What You Want to See for $4.6M
– Over a good track and under a handride, Maimonides romped in his debut at Saratoga this afternoon, crossing the wire 11 1/2 lengths ahead of place horse Sam’s Passion. It was a super performance: Maimonides assumed the lead early, cruised easy into the stretch, then drew off with a shrug when jockey Rafael Bejarano shook him up at the 16th pole, seemingly just for fun. Final time was 1:04.41; Maimonides’ Beyer speed figure came back an 89. Trainer Bob Baffert couldn’t have been happier with the two-year-old Vindication colt’s victory, which was the conditioner’s first maiden win at the Spa. “This is real; racing on dirt, that’s me,” said Baffert. “He did it so easy, so effortlessly. I live for a horse like this” (Blood-Horse). Maimonides is one of the four two-year-olds owned by Ahmed Zayat shipped to Saratoga after the owner and Del Mar track president Joe Harper had a little disagreement over Polytrack last week (NY Daily News). Another is More Happy, an impressive debut winner at Del Mar being pointed to next week’s Adirondack Stakes.
– Maimonides’ final time was almost a second faster than than of Z Humor, another Zayat horse, debuting for hot trainer William Mott in the day’s other 5 1/2 furlong maiden special. While Z Humor’s win was impressive in its way, the colt was upstaged by a blur named Ready’s Echo, who came from more than 12 lengths back in a mad rush to capture second. “Whoa,” cried a surprised Tom Durkin, who had been wrapping up his call with Z Humor in front, Pick Off in second. “He came from another county!”
– John at Not to the Swift has sussed out a possible spot for everyone’s favorite $16 million colt. Indian Charlie says, “NYRA linemaker Eric Donovan has announced that the Green Monkey will be listed at 20-1 for his racing debut … unless trainer Todd Pletcher decides to enter him in NY-Bred Maiden/Claimer … where he will then open up at odds of 9-to-2.”
– A shout-out to the NYRA gate crew, who made it through the card without a single incident of the sort that’s plagued them lately (NY Post). Good work, gang!
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