Godspeed

On the very day that ill-fated Barbaro’s little brother Nicanor makes his debut in race 8 at Gulfstream, over 850 miles away another group of three-year-olds will go postward in a much-less ballyhooed race that, for 52 years, has been run in honor of another Kentucky Derby winner who met a tragic end—the $60k Black Gold Stakes for 3-year-olds going 5.5f on turf.

The progeny of speedy Oklahoma-bred mare Useeit and blue-blooded Kentucky stallion Black Toney, the great Black Gold began and ended his racing career at Fair Grounds. That, along with everything in between, has become the stuff of legend—bred and owned by a Native American woman named Rosa Hoots after the death of her beloved husband Al who had once refused to turn over ownership of Useeit when he lost her in a claiming race; the taxing eighteen-race 2-year-old campaign (with sixteen in-the-money finishes, including 9 victories); the nine wins at 3, including the Louisiana, Kentucky, Ohio and Chicago derbies; the stud career that was a complete (and sterile) bust; and the extremely-ill conceived return to the track at age 6.

His story has been oft-told, most famously in Marguerite Henry’s classic book Black Gold (1957), a work that can make a grown woman (and I dare say, man) cry. Winston Groom also published a rather nice article last year which you can read here.

Running in the Salome Purse on January 18, 1928, the 7-year-old Black Gold broke down in the stretch, yet finished the race on three legs—and heart. His remains lay buried in the infield, near the sixteenth pole, at Fair Grounds where later today the winning jockey, accompanied by descendants of Rosa Hoots, will place a wreath of flowers on his grave marker.

Godspeed today, young Nicanor, godspeed.

Lightning Strikes—Live Blogging from Oz

Despite the massive heat, the G1 Lightning Stakes are a “go” at Flemington, and as promised I’m ready for a little live blogging for all interested (guess that would just be Michael—LOL!). How ironic to see the blazing heat Down Under when we are bracing for a possibly snow “storm of the century” here on Monday/Tuesday.

Glen Boss just guided talented Largo Lad to victory in race 4—next up at Flemington is the G3 CS Hayes Stakes (1400m, or 7f). Lots of early money on Mick Price-trained Pre-Eminence who finished third behind Rebel Raider in the G1 Victoria Derby last out in November. But, isn’t it interesting that top jock Craig Newitt jumps off him, and onto his stablemate Al Omghe? Additionally, Pre-Eminence looks to like a little sting out of the track, and that's not going to happen today. If Al Onghe is that interesting to Newitt, that what about Fair Trade who beat him last out? I like the switch to Nick Hall. Also, Damien Oliver has a good record on Keano who takes a drop in weight after winning over this course back in December—the freshening up may give him the advantage.

Just noticed that Newitt also gave up Price's Heart of Dreams, as did Oliver (he gets Glen Boss instead). With horses so equally matched, and only separated by questions of preparation first up, the jockey angle seems an edge. I've gone $2WP on Al Omghe.

Nothing. Should have gone with Fair Trade—nice winner. G3 win in only second race.

Now the moment we’ve been waiting for—Apache Cat vs. Weekend Hussler. Is there anyone else to consider? Comments?

WRAP-UP:
Well, turns out the big two were a tad disappointing, or in Weekend Hussler’s case, unlucky. The surprise victor was Scenic Blast, who had placed in both previous efforts on the Flemington straight course—a second-place to Tan Tat De Lago in the G3 Danehill back in September ’07, and a third-place to Weekend Hussler and Bel Mer in the G1 Ascot Vale that November. He was very lightly-raced last year (only four starts, with two victories). Steven Arnold did a nice job on him.

Ironic that a son of Scenic (descendent, through his dam, of Foolish Pleasure) should win here. It was only last November that another son of Scenic, Sunburnt Land, finished an impressive third behind Swick in the G1 Patinack Farm Classic over this very course, and was spelled with his first goal back to be this very race. Unfortunately, Sunburnt Land died just a week later, struck by lighting out in his paddock.

Just Like Mama

After watch 1-9 favorite Elusive Heat crush race 8 at Gulfstream, all I can say is this filly is going to be a SUPERSTAR!

Seriously, I can’t remember the last time I was this excited by a young horse.

Cranking out fractions of 21.96, 44.51 and 56.58, she traveled 6f in 1:08.94—nearly a second faster than in her last race, the G3 Old Hat over this very course, and just a couple ticks off the track record. The most amazing thing was Alan Garcia—he most famously of the “vigorous handride”—sat on her like a stone (except to look back a couple times in the stretch)—NEVER MOVED AN INCH!

Considering her pedigree, it’s doubtful she can stretch out much beyond 7f, so I’m not envisioning Kentucky Oaks here. With the proper handling (which she will undoubtedly receive from Kiaran McLaughlin), she’s an easy winner of the G1 Test and G1 Prioress later this summer—and then maybe take on the older fillies and mares in the G1 Beldame, or better yet, the boys! Whether she can handle an artificial surface (such as Santa Anita’s ProRide) is a whole other question, but, boy, it’s going to be fun watching her run!

Too Damn Hot

As much as I hate frigid winters in southwestern Pennsylvania, I’d rather be here than in Victoria, Australia where racing was cancelled today when temperatures reached 43C—that’s 109F to us folks who never embraced the metric system. With temperatures on Saturday there forecast in excess of 35C (95F) in the midst of the hottest spell in 100 years (thank you, global warming), the start time for the G1 Lightning Stakes has been brought back to 2:46 p.m., or 10:46 p.m. EST here on Friday. If you are a fan of sprint races, you won’t want to miss this one, as six-time G1 winner Apache Cat faces seven-time G1 winner Weekend Hussler for the first time—and on the straight track at Flemington, to boot.

In the category of “it’s the same all over,” last year’s champion 2-year-old colt Sebring will not race at three, and has been retired to stud due to a “recurring soundness issue.” Disappointing, but not wholly unexpected. Trainer Gai Waterhouse offers a touching tribute to his short yet hugely successful career on her blog. He’ll stand at Widden Stud which earlier this week lost star stallion General Nediym to a severe colic attack.

Gulfstream Thursday

Thursday at Gulfstream features some personal favorites, including in race 7 the return after nearly 10 months of Twilight Meteor who is out of the same Smart Strike crop as Curlin. Nicely bred (his dam One Over Prime is a half-sister to G1 Gamely victress Citronnade, as well as Canadian champion filly Primaly), his best success has been on grass, including the 2007 Hallandale Beach at Gulfstream. It may be a big ask for him here, especially with others enjoying strong current form. Most tantalizing at long odds is Ken and Sarah Ramsey’s Furthest Land (another Smart Strike) who, since being claimed and stretched out has looked very strong—excellent 4f bullet work most recently, and I always love Julien Leparoux on Gulfstream’s turf. I’m also taking a hard look at El Sultry Sun who gains Alan Garcia and should improve in second effort off long layoff. In addition to Twilight Meteor, Bill Mott-trained Equitable (last seen finishing well-back in the G1 Sword Dancer) and Rick Dutrow-trained Adagio (who has never quite lived up to his G3 Craven Stakes victory in England) both return here after lengthy breaks.

In race 8—a 6f allowance—Xtra Heat’s first daughter Elusive Heat will undoubtedly go off as the overwhelming favorite, as no one in the field comes close to her speed figures. I for one will skip betting her, as she’s likely to go off at around 1-5, if not shorter. Interestingly, Alan Garcia replaces Edgar Prado, but Garcia is McLaughlin’s regular jock so maybe not so telling. The real question to be asked, however, is why is she in here and not the G2 Forward Gal on Friday, which features both Gemswick Park and Frolic’s Dream, the duo that flanked her at the line in the G3 Old Hat last out? The only thing I can think of is McLaughlin doesn’t want to try her at 7f for now—and she should get an easy win.

Another famous sibling runs in race 9—turfster Kristi With a K, half-sister to G1 winner Bit of Whimsy. With Edgar Prado up again, she should enjoy stretching out the additional furlong, and improve second out. The other one entered that has long been in my Virtual Stable is 4-year-old Venetian Causeway who comes in off a nearly four month layoff for Shug McGaughey. It took five races before she broke her maiden at Belmont last September, but she was never far back. Talk about a horse bred for turf—by Giant’s Causeway (‘nuff said), her dam Alleged World is out of Miss Alleged, a multiple-G1 turf victress over males including the 1991 BC Turf over Sky Classic. Not many works coming in, so a win would surprise—but she could be a nice stakes filly this year.

Calm Before the Storm

Here it is, the last week of January—and the Kentucky Derby is just three short months away. Thankfully, the buzz emanating from the hype-o-meter is still a low drone, with only some promising allowance and two stakes prep races completed thus far. However, from this point forward, the action promises to come fast and furious so check out the new “Road to the Roses” tab on the TBA homepage widget, another proud creation of our ringleader Patrick (aka Handride).

On Friday, the G2 Hutcheson at Gulfstream features a field of seven, including G3 Nashua winner Break Water Edison who may very well be Alan Garcia’s ticket to the Derby—this son of Lemon Drop Kid promises to stretch out. Also entered is the Candy Ride gelding Capt. Candyman Can who, like Break Water Edison, is out of a Storm Creek mare. He’s got a lot of positives: he has already won at Churchill (G3 Iroquois); he finished a mere half length back running a route (8.5f) last out and that was only because he jumped shadows towards the finish line; and since being gelded, he’s posted two bullet works at 5f, including a sub-one minute work most recently. Another potential Derby contender is Hello Broadway, half-brother to G1 Wood Memorial winner Nobiz Like Shobiz. He does lose Eibar Coa (who apparently has chosen to stick with Nick Zito’s Rocketing Returns), but picks up Edgar Prado (or has Tagg replaced Coa with Prado as his go-to jock?). His young sire Broken Vow has thrown some nice routers, including Unbridled Belle and Cotton Blossom, so distance shouldn’t be an issue. As for Rocketing Returns, his dam Spring Meadow was a G1-placed sprinter so it will be interesting to see if he can route—my gut says “no.”

Saturday’s G3 Holy Bull entries should be out early this week (the nominations are here), and the name I’m most looking forward to seeing there is A.P. Cardinal. He worked a bullet 5f 1:01 (1/18) at Palm Meadows on Friday.

The Dallas Cowboys of Horse Racing

After having raided BC Juvenile Fillies Turf third-place finisher Laragh last year before the Breeders’ Cup and then Stardom Bound after her victory in the BC Juvenile Fillies, IEAH—checkbook at the ready—is on the prowl again.

Today it was promising 3-year-old G3 LeComte runner-up Patena and, like Helen Pitts before her, trainer Josie Carroll now knows what it feels like to have a potential Derby winner yanked away, only to be handed over a trainer with no qualms about using every means possible to win—regardless of ethical considerations. That sucks. What makes it worse is that Carroll trained Patena’s dam Handpainted as well—so much for loyalty for a job well-done. Top that with her promising filly Springside being injured while winning the G2 Demoiselle in late November, and it’s been a tough couple of months for Carroll.

Jen over at ThoroughBlog reports IEAH paid between $1.5 and $1.8 million for 70% of Patena.

I can’t help thinking of the Dallas Cowboys (or substitute New York Yankees, if you will) when reading about IEAH’s acquisitions—and in the most cold blood manner of “assets management” that’s exactly what these horses are, acquisitions. Rather like the ostentatious Jerry Jones who never met a camera he didn’t love, IEAH’s most visible mouthpiece Michael Iavarone and his associates do very little in actually developing talent. It’s much easier to forage for prospects cultivated, nursed and coddled by others toiling in relative obscurity so forgive me if I can’t muster up admiration for IEAH or its purchases.

Then again, are they not just symptomatic of our instant-gratification-driven world? Much like “America’s Team” is able to do (when they don’t implode due to discord and distractions caused by quarterbacks dating no-talent media whores, as well as drug- and alcohol-induced crimes and misdemeanors), IEAH will continue to win, but that doesn’t mean we have to like them.

Teuflesberg's First Foal Arrives

Like most babies, newborn foals are irresistible, and not just for their general cuteness. More than anything they represent tantalizing potential, and all that excites about the great unknown. With they fail or succeed as a race horse? Can they live up to their breeding and ride the wind? Or is their fate not so fortunate? Obviously, only time will tell.

As a pedigree geek, I love exploring the genealogy of these newborns, particularly those by my favorite horses—those that were not necessarily recognized as champions, or even totally fulfilled their potential, but did strike me as gutsy, tough horses that always tried. Teuflesberg was that kind of horse on the track, so I was especially pleased to read of his first progeny’s arrival, a bay filly born on January 17, out of the Jack Hylton mare City Hylton.

Who?

Talk about obscure breeding, or so I thought. While this Argentine-bred G2 winner in Chile doesn’t have much to recommend her via her sireline, the damline is more promising. Turns out City Hylton is a half-sister to City West (Candy Stripes), a multiple G1 winner in Argentina who won two of the three legs of the Argentinean Triple Crown. Another half-sister Candy Girl (Candy Stripes) was unraced, but produced five starters, all winners, and the best of them was champion miler Candy Ride. Considering the promising first-year crop he has produced (California Derby winner Chocolate Candy, G3 Sorrento victress Evita Argentina, G3 Iroquois winner Capt Candyman Can, G1 Hollywood Starlet runner-up Wynning Ride, and last weekend’s Dania Beach victor Jack Spratt), this may be a promising family.

And Shaker Ridge Farm, Inc. may have also gotten a bargain due to the current uncertain financial times—City Hylton (and her as-then-unborn filly) was purchased by them at the recent January Keeneland sale (Hip #1512) for a paltry $1,200. Considering her daddy’s heart, here’s hoping this young filly makes a big splash.

The Legendary Football Team That Horse Racing Built

On February 1, the Pittsburgh Steelers will attempt to become the first professional football team to win 6 Super Bowl titles—the “Six-Pack” as folks are calling it here in Western Pennsylvania (personally, I think “One for the Thumb” had a much better ring to it).

Since the Golden Era of the 1970s, when Hall of Fame players like Terry Bradshaw, “Mean” Joe Greene, Jack Lambert, Franco Harris, Mel Blount, Jack Ham, John Stallworth, Lynn Swann and “Iron” Mike Webster played, the Steelers have enjoyed great success, but that hadn’t always been the case.

The fifth-oldest NFL franchise endured over 40 years without a championship season, yet its team founder Art Rooney Sr.—“The Chief,” as Pittsburghers know him—and his family never gave up, committed as they were to their hometown. However, many folks don’t realize that the Pittsburgh Steelers may never have existed, or at least survived all those hard financial times (pre-network television contracts, sold-out stadia, and merchandising), without...horse racing.

On July 8, 1933, Art Rooney Sr. paid the $2,500 NFL franchise fee founding the Pittsburgh Pirates (they were renamed the Steelers in 1940), allegedly from racetrack winnings. Being raised above his father’s saloon on Pittsburgh’s North Side, Rooney was no stranger to bookies and horse players, and apparently demonstrated significant prowess as horse player. The franchise fee story has become legend, but it was a much bigger score in August 1936 that allowed the team to remain in the black (and gold).

The Chief’s son Art Rooney Jr., in his 2008 self-published book Ruanaidh (Gaelic spelling of “Rooney”), discusses those two fateful days in 1936:

“AJR was born to play the horses…in 1936, in two days at two tracks in New York, he made a killing that people talked about for years. Talked about and wrote about. Joseph Madden, a New York saloonkeeper with literary aspirations, was the first to record the details. They appeared in his book of memoirs, “Set ‘Em Up.” Under the caption “Rooney’s Ride,” John Lardner re-told the story in his Newsweek column. Other accounts followed, all describing how AJR picked as many as eleven straight winners in that two-day spree and won an indeterminate amount of money which may have totaled upwards of $380,000. Roy Blount, in his book about the Steelers and the Rooneys, said it was ‘probably the greatest individual performance in the history of American horse-playing.’ Nobody since has disagreed.” (p. 37)


Art Rooney’s winning streak began on an August Saturday afternoon at the Empire City track (later Yonkers harness track, which his sons purchased in 1972), and ended upstate on Monday at Saratoga. Rooney’s first bet was $8,000 on 8-1 longshot Quel Jeu (the then-six-year-old 1932 Remsen Handicap winner eventually won 25 races in 140 lifetime starts) who won in a photo finish, and it was the first of five long-shots he hit among his seven (on an eight-race card) winners. Exactly how much money Art Rooney won that day hasn’t been revealed, although every source agrees it was in excess of $100,000. In his book My Turf, Bill Nack quotes Saratoga bookmaker Reggie Halpern who claims, “Art Rooney won six straight races here and walked out of the betting ring with $105,000. I know. I took some of the action.” (p. 25)

However, in his book Art Rooney Jr. says:

“Madden and Lardner wrote that AJR cleared $256,000 at Saratoga that day. AJR told me it was more, but did not say precisely how much more. A friend of his, the director of racing at our Yonkers track, put the figure at $380,000. Other estimates are higher. Whatever he won, and the officials at Saratoga offered him a Brink’s armored truck to carry the money back to New York City, he won it at a time when working men were supporting wives and children on as little as twenty dollars a week.” (p. 38)


It wasn’t to be the last of Rooney’s big scores. As Gene over at EquiSpace noted recently, Time magazine reported on a $100,000 score at Aqueduct in September 1937 (although the Temple University Libraries Urban Archives reports the figure was $300,000—a photo of Rooney at the track is viewable here).

With his race track winnings, Art Rooney kept his financially-struggling football franchise afloat—the 1930s Pirates never had a winning season, and it wasn’t until 1974 that they won their first championship. In his essay on Rooney, sports historian Bob Ruck mentions that the Steelers’ early difficulties may even have been attributable in part to The Chief’s love of horse racing, as Rooney admitted:

“Although I understood the football business as well as anybody in the league, I didn’t pay the attention to the business that some of the other owners gave it. I was out of town a great deal of the time, at the racetracks. With me, the racetrack was a big business. And generally I’d have a head coach who was like me—he’d like the races.” (pp. 256-257)


The quintessential Irishman—who also loved boxing in addition to horse racing—Art Rooney had a wonderful sense of perspective and good humor. The Post-Gazette article relays the following example:

“According to one story, a priest came and asked Rooney for money to help start a Catholic orphanage. Rooney peeled off $10,000 and handed it to the priest, who asked, ‘Are these ill-gotten gains?’

‘Why no, father, I won that money at the race track,’ Rooney said.”


A regular attendee at the Kentucky Derby and Irish Derby, Rooney scaled back his betting on thoroughbred racing when the pari-mutuel system replaced bookmakers, according to his son. However, he and his family continued their involvement in the sport, as breeders and owners since 1948 of thoroughbreds (until the 1980s) and standardbreds through their Shamrock Farms in Woodbine, Maryland, and their ownership of Yonkers Raceway, where The Chief’s third son Tim has served as president since 1972.


Sources:

William Nack. My Turf: Horses, Boxers, Blood Money and The Sporting Life (Da Capo Press, 2003) p. 25.

Rob Ruck. “Art Rooney and the Pittsburgh Steelers” in Randy Roberts, ed., Pittsburgh Sports: Stories from the Steel City (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2000) pp. 243-262.

Art Rooney Jr., with Roy McHugh. Ruanaidh: The Story of Art Rooney and His Clan. (Self-published by Art Rooney Jr., 2008) pp. 36-38.

Gary Tuma. “From the PG Archives: Steelers’ Art Rooney in Retrospect” (reprint on August 26, 1988 obituary story). Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. October 14, 2007. http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07287/825373-66.stm

Caryl Velisek. “Shamrock in Winfield One of Top Maryland Breeders” from Horsin’ Around, A Special Supplement to the Delmarva Farmer Newspaper. June 24, 2003. http://www.americanfarm.com/horsin6-24-03c.html

Six Degrees of Separation

On Friday, the Philadelphia area artist Andrew Wyeth died at age 91. Horse racing fans will recall that Fox Hill Farm owner Rick Porter’s filly Eight Belles was named for the Wyeth family summer home in Maine.

After the success he enjoyed with Hard Spun and Eight Belles in 2007 and 2008 respectively, Porter looks poised to enjoy another successful three-year-old Kentucky Derby campaign with either (both?) Friesan Fire who scorched the G3 Lecomte Stakes last weekend at Fair Grounds, or the unbeaten Old Fashioned who is scheduled to make his three-year-old debut in the G2 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn on February 16.

On Friday, Oaklawn opened its 105th season with a reported 15,863 braving 26° F temperatures on track. The first race was won by Snuck in the Dance under the guidance of Deshawn Parker (left), top jockey at Mountaineer who has shifted his tack south to avoid the winter deep-freeze in the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia, made manifest when Mountaineer cancelled its 2009 opening night card Saturday night due to frigid temperatures.

Mountaineer’s track announcer Peter Berry is one of several talented Aussies who now live and work in the U.S., much to our delight. Fellow Aussie and Golden Gate announcer Michael Wrona, considered by some the front-runner for the Churchill Downs job, was passed over this week in favor of a Brit, Mark Johnson. Still, the Aussie invasion continues with trainer Andrew Payne (of the legendary Payne family of jockeys and trainers), who arrives next week in Florida to work for Todd Pletcher, as an exercise rider and then hopefully an assistant trainer.

According to his Wikipedia entry, Todd Pletcher is a member of Pi Kappa Alpha and, sure enough, he is listed on the Alumni page for the Gamma Delta chapter at the University of Arizona. Strange that he is not listed among the “Prominent Pikes” on the national fraternity’s webpage, which includes such notables as Bobby Bowden, Tim McGraw, Jon Stewart and Karl Rove (yes, Stewart and Rove are frat brothers). I guess winning four consecutive top trainer Eclipse awards doesn’t qualify as noteworthy?

Among the many talented horses Todd Pletcher has trained over the year is More Than Ready who was quite precocious, reeling off five consecutive wins at 2, beginning with his maiden effort at Keeneland and including the G3 Tremont and G2 Sanford before disappointing efforts in the G1 Futurity and G1 Champagne. Still, that precociousness apparently lives on through his offspring, most recently in the stunningly impressive debut of 2-year-old filly More Joyous in race 3 at Rosehill on Saturday. She missed the start entirely, but quickly caught the field and cruised along with them until the stretch when jockey Nash Rawiller asked ever-so-slightly for more and she easily pulled away to win by five or six lengths. It was beautiful to watch (if you have a Twinspires account, you can enjoy the replay under Australia B, January 16). Then again, given her bloodline such an outstanding performance was not unexpected—her dam Sunday Joy is the G1 Australian Oaks winning half-sister to multiple-G1 winning mare Tuesday Joy—and both of them descend from G1 Queensland Oaks victress Joie Denise whose dam is the incomparable multiple-G1 classic winner Denise’s Joy.

Both More Joyous and Tuesday Joy are trained by Gai Waterhouse who, before following in the footsteps of her Hall of Fame trainer father Tommy Smith, was an actress in England where she appeared in four episodes of the classic BBC sci-fi series “Doctor Who.” On the right is a photo of her appearing as Presta in “The Invasion of Time” (1978).

While I never got into “Doctor Who” (neither the original series nor the newer manifestation on SciFi Channel), science fiction is one of my all-time favorite genres, so needless to say I am thrilled “Battlestar Galactica” is back with new episodes. Growing up, must-see Saturday night viewing included ABC’s “Fantasy Island” at 10:00 p.m. Its star Ricardo Montalbán died on Wednesday at age 88. While I loved the mysterious (and sexy) Mr. Rouke, Montalbán’s most memorable role for me will always be the genetically-engineered superhuman Khan, first in the original Star Trek television series and then in the movie “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.”

Even more than the “Star Trek” universe, I loved “Babylon 5” with its grand arcing story and fascinating characters (don’t even get me started on my “crush” on Ranger Marcus Cole, left). Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski recently saw his first feature film script make it to the big screen—“The Changeling” starring Angelina Jolie and directed by Clint Eastwood. In 2003, Eastwood was nominated for a Best Director Oscar for “Mystic River”—which starred, among others, Kevin Bacon.

Born in Philadelphia on July 8, 1958, Kevin Bacon is a Cancer—as was Andrew Wyeth, born on July 12, 1917, Todd Pletcher (June 26, 1967), and yours truly (July 13). That was more than six, eh?

Injury Report

Boy, this sport is rough not only on horses, but also riders. High-profile losses like those of Indyanne and Go Between represent only the most widely-published fatalities and breakdowns for horses, but the recent death of quarter-horse jockey Sam Thompson at Los Alamitos reminds us how dangerous racing is for the human partner too.

Prayers go out to Aussie jockey Jason Holder who this past weekend was on top the world after winning the Magic Millions Classic with longshot 2-year-old Phelan Ready. On Wednesday, Jason sustained serious head injuries when his mount Oscar The Great fell in a race at Eagle Farm, and his head was struck by another horse Spirito Volante, resulting in a fractured skull and cheekbone, as well as a bad cut in his mouth. He is in an induced coma in Royal Brisbane Hospital, but reports indicate he is showing some improvement.

This comes after jockey Mark Zahra fractured his pelvis at Flemington during morning workouts, and will be out at least three months, and Paul King has three fractures in his neck, as well as a fractured shoulder and left foot. Add to that Martin Pedroza’s cracked pelvis suffered in the post parade for the ninth race at Santa Anita last Sunday and...well, I can’t express enough how much I admire the guts it takes to keep hopping back aboard these powerful creatures.

Watch Out Curlin—The Hussler’s on the Prowl

Australian sprinter/miler Weekend Hussler failed spectacularly last October trying to stay 12f in the G1 Caulfield Cup, but after a spell and by all accounts a significant growth spurt, his connections have mapped out an ambitious plan for his latest campaign. Over the course of the next three months, his trainer Ross McDonald hopes to take down nearly $9.5 million (US $6.4 million) in prize money, with five G1 races from Australia, Dubai and Hong Kong.

January 31—G1 Lightning Stakes (1000m) Flemington
February 14—G1 Australia Stakes (1200m) Moonee Valley
February 28—G1 MRC Futurity Stakes (1600m) Caulfield
March 28—G1 Dubai Duty Free Stakes (1777m) Dubai
April 26—G1 Champions Mile (1600m) Sha Tin

Considering he has already earned $3,056,900 (US $2,059,433), the seven-time G1 winning Hussler could be a serious challenger to Curlin’s record in the not-too-distance future—last year’s world number 1 ranked 3-year-old sprinter (according to the IFHA World Thoroughbred Rankings) is a gelding so there’s no rushing him off to the breeding shed.

Baby Names

The announcements on Monday of new arrivals for first-time sires Corinthian and Invasor got me thinking it’s time for another reader competition, although this one just for fun, not prizes.

Let's see how creative we are—make them seriously appropriate, or fun and naughty, it’s up to you! Just for kicks I have included the as-yet-unborn offsprings of Rags to Riches and Azeri, so provide both filly and colt names if you wish for Rags. If you are really serious, you can check The Jockey Club database to see if the names you select are already taken.

[edited to add Shakespeare and Jazil's new colts]

Filly (Corinthian-Sister Kit, by Storm Cat)

Filly (Senor Swinger-A Wonder She Is, by Three Wonders)

Colt (Invasor-Abby Road, by Danehill)

Filly (English Channel-Ser O No Ser, by Golden Voyager)

Filly (Ghostzapper-Azeri, by Jade Hunter)

Unknown (Giant’s Causeway-Rags to Riches, by A.P. Indy)

Colt (Shakespeare-Cafe Circle, by Vindication)

Colt (Jazil-Art Affair, by Mineshaft)

I'll take a stab at them too—I took the mostly-serious, somewhat esoteric route, so you may have to Google some of these, or be an anal-retentive intellectual geek.

For the Invasor colt, may I suggest “Invading Dane”? The English Channel filly screams “Ophelia” or “Soliloquy” which are both already taken, so I’ll take a different route and go with “Golden Compass.” For Azeri’s filly, I like “Tulpar” (massively appropriate) or maybe “Asheq” or “Ashik”, and the Corinthian filly has to be “Volute.”

As for Rags to Riches, if a colt, it’s got to be “Horatio Alger” (will anyone get that reference these days?) or a filly something equally regal to her dam, like “Maeshowe.” As for the Senor Swinger filly, I’ll take the low road and go with “Wife Swap.”

Oh, and speaking of baby names, congratulations to new father Kevin, The Aspiring Horseplayer, whose second son was born recently! I don’t know...Curlin Stafford has a certain ring to it :)

Eclipse Misses

While I agree in principle with nearly all the Eclipse Award nominations announced last week—the inclusion of one-time U.S. running Euros including Raven’s Pass, Conduit, and Goldikova I have railed against previously—I take serious exception to the “other” female turf candidate, Cocoa Beach. For the life of me I can’t understand what voters were thinking, as that one ran exactly one race on turf, the G1 Matriarch in November—which was a mile race. Contrast that with the achievements of Mauralakana, the five-year-old mare destined for the breeding shed early in the year, but kept in training after rattling off an amazing string of eight turf races from 9f to 12f, including five wins (one G1, two G2, one G3) and two seconds (one G1, one G3), a record which surely eclipsed (pardon the pun) Cocoa Beach’s ONE victory on turf.

Then again, should I have expected more considering who votes for these awards? All too often impressions of quality are misguidedly distilled down to a single race, and the adage “what have you done lately?” appears to dominant voters’ minds. After all, they are yearly awards, not just for one or two races at the end.

Additionally, when it comes to the owners’ and trainers’ categories, the issue of quantity doggedly drives voting rather than a more reflective analysis of true excellence. The nominations of the obnoxious IEAH Stables and two ethically-challenged trainers Steve Asmussen and Rick Dutrow further substantiates the widely-held impression by outsiders that the industry is in denial about momentous issues regarding the integrity of the sport. How proud we should be if any of them win!

In all sincerity, don’t voters get it? These entities represent everything that is wrong with racing—and the world—today. Overblown, over-the-top, more-is-more, win by all means possible. As for those who argue IEAH’s many G1-victories with various horses (Big Brown, Kip Deville, Frost Giant, Ariege, Benny the Bull, Court Vision and Laragh) trumps their distasteful persona, I would suggest it doesn’t take much skill—just a whole lot of money—to purchase excellent horses that have been developed by others.

If true sportsmanship (or is that showmanship?) were to be rewarded, then Jess Jackson should have been in the final three, as Curlin’s campaign this year was an anomaly in an age when good male horses are rushed off to stud at ages two and three, barely time to establish a career that proves their abilities. As for quality trainers, Bob Baffert, John Shirreffs, and Larry Jones immediately come to mind for the fine jobs they did in 2008.

Oh, well, maybe they will get it right next year...

Phelan Ready—How ‘Bout You?

If Saturday's 8.5f G2 San Pasqual is any indication of how this year’s male handicap crop is shaping up, it’s going to be a long b-o-r-i-n-g season. Watching them huff-and-puff through the stretch, gasping for the finish line, wasn’t enjoyable, no matter how Jeff Siegel on HRTV ridiculously fawned over Cowboy Cal’s pokey time (1:41.26) and ability to last (by a nose) over claimer Informed and third-place finisher 8-year-old Magnum whose last graded-stakes placing was a victory in the G3 Lone Star Handicap in May 2006. Much ballyhooed even-money favorite Well Armed could only muster fourth, just a length in front of another claimer Mostacolli Mort. Ho-hum...the fact that Cowboy Cal is ahead of Delightful Kiss in the Twinspires.com Older Horse category in the TBA standings surely will be an anomaly as the year moves forward, but who are the older male horses we have to look forward to this year? It's hard to imagine any of last year's poor quality three-year-old crop stepping forward, but more surprising things have happened.

On the other hand, this year's sophomore class provided some thrills, as Larry Jones-trained Friesan Fire demonstrated some potential in winning the G3 LeComte at Fair Grounds, and the Lion Heart-filly Pumpkin Shell took the Busanda with flair at Aqueduct. I was particularly pleased to cash a WP ticket on Pumpkin Shell ($26.80 win, $10.80 place) as I had hailed her last July before her first start at Saratoga. She’s well-bred for distance, so I hope we see her on a trajectory for the G1 Oaks. According to the DRF, trainer David Donk plans to run her in the Busher Stakes on February 22. Friesan Fire is on track for the February 7 Risen Star. Also looking forward to another Larry Jones trainee, Old Fashioned who apparently will start in the G3 Southwest at Oaklawn on February 16.

Fantastic news early this week that Proud Spell hated life on the farm and thus is back in training for a four-year-old campaign. Dare we dream of a match-up sometime this year with Zenyatta, preferably on dirt, say in the G1 Apple Blossom at Oaklawn?

Meanwhile, in Australia the two-year-olds are getting cranking in advance of their Triple Crown races, beginning with the G1 Golden Slipper on April 4 at Rosehill. On Saturday at Gold Coast, massive longshot Phelan Ready ($85.50 win) swept by previously-undefeated filly Paprika to win the A$2 million Magic Millions Classic, and it was beautiful! He’s another promising offspring of More Than Ready who has cranked out some impressive turf horses in Australia over the past two years, including last year’s Magic Millions Classic victress Augusta Proud and G1 Golden Slipper and G1 Sires Produce winner Sebring. What I also like about Phelan Ready are his connections, father-son trainers Bruce and Jason McLachlan, his jockey Jason Holder, and the fact that (you knew this was coming) he is a descendent, through his dam, of Foolish Pleasure. His dam Nancy Eleanor, winner of the G3 Adelaide Guineas, is by Blevic, and is also a half-sister to the very talented Baughurst.

Longshots

Beginning a new semester is always hectic—planning assignments, writing syllabi, answering emails from confused students, dealing with students begging to get signed in to classes too full already. I haven’t had time this week to watch much racing, but did view replays of two "big" 3-year-old allowance races at Gulfstream on Thursday. Not particularly earth-shattering results so I’m not apt to start posting Derby prospects yet. I do admit, however, the Kiaran McLaughlin-trained A.P. Cardinal is a horse I am keeping my eye on. I know, I know, one would never think a horse (even one by A.P. Indy) whose damsire is Smoke Glacken could get the distance, but A.P. Cardinal’s dam Smok’n Frolic was a multiple graded winner at 9f (Demoiselle, Next Move), and undoubtedly A.P. Indy adds stamina.

Congrats to Jose Lezcano on a three-win day, including a nice one for Helen Pitts on 15-1 longshot Baltimore Bob in race 7. I was surprised (and somewhat disturbed) to see that, in that race, eight-year-old Graham Motion-trained Ballast was in for a $75k tag (no takers). Geez, he had finished just out of the money in the G3 Tropical Turf Handicap on December 6—a race he had won in 2006 and 2007. Sure, he only won one race (of five) in 2008, but are they seriously trying to dump him, or just taking a risk running in this lower condition? He did earn $3,690 for third place...

Finally, looking at race 6 at Fair Grounds, in a twelve-horse field, three horses went off at over 100-1, including Lil Marie (128-1), Little Cat Bird (173-1),and...Her Fantasy (250-1)! Admittedly, I haven’t been a serious bettor for very long, but I don’t ever recall a horse go off at 250-1. Can anyone think of any higher odds horses? Of course, all three in this race finished at the back of the pack, including Her Fantasy who was dead-last, but as a horseplayer I can only dream of the payout if they have fleshed out the trifecta. Oh, and just to add, two other horses were over 80-1, Independent Miss (86-1) and Mike’s Lil B (94-1).

Six Months

Probably not the smartest thing to do, or say...in response to Racing Victoria stewards’ decision suspending Aussie jockey Ben Smith (left) for breaking apprentice Nick Mehmet’s nose and cracking three teeth in the jock’s room at Hanging Rock on New Year’s Day: “Smith thumped the table and yelled: ‘Six months, are you serious? Jesus Christ, six months’.”

Still, I feel sorry for Smith who admits his career “is not going that great,” he had no previous confrontations of this sort, and Mehmet (below, who admits he provoked the argument further) and he have apparently made up. Plus, Mehmet is no stranger to these kinds of incidents; you may remember last summer Daniel Moor was suspended one week for calling him “a f*cking terrorist” in front of three stewards.

It also makes you wonder, are stewards Down Under too tough or are ours too lenient? Jeremy Rose gets six months whipping his mount across the face...is that action equivalent to one jockey busting another’s nose off-track?

Giving Your Heart Away

I give away my heart so easily, and when I take a fancy to a horse it’s hard to let go. Consequently, when they start to lose, I keep betting them, race after race, hoping against hope oftentimes that they will regain their previous form. Awesome Chic falls into that category. I fell in love with her last winter at Tampa Bay, placed a Kentucky Oaks Futures wager on her—which looked a brilliant move after her impressive victory in the G3 Florida Oaks—but, alas, the sloppy Churchill surface didn’t suit as she finished well back in the field. Or maybe the Florida Oaks represented the peak of her career, as she’s failed to make an impact in three stakes races since the KY Oaks, including the Restored Hope at Aqueduct on Friday where she finished dead-last. Either way, I still have hope for her—maybe she just prefers warm Florida winters over bleak New York. Her breeding suggests she can run all day (Awesome Again, out of the A.P. Indy mare Trading), even though she is a slight thing. Personally, I think she’d thrive on turf. Just saying...

Sunday’s Gulfstream card features more dear-to-my-heart favorites. In race 5, Barclay Tagg sends out Kristi With a K, half-sister to G1 turf victress Bit of Whimsy, with Edgar Prado aboard for the first time. In race 6, there might be enough early speed for a closer like Treasure Trail—who happens to be the newly-three-year-old half-sister of Zenyatta and Balance. She’s had three nice workouts for Shug McGaughey since arriving in Florida, and John Velazquez stays aboard. This race also features After Thought, a full-sister to once-promising colt Ravel, out of G1-placed A.P. Indy mare Let, and the $1.55 million Keeneland yearling purchase Magical Affair. In race 7, G2-placed Elusive Lady makes her return after nearly nine months break—on turf, with Alan Garcia up, and at 12-1 morning line...ah, how tempting! However, Impressionism looks tough here, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Flibberjibit pulled off a big one with Jose Lezcano up. It’s probably unlikely, but it would be interesting to see Belle’s Home (Came Home) win race 7, especially if Hopeless Romantic (Proud Citizen) won race 6—they are three-quarter sisters out of the stakes-winning mare Belle Artiste.

In the G3 Old Hat, Frolic’s Dream has been getting all the press, but get real—the filly to beat here is Elusive Heat, daughter of the incomparable Xtra Heat. It’s going to be a speed duel for sure, with Gemswick Park battling from the far outside, but I’m hoping Kiaran McLaughlin has Elusive Heat ready after the two-month break.

Ever since he hooked up with Calvin Borel, Delightful Kiss has reeled off a series of strong races, including victories in the G3 Turfway Park Fall Championship and G3 All American at Golden Gate, a close-up fourth in the Breeders Cup Marathon, and a stout closing second to Einstein in the G2 Clark. The G3 Hal’s Hope may have looked a bit short for him on paper, but the other speed in the race set it up perfectly for this deep closer to rally from last to first today, paying a sweet $12.40. I love this horse’s style—the longer, the better, and closing from out of the clouds.

And speaking of style—is there a better jockey on the planet than Garrett Gomez? Seriously, this is man is “Gold.” Just watch him on 9-1 Queenofalldiamonds in race 7 at Santa Anita on Saturday—he puts her in the perfect stalking position and times her move flawlessly, giving her a handride that looks like it is carrying her rather than vice versa. Then, with Jibboom in the G3 Monrovia, just when she looks beat, he pulls her into a hole and shoots through. Love Go-Go!