How was I to know that Bret Calhoun's filly would turn the Filly & Mare Sprint into a six furlong race?
But that's exactly what she did, opening an insurmountable lead with a furlong to go leaving the late running Switch with too much to do. And so the Martin Racing Stable took a $90,000 gamble to supplement her into the race. Quick, what's 54 percent of a million bucks? But whatever she might have lacked at the distance, it was made up for her love of Churchill. The F & M Sprint was her fourth win in seven starts at Churchill.
"She missed a couple of Grade 1s at 7 furlongs, but today the distance turned out to be OK." It was jockey Jamie Theriot's first Breeders' Cup victory. Nice when that happens in front of your hometown fans.
She's in a Horses of Racing Age sale on Sunday. "We'll see what happens," the owner said. "We're going to enjoy the day and talk it over tomorrow."
I don't usually feel too badly for millionaires when they run into hard luck, but I was really happy for celebrity chef Bobby Flay who's put on ton of money into the game and has, you know, run into hard luck. But not the Juvenile FIllies Turf.
On the bit from the gate, Garrett Gomez, who was carried out of here on a stretch yesterday following a turf race, but suffering only bumps and bruises, engineered a clear outside trip from the 11 post, losing only reasonable ground on the first turn and through the backstretch run.
Lucky for him that when he made his bid with More Than Real on the stretch turn and into the lane, the four leaders at the time were all a minimum of about 60-1. Meanwhile, heavy favorite Winter Memories was making a good rail run, moved out slightly in the stretch, awaited room briefly, then set sail after the leader but More Than Real was more than ready for the challenge.
Jose Lezcano on the even money favorite claimed foul, seemingly more to save face than exact justice. Correctly, the result was allowed to stand. Todd Pletcher, who entered 11 horses over the two day festival, got off quickly, and you don't often get 13-1 on a live Pletcher entrant. It was Pletcher's fourth career Breeders' Cup score.
They should run the Breeders Cup every day!
* * *
Fireworks at the Downs
The thing about marathons is that, you know, there slower paced horses, and the distance will separate them, kind of boring most of the time.
Well, there were fireworks unlike we and a national television audience has ever seen. Calvin Borel, America’s jockey, mild mannered, emotional, yes sir and no ma’m Calvin.
Borel needed to be restrained and taken to the ground after a potentially extremely dangerous situation on the third turn of the Breeders’ Cup Marathon, the lid-lifter on Breeders’ Cup 27, began when Javier Castellano came out abruptly, causing Romp to clip heels and stumble dramatically. It was remarkable that Martin Garcia kept his purchase on the Marathon longshot.
Meanwhile, Borel on solid contender A.U. Miner was making his run outside Romp and when Romp stumbled, he interfered with A. U. Miner who was making a solid bid outside Romp.
Borel and Castellano had words at the scale when it appeared that Borel, who was waving his finger in Castellano’s face when, according to sources on the scene, Castellano threw a punch at Borel at which point all hell broke loose. Eventually, Borel was escorted back to the jock’s room while Castellano explained his ride to the Churchill stewards.
A local professional confided that Borel has been riding in bad form, first at the recently concluded Keeneland meet, then at this young meeting.
In fact, he appeared to make ill-timed moves aboard A. U. Miner on the second turn and backstretch. We tried to follow the incident that led to the fisticuffs but at that point, the patrol camera switched angles making it impossible to discern exactly what happened.
It was a strange and frightening start to the day.
* * *
You Can Go Home Again
It’s been a while, actually, back to the Downs for the first time since the remodeling. It’s the same, only very different.
After a few aborted attempts to find the elevator to the spanking brand new media center--a remarkable job, really, and you’re still able to walk out on the terrace and watch races live through binoculars.
Seems a long time since I’ve done that, too.
So I walked into the Churchill Media offices where Churchill Media Director Darren Rogers welcomed me with the equivalent that said look what the cat dragged in--thought you were never coming back.
I said that I finally get my parking space back. (Inside joke). He said we usually reserve those for people who regularly show up.
Ouch! Where am I, Aqueduct?
It’s been a while, actually, back to the Downs for the first time since the remodeling. It’s the same, only very different.
After a few aborted attempts to find the elevator to the spanking brand new media center--a remarkable job, really, and you’re still able to walk out on the terrace and watch races live through binoculars.
Seems a long time since I’ve done that, too.
So I walked into the Churchill Media offices where Churchill Media Director Darren Rogers welcomed me with the equivalent that said look what the cat dragged in--thought you were never coming back.
I said that I finally get my parking space back. (Inside joke). He said we usually reserve those for people who regularly show up.
Ouch! Where am I, Aqueduct?
No, it’s definitely Louisville. Can see Cardinal Stadium from my seat. And if I walked over to the window, I could look down slightly and see the world famous Twin Spires.
That was a first, but it’s called progress--and corporate ownership.
Per usual, speaking for myself, the folks at Churchill cannot be more accommodating.
Time to settle in now. First Breeders’ Cup event, the Marathon, is less than two hours away.
Now, where did I put those PP’s?o, it’s definitely Louisville. Can see Cardinal Stadium from my seat. And if I walked over to the window, I could look down slightly and see the world famous Twin Spires.
That was a first, but it’s called progress--and corporate ownership.
Per usual, speaking for myself, the folks at Churchill cannot be more accommodating.
Time to settle in now. First Breeders’ Cup event, the Marathon, is less than two hours away.
Now, where did I put those PP’s?
05 Nov 2010 at 04:41 pm | #
Well, well well. Just like I said in a previous post on a different thread! Breeders Cup meets the WWF.Look for more of this in the future as any snake oil salesman knows that this is what the public wants.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvaA84KtUsI
06 Nov 2010 at 05:05 am | #
Shame on ESPN for repeatedly showing the incident (fight) between Borel and Castellano in the winner’s circle. Imagine someone cutting you off on the highway going 70 MPH-now multiple that by 100 times that’s probably how Borel was feeling. I understand you need to report and cover it but to play it out as often as they did took away from the real story taking place on the track. What a job by Martin Garcia keeping his horse upright. They should have played that up. Overall, the ESPN covergae was solid especially the insight on Life at Ten warming up in the Ladies Classic. Why wasn’t she a late scratch?