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Royal Ascot Day Three: All Yeats

admin — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 18:38:00 +0000

Day three of Royal Ascot could only be about Yeats – but before we move on to his history-making fourth Gold Cup win, we’ll review some of the other races on the card.

There was no luck for Wesley Ward this time in the Norfolk Stakes – Yogaroo slammed into the favorite Monsieur Chevalier (who was going for his fifth win in a row), basically taking him out of the race; music fans will be excited to see that Radiohead came home first (although he got caught up in the traffic trouble as well and really had to be taken up before shooting to the lead) and clearly wanted to go on even further. It was a thoroughly professional performance from the winner (especially for a 2-year-old), if not the rest of the field. Weirdly, the horse does remind me of Thom Yorke from certain angles.

The fillies were in action in the Ribblesdale Stakes; Flying Cloud finally won one for Team Godolphin and Frankie Dettori. She seemed much the best, and the race was happily devoid of the sort of drama the juvenile boys experienced.

Then of course, came the 2 1/2 mile Gold Cup; Yeats looked bright, lively and intelligent while waiting to load – he’s obviously a horse with a ton of personality. Once he made his move to the front, he was not going to be passed as he headed home to make history. As they walked to the winner’s circle, Yeats and Johnny Murtagh were embraced by various members of the Ballydoyle team. Yeats clearly enjoyed a victory trot for the crowd – ears pricked, neck arched, just oozing triumph. The class with which he turned away Patkai at the end was the sort of thing one rarely sees in racing. Poor Geordieland, who played Alydar to Yeats’ Affirmed in their two previous Gold Cups, finished a good 15 lengths back in third.

Yeats made a second bit of history with his win today – he’s the oldest horse to win in the modern era. It’s rare enough to see a horse running at his level at 7 (when he equalled Drum Taps’ ‘old age’ record last year – prior to those two, a 7-year-old had not won since 1929) – but 8 is even more impressive. There is some suggestion that he could be back to try again for an unprecedented fifth win next year, although you may recall that last year when we profiled him that there was talk of Yeats heading off to stud after his record-equalling victory – I imagine we should consider ourselves fortunate enough see him back at eight.

After the race, owner John Magnier said:

‘We’re lucky, for once, we didn’t put him off to stud when he was three or four – it’s really great the way it’s all worked out.’

Indeed.

When asked if we’ll see Yeats later this season, he replied:

‘Why would you stop with a horse that’s enjoying himself like that?’ ‘People enjoying seeing him, and he enjoys racing, and we enjoy going racing with him, so what would the point be in not going to somewhere like Goodwood?’

Of course, the stud career cannot be too far off at this point – he continued:

‘The genes are there…not everybody wants to use a Gold Cup winner, but you need stamina in the stud as well.’

Quite so. Perhaps now, more than ever?

I’ll be on the go the next several days and not likely able to check in on the rest of Royal Ascot, although I will be catching up and am especially looking forward to the return of the sprinters in the Golden Jubilee on Saturday.

Have a great weekend!

‘Jockeys’ – UAE Style

admin — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 16:21:00 +0000

Beyond Well Armed’s record-breaking winning margin in the main race, the other big story from Dubai World Cup day was that of young local jockey Ahmed Ajtebi who won the Dubai Duty Free with longshot Gladiatorus and followed up with Eastern Anthem’s narrow victory in the Dubai Sheema Classic.

While much has been made of the apprentice’s past as a former camel jockey (at least from ages six through fourteen), it’s not quite an overnight rags-to-riches story. Ajtebi hails from a wealthy family and was personally selected by Sheikh Mohammed to train to become a top jockey:

[Trainer John] Sadler was used to apprentices arriving with their parents or by public transport on their first day of work.

But in 2003, when Sadler was training in Dubai, he received a directive from Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum that he was to take on a local apprentice, Ahmed Ajtebi.

“When this young bloke arrived he pulled up in the carpark in the latest Mercedes sports and presented himself as my new stable apprentice,” he said.

…

“His work ethic was good but where the difference lay was that, for the first time, Sheikh Mohammed was making sure that the locals were being involved in the racing business. A lot of the hands-on labour is done by people from Third World countries and those like myself, from Australia, are brought in to direct them, but there is no involvement with the locals.

“But with Ahmed, despite his wealthy background he worked terribly hard to be successful. I think he had some time riding camels before I’d met him,” Sadler said.

Since those early days, Ajtebi has demonstrated that he has an obvious talent for the sport; he’s ridden and won in South Africa, Australia and England (although his success there was cut short by problems with his visa), as well as several other countries. As Godolphin’s rumored number-two jockey (behind Frankie Dettori), one imagines those difficulties will be smoothed out in the future. But Ajtebi clearly knows that he was placed in a prime position:

“He [Sheikh Mohammed] pushed me,” Ajtebi said. “He said that the UAE had horses in training everywhere in the world, but Dubai had no jockey. I told him that I had never ridden a horse in my life, but I would try. I see myself as an ambassador for the UAE. I am representing my country when I compete.”

It will be interesting to see if he is chosen to ride either Regal Ransom or Desert Party, should both horses make it to the Kentucky Derby.

Dubai World Cup Day: Initial Thoughts

admin — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 19:05:00 +0000

The post positions are set for Dubai World Cup day. Here’s our quick race-by-race rundown (including links to the handy interactive racecards from Emirates Racing).

Godolphin Mile
Gayego seems to be thriving since his purchase by Godolphin and his subsequent move to the UAE; he won over the same track earlier this month. Godolphin also has Two Step Salsa in this race. Art of War finished third behind Asiatic Boy earlier this month, but the shorter distance may suit him here. California-based Informed is looking to build his profile as well. While it’s an interesting field all around, I like Gayego’s chances.

UAE Derby
This is, on paper, Desert Party’s coming out party; a win here sends him to Kentucky. Looking to spoil the his day are Regal Ransom and Redding Colliery, both horses who finished behind him last time out. I should know more about the rest of the field, but alas, I do not. I wouldn’t be entirely surprised to see Desert Party beaten, though.

Golden Shaheen
Indian Blessing was a bit unlucky to draw the outside post here; I don’t think that bodes well for her chances, but I also think Diabolical is not quite the threat he might have been in the past. Hammadi is coming off a win here and he may be one to watch. I do hope Indian Blessing gets to pick up a check.

Dubai Duty Free
This may be the most competitive race on the card – there are so many horses I like in this race, including Archipenko, Tuesday Joy, Niconero, Paco Boy, Lady Marian and Jay Peg hoping to defend his title. Kip Deville seems outgunned here. I’m thinking Archipenko might pull it off, but Lady Marian has Frankie Dettori aboard…

Sheema Classic
Another very interesting international field; Youmzain may be past his best, and I’m curious to see where Red Rocks fits in this picture, but I confess I’m chiefly watching Front House (a winner here recently), Doctor Dino and King of Rome. Quijano could give Germany a Dubai win.

Dubai World Cup
Asiatic Boy is looking to win after finishing second last year, and trainer Mike de Kock has again enlisted the services of Johnny Murtagh. Happy Boy is another strong contender, although the outside post position could be detrimental to My Indy. Albertus Maximus is the toughest US-based entrant and is doing everything right, but I’m not sure I love his or Well Armed’s chances on Saturday (and the same goes for Japan’s Casino Drive). Asiatic Boy just may pull it off this time.

Nomenclature

admin — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 15:42:00 +0000

With the arrival of the new year comes the knowledge that it’s never too early to start thinking about the Derby trail (although the last time I backed a horse in January – a certain Smarty Jones – indeed, the victory did come to pass). I can’t say I’m bowled over by anyone yet, but a large part of my lack of enthusiasm (so far) for this crop is that many of them have been saddled with terrible, terrible names.

Spectacular Bid winner Notonthesamepage is aiming for the Fountain of Youth, Majormotionpicture is likely to return in the San Rafael, and poor Pioneerof the Nile is getting some buzz, but is stuck with that awful moniker. I’d like to see the Jockey Club ban run-on names before worrying about possible naughtiness – especially since they rarely seem capable of noting such things anyway.

One horse I do like is The Pamplemousse (Mary Forney has a nice photo of him on her site today) – even though I am not a fan of grapefruit in general, I do very much approve of this name, which I can only assume is a tip of the hat to the fine Divine Comedy b-side. (That’s certainly the only explanation that makes sense in my brain).

On the whole, however, many of the new 3-year-olds look awfully sprinty to me; former claimer Loch Dubh also fits that profile, although again, he’s got a name I actually like – no doubt because I watched far too much Hamish Macbeth in the 1990s. (For the uninitiated, the show starred Robert Carlyle as a pot-friendly policeman in a remote Scottish village called Lochdubh).

One wonders if Midshipman and Vineyard Haven heading to Dubai to train will be something of a useful distraction for Team Godolphin – it seems that construction on the new Meydan racecourse will be slowed, as both firms contracted to work on it have been canned. We’ll see how that goes.

I’m rather doubtful we’ve seen the best of this crop yet (unless we include Stardom Bound – I’m not holding her newish dubious owners against her, and I’m looking forward to her likely start in the Las Virgenes); if recent patterns hold, this year’s Derby winner has yet to break his (or her) maiden.

In the meantime, while these youngsters are figuring out where they belong, we’ve got the return of Brass Hat to look forward to. Here’s hoping he’s still got it.

Horses Racing?

admin — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 16:52:00 +0000

Well, at least Godolphin managed to scrounge together a few bucks to keep some of their fillies and mares in training – I am genuinely pleased to hear that we will be seeing more of both Cocoa Beach and Music Note. In fact, we should get another chance to see Cocoa Beach before the end of the year; she is scheduled to switch to the turf for the Matriarch at Hollywood Park on the 30th. It will be her first race on the grass since her first lifetime race (and first win) in Chile last year, but this should be a considerably tougher field. Precious Kitten (who really put forth a great effort in the Mile to get up for fourth) and Wait a While are waiting in the wings to see how she takes to the surface.

I’m intrigued by Cocoa Beach in a number of ways, not the least in that her Chilean roots are quite deep on her dam’s side – her line has been there since the 1950s. As for her sire, Doneraile Court, he seems to do well with Chilean mares for some reason – he’s produced a number of big winners there beyond Cocoa Beach. Perhaps he’s just at his best on Southern Hemisphere time. I know where I’d rather invest my $7500.

And here’s hoping we get word that Cocoa Beach could face Zenyatta again next year…pretty please?

Just Because Everyone Else Is Doing It…

admin — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 18:44:00 +0000

This week’s Star 3-Year-Old Retiree is New Approach. He’s had a tremendous year — becoming only the third horse to win the Dewhurst, the Derby and the Champion Stakes. With eight wins from eleven starts, the son of Galileo heads off into the sunset to become a Darley stallion. So why the rush? In this case, it’s (still) all about the rivalry with Coolmore:

On past form, New Approach would surely have transferred to Godolphin for a four-year-old career. But the pendulum within Sheikh Mohammed’s global empire is swinging the other way. Godolphin retains its primacy but the sheikh’s boycott of Coolmore sires, now in its third year, makes it imperative that his own stallion tribe delivers him runners of the highest class.

John Ferguson, managing director of Darley, the sheikh’s global bloodstock conglomerate, is orchestrating the drive. “In the case of New Approach, ” Ferguson said, “you have a champion two-year-old by one of the great sires [Galileo] who has won the Derby, the Irish Champion Stakes and now the Champion Stakes. He is an outstanding athlete.

So, once again, rather than develop that rivalry on the track, it will take place behind closed doors (for a few years, at least) while New Approach racks up stud fees. He’s likely not the last one for the year, either — Raven’s Pass is also rumored to be next to the shed after the Breeders’ Cup (which makes the event rather too well named).

And as for the only horse to beat New Approach (three times) — well, there’s no word yet on Henrythenavigator’s plans for next year. Next weekend may provide some direction, but one hopes at least one of this year’s stars bucks this ugly trend.

Trad Arr Superfecta II

admin — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 14:37:00 +0000

While Godolphin is not exactly having a banner year (for them), they did not have a bad weekend; Cocoa Beach’s upset of Ginger Punch in the Beldame may have garnered more headlines, but Tam Lin’s victory in the Kelso was equally interesting. The British-bred gelding seems to have taken to American turf racing quite well; he won the Scottish Monk earlier this year. However, we here at Superfecta HQ like him for another, rather more arcane reason: his name.

It’s a bit ironic that the equine Tam Lin is a gelding, for the Tam Lin best known from Child Ballad 39 is rather more virile. Here are the first two verses from version 39A, which is perhaps the most well-known version of the song:

O I forbid you, maidens a’,
That wear gowd on your hair,
To come or gae by Carterhaugh,
For young Tam Lin is there.

There’s nane that gaes by Carterhaugh
But they leave him a wad,
Either their rings, or green mantles,
Or else their maidenhead.

In case you have not already read Francis James Child’s Popular English and Scottish Ballads (the newish Dover edition is only about five volumes), here’s a primer: Child collected and published traditional songs from the British Isles in the late 19th century. Each ballad was assigned a number (in not quite so formal a fashion as the later Aarne-Thompson or Aarne-Thompson-Uther classification systems for folktales, although Child did divide them into ‘types’) and Tam Lin and its variations fall under #39 (although it should be noted that it did appear in print before Child collected versions of the song).

While the earliest recorded versions of the song (which is your typical boy imprisoned by fairies meets and impregnates girl who later rescues him from said fairies on Halloween story) are from the 18th century, it is likely much older and there are possible references to it as early as the 16th century. Since that time, according to Tyra Twomey in her extensive Tam Lin bibliography, it ‘has never knowingly ceased to be sung’ — and the sheer number of modern recordings bears that out (I am a fan of the version on The Waterson’s For Pence and Spicey Ale). Should you wish to know more about this Scottish ballad, it is well worth exploring Abigail Acland’s site devoted to Tam Lin.

You may now be wondering what folksong has to do with horse racing (although you may also recall that we have a tendency to delve into such things here); well, it would seem there is currently a mini-trend of racehorses named after folksongs (rather like the Coolmore tradition of naming their horses after historical figures). Tam Lin is joined by King of Rome (recently third in Cologne, although still possible for the Arc) in this regard.

Of course, the song is of much more recent vintage in King of Rome’s case, having only been composed in the 1980s and…oh, just check out the June Tabor or Half Man Half Biscuit versions!

n.b. Apparently this is my 500th post. Who knew?

Goldenhooves

admin — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 16:40:00 +0000

From the (welcome) coverage it is receiving, it might seem that Curlin’s Jockey Club Gold Cup bid is the only race taking place this weekend when in fact it’s ridiculously busy (rather like my entire week this week).

Perhaps the most competitive race this weekend will be the Beldame; while Ginger Punch towers over the field, it’s no walkover — Unbridled Belle and Lemon Drop Mom are both in the mix (and let’s recall how close it was the last time Ginger Punch faced Lemon Drop Mom), but I am particularly intrigued by Cocoa Beach and Leah’s Secret. Cocoa Beach was 3-year-old champion filly in Chile last year and she has been facing tough (and occasionally male) competition in Dubai and elsewhere. Godolphin may not be much of a powerhouse compared to Ballydoyle this year, but if they do have a horse to watch this year, she may be it. Leah’s Secret has always been on the bubble with the top-flight mares; nonetheless, I’m keeping an eye on her.

Nor is Curlin the only Horse of the Year contender running this weekend; Zenyatta is also stepping up to the plate. While her participation in the Filly & Mare Classic (née Distaff) seems a foregone conclusion (even though I would rather see her in the ‘Classic’ Classic, depending on which Euros ship over), it would be nice if she can keep her unbeaten streak alive in this weekend’s Lady’s Secret at Santa Anita. The obvious trifecta would seem to be Zenyatta-Hystericalady-Santa Teresita, but you never know. Nevertheless, it would have been more interesting to see her race played up as a west coast counterpart to Curlin’s Belmont star turn.

Back at Belmont, Wait a While is back for another shot at the Yellow Ribbon. How many former 3-year-old champions are still in training at 5 these days? That’s only one great reason to watch her race — if you happen to get TVG.

Zenyatta is not the only star at Santa Anita either; Street Boss is the favorite in the Ancient Title, and it seems this is a ‘last chance to see‘ before the Breeders’ Cup and retirement — he’s off to become a Darley stallion. (Apparently it was not enough to own both Street Cry and Street Sense). While he’s made his mark as a sprinter, I would prefer to see him in the Classic come Breeders’ Cup time — although given that it’s his final race, it hardly seems to matter.

Before we (finally) get to Curlin, it seems the European press has latched on to Jerry Bailey’s comments regarding whether Henrythenavigator would stay the Classic distance, or whether he’s more suited to the Mile (indeed, it is his only proven distance). He’s being considered for both races, but things will likely become clearer after he meets Tamayuz and Raven’s Pass on Saturday in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot. His stablemate, Duke of Marmalade, is apparently still possible for the Classic, but he is out of the Breeders’ Cup prep race at Great Leighs. Whether he takes on Zarkava in the Arc or heads to California (or both) is still up in the air. In any event, Ballydoyle will have to leave their team tactics at home.

There is still more action stateside this weekend, but as it’s been a crazy week at work, we’ll have to move swiftly on to Curlin in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. The Baltimore Sun has articles in favor of and against wanting to see him break native son Cigar’s all-time earnings record Saturday (which you can watch live on ESPNEWS). Beyond the race, however, there is still the legal sideshow going on over his minority owners. The latest move to sell their interest by sealed bid merited this response from Jess Jackson’s attorney:

A decision to retire the 4-year-old son of Smart Strike may hinge on the outcome of the sealed-bid process, according to courtroom discussion.

“My clients, as the 80% owners, are being infringed upon because of problems with ongoing litigation,” Richard Getty, an attorney representing Stonestreet Stables, argued before Crittenden. “My client has already been harmed by not already divesting this interest. The large farms are not interested.”

“Mr. Jackson is saying we may race the horse next year, because we are forced to,” Getty said, terming Midnight Cry Stable’s ongoing presence as an “albatross” at one point. “We would love to be rid of this interest.”

One presumes this will not be the position presented to the public on Saturday — but I digress.

While some are complaining there isn’t much competition for Curlin in the race, I am looking forward to seeing more steady improvement from Mambo in Seattle; I don’t expect him to win (for we know Curlin doesn’t mind the slop, judging from last year’s Classic victory), but he may make Curlin work for it. If Curlin does indeed go to the Classic, such a challenge should keep him tuned up for the big day. If you are going, you may need to use your commemorative t-shirt as an umbrella…

Curlin…and Jalil?

admin — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 15:15:00 +0000

With Curlin’s advance on Cigar’s all-time earnings mark continuing on Saturday in the Woodward, Andrew Beyer examines how his majority owner, Jess Jackson, has ruffled feathers within the industry in his comparatively short time as a major player. Of course, those unhappy with the way he has tackled the game seem to have been those most entrenched in maintaining the status quo of inflated, dodgy auction prices, a quick exit to stud for promising colts and a general Say Yes to Drugs policy. I may not agree with everything he has to say, but I’m certainly glad to have him aboard — Jess, have your people drop me a line anytime you’d like to talk about a high-profile series of quality races for the 4-plus set.

NYRA has responded to Curlin’s Woodward appearance by setting up a microsite for the champ (although we’ve known the Woodward was going to be his next start for some time, but still, better late than never). I can’t say much for the design, but I like the podcasts and it’s nice to see them making the effort. Jockey Robby Albarado’s ‘blog’ on the site may not really be one, but it does have some nice content:

When he was schooling in the paddock the other day, he had a crowd watching him. That’s how popular Curlin is. I had a 10-year-old kid ask me the other day how Curlin was doing. If a 10-year-old is asking about a specific horse, then that horse has made a pretty powerful impact. I think that’s what we’ve got to do, is target young fans, because that’s the future. Curlin even has a page on his website for kids where they can play a game with photos of him [http://www.gocurlin.com/fan-kids-corner.shtml] which I think is great.

Amen to that.

Of course, Curlin will not be the only horse in the race (Divine Park looks dangerous too), but it’s great to see a star where he should be – taking on other horses at the nation’s best race meet. That’s not exactly where Second Most Expensive Horse Sold at Auction, Jalil, will be this weekend (and a hat-tip to Val for discovering his whereabouts) – he’s at Suffolk Downs for the Waquoit Stakes.

It seems an unusual spot for any Godolphin horse, but perhaps it’s a confidence-building prep for something else. Given their (comparatively) bad luck in Europe this year, I can see why they would want to aim Jalil at the Breeders’ Cup – or maybe they are trying to get the most out of their expensive purchase by running where he can still get a little chemical edge – it’s his first time on Lasix this weekend. He has won in England and Dubai (presumably sans drug cocktail), which is more than can be said for The Green Monkey, albeit not against the best company (yet not against hopeless claimer either – he seemed pretty mid-pack).

Jalil only ranks 102nd in the Godolphin firmament at present, at least insofar as that’s how many points he has earned for players in their Seven Stars online competition. Apparently Seven Stars is ‘the world’s greatest free-to-enter online horseracing competition’ which is news to me – why have I previous not heard of it when I actually visit their website fairly frequently? I will have to keep an eye out for next year’s competition, since the prizes for this one blow Road to the Roses out of the water – major cash prizes and a trip to Dubai are a little more compelling than a few Derby tickets, much as I’d like those.

They also have a handy mobile version of their site and the game – take notes, CDI!

Glorious Goodwood

admin — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:15:00 +0000

While Saratoga continues apace here, Glorious Goodwood kicks off today in Britain, with a number of Group 2 and 3 races on the card. Tomorrow promises to be Aiden O’Brien’s big day, with Henrythenavigator (pictured) in the Sussex Stakes, looking for his fourth Group 1 win; O’Brien himself will be aiming for number sixteen for the season, after Mastercraftsman won the Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh and Duke of Marmalade collected a win in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot over the weekend.

Ballydoyle’s seemingly unstoppable rise to the top of the sport has made Godolphin rather glum by comparison; last year their horses only managed six Group 1 victories and they have largely abandoned French and American juvenile racing. The Guardian notes:

But neither debate nor gossip will cease as long as Godolphin’s very evident problems remain. Speculation has now been rife for years. Is it the quality of the bloodstock? Bad purchasing? Intemperate nurturing or injudicious training? Is it connected with the departure of key players, such as Jeremy Noseda and Tom Albertrani?

The only outward concession to this common currency is Sheikh Mohammed’s recent huge expenditure on wholesale breeding operations and nascent stallions. The most striking of the latter purchases provide access to some of Coolmore’s newly successful bloodlines, originating from stallions he is said to have self-defeatingly forswore.

If this is indeed his only response, it may imply that he believes – or has been advised – that the inadequacy lies within his breeding stocks. Time may show his was a brilliant move, the re-forming of an empire in echo of – and challenge to – Coolmore.

While rebuilding for the future seems to be a worthy goal (indeed, it should be a goal of the industry overall to look toward the long term, but only those with the deepest pockets like Godolphin and Coolmore can afford it), it leaves Coolmore as the lone superpower – for the time being.

Goodwood is also serious about the future; they have extensive facilities for children (including a day care for the 0-3 set during Glorious Goodwood) and a club for 5-16 year-olds to get more involved in racing. The activities go beyond race days and including visits to stud farms, other tracks and the chance to meet top jockeys. Take note, NYRA Nation!

Looking only as far as the autumn, it seems Montmartre is questionable for the Arc — he came out of the Grand Prix de Paris ‘stiff‘ and he has missed training. We’ll be keeping tabs on his future progress, but if the ground is OK, it’s still all systems go for his stablemate Zarkava.

Check back tomorrow for more on Glorious Goodwood; Yeats is scheduled for an appearance on Thursday in the Goodwood Cup…