’re out there Jill, here’s hoping you knock ‘em dead.

"I'd just like to say, we're all counting on you, good luck."

Several weeks ago, you may recall the unmitigated disaster that was the NTRA”s attempt to offer live video streaming of the 2010 debuts of the sports’ biggest stars; Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta.  But you know what?  Lost in the shuffle and all the boo-hooing bloggers like myself did in the immediate aftermath was the fact that the NTRA actually rose from the ashes of that disaster like a proverbial Phoenix and wound up delivering a presentation that, at least in my humble estimation, was a quality broadcast whilst covering the Grade 1 Florida Derby.

We need to build on this success, “and that right soon.”

This isn’t just about the NTRA, or NBC, or USA, or even TVG or HRTV.  It’s bigger than all of that.  All around the country, famous race tracks are closing up shop, horses with impeccable blood lines are winding up in “kill pens”, and countless hard working individuals who have tirelessly toiled, often for meager financial reward, just to put on the show so many of us love are losing their livelihoods.  In the midst of the “great recession”, we must find an opportunity, and then persevere through thick and thin to exploit that possibility to the fullest of advantages.

So here we stand, in a familiar place not unlike that which we found ourselves several weeks ago.  We stand upon the precipice.  Below us are the rocks upon which so many hopes, dreams, and good intents have been splattered to oblivion.  If, however, we can summon the courage to gaze our eyes into the glimmering spectacle of the day’s setting sun, we might see a valley that lies within reach filled with the fruits of our labors – one in which our children and grand children will be able to proudly participate in this game that has changed so many of our lives, and given us all enough memories to last a lifetime.

As such, I’m calling on racing fans the world over to step up to the plate this weekend and attempt to make a difference.  Sure, we can sit back and continue to attempt to rest on the laurels of our Andy Warhol-esque “2 minutes of fame” each Spring in the Kentucky Derby itself, but if we can give folks a reason to care even more, and ensure that when they do get that stirring inside of them, and that hunger for more marquee racing action, that we are available to them, then perhaps those famed 2 minutes on the first Saturday of each May can serve as a stepping stone towards a hint of national relevance, rather than a denouement.

Back in my brief collegiate days (like Jeffrey Lebowski, I seem to have spent my time “occupying various administrative buildings” rather than applying myself as I should have, such being the idiocy of youth), I spent some time as a “frat boy.” If any of you joined a Fraternity or a Sorority in college, you may remember the insane season known as “Rush” that happened each year.  Each “Greek” organization trying to scoop up as many fresh recruits as possible to help sustain the future of their clans.

My group had a little saying during those times: EMGAM – “Every Man Get a Man”,  no exceptions.   I’m counting on all of you to do something similar here.  Give it the old “college try” and take your best shot at sharing our little corner of the sports world with a new and prospective fan.

There’s power in numbers, and if each of us can bring one new person into the fold this weekend, we just might be able to convince the networks that regularly scheduled horse racing broadcasts are a viable niche market.

I’ve spent the better part of 2 years now railing on ad nauseum about “Take Back Saturday” - and now comes the point in time where I need you all.  Really it’s more than that.  It’s not just me who needs you all – we all need each other for this one.   You know the drill.  Together we stand, divided we fall.  It’s showtime, peeps.  Of course, I realize not everyone agrees this is such a good idea.

Now lets’ get on with the selections:

Grade 2 Louisiana Derby (Fair Grounds – Race 10) –  5:48 PM (ET)

I thought the Louisiana Derby came up a little quick on paper to anticipate DISCREETLY MINE being able to wire the field as easily as he did in the Grade 2 Risen Star.  Instead, I’m turning my attention to a trio of off-the-pace runners who could be moving well late, and each at a juicy price.

RON THE GREEK is a horse I’ve liked since the season began, although evidently I goofed and left him off the honorable mention list in last week’s Derby rankings.  That was a mistake, he belongs in the hunt, and a win this weekend would move him up closer to Ice Box as yet another closer capable of turning the tables on the speedy types that have thus far dominated the Derby trail.

Another interesting horse in this race is STAY PUT.  The son of Broken Vow could be forgotten a bit on the tote board, despite showing obvious signs of talent late last year and early this winter.  It’s ironic that he actually finished ahead of RON THE GREEK in the Risen Star, yet is listed at longer odds on the morning line.  I wouldn’t sell this guy short – he might wind up being a better horse than ‘Ron when all is said and done.  If nothing else, he’s got just a good a chance.

Lastly, I thought Nick Zito’s FLY DOWN might be a sneaky play here.  Apart from a bad start in his debut, this horse has done all he’s been asked to do, and he could get first jump at whatever pace RON THE GREEK and STAY PUT are closing into courtesy of DISCREETLY MINE.

Of course, if the front runner does get loose, the whole thing is academic.

Two other horses worth considering for the exotics would be DROSSELMEYER (who has to break from all the way out in the 13 hole), and A LITTLE WARM, who has some impressive speed figures but will be stretching out beyond a mile for the first time.

Selections:

  • #6 Ron the Greek (6/1)
  • #9 Stay Put (10/1)
  • #7 Discreetly Mine (7/2*)

Grade 2 Lane’s End (Turfway Park – Race 9) – 5:12 PM (ET)

The Grade 2 Lane’s End kicks things off for the day at Turfway Park and features a field of 10 runners travelling 9 furlongs over the main track, in search of much needed graded stakes earnings from the $500k purse that is up for grabs.  I thought this race looked a little too obvious on paper, with CONNEMARA coming up as the obvious selection.  Todd Pletcher has been having a sensational season with his bevy of 3-year-olds this year, and this appears to be a good spot for the son of Giant’s Causeway.  He’s the one to beat and should get a chance to renew his rivalry with the speedy RANGER HEARTLEY in the stretch.  These two have banged heads 3 times already, with CONNEMARA getting the best of RANGER HEARTLEY twice.

For those looking to catch a better price than CONNEMARA is sure to offer, consider using the other Giant’s Causeway colt in this race, NORTHERN GIANT.  The D.Wayne Lukas trainee was whipped by Discreetly Mine and others in the debut, but made up roughly 20 lengths against that rival last out in the Grade 2 Risen Star.  Yes, it took him six tries to break the maiden,  but he also ran into Stay Put along the way.  I thought his 3rd place finish in the Risen Star was a sign of talent, and this could be a guy improving at just the right time.

I must take a moment to pause and note that RANGER HEARTLEY is named in honor of a fallen hero, Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Hartley, who was killed in action when his vehicle encountered a roadside bomb in Khargulia, Iraq on 4/8/08 during Operation Iraqi Feedom.  I think it’s appropriate to share an image of the real Ranger Hartley, as I think the man should be remembered whenever the horse named in his honor is discussed.

Staff Sgt. Jeffrey L. Hartley - heroic namesake of the horse "Ranger Heartley"

Sue Dowling, credited with selecting the name, has done a great service to the memory of her nation’s fallen heroes.  I happen to concur with her assessment that names can be more than just trivial details.  If I hadn’t already told you this, Amy and I actually named our first born son after a fallen soldier as well for the same reasons –  to honor his memory, and in the hope that somehow our son might acquire some of those qualities that set his namesake apart as a man amongst men.

The hero we chose?  Delta Sgt. Randall Shughart, killed in action in Somalia in 1993.  What’s left of Randy Shughart, who along with Gary Gordon became the first posthumous Medal of Honor winners our nation had recognized since the Vietnam War, is buried not far from us in the cemetary at Carlisle, PA.  A picture of the gravesite that my parents took hangs on the wall in our house, as a reminder of the terrible price a chosen few are called to pay “that their nation might live.”

I’ve secretly held onto the notion for years that if I eve got a chance to name a thoroughbred, I’d likely name him “Shughart” in Randy’s honor.  Honestly, is it possible for those of us who have never had to shoulder a weapon or endure such horrors ever do enough to properly recognize those who have?  I think not – but I’m damn glad there men out there like Jeffrey Hartley and Randy Shughart who do so, and I’m damn proud to be able to call them countrymen.

For this reason, regardless of where my selections wind up – I’ll be rooting for RANGER HEARTLEY with everything I have.

“…Tho’ all the world betrays thee, one sword at least thy rights shall guard, one faithful harp shall praise thee.”

– The Minstrel Boy by Thomas Moore

Didn’t mean to dampen the mood – just thought that story had to be told.

Selections:

  • #1 Connemara (7/5*)
  • #7 Northern Giant (5/1)
  • #5 Ranger Heartley (6/1)

Best of luck to all of you.

If you get a chance, take a moment to stop over and say hello to our newest members of the TBA.

(and don’t forget – “EMGAM”, and say a little prayer for the family of the real Ranger Hartley and others who have suffered for us so that we can enjoy moments like the Triple Crown chase in relative peace and harmony)


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Categories : Handicapping Selections, horse racing, Horse Racing News, Kentucky Derby Trail

Road to the Roses 2010

15 02 2010
It’s that time of year again, racing fans.  Next weekend, the first scoring races for the 2010 Road to the Roses fantasy challenge are set to kick off – which means you’d better get those stables filled out and registered now if you want to take part.  For racing fans, this is usually the most highly anticipated of fantasy contests on the year, generating quite a bit of buzz (including a Facebook group that boasts over 2900 “fans” – quite a feat considering only 380 folks on all of Facebook show up under a search for “horse racing” – meaning it must not be a popular interest that people have listed).
……………………..
Two leagues that I’m a part of would welcome your participation, if you haven’t registered already.  One is for the TBA group I proudly blog with.  The other is from our good friend Tencentcielo over on the TVG Community.  To get started, here’s the Brisnet PPs for Kentucky Derby Future Wagers Pool.

To access one of the leagues, just fill out your stable horses, jockeys, and trainers and then once you confirm your stable you’ll be asked if you wish to join an existing league.  Just type in the League ID and the Activation Code for the league as noted below.

Any user can create up to 3 free stables to participate in the contest.  The top overall prizes are always fairly sweet, including a trip to the Derby and a future wager.

  • TBA 2010
    • League ID: 3173203388
    • Activation Code: 2247553444
  • A Dime on the Ten
    • League ID: 2071312789
    • Activation Code: 1205335816

We’d certainly love to have more folks in those leagues to make things interesting, so give it a whirl and pass that information along to anyone you think may be interested.

For now, I think it’s safe to assume that volatility will be the order of the day.  To be sure, just a few day ago horses such as American Lion, Tiz Chrome, Lookin at Lucky, and UpTownCharlyBrown were receiving strong inclusion consideration.  I still think any of those can go on to be fine horses, but I sided against Lucky due to the synthetics question, and then passed on the Tiznows (which I KNOW will come back to haunt me) based on their most recent efforts.

Every year it seems like there’s more and more folks coming along who are first time players with some interest in getting involved in the challenge.  For them, I’ve included a breakdown of who I chose and why below.  Of course, it’s also for you more seasoned players, so that I can be reminded of my follies all season long.  A little humility is always good – especially for horseplayers.  Admittedly, I went with my heart on a few of these, but without further adieu, let’s get to the list, shall we?

Horses:

  • Buddy’s Saint – consensus top three Derby candidate, but questions about over who he’s faced are starting to be raised.  Has won going 9 furlongs on the dirt in the Grade 2 Remsen.  That counts for something.
  • Vale of York - my current #1 3-year-old colt in training.  Even though he’ll train overseas and may not run in any races that qualify for the challenge, I couldn’t leave him off the list.  He made an impression on me in the paddock for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and when I cashed on him at better than 30/1 a few moments later, suffice to say a soft spot grew in my heart for this son of Invincible Spirit.
  • Blind Luck - seems every year around this time I fall for a filly.  In 2008 it was Eight Belles and Pure Clan.  In 2009 it was Rachel Alexandra.  In all likelihood she will continue to point for the Kentucky Oaks rather than the Derby, but based on what we’ve seen so far, I think she deserves a place at the table based on potential alone.  She may be closer to Stardom Bound in terms of ceiling than Rachel Alexandra, but have we really seen any colts that would scare you away at this point?
  • Ron the Greek – I have to admit, I don’t think I gave this son of Full Mandate enough credit when he first won the Lecomte (G3) over Maximus Ruler.  He’d seem to need a pace in front of him for his prep and Derby chances, but so far that doesn’t seem to be something this crop is lacking.  In fact, so far Ron’s one of the few that looks authoritative coming from off the pace.  I would caution that Giacomo style dead closers don’t usually win the Derby, but in recent memory we do have Mine that Bird and Street Sense doing exactly that.  I’ll roll the dice.
  • William’s Kitten – Some folks may be deceived by the buzz surrounding this horse.  He’s speed figures don’t leap off the page, but if you appreciate a slow, steady, progression of races to build a foundation – the way trainers did in the not-so-long-ago, he begins to make a lot of sense.  Think on this, he’s run very well against Super Saver, Winslow Homer, Jackson Bend, and that 8th place finish in the BC Juvenile to Vale of York, Lookin at Lucky, and Noble’s Promise was better than you might think.  I think he’s a serious race horse.
  • Rule - probably the trendiest of my inclusions.  Pletcher has himself a horse with some speed in this son of Roman Ruler, and word is he’s headed for a Grade 1 next.  Considering how few opportunities one gets to score points in a Grade 1 during the contest, it’s nice to have a runner pointing for such a race.
  • Tempted to Tapit – Impressive 11 length winner last out took 4 starts to break his maiden and was beaten by another under consideration for this spot, Laus Deo.  Took the kind of explosive move forward last out that you want to see this time of year.  Still has many questions to answer though (distance, can he avoid a bounce, etc.).
  • Drosselmeyer – Another who took a significant step forward last out, and this time it was against winners for the first time, an accomplishment that suggests he’s got what it takes.  The son of Distorted Humor went 9 furlongs in 1:49 and 2 at the Allowance level on January 31st at Gulfstream Park; and he did it rating off the pace.  Looks like a very live contender to me.
  • Jackson Bend –   Took 4 consecutive ungraded stakes at Calder before finishing 2nd to Winslow Homer in the Holy Bull.  Could just be  a nondescript Calder horse, but there is something about him that I like, and that’s been amplified by the switch to the Nick Zito barn.
  • Setsuko - I’ll be honest, this horse was nowhere on my radar until TVG’s Matt Carothers mentioned him the other day.  Additionally Brad Free of the Daily Racing Form has mentioned this horse as one to keep an eye on.  He basically wasn’t anything until Richard Mandella put blinkers on him, and now he’s sort of a dark horse for the CA circuit.  Definitely a reach, but this was my final spot.

To fill out my stable, I selected Bob Baffert and Todd Pletcher as my trainers, as each seems loaded this year with possibilities, and settled on Julien Leparoux and Garrett Gomez for my jockeys.  I know Go-Go burned me a bit last year by not accruing a ton of points, but he’s too consistently good a rider to avoid in my opinion.

So who scares me?   Well, it’s always dangerous to leave Lookin at Lucky off the list.  Same goes for runners like Eskendereya and Super Saver.  You know it pains me to leave the Tiznows off the list (American Lion and Tiz Chrome), but none of these horses has me worried that much.

The runners I’ll be losing sleep over not including are Laus Deo (nice looking Medaglia d’Oro colt), D’funnybone (who has really only turned in one bad race in the “synthetic Juvenile” last fall, and even then was a very good looking colt until about mid stretch), and any of the Afleet Alex offspring out there who look potentially promising.

The good news?  The first “supplemental draft” is slated for March 15 (with another coming on 4/12), so if I’ve whiffed on a Derby runner there will be two chances to make amends.

Speaking of which – I’ll go on record as saying I still don’t think we’ve seen a Derby winning caliber performance from any of these horses.  The whole thing is still wide open if someone wants to jump up and grab victory.

So what are you waiting for – download those past performances and get to handicapping!  It’s time to get serious about the 2010 Kentucky Derby prep races!

We’ll be back this weekend with previews of the Hutcheson, Risen Star, and Fountain of Youth.


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Categories : Fantasy Horse Racing, Handicapping Selections, horse racing, Horse Racing News, Kentucky Derby Trail

Ron the Greek powers away with the Lecomte

24 01 2010

Heading into the gate for Saturday’s 66th running of the Lecomte (G3) at Fair Grounds, one of my favorite last second “tells” was on full display.  Watching through the track feed, the 3-year-old bay Ron the Greek calmly waited for his moment to load into the extreme outside post position.  He looked regal, stoic, and absolutely determined.  Minutes later we would learn just how determined he actually was.

The $100,000 purse for the Lecomte was thought to be Maximus Ruler’s for the taking.   As anticipated, he had been bet down to favoritism by post time from his 4/1 odds on the morning line.  Rather than settle comfortably into a pace pressing position as we had anticipated, the son of Roman Ruler instead wound up setting the early pace of :23.42 with longshot Depaul just off of him.

By the opening half mile call of :46.80, Ron the Greek was all the way at the back of the pack, as Maximus Ruler continued to lead the field into the far turn.

At the top of the stretch, it may have appeared to the untrained eye that the race was boiling down to Maximus Ruler and Cool Bullet, who had come up to challenge the leader from just off the pace.

Way in the back of the pack though, Ron the Greek had shaken loose and was powering down the center of the track.  The final sixteenth was all his, as he ran right past Maximus Ruler to hit the wire in 1:40.09.

Ron the Greek returned $17.60 for the win, with Maximus Ruler finishing 2nd and paying $4.40 to place.  Letsgetitonmon finished 3rd and returned $5.00 to show.

No definitive information has been announced yet that I’m aware of, but it’s probably a good guess that Ron the Greek will stick around locally at Gulfstream Park  and allow trainer Thomas Amoss to think about the Risen Star (2/20) and/or the Louisiana Derby (3/27).

For Maximus Ruler, while the defeat was tough, I doubt that we saw the bottom of this horse with this effort.  It will be interesting to see where trainer Clark Hanna points him after this race.  Will they want to continue to stretch him out, or do they feel he’s more effective going one turn?  Only time will tell.

For now though, hats off to Ron the Greek.  I’m not sure which performance was more impressive between his victory in the Lecomte and Winslow Homer’s victory in the Holy Bull (considering Winslow had to split horses at the top of the stretch – a move you like to see from an improving 3-year-old), but Ron was certainly the best score of the afternoon.

Congratulations to those who took a shot with him.  Obviously, despite thinking of him as a contender, I wasn’t one of those folks.  :)


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Categories : Fair Grounds, horse racing, Horse Racing News, Kentucky Derby Trail


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