December 2008 Archives
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
