JC / Railbird

News Archive

Friday Evening Notes

– Jockey Cornelio Velasquez won four races today at Belmont, including one for trainer Linda Rice, who continued her hot streak with Meriwether Jessica in the day’s sixth. Making her debut, the two-year-old Freud filly with a modest string of works was no secret, getting bet down to 4-5 by post time and winning by 12 1/2 lengths. I was more interested in Saratoga Chance, also making her debut, who ambled out of the gate, angled out in the stretch, and still rallied for second. She’s by late sire American Chance, a decent miler with 54 winners from 100 runners, and out of a Private Account mare named Pierpont Account, whose 2004 foal, Saratoga Jet, won at Aqueduct last winter. She’s one for the watch list, eligible for a big improvement next start.
– For the second straight year, Naughty New Yorker defeated the favorite to win the General MacArthur Handicap at Belmont. “We got the old ‘Naughty’ back,” said trainer Pat Kelly. “He was right there at the quarter pole in 1:09. He just dragged Javier up there; that’s what he does when he’s good” (DRF) It’s alway nice to see a veteran like Naughty New Yorker in the winner’s circle, even if he’s one of those horses I can never time right. If I play him, he’s sure to finish out of the money. If I pass, he’s sure to win.
– Has any other rider pulled off this minor feat? On Saratoga’s closing day, jockey Garrett Gomez rode Majestic Warrior to an upset win in the G1 Hopeful for two-year-olds. He then flew cross-country to spring a mild upset on Del Mar’s closing day with Georgie Boy in the G1 Futurity for two-year-olds. Trained by Kathy Walsh, Georgie Boy defeated rival Salute the Sarge by coming off the pace, a tactical change Walsh credited to Gomez. “[Gomez] knew [Georgie Boy] wanted to come from off the pace,” Walsh said (Blood-Horse). Georgie Boy is by modest California sire Tribal Rule, whose offspring, like those of In Excess, Event of the Year, Lit de Justice, and Unusual Heat, showed an affinity for the Del Mar Polytrack surface.
– So, no, to answer commenter J.S., I didn’t hit the closing day Del Mar pick six. As soon as 13-1 shot Westerly Magic hit the wire in the first leg, I was playing for consolation money only, and that disappeared when neither Patch of Blue nor Chancellor won the meet’s final race. To je skoda, as my Czech landlady used to say in response to any complaint.
– Street Sense won’t run in the MassCap. Trainer Carl Nafzger said the Derby winner won’t run again until the last weekend in September (ThoroTimes).

Posted in News on September 7, 2007

Wednesday Evening Notes

– Del Mar will open next Wednesday with a Trakus system in place. Like Keeneland, the track will replace the first four runners display with “an instantaneous, full-field running order posted throughout all races” and post the Trakus data to their web site.
– Alpena Magic, the 17-year-old gelding entered to run at Ellis Park today, was purchased by track president Ron Geary, scratched, and retired. “It’s time for a new career for Alpena Magic,” said Geary. “This horse enjoys being around people and the racetrack. His new role will allow him to be our ‘equine ambassador’ for our new ‘Early at Ellis’ and backside tour programs” (Blood-Horse).
– Film rights to this flowery Vanity Fair article about Barbaro by Buzz Bissinger have been purchased by director Peter Berg and Universal Pictures.
– Dominican’s post-Derby career begins Saturday at Arlington (DRF). Also, Tiago returns in the Swaps at Hollywood, King of the Roxy in Sunday’s Barbaro Stakes, and a competitive field of eight will go to post in the Delaware Handicap (BRIS).

Posted in News on July 11, 2007

Friday Morning Notes

– There’s a pick six carryover of $303,367 at Belmont this afternoon. The sequence begins and ends with maiden special weight races for state-bred fillies and mares three and up. Good luck with those to anyone playing.
– Declan’s Moon, 2004 champion two-year-old male, snapped a seven-race losing streak with a three-length win in a six-furlong allowance/optional claiming at Hollywood on Thursday (ThoroTimes).
– Beyers from Wednesday’s races: High Finance earned 111 for the Tom Fool; Idiot Proof a big 113 for his record-setting Jersey Shore win at Monmouth. In the Dwyer, Any Given Saturday earned a figure that puts him at the top of the three-year-old division, writes Steven Crist. “Any Given Saturday’s winning figure of 110 is right there with Street Sense’s Derby (110), Curlin’s Preakness (111), and Rags to Riches’s Belmont (107)” (DRF+).
– Jockey Frankie Dettori has been handed a two-week suspension for whipping Queen Anne Stakes winner Ramonti excessively in the stretch. “Dettori was found to have whipped five-year-old Ramonti 25 times inside the final two and a half furlongs, with a high percentage of strikes coming inside the last 200 yards” (Independent).
– Empire Racing Associates will challenge what it calls “factual errors” in the New York inspector general’s integrity report to the governor on the four entities bidding for the New York racing franchise, reports the Saratogian. Integrity report details, and an especially good overview of the section on Empire, can be found on Left at the Gate.

Posted in News on July 6, 2007

Tuesday Evening Notes

– Harlington is out of this Saturday’s Surburban with a foot injury (DRF); Hesanoldsalt and Malibu Moonshine are in. Corinthian is still a draw, but honestly, the Suburban has gone from being a race I can hardly wait to see to one I feel pretty meh about. The Mother Goose, also on Saturday, isn’t arousing that much more interest, with a field of five shaping up, including perennial runner-up Octave.
– Only four weeks until Saratoga opens (Saratogian).
– Bill Finley follows up with Andrew Lakeman, paralyzed from the waist down in an accident at Belmont last month, as the rider begins the long rehabilitation process this week.
– “What racing needs, is racing” (Union-Tribune).
– Elliot Spitzer continues to push a plan to close Aqueduct. “Whether or not you have racing at Aqueduct, you have an enormous piece of land there that can and should be used for some other things,” said Governor Spitzer. “That’s a remarkably valuable piece of land from a public perspective” (NY Daily News).

Posted in News on June 26, 2007