Entries tagged with “Aqueduct” from Picture This

A bit late in getting this posted, but here I am. Knew you all would be thrilled.

Last Saturday, April 4^th, was Aqueduct’s big day of the Spring Meet, the premier race and major Kentucky Derby prep being the Wood Memorial, for 3 year olds running a 1 1/8. Also that day was a strong undercard.

Capt. Candyman Can wins the Bay Shore Stakes

 The Grade III Bay Shore, at 7 furlongs was the first of the stakes races. The favorite was Capt. Candyman Can, who was on the Derby trail, whose connections realizing they did not have a “classic horse,” decided not to ruin the horse, and keep him short. The decision paid of as Javier Castellano guided the Candy Ride (ARG) colt to an easy 3 ¾ length victory.

Giant Moon (l.) battles with Cool Coal Man

Next up was the Excelsior Handicap, 1 1/8 for 3 year olds and up. The favorite was Barrier Reef, who was tearing it up all winter on the inner dirt track. But Barrier Reef had his share of problems - getting blocked and going five wide on the turn - and could do no better than third. That did not take away from a thrilling stretch drive between Cool Coal Man, who spurted away along the backstretch, and Darley’s Giant Moon, who pressed the pace all the way. In the end, Cool Coal Man grugingly gave way, and Giant Moon with Edgar Prado on board, won by ½ length.

Giant Moon with Edgar Prado up

The $750,000 Wood Memorial was one of four Kentucky Derby prep races across the country that day. It started off dramatic enough when Imperial Council got goofy in the paddock, freaked out a pick, reared up and promptly landed on his horsey ass, and had pretty much run his race right there.

 

I Want Revenge breaks in the air at the start

 

The there was the start. The gates opened, the horses broke - all except the favorite, I Want Revenge - who reared in the gate and broke when his front legs in the air. He immediately gave the field several lengths. But young Joe Talamo, all of 17 years old - or did he finally turn 18? - didn’t panic, and moved his horse into contention by the final turn. He encountered a wall of horses at the top of the stretch. Lucky for him, Atomic Rain, ridden by Joe Bravo, moved out from the rail, and bounced into I Want Revenge, and pin-balled him out to a just-opening hole. Joe put him into another gear, where he easily won by 1 ½ lengths over West Side Bernie.

I Want Revenge down the stretch

 

 

I Want Revenge and Joe Talamo over West Side Bernie

Too bad a lot of the crowd left. They missed a terrific finish in the Carter Handicap, a Grade I for older horses at 7 furlongs. Front running Fabulous Strike looked to be the winner, but Kodiak Kowboy, after going five wide, closed steadily to catch Fabulous Strike at the wire, and win by a head.

Kodiak Kowboy catches Fabulous Steike at the wire

Last week was to be the big day of Aqueduct’s Fall meeting.  This was to be Aqueduct’s premier race day, with 2 Grade II races - the Demoiselle and the Remsen, culminating with the Grade I Hill “N” Dale Cigar Mile.  Instead it ended with one horse dying and another fighting for her life.

The Demoiselle

The Demoiselle start      Copyright 2008 SueK Photos

The Demoiselle for 2-year old fillies featured Sky Diva, the heavy favorite, after a solid third in the Breeder’s Cup Juvenile Fillies.  But she would again finish third, more than 10 lengths behind the eventual winner, Springside.  This daughter of Awesome Again, who was racing in Woodbine, went last- to-first, blowing by the other fillies in the stretch, to win by 9 ½ lengths. 

Springside wins by 9 lengths

Then 1/16th of a mile past the wire, during her gallop out, the filly took a misstep, and in flash-backs of  Eight Belles, broke her right pastern.  She was swiftly attended to, a stabilizing cast was put on her leg and she was vanned off.  She was moved down to the New Bolton Clinic in Pennsylvania - same clinic where Barbaro was sent - where she fights for her life.  Surgery went well, the bone is intact, she remains in guarded condition.

The Remsen

 

Old Fashioned with jockey Ramon Dominguez and trainer Larry Jones

Next was the boys’ turn.  The favorite was a Larry Jones’ trained called Old Fashioned.  Old Fashioned took this field wire-to-wire, pulled aways by 9 lengths, and was the most visually impressive winner of the three stake races.  He wasn’t even breathing hard when he stood in the winners circle.

This handsome grey son of Unbridled Song seems to have a lot of talent, and is probably on the list of Kentucky Derby prospects.  Plus he has one of those names that would sound good when followed by he phrase “Kentucky Derby winner.”

 

Old Fashion easily wins the Remsen    Copyright 2008 SueK Photos

But I have to wonder if Old Fashioned will hold up to the riggers of the Triple Crown Trail.  While Ubridled Song does produce big, talented offspring, there is also a soundness issue with his get - see horses like Rockport Harbor and Eight Belles for starters.  I do wish all involved well, but I can never get behind an offspring of Unbridled Song when it comes to the Kentucky Derby.  As far as my derby horse, I'll pass.

 

The Hill “N” Dale Cigar Mile

The Cigar Mile is the last grade I race of NYRA’s racing season.  A field of Grade I & II winner’s would contest the one-turn mile.

California invader Monterey Jazz was winging it on the front end, with fractions of 22:4 and 45:1, Storm Play and Wandering Boy tracking behind. Around the far turn Harlem Rocker took over the lead with Tale of Ekati in hot pursuit.  They where head and head down the stretch, with Harlem Rocker prevailing by a head.  

Tale of Ekati (outside) and Harlem Rocker are heads apart at finnish     Copyright 2008 SueK Photos

But that was not the end, as the inquiry sign went up.  Five minutes went by until it was made official - Harlem Rocker was taken down, and Tale of Ekati was declared the winner - the stewards decided that Harlem Rocker came in to the path of Tale of Ekati, who had to re-rally, and they decided that Harlem Rocker’s infraction changed the outcome of the race.  Robin Smullen, Barclay Tagg’s assistant trainer, in response to a question regarding Tagg’s record of 0-for-48 at the Aqueduct meet, said of the win, “We’ll take it any way we can get it.”

 

Tale Of Ekati with Edgar Prado in winners circle     Copyright 2008 SueK Photos

But tragedy marred the race as 7-year old Wanderin Boy, winner of $1.2 million in his career, and running in his last race before going off to stud, broke down on the far turn, shattering the sesmoids in his left front leg.  He was vanned off the track but later euthanized.  His trainer Nick Zito, who trained him for 5 years, said he had lost a friend, as Wanderin Boy was one his barn favorites.

Wanderin Boy with jockey Johhny Velazquez            Copyright SueK Photo

Wanderin Boy was one of my favorites as well.  Wanderin Boy was an honest horse, who always tried.  He has run second to four champions - Lawyer Ron, Invasor, Bernardini, and Curlin in 4 different Grade I races.  He earned his retirement after 5 years of racing, but whether he should have been passing down his genes is another story. 

This was a horse who was injured 4 separate times in two different legs - broken sesmoid, broken leg, bucked shins - before he even had his first race. He had subsequent injuries, including another broken leg.  But each time he healed, and went back to work.  I guess this was just an instance of going one too many times to the well.  Wandering Boy was a ticking bomb, and time and circumstance were not on his side.

R.I.P. Wanderin Boy

Isn't it great that we have racing in NY - otherwise, what the heck would I be doing!  We had the $75,000 Added stakes The Stymie today at Aqueduct.  This was the race were Daaher was  going to show that his aweful performance in the Donn Handicap was a fluke.  Because after all, at the end of 2007 Daaher was the hot horse after routing Breeder's Cup Sprint winner Midnight Lute in the Cigar Mile in November 2007. Yeh - his Donn was just an aboration - he was so much better than that.

Not today he wasn't.

Malibu Moonshine, under Mario Pino, upsets at 14 to 1 in The Stymie

Malibu Moonshine rallied from 3rd to pull the upset as the longest shot on the board at 14 to 1, 4 1/2 lenghts in front of Temporary Saint, 6 3/4 lenghts in front of Daaher, who could only manage 3rd as the 2-5 favorite.

Well, you could have knocked me over with a feather!  I gave Eveing Attire a better shot at winning than Malibu Moonshine. This is a horse who's been running in routes of 1 1/4 to 1 /5/8  for crying out loud.

After the race, Patrick Kelly, the trainer of Evening Attire, said "... it was a strangely run race."  It was a strange race with Daaher fighting with Temporary Saint for the lead, running a first quarter in 22.26 seconds.  He was cooked after the mile, when Temporary Saint took over.  But the fast fractions worked for Malibu's benefit, and he said "See 'ya..." and away he went.

Kiaran McLaughlin was figure out if it's Mike Luzzi's ride or if Daaher needs to be in the lead and is, at best, a miler that can stretch his speed around one turn.  Which is not a bad thing - there is the Breeder's Cup Dirt Mile ...

 

Curlin's Back ... and World Look Out

The 2007 Horse of the year cruised to an easy victory this week in the 5th race, the Jaguar Throphy, Gr. III at Nad Al Sheba in Dubai.  He shouldn't have had a problem with this group, and didn't.  He was very anxious to run, and layed second through out the race,  pulling ahead in the latter part of the never-ending stretch to win by some 2 1/2 lentghs, in what looked like an easy gallop for this big fella.  He has by the way filled out - and he is supposed to be drug free. He looked like he could steam roller over anything.

I do love this guy, the fact that his connections kept him around to now face the world's best on March 29th, thrills me to death.  He seems to be thriving, and with a work over the track, is most dangerous.

 

To view his race, click  Jaguar Trophy  and click Race 5

 

On Saturday February 2nd, Aqueduct held the 29th running of The Whirlaway, a $100,000 added stakes.  It was a major step-up for most of the runners entered.

 

Barrier Reef outduels Roman Emperor in the Whirlaway at Aqueduct

It was a good race for the winner, Barrier Reef, a Darley runner who seems to be figuring it out.  He dueled down the stretch with a determined Roman Empire, whom the added distance seemed to help.  My personal favorite, the New York-bred Spanky Fischbein, who, unfortunately seems to have taken a step backwards, and it will probably be doubtful to see him in the Gr. III Gotham Stakes, on March 8th.

Actually, it remains to be seen if these or any other horses for that matter will get a chance to run in the Gotham, or any other races after February 13th, the day the New York Racing Association’s temporary extension expires.  NYRA employees were given a letter yesterday basically saying ... “we’re trying to do everything possible to work this all out with the state politicians, but we expect them to drop the ball again, so come February 14th racing will shut down, and you’ll be unemployed. Happy Valentine’s Day.”  NYRA also told horsemen that all 2,300 horses stabled at the two tracks and 1000 people living in dormitories would be required to vacate the grounds by February 27th.   Well isn’t that just special.

State Senator Joe “Larry” Bruno (remember I previously dubbed him Larry in the Three Stooges analogy) remains a bit more optimistic.  He feels because they didn’t shut down after December 31,2007, nor after the first extension expired, they won’t do it know, they are just bluffing.  “In fact, I believe that an agreement on a racing framework will be announced very shortly.”  Bruno has been making statements like this before, since November he’s been saying something would be announced shortly.

But NYRA President and CEO Charles Hayward says they are no closer to a deal than on December 31, 2006, and will not take another short term extension, saying racing in New York will shut down without a long-term deal in place.  The deal supposedly in place is a plan calling for the following:
* A 25-year extension with reviews every four years;
* A “reconstituted” board with 11 NYRA members and 10 political appointed members;
* Albany to bail NYRA out of bankruptcy;
* The Oversight Board would remain to decide the operator of  the Video Lottery Terminals and other racing issues.

 

There are a few more issues, which apparently need to be fine-tuned, but it was very clear that NYRA has blamed Bruno, majority leader of the Republican controlled senate.  Joe Bruno has blamed the Governor and Assembly leader Sheldon Silver, both Democrats, that they are being “fiscally irresponsible,” and that the “old racing model does not work, that significant changes are necessary to make racing even better.”  Now you can believe that is Bruno’s sole reason. But those who know New York politics know that Bruno is waiting for his piece of the pie, he’ll give his ok when Joe Bruno has taken care of Joe Bruno.

But neither Joe Bruno (Larry), Spitzer (Moe), Silver (Curly), nor NYRA are anxious to getting the blame for shutting down racing in New York. A commenter, NJ , had posted he basically thought it was doubtful that New York would allow racing to come to a stand still. I say it’s very easy - remember a few years back in New Jersey, their state politicians couldn’t get the state budget in on time, and non-essential services were shut down. Non-essential included racing, which lost 3 or 4 days.  Now I know it is a different situation, but believe me racing can shut down, very easily.  And of course some of the consequences were previously discussed.

Trainer Richard Violette, who is also the President of the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen Association, said ”We prepare for the worst and hope for the best. We still have some faith that intelligent reasonable men will come to an agreement by the 13th.”

At least someone still has faith in the Stooges up in Albany …

New York Racing Association’s Triple Crown trail kicked off  on January 5, 2008 with the 33rd running of the Count Fleet at Aqueduct. It was a step up to open class for the undefeated Giant Moon, a New York-bred son of Giant’s Causeway, facing some other hopefuls such as Roman Emperor, a son of Empire Maker, Darley Stable’s Barrier Reef, and Spanky Fischbein, the only other New York-bred in the race. 

Giant Moon lived up to expectations, edging fellow New Yorker Spanky in an exciting stretch duel.  According to his jockey, Ramon Dominguez, he did just enough to win, and immediately shut down after the line.  It will be interesting to see how he does against tougher and if he will take the New York path.

New York’s Triple Crown trail continues with The Whirlaway on February 2nd, The Gotham on March 8th, and the Wood Memorial on April 5th.  At least it will hopefully …

NYRA’s franchise extension ends on the January 23rd, and the politicians of New York have still not reached an agreement (SURPRISE! SURPRISE!).  There seems to be a couple of sticking issues though.  Seems Senate Leader Joe Bruno wants a new NYRA board, and slots in Belmont, as well as in already approved Aqueduct.  Governor Spitzer likes this idea as well.  Holding  out is Assembly Leader Sheldon Silver, who is dead set against slots at Belmont - said they are already approved at Aqueduct, so apparently sees no need - at least until he gets some yet-to-be-named future political favor.

So yet again the inefficient politicians of New York are playing the game, at the expense of people and businesses that are sustained by racing in New York.  But do these stooges really care?  They care about their partisan politics, what political favors can be gained now or in the future, and basically how they can add to their already deep pockets.  In other words, business as usual. 

It would really be a shame if New York doesn’t have a say in the race to the Kentucky Derby because of politics. There is too much history behind these races to see them fall by the side. And there are no winners in this scenario.