Happily Unbridled

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.

Majority owner of Curlin, Jess Jackson, recently indicated they might send their horse, the reigning Horse of the Year, to the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita next month after all. Previously all signs from the connections of this super-horse led us to believe they would not make an appearance in the Breeders’ Cup Classic race but perhaps were pointing Curlin to a race overseas, most probably the Japan Cup. This would certainly be good news for all us horse racing fans … Big Brown is expected to run in the Classic and the horse racing public has been hoping for an opportunity to see these two talented colts run in the same race.

Curlin’s next race will be the Jockey Club Gold Cup (gr I) at Belmont on September 27. He’s been working beautifully for this race and the 4-year-old son of Smart Strike is attempting to become horse racing’s biggest money earner. Currently, the great Cigar holds that title with just under $10 million and a win in the JC Gold Cup would put Curlin over that mark.

Now Larry Jones, trainer of that amazing filly Proud Spell, has announced that they too may take their horse to the Breeders’ Cup. Proud Spell is running this weekend at Philadelphia Park in the $750,000 Fitz Dixon Cotillion (gr II). If she does ship to California for the Breeders’ Cup, this would be her last race before she runs at Santa Anita.

Neither Jones, nor the trainer of Curlin, Steve Asmussen, particularly like the synthetic track at Santa Anita … Jones does not believe his filly runs as well over a synthetic surface and Curlin has never tried a track that was not dirt or turf.

Let’s hope that both these impressive horses come out of their respective races well and that their connections do decide to send them to the Breeders’ Cup. Their presence at Santa Anita would certainly enhance the already stellar quality of horses that will be running in the championship races.

Horse racing needs these exciting stars shining at the Breeders’ Cup …

Go Baby Go!

Music Note won for her fourth straight time at Belmont Park on Saturday when she cruised to an 8 1/2 length win in the Grade I Gazelle Stakes for 3-year old fillies.

Jockey Javier Castallano had Music Note running comfortably in third and then she effortlessly took charge midway around the turn.  The only other Grade I winner in the race, Country Star, flipped in the gate right before the race and was a late scratch. The good news is that Country Star did not appear to be injured as she was led off the track. However, this left a small field of four to run the race and Music Note was unquestionably the best of the lot.

Music Note lost by a head in her last race, the Grade I Alabama at Saratoga, to Proud Spell who is widely considered to be the best three year old filly in the country at the moment.

Music Note’s next race will most likely be in the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita in October. If Proud Spell also shows up in that race, it will be very exciting to see these two talented fillies running together again. Let’s hope they both stay healthy and happy for the next few weeks so we can see the rematch …

Go Baby Go!