Horse racing

Horse of the Year is clear

In another case of democracy having run amok, Zenyatta jumped to the top of this week's NTRA poll, released this afternoon. Zenyatta received 11 of 18 first-place votes, with Curlin getting the other seven. This is the first time this year that Curlin hasn’t sat atop the weekly poll.

I should have seen this coming. Late Saturday night, hours after Raven’s Pass had won the Classic, I gave an acquaintance a ride from Santa Anita back to the hotel in Pasadena, and as we parted, he said, in what I thought an awkward valediction, “I guess this means Horse of the Year is wide open.”

Well, I wasn’t in a particularly jolly mood at the time, having just seen the results of the Breeders’ Cup’s relentless efforts to pucker up to Europe. And under the circumstances,  I thought I was polite. I didn’t say, “That’s  moronic.” I didn’t say, “Was your mother, when she was pregnant with you, exposed to high levels of radiation?” I didn’t even say, “Only fools would think so.”

No, I just mumbled “flapdoodle” as the elevator doors closed. But the next morning, in the Los Angeles Times, which devotes more space than sense to the coverage of the sport, I read something about Zenyatta possibly being Horse of the Year. Read it again elsewhere Monday morning. I read that there’s suddenly a debate about Horse of the Year. I read that John Shireffs, whose judgment has always been sober and reliable, said he thought Zenyatta should be considered for the sport's golden Eclipse Award.

And then today, the poll came out, confirming my fear that the foolish, the uninformed, the uneducated and the downright stupid, when grouped together, represent a powerful majority.

I’m generally open to a diversity of opinion. But how can the American championship be determined by races run over a surface that's unfamiliar to the majority of American horses? On this, there’s a right side and a wrong side. This is a watershed issue: Curlin is Horse of the Year.

Yes, I love Zenyatta, too. Indisputably, she’s a champion. But she’s not Horse of the Year. She was unbeaten in seven races, but except for the Apple Blossom at Oaklawn  Park she raced exclusively in California. She earned $2,090,580 this year, and among her victories were four Grade I stakes, in which she defeated a total of 21 starters.

Curlin, on the other hand, traveled half-way around globe to win the world’s richest race, the Dubai World Cup. And then he traveled from Kentucky to New York to California, running in major events all along the journey. He won five of seven, his only losses coming on turf and faux dirt. He won four of his six Grade I stakes, where he defeated a total of 46 horses. And he earned $5,399,000 this year, pushing his career earrnings beyond $10 million, to become the richest horse ever to race in North America.

Clearly, their accomplishments are not comparable. Curlin earned more than twice as much money and beat more than twice as many top horses as Zenyatta.

Moreover, on this subject, history is insistent. Zenyatta never took on males, and I’m not interested in the politically correct explanation that this was the wrong year for such a move.  In the history of the sport, six fillies or mares have been named Horse of the Year: Twilight Tear, 1944; Busher, 1945; Moccasin (shared the award with Roman Brother), 1965; All Along, 1983; Lady’s Secret, 1986; and Azeri, 2002. (Before 1971, the Thoroughbred Racing Associations and the Daily Racing Form named champions; since 1971, the groups have joined the National Turf Writers in voting for the winners of the Eclipse Awards.) And four of the six defeated males on their way to winning the sport’s highest honor. Lady’s Secret, for example, won the Whitney, Twilight Tear the Pimlico Special and All Along the Turf Classic.

Azeri is the only recent exception. Yes, she was spectacular, but she won the honor largely by default. In 2002, the best 3-year-olds faltered in the fall when they took on older horses. The best older horse, Left Bank, ran only a few races before leaving the stage. Volponi, a 43-1 long shot, won the Classic.

That’s hardly the case this year. Curlin won four Grade I races, including the richest of all races, and he became the richest of horses.

And if Curlin isn’t Horse of the Year, if this confederacy of the foolish, the uninformed, the uneducated and the downright stupid is successful, then what kind of message will that send? Well, the next time a 3-year-old is named Horse of the Year, his owner will certainly hesitate to race him at 4. Why bother? And the next time a horse becomes the richest ever to race in North America, his owner won’t risk running him in the Breeders’ Cup, won’t risk running  him in anything or anywhere, but will instead just accept all the accolades, the cash, the championship and the stallion deals while sitting on the sidelines.

Yes, if Curlin isn’t Horse of the Year, it’ll be another instance of the sport’s sharpshooters taking aim and blowing a hole right through a perfectly good foot.

A modest proposal

The Breeders’ Cup in recent years has courted the Europeans shamelessly. The Breeders’ Cup has adopted “Rule, Britannia” as its theme song, Guinness as its beverage of choice and pommes frites as its official junk food; it has turned somersaults, bent over backwards, and embraced the concept of porcine lipstick.

None of this should come as a surprise. After all, whose Cup is it? And the breeders are very aware that many of their richest and most active buyers race in Europe. In addition, many prominent persons in American racing have close ties to Europe, including the most prominent, Will Farish, an anglophile of sorts and former ambassador to the United Kingdom.

And so, in part to attract the Euros, the Breeders’ Cup has added races each of the last two years, including turf events for juveniles, even though 2-year-olds in this country generally go to the grass only to eat it. The shameless pandering reached an extreme this year, of course, when the Breeders’ Cup moved its dirt races to ersatz dirt, thereby transforming them into simulated turf events.

John Gosden (above, left) – bless his self-serving, pontificating Sussex-born soul – called this conscientious effort to globalize the Cup a leveling of the playing field, and he effusively praised Santa Anita’s synthetic but smelly Pro-Ride surface as fair. Because it minimizes kickback, he said, it gives the European horses a fair chance. He didn’t say that because synthetic surfaces tend to be more like turf courses than traditional dirt tracks they actually give the Europeans an advantage; but, of course, that would be tilting, not leveling, the playing field.

Well, the next move is Europe’s. The Breeders’ Cup has done everything it can to hand over the event, which is largely financed by Americans, to Europe. How about a little reciprocation?

It’s time for European racing to make itself more accessible to Americans. And with that in mind, I hereby make this modest proposal: Run the Prix d l’Arc de Triomphe on dirt.

That seems only fair. The Breeders’ Cup, the foremost racing event in America, has shamelessly pandered to Europeans by turning even its dirt races into simulated turf affairs, and so it would be only fair that Europe’s foremost event switch surfaces, too, in an effort to appeal to Americans.

Yes, it’s just a modest proposal, as Dr. Swift would say, but Curlin might even stick around another year for a dirty Arc. There could be logistical problems, I realize, but Longchamp has plenty of room to add a dirt course. Just imagine it: On the first Sunday in October, some of the best horses from America and Japan, along with the best from throughout Europe, converge on a shiny new but not smelly track just outside of Paris for the first dirty Arc de Triomphe.

It’s just a modest proposal, but like this year's Breeders' Cup, the Arc's move to dirt would certainly level the playing field.

Handicapping more of the Cup

MARATHON
Two years ago, Sixties Icon won the St. Leger, one of England’s most prestigious races. He is, in other words, a top horse, one who’s capable of competing at the highest level, and he enters the inaugural Marathon trailing a string of victories – three of them, to be precise. In Europe, in the futures wagering on the Breeders’ Cup, only Zenyatta has shorter odds than Sixties Icon, and that’s not because of parochialism or jingoism, but rather it’s a reflection on the absence of other horses who are proven at this distance and this level.

Delightful Kiss, should he win, would be the feel-good story of the Breeders’ Cup. The horse is a non-sweater, which means the early post time, before the California sunshine bakes the event, could be significant. Most important, his 76-year-old trainer, Pete Anderson, was a jockey for 26 years and has trained horses for 30 years. He won the Belmont Stakes on Cavan, and he rode Forego, and this is his first starter in the Breeders’ Cup. Delightful Kiss is also the only horse in his barn.  Zappa could be dangerous, having won at the distance and on a synthetic surface. And Big Booster, who’s unproven at the distance, has raced in top company. Big Booster, by the way, comes from the stable of trainer Mike Mitchell, who also has Church Service, who at 10-1 could represent some value. His connections have been pointing Church Service for the Marathon ever since he won the  Dallas Turf Cup at Lone Star Pak.

Picks: Sixties Icon, Delightful Kiss, Zappa, Big Booster.
 
TURF SPRINT
This should be one of the most entertaining of all the Breeders’ Cup races. And at 6-1, Mr. Nightlinger could be one of the more inviting plays. He has won five consecutive turf sprints, including four stakes. Most important, he hasn’t only won; he has dominated. As his trainer, Bret Calhoun, pointed out, Mr. Nightlinger isn’t hanging on desperately at the finish; he’s usually drawing away. And so even though he’s being asked to run a little farther in the Turf Sprint, there’s no reason to think the distance will be a problem. And remember, last year Mr.  Nightlinger was stakes-placed, in the Lone Star and Pomona Derbies, while racing around two turns. He’s fresh – fresh horses generally run strongly in major sprint stakes – and even his No. 14 post position is an advantage. Because of the right turn at the bottom of the hill, the outside post positions produce a little edge on the downhill course.

Got Funky has won two of his three races down the hill, and experience counts greatly on this course. Fleeting Spirit raced with some success with the best sprinters in Europe. And Storm Treasure, a beautiful chestnut colt, could charge home at very long odds to get a sliver of pie. He has looked very strong in his morning preparation.

Picks: Mr. Nightlinger, Get Funky, Fleeting Spirit, Storm Treasure

DIRT MILE
Ironically, the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile still has not been run at a mile on the dirt. Last year, at Monmouth Park, it was run at a mile and 70 yards. And that’ll be close to the actual distance here. At Santa Anita for mile races, the gate is placed well behind the pole, meaning there’s a long run-up. And, of course, this isn’t run on dirt, but on faux dirt, specifically on the combination of rubbery sand, polymetric binders and carpet finders known as Pro-Ride.

Anyway, I like two horses here, Well Armed and Lewis Michael. They’ve both looked sharp in the mornings, especially Well Armed,  they’re both proven on a synthetic track, and they could both enjoy a good, perhaps perfect, stalking trip behind Two Step Salsa and Mast Track.

Lord Admiral, who’s making his synthetic track debut, could be a lovely play at 20-1. The veteran has won only six races in his career, but he sometimes has run in illustrious company, with such standouts as New Approach, Archipenko and Darjina. If that form transfers to the faux dirt, he’s in the game. Pyro is certainly good enough to win, but his poor effort in the Blue Grass at Keeneland raises questions about his ability to handle the surface. Albertus Maximus seems to be improving, as would his chances if the pace warms up.

 Picks: Well Armed, Lewis Michael, Lord Admiral, Albertus Maximus

MILE
A 3-year-old filly won the Mile the last time the event was here, at Santa Anita. And this renewal could produce a similar outcome, with Goldikova, who’s the 3-1 favorite in the morning line. She has lost only three races in her life, and two of those were to Zarkava, the sensational superstar who won the Arc. Goldikova simply looks better than these, having defeated older horses in each of her last two. At least, on paper she looks better than these. In the flesh, well, she looks delicate. She’s very feminine and doesn’t carry much weight, but that may be normal. She does seem to have adjusted to her new environment, and her trainer, Freddie Head, compares her favorably with a great horse he rode in the 1980s, Miesque, who won the Mile twice.

Kip Deville, who won this race last year, may be overlooked, partly because of a poor effort in his most recent outing. But that was on a yielding course; otherwise, he seems nearly as good as he was a year ago. U S Ranger, one of the Europeans who hasn’t received much attention, has run his best on firm ground, which he’ll find at Santa Anita. And Shakis has been a picture of readiness in the morning.

Picks: Goldikova, Kip Deville, U S Ranger, Shakis

JUVENILE
The youngsters converging on this year’s Juvenile aren’t especially accomplished. They may go on to prove themselves, of course, but for the moment they represent potential and promise rather than ability and accomplishment. In such a group, Bushranger is intriguing, especially at 6-1. He won a Group I race in France and another in England, and although he has much to overcome in terms of adapting, he appears to have a talent advantage in an otherwise undistinguished group.

Square Eddie won the Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland in his American debut. The race wasn’t very fast, but it was visually impressive, and Square Eddie has looked sharp and eager here in the mornings. Munnings has sufficient natural speed to get himself loose on the early lead. And this surface, which has been incredibly fast, just might carry him along a little farther than he might otherwise be inclined to go. Still, he never has raced on a synthetic track. Midshipman, a very handsome chestnut colt, appears to be thriving, and his talents are obvious. He is, however, “timid,” according to his trainer, Bob Baffert. But with a good trip, he can overcome his timidity.

Picks: Bushranger, Square Eddie, Munnings, Midshipman

JUVENILE TURF
Heart Shaped came here from Europe with very modest credentials, and she nearly won, missing by a nose, the Juvenile Fillies Turf event. Well, Westphalia is more accomplished than his stablemate who nearly won the Juvenile Fillies. Heart Shaped had never finished better than fourth in a major stakes race. Westphalia, on the other hand, just won the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster, and, like most of the Europeans, he’ll go on Lasix for the first time in his American debut.

Grand Adventure is a big, strong colt who appears to be doing well and to have a bright future. Unbeaten in two races, he won the Summer Stakes at Woodbine despite what his trainer, Mark Frostad, described as the “trip from Hell.” Grand Adventure is an exciting young horse, and I was set to pick him until he drew post position No. 12. That can be a profound  disadvantage on this course. Donativum ran as if he were in a demolition derby before being gelded, but he has won two races since then. And Vaquero has made a very positive impression this week with his eager training.

Picks: Westphalia, Grand Adventure, Donativum, Vaquero

SPRINT
Street Boss has won six of his last eight, all sprinting and all on a synthetic track. He’s not  the kind of horse that invites support at short odds because he’s a stretch-runner, whose momentum can always be interrupted and who can be forced to race wide. But he’s going to get a rapid pace to set up his rally, and he’s acceptable at 3-1.

But there are some tasty options. Fatal Bullet is a synthetic superstar. He has won seven of his eight starts on synthetic tracks. In his only race on turf, he finished last; in his only race on dirt, he finished next-to-last. He appears to be training very sharply, as does Midnight Lute, who won this race last year but has had only one start since. He could run big today. And although the field is heavy with speed, nobody here is faster than Fabulous Strike, who lost a shoe when second in the Vosburgh. He could control the pace and be a gate-to-winner’s-circle threat if he adapts to the surface.

Picks: Street Boss, Fatal Bullet, Fabulous Strike, Midnight Lute

TURF
In last year’s Irish Derby, Eagle Mountain, who had just finished second in the Epsom Derby, was 3-2, and Soldier of Fortune, who had just finished fifth in the Epsom Derby, was 5-1. Eagle Mountain, in other words, was more highly regarded. But on a saturated course, Soldier of Fortune won by nine lengths and became a star. This year, he won t he Coronation Cup and, more recently, finished third in the Arc.

But the suspicion remains that Eagle Mountain could be the better horse. Returning from a serious injury he won his only start this year in record time at Newmarket. And he has been pointed toward this very objective and has moved towards its realization with relentless and steadfast determination. Conduit has made a very positive impression, and my European friends hold him in high regard. And Dancing Forever has trained very sharply. I know, he doesn’t look like he has a chance in here, but look again, focusing only on his firm turf races and keep in mind he’s peaking and thriving and approaching a top effort: He’s going to outrun his odds and could be the key to a handsome payoff in the trifecta.

Picks: Eagle Mountain, Conduit, Soldier Of Fortune, Dancing Forever

CLASSIC
This, of course, is all about Curlin, the reigning Horse of the Year. The essential question is will he run his typical race and give his usual performance on Santa Anita’s Pro-Ride surface. If he doesn’t perform well, then this will probably be the last synthetic surface installed for a long while, because the outcome will clearly indicate that synthetic tracks are distinct and unique, as unrelated to real dirt as Astroturf is to real grass.

But having said all that, I think Curlin will run well. He never has given a poor effort, and he’s a few lengths better than anything in the field. His B-race would probably suffice. But how do you play the race? Well, to me, Student Council and Go Between appear to be training well and thriving, and I expect them to get a piece of the Classic pie. They both, of course, are proven on synthetic surfaces. As for the Europeans, Duke Of Marmalade is too good to run too bad.

Picks: Curlin, Go Between, Student Council, Duke Of Marmalade

Handicapping the Cup

FILLY AND MARE SPRINT
Even with the scratch of Indyanne, the first of Friday’s Breeders’ Cup races overflows with speed. Indian Blessing and Dream Rush two of the quickest fillies in the country; Dearest Trickski and Lady Sprinter want the early lead. They could burn up the opening half-mile and then try to come home in an ashtray. And this seven-furlong distance, which begins with a half-mile straightaway, only emphasizes the speedsters’ difficulties. For that reason, this race is made-to-order for Ventura and Intangaroo.

Ventura, of course, is best known for her turf accomplishments, but turf form generally transfers to synthetic surfaces without losing much in translation. And Ventura has won two races on synthetics, including last year’s Madison Stakes at Keeneland. Intangaroo,of course, has accomplished much on synthetic surfaces, winning three times, and she has continued, it seems, to improve. When she won the Ballerina, she ran the final three-eighths of a mile in 35.80. Both horses will benefit from the hot pace and come charging down the lane. Indian Blessing, the 2-1 morning line favorite, has learned to control her speed, and her quality should enable her to hang on for a nice paycheck. Zaftig, who hasn’t raced since June, has looked very sharp in morning preparations. She never has raced on a synthetic surface, but she has worked sharply here at Santa Anita.

Picks: Ventura, Intangaroo, Indian Blessing, Zaftig

JUVENILE FILLIES TURF
This seems to be one of the more inscrutable of the Breeders’ Cup races. Laragh, the 7-2 favorite, won impressively at Keeneland, but she may have benefited from the course’s momentary fondness for speed. She led throughout, just like Thorn Song in the Shadwell Mile a few days earlier. In her previous outing, however, Laragh looked nothing like a Breeders’ Cup favorite, finishing more than four lengths behind C Karma at Woodbine. The Europeans in here look solid, but unspectacular. Heart Shaped ran fifth in a Group I race at Newmarket, where she was a 33-1 long shot. Super Mom is physically impressive, and she has trained well locally. Moreover, she has won her three consecutive races since moving to the barn of Wayne Catalano. But she never has raced on turf.

And so I’m listing in the direction of Saucey Evening and Consequence. Saucey Evening won her debut on turf and has performed well since then while racing on synthetics tracks. She has demonstrated a determination to overcome trouble and a strong punch. Consequence, who disappointed as the favorite in the Miss Grillo, where she raced wide, has trained beautifully here at Santa Anita and appears ready to step forward.

Picks: Saucey Evening, Consequence, Sugar Mom, Heart Shaped

JUVENILE FILLIES
Stardom Bound, the 2-1 favorite, is much loved here in California. With her talent for impersonation – she looks like a smaller gray version of Zenyatta in the stretch – she has overwhelmed rivals in the Del Mar Debutante and the Oak Leaf Stakes. But, frankly, she has been dominating horses who, at this point anyway, seem rather ordinary, and she has horrible gate habits, preferring to emerge like cold ketchup from a bottle. And so while I respect her, I can’t accept short odds, not on a “bad” gate horse. C. S. Silk, however, can leave there in a hurry. She’s extremely quick, as she showed in winning the Arlington Washington Lassie.

From her outside post position, Doremifasollatido may have to use her speed to avoid a wide trip, and that could put C.S. Silk in a perfect stalking position. C.S. Silk, by the way, has improved daily in her appearance and demeanor here at Santa Anita. Pursuit of Glory raced well with some of the best in Europe, and she may have the most talent among these, but she has appeared to be somewhat uncomfortable here. Dream Empress ran very well in her first start on a synthetic track and could be an intriguing long shot.

Picks: C.S. Silk, Stardom Bound, Pursuit Of Glory, Dream Empress

FILLY AND MARE TURF
Wait A While loves the Santa Anita course. She’s unbeaten in three races over this course, and twice she has here at this 1 1/4-mile distance. A champion at 3, she could secure another Eclipse Award with a victory on her favorite course, and that seems fitting, for she has been outstanding throughout her career, winning 12 of 23 with more than $2.18 million in earnings.

The pace could be a little more lively than is typical for such races, and that would work to the advantage of Forever Together, who never has raced this far but can finish with a burst and who, by the way enjoys a Guiness with her evening meal. Yes, she drinks Guiness. Mauralakana, who has won five stakes this year, and she, too, can finish with energy. Folk Opera has trained well here. She’s unbeaten at the distance and could get a good stalking trip. And Halfway To Heaven, a major stakes winner in England, has looked good in the mornings, having adapted well in a short time. But her trainer, Aidan O’Brien, if I’m reading him correctly, doesn’t seem quite as optimistic about her chances as he is about the prospects for some others in his barn.

Picks: Wait A While, Forever Together, Mauralakana, Folk Opera

LADIES’ CLASSIC
Zenyatta is indeed remarkable. Not because she’s so big – she’s about 17 hands tall, one of the biggest horses to be competing this weekend. And not because she’s unbeaten in eight races. No, she’s remarkable for her class. And by “class,” I mean her indifference to pace and competition and trouble. Nothing bothers her or discourages her or, it seems, alters the outcome. In Zenyatta’s last outing, the Lady’s Secret Stakes, Hystericalady got loose on the easiest of leads, cruising through an opening half-mile in 48.20 seconds. And Hystericalady is a horse of quality, the kind that isn’t going to get run down after having and easy time on the lead. But it didn’t matter, Zenyatta ran right by her and won by more than three lengths. In two of her races, she was more than 10 lengths back early. But it didn’t matter. Her acceleration is vivid. She lowers her body, pulls her ears back and lengthens her stride as few have ever done, and then she just gobbles up everything in front of her, like a sports writer at a buffet. 

The race lacks pace, which means Hystericalady should again be on the early lead – I’m not sure she likes synthetic surfaces, however – followed closely by Ginger Punch, last year’s champion. Ginger Punch has won on a synthetic surface, and the casual pace could play to her advantage, but Carriage Trail will offer a challenge, and Music Note, the winner of the Coaching Club Oaks who’ll take on older horses for the first time, has looked sensational here. But I don’t think any of them can withstand Zenyatta when she lowers herself into that classy, dominating gear.

Picks: Zenyatta, Ginger Punch, Carriage Trail, Music Note

 

Breeders' Cup scratches

ARCADIA, Calif. -- The Breeders’ Cup lost two starters this morning. Indyanne has been scratched out of Friday’s Filly And Mare Sprint and Elusive Bluff out of Saturday’s Juvenile.

A winner in five of her six starts, Indyanne was 12-1 in the morning line. Her trainer, Greg Gilchrist, said the filly had to be scratched after she spiked a fever.

Elusive Bluff, 15-1 in the morning line, is unbeaten in two races. He won the Pilgrim Stakes in his more recent outing. A bruised foot forced him out of the Juvenile, according to his trainer, Eric Guillot.

This could be embarrassing

ARCADIA, Calif. – Back in 2003, the last time the Breeders’ Cup World Thoroughbred Championships were run here, the European invaders looked as if they had made the journey across the Atlantic as stowaways on a forlorn frigate. A frigate that sunk. In their first days of going to the track, the European horses were all hot and washy. They looked anxious and spent and nervous, as if expecting somebody at any moment to ask for their green card.

By Wednesday in some cases and Thursday in others, they looked much better. On Friday, though, as a group, they looked terrific. And on Saturday – well, they glistened. They were indeed terrific: Six Perfections won the Mile, Islington the Filly & Mare Turf, and High Chaparral the Turf, in a dead heat with Johar, with Falbrav a head back in third.

In something of a surprise, the Europeans enjoyed a very successful Cup in 2003. They proved, not only to us but to themselves, that they could travel halfway around the world, into a warmer climate and foreign circumstances, and still succeed, and they did it with the world all around them burning down, quite literally, in Mama Nature’s fit of pique.

And so this year they’ve returned to Santa Anita in large numbers and with high expectations. The weather is tepid, although not quite as blistering as it was in 2003. Nor does Southern California smell like an ashtray, as it did five years ago.

Everything, in other words, seems, if anything, more favorable for the Euros. And so I’ve been watching them closely here. They’re in, what, 10 of the 14 races, which means this could be the very embarrassing. Jesse Ventura embarrassing. (And speaking of Ventura . . . but I’ll save that for later, when I handicap Friday’s races.)

Well, once again, some of the Europeans early in the week have appeared uncomfortable,  most notably Pursuit of Glory, who seemed hot and restive this morning (Wednesday), her hair perhaps a little too long for California. Well, long by equine standards anyway. And some, such as Folk Opera, looked a little too keen and anxious.

For the most part, though, the Euros have looked like they’re planning some mischief. And they’ve certainly looked better than they did at this point in Breeders’ Cup week of 2003. Trainer Aidan O’Brien’s horses went to the track for the first time this morning. That caused quite a stir among foreign press, who are also here in record numbers, by the way.

Halfway to Heaven looked good, I thought. Duke Of Marmalade looked especially good. The bay colt has had a long campaign, six races since April, all in top company, but he has held his weight reasonably well. Looking poised but alert, he definitely knows he’s somebody.

Bushranger, who won two Group I races in Europe, could be the most intriguing horse in the Juvenile. Could be best, too. The American cohort looks weak, and Bushranger could be one of the few to develop into a top horse. And so I was eager to see him, and I did. I was hoping for more, though. He’s athletic looking, but otherwise not prepossessing at all. Frankly, he didn’t look like much. To be fair, though, he probably thought the same of me.

Conduit made a positive impression, though. He looks like some mad sculptor’s idea of a racehorse, with this monolithic chest that should be towering high over a fountain in Rome.

Well, after watching the Euros on the track, I formed a few fearful observations, and so I decided to trundle back through the stable area to the quarantine barn, where I hoped somebody would tell me these horses weren’t nearly as good as they were starting to look. When I arrived, I found a crowd already had gathered around O’Brien, encircled him. And since I generally make it a personal rule to avoid both herds and circles, I strolled by the crowd and discovered a more intimate gathering. At its center was Johnny Murtagh, and he was explaining why he chose to ride Duke of Marmalade rather than Henrythenavigator in the Classic.

“If Curlin looks him in the eye at the top of the stretch,” the Irish jockey said, sounding as if he were back home in a pub, surrounded by countrymen eager to hear the story of how he subdued the dragon, or the Horse of the Year, “it’ll be a battle royal. The Duke is very tough, very resilient. He won’t lack for courage.”

Good stuff, and Murtagh had just left the runway, just taken flight; I suspect he could have flown for hours on these rhetorical wings, and I hoped he might, but then a few other American journalists arrived on the scene and shot him down. One of them, a quidnunc who’s cursed with an inability to leave a thought unexpressed, began telling this Irish hero who’s generally regarded among the best jockeys in the world, a jockey who has won two Breeders’ Cup races and who has ridden Duke of Marmalade six times, what he should – yes, this journalistic panjandrum who has never ridden a race in his life, except perhaps on a stick horse, began telling this very jockey who has won 19 Group I races this year alone how to ride the Classic. Even more, what strategy to employ and how to get the best out of the Duke. Now, this had potential for grand entertainment.

But to stay and listen to such nonsense would have been self-indulgent, and I was working. Specifically, I was out to discover whether the Euros were about to embarrass America’s best racehorses. And so I left the quidnunc – yes, I probably should have attempted to rescue the stunned Irishman – and turned back in the direction of the quarantine barn, where I nearly stumbled into David Wachman (pronounced Watchman), the trainer of Pursuit of Glory and Bushranger.

Introductions were made, hands shaken. And then Wachman did something amazing. He spoke candidly about his horses. Pursuit of Glory, he said, has a little bit of a winter coat, but she’s a very good filly. No, he didn’t run the filly on a synthetic track early in her career in anticipation of the first synthetic Breeders’ Cup; she ran on a synthetic surface because the ground in Ireland was saturated and other options were unattractive.
No, Wachman said, he never even considered Bushranger for the Juvenile Turf; it’s lucrative, but not graded. The colt has won two Group I races, and another, Wachman said, would make Bushranger very valuable. Bushranger never have raced beyond three-quarters of mile, and Wachman said he doesn’t know how he’ll handle the Juvenile’s 1 1/16 miles, but the horse always has run as if he’d appreciate more distance.

“He’s a very adaptable horse,” the tall Irishman said, as if that said it all. And maybe it did. The European horses are indeed very adaptable – in addition to being well-trained and talented. And, oh yes, ready.

 

Could there be a lucky No. 14?

ARCADIA, Calif. – The drawing of post position No. 14 usually precedes some unkind words about fate and maybe more than a few maledictions. But not this time. Mr. Nightlinger got No. 14 for Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, and it couldn’t have been better received.

The Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint will be run at 6 1/2 furlongs on Santa Anita’s unique downhill course. (Post position stats for this, by the way, are meaningless because when the field numbers, say, six horses, the No. 1 horse will be put into the  No. 7 stall of the gate, which probably tells you all you need to know about which post positions are preferred.) And shortly after the start, the horses take a mild right turn, which actually gives the outside post positions an advantage.

In last year’s Irish O’Brien Stakes, for example, River’s Prayer had the No. 6 post position in a field of six going downhill on the turf at Santa Anita. She darted out of the gate and, according The Daily Racing Form’s chart, written by Mike Schneider, she “cut the corner at the right hand curve.” From there, it was over.

And so Tuesday, after Mr. Nightlinger got No. 14, Bill Martin of Dallas, received the news with a barely discernable fist-punch at the air, and then he let go with a little “Booyah” under his breath.

Martin owned River’s Prayer, who was unbeaten in five starts last year and would have been one of the favorites for the Filly & Mare Sprint if she hadn’t been injured just weeks before the event. Rivers’ Prayer won all three of her races on the downhill course at Santa Anita. And Martin owns Mr. Nightlinger in partnership Carl Moore of Fort Worth. The horse and his trainer, Bret Calhoun, are due to arrive at Santa Anita this afternoon.

Mr. Nightlinger is 6-1 in the morning line, with Get Funky the 9-2 favorite. Fleeting Spirit, a European invader who has won half his starts, is 5-1.

The anxious moment in the race isn’t the right turn or the downhill run. It’s the crossover. When the horses leave the downhill chute, they cross over the dirt track and then back onto the turf.

“When some horses hit the dirt, they go like this,” said jockey Joe Talamo, sticking his arms out straight and straining his head back, suggestive of hesitation and reluctance. “Some horses, the first time, they don’t know what to expect.”

In the Turf Sprint, Talamo rides California Flag, who disappointed in his debut on the unique horse. But experience can be important racing downhill, Talamo said, pointing out that in his second effort on the course, California Flag won the Morvich Handicap impressively. California Flag drew No. 10, leading Talamo to confirm that the outside positions are indeed favorable. And California Flag is a half-brother to Cambiocorsa, who won her first eight races on the downhill course before losing – to River’s Prayer, by the way. 

A Jersey whale in Texas

A whale in New Jersey opened his big wallet and sucked down some Texas plankton tonight.

It happened in the fourth race at Lone Star Park, the Rancho Milagro Yegua Stakes for Arabians. Jessys Princess was the 1-2 favorite, and she deserved the role, having won seven of 10 this year, including three stakes. Somebody in New Jersey bet $100,000 to show on her.

In the win-place-show pools, there was a total of $126,694, and $114,000 of that was bet to show on Jessys Princess. She rallied from fourth to win by 1 1/2 lengths, with only mild urging. And her victory created a minus-show pool of $25,123. In other words, more money was paid to the bettors than they bet.

Breeders' Cup Pre-entries

Quantitatively, this will be the biggest Breeders’ Cup ever – the most races, most money, most horses, most Europeans. For the Breeders’ Cup championships, run Oct. 24-25 at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., 180 horses were pre-entered.

CHAMPIONSHIP FRIDAY

Filly & Mare Sprint

The SENTIENT FLIGHT GROUP BREEDERS' CUP FILLY & MARE SPRINT is a seven-furlong race for 3-year-olds and up, fillies & mares.
The race carries a guaranteed purse of $1 million, including nominator awards plus net supplementary fees, if any.

Horses pre-entered are:

   Dearest Trickski
   Dream Rush Minor Stables
   Indian Blessing
   Indyanne
   Intangaroo
   La Tee
   Lady Sprinter
   Magnificience
   Miraculous Miss
   Psalm (IRE) 
   Tiz Elemental
   Tizzy's Tune
   Ventura
   Zaftig 

Not selected into the field and listed in order of preference by the Breeders' Cup Racing Directors/Secretaries Panel:

 Jazzy (ARG)

Total Horses in Race: 15

Juvenile Fillies Turf CHAMPIONSHIP FRIDAY

The GREY GOOSE BREEDERS' CUP JUVENILE FILLIES TURF is a 1 mile race on the turf for 2-year-old fillies.
The race carries a guaranteed purse of $1 million, including nominator awards plus net supplementary fees, if any.
The race is oversubscribed with 21 horses.

 Horses pre-entered are:

   Beyond Our Reach (IRE)
   C Karma
   Consequence
   Dream Empress
   Emmy Darling
   Evita Argentina
  Freedom Rings
  Heart Shaped
  Laragh
  Maram
  Oui Say Oui (IRE)
  Renda

Not selected into the field and listed in order of preference by the Breeders' Cup Racing Directors/Secretaries Panel:
  Sugar Momg
  Saucey Evening
  Black Magic Mama
  April Pride (GB) 
  Internallyflawless
  Dave's Revenge
  Dancing Daisy
  Atka
  Screen Gem

Total Horses in Race: 21

Juvenile Fillies
CHAMPIONSHIP FRIDAY

The BESSEMER TRUST BREEDERS' CUP JUVENILE FILLIES is a 1 1/16-mile race for 2-year-old fillies.
The race carries a guaranteed purse of $2 million, including nominator awards plus net supplementary fees,
The race is oversubscribed with 16 horses.

 Horses pre-entered are:
  
   Be Smart
   C. S. Silk
   Doremifasollatido
   Dream Empress
   Evita Argentina
   Palacio de Amor
   Persistently
   Pursuit of Glory
   Renda
   Saucey Evening
   Sky Diva
   Stardom Bound
   Van Lear Rose

Not selected into the field and listed in order of preference by the Breeders' Cup Racing Directors/Secretaries Panel:
   Black Magic Mama
   Dave's Revenge

Total Horses in Race: 16

Filly & Mare Turf CHAMPIONSHIP FRIDAY

The EMIRATES AIRLINE BREEDERS' CUP FILLY & MARE TURF is a 1 1/4-mile race for fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, to be run on the turf.
The race carries a guaranteed purse of $2 million, including nominator awards plus net supplementary fees, if any.

 Horses pre-entered are:

  Communique
  Dynaforce
  Folk Opera (IRE) 
  Forever Together
  Goldikova (IRE)
  Halfway To Heaven (IRE)
  Mauralakana (FR)
  Precious Kitten
  Pure Clan
  Sealy Hill
  Vacare
  Visit (GB)
  Wait a While

Total Horses in Race: 13

Ladies' Classic CHAMPIONSHIP FRIDAY

The BREEDERS' CUP LADIES' CLASSIC is a 1 1/8-mile race for fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up.
The race carries a guaranteed purse of $2 million, including nominator awards plus net supplementary fees, if any.

 
Horse pre-entered are:
 
  Bear Now Bear
  Carriage Trail
  Cocoa Beach (CHI)
  Ginger Punch
  Hystericalady
  Music Note
  Santa Teresita
  Zenyatta

Total Horses in Race: 8

CHAMPIONSHIP SATURDAY

The BREEDERS' CUP MARATHON is a one and one-half mile race for 3-year-olds and up.
The race carries a guaranteed purse of $500,000, including nominator awards plus net supplementary fees.

 Horses pre-entered are:

  Add Heat
  Big Booste
  Booyah Lathrop
  Casino Drive
  Cedar Mountain (IRE)
  Church Service
  Delightful Kiss
  Fairbanks
  Jonesboro
  King of Rome (IRE)
  Muhannak (IRE)
  Sixties Icon (GB)
  Spring House
  Zappa

Total Horses in Race: 14

Turf Sprint CHAMPIONSHIP SATURDAY

The BREEDERS' CUP TURF SPRINT is about 6 and 1/2 miles on the turf for 3-year-olds and up.
The race carries a guaranteed purse of $1 million, including nominator awards plus net supplementary fees.

 Horses pre-entered are:

  California Flag
  Diabolical
  Fleeting Spirit (IRE)
  Get Funky 
  Heros Reward
  Idiot Proof
  Mr. Nightlinger
  One Union
  Only Answer (GB)
  Rebellion (GB)
  Rouse the Cat
  Salute the Count
  Tropic Storm
  True to Tradition

Not selected into the field and listed in order of preference by the Breeders' Cup Racing Directors/Secretaries Panel:

   Desert Code
   Storm Treasure
   Eaton's Gift
   Doppio
   Slew's Tizzy

Total Horses in Race: 19

Dirt Mile
CHAMPIONSHIP SATURDAY

The BREEDERS' CUP DIRT MILE is a one mile race for 3-year-olds and up.
The race carries a guaranteed purse of $1 million, including nominator awards plus net supplementary fees.

 Horses pre-entered are:

  Albertus Maximus
  First Defence
  Jonesboro
  Lewis Michael
  Lord Admiral
  Mast Track
  My Pal Charlie
  Pyro
  Rebellion (GB)
  Surf Cat
  Two Step Salsa.
  Well Armed

Not selected into the field and listed in order of preference by the Breeders' Cup Racing Directors/Secretaries Panel:

  Slew's Tiznow
  Slew's Tizzy

Total Horses in Race: 14

Mile CHAMPIONSHIP SATURDAY

The BREEDERS' CUP MILE is a one mile race for 3-year-olds and up, to be run on the turf.
The race carries a guaranteed purse of $2 million, including nominator awards plus net supplementary fees, if any.

Horses pre-entered are:
 
  Awesome Gem 
  Bold Chieftain
  Daytona (IRE)
  Kip Deville
  Lord Admiral
  Precious Kitten
  Raven's Pass
  Shakis (IRE)
  Thorn Song
  Us Ranger
  Ventura
  War Monger
  Whatsthescript (IRE)
  Goldikova (IRE)

Total Horses in Race: 14

Juvenile CHAMPIONSHIP SATURDAY

The BESSEMER TRUST BREEDERS' CUP JUVENILE is a 1 1/16-mile race for 2-year-old colts and geldings.
The race carries a guaranteed purse of $2 million, including nominator awards plus net supplementary fees, if any.

Horses pre-entered are:

  Azul Leon
  Believe in Hope
  Bushranger (IRE)
  Coronet of a Baron
  Elusive Bluff
  Midshipman
  Mine That Bird
  Munnings
  Pioneerof the Nile
  Silent Valor
  Square Eddie
  Street Hero
  Terrain
  West Side Bernie

Not selected into the field and listed in order of preference by the Breeders' Cup Racing Directors/Secretaries Panel:

  Gallant Son
  Forty Thieves

Total Horses in Race: 16

Juvenile Turf CHAMPIONSHIP SATURDAY

The GREY GOOSE BREEDERS' CUP JUVENILE TURF is a 1 mile race for 2-year-old colts and geldings.

 The race carries a guaranteed purse of $1 million, including nominator awards plus net supplementary fees, if any.

 Horses pre-entered are:

  Bittel Road
  City Style
  Coronet of a Baron
  Del Conte
  Elusive Bluff
  Grand Adventure
  Mine That Bird
  Ninth Client
  Paddy The Pro (IRE)
  Relatively Ready
  Skipadate
  Westphalia (IRE)

Not selected into the field and listed in order of preference by the Breeders' Cup Racing Directors/Secretaries Panel:p y p g

  Donativum (GB)
  Vaquero
  Gallant Son
  Star of David
  Bourbon Bay
  Orthodox
  Mark S the Cooler

Total Horses in Race: 19

Sprint CHAMPIONSHIP SATURDAY

The SENTIENT FLIGHT GROUP BREEDERS' CUP SPRINT is a six-furlong race for 3-year-olds and up.
The race carries a guaranteed purse of $2 million, including nominator awards plus net supplementary fees, if any.

Horses pre-entered are:

  Black Seventeen
  Cost of Freedom
  Fabulous Strike
  Fatal Bullet
  First Defence
  In Summation
  Indian Blessing
  J Be K
  Lewis Michael
  Midnight Lute
  Sing Baby Sing
  Street Boss
  Tropic Storm

Total Horses in Race: Total Horses in Race: 13

Turf CHAMPIONSHIP SATURDAY

The FLY EMIRATES BREEDERS' CUP TURF is a 1 1/2-mile race for 3-year-olds and up, to be run on the turf.
The race carries a guaranteed purse of $3 million, including nominator awards plus net supplementary fees, if any.

Horses pre-entered are:
 
  Better Talk Now
  Conduit (IRE)
  Dancing Forever
  Eagle Mountain (GB)
  Grand Couturier (GB)
  Out of Control (BRZ)
  Red Giant
  Red Rock Canyon (IRE)
  Red Rocks (IRE)
  Soldier of Fortune (IRE)
  Spring House
  Winchester

Total Horses in Race:Total Horses in Race: 12

Classic CHAMPIONSHIP SATURDAY

The BREEDERS' CUP CLASSIC is a 1 1/4-mile race for 3-year-olds and up.
The race carries a guaranteed purse of $5 million, including nominator awards plus net supplementary fees, if any.

 Horses pre-entered are:

  Casino Drive
  Champs Elysees (GB)
  Colonel John
  Curlin
  Duke of Marmalade (IRE)
  Go Between
  Henrythenavigator
  Mast Track
  Pyro
  Raven's Pass
  Smooth Air
  Student Council
  Tiago
  Well Armed

Not selected into the field and listed in order of preference by the Breeders' Cup Racing Directors/Secretaries Panel:

  Fairbanks
  Awesome Gem
 
Total Horses in Race: 16

 

Safety and Integrity; skepticism and hope

Long ago I recognized the pattern.  I would go to the symposium or summit or conference and listen to some of the so-called leaders of the industry talk about the sport’s problems and about the need for change. (Once in a while, I must point out, I contributed to the conversation.) Many, of course, just ignored all the talk or failed to understand the problems, but then they’d all go home, listeners and talkers alike, and return to the quotidian, to the daily grind of business as usual.

I reminded myself of that inveterate pattern today when I received a press release about the Safety And Integrity Alliance. It’s an impressive alliance, with lofty and admirable goals. But is it just the latest in a pattern of resounding but meaningless appeals for reform and change?

Do they know how much this is going to cost? Do they know how difficult this will be to implement? And when they do understand the cost and the difficulty, will they all just go home and return to the quotidian, satisfied that they made a grand gesture? Or have they finally realized that the quotidian is self-destructive and that their gestures are no longer credible?

Here’s a list of the initiatives identified in the press release:

• uniform medication rules for each racing state
• ban of steroids from racing competition
• out-of-competition testing for blood and gene doping agents and pre-race testing
• uniform penalties for all medication infractions
• mandatory on-track and non-racing injury reporting
• mandatory installation of protective inner safety rail
• mandatory pre- and post-race security
• adoption of a placement program for Thoroughbreds no longer competing 
 
That’s impressive. Racetracks and horsemen’s groups have come together, yes, in desperation and, yes, late in the day, but at least they’ve finally come together to try to improve the sport for its competitors and fans. They've brought Tommy Thompson on board. That's impressive, too. Yes, the Alliance answers the challenge. And for the moment, I’ll even allow myself to think all this might happen. Now, let’s see them go home and do something.