JC / Railbird

Belmont Archive

Monday Evening Notes

– In his final prep for Sunday’s Vosburgh Stakes, Discreet Cat breezed five furlongs in 1:00.84 over the Belmont track Monday morning. The now six-furlong Vosburgh will be Discreet Cat’s first start since finishing seventh in the Dubai World Cup six months ago; the race is hardly a soft comeback spot, with First Defense and Fabulous Strike among the expected starters. “Obviously, he’s a top class horse and it’s exciting getting him back to the races,” said assistant trainer Rick Mettee. “I’d feel a little better if this race was 6 1/2 or seven furlongs and it’s a tougher field than you’d like to meet in the comeback race, but the Vosburgh is here and we’ve got to get him going again” (NYRA).
– Street Sense and Hard Spun will meet again, in Saturday’s Kentucky Cup Classic at Turfway (Blood-Horse).
– Beyers: For his labored Brooklyn win, Any Given Saturday earned a speed figure of 103. For his Super Derby upset, Going Ballistic scored 95.
– A fundraiser for the Peter J. Foss Memorial Scholarship will be held at Suffolk Downs on Saturday in the Topsider Room. Benefit tickets are $50 and include lunch, program, handicapping seminar, and a donation to the scholarship fund. A handicapping contest with a prize of a West Point Thoroughbreds share will also be held. More information can be found on suffolkdowns.com or here (PDF).
– Bill Finley argues for Suffolk’s survival: “It’s where racing has existed, albeit with some interruptions, since 1935. Back in that era, there used to be a bunch of tracks in New England. Suffolk is the last one standing. That means that its demise would not just wipe out one track with a rich history but an entire industry in an important region of the country. Does anyone really want that to happen?” (ESPN).
– Veteran turf writer Paul Moran may be retiring from Newsday at month’s end, but he’ll continue handicapping and covering races from his new perch, Paul Moran at the Races, where he’ll begin regular posting October 1.

Posted in Belmont on September 24, 2007

Sunday Evening Notes

– I’m in Kansas City for the TRA Simulcast Conference, where I’ll be taking part in a Tuesday afternoon panel on IPTV, the web video technology Churchill CEO Robert Evans talked up at the Jockey Club Round Table. Reports from that session and the rest of the conference throughout the next couple of days …
– Rags to Riches is done for the year. The filly came out of Saturday’s Gazelle with a hairline fracture in her right front pastern (DRF). Trainer Todd Pletcher suspects the injury occurred during the stretch run when Rags to Riches switched leads, which would explain her apparent lack of focus in the stretch and her hesitancy when Lear’s Princess took the lead near the 70-yard marker. Not to take away from Lear’s Princess, who was simply better on Saturday and in form (Blood-Horse), having finished second in both the Coaching Club American Oaks and the Alabama, both races skipped by Rags to Riches due to missed training and fevers. As Green But Game writes, “Lear’s Princess was tuned up and Rags to Riches was not.” Hopefully, a healthy Rags to Riches will come back in 2008, as her connections are promising, and get an opportunity to avenge this loss, her first since her debut in June 2006.
– Quinella Queen wonders: “Do the folks at Belmont lose sleep wondering how Miss Macy Sue can outdraw the Belle of Belmont?”

Posted in Belmont on September 16, 2007

The Green Fizzle

Sent off as the 2-5 favorite in a field of six by bettors all too willing to ignore his delayed debut and trainer Todd Pletcher’s New York cold streak, the Green Monkey finished third in today’s fourth at Belmont, earning $5200 for his less than impressive maiden effort. “The Green Monkey is sputtering at the top of the stretch,” called Tom Durkin, tagging the three-year-old colt “desperate” as the wire neared with leader Roi Maudit seven lengths ahead. Hustled from the start, given three cracks of the whip before the stretch, the Green Monkey was willing but never a factor. “He broke okay, got outfooted a little bit, kind of ran evenly through the lane, showed a little interest toward the end, galloped out good,” Pletcher said after. “Hopefully, he’ll improve having that race under his belt” (DRF).

Posted in Belmont on September 15, 2007

Monkey Maybe for Saturday

Update: The Green Monkey is entered in the fourth, a six furlong maiden special on the dirt, at Belmont on Saturday. With only five others entered, the Pletcher trainee catches a short field. Planning to be at the track? Get your T-shirt now.
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The Green Monkey may finally make his long awaited debut on Saturday at Belmont and owner Michael Tabor couldn’t be more nonchalant about his $16 million folly’s first start:

Fortunately for Tabor, any disappointment the Monkey incurs will likely be forgotten later Saturday afternoon by the even more anticipated return of Rags to Riches to the races. The Belmont winner is set to make her first start in more than three months in the Gazelle.

Posted in Belmont on September 12, 2007