After the frenzied game of musical chairs over the weekend, we now have a reasonably good sense of who is actually going in the Derby – and it’s certainly not Eskendereya or Rule (who, quite sensibly, now seems pointed for the Preakness).  While it’s not clear whether the front wraps [...]]]>

Todd Pletcher's last, best hope

After the frenzied game of musical chairs over the weekend, we now have a reasonably good sense of who is actually going in the Derby – and it’s certainly not Eskendereya or Rule (who, quite sensibly, now seems pointed for the Preakness).  While it’s not clear whether the front wraps he wore in his Wood victory were a hint that something was slightly amiss, he will be missed – but in some ways, his defection makes the potential race more interesting – and certainly more wide-open.  Lookin At Lucky is the obvious successor to take on the favorite mantle, but here are a few more Derby starters on whom I’ll be keeping a particularly close eye:

Noble’s Promise
I liked his finish in the Rebel, and he has had more than his share of poor luck this season; he could be due for a big race.

Sidney’s Candy
While I wish he had a good dirt prep on his resume, he seems more likely to make the transition more easily than many.  But it’s nice to see Joe Talamo have a horse with a real shot, after the I Want Revenge situation last year.

Awesome Act
Another victim of bad luck in the past, we know he likes the mud – and he’s worth watching.

Devil May Care
Now we know she’s definitely in the Derby – and she deserves her spot (which is more than I can say for some of the colts we’ll likely be seeing – whether you agree with Beyer’s entire column or not, I think he’s right on with the notion that the earnings have become some sort of automatic Derby ticket, deserved or otherwise).  And hey, she has namesakes in both a Jamie Cullum CD and a James Bond novel (albeit one by Sebastian Faulks).  John Velazquez gets the mount.

Of course, we already have the field for the Oaks, and Blind Luck is the favorite.  We’ll go more in-depth with the Oaks tomorrow (as well as commenting on the Derby draw), but Amen Hallelujah and Crisp are my other two (rather chalky) picks.
And the Oaks undercard is going to have one very special guest: Rachel Alexandra is running in the La Troienne.  She’s back to her normal (for which read ‘rather spectacular’) work pattern, so hopefully we’ll see her turn the tables on Zardana – although I’m equally fine giving her another race to get back into her true form.

In the meantime, check out Hello Race Fans and The Rail for more, as there is plenty of quality racing-related writing on tap this week – and remember to tune in to Alex Brown’s radio show on Thursday, where I’ll be handing out some dubious Derby and Oaks wagering advice.

I leave you (until tomorrow!) with this thought: can Pletcher get another last-place finisher with Mission Impazible?

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?

It goes without saying that there was no greater spectacle in racing than Rachel Alexandra’s utterly dominant [...]]]> Yesterday, I suggested we wait and see where Mine That Bird will fit in Kentucky Derby history; today, however, it’s time to recap the weekend’s racing and in that context, his Derby victory is still something to puzzle over.

It goes without saying that there was no greater spectacle in racing than Rachel Alexandra’s utterly dominant (and utterly effortless) performance in the Kentucky Oaks. Her twenty-and-a-bit length victory was all the more awe-inspiring since she looked like she was out for a stroll – there was never the least sign of exertion, and Calvin Borel had plenty of time to pat her neck and celebrate in the stretch. Imagine what she could be capable of if actually asked to run – it’s an exciting thought. While her owner has ruled her out of other Triple Crown races (despite the fact that those showcases for ‘future stallions‘ are now headlined by a gelding), I wonder if we could perhaps see her in the Travers or the Whitney – I’ve already said I’d love to see her face Zenyatta in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (although that’s also the goal for my beloved Einstein).

And so to Einstein – his repeat victory in the Woodford Reserve on Saturday was thrilling – why NBC couldn’t show that rather than a trickle of D-list celebrities is beyond me (and for some reason the Guardian is praising their coverage, which veered from ‘nothing special’ to ‘downright irritating’). What they missed out was a fabulous stretch duel between Einstein and Cowboy Cal – Einstein clearly didn’t love the soft turf, but he was equally clearly not going to let Cowboy Cal pass him. It was yet another memorable performance – if it’s still the legal issues keeping him in training, may the litigation long continue. After the race, trainer Helen Pitts-Blasi remarked:

“I’m not going to say he’s the best horse in the country,” Pitts-Blasi said. “I’ll let you know on Nov. 6. The Breeders’ Cup Classic is a possibility. He loved that track at Santa Anita, and with the Breeders’ Cup being there, it’s worth a shot.”

Sounds like a plan.

Finally, there was the Kentucky Derby itself. We attended a Derby party that involved fantastic tacos, newborn foals (including a filly born early that morning to former reality TV star Sharp as a Fox) and a betting pool. We’d placed actual bets on horses including Musket Man, Friesan Fire, Pioneerof the Nile and Papa Clem, but also took turns picking some for the aforementioned pool. By about the second time around the room, pickings were looking a little slimmer, so Mr. Superfecta started going by jockeys – and picked Calvin Borel.

While everyone agrees the call was not Tom Durkin’s finest hour, we weren’t doing much better – we all spent the last 40 seconds or so of the race shouting, ‘but who is that on the rail?!?’

Stunned, we took home the pool.

As I’ve mentioned already, I’m going to wait to see how the Preakness and Belmont turn out for Mine That Bird before making a decision about where he ‘belongs’ – but there were certainly plenty of excuses to go around. Desert Party came out of the race with an ankle injury that should keep him out until next year and Friesan Fire grabbed a quarter while getting his legs sliced up a bit – but he could be back in time for the Preakness. For the top finishers, including Pioneerof the Nile, Musket Man and Papa Clem, the surface is the obvious go-to – but it’s likely we will see all three of them in Baltimore on the 16th. Late scratch I Want Revenge may appear at the Travers, but that would be the earliest he might rejoin the fray.

And as for Mine That Bird himself, I’ve always had a soft sport for the little horses (like his daddy Birdstone, or speedy mare Megahertz) who prove you don’t need to be a 17 hand monster to win in this game – if you want to get in on the action, his half-brother is a late addition to the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale.

So it seems all roads lead to Baltimore (or at least Timonium)…