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 [...]]]>

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…

We finally had a weekend of real Derby preps!  Eskendereya put in the fine performance we expected to see last week – and then some.  His runaway win in the Fountain of Youth earned a 106 Beyer – the highest by a 3-year-old so far this season, and his [...]]]>

Eskendereya gets a paycheck for someone

We finally had a weekend of real Derby preps!  Eskendereya put in the fine performance we expected to see last week – and then some.  His runaway win in the Fountain of Youth earned a 106 Beyer – the highest by a 3-year-old so far this season, and his bandwagon seems to have picked up at least a few passengers.  Buddy’s Saint has no real chance to show off – he was bumped around considerably before the first turn, and essentially taken out of the race.  Meanwhile, the ongoing legal tussle between Fifth Third Bank and Eskendereya’s owner, Ahmed Zayat, continues apace – but it would seem that Eskendereya’s win was good for somebody, somewhere in that tangle.

While not as visually impressive, Bob Baffert’s second-stringer, Conveyance, took the Southwest in style; Lookin At Lucky is still a few weeks off from his 3-year-old debut, but Baffert should feel quite confident that, barring injury, he’s got at least one Derby horse in the barn.  Dublin was a close second in the Southwest, with blog favorite Cardiff Giant in third.  Conveyance and Cardiff Giant have finished in the top three in two Derby preps, now, and Dublin seems to be moving forward – the California contingent looks strong (at least from this late February vantage point).

Discreetly Mine also marked himself as one to watch in the Risen Star, while D’Funnybone and A Little Warm went one-two in the Hutcheson.  Like Eskendereya, Discreetly Mine is trained by Todd Pletcher, who also had a win over the weekend in the El Camino Real derby with Connemara – that’s one way to kick off a ten-day suspension!

But the 3-year-old fillies are at work as well – Christine Daae worked a bullet at Gulfstream today, and Bickersons and Amen Hallelujah are aiming to take her on in the Davona Dale on Saturday.  There is much to look forward to in their division.

Things did not go as expected in Older Horse Land – Friesan Fire and Gio Ponti both missed out on the winner’s circle.  Friesan Fire battled with General Quarters in the stretch of the Mineshaft, but both were outrun by Stonehouse, a little-heralded 6-year-old with 10 wins out of 38 starts (and another 11 finishes in the money).  General Quarters managed to hang on for second (which seems to have become his preferred finish), but Friesan Fire ended up fourth behind Giant Oak.  Things did not go as expected for Gio Ponti either – he acted up in the gate and ended up second (by a nose) to Karelian at Tampa Bay Downs.  However, as it’s his first race after a bit of a layoff, the fact that he still managed to pick up a check is encouraging – this race was more of a prep than a ‘must win’ for him.

Finally, there’s some entirely awesome news – yes, there will be Apple Blossom trading cards.  I can see some quality eBay time in my future as a result of this announcement.  For all Apple Blossom news, continue to check out the official website, but also visit the coolest horse racing tumblr site (well, OK, the only horse racing tumblr site) I’ve ever seen: RA-Zen hell blog.  It’s all good.

Road to the Roses kicks off this weekend, and while I have no idea why the Turf Paradise Derby and the El Camino Real Derby are scoring races (although at least the latter is graded),  the rest should be very interesting indeed.

First up is the Hutcheson at [...]]]>

Gaining 100 pounds can be good for some

Road to the Roses kicks off this weekend, and while I have no idea why the Turf Paradise Derby and the El Camino Real Derby are scoring races (although at least the latter is graded),  the rest should be very interesting indeed.

First up is the Hutcheson at Gulfstream Park, which includes a little potential owner/trainer/owner drama.  You may recall that Paul Pompa sold most of Big Brown to IEAH, and that his participation in the horse’s career seemed more marginal after that (not surprising, given the amount of cash involved).  He’s back this time with D’Funnybone, trained by Rick Dutrow.  Also trained by Rick Dutrow is British-bred Radiohead – now (mostly) owned by IEAH.  As neither horse excelled in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, it’s hard to separate the two at this point – so I am more interested in A Little Warm and Wildcat Frankie, despite the opportunity Radiohead presents to continually drop in lyrics.  Will the Karma Police be on hand if things go all ‘Jersey Shore?’

Also at Gulfstream, the Fountain of Youth features the hyped Buddy’s Saint as well as Jackson Bend.  Eskendereya and Aikenite are both horses I would enjoy watching much more if they were not trained by Todd Pletcher, which essentially guarantees that one of them will finish last in the Derby.  But despite the jinx, I have a lot of time for Eskendereya and expect to see a good performance from him.

Moving to the Fair Grounds, the Risen Star has also attracted an interesting lineup.  I’m not sold on Ron the Greek yet; it will curious to see how he takes on Tempted to Tapit and Drosselmeyer.  If nothing else, Tempted to Tapit will be carrying the banner for the Jockey Club’s inability to identify modern slang. One presumes they at least recognized Drosselmeyer’s name from their ballet season tickets.

While it won’t ‘count’ for Road to the Roses, the Southwest is back on at Oaklawn Park for this Saturday with the same field – post positions are a bit different, but it should still be a good test for Dublin, Dryfly, Conveyance and, of course, Cardiff Giant.

Oaklawn is to be commended not only for pulling the Rachel Alexandra-Zenyatta Apple Blossom together, but also for actually marketing the event with a decent website and Twitter account.  The news that they’ll be opening the infield for the sold-out race is equally encouraging – it’s nice that someone in this industry actually gets how to do this.   Here’s hoping for an announcement about a traditional media partner in the very near future.  And given that both mares had great workouts yesterday (Rachel Alexandra looks pretty fabulous in today’s picture), it seems that we’re all systems go – for now.

But there’s another top older horse at work, too – although in this case he’s flying somewhat under the radar.  Gio Ponti is making his 2010 debut on turf in the Tampa Bay Stakes with a view toward the Dubai World Cup.  He’s the overwhelming standout in the field, so it should be an easy return to racing for the 5-year-old.

Remember to update your active horses (I find it too shameful to call them Power Horses this year)!

Finally, in parting, please enjoy this link to a photo of Zarkava and her Dalakhani filly.  It’s like an adorable basket of kittens, only better – no need to feed them!

Perhaps the most exciting race of the previous weekend was the Santa Monica – somehow, Gabby’s Golden Gal went off at 11-1 odds.  Granted, she did not show much in her final effort as a 3-year-old (and first race since a disappointing effort in July), finishing a distant seventh behind Evita Argentina [...]]]>

Gabby's Golden Gal

Perhaps the most exciting race of the previous weekend was the Santa Monica – somehow, Gabby’s Golden Gal went off at 11-1 odds.  Granted, she did not show much in her final effort as a 3-year-old (and first race since a disappointing effort in July), finishing a distant seventh behind Evita Argentina in the La Brea, but the daughter of Medaglia d’Oro easily turned the tables – this time, Evita Argentina was the far-off seventh, and Gabby’s Golden Gal was

back in the winner’s circle.  Runner-up Proviso, who has finished respectably behind the likes of Goldikova and Zarkava, is still looking for her first US win, but she certainly bears watching this year – as does this entire division.

Of course, Medaglia d’Oro had another filly in action this past weekend – just not in a race.  On Sunday, Rachel Alexandra had her first workout since winning the Woodward.  It was just a gallop, and she’s still some way off from entering a race, but it was still very encouraging to see her back on the official worktab.

Neither Rachel Alexandra nor Zenyatta appears in the current list of Dubai World Cup nominations (PDF) – but either one could be added later this month.  Gio Ponti looms large as the very early favorite, but other notable names among the nominations include Zenyatta’s stablemate, Life Is Sweet, Friesan Fire, Quality Road, Weekend Hussler, Dar Re Mi and second-most-expensive-horse ever, Jalil (to name just a few).

The Sunshine Millions ended with a media-friendly storyline (largely ignored, unsurprisingly, except by the LA Daily

News) – hard-knocking older horse and tough older jockey steal win in big-money race.  The older horse in question, Bold Chieftain, keeps making money the hard way – finishing in the money often, and managing some nice wins along the way.  The same is true of his jockey, Russell Baze; we may not see him in the headlines very frequently, but he holds the world record for career victories.  Both achievements would be worth highlighting.

Over to the 3-year-olds for a moment – we’re pleased to once again be included in the Paulick Derby Index – although please note that this first installment is based on very little data!

Finally, next weekend, Quality Road headlines the Donn Handicap – check back later in the week for more…

2-year-old male: Lookin at LuckyAs per usual with the juvenile awards, there was no surprise here. His three G1 wins sealed the deal, and he looks to improve this year. We’ll soon find out if [...]]]> Last night, they handed out a few awards for horse racing – you may have heard a bit about it.

2-year-old male: Lookin at Lucky
As per usual with the juvenile awards, there was no surprise here. His three G1 wins sealed the deal, and he looks to improve this year. We’ll soon find out if he likes real dirt, but trainer Bob Baffert seems quite happy with things thus far.

2-year-old filly: She Be Wild
While this category had a little more competition, She Be Wild has a good backstory – former claimer, unwanted at auction wins four out of five, including the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. Both dirt and turf could be in her future – versatility FTW!

Turf Male: Gio Ponti
A well-deserved bit of recognition for a horse who showed up just about everywhere – but who truly excelled on the grass. And the night was just beginning for him…

Turf Female: Goldikova
While I respect the notion that the Eclipse Award winner should have more than one start in the US, I am quite happy to toss that guideline out when the horse in question is as overwhelmingly superior as Goldikova is. Her repeat of Miesque’s back-to-back Mile victories, under the tutelage of Miesque’s former jockey, Freddie Head, completes an undeniably satisfying circuit – and the news that she’s aiming to capture a third Breeders’ Cup victory this year should certainly be rewarded. Given the excitement over Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta, it may be difficult to recall that the opportunity to see a horse of Goldikova’s caliber is rare indeed – and it should be celebrated.

Steeplechaser: Mixed Up
How often does a 10-year-old PA-bred win an Eclipse Award? And hey, he doesn’t even take Lasix. These are Good Things.

Breeder: Juddmonte Farms
These awards tend to follow the money, and it’s certainly hard to argue with Juddmonte’s success in producing top-level horses. There were a few stray votes for Dolphus Morrison for breeding Rachel Alexandra – even if he did not want to truly unleash her talents.

Female Sprinter: Informed Decision
The overwhelming pick of her division (although one has to assume that Ventura’s positioning in both this category and the Turf Female category may have hurt her chances), Informed Decision won at nearly every track she visited, under a variety of conditions – and the best news is that she’ll be back later this spring to extend her winning streak.

Male Sprinter: Kodiak Kowboy
Although he had a respectable career as a 2 and 3-year-old, Kodiak Kowboy truly had the chance to prove himself as a 4-year-old, winning as a sprinter and miler. He goes to stud with a solid record of achievement.

3-year-old Male: Summer Bird
This was a no-brainer – but I am quite curious to know who cast the single vote for I Want Revenge. Trainer Tim Ice reiterated that we should be seeing him back on the track later this year; let’s hope his recovery continues in such an encouraging fashion.

3-year-old Female: Rachel Alexandra
The great filly took home the least-suspenseful award of the night – it was also the sole unanimous award (but more on that in a moment). Owner Jess Jackson’s acceptance speech was thoughtful, but at something approaching seven minutes, it could have used some judicious editing. But given that the award winners can’t speak for themselves, we can allow a little indulgence.

Owner: Godolphin Racing
This was one of the most competitive awards, with only five votes separating the winner from Jerry and Ann Moss. But as in the case of the Breeder category, the Eclipse voters tend to recognize revenue – but the narrow margin of victory demonstrates that there is also a desire to reward owners with a more personal touch.

Trainer: Steven Asmussen
Once again, you cannot argue with the numbers – or his great good fortune in having Rachel Alexandra drop into his lap (although her original trainer, Hal Wiggins, also received a few votes). While I may not be a fan of his record of medication violations, his staff clearly loves the horses they work with, so the award is as much an acknowledgement of their hard work.

Older Male: Gio Ponti
A double on the night for the versatile 4-year-old was clearly in the offing; as much as I love Einstein, based on this year’s wins, it had to go to Gio Ponti. He’s still flying under the radar in the eyes of the general public, and even the racing press sometimes overlooks his accomplishments, so it was entirely justified that he be doubly rewarded. The Blood-Horse points out that he is the first horse to win this award without a win on traditional dirt – so it’s particularly interesting. His future plans may involve the Dubai World Cup – that could end up a very competitive race indeed.

Older Female: Zenyatta
While this was another foregone conclusion, there was a single (protest?) vote from someone at the Daily Racing Form for Icon Project – presumably the backstory there will be revealed at some point. While I still believe she should have been crowned Horse of the Year last year, the news that she will return to the track this year means she may finally get to take home that honor; in any case, winning two consecutive Eclipse Awards and making history in the Breeders’ Cup Classic is certainly enough to consider without worrying about Horse of the Year – yet.

Apprentice Jockey: Christian Santiago Reyes
Further proof that Puerto Rico knows what it’s doing when it trains jockeys, this 19-year-old has a bright future – he would be wise to study the next winner.

Jockey: Julien Leparoux
It’s hard to imagine he won the Eclipse for Apprentice only four years ago – it seems he’s had nothing but success since arriving in the US. Clearly, the title of his Facebook fan group is on the right track.

Horse of the Year: Rachel Alexandra
In the end, it wasn’t even close: the votes were 130 to 99. That in no way reflects poorly on Zenyatta’s accomplishments – it simply honors the fact that during the past racing season, Rachel Alexandra had more opportunities to show off her immense talent, in a wider variety of venues – she won for her efforts throughout the year, not for a single race (regardless of how impressive that race may have been). But as I have said before, while Horse of the Year honors are important to some, a firm place in history means more in the long run. If we are lucky enough to see Rachel Alexandra take on Zenyatta, that would be tremendous – I’d like to see a Best of Five race series at a variety of different tracks. The difficulty will be getting other horses (male or female) into the gate to fill a race – but someone should certainly be working to set that up. Any takers?

MarathonWhat a fascinating result – nine-year-old Cloudy’s Knight very nearly got there to be the oldest Breeders’ Cup winner on record (and jockey [...]]]> While Zenyatta’s historic win in the Classic seems to eclipse the rest of the two-day event, there were many other interesting storylines – each race stood out in its own way this year.

Marathon
What a fascinating result – nine-year-old Cloudy’s Knight very nearly got there to be the oldest Breeders’ Cup winner on record (and jockey Rosemary Homeister, Jr. would have been only the second female jockey to win a Breeders’ Cup race), but he was run down by three-year-old Man of Iron. The Aiden O’Brien trainee was actually sold just before the race and will be moving to Luca Cumani’s barn, but he proved yet again that like his half-siblings, Rags to Riches and Jazil, his dam’s offspring like to run as long as possible. He will aim for the Dubai Carnival races next. Last year’s winner, Muhannak, was no factor this year, but he also changed hands and will remain in California under the tutelage of Ben Cecil. Man of Iron was the only Ballydoyle horse who ran on Lasix – and their only winner this year.

Juvenile Fillies Turf
Tapitsfly rewarded her backers, professionally taking on Rose Catherine in the stretch. Favored Lillie Langtry came out of the race with a slab fracture, but she should be back after some minor surgery and time off. Tapitsfly gave trainer Dale Romans his first Breeders’ Cup victory – and so far American-based runners are two-for-two in this turf event.

Juvenile Fillies
She Be Wild proved she enjoys running on synthetics, but she and the other top two finishes, Beautician and Blind Luck, will all be aiming for the Kentucky Oaks on conventional dirt. Both the runner-up and third-place finishers had some bad luck during the race, as did wiseguy favorite Biofuel, who got pretty knocked around – luckily, all seemed to have only minor complaints and a few of them may run again before the year is out.

Filly & Mare Turf
Legendary trainer Henry Cecil scored his first Breeders’ Cup win when Midday took the Filly & Mare Turf – and perhaps she will be back to defend her title, as the plan is for her to remain in training next year. It’s an exciting possibility.

Filly & Mare Sprint
Informed Decision gave jockey Julien Leparoux his second Breeders’ Cup weekend win; as expected, it came down to a dogfight between the winner and top-class mare Ventura. We should see Informed Decision next year as well.

Filly & Mare Classic
Without stablemate Zenyatta to waltz past her in the closing strides, Life is Sweet finally had a chance to demonstrate her class – and trainer John Shirreffs plenty of confidence going in to Saturday’s races.

Juvenile Turf
The first Breeders’ Cup race on Saturday’s card went to Pounced; the American-bred, European-based colt had the always-welcome piloting services of Frankie Dettori. Trainer John Gosden (who was based at Santa Anita for many years) snagged his second victory in this race, having won last year with Donativum.

Turf Sprint
California Flag, who had given himself an impromptu workout before the race, proved he suffered from no ill-effects from his adventure. Joe Talamo secured his first Breeders’ Cup win aboard the California-bred speedball, with ‘other’ filly Gotta Have Her getting up for second (the well-traveled Diamondrella didn’t fire on Saturday).

Sprint
Dancing in Silks scored a major upset – and made trainer Carla Gaines the third woman to train a Breeders’ Cup winner in the process. All the ‘big names’ finished off the board, with Gayego getting closest in fourth. Favorites Zensational and Fatal Bullet finished near each other in fifth and sixth, and global star Fleeting Spirit did not seem to take to the surface. It was a fantastic race for longshot bettors!

Juvenile
Upset winner Vale of York gave up-and-coming Godolphin jockey Ahmed Ajtebi his first Breeders’ Cup win. The horse may be pointed to the Kentucky Derby, but he’d be working against history by prepping in Dubai. Bob Baffert trainee Lookin at Lucky was not terribly lucky in the race, but he still finished a respectable second – and seems a more likely Derby contender.

Mile
Goldikova continued to display her brilliance – matching the great Miesque’s back-to-back Mile wins, and she did so by overcoming a difficult post position and not the easiest trip in this year’s installment. It caps a year in which she’s been (mostly) beating up on the world’s best milers and it means she now has seven G1 wins. The suggestion that she could come back next year to aim for a third Mile win was not immediately ruled out – let’s hope it happens. For those who may grumble that it seems unfair to give an Eclipse award to a horse who has made a single US appearance this year, I’d say that’s true – unless it’s Goldikova.

Dirt Mile
Mastercraftsman was billed as unbeatable, but obviously no one told longshot Furthest Land. Followed closely on by perpetual maiden Ready’s Echo and Midshipman, Furthest Land gave Julien Leparoux his third win for this year’s Breeders’ Cup. And Mastercraftsman? He’s retired.

Turf
Another repeat – Conduit did it again. What was perhaps almost as exciting was Presious Passion’s gutsy effort for second in the race – running off like a sprinter at the beginning, yet still managing to get a big slice of the purse. Dar Re Mi also ran a good race for third (overcoming some considerable traffic trouble), and we could see her again next year. Conduit will now retire to stud in Japan, and it’s possible Presious Passion may also head to Asia – but in his case he’d be going to Hong Kong for the Hong Kong Vase.

Classic
Did Rip Van Winkle’s feet bother him? Perhaps. But even if he had been in top form, it’s difficult to imagine anyone having beaten Zenyatta on the day, as she was perfection incarnate. It’s easy to overlook the quality efforts put in by both Gio Ponti in second and Twice Over in third, but neither had any sort of chance against the giant mare. Poor Einstein had to check behind the slowing Rip Van Winkle, which essentially took him out of the race, and Summer Bird did not have the best luck but still managed to be a closing fourth. But it was really all Zenyatta – and while the Horse of the Year discussions will go on, they really don’t matter; she’s one of the greatest, and that’s all anyone will remember.

Juvenile TurfI had Viscount Nelson with Pounced in my exacta, so I won’t be cashing any tickets, but it was a very professional effort by Pounced (with more than a little help from Frankie Dettori). In any event, it’s always fun [...]]]> We’ll just go straight in for the commentary – latest updates always on Twitter.

Juvenile Turf
I had Viscount Nelson with Pounced in my exacta, so I won’t be cashing any tickets, but it was a very professional effort by Pounced (with more than a little help from Frankie Dettori). In any event, it’s always fun to see Dettori in the winner’s circle. Lady Serena Rothschild, his owner, reminds me of this:

Turf Sprint
Nice to see Joe Talamo get a Breeders’ Cup win – naturally, I had the other filly, Diamondrella, boxed in my exacta with California Flag – as well as Cannonball, who finished third. Gotta Have Her put in a great run for second, even if she did ruin my ticket.

Sprint
I only had Fleeting Spirit - obviously, she would have done better in the Turf Sprint. Wish I’d had the trifecta for this one! Still, Carla Gaines trains the winner, Dancing in Silks, and I’m all for more female trainers winning Breeders’ Cup races.

Juvenile
Ahmed Ajtebi is having quite a year – he gave Vale of York a great ride.

Mile
GOL-D-KO-VA! Clap, clap, clapclapclap! That’s how it’s done, folks.

Dirt Mile
I had to dash out for that, but I’m glad I didn’t bet it – I’d have had nothing. Really odd result.

Turf
What a great race – Conduit coming back to repeat, just like Goldikova – and fine runs from Presious Passion and Dar Re Mi. At least I got $3 on her – but how exciting to see two champions successfully defend their titles.

Classic
The gate scratch of Quality Road made everything peculiar – but what a result. Zenyatta proved everything and then some – and what great efforts from Gio Ponti and Twice Over as well.

Let Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta share Horse of the Year – who needs the colts?

1 Mine That Bird, Chip Woolley, C. Borel, 12-1Perhaps unfairly overlooked; he does have the rail and Bo-Rail.

2 Colonel John, Eoin Harty, G. Gomez, 12-1Solid runner is flying a bit under the radar.

3 Summer Bird, Tim Ice, K. Desormeaux, 9/2Gets better and better each time out – can’t wait to [...]]]> #, Horse, Trainer, Jockey, ML odds

1 Mine That Bird, Chip Woolley, C. Borel, 12-1
Perhaps unfairly overlooked; he does have the rail and Bo-Rail.

2 Colonel John, Eoin Harty, G. Gomez, 12-1
Solid runner is flying a bit under the radar.

3 Summer Bird, Tim Ice, K. Desormeaux, 9/2
Gets better and better each time out – can’t wait to see him again next year.

4 Zenyatta, John Shirreffs, M. Smith, 5/2
Her numbers and recent competition are the biggest concern – she looks amazing. Perhaps she just does all she needs to? In any case, it’s great to see her here.

5 Twice Over (GB), Henry Cecil, T. Queally, 20-1
Tough European seems to offer great value here.

6 Richard’s Kid, Bob Baffert, A. Solis, 12-1
The mystery horse; was his shock upset of Einstein the beginning of a pattern? His works have drawn raves.

7 Gio Ponti, Christophe Clement, R. Dominguez, 12-1
Solid, honest horse who happens to beat just about everybody – without garnering much acclaim. Great spot here.

8 Einstein (BRZ), Helen Pitts-Blasi, J. Leparoux, 12-1
He’s got the ability, he just needs the luck – would love to see him (pictured) go out on a win, especially for Pitts-Blasi.

9 Girolamo, Saeed Bin Suroor, A. Garcia, 20-1
Three-race win streak is more G2 level, but he does have talent.

10 Rip Van Winkle (IRE), Aiden O’Brien, J. Murtagh, 7/2
If his foot doesn’t bother him, he wins – if it does, he finishes up the track.

11 Regal Ransom, Saeed Bin Suroor, R. Migliore, 20-1
Came back from a post-Derby layoff with a win in the Super Derby; hard to evaluate where he sits.

12 Quality Road, Todd Pletcher, J. Velazquez, 12-1
Would have preferred to see him in the Dirt Mile – or even the Mile, given his Aussie breeding. Next time?

13 Awesome Gem, Craig Dollase, D. Flores, 30-1
Will he hit the board again? He did in the 2007 edition of this race.

Ideal world: Einstein & Zenyatta DH for first, Gio Ponti takes second, Summer Bird third Picks: Rip Van Winkle, Einstein, Gio Ponti, Twice Over

One that’s already been made is that Sea the Stars will not be coming to the Breeders’ Cup, but will, [...]]]> Although we had the rare luxury last weekend of enjoying racing on normal-ish television for two days in a row, we’re now in that odd pre-Breeders’ Cup holding pattern, where we wait on the who’s-going-where decisions.

One that’s already been made is that Sea the Stars will not be coming to the Breeders’ Cup, but will, instead, be going directly to stud. John McCririck (he of the mutton chops and deerstalker) sounded positively heartbroken:

“Obviously commercially this is the right decision as he could only harm his reputation, by either defeat or the possibility of injury.

“But if he had stayed in training there could have been world tours, virtually. Everywhere he turned up crowds would have come just to see this phenomenon. Horse racing would have had its very own Usain Bolt.

“He would have been an absolute star attraction and it would have been fantastic for the sport, so it’s very sad that commercial realism has taken over.”

Sea the Stars’ owner, Christopher Tsui, put it this way:

“We feel it is unfair to keep him going any further given his unprecedented record of achievement in the last six months.”

I’d point out that Rachel Alexandra’s unprecedented record of achievement in the last six months does not preclude her racing next year – but there you are. You can still relive Sea the Stars’ brief-but-exciting career in photos.

Fortunately, we still have Zenyatta, who extended her unbeaten streak on Saturday in the Lady’s Secret. The absence of Sea the Stars has to make the Breeders’ Cup Classic more appealing to her connections – but of course, the same will be true for other top horses. She hasn’t faced much of anything this season and she’ll have to step up her game if she does take on the boys (her Beyer was a 97, versus a 106 for Gitando Hernando – see below), but she’s one of the few American horses name-checked by the European press as a real threat in the Classic.

It’s easy to understand their writing off our homebred competition when some of our better 3-year-olds and older horses were easily beaten in the Goodwood by the aforementioned Gitano Hernando, a second- or third-string runner behind the likes of Sea the Stars and Rip Van Winkle who had not previously won a graded stakes race. (A small aside here – Gitano Hernando’s last race was nothing terribly exciting at Wolverhampton, but some may find the race notable for last year’s Marathon winner, Muhannak, finishing eighth. For myself, I haven’t been to Wolverhampton since a last-minute road trip to see My Life Story, an indoor band if ever there were one, play for some hippies in a field in 1996 – but I digress).

However, we do still have Einstein and Summer Bird (one can easily argue that Gio Ponti is also being overlooked in the Classic picture). Mine That Bird will also be heading to the Classic despite his lackluster showing in the Goodwood; he seemed uncharacteristically worked up before the race, so perhaps he was just having a particularly off day. Poor Tiago finished last, which is a shame; he’s always seemed to have more potential than his Derby-winning brother.

Presious Passion and Gayego also indicated that they would be prepared for their respective Breeders’ Cup divisions; Presious Passion beat Medici Code and Spring House in the Clement Hirsch with a view toward the Turf, while Gayego took the Ancient Title on his way to the Sprint.

And now we wait.