Friday, October 15, 2010

Two Year Old Race of the Century - Dewhurst at Newmarket

Unbeaten colts Frankel, Dream Ahead and Saamidd line up in today's mouthwatering 133rd renewal of the Dewhurst at Newmarket.

Racing Post's Tony Elves reports in his "View from the Gallops" column in Saturday's edition "I have seen a lot of gallops over the years, and the one that Frankel delivered last Saturday was breathtaking. He worked with an older horse and just blew him away."

Dewhurst goes at 9:25 a.m. Eastern time with the Champion Stakes next up at 10:00 a.m. on a superb Newmarket card of graded events.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

DERBY DAY in North America

Derby Day across North America highlighted by the 31st runnings of both the Pennsylvania Derby (purse boosted to $1 million due to slot revenue) at the newly named Parx Racing and the Super Derby at Louisiana Downs. Thoroughbred Legends wins their first major stakes race with 7-2 Morning Line wiring the field and holding on gamely to win by a neck over 8-5 favs First Dude (running 2nd or 3rd in his 6th consecutive Grade I or Grade II stakes) with a nose further back to Ned Evans' A Little Warm. Trainer Nick Zito takes his 3rd Pennsylvania Derby - tying record set by Woody Stephens - at the track where he won his first race when it was named Keystone. Adele Dilschneider's Apart takes the Super Derby as 5-2 2nd favs with a strong closing kick to win by a length and a half over Robert Evans' Distorted Economy. 40th Ontario Derby goes to 5-2 2nd favs Stately Victor for trainer Michael Maker who closes strongly to win by 3 1/2 lengths. 56th Pomona Derby at Fairplex goes to 2-1 2nd favs Bench the Judge under Martin Pedroza. 56th Kent Stakes at Delaware won by 19-10 favs Earle Mack's Grand Rapport who closes late to beat 5-2 2nd favs Workin for Hops by a half-length.

Monmouth Park revived the long dormant Garden State Stakes (Futurity) that was run for 40 years at extinct Garden State Park and has not been run since 1998. 7-1 Sweet Ducky under Joe Bravo wins the race on the Bill Daly by a half-length over 15-10 2nd favs Curlinello.

First Kent Stakes was run at Delaware Park on opening day at the inaugural meeting - June 26, 1937. Strabo won the first Kent - War Admiral was scheduled to run by was injured winning the Triple Crown in the Belmont three weeks prior. Total onsite handle at Del Park on their first day in 1937? 390k. Onsite handle today at Del Park (73 years of inflation later) - $145k (total handle on races was $1.3 million). Takeout in 1937? 7.5%. Takeout in 2010? 17% on WPS, 19% on Ex and 25% on rest. I know that onsite players have it a little easier - 10% take on exactas. But can you see what is going on here?
FRANKEL DOMINANT

The brilliant Juddmonte 2 year old colt Frankel trained by Henry Cecil and named for legendary trainer Bobby Frankel won the 64th Royal Lodge Stakes at Ascot in dominating fashion today to stay undefeated in his third start and will go to the top of the bookmakers' lists for the 2000 Guineas and Derby along with Godolphin's top 2 year old Saamidd.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe Preview Day

Le monde a lew yeux rives sur Longchamp. The French always put up a nice website for Arc day:

http://www.prixarcdetriomphe.com/

Today Longchamp hosts the the three main trials for the greatest European race. Alan Shuback - as always - has keen observations into these races and their history in producing Arc races:

http://www.drf.com/blogs/arc-trial-day-boom-or-bust

I was at Longchamp for Arc Preview day in 1999 and saw the great Montjeu win the Prix Niel in preparation for winning the big race three weeks later. It's a day that is much less stressful than Arc Day - the crowd is less than a quarter of Arc day so it's easier to navigate Longchamp and you can still see most of the horses that will run on Arc day. Similar to the October 2 Grade I bonanza of races at Belmont or Hollywood in anticipation of Breeders Cup.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Presque Isle Masters Day

Another day in North American racing when the largest purse is distributed by a slot-fueled racing operation where the attendance last night to witness Godolphin's Gayego win the 4th Presque Isle Mile was 916 with a whopping ontrack handle of $55,892. How they calculate attendance at a casino is beyond my knowledge. How long do you think this will keep going on in Pennsylvania?

Roger Stein says he has moved all his remaining horses up north to Golden Gate. Roger is training these from his bed anyways so it doesn't really matter where they are running. Roger used to be a bit of a force at Pomona back in the day. He still operates a decent racing radio show on Saturday and Sunday morning however. He doesn't pull punches and grills major racing figures.
ST. LEGER DAY at Doncaster

234th running of the World's Oldest Classic goes to Arctic Cosmos to give trainer John Gosden his 3rd victory in the race and jockey William Buick and investment banker Robin Geffen their first classic win at 12-1.

Godolphin's Saamidd looked very impressive under Frankie Dettori in winning the 178th Champagne Stakes. He will be among the top of the betting lists for the 2011 Classics along with the 2 year old that Juddmonte introduced on Friday at Donnie with a powerful win - Frankel. Classy folks to name one of their top 2 year olds after the legendary trainer who passed last fall.

Alan Shuback has a story up about this at DRF:

http://www.drf.com/blogs/bobby-frankel-favorite-epsom-derby

Why can you bet a $1 Exacta and a $1 Trifecta on the UK races on YouBet and not on TwinSpires where the minimum is $2? Stupid. Why didn't either site take the races from the Curragh that showcased two Group I races - the Vincent O'Brient National for 2 year olds and the Irish St. Leger? But they are going to show the races from the Curragh on Sunday. But never the races from France - especially on Sunday when they run the Arc Preview races.

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Horse Racing - Newspapers - Boxing

There are many similarities between these three industries. Each "had their day" during the 19th and 20th centuries. Each has been in a state of decline for decades. All are threatened now in the 2nd decade of the 21st century. All are seeking to regain or hold on to prominence among the public that they once enjoyed.

In the first half of the 20th century, it would have been far fetched to proclaim that within the next half-century these industries would become obsolete. But they are all on the verge of being obsolete.

Baseball, radio, and poker are other industries that could have followed down this path. But each of these industries are thriving. They were on a path to decline but made changes that put them on a different path to growth and success.

Saturday, August 07, 2010

Zenyatta goes for 18th consecutive win at Del Mar, Quality Road and Blame meet in the 83rd Whitney at the Spa

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Potential Derby Storylines

1) D Wayne Lukas or Baffert winning their 5th Derby
2) Shannon Ritter becoming first female trainer to win Derby and 2nd straight year the Derby winner goes out of the Sunland Derby
3) One of the "other" Pletcher horses winning
Derby Trial Day

All times Central

3:50 p.m. 131st Withers - Aqueduct - D'Funnybone
4:17 p.m. 86th Derby Trial - Churchill
5:19 p.m. 14th Texas Mile - Lone Star
5:33 p.m. 21st Bosselman-Gus Fonner Stakes - Fonner
6:22 p.m. 61 st San Francisco Mile - Golden Gate

Illinois Champions Day at Hawthorne
Gold Rush Day at Hollywood
Arizona Breeders Day at Turf Paradise
Closing Day at Gulfstream Park
Opening Day at Hastings