No Derby Winners Today

After today’s races, my Kentucky Derby top ten will slightly change, but neither Quality Road nor The Pamplemousse will make the cut.

There’s no doubt The Pamplemousse is a special horse, as he demolished the G3 Sham. But, honestly, looking at the field he faced, shouldn’t he have won as he did? He was the sole early speed, with only potential early challenger Ventana scratched, and Take the Points forced to break from post 10. Additionally, the lightly-raced Take the Points had shipped in this week from Florida having never worked over Pro-Ride—all things considered, Garrett Gomez rode the colt superbly to stay on for second. The Pamplemousse was the only previous stakes winner, with fourth-place finisher Bourbon Bay being the only other horse in the field that was even stakes-placed—and that was on turf last November. Every other horse—save allowance winners Take the Points and turfster Smart Bid—were maiden winners, even my much-ballyhooed Mr. Hot Stuff who did get up for third.

In the G2 Fountain of Youth, Notonthesamepage failed to provide early speed, leaving lightweight Quality Road on the lead with, surprisingly, This Ones for Phil who he kicked away from going into the stretch, as the second-lightest weight Theregoesjojo got up for second. Third-place finisher Beethoven and fourth-place finisher Capt. Candyman Can conceded 8 lbs to the winner, no small amount. Taqarub was a huge disappointment as he couldn’t move beyond the early jostling and stay in contention throughout; he'll definitely drop off my list. Break Water Edison who was eased in the stretch either needs a rest, a permanent retirement, or a new trainer.

In the non-graded stakes, Mine That Bird made a nice 3-year-old debut, finishing just a neck behind Scorewithcater in the Borderland Derby, while Stratos was a non-contender in the John Battaglia Memorial which was won by Proceed Bee over favorite Parade Clown and super-longshot Toccet Rocket.

Did we see the Kentucky Derby winner race today? I doubt it.

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Saturday Selections

Ah, Derby prep season is officially in full-swing this weekend with the G2 Fountain of Youth and the G3 Sham, as well as with lesser stakes like the John Battaglia Memorial at Turfway and Borderland Derby at Sunland. In my youth, it was the Flamingo Stakes at glorious Hialeah that was my favorite Derby prep, and while that race has long faded in existence, I still find myself turning to Florida as the real tests for Derby contenders. Call it “East coast bias” but when the West coast went to artificial surfaces, I do believe it established another barrier level since, as this past Breeders’ Cup so eloquently demonstrated, real dirt and fake dirt are not interchangeable surfaces. This is not to say one is better than the other, simply that it takes a special horse to win consistently on both (or all, since Polytrack, Tapeta and Pro-Ride vary one from another as well).

In the Fountain of Youth, I would love to see Break Water Edison get his act together—maybe new jock Eibar Coa can figure him out, and blinkers on may keep him focused. Capt. Candyman Can will also be a personal favorite, and he has already proven to be tough, having never lost by more than 2 lengths and won by far more. Julien Leparoux has been magical at Gulfstream this winter and never wavered from this horse particularly, so I would love to see him win. However, my chief hopes rest upon Taqarub for Kiaran McLaughlin and jockey Alan Garcia—I think he could be a very special horse.

Truly no offense to his admirers, but I had to laugh when I read the headline over at the Bloodhorse, “Can Anyone Stop The Pamplmousse?” Seriously? A horse that came out of his maiden victory to defeat an injured Square Eddie and three others in the very light G3 San Rafael is now unstoppable? That may very well be, and god knows I would love to see future Hall of Famer Alex Solis finally punch his ticket with a Kentucky Derby winner. Still, I see Graham Motion-trained Smart Bid as a real threat here with Rafael Bejarano up, and Todd Pletcher’s Take the Points ships in from Florida looking for a softer race, with top jock Garrett Gomez aboard. Still, I’m all over Mr. Hot Stuff today. I do believe in his last race it finally “clicked on” for Colonel John’s little brother exactly what this horse racing game was all about, and he will follow in his full brother’s footsteps by winning the Sham.

In the Battaglia, the goofily-named Parade Clown looks a strong contender, having already won at the 8.5f distance. Still, my gut says Stratos will embrace the return to Polytrack for a big effort.

One of my favorite 2-year-olds from last year makes his 2009 debut in the Borderland Derby—Mine That Bird. A $10k Fasig-Tipton October yearling purchase who has already earned over $300k, this gritty son of Birdstone won three consecutive stakes races at Woodbine, including the G3 Grey at 8.5f before running a disappointing last in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. As a May foal (and a gelding to boot!) the Kentucky Derby looks to be a challenge, but if he takes to the natural dirt surface watch for him.

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The Very Definition of Steely Grit, Dedication and Courage

To my eyes, jockeys are collectively the most amazing athletes, mostly because they perform under extreme conditions every time they ride. Forced to maintain unnatural low weights and yet display incredible physical skills, they jump aboard 1,200 lb animals of wildly-diverse temperaments and abilities with nothing more than a flak jacket and helmet to protect them from the unspeakable. I admire their fearlessness, their drive and their courage.

That said, we witnessed the most amazing resolve today when, just half an hour after learning his father was tragically killed in a car accident, top Aussie jockey Craig Newitt rode Light Fantastic to a narrow second-place finish in the G1 Futurity at Caulfield. The race start was delayed as the stewards informed Newitt of what had occurred, expecting that he would need to be replaced on his remaining mounts. However, Newitt decided to ride both Light Fantastic and his mount in the listed JRA Stakes, Nine Tales.

Even from half-way around the world, the overwhelming sense of shock and grief on track permeated the video broadcast. I can’t remember the last time I so passionately wanted a horse to win, as undoubtedly Newitt rode for the opportunity to honor his father. And as they turned for home, the gray Light Fantastic looked a winner only to be caught and passed by multiple-G1 winner Niconero—just by a neck. In the next race, the heavily-favored Nine Tales likewise finished second, two lengths behind Falaise. No fairytale ending.

Still, as a former jockey married to former jockey Virginia Wells—and son of a jockey himself—Guy Newitt is surely and proudly smiling down on his son today. Godspeed.

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Lists

Everyone makes lists. I’m constantly writing “To Do” lists which, admittedly, appear to grow longer rather than shrink these days. There’s a list for things to do for work (grade papers, write an exam, attend yet another mind-numbing committee meeting) and a list of things to do for home (run the vacuum, clean out the basement, refinish the living room floor). Lists to be checked off daily, weekly, or as part of an indeterminate long-range plan (as in completely renovate the entire house and own a Kentucky Derby winner).

C-SPAN recently surveyed a group of presidential historians and tabulated a ranking of U.S. presidents. Not surprisingly, George W. Bush finished near the bottom of the list, but, since the last ranking conducted in 2000, George Washington surged past FDR into second-place, and John F. Kennedy squeaked past Thomas Jefferson into sixth-place (what exactly dead men do to improve their position is beyond me).

Sometimes you run across a simple little book that conveys a powerful message. Robert Fulghum’s All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten is such a volume, and if you haven’t read it yet, do so soon. In it, he creates a down-to-earth list of words to live by:

Share everything.
Play fair.
Don't hit people.
Put things back where you found them.
Clean up your own mess.
Don't take things that aren't yours.
Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.
Wash your hands before you eat.
Flush.
Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
Live a balanced life—learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.
Take a nap every afternoon.
When you go out in the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick together.

Amen.

I’ve always enjoyed David Letterman’s Top Ten lists, although more often than not each contains only one or two true comedic gems. A classic list from May 1, 1996: Top Ten Things That Will Get You Kicked Out of the Kentucky Derby. While #8 (Running around the infield in nothing but a sash of roses) conjures up mildly amusing imagery, and #6 (Asking the Governor’s wife, “Wanna put me out to stud?”) is naughty, only Dave could come up with #5—Every ten seconds you wave your ticket and yell, “Bingo!”. Classic.

Following the lead of those far more renowned, I’ve composed my humble Top Ten list of Kentucky Derby contenders which is included as part of the Ray Paulick Derby Index, and rather than simply throw the list up (doubtlessly leaving one to wonder “what the hell was she thinking?”) I thought it prudent to offer a rationale for my selections.

While any number of factors can be examined, for me it comes down to a combination of performance and potential—how has a horse already proven itself, and what does its breeding and running style offer for future success at the “classic” distance. For those reasons, I particularly favor horses which have proven they can rate, as one-speed horses generally can’t sustain that pace over long distances (especially these days), and horses that have dealt with or at least experienced traffic issues, as come Derby day the large field will be a challenge. Fairly or not, I downgrade horses that have run only on artificial surfaces—until proven they can run on dirt, I’m not just that interested unless other factors strongly recommend them.

Friesan Fire tops my list, not only because Larry Jones is due good karma, but also for my aforementioned admiration for his breeding (and note, his “cousin” Romneya has won recently again, impressively taking the G2 Fillies Classic at Moonee Valley). I doubt we’ve seen the best of him yet. His stablemate Old Fashioned certainly enjoys the brilliant speed of his sire Unbridled’s Song, but looking deeper into his damline, there’s some real intensity. Certainly his dam Collect Call was G1-placed (Kentucky Oaks), but his third dam Laredo Lass (Bold Ruler) produced G1-winner Mitterand, dam of sire French Deputy and G1-placed Princess Mitterand.

Kiaran McLaughlin-trained Taqarub, who has yet to be headed in three starts, was last seen cruising to victory in Aqueduct’s Jimmy Winkfield Stakes, but he’ll run in this weekend’s G2 Fountain of Youth. His dam Honor Bestowed is a half-sister to Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf victress Soaring Softly (Kris S), as well as multiple G1-placed Plenty of Grace (Roberto) whose daughter Bonnie Byerly gave us Breeders’ Cup “Dirt” Mile winner Diabolical, while another daughter Propriety produced the G1-placed filly Grace Anatomy (by Taqarub’s sire Aldebaran). Through his third dam Far Beyond and fourth dam Soaring, Taqarub is related to, among others, 1989 Canadian champion 2-year-old filly Wavering Girl, as well as Military, Mehmet, Devil’s Bag, Saint Ballado, Glorious Song, Rahy and Singspiel. Lots of turf pedigree as well as stamina.

Two fillies are next—Stardom Bound, a Breeders’ Cup champion whose come-from-behind style is thrilling to say the least (even though she has yet to race on dirt), and Rachel Alexandra, whose tour-de-force dirt victory in the Martha Washington proffered a tantalizing possibility that she could be much quicker than many colts, and certainly her sire Medaglia D’Oro demonstrated his stamina. I loved Evita Argentina's recently victory over the boys in California, but question not only the surface issue, but ability to get the distance.

Desert Party is preparing to invade from abroad for Darley, and his victory in the G2 UAE 2000 Guineas was impressive; his sire Street Cry, of course, produced Derby winner Street Sense. The recent allowance win by Dunkirk moved him onto my list—how long he stays depends on his next race. High-priced horses tend to disappoint, but, boy, everything about his breeding screams “Derby” for this horse—his dam Secret Status won the G1 KY Oaks and Mother Goose, and his third dam Miss Eva has tough South American blood, having produced Chilean champion 3-year-old filly Maria Candela and G1 Maskette victress Miss Brio.

Chocolate Candy is another horse yet to be proven on real dirt, but his pedigree is amazing similar to Dunkirk—both dams are by either Seattle Slew or his son A.P. Indy, and the second dams are both by the gutsy Alydar. I think he too has room to grow, as does Papa Clem, another one with champion broodmare lines—both his dam Miss Houdini and his second dam Magical Maiden were G1 winners.

Finally, I debated long and hard between Hello Broadway (whose half-brother Nobiz Like Shobiz broke my heart in 2007), Capt. Candyman Can and Mr. Hot Stuff (whose full-brother Colonel John disappointed me in the Derby last year). I settled on the last, who has yet to take on stakes company, but whose last race appeared to be a revelation to him. Eoin Harty deserves a Derby horse.

So, this is my list for the week of February 23:

1. Friesan Fire
2. Old Fashioned
3. Taqarub
4. Stardom Bound
5. Rachel Alexandra
6. Desert Party
7. Dunkirk
8. Chocolate Candy
9. Papa Clem
10. Mr. Hot Stuff

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Saturday's DRF Public Handicapper Prep

Tampa Bay Stakes
Atoned is the “name” horse here, but despite two nice turf works, I think he’s a bet against for several reasons: the rail post position is bad enough, but then he has no grass experience or pedigree—all 8 of his dam’s runners were winners, but none on turf. On class alone, he may earn a piece, but at a short-price, why bother? Classic Campaign finished fourth in last year’s race, and comes in off a strong workout and a close-up fourth place finish in the G3 Colonel Bradley. Still, this 7-year-old son of Rahy has had a serious problem hitting the line—his only win in 8 races last year was at Fair Grounds when the Diliberto Memorial when it was taken off the turf and run in the slop against only three rivals. Furthest Land has been a brilliant claim for Ken and Sarah Ramsey, stretching out to routes where he’s on a three-race win streak. My concern is Joe Bravo rides instead of Julien Leparoux—can he harness the turf magic woven by Leparoux?—plus running against stakes-caliber competition for the first time. So, who did I settle on here?

Society’s Chairman narrowly lost to in-form Kiss the Kid in the Fort Lauderdale on January 10 and since then has posted four very nice works. Other than failures on a yielding 9f turf (G2 King Edward), an off-turf Polytrack race, and an ill-advised attempt in the G1 Shadwell Turf Mile, he enjoyed a solid 2008, including a narrow ½ length loss to G1 Woodbine Mile victor Rahy’s Attorney in the G3 Connaught Cup at this 8.5f distance (for which he has also never finished out-of-the-money). Second-up, he should be primed for this race.

Picks: 1. Society's Chairman 2. Furthest Land 3. Classic Campaign


G2 Mac Diarmida Stakes
Spice Route has tons of positives—G1 placed last year, Edgar Prado up, strong workouts and runs well first off layoff. Oh, and did I mention he can run all day? Just like before his recent G3 Tropical Turf win, Roger Attfield breezed him 2f in a quick :25 on Friday, just to loosen him up for this race. The second-place finisher in that, Soldier’s Dancer, came back next out to win the Sunshine Millions Turf at Santa Anita—defeating Presious Passion who’s also entered here. Unfortunately, the Mary Hartman (how come I always want to repeat her name?) trainee not only drew the far outside post, but also figures to have company on the lead with speedy Finallymadeit on the rail. Their battle should set a strong pace that sets up a winning charge by Spice Route.

Beyond him, the others that intrigue me include the pricy ($3.9 million) but lightly raced Keeneland purchase Mr. Sidney—Kent Desormeaux is a big plus, as is his last out win, but he’s never been tested at this distance and his prior graded stakes attempt was subpar. Julien Leparoux is a huge plus on Quasicobra so, at a price, he might surprise. However, the real shocker here might very well be Baltimore Bob. Jose Lezcano rode him a treat last out and, in his second start for Helen Pitts, ole Bob likely is in the trifecta.

Picks: 1. Spice Route 3. Quasicobra 2. Baltimore Bob


Valentine Dancer Handicap
Last year’s winner Tiz A Blend is back, but doesn’t quite appear to be the same quality at age six so I’ll pass. Garrett Gomez climbs aboard G1 Del Mar Oaks-placed Bel Air Sizzle who has run in open company far more than most of these state-breds, but I can’t help thinking 8f is too short for her. Looking at her last six races, it’s amazing how close Christiana’s Heat has consistently been, including ½ length losses to graded stakes winners Jibboom and Dawn After Dawn in her last two. Still, I’m picking Waveline who came off nearly a year break with two wins and an excellent effort stretching out on Pro-Ride in the Sunshine Millions Distaff against Leah’s Secret. A strong 5f work and Rafael Bejarano remaining up bodes well for her chances, as does turning back in distance.

Don’t ask me why, but I just have a gut feeling about Gambler’s Justice today too.

Picks: 1. Waveline 2. Christiana’s Heat 3. Gambler’s Justice

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Curlin Feasting on a Smorgasbord of Mares

Nice article over on Bloodhorse.com about some of the mares booked to Horse of the Year Curlin during his first year at stud. Talk about top quality! In addition to the aforementioned Maggy Hawk (dam of Afleet Alex), the powerfully-built chestnut will enjoy the charms of such producers as Candytuft (dam of Midnight Lute), Najecam (dam of Action This Day), Checkered Flag (dam of Zanjero), Dixie Ghost (dam of Chelokee), Class Kris (dam of Student Council), Zenith (dam of Great Hunter), Hookedonthefeelin (dam of Pussycat Doll) and Zophie (dam of Appealing Zophie). The large number of A.P. Indy mares is particularly noteworthy.

Dare we dream that soon-to-be-mom (by Giant’s Causeway) Rags to Riches (A.P.Indy) be added to Curlin’s harem this year? Honestly, wouldn’t you like to, in true Dr. Doolittle fashion, hear those two “talking” to one another in the breeding shed?

C: “I finally got you just where I want you, girl.”
R: “Don’t be so sure, big boy. I’ve out bobbed you before.”

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Sucker Bet

Two and a half months away, and I’m supposed to know who wins the Kentucky Derby? Talk about a sucker bet. So did I fall for it? You betcha. At least I’m not one of those chumps who wasted good money on the mutual field (“other”) which, if hit, will pay a whopping...9-5. Who did I place my lottery money on? Limited to two $2 bets, I put my money where my heart is—Friesan Fire (18-1) and Taqarub (46-1).

Funny how these early picks pan out. Last January I highlighted four colts on my Derby watch list: Turf War, Tale of Ekati, Court Vision, and Elysium Fields. The middle two have enjoyed some degree of success, but Turf War is officially a total bust—in five races since his G3 Delta Jackpot victory (via deadheat with Z Humor) he’s finished in the very back every time and never closer than 8-1/2 lengths. Injured in the G1 Florida Derby, Elysium Fields finally makes his return in an allowance race on Thursday at Santa Anita—with Rafael Bejarano up for new trainer Neil Drysdale, I’m hoping this once-promising stayer can move forward and become a force in the oh-so-depleted older horse category.

Song of Navarone went into my Virtual Stable in March 2007 when, coming in off a third-place finish behind Ravel and Liquidity in the G3 Sham Stakes, he won the WinStar Derby at Sunland. Missing the Kentucky Derby cut, his next appearance was to be the G3 West Virginia Derby, but he scratched due to the onset of a near-fatal intestinal virus. He returned last year, after nearly 16 months off, and won the Zia Park Distance Championship. On Sunday he won his hometrack's $50k Curribot Handicap in new track record time (1:41.91), raising his earnings to $563,158 in winning seven of 10 starts (and only one out-of-the-money result).

Sunland is not a track I play with any regularity—I think I’ve bet on races there maybe four times. The most recent was last Friday, when I placed a $2 win bet on Miriam’s Star in race 10 (6-1/2f AlwNW1X)...just something about her form line sucked me in, and she didn’t disappoint. Leading from the start, she was passed in the stretch, but impressively fought back to win with authority ($9.60). Gutsy performance, and into my Virtual Stable she went.

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Nolite Timere

Anyone just walking by my office must have thought I’d lost my mind. Who else but a horse racing-crazy art historian screams, “Go Nolite Timere, go Nolite Timere!” while watching the ninth race at Aqueduct via Twinspires? Hey, when a four-year-old maiden in his 24th race finally wins by increasing daylight, it makes a cheap $2 win bettor like me happy—I’m $13.00 richer!

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The Great Aussie Hope—Friesan Fire

While it’s premature for me to commit to a Kentucky Derby favorite, I must confess a strong attraction to Friesan Fire. First, Larry Jones is a trainer I much admire, and especially after last year’s tragic demise of Eight Belles and other disturbing incidents (such as the sponging of Maren’s Meadow), a Derby win would be much-deserved and well-received both within and outside the industry. Secondly, his sire A.P. Indy is doubtlessly a “super stud” except for one glaring omission—no Derby winner. Friesan Fire would be validation of his stamina influence over the more precocious speed horses popularized by Unbridled’s Song et al.

Finally, and perhaps most critically for me, I absolutely love Friesan Fire’s damline. In fact, if our friends Down Under ever desired a Derby contender most representative of their racing history, Friesan Fire would win hands-down. As Superfecta noted yesterday, he is the product of Australasian horse racing royalty.

His dam Bollinger (Dehere), trained by Gai Waterhouse, won five of eight starts, from 6 furlongs to one mile, including the 2003 G1 Coolmore Classic, the G2 Surround Stakes and G3 South Pacific Classic—all three within a month’s time. As a broodmare sire, Dehere is well represented by Midnight Lute in the U.S., but in Australia his daughters’ progeny include 2008 G1 Victoria Derby victor Rebel Raider and 2008 G2 Sires’ Produce winner Fravashi, as well as 2007 G1 Golden Slipper victress Forensics.

Bollinger’s siblings include the unraced Beam (Scenic) who’s produced four runners (all winners); G3 Blue Diamond Preview winner Sheraton (Woodman); and G1-placed mare Mannington (Danehill). Mannington’s son Benicio (More Than Ready), 2005 winner of the G1 Victoria Derby, sends his first crop to auction this spring, but it’s Mannington’s three-year-old daughter Romneya (Red Ransom) who has captured my heart. What a gutsy little filly! And little she is, but with a big heart. She’s earned four wins and four seconds in 10 starts, including winning the G3 Vanity Stakes on January 31.

Going back even further, Friesan Fire’s second dam Bint Marscay was champion two-year-old in Australia, a record-setting winner of the 1993 G1 Golden Slipper, and a half-sister to G1 Australian Guineas victor Kenny’s Best Pal (Bletchingly) and multiple-G1 winner Filante (Star Way). Another half-sister Temple Fire (Bletchingly) is the dam of Stella Cadente (Centaine), G1 William Reid Stakes and G2 Tea Rose Stakes winner.

Friesan Fire’s third dam Eau Detoile is the multiple G1-placed (Queensland Oaks, New Zealand Oaks) daughter of Sir Tristam, a champion sire who brings substantial stamina through his sire Sir Ivor, winner of the Grand Criterium, Epsom Derby, 2000 Guineas, and Washington DC International. While most of Friesan Fire’s Aussie relatives have found success as sprinters, the A.P. Indy influence combined with the Sir Tristam indicates this colt should relish the Triple Crown distances. He's definitely in my top three at this point.

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Brothers and Sisters

A little catching-up: Colonel John’s 3-year-old full-brother Mr. Hot Stuff dramatically broke his maiden at Santa Anita a week ago Sunday (February 1, race 5), coming from last to first in the stretch. Visually, it was impressive, and, after four previous disappointing efforts, you could almost see that something clicked on inside him—I’ll anxiously await his next run.

Zanjero’s younger full-sister Acacia opened her four-year-old campaign with an allowance victory at Fair Grounds on Sunday (race 1). She’s a nice filly, G2-placed (albeit only because the Fair Grounds Oaks came up with only four entries when Proud Spell and Indian Blessing scared everyone off), but she’s always had a bad case of third-itis—in fourteen lifetime starts, she’s finished third eight times—on grass and dirt.

Circular Quay’s half-brother The Roundhouse, last since running off the board in the G1 Breeders Futurity at Keeneland in 2007, returns after a 16-month layoff in an allowance race at Gulfstream on Friday. It looks to be a pretty weak race, highlighted by a last out $20k claiming winner, a 5-year-old who broke his maiden first-out in his only race thus far—more than one year ago—and two real contenders, Maria’s Charm and Vacation, who both have their issues. The former appears to fire better first back, and Julien Leparoux is like GOLD first-up these days.

Gee, those Zayats are so clever. On Wednesday at Gulfstream (race 3) their 3-year-old colt B Z Warrior makes his debut, and before you ask, yes, his dam Carson Jen is the mother of Zayat’s other little warriors—G1-placed colt E Z Warrior, G3-placed filly J Z Warrior, and the yet-unraced 2-year-old colt Z Z Warrior. He's had steady works since last October so you'd hope Todd Pletcher has him ready to fire. Still, the intriquing horse in this race looks to be Zifzaf (how dare Shadwell use a "z" name!); he's a full-brother to G3-placed Ghurra, and a three-quarter brother to stakes winner Farqad who stands in Serbia and G1-winner Hayil who stands in Australia (where he has yet to produce a single black-type runner).

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Triple Crown Dreams (and Dreamers)

The 2009 Triple Crown Early Nominations are out—for $600, you too could have nominated your lucky-if-he-ever-wins-a-race three-year-old just to see his (or her) name in print. However, it is cheaper than the $6,000 required for late nominations on March 28, so better to nominate early, I suppose. Still, Zayat Stables wasted $13,200 by nominating 22 horses—geez, they’ll be lucky if one actually enters the Derby. Will it be Z Day, Zensational or Zooger? Oh please, let it be Zooger—we need a Kentucky Derby entrant that rhymes with Booger.

Shoot!—I forgot Zayat owns Pioneerof the Nile (urgh, another one of those wacky slightly-run on names). Notwithstanding all his West Coast hype, he’s got to prove to me he can run on dirt (being a half-brother to Forefathers doesn’t impress me.).

Among the 401 early nominations is Stardom Bound who impressively returned from her October Breeders Cup Juvenile Filly victory to take the G1 Las Virgenes on Saturday. Next up: the G1 Santa Anita Derby against the boys, on April 4. Very exciting! Flashback to 1988, with Winning Colors taking the Santa Anita Derby, and then Kentucky Derby—what an intriguing year for three-year-olds this could be! Due to her Foolish Pleasure connection and because she’s such a talented filly, I’m overlooking her repulsive ownership and rooting for her anyways—but only if they leave her with Bobby Frankel.

Interestingly, two of the four fillies nominated for the Triple Crown are by Tapit—Stardom Bound and Laragh, also owned by IEAH. The other two fillies are last year’s G1 Frizette winner Sky Diva (Sky Mesa) and recent first-time out winner (at Penn National) Abound (Smart Strike), whose second dam is the PA-bred G1 Alabama victress Spit Curl (Northern Dancer).

For a colt who underperformed (three wins in only six starts), Tapit has thrown some nice fillies thus far—add War Echo to his list of winners, as she took the G3 Silverbulletday on Saturday, coming from off the pace. Modus operandi for Tapits? Interestingly, War Echo is a three-quarter sister to Pyro—with her name, I would have guessed War Pass, but what do I know? Too bad Steve Asmussen didn't nominate War Echo for the Triple Crown, although I don't think anything could make up for the piss-poor performance her brother put in last year's Derby (note to serious contenders: avoid the G1 Blue Grass if you want to have any chance of winning the Derby).

I was very pleased to see Kiaran McLaughlin-trained A.P. Cardinal on the list; he posted a so-so work, though, on Saturday at Palm Meadows going 4f in 49.85 (21/56) perhaps in company with another McLaughlin trainee Taqarub who went in 49.00 (9/56).

Also on the list is Nick Zito-trained Nowhere to Hide who, coming in off just a maiden victory, finished fourth (and just a nose out of third) in the G3 Risen Star at Fair Grounds on Saturday. Interestingly, he is closely related to recent IEAH purchase Patena—their dams are half-sisters, both out of the same mare, Dajin, and, actually, Patena is a three-quarter brother to Nowhere to Hide’s dam Stirring, as they are both by Seeking the Gold. Incestuous!

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Baseball

Apologies for the dearth of posting this past week, but life has a funny way of shifting gears at times. Four weeks ago my previously-healthy grandmother went to the hospital with a tummy ache, and today we buried her next to my grandfather. Unbeknownst to us and her, a cancerous tumor had been growing in her liver, totally consuming it by the time it was diagnosed. An initial six months survival became four weeks, then one week, and finally hours. At least she did not suffer.

There’s no horse racing angle to this story, and she wasn’t even much of a Steelers fan. For her it was baseball, specifically the Pittsburgh Pirates (god bless her)—talk about a suffering fan for the past couple decades! During undergrad, I spend two summers living with my grandparents, working in a department store, and one of the things I’ll remember most was those hot summer evenings spent sitting on the front porch, watching lightning bugs and listening to Lanny Frattare call the Pirate game on the radio. Why is baseball so much better via the radio airwaves rather than in person or on the television?

Those were the transitional years of Sid Bream, Rafael Belliard, Bill Madlock, Bob Walk and Rick Rhoden—and of newly-arrived Barry Bonds and Bobby Bonilla, before the Pirates regularly began to claim division titles in the early 90s. Still, she stuck with them, through the championship years and then through the subsequent appalling decline of baseball’s once proudest team, decimated by poor management decisions and a scandalous lack of financial commitment.

We shared a love of baseball—that was our bond. Just as sports have served as unifiers for so many others, baseball brought us together when our very different views of life seemingly divided us. That’s what I will always remember.

“Go ball, get outta here—it’s gone!”

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