Happily Unbridled

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!

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!

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!

Casino Drive, half-brother to Belmont Stakes winners, Jazil and Rags to Riches, is set to return to the US from Japan in mid-September to prep for the Breeders’ Cup Classic on October 25 at Santa Anita. Casino Drive is undefeated in two starts … the last one being an impressive victory in the grade II Peter Pan Stakes. He was entered to run in the Belmont Stakes last June, attempting to become the third consecutive Belmont winner out of Better Than Honour, but these plans were abandoned when he sustained a foot bruise the morning before the Belmont.

This impressive son of Mineshaft will run in The Goodwood Breeders’ Cup Stakes on September 27 on his way to the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

With Big Brown heading for the Classic, a race in which Curlin is unlikely to run, the addition of Casino Drive will make this a highly-anticipated match between two very talented individuals. If both horses stay healthy and injury-free we can already start to look forward to a very exciting Classic race at Santa Anita.

Go Baby Go!