December 29 - On This Date in Racing

1945 – Saturday – Santa Anita opens for first regular winter meeting in 5 years – Honeymoon with Johnny Longden up wins the Breeders’ Champion Stakes before a crowd of 45,212.

The Daily Racing Form used to carry a chart that showed all the biggest horses in the country and where they would be racing next based on the latest information available. They still do this for their Derby Trail reporting but do not provide similar information for other divisions of runners. Racing needs stars that fans can follow throughout the season so the Spirit will provide a list of some of the biggest current names in racing:

Commentator - Hal's Hope - Gulfstream - Jan 8
Ghostzapper - Metropolitan - Belmont - May 30
Kirkendahl - San Rafael - Santa Anita - Jan 15
Lost in Fog -Sunshine Millions Dash - Gulfstream - Jan 29
Rock Hard Ten - Strub Stakes - Santa Anita - Feb 5
Roses in May - Donn Handicap - Gulfstream - Feb 5
Second of June - Sunshine Millions Classic - Gulfsteam - Jan 29
Spanish Chestnut - San Rafeael - Santa Anita - Jan 15.
Sweet Catomine - Santa Ysabel - Santa Anita - Jan 9
Uncle Denny - Sham Stakes - Santa Anita - Feb 5
Yearly Report - Sunshine Millions Distaff - Santa Anita - Jan 29

Big day in California today with 233k carryover at Golden Gate and opening day of the Santa Anita meeting - the 70th anniversary of the track which opened on Christmas Day, 1934. The Grade I Malibu has a full field of 12 and features Grade II winners Quintons Gold Rush, Rock Hard Ten, and Love of Money. There is no racing in New York today.

Fusaichi Samurai - the $4 million dollar 2 year old - won his debut race at Hollywood Park effortlessly. Victor Espinoza - also the rider of 2000 Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus and sire of the colt - praised the winner in an "effusive" manner according to the LA Times.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-horse12dec12,1,3553817.column?coll=la-headlines-sports

I don't believe you could find a Derby Future Book with him not being one of the top favorites and his best price would not be above 10-1.

Winter Racing season begins

Back in the day, racing in the East always ended with a meeting held in either Maryland or the Washington D.C. area in late October or early November. Racing in the West (not California mind you) would also end by November 1. Winter racing was located in New Orleans, California, and exotic locales like Havana and Juarez. There were also the infamous "Merry-Go-Round" tracks of Guttenberg and Gloucester in New Jersey which ran all winter racing that led to the establishment of the Jockey Club organization. The opening of Hialeah (and eventual success after initial failure) in 1925 began the improvement of winter racing and subsequent reopening of racing in California in the early 1930's and the training of Kentucky Derby winner Lawrin in Florida in 1938 all led to the winter racing environment that racing currently operates in.

Winter racing is still obviously a few notches below the summer season. Gulfstream, Santa Anita and Fair Grounds are the premier winter tracks - Turfway and Aqueduct are in the 2nd tier of winter racing.

Racing on the Radio

Thoroughbred Digest with Jay Privman - 10-11:00 a.m. Saturday and Sunday on www.1540theticket.com

Felix Taverna - 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. Saturday and Sunday on www.kogo.com

Breeders' Cup Day 2004

Other than the Mile when Singletary won at 15-1, it's been a formful day for the Breeders' Cup races at Lone Star today.

Ooops....Wilko from the UK just pulled off the Juvenile at 28-1 - that will make for at least a $1 million dollar Pick-6 payoff if anyone hits it. Roman Ruler - Baffert's star - ran like a bum.

The Fair Grounds 2003-2004 season ended on Sunday. The usual array of bad results (i.e. declines in both handle and attendance) was served along with a platter of excuses (it rained on big racing days) and rays of hope in all the darkness. The hopeful factoid was a bit of a reach - highest combined attendance for FG Oaks, Louisiana Derby, and New Orleans Handicap days since the track's grandstand was rebuilt and reopened in 1997.

Visiting New Orleans in December provided a rather stark picture of 21st century racing in the Crescent City. If I had to describe it in one word, it would be invisible. I never found a newsstand or other outlet selling a Daily Racing Form or track program after searching throughout the downtown/French Quarter area (the FG web site does say they exist). The track itself is wonderful - the grandstand is centered around the multi-leveled paddock area. There are well-kept displays on the history of the Fair Grounds and its place in American racing. The neighborhood around the facility is a little "edgy" at night - you will not see Fair Grounds going to any sort of "twilight racing" anytime soon. But to anyone familiar with the history of racing of New Orleans - Metairie, Colonel Bradley, the continuous tradition of opening the season on or about Thanksgiving - it was sort of letdown, a feeling that is was in the past and future would be rather dismal and slotty.

I don't know why there isn't an teletheatre in downtown New Orleans - maybe it's a political thing. Walking through the French Quarter, there was one bar showing the feed from the track. You would think a wide-open, fun-loving section like the Quarter would welcome off-track betting with open arms.

A few final notes on poor, bankrupt Fair Grounds. The on-track handle is a measly 5.5% of overall handle - this number must be one of the lowest on-track handle percentages in North America. In 1949 - 55 years ago - the New Orleans Handicap was won by My Request on March 12 in front of 10,500 with a handle of $392,908. A week later, a crowd of 9,820 saw Joe. W. Brown's Rockwood win the Louisiana Derby with a handle of the day of 375,474. 55 years ago - these two days easily surpassed the 14,160 that witnessed the three spotlight events at the track this year and though I don't have the handle numbers for these two days this year, I would bet that the 1949 handle beat the 2004 handle. Very sad indeed.

When Senator Kefauver's Crime Committee visited the city in January, 1951, New Orleans Mayor de Lesseps Morrison testified that at one-time in his city "you could walk the five block stretch on St. Charles Street from Canal to City Hall and never miss the results of a single race from the loudspeakers which blared through the open doorways of the bookie parlors." Aside from an occasional television set in the Quarter, you would never have known Fair Grounds even existed in the business and tourist center of town.

Storm Flag Flying - BC Fillies 2002 winner - ran 3rd to Randaroo in the Distaff Breeders' Cup Handicap at the Big A on Saturday. Based on Shug McGaughey's comments on DRF.com, this might have been her final race. She has not been very impressive since the Breeders' Cup win.

Vazandar is now 7-2 to win the Minnesota Derby after his 3rd place finish in an Alw NW1X at Oaklawn.

Dubai World Cup update - final

American honor on the dirt is upheld with a stirring stretch battle with Pleasantly Perfect outdueling Medaglia D'Oro. Dubai Duty Free ends in dead heat between the German-trained Paolini and Right Approach bred by Her Majesty The Queen.

The advantages that Dubai has in offering this sort of 1-day event are:

1) Location - centrally located for the entire world - most everyone must travel which puts all on an even playing field.
2) Timing - Late enough in the year for the African/Asian/Australian season and not too early for the European season if you want to prep in France or Dubai. Also on the flip side of the calendar from the Breeders' Cup which gets virtually no representation from South Africa, Asia, and Australia.
3) Neutral track - a wide variety of races and surfaces give many opportunities on where to place a good horse
4) Money - The Maktoum family's resources have obviously made the event go.

Not sure if it would be that interesting an event to travel too since you would need to be on your mobile making bets the entire time but it looks rather cool on the tele.

Dubai World Cup - Update II

US sprinters still rule on Dirt - Our New Recruit and Alke run 1-2 inthe Golden Shaheen.

Polish Summer is produced on the outside from the Juddmonte/Fabre/Stevens combination and wins the Sheema Classic. Ken McPeek's Gulfstream shipper Hard Buck runs a credible 2nd. Mr. Abdullah did not seem to be on hand to accept congratulations from the Maktoums.

Dubai World Cup day has begun

During - Baffert/Mattress Mac horse - takes a big dump running sans drugs in the Godolphin Mile as the home team's Firebreak with Frankie D. up wins the first thoroughbred race on the card.

UAE Derby goes to the South Africans with Lundy's Liability - supposedly headed to Richard Mandella's barn after this win.

This really is a wonderful day of racing. Only significant drawbacks are the pervasive feeling that it is a "home horse" affair with the Maktoums - similar to old-time meetings in the US when the bookmakers owned both the racetrack and many of the horse running - and the absence of on-track wagering due to religious constraints in Dubai.

Last weekend on the Roger Stein show, Roger promised to reveal the story on whether or not SoCal trainer Frank Monteleone is a "snitch". Not sure what this may be about but Roger always makes things interesting every weekend.

Baltimore Sun published an article on Tuesday on efforts to build a racing/horse project near the former Havre de Grace racetrack - a lovely spot near the Chesapeake in Maryland.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/harford/bal-md.ha.racetrack16mar16,1,5415604.story

This is exactly what the sport needs right now - reconnecting with the past and certain areas' strong association with horse racing. Havre de Grace ran from 1912 to 1950 - usually running both a spring and fall meeting. Horses that ran there included Man O'War, Citation, and Seabiscuit. Fans and horseplayers travelled from across the East Coast to go racing there. The town is wonderful and going to the site of "The Graw", you can still the outlines of the track and I believe there are still portions of the grandstand seating on the site. The site is currently a Maryland National Guard maintenance facility.

Odds on Magna meeting pool guarantees today for Magna Pick Five (500k) and Santa Anita Pick Six ($1 million):

Both pools meets guarantees: 3-1
Magna Pick Five meets - SA P6 doesn't: 5-1
SA P6 does - Magna P5 doesn't: 8-5
Neither pool meets guarantees: 5-2

Another Loser for Lukas? The streak seeks to past the Joltin' Joe mark of 56 today with the following starters at Santa Anita:

Hasslefree in the 7th race
Arbitrate in the 8th race
Heroic Moment in the 11th race

Will the "perfect" season at Santa Anita for Mr. D. Wayne continue?

Big Cap Day at Santa Anita - One of The One Million Dollar Races

Will Lion Heart become Lion Tamer?

No, No Jeffrey - the story of Island Fashion

Pleasantly Perfect is out - Weak field remains

This date in thoroughbred racing history: In 1904, Essex Park opens for inaugural meeting of the Hot Springs Jockey Club in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Mayor George Belding declared the day a half-holiday and a crowd of approximately 3,000 attended the opening day races. The meeting lasted 23 days and was so successful than the Oaklawn Jockey Club was formed later in the year to build a racetrack closer to the city center that would open in 1905 and is celebrating its centennial this year. Essex Park raced in 1905 and 1906 prior to the Oaklawn meetings. In 1905, Essex Park became associated with the American Turf Association whose rival was the Western Turf Congress controlled by operators of Oaklawn - including Louis and Charles Cella (great uncle and grandfather of the current Oaklawn president Charles Cella). In 1907, both Essex Park and Oaklawn wanted to run the same dates in March (ala the Hialeah/Gulfstream dispute 75 years hence). Essex Park wound up not racing in 1907 and horse racing was outlawed in the state of Arkansas in the same year. Racing would not resume in Hot Springs until 1916 when Oaklawn reopened. In 1917, it was expected that Essex Park would run a meeting beginning on April 1 after the Oaklawn meet had concluded. Essex Park did run on April 1, 1917 but it would be the final day of racing ever at the site - a fire destroyed the grandstand the next day and the remainder of the meet was moved to Oaklawn.

Handicapper's Edge on TSN is reporting that Island Fashion's owner Jeffrey Nielsen of Everest Stables is considering entering the horse in the Big Cap a week from Saturday.

Someone should tell him 'No No Jeffrey' - he will know what it means. The horse doesn't have a prayer against that bunch.

The Louisville Courier Journal is reporting that Churchill Downs - owner of Hollywood Park - is interested in acquiring land in Irvine, California - possibly for the purpose of building a racetrack that would be a replacement for Hollywood Park.

This may be the continuation of a series of movements like this - sell off valuable property closer to a city center and build a replacement racetrack on cheaper land further out in a metropolitan area. Frank Stronach and Magna have discussed this with the Bay Meadows - Dixon proposal and now Churchill is contemplating the move with Hollywood. Another candidate for this type of action would be Gulfstream with the training facility Palm Meadow Downs ready to act as the replacement. Even Santa Anita could possibly be considered a candidate for this type of action in the not so distant future. This type of switch should have been done in Chicago at the time of the Arlington fire and only the ego and fortitude of Dicky D prevented it from happening.

This date in thoroughbred racing history: 1935 - inaugural running of the first hundred-grand race - the Santa Anita Handicap - is won by Azucar ridden by the Iceman - George Wolff. 1962 - jockey Bill Shoemaker wins six consecutive races at Santa Anita and becomes first jockey to win 6 races at the Arcadia oval.

In Gulfstream's 8th Race today, Host - the Chilean bred trained by Todd Pletcher - ran a huge race in running 2nd in a classified allowance race. In his 2nd start in the US after running 2nd in a similar race to Del Mar Show and beating With Anticipation in his final start, Host was hooked by a couple of speedballs down the backstretch, was collared by the talented Orchard Park entering the stretch, held that one off but was finally overtaken by Full Flow in the final 1/8 of a mile. If was a monstrous effort while running 2nd. DRF is reporting that the 4 year old Host will next run in the UAE Derby in Dubai on March 27 - he is qualified for a Derby since he was born in South America.

This date in thoroughbred racing history: In 1893, the New Jersey Senate passes legislation permitting wagering on horse racing in the state. The Assembly had passed the bill previously. The next day, Governor Werts would veto the bill. The legislation would become law after the veto was overridden by the New Jersey legislature. Tracks that operated in 1893 in New Jersey included Monmouth Park, Elizabeth, Clinton, Gloucester, and Guttenberg - the last two were notorious "outlaw" tracks that ran every day during the winter. In 1894, the New York Times would lead the attack on horse racing in the state of New Jersey and this issue would play a major factor in the elections during the year. All New Jersey tracks would eventually be forced to close in 1894 and would not open again for nearly 50 years (1942 opening of Garden State Park).

With 2 losers on Saturday, D. Wayne Lukas is now 0 for 51 at the current meeting at Santa Anita.

Tampa Bay Downs reported a record 1-day handle on Saturday - $4,731,222. Here is a comparison of the wagering results of 3 mid-level tracks on Saturday, Feb 21 (as reported by Equibase):

Track Attendence On-track handle Total Handle % Bet off-track

Oaklawn 18,307 $1,592,792 $5,730,645 72.21%
Fair Grounds 1,733 $ 192,913 $4,900,179 96.06%
Tampa Bay 5,571 $ 522,037 $4,731,222 88.97%

Tampa Bay has benefited from large fields, turf course and good publicity via Andy Beyer columns to increase their simulcasting handle. Fair Grounds is awaiting the introduction of video poker that should provide purse increases but it's pitiful the low number of people who visit the historic track. Oaklawn is the best place of these to visit and the attendance numbers they get continue to amaze compared to other tracks.

One correction from yesterday: The Magna 5 is scheduled to run through May 29 according to previously published reports in Daily Racing Form. It's hard to believe that Magna will get a 500k pool for this bet in May by offering races from Lone Star, Pimlico, Bay Meadows, Remington, Thistledown and maybe even one from Great Lakes Downs.

This date in thoroughbred racing history: In 1919, the Kentucky Jockey Club - a group led by Kentucky Derby impresario Matt Winn - is incorporated on this date. At the time of incorporation, the KJC owned four racetracks in Kentucky: Churchill Downs, Latonia, the Kentucky Association track in Lexington, and Douglas Park in Louisville. Latonia and Douglas Park were sold to them by the Cella syndicate (whose family still owns Oaklawn Park). Douglas Park would soon be turned into a training facility, the old Kentucky Association track would fail in 1933 and lead to the building of Keeneland, and old Latonia would be closed by the organization after the 1939 racing season.

Leaping Plum - the 13 year old wonder horse - ran 4th today at Grand Island, Nebraska in his attempt to win his 9th Grasmick Handicap at Fonner Park.

The Cliff's Edge - one of Nick Zito's Derby hopefuls - ran 2nd in the Sam F. Davis to 35-1 shot Kaufy Mate at Tampa Bay Downs. Usual Zito prep race - a good effort without asking too much too soon.

Redskin Warrior won the Best Turn at the Big A. Taiaslew beat the big favorite Boston Common in the Coyote Handicap at Turf Paradise - the prep race for the Phoenix Gold Cup on March 13.

Magna 5 pool today hit $608 thousand today - comfortably above the 500k guarantee. I can't imagine that Magna can continue this bet after Santa Anita and Gulfstream close in April. At that point, Churchill Downs' multiple bets will again be on the wagering menu.

23-1 Rio de Esperanza wins 8th race at Oaklawn generating Pick-6 carryover to Sunday. $193,000 + will start Classix on Sunday in Hot Springs.

Jerry Brown of Thoro-Graph fame is now brokering business for a rebate shop - not sure if site is within the US or an off-shore site. When will our "industry leaders" wake up to what is happening to make rebate shops, off-shore wagering sites, and betting exchanges bigger every day? The takeout is too high.

Oaklawn - 1st Race

Danny Switzer is a famous Midwestern trainer for his crookedness. He sure set up Spin Time with a bunch of bad lines at the Fair Grounds and added one at Oaklawn and then voila - the easy waltz win at a route race. Watch out for this guy whenever you see his name.

This blog is dedicated to the sport of horse racing - both past and present.