JC / Railbird

Belmont Archive

Coming Back to Win

Genuine Devotion went on my watch list after her last race, a six-furlong N1X over the Belmont turf on September 15, in which she’d wired the field in 1:07.97. Pretty good, but what impressed were the fractions: She ran the first quarter in :22.63, the second in :23.01, the penultimate eighth in :11.71, and the final eighth in a quick :10.6. She returned in Sunday’s Xtra Heat Handicap, which looked like a tough spot for her first stakes try, with graded stakes-tested Society Hostess, Stormy Kiss, and G City Gal entered, but they proved no problem for the three-year-old filly, who took an early lead, set the pace, then drew away to win by 2 3/4 lengths. Final time was 1:08.65, with fractions of :22.44, :22.66, :11.34, and :12.18. Not bad; her Beyer speed figure comes back as 100. Genuine Devotion is now 3-for-6, 2-for-3 on grass. Favored Society Hostess, who had won five of seven starts for trainer Christophe Clement and was coming off a nine-month layoff during which she had ankle surgery, finished fourth.

Posted in Belmont on October 14, 2007

Sweet Cat’s Sis Scores

– Life Is Sweet, a full sister to 2004 champion juvenile filly Sweet Catomine, routed her competition in the fifth at Belmont this afternoon, going 1 1/16 miles on the grass in 1:41.47. It was the two-year-old’s second career start for trainer Bill Mott. Debuting at Saratoga (in the same race won by Indian Blessing, who took the Frizette Stakes oh so impressively on Saturday), she showed little going 5 1/2 furlongs on the dirt, racing far off the pace and finishing eighth, more than 14 lengths back. Today’s distance and surface switch suited Life Is Sweet’s apparent style better: The Storm Cat filly picked off rivals on the outside then exploded at the top of the stretch, drawing away to win by nine lengths over Tessitura as the 9-5 favorite.

– Nobiz Like Shobiz won’t start in the Breeders’ Cup Mile despite his push-button victory in the Jamaica Handicap on Saturday. Trainer Barclay Tagg said the three-year-old colt, now 3-for-3 on the turf, will point to the November 25 Hollywood Derby instead (DRF). “The problem with running in the Mile is that even if he wins, he won’t get the accolades he deserves,” said Tagg. “English Channel or whoever wins the Breeders’ Cup Turf will probably be turf champion and he’s not going to be three-year-old champion, so what does he really have to gain by running in the Mile?” Well, maybe an Eclipse after all. Jim Gluckson explains to Paul Moran.

Posted in Belmont on October 7, 2007

Champagne for Zito

– Looking a little stunned in the winner’s circle following the Champagne Stakes, trainer Nick Zito thanked his help for sticking around “through a long couple of years.” The 1 1/2 length win by War Pass over longshot Pyro was the first graded stakes score for the Zito barn since Wanderin Boy took the G2 Brooklyn Handicap in 2006 and the first G1 win since In the Gold in the 2005 Gazelle Stakes. Zito is now headed to the Breeders’ Cup with the 3-for-3 War Pass, who wired the Champagne in 1:36.12, setting quick early fractions of :22.87 and :45.72 in the first half and running the last quarter in a visually unimpressive :25.88. The colt shortened stride with jockey Cornelio Velasquez scrubbing furiously as they neared the wire, allowing Pyro to cut the margin of victory with a late dash. Whether the front-running War Pass can handle a two-turn route will be a big question going into the Juvenile. [War Pass’ Beyer speed figure: 103.]
Even-money favorite Majestic Warrior and second-favorite Ready’s Image, both graded stakes winners, turned in lousy efforts, finishing sixth and last, respectively. “At the half-mile pole, I was out of horse,” said jockey Garrett Gomez of Majestic Warrior. Trainer Todd Pletcher said immediately after the Champagne that Ready’s Image would not start in the Juvenile. “I wouldn’t expect a horse of that quality to run like that without an excuse” (Blood-Horse).
– Trainer Bob Baffert has two strong contenders for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, with Indian Blessing likely joining Oak Leaf winner Cry and Catch Me in the gate at Monmouth on October 27 following her 4 1/2 length romp this afternoon in the Frizette Stakes. Final time for the mile was 1:37.24; Indian Blessing ran the final quarter in :27.24. Gomez let the filly open up an eight length lead in the stretch, then shut her down in the final sixteenth, saving something for the Breeders’ Cup, perhaps, where she could well start as the favorite. It was only the second career start for the Indian Charlie filly, whose debut win at Saratoga was as much a blowout as the Frizette. [Indian Blessing’s Beyer speed figure: 87.]
– Today’s ESPN Win and You’re In broadcast of the Champagne and Keeneland stakes was bedeviled by audiovisual problems, with sound and picture both dropping out occasionally, and the afternoon was marred by one serious injury and two fatal accidents. In the Phoenix Stakes, Teuflesberg suffered a closed sesamoid fracture while racing third down the backstretch. Jockey Julien Leparoux did an excellent job of pulling up the colt and dismounting and Teuflesberg is now at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital, where he’ll have surgery next week on his left foreleg. Before the Phoenix, multiple stakes winner Dream of Angels flipped over, incurring severe head trauma, and was euthanized in the paddock. In the Lane’s End Futurity, Gold Train broke down while pressing pacesetter and eventual winner Wicked Style. The two-year-old colt also suffered a fracture of the sesamoids and was euthanized.
– There’s a pick six carryover of $133,077 at Santa Anita on Sunday, thanks to 61-1 Smokey Route, who knocked out all remaining live tickets winning today’s nightcap. The pick six starts in race five on Sunday, with the Breeders’ Cup Challenge stakes on the card making up the first three legs.

Posted in Belmont, Breeders' Cup on October 6, 2007

.10 Superfectas Come to NY

Starting this Sunday, September 30, on-track and simulcast bettors can play New York dime superfectas (NYRA). NYRA rewards players will have to wait until the online wagering service’s software is updated. If the wait for advanced account information and other functionalities and bug fixes is any guide, it’ll be a while.

Posted in Belmont on September 28, 2007