JC / Railbird

Saratoga Archive

Noticing

Ran into Alan of Left at the Gate near the paddock before the seventh, which was won by 7-2 Easy Ashley for Wesley Ward. Barely had the filly crossed the wire and Alan was pointing out that the trainer now had a Saratoga record of 20-8-1-3, a quietly successful meet in which he’d won with 40% of his starters, a stat I hadn’t even noticed. The oversight had me wondering what else I might have missed and reminded me of this interesting conversation on noticing, and how the better designers, writers, filmmakers, etc. are good at “super-noticing.” That also seems an essential quality to develop as a handicapper …

Posted in Saratoga on August 28, 2008

Leading Pair

Alan Garcia aboard Kiaran McLaughlin-trained Stream of Gold in the winner’s circle after the sixth.
– Alan Garcia surged to the lead in the rider standings with three wins on Wednesday, bringing his total to 33. Two of those wins were for Kiaran McLaughlin, now leading the trainer standings with 15 wins. The pair hook up for three races on Thursday: In the first, with Caesar Beware (scratched out of a race August 4 after flipping on his way to the paddock); in the ninth, with second time starter Justwhistledixie, third as the favorite in her debut earlier in the month (following a terrific gate work), but the 2-year-old Dixie Union filly had excuses in that the track was sloppy and she had to steady in traffic early; and in the sixth, with first-time starter Southern Oaks, a 2-year-old Vindication filly whose August 21 gate work matches closely that of Majestic Blue, a first out baby winner on Wednesday, and Regal Ransom, another McLaughlin debut winner on Monday.
– Garcia is on the verge of winning the title in only his second season at Saratoga, but there’s this little matter of having to be in Philadelphia on Monday …
– Casino Drive is heading back to the US in mid-September for the Breeders’ Cup … and Curlin could be shipping east for the Japan Cup. In related non-news, there’ll be no match race between the Horse of the Year and Big Brown.

Posted in Saratoga on August 28, 2008

(Not) Winding Down

Front office window at the Saratoga Downtowner Motel.
– Dark days are always subdued, and the last Tuesday before the final week is especially so. This morning felt autumnal, a little melancholy, the air chilly and daubs of fall color bright in the trees. It was possible to enter a local coffee shop on Broadway and get immediate service, and even though the barns still looked full on the backstretch, there was a feeling of packing up and moving on as conversations were filled with mentions of the upcoming Belmont meet and the Keeneland yearling sale.
Despite all that, and the usual post-Travers winding down, the weekend ahead promises to be much more exciting than getaway days of recent years. The midsummer Derby may be the meet’s conclusion for many, but Saratoga gets an epilogue in the form of Curlin headlining the Woodward, in addition to the running of the Forego on Saturday and the Hopeful and Spinaway on Monday, and NYRA is looking for a big closing weekend boost, reports Sherry Ross:

The town is hoping for a similar profitable end, promoting the Woodward with banners in the Jackson stable colors hanging downtown, a window decorating contest (see above), and various events, including a presentation by mayor Scott Johnson to Curlin of a key to city (a nice gesture, although unless the key is made of hay, I think the horse will have a hard time showing much interest).
– Curlin wrapped up his prep for the race with a four furlong work in :49.14 over the Oklahoma on Monday. According to assistant trainer Scott Blasi, he’ll gallop on Wednesday and school in the paddock again on Thursday. A field of six or seven is expected for the Woodward, including Met Mile winner Divine Park. Trainer Todd Pletcher is entering A.P. Arrow, just in case. “We need all of those stars to align and all the planets to align and we need everything and then some to go right…. Things happen sometimes.”
– Bill Mott scored his third Saratoga win on Monday, with second time starter Pioneerof the Nile, a 2-year-old Empire Maker colt, half to stakes-placed Forefathers. It’s a far cry from last year, when the trainer earned the Saratoga title with 27 wins, as yet another reporter reminds readers, but consider — Pletcher, who has won previous titles by racking up 24, 22, or 35 wins, is currently tied at 13 wins with Kiaran McLaughlin heading into the last six days, and Rick Dutrow is third with 11. Unless one of these guys gets hot and not only wins each day but wins multiple races in a day, the title this year seems likely to go to a trainer with fewer than 20 wins (an estimated total especially striking since NYRA has carded approximately 9% more races this summer than last). There’s no mystery to Mott’s cold summer; it’s the cycle of racing, combined with an ultra-competitive training colony.
– The riding title is no less competitive, with young Alan Garcia topping the standings with 30 wins (six of those graded stakes), John Velazquez sporting an equal total (and leading in earnings with more than $2.4 million won), and Edgar Prado sitting third with 26 wins (and 40 seconds, far more than any other jockey, a stat that must be its own source of frustration).
– FoR Bud sends along his Travers weekend photo album, including possibly the best at-the-wire shot of Ginger Punch winning the Personal Ensign.

Posted in Saratoga on August 26, 2008

Lucky John

Colonel John leaving the paddock for the Travers.

– Count me among those confident Mambo in Seattle had the photo. During Travers eve dinner at Hattie’s, I predicted the improving colt would win on Saturday, and watching the race at the wire, I was pretty sure I had the head bob to crow and cash. Not quite, although I did have a saver $86.50 exacta (as noted by Ernie Munick in his daily Quirkycap), and so wasn’t that disappointed by the results. The same can’t be said for trainer Neil Howard and jockey Robby Albarado, edged out of a Travers win for the second year. “I thought I had it,” said Albarado, who stood up and waved his whip in celebration after crossing the finish line. “It never feels good to lose” (Times Union).

It always feels good to win, though, and Colonel John co-owner Susan Casner looked like a woman in Saratoga heaven as she stood trembling with excitement in the winner’s circle before joyfully rushing onto the track to greet her 4-1 by-a-whisker-winning homebred. The colt proved courageous, capable of overcoming what rider Garrett Gomez called “a bit of a nightmare trip,” and that he was more than the synthetic surface specialist some said he was following his sixth place finish in the Kentucky Derby, his only other start on dirt. “We never had any doubts that he would run well on the dirt,” said Bill Casner after (NYT). A reasonable attitude, especially since Colonel John trained well over the Churchill main track and the Derby is such an exceptional race it can be difficult to draw satisfactory conclusions about the abilities of the horses who finish out of the money but in the top half of the field until another race or two has gone on the record …

With an unremarkable final time of 2:03.20 (for which Colonel John was given a 106 Beyer), the Travers will likely have little effect on the division championship, but I think it’s fair to say that Mambo in Seattle emerges an intriguing fall contender; that Pyro, rounding out the trifecta as the favorite, is clearly second tier; that Da’ Tara looks like an ever flukier Belmont winner; and that Tale of Ekati might like less distance and weaker competition. As the winner, Colonel John now points to the Breeders’ Cup Classic as a top 3-year-old, although as an also-ran to a horse absent Saturday, the only one in this crop to show any consistency with his four G1 wins this year, which even I (not a Big fan) respect. Todd Pletcher is right: “I think it’s still Big Brown’s division and everybody else is trying to catch up” (NY Daily News).

– Albarado went to Monmouth on Sunday to win the Molly Pitcher Stakes aboard 1-10 Hystericalady, yet another distaff star in this year of overflowing filly and mare talent. Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, who complained before the race that his mare was overshadowed by Zenyatta and Ginger Punch (via Paulick Report), said Hystericalady could start next month in the Lady’s Secret at Santa Anita.

Posted in Saratoga on August 25, 2008