Superfectablog v3.0 » Capt. Candyman Can

Breeders’ Cup 2009: Sprint

admin — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:47:00 +0000

#, Horse, Trainer, Jockey, ML odds

1 Zensational, Bob Baffert, V. Espinoza, 7/5
Likely the fastest horse in training (pictured); will the post position hurt?

2 Cost of Freedom, John Sadler, T. Baze, 20-1
Won the Ancient Title here…last year.

3 Fatal Bullet, Reade Baker, E. Da Silva, 9/2
Speedy 4-year-old loves synthetics; second in this race last year.

4 Crown of Thorns, Richard E. Mandella, R. Bejarano, 12-1
Seems to be improving after a long layoff, but probably not ready for this company.

5 Gayego, Saeed Bin Suroor, G. Gomez, 5/2
Ex-Derby candidate successfully reborn as a sprinter; can he keep up with Zensational?

6 Dancing in Silks, Carla Gaines, J. Rosario, 12-1
Step up in class for improving gelding.

7 Join in the Dance, Todd A. Pletcher, J. Velazquez, 30-1
Has yet to win a race.

8 Capt. Candyman Can, Ian Wilkes, J. Castellano, 15-1
3-year-old has thrived at sprinting distances.

9 Fleeting Spirit (IRE), Jeremy Noseda, L. Dettori, 8-1
Always competitive with the world’s best turf sprinters; classy mare could pick up the pieces.

Picks: Zensational, Fleeting Spirit, Fatal Bullet, Capt. Candyman Can

No Alarms and No Surprises

admin — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 18:13:00 +0000

The Breeders’ Cup defections continue apace; Icon Project has been retired with a tendon injury, Macho Again caught a cough, Gitano Hernando and Lahaleeb didn’t want to pay entry feeds, Rail Trip has a foot bruise and Septimus isn’t going to make the trip from Europe. With the retirement of Sea the Stars and the absence of Rachel Alexandra, things were starting to look a little thin this week for the big event – but there have been some interesting developments.

Kodiak Kowboy is going to contest the Sprint, which will now feature hard-knocking mare Fleeting Spirit (pictured) with Frankie Dettori aboard. Fleeting Spirit had been aimed at the Turf Sprint, given her aptitude against some of the world’s best turf sprinters – clearly, the thinking is that her form will translate directly to the synthetic surface. Of course, it may just be a case of sharing the wealth – her stablemate, Strike the Deal, is down for the Turf Sprint. Capt. Candyman Can seems to be maturing nicely into this division, however – it would be no bad thing to see him represent for the 3-year-old American boys – if he likes the track.

But back to speedy European horses for the moment; Goldikova’s rabbit, Only Green, has an entry – but she will be running in her own right in the Filly & Mare Sprint. Whether she can stack up to Sara Louise, Indian Blessing or Ventura in that race remains to be seen – it’s shaping up to be one of the stronger races for North American-based horses. The same might be said of the Filly & Mare Turf – Diamondrella, Pure Clan, Rutherienne and Forever Together are a formidable bunch – although Midday, who has faced Sariska and who will have the services of Tom Queally (even though he’s not staying on Fleeting Spirit), could well be ready for them.

The Irish contingent is looking very strong; Aiden O’Brien plans to send out Beethoven and Alfred Nobel in the Juvenile, with Viscount Nelson taking the Juvenile Turf option. Man of Iron, half-brother to Belmont winners Rags to Riches and Jazil, might be seen in the Marathon, now that Septimus has been ruled out. Naturally, Rip Van Winkle and Mastercraftsman are looking like the major stars for Ballydoyle as they work toward the Classic – but don’t count out either Einstein or Zenyatta. Given the notable absences from the Classic, one hopes it’s becoming more and more likely that’s where Zenyatta will be entered; there’s nothing for her to prove against anyone in the likely Filly & Mare Classic field.

There was some action in the Juvenile division; IEAH managed to come up with some cash that is not tied up in a lawsuit to purchase Radiohead. The Racing Post seems to find this a bit peculiar:

The deal, thought to be for in excess of $1 million, represents a calculated gamble on behalf of IEAH, as Radiohead has yet to race beyond 6f or on an artificial surface.

In addition to doubts about his stamina to see out the 1m½f trip of the Juvenile, his new owners will also need to fork out the bulk of a $100,000 entry fee because Radiohead was not Breeders’ Cup registered as a foal.

On the plus side, the horse’s name and new associations give ample opportunity for dropping in Radiohead titles and lines from songs (one wonders if they listened to ‘We Suck Young Blood’ before the purchase – presumably ‘Karma Police’ was not on the playlist) – but really, I’d prefer to see a winner’s circle free of fake tans.

We will continue to round up Things Breeders’ Cup-related next week, then we’ll start getting serious about it, with a closer look at each race coming soon. We’re nearly there – in the meantime, why not check out the DeFrancis Das h this weekend?

Summer Bird, Vindicated

admin — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 18:46:00 +0000

We here at Superfecta HQ are always pleased when we pick a winner that
some have doubted; with that in mind, it was especially nice to see Summer Bird win the Travers (and earn a 110 Beyer in the process). He will most likely head to the Jockey Club Gold Cup or the Goodwood next, but the Super Derby in trainer Tim Ice’s home state of Louisiana is also an outside possibility.

Hold Me Back proved he’s not just a synthetic specialist with a creditable second-place finish, but poor Quality Road didn’t get the best of the race. While he was a bit unlucky, he didn’t look like a horse who wanted to go that distance – his performance suggested he’d be much more comfortable back somewhere between 7 furlongs and a mile. For some reason, however, Todd Pletcher still thinks that Quality Road would like to consider the Jockey Club Gold Cup, but the Goodwood seems a better fit for distance (and a more useful prep for whichever Breeders’ Cup race he aims for – I’d vote for the Sprint or Dirt Mile). Mine That Bird, now reunited with Calvin Borel, is also aiming for the Goodwood on his way to the Breeders’ Cup.

The sprinters showed they are a worthy division as well – even if it was a little rougher. Capt. Candyman Can is clearly at home in this company in his win-by-DQ in the Kings Bishop, and while I doubted Vineyard Haven’s readiness for the race, he certainly performed well – until he started shoving into Capt. Candyman Can, that is. It seemed pretty clear from the head-on replay that Vineyard Haven’s number would be taken down (and jockey Alan Garcia ended up with a seven-day suspension), but his connections must still have been pleased with the ability he showed – even if they missed the check for first place. (But with a purchase price of $12 million, it’s not as though he’s ever going to earn that back at the track). It was pleasing to see Ian Wilkes, formerly the assistant to Carl Nafzger, get his first G1 win, even if it was in slightly peculiar circumstances. The only real disappointment in the race was Munnings – but he’s probably due an off day, having most recently tried outrunning Rachel Alexandra in the Haskell (although that didn’t seem to bother Summer Bird).

Of course, the focus has now shifted squarely onto Rachel Alexandra, with NYRA declaring the events surrounding Saturday’s Woodward ‘The Rachel Alexandra Show.’ For those still keen to complain that the field for the Woodward may not present her much of a challenge (as if the Travers might have), NYRA invested in a bit of historical research (huzzah!) to further highlight how unusual her turn in the Woodward will be. In addition to noting the achievements of Twilight Tear and Busher (both featured at Colin’s Ghost previously), the few other 3-year-old fillies to beat older males in the US included greats such as Miss Woodford and Beldame – more recently, European shippers (some of them among my favorite horses ever) like Miesque, Six Perfections and Goldikova have also risen to the challenge – but it’s become even more of a rarity on dirt in recent years.

Naturally, we’ll have a lot more to say about Rachel Alexandra later this week, so for now we’ll close with trainer Steve Asmussen’s take on the press following her normal workouts receive:

“All the attention and the crowds is just part of her life,” said Asmussen. “She doesn’t know everybody else doesn’t get treated that way. She probably thinks 25 to 30 people follow everybody when they go over to run. Those kind of things might be unsettling for other horses, but it’s kind of the norm for her.”

Indeed.

Travers Day

admin — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 15:20:00 +0000

Travers weekend is upon us, and for once, we’ll get some decent mainstream television coverage on ESPN – although the Ballston Spa won’t be shown live, the other major stakes races on Saratoga’s Saturday card will be. There’s quite a bit to cover, so let’s get to it.

Ballston Spa
This is a really interesting one – Rutherienne is taking on Cocoa Beach and My Princess Jess, as well as the interestingly-named Teamgeist – how can I not like a horse who shares a name with a soccer ball? Rutherienne was deeply unlucky last time out in the Diana (she was, in retrospect, probably the best horse in the race, but had to contend with traffic, wet ground and general unpleasantness) and she should be in a better spot here. However, Cocoa Beach will be tough for her to beat; I’m a fan of the Chilean-bred mare and like her versatility – dirt or turf, short or longer distance – nothing seems to faze her. Captain’s Lover is taking a step up here, but I cashed a ticket on her last time out, so she warrants watching.

Ballerina
This year’s Ballerina has a shorter field, but it’s a talented one – Indian Blessing is looking to regain her good Saratoga form, but Informed Decision is red-hot at the moment and will likely be the deserving post-time favorite. Music Note is looking to make a return to the winner’s circle as well, but I wonder if this race is a little too short for her – it’s an interesting spot, in any case.

Kings Bishop
This race is another one that’s packed with quality (and blazing speed); Munnings will be toting the highest weight, but it’s a fine group of sprinters all around – Capt. Candyman Can is back to chase after Munnings, as is Big Drama, and Vineyard Haven has popped back up. Munnings should still be the overwhelming favorite, despite drawing the rail, and I’m a bit puzzled by Big Drama after the West Virginia Derby (although this race should set up more to his liking). I really like Capt. Candyman Can here – if Munnings is in any way compromised by his post position, I could see him picking up the pieces. Vineyard Haven is attempting a comeback as a sprinter after a long layoff – he will probably need a race.

Travers
You can listen again to my Travers ruminations, if you so desire, but here’s the short version: I like Summer Bird. That’s not to say I don’t like the rest of the field – Richard Eng points out that six of the field of seven are coming off triple-digit Beyer performances in their last races – so it should be very competitive. I am lukewarm-to-chilly regarding Our Edge, Charitable Man and, to a lesser extent, Hold Me Back, but I see a lot to like in Quality Road, Kensei and Summer Bird. Warrior’s Reward is my longshot pick – if either Quality Road or Kensei runs out of steam at the eighth pole, he may get a piece of the action. The classic distance is the real question mark for both Quality Road and Kensei – we know both are fast and talented, but it’s not clear (yet) if either one really wants to run a mile and a quarter. Summer Bird obviously has no distance questions, and although he was a distant second-place finisher to the best horse currently in training in the Haskell, he should have a better shot on Saturday. If nothing else, it would be nice to see a Belmont winner come back and do well in other races – that’s become something of a rarity in recent years.

Perhaps some good viewing figures this weekend will get the Woodward on national television – we can dream…

A Lot Happened

admin — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:35:00 +0000

It’s been a busy few days in the racing world.

Rachel Alexandra’s triumphant Haskell performance was quickly followed Monday by Quality Road returning to the track in record-breaking form – perhaps she does have some 3-year-old competition after all. We’ll focus on those a bit more in a moment, but first, let’s do a quick round-up of Everything Else That Happened.

Mine That Bird was troubled by what can only be described as an unfortunate ride in the West Virginia Derby – and jockey Mike Smith accepted full responsibility for his third-place finish behind exhausted speed horse Big Drama and the Steve Asmussen-trained (and otherwise-unheralded) Iowa Derby runner-up, Soul Warrior whose win paid his few backers handsomely. Smith summed his ride up as ‘total rider error‘ and it’s hard to disagree with that assessment. It does seem that he’ll keep the mount for the Travers – at least that’s the word so far.

Steve Asmussen added to his weekend haul with Dwyer winner Kensei winning the Jim Dandy; you may recall the horse also finished second in the Derby Trial and he seems to be coming along at just the right time for the Travers (which, given that he is also owned by Jess Jackson, is presumably one reason Rachel Alexandra may point elsewhere – but more on that below).
Mine That Bird’s third-place finish in West Virginia certainly wasn’t the worst performance from a top-level horse – that unwanted distinction went to Well Armed, who was making his first start Stateside after his Dubai World Cup win – and finished last in the San Diego Handicap (which he won easily last year, after finishing third in Dubai). Jockey Aaron Gryder dismissed talk of the feared ‘Dubai bounce‘ – but exactly why he was missing his usual spark is still unknown.

Well Armed’s trainer, Eoin Harty, at least had Colonel John’s win from Friday to look back on; the horse took the Wickerr Stakes in his first start on turf – continuing to prove that Tiznow’s offspring can run on whatever surface they please. It’s also nice to see the Travers winner still racing a year later (and proving his versatility) – it’s something of a rarity these days.

The older fillies and mares did not disappoint in the Diana – Forever Together won the race for the second time, but it was a quality trifecta all around, with Carribean Sunset hanging on for second and Rutherienne getting up for third (although she had traffic trouble and the wet conditions didn’t help).

The same high expectations were not met on Sunday at Saratoga with the two-year-old fillies; the 2008 yearling sales-topper, Chimayo, was taking to the track for the first time in a maiden special weight. The $3.1 million dollar filly finished eighth for Darley Stables. Watching the race on the monitor from Monmouth Park, our group was hoping the filly who had only cost four figures at auction would win, to no avail; at least the winner only cost six figures, rather than seven – obviously, it was a win for the little guy.

Later on the Saratoga card, a lot of the usual turf suspects were in action in the Fourstardave – Cowboy Cal, Cosmonaut and Wesley – but none of them seemed in top form (and although the course was listed as ‘good’ it was, one presumes, still quite wet). Justenuffhumor (a half-brother to Dreaming of Anna and Lewis Michael) swept by the bigger names to take the race.

And then, of course, came the Haskell. You may have already seen yesterday’s post recounting our trip to the Jersey Shore, but I would also encourage you to check out The Aspiring Horseplayer and Railbird for their thoughts on the day. Rachel Alexandra’s performance was nothing less than dazzling – her 116 Beyer is the highest any horse has earned this year (and certainly compares favorably to Commentator’s 120 – the highest overall last year). The number is a useful figure for those who like to grouse about the competition or the surface, but it doesn’t convey how effortlessly she was running or what it was like to see her flash by the stands; it’s something so rarely seen in our sport that we may no longer possess an adequate vocabulary to describe it. It’s easier to sum up in platitudes: long may she reign.

But just as it seemed that there were no new worlds for her to conquer against her own age group, Quality Road threw his hat back into the ring yesterday, taking the Amsterdam in a track-record time. His win over Capt. Candyman Can may not have been as visually impressive, but he worked for it and showed his class. While using a sprint as a prep for the Travers is a bit unorthodox, it’s good to know he’s back in the picture.

As mentioned above, it’s unlikely that Rachel Alexandra will run in the Travers, since Kensei needs a major win to build his stallion resume, but the alternative mentioned is more interesting to me – taking on older horses in the Woodward. The race, as Val notes, is rarely won by 3-year-olds and is long overdue for a filly or mare to win it (it’s never been done); a good showing there would sew up Horse of the Year for many voters.

The one older horse the entire racing world would like to see face off against Rachel Alexandra is in action at the weekend – Zenyatta is back to defend her Clement Hirsch title in what is shaping up to be another paid workout. One hopes that the stars can somehow align to get them in a race together – surely someone can step up to the table and simply create one somewhere?

In the meantime, there’s the Arlington Million, which is looking like a considerably more competitive race; blog favorite Einstein is taking on Gloria de Campeao, Gio Ponti and Presious Passion (among others) – check back later in the week for more!

Forgive – Or Forget?

admin — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 15:29:00 +0000

Jimmy Jerkins may have forgotten to nominate Quality Road to the Triple Crown, but the horse gave him a little reminder in his Fountain of Youth victory. However, without taking anything away from Quality Road, I’m not as convinced as I might be about what this race really means; Theregoesjojo’s second-place finish was a reverse of the January allowance race in which he beat Quality Road, and many of the other horses in the race looked like sprinters who ran out of gas (even though it was a one-turn mile).

I was a bit disappointed by both Beethoven and Capt. Candyman Can’s performances, but I’m not giving up entirely on them; I’m not sure I’d say the same for Taqarub or Break Water Edison at this point, although any horse can have an off day (consider Afleet Alex’s Rebel debacle, when he had a lung infection). Further tests will be done on Break Water Edison to see if there’s a hard-to-find injury, while it seems Notonthesamepage will stick to mile races (once they get his bleeding problem under control).

Injury knocked Midshipman off the Derby trail over the weekend; while he may be back later in the year, it seems the only Unbridled’s Song offspring left in the game at this point will be Old Fashioned. Or Silver City. Or Affirmatif. Or Dunkirk. Or…well, you get the idea.

Of course, there are some grey horses not sired by Unbridled’s Song in the mix, strange as that may seem – and my favorite of them all is The Pamplemousse (pictured). While Val makes the very valid point that his easy victory in the Sham is no more than we should have expected (and I completely agree with that), I think the fact that he delivered on that in great style (and with consummate ease) says a lot. Add in some great human interest ingredients (Alex Solis, who has won essentially everything except the Derby, riding a horse his twenty-something son partially owns, an eccentric trainer who should probably lay off the sauce, and, frankly, one gorgeous horse) and you have a potent mix – I look forward to further video updates on Mary Forney’s blog.

Granted, I still have the ‘he’s only run on synthetics’ concern I had for Colonel John last year – but so far, I have a good feeling about this. The fact that the Breeders’ Cup will be back at The Pamplemousse’s home track of Santa Anita also means that he should be a serious threat come the fall if he stays healthy. In the meantime, I do hope he faces off against the other non-Unbridled’s Song grey I have an eye on – Stardom Bound – in the Santa Anita Derby.

Given the above, here are my votes for this week’s Paulick Derby Index:

1) Pioneerof the Nile
2) The Pamplemousse
3) Old Fashioned
4) Friesan Fire
5) Stardom Bound
6) Chocolate Candy
7) Patena
Quality Road
9) Hello Broadway
10) Capt. Candyman Can

Finally, a return to all things Santa Anita: next weekend is the Big Cap – check back later in the week for details on Einstein, Tiago, Colonel John, Champs Elysees, Zambezi Sun and more…

Picking The Pamplemousse

admin — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 14:53:00 +0000

This weekend’s 3-year-old action comes to us from California and Florida; The Pamplemousse takes on eleven in the Sham Stakes, while the now-shortened Fountain of Youth showcases quite a few Derby hopefuls. I admit I’m most excited about seeing The Pamplemousse (pictured) in action again – there’s always something interesting about him on Mary Forney’s blog (and you have to love trainer Julio Canani’s hat). Here’s hoping for another good effort tomorrow (and an ability to run on real dirt down the line).

The Fountain of Youth seems much more wide open; while my rooting interests will likely involve Capt. Candyman Can (the subject of a nice profile here) and Hello Broadway, I’ll also have an eye on Taqarub. Beethoven and Break Water Edison will have to step up to make it onto my list. Notonthesamepage and the (too?) improved This One’s For Phil strike me as more suited to sprinting – while that may not be a problem here, given that the race was hacked down to a mile, I’m not sure where they fit in the bigger picture.

I was intrigued by owner Paul Pompa’s comment about selling a share of This One’s For Phil (although he’s still the majority owner this time around):

“I’ve had lots of inquiries about the horse, but I wanted to make it simple and go with the right kind of people,” said Pompa. “Jack Mandato is a philanthropist who wants to be in it for the action. Michael Dubb is always one of the leading owners in New York, and we have a relationship since we both own a piece of Stardom Bound.”

It’s easy to read a lot into that if one were so inclined – but in any event, we should have a very interesting race or two this weekend!

Nothing Definitive

admin — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 14:44:00 +0000

Last weekend’s racing may have produced more questions that answers; Albertus Maximus (pictured) was a worthy winner of the Donn (although Einstein overcame a terrible post position and a rough trip to hang on for third on his less-than-favorite surface, so at least he picked up a check) and is off to Dubai for the World Cup. I’m not ready to put him in Invasor’s shoes just yet, but he does seem to be hitting his best stride now – and the more good older horses running, the better.

Kip Deville may also head to Dubai for the Duty Free after edging out Just as Well and Court Vision (who may be better suited to turf miles) in the Gulfstream Park Turf, but given that his last international outing (up the track in the Hong Kong Mile – given the Dutrow connection, I’m sure many draw their own conclusions about that, but equally he may just not like travel) was not so encouraging, he is just as likely to head to Kentucky next.

The three-year-olds were a mixed bag; I was impressed by Capt. Candyman Can’s professional win in the Hutcheson over a slightly greener (but not unpromising) Hello Broadway – and as a gelding, there’s every chance he’ll stick around for a while. However, the Holy Bull was entirely confusing; while you can argue post position had a lot to do with the West Side Bernie and Beethoven finishing mid-pack behind longshot Saratoga Sinner, I still didn’t see much to get terribly excited about from this field – yet.

The Derby trail horses I am most looking forward to following to have yet to start this season, but one should appear on Saturday: Stardom Bound makes her 2009 bow in the Las Virgenes. If she wins there, she is likely on to the Santa Anita Derby – and potentially the other one in Kentucky. Following in the footsteps of Winning Colors is no bad thing. Here’s hoping she doesn’t pull a Halfbridled and discover boys first.

I am still waiting for Old Fashioned to make his first start of the year as well – he’s been working like crazy, but the plan to send him to Oaklawn for the Southwest had been up in the air after trainer Larry Jones had run afoul of stewards there in an unrelated situation – apparently everyone is friends again, and we should see Old Fashioned follow the Smarty Jones path in a few weeks.

Check back later in the week for more on the Las Virgenes, the Robert B. Lewis and the Risen Star as we start hitting the Derby trail proper…