They Won, They’re In
– Did anyone else find Saturday’s first Breeders’ Cup Challenge day as much a yawn as I did? Three of the four horses who won at Saratoga were probably headed to the Breeders’ Cup anyway, although Lawyer Ron was being considered for the Mile, a race perhaps more suited to his running style, and now has a berth in the Classic, a race he finished ninth in last year. Go For Wand winner Ginger Punch will have to be supplemented $180,000 to claim her guaranteed Distaff spot. It was great to see My Typhoon score a well-earned G1 victory following two G2 wins and Diabolical is a fine sprinter, but neither could be considered a “Cinderella” horse capable of whipping up casual fan interest as BC president Greg Avioli talked about happening in an interview before the Diana. The thing is, without standings, a better distribution of graded stakes among the divisions, and incentives for trainers to seek competition rather than duck it, Lawyer Ron’s record-setting Whitney and the other three stakes on Saturday remain just as unconnected and one-off as they did when there was no Challenge. “Win and You’re In” is a good concept, but it needs work.
– Todd Pletcher’s Saratoga slump extends to more than two-year-olds: The supertrainer has won just four of 25 starts in the meet’s first week. Admittedly, two of those wins were the Sanford and Whitney, but Pletcher is disappointed with his record so far anyway (Times Union).
– He wasn’t fully cranked, he got trapped on the inside, but Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense prevailed in Sunday’s Jim Dandy Stakes just the same. “It was a good, solid prep to get him ready for the Travers,” said trainer Carl Nafzger after (Blood-Horse).
– Rags to Riches is back in training (DRF).
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