Happily Unbridled

Breeders’ Cup edition 2008 is now in the history books.  These races will probably be analyzed and discussed more than any previous Breeders’ Cup because of the “Ladies’ Day” race card on Friday, October 24, and certainly because this was the first time these championship races were run over a synthetic surface.

First, an analysis of Ladies’ Day. Personally I don’t like the name but I agree somewhat with the concept. Ladies’ Day sounds like a special day at the track for ladies, complete with special prices, special drinks, and other special perks just for ladies and to entice women to come to the track. Ladies’ Day last Friday, however, was a day dedicated to female horses and the sex-limited races in which they participated. These five races attracted outstanding fillies and mares and there was no shortage of heart-pounding finishes.  Both Stardom Bound in the Juvenile Fillies division and Zenyatta in the Ladies’ Classic turned in thrilling stretch drives that rivaled anything we saw on Saturday. Stardom Bound is truly that … and Zenyatta is beyond description in her accomplishments during her racing career. She is routinely dazzling in her performances and is undefeated in nine starts.  She is indeed a super star and may have established a good case for Horse of the Year honors.

The Juvenile Fillies Turf race was a heart-stopper as Maram literally outnosed Heart Shaped at the wire.

On Saturday of course everyone was waiting for the Classic and waiting for Curlin to do what he does best … win races. However, this was not Curlin’s day and, although he made his move and for a moment it appeared that he would indeed conquer the world, it was not to be. Raven’s Pass hit the wire first with Curlin finishing fourth.

Discussion of course now centers on whether Curlin lost the race because of the synthetic surface or if he is just feeling the effects of a long year of racing. He won the Dubai World Cup in March, returned to the US and has raced several times since then. His worst finish, before the Breeders’ Cup, was when he finished third in a turf race. He’s won two other races on the dirt this year, but even while winning seemed to be uncharacteristically dull in those races.  Curlin has returned to Louisville and there has been no announcement as of this writing as to the future plans for this great horse.

So what’s the score for the synthetic surface, Pro-Ride, at Santa Anita? The Euros love it as evidenced by their five victories over the two days. Since the Breeders’ Cup will be back at Santa Anita again next year, perhaps we can expect even more of the overseas horses to compete as they all appeared to be comfortable with the surface. This is very good news for the Breeders’ Cup and for horse racing in the US in general.

Certainly the best part about the two days and the 14 races was the total lack of injury to any horse or any rider. Much unlike the horror show that unfolded last year in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Monmouth Park in New Jersey when George Washington broke down trying to run on that slippery, sloppy track and was euthanized, every race this year was run without incident. Even the California heat and the synthetic surface which seems to generate its own heat and makes the track at least 20 degrees warmer than the ambient temperature, did not seem to affect the horses or riders.

In my opinion, this was a very successful weekend of world champion racing and world champion race horses. All the races were cleanly run and the best horses on those days were victorious. I’m already looking forward to the Breeders’ Cup in 2009 and all the new thrills that are in store …

Go Baby Go!

It’s finally here … the weekend that all horse players and all horse racing fans have been waiting for. Today — Friday — is the so-called “Ladies Day”. It’s a term of which I’m not too fond but I guess it’s a nod to the not-so-regular horse players who haven’t taken the time to understand words like “filly”, “mare”, or “distaff”. Basically the whole day is dedicated to filly and mare races. Saturday belongs pretty much to the colts and geldings although horses of either sex could be entered in races which do not specify a gender, such as the Breeders’ Cup Classic which is the last race run tomorrow.

There will be 14 excellent races this year … handicapping these may be a challenge because many are running on synthetic surface for the first time. A new race this year is the Juvenile Fillies Turf.  I don’t usually do a lot of handicapping until I can see the horses in the paddock and on the track as they warm up for the race, but right now I like Saucy Evening in this race.

Of course, who can pick against the unbeaten Zanyatta in the Ladies Classic so she’ll likely be at the top of most exotic tickets with the others coming in behind her.

Let’s hope the races are fairly run and, most of all, that everybody comes out of this race with no injuries and they all go back to the barn happy and healthy.

Go Baby Go!

Casino Drive, the invader from Japan who has his sights set on upsetting the Breeders’ Cup Classic race, won his prep race on October 12 at Santa Anita with ease. Ridden by Victor Espinoza, Casino Drive broke from post 2, was angled to the outside and stalked the pace in third down the backstretch. As the field turned for home, Casino Drive simply lengthened his stride, passed the leaders and drew away to win by 3/4 length over Dakota Phone. He could have won by much more but with the big race less than two weeks away, Espinoza simply showed him the whip and shook the reins to keep him ahead of a less than threatening challenge from Dakota Phone.

Casino Drive is now undefeated in three starts. He won his maiden race in Japan by 11 1/2 lengths then shipped to the US to prep for the Belmont Stakes. He won his prep race in the US, the Peter Pan Stakes, by over five lengths. However, his race in the Belmont was not to be; he suffered a stone bruise on his foot and was scratched the morning of the race. Sent back to Japan to recover, Casino Drive did not race again until returning to the US and running in this optional claiming allowance race on Sunday, October 12.

Casino Drive is a striking son of Mineshaft and out of the mare, Better Than Honour by Deputy Minister. Better Than Honour is a celebrity in her own right as she is the dam of two back-to-back Belmont Stakes winners, Rags to Riches who bested the great Curlin in 2007 and Jazil who won in 2006.  

By winning this race, I believe Casino Drive has stamped his ticket as a legitimate contender in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Previously, I was not convinced that a horse that had only two previous starts and had not raced since May, would be a factor in a race with such greats as Big Brown and possibly Curlin also running. However, Casino Drive is an extremely professional race horse and even with his limited experience, I was very impressed with the way he handled the synthetic Pro-Ride surface and his ability to rate until asked to run. He certainly won’t be able to cruise past Curlin or even Big Brown as easily as he ran past the competition today, but his presence on October 25 will absolutely make this an even more exciting Breeders’ Cup Classic race.

We hope he came out of the race well and moves forward from this effort to run an even bigger race in 14 days. It’ll be a great race to watch and should also be an excellent wagering opportunity for the horse racing public. 

Go Baby Go!

Casino Drive, who came to California from Japan to try to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita on October 25, will have a prep race on Sunday October 12. The undefeated three-year-old son of 2003 Horse of the Year Mineshaft will run in an optional claiming allowance race over the synthetic Pro-Ride Surface.

The undefeated Casino Drive has not raced since winning the Peter Pan Stakes (gr II) by nearly six lengths at Belmont Park on May 10. Prior to the Peter Pan, Casino Drive won his maiden race in Japan by 11 1/2 lengths. He had been entered in the Belmont Stakes but was scratched the morning of the race due to a stone bruise. He returned to Japan and has been sidelined from the lingering effects of the bruise since then.  If Casino Drive had run in the Belmont and won, he would have been the third consecutive offspring of the mare, Better Than Honour, to win that race. His half-sister, Rags to Riches, narrowly defeated Curlin in the previous year and his half-brother Jazil, won the year before.

Casino Drive, who drew post two in Sunday’s race, will be ridden by Victor Espinoza. The 1 1/16th mile race is the eighth on a nine-race program.

The entire field consists of: Dakota Phone, Rafael Bejarano; Casino Drive, Espinoza; Gregorian Bay, Martin Garcia; By Spot, Jose Valdivia Jr.; Informed, Aaron Gryder; Sensational Score, Joel Rosario; and Asperity, Danny Sorenson. Each horse is assigned 120 pounds, except Casino Drive, who has 116.

Although he certainly needs a race after his long layoff, the most important thing about this race is not whether Casino Drive wins or loses, it’s watching to see how he handles the Santa Anita synthetic surface. This will give us some indication of how he will run in two weeks in the Classic. If he does run well on Sunday and he’s on top of his game on October 25, it will only add to the excitement of the already exciting Classic competition.

Go Baby Go!

It’s never too early to make your plans for a trip to the Breeders’ Cup!  On Wednesday morning the much-anticpated announcement was made. Churchill Downs will host the 2010 Breeders’ Cup. Churchill Downs has hosted these prestigious races six times previously and boasts six of the seven largest Breeders’ Cup crowds to assemble for the races. Obviously Churchill Downs in Kentucky is the almost perfect venue for horse racing and it’s exciting to have the Breeders’ Cup return to this historic track.

It’s certainly exciting on a personal level for this writer who lived in Louisville, Kentucky, for a few years and loved every minute of it. My happiest weekends were spent at Churchill Downs and the saddest thing about leaving Kentucky was knowing that I wouldn’t be able to enjoy those times on a regular basis.

Of course I’ve returned to Louisville and Churchill Downs from time to time –I’ve even gone back for one Breeders’ Cup and one Kentucky Derby – and it’s always a great pleasure to go back there to visit my good friends and to enjoy an afternoon or two at Churchill. If I can’t get to the Derby, I try to time my visit for “Super Saturday” in June to see the Stephen Foster Handicap  which always a exciting race along with the other great stakes races that are run throughout the day.

So – here’s a surprise – I’m already making my plans to be at Churchill Downs in the fall of 2010 with tentative dates of November 4 -5.  Last year at Monmouth Park in New Jersey, the Breeders’ Cup expanded to 14 races over two days so this will be Churchill Downs first opportunity to host the Breeders’ Cup in its new format. 

If you want to truly immerse yourself in equestrian events in Kentucky in 2010, the World Equestrian Games will be held at the Kentucky Horse Park near Lexington from September 25 to October 10. So maybe you want to plan to spend six weeks or so in Kentucky … there are plenty of things to do and see in this beautiful “Unbridled Spirit” state. Enjoy exciting horse racing at Turfway Park or Keeneland, visit some of the great Thoroughbreds of the past at Old Friends, spend at day at the Kentucky Horse Park, or arrange a visit to some of the farms to see the recent stars of the racetrack in their second career as sires of the next generations of amazing athletes that will take our breath away.

It’s going to be great fun to be back in Kentucky for the Breeders’ Cup in 2010. Only two years away!

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!

The main prep race for the Breeders’ Cup Classic (gr I), the Goodwood Stakes (gr I), will be run this year on the same surface on which the Breeders’ Cup Classic will be run. This synthetic surface is called Pro-Ride and has recently been installed at Santa Anita in California. This is the first test of the racing surface and should tell us a lot about how which horses will handle the track and move on to the Breeders’ Cup.

The Goodwood is a Breeders’ Cup Challenge race which means that the winner will automatically earn an entry into the Classic race on October 25.

Well Armed appears to be the horse to beat in the Goodwood. The 5 year old gelded son of Tiznow scored wire-to-wire victories in the San Diego Handicap (gr II) at Del Mar and the San Antonio Handicap (gr II) at Santa Anita. In his last start, the Pacific Classic (gr I), Well Armed lost by a neck to Go Between.

The defending champion of last year’s Goodwood, Tiago, is coming into the race without a start in nearly three months. Trainer John Sherriffs, who also trained Tiago’s half-brother Giacomo to victory in the 2005 Grade I Kentucky Derby, doesn’t think the colt will be at a disadvantage in the 1 1/8 mile race. Of course the surface is the main factor; Tiago has been training at the Hollywood Park Cushion Track and Sherriffs is unfamiliar with the Australian-manufactured Pro-Ride.

In addition to Tiago and Well Armed, the other Goodwood entrants include Spirit Won, Mast Track, Albertus Maximus,Tres Borrachos, Zappa, Informed, Surf Cat, Slew’s Tiznow, and Mostacoll Mort.

The Goodwood is shaping up to be a very competitive race. It will be a great race to watch and also should give us some idea of who’s going to be a major player in the big race at the end of October.

Go Baby Go!

Proud Spell, that game filly that shows up every time she’s asked, is not headed to the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita next month. Instead, she’ll be turned out to rest and just be a horse for awhile at Airdrie Stud in Kentucky.

Proud Spell finished second in her last race, the $750,000 Fitz Cotillion Stakes (gr II) in her most recent start. She had previously won the Grade I Kentucky Oaks and the Alabama this year. She has won seven of twelve starts with earnings over $2 million.

Trainer Larry Jones indicated that once Proud Spell has had a rest, they will evaluate her for a possible four-year-old campaign.

It’s unfortunate that this stellar filly will not be seen in the Breeders’ Cup this year but she’s run every month since February against some of the best competition in the nation and it’s good to know she’s going to get a well-deserved break.

Speaking of Larry Jones, he announced this week that he plans to retire by the end of 2009. He says the tragedy of Eight Belles breakdown after her amazing second-place finish in the Kentucky Derby has taken a lot of fun out of training for him and he thinks about her every day. There have also been tampering incidents and personnel problems at his barns which contributed to his decision to retire.

Obviously Larry Jones is a man who loves the horses in his barn as he loves his children, and we can only imagine the pain he has endured these past months following Eight Belles death. In 2007 he campaigned the plucky Hard Spun who looked like the winner in the Kentucky Derby that year until Street Sense flew up the rail, passing about 17 horses in what seemed like a dozen strides, to overtake Hard Spun right before the wire.

Larry Jones is an excellent trainer, and more importantly, a true horseman, so no doubt anything he does will include working with the horses he loves so much. We are sad to see him go and we wish him well in the future.

The amazing filly, Indian Blessing, continued her routine domination of her sprint competitors by cruising easily to a 6 1/4 length victory in the Gallant Bloom Handicap (gr II) at Belmont on Saturday.

Sugar Swirl, her chief rival, was scratched by trainer Bobby Frankel which reduced the field to four for 6 1/2 furlong race.

Indian Blessing was the 3-10 favorite and broke from the rail. She was briefly pressured by Zada Belle in the early part of the race and by Elope in the upper stretch but responded to her jockey, Corey Nakatani’s, urging and drew away quickly from her rivals.This was the first time Nakatani had ridden the filly in any of her races.

The Bob Baffert trainee may now be heading for the Breeders’ Cup. She’s been so superior to female sprinters that it’s possible she will take on the boys in the Sentient Breeders’ Cup Sprint (gr I) on October 25 at Santa Anita.

This talented daughter of Indian Charlie has now won eight of ten starts with two runner-up finishes. She has five Grade I wins and was the front running winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile last year which, along with the fact that she was undefeated at 2, wrapped up the 2007 Eclipse Award honors.

Fillies have always done pretty well when taking on the colts in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint races. Indian Blessing may just be the next female to best the boys in this prestigious arena. Let’s hope she stays healthy and happy and we’ll be looking for her in the Breeders’ Cup next month.

Go Baby Go!