Monmouth Park
About that Record
Not to take anything away from Presious Passion, who was a most visually impressive repeat winner of the United Nations Handicap at Monmouth on Saturday, but I suspect it’s wrong to chalk up his final time of 2:10.97 as a new course record. Let’s go to the fractions …
In 2008, Presious Passion sprang an upset in the United Nations going wire to wire. On that day, he went :24.44, :49.16, 1:14.31, 1:38.76, and 2:02, finishing in 2:13.88, yielding splits of :24.72, :25.25, :24.45, :23.24, and :11.8.
On Saturday, Presious Passion again went wire to wire (opening up lengths early), going — according to official time — :19.80, :45.20, 1:09.81, 1:34.67, and 1:59.07, finishing in 2:10.97, a time that, if it stands, knocks nearly two seconds off the course record set by Balto Star in 2003. Those fractions yield splits of :25.4, :24.61, :24.86, :24.4, and :11.9. Presious Passion ran almost the same race as he did in 2008, but for that freaky fast first quarter.
Could there have been a timer error?
Curious, I timed the first quarter of the United Nations repeatedly this morning (using this video and a stopwatch), coming up with :22.8, :22.6, :22.5, and :22.6. Still fast, but not record-defying, and more in line with both earlier turf races on the card and Presious Passion’s splits for the rest of the race. Assuming :22.6 or so is correct and that the following fractions are similarly off, that means Presious Passion finished the United Nations in a time more like 2:13.7 — respectable, but no record.
Addendum: Wondering about records on the turf, I looked up the current North American record holder for 1 3/8 miles, With Approval, who set not only a stakes record, but a world record, of 2:10.26 for the distance in the Bowling Green Handicap at Belmont Park on June 17, 1990. While impressive, the New York Times did report, “[the time] deserves a footnote: Belmont’s are the only turf courses in the country where 11-furlong races are run around two, rather than three, turns. Cougar’s record of 2:11 in the 1972 Century Handicap at Hollywood was around three turns.”
Following up on a couple tweets: o_crunk points out a new turf course was installed in 2006. Since, several records have fallen, the clocks may be suspect, and credit must be given to English Channel, who set the 11-furlong turf record in the new era after running the 2007 United Nations in 2:12.89. Also of interest: Over on PaceAdvantage, a poster says the run-up is 64 feet. That’s all helpful info, especially regarding where the timer starts.
Mystery solved? And the record holds: Steve Crist posts tonight that Presious Passion’s first quarter was :22.20 and lists the rest of the fractions unchanged. So, he was flying early and late. Monmouth expert o_crunk wasn’t kidding about the turf course being speed favoring.
One last thing: BSF for the United Nations, 106 (Form Blog).
Wednesday Notes
– Congratulations to Dana of Green but Game and her pal Swifty on the launch of the Hello Race Fans Network. Neither Railbird nor Raceday 360 is currently part of the racing ad group, but I do support their goals and wish HRF, member sites, and their charter advertisers much success.
– John Pricci reblogs without links reaction to trainer John Shirreff’s announcement of a conservative campaign for Zenyatta. (Original post and comments here.) I suspect Ed at Big Event Blog is onto something: “[M]aybe Shirreffs is just playing coy with the media.” It is early in the year …
– Brooklyn Backstretch recounts our Saturday trip to Monmouth. I can’t say enough good about spending a day at the New Jersey track — the visit was my first since the 2007 Breeders’ Cup, and I left raving about what a jewel of a place it is to enjoy the races. Another visit this summer is certain.
Inspired
The Onion sends up the anthropomorphism that suffused so much of the reaction to Rachel Alexandra winning the Preakness:
“Rachel Alexandra has shattered the perception of the role of female athletes in horse racing,” Pearce said. “When she crossed the line, no one cared about her looks or how much she weighed—they only cared that she won. Do you know what that means for a female in today’s society? This victory was for any woman who has been dreaming since she was a little girl of rounding that final turn, racing neck and neck with a colt, and then sticking out her muzzle to win in a photo finish.”
And:
Women’s pride has had its good days, and this was certainly one of them
Oh, wait … that was Bill Dwyre in the LA Times and he was being serious.
——
I’ll be at Monmouth all day Saturday. Any tips from the local railbirds?
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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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