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Breeders' Cup Competition VIDEOS

aspradling — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:00:00 GMT

Stable Boy and I will be posting video reels of horses in Breeders' Cup races. The goal is to split up the horses we have footage of, by race, so you can see what they look like around the track. So Bookmark/Favorite this page as we will be updating it for videos for each race....(read more)

Live Breeders' Cup Blog - Saturday, November 7th

cdawahare — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 16:58:00 GMT

<a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&task=viewaltcast&altcast_code=85d4bb3eb8" >Breeders' Cup Live Blog: Saturday, November 7th - Handicapping Edition</a>

Morning Line Live Discussion - Friday, November 6th

cdawahare — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:25:00 GMT

Breeders' Cup Live Blog: Friday, November 6th

Better Than a Money Machine

sgillies — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:53:00 GMT

A fine mare produces yet another high-class winner. As a small tribute to Better Than Honour, here are some of her headlines from the past....(read more)

Picks For Saturday BC Races

jshandler — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:01:00 GMT

After a long week of handicapping, here are my Saturday thoughts... Juvenile Turf When considering morning-line favorite Interactif, there are two ways to look at the full field that he is facing: If you like him, you should be thrilled that you are likely to get a more than fair price. Or if you think he is vulnerable, there are no shortage of upset options. I happen to like him and if he stays at 4-1, I'm going all in. I think this is Pletcher's best chance at winning a BC race this year and I...(read more)

Morning Line Live Blog: Friday, November 6th - Handicapping Edition

cdawahare — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:57:00 GMT

<a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&task=viewaltcast&altcast_code=48d8fbe5c9" >Breeders' Cup Live Blog: Friday, November 6th - Handicapping Edition</a>

Run Kittens Run

Blood-Horse Staff — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:14:00 GMT

Photos of the Kittens on track at Santa Anita, as we wish them good luck and safe trip in the Breeders' Cup. ...(read more)

Morning Line Live Blog: Thursday, November 5th

cdawahare — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:57:00 GMT

Breeders' Cup Live Blog: Thursday, November 5th

Who's the Famous Thoroughbred? (November 2009 edition)

sgillies — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:55:00 GMT

Armed with a photo and a few clues, can you identify famous Thoroughbreds from the past? Here are six oldies that will challenge your memory -- and your research skills....(read more)

The Tribe has Spoken! - Curlin tops potential matings for Rachel Alexandra

brogers — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:42:00 GMT

The TrueNicks community voted on the best first mate for superfilly Rachel Alexandra. Here are the results, along with links to the full reports....(read more)

Picks For Friday BC Races

jshandler — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:27:00 GMT

Ok fellow handicappers, the time has come for Breeders' Cup selections.

I have received many of your picks for the contest, so I have an idea of what you guys are thinking. I don't like picking winners two days out and I will be handicapping up to the races on Friday, but I do want to get this out there so that we can open up dialogue on each race.

Fire away with any questions/comments you may have and be sure to join in for the live blogs all week. I'll post another blog on Thursday with my Saturday picks. Looking forward to debating with everyone...

Marathon

I'm not crazy about this race, probably because other than a few horses, I haven't seen many of them race, and trying to handicap 1 ¾-mile races are not my specialty.

I've talked to some who say Mastery is the "lock" of the Breeders' Cup. I guess that is based on the St. Leger when he won by three-quarters of a length in September. He really has never run a bad race but has only won three times in eight starts. He's probably the deserving favorite, but if he is anywhere near 9-5 I will likely just play exotics and no win tickets.

I do like Father Time a bit. He had a troubled trip in that St. Leger and should improve off that. This could be a chalky race.

Mastery
Father Time
Man of Iron

Juvenile Fillies Turf

It's hard to look past Lillie Langtry in this race, even with a full field. She has to go an extra furlong for the first time, but has been very consistent in all six starts. She had a nice, easy prep about a month ago and should be sitting on a huge effort.

I do like a couple of price horses here. Smart Seattle (8-1) has looked excellent on the track all week and I think a mile will suit her a little better than 8 ½ furlongs, in which she ran second in her last two. The Jessamine was the perfect prep for this race. She lost to House of Grace by a nose and will be a much better price.

Elusive Galaxy (20-1) ran pretty well in her prep, the Natalma at Woodbine, in her first try in North America and at a mile. She shipped to California last month and has settled in nicely for Ben Cecil. She also gets her second race with Bejarano aboard. A live 20-1 shot with Bejarano? I'll take a stab.

Lillie Langtry
Smart Seattle
Elusive Galaxy

I'll box all three in an exacta

Juvenile Fillies

Tough race. Blind Luck has to be used based on her Oak Leaf. Hollendorfer hasn't had a lot of success at the BC, but he is still one of the best in California and has been for a long time. She is definitely the one to beat.

That being said, I'm going for an upset here. She Be Wild (8-1) has done absolutely nothing wrong in four starts. She dominated at Arlington in three starts and ran big in the Alcibiades at Keeneland for her prep. Wayne Catalano has a good handle on 2-year-old fillies and he has a live one here. Leparoux gets the mount and she should stalk the pace and pounce on the leaders in the stretch.

She Be Wild
Blind Luck
Beautician

F&M Turf

There are many who believe Forever Together has lost a half-step. Not me. What's she done wrong? She was beaten nose in the Canadian and came flying at the end of one-mile First Lady after being 20 lengths out. The 1 ¼-mile distance is ideal for her, as we saw last year. Don't look past her. She's a champion and Sheppard will have her revved up.

I think Magical Fantasy has to be included on the bottom of tickets because of her success out here and Pure Clan is in great form. Rutherienne stretches out to 10 furlongs for the first time but she might enjoy the added distance for a piece.

Forever Together
Pure Clan
Rutherienne/Magical Fantasy

F&M Sprint

I'm a bit surprised at how many people think Ventura is going to get beat. She is a couple noses away from being undefeated in four grade I's this year. Her Woodbine Mile was sick. She won this race by four last year. She's a monster.

I'm not sure why I don't like Informed Decision as much; maybe because she hasn't been out here. She certainly is capable of pulling the minor upset.

I do like Evita Aregentina (20-1) to hit the board. What's she done? Well, she beat boys in the San Vicente over this course in February and became the first 3YO filly in 65 years to beat elders in the A Gleam two back. She is a bit inconsistent, but if she's on and gets a hot pace, watch out.

Ventura
Evita Argentina
Informed Decision

Ladies Classic

It's wide-open without Zenyatta. You can make a good case for any of them in here. Even Lethal Heat, the longest choice on the morning line, is in good form and likes this track. Distance is her issue.

I was sure Music Note was going to win this race a week ago. She has been off the charts good in New York in her last two and is probably the best horse in the race--on dirt. I know she ran a solid third in this race last year and there is no reason to believe she shouldn't run well again, but...

I am leaning toward Proviso (8-1), a 4-year-old filly who impressed me a lot in the Spinster in her first U.S. start. She was much the best despite her disqualification, proving she can handle synthetics. I'm hoping she gets even better. She's has had an aggressive 2009 campaign in Europe this year, including a third to Goldikova in August. She fits well here and will be a big number.

I also can make strong cases for Cocoa Beach and Rainbow View

Proviso
Music Note
Life Is Sweet/Cocoa Beach

Thoughts?

Morning Line Live Blog: Wednesday, November 4th

cdawahare — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:09:00 GMT

&lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&amp;task=viewaltcast&amp;altcast_code=cb34a0eab9" &gt;Breeders' Cup Live Blog: Wednesday, November 4th&lt;/a&gt;

Less Than Classic - By Dan Liebman

Blood-Horse Staff — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:45:00 GMT

You would think Eileen Mayer never heard of P.T. Barnum.

Mayer is Chief of Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation. Her job involves overseeing probes into claims of tax fraud. Barnum, of course, was the famous 19th century master of hoaxes, founder of the outfit that would become the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus, and the man erroneously credited with saying, “There’s a sucker born every minute.”

After three principals of the former ClassicStar horse breeding operation—David Plummer; his son, Spencer Plummer; and accountant Terry Green—were reported last week by the U.S. Department of Justice as having pleaded guilty to charges of defrauding the United States, it was Mayer who said, “Investment schemes that seem too good to be true should be a signal to individuals to stay clear.”

Furthermore, Mayer said, “The IRS is actively pursuing promoters who market these tax-evasion schemes.”

P.T. Barnum was a self-proclaimed promoter. So, too, was David Plummer, who founded ClassicStar and recruited investors to participate in the company’s mare lease program. A release from the government about the guilty pleas said Spencer Plummer “assisted David Plummer in the operation of the mare lease program,” and Green assisted investors by “preparing and filing income tax returns on which they reported fraudulent deductions” and “assisted customers in their IRS audits by creating false and backdated documents and presenting them to IRS auditors,” the government alleged.

The information presented in the government’s case by the justice department claims participants in the ClassicStar mare lease program filed tax returns with the IRS claiming false tax deductions of more than $500 million, resulting in a tax loss to the government of more than $200 million.

Other allegations against ClassicStar include: lacking sufficient mares to fulfill its obligations to investors and at times substituting Quarter Horse mares; providing loans to investors through National Equine Lending Co., said to be an independent company but actually owned by ClassicStar; and often, at the conclusion of an investor’s participation, having the outstanding loan “extinguished through fictitious trades involving an entity that purportedly owned interests in coal bed methane gas wells” through ClassicStar’s parent company, GeoStar.

ClassicStar began buying mares earlier this decade: $4,171,000 for 15 mares in 2001; the leading purchaser by money spent in 2002 and 2003, with 27 mares for $17,535,000 in 2002, and $13,570,000 for 20 mares the following year; and $9,835,000 for a dozen mares in 2004.

It didn’t take long for things to unravel.

In 2006 ClassicStar’s Kentucky farm was raided by federal agents, as was David Plummer’s Buffalo Ranch in Utah. Later that year a group of ClassicStar mares was sold at auction for $20.8 million. The following year 48 ClassicStar mares were purchased for $9.8 million by John Sykes of Cloverleaf Farm in Florida, who would also purchase ClassicStar’s Central Kentucky farm in partnership. The money was used to pay creditors.

In September 2007, ClassicStar filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection; court documents listed claims from more than 200 persons totaling nearly $1.4 billion.
Numerous civil suits alleging fraud involving ClassicStar and its practices are still pending. Newspaper reports have said the Plummers and Green, who each face a maximum sentence of five years for conspiracy to defraud the government, are cooperating in the continuing investigation.

It is hard to imagine anyone who makes his living breeding Thoroughbreds fully believed the veracity of the mare lease program’s claims that were the underlying principle of ClassicStar.

People have been breeding horses for many years, and there are many intelligent and experienced attorneys and accountants who handle nothing but equine accounts. They are well versed in the tax codes as they apply to breeding and racing horses, including those leased from one entity to another.

Eileen Mayer is an experienced attorney herself, and as she said, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

A Surge From Purge

aporter — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:40:00 GMT

Vinery's Purge was represented by his first stakes winner last weekend....(read more)

Family Legacy - By Chris Young

Blood-Horse Staff — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:08:00 GMT

The frantic preparations for the dispersal of more than 120 horses, including broodmares, weanlings, stallion prospects, and racehorses in the Keeneland November sale has given me a reason to look back at the many photos and articles that have been collected since Overbrook Farm was founded in the late 1970s. My childhood summers were spent working in Barn 1 with the mares and foals, and in digging through the archives I found a photo of me with a colt from the last crop of Northern Dancer out of a French Oaks (Fr-I)-winning mare, Mrs. Penny. I remember his sale preparation and watching him top the Keeneland July sale in 1989 for $2.8 million.

As I got older, some of the most treasured memories involve going to the races with my family and especially with my grandfather, W.T. Young. His enthusiasm was contagious as we traveled to watch various Overbrook horses compete. Of course, I’ll always remember Grindstone winning the Kentucky Derby (gr. I), and the agonizing delay as the stewards reviewed the photo to determine that he indeed had won. Paying $41 to win, Cat Thief’s victory in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (gr. I) at Gulfstream was as exhilarating as it was profitable.

I remember the fun my grandfather had with his great friend David Reynolds when Tabasco Cat won the Preakness and Belmont Stakes (both gr. I). We were all there to cheer him on to victory in those races. As a family, we were also fortunate to experience the campaigns of graded stakes-winning homebreds such as Mountain Cat, Cape Town, Cape Canaveral, Boston Harbor, Jump Start, Tactical Cat, Carson City, and Storm Cat. These were all special horses to us at Overbrook.

As much as I enjoyed watching our homebred colts race, I particularly enjoyed the Overbrook fillies. From the racetrack to the farm, they have become like an extended family to us at Overbrook as their offspring continue to perform well at the track and in the sale ring. For me, it started with Seaside Attraction winning the 1990 Kentucky Oaks (gr. I). Purchased as a weanling out of the Warner L. Jones dispersal, she went on to produce four graded stakes winners, including 2-year-old champion Golden Attraction.

Perhaps my favorite memory is of Flanders drawing off to win the Frizette Stakes (gr. I) by 21 lengths on the same fall afternoon as Timber Country won the Champagne Stakes (gr. I). My sister led Timber Country into the winner’s circle, while I led Flanders, and my whole family was there to celebrate their victories.

Flanders would produce another family favorite, Surfside. I was lucky to be there with my grandfather and enjoy her multiple grade Is in California, with victories in the Hollywood Starlet, Santa Anita Oaks, and the Las Virgenes Stakes. Other graded stakes-winning fillies that we cheered to victory include Cuddles, Fiery Pursuit, Katz Me If You Can, Magic Storm, Patches, Pearl City, Penny’s Gold, and Storm Star.

These shared experiences with family, both human and equine, are part of what makes the sport of Thoroughbred racing and breeding so special. As we extended their families, these horses became a part of our extended family. Each new addition was eagerly anticipated and each generation added to our bond. My grandfather and our advisers at Overbrook took great care in the selection of new breeding stock, and we’ve been diligent over the years in deciding which of the race fillies to add to our broodmare band.

Personally, I’m only going to keep three 2-year-old fillies from the racing stable: A Storm Cat filly from the nice Juddmonte family of grade I winners Distant Music, Temperence Hill, and Vanlandingham; a Dynaformer filly from the fantastic family of Chris Evert through her daughter Nijinsky Star; and the A.P. Indy daughter of Flanders. Hopefully, these three will perform well on the track and will become the nucleus of the next generation of Overbrook stars. When my grandfather started acquiring his foundation stock, he started with three young racemares from nice families who had proven themselves stellar athletes on the racetrack. I can only hope this sweet symmetry will be recognized.

Every other broodmare, weanling, and racehorse will be sold without reserve and, with a little patience and luck, perhaps they too can become foundation stock for their new owners. These families have been good to us, and I trust they will reward their new families with continued good memories. I know that I’ll continue to cheer them and their offspring to victories in the future.

Chris Young is the grandson of Overbrook Farm founder W.T. Young Jr.

Sweet Kitten Keeps Rolling

Blood-Horse Staff — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:03:00 GMT

Sweet Kitten keeps rolling in Puerto Rico, and three on the turf at Churchill. ...(read more)

Thoughts on the Draw

jshandler — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 03:04:00 GMT

Thought I'd check in real quick after a long Tuesday.

There weren't many works, though many of the Euros hit the track for the first time after being cleared from quarantine. Tuesday was all about the draw.

Here are some of my quick first impressions of the draw. Let me know what yours are:

I was a bit surprised in the Juvenile Fillies, first that Connie and Michael was installed as the second choice off of just one race, and that Devil May Care and She Be Wild, each with a good chance to win, were listed at 8-1. There is a lot of value in that race.
I was also mildly surprised that Forever Together is the 5-2 favorite in the Filly & Mare Turf, even though she is the defending champ. I was hoping to get a price on her. Maybe I still can, as I expect Midday or Magical Fantasy to go off as the post time choice.
My eyes lit up when I saw Evita Argentina at 20-1 in the Filly & Mare Sprint. I hope she stays that high. She's live.
Rainbow View being 6-1 in the Ladies Classic was a bit surprising.
The Juvenile Turf might be the most wide-open race all weekend. I like Interactif, but the three Euros are also appetizing and I have a couple longshots I'll share with you on Thursday.
When Zensational drew the 1 post in the Sprint nearly everyone in the room gasped. It was the exact post Baffert didn't want. We'll see what it means...
Baffert said he wasn't as concerned about Lookin at Lucky drawing No. 13 in the Juvenile, but Im not so sure about that either. Tough to win out there.
As with Evita Argentina, I was also pleased to see another Sadler horse I like, Whatsthescript, with 15-1 odds in the Mile. She'll be in all my exotics.
Finally, in the Classic, the horses I like most right now--Einstein, Gio Ponti, Richard's Kid, and Colonel John--are all 12-1. Bingo.

Back tomorrow with picks for the six Friday races. Study hard!!

Murmur Farm Joins TrueNicks

moneil — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 01:00:00 GMT

The stallions at Murmur Farm in Darlington Maryland are among the newest to join TrueNicks....(read more)

A Dream Run

Blood-Horse Staff — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:17:00 GMT

Liam's Dream (Saint Liam) debuts in style. Plus, the entries are out for the Breeders' Cup and the Kittens are in....(read more)

Sky's the Limit

aporter — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:16:00 GMT

It was all two-year-olds on opening day of the Churchill Downs fall meeting and both Broken Vow and Sky Mesa were represented by new graded winners....(read more)

BC Trackside Video, Hot Off the Track

aspradling — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:30:00 GMT

Red Rocks, Muhannak, Eldaafer, She Be Wild and a few other equine guests on video....(read more)

Don't Read Too Much Into Works

jshandler — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:24:00 GMT

"It was perfect."

"He's as fit and sharp as he's ever been."

"He's ready to roll."

These were the comments of Chip Woolley, Eoin Harty, and Bob Baffert, respectively, right after each of their BC Classic starters turned in their final works. Woolley, who has Mine That Bird, Harty (Colonel John), and Baffert (Richard's Kid), all sounded extremely confident that their horses would run the race of their lives on Nov. 7.

Later, I ran into Helen Pitts and she too was optimistic that Einstein would turn in a big one based on his recent training.

It was at that point that I bumped into a colleague and he and I shared the same thought: Has any trainer ever publicly said that their horse's work "wasn't what they wanted" or "left something to be desired?" If they have, I can't remember.

My point is, often times we tend to make too much of works, especially during big events like the Kentucky Derby and the Breeders' Cup. Each one is picked over in critical fashion, and the fact is, most times you'll find observers saying the same thing: "Wow, he looked great." Or, "he's getting over the track really well."

From a handicapping perspective, the works are often overrated. Baffert said it best: "I'm happy the way that he's been working, but you know, it's not the way they look in the morning that matters; it's who shows up on race day."

In the Classic especially, we are all looking for any edge we can get. It's one of the toughest Classics to handicap in a long time. There are so many variables with each horse--Zenyatta going against males at a new distance, Gio Ponti switching from turf, the Euros running on synthetics for the first time, Mine That Bird and Summer Bird facing elders, and so on and so forth. Works are part of the equation, but they are not everything. You will need to go much deeper with your handicapping in this race, and then you'll still need some luck to win.

For what it's worth, in my opinion, Richard's Kid's work was visually more impressive than anyone. He looked like an express train in the stretch.

But then again, you know what they say--all of them looked great.

___________

Quote of the morning went to Baffert, who when commenting on the time it took him to acclimate his training to synthetic surfaces said: "The first year they put Polytrack in at Del Mar I thought I was going to have to quit training and get a job selling shoes at Nordstrom."

Back tomorrow afternoon with thoughts on the draw and more...

Liam's Dream to Roll n' Rock

Blood-Horse Staff — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:00:00 GMT

November 3 finds Maiden Watch in Pennsylvania with Liam's Dream (Saint Liam) at Philadelphia Park and Roll n' Rock (Rock Hard Ten) at Penn National....(read more)

The Finals - Cigar vs. Personal Ensign

kreeves — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:30:00 GMT

A Different Take on Pari-Mutuel Takeout

tlamarra — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:28:00 GMT

"The problem is most fail to appreciate higher bet costs result in reduced winnings and increased losses to bettors."...(read more)