JC / Railbird

News Archive

Noted: December 11

– Recently retired dual Classic winner Afleet Alex will stand at Gainesway for $40,000. “Having Afleet Alex stand at Gainesway is one of the most exciting moments in our 18 years of owning Gainesway,” said president Antony Beck. “There’s already a huge buzz at the farm.” Alex’s stud deal is said to be worth $15-20 million for Cash Is King Stable.
– 12-1 Loyalton upsets in the Larkspur. “When I got to the quarter-pole I asked him to run,” said jockey Russell Baze. “He set sail for the wire, and I got that response, and I thought those other guys might be in trouble.” 2004 Breeders’ Cup winner Wilko, making his first start since the Preakness, finished third. “There’s no disgrace in getting beat in 1:08.59 in your first race back from a layoff,” said jockey Corey Nakatani. “They came home strong and he was making up ground. I think he got what he needed out of this race.” Wilko is scheduled to start next in the December 26 Malibu Stakes.
– Declan’s Moon will resume training soon.
– Paul Daley reviews “Champions”: “At a bargain cost of $50, this compilation will serve to settle arguments and be a handy research and reference guide, as well as helping us to relive glorious times through the lifetime past performances of 531 horses who were named champion, from A.P. Indy to Zev.”

Posted in News on December 11, 2005

Noted: December 8

– Oh, to be a British punter: Because then I could handicap, bet, and watch races live, all on one web site. The Betting Site, a venture launched by the Racing Post and horseracing channel Racing UK today, offers access to past performances and other data, nine different bookmakers, real-time odds, and the ability to watch more than 4,000 races a year live online and on cellphones.
– Saratoga’s closing weekend next summer should be a little livelier than it was this year: NYRA announced changes to its 2006 stakes schedule on Wednesday. The Woodward, which has been run at Belmont in September, will now run Labor Day weekend, along with the Forego, Hopeful, and Spinaway. “We needed to fill the void on that closing weekend,” NYRA senior vice president Bill Nader said. “We all agreed this was the right decision. Now, in terms of life after the Travers, well you’ve got it.”
– 2004 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Wilko, who hasn’t started since his 12th place finish in the Preakness, will return to the track on Saturday in the Larkspur Stakes at Golden Gate Fields. “I think this race can be a little confidence-builder,” trainer Craig Dollase said of the Larkspur. “We think this is a matter of getting a race under his belt.” The race is a prep for the Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita on December 26.
– Kentucky has everything a horse could want: “Blue grass, horse retirement homes and an occasional proper burial.”
– Jockey Stewart Elliott seeks clemency.

Posted in News on December 8, 2005

Noted: December 7

– “The countdown is on … not to Christmas, but to the day four [Massachusetts] racetracks lose their right to simulcast out-of-state races.”
– A baker’s dozen of dark horses for 2006.
– Happy Ticket is back in training.

Posted in News on December 7, 2005

Noted: December 2

– Voting is now open on the NTRA web site for racing’s “Moment of the Year.” Fans can vote for one of 12 images from the past 11 months, including Bellamy Road’s Woodward win, trainer Nick Zito’s induction into the Hall of Fame, and Afleet Alex’s amazing Preakness win after colliding with Scrappy T at the top of the stretch. Can there be any doubt about the likely winner? If there was a morning line on this contest, Afleet Alex would be even money.
– Attendance declined 3% and handle was down 6% at Suffolk Downs this year.
– I’m not just a racing fan, I’m a bibliophile, which is just a nice way of saying I have too many books. A couple of weeks ago I was introduced to LibraryThing.com, a nifty new web site that allows readers to catalog books online and organize them with descriptive tags. I’ve started with the racing and horse-related books; I may broaden my catalog eventually. In the meantime, I’d love to get some recommendations from other readers for books I should add. What’s essential to a good racing collection that I’m missing? Suggestions? Please email.

Posted in News on December 2, 2005