Hangin' With Haskin : steve haskin

Haskin's Derby Report: Pletcher on Parade

aspradling — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 18:36:00 GMT

You want Derby works, boy do we have Derby works. A total of eight Derby horses had their final drills Saturday morning, many of them moved back a day due to the impending rain expected later today and tomorrow.

Heading the day’s activity was the Todd Squad, which is made up of Verrazano, Revolutionary, Palace Malice, Overanalyze, and Charming Kitten, who collectively have won or place in 15 stakes.

Of the Fab Five, Verrazano was the first to work, going five furlongs in company with Authenticity. The big, handsome son of More Than Ready broke smoothly and laid just off his workmate through fractions of :11 4/5, :23 1/5, :35, and :47. With no urging at all, he came home his final eighths in :12 4/5 to complete the five panels in :59 4/5, while finishing 1 1/2 lengths ahead his workmate. He then galloped out three-quarters in 1:13. This was a very good work for him, and as is often the case at Churchill Downs, he looked better than he did in his first work over the track and just seemed to be going smoother over it this time.

One of the top works of the day belonged to Revolutionary, who went off noticeably slower, going in :24 4/5 and :36 3/5 inside stablemate Charming Kitten. Turning for home, Calvin Borel, as is his custom, steered the colt closer to the rail and proceeded to hug the fence. Once he got Revolutionary to settle into stride, he cruised clear of Charming Kitten, who was unable to keep up. Revolutionary, as usual, switched over to his left lead inside the eighth pole, then quickly back to right lead, and finally back to his left lead crossing the wire. The son of War Pass has been doing this his whole life, and despite the lead changes, he flew home his final eighth in :11 3/5 and then dusted Charming Kitten in the gallop-out, pulling some six or seven lengths clear, while galloping out five panels in 1:00 3/5, which means he went :12 2/5 in the gallop-out. Back at the barn while getting his bath he was not blowing in the slightest. What I like most about this colt is how he always wants to do more before and after the wire, as if he’s just getting started.

Following Revolutionary came the tandem of Overanalyze and Palace Malice, who locked horns at the quarter pole, with Palace Malice, wearing blinkers again, on the inside. With Gary Stevens on Overanalyze and Mike Smith on Palace Malice, the two colts matched strides every step of the way. Overanalyze looked to be going a bit smoother than Palace Malice, but both colts were striding out beautifully, coming home their final eighth in :11 4/5 to complete the half-mile in :47 1/5 (clockers actually got Overanalyze, who broke off a bit behind) in :47 and Palace Malice in :47 1/5. Both colts then galloped out an additional eighth in :12 3/5, in what amounted to a good sharpener for each one. Pletcher said afterward that Palace Malice would wear blinkers for the first time in the Derby.

As for the other works, Normandy Invasion was the first one out on the track at 5:45, and he was sharp right from the beginning, breaking off quickly and zipping his opening eighth in :11 4/5 and three-eighths in :34 2/5. After a half in :46 3/5, he came home his final eighth in :12 2/5 to complete the five furlongs in :59 flat., out six panels in 1:11 4/5. This colt has been showing a lot of early lick and likely will show more speed than most people would anticipate. He needs to return to his running style in the Remsen and make his big move earlier, which he appears ready to do. What I liked most about the work was how smoothly he did it, with his ears up.

Right after Normandy Invasion came Mylute, and trainer Tom Amoss said beforehand not to expect anything flashy, just a nice easy maintenance half-mile, and that is precisely what he got. With Rosie Napravnik aboard, he pretty much cruised around there, getting his half in :50 3/5. He is not much of a gallop-out horse, and shuts it down after the wire, which accounted for the 1:05 4/5 gallop-out.

Black Onyx came out between 7 and 7:30 and worked a half in company with jockey Joe Bravo aboard. The son of Rock Hard Ten spotted his workmate a couple of lengths coming into the stretch and methodically wore him down, pulling away at the end, with the reins fully extended as if he wanted to do more. He galloped out five furlongs in 1:02 2/5.

The final pair to work were the Kenny McPeek duo of Frac Daddy and Java’s War, with Frac Daddy on the inside. After fractions of :24 4/5, :37, and :49 3/5, Frac Daddy took a length lead into the final sixteenth, and even with the exercise rider looking back for Java’s War, he still finished ahead of his stablemate, while under wraps, completing the five panels in 1:02, with a final eighth in :12 2/5. I liked the way Frac Daddy moved over the track, and this looked to be a sneaky good work.

Itsmyluckyday arrived from Calder this morning just past 11 o’clock, while Goldencents got in a little after 1 p.m., along with Kentucky Oaks contender Beholder.

Haskin's Derby Trail: E Train Rolling Toward Louisville

aspradling — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 22:10:00 GMT

While many of the leading 3-year-olds were competing in the warm, sunny climes of Florida and Louisiana, a silent assassin was laying low up in the chilly confines of Belmont Park. His name has barely been mentioned in the past few weeks, but he appears to be well armed to do some damage in the Wood Memorial, and if he gets lucky, even more damage on the first Saturday in May. In addition to showing vast improvement with each start, running a super race in his stakes debut, he has an impeccable pedigree, tracing to one of the potent female families of the past century.

In case you haven’t figured it out yet, the horse in question is ELNAAWI. This is not to imply that he is going to knock off Verrazano and Vyjack, or even Normandy Invasion, but let’s just say nothing would come as a surprise with this colt, who is improving dramatically with each start. It would, however, be a surprise if he doesn’t run a huge race.

Owned by Shadwell Stable and trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, Elnaawi broke his maiden in his second career start going a mile in the mud, while breaking from post 9 and going four-wide into the first turn. Despite stiff early fractions of :23 and :46 3/5, he made a very early move on the backstretch and quickly opened a clear lead. In the stretch, he turned back a serious challenge from Revocation and was drawing away at the wire to win by four lengths. Finishing a well-beaten third was stablemate Incognito, who would come back to break his maiden impressively by 3 1/4 lengths.

McLaughlin entered Elnaawi a month later in an allowance race, but the card was canceled due to bad weather, so the colt had to go into the Gotham off only two career starts instead of three and a two-month layoff instead of a one-month layoff.

Soon after the start of the Gotham, West Hills Giant, wearing blinkers for the first time, angled sharply to the inside, putting Elnaawi in a tight squeeze, causing him steady. He was swung to the outside by Channing Hill, getting caught four-wide going into the first turn. He continued four-wide around the turn and six-wide down the backstretch. He put in a good run on the far turn, but was fanned six-wide turning for home.

He closed steadily through the stretch, but when Vyjack came charging up alongside, he began drifting in, and once clear, continued to drift across Elnaawi’s path, causing him to again swing to the outside, where he put in another good run to finish third, galloping out very strong. A foul claim against the rider of West Hills Giant was not allowed, although he definitely put Elnaawi in tight quarters and forced him to steadily briefly.

What made this performance even more impressive, in addition to having only two starts and missing a race, is the fact that Elnaawi is a May 15 foal, so he wasn’t even close to actually turning 3.

He now has this race under him; he’s learned to deal with adversity; he returns to Aqueduct’s main track, where he should appreciate the bigger turns; and he gets Eddie Castro, who replaces Hill.

And now for this colt’s pedigree. He is by Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense, who has also sired Unlimited Budget this year. His dam, Pilfer, is a half-sister to Cotillion winner India, and Pilfer’s broodmare sire is Miswaki, sire of Horse of the Year and Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Black Tie Affair, as well as Arc de Triomphe winner Urban Sea, who is the dam of European Horses of the Year Galileo and Sea the Stars.

But it is Elnaawi’s tail-female family that is a knockout. His third dam, Java Moon, is by Graustark, out of Golden Trail, which represents a good portion of the foundation of Darby Dan Farm. Golden Trail was purchased from Mrs. Isabel Dodge Sloane’s famed Brookmeade Stable.

Golden Trail’s record as a broodmare was nothing short of sensational. She produced GLEAMING LIGHT, winner of the Dwyer Stakes; JAVA MOON, winner of the Comely Stakes; KELLEY’S DAY, third in the Gazelle and the dam of Brian’s Time, who won the Florida Derby, Pegasus, and Jim Dandy and placed in the Preakness, Belmont, and Travers and who would become a top sire in Japan, his best son being Triple Crown winner Narita Brian; ON THE TRAIL, the dam of Saratoga seven-furlong track-record holder (1:20 1/5) Darby Creek Road, winner of the Sword Dancer, Hill Prince, and Saratoga Special and placed in the Belmont Stakes (behind Affirmed and Alydar), Wood Memorial, Champagne, Dwyer, Peter Pan, and Cowdin; and Andover way, who won the grade I Top Flight and four other stakes and is the dam of stakes winner and leading sire Dynaformer (sire of Barbaro) and Black Speck, the dam of this year’s UAE Derby winner Lines of Battle; SYLVAN PLACE, who was second in the Florida Derby and Ohio Derby; and OUTWARD SUNSHINE, the dam of Sunshine Forever, winner of the D.C. International, Turf Classic, Man o’War Stakes and placed in the Breeders’ Cup Turf and Arlington Million. On the Trail also produced the stakes-winning Regal Road, who is the granddam of Kentucky Derby winner Monarchos.

On top of all that, Elnaawi is a half-brother to To Honor and Serve, winner of the Cigar Mile, Woodwatrd, Pennsylvania Derby, and Remsen.

Elnaawi has His Majesty in his sire’s family as great-grandsire of Street Sense. and Graustark in his female family, which gives him 5x6 inbreeding to Ribot. His third dam, Our Tina Marie, a daughter of Java Moon, is by Nijinsky II, giving Elnaawi three doses of Northern Dancer through Nijinsky, Vice Regent, and Dixieland Band.

As for McLaughlin’s other 3-year-olds, Incognito will run next in the Illinois Derby, which he could use as a prep for the either the Preakness or Belmont, and Transparent will run in an allowance at Aqueduct. He, too, could be a Belmont Stakes horse.

Battle lines are drawn

Another traveling on the Golden Trail to Louisville is UAE Derby winner Lines of Battle, who, like Elnaawi, traces to Golden Trail, only one generation closer. Lines of Battle is by War Front, out of Black Speck, who is by Arch, out of Andover Way, making his dam a half-sister to Dynaformer.

Although his time in the UAE Derby was extremely slow for 1 3/16 miles, he should get a great deal of fitness and bottom from the race, and I loved the way he found another gear late and was drawing clear of the runner-up after being challenged from the inside. Of all the horses O’Brien has sent to Churchill, this colt looks to have the best shot of making his presence felt.

As mentioned, his female family is dynamite and is it loaded with dirt influences. Don’t overlook this colt. He made a handsome presence in Dubai and carries himself like a good horse.

Dry In the Desert

aspradling — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 13:22:00 GMT

(Originally published in the March 16, 2013 issue, page 34, of The Blood-Horse magazine.)

“I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore.” Those were the classic words spewed forth by newscaster Howard Beale in the 1976 movie “Network.” But they could very well have been uttered by international trainers who for years were forced to watch U.S.-trained horses ship halfway around the world to Dubai and walk off with the multi-million-dollar purse of the Dubai World Cup (UAE-I) almost annually.

Despite the influx of top horses from all over the globe, American invaders captured eight of the first 14 runnings of the World Cup, then run on a conventional dirt track. Five were won by horses stabled in Dubai and owned by the Maktoum family, either under the banner of Godolphin or Shadwell, and the other represented Great Britain but was owned by Sheikh Mohammed. So, it was all USA and the Maktoums, with the rest of the world merely supporting players to fill the remainder of the field.

Following the inaugural running of the World Cup, with a mere $4 million purse back in 1996, Michael Hills, the rider of the English-trained fourth-place finisher Pentire, expressed his frustration after finishing behind American horses Cigar, Soul of the Matter, and L’Carriere. Hills stood at the podium at the post-race interviews and vented about the advantage the Americans had on a dirt track.

That frustration would escalate over the years, reaching a breaking point when American-trained horses Invasor, Curlin, and Well Armed rattled off three consecutive victories from 2007 to 2009, giving the U.S. five wins in six years. As if to pile on the indignities, Curlin won by 73⁄4 lengths and Well Armed romped by 14 lengths. The Dubai World Cup, which by then had had its purse raised to a record $6 million, was becoming nothing more than a playground for American horses looking to bring home untold riches from the Middle East.

Plans, however, were already in the works in 2009 to build a brand new state-of-the-art glitter palace—Meydan—and boost the purse of the World Cup to an ostentatious $10 million. Sheikh Mohammed decided to strip the World Cup to the bone and restructure his premier race and all other dirt races by installing a Tapeta synthetic surface, which was owned and designed by former trainer Michael Dickinson and was being used by two racetracks in the United States.

From Europe to the Far East, horsemen rejoiced. Finally, those big dollar signs were right in front of them for the taking. They no longer were mad as hell at the farce the Dubai World Cup had become. They now had the same chance as the Americans to land the race’s mammoth prize, probably even more, considering how well grass horses had been performing over the various synthetic surfaces throughout the U.S.

On March 27, 2010, the new era of the Dubai World Cup began. American horses found themselves reduced to also-rans as Gio Ponti, a champion on grass and runner-up in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (gr. I) over Santa Anita’s then Pro-Ride synthetic track (the track changed back to dirt in 2010), finished fourth; synthetic lover Richard’s Kid, a terror over Del Mar’s Polytrack, finished seventh; and Furthest Land, winner of the 2009 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (gr. I) at Santa Anita, brought up the rear in 14th.

The only bright spot for America was the victory of Kinsale King in the about six-furlong Dubai Golden Shaheen Sponsored by Gulf News (UAE-I). Kinsale King would become the only American-trained horse to win over the Tapeta surface for the next three years.

So, why was Kinsale King able to win on the Tapeta, while Game On Dude, Royal Delta, The Factor, Fly Down, Richard’s Kid, and Gio Ponti all failed to finish in the money?

What set the son of Yankee Victor apart from the other American participants was that he had trained over the Tapeta surface at Golden Gate Fields with the specific intention of preparing for the Golden Shaheen.

“I had never run a horse on that surface, so when I saw that they had installed Tapeta, I asked the owner if he would mind if I took the horse up to Golden Gate for three weeks to train over that track,” said trainer Carl O’Callaghan, who was a former assistant and exercise rider for Todd Pletcher. “If he liked it, we’d try (the Golden Shaheen) and if I felt he didn’t get over the track, we wouldn’t go.

“I worked him twice over it, including once between races and he worked amazing over it. If I were to ever go back again, I definitely would train at Golden Gate. Tapeta is a demanding surface, and I really believe training over it helped him.”

If training for a sprint race helped Kinsale King, what about the American horses who have to run 11⁄4 miles over it? To show how dramatically the nature of the World Cup changed following the installment of Tapeta, the first two finishers in 2010 were the French-trained international traveler Gloria De Campeao and the South African horse Lizard’s Desire, who were separated by a nose at the wire.

One trainer who believes it is imperative to train over the Tapeta and actually have a prep race over it is Mike de Kock, the great South African trainer who, with the exception of the home team Godolphin stable, has had more success in Dubai than any other trainer. He has won the UAE Derby (UAE-II) five times and the UAE Two Thousand Guineas (UAE-III) five times, and swept the UAE Triple Crown with Asiatic Boy. He also trained Lizard’s Desire, who would turn the tables on Gloria De Campeao two months after the World Cup in the Singapore Airlines International Cup (Sin-I).

“I think it would be a very good idea to come here early, just from a physiological point of view,” de Kock said. “If you think of the changes a horse’s skeletal system will go through, you’d realize that if you get here and run right away, you’re looking for problems. I believe you have to come here, get them going, and get them used to the surface, and then start to introduce the speed works slowly but surely. I really do feel like the horses go through boney, skeletal changes when they run over this track. We work at home (in South Africa) on heavy dirt, and when we bring them here, they fly across the track, so it does take time.

“Because they do go through physical changes, it’s a gradual process getting them ready. What I’ve observed with the Tapeta as opposed to the dirt is that they do work a little quicker on the Tapeta, almost too fast. You really need to try and hold them back a little. Because they tend to work fast, they’re never really as fit as you think they are when they first come out because they get across it so well. It’s almost too easy on them, so they tend to take a lot more work. I work horses fast quite often and do a lot of speed work, but it’s controlled speed. I’d rather put in an extra day and go short than go longer and faster. I’ve watched a few blokes go longer and they work quite quickly and in the last 400 yards they’re being pushed with the sticks out, and that’s the one thing you need to avoid.

“You have to be very careful not to go too fast. With fatigue they start to get too loose and that’s when you’re going to get your soft tissue injuries—the tendons and ligaments. When they’re getting fatigued, their legs start getting heavy and that’s when you have problems. If anyone is serious about the World Cup, I would think about coming here six weeks or more in advance and participating in the Carnival, so the horse’s skeletal structure can get used to the difference in the surface. That in turn will help get them fitter.”

De Kock wouldn’t say for sure why the American horses have performed so poorly in the World Cup recently, but he had a couple of theories. In addition to the acclimatization factor, he believes the nature of the race has changed with the Tapeta surface.

“American horses are used to going fast early and slower late, while on the Tapeta it’s just the opposite,” de Kock said. “Another reason the Americans haven’t fared as well on the Tapeta is that they’re now running against champions from the different countries, and most of the horses they’ve sent haven’t been champions.”

One person who agrees with that last premise is Barry Irwin, president of Team Valor International, which has competed twice in the World Cup in the past three years with Gitano Hernando, the 2009 Goodwood Stakes (gr. I) winner who finished sixth both times. This year it will be represented by Animal Kingdom, who has proved to be a top-class horse on dirt, synthetic, and grass.

“I think that representatives from the United States in recent years have not been our very best stock,” Irwin said. “Racing on Tapeta is different than racing on most tracks that our horses are used to. Recently, Japan has sent better-quality horses to Dubai than the United States has. Godolphin has dedicated considerable resources to winning its premier race, and they had huge success last season.

“South Africa has done well. England has not really sent its best horses, but they have the best horses in the world, so their second tier horses can compete with the best in Dubai.

“Aside from that, there are other issues to deal with. There has been considerable debate about when is the best time to send a horse to Dubai. Some feel that showing up as close to the race is ideal. Others feel that horses need to be in the desert as early as late November or early December. Nobody really knows the answer to these questions, which makes it all the more perplexing.”

We should have a better idea after we see how American invaders Dullahan and Little Mike fare on World Cup night following their disappointing performances in their respective prep races on Super Saturday March 9. Little Mike could return to the turf after tiring in the stretch over the Tapeta, while Dullahan should improve after breaking slowly and being rushed into contention along the inside before fading. That is, assuming it was not the surface that did him in.

There is no keener student of racing in Dubai than Pat Cummings, founder and editor of Dubairacenight.com. Cummings doesn’t believe that the surface at Meydan requires any different fitness level than normal and thinks the Tapeta at Meydan plays true to pace. In other words, if they go fast early, horses will back up, and if they go slow, they’ll stay.

“Gio Ponti was a total of three lengths away from being a two-time winner of the World Cup, and I really think he could have won it in 2011,” Cummings said. “The track does often produce slower times as the temperature rises, which is typically the case in late March, but that hasn’t seemed to impact performance. Two of the three World Cups at Meydan have been run with much slower tempos than U.S.-based jockeys are used to, and the pace likely feels similar to long turf races.

“Gloria De Campeao backed it down in 2010. In 2011, jockey Mirco Demuro (on Japan’s Victoire Pisa) sensed it was so slow and went from last to first down the backstretch, seized the initiative, and he and the early pacesetter, Transcend, completed a Japanese exacta. Look at how close Gio Ponti was to the lead in 2011—he was being strangled back, which was never really an issue with him in the past, but it was expected, given the slow pace. Meanwhile, the winner moved around him while Gio Ponti got yanked off the pace and the race was over. Last year’s race was a much more moderate tempo and the result reflected it.”

Last year’s World Cup was a crushing blow to the United States, as Game On Dude and Royal Delta, both Horse of the Year candidates, were well-beaten, but Cummings feels there was a reason that both horses underperformed.

“Overall, 2012 wasn’t a true representation of U.S. performance,” he said. “The wide draw and stutter step at the start doomed Game On Dude, and Royal Delta was tossed about in a troubled trip and was lucky to emerge with nothing more than a bruise to her ego. Right now, I feel she’s a deserving future book favorite for this year’s running.”

Royal Delta’s trainer, Bill Mott, who captured the inaugural World Cup with Cigar, said he is not planning on making any adjustments this year, especially considering the fact Royal Delta has already won over a synthetic surface, scoring in an allowance race over Keeneland’s Polytrack in 2011.

“She’s also trained on it when she was in Dubai last year,” Mott said. “I feel she gets over it very well and can compete as well on it as she does the dirt. I don’t do anything different in her training. They have some very nice horses over there with some of the best pedigrees in the world, and they shouldn’t be underestimated. Having the races on the Tapeta now, it probably puts them more on a level playing field than when it was on dirt and our horses had more of an edge.

“Last year I attributed her performance to the troubled trip. I rarely like making excuses, but she did have a bad trip, and that’s why we’re going back. If I thought she had a good trip and just didn’t like it and was completely outrun, then we wouldn’t be going back. But I don’t think that’s the case. We still feel we have a good horse who will handle the going, and like any race, you need some racing luck, which she didn’t have last year.”

If on World Cup day, Royal Delta and Animal Kingdom mirror the poor performances by Dullahan, a three-time grade I winner on Polytrack, and Little Mike in their prep races at Meydan, then it is the Americans who will be mad as hell. But one thing we can be sure of, for $10 million, they’ll keep taking it.

Haskin's Derby Trail: The Unlikely Story of Vyjack

aspradling — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 19:09:00 GMT

The Kentucky Derby is like a mountain. It never changes and never withers with time. But in some ways it does change, as every year, new climbers gather on its slopes and attempt to reach the summit, disregarding the many perils along the way. There is no greater feeling an owner can have than to see his or her colors planted atop that mountain. There is no greater feeling a breeder can have than to have created something with the speed, strength, and heart to conquer the sport’s highest peak. And there is no greater feeling a trainer can have than to guide an equine athlete up such a rigorous path and emerge victorious.

If there is one thing you can count on each year on the Kentucky Derby trail it’s that you’re going to meet new people, experience new horses, and hear new stories, as you join the horses and their connections on their ascent up the mountain.

One of those stories unfolded at Aqueduct this past Saturday, about midway down the stretch of the Gotham Stakes.

If you were unable to see the number “7” on the saddleclotch of the streaking figure blowing by horses, there was no way you would have thought it was Vyjack.

In his three previous career starts, all victories, the son of Into Mischief – Life Happened, by Stravinsky had never been worse than third at any time and never farther back than two lengths, and that was in an overnight sprint stakes, in which they went a half in :46.20 in the slop. This was a 1 1/16-mile race, in which they went a half in :48.68, and the horse gobbling up ground with every giant stride was coming from 10th in an 11-horse field.

Then, as they passed the eighth pole, came the words of track announcer John Imbriale: “And on the far outside, here comes Vyjack! And Vyjack has stormed to the lead. Vyjack now drawing away in deep stretch.”

The final margin was 2 1/4 lengths, and just like that, the Derby trail had a new shining star, who had undergone a transformation unlike anything seen by a young 3-year-old in quite awhile.

And so, the fascinating journey of Vyjack continues. Here is a horse whose dam was bred to freshman sire Into Mischief only because breeders Sandy Willwerth and Carrie and Craig Brogden of Machmer Hall Farm in Kentucky had a live foal breeding contract to Bernstein, who stood at Castleton Lyons Farm at the time. On the day Life Happened needed to be bred to Bernstein, Carrie was informed that the stallion was completely booked that day. Not wanting to miss the mare’s cycle, she substituted another mare to breed to Bernstein at a later date, and now desperately needed a stallion for Life Happened that same day.

Brogden called Spendthrift Farm and asked stallion director Ken Wilkins, with whom she was friendly, what stallions were available to breed to that afternoon. She was told Into Mischief was open. She liked the fact he was a grade I-winning son of Harlan’s Holiday and decided on the spot to send Life Happened to him that afternoon. So, the mating of Vyjack came about strictly by accident…or perhaps a better word would be fate.

“Life Happened had had a beautiful Bernstein colt that sold for $475,000 as a yearling,” Carrie Brogden said. “We had been the underbidders on him as a weanling when he sold for $50,000, and that’s when we bought her, barren, in front of him for $4,500. We loved the Bernstein colt so much and saw that he had sold great, we booked the mare back to him.”

But it wasn’t to be, as all his slots were filled that day and there were no cancellations. So, it was off to Spendthrift and a date with Into Mischief. As it turned out, the Bernstein colt on which Carrie had been the underbidder, named Prime Cut, went on to place in the Peter Pan, Lexington, and Curlin Stakes. Carrie did breed Life Happened to Bernstein the following year and she had a beautiful filly that Carrie sold at the Saratoga yearling sale for $140,000.

On Feb. 11, 2010, Vyjack was born. What he was as a baby bore no resemblance to what he would become as a yearling.

“He was always a very uncomplicated horse,” Carrie said. “He was big and strong and was always a good doer. He vetted clean and had a great big throat. We decided to take him to the Kentucky July yearling sale. Some people gave me grief because he was so big and heavy, but the horse lived on air and water. I think that in the end, those kind do great at the track. The only major thing that changed with him is that when we got to the July sale, he discovered fillies. He had to have Vicks in his nose 24/7 and lived in a lip chain when he was being shown, because he was more interested in the fillies than anything else. We had never seen this before, because in our barns, the colts and fillies are completely separated and never see each other.

“Al Pike loved him and was interested in buying him. At the time, Into Mischief was just a ho hum stallion, retired too early in his career and not much in demand. I told Al that if he bought him we would stay in on the colt and then take him to the 2-year-old sale.. He did buy him for $45,000, and the following year we took him to the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-year-old sale at Timonium.

“He had a strong work and was scoped seven times as I recall. I was never there, but Al kept me filled in and did a great job with the colt. After his breeze show, Sobhy Sonbol (former racing manager for Zayat Stables) Facebooked me about the colt, saying he was looking for a new client and what did I think? Sobhy and I had developed a good relationship and he knew I would, like Al Pike, always tell him the truth. I told Sobhy that I had not seen the horse since we sold him as a yearling, but Al had always told me that he was sound without issues. I did mention that the only thing that Al had told me was that the horse loved the ladies and was a bit studdish.”

Enter Dave Wilkenfeld, not exactly the most likely person Brogden would expect to buy this colt. Wilkenfeld had grown up in Hewlett Harbor on Long Island and was playing the horses as a teenager, eventually going to Manhattan to bet at the OTB teletheaters, where he began using the Ragozin Sheets. In 2003, he and several friends teamed to hit a Pick-Six at Churchill Downs for $1.3 million. Five years later, in 2008, he was supposed to meet some friends at the Meadowlands to go in partnership on a Pick Six ticket at Santa Anita. The friends never showed, so Wilkenfeld put together a $4,320 ticket by himself and he not only wound up hitting it, but he held the only winning ticket, worth $3,3 million.

Through the years, he had gone in partnership on a few claimers, but nothing of note. Then, in 2012, he decided to buy his first horse at auction.

“I liked this horse’s three-furlong work,” Wilkenfeld said. “His female family was strong. I thought there would be some value there, because he was by a freshman sire. This was the horse we wanted. We had it narrowed down to six after vetting and watching videos and doing all the pedigree analysis, but this was the one who stood out to me and Sobhy, who was very instrumental in helping me with the whole process.”

Wilkenfeld, 55, bought the colt for $100,000 and named him after his parents Vivienne and Jack. “Theyre the most amazing parents and it’s a great honor and thrill to name my first horse after them,” he said.

After the sale, Pike told Carrie that the colt came into the back ring trying to breed any filly near him and that he had been afraid some of the interested buyers would have been scared off by his antics.

“He was always a massive horse with good bone and a killer body, so I can bet that he was dragging the handler around,” Carrie said. “Sobhy emailed me that they had bought him and how thrilled they were. I was thrilled, too, as I knew he was staying in the U.S. and would be in good hands.”

But about two months later. Sonbol called Carrie to tell her they were having trouble with the colt, who had been sent to Bruce Jackson at his Fair Hill Equine Therapy Center to get his early training. He was getting more aggressive and wanted no part of training.

“He was a good-looking horse and a lovely mover,” Jackson said. “David sent him to me right from Timonium with the idea of giving him some time and letting him recover from the 2-year-old sale. I knew Sobhy from when he worked for Mr. Zayat, so that’s how the horse came to be sent here. So, we gave the horse some time, but when he started back in training, he was very very difficult and very aggressive and studdish. He was not focused at all on what he was doing and didn’t want to train.

“We persevered for a while, but it became obvious he needed to be gelded to get the best out of him. I also spoke to the consignor (Al Pike) and he confirmed that the horse had been that way at the sale. So, after putting all that information together, David and Sobhy quite rightly decided to go ahead and have him gelded. It took a while, but we finally got him going forward and put him back in training. We did a lot of work with him away from the track. The fact that he didn’t want to train when he got on the racetrack, I decided it was best to totally remove that from his program, and we just trained him in the fields and hills and everywhere around Fair Hill for as long as we could. Then, I finally worked him back into the racetrack and he was fine. He turned around mentally and never looked back.”

As for his Gotham victory, Jackson said, “That was a big turnaround. That was special. He’s a lovely looking horse and he looks the part, he really does.”

The next task was to find him a trainer. Jackson had sent some difficult horses to Rudy Rodriguez in the past with good results.

“When David asked me what I thought of him, I told him I had sent him some horses with a similar mindset as Vyjack that he’s gone on and done very well with,” Jackspn said.

So, Wilkenfeld sent Vyjack to Rodriguez, who had been a part-time jockey for many years and who exercised horses for Bobby Frankel and more recently Rick Dutrow. He had also worked for Dutrow’s father, Dick, years ago.

“Rudy is really hard-working and he gets up on the horses in the morning,” Wilkenfeld said. “And I didn’t want to get lost in a big stable. I heard good things about him and spoke to Bruce Jackson.”

Rodriguez came to the U.S. from Mexico, and his first job was picking oranges and cucumbers in Florida. He feels privileged to have hooked up with Frankel and Dutrow and feels he he’s learned from the best.

“I was very blessed to work for Bobby,” he said. “I still miss him, that’s for sure. He was very good to me and always tried to teach me what was going on. If you paid attention you learned. Trainers like Bobby and Rick Dutrow are the kind of people you want to work for, as was Rick’s father.”

Following Vyjack’s head victory in the Jerome Stakes (gr. II) Jan. 5, in which he was up close to the pace and had to fight back to eke out a head victory, Rodriguez began working with the gelding, teaching him to relax behind horses.

“We taught him to do pretty much what we wanted him to, and in these big races you don’t want a horse who has to go to the lead. He’s always been very aggressive and he still wants to play games sometimes and doesn’t want to train. You have to play with him and let him know you’re his friend. So far it’s working. I didn’t want him on the lead too soon, because he has a tendency to pull himself up. He reminds very much of Empire Maker (who he was around with Frankel). As soon as Empire Maker made the lead he would start fooling around. So we tried to teach this horse not to do that. There’s always somebody coming behind you and you don’t want your horse taken by surprise. You’re better off coming from behind and making that big move.”

That’s exactly what Vyjack did, as he roared by horses with huge, effortless strides and quickly drew clear under new rider Joel Rosario, covering the 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.09. West Hills Giant, with first-time blinkers, set all the pace and hung on well to be second, a half-length in front of Elnaawi. Overanalyze, who got good position after breaking from post 11, came up empty on the far turn and raced evenly to finish fifth.

“This was amazing,” said Wilkenfeld, who races under the name Pick Six Racing. “Words can’t describe it. The way he won today was just superb. You buy a horse and you hope for this, bit it’s not something you really think about. I was nervous when I saw him that far back. I’ve been watching the races all day and every winner was either first or second or right there. It was unbelievable the way he closed. I didn’t have time to process it, actually.”

It was a bold move by Wilkenfeld to take Cornelio Velasquez off Vyjack after winning all three of his starts.

“I made the decision to switch riders, and all I can say is, Joel is a great rider and he fit the horse well. He got him to relax, but it is what it is.”

With a Gotham victory comes visions of roses and mint juleps and Twin Spires. “The way he ran today, you definitely start thinking more seriously about the Derby,” Wilkenfeld said. “But I like to take one race at a time. I’ve been in the game long enough to know you can’t take anything for granted. But I think he showed today if he stays healthy he’s definitely a Derby horse.”

Carrie Brogden remains the horse’s biggest fan and keeps in contact with Wilkenfeld through Facebook, and he sends her videos of Vyjack’s workouts

Before the Gotham Carrie said, “Al did a tremendous job, and Sohby and Dave kept the faith and did what was right for the horse in managing him and picking the trainer…and here we are. I am keeping all fingers and toes crossed.”

Well, she did a lot more than that. When Vyjack won the Gotham, she admits she lost control and made a spectacle of herself at the Thoroughbred Club, which is located just outside Keeneland Race Course.

“You should have seen me,” she said. “I only made about the biggest buffoon out of myself. I literally was jumping and screaming from one side of the bar into the simulcast room and back. Thank God no one videotaped it. It was ridiculous. Once he crossed the finish line I could not help myself. I have really long thick hair that I usually wear up but for some reason I had taken the hair band out of my hair and was chewing on it, probably from nerves.

“Well, they tell me that I jumped up and down like a jack rabbit and I was yelling and screaming with happiness. I went into the simulcast room that is a very warm place with about 10 tables in it, full of horse people, and was jumping and yelling. I was told I looked like a heavy metal rocker on the stage, flinging my hair around. I stopped and turned to the crowd and blurted out: ‘I bred that horse and this is why I am a breeder!” Cheers and applause resounded all around once everyone knew the reason for my crazy behavior. Needless to say, about 15 minutes later I was as embarrassed as hell for doing that. My phone was just blowing up with texts from well wishers. I’m getting goose bumps all over just thinking about it”

If Carrie gets this excited winning the Gotham, imagine what she’ll be like if Vyjack should win the Kentucky Derby.

She realizes it’s still a long way to Churchill Downs, and all you can do is hope the horse stays sound and healthy. But for now, the thrill and excitement of winning a major Derby prep is more than enough, and there is always that one thought to keep the dream alive.

As the song Run for the Roses goes, “It’s the chance of a lifetime in a lifetime of chance.”

And Carrie keeps thinking,, “If Bernstein had not been full that day, this horse would not have existed. That is fate.”

Big Red and the Winter of '73

aspradling — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 19:15:00 GMT

It’s hard to believe 40 years have passed since the winter of 1973. Racing’s two hubs as usual were Hialeah and Gulfstream in Florida and Santa Anita in California. The only sounds that were heard at Aqueduct were the winds howling off Jamaica Bay and the squawking of the seagulls.

Soon, track workers would begin preparation for opening day on March 1 when the grays and whites of winter would be replaced by colorful beds of tulips and a kaleidoscope of jockey silks. The sounds of horses thundering down the stretch would again resound throughout the grandstand that had been hushed for two months.

Although there was plenty to excite racing fans elsewhere, with the brilliant Linda’s Chief, trained by a young transplanted New Yorker, Bobby Frankel, and the budding star Sham dominating the 3-year-old scene in California and names like Our Native, My Gallant, Royal and Regal, and a late-developing mountain of a horse named Forego sharing the glory in Florida.

But they were all merely opening acts for the eagerly anticipated debut of racing’s $6 million horse and reigning Horse of the Year, Secretariat. What made Secretariat’s record $6,080,000 syndication price so remarkable was the fact that he had not even raced at 3. No horse had swept racing’s Triple Crown since Citation in 1948, and the buzz was already in the air that Secretariat was unbeatable, even though there were stamina questions concerning his sire, Bold Ruler, perhaps the most dominant sire of 2-year-olds ever .

So, here was this newly turned 3-year-old, who had not run beyond 1 1/16 miles, already valued at $1.8 million more than the great Buckpasser, $2.8 million more than Dr. Fager, and $3.5 million more than Damascus.

His owner, Penny Tweedy, who only a couple of years earlier was a housewife in Colorado, and Claiborne Farm president Seth Hancock, who took over the farm after the death of his father “Bull” Hancock,” had pulled off one the great coups in the art of horse trading, and selling their product as a must-have commodity. The fear of missing out on a sure thing and not being part of the next Triple Crown winner had the sport’s top breeders and shrewdest businessmen calling Tweedy and Hancock to obtain a piece of her four-legged gold mine.

On Feb. 26, 1973, the record syndication was announced. Tweedy’s late father, Christopher Chenery, who founded Meadow Stud and had died a short time earlier, on Jan. 3, would have been proud. His daughter, who knew little about the intricacies of the Sport of Kings, had kept the farm alive, despite the urging of her family to sell.

What helped give her credibility in the business was the way she stepped in and managed the career of Kentucky Derby and Belmont winner Riva Ridge the year before. But even Riva’s accomplishments had to take a back seat to the stable’s 2-year-old phenom, whose near-perfect comformation, muscular physique, and glistening chestnut coat earned him the title “Big Red.”

But with Tweedy’s financial conquest came the pressure of now having to fulfill the high expectations and heavy investments. Tweedy had already won the Derby, and she and many others felt anything short of a Triple Crown sweep would be a disappointment, considering the heavy financial burden the colt carried.

Tweedy and trainer Lucien Lauren had an immediate scare when Secretariat developed a small splint in his foreleg while stabled at Hialeah. But it was still early in the year. The leg was pinfired and he soon returned to training. He was nearing his debut, but when Tweedy encountered delays in settling her father’s estate, it was decided to wait until the seven-furlong Bay Shore Stakes at Aqueduct.

Secretariat’s arrival at Barn 5 at Belmont Park brought a steady stream of reporters, photographers, and TV cameramen, who waited patiently outside the barn for racing’s biggest star to emerge.

Because of his hulking physique, which had carried layers of baby fat when he was younger, Secretariat needed to work fast in order to get him sharp and fit. One would never get the impression by looking at him that he was capable of blazing fast works. But as he matured, his baby fat was replaced my muscle, his neck rippled as he lowered it and stretched it to the limit, and his stride grew to mammoth proportions. And what no one was able to see was the abnormally large heart that enabled him to do things other horses couldn’t.

As the Bay Shore neared, you could feel the tension building. Were we going to see the same Secretariat we saw the year before or something even more phenomenal? Of course, there is always the slight chance you could see a regression from 2, but that didn’t seem likely, especially when Secretariat had onlookers gasping in disbelief when he blew out three furlongs the Wednesday before the race in :32 3/5.

But there are always a number of factors that can contribute to a horse’s defeat, as Secretariat showed in his career debut, when he was knocked sideways coming out of the gate, and in the Champagne Stakes when he was disqualified from first. Heavy rains the day before the Bay Shore turned the track sloppy, and it remained muddy on race day, which dawned gray and ugly and stayed that way all afternoon.

I walked the three long blocks to Flatlands Avenue, where I would take the Pioneer bus to Aqueduct, as I had been doing since 1967. Through the cloud of cigar smoke that permeated the bus came the constant chatter of Daily Double talk, who had what winners the day before, and of course, the Bay Shore.

Instead of watching the race from the grandstand, as I normally did, I decided to stand at the rail with my trusty Canon F1 in the hope of getting a good shot of Secretariat as he came charging by me.

At the start, Secretariat, as expected, dropped back in the field of six. He moved up steadily along the rail with the hard-knocking Champagne Charlie lapped on him. There was a feeling of trepidation, as Secretariat was running up behind a wall of horses with no escape route. Turcotte kept pushing on him around the far turn and was able to ease out when Champagne Charlie left him and moved up to challenge the leaders.

As they hit the head of the stretch, Turcotte had the option of going outside Champagne Charlie and Impecunious, but when a small opening appeared inside Impecunious and outside Actuality, who had snuck through on the rail, he decided to go for it. It was a major risk to put Secretariat in such a precarious spot, and for a brief instant it looked as Turcotte had made a colossal mistake. As soon as he went for the inside route, the hole closed and Secretariat and Turcotte found themselves in what looked like a compromising situation. If they had gotten shut off badly and somehow lost the race, the uproar would have been heard round the racing world, especially in his own camp.

But despite the risk involved, Turcotte didn’t hesitate. He knew what was at stake and just aimed the big battering ram beneath him at the shrinking hole and let him bull his way through. Big Red eased everyone’s mind by bursting through in a flash, despite taking a bump or two. He quickly opened up and drew off to win by 4 1/2 lengths as everyone, especially Tweedy and Laurin, breathed a sigh of relief.

I did manage to get one decent shot of Secretariat jogging by with his neck arched before the race, but I didn’t even bother to take anything of the stretch run. I was too caught up in the drama that was unfolding, and it was enough just watching.

The Bay Shore was an important race for Secretariat. In addition to showing he had made progress from 2 to 3, it also proved to everyone he was not just another pretty face, but a horse who could handle the heat of battle and use his brute strength if the going got rough.

In the Gotham Stakes three weeks later, Secretariat gave everyone an even bigger scare by reversing tactics and going to the front, setting blistering fractions of :45 1/5 and 1:08 3/5, while opening a two-length lead turning for home. But nearing the eighth pole, Champagne Charlie came flying up alongside him and pulled on even terms. It looked as if the gray had the momentum, but Secretariat had a lot more in the tank. He surged back in front and drew clear to win by three lengths, equaling the track record of 1:33 2/5 for the mile.

Morning Telegraph/DRF columnist Charlie Hatton wrote; “Secretariat couldn’t have gone any faster had they thrown him off the grandstand roof.”

The Wood Memorial was supposed to be just a stepping stone to the Kentucky Derby and there was no one left to fear in New York. Then came word that trainer Pancho Martin was doing the unconventional and sending his Santa Anita Derby winner Sham to New York for the Wood instead of heading directly to Louisville.

Leading New York owner Sigmund Sommer had purchased the maiden Sham over the winter for a then hefty $200,000 at the late Bull Hancock’s dispersal. Sham, coming off a pair of seconds and a third, won his first start for Sommer and Martin by six lengths at Aqueduct on Dec. 9, leading every step of the way going a flat mile. Sent to Santa Anita, he opened a lot of eyes with a 15-length romp in a 1 1/16-mile allowance race, and then followed that up with another six-length score in allowance company before winning the Santa Catalina Stakes by 2 1/2 lengths. So, did we have another phenom out west who could test Secretariat?

Just when people were beginning to think that, Sham was upset in the San Felipe Handicap by Linda’s Chief after a troubled trip, finishing a distant fourth. In the Santa Anita Derby, Martin entered Sham along with stablemate Knightly Dawn. With Knightly Dawn drawn directly outside Linda’s Chief, it was the perfect opportunity for Martin use his second-stringer as a hit man and take out Linda’s Chief. At the break, Knightly Dawn veered in sharply and all but wiped out Linda’s Chief. Sham was able to get position on his rival, and when Laffit Pincay asked him nearing the head of the stretch, Sham shot to the lead and never looked back, winning by 2 1/2 lengths over Linda’s Chief. Frankel was incensed over the flagrant double team and never stopped talking about it until the day he died. Just the mention of Knightly Dawn would set him off.

The addition of Sham to the Wood field added to the intrigue and provided a sneak preview of the battle everyone was expecting in the Kentucky Derby. The closer the race got, the more Martin would exude confidence in his colt and assure everyone he had no fear of Secretariat, which is why he deviated from the norm and sent Sham to New York to face Secretariat. But as brash as Martin could be, he bore no resemblance to the thug-like character that was portrayed in the movie “Secretariat.”

It was obvious that Martin was targeting Secretariat, just as he had targeted Linda’s Chief, but this time he took it one step farther. He announced he was going to run not only his main assassin, Knightly Dawn, but a fast colt named Beautiful Music, who had romped by 10 lengths in his only start at Santa Anita.

That brought some scathing words and a forewarning of chicanery from Charlie Hatton, who had an admitted love affair with Secretariat, whom he called the greatest he had seen since Man o’War. He was the horse Hatton had been waiting for since the first Big Red, and he prepared everyone for the likelihood of roughhouse tactics.

Not only would Secretariat have to contend with the Martin marauders, he also would be confronted by his own stable Angle Light, who Laurin decided to run following a neck defeat in the Flamingo Stakes, a 10-length romp in an Aqueduct allowance race, and a solid third in the Louisiana Derby. Tweedy was not crazy about Laurin having another horse in the race, but he felt an obligation to Angle Light’s owner Edwin Whittaker.

On April 17, Lauren scheduled a mile work for Secretariat, with Turcotte aboard. I couldn’t resist and headed to Belmont with my trusty cameras. I was surprised at the absence of media around. In fact, it was me and my colleague, DRF photographer Ray Woolfe Jr., who was chronicling Secretariat’s career for a potential book.

Secretariat looked calm, but was slightly on his toes walking around the ring before heading to the track along the path behind the barns. It was me, Ray, Laurin, Tweedy, and two visitors whom I didn’t know. Big Red’s groom, Eddie Sweat, walked the colt to the path and then headed back to the barn.

As a little sidelight, Ray rushed ahead and turned back to photograph Secretariat. Ray had a pretty volatile temper and could fly off the handle very easily. Although I was well to the side of everyone, leaving him with plenty of room to crop me out of the picture, he started shouting at me to “Get out of the way.” I told him I had nowhere to go and to just crop me out. Well, he took the shot, and later that day after developing the film (his dark room was part of the library, where I worked, so we were always very close), he called me in and said he liked me in the picture with me in it and was going to use it in his book, which surprisingly he did. He even made me up an 8x10 print of it.

I stood by the rail, so I didn’t get to see a lot of the work. All I saw was Secretariat reaching out with those magnificent strides, his neck muscles rippling. Sham had worked earlier that morning, blazing five furlongs in :58 flat, so it was expected that Secretariat would have a pretty sharp mile, even though Laurin wasn’t looking for too much speed and would be happy with a 1:37 or even 1:38 work, which was pedestrian for Big Red.

Well, you can imagine the surprise when we found out he had worked in 1:42 2/5. Lauren and Tweedy weren’t expecting that and didn’t know what to make of it.

In the days leading up to the race, Hatton kept writing about Martin’s tactics. If finally got to the fiery Cuban-born trainer, who decided to show the world Sham could beat Secretariat on his own. He scratched both horses the morning of the race, removing the bullseye on Secretariat’s back.

History will show that it was Angle Light who shocked the world by stealing the Wood on the front end. Pincay had been tracking him the whole way, but was more interested in having something left for Secretariat in the stretch and never went after him until it was too late. Although Secretariat was far back and moving into contention slower than usual, I, like many, felt he was unbeatable and kept waiting for him to pull off some miraculous closing burst from well out in the middle of the track. But it never came. I stood there stunned watching Secretariat plod home in third, beaten four lengths.

When Pincay, who was a length and a half behind at the eighth pole, finally realized Secretariat was no threat he went after Angle Light, but his run fell a head short. You could hear a pin drop. You never saw a less happy person in the winner’s circle than Laurin, who knew the verbal assaults from all sides were about to come.

Just like that, Secretariat’s mystique and $6 million price tag took a dramatic tumble. Critics again brought up the Bold Ruler factor, citing the horse’s inability to sire a classic mile and a quarter horse.

No one knew about the abscess in Secretariat’s mouth, supposedly not even Turcotte. Whether or not it was the reason Secretariat ran such a dull race we’ll never know for certain. Once the colt arrived in Louisville, the abscess cleared up and Big Red would ride into legend.

It was his spectacular record-breaking Triple Crown sweep, his photo on the covers of Newsweek, Time, and Sports Illustrated, his shocking upsets at the hand of The Giant Killer Allen Jerkens, and his magnificent fall victories in the Marlboro Cup, Man o’War Stakes, and Canadian International that would define Secretariat’s career.

But the legend was born in the winter of 1973, when Secretariat evolved into Big Red and took those important first steps that would lead him into the pantheon of immortals. It was there he would become the standard by which greatness is measured.

All photos are by Steve Haskin, please do not take without permission.

The infamous Ray Woolfe photo that appeared in his book, which I've used here in the past. Please excuse the 1970s look of that weird guy on the right.

There were few if any who had a stride like Secretariat, and those rippling neck muscles. Hard to believe he was working some five seconds too slow.

Classic Recap: Fort Repels Attack

aspradling — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 01:46:00 GMT

Whether you call it karma or any other name, there comes a time and place in everyone’s life when positive forces meet at once and create moments to cherish for all time.

For a 4-year-old Thoroughbred named Fort Larned, his trainer Ian Wilkes, owner and breeder Janis Whitham, and jockey Brian Hernandez Jr., those positive forces came together on racing’s greatest day and in its richest race, the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic. It was here in front of over 50,000 fans that Fort Larned dug down deep to hold off Mucho Macho Man in one of the great stretch battles in Breeders’ Cup history.

On the mornings of Nov. 2 and 3, hopes ran high at Barn 99 in the far corner of the Santa Anita backstretch. For the 80-year-old Whitham and her family, this was hallowed ground. Not only was it the home of her longtime trainer, Ron McAnally, it also had been home for her and her late husband Frank’s Hall of Fame filly Bayakoa, who scored back-to-back victories in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (gr. I) in 1989 and ’90. Now, here was Whitham 22 years later back in the Breeders’ Cup with Bayakoa’s grandson.

“When Mrs. Whitham asked me if she could stable her horse in my barn, I said, ‘Are you kidding? If I don’t have a stall I’ll move one of my horses out and make room,” McAnally said. “If you need an exercise rider or anything else, just let me know.’

“Mrs. Whitham is the classiest, nicest lady you’ll ever meet. She always studied the horses and the pedigrees and knew about every one of them. She was the one who got Frank interested. Both of them have always accepted defeat graciously and would look ahead to the next race.”

For Whitham, this was the continuation of the legacy she and her husband had built more than two decades earlier.

“We’re excited. We’re here,” she said while walking back to the grandstand from the barn. “It’s the big stage and we have the whole family here, as well as our racing family that was pretty special to us. Ricardo, Bayakoa’s groom, still works for Ron. And Eduardo (McAnally’s longtime assistant Eduardo Inda who went out on his own) has one horse in Ron’s barn. We just spent 15 minutes talking about Bayakoa.”

Whitham experienced one of the most bittersweet feelings ever following a victory. It was while dueling with Bayakoa down the stretch in the 1990 Breeders’ Cup Distaff that Go For Wand suffered her fatal injury, falling heavily to the ground in front of a horrified crowd at Belmont Park.

“That was terrible,” she said. “The main thing they remember was the injury to Go For Wand. They don’t remember Bayakoa’s courage or her victory in the Distaff the year before. It was all such a numbing experience you didn’t even feel like you ran that day.”

Whitham, whose husband was killed in a plane crash in 1993, is a fourth generation descendant of pioneer families that moved to Kansas from Indiana and Iowa. She named Fort Larned after an old fort in western Kansas.

For Wilkes, who worked as assistant to Hall of Fame trainer Carl Nafzger and has shared his barn for almost 20 years, this was his opportunity to stamp his own footprints in racing’s history books. Although Nafzger was the trainer of record of 2007 Kentucky Derby (gr. I) winner Street Sense, he’ll be the first person to tell you that Wilkes was just as instrumental in the colt’s success as he was. It was Wilkes who made it a lot easier for Nafzger to semi-retire several years ago, taking over the majority of his horses and clients.

The Whithams began sending horses to Nafzger about eight years ago, knowing they were soon going to turn their horses over to Wilkes once Nafzger began cutting back.

When Fort Larned captured the Whitney Handicap (gr. I) this year, Nafzger helped celebrate following the race, feeling like a proud father.

“Now you figured out how I did so good,” Nafzger said at the time. “I had Ian behind me. When I was getting all the glory (with Kentucky Derby and grade I Travers winner Street Sense, Travers winner Unshaded, and the grade I Alabama winners Banshee Breeze and Lady Joanne) Ian was back in Kentucky working.”

Nov. 3, the day of the Classic, also was a special day for Hernandez, who was celebrating his 27th birthday. Following the Classic he said, “Fort Larned gave me the greatest birthday present ever.”

Hernandez, despite his success aboard Fort Larned, on whom he has won four of five starts, is not among the elite riders in the country and is still pretty much an every day working stiff. The day after his Whitney victory he was at Ellis Park to ride one of Wilkes’ horses in s $7,500 maiden claiming race.

So, one of the most popular storylines was in place for the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Following Fort Larned’s third-place finish as the 5-2 favorite in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (gr. I) over a deep, wet track he was not fond of, the colt was ignored in the Classic, going off at 9-1 in the 12-horse field.

The overwhelming 6-5 favorite was the brilliant and consistent Game On Dude, trained by Bob Baffert, who had been shut out so far in the two-day event. With the earlier victories of Royal Delta in the previous day’s Ladies Classic (gr. I), Groupie Doll in the Filly & Mare Sprint (gr. I), and Wise Dan in the Mile (gr. IT), the pressure was on Game On Dude to overtake all three for Horse of the Year honors. Many believed a victory in the Classic would all but clinch the award for the son of Awesome Again.

With the Santa Anita dirt surface showing an extreme speed bias, it looked as if it would play to Game On Dude’s advantage. Another who looked to be coming into the Classic in top form and with the right running style was the towering Mucho Macho Man, who along with Fort Larned were the last two Classic horses to arrive at Santa Anita following the postponement of their flight due to the devastating storm back east.

Although Fort Larned was out of harm’s way in Kentucky, he had to wait an extra day for the flight out of New York that included Mucho Macho Man. Instead of taking off from JFK as originally scheduled, the remaining New York horses had to van up to Newburgh, N.Y. and fly out of Stewart International Airport. They stopped in Kentucky to pick up Fort Larned and the others and then flew to California, arriving three days before the race.

After being put in his new stall, Fort Larned was given a bath just to cool him off from the long trip and then walked around the shed.

Many of the handicappers felt Fort Larned might be at a disadvantage going 1 1/4 miles after the way he tired in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. But in reality, if ever a horse was made for 1 1/4 miles at Santa Anita it was Fort Larned. Not only did his maternal granddam Bayakoa win three grade I stakes at Santa Anita, his dam, Arlucea, is by Broad Brush, winner of the Santa Anita Handicap. Broad Brush’s sire, Ack Ack, also won the Santa Anita Handicap. Fort Larned’s sire, E Dubai, is out of a mare by Lord at War, who won the Santa Anita Handicap. Also in Fort Larned’s pedigree is Bold Bidder, winner of the mile and a quarter Strub Stakes at Santa Anita. And E Dubai himself won the mile and a quarter Suburban Handicap (gr. II) and finished second in the mile and a quarter Travers (gr. I) and Super Derby (gr. I).

In a race where most of the major stars have changed hands over their career, it was refreshing to see a horse like Fort Larned and the close bond between his owner and trainer. Game On Dude began his career with trainer Mike Mareina before being sold. Ron the Greek had previously had three trainers before being sold and turned over to Bill Mott. Flat Out also was sent to Mott after being trained by Scooter Dickey for most of his career. Richard’s Kid had been trained by Dick Small and Bob Baffert before being sold and sent to Doug O’Neill. And Mucho Macho Man began his career trained by Bill White before being sold and turned over to Kathy Ritvo.

The big question was who would take advantage of the speed-biased track. At the break, it was Fort Larned, who had won the Cornhusker Handicap (gr. III) at Prairie Meadows wire to wire, who went to the front, with Mucho Macho Man taking up the chase from the outside. No one knew it at the time, but the race was over. The pair would maintain that position all the way to the finish.

Game On Dude for whatever reason couldn’t keep up, dropping back to sixth. To Honor and Serve and Handsome Mike were right behind through a lively opening quarter in :23.20. Fort Larned led by a half-length over Mucho Macho Man after a half in :46.50.

Wilkes’ strategy to run the closers off their feet early seemed to be paying off, as the quick pace had the field strung out nearly 20 lengths.

“The break was everything,” Wilkes said. “If he didn’t break well he’d have no chance. I had to take the closers out of their game, because if I sat around and waited for them they were gonna get you.”

Hernandez added, “In the post parade he showed how fired up he was. He was on his game today, and this is the kind of horse where you need to stay out of his way and let him do his own thing. After Ian put the blinkers on him last fall at Churchill Downs he’s become more forward.”

With Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Flat Out, Santa Anita Handicap (gr. I) and Stephen Foster (gr. I) winner Ron the Greek, and two-time Pacific Classic (gr. I) winner Richard’s Kid all some 15 to 20 lengths back, they were at the mercy of Fort Larned’s speed and acceleration, which he had demonstrated in the Whitney when he blew his field away nearing the top of stretch with an electrifying turn of foot. Now, it was time for Hernandez to pull the trigger again and separate himself from the closers.

He gave Fort Larned the green light and the colt quickly opened several lengths on Mucho Macho Man through a testing third quarter in :23.62. He went around the far turn in :24.54, as Mucho Macho Man made his run at him. Those two quick quarters, combined with the fast pace, buried the rest of the field, as the two leaders pulled well clear of the pack, getting the mile in 1:34.66.

Now the battle was on. Mucho Macho Man, under Mike Smith, pulled on near even terms, but Fort Larned dug in gamely and refused to let him get by. They continued their battle the entire length of stretch, pulling seven lengths clear of the others. As much as Mucho Macho Man tried, he could not get by Fort Larned, who hit the wire a half-length in front, covering the mile and a quarter in a sharp 2:00.11. It was 6 1/2 lengths back to Flat Out, who finished three-quarters of a length ahead of his stablemate Ron the Greek. Game On Dude was never a factor, fading to seventh.

As soon as they passed the wire, a figure came darting toward the track, literally leaping off the ground and shouting with joy. It was none other than Charles Lopresti, who had just won the Breeders' Cup Mile with Wise Dan. Lopresti wrapped his arms around Wilkes in a bear hug, releasing whatever emotion he still had stored up inside him. Lopresti, Wilkes, and Buff Bradley, trainer of the brilliant Groupie Doll, winner of the Filly & Mare Sprint earlier in the day, had formed a bonding friendship as the "Little Guys" from Kentucky who were going to Santa Anita as a team, dreaming of sweeping their respective Breeders' Cup races. It was yet another dream on this day that came true.

Fortunately, for Wilkes’ wife, Tracey, she did not have to endure watching this gut-wrenching stretch battle.

“As soon as they came out of the gate and I knew he had gotten away well I turned my back to the track for the entire race,” she said. “I just couldn’t bear to watch it, and Mrs. Whitham’s grandson Travis had to tell me where he was.

“I can’t believe this. I just feel so awesome for Ian. He deserves this win. He’s been involved with so many good horses with Carl, but this is his horse. He got him from the start and has worked for three years with him. And it couldn’t happen to a nicer guy. To Ian, it’s not about the money; it’s all about the horses.”

It was difficult for Tracey to contain her emotion after the race and come to the realization of what had just happened.

“I have to watch the replay to really believe that we actually won,” she said. “This is so special. The kids are both here and there are so many friends of ours who have followed us a long way. I can’t even tell you how many text messages I’ve gotten already. We would never take anything away from Carl Nafzger; he’s our family. But this was the notch on Ian’s belt that shows he’s as good a trainer as Carl is and has followed in his footsteps. And I know Carl is going to be very proud of him. I can’t wait to see them when they get together.

“And how awesome to win this for Mrs. Whitham. You think how far back she goes with this horse’s family. One thing about Mrs. Whitham, she’s been in this industry for a while and has had some of the biggest trainers train for her. But she chose Ian and stuck with him. We have very loyal owners, who switched from Carl to Ian without any questions. I don’t think we’ve had anybody who’s jumped ship.”

Back in Kentucky, Nafzger watched the race with his wife Wanda and just about lost it when Fort Larned prevailed.

“We got to get a new couch, because I tore our couch apart watching that stretch run,” he said.

Nafzger waited about an hour for all the post-race hoopla to die down before calling Wilkes. The first thing Wilkes said to him was, “We did it.” The victory also stirred up memories of a young Australian exercise rider who had just arrived in America in 1989.

“My assistant at the time, Sharon Peters, who also was from Australia, had pointed out this young kid on a horse,” Nafzger recalled. “I watched him ride and told her, ‘Don’t let this boy out of my sight.’ He was a natural and had such great hands. We hired him and the following year he was exercising Unbridled and rode him right through his victory in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Now to see him win the Classic on his own as a trainer makes us so proud.

“It’s such a great story. This is all about Ian. I had nothing to do with it. We’ve learned a lot from each other over the years. Ian has always been a student of the game and understanding how a race should be run. He has a natural feel for a good horse. When he took over in January of 2006 and I just kept a few horses for Mr. (James) Tafel, he never changed anything and just kept building. We’ve had a great relationship and I’m as proud of him as if he were my own son. Wanda and I are out of this world right now.”

But as Wilkes always points out, “You have to have the horse,” and Fort Larned has been a project from the beginning. Even Whitham’s son, Clay, admitted, “I never thought the horse was that good, because he was so slow developing. He was just a plain bay horse and nothing more. He wasn’t flashy at all. He finally grew up at Churchill Downs last November in the slop. When he won the Skip Away (gr. III) at Gulfstream this winter and set a track record, I finally thought, ‘Hey, he’s got some talent.’ But I sure wasn’t counting on winning this race.”

Clay’s assessment of Fort Larned was justified as the colt made little impression early in his career, scoring only a maiden victory in his first six starts. His only try in stakes competition resulted in an eighth-place finish in the Arlington Classic. It was after a dismal showing in a Churchill Downs allowance race, in which he finished 10th, beaten over 21 lengths, that Wilkes decided to try blinkers. In his next start, an off-the-turf allowance race in the slop at Churchill, he won by 6 3/4 lengths and a new career was born -- not only for Fort Larned, but for his trainer as well.

Because of the colt’s long pasterns in front and back, Wilkes runs him in four bandages to prevent them from rubbing against each other.

Although Janis Whitham, who keeps a dozen mares and about 10 horses in training, has been in the sport for decades, this one got to her, especially with her beloved Bayakoa playing such an important role.

“It brought tears to my eyes to see that guy come down the stretch like that,” she said.

Everyone connected with Fort Larned paid tribute to Mucho Macho Man and the job Ritvo has done with him. When told that Mucho Macho Man is a June 15 foal and should be even better next year, Wilkes replied, “Don’t say that, because I’m coming back next year.”

Said Ritvo, “What can you do? He ran a winning race. The winner was a great horse today. He ran a great race. Congratulations to Mr. Wilkes and his whole team. I’m so proud of my horse. He gave 100 percent today.”

Mucho Macho Man was an amazing story himself and came so close to culminating what has been a fairy tale saga for both him and Ritvo. To show how far they have come, on June 15, 2008. Ritvo, stricken with cariomyapathy, lay in a hospital bed in Miami, Fla., hooked up to an IV of dopamine, a heart muscle stimulant that was keeping her alive. For six months, her family didn’t know if each day would be her last.

Some 250 miles away in Ocala, a strapping bay colt was born at Carole and John Rio’s farm, unusually late for a Thoroughbred. When the foal was delivered in the field, he was feared dead, as he lay motionless on the ground.. They worked feverishly to restore him and said prayers over his “lifeless” body. Then, to everyone’s surprise, the colt suddenly rose to his feet and ran off. That’s when the Rios began calling him Lazarus.

Five months later, as the weanling colt romped about his paddock, Ritvo also “rose” from the dead following a successful heart transplant. Six months later, she was back at the racetrack training horses.

As if pre-ordained, Ritvo and the colt, named Mucho Macho Man, would one day embark on a fairy tale journey that brought them to the Kentucky Derby (gr. I), where Mucho Macho Man finished third. And now, here they were only a half-length away from winning the richest race in America and a possible shot at Horse of the Year.

Although disappointed in Game On Dude’s peformance and his own Breeders’ Cup shutout, Baffert has been able to put things in different perspective this year following his heart attack in Dubai in March.

“It was a tough day for me, but I’ve had tougher,” he said. “Joe Torre (part owner of Game In Dude) told me you’ve got to forget it. Things that happened five seconds ago, you’ve got to let them go and move on. And that’s what will happen.”

The morning after the race, as Fort Larned was out for his morning walk, Wilkes commented how well he came out of the race.

“He looks like he never ran,” he said. “He’s full of himself. It’s fantastic to have won this for the Whithams; they are wonderful people. When you have people like that in racing that’s what it’s all about. I’ve been fortunate to take over for a bunch of great owners. It was a testament to Carl because he put them all together, and to carry on what he started was very special.

“This has all been very humbling. It still hasn’t sunk in yet. And I don’t think I want it to.”

Countdown to the Cup: Friday Longshots

aspradling — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 20:30:00 GMT

JUVENILE SPRINT – Merit Man, undefeated winner of the Tim Conway Stakes has the speed, the numbers, and a win over the track, and should be the horse to beat. Bob Baffert is always tough, so you have to give Super Ninety Nine a shot. South Floyd, runner-up in the Tim Conway, has the early speed and is from the dangerous Doug O’Neill barn.

But there are two price horses worth considering. European invader Ceiling Kitty didn’t fare too well in the Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket, but ran a bang-up race three back to win the group I, five-furlong Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot. She also has a maiden score over the synthetic track at Kempton. Her sire is by Red Ransom and her dam is by Tale of the Cat, so there no reason why she shouldn’t handle the dirt.

Another interesting filly is the grade I Spinaway runner-up Sweet Shirley Mae, who broke her maiden going five furlongs in the slop. She’s been on the lead at five furlongs and came from 15 lengths back in the Spinaway. She’ll need more speed backing up to six furlongs, but has class and trainer Wesley Ward is always dangerous with 2-year-old sprinters.

MARATHON – This is a total crap shoot and could be a playground for Fame and Glory, winner of last year’s Ascot Gold Cup and the 2009 Irish Derby. Although he hasn’t been in form recently, the word is that Ballydoyle is very confident he’s going to run a big race. Local horse Worth Repeating looks solid, but should be bet and we’re looking for bigger price horses.

This is where South American-breds shine. Argentinian invader Calidoscopio is a 9-year-old sired by a son of Forty Niner who is making his 40th start, 27 of which he carried 130 pounds or more, including two races carrying 137 and two carrying 136. He’s finished in the money 22 times. He’s already won at 1 7/8 miles and definitely must be respected.

Almudena has run big in group I company in Argentina and Peru and handles dirt and grass with equal ability. She’ll get the distance and is coming off group I placings carrying 132 and 130 pounds in Argentina. She should be tough in here.

Another Argentinian-bred is Romp, making his 54th start, all in the U.S. He’s only won four times, so you have to be a little suspect of him.

Our good old fashioned American longshot is Grassy, who is a proven mile and a half horse and a consistent grade I and II horse. He’s never run on dirt, but his sire, El Prado, is known for siring horses who can run on both dirt and grass at the highest level. If he handles the dirt he has the ability to mow these horses down in the stretch.

FILLY & MARE JUVENILE TURF – Although she’s going to be one of the favorites, we love Spring Venture and feel as if she could be special, with her perfect three-for-three record and scintillating turn of foot.

Sky Lantern, Watsdachances, and Flashy Ways all look strong in here, but will be bet pretty heavily.

Looking for a few fillies to play with Spring Venture in this extremely contentious field, Miss Grillo runner-up Sustained has been training brilliantly and has made a terrific appearance in the morning. But she did not draw well in post 14.

We have a sneaky suspicion the Todd Pletcher-trained Tara From the Cape is going to run a big race, based on her two turf races, a solid half-mile turf work at Santa Anita, and her excellent tactical speed. And John Velazquez certainly doesn’t hurt. She could be a live longshot.

JUVENILE FILLIES – The favorites in this race simply look too strong to play against. Renee’s Queen at 30-1 and has never run on dirt, but is coming off a very sharp six-furlong work over the dirt track and her connections chose this spot over the Juvenile Fillies Turf. Spring in the Air at 15-1 also has never run on dirt, but all four of her starts, on Polytrack and grass, have been excellent, and she looked good winning the Alcibiades Stakes. Trainer Mark Casse, who also has Spring Venture, has been red-hot lately.

FILLY & MARE TURF – American-trained longshots have won this race the last two years, and this year’s renewal is very wide open. The Euros are particularly strong, with the top-class The Fugue, Nahrain, I’m A Dreamer, and Ridasiyna, as well as the Aidan O’Brien-trained Up. Zagora looks solid for the home team, and is attractive at 8-1.

Star Billing, at 30-1, returns to the turf, where she has won or placed in three grade I stakes for John Shirreffs. The daughter of Dynaformer could pick up a piece of it with the right pace scenario.

Marketing Mix is only 9-2 on the morning line, but if she runs back to her last race, the Rodeo Drive, in which she made a spectacular move on the far turn, she is going to be tough.

LADIES CLASSIC – Hmm, take your pick. There are so many top-class fillies in here, the fifth choice is a filly who is coming off back-to-back grade I victories. We’re not even going attempt to pick a longshot. Of the Fab Four – Royal Delta, Awesome Feather, My Miss Aurelia, and Questing – not many people are talking about Questing, despite her other worldly victory in the Alabama Stakes, earning a 106 Beyer figure. Yes, she was beaten a head by My Miss Aurelia in the Cotillion Stakes, but she disliked the deep, slow track, was dropping back in distance from 1 1/4 miles to 1 1/16 miles, and was conceding seven pounds to My Miss Aurelia. She has a tendency to run greenly, but has a tremendous amount of talent and raw speed, and could be a little bit of an overlay in here.

All Photos by Steve Haskin.

A morning with Mucho Macho Man -- Waiting his turn with Kathy Ritvo

Mucho Macho Man glides over the track

Mucho Macho Man loves the camera

Macho Man a photographer's delight

Macho Man checks out the backstretch tour tram

Fans get an extra added treat on their tour

Mucho Macho Man gets his pre-race vet exam

Merit Man could be the favorite in the BC Juvenile Sprint

Watsdachances (outside) and Richard's Kid hook up

Maryland Million Classic winner Not Abroad goes in the Marathon

Juvenile Fillies Turf hopeful Flashy Ways

Hard to believe Pool Play is a 7-year-old battle veteran

Paul Reddams Turf hopeful Cogito

Dondonnell is the top European hope for the BC Juvenile Turf

Watch out for Brown Almighty in the Juvenile Turf

Groupie Doll gets a bath following her gallop.

Forever a part of Santa Anita history

Saratoga Memories 2012

aspradling — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 14:00:00 GMT

The following are images from the 2012 Saratoga meeting.
All photos by Steve Haskin

Saratoga begins at Todd Pletcher's barn and his 2-year-old assault force, which sent out an amazing 23 individual winners.

As you can see, there is no more aesthetic environment at the Spa than Pletcher Paradise.

This hole in Archwarrior's stall is no accident (See next photo)

Archwarrior and his neighbor and buddy Welterweight have gnawed away at the wall so they can "visit" each other (See next photo)

Who knows what is discussed in their many conversations

Oklahoma in the morning, where the light is heavenly

Greentree section, a paradise for horses and horsemen that houses the powerful Godolphin and Darley horses

Horses and riders enjoy their own private training track

Alpha the morning before his dead-heat victory in the Travers

The brilliant Questing captured two grade I stakes at the meet

Another shot of Questing, who had jaws dropping in her spectacular romp in the Alabama Stakes

A typical morning scene at Saratoga

If you're driving on Union Avenue in the morning, expect several stops

The beauty and serenity of Claire Court

Shug McGaughey's dynamic duo of Point of Entry (far left) and Hymn Book (far right) share bathing time

McGaughey came up under Frank Whiteley and that means plenty of leg hosing for Point of Entry

Curlin Stakes winner Street Life will stick out his tongue for anyone. Thankfully, his injury in the Travers was not life-threatening

Oklahoma can be a bevy of activity, but it also provides its quiet moments

Bill Mott and Charlotte Weber embrace following To Honor and Serve's victory in the Woodward Stakes

Fort Larned the morning after winning the Whitney

A rider's view down the backstretch of Oklahoma training track

The Chief, Allen Jerkens, still raking out the sand pen

Poor Jackson Bend had an eventful and emotionally draining Spa meet, but is lucky to be alive as he heads for some well-deserved R&R

Whitney runner-up Ron the Greek never runs a bad race

Stay Thirsty prefers rakes to play toys

Emma's Encore gave Allen Jerkens a special gift -- a grade I victory at the Spa

Nonios schooling at the gate for the Travers

10 minutes from Saratoga you can visit an old friend, Belmont winner Touch Gold, at McMahon Thoroughbreds...

...And Breeders' Cup Classic winner Alphabet Soup, who just got finished rolling in the dirt.

Lenny Shulman's Labs take a dip in Saratoga Lake.

Please do not take, steal, borrow or use these photos without permission from Steve Haskin.

Countdown to the Cup: The Game's Afoot

aspradling — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 17:12:00 GMT

William Hill is dangling a carrot out there and is just daring American punters to go for it. And if you don’t like carrots, just think of Game On Dude’s 7-1 odds for the Breeders’ Cup Classic as chocolate cake or a slice of pizza.

It is understandable to look at this year’s Classic as a wide-open affair and to take into consideration that Game On Dude was beaten in his last start by a 3-year-old, albeit a synthetic freak on a synthetic surface. But it is important to remember that the 2012 Classic will be a shipper’s race, with the majority of the field travelling cross-country.

Any they’ll all be coming to Game On Dude’s backyard, where he boasts a four-for-four record, including two grade I scores and a grade II. He’s already won the Big Cap and the Hollywood Gold Cup at 1 1/4 miles and ran a winning race in last year’s Classic, only to be caught in the final strides by a horse he never saw way out in the middle of the track.

The Classic is the one major race that has eluded trainer Bob Baffert, who has had an emotionally and physically draining year – suffering a heart attack in Dubai, the death of his father, the Paynter ordeal, and arguably the most frustrating series of Triple Crown defeats in history. Add to that, losing Bodemeister to nerve damage in his shoulder, which resulted in his retirement, and losing his brightest 3-year-old star at the time, Fed Biz, who has just returned to the races. So, if there is a fitting conclusion to such a tumultuous year, it would be Baffert winning the Classic for his close friend and travelling companion Bernie Schiappa, who is part owner of Game On Dude.

We’re certainly not saying Game On Dude is a sure thing for the Classic, especially with several top-class horses likely who have a similar running style. But those are tactical speed horses, while Game On Dude is equally effective on the lead and is more than capable of beating anyone on the engine.

The feeling here is that 7-1 odds is more than generous for a horse who potentially is one victory (in the Awesome Again Stakes) away from being around a 2-1 favorite in the Classic and who has gone off at odds of 6-5, 2-5, 1-5, and even money in his previous starts this year (excluding the non-wagering Dubai World Cup). Yes, he was 14-1 in last year’s Classic, but that was at Churchill Downs and he was coming into the race having lost four of his five previous starts. He certainly looks like a stronger horse this year, and has a big home field advantage.

If you have any reservations about Game On Dude, then right below him at 8-1 is Ron the Greek, who won the Big Cap this year by 3 1/2 lengths and who is always first or second and coming fast at the end. If you’re looking for a horse who can handle any kind of track, Ron the Greek has won at Santa Anita, Aqueduct, Fair Grounds, Hoosier Park, and Delta Downs and has finished second at Saratoga, Gulfstream, and Oaklawn.

In his last 11 starts, the only time he went off at odds of higher than 9-2 was in the Stephen Foster when 1 1/8 miles was perceived as being too short for him, and he won that one over Wise Dan at 9-1. Bettors are not going to make that mistake again, especially at 1 1/4 miles and at Santa Anita. So, it would seem that 8-1 at this point is very generous as well.

If you do get down on him, don’t be discouraged if he should get beat in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, because with his running style and Belmont Park’s extreme speed bias nature, he could very well run a similar race as Blame did in 2010, which would set him up perfectly for the Classic.

What makes the odds on Game On Dude and Ron the Greek all the more attractive is that William Hills has Camelot at 8-1 and right now he has his sights set on sweeping the English Triple Crown in the marathon St. Leger. Also at 8-1 is Fort Larned, who has never won at 1 1/4 miles. Next at 10-1 is Dullahan and Wise Dan, who are being pointed for grass races. At 12-1 is Mucho Macho Man, who has never won a grade I. So, although we feel Mucho Macho Man has a ton of upside, in the grand scheme of things, Game On Dude and Ron the Greek look to be major bargains, considering all the tangibles, such as track, distance and trainer. If there was a future book exacta, this would be a smart bet, considering the price you’d get.

Of the real longhots, we’re paying close attention to Flat Out at 25-1. This colt had a banner year last year, winning the Jockey Club Gold Cup and Suburban, and placing in the Whitney and Woodward. Although he was fifth in the Classic, he was beaten only three lengths and didn’t have the best of trips. He’s rounding into form following a layoff, and should be peaking in the Classic rather than tailing off, as he appeared to be last year.

He’s been turned over to Bill Mott, who also has Ron the Greek and To Honor and Serve, and won last year’s Classic with longshot Drosselmeyer. In his last start, Flat Out finished a fast-closing third in the Whitney, a head behind Ron the Greek, and seems to be progressing the right way.

Baffert or Bust

Earlier, we alluded to Bob Baffert’s eventful year. What is amazing is that, despite all the strife, Baffert, with his 3-year-olds alone, has managed to win the Haskell Invitational with Paynter, Arkansas Derby with Bodemeister, Swaps Stakes with Blueskiesnrainbows, Rebel Stakes and Southwest Stakes with Secret Circle, San Vicente Stakes with Drill, and El Cajon Stakes with Fed Biz.

He also has finished second in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and San Felipe with Bodemeister, and the Belmont Stakes and Derby Trial with Paynter, and finished third in the Santa Anita Derby with Blueskiesnrainbows, Swaps Stakes and Jim Dandy Stakes with Liaison, and the Sunland Derby with Stirred Up.

Countdown to the Cup: Horse of the Year Follies

aspradling — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 20:26:00 GMT

So, how crazy is this year’s Horse of the Year picture? It’s obvious no one is stepping up to claim the title that is totally up for grabs and no doubt won’t be decided until the free for all that will be the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Not only is the confusion regarding Horse of the Year reflected in the voting on the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) poll, the entire concept of the poll is as well.

Is the poll meant to determine the best horses in training at that particular time or the best horses to have competed during the year? If you were to vote right now for the poll and for Horse of the Year would you completely discount the now-retired I’ll Have Another or is he still the horse to beat based on his unmatched heroics earlier in the year? One thing is for sure, the voters are pretty much divided in their interpretation of the poll.

Through last weekend’s races, Game On Dude has 13 first-place votes, while I’ll Have Another has 12. Yet Game On Dude is ranked No. 1, despite coming off a defeat in the Pacific Classic, and I’ll Have Another is ranked No. 6, up from No. 7.

The reason for this oddity is simple. Of the 42 voters, 20 of them do not even have I’ll Have Another in their Top 10, which strongly suggests their concept of what this poll represents is totally different than the 12 people who feel it is based on who has accomplished the most over the course of the year.

And then there are the six voters who have I’ll Have Another ranked sixth, seventh, or eighth. That is not about rules interpretation. These voters no doubt consider his accomplishments in their rankings, but feel winning the grade I Kentucky Derby, grade I Preakness, grade I Santa Anita Derby, and grade II Robert B. Lewis Stakes is not worthy of a higher ranking, even though there are horses ranked above him who have not won a single grade I race. I’ll Have Another also is tied for the most wins (four) on the Top 10 list and is the only undefeated horse of those with more than two starts.

Perhaps the voters go strictly by handicapping and feel I’ll Have Another’s competition, times, and other handicapping criteria do not measure up to the horses who have accomplished less in terms of grade I wins. But when it comes to competition, the horses I’ll Have Another defeated have gone on to win the Belmont Stakes, Travers, Haskell Invitational, and Pacific Classic, as well as the Swaps Stakes, Jim Dandy, Ohio Derby and Iowa Derby, and there is a good chance the Super Derby will be added to that list.

I don’t take issue with anyone’s rankings, as once again it is a matter of interpretation. I just don’t know what to make of the poll itself, considering there are no guidelines and the fact that it is perceived so differently by the voters.

But that is the nature of polls in general, and it is more important now to look beyond that and focus on the Horse of the Year picture.

In one person’s opinion, I’ll Have Another is the clear-cut Horse of the Year until someone jumps up and takes it away from him. Game On Dude had his chance to at least be considered in the Pacific Classic, as did Mucho Macho Man in the Woodward. Both ran great races, but failed to win. If either should win the Classic it will be up to the voters to decide whether their body of work this year is impressive enough to overtake I’ll Have Another.

Fort Larned has put together back-to-back scores in the Cornhusker and Whitney, both in 1:47 and change, and could be pointed for the Jockey Club Gold Cup. He’s never been 1 1/4 miles, but won the grade III Skip Away Stakes at 1 3/16 miles in a fast 1:53 4/5. Ron the Greek has won two of the biggest stakes – the Santa Anita Handicap and Stephen Foster – and was second in the Whitney and Oaklawn Handicap, which puts him right in the thick of the Horse of the Year race. If either of these two should win the Gold Cup they would be in a good position to nail down the title in the Classic, especially Ron the Greek, who is already a grade I winner at Santa Anita.

Two other talented horses likely pointing for the Classic are Woodward winner To Honor and Serve and the consistent Flat Out, who is looking to return to his form of last year, when he won the Jockey Club Gold Cup and Suburban and was second in the Whitney and Woodward. His second in the Monmouth Cup and third in the Whitney in his last two starts coming off a five-month layoff suggests he is rounding back into form. With To Honor and Serve possibly running next in the one-mile Kelso and Flat Out looking a repeat in the Gold Cup, they are going to have to do something extraordinary to overcome their lack of production the first half of the year.

Another horse who could be dangerous in the Classic is the rejuvenated Richard’s Kid, but his resume this year does not appear to be strong enough to put him in the Horse of the Year picture.

On the 3-year-old front, most everyone is gone and only Alpha has the credentials to even be mentioned in the same category as the aforementioned older horses. With victories in the Gotham, Jim Dandy, and a dead-heat win in the Travers, he likely would need a victory in the Pennsylvania Derby and the Classic to be considered Horse of the Year material. The big question with Dullahan is which Breeders' Cup race he will be pointed for. Voters will be reluctant to give Horse of the Year to a horse who won only on a synthetic track, but if he can do something huge on Breeders' Cup day, his Pacific Classic victory over Game On Dude will go a long way in getting him votes.

Then of course, we have the budding superstars Questing (3-year-old filly) and Point of Entry (turf male), who could catapult themselves right into the Horse of the Year picture with an impressive score in September and a follow-up victory in their respective Breeders’ Cup race. As of now, we’re not sure which path Wise Dan will be taking. He is so versatile he would be tough going for the Breeders’ Cup Classic, Mile, or Dirt Mile, but by passing up the Woodward, it would appear as if he’ll head to the Woodbine Mile and remain on the grass. We’ll see where he winds up on Breeders’ Cup day, but it is important to note he has never run on a dirt track other than Churchill Downs, which is very friendly to grass horses.

So, take your pick. Who knows who will be peaking on Breeders’ Cup day? We could have another Drosselmeyer and no one would be shocked. One thing we should all be in agreement with is that it is going to take a victory in the Classic and possibly one other race or two spectacular performances by Questing or Point of Entry to take Horse of the Year honors away from I’ll Have Another. What this horse accomplished and who he defeated in the Santa Anita Derby, Kentucky Derby, and Preakness should not be overlooked because his career was cut short by injury or because of his trainer’s suspension and bad press. We just don’t have enough facts to let that overshadow the horse’s record. Yes, I’ll Have Another’s retirement has opened the door, but someone is going to have to bust down that door and not just sneak in by default.

Power Up Paynter

aspradling — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 00:41:00 GMT

Once upon a time there were two horses named MC’s Dream and Bradleberry. Both were potential stars, showing great promise from the time they were mere tots. You will find no record of either horse, but be assured they are here as big as life, with a stranglehold on the 3-year-old division.

MC’s Dream and Bradleberry have morphed into Paynter and Bodemeister, with their new names holding great significance to their trainer Bob Baffert, who, thanks to owner Ahmed Zayat, gets to train one horse named after his son, Bode, and another after the contractor who built the house in which Bode will grow up.

What is remarkable about this story is that when the year began, no one outside of Baffert’s barn and the Zayat household had heard of MC’s Dream or Bradleberry or Paynter or Bodemeister or whatever their names were at the time.

On Feb. 11, Bodemeister burst on the scene with a vengeance, not only demolishing a field of maidens, but surprising even Baffert and Zayat with his 9 1/4-length romp in a blazing 1:34 2/5 for the mile. Behind him was another highly touted Baffert colt named Stirred Up, who actually went off as the favorite.

Several days later, Zayat, still surprised, but delighted over Bodemeister’s brilliant performance, alerted yours truly that he had a better one in the barn named MC’s Dream. Yeah, sure, we’ve heard that one before. There’s always a better one in the barn. Not even a week had passed when MC’s Dream, now Paynter, showed up in a 5 1/2-furlong maiden race and blew his opponents away by 4 1/2 lengths in a blistering 1:02.98. So highly touted was he that he was sent off as the 2-5 favorite. Maybe he did have a better one in the barn.

It was obvious Zayat had two brilliant colts on his hands, but there was no way either one could be ready for the Kentucky Derby or likely any of the other Triple Crown races. Here it was now a couple of weeks into March and neither colt had done anything but break their maidens, with Paynter having only that one 5 1/2-furlong race.

But what most people didn’t realize was just how special and extraordinary both these colts were. Everyone who had ever been around them surely knew.

Bloodstock agent David Ingordo knew when he bought them for Zayat at the Keeneland September yearling sale, paying $325,000 for Paynter and $260,000 for Bodemeister.

Although he loved Bodemeister, Paynter was the first horse on his short list for Zayat.

“He was a very good sized, strong colt for an Awesome Again and he had the physical look of a two-turn, dirt horse, with the pedigree to go with it,” Ingordo said. “And he was out of a full-sister to Tiznow. I remember how strong he was and how much I liked his shoulder, head, and neck. I was pretty pumped up when we were able to buy him.”

Not a bad recommendation from the man who picked out Zenyatta and scores of other top-class horses.

After purchasing both colts, Zayat sent them and his other young horses to J.B. McKathan in Florida. McKathan has been breaking and training good horses since he had Silver Charm and other major stars for Baffert.

McKathan thought so highly of Paynter he took his picture to send to Zayat's son Justin and used it as his screen saver on his phone. He hasn’t changed it since.

“Paynter was more of a big strapping colt than Bodemeister,” he recalled. “He was just a really gorgeous classy colt. When you get to be around good horses you know one when you see him. He never had a bad day. He was really solid and sound and just a great horse to be around; really classy.

“He was fast, but he never broke the stopwatch or anything like that. When you have these really talented horses, we’re just trying to slow them down the whole time. They’ll work fast sometimes, but not because we want them to. We just want to keep them under control and let them ease on down there. He was never rank and wanting to run off. He had a really good mind and that always helps.”

McKathan never worked Paynter and Bodemeister together. The last thing you want to do with young talented horses is have two express trains going full throttle together.

McKathan provided ample preparation for one’s first close-up encounter with Paynter.

“Wait until you see him; he is gorgeous,” he said. “He is a really really good-looking dude. You stand next to him and you’re going to be impressed. Believe me when I say a horse is good looking he is good looking.”

Although you have high-profile names, such as Bob Baffert and Ahmed Zayat, closely associated with the Paynter – Bodemeister story, the central figure could very well be Justin, Zayat’s oldest son who is 20 years old and attends New York University (NYU), and has been deeply involved in the Zayat Thoroughbred operation since he was 13 when his father started the stable.

Each year, Zayat has his main trainers come to the farm to look at the babies and choose which ones they’d like to train. The Zayat team then decides which horses to send to which trainers. Last year, Baffert was unable to go and asked Justin to choose the horses for him. He chose Paynter and Bodemeister.

“My dad loves Awesome Again and I know Bob loves him,” Justin said. “Whenever we get an Awesome Again my first thought is to give him to Bob. Paynter’s dam (Tizso, by Cee’s Tizzy) is a full-sister to Tiznow and his pedigree screams classic distance. I knew he was Bob’s horse from day one. I saw him on the farm and I wanted to know if he was progressing, so I asked J.B. to send me a picture of him every few weeks. And he just kept looking better and better. I felt this was a Bob Baffert horse and I went with my gut."

As for Bodemeister, Justin said, "I know Bob likes a certain type of horse, with classic pedigrees, and Bodemeister is by Empire Maker, and Bob trainer Pioneerof the Nile for us and he's by Empire Maker. It was a pretty easy decision for me.

“When we allocate our horses, before we send them to their respective trainers we have a contest. We each pick the ones we think are going to be the stars, the allowance horses, and the less talented ones. We have this competition every year. We try to give each trainer at least one “A” colt and one “A” filly, and one colt we feel can get them to the Derby. You could say Bob got lucky last year.”

The year before, they gave Steve Asmussen Nehro, the year before that they gave Pletcher Eskendereya, and the year before that they gave Bill Mott Pioneerof the Nile, who they eventually transferred to Baffert. In 2008, they gave Mott Z Humor and Asmussen Z Fortune, both of whom were major players on the Derby trail.

Nehro and Pioneerof the Nile both finished second in the Kentucky Derby and Eskendereya, who would have been a prohibitive favorite in the Run for the Roses, was injured and retired shortly before the race.

Although the Zayats had to be thrilled to be such a major force on the Derby scene, those were tough breaks. But Zayat and Justin remained upbeat and optimistic, and kept persevering, knowing their time would come to hold up the Derby trophy or the Woodlawn Vase or the Belmont Stakes trophy.

But never could they have imagined what was in store with Paynter and Bodemeister in 2012. The Zayats would be thrilled, teased, and in the end frustrated and disappointed by a series of gut-wrenching defeats in all three Triple Crown races.

Bodemeister, despite his inexperience looked like the horse that could defy history and become the first horse to win the Derby without having started at 2 since Apollo in 1882.

Following a gutsy second to grade I winner Creative Cause in the San Felipe, the son of Empire Maker romped by 9 1/2 lengths in the Arkansas Derby for his third consecutive triple-digit Beyer speed figure. All of a sudden, the Zayats had one of the favorites for the Kentucky Derby.

Meanwhile, with Paynter, Baffert and Zayat did something so bold and so completely out of character, it was thought by many that they were rushing the colt and jeopardizing his career. They had decided to go straight from the 5 1/2-furlong maiden race to the Santa Anita Derby. Despite bobbling at the start and dropping back to sixth, Paynter still finished fourth, beaten only 3 ¾ lengths by I’ll Have Another. Baffert actually thought he should have won with a better trip.

A week before the Derby, Paynter was back in the Derby Trial Stakes, but the track came up a sloppy mess and he wound up going head and head with two other horses through a brutal half in :45 1/5. He put those two horse away, but was caught in the final furlong by Hierro, the mile run in a snappy 1:35 1/5.

A week later, Bodemeister wound up a slight favorite in the Kentucky Derby, but cooked himself with ridiculous fractions of :45 1/5 and 1:09 4/5. Every horse near him cracked, but he amazingly kept going, opening up a three-length lead at the eighth pole and seemingly home free.

The Baffert and Zayat families watched on the big screen in the paddock, but their jubilation quickly turned to heartbreak, as I’ll Have Another came charging late to beat Bode by 1 1/2 lengths. A good deal of the talk after the race was about the remarkable race Bodemeister ran in defeat. But the bottom line is that the Zayats had suffered their third second-place finish in the Derby in four years.

Zayat is an emotional person who wears his heart on his sleeve, but after seeing the anguish on the face of Justin and the tears shed by Bode Baffert, he felt he had to keep his own emotions in check. The feelings of disappointment and frustration he kept contained soon were replaced by a feeling of pride in his horse and what he accomplished. And more importantly, the Preakness was in two weeks and provided a new beginning.

It was decided to bring both Bodemeister and Paynter to Pimlico, with Paynter running in a 1 1/16-mile allowance raceon Preakness to get him back on the winning track and give Zayat an idea just how the track was playing.

If the Zayats thought the Derby defeat was agonizing, they had to be devastated in the Preakness watching Bodemeister again set all the pace and getting nailed right on the wire by I’ll Have Another.

Bodemeister had done enough and it was time to turn their attention to Paynter for the Belmont Stakes. Optimism ran high, despite Paynter having had only four lifetime starts and having to stretch out from 1 1/16 miles to 1 1/2 miles.

The morning of the Belmont, Zayat and his family and several friends gathered in their mobile home, which they rent and park on the backstretch overnight in order to observe the Jewish Sabbath. Following their morning prayers, they indulged in a feast of bagels and lox and whitefish and other culinary delights, including a cake inscribed with the words, “Power Up Paynter,” before preparing to head to the races. When TVG showed the stretch runs of the Derby and Preakness, Zayat let out one word: “Torture!”

Little did he know he would be in for more torture.

Earlier on the Belmont card, Justin Phillip was nailed in the final stride in the True North Stakes.

In the Belmont, once again, it was Zayat’s silks on the lead every step of the way. Paynter turned back the challenge of Atigun at the head of the stretch and set sail for home, but Mike Smith came off the rail in the furlong allowing Union Rags to sneak through and win by a neck.

The three Triple Crown races comprise a total of approximately 3.8 miles. Zayat’s two horses led for all but about 10 feet of those 3.8 miles and didn’t win any of the three races. But Zayat never complained and complimented the winners and expressed his pride in his own horses for their toughness and courage.

“Racing owes me nothing,” Zayat said. “I love this sport and each race is a new beginning.”

His new beginning was now the Haskell Invitational, which would kick off racing’s second season.

Bodemeister was ticketed to return in Monmouth’s premier event, but a fever kept him out of the race, and it was quickly decided to substitute Paynter. Baffert felt he was unable to attend, and Zayat, who was spending the summer in Del Mar, also couldn’t attend because his youngest daughter, Emma, had a temperature of 102, and as Zayat says, “Family always comes first.”

So it was up to Justin to represent the family and hopefully accept the trophy following the race. That would be the fulfillment of a dream, as Justin was born in Teaneck, N.J., which is located close to Hackensack, where Zayat has his office. To not only attend his first big victory in person, but represent the entire family would be a moment he would treasure for the rest of his life.

It took less than a minute and 49 seconds for his dream to become a reality, as Paynter finally showed the greatness everyone saw in him.

Most everyone expected him to go to the lead, but it was Gemologist who rushed to the front after Paynter broke a bit slowly. Paynter, headstrong early, finally settled in second through a quarter in :23 4/5 and a half in :48 flat. He engaged Gemologist on the far turn through three-quarters in 1:11 1/5 and it was apparent that Paynter was in total control. Gemologist was already under heavy pressure and was hit once left-handed with the whip by Javier Castellano, while Rafael Bejarano, who had replaced Mike Smith, was still motionless on Paynter.

Turning for home, Gemologist was done, but Nonios, who had been tracking the pace from the inside, swung to the outside and seemed ready to pounce on Paynter. But when Bejarano set him down, Paynter found another gear and spurted clear to win going away by 3 ¾ lengths in a solid 1:48 4/5 for the 1 1/8 miles.

Justin immediately received a call from his father. “He was the happiest guy in the world,” he said. “He was yelling and screaming, ‘Oh My God , Oh my God.’ This horse has run so hard in all his races, and we gave him such a grueling campaign; from a maiden to the Santa Anita Derby. Finally, this was the breakout race we’d been hoping for. He’s always kind of lived in Bode’s shadow, but he made his mark today. The Belmont was such a tough loss after all we asked of him. Turning for home when Nonios made that run at him, I was going, ‘Please don’t do this to me again.’”

Said Zayat: “You could hear me screaming from California to New Jersey. Never in my life have I screamed that much. This was so gratifying and validated all of Bob’s hype. I’ve never seen him so confident before. I would have loved to be there, but I couldn’t leave my daughter.”

If Zayat could have seen Justin leading in Paynter with his sister Ashley and sitting at the winner’s podium answering questions from the media he would have burst with pride.

“This has been a dream my whole life,” Justin said. “I’ve been waiting to be at a big win in person. Whenever we’ve won I’ve never been there. I always had to watch it on TV. To finally be there in person after the whole Triple Crown and running second, second, and second, and then finally breaking through and to do it in New Jersey, there’s nothing better.”

So begins the second season for the Zayat family. From the early days of 2012 watching Paynter and Bodemeister develop into bonafide stars, through a Triple Crown ordeal that would have broken most owners, and finally a major victory in their home state, the Zayats have experienced racing’s gamut of emotions. As strong as they have always been as a family, the laughter, the thrills, and the tears they have experienced this year have bonded them even further. And they owe it all to the speed, class, and courage of two special 3-year-old colts. That is the true magic of horse racing.

Spa La La La La

aspradling — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 00:40:00 GMT

Yes, ‘tiz the season to be jolly. Saratoga is here again, and it seems to be getting earlier and earlier. The first half of the year has been a series of emotional ups and downs with issues so hot they burned up the pages of newspapers and network air waves, in good part to the detriment of the sport.

If there was a face of horse racing it would be posted on the “Ten Most Wanted” wall of the New York Times and several other publications and TV networks who normally have as much interest in racing as they do badminton, and just about the same knowledge.

Even though the New York Times refuses to let go of Doug O’Neill’s jugular, the emotion-filled days of spring and I’ll Have Another and milkshakes are for the most part over and we get to start anew. We have come to terms with the injuries to the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont winners, and our thoughts are now filled with Saratoga sunrises, strolls up Broadway, and soaking our troubles away at the Roosevelt or Washington Baths. And, of course, there are the horses, whether they’re emerging from the morning mist on the Oklahoma training track or charging down the stretch in front of a packed grandstand. As I await my 44th Saratoga, I can anticipate that electric and nostalgic feeling of getting off the Northway and the first glimpse of the barns and grandstand.

But no one is looking forward to Saratoga more than Ahmed Zayat, who will attempt to wash away the frustrating defeats of May and June.

Zayat has his pair of gifted colts, Bodemeister and Paynter, who suffered heartbreaking defeats in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness (Bodemeister) and Belmont Stakes (Paynter).

Now that the Triple Crown gods have called it a year after an eventful spring, in which they toyed with our emotions, it is now up to the racing gods to determine Zayat’s fate. The three Triple Crown races comprise a total of approximately 3.8 miles. Zayat’s two horses led for all but about 10 feet of those 3.8 miles and didn’t win any of the three races. But Zayat never complained and complimented the winners and expressed his pride in his own horses for their toughness and courage. He now anxiously awaits the second season with the enthusiasm of a father looking forward to watching his two sons play in the World Series. For this, no one deserves to be rewarded in the major stakes this summer and fall more than Zayat, especially having also lost his top older horse, Nehro, for the remainder of the year.

The start of Zayat’s second season didn’t exactly go as planned, with Bodemeister having to miss the Haskell Invitational with a fever. The son of Empire Maker was supposed to head to Monmouth, while Paynter set his sights on the Travers. Zayat and Baffert will have to decide whether Paynter will take Bodemeister’s place in the Haskell, a race Baffert has won five times. As of now, the son of Awesome Again is considered a probable starter, as is Hansen, who was originally scheduled to run in the West Virginia Derby. So, it looks as if we still have a bang-up Haskell, with those two brilliant colts and Dullahan.

If Zayat could have pulled off this double with Bodemeister and Paynter he would have become the first owner in history to win both the Haskell (or its predecessor the Monmouth Invitational) and Travers in the same year with different horses. But again, it wasn’t meant to be.

The Triple Crown over the past few years has been a double-edged sword for Zayat. He has to take great satisfaction seeing so many of his 3-year-olds turn in huge performances in all three legs of the Crown. But it has to be frustrating for him and his family to finish second in three of the last four runnings of the Kentucky Derby – once to a 50-1 shot who never won another race, another to a horse who had never run on dirt, and this year to a horse winning from the 19-post for the first time history. In the only year he didn’t finish second, he had the overwhelming favorite, Eskendereya, but had to withdraw him several days before the race due to a career-ending injury. So, in the last four years, he’s had three seconds in the Derby, seconds in the Preakness and Belmont, and a fourth in the Belmont.

Nehro, in addition to finishing second in the Kentucky Derby, was beaten a nose in the Pimlico Special this year and a neck in the Louisiana Derby and Arkansas Derby last year. On this year’s Belmont Stakes card, Justin Phillip, named after Zayat’s son, was nipped in the closing strides in the True North Handicap.

In addition to Bodemeister and Paynter, Baffert also has Blueskiesnrainbows and Liaison, the one-three finishers of the recent Swaps Stakes. Baffert will have to do a lot of shuffling, keeping Blueskiesnrainbows, another speed horse, away from Bodemeister and Paynter. What makes Baffert’s year even more impressive is that he’s also had graded stakes-winning 3-year-olds Secret Circle, Castaway, and Drill, and stakes-placed Stirred Up and Brigand.

Saratoga also will be the scene of a free-for-all in the historic Whitney between the Stephen Foster and Suburban horses, which include Ron the Greek, Wise Dan, Mucho Macho Man, Hymn Book, Rogue Romance, Alternation, Trickmeister, Stay Thirsty, To Honor and Serve, and Mission Impazible, among others. The survivors of this slugfest eventually will take on Baffert’s pair of Game On Dude and Richard’s Kid, who look to be the dominant older horses in California.

Euros beware

Not only did the Ballydoyle-trained Treasure Beach come up empty in Saturday’s Man o’ War Stakes, but America may have found the type of horse who can make life difficult for the Europeans in this year’s Breeders’ Cup Turf.

Point of Entry, trained by Shug McGaughey and owned by the Phipps Stable, who also sent out Boisterous to a fast-closing narrow defeat in the Arlington Handicap Saturday, proved himself to be a top-class grass horse following his impressive score in the Man o’War Stakes, his third consecutive victory and second straight graded stakes win. An attractive colt with a beautiful head and fluid stride, Point of Entry has as potent and classy a female family as you’ll ever see.

Point of Entry is a half-brother to the ill-fated Pine Island, winner of the Alabama and Gazelle Stakes.

His dam, Matlacha Pass, is a full-sister to Pleasant Home, who romped by nine lengths in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff.

His second dam, Our Country Place, is a half-sister to Triple Tiara winner and Hall of Famer Sky Beauty and also to Silence Beauty, dam of Wood Memorial and Cigar Mile winner Take of Ekati.

Third dam, Maplejinsky, like Sky Beauty and Pine Island, won the Alabama Stakes, as well as the Monmouth Oaks, and is a half-sister to the great sprinter Dayjur.

Fourth dam, Gold Beauty, was the champion sprinter in 1982, having won or placed in the Test, Vosburgh, Fall Highweight, True North, and Boojum.

Point of Entry’s sire is the recently deceased Dynaformer, one of the most influential stallions of the past decade and a major source of class and stamina. Point of Entry also is inbred 3x4 to His Majesty through Dynaformer’s dam, Andover Way, and the classic-winning Pleasant Colony (sire of Our Country Place). Point of Entry’s broodmare sire is the classic stallion Seeking the Gold, while third dam Maplejinsky is by English Triple Crown winner Nijinsky.

This family also traces to Round Table, Hail to Reason, Stymie, and Bull Lea.

Catchin’ more Z’s

Zayat isn’t the only “Z” to keep an eye on the rest of the year. Nick Zito has a pair of late-developing stretch runners named Fast Falcon and Easter Gift, who were beaten in photos in the Dwyer and Pegasus Stakes, respectively.

Both colts are intriguing, because they are lightly raced and we really don’t know yet how good they are. If they improve off their fast-closing second-place finishes in the Dwyer and Pegasus, they could have a major say in the outcome of the Haskell and Travers.

Fast Falcon is by Awesome Again, out of Pleasant Tap’s stakes-placed daughter, My Chickadee, a half-sister to Pool Land, winner of the grade I Ruffian Stakes and four other stakes.

Easter Gift’s pedigree is not quite as strong from a stamina standpoint. He is by Hard Spun, runner-up in the Kentucky Derby and Breeders’ Cup Classic, out of the Allen’s Prospect mare Angel Gift, who won two stakes and placed in six others, including the graded Clement Hirsch, Royal Heroine, and Paseana.

Easter Gift’s broodmare sire, Whiskey Road, a son of Nijinsky, out of the top-class Bowl of Flowers, was a stakes winner at 1 ½ miles in Ireland and sired the great international stakes horse Strawberry Road, as well as Melbourne Cup winner Just A Dash.

Home is where the Crown is

One final thought on the Triple Crown. Why is it that 11 horses have been able to do what horses since 1978 have been unable to do? Why are the horses of today capable of winning the first two legs impressively and incapable of getting that third leg. We wrote a column recently discussing how much more difficult it is to win the Belmont now because of the larger fields. But here is one other fact to ponder, whether it has any bearing on it or not.

Just look at the lifestyle of the Thoroughbred today, most of whom go through the yearlings sales or the rigors of the 2-year-old sales, where they are asked to breeze a quarter of a mile in :09 and change and :10 and change, which is considered “slow.”

Of the 11 Triple Crown winners, 10 of them were homebreds, growing up in a single environment without the stress of the sales. By the time they were sent to the track, the owner and trainer knew everything there was to know about them.

Of course, the only exception was Seattle Slew, a $17,500 yearling purchase, who was fortunate enough to find the perfect trainer in Billy Turner, whose steeplechasing background gave him the patience the precocious colt needed to stretch out to classic distances.

As we said, we have no idea if this fact has any bearing on anything, but it is worth noting just as a point of interest.

Zenyatta Foes Still Going Strong

It's hard to believe, but Zenyatta's victims are still running huge in major stakes two and three years later. Switch, second to Zenyatta in the 2010 Lady's Secret Stakes, captured the grade II A Gleam Handicap last weekend, and Richard's Kid and Twice Over, both beaten by Queen Z in the 2009 Breeders' Cup Classic, recently finished second in the grade I Hollywood Gold Cup and third in the group I Coral Eclipse Stakes at Sandown, respectively.

Six horses that Zenyatta beat in the 2009 Breeders' Cup Classic came back to win
grade or group I stakes -- Gio Ponti (Man o'War, Shadwell Mile), Twice Over
(Eclipse Stakes, Champion, Juddmonte International), Richard's Kid (Pacific
Classic, Goodwood), Awesome Gem (Hollywood Gold Cup), Rip Van Winkle (Juddmonte International), and Girolamo (Vosburgh).

Eight of the horses in that field had already won grade or group I stakes going into the race.

Haskin's Preakness Report: Jack of All Trades

aspradling — Sun, 13 May 2012 23:23:00 GMT

Jack Sisterson looked out the plane window as he approached Louisville Airport in 2002 and saw his life unfold right before him. The native of Durham, England, who grew up with horses, as a jockey and show jump rider, had been offered a soccer scholarship by the University of Louisville and was looking forward to fulfilling his dream of moving to America and getting a free education, playing soccer, and working with horses.

“I looked down and there was Churchill Downs, and there was the university, and it was a no brainer," Sisterson said. "I didn’t have to see what the campus looked like. All I knew was that it was close to Churchill Downs and that was it.”

Now here he was 10 years later, seeing Churchill Downs from a different perspective – standing in the winner’s circle of the Kentucky Derby.

Sisterson, assistant trainer for Doug O’Neill, had been at Churchill for two weeks, preparing Barn 3 for the arrival of Santa Anita Derby (gr. I) and Robert B. Lewis (gr. II) winner I’ll Have Another. He was thrilled just to have a horse in the Kentucky Derby with a legitimate shot.

When I’ll Have Another crossed the finish line 1 ½ lengths ahead of Bodemeister, Sisterson, watching from the tunnel to the paddock, rushed to the rail where he waited anxiously to charge onto the track.

“Words were coming out of my mouth and I had no idea what I saying,” he said the morning after the Derby. “It was absolutely crazy. I don’t think there are any words that can describe the feeling. All I kept thinking was, ‘Wow, is this real?’ I actually got a little teary eyed. After the race I had 93 text messages in 30 seconds. I had my phone on vibrator and it was just one continuous vibration.”

Among those who texted him were his parents, who have supported him in all his endeavors. They had gone to Ladbrokes to get a fixed price on the horse.

“They said, ‘We’re so proud of you, Jack. Well done. Just savor the moment,’” Sisterson said. “Without my parents I wouldn’t be in this position. I owe a lot to them. To have this happen is a dream come true.”

"Coming to the barn this morning, it really hasn’t sunk in yet. How many foals are born each year and how many of them point specifically for this race? You have people who spend hundreds of millions of dollars to try to get a Kentucky Derby winner, and Dennis (O’Neill’s brother) finds this horse for $35,000. He has a remarkable way of finding young talent.

“Doug has done a fantastic job with this horse. When he won the Lewis and it was decided to give him the two months to the Santa Anita Derby, Doug knew he would have him peaking at the right time. And he’s only going to improve off the Derby.”

Sisterson originally had hoped to be a jockey, but got too big and eventually turned to show jumping and exercising horses.

“I’d sit on the arm of my couch and pretend to be riding races,” he said. “Horses were in my blood, and if I couldn’t be a jockey I wanted to eventually become a trainer; as long as I was hands-on with the horses. I played soccer for a professional club in England, but got released. I had a few schools interested in me to play soccer and then was offered the scholarship by the University of Louisville. I played soccer there and also kicked for the football team.”

After graduating, he began to steadily work his way into racing, doing summer work for Todd Pletcher and some work for a bloodstock company before getting a job with trainer Eddie Kenneally. While with Kenneally, he went to the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita in 2009 with BC Juvenile starter Aspire and fell in love with Southern California.

“I thought California was brilliant and I’ve been there ever since,” Sisterson said. “I was at Hollywood Park when I took notice of (owner and entrepreneur) Mark Verge’s bright red silks, with the logo “For Rent” on them. I thought, ‘I’ve got to look this man up.’ I went on the internet and saw that he owned hotels and restaurants and Westside Rentals (the largest apartment and home finding service in L.A. and Orange County), which is where the words on his silks came from. I sent him an e-mail and asked if I could possibly meet him, because I knew he was involved with horses. The next morning, I received a reply at 5 o’clock in the morning telling me to call him. I wound up going to his office and having coffee with him and kept going back, always asking him questions. How many people in his position are going to take in a perfect stranger who asks to meet him?

“He introduced me to Doug and here I am now. Doug has been so great at accommodating the public to come to the barn and see how we do things. It’s an open door policy at the barn. I’ve learned so much from Mark and Doug, not only about racing, but about life. Doug believes in keeping spirits high, because he’s convinced it rubs off on the horses. We get our job done, but we like to have fun. That’s what the game is all about.”

Verge went on to be named CEO of Santa Anita this past March, and was at O’Neill’s barn before the Derby, joining in the walkover, and afterward celebrating the victory of I’ll Have Another, which also was a victory for Santa Anita and Southern California.

As for I’ll Have Another, Sisterson said he’s “very straightforward and easy going. At Churchill, he got over the ground so beautifully it looked like he’d been stabled there the whole time. That’s something you want to see in a horse, how he gets over the ground. If he doesn’t get over it well it’s game over. He’d go out there and come back bucking and squealing. We thought at that point, maybe he really does have a chance. And he continued to train that way. Then his gallop on Friday morning sent shivers down the spine. We were in the temporary bleachers when he went by and we just looked at each other and there was no need for any words to come out. We knew without saying anything how good he was going into the race.”

So, now Sisterson’s unlikely journey continues on to Baltimore. If I’ll Have Another runs the way he did in Kentucky, Sisterson once again will be feeling those good vibrations.

Haskin's Derby Recap: Cookie Monster

aspradling — Tue, 08 May 2012 01:35:00 GMT

Paul Reddam stood outside Barn 3 shortly before the announcement to bring the horses to the paddock for the 138th Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I). Dressed in a white shirt and purple tie, the colors of his silks, Reddam appeared relaxed and confident, believing his colt, I’ll Have another, was ready to prove to the world what he already knew; that this was an exceptional colt.

Everything had gone perfectly since the day the son of Flower Alley – Arch’s Gal Edith, by Arch returned to training this winter after being sidelined with sore shins. Trainer Doug O’Neill had done a masterful job getting the colt this far, with victories in the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (gr. II) and Santa Anita Derby (gr. I), and Reddam felt there was enough karma behind the story of unknown jockey Mario Gutierrez to appease the Derby gods. Not even drawing post 19, which had never produced a Derby winner, could temper his confidence.

O’Neill was his usual fun-loving self, not showing any signs that he was about to run in the most important race of his life. Even O’Neill’s brother, Dennis, who is more low-keyed and intense, was feeling good about their chances.

Team O’Neill, as they like to be called, was ready. I’ll Have Another, who had been tearing around the Churchill Downs track every morning for the past three days, was ready. And Gutierrez, who had been riding at tiny Hastings Park in British Columbia until this year and who barely knew what the Kentucky Derby was when he came to this country from Mexico in 2006, was ready. This was his time to prove to those who were convinced he would have a meltdown in the Derby that he was able to compete at the highest level on racing’s biggest stage.

“The great thing about this kid is that they’re going to play ‘My Old Kentucky Home,’ and everyone else is going to be shaking, and he won’t even care; he’s never even heard of it.” Reddam said with that familiar grin and twinkle in his eye. “Today is Cinco de Mayo, and he’s more familiar with mariachi bands.”

As for his own nerves, he said, “I am not nervous in the slightest. I’ve been nervous before; what good does that do? I was nervous before the Santa Anita Derby, because, although I thought he was a good horse, you wonder if the Lewis was some kind of weird fluke. I felt it was legitimate, but I had to see him do it again. After he won, I knew he was the real deal, and now I really believe he’s going to run the race of his life.”

And that’s just what he did. Before a record crowd of 165,307, and facing one of the deepest and most talented fields in Kentucky Derby history, I’ll Have Another, at odds of 15-1, ran down a courageous Bodemeister, who had set blistering fractions over the souped up track to win by 1 ½ lengths.

As Reddam was about to partake in the walk over to the paddock with his wife Zillah he couldn’t help but be grateful that he was back again at the Downs after the failures of Wilko in 2005 and Liquidity and Great Hunter in 2007.

This time, the journey getting here was rewarding in that, despite being unorthodox, every piece of the puzzle had fallen into place. O’Neill and Reddam had come up with a plan early in the year to get to the Derby and stuck to it, even though very little about it was conventional.

You don’t run a 3-year-old first time out off a five-month layoff and then give him another two months off before his final Derby prep. They did.

You don’t put an unknown rider from a small-time track in British Columbia on a potential Derby horse who has no experience in big races. They did.

You don’t work a young 3-year-old between races and have him go in 1:10 flat, and then follow that up with stiff works at a mile, two at seven furlongs, and one at six furlongs. They did.

You don’t run in the Derby without having at least one work over the Churchill Downs track, as 18 of the last 20 Derby winners had done. They did.

What they also did was take home the coveted garland of roses.

There was no way Reddam could imagine that the road to those roses would actually begin when he was sitting at home one night watching TV. He asked Zillah to bring him some cookies, and after eating one, he said to her, as he usually did, “I’ll have another.” On this occasion, however, the comment stuck and he decided it would be a fun name for a horse.

The colt who would bear that name was a 2-year-old that Dennis picked out at the Ocala Breeders Sales Company April sale for $35,000. He felt if he can pay $35,000 and the horse can win for $45,000 or $50,000 he’s done a good job. Bred in Kentucky by Harvey Clarke, the chestnut colt, born on April Fools Day, actually had been consigned as a yearling at the Keeneland September sale as Hip no. 3660.

Enter Victor Davila, who would play a major role in the I’ll Have Another story. Davila is an exercise rider for Barry Eisaman of Eisaman Equine, having worked there for 10 years. Several years ago, Davila saved up $5,000 and asked Eisaman’s wife, Shari, if she could buy him a yearling at Keeneland. She spent the $5,000 on a Stormin Fever colt, whom he would sell as a 2-year-old for $105,000. The following year he gave her $7,000 and she bought him another colt whom he would sell for $35,000; still a good return on his money. With two hefty profits, Davila decided to go to Keeneland himself two years ago and it was there he purchased I’ll Have Another for $11,000. He just liked the colt’s walk and the ground he covered. He broke him and turned him over him to Eisaman to prepare for the 2-year-old sale. Eisaman gave him about seven weeks of gate training and consigned him to the sale.

“I envisioned him as a nice useful horse,” said Eisaman, who watched the race from the Atlanta airport while changing planes heading to the Timonium sale. Davila watched the race at home with his family, and on Sunday was on the road driving to Timonium.

“I was so excited watching the race,” Davila said. “I can’t describe the feeling.”

Said Eisaman, “He’s overwhelmed by all the attention he’s getting. He’s gone from obscurity to someone people in the industry will recognize.”

At the sale, the colt caught the astute eye of Dennis O’Neill, who felt he’d sell for much higher.

“He breezed in :10 2/5 and they usually have to breeze in :09 4/5 or :10 flat to be expensive,” Dennis said. “But he had a beautiful way of going, and definitely looked like he wanted to go long. He was weak behind and a little straight up, and you could pick on some things, but I know by now what Doug can put up with and what he can’t. I thought he’d go for $60,000 to $80,000 and was surprised we got him for $35,000.”

Dennis has been in remission for several years after battling cancer. "I've been through a lot," he said. "Going through what I went through makes me appreciate this a little more and appreciate your family. You can say anything you like about Doug, but he's the nicest, most caring person I know in the world. I never would have made what I've been through without him. It's great to celebrate this with him."

Doug, who is five years younger than Dennis, named his son after another brother, Danny, who died of melanoma at age 37. One of Doug's most memorable moments at Churchill Downs was putting an 11-year-old girl known only as Hope aboard Lava Man and letting her sit atop the great horse, now a stable pony. Hope was brought to Churchill through the Make a Wish Foundation. Suffering from a terminal illness, her wish was to go to the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks. After Doug lifted her from her wheelchair and put her on Lava Man, he asked her, "Have you ever sat on five million dollars before?" At the post-Derby press conference, Hope was brought up to join Doug, Dennis, Reddam, and Gutierrez and received a warm round of applause.

One of the reasons why Reddam and ONeill have formed such a close and successful relationship is that they pick each other’s brain and offer suggestions and indulge in friendly debates as to what is best for a horse.

When I’ll Have Another was nearing his 3-year-old debut, having fully recovered from his shin problems suffered in the Hopeful Stakes (gr. I), O’Neill came up with the “brain surgeon idea” of sprinting him in an allowance race on the Santa Anita downhill turf course. He told Reddam of his idea while having dinner with him and Zillah, and Reddam promptly asked him if he had been drinking.

“You guys have been telling me how good this horse is, why wouldn’t you think about the Bob Lewis?” Reddam asked.

With the Lewis now the target, there was the question of who to get to ride. They knew they’d never get Joel Rosario, who was Creative Cause’s rider, or Rafael Bejarano, who was riding Bob Baffert’s best 3-year-olds. Reddam just happened to be watching a particular race won by this unknown rider named Mario Gutierrez and liked what he saw.

“This kid looks good on a horse,” Reddam told O’Neill. “Let’s try some new blood and give him a shot.”

Gutierrez, a native of Vera Cruz, had come to Del Mar from Hastings Park three years ago to see if he could get some mounts. He had no agent when he arrived and didn’t get a single mount, so he went back home to British Columbia. But he was determined to try to make it and returned, hiring 85-year-old Ivan Puhich as his agent.

“He’s a real Cinderella story, to come to Santa Anita from Hastings Park with no agent,” Reddam said. “I watched him ride and I liked the way he sat on a horse. That’s when I mentioned to Doug about riding him in the Lewis. Doug had never met the kid, and he suggested we have him work I’ll Have Another, and this way he could meet him and see how he gets along with the horse.”

After working him, Gutierrez left the barn feeling both exhilaration and disappointment. He turned to Puhich and said, “That is a real good horse. There’s no way they’re going to let me ride him.”

But he didn’t know Reddam, who has never been afraid to step out of the box and do something different. And so it was that Gutierrez became the rider of I’ll Have Another. He gave the colt a flawless ride in the Lewis, springing a 43-1 upset.

Many felt that was a fluke race, with the CashCall Futurity (gr. I) winner, Liaison, clipping heels and throwing his rider after already appearing to be beaten, and CashCall runner-up Rousing Sermon finishing a lackluster fourth. Ironically, the CashCall Futurity is sponsored by Reddam’s lending company.

Because I’ll Have Another received such a fast speed figure in the Lewis, O’Neill decided to pass up the San Felipe (gr. II) and train him up to the Santa Anita Derby off an eight-week layoff. In between he worked him long and fast, in much the same manner as Charlie Whittingham, of whom he was in awe when he first started training. Ironically, O’Neill would become the first trainer to win the Santa Anita Derby and Kentucky Derby since Whittingham did it with Sunday Silence in 1989.

Leading up to the Santa Anita Derby, Reddam was having trouble sleeping. Did he have a Kentucky Derby horse or didn’t he?

What really impressed him and boosted his confidence was that the day before the race, Gutierrez watched the tapes of all nine starters on his own, without anyone telling him to do it. Unlike the Lewis, I’ll Have Another was tested by the 2011 Norfolk (gr. I) winner Creative Cause and outgamed him to win by nose in front of six busloads of Reddam’s employees and friends. Reddam had designated one of the busses as the drunken bus, but by the time they arrived at the track, they were pretty much all drunken busses, with everyone chanting “Cash Call!” The winner’s circle was so packed they could barely get the horse in.

“With all the yelling and screaming, he didn’t turn a hair,” Reddam said. “I don’t know what the race took out of him, but a dogfight like this was a good experience for him.”

Having survived a dogfight and a rambunctious crowd, I’ll Have Another was officially ready for the Kentucky Derby.

Shortly before leaving for Kentucky, he made the headlines by being placed on the vet’s list in California after undergoing extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) on his back, which tightened up after his latest work.

"It's just a pulse that brings blood to an area," Reddam said at the time. "The horse has absolutely nothing wrong with him. Doug just did it because he could do it, and his owner will pay for it. He's just leaving no stone unturned. In California, you can't use it within 10 days of an upcoming race, so you have to report it and go on the vet’s list.”

When I’ll Have Another arrived at Churchill Downs, he looked fantastic coming off the van; his coat in resplendent condition. On the Wednesday before the race, Reddam and Zillah were late getting to the draw, and were in the Churchill Downs parking lot when I’ll Have Another drew the 19-post. They learned of their fate from O’Neill’s text.

“It is what it is,” Reddam said. “But we have two stone closers inside of us and one outside, so we should be able to save some ground.”

It became apparent the colt loved the track, motoring around there every morning in what looked to be a two-minute lick. The morning before the race he came barreling around the turn, close to the rail, in a gallop that was awfully close to a work.

Most of the talk at Churchill Downs surrounded Union Rags and his owner Phyllis Wyeth and trainer Michael Matz, and also Arkansas Derby (gr. I) winner Bodemeister, named by owner Ahmed Zayat after Bob Baffert’s son Bode. Five weeks earlier, Baffert suffered a heart attack in Dubai and had to have three stents inserted to unblock an artery. Also, there was Toyota Blue Grass (gr. I) winner Dullahan, trained by the popular Dale Romans, who grew up just about a mile from Churchill and now trains out of the same barn he once worked in for his father, who maintained a claiming stable for many years.

“This one isn’t about the money,” Romans said. “This one is emotional. If we win you’re probably going to see some tears.”

A good deal of focus was on the flamboyant Dr. Kendall Hansen, majority owner of last year’s champion 2-year-old Hansen, who like Union Rags, Creative Cause, and Dullahan, was one of eight starters from the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (gr. I) to run in the Derby. Dr. Hansen had a bevy of beauties, wearing blue costumes with a blue tail, accompanying him all day giving out Hansen dolls. There also was the return of last year’s winning team of Team Valor, trainer Graham Motion, and jockey John Velazquez, who had the improving Spiral (gr. II) winner Went the Day Well.

One of the main attractions at Churchill since Tuesday was the presence of the great Lava Man, who is now a pony for O’Neill and who accompanied I’ll Have Another to the track. Each day after training, they would remove his bridle and Lava Man would walk on his own over to the feed bags in the shedrow, decide which ones he wanted, and proceed to have his breakfast. At home at Hollywood Park, he eats out of the feed bins, and if they’re closed he opens them with his nose. If he doesn’t care for one he’ll move on to the next one.”

Derby morning brought the tail end of heavy rains, accompanied by thunder and lightning, which would dissipate by 6 a.m. Matz was in the recreation room getting coffee and was befuddled by the ninth-place finish by And Why Not in the Kentucky Oaks (gr. I). He was hoping that was not a sign of things to come. Baffert arrived early to check out the track, but didn’t realize it had been closed for training due to the weather. “If I had known that I wouldn’t have gotten up so early,” he said.

Blacksmith Steve Norman was a busy man, making some last-minute adjustments to Creative Cause’s glue-on shoes and putting new shoes on Gemologist and El Padrino.

As post time for the Derby neared, spirits were high at Barn 3. Reddam talked about I’ll Have Another’s aggressive gallops.

“Doug wanted to take the horse out this morning and gallop him,” Reddam said. “He galloped him the day of the Santa Anita Derby. I told him, ‘You know, Doug, why don’t you leave a little in the tank? You’ve been whipping him around there, practically breezing the horse every day.’ He said, ‘No, I don’t want to interrupt his routine.’ I told him, ‘Well, you’re the trainer, but if you just walk him this morning that really wouldn’t bother me.’ And then it started raining and I’m going ‘Yes!’”

Dennis O’Neill also brought out his dry humor, saying he was confident in the horse, but “I don’t think an O’Neill can win the Derby. O’Neills are not supposed to win the Kentucky Derby.”

Finally, it was post time, with Bodemeister getting a lot of late action to go off as the 4-1 favorite, with Union Rags second choice at 5-1. The only other horse in single digits was Gemologist at 8-1. I’ll Have Another was a generous 15-1, considering he was unbeaten this year and winner of the Santa Anita Derby. But he did have the 19-post. “I also think part of that is riding a no-name jockey,” Reddam said.

At the start, Union Rags was bumped and squeezed back by Kent Desormeaux on Dullahan on his outside and Calvin Borel on Take Charge Indy on his inside, reminiscent of Lookin at Lucky in 2010. After an eighth of a mile he was already back in 18th and pretty much out of it.

Meanwhile, Bodemeister, the inside speed, outran Trinniberg and Hansen, who was in traffic between Daddy Long Legs and Gemologist. I’ll Have Another, just as Reddam had hoped, cleared the two closers, Sabercat and Done Talking, and as others peeled off, he found himself only three wide and right behind Gemologist. As they headed into the first turn, the opening quarter in a rapid :22.32, I’ll Have Another remarkably was all by himself, with only Take Charge Indy several paths inside him on the rail.

Down the backstretch, Bodemeister established a clear lead, dogged by Trinniberg, with Hansen now in the clear in third. They hit the half in a blistering :45.39, which in fifths of a second was tied for the second fastest in Derby history. I’ll Have Another was a length behind Hansen and still in excellent position, with Gemologist well clear of him on his outside and Take Charge Indy well clear of him on his inside.

As they headed toward the far turn, Trinniberg pulled up to Bodemeister’s flank, but he soon began his retreat, leaving Bodemeister with a clear lead through a torrid three-quarters in 1:09.80, fourth fastest in Derby history. As he began to open up on the field, it looked as if he was going to pull off a Spend a Buck-like victory and forever put Apollo's ghost to rest after 130 years. A horse finally was about to win the Derby without having raced as a 2-year-old.

Creative Cause was the first of the mid-pack horses to emerge on the scene, but was six-wide around the turn, losing way too much ground. Desormeaux moved Dullahan up into contention and then swung colt way to the outside of Creative Cause in no man’s land. Although it probably seemed liked the right move to make under the circumstances, had he stayed where he was he would have had a clear path right behind the winner. To make matters worse, I’ll Have Another blew the turn into the stretch, carrying Creative Cause well out to the middle of the track, which in turn carried Dullahan some 10-wide. The only thing out that far other than Dullahan were the puddles of water still on the track, which had been labeled fast all day.

Into the stretch, after a mile in 1:35.19, Bodemeister looked to be home free, opening up a three-length lead. But as he began to shorten stride, I’ll Have Another, who had straightened himself out and was now back down in the four-path, was closing in fast, charging past Hansen. Dullahan also was rallying, but had conceded way too much ground and was closer to the photographers on the outside rail than he was to Bodemeister. Creative Cause had a clear run at the leader, despite being carried wide, but didn’t have enough punch in the final furlong.

Gutierrez went to several right-handed whips and finally was able to get the better of a game Bodemeister with about 70 yards to go, and then quickly drew clear. Dullahan continued to close, but just missed catching Bodemeister by a neck for second. Went the Day Well rallied late, nailing Creative Cause for fourth. The first five finishers were separated by only three lengths, with a four-length gap between fifth and Liaison in sixth. Union Rags, despite the bad start and encountering traffic on the far turn, finished a respectable seventh and returned as if he hadn’t run at all. The final time for the 1 ¼ miles was 2:01.83.

O’Neill proceeded to give bear hugs to just about anyone who came up to congratulate him. Reddam’s grin and twinkle had grown larger as he attempted to soak in what had just happened.

“This is unbelievable,” he said. “I know everyone says that, but it is unbelievable. We stayed quiet and took the heat off us. Mario is so cool. He doesn’t even know what just happened, I can guarantee you. He was joking around before he got on the horse.”

As for O’Neill’s training job, Reddam said. “That was a training legend you saw today. Doug showed a lot of guts the way he trained him.”

The race was a was a tough defeat for Bodemeister, who ran an incredible race coming back in only three weeks after his brilliant victory in the Arkansas Derby, but Baffert was extremely proud of him and said it was the only time he’s finished second where he’s been happy, because the colt ran his race. It was also another tough Derby experience for Zayat, who has now finished second in three of the last four Kentucky Derbys, and in the other year, he lost the overwhelming favorite, Eskendereya, to injury shortly before the race.

Although Zayat was hurting inside, he kept his feelings in check when he saw how the defeat affected his son Justin, who has become his right-hand man, and 7-year-old Bode Baffert, for whom Bodemeister was named. Zayat took great satisfaction in knowing that Bodemeister had turned in a herculean effort and has a sensational career ahead of him.

Romans said Dullahan’s terrible trip and ultimate defeat was “a tough pill to swallow,” but he, like Baffert and Zayat, did not place any blame on the jockey. Romans felt that Dullahan was the best horse in the race, considering his ground loss and explosive finish.

British born Jack Sisterson, assistant trainer to O’Neill, said there were words coming out of his mouth after the race, but he had no idea what he was saying. His cell phone vibrated with so many text messages, it was a constant vibration, registering 93 messages in a 30-second span. The most special one was from his parents back in England, saying, “We’re so proud you. Savor the moment.”

Saturday night, as a rare “super moon” shone down on Louisville, I’ll Have Another calmly posed for pictures with dozens of people wanting to get close up to a Derby winner. After his photo session, the colt buried his head in his feed tub.

Doug and Dennis returned from the party at the Kentucky Derby Museum to a chorus of cheers and then Doug joined in a group photo outside the barn, with everyone chanting “I’ll Have Another!”

Dennis walked up to the colt’s stall and simply said, “You won the Derby, buddy.” Doug said was afraid he was going to wake up the following morning to discover that he had actually won a $10,000 claimer, proving once again that the Kentucky Derby treads a fine line between fantasy and reality.

Reddam believed all along this was all about karma, especially the decision to put Gutierrez up on the horse.

“I felt this was just going to happen,” he said. “And, poof, it happened.”

Haskin's Derby Trail: Early Observations

aspradling — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 18:37:00 GMT

The works are done, and all that remains are the final gallops and observing how the horses are thriving during the final week. We’ll also look back and comment on the works and gallops we’ve seen over the past three days. As tough as this field is to separate talent-wise, it’s equally tough watching them train. So, in many ways we’re even more confused now than we were before.

Creative Cause - Photo by Steve Haskin

The standout so far has been Union Rags, who is the most imposing physical presence we’ve seen, and who turned in a sharp work on Saturday, going a half in :47 1/5. He galloped out so strong past the wire, the clockers gave him a five-furlong work in :59 4/5. But he wasn’t through. He continued galloping out, six furlongs in 1:13 4/5.

Union Rags - Photo by Steve Haskin

The son of Dixie Union is muscle on muscle and does everything with class. You could really get a good look at him this morning as he was getting his bath, and there is no one that could argue this colt is all racehorse.

Not to get too far ahead of ourselves, but if he should win the Derby, you can bet that it won’t take more than five seconds before the words “Triple Crown” are mentioned. There are several colts in the field you could say the same thing about, but we’ve always maintained that the next Triple Crown winner will be a classy 2-year-old with a good foundation who was right up there at the top of his division, and preferably had won the Champagne Stakes (gr. I).

Union Rags - Photo by Steve Haskin

The one-turn mile in our opinion is still the classiest and most prestigious 2-year-old race over the past half century, because it tests a horse’s class, speed, and stamina, as opposed to a two-turn, 1 1/16-mile race like the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (gr. I). It is no coincidence that the last three Triple Crown winners – Secretariat, Seattle Slew, and Affirmed all finished first or second in the Champagne, as did Triple Crown caliber horses such as Spectacular Bid, Easy Goer, Alydar, and Buckpasser.

Remember, this was the definitive championship race for 2-year-olds before the Breeders’ Cup, and Union Rags won it as impressively as any of those mentioned above, having to overcome traffic and altering course on several occasions.

As of now, the feeling here is that this is the horse to beat next Saturday.

But the depth of this field makes it awfully close. The horse we’ve had ranked No. 1 starting from day one is Creative Cause and we haven’t seen anything to cause us to consider dropping him. This is a good-looking high energy horse, who has a good deal of spirit and generates a lot of power. He’s more of a one-paced grinder, but did take back in the Santa Anita Derby (gr. I) with the blinkers off and showed more acceleration on the far turn than he has in any of his previous races.

He came off the van bouncing on his toes and was a handful his first day on the track before settling down in his gallop. His work today was exactly what trainer Mike Harrington was looking for, and you couldn’t have him to do it any better, coming home his final eighth in :11 4/5 to complete the half in :47 4/5, then galloping out five furlongs in 1:01 1/5.

Perhaps the most visually impressive work came from Bodemeister, who broke off five lengths behind stablemate Jemima’s Pearl, eased up to her on even terms nearing the head of the stretch and came home very strongly. He finished about a half-length ahead of his workmate, but was never asked. It was his gallop-out, however, that really caught the eye, as he just kept going and going at a good clip, finally pulling up a full mile in 1:39 4/5.

You have to judge this colt on his works and not his gallops, where he is a totally different horse, and not nearly as impressive, moving with much shorter strides. When he works, however, it’s like Clark Kent turning into Superman.

We would have loved to see I’ll Have another work over the track, but the second best thing is to see him gallop, and his gallop today was arguably the best we’ve seen since we arrived. He was almost two-minute licking and covered the ground with fluid, powerful strides, and moved over the track as if he’s been here his whole life. He has low action and tremendous reach to his stride. We can’t wait to see what he does the rest of the week.

I'll Have Another - Photo by Steve Haskin

Remember, we were very impressed with the colt when he came off the van. His coat was resplendent and he was a handful walking the shed. So, all in all, very high marks for the son of Flower Alley.

Then there are the horses you just plain like, whether it’s watching them train or graze, although this year has the fewest grazers we can remember. The horse we’ve really come to like is Daddy Nose Best, who has had four works over the track already, and just is a horse you enjoy watching. His gallop yesterday was very strong and his work this morning was equally strong, starting off slow, then coming home in :11 4/5 and :12 flat before galloping out another eighth in about :12 4/5. and pulling up six furlongs in 1:16 3/5. He is another with grat reach to his stride.

What we liked most about his stablemate Sabercat’s work was the way cut the corner so tightly while galloping out. He broke off at the pole much faster than Daddy Nose Best..

If you want spunk in your horses, you should have seen Rousing Sermon digging a hole in his hay and rolling several times before getting up each time and charging his webbing, squealing, as if he wanted to jump over it. This Cal-bred son of Lucky Pulpit has a gorgeous, refined head and a great eye. We’re starting to take notice of him.

So, right there you have two big longshots who are capable of at least coming home late and picking up a piece of it.

As for some of the others, we’re impressed with Mark Valeski’s muscle tone and athletic appearance, and his work this morning also was strong; certainly strong enough to entice owner Brereton Jones to take a shot at the Derby.

Mark Valeski and Larry Jones - Photo by Steve Haskin

Liaison apparently loves Churchill a lot better than he did Santa Anita, and you have to be impressed with his gallop-out in today’s five-furlong work in 1:00 4/5. He no doubt appreciates the kinder surface at Churchill, as does Rousing Sermon, who also lost his form at Santa Anita this winter.

Liaison (center) - Photo by Steve Haskin

Dullahan only had a maintenance work yesterday and didn’t dazzle anyone with his closing fractions, but he’s dead-fit, feeling good, and still has the most explosive late move of any of the Derby horses.

Dullahan - Photo by Steve Haskin

Prospective is in good health and hasn’t done anything wrong.

So, are you totally confused by now? Good, we need the company. Why should our brain be the only one swimming? For all those looking to read bashing of some of these, sorry, can’t oblige. While some look better than others, as you can deduce reading this, it’s hard to find any major faults in any of them.

And we haven’t even gotten to the late arrivals, Gemologist, El Padrino, Take Charge Indy, Alpha, and Daddy Long Legs, or a visit to see Hansen at Trackside at some point.

Friday’s selections column should be a real challenge.

Haskin's Derby Trail: Who is the Real News Pending?

aspradling — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 16:32:00 GMT

News Pending burst on the scene with his surprising second-place finish in the Fountain of Youth Stakes at odds of 27-1. But who exactly is this horse? Watching his races, he is a horse you cannot handicap, because he still hasn’t figured out who he is or what he is. And that in its own odd way is what makes him so dangerous and what makes his performance in the Fountain of Youth so fascinating.

In his previous races, he has been on the lead, he has stalked the pace, and he has come from far back. He’s been on the inside, between horses, and wide throughout, and all this on the dirt and grass.

In the Fountain of Youth he stayed true to character by running three different races in one. While his startling move on the first turn, in which he went from sixth to challenging for the lead, didn’t rival Secretariat’s first-turn explosion in the 1973 Preakness, it’s the closest thing we’ve seen since. After engaging the 4-5 favorite Discreet Dancer leaving the clubhouse turn and battling with him all the way to the quarter pole, he was inhaled by Union Rags, who quickly opened up by daylight. But he proceeded to put Discreet Dancer away and kept running on like a fresh horse, and wasn’t losing any ground to the winner in the closing stages. If you had turned on the race at the eighth pole, you would have thought News Pending was rallying from off the pace to finish second, he was moving with such authority. He was just outrun by a much more accomplished and talented horse.

Kent Desormeaux is the perfect jockey for him, because, like the horse, you never know what Desormeaux is going to do. He no doubt is the most unconventional of the top jockeys, and sometimes you’re going to pay the price for that unconventionality and sometimes it’s going to put you in the winner’s circle. When Desormeaux is on he is as good a money rider as there is in the country.

Let’s go back over News Pending’s career. His debut last year on the dirt at Saratoga was a disaster, but his second start stretching out on the grass was an improvement, as he finished fifth, beaten 2 ¼ lengths, after breaking from the far outside and losing ground.
Now is when it gets interesting. In a 1 1/16-mile maiden race at Belmont, he shot to the lead, set the pace, and dug in gamely when challenged, only to be nipped by the narrowest of noses in a head-bobbing finish. So, when he returned in a 1 1/8-mile race at Aqueduct, it was naturally assumed he’d be on or right off the lead, but was fanned four-wide going into the first turn and remained four-wide the entire race. He raced in fourth and stayed there, getting beat 6 ½ lengths.

Then came the race that would alter his career. Trainer Dale Romans put him back on the grass, going 1 1/8 miles at Gulfstream. With Rajiv Maragh, his fourth different jockey in five races, aboard, he saved ground along the inside in third, and at the head of the stretch, two horses came charging up on his outside, putting him in an apparent box. Fortunately the two horses in front of him spread apart, giving him a gaping hole. At first, it seemed as if he had no desire to take advantage of it and he appeared to be going nowhere. Then in the final sixteenth, it was if the light bulb went on. He accelerated and outran the outside closers to win by a half-length and then opened up six lengths in the gallop-out, with the outrider having to chase him down. It was in that final sixteenth that he became a racehorse.

Romans kept him on the grass, but stated before the race he was looking forward to getting him back on the dirt and onto the Derby trail. Just when you thought you knew this horse’s running style, he ventured into new territory by dropping far back off the pace, a dozen lengths back. He began his move leaving the three-eighths pole, but was hopelessly out of contention. Turning for home he swung out to the middle of the track and kicked into a gear no one had ever seen from him. He flew by horses in the final furlong, but Exothermic, an up-and-coming star in his own right, was long gone by then. He still kept passing horses as if moving in another time frame and managed to get up for second, beaten 1 ½ lengths.

Romans felt he was now developing into a top-class horse and was getting so good he decided to run him in the Fountain of Youth, despite the presence of Union Rags, the ill-fated Algorithms, and Discreet Dancer.

So, what does one make of this horse? Did he finish second because someone had to or is he developing into a major Derby contender? Judging from his explosive early and seemingly premature move, the way he put away a good horse in Discreet Dancer, and the way he was still striding out strongly at the end, it would seem this horse can do just about anything…and from anywhere on the racetrack.

Romans said the plan going into the Fountain of Youth was to take him back and “come running,” as he had done in his previous start. But the horse was moving so smoothly, with his ears up, Desormeaux decided to let him “do his thing.”

Now that we know what his “thing” is, or at least we think we do, there’s no telling what to expect from him as he continues on his oddly paved road to Louisville.

By the way, the horse who finished fourth in the aforementioned grass allowance race, a length behind News Pending, was stablemate Finnegan’s Wake, who is by a grass sire and whose only dirt start was a 26-length drubbing in the slop in his career debut at Churchill Downs. But Romans will take another shot and run him in Saturday’s Gotham Stakes, hoping he handles the dirt. Does anyone really want to speculate what this horse is going to do? When it comes to Romans don’t even bother.

Haskin's Derby Trail: El Al Jets Ready to Take Off

aspradling — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 18:33:00 GMT

That’s El, as in El Padrino, and Al, as in Algorithms. When Todd Pletcher sent both these talented Kentucky Derby prospects to the gate in separate races on Jan. 29, no one had more interest in the outcome than Pletcher’s father, J.J., who broke both colts at his 80-acre Payton Training Center in Ocala.

J.J., who has provided the early training for a number of his son’s top horses, trains his horses over a five-furlong track with gentle turns that he designed with the intention of placing as little impact on young horses’ legs as possible. His main priorities are getting horses to relax and “not be afraid of anything.”

With El Padrino and Algorithms, he had two near-perfect students, both of whom have demonstrated a professionalism far beyond their years.

That professionalism could be seen in their last starts, as both colts did everything right en route to resounding victories – El Padrino in a high-class allowance race and Algorithms in the grade III Holy Bull Stakes. The Holy Bull victory, a five-length romp over last year’s 2-year-old champ Hansen, catapulted Algorithms all the way up to second-choice behind Union Rags among the individual betting interests in the first Kentucky Derby Future Wager. And who do you think is the third choice? You guessed it, El Padrino, which puts J.J. in quite an enviable position. And who do you think are the only 3-year-olds to have run a triple-digit Beyer speed figure in a non-sprint race this year? Right again. Algorithms earned a 105 in the Holy Bull, and El Padrino ran a 100 in his allowance score, in which the runner-up, the stakes-placed Take Charge Indy, finished 13 ¾ lengths ahead of the third horse.

The success of Algorithms (No, he is not called Al Gore) and El Padrino comes as no surprise to J.J., who had nothing but praise for both colts.

“El Padrino was such a big ‘ol laid back horse, my 13-year-old grandson could have broke him,” J.J. said. “He never breezed fast, but when you put him with another horse he was always right there. It didn’t matter who you breezed him with, he was always right there. I was surprised he shin bucked after Todd got him. I never thought he’d shin buck. I knew all along he was a good colt. He had all the good qualities and a lot of talent, but he hadn’t used all of it. He just did everything right, and you couldn’t shake him up. He was a little heavier type of horse, while Algorithms was a little leggier. Both of them had a great stride and were good gate horses. They just had no quirks at all, and were so good even I couldn’t mess them up.

“Algorithms was a little more aggressive and a little faster than El Padrino. There’s a lot of speed in his female family, but, hopefully, Bernardini stretches him out a little. He was always a real nice colt. When Todd first ran him last June he came back with a little hairline fracture in his hock. He was sent back here and we gave him 90 days, and he was perfect. I called Jack (Wolf, head of Starlight Partners) and told him the colt did everything right and I sent him to Palm Meadows; he’s on the Derby Trail. It’s real exciting having these two colts. I can’t brag on them too much where I’m at, because it’s still so far off. I watched them both work (at Palm Meadows) the other day and they looked great.”

It is conceivable after the Fountain of Youth Stakes (Feb. 25) and Risen Star Stakes (Feb. 26), father and son will have the two early favorites for the Kentucky Derby.

Breeders' Cup 2011 - Saturday Longshots

Blood-Horse Staff — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 15:44:00 GMT

Let’s see if we can a couple of these at least in the money.

BRIGANTIN (Marathon) – This horse is just getting warmed up at 1 15/16 miles and has the class to finish third in the Ascot Gold Cup, but has also won at a mile and mile and a quarter. The first inclination is to say he has too much stamina for a 1 ¾-mile race in the U.S. and will probably just plod around there. But he gets Julien Leparoux and his sire, Cozzene, was a great miler and one of the classiest and most versatile sires in the world. Cozzene won the BC Mile 26 years ago.

MEEZNAH (Marathon) – Also have to mention her out of this race, because she seems a bit high at 12-1, considering she is a top-quality filly in Europe and stays any distance; it seems the farther she goes the better. She’s definitely worth a wager at that price.

AIKENITE (Sprint) – More to hit the board at 8-1. He’s carrying excellent flesh, and just needs a red-hot pace to enable him to close and get into the exotics. Distance is short for him and he doesn’t have the speed to compete with most of these, but can see him coming late and making his presence felt.

CARACORTADO (Turf Sprint)– He really doesn’t fit on here because he’s only 4-1 on the morning line, but although the distance appears to be too short for him as well, this is a better horse than most people think, and he’s extremely versatile as far as distance. Just mentioning him as a horse to include in your exotics at better price than 4-1.

TAPIZAR (Dirt Mile) – This was as impressive a horse as we saw on the Derby trail before he got hurt and his first race back indicated he has not lost a beat, winning comfortably in 1:21 1/5 for seven furlongs. It’s a tough task throwing him into a race like this, but we really don’t know how good this horse is, so he may be worth the risk to find out at 20-1.

OPTIMIZER (Juvenile) – Don’t like his post, but am committed to him after his big effort in the Breeders’ Futurity when still obviously green. His female family is a Who’s Who of Phipps family grade I winners and traces to champion Lady Pitt. This horse should improve on dirt and has the ability to make his presence felt.

TAKE CHARGE INDY (Juvenile) – This is our megabomb special in the Juvenile at 30-1. His fourth in the Breeders’ Futurity was solid enough, but we’re looking for him to show big improvement on the dirt. He also worked well at Churchill Downs and we feel he could surprise a lot of people, even though this Juvenile is one of the toughest ever. The unknown factor here is Daddy Long Legs, who is very highly regarded by Ballydoyle.

MR. COMMONS (Mile) – He may be in over his head, especially being a 3-year-old, but we just love watching this horse run and we feel there is tremendous room for improvement. He has really taken to the grass and moves over it beautifully. At 20-1, he certainly could pick up a piece of it.

RULER ON ICE (Classic) – Have to admit we have not heard his name mentioned once this entire week. All we know is that he’s a Belmont winner, he came home his last three-eighths in :35 3/5 in the Pennsylvania Derby and was closing fast from far back while giving 10 pounds to Honor and Serve. Big difference is that To Honor and Serve is 12-1 and being talked about by many, while he’s 30-1 and virtually invisible. It’s also worth noting he threw a shoe in the Travers Stakes, where he finished fourth, the only time all year he’s finished worse than third. Garrett Gomez, who won the Classic last year, seems to fit him well. If he can duplicate his effort in the Pennsylvania Derby he should be coming fast at the end.

We also want to mention that Rattlesnake Bridge (30-1) has made a great impression since arriving on Wednesday and is still a work in progress. Who knows when he’s going to bust out and put it all together? From a personal standpoint, we’ve made it known how we feel about Stay Thirsty (12-1) and we’ll have to put at least a saver on him, especially the way he’s been training the past week.

Also, one American Turf (gr. IT) horse who is very sharp and training well is Brilliant Speed. If he can get the mile and a half, he could at least break up a five-horse European sweep and prove a good representative for the U.S.

Countdown to the Cup: Classic Appeal

aspradling — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 00:17:00 GMT

Let’s be honest, this year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic (gr. I) needs a boost, especially with Zenyattamania and even a double dose of Curlin still fresh in everyone’s mind. The most obvious boost would be the inclusion of Havre de Grace. Even better would be a showdown between Havre de Grace and Blind Luck. The latter scenario appears doubtful at this time, but Havre de Grace’s owner Rick Porter has already stated he wants to run the Woodward (gr. I) winner in the Classic. That would leave it up to Blind Luck’s connections.

We have a solid base of males to work from this year, with Tizway, Stay Thirsty, and Flat Out heading what looks to be a dominant Eastern contingent. But the race still needs that extra ‘oomph’ to elevate its interest level.

Late blooming 3-year-olds such as Prayer For Relief, To Honor and Serve, and Rattlesnake Bridge, and of course Uncle Mo, could make an impact (boy, do the performances of Triple Crown stars like Animal Kingdom, Shackleford, Ruler On Ice Mucho Macho Man, and Nehro seem like ages ago), but, except for the presence of Uncle Mo, we need more, which brings us to the names listed below, even with the question marks surrounding them.

TWIRLING CANDY – Yes, we know, he’s not a mile and a quarter horse. At least that’s what many people think. We also know that premise is based on three grade I races, in which he was beaten in photos in two of them (a head and a neck). We also know he’s had his problems settling early in a race, but he’s shown improvement and has run three bang-up races since having blinkers removed. Yes, he pulled hard in the Californian Stakes (gr. II) two races back, but they were crawling in :49 2/5 and 1:14 1/5 and he still closed from sixth to win going away.

In the Hollywood Gold Cup (gr. I), he sat right behind the leader, was in between horses, and was beaten only a nose and a neck, giving six pounds to the victorious First Dude. In his most recent start, the Pacific Classic (gr. I), he rated three lengths off the pace, as the top-class Acclamation was able to get away with a :48 3/5 half in 1:12 4/5 three-quarters. He ran hard through the stretch, but fell a head short, while finishing four lengths ahead of the third-place finisher. To demonstrate how strong a performance this was, he came home each of his last two quarters in :23 2/5. Even on a synthetic surface, when you can close in :46 4/5 going 1 ¼ miles, that is impressive.

Just look where this horse is now compared to last year when he was an erratic and unpredictable youngster who created such havoc in the Del Mar Derby (gr. IIT). His pedigree is loaded with stamina, he’s already won a grade I and grade II on dirt, he’s won stakes on grass, dirt, and synthetic, and most important, he looks like a horse who is just coming into his own and figuring things out.

He is also the kind of horse who could very well relish the Churchill Downs surface a lot more than the synthetic and turf surfaces he’s run on most of his career.

In short, don’t dismiss this colt because of some pre-conceived notion he’s not a 10-furlong horse. He is as brilliant and naturally gifted as any horse out there, and that alone should take him a long way. This is the time to load up on him in the future book.

GIO PONTI – They had the right idea two years ago when they ran him in the Classic – synthetic surface or no synthetic surface. He ran a winning race and there are no Zenyattas this year. This is a versatile, classy, mile and a quarter specialist who is one of those Breeders’ Cup lost children with no home they can call their own. The Breeders’ Cup Turf (gr. IT) and Mile (gr. IT) are either too long or a tad too short, and are merely ‘make do’ races that provide someplace to perform on racing’s biggest stage. Yes, he has proven to be effective at a mile, but at his age does he really the explosive burst you need to out-kick top European milers, especially Goldikova?

Gio Ponti is nearing retirement following a sensational career that has seen him take home three Eclipse Awards. But before he makes his exit there is one final crossroad to encounter – at least in one person’s opinion. We all know the BC Turf is not an option, which leaves the Mile. But if Gio Ponti couldn’t beat Goldikova in last year’s running when he was razor sharp coming off a victory in the Shadwell Mile (gr. IT), what is there to indicate he can beat her and any of the other classy Euros that come this year?

Let’s not forget that this is a horse who is bred for the dirt and has the perfect running style for a race like the Classic, but has never been given the opportunity to see what he can do on dirt. In addition to his second in the Classic on Pro-Ride, he was beaten 1 ¼ lengths and 1 ¾ lengths in the past two runnings of the Dubai World Cup (UAE-I) on Tapeta. Do we know for sure there isn’t a dirt horse in there crying to get out? One thing we do know – he has as much class as any horse in training and horses often win big races on class alone.

Gio Ponti has finished second in seven grade I stakes (six on grass one on synthetic) in the past two years and hasn’t won a grade I since last October.. He just may need to find a different path to the winner’s circle. If dirt isn’t that path, no harm done; he’s already earned nearly $5.7 million and deserves a chance to go out in the proverbial blaze of glory, especially considering the Churchill Downs dirt course has proven to be extremely conducive to grass horses (just look at the winners of this year’s Stephen Foster and Kentucky Derby).

Chris Clement is a top trainer and knows his horse better than anyone, but sometimes horses do the unexpected (although it may not be unexpected at all) and it’s worth the gamble to attempt something bold and historic before heading to the breeding shed. Maybe it’s because some of us from the old school were weaned on the bold and historic, at least by today’s standards. Back then they were the norm.

The chances of Gio Ponti running in the Classic appear to be slim to none, but it’s at least something for his connections to think about.

SO YOU THINK/AWAIT THE DAWN – Aidan O’Brien always adds interest and intrigue to the Classic, a race he’s been trying to win since Giant’s Causeway’s narrow defeat to Tiznow in 2000. At this point it looks as if Euro titan So You Think is headed for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Fra-I) and is only being quoted by Stan James for the Classic. Depending on what he does at Longchamp, the Classic would be a good spot for him, considering his best distance seems to be 10 furlongs and he just may be the most talented classic-distance horse in the world. He definitely would add glamour to the race, as he attempts to become a grade/group I winner in America, Europe, and Australia.

O’Brien already has Cape Blanco pointing the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (gr. IT) and possibly the BC Turf, but that would mean four trips across the Atlantic for the Man o’War (gr. IT) and Arlington Million (gr. I) winner unless O’Brien decides to keep him here until the Breeders’ Cup.

Await the Dawn, another horse who has excelled at 1 ¼ miles, is being quoted by seven bookmakers for the Classic at odds ranging from 7-1 to 12-1. But the son of Giant’s Causeway came out of his third-place finish in the Juddmonte International (Eng-I) “very sick,” according to O’Brien, and his plans are up in the air right now, With his participation in doubt, that would seem to enhance the chances of So You Think coming for the Classic.

Winter Thrills

If there is a more exciting horse in the country than Winter Memories it sure has escaped us. She doesn't win all the time, but with her number of horrible trips piling up with every start, it's amazing she wins at all. How she pulled off the Garden City Stakes (gr. IT) still is baffling and gets more baffling each time we watch it.

Another top-class Darby Dan product from the Golden Trail family, the daughter of El Prado continued her daredevil ways by overcoming a seemingly hopeless wall of traffic at the head of the stretch that had her bottled up for an agonizingly long period of time. But as she did in her victory in the Lake George Stakes (gr. IIT), she finally found room to unleash her now-patented rocket-like burst of speed and inhaled the entire field in one fell swoop to defeat a strong, deep field of grass fillies.

Whether she beats you by a head or six lengths, there is nothing more exciting in racing today than watching this remarkable filly come storming down the stretch.

Countdown to the Cup: Grace, Period!

aspradling — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 01:06:00 GMT

Earlier this year, Larry Jones decided to prepare his barn help for what seemed to be the inevitable. Many talented horses have passed his way, but the one he wanted to discuss with them was different. This one could be a life changer and he felt he had to share that with his crew. Jones’ life had already taken a dramatic turn when he returned from a brief retirement last year to reestablish his public stable, which he had turned over to his wife Cindy.

With his batteries now fully re-charged and the Eight Belles nightmare in 2008 pretty much behind him, it was time to return. Also returning was his former main client, Rick Porter, who had spread his horses around with several trainers.

One of Porter’s horses who was turned over to Jones was the sensational filly Havre de Grace, who had already established herself as one of the best fillies in the country last year as a 3-year-old, concluding her campaign with a strong third-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic (gr. I) for trainer Tony Dutrow.

Cindy and “assistant” Larry had the good 3-year-old filly No Such Word, winner of five stakes, including the grade I Gazelle and grade III Monmouth Oaks, for Brereton Jones. Although No Such Word was able to eke out a neck victory over an inexperienced Havre de Grace, who was making her stakes debut, in the Go For Wand Stakes at Delaware in early June, Jones would spend the rest of the year keeping his filly away from Havre de Grace and her arch rival Blind Luck after a fourth-place finish behind those two magnificent fillies in the Delaware Oaks (gr. II). Jones could see Havre de Grace maturing and improving with every start and realized that No Such Word no longer was a match for her.

After taking over Havre de Grace’s training over the winter and observing what a powerhouse the filly had developed into and all her special attributes, Larry contacted Brereton Jones and told him, “There’s no way we can outrun this filly, horse against horse.”

It was around that time that Jones called his help together and launched his bombshell.

“I’m gonna tell you something,” he began. “Y’all don’t realize this, but this thing could be Zenyatta.”

The response was simple and predictable: “Oh yeah, right”

Jones pressed his point. “You just treat her with kid gloves,” he said. “Y’all don’t know what this thing is. If we get her to what I think she can be, you’re gonna find out this is a for real sucker.”

After three emphatic graded stakes victories, including a dominating win over Blind Luck in the Azeri (gr. III) and a rousing score over Switch in the grade I Apple Blossom; a gutsy nose defeat to Blind Luck in the Delaware Handicap (gr. II), giving her weight; and a powerful score over males in the Woodward Stakes (gr. I), Havre de Grace has indeed proven herself to be a “for real sucker” and a leading contender for Horse of the Year honors.

On the morning of July 4th at Delaware Park, Havre de Grace prepared to work an easy five furlongs for the Delaware Handicap. With her huge loppy ears flip-flopping up and down, she stood motionless as Cindy attempted to find a good place to scratch her, while talking baby talk to her.

“You’re a mighty good girl, aren’t you?” Cindy said. “Is that the right spot?”

“She doesn’t spoil her, does she?” Porter said, standing outside the filly’s stall.

“Whatever she wants she gets,” Cindy replied. “We’re just very grateful she doesn’t ask for a lot. She’s just a classy girl and loves her job. Physically, she’s one big muscle from head to toe.”

When Havre de Grace first came to Jones she wouldn’t work by herself, turning in sloth-like times such as :53 4/5 for a half-mile. Jones had to hook her up with company in order to get her to work. But she came to hand quickly and began tearing up the track in the mornings by herself. Although she had an easy five-furlong spin in 1:01 1/5 on this particular morning, she sandwiched it with a pair of dazzling :57 4/5 breezes.

“People don’t realize that in the Apple Blossom, she came home her final sixteenth in :05 4/5, and horses just do that,” Larry said. “This filly has a cruising speed that forces other horses to run hard to keep up with her while she’s still galloping. By the time they get to the three-quarters those other horses are usually done. And they gotta let her do it; they got no other choice.”

Havre de Grace displayed that cruising speed in the Woodward with quarters of :24 2/5, :23 4/5, :23 3/5, and :24, before coming home her final eighth in a solid :12 4/5 against six graded stakes winning males, including two grade I winners, as well as the winners of the grade II Suburban, New Orleans Handicap, and Louisiana Derby and the runners-up in the grade I Kentucky Derby and Stephen Foster and Whitney handicaps.

One can only speculate the path she will take from here. There is her nemesis, Blind Luck, waiting down the line, and, of course, the Breeders’ Cup Classic (gr. I) and Ladies Classic.

But for now, Havre de Grace has injected a much-needed major dose of excitement to the sport and the BC Classic scene. She may not ask for a lot, but she sure gives a lot. And that’s about all you can ask for.

And so the remarkable era of the fillies continues. Starting in 2005, the racing world has seen superstar male conquerors such as Rags to Riches, Zenyatta, Rachel Alexandra, Goldikova, Black Caviar, Zarkava, Makybe Diva, Vodka, and now Havre de Grace. During that time, these remarkable Amazons have conquered the boys in the Preakness, Belmont Stakes, Breeders’ Cup Classic, Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, Breeders’ Cup Mile (three times), Melbourne Cup (three times), Japan Cup, Woodward (twice), and Haskell Invitational, not to mention a slew of other major stakes and a United Arab Emirates Derby victory by Khawlah and a Queens Plate score by Inglorious. And Larry Jones in another year might very well have added the Kentucky Derby with the ill-fated Eight Belles, who finished second to superstar Big Brown in the Run for the Roses.

O'Brien Has Lots of Thinking to Do

aspradling — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 15:42:00 GMT

Is Aidan O’Brien loaded this year? Are baked potatoes with cheddar cheese, bacon, garlic, butter, and sour cream loaded? Let’s just say that dish is not nearly as rich as the Master of Ballydoyle, whose success in less than four months of racing might be considered bordering on obscene by rival trainers.

But here in the States, no one gives a hoot what his rivals think. A prosperous O’Brien means a prosperous Breeders’ Cup, and a prosperous Breeders’ Cup often is due in good part to a full-scale invasion launched by the conquering commandos of Cashel.

And General O’Brien has assembled quite a potent army this year, with top-class horses being aimed at possible targets such as the group I King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and Juddmonte International in England, Irish Champion Stakes in Ireland, Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in France, Breeders’ Cup Classic, Turf, and Mile in America, and Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup in Australia.

With former Australian superhorse So You Think’s gutsy victory over last year’s English Derby and Arc winner Workforce in the group I Coral-Eclipse Stakes at Sandown, O’Brien this year has won the Eclipse and group I Tattersalls Gold Cup, finished one-two-three in the Irish Derby, winning that classic for the sixth year in a row; finished one-two in the Irish 1,000 Guineas; won the Irish 2,000 Guineas; finished second, beaten a head in the English Derby, and was also a close fourth at Epsom; won the group I Ascot Gold Cup; won the group I Coronation Cup; demolished champion Midday in the group I Pretty Polly Stakes; finished a close second to potential superstar Frankel in the St. James’s Palace Stakes; won a pair of 2-year-old stakes – the group II Coventry Stakes and listed Chesham Stakes – at Royal Ascot; and won the group II Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Who knows where this gluttony of talent will wind up this fall. So You Think, who is most accomplished at 10 furlongs, could go for the King George or Juddmonte International or Irish Champion Stakes or Breeders’ Cup Classic or return to Australia to try for his third Cox Plate.

Await the Dawn, a vastly improving powerhouse of a colt, has won four straight and five of six lifetime, and has won three consecutive stakes – the group III Kilternan and Huxley Stakes and group II Hardwicke Stakes – by a combined 16 1/2 lengths. By Giant’s Causeway, out of a Dixieland Band mare, this impressive-looking colt could be O’Brien’s best shot at the BC Classic since his sire’s heartbreaking defeat in 2000.

And don’t think for a second he isn’t aware of that. After the 1 1/2-mile Hardwicke, O’Brien said, “I’d say he won in spite of the (soft) ground, as he’s a daisy-cutter. We were hoping he had so much class he’d get the mile and a half. We think he’s a very serious horse. We were always dreaming of the Breeders’ Cup Classic, and the dream is still alive.”

After crushing Midday by six lengths in the Pretty Polly Stakes, the 3-year-old filly Misty For Me, who also won the Irish 1,000 Guineas, likely will be pointed to the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT), according to O’Brien.

And O’Brien could have a legitimate candidate for the BC Mile after Zoffany’s flying finish in the St. James’s Palace Stakes, in which he was bearing down on the freakish Frankel, who had won all six of his career starts by an average margin of six lengths, which is unheard of in Europe. By falling only three-quarters of a length short, Zoffany, already a group I winner last year, looks to have a bright future.

O’Brien also has Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Roderic O’Connor as a potential BC Mile horse. After disappointing efforts in the French and Irish Derby, he likely will be returned to mile races. He also was a group I winner last year, taking the Criterium International at Longchamp, and finished a respectable second to Frankel, beaten 2 1/4 lengths, in the group I Dewhurst Stakes.

O’Brien has several top mile and a half horses, headed by Treasure Beach, winner of the Irish Derby and second, beaten a head, in the English Derby; Seville, second in the Irish Derby, beaten three-quarters of a length, and second in the group II Dante Stakes; the hard-hitting Memphis Tennessee, third in the Irish Derby and fourth, beaten 1 1/2 lengths, in the English Derby; St. Nicholas Abbey, winner of the group I Coronation Cup and a nine-length winner of the group III Ormonde Stakes; and even Cape Blanco, last year’s Irish Derby and Irish Champion Stakes winner who finished fourth, beaten only a length, in this year’s Dubai World Cup (UAE-I). He was totally out of his element in the one-mile Queen Anne Stakes against the likes of Goldikova and Canford Cliffs in his last start and will be better suited returning to 1 1/4- or 1 1/2-mile races. For whatever it's worth, O'Brien nominated him to Saturday's Man o'War Stakes (gr. IT).

As for Fame and Glory, a five-length winner of the 2009 Irish Derby and second in the English Derby, and winner of the Coronation Cup and Tattersalls Gold Cup last year, this 5-year-old son of Montjeu scored by three lengths in this year’s 2 1/2-mile Ascot Gold Cup, despite never having run farther than 1 3/4 miles in his career. Could he be heading for the Melbourne Cup?

What is worth noting about O’Brien’s powerful stable is that six of his top horses – Treasure Beach, Misty For Me, Seville, Roderic O’Connor, Cape Blanco, and Chesham Stakes winner Maybe – are all by Galileo, who was a superhorse for O’Brien and Coolmore in 2001.

One final note about So You Think, if you want to know why he was revered in Australia as one of the all-time greats, and prompted O’Brien to indicate he may be the best horse he’s ever trained, consider this. In his final three starts Down Under, he won the prestigious Cox Plate at 1 1/4 miles for the second time, won Group I Mackinnon Stakes at 1 1/4 miles seven days later, and then stretched out to two miles and finished third, beaten 3 1/4 lengths, in the Melbourne Cup three days later in a 23-horse field.

When he won the Eclipse Stakes after a gut-wrenching stretch run, he was coming back only 17 days after his stunning defeat in the group I Prince of Wales’s Stakes, a defeat for which O’Brien took sole responsibility, blaming himself for under-training the horse. It also didn’t help that his pacesetter messed up the strategy and forced jockey Ryan Moore to go to the front too soon, where he was nailed at the wire by a true stayer and powerful finisher in Rewilding.

In the Eclipse, Moore took off So You Think to ride Workforce for his regular client, Sir Michael Stoute. Moore had ridden Workforce in all of his races and now knew everything about his main rival. If So You Think had any chinks in his armor or any likes and dislikes, Moore was in position to take advantage of it.

As it turned out, Moore had Seamus Heffernan, on So You Think, trying to figure out where to go until it looked as if he had waited too long to make a decision. When Workforce outran So You Think early and tracked his own pace-setter, trying to make the race more of a test of stamina, it left Heffernan to decide when to make his run and where. But after the Prince of Wales’s debacle, this is just where O’Brien wanted So You Think – held up for one run.

Turning for home, Workforce took over from his stablemate, who had allowed him to slip through a gaping hole on the rail, and Heffernan had to decide whether to attempt to split them or sit and wait for Workforce to come off the fence.

He sat and waited, and for a brief moment seemed to contemplate trying to sneak his way through on the inside. Workforce not only held his ground he kicked for home and seemed to have gotten an insurmountable jump on So You Think, who was quickly running out of time. When Heffernan finally played his cards and steered So You Think outside Workforce, it looked to be too little too late. Workforce wasn’t coming back and So You Think was not making up any ground on him. Then, inside the furlong marker, So You Think showed why he is a true champion. He lowered his head and neck and found another gear, eventually wearing down a stubborn Workforce to win by a half-length. Clocking the final quarter, it showed that So You Think had come home in :23 4/5, and that’s running uphill.

So, with Royal Ascot and the Eclipse over, O’Brien now must plan his summer strategy, which pretty much will be a springboard to the big fall championship races. Whatever battle plan he comes up with, O’Brien already has had a memorable year that could ascend to historic heights with a big second half.

It is hoped that the Breeders’ Cup will be the beneficiary of that success. How special would it be for O’Brien and the Coolmore gang to finally land a Classic with a son of Giant’s Causeway over the same track the “Iron Horse of Ballydoyle” suffered his agonizing defeat at the hands of Tiznow 11 years earlier?

Time to Change BC Friday Format

aspradling — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 15:47:00 GMT

The Breeders’ Cup Filly Friday concept had its flaws from the beginning. The Breeders’ Cup has always prided itself as the self-anointed World Thoroughbred Championships, and the ultimate of all the championships is Horse of the Year.

Racing’s top honor normally is decided in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (gr. I). On occasion it has been decided in the Turf (gr. I) and Distaff (gr. I), or horses in those divisions were in the mix for Horse of the Year. In the rare year when no one in the 3-year-old and older horse divisions proved worthy of the honor, you got an anomaly like 1997 when the 2-year-old Favorite Trick was named Horse of the Year.

By staging a Filly Friday card, the Breeders’ Cup took one of its premier races, the Distaff, and ran it in front of fewer fans, a smaller TV audience, and forced many racing fans who had to work on Friday to miss the race altogether. The Breeders’ Cup also created a potential controversy in the Horse of the Year voting by running the Distaff (now the Ladies Classic, a name I and most people detest) on a different day than the Classic and possibly having both races being run on totally different surfaces. What if you had a case like Alysheba and Personal Ensign, who were head and head for Horse of the Year going into the Breeders’ Cup, and you ran the Distaff over a fast, fair track on Friday and the Classic over a sloppy, deep track on Saturday? By running on the same day, both horses competed over an identical surface, as it should be.

The first year the Breeders’ Cup ran Filly Friday, the Ladies Classic was won by Zenyatta, who some felt staked her claim to Horse of the Year, especially with Curlin finishing fourth in the Classic. Fortunately, the Breeders’ Cup that year was run on a synthetic surface, so both tracks were basically the same. But did Zenyatta get shafted by running in front of a smaller crowd and with far less people watching on TV? Did racing fans, especially the casual fan, really get to appreciate this phenomenal, undefeated filly?

Ironically, in the next two years, Horse of the Year honors went to a filly – Rachel Alexandra in 2009 (who didn’t run in the BC and beat out Zenyatta, who won the Classic) and Zenyatta in 2010 (who lost the Classic by a head in her only career defeat). What if both fillies had met in the Ladies Classic in 2009 to determine Horse of the Year? Can you imagine Rachel Alexandra vs. Zenyatta being run on a Friday, making the Saturday card anti-climactic and the Classic insignificant in regard to Horse of the Year?

And don’t look now, but two of the leading candidates for Horse of the Year right now are fillies – Blind Luck and Havre de Grace. With the great rivalry these two have going, along with their excellent records in 2011, and with the current state of the 3-year-olds and older horses, do we really want Blind Luck and Havre de Grace, assuming they continue their rivalry and winning ways, to face off for possible Horse of the Year honors on Friday?

In 2009, the Breeders’ Cup decided to move the Marathon to Friday, punching a hole in the Filly Friday concept. Now, in 2011, they have added the Juvenile Sprint. That means that 40% of the races on Filly Friday are not for fillies.

Perhaps it is time for a change. Why not just forget the Filly Friday concept and try something different; something the fans and the media might relate to more than a card of filly races and two rather offbeat races – a 1 ¾-mile marathon and a six-furlong race for 2-year-olds – that make it more of a mishmash card than anything.

How about if they keep the Juvenile Sprint on Friday, and, in fact, move all the juvenile races to Friday and promote it as “Future Friday?”

With the solid showings on this year’s Derby trail of Juvenile Turf graduates Soldat, Master of Hounds, and Willcox Inn, and the early grass success of Animal Kingdom and Brilliant Speed, the Breeders’ Cup can promo Future Friday as a potential spawning ground of Triple Crown horses, whether it be out of the Juvenile (that produced Belmont runner-up Stay Thirsty) or the Juvenile Turf. And who knows what would have happened had we not lost Juvenile starters Uncle Mo, Boys At Tosconova, Jaycito, and Rogue Romance and even Juvenile Turf winner Pluck?

Uncle Mo didn’t pan out due to illness, but look at all the publicity he generated right up until the Wood Memorial.

Also, do we really know if a potential Derby horse can be found in the Juvenile Sprint? A good number of Derby winners had only run as far as six furlongs in November of their 2-year-old year, so the BC can play on that as well.

The Breeders’ Cup could also promo the juvenile filly races the same way in regard to the Kentucky Oaks.

“Get a sneak preview of next year’s classics.”

The feeling here is that more people would come out to the track or watch on TV with the possibility of seeing next year’s Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks winner.

Yes, the Ladies Classic could be big this year and would help Friday’s figures, but perhaps only at the cost of Saturday’s figures. So, that would be a double-edge sword. Horse of the Year must be decided on Saturday.

In summation, let’s get the Ladies Classic and the other big filly and mare races back on Saturday, have a real theme for Friday that fans can relate to, and, yes, they can even keep the Marathon as the lead-off race on Friday. The only difference would be having six races on Friday, as they had last year, and nine on Saturday, instead of eight.

Is this ever going to happen? Of course not. But at least it is something to think about.

Smarty Says Goodbye

aspradling — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 23:41:00 GMT

The following story first appeared on Bloodhorse.com on Aug. 15, 2004.

Once again, the fans flocked to the glitter palace that for a brief moment in time was Philadelphia Park. They came to get one final glimpse of the equine king who ruled there for three glorious months, and who was now abdicating his throne at the height of his reign.

Despite the high energy that rippled through the track, Philly Park was no place for sunshine on Aug. 14. The drops of rain that began to fall just as Smarty Jones marched down the stretch for his farewell appearance were matched only by the tears shed by many of his loyal fans. They came to say goodbye, and watching Smarty prancing along on his toes as if longing for competition made his retirement all the more difficult to understand.

Cries of "Smarty! Smarty!" and "We love you, Smarty," poured out from the large crowd gathered along the rail from one end of the stretch to the other. It was one final burst of emotion, whether in the form of cheers or tears, from an adoring public who opened their hearts to this dynamo of a horse.

For Philadelphia Park, they had already spent around $125,000 to refurbish the vacant third floor for Smarty's expected appearance in the Pennsylvania Derby, decorating it with new carpeting and chandeliers and building mutual counters. Another $500,000 was to go toward the construction of temporary seating for 5,000 to 7,000 fans and an air-conditioned VIP tent that would hold about 700. Also in the works had been a proposed $10 million match race between Smarty and his Belmont conqueror, Birdstone, to be held in late September at a track to be announced. The match had already been approved by the connections of both horses, as well as the sponsors. But Smarty’s retirement ended those plans.

"It's going to be pretty teary out there," Philly Park CEO Hal Handel said earlier in the day. "There are a lot of kids and families here. This was our industry's one big chance to get these people involved. But, so be it. Such is life. It's just a shame it has to end this way."

Director of racing Sal Sinatra is still searching for a miracle. "Who knows, maybe in 60 or 90 days they'll change their mind," he said.

Not likely. The bottom line is, Smarty has already passed through that all too familiar portal of time that has disrupted the racing universe for decades. On one side, he was the ruler of all turfdom, a national hero to children and adults of all ages. He turned common folks, like John Servis, Stewart Elliott, Bill Foster, Pete Van Trump, and Dr. Patricia Hogan into household names. He had the city of Philadelphia and the small suburb of Bensalem fighting over him like two jealous suitors. He turned cheese steaks and soft pretzels into soul food. He turned apathy into exultation with his victories and exultation into sorrow with his lone defeat. And finally, he turned sorrow into outrage with his departure. Whatever greatness he might have achieved will remain behind, like an unfinished manuscript filled with beautiful prose, never to be read.

Almost everything that needs to be said about Smarty Jones' retirement has been said, by the media and the fans. Most of it reflects the anger, frustration and disillusionment that comes with retiring a horse like this after promises that he would race again next year. The colt's retirement is not about Three Chimneys Farm. It's the breeder's job to breed and it's the owner's job to race. It was up to the Chapmans to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to retirement. They said yes. It actually was a quote from noted veterinarian Larry Bramlage that ignited the controversy. Bramlage said of Smarty’s chronic bruising in the joints of all four ankles, “The risks are minor. We bring horses back from this injury all the time.” But the comments in general regarding Smarty’s affliction were contradictory and left people wondering just what the nature of the injury really was. (Three Chimneys’ owner Robert Clay said years later that people were never aware of the severity of Smarty's injury. Unlike many of their stallions, Smarty was never able to be ridden on the farm for fear of doing further damage to his ankles).

So, although Smarty Jones leaves racing with the proverbial whimper instead of the expected bang, only time will tell how he'll be remembered and where he'll stand among the top 3-year-olds of his era. He leaves behind the memory of a nine-race winning streak that reached a glorious crescendo in the Preakness Stakes, in what was the most dominating victory in the race’s history. He even shined in defeat, running his three main Belmont Stakes threats into the ground on the backstretch with a pair of scorching quarters, including an outrageous :22 4/5 third quarter, never before recorded in the mile and a half classic. While the others were left floundering up the track, Smarty battled on with sheer courage only to fall one length short of immortality. And to further prove his potential greatness, he leaves behind a legacy of vanquished foes who have since basked in the spotlight he vacated, attaining riches and glory most felt were meant for him.

On Aug. 14, it was no longer about the Chapmans, who were unable to attend the ceremony, or Servis, or anyone other than Smarty Jones. The appreciative fans stripped away their disappointment and came out on a cloudy, humid afternoon to take one final whiff of the rose, knowing it would never fully blossom.

They came decked out in Smarty Jones hats and shirts. Young children held up signs, such as "Smarty you will always be the best in my heart...I will miss you" and "Goodbye Smarty...thanks for the ride!!!" Smarty's entrance had all the fanfare of a Roman legion returning from victory. Members of the large entourage surrounding the colt waved at the crowd as they made their way down stretch, recalling memories of "the walk" on the first Saturday in May. A loud cheer went up when Smarty's blanket was removed as he entered the paddock, revealing the colt in all his physical splendor. Then, following the winner's circle festivities, in which he was presented with a tub of carrots, the cheers started up again as Smarty departed. For the vast majority, it would be the last they would ever see of their hero. It was at this time that the tears began to fall.

There are some in the media who have already placed Smarty Jones in a category with horses like Funny Cide, War Emblem, and Charismatic. That is merely a knee-jerk reaction to the circumstances surrounding his retirement. Smarty Jones will never prove his greatness on paper, but make no mistake, he was great. In fact, there was nothing about him that wasn't great – from his fast times and consistency to his total dominance over horses who went on to achieve success in major stakes. But what separated Smarty Jones from other would-be superstars was the aura of greatness that emanated from him, whether on the racetrack or in his stall. And, yes, even walking from the paddock to the winner's circle to say goodbye. The term "look of eagles" is rarely used any longer, but Smarty had it. He burned it into our hearts, and it is that look that will be missed the most.

In the end, the final glimpse of Smarty Jones heading back to his barn for the last time brought with it feelings of deep gratitude and admiration, but also feelings of sadness and emptiness. After all, heroes are supposed to ride off into the sunset, not walk.

Smarty Jones - Hail the Conquering Hero

aspradling — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 15:48:00 GMT

The following two stories first appeared on Bloodhorse.com on May 5 and May 8, 2004

Hail the Conquering Hero

The full moon had all but faded from the morning sky, and a salmon pink sunrise was now illuminating the tan sheet-metal barns on the Philadelphia Park backstretch. Inside Barn 11, peering out of his once-familiar stall 38, was Kentucky Derby (gr. I) winner Smarty Jones.

That's right, Kentucky Derby winner, Philadelphia Park. To many, the two may seem as closely related as the Belle of Louisville and the Liberty Bell, but there he was, his rich chestnut coat still glistening after a grueling, unforgettable four-month odyssey.

Gone were the lush green grazing areas and airy barns of Churchill Downs. Outside Barn 11, life was as it had been back in January before he embarked on his magical journey into history. Horses ambled about connected to automatic hotwalking machines. Exercise riders and grooms went about their daily chores, their thoughts light years away from the world from which Smarty Jones had just returned.

The night before, at around 9 p.m., Philadelphia's conquering hero had made an entrance worthy of Julius Caesar returning from battle. With his van escorted by two Bensalem police cars, their sirens blaring, and a pair of TV helicopters that had followed him all the way from the airport hovering overhead, Smarty Jones' arrival was announced well in advance.

Philadelphia Park did all they could to make his return home as pleasant and comfortable as possible. B.J. Sasser, the construction, carpentry, and maintenance foreman, put new plywood in the colt's stall, and made sure everything possible was spotless. "We cleaned up as best we could," Sasser said. "I've been here 30 years and never even thought about having a Derby winner here. We just felt fortunate to even have one running in the damn race. Shoot, I can't even imagine what it's going to be like if he wins the next two."

Hanging outside trainer John Servis' barn were two blue and white signs (owners Roy and Pat Chapman's colors) that read, "Congratulations Smarty Jones." Painted on a large flower box resting on the ground outside the barn were the words, "Home of Smarty Jones."

Servis received the biggest surprise when he returned to his Bensalem home last night. "You come around the bend to our street, and the whole way down the development, every single mailbox has got blue and white balloons," he said. "And in front of our house is a great big sign that says, 'Congratulations Kentucky Derby Winner Smarty Jones.' I coach a little league football team, and everything was made up by the kids. There also was a big congratulatory wreath from the mayor (of Bensalem). Since I got home, it's all finally starting to sink in. I get a little emotional when I start thinking about it."

Shortly after Servis arrived Wednesday morning, Sasser and his crew began setting up a breakfast spread for the media under an awning just outside the barn, complete with coffee, danish, donuts, fruits, and juices, as well as a cake trimmed in blue with a frosted figure of Smarty Jones.

Assistant trainer Maureen Donnelly was thrilled to have Smarty Jones back home after being away from him so long. "He's pretty much the same horse that left," she said. "He looks the same as I remember him. I'm sure it was like leaving the Hilton to come back here, but this is still his home. This is where he came from. He's still so great to be around. After he won the Derby I got goose bumps, then I started crying hysterically. He's been through so much and came out of it a champ. When something like this happens it's the pinnacle of your life."

Standing outside the barn, soaking it all in was Servis' father, Joe, a former rider for 11 years, a longtime representative of the Jockey's Guild, and now a steward.

"When I was with the Jockeys' Guild all through the '60s, Churchill Downs was my territory, and I had access to anywhere I wanted to go," he recalled. "I've been everywhere at Churchill Downs except one place. I've never been in the winner's circle...until now. When I headed to the airport yesterday, I started to get choked up. It's just so emotional, and to have everything go so perfectly from the first of January is amazing. This horse at no time missed even a single feeding."

The elder Servis couldn't hold back the pride he felt in his son. "John has always been a very professional, kind person ever since he was a kid," he said. "He was always taught values and to always try to be around good people. Don't keep any deadbeats. If a guy don't belong in the business you gotta let him go and take your losses. He's a special person, and his mother and I are very proud of him. He has a great horse with a great demeanor, and they haven't even emptied his tank yet. The only bad thing is, they won't let me gallop him. I thought the father would have a little more pull."

For John, it was great seeing old familar faces again. He spotted one, an exercise rider known only as Shorty, who passed by the barn on a horse. "Hey, where's that crystal ball of yours? You're the man," Servis shouted.

"The guy is unbelievable," Servis explained. "Over a year ago, he stops me one day and says out of nowhere, 'You know what? I'm watchin' you, and you're gonna be in Kentucky next year.' I told him I was going to be there for the sale, and he says, 'No, no, no, I'm tellin' you, you're goin' to the Derby.' I figured he was just trying to get a mount, so I didn't think anything of it. Now, it's over a year later, and I'm thinkin' that's pretty strange."

By 7:30, members of the media began trickling in, then more showed up, and more. And finally, a massive crowd of photographers, TV camera crews, and journalists had assembled outside Barn 11.

One person to whom several flocked was exercise rider and trainer Bobby Velez, who had galloped Smarty Jones on numerous occasions, while maintaining his small string of four horses two barns down. It was Velez who was the regular exercise rider for Kentucky Derby winner Spend a Buck in 1985. So, here he was, 19 years later, riding another Derby winner at a Delaware Valley track. Spend a Buck had been based at the now-defunct Garden State Park, and ironically, both colts had earned huge bonuses.

"You think something like this happens only once in your life, but to have it happen twice is amazing," Velez said. "Last night when John came back, he gave me a hug and said, 'You should have gone to Oaklawn.' I said, 'You're right.' I couldn't leave my horses, but while Smarty was at Oaklawn my horses didn't do very well. They're cheap horses, but they're still my babies."

When asked to compare Smarty Jones and Spend a Buck, Velez said, "The main difference is that Spend a Buck was a little taller and easier to gallop. This horse likes to take a lot of hold. You had to use two kinds of bridles to gallop him, he was taking so much of a hold. The power you feel in him is unbelievable. One morning, he worked before his first start, with Hector Ramos on him. I happened to be on the frontside, between the eighth pole and sixteenth pole. Hector threw a cross on him, and he got very low and just took off. That day I knew he was a very special horse. Like Spend a Buck, he's one of those freaks that shows up every 15 or 20 years. And I've been very lucky to have been on two of them."

At 8:20, an announcement was made over the public address system: "Attention on the backstretch, the track will remain closed for 15 minutes from 8:30 to 8:45 to allow Smarty Jones to train."

Philadelphia Park officials had come up with the idea and approached Servis about it. "I told them I thought it was a great idea," Servis said. "You don't want anything to go wrong. It just shows you how much Philadelphia Park is loving this horse."

The track has other festivities planned this weekend, which will include visits from the mayor on Saturday, and Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell on Sunday.

With hordes of media stationed outside the barn and up the grassy hill leading to the track, Smarty Jones strolled out of Barn 11 and headed on to the track in isolated splendor. At each gap were clusters of backstretch workers out to see the Derby winner. It was a scene best described as surreal. Even families of geese sauntered up from the infield lake to the outer edge of the turf course to watch Smarty Jones go by. After walking down the backstretch, the colt had a little half-mile jog with Servis, aboard stable pony Butterscotch, alongside before heading back to the barn.

Servis then met with the media for at least 45 minutes, answering all questions thrown at him with candor and eloquence. He summed up his home track and his horse best by saying, "We're from Philadelphia Park, and even back to when we went to Oaklawn, it's been, 'Hey, he's a Philadelphia Park horse; how good can he be?' But he's given everybody something to grasp on to. With everything that's been happening in Iraq and Afghanistan, he's been a bright light in the midst of a lot of dark stories."

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Smarty Wows ‘Em at Philly

From tots in strollers to old men in wheel chairs, Smarty Jones fans showed up at Philadelphia Park in full force Saturday morning to watch their hero gallop and receive accolades by local and state dignitaries.

An estimated crowd of over 5,000, almost double the attendance for a typical Saturday live racing card, jammed Philly Park to cheer on Smarty Jones. Traffic on Street Road backed up well before the 8 a.m. opening, and they were still piling in 30 minutes later.

Young children sat atop their father's shoulders to get a better look at this equine Rocky, some wearing Smarty Jones hats and t-shirts and others wearing Philadelphia Phillies and Flyers hats. By 8:15, the rail was lined nine and 10 deep, and the area outside the winner's circle was a mass of humanity that stretched almost to the grandstand.

Sitting in his wheel chair was octogenarian Frank Gilmore, who lives in Rhode Island and was visiting his in-laws in Yardley, Pa.. This was his first visit to Philadelphia Park.

"It's amazing the size of the crowd that has come here just to watch a horse run up and down the stretch," he said. "But he's a celebrity, and my wife and my son-in-law had to be here to see him. It's fabulous; what a great story."

As the crowd continued to grow, Philadelphia Park's Thoroughbred Racing Protective Bueau (TRPB) agent Lance Morell stood there in amazement and said, "Everytime I think I've seen everything, something else happens."

"It's hard to believe," echoed CEO Hal Handel.

Finally, the moment everyone had been waiting for arrived. As the last tractor made its way off the track following the renovation break, announcer Pat Cummings, who had been keeping the crowd informed of Smarty's whereabouts, bellowed, "And now, coming on to the track wearing a white martingale bridle and blue wraps...a horse to be immortalized as Philadelphia Park's Kentucky Derby champion...ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Smarty Jones!"

The crowd let out a roar, even though Smarty still was only a mere speck off in the distance. Then, trainer John Servis came galloping down the stretch on a pony, as if announcing the arrival of the Roman legion returning from battle. As the cheers increased, Servis waved to the crowd, then came to a stop and, like everyone else, turned his attention to the solitary figure building up steam around the far turn.

"Now, coming around the turn, and the horse looks full of run, folks, here comes Smarty Jones!" announced Cummings, his voice rising to a glorious crescendo.

Smarty Jones, as if knowing his solo act would be short and sweet, made the most of it, arching his neck in regal splendor and tearing down the track at a full gallop with exercise rider Pete Van Trump, as usual, straight up in the irons.

A wave a of cheers followed Smarty Jones down the stretch, and from those cheers came a chorus of whistles and hoots, and several "wows."

"Look at that horse," shouted a woman standing by the finish line, as if amazed by the powerful and graceful figure hurtling past her.

The second time around, Smarty was still flying down the stretch, and Servis broke off in a gallop well before the horse arrived in order to get a good head start on him. Once he caught Smarty on the clubhouse turn and reined him in, he turned around and headed back in front of the stands. Smarty, as usual, turned the switch off as soon as he knew his work was done. By the time he passed by the crowd, his head was down and he ambled by like an old cow strolling in his pasture. Servis waved to the crowd and shouted, "Thank you everybody very much."

After Servis and Smarty headed back off the track, the winner's circle ceremonies commenced. Bensalem mayor Joseph DiGirolomo presented a plaque to Donna Chapman, daughter of Smarty Jones' owners Roy and Pat Chapman.

"Who would ever think this could have happened," DiGirolomo said. "You talk about a people's hero, let's hear it for our people's hero."

He then presented small horse statues to jockey Stewart Elliott and Servis' wife, Sherry, who said, "On behalf of John and Servis Racing Stable and Smarty Jones, we are so fortunate to have you, Bensalem and Philadelphia, as the fans to cheer us on and be behind us. There would be nothing better to hear your roars and cheers when we win the next race, hopefully." That brought another loud ovation from the fans gathered around the winner's circle.

Also addressing the crowd were Pennsylvania State Senator, Robert "Tommy" Tomlinson (R-Pa.), State Representative Gene DiGirolomo, and Robert Green, chairman and president of Greenwood Racing, owners of Philadelphia Park.

When the festivities were over, the majority of the fans remained, milling about in the grandstand, having coffee and donuts, while others attempted to make their way through the large crowd that had converged on the merchandise stand, where Smarty Jones photos, t-shirts, and hats were a hot commodity.

So ended yet another surreal day in the saga of Smarty Jones. It certainly was unlike anything ever seen at Philadelphia Park, or perhaps any racetrack for that matter. The revelry continues on Sunday with a proclamation by Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell, followed on Monday by the presentation of the $5-million bonus check to the Chapmans by Oaklawn president Charles Cella.

As Senator Tomlinson said after the ceremonies, "This is as good as Seabiscuit; absolutely as good as Seabiscuit."

There was no one at Philadelphia Park on this day who would disagree with him.

Smarty Jones - Cinderella Story Continues

aspradling — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 10:22:00 GMT

This story appeared in the May 22, 2004 issue of Blood-Horse magazine

Get the golden coach ready; we're heading to the ball again. After so many failed attempts, maybe this time Smarty Jones can fit into that elusive glass slipper, and Thoroughbred racing and the Visa Triple Crown finally can live happily ever after.

If it's going to happen, this is the year. You can feel it. No one writes a fairy tale with such a flawless script only to have reality creep in and spoil the ending.

After watching the son of Elusive Quality put on a display for the ages in the 129th Preakness Stakes (gr. I), is there anyone now who has doubts that divine forces are guiding this remarkable colt and his supporting cast of colorful characters?

Following his 11 1/2-length annihilation of nine talented opponents May 15, the largest margin in Preakness history, people all through Pimlico wept openly, touched by the magic of Smarty Jones. Not even the sweltering heat and high humidity could prevent goose bumps from popping up on even the most hardened of skeptics.

It was a time for hugs and high-fives, as chants of "Smarty! Smarty! Smarty" resounded throughout Old Hilltop. Smarty Jones' groom, Mario Arriaga, threw his arms around barn foreman Bill Foster and said, "My heart go boom, boom, boom." That could have easily been the sound of the Pimlico grandstand rocking like it hadn't rocked since a plain bay colt named Seabiscuit showed up one November afternoon in 1938.

"Awesome," said Foster, as he looked off in the distance for his horse. "He's a runnin' machine."

Donna Chapman, daughter of Smarty Jones' owners, Roy and Pat Chapman, was sobbing uncontrollably. "Oh, my God, I can't believe it," she said, cupping her hands over her mouth. "He blew everybody away."

Also having difficulty holding back the tears was trainer John Servis' wife, Sherry. "I'm so shaken," she said, her voice quavering noticeably. "It's just a gift from God."

Two days earlier, Sherry had trouble speaking for another reason. She had come down with a case of laryngitis that she admitted could have been stress-related. "But it's a good stress," she said as she followed Smarty Jones to the track for his first gallop over the Pimlico strip. She was still trying to make sense of the Smarty Jones hysteria that had swept the country following the Kentucky Derby (gr. I), and disrupted her and John's once-quiet life in the Philadelphia suburb of Bensalem.

"I feel like I'm in a dream and I'm watching everything moving around me," she said. "It gives me chills every time I think that it's really happening. You think of all the years of hard work, and you ask, 'OK, when is it all going to stop?' And whenever you think it's going to stop it gets harder again. And then, out of nowhere, something like this happens. It's scary how everything has fallen into place and worked out just as John had planned. It's like you're reading it in a book."

The previous chapter of the Smarty Jones saga ended with his victory in the Derby. Then came the “Seven Days in May” that turned what was an already incredible tale into an epic. That's when the city of Philadelphia opened its heart to Smarty, and an instant love affair was born. The people of Philadelphia embrace their heroes like small-town folk. They turned the fictitious character of Rocky into a living, breathing legend. Now, in Smarty Jones they have the real Rocky, a four-legged brawler with a heart as big as the Liberty Bell.

After the Derby, the colt arrived at his home base of Philadelphia Park with police sirens blaring and the whirring sounds of TV helicopters that had followed his van all the way from the airport.

The media flocked to Philly Park. And then the fans came, 5,000 strong, young and old, to watch Smarty gallop on the Saturday after the Derby. They came with cameras of all kinds and Smarty Jones hats and t-shirts. Young children sat atop the shoulders of their fathers straining to get a quick glimpse of this equine legend in the making.

Servis' fellow Philly Park trainers took time out from their daily chores and gathered along the outside rail on the backside to see the horse they all have dreamed about having. One of those trainers was Marty Ciresa, who was so excited his only regret was that he didn't bring his camera. And this was a trainer who was preparing his colt, Little Matth Man, to take on Smarty Jones in the Preakness.

"This is just great," Ciresa said as he watched the fans begin to gather across the track just after 8 o'clock. "You sit around here year after year, and everyone hopes and dreams, and you don't think it could really happen. And then the guy a few barns down wins the Kentucky Derby. It's a strange feeling. I want to win the Preakness, but I don't want to beat him."

On the front side, as fans filled the apron and lined up along the rail nine- and 10-deep, Philly Park CEO Hal Handel took pride in his track and the state of Pennsylvania. It was that pride that made Handel toss back a dart thrown at the state by Churchill Downs CEO Tom Meeker.

"After Meeker made a crack about Pennsylvania, I sent him a basket of Pennsylvania produce and other stuff, from scrapple to soft pretzels, and told him to get used to it," Handel said.

Smarty Jones came out to a hero's welcome, then put on a show galloping twice past the stands before returning to the barn. Although the show was short, everyone was thrilled to have gotten a quick look at this Philly phenom. Afterward, presentations were made in the winner's circle by local and state dignitaries, and the following day, Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell read a proclamation honoring Smarty Jones. The festivities concluded on Monday when Oaklawn Park president Charles Cella presented the Chapmans with a $5-million bonus check for winning the Rebel, Arkansas Derby (gr. II), and Kentucky Derby.

The day before he was scheduled to leave for Baltimore, Smarty Jones galloped so strongly that Servis, on the 23-year-old pony Butterscotch, had a hard time reining him in. "Whoa, big boy, whoa," he shouted to Smarty. As he returned, Servis said, "Man, I do this every day and I'll be down to riding weight. I'm trying my best to slow him down, but the last three-eighths he was hurtin' me."

The next morning, Smarty Jones boarded a van to Baltimore to continue his remarkable Triple Crown odyssey that had begun on a cold winter's day in January at Aqueduct.

Servis felt the Preakness would be the toughest race of Smarty's career. Kentucky Derby runner-up Lion Heart was back, and with three 2004 starts under him now, he figured to be tougher this time. The connections of third-place finisher Imperialism, who had a disastrous trip in the Derby, decided to try Smarty Jones again. Also returning from the Derby field were The Cliff's Edge, who lost two front shoes in the race; Borrego, who had chased Smarty home in the Arkansas Derby; and Song of the Sword. Two new dangers were the fresh horses, Rock Hard Ten and Eddington, who both failed to get in the Derby field due to a lack of graded earnings. The field was completed with Maryland's hero, Water Cannon, winner of five straight, Derby Trial (gr. III) winner Sir Shackleton, and Little Matth Man.

Lion Heart's trainer, Patrick Biancone, offered only a sly grin and a French twinkle in his eye to anyone who asked him about strategy. It was like Napoleon divulging his plans for the battle of Austerlitz. But when Biancone selected post one, the secret was pretty much out.

Biancone commended Smarty Jones' jockey, Stewart Elliott, for his ride in the Derby. He had been hoping Elliott would tackle Lion Heart at the half-mile pole, because his colt was much stronger going into turns than coming out of them, and Biancone was confident Lion Heart could have repulsed the challenge. But Elliott didn't go for it. He waited, taking on the gutsy chestnut nearing the quarter pole. Biancone also praised Servis for selecting post seven at the Wednesday night draw.

"He's shrewd," Biancone said the following morning. "He looks at the statistics. He knows that (post) eight and out on this track you're dead. So he takes seven to make sure I don't go outside of him. Yes, he's shrewd. Trust me, he's a good trainer. He knows what he's doing. All I can do is try to beat (Smarty Jones), and if we don't I will take my hat off to him again. He's a tough cookie and a great champion."

Jason Orman, trainer of Rock Hard Ten, who missed the Derby because he was disqualified from second and placed third in the Santa Anita Derby (gr. I), knew it was asking a lot of his big colt to take on Smarty Jones and some of the others off only three career starts. But he felt the colt's natural talent would make him competitive in the Preakness, while also serving as a prep for the June 5 Belmont Stakes (gr. I). And he had Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens flying in from France to ride the colt.

As in 2003, a jockey controversy surfaced when it was discovered Elliott had failed to mention on his license application in Kentucky that he pleaded guilty to assault charges several years earlier, adding to the soap opera part of the story. But the rider, who was slapped with a $1,000 fine, put it all behind him and focused on the Preakness.

On Friday, Nick Zito, who has had more than his share of bad luck this year, was forced to scratch The Cliff's Edge after the Toyota Blue Grass (gr. I) winner suffered a foot bruise two days earlier.

The closer the Preakness got the more frenzied Smarty Fever became. Credential requests went from a record high 1,548 last year with Funny Cide to 1,706. Requests from Philadelphia newspapers and TV and radio stations skyrocketed from two in 2003 to more than 100. By the end of Friday's early bird wagering, $600,000 had been bet on Smarty Jones at Philadelphia Park, which was more than its fans bet on the entire 18-horse Kentucky Derby field.

Preakness morning brought with it a blanket of stagnant air and an oppressive heat that increased as the day went on. Servis showed up at the barn and appeared cool and calm.

"I'm calm now after yesterday," he said, referring to his near disaster while saddling Stephan's Angel in Friday's Adena Stallions' Miss Preakness Stakes (gr. III). "She almost killed me," he said. "She jumped in the air on all fours, and both hind legs fired at me. I had nowhere to go and she nailed me on the shoulder, and almost kicked me in the head. I'll tell you, that was close."

Servis need not have worried. Divine forces, remember? He did remember on Saturday afternoon in the dining room when someone came over to him and said, "Mr. Servis, I know you'll appreciate this." He then proceeded to show him a copy of the program from the 1934 Kentucky Derby. Although that particular Derby had no significance, Servis opened the program to the Derby field, and there among the starters was a horse named Quasimodo, the nickname given Smarty Jones when he was at the New Jersey Equine Clinic to be treated for a severe eye injury that had left him "hideous looking."

Servis was shocked later that afternoon when he was told Smarty Jones was the 2-5 favorite, up from 1-5. "No way," he said. "That's the kiss of death."

Smarty closed at 7-10, with Lion Heart next at 9-2, and Rock Hard Ten and Imperialism at 6-1. A record crowd of 112,668 poured through the gate, topping the old record of 104,454.

The start was delayed when Imperialism threw a shoe in the saddling area, and then again when Rock Hard Ten refused to be loaded. Finally, at 6:25, they were off, with Smarty Jones almost out-breaking the gate. Lion Heart came charging up along the inside to take a narrow lead into the clubhouse turn, with Imperialism surprisingly third, followed by Song of the Sword and Sir Shackleton. Rock Hard Ten was back in seventh, but only about five lengths off the lead.

Lion Heart again surged to the lead, cutting through fractions of :23.65 and :47.32 over the deep track. Although the Derby runner-up took the first turn wide, Elliott elected to stay outside him and remain in control.

Smarty Jones and Elliott, as usual, were poetry in motion down the backstretch. Smarty stalks his opponents like a cheetah waiting to pounce on its prey. Once he does, the attack is swift and deadly. Lion Heart increased his lead to 2 1/2 lengths, but was still wide, remaining out in the middle of the track around the far turn. "My horse was running so easy, I just took him to the inside and he did the rest," Elliott said.

Smarty Jones' power and class and smooth, effortless way of moving are something that hasn't been seen in a long time. Unlike the Derby, Lion Heart had no answer for Smarty, who charged past him on the inside. No one was threatening from behind, and the crowd, sensing the procession that was to follow, let out a long, sustained roar. Elliott gave a couple of underhanded flicks of the whip, then sat back and enjoyed the rest of the trip, as Smarty tore through the wall of noise, increasing his margin with every stride. He kept throwing his ears around as if he were out for an afternoon romp in the field, then cocked them straight up as he crossed the finish line.

Stevens made a good run to finish second with Rock Hard Ten, but could only admire the chestnut figure getting smaller and smaller off in the distance. "That horse is as good as any horse I've ever seen," Stevens said. "He really reminded me of Secretariat the way he pulled away. I asked my horse for another gear and he gave it to me, and I thought I had shot turning for home, but Smarty had seven gears left.”

Eddington just got up to beat out Lion Heart and Imperialism in a three-horse photo for third. Smarty's final fractions on the way to a final clocking of 1:55.59 were :24.91 and :19.15, which were amazing on such a deep racetrack. With the victory, Smarty Jones is now undefeated in eight starts.

Everywhere you went after the race, the word "freak" was heard, as emotions ran rampant. Gov. Rendell, who has become one of Smarty Jones' biggest fans, spoke with a fervor reminiscent of one of his own political rallies. "That was just awesome, wasn't it?" he said. "It was great for Pennsylvania, but it was great for racing. You look at this little horse and you compare him size-wise to the others and you ask, 'How does he do it?' It's right in here (pointing to his heart). If he wins the Triple Crown, people in Philadelphia will want him to be trucked down Broad Street. The best thing to be tonight in terms of money is a Philadelphia bar owner."

Even from afar, Smarty Jones' greatness could be felt by hard-core realists. "I believe he's as good as any Triple Crown winner, and one of the greatest horses of all time," said Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel, who watched in New York. "He has no chinks in his armor. When they made this horse they threw away the mold."

Looking ahead to the next three weeks, Servis said, "We're gonna have fun in Philly. We're gonna have a good time and root the Flyers home, and hopefully, we can all have a parade down Broad Street."

Roy Chapman, as crusty as ever, had everyone in stitches in his defense of his rider, who had just given a description of the running of the race. "When he was getting aboard that horse in Kentucky, someone called him 'Stu Who, a novice rider,' " Chapman said. "You just heard him describe that race. If that sounds like a novice rider I'll kiss your you know what."

He later added, "I want to make one announcement. I love the press, but my wife and I are going to take up residence in Nome, Alaska, for the next three weeks. We'll see you in New York."

Back home in Philly, several thousand fans attending the Flyers/Lightning Stanley Cup playoff game remained at the Wachovia Center after the Flyers' victory to cheer on Smarty Jones.

Following the post-race interviews, John and Sherry Servis made their way through the grandstand, stopping briefly to watch the replay of the Preakness for the first time. When it was over, John turned around and shook his head in amazement. "Oh man," was all he could say. Sherry continued walking, still shaken by the experience. "I've got chills all over," she said.

By now, a crowd had gathered and was following the Servises, with the chant of "Smarty! Smarty!" starting up again. Sherry could only watch with pride as John signed autographs and posed for pictures. As they finally broke free and headed to a party at the stakes barn, John turned to the security officer leading him and said, "I'm glad you're with me; I know that."

The party lasted well into the night, and as morning broke, the only remnants remaining outside the stakes barn were littered beer cans and water bottles. Smarty Jones nibbled on hay, occasionally nuzzling Butterscotch next door. When Servis showed up, he went over to check on Smarty, and Arriaga showed him the colt's feed tub that had been licked clean. "You're like Smarty," he told Arriaga. "You're a machine."

Amazingly, Smarty was on the muscle as he had his poultice removed and was washed down. He shoved Servis around and kept nipping at him until the trainer finally had to give him the leather strap of the shank to bite on to keep him occupied. At around 10 o'clock, Smarty headed home to Philly Park and another hero's welcome. Soon, he will be off to Belmont Park, where immortality awaits. People all over the country truly believe this time there will be a happy ending when the clock strikes midnight.

There is a saying, "Greatness is a road leading towards the unknown."

Smarty Jones has taken us to the unknown...and beyond.