Horse racing

Lone Star on hold

AUSTIN -- Shortly after chairman Rolando Pablos called this morning's meeting of the Texas Racing Commission to order, he announced that Global Gaming had asked that its business be taken off the agenda. And, of course, that business was the reason the meeting room here at the Department of Public Safety facility was full. At today's meeting, the Commission was to consider the transfer of the Lone Star Park license to Global Gaming, which is owned by the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma.

The Grand Prairie racetrack, which concluded its quarter horse season Saturday, has been in decline for years, as has the entire horse racing industry in the state. And for all of this year, Lone Star has had to operate in some sort of proprietary limbo. New ownership was widely viewed as the start of turning the situation around.

"This is very disappointing," said Grand Prairie Mayor Charles England. "We needed this to happen this morning." 

Global Gaming's purchase of Lone Star for $47.8 million from Magna Entertainment was approved by a bankruptcy court 13 months ago. But the transfer still awaits approval of the Texas Racing Commission. Global Gaming representatives had no comment immediately regarding this morning's development.

Final thoughts, awards and bon mots

Zenyatta and Blame dominate recollections of this 27th Breeders' Cup. Nobody watching their scintillant and thrilling race to the Classic finish could keep his jaw in place or his emotions steady. I sometimes find myself explaining to casual fans or strangers to the game why I love horse racing. I should simply show them a video of that Classic. To see that is to understand.

The 1988 Breeders'  Cup stands out, its races and results impastoed on memory, as the single greatest day of racing I've personally witnessed. Personal Ensign, on the strength of her own volition and Randy Romero's perseverance, surged in the final yards to defeat Winning Colors in the Distaff, the great Miesque again dazzled in the Mile, Is It True upset Easy Goer in the Juvenile, and Alysheba, as an eerie darkness descended, became for the moment the sport's all-time leader in earnings with his victory in the Classic. A banner held high on the grandstand apron, I can still see it, recommended, "Alysheba For President." But for drama and excitement and sheer excellence, this most recent Breeders' Cup approaches its 1988 ancestor.

While Zenyatta and Blame -- and I hope appreciation of their excellent performances isn't soured by an acrimonious debate over Horse of the Year; disagreement doesn't require insult -- will dominate just about everybody's recollection, this Breeders' Cup produced many grand moments and, yes, a few embarrassing ones. Officials are fortunate that Zenyatta, Blame, Goldikova, Uncle Mo, et al put on such a rivetting show. It obscured the fiasco of Life At Ten's non-performance in the Ladies' Classic. She should have been scratched; that was obvious from the Churchill Downs press box. Since then, people have bobbed and weaved to avoid getting hit by responsibility; everybody should instead scramble to ensure nothing like that ever happens again.

Poetic justice, it seemed, had a major role in this Breeders' Cup, as some relative newcomers to the big stage saw their hard work and dedication rewarded handsomely. Back in the early 1970s, a frustrated accountant turned off his career path and drove to the racetrack, where he took a job as a hot walker for $70 a week. And Stanley Gold, that erstwhile accountant who became a successful trainer, won the Juvenile Fillies with Awesome Feather. And Diane Alvarado, who five years ago was galloping horses, won the Marthon with Eldaafer.

After the superlative performances of the horses themselves, some of these trainers' successes may provide the most inspirational stories from the Breeders' Cup. David Fawkes has been working on the racetrack since he was 16, he had a moment as a jockey in the late 1970s, and now he has a Breeders' Cup winner and likely champion in his barn, Big Drama, who took the Sprint. Bret Calhoun started traning horses at a backwater track, little Trinity Meadows, and in 1997, at Lone Star Park's inaugural season, he didn't win a race, not a single race, with his seven-horse stable. He worked hard, though, and his stable grew. And he just won two Breeders' Cup races, the Filly And Mare Sprint with Dubai Majesty and the Turf Sprint with Chamberlain Bridge. And Al Stall Jr., who traded a geologist's career for one in racing, working for years for trainer Frank Brothers before stepping out on his own, emphatically answered those who might have wondered how a guy who grew up flush in the Garden District of New Orleans could become a horseman with a remarkably keen eye for detail. Stall, of course, sent out Blame in the Classic.

Serendipity took the weekend off. Nobody got into that Churchill Downs winner's circle by accident. But  Jerry Hollendorfer, Bill Mott, Freddie Head, Todd Pletcher, Graham Motion and Brian Meehan all got there. Yes, I'll always remember this Breeders' Cup as one of the best. And it deserves some special awards.

The quote of the Week: "She's training like a gorilla on a hampster wheel." -- Trainer Eric Guillot on Champagne d'Oro, who finished fourth in the Filly And Mare Sprint. Runner-up: "Freddie Roach just called and asked to speak to Calvin Borel." -- Bob Fortus of the Times Picayune.

The prediction of the Week: "If he gets clear running room outside, he'll win by daylight." -- Jockey Jamie Theriot, Thursday morning before the Breeders' Cup, at the clockers stand, on Chamberlain Bridge, who won the the Turf Sprint by more than a length. Runner-up: "I'm very confident." -- Freddie Head on Goldikova's chances in the Mile. Second runner-up: "He's going to run a big race." -- Hall of Fame Trainer D. Wayne Lukas on Hamazing Destiny, who ran second at 23-1 in the Sprint.

The best moment: The last furlong of the Classic, where Blame got to the lead and Zenyatta was charging and the outcome remained very much in doubt.

The best ride of the Breeders' Cup: Theriot, who somehow got Chamberlain Bridge to the outside for a charge down the lane. Chamberlain Bridge, who doesn't like to run inside of horses, drew post position No. 1. First runner-up: Garrett Gomez, who avoided a fallen horse and rider in the first turn and won the Juvenile Turf with Pluck. Second runner-up: Eibar Coa, who used Big Drama's speed to get off the dead rail and win the Sprint.

The best performance that didn't lead to the winner's circle: Zenyatta's Classic, of course. Runner-up: Morning Line's Dirt Mile. He battled through a rapid pace and lost by only a head.

The biggest Breeders' Cup surprise: Shared Account, at 46-1, upsetting the 4-5 favorite, Midday, in the Filly And Mare Turf. Runner-up: Castellano's getting suspended only six days after nearly dropping Romp and Martin Garcia in the Marathon.

The most disappointing effort: Quality Road's Classic. Stuck down on the slow part of the track, he capitulated after three-quarters of a mile and finished last.

Best charge by a Juvenile: Pluck ran the second half-mile in 46.91 to win the Juvenile Turf.

The most scintillating performance: Goldikova's Mile, of course. Runner-up: Uncle Mo's Juvenile. A beautiful mover, he ran his fourth quarter-mile in 24.41 seconds and won by more than four lengths in an effort that was a few lengths better than the Juvenile norm. 

The most conspicuous and admirable display of sportsmanship: Everyone connected with the great Goldikova, who could go for yet another Mile victory next year, when we can only hope the 28th Breeders' Cup will be as good as the 27th. 

Still the Queen

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- She didn't realize she finished second, and her fans, which means people everywhere, didn't care. And so on the broad patch of grass behind barn 41 near the perimeter of the Churchill Downs stable area, about 14 hours after running "her heart out," as her trainer put it, in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic, Zenyatta grazed nonchalantly this morning, with "Big" Frank Leal, the stable foreman, loosely holding the other end of the shank.

A fluctuating, coming-and-going crowd of hundreds that included media types, horsemen, passersby, and dedicated fans watched, admiringly. At the distant sound of some clanking, she raised her head, her eyes bright and ears alert, towering over everyone. It was nothing. But what an image: She stood there with impervious poise, cool and beautiful as an ice sculpture. 

"Every race, in about 10 minutes she's recovered," John Sherriffs said.

A small girl with pink mittens and a pink beanie pulled down over her ears moved closer to the Amazonian mare, and still closer, for a photo op. Getting very close, the girl turned her back to Zenyatta, who bent down to introduce herself and nuzzle the beanie. A little boy wearing a "Dallas Cowboys" sweat shirt fed Zenyatta peppermints. Big as a pyramid but gentle as a lap dog, Zenyatta remained out there about two hours, interacting with the crowd, posing for photographs. Yes, she poses for photographs. 

As has become common this week, some fans gathered along Longfield Avenue to watch Zenyatta. They just parked their cars along the side of the road and and then pressed themselves against the chain-link fence. Right there she was, big as a dream, a few feet away and very aware of everything.

She's to leave Churchill this afternoon and return to her barn in California. She'll remain there about a month.

"I'm pretty sure she isn't going to race anymore," the trainer said, adding that he wouldn't be tempted to put Zenyatta in another race. Shirreffs said they had a "wonderful three years" and described the Zenyatta story as a fairy tale. But it's time to move on, he said, turn the page.

"That's the main disappointment," he said. "It was a fairy tale, but it didn't end the way everybody wanted. But she's happy."

After the Classic, where Zenyatta finished a head behind Blame and so concluded her career with 19 victories from 20 starts, her jockey, Mike Smith, blamed himself for the outcome. Shirreffs, however, didn't blame the rider. In a major race, he said, you sometines need a break, a little luck, but she had none.

"Mike was devastated," Shirreffs said. "He loves this mare so much. I didn't know if he could carry his saddle back to the jocks' room (after the race)."

And so now the debate over who should be Horse of the Year will begin. After Saturday's Classic, where Blame won by a head, Seth Hancock, the president of Claiborne Farm, said he thought the award had been decided. Claiborne, of course, owns Blame in partnership with Adele Dilschneider. And next year Blame will begin his stallion career at Claiborne.

Asked about Horse of the Year, Hancock said, "I thought the battle for Horse of the Year was fought about a half-hour ago, and Blame won it. She's a great horse, Zenyatta is, but she had her shot to get by, and she couldn't do it. So I don't think you can vote for her. I don't know who else you could vote for."

Seemingly oblivious to the magic of the Classic moment and especially to the genuine love that racing fans have for Zenyatta, Hancock will soon discover that many people don't agree with him about Horse of the Year. Although Zenyatta finished second, she probably gave the best perfromance of her career. Would she have won with a better trip? Maybe. Blame obviously gave a winning performance, and he responded when Zenyatta ran to him.

And then there's Zenyatta's popularity, her place in the sport's history and in the cultural awareness. If horse racing had a Mount Rushmore, her image would be there, alongside Secretariat's and Man o' War's and Citation's.

Zenyatta literally stopped traffic this week. A throng followed her everywhere. This morning, a crowd gathered to see her, as if they were concerned for her well-being and were eager to console her. They had to let her know their affection had not diminished. Meanwhile, very few people went by Blame's barn this morning.

"I think she should be Horse of the Year," Shirreffs said. "She's done so much for the sport."

And maybe she should be. But it won't matter, not really. Those children who have their Zenyatta photographs, and all those people who came here just to see her and who rolled out of bed this morning eager to express once again their love for her -- they won't care if she's Horse of the Year. Zenyatta has transcended such things. 

     

Dead rail?

LOUISVILLE, Ky.  -- Every main-track winner on the first day of the Breeders' Cup at Churchill raced off the rail. The rail clearly was not the place to be Friday. Even Calvin Borel stayed away from it.

First race: Glenwood Canyon rallied on the far outside to win. Second: China stalked three-wide and drew clear in the lane. Third: Noble's Promise rallied outside to win while Bulldogger faded on the rail. Fourth: Apart rallied four-wide. Fifth: Eldaafer raced three wide to win the Marathon. Seventh: Dubai Majesty raced three-to-four wide and drew clear to win the Filly And Mare Sprint. Eighth: Awesome Feather stalked while four-wide and drew clear late to win the Juvenile Fillies. Ninth: Unrivaled Belle raced three wide, eased out to be four-wide and won the Ladies' Classic.

The rail was as dead as all those tickets on Life At Ten, who obviously should have been scratched from the Ladies' Classic. The jockey donnybrook was amusing, but the real problem Friday was the embarrassing decision, or lack of decision, involving Life At Ten.

The track influenced the outcome of Friday's races. The question is whether the same will be true today. If the track is the same way, it will seriously compromise the chances of Big Drama in the Sprint and Quality Road in the Classic, for example.

But it might not be the same; circumstances have changed. A little moisture fell on the track early Friday. It's a little warmer today, with a rumor that the sun will make an appearance. Most important, the maintenance crew has been working on the track. In other words, watch those early races closely. Especially telling could be the second race, where the speedy Rapport has the rail and Nicole H the two-hole. If they fade badly, that could call for some handicapping adjustments.  

Handicapping the Cup, Part II

Who ever would have thought the Marathon could be so exciting?

As football became the most popular sport in the country and the brutality known as cage fighting found a large audience, horse racing's popularity declined in part, I always thought, because it's not violent. The only violence in horse racing occurs by accident. But that almost changed after today's Breeders' Cup Marathon, where Javier Castellano and Calvin Borel nearly came to blows and no doubt would have if not for the intervention of others.

Just about everybody in the press box jumped out of his seat and hurried to secure a spot closer to a monitor to watch the action; many watched from the balcony as people struggled to restrain Borel, whose anger had exploded into a full-blown rage. And so for a moment, horse racing became very much like other sports. But, fortunate for the Breeders' Cup and the fans, the later races and certainly Saturday's should be exciting enough without the possibility of violence.

The Juvenile Turf: Master Of Hounds, Utley, Mantoba, Banned.

Master Of Hounds finished less than three lengths behind Casamento, one of Europe's top-rated juveniles, in his last outing, and a duplication of that would probably suffice to put him in the winner's circle. Mantoba and Utley have made a positive impression this week. The American horses in here aren't very accomplished, but Banned looked as though he had something left when he won by five lengths in his most recent outing at Keeneland.

The Sprint: Big Drama, Girolamo, Riley Tucker, Smiling Tiger.

"He's good, good, good," trainer David Fawkes said about Big Drama. "No, he's even better: He's super." And Big Drama has indeed looked, well, at the very least good this week. He's fresh, having not raced since early September, and that's generally a positive for a sprinter. And his Forego, where he stalked the lively pace and got to the lead in 1:09.50 for three-quarters, suggests he's the one to beat. The post position can be a problem, but most of the speed drew outside, which could enable Big Drama to get a perfect position entering the turn. Riley Tucker could be an intriguing long shot. He ran what was arguably the best race of his career right here at Churchill in May, and again he'll enjoy a lively pace to set up his late run.

Turf Sprint: Central City, Chamberlain Bridge, Silver Timber, Grand Adventure.

The Central City-Chamberlain Bridge exacta isn't just an expression of Texas loyalty. Central City had serious throat surgery in June, and his first race back was outstanding, especially considering he wasn't 100 percent, at least not in the estimation of his trainer, Ronny Werner. Post position could be a problem for both horses, however; but Central City quite simply is quickest of these, and he' should be able to get clear and to the rail. Jamie Theriot will have to ease Chambrerlain Bridge off the fence behind the speed and then find running room for the run down the lane. The jockey is confident that Chambrerlain Bridge is the best horse in the race, and he could be right. Chamberlain Bridge got left in his last, and still finished fourth. In his only loss on the Churchill turf, he had a nightmarish trip.  

Juvenile: Uncle Mo, Jaycito, Boys At Tosconova, J.B.’s Thunder.

Uncle Mo's Champagne victory was impressive, and the two turns could work to his advantage, with the short run to the turn forcing him to contain his natural speed. He has won his two races by a total of 20 lengths, and he could prove to be exactly what his trainer, Todd Pletcher, suspected the first time the colt worked a half-mile: something special. Jaycito improved significantly around two turns, and if the pace heats up he'll threaten. Boys At Tosconova looked sensational in his New York victories, but he hasn't raced since the Hopeful, and he returns to the track where he lost his debut. Don't assume that J.B. Thunder, who has won on turf and on a synthetic track, can't handle the dirt. He was training sharply here at Churchill before he ever went to New York.

Mile: Paco Boy, Goldikova, Proviso, Gio Ponti.

Yes, Goldikova is a superstar, and she's the horse to beat as she goes for an unprecedented third Breeders' Cup victory. But Paco Boy finished within a length of her in all three of their meetings this year despite encountering some trouble along the way, and he has drawn well for this. Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott has Proviso aimed at a top effort; she has been training sensationally.

Dirt Mile: Tizway, Here Comes Ben, Thiskyhasnolimit, Mad Flatter.

Once considered for the Classic, Tizway appears to be peaking at just the right moment. He finished three lengths behind Quality Road in the Met Mille, and he gave an outstanding performance in the Kelso. He has a little more natural speed than Here Comes Ben, who is obviously very sharp and likes Churchill. Thiskyhasnolimit has made a very positive impression this week.

Turf: Workforce, Behkabad, Debussy, Dangerous Midge.

No Arc winner ever has won a Breeders' Cup race. They were generally spent when they came here. But Workforce is lightly raced, with only four starts this year, and just might be much better than his rivals here. After losing badly as the 3-5 favorite at Ascot, he came out in a Sure-Win bridle in the Arc and gave a powerful performance. Debussy seems to like American racing and has made a good impression here.

Classic: Blame, Zenyatta, Lookin At Lucky, Quality Road.

Zenyatta has ruled over the stable area this week, turning every head when she goes to the track, where she has put on a show. The great unbeaten mare goes for the 20th victory of her career, and win or lose, she'll get applause and respect when she pulls up after the Classic, as she should. But as great as she is, she doesn't stand out in this field as she takes on what is arguably the strongest group of horses she ever has met. The race is contentious. And Blame could have a slight edge simply because he'll probably get the jump on Zenyatta and because this is his home track. Quality Road has the most natural speed, but he gives his best efforts when he has a target; so the No. 1 post position could be problematic. A late foal, Lookin At Lucky has improved steadily since he last raced here; he could threaten his elders. 

Texans win at the Breeders' Cup

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Bret Calhoun, a Texas native and the leading trainer at Lone Star this year, won the first Breeders' Cup race of his career when Dubai Majesty finished about two lengths in front of Switch in today's $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly And Mare Sprint.

A native of Grand Prairie, Calhoun trained a handful of horses at Lone Star in 1997 when the track opened. Although he didn't win a race that year, his stable grew steadily over the years. And today's victory puts him among the top trainers of the country.

Dubai Majesty is owned by Bill Martin of Dallas and Dan Morgan of Florida. Since Dubai Majesty wasn't originally nominated to the Breeders' Cup, they had to supplement her to the race at a cost of $90,000.

"She earned it," Martin said, explaining it was easy to write the check since the 5-year-old mare was training sharply and liked Churchill Downs.

Calhoun had said Thursday that he thought she was ready to run one of her best races, and she did indeed. She stalked the lively pace set by Gabby's Golden Gal and Champagne d'Oro, advanced on the outside in the turn and then drew clear in the stretch to complete the seven furlongs in 1:22.31. It was her fourth victory here at Churchill and the 12th victory in 34-race career.

"When I asked her to run, she was full of run," said winning jockey Jamie Theriot.

The win put Dubai Majesty over $1.4 million in earnings. She's scheduled to be sold Sunday in the Fasig-Tipton auction iln Lexington, Ky.

 

Crown of Thorns out of the Mile

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Crown of Thorns, who was the 4-1 second choice in the morning line for Saturday's Breeders' Cup Mile, has been withdrawn from the race.

Richard Mandella, the horse's Hall of Fame trainer, said he noticed a problem Thursday morning.

"There was some heat in his (right front) knee," Mandella said, "and we checked it out, and it turns out to be a flare-up of an old injury. He's had an issue with that knee for the past few years, and it has come back. It's nothing real serious, not a fracture or anything like that, but coming up to a race like this there's no way you could think about running him, given the circumstances."

Although a 5-year-old, Crown of Thorns has raced only eight times in a career that has been compromised almost from the start by minor injuries and problems. As a 3-year-old, he won the Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita to stamp himself a Triple Crown possibility. But that turned out to be his last start in 2008. A winner of $687,080 in his career, Crown of Thorns finished second in last year's Breeders' Cup Sprint.

Mandella said it was possible that Crown of Thorns could return next year.

Rightly So out

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Rightly So, the 3-1 favorite in the morning line for the Breeders' Cup Filly And Mare Sprint, has been scratched, or declared out of the race. She was scratched by the Breeders' Cup Veterinary Panel.

"They (the veterinarians) came back to the barn, and they looked at her again," explained her trainer, Tony Dutrow. "They were not happy with the way she was moving and said they would not allow her to run today. . . . I am sure that whatever is wrong with Rightly So, we'll get to the bottom of it and take care of it and then go from there. It's disappointing, but this is all part of the game."

Dutrow will still be busy today. He'll saddle Havre de Grace in the Ladies' Classic and Joyful Victory in the Juvenile Fillies.

 

Handicapping the Cup

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Blame goes out with the first set of horses when the track opens at 6 o'clock. And since it's my responsibility to try to see all the contenders and function as your eyes, I try to be there, where he and many others go onto the track, at Churchill Downs' three-quarter-mile gap -- or the "Lukas" gap, as it's more commonly known, because the barn of the sport's all-time leading trainer is nearby -- when the track opens.

Not too very long I ago, before the lights were installed, on my first day back in Kentucky, I would arrive very, very early so I could stand hidden in the pre-dawn darkness and allow the associations and memories to sweep over me. As a kid, I saw my first Kentucky Derby, or a little bit of it, from this very spot, and once, when I ran off, I ended up back here, in the Churchill stable area. My grandmother lived just a few blocks from here, down Fourth Street, and she would sometimes have clairvoyant dreams about races and horses -- or at least they seemed clairvoyant to her, interpreted in retrospect -- and I sometimes would sit on her front porch and discuss the races with my uncle, who worked at the track. Half my family, it seemed, had ties to this racetrack, to this corner of Kentucky, and the adamantine ties endure: My dad was once the leading jockey here at Churchill, and his ashes were spread right over there, in the winner's circle, telluric in memoriam.

Anyway, for part of every morning this week, I've been at that familiar spot watching horses prepare for the Breeders' Cup. Blame has held his weight and looks grand. Todd Pletcher's horses go onto the track at this gap, and what a parade they've made every morning. They all glow with healthy possibility. They haven't worn the Breeders' Cup saddlecloths, but with a little help I've been able to identify most of them. Life At Ten has lit up the track. Quality Road, Uncle Mo, More Than Real -- they've all looked good, sharp, ready. For Steve Asmussen, Thiskyhasnolimit and Haynesfield have looked as impressive as any horses I've seen this week. But so many have trained impressively, and, of course, they should because, after all, this is the Breeders' Cup, and it's about the best horses in the country and perhaps the world. These two days of racing should be sensational.

The Marathon: A.U. Miner, Giant Oak, Awesome Gem, Prince Will I Am.

Yes, I know the Europeans have done well in this race, and this marathon distance is more their game than ours. But those European winners, Muhannak and Man Of Iron, were successful on Santa Anita's synthetic surface, and I don't know that the Europeans in the race this year are quite as good or that they'll take to this surface in the same way. A.U. Miner, on the other hand, has improved greatly since stretching out to longer distances, and he has looked very good in the mornings. Giant Oak loves Churchill, Awesome Gem has the class of an old pro, and Prince Will I Am, who comes from the stable of one of the sport's sharpest young trainers, could love the distance.

Juvenile Fillies Turf: Winter Memories, Tale Untold, Together, More Than Real.

Winter Memories' victory in the Miss Grillo was 11 lengths faster than the colts' winning time that day in the Pilgrim Stakes at Belmont. She's special. And the gray filly makes quite an appearance, with her orange wraps, when she goes to the track in the morning. This is another race that seems to have been made for the Europeans, and they should do well. Tale Untold never has run a poor race, and she just beat Together, who's the second choice here in the morning line.

Filly And Mare Sprint: Jessica Is Back, Champagne d’Oro, Evening Jewel, Dubai Majesty.

This could be the day's most contentious race. For me, it's also the most inscrutable of the day's races. Most of the horses are unproven at the distance; some are unproven on dirt. Rightly So, the morning line favorite, gave her best effort on a speed biased surface, and she'll face more pace pressure here. Jessica Is Back couldn't run down Rightly So at Saratoga, but the surface and the circumstances have changed dramatically. Trainer Eric Guillot said Champagne d'Oro is training like a gorilla on a hampster wheel, and she could get a perfect stalking trip. Evening Jewel is something of a mystery at this distance, but the Oaks runner-up has obvious quality. And trainer Bret Calhoun said Dubai Majesty, who has proven herself at Churchill, appears ready to give one of her best efforts.

Juvenile Fillies: Awesome Feather, Delightful Mary, Theyskens’ Theory, R Heat Lightning.

The traditional preps for this weren't particularly strong. Meanwhile, down in Florida, Awesome Feather swept the stallion series while giving every indication of having the potential to develop into an outstanding horse. When she won her most recent stakes, she actually finished stronger (33.38 seconds for the final five-sixteenths, compared to 33.96 for Mad Flatter) than an older horse that same day in the Spend A Buck Stakes. Delightful Mary has trained very sharply here. Her jockey, Shaun Bridgmohan, who'll ride her today, said he has been very impressed with her. Theyskens' Theory has been racing on turf in Europe, but the half-sister to Stevie Wonderboy should take to the dirt. R Heat Lightning, one of those good looking horses from the Pletcher barn, ducked in at the start of the Frizette, wouldn't settle and then lacked room. She's better than that might suggest.

Filly And Mare Turf: Midday, Plumania, Harmonious, Eclair de Lune.

Midday won this race last year, and she has continued to perform at the same level, if not a little higher. Plumania -- disregard her poor Arc effort -- has finished close to Midday; she may have the best chance for an upset. Harmonious beat a good field at Keeneland and could take another step forward with more distance.

Ladies’ Classic: Blind Luck, Life At Ten, Malibu Prayer, Unrivaled Belle.

Blind Luck has trained well here and looks better than she did prior to winning the Oaks. She's vulnerable simply because the pace won't be to her advantage, but she's one of the most tenacious and admirable horses to race this weekend -- or any weekend. Life At Ten should get a perfect stalking trip behind Malibu Prayer, who's a threat to steal the show. Unrivaled Belle ran her best race this year right here.

   

Indian Gracey out of the Breeders' Cup

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Indian Gracey, who finished third in the Oak Tree and figured to be one of the early leaders in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, will be scratched.

Her trainer and owner, Jerry Hollendorfer, explained that the filly had "a hot right front foot," which can be indicative of a problem. She had not trained well here at Churchill Downs.

"She's talented," Hollendorfer said, "so we'll get other chances. But we're going to do the right thing by her and not run this time."