Northam Meetings Cancelled Over Track Condition
RWWA Stewards and racing development staff yesterday conducted an inspection of the Northam race track surface.
The inspection confirmed concerns previously raised by both the Northam Race Club and Stewards, that areas of the track surface are not in good condition following severe frosts and previous insecticide treatments for bill bugs.
Stewards are satisfied that the racing pad being prepared for the upcoming meeting on Thursday 17 July 2008 will provide an adequate surface and that meeting will go ahead as scheduled.
To provide sufficient time for the track surface to recover to a standard suitable for racing, meetings scheduled for Northam on 24 July, 31 July and 7 August 2008 have been cancelled. This will provide the track a four week recess from racing.
RWWA Executive General Manager Racing Ken Norquay said: "the track is overall in a fragile state being completely yellow from frosts, leaving the turf leaf weak and prone to further damage from racing".
RWWA has made arrangements for a qualified agronomist to visit the Northam track this week and provide a detailed report.
"Other than the appearance and general weakness, the condition of the track surface, particularly in the approach to the home turn between the 450m and 550m, is a concern. This section of the track is visibly cut up and quite bare in patches", Mr Norquay said.
To minimise disruption to stakeholders race programme amendments have been made at Belmont Park meetings over the next three weeks.
Mr Norquay said: "RWWA and Perth Racing have worked together to quickly implement changes to race programmes in the coming weeks to cater for the provincial class of horse that normally race at Northam".
On Wednesday 23 July, 30 July and 6 August 2008 Perth Racing will conduct ten-race cards with a mixed metropolitan midweek and provincial race programme. Additional races have also been added to some Saturday meetings.
"RWWA and Northam Race Club acknowledge that there will of course be some inconvenience to stakeholders from the loss of these meetings. However, it has been an acutely severe frost season in Northam and it is imperative the track is provided with ample time to recover and ensure the track is able to host the remaining 13 meetings of the season", said Mr Norquay.
The track surface at Northam will be closely monitored over the next four weeks and any opportunity to resume racing at an earlier date will be considered.
Due to the late changes to the race programme for Wednesday 23 July, entries for all races on Saturday 19 July 2008 are extended until 9.30am on Wednesday 16 July 2008.
(c) The Virtual Form Guide
Weekend Stakes Action - Off Track Betting Action
Both Belmont Park and Hollywood Park showcase two huge Grade I races this Saturday. Both races should give us online racebook fans some insight as to who, if anybody, will be able to challenge either Curlin or Big Brown come this fall.
We'll start with the Surburban where a four-year old son of Tiznow figures to make his presence felt.
Belmont Park Race 9
Grade I Suburban Handicap$400,000
For Three Year Olds and Up
1 1/4 miles on dirt
The six-year old Harlington, who has won 6 out of 9 races, will probably go off the favorite, but I'm not biting. I love the looks of the four year old Merchant Marine for giant killer Allen Jerkens. Merchant Marine, a son of Tiznow, has four wins out of seven lifetime starts. Yes, he will be tested for class, but he's a $325,000 dollar buy and comes out of a Gone West mare. The distance should be perfect for him. For second, I'll snub Harlington again and go with the 15 day suspended Richard Dutrow trained Rising Moon. Out of Runaway Groom, this five year old has won four out of six races. He's also got the requisite speed to stay within striking range once the field gets to that incredibly daunting Belmont Park final turn. For third, Harlington looks like the play, right? Uh, no, because A.P. Arrow is in this race. A.P. Arrow was shell-shocked in Dubai when running against Curlin and there's no telling what he will do in this race, but he is trained by Todd Pletcher so getting the show money isn't out of the question.
1. Merchant Marine
2. Rising Moon
3. A.P. Arrow
Hollywood Park Race 10
Grade I Hollywood Gold Cup
$750,000
For Three Year Olds and Up
1 1/4 miles on cushion track
Without a doubt Heatseeker is the class of this field. The horse can run on any surface, has been improving with every race, and is probably the only handicap horse in the nation that could give Curlin a run for his money. With all of that being written, I'm still picking against him. Heatseeker will have a bad race eventually. Why not this Saturday? I'm going to go with Go Between. Go Between actually lost by 3/4 of a length to Heatseeker in the Santa Anita Handicap. He then shipped to Churchill Downs and ran a decent second in the Grade III Ben Ali Stakes. Go Between should relish returning to SoCal where he has done his best work. I expect Go Between to put in a fantastic effort this Saturday. For second, the only horse that makes sense is Heatseeker. Heatseeker will be going off at underlaid odds, but what can us online racebook fans do about it? He's the best horse in this race and should dominate all of his other foes besides Go Between. For third, Tiago has to be the play, right? Doesn't Tiago always finish third? He'll be too far behind the speed to win, but he could put in a good effort. He always does.
1. Go Between
2. Heatseeker
3. Tiago
(c) 1994-2008 BetUS
Off Track Betting - Horse Racing Gets a Bad Rap Too Often
The Sport of Kings always gets a bad rap after a death on the racetrack. Criticism often comes from those that have no idea how the thoroughbred industry operates.
The latest chapter in the blame game involves the unfortunate demise of Eight Belles in the Kentucky Derby after running a valiant second, then collapsing on the Churchill Downs main track and having to be euthanized.
The salvos fired soon after the tragedy were many: Fillies shouldn't race against males, Eight Belles must have been on steroids, it's a money hungry industry with no regard for the horses, etc.
Well, fillies and mares have raced against their male counterparts across the Atlantic for years and have done quite well. Tests proved Eight Belles wasn't racing with steroids when she broke down in the Kentucky Derby after finishing second to Big Brown. And most owners and trainers of thoroughbreds would never think of throwing them to the wolves.
Several of my readers commented on the Eight Belles tragedy and were quite compassionate.
"I wanted to see a filly win," wrote Marsha. "But the worst happened. It was not the owner's, trainer or jockey's fault. The old saying, 'S--- Happens.' It did. A racehorse, with a big heart, broke her legs. Yea, fillies may not be as strong as a stallion, but look at women - we aren't either, but we get the job done. RIP Eight Belles. You did a wonderful job!"
"There is no reason why fillies can't or shouldn't race in the Kentucky Derby," Connie observed. "However, fate has happened as it could have happened to any of the other horses, as we have seen in the past such as Barbaro. But everything happens for a reason. My heart goes out to her trainers, owners and everyone she has touched in her short life. God Bless!"
"She was a great athlete - she beat all but one of the boys," Warren remarked. "I wept when I heard of her demise. I agree with some of the others it was an unfortunate accident."
Now Congress has decided to poke its nose into horse racing, just like it recently did concerning steroids in pro baseball and team spying in the National Football League.
However, racing is attempting to correct such issues as drugged horses, catastrophic breakdowns and injured thoroughbreds with nowhere to go.
Alan Marzelli, president of The Jockey Club whose Thoroughbred Safety Committee recently issued recommendations to correct the problems, said he would like to see an industry-led central body for racing, not federal intervention.
On Monday, IEAH Stables, which owns Big Brown, told BloodHorse.com its horses would race without any medication except Lasix starting Oct. 1. Several horses are bleeders, trainer Rick Dutrow explained, and require Lasix to run.
"We're beginning Oct. 1," IEAH co-president Mike Iavarone said, "because the horses should be clear of all substances by that time. In addition, we are willing to allow racetracks to do pre- and post-race testing on all our horses, and we will pay all expenses.
Iavarone said he feels it's time for someone to step up and take drastic action - and he challenged all owners to follow suit.
withholding steroids from Big Brown after he won the Preakness was one reason the 3-year-old performed badly in the Belmont Stakes.
"I think the poor horse was not used to running without steroids (Winstrol)," Paula Marie wrote. "It does not mean he's not a great racehorse. But since Winstrol is legal, he should've probably stayed on that until after this major race. It may have been too hard on him physically because he was used to running on the steroid. I'm definitely against the use of steroids without a medical cause, but the time may have been too soon to get off of Winstrol."
"People forget that horses aren't machine," Fred said. "They're animals - living, breathing creatures that have moods just like anyone else. He was just having an off day."
"I believe it was Big Brown's way of saying 'enough already," Pamela commented. "His hoof may have been sore, it was treacherously hot and he may have just not felt like performing. Good for him. I think the jockey did the right thing when he eased Big Brown up. I'm just glad we didn't see another speeding ambulance out on the track and another tragedy."
(c) 1994-2008 BetUS
Belmont Stakes Betting - Tale of Ekati a Major Player
The Barclay Tagg runner Tale of Ekati was one of the top two-year olds in the nation last year. In fact out of all of the horses running in the last leg of the Triple Crown, the 2008 Belmont Stakes, Tale of Ekati is the only horse to have run in last year's Breeders Cup Juvenile.
Tale of Ekati finished a non-threatening fourth in that race 17 1/2 lengths behind eventual 2-year old champion War Pass.
Going into his 3-year old season, Tale of Ekati was definitely one of the 3-year olds that online racebook fans were watching closely. Because his trainer is Barclay Tagg, the man who campaigned Funny Cide to Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes victories in 2003, there was no question that Tale of Ekati would improve from his 2 to 3 year old seasons. How much was what everybody wondered.
Well, in his first three races so far this year, Tale of Ekati doesn't appear to have improved all that much. In his first race in 2008, Tale of Ekati lost by 6 1/2 lengths to early Kentucky Derby future book favorite, Pyro, in the Grade II Louisiana Derby. In his second race of 2008, Tale of Ekati actually beat the before mentioned War Pass by 1/2 a length. In his third race of 2008, the Kentucky Derby, Tale of Ekati drifted out and finished a non-threatening fourth losing by 11 lengths to Big Brown.
Now Tale of Ekati is entering the 2008 Belmont Stakes as a prohibitive long-shot. His BetUS online racebook odds are currently 20 to 1 to upset both Casino Drive and Big Brown.
The question of improvement is a valid one since the Belmont Stakes will be Tale of Ekati's fourth race in 2008. If he didn't improve in his first three races in 2008, and based on the facts that he only won one of the three and didn't run fast doing it he hasn't improved this year, will he improve in his fourth race of 2008?
That's the biggest question regarding Tale of Ekati's BetUS online racebook future book odds to win the 2008 Belmont Stakes. Usually, a horse will improve in his third or fourth start. Most horses have that sort of form cycle. The difference with 3-year old horses is that they tend to improve either early in their 3-year old seasons, like Pyro and Big Brown did this year, or later on in their 3-year old season.
Some 3-year old colts maintain the same form they had as a two-year old, which Tale of Ekati appears to have done early on in 2008, but it's rare. Usually, a horse that can compete in the graded ranks as a two-year old will improve enough as a 3-year old to compete in the graded ranks.
That's what I see coming out of Tale of Ekati. His 3-year old pattern reminds me more of a horse like Flower Alley who was terrible early on in his 3-year old campaign but then, as the summer months started to approach, blossomed, no pun intended, into a serious threat for trainer Todd Pletcher.
The same can be said for one of the horses that finished in front of Barclay Tagg's Funny Cide in the 2003 Belmont Stakes - - Ten Most Wanted. Ten Most Wanted didn't become a real racehorse until the 2003 Belmont Stakes.
Will Tale of Ekati prove to be a horse like Ten Most Wanted and Flower Alley? Or, will he just fade into the background as Casino Drive and Big Brown battle it out in the 2008 Belmont Stakes betting extravaganza?
I'm thinking the former for the simple reason that 20 to 1 odds are great odds on a horse that appears to be coming into his own. Tale of Ekati has been training beautifully. He appears ready for his best effort and looks to be holding more flesh then he did earlier in the year.
At 20 to 1 in the BetUS online future book, Tale of Ekati looks like a viable play to upset Big Brown in the 2008 Belmont Stakes.
(c) 1994-2008 BetUS
2008 Belmont Stakes Betting - Macho Again at 40 to 1, Wow!
I can't really blame any online racebook or horse betting fans who weren't watching any other horse in the 2008 Preakness Stakes besides Big Brown. After all, we were all at the mercy of the NBC Network production team that kept their cameras squarely on the Kentucky Derby winner.
It was difficult to see what any other horse in the race was doing. But if we had been paying attention to those horses other then Big Brown we might have seen that Macho Again, was being steadied at the 1/4 pole. We might have seen that Macho Again was going five wide around the turn. We might have seen that Macho Again was moving like a freight train through the lane, not giving up even though Big Brown was turning into a speck of dust in front of him, fighting with every breath to turn Big Brown's Preakness romp into a real horse race.
Macho Again ended up finishing second in the Preakness Stakes, beating Icabad Crane by a quarter of a length. Of course, Big Brown was awesome in the Preakness, but Macho Again, by just showing how incredibly big his heart was, was just as awesome...on a much smaller scale, of course.
Did Macho Again's incredibly tough Preakness run set him up for a more serious race in the Belmont Stakes? Maybe not. Maybe Macho Again is just a cheap horse with a big heart.
Then again, maybe it did. I'll tell you one thing, at the BetUS online future book odds of 40 to 1, I have to take Macho Again seriously.
His father, Macho Uno, won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. His grandfather, Holy Bull, is one of the greatest horses I have ever seen step foot onto a racetrack. Holy Bull was done in during his Kentucky Derby race by a muddy Churchill Downs racing strip. Macho Again didn't even run in the Kentucky Derby.
He did run in the Derby Trial, though, on April 26th. That set him up beautifully for his second-place Preakness run.
Now, he goes into the Belmont Stakes as a huge long-shot. Does he have a chance to shock the world?
Not really. Looking at this race on paper, Macho Again shouldn't like the 1 1/2 distance of the Belmont Stakes. He isn't bred for the distance and he probably would much prefer to run a mile on the grass.
But Big Brown wasn't bred for the 1 1/4 mile Kentucky Derby and look what he did? The point, of course, is that because Macho Again's heart is so large, because he's such a competitor, he could turn any situation into a winning one.
Is he good enough to beat Big Brown? Probably not. But his heart is good enough for me to say that there's an outside chance that he could do it.
What exactly are those chances? Oh, probably around 30 to 1 which makes the 40 to 1 that online racebook fans are getting on Macho Again in the BetUS online future book absolutely great.
(c) 1994-2008 BetUS
Belmont Stakes Wagering - Jeremy Rose Returns with Icabad Crane
Online off track betting faithful remember when Jockey Jeremy Rose was on top of the world. In 2005 he was lucky enough to get the mount on a horse named Afleet Alex. Afleet Alex finished third in the Kentucky Derby and won both the Preakness and Belmont Stakes.
Rose never got to ride Afleet Alex again as the horse suffered a career-ending injury and was retired to stud. But Rose does have a chance to ride a horse in the 2008 rendition of the Belmont Stakes. Rose is the regular rider for Icabad Crane.
Icabad Crane, trained by trainer Graham Motion, finished third most recently in Big Brown's Preakness romp. Even though nobody would ever confuse Icabad Crane with Afleet Alex, Jeremy Rose probably doesn't care.
Just being able to ride in these Grade I Triple Crown races is good enough for Rose.
Born in 1979, Jeremy Rose started his riding career at Delaware Park. That's the same track that has produced such great riders as Mario Pino and Ramon Dominguez. Dominguez in particular is considered one of the top jockey's in the world.
Rose won the Eclipse Aware for Outstanding Apprentice Jockey in 2001 but it wasn't until getting the mount on Alfeet Alex that Jeremy Rose became a household name.
Afleet Alex was the perfect combination of speed and class. To this day, I still wonder how Alex lost the 2005 Kentucky Derby to Giacomo. Rose's steady hand was so perfect on Afleet Alex in the 2005 Preakness Stakes and the 2005 Belmont Stakes that I can't really blame the horse's loss in the Derby on Rose.
No matter. The real question is whether or not Rose could possibly have a live mount in this year's Belmont Stakes aboard Icabad Crane. Icabad Crane, like everybody in the 2008 Belmont Stakes, will be chasing the greatest horse to attempt the Triple Crown since Spectacular Bid in 1979, Big Brown.
Big Brown is almost unbeatable and Rose will have to be on top of his game to get Icabad Crane even close in this race. This will be Rose's third race on Icabad Crane and, hopefully, the first two races will have allowed Rose to get to know the horse better.
That's how Rose developed aboard Afleet Alex. By the time Rose was aboard him in the 2005 Belmont, he had such a good handle on the horse's tendencies, and there was such good communication between the two, that it would have taken Secretariat to beat Afleet Alex that day.
Icabad Crane may not be ready to run like Afleet Alex in 2005 but it won't be because of Jeremy Rose. You can have faith that Rose will do whatever it takes to get his horse up against Big Brown.
(c) 1994-2008 BetUS
Derby notes: Last year's winning jockey almost left out of field
By Bob Heist
Louisiana Gannett News
As the agent handling the book for Calvin Borel, it seemed Jerry Hissam was in a pretty solid position.
It's Kentucky Derby week, and Hissam's representing the winner of the 2007 Triple Crown jewel, so owners and trainers must be lining up for Borel's services, right?
Wrong.
Meet the story that almost became the story this week at Churchill Downs.
"We had a 48-hour window before the draw (for post positions Wednesday), and there was no horse for Calvin," Hissam said. "But things change in this game and just like that Calvin happened to be in the right place at the right time. It's amazing how it works out sometimes."
And the timeline for Borel receiving a chance to defend his title actually occupied a span of about 20 minutes.
In a surprising move early Monday morning, trainer Todd Pletcher pulled Coolmore Lexington Stakes winner Behindthebar from the race. Denis of Cork was the next qualifying horse for the field of 20 based on graded stakes money won. And, of all things, Borel - who won on Street Sense last year - had just put the Southwest Stakes winner through a quick 4 furlongs workout at 48 seconds.
When Denis of Cork's ownership group decided to run the Derby, trainer David Carroll made a call on his cell phone to Hissam.
"It's funny, because after he worked out Denis of Cork ... Calvin told me it was so disappointing for that horse to be so good and not get in the race," Hissam said. "And that's where we thought it was going to end. But just a few minutes later, one horse is out and Denis of Cork is in - and so is Calvin."
Borel - who enters the race ranked No. 32 all-time with 4,451 wins - does have a history with the 3-year-old from rising sire Harlan's Holiday. Denis of Cork has run four races, winning the first two with Borel, and then the Southwest Stakes under Lafayette's Robby Albarado. His fourth race with Julien R. Leparoux in the irons ended in a disappointing fifth-place finish in the Illinois Derby.
That finish out of the money cost owners Mr. and Mrs. William K. Warren Jr. a spot in the Derby until Behindthebar was pulled.
"Calvin got himself a good horse right there," said Albarado, who will be aboard Z Fortune today. "I'm just glad he got in. That would be like winning the Daytona 500 one year and the next you can't find a car to drive."
On top of the world
Right now, there's no jockey hotter than Albarado.
The Lafayette native currently leads the country in winnings ($7,176,248), and over the last year aboard Curlin has captured the Preakness Stakes, Breeders' Cup Classic and Dubai World Cup.
But it's back to the drawing board as far as the 2008 series of Triple Crown races go. Albarado finds himself on 15-to-1 longshot Z Fortune, the lesser of two entries (Louisiana Derby winner Pyro) for trainer Steve Asmussen.
"I'm OK," Albarado said. "This horse is capable, we just have to have some things break our way.
"Z Fortune's not a favorite, but favorites never win the Derby, so I really like my chances."
A year ago, Albarado entered the Derby with Curlin as the morning-line favorite, but got caught in traffic and finished a distant third to Borel on Street Sense. Another Cajun jockey, Lafayette's Mark Guidry, finished fourth on I'mawildandcrazyguy.
It's possible that area natives could dominant the race again with resurgent Kent Desormeaux on 3-1 favorite Big Brown.
And as far as favorites never winning the race, that's not completely accurate. It's happened twice since 1979, and this will be the 10th anniversary of Desormeaux accomplishing the feat on Real Quiet in 1998.
"There are comparisons being made between Big Brown and Curlin, and I don't think that's possible," Albarado said. "Curlin's in a league of his own - that's the best horse in the world, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a jockey. But we'll see. There's three (Cajun jockeys) in the race and we all know what to do. I agree that Kent's in a very strong position, but don't count any of us out."
Facing long odds
When trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. decided to break Big Brown from post 20 in the Derby, he put the race favorite in a difficult spot historically.
Since 1900, the position has produced just one race winner. But Big Brown has proven capable with a less-than-advantageous starting position.
On March 29 in the Florida Derby, Big Brown started from the outside at post 12. It never mattered as the unbeaten 3-year-old surged to the front and won going away by five lengths.
Clyde Van Dusen, in 1929, is the only Derby horse to win from the outside position since 1900. Big Brown's three career starts represent another obstacle. Since 1900, the filly Regret (1915) is the only entry to win with so little experience.
"He's the best horse in the race, and might be the best horse I've ever ridden," said Desormeaux, a Maurice native who shoots for Derby win No. 3 today. "I'm so excited, I can't even explain it. It's an unbelievable feeling to know you're going to win before the race ever happens."
Another piece of history that Big Brown faces is running as the Derby favorite. Since 1979, only twice has the morning-line betting choice won - Spectacular Bid in 1979 and Real Quiet in 1998. Desormeaux was Real Quiet's jockey, edged at the wire in the Belmont Stakes and denied the Triple Crown by Victory Gallop.
"All we need is a clean trip," Desormeaux said. "Nothing crazy happens, and we're going to make some history. This horse is just that good to be this confident."
What's in a name?
A look at how names were given to several of this year's Derby horses:
Tale of Ekati. Owner Charles Fipke discovered a diamond mine in a remote Canadian area called Ekati; Court Vision. Hoops related. Co-owner Kenny Troutt runs a youth championship basketball team that travels all over; Big Truck. His sire was Hook and Ladder; Visionaire. He was the first horse bought after his owners formed a group called Vision Racing.
Colonel John. Army reserve Lt. Colonel John Geiber spent time in Iraq and has worked several years for one of the co-owners; Smooth Air. Easy one here: His sire was Smooth Jazz, his dam was Air France; Denis of Cork. The owners have a priest friend named Denis Casey who grew up in County Cork, Ireland; Cowboy Cal. Houston Texans owner Bob McNair's entry was named for son Cal. As a teen, he wore cowboy boots and a young cancer patient the family knew took to calling him "Cowboy Cal"; Big Brown. UPS is a client of minority owner Paul Pompa Jr. Convenient, too, since United Parcel Service Inc. employs 20,560 people in the Louisville area, its biggest hub.
Coming and going
Ridden by Albarado, Z Fortune enters the Derby off a career-best second-place finish in the Arkansas Derby. Meanwhile, Louisiana Derby winner Pyro is in Lexington, Ky., following a career-worst 10th-place finish in the Toyota Blue Grass.
Both horses are trained by Steven Asmussen.
"Am I on the favorite?" Albarado said. "No. But I have a horse that's on the rise and I'd much rather be in that position than on one with a question mark about how he'll perform."
Curlin after money mark
Curlin, the 2007 Horse of the Year, galloped at Churchill Downs this week.
Asmussen said it could take a month to determine when and where Curlin would race again. But with career earnings of $8,807,800 - third-best in North America history - principal owner Jess Jackson has that No. 1 spot in mind. Curlin trails only Cigar ($9.9 million) and Skip Away ($9.6 million).
Under regular rider Albarado, Curlin has had a sensational past year, winning the Preakness Stakes, Breeders' Cup and Dubai World Cup.
"There's only one Curlin," said Albarado, who got caught in traffic and finished third in the 2007 Derby. "That (money) record will last until they decide to run him again. He's the best horse in the world. Period."
This and that
Court Vision of IEAH Stables - also among the Big Brown ownership group - will try to follow Real Quiet (1998), Funny Cide (2003) and Giacomo (2005) as horses over the past decade to capture the Derby that were winless as 3-year-olds.
Z Humor will try to become the second offspring of Distorted Humor to win the Derby in the past six years, joining Funny Cide.
Copyright (c)2008 The Town Talk All rights reserved.
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