JC / Railbird

Saratoga Archive

Unexpected Dark Day

– A summer squall complete with thunder, lightning, and hail forced cancellation of the Saratoga card after the second race due to portions of the racetrack washing out. “There are big holes in there from the middle of the track all the way down to the rail — I mean huge,” jockey John Velazquez told DRF. (Apparently, the area of the track most affected has been trouble before: “Every time it rains hard like that, we have the same problems around the five-sixteenths pole,” said Edgar Prado.) Repairs were expected to take at least an hour, and even then, “there was no guarantee that the track would be up to standard.” The forecast calls for partly sunny skies and no rain on Saturday, but barely a day has passed this meet without drizzle or monsoon, so you might want to take that report with some skepticism and defensively handicap. [Or not, since dawn breaks clear and cloudless. An afternoon without rain seems possible …]
– Back a year later, taller, possessed of a 75-5 regular season record, and a knack for 3-point shots, the 6th grade Texas Titans handily beat the Saratoga jockey colony 49-32 in a basketball game held Thursday night to benefit the Disabled Jockeys’ Fund. It was an exciting rematch, with the riders holding their own through the third quarter, then tiring in the fourth and looking increasingly desperate and disorganized (in a good humored sort of way) as the kids started racking up points in the closing minutes. (Full report on Brooklyn Backstretch.) On Monday August 18, the jockeys take on the New York State Police in an annual charity softball game benefiting the same worthy cause. Play begins at 7:00 p.m. at the East Side Recreation Field. [Game delayed due to weather.]

Posted in Saratoga on August 8, 2008

Duck, Duck

– I think we all knew it was an unlikely August meeting, but a Blood-Horse report confirms. Big Brown will not race against Curlin at Saratoga:

The Jockey Club Gold Cup isn’t in their thinking either, but Pompa did say they hoped to meet Curlin in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, the race Jess Jackson hedged on while talking to the media in the Tuesday NTRA teleconference. “We’d like to go there but that’s an untested surface and I’m very uncertain about it,” he said, when asked about bringing Curlin to Santa Anita. “We’ve been invited to race in Japan, Hong Kong and other venues in the U.S. We’re keeping all those options open.” Yeah, these two are never going to race against each other, although I do agree with Jackson that it is up to Big Brown’s connections to make any such meeting happen. Curlin is burnishing his reputation this year, and has nothing to prove chasing the 3-year-old …
– Speaking of Curlin, here he is, hanging out and enjoying some hay in his Oklahoma stall, looking content and a little bit curious about all the attention he was attracting (I was not alone in stopping by Asmussen’s barn this morning to admire the handsome Horse of the Year, under the watchful eyes of his personal guard):

– Met Mile winner Divine Park, bravely being pointed to the Woodward despite Curlin’s plans, worked four furlongs in :47.36 over the Saratoga main track. “I’m looking forward to the opportunity to meet the champ,” said trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. “It would be great for Divine Park if he happens to beat him, and if we finish second or third it’s still a positive” (DRF). Nick Zito also plans to be sportsmanlike and enter freshly-minted millionaire Wanderin Boy in the race.

Posted in Saratoga on August 6, 2008

Restored

– Big Brown wins the Haskell, Brash Dutrow returns:

In his favor, Big Brown won off an eight-week layoff after the worst race of his career, digging deep to get past Coal Play — loose on the lead from the start and running the best race of his career — in the final yards and earning a Beyer speed figure of 107, and he did at least somewhat restore his reputation as the division leader. But he didn’t resemble the dominant colt that romped through the spring — on Sunday, he looked badly beat at the eighth pole — much less look ready to take on the reigning Horse of the Year, and the drifting out was worrisome (especially in light of that last work on the turf), suggesting whatever ached or bothered in the Belmont continues to cause trouble.
IEAH co-president Michael Iavarone said the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita is the year-end goal for Big Brown, with the late September MassCap at Suffolk Downs under serious consideration as a final prep:

After the Whitney, trainer Nick Zito also mentioned the MassCap as a possible next start for gallant Commentator. The 7-year-old gelding isn’t quite super horse Curlin, but his preferred running style and occasional brilliance raises the specter of a very interesting stretch run should the two meet up at Suffolk …
That is, if Big Brown gets even close to East Boston. There’s also talk of a turf try and while Dutrow said the colt looked “great” leaving Monmouth Park, backstretch ‘birds whisper Big Brown exited the Haskell sore and that it’s a matter of mere days until his retirement is announced.
– It was standing room only this morning when trainer Carl Nafzger, jockeys Edgar Prado and Milo Valenzuela, and horses Inside Information, Ancient Title, and Manila were inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame. As part of the ceremony, after Dr. Dean Richardson delivered a funny and modest welcome address, the 19 living members of the Hall present in the audience were called before the crowd, their accomplishments and names recited. Among them, rider Laffit Pincay, making his first trip ever to the Hall.

As usual, on scene Brooklyn Backstretch has a full report.

Posted in Saratoga on August 4, 2008

In the Second

… at Saratoga today, Spaniard makes his second start for trainer Bob Baffert. The 2-year-old Candy Ride colt, a half to certain Test Stakes favorite Indian Blessing, comes to the Spa off a sixth-place finish in a June maiden special at Hollywood that has yielded three next out winners (one at Hollywood, with a BSF of 80, two at Del Mar, with BSFs of 73 and 80), and gets leading rider John Velazquez. Sure to be sent to post at better odds, however, is Nowhere to Hide, a Vindication colt with a bullet work on July 12 debuting for trainer Nick Zito, who is 3-1-2-0 with juveniles at the meet so far, all at decent odds (5-1 on flashy winner Miss Ocean City, 4-1 and 3-1 on the others). Steve Asmussen sends out Coach Gravy, an unfortunately named Grand Slam colt out of G3 Meld winner Caiseal Ros, while former Pletcher assistant Seth Benzel, still seeking his stable’s first win, starts Orientate baby Viscount, bought for $350,000 at Keeneland and sporting an improved gate work on July 26.

Posted in Saratoga on August 2, 2008