Saturday, March 16, 2013

Centre Court Aces Honey Fox

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL., March 16, 2013—If what was on display on the Gulfstream Park turf course was intended as only a prep, then clearly Centre Court is going to have a hell of a 4-year-old year.

Trainer Rusty Arnold wasn’t worried about his filly’s ability and inherent class, and not even her fitness. “She had trained spectacularly up at Palm Meadows,” Arnold said. "We were confident that she’d run well but you don’t know until they do it.

Well, Centre Court did it, and she did it with style beneath Julien Leparoux, who shipped in from Santa Anita for the ride, accelerating in the final furlong in what has become a trademark late burst, winning by nearly two comprehensive lengths.

“We’re really happy,” said Arnold, before allowing himself this: “She’s pretty special, I think.”

The Grade 2 Honey Fox also marked the season’s debut of the talented import and U.S. Grade 1 winner Samitar, who finished like a rocket along the inside before tipping out in deep stretch to complete her after-the-fact rally beneath Joel Rosario.

Arnold, meanwhile, would like to get for his filly’s resume what Chad Brown has with Samitar; that illusive Grade 1.

“She hasn’t won a Grade 1 yet; we’ve got to get that done,” said Arnold. She’s run Grade 1 races but she hasn’t won one. We’re headed for Keeneland and that’s where we hope to get it done.” And so the G1 Jenny Wiley on April 13 is up next.

“She’ll be good this year,” said Leparoux. That much was clear yesterday, the filly completing her mile in a snappy 1:33.18.


BETS ‘N PIECES: Laurel Deserves Props for Video Innovation

Had an opportunity to check in on Laurel Race Course with the running of last weekend’s Private Terms and loved how they’ve improved the simulcast feed with chyron on-air graphics that indicates position on the racetrack and/or distance to the finish, a la the NFL’s first-down yellow markers.

Not only does this give a clue as to whether your late runner can get up in time but it’s a huge aid when trying to call the winner in a close, photo finish.

Every track positions its finish line camera/mirror a little differently; some at the beginning of the finish pole, or near the middle or end, making the task almost impossible unless you know the venue very well.

In races at Laurel, the chyron overlay at the finish line extends cleanly and clearly all the way across the track, making calling the finish a lot easier. This adds an element of fun to the natural excitement of a close finish.

Remember fun?

The idea won’t spread quickly because tracks always hesitate to copy good ideas, employing the NIH philosophy—Not Invented Here--instead. NIH? Not Given that simulcasting attracts nine of every 10 dollars wagered in America, why not hep viewers to better assess their chances?

TRAKUS is an innovation that has caught on relatively quickly for tracks that can afford the improvement. My home track in New York has been talking about it for some time. Hopefully that change will come sooner rather than later.

But most tracks already have chyron capability and can institute the origination relatively quickly. The overlays help veteran players identify in a qualitative way what’s happening on the racetrack. It’s also a means to educate newbies to some of the nuances associated with a game widely regarded for its steeper learning curve.


What if they held the Florida Derby and nobody came? That’s a bit hyperbolic, of course, but not by that much. The race actually gained a starter yesterday when after working well, trainer Ken McPeek decided to keep Frac Daddy in Florida after all, thus becoming probable starter #4.

Following his disappointing effort in the Holy Bull, it was discovered he grabbed a quarter—an epidemic this season—and had a throat infection. The Florida Derby gives McPeek another opportunity to work his colt and run right out of South Florida.

Actually, if you were the connections of a Kentucky Derby eligible and needed qualifying points, would you go out of your way to meet Orb, Itsmyluckyday and Shanghai Bobby? Not me, either. Then no prep spot figures to be easy from this point forward.


Louisiana Derby Coming Up Big: Unlike Florida’s Derby, the Louisiana version has 12 probables/possibles as this is written. Taken alphabetically, excluding non-Triple Crown nominees: Channel Isle will try to improve on his fourth in Oaklawn’s G3 Southwest. Code West, beaten a nose in the G3 Risen Star, returns to the East for Bullet Bob. Undefeated Departing will be tested for class; very impressive winning the Texas Heritage for Little Al.

Golden Soul, second in the LeComte but sixth in the Risen Star, will try to rebound for Dallas Stewart and Calvin Borel, back in Derby form after finally taking down # 5,000. Ground Transport is 2-for-2, but not at this level. Mylute was third in the G3 Delta Jackpot, but nowhere in the Risen Star.

Palace Malice will represent the Pletcher barn after running a good third in the Risen Star, his season’s debut. The resurgent Edgar Prado has taken the call. Proud Strike will need to show he belongs for Steve Asmussen and Pletcher will start another, broken-field running Revolutionary.

The suspicion is that Sunbean, 3-for-4 lifetime, does belong, giving Stall a second possible starter and Tiz a Minister is likely the second starter to ship East from California, winning the restricted California Breeders Champion followed by a willing third in the G2 San Felipe.

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Saturday, March 09, 2013

Oops, There It Is

HALLANDALE, FL., March 9, 2012--Brian J Hernandez Jr. was hoping to catch a flyer out of the gate aboard the 2012 Handicap Eclipse champion Fort Larned in the Gulfstream Park Handicap, hIs season's debut. He prematurely caught up with with his right fore quarter instead.

And so the five year old horse went one way, Hernandez the other, Discreet Dancer went on to give Gulfstream's leading rider Javier Castellano his fifth victory of the afternoon by winning the flat mile impressively by open lengths, and the latest Breeders' Cup champion got his new season off to the fastest flying stop in history.

God must not be a Breeders' Cup fan.

As good as Discreet Dancer ran, it would have been a great contest to see; one of last year's Triple Crown aspirants before injury derailed that bid, vs. a defending champion at a flat mile on a fast racetrack. So fans never really got to find out where these two brilliant horses currently stood in relation to one another.

What's the fun in that?

As for the glamour division, we learned that Verrazano, highly likely to be voted #1 with a bullet in this week's NTRA Three Year Old Poll, had the capability to live up to the hype in Northern Florida but that Flashback, while a gallant second in his hot-paced San Felipe placing, might not be, for all his promise, the best horse in his own Southern California shedrow.

When a runoff sprinter shot to the lead from the outside in the Grade 2 mile and a sixteenth, momentarily blowing past Goldencents who spurted clear quickly but reasonably, until Kevin Krigger on Goldencents was panicked into getting off the fence when Julien Leparoux on Flashback allowed his mount to rush up three wide thus placing a rank Goldencents in a box.

Krigger then forced his way out and he an the favorite raced up outside of the sprinting leader to alternately force the issue while trying--not very well--to hold something in reserve.

By the time they reached the stretch turn, they already had run too fast early and had little choice to go on with it. They did, appeared to be the matched runners all came to Santa Anita to see until the inevitable set in, otherwise known as fatigue.

But that characterization would be unfair on its face, necessitating that Hear The Ghost be recognized as a colt of high ability, class and likely some more potential under that hood. It was a great pace setup, sure, but you still have to do the running and catching. He did, and he did.

Flashback clearly proved the better of the two favorites, barely holding placed while Goldencents faded to fourth. Flashback still has a modicum of promise as he gains more experience.

At Tampa Bay Downs, meanwhile, J.R. Velazquez showed why he is his generation's J.D. Bailey, winnng more races with his brain than his athletic ability, which is great.

Sensing the field might be out to get him, Velazquez efforted to get Verrazano off the wood as they cleared the first bend into the backstretch, as Falling Sky had crosssed all the way over to the fence from his extreme outside post, the fresh Purple Egg was on the chase from the inside, and Dynamic Sky, believed by most to be the most likely upsetter, all put on the pressure to surround Verrazano.

But that's where Velazquez held his ground, kept Verrazano on the lead from the middle of the track, dictating to the opposition what it must do to beat him, and not the other way around.

It helps, by the way, if you're riding the best horse in the race, and a very good one in the overall. This might be the most dangerous animal on earth; a brilliant runner with gears which obviously has a high cruising speed and just loves doing what he does for a living.

This gives his connections, most notably trainer Todd Pletcher, lots of favorable options; a story for another day.

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Sunday, February 24, 2013

Derby-Oaks: Good News and Bad

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla., February 24, 2013--If you don't think this game is bittersweet...

Last night, the connections of Violence and Unlimited Budget had a right to enjoy their dinners.

Unlimited Budget showed she had the right style and explosive turn of foot that might day win a Kentucky Oaks. And Violence's defeat, where he moved prematurely into a hot pace--although I can't blame Javier Castellano for thinking "let's win this thing right now because Orb will be coming and the shorter finish line favors the horse on the lead at a mile and a sixteenth."

Well, Unlimited Budget is #1 in the point standings on the "Road to the Kentucky Oaks." But Violence emerged from the Fountain of Youth with a fractured right sesamoid and is off the Kentucky Derby trail.

Of course, both horses are members of Todd Pletcher's power-laden string.

Unlimited Budget now has 60 Oaks points. In second is Davona Dale winner, Live Lively, with 50 points. Davona Dale runnerup Dreaming of Julia is third with 32. Kauai Kate (21) and Promise Me More (20) round out the top five.

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