Horse racing

Wrenice and Hartman looking good

This was one of the busiest mornings of the season at Lone Star. The work tab was full, and several horses looked sharp.

Multiple stakes winner and Texas champion Wrenice worked an easy five furlongs in 1:02, but she finished strongly, with a final quarter in about 24 seconds. She should be close to a race.

Now that the Sunland Park season has ended, its leading trainer, Chris Hartman, has all his horses here at Lone Star, and they seem to be thriving. He sent out several sharp workers this morning, including Etessal. I love the way this big old horse trains: He worked six furlongs in 1:14.60, but he did it easily. He won here last year, but he hasn’t run in 2008. He’s close to ready.

Hartman also had Scared Money work a bullet five furlongs in 1:00.40. She was supposed to work six furlongs, and I assume she did, but everything was so busy just after the renovation break that nobody got a clock on her immediately. I caught her final quarter in 24.85.

Buddha Lady, another from the Hartman barn, worked a lively half-mile in 46.80. Cactus Cafe, from the Randy Mayfield stable, had the day’s bullet at a half-mile, 46.40.

And just before the track closed, when it was probably at its slowest, Lady Mojo worked five furlongs in 1:00.40 (1:00.44), equaling Scared Money for the morning’s fastest time at the distance. But I didn’t think her move as impressive as the earlier one: With Eddie Martin riding, she began quickly, with 34.67 for the opening three furlongs, and came home in 25.97 for the final quarter, galloping out six furlongs in 1:15.88.   

Picking Five and the Lone Star Derby

Saturday’s Lone Star Derby is the centerpiece of the Pick Five, which has a little carryover of $1,833.

The Pick Five begins with the seventh race, the $125,000 Pan Zareta division of the Texas Stallion Stakes. Classie Baloo is the one to beat, coming out of a solid race where she finished second in open company against older horses. But she has been inconsistent for much of her career, and I suspect she’s more likely to bounce off that effort than repeat it. Surfboard, on the other hand, has won three of four, and seems to be improving. She has been pointed at this race for some time. A Pick Five ticket should probably include both. A deeper ticket could also include Formal Flyer and Ms Classic Seneca.

Eighth race: This may be the most contentious of the Pick Five races. Adding to the handicapping puzzle is the turf course itself, which has been unabashedly biased for most of the season in favor of early speed. That means even Enticing Mr. G could have a shot in here since she (yes, this Mr. G is a “she”) will probably grab the early advantage. No Tears In Heaven, who has been transformed by turf into a reliable sort, is the one to beat, but several others could be included.

Stevie Wondergirl got bumped around at the break in her last and has sufficient speed to be prominent from the start; Graceful Touch returns to the turf, where she’s most effective; Runaway Scout also had a rough trip in her last; Hunsa hasn’t shown anything in two races, or in her last workout, by the way, but Cody Autrey, who usually drops this kind to the bottom faster than you can say “fire sale,” runs her here for $25,000, which is just strange enough to include her; and Sun Sheika, who comes from the Asmussen stable, walked out of the gate in her last and should improve.

Ninth race: This is the Stymie division of the Texas Stallion Stakes, where Gold Coyote makes his return. If not for his mind, or the absence of a mind, he’d be running in the Lone Star Derby. He’s very talented. But he’s also . . . well, he’s a little erratic. He refused to run a step on Arlington’s Polytrack, for example. In the Dixieland Stakes, he broke on top, but when Ramsey Zimmerman grabbed hold of him in an attempt to persuade him to control his speed, he would have none of it and just retreated. And in the Jims Orbit Stakes, he had a five length lead in mid-stretch when his new rider, Bobby Walker, gave him a pop, just to make sure he wouldn’t go to sleep, and what did he do? He stuck his toes in the ground, of course, and finished second. He’s easily the most talented horse in the field, and Walker knows him now. Still, Gold Coyote might be a risky single. If does something silly, which is always a possibility, then Ferdinand’s Flyer could get loose, or Ablaze With Spirit could run them all down.

Tenth race: This is a great Lone Star Derby – a full field that’s rife with quality. I’ll be a little surprised, though, if the winner isn’t Samba Rooster or El Gato Malo. When Samba Rooster finished second in the Lexington, he ran the opening half in 45.21. The other half-mile splits that day at Keeneland in two-turn races were: 48.06, 47.34, 48.26 and 49.14. In other words, he went 10 lengths faster than any other front-runner in any other two-turn race that day. He’s fast. And he should control the pace. He’ll get blinkers today, not to keep him from seeing the grandstand or other horses so much as to prevent him from being distracted by Garrett Gomez. Gomez didn’t even carry a whip in the Lexington. But he will today.

Craig Dollase says throw out El Gato Malo’s Santa Anita Derby. The Bad Cat lost it in the paddock. Since then, though, he has trained like a champ with blinkers. And Bejarano replaces Flores in the saddle.

I’d use Limestone Edge on any multi-race ticket, too, but that’s no problem since he’s coupled with Samba Rooster. I was very impressed with Limestone Edge last year when he broke his maiden. Then he got sick, then he ran ninth, and then he became very sore. The trouble was an undescended testicle. That was removed, and he ran strongly in his first race back at Keeneland. His trainer, Bob Hess, seems to be very high on the handsome chestnut.

If you’re looking for an upsetter here, Texas Wildcatter, My Pal Charlie and Leonides have appeal.

Eleventh race: Steven’s Mark drops to the lowest level of his career and is the one to beat, but he also looks like he’s for sale. Zurich, Betabet On Bob and Game Play’s Icon should be included, with Ida Bet Yukon Too and Mimsky having upset possibilities.

Bias

The Lone Star lawn could be the most speed biased turf course in America.

Most turf courses favor late-running types. And for years that had been the case at Lone Star, with front-runners winning only about 20 percent or so of the turf races and late runners accounting for more than 50 percent of the wins and stalkers claiming the remainder. But that’s changed this year. And it has changed so dramatically that Lone Star’s course appears to be the most biased around.

Of the last 22 turf races, 14 have been won by a horse either on the early lead or within two lengths of it after the opening half-mile (or three-eighths in those abbreviated sprints). And eight of those races were won by a horse who took the lead almost immediately. Thursday’s three races were all won by front-runners.

Works

Seeking The Lead is still a maiden after nine races, but I think that will change soon. He worked a sharp five furlongs Thursday at Lone Star in 59.80, shaving 24 seconds for the final quarter-mile. He certainly looks like a horse that can win races. And he has flashed talent in the afternoon from time to time, finishing second last year, for example, in the Remington Mile.

Clocking horses in the morning, looking for  hints of talent in young horses, leaving myself open and receptive to intimations of inconspicuous or unknown abilities – that’s one of the most rewarding and interesting things I do while covering the sport. Covering it, I’d like to think, in a unique way. The workouts at Lone Star this year, however, have been, for the most, underwhelming. And for me, that’s a disturbing indicator of slipping quality. Anyway, I’m still looking for this year’s Euroears, but losing hope that he’s going to appear.

But some workouts over the last two days have been worth noting, in addition to Seeking The Lead’s. Cole Bear outworked stablemate Classic Actress by about five lengths Thursday, when they went five furlongs together from the gate. They began alertly, with an opening half in 48.48, and then Cole Bear just drew clear, completing the distance in 1:01.62.

Cheese Factory, an unraced son of City Street, turned in another good workout, the second I’ve seen. He left the gate slowly, in hand, but then gained momentum, with three furlongs in 36.17 and a half-mile in 47.89, until completing the five furlongs in 1:00.62. He galloped out rather weakly, however, in 1:16.67. Still, keep an eye on this one.

Friday morning, Kinetic Spirit turned in a sharp half-mile in 47.20, and I liked the five-furlong move of Bonnie’s Prospect. He worked five furlongs, but he started at the half-mile pole, running a modest quarter in 24.53 around the turn and going, without being asked, a half-mile in 49.59 and then finishing strongly, to the seven-furlong marker, in 1:01.82, galloping out six furlongs in 1:15.30.

K D King flashed his usual speed with a half-mile in 48.06. Brahms Dynasty finished strongly, with a final quarter in about 24.60, to complete five furlongs in 1:01. Aka Kim Floyd and Aka  Scatmantoo worked together, or at least they started together. Aka Kim Floyd came down the lane with good energy and was more than 15 lengths ahead of her stablemate at the finish, completing five furlongs in 1:00.60.

   

Baffert and the Lone Star Derby

Just got off the phone with Bob Baffert, and he said he’ll be here at Lone Star Park on Saturday to saddle Samba Rooster in the $400,000 Lone Star Derby.

“I love Lone Star,” he said, “of course I’ll be there. I get to Lone Star every year.”

Yes, Baffert loves Six Flags, Whataburger and nearly everything about Texas, as he frequently points out. And his success here has nurtured his affection. Baffert has won 13 local stakes races from 29 starters at Lone Star over the years. And twice he has won the Lone Star Derby, in 1997 with Anet and in 2006 with Wanna Runner.

The future Hall of Famer described Samba Rooster, who’ll be coupled in the betting with Limestone Edge, as “a very fast horse.” Baffert expressed respect for another Californian, El Gato Malo, and said Saturday's race is "looking tough."

Indeed it is. This year’s Lone Star Derby looks as if it could be one of the best editions in years. Here’s the field, drawn just moments ago:

1a. Limestone Edge
2. El Gato Malo
3. Golden Yank
4. Poni Colada
5. King’s Silver Son
6. Texas Wildcatter
7. Ide Like A Double
8. Isabull
9a. Samba Rooster
10. Leonides
11. My Pal Charlie
12.  Fort Apache
13. Real Appeal

The Bad Cat's coming

El Gato Malo, who had been considered for the Preakness, will run instead in Saturday’s $400,000 Lone Star Derby, his trainer, Craig Dollase, said Tuesday.

A winner of three of his five races, including the San Rafael Stakes, El Gato Malo finished fifth in his most recent outing, the Santa Anita Derby.

“He got a little raddled in the paddock,” Dollase said, explaining the only poor performance in El Gato Malo's career, “and then he was just flat. That wasn’t him. But he's trained very well since then, and we're eager to get him back on track.”

Dollase said he decided on the Lone Star Derby in part because of the distance  (1 1/16 miles) and the lucrative purse, but also because he has had success sending horses to Grand Prairie, most recently Monterey Jazz, who won the Texas Mile.

Dollase said El Gato Malo will arrive Thursday at Lone Star from California. Rafael Bejarano, one of the nation's leading jockeys, will ride him Saturday. 

Derby ties

Last year, nearly half the field in the Kentucky Derby had ties to Texas, including the winner, Street Sense, who, of course, was trained by Carl Nafzger. Born in Plainview, Nafzger has a ranch in Olton that he calls home.

And this year’s Derby will be only slighly less connected to Texas. Seven horses entered in Saturday’s 134th Derby have Texas ties, and that may overlook some of the minority partners in a few horses.

Adriano is owned by Don Adam of Bryan.

WinStar Farm has Colonel John in the Derby. Although located in Kentucky, WinStar is onwed by Bill Casner of Flower Mound and Kenny Troutt of Dallas. WinStar is also a partner in Court Vision.

Janice and Robert McNair of Houston own Cowboy Cal, who’s trained by Todd Pletcher, who was born in Dallas and grew up in San Antonio. Pletcher, of course, also has Monba in the Derby.

And then, of course, there’s Steve Asmussen, the all-time leading trainer at Lone Star Park and a resident of Arlington. He’ll send out Pyro and Z Fortune in the Derby.

Another six horses have tenuous and hypothetical ties to Texas. They should be running instead in the Lone Star Derby.

Gold Coyote

This morning’s workouts at Lone Star were, well, slow. The surface, I think, was a little slower than normal; more than anything, though, these were just slow horses. But there was an exception.

Gold Coyote, last year’s Horse of the Meeting at Lone Star, worked an easy five furlongs this morning. With Bobby Walker keeping a snug hold of the horse, Gold Coyote ran the first three-eights of a mile in 38.45 and came home strongly in 24.29 for the final quarter-mile, with a final clocking of 1:02.74 (officially 1:02.80) for the distance. He galloped out six furlongs in 1:15.63.

His trainer, Bret Calhoun, said Gold Coyote, who’s a multiple stakes winner, will make his next start May 10 at Lone Star in the $125,000 Stymie Stakes, run at 1 1/16 miles. The Stymie is restricted to horses by Texas Stallions, which is basically the reason for choosing it over the Lone Star Derby on the same day.

“He’s good enough to run in the Lone Star Derby,” Calhoun said about Gold Coyote, “but that’s not his optimum distance. He’s fine at that distance against Texas-breds, but when we run him in open company (not s restricted stakes, such as the Stymie), we’ll probably shorten him up little bit.”

Purse cuts

The reaction among horsemen this morning at Lone Star Park to the announced cut in purses ran the gamut from stoic disappointment to indignation. Perhaps, though, trainer Ralph Rampellini said it best: “I don’t know why horsemen and racetracks can’t be united for the good of the sport.”

Lone Star has announced that it will cut overnight purses 10 percent, effective May 8. The cut is “in response,” according to a press release, “to the recent decision of the Texas Horsemen’s Partnership, in conjunction with the recently formed Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Group, to withhold the Lone Star signal to all Account Deposit Wagering (ADW) companies in an ongoing dispute regarding the percentage of simulcast wagering that goes to the horsemen.”

The horsemen’s withholding approval hurts only themselves and the fans. On the other hand, Lone Star’s handle is down across the board, and the loss of ADW money accounts for very little of it.

The real problem at Lone Star is declining quality. The last two years, the racing has been, for the most part, mediocre, but with some shining moments. This year, in my view, the quality has taken another step south.

With a declining foal crop in the state, the Texas-bred races rarely attract full fields. Three of the track’s most powerful stables – those of trainers Steve Asmussen, Bret Calhoun and Cody Autrey – have sent many, if not most, of their better horses elsewhere. Asmussen, of course, has operated stables on several fronts simultaneously for years. But this year, he said, he probably has the thinnest group at Lone Star that he has had here in several seasons.

That’s the problem. And cutting purses 10 percent, just as Louisiana Downs prepares to open, can only exacerbate it.

Sing Baby Sing looks sharp

Sing Baby Sing is ready to run. The stakes winner had the best work of the morning at Lone Star Park, going five furlongs in 59.80. I didn’t have him on my watch, but Rick Lee, the assistant clocker, said he caught Sing Baby Sing going the final quarter-mile in 23.87.

Salt Mine flashed some speed out of the gate, going 35.52 for the opening three-eighths and 48.07 after a half-mile, for trainer Gilbert Ciavaglia. And that was against a strong wind.

Sound Stage might be OK after all. The son of Dynaformer has raced twice on turf and hasn’t shown much. But his trainer, Donnie Von Hemel, is a model of patience, and I suspect he’ll bring the colt around. Sound Stage worked an easy half-mile this morning in 50.20 while well off the rail, and he ran the final quarter-mile in 24.52.