That’s one possible name for Smarty Jones’ first foal, a healthy filly born to Shoppingwithbetty shortly after midnight on Tuesday at Stone Farm in Kentucky. “She’s very well-made, very strong, very alert, very independent. She has tons of substance; she’s beautiful,” said farm president Dan Rosenberg. You can see how adorable the little filly is for yourself in this photo gallery (complete with audio commentary). Another 91 Smarty Jones foals are expected this winter; the 2004 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner starts his second season at stud in February.
Posted by JC in Breeders/Breeding on 01/11/2006 @ 4:30 pm / Follow @railbird on Twitter
– From maiden winner to stakes winner and on the Derby Trail for sure: Doctor Decherd wins the Aventura by a nose.
– A fresh High Limit is a winning High Limit: Coming off a three month layoff, the Bobby Frankel-trained four-year-old eked out a victory in the San Pasqual, his first since last year’s Louisiana Derby.
– High Limit’s win was one of five for jockey Pat Valenzuela yesterday. Another was Itty Bitty Pretty’s mild upset over Sabatini in the Santa Ysabel.
– Funny Cide continues to confound: The six-year-old gelding raced near the back throughout the Mr. Prospector Handicap and finished second to last in his first start in seven months. Gaff won the race in a quick 1:08.5.
Posted by JC in Races/Results on 01/08/2006 @ 6:55 am / Follow @railbird on Twitter
Barely a week into the new year and already 2005 seems so long ago. I guess that speaks to what an abysmal year in racing it was: 2005 opened with indictments against 17 people for race fixing, fraud, and conspiracy; it closed with the retirement of Afleet Alex. In the months between, the Jockeys’ Guild collapsed into scandal and insolvency, three jockeys died, and NYRA barely escaped bankruptcy. In Massachusetts, Suffolk Downs cancelled the Massachusetts Handicap and Northampton Fair cancelled thoroughbred racing permanently. No, it wasn’t a very good year. Bill Finley, Jay Privman, and Jennie Rees catalog the woes and say goodbye to 12 months they’d all rather forget.
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Of course, it wasn’t all bad …
On the track: Afleet Alex amazed in the Preakness and then triumphed in the Belmont, Rock Hard Ten showed his true talent in the Strub and Goodwood, Ghostzapper dazzled in the Met Mile, Lost in the Fog wowed crowds in every race he ran before the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, and Megahertz proved again and again what a dynamo she was on the turf, winning four out of six starts with her patented late kick.
In the press: This was John Scheinman’s year. Whether writing about a stakes race or the last start of a local favorite, the Washington Post racing correspondent delivered consistently fantastic coverage of the Maryland-Virginia circuit.
Posted by JC in Miscellany on 01/07/2006 @ 12:00 pm / Follow @railbird on Twitter
