Happily Unbridled

Wanderin Boy broke down in the Cigar Mile today and was euthanized. This was unfortunately a predictable outcome to a racing career that was riddled with injuries and physical problems. Yet after every injury and every setback, his connections just kept patching him up and sending back to the racetrack.  He was a horse who always ran with the best … he finished second to the great Curlin in the Jockey Club Gold Cup this year after leading most of the way. He was just passed close to the finish while still running his heart out trying to get to the wire first.

Athur Hancock III of Stone Farm, bred his Pleasant Colony mare, Vid Kid, to Seeking The Gold in 2000. In 2001 Vid Kid foaled Wanderin Boy. Less than a month later, the colt fractured his sesamoid in the pasture. Now the colt could not be sold and the veterinarian gave him only a slight chance of ever running. However, he healed quickly, was broken with the other horses, and was sent to the racetrack to be trained by Nick Zito. Soon after arriving, he fractured his cannon bone and was sent back to the farm. Wanderin Boy healed much more quickly than anyone imagined he would so back he went to the track. Then he bucked his shins and was sent back to the farm where he was pin-fired and hand walked. Of course, he was sent back to the track again. This time he actually made it to the races and showed a great deal of ability …  even winning the Grade III Mineshaft Handicap at the Fair Grounds.

After a seventh-place finish in his next race, he fractured his other cannon bone but was again fixed up and sent back to the track. Wanderin Boy continued to win some races and come very close in others, finishing second to the likes of Invasor, Bernardini, and Lawyer Ron.  He finished fourth in the Breeders Cup Dirt Mile and came out of that race lame with a foot abscess. He was sent back to the farm where his hoof was packed and had to grow out. Of course, he was sent back to the track yet again … he was in training for the Pimlico Special when trainer Nick Zito became worried about him and the colt was sent to the New Bolton Medical Center where he was diagnosed with a large stomach ulcer.  After treatment for the ulcer, he was sent back to the track where he won his first race back, then ran third in the Woodward to Curlin and second to Curlin in the Jockey Club Gold Cup.

This was a seven year old horse who endured the pain of multiple broken bones in his legs, a hoof abscess, and a stomach ulcer yet was continually put back on the track. Was there no one in this horse’s life who could look at him and see that his legs and his health were fragile? No one to say, “That’s enough, let’s retire him now and send him to stud.” Always, it seemed, Wanderin Boy was giving his all and yet it wasn’t quite enough for his connections … they wanted to push him to the very top, to see him beat the Curlins and the Invasors … maybe the next race … or the next … or the next.

Well, today was his last race … forever. He couldn’t be patched up this time and he couldn’t even be saved. I’m sure his owner and trainer feel great sadness for this courageous colt … I hope they also feel great responsibility for continuing to race him when he should have been taken off the track. A horse that continually breaks bones from running should not be running. I have great respect for Nick Zito; I believe he is a horseman and trainer who truly cares about his horses … but I have questions tonight about how he could continue to train a horse who had demonstrated over and over again that his legs were fragile and prone to injury.

The following is a comment I posted on another blog just last month when the author was admiring Wanderin Boy’s ability to come back time after time and continue racing. I felt much differently …

I’m a great fan of horse racing and that will never change in spite of the injuries and breakdowns that happen all too often.  But I cannot express my sadness and dismay that the owner of this horse, who tried so hard every time he stepped on the track, could not take his eyes off the dollar signs and insisted on running this horse into the ground.

Wanderin Boy is finally pain free as he has deserved to be for so long … but at the cost of his very life.

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!

Horse racing fans are in for a real treat on October 18. Oak Tree Racing Association is hosting a unique competition during the fourth race on that day which brings eight Hall-of-Fame jockeys out of retirement. These eight jockeys are competing in a $47,000 allowance race for California breds at seven furlongs. This is not an exhibition race but an official race which offers a wide variety of pari-mutuel betting opportunities.

The eight jockeys who are coming out of retirement — for one race on one day — are Jerry Bailey, Sandy Hawley, Pat Day, Jacino Vasquez, Gary Stevens, Chris McCarron, Julie Krone, and Angel Cordoro Jr. In addition to these “old-timers”, fellow Hall-of-Famers and Living Legends Ambassadors Laffit Pincay Jr, Eddie Delahoussaye, and Jorge Velasquez will be joining the competitors in the winners circle right before the fourth race. These 11 former jockeys together have earnings of almost $2 billion from 71,872 racing victories. Of course, after the fourth race, that number will have grown to 71,873 victories. All the jockeys will be in the East Paddock Gardens from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. to greet their many fans and sign autographs.

Jerry Bailey drew the morning-line favorite, Dee Dee’s Legacy with Chris McCarron on the second choice favorite, Waafi.

This will be a great once in a lifetime match-up of eight of the true “living legends” in horse racing. They’ve all been retired for some time and there’s no doubt they’ve all been busy getting in shape for this event. They’re all very competitive and we can be sure they will each ride the race to get to the finish line first. This may be your last chance to wager on one of your favorite jockeys so be sure to be close to your online wagering account at race time, or at your local race track or, best of all, at Santa Anita Park in person to cheer your favorite on to victory.

I won’t be at Santa Anita but I’ll for sure be watching TVG and analyzing the race to choose my favorite horse and jockey. It’s going to be a fun day …

Go Baby Go!

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, 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!

Peppers Pride, that amazing Thoroughbred mare from New Mexico, has just done what the great Citation, Cigar, Mister Frisky, and Hallowed Dreams could not … she has just won her 17th race in a row and remains undefeated.

Just a week after Curlin snatched the North American Thoroughbred earnings record from Cigar by winning the Jockey Club Gold Cup Invitational (gr I) which pushed his bankroll over the $10 million mark, Peppers Pride smashed another record in the number of consecutive wins by a Thoroughbred in the United States.

She broke into the record books by winning a six-furlong optional claiming allowance race at Zia Park in Hobbs, New Mexico. Peppers Pride stalked the pace in third and then took the lead on the turn winning the race by two lengths over the second place finisher, Silver Expression.  Jockey Carlos Madeira has been aboard the daughter of Desert God in all seventeen races. Peppers Pride is trained by Joel Marr and owned by Joe Allen.

The five-year-old mare has never traveled outside of her home state of New Mexico and all her races have been run exclusively against competitors in that state.

Her detractors claim that since she has never run against open company outside of New Mexico, this somehow lessens the significance of this victory. However, this writer respectfully disagrees with that opinion … it’s very difficult to maintain the physical and mental fitness of a race horse throughout a continuous campaign and the connections of Peppers Pride deserve all the recognition this accomplishment brings them. This is a very significant achievement and I suspect it will be quite a few years before this record is broken again.

Peppers Pride may run at least one more time in the New Mexico Cup Filly/Mare Championship at Zia Park on November 9. After that she will most likely be retired and perhaps in a few years we’ll have the privilege of seeing some of her sons and daughters on the track attempting to equal or break this remarkable record.

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!

Evening Attire, the 10-year-old gelding whose campaign earned him nearly $3 million over his racing career, has been retired. His connections cite a suspensory injury that led to their decision to retire this well-loved champion who had fans all over the country.

Evening Attire’s last win came just a few months ago, on July 19 in the $250,000 Goodwood Cup Stakes at Philadelphia Park. He romped to an 8 1/4 length victory in the 1 1/2 mile race; because this was a “Win and You’re In” race, the win also earned him a berth in the newly-created Breeders’ Cup Marathon at Santa Anita in October. In addition, he also broke a 16-year-old track record in the process, covering the distance in 2:29.90 on the fast main track. The previous record was 2:31 flat set by Laugh A Minute on January 4, 1992.

Sired by Black Tie Affair and out of the Our Native mare, Concolour, Evening Attire retired with 15 victories, 16 seconds, and nine thirds from 69 starts.  He placed in 17 stakes. There was no word yet on where Evening Attire will spend his retirement but the connections are looking for a good home for him where he will get the love and care he deserves.

Another old warrior, nine-year-old Perfect Drift has also been retired. A special ceremony in his honor was held at Turfway Park in Florence, Kentucky on September 27. It was at Turfway that Perfect Drift broke his maiden and won the Lane’s End Stakes (gr II) and the Kentucky Cup Classic (gr II).  Perfect Drift was led to the paddock by his long-time groom, Richard Anderson. Murray Johnson, who trained Perfect Drift for all but his last four races, saddled him and then lifted retired jockey Pat Day into the saddle to lead the field for the Kentucky Cup Classic to the track.

Perfect Drift is a gelded son of Dynaformer and out of the Naskra mare, Nice Gal. He raced at the highest level throughout his career and earned $4,714,213. He started 50 times with 11 wins, 14 seconds, and seven thirds.

My personal favorite memory of Perfect Drift was when I watched from the grandstand in disbelief as he bested the great Mineshaft in the Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs. Of course my wager had been on Mineshaft who looked to be unbeatable in that race but Perfect Drift ran him down in the stretch.

Perfect Drift will be retired at his home in Kansas City, MO, at Stonecrest Farms.

There are other gutsy older horses still running and we’ll most likely see some of them running in the Breeders’ Cup races in October, but we’ll miss Evening Attire and Perfect Drift. They always gave their best in every race and no matter who else was running — or who else we had wagered on — we always secretly cheered them on hoping that they’d find their way to the finish line first.

Those of us who have enjoyed watching Evening Attire and Perfect Drift over the years will remember them fondly. We hope they have many years of grazing in green pastures and sleeping in the sun, and feeling the love from the people all across the country who love them.