Synthetic tracks were billed as a significant improvement over dirt in terms of wear and tear on horses, so anytime there is a rash of breakdowns on one of the new artificial surfaces, it raises questions.
Such is the case at Santa Anita, where four days into the winter meeting, four horses have broken down on the new Pro-Ride surface during races.
I spoke with the horses' connections to get their views on the surface and find out what happened. This post is a bit long, but I thought their comments were interesting and I didn’t want any of it taken out of context.
Nascar Johnny, two-year-old gelding, El Corredor—Dark Champagne, by Hooched (Race 1, 12-26-08)
Trainer Caesar Dominguez said Nascar Johnny suffered a stress fracture to the cannon bone in his right foreleg. He will undergo surgery to insert screws and is expected to survive.
“I wish we knew what did happen. It’s horse racing. Anything can happen. Why does a football player get a groin or a knee injury? It’s no different than a racehorse. They’re very fragile.”
When I asked Dominguez what he thought of the Pro-Ride surface, he said he has “always been a dirt man.”
“We’re in an experiment here, and I wish we would have waited longer before we put all the tracks on synthetic, but we’ve got it and now we have no choice but to deal with it.”
Warren’s Kenzo, two-year-old colt, by Kris Kross—Shanes Queen, by Shanekite (Race 1, 12-26-08)
Trainer Jorge Gutierrez said Warren’s Kenzo suffered a broken sesamoid and had to be euthanized. Gutierrez said he did not blame the Pro-Ride surface.
“My vet told me he had some gashes on his legs from clipping heels. He probably took a bad step after that, so this accident could have happened on any surface,” Gutierrez said. “I had injuries when Santa Anita was a dirt track, and I’m having injuries with the new track.
“Some horses get a hold of the Pro-Ride and like it, others can’t get a hold of it and they have a lot of problems.”
Indyanne, three-year-old filly, by Indian Charlie—Merchant, by Silver Ghost (Race 8, 12-27-08)
Indyanne suffered a fracture sesamoid in her left front leg while dueling with champion Indian Blessing in the stretch of the La Brea Stakes (G1). Owner John G. Sikura, who privately purchased the multiple graded stakes winner just a few weeks before, is hopeful she will have a successful broodmare career.
Sikura said he felt the worst for trainer Greg Gilchrist, who selected Indyanne at the 2007 Fasig-Tipton Calder sale of selected two-year-olds in training. Gilchrist previously trained 2005 champion sprinter Lost in the Fog, whose life and career was cut short by cancer.
“Greg is a great horseman. He had Lost in the Fog before this. When you handpick Grade 1 horses and do it all yourself, with a small stable, you don’t get many chances. He’s a standup guy and really cares about his horses.”
Jockey Russell Baze said Indyanne took a bad step at the same time he asked her to respond to Indian Blessing’s challenge.
“She had a great champion in Indian Blessing breathing down her neck and she hurt herself when she was asked to run,” Sikura said.
“I think often times people make mistakes when they make uninformed comments about racetracks. I think the people who make a living riding and training horse are the ones who are most informed to tell us how horses are reacting to a track.
"I’ve always been put off by this assertion that if you put a synthetic tack in it will be so much better than dirt in terms of safety. It doesn’t matter what surface, we have to do everything we can to provide safety for horses and riders and the integrity of the sport.
"In the end there’s going to be injuries. It’s a part of the game. We all have to be responsible to train and run sound horses. And not try to run one more start through this problem or another.
"I’m not dismissing Pro-Ride, but we have to be careful when we make endorsements or criticisms before we have statistically significant numbers. I’ve had horses at Woodbine (Polytrack) all year and they’ve had a variety of injuries I never even knew existed. There’s a certain type of shoulder soreness now that the vets call a Polytrack injury.”
Flashing Forward, four-year-old filly, by Outflanker—Flashy Bold Lady, Bold n’ Flashy (Race 7, 12-29-08)
Trainer Gary Sherlock said Flashing Forward shattered her knee and had to be euthanized.
“That filly was sound, and she was in front when she went down. I don’t want to say anything bad about any one track in particular, but I like dirt better. I think they’re trying to reinvent the wheel. It’s not Santa Anita’s fault. I’m not blaming the track. I don’t think Pro-Ride is any worse than any other track. But I think they’re going down the wrong path.
"I’m sure there’s a place for the synthetic tracks, probably in a real bad weather area where it could help them race, but in my opinion that’s the only place for them. I don’t see any benefit to them at all. The injuries on the synthetics are real. And I understand stuff happens. It happens on dirt, but it’s still happening on the synthetic, maybe even at a higher rate.
"I know the motivation is for the betterment of the horse. (Santa Anita President Ron Charles) beat me back to the barn afterward with his concern. But I think they threw the baby out with the bath water.”
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Monday, December 29, 2008
Indian Blessing states her case
Indian Blessing made a final argument for champion female sprint honors with an impressive 1 ½-length victory in the La Brea Stakes (G1) over Santa Anita Park’s Pro-Ride surface on Saturday.
The effort was slightly overshadowed by the breakdown of Indyanne , who suffered a fractured sesamoid in her left foreleg while dueling with Indian Blessing in the stretch.
Some voters already have submitted their selections (the deadline is January 5), and the La Brea was restricted to three-year-old fillies, so it’s unclear how it will impact the Eclipse Awards.
Indian Blessing’s only win over older fillies and mares came in the Gallant Bloom Handicap (G2) at Belmont Park, where she defeated just three rivals. Given her four-length loss to Ventura in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, this is one of the toughest calls on this year's Eclipse ballot.
Either filly would be a deserving champion. My initial thought was to go with Ventura. Even though she did not have a typical sprinters’ campaign (all her victories came on synthetic tracks and turf, at 6 ½ furlongs and longer), she showed a ton of quality and a dynamic turn of foot.
But I waited to see how Indian Blessing looked in the La Brea to make my final decision. To me she looked like a champion (a two-time champion actually, as she was champion two-year-old filly of 2007).
Always in possession of blinding speed, Indian Blessing can now comfortably track or set a rapid pace and finish strongly. She finished 2008 with six wins (including three G1s) and was never worse than second in nine starts.
The Indian Charlie filly, out of Shameful (by Flying Chevron), was bred in Kentucky by owners Hal and Patti Earnhardt.
It was great to hear trainer Bob Baffert say Indian Blessing will remain in training next year. Her next target will be the Dubai Golden Shaheen (UAE-G1).
The effort was slightly overshadowed by the breakdown of Indyanne , who suffered a fractured sesamoid in her left foreleg while dueling with Indian Blessing in the stretch.
Some voters already have submitted their selections (the deadline is January 5), and the La Brea was restricted to three-year-old fillies, so it’s unclear how it will impact the Eclipse Awards.
Indian Blessing’s only win over older fillies and mares came in the Gallant Bloom Handicap (G2) at Belmont Park, where she defeated just three rivals. Given her four-length loss to Ventura in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, this is one of the toughest calls on this year's Eclipse ballot.
Either filly would be a deserving champion. My initial thought was to go with Ventura. Even though she did not have a typical sprinters’ campaign (all her victories came on synthetic tracks and turf, at 6 ½ furlongs and longer), she showed a ton of quality and a dynamic turn of foot.
But I waited to see how Indian Blessing looked in the La Brea to make my final decision. To me she looked like a champion (a two-time champion actually, as she was champion two-year-old filly of 2007).
Always in possession of blinding speed, Indian Blessing can now comfortably track or set a rapid pace and finish strongly. She finished 2008 with six wins (including three G1s) and was never worse than second in nine starts.
The Indian Charlie filly, out of Shameful (by Flying Chevron), was bred in Kentucky by owners Hal and Patti Earnhardt.
It was great to hear trainer Bob Baffert say Indian Blessing will remain in training next year. Her next target will be the Dubai Golden Shaheen (UAE-G1).
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Tennis, anyone?
American racing called Curlin its Horse of the Year in 2007, and it might do so again in 2008. North America's all-time money winner is a lock for the Racing Hall of Fame.
But what will we call future Curlins? Dirt track specialists?
In the very recent past, Grade 1 wins on dirt were the gold standard of American horse racing, and the Breeders’ Cup was viewed as the sport’s defining championship event.
Now racing has three distinct surfaces – dirt, turf, and synthetic – and the Breeders’ Cup will be held on Santa Anita’s synthetic Pro-Ride surface for the second consecutive year before a return to fabled Churchill Downs in 2010.
The situation reminds me a little bit of tennis, where grass, clay, and hard-court surfaces reward different skill sets and create different kinds of stars.
The great U.S. tennis player Pete Sampras won 14 Grand Slam events, but when he took to a clay court, the slower surface dulled his 140 mph serve and powerful forehand. Are synthetic tracks racing’s version of the clay court?
In general terms, grass racing rewards finishing ability. Dirt racing rewards early pace, the ability to carry speed, and the perseverance to run through kickback.
We don’t really know what the synthetic tracks reward because they are so new and until the current American experiment, have never been a venue for quality horses. It's still too early to draw conclusions, but it seems the synthetics require more stamina than a dirt track, while decreasing the importance of pure turn-of-foot.
Some of the synthetics have shown pronounced closer biases. On those surfaces, back in the pack and five-wide in the stretch is the place to be. Others, like Hollywood Park’s Cushion Track, at times resembles dirt racing in that early speed and tactical position is an advantage.
Despite grass racing’s popularity with gamblers and fans, turf horses have long been viewed as second class in America. “But he’s a turf horse,” is still a commonly used argument to shoot down the Eclipse chances of grass performers.
When Wait a While was voted champion three-year-old filly of 2006 largely on the strengths of a turf campaign, I hoped it was a breakthrough in how we view turf horses. If American racing could embrace synthetic tracks and all their quirks, I thought we might reconsider turf's second-class treatment.
Steve Asmussen, who trains Curlin, questioned the result of the first synthetic Breeders’ Cup Classic, where Curlin finished a disappointing fourth, by saying, “It was a turf race.” Some saw Asmussen’s comment as sour grapes, but many racing fans agreed with the underlying sentiment – that the result was something less than true.
With the Breeders’ Cup’s embrace of synthetics and all the major tracks in California going artificial thanks to a government mandate, some of our most important races are being run on synthetic tracks.
And so I ask you: Should synthetic results be held in the same regard as dirt results? Is having three surfaces a good thing, or will racing be better off if the top tracks all went dirt or synthetic? Which way would you go? And where do you rank turf racing in the hierarchy?
But what will we call future Curlins? Dirt track specialists?
In the very recent past, Grade 1 wins on dirt were the gold standard of American horse racing, and the Breeders’ Cup was viewed as the sport’s defining championship event.
Now racing has three distinct surfaces – dirt, turf, and synthetic – and the Breeders’ Cup will be held on Santa Anita’s synthetic Pro-Ride surface for the second consecutive year before a return to fabled Churchill Downs in 2010.
The situation reminds me a little bit of tennis, where grass, clay, and hard-court surfaces reward different skill sets and create different kinds of stars.
The great U.S. tennis player Pete Sampras won 14 Grand Slam events, but when he took to a clay court, the slower surface dulled his 140 mph serve and powerful forehand. Are synthetic tracks racing’s version of the clay court?
In general terms, grass racing rewards finishing ability. Dirt racing rewards early pace, the ability to carry speed, and the perseverance to run through kickback.
We don’t really know what the synthetic tracks reward because they are so new and until the current American experiment, have never been a venue for quality horses. It's still too early to draw conclusions, but it seems the synthetics require more stamina than a dirt track, while decreasing the importance of pure turn-of-foot.
Some of the synthetics have shown pronounced closer biases. On those surfaces, back in the pack and five-wide in the stretch is the place to be. Others, like Hollywood Park’s Cushion Track, at times resembles dirt racing in that early speed and tactical position is an advantage.
Despite grass racing’s popularity with gamblers and fans, turf horses have long been viewed as second class in America. “But he’s a turf horse,” is still a commonly used argument to shoot down the Eclipse chances of grass performers.
When Wait a While was voted champion three-year-old filly of 2006 largely on the strengths of a turf campaign, I hoped it was a breakthrough in how we view turf horses. If American racing could embrace synthetic tracks and all their quirks, I thought we might reconsider turf's second-class treatment.
Steve Asmussen, who trains Curlin, questioned the result of the first synthetic Breeders’ Cup Classic, where Curlin finished a disappointing fourth, by saying, “It was a turf race.” Some saw Asmussen’s comment as sour grapes, but many racing fans agreed with the underlying sentiment – that the result was something less than true.
With the Breeders’ Cup’s embrace of synthetics and all the major tracks in California going artificial thanks to a government mandate, some of our most important races are being run on synthetic tracks.
And so I ask you: Should synthetic results be held in the same regard as dirt results? Is having three surfaces a good thing, or will racing be better off if the top tracks all went dirt or synthetic? Which way would you go? And where do you rank turf racing in the hierarchy?
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Eclipse ballots are here!
Here are my picks for the 2008 Eclipse Awards. I've included my reasoning where I thought the choices were difficult.
Two-year-old male: Midshipman
Two-year-old filly: Stardom Bound
Three-year-old male: Big Brown
Three-year-old filly: Proud Spell
Older horse: Curlin
Older female: Zenyatta
Male sprinter: Benny the Bull
Female sprinter: Ventura (changed to Indian Blessing after the La Brea)
Male turf horse: Conduit (Ire)
Female turf horse: Forever Together
Trainer: Richard Dutrow Jr.
Jockey: Garrett Gomez
Apprentice Jockey: Pascacio Lopez
Owner: IEAH Stables
Breeder: Stonerside Stable
Horse of the Year: Curlin
Zenyatta was perfect, but she raced in races restriced to fillies & mares all year. If Zenyatta was the best horse in the country, she belonged in the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1). The race was on her home track and she already had proven herself as the best filly or mare in America. Let's hope she makes it to the Classic in top form next year.
Horses that won the races Big Brown won, in the way he won them, have been voted Horse of the Year in the past. But his lack of competition vs. older Grade 1 horses leaves a hole in his profile, and his inexplicably bad effort in the Belmont Stakes (G1) left a bad taste in racing fans' mouths. He will not receive nearly the amount of votes he deserves.
Unlike Zenyatta, Curlin's record was not perfect. He finished second to 2006 Breeders Cup Turf (G1) winner Red Rocks in the Man O War Stakes (G1) at 1 3/8 miles on the turf. And he was fourth in the Breeders' Cup Classic. When the Classic was held on dirt, it was the most important race of the year in terms of Horse of the Year voting. It lost some of its impact in 2008 with the move to a synthetic track.
Curlin's win in the Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1) was a memorable performance, and in his return to America, he won the Stephen Foster Handicap (G1) at Churchill while spotting the field 10-15 pounds. Curlin beat Einstein by four lengths that day, while spotting him 10 pounds, and Einstein came back and beat Grade 1 winner Commentator in the Clark Handicap (G2). Two Grade 1 wins in New York followed, and Curlin passed Cigar as the leading earner in North American history. Curlin was undefeated on dirt, still the heart and soul of American racing, through an ambitious campaign.
In the race for two-year-old honors, Vineyard Haven is a reasonable alternative since all of Midshipman's races were on synthetic tracks, and Vineyard Haven's powerful victory in the Champagne Stakes (G1) was so impressive. But I think Midshipman is a horse of quality, and his win in the BC Juvenile tipped the scales for me. I would not fault those who go the other way.
Proud Spell won the two most important races for three-year-old fillies -- the Kentucky Oaks (G1) and the Alabama Stakes (G1), when she defeated Music Note in an epic stretch duel. Eight Belles was arguably the best three-year-old filly in America this year, but her career was cut short by fatal injury.
A perfect four-for-four including the Dubai Golden Shaheen (UAE-G1), Benny the Bull showed great versatility winning on four different tracks -- Gulfstream, Nad al Sheba, Belmont, and Calder. Midnight Lute's win in the Breeders' Cup Sprint(G1) was amazing, but a two-race campaign (a 10th and a win) is not champion material is it?
Although Ventura did not have a typical sprinter's campaign, her convincing four-length victory over Indian Blessing in the year's most important sprint race for fillies and mares put her over the top for me. She also showed great form in one-turn miles on the turf, winning the Grade 1 Just a Game (G1) at Belmont Park and finishing second in open company in the Woodbine Mile (G1). Three-year-old Indian Blessing did not have a Grade 1 win against older horses.
By the way, why is the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) a seven-furlong race instead of six like the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1)? Given the typical fractions, it's going to take a monster effort for a front-runner to win the F&M Sprint! The extra furlong adds an element of stamina to the division. Anyone else find it unusual that we're asking the females to go further than the males?
Conduit's win in the Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) was a big performance from a serious stayer. The horse who finished second -- Eagle Mountain -- came back to win the $2,580,000 Hong Kong Cup (HK-G1). This was a down year for male turf horses in America.
In one of the toughest choices this year, I give Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1) winner Forever Together a slight nod over Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) winner Goldikova (Ire). As eye-catching as Goldikova's victory was, Forever Together won three Grade 1s in America and she ran her final quarter in the 1 1/4-mile Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf in a smokin' :22.80 if the chart is correct. Both are excellent choices.
The trainer category is wide open. I also considered Steve Asmussen, Bob Baffert, John Shirreffs, and Bobby Frankel, all of whom had outstanding years and would be worthy winners. Dutrow had the best win% (24.5) of all of them, and he trained a champion three-year-old, dual-classic winner, and maybe a sprint champion. Dutrow did a fabulous job getting Benny the Bull to win in Dubai and then come back to America and go 2-for-2. Dutrow had 2,000 less starts than Asmussen but he won seven Grade 1 races to Asmussen's five.
IEAH Stables had an amazing year. Their Grade 1 winners in 2008 were Ariege, Big Brown, Benny the Bull, Court Vision, Kip Deville, Laragh, Pure Clan, and Frost Giant.
In the same year Houston Texans CEO Bob McNair decided he is getting out of racing, his Stonerside Stable bred the winners of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile and the Breeders' Cup Classic, and finished second in earnings with just 96 starters.
Two-year-old male: Midshipman
Two-year-old filly: Stardom Bound
Three-year-old male: Big Brown
Three-year-old filly: Proud Spell
Older horse: Curlin
Older female: Zenyatta
Male sprinter: Benny the Bull
Female sprinter: Ventura (changed to Indian Blessing after the La Brea)
Male turf horse: Conduit (Ire)
Female turf horse: Forever Together
Trainer: Richard Dutrow Jr.
Jockey: Garrett Gomez
Apprentice Jockey: Pascacio Lopez
Owner: IEAH Stables
Breeder: Stonerside Stable
Horse of the Year: Curlin
Zenyatta was perfect, but she raced in races restriced to fillies & mares all year. If Zenyatta was the best horse in the country, she belonged in the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1). The race was on her home track and she already had proven herself as the best filly or mare in America. Let's hope she makes it to the Classic in top form next year.
Horses that won the races Big Brown won, in the way he won them, have been voted Horse of the Year in the past. But his lack of competition vs. older Grade 1 horses leaves a hole in his profile, and his inexplicably bad effort in the Belmont Stakes (G1) left a bad taste in racing fans' mouths. He will not receive nearly the amount of votes he deserves.
Unlike Zenyatta, Curlin's record was not perfect. He finished second to 2006 Breeders Cup Turf (G1) winner Red Rocks in the Man O War Stakes (G1) at 1 3/8 miles on the turf. And he was fourth in the Breeders' Cup Classic. When the Classic was held on dirt, it was the most important race of the year in terms of Horse of the Year voting. It lost some of its impact in 2008 with the move to a synthetic track.
Curlin's win in the Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1) was a memorable performance, and in his return to America, he won the Stephen Foster Handicap (G1) at Churchill while spotting the field 10-15 pounds. Curlin beat Einstein by four lengths that day, while spotting him 10 pounds, and Einstein came back and beat Grade 1 winner Commentator in the Clark Handicap (G2). Two Grade 1 wins in New York followed, and Curlin passed Cigar as the leading earner in North American history. Curlin was undefeated on dirt, still the heart and soul of American racing, through an ambitious campaign.
In the race for two-year-old honors, Vineyard Haven is a reasonable alternative since all of Midshipman's races were on synthetic tracks, and Vineyard Haven's powerful victory in the Champagne Stakes (G1) was so impressive. But I think Midshipman is a horse of quality, and his win in the BC Juvenile tipped the scales for me. I would not fault those who go the other way.
Proud Spell won the two most important races for three-year-old fillies -- the Kentucky Oaks (G1) and the Alabama Stakes (G1), when she defeated Music Note in an epic stretch duel. Eight Belles was arguably the best three-year-old filly in America this year, but her career was cut short by fatal injury.
A perfect four-for-four including the Dubai Golden Shaheen (UAE-G1), Benny the Bull showed great versatility winning on four different tracks -- Gulfstream, Nad al Sheba, Belmont, and Calder. Midnight Lute's win in the Breeders' Cup Sprint(G1) was amazing, but a two-race campaign (a 10th and a win) is not champion material is it?
Although Ventura did not have a typical sprinter's campaign, her convincing four-length victory over Indian Blessing in the year's most important sprint race for fillies and mares put her over the top for me. She also showed great form in one-turn miles on the turf, winning the Grade 1 Just a Game (G1) at Belmont Park and finishing second in open company in the Woodbine Mile (G1). Three-year-old Indian Blessing did not have a Grade 1 win against older horses.
By the way, why is the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) a seven-furlong race instead of six like the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1)? Given the typical fractions, it's going to take a monster effort for a front-runner to win the F&M Sprint! The extra furlong adds an element of stamina to the division. Anyone else find it unusual that we're asking the females to go further than the males?
Conduit's win in the Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) was a big performance from a serious stayer. The horse who finished second -- Eagle Mountain -- came back to win the $2,580,000 Hong Kong Cup (HK-G1). This was a down year for male turf horses in America.
In one of the toughest choices this year, I give Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1) winner Forever Together a slight nod over Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) winner Goldikova (Ire). As eye-catching as Goldikova's victory was, Forever Together won three Grade 1s in America and she ran her final quarter in the 1 1/4-mile Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf in a smokin' :22.80 if the chart is correct. Both are excellent choices.
The trainer category is wide open. I also considered Steve Asmussen, Bob Baffert, John Shirreffs, and Bobby Frankel, all of whom had outstanding years and would be worthy winners. Dutrow had the best win% (24.5) of all of them, and he trained a champion three-year-old, dual-classic winner, and maybe a sprint champion. Dutrow did a fabulous job getting Benny the Bull to win in Dubai and then come back to America and go 2-for-2. Dutrow had 2,000 less starts than Asmussen but he won seven Grade 1 races to Asmussen's five.
IEAH Stables had an amazing year. Their Grade 1 winners in 2008 were Ariege, Big Brown, Benny the Bull, Court Vision, Kip Deville, Laragh, Pure Clan, and Frost Giant.
In the same year Houston Texans CEO Bob McNair decided he is getting out of racing, his Stonerside Stable bred the winners of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile and the Breeders' Cup Classic, and finished second in earnings with just 96 starters.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
McMahon’s resignation stirs questions about future of Barretts
It has not been a good year for Thoroughbred sales and the commercial breeding industry in California.
The entire auction world was dragged down by the struggling economy in 2008, but Barretts Equine Ltd., based on the grounds of Fairplex Park in Pomona, California, had a particularly tough year.
Barretts took in a reported $26,886,050 in 2008, a decline of $16.8-million (38.5%) compared to 2007. Barretts’ two-year-old in training sales – the strength of its auction menu – suffered a 34.3% drop in total sales. That was considerably worse than the American two-year-old market’s overall decline of 8.6%.
Barretts had to cancel its new Classic I sale of horses of racing age, scheduled for the day after this year's Breeders Cup at nearby Santa Anita Park, because of insufficient entries.
Then on Monday night came word of Barretts President Jerry McMahon’s resignation. McMahon, 57, co-founded Barretts in 1989 with Ralph Hinds and Fred Sahadi.
McMahon said his departure was a personal decision based on “timing in my life and where the industry is.” He said the downturn of 2008 played a minor role in his decision.
“Only in the context that you kind of get used to operating at a certain level. The most fulfillment in an auction is to play at the top of the game, and times are a little more challenging now,” McMahon said. “I still believe in California. I think California is too big a piece of the industry for it to stumble too much longer. I have a lot of confidence that this market will come back, and California will play a role.”
The Los Angeles County Fair Association, a self-funded, privately held, not-for-profit organization, owns Barretts. I spoke with Chief Executive Jim Henwood regarding the future of Barretts.
What is your commitment to holding horse sales?
Henwood: I think that’s not really our call. That’s going to more come from the horse industry. Barretts as a business cannot afford to lose money, but we’re willing to take less of a return, predicated on the improvement in our belief that California Thoroughbred racing can find its way through all the challenges and strengthen itself.
How would you grade Barretts’ performance in 2008?
Henwood: It was not good. I don’t know how you put a grade on it, but it was not where we wanted it to be. But this is not anything new in coming. We’ve had concerns, as everyone has in California, dealing with the state of our racing. And fundamental to racing is the Thoroughbred breeding industry as an important agricultural business in our state.
What changes are in store for 2009?
Henwood: I would say all the sales companies are looking at their business right now. These are tough economic times. You make adjustments, which are predicated on market conditions, and we have to make sound financial judgments. Will we be conducting as many auctions in 2009 as in 2008? The answer is no… See story on cancellation of October sale
We are not looking to walk away from the Thoroughbred auction business. For us, it’s a $15-million capitalization – that’s the capitalized cost of the business. We have developed a very, very strong business as it relates to the auction environment for Thoroughbreds in the Western U.S. We consider Barretts to be the very best of the region, and comparable to the sales climates one would see at Fasig-Tipton or at Keeneland.
Our challenge is to work through these challenging economic times and help improve the breeding structure in California. We’re also talking with the industry about a training center here at Fairplex, dealing with questions like what would happen if we see the loss of a racetrack like Hollywood Park and how would Fairplex fit into that?
How is recruiting for the March sale coming?
Henwood: We are actively out there recruiting horses for these sales and we’re about to go into our catalog for the January sale, and things are looking good in that regard.
Bill Baker and Kim Lloyd (Barretts vice presidents) are talented professionals in their own right, and my hope is that the industry will see that we still have very, very competent leadership as we work through the loss of Jerry McMahon.
At this moment they are going back to the East Coast to finalize our catalogs and try to get more horses for the March sale in 2009. Recruiting has been a fundamental problem, but things are looking as good as they can right now. We have great buyers and a great Thoroughbred industry in California, and we want to bring the best of the best and present them in our March sale for buyers on the West Coast and around the world.
The entire auction world was dragged down by the struggling economy in 2008, but Barretts Equine Ltd., based on the grounds of Fairplex Park in Pomona, California, had a particularly tough year.
Barretts took in a reported $26,886,050 in 2008, a decline of $16.8-million (38.5%) compared to 2007. Barretts’ two-year-old in training sales – the strength of its auction menu – suffered a 34.3% drop in total sales. That was considerably worse than the American two-year-old market’s overall decline of 8.6%.
Barretts had to cancel its new Classic I sale of horses of racing age, scheduled for the day after this year's Breeders Cup at nearby Santa Anita Park, because of insufficient entries.
Then on Monday night came word of Barretts President Jerry McMahon’s resignation. McMahon, 57, co-founded Barretts in 1989 with Ralph Hinds and Fred Sahadi.
McMahon said his departure was a personal decision based on “timing in my life and where the industry is.” He said the downturn of 2008 played a minor role in his decision.
“Only in the context that you kind of get used to operating at a certain level. The most fulfillment in an auction is to play at the top of the game, and times are a little more challenging now,” McMahon said. “I still believe in California. I think California is too big a piece of the industry for it to stumble too much longer. I have a lot of confidence that this market will come back, and California will play a role.”
The Los Angeles County Fair Association, a self-funded, privately held, not-for-profit organization, owns Barretts. I spoke with Chief Executive Jim Henwood regarding the future of Barretts.
What is your commitment to holding horse sales?
Henwood: I think that’s not really our call. That’s going to more come from the horse industry. Barretts as a business cannot afford to lose money, but we’re willing to take less of a return, predicated on the improvement in our belief that California Thoroughbred racing can find its way through all the challenges and strengthen itself.
How would you grade Barretts’ performance in 2008?
Henwood: It was not good. I don’t know how you put a grade on it, but it was not where we wanted it to be. But this is not anything new in coming. We’ve had concerns, as everyone has in California, dealing with the state of our racing. And fundamental to racing is the Thoroughbred breeding industry as an important agricultural business in our state.
What changes are in store for 2009?
Henwood: I would say all the sales companies are looking at their business right now. These are tough economic times. You make adjustments, which are predicated on market conditions, and we have to make sound financial judgments. Will we be conducting as many auctions in 2009 as in 2008? The answer is no… See story on cancellation of October sale
We are not looking to walk away from the Thoroughbred auction business. For us, it’s a $15-million capitalization – that’s the capitalized cost of the business. We have developed a very, very strong business as it relates to the auction environment for Thoroughbreds in the Western U.S. We consider Barretts to be the very best of the region, and comparable to the sales climates one would see at Fasig-Tipton or at Keeneland.
Our challenge is to work through these challenging economic times and help improve the breeding structure in California. We’re also talking with the industry about a training center here at Fairplex, dealing with questions like what would happen if we see the loss of a racetrack like Hollywood Park and how would Fairplex fit into that?
How is recruiting for the March sale coming?
Henwood: We are actively out there recruiting horses for these sales and we’re about to go into our catalog for the January sale, and things are looking good in that regard.
Bill Baker and Kim Lloyd (Barretts vice presidents) are talented professionals in their own right, and my hope is that the industry will see that we still have very, very competent leadership as we work through the loss of Jerry McMahon.
At this moment they are going back to the East Coast to finalize our catalogs and try to get more horses for the March sale in 2009. Recruiting has been a fundamental problem, but things are looking as good as they can right now. We have great buyers and a great Thoroughbred industry in California, and we want to bring the best of the best and present them in our March sale for buyers on the West Coast and around the world.
Monday, December 8, 2008
A great American city on the rebound
I made my first trip to New Orleans this past weekend, and it was inspiring on many levels.
A cab driver told me a story about staying in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina hit because an elderly relative didn’t want to leave. They were eventually air-lifted out.
It’s hard for him to understand how our federal government can spend hundreds of billions of dollars waging a war and then helping to rebuild Iraq while one of America’s great cities struggled to get back on its feet.
It was not a working weekend for me, but I did catch most of the Saturday card at Fair Grounds. My cab driver added that the return of horse racing has been a major boost to the recovery process.
It was an enjoyable afternoon of racing, and it was easy to go back and forth from the cozy paddock out to the front side to watch the races. (The grandstand was smaller than I imagined.)
Louisiana is one of the best circuits for following the inside money. In race 4, a 5 ½-furlong turf sprint for maidens, second-time starter Deputy’s Lariat caught my eye when he opened at a short 2-to-1.
Trained by Patrick Mouton, Deputy’s Lariat was bet to 2.40-to-1 in his debut at Louisiana Downs on October 12 and ran a wide fifth with Patrick Valenzuela aboard. Five works and almost two months later, he was back with a jockey switch to Elvis Perrodin.
I met Mouton at Louisiana Champions Day during the Fair Grounds-at-Louisiana Downs meeting in December 2005 and have a healthy respect for his runners. Deputy Lariat won at 6-to-1 odds.
New Orleans has a deserving reputation as a great food town, and the track was no exception. The daily special of beef stew reminded me of something my grandfather used to make. I declared the green beans the best I’ve ever had, and I'm pretty sure that wasn't the absinthe talking. (Previous night in the French Quarter)
I plan to return for red beans & rice or a corn beef po’ boy. From the food perspective, Fair Grounds is one of the best tracks in America.
Other culinary highlights included an incredible ham hock and lima bean soup at Cochon, fried chicken, greens, and candied yams at Praline Connection, and of course, coffee and beignets at Café Du Mond, overlooking Jackson Square.
The other thing about New Orleans that left an imprint on me is the people. They have a zest for life that can’t help but rub off on visitors.
According to my unscientific poll of cab drivers and restaurant workers, tourism has rebounded to 40 or 50% of its pre-Katrina levels. There are great deals on hotels and flights to New Orleans right now, and if you’ve never been, there’s no better time.
A cab driver told me a story about staying in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina hit because an elderly relative didn’t want to leave. They were eventually air-lifted out.
It’s hard for him to understand how our federal government can spend hundreds of billions of dollars waging a war and then helping to rebuild Iraq while one of America’s great cities struggled to get back on its feet.
It was not a working weekend for me, but I did catch most of the Saturday card at Fair Grounds. My cab driver added that the return of horse racing has been a major boost to the recovery process.
It was an enjoyable afternoon of racing, and it was easy to go back and forth from the cozy paddock out to the front side to watch the races. (The grandstand was smaller than I imagined.)
Louisiana is one of the best circuits for following the inside money. In race 4, a 5 ½-furlong turf sprint for maidens, second-time starter Deputy’s Lariat caught my eye when he opened at a short 2-to-1.
Trained by Patrick Mouton, Deputy’s Lariat was bet to 2.40-to-1 in his debut at Louisiana Downs on October 12 and ran a wide fifth with Patrick Valenzuela aboard. Five works and almost two months later, he was back with a jockey switch to Elvis Perrodin.
I met Mouton at Louisiana Champions Day during the Fair Grounds-at-Louisiana Downs meeting in December 2005 and have a healthy respect for his runners. Deputy Lariat won at 6-to-1 odds.
New Orleans has a deserving reputation as a great food town, and the track was no exception. The daily special of beef stew reminded me of something my grandfather used to make. I declared the green beans the best I’ve ever had, and I'm pretty sure that wasn't the absinthe talking. (Previous night in the French Quarter)
I plan to return for red beans & rice or a corn beef po’ boy. From the food perspective, Fair Grounds is one of the best tracks in America.
Other culinary highlights included an incredible ham hock and lima bean soup at Cochon, fried chicken, greens, and candied yams at Praline Connection, and of course, coffee and beignets at Café Du Mond, overlooking Jackson Square.
The other thing about New Orleans that left an imprint on me is the people. They have a zest for life that can’t help but rub off on visitors.
According to my unscientific poll of cab drivers and restaurant workers, tourism has rebounded to 40 or 50% of its pre-Katrina levels. There are great deals on hotels and flights to New Orleans right now, and if you’ve never been, there’s no better time.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
OTB’s voice in the sky
Meet Steve Perry, the voice of Illinois racing nobody knows.
Perry is a lifelong racetracker who answered an ad for a “satellite disc jockey” about eight years ago, as he remembers it.
Born in Texas but raised in Harrodsburg, Kentucky, Perry, 55, has worked on the gate crews in California and Arkansas. He pretty much grew up in the horse business but eventually tired of the transient life.
Now, Perry works at the Oak Brook, Illinois, off-track betting parlor, in a small room full of monitors, decoders, and an online switching system that allows him to govern ‘the action channel.’
The action channel is beamed out to more than a dozen betting parlors in Illinois, and it is usually the only channel accompanied by sound – an honor amongst the dozen or more signals featured on the banks of TV screens at the local OTB. Perry controls the action, choosing the most important race in the country at any given moment.
He also has a live microphone to give a heads-up for upcoming races and make comments on horses, trainers, jockeys, and anything else he wants to contribute. Perry is a voice in the sky, the simulcast players’ guide to a day at the OTB.
Considering that more money is wagered at the OTBs in Illinois than at the tracks, Perry plays a significant role in how racing’s customers view the product.
When 2007 Horse of the Year Curlin was paraded between races at Churchill Downs last Saturday, Perry called attention to the chestnut horse that might have escaped many weekend warriors’ notice.
“I had a lot of people who said thanks for doing that. They told me they didn’t even know [the Curlin ceremony] was going on,” Perry said. “I always try to put the award ceremonies up when they honor a great, such as Laffit Pincay...”
Oak Brook is Illinois’ most popular OTB, handling $71.8-million in 2007. About 75% of that action was on out-of-state simulcasts.
Oak Brook’s handle has been stagnant the last five years, hovering between $71 and $73-million. No doubt Oak Brook has been affected by over-expansion of the OTB network at the same time the ADW revolution is encouraging people to play along from the couch.
“When I started working here, we had probably six parlors. Now we have 15, and it’s diluted our strength quite a bit,” Perry said. “We have a lot of people who make their bets online, but they’ll still come in here to watch the races. Or they’ll come in and make their bets and then go home and watch TVG.”
So how has the OTB crowd changed over the last eight years?
“With our business now, it’s mostly the die-hards,” Perry said. “There’s not as many of what I call newbies – the first-timers – except on the big race days.”
I was curious how Perry handles racing’s bad habit of sending two or three races off at the same time.
“On Friday or Saturday there’s usually three tracks going off within a minute of each other. If they’ve got a $4,000 claimer at Hawthorne and there’s a stakes race at Aqueduct or Hollywood, I’ll always put up the better race,” Perry said. “It doesn’t bother me personally, but it happens all the time. A lot of people come up to me and ask why don’t more tracks stagger their post times? It seems the only time there’s a concerted effort to stagger races is on the big days like Breeders’ Cup.”
Like me, Perry is not a fan of slot machines as racing’s savior.
“Slots jack the purses up, but just because $5,000 claimers are running for $20,000, it doesn’t make them better horses,” Perry said. “I’m trying to get the better races and the better horses out to the public.”
Despite some depressing trends, Perry’s love of racing continues to transmit over ‘the action channel.’
Minutes before Beethoven wins the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes, Perry touts him as a horse to watch for on the road to the Kentucky Derby. He mentions a first-time starter that he heard “can run a little bit.” He jokes about Julien Leparoux and Mike Maker dominating the Churchill fall meeting.
“Ho-hum, another winner for Maker and Leparoux.”
Perry reminds the customers that it is closing day at Churchill. He tells them what meets are coming up. He mentions Friday night’s Delta Jackpot Stakes.
“Most of our customers don’t even know Delta will be running Friday night, but when I tell them about it, they say, ‘Oh, these are Derby horses?’”
Perry believes simulcast locations need to do a better job of marketing and presenting racing at its best. He also believes there are too many tracks, running too many dates.
“If racing would just do what I say, we’d be fine,” Perry joked.
Keep up the good work Steve.
Perry is a lifelong racetracker who answered an ad for a “satellite disc jockey” about eight years ago, as he remembers it.
Born in Texas but raised in Harrodsburg, Kentucky, Perry, 55, has worked on the gate crews in California and Arkansas. He pretty much grew up in the horse business but eventually tired of the transient life.
Now, Perry works at the Oak Brook, Illinois, off-track betting parlor, in a small room full of monitors, decoders, and an online switching system that allows him to govern ‘the action channel.’
The action channel is beamed out to more than a dozen betting parlors in Illinois, and it is usually the only channel accompanied by sound – an honor amongst the dozen or more signals featured on the banks of TV screens at the local OTB. Perry controls the action, choosing the most important race in the country at any given moment.
He also has a live microphone to give a heads-up for upcoming races and make comments on horses, trainers, jockeys, and anything else he wants to contribute. Perry is a voice in the sky, the simulcast players’ guide to a day at the OTB.
Considering that more money is wagered at the OTBs in Illinois than at the tracks, Perry plays a significant role in how racing’s customers view the product.
When 2007 Horse of the Year Curlin was paraded between races at Churchill Downs last Saturday, Perry called attention to the chestnut horse that might have escaped many weekend warriors’ notice.
“I had a lot of people who said thanks for doing that. They told me they didn’t even know [the Curlin ceremony] was going on,” Perry said. “I always try to put the award ceremonies up when they honor a great, such as Laffit Pincay...”
Oak Brook is Illinois’ most popular OTB, handling $71.8-million in 2007. About 75% of that action was on out-of-state simulcasts.
Oak Brook’s handle has been stagnant the last five years, hovering between $71 and $73-million. No doubt Oak Brook has been affected by over-expansion of the OTB network at the same time the ADW revolution is encouraging people to play along from the couch.
“When I started working here, we had probably six parlors. Now we have 15, and it’s diluted our strength quite a bit,” Perry said. “We have a lot of people who make their bets online, but they’ll still come in here to watch the races. Or they’ll come in and make their bets and then go home and watch TVG.”
So how has the OTB crowd changed over the last eight years?
“With our business now, it’s mostly the die-hards,” Perry said. “There’s not as many of what I call newbies – the first-timers – except on the big race days.”
I was curious how Perry handles racing’s bad habit of sending two or three races off at the same time.
“On Friday or Saturday there’s usually three tracks going off within a minute of each other. If they’ve got a $4,000 claimer at Hawthorne and there’s a stakes race at Aqueduct or Hollywood, I’ll always put up the better race,” Perry said. “It doesn’t bother me personally, but it happens all the time. A lot of people come up to me and ask why don’t more tracks stagger their post times? It seems the only time there’s a concerted effort to stagger races is on the big days like Breeders’ Cup.”
Like me, Perry is not a fan of slot machines as racing’s savior.
“Slots jack the purses up, but just because $5,000 claimers are running for $20,000, it doesn’t make them better horses,” Perry said. “I’m trying to get the better races and the better horses out to the public.”
Despite some depressing trends, Perry’s love of racing continues to transmit over ‘the action channel.’
Minutes before Beethoven wins the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes, Perry touts him as a horse to watch for on the road to the Kentucky Derby. He mentions a first-time starter that he heard “can run a little bit.” He jokes about Julien Leparoux and Mike Maker dominating the Churchill fall meeting.
“Ho-hum, another winner for Maker and Leparoux.”
Perry reminds the customers that it is closing day at Churchill. He tells them what meets are coming up. He mentions Friday night’s Delta Jackpot Stakes.
“Most of our customers don’t even know Delta will be running Friday night, but when I tell them about it, they say, ‘Oh, these are Derby horses?’”
Perry believes simulcast locations need to do a better job of marketing and presenting racing at its best. He also believes there are too many tracks, running too many dates.
“If racing would just do what I say, we’d be fine,” Perry joked.
Keep up the good work Steve.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Synthetic Sentiments, chapter 1
As American racing's synthetic revolution is in a holding pattern, we have a unique opportunity to see what our star horses would look like in parallel universes -- if we stayed with dirt or went all-synthetic, as some are predicting.
There are a lot of factors that should go into a track's decision to go with dirt or synthetic. Overlooked in the current debate is the racing product and star horses the surface creates.
Horse of the Year Curlin's shocking demotion from best non-turf horse in the world to a neck behind Tiago (who is a very nice horse, but not in Curlin's league) in the synthetic Breeders' Cup Classic is the latest example of how a great dirt horse can look rather average on a synthetic track.
But with his only synthetic start coming at the end of a long, globe-trotting campaign, Curlin might not be the best case study.
Street Sense, on the other hand, is a great example of how track surface can completely change our view of a horse. On dirt, Street Sense was a champion two-year-old and historic Kentucky Derby winner, a gifted stretch runner with a quick turn of foot.
On synthetics, Street Sense was winless from three starts, unable to run by horses he left in his wake on a dirt track. In the 2006 Lane's End Breeders' Futurity, run on Keeneland's Polytrack, Street Sense finished third behind Great Hunter and Circular Quay, two horses he beat by 10 and 12 lengths respectively in his following dirt race, the Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Churchill Downs.
In the 2007 Blue Grass Stakes, again on Keeneland's Polytrack, Street Sense was a nose worse than Dominican and a nose in front of Zanjero. In his next start on dirt, Street Sense won the Kentucky Derby. Dominican and Zanjero were a non-threatening 10th and 11th respectively.
Street Sense's final race on a synthetic surface came at Turfway Park in the Kentucky Cup Classic. Facing Hard Spun, the horse he trailed by double-digit lengths but easily ran by in the Derby and Preakness, Street Sense sat a length off his front-running rival but was unable to gain an inch in the lane.
So who was the real Street Sense? The dirt champion or the synthetic also-ran? And all things considered, which one would racing be better off with, at the track and in the breeding shed?
There are a lot of factors that should go into a track's decision to go with dirt or synthetic. Overlooked in the current debate is the racing product and star horses the surface creates.
Horse of the Year Curlin's shocking demotion from best non-turf horse in the world to a neck behind Tiago (who is a very nice horse, but not in Curlin's league) in the synthetic Breeders' Cup Classic is the latest example of how a great dirt horse can look rather average on a synthetic track.
But with his only synthetic start coming at the end of a long, globe-trotting campaign, Curlin might not be the best case study.
Street Sense, on the other hand, is a great example of how track surface can completely change our view of a horse. On dirt, Street Sense was a champion two-year-old and historic Kentucky Derby winner, a gifted stretch runner with a quick turn of foot.
On synthetics, Street Sense was winless from three starts, unable to run by horses he left in his wake on a dirt track. In the 2006 Lane's End Breeders' Futurity, run on Keeneland's Polytrack, Street Sense finished third behind Great Hunter and Circular Quay, two horses he beat by 10 and 12 lengths respectively in his following dirt race, the Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Churchill Downs.
In the 2007 Blue Grass Stakes, again on Keeneland's Polytrack, Street Sense was a nose worse than Dominican and a nose in front of Zanjero. In his next start on dirt, Street Sense won the Kentucky Derby. Dominican and Zanjero were a non-threatening 10th and 11th respectively.
Street Sense's final race on a synthetic surface came at Turfway Park in the Kentucky Cup Classic. Facing Hard Spun, the horse he trailed by double-digit lengths but easily ran by in the Derby and Preakness, Street Sense sat a length off his front-running rival but was unable to gain an inch in the lane.
So who was the real Street Sense? The dirt champion or the synthetic also-ran? And all things considered, which one would racing be better off with, at the track and in the breeding shed?
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Debating Curlin’s place in history
If he has indeed run his last race, 2007 Horse of the Year Curlin retires a treasured horse, somewhat under appreciated by mainstream sports fans and a source of great debate within racing circles.
Certainly he will be elected to the Racing Hall of Fame, but is Curlin an all-time great? Will he win a second consecutive Horse of the Year award, like Cigar, the horse Curlin surpassed for North America’s all-time leading earnings record?
Had Curlin won the 2008 Breeders’ Cup Classic instead of taking the lead at the top of the stretch and fading to fourth, he would be a unanimous pick for Horse of the Year. Joining Tiznow as the only two-time Classic winner would have cemented his legacy.
Because Breeders Cup held this year’s event on a relatively untested synthetic track instead of old-fashioned dirt, we will never know with certainty if it was the surface that got Curlin beat or if, as some believe, he was a horse in decline over the second half of the year.
That is one of the main questions Eclipse Award voters will be asking themselves when they decide between Curlin and undefeated Zenyatta for Horse of the Year. Having just re-watched most of Curlin’s 16 career races, I lean toward the horse-in-decline argument.
Following Curlin’s second-place finish in the Man O’ War Stakes at 1 3/8 miles on the turf on July 12, he scored narrow, workmanlike victories in the Woodward Stakes and Jockey Club Gold Cup over weak fields at equal weight.
Had a top Grade 1 caliber horse come running at Curlin in either of those races – as the two excellent European three-year-olds Raven’s Pass and Henrythenavigator did in the Breeders’ Cup – he likely would have tasted defeat.
Saying that his late form did not approach his previous, considerable heights is not a slam – 99.9% of horses could not dream of doing what Curlin did. I would consider at least five of his races to be timeless, great efforts (replay links below). Included on the list is his gallant defeat to the filly Rags to Riches in the 2007 Belmont Stakes, when the two champions ran their final quarter in :23.80, an incredible split for a 12-furlong dirt race.
Note the determination Curlin shows in his ’07 Preakness and Jockey Club Gold Cup wins, resolutely running down fellow three-year-old Street Sense and then the excellent older horse Lawyer Ron. Note the amazing ability he shows as he runs away from the field in the ’07 Breeders Cup and ’08 Dubai World Cup.
I would love to see Curlin run one more time, but that appears more unlikely with each passing day. At least we have these great efforts to remember him by. So who am I voting for Horse of the Year? Eclipse ballots haven’t arrived in the mail yet, and this campaign isn’t quite over.
Certainly he will be elected to the Racing Hall of Fame, but is Curlin an all-time great? Will he win a second consecutive Horse of the Year award, like Cigar, the horse Curlin surpassed for North America’s all-time leading earnings record?
Had Curlin won the 2008 Breeders’ Cup Classic instead of taking the lead at the top of the stretch and fading to fourth, he would be a unanimous pick for Horse of the Year. Joining Tiznow as the only two-time Classic winner would have cemented his legacy.
Because Breeders Cup held this year’s event on a relatively untested synthetic track instead of old-fashioned dirt, we will never know with certainty if it was the surface that got Curlin beat or if, as some believe, he was a horse in decline over the second half of the year.
That is one of the main questions Eclipse Award voters will be asking themselves when they decide between Curlin and undefeated Zenyatta for Horse of the Year. Having just re-watched most of Curlin’s 16 career races, I lean toward the horse-in-decline argument.
Following Curlin’s second-place finish in the Man O’ War Stakes at 1 3/8 miles on the turf on July 12, he scored narrow, workmanlike victories in the Woodward Stakes and Jockey Club Gold Cup over weak fields at equal weight.
Had a top Grade 1 caliber horse come running at Curlin in either of those races – as the two excellent European three-year-olds Raven’s Pass and Henrythenavigator did in the Breeders’ Cup – he likely would have tasted defeat.
Saying that his late form did not approach his previous, considerable heights is not a slam – 99.9% of horses could not dream of doing what Curlin did. I would consider at least five of his races to be timeless, great efforts (replay links below). Included on the list is his gallant defeat to the filly Rags to Riches in the 2007 Belmont Stakes, when the two champions ran their final quarter in :23.80, an incredible split for a 12-furlong dirt race.
Note the determination Curlin shows in his ’07 Preakness and Jockey Club Gold Cup wins, resolutely running down fellow three-year-old Street Sense and then the excellent older horse Lawyer Ron. Note the amazing ability he shows as he runs away from the field in the ’07 Breeders Cup and ’08 Dubai World Cup.
I would love to see Curlin run one more time, but that appears more unlikely with each passing day. At least we have these great efforts to remember him by. So who am I voting for Horse of the Year? Eclipse ballots haven’t arrived in the mail yet, and this campaign isn’t quite over.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Kentucky is the place I ought to be
Unlike the lead character in Flatt & Scruggs’ Ballad of Jed Clampett, it was not black gold that led me to load up a truck and move my life.
Rather, it was the personal discovery of a sport – Thoroughbred racing.
My first ever visit to the track – unless you count my family’s drive-by to see the orange glow of Arlington Park burning down in 1985 – came at the rebuilt and renamed Arlington International Race Course in the summer of 1991.
I was taken by the palatial grandstand, lush turf course, bright silks, and majestic horses (and then there was that betting thing). It didn’t take long to learn the rhythm of my local circuit. Arlington, located in the posh northwest suburbs, was book-ended by cold weather and a slightly different class of racing on Chicago’s gritty southside.
Hawthorne Race Course and Sportsman’s Park sat next to each other along Cicero Avenue, an area Chicago’s most famous gangster Al Capone once called his base but now is the heart of an industrial district.
Hawthorne ran through December and was followed by a six-week dark period. Smoke stacks and refineries are hardly horse country, but by the time racing resumed at Sportsman’s seven-furlong oval in the third week of February, the combination of horse smells, pounding hooves, and even the slightest melting of snow felt like horse heaven.
When I went to the track I was always armed with clippings of Dave Feldman’s selections from the Chicago Sun-Times and Dave Surico’s picks in the Chicago Tribune. Feldman, the former owner, trainer, track announcer, and one-of-a-kind public handicapper died in 2001. Surico was first moved off the horse racing beat and eventually a victim of Tribune downsizing.
At one time or the other both newspapers replaced their human selections with heartless, soul-less computer picks. For a budding journalist who dreamed of being a public handicapper, opportunities seemed limited.
While covering local politics, courts, and cops, I begged the editors of any newspaper who would listen to let me expand their racing coverage. A couple said yes, but most said no.
So in 2005 when Thoroughbred Times was looking for a new staff writer, I knew it was the opportunity I was waiting for. And now this blog presents another chance.
As sales editor I cover all the auctions here in Lexington – the center of the breeding universe – in addition to travelling to another half dozen major sales around the country. I am a certified race-watching junkie, and I have had the good fortune of covering the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Breeders’ Cup on a yearly basis.
I’ve learned so much about the horse industry in these three-and-a-half years, and I have so much more to learn. This blog will be a chance to share my experience and learn from you too.
Rather, it was the personal discovery of a sport – Thoroughbred racing.
My first ever visit to the track – unless you count my family’s drive-by to see the orange glow of Arlington Park burning down in 1985 – came at the rebuilt and renamed Arlington International Race Course in the summer of 1991.
I was taken by the palatial grandstand, lush turf course, bright silks, and majestic horses (and then there was that betting thing). It didn’t take long to learn the rhythm of my local circuit. Arlington, located in the posh northwest suburbs, was book-ended by cold weather and a slightly different class of racing on Chicago’s gritty southside.
Hawthorne Race Course and Sportsman’s Park sat next to each other along Cicero Avenue, an area Chicago’s most famous gangster Al Capone once called his base but now is the heart of an industrial district.
Hawthorne ran through December and was followed by a six-week dark period. Smoke stacks and refineries are hardly horse country, but by the time racing resumed at Sportsman’s seven-furlong oval in the third week of February, the combination of horse smells, pounding hooves, and even the slightest melting of snow felt like horse heaven.
When I went to the track I was always armed with clippings of Dave Feldman’s selections from the Chicago Sun-Times and Dave Surico’s picks in the Chicago Tribune. Feldman, the former owner, trainer, track announcer, and one-of-a-kind public handicapper died in 2001. Surico was first moved off the horse racing beat and eventually a victim of Tribune downsizing.
At one time or the other both newspapers replaced their human selections with heartless, soul-less computer picks. For a budding journalist who dreamed of being a public handicapper, opportunities seemed limited.
While covering local politics, courts, and cops, I begged the editors of any newspaper who would listen to let me expand their racing coverage. A couple said yes, but most said no.
So in 2005 when Thoroughbred Times was looking for a new staff writer, I knew it was the opportunity I was waiting for. And now this blog presents another chance.
As sales editor I cover all the auctions here in Lexington – the center of the breeding universe – in addition to travelling to another half dozen major sales around the country. I am a certified race-watching junkie, and I have had the good fortune of covering the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Breeders’ Cup on a yearly basis.
I’ve learned so much about the horse industry in these three-and-a-half years, and I have so much more to learn. This blog will be a chance to share my experience and learn from you too.
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