Marathonical

Reporting from Saratoga Race Course, where I'm lucky to be today and tomorrow while passing time between the Fasig-Tipton select yearling sale and this weekend's New York-bred preferred sale.

I spent most of the last two nights shadowing Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum at the boutique sale, where he bought six yearlings for $6,350,000 and almost singelhandedly helped the sale defy sagging global economic trends. There's something surreal about standing next to a Middle Eastern monarch who is wearing blue jeans and a white long-sleeve shirt.

Sheikh Mohammed declined to talk to the media during the sale, but interracted with buyers, sellers, and even members of the public. I've never had a chance to interview him or get a sense of the type of person he is, but one of my companions at the sale offered this gem, "For an autocratic ruler, he seems like a pretty good guy."

Today it's good to get back to the track, a reminder of what those million-dollar yearlings and two-year-olds in training are supposed to be able to do.

I got here in time for the fourth race, a ridiculous non-winners of one optional claimer at two miles on the main track.

Nine horses were entered, but two scrached at the gate. Of the seven remaining runners, one bolted to the outside fence around the first of three turns and was eventually eased. Another horse was pulled up on the far turn.

Two others were distanced by about 30 lengths, barely making it to the wire while still galloping. Essentially, three horses finished the race.

I understand the desire to reward stamina in the breed, but very few American racetracks are properly configured for marathon races and even fewer of our horses can get the trip.