Held at a racetrack for the first time, the ceremonies were preceded by an excellent day of racing provided by Florida-bred race horses on the Sunshine Millions program as Ron The Greek, the only horse to defeat the 2012 Horse of the Year, got his six-year-old season started on the good foot by taking the Millions Classic by an impressive 11-1/4 lengths over a sealed sloppy track.
Mucho Macho Man, the 2-5 favorite and defending Millions Classic champion, was pulled up by jockey Mike Smith approaching headstretch and finished last of seven. “He put his head in the air and stopped. I have no idea,” Smith said when he was asked what went wrong.
“He didn’t fire or there’s some problem,” said owner Dean Reeves, before going back to the barn to check on last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic runnerup. There he met with trainer Kathy Ritvo, who told the media afterwards, “I couldn’t find anything wrong with him. I guess he didn’t like the track.” The five-year-old suffered his worst lifetime defeat when he was defeated by over 27 lengths in the 2011 Belmont Stakes.
As for the Eclipses, there were no upsets and there wasn’t much as much split-voting among voters as anticipated. While Wise Dan was a consensus Horse of the Year champion since the moment he crossed the Santa Anita (turf) Mile finish line in course record time, he vaulted to the championship on the strength of also being voted Champion Older Male and Champion Turf Horse, the first horse since John Henry to score that trifecta.
Wise Dan out-polled Breeders’ Cup Classic winner and Older Male runnerup by a 139 to 109 edge, but surprisingly more than doubled up his main rival for Turf honors, Little Mike, by a 170 to 78 margin.
Voters from the National Thoroughbred Racing Assn., Daily Racing Form staff, and members of the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters Assn. chose three finalists on their ballots but the award is won by the horse or individual getting the most first-place votes.
Other championship results are worth noting. Undefeated Juvenile Champion, Shanghai Bobby, was not a unanimous winner. Certain-to-be Canada’s Sovereign Award winner Uncaptured captured the lone dissenting vote.
Dual Classic winner I’ll Have Another garnered 247 first place votes while the dual runnerup, Bodemeister, received three. Executiveprivilege’s defeat in the Hollywood Starlet was costly for her as she was trounced by the filly that narrowly defeated her in the Juvenile Fillies, Beholder, by a 225 to 27 margin.
Zagora (Turf Female), Trinniberg (Sprinter) and Groupie Doll (Female Sprinter) won by significant margins, as did defending Filly & Mare champion, Royal Delta. But the Three-Year-Old Filly category was a real horse race, just like the Cotillion Stakes at Parx, only this time Questing got the nod in a photo over My Miss Aurelia, 106 to 102.
Godolphin Stables was the Eclipse winning owner, the Eclipse breeder their own Darley nursery. Dale Romans won his first Eclipse Award as champion trainer, out-polling Todd Pletcher and Bob Baffert by a tally of 119 to 87 to 35, respectively. Jose Montano was voted champion apprentice and Pierre Lunaire champion steeplechaser.
Champion jockey for the third consecutive year went to Ramon Dominguez by a wide margin. Dominguez missed the ceremony and remains in Jamaica Hospital after suffering a partial skull fracture when unseated from his mount in a race at Aqueduct on Friday. Presently, his condition remains stable. His Eclipse Award was co-accepted by runners-up Johnny Velazquez and Gulfstream’s leading rider, Javier Castellano. Jockey Rosie Napravnik finished third in the Eclipse balloting.
Media Eclipses were awarded to Tom Keyser (photography), Ryan Goldberg (Feature/Commentary writing), Mary Simon (News/Enterprise writing), Rob Hyland (Live Racing-Television) and Heather Lombardo (Feature-Television) and Glenye Cain Oakford (Audio-Multi-Media Internet).
The Eclipse Awards are named after the great 18th-Century racehorse and foundation sire Eclipse, who began racing at age five and was undefeated in 18 starts, including eight walkovers. Eclipse sired the winners of 344 races, including three Epsom Derbies. In all, over 93 percent of eligible voters, 254 among 272 eligible constituents, cast ballots.
***
GOING HOME A WINNER: Over a sealed wet track that was kind to horses with early speed, Golden Mystery took advantage of conditions, withstood lead challenges from multiple rivals, opened a clear lead in midstretch and won the Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Sprint by daylight for Marty Wolfson beneath Luis Saez.
“When they were going head and head, I knew she would finish strong,” said Wolfson. “She will be sold [on February 11] she’s retiring.”
Emma’s Encore rallied wide and finished strongly in her season’s debut, overtaking the tiring returnee, Holiday Mood, for the place. Emma’s Encore should greatly benefit from her effort and figures to have another productive season for Hall of Famer Allen Jerkens. “We wanted to win but were second best,” said ‘the Chief’. "We hope next time our number will come up."
BIG DAY; BIGGER NIGHT: About five hours before he would accept an Eclipse Award for Trinniberg, the 2012 Sprint champion, trainer Shivananda Parboo saddled Off The Jack to an upset victory over favored Bahamian Squall in the Sunshine Millions Sprint.
“Some horses fit the track and he’s just getting better and better,” said Parboo. “He’s more relaxed, but when he goes to the gate he’s a totally different horse. We’ll find another spot for him.” Parboo also said that Trinniberg is now at Gulfstream and we’ll “try to do it again.”
ANOTHER FILLY GOES HOME A WINNER: Successful Song could not have timed her swansong better. In her 27th and final career start, the six year old mare won the biggest purse of her career, winning the $300,000 Sunshine Millions Distaff by 3-1/4 lengths.
Every year we’ve had her since she was two,” said trainer Eddie Plesa, “we’ve sent her to the farm. Ordinarily, she’d be there right now. The plans are to breed her, but no matter what, she’ll be leaving after this race to go the farm, for one reason or another.”
RICKY DON’T LOSE THAT NUMBER: Prepared by Rick Dutrow but running now for long time assistant Michelle Nevin, Teaks North renewed his love affair with the Gulfstream Park turf course by setting a soft pace beneath Johnny Velazquez to upset the Sunshine Millions Turf over odds-on the favorite, late running Doubles Partner.
“It’s been a long road back and I’m very happy for this horse,” said Nevin. “It’s been a tough week. I’m overwhelmed. Her former boss Rick Dutrow began serving a 10-year suspension of his license on Thursday for numerous drug offenses.
MICHELLE WINS AGAIN: Not Michelle Nevin, Michelle Nihei, that is, who saddled newly turned four year old Regalo Mio to a minor upset in the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf as odds favorite, the course loving Romacaca, tired after setting the early pace and had to settle for third behind runnerup Hooh Why, second to Romacaca in the 2012 renewal.
“Other than the {Mrs. Revere at Churchill Downs], she’s never failed to run her race,” Nihei said. “There was never any question that we had a good filly the first time she came to us as a two year old. We have to allow for her [small] size in her training but she more than makes up for it.”
20 Jan 2013 at 09:26 am | #
Fun day down their yesterday, though not sure how you are able to make it through all that. I mean 10 races a day, 11 on weekends. To quote a writer facing the same situation last summer “Happy Hour? Forget it,...”. It is such a disservice to the fan and I’m sure they must be leaving in droves before the feature and what so much racing must be doing to the turf course.
All that said and tongue removed from cheek, still would like to be down there as I enjoy it just as much as that summer place that was alienating the press so badly this summer. Must be very nice as nary a peep about all the same issues that had someone around here constantly up in arms this past summer.
20 Jan 2013 at 10:28 am | #
Oh, I don’t know, maybe it’s the fact that the local track doesn’t offer 10 races every weekday, and, more significantly, races only five days per week, making daily racing experience far less tedious.
And, I suppose, like every racetrack in America, the local track will card as many turf races as it can get away with, accomodating the quality northern outfits who come to the local track for the winter grass program.
And, so far, the expansive course has enough rail placements--four, off the top of my head--so that the course doesn’t wear out as if there were one.
Last summer, there were an awful lot of someones--not just around here--who peeped about what had become an endless day that has grown increasingly more dependent on claimers, state-bred claimers, and turf SPRINTERS, to make their program attractive to bettors.
Another factor could be that local management is more responsive to horseplayers by offering popular sequential wagers at a significantly lower takeout rate, so players might last a little longer.
Or that the 11th race today, for instance, has a scheduled post time of 5:35.
As for Saturday’s card with its six-stakes Sunshine Millions program, it ended two hours earlier than the 13-race Fair Grounds card with its last scheduled start at 7:25.
Or maybe it’s even simpler than tha:. Maybe since the summer place to be has its apologist, who very rarely speaks with tongue in cheek, it’s only fair that the winter place to be has its own peepless critics.
Have a nice day.
20 Jan 2013 at 10:58 am | #
Actually it has had 10 races a day weekdays and 11 weekends for the last couple weeks. Just like you said was so terrible. I can cite your diary piece if you’d like.
4 whole rail placements. That sounds about right. Of course when you have 2 turf courses, 2 rail placements on each does exactly the same thing.
The awful lot of someones seemed to be the writers, who seem to basically never leave the press box and for the most part copy each other’s stories.
Indeed, said southern track does not have many statebred races, Saturday nonwithstanding, though if you take a peep at the condition book, you will see many races listed as Florida bred preferred, creating de facto statebred races. Turf sprinting is just another type of race btw. Very popular in many parts of the world as well. I find them great opportunities to make some cash because people perhaps like you feel the need to bet them and never do try to understand them.
P5s don’t make you last longer, unless you mean last longer until you lose your money, and nothing like that P6 with it’s 72% effective takeout! Now that’s the kind of responsiveness I love!
And it does make sense it ended 2 hrs befor FG. They are in a different time zone, that’s 1 hour, and they had 2 more races, that’s hour 2.
So in summary, I am not mocking Gulfstream. I rather enjoy the place. Nor am I mocking Mr. Ritvo, as he is a pretty good guy. Nope, just needling a hypocritical writer. Goose and gander and all that. And do take care of yourself so those long days don’t wear you out. There may not be six a week, but then again the meet goes nearly 5 months.
20 Jan 2013 at 11:22 am | #
I’m such a fool, really. It’s so futile dealing with people having an agenda, this one you’re always having an issue with my point of view.
If you weren’t be hypocritical, you might have noted that takeout in Pick 3 and Pick 4, more popular than P5 or P6, is 16% cheaper. GP ranked third according to HANA; SAR eighth.
The point with rail placements is that one course can play like two if it’s wide enough.
To my knowledge, no one has ever apologized for Florida-breds, the second best breeding state in the country that, on balance, are far more effective in open company. In fact, no one makes a delineation vis a vis Fla-breds: Preferred means just that, either preference in eligibility or breeders awards, whatever.
Meanwhile, that was 7:35 Eastern, as just 5:35 was; apples to apples.
But you’re right about one thing: Five months of local racing, from November through March, is just so tedious.
Just like this exercise, getting back to my lead, I’m just a fool on a fool’s errand. Have a great day, at the Big A.
20 Jan 2013 at 11:48 am | #
You are right! The P3 and P4 are lower takeout at GP. 20% in NY if you want to state it that way, which sounds even worse that the equally accurate 16% lower in GP. Unfortunately the take on every other type of bet they have in common is higher, including WPS, Exacta, Trifecta, Double, and Superfecta. The P6 is too different to compare IMO. Service with a smile.
The point with rail placement was poorly made then. GP does have a nice course which even helps outside horses when the rail is all the way out. I’ve always liked the place, before and after. Heck, I even was there the “tent” year. They try to race year round on that thing though, they may have a problem.
You have to work on that time thing. Yes, it was 7:35 Easterm, but 6:35 local. FG started at 12:30 local, but that was 1:30 eastern. Their race day was exactly 1 hr longer as explained by 2 additional races, not 2 hrs longer.
Actually I don’t have any problem with 5 months at one place. Gives you more time to go visit. And yes, I do have an agenda. I call BS when I see it. Consider it called.
20 Jan 2013 at 11:49 am | #
Oops meant to say 20% HIGHER in NY in that first line. We both can make typos!
20 Jan 2013 at 02:56 pm | #
I think there is much to be said for limiting the number of races per day, particularly if there is a problem with field size or quality.
Unlike Aqueduct, Gulfstream generally attracts large, competitive fields--but then the availablity of turf racing helps in that regard.
Right now at Aqueduct, large purses are generally being wasted to attract small fields of low quality dirt horses.
Maybe the time is right to consider a synthetic surface for the Aqueduct inner track to tap into the large pool of synthetic runners who currently have lowly Turfway as their only choice for synthetic winter racing on the East Coast?
20 Jan 2013 at 07:26 pm | #
Hey Chuck. I understand what you are saying, but I doubt given the current climate this would have any net positive effect. Because of the change in the drug rules, the mandate for maximum purse size and the established floor for claiming races, the numbers aren’t going to go anywhere. It’s just not worth it or feasible for some outfits to come to NY to race under those conditions and gives incentive for others to leave. What good would it be trying to attract Turfway horses if they won’t come for the same reasons ones from Laurel and Parx don’t come?
I’m interested in what the commentary will be about synth installation at Aqueduct. If they do it, the State would have to commit to keeping Aqueduct running for some time. Otherwise, it would be throwing away a good deal of money. Remember too the finding on the fatality report was that it wasn’t the track. Horses aren’t breaking down in training. BTW, did you see the Del mar breakdown stats the last couple years?
If they do want a synth track, then the long term solution may be to close Aqueduct, build a small winterized clubhouse at Belmont and make the training track the synth winter track. While this all seems to fit nicely, there still are a myriad of problems. There is no direct public transportation to Belmont like there is to Aqueduct. The attendance would be awful and on top of that, where would you put the staff? Would need a whole lot more construction then at Belmont for such offices. Some answers seem to be presented as easy fixes, but there’s a lot more to them than the old “why don’t they..."s
20 Jan 2013 at 09:35 pm | #
OTM Al--
You make many good points. I agree with you about the impact of the elimination of the lower level claiming races and the new drug protocols. So far in 2013, Aqueduct has the highest purse levels by far, but the smallest field sizes among all the tracks in the Northeast/Mid- Atlantic region.
So the status quo clearly isn’t working, and today’s feature at Aqueduct--on a fast track--scratched down to 3 horses for a $64,000 purse.
As you know, there are a variety of synthetic surfaces, and I would suggest Woodbine (not Del Mar) has the best surface for cold weather racing such as Aqueduct. From 2009-11, Woodbine had a breakdown rate that averaged about 1 fatality per 1000 races which places it among the best in North America. The rate thus far for Aqueduct’s winter meet is about triple this.
You are right to question whether it makes sense to invest in a new surface at Aqueduct if the State is planning to close it. We all know that Aqueduct is NYRA’s orange-haired stepchild with nearly all the capital $$ allocated to Belmont and Saratoga. However, as a gambler who enjoys watching a local racing product during the long, cold winter, I selfishly want to see winter racing continue at Aqueduct. Therefore,I would like to see the State make a commitment to Aqueduct’s future by making an investment that would enhance its chances of survival.
20 Jan 2013 at 09:37 pm | #
Aqueduct should be closed. There is too much off-track demand for winter racing in NY to eliminate it altogether, but NYRA would probably attract more higher-profit handle during that time from new tele-theaters than from a large winterized enclosure at BEL that would accomodate current attendance levels.
How many synthetic furlongs can be stuffed into the BEL training track? Any reason trailers couldn’t be used for temporay executive offices at Belmont? Does the price of Long Island real estate preclude a new training center there funded by Genting?
Now is the time for NYRA to finally listen to horseplayers and at least reduce maximum takeout on exotics to no more than 19% which Kentuckey makes do with even without slots. It should also agree to experiment with lower takeout on at least one wager type per meet until handle no longer increases in response to a takeout reduction for any wager.
22 Jan 2013 at 11:19 am | #
Mr. Pricci,
I have just learned that the inner track stretch at Aqueduct (1174 ft.) is longer
than the main track stretch (1153 ft.). Isn’t that an interesting piece of race track trivia? Please comment.
Gotigers
23 Jan 2013 at 07:48 pm | #
Math not my strong suit, Tiger, but I’ll wager it’s because the turns are narrower.