Hangin' With Haskin : Sea the Stars

Defending America

Blood-Horse Staff — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 16:35:00 GMT

There was a column written recently about the “decline” of the American superstar and the “ascendancy” of the English superstar. According to the column, America’s “liberal use of drugs” is the culprit for the U.S. decline, while the exportation to England of young horses with Northern Dancer blood was said to be the contributing factor to the rise of the British superstar.

This is based on what, two recent superstars, Frankel and Sea the Stars? Yes, there have been several superstar fillies worldwide, such as Goldikova and Zarkova in France and Black Caviar in Australia. But they are no more superstars than Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra, and perhaps even Rags to Riches, whose career unfortunately was cut short.

How many people have heard of the following horses – Pour Moi, New Approach, Authorized, Sir Percy, Motivator, North Light, and Kris Kin? Well, other than Sea the Stars, Workforce, and Camelot, these are the past seven winners of the English Derby. So, where is this supposed inundation of English superstars? Among the last 11 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winners are Solemia, Dylan Thomas, Rail Link, Hurricane Run, Bago, Dalakhani, and Marienbard. Not exactly household names, and this is the race that is supposed the determine the European champion.

The question that needs to be asked is whether it is possible, just possible, that the reason there have been several superstars in England recently is that the overall quality of their horses has actually declined, thus enabling certain horses with extraordinary talent to stand out more than they normally would. We’re not saying that is the case, and we’re taking nothing away from the amazing talents of Frankel or Sea the Stars, but in Europe there are fewer barometers to help define a horse’s greatness. Final times mean little or nothing, nor do closing fractions and speed figures. There is no gauge in Europe other than a horse’s record, number of prestigious races won, and the competition he or she faced, which is relative, considering the fewer number of group I stakes in England compared to the U.S., thus making it more difficult to assess one’s competition. Frankel did receive an all-time high Timeform Rating of 147 in the Queen Anne Stakes, but that is just what it says, a rating, and is purely subjective. And subjectivity shouldn’t determine superstars.

We have thrilled to Frankel’s victories as much as anyone, and we wrote an extensive column about him last fall. It is safe to say we will never see his like again. But does a rare freak like Frankel or Sea the Stars define the superstar status of an entire nation and denigrate the status of the American superstar?

It is well established that our recent superstar females easily stack up with the great fillies of Europe, Australia, and Japan. Unfortunately, many of our budding superstar males have fallen victim to injury. Who knows how special Smarty Jones could have been, or Afleet Alex, or even Animal Kingdom and I’ll Have Another. Who will doubt that Big Brown’s performances in the Florida Derby, Kentucky Derby, and Preakness were other worldly? He was one Breeders’ Cup Classic victory over Raven’s Pass away from true superstardom, but also fell victim to injury. Ghostzapper performed some of the most amazing feats in the history of the sport, despite his unsoundness. Perhaps it has been the effect of drugs long-term that has contributed to the unsoundness of our recent stars, but drugs certainly didn’t diminish their talent and what they did accomplish.

As far as the so-called decline of superstars after the glory days of the 1970s, America had the “misfortune” of having two superstars from the same crop in 1989. How often has that happened in England since Mill Reef and Brigadier Gerard in 1971? Just imagine if Easy Goer and Sunday Silence did not come along in the same year. Either one would have won the Triple Crown and the Breeders’ Cup Classic, and Easy Goer would have added the Whitney, Travers, Woodward, and Jockey Club Gold Cup.

We recall Giant’s Causeway and Sakhee being hailed as superstars in Europe, but both were out-gutted by Tiznow in the 2000 and 2001 BC Classic, respectively, when they tried to threaten America’s dominance on dirt. Finishing up the track in the 2001 Classic was superstar Galileo, sire of Frankel.

What if Alysheba hadn’t come along in one of the deepest and most talented 3-year-old crops in memory? As it is he still put together a Hall of Fame career worthy of superstar status. It is safe to say Personal Ensign and Lady’s Secret can be considered superstars. And we haven’t even mentioned John Henry, one of the greatest geldings of all time. Following the Kentucky Derby, Fusaichi Pegasus, one of the most magnificent-looking horses we have ever seen, was considered a potential superstar, but he, too, was plagued by unsoundness. The talent has been there, but the soundness hasn’t.

Let’s face it, the majority of our 3-year-old superstars, mainly our Triple Crown winners, came along in years where there were few if any major stars. Other than Alydar, how many major stars were there who competed against Triple Crown winners? Secretariat had one horse, Sham (Forego was an unfinished product in the Derby and nowhere near what he was to become); Seattle Slew had no one; Citation had one, his own stablemate Coaltown. Can anyone name any of the horses who finished behind Count Fleet, Whirlaway or Assault?

That has been the nature of the sport throughout history. A Triple Crown sweep and the birth of a 3-year-old superstar occur pretty much when there is one exceptional horse and little competition. All the “great” Triple Crown winners, with the exception of Count Fleet, proved their greatness after the Triple Crown. But horses were sounder back then and given the opportunity to continue their careers. Back in the Triple Crown-winning days, it was rare to have as many as 20 horses in the Derby. The fields were smaller and the number of proven stakes winners was far fewer. You had cheap claimers and inferior allowance horses competing in the Derby. Now, there are 19 or 20 horses in the Derby every year and each one of them has to qualify in graded stakes races in order to get in the race. You rarely had 12-14 horses in the Belmont, but that is the norm now, as is the increase in fresh horses, some of whom skipped the Preakness after the Derby, and some of whom simply were late-developers. All those factors make the Triple Crown much harder to sweep now than it was in the past.

We admit, we haven’t had a male counterpart to Frankel in many years, but let’s also remember that Frankel’s accomplishments can be equated to an American superstar who never competed at a mile and a quarter (the country’s classic distance), and we have had very few of those, if any.

It is important to remember that superstardom in England is often based on a single year of racing, as English Derby winners rarely race at 4. Only the Ballydoyle horses of Aidan O’Brien and the Juddmonte horses can be counted on year after year to race as older horses. So, in many cases, greatness in England is determined by perhaps a half-dozen races. Frankel is the rare exception with 14 races over a three-year-period. That’s still less than five races a year.

The bottom line is that we don’t feel it is fair to make such a broad statement regarding the ascent and decent of superstars, based on the heroics of two horses. And it is not fair to denigrate the talent of the American Thoroughbred when it is not given the opportunity to demonstrate that talent over the course of an entire career.

American blood has indeed been diluted with the inundation of speed, and perhaps we have been “breeding the bone” out of the Thoroughbred, all for the sake of the sales market and the instant gratification that is primary in so many owners. But we still have the ability to produce a superstar colt. One of these years we’ll get one that stays sound, and we, too, will be able to rejoice in the heroics of a horse like Frankel over a period of time.

All's Unfair in Love and Racing

Blood-Horse Staff — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:01:00 GMT

Sea the Stars’ retirement, as disappointing as it was, should not have come as a surprise to anyone. But what compounded the disappointment, as if rubbing salt in the wound, were the comments made by trainer John Oxx and owner Christopher Tsui. All they had to say was, the horse was at the peak of his monetary value, and it was in their best interest to take advantage of it.

Instead, we got the same tired old clichés that did nothing but make the horse’s fans feel worse than they did. Like most owners and trainers, they fail to realize that people no longer buy such vacuous comments.

One moment, Oxx is saying, “It would be unfair to Sea the Stars to run him in the Breeders' Cup.” The next moment, he’s saying, “He’s been so sound, and never gave us any trouble. His durability, his toughness, and his constitution were all a large part of his talent.”

So, why was it unfair to Sea the Stars? Didn’t Oxx really mean to say, “It was unfair to Sea the Stars’ reputation to run him in the Breeders' Cup and a defeat could possibly minimize his value as a stallion and his place among the immortals?” It certainly wasn’t unfair to Sea the Stars, if he came out of the Arc in such fantastic shape, as Oxx claimed. Unfair to the horse is running him when he’s tired, injured, ill, or simply not acting like himself, none of which applied to Sea the Stars. So, basically, it was unfair to the horse’s connections to run him, not the horse. Just say it.

Anthropomorphizing horses is fine when you are taking literary license to add color to a story, and everyone knows it. But Sea the Stars is not standing in his stall saying to himself, “Geez, it’s not fair making me go all the way to America to run on a synthetic surface in 90-degree weather.” Considering how sound and competitive he is, he’d probably be saying, “California? Sunshine? Hundreds of photogaphers chasing after me? A chance to make history? Bring it on.”

Tsui, after waiting several days to share the reason for his decision with the public, came up with this:

“As a racing fan, I didn't want to see him retire either, as each race has brought me joy and excitement beyond anything I could ever dream of. I am undoubtedly his biggest fan. However, as his owner there are things to consider beyond just the joys of watching him race.”

Now, one would naturally assume those things to consider are money and more money. But, alas, that’s not the reason at all, according to Tsui, who has been described in British publications as “immeasurably wealthy.”

"My family has been breeding from Urban Sea for 15 years," Tsui said. "When she died earlier this year, me and my family were devastated and heartbroken. Now that she is gone, I feel that it is very important for her legacy to carry on, and Sea The Stars has the potential to make it happen.”

So, is he saying that if Sea the Stars raced in the Breeders’ Cup Classic and retired in November instead of October, he would not have carried on Urban Sea’s legacy? He makes it sound as if he’d be sending the horse on some dangerous mission from which he might never return?

It is time owners and trainers come to the realization that people as a whole are not stupid or gullible. Oxx is a talented, well respected trainer, and Tsui obviously has tremendous feelings for Sea the Stars. But if you’re going to retire a horse like Sea the Stars, try to resist the rhetoric and nonsensical comments and just tell it like it really is, or at least think about what you’re saying. There is only one reason to retire a perfectly sound and healthy Sea the Stars as a 3-year-old, and one reason only. So, why not admit it? Or just say you feel the horse has done enough and that there is nothing more you want to accomplish with him. People will bitch for a while and then they’ll let it go and start looking for the next superhorse to retire sound and healthy as a 3-year-old. That is the cycle of life in the Thoroughbred world and what we all have come to expect, so quit the pretensions that you want to see your horse continue racing, but can’t because you have to consider the things “beyond the joys of watching” your horse race.

When you have a horse as sound, as durable and as healthy as Sea the Stars, the only things beyond those joys are dollar signs, like a hundred million of them. Fess up; we understand. We’ve been there before and we’ll get over it.

Watch next Wednesday’s “And They’re Off” for the top 10 “real” reasons Sea the Stars was retired.

Countdown to the Cup - Beyond the Sea...a Bird

cdawahare@bloodhorse.com — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 00:48:00 GMT

If Sea the Stars does not make the trip to California, which seems more likely than not, and joins Rachel Alexandra on the absentee list, it will create a void never before seen in the Breeders' Cup.

Assuming Sea the Stars does not run, it is safe to say that no two greater horses have ever eluded the World Championship event in a single year. That is a sad comment considering the sport's desperate need to showcase its superstars. In this case, we've gone beyond superstars, as many feel Sea the Stars and Rachel Alexandra are the two greatest horses to grace the Turf in some 30 years.

Continue reading this column or feel free to post your comments below.

Classic Rip Tide

Blood-Horse Staff — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 17:36:00 GMT

Europe fired off its first salvo at the Breeders’ Cup Classic (gr. I) when the heavy favorite Rip Van Winkle captured Saturday’s Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (Eng-I) at Ascot, which served as a launching pad for Raven’s Pass’ Classic victory last year.

After the race, trainer Aidan O’Brien confirmed that Rip Van Winkle indeed will be pointed for the Classic, and may be accompanied by Ballydoyle’s other top-class miler Mastercraftsman. O’Brien said that decision will be made by the Coolmore brain trust.

Rip Van Winkle, favored at 8-13, was expected to make all the pace in the talented four-horse field, but it was the Prix du Moulin (Fra-I) winner Aqlaam, the only older horse in the race, who took up the running, with Rip Van Winkle, under Johnny Murtagh, tracking him every step of the way.

As they turned for home, Rip Van Winkle had no trouble disposing of Aqlaam. Second choice, Delegator, from the hot Godolphin stable, launched his run, but made only little headway down the stretch before fading. Rip Van Winkle battled on, only to face another challenge from the vastly improved Michael Stoute-trained Zacinto, who pulled to within a neck of the favorite and appeared to have all the momentum. But Murtagh, down on the rail, switched his whip to his right-hand and brought Rip Van Winkle out to meet his challenger. He responded by finding another gear and actually was drawing away at the end to win by 1 1/4 lengths, with Delegator another 3 1/2 lengths back in third.

The victory was a major relief for O’Brien, who has had to deal with Rip Van Winkle’s physical issues. The colt suffered infections in all four heels that spread to his feet. But he showed vast improvement over the past several weeks and trained in top form, indicating he was ready for a big effort.

Although Rip Van Winkle, a son of Galileo, has won two of most prestigious mile races in England, the Queen Elizabeth II and Sussex Stakes (Eng-I), he also put quite a scare in superstar Sea the Stars in the 1 1/4-mile Eclipse Stakes (Eng-I), pulling on near even terms in deep stretch only to fall a length short. In the 1 1/2-mile English Derby (Eng-I), he ran one well to finish fourth to Sea the Stars, beaten 2 1/2 lengths. Those performances certainly were good enough to suggest he will be extremely tough at 1 1/4 miles over the Pro-Ride surface at Santa Anita. When you can stay on like that and find something more down that long, testing Ascot stretch, staying 10 furlongs over a fast artificial surface should be a piece of cake, as it was for Raven’s Pass and Henry the Navigator last year.

As of now, Sea the Stars is questionable for the Classic, and we’ll have to see if he runs in next Sunday’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Fra-I) – depending on the ground -- and how he does before we have an idea whether Santa Anita will be a target. Even if it is, Rip Van Winkle will have an extra week to prepare for the race and will be sharper coming off a mile race. There is no doubt Sea the Stars is one of the great horses of this era, but there isn’t a lot separating him from Rip Van Winkle, and O’Brien would welcome another crack at him in the Classic should he wind up making the trip.

Coolmore has been trying to win the Classic since Giant’s Causeway’s heartbreaking neck defeat to Tiznow in 2000. Since then, they have launched an all-out assault on the race, aiming almost every one of their big guns in that direction, including Rip Van Winkle’s sire, Galileo, only to fall short each time. They almost pulled it off last year and could go one better this time around with Rip Van Winkle. They realize, with the Breeders’ Cup run at Santa Anita for an unprecedented two years in a row, this likely is their last chance to take advantage of an artificial surface, which has proven advantageous to the Europeans.

“Phantom” foul

Well, we have a decision on the appeal by Andrew Lloyd-Webber regarding the Prix Vermeille disqualification of his 3-year-old filly Dar Re Mi, who ran down the heavily favored French filly Stacelita at the wire, but was placed fifth for bothering the German filly Soberania.

Despite the controversy surrounding the initial stewards’ decision and the booing of the winning connections after the race by the normally provincial French fans, the France-Galop stewards rejected the appeal Friday afternoon.

According to the Racing Post, Lloyd-Webber's wife Madeleine, who co-owns the filly, and trainer John Gosden attended the two-hour hearing Thursday and left feeling optimistic, with Gosden saying he was “extremely hopeful the injustice will be undone.”

No Englishman should ever feel optimistic in that situation, which many outside of France feel is like pleading your case to Robespierre and the Committee of Public Safety. In this case, however, the only head that was lost was the one that separated Dar Re Mi from Stacelita.

In the Racing Post report, appeal board chairman Dr. Jean-Pierre Colombu, chief steward of France-Galop, stated they had upheld the Longchamp stewards’ decision that Dar Re Mi caused Soberania at least one, maybe two placings.

In a statement issued by the board: “Soberania...regained ground on her rivals after the incident and was only beaten a short neck for fourth place, and it should also be noted that a short head separated the filly who finished fourth from the third-placed filly.”

Now that the appeal has been rejected, it will be interesting to see if the Lloyd-Webbers send Dar Re Mi back to Longchamp for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe or go elsewhere in protest.

She has been quoted at 10-1 for the Arc with Totesport.

From a personal viewpoint, I did not see a head-on view of the incident, but from the regular race camera, it looked as if Dar Re Mi and Soberania went for the same opening – Dar Re Mi perhaps a bit more aggressively. But at no point did it look as if Soberania’s jockey had to stop riding his horse or even check slightly. It’s not every day that you can get French racing fans to boo the disqualification of an English horse, in which the heavy French favorite is placed first. You can form your own conclusions from that.

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It will be also be interesting to see how the California stewards deal with jockey Joel Rosario and his agent Vic Stauffer following a rather unusual and ill-timed series of events that brought about a complaint by the California Horse Racing Board that Rosario failed “to put forth his best effort” in a ride at Del Mar on Sept. 6. Rosario is scheduled to appear before the stewards in early October. One of the rules Rosario is accused of violating is the one that reads in part: “No jockey shall take his horse back without reasonable cause ... or otherwise ride in a manner which is inconsistent with using the best efforts of the horse he is riding,”

Rather than comment before any rulings are issued, the advice here is to go watch Rosario’s ride on Cedros after reading the stories detailing the events that preceded and followed (especially followed) it and form your own conclusions. Just listen to track announcer Trevor Denman’s call of Cedros’ abrupt retreat. The incident was spurred on when Stauffer contacted Cedros’ owner and trainer John Glenney following the horse’s questionable fourth-place finish, in which he still was beaten only 3 1/2 lengths, and asked him whether the horse was for sale. That sent up the proverbial red flare and made Glenney suspicious enough to bring it to the attention of the stewards. They obviously saw and heard enough to take action and call for a hearing.

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A group is forming on Facebook called “We Want Lava Man to Stay Retired.” Comments on MySpace echoed those sentiments, many in harsher terms. Those community outlets and several blunt columns posted on major racing websites suggest the decision to bring Lava Man to the races could prove to be an unpopular one. All we can do is hope the potential for a great story in the end overcomes the potential for a bad one. At this point, there is no right or wrong.

Lava Man’s owners and trainer realize there is a great deal of pressure on them, especially in this post-Eight Belles era, and yet they stand by their decision. They have monitored Lava Man’s progress since his retirement with microscopic scrutiny and we can only place our trust in their judgment.

As we all know, accidents, whether serious or not, can happen at any time and any place and could have absolutely nothing to do with a horse’s soundness. That is why Doug O’Neill, the Kenly family, and Jason Wood will face pressure on a daily basis once Lava Man returns to serious training and even more once he starts racing. So, it is apparent they believe strongly what they are doing is the right thing. But the term “right thing” has yet to be defined other than to say the horse is telling them this is what he wants to do. But horses are like children in that the things they want to do are not always the “right thing” for them. It is up to the good judgment of the parents or owners to make that decision for them.

O’Neill and the veterinarians insist Lava Man is as sound as he’s ever been and is showing them all the right signs. People can agree or disagree and make their feelings known via the various outlets, but in the long run it is no one’s decision to make other than the owners. All anyone can do after voicing their opinion is to wish them well for Lava Man’s sake. At least we know O'Neill is the kind of trainer who will make all the right moves to try to get the horse back to top form without pushing him beyond his limitations.

You know there are going to be a number of dissenters who are already loading their weapons in case they feel compelled to fire them. But this is not an occasion where anyone wants to be proven right, so people should just wait and see what transpires and hope the fairy tale has a happy ending.

In the meantime, Michael Blowen will have a nice big paddock waiting for him at Old Friends once he does arrive. Unlike at his previous home, he will be inundated with groups of adoring fans several times each day, and like all the other equine residents at Old Friends, will be treated like a member of Blowen’s family.

Goodbye, Triple Crown; Hello, Breeders' Cup

Blood-Horse Staff — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 16:48:00 GMT

As one final thought regarding Calvin Borel, in my Triple Crown wrapup I said it was learned that Borel attempted to get mounts during Belmont week, but was unable to secure any. I qualified that by adding, “If that is true…” Just for the record, this is what I was told by someone close to Borel. Although, as I also wrote, “It’s hard to believe,” I felt, because of all the criticism directed at Borel, I owed it to him to mention it in case it was true. Conflicting comments made earlier from the Borel camp recently came to light, so, it is up to the reader (if anyone still cares) to decide what they want to believe.

OK, enough of Borel; it’s time to move on to more important things and leave this wacky Triple Crown in the rear-view mirror. There’s a long road ahead of us, and we can already faintly see the tops of the San Gabriel Mountains way off in the distance.

To show how much the sport is changing, look at the results of last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic, with European invaders Raven’s Pass and Henry the Navigator running one-two on the synthetic surface. Look at the switch from dirt to synthetic for the new Meydan track set to open next year in Dubai. Despite having no breakdowns over the dirt at Nad al Sheba and the races being run a fast track each year, even on the rare occasions when the monsoons roll in, it seems odd that they would switch surfaces. They do so knowing there is a good chance the majority of big-name American horses who have excelled only on the dirt likely will pass on the World Cup, despite its big bucks.

Could it be they have had enough of Americans dominating the World Cup and are looking to lure more big-name Europeans like Raven’s Pass and Henry the Navigator? That wouldn’t make much sense, considering it is the Americans and the Dubai-based horses who have been in training and are able to prep for the World Cup, while European racing is just getting started in mid-March, and their horses would have to travel to Dubai in February (not likely) in order to find a suitable prep race.

This is not to insinuate the switch of surfaces is a good one or a bad one, just an odd one under the circumstances. Obviously the powers that be felt this was the way to go. Would Curlin have gone all the way there to run on a synthetic surface? Who knows, maybe a $10-million purse would lure anyone, especially with the luxuries that await all the participants, both human and equine.

Speaking of the new wave of Europeans that have been and will be washing up on our synthetic tracks, John Oxx, trainer of Two Thousand Guineas and English Derby winner Sea the Stars has already said the Breeders’ Cup Classic is a possibility for the son of Cape Cross.

“The Breeders' Cup this year and last year is slightly different to previous years because it's run on a Polytrack-type surface,” Oxx said. “I would never ask a 3-year-old to run on the traditional American dirt, but obviously the new surface is a bit more tempting.”

After last year’s European coup, we’d better start producing more quality older horses and keep our 3-year-olds in training longer if we want to avoid the ignominious turn of events that befell us in the 2008 Classic.

European bookmakers Stan James and Coral have already shown their lack of respect for the American horses by installing Sea the Stars as the favorite, at 5-1 and 6-1, respectively, for the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra are the second and third choices, ranging from 7-1 to 9-1. Well Armed, who destroyed his field in this year’s Dubai World Cup is listed at 12-1 and 10-1, respectively, while Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird is 14-1 with Corals and Belmont Stakes winner Summer Bird is 20-1 with Stan James, as is Einstein, who many consider to be America’s main hope for the Classic, having already won the Santa Anita Handicap over the Pro-Ride surface. Imagine, a European 3-year-old in June at 5-1 and Einstein at 20-1. And it also shows how wide a chasm the Europeans feel exists between their Derby winner and our Derby winner.

Having been overwhelmed by the Europeans on the grass (Conduit, Goldikova, Donativum, Eagle Mountain, and Westphalia) last year, as well as in the Classic, it is imperative that we stop the onslaught this year by finding enough quality synthetic horses or accept this rude wake-up call and just wait until next year when the Classic returns to the friendly confines of dirt, and we can once again showcase our best horses or the best of whatever is still around.

It is a shame that Fabulous Strike, arguably the fastest sprinter in the country, has to either run once again on a surface over which he is not as effective or wait until next year, at age 7, to have a legitimate shot at a Breeders' Cup victory. And he's not alone. Until then we'll have to make the best of another turf/synthetic Breeders' Cup. I actually enjoyed seeing two classy Europeans run so well in the Classic to give the race more international meaning, but I would rather see them run well on dirt against our best horses on their best surface. The Euros are entitled to have the playing field leveled on occasion, just not two years in a row. It's not fair to our best horses.

On the Friday front, good luck to the Europeans trying to find a filly to stop the Zenyatta Express. And if for some reason Rachel Alexandra finds her way to Santa Anita…forget it, I’m not even going there. Whether she runs in the Ladies or the good old fashioned Classic, it is too mouth-watering a proposition to even mention this early.

And how about a supporting cast of Music Note, Cocoa Beach (synthetic or turf), Seattle Smooth, Seventh Street, Life is Sweet, Acoma, and 3-year-olds
Justwhistledixie, Four Gifts, and Stardom Bound (who is doing well on the farm and expected back to the track in several weeks).

Next week’s Royal Ascot meet, always one of the great weeks of racing anywhere, should produce several additional Breeders’ Cup prospects, including Aidan O’Brien’s Irish Two Thousand Guineas winner Mastercraftsman, who runs in the St. James’s Palace Stakes. It was quite a sight seeing four O’Brien horses finish in a photo for second in the Epsom Derby. You can bet O’Brien will be back at Santa Anita in full force with 3-year-old colts Mastercraftsman, Fame and Glory (second in the Derby), Masterofthehorse (third), Rip Van Winkle (fourth), and Golden Sword (fifth) to choose from.