JC / Railbird

Track Notes Archive

Santa Anita Barn Notes

Trainer Bob Baffert’s Point of Impact was one of the many promising colts horseplayers have been eagerly looking forward to debuting this winter as a possible Kentucky Derby contender. On Wednesday, he appeared in an allowance at Santa Anita and seemed to ruin whatever Derby chances he had by acting rank, blowing the first turn and running to the outside rail. Point of Impact still managed to finish fourth, but it was hardly the performance of a colt you’d want to have a lot of money on come May 6. Jockey Victor Espinoza, though, has an excuse:

Perhaps. Point of Impact does have a couple of months to figure out this whole racing thing, but I don’t think I’ll put him in the Derby top 10 just yet.
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Wild Fit, the impressive California filly last seen finishing second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies to Folklore, worked six furlongs in 1:12.4 at Santa Anita on Thursday. It’s expected the Patrick Biacone trainee will start next in the February 11 Las Virgenes Stakes.

Posted in Track Notes on January 27, 2006

Oaklawn Opens Friday

Oaklawn Park opens Friday, and “this year might be the track’s best yet,” with record purses, more wagering options, a “souped-up” three-year-old series, and full barns to draw on for races.
Trainer John Servis is at Oaklawn and planning on bringing back two of his best horses from layoffs during the meet. Out for much of 2005 with a severe foot injury sustained in the 2004 Remsen, Rockport Harbor could make his long anticipated return to racing in the Essex Handicap on February 11. The gash in Rockport’s hoof is completely healed, said Servis, who described the four-year-old colt as “much more aggressive in his gallops … He’s gotten to be, he’s like Smarty Jones now. The son of a b**** is tough as nails. That’s a good sign.” Acorn winner Round Pond, recovered from surgery last July for a bone chip in her knee, may also start next month. “She is coming along faster than I expected, so there’s a possibility she might run in February,” said Servis.
The opening day stakes at Oaklawn is the Dixieland for three-year-olds at five and half furlongs, and Servis will be represented in that race by Fidrych, who has won two of his last three starts at six furlongs going wire-to-wire. He won’t be the only speed in the race though — there are several fast colts among the 10 entered, including Steve Asmussen’s Catonight (winner of the Sugar Bowl at Louisiana Downs) and Cole Norman’s Corredor de Plata. Trainer Tim Ritchey has entered Urban Guy, his promising three-year-old sprinter.

Posted in Track Notes on January 19, 2006

Gulfstream Opens

Gulfstream opened on Wednesday to mixed reviews. Horsemen raved about the new facility (still under construction), while patrons lamented the absence of the grandstand and the minimum $10 seat price. “This is beautiful, and it’s going to get a lot more beautiful,” said trainer Bobbie Barbara. “The site and the physical plant are gorgeous. No doubt there are things to be done, but I am extremely impressed.” Less impressed was the patron who told the Blood-Horse that the new Gulfstream “is structured for a casino, not a racetrack.” Or this one, who paid for a couple of seats: “I can’t say I’m surprised they charged so much, but I was hoping for something cheaper. Would I pay this again? Maybe not.”
There won’t be much grandstand seating (cheap or otherwise) even when Gulfstream is complete. Only about 1,000 seats will be available to watch races live when the new facility is fully opened and half of those are reserved for horsemen, luxury suite owners, and the media: Everyone else will have to watch the races on TV, just as they might at another track or an OTB hundreds of miles away. Gulfstream president Scott Savin calls the setup “the new paradigm”; I call it joyless. Live racing should be live, and going to the racetrack should mean spending some time outdoors, in the fresh air, seeing thoroughbreds up close.
Related: Bill Finley misses the old Gulfstream. “Having been given a tour of the unfinished parts of the facility on Tuesday and having spent opening day at the track Wednesday, I came away longing for the old Gulfstream Park. That was a real racetrack, and a very nice one. This is a building, and a building where horse racing is merely an adjunct product.”
1/14/06 Update: Citing customer complaints, Gulfstream has dropped the $10 admission charge to the first floor clubhouse, at least until the end of January.

Posted in Track Notes on January 5, 2006

Churchill Ends “Super” Meet

The Churchill Downs fall meet ended this past weekend with “impressive gains” in attendance (up 5%) and handle (up 11%). “The supersized fields and talented jockey colony made for top-notch racing,” writes Jennie Rees. “A year ago, with the jockey walkout/ejection, some of us were relieved when the season ended. Not this time. A confluence of circumstances made this an outstanding meet.”
Same of those same circumstances, such as the weather-related damage at Fair Grounds and Ellis Park, are helping fill Oaklawn Park’s stables. The track, which opened for training on November 22, has received a record number of stall requests. Horsemen have asked Oaklawn to accommodate 3,000 horses; the track has 1,500 stalls. About 200 horses are already on Oaklawn’s grounds, including Round Pond and Rockport Harbor, who worked three furlongs in :36 on Saturday. “That was his first work back,” said trainer John Servis. “I’m tickled to death.” Rockport hasn’t raced since April because of a foot injury. As a two-year-old, he was an early leading Kentucky Derby contender; as a four-year-old, he could be a major factor in the handicap division.

Posted in Track Notes on November 30, 2005