2011 Derby Storylines

Here are the storylines for Derby 137:

Archarcharch - 70 year old trainer Jinks Fires in his first Derby charge, 50 year old Jon Court (trainer's son-in-law), Arkansas owners who rebuffed offers to buy horse pre-Derby. Great story.

Brilliant Speed - Live Oak's To Honor and Serve was top 5 for Derby in winter book - 2nd stringer takes the prize for Campbell Soup heir

Twice the Appeal - Calvin wins again

Stay Thirsty - Pletcher/Repole combo wins race after scratch of 2 year old champion and winter book favs Uncle Mo on the day before the race

Decisive Moment - Trainer Juan Arias wins race like his namesake with Canonero II forty years ago and 52 year old Kerwin "Boo Boo" Clark wins race on his first mount.

Comma to the Top - Will he or won't he horse wins with 49 year old P Val twenty two years since his first win on Sunday Silence.

Pants On Fire - Jockey Rosie Napravnik becomes first female to win the race

Dialed In - The confirmation of the arrival of a great horse and the tears flow from trainer Nick Zito on his 3rd Derby win

Derby Kitten - Last horse to get into race wins it for his exuberant owner Ken Ramsey

Twinspired - 45 year old jockey Mike Smith wins his 2nd Derby

Master of Hounds - "foreigner" in race shows further demise of American racing

Santiva - no idea on this one - will probably win

Mucho Macho Man - first female trainer Kathy Ritvo wins race after heart transplant. Watch for the full-length movie in 20 years.

Shackleford - wise guy horse wins it for local trainer Dale Romans

Midnight Interlude - trainer Bob Baffert wins his fourth Derby to break the streak of no unraced 2 year old winning race since Apollo in 1882

Animal Kingdom - provides redemption for jockey Johnny V (after losing mount due to Uncle Mo fiasco) and trainer Graham Motion (who lost top contender Toby's Corner this week)

Soldat - trainer Kiaran McLaughlin wins race to redeem 2nd with Closing Argument in 2005

Nehro - backrupt owner Zayat Stable wins big one with comebacking Corey Nakatani to redeem for Zayat's Eskendereya - last year's Derby runup favorite

Watch Me Go - first female trainer wins race for longtime owner/breeder Gilbert Campbell

Three horse are grandsons of AP Indy - 1992 Derby runup favorite scratched on day of race and recently pensioned - Stay Thirsty, Pants On Fire, Nehro.

Take your pick.

Stay Thirsty, my friends.

Deservingness of Derby Win

Winning the Kentucky Derby should always be the privilege of horsemen and horsewomen who deserve the honor based on their time and service to the racing industry. Winners like Sea Hero in 1993 for trainer Mack Miller and owner Paul Mellon, Unbridled in 1990 for trainer Carl Nafzger and owner Francis Genter, and Swale in 1984 for Claiborne Farm.

So with this in mind, I have rated this year's Derby field based on "Deservingness" - a purely arbitrary ranking based on my own perspective:

Archarcharch - Local favorite for 70 year old trainer Jinks Fires making his Derby debut with son-in-law Jon Court in the irons and owners who rejected selling a top 3 year old to "foreigners". This is a very worthy team.

Brilliant Speed - Charlotte Weber has one of the finest homebred racing operations in the country running Live Oak Plantation since 1995.

Watch Me Go - Gilbert Campbell is a longtime Florida breeder who also has a solid homebred racing operation.

Dialed In - Robert LaPenta has been building his top-notch racing stable for a decade and has suffered 3 year old disappointment in the past with War Pass.

Derby Kitten - Ken and Sarah Ramsey are long-time racing benefactors and homebred owners

Animal Kingdom - Barry Irwin - chief honcho of Team Valor - maybe an arrogant, abrasive individual but he has been involved in racing for over 20 years.

Master of the Hounds - Coolmore already has one Derby winner with Thunder Gulch in 1995.

Johnny Come Latelys - Arnold Zetcher, Mike Repole, Lori and George Hall and Ahmad Zayat can all be included in this category. They are not worthy of Derby Glory yet.

Jerry's Thoughts

As always, Jerry Brown provides his informative opinion on Derby-Oaks 137. His key contenders:

Derby - Archarcharch, Soldat, Mucho Macho Man, Pants On Fire

Oaks - Joyful Victory, Zazu, Kathmanblu & Her Smile (who Bobby Flay purchased based on Thoro-Graph recommendation)

Jerry doesn't think much of Dialed In or Uncle Mo.

Jerry and The Derby

Always enjoy listening to Thoro-Graph's Jerry Brown's comments on Derby and Breeders Cup days via his annual online audiovisual seminars. Derby/Oaks seminar is not up yet.

I'm going to forecast which horses Jerry will look favorably on in each race:

Derby - Santiva, Soldat, Stay Thirsty, Pants on Fire

Oaks - Daisy Devine, St. John's River, Kathmanblu

Alan Shuback Dismissed from DRF

The global correspondent for Daily Racing Form since 1993 - Alan Shuback - has parted ways with the publication. Shuback often had controversial views towards American horses vis-a-vis their European counterparts (voting for Goldikova for 2010 Horse of the Year for example) but he obviously knew the racing world very well and I will miss his writing in the Form and DRF.com.

Daily Racing Form continues to match the decline of the industry they are covering - dismissing a quality writer like Shuback and no longer printing the entries for smaller racetracks in the Form.

Prairie Meadows Opens Tonight

Prairie Meadows opens their 22nd season of racing this evening. Perennial leading rider Terry Thompson returns (after a year hiatus riding at Delaware Park) and young Jenna Joubert has also moved her tack there from Oaklawn. Des Moines Register has a good article on the top races in history run at Prairie:

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20110421/SPORTS/110421034/0/SPORTS/?odyssey=nav%7Chead

Keeneland Grade I Stakes Results on Polytrack

Jeremy Plonk has a nice article in the Keeneland spring program with headline of "Don't let the big races fool you" with a smaller secondary headline under stating "Longshots in Grade 1 races belie true picture of winners on Polytrack".

Obviously since this is written for the Keeneland program, no bad word on Polytrack would be expected in the article. The main argument is that Polytrack is a very formful surface with favorites winning 31% of races (stats through last Fall's meeting) since the Polytrack Era began at the Fall 2006 meeting. Favorites won 41% of races on the Polytrack at the 2010 Fall meeting but currently (through April 17) winning only 20.7% at the Spring meeting.

There is prominent attention paid to the great exception of all this - the results of Grade 1 races on Polytrack. Here are the stats for Grade I races on Polytrack at Keeneland through the Blue Grass last Saturday:

Total Races - 27

Winning Favorites - 1

Percentage of Winning Favorites - 3.7%

2011 Grade I winners on Polytrack at Keeneland

Ashland - Lilacs and Lace paid $99.40

Madison - Shotgun Gulch paid $25.40

Blue Grass - Brilliant Speed paid $40.20

The only favorite to win Grade I on Polytrack at Keeneland was Wickedly Perfect winning the 2010 Alcibiades last fall.

A few final comments on this article - which is very good and there should be more like it that are statistically based:

1) The fact favorites are winning at a greater rate on the Polytrack is very likely due to handicappers becoming more familiar with the surface and it's similarity closer to turf racing than dirt racing.

2) Keeneland has taken their greatest race - the Blue Grass - and made it irreverent as a prep for the Derby due to Polytrack.

3) Every track should have a Polycapping database like Keeneland has on their website.

4) It would be interesting to see a similar study on other Polytrack sites like Arlington, Del Mar and Woodbine.

Final Day at Oaklawn

Arkansas Derby Day ends the 85th racing season at Oaklawn Park today. The usual throng of 50,000 plus will storm the gates of the old Central Avenue plant making Hot Springs temporarily the second most populated city in Arkansas after Little Rock.

Favorites are winning approximately 31% of the races this season at the Spa - down from 41% of favorites in 2003 according to the Arkansas Gazette-Democrat website. Oaklawn is my favorite track to bet especially in the opening two months of the season with full fields and horses running from all parts of the country.

Oaklawn to me means racing consistency. The season will begin in mid-late January, it will end three weeks prior to the Kentucky Derby, Terry Wallace will always be at the mike and will put a goofy hat on at least once during the meet. He will pause prior to announcing the track condition and wear a tuxedo on Arkansas Derby Day. There is always a Cella running the track and usually running horses there too. Oaklawn and Keeneland are the only tracks I know that on the first day of the meeting show the replays from the previous meeting (for Oaklawn, these are races nine months previous). The weather in the final six weeks of the meeting is usually beautiful springtime weather. Stanley Roberts, Don Von Hemel, Gary Hartlage, Scooter Dickey, Lynn Whiting, Jinks Fires and Bob Holthus always have a winner during the meeting. The racing surface during the Racing Festival of the South will be lightning fast favoring speed. The exotica wagering menu will drive you crazy with only a few races with superfectas - I discussed this with Mel Brooks in a Vegas racebook once who couldn't believe they didn't have more supers.

Keeneland's consistency ended with Polytrack. They have ruined a great American race - the Blue Grass Stakes. I don't enjoy wagering on Keeneland nearly as much as I once did.

The Oaklawn simulcast feed is showing the crowd ontrack today - that's another great thing about Hot Springs - the area supports the track throughout the meeting ending with today's huge crowd.

Turf Publicists of America

Racetracks need turf publicists. There are virtually no newspaper dedicated turf writers anymore (i.e. reporters who cover racing exclusively) outside of the newspapers in Lexington and Louisville (I'm not even sure about Louisville). When you have two declining industries together - newspapers and horse racing - this is what results.

I find this very sad since without turf writers covers the racing scene on a daily basis, we only have racetrack turf publicists to rely on to dig up and generate interesting stories on horse racing. NYRA and the California tracks post regular turf notes on their websites and they provide a daily glimpse into the racetracks and upcoming stakes races. It is inconceivable that a daily sport like baseball would be in a similar situation - no one covering the sport on a regular basis to provide human and equine interest stories and report on milestone events in the sport.

Robert Holthus' win with Fifth Avenue South in the first race at Oaklawn Park last week had to be a milestone of some sort - allowing Holthus to continue with saddling a winner at Oaklawn since sometime in the 1960's (probably 1964). The only media mention of this that I have found is on Arkansas Online - the website of the Arkansas Democrat Gazette of Little Rock. Even the Oaklawn website had no mention of this milestone. Incredible. Holthus has been a fixture at the track for decades and deserves better recognition for continuing to saddle winners amidst health issues at the age of 76.

www.turfpublicists.com

Uncle Mo is Not Out of the Derby

DRF has latest status of the 2 year old champion and winter book favorite for the Derby:

http://www.drf.com/news/uncle-mo-have-blood-tests-remains-kentucky-derby-trail

Uncle Mo Out of Derby

Roger Stein - while interviewing Bob Baffert this morning - said that Uncle Mo had been declared out of the Kentucky Derby. I don't see this being confirmed anywhere but Stein is usually accurate on this stuff.

Uncle Mo Loss in the Wood - Where On Derby Trail Are We Now?

There have been 136 previous preparatory seasons to the Kentucky Derby (aka the Derby Trail). This year on May 7 we will celebrate Derby 137. There also was a Derby Trail in some of the years previous to origination of the Kentucky Derby in 1875. The first Derby Trail article that I have found was in the New York Times in the spring of 1864 previewing the racers preparing for America's first Derby - the Jersey Derby - held at the new race course at Paterson, NJ. The 1864 crop of three year olds was outstanding featuring sire Lexington's great triumvirate - Kentucky, Norfolk, and Asteroid.

So we have a rich American Derby Trail history without even considering the history of other global Derbies run at Epsom or Chantilly. The past can be categorized and analyzed based on patterns of previous results. It is obvious that the Derby Trail that we are now living and examining can be called "Two Year Old Champion and Heavy Winter Book Favorite Loses Final Prep Race".

The most obvious historical comparison is Secretariat's Derby year of 1973 when he also ran third in the 47th running of the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct on April 21, 1973 to his stablemate Angle Light (entry went off at 3-10) with Sham running a close second beaten by a head. Expect NBC to highlight this "Angle" during their pre-race coverage in four weeks (after they have exhausted interviewing all B-List celebrities at Churchill).

Perusing Champions (great book of historic past performances that DRF Press should continually update and expand upon), I found other relevant examples:

1936 - Pompoon was 2 year old champion and started his three year old campaign with a neck win in the Paumonok Handicap against older horses (for many years the traditional stake race to open the New York racing season at Jamaica). Pompoon then ran fifth in the Wood Memorial as 3-5 favs - he would go off at 8-1 in the Derby and run 2nd to Lawrin whose successful Florida winter campaign was the first to lead to Derby glory.

1939 - El Chico was the undefeated 2 year old champion and heavy winter book favorite for the Derby. El Chico made his three year old debut in an allowance race at Aqueduct on April 15 running second beaten a nose as part of 1-5 favored entry. He subsequently was impeded on the first turn and never a factor in the Wood Memorial that Belair Stud's Johnstown won by eight lengths as 1-2 favorite. His running line reads "quit" in posting a sixth in the Derby at 8-1. The great columnist John Lardner foresaw these events in a column published on March 8 predicting Johnstown subsequent Derby win.

1961 - Carry Back took over as Derby favorite in the fall of his 2 year old campaign after leading two year old Hail to Reason was retired due to injury on September 18 and victories in Cowdin, Garden State and Remsen. He ran six times in Florida (yes, hard to believe compared to Mo's ridiculous one race farce) winning the Flamingo and the Florida Derby. He was shipped to New York and ran 2nd as even money favorite in the Wood. He bounced back to win the Derby two weeks later.

Overall, historic patterns looks pretty good for Uncle Mo as long as he stays healthy and makes the trip to Churchill. Three of the four similar Winter Book favorites ran first or second in the Derby after losing their final prep in the Wood. I would think there are some similar results with a Winter Book favorite losing final Derby prep in the Derby Trial but I wasn't able to find one in Champions.

Prohibitive Derby Favorite Loses and No One Cares

Not only has horse racing lost all mainstream national television coverage during the current Derby Trail season but it has obviously lost any relevance at all until Kentucky Derby Day on May 7. The undefeated two year old champion and Kentucky Derby winter book favorite Uncle Mo was defeated today in the Wood Memorial as the 1-10 favorite. This event has not been noticed according to my review of the past of few hours on the following websites: ESPN, NY Times, CBS Sports and Fox Sports. It is the thirteenth of 13 Top Stories linked to on the Sports Illustrated website.

I fondly recall the thrill of watching countless Derby preps on the national networks in my youth of the 1970's and 1980's when it would be unimaginable that races such as the Florida Derby, the Wood, Blue Grass or the Santa Anita Derby would not be televised nationally. The sport of horse racing in the United States has been reduced to a two week season of national prominence (Kentucky Derby Day to Preakness Day) with the only exception being years when the Derby winner wins the Preakness and three more weeks of exposure through the Belmont Stakes.

I do understand the myriad of alternative options that people have to watch these events. But that doesn't hide the fact that this sport has lost all relevance with the general public outside of the two week Triple Crown window and industry geographic strongholds like Kentucky, Saratoga Springs, and Del Mar.

Bob Holthus Wins Again at Oaklawn Park

Bob Holthus - longtime leading trainer at Oaklawn - broke his O for 18 duck for the meeting today with a win by Fifth Avenue South in the first race paying $31.40.

Holthus has been winning races at Oaklawn since the early sixties - he has probably won a race at every meeting since 1964. Of course I doubt Oaklawn has any statistics on this - it will be interesting if they post anything on their website on this accomplishment.

Flat Bet Profit on all Jenna Joubert Mounts at Oaklawn

Jenna won her third race at Oaklawn on Sunday, April 3 scoring on an Arkansas bred first timer trained by David Morris who went off at 38-1! As of the end of racing at Oaklawn on Friday, April 8, Jenna's stats for the meeting were the following:

63 mounts 3 wins - 2 seconds - 7 thirds total purse money won $97,276

Equibase based statistics

A flat $2 bet on each of Jenna's mounts for the meeting would yield a positive return of $62.20 for a 49% percent return on investment! This is better than buying gold these days!

Another Sign of Decline

I knew that ESPN's Randy Moss was also doing work on the NFL Network. While watching the 2nd game of the Creighton-Oregon CBI series this evening, I found out that another horse racing network personality - Kenny Rice - is moonlighting as co-host of Inside MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) on HD Net (Mark Cuban's network).

Now it's one thing to have a second job with the NFL (Moss) or NASCAR (Kurt Becker), but Mixed Martial Arts? Of course fans of MMA probably have a similar opinion of a fading sport called horse racing.

Eclipse of America

The results from Meydan on Saturday exhibit the continued decline of American thoroughbred racing and breeding. American runners "blanked" for first time since 2003 and only the fourth time in the history of the event. Only one American trained horse hit the board - Euroears' 2nd in the Golden Shaheen - a race that Americans have dominated since it was originated. Only three American bred horses hit the board in the seven thoroughbred races - Euroears, Red Jazz (3rd) in the Mile and Master of Hounds (2nd) in the UAE Derby.

Everybody knows by now that America is a country in decline. Gone are the glory days of American dominance in thoroughbred racing. We just watch now - watch as the world's best thoroughbreds run by our poorly bred, drugged horses on racing's greatest stage at Meydan.

Alan Shuback's blog entry on the fiasco:

www.drf.com/blogs/yanks-tank-it-dubai-tarara-darara

JENNA WINS AGAIN - AT 49-1

Jenna Joubert won her second race of the meeting at Oaklawn on Saturday taking the 4th race on Deep Dive at 49-1!

JENNA WINS

Jenna Joubert won her first race at the Oaklawn meeting today - scoring on a 7-2 shot named Future Prize for trainer Larry Jones. It was on her 37th mount of the meeting.

Congratulations Jenna!

Bob Holthus had two more losing starts today. He is now O for 16 on the meeting but will win a race before Oaklawn concludes.

Then there will be just one more person who needs to win before the end of the Oaklawn meeting.

Final Six Weeks at Oaklawn

The Oaklawn meeting has begun to leak oil as it always does this time of year. Fields get shorter and prices get smaller as stables begun to leave Hot Springs for all directions - Kentucky, Chicago, Des Moines, Dallas, Shreveport - all settings of spring/summer race meetings.

The meeting hasn't experienced any defining moment yet as in years past with Zenyatta appearances or a top 3 year old colt or filly like Rachel Alexandra, Smarty Jones, Afleet Alex or Curlin.

With six weeks left to Arkansas Derby day, the race for an inaugural win for two people is what I am anxious the most to see.

Trainer Bob Holthus is 76 years old and has been racing at Hot Springs since 1953. Beset by medical issues the past few years, his daughter Debby is the main driving force behind the operation now. I don't have data on what was the last Oaklawn meeting when Holthus didn't win a race - I would guess it to be at least back to 1963 - as usual the industry stats are lacking on matters such as these. But if Holthus has won races at Oaklawn since 1964 - 48 consecutive years - it would be a euphoric winners circle celebration if he manages to continue the streak in the next six weeks. His stable is down to just a handful of horses - starting nine entries at Oaklawn with a second and a third.

Jockey Jenna Joubert is 26 years old and this is her first season riding at Hot Springs. She is from my home state of Minnesota and I remember her almost a decade ago showing up on cold Friday evenings in the simulcast parlor on the 3rd floor of Canterbury Park to watch races. She started riding at Canterbury soon after and advanced nicely in her riding career as an apprentice.

On May 14, 2009, Jenna won three races at three different tracks in three different states winning a race at Pimlico, Penn National, and Charles Town. She won her first stakes race riding Richard's Kid (in his pre Baffert days) to victory in the John B. Campbell at Laurel on February 14, 2009. Her mounts made a million dollars in 2009. Then she lost her bug and her earnings were cut in half in 2010. Now she is on the comeback trail at the ripe old age of 26 riding the b-string of Trainer Larry Jones at Oaklawn. She has had 18 mounts with two seconds and a third.

Godspeed to them both - fifty years apart - as they attempt to notch their inaugural wins over the remainder of the 2011 Oaklawn meeting.

Black Caviar - Undefeated Aussie Sprinting Mare

Black Caviar won the 57th Lightning Stakes at Flemington on Saturday to record her ninth win in nine career starts.

Racing and Sports Australia has a nice article on the Australian historical perspective of starting career with ninth successive victories

http://www.racingandsports.com.au/racing/rsNewsArt.asp?NID=201306&refID=598&tag=Lightning%20Stakes

I've never been to Australia but plan to go next spring (Australian spring) to witness the Melbourne Cup. Australia is the best country to visit that combines love of horse racing with love of gambling to produce a racing experience that is unrivaled in the world.

Edward Evans Day

The two sports that present the best stories about individuals are golf and horse racing. In horse racing, the stories are of both humans and equines.

One of the most notable parts of racing that has been lost in the past half-century - and there are many - has been the lack of homebred stables. Racing operations based on breeding horses and running them on racetracks instead of pointing the majority of horses towards commercial sale. The names of past legendary homebred racing stables are on lists of winners of every top race in North America - the Whitneys, Haggin, Calumet, Cain Hoy, Lucky Baldwin, Idle Hour Farm of Colonel Edward Riley Bradley, Darby Dan, Meadow, Overbrook, on and on. They have not all vanished - Breeders Cup Classic winner Blame is the latest of a long list of great horses bred by Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider (who in turn was continuing in the tradition of her grandfather John Olin who won the Centennial Derby with Cannonade).

Edward (Ned) Evans carried on the tradition of his father Thomas Mellon Evans who won the 1981 Derby with the homebred Pleasant Colony. Ned Evans was quoted in Blood Horse in 2002 saying "My operation has always been separate, and I've been doing this for a long time." Thomas Mellon Evans - a cousin of another great breeder-owner Paul Mellon - was a legendary corporate raider of fifties and sixties and obviously Ned Evans wanted to be recognized for his own accomplishments. Evans had purchased Spring Hill Farm in 1969 and in earlier racing days he would have rightfully been called "The Master of Spring Hill Farm".

Ned Evans died on New Year's Eve at Mt. Sinai Hospital of leukemia at the age of 68. Today at Aqueduct, Dance Quietly - the first horse to run in Evans' familiar colors - Yellow, Black Diamond Hoops, Two Black Chevrons on Sleeves, Black Cap - since his death won the 38th running of the Busanda. Within the hour, a horse named My Uncle Ned - a homebred of Evans' brother Robert - won a maiden turf race at the Fair Grounds paying $24.80.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

This Day in Racing History – 100 Years Ago

 

They’re off at Juarez - opening day of racing at inaugural meeting of the Juarez Jockey Club at Terrazas Park. Pinkola wins the Chihuahua handicap in front of a crowd of 6,000. 7-1 Enfield takes the first race. Chicago Tribune reports that 30 poolrooms or bucketshops are taking the race reports and this earns the track 3k a day (this would continue to be the major revenue source for the track while it raced 8 winters during 7 of which Mexico was undergoing civil wars). Racing would be conducted on Sunday during the meeting. 

From the New York Sun – February,1914

"There is one permanent institution in Mexico, the Juarez race track. No matter whether the Federals or the Constitutionalists are in possession of the town the 'ponies' gallop around the circular track for purses, and the bookmakers give odds to gringoes and greasers alike."

Damon Runyon met his 2nd wife at the track.  The US army fought one of its final cavalry fights around the racetrack in 1919. 

Dog racing took over the facility but you can still  see the outlines of the track on Google maps.

http://wikimapia.org/1793183/Juarez-Racetrack-Driving-Range

Breeders Cup Thoughts

Coolmore's record is the Breeders Cup is quite poor - winning only 34% of the races that they should have. With favorites, they are even worst - 1 for 12. They may win a race over the two days but I have to look suspiciously on all of their favorites - from Lillie Langtry in the Juve Filly Turf to Rip Van Winkle in the Classic. Other habitual overbet horses come from Juddmonte (with the exception of the F&M Turf) and the barns of Todd Pletcher and Christophe Clement.

I'm going to concentrate on local SoCal trainers/runners - from Black Astor in the Marathon to Richard's Kid and Einstein in the Classic. I think the wild card is Godolphin - they have underperformed to date at Breeders but they have been very hot since the Saratoga meeting and are primed for a big effort this weekend.

Andy Beyer can still produce the fresh goods - his take on the BC Sprint in his preview column is a very contrarian look at this race http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/05/AR2009110502549.html

Best stories would be Bobby Frankel winning any race, Bob Holthus training Pure Clan to victory in the F&M Turf, Presious Passion in the Turf and of course, Zenyatta in the Classic.

Friday's card looks to be a lot more chalky than Saturday - ending with an impressive victory by either Music Note or Careless Jewel or a great duel to the wire.

Betting Without Borders - 140th Tenno Sho (Autumn) at Tokyo

Company
Screen Hero
Vodka

All prices in denomination of 1

Win Prices
North America - 10.4
Japan - 11.5
Australia -Queensland Tab - 10.1

Exacta Prices
North America - 365.1
Japan - 292.7
Australia - Queensland Tab - 538.2

Trifecta Prices
North America - 862.8
Japan - 1021.10
Australia - Queensland Tab - 2002.9

Legends Strike!

The Thoroughbred Legends first timer - Accessorize - trained by Nick Zito ran down the favored Sure As Gold on the rail to get up at 17-1 in the 2nd at Belmont. The colt is by AP Indy and is a half to talented turf runner Prussion and bred by Monticule. Bought for $300k at 2008 Keeneland September - one to watch for in the future.

http://www.tlrstable.com/

Belmont- October 11 - 2nd Race

First timers in here are from Stonestreet (Jess Jackson), Juddmonte, Thoroughbred Legends (Zito - Lukas - Baffert) and Will Farish (trained for first time by Shug?) and 2nd timers from Darley (Sheikh Mo), Mill House and Donald Dizney. Quite an impressive list of heavyweight owners and breeders. The Pletcher-Mill House entry of Sure As Gold is heavily favored.

The 88th Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe

Alan Shubeck in his story on the recent Arc refers to the 90th running of the event. The official website - http://www.prixarcdetriomphe.com/ - says it is the 88th running of the greatest race in Europe. You would think that the Daily Racing Form could get their history right on this. The inaugural running of the race was in 1920 - Alan has included 1939 and 1940 in his count when there were no races held due to World War II.

This Day in Racing History - June 3, 1944

76th Belmont Stakes won by 16-1 shot Bounding Home over favored Calumet Farm’s Pensive who is denied in his bid for Triple Crown glory in front of 34,233. Thrilling stretch drive sees Bounding Home in lead turning for home and Pensive held off by half-length in thrilling stretch drive. Belmont Stakes went off at 4:38: 30 seconds, CBS stations including WABC cut away from the race at 4:39 p.m. EWT to broadcast the false news flash that the Allies had landed in France. WOR and 125 stations in the Mutual System were also carrying the Belmont waited a few minutes longer to about 4:40 before broadcasting the false news. NY Racing Commission was about to cancel last two races on card when it learned the report was wrong. News never announced to Belmont patrons. False news also read over the loudspeaker at Polo Grounds at game between Giants and Pirates. D-Day would begin three days later.

TVG Presents The World

TVG offered a 24 hour presentation of racing from across the world beginning on Saturday morning and ending Sunday morning. Races shown included the Victoria Mile romp of the great Japanese mare Vodka and the upset win of Gloria De Campeao in the Singapore International Cup - along with the usual fare of Australian racing. Betfair is obviously making an attempt to introduce some new ideas with TVG and this one is a very good idea. Within this period of 24 hours, Rachael Alexandria won the Preakness, Vodka won her 5th Group I in Japan, and the French BC Mile winner Goldikova returned to the races with a disappointing 7th in the Prix d'Ispahan at Longchamps (not shown on TVG but available on the great international racing video site http://www.world-horse-racing.blogspot.com/. That's just the action from the distaff side. Gloria De Campeao's held off favorite Presvis in the Singapore Cup and a race earlier the Hong Kong sprinter Sacred Kingdom became the first horse to defeat the Singapore top sprinter Rocket Man with Godolphin's well travelled sprinter Diabolical in 3rd and Australian top sprinter Takeover Target finishing 8th.

I don't believe there is much interest in international racing yet within the horseplayer community. Obviously some will bet on any pictures that come into a simulcast facility. Australia has done a great job of marketing and presenting their races over the past decade. Hong Kong racing has been popular in the past when presented and continues to be a big draw in certain West Coast cities. Dubai racing has expanded beyond World Cup day. TVG has been presenting Japanese racing for the last few years, Magna has been attempting to drum up interest with South American racing, and YouBet recently signed a deal with South African and British racing organizations.

Overall however, I doubt the international handle amounts to even 5% of total North American wagers (not sure if it's even 1%). I'm not even sure anyone in the industry has an accurate number for this total.

What I would like to see is an increased emphasis on a dozen or so high-class international events presented by racing organizations around the world. Hong Kong International Day, Singapore Cup Day, Arc de Triomphe day, King George day, Dubai World Cup day, Japan Cup day - along with North American events like Breeders Cup and Canadian International day at Woodbine. International commingled wagering, a series of similar events on each racing card, racing information presented in a variety of formats, uniform medication rules, broadcasts available to the entire world via internet at a minimum - these events would represent the best that racing has to offer on a global scale.

The International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (http://www.horseracingintfed.com/) has hosted various conferences on this topic but everything still seems to move in slow motion. At least horseplayers who want to follow races internationally have numerous terrific websites to keep them current - now if we could only wager on these events in significant pools.

Betting Without Borders - Singapore International Day

Singapore International Cup Results (denomination of 1)

North America
Win Place
Gloria De Campeao 50.80 9.8
Presvis 1.05
Balius 3.2

Exacta 210.4
Tri 783.8
Super 8239.5

Singapore

Win Place
Gloria De Campeao 25.00 5.6
Presvis 1.4
Balius 2.8

Exacta (Forecast) 77.00
Trifecta (Tierce) 1,904
Super 6665


Exacta 210.4
Tri 783.8
Super 8239.5

Western Australian TAB

Win Place
Gloria De Campeao 22.20 7.2
Presvis 1.3
Balius 4.3

Exacta 113.6
Trifecta 1126.9
Super 5076.4

France

Win Place
Gloria De Campeao 6.2 1.9
Presvis 1.4
Balius 3.0

Exacta (Couple Gagnant) 8
Trifecta (Tierce Ordre) 85.8

Les turfistes de France took it on the short end of the mutual payoffs when the Pascal Bary trained Gloria De Campeao followed up a 2nd in the Dubai World Cup with a win in the 9th Singapore International Cup at Kranji racecourse.

Preakness 118 - Random Thoughts

Note: I refuse to recognize the 16 so called "Preakness" races run in New York around the turn of the 20th Century - there is no proof that the Preakness stakes run in New York were connected to the race begun at Pimlico. More on that later.

1) NBC does an absolutely magnificent job covering horse racing. Today's broadcast was the best I have ever seen of a horse racing broadcast (going back to Canonero II's Triple Crown bid). They started with a half-hour of the Mine That Bird story and the subsequent purchase of Rachael Alexandria to run in the race with Calvin Borel taking the mount on the filly over the Derby winner. I'm sure for viewers not familiar with the sport it must have been rather confusing what was happening - why wouldn't Borel ride the Derby winner at the Preakness? Jay Leno didn't even bring up the subject when Borel appeared on the Tonight Show Tuesday evening. NBC told the story very well. Bob Costas has become more comfortable with racing even with the usual "wink-wink" bit when discussing breeding Rachael Alexandria to Curlin. Tom Hammond was superb on the broadcast as usual. NBC did use the Vinery colors during the race for Friesan Fire instead of the Fox Hill colors and could have interviewed Mark Allen and/or Ahmed Zayat to discuss their actions last week but these are minor items.

2) It's sad that racing does not have a comprehensible narrative post-Triple Crown. There were numerous references to the Belmont Stakes during the broadcast even though NBC gives way to ABC for that telecast. Rather than asking Jess Jackson question on Rachael Alexandra's participation in the Belmont, better questions might have been whether the filly would venture to Santa Anita's Pro-Ride surface for the Breeders' Cup, what race might she be pointed to, and whether she might follow Curlin's career path with a four year old campaign. Jess Jackson may not have had much to say on these but at least they give a longer timeframe for the filly's prospective future races than the first weekend in June. Horse Racing has the Triple Crown series and that's it for public awareness. A top goal of the sport as a whole must be to keep the series as prominent as it now is and expand beyond the Triple Crown with a narrative that can be communicated clearly.

3) Jess Jackson's actions with Rachael Alexandra must be heartily commended. He is a true sportsman.

4) The sport has a potential golden opportunity with the gelding Mine That Bird similar to what Funny Cide's post Triple Crown career offered racing. Good Horse, Willing to Travel. I'm sure the infamous "envelope" for the Haskell will be offered to the Mine That Bird team and gratefully received. It would be nice to see a trip to Saratoga also on the schedule.

5) Overall it's hard to imagine a better Triple Crown two punch than what has occurred during the past two weeks - the ratings have and will be fantastic, the sport hit the cover of Sports Illustrated again and made a raucous appearance on Tonight Show, and no one was injured during the races. Bravo!

This Date in Racing History - May 5

1908– Churchill Downs meeting begins with pari-mutuel betting and auction pools. $5 dollar minimum for pari-mutuels. 34th running of the Kentucky Derby won by Stone Street – carrying the blue jacket and white sash of CE Hamilton and ridden by Arthur Pickens defeating the pride of Louisville favorite Sir Cleges back in 2nd. Famous Parimutuel Derby with authorities preventing bookmaking on the race. Events kept crowd down to 15,000 – approx 5,000 less than previous year – and cut wagering in half at least. Top two horses were still racing against each other in selling races at Churchill three years later as six year old geldings.

1934 - Cavalcade wins the 60th Kentucky Derby in front of record crowd of 60,000 at Churchill Downs - defeating A.G. Vanderbilt's Discovery in 2nd with the Dixiana filly Mata Hari fading to 4th after leading early. Cavalcade owned by Isabel Dodge Sloane's Brookmeade Stable. Ms. Sloane would become the first ever female leading owner in purse money won at the end of 1934.

1955 - Trainer Robert “Red” McDaniel saddles a horse in the sixth race at Golden Gate Fields, leaves before the race goes off, drives to the Golden Gate Bridge and jumps to his death at the age of 44. He had been America’s leading trainer in wins the previous 5 years and had saddled the winner of the Santa Anita Handicap in Feburary with Poona II.

1973 - 3-2 fav Secretariat wins the 99th running of the Kentucky Derby by two and a half lengths over Sham.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer publishes final edition

I was in Seattle this week and picked up a copy of final edition of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer - a paper that could trace its history back to 1863. They had a nice commemorative section that reviewed Seattle sports history. No mention of either Longacres or Emerald Downs. Rather shameful considering that Longacres' opening in 1933 after being constructed in 28 days was a huge event and the track was and its successor is an integral part of the community - more so thankfully than the money-draining, now online-only Post-Intelligencer.

http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=7394

Horses in Training - Expected Starts for Top Horses – January 12:

Acoma - 4yo f - Carroll - Helen Alexander & Helen Groves -
Afrashad – 7yo c- Suroor – Godolphin –
Albertus Maximus - 5yo c - McLaughlin - Shadwell - Donn - Gulfstream - Jan 31 - then Dubai campaign
Archipenko - 5yo c- de Kock - Sheikh Mo -
Ariege - 4yo f - Frankel - Stronach -
Arson Squad - 5yo c - Dutrow - Siegels
Asiatic Boy – 5yo c – De Kock – Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum –
Ball Four - 8yo g - Pletcher - Coolmore - Santa Anita Handicap - March 7
Barrier Reef - 4yo c - Albertrani - Darley - possible for Evening Attire - Aqueduct - Jan 17
Becrux – 7yo g – Drysdale – Team Valor & Barber –
Bob Black Jack - 4yo c - Kasparoff - Harmon & Kasparoff - out for several months with injury
Brillant – 6yo c – Howard – Mill House - Fair Grounds campaign
Casino Drive - 4yo c - Fujisawa - Hidetoshi -
Champs Elysees – 6yo h – Frankel – Juddmonte -
Charitable Man - 4yo c - McLaughlin - Warrens
Chatain – 6yo c- Penna – Lazy F Ranch –
Cocoa Beach - 5yo m- Suroor - Godolphin - will return in spring in New York
Colonel John – 4yo c – Harty – WinStar Farm - San Fernando - Santa Anita - Jan 17 or Strub - Santa Anita - Feb 7
Commentator – 7yo c – Zito – Farmer – one start in Florida then northern campaign
Cool Coal Man - 4yo c - Zito - LaPenta -
Court Vision - 4yo c - Mott - IEAH & WinStar - winter in Florida
Cowboy Cal – 4yo c – Pletcher – Stonerside – San Pasqual - Santa Anita - Jan 10 or San Fernando - Santa Anita - Jan 17 - then Strub - Santa Anita - Feb 7 - then Santa Anita Handicap - March 7
Cribnote - 3yo c- Violette - Red Diamond Stable - 3 year old campaign in Florida
Daiwa Scarlet - 5yo m- Matsuda - Keizo Oshiro - - February Stakes - Tokyo - Feb 24 - then race on Dubai World Cup night
Dearest Trickski - 5yo m- Sadler - Mankiewicz
Denis of Cork - 4yo c - Carroll -Warrens - injured - out til 2009
Diabolical – 6yo c- Suroor - Godolphin -
Diamond Stripes - 6yo h - Dutrow - Four Roses Thoroughbreds
Doctor Dino – 7yo h – Gibson – Salmean - Hong Kong Vase - Sha Tin - Dec 14
Eagle Mountain – 5yo c- de Kock - Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa - Super Thursday prep day in Dubai - March 5 – then Dubai Duty Free or Dubai Sheema Classic - Nad al Sheba - March 28
Einstein – 7yo h – Pitts – Midnight Cry - Donn - Gulfstream - Jan 31 or FP Turf Cap - Feb 23
El Gato Malo - 4yo g- C Dollase - West Point -
Euroears - 5yo c - Calhoun - Helzers - layoff for surgery
Fabulous Strike - Beattie - Downey – 6yo c – Dubai Golden Shaheen - Nad al Sheba - March 28
Fierce Wind - 4yo c - Zito - out of training for now - lung problem
Fleeting Spirit - 4yo f - Noseda - The Searchers
Forever Together – 5yo f – Sheppard – Augustin Stable - 2009 campaign to begin at Keeneland
Gayego - 4yo c - McLaughlin - Shadwell - Dubai Golden Shaheen - Nad al Sheba - March 28
Genuine Devotion - 5yo f - McLaughlin - Barry -
Georgie Boy – 4yo g – Walsh – Schwary -
Giant Gizmo - 5yo c- Frankel - Stronach - hurt - out for the year
Ginger Brew - 4yo f - Lynch - Stronach -
Gio Ponti - 4yo c - Clement - Castleton Lyons -
Go Between - 6yo h – Mott - Vegso – Sunshine Millions - January 24
Goldikova - 4yo f - F. Head - Wertheimers - will be kept in training with BC repeat main goal
Good Ba Ba - 7yo g - Schutz - Yuen -
Habaya - 3yo f - McLaughlin - Shadwell -
Harlem Rocker - 4yo c - Pletcher - Stronach - Donn - Gulfstream - Jan 31
Haynesfield - 3yo c - Asmussen - Turtle Bird -
Hello Broadway - 3yo c - Tagg - Valando - Hutcheson - Gulfstream - Jan 30
Honest Man - 6yo h - L. Jones - Fox Hill Farm -
Hyberbaric - 6yo g - Canani - Prestonwood -possible Santa Anita start - main goal - Dubai Duty Free - Nad Al Sheba - March 28
Indian Blessing – 4yo f – Baffert – Earnhardt - Palos Verdes - Santa Anita - Jan 25 then Golden Shaheen - Nad al Sheba - March 28
In Summation – 6yo c – Clement – Waterford Stable – Sunshine Millions Sprint - Santa Anita - Jan 24 or Palos Verdes - Santa Anita - Jan 25 - then return to Florida
Intangaroo - 5yo m- Sherlock - Tom Grether Farms -
Johnny Eves – 5yo c – Robbins – Hillard –
Kelly's Landing - 8yo g - Kenneally - Mr. Prospector - Gulfstream - Jan 17
Kip Deville – 6yo c – R Dutrow –IEAH Stable - Gulfstream Turf Handicap - February 1
Kodiak Kowboy – 4yo c – L. Jones - Fox Hill Farm - Fair Grounds campaign
Laragh - 3yo f - Dutrow - IEAH -
Lattice – 5yo c – Mott – Dilschneider & Claiborne –
Lear’s Princess – 5yo f – McLaughlin – West Point – injured - time off
Liquidity – 5yo c – O’Neill – Reddam –
Listen – 4yo f – O’Brien – Derrick Smith –
Literato - 5yo c - Suroor - Godolphin -
Little Belle - 4yo f- Suroor - Godolphin -
Luky Island - 5yo c - McLaughlin - Shadwell -
Macarthur - 4yo c - O'Brien - Coomore -
Macho Again - 4yo c - Stewart - West Point -
Mambo in Seattle - 4yo c- Howard - Farish - Fiar Grounds campaign
Marchand d’Or – 6yo g – F Head – Giral –
Marsh Side - 6yo h - Drysdale - Robert Evans -
Mast Track - 5yo c- Frankel - Frankel -
Meisho Samson - 6yo h - Takahashi - Matsumuto
Midshipman - 3yo c - Suroor - Godolphin - Dubai campaign before KY Derby
Minted – 4yo c – Fabre – Aga Khan –
Mint Lane - 4yo c- J Jerkins - Pinebloom Stable - injured - likely to return for 4 year old campaign
Monterey Jazz – 5yo c – C Dollase – Class Racing & Arndt -
Mr. Nightlinger - 5yo c - Calhoun - Martin Racing Stable
Much Obliged - 4yo f- Pierce - Pin Oak -
Music Note – 4yo f – Suroor – Godolphin -
Natagora – 4yo f – Bary – Friborg –
Noonmark – 6yo h – Asmussen – Bolton & Corrigan
Not Bourbon - 4yo c - Attfield - Fipke -
Old Fashioned - 3yo c - Jones - Fox Hill Farm - Southwest - Oaklawn - Feb 16 - then possibly LA Derby - Fair Grounds - March 14
On the Acorn – 8yo g – Indizguys Stable – Mitchell –
Out of Control -6yo c – Frankel – TNT Stud – Hong Kong Cup - Sha Tin - Dec 14
Pioneer of the Nile - 4yo c- Baffert - Zayat
Proud Spell – 4yo f – Larry Jones – Brereton Jones - Apple Blossom - Oaklawn - April 4
Proviso - 4yo f - Fabre - Juddmonte -
Pure Clan - 4yo f- Holthus - Lakin -
Pyro – 4yo c- Asmussen – Winchell –
Rail Trip - 4yo c - Ellis - Jay Em Ess Stable -
Rainbow View - 3yo f- Gosden - Augustin -
Rebellion - 6yo h - Motion - Hickory Tree -
Red Rocks – 6yo h – Hennig – Reddam -
Rio De La Plata – 4yo c- Suroor – Godolphin –
Run Away and Hide - 3yo c- Werner - Kird, Bates, et al -
Rutherienne – 5yo f – Clement – Virginia Kraft-Payson
Sageburg - 5yo c - Royer-Dupre - Aga Khan -
Saucey Evening - 3yo f - Motion - Augustin Stable -
Sailor's Cap - 4yo c- Toner - Team Valor -
Sakhee’s Secret – 5yo c – Morrison – Swire –
Secret Gypsy - 4yo f - Werner - Richland Hills - Gulfstream Park winter sprint stakes
Seventh Street - 4yo f - McLaughlin - Darley -
Smooth Air - 4yo c - Stutts - Mount Joy Stables - Sunshine Millions Classic - Gulstream Park - Jan 24
Solar Flare - 5yo c - L. Jones - Fox Hill Farm - Fair Grounds campaign
Spring House - 7yo c - Canani - Hubbard -
Square Eddie - 3yo c - O'Neill - Reddam - San Rafael - Santa Anita - Jan 17Stardom Bound - 3yo f - Dutrow/Frankel - IEAH - Las Virgenes - Santa Anita - Feb 9 - then Santa Anita Oaks - March 9 - then possible KY Derby track through SA Derby
Stream of Gold - McLaughlin - Zabeel -
Sweet Vendetta - 4yo f - Contessa - WinStar -
Tale of Ekati - 4yo c - Tagg - Fipke -Richter Scale - Gulfstream Park - Feb 14 or GP Handicap - March 14 then Godolphin Mile - Nad Al Sheba - March 28
Tariq – 5yo c – Chapple-Hyam – Homeizi & Sagar
Tiago – 5yo c – Shirreffs – Moss – San Antonio - Santa Anita - Feb 8
Tizdejavu - 4yo c - Greg Fox - Cooper & Ziebarth -
Tribesman – 5yo g – Hansen – Qvale
Two Step Salsa - 4yo c - Suroor - Godolphin - Dubai World Cup or Godolphin Mile - Nad al Sheba - March 28
Unbridled's Heart - 4yo c- Suroor - Godolphin -
Ventura - 5yo m - Frankel - Juddmonte - Santa Monica - Santa Anita - Jan 31
Vineyard Haven - 4yo c - Suroor - Godolphin- Dubai campaign - then KY Derby
Visionario – 5yo c – Fabre – Aga Khan -
Well Armed – 6yo h – Harty – WinStar Farm –
Whatsthescript - 5yo c- Sadler - Tommy Town -
Yeats – 8yo h – O’Brien – Coolmore – 8yo h - Ascot Gold Cup - June 19
Youmzain - 6yo ho - Channon - Jaber Abdullah - Dubai Sheema Classic - Nad al Sheba - March 28
Zada Belle - 4yo f - Albertrani - Darley - Fritchie - Laurel - Feb 16 or Distaff - Aqueduct - March 21
Zambezi Sun - 5yo c - Frankel - Juddmonte - California winter campaign
Zenyatta – 5yo m – Shirieffs – Moss - resting for 5 year old campaign beginning in spring at Hollywood
Zulu Chief - 4yo c - O'Brien - Coolmore -

Zayat 2 year olds win in Florida and New York

Z Day - bought for 150k at Keeneland September - won in his 4th start in the 3rd race at Aqueduct at

Zoi Zoi - bought for 575k at Fasig-Tipton February O8 - won her debut race very impressively in the 3rd at Calder for Todd Pletcher at 3-5.

The stable also has the 2yo filly Heart Ashley running in the last race at Fair Grounds today - an allowance race for nw1x.

Even though it would be hard to describe anyone "rooting" for some of the large stables that dominate North American racing today, it still would be good for the sport to do more to acknowledge the star stables such as Zayat, Darley/Godolphin, IEAH, Juddmonte, Coolmore.

Bris has a link to watch the entries for this stable - for some reason it didn't have Zoi Zoi in the Calder race today. I am not sure if Bris has watches for other large stables:

http://www.zayatstables.com/newWin.html?frameHref=http://www.brisnet.com/cgi-bin/briswatch.cgi/public/ZayatStables/ZAYAT+STABLES+LLC/9999/summary.html

Day after Breeders' Cup at Belmont

Zenyatta's half-sister Treasure Trail ran her first race as a 2 year old for Shug McGaughey today in the 6th race at Belmont - she ran 4th at 4-1 after running similar to her sister - breaking last and making a sweeping move entering the stretch but hung a bit late unlike the champ.

In the Turnback the Alarm stakes, Altesse won a game wire to wire victory over the Stronach mare Spring Waltz by coming back in stretch after being overtaken.

Betting Without Borders - 2008 Caulfield Cup Payouts

North American payouts ($1 dollar)

All The Good Win - $41.65
Exacta - $733.50
Quinella - $279.45
Trifecta (All in 3rd spot) - $1,257.05
Super - (All in 3rd & 4th spots) - $2,025.40

NSW Tab ($1 dollar)
All the Good Win - $51.90
Exacta - $735.90
Quinella - $471.90
Trifecta - $63,367
Super (called First Four in Aussie) - $735,584.40

Victoria Tab ($1 dollar)
All the Good Win - $47.70
Exacta - $811.30
Quinella - $423.10
Trifecta - $71,679.00
Super (called Victorian First Four in Aussie) - $936,128 including jackpot payoff of $201,378.05

Good report on betting on the race in Victoria (Melbourne:

http://www.thoroughbrednews.co.nz/spring-racing/Default.aspx?id=37208&page=1&keyword=

Thanksgiving Weekend in Canada

Holiday racing this weekend at Woodbine. Today's stakes are the Carotene for 3yo Ontario fillies and the 98th running of the Durham Cup for 3 and up going a mile and an eighth. All horseplayers should be thankful for Woodbine. Woodbine Entertainment runs one of the classiest racing operations in North America. The track is lively and racing is split off nicely from the slot area. The television production is excellent - I just watched a rundown of the Top 5 Durham Cups in recent history. They run their biggest days - Queen's Plate, Woodbine Mile, and Canadian International days - extremely well. Their website is among racing's best also.

Best International Race Days

1) Arc day at Longchamp
2) Dubai World Cup Day
3) Breeders Cup weekend
4) Hong Kong Cup day at Sha Tin
5) Japan Cup
6) Melbourne Cup
7) Royal Ascot meeting
8) Canadian International Day at Woodbine

Best Regional/Local Bred Race Days

1) Sunshine Millions Day
2) Cal Cup Day
3) KY Cup Day
4) Queen's Plate Day at Woodbine
5) Maryland Million Day at Laurel
6) Lousiana Champions Day at FG

Magna Woes

Frank Stronach started a 3 year old filly named In Hot Soup in the 3rd race at Woodbine today. She finished 2nd as 2-1 fav.

Labor Day Racing in North America

Final day of racing for the year at Ellis Park, River Downs, Canterbury Park, Timonium, Fairmount Park, Sacramento, Ruidoso, and of course, Saratoga.

Highlight of the day will be the 104th renewal of the Hopeful at Saratoga featuring Coolmore's Munnings, Darley's Desert Party and the New York bred wonder Cribnote.

There is plenty of good stakes action from 50k to 200k including multiple stakes cards at Canterbury, Del Mar, Finger Lakes, Monmouth, Mountaineer, Pinnacle, Presque Isle, Remington, and Woodbine.

The best card of the day may be at Philadelphia Park where they are offering their first slots-enhanced Pennsylvania Derby- the 29th running - with a million dollar purse that drew a full field of 14. 5k & 7.5k claimers running for purses of 16k at the track - how can a non-slots state like Maryland possibly compete?

A few other items on today's racing:

Females may take all three stakes today at Remington - even though only one is carded exclusively for them. The 2 year old filly Seacrettina will go postward favorite for the Clever Trevor and the Pin Oak 5 year old mare Brownie Points will likely be the same in the DeBartolo Handicap.

The 6 year old gelding Joey P tries for his 13th win on the Jersey Shore in Icecapade (9th) at Monmouth.

Just Like Biscuit is in the Cradle Stakes at River Downs today - this 2 year old has already run 8 times already - probably the most of any 2 year old in North America. No runner in the Del Mar Debutante has run more than 4 times. There is no indication that running 2 year olds this often causes detriment to their future career - regardless of what some commentators have written about lately.

Arlington Park runs their full 10 race card on the turf today in an event called the Turf Showcase.

My local track - Canterbury - has a cracker card featuring the locally owned Grade II Cornhusker winner Wayzata Bay returning on closing day for the second consecutive year and a meeting of the two best local 2 year olds - Minnetonka Mist and Win Willy - in the 4th race.

The Great Mares

Monmouth is running the Miss Woodford stakes on Sunday as part of the undercard with the feature being the 63rd running of the Molly Pitcher starring the great mare Hystericalady. Miss Woodford was the best horse around - male or female - in 1884 with a perfect 9 for 9 year - part of a 16 race winning streak over three years beginning when she was three in 1883 and ending when she was five in 1885. Miss Woodford stakes on Sunday is at 6 furlongs - a distance that Miss Woodford probably didn't run past the age of two.

At least they keep running the Miss Woodford at Monmouth. Another great race mare Ginger Punch won the 61st Personal Ensign stakes at Saratoga on Friday winning a long stretch duel by a nose. Personal Ensign retired undefeated in 1988 with a perfect 13 for 13 record - obviously deserving the recognition of a Grade I race. But the stakes race now named for Personal Ensign was previously named for the great race mare Firenze from 1948 through 1984. Firenze was the best horse in the country - male or female - in 1888 when she race 22 times, winning 13 races and never finishing out of the money. The majority of her races were against males and she was owned by James Ben Ali Haggin whose silks can still by seen on the turf when his descendant Louis Lee Haggin III runs a horse.

I'm glad Monmouth honors a great mare whose name very few people now would recognize and I wish that NYRA would find a way to have to continue to honor a great race mare from the 19th century.

Whitney Day 2008

Watching the action from Saratoga today, horse racing looks very good on HD TV - Keeneland is broadcasting all their races in HD starting with the fall meet.

Winning Colors' 2nd to last foal - Ocean Colors - was practically distanced as the 13-10 favorite in the Schuylerville on opening day at the Spa. But today, Personal Ensign's final foal - Baronial wins a maiden race in her 4th start. Here is link to NY Times story by Bill Finley from opening day: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/23/sports/othersports/23racing.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Trainer Bret Calhoun won two turf stakes today - winning the Taylor's Special at Arlington with Mr. Nightlinger (winning his fourth straight race) and the San Clemente at Del Mar with Storm Mesa (winning her fifth straight race and third consecutive stakes).

The Daily Racing Form should expand the Watchmaker Watch to include breakouts of top 10 horses in each Breeders Cup division. Mr. Nightlinger would be included in the turf sprint division.