It’s getting a little coverage in the trade publications in the US, but the outbreak of equine influenza in Australia is already having a major effect on the sport Down Under. Perhaps uniquely, it is affecting both racing and breeding:
Racing officials announced early today that horses from the Centennial Park stables had returned positive [...]
I’ve had ample time to consider my Eclipse Award would-be votes; now that we have finalists, here are my thoughts:
Steeplechase: McDynamo — I’m not sure why they bothered putting anyone else as a finalist, we know he’s the one.
Older Male: Looks like Invasor. If only we had more older males to consider…
Breeder: I think [...]
The Breeders’ Cup may be over (and, sadly, a chapter closed when Pine Island was buried at Claiborne) but auction and retirement season is in full swing. Just about 48 hours after competing in the Distaff, Sharp Lisa went through the ring, bringing a price of $3.4 million. Apparently she’s set for [...]
Well, another Breeders’ Cup is over, but at least I’m only down $40. Here are my thoughts on each race:
Juvenile FilliesDreaming of Anna lived up to her pre-race hype; I’d be most interested to see her mature into a turf miler, though, rather than heading toward the Oaks next year.
JuvenileWell, it was [...]
The European perspective seems a bit glum in some quarters; in others, they are simply surprised that George Washington is not being seen as a conquering hero by the Americans.
Here in the States, there is comparatively little Bernardini-centered coverage compared with a number of European articles focusing on star horses; one of the few is [...]
Bernardini — what else is there to say about the Jockey Club Gold Cup? He never seemed to break a sweat. I did feel badly for Dylan Thomas; he’s a fantastic horse, but he clearly hated the surface (and it is interesting to see dirt described as an ‘artificial surface’ as the Independent [...]
By now Bernardini’s emphatic win in the Travers has been well-analyzed and he certainly does seem to be the horse to beat now. It will be interesting to see him match up against Invasor in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, since he seems to be his only real rival at this point (although I [...]
While on paper we finally get a showdown between Bernardini and Bluegrass Cat, the Blood-Horse has a wonderfully-titled article pointing out that there’s more to the Travers than the two headliners: Travers Analysis: Pletcher and the Accidental Rabbits. I do like the suggestion of High Cotton as a spoiler, although I really feel that [...]
Bernardini demonstrated he was the real deal in the Jim Dandy last weekend; he really looked as though he were out for a casual stroll while the rest of the field labored behind him. Sunriver apparently came out with a minor injury (and probably didn’t think much of the sloppy track) so that explains [...]
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