Happily Unbridled

Big Brown’s dream of confronting, and conquering, the great Curlin in the Breeders’ Cup Classic came to an abrupt end on Monday, October 13. In what started as a routine workout with stablemate Kip Deville and high hopes for Big Brown’s chances in the Classic race on October 25 at Santa Anita, ended when Big Brown returned to the barn to be cooled out and it was discovered that he had injured his right front hoof during the work. Apparently he had grabbed a quarter on that right front and not only was the bulb of his hoof torn off but also about half the hoof. This is not a life threatening injury — barring any uncontrolled infection — but it is career ending.

Big Brown’s hoof will need intense care for awhile and time to grow out. The decision to retire Big Brown came shortly after the hoof injury was discovered and examined. There is no way this three-year-old champion will be able to race in the Breeders’ Cup in less than two weeks and it was decided that Big Brown will be given time to heal and then will be sent to Three Chimneys Farm in Kentucky to begin his second career as a sire.

This is certainly a great disappointment for the many racing fans who were eager to see Big Brown and Curlin run in the Breeders’ Cup.  The impressive performance on Sunday by Casino Drive as he won his allowance race at Santa Anita only added to the anticipation of watching a once-in-a-lifetime stretch drive between these three competitive spirits.

Big Brown is a son of Boundary and out of the Nueryev mare, Mien. He was bred in Kentucky by Monticule and raced a total of eight times, winning seven of his races and earning $3,614,500.

We wish Big Brown a speedy recovery and hope he goes on to sire many more “little browns” who show the talent and heart that Big Brown has shown us during his time in the spotlight. Maybe one or more of his offspring will win the Kentucky Derby and perhaps even that elusive Triple Crown …

Go Babies Go!

Casino Drive, Japan’s chance for a victory in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (gr I), arrived at Hollywood California on Wednesday. He was quarantined at Hollywood Park on Thursday. He is scheduled to be released from quarantine on Friday and will likely go to the track at Santa Anita on Saturday or Sunday for exercise.

Casino Drive has started only two times in his career. He won a maiden race by 11 1/2 lengths in Kyoto, Japan, then shipped to the US and won the Peter Pan Stakes by five and 3/4 lengths at Belmont Park in May. He had been sent off as the 5-4 favorite and did not disappoint his fans with this impressive victory. He was being pointed towards the Belmont Stakes and was part of a much-anticipated match against Big Brown in that race, but was scratched the morning of the race due to a bruised foot.

Since returning to Japan, Casino Drive has not raced as the stone bruise took much longer to heal than was expected. His training has been picked up since September and there is an opportunity for him to run in an allowance race at Santa Anita on October 12. At this time, however, there is no indication whether or not he will actually have a race before the Breeders’ Cup Classic on October 25.

Can Casino Drive win the Breeders’ Cup Classic after just two starts and not running since May? The Breeders’ Cup Classic this year is a field deep with accomplished and talented runners including, but certainly not limited to, the best three-year-old in the country, Big Brown, and most likely the top older horse and reigning Horse of the Year, Culin, who is already at Santa Anita in preparation for the race. Casino Drive is obviously a very talented colt who is a half-brother to two Belmont Stakes winners, Jazil and Rags to Riches. However, with the long layoff and relatively little racing experience, I doubt that Casino Drive will be a factor in the this race. Of course he may be sent off at a very attractive price and, as often happens on this big racing weekend, a horse that has been dismissed by the wagering public does indeed get up to win.

Let’s keep an eye on how Casino Drive settles in to his new surroundings and if he does have a prep race before the Classic, watch how he handles the Santa Anita synthetic surface. If he runs well, he may be a good choice for at least your exotic wagers on the big day.

Go Baby Go!

Curlin, the richest racehorse ever in North American history with earnings of over $10 million, arrived at Santa Anita on Sunday, September 28. It was just one day before, on Saturday, September 27, that Curlin ran over a muddy track at Belmont to win the Jockey Club Gold Cup Invitational (gr I) by 3/4 length over Wanderin Boy.

Curlin’s connections like to give the big red horse a little time to adjust to his surroundings. They certainly want to see how he’ll take to the Pro-Ride synthetic surface at Santa Anita. Plans were to walk him today (Monday) and Tuesday. He’ll probably go to the track on October 1 for the first time.

Curlin, trained by Steve Asmussen, has settled in at Barn 27 at Santa Anita. Zanjero, another horse in the Asmussen training empire, was expected to arrive on Monday. Zanjero was last seen winning the Kentucky Cup Classic (gr II) at Turfway Park.

Thus begins the countdown to the Breeders’ Cup Classic (g I) on October 25. With Curlin safely stabled at Santa Anita, we will now wait for the best three-year-old in the country, Big Brown, to make the journey to Arcadia, California. This is the match-up horse racing fans around the country have been hoping to see and we have to give credit to Jess Jackson, owner of Curlin, for making the decision to run his horse in the Classic.

Of course, the reality is that if either Big Brown or Curlin win the Classic, that horse will be crowned Horse of the Year. If Curlin did not run here and Big Brown wins the race, then Big Brown is the Horse of the Year and Curlin will not have had his opportunity to win that title for the second straight year.

Obviously, the Classic is not just a match race between these two champions, there will be many other competitors in this race, and as so often happens in a Breeders’ Cup race, the winner could come from anywhere and we’ll all be wishing we’d bet on that longshot that crossed the wire first, ahead of both Curlin and Big Brown. Ok, that’s probably not going to happen but anyone who’s watched the Breeders’ Cup races knows that favorites are often vulnerable and that 99-1 shot does sometimes get the photo.

Go Baby Go!

Curlin ran through the mud in the $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup Invitational (gr I) on Saturday at Belmont Park splashing his way to victory … and to the distinction of becoming the richest racehorse ever in North America.

Curlin, with $10,246,800 in winnings, is the first North American Thoroughbred to surpass the $10 million mark in earnings. He bested the earnings of the great Cigar who now ranks second at $9,999.815.

Wanderin Boy took the early lead in the 1 1/4 mile race with Curlin, the 2-5 favorite, running in fifth down the backstretch. Mambo in Seattle, who recently gave Colonel John all that he could handle in the Travers Stakes and lost only by a flaring nostril, moved up on the inside passing Curlin, and for a moment, I think everyone caught their breath at the sight of the big red horse losing ground on the backstretch. Jockey Robby Alberado moved Curlin in between horses with a half mile left to run and as the field turned for home, Mambo in Seattle began retreating. Merchant Marine, who had pressed the pace setter from the start, was still in second with the gutsy Wanderin Boy still in the lead.

With a big outside move, several paths wide, Curlin got to Merchant Marine and then Wanderin Boy at the top of the stretch. Wanderin Boy did not give up easily and continued to run hard all the way to the wire but Curlin passed him and won by 3/4 length.  The margin could have been much larger but Alberado only did enough to get his colt to the finish line first; Wanderin Boy was being ridden vigorously while Curlin was being hand-ridden to the wire.

Curlin’s owner, Jess Jackson, announced shortly after the race that Curlin would indeed go to Santa Anita to prepare for the Breeders’ Cup Classic (gr I) at the Oak Tree Meet in October. This was the announcement for which all racing fans have been hoping; a greatly anticipated match-up of Big Brown, the best three-year-old in the country, and Curlin, the reigning Horse of the Year, and without question, the best older horse in the country.

Curlin, by Smart Strike out of the Deputy Minister mare, Sheriff’s Deputy, has now won 11 races from 15 career starts. His remarkable career has resulted in two back-to-back $5 million years. He is scheduled to leave for Santa Anita on September 25.

The Breeders’ Cup Classic is now shaping up to be possibly the best Classic ever in the history of the Breeders’ Cup races. Let’s hope everybody stays happy and healthy until October 25 … and then …

Go Baby Go!

Big Brown lived up to the faith of his devoted fans who made him the odds-on favorite in the Monmouth Stakes today. This was only his second race on the grass and he ran the race like the champion he is.

He won his first race on grass by over 11 lengths and today he again seemed to relish the surface as he held off ten other contenders and won by a determined neck over the Bobby Frankel trained Proudinsky. Big Brown broke sharply and went right to the lead accompanied by Get Serious who ran right with him to the first turn but then Get Serious went wide and Big Brown was out on the lead alone. Proudinsky got into contention around the turn and for a moment looked like he would run by Big Brown in the stretch, but Big Brown dug in and when the finish line came, it was Big Brown who had won the duel.

The turf may have been a bit softer than the connections of Big Brown had wanted, but it was still labeled as “good” and the race was just what trainer Rick Dutrow Jr wanted for this son of Boundary. He now has six weeks until the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita and if he can keep those tender feet of Big Brown in good shape, there should be nothing stopping him from running on October 25.

If Curlin does not run in the Classic and in spite of the European horses that will be coming to try their luck, Big Brown will likely be the wagering favorite at Santa Anita.

We’re happy that Big Brown won today and he looked to be much more the “old” Big Brown than he was when he ran in the Haskell. Even though he did rally in the stretch to win that race, he didn’t appear comfortable and seemed to get to the wire on sheer determination alone. Perhaps his problematic hooves are more of a problem than we’re aware of and running on the turf was the right decision. The Santa Anita track is a synthetic surface — Pro-Ride — and that should also be kinder to his feet than a regular dirt track.

Now we just need to have Curlin’s connections make the decision to run in the Breeders’ Cup and we’d have a horse race for the ages …

Go Baby Go!

Tomorrow’s the day that Big Brown will return to Monmouth Park in New Jersey. His last trip there was to win the Haskell and this time the purpose is to prepare him for a run in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (gr I) at Santa Anita in October.

Big Brown will be racing on the turf for only the second time in his career. He won his maiden race over the turf by running away from the field and cruising to the win by over 11 lengths.  We don’t expect him to do that again tomorrow and in fact, he doesn’t even have to win at all for his connections to be happy with him. They just want to see a good effort over the turf which may translate into a good effort over the synthetic track at Santa Anita.

Ten other horses are running in the Monmouth Stakes:

PP. Horse, Weight, Jockey
1. Nightscape (MD), 119, Emilio Flores
2. Hotstufanthensome (KY), 119, Jose Lezcano
3. Shakis (IRE), 121, Joe Bravo
4. Big Brown (KY), 120, Kent J. Desormeaux
5. Kiss the Kid (KY), 119, Elvis Trujillo
6. Proudinsky (GER), 119, Ramon Dominguez
7. Drum Major (KY), 119, Kendrick Carmouche
8. Get Serious (NY), 119, Pablo Fragoso
9. Fagedaboudit Sal (NJ), 121, Pedro L. Cotto, Jr.
10. Ballonenostrikes (FL), 119, Daniel Centeno
11. Silver Tree (FL), 121, Eddie Castro

We wish them all well and may the best horse win!

There will be no more prep races for Colonel John. He’s going to train right up to the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

His last race was a testing one in which he won by a flaring nostril over Mambo in Seattle in the Travers Stakes (gr I) on August 23 and his connections feel he may bounce if he runs again before the Classic. Trainer Eoin Harty had initially said that either the Goodwood (gr I) at Santa Anita on September 27 or the Louisiana Super Derby (gr II) at Louisiana Downs on September 20 were options for this son of the great Tiznow. But co-owner Bill Casner said Wednesday that he will head straight into the Classic.

The Breeders’ Cup Classic will be Colonel John’s first start against older horses. Will the 62-days off without a race before the Classic help or hurt Colonel John? It’s possible that another race would take too much out of him if it’s a tough race like the Travers, but it’s also possible that he will not be able to keep his form for two months. He’ll be competing against some of the best horses in the world, including Big Brown (is it too much to hope that Curlin will show up too?) and the top horses from Europe and Japan — remember Casino Drive? — so he will have to be at the top of his game.

We’ve always liked Colonel John for many reasons, not the least of which is that his sire, Tiznow, won the Classic twice, so we think there’s a good chance that he will be able to run with the best. Can he win? I don’t know. Right now I’m not convinced that he can … but he’s a good horse and he always gives his all when he runs. He should be a decent price so you’ll want to use him in your exotics at least. A long shot in the Breeders’ Cup Classic can often be the best shot!

Go Baby Go!

Big Brown breezed on the Aqueduct turf on September 9 and gave trainer Rick Dutrow Jr just what he was looking for … an easy basic work with a fluid stride, looking happy and comfortable.

Big Brown’s next start will be in the $500,000 Monmouth Stakes on September 13. That will be his last prep race before what may be his final race … the Breeders’ Cup Classic (gr I) at Santa Anita in October. The Momouth Stakes will be run on the turf, a surface on which Big Brown has not run since his very first race … which he won by over 11 lengths. The connections of Big Brown wanted a turf race before the Classic since the Santa Anita surface is a synthetic surface and often a good turf horse translates into a good synthetic track horse.

The Monmouth Stakes was created just to lure Big Brown to the Jersey Shore track and it will be an exciting day for horse racing fans. When Big Brown is at the top of his game, there’s no horse today that is more fun to watch. He has amazing acceleration as well as an equally amazing presence and we hope to see both of those qualities this weekend.

Go Big Brown Go!

This is a difficult post to write because I am a horse lover above all else … I often go to the track just to watch the horses run and never place a bet. They are so beautiful and they love to run … but they are also very fragile creatures and catastrophic breakdowns can happen at any time and at any place. Not just on the track but on the trail rides, in the stable, in the paddock, in the pasture. A horse can rear and strike its head and die in an instant.  Like everyone else I was stricken with grief when Go For Wand broke down and even today, all these years later, I have tears in my eyes when I think of that horrific ending to the battle to the wire. Barbaro, who captured the hearts of the world with his incredible struggle to survive, broke all our hearts when he could no longer fight the effects of laminitis.

So without question one of the most devastating days of this past year for horse lovers and horse racing fans was the tragic breakdown of the beautiful Eight Belles who ran such a gallant race to finish second to Big Brown in the Kentucky Derby. It was day of exhilaration and amazement at the way Big Brown ran his race to such a commanding victory and how Eight Belles ran the race of her lifetime to finish ahead of the rest. There was no indication at any time that she was in distress or in pain. She finished well and was galloping out with her ears up when, for no apparent reason, both her front ankles gave way and she collapsed on the track. It was an unbelievable and horrifying moment. The outriders and the horse ambulance rushed to her side to attend to the fallen heroine but with both front legs broken, there was no way to save her.

On September 7, this courageous filly was memorialized in a public ceremony in the garden of the Kentucky Derby Museum at Churchill Downs. About 200 people from all over the country gathered for this emotional farewell. Her remains are interred there at Churchill Downs and a plaque has been placed on a Magnolia Tree in the garden in her honor.

Her trainer, Larry Jones, spoke about his loving association with this daughter of Unbridled’s Song. There’s no question that his love for this remarkable filly is genuine and he is still grieving over her loss.

Her tragic death however has ignited a fervor for change in the horse racing industry. Medication and equipment changes have already been implemented by the Thoroughbred industry to promote the safety of these incredible athletes. We hope that this impetus for change continues and in addition to the other changes that there will one day be a central racing commission to which everyone in the industry is accountable. We owe them no less.

Eight Belles is gone … let us never forget her beauty and her incredible spirit.

Rest in peace our beautiful Belle.

Labor Day weekend was closing day at a bunch of tracks around the country … Del Mar, Saratoga, Arlington Park, and Canterbury Park among others. I’ve covered some of the best races in previous posts so this post will just be a potpourri of leftover news from various tracks.

Canterbury Park’s (Shakopee MN) 67-day meet closed with a decline in attendance and on-track handle. However, when factoring in results from all sources, total handle ended about on par from last year due to increased import wagering. This 2008 season had one less race day and 15 fewer total races than in 2007. The number of starters per race increased by 1.86% to 7.76. Daily purses were also up .53% to $125,969.

Mac Robertson won his fourth consecutive training title, Derek Bell was the champion rider for the sixth time with 93 wins. S E J Stables of Detroit Lakes MN won the Thoroughbred owner title for the third time in a row with 32 wins.

Ellis Park in Henderson KY’s closing day was an eventful one … three men wearing bandannas stepped behind the clerk’s counter in the Sky Theater Restaurant at the track and, brandishing a pistol, tried to take two money bags. One of the brave clerks knocked the gun out of the bandit’s hand while trying to grab back one of the bags. The clerks called for help while still struggling with the robbers and the cowardly robbers then ran from the restaurant, dropping the bags as they ran. There were no serious injuries to any of the clerks and there is conflicting information about whether the robbers actually got away with any money. I know it can be foolish to fight with a gun-wielding perpetrator but in this case, the clerks came away with the victory.

Should Peppers Pride have been scratched? That was a question that surfaced this week when Peppers Pride was scratched on Sunday from the Lincoln Handicap at Ruidoso Downs. She’s won 16 races in a row and this would have been her record-breaking attempt … the horse racing gods have not been kind to North American Thoroughbreds — Cigar, Citation, Hallowed Dreams and Mr. Frisky — attempting to win 17 straight races. The track came up sloppy on Sunday and her connections scratched her a couple of hours before the race. The owners said that because the track was so sloppy and slick, they didn’t feel it was worth risking a chance of injury by running that race. Peppers Pride was the only horse in the eight-horse field to be scratched but it should be noted that a horse in the previous race was injured and had to be vanned off.

Peppers Pride is a certainly a remarkable horse to have won 16 straight races and although she has only run in New Mexico, she deserves the respect that is accorded to an undefeated contender.

I have conflicting thoughts about the fact that Peppers Pride was scratched. Was she possibly scratched because she has never run on an off-track and the connections were concerned that she would lose? If that was the reason, then that was an unsportsmanlike move, but I also feel that due to the risk of possible injury to their prized equine, they made the right decision to keep her as safe as possible no matter what. There will be another race at another time and if Peppers Pride wins, she’ll have broken the 16-race curse. If she loses, it won’t be because she raced on an off track and she will have no excuse except that, on that day, another horse was faster than she was.

Big Brown is prepping for the Monmouth Stakes to be run over the turf course on September 13. This will be his final race before the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita. Big Brown won his first race on the turf but has raced on dirt ever since. I’m guessing the connections are running him on the turf because Santa Anita has a synthetic surface (Pro-Ride) and horses that run well on the turf seem to run well on synthetic surfaces. This is not always true of dirt-specialists (like Curlin who will likely skip the Breeder’s Cup because of the artificial surface) so if Big Brown runs well, it will be a positive sign that he’ll be a major foe in the Classic.

Big Brown breezed easily for six furlongs in 1.15:3/5 on the Aqueduct turf on September 3. His last race was the Haskell Invitational (gr I) which was his 4th Grade 1 win of the year.

There’ll be more exciting news in the next few weeks until the Breeders’ Cup. Stay tuned for all the fun things to come …

Go Baby Go!