Breeders Cup Chat : Zenyatta

Horse of the Year Debate--Why Do We Care So Much?

jshandler — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:05:00 GMT

It is a shame that Horse of the Year could not be settled on the racetrack......(read more)

Humble Pie

jshandler — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:48:00 GMT

Zenyatta conquered the boys in the Classic, and I am here to admit I was wrong. ...(read more)

Pre-Entries Are Out; BC Contest Underway

jshandler — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:00:00 GMT

The Breeders' Cup pre-entries are out. Here is a complete list for each of the 14 races.

I'm interested to get your thoughts on some of them. Anything surprise you? Any disappointments?

I have a few thoughts. First, as far as some of the horses cross-entered, I wasn't too surprised to see Zenyatta has first preference in the Classic. I had been hearing that they were leaning that way, and it seems she could be taking on the boys. I'm sure we'll all have plenty to say about this in the coming days.

I also noted that Girolamo has first preference in the Classic. Of course, Godolphin has four pre-entered in the Dirt Mile (including Girolamo), so this wasn't a total surprise. But if Girolamo does goes in the Classic, he could be a wild card. The horse is super talented. I will be anxious to see how he handles the Pro-Ride next week.

Other mild surprises as far as cross-entered horses are Mastercraftsman, who has first preference in the Dirt Mile, not the Classic, for Aidan O'Brien, and Rainbow View, who has first preference in the Ladies Classic, not the Filly & Mare Turf.

I'm not sold on Quality Road in the Classic, but Todd Pletcher holds a strong hand in the juvenile races. I wouldn't be surprised to see him bag two of the juvenile events. Aikenite and Eskendereya are both major players in the Juvenile, Interactif will be the favorite in the Juvenile Turf, Devil May Care has a chance in the Juvenile Fillies, and he could have two in the Juvenile Fillies Turf. In all, Pletcher has 12 horses pre-entered.

We're only nine days away now, let's start the debating.

Also, as far as the Breeders' Cup handicapping contest, I decided to extend the deadline for picks to Nov. 4, which will allow people to see the final draws and determine where horses like Zenyatta will go. Make sure you have your final picks in by midnight Pacific on Nov. 4. Email picks to jshandler@bloodhorse.com. Again, here are the rules:

1) Pick the winner and second place finisher in each of the 14 BC races.

2) The final tally will be based on a $2 win/$2 place bet in each race. At the end of the 14 races we will add up all the payouts and the winner will be the person with the most money in their bankroll.

3) In the event of an unlikely tie, the tiebreaker goes to the person who has the most money in the BC Classic.

*Note: The scoring is not complicated, but to be clear if you pick, let's say, Einstein to win the BC Classic and he finishes second, you get no money for that pick. He would have to win. Or, if you pick Forever Together to finish second in the F&M Turf and she wins, you will only get her second place money. Understand?

Also, I'll have another blog this weekend, and one when I get to Cali early next week. Don't forget the live blogs begin on Wednesday, Nov. 4 and will go through Saturday.

A Classic in the Making

jshandler — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 02:20:00 GMT

So you're not a big fan of synthetics, you say?

Me neither. The intent was good. Unfortunately, it just didn't work out as planned. I think most of us would agree on this by now.

But here's the thing: It's Breeders' Cup time. For the second straight year, I'm tired of all the complaining. The World Championships are at Santa Anita, again. Deal with it. The races are going to be fun. Let's enjoy them.

The ironic thing is, because the Breeders' Cup is once again on synthetics, the Classic is shaping up to be one heck of a race. Think about it.

Let's start with the Euros. Already confirmed for the race are Irish 2000 Guineas winner Matsercraftsman and QEII winner Rip Van Winkle, both trained by Aidan O'Brien. Also under consideration is perhaps the best 3-year-old on the planet, Sea the Stars, who is a perfect 6-for-6 in European major races, including last week's Arc de Triomphe score.

The possible presence of all of these Euro stars is due only to the fact that the Classic is being held on a synthetic surface. None would even be considered the race if it were on natural dirt. As we saw last year, the Euros add a whole new dimension to the race. After all, it is the WORLD Championships.

Over on this side of the pond, the Classic is likely to include our best turf horse--Gio Ponti. He will be a huge x-factor in the race. And again, Christophe Clement would not have considered the race without the synthetic factor.

Speaking of older stars, we're going to get to see Einstein, who has dropped off a tad in last couple but is still a super horse with a synthetic background.

Want local stars? How about Rail Trip, a proven synthetic grade I winner who might be sitting on a huge race at a track he loves. And don't forget about Bob Baffert's Richard's Kid, who upset Rail Trip in the Pacific Classic; Colonel John; Tiago; and Chocolate Candy, all of them prepping in this weekend's Goodwood.

Then we move on to our East Coast based 3-year-olds. There is no hotter horse than Summer Bird. Don't forget, he trained over the Santa Anita Pro-Ride for four months.

And we can't leave out the Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird, who will face older horses for the first time in the Goodwood. Again, he is proven on synthetics.

Oh yeah. I almost forgot about Zenyatta. Personally, I think there is little to no chance that the connections try her in the Classic, but its been bandied about for so long now I had to mention her.

How's that for a potential Breeders'Cup Classic field?

Let me reiterate again: I'm not a fan of synthetics. But even the most ardent critic would have to admit their presence has helped draw a potentially excellent Classic field for the second straight year, even if by accident. Yes, we lose Rachel Alexandra. She would have added a great deal to the field, but for all of Jess Jackson's complaining, I'm not even sure he would have run her in this year's Classic even if it were on dirt. I think he would have shut her down by now anyway.

Tell me, which older horse are you upset about not seeing in the Classic because it's on a synthetic? In other words, if the race was on dirt, how would the field look?

We're exactly four weeks away from the Breeders' Cup. Let's stop all the synthetic complaing for one month and enjoy what could be one of the best Classics in a long time.

Division Rankings With Two Months To Go

jshandler — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 20:02:00 GMT

With less than two months remaining until the World Championships, I thought it would be a good time to briefly go over some of the division leaders. Obviously, there is much to be decided, and like last year, the synthetic cloud hangs over the status of several horses, most notably in the Classic.

Anyway, here is what I came up with for a few divisions. It's a rough list, so Im sure I left some good horses out. (And I'm sure many of you will let me know about it). Feel free to discuss other divisions I didn't get to. Let the debating begin...

Classic

I do not think Sea the Stars, Zenyatta, or Gio Ponti will go in the Classic for one reason or another. There are many others I'm unsure about too, but my top three are probable.

1. Einstein - His solid Pacific Classic effort proved he's back.
2. Rail Trip - Will be tough in his backyard.
3. Mastercraftsman - Might be the Euros top threat.

Under consideration: Macho Again, Quality Road, Bullsbay, and Summer Bird all a notch below right now because of the synthetic question mark. Fame and Glory (Euro), Mine That Bird and Colonel John deserve consideration too.

Ladies Classic

1. Zenyatta: It's hers to lose. Can't see her going against the boys.
2. Music Note: She's back in a big way and we know she likes Santa Anita.
3. Careless Jewel: Alabama was scary good and we know she can run on synthetics.

Under consideration: Life Is Sweet, Icon Project, Seventh Street, Sara Louise, Stardom Bound

Turf

1. Gio Ponti: I think this will be the spot. He'll be a handful.
2. Conduit: Defending champ is back in top form.
3. Midships: It will be interesting to see how he comes back.

Under consideration: Obviously, Sea the Stars if he chooses this spot but I think he'll stay in Europe. Also, Spring House, Presious Passion, and Just as Well. Of course, this list doesn't include other top Euros aiming for the race, but won't know too much until after the Arc.

Filly & Mare Turf

1. Forever Together: Champ is locked and loaded again
2. Magical Fantasy: Three huge efforts in a row. Best of the West.
3. Dar Re Mi: May be best of loaded Euro contingent. Might go to Mile too.

Under consideration: Alnadana (Euro), Dynaforce, Gozzip Girl, Midday (Euro), Flying Cloud (Euro)

Mile

1. Goldikova: Hard to imagine anyone beating the defending champ right now. I wonder if her presence will discourage others from entering?
2. Justenuffhumor: Looks like McLaughlin will shorten up.
3. Battle of Hastings: A nose away from three in a row.

Under consideration: Bribon, Mr. Sidney, De Re Mi

Dirt Mile

1. Big Drama: King's Bishop was a throw out because of the wet track. But will he like Pro-Ride?
2. Informed: Pacific Classic proved he needs shorter.
3. Smooth Air: Whitney was a step back, but he is still formidable.

Under consideration: Charitable Man, Coal Play, Assessment, Mast Track, Bribon

Sprint

Zensational: Looks unbeatable on synthetics
Fabulous Strike: If it was on dirt, he'd be the pick
Kodiak Kowboy: Had a win on Poly as a juvenile

Under consideration: Capt. Candyman Can, Vineyard Haven, Pyro, Munnings, This Ones For Phil

Arlington Million, Whitney Weekend Analysis

jshandler — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 05:21:00 GMT

As a fan of racing and wagering, Arlington Million day is always one of my favorite events of the year--solid, deep fields, top horses from all over Europe, and some of the best turf racing offered in this country. The Million is perhaps my favorite turf race of the season, other than the Breeders' Cup races.

There are also many other big races from around the nation this weekend as well, including the Whitney, Test and Vanderbilt from Saratoga, and the Bing Crosby and Clement Hirsch from Del Mar, the latter featuring the undefeated Zenyatta. Let touch on a few of these and we can talk more in depth about all of them on Friday's live blog, which begins at noon.

Arlington Million

This year the American's seem to have an edge, especially with the presence of Gio Ponti, Einstein and Presious Passion, who have a total of six grade I wins between them this season alone. It's hard to dismiss Gio Ponti since he fires almost every time and has won two of three starts at this distance. He also has run well on both firm and soft turf, even though the weather is supposed to be fine for Saturday. Christophe Clement has won nearly every big turf race this country has to offer, including the last two editions of the Beverly D., but has never won a Million. This would seem to be his best shot.

Einstein will certainly be tough too and Presious Passion is dangerous on the front end if Recapturetheglory doesn't go with him. Just as Well deserves consideration too after coming off a win on the course in the Arlington Classic. Jonathan Sheppard owns and trains the son of A.P. Indy, which is never a bad thing. He will be a big price. As for the Euros, I like Cima de Triomphe the best of the three. He's a horse who either wins or doesn't fire. The Italian Derby winner won a group II two starts back in England and ran fourth to Sea the Stars in the Coral-Eclipse last out. He has been settling in nicely at Arlington for more than week.

The Pick: It's hard to separate many of these, so I'll just give out an exacta box: Gio Ponti, Just as Well and Cima de Triomphe. I'll leave out Einstein at my own risk.

Whitney

Commentator goes for his third Whitney win and has been working lights out coming into the race. Had it not been for the entry of Tizway, it would be very hard to pick against the 8-year-old star. But the speedy Tizway won't let him alone on the lead and could challenge him enough to set up one of the horses stalking the pace. A couple good candidates are Smooth Air and and Asiatic Boy.

Smooth Air has been very consistent this season, finishing first or second in all four starts. He makes his second start for new trainer Chad Brown and should get a nice, ground-saving trip from post 1, and have first run at Commentator in the stretch. He'll be a nice price. Asiatic Boy makes his third start for Kiaran McLaughlin in the U.S. and seems to be right on the edge of winning a big one over ere. He could have very easily won the Stephen Foster. The cut back in distance from the Suburban could help. Dry Martini also seems to be in his best form in quite a while and should be considered.

The Pick: I'll take a stab with Smooth Air to win and box him in an exacta with Commentator and Asiatic Boy.

Clement Hirsch

Zenyatta tries to stay undefeated in a race she won the year before. It's always difficult to pick against her and the race isn't a great one from a betting perspective, but I'll try to make a case for Life is Sweet, her stablemate and the probable second choice.

Life is Sweet was second by less than two lengths to Zenyatta in the Milady in May, then came back to run a solid third against males in the Gold Cup. She will make her first start at Del Mar, but has been training lights over the surface, as evidenced by her huge work on Aug. 2. A cutback to 1 1/16 miles may be to her advantage and if she likes the surface, she could get the jump on Zenyatta.

The Pick: What the heck, I'll take a stab with a small win bet on Life is Sweet and also box her in a trifecta with Zenyatta and Dawn After Dawn, who had the lead at the top of the stretch in the 1 1/8-mile Vanity before finishing third.

Other quick picks for the weekend: Take the Points in the Secretariat, Black Mamba in the Beverly D., and Fabulous Strike in the Vanderbilt.

Good luck to all. Who do you like?

Guest Blog - Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta's Place in History

cdawahare — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 09:08:00 GMT

Guest blog - by Brian Zipse

Miss Woodford, Beldame, Regret, Busher, Twighlight Tear, Gallorette, Gamely, Dark Mirage, Gallant Bloom, Shuvee, Susan's Girl, Desert Vixen, Ruffian, Genuine Risk, Princess Rooney, Lady's Secret, Personal Ensign and Go For Wand. The greatest females of American racing. These fillies and mares so dominated their competition at classic distances on the foremost surface of United States racing, that they will be forever remembered as all-time greats. Who is missing from the list?

Before you start rattling off names of your favorite filly or mares that I neglected to include, (sorry, I wanted to keep the list short and sweet and some difficult decisions had to be made) my answer is Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta.

That's right, Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta already have accomplished enough to be included in my list of the 20 greatest American female horses of all time. I can already hear the doubters and the protectors of history rumbling with all their arguments at the ready. These horses are still racing, what if they start losing? Just who have they beaten? Racing is not the same as it used to be, surely these two are not as good as some of the ones I saw race in the good ol' days. One of them maybe, but I do not like the other one as much. OK, OK, I hear you. Fair arguments all, but I will do my best to dissuade even the harshest of critics.

It is true that these two remarkable females are currently in training and their race records will undoubtedly soon change. They may strengthen their claims to history or they may weaken their position with their performances in future races, but my stance is; if either were retired tomorrow their accomplishments would already be sufficient for this lofty stature.

Zenyatta has already won her first eleven races, the last nine being all Grade 1's or G2's. She is an Eclipse Award winner and a Breeders' Cup Distaff champion. The closest comparison in history to Zenyatta is clearly Personal Ensign. Personal Ensign completed her magnificent career twenty years ago a perfect 13 for 13. She received one Eclipse as outstanding handicap mare, losing out the Horse of the Year award to the outstanding older horse Alysheba, won one Breeders' Cup race and ten graded stakes. Sound familiar? Personal Ensign finished her career winning a memorable Breeder's Cup Distaff by getting up in the last jump to catch the Kentucky Derby winner Winning Colors. She did defeat males once in winning the sloppy Whitney, but her detractors pointed out her careful race selection, lack of racing outside the East Coast and her limited schedule much the way Zenyatta is criticized today.

With the important place synthetic racing holds in current American racing, Zenyatta should not be discounted for running most of her races on synthetics. Remember also, that Zenyatta's one foray on a dirt track is one of her most impressive wins easily beating the champion Ginger Punch. She has beaten all of the top fillies and mares of the past few years save Rachel Alexandra. Zenyatta's current accomplishments may be a shade below that of Personal Ensign, but close enough to already ensure her place in history.

As for Rachel Alexandra, her accomplishments in the last seven races are so impressive that she is hard to compare to many female horses in American history. The superstar Ruffian and the great Regret are in many ways incomparable, but young Rachel Alexandra is quickly moving in that direction. Regret who raced almost a century ago, was so talented that her connections were confident in running her against the best males of her generation. Her speed and ability carried her to a Kentucky Derby win and nine wins in only eleven races. In just those eleven races, Regret, like Rachel Alexandra, became a filly that will not be forgotten, due to her consistent excellence and partially because of her historic win in a triple crown race.

Ruffian won ten consecutive races with Rachel like ease. She dominated her division so thoroughly that it was hard to know just how good the other fillies that were left in her wake were. Much like Rachel Alexandra, it was clear that Ruffian had proven everything against her own age and gender. Unfortunately her eleventh and final race, her first attempt against worthy competition, ended in tragedy. Despite her relatively short career and the lack of quality horses that she beat, Ruffian's greatness and brilliance are undeniable. Just as we are seeing this year with Rachel Alexandra, Ruffian proved her greatness through her jaw-dropping dominance.

Often it takes years before full appreciation for what we have sets in. Love them both, pick a side, consider where you might rate them in historical context, but no matter what you do, enjoy every day that these two wonderful racehorses grace us with their presence. Mr. Jackson, Mr. Moss, how about a race?

One Man's Prediction on Zenyatta's 'Mysterious' Path

jshandler — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 16:31:00 GMT

During the early stages of my interview with Jerry Moss earlier this week, two things became apparent to me right from the start: I wasn't going to get anything significant out of him regarding Zenyatta's future, and there is very little chance that she will ever face Rachel Alexandra.

The latter did not surprise me one bit. I stated last month that we should all begin to accept the fact that the showdown will never happen. The owners of each horse have two different agendas: Moss the Breeders' Cup, Jess Jackson locking up Horse of the Year by the end of the summer by beating males once (or twice) more. From where I stand, the showdown it ain't happening. We should all move on.

I was a little disappointed, however, that Moss would not budge on his stance of playing it close to the vest regarding her plans for the rest of the season. And believe me, I tried several times and in several different ways to get something out of him. During the course of our interview, Moss must have said, "I don't mean to be mysterious, but we're taking it one race at a time," about five times. He just wouldn't budge. Yes I was disappointed, but I also respected his position.

In the latter part of our conversation I finally got him to admit that they were going to do "something different" with her. That's about all I got. But by reading between the lines, here is my speculation on what they will do with her in her final four starts:

As we all know, she will race next in the Aug. 9 Clement Hirsch. There is also a very good chance that she will also go in the Oct. 10 Lady's Secret as a prep for the Breeders' Cup. Whether it will be the Breeders' Cup Classic or Ladies Classic, we don't know yet. Back to that in a moment.

Near the end of the interview, Moss said the two months between the Clement Hirsch and the Lady's Secret leaves room for another race. This is where they will likely do "something different" with her. What will it be? Well, it probably won't be out of California. Moss reiterated several times that they would prefer not to ship her out of state. When I mentioned the Oct. 3 Beldame at Belmont Park, a race that also might be enticing for Jackson, Moss said no. I think she is staying in California. But where?

In looking at the racing calendar, the options in early September are pretty slim in Cali. If they are going to do "something different" with her, to me the most probable option is the $1 million Pacific Classic (gr. I) at Del Mar. This makes sense because it a) give her nearly five weeks until the Lady's Secret and b) it lets her face males for the first time.

In my theory, Zenyatta gets to take on the boys for a huge purse on a track she has already won over, and it satisfies the "something different" Moss is referring to. Then, they aren't forced to run her against what will likely be a very tough field in the Breeders' Cup Classic. My gut feeling is that they want to let her run in the Ladies Classic. This will likely be the final race of her career and there is a much better chance she goes out a winner in that race, which is at a more suitable distance and won't be nearly as tough to win.

Pacific Classic, Lady's Secret and Ladies Classic. That's my prediction for Zenyatta. If I am right, and she wins all of them, I still don't feel it's enough for Horse of the Year. But I'm not sure that is the main goal for Moss at this point anyway. I think he would just like to enjoy her final four races and let the chips fall where they may.

Horse of the Year - Rachel Isn't a Lock Yet

jshandler — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 18:58:00 GMT

It doesn't matter what month it is on the calendar, Horse of the Year debate is always fun. And since some of you brought it up on the previous blog, let's examine it a little deeper.

Before we do, let me preface this by saying what we are doing here is pure speculation. There are a ton of ‘what ifs' in these scenarios and we are assuming many things. We won't solve anything here (do we ever?), but since the goal of this blog is to have healthy debate, let's take a stab at this thing.

This is what we know: Rachel Alexandra will not be going to the Breeders' Cup because it is on "plastic," according to her owner Jess Jackson. Ok, fine Jess. By choosing not to go to California, however, you are leaving the door open for someone else to steal Horse of the Year. How, you ask? Well, let me start the speculation.

For argument sake, let's assume Rachel wins the Haskell and then Jackson sends her to the Alabama, where she dominates again. Are those two wins enough to lock up the award for her? Not in my opinion. If he decides to bypass the Travers, in my opinion, Rachel may have to do something else to hold off some of the other candidates I will mention in a moment.

What else does Rachel have to do in the aforementioned scenario? Well, she may have to beat older horses, something she has not done yet. Though she has been simply dominating every time out, the 3-year-old class, both fillies and males, isn't exactly the strongest group we've ever seen. If Rachel isn't going to the BC, she may need to win a race against older horses, perhaps the Oct. 3 Beldame at Belmont.

All this is a moot point, in my opinion, if Jackson sends her to the Travers and she wins. That would lock things up for her, no matter what else happens. Kentucky Oaks, Preakness, Mother Goose, Haskell and Travers wins. Game over. However, my gut tells me he does not want to run her 1 1/4 against males at Saratoga. We shall see.

So who could beat her out if she doesn't win the Travers or beat older horses? Well, Einstein for one. The 7-year-old already has claimed the Santa Anita Handicap and Woodford Reserve Turf Classic. If he should also win the Aug. 8 Arlington Million that would be his third grade I win of the year. If he should then go to the BC Classic, wouldn't he have to be considered for HOY if he wins? Absolutely. That would be one impressive résumé. He will have won a pair of $1 million races as well as a $5 million race - all against older horses. Rachel would be by no means a lock if she doesn't do one of the two things I mentioned earlier.

What about Gio Ponti? He has rattled off three straight GI wins so far. What if he should beat Einstein in the Arlington Million, maybe win another in the fall, and then head into either the BC Turf or BC Classic having accomplished all of that? Are you going to tell me he wouldn't have a chance at HOY with five or six grade I wins - all against large fields? Granted, they will all have been on turf (assuming he doesn't go to the Classic), but still...

Finally, there is Zenyatta. Her schedule has been far from challenging so far, but she still has a shot. Assuming she takes the same path as last year, she would collect wins in the Clement Hirsch next month, the Lady's Secret in September, and then be set up for a run in the BC Classic. If she defeats males in the Classic that would be five wins this season - four in grade I - and it would make her a perfect 14-for-14 in her career. You going to tell me a bunch of people won't vote for her if she ends her career by beating the best males in the Classic?

So all of you people who think Rachel has things locked up in July, you'd better think again. What she has done thus far has been sensational, but there are other horses having terrific seasons as well. And when you don't show up for the World Championships, you are leaving the door wide open for someone to steal it.

Your thoughts?

Poll - Who Will Win the BC Classic?

jshandler — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 17:56:00 GMT

Welcome to Breeders' Cup Chat and the second half of the Thoroughbred racing season. The Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In" races are well underway and Del Mar and Saratoga are right around the corner. Because of the various divisions and these premier racing meets, in many ways I look forward to the Breeders' Cup more than the Triple Crown.

Though there have many unfortunate injuries that have taken several of our stars away from us in the first half of the season, the 2009 Breeders' Cup promises to be an exciting one. All of the divisions are beginning to take shape thanks to 62 "Win and You're In" races from around the world.

During the next several months we will take an in-depth look at many of the divisions. Just off the top of my head, the Turf with Gio Ponti and Presious Passion, and the Sprint, which could include Fabulous Strike, Benny the Bull, Zenzational and Munnings, have the potential to be very exciting. And European stars such as Goldikova and Sea the Stars will surely thicken the plot at Santa Anita.

As for the Classic, the absence of the nation's best 3-year-old, Rachel Alexandra, will be a downer, but from the looks of things at this moment there are more than a dozen horses with a legitimate shot winning, including undefeated mare Zenyatta, sensational older male Einstein, 3-year-old stars Mine That Bird and Summer Bird, and aforementioned European superstar Sea the Stars.

Since we are still almost four months away and anything can happen, the Classic field is still largely unsettled. But all things remaining equal, I am curious who the consensus pick would be if we had to make a selection today. It's a tough call since we don't know which Europeans will be here and whether horses like Quality Road will round back into form. But it's still fun too where everyones mind is right now.

If I had to pick, right now I would go with Einstein. He fires every time and is already proven over the course. If he stays healthy, he will be tough. I'm interested in seeing who everyone else likes.

In the meantime, if there are any topics you would like to see discussed or any trainers you would like to see interviewed over the next four months please let me know. I'm looking forward to lively discussion and interesting comments from you all.

Who do you think will win the 2009 Breeders' Cup Classic?(survey software)

Top 10 Performances of 2008

jshandler — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 16:56:00 GMT

Although the Eclipse Awards are six weeks away and the best horses in each division will be decided then, I thought it would be a fun to do some voting of our own.

Since I still haven't decided on some of the divisions and I don't expect you guys/gals to do all that research, we'll keep this simple. This is a vote for the Top 10 Performances of 2008. It can be for any division, in any single race.

Obviously, there are many to choose from, that's what makes this so tough and fun. After reading mine, I'd love to see what everyone agrees and disagrees with. Feel free to post your own Top 10.

10. Commentator, Whitney Handicap - This was the highlight of the remarkable gelding's fabulous year. He not only won the event for the second straight year by nearly five lengths, but posted a 120 Beyer, which was by far the highest number of any dirt horse going more than a mile this season. Of course, he also recorded the best Beyer at less than a mile in 2008 as well. Not a bad year for a 7-year-old.

9. Benny The Bull, Dubai Golden Shaheen - All four of Benny's wins came in spectacular, come-from-behind fashion, so it was tough to choose between them. I nearly picked the True North Handicap at Belmont because it looked like he had no chance to win in deep stretch but somehow got up with a devastating late charge. However, you can't overlook his performance in Dubai, which was against better. It was breathtaking.

8. Proud Spell, Kentucky Oaks - The Larry Jones trainee not only beat a solid field of 3-year-old fillies, she destroyed them. The five-length victory gives her the edge over Music Note for divisional championship honors.

7. Red Giant, Clement Hirsch Turf Championship - Not only did the 4-year-old colt show grit in edging Out of Control by a head, but he set a new North American 1 1/4-mile turf record in 1:57.16, breaking a mark that had stood since 1977. That's impressive. Out of Control's effort should not be overlooked either.

6. Curlin, Dubai World Cup - His 7 3/4-length romp wasn't against the best of fields, but it was still a tremendous effort. It also solidified him as one of the best horses since the turn of the century.

5. Goldikova, Breeders' Cup Mile - The French invader knocked off a talented group of boys, including last year's winner Kip Deville, in spectacular fashion. Her turn of foot in the final sixteenth was eye-popping, and a highlight of the weekend.

4. Midnight Lute, Breeders' Cup Sprint - Speaking of BC highlights, the 5-year-old Real Quiet horse may have provided the weekend's best performance with his amazing 1 3/4-length score, in which he set the BC record of 1:07.77 for six furlongs. It was his second straight BC Sprint win and amazingly, came in only his second start of the year.

3. Stardom Bound, Oak Leaf - Her BC Juvenile Fillies win was great too, but the Oak Leaf was even more dazzling. The Tapit filly rallied from the clouds to mow down rivals in the stretch in a scintillating 3 1/2-length score, doing it in a time of 1:42.44.

2. Zenyatta, Apple Blossom Handicap - It's difficult to choose her best performance of the year since she went undefeated. Obviously, her Ladies Classic triumph was special and locked up divisional honors. But the Apple Blossom was scary good. The 4 1/2-length victory was against a very good group, including champion Ginger Punch, and it proved she was just as good on dirt as synthetics, if not better.

1. Big Brown, Kentucky Derby - Many of us have gone on record as saying Big Brown was not our favorite horse, but you cannot discount what he did in the Derby. It was one of the best performances since Secretariat, considering he did it from the 20-post and in only his fourth career start, and it was so dominating. It may be a long time before we see a 3-year-old do that again under those circumstances.

Some of the great performances I reluctantly left out of my Top 10 were Old Fashioned in the Remsen, Pyro in the Risen Star, Big Brown in the Florida Derby and Preakness, Da' Tara in the Belmont, Raven's Pass in the BC Classic and Eight Belles in the Derby.

Let the debating begin!!

Curlin Retirement Leaves a Huge Void For 2009

jshandler — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 22:06:00 GMT

The announcement earlier this week that Curlin would not race in 2009 was not a surprise, but the reality of it made me come to one disappointing realization:

Other than Zenyatta, there really aren't many top-tier older horses I am looking forward to watching next year.

With Big Brown and Curlin now out of the mix, we now have the two most popular, and arguably, the two best North American-based dirt horses retired. And that's just the beginning of it.

Some of the notable older horses who have either already been retired or will likely be retired after 2008 are Student Council, Ginger Punch, Hystericalady, Benny the Bull, Midnight Lute, Red Rocks, Evening Attire, Zanjero, Perfect Drift, Lava Man, Red Giant, Tough Tiz's Sis, Zaftig, Alwajeeha, Sealy Hill, Lewis Michael, Dreaming of Anna, Mauralakana, Heatseeker, as well as European stars Zarkava, Raven's Pass and Henrythenavigator. There is also probably a decent chance that Commentator and/or Kip Deville will be gone after their final races this year.

Kind of depressing, isn't it?

At least we have the top 3-year-olds to look forward to. Well, some of them anyway. That's because two of the top Kentucky Derby hopefuls, Vineyard Haven and Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Midshipman will winter in Dubai for Sheikh Mohammed, as well as BC Juvenile Turf winner Donativum likely going to England for Princess Haya.

Again, thank our lucky stars for Zenyatta.

Before I paint too bleak of a picture, there are still some exciting horses that should return in 2009, most of them females - Ventura, Cocoa Beach, Music Note, Proud Spell, Forever Together and Indian Blessing (Baffert's long range goal for her is the Dubai World Cup Sprint) to name a few. And, of course, there is Stardom Bound, who should only get better as a 3-year-old.

As far as the males, 3-year-olds like Colonel John, Mambo in Seattle and Denis of Cork should improve, and sprinter Fatal Bullet looks like he'll be a force. Perhaps the one older horse I am looking forward to seeing more than any other is BC Dirt Mile winner Albertus Maximus, who is set up for a big 5-year-old campaign.

l should also point out that this year is not unlike any other. The reality of horse racing today is that this is time of year when horses retire. It's the nature of the sport and we have to accept it. It's time for the new stars to make their mark.

However, it doesn't take away from the fact that the departure of Curlin, Big Brown and many of our other favorites leaves a huge void for 2009.

Q&A With Zenyatta Trainer John Shirreffs

jshandler — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 21:16:00 GMT

Now that the dust has settled on Zenyatta's marvelous Breeders' Cup win, I thought it would be a good time to catch up with her trainer, John Shirreffs, who is one of the nicer guys in racing. Admittedly, my motives were a bit self-serving, as I wanted to inquire about two of the hot-button topics surrounding Zenyatta: Her future and of course, the Horse of the Year debate.

If nothing else, at least we found out there is reason to hope Zenyatta will race as a 5-year-old.

JShan: It's been a little more than week since Zenyatta won the Ladies Classic, which also gave you your first Breeders' Cup victory. Has it all sunk in yet?

JShirr: It's been such a thrilling season with her and there was so much riding on the Breeders' Cup, not only for me but all the connections. There was an Eclipse Award hanging in the balance and just so much at stake on one race. When she finally won it was just one of those magical moments I will never forget. It was really such a thrill. You only have so many opportunities with horses like this. She has done so much for all of us.

JShan: Like you said, the Eclipse Award was hanging in the balance. Now that you locked up at least one of them, how does that feel?

JShirr: It's going to be so much fun getting that award. To be able to see her name on the Distaff Eclipse Award is going to be such a tremendous honor. It's going to be something I'll always treasure.

JShan: The debate has already begun as far as Horse of the Year honors. It seems it may come down to a two-horse race between Zenyatta and Curlin. Make your case for Zenyatta.

JShirr: Well, I think when you look at the quality of fillies she ran against and beat, she has to be considered. She had to step up every race, and she did. Running against who she did, she had to improve on a monthly basis to keep winning, and she did.

JShan: What do you say to people who think a filly should have to beat the boys to earn Horse of the Year?

JShirr: It's already been proven that you don't have to; look at Azeri. (Zenyatta) went undefeated against a very tough group of fillies this year and had to overcome a lot of adversity. Now, of course, she didn't have run against any Wanderin Boy's...

JShan: Also playing devil's advocate, what about the people who say she only raced outside of California once?

JShirr: The race she won at Oaklawn was a stellar field. I think every horse that came out of that race either won or placed in a stakes. Also, she shouldn't be penalized for racing in California. Remember, she was racing on surfaces she didn't even really like. She preferred dirt. But the Breeders' Cup was in California this year, so there was no reason to ship her anywhere else.

I think it's great to have a Horse of the Year debate. However it comes out, I'll be OK. We're going to be thrilled just getting the Distaff award.

JShan: The other thing people want to know is what the future holds for Zenyatta. Has anything been decided yet?

JShirr: We're going to take our time and do a lot of diagnostic work on her, head-to-toe. We'll give her a little break and then map out a plan.

JShand: Is there any chance she races again this year?

JShirr: No chance.

JShan: Even though you and the Mosses have not made a decision on her future yet, I get the feeling from the things I've been reading and hearing there is a better than 50-50 chance she will race as a 5-year-old?

JShirr: If we're leaning one way, I'd say it's towards running her. We'll announce that a little later.

JShan: Nobody could have predicted how great Zenyatta has been, but looking back to the beginning, how early did you know she had the potential to be something special?

JShirr: Very early on. When she was being broken in Ocala there were a lot of 2-year-olds there. They always told us she was the best one at the place.

JShan: And yet she only fetched $60,000 as a yearling?

JShirr: It was just perfect timing. Balance (her multiple graded stakes winning half-sister) hadn't appeared yet and there were no grade I winners. And it was Street Cry's first yearlings. We were very fortunate.

JShan: What was the biggest challenge in training Zenyatta?

JShirr: When you have a horse as talented as she is, it's just making sure we didn't make any mistakes. We didn't want to get in her way. We wanted to do what was best for her and take care of her the best way we knew how. Everything has been so magical.

Clark Would Be Perfect Way For Curlin to Go Out

jshandler — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 17:00:00 GMT

Now that the Breeders' Cup is in our rearview mirror and it feels as though racing comes to a screeching halt for the rest of season, there is one topic that seems to be on everyone's mind: Horse of the Year.

Curlin vs. Zenyatta. Who will it be?

It's been less than a week since the Breeders' Cup ended and I've already been asked the same question countless times: Who are you going to vote for? Although my standard response has been, "I'm not sure yet," if I'm honest with myself I will admit that I'm leaning towards Zenyatta.

I'm not one of those traditionalists who feels a filly needs to beat the colts to earn Horse of the Year honors. I think what Zenyatta has done is enough to merit strong consideration for the award. Her undefeated season and scintillating Ladies Classic victory over a quality field makes her worthy of the honors.

I will not go into detailed reasons why either Curlin or Zenyatta deserve the award; my colleague Steve Haskin already did a very good job of summing that up. A strong case can be made for either; they were both sensational in 2008. I do respectfully disagree with Steve on the fact that Big Brown deserves to be in the mix. I thought his second half campaign was a bit of a joke, between bypassing Saratoga and having a glorified allowance race written for him. But I digress...

The one thing I will say for sure is this: Right now, I am leaning towards Zenyatta, but I can still be swayed. How? If Curlin runs in the Nov. 26 Clark Handicap and beats Commentator. In my mind, that would push Curlin over the top.

Don't get me wrong. I can see why Jess Jackson would not want to run Curlin in the Clark and I would not penalize him if he chose not to. It's already been a long campaign for him and I have no idea how Curlin came out of the Breeders' Cup. It could very well be that he needs more rest. Jackson did the commendable thing by bringing Curlin to California and he deserves a lot of credit already.

All that being admitted, if Curlin won the Clark it would be the perfect exclamation point. As great as he has been these last two years, I would have to think the Classic loss leaves a bit of a sour taste in Jackson's mouth. If that was indeed his final race, it can't be the way he wants his career to end. A victory in the Clark, on his home track, would be such a fitting way to go out. And to beat a quality horse like Commentator, who has run the highest speed numbers of any horse all year, would quiet anyone who said Curlin hasn't beaten much this year.

It's probably a longshot at this point, but a victory in the Clark would be enough to sway this voter.

Breeders' Cup Thoughts - One Day After

jshandler — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 13:26:00 GMT

What a great weekend of racing. We saw several outstanding performances, including three on Ladies Day Friday and many more on what will be now known as "European Saturday." Less than 24 hours after a very successful Breeders' Cup 25, here are a few thoughts and a breakdown of some of the standout races:

First of all, hopefully we haven't seen the last of Curlin, but if we did it was a disappointing way to go out. Most of the 50,000 at Santa Anita were pulling for the superstar to defend his Classic title. It wasn't meant to be. As I wrote on Friday, he had too much going against him - the lack of significant early speed and more than anything, he was just slowing down after a long campaign. Whether Curlin fans want to admit it or not, he hasn't looked all that sharp in his last two starts and after finally facing some elite competition, it caught up with him Saturday.

There should no excuses about the Pro-Ride, surface, which played fair all weekend. Curlin got beat fair and square by a couple very good Europeans. Give Raven's Pass all the credit. He is peaking at the right time while still going through a long season against the best in Europe. It was his first time on the surface as well.

By the way, I don't like kicking people when they are down, but did I tell you about Casino Drive or what? He just wasn't ready for that class. I still can't believe how low his odds were.

To reiterate about the Pro-Ride, I am one of those who was very impressed with the surface. After talking with trainers and horsemen all week, most had good things to say about it. There seemed to be no biases and most horses got over it very well. For all the complaining about having a Breeders' Cup on a synthetic surface, I think it turned out to be a success. It also played very fair from a handicapping standpoint. And most importantly, there were no breakdowns.

I thought Ladies Day Friday worked very well too. It gave horses like Ventura, Stardom Bound and Zenyatta a showcase and they shined. I know some people still don't like the idea of having the fillies and mares run on a different day, but after Friday I would say the majority of the people I talked to thought it was a success. I would still go back to ‘Distaff' instead of ‘Ladies Classic', but I give the Breeders' Cup credit for trying to be creative.

Here are thoughts on some of the races:

Filly and Mare Sprint - The first of three spectacular performances on Friday. Ventura capped a terrific 4-year-old campaign, where she won three stakes and earned more than $1.2 million for Juddmonte. Nothing less than an outstanding performance would have beaten Indian Blessing, who also ran a winning race. They are two special fillies and hopefully we wil see them next year.

Juvenile Fillies - In the week leading up to the race many people at Santa Anita thought Stardom Bound was vulnerable because of her running style. I was not one of them. What I saw in the Debutante and Oak Leaf told me that this is one freaky filly. She confirmed it in the BC with another breathtaking win. Seeing Stardom Bound make that move around the turn was one of the highlights of the weekend. I cannot wait to see where she lands as a 3-year-old and what she will accomplish. She will be one of the major stories of 2009.

Ladies Classic - What can you say about Zenyatta that hasn't already been said? She is truly spectacular. Her seemingly effort Ladies Classic win capped an exciting Friday and kept her undefeated in nine starts. We can only hope she runs next year, and who knows, maybe a year from now she will try to the boys in the Classic.

Also, there is plenty of time for this, but Horse of the Year is now going to be very interesting between Zenyatta and Curlin. Both are certainly deserving and my early guess is Curlin has the edge. But Zenyatta is going to garner a lot of votes. Let the debating begin!!

Turf Sprint - Great race, great finish. I wasn't one of those who had $75 winner Desert Code, but it would have been nice to have the biggest score of the weekend. Anyone have it? Just goes to show that toteboards can light up when you have ridiculous early fractions.

Dirt Mile - I wound up playing Albertus Maximus after A) seeing his nice odds compared to Well Armed and B) watching how good he looked in the paddock. I am usually not one of those with an astute eye for picking out horses who look good before the race, but when I saw Albertus Maximus 10 minutes before post I ran to the window. This is one of the most physically impressive colts I have seen in a long time and he proved it on the track. Great job by cutting-edge trainer Vladimir Cerin, who turned this horse around after taking over for Gary Mandella. One of his secrets? Using a hyperbaric chamber to help him recover faster. Very cool. I am looking forward to seeing Albertus Maximus race as a 5-year-old. He has a lot of upside. I wouldn't be surprised to see him in the 2009 Classic.

Mile - Wow. Goldikova's turn of foot in the final sixteenth was breathtaking. It was definitely a weekend highlight. Kip Deville ran a winning type race, but was no match for this freaky 3-year-old filly. Not sure what the future holds for either, but it certainly was a memorable race.

Sprint - The most disappointing race of the week for me. I touted Fabulous Strike, but he just didn't fire. Not sure what happened to him, but even at his best he probably wouldn't have beaten Midnight Lute or Fatal Bullet, who ran a huge race. What a job Bob Baffert has done with Midnight Lute, who in the early part of the season didn't even look like he would make it back to the track. Winning two consecutive BC Sprint's is a tremendous accomplishment. Hats off.