JC / Railbird

Saratoga Archive

Travers Weekend

– And posting here will be light through Sunday while I spend most of the next two days on the backstretch and at the racetrack, which means little time online, but lots of time on Twitter, to which I plan to post observations and results frequently throughout Saturday via mobile device. I’m not sure if my fun experiment this summer with the micro-blogging service is what Steve Crist had in mind when he so graciously included Railbird among examples of “the most interesting racing journalism [outside DRF] being practiced anywhere” (thanks, Steve!), but without a place on track to put the laptop and access wireless, tweeting Travers Day news and color will do fine. (Follow via web or RSS.)
– Mambo in Seattle ran a faster time at the same distance winning the Walton then Macho Again did in the Jim Dandy and Pyro should like stretching out to 10 furlongs, but don’t overlook the Chief: “I’m not surprised he entered and I wouldn’t be surprised if he won, either,” said trainer Todd Pletcher, referring to Allen Jerken’s decision to enter Tizbig in the Travers (Times Union). “I don’t ever question anything he does. Ever,” said Nick Zito of the same (ThoroTimes). Tizbig, 30-1 morning line …
– Ginger Punch gamely squeaked out a win in the Personal Ensign this afternoon, paying $3.30 for a fortunate head bob. “Today and in her last race, she had to overcome a lot of things. She’s in heat — and I was a nervous wreck,” said trainer Bobby Frankel afterwards (which explained why she’d been taken to the far end of the saddling area, away from all but nervous Golden Velvet). “As soon as she got to the quarter-pole, I knew she had a chance” (Blood-Horse).

Ginger Punch, feeling frisky in the Saratoga winner’s circle.

Posted in Saratoga on August 22, 2008

That’s Obvious

Michael Iavarone, on deciding to run Big Brown in an ungraded turf stakes at Monmouth next month, as a prep for the Breeders’ Cup Classic:

Aside: Cake is fine for dessert, but lousy for the sport …
Big Brown breezed four furlongs in :50.20 over the Aqueduct main track this morning, his first work since winning the Haskell three weeks ago.
On Thursday, during an OTB channel appearance, Iavarone (an LATG reader?) proposed a match race between Curlin and the colt at Churchill Downs on November 29 for a winner take all $2 million purse. Explaining why he’d come around to the idea, Iavarone blustered,

Good to see the competitive fire still burns somewhere, even if racing fans will never see it expressed on track between these two supremely talented animals.

Posted in Saratoga on August 22, 2008

Schooling

Curlin (left) and Pyro (right) school in the paddock Thursday.
Along with stablemates Pyro and J Be K, Curlin schooled in the paddock this afternoon before the third in preparation for the Woodward and the most notable aspects of the scene had to do with the people gathered to see the Horse of the Year, who was a vision of glowing copper in the sunshine and perfectly behaved. NYRA security guards were slow to close the horsepath to walking traffic, causing several in the crowd to call out at the sight of the big chestnut bearing down on backyard denizens cluelessly crossing in his way — “That’s not some random 2-year-old,” said one exasperated observer — but the couple camera crews and dozen photographers in the paddock, along with assorted media and NYRA employees, also found their excitement intruding on sense, occasionally getting too close while following Curlin’s every move, earning stern rebukes from an official and bemused looks from the grooms and assistants in attendance. (The horse himself did little more than prick his ears, seemingly undisturbed by the fuss.) Much of the schooling session passed in the saddling stalls, where all three stood quietly before being led out to circle the trees and returning to the barn.

Posted in Saratoga on August 21, 2008

Travers Day Entries

… are up, and it’s a crackerjack 12-race card, with four graded stakes and only two state-bred events. Not to knock New York horses. Much conversation this evening at the Belmont Child Care Association Western Round-Up was about undefeated Finger Lakes gelding Tin Cup Chalice, winner of the Big Apple Triple Crown Challenge and a bonus of $250,000 when he gamely hung on by a head to capture the Albany Stakes this afternoon. Tin Cup Chalice went wire-to-wire, running the final eighth in :12.19 (and the final third in :36 flat) after a first half in :50.88 (not the sort of fractions usually seen on dirt), paying $6.70. Someone who saw the horse up close in the winner’s circle reported his eyes were bloodshot, claiming that was a sign he truly did run his heart out; his determination is obvious enough watching the replay (CalRacing). Conventionally classier, and favored in the wagering, Big Truck (Tampa Bay Derby) and Icadad Crane (Tesio Stakes) finished third and sixth.
As for the benefit, it was the sort of evening that passed pleasantly in a haze of agreeable company and drinking. There was a line dancing lesson (in which I did not take part part), Eugene Melnyk and Leona and John Velazquez made lovely speeches honoring Tracy and Todd Pletcher for their support of the organization, and D. Wayne Lukas did an admirable job of auctioneering after dinner. Teresa was assiduously taking notes while I was fooling around with Twitter and chatting about Travers Week parties and Dubai with Mrs. Albertrani; for a full and detailed report of the event, best check Brooklyn Backstretch in the morning.
Back to the Travers: Turns out Tizbig, 30-1 on the Travers morning line wheeling back off six days rest, may not have been such a surprise when entries were drawn Wednesday (although Amped, third in the Walton, more than 12 lengths behind Mambo in Seattle, certainly remains one). Trainer Allen Jerkens and assistant were reportedly talking midsummer Derby last Sunday even as the chestnut colt cooled out from his second place finish to impressive Numaany in a nine furlong allowance. With no stars and no standouts in the 12-horse field (Pyro, in post 11, is the 7-2 morning line favorite, while Jim Dandy winner Macho Again is listed at 6-1), it’s easy to see how a veteran orchestrator of upsets would be tempted to take a shot with a 3-year-old obviously fit and possessing some speed …

Posted in Saratoga on August 20, 2008