Obscure Betting Angle Pays Off

How fitting that, on the very day Calder hosted the $75k Foolish Pleasure Stakes, two of his damline descendents win over that very track? In race 4, Pound Foolish (Exchange Rate, out of Mecke mare Kobella Bean) paid $15.40 win, while in race 12, Pender’s Tune (Montbrook, out of Mecke mare Sea Mist) paid $21.80 win. Both geldings are trained and co-owned by Manny Tortora (with his wife Jacqueline) who also trained Mecke, as well as his son Supah Blitz before the latter was sold and moved to Doug O’Neill.

Speaking of Supah Blitz, you’ll recall he only sired 1 crop (of 13 foals) before being placed back in training in 2008. I don’t know how I missed it, but his first winner, 2-year-old Indiana-bred You Already Know, recently placed second in the Hillsdale Stakes at Hoosier (September 13).

In addition to Pound Foolish and Pender’s Tune, it was a prosperous day for bettors who bet the “Foolish Pleasure damline descendent” angle (and don’t we all look for that?—yes, I’m being facetious), as Pinstripe Kid (Skimming, out of Norma Bee, by Cobra King) took race 10 at Fairplex ($25.80 win), and R B Applause (Closing Argument, out of Lisa’s Approval, by Farma Way) broke his maiden in race 7 at Delaware ($22.20 win).

On the other side of the globe in Australia on Saturday, I’d like to point out that the “Foolish Pleasure damline descendent” angle was also fulfilled in the AUS-G1 Manikato Stakes, with Phelan Ready and Nicconi finishing second and third, respectively, behind Danleigh. Phelan Ready is next aimed for the G1 Caulfield Guineas on October 10, while Nicconi’s future includes an invasion of Dubai and England next year.



Xtra Heat’s second daughter to race, Don’t U Baby Me (Unbridled Song) made her debut at Monmouth on Friday, finishing second in race 2, a 5.5f MSW event where the winner was the only non-first-time-starter. The gray filly didn’t start well, made a strong move to get up to challenge the wire-to-wire winner, but did not have enough to get past her. All in all, not bad, but she also didn’t show the explosive gate speed her siblings have thus far displayed. Her half-sister Elusive Heat worked at Belmont on Friday, a bullet 3f in 36:74 (1/4). Since her stablemate Diamondrella (sold to IEAH recently) will be switching back to turf rather than pursue the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, it will be interesting to see where Elusive Heat ends up next—maybe the G2 Thoroughbred Club of America at Keeneland on October 10? Nominations close on Wednesday, September 30, so we’ll see. I’d still love to see her at the BC.

I don’t know if Indian Blessing is heading back to the Breeders’ Cup, but, boy, it was good to see her back to her gutsy self in winning the G2 Gallant Bloom over a game Sara Louise.

A tragic but striking phenomenon—the recent deaths of high-profile older champions, beginning with Gone West, followed by El Prado, and then Summer Squall. The latest: Cryptoclearance and Kona Gold. It’s like a blow to the gut each time you read of these losses, and why is it, much like their human celebrity counterparts, they always seem to occur one right after another? Geldings like Kona Gold can only be remembered for the races they ran, and I will forever remember him for outlasting the late-closing Honest Lady in the 2000 Breeders’ Cup Sprint:



As for the others, what better way to be memorialized than through their descendents? Thus, on Saturday, Summer Squall was represented by two winners, Mark the Bench at Golden Gate, Race 3 (broodmare sire), and Gold Rush Casey at Thistledown, Race 3 (broodmare sire); as was Cryptoclearance, by Undaunted One at Arlington, Race 1 (sire), and Kim’s Gold at Charles Town, Race 4 (broodmare sire).

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Intersections

Frankly, it’s not often that my two passions intersect in the classroom—horse racing and art history. However, this semester I’m teaching a course on Modern Art which begins with French Romanticism, and includes Impressionism, so I’ve had the opportunity to discuss several nineteenth century artists who addressed the “Sport of Kings” in their work.

Best known for his dramatic rendering of the cannibalistic survivors of a notorious shipwreck off the coast of Senegal in “The Raft of the Medusa” (1818), Théodore Géricault had a deep love of horses (probably severely tested when two riding accidents nearly killed him). As early as 1810, he was doing watercolors of English-bred race horses (right) which revealed their Arabian heritage and keen intelligence, notably visible in the manner in which this beast eyes up the viewer.

Yet, as a Romantic painter, the awesome power of nature was never far from his thoughts, thus his 1813-14 “Horse in the Storm” painting (left) in the National Gallery, London. For the Romantics, it wasn't just the moral boundaries of humanity that was of interest; nature too is beyond our control, so “conquering” the horse, in a small way, empowers we puny humans.


During an 1817 trip to Italy, Géricault witnessed the annual riderless horse race held on the Via del Corso in Rome during Carnival. His studies and paintings of this event depict powerfully muscular horses, highly-idealized, but consist with his monumental tendencies in form inspired by the works of Michelangelo and Caravaggio (right). It also appears inspired by antique examples, such as the horses on the Parthenon frieze. However, the tension and struggle evident between man and beast reveals the artist’s further knowledge of the ugly history of this race—at its beginnings in the 15th century, it was not horses but Jews that were forced to run like horses in the street, publically humiliated by Christians. As Albert Boime notes, during Napoleon’s reign, Jews were emancipated in the Papal States, but after the Restoration, Pope Pius VII reinstituted the Inquisition, and Jews were forced to finance the race prizes. Ever the social critic (and rabble-rouser), Géricault’s horse race becomes a commentary on societal ills and prejudice—the struggle between the civilized and the raw primitive.

After the notoriety he achieved with “The Raft of the Medusa,” Géricault spent time in England where he painted “The Epsom Derby” 1821 (below; Louvre, Paris) for the horse dealer (and his landlord) Adam Elmore. In a style more reminiscent of English painting, the gray eventual winner Gustavus and his sleek competitors are set against an ominous sky, sailing over the turf in a flying gallop. It is the animals, not the absent race viewers, who are the work’s focus.

Just as it did in the British Isles and America, horse racing flourished in France during the nineteenth century, with the national studbook (or Jockey Club) organized in 1833—and, of course, we owe the French a debt of gratitude for developing pari-mutuel wagering. A decade after the first race was run at Longchamp, artist Édouard Manet rendered an impressionist heads-on view of a race (below; Art Institute of Chicago, 1864), yet the fashionable race-goers are just as significant as the horses, a situation clearly articulated by Caspar Whitney in 1900:

“Horse-racing in France is to the haut monde in summer what opera is to them in winter. The excitement of a quick race, with its intervals for promenade and gossip, fits the French volatile temperament to a nicety; therefore the flat racing at Longchamps…attract[s] spectators in great numbers.”



Probably the best known French horse racing paintings of the nineteenth century were executed by Impressionist Edgar Degas who, inspired by Manet, rendered familiar scenes of contemporary masculine Parisian culture—subject matter that was contrary to the grand tradition of history painting, although it seems so innocuous today.


His innovations in composition were inspired by Japanese ukiyo-e prints, with cropped vistas and unusual angles. Most intriguing about his nearly-one hundred racing paintings, pastels and drawings is the pent-up tension and palatable excitement of the horses and riders, the fleeting sensation captured in a moment. They are simply spectacular in their abstraction.


Ironic, isn’t it, that these scenes for Degas represented the epitome of modern life, when the working man had enough free time and disposable income to enjoy a day at the races?



Sources Consulted:

Albert Boime, Art in an Age of Counterrevolution, 1815-1848 (University of Chicago Press, 2004) pp. 127-130.

Rupert Christiansen, The Victorian Visitors: Culture Shock in Nineteenth-Century Britain (Atlantic Monthly Press, 2001) pp 36-37.

Caspar Whitney “Athletic Development in France” Outing, volume 36 (1900) pp. 178-181.

Also, Chapter 11 in Émile Zola’s 1880 novel Nana regales us with an account of a day at the races, specifically the Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp—you can read it online here.

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Weekend Observations and a Shameless Plug

All eyes on Woodbine today for the best racing in North America, beginning with the G2 Canadian which many appear willing to simply give to Forever Together—okay, probably rightly so, but don’t discount Points of Grace. In the G1 Northern Dancer, the Sheppard-Leparoux combo could score their second stakes win on the day, with Just As Well coming in off a second-place finish to Gio Ponti in the G1 Arlington Million. Sure to be overbet, Champs Elysees looks unlikely with the firm turf, but Marchfield should be tough, and one I would not leave out of my trifecta is Solitaire. In the G1 Woodbine Mile, of course, my sentimental favorite is the mare Ventura, but Ferneley comes in strong as does Bribon and Rahy’s Attorney.

Nice return for Godolphin’s Regal Ransom in the G2 Super Derby, wiring the field with Richard Migliore up, but the most visually impressive performance was the late-closing Blame, a colt I hadn’t previously heard of (but Gary West highlighted on his blog for those wise enough to read it in advance of Saturday’s race). Wow, talk about damline breeding! His dam is a three-quarter-sister to HK-G1 QEII Cup victor Archipenko, and, through his third dam Special, he is related to Corinthian, as well as top sires Nureyev, Sadler’s Wells, Perugino, and Chequer. Get that boy a G1 so he can retire to stud (I say tongue in cheek).

On Saturday, Alan Garcia rode three consecutive winners at Belmont—claimer Band of Thunder and maiden Simple Western sandwiched Rutherienne in the G3 Noble Damsel. However, I just couldn’t get enthused about D’Funnybone winning the G2 Futurity—the colossal joke that Rick Dutrow has become as the poster child for all that is wrong about racing repulses me. His strategically-arranged suspension can’t come soon enough. In the G2 Matron, I never discount Stanley Hough, so not surprised by victress Awesome Maria—and how fitting that her dam Discreetly Awesome is a half-sister to G2 Futurity runner-up Discreetly Mine! That would have made for a nice daily double. No satisfactory explanation yet for the horrible performance of odds-on favorite Worstcasescenario, but I’m willing to forgive Dashing Debby as she’s only still learning.

Personally, my favorite winner on Saturday was 9-year-old gelding Cloudy’s Knight who successfully returned from a year-long break to win the G3 Kentucky Cup Turf Stakes for new trainer Jonathan Sheppard. That break concerned me, but Sheppard is one trainer I trust to have him ready, and Rosemary Homeister, Jr. rode him a treat. A close second favorite was 6-year-old mare Danzon who won the Kentucky Cup Ladies Turf, also off a lengthy layoff, for new trainer Kellyn Gorder. No word on where each of them is headed next, but it’s good to see them back.

As I am ever on the lookout for Foolish Pleasure descendents, I must note not only did Banrock and Grand Couturier score wins at Belmont last weekend, but also 3-year-old Darley-owned colt Demerit won the G2 Caulfield Guineas Prelude in Australia on Saturday, over top quality competition that include Trusting and Manhattan Rain. Additionally, Godolphin-owned 4-year-old gelding Fateh Field (Distorted Humor, out of the Foolish Pleasure mare Too Cool To Fool) has settled in nicely since arriving in the U.S. from Dubai. After three races spaced nearly a month apart since July, he’ll race for the third time in two weeks (!) on Wednesday. On September 12, he finished second by a quickly-gaining head in a 6f Tapeta allowance race at Presque Isle; that was followed by a 7f turf allowance at Belmont on September 17 which he won by a neck, passing Evolutionist “with a flourish” according to the chart. Next up: a 7f turf allowance optional claimer (not for a tag), race 8 at Belmont on September 23. His regular jock: Jean-Luc Samyn (yay!).

For the NTRA, I am blogging about the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, and my first post is about how I believe the F&M Sprint shouldn’t exist. Talk about being a contrarian! Actually, I examine just how successful fillies and mares have been in the open company Sprint—in 10 of the 18 years in which at least one filly or mare raced in the Sprint, a member of the fairer sex has either won or finished second. That’s pretty damn good. Indian Blessing and Ventura have already taken on male rivals this year, so why not challenge the original Sprint? That said, I am excited about the F&M Sprint, even though it’s relegated to Friday (not Saturday), ESPN2 (not ESPN) and runs for $1 millions less. Look forward to everyone's comments and thoughts as we are now less than seven weeks from the Breeders' Cup.

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Just Another Day of Reality Checks

So, how much value does casino gaming add to a race track? About $53.25 million if you compare the $80.25 million bid accepted by a Delaware bankruptcy judge for the sale of Magna’s Remington Park in Oklahoma—casino already in place—to a subsidiary of the Chickasaw Nation, versus the $27 million price offered by the same entity for Lone Star Park in gaming-less Texas. Okay, this is just a starting bid and there are some differences in the properties, but the bottom line is one has slots, the other does not. The bankruptcy judge also accepted a bid by Harrah’s for Thistledown in Ohio—$42 million cash and another $47.5 million contingent on whether legal challenges to the state’s new slots are successfully thwarted. There it is, in pure hard cash figures. I would be curious to know from those more familiar with racing in those states whether these acquisitions are a positive for local horsemen/horsewomen, and horse racing overall, both short- and long-term. Particularly, if slots are in fact shot down in Ohio, what is the potential future of Thistledown?

Honestly, I don’t mean to harp on the deteriorating quality of the BloodHorse’s writing, or, at the very least, the lack of editing or fact-checking that seems to occur more often these days, but an error in Tuesday’s online article “Ventura Back for Woodbine Mile” is just so glaring, how could one not mention it:

In last year's edition, the daughter of Chester House—Estala, by Be My Guest, finished second by 1 1/4 lengths to locally-based Rahy's Attorney before going on to win the inaugural Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint at Santa Anita.

Come on! Did they forget Doug O’Neill-trained Maryfield ploughing through the sloppy Monmouth dirt to win the real inaugural Filly & Mare Sprint in 2007? Honestly, who is this “Staff” that gets the by-line here, some interns pulled in off the streets with no basic knowledge of racing? (Don’t be surprised in someone edits the story, making the correction by the time you read this—but cached Google searches last and last...)

From Ray Paulick’s splendid live blogging account of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, you get a real sense of the blood-bath consignors are enduring, particularly when—on day two—a Giant’s Causeway colt is sold for $5,000 (!) and an Elusive Quality colt failed to receive a single bid (!).

At least attendees got a glimpse of the “good ole days” when the two great powerhouses (Coolmore and Sheikh Mo) went all out on a Storm Cat colt out of multiple-G1 winner Fleet Indian, with Godolphin/Darley winning out at auction-topping $2.05 million. As Ray notes, just through his primary agent John Ferguson (and not counting the other associated entities also working on his behalf) Sheik Mohammed has thus far bought 31 yearlings for just under $13.5 million. Call me pessimistic, but it seems to me that, with his dominance at the Saratoga sale and now here at Keeneland, Mo is quite literally the savior of the breeding industry right not—whether they deserve such false hope or not. And, why shouldn’t he? It is an industry he has come to dominate around the world, and if stud fees and sales prices fall, his business is directly impacted. Obviously he doesn’t have to worry about getting credit to buy, so spend away, dear Sheikh—knowing that probably many of these purchases will never come close to reclaiming the outlay invested in them or sufficiently prove themselves on the track, but some idiots somewhere will still pay inflated stud fees on flashy yet fragile horses that do nothing to improve the breed.

For those craving information and opinion overload in advance of the Breeders’ Cup, you won’t want to miss some new internet sites, beginning with good friend Jessica Chapel’s Breeders’ Cup 360, “The Bettor’s Inside Source” as it is billed, sponsored by the Breeders’ Cup. An incredible array of professional turf writers analyze key prep races leading up to the big event with a particular focus on the horseplayer.

The Thoroughbred Bloggers Alliance (TBA) has hooked up with the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) to provide comprehensive analysis, history and fan perspectives on each of the Breeders’ Cup races. Needless to say, it’s a thrilling opportunity for many of us, particularly those who can afford to pay their own way to Santa Anita, as full press credentials have been granted them for the event. Unfortunately, I don’t fall into that category (I'm cash-poor, 'though passion-rich), so look for my forthcoming blog entries dealing with the Filly & Mare Sprint. Fellow bloggers such as Gene Kershner (Equispace), Lisa Grimm (Superfecta), Patrick Patten (Handride), and Gina Rarick (Gallop France) already have posts up, so check them—and all my fellow TBA’ers—out!

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Catching Up With Old Friends

Besides the G3 PID Masters Stakes won in near-track record time by Informed Decision, it was an amazingly slow Saturday in racing—undoubtedly an inevitable lull following boutique meets at Saratoga and Del Mar. So, how about revisiting some old friends from the 2007 Triple Crown trail?

Two years removed from his last graded-stakes placing (second in the 2007 G3 Calder Derby) and his 4th place finish behind Street Sense in the G1 Kentucky Derby, 5-year-old Imawildandcrazyguy recorded his 5th lifetime win in his 41st start on Saturday, taking an 8.5f allowance race taken off the turf and run on a sloppy track at Calder (race 8). In his typical fashion, he came from well off the pace with a big late run, and nosed out Colonial Causeway. The victory brought his lifetime earnings up to $626,745.

Off his G1 Blue Grass victory, Dominican looked promising, but could only muster an 11th place finish in the 2007 Kentucky Derby. In Saturday’s 12 furlong G3 Turfway Park Fall Championship Stakes, Dominican repeated last year’s third-place finish, this time behind Nite Light and the once-much-hyped Alaazo.

Another horse once on the 2007 Triple Crown trail, Officer Rocket—second to Curlin in the G3 Rebel—is now toiling in the claiming ranks at Woodbine, finishing 6th of nine in Saturday’s seventh race, running for $37,500 tag.

On several occasions I’ve written about Love Dubai, beginning in April 2007 after his last place finish in the G2 Illinois Derby and before another last place finish in the G1 Blue Grass Stakes, through a fifth-place finish in the G3 Colonial Turf Cup and a host of other overly-ambitious races, before dropping down into $5k claiming races last year. In 2009, he’s been running at Turfway, Presque Isle and Mountaineer, finding success when running over 12 furlongs—yes, that wasn’t a typo. This past Monday, the 5-year-old ran at Mountaineer in a 16 furlong (2 miles) race taking off the turf—and won by a length, his 3rd win this year and 7th in 31 races, with total earnings of $120,677.

Another progeny of E Dubai about whom I previously wrote (when she broke her maiden on her 26th attempt), Smoochie Hoochie, has been unable to maintain her momentum since that victory. Staying on turf, she finished fourth next out ($5k n2L claimer), and then dead last of eleven when ambitiously placed at Laurel in a $26k n1x allowance race. During the brief Timonium meet, she finished second in a $5k n2L claimer on dirt, but was disqualified to fifth (last). On Saturday, at Laurel in an 8f dirt $5k n2L claimer, Smoochie Hoochie was done after 4 furlongs, coming in last of seven.

Finally, on a positive note, my favorite Alberta-champion mare Tanika added another stakes win to her resume, taking the Matron Stakes at Assiniboia by nearly 4 lengths on Friday evening.

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Glory Days Rediscovered, or Do You Know What Was Once in Your Back Yard?

What I most love about being a historian is the hunt—the piecing together of evidence that leads from one idea to another, much like a detective investigating a mystery. As you have probably guessed, I love PBS’s “History Detectives.”

When we first moved to Johnstown ten years ago, we rented a house in the posh Westmont neighborhood, built high above the city after the 1889 Flood by the executives of the Cambria Iron Company. With beautiful tree-lined streets and virtually no commercial development, it is a lovely neighborhood that, unfortunately, is facing the same financial problems of other cities and boroughs, with rising costs and a stagnant tax base. Recent moves to rezone residential land for commercial use has resulted in a backlash, with citizens forming a non-profit organization called Save Westy.

While perusing their website, I stumbled upon a link to another local website that outlines the history of Westmont, and imagine my surprise when I read this:

“Westmont was also home to the Johnstown Driving Park Association, which rented twenty-eight acres of land from the Cambria Iron Company from 1895-1905. The Association constructed a race track, which was bounded by the present-day streets of Dartmouth Avenue to Hood Avenue and Wayne Street to Tioga Street, with Luzerne Street as the central vertical axis. The racetrack was one-half mile long and sixty feet wide, and was enclosed by a wooden railing. There were fifty first-quality stables and a separate building which housed a secretary’s office, a private dining morn, and a public dining room. The grandstand provided seating for 2,500 people.”

My God! Johnstown had a horse racing track over a hundred years ago? Who knew! Maybe that explains the large number of degenerates who once inhabited the off-track betting parlor that Penn National closed here two years ago.

Determined to find more information (and hopefully a picture), I dug deeper, and—to my complete and utter astonishment—discovered that not only did Johnstown have a race track in Westmont that held three meets (spring, summer, fall) each year, but also a second track in the Roxbury neighborhood! In 1895, Isaac B. Barnhart sold 10 acres of his farm to the Roxbury Driving Association, later renamed Tri-County Park Driving Association, and, until 1904, the track was leased by John C. Pender who provided “an eagerly awaited racing season.”

Digging a little deeper, I discovered that John C. Pender was the leading “breeder of fast horses” in the city. According to Henry Wilson Storey’s 1907 History of Cambria County, Pennsylvania:

“He bought the now famous trotting mare “Alfalfa” in 1903; she was then a three-year-old, and since that date she has raced all over the country, at Lexington obtaining a record of 2:05. He has also owned “Moral” with a record of 2:11 ½; Robert D, 2:11 ½; Guy Red, 2:11 ½; John L, 2:18 ½; Kitty B, 2:19 ¼; Raymond, 2:19 ¼; Dr. Russell, 2:19 ¼; Colette, 2:19 ¼, a granddam of Dan Patch; also Willow Brook Queen, 2:18 ¼, together with many others with good trotting records.”

Rooting through the New York Times archives, I found a number of articles from 1902-1903 mentioning Pender as being temporarily reinstated by the Board of Review of the National Trotting Association, although I wasn’t able to pin down exactly the nature of his problems. I also ran across the names of several other Johnstowners involved in harness racing: John Hannan, Jr., F.B. Cook., C.C. Sipe, and William H. Hawes.

In Randy Whittle’s history of Johnstown, he notes that, in 1904, the leading Johnstown stockbroker Frank Cresswell took possession of the Roxbury track when the Tri-County Driving Park Association defaulted on $40,000 in bonds he owned. Cresswell attempted to quadruple the rent Pender paid to host racing, but:

“Pender promptly moved his popular events to the Westmont Racetrack through a five-year lease beginning with the 1904 racing season. The 1904 Roxbury Park season then became such a disaster that Cresswell tried in vain to get Pender back.”

As a result, a new organization formed, turning Roxbury into an amusement park, renamed “Luna Park” which hosted horse racing until the park was sold to the city of Johnstown in 1922; it now houses tennis courts and several baseball diamonds used by everyone from Little League to the AAABA (All American Amateur Baseball Association).

Here's a photo I found via Google Books showing horses racing at Luna Park in Roxbury in 1915:



I also found this c. 1910 postcard of Luna Park, with the track and grandstand:



Needless to say, this insight into the town I now call "home" is truly thrilling, lending a greater appreciation for the rich history horse racing—both Thoroughbred and Standardbred—has in this country. What a shame interest in the sport has fallen so far! Just imagine the small towns and cities that once enjoyed a glorious day at the races.


Works Consulted:

Henry Wilson Storey, History of Cambria County, Pennsylvania, volume 3 (1907), pp. 666-667.

Randy Whittle, Johnstown, Pennsylvania: A History, volume 1 (2007) pp. 105-106


Other interesting tidbits:

An 1894 Johnstown newspaper article notes that the city had more than 100 race horses.

Johnstown hosted the 1897 Pennsylvania State Fair, which offered “$6,000 in purses for nineteen trotting and pacing events” from September 6 to 11.

In 1899, the National Trotting Association suspended the Tri-County Agricultural and Park Driving Association for non-payment of premiums.

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Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow, Or Not

Parting is such sweet sorrow, and, in some instances, painful...

DRF’s David Grening reports that Kiaran McLaughlin will no longer train for West Point Thoroughbreds, and G1-placed Justwhistledixie has been transferred to Bill Mott. However, don’t cry for McLaughlin; he is still the Maktoum families’ primary American trainer, and I, for one, am pleased to see him riding Rajiv Maragh more, apparently unlike some.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Atlantic, the Aga Khan announced two weeks ago that Christophe Lemaire has been retained as their first-call jockey next season, ending an eight-year partnership with Zarkava’s jockey Christophe Soumillon who suffered an open fracture to an elbow on Tuesday and may be out for the rest of the year. Ouch! At least it will give Soumillon time to think before he speaks...

Much like Wesley Ward’s world-record setting One Hot Wish and William Curran’s track-record tying Ever So Pretty, I have a feeling we’ll never hear again from Doug O’Neill-trained Necessary Evil who fractured her left front ankle running in the G1 Darley Debutante last weekend. What possible value is there in blazing-fast two-year-olds who burnout way too fast? Is it just my imagination, or do we see far too many of these types nowadays?

Mixed feelings about Cosmonaut’s retirement...I always loved this son of Lemon Drop Kid, even when he was trained by cobra venom cheat Patrick Biancone. His highlights, for me, are the third-place finish behind Kip Deville and Excellent Art in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Mile at Monmouth in 2007, and the narrow second-place miss to Purim in the G1 Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland in 2007. Wow, now that I see that in writing, I guess it's been awhile since he's been at the top of his game. Still, sad to see him leave the turf, but he’s certainly earned a long, healthy retirement.

As for the loss this week of “sire of sires” Gone West, Glenn Craven (Fugue for Tinhorns) has said it far better than I; check out his post here.

Congratulations to Linda Rice for winning the Saratoga training title over Todd Pletcher—it’s no small achievement, especially with a limited number and type of runners. Thank god only 28 of 192 races were taken off the turf...

Let me get this straight: Rick “Duh”trow has been suspended 30-days for a 2008 clenbuterol positive, but, naturally, the suspension will not begin until after the Breeders’ Cup? Once again, those who govern horse racing—in this instance, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission—has permitted one of the game’s most notorious cheats to make a mockery of rules and regulations.

Furthermore, the agreement does not require him to transfer his horses to another trainer? I’ve read the commission’s disciplinary measures and penalties several times, and I don’t see where, as the DRF’s article claims, a transfer is required only after a second Class B violation. In fact, section 3 clearly states: “Prior offenses occurring in other racing jurisdictions may be considered by the stewards and the Authority in assessing penalties. The stewards shall attach to a penalty judgment a copy of the offender’s prior record containing violations that were committed both inside and outside of Kentucky.”

Additionally, section 7 clearly outlines: “A person shall not train a horse or practice veterinary medicine for the benefit, credit, reputation, or satisfaction of an inactive person.” The passage continues to outline how the new trainer, not “an associated person”, should maintain records of bills, etc. during the time the horse is under their control.

Ray Paulick derisively noted last year that, considering his extensive rap-sheet of infractions, Rick Dutrow should hardly be considered a “first-time offender” in this case. I totally agree, although I’m sure those few Dutrow supporters out there will again claim we are beating up on poor misunderstood Rick, but I don’t care. I’m tired of the hypocrisy, the double-standards and the turning a blind eye to drug misuse. Enough is enough!

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PID Masters Stakes Will Be Best Race of the Weekend

Wow, wow, wow! That’s my reaction to the entries for Saturday’s $400,000 G3 Presque Isle Downs Masters Stakes. While my favorite Elusive Heat is still on the sidelines after surgery for an entrapped epiglottis, the twelve entrants include the best female sprinters in America.

In the midst of a six-race win streak, G1 Just a Game winner Diamondrella with Rajiv Maragh up drew post 2, right next to G1 Test victress Flashing with Richard Migliore, and to her outside, in post 4, is G1 Princess Rooney and G2 Honorable Miss winner Game Face, with Edgar Prado riding for Todd Pletcher. Now, that right there is a horse race in itself!

Add in G1 Madison third-place Bear Now (Jamie Theriot) in post 5, G2 First Flight victress Porte Bonheur (Channing Hill) in post 6, G1 Humana Distaff third-place Dubai Majesty (Miguel Mena) in post 11, and...the pièce de résistance...G1 Madison and G1 Humana Distaff winner Informed Decision, with Julien Leparoux up, in post 9.

Hands down, this will be the best race of the weekend.

For Diamondrella who has run successfully on turf, this will be her first all-weather surface attempt, but as the sole deep closer, this race could set up perfectly for her especially saving ground from the inside. For Flashing and Game Face, this is also a crucial test heading towards the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, but Informed Decision and Bear Now are proven on artificial surfaces, as are Porte Bonheur and Dubai Majesty.

If any outside these seven win, it would be a complete shock. Christine Janks-trained Nicks (Israel Ocampo) won the state-bred Isaac Murphy Handicap at Arlington in June, but just doesn’t have the speed to keep up with these. Sweet Lorena (Dennis Carr) has been running successfully in allowance optional claiming company at Presque Isle this year, while Tequilas Dayjur (Terry Houghton) hasn’t attempted anything close to this quality since last year’s G1 Test—where she finished dead last, 26 lengths back in a field of six. Beautiful Venue (Rex Stokes III) and Rollicking Affair (Gabriel Suarez) are too slow.

Who will win is just too tough to call, and I suspect if you ran the race five different times, you’d get five different winners. Dubai Majesty hasn’t run since July 11, but has four works since August 9. Still, I’d be surprised if she won. Informed Decision couldn’t handle Music Note and Indian Blessing—or the sloppy track—at Saratoga last out, but her Polytrack efforts at Arlington and Keeneland are terrific—will she take to Tapeta? Porte Bonheur has posted two bullet work at Saratoga coming into this race, but I’m not convinced she’s completely in the same class as the others. Bear Now’s front-running style will probably cook her chances, as at Presque Isle, in 6.5f races, only 16% winners wire the field—it much more conducive to on pace and late closers. Even though she’s on a two-race win streak, I’m taking a calculated guess that Game Face won’t win here—she’s never beaten this quality of sprinters.

That leaves 3-year-old Flashing as the big question mark, although her breeding suggests she should handle Tapeta just fine. However, I really believe this is the perfect race for Diamondrella who’s been working gangbusters in advance of this. Informed Decision will be her toughest challenger.

Regardless of who wins, I can guarantee one thing—a new track record for 6.5 furlongs will be set.

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Butterflies

I admit, I awoke this morning with butterflies in my stomach. While I’m not personally vested in Rachel Alexandra running in the G1 Woodward, it is one of those occasions that qualifies in my eyes as a momentous event, thus the nerves and excitement building as post-time approaches.

As a historian by nature and profession, I appreciate the enormity of what she is attempting, and took a stab at giving context for it at my other blog, Fillies First. While she is not up against horses comparable with the great routers of yore—Stymie, Armed, Forego, Kelso, et al—this is a challenging field. However, in terms of pure talent, she towers above them. The only thing left is to hope and pray for a safe trip for all.

On my part, no bets for or against her will be placed today. Instead, I will sit back and enjoy this race purely as a fan of the sport, horse racing as it should be—a filly challenged to step up once more, run beyond the boundaries normally placed upon those of her sex and age, and, if the Fates allow, her name be forever etched in history as one of the truly great thoroughbred race horses.

Go, Rachel, go...

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Looking Ahead to the PID Masters Stakes

A scant three years after its inaugural running, the now-G3 Presque Isle Downs Masters Stakes has become a crucial prep for the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, not only because of its location on the calendar (September 12), but as a synthetic surface test. Moreover, noteworthy showings by previous runners at both Monmouth and Santa Anita have earned this race its graded status this year.

While 2007 Masters winner Miss Macy Sue got home third in the Monmouth slop, Masters fourth-place finisher Miraculous Miss narrowly missed victory, running a mere half length behind BC winner Maryfield. Last year, Wild Gams swapped her 2007 second-place finish for a victory, defeating her rival Miss Macy Sue in new track-record time, with Dream Rush in third. Neither Wild Gams nor Miss Macy Sue competed in the BC, while Dream Rush and also-ran Jazzy were no match for the brilliant Ventura and gutsy Indian Blessing.

In 2007, the race closed with 39 nominations; that jumped to 62 in 2008, while this year, nominations closed on Wednesday, with 72 horses. The race has also been lengthened, from 6 furlongs to 6.5 furlongs—the BC Filly & Mare Sprint is to be run at 7 furlongs.

Of those nominated, some imposing runners are considered likely at this point, including Todd Pletcher’s G1 Princess Rooney winner Game Face and G1 Just a Game victress Diamondrella. If Diamondrella goes, it seems unlikely that trainer Angel Penna, Jr. would also enter stablemate Elusive Heat who recently underwent (like Mine That Bird) surgery for an entrapped epiglottis. How exciting, though, would it be to see if the daughter of future Hall of Fame sprinter Xtra Heat could replicate her dam’s BC success?

Others possible: Al Stall, Jr.’s Bear Now who finished third behind Informed Decision and Ventura in the G1 Madison at Keeneland back in April, and fourth-place finisher Dubai Majesty who recently posted bullet works at Churchill. Keep the Peace has run second behind Game Face in her last two outings, the G1 Princess Rooney and G2 Honorable Miss, while G2 First Flight winner Porte Bonheur looks to rebound from her fourth-place effort in the latter. G2 Barbara Fritchie winner Royale Michele hasn’t been seen since running fifth in the Humana Distaff, but did post a bullet three-furlong work on August 22.

Those nominated that appear unlikely include: Bold Union who finished second to Sara Louise in the G3 Victory Ride at Saratoga last Saturday, G1 Humana Distaff winner Informed Decision who finished third behind Music Note and Indian Blessing in the G1 Ballerina, and G1 Test winner Flashing who is apparently being considered for the October 3 Fitz Dixon Cotillion at Philly Park going 8.5 furlongs.

Additionally, Josie Carroll-trained stablemates Authenicat and Foxy Danseur are scheduled to run at Woodbine on Saturday in the 7 furlong G3 Seaway Stakes, as is Verdana Bold, Simply Splendid, and Crown of Diamonds. We'll see if any of them scratch there. Last year’s Woodbine Oaks winner and Queen’s Plate runner-up Ginger Brew won the 8.5 furlong Belle Mahone last out, and is pointed to the G2 Canadian on September 20 at Woodbine.

Hooh Why unsuccessfully attempted turf last Sunday, finishing sixth behind Lady Shakespeare in the Ontario Colleen, while Livin Lovin, who finished within two lengths of Funny Moon in the G1 Coaching Club American Oaks, failed miserably when testing PID’s Tapeta surface in an allowance race on August 30. G2 Beaumont runner-up Selva finished way back in the Victory Ride.

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