Racehorses in History July: Fifinella
b. 1913
Why: The last horse to win both the Epsom Derby and Oaks, she moved into literary history as an inspiration to Roald Dahl.
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 You should know who these men are It may have been a pokey Belmont, but it was nice to see Bill Mott add a Triple Crown win to his resume, and we’ve got summer and fall racing to look forward to. WinStar farm will have to decide how to manage their two classic winners, Super Saver and Drosselmeyer, over the next few months, but it’s certainly a good problem to have – even if the idea of either one competing with Zenyatta in the Breeders’ Cup Classic seems rather beyond the realm of possibility. One does hope that Uptowncharlybrown, who finished fifth, gets another chance to prove his talent (as well as earn some money for his connections), after his odd disqualification to last in the race after losing a weight pad. Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin explained how it happened, and blames himself – it’s definitely not a fun way to lose $30,000.
And Zenyatta does not seem too concerned about possible rivals – she had an easy workout this week for her shot at a threepeat in the Vanity, which would give her win number 17. The big mare’s presence in the race has limited the field – St Trinians is the only horse in the field likely to give Zenyatta much of a workout, although she’s coming into the race off a poor effort last time out, in the Big Cap – still, someone has to be second.
And while we know that Rachel Alexandra will be racing somewhere on Saturday, which race her connections plan to go for is still up in the air. The Stephen Foster is coming up a tough race – Blame is on fire, and General Quarters seems to be getting into a good rhythm. Arson Squad, Macho Again and Giant Oak are also good horses, and while I believe we will see Rachel return to her best, that may still be a little bit down the road. However, she would get an attractive weight break in the race, so that’s no doubt a consideration.
Of course, as we have previously mentioned, just about everything else happening on Saturday is eclipsed by the US taking on England in the World Cup; regardless of what the British press might suggest, we’re actually reasonably evenly-matched – the two teams have similar difficulties in defense (although at least we have Tim Howard in goal), and a tendency to rely one one or two key players up front. I’d say the odds of both teams finishing the game with ten men are higher than a runaway score either way, but I’d love to see us pull out a win – and continue in that spirit well beyond the group stage.
With the World Cup, a new job and a variety of other side projects taking over, posting will be lighter than usual for a while – but follow along on Twitter for the latest commentary.
Come on, the US!
 It'll be Ice Box - unless it's not. True, it may not seem like the most distinguished group ever to line up for the Belmont – but where they truly fit in is hard to judge at this point in the year; someone could become a break-out star. Nick Zito makes a good point in suggesting that the now-traditional 20-horse field in the Derby keeps horses from competing in all three Triple Crown races; it does seem odd that the overarching trend is to run potentially top-level horses less often on the whole – except when it comes to Derby Day. Then, it seems, even those who are pretty clearly sprinter-milers (or turf horses) still get thrown into the Derby field.
The same is rarely true of the Belmont, although there are always a few who seem to be in the field just because there’s room. So, who’s going to win, who will have a notable career post-Belmont, and who’s just happy to be here? Let’s find out:
1 / Dave in Dixie / C H Borel / J W Sadler / 20/1
Trainer John Sadler would seem to have a better shot at posing for winner’s circle photos with Crisp in the Acorn; yes, the horse is on the rail with Bo-Rail aboard, but does that matter at Belmont? The longest (and only) race Dave in Dixie has won was at 6 furlongs.
2 / Spangled Star / G K Gomez / R E Dutrow, Jr. / 30/1
Another with only one in the winning column; he seems quite overmatched here, even with the talents of Garrett Gomez at his disposal.
3 / Uptowncharlybrown / R Maragh / K P McLaughlin / 10/1
In addition to having a bittersweet human-interest background, he’s always had an excuse when he’s run poorly. Jockey Rajiv Maragh is a local pro, and the extra distance may even suit the horse, even if it’s not immediately apparent in his pedigree. He’s the most interesting longshot in the field, and deserves better luck.
4 / Make Music for Me / J Rosario / A Barba / 10/1
We like to see female trainers in big races, and without his surprise fourth-place finish in the Derby, Make Music for Me would not be here. While we might have dismissed him out of hand for the Derby, he could spring another surprise.
5 / Fly Down / J R Velazquez / N P Zito / 9/2
He’s the ‘other’ Nick Zito horse – and he should not be overlooked. He’s beaten both Drosselmeyer and First Dude (twice) and his only losses were down to bad racing luck. He’s a very serious threat.
6 / Ice Box / J Lezcano / N P Zito / 3/1
If he’d had a little more luck on Derby Day, we might not be hearing the complaints about the Derby and Preakness winners’ not appearing in the Belmont. On paper, the race is his to lose – he’s the class of the field.
7 / Drosselmeyer / M E Smith / W I Mott / 12/1
Second to Fly Down last time out, Drosselmeyer seems more of a solid G2 performer; a wag might suggest that he’s perfect for this year’s installment of the Belmont, but I think he’s a notch below the best here, both in terms of speed and distance abilities.
8 / Game On Dude / M Garcia / B Baffert / 10/1
Yes, he won the Lone Star Derby. Yes, he’s trained by Bob Baffert, but those are Game On Dude’s chief qualifications for being here. Still, it’s always fun to have Baffert around, even if we never see the horse in another major race.
9 / Stately Victor / A Garcia / M J Maker / 15/1
He’s beautifully-bred, but his only win this year was in the Blue Grass. It’s possible, however, that he just wants further to run – he’ll get it on Saturday, but he’s not an obvious pick.
10 / Stay Put / J Theriot / S Margolis / 20/1
On paper, he doesn’t seem to be crying out for a 1 1/2 mile race, and he’s not faced this caliber of competition, but his Beyers have been improving. He could progress here, but winning seems unlikely.
11 / First Dude / R A Dominguez / D L Romans / 7/2
He’s been saddled with a terrible name, but he showed obvious talent in the Preakness. He has something of a rivalry starting with Fly Down, and certainly seems to have progressed since then. But will he regress from his career-high Beyer last time out?
12 / Interactif / J Castellano / T A Pletcher / 12/1
He was a last-minute addition to the field, and his turf credentials are much stronger than his dirt form – but he’s interesting here. He’s got plenty of stamina on his dam’s side (love the Broad Brush angle), and his post position seems perfect for his running style, especially in a race of this distance. He could spring an upset – and then return to turf/synthetics forevermore.
Prediction: Ice Box, Fly Down, Uptowncharlybrown, Interactif
 Is Gio Ponti still on Dubai time? First, the bad news – last year’s Belmont champ Summer Bird has been retired. It’s particularly unfortunate, as he seemed to be coming into his own toward the end of last season, just before the injury. Given the economy and the timing of his retirement (he’s essentially missed the North American breeding season), it seems that he legitimately did not heal properly and was poised for a comeback; it’s a shame. I’m still very grateful to him for making my experience at the Belmont last year a remuneratively-rewarding one – hopefully, he’ll enjoy his retirement.
In better news, the Belmont always has an interesting undercard, and while this may not be the starriest ever, it’s got some solid competition – here’s our take on each stakes race:
Woody Stephens
While the big names in this race may have been pointed to Triple Crown races earlier in the season, they’ve all found their place as talented sprinters. D’Funnybone and Discreetly Mine could both find the winner’s circle, but I like Eightyfiveinafifty – if he can remember which way to run.
Just A Game
While everyone has low prices on the morning line, including the interesting Phola and Cherokee Queen, I think Proviso and My Princess Jess will be the first two across the line.
True North
While Custom for Carlos looks tough here, it’s a fairly open race. I’m backing Bribon to win.
Acorn
It’s part of the Triple Tiara – again! And it’s a tough group of fillies: Amen Hallelujah is a deserving favorite, Tidal Pool has proven useful and I am a fan of the longish morning line odds on Crisp. Tanda could also pull a mild upset, but I suspect it will be Amen Hallelujah, followed closely by Crisp.
Manhattan
Gio Ponti, a horse who deserves considerably more coverage than he receives, is back in action in what looks like the most interesting race on the card (sorry, Featured Race!), with seven G1 winners in the lineup. This is no easy spot for him, though – his last race was the Dubai World Cup, and beyond the Dubai jinx, he’s probably not as fit as he might be. That leaves room for Court Vision and Take the Points, although I’m somewhat partial to Grand Couturier, who will be ridden by ‘Jockey Stud‘ Alan Garcia. Still, we should see Gio Ponti move forward, even if he’s not back in top form this time out.
Check back shortly for our Belmont Stakes analysis…
 Doing what he does best While things remain ludicrously busy in Superfectaland (a new job, Philly Beer Week and the World Cup are all converging), we don’t want to neglect racing, especially during Met Mile/Belmont week.
First, of course, we must give props to Quality Road in the Met Mile for another fine performance. Sure, he had to work a bit to keep the very game Musket Man from catching him at the end, but he never seemed as though he was digging as deeply as he possibly had to – his 114 Beyer for the race is below his high point (although certainly impressive). He may appear next in the Suburban, with the Breeders’ Cup Classic as his ultimate goal (although one still suspects that the mile is his ideal distance).
And so to the Belmont – we’ll have more on the undercard (which is almost always one of the best race days of the year) and the race itself later in the week, but here are a few initial thoughts:
Beyond the Belmont, word is in this week that Rachel Alexandra is likely to make her next start on June 12th. While this is good to hear, it’s also somewhat problematic for two reasons. First, there’s no confirmation yet as to which race it will be – it could be the Obeah (at normally-easily-accessible Delaware Park), the Stephen Foster or Fleur de Lis at Churchill Downs or, perhaps, the Ogden Phipps Handicap at Belmont. Taken alone, each of these options has a variety of positives and negatives, but there is one overarching thumbs down for all of them – the US takes on England in the World Cup that day…
 The equine Bill Bryson? The Met Mile takes place on Monday, and it’s generating some interest overseas; Britain’s Racing Post seems more excited about seeing Quality Road back in action than most of our domestic racing press does at this point – the race will even be shown live on At The Races. (Will their online streaming be more effective than the NTRA’s? We suspect so). They consider Quality Road the ‘top-rated horse in the world’ and give fulsome praise to his Donn Handicap victory. By some measure, he seems to have moved into that rare category – American Things More Appreciated Abroad – which is normally inhabited by writers or musicians like Suzi Quatro or Chrissie Hynde. While trainer Todd Pletcher is no doubt looking forward to seeing his grownup star in action, he had to appreciate the way the publication framed his thoughts on Quality Road’s last work:
“I thought it all went very, very well,” added the Kentucky Derby-winning trainer.
The one negative about the race is that Quality Road will have very little competition; Warrior’s Reward and Kensei are nice horses, but are nowhere in the same league. I would be intrigued to see him head to Royal Ascot to see where he fits in with Europe’s top horses; while he’s certainly very effective on dirt, he’s got that as-yet-untapped Antipodean pedigree on his dam’s side – he could be equally at home on grass (or synthetics). After all, versatility is a fine thing – just ask Einstein or Blame.
Of course, there is life beyond racing; the World Cup is almost upon us, so Team Superfecta will be much distracted by that in the coming weeks. We’ll be at the US-Turkey friendly on Saturday, and will likely go into full World Cup saturation mode following the Belmont. You have been warned!
 Goldikova (l) does her winning thing Last year, Goldikova finished seventh in the Prix d’Ispahan, her yearly debut; it seemed that the extra furlong and soft going were not to her taste. There were no such questions this year – the 5-year-old mare set a new stakes record in the same race, capturing her eighth G1 victory. It was a narrow margin, to be sure, over the up-and-coming Byword, but the rest of the field (including Stacelita, who may need to regain some conditioning) was some distance back. While a threepeat in the Breeders’ Cup Mile is her goal this year, her next race could be nearly as starry – she is being pointed to the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot, potentially taking on Paco Boy and Rip Van Winkle.
While the Breeders’ Cup is a long way away at this point, other Europeans to keep an eye on were in action last weekend – 3-year-old Richard Hannon-trained Canford Cliffs was impressive in the Irish 2000 Guineas, while Ballydoyle has another strong group of colts, headed by Jan Vermeer (impressive winner of the Gallinule Stakes) and St Nicholas Abbey. The 3-year-old filly ranks look equally strong (or, perhaps, stronger – at least, in France) with the green-but-promising Sarafina just besting Deluxe in the Prix Saint-Alary. Both fillies may head to the Prix de Diane in June – and we may see one or both of them in the Breeders’ Cup at some point.
Given the somewhat scattered picture our own 3-year-olds paint, perhaps more overseas horses will consider heading to Churchill Downs this year – why not take the opportunity to show it can be good breeding and a lack of medication that win big races, rather than an affinity for Santa Anita? I’m of the opinion that the track surface played a smaller role than widely assumed in the European domination of the last two Breeders’ Cups, and would love to see that put to the test this fall. Of course, we have plenty of racing to look forward to before that point – but it’s always worth watching what’s going on abroad.
Here in the US, NYRA got a loan, which should keep things running for a while – and the Met Mile is on tap for the long weekend…in the meantime, why not celebrate Irish-bred Goldikova’s continued magnificence by purchasing The Divine Comedy’s new album, Bang Goes The Knighthood, out on the 31st?
 Hasili VIII: A New Hope? D. Wayne Lukas may not be sending Dublin to the Belmont, but he’ll be busy nonetheless; he’s just become the trainer for Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird. The move had been rumored for a few weeks, but it was confirmed this week with the horse setting out from New Mexico for Kentucky – this time, in a trailer not driver by his old trainer.
Apparently Chip Woolley’s handling of the popular gelding was not quite good enough, as just about anyone can get a horse to win the Derby and finish in the money in the other two Triple Crown races. That leads us to a small aside – how frequently do we see the previous year’s Derby, Preakness and Belmont champions all residing in a new trainer’s barn by the following spring? Granted, Rachel Alexandra had already made the move by Preakness time, but that was just days after her Oaks win; all statistics in this area are welcomed.
It seems the switch was handled with the requisite class and communication we have come to expect:
“I appreciate the opportunity I had to train him and I wish him the very best and hope he has a long career and wins 100 races,” Woolley said. “I will be pulling for him every time he goes into the gate. I thought I had a good bond with him, but I guess that doesn’t really matter now.
“Nobody ever prepares for something like this,” Woolley said. “I had had a lot of assurances that this was all just a rumor and I was keeping the horse. But this is the nature of the game. You’ve got to get up in the morning and do the same thing, whether you have the Derby winner or a $25,000 claimer. I just hope we can get another one.”
Woolley said he was not invited to come by and say goodbye to the horse.
It would seem that Woolley has joined the John Servis Club – win the Derby, get dropped by your bigger clients. Here’s hoping both trainers find better luck (and, perhaps, more loyal clients) in the near future.
More cheerily, we have an exciting return to the races to look forward to this weekend – dual Breeders’ Cup Mile champion Goldikova will take on the talented Stacelita in the Prix d’Ispahan at Longchamp on Sunday. It will be the seasonal debut for both mares, and both are likely a bit vulnerable here after long layoffs. Let us recall that Goldikova finished seventh out of nine (or Seven of Nine, if you prefer) in this race last year to inferior competition over a soft course, although she returned to her winning ways next time out. Stacelita is also looking to bounce back from a seventh-place finish, albeit a respectable one – she faced a tough group in the Arc and finished better than most.
Also Sunday’s Longchamp card is the Prix Saint-Alary, which will feature Deluxe, the latest racing offspring of broodmare superstar Hasili. The 3-year-old filly is unbeaten in two starts so far, but this will be her first effort in Group 1 company (and her first shot at a 1 1/4 mile distance – her previous wins came at a mile). Stacelita won this race last year before heading to victory in the Prix de Diane – she’s as fine a role model as Deluxe’s many illustrious half-siblings.
Any guesses as to the potential odds for her to complete an Arc/Breeders’ Cup double?
 - Youngest horse + youngest jockey = Preakness win
Lookin At Lucky finally had his luck change, and another Preakness is in the books. While Lucky’s win was not unexpected, First Dude and Jackson Bend’s efforts to round out the trifecta were a little more surprising. First Dude showed he’s more than just a colt saddled with an unfortunate name; he seems a likely Belmont threat. Lookin At Lucky will not be Belmont-bound, but he should come back to this coast for the Haskell. As he has yet to celebrate his actual third birthday, a bit of a breather seems a wise move. The television coverage was moderately better than the Derby (and a vast improvement over the Oaks fiasco), but still ended up in the ‘could do better’ category.
Meanwhile, Jackson Bend, who looked hopelessly out of gas in the Derby, proved he could stay beyond a mile and dug in to finish third. Caracortado played the part of Jackson Bend this time around – he simply could not stay the distance, but looked threatening near the top of the stretch. I’d love to see these two meet up again in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile – and, ideally, beyond that; a rivalry between the two could lead to an exciting Met Mile (if it happens next year, but more on that in a moment). Trainer Nick Zito is aiming to bring Jackson Bend back in the Haskell – perhaps the little horse has more depths than we realize at present.
Also worth a mention is Dublin, who seemed headed for the exits at the break, but came back to finish fifth; one wonders what he could be capable if he had some changes to his routine, as well as some better luck. And luck did not seem to be the issue for Derby winner Super Saver – the horse just looked tired, and his announced rest also seems like the obvious next move.
Attendance at the Preakness was up, after a big drop last year. The lure this year was unlimited beer for $20 in the infield. Granted, this was not good beer – for $20, I expect something at least half as good as this; perhaps a craft brewers’ tent could be set up for the adults who would like to have some of the real thing while watching the races. Local brewers Flying Dog would be an ideal anchor brand (although I’d hate to see a group of college students after multiple, cheap Raging Bitches, much as I love the beer) – and Baltimore’s Brewer’s Art is well-placed to offer advice…but I digress.
Even without the Derby or Preakness winner, the Belmont should be a good race (albeit one that seems custom-designed for Ice Box). Other interesting possibilities include Drosselmeyer, Uptowncharlybrown and the Tim Ice-trained New Madrid; who doesn’t like a horse named for a fault? If nothing else, the lines for the bathroom will be much more manageable.
While the question of who will go to the Belmont is an interesting one, the much larger issue hanging over NYRA is how – or if – they will remain in operation after Belmont weekend. Things are not looking good at this point. The situation is complicated in California as well; Ron Charles resigned as president of Santa Anita shortly after the news broke that the Oak Tree meet would no longer be welcome at the track (although what has been going on behind the scenes there is anyone’s guess). Oak Tree could move to Del Mar, but the ouster from Santa Anita is an odd business; one wonders who is really making these decisions, and how many groups are involved. It makes picking the horses look easy.
 Can Calvin win back-to-back Preaknesses? The Preakness draw will take place this evening at 5 pm, but post position is much less of an issue at Pimlico – especially as the field size has been decreased with the absence of Hurricane Ike, who is out with a leg injury. A Little Warm was declared out earlier in the week, much to my chagrin, leaving Schoolyard Dreams and Caracortado as the most interesting new shooters.
With rather limited time this week, here are our thoughts on the Preakness field – with Kentucky Derby alumni first:
Super Saver
Derby winners like to win the Preakness – and even without rain, Super Saver should be well-placed to do so. Jockey Calvin Borel has experience winning the Preakness with Rachel Alexandra, but it’s not always as easy for him to work his magic away from Churchill Downs.
Paddy O’Prado
Yes, he ran much better in the Derby than I expected – but I still think he’s more interesting on turf.
Dublin
His seventh-place finish was respectable and his sire owned this race, but is he up to the challenge? D. Wayne Lukas has Northern Giant as well, if not.
Jackson Bend
Had a terrible trip in the Derby, and clearly wants a shorter distance; the question is whether he’s ready for the quick turnaround, given his effort last time out.
Lookin At Lucky
Holds the dubious honor of having perhaps the second-worst trip in the Derby after the very game Ice Box; his slump has clearly been luck-related rather than talent-related – will the change in jockey help?
New Shooters
Aikenite
He’ll probably need more speed to close on than he’s likely to see on Saturday – with Hurricane Ike out, that’s a less likely scenario.
Caracortado
I’m a fan of the California-based gelding; this distance should be perfect for him. He’s had bad luck in his two non-winning races and should be ready to go.
Pleasant Prince
His sole victory came in a MSW last year. Granted, he hit the board in the Florida Derby and Derby Trial, so he seems to be improving, but I don’t see this as his spot.
Yawanna Twist
He only began his career in December, and he’s been close in G3 company; it’s a step up, but he could finishi n the money here.
Schoolyard Dreams
He was a long way back in the Wood Memorial, but he should be coming into this race in a better position – a definite danger.
Northern Giant
While he has an interesting pedigree and a bit of seasoning, he might be better off in a softer spot.
First Dude
I’m really done with this joke, which isn’t the horse’s fault, but I don’t see it happening for him.
Although the real world will continue to interfere with things racing-related here for a while, we’ll still be checking in via Twitter – so look for the latest updates there. In the meantime, you have until Saturday to name Super Saver’s half-brother – and tune in tomorrow to Alex Brown’s show for more!
Official Superfecta Preakness Superfecta Prediction: Lookin At Lucky, Caracortado, Super Saver, Schoolyard Dreams
 - Calvin may run out of fingers on which to count Derby wins
Another Kentucky Derby is in the books, and for the third time in four years, Calvin Borel’s name appears in the record. Todd Pletcher finally got his long-elusive Derby win, as did WinStar Farms. Super Saver became the second son of Maria’s Mon to win the race (after Monarchos, who still ranks as the kindest – and best-behaved – thoroughbred stallion I’ve ever had the good fortune to meet); it was especially notable for the WinStar team as his dam, Supercharger, is a full sister to the dam of Bluegrass Cat, one of their studs. (And for those interested, it is worth noting that Super Saver has a gelding full brother, Hedge Fund, who has earned more than $150,000 – while it took him more than fifty starts, that suggests there’s some good stamina in there somewhere).
Without taking anything away from Super Saver’s accomplishment, it is worth noting that while he was certainly lucky to have Churchill Downs resident rail savant on board, he was equally fortunate to avoid some of the trouble other contenders faced. Ice Box’s performance was perhaps the most impressive of any horse in the field; while both he and Lookin At Lucky had terrible trips and acquitted themselves well, under the circumstances, getting up for second was very impressive. But while trainer Nick Zito would like to rest Ice Box with a view toward the Belmont (and later races), owner Robert LaPenta would like to see the colt try the Preakness first. Given the effort Ice Box had to put forth in the Derby, I would side with Zito and wait; the duo still have Jackson Bend, whose Derby effort (while disappointing) likely took a lot less out of him – and the shorter distance seems more of a natural fit for him, while Ice Box seems perfect for the Belmont. Decisions will be made in the coming days.
Lookin At Lucky is also uncertain for the Preakness; the hapless colt’s recent spate of the wrong sort of luck continued to dog him, and his sixth-place finish is worthy of some acknowledgement after the trip he endured. Bob Baffert is not making anything official for Baltimore yet, although at least he kept his customary humor in edging out D. Wayne Lukas trainee Dublin:
As Baffert realized that Lucky had come in sixth, ahead of Lukas’ horse, he yelled out, “I beat you. I feel so much better.”
At least he took it well.
While Borel’s announcement that Super Saver will win the Triple Crown seems somewhat premature (although I’ll give it definite props for eliciting even more personality out of a finally-jubilant Pletcher), I believe he is allowed a little bit of slack, even if winning the Derby is becoming a habit for him. I think Borel took a bit of undeserved criticism for his ride on Mine That Bird in the Belmont – he seemed to have few choices, once the horse had decided to go – but the fact remains that Belmont is not Churchill Downs, and we’ve got another race to get through first.
So, who might he face in Baltimore?
Noble’s Promise, who was originally being considered for a race at Royal Ascot, may go to the Preakness instead. While it seems clear that he may not want to go a classic distance (and the mile race in England would be a great, if tough spot), he could be well-suited to the Preakness. I’d certainly be intrigued to see him there.
Other Derby alumni plotting trips to Baltimore include: Dublin, Paddy O’Prado, Conveyance and Make Music For Me.
In the new shooter camp, Caracortado is one of the most interesting possibilities, although there are more than a few. Others under consideration include Northern Giant, Schoolyard Dreams, Hurricane Ike, Aikenite and Pleasant Prince. Two horses I quite like, A Little Warm and Bushwhacked, have both had minor temperatures that have interfered with their training – but they are still possible for the Preakness as well.
Of course, much can happen over the next ten days, but one thing seems certain: Team Super Saver will be praying for rain.
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