JC / Railbird

Races/Results Archive

Good Races Galore

I’m playing the Saturday races at Gulfstream and Santa Anita for the first time in several weeks and I’m doing it old school, marking up a paper copy of the Daily Racing Form. The Saturday edition of the Form came with an extra, a new glossy insert called “Gulfstream Scene” filled with aspirational ads padded by an ode to Frank Stronach (“The Stronach philosophy has always been to think big … Gulfstream represents Stronach’s greatest gamble, and possibly a model for the future of the sport”), an article in which really rich people express delight with their really nice homes, and another offering south Florida restaurant recommendations. It’s an upscale lifestyle magazine for horseplayers, which is nothing if not an interesting expansion of the Form’s brand …
Anyway, there’s a plethora of good races on Saturday. For older horses, there’s the Donn at Gulfstream and the Strub at Santa Anita. Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo makes his first start in eight months in the Strub, and he’s 6-1 on the morning line. There are plenty of good reasons he’s not the favorite — he’s making his first start in eight months, his speed figures are too low — but there are also plenty of reasons to like him. Giacomo comes into the race a big, strong four-year-old, says trainer John Shirreffs:

He also has a steady workout tab, and, as the DRF’S Brad Free contends, “The Strub field is weak, and Giacomo is simply the best horse.”
The morning line favorite in the Strub is High Limit, who won the San Pasquale on January 7 going wire-to-wire. All of High Limit’s wins have come that way, and none have come in races longer than 1 1/16 mile. I’ll play against him for that reason alone — the colt hasn’t shown much facility rating and trying to go wire-to-wire for a full nine furlongs isn’t that easy, especially when there are competitors capable of running him down in the final yards, like Giacomo or the interesting shipper Dixie Meister. The Steve Asmussen-trained colt ran second in his last start, the New Orleans Handicap on January 7, and likes to come from well off the pace, as does Bob Baffert’s nonsensically named Hockey the General, who lost the Sir Beufort by a nose in December.
Also on Saturday: It’s a big day for Derby prospects, with the Hutcheson (featuring the three-year-old debut of First Samurai) and the Holy Bull (Barbaro tries to do on the dirt what’s he’s done on the turf) at Gulfstream and the Sham at Santa Anita. Bob and John, who won an allowance on January 20 after finishing third behind Brother Derek and Your Tent or Mine in the Hollywood Futurity in December, is one of six entered in the Sham. In addition to the recent race, the colt worked four furlongs in :47 3/5 on January 30 — he’s certainly fit. The only other starter of real interest is Sacred Light, an improving colt by Holy Bull who won his maiden by disqualification and then ran a big third in his next race off a five month layoff.

Posted in Races/Results on February 3, 2006

Oaklawn Notes

Nearly 22,000 people turned out for Oaklawn’s opening. “A packed apron watched as Swift Trieste edged Silly’s Brother in a photo finish that took several minutes for officials to decipher. When the results were known, a roar rose up from the apron that few tracks hear during a weekday program.”
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Taking advantage of a stretch duel between Catonight and Urban Guy, Celluloid Hero charged to the front along the rail to win Oaklawn’s opening day feature, the Dixieland Stakes. “He’s a pretty nice horse,” trainer Mac Robertson said. “It set up for him. They let him through on the rail. We got a perfect trip.” Tim Ritchey’s Urban Guy finished second, while the John Servis-trained Fidrych came up for third. Servis did better in the day’s fifth race, a maiden special weight, with Jolted and Jostled overcoming a wide trip to win his third career start.
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Menacing, one of Ritchey’s better three-year-olds, ran a disappointing tenth in Saturday’s eighth, a one-mile allowance/optional claiming. The colt dropped steadily back through the stretch after encountering a little traffic trouble while running fourth on the rail at the half.

Posted in Races/Results on January 21, 2006

Dance Daily Stuns Lukas

Trainer D. Wayne Lukas, “who looked a little stunned,” won Monday’s Santa Ynez at Santa Anita, just not with the filly he thought he would. Likely 2005 Juvenile Fillies champion Folklore made her three-year-old debut in the race and, coupled with lightly regarded stablemate Dance Daily, went off as the 1-5 favorite. Taking the lead early, Folklore ran a “pedestrian half-mile,” then weakened in the stretch and finished third, three-quarters of a length behind winner Dance Daily and runner-up Talullah Lula. Looking on the bright side, Lukas said, “We kept it in the family … Folklore is already a Grade I winner and she will go on to bigger and better things, so we’re happy to get Dance Daily a graded stakes win.”

Posted in Races/Results on January 17, 2006

Saturday’s Results

Baghdaria refused to back down from a tough French Park in the Silverbulletday Stakes, winning by a nose over the previously undefeated odds-on race favorite. “I really thought we were beat at the furlong pole,” said Baghdaria’s jockey, Cliff Berry, “but she didn’t think so.” French Park was making her first start since the end of November. She may run next in the March 5 Miss Bonnie at Gulfstream.
Elsewhere: Brother Derek wins the San Rafael, Lawyer Ron the Risen Star. Details in Derby Watch.

Posted in Races/Results on January 15, 2006