Nostalgic Horse

Saturday featured cakewalks for two of the best fillies of our time, but it was a mere blip on the radar screen. It seems pointless that these two greats keep beating up on some poor lesser fillies and mares. Rachel faced just two horses and they were brave indeed. Apparently the Preakness did not take anything out of the superstar as she just crushed her rivals.

Zenyatta bested her rivals without even trying very hard, but set no stake record and did not appear as dazzling. It isn’t every day we are treated to seeing a horse romp home 19 lengths the winner.

After the Preakness a fellow coworker was talking about Rachel Alexandra. He likes the horses, and bets when he is at area casinos. He was praising the Preakness winner, and I said “well there is one that may be even better.” I then mentioned Zenyatta’s name and he said…”never heard of her.”. Now that is sad! But it is also a testament to her schedule and the poor promoting thoroughbred racing does of its stars.

Instead of watching Hank Goldberg run through his money and squander the contents of his piggy bank on race day as he goes about not choosing one winner, why not highlight the horses that are currently at the top of their game? Introduce the public that just turns out during the Triple Crown races to a horse like Zenyatta. Wet their appetites of the upcoming states races, and the horses that the Triple Crown stars will be taking on later in the year. Watching Goldberg, an ‘expert horse handicapper’ lose money all the time, does not make gamblers want to run to the track with their hard earned cash. He makes them think they would be better off sticking a twenty in a slot machine.

As far as the two females meeting, a match race would be the dumbest thing that could happen. That is not Zenyatta’s running style and altering it for one race would not be a worthy indicator of her talent. Jess Jackson also cannot be blamed for not rushing back to the scene of Curlin’s defeat last year. If he doesn’t like synthetics, he doesn’t like synthetics. No big deal. Santa Anita should have known many East Coast stars would not be flocking to their doors simply because they put the Breeders Cup there. For many owners and trainers it is an unproven track that sometimes runs a little quirky. They aren’t used to it, and why make Rachel Alexandra try and topple Zenyatta (two years her senior so she has the advantage there anyway) at a track she has never run on? The fact that it is not proven to reduce breakdowns is another issue entirely.

It is understandable that Zenyatta runs in the state she is based, but why must she face mares all the time, the best being her very own stablemate? She isn’t facing the best fillies and mares, so at least make it a little more interesting and have her face some second tier boys.

It does appear that by staying on the East Coast Rachel will have the tougher schedule and therefore become the front runner for Horse of the Year especially if she topples males again in either the Haskell or Travers. If she does that and adds a few more Grade I races against females to her resume, she won’t need the Breeders Cup, especially if Zenyatta’s clan opts for the Ladies Classic again. Beating another bunch of fillies and mares that does not include Rachel Alexandra will not amount to the trophy they seek most this year. Staying perfect may not be enough especially when the darling of the racing world makes winning look so impossibly easy.

by: Elizabeth Rancani

Now it is announced that Jess Jackson who we all adored last year for bringing Curlin back at four, owns super filly Rachel Alexandra, and may run her in the Preakness Stakes. That should be a good thing for the sport, but for some reason I am getting visions of a man who wants so badly to be back in the limelight and have the top horse, that he will go to whatever ends to get it. The late Stuart Janney could probably teach him a thing or too about the limelight and what is really important in horse racing.

No, it is not breeding. Nor, is it seeing another Triple Crown winner. If Mine That Bird loses the Preakness, horse racing will continue on, staggering around on three legs like it has done for the past two decades, but it will still survive. It will sit on the back page of sports sections, until next year’s Kentucky Derby and hope of another Triple Crown winner comes along. Then a horse like Big Brown or Smarty Jones, one that was expected to win the Kentucky Derby, may take it back to the front page until after the Belmont Stakes, win or lose.

Horse racing has suffered two deaths during the Triple Crown since 2006, both were front page news. The feel good sport suffered major image problems after last year’s Kentucky Derby with the death of Eight Belles. So too was the death of the great filly Ruffian after a highly touted match race in 1975. One sportswriter at the time said it was like the titanic going down when Ruffian stumbled on that track. Another said it is like the sport never fully recovered from that incident. If Rachel Alexandra cannot handle the pressure on the track at Pimlico in the Preakness stakes, and injury befalls her, heaven help the sport of kings. It was not any less when Go For Wand died on the track at the Breeders Cup, but the masses don’t watch the Breeders Cup. The Cup, although a far more interesting day in horse racing, in my opinion, doesn’t warrant the press the Triple Crown does.

Randy Moss wrote a very interesting article for ESPN about the star filly. He said that just because Rachel Alexandra makes it look easy, doesn’t mean it is easy for her, or that the Oaks didn’t take a lot out of her. There is a lot of truth to that. Great horses run very fast, because that is what they love to do. They have speed, class, stamina and a heart to match. It is often the heart that carries them on long after the body has grown weary. There is little doubt if Rachel Alexandra would let a horse pass her in the stretch tired or not, and that is too eerily similar of that other late great filly. Ruffian’s trainer, Whiteley once said, “only the good ones get hurt. The bad ones don’t run hard enough to get hurt.” He was spot on. Go for Wand ran her heart out when the older mare Bayokoa refused to yield. Go for Wand carried on, until her weary legs could carry her no farther. She ran until all that was left was three legs, with a fourth dangling, grossly deformed. It is an image that will never leave me. Eight Belles ran the race of her life and a few strides past the finish line both broke ankles. Ruffian ran on a broken leg for 300 yards, for she refused to lose, thus eliminating all chance of survival.

Horses nowadays are not bred for durability. Fact. It is therefore the job of the owner and trainer to ensure that a horse is at its absolute peak when asking for its absolute best. Rachel will have just two weeks between the Oaks and Preakness, the smallest margin of time between races ever for her. And she will be asked to run the race of her life, against some equally tough boys, many with a lot more rest than she. Is it that important for her to win the Preakness Stakes? Frank Whiteley was adamant against Ruffian’s match race. She had just won the filly Triple Crown, and although she made it look easy, the spring still took its toll on his filly. He wanted to wait to face the boys in the fall, and said numerous times, he couldn’t wait until the fall so Ruffian could ‘whip ol Forego’s butt’. He said there was not a horse in the country who could beat her, and that may have been the truth. Oh, what a race that would have been- Ruffian and Forego. But, her owner was dazzled by the attention she drew, and felt the three ring circus the match race brought about was a way to tap into that in a big way. No one will say that celebrity didn’t motivate the decision. Horse racing had a star, and instead of jubilation, the sport opened itself up to scrutiny and many who watched that match race, never watched another race again. The sport apparently learned a lesson that day as well because there has not been a match race between major stars since.

Too bad the lesson was lost on some of the sport’s participants. Jess Jackson was the hero last year, and whether or not he stays that way, depends on how he handles his stable’s newest star. He is in a precarious situation, for Hal Wiggins made Rachel a force on the track, and if Asmusssen doesn’t have that same luck, people will always blame Jackson for the trainer switch. If, however, something happens to the filly in the next few weeks, Jackson will become the quintessential villain, and will suffer the likes of what Larry Jones endured last year after Eight Belle’s death. What Jones went through will look like a walk in the park by comparison.

After four major defections this week, including race day favorite, I Want Revenge, a race that seemed wide open was won in convincing fashion by a relative unknown. Coming down the stretch it appeared as though Pioneer of the Nile, Musket Man and Papa Clem were going to hammer it out to the wire. It would have been the closest Derby win in a long time.

However, one horse was flying up the rail fittingly named Mine That Bird. Suddenly a horse no one thought had a chance pulled ahead to win by 6 3/4 lengths, the largest margin of victory since 1946. Barbaro and Big Brown won by large margins, and shortly after, everyone said the Triple Crown drought was about to end.

No one is saying that now. Maybe it is because his trainer won just one race all year. Now make that two. Maybe it is because the colt was purchased for just $9500 and his recent outings in New Mexico did not exactly scream champion. Another colt was purchased for a bargain basement price back in 1976, and he went on to wear the crown in 1977. So, it can happen.

Mine That Bird certainly doesn’t have a pauper’s pedigree. His sire won the Belmont Stakes and thwarted America’s darling, Smarty Jones in his Triple Crown bid. His granddaddy wore the roses in 1996 (Grindstone). His maternal grandfather is the sire of dual Horse of the Year Curlin.

While it would have been nice to see Larry Jones win this year to atone for his haunting loss of Eight Belles last year, Friesen Fire finished way back. Perhaps, this was the best storyline, however, and Mine That Bird certainly has the makings of America’s horse. To see a horse that was originally purchased for just under $10,000 win the roses, is what the American dream is built on. Anyone can win the Derby.  A horse doesn’t have to be owned by a sheik or be a multi million dollar yearling purchase. In the end it was a little gelding ridden by a small town Louisiana native who looks like he would be more comfortable in  a trailer park than meeting the Queen of England who won the hearts and roses at the 135th running of America’s most prestigious race.

Mine That Bird may not be such a fluke or one hit wonder either. He was good enough at two to string together four wins, and become Canada’s two year old of the year. He was then sold and transferred to New Mexico, where he certainly didn’t seem to live up to his two year old campaign. Maybe he just wasn’t ready or maybe he just relished the sloppy going at Churchill Downs. Either way he is the only horse that stands a chance at winning the most coveted prize in all of horse racing. Now his connections are not sure The Preakness is well suited for their horse, or if it is even in their plans. If he is to pass, he would be the fourth Derby winner in history to pass the second jewel. Bubbling Over passed in 1926 and his own grandsire passed after being injured in 1996. Spend a Buck is the only horse in history that was perfectly healthy and opted for another race instead of The Preakness Stakes.

If Mind That Bird runs at Pimlico he will likely face Papa Clem, Mr. Fantasy and Take the Points. Quality Road will not be ready for the Preakness, and the jury is out on I Want Revenge, Friesen Fire and Pioneer of the Nile. Fifty eight percent of Derby winners also win the Preakness. If he can duplicate his Derby run, the second jewel is his.

Making the task easier is the fact that the most talented, and fastest three year old will be in the barn on Preakness day, and that is just plain wrong. Rachel Alexandra was nothing short of breathtaking this week, and for the first time ever a realistic comparision to the great Ruffian can be made. Calvin Borel never moved on the filly, and she coasted home to win by over 20 lengths. Not even Mine That Bird could have handled her on Saturday, and it is unlikely he will ever be up to that task. Lucky for him, he can get through the Triple Crown without ever having to face that star filly.

I Want Revenge will be scratched from The Kentucky Derby. Thankfully, the trainers this year are being cautious and realize that one race, does not a career make. It is better to withdraw and be around another day, than to run in the slop against a calvary charge of horses, some green, and risk a good horse never being the same again. Too many horses came to the Derby in good form, only to never run the same again.

So thank you IEAH, Jeff Mullins for putting your horse first. No one wants a repeat of last year’s Derby, and perhaps, that is why so many horses were at Churchill Downs last week, but will not be in the starting gate today. Quality Road is battling quarter cracks, and Square Eddie is dealing with sore shins again.

The will live to race another day. And that makes a lot of sense, indeed.

The Kentucky Derby is now six days away, and certainly this group seems far superior than last year’s bunch. Many have run a beyer number over 100 (an absolute essential for a Derby winner) in a prep. This year’s betting will be tough, as there is a case to be made for a number of them.

Some things to consider when betting the Derby-

Quality Road continues to battle a quarter crack, and this close to the Derby, it cannot be a good thing. A twenty horse field is expected, and with that much traffic, a horse needs to be in ‘perfect’ condition. Many horses have come out of the Kentucky Derby and never run the same again. Quality Road is too good to subject him to that. Save him for the Preakness where he will have more time to heal, and show his true self. A run in the Kentucky Derby is not worth a career. No where is luck more necessary than the Kentucky Derby, and lady luck claims many chances leading up to it every year. Quality Road holds the fastest beyer in our Derby preps this year, but the quarter crack negates his Derby chances.

That being said Gulfstream should take a look at their track. No doubt his quarter cracks came as a result of the rock hard track that is making track records fall to claimers and allowance horses alike. No one needs another catastrophic breakdown, and there is nothing to be gained from racing over a track like that one. Quality Road’s Derby hopes may be over after prepping in Florida. It should make other trainers think long and hard about sending their best babies out that way.

One horse that was supposed to be out, is now back in. Square Eddie had the talent last year and looked like a potential Derby winner, but ran short in the Blue Grass. Was one race enough to make it to the Derby winner’s circle? That is doubtful, but he should be a really good horse later this year.

What do with make of the overseas gang? Well, they certainly are talented, running 1-2 in the UAE Derby, but preps overseas have not netted a Derby winner yet, and it might not this year either. Although, these to seem to be the best hope to overcome that particular curse, their numbers fall somewhat below America’s best hopes.

Dunkirk’s 108 beyer in the Florida Derby has many fans smelling roses, but the Apollo curse looms large. Pletcher as a trainer (0 for 22 now?) looms larger. Mr. Finley at ESPN feels that Gomez made a mistake choosing Pioneer of the Nile over this colt, based solely on beyers, but really it would have looked silly to choose a horse that has never won a Grade I event over the seasoned Pioneer. Gomez owed Baffert and Pioneer that much, and Dunkirk has a lot to overcome to wind up in the winner’s circle. While many would point to Big Brown’s success last year, one would have to argue that the horses in this year’s Derby are faster. Dunkirk may be a Big Brown, but that is where the comparisions end from last year’s three year olds.

Pioneer of the Nile is not getting enough respect, but being a student of beyer numbers and how they play in the Derby, I can see why. He does seem to do what he has to do to win, and like Gary Stevens said “will only get better when he has a faster pace to run at.” Sometimes it appears that he is only ‘playing’ with his fields.  He also has Bob Baffert, who is no stranger to the Derby.  He has been flattered by the horses he defeated though, and it is not hard to imagine him jumping up 10 points or more on dirt. I Want Revenge will be the post time favorite, and he finished behind Pioneer twice. If Pioneer takes to dirt like his workout says he will, he will be very tough to beat. Rumor has it, he is a headcase though, and headcases struggle in twenty horse fields. The only horse that may beat him Saturday is himself.

I Want Revenge was fabulous winning The Wood Memorial. For a horse to overcome adversity and still rally in the stretch to win, takes a special horse. He will be the likely favorite, and rightly so on Saturday. He has it all; class, speed, stamina and maturity. Often in the Derby maturity is most important, which is one of the reasons a seasoned horse wears the roses most often.

Last year’s gallant second place finisher Eight Belles’ memory will haunt Churchill Downs this year, and no one but the Peta gang will be sad to see Friesen Fire take top prize. Larry Jones should end his career on a high note, and brings his best shot at the Derby to Louisville. Friesen Fire got his act together, and his only knock is a seven week lay off. Jones got a Danzig colt to a second place finish off a six week layoff so he knows how to work them so as not to have a short horse. If what horse people say is true and there are Derby gods, surely they owe Jones the roses.

Top Ten List

1. Pioneer of the Nile (beyer high 96)

2. I Want Revenge (beyer high 113)

3. Quality Road (beyer high 113)

4. Friesen Fire (beyer high 104)

5. Desert Party

6. Regal Ransom

7. Papa Clem (beyer high 101)

8. Dunkirk (beyer high of 108)

9. General Quarters (beyer high of 102)

10. Musket Man

A lot of handicappers would not think of betting a horse in the Derby that has not broken into the triple digit beyer numbers. The last horse to win without doing so in a prep was Giacomo. Quality Road would be the top pick if not for the quarter cracks. I Want Revenge and Papa Clem improved on dirt so if Pioneer of the Nile does just that it is hard to see him not winning the Derby. Regal Ransom should give him some pace to run at, and I Want Revenge, Musket Man, Friesen Fire, Quality Road, General Quarters and Desert Party will be there pressing it. Pioneer, Dunkirk, Chocolate Candy, Win Willy, Hold Me Back and West Side Bernie will be coming down the stretch late.

One this is for sure; this Derby is full of talent. It is hard to see any of these horses winning a Triple Crown however, since it is hard to imagine any of the top guns losing three times in a row.  When you have eight horses that have run big numbers in preps, you know you are in for a better season than 2008. And that is a very good thing for thoroughbred racing. Now if they can just stay sound……

Good for the game:

Peppers Pride-any time a horse wins 19 in a row, it is good for the game, even if it is in New Mexico. Her appearances there helped to attract old and new race goers alike, and it proves that people will come out to see hometown heroes. The only negative is there aren’t more classy, consistent horses across the country that could help attendance at other venues.

Zenyatta- she looks unbeatable, and next year the sky could be the limit. The problem is the first time main stream media heard her name was at the Breeders Cup, where she decimated her field. That is sad too, because her other races this year were just as impressive, especially her win in the Apple Blossom over the always tough Ginger Punch. Ginger Punch is off to the breeding shed and will be missed, but Zenyatta will be back for more next year.

Curlin/Jess Jackson- It has been a long time that a Horse of the Year has returned, or even a three year old male champ (unless we count the geldings). Kudos to the connections of Curlin for even wanting a four year old campaign. Curlin did not disappoint, and rattled off victories in the Dubai World Cup, Stephen Foster, Woodward, and Jockey Club Gold Cup. His try on turf did not result in a win, but he was still very game, and his Classic was not as bad as it looked. His beyer speed figures were still up there with the rest of his efforts. He just got beat by a better horse that day, in track record time.

Larry Jones- we shared his heartbreak over his filly’s tragic demise. He put a human face on a problem that is all to common in the game today. It was hard not to feel his pain, when he was so visibly shaken over the loss of Eight Belles. He showed the game is sometimes not as harsh as it appears, and the humans involved often really do love their equine charges.

The ladies- were ultra-consistent and where the excitement was at this year. Ginger Punch, Indian Blessing, Proud Spell, Music Note, Cocoa Beach and Zenyatta ran their hearts out this year. Stardom Bound (little Z around the barn) doesn’t appear to be letting the ladies down, and is poised to take the reins next year at three. Standing in her way are Zenyatta and Cocoa Beach, who will be tough to beat.

Racing duds:

Todd Pletcher- Ok, so Pletcher is an easy scapegoat, and we know he isn’t the only one doping his horses (Wait a While- Breeders Cup), but it is tiresome to see all the major trainers accused of drug infractions. It is long overdue for an overhaul on the way the offenders are punished (or not)!

Inaction from just about everyone in positions of power- Will they ever make drug policies with teeth? After seeing what they are currently doing, it is very doubtful. Forget about steroids for awhile, how about lasix? Every horse in this country runs on lasix, and it doesn’t do what it is supposed to do- which is stop bleeding. Does it make them faster? Maybe, as everyone is so afraid to take their horses off of it and find out.

Rod Stewart- another perfect example of what is wrong with current drug policies and punishments. He was caught with cobra venom but lucky for him we haven’t seen the last of him. His horses, however are not so lucky.

Rick Dutrow- he was good for press, but that was about it. It was also fun to laugh at him when his horse finished dead last in the Belmont. Big Brown had some spectacular races, but he certainly would have been easier to like and root for without his ass of a trainer.

Dan Liebman- God, we miss Ray Paulick and can at least catch his thoughts from time to time over at ESPN. Is there a more boring writer than Dan Liebman?

The three year olds- One word describes this group- slow. They took turns winning races in the spring, and didn’t seem to progress all that much throughout the rest of the year. It will be interesting to see if Mambo in Seattle, Harlem Rocker, Tale of Ekati, El Gato Malo and Colonel John are any better at four. If Big Brown really was greatness, because of this crop, he will forever be tainted. We will always wonder if he really was that good, or were his fields just that weak.

Coverage of all siblings related to Barbaro- be it Nicanor, Lentanor or whoever else Bloodhorse wants to cover….enough already! Remember all the buzz about The Green Monkey (never even won a race). Yes, they are related to Barbaro, but that in itself could be a problem. While Barbaro was fast, he wasn’t durable enough to hold together for seven races…a problem with the modern day thoroughbred, and now we have more baby Barbaros. Hopefully they are sturdier.

NTRA- they needed to support the bill that made horse slaughter just a little bit harder in the US. They didn’t and now anyone with a brain knows that just because we can’t slaughter horses in America, doesn’t mean thousands of our racehorses don’t end up across the border meeting their end in slaughterhouses. A PETA headed by some more “in the know” people could make a lot of noise with this one, instead of jumping on the jockey for the Eight Belles tragedy. The problem of what to do with retired racehorses, and the callousness in which some are abandoned makes it very hard to hope this sport continues in the black, and makes it an easy target for anyone crying animal abuse. It has often been said that there is a fine line between dog fights, cock fights and horse racing. Never before has the line been so fine.

This year will never be remembered as a great one for the sport of horse racing. Even with the return of Horse of the Year Curlin, it was a lackluster year full of heartache. There were some memorable moments for sure, and some stand out stars.

Big Brown burst onto the scene with his scintiliting Florida Derby win, and looked poised to take the first Triple Crown since Affirmed thirty years ago. His Belmont is still a puzzle, and it is hard to ignore the drug issue in the sport any longer. Of course, thoroughbred racing is so good at doing that in America, so it is no wonder the Europeans fared so well when we toughened up drug policies for the Breeders Cup at Santa Anita. It can certainly be argued that Curlin and Big Brown are not the same horses off of steroids that they are on steroids, if it were not for Curlin’s Dubai World Cup. Of course, his field this year did not include the toughest group of horses ever assembled.

Eight Belles’ nose dive into the dirt after her gallant second place finish at the Derby, is one of the saddest moments the sport has seen, and in recent years it has seen a lot. This year alone the sport lost Nashoba’s Key (in a freak barn accident) and Hesanoldsalt when he broke away from his handlers. Wanderin Boy (another heartbreaking loss for the older horse never fully achieved the glory he so deserved), Shakis,Aquarian, King’s Silver Son, and Stuyvesant were all casualties on the track this year. Peta came out in full force after the Derby, but their knowledge of the game and the animal was minimal, and once again they turned what could have been good pr into another freak show for them. They could and should have jumped on the drug bandwagon (even fans of the sport have been screaming that for years), or the sad fate that awaits many horses off the track. Had they of highlighted either of those issues following Eight Belles very public death, it would have been brought to the main stream media, and that is long overdue.

Commentator, Curlin, Big Brown and Zenyatta stood out this year, but the older male category is sorely lacking compared to years ago. It is a double edged sword. Horses are retiring earlier, and for champions usually at the end of their three year old year , leaving a hole in the older ranks. However, if they stick around (Shakis and Wanderin Boy) they run the risk of dying on the racetrack.

The Bloodhorse did an article on Losing the Iron Horse, like that needed to be written. Anyone with eyes can see, that began over a decade ago. Horses are either not built like they used to be, are drugged, or are handled with kid gloves. Jeremy Plonk, wrote perhaps one of the most thought provoking articles regarding the outcome of the Cup races. He illustrated the training methods of the Europeans in stark contrast to our own horses, and said he could not see a race in which their horses would not be superior to beings that spend the majority of their time standing in their stalls. Pro-ride and synthetic surfaces are here to stay, so our trainers better step up and start training for stamina, rather than the speed we so crave. Curlin made his signature move at the top of the stretch in the Classic, but could not hold it over the new stamina favoring ground. The Europeans raced past him and finished one-two. It is hard to think what a horse like Curlin would have been in the hands of a Ben Jones.

It is no surprise that Curlin has been retired. Sad, but we had a four year old season out of him, and we really can’t ask for more than that today. Jess Jackson is a sport, and kudos to him for keeping his champ in the game. He wasn’t keen on going to Santa Anita, but did so anyway, and may have lost Curlin a repeat title because of that. He shouldn’t lose, but that is another story. Sporting gestures should be rewarded and while the flawless filly Zenyatta was perfect this year, there were not a lot of sporting gestures from her camp. Watching her beat up on the same group of fillies and mares all year was sometimes painfully boring to watch. That being said, it was quite a year for the ladies. Zenyatta, Ginger Punch, Goldikova, Proud Spell, Music Note, Cocoa Beach, and perhaps the best one of them all, Zarkava were consistent headliners all year long. Even Peppers Pride who never raced outside of New Mexico, deserves applause for running her win streak to 19. While, she wasn’t facing top tier horses, it is still a feat to win 19 in a row no matter who you race against.

Horses retired aside from Curlin and Big Brown this year include Lava Man, Ginger Punch, Into Mischief, Henrythenavigator, Raven’s Pass, Midnight Lute and Zarkava.

Sheikh Mohammed bought two of the best juveniles, Midshipman and Vineyard Haven. We may see them at the Derby next year or not. No horse has won the Derby prepping overseas, and we have a star staying right on our own soil in Old Fashioned. After this year for Larry Jones and two second place finishes at the Derby, it would be extra nice to see his horse finally take the roses.

Alysheba came home to reside in the same place Funny Cide will be calling home, The Kentucky Horse Park. The Park got a bigger dose of star power with those two animals, and one has to appreciate King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia gifting the aging Alysheba back to us. Too often stallions with declining fertility wind up with grizzly endings. Ironically enough that was the fate of Alysheba’s on track nemesis, Ferdinand. So kudos again to King Abdullah.   

Aging horses were lost to us in champion derby winning fillies Genuine Risk, and and Winning Colors, as well as Princess Rooney, Wild Again, Cozzene, Strawberry Reason,Lear Fan, Forest Wildcat, Fit to Fight, and the grand old gelding, John Henry. Young stallions Bowman’ Band and Vindication also passed on. 

Legendary trainer Frank Whiteley died in May. Harry Aleo, Jim McKay, David Mullins, Parker Buckley, Bill Donovan, Edgar Allen Jr, Helen Gardiner and Sidney Craig all were passed away in 2008.

Overall, this year can be seen as the best of times, and the worst of times. Certainly watching Big Brown annihilate his Derby field was something special, but two minutes later the Eight Belles’ tragedy was not. Larry Jones said his filly did not die in vain, and if her death was the catalyst for change in the sport regarding drug policies, than so be it. Of course, Larry Jones later came under fire for an illegal substance. Todd Pletcher’s Wait a While tested positive at the Breeders Cup. Patrick Biancone is back to work again, and the status quo seems to be just fine for the thoroughbred racing industry. Sticking their heads in the sand,or putting on a great show pretending to enact stricter drug policies, while actually doing nothing, is not the “change” necessary to keep this sport afloat.

By: Elizabeth Rancani

Steve Haskin wrote his thoughts this week on Horse of the Year. He feels Big Brown should still be in the mix. I haven’t been the horse’s biggest fan this year, but I normally agree with Haskin. This time, however I feel he is way off the mark.

The vote for Horse of the Year is between two candidates: Zenyatta and Curlin. If Silver Charm couldn’t win the title off his Derby, Preakness and Strub and War Emblem couldn’t come close after following a similiar Big Brown schedule and only having Azeri to fend off, Big Brown can do no better than a distant third place finish. Yes, his Florida Derby, Kentucky Derby and Preakness were something special. His fall campaign was not. Yes, Big Brown was probably more talented than War Emblem, but the races they won are very similiar. War Emblem also won the Derby, Preakness and Haskell. We will never know how good Big Brown was. He was trained after the Triple Crown for the Classic, and that is sad. It used to be horses were trained for a career, not just one race.  After the Triple Crown, Big Brown’s camp wanted him to win the Classic, period. His prep races were designed specifically to get him to the Classic without anymore losses. Taking the easy road cut him out of the top title this year. You have to show up to win, and if he had shown up in any race other than the weak Haskell and the glorified allowance race at Monmouth, even with the injury prior to the Classic, we may not be left with comparisions to War Emblem and the what if feeling? If he had defeated Curlin in either the Woodward or the Jockey Club, he would be up against Zenyatta, not Curlin. He was healthy for those two races, and his feet were solid, so the reason for not taking a shot, illustrates a main problem with the sport today.

Before the Breeders Cup began, horses had to pick spots where they would face the most competition, sometimes on numerous occasions. Today they are raced sparingly in the hope that they will get to the Cup in one piece and pull off a win there. Champions are crowned there.

The first Horse of the Year was Granville. He ran eleven times and won seven times, including the Belmont, Travers and Lawrence Realization. His only off the board finish came when he dumped his rider at the Derby.

The award belongs to horses like Citation, Native Dancer, War Admiral, Seabiscuit, Kelso (five times), Dr. Fager, Damascus, and Arts and Letters. Some were Triple Crown winners. Some won a lot of races. Arts and Letters won the Metropolitian, Belmont, Jim Dandy, Travers, Woodward and Jockey Club Gold Cup his year, and his schedule was the norm, not the exception. 

The seventies saw horses like Affirmed, Seattle Slew, Forego, Secretariat take top honors. Four year old Affirmed wrested the title from Spectacular Bid in 79 after winning seven times, including the Strub, Hollywood Gold Cup, Woodward, and Jockey Club Gold Cup. He defeated Spectacular Bid in the Jockey Club in what surely was the award winning race, since the youngster had ten wins to his credit that year, and a grueling Triple Crown campaign.

The eighties saw the award go to Ferdinand, Conquistador Cielo, Sunday Silence, and John Henry twice. It also went to the fillies All Along and Lady’s Secret. Lady’s Secret won 8 Grade Is that year, and faced males four times, wining the Whitney and finishing in the money in all of her other starts against males. Turkoman lost to her even though he took the Marlboro, and Widener and narrowly missed winning the Jockey Club and the Classic. Lady’s Secret had wins in the Beldame, Ruffian and Distaff to go along with her gallant tries against males where in one instance she finished ahead of Turkoman.

Alysheba won in 1988, when his main competition was the undefeated filly, Personal Ensign. He had six Grade Is that year, just like her, but he was given top prize. She even had a successful run against males in the Grade I Whitney, but still couldn’t topple Alysheba.

The  nineties saw many horses that didn’t seem all that durable or all that flashy walk away with the award. Two year old Favorite Trick won in 1997 after winning  just two Grade Is. Charismatic won in 1999 after winning just three races, and AP Indy was no Iron Horse in 1992 but still took the prize, winning three Grade Is. Luckily Skip Away, Cigar and Holy Bull belong to the nineties thus saving that decade from total failure.

Tiznow won Horse of the Year in 2000 after winning only two Grade I events. One was the Classic, and competition that year was scarce, so he took the award.

Point Given won after winning the Santa Anita Derby, Preakness, Belmont, Haskell and Travers.

Azeri won without having to face males at all, but her competition that year included War Emblem and Left Bank (one Grade 1 in the Whitney).

Mineshaft won seven times, with wins in the Jockey Club, Woodward and Suburban. He was retired due to injury prior to the Breeders Cup.

Ghostzapper had four wins his year, including the Classic, only his second Grade I win all year. 

St. Liam won four Grade Is including the Classic in 2005, and finished ahead of Afleet Alex in the voting. Afleet Alex was dazzling during the Triple Crown, but St. Liam was able to make voters forget him with his win in the Classic.

Invasor proved much the best in 2006 after defeating Bernardini in a heart pounding Classic. He also won the Pimlico, Suburban, and Whitney that year, all Grade I events.

Then came Curlin. Last year he raced nine times, and by modern standards proved as durable as they come. He faced, possibly the classiest group of three year olds, and finished in the money in all of his starts. He defeated older horses in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, and then earned his award in the slop at Monmouth. Last year Street Sense, Hard Spun, Lawyer Ron and Curlin all would have made deserving Horse of the Years’ but it was Curlin’s win when they were all together that gave him the award.

And now we have two deserving candidates. Forget Big Brown. His connections gave up any chance he had when choosing an allowance slot as his final prep for the Classic. We have the undefeated, super filly in one corner, and the reigning Horse of the Year in the other.

History has taught us that not facing males is problematic unless you are facing horses like Left Bank and War Emblem. Personal Ensign lost to Alysheba, even though she, unlike he, was perfect. Only five fillies in history have won Horse of the Year outright. All but Azeri faced males. The list includes Busher and Twilight Tear who defeated the great Devil Diver by six lengths in the Pimlico Special. All Along won four Grade Is including the Arc, and romped in the 1983 Turf Classic. Her competition that year was Slew o’ Gold, and he was somewhat inconsistent as a three year old. 

Zenyatta has four Grade I wins. So does Curlin. Zenyatta is perfect. Curlin is not. Curlin’s connections this year had a bigger idea in mind for Curlin. They didn’t want an undefeated record, a monetary one, higher stud fees, or the best dirt horse in all of America. They wanted him to be a world beater, on any surface. He failed on turf, although still ran second in a Grade I race. He failed on pro-ride, though still ran the fastest mile and a quarter of his life. He won the Dubai World Cup, Stephen Foster, Woodward and Jockey Club Gold Cup; enough to win the Eclipse award in almost every year of the past two decades. He is still the top dirt horse in the world, and should be voted America’s Horse of the Year.

The synthetic pro-ride surface that received so much attention earlier in the year, will undoubtably get even more attention now. After the ladies remained consistent Friday, and proved most great fillies and mares will be as great over pro-ride, the boys didn’t exactly fare the same.

The favorites were disappointing, and the European contingent ran better than most years, wining five of nine and finishing one-two in the classic, and one- two in the juvenile turf. Europeans apparently love pro-ride, which makes sense because it seems to be more like a turf course. Our horses either love it or they don’t. As impressive as Zenyatta was yesterday, she did not have to face any of them. If she did, who knows what would have happened.

Curlin made his move at the top of the stretch, but ran like a tired horse, or a horse that hated the surface. Pro-ride is particularly hard for a giant horse like Curlin. Zenyatta and Midnight Lute, however had no problem with it, but they are based in California, and Zenyatta had a race over it already.

The Classic apparently proved nothing. Curlin was in the thick of things, but his fourth place finish probably stripped him of year end honors. The front-runner now has to be Zenyatta. She is still a perfect 9 for 9. That doesn’t, of course make Curlin any less a champion. He is always there, and is classy and consistent. It is hard not to wonder how Raven’s Pass would have fared against him on traditional dirt. He still deserves older male. And Big Brown surely has the three year old colt award sewn up. The only way he could possibly have lost that was if Colonel John ran a stunner in the Classic. Even then, it would have been hard to topple him.

The filly Goldikova defeated Kip Deville in what was possibly the best example of poetic irony in modern day sports. Rick Dutrow ran his mouth off again yesterday and bashed women trainers. It is a wonder this man has any clients. It was sure nice to see a filly beat his horse, one that he was planning on dropping lots of cash on. That fact just sweetened the deal.

So what turned into a contest between Big Brown and Curlin, may possibly go to the one mare who towers over them all. What lost some of its luster because of the defection of Big Brown, was still a showcase of the world’s best. It certainly was not devoid of stars, and one has to remember that even the greatest horses have lost in their careers. It didn’t make them any less a champion. Curlin’s connections have to be feeling low tonite, but their colt has more than proved his merit. In an era where the best horses are retired after a handful of starts, Curlin ran 16 times, with most of those in Grade I company. He never ducked a fight, traveled halfway around the world, and it took a track record to beat him today.

Zenyatta defeated a stellar group of fillies and mares in the Ladies Classic, laying claim to the Horse of the Year title. She was last most of the way, but first when it counted, blowing by the ladies as if they were standing still.

She is the quintessential thoroughbred, and even before entering the starting gate, it is obvious, she is something special, and knows it. She paws the ground and struts like a prize fighter entering the ring. She waits patiently, but once unleashed her ears prick, and she is ready to roll.

Cocoa Beach was second, and proved her win over Ginger Punch was no fluke, and the three year old filly, Music Note was third. That should be interesting to see how three year old filly honors play out, after her game finish in the Classic. Ginger Punch didn’t seem to ever grab hold of the bit, and maybe is one of those horses that does not like Pro-Ride.

It was a formful day of racing overall, and favorites did well whether or not they actually ever ran over pro-ride before or not. Ventura blew by Indian Blessing in the Sprint, and while Proud Spell looks to be the three year old filly of the year, Indian Blessing should not be ignored. Ventura easily handed Indian Blessing a loss, but the game three year old never has been off the board.

Forever Together took the Turf, and Maram won the Juvenile Turf by a whisker. The Juvenile was won by Stardom Bound, whom her connections refer to as ZJ, short for Zenyatta Junior. She sure ran like her stable’s star, and came from way out of the pack to post a comfortable win over Dream Empress. Sky Diva was third.

Horses did very well from the back of the pack, and the track was playing fair. Tomorrow bet the best, for they should have very little excuses if the ladies are any indication. Favorites ruled the day with Zenyatta capping a 9 for 9 season.

Now two questions remain: Did Music Note do enough to earn three year old honors by finishing third to quite possibly the best thoroughbred in the world? Where does Indian Blessing fit in? Will Zenyatta be awarded racing’s highest honor? Zenyatta is ultra impressive, but should Curlin win the Classic yet again, he will be hard to ignore. Great things lay in wait for Zenyatta, but unlike Azeri, Zenyatta doesn’t face Left Bank, she faces the reigning Horse of the Year. It is hard to knock a horse that has won the Woodward, Jockey Club, Stephen Foster, Dubai World Cup and maybe another Classic, plus a decent run in the Man O’War.