And She Didn’t Even Bet
– Linda Rice accomplished the improbable on Monday, sweeping the superfecta in the Mechanicsville:
“I kind of joked about it, but I thought it was wishful thinking we could be 1-2-3-4,” Rice said. “But it sure feels good.”
There’s a nice little twist to the story, as well, in line with all the other distaff news of late. Three of Rice’s starters were fillies, including the winner, 9-1 Ahvee’s Destiny (PDF).
– Curlin put in his final serious work for the Woodward on Monday (he’ll have a maintenance breeze next week) and will school in the paddock on Thursday. Fans wanting to see the Horse of the Year will be given advance notice:
“Being here it’s just different,” Asmussen said of the paddock, which is close to the fans.”Whenever we are going to school him, we’ll definitely let everybody know that we are, so we’ll simulate actually what happens to him on race day.”
– The riding title race is tight heading into Saratoga’s final act. On Monday, John Velazquez resumed the top spot with two wins, bringing him to a total of 22, followed by Alan Garcia, Edgar Prado, and Cornelio Velasquez, all with 21, and Ramon Dominguez, with 20. Velazquez has won three graded stakes, as has Garcia, while Prado and Velasquez have won one graded stakes apiece, and Dominguez, none. Robby Albarado, in a little slump these days and with nine wins total, does have two graded stakes wins, along with Julien Leparoux, who has a total of 16 wins.
– Trainer Dallas Stewart takes up blogging for the week.
– In one of those odd worlds colliding kind of moments (in this case, tech and racing), I learned yesterday that Gary Vaynerchuk, vlogger and hyperkinetic wine guy, will be in town this week to give a toast Thursday night at the annual Travers Celebration (which benefits the wonderful work of BEST) and to do a champagne tasting on the clubhouse porch Friday morning. Everyone really does pass through Saratoga, especially Travers week …
Genuine Risk, 1977-2008
Only two days after Proud Spell very likely clinched this year’s filly championship comes the news that Genuine Risk, the champion filly of 1980, died in her Virginia paddock this morning. Genuine Risk won 10 of her 15 career starts, including the Demoiselle and Ruffian Handicap, and never finished worse than third (PDF), but what earned the chestnut mare with the distinctive blaze her fame was being the second filly to win the Kentucky Derby:
She remains the only filly to have finished in the money in every Triple Crown race, placing four lengths behind Codex in the Preakness after the colt drifted into her path in the stretch and carried her wide (a controversial finish some horseplayers are surely still nursing grudges over) and losing by a nose to 53-1 Temperence Hill in the Belmont. As usual, the Sports Illustrated Vault is a trove of good stories, including William Nack’s recounting of the Firestones’ delirious rush to the Derby winner’s circle and the “talk show” that followed the stewards’ decision to let stand the Preakness order of finish. William Leggett was on scene for the Belmont, an upset so shocking it hushed the crowd.
Genuine Risk was retired from racing in 1981 with an injury; she was not a successful broodmare (PDF), although she was, as Maryjean Wall recalls, “a very loving mom.” Of her two living foals, Genuine Reward made it into training with Bill Mott, but both were unraced, and she was pensioned in 2000, kept in comfortable retirement by her doting owners.
Day After
– Final time for the Alabama was 2:04.08, the final quarter went in a reasonable :25.09, and both Proud Spell and Music Note earned a career-top Beyer speed figure of 101 for their game efforts. But while Music Note ran essentially the same race she did winning the Coaching Club American Oaks, Proud Spell progressed considerably from her hard-fought win in the Delaware Oaks last month. No question she showed greater tractability and gutsiness, but I do wonder how much Javier Castellano taking Music Note back early and then wide around the final turn affected the finish, given the “deliberate” fractions and the narrow margin.
Both fillies reportedly came out of yesterday’s race fine, with Proud Spell and connections departing Saratoga early this morning for Fair Hill. “Right now, everything looks good,” said trainer Larry Jones. “[Proud Spell’s] back home and doing quite well” (ThoroTimes). Godolphin assistant Rick Mettee said that Music Note and third-place finisher Little Belle appear in good shape. “We’re happy with them.”
The Gazelle at Belmont has been mentioned as a possible next start for Music Note; the Cotillion Stakes at Philadelphia Park next month for Proud Spell. A meeting in the Breeders’ Cup might not happen. Jones said he was “leery” of the Pro-Ride surface being installed at Santa Anita, and couldn’t “see them settling [the Eclipse award] on an artificial surface,” which makes what happened on Saturday all the more thrilling, especially those couple strides mid-stretch where it looked like Music Note might get by Proud Spell …
– Numaany, who attracted attention and a bit of excitement last fall when he won a maiden special at Aqueduct after refusing to switch leads in the stretch, bolting to the outside fence, and nearly dumping his rider in the final furlong, returned to the winner’s circle for the first time since that November adventure in the third this afternoon as the 5-2 second favorite. This time, no shenanigans, just a patient, ground saving trip under Castellano before drawing away to overtake pacesetter Tizbig by two lengths.
Proud Day
It was something to see trainer Larry Jones, waiting for Proud Spell to gallop out, with a quiver in his jaw, blinking back tears threatening to break. Photographers pressed and congratulations flowed; he paced in the Saratoga dirt and tried to smile. He couldn’t stand still, he couldn’t speak, his filly had won the Alabama and done so tenaciously, digging in to get to the wire first by a head over favored Music Note.
“If Eight Belles were here,” said a reporter leaning against the rail, his back to the returning field, “this would have been her race. She was better than either of those fillies.” Those fillies, so talented and fast, settling a championship over the track, still not enough to fill a gap in the division.
Jones strode toward Proud Spell, signaled to the groom to enter the winner’s circle. Pictures taken, trophy bestowed, the filly unsaddled and led away, question time began. Jones could talk again, and he had praise for the beaten rival, for rider Gabriel Saez, and especially for the game Proud Spell.
“She shows up every time,” he said. “This filly has been here all year. She was the first horse to beat Indian Blessing, who was the champion. She showed up for the Kentucky Oaks, she’s still around for the Alabama … in my mind, there’s no doubt she’s the best 3-year-old filly in the country.”
What’s next is uncertain. “We’ll try to enjoy this win a little more than the Kentucky Oaks,” Jones said, then paused, stumbled. “Because that got short-tailed … we’ll plan something for her later.”
Proud Spell wins for two.
Saturday Notes
– Nice way to start a career: Former Dale Romans assistant Elizabeth Gray earned her first win as a trainer in race two this afternoon with 7-1 Obsequious, her second starter to date. The 2-year-old Fusaichi Pegasus filly making her debut was most admirable, snatching the lead early and dueling down the stretch with second-place finisher Abundantia. Final time for the 5 1/2 furlong MSW was 1:05.78.
– Honorable Miss winner Any Limit is out of next Sunday’s Ballerina, due to a flare-up of an old injury. Trainer Allen Jerkens said the mare might be start next in the Gallant Bloom at Belmont.
– Random crack of thunder from one foreboding cloud. The Saratoga forecast does call for possibility of isolated storms this afternoon …
– Champs Elysees and Red Rocks are scratched from the Sword Dancer, leaving Manhattan winner Dancing Forever the likely favorite and last year’s victor, Grand Couturier, the wiseguy pick. But upset United Nations winner Presious Passion looks the sole speed in this paceless marathon and he should like the good (possibly soft) going, so I’ll dub him today’s longshot flyer (at 10-1 and up). [Results: The wiseguys were right, Grand Couturier repeats. And, said trainer Robert Ribaudo, “We’re going to come back next year.” Presious Passion set the pace, finished fourth.]
– Macho Again is macho. Or possibly, just crazy.
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Jessica Chapel writes and edits in Massachusetts. Railbird is a Thoroughbred horse racing blog published from June 2004 to July 2019. More / Contact
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