The Horse of Tomorrow

re: The Horse of Tomorrow

Wanda — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 00:12:01 GMT

UCLinden: he's sound and has made 100,000 thou. Thought I'd take a shot cause he's only 5.

re: The Horse of Tomorrow

UCLinden — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 12:34:00 GMT

Wanda ....... Not a horse that I would of bought

Here is the broodmare which has the pedigree I pointed out in my Aug 14th writing ......

Desert Gift ...1993 ...Messenger Of Song / Gift Of Luck

If you take a close look at pedigree ...you will notice the full brothers Nasrullah & Nizami .....yes Nasrullah has a brother ....also you will notice also the full brothers Count Fleet ( Fleet Nasrullah ) and Count Speed ( Curious Clover ). If you open the pedigree of Run Of Luck ...you will see them both.

Desert Gift has a yearling ( gelding ) by Hay Halo. Take notice NO ....Northern Dancer ....Native Dancer .... Raise A Native ... Mr. Prospector or Seattle Slew

Desert Gift had a filly this year ( 2008 ) by R S V P Please ( 1993 by Black Tie Affair )

Desert gift is in foal now to Runaway Macho ( 1992 by Runaway Groom ) .... again , NO Northern Dancer , Raise A Native , Native Dancer , Mr. Prospector or Seattle Slew.

One very unique thing about Desert Gift's pedigree ....... NO Man O' War Blood !!!

re: The Horse of Tomorrow

Helen — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 23:18:24 GMT

I hope this is not off topic, but if indeed Student Council represents the horse of the future, then Lava Man is the forefather. As someone

here posted, Student Council did not endear himself initially to the racing public in springing on the scene by beating our beloved King of

CA racing out of his second CA triple crown. In fact I used to refer to Student Council as "That Creep" until a friend slapped me out it.

Horses aren't creeps, it's not his fault. Although Lava Man fits most of the criteria of horse of the future, being the first, and only, horse to

win grade 1 races on all three surfaces, he falls off the beam when it comes to travelling. I wonder how different it might have been if

Steve Asmussen's technique of acclimating Curlin to different tracks by taking him there a month or more in advance wouldn't have made a

difference in Lava Man's legacy (sigh).

I hope I'm right about this Steve, but my nomination for horse of the future is one of my favorites, Montery Jazz. Here's hoping he comes

back stronger than ever.

re: The Horse of Tomorrow

Alan Odenthal — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 15:07:50 GMT

I was in attendance for Student Councils thrilling victory in the Pimlico Special. I had been following his exploits and began paying close attention when he became a permanent fixture in Steve Asmussen's barn.

The victory in the Pimlico Special sold me on the talent and grit of this 6 year old. Find a clip on youtube, and you'll see the same. He came on like a freight train, and would not be denied victory. You could see it in his eyes as he drove to the finish line. It's a race I'll never forget!

re: The Horse of Tomorrow

Wanda — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 14:28:37 GMT

Mr. Parra thanks for giving us a glimpse of what it feels like to own a really good one who's honest as the day is long.

UCLinden thanks for comeback. I'll think a bit harder before I put comments on blogs in the future. If I may, here's the pedigree of a horse we just bought to run on the "B" tracks here: Madraar/Starlight Stella by Saint Ballado. Your thoughts?

re: The Horse of Tomorrow

Steve Haskin — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 13:59:24 GMT

Hi Ro, talk about eloquent. I think you expressed the feelings of what it's like to own a horse like Student Council, or any horse that gives you 100% every time, as well as anyone can. I thank you for expressing those feelings on here and wish you the best of luck with him the rest of the year and as a stallion. Although in my mind he is the horse of tomorrow I'm sure he has several todays still to come.

re: The Horse of Tomorrow

Ro Parra — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 12:59:18 GMT

Steve,

Let me begin by assuring you that this will be far the most biased response to your blog posted on August 13th titled THE HORSE OF TOMORROW.

While I was well aware of STUDENT COUNCIL’s accomplishments, I never thought of them in the context of “The Horse of Tomorrow”. Judging by reading other responses, some people agree, some disagree and others have opinions of their own. I, as expected, am in agreement with your assessment and very excited about Student Council’s prospect as a stallion. My hope is that he will be able to pass on (to his progeny) the very qualities you so eloquently outlined.

As his owner, I can’t begin to tell you the thrill of owning a horse like him. Yes we could have retired him last year and I am sure he would have been an exciting stallion prospect based on being a G1 and G2 winner on 2 different surfaces. While I could lead you to think the reason for keeping him in training was entirely altruistic, there were also financial considerations for deciding what we did. He was VERY sound and both Vladimir Cerin and Steve Asmussen believed the horse had several good races left in him and could accomplish even more in 2008. Our goal was to add to his racing resume, and in hindsight, it was a good decision. Incidentally, Student Council has not asked to re-negotiate his contract.

As a fan, I am awe-struck every year by the horses that provide us with so much excitement. Before I became an owner, I could only dream what it might be like to own a super star like Seattle Slew, Genuine Risk, Affirmed, Sunday Silence, Paseana, Easy Goer, Lost Code (one of my favorites). Now that I am involved in the business, I am still in awe of the likes of Curlin, Zenyatta, Big Brown, Ginger Punch (even though she beat my filly Copper State in the Go For Wand) and of course our big horse, STUDENT COUNCIL.

When I make my first visit to Del Mar for the Pacific Classic on Sunday, August 24th , I am not sure if Student Council will win or lose in the 30th start of his career. I am also not sure if the Whitney took too much out of him. I am not sure if we are doing right by him by “dancing every dance”. I am not sure if we will have enough horse left for the BC Classic. What I am sure about is that STUDENT COUNCIL will run his heart out and that in victory or defeat and that he will make all of us that have connections to him very proud.

In closing, STUDENT COUNCIL may or may not be the HORSE OF TOMORROW. He may or may not be THE HORSE OF THE YEAR in 2008. What I do know is that to me, he is “THE HORSE OF A LIFETIME” and that I may never own another one like him. Therefore, I am just “enjoying the ride” and the content of your column was a very much appreciated “icing on the cake”

Thank you.

Ro Parra

re: The Horse of Tomorrow

UCLinden — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 09:25:13 GMT

The Horse Of Tomorrow : A filly that wins The Triple Crown ....... now how exciting would that be ??? Can you imagine the interest / excitement that would generate across the nation ? I believe it's that far off either.

Here's a thought for you to ponder. It's based on the comment that " Clay ...... Aug 14th "

made ....... " The horse of tomorrow better be able to run on synthetics because that is where the industry is headed. When Churchill downs changes surfaces it will cause a cascading effect. "

Now if Churchill Downs does change over to synthetic ...... do we put an asterisk next to The Kentucky Derby to signify race was run on different surface ? Now, if that is the case , when the change is made to the surface , why not also go ahead and change the number of weeks between each race. .... make a total change ..... that would make sense. As I mentioned in a previous blog ....... the change will come after 2010.

To Wanda ( Aug 14 ) ..... no harm ... no foul ....... understood ...... don't feel bad ....... keep on smilin.

re: The Horse of Tomorrow

Steve Haskin — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 04:24:41 GMT

Mike, you're not the only person who gets more hostile than normal on these things, because your words are directed at a faceless person. When you get your points across, try to picture a person's face on the other end, as if you're talking to them in person.

ShamFan, I know there has been a bit of a delay in the book; it's going to be pretty controversial in its depiction of a main character in the Dancer's Image case. You can send me your e-mail address (shaskin@bloodhorse.com) and I'll forward your comments to the author.

re: The Horse of Tomorrow

MIKE RELVA — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 01:54:06 GMT

Steve:

I understand and will tone down. The reason I make remarks like those is to make an impact,call it shock value. I know it's not the correct approach I should be taking,but it feels good @ the time,lol. Thank you for publishing my responses,I hardly ever miss reading your blog.

re: The Horse of Tomorrow

shamfan49 — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 01:18:20 GMT

Steve, you seem to have access to some insider information about the forthcoming Dancer's Image book that I do not. Would you kindly forward its author my e-mail address so that I can be first in line for an autographed copy? Thanks in advance.

On another note, my previous post contains a typo. I actually mistyped the same word twice. I caught the second, but not the first. The word ‘Commission’ appears 2 times. The first time it’s missing an ‘s’. I regret the error.

re: The Horse of Tomorrow

Clay — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 00:25:14 GMT

The horse of tomorrow better be able to run on synthetcs because that is where the industry is headed. When Churchill downs changes surfaces it will cause a cascading effect. Oaklawn has a great dirt surface. And Oaklawn has always been about developing 3 year olds into stakes contenders. Look at the distance progressions of their stakes schedule. 6 furlongs then mile then 1&1/16th then 1&1/8th, which lead to the 1&1/4 mile derby. They have emulated Churchill downs from the beginning by copying their surface so that the Arkansas Derby winner will always have the best chance, and I believe this is a good thing. But they will also change their surface when Churchill does and so will Gulfstream and Fair Grounds. Its all about giving the youngsters the best chance at winning the derby.

So when the change is made at Churchill the horse of the future (I believe in ten years) will be on synthetic and the dirt horse that hates synthetic will be stable ponies.

re: The Horse of Tomorrow

Steve Haskin — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 22:52:25 GMT

Mike, I only mention it because our moderators had pulled your last two comments, so obviously they found certain things in bad taste. I had them publish it, because you made some good points. I just thought I'd say something, so the moderators dont yank future things of yours. And the same goes for others who get too personal in their attack. For example, "If you had your facts in order," "To knock him shows just how much you know," "Thats what anyone with any sense would read into it," "Every response you write is like a broken record." All I'm saying is that you can make your points without getting so personal. I tell you this because I dont want our moderators to have to remove your posts.

re: The Horse of Tomorrow

Bradgm — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 22:51:44 GMT

Mike Relva,

Dude, I have agreed with you on some things you have said in the past and we all have mutual feelings about Draynay. Some things you can get away with on other blogs on BH, don't fly on here. Things got carried away on his other blog. Don't hate on my man Steve, I'm waiting for his next book, whenever that may be.

re: The Horse of Tomorrow

MIKE RELVA — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 21:54:19 GMT

Steve:

Regarding your comments about my responses being degrading I wanna say that many individuals who read and respond to your blog are far more degrading. First,I never use curse words when I'm "calling someone out". my point is you have many readers as you well know that have no clue what they are talking about! Not only that,but I feel it's degrading for anyone to disrespect the race horse. For example,one of the individuals that I directed my attack critized War Emblem and I felt compelled to point out that how could he win the Belmont when he almost fell to the ground coming out of the starting gate. I've read many responses far more critical than mine. Also,I own a couple of horses that race in Fla. where I'm org. from. I feel that I possess knowledge regarding racing.That's not to say I'm an expert,of course I'm not. I don't own horses for an economic means to an end. I have them for fun. Years ago while in college I didn't know someday I would ever own racehorses'. As I stated,I have a career already. I believe that the horse comes first. At least from my perspective mine do. I admire you as a great writer and enjoy reading your blogs. I'm also a huge Invasor fan and recently read your book on the great Kelso. Out of respect for you I will curtail my remarks in my future responses on your blog,but I feel without a doubt other readers should follow suit as well.

re: The Horse of Tomorrow

Wanda — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 21:39:43 GMT

UCLinden: It was not my intention to question your knowledge of pedigrees, I'm sorry if you took it that way. Again I feel bad about that.

re: The Horse of Tomorrow

joe — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 21:31:18 GMT

Once upon a time the iron horse/the triple crown winner rose through the 2 year old ranks STEADILY like Secretariat, Affirmed/Alydar and the Bid, or suddenly, making opposition inconsequential: I recall CBS's 1976 Champagne coverage and the buzz about Seattle Slew. As the bulbs flashed in the winners' circle, he appeared unnerved; Frank Wright or Jack Whittaker remarked "He'd better get accustomed to photographers!" Now two year olds are trained toward ONE race, the BC Juvenile. And what have the results been? Early injuries and/or early retirements. Steve, I loved your chapter on a horse whose Belmont win thrilled me: Afleet Alex. I can't argue with his early retirement, or sturdy training schedule-probably kept him up at the Preakness. Among Juvenile winners Street Sense gone too soon but healthy; Timber Country and Unbridled's Song injury plagued. Breeding? Or a change in training direction toward one race/one championship?

re: The Horse of Tomorrow

da3hoss — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 20:05:18 GMT

Hey Steve, I'm rooting that BB and Curlin do go to the BC and SC blows the door off both..;-0

re: The Horse of Tomorrow

da3hoss — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 20:03:59 GMT

I can't wait for Dancer's Image book to come out. I ride by Runnymeade farm a lot...I will always agree with the billboard sign right out front by the road proudly stating "Dancer's Image, winner of the 1968 Kentucky Derby"...right beside Mom's Command!

re: The Horse of Tomorrow

Steve Haskin — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 19:46:56 GMT

Kelly, I have all the admiration for Dancing Forever and his whole family history, but again you are mentioning only grass races -- by the way, he was second in the GP Turf Handicap, which is on grass, not the Gulfstream Park Handicap, which is on dirt. No one is direspecting him. He simply doesnt fit the profile of the horses I am talking about. I dont know how else to say it. And to answer your question, no, Curlin is not the horse of tomorrow. I am not in position to call out anybody. In my last blog I stated that I have mixed feelings about Jackson's decision. I would like to see him run in the Classic, but I can understand his reluctance to run on an untested synthetic surface. Student Council will run anywhere, on any surface, and will run well and give 100%. That is the horse of tomorrow.

re: The Horse of Tomorrow

Rebs Policy — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 18:42:10 GMT

Nice article Steve.

People may sometimes offer the "fuzzy end of the lollipop" when it comes to praise for a horse like Student Council as he and his record may seem comparatively drab when thrown up against the current achievements of a horse such Curlin. IMO, Curlin would generally appeal to more people, including the uninitiated, simply due to his more dramatic coloring and looks. (Charles Hatton, when waxing poetic about Secretariat, noted that chestnuts seem to have a more visceral appeal than your average dark bay/brown. I agree with him wholeheartedly.) That being said, I can't think of anyone who would not be thrilled with owning a animal like Student Council. Even if it may be for the most shallow of reasons and or sound perfectly vulgar, but S.C. is a 'cash cow'.

He sped ('crawled' if you consider the final time) into the limelight at Del Mar in last year's Pac.Classic but he was none to beloved because in doing so he defeated CA's grand ol' man du jour, Lava Man. Also the 'play' of the polytrack at DM in `07 was goofy. Student Council is a tough sell emotionally beginning with his first big success. I loved his win in the Special this year and (I felt) he was an easy pick to prevail in that race.

Had Heatseeker not been injured, I conjecture that we would be mentioning him in this company in a heartbeat. (His sire, Giant's Caueseway, was not referred to as an "Iron Horse" for naught.) Heatseeker had dad's looks and an apparent nonchalance about surface changes.

Heatseeker MAY be a bargain these first few seasons as a stallion for those who don't have the ducats to pony up for Giant's Causeway.

I personally can't wait to see how the Hard Spun offspring fair. handled dirt with aplomb & certainly had no reservations about synthetics. (...well, at least Polytrack)

Just some (fast)food for thought.

All the best,

"Reb"

re: The Horse of Tomorrow

Kelly E. — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 18:14:14 GMT

I just have a soft spot for Dancing Forever. I was only teasing you with the "shame" and "snub" comments. :) Recently Dancing Forever has a 2nd against the well-respected Einstein in the GI Gulfstream Park Handicap...a win in the GII Elkhorn at Keeneland...a 1st in the GI Manhattan at Belmont...and if he beats Red Rocks and Better Talk Now this Saturday in the GI Sword Dancer at Saratoga...he will have done what the magnificent CURLIN could NOT do!

DF has travelled (admittedly East Coast) a bit this year, too. He is a 5yo, not a 3yo, so should be also given respect for staying in training despite set-backs.

Steve, does this mean you don't think Curlin is the "horse of tomorrow" (just HOTY)? He has stayed in training, yes, but apparently is not able to adapt (though a 2nd is respectable!). He has travelled (to Dubai in particular - running against overmatched rivals), yes, but will you call him out for not competing in California for the BC Classic on synthetic surfaces (if he doesn't go)? Just curious.

re: The Horse of Tomorrow

shamfan49 — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 17:57:19 GMT

Steve, with all due respect, I do not now nor have I ever claimed to know anything more about the Dancer's Image situation than I stated above. According to the note for Dancer’s Image on www.pedigreequery.com, he “Won KY Derby but was DQed for traces of Bute, which was not allowed at the time.” He is not included on any list of Kentucky Derby winners, that honor goes to runner-up Forward Pass. At best there is a note about the disqualification. The chart for that race published by Churchill Downs in its 2005 Kentucky Derby Media Guide contains the following note: “The foregoing is an unaltered reprint of a copyrighted record of Triangle Publications. Dancer’s Image finished first. Forward pass (sic) second but because of the finding of prohibited medication of Dancer’s Image, except for pari-mutual pay-offs, Forward Pass was held to be the winner and first purse money and gold cup trophy were awarded to its owner, Calumet Farm, by orders of the Kentucky State Racing Commision.” I made two alterations to this quote. The text I copied was printed in italics, my quote is not. I entered the ‘(sic)’ after their typo. I have not read anywhere that the decision of the Kentucky State Racing Commission was ever reversed or altered. For those interested more information can be found at en.wikipedia.org/.../Dancer's_Image. I am glad to learn that a book is in the works, and look forward to reading it.

re: The Horse of Tomorrow

Steve Haskin — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 17:48:32 GMT

Kelly, yes you are far off the point. Longevity was only a minor part of it. You will see the horses I wrote about -- mainly Student Council -- and to a lesser degree Awesome Gem -- have proven themselves on all surfaces, and have stayed around. The horse of tomorrow is going to have to handle synthetic and dirt, and grass would only help, if he is going to be embraced by the public all over the country -- not just in California or New York. Racing fans all over the country have gotten to see Student Council run in person because he is able to ship to any track, regardless of what surface they run on. You use terms like "shame on you" and "no reason to snub him." Dancing Forever is an East Coast grass horse, one of dozens. He in no way can be compared to a horse like Student Council. No one is snubbing him.

re: The Horse of Tomorrow

UCLinden — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 17:21:59 GMT

Wanda ........ your reply Aug 14th ........

" UCLinden:I respectfully disagree with your comment that Curlin is not bred for poly.There is no poly breeding "

You are most certainly allowed to disagree with me , as is anyone else. If I did not know my pedigree's, I would not make a blank statement. I " think " I have done enough research on pedigree's to make a valid point about horse's that can run better on poly / artificial tracks than other horses. I did not only scour thru thoroughbred pedigree's but also those of equestrian horse's to help me in my research, as some equestrian horse's are the result of crossing a thoroughbred with another breed of horse. I wanted to know why did they decide to use a thoroughbred to breed to , since equestrian as you well know differ's from horse racing.

Wanda, since you brought up the fact "My husband is the race operations foreman here" , I have a question for either you or he. I have wondered and looking for someone's opinion. I have to trust your judgement on this one. Would it make a difference if any of the following were incorporated into the racing surface .......

" shredded coconut hulls" , " shredded bamboo " or " pulverized / crushed nut shells ". Also, how about the addition of perlite?

Let me give you an example of pedigree breeding. I happen to have a broodmare who has the thoroughbred horse " Russia " , which not many of you have heard of. Here is a little something about that horse ......

"Russia was a notable Australian thoroughbred racehorse. He was a chestnut son of Excitement from the mare Lady March. A hardy competitor he competed for seven seasons over distances from 5 furlongs (1000m) to 2 ¼ miles, starting 89 times for 22 wins. His biggest win was the 1946 VRC Melbourne Cup which he won by 5 lengths in a time of 3 minutes 21.25 seconds that equalled the then race record set by Wotan ten years earlier. He won a further 10 races following his Melbourne Cup win before his owners sold him to American interests.

Russia can be found in the pedigree of Hill Rise (1961 ) , who just happens to be in pedigree of this broodmare.

This broodmare also happens to have Bernborough .....which again many of you may not heard of .......

1946 brought to the public eye the 'Toowoomba Tornado,' Bernborough. For reasons too complicated to unravel here, Bernborough was barred from racing anywhere else in Australia except in the Queensland provincial city of Toowoomba, until he was 6 years old. After he resumed unplaced in Sydney, the horse, in six short months, strung together such a remarkable series of victories that he was given the rating of super champion by the handicappers, when they framed the weights for the spring events of 1946. Given 10.10 for the Caulfield Cup and 10.9 for the Melbourne Cup, he was, at the time, considered the equal to Phar Lap.

Bernborough sired the horse Berseem, who also is in this broodmare's pedigree.

One last item .... this broodmare also happens to have the horse " Hillary " who was the sire of Hill Rise. Russia was the dam sire of Hill Rise. Hillary can be found in the pedigree of Sunday Silence.

Hopefully, I am breeding " tomorrow's horse ". This broodmare does NOT have .... Northern Dancer , Native Dancer , Raise A Native , Seattle Slew or Mr. Prospector.

Steve, forgive me for getting off course and making this so long ; didn't want anyone to think I had no clue about pedigrees ... LOL