Trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. talked the talk all week before the Belmont and continued to boast about how Big Brown was continuing to flourish. He even was so bold as to tell reporters the Belmont was "a foregone conclusion."
The Belmont should be a lesson in humility for Dutrow, who continues be a poor ambassador for the sport with his brash conceitedness, frequent doping-related offenses, irresponsible remarks about the medications his horses run on ("You'd have to ask the vet what the purpose of that is," he told a reporter about the drug Winstrol. "I don't know what it does. I just like using it."), and his poor sportsmanship.
Dutrow also questioned the training regimen John Servis put his Smarty Jones through en route to the Belmont saying, "I think that the connections of Smarty Jones just were not smart in order to get their job done for the Belmont. They should have played it a lot safer, a lot better." How interesting it is to note than Smarty Jones lost the Belmont by only a length, while Big Brown finished dead last in his edition, beaten double-digit lengths by the victorious Da'Tara.
He had plenty of bravado earlier in the week but when his horse ran up the track on the big day Dutrow sulked and refused to speak with reporters, which makes the Patriots' Bill Belichick look like a true sportsman by comparison (after the latter's walk-off in February when he refused to watch his team go down at the hands of the Giants).
Well, the racing gods have spoken and they don't seem like cheaters, especially arrogant ones with 33-page rap sheets.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Friday, May 2, 2008
Tenacious emblem
Two of the eighteen starters this year’s Oka Sho (JPN-IT; Japanese 1,000 Guineas) were sired by Kentucky Derby (gr. I) winner War Emblem. It’s an impressive feat for any stallion, but can only be considered particularly remarkable when one learns that War Emblem sired just fifteen fillies in 2005.
War Emblem, a nine-year-old son of Our Emblem, has been at stud in Japan at the renowned Shadai Stallion Station since he retired back in the fall of 2002. Though he closed out his career with a disappointing sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (gr. I), he was still named Champion Three-Year-Old Colt by virtue of his earlier victories in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes (gr. I), Haskell Invitational (gr. I), and Illinois Derby (gr. II).
It is no coincidence that War Emblem arrived in Japan only months after the death of Sunday Silence, the 1989 Kentucky Derby winner who clinched Horse of the Year and Champion Three-Year-Old Colt honors following a stirring victory in the Breeders’ Cup Classic that same year.
Despite his lofty race record, American breeders showed little interest in Sunday Silence, who was eventually bought by Shadai Stallion Station owner Zenya Yoshida. The colt went on to legendary status as a sire in Japan, leading the sire list yearly from 1995 to 2007. The horse even had his own magazine, and pundits estimate that the winnings of his descendants at the exorbitant sum of $500,000,000.
The similarities between Sunday Silence and War Emblem are striking – both were slight-bodied, near-black colts who annexed both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness before stumbling the final block in the Belmont. They were both willful creatures with little appeal to American breeders despite their race records.
If it weren’t for War Emblem’s reputation as a shy breeder, he might be dominating the sire lists much like his predecessor had.
War Emblem produced just four foals in his first crop, all of whom are winners. From that small crop are Clan Emblem and Admire Million, both allowance winners who have scored victories on dirt and turf.
War Emblem’s second crop was a slight improvement at 33 foals, and while the start of their careers were promising it has been only recently that they have begun to set the Japanese racing scene on fire. The jet-black colt King’s Emblem, a flashy debut winner on the turf last fall, recently captured his first stakes when taking the Surmire Stakes, also on the grass, though a start on the main track is likely in his future – King’s Emblem is a half-brother to Vermilion, a horse who won four consecutive grade I’s on dirt including the Japan Cup Dirt (JPN-I).
War Emblem’s two Oka Sho entrants, Air Pascale and Black Emblem, both of whom are expected to go off at odds of around 9-1, are also members of that 2005 crop. Air Pascale earned a birth in the Oka Sho by virtue of her victory in last month’s Tulip Sho (JPN-IIIT), a one-mile turf race and major prep for three-year-old fillies. Less than two weeks later, Black Emblem drew comparisons to her sire when wiring the Flower Cup (JPN-IIIT), the last major prep for the Oka Sho.
But the headliner of this talented bunch is surely Shonan Alba, who became his sire’s first graded stakes winner when capturing the Kyodo News Service Hai (JPN-IIIT) going about nine furlongs on the grass in February. Shonan Alba is a colt known for his virulent personality as much as his distinctive 5 x 3 inbreeding to the venerable Brigadier Gerard. In the Service Hai, he determinedly held off all challengers despite having fought jockey Masayoshi Ebina through much of the early going.
“His fiery temper goes along on the right track so far in the races. But it is evident that we will have to find some effective measures to make him relax,” said the colt’s conditioner Yoshitaka Ninomiya. “He chooses his rider. I have never seen a horse like him [with such a great deal of personality].”
War Emblem’s progeny are not the prettiest sort, but they are racy-looking and appealing in their own way and have proven popular with Japanese buyers. Air Pascale’s trainer, Yatsutoshi Ikee, had this to say of the stallion’s offspring:
“I think that War Emblem is a stallion whose [influence] runs strongly in his descendents. His sons and daughters inherit their sire's character and body a lot…If the horse can [be taught to] go comfortably on the bit, he/she can draw away as War Emblem did in the Kentucky Derby.”
Despite his having just twenty-one starters so far this year, War Emblem reached another milestone last month when he made the Top 20 in the Japan Racing Association’s sire rankings, which are based on the number of starters per stallion and average earnings per starter. War Emblem’s Earning Index is listed at an unheard of 3.74 – and it is worth noting that his closest pursuer on the list is the late El Condor Pasa at 2.71, and the sire with the third-highest earnings index is none other than the late Sunday Silence with an index of 2.06. No other stallions ranked in the top twenty with War Emblem breached the 2.00 mark.
Trainers and breeders aren’t the only ones taking note of War Emblem’s success. In late March the stallion was featured in GALLOP, Japan’s premier horse racing publication in Japan under the heading, “Miracle Blood” in Full Bloom.
For a stallion whose stud career was once labeled as a failure, War Emblem is proving that the flower that blooms despite vicissitude is perhaps the most valuable of all.
War Emblem, a nine-year-old son of Our Emblem, has been at stud in Japan at the renowned Shadai Stallion Station since he retired back in the fall of 2002. Though he closed out his career with a disappointing sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (gr. I), he was still named Champion Three-Year-Old Colt by virtue of his earlier victories in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes (gr. I), Haskell Invitational (gr. I), and Illinois Derby (gr. II).
It is no coincidence that War Emblem arrived in Japan only months after the death of Sunday Silence, the 1989 Kentucky Derby winner who clinched Horse of the Year and Champion Three-Year-Old Colt honors following a stirring victory in the Breeders’ Cup Classic that same year.
Despite his lofty race record, American breeders showed little interest in Sunday Silence, who was eventually bought by Shadai Stallion Station owner Zenya Yoshida. The colt went on to legendary status as a sire in Japan, leading the sire list yearly from 1995 to 2007. The horse even had his own magazine, and pundits estimate that the winnings of his descendants at the exorbitant sum of $500,000,000.
The similarities between Sunday Silence and War Emblem are striking – both were slight-bodied, near-black colts who annexed both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness before stumbling the final block in the Belmont. They were both willful creatures with little appeal to American breeders despite their race records.
If it weren’t for War Emblem’s reputation as a shy breeder, he might be dominating the sire lists much like his predecessor had.
War Emblem produced just four foals in his first crop, all of whom are winners. From that small crop are Clan Emblem and Admire Million, both allowance winners who have scored victories on dirt and turf.
War Emblem’s second crop was a slight improvement at 33 foals, and while the start of their careers were promising it has been only recently that they have begun to set the Japanese racing scene on fire. The jet-black colt King’s Emblem, a flashy debut winner on the turf last fall, recently captured his first stakes when taking the Surmire Stakes, also on the grass, though a start on the main track is likely in his future – King’s Emblem is a half-brother to Vermilion, a horse who won four consecutive grade I’s on dirt including the Japan Cup Dirt (JPN-I).
War Emblem’s two Oka Sho entrants, Air Pascale and Black Emblem, both of whom are expected to go off at odds of around 9-1, are also members of that 2005 crop. Air Pascale earned a birth in the Oka Sho by virtue of her victory in last month’s Tulip Sho (JPN-IIIT), a one-mile turf race and major prep for three-year-old fillies. Less than two weeks later, Black Emblem drew comparisons to her sire when wiring the Flower Cup (JPN-IIIT), the last major prep for the Oka Sho.
But the headliner of this talented bunch is surely Shonan Alba, who became his sire’s first graded stakes winner when capturing the Kyodo News Service Hai (JPN-IIIT) going about nine furlongs on the grass in February. Shonan Alba is a colt known for his virulent personality as much as his distinctive 5 x 3 inbreeding to the venerable Brigadier Gerard. In the Service Hai, he determinedly held off all challengers despite having fought jockey Masayoshi Ebina through much of the early going.
“His fiery temper goes along on the right track so far in the races. But it is evident that we will have to find some effective measures to make him relax,” said the colt’s conditioner Yoshitaka Ninomiya. “He chooses his rider. I have never seen a horse like him [with such a great deal of personality].”
War Emblem’s progeny are not the prettiest sort, but they are racy-looking and appealing in their own way and have proven popular with Japanese buyers. Air Pascale’s trainer, Yatsutoshi Ikee, had this to say of the stallion’s offspring:
“I think that War Emblem is a stallion whose [influence] runs strongly in his descendents. His sons and daughters inherit their sire's character and body a lot…If the horse can [be taught to] go comfortably on the bit, he/she can draw away as War Emblem did in the Kentucky Derby.”
Despite his having just twenty-one starters so far this year, War Emblem reached another milestone last month when he made the Top 20 in the Japan Racing Association’s sire rankings, which are based on the number of starters per stallion and average earnings per starter. War Emblem’s Earning Index is listed at an unheard of 3.74 – and it is worth noting that his closest pursuer on the list is the late El Condor Pasa at 2.71, and the sire with the third-highest earnings index is none other than the late Sunday Silence with an index of 2.06. No other stallions ranked in the top twenty with War Emblem breached the 2.00 mark.
Trainers and breeders aren’t the only ones taking note of War Emblem’s success. In late March the stallion was featured in GALLOP, Japan’s premier horse racing publication in Japan under the heading, “Miracle Blood” in Full Bloom.
For a stallion whose stud career was once labeled as a failure, War Emblem is proving that the flower that blooms despite vicissitude is perhaps the most valuable of all.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Looking for love in all the wrong places
This is Raneem.
Raneem is a blue-blooded product of Darley Stud, a son of successful stallion Gone West out of a mare by The Minstrel, who won both the Epsom and Irish Derbies. He had started out racing at the most premier tracks and with the best of care before slipping down the claiming ranks like so many other Thoroughbreds and disappearing into obscurity. At one point he ended up at the ill-reputed New Holland Sales Stables in Pennsylvania, which has been convicted on numerous animal cruelty charges and remains a magnet for the so called 'kill-buyers' who purchase unwanted horses to send to slaughter.
At New Holland Raneem was purchased by some men from Philadelphia and returned to the races at Fonner Park in Nebraska. After twenty-seven starts with five victories and earnings of just under $100,000, Raneem could run no more. He was promptly retired and shipped back east to New Holland where his fate seemed sealed when he was picked up by a kill-buyer for a nominal sum.
But fate smiled on Raneem that day, as MidAtlantic Horse Rescue workers were also present and quickly stepped in to intervene on his behalf. They negotiated a price for the gelding, and soon Raneem was in Maryland where he put on needed weight and began to learn how to be a riding horse.
He took to this new career readily and it wasn't long before the gelding, described as "handsome and sweet," found a home with a nice woman from New Jersey. But just as quickly, it seemed, his past caught up with him.
Raneem's ankles became swollen and sore with even light riding, and eventually he was retired from riding for good. He was taken back in by the MidAtlantic Horse Rescue where he remains to this day, waiting to be adopted into a loving 'forever' home.
I could write a lot of negative things about Darley (and I probably will someday). I could criticize them for ruining the sport of horse racing by buying accomplished, notables horses and retiring them before their prime -- heck, last year alone they bought and retired Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense, Haskell winner Any Given Saturday, and Kentucky Derby and Breeders' Cup Classic runner-up Hard Spun. (One forum poster summed it quite nicely: "See it. Buy it. Retire it. It's the Darley way.")
Less than two weeks ago Darley also bought out Woodland Stud, Australia's largest and most successful owner-breeder operation for a price tag estimated somewhere between $400,000,000-500,000,000. Now you would think, with all those millions to throw around, the people at Darley could at least take back an unsound horse they were directly responsible for bringing into the world and let him live out his days grazing in a field on one of Darley's many equine properties or at least assist in finding him a permanent home. Large, prominent racing and breeding operations like Adena Springs and Padua have already have had successful retirement programs in place for several years now where horses bred and raced by their establishments are retrained and matched with owners who will provide a dedicated and lifelong home.
It seems like something any decent breeder would do. If you think so too, write to Darley and tell them so.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Making things right
We moved five more times in the following eight years, sampling various states in the Midwestern and Heartland regions; for two years I even lived by the marshy coasts of Georgia. Curiously each time we landed in a locale that was distant from any racetrack so my enthusiasm for the sport had to be sustained by weekly publications and the budding world of the Internet.
As a teenager of the ‘90s, the era of racing’s elite heroes –the weight-bearers, the heavy campaigners, the frequent shippers—ended long before it could be appreciated by my generation of fans. Gone are the Kelsos, the Foregos, the Tom Fools, and Spectacular Bids of yesteryear. I was just over three months old when dual-surface wonder John Henry retired as the world’s richest racehorse in July of 1985.
Things looked up towards the end of the decade when Pennsylvania-bred Smarty Jones burst onto the racing scene in 2004 as an undefeated three-year-old. Triple Crown hopes were high after the colt annexed the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, but his bid to become the first Triple Crown winner since 1978 fell short by a length when Birdstone pulled a sizeable upset in the Belmont. Smarty Jones came out of the race with bruising to his fetlocks joints but owner Roy Chapman remained adamant that fans would see the chestnut colt race again, citing races like the Dubai World Cup as goals.
"We don't want him to go out that way. We want him to go out the hero that he is. And if it takes racing when he's a four-year-old, I hope he will be able to do it,” Chapman declared just days after the race.
But less than two months later came the news that Smarty Jones had been retired, syndicated weeks earlier as a stallion for nearly $40 million.
“I don't see anyway he can earn on the racetrack in a year what he can earn next spring in the breeding shed,” added trainer John Servis. “If it were any other horse, you'd turn him out and bring him back to the track in late October and start building back up his conditioning but…you have the emotional trauma if anything should happen to him.”
But noted and highly esteemed equine veterinarian Larry Bramlage, who examined the cold firsthand had this to say:
“The risks are minor…we bring horses back from this type of injury [to race again] all the time. The prognosis for full recovery is excellent. There's really nothing to worry about.”
Apparently hypocrisy also runs deep in the sport as well – take for example Cash Is King Stable, who a year later ran Afleet Alex to pulsating victories in the Preakness and Belmont Stakes before the colt was stricken with a career-ending injury. Regarding the colt’s fans, Cash Is King managing partner Chuck Zacney said matter of factly, “I don’t want it to be like Smarty Jones,” before promptly selling the recently retired colt a few days later to Gainesway Farm, a notoriously un-fan-friendly operation that does not allow visitors.
The sales industry wields some influential power over racing, as it far more lucrative for owners to sell a hot young three-year-old to a stud farm than race him as an older horse. But do you breed to breed or breed to race? The sport of kings died long ago, now replaced with the sport of greed.
Is it possible to have too much emphasis placed on the Triple Crown? Successful sires Storm Cat, Broad Brush, Gone West, Kingmambo, and Elusive Quality, to name a few, did not win or even place in any of the three-year-old spring classics. The numbers would indicate that the series itself is not the most precise gauge of sire ability.
Prominent owner Barry Irwin, also stricken with this folie a deux, stated that, “To many people, and I happen to be one of them, the point of racing is to prove which one is best so that he can go to stud and attempt to better the breed. Once they have proven who is best, there is no further point to racing a horse. It is more important to the breed to get them to stud.”
Irwin, who heads the Team Valor syndicate racing, attracts newcomers to racing by offering shares in racehorses purchased from various owners and breeders or from auction. Yet one has to wonder how many clients he has lured into the sport with his “race to breed” angle.
Those who stand by Irwin’s viewpoint only see the financial gain. Forget accolades and prestige; the greater glory is retiring good horses early. And who really gets shut out? The fans, and the entire industry suffers for it. I wonder if Irwin was singing the same praises of premature retirements when his beloved Swaps was pillaging California stakes during the summer of 1956, more than –get this!—a year after his victory in racing's most coveted jewel, the Kentucky Derby.
No other sport quite looks down on its fans like racing does. Because they are not employed by the industry, many involved in racing feel they have no right to voice their opinions. Instead, racing shoots itself in the foot by chastising and ultimately driving away its few remaining fans. There is a generation of young people who enthusiastically follow the sport, many of whom wager regularly, and they should be welcomed into the industry – all, they are the future of racing, a fact that most of the crotchety old fogies running the sport today seem oblivious to.
As a teenager of the ‘90s, the era of racing’s elite heroes –the weight-bearers, the heavy campaigners, the frequent shippers—ended long before it could be appreciated by my generation of fans. Gone are the Kelsos, the Foregos, the Tom Fools, and Spectacular Bids of yesteryear. I was just over three months old when dual-surface wonder John Henry retired as the world’s richest racehorse in July of 1985.
Things looked up towards the end of the decade when Pennsylvania-bred Smarty Jones burst onto the racing scene in 2004 as an undefeated three-year-old. Triple Crown hopes were high after the colt annexed the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, but his bid to become the first Triple Crown winner since 1978 fell short by a length when Birdstone pulled a sizeable upset in the Belmont. Smarty Jones came out of the race with bruising to his fetlocks joints but owner Roy Chapman remained adamant that fans would see the chestnut colt race again, citing races like the Dubai World Cup as goals.
"We don't want him to go out that way. We want him to go out the hero that he is. And if it takes racing when he's a four-year-old, I hope he will be able to do it,” Chapman declared just days after the race.
But less than two months later came the news that Smarty Jones had been retired, syndicated weeks earlier as a stallion for nearly $40 million.
“I don't see anyway he can earn on the racetrack in a year what he can earn next spring in the breeding shed,” added trainer John Servis. “If it were any other horse, you'd turn him out and bring him back to the track in late October and start building back up his conditioning but…you have the emotional trauma if anything should happen to him.”
But noted and highly esteemed equine veterinarian Larry Bramlage, who examined the cold firsthand had this to say:
“The risks are minor…we bring horses back from this type of injury [to race again] all the time. The prognosis for full recovery is excellent. There's really nothing to worry about.”
Apparently hypocrisy also runs deep in the sport as well – take for example Cash Is King Stable, who a year later ran Afleet Alex to pulsating victories in the Preakness and Belmont Stakes before the colt was stricken with a career-ending injury. Regarding the colt’s fans, Cash Is King managing partner Chuck Zacney said matter of factly, “I don’t want it to be like Smarty Jones,” before promptly selling the recently retired colt a few days later to Gainesway Farm, a notoriously un-fan-friendly operation that does not allow visitors.
The sales industry wields some influential power over racing, as it far more lucrative for owners to sell a hot young three-year-old to a stud farm than race him as an older horse. But do you breed to breed or breed to race? The sport of kings died long ago, now replaced with the sport of greed.
Is it possible to have too much emphasis placed on the Triple Crown? Successful sires Storm Cat, Broad Brush, Gone West, Kingmambo, and Elusive Quality, to name a few, did not win or even place in any of the three-year-old spring classics. The numbers would indicate that the series itself is not the most precise gauge of sire ability.
Prominent owner Barry Irwin, also stricken with this folie a deux, stated that, “To many people, and I happen to be one of them, the point of racing is to prove which one is best so that he can go to stud and attempt to better the breed. Once they have proven who is best, there is no further point to racing a horse. It is more important to the breed to get them to stud.”
Irwin, who heads the Team Valor syndicate racing, attracts newcomers to racing by offering shares in racehorses purchased from various owners and breeders or from auction. Yet one has to wonder how many clients he has lured into the sport with his “race to breed” angle.
Those who stand by Irwin’s viewpoint only see the financial gain. Forget accolades and prestige; the greater glory is retiring good horses early. And who really gets shut out? The fans, and the entire industry suffers for it. I wonder if Irwin was singing the same praises of premature retirements when his beloved Swaps was pillaging California stakes during the summer of 1956, more than –get this!—a year after his victory in racing's most coveted jewel, the Kentucky Derby.
No other sport quite looks down on its fans like racing does. Because they are not employed by the industry, many involved in racing feel they have no right to voice their opinions. Instead, racing shoots itself in the foot by chastising and ultimately driving away its few remaining fans. There is a generation of young people who enthusiastically follow the sport, many of whom wager regularly, and they should be welcomed into the industry – all, they are the future of racing, a fact that most of the crotchety old fogies running the sport today seem oblivious to.
Monday, March 31, 2008
The prince and the king
It's a great time to be a racing fan. For the first time in five years, the leading three-year-old was not retired to the breeding shed at the end of the season -- last year's Champion Three-Year-Old Male, Curlin, has remained in training for 2008.
Curlin had an unorthodox but impressive prep race for the Dubai World Cup (gr. I) last month in the Jaguar Trophy Handicap in Dubai, which he won under a hand ride while shouldering 132 pounds, clocking the 1-1/4 miles in a laudable time of 2:00.6. But the colt still had his work cut out for him Saturday. He would meet rivals from all over the globe, including Japan's Vermilion (a winner of four consecutive grade I's), Godolphin's up-and-coming Jalil who had strung together three straight victories since coming to Dubai, former American grade I winner and last year's World Cup runner-up Premium Tap, and horse-for-course Asiatic Boy who had won the UAE Derby (UAE-II) over the same oval.
But Curlin made mincemeat of his World Cup rivals, attending an active pace while three-wide before drawing off down the stretch to score by a record 7-3/4 lengths. Winning with his ears pricked, he sped the distance in 2:00.15, the third-fastest running of the race.
"What a horse," said his jubilant rider Robby Albarado. "Curlin is like a limousine, and I am just along for the ride."
And yet, the effort that should have had people talking for weeks played second fiddle when, some four hours later, three-year-old Big Brown remained undefeated in taking the Florida Derby (gr. I) in just his third lifetime start. Big Brown had first made headlines last summer at Saratoga, when he won a maiden special on the turf by 11-3/4 lengths. Setbacks caused the colt to miss the rest of the season, but he turned heads in his sophomore debut earlier this month when he cruised in an off-the-turf allowance contest by more than a dozen lengths, getting the mile distance in an eye-catching 1:35 3/5 despite having only a two-work foundation going in.
Then came last Saturday's Florida Derby, which turned skeptics into believers (myself included). Breaking from the twelve-hole --and becoming the first horse to win doing so since Gulfstream's inane reconfiguration four years ago-- Big Brown set daring fractions of 22 and 45 and change for the opening quarter and half-mile. Despite the quick pace, Big Brown left his rivals reeling and drew off down the stretch to win by five lengths while getting the 1-1/8 miles in a snappy 1:48 1/5.
"He's a major talent, possibly the best horse I've ever ridden," enthused winning rider Kent Desormeaux, who rode both Fusaichi Pegasus and Real Quiet to victories in the Kentucky Derby. Desormeaux has also won grade I's on a variety of mounts, including Desert Stormer (a dirt sprinter), Kotashaan (a turf router), and Corinthian (a dirt miler).
"He's a freak," says Hall of Fame trainer John Nerud simply.
Despite the one-year age difference, the similarities are startling: It was at this time last year the then-undefeated Curlin was a favorite for the Kentucky Derby, having gone from a dazzling maiden winner to the commanding ten-length victor of the Arkansas Derby (gr. II) in the span of two months. He even had similar superlatives thrown at him last year after going from maiden winner to Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) hero in the span of a season. But even the eventual Horse of the Year was unable to win the Derby off of three lifetime starts, though he did finish an admirable third behind Street Sense and Hard Spun after encountering traffic trouble down the lane.
Big Brown will now likely go off favored in the Run for the Roses, having outdazzled fellow three-year-old and Louisiana Derby (gr. II) and Risen Star (gr. III) winner Pyro from the top spot of Derby contenders. Curlin, meanwhile, will remain in light training in Kentucky until a future start can be determined, his hold on the title Horse of the World secure. The two will follow different paths, but it is never too early to start dreaming of the collision course that may come to fruition this fall.
Curlin had an unorthodox but impressive prep race for the Dubai World Cup (gr. I) last month in the Jaguar Trophy Handicap in Dubai, which he won under a hand ride while shouldering 132 pounds, clocking the 1-1/4 miles in a laudable time of 2:00.6. But the colt still had his work cut out for him Saturday. He would meet rivals from all over the globe, including Japan's Vermilion (a winner of four consecutive grade I's), Godolphin's up-and-coming Jalil who had strung together three straight victories since coming to Dubai, former American grade I winner and last year's World Cup runner-up Premium Tap, and horse-for-course Asiatic Boy who had won the UAE Derby (UAE-II) over the same oval.
But Curlin made mincemeat of his World Cup rivals, attending an active pace while three-wide before drawing off down the stretch to score by a record 7-3/4 lengths. Winning with his ears pricked, he sped the distance in 2:00.15, the third-fastest running of the race.
"What a horse," said his jubilant rider Robby Albarado. "Curlin is like a limousine, and I am just along for the ride."
And yet, the effort that should have had people talking for weeks played second fiddle when, some four hours later, three-year-old Big Brown remained undefeated in taking the Florida Derby (gr. I) in just his third lifetime start. Big Brown had first made headlines last summer at Saratoga, when he won a maiden special on the turf by 11-3/4 lengths. Setbacks caused the colt to miss the rest of the season, but he turned heads in his sophomore debut earlier this month when he cruised in an off-the-turf allowance contest by more than a dozen lengths, getting the mile distance in an eye-catching 1:35 3/5 despite having only a two-work foundation going in.
Then came last Saturday's Florida Derby, which turned skeptics into believers (myself included). Breaking from the twelve-hole --and becoming the first horse to win doing so since Gulfstream's inane reconfiguration four years ago-- Big Brown set daring fractions of 22 and 45 and change for the opening quarter and half-mile. Despite the quick pace, Big Brown left his rivals reeling and drew off down the stretch to win by five lengths while getting the 1-1/8 miles in a snappy 1:48 1/5.
"He's a major talent, possibly the best horse I've ever ridden," enthused winning rider Kent Desormeaux, who rode both Fusaichi Pegasus and Real Quiet to victories in the Kentucky Derby. Desormeaux has also won grade I's on a variety of mounts, including Desert Stormer (a dirt sprinter), Kotashaan (a turf router), and Corinthian (a dirt miler).
"He's a freak," says Hall of Fame trainer John Nerud simply.
Despite the one-year age difference, the similarities are startling: It was at this time last year the then-undefeated Curlin was a favorite for the Kentucky Derby, having gone from a dazzling maiden winner to the commanding ten-length victor of the Arkansas Derby (gr. II) in the span of two months. He even had similar superlatives thrown at him last year after going from maiden winner to Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) hero in the span of a season. But even the eventual Horse of the Year was unable to win the Derby off of three lifetime starts, though he did finish an admirable third behind Street Sense and Hard Spun after encountering traffic trouble down the lane.
Big Brown will now likely go off favored in the Run for the Roses, having outdazzled fellow three-year-old and Louisiana Derby (gr. II) and Risen Star (gr. III) winner Pyro from the top spot of Derby contenders. Curlin, meanwhile, will remain in light training in Kentucky until a future start can be determined, his hold on the title Horse of the World secure. The two will follow different paths, but it is never too early to start dreaming of the collision course that may come to fruition this fall.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
A vacant throne
The distaff division took a huge blow in the form the recent retirement of Belmont Stakes heroine Rags to Riches, who re-aggravated an old injury while working for a return to the races. However, even without her presence the division is set for an all-star cast this year of some very exciting and talented fillies and mares.
Who: Ginger Punch
Why She’s Noteworthy: The Champion Older Mare and Breeders’ Cup Distaff (gr. I) winner of 2007 fired a bullet recently while working in company with Bobby Frankel's sophomore star Country Star. Her only outing this year was an unchallenged, one-sided victory in the restricted Sunshine Millions Distaff.
Where to See Her Next: In the April 5th Apple Blossom (gr. I) at Oaklawn Park.
Who: Magnificience
Why She’s Noteworthy: The comebacker made two lifetime starts last spring caused a sensation, has been working up a freak storm at Santa Anita in recent weeks. After blitzing a bullet five furlongs in 0:58 flat on the 17th, she came back yesterday morning to run another near-bullet, clocking the same distance in 0:58.60.
Where to See Her Next: Likely to return in a stakes at Hollywood Park.
Who: Zenyatta
Why She’s Noteworthy: The undefeated filly has vanquished her foes convincingly in all three of her starts, including an easy score in the El Encino (gr. II). An unspecified injury caused her to miss a date in the Santa Margarita (gr. I) with Nashoba's Key but she is presently back on the worktab.
Where to See Her Next: Hollywood Park meeting
Who: Nashoba's Key
Why She’s Noteworthy: A formidable competitor in her own right, the recent Santa Margarita (gr. I) winner has won five graded stakes on both turf and synthetic surfaces. The Santa Margarita was her first start with Garrett Gomez back aboard following a questionable ride by former pilot Joe Talamo on Sunshine Millions Day.
Where to See Her Next: Currently resting, she is likely to resurface at the Del Mar meet.
Who: Eight Belles
Why She’s Noteworthy: She’s easily routed her members of her own sex in two races at Oaklawn, including her last in which she ran 1-1/16 miles just as quickly as the colt Sierra Sunset who won the Southwest Stakes (gr. III) at that distance later in the day.
Where to See Her Next: Eight Belles is likely to run next in the Fantasy (gr. II) versus fillies, though she has been nominated to the Arkansas Derby (gr. II).
Who: Country Star
Why She’s Noteworthy: Her two tallies last fall in the Alcibiades and Hollywood Starlet (both gr. I) had some folks talking Kentucky Derby. Jockey Robby Albarado recently gave up the mount on Derby hopeful Denis of Cork to maintain the ride on the blue-blooded filly, and she just fired a bullet working in company with the aforementioned Ginger Punch.
Where to See Her Next: In the Ashland (gr. I) at Keeneland on April 5th.
Who: Hystericalady
Why She’s Noteworthy: Hard-knocking California-based mare gave Ginger Punch a run for her money in last fall’s Distaff. Still had a very productive last season despite running over synthetic surfaces she is not crazy about; look for her to improve this year if she makes most of her starts on conventional dirt tracks.
Where to See Her Next: Hystericalady will try to turn the tables on Ginger Punch in the Apple Blossom on April 5th.
Who: Ginger Punch
Why She’s Noteworthy: The Champion Older Mare and Breeders’ Cup Distaff (gr. I) winner of 2007 fired a bullet recently while working in company with Bobby Frankel's sophomore star Country Star. Her only outing this year was an unchallenged, one-sided victory in the restricted Sunshine Millions Distaff.
Where to See Her Next: In the April 5th Apple Blossom (gr. I) at Oaklawn Park.
Who: Magnificience
Why She’s Noteworthy: The comebacker made two lifetime starts last spring caused a sensation, has been working up a freak storm at Santa Anita in recent weeks. After blitzing a bullet five furlongs in 0:58 flat on the 17th, she came back yesterday morning to run another near-bullet, clocking the same distance in 0:58.60.
Where to See Her Next: Likely to return in a stakes at Hollywood Park.
Who: Zenyatta
Why She’s Noteworthy: The undefeated filly has vanquished her foes convincingly in all three of her starts, including an easy score in the El Encino (gr. II). An unspecified injury caused her to miss a date in the Santa Margarita (gr. I) with Nashoba's Key but she is presently back on the worktab.
Where to See Her Next: Hollywood Park meeting
Who: Nashoba's Key
Why She’s Noteworthy: A formidable competitor in her own right, the recent Santa Margarita (gr. I) winner has won five graded stakes on both turf and synthetic surfaces. The Santa Margarita was her first start with Garrett Gomez back aboard following a questionable ride by former pilot Joe Talamo on Sunshine Millions Day.
Where to See Her Next: Currently resting, she is likely to resurface at the Del Mar meet.
Who: Eight Belles
Why She’s Noteworthy: She’s easily routed her members of her own sex in two races at Oaklawn, including her last in which she ran 1-1/16 miles just as quickly as the colt Sierra Sunset who won the Southwest Stakes (gr. III) at that distance later in the day.
Where to See Her Next: Eight Belles is likely to run next in the Fantasy (gr. II) versus fillies, though she has been nominated to the Arkansas Derby (gr. II).
Who: Country Star
Why She’s Noteworthy: Her two tallies last fall in the Alcibiades and Hollywood Starlet (both gr. I) had some folks talking Kentucky Derby. Jockey Robby Albarado recently gave up the mount on Derby hopeful Denis of Cork to maintain the ride on the blue-blooded filly, and she just fired a bullet working in company with the aforementioned Ginger Punch.
Where to See Her Next: In the Ashland (gr. I) at Keeneland on April 5th.
Who: Hystericalady
Why She’s Noteworthy: Hard-knocking California-based mare gave Ginger Punch a run for her money in last fall’s Distaff. Still had a very productive last season despite running over synthetic surfaces she is not crazy about; look for her to improve this year if she makes most of her starts on conventional dirt tracks.
Where to See Her Next: Hystericalady will try to turn the tables on Ginger Punch in the Apple Blossom on April 5th.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Thrown away
On Friday, May 18th, 2007, almost everyone in the racing industry was fixated on Baltimore’s Pimlico Racecourse, where 133rd Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense was favored to capture the second coveted jewel in the Triple Crown the following day. Few if any were aware that some 2800 miles away at Golden Gate Fields in Berkeley, California, former graded stakeswinner Inesperado suffered a catastrophic breakdown and had to be euthanized.
French export Inesperado made his American debut a winning one in the summer of 2003, surging through a hole at the rail to win the Cinema (G3) at Hollywood by a nose. After winning four of nine starts in France for his original owners, it would be his most lucrative season for new owner 2 Plus U Stable and new trainer Bobby Frankel. In addition to the Cinema, Inesperado also added wins in the La Jolla Handicap (G3), Sir Beaufort Stakes, and Del Mar Derby (G2) to his name, the latter over eventual Breeders’ Cup Turf victor Johar, now a stud in Kentucky.
Two years later and twelve races later, Inesperado was dropped in for a claiming tag and was taken by Round Table Stable. From there he continued to descend down the claiming latter, dropping from $80,000 to $35,000, to $22,500, to $7,000, and finally, in April of '07, to $4,000. By this time Inesperado was eight years old and a world away from the limelight which had shone so brightly on him during his three-year-old season. What is even more disheartening than the horse’s fall in stature was the arcane persistence in which he was raced.
At the time of his death, Inesperado had finished out of the money in ten of his previous eleven starts and had not won in over three years. If money were the object of desire, surely a stud career would have been a more enticing option for a multiple graded stakeswinner who was still entire in his sixth season of racing.
And while most of the blame falls on the horse’s last connections for running him despite the animal’s clear lack of competitiveness even at racing’s lowest level, one who has to wonder where were 2 Plus U Stable and Bobby Frankel during all of this time. Retiring a past-his-prime horse who earned well over half a million dollars in a single season of racing for his owner and trainer (Inesperado’s career earnings neared $700,000) seems like something any decent person would do.
It is time racing stops mishandling the very animals on which the sport itself exists. The fact that such a prominent stakeswinner of yesteryear faded into obscurity without so much as a peep from the racing community is deplorable. The horse had more than earned a retirement –even a stallion career, perhaps—but it is apparent now more than ever that racing is indeed a business and no longer a sport.
Inesperado deserved better.
French export Inesperado made his American debut a winning one in the summer of 2003, surging through a hole at the rail to win the Cinema (G3) at Hollywood by a nose. After winning four of nine starts in France for his original owners, it would be his most lucrative season for new owner 2 Plus U Stable and new trainer Bobby Frankel. In addition to the Cinema, Inesperado also added wins in the La Jolla Handicap (G3), Sir Beaufort Stakes, and Del Mar Derby (G2) to his name, the latter over eventual Breeders’ Cup Turf victor Johar, now a stud in Kentucky.
Two years later and twelve races later, Inesperado was dropped in for a claiming tag and was taken by Round Table Stable. From there he continued to descend down the claiming latter, dropping from $80,000 to $35,000, to $22,500, to $7,000, and finally, in April of '07, to $4,000. By this time Inesperado was eight years old and a world away from the limelight which had shone so brightly on him during his three-year-old season. What is even more disheartening than the horse’s fall in stature was the arcane persistence in which he was raced.
At the time of his death, Inesperado had finished out of the money in ten of his previous eleven starts and had not won in over three years. If money were the object of desire, surely a stud career would have been a more enticing option for a multiple graded stakeswinner who was still entire in his sixth season of racing.
And while most of the blame falls on the horse’s last connections for running him despite the animal’s clear lack of competitiveness even at racing’s lowest level, one who has to wonder where were 2 Plus U Stable and Bobby Frankel during all of this time. Retiring a past-his-prime horse who earned well over half a million dollars in a single season of racing for his owner and trainer (Inesperado’s career earnings neared $700,000) seems like something any decent person would do.
It is time racing stops mishandling the very animals on which the sport itself exists. The fact that such a prominent stakeswinner of yesteryear faded into obscurity without so much as a peep from the racing community is deplorable. The horse had more than earned a retirement –even a stallion career, perhaps—but it is apparent now more than ever that racing is indeed a business and no longer a sport.
Inesperado deserved better.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
