Railbird 2004–2019

Miscellany Archive

Ghostzapper Wins

And Railbird moves. The two are unrelated, other than that I was so busy packing yesterday I missed watching Ghostzapper’s romp in the Met Mile. The 2004 Horse of the Year won by more than six lengths in his first start in seven months. After such a dominating performance, who will face the champ next? Here’s one match I’d like to see: Ghostzapper vs. Lost in the Fog.
Anyway, I’m moving today and tomorrow, and won’t have web access again until Thursday at least June 8, so I’ve decided to take a short vacation. I’ll return to posting then, with site improvements and fresh content, including an expanded Suffolk Downs section for my fellow New England racing fans; an interview with Daily Racing Form writer, and author of “The Home Run Horse,” Glenye Cain; and a review of Ted McClelland’s “Horseplayers: Life at the Track.”
‘Til Monday Wednesday …

Posted in Miscellany on May 31, 2005

Headlines: May 27

– Trainer Joe Woodward wins nine straight at Churchill Downs, setting a new track record for consecutive wins. He tied the previous record of eight, set in 1997, in a claiming race with a horse named Native Bull, setting another record in the process — most claims entered for a horse — when 28 valid claims were made for Native Bull, who was dropping dramatically in class. (CJ)
– A quarantine is in place at Delaware Park after strangles is discovered. NYRA has put on temporary ban on horses shipping in from the state. Fortunately for trainer Rob Bailes, the ban won’t affect Preakness runner up Scrappy T, who was moved to Bailes’ Maryland barn the day before the outbreak was found. Scrappy T may start in the Belmont. (NYDN)
– NYRA missed a $4.4 million payment to the mutuel clerks’ pension fund in January. Vice president Bill Nader called the problem a “cash-flow issue.” (TT)
– Send links, comments to railbird at jessicachapel dot com

Posted in Miscellany on May 27, 2005

Headlines: Monday Action

– Ghostzapper worked six furlongs in 1:13.24 at Belmont Monday. The 2004 Horse of the Year will make his 2005 debut next Monday in the Metropolitan Handicap. (DRF)
– Trainer Tim Ritchey paid $210,000 for a Dixieland Band colt at the Fasig-Tipton Midatlantic sale on Monday. Ritchey bought the colt for Cash Is King, the stable that owns Afleet Alex and bought him at the same sale a year ago for $75,000 (TT) … The Cash Is King crew is on a roll. The day after winning the Preakness with Afleet Alex, the owners were back in the winner’s circle twice at Delaware with the fillys Racing Luck and Kelsey’s treasure. (BH)
– NYRA fired 59 mutuel clerks and suspended 30 others for participating in an “illegal job action,” according to senior vice president Bill Nader. New York mutuel clerks have been without a contract since 2003. (NYDN)
– Send links, comments to railbird at jessicachapel dot com

Posted in Miscellany on May 24, 2005

Headlines: Return of the Rock

– Rock Hard Ten breezed three furlongs this weekend at Santa Anita. It was the handsome colt’s first workout since he suffered a minor setback early in the spring. Trainer Richard Mandella says he expects Rock Hard Ten to start in the July 24 San Diego Handicap at Del Mar. (DRF)
– Bill Finley profiles Chantal Sutherland. “I plan to put in the time here, and I want to get more mounts and better mounts … To me, that’s the American dream.” (NYT)
– A legislative hearing on the future of New York racing was same-old, same-old until racing law expert Bennett Liebman testified. “This is a unique opportunity to change the racing law,” he told lawmakers. (TT)

Posted in Miscellany on May 18, 2005

Headlines: All Maryland

– Funny Cide will make his 2005 debut this Friday in the Pimlico Special. He’ll be facing the likes of Eddington, Offlee Wild, and Pollard’s Vision. Friday’s card at Pimlico, the day before the Preakness, features five stakes races, including the Pimlico Distaff and the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes. Ashado is entered in the former; Runway Model in the latter. Maddalena will start in the six-furlong Miss Preakness Stakes. (DRF)
– Maryland racing relies on Preakness. “Literally, it’s the one day of the year that we make money,” said Jim Gagliano, executive vice president of Maryland operations for Magna, which is threatening to sell the Preakness to another track or to move it another Magna-owned unless slots are brought to the state (BH) … “But the bullying looks a little empty when you examine the obvious,” writes Michael Olesker. If the Preakness is the one day Pimlico makes money, why would Magna take its most profitable race away from a track it paid millions for? Why wouldn’t they? asks John Eisenberg. “Slots opponents who think the Preakness won’t move should get their heads out of the sand and realize that anything is possible in sports today, that history and tradition are worth as much as a torn mutuel ticket and that those warning sirens going off are real.” (Sun)

Posted in Miscellany on May 17, 2005