Horse racing

Rachel's place in history

It's pointless now to debate whether Rachel Alexandra should have been retired. She has been. Perhaps her retirement became inevitably imminent when she tired to a runner-up finish at Saratoga, for if the objective had been the Breeders' Cup Classic, then the Personal Ensign revealed that goal to be beyond her reach. And if not the Classic, then what could she add to her legacy by racing?

If there's to be a debate, it should focus on her place in racing history. And even that debate will likely be subdued, focusing as it should on nuances, for it's clear, in impasto, that Rachel Alexandra's 2009 campaign was one of the greatest by a 3-year-old filly ever seen in American racing: eight wins without a loss; dominating victories within her division; victories over the Kentucky Derby and Belmont winners; a victory over older males.

Most of us had never seen a filly even attempt such an ambitious campaign. You only have to recall the outstanding 3-year-old fillies of recent years -- Rags To Riches, Silverbulletday, Serena's Song, Dance Smartly, Genuine Risk -- to realize the extraordinary height to which Rachel Alexandra soared last year. Not even Ruffian's campaign can compare.

No, you have to go back to Busher, Horse of the Year in 1945, and Twilight Tear, Horse of the Year in 1944, to find 3-year-old fillies whose accomplishments compare. Like Rachel Alexandra, they dominated fillies and defeated colts, and then they beat older males. Busher defeated Armed in the Washington Park Handicap, and Twilight Tear defeated Devil Diver while winning the Pimlico Special. Busher and Twilight Tear set the standard, and Rachel Alexandra met it.

This year, although still very good, Rachel Alexandra obviously wasn't the same horse that won the Woodward. Bigger and heavier, she wasn't as quick as the sleeker version of  herself; she no longer had that explosive move that would leave rivals far behind in a blink. Perhaps she simply outgrew her optimum biomechanical efficiency. It happens to athletes of all kinds.

But that doesn't alter or diminish what she accomplished in 2009. For that 2009 campaign, Rachel Alexandra deserves to be regarded as the greatest 3-year-old filly of the last 50 years. She deserves to be considered among the greats.

Most of us had never seen anything like Rachel Alexandra, and for having seen her, I'm grateful.

 

Ron Turcotte to Remington

   When the movie Secretariat opens in theatres on Oct. 8, Ron Turcotte, who rode the legendary Triple Crown winner, will be in Oklahoma City, at Remington Park. In fact, both Ron Turcottes will be there. Otto Thorwarth, the ex-jockey who plays Turcotte in the film, will be there Oct. 5 for a special screening. It's all part of the festivities leading up to the $400,000 Oklahoma Derby on Oct. 10. Hall of Fame jockey Chris McCarron will participate as well, speaking at a fund-raiser for the Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. On derby day,Turcotte, the real one, as Remington's guest of honor, will sign autographs and present the winner's trophy.

And if you have the impression that Remington, with its new ownership and grandstand improvements, has turned a corner, you're right. Remington has increased purses to more than $210,000 a day, with another jump seemingly inevitable, and so the quality of racing has improved, which in turn has led to more handle. Dramatic increases in handle.

Through the first 20 days of racing, total handle at Remington has increased 22.5 percent from a year ago, for a daily average of $795,982. And handle on its exported simulcast signal -- that is, money bet elsewhere on Remington's races -- has increased 32.9 percent.

"I think bettors around the country are beginning to recognize the quality of our racing product and are taking advantage of it," said Remington general manager Scott Wells.

Sam Houston, Penn National enter partnership

Suddenly it's clear.

Even when you're fairly confident about what's on the other side of the bridge, it's reassuring when the fog lifts and you can actually see what's ahead. And the fog lifted today, when Sam Houston and Penn National Gaming announced their partnership.

Together, according to the release, they'll own and operate, in a 50-50 partnership, Sam Houston Race Park in Houston; Valley Race Park, a greyhound track in Harlingen; and a planned racetrack in Laredo. The partnership, of course, is subject to the approval of the Texas Racing Commission.

"This partnership allows us to work towards a brighter future for Texas horse racing," said Shawn Hurwitz, the Chief Executive Officer of Sam Houston, in a joint release, "and we look forward to working with Penn National, an industry leader, to make Texas racing competitive again. . . . Penn National's racing and gaming expertise, financial resources and track record of successfully developing integrated racing and gaming facilities provides us the opportunity to bring those horses and tens of thousands of jobs back to Texas quickly, provided gaming at race tracks is authorized."

The new partner in Sam Houston owns and operates Zia Park, Charles Town and, of course, Penn National, as well as harness racetracks Freehold Raceway and Bangor Raceway. Penn National also operates several casinos.

This partnership probably explains why Sam Houston abrupty withdrew its support of a plan to consolidate the state's Thoroughbred race dates for 2011. Last week, the Texas Racing Commission finalized the 2011 calendar, with Sam Houston having 27 days of Thoroughbred racing.

"This transaction is another step in Penn National's long-term strategy to diversify its pari-mutuel operations," said Peter Carlino, the Chief Executive Officer of Penn National, "and grow its presence in key markets by acquiring or investing in assets that can benefit from the placement of gaming devices . . . . Given the state of the economy, we are eager to begin work with state and local stakeholders on establishing legislation that will quickly reinvigorate racing operations throughout Texas."

The Jelly Bean Conspiracy

The conspiracy has ripened. Yes, there's a conspiracy involving Oaklawn Park, Lone Star and Remington. The three racetracks are to form a super triangle of a circuit. Well, not quite super. It's more like a small Pascal's traiangle. No, it's not Pascalian either. Or even Bermudian. And, no, it's not a big moist triangle of hot apple pie. In fact, this triangle is more like one of those little yellow, red and white jelly bean candy corn wedges.

Anyway, all the horsemen and track representatives have become jelly beans. They've all agreed and signed their names to a pact. In their own blood. Well, it's not actually their blood, or anybody's blood, just red ink, but it's a very impressive example of modern scarlet calligraphy.

It didn't happen without some intrigue, though. Several horsemen hesitated, saying they had been running their horses at these three tracks for years and didn't need a conspiracy to continue. Others resisted because, they said, racing circuits form naturally based on geography and purse levels and because they weren't sure the purses at Lone Star would even justify the track's inclusion in the jelly bean. A few wanted to add Sam Houston to the circuit, but the track's purses wouldn't fit, and, worst of all, that would have turned the right triangle into some sort of pyramid. What a geometrical mess that could have been. According to the foremost experts in the Association of Alien Secrets, the reptiles from the star system Alpha Draconis are attracted irresistibly to pyramids. These extraplanetary reptiles, who already have infiltrated the Kentucky Senate, are the natural, or rather the unnatural, enemies of horses and racing. Reptiles from Draconis also have been spotted in Texas, Louisiana and Washington, D.C., and another pyramid would only further their plan for world domination.  

To respond to all these skeptical horsemen, the racetracks employed a negotiator, Carla Bruni, the first lady of France. She has a history of persuasion. In return for her help in the negotiations, the tracks agreed to contribute millions to a plan that would replace the Rose Bowl with a Fleur de Lis Basket. Well, as you might expect, when California horsemen heard about the fleur-de-lis plan and its connection to the jelly bean, they erupted. They threatened to withhold their approval of simulcasting to the three racetracks. But then Bruni, not a woman to be pushed around, threatened to expose the truth of the 1969 moon landing, which was actually staged in a Hollywood studio, the same studio where Neil Armstrong, while stationed at Edwards Air Force Base and long before he entered USC, was one of the Modal Nodes in Stellar Hostilities, a 1957 film that anticipated Star Wars. The California horsemen, having no stomach for a moon or film scandal, supported the jelly bean, even if somewhat reluctantly. And if the Californians would agree -- well, Bruni easily convinced the horsemen of the Midwest about the sweet virtue of the jelly bean. But the deal still wasn't done. One obstacle remained, and it was the one that often has proven to be the highest hurdle in the sport's race to a bright future. 

Hearing rumors of the circuit and smelling an opportunity as if it were on the backyard barbecue, Kentucky breeders quickly jumped into the middle of things. Trying to encourage, as they generally do, the premature retirement of the sport's most accomplished horses and its potential superstars, the breeders offered their support of the jelly bean in exchange for stakes schedules that excluded older horses. All the lucrative purses at the three tracks of the jelly bean, they said, should be only for 2-year-olds and 3-year-olds.

Well, that was when Oaklawn owner Charles Cella, in a brilliant move, brought in Heribert Illig from Germany. Illig banged the breeders over the head with his Phantom Time Hypothesis. He convinced America's most prominent breeders that the ninth, eighth and parts of the seventh and tenth centuries never happened, which means it's really 1710, not 2010. Delighted to hear they were living at the dawn of the 18th century, the breeders recognized an amazing opportunity to get in on the ground floor of this young Thoroughbred business, and so even while abandoning their goal of retiring all the sport's stars prematurely they signed the pact and put their full support behind the jelly bean.

Anyway, that's how the triangle-that's-really-a-jelly-bean circuit came about. And that's the truth. You can check it out for yourself: Just Google the Jelly Bean pact, and remember it's signed in blood.  

The sad revision of a glorious vision

Imagine a baseball team that exists only so that mediocre ballplayers have a place to play. It wouldn't strive to improve or sign better players; it wouldn't aspire to compete with the best teams. It wouldn't be and couldn't be a major-league team, of course, or even a minor-league team. Instead, it would compete in some sort of beer league, and the only people attending its games would be friends and relatives of the players. No baseball fans would bother.

That has become the vision for Texas racing. Or the sad revision. When Texans overwhelmingly voted in 1987 to welcome horse racing back to the state, they voted for major-league racing. About that, there's no doubt. Articles at the time spoke of aspirations to have "Kentucky Derby style" racetracks in the state, meaning, of course, racetracks that would be host to racing of the highest quality. That was the vision, embraced not just by Texans but by the entire horse racing industry. Skip Away's running in the inaugural Texas Mile was, as much as anything, a confirmation of that vision for Texas Racing.

But it has become apparent over the last two months that many people have abandoned that vision in favor of something that's much closer to the beer-league view. And that view, that sad revision, was given credibility by the process to determine the state's racing calendar.

The process culminated Tuesday when the Texas Racing Commission approved the 2011 calendar. (Lone Star: 78 days, 52 thoroughbred and 26 quarter horse; Sam Houston: 57 days, 27 thoroughbred and 30 quarter horse; Retama Park: 24 days, 10 quarter horse 14 mixed; Gillespie County Fair 8 days.)

The process began with an intention to restore some quality to the state's racing. That intention was consistent with the vision Texans have had for the sport and it acknowledged the sport's responsibility to its fans. Addressing the urgent need to improve quality, the racetracks offered a consolidation plan. It called for a thoroughbred season that would have combined the purse accounts of Sam Houston and Lone Star for a meeting of lucrative daily purses. But after some acrimonious arguing that included -- well, it was ugly, consolidation was scuttled in favor of smaller purses that would allow for more racing dates, and the process concluded Tuesday with the beer-league alternative.

Worst of all, this alternative, which chooses more dates over higher purses and so, in effect, mediocrity over quality, sends a clear, stentorian message to fans. And the message is this: You're not important; you don't matter; Texas racing doesn't care what you want. 

During Tuesday's meeting, Drew Shubeck, the president and general manager of Lone Star Park, explained to the commission that in an effort to offer daily purses of $170,000 in 2011 the track would probably have to put some stakes on hold for at least a year. And "Million Day," which for years has been the best day of racing in the state, will go, he said, the way of the dodo. The dodo bird, as you probably know, has faded into the mists of extinction. Texas thoroughbred racing, in other words, won't offer very much for fans next year -- maybe 10 days of good racing. Yes, in this sad revision, fans are unimportant.

The numbers are clear. Most fans aren't interested in mediocre racing, neither in Texas nor anywhere else. They don't attend in large numbers to see mediocrity (and don't try to argue that average daily attendance increased ever so slightly at Lone Star this year: Total attendance actually declined, and if not for fireworks, weekly concerts and "Jockeys and Java," the decline would have been dramatic), and they don't bet openhandedly on mediocrity. Large crowds of racing enthusiasts go to the track for good racing, and if there are some weak races on the program, then that's fine because the fans will bet on those, too; but it's good racing that attracts fans and gets them to focus not on some concert performer or on some sky-bursting fireworks, but on the racetrack. Years of data accumulated by The Jockey Club make this point clearly and indisputably: Quality racing attracts bettors and betting. And, of course, quality racing depends on high purses. That's why, for the most part, as quality and purses have declined, bettors and fans have rejected Texas racing over the last few years. And although Texas purses will increase slightly next year, the increase may not suffice to stem the trend.

At Tuesday's meeting, Joe Kerby of Key Ranch, even asked the commission to cap purses at $170,000 without adding dates. (Would that mean purses couldn't rise above $170,000 until the calendar was full with 365 days of racing?) Such a move would institutionalize mediocrity, quantity over quality, but the commission doesn't have that authority, according to astute legal counsel. A cap would require a legislative fiat. Still, just the thought of a cap -- tantamount to capping quality -- suggests a profound indifference to fans.

And that's one of the most serious problems facing racing in Texas today. When and if purses ever rise to competitive levels, the good horses will return; trainers such as Donnie Von Hemel, Cody Autrey and Mike Stidham will probably return; and Texas owners such as Bill Casner and Kenny Troutt (WinStar Farm), Bill Clifton, Mike Rutherford, Corinne and Bill Heiligbrodt, Bill Martin and Ro Parra will be able to race more of their horses in their home state. Of course, that's exactly what the sad revision for Texas racing doesn't want. But what about the fans? When will they return? Will they?

Compare this attitude to one that was on display Tuesday in Fort Worth. While the Texas Racing Commission met in Austin to empower a sad revision of Texas Racing, NASCAR officials met in Fort Worth to promote the upcoming Chase series. The series soon may see some changes that are designed to appeal to fans, according to Ray Buck in the Star-Telegram. As Eddie Gossage, the president of Texas Motor Speedway, told Buck, "The fans are what it's all about."

And Jimmie Johnson, the four-time Sprint Cup champion, said, "I think NASCAR needs to do everything it can to make sure it has the largest viewing audience, both in the grandstand and watching on television."

All about the fans? Do everything to attract more fans? In Texas horse racing, are such ideas going the way of the dodo bird?

The Sherriff is out

"You don't mind waiting on a colt like that," Don Von Hemel said, with more than a little horsemanship and experience to back him up. "The time will pass quickly," the trainer continued. "He's good enough that he's got me excited."

With two wins in as many starts by a total of more than 16 lengths, Sherriff Cogburn has been good enough to excite many people. His third race was expected Saturday. But he was not among the 2-year-olds entered in the Arlington-Washington Futurity at Arlington Park near Chicago, where the Sherriff would have been heavily favored.

"He's not 100 percent," Von Hemel said. "And I just won't run him unless he is. So we'll put him on the shelf for a while and look forward to a 3-year-old campaign."

In July, Sherriff Cogburn won his debut at Arlington by seven lengths. Five weeks later, In his stakes debut and his first race around two turns, he won the Prairie Meadows Juvenile by more than nine lengths with an explosive burst down the stretch. With that, he pronounced himself to be one of the nation's top young racing prospects. And so when the Kentucky Derby Futures opened this past weekend in Las Vegas, Sherriff Cogburn was the third-choice at 50-1.

Von Hemel said the horse's owner, country music star Toby Keith, completely supported the decision to pass Saturday's $100,000 race. They're determined to give Sherriff Cogburn every opportunity to fulfill his potential, and that means they're going to be patient.

In the winter, the Von Hemel stable goes to Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., and that would seem a likely place for Sherriff Cogburn to return to competition.   

The Boys, an Uncle and a Sherriff

It didn't take long -- a minute and 23.27 seconds, to be exact -- for Johnny Avello to drop the odds on Boys At Tosconova. The executive director of the sports and race book at the Wynn in Las Vegas, Avello lured the odds to the edge of his desk, possibly with promises of a lovely view of the imported Italian tile, and then brutally pushed them over. They landed squarely on Boys At Tosconova, glockenspieled him, and left him in a 30-1 daze Tuesday. That's 30-1 in the future wagering on the Kentucky Derby.

The Derby Futures opened over the weekend, with Uncle Mo as the 40-1 favorite and Boys At Tosconova at 50-1. And then the odds tumbled on Boys after his victory in the Hopeful. Frankly I would never accept 30-1 on anybody in the Derby Futures in September, and no 2-year-old this year has been jaw-dropping spectacular, but Avello has it right. Boys At Tosconova has been the most impressive juvenile this season.

He's a handsome colt, and although the winning time, that 1:23.27, didn't sparkle, he won the Hopeful with authority, running the final three-eighths in 36.69 while seeming to have plenty of energy still sloshing around in his tank. Jockey Ramon Dominguez didn't resort to his whip, he offered little encouragement, and, still, Boys At Tosconova seemed to have the race under control when he entered the turn and he semed to win with plenty left. But it's always difficult to say just how much remains in a horse's tank, especially with youngsters, whose eagerness often causes them to empty their energy into a race even without being asked.

Remember Officer. In 2001, he won his first five races by a total of 26 lengths without, it seemed, any need for encouragement. His tank overflowing with energy, he won in hand. Few horses have won so easily. Or ever seemed to win so easily. But it was all seeming. With more pace pressure and stronger competition, he finished fifth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Boys At Tosconova, by the way, is a son of Officer. And so while Boys At Tosconova may be the best looking 2-year-old around and, for the moment, the horse to beat in the BCup Juvenile, I'll remain skeptical about his Derby chances.

Uncle Mo made an outstanding debut on Aug. 28 at Saratoga, winning by more than 14 lengths. By any measure, it was a terrific race: He ran the final quarter-mile in 23.54 seconds on his way to completing the six furlongs in 1:09.21. But the surface was speed biased that day (Travers day), and Uncle Mo won with the advantage of ideal conditions. He's the horse to beat in the upcoming Champagne and should be formdidable in the BCup, but I'll remain skeptical about him, too, as a Derby horse.

Yes, they're the leaders, Boys and Mo, but many promising young horses have emerged in recent months. Some -- such as Elite Alex, who won his debut this summer at Delaware and hasn't worked since, and Highest Regards, who won in June at Belmont, and Dream, a Malibu Moon filly who won her debut but hasn't had a published work since July 31 -- flashed their bright potential and then were apparently withdrawn, hopefully so that they might return even stronger this winter. Others who have flashed talent are still developing and one or two might even catch up with Boys and Mo down the road, perhaps at 1 1/16 miles.

One of those is Sherriff Cogburn, who's unbeaten in two races and will probably be the favorite in Saturday's Arlington-Washington Futurity. He's the 50-1 third choice, by the way, in the Derby Futures. In the recent Prairie Meadows Juvenile, he raced in traffic and under restraint early, he had to be checked sharply on the backstretch so he wouldn't just run over the early leaders, and then, when angled out at the top of the stretch, he delivered a knockout punch, winning by more than nine lengths. The final time (1:37.67) didn't dazzle; then again, this was a 2-year-old in his second start running around two turns in August. And he ran the final quarter-mile in 24.42.

An attractive son of Vindication, the juvenile champion of 2002, Sherriff Cogburn is out of the You And I mare Sweet Nanette, who was also precocious, winning the first four races of her career. Sherriff Cogburn has the talent to be a major player in the BCup and perhaps beyond.By the way, he's owned by country music star Toby Keith.

Astrology, a son of A.P. Indy, dropped  from 125-1 to 85-1 in the Futures after his maiden victory at Saratoga. He's already good -- his maiden victory was about 10 lengths slower than the Forego that day -- and he should only get better around two turns. Sway Away, who's passing the Del Mar Futurity, is 75-1, and Sovereign  Default, who passed on the Hopeful, is 65-1. 

JP's Gusto (100-1 in the Futures), who has won three stakes, is the most proven juvenile in the West. He should be tested Wednesday, however, in the Del Mar Futurity. Road Ready (300-1), a handsome little colt who won his debut at Golden Gate with a powerful burst after overcoming some traffic problems, could be an intriguing challenger.

But the sport is abundant with promising youngsters: Winchill (150-1), a recent winner at Ellis; unbeaten Aces N Kings (350-1); the fast-charging Cane Garden Bay (125-1); Big Drama's little brother, the appropriately named Little Drama (400-1); I'm Steppin It Up (200-1), a 10-length winner in his only two-turn start on dirt; as well as Lou Brissie (225-1); J.B.'s Thunder (150-1); Stay Thirsty (85-1); Soldat (150-1); Smash (100-1); Skylord (125-1); Wine Police (150-1); Z Appeal (250-1); Nacho Saint (250-1); Position Limit (100-1); Rush Now (125-1); Cozy Kitten (250-1); Western  Mood (300-1); and many others, including many yet to race. And all of them contribute to the excitement this time of year. It's one of the most appealing things about this sport: Its capacity for renewal means it's always going back to the Futures.

Probably the best place to keep up with these youngsters who could be aimed in a roseate direction is the Kentucky Derby Contenders site (http://twitter.com/derbycontenders). It's also a good place to look to the Futures.