They Are Off

Super Six Derby Pix

2012-02-01T19:01:00.000-08:00

It is the beginning of February and that means that the Kentucky Derby picture starts to get closer to clarifying somewhat. To that end, They Are Off will unveil the first edition of the Super Six Derby Pix, which details the top six candidates to this point for the Run For The Roses. Here is the initial set of picks (or pix):

#1 Liaison- I will say that the best race I have seen to this point of any of the races involving either two-year-olds at the end of last year or the three-year-olds so far this year is the CashCall Futurity. The winner of that race was Liaison, who also won the Real Quiet before that to make it a total win streak of three for this colt. He is expected to return to the races this weekend in the Grade 2 Robert B. Lewis.

#2 Union Rags- In all reality, this horse should have won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. He ran all over the racetrack through the stretch at Churchill Downs and still lost by a mere nose to Hansen. It is completely understandable that he would have run a tad erratically on the big stage, considering he was still somewhat inexperienced, so I think this is still a major player on the Derby scene. He is taking the traditional Florida route to the Derby: the Fountain Of Youth and Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park.

#3 Hansen- Suffered his first loss this last Sunday in the Grade 3 Holy Bull over a sloppy track after an awkward start. The bad start essentially prevented him from getting right to the lead, as is his custom. I still think he deserved to win the two-year-old champion honors, but it was a less than stellar debut to his three-year-old season. Of course, he will get tested right back with races against #2 on the list in those two Florida preps.

#4 Rousing Sermon- Was the runner-up in that CashCall Futurity and if he had another 16th of a mile, I think he might have been the winner. He is the most-experienced of the horses so far on this list with six starts. He won the Cal Cup Juvenile, but has already finished behind Liaison on two separate occasions. He again faces Liaison in the Grade 2 Robert E. Lewis this weekend.

#5 Algorithms- This is the horse that snapped the champion's unbeaten streak. He won the Grade 3 Holy Bull this weekend, but as I said in the Hansen discussion, I think he had some excuses. Of course, that does not take away from the effort of Algorithms, who has progressed nicely from a maiden-breaking win to an Allowance/Optional Claimer to a graded stakes win. In the final analysis, he might end up being one of the strongest candidates out of what promises to be a very strong Todd Pletcher contingent.

#6 Creative Cause- Has already won two graded stakes in his brief career, the Grade 2 Best Pal and the Grade 1 Norfolk. He finished third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile behind Hansen and Union Rags, less than two lengths away from a win. He is part of a strong Southern California selection of horses. The way the season is shaping up so far, I am tending to think that the Derby winner might come from the West Coast.

Tune in again later this week for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

The $150,000 Florida Sunshine Millions Sprint

2012-01-27T14:32:00.000-08:00

Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita are joining forces on Saturday to conduct a "Luck" Pick Six that includes several of the Sunshine Millions races from the Florida plant. The race I am analyzing here is not one of the Pick Six races, but I find it an interesting bunch nonetheless. Here is the analysis:

#1 Royal Currier- The last two wins for this gelding have come with exceptional Beyer numbers. He posted a 100 in the Valley Forge at Parx on December 20 and he posted a 109 in the Gallant Bob at Parx on September 24. I guess we will have to see if he just really, really likes Parx. Ramon Dominguez is aboard.

#2 Soaring Stocks- This commodity might be up after an Allowance win at this distance in an Allowance race over the Gulfstream strip on January 12. Six days before that, he threw a nice bullet workout on the ledger at Palm Meadows. John Velazquez rode that last win and will get the call again for trainer Todd Pletcher.

#3 Madman Diaries- Going turf-to-dirt here after a 2nd place finish at Tampa Bay on December 21. He has run with some tough stuff in the past, going in the 2011 Hutcheson and the 2010 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. The record is very spotty as far as being consistent with regular racing appearances.

#4 Ribo Bobo- 20-1 on the morning line here. Won an elongated sprint (7 furlongs) with Optional Claimers on January 7, also at 20-1. I would be hard-pressed to expect him to go off at anything less. The Sire is 1996 Preakness winner, Louis Quatorze.

#5 It's Never To Late- Might be the price pick to like in here at 12-1. Won a couple at Delaware Park in the fall before some time off and has not returned to winning form in two Florida efforts after the layoff. Might be due to fire a big effort and I will be honest with you, I am going to like the price.

#6 Zero Rate Policy- Just missed by a nose to Apriority in the Grade 3 Mr. Prospector at Gulfstream last time out on New Year's Eve. Had won the prior two, but also finished behind #5 in one of those aforementioned Delaware races. Bullet workout on January 20. Paco Lopez has the riding assignment.

#7 Apriority- Did win that Mr. Prospector at Gulfstream, but also was well outrun in three successive efforts with Grade 1 company. He might be ideally spotted here, but will likely be the favorite in here. Will use in the mix, but will be looking elsewhere as far as finding a winner. He did post a bullet workout on January 21.

#8 Cajun Breeze- Just broke the maiden last time out on New Year's Eve. This colt has yet to miss the money in three lifetime starts. There are some impressive names in the lineage, but I would like to see him continue to move forward before I consider as a factor in this spot.

TOP FOUR SELECTIONS- 1-6-5-7

Remember, They Are Off accepts no responsibility for any wagers placed in conjunction with these selections. They are merely suggestions. Tune in again next week for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Networking

2012-01-26T14:24:00.000-08:00

The Breeders' Cup will be returning to the NBC family of networks starting this November after its recent run on ESPN. NBC had been the original network of the Breeders' Cup, starting with the event's inception in 1984 through 2005. While the return of the main event to its original home is tremendous, the real benefit to the racing industry is the fact that NBC or NBC Sports Network will now have approximately 56 hours of horse racing coverage in 2012.

That is a marked increase over what we have seen in the past from ESPN during their time as the "home of horse racing" the last five years. As a matter of fact, racing on mainstream television has become almost an anachronism, something that those old enough to remember it in its heyday (the 1970s) look back upon with wistful fascination. Of course, I completely understand the need of ESPN to place racing on the back burner, especially in the fall, when the network is so college football-centric. This also isn't to say that ESPN did a poor job in their handling of the Breeders' Cup telecasts. I actually thought for the most part, their work was just fine. Of course, the one major negative here is that They Are Off favorite, Jeannine Edwards, will not be part of the Cup going forward.

However, I am really excited for the prospect of NBC getting all of the major horse racing properties again. In reality, it started in 2011 when they reclaimed the Belmont Stakes and made all three Triple Crown races available on the same network, which makes complete sense in the entertainment industry because if you make something available to the mass audience in one place (and do a good job with it), they are more likely to look for that product again in the same place later on.

There is one major improvement in the overall Breeders' Cup program now and that is that the Classic itself will be run in prime time in the east with the race scheduled to run between 8pm and 9pm on November 3 for this year's Cup to be held at Santa Anita. The Classic under the lights the last two years at Churchill Downs was great theater with the Blame-Zenyatta drama in 2011 and Drosselmeyer's comeback victory over Game On Dude in 2012. Now, that Classic drama will unfold before a prime time audience, which can only be a good thing.

The one sea change that also came into being in 2011 was the use of Larry Collmus as the race caller by NBC for the Triple Crown series. Now, Larry will also get to call the Breeders' Cup races as well (the original article on the DRF website said the on-air talent had not been selected yet, but common sense says Larry will be getting the position) and I think this is a great thing also. Larry did a magnificent job calling the 2011 Triple Crown and is now positioned to emerge as the "Voice of Racing" for this generation, in much the same way Chic Anderson, Dave Johnson, and Tom Durkin all held that title so admirably.

All in all, there are so many positives with the switch on the Breeders' Cup back to NBC, not only for the event itself but the industry as a whole, that all we can do is tip our hats to the decision-makers behind this move and say well done.

Tune in again tomorrow for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

The Grade 3 $175,000 LeComte Stakes

2012-01-20T19:17:00.000-08:00

The three-year-old season starts in earnest with the 68th running of the LeComte Stakes at Fair Grounds in New Orleans on Saturday. There is a field of thirteen entrants with eleven betting interests. Here is the analysis:

#1 Adena' Chance- Has already finished behind several of these in recent races in New Orleans. His last effort at this distance of 1 mile and 70 yards yielded a poor result, finishing 12th of 12. Marlon St. Julien has the ride.

#1a Hero Of Order- Probably be part of the pace scenario in here, but I find it hard to believe that he will last very long up top. While he won a maiden-breaker on January 7th impressively, this would be quite a leap of faith to expect a repeat performance.

#2 Dan And Sheila- Won his only career start at one mile at Gulfstream Park. Certainly worth a look with John Velazquez in to ride for trainer Todd Pletcher. The last two workouts in January are strong and speedy.

#2b Z Dager- Another that picked up a maiden-winner recently. However, this one broke the maiden at this distance over a sloppy surface on December 15. Shane Sellers retakes the riding services.

#3 Ted's Folly- This gelding has won six consecutive starts, all at Remington Park in Oklahoma. The last of those wins came at one mile, while all the other five scores were at sprint distance. His success appears to depend on how much of a pace this closer will have to run at.

#4 Mr. Bowling- Has not run at all since October. He finished third in the Grade 3 Iroquois at Churchill Downs on that occasion. He had won the previous two at Delaware Park, including a ungraded stakes effort.

#5 Exfactor- Shaun Bridgmohan has the mount for trainer Bernie Flint on this colt that has won three consecutive starts. Included in those wins are the Grade 3 Bashford Manor at Churchill Downs and the Sugar Bowl at Fair Grounds. This will be his first try over six furlongs.

#6 Seven Lively Sins- Never got into his last start in the Grade 3 Delta Jackpot on November 19. If it is a consolation, it was the worst of his four lifetime starts, so it might be totally excusable. Rosie Napravnik is aboard for this one.

#7 Alexander Thegreat- The most-experienced runner in this field with ten lifetime tries. He didn't get the first win until last out on the day after Christmas over a sloppy surface. He broke the maiden at 11-1 and I find it highly doubtful he will be any better than 50-1 here.

#8 Hammers Terror- A Michael Stidham trainee that has never been worse than second in three lifetime tries. He seems very versatile, having won over Polytrack at seven furlongs and a dirt track score at this distance of 1 mile and 70 yards.

#9 Chalybeate Springs- Came back from a bit of a layoff to get a victory on January 14 at Oaklawn Park. He ran fifth in his other two graded efforts, one on the turf and one on the dirt. Even as a D. Wayne Lukas trainee, I find it hard to believe that this is a realistic contender.

#10 Capetown Devil- Undefeated after three starts, including a one-turn mile at Churchill and at this distance at Fair Grounds. Corey Lanerie is in the saddle here for trainer David Carroll. This is a step up in company, but it is possible he is up to it.

#11 Shared Property- Did not fare well in the Grade 1 Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland last time out in October. However, he did win his last Grade 3 try in the Arlington Washington Futurity in September.

TOP FOUR SELECTIONS: 10- 8- 5- 3

Remember, They Are Off accepts no responsibility for any wagers placed in conjunction with these selections. They are merely suggestions. Tune in again next week for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

The Grade 3 $100,000 Hal's Hope

2012-01-13T18:57:00.000-08:00

The featured event at Gulfstream Park on Saturday is a one-turn mile named after Florida's famous Hal's Hope, who won the Florida Derby in 2000. The race showcases a field of nine led by 2-1 favorite Jackson Bend. Here is the analysis:

#1 Jackson Bend- 3rd in the Breeders' Cup Sprint, his last win came in the Grade 1 Forego at Saratoga in September. However, he has yet to win in four tries at Gulfstream Park, running second in three of those. Trainer Nick Zito will have the riding services of John Velazquez for this 2012 debut try.

#2 Sky Venture- Ran in two Grade 3s at Calder in the fall of 2011. He ran fourth in both of those efforts. He is another that is winless in multiple races at Gulfstream, having gone 0 for 6. However, unlike Jackson Bend, his best result is a solitary third, which came in his last race in the Harlan's Holiday on December 17.

#3 Sangaree- Was overpowered in the Cigar Mile at Aqueduct on November 26, running last of six entrants. However, he did perform better in the Grade 3 Bold Ruler three weeks prior, finishing second after a touch of a wide trip.

#4 Successful Mission- While his recent form is strong with three wins in his last four races, it isn't all that recent. He has been away from the races since May. His last race was taken off the turf at Monmouth and resulted in a win with a Beyer of 108 in the Elkwood. The bulk of his other past performances have come on the turf.

#5 Decisive Moment- Scored a win in the ungraded Delta Mile last time out on November 19. It would appear he has a fondness for Delta Downs, since he also won the Jean Lafitte in January 2011. His recent workouts have been speedy. I would expect him to be part of the pace setup in this race and could very well go all the way up top.

#6 Our Dark Knight- Has not been a winner in almost a year. He spent 2011 facing the likes of Tackleberry, Tizway, Eldaafer, and Apart. This is second of the Nick Zito entries in this race. The recent workout tab at Palm Meadows has been just fine. Jersey Joe Bravo has the riding assignment.

#7 Soaring Empire- Sire is 2003 Belmont Stakes winner, Empire Maker. Has been off since winning the Majestic Light at the end of July. However, the workouts for this horse have been a string of successive bullets, including one on January 6, covering a half-mile in 47 seconds flat. Julien Leparoux will be in the irons here.

#8 Cool Blue Red Hot- Won an Optional Claiming race at Belmont Park in October and then took some time off. Couldn't contend with the likes of Caleb's Posse and Uncle Mo in the Grade 1 King's Bishop at Saratoga in August. While he has hit the board in seven of nine lifetime tries, I think he might be in over his head here.

#9 Will's Wildcat- Won the Jimmy V in the mud at Churchill Downs in November and then set the pace in the Grade 1 Clark under the Twin Spires before fading to eighth. His previous win before the Jimmy V was a one-turn mile at Churchill in June, so he does have experience with this kind of race setup.

TOP FOUR SELECTIONS: 7-5-4-1

Remember, They Are Off accepts no responsibility for any wagers placed in conjunction with these selections. They are merely suggestions. Tune in again next week for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

My Two Cents

2012-01-12T12:52:00.000-08:00

The Eclipse Awards will be announced next week. The ceremony will be hosted by They Are Off favorite, Jeannine Edwards, which automatically makes it Must See TV. I, of course, do not have a vote for any of the Eclipse Awards that will be handed out, but I thought it would be fun to offer my thoughts on a few of the categories and who my choice to win would be.

2-Year-Old Male- My pick here would be Hansen of the three finalists for one simple reason. He won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile and defeated the other two to do it. Union Rags had every chance in the world to pass him in the stretch and could not do it and Creative Cause just was not as good as the other two that day. Do I think Hansen is going to go on and win the Kentucky Derby? Uhh...no! But that is not the question at hand, the question is who is the best two-year-old male and my pick is Hansen.

3-Year-Old Male- I find this to be quite an interesting category with Derby winner, Animal Kingdom, Preakness winner Shackleford, and Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner Caleb's Posse on the list. Honestly, my choice is Shackleford. He ran a fantastic Derby, setting the pace and gutting out a fourth-place finish when he should have been nowhere at the end. He came back two weeks later and gutted out a win in Baltimore, and while he didn't win the rest of the year, he ran credible seconds in the Grade 1 Haskell, Grade 2 Indiana Derby, and Grade 1 Dirt Mile.

Older Male- Acclamation got on a roll starting in May and didn't stop until injury put him on the sidelines. He won two Grade 2s and three Grade 1s on the turf and polytrack in Southern California. The polytrack race was the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar and it provided the shortest margin of victory in the streak, a win by a head. The other two finalists, Game On Dude and Tizway, were both excellent in 2011, Acclamation was simply that much better.

Male Turf Horse- All that being said on the side of Acclamation, I think Cape Blanco deserves to win this award with his three Grade 1 wins in 2011. He won the Man O'War at Belmont over Gio Ponti, defeated Gio Ponti again in the Arlington Million, and then came back to Belmont in October and won the Turf Classic Invitational. I really couldn't argue if any of the three finalists won this award (you already have my case for Acclamation and I collected a hefty return on St. Nicholas Abbey, who I thought was the only horse in the BC Turf), I believe Cape Blanco is the worthiest winner.

Horse Of The Year- The last couple of years this is the award that has produced the most consternation with the racing media and public. Two years ago, it was Rachel Alexandra who won. Last year, Zenyatta finally got her just due. This year, I think you have to go with the ladies again, because I think the Horse Of The Year for 2011 is Havre De Grace. She went to the post seven times in 2011, winning five times. One of those losses was in the race that most observers seem to consider the Race Of The Year, the Delaware Handicap, where she lost to rival Blind Luck by a nose. Otherwise, she was perfect until she got to the Breeders' Cup Classic. She beat the boys during the summer at Saratoga in the Grade 1 Woodward and then followed that up with her most dominating win of the year in the Beldame at Belmont over a muddy track. Her race in the Classic was nothing to shame her, she finished fourth in what amounted to a blanket finish, running behind the winners of the last two Belmont Stakes and the gritty Game On Dude, who might have been the choice for this award had Drosselmeyer not come from nowhere to win that night. Havre De Grace was the best horse from the start of 2011, when she was at Oaklawn, to the finish, when she was just as gallant in defeat as she could be.

Of course, there are more awards to be handed out next week, but some of them are obvious, like My Miss Aurelia winning 2-Year-Old Female and Stacelita winning Female Turf. I am sure that some will agree with my choice for the categories I used and some will disagree. You know what, GREAT!, that's the way it's supposed to be. Those friendly arguments are the reason this is so much fun in the first place.

Tune in again tomorrow for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

The Grade 2 $150,000 San Pasqual

2012-01-06T19:24:00.000-08:00

The featured event at Santa Anita on Saturday is the Grade 2 $150,000 San Pasqual. In the field of eight is a horse that is very familiar to Arizona racing fans, Uh Oh Bango, who came kind of close to being the first Arizona-bred to ever run in the Kentucky Derby in 2010. He didn't make the field at Churchill Downs, but nevertheless, he has had a fine career. Here is the analysis of the Grade 2 San Pasqual:

#1 Skipshot- Offspring of 1997 BC Classic winner, Skip Away. He has not won since the 2010 Swaps Stakes over the Cushion track at Hollywood Park. In fact, since that win, he has only one top three finish, a third three back at Golden Gate in November. Joe Talamo is aboard.

#2 Thirtyfirststreet- Adding blinkers for this go. Nearly won the Zia Park Derby in December after setting the pace. He was worn down by First Strike, but still held a strong second. Promises to be a part of the pace setup here and could very well be on a lone lead.

#3 Java Man- Has been off since November. This gelding posted a bullet workout on January 2 at Santa Anita, covering six furlongs in 1:12 1/5. While he is 1 for 1 over the main track at Santa Anita, he has never faced graded stakes company before. Should be considered, but potentially for the minor placings.

#4 Tweebster- Another putting on the blinkers for this effort. Only ran five times in 2011 and hit the board in four of those, but was never a winner. Did end 2010 on a three-race win streak, but that could be considered ancient history by this time. The Sire is Tapit, who of course, has been prodigious of late.

#5 Utopian- Scored at 1 1/4 miles on the turf at Hollywood last time out on November 25. This will be his first lifetime start on conventional dirt. Chantal Sutherland is the regular rider for this horse and will get the riding assignment once again on Saturday.

#6 Tres Borrachos- Could be up front, but then again could come running from the clouds as well. Rolled up late to be 3rd at 30-1 in the BC Dirt Mile behind Caleb's Posse and Shackleford. Clearly has the most glittering resume' of any of the horses in this bunch, but obviously, this will compromise his price.

#7 Uh Oh Bango- 4th in the Grade 3 All-American at Golden Gate on November 25. He has not been to the Winner's Circle since the Grade 3 Berkeley at Golden Gate in May 2010. Has been in-the-money in all three prior tries at Santa Anita, but has never won there. Mike Smith gets the call for trainer Kory Owens.

#8 Massone- Has 1967 Preakness and Belmont winner, Damascus, on the Dam side. Ran 2nd twice in three 2011 starts, but finished fourth behind two of his competitors here in the Grade 3 Native Diver last time out at Hollywood.

TOP FOUR SELECTIONS: 4-3-6-7

Remember, They Are Off accepts no responsibility for any wagers placed in conjunction with these selections. They are merely suggestions. Tune in again next week for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Maggie Mae Designs

2012-01-05T10:12:00.000-08:00

They Are Off contributor, Martha Claussen, often sends links to her stories for SureBet Racing News this way so everyone can share in what are her excellent reports on the world of racing. This month, Martha has sent in a tremendous piece about Sally Steinmann, who owns Maggie Mae Designs. Martha does point out in the article that the name of the company has nothing to do with the Rod Stewart song of the same name (which is a good thing, since I detest that particular piece of music). Sally works closely with Old Friends Equine of Kentucky and Martha's article details that relationship, as well as how Steinmann got interested in the horses and her connection to racing. Here is the link to the article:

http://www.surebetracingnews.com/NEWS/Sally_%20Equine_World-1042012.htm

I hope you enjoy reading about Sally and her efforts with Maggie Mae Designs. Tune in again tomorrow for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

The $35,000 Luke Kruytbosch Stakes

2011-12-30T17:33:00.000-08:00

Yes, fans, I know that the Grade 1 La Brea is being run at Santa Anita and the Grade 3 Mr. Prospector is going at Gulfstream on Saturday. However, if you will indulge me, I am going to select the $35,000 Luke Kruytbosch at my home track of Turf Paradise for the Saturday Stakes race to honor my mentor and someone who is most important to just about all of my fellow race callers and everyone at Turf Paradise. Here is the analysis:

#1 Call Me Later- A Robertino Diodoro trainee and those have been doing well at Turf this season. However, this gelding has not won since a February seven-furlong effort at Santa Anita, so nothing in the recent form really suggests he has much of a shot here, even with the connections.

#2 Beer Meister- The winner of the Turf Paradise Derby last spring at odds of 40-1. He would be a fitting winner of the Kruytbosch, since Luke was known to bend the elbow occasionally. I certainly think he is capable, but he has not raced since May, when he was in New York running a flat seventh in the Grade 2 Peter Pan at Belmont.

#3 Wegner- This could be the most interesting horse in the race since he might very well set the pace and be relatively unchallenged on the front end. Tammi Piermarini was aboard for an Allowance 2nd last time out at Turf Paradise on December 2. This horse, before that last go, had been trained by the brilliant Bob Baffert.

#4 Cover More- Has a win and a third in the last two tries over the turf in Phoenix this season. However, keep in mind that his last performance produced a career-high Beyer figure of 74. Could there be a bounce in the offing for this runner? His last dirt track race came with a brutal Beyer of 9. I am thinking elsewhere.

#5 Wicked Landlord- Gets the riding services of the leading jockey so far this season at Turf, Jorge Carreno. This colt ran a solid third in the Jack Coady Sr. Stakes over the turf last time out on November 19. There is a lot to like here, although this will be his first try over the tricky main track at Turf Paradise.

#6 Stormin Warlord- He has tried to go two turns just once before and the result was less than enthusiastic, a ninth on July 30th at Prairie Meadows. While he did follow up that effort with a win at six furlongs, I just think the distance and the company will be too much for this one to handle, even with somewhat strong breeding.

#7 Jamaican Memories- Has not performed great since winning the Arizona Breeders Futurity in November 2010. In fact, that is the last win for this one. While he has hit the board in seven of nine over the dirt in Phoenix. That Futurity score remains the only winner for him.

#8 Silver Sensation- Stepped up to the plate after running at lower-level racetracks for much of his early career and did not fare so well in three previous efforts. Missed the money in all three prior Turf Paradise races and really was never much of a factor in any of them.

#9 Goldfire- Jockey Richard Hamel has been riding outstandingly lately, winning races in bunches at Turf. He comes off a second in his first attempt over the dirt at Turf Paradise in an Allowance spot on December 10. This Canadian-bred has been working very well in the morning and we will see if it continues to translate to the afternoons.

TOP FOUR SELECTIONS: 5-3-2-9

Remember, They Are Off accepts no responsibility for any wagers placed in conjunction with these selections. They are merely suggestions. Tune in again next week for more from They Are Off. I would also like to wish everyone a very safe and Happy New Year. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Chief's Crown

2011-12-29T11:48:00.000-08:00

Since we are at the end of the calendar year, it is natural for everyone to start thinking about next spring and those pesky Triple Crown races that will be taking up much of everyone's concentration for a while. One of the usual thoughts on the first leg of the Crown, the Kentucky Derby, is that the horse that won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile the year before is not going to win the Derby the following spring. It has happened only once in the history of the two events being run, in the 2006 Breeders' Cup Juvenile, Street Sense won and he followed it up with a Derby win in 2007. This year, the focus will be on Hansen as the BC Juvenile winner, although Union Rags, the runner-up, is still the winter favorite for the Roses. Of course, last year, Uncle Mo dominated the Juvenile and then was scratched before the Derby. All of this has given me reason to look back to the first Breeders' Cup Juvenile (in fact, it is the first-ever Breeders' Cup race), when Chief's Crown (pictured) was the winner.

Chief's Crown was a prohibitive favorite for the inaugural Breeders' Cup Juvenile in 1984, following wins in the Grade 2 Saratoga Special, the Grade 1 Hopeful, the Grade 1 Cowdin, and the Grade 1 Norfolk. He also threw a runner-up finish in the Grade 1 Futurity over a sloppy track for good measure. He went to the gate at Hollywood Park as a less than even-money choice to win that Juvenile and he did not disappoint. Chief's Crown sat in mid-pack for much of the early race and then began a steady advance that allowed him to take the lead over a game challenger in Tank's Prospect and also right there at the finish was a horse named Spend A Buck. Chief's Crown won the Juvenile by 3/4 of a length and established himself as the 1985 Derby favorite.

He seemed to relish that role as he paraded through the early months of the year, winning the ungraded Swale Stakes, finishing first in the Grade 1 Flamingo (although he was DQ'd and eventually that ruling was overturned), and completing his Derby prep work with a dominant win in the Grade 1 Blue Grass at Keeneland. Of course, we all know what happened on Derby Day. Angel Cordero Jr. sent Spend A Buck out to the front, built up a huge lead and never looked back, winning the Derby by over five lengths, while Chief's Crown ran third. Chief's Crown came back two weeks later in the Preakness, which Spend A Buck skipped, was sent off as the choice again, and finished second to Tank's Prospect. Finally, the gallant Chief's Crown tried again in the Belmont, only to be overrun by Woody Stephens and Creme Fraiche, part of his remarkable streak of five straight Belmont winners. Chief's Crown again finished third.

After the Triple Crown disappointments, (although hitting the board in all three legs of the series certainly is nothing to sneeze at) Chief's Crown went on the win the "Mid-Summer Derby" at Saratoga, the Grade 1 Travers, and defeated older horses in the Grade 1 Marlboro Cup in September. He would finish fourth in the Breeders' Cup Classic behind Proud Truth. While Chief's Crown had been voted Champion 2-Year-Old Male following his 1984 Breeders' Cup Juvenile win, he didn't win any of the honors in 1985. Spend A Buck was voted Horse Of The Year after his wins in the Derby, the Grade 3 Jersey Derby, and the Grade 1 Monmouth Handicap.

Chief's Crown still had a remarkable career with 21 starts, 12 wins, 3 seconds, and 3 thirds, earning a total of $2,191,168 in purse money. It is worth noting at this point that Chief's Crown was regally-bred with Northern Dancer on the Sire side and Secretariat on the Dam side of the lineage. Among his progeny is 1997 Breeders' Cup Turf winner, Chief Bearhart. Chief's Crown passed away in 1997 at Three Chimneys Farm in Kentucky. Here is the link to watch his victory in the 1984 Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Hollywood Park: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h2RcuggIj8.

Tune in again tomorrow for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Photo courtesy of macbethfund.org

Under The Radar

2011-12-27T19:06:00.000-08:00

With all the hoopla surrounding the holiday weekend (Christmas and Santa Anita opening on Monday), it might have been overlooked by some that there was a very important workout conducted on Saturday morning at Fair Hill in Maryland.

The 2011 Kentucky Derby winner, Animal Kingdom, had his first workout since suffering his unfortunate injury in the Belmont Stakes in June. The Derby winner covered three furlongs, working in company, in 38 seconds flat. Trainer Graham Motion was quoted as saying the workout was conducted in company to keep the horse's mind of his business.

It would appear that the immediate and ultimate goal for Animal Kingdom on his comeback will be the $10,000,000 Dubai World Cup, conducted over the Tapeta at Meydan Race Course in March. Motion did say that the most likely American prep race for that trip would be the Gulfstream Park Handicap on February 11. However, if the horse was not fit in time for that race, Motion also said it was likely they could fit a prep race in over in Dubai.

Dubai would certainly be an interesting spot for Animal Kingdom since, if you recall, one of the knocks against him before his Derby win was his lack of any dirt racing. He had been a synthetic specialist, it seemed, before the First Saturday In May. His win in the Derby would be what is known as debunking a myth. The return to racing on a synthetic surface could be just what the doctor ordered for what might be a compelling comeback story in 2012.

Tune in again on Thursday for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

The Grade 1 $300,000 Mailbu

2011-12-25T17:31:00.000-08:00

It is a racing tradition that every year on the day after Christmas, the season starts at Santa Anita, the Great Race Place in Southern California. The usual opening day feature in Arcadia is the Grade 1 $300,000 Malibu and that is the case on Monday afternoon. Here is the analysis:

#1 El Pocho- Can you say "mystery horse"? He has two starts in Chile and has not been to the races since the end of June. He did post a bullet workout on December 22 over the Cushion surface at Hollywood Park. He would be quite the upset to win in this spot.

#2 Centralinteligence- Posted a 102 Beyer Speed Figure in running 2nd last time out at Hollywood on November 27. The horse that beat him in that Allowance race is coming up later in this analysis. On the other hand, he did win his only previous outing over the Santa Anita track.

#3 Luckarack- By far, the most experienced horse in this field with sixteen career starts. He has won seven of those, the most recent last time out on December 1 in an open claiming race at Hollywood. His lone stakes victory came in the Kostoff at Fairplex in September. This is a slightly more difficult race than that.

#4 Rothko- Working on a three-race win streak entering Monday. Those three wins came at three different racetracks (Saratoga, Monmouth, and Churchill Downs). This Steve Asmussen trainee will have the riding services of Corey Nakatani for his stakes debut.

#5 Racing Aptitude- An offspring of a Kentucky Derby runner-up, this gelding was a winner in the Yo Eleven, fittingly enough on 11/11/11 at Hollywood Park. However, that was a restricted race, so this might not be the biggest bullet in trainer Bob Baffert's four-horse holster in here.

#6 Hoorayforhollywood- While he is still eligible for non-winners of two, I think this Baffert runner could be a possibility in the Malibu. His lowest career Beyer number from four tries is a 94, which came in the last two. He finished 2nd in both of those races and his workouts leading up to this race have been blazing.

#7 Light Up The Score- Broke the maiden in the slop two back at Churchill Downs on November 3. Came back 22 days later to win again with Javier Castellano aboard. Victor Espinoza rides Monday, so he will have three different jockeys in the last three races and attempt to win them all.

#8 Smash- This horse has defeated two horses I fancy quite a bit in here, Centralinteligence and Hoorayforhollywood, in two separate races over the Cushion at Hollywood. His lone dirt track effort was at Calder two back in the Grade 2 Carry Back and he ran 2nd to Indiano. That was also the lone race in which he was not the favorite.

#9 Associate- Well, his last two starts in New York have resulted in wins by large margins, a total of 18 3/4 lengths when added together. Ramon Dominguez leaves his comfort zone of The Big A to motor west and ride this one. I am interested to see how he performs in his first start away from the New York area.

#10- Wine Police- A $190K purchase at Keeneland in 2009, he was within 3 1/2 lengths of Boys At Tosconova in the 2010 Hopeful. He also ran within 4 1/4 lengths of Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner, Caleb's Posse, in the Grade 2 Amsterdam this summer. The distance is a question since he has yet to win past 6 1/2 furlongs. He faded a little late in the two aforementioned races.

#11 The Factor- Although I guess you could call him The X Factor in this race. He is all about the speed and it might set up where he gets a lonely lead in here, I just don't think that is going to happen. He stopped badly in his last two starts, the Grade 1 Ancient Title and the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. The recent works are strong, I just want to see him do it again before I once again put my faith in him.

TOP FOUR SELECTIONS: 6-2-11-8

Remember, They Are Off accepts no responsibility for any wagers placed in conjunction with these selections. They are merely suggestions. Tune in again later this week for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

The Grade 1 $750,000 CashCall Futurity

2011-12-16T21:51:00.000-08:00

Last week, it was the two-year-old fillies in the spotlight at Hollywood Park over the weekend. This week, the two-year-old colts and geldings get their chance in the Grade 1 $750,000 CashCall Futurity. Here is the analysis:

#1 Handsome Mike- 2nd in the Grade 3 Generous on the grass on November 27 at Hollywood. Broke the maiden in a 6 1/2 furlong turf sprint at Santa Anita the time before. Corey Nakatani will be the fourth different rider this colt has had in four different starts.

#2 Brother Francis- Still a maiden, but was competitive in both prior appearances. He finished second in each and closed from off the pace each time. I would expect him to come running late, which is odd since his Sire was the usually front-running Lion Heart.

#3 Groovin' Solo- The second of the two maidens in this field of thirteen. He has not quite caught the eye like #2 has so far. No top threes in two tries at Del Mar and has been away from the races since August. I think I will pass on this Bob And John offspring.

#4 Empire Way- Broke the maiden over the Cushion track of Hollywood on November 13 and followed it up with a sixth in the Grade 3 Hollywood Prevue, ending up behind the maiden #2. Even with Joel Rosario at the controls, I believe this one will make me look elsewhere.

#5 Drill- Won the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity on September 7 and has done pretty much nil since then. Finished up the track in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile and the Delta Jackpot. The horse that was once considered the class of the Bob Baffert two-year-olds is turning into more and more of a question mark as he moves forward.

#6 Sky Kingdom- Broke the maiden following a layoff last time out at Hollywood on November 24 at this distance. Posted a six-furlong bullet workout on December 11. It appears to me that the longer this Empire Maker goes, the better he will be. Garrett Gomez is up for Bob Baffert.

#7 Blingo- The same connections that campaigned the great Zenyatta are behind this gelding that overcame a slow start to win going away last time out on November 25 at one mile on the turf. Will he take to the Cushion track in the same way? We will just have to see how it goes.

#8 Rousing Sermon- Has hit the board in all five previous starts, but four of those were in state-bred California races. The last one was a second in the ungraded Real Quiet on November 12 at this distance at Hollywood. Joe Talamo teams up with Jerry Hollendorfer on this one.

#9 Liaison- The third of the Baffert runners in this field won that aforementioned Real Quiet at Hollywood. He also broke the maiden two back at seven furlongs on the regular dirt of Santa Anita. Seems like a very versatile horse, as well he should be. He was a $290K purchase at Keeneland in September 2010.

#10 Cozzetti- As much as I loved his Sire, Cozzene, back in the day, I am hard-pressed to find this one with a real possibility here. His win came over a sloppy surface at Churchill Downs and the other two efforts were not much to write home about over the turf.

#11 Majestic City- Set the early pace in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf before essentially crashing and burning to finish 13th. Blinkers will be taken off today in an effort to improve that performance. Ramon Dominguez leaves his thriving Aqueduct business for the day to head west and pilot him here.

#12 Basmati- Second to Sabercat in the Grade 3 Delta Jackpot on November 19. Prior to that, he had seemed overmatched by the likes of Drill and Majestic City in Southern California. Has been to the post seven times and has just one win to show for it.

#13 Desmorais- Scored a win a 1 1/4 miles at Marseille in France last time out over the synthetic surface there. Appears to be the mystery horse in the bunch here, although will have the riding services of the dependable David Flores.

TOP FOUR SELECTIONS: 9-8-11-1

Remember, They Are Off accepts no responsibility for any wagers placed in conjunction with these selections. They are merely suggestions. Tune in again next week for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Strike The Gold

2011-12-14T13:55:00.001-08:00

Strike The Gold, winner of the 1991 Kentucky Derby, has passed away in Turkey, where he had been a successful Sire. Strike The Gold died of a heart attack at the age of 23. The offspring of Alydar had been able to accomplish what his historic Sire couldn't do in winning that Derby twenty years ago.

Strike The Gold had a running style of coming from off the pace and he did that in Louisville on that Derby Day 1991. Strike The Gold fell back to 12th place in the early stages of the 117th Derby. Jockey Chris Antley started moving the horse through the field and was in 6th position at the top of the stretch. Strike The Gold charged to the lead in the stretch and had drifted well into the middle of the racetrack by the time the wire arrived. Strike The Gold had gone past Fly So Free, who had defeated him already in the Florida Derby, and the pacesetting Hansel, who would go on to win the Preakness and Belmont. The Californian, Best Pal, would run on to be second, and 86-1 shot, Mane Minister, ended up third.

This Derby was the first time that one Mr. Nick Zito burst onto the racing scene as the trainer of the winner. The TV shots of Zito cheering his charge on to victory are now quite famous, making Zito an instant household name and a trainer to be reckoned with nearly every year since. Zito would win a second Derby with Go For Gin three years later.

Strike The Gold was the oldest living Kentucky Derby winner at the time of his death. For his career, Strike The Gold went to the post 31 times, winning six, placing second in eight and third in five others. His career earnings were $3,457,026. Here is the link to watch Strike The Gold's greatest moment of glory, the 1991 Kentucky Derby: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xEQ4hNqSZo.

Strike The Gold will always hold a soft spot in my heart as he is one of the very few Kentucky Derby winners I selected before the race. Tune in again on Friday for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Photo courtesy of sikids.com

The Grade 1 $402,000 Hollywood Starlet

2011-12-09T19:26:00.000-08:00

The Grade 1 Hollywood Starlet is the big race of the Hollywood Park season for two-year-old fillies. Weemissfrankie, who ran 3rd in Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, is going to be the heavy favorite in the field of six. Here is the analysis:

#1 Weemissfrankie- Despite running third in the Juvenile Fillies, she still was nine lengths adrift of My Miss Aurelia, the winner. Granted, My Miss Aurelia might just have been the most impressive winner of BC weekend, but that is still a large margin to lose by. Rafael Bejarano has the riding assignment.

#2 Charm The Maker- Won the ungraded Sharp Cat over this Hollywood surface on November 13, defeating two of her rivals in this field. She is a daughter of 2003 Belmont winner, Empire Maker. Giant's Causeway is also present on the Dam side of the lineage. In a word, this horse is well-bred. She did lose to Weemissfrankie in the Grade 1 Oak Leaf over the dirt at Santa Anita, but this could be a different situation here.

#3 Lady Pecan- Her only win came at Woodbine at 6 1/2 furlongs. She finished 8th in the Grade 1 Spinaway at Saratoga and came to Southern California immediately afterward and has finished 4th in two tries in the Golden State. She has yet to hit the board since the trainer switch to Bob Baffert, but Baffert is among the best, so how long can that trend really be expected to continue?

#4 Killer Graces- 2nd to #2 in the Sharp Cat and finished behind #1 and #6 in the Del Mar Debutante, where she was 5th, but only three lengths behind the winner. She joins #2 as the only ones in this race with wins over the Cushion track at Hollywood. She scored in the Cinderella and Landaluce in the spring there. Joe Talamo was up for those wins and the 2nd in the Sharp Cat.

#5 Mi Vida- Still a maiden after four starts and has yet to even hit the board. I believe this is what is referred to as "field filler".

#6 Self Preservation- 4th in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. In fact, she has not won since coming to North America following a win in a race at Tipperary in Ireland. She ran 2nd to #1 in the Del Mar Debutante at 25-1, but really has done nothing to show that she is capable of hanging in with the best of this bunch.

TOP FOUR SELECTIONS: 2-1-4-3

Remember, They Are Off accepts no responsibility for any wagers placed in conjunction with these selections. They are merely suggestions. Tune in again next week for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Star-Crossed Star

2011-12-08T12:47:00.000-08:00

During the summer this year, I made my first-ever trip to Saratoga for racing at The Spa. Needless to say, the entire experience was tremendous. From the Hall Of Fame located across the street to the amazing treat of seeing some of the finest horse racing I have ever seen, my trip to Saratoga had many highlights. Of course, Winter Memories rallying from was out of it to win the King George and checking in with Tom Durkin in the Saratoga announcer's booth. However, I was also privy to seeing a track record performance while I was at Saratoga. J.C.'s Pride set the five-furlong track record on July 27th, defeating his competitors by almost four lengths and winning with a time of 56.54 seconds for the distance.

Sadly, the story of J.C.'s Pride does not have a happy ending. The promising juvenile colt had to be euthanized this week after contracting a infection that had spread from his salivary gland to his kidney. In the DRF.com story, trainer Robert Barbara described losing the horse as "a big blow." Of course it is, to the connections as well as the sport itself. J.C.'s Pride had to be pulled up during the Hopeful Stakes later this summer at Saratoga after suffering an ankle injury. Regardless of that, this was a horse that could have been a major star as he matured and the fact that we are denied seeing that progression is most unfortunate.

J.C.'s Pride will no longer be able to perform on a racetrack, but we are able to recount a wonderful memory that he left us with. Here is the link to the video of his track record performance from that summer day at Saratoga: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHWSmpuYsMc.

Tune in again tomorrow for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Scott Stevens

2011-12-06T19:00:00.000-08:00

Jockey Scott Stevens is pretty much a legend when it comes to racing at Turf Paradise, my home track in Phoenix. As of December 5, Equibase.com lists Stevens as having ridden 28,366 mounts in his career, winning with 4,032 of them and earning purse money of $31,576,380 in a riding career that started in 1976. For those of you mathematically-challenged, that is 35 years ago.

I had the distinct honor of announcing Scott's 4,000th career victory aboard Summer Nights on March 18 of this year and there is a link to watch that race, along with an interview with Scott here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eRkpretqbY. In my brief time at Turf Paradise, I have seen Scott Stevens be more than just a member of the jockey colony. I have seen him help out in other capacities around the racetrack and do an excellent job with whatever he has tried to tackle. Like any other jockey, Scott has had to deal with his great successes and still overcome his share of hardships. Of course, Scott is the brother of Gary Stevens, who was known to ride a horse or two in his time as well. Gary Stevens won the George Woolf Memorial Award in 1996 and had the opportunity to play the Iceman himself in the film, "Seabiscuit".

Scott Stevens is among the finalists for the 2012 George Woolf Memorial Award. The Woolf Award has been presented by Santa Anita annually since 1950 and it recognizes the ability of a rider not only on-track, but what he does off-track as well for the benefit of the sport. Stevens will be facing a very tough field of four other finalists for the Woolf Award this year. The other nominees are Ramon Dominguez, Corey Lanerie, Martin Pedroza, and DeShawn Parker. It certainly is pretty heady company for all of these riders to be involved with. Of course, They Are Off offers sincere congratulations to all of the nominees and wishes good luck to all. Hopefully, everyone will pardon me if I say I am still going to root for the hometown hero, Scott Stevens. The winner of the George Woolf Memorial Award will be announced in January.

Tune in again on Thursday for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

The Grade 2 $200,000 Remsen Stakes

2011-11-25T18:50:00.000-08:00

The Breeders' Cup is now pretty much a set of memories for the up-to-date racing fan and things are starting to shift to thoughts of the 2012 Kentucky Derby. The Hansen vs. Union Rags argument is percolating already and if you wanted to throw in Creative Cause and others, no one would probably dissuade you from doing so. There is another step for the soon-to-be three-year-old class coming up on Saturday, the Grade 2 $200,000 Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct. Here is the analysis:

#1 El Padrino- Todd Pletcher trainee crushed a field in the slop last time out to break the maiden at Belmont on October 29. However, it must be noted that his wet track Tomlinson number is high at 406. Was that 12 3/4 length win a product of his ability or was it a product of his liking a boggy surface?

#2 Souper Speedy- The 3-1 morning line favorite has raced just once in his career, but it was a win that produced a Beyer Figure of 81, which is pretty strong for a first lifetime effort. Again, the same question persists here as with #1 since the score came on a muddy track and this colt has a wet Tomlinson of 401.

#3 Done Talking- Back-to-back wins at Parx and Delaware make him one of the Mid-Atlantic candidates here. The price is nice at 15-1, but what exactly did he beat in those two races. The level of competition in the Mid-Atlantic is very good, but is it winning a New York-graded stakes race good?

#4 Our Entourage- From the stable that produced Uncle Mo and Stay Thirsty comes this one, who ran fifth in the Grade 1 Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland. He was a winner two back over the turf at Belmont. His first race was a sprint on the dirt at Saratoga and he finished second. While the dirt racing history is sketchy, the workouts on the dirt have all been somewhat excellent.

#5 Mucho Mas Macho- Son of 2000 Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner, Macho Uno, this is the most experienced horse in the field with seven efforts at Calder on the resume'. The only win in the bunch was a seven-length win in a race that was taken off the turf back in August. The morning line of 30-1 seems about right for this one.

#6 Stephanoatsee- A.P. Indy offspring has a win and a second in two tries at Laurel and posted a bullet workout on November 19 at Fair Hill, which makes him perhaps the strongest of the Mid-Atlantic contingent. The running style appears to be come-from-behind, which means he will need some pace to run at in here.

#7 Managed Account- He is the only horse in this race with a win at Aqueduct to his credit, getting home first in a $75K ungraded stakes race on November 6. Sixteen days later, he posted a bullet half-mile at Gulfstream, covering the distance in 47 seconds flat. He might sit just off the leaders here and first run at them could be crucial in this race.

#8 O'Prado Again- Broke the maiden at this distance of 1 1/8 miles last time out over the Polytrack at Keeneland. However, that race was taken off the turf and it honestly would appear that this one would prefer to be running on the greenery, much like other El Prado progeny we have seen lately.

#9 Speightscity- Sire won the 2004 Breeders' Cup Sprint. Scored a win at the distance to break the maiden at Saratoga on September 2. Ran an unchallenging ninth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile last out, but did run with the pacesetters for the first half of that effort. Corey Nakatani will have the riding assignment.

#10 Scatter A Star- The Chicago invader in this field has two wins and a second in the last three, all over the turf at Arlington and Hawthorne. In fact, this will be this colt's first try ever over a conventional dirt surface. This would seem like an awful lot to ask of him, but at 20-1, he might be worth a shot underneath.

TOP FOUR SELECTIONS: 7-9-6-3

Remember, They Are Off accepts no responsibility for any wagers placed in conjunction with these selections. They are merely suggestions. They Are Off will be taking a week off next week, so tune in again in two weeks for more. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Rapid Redux

2011-11-22T19:07:00.000-08:00

History was made on Monday night at Mountaineer Park in West Virginia when Rapid Redux became the first Thoroughbred in modern history to win a 20th consecutive race. With the win in a Starter Allowance race, Rapid Redux surpasses the likes of Zenyatta, who won 19 in a row, and Peppers Pride, who also got it to 19 straight.

It is interesting to see the reaction of racing fans to what happened on Monday night. Rather than celebrate a tremendous accomplishment by a sturdy racehorse (Rapid Redux has been to the post 18 times this year alone), some have seen fit to try and downgrade what he has done by making direct comparisons to the other names on the all-time streak list. To me, this is woolly thinking at the very least. I can't recall anyone that has made any kind of an argument that Rapid Redux should earn any kind of special place in the annals of racing for winning 20 straight. I did hear Caton Bredar (presumably tongue-in-cheek) make an argument that he could be considered for Horse Of The Year on the Down The Stretch radio show since no one else has come forward as an overwhelming candidate. However, as I said, I think Caton was having a little fun with that one while making a truly serious point that there is no clearcut candidate for Horse Of The Year after a wild and crazy Breeders' Cup, which served to muddle rather than clarify, the picture for that honor.

Why have some fans felt the need to try and denigrate what Rapid Redux has done? Is it still some kind of Zenyatta backlash from her many fans? This could certainly be the case, but anyone that thinks that what Rapid Redux has done has any impact on Zenyatta or Cigar or Citation or any other all-time Thoroughbred accomplishment is mistaken. We are mixing apples and oranges here to the extreme degree. Many of those names of the list of Thoroughbred winning streaks are in the Hall Of Fame and deservedly so. Rapid Redux is nothing more than a wonderful footnote here, to be honest. Yes, he won 20 in a row, and it is marvelous. No other horse in the history of the sport has managed to do this. However, he hasn't done it against the cream of the crop, he is winning against Starter Allowance company. Even in the record-setting race, half of the field scratched and he faced only three foes.

What everyone should be doing is giving a ton of credit to the horse and his connections, owner Robert Cole Jr. and trainer David Wells, for spotting this horse in winnable races where he has been able to get the job done. Every time this horse has gone to gate in 2011 (and the last two starts of 2010), he has made it to the Winner's Circle. Bing Crosby sang a wonderful song many years ago which urged one to, "accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative". I would suggest to the racing public at large that we need to do this more in all cases, not just this one. However, this seems like as good a place to start as any. Congratulations to Rapid Redux on 20 wins in a row!!

Tune in again on Friday for a look at one of the big races this weekend. I would like to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving! For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

The Grade 3 $1,000,000 Delta Jackpot

2011-11-18T20:40:00.000-08:00

The Breeders' Cup Juvenile a couple of weeks ago seemed to settle the issue as far as Champion 2-Year-Old Male with Hansen holding off Union Rags at Churchill Downs. Those two will likely remain the favorites for the 2012 Kentucky Derby through the early parts of the mad rush to the First Saturday In May. However, there is another important stop coming up on that road tomorrow. The Grade 3 $1,000,000 Delta Jackpot automatically qualifies its winner to have a spot in the gate at Churchill Downs. Here is the analysis:

#1 Longview Drive- Won three straight entering this effort on Saturday. He might very well go right to the front from the rail and just keep right on going. At 10-1, I think he must be included in any exotic plays at the very least.

#2 Seven Lively Sins- 2nd in the Grade 3 Iroquois at Churchill Downs on October 30. It appears that he possesses early speed as well. He also has the riding services of Julien Leparoux for this try, which certainly won't hurt.

#3 Tiz Moe- Tiznow offspring finished 2nd in the Jean Laffitte at Delta Downs on October 22. The Calhoun trainee did post a bullet workout on November 12 at Fair Grounds. Could be positioned to strike if an excessive speed duel develops, as it seems he likes to sit right off the pace.

#4 Basmati- Broke the maiden last time out after finishing 4th and 5th in two Grade 1 efforts in Southern California. The maiden win came at one mile. Corey Nakatani will have the riding assignment.

#5 My Adonis- Won the aforementioned Jean Laffitte over the Delta Downs strip. This colt has never been worse than 2nd in five career starts. I think it was a smart move by trainer Kelly Breen to get this one a race over the track prior to this big one. His other four races had been at Monmouth.

#6 Drill- Adds blinkers here after taking them off for the BC Juvenile. That didn't seem to work, as he ran 10th of thirteen at Churchill Downs. The Baffert trainee is 2-1 on the morning line, but after that last race, I would like to see a bit more if I am to play him at that price.

#7 Laurie's Rocket- Didn't fare too well in his two Grade 1 attempts. 4th in the sloppy Hopeful at Saratoga and 8th in the one-turn mile of the Champagne at Belmont. This colt has a decent workout on November 11 at Churchill Downs.

#8 Sabercat- Won the last two at Monmouth, including the ungraded Garden State on October 2 as a less than even-money favorite. Steve Asmussen seems to set new records every time he sends a horse postward. Gerard Melancon gets the assignment.

#9 Dougs Buddy- This colt could be the wild longshot to like in here. He is undefeated in four starts at Northlands in Edmonton, which has a similar bullring topography to Delta Downs. He also has a bullet workout over the Delta track on November 8.

#10 Jake Mo- Finished a flat 5th in the BC Juvenile Sprint behind the dazzling performances of Secret Circle and Shumoos. The Sire is 2005 Derby winner, Giacomo. Don Simington is a veteran Louisiana rider, who could fit the surroundings well on Saturday.

TOP FOUR SELECTIONS: 1-5-9-6

Remember, They Are Off accepts no responsibility for any wagers placed in conjunction with these selections. They are merely suggestions. Tune in again next week for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Hoping For The Best

2011-11-17T16:38:00.000-08:00

Patrick Valenzuela did not appear at Hollywood Park today to ride his mounts and had to be replaced on all of them. I was at a simulcast site in the Phoenix area and I can tell you there was a sense of dread that I felt regarding Valenzuela while I was listening to Hollywood announcer, Vic Stauffer, call for the trainers of all of P. Val's mounts to report to the Jockey's Quarters to find replacements.

Valenzuela is undoubtedly one of the most talented riders that the sport has ever seen. His work on greats like Sunday Silence and Arazi lives on in the annals of racing. However, Valenzuela is also undoubtedly one of the most troubled riders that the sport has ever seen. He returned to his base of California in 2010 after receiving a license to ride based on him undergoing a stringent series of drug and alcohol tests. The DRF.com story on Valenzuela's no-show quotes the California Racing Board as saying the tests are "unprecedented due to its continual nature and strict conditions."

The same story says that Valenzuela had gone south to San Diego to visit his girlfriend on Wednesday. Valenzuela has been riding fantastically since returning to California and was fifth in the recently concluded Santa Anita's meeting's rider standings. For Valenzuela's sake, let's all hope for the best in regard to his absence. He is too great to go missing from the sport again for any stretch of time for whatever reason.

Tune in again tomorrow for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Wedding Winner

2011-11-15T18:38:00.001-08:00

Friday, November 11 was Veterans' Day throughout the United States, a day for celebrating those in the military who have served this country proudly throughout its glorious history. However, at Turf Paradise on Friday, there was another reason to celebrate. Two members of the jockey colony at Turf Paradise chose 11/11/11 as their wedding day. Patricia Trimble and Rusty Shaw were married on Friday at the racetrack in a ceremony pictured here.

Hopefully, the odds of this marriage being a long and happy one will be better than the odds of the horse Patricia rode in the fifth race on Friday at Turf Paradise. Quick Score was considered a rank outsider in the field of eight being sent off at odds of 28-1, the longest shot on the board by a wide margin. Quick Score, as expected, started slowly and ran toward the back of the pack throughout the early stages of the race. Once the field hit the far turn, Quick Score started advancing through the field and continued a sustained rally all the way into the stretch. The favorite, John's Knight Out, had taken the lead in mid-stretch and appeared headed toward the Winner's Circle until Quick Score just wouldn't stop. Quick Score hit the lead near the finish line and prevailed in an exciting stretch duel. It was the first win of the season for Patricia Trimble as a jockey at Turf Paradise. Quick Score paid a robust $58.80 for the victory. I would have to say that it was a winning wedding present for Patricia.

Of course, everyone at Turf Paradise and many of their friends throughout the racing community wish the couple all the best as they embark on their life together. Congratulations to Patricia Trimble and Rusty Shaw on their nuptials and may they keep winning both on the track and off in the future!

Tune in again Thursday for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Photo courtesy of Turf Paradise's Facebook Page

The Grade 2 $175,000 Mrs. Revere

2011-11-11T18:51:00.000-08:00

Churchill Downs' fall season didn't end last weekend with the Breeders' Cup. In fact, that was more or less the beginning of the meet. The featured event on Saturday afternoon is the Grade 2 $175,000 Mrs. Revere at 1 1/16 miles on the turf. Here is the analysis:

#1 Hungry Island- 4th at Belmont Park last time out in the Grade 1 Garden City behind Winter Memories. That would be the only time in nine lifetime races that this filly has failed to finish in the first three. A definite win candidate with Corey Nakatani aboard.

#2 Bizzy Caroline- 2nd to Daisy Devine in the Grade 3 Valley View on the turf at Keeneland on October 21. This will be her second start off the most recent layoff. This daughter of Afleet Alex posted a bullet 5F workout on November 5 at Keeneland in 1:01 2/5.

#3 Groupie Doll- With the addition of another length over the course of her last two performances, this filly could be working on a five-race win streak right now. The only issue as far as Saturday is that all of those races were on dirt or Polytrack. She ran eighth in her only previous turf attempt.

#4 Holidaysatthefarm- Finished 4th in that Grade 3 Valley View at generous odds of 35-1. She won the time before at Arlington in an Optional Claimer. She has been with graded company on three previous occasions in her career and was somewhat overmatched in all three.

#5 Sea Level Drive- 20-1 on the morning line for this go and might be the longshot to like after two wins in the last three and the other try was a second in the Grade 3 Pucker Up at Arlington Park on September 17. James Graham has the riding assignment.

#6 Smart Sting- You almost always have to watch these Canadian imports from Woodbine nowadays, especially when it comes to turf racing. The Dam of this runner is 2000 Breeders' Cup Filly And Mare Turf winner, Perfect Sting. John Velazquez will be aboard this one's first race since September 25.

#7 Don't Tell Sophia- Won last time out over the Polytrack at Keeneland on October 20 in an Allowance spot and has two bullet workouts there since that victory. She has never been more than 5-1 in her career, but I think that will not be the case Saturday. Her lone graded attempt with a disastrous 13th in that Grade 3 Pucker Up.

#8 Trac N Jam- Has already finished behind several horses she will face in here in recent races. Her last win was the ungraded Indiana Distaff on the turf at Indiana Downs on July 13. Expect her to appear on the scene late, that is if she can get into it at all.

#9 New Normal- Off since a win in June at Woodbine in the Alywow. Posted a bullet workout on November 5 over the training track at Woodbine. Robby Albarado pulled off the big upset with Court Vision last Saturday in the Mile, but even this could be a lot to expect here.

#10 Marketing Mix- Could not catch Together in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Keeneland on October 15, but won that aforementioned Grade 3 Pucker Up the time before. Will likely be the betting choice in here and deservedly so. Julien Leparoux gets the call.

#11 Tourmaline- Won the Remington Park Oaks last time out on October 16 and that clearly didn't impress the Kentuckians, as she is 50-1 on the morning line here. She did win the Assiniboia Downs Oaks and another Oaks race at Canterbury. Of course, none of these victories came on the turf, so maybe she is lightly regraded for good reason.

#12 Louvakhova- Won the Frances Genter over yielding turf at Calder last time out on October 15. The vastly underrated Corey Lanerie has the riding assignment. This filly has never been worse than second in seven lifetime appearances.

TOP FOUR SELECTIONS: 1-2-10-5

Remember, They Are Off accepts no responsibility for any wagers placed in conjunction with these selections. They are merely suggestions. Tune in again next week for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Cup Reflections

2011-11-08T20:34:00.000-08:00

The 28th edition of the Breeders' Cup at Churchill Downs this past weekend had the same highs and lows that any of the previous 27 versions of racing's Championship Days have presented us over the history of the event. On the high side, of course, you have Royal Delta's impressive victory in the Ladies' Classic. On the low side, you have the stewards' failure to make the proper decision in regards to Goldikova, who likely should have been disqualified for her actions in the Mile.

First, Friday showcased the fillies and mares and the most captivating performance of the afternoon came in the biggest race of the afternoon, the Ladies' Classic. Royal Delta appeared well-beaten when the field turned for home and just when you thought she was done, she suddenly wasn't. She hit the afterburners at the right time and won handily from It's Tricky and Pachattack. Her busy weekend was far from over it turns out, because she was sold at the Keeneland November Sales today for $8.5 million to the Besilu Stables. Benjamin Leon, the owner of Besilu, has not confirmed what course Royal Delta will be taking for 2012, although the Daily Racing Form website story on the sale speculates that the horse will be transferred from the Bill Mott barn to the Todd Pletcher barn. The other big star from Friday was Juvenile Fillies winner, My Miss Aurelia, who sat just near the pace set by Candrea throughout the early stages, and then moved easily to the front and went on to register a strong three-length victory over Grace Hall and Weemissfrankie.

Saturday was just a crazy day from the get-go. The Marathon was won by a 41-1 longshot, Afleet Again. It would not be the first time the longest shot on the board would enter the Winner's Circle on this day. In fact, only one favorite, Regally Ready, in the Turf Sprint, would prevail the entire afternoon. The most heartfelt story of the day might have occurred in the Turf, where trainer Aidan O'Brien scored a win with St. Nicholas Abbey. The winning rider on St. Nicholas Abbey was O'Brien's 18-year-old son, Joseph. Joseph handled St. Nicholas Abbey with the cunning of a veteran rider of many years, getting first run on the well-regarded Sea Moon and overcoming the surprising staying power of longshot, Brilliant Speed. The Classic also provided some interesting storylines the way it played out. Drosselmeyer, ridden by Mike Smith, came roaring from way back in the field to go past nearly the entire field in less than a furlong and prevail over pacesetting Game On Dude, ridden by Chantal Sutherland. Of course, the fact that Smith and Sutherland were formerly an item added a true sense of intrigue to that result.

On to the race that stands out in most everyone's mind from Saturday, the Mile. Goldikova was poised for a fourth straight triumph in the Mile with a win on Saturday, but she drew the rail, which I believe led to some of the problems she encountered in this race. Goldikova was much more forwardly placed than she had been in any of her three previous Mile victories. However, when she needed to find a place to run at the top of the stretch, Olivier Peslier had nowhere to go at all. He shifted the mare out suddenly and more or less took Courageous Cat out of any chance to win the race at all. Courageous Cat would, in fact, finish last. Goldikova made the lead in mid-stretch and appeared poised to get that fourth straight win, but then from well off the pace came 64-1 longshot, Court Vision, and Turallure. The two of them came flying through the stretch together and hit the finish in sync. It looked for all the world that the outside horse (Turallure) had won by a narrow margin, while in fact, Court Vision had prevailed in a desperate photo to become the second-longest shot ever to win a Breeders' Cup race (trailing only 1993 Classic winner, Arcangues). There was much discussion after the race as to whether or not Goldikova should have been disqualified for the obvious interference she caused with the move at the top of the stretch. In the end, she surprisingly was left in third position where she finished and not taken back to last by the stewards, where she likely belonged after the incident.

There were several retirements that followed the Cup, most famously Goldikova and Gio Ponti, who both ran in the Mile. Also, Uncle Mo, 2010 Juvenile Champion, who finished tenth in the Classic was retired after post-race blood tests came back showing an elevated enzyme. In the end, it wasn't the greatest Breeders' Cup ever and it wasn't the worst Breeders' Cup ever, in fact, it was an exciting day of racing that provided ample opportunities to make a big score provided you were backing the right horses. In other words, just another day at the races, I guess.

Tune in again on Thursday for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Saturday Breeders' Cup Selections

2011-11-03T13:57:00.001-07:00

There are nine championship races on Saturday at Churchill Downs, including the Classic with Havre de Grace trying to become just the second distaffer to win it in history and the Mile, which is stacked also. So, let's get right to it with the 1 3/4 Mile Marathon to kickstart the Saturday:

The Marathon- I am siding with the defending champion, Eldaafer, who will be a generous price again it appears in trying to defend his championship in this race. He won at 11-1 last year and is already 10-1 on the morning line here. Eldaafer has picked up a couple of wins since that BC score last year and his last workout was a bullet. The filly, Meeznah, is worth a definite look in here with Tom Queally aboard. She won a Group 2 two back at 1 13/16 miles on the turf at Doncaster. However, she was well-beaten in August in the only try against mixed runners.

The Juvenile Turf- Caspar Netscher will be the top choice in this race, which appears relatively wide-open to me. Kieren Fallon was up two starts back on September 17 at Newbury, the only time he was paired with this colt, and the end result was a Group 2 victory. If there a longshot that leaps out here, I like 15-1 Farraaj. He has been to the post four times with two wins and two places in Great Britain. He was the betting choice in three of those efforts. However, he has yet to go one mile in any of those four attempts. 7 1/4 furlongs is the longest he has gone in those four starts, which was one of the wins.

The Sentient Jet Sprint- Big Drama is back to try and win this race again, but I am leaning toward Giant Ryan in here. He did win the Grade 1 Vosburgh over a muddy track (making him 3 for 3 in the mud), but regardless of the wetness of the surface, I like him here. He is riding a six-race win streak into the Sprint. Amazombie posted a 104 Beyer figure in winning the Grade 1 Ancient Title on October 8 at Santa Anita. On the DRF Past Performances, there are four races on his list on a regular dirt surface, three wins and a second are the results.

The Turf Sprint- I am taking two shots in this race with, first, Perfect Officer, who has been absent from the Winner's Circle since scoring at Monmouth in the ungraded Wolf Hill. He could be sitting in excellent position to win, especially if there is any kind of speed duel on the front end. Garrett Gomez is aboard the other longshot I like in here with Broken Dreams, which I am hoping not to have any of this weekend. She rallied late to win a Grade 3 at Santa Anita on September 30 plus her last workout on October 27 at Keeneland was a bullet five furlongs in 59 4/5 seconds.

The Dirt Mile- Bob Baffert will hopefully have The Factor ready to roll on Saturday. He didn't finish off the deal in the Grade 1 Ancient Title, fading late to finish fourth. Martin Garcia has the ride and there's a bullet workout that stands out on Halloween at Santa Anita. Jersey Town is my pick to possibly pick up the pieces at long odds. He shocked everyone last November to win the Cigar Mile at Aqueduct with a 111 Beyer at odds of 35-1. You might be able to get that price on him again here.

The Emirates Airline Turf- To be honest, this might be the worst race of the weekend all the way around. The Cup officials actually moved the Turf away from its traditional place right before the Classic because the Mile is the more attractive spot. Therefore, instead of selecting two horses, I am going to make a modest play on St. Nicholas Abbey. He has not won since the Group 1 Coronation Cup at Ascot in June and finished 5th in the Grade 1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp.

The Grey Goose Juvenile- Who will be crowned the early Derby favorite after this one? Most folks think it will be Union Rags, however, I am on the cause of Creative Cause. Joel Rosario piloted him to a win in the Grade 1 Norfolk at Santa Anita in his final prep for this one. He appeared to make a more impressive step forward than his West Coast rival, Drill, who is also in this field. Crusade gets the riding services of Julien Leparoux, who has been winning everything in sight lately. This Euro colt is also coming off of a nice win at Newmarket in a Group 1 there on October 8.

The TVG Mile- This promises to be the race of the day just because of the depth of the talent in the field. From top to bottom, it might be the best race of the year. The three-time defending champion, Goldikova, drew the rail, but I am partial to Gio Ponti this time around. He wore down the competition to win the Grade 1 Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland last time out and he was second in this race last year to Goldikova. I think he turns the tables here. If you want to fetch a price here, try Turallure. The strapping grey rolled from way out of it to win the Woodbine Mile last time out on September 18. His last work is a bullet at Keeneland on October 24. Julien Leparoux gets the call here.

The Classic- Bob Baffert's trainee, Prayer For Relief, scratched out of this race after the draw, which cedes the rail to my top pick, Flat Out. He won the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup on October 1 in the mud, just missed catching Havre de Grace in the Woodward, and won the Grade 2 Suburban back in July. However, he is 0 for 2 over the Churchill Downs track so far. He did post a blistering four furlong workout on Ocotber 30, covering the distance in 46 3/5 seconds. Stay Thirsty might be able to salvage a Horse Of The Year nod with a win here and his price is an especially generous 12-1. Javier Castellano is aboard for trainer Todd Pletcher. Most people are looking at his stablemate here, Uncle Mo, but I just don't think he can go 1 1/4 miles and win.

Remember, They Are Off accepts no responsibility for any wagers placed in conjunction with these selections. They are merely suggestions. Enjoy Breeders' Cup weekend, play smart and win big. Tune in again next week for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Friday Breeders' Cup Selections

2011-11-02T21:06:00.000-07:00

The best two days in all of racing begin on Friday with six of the fifteen championship races that will take place over the weekend at Churchill Downs in Kentucky. The highlights will include Havre De Grace trying to clinch a Horse Of The Year title by becoming just the second female horse (after Zenyatta) to score a victory in the Classic. Goldikova trying to become the first-ever four-time winner of a Breeders' Cup race when she goes in the Mile. Big Drama and Chamberlain Bridge are back to defend their titles in the Sprint and Turf Sprint as well. Friday is for the Fillies, although the first of the six races is the Juvenile Sprint. Here is the analysis:

The Sentient Jet Juvenile Sprint- Secret Circle will be a heavy favorite in here and will likely be in the Winner's Circle when all is said and done. However, he certainly isn't a lock by any stretch. So, I will offer up Vexor as a possible upsetter in here after defeating some of these same horses in the Grade 2 Nashua at Belmont on October 2. David Cohen will ride. I also think there is a strong longshot possibility in the European invader, Shumoos. She is a filly facing the boys, but won a Group 3 two back at Kempton in Great Britain and that was with mixed company. Garrett Gomez gets the call.

The Juvenile Fillies' Turf- There is only one horse in this field with a Beyer figure in the 100s and that is Stopshoppingmaria. She did that in breaking her maiden on the dirt at Saratoga. She followed it up with a second in the Grade 1 Frizette to My Miss Aurelia, who will be a favorite later on this same program. Javier Castellano might just be the best jockey in the business right now. For a bigger price, how about Stephanie's Kitten? She rolled past everyone late on the Polytrack at Keeneland to win the Grade 1 Alcibiades on October 7. If Castellano isn't the best rider right now, it might just be John Velazquez.

The Sentient Jet Filly & Mare Sprint- I think that Turbulent Descent might be the lock of the day on the Friday program. She will be facing some tough competition here, but she did turn back Pomeroy's Pistol in the Grade 1 Test at Saratoga, also at seven furlongs. Her last several works over the cushion track at Hollywood have been things of beauty. Here's a real longshot to like with 30-1 Tamarind Hall. Her last three with Graded company have all resulted in top three finishes with a win in the Grade 3 Bed O' Roses on July 2 at Belmont at 16-1. I certainly do like her at the price I expect her to be at.

The Grey Goose Juvenile Fillies- I said My Miss Aurelia will be the favorite in here earlier in this post and I meant it. She is an undefeated filly trained by Steve Asmussen and getting the riding services of Corey Nakatani for the second time here. She seems to be improving with the more distance she has to traverse. The price pick in here, though, is Homecoming Queen. She is the most experienced runner in this field with ten prior starts. Her recent form has been exceptional and she does go turf-to-dirt here, which appeals to me.

The Emirates Airline Filly & Mare Turf- Frankie Dettori will be aboard the undefeated Nahrain, who just got up in the nick of time to defeat Announce, who is also in this field, in the Group 1 Prix de l'Opera at Longchamp on October 2. Dettori was up for that win and will hope to do the Flying Dismount for a second straight time from this Darley runner. Harmonious could be a longshot to consider in this field. She has not won since the 2010 QE II Cup at Keeneland, but her recent works have been speedy and she returned from a layoff with a strong prep on October 1, running third behind Dubawi Heights in the Grade 1 Yellow Ribbon.

The Ladies' Classic- It is my belief that Plum Pretty is just going to go right to the front here and never look back. Frankly, I think that Rafael Bejarano is going to be able to dictate the pace since no one really appears to want to go out and run with this one in the early stages. She already has a win over the track in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks and last time I checked, Bob Baffert knows how to win a big race. Should there be some competing speed for Plum Pretty, the closer I am leaning toward is Miss Match, who posted a bullet workout on October 28 and is making her second start off the latest layoff. Garrett Gomez is in the saddle on Miss Match.

Remember, They Are Off accepts no responsibility for any wagers placed in conjunction with these selections. They are merely suggestions. Tune in again for the Saturday Selections from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

The Grade 2 $150,000 Fayette Stakes

2011-10-28T20:36:00.000-07:00

Saturday is closing day for racing in 2011 at Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky. The featured event on the closing day program is the Grade 2 Fayette, which features a strong contingent of twelve colts and geldings going 1 1/8 miles over the polytrack. Here is the analysis:

#1 Decisive Moment- The lone three-year-old in the field finished an overmatched 14th in the Kentucky Derby. Since then he has just one win in four starts, a score in the ungraded El Kaiser at Calder on July 30. It is highly unlikely he gets a second win in this tough spot.

#2 Modern Cowboy- Ran 2nd in the Grade 3 Excelsior at this distance at Aqueduct back in April. Won the West Virginia Governors Handicap. This son of Tiznow did win his only other effort over polytrack at Turfway in October 2010.

#3 Jimmy Simms- Ran 2nd in the Presque Isle Downs Mile behind Wise Dan, who is in here also. Kent Desormeaux rides for trainer Anthony Dutrow and this horse appears to be a fan of the synthetic surface. Must be respected as a possible price to like in here.

#4 Eighttofasttocatch- Horribly named, but has two bullet workouts and won the Maryland Million Classic on October 1 at Laurel. His only previous graded try was on the turf in the Grade 2 Dixie at Pimlico and it didn't go well, finishing last of seven behind Paddy O'Prado.

#5 General Quarters- Every once in a while, this guy can run a big race. Saturday might just be one of those occasions. He ran 2nd in the Grade 2 Kentucky Cup on September 24 at Turfway behind the #6 in this field. Bullet workout on October 25 at Churchill.

#6 Future Prospect- Beat #5 in that race at Turfway Park and did it at 18-1 with a front-running effort. He will certainly be a part of the pace picture in this race, but there seems to be a surplus of speed, which might severely compromise his chances.

#7 Anak Nakal- Clearly, his best days are behind him. His only win in the last two and a half years came two back at Presque Isle in an Allowance start. It would be a comeback worthy of the St. Louis Cardinals if he were to win this one.

#8 Wise Dan- 4th behind Gio Ponti in the Grade 1 Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland last time out on October 8. Upset the Grade 2 Firecracker at Churchill at 14-1 three back and also won the Presque Isle Downs Mile two back. Julien Leparoux has the mount on Saturday.

#9 Guys Reward- 19 of 25 lifetime starts have come on the turf for this colt, but he did win his only prior race over the Keeneland polytrack. Has a win and a second in the last two races he ran at 1 1/8 miles, but those were both on the turf, one at Churchill and one at Gulfstream.

#10 Ioya Bigtime- Could be a likable longshot here with Calvin Borel riding. This colt has a bullet workout on October 23 at Keeneland, going 5F in 58 4/5 seconds. Trainer Chris Block won two of three races at Keeneland this season.

#11 Workin For Hops- Was DQ'd from 2nd to 3rd in the Grade 3 Washington Park Handicap at Arlington two back as the betting favorite. He led all the way there before fading slightly. Appears to be very versatile, able to run up front or just off the pace and be effective.

#12 Mission Impazible- His last three tries have been with Grade 1 company and the best result of those was a 2nd in the Foster at Churchill behind longshot Pool Play on June 18. Javier Castellano will have the riding assignment for trainer Todd Pletcher.

TOP FOUR SELECTIONS: 12-8-10-5

They Are Off accepts no responsibility for any wagers placed in conjunction with these selections. They are merely suggestions. Tune in again next week for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Common Sense

2011-10-25T19:36:00.000-07:00

Sadly, in the world today, there is such a complete and total lack of common sense from pretty much everyone that when some is actually invoked, I feel the need to recognize it.

On October 10, the British Horseracing Authority invoked a strict new set of whip-use rules for their jockeys that would be enforced immediately. The rules made waves within the jockey colony over there in rapid fashion. Essentially, jockeys were required to limit their use of the whip during the course of a race to seven in a Thoroughbred (or flat) race and eight in a Steeplechase (or jump) race, with only five strikes of the whip to be used in the final furlong of a flat race or after the final obstacle in a jump race.

Let me state here that I am all for reduced use of the whip by all riders everywhere. I must admit that some of the whip use that I see in some races causes me to shudder and wonder exactly what the rider is thinking when he repeatedly uses the whip in what appears to be a violent fashion. I also would like to see a horse that is ahead by a wide margin or fading out of a race in an obvious way not be whipped. I understand that sometimes a whip tap is required to keep a horse's mind on its business and that's fine. Honestly, though, does a horse have to whipped time and again by a rider with a six or seven length lead? Does a horse have to whipped that has no chance of finishing in a check-paying position? Of course not, there is absolutely nothing to be gained from whip use in either situation.

However, these rules that were invoked by the BHA were way off course. Do you think that it is easy for any rider to know exactly when that final furlong starts? I can say fairly surely that they aren't paying attention to the distance poles while trying to control an animal much larger than they are going at an incredible rate of speed. These rules caused one jockey in Britain, Richard Hughes, to turn in his jockey's license after having two separate incidents where he violated the more stringent rules. The most ridiculous implementation of the new standard came on British Champions Day, when Christophe Soumillon was docked his winning rider's share of the purse for using the whip six times in the final furlong of the Group 1 Champion Stakes at Ascot aboard Cirrus des Aigles. That idiocy made the fact that Soumillon came over to North America and won the Grade 1 Canadian International aboard Sarah Lynx a justifiable result.

I am proud to say, though, that common sense has finally prevailed. It only took a threatened jockey strike and the rules were slightly altered to be a little more forgiving. Riders will not have to be giving away their purse money, while the suspensions for offenses were reduced from seven to three days. The changes to the rule changes were applied retroactively, so Soumillon got his Champion Stakes money and rightfully so. Also, the final furlong or final jump stipulation of five whip strikes was eliminated while the total number of whip strikes during a race was not changed. That is a more acceptable compromise between the parties.

As I said earlier, I am all for reducing the use of the whip by jockeys. I would also like to see more humane whips used in this country, like are used in international racing. I think there is great room for improvement in this area throughout the racing world. The steps being taken by the BHA are not wrong, they are right. However, a jockey must be allowed to be a jockey during a race, not a mathematician or a surveyor. It is all a matter of common sense, which nowadays might be better called uncommon sense.

Tune in again on Thursday for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

The Grade 2 $150,000 Oak Tree Derby

2011-10-14T20:16:00.000-07:00

While there is technically no Oak Tree Meeting this year in Southern California, what is being called the Santa Anita Autumn Meeting is rolling right along and they will be featuring the Grade 2 Oak Tree Derby on their Saturday program. The race will have a full field of fourteen and will be run at 1 1/8 miles on the turf. Here is the analysis:

#1 Great Warrior- Won the Pomona Derby at Fairplex Park on September 24. That was the first win since a score in Brazil in November 2010 for this colt. Not fancied here.

#2 Northern Causeway- Rolling a three-race win streak entering this race, including the Grade 3 British Columbia Derby at Hastings Park on September 11. Appears to have plenty of speed, but likely won't get easy fractions in this one.

#3 Venomous- This British-bred seems like one to consider off a third two back at Deauville on a firm turf course. The soft going last out at Longchamp might not have been to his liking. Joel Rosario will have the riding assignment.

#4 Arraignment- Gelding has hit the board in 7 of 8 lifetime races, but all of them have been over the short oval at Hastings and all of them have also been on the dirt. Was 78-1 while running third behind #2 in the BC Derby.

#5 Dreamy Kid- Ran 6th in the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby last time out in first turf try on September 4. However, he ended up only 1 1/2 lengths behind the winner in what was a blanket finish. Will need an honest pace to close into to be a contender.

#6 Thirtyfirststreet- Led late two back in the Grade 3 La Jolla at Del Mar before settling for third place. Will likely be part of the pace scenario in here. Only career turf win came in the ungraded Lone Star Derby on May 30.

#7 Lil Bit O'Fun- 2nd in the aforementioned Grade 3 La Jolla. Also a strong come-from-behind runner. Trainer Thomas Proctor is winning at a 20% clip in 2011. This gelding has not won since a victory over yielding turf at Indiana Downs in June.

#8 Ultimate Eagle- Broke he maiden on the Del Mar lawn two back and followed it up with and Optional Claiming score on September 3. Currently 2 for 2 on the turf in his career, I would be hard-pressed to think he contends here with any competing speed and better foes.

#9 Akkadian- Might be the most likely of the longshots in this spot. This is the 2nd start off the last layoff and posted a strong workout on October 7. The Sire is two-time BC Classic winner, Tiznow.

#10 Theresmyeverything- This one will undoubtedly be part of the early speed in here. The Eoin Harty is nothing if not fast. He won a turf sprint at Saratoga on August 13 and followed it up with a good second with Allowance company at Belmont on September 19.

#11 Cozy Kitten- It is difficult to dismiss any Ramsey-owned horse that has Kitten's Joy in the lineage, but I am going to do it here. His speed figures just don't seem to match up with the remainder of the better ones in this Derby. Ran 7th in last Graded effort, the American Turf at Churchill.

#12 Cloud Man- Mike Smith will ride this colt that posted a 93 Beyer two back in victory over the turf at Del Mar on July 22. Part of the cluster of horses at the finish in the Del Mar Derby, winding up 4th. He also has a win over the Santa Anita turf, which only three in this field have.

#13 Midnight Interlude- Should be the betting favorite in here. Has rediscovered his form since transferring to the turf after disappointing Triple Crown season. Rafael Bejarano is in the saddle for trainer Bob Baffert.

#14 Surrey Star- Irish-bred that has been off since August, but his last win was in an ungraded stakes race over this Santa Anita grass. Chantal Sutherland has the riding assignment on this colt.

TOP FOUR SELECTIONS: 12-3-13-9

Remember, They Are Off accepts no responsibility for any wagers placed in conjunction with these selections. They are merely suggestions. Tune in again next week for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Breeders' Cup Hero: Artax

2011-10-13T15:42:00.000-07:00

The winner of the 1999 Breeders' Cup Sprint was Artax (pictured), who was billed at the time as the "Fastest Racehorse In The World". It's just as well he held that title that year with the Breeders' Cup being held at Gulfstream Park. The speed was holding up phenomenally well during the entire program at Gulfstream on Cup Day and most of the smart folks in the crowd knew that when Artax took the lead on the turn, it was going to be awfully difficult to catch him. Well, no one did and Artax held off the charge of Kona Gold to win the Sprint, paying $9.40 to win. The time for his victory was 1:07.4, which equaled the track record of Gulfstream set by the great Mr. Prospector. Artax was named the Champion Sprinter of 1999 following his performance in the Sprint.

Considering how great Artax was as a sprinter, it is interesting to note that he actually was considered a Classic contestant during his three-year-old campaign in 1998. In one of the Kentucky Derby prep races on the West Coast that year, Artax actually defeated Real Quiet, who would go one to win the Derby and Preakness. Artax never contended on Derby Day, showing absolutely no speed at all, never getting higher than tenth in the field of fifteen and finally settling in thirteenth place. This would not be the last we would encounter Artax during a Triple Crown program. The following spring in the 1999 Maryland Breeders' Cup at Pimlico on Preakness Day, a fan from the infield who had maybe enjoyed himself a little too much in the infield, stepped on to the track in the middle of the race and took a swing at Artax in the stretch. Thankfully, neither fan nor horse were injured, but all wagers on Artax in that race were refunded by the stewards after the incident.

For his 25-race career, Artax recorded seven wins, nine seconds, and three thirds. His total earnings were $1,685,840. To watch the video of Artax's win in the 1999 Breeders' Cup Sprint, here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_fSKNkEno4. Tune in again tomorrow for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Photo courtesy of horsehats.com

Back In Business

2011-10-11T20:35:00.000-07:00

The winner of the 2011 Kentucky Derby, Animal Kingdom, has been away from the racetrack since finishing sixth in the Belmont Stakes in June. It was in that race that it is believed he suffered a slab fracture, for which he underwent surgery on June 30. Of course, we can all rehash the start where the Derby winner was badly squeezed and really surrendered all chance he had to win the race. What we ought to rehash is the gallant performance that followed it where he rallied from hopelessly out of it, fighting against a front-running track bias that permeated the day following heavy rains, to actually get into contention at the top of the stretch within hailing distance of the leaders causing NBC racecaller Larry Collmus to remark, "Could he be this good?" Yes, he eventually flattened out to finish sixth, but the excellence of his performance should not be overlooked. He again showed the heart of a champion in defeat that day.

One of the first major hurdles for Animal Kingdom to overcome to get back to the races has been navigated as of today. Animal Kingdom was ridden under tack today at Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland, according to trainer Graham Motion. It is the first time Animal Kingdom has had a rider on his back since getting back to training during the late summer. Motion says he is inclined to remain at Fair Hill until sometime in the winter, maybe around December, before heading to Palm Meadows in Florida and warmer climates.

All in all, this is outstanding news for racing fans everywhere. There is always something special attached to the Kentucky Derby every year and when he (or she) disappears for a long stretch, like has happened this year, something goes missing from the racing game. It will be a banner day for racing when Animal Kingdom steps back on to the track, with his rider wearing the familiar green and red silks of Team Valor. The news today means that we are getting closer and closer to seeing that return to the races and that can only be a good thing.

Tune in again on Thursday for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

The Grade 1 $350,000 First Lady

2011-10-07T20:20:00.000-07:00

Keeneland has another myriad of tremendous races scheduled for their Saturday program and I have decided to tackle what could be one of the toughest of the lot, the Grade 1 $350,000 First Lady. The First Lady features a field of fourteen entries and the two also eligibles are Snow Top Mountain, winner of the Kentucky Cup Ladies' Turf at Kentucky Downs, and Tapitsfly, winner of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf in 2009. As I said, this is one of the toughest of the lot. Here is the analysis:

#1 Bay To Bay- Disappointed in the Grade 2 Canadian at Woodbine on September 18. This is the second try off the most recent layoff and I somewhat expect her to outrun her morning-line odds of 12-1 in here.

#2 Cherokee Queen- Won the Hollywood Wildcat, an ungraded turf race at Calder at 7 1/2 furlongs back in April. Her two starts since then have been lackluster at best and I don't see much chance for improvement in a difficult spot like this.

#3 Daveron- The Team Valor mare won the Grade 2 Ballston Spa at Saratoga last time out on August 27. She was 9-2 for that score, which matches her morning-line in this one. She is riding a nice three-race winning streak into this effort.

#4 Category Seven- Shane Sellers gets the call here on this mare whose only recent graded race, the Grade 3 Ouija Board in May at Lone Star, resulted in a nice runner-up placing. She has already made a hard-to-believe 51 starts in her long career.

#5 Absinthe Minded- 3rd in the Grade 2 Molly Pitcher at 19-1 last time out at Monmouth. The D. Wayne Lukas filly has NEVER STARTED ON THE TURF BEFORE. I can't see her being much of a factor in an event this tough.

#6 Together- This Irish-bred filly is the 7-2 morning-line choice and while her Racing Post figures for her European tries are impressive, the fact remains that she has not been to the Winner's Circle anywhere since July 15, 2010. She won the Group 3 Silver Flash at Leopardstown that day.

#7 C.S. Silk- Which mare will show up today? The one that won the Grade 1 Just A Game at Belmont in June in front-running style or the one that never made a showing in the Grade 3 Matchmaker at Monmouth in July.

#8 Wasted Tears- 12 for 21 lifetime is a strong record for this mare that should be setting the early pace in here. It remains to be seen how much pressure she will get on the front end, especially since it appears that there could be several that will want to run with her early.

#9 Theyskens' Theory- Honestly should have won the Grade 2 Garden City at Belmont on September 17. Winter Memories was just awesome in the stretch and beat her home. Garrett Gomez was aboard that day and gets the call for new trainer Shug McGaughey here.

#10 Gypsy's Warning- Certainly could be a upsetter in here at 10-1, but is winless in three 2011 starts so far. Another with the Team Valor and Graham Motion team in her corner, but she has not even been to the races since July. Bullet workout on October 1.

#11 Eclair De Lune- A German-bred filly won the Arc last Sunday, but this might be a little too much to ask of this one who has not won since the Grade 1 Beverly D in 2010. Ran 5th over this turf course in the spring season at Keeneland in the Grade 2 Jenny Wiley.

#12 Never Retreat- Won that Grade 2 Canadian at Woodbine last time out plus she won the also aforementioned Grade 2 Jenny Wiley in her only outing on the grass at Keeneland. Julien Leparoux had four winners on Friday's Opening Day card, so you might like to play the hot hand.

#13 (AE) Snow Top Mountain- Two wins in the last three efforts at one mile on the turf and has a very fast five furlong workout on October 1 on the main track at Keeneland.

#14 (AE) Tapitsfly- Has never really run back to that Breeders' Cup win in November 2009. In fact, she has only one win from seven starts since.

TOP FOUR SELECTIONS: 9-8-12-1

Remember, They Are Off accepts no responsibility for any wagers placed in conjunction with these selections. They are merely suggestions. Tune in again next week for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

More From Martha

2011-10-06T17:53:00.000-07:00

Martha Claussen of SureBet Racing News will be returning to They Are Off to offer her suggestions on the Breeders' Cup at Churchill Downs. To acclimate readers to Martha's imminent return, here is a link to her story on Alfonso Lujan, a very respected jockey in the American Quarter Horse world.:

http://www.surebetracingnews.com/NEWS/Jockey_Hidden_Jewel%20-10062011.htm

Tune in again tomorrow for a look at the Grade 1 First Lady Stakes on Opening Weekend at Keeneland. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Keeneland Kickoff

2011-10-05T13:38:00.000-07:00

Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky will begin its annual fall meeting on Friday. This season basically serves as a 17-day prep season for the Breeders' Cup Championships which, of course, will be held at nearby Churchill Downs in Louisville on November 4 and 5 with a record-high fifteen championship races being held over the two days.

Keeneland has two Graded stakes race scheduled for the Opening Day program on Friday, the Grade 3 Phoenix and the Grade 1 Darley Alcibiades. The Phoenix will more or less be a prep for the Sprint and the Dirt Mile, run at six furlongs. It features 8-5 favorite, Flashpoint, who won the Grade 3 Jersey Shore at Monmouth two starts back and ran a poor fifth in the seven furlong King's Bishop last time out at Saratoga. Also on hand are Aikenite at 5-2, who ran third in the Grade 1 Forego at The Spa, closing just a bit late to get to Jackson Bend, and Hamazing Destiny. Hamazing Destiny finished 4th in that Forego at Saratoga.

As far as the Darley Alcibiades, it has always been the traditional final tune-up for those horses destined for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Fifteen horses are entered in the Alcibiades and it is such an evenly matched bunch that the morning-line choice is at 5-1. She ran third in the Grade 1 Spinaway after breaking her maiden on August 7 at Saratoga. Behind her are three 6-1 shots on the morning-line. Canadian import Tu Endie Wei, a daughter of 2003 Breeders' Cup Turf winner, Johar, is 2 for 2 in her career thus far at Woodbine. The Todd Pletcher-trained Sweet Cat is 1 for 2 after a maiden-breaking win at Saratoga on September 1. New Wave missed the top three in her only prior Graded attempt, but has a win and a second also on the resume' entering Friday.

Things are really starting to heat up now as the Breeders' Cup Saturday is exactly one month from today. Also speaking of today, this is the 500th post in the history of They Are Off and I would like to thank all of those who read and follow this blog on a regular or a limited basis. I appreciate your support. Tune in again tomorrow for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

The Grade 1 $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup

2011-09-30T13:35:00.000-07:00

There will be a major prep for the Breeders' Cup Classic on Saturday at Belmont Park. The Grade 1 $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup takes place on what is promising to be a wet day in the New York area. I would expect the track to be off a bit, but hopefully it won't be too bad to affect the remainder of the races that are scheduled to take place on the turf. Here is the analysis:

#1 Flat Out- I think this one might be the one to beat in this field, but I am not really a fan of his 7-5 pricetag, especially coming off back-to-back runner-up finishes. Granted, two Horse Of The Year candidates beat him, but 7-5 is tough to accept.

#1a Birdrun- Has yet to run with his entrymate in any of his recent starts. He did convincingly win the 1 1/2 mile Grade 2 Brooklyn on June 10, defeating Drosselmeyer along the way, who will also be a part of this field.

#2 Ice Box- Is it just me or was his last good race the 2010 Kentucky Derby? He is 0 for 6 in the subsequent starts and has only hit the board in one of that sextet. Corey Nakatani will be aboard.

#3 Rodman- He could go to the front or he could sit off of the pace. There is no consistency in his running style. He returns from a layoff here after getting drilled in the Whitney at Saratoga on August 6.

#4 Stay Thirsty- The current favorite for top three-year-old honors is looking to springboard into the Breeders' Cup Classic with a win here. He dominated his two races at Saratoga, the Jim Dandy and the Travers. Curiously, he is 0 for 2 at Belmont with two seconds.

#5 Drosselmeyer- Goes turf-to-dirt after a dismal showing in the Sword Dancer on August 13. The former Belmont winner has the best wet Tomlinson number in the field. I think he might be worth a serious look at odds of 6-1 in here.

#6 A.U. Miner- Calvin Borel guided this one to a win in the Greenwood Cup at Park last time out July 16. Might have won the Breeders' Cup Marathon last fall had he not been badly hampered on the final turn. Don't think much of his chances in here.

TOP FOUR SELECTIONS- 1-5-4-3

Remember, They Are Off accepts no responsibility for any wagers placed in conjunction with these selections. They are merely suggestions. Tune in again next week for more from They Are Off.

Breeders' Cup Hero: Tikkanen

2011-09-29T18:13:00.000-07:00

The winner of the 1994 Breeders' Cup Turf at Churchill Downs was Tikkanen (pictured), who was dead last the first time the field of fourteen passed beneath the Twin Spires and was first when it counted most under jockey Mike Smith. Tikkanen paid $35.20 to win in the 1994 Turf, mainly because third-place finisher Paradise Creek was less than even-money to win. After the favorite, the next two favorites were both 7-1, so Paradise Creek getting beat was clearly a large upset. Tikkanen at 16-1, though, was somewhat of an overlay, especially given that he had won the Grade 1 Turf Classic Invitational before that Breeders' Cup triumph. He managed to set a track-record for the 1 1/2 miles distance at Churchill Downs. Tikkanen was never able to recapture that form after those two Grade 1 wins. In fact, he ended with only four lifetime victories from his eighteen career starts, earning a total of $1,599,355.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about Tikkanen is where his name came from. He was named for famed National Hockey League enforcer, Esa Tikkanen. Tikkanen started his career in Edmonton, where he played with, among others, Wayne Gretzky and Jari Kurri. Tikkanen also played with the New York Rangers, St. Louis Blues, Vancouver Canucks, New Jersey Devils, Florida Panthers, and Washington Capitals during a career that produced five Stanley Cup victories. You might wonder about the connection between hockey and horse racing here, well, the horse's owner was George Strawbridge Jr., who was active in running the Buffalo Sabres franchise for over thirty years. Also, it is worth mentioning that the National Hockey League season kicks off on October 6 and I, for one, am deliriously happy about that.

If you would like to relive Tikkanen's 1994 Breeders' Cup Turf victory, here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-6GQtduD-g. Tune in again tomorrow for a look at Saturday's Jockey Club Gold Cup. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Photo courtesy of horseracing.about.com

Future Search

2011-09-27T14:15:00.000-07:00

Guess what, as of Saturday, we have exactly 32 weeks until the 2012 Kentucky Derby!! That's right, the next Run For The Roses is practically right around the corner and the odds are already out and they are probably going to be as good as they are going to get right now.

The Wynn/Encore Sports Book has published their odds for the 2012 Derby and they have listed three favorites at 35-1: Creative Cause, Drill, and Union Rags. Drill is scheduled to be heading to the track this weekend for his first effort around two turns in the Grade 1 Norfolk Stakes at Santa Anita. Creative Cause is also listed as a possibility for that race at Santa Anita. Union Rags won over a sloppy strip in the Saratoga Special and you can likely look for him to run again in the Grade 1 Champagne next weekend at Belmont Park.

Take Charge Indy is next on the Wynn odds board at 45-1 to win the Derby next year. The runner-up in the Arlington-Washington Futurity is likely to go next on October 8 also, but he will over the synthetic at Keeneland. One of the vagaries of future wagering is that the horse that beat Take Charge Indy in the Futurity, Shared Property, currently is listed at 150-1 to win the Derby. There are also two horses at 50-1 on the Wynn list, Alpha and Fire On Ice. Alpha won his maiden start at Saratoga on September 3 and might be facing Union Rags in the Champagne. Fire On Ice is another maiden winner from the recently concluded Saratoga season, his win coming on August 27. He is also scheduled to go in the Champagne. I am kind of getting the impression that the folks at the Wynn are thinking the Derby Trail is starting in New York next week, rather than in Arcadia this week.

I'll tell you what can be quite a bit of fun. Let's pick a horse that is triple digits on the Wynn Futures List and track his progress and see if he can make it to the Big Dance on May 5 next year. Shun is a Lemon Drop Kid offspring owned by Adele Dilschneider and Claiborne Farm currently listed at 200-1 on the Future Book. He won at Turfway Park in his first career start. He won a two-turn mile in his first career start. Let's see where he goes and see if we might not be able to follow him all the way to the gate in the 139th Kentucky Derby.

Tune in again on Thursday for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

The Grade 2 $1,000,000 Pennsylvania Derby

2011-09-23T16:30:00.000-07:00

The 32nd running of the Pennsylvania Derby is the marquee event of the weekend, featuring the winner of the Belmont Stakes, the winner of two-thirds of the Canadian Triple Crown, and the runners-up in the Wood Memorial and the Travers. It is a strong field of nine that will most likely have to deal with a soggy racetrack at Parx since the Philadelphia area is currently suffering through a wet weekend with flood warnings, according to weather.com. We are going to try a bit of a different tack in our handicapping feature this week and look at each horse individually and offer a top four at the end. Here is the analysis:

#1 Ruler On Ice- The Belmont winner will certainly love the wet surface that replicates the slop he won the Test Of Champions in. He merits a look the more of a bog the racetrack will be.

#2 Arthur's Tale- Runner-up in the Wood has not been back to the races since that big effort at 21-1. His morning line here is 12-1 and he is another that could benefit from heavy rainfall.

#3 Pender Harbour- Versatile Canadian-bred won the Prince Of Wales and the Breeders' Stakes, the latter coming on the grass. He could have won all three up north with some breaks in the Queen's Plate. I think his 12-1 morning line is a great value here.

#4 Norman Asbjornson- Scored a win at Parx on September 3 in what appeared to be a prep for this spot. However, I just don't think he has the speed or the capacity to keep up with these.

#5 Rush Now- Also entered in the Grade 3 Kent at Delaware on Saturday. I think he might be a factor should he choose to go here off of a solid second to Prayer For Relief in the West Virginia Derby.

#6 Isn't He Perfect- Has not won since a Starter Allowance score at Aqueduct on the inner track in March. Another one that is not good enough to be a contender.

#7 To Honor And Serve- Trying to return to the spotlight after missing four months between the Florida Derby and the Amsterdam. Rebounded off the long layoff to win second time back at The Spa on August 26 and posted a bullet workout on September 17 over Oklahoma track.

#8 JW Blue- Rolled late to collect third money behind Stay Thirsty in the Travers on August 27. He is also double-entered in the Kent at Delaware. While he has been finishing well of late, he has not won since January, when he was at Oaklawn.

#9 Rattlesnake Bridge- Second-best in the Travers and his Tomlinson wet number indicates he should love the sloppy surface. John Velazquez rides for Kiaran McLaughlin. The Sire is Tapit, who has been producing winners all over the place.

TOP FOUR SELECTIONS: 9-7-5-3

They Are Off accepts no responsibility for any wagers placed in conjunction with these selections. They are merely suggestions. Tune in again next week for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Breeders' Cup Hero: Awesome Again

2011-09-22T14:50:00.000-07:00

As is the custom on They Are Off when the time comes to herald in the Breeders' Cup in the autumn, I like to take a look back at some great Breeders' Cup moments and horses since the event's inception in 1984. On Thursdays for the next few weeks until this year's running of the Cup at Churchill Downs on November 4 and 5, I will continue that tradition with a look at some Breeders' Cup Heroes.

This week's Breeders' Cup Hero is admittedly a personal favorite. The winner of the 1998 Breeders' Cup Classic was Awesome Again (pictured). He defeated a star-studded field of entrants in that Classic including the 1997 Derby and Preakness winner, Silver Charm, the 1997 Breeders' Cup Classic winner, Skip Away, and the 1998 Belmont Stakes winner, Victory Gallop. I almost forgot to mention the winner of the 1998 Haskell and Travers, Coronado's Quest, the winner of Europe's Top Older Horse in 1998, Swain. It was as Tom Durkin described in his call of the Classic, "an All-Star field". The win in the Breeders' Cup would conclude an undefeated season in 1998 for Awesome Again, an outstanding year that came on the heels of his winning the most prestigious race in Canada, The Queen's Plate, in 1997. So, you might ask why is Awesome Again a personal favorite of mine? I had selected Awesome Again to win that Breeders' Cup Classic to the derision of my fellow handicappers in Houston who thought he was in over his head and I was elated to see him overtake all those magnificent challengers and win the Classic, giving me sweet revenge when it counted the most.

Awesome Again has proven to be one of the most prolific Sires of the last twenty years also. Just check out the list of phenomenal runners that he has produced: Ghostzapper, Ginger Punch, Awesome Gem, Game On Dude, Wilko, and Round Pond. I think that list qualifies as a near Who's Who of racing since Awesome Again's retirement. In recent days, Awesome Again underwent colic surgery and has returned to Adena Springs following the procedure to recuperate. It is believed that he will be able to continue as a stallion for the 2012 season.

To watch the 1998 Breeders' Cup Classic win of Awesome Again, here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIe_Au9_9Ww. Tune in again tomorrow for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Photo courtesy of steadyburn.net

Good News, Bad News

2011-09-20T15:48:00.000-07:00

The word from the Keeneland September Sale has been uniquely positive as far as the amount of money to be used to purchase the horses available at the sale. In 2010, the sale lasted fourteen days and the gross total of income from the sale was $198,254,900. The on-going 2011 sale is through eight days as of this writing and already the gross has exceeded last year's number with income at $198,638,200, according to DRF.com. Clearly, the Keeneland September Sale is going to shatter last year's number of gross income by a nice margin with just five days left to go. It can be said that this is certainly a rare positive sign as far as the economics of the Thoroughbred business goes. Usually, all you hear is doom and gloom as the handle, attendance, and sales figures plummet from one year to the next. This increase at Keeneland certainly shouldn't be interpreted as everything is rosy and sunshiny, but it certainly should be read as a rare shaft of light in what is otherwise a very dark time for the industry.

Meanwhile, in his column on ESPN. com, Bill Finley notes that The Jockey Club reports that the 2010 foal crop is down 13.5%, the total being approximately 27,000. Finley goes on to note that will only continue the problem of small field size that has been a near-epidemic in the sport in recent years. Unfortunately, that is true. It is simple mathematics that you cannot continue to have large fields with excellent betting opportunities if the horses just aren't there to participate. Without excellent betting opportunities, fewer and fewer bettors will be trying to hit that big score and the handle across the country should continue to reflect that with lessening numbers. As I said in the earlier paragraph, we are in the midst of a very dark time for the industry, you can take the attitude that things are darkest before the dawn, but these foal numbers indicate that dawn might still be quite a long way away.

Tune in again tomorrow for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

The Grade 1 $1,000,000 Woodbine Mile

2011-09-16T21:55:00.000-07:00

Before beginning this week's handicapping edition, I must pass along my sincere thanks to Travis Stone of Louisiana Downs and Nick Tammaro for the great work we were all a part of for the 32nd Super Derby. Travis's call was outstanding and Nick and I did manage to produce a some strong picks, so all in all, the trip was a rousing success and indeed a pleasure.

The race of the week this week is the Grade 1 $1,000,000 Woodbine Mile to be held on Sunday at Woodbine in Ontario, Canada. It is considered a key prep race each year for the Breeders' Cup Mile and there are certainly some horses in the field of twelve that will be a part of the field for the Mile in November. Here is the analysis:

My top pick for the Woodbine Mile is #4 Courageous Cat, who is working a two race win streak entering this event. He has not raced, however, since July 2, when he won the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile at Hollywood Park at even money. The Bill Mott trainee has posted Beyer figures of 103 in each of those two wins. You have to be impressed that the horse went coast-to-coast in the space of a month for those scores, as the other of the two wins came in the Grade 3 Poker at Belmont Park. I will use #9 Side Glance in the second spot. He won the Group 3 Sovereign Stakes at Sailsbury in Great Britain last time out on August 11. He also ran 3rd in the Group 2 Summer Mile at Ascot on July 9. His Racing Post ratings in the last four starts have all been at 113 or better, so he certainly should be a factor in this spot. How about a nice juicy 30-1 shot to like in here with #3 Woodbourne? Woodbourne ran 3rd behind Court Vision (who is back to defend his title) in last year's Woodbine Mile at odds of 52-1. His first win since that shocking show finish was last time out on August 20 in an Optional Claiming race at this distance. This gelding is most definitely a horse for the course with seven wins in twenty starts over the Woodbine greenery. Finally, I will put #5 Right One in the fourth spot off the win in the Grade 3 Jaipur at Belmont on July 16. Trainer Christophe Clement has a well-deserved reputation as a turf ace and he has had this gelding on a roll since coming to North America. He has three wins and a third in four starts since arriving here in April. Here is the play for the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile:

$10 WIN #4
$1 TRI 4-9 with 3-4-5-9 with 3-4-5-6-8-9-12
TOTAL- $40

Remember, They Are Off accepts no responsibility for any wagers placed in conjunction with these selections. They are merely suggestions. Tune in again next week for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

The Grade 2 $500,000 Super Derby

2011-09-08T09:27:00.000-07:00

I will be in attendance for the third straight year at the Super Derby at Louisiana Downs this Saturday, which is why the blogposts have been sparse this week (and will be next week by the way). I will be enjoying time with some friends in my old haunts in Houston upon my return from Shreveport, so this will (hopefully) be the last prolonged absence from blogging for They Are Off. Back to business, though, and the business at hand is the Grade 2 $500,000 Super Derby. Here is the analysis:

#1 Meistersinger will be my top pick in the Super Derby for trainer Graham Motion and owner Team Valor. If you recognize those connections, you should, they DID win another Derby earlier this year with a different horse. Joze Lezcano will be coming in for the ride here and the colt did post a strong workout at Fair Hill on September 3. The last two Beyers certainly should be able to prevail in this spot Saturday. #5 Prayer For Relief is a Bob Baffert trainee that has won two consecutive Derbies entering this try (West Virginia and Iowa). Rafael Bejarano was up for both Derby wins and gets the call again here. Those two wins are also the only two conventional dirt starts for this runner. #6 Alternation might have the most class of anyone in the Super Derby field if you strictly consider the PPs. He ran fourth in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy behind Horse Of The Year candidate, Stay Thirsty. He also won the Grade 2 Peter Pan this spring at Belmont Park. Alternation's main issue here might be the absence of a tremendous pace up front, since he likes to come from way behind. The price pick in the Super Derby might just be #7 Trubs, who won the Prelude at Louisiana Downs on August 6. Al Stall has done well in the Super Derby recently with Blame and Apart making their mark the last two years. Shane Sellers was up for the Prelude win and will ride again Saturday. Here is the play for the Grade 2 $500,000 Super Derby:

$20 WPS #1
TOTAL- $60

Remember, They Are Off does not accept any responsibility for any wagers placed in conjunction with these selections. They are merely suggestions. Tune in again at some point next week for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

The Grade 1 $250,000 Forego

2011-09-02T16:10:00.001-07:00

Forego was one of the great handicap horses of the 1970s. He won the race that is the Saturday feature at Saratoga (The Woodward) four consecutive years (1974, 1975, 1976, and 1977). It seemed that he could carry any weight at all and run a winning race on a consistent basis. Many people, however, forget that Forego was part of the field in the 1973 Kentucky Derby that was won by Secretariat in the record time of 1:59.2 and also featured Sham's two-minute breaking performance. Forego ran fourth that day at Churchill Downs. So, in honor of the great Forego, we take a crack at handicapping the race named in his honor Saturday at Saratoga. Here is the analysis:

#7 Aikenite is the top pick in here. He was a winner at the distance of seven furlongs in the Grade 2 Churchill Downs on Derby Day in May. He is making the second start off the most recent layoff and picks up the red-hot Javier Castellano in the saddle for trainer Todd Pletcher. Aikenite also has the all-important victory over the Saratoga surface and is 3 for 5 at this elongated sprinting distance. #1 Jackson Bend is the second choice in the Forego. You might remember Jackson Bend as one of the many horses that have been cursed over the years as my top pick in a Kentucky Derby. He scored an impressive win on Opening Weekend at The Spa in the James Marvin at seven furlongs and posted an eye-popping Beyer of 108 in the victory. Corey Nakatani rode that day and gets the call again. The longshot I fancy in here is #3 Golddigger's Boy, who has rolled off a nice winning streak of five in a row in Pennsylvania. Stewart Elliott has been the jockey for all five of those aforementioned wins. This colt has been off, however, since June 25. His recent workouts have been brilliant with three straight bullets in the month of August. #5 Hamazing Destiny will round out the top four here, although he is winless in four lifetime tries at Saratoga. His most recent race at seven furlongs came two back on July 22 at Saratoga in that James Marvin won by Jackson Bend, where he finished second. Robby Albarado is in the irons for this effort. Here is the play for the Grade 1 Forego:

$5 WP #7
$1 EX BOX 1-3-5-7
$1 TRI 1-3-7 with 1-3-7 with 1-2-3-5-7-8-9
TOTAL- $52

Remember, They Are Off accepts no responsibility for any wagers placed in conjunction with these selections. They are merely suggestions. Tune in again next week for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

A Month To Go

2011-09-01T13:11:00.001-07:00

I don't know about you, but as far as I am concerned, September had better go quickly now that it has arrived. I say this only because it just means we are exactly one month to the day from the start of my third season as the announcer at Turf Paradise in Phoenix. I have made a couple of trips out to the track to get primed for the start of the season and see what is in store for us during the 157-day season that will run from October 1 to May 6, the traditional Day After Derby finishing date.

I can tell you that Turf is planning to introduce a PK5 Play Of The Day this season where I try (normally in vain) to hit the 50-cent minimum wager. Of course, the idea behind this is to be somewhat economical in trying to hit the play, so you won't be seeing any $500 plays even on days where the track has a good-sized carryover. Usually, I will try to limit the play to something that won't be bankrupting anyone who dares follow my lead. Also, for those of you who remember the nightly PK4 Play Of The Day from my days in Houston, I can promise you there will not be any ridiculous celebratory images popping up on the video screens on those occasions I do hit the Play Of The Day.

Anyway, the big news of the off-season this year at Turf Paradise is the introduction of purse increases for the 38 Stakes races the track will be running during the 2011-2012 meeting. The marquee event of the season the Phoenix Gold Cup is going to be worth $75,000 this season, as is the Cotton Fitzsimmons Mile and the Turf Paradise Derby. The reason for these increases to the purses is the fact that Yavapai Downs didn't race this summer, so Turf Paradise was able to receive added revenue from OTB wagering in the state since Turf Paradise is currently operating that system.

It promises to be an exciting 56th season of racing at Turf Paradise in Phoenix. Hopefully, if you are in the neighborhood this winter, you can come by and visit the track and I look forward to seeing you out there. Tune in again tomorrow for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Acclamation

2011-08-30T15:50:00.000-07:00

The Pacific Classic on Sunday was a tremendous horse race featuring a stirring stretch duel between Acclamation, the winner, and Twirling Candy, the runner-up. Acclamation gutted out the stretch under constant pressure from Twirling Candy and won by a head. The ride was an outstanding performance by horse and rider, Pat Valenzuela, who allowed Acclamation to set a somewhat tedious pace that allowed him to have enough in reserve when confronted by the late challenger.

As a result of this, Acclamation earned a "Win And You're In" berth into the Breeders' Cup Classic to be held at Churchill Downs on November 5. However, I wouldn't think you are going to see Acclamation run in the Breeders' Cup Classic after all. First of all, he is not nominated to the Breeders' Cup to begin with, which means he has to be supplemented into the race, which brings the ridiculous notion of the "Win And You're In" meaning "Win And You're Eligible To Be In If You Pay Up". I am sorry, but "Win And You're In" should mean just that. If you win one of these races where an automatic spot is awarded to the winner, and you are not nominated to the Breeders' Cup, you should still get in, period. Whether or not the horse is nominated to the Cup shouldn't matter if it is "Win And You're In". There shouldn't be any caveats to this concept, it should be cut and dry, black and white, no questions asked. If you Win, you should get In!!

Secondly, the connections of Acclamation, usually a turf horse, seem to want to go in one of the grass races at Churchill Downs as opposed to the Classic, which will be run over the main dirt surface. Keep in mind that the main track at Del Mar is Polytrack, which could potentially figure well for a horse that likes a turf surface, as we saw with Acclamation. He went to the lead, was expertly guided along by Valenzuela, and won the big prize. He also did it in a Polytrack track record time for 1 1/4 miles at Del Mar of 2:00.61. Here is where you have to side with the Breeders' Cup for a moment, because the race was a "Win And You're In" for the Classic, not the Turf, so if they want to run in the Turf, then they should have to pay the supplemental fee to get into that race, since they are not an automatic qualifier into it... yet.

So, in the final analysis, I would find it highly doubtful that you will see Acclamation run in the Breeders' Cup come November 5, even though he apparently earned his spot to race. You can't really blame anyone for this circumstance since it appears that no one wants him there that matters. I just would love to see "Win And You're In" actually mean something, since right now, in some cases, it doesn't.

Tune in again tomorrow for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

The Grade 1 $1,000,000 Travers Stakes

2011-08-26T19:04:00.000-07:00

The 142nd running of the Travers Stakes, the "Summertime Derby", takes place on Saturday and drew a field of ten that includes two of the three Triple Crown race winners from the spring, as well as the Haskell winner from earlier this summer and the Jim Dandy winner from the beginning of the Saratoga season. It is a very high-quality field that promises to give us a Travers Stakes to remember. Here is the analysis:

#10 Shackleford will be my top pick, as I anticipate him going to the front directly out of the gate and staying there until the end. There doesn't appear to be much speed that will go with him, which should allow Jesus Castanon to dictate the pace as he likes and conserve some of Shackleford's energy for the late stages when the closers make their moves. Shackleford displayed plenty of heart throughout the early part of the year when he made it nearly impossible to get past him if he was right. The horse that vanquished the Preakness winner in the Haskell Invitational, #7 Coil, is my second choice in the Travers. Check out that workout on August 23, a half-mile in 46 seconds flat. That is some moving, if you ask me. Martin Garcia and Coil have been a match made in Heaven for trainer Bob Baffert. The results speak for themselves, two graded stakes win and a graded stakes place since Garcia took over the ride. The Sire is the great Point Given, who should've won the Triple Crown ten years ago. The longshot to like in the Travers is #5 Malibu Glow. He is 20-1 on the morning line and seems live on Saturday after the Allowance win over the Saratoga surface on July 30. He is one of just two horses in this race with a win over the track (Stay Thirsty being the other). His recent speed figures are comparable with most of the contenders in here, so the value at 20-1 is hard to ignore. #9 Stay Thirsty will round out my top four in this race, although I am hard-pressed to understand why he is the 5-2 favorite over some of this stout competition. He has not been worse than second in three tries at the track and gets Javier Castellano aboard. Castellano just might be the best rider in the business right now. If he does come through and win this, it might just complete a Repole-Pletcher double, as stablemate Uncle Mo will be going postward in the King's Bishop in the preceding race. Here is the play for the 142nd Travers Stakes:

$20 WIN #10
$5 EX BOX #7+ #10
$1 TRI 7-10 with 7-10 with ALL
TOTAL- $46

Remember, They Are Off accepts no responsibility for any wagers placed in conjunction with these selections. They are merely suggestions. Tune in again next week for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

No Summer Doldrums

2011-08-25T10:09:00.001-07:00

It is usually this time of the year when things start to grind to halt as far as the progression of that particular year goes. August doesn't have any holidays to look forward to, the oppressive heat of the summer reaches its zenith, school has started in many parts of the country and there just seems to be a general malaise when it we reach the end of August on the calendar. This is not the case when it comes to major Thoroughbred racing events, however. The last weekend in August 2011 will be a humdinger with the King's Bishop and Travers at Saratoga and the Pacific Classic at Del Mar.

The King's Bishop is noteworthy this year for one big reason. It marks the return to racing of 2010 Juvenile Champion, Uncle Mo. Mo has been away from the races since suffering the first defeat of his career in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct. It was hoped that would be the final prep for his Triple Crown campaign, but Mo was scratched after drawing post position #18 for the Kentucky Derby and has been away from the races since with a liver problem. Uncle Mo is in post position #7 for this return to the races and will have to overcome the speedy Flashpoint, who will be breaking from the rail, which could be a big advantage given his natural speed and ability to run at this distance, especially once he gets to the front. It promises to be an interesting prelude to the big show, as Ed Sullivan used to say.

The Grade 1 $1,000,000 Travers Stakes will feature a field of ten three-year-olds in the "Summertime Derby". That group will include two Triple Crown race winners this year, Preakness champ Shackleford and Belmont winner Ruler On Ice. Not that we want to leave out this year's Haskell winner, Bob Baffert's Coil, or the winner of the Jim Dandy, Saratoga's Travers prep race, Stay Thirsty. In fact, Stay Thirsty has been installed as the 5-2 favorite for the Travers over the luminaries he will be facing on Saturday. Coil is second choice at 3-1, Shackleford is at a quite generous 9-2, and Ruler On Ice is 6-1 on the morning line.

Meanwhile, the best of the best in the West will be going to the gate at Del Mar on Sunday in the Grade 1 $1,000,000 Pacific Classic. Twirling Candy, who won the Californian, but might be at his distance limit here at 1 1/4 miles is the slight 5-2 favorite in the morning line over the 3-1 Game On Dude, winner of the Santa Anita Handicap earlier this year. Perennial West Coast big names like Tres Borrachos, Setsuko, Acclamation, and Jeranimo also dot the field of eleven in the Del Mar meeting's signature event.

They Are Off will be taking a better look at the Grade 1 Travers Stakes tomorrow. Tune in again then for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

The Grade 1 $1,000,000 Arlington Million

2011-08-12T18:00:00.001-07:00

Saturday is the 29th renewal of the Arlington Million. There are two hot favorites going to the post in the field of ten. The 2010 runner-up Gio Ponti is 2-1, but the favorite is 9-5 Cape Blanco, who turned away Gio Ponti and four others in the Grade 1 Man O'War at Belmont Park on July 9. If the weather forecast for Friday night into Saturday holds, however, the turf course could be soggy. That does not benefit Cape Blanco in the least, as his last two Group 1 races with soft going were out-of-the-money results. Here is the analysis:

I am going to make #9 Wigmore Hall the top choice in the Million on Saturday. He ran second over the Arlington strip last year to Paddy O'Prado in the Grade 1 Secretariat. He should like damp footing slightly better than Cape Blanco, which could work to his benefit. There are two Breeders' Cup Turf winners in the immediate lineage, as the Sire is High Chaparral and Theatrical is the Sire of the Dam (Love And Laughter). This gelding is 8-1 on the morning line. I will put #5 Gio Ponti second. While I think his best days are clearly behind him, the potential for off-going could help him out here. The troubling thing about Gio Ponti is that lately he has found a way to not get the job done. His two latest wins were in the Grade 1 Shadwell Turf Mile last October at Keeneland and the 2010 Man O'War were he barely beat the 2011 winner, Mission Approved. Christophe Clement is a genius when it comes to turf racing, though. If he gets an easy lead in here, which is entirely possible, #8 Mission Approved could go all the way in front, as he did on Belmont day on a wet turf track in the Grade 1 Manhattan. He tried to go all the way up top to repeat in the Man O'War this year, but fell short of pulling that off. His performance, I feel, will depend entirely upon whether or not he has anyone battling him for the early lead. #1 Rahystrada is very experienced over the Arlington turf with two wins in three tries on the Chicago grass. He scored a nifty win in the ungraded Colonial Turf Cup at Colonial Downs on June 18, but has not been back to the track since that effort. The local longshot in this field is Rahystrada at 12-1. Here is the play for the Grade 1 Arlington Million:

$5 WP #9
$1 EX 5-9 with ALL
TOTAL- $28

Remember, They Are Off accepts no responsibility for any wagers placed in conjunction with these selections. They are merely suggestions. They Are Off will be offline until August 24. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

The Miracle Million

2011-08-11T16:08:00.000-07:00

Teleprompter won the 1985 Arlington Million in front-running fashion in a time of 2:03 2/5 under the ride of Tony Ives. This seems like such a simple sentence on the face of it. OK, great, horse goes out and gets the lead, turns back the challengers, and wins a million-dollar horse race. Of course, there is so much more to the story than just the winner of the 1985 Arlington Million.

The 1985 Arlington Million was run less than a month after the grandstand at Arlington Park just about burned to the ground as the result of a devastating fire that thankfully didn't cause any injuries or fatalities. How could the racetrack possibly run the race after such a disaster? They had fortitude and determination on their side and the belief that they could get the job done to put on the race and the NBC television broadcast that went along with it.

The Arlington Million had been run just four times before 1985 and had already taken its place on the racing calendar as an important event for turf runners from around the world. Teleprompter, the 1985 winner, was from Great Britain. John Henry won an epic Inaugural Arlington Million by overcoming the gritty and gutty performance of The Bart, a performance that is immortalized with a statue at the current Arlington Park. After that first Million, the race sustained the momentum with a win by Perrault in 1982 for trainer Charlie Whittingham with a time (1:58 4/5) that survived as track record until Awad broke it in 1995. Three-year-old Tolomeo won the third Arlington Million in 1983 and he remains the only three-year-old ever to win the race. John Henry claimed a second Million the following year at nine years old. He was acclaimed as a "living legend" at the end of that win by Arlington track announcer Phil Georgeff and is still the only horse to have won the Arlington Million twice.

So, as you can see, the Arlington Million was a race that was going to be run if at all possible. There was essentially 24 hours a day of reconstruction at the track in the small slice of time they had to put together a modest grandstand of tents and towers. There is an excellent documentary that has aired on "Inside Information" to show just how impossible it was to do this, but get done it did. What also must be remembered is that not only was there reconstruction of the new, temporary facility, but also the removal of the massive debris of the old, burnt-out grandstand. It was a tremendous undertaking, but it was accomplished by those fine folks at Arlington Park, and in the end, they had a tremendous day of racing that culminated with Teleprompter's victory under Tony Ives. The race has been run continuously at Arlington Park since, with the sole exception of moving the race to Woodbine in 1988 during construction of the current, resplendent Arlington Park facility, which re-opened in 1989.

Tune in tomorrow for a preview of the 29th Arlington Million from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Those Were The Days

2011-08-09T16:05:00.000-07:00

I am talking about those good old days like 2005 when the Breeders' Cup could go to a track like Belmont Park and produce a banner day of Thoroughbred racing. Not since 2005 has the Cup made its way to New York (no, Monmouth in 2007 does not count, that is New Jersey, not New York). That means that the Cup has never been able to do their two-day festival of racing at the largest racetrack in the country. Maybe I should rephrase that, they have been able to do it, they just have elected not to.

It is expected next week that Santa Anita will be announced as the host site of the year-end Championship event for the third time in the last five years. I understand that Santa Anita is a beautiful venue and now that they have reinstalled a dirt racing surface, as opposed to the synthetic they had there the last two times the Cup was in California, it does make sense for the Cup to make its return to Santa Anita. However, why couldn't it be done in 2013? Is it right that the Breeders' Cup be run three times at Santa Anita (and twice at Churchill Downs, for that matter) since the last time Belmont hosted the event? Of course it isn't right. Isn't New York the media mecca of this country? Isn't New York the city that most of the world thinks of when they think of the U.S.A? Is New York now inconsequential when it comes to Thoroughbred racing?

The shame of this apparent dismissal of Belmont Park when it comes to a Breeders' Cup rotation is that when you think about it, maybe the most inspirational moment in Breeders' Cup history occurred at Belmont Park. The Breeders' Cup was the first major event held in New York City in the wake of the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. The 2001 Breeders' Cup provided many incredible moments with Bobby Frankel's first Breeders' Cup win in the Sprint with Squirtle Squirt, the European dominance on the day with Fantastic Light winning the Turf, Johannesburg winning the Juvenile, Tempera in the Juvenile Fillies, and Banks Hill in the Filly & Mare Turf. Finally, the European contingent was held at bay in an unforgettable Classic with Tiznow digging in and holding on to win over Sakhee with Tom Durkin's electric call of, "Tiznow wins it for America!". If that doesn't give you goosebumps, I don't know what will.

I know that Belmont Park will get its turn again to host the preeminent event in Thoroughbred racing on this continent. It has to host a Breeders' Cup again. Maybe it will be 2013 and then again, maybe it won't. Whenever it does occur, the longer the wait for the Breeders' Cup to return to New York, the sadder it is for the state of the sport.

Tune in again tomorrow for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

The Grade 1 $750,000 Whitney Handicap

2011-08-05T17:29:00.000-07:00

There is top-notch Grade 1 action on both sides of the nation this Saturday. On the left coast, Del Mar features the Grade 1 Clement Hirsch for the distaff side. Meanwhile, on the Atlantic side of things, Saratoga will be presenting the Grade 1 Whitney Handicap featuring a tough field of eleven older males going 1 1/8 miles. Here is the analysis of the Whitney:

#2 Friend Or Foe will be the top pick with morning line odds of 8-1. Jose Lezcano gets the riding assignment for trainer John Kimmel. It will be Lezcano's first time aboard this colt. Friend Or Foe is an all or nothing type of horse. In eight lifetime starts, he has five wins and no other top three results. He won the Easy Goer last time out at Belmont on June 5, but needs to improve his previous efforts at The Spa. Last summer, he finished 4th in the Jim Dandy and 6th in the Travers. I will use his neighbor to the inside, #1 Flat Out, for the second spot. Flat Out won the Grade 2 Suburban Handicap at Belmont Park last time out at odds of 14-1. Prior to that, he had missed the money in two other graded efforts, the Grade 3 Lone Star Park Handicap and the Grade 1 Stephen Foster Handicap. Alex Solis is the rider here. This runner's works at Monmouth have been somewhat inspiring of using him here. The winner of the Met Mile on May 30 at Belmont was #5 Tizway. He posted a jaw-dropping Beyer figure of 113 in that victory, but will need to get an extra furlong here. That was his last racing effort, so he comes in off a layoff. The last workout on July 29 at the Oklahoma Training Track at Saratoga was a bullet, five furlongs in 1:00.1. Rajiv Maragh gets the call for trainer James Bond. The longshot to like in here is #9 Rodman, who is a generous 20-1 on the morning line. He has run four times in 2011, hitting the board in all four and winning the Irish Tower at Aqueduct. He was second to Tizway at 36-1 in the Met Mile and led a good chunk of the Suburban before running third behind Flat Out. Therefore, you can tell he has some experience with this caliber of runner. Here is the play for the Grade 1 Whitney Handicap:

$5 WP #2
$1 EX BOX 1-2-5-7-9
$1 TRI 1-2 with 1-2 with 3-5-7-9-10
TOTAL- $40

Remember, They Are Off accepts no responsibility for any wagers placed in conjunction with these selections. They are merely suggestions. Tune in again next week for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Canford Cliffs

2011-08-04T15:35:00.000-07:00

A spot of bad news from overseas as Canford Cliffs has been retired from racing due to an injury sustained during his recent defeat to the outstanding Juddmonte horse, Frankel, in the Group 1 Sussex Stakes at Goodwood. Canford Cliffs finished five lengths behind the winner on July 27 and really was no match for the three-year-old winner of the 2,000 Guineas in the race. The injury has been reported to be to the pastern of the left foreleg.

Canford Cliffs, of course, is the horse that bested Goldikova in her 2011 debut in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot. So, this is a major loss for European racing this summer. Canford Cliffs was one of the older horses there that might have been on a par with that great mare Goldikova, who has won three consecutive runnings of the Breeders' Cup Mile on these shores, and Frankel, who is a perfect 8 for 8 in his brilliant career.

Thankfully, the injury is not considered life-threatening and he will be able to retire to stud duty at Coolmore Farm in Ireland. However, wouldn't it have been nice if this European version of "The Big Three" might have all made their way to the U.S. for the Breeders' Cup at Churchill Downs in November. Of course, it remains to be seen if Frankel will be heading this way, and of course, Goldikova appeared to be brought back this year specifically to try for four-in-a-row in the Breeders' Cup Mile by her connections.

As I said at the start, a spot of bad news from overseas, but hopefully those big ones still in the running over there will continue on to put on a few more fantastic racing shows before they are done. Here is the link to watch Canford Cliffs defeat Goldikova in the 2011 Queen Anne Stakes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVd3qQvghlI.

Tune in again tomorrow for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Saratoga Special

2011-08-02T17:21:00.000-07:00

I return to the blog this week fresh off of my first ever visit to Saratoga. All I can say is what an extraordinary place it is for any fan of racing. From the Oklahoma Training Track (pictured) to the gorgeous paddock (pictured) to the Horse Racing Hall Of Fame and the enthusiastic crowds that show up everyday, it is as I remarked to Tom Durkin, "what every day at the races should be."

I was at Saratoga on Wednesday and Thursday last week for live racing and the first thing that strikes you about the place is the people that are there. They come in for free early for training and breakfast, stake out their spot, and after leaving and coming back in to pay their admission, stay there the rest of the day. The clubhouse is open-air, so whatever the elements are, they are. Luckily, the two days I was at Saratoga were mild and not too uncomfortable, so I was able to walk around and scout out just about every place to watch the races either live or on television that are available.

The backside is flat out amazing. The Morning Line serves breakfast, there are plenty of places to sit and watch the horses working out. As you make your way through the barn area, the expanse is just as beautiful as the front side. The barns meander through the trees and there are jogging tracks that do the same. The Oklahoma Training Track is a full one-mile oval with a wide 7/8 mile turf track inside of it. The approaching road to the Oklahoma has small signs that mention the names of each of the eleven Triple Crown winners. There are more barns near the training track and the entire atmosphere around the place is just electric for any true horse racing fan.

Of course, I had to check out the announcer's booth and visit with Tom Durkin while I was there. I was surprised that the booth was not more substantial, but as Tom pointed out, Saratoga existed for over 70 years without one, so it was really more of an afterthought. The announcer's booth is blocked at various points either by the support posts in the clubhouse, the trees in the infield, or the grandstand itself. It is not an ideal spot to call a horse race from, but for an afterthought, it gets the job done.

Finally, the racing is second to none. The highlight of the entire experience was watching Winter Memories win the Grade 2 Lake George from an impossible position at the top of the stretch. She was checked in behind horses and appeared to lose all of her momentum at that point. Jose Lezcano then guided her outside and she started to inhale the turf course and just blazed past everyone to win by a substantial margin. It was truly a championship performance and one that will be pointed to should she win any year-end awards. I was also able to witness a five-furlong track record set by JC's Pride, who was also ridden by Jose Lezcano. JC's Pride ran the distance in 56.54 seconds.

All in all, I can say that my first experience at The Spa was a memorable one. I can also say that I certainly hope that it won't be my last time there. Tune in again tomorrow for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Summer Is Here

2011-07-19T11:15:00.000-07:00

The summer season has finally arrived. I say that, not because there is a heat wave gripping much of the nation right now, but because the two standout summer racing meets are ready to begin on Wednesday and Friday, respectively. Del Mar kicks off their 37-day season on Wednesday afternoon and will continue to race until September 7. Saratoga will be running forty days of live racing starting on Friday and continuing until September 5.

Both seasons will be offering plenty of great racing as usual. The one thing that most people start to do during these two seasons is monitor the two-year-olds. Del Mar and Saratoga often provide the horses that will be the favorites going forward to first the Breeders' Cup Juvenile and Juvenile Fillies and then, usually, it's on to the Kentucky Derby or Kentucky Oaks. There will be the inevitable flashes of brilliance from a previously untried or untested juvenile horse that will make wiseguys all over the place utter the famous sentence, "That's my Derby horse for next year!"

Of course, there will be other goings-on at both tracks. Del Mar offers a slew of Grade 1 races, including the Eddie Read Stakes and the Del Mar Oaks on the grass. Don't forget about the Grade 1 Polytrack races there like the Bing Crosby Stakes, the Clement L. Hirsch, the Pat O'Brien, Del Mar Debutante and Futurity, and of course, the Pacific Classic on August 18. Saratoga isn't lacking for high-end competition either with seventeen Grade 1 events there, most famously the "Summertime Derby" or Travers Stakes on August 27.

I will be making my first pilgrimage to Saratoga next week, which means I will be in attendance for the Grade 2 $150,000 Lake George on Wednesday and ungraded $75,000 Quick Call on Thursday. I am looking very forward to seeing the Spa for my maiden voyage. With any luck, I will come home from that trip having broken the maiden by being a winner for the trip as well. However, you know, the mere fact that I am heading that way will make a winner out of me for once, so the way I am looking at it, I am ahead for the trip already.

They Are Off will be taking off for the remainder of July and will return refreshed and ready to go in August with all that great summer racing I was just talking about still in front of us. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

The Grade 2 $600,000 Virginia Derby

2011-07-15T11:24:00.000-07:00

Before beginning the handicapping segment this week, I must first offer congratulations to Frank Mirahmadi for being named the new announcer at Oaklawn Park. Frank is an excellent race caller, a better person, and I cannot wait to hear him inject his unique brand of excitement into the racing season in Arkansas next season.

The Grade 2 Virginia Derby offers a strong, competitive field of twelve horses going 1 1/4 miles on the turf at Colonial Downs. The morning-line favorite at 5-2 is Banned, who won back-to-back graded turf races at Churchill Downs during the spring season, the Grade 2 American Turf and the Grade 3 Jefferson Cup. Here is the analysis:

The top pick in here will be #8 Crimson China from Team Valor and trained by Graham Motion, the same owner-trainer team of Kentucky Derby winner, Animal Kingdom. Julien Leparoux will ride this colt in here. He is a perfect 2 for 2 over the turf this year, winning at Gulfstream in February and an ungraded stakes race at Monmouth in May. His works are fairly strong and he offers decent value at 5-1. I will put #4 Street Game in the second spot with the riding services of Edgar Prado. This horse ran off three straight wins over the turf at Belmont leading into this go. Two of those were over yielding turf and one of those was the Grade 3 Hill Prince. Prado actually is getting back aboard this colt Saturday, having not ridden him since a second at Gulfstream in March. I will use the favorite, #7 Banned, in the third spot. Those two graded stakes wins at Churchill stand out and the Sire is Kitten's Joy, pure turf breeding for sure. It is worth noting that in winning those two races in Kentucky, he defeated a couple of the foes he faces here. Jose Lezcano is in the saddle Saturday. A longshot to like is #3 Newsdad with Kris S. present on the Sire side for more strong turf breeding. However, this 15-1 shot only has a maiden win to his credit at Gulfstream on January 28. Bill Mott is the trainer and if you can get 15-1 on a Mott horse in a big spot, it might be worth the effort. Here is the play for the Grade 2 Virginia Derby:

$5 WP #8
$1 EX BOX 3-4-7-8-10
$1 TRI 4-7-8 with 4-7-8 with 2-3-4-7-8-10
TOTAL- $54

The blog is currently MINUS $788 for the year. I think if we get to MINUS $1,000, we might have to stop keeping track. Maybe that is the best way to start a winning streak. Anyway, remember that They Are Off accepts no responsibility for any wagers placed in conjunction with these selections. They are merely suggestions. Tune in again next week for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Luke Kruytbosch

2011-07-14T11:57:00.001-07:00

July 14 has become a day of mixed emotions for me over the last few years. It was on July 14, 2008 that Luke Kruytbosch passed away in Indiana, not far from Ellis Park in Kentucky, where he worked in the summers after calling the races at Churchill Downs in the spring and fall and Turf Paradise in the winter. I have tremendous mixed emotions on this date every year because, of course, I am sad on the one hand that my friend is no longer with us, that he passed away at the tragically young age of 47, and that we don't get to hear him calling the races again in that characteristic style and voice that he had. It was a voice that served the racing industry incredibly well.

However, I also look back at the time I knew Luke with a great fondness. Believe me, I still count it as one of the best things in my life that he was not only my mentor, but my friend as well. I still have the last voice mail he ever left on my cell phone saved these three years later. At the time, I was still calling the races in Houston, and Luke was in Phoenix, chiding me that the Suns were beating the Rockets on this particular night. As has been said many times by many people since his passing, Luke was always the "life of the party" even if the party was 1,200 miles away.

When he passed away, Luke was memorialized at both Churchill Downs and Turf Paradise. His ashes were spread at Churchill Downs, where he realized his greatest ambition in racecalling, which was, like almost all of us announcers, to call the Kentucky Derby. Luke said many times his first Derby call, Charismatic's win in 1999, was his personal favorite. However, he is still remembered just as fondly, if not more so, at Turf Paradise. I was asked to speak at the memorial service for Luke there and I've never had to do anything more difficult. I am, of course, glad I was able to be a part of the service because it enabled me to see firsthand all of the people that Luke touched with his spirit, generosity, and personality. I knew that there were so many feeling the same sense of loss that I felt and I had to keep it together for my friend.

I will be entering my third season this autumn at Turf Paradise and the reminders of Luke there are many. I provide one myself with a picture I took with him in the announcer's booth at Churchill Downs before the renovations done at the track. Also, the booth is where a branch that was draped over Luke's picture at the memorial is kept. There is a bench in the clubhouse that is permanently dedicated to Luke's memory. Finally, the people at Turf Paradise are the most vivid reminders to me about Luke because it always seems that Luke is still a part of each and every one of them. I am the announcer at Turf Paradise and hope to be in that position for a long time to come. However, there will always be only one "Voice Of Turf Paradise" and he is still dearly missed.

Tune in again tomorrow for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Versus

2011-07-12T08:54:00.000-07:00

Versus is a word with many meanings right now in the world of Thoroughbred racing. For one, it is the network on which NBC now places much of its racing coverage and will be airing broadcasts from Saratoga this spring in a much-needed boost to the television presence of the sport. Versus also is a combative word, as in the viability of tracks without additional gaming versus the success of those that do have it. In this vein, I look at versus in the way it was originally intended, as a way to set up a climactic matchup, like a top heavyweight fight or a championship game in any sport. Versus is a word that sometimes gets incorporated into a rivalry like Dallas vs. Pittsburgh in the NFL in the 1970s or Ali vs. Frazier in boxing from the same time frame. Right now, the best rivalry we have in racing is shaping up to take place again this weekend at Delaware Park.

Blind Luck and Havre De Grace is the most outstanding racing rivalry in the business currently and the two ladies are fairly even in their results. Blind Luck has two wins in their five matchups, Havre De Grace has two wins in the five matchups, and one (the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic) was won by the now-retired Unrivaled Belle. However, Blind Luck finished second at Churchill Downs and Havre De Grace ran third. Also keep in mind that one of those prior races was over this racetrack, in the Delaware Oaks won by Blind Luck. It certainly isn't like the two horses aren't coming into this race on the downswing. Havre De Grace is 3 for 3 in 2011, which includes a win the Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park. Blind Luck's recent record in wins in the La Troienne at Churchill Downs and the Vanity at Hollywood Park.

By the way, another name not to be ignored in the mix is Life At Ten, who has still yet to recover from the whole Breeders' Cup fiasco last fall, when she should have been scratched after not warming up properly and having her rider disclose that information to the national television audience, leaving the only one's apparently unaware of the horse's condition the track veterinarian and the track stewards. Her trainer, Todd Pletcher, thinks Life At Ten might be a go for this race this weekend.

If you think about it, though, as far as the rivalry goes, it is the best of the available bunch right now. Animal Kingdom vs. Shackleford was shot down after Animal Kingdom was injured in the Belmont Stakes and shelved for the rest of the year. Who else do we have, Bob Baffert's Dudes, First Dude vs. Game On Dude after the 1-2 in the Hollywood Gold Cup? How about Gio Ponti vs. anyone they can throw at him on the turf at this point? Face it, the rivalry game in racing isn't much right now. Do we have to harken back to the glory days with Affirmed vs. Alydar and Sunday Silence vs. Easy Goer? It might not be that desperate yet, but if Blind Luck vs. Havre De Grace doesn't keep the momentum rolling, it could still get there.

Tune in again tomorrow for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

The Grade 1 $500,000 Hollywood Gold Cup

2011-07-08T11:06:00.001-07:00

As detailed on the blog yesterday, the Hollywood Gold Cup is a race that has built up a storied history and legacy over its 71 prior runnings. The 72nd edition will be run on Saturday at Hollywood Park with a purse of $500,000 being offered to its eight participants, which includes the defending champion, Awesome Gem. Here is the analysis:

My top pick in the Hollywood Gold Cup is likely the same as everyone else's, #1 Twirling Candy. Joel Rosario has the riding assignment for trainer John Sadler. This colt has started three times in 2011, winning twice. The only loss came in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap after what could only be classified as a roughly-run stretch drive. He won the Grade 2 Strub and the Grade 2 Californian in his other two performances. He is three for four over the cushion track at Hollywood Park. He worked seven furlongs on July 2, covering the distance in a blazing 1:25. For second, I will go with a California-bred, #6 Soul Candy, who has not won since the California Cup Classic in October 2010. He has run five times since then with two thirds and three fourths on the resume'. However, he ran fourth in that Grade 2 Californian won by the top pick and makes the second start off the most recent layoff, an angle I like. Garrett Gomez will be at the controls here. Chantal Sutherland rode #4 Game On Dude to an upset win in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap on March 5 and this will be the first time they are paired up since that win for the Bob Baffert trainee. Game On Dude finished behind Awesome Gem in the Grade 3 Lone Star Park Handicap, but ran an excellent race under difficult conditions in the Grade 3 Charles Town Classic the time before that. This gelding has been working well lately, it should be noted. I will put the defending champion here, #5 Awesome Gem, in the fourth spot. His lone victory since winning here last year came in that Lone Star Park Handicap. He ran a decent second in the Grade 3 Cornhusker Handicap at Prairie Meadows last time out. David Flores was up for the win in this race last year and returns to the saddle again on Saturday. Here is the play for the Grade 1 $500,000 Hollywood Gold Cup:

$2 EX 1 with ALL
$1 TRI 1 with 3-4-5-6 with ALL
TOTAL- $38

Currently, the blog is MINUS $750 for the year. Yes, we made a $2 profit last week, which triggered mass celebrations. Remember, They Are Off accepts no responsibility for any wagers placed in conjunction with these selections. They are merely suggestions. Tune in again next week for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Hooray For Hollywood!

2011-07-07T13:17:00.000-07:00

This Saturday is the 72nd renewal of one of the top handicap races on the West Coast, the Grade 1 $500,000 Hollywood Gold Cup. If you look back at some of the names of the winners of this race, you will get a veritable who's who of racing royalty. Names like Seabiscuit, Citation, Swaps, Ack Ack, Affirmed, Ferdinand, Cigar, and Skip Away have all been to the Winner's Circle following the Hollywood Gold Cup.

However, oddly enough, there are only two horses that have ever won consecutive runnings of the Hollywood Gold Cup and they both won three in a row. Native Diver turned the trick from 1965-1967 and Lava Man also scored a three-peat from 2005-2007. Native Diver was elected to the Hall Of Fame in 1978 and while it is unlikely Lava Man will join him there, Lava Man certainly was no slouch when it came to racing, winning 17 of 47 starts and over $5,000,000 in purse money. That's not bad for a horse that was up for a claiming tag early in his fine career. Interestingly enough, both Native Diver and Lava Man were California-breds.

There is a Kentucky-bred that has the opportunity to join that short list as a repeat winner of the Hollywood Gold Cup on Saturday. Awesome Gem was relatively ignored by the bettors last year at odds of 8-1 and ended up springing a nice upset over 2009 Hollywood Gold Cup winner, Rail Trip, and Richard's Kid, who was a back-to-back winner of the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar in 2009 and 2010. Awesome Gem has won only once since that victory in the Hollywood Gold Cup last July. He took the prize in the Grade 3 Lone Star Park Handicap two starts back on May 30. He then followed that up with a runner-up result in the Grade 3 Cornhusker Handicap at Prairie Meadows in Iowa. Is this stone closer starting to round into form to make it possible for him to become just the third back-to-back Hollywood Gold Cup winner? The Gold Cup will be the feature race on the blog for the weekend selections on Friday.

Here is the link to watch Awesome Gem's victory in the 2010 Hollywood Gold Cup: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzkZc7o8pOI. Tune in again tomorrow for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE.

News Flash(point)

2011-07-05T08:44:00.000-07:00

It is my opinion that Flashpoint has the capacity to be one of the leading (if not the leading) sprinters in 2011. He proved that point again this weekend with a seven-length victory in the Grade 3 $143,000 Jersey Shore Stakes at Monmouth Park. Flashpoint has now run five times in his brief career, sprinting thrice and going a route twice. The three sprints were wins and the two route races were utter failures. Flashpoint broke his maiden at six furlongs over the inner track at Aqueduct on January 15. He followed that up with a crushing win in the Grade 2 Hutcheson at seven furlongs, defeating some very good sprinters including Travelin Man.

It is at this point that the connections appeared to get a little bit greedy, thinking the horse might be fast enough to carry that speed longer distances than six or seven furlongs. He was entered in the Grade 1 Florida Derby, drew the outside post in the field of eight, couldn't get to the front like he was supposed to, and ended up running a decent fourth with everything considered. I can actually forgive the connections one attempt to at least see what the horse can do at a longer distance. There is nothing wrong with trying something once and failing at it, after all, most everyone does that every day. It is the next race that actually raised my hackles a little bit with Flashpoint. He was entered in the Preakness at Pimlico, going 1 3/16 miles. To be frank, I don't know what in the horse's performances had indicated that he could go that far, especially if he were to be pressed. Of course, he was pressed right into last place in the field of fourteen by the eventual winner, Shackleford. Was this merely a case of Triple Crown Fever gone awry? It very well might have been, especially since the Derby wasn't in the plans based on Graded Stakes Earnings at that point.

I am now happy to see that Flashpoint is back in the races he should have been running in all along. The time for the six furlongs of the Jersey Shore was a solid 1:08.73, especially given that the condition of the track was muddy. I am looking very forward to seeing Flashpoint challenge the likes of Smiling Tiger, Noble's Promise, Aikenite, Morning Line, Trappe Shot, Amazombie, Big Drama (when he returns) and the other older sprinters he will likely have to deal with for the rest of the year, leading up to the Breeders' Cup Sprint or Dirt Mile (which is a one-turn race at Churchill Downs). As a matter of fact, I think it would be ideal to see trainer Wesley Ward get this guy ready for the Grade 1 King's Bishop at seven furlongs for three-year-olds at Saratoga. That race won't be run until August 27, but it should be a great continuation of what promises to be an excellent sprinting season that has seen only a couple of blips on the radar screen.

Tune in again tomorrow for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

The Grade 1 $750,000 United Nations

2011-07-01T13:11:00.000-07:00

One of the premier turf events of the summer highlights the holiday weekend at Monmouth Park in New Jersey. The Grade 1 $750,000 United Nations is run at 1 3/8 miles on the turf, certainly an odd distance, but one that makes this race a good barometer of who you might be able to look for in future long-distance turf races later on the calendar, like the Grade 1 Man O'War and the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf. Here is the analysis:

I made a yeoman's effort to try and find someone in this race that could beat #9 Chinchon and just couldn't do it. He is the defending champion in this race and while he has not won again since that race, he looks awfully tough in here. The one thing that really worried me about him is the travel schedule he has followed since winning here last year. From Monmouth, he went to France, Canada, Dubai, and Singapore. Garrett Gomez has the ride on Chinchon, just as he did in 2010. Another overseas horse lights my fancy in here with #7 Stacelita. She is a French-bred filly that has faced the boys in the last two, so it is certainly nothing new to her here. She ran third in a Group 3 race at Longchamp last time out on June 13. This will not be her first foray out of Europe, though. She went to Hong Kong to race at Sha Tin in December in the Group 1 Hong Kong Cup, finishing eighth. I will put #5 Sleepless Knight in the third spot. He ran second behind Teaks North (also in this field) in the Grade 3 Monmouth on June 12. The Sire is 2000 Breeders' Cup Mile winner, War Chant. That Grade 3 last time out is the first time this horse was let off at more than 4-1 since his career debut at Gulfstream in February 2009. He is 6-1 on the morning line for this try. Trainer Kelly Breen has been doing very well of late. For fourth, I am going with the winner of the Grade 3 Breeders' Cup Marathon last fall, #4 Eldaafer. He was a winner two back at 1 mile and 40 yards at Atlantic City during their brief season. He followed that up by running fourth of five in the Grade 2 Brooklyn Handicap the day before the Belmont Stakes in New York. This horse is bred to run all day with three Belmont Stakes winners present in the last two generations. Paco Lopez has the ride. Here is the play for the Grade 1 $750,000 United Nations:

$20 WPS #9
$2 EX 9 with 2-4-5-7
TOTAL- $68

The blog is now MINUS $752 for the year. Like I said last week, at least we are coming close, but of course, THEY DON'T PAY YOU FOR CLOSE, DO THEY?!?!?!? Remember, They Are Off accepts no responsibility for any wagers made in conjunction with these selections. They are merely suggestions. Tune in again next week for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Over And Out

2011-06-30T13:54:00.000-07:00

2011 Kentucky Derby winner, Animal Kingdom, had his season cut prematurely short after having surgery performed on a fracture in his left hock. Animal Kingdom will not race again in 2011, although Barry Irwin of Team Valor is optimistic that the Derby winner will be able to return for the 2012 Dubai World Cup at Meydan. In a press release, Irwin also said that it is likely that Animal Kingdom suffered the injury as a result of the troubled trip he suffered while running sixth in the Belmont Stakes on June 11.

Unfortunately, this costs the sport of Thoroughbred racing some of the high profile storylines that go with any winner of the Kentucky Derby in the months following the triumph. There will no be no talk of whether he runs in the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth or the Travers Stakes at Saratoga. There will be no anticipation of rematches with Preakness winner, Shackleford, or Belmont winner, Ruler On Ice. There will be no tracking of his progress en route to the Breeders' Cup World Championships at Churchill Downs this November. All we have right now are the memories and images of a gallant champion who won the biggest race of them all and gave his all over the next two races trying to make our Triple Crown dreams come true.

I certainly hope there will be no pinning of any blame to Rajiv Maragh for what happened to Animal Kingdom. Maragh, you may remember, was aboard Isn't He Perfect in the Belmont Stakes. Isn't He Perfect was held at fault by the stewards at Belmont Park for impeding Mucho Macho Man and the subsequent squeezing of Animal Kingdom shortly after the start of the race. Maragh was given a seven-day suspension for his ride of Isn't He Perfect and I think that is fair enough. There is no concrete evidence to suggest at what point Animal Kingdom was injured during the Belmont Stakes. There is no definite point at which you can say (watching the replay), "Yes, right there is where he got hurt." So, it might have happened right after the incident at the start. It might also have happened at some point on the racetrack while Animal Kingdom was displaying his characteristic heart and trying to get back into a race he had no chance to win. Maragh was given and served his suspension and that has to be the end of it for all racing fans, as far as that goes.

For now, all we can do is hope that we will be able to see Animal Kingdom come back in 2012 and live up to the expectations we all had for him following his Derby triumph. It may start over the Tapeta surface at Meydan in the 2012 Dubai World Cup or maybe he gets a prep race in before he heads overseas. Wherever it may begin and wherever it may end, I am looking very forward to seeing the career of Animal Kingdom continue in 2012 and very much would like to be there for the ride.

Tune in again tomorrow for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Glorious!

2011-06-27T16:37:00.000-07:00

She certainly was that, wasn't she? Inglorious captured the 152nd running of the Queen's Plate on Sunday afternoon at Woodbine on an overcast day where she shined through the cloud cover to fashion a memorable and conclusive victory. Inglorious rallied from off a speedy pace to register a 2 1/2 length victory over the sixteen colts and geldings she faced and is now the 34th filly to win Canada's top race for three-year-olds.

It completed a tremendous Double for the filly as she had already prevailed in the Woodbine Oaks, making her the fifth filly ever to win both races and the first since 2001. Inglorious rated just behind mid-pack in the early stages while Oh Canada, Curgone, and Okiyama set suicidal fractions in the front of the field. They went 23 4/5 for the quarter and 47 3/5 for the half ensuring that none of them would be around at the finish. Luis Contreras, riding in his first Queen's Plate ever, sent the filly forward as the field of seventeen moved into the stretch and once she got going, she was not going to be stopped. There must be kudos given to the 61-1 longshot, Hippolytus, that ran much closer to the pace than the winner and still staved off everyone else to hold on for second. His race was very reminiscent of the race Closing Argument put forth at 71-1 in the 2005 Kentucky Derby to me. A good effort, just not good enough on the day. The heavy favorite, Check Your Soul, made a substantial move on the final turn before flattening out and finishing seventh.

Inglorious' trainer, Josie Carroll, did not say whether or not the filly would proceed on the Prince Of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie, the second leg of the Canadian Triple Crown. However, it appears that Hippolytus, Pender Harbour, and Bowman's Causeway, who ran second, third, and fourth, respectively, are intent on moving forward to Fort Erie. That is according to the DRF.com website.

If you missed the 152nd running of the Queen's Plate and would like to see the glorious run of Inglorious, here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUhBVJElUt4. Tune in again tomorrow for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

The 152nd Queen's Plate

2011-06-24T13:19:00.000-07:00

The Canadian version of the Kentucky Derby takes place this weekend. While I am on the subject, a quick word of support and thanks that no one (human or equine) was hurt this week as a result of the tornado that touched down at Churchill Downs in Kentucky. The tornado caused some damage to the barn area and the cancellation of the Thursday program of racing as well. Back to the task at hand now, Woodbine hosts the 152nd running of The Queen's Plate for Canadian-bred three-year-olds with a field of seventeen. Here is the analysis:

The top selection in the Queen's Plate is #14 Queen'splatekitten, who will have the riding services of John Velazquez. I am not sure who the last rider was to win the Kentucky Derby and the Queen's Plate in the same year is, although I know that Bill Hartack turned the trick with Northern Dancer in 1964. This colt, trained by Todd Pletcher, won the Marine at Woodbine on May 21 with Eurico Da Silva aboard. He is also two-for-two at Woodbine in his brief career. He ran seventh in the Grade 1 Blue Grass at Keeneland, the only race over Polytrack that he failed to win. Last year, Big Red Mike went all the way in front to win the Plate (as tipped by the blog). If anyone is going to do that this year, it might just be #3 Oh Canada. He will have blinkers on for this try and there is such a dearth of speed in here, he just might be able to get the lead and never relinquish it. He has never missed the money in five starts, but ran third behind the top pick in that Marine on May 21. There might be some distance limitations here as well, but if he can control the pace, anything goes. I mentioned that Eurico Da Silva was aboard the top pick for that last win. Da Silva gets the call on #16 Bowman's Causeway. He might be alone among these runners as far as facing top-flight U.S. competition this year. He has already run against the likes of Dialed In, Soldat, To Honor And Serve, Mucho Macho Man, and the Preakness winner, Shackleford. He ran second in the Plate Trial on June 5 and posted a bullet workout on June 19 over the training track at Saratoga. The horse that beat Bowman's Causeway in the Plate Trial was #13 Check Your Soul, who will likely be the favorite in here. He has won three straight and the last two of those came with Patrick Husbands aboard. In a race with seventeen entering the gate, I think there has to be some value to be found, so while I include the favorite in the mix, I think you have to try and top him. Here is the play for the 152nd Queen's Plate:

$1 EX BOX 3-10-13-14-16
$1 TRI 14 with 3-9-10-12-13-16
TOTAL- $50

They Are Off accepts no responsibility for any wagers placed in conjunction with these selections. They are merely suggestions. The blog is right now MINUS $702, so we need to stop getting close and hit one of these things soon. Tune in again next week for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

The Usual Suspects

2011-06-21T10:52:00.000-07:00

It has been determined that the Breeders' Cup has three finalists for host site of the 2012 edition of the Breeders' Cup World Championships. They are Belmont Park, Churchill Downs, and Santa Anita. If those names seem familiar come Breeders' Cup time, then you are right. Churchill Downs was host last year and will host again this year. Santa Anita was the host in 2008 and 2009, while Belmont last hosted the event in 2005.

I think you can forget the days of the "sprinkling" in of other sites to host the Breeders' Cup. Arlington (2002 host) and Woodbine (1996 host) suffer the indignity of being Polytrack surfaces (an affliction that also hurts Del Mar's chances) and now that the euphoria of artificial surfaces has apparently waned, you can forget a return trip, Chicago and Toronto. It would appear that Lone Star (2004 host) and Monmouth (2007 host) were just one-time attempts to show that any track capable of hosting the Breeders' Cup will get it requisite time in the spotlight. So, tough luck, Dallas and New Jersey.

The Breeders' Cup has toyed with the idea in the recent past of having one permanent host site. While that idea is apparently off the table now, thankfully so, is this really any better? Instead of one host site, you have a small rotation of tracks that will serve as hosts in the Breeders' Cup eyes. Yes, one is in New York, one is in Los Angeles, and one is in Kentucky, so they have covered most of the major areas where media and horse racing seem to intersect, but by limiting the distribution of the Cup to these three places, you also limit the number of fans outside these areas that might get interested if they were able to attend a Breeders' Cup. Having worked in this industry for so long, many people in it feel that if you can get new people in the door at a racetrack, they will almost certainly want to come back. How many new fans will you cultivate in New York, L.A., or Louisville?

On the other side of the coin, there are some formerly reliable host sites that have taken themselves out of the running by changing the makeup of their racetracks to cater to other interests besides racing, namely Gulfstream. Also, the major benefit that Belmont, Churchill, and Santa Anita have going for them is that they are used to putting on such a big show and usually can do so without so much as a single hitch. Belmont and Churchill host Triple Crown events and Santa Anita isn't called the "Great Race Place" for nothing.

Unfortunately, I think that the Breeders' Cup finds itself in an unwinnable situation when it comes to host sites. Those tracks that can get everything done when it comes to hosting a Breeders' Cup are a very minute number. One of the goals of the Breeders' Cup is to grow the sport of Thoroughbred Racing everywhere, but it is hard to meet that goal when you aren't given the opportunity to properly spread the word in more than three places. While I would like to see more of a sample of racetracks hosting the sport's premier two days of racing, it might not really be a realistic circumstance for that to happen.

Tune in again tomorrow for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

The Grade 1 $500,000 Stephen Foster Handicap

2011-06-17T14:08:00.000-07:00

The Grade 1 $500,000 Stephen Foster Handicap will be run at Churchill Downs on Saturday afternoon. The race is named after the composer that wrote "My Old Kentucky Home", which is played for the horses as the come out on to the racetrack before the Kentucky Derby in a usually emotional moment for all concerned. The Foster drew a field of eleven for this thirtieth renewal. Here is the analysis:

My top pick in the Foster will be #3 Apart, who was the winner of the Grade 3 Schaefer on Preakness Day at Pimlico in Baltimore. While Garrett Gomez had the ride on that occasion, the jockey here will be Julien Leparoux, who is having his usual fine season in the Kentucky Bluegrass. This colt posted back-to-back Beyers of 100 in the last two starts and won the Grade 3 Ack Ack Handicap over the Churchill track in November 2010. For second, I will go with #10 Giant Oak, who will be running late as is his usual style. He came from well out of it to win the Grade 1 Donn Handicap at Gulfstream in February and has a third and a fifth in the two tries since that score. Shaun Bridgmohan was aboard for all three 2011 races. This horse's recent work tab at Churchill Downs has been fantastic. He ran fourth in this race in 2010. I will use #11 Mission Impazible in the third spot. This pick comes even after posting his worst recent race last time out on Kentucky Oaks Day in the Grade 3 Alysheba, a seventh in which he failed to offer even token resistance. He is now 0 for 3 over the Louisville surface and there is a rider change to mention with Javier Castellano taking over for trainer Todd Pletcher. Finally, if there is a reasonable longshot in this field, I feel it is #7 Equestrio, whose most noteworthy accomplishment this year was defeating Kentucky Derby favorite, Dialed In, back in March at Gulfstream in what was the favorite last prep race before his win in the Grade 1 Florida Derby. This will be only this colt's second effort with graded company, but trainer Nick Zito knows his way around Churchill Downs. Here is the play for the Grade 1 $500,000 Stephen Foster Handicap:

$10 WP #3
$1 EX BOX 3-7-10-11
$1 TRI BOX 3-7-10-11
TOTAL- $56

Currently, the blog is MINUS $646 for the year, but we are getting closer to be sure. They Are Off accepts no responsibility for any wagers placed in conjunction with these selections. They are merely suggestions. Tune in again next week for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Terry Wallace

2011-06-16T11:54:00.000-07:00

It was announced today that Terry Wallace, the longtime voice of Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas, will be retiring from the announcer's booth for the 2012 season. Wallace has been the voice at Oaklawn for 37 consecutive years and only sat out his first race at the track during this past spring season. Think about that for longevity and consistency. Wallace called 20,191 consecutive races at Oaklawn Park, ending the tremendous streak on January 28, 2011. For many racing fans at that track, his is the only announcer's voice that they have ever known.

Wallace is a certified legend in two states as far as racecalling goes. In Arkansas, the Mayor of Hot Springs declared it Terry Wallace Day when he hit 20,000 consecutive calls. He also has been honored as the official voice of Arkansas and this year was declared "Man Of The Year" by the Arkansas HBPA. In Nebraska, Wallace was the longtime voice at the AkSarBen racetrack in Omaha and still calls the races at the newer track in Omaha, Horsemen's Park, which runs an annual four-day race meeting. I had the opportunity to work with Terry for part of the 2010 season at Horsemen's Park and enjoyed it thoroughly.

I would like to wish Terry Wallace all the best in his retirement from Oaklawn and certainly hope that he will get to enjoy many more days at the races as just a fan, since I am sure he has been a fan of the races for even longer than he has been an announcer and ambassador for the sport.

Tune in again tomorrow for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Fifteen

2011-06-15T12:53:00.001-07:00

That is the new number of races for the Breeders' Cup World Championships in 2011. There will be a Juvenile Sprint added to the lineup starting this year on Friday, November 4. The race will be run at six furlongs on the main track and will be open to colts, geldings, and fillies for a $500,000 purse.

I have been a supporter of cutting the Breeders' Cup races back in number to a more manageable total almost since the inception of "Filly Friday" back in 2007. Apparently, the concept of "Filly Friday" is now more or less out the window, since in addition to the new race, they also run the Breeders' Cup Marathon on the Friday schedule as well. There will be seven races total on Friday and two of them are not simply dedicated to distaff runners.

However, with that being said, I actually think this is a good addition made by the Breeders' Cup to the Championship program. Juvenile sprinters (like turf sprinters) were a division that was originally left completely out of the Breeders' Cup for too long. This could become a more realistic spot for the youngsters that just aren't ready to go two turns or whose distance limitations don't allow them to go as far as the mile and a sixteenth required for the Juvenile and Juvenile Fillies races. After all, most of the Juvenile runners nowadays have a very limited number of races before the Breeders' Cup rolls around on the first weekend of November.

Now, are there too many races? Clearly, yes. There is no need for a Breeders' Cup Marathon at 1 3/4 miles and honestly, I can do without the Dirt Mile and the Filly And Mare Sprint is superfluous, in my opinion. If the juvenile fillies can sprint with the boys, then so can the older ones. Remember, there were more than the fair share of distaff winners of the Sprint before the creation of the Filly And Mare Sprint. However, I think the addition of this Juvenile Sprint race is a good move by the Breeders' Cup. I think it promises to be a fun race to watch.

Tune in again tomorrow for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Ruler On Mud

2011-06-13T09:06:00.000-07:00

The 143rd Belmont Stakes was run on Saturday afternoon over a sloppy track at Belmont Park. The weatherman certainly didn't cooperate, unless you were the connections of the top two finishers. In fact, the owner of Stay Thirsty, the runner-up, Mike Repole said that the conditions were perfect for his horse in a pre-race interview and he was very nearly right. They just happened to be more perfect for Ruler On Ice, who won at 24-1. Ruler On Ice had proven in the past that he could handle a sloppy racetrack and he proved it again on Saturday.

It is, however, a good thing that Ruler On Ice was sitting right behind Preakness winner, Shackleford, who set the early pace because if you watched the entire card from Belmont Park on Saturday, then you know that speed was the buzzword for Belmont Day. If you got to the front, you had an awesome chance of going all the way. Justin Phillip went to the front in the Grade 2 Woody Stephens and never looked back. Trappe Shot enjoyed just about the same trip Ruler On Ice did (sitting right behind the leader) and he won for fun in the Grade 2 True North Handicap. It even was the case on the turf as C.S. Silk went all the way in front in the Grade 1 Just A Game Stakes and Mission Approved led start to finish in the Grade 1 Manhattan Handicap.

Kentucky Derby winner, Animal Kingdom, showed just what a fine animal he actually is in this or any other kingdom. Animal Kingdom had a horrific start to the race, getting squeezed badly and almost unseating John Velazquez after Isn't He Perfect moved inward right after the start and affected Mucho Macho Man, who in turn affected Animal Kingdom. The Derby winner was really never in the race, but exuded class when he eventually did start to move up on the outside. He made all the way up to fourth in the stretch before eventually winding up sixth.

To be completely honest with you, I thought I was going to be writing a slightly different recap of the Belmont Stakes after Brilliant Speed (my top pick) started rolling off the far turn. When they entered the stretch, it looked like he was going to blow by everyone and win by a significant margin. However, right about the time I started to think about how brilliant I was for picking him, Brilliant Speed flattened out and ended up running third. Stay Thirsty ran a great race (as tipped on this blog by Martha Claussen) and narrowly missed getting Mike Repole that Triple Crown winner he seemed destined to have this year before Uncle Mo took ill.

In the aftermath, Ruler On Ice's trainer, Kelly Breen, said there is no definite plan for the immediate future, although the Haskell could be possible. Animal Kingdom might be heading the same way, or he could be pointed to the Travers or the Arlington Million or the Secretariat Stakes. Nehro, who ran fourth, will be having surgery later this week after coming out of the Belmont with an ankle chip, according to DRF.com.

Tune in again tomorrow for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

The 143rd Belmont Stakes

2011-06-10T09:47:00.001-07:00

Saturday is the culmination of the spring Triple Crown season. All the races that led up to the Derby and Preakness now come to the final chapter, the 143rd Belmont Stakes, also known as the "Test Of Champions". From this point on, there will be plenty of excellent races throughout the summer and those will, of course, be leading up to the Breeders' Cup World Championships in the fall. Right now, though, we focus on the 1 1/2 miles of the Belmont Stakes. Here is the analysis:

I honestly think that #6 Nehro is going to win the race on Saturday, but I am loathe to pick a horse that will likely be the favorite or the second choice in such a spot. Therefore, my top pick will be #5 Brilliant Speed, who comes with a much more attractive morning line of 15-1. Joel Rosario guided this colt to a win in the Bluegrass and a strong showing with a close-up 7th in the Kentucky Derby. I think the lack of dirt experience will be a moot point for this runner considering he appears to be bred to run this type of distance. I will put #6 Nehro in the place position. Again, I think he is likely the winner here, but it could present a problem that he seems to have second-itis. He has been second in three straight, including the Kentucky Derby. I like the fact, by the way, that the first two selections both skipped the Preakness after running decent races in Louisville. For third, I will put the Derby winner, #9 Animal Kingdom. He was very close to knocking off Shackleford and setting us up for a Triple Crown try tomorrow, but his win in the Derby and second in the Preakness were both top-notch efforts. Will he be able to do it a third time in a row? For fourth, I will go with a longshot in #3 Ruler On Ice at 20-1 on the morning line. He was the runner-up in the Tesio at Pimlico on May 7 and will be adding blinkers for this start on Saturday. He also has been working like a beast in the mornings, with bullets on four of the last five appearances. #12 Shackleford will round out the top five in here. He is just so darn tough, I think it takes a monumental effort to get by him. He almost showed that in the Derby and he outright proved it in the Preakness. The only question with him is the post position. Did drawing outside compromise his early speed to the point that he will not get the trip he needs to go 1 1/2 miles? Here is the play for the 143rd Belmont Stakes:

$5 WP #5
$1 EX BOX 3-5-6-9-12
$1 TRI 5-6-9 with 5-6-9 with 2-3-5-6-9-10-12
TOTAL- $57

Remember, They Are Off accepts no responsibility for any wagers placed in conjunction with these selections. They are merely suggestions. Tune in again next week for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Third Time's The Charm

2011-06-09T14:08:00.000-07:00

The former Houston Handicapping Impresarios (Martha Claussen, Dr. Reid McLellan, and myself) are back for the third installment of the Triple Crown with selections and thoughts on the 143rd Belmont Stakes. As usual, I will be offering my selections and thoughts on the race in tomorrow's post, but Martha and Reid kick off the proceedings and it's ladies first:

MARTHA CLAUSSEN'S BELMONT ANALYSIS

Too many idiots dogging the bad Belmont; frankly I am impressed that they got a nice, full field of 12 and the undercard stakes are fantastic. The Belmont Stakes is known a the "Test of a Champion," and I am just not sure that either Animal Kingdom or Shackleford have enough left in the tank to conquer a mile and one-half. Steve Asmussen held Nehro out of the Preakness and that gives him a nice fitness edge from my perspective. Corey Nakatani has been able to get a good closing kick out of this Mineshaft colt and should break through on Saturday. In the Beyer department, Animal Kingdom is tops and cannot be ignored, but favorites have been beaten in so many Belmont Stakes, it would be hard to endorse him on top. I like 20-1 Stay Thirsty, who gets a rider change to my top jock, Javier Castellano. Has sported some nice works and Todd Pletcher is no fool! I am just not a Shackleford fan, so for my fourth horse, I looked at Master of Hounds (who was one of my Derby horses) and Santiva. Saw no works on Master, which I found troubling, so by default, Santiva is in.

Martha's Belmont Selections: Nehro, Animal Kingdom, Stay Thirsty, Santiva

Martha's Suggested Belmont Plays:
$5 WPS on #2
$5 EX BOX 2-6-9

$1Pick 3 - Race 9-11
If I can beat Aviate in the Foxwoods and Gio Ponti in the Woodford Reserve, the Pick 3 could be sweet!

1-2-4-7 with 2-4-5-9 with 2-6-9

Total Belmont Plays: $78

REID McLELLAN'S BELMONT ANALYSIS
Watching the Derby replay several times I decided I liked the move that #1 Master Of Hounds made from mid-stretch to wire, weaving through traffic before making a quick move to the inside and finishing strongly. He's had five weeks to prepare and this is his third race this year. I am hoping for 12-1 or more and am playing him to WIN. #6 Nehro also had the five weeks to prepare and will probably go off as the betting favorite and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him in the Winner's Circle. #9 Animal Kingdom paired identical 103 Beyer Speed Figures in the first two legs and has impressed me as a legitimate classic three-year-old. Animal Kingdom is a grandson of Candy Stripes and a German stallion whose offspring prefer to win at distances over nine furlongs, Animal Kingdom is best bred to go twelve furlongs. #10 Mucho Macho Man has had a significant jockey change and if he had not raced in the Preakness, he would be my top pick. I just think "3M" has not had enough chance to build back the energy necessary for the "Test Of Champions". #12 Shackleford will have the lead to himself unless Isn't He Perfect or Prime Cut decide to take him on early. The grandson of Unbridled is big enough to get the job done, I just don't think he'll carry his speed the entire distance.

Reid's Belmont Selections: Master Of Hounds, Nehro, Animal Kingdom, Mucho Macho Man

Reid's Suggested Belmont Plays:
$50 WIN #1
$1 SPR 1-6 with 1-6-9 with 1-6-9-10 with 1-6-7-9-10-12
TOTAL- $74

Remember, They Are Off accepts no responsibility for any wagers placed in conjunction with these selections. They are merely suggestions. Tomorrow, it will be my turn to take a shot at the 143rd Belmont Stakes. Tune in again then for right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE

Draw!

2011-06-08T11:13:00.000-07:00

The draw for the 143rd Belmont Stakes took place on Wednesday morning and there appeared to be some interesting developments out of the pill pulling. The thing that stands out immediately is the Preakness winner, Shackleford, getting the outside post position. He is stuck out in the twelve hole. This is not the same deal as the Derby, where he drew fourteen and was able to get to the front easier through the long stretch at Churchill Downs before the field got to the first turn. No, this time the run to the sweeping first turn at Belmont Park is much shorter and if Shackleford is to get to the front, he is going to have to work much harder than he did to do it in either of the previous two races. This apparent complication to his chances is evident with the morning line of 9-2, making him the third choice.

The Kentucky Derby runner-up, Nehro, drew post position number six for Saturday's Belmont Stakes. He is second choice at 4-1. What will be most interesting about Nehro is what running style will be employed by his connections, trainer Steve Asmussen and jockey Corey Nakatani. Will he take back and make one big run, as he did in his second-place finishes in the Louisiana and Arkansas Derbies, or will he be much closer to the pace than we all expected, as happened in Louisville? He certainly looked to be the winner of the Kentucky Derby at the top of the stretch before Animal Kingdom did his thing. Keep in mind, however, that big closers usually don't fare too well in the Test Of Champions.

Speaking of Animal Kingdom, he drew post position number nine and I don't really think where he drew will matter to his connections at all. Again, the question here will be position for the Derby winner. In the Kentucky Derby, he got a dream trip every step of the way under John Velazquez and laid relatively close to a relaxed pace and was able to make his move at the right time. However, in the Preakness, Shackleford and Flashpoint went much faster early on before things settled down and Animal Kingdom was much farther back than he had been in the Derby and he came up very narrowly short. Again, remembering that deep closers are the exception rather than the norm in the Belmont, the guess here is that he will be closer to the pace as things develop.

As for the others in the twelve-horse field, I think the most interesting horse of the lot is down on the rail. Master Of Hounds ran fifth in the Derby and was among a cluster of horses at the end that included Santiva and Brilliant Speed (both present here also). Master Of Hounds ran like he would be craving the extra distance the Belmont offered and would be well-suited to the race. Did drawing the rail compromise his chances? It remains to be seen, but I think the inside might be the spot to be, especially if he is able to sit mid-pack and Garrett Gomez is able save all the ground and have him positioned well for the final four furlongs.

Tune in again tomorrow for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Working For The Weekend

2011-06-07T12:40:00.000-07:00

The Kentucky Derby winner and Preakness runner-up, Animal Kingdom, got in what was considered by most who saw it a tremendous workout on Monday morning. Officially, he worked a half-mile at Belmont Park in 47.76 seconds, going five furlongs in 1:00.45, and finishing out six furlongs in 1:14.20. It would appear that he is primed and ready to give us his best effort in the 143rd Belmont Stakes on Saturday afternoon. John Velazquez was aboard for the workout and both he and trainer Graham Motion gave the Derby winner sterling reviews.

The runner-up in the Kentucky Derby, Nehro, also worked on Monday morning for trainer Steve Asmussen. Nehro covered a half-mile in 50.85 seconds and ran out five furlongs in 1:03.97. Meanwhile, one of the new shooters, Prime Cut, worked out at Churchill Downs on Monday morning, going five furlongs in 1:01 for trainer Neil Howard. Prime Cut will be returning to Belmont on Saturday, where he ran third in the Peter Pan Stakes last month.

The Daily Racing Form also reports that the weather should be cooperating on Saturday with temperatures in the mid-70s, although there is a 50% chance of scattered thunderstorms throughout the afternoon. Of course, there will be more on the Belmont Stakes this week here on They Are Off. Tune in again tomorrow for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

The Grade 3 $100,000 Aristides Stakes

2011-06-03T13:05:00.000-07:00

Aristides is a name very familiar to anyone who has even a basic knowledge of Thoroughbred racing. He is the first horse to win the Kentucky Derby, back in 1875. Churchill Downs has hosted a Stakes race named in his honor for the last 23 years, run at six furlongs. This year's edition of the Aristides features some very fast sprinters in its field of eight. Here is the analysis:

My top choice in here will be #8 Noble's Promise, who has had some success in the past at Churchill Downs. He actually held the lead at the top of the stretch in the 2010 Kentucky Derby before finishing a credible fifth. His lone recent trip at six furlongs came at Churchill Downs in the Jimmy V Stakes, where he posted a 102 Beyer figure in winning by nearly three lengths. His workout on May 28 was sparkling, covering five furlongs in 59 seconds flat for a bullet. Alan Garcia rides for trainer Ken McPeek. The next speed demon to use is #3 Capt. Candyman Can. He ran fourth in the Grade 2 Churchill Downs on Derby Day this year, but was only a half-length of the winner in what was a blanket finish. His other two 2011 starts were victories, one at Gulfstream and one at Tampa Bay. Keep in mind he in the stretch in that Derby Day undercard race and that race was a full furlong longer than the race today. We return to a past winner we picked for the third choice with #1 Here Comes Ben. They Are Off selected him in the Grade 1 Forego at Saratoga last summer when he scored at odds of 10-1. He was never a factor in the Grade 2 Churchill Downs, finishing seventh after not contending. That race is just one of two times in seven starts in Louisville that he has not hit the board. Julien Leparoux will be in the saddle here. For fourth, I will use #5 Cash Refund, who was a winner in the slop at Churchill last time out on May 15. His past Beyers suggest that he can contend here with the right trip. The catch is that he will likely be up front on what promises to be a sizzling pace and will have to hold off the closers to get the job done, which I find difficult to fathom. Here is the play for the Grade 3 Aristides:

$5 WP #8
$1 EX BOX 1-3-5-8
$1 TRI 1-3-8 with 1-3-8 with 1-2-3-5-7-8
TOTAL- $50

Currently, the blog is MINUS $561. I have been shopping for a tourniquet to stanch the bleeding. Remember, They Are Off accepts no responsibility for any wagers placed in conjunction with these selections. They are merely suggestions. Tune in again next week for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Photo Finish

2011-06-02T07:12:00.000-07:00

Martha Claussen, frequent They Are Off contributor, has written a story for SureBet Racing News on the Coady family, who have been involved in racing at nearly every level for many, many years. In fact, Turf Paradise runs the Jack Coady Sr. Stakes every year to honor the patriarch of the family. What do they do? Well, you likely see a member of the family on racetracks every day. They are track photographers (and damn good ones at that) poised at the finish line to get those beautiful shots of winning horses crossing that line in victory. I worked with Jack Coady Jr. for many years in Houston and Shawn Coady currently works as photographer at Turf Paradise. They are all tremendous people and Martha's story does them proud. Here is the link:

http://www.surebetracingnews.com/NEWS/Coady_Photography-06012011.htm

Tune in again tomorrow for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Animal Instinct

2011-05-31T09:42:00.000-07:00

Word came down this weekend that Kentucky Derby winner, Animal Kingdom, was definitely going to go to the Belmont Stakes. As a matter of fact, Barry Irwin, leader of Team Valor, has informed the rest of the investors that the horse will be working at Belmont Park on Monday, covering a half-mile in what should be final tune-up for "The Test Of Champions".

Trainer Steve Asmussen worked the Derby runner-up, Nehro, this weekend, going six furlongs in 1:12.20. Nehro worked in company with another horse and while actually finishing a length behind the other horse, who is also trained by Steve Asmussen. This workout actually took place at Churchill Downs in Kentucky. The drf.com website is reporting that Asmussen plans to ship Nehro to New York on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the Preakness winner, Shackleford, arrived in New York on Monday morning for trainer Neil Howard and will likely have a workout of his own on Saturday morning to determine whether or not he will participate in the Belmont.

It is the hope here that Shackleford's workout goes well and he does indeed enter the Belmont Stakes. It would be extraordinary to have a two-horse rivalry with the Derby and Preakness winner, of course, develop. But, if you throw in the Derby runner-up and consider that all three are trained by some of the top conditioners in the game (Graham Motion, Steve Asmussen, and Neil Howard), we could be looking at a very promising summer as far as the racing scene goes. How tremendous would it be for these three to all be there at the end of the Belmont and then go on to run in some of the bigger three-year-old races on the calendar this summer? A three-way battle at the Haskell Invitational or the Travers Stakes would be a monumental step forward into the spotlight for racing. If this trio were to continue on through this year and (dare I say it) into 2012, it could be something to start generating national interest again outside of the Triple Crown or the Breeders' Cup.

Just watch the NBA Finals starting tonight, there will be plenty of interest in this series. Why? The Miami Heat were everybody's villains at the start of the season with the way Lebron James left Cleveland for South Beach, taking his talents with him to play with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. Now, the media is all agog over how the Heat have magically put it together and "The Heatles" are on the cusp on a championship. On the other side of the ledger you have the Dallas Mavericks with Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd longing for an elusive championship to validate their greatness.

What do all these men I have mentioned have in common? They are all "stars" in their respective sport. "Stars" sell in the "here today, gone tomorrow" world of media coverage we live in today. Horse racing, like any other sport, needs "stars" to become more and more prominent beyond the usual $2 bettor that visits the track anyway or the occasional pretty face that comes out only for the Derby. It is possible we are looking at some equine stars right now that could pick up the baton from Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra and carry it into the immediate future.

It is, of course, impossible now to have a Triple Crown winner this year, but racing might get something out of this that is just as important: relevance for more than five weeks in the spring or two days in the fall.

Tune in again tomorrow for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

The Grade 2 $150,000 American Handicap

2011-05-27T11:31:00.000-07:00

The Grade 2 American Handicap at Hollywood Park on Saturday is basically an exercise in trying to beat Sidney's Candy, who will likely go off as a prohibitive favorite. He certainly deserves such backing, even though he ran second last time out to Crown Of Thorns in the Grade 2 Mervyn Leroy on the Cushion track at Hollywood on May 7. Here is the analysis:

I think the biggest think working against the favorite in this spot is the presence of plenty of pace to run with him on the front end. I expect Ryehill Dreamer and Liberian Freighter to be winging along the front end with Sidney's Candy to create quite a fast pace scenario here. I am, therefore, going to go with what I think is the most interesting horse in the race, #6 Goldwaki. He is making his 2011 debut here for new trainer Ron McAnally. If you look at the distances this horse ran in 2010, you will see that the shortest race he tried was at 1 3/8 miles. He has not been as short as one mile since October 2009, before he broke his maiden. He lost his last three races in 2010, but finished behind some fine runners, like Bekhabad, who went on to run in the Breeders' Cup. It's a long layoff, but I think his workouts have shown he can go fast when he needs to. For second, I will go another I expect to lay off the pace a bit in #4 The Usual Q.T., who will have Victor Espinoza aboard here. He finished third behind the two pacesetters I expect to run with Sidney's Candy in the Grade 3 Inglewood on April 24. In fact, he has hit the board in his last five efforts, but has not been a winner since the Grade 1 Eddie Read at Del Mar in July 2010. He has won five of seven tries at one mile on the turf in his career. I will put #7 Sidney's Candy in the third spot. He is clearly the best overall horse in the field, but I think the circumstances will conspire against him in this spot. Plus, his price will be so short, he is worth a bet against. I will use one of the other pacesetters to round out the top four with #1 Ryehill Dreamer. He could very well hang on for a minor piece of this one after posting back-to-back Beyers in the low 100s. His last workout on May 20 was a five-furlong bullet, covering the distance in a scorching 58 3/5 seconds. Here is the play for the Grade 2 American Handicap:

$5 WP #6
$1 EX 4-6-7 with ALL
$1 TRI 4-6 with 4-6-7 with ALL
TOTAL- $55

The blog is now MINUS $506 for the year. I think we might be in the midst of a resuscitation, though, as we try to make our way back to even for the year. Remember, They Are Off does not accepts any responsibility for any wagers placed in conjunction with these selections. They are merely suggestions. Tune in again next week for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Lucky Number Thirteen

2011-05-24T09:23:00.000-07:00

Thirteen has long been considered a most unlucky number. Friday the 13th, triskaidekaphobia, and even Thirteen Women (long-lost weirdo thriller with two of my favorites, Myrna Loy and Irene Dunne, that pops up occasionally on TCM) are just a few of the the examples of why thirteen is a number no one wants a part of. However, if you are like Goldikova and you just won your thirteenth Group or Grade 1 race, then thirteen should be welcomed with hails and hosannas.

The connections of the three-time Breeders' Cup Mile winner invigorated the racing public when it was announced after her record-setting win at Churchill Downs last November that she would be returning to try and make it four in a row. The first step on that arduous journey to immortality was taken this weekend in France, while the North American racing public was centered on the Preakness Stakes and Animal Kingdom's try to become the twelfth Triple Crown winner. That effort ended up falling just a bit short, but Goldikova's effort was another of her classic performances.

From the article on the race on Racingpost.com, trainer Freddie Head described her win as "a brilliant and courageous seasonal debut". She won the Group 1 Prix d'Ispahan at Longchamp in France over 1 1/8 miles, holding off the charge of Cirrus Des Aigles and won at generous odds of 3-5 on the French Tote system. Those odds are generous if you consider the greatness of the horse we are talking about here. Head refused to commit to Goldikova's next race, which many are hoping would be the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot. Wherever they elect to return her, the six-year-old Goldikova emphatically drove home the point this weekend that she is finest horse in training in the world right now, we now have a baker's dozen of examples as to why that statement is true.

Tune in again tomorrow for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Un-Shackled

2011-05-23T12:47:00.000-07:00

The 136th Preakness Stakes on Saturday went to Shackleford, who dug in through the stretch after setting taxing early fractions in a speed battle with Flashpoint and withstood the charge of the Kentucky Derby winner, Animal Kingdom, in the stretch to produce a neck victory. Shackleford was able to get a slight breather in the middle stages of the race on the front end, which is likely what gave him the extra added edge he needed to survive and get his colors painted on the weather vane at Pimlico.

He also has more guts and determination than any other three-year-old in the class this year. He first displayed it to us in the Florida Derby, where he nearly pulled off an epic upset at long odds and made Dialed In work every inch of the way to get past him. He showed a glimmer of it on the First Saturday In May, when he led in the stretch of the Derby and made it tough for the first three finishers all the way to the end. It finally paid off in victory in the Preakness, where Shackleford just continued to demonstrate why internal fortitude is just as important a factor in who wins a horse race as who the fastest horse is.

Let us not forget the fine effort of the Derby winner, Animal Kingdom, in running second in Baltimore. He fell much further behind the front-runners in the early stages behind the speed duel that was going on. He and Dialed In were so far behind at one point, it made one think they were in a separate race. However, John Velazquez nearly pulled off a great come-from-behind ride aboard Animal Kingdom, missing by what turned out to be a very thin margin. It is the second time in three years that the Derby winner almost came from the clouds to run down a front-running Preakness champion. Don't forget that Mine That Bird was this close to Rachel Alexandra at the finish of the 2009 Preakness and she ran with the pace all the way that day, much the same way Shackleford did on Saturday.

So, where does this leave us? I think it could set up an epic edition of the Belmont Stakes in nineteen days. If both Animal Kingdom and Shackleford go on to New York (and the early indications are that they will), we could be seeing a fine rivalry develop. Throw in the return of Derby runner-up, Nehro, in the Belmont, along with Peter Pan winner, Alternation, New Yorker Mike Repole's Stay Thirsty, and maybe more Mucho Macho Man and we could be in store for a ringing rendition of the 143rd Belmont Stakes in a few weeks. I know that a lot has been said about the lack of quality of the three-year-old crop this year, but after the first two legs of the sport's most important series, I think those labels of inadequacy are misplaced.

Tune in again tomorrow for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

The 136th Preakness Stakes

2011-05-20T11:31:00.000-07:00

We now come to what is actually my favorite of all the Triple Crown races. The Derby has the build-up and the history and the Belmont has the pay-off (or failure) of a Triple Crown winning possibility. However, The Preakness is the race that sets everything up for that history to be achieved. It is the race that creates the hype and the build-up for a Triple Crown chase and while we haven't had that ultimate triumph since 1978, there have been countless chances since then. Will we have another chance this year? Here is the analysis:

Yes, I think, we will have a chance at a Triple Crown winner in 2011 becuase I am picking #11 Animal Kingdom to win the Preakness on Saturday. I will allow that he likely won the Derby mainly because John Velazquez was on him two weeks ago, but Johnny V returns to the saddle here. The colt has never been worse than second in five lifetime starts and Derby-winning horses usually give a good account of themselves in the second leg (Super Saver being the exception). Barry Irwin certainly did himself no favors with his bitter statements after the Derby, but his current trainer, Graham Motion, seems to have everything in motion for a shot at history in three more weeks. For second, I will go with #9 Mucho Macho Man, who closed so impressively at Churchill Downs to get third. While he was closer to the pace than the eventual winner, he didn't get uncorked until late in the stretch and by then, it was just too late. He has the speed figures to be a factor in here and as has been said before, the horses that run in the Derby always appear to have a bit more two weeks later. He did post a bullet workout on May 17 over the training track at Belmont, covering four furlongs in the slop in 49 1/5 seconds. I will inject a "new shooter" in the third spot with #8 Dance City. I expect him to be close to the pace in this race (along with Flashpoint and Shackleford), but I don't think Flashpoint is suited for this distance and Shackleford gave so much two weeks ago, he might be a little weaker here. Dance City pressed the pace in the Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park and survived to end up third, behind Archarcharch and Nehro, neither of whom are here. His price of 12-1 is also attractive. I will put the Derby favorite, #10 Dialed In, next. He did not run at all in the Derby, especially since the pace was much slower than was expected. He rallied past some tiring horses to get up to eighth. I think he will benefit from a little quicker tempo here, which I expect to happen. Don't forget, Nick Zito has won the Preakness before after a disappointing Derby run with Louis Quatorze in 1996. I will go five-deep here with #6 Sway Away, who could be a price pick to upset the apple cart in the Preakness. He was the last horse left out of the Derby field and the extra rest could be to his benefit off two subpar performances. His Sire, Afleet Alex, won this race in 2005 despite being manhandled at the top of the stretch by Scrappy T. Garrett Gomez gets the call. Here is the play for the 136th running of The Preakness:

$1 TRI 8-9-11 with 6-8-9-11 with 6-7-8-9-10-11-14

10-cent SPR 6-8-9-11 with 6-8-9-11 with 6-7-8-9-10-11-14 with 5-6-7-8-9-10-11-13-14

TOTAL- $81

The blog did have the winner of the Peter Pan last week to get off the losing streak, but we are still MINUS $425 for 2011. Remember, They Are Off accepts no responsibility for any wagers placed in conjunction with these selections. They are merely suggestions. Tune in again next week for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Second Chance

2011-05-19T13:16:00.000-07:00

Since the three "experts" (myself included) flopped so miserably on the first leg of the Triple Crown, the 137th Kentucky Derby, I felt it only fair for all of us to get a second chance at glory with the 136th running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico on Saturday. Again, I am joined by Martha Claussen and Dr. Reid McLellan, my two former co-handicappers at Houston. We will all be offering selections and analysis for the Preakness, and it's ladies first:

Martha Claussen's Preakness Analysis
Unlike someone I know, I will not jump on the Animal Kingdom bandwagon after completely disregarding him in the Derby. Nice run, but Super Saver won the Derby and finished eighth in the 2010 Preakness. Lots of interesting angles. Will Dialed In get some pace to run at so he can collect his $5.5 million bonus? Will Martin Garcia make the difference on Midnight Interlude and win back-to-back Preakness Stakes for Bob Baffert? What about the "new shooters" like Astrology, Sway Away, Flashpoint, and Dance City? Dance City intrigues me and will not get a lot of action. History says the Derby horses do best. I am throwing "history" and "dosage" into the swollen Mississippi River after seeing a horse win the Kentucky Derby in his dirt debut. So, I will take a few chances in my selections and go for a Pick 3 as I feel I can single Paddy O'Prado in the Grade 2 Dixie Stakes.

Martha's Top Four Selections: Dialed In, Dance City, Midnight Interlude, Astrology

Suggested Preakness Plays:
$14 WIN #10
$2 EX ALL with #10
$5 WPS #8

There are a few nice horses in the tenth race, the Grade 3 William Schaefer Memorial, so I will go five-deep. Graham Motion may win with Icabad Crane. I will single Paddy O'Prado in the Grade 2 Dixie and throw in some price picks in the Preakness.
Race 10
$1 PICK THREE 2-3-5-7-8 with 4 with 1-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11
TOTAL- $45
TOTAL PREAKNESS PLAYS- $100

Reid McLellan's Preakness Analysis
#11 Animal Kingdom came from my "not fast enough" (NFE) category in the Derby, which meant I threw him out of even a superfecta possibility. His breeding was the only thing I liked about him, but I did not consider his non-dirt efforts good enough, even in this year's "evenly matched" group of three-year-olds. Now he gets a chance to "prove" that he is as good a dirt horse as any in this crop and he will get to do it without the burden of my money riding with him. Two horses that ran in the Kentucky Derby that came to Baltimore made impressive late moves along with "AK", #9 Mucho Macho Man and #10 Dialed In. It is interesting to note that only ONE of the fourteen entered had their final breeze at Pimlico (#2 Norman Asbjornson who is in my NFE group).#5 Shackleford doesn't have much competition for the lead all the way to the stretch unless the trainers of #4 Flashpoint (Wesley Ward) or #8 Dance City (Todd Pletcher) decide to challenge. Flashpoint trained super for Ward on the Polytrack at Keeneland, so I question his ability to stay the distance. I won't overlook the Steve Asmussen trained #1 Astrology either. That son of A.P. Indy has never been worse than third in seven starts and has three improving Beyer speed figures coming into this classic. Michael picked #7 Midnight Interlude in the Derby and he'll be sad if he doesn't pick him in the top three. Martha stayed with her buddy, Nick Zito, and I am going to stay with my sentimental horse "3M".

Reid's Top Four Selections- Mucho Macho Man, Dialed In, Shackleford, Astrology

Suggested Preakness Play
$20 WIN #9

10-cent Superfecta 5-9-10 with 1-4-5-9-10 with 1-4-5-9-10-11 with 1-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11
TOTAL PREAKNESS PLAYS- $62

No No Nehro

2011-05-18T08:19:00.000-07:00

It has been determined by the connections of Kentucky Derby runner-up, Nehro, that he will skip the Preakness and instead wait for the Belmont Stakes three weeks from Saturday. This is a similar tack to the one taken by Nick Zito with Birdstone seven years ago that denied Smarty Jones the Triple Crown. Of course, this time the trainer is Steve Asmussen and the owner is Ahmed Zayat, not Marylou Whitney. However, the idea is along the same lines, which is to have a fresher horse ready for the longer race.

Of course, this idea didn't work last year for Zito, when he skipped the Preakness with Derby runner-up, Ice Box, and waited for the Belmont and he was never a factor at all. It will be quite interesting to see how this all falls out, especially if Animal Kingdom is able to come through on Saturday in Baltimore and set us up for a Triple Crown chance by winning the 136th running of the Preakness. It makes one long for the days when there was a healthy bonus in the millions of dollars that further connected the races and made it financially sensible for connections to try and run in all three races rather than cherry-pick their spots.

The draw for the 136th Preakness will be conducted later today. Tune in again tomorrow for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone...GOODBYE!

The Grade 2 $200,000 Peter Pan Stakes

2011-05-13T11:22:00.000-07:00

Arrived in Nebraska without incident and am ready to kick things back into high gear with selections for the Grade 2 Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont Park on Saturday. This race is used as a prep for the Belmont Stakes to be run in four weeks time. There will likely be some "new shooters" out of this race for the Belmont to challenge Animal Kingdom, who will hopefully be chasing history in the Belmont. Of course, he would have to add the Preakness Stakes to his Kentucky Derby triumph next Saturday. So, without any further ado, here is the analysis:

My top pick will be #6 Alternation, who had to scratch out of the Rebel at Oaklawn Park with starting gate issues and then started badly in the Arkansas Derby before finishing a closing fifth. He has been working quite well since the Arkansas Derby with back-to-back bullets at Arlington at five and six furlongs, respectively. Ramon Dominguez will ride for trainer Donnie Von Hemel. I called my second pick to a victory in the Turf Paradise Derby on February 26 and that is #3 Beer Meister. He is a stone closer and there should be plenty of pace for him to run at in this one. He caught a hopelessly wide trip in the Sunland Derby on March 27 and still rallied to finish a strong fifth. His 20-1 morning line price makes him a very attractive longshot in this race and he could definitely get a piece of it. For third, I will use Charles Cella's #2 Uncle Brent. Of course, Cella is the man at Oaklawn Park and that is where this horse has raced exclusively until Saturday. Uncle Brent has two wins and a second in three lifetime efforts in Arkansas and will have the riding services of the Derby winner, John Velazquez. As I referred to earlier, I believe there is quite a bit of pace in this race and I will use one of the speedsters, #10 Joe Vann, to round out of the top four. He was a front-running winner of the Illinois Derby at Hawthorne on April 9 and is currently working a three-race win streak. I just think he might have too many challenges up top to sustain any bid once the closers get in gear. He should be good enough, though, to hang on for a chunk of the action. Here is the play for the Grade 2 Peter Pan Stakes:

$5 WP #6
$1 EX BOX 2-3-6-10
$1 TRI 3-6 with 2-3-6 with 2-3-4-6-9-10-11
TOTAL- $42

We continue to take it on the chin after the Derby and now the blog is MINUS $418 for the year. However, we will persevere. Remember, They Are Off accepts no responsibility for any wagers placed in conjunction with these selections. They are merely suggestions.

I must pass along belated congratulations to Lone Star Park announcer, John Lies, who became the first "voice" to successfully pick the winner of the Kentucky Derby as part of "What The Voices Think". Unfortunately, I continue the oh-fer streak that has gone on since Go For Gin in 1994. Tune in again next week for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

The 137th Kentucky Derby

2011-05-06T11:30:00.000-07:00

The big day has finally arrived and it comes without the 2010 Breeders' Cup Juvenile champion, Uncle Mo, who was scratched by his connections on Friday. That leaves us with a field of nineteen horses who will be going 1 1/4 miles for the first time in their lives. The favorite is likely to be Dialed In, although he should now be a heavier favorite than originally anticipated. Here is the analysis for the 137th running of the Grade 1 $2,000,000 Kentucky Derby:

My top pick for the Derby will be the Bob Baffert trainee, #15 Midnight Interlude, who was the winner of the Santa Anita Derby on April 9 despite having to alter course in the stretch. The rider will be Victor Espinoza, who teamed with Baffert for Derby glory in 2002 on War Emblem. The horse has been working lights-out at Churchill Downs, with two bullets on the docket. I even think he might like a wet track should there be one on Derby Day. One of the bullets was over a sloppy strip and he broke his maiden on a track listed as wet-fast. I am usually loathe to consider the "wiseguy" horse in the Derby, but will do so with #19 Nehro, trained by Steve Asmussen. Asmussen has done just about everything in Thoroughbred training except win the Derby. He is in the same boat that Todd Pletcher was in last year, when Super Saver got him off the Derby donut. Quite simply, Nehro's last two races have been outstanding. He ran second in both of them, but had he had another furlong to run at the winner, which he gets here, he would have more than that one win. I will put #13 Mucho Macho Man in the third spot. He had shoe issues in the Louisiana Derby and he still managed to run a credible third at Fair Grounds. Trainer Kathy Ritvo will have the sentimental angle in this Derby, given all that she overcame to get to this point. Rajiv Maragh will be aboard. The longshot I will be including is #3 Twice The Appeal. Calvin Borel is aboard and he has only won three of the last four editions of the Derby. He might get the trip he wants after drawing the inside slot and if it is a wet track, this horse's chances increase exponentially. Since this is the Derby, I will include a bonus fifth horse with #17 Soldat. He was high on my Derby list until the Florida Derby fiasco. He is another that could benefit from some rain falling in Louisville. Alan Garcia has the riding assignment on a horse that should be a part of the pace set-up in here. Here is the play for the 137th Kentucky Derby:

$10 WP #15
$1 EX BOX 3-13-15-17-19
$1 TRI BOX 3-13-15-17-19
TOTAL- $100

Remember, They Are Off accepts no responsibility for any wagers placed in conjunction with these selections. They are merely suggestions. There will not be any blog posts until Friday next week in the aftermath of the Derby, as I head to my summer station of Lincoln Race Course. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Getting The Band Back Together

2011-05-05T15:03:00.000-07:00

For the majority of my time in Houston, I had the distinct pleasure of working with two excellent people in the Communications Department. If you read this blog, you are already familiar with Martha Claussen, who was the boss and an astute handicapper. The second person I worked with was Dr. Reid McLellan, a gentleman who was the Fan Education Director at the racetrack in Houston, but he is about as familiar with horseflesh as anyone I ever met. The three of us would have very spirited seminars where we would discuss the merits of our picks for the big occasions and usually spend a good chunk of time bashing the other two members of the trio for whatever reason. So, for the first time (and certainly not the last time) in the history of They Are Off, here are the opinions of two of the three members of the group (with the third member's thoughts to come tomorrow). We'll go with ladies first!:

Martha Claussen's Derby Thoughts

Always a pleasure to reunite with my former colleagues, Michael and Reid and I will try not to be too crabby about this less than stellar group of 3-year-olds!

I have been a fan of Dialed In since the Holy Bull in January and although I am disappointed that he is the favorite, I cannot get off the Nick Zito bandwagon. Dialed In has a huge closing kick and quality pedigree as his sire, 2003 Horse of the Year, Mineshaft, is a son of the incomparable A.P. Indy. My last Derby winner, Monarchos, won the Florida Derby, so I have always loved the Florida road to the Derby. This will be Zito's 25th Derby starter and his third win. Go Nick Go! Soldat flopped in the Florida Derby, but is the only horse in the field with a Beyer Speed Figure over 100 (no joke!). I had my doubts about Master of Hounds, believing he was more of a turf specialist than a true Derby contender. This year, obviously, the standards have changed and the Aiden O'Brien charge has as much of a shot as the rest of the 30-1's. He did run last November at Churchill Downs, finishing sixth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G2). His prep for the Derby was the U.A.E. Derby (UAE-G2) on the Meydan polytrack, where he ran second. I dissed the chances of Paddy O'Prado last year and he ran third, so why not go turf again for a nice price. Nehro ran a huge race in the Arkansas Derby, closing gamely for second. Might be peaking right at the right time.

Martha’s Top Four Selections – Dialed In, Soldat, Master of Hounds, Nehro

Suggested Derby Play:
The Woodford Reserve precedes the Derby and is wide-open, but I am going to narrow it to four runners: Little Mike, Prince Will I Am, Doubles Partner and Expansion. Will wheel over eight Derby horses (my top four and four more longshots) and finish it off with a single in race 12, Streakin' Mohican.

Pick 3 - Race 10-12
1-5-8-14 with 1-7-8-9-11-15-17-19 with 9
Total $32

Dr. Reid McLellan's Derby Thoughts

This was without doubt the most difficult Derby field to handicap since I started handicapping before my announcer buddy was born. If this was a non-winner of THREE allowance race, THIRTEEN of these would be eligible to enter, with three being non-winners of TWO. One of my favorite Derby winners (and to be a favorite Derby winner it had to be my top pick for that race) was a non-winner of two, 1987 winner Alysheba. So in 2011 I am going back to that well one more time and pick #11 Master Of Hounds as my top pick in what could be one of the most exciting Derby finishes in a long time. This son of Kingmambo looked impressive training at last year's Breeders' Cup at Churchill and I think his breeding is the best of this bunch. Then what do I do? Another of the N2L runner, #19 Nehro, has the co-best last race Beyer Speed Figure, sharing that (lowly) number with #1 Archarcharch. I have a special connection with #13 Mucho Macho Man as his trainer, Kathy Ritvo (and her husband Tim) are big supporters of the Groom Elite program at Gulfstream Park. The Ritvo Stable pony that escorts "3M" to the track in Florida each morning is my demonstration horse in the afternoon. I wonder if Martha picked #7 Pants On Fire and his female rider, Rosie Napravnik, a good young rider that has an outside shot to be the first female rider to win the Derby. But what do I do with #18 Uncle Mo, impressive as a two-year-old but enters the race with a lot of questions. And, it was #4 Stay Thirsty that looked the best to me on the track during morning gallops last weekend. If everyone takes back and lets either #6 Comma To The Top or #14 Shackleford get loose on the lead, they may prove tough to catch. But I think we will see a mad dash to the front, Uncle Mo will get caught up in it and the race will go to the mid-pack closer that gets the best trip.

Reid's Top Four Selections- Master Of Hounds, Nehro, Mucho Macho Man, Archarcharch

PURPLE POWER DERBY PLAY: $10 WIN #11 and $1 EX BOX 1-11-13-19 and $1 SPR 11 with 1-13-18 with 1-4-7-13-19 with 1-4-7-8-13-18-19

TOTAL- $82

My thanks to both Martha and Reid for their contributions to the blog and we will certainly try to bring them both back for the remainder of the Triple Crown races. My selections for the 137th Kentucky Derby will be posted on the blog tomorrow. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

What The Voices Think 3.0

2011-05-04T16:03:00.000-07:00

For the third consecutive year, I have asked some of my fellow announcers in the horse racing world for their opinions on who will win the Kentucky Derby. The first two years of this produced exactly zero correct selections (although Don Stevens of Delta Downs DID have the trifecta in his first three picks he e-mailed last year). Don's pick for this year will be posted later on this week in an update of this post. However, here is the sampling from some other voices of racing:

Pete "The Anchor" Aiello (Hialeah and River Downs)- Twinspired
Craig Braddick (Yavapai Downs)- Dialed In
Tom Harris (Retama Park and Houston)- Midnight Interlude
John Lies (Lone Star Park)- Animal Kingdom
Dan Loiselle (Woodbine)- Archarcharch
Don Stevens (Delta Downs)- Dialed In
Travis Stone (Louisiana Downs)- Midnight Interlude
James Witherite (Harrah's Chester Harness)- Dialed In

As I said, this post will be updated with more picks as they come in to the home office. Tomorrow will feature Derby selections from my old Houston co-handicappers, Martha Claussen and Dr. Reid McLellan. Friday will be the big day with this voice's selections for the 137th Kentucky Derby. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

The Grade 3 $200,000 Cliff's Edge Derby Trial

2011-04-29T22:22:00.000-07:00

The blog is currently in the midst of a minor slump, so minor in fact, that we are $290 in the hole for 2011. However, we are nothing if not persevering. This week's race is the Grade 3 $200,000 Cliff's Edge Derby Trial. Back in the day, this race was actually a springboard into the Kentucky Derby. While it has not been that for many years (I think the last horse to run in the Trial and then do well in the Derby was Don't Get Mad, who was 4th in 2005), the Derby Trial is the Opening Day feature on the Churchill Downs program. Here is the analysis:

My top selection will be #5 JJ's Lucky Train. I think he might have some value here, given the fact that Travelin Man is 7-5 on the morning line, which I find wildly optimistic. JJ's Lucky Train won the Grade 3 Bay Shore at Aqueduct on April 9. He also has been the one mile distance before and even run on a muddy track. The Louisville oval might have some moisture in it still after a rash of storms have pelted the area for some time. My second selection is #8 Indiano. He did run 2nd to Travelin Man in the Grade 2 Swale at Gulfstream on April 3, but again he has experience with wet surfaces and significantly more experience than the projected favorite in here. Garrett Gomez will ride. I will use the morning line favorite, #2 Travelin Man, as my third pick in the Derby Trial. He has two wins and a second in three lifetime starts, the second coming to the dominating Flashpoint in the Grade 2 Hutcheson. However, he has never run a mile before. The farthest he has gone is seven furlongs. It is worth noting that two of his three Beyer figures were in the low 100s. I will use 8-1 shot, #7 Indian Winter, in the fourth spot as a possible price pick. He posted a bullet workout on April 22 at Hollywood Park and I actually saw him run in the Turf Paradise Derby on February 26. It was a troubled trip and he seemed somewhat immature in there. Hopefully, he has done some growing up. Here is the play for the Grade 3 Cliff's Edge Derby Trial:

$10 WP #5
$2 EX 5 with 2-3-7-8
TOTAL- $28

Remember, They Are Off accepts no responsibility for any wagers placed in conjunction with these selections. They are merely suggestions. Tune in again next week for the 137th Kentucky Derby coverage. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Giacomo

2011-04-28T14:20:00.000-07:00

Can it honestly already be six years since Giacomo (pictured) won the Kentucky Derby at odds of 50-1 for the now-familiar connections (through Zenyatta) of The Mosses, John Shirreffs, and Mike Smith? This 2005 Derby was really the first time that grouping of owner, trainer, and jockey really burst onto the national scene.

That 2005 Derby was very similar to this year's edition in that it was so wide open. Bellamy Road was considered the prohibitive favorite, based on his smashing win in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct. Bellamy Road's trainer, Nick Zito, had five horses in the twenty horse field. Zito also sent Noble Causeway, Andromeda's Hero, High Fly, and Sun King to the post at Churchill Downs. Afleet Alex was also well-fancied (and would prove to be easily the best horse of the class by winning The Preakness and The Belmont Stakes) with young Jeremy Rose in the irons. The upset winner of the 2004 Breeders' Cup Juvenile, Wilko, was part of the proceedings. Spanish Chestnut, who would set the dazzling pace, was in the field also, so you knew who would be up front.

The horse that actually ran the best race of the day was Closing Argument, who would get caught at the wire by Giacomo. Closing Argument would have to settle for second at odds of 71-1. Closing Argument was up close to the quick pace most of the way around and seemed to have enough left through the stretch to win. I must admit I still get goosebumps when I listen to Tom Durkin's call of this Derby and he says, "Closing Argument in with a chance" during the stretch drive was complete incredulity that the longshot was still right there.

Giacomo sat well back off the 22.28 quarter and the 45.38 half-mile fractions in eighteenth place. By the time Smith had him in motion, the pacesetters were starting to fall apart. Spanish Chestnut would finish sixteenth, Going Wild would finish eighteenth, and Bandini would finish nineteenth. Meanwhile, Closing Argument had taken the lead and had Afleet Alex bearing down on him on the inside and Giacomo moving up on the outside. The three horses came through the lane in a pulsating stretch drive that resulted with Giacomo in front by a half-length, Closing Argument second by the same margin, and Afleet Alex in third place. Giacomo paid $102.60 to win on Derby Day and Closing Argument paid $70 to place.

I look back on this Derby with mixed feelings. I did have win money on Giacomo that day. My $5 win ticket turned into $250. However, I had posted on a horse racing forum that week that the two best longshots in the race were Giacomo and Closing Argument. Guess who didn't have a ticket on the exacta that paid $9,814.80? Yeah, that one stung for a while, but I did totally luck into the Mine That Bird-Pioneerof The Nile two years ago for nearly $2,100, so I can't complain too much about it. After all, I still left the track on Derby Day 2005 a winner.

Tune in again tomorrow for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Photo courtesy of horsehats.com

Super Six Derby Pix

2011-04-26T21:00:00.000-07:00

This will be the final version of the Pix for 2011. Next week is Derby week, of course, and there will be plenty of action to jam pack into the blog. Anyway, here are the Pix for this week:

#1 Dialed In- It is now almost inevitable that the Nick Zito trainee will be the favorite for the Kentucky Derby. He is the only contender that really didn't stumble somewhere along the way, winning the Holy Bull and Florida Derby. He did run second to his stablemate in the Florida Derby prep, but that was with older horses and I don't think that was intended to be more than a public, paid workout anyway.

#2 Toby's Corner- The Wood Memorial winner was late arriving on the scene for the Derby, but I think his win in the Wood was the single most impressive prep race of the whole season. If he can overcome the traffic he will face in Louisville with his running style the same way he overcame it at The Big A, I think they will be fitting his flank with a garland of roses on May 7.

#3 Archarcharch- The undisputed King of Oaklawn this spring, winning the Southwest and the Arkansas Derby. He even ran a credible race in defeat in the Rebel, when The Factor was the greatest thing since sliced bread. If they could somehow transport the surface in Arkansas to Kentucky, he would be 8-5 to win the Roses. However, since they are not running the Derby at Oaklawn, he will have to do it on his ability, which still might be enough.

#4 Mucho Macho Man- I still think this one might turn out to be the sleeper of the sleepers on Derby Day. He won the Risen Star and lost the Louisiana Derby, although the Derby effort was compromised with issues encountered shortly after leaving the gate. He still ran third that day, even with the problems. I know Nehro is the sudden "hot horse" of all the wiseguys, but he didn't lose to Nehro by much and I am interested to see how they match up with everything even.

#5 Uncle Mo- The workout this morning of five furlongs in 1:01.3 was a nice return to form by the 2010 Juvenile Champion. He had been the favorite until the shocking loss in the Wood. The question is now, was it just a momentary stumble on the way to history, the way it was for Secretariat and Monarchos (who just happened to run the two fastest Derbies ever) or was it symptomatic of a larger problem of distance limitations for this colt?

#6 Soldat- I think the defection of The Factor from the Kentucky Derby really helps his chances on May 7. I had been very high on him before the nightmare of the Florida Derby. He was overheated that day, didn't get the lead, and didn't run his race. He should be up front in the Derby. The only question with him is will he be alone on the lead or will another speedster like Shackleford compromise his position?

Tune in again tomorrow for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

The Grade 2 $150,000 Jerome Stakes

2011-04-22T22:20:00.001-07:00

The major prep race for the Kentucky Derby this weekend is, in all honesty, the last one that really matters. It is the Grade 2 Lexington Stakes at Keeneland, but it drew only a paltry field of six and of those, only Silver Medallion can earn enough money to make the field of twenty for the Derby. Therefore, I will be handicapping the Grade 2 Jerome Handicap at Aqueduct, which might also have an impact on the Triple Crown series this year. Here is the analysis:

The top pick will be #5 Rattlesnake Bridge, who ran a decent second behind former Derby favorite, Uncle Mo, in the Timely Writer at Gulfstream. His Sire is Tapit, who has been producing quality runners by the bushel lately. The trainer is Kiaran McLaughlin, who has other stronger three-year-olds in his stable. Jose Lezcano was aboard for the Timely Writer and gets the call again here. WinStar Farm's #2 Cal Nation is the second choice here. John Velazquez has a win and second with this colt in two lifetime pairings. He has been the betting choice in both previous races and will likely have that honor again here. His last work over the Belmont Training Track was four furlongs in 48 3/5 seconds. A.P. Indy is on the bottom side of the breeding. Jess Jackson passed away this week and his Stonestreet Stables horse, #1 Astrology, is my third choice. Jackson recently pulled this horse off the Derby Trail after his disappointing return to the races with a distant second in the Grade 3 Sunland Derby, behind Twice The Appeal. A.P. Indy is the Sire here. Mike Smith will be at the controls for the first time in this spot. Finally, I will use a nifty longshot, I think, in #4 Isn't He Perfect. He ran fifth in the Grade 1 Wood Memorial just a couple of weeks ago, but was in contention with a furlong to go. I like the price of 20-1 on the morning line. His Sire is 2003 Breeders' Cup Classic winner, Pleasantly Perfect. Here is the play for the Grade 2 Jerome Stakes:

$10 WIN #5
$1 EX BOX 1-2-4-5-6
TOTAL- $30

Right now, the blog is MINUS $260, so we better get a winner before the Derby to keep our head near the water. They Are Off accepts no responsibility for any wagers placed in conjunction with these selections. They are merely suggestions. Tune in again next week for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Jess Jackson

2011-04-21T21:49:00.000-07:00

Jess Jackson, who is best known recently as the owner of Curlin and Rachel Alexandra, passed away at the age of 81 due to complications from the cancer that he has suffered from for quite some time.

Jackson always did things his way when it came to his horses. Curlin won two Horse Of The Year Awards under Jackson's watch in 2007 and 2008. Rachel Alexandra made it a three-peat for Jackson-owned horses in 2009. Those two horses are now destined to be further connected in the future, as Rachel Alexandra is in foal to Curlin.

Curlin won the Preakness in 2007, in an exciting stretch duel with the 2007 Kentucky Derby winner, Street Sense. Curlin, by the way, had finished third in the Derby. Curlin would go on to drill the entire field in the 2007 Breeders' Cup Classic over the sloppy track at Monmouth.

Rachel Alexandra would win the 2009 Preakness, holding off the Kentucky Derby winner also, Mine That Bird, who made a furious charge that fell short. Rachel had inspired comparisons to the greats of the past with her 20-length victory in the Kentucky Oaks the day before the Derby. It was after that performance that Jackson had purchased the filly. Rachel would never get the chance to run in the Breeders' Cup in 2009, as Jackson elected not to send her to California to run over what he called the "plastic" synthetic surface Santa Anita had at the time.

It is a shame that Jackson didn't get the chance to see his two great champions produce what is currently expected to be a superfoal. Of course, you never can tell what will come after Rachel Alexandra delivers the foal, he or she may be great, he or she may not be great. Whatever comes from the pairing of the two great ones, the one certainty will be that the foal will continue the tremendous racing legacy of Jess Jackson, which has been cut far too short.

Tune in again tomorrow for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Craig Braddick

2011-04-20T20:03:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to take a quick opportunity to thank Craig Braddick for his visit on Tuesday to Turf Paradise. Craig will be the announcer this summer at Yavapai Downs in Prescott, Arizona and came by on Tuesday to call a couple of races and give the Arizona racing fans a small taste of what they can expect to hear this summer up north.

Craig called the fourth and eighth races on the Tuesday program and if those are any indication, I am sure the folks at Yavapai will be in quite capable hands and will enjoy hearing Craig's voice on a daily basis. Of course, Craig is not new to this race calling business, having called at Arapahoe Park in Colorado and served as a guest announcer at numerous racetracks, including Turfway Park in Kentucky and Mountaineer Park in West Virginia to name a couple.

Craig stayed over an extra day to have a 4&3 whooping administered to him on the links today by yours truly, which made the dinner I won off him all the more tasty. Don't worry, Craig, you will get your chance at redemption once I return to Arizona from Nebraska and pay you a return visit this summer.

Tune in again tomorrow for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone...GOODBYE!

Super Six Derby Pix

2011-04-18T21:01:00.000-07:00

It was yet another wild and woolly weekend on the Derby Trail with massive longshots winning the two key preps, the Blue Grass at Keeneland and the Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn (although there is NO WAY Archarcharch should have been 25-1 based on his previous races at Oaklawn). This has, of course, shaken up the Derby picture no end with less than three weeks to go to the big day. Here are this week's Super Six Derby Pix:

#1 Dialed In- Nick Zito continues to hold pocket aces with the Florida Derby champion. Of course, as any poker player will tell you, pocket aces get cracked all the time. It is clear, though, that Dialed In has been the most impressive of all the horses that will be going into the gate for the Derby on May 7 so far this year. His win in the Holy Bull raised eyebrows, he ran a decent second against older horses in the Florida Derby prep, and he won the Florida Derby while everything else collapsed around him.

#2 Toby's Corner- It has been a fast rise up the Pix for the Wood Memorial winner, but he did beat the assumed favorite since last November in Uncle Mo. He overcame quite a bit to get the job done at Aqueduct, showing that he can negotiate through traffic if necessary, which will be a very valuable skill at Churchill Downs. It could be an exciting stretch run in the Derby with this one and Dialed In both rallying from far back if there is any pace on at all.

#3 Archarcharch- The Arkansas Derby winner went off at a ridiculous price on Saturday and paid a handsome $52.40 to those that backed him at Oaklawn. Given his win in the Rebel and a not too back third in the Southwest, I just don't see how the bettors let him off at that price. Of course, if it happens again at Churchill Downs, I'll be ready with some win money on him at the inflated number.

#4 Mucho Macho Man- He tore a hoof in the Louisiana Derby and still ran a credible third behind Pants On Fire and Nehro that day. His win in the Risen Star gets discounted a little with Santiva's poor effort in the Blue Grass Stakes (although I might be inclined to give Santiva a second chance since that race was run over the polytrack). He posted a workout of seven furlongs in 1:23.66 on Sunday morning and if he is running that well come May 7, we will certainly know "Quien Es Mas Macho?", to quote SNL circa 1978.

#5 Uncle Mo- OK, if you believe Todd Pletcher, then his gastrointestinal problem was the cause of the letdown in the Wood Memorial. Not the fact that this was a short horse due to being babied up until that race. Honestly, it was likely the first time the horse ever was challenged to that extent and he just didn't have any kind of foundation to fall back on when he needed it. He is still the 2010 Champion Juvenile Colt, but that won't mean a hill of beans when the gates open at Churchill Downs.

#6 Soldat- Once the apple of my eye, his trainer, Kiaran McLaughlin, says that the horse is training well again after the disaster that was the fifth in the Florida Derby. He honestly showed no response in that race and The Factor actually ran a similar race this past weekend in the Arkansas Derby. He didn't get the lead, didn't respond when called on, and didn't do what was expected and necessary at this late stage of the game.

Tune in again this week for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

The Grade 1 $750,000 Blue Grass Stakes

2011-04-15T21:16:00.000-07:00

Keeneland will host its penultimate Derby prep this Saturday with the 87th running of the Grade 1 $750,000 Blue Grass Stakes. It features a very closely matched field of twelve going postward led by the likely favorite, Santiva. Santiva has been on my Derby radar since his win over Astrology last fall at Churchill Downs in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club. Since he will be at short odds on Saturday, though, you just know I have to try and find a way to defeat him. Here is the analysis:

My top choice will be #11 Crimson China. He broke his maiden over the synthetic surfaces at Wolverhampton in Great Britain last November. Since then, he has run on the turf once at Gulfstream and once on the polytrack at Turfway Park. He has a win and a second in those two races. I also think he is a very generous 10-1 on the morning line in here. He has never been worse than second in four lifetime starts and trainer Graham Motion figures to have him ready for a big run. For second, I will use #12 Queen'splatekitten. Although, you would figure this one is more likely to be pointing to the Queen's Plate at Woodbine in June. He crushed his maiden-breaking race at Woodbine last December and won the return from the layoff at Gulfstream in February. John Velazquez gets the riding assignment on this 12-1 shot. #2 King Congie was disqualified from a win in the Hallandale Beach over the turf at Gulfstream last time out on February 6. His last workout came at Keeneland and was decent enough, five furlongs in 1:00 3/5. Rajiv Maragh gets the call on this colt Saturday. Finally, I will round out the top four with #9 Wilkinson, who ran his worst race ever last time out in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby, but I tend to want to throw that one out because his break was so terrible. He does have a previous try over the track at Keeneland, finishing second in his debut effort on October 21 at seven furlongs. The Sire is 1999 Belmont Stakes winner, Lemon Drop Kid. Here is the play for the Grade 1 $750,000 Blue Grass Stakes:

$5 WP #11
$1 EX BOX 2-3-9-11-12
$1 TRI 11-12 with 11-12 with 2-3-6-9
TOTAL- $38

The blog is currently MINUS $222 for the year, meaning we really need a hit to keep our heads near the Mendoza line. Remember, They Are Off accepts no responsibility for any wagers placed in conjunction with these selections. They are merely suggestions. Tune in again next week for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Super Six Derby Pix

2011-04-12T20:31:00.000-07:00

In the movie "Guess Who's Coming To Dinner?". Spencer Tracy quotes Isobel Sanford, who played the family maid with the following line, "All Hell done broke loose now!" To say that is what has happened to the Kentucky Derby picture would be a fabulous understatement. The favorite didn't win ANY of the three prep races this past weekend. Of course, this coming weekend, order could be restored with the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park and the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland, but I find it highly doubtful. Here are the Pix for this week:

#1 Dialed In- Nick Zito has inherited the favorites role with the Florida Derby winner, Dialed In. I still don't think the race was that tremendously impressive, but what can I tell you? Unlike some others this year, Dialed In has actually been working hard up to the Derby. The win in the Holy Bull, the loss to older horses in what was basically a public workout, and the Florida Derby win might have him ready to go come Derby Day.

#2 Santiva- The likely favorite in what will prove to be a bulky field at Keeneland in the Blue Grass Stakes remains the horse I feel is most likely to put forth a tough effort in the Derby. Again, he might not walk off the track wearing the Roses, but I feel confident in saying he will be part of the Superfecta on Derby Day. I am anxious to see how well he does on the Polytrack and how well he reacts after he gets off of it.

#3 The Factor- Bob Baffert's most likely Derby candidate has taken the Arkansas road to Louisville, which has been so successful so many times in the recent past. His win in the Rebel seemed to prove he could get a distance of ground to most observers. I am hoping someone will go with him and prod him along in the Arkansas Derby, so we can see if he can handle being challenged while on the lead.

#4 Toby's Corner- I felt his performance in the Wood Memorial this Saturday was magnificent enough to put him on the list this week. If you get a chance to watch a replay of this race, Toby's Corner was in behind TWO lines of four horses across the track at Aqueduct while on the far turn. He weaved his way through the traffic while full of run and powered past the fading Uncle Mo and the surging Arthur's Tale to win the Wood and make him a candidate for Derby glory.

#5 Uncle Mo- OK, I know he grabbed a quarter at the start of the Wood Memorial and was never really comfortable the whole race. Trainer Todd Pletcher said he had done that in a previous race and it wasn't a problem. So, then why was it a problem on Saturday? Pletcher also said that this was not a short horse for the Wood. I respectfully disagree with that assessment. He completely stopped in the stretch while trying to go farther than he ever went before. The total lack of competition caught up with him in the Wood. While that is that case, I also think he can rebound and still win the Derby.

#6 Archarcharch- You know, if the Kentucky Derby were held today, he wouldn't even have enough graded stakes earnings to make the top twenty. He would have to wait for the Preakness. However, the Derby is not held today, so his connections don't have to be concerned until Saturday. He will run tough again on Saturday, he always does. It will be interesting to see if he can turn the tables on The Factor, especially if The Factor is pressured on the front end.

Tune in again tomorrow for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

A.P. Indy

2011-04-11T20:46:00.000-07:00

The end of the line has come for the stud career of one of the greats, A.P. Indy (pictured). He has been pensioned at Lane's End Farm due to apparent infertility. A.P. Indy sired so many wonderful horses during his stud career that one wonders where to start. One of his offspring, Bernardini, won the 2006 Preakness and was the first choice to mate with the great Zenyatta. Unfortunately, the first attempt at impregnating the Grande Dame did not go so well, but there will be a second try, thankfully.

A.P. Indy also sired many other great runners including Pulpit, Stephen Got Even, Aptitude, Friends Lake, Suave, Mineshaft and Old Trieste. His legacy could likely equal that of Storm Cat, another of the great recent Sires. A.P. Indy was the leading North American Sire in 2003 and 2006. I don't think he quite gets into the discussion with Northern Dancer, but then again, who does really?

A.P. Indy was touched by greatness right from the start. His Sire was 1977 Triple Crown winner, Seattle Slew. A.P. Indy was Horse Of The Year and Champion Three-Year-Old Colt in 1992, following his wins in the Santa Anita Derby, Belmont Stakes, and Breeders' Cup Classic. He would probably have won the 1992 Kentucky Derby as well, but as the morning-line favorite, he was scratched on the morning of the race by trainer Neil Drysdale after a foot bruise. While that was unfortunate, it did clear the way for the great Pat Day to get his elusive Derby win with Lil E. Tee. Drysdale would eventually get to the Derby Winner's Circle with Fusaichi Pegasus in 2000. For his impressive racing career, A.P. Indy would go to the post eleven times, winning eight and finishing third in one other start. He earned a total of $2,979,815 in purse money.

A.P. Indy now gets to enjoy his dotage and retirement like any great one should, resting and relaxing, hopefully he somehow knows what an impact he had both on and off the racetrack. Here is the link to watch A.P. Indy win the 1992 Breeders' Cup Classic: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZnLjV2xVFo. Tune in again tomorrow for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Photo courtesy of chef-de-race.com

The Grade 1 $1,000,000 Santa Anita Derby

2011-04-08T21:06:00.000-07:00

This race lost just a touch of its steam when the horse that would have been the prohibitive favorite, Premier Pegasus, scratched with a fracture and is now completely out of the picture for the 137th Kentucky Derby on May 7. It is a pity this happened, because I thought he would have had a legitimate shot in Louisville, but we must move on. Here is the analysis for the Grade 1 $1,000,000 Santa Anita Derby:

I will go with #9 Anthony's Cross as my top pick in the Santa Anita Derby. He won the Grade 2 Robert E. Lewis at this distance over this racetrack on February 12. He has been away from the races since then, which is troubling, but since the middle of March, he has been working like a house on fire. Joel Rosario was up for the win in the Lewis and will get the call again here. For second place, I will go with #3 Mr. Commons. He scored an Allowance win last time out as a nearly even-money favorite. He is undefeated with Mike Smith aboard and the trainer is John Shirreffs. Does that combo sound familiar to anyone else? He appears to be a generous 8-1 on the morning line in here. The lineage suggests he might be more apt to run well on the turf. Finally, I will go with #10 Bench Points in the third spot. He is 10-1 on the morning line in here. The San Felipe was his first race over six furlongs and he acquitted himself nicely, finishing third. Rafael Bejarano was up for this one's first three wins of his career and he gets the call once again here. Please note that Jaycito was originally selected, but has been scratched. Here is the play for the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby:

$5 WP #9
$2 EX BOX 3-9-10
$2 TRI BOX 3-9-10
TOTAL- $34

The blog is currently MINUS $198 for the year. Remember, They Are Off accepts no responsibility for any wagers placed in conjunction with these selections. They are merely suggestions. Tune in again next week for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Fighting Through The Draw

2011-04-06T20:49:00.000-07:00

The major prep races for this weekend on the Kentucky Derby trail all had their draws today. The Grade 1 Wood Memorial will feature a field of ten, the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby will go one better than that with eleven, and the Grade 3 Illinois Derby will go one better than that and offers a field of twelve.

Of course, the highlight horse of the weekend will be the 2010 Champion Two-Year-Old Colt, Uncle Mo. He drew right in the middle of the bunch in the Wood Memorial, getting the #5 post position. I will be guessing that Uncle Mo will be going off somewhere around 1-5 in the Wood Memorial, given the quality (or apparent lack thereof) of his competition in the race.

The Santa Anita Derby draw was a little more of a story with Jaycito getting stuck all the way outside in post #11. The likely favorite will be Grade 2 San Felipe winner, Premier Pegasus, who got spot #8. The Grade 2 Robert E. Lewis winner, Anthony's Cross, who is unraced since that upset victory, will be starting in post position #9. The Grade 3 El Camino Real Derby winner, the Steve Asmussen-trained Silver Medallion, will be in post #4. Finally, Grade 1 CashCall Futurity winner, Comma To The Top, who will not be going to the Kentucky Derby, is in post #5.

The Illinois Derby gets the 47-1 upset winner of the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby, Watch Me Go. Watch Me Go drew post position #4 at Hawthorne. I don't think you will be getting 47-1 on Watch Me Go in Chicago. He has already been installed as the 7-2 morning-line choice. Others of interest in the Illinois Derby include the Al Stall-trainee, Sour at 6-1 in post #6, and El Grayling, who will be breaking from the #10 hole.

There are three very interesting races to watch for those of you interested in the Kentucky Derby field and the way it is shaping up this weekend. Remember, the Derby is now just one month from tomorrow. Tune in again on Friday for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Super Six Derby Pix

2011-04-05T21:16:00.000-07:00

Well, well, well, wasn't that fun? The Florida Derby went nothing like any of the experts thought it would and certainly didn't go the way I thought it would. Dialed In was the winner, barely escaping the 68-1 longshot, Shackleford, in the process. Soldat ran terrible, he appeared washed out before they even got to the gate, and he will now drop out of the Pix just one week after I catapulted him to the #1 spot. Here is this week's edition of the Super Six Derby Pix:

#1-Uncle Mo- Might finally get a true test of his abilities in the Grade 1 Wood Memorial over the newly-reopened main track at Aqueduct this weekend. His connections are reportedly hoping for a bigger field in the Wood, so he gains some experience in a crowded field, which he will encounter in the Kentucky Derby. I still was not wowed by his Timely Writer win, maybe he can sell me on Saturday.

#2-Dialed In- Didn't love what happened on Sunday in the Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park. He got a decent pace set-up, made his move, and then struggled to get past a 68-1 longshot that dictated that pace and should have folded like a cheap suit. Zito nearly got his elusive third Derby with Ice Box out of the Florida Derby last year with a similar running style. I am hard-pressed to think there will be an episode of deja vu'.

#3-Santiva- Will get his final tune-up before Churchill Downs just up the road at Keeneland, which opens this weekend. The Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes will be run next Saturday, April 16. I must say I am not a fan of going to the synthetic at this stage of the game, but it worked for Street Sense in 2007. Maybe the game plan can succeed again.

#4-Premier Pegasus- We'll see what he is made of in his final prep for Kentucky in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on Saturday afternoon. He has been the leader in the clubhouse on the West Coast since his dominating win in the Grade 2 San Felipe. If he manages to win the Santa Anita Derby, he will be among the favorites in Louisville. If he wins the Santa Anita Derby in the same fashion he won the San Felipe, he might end up being THE favorite, depending on what happens elsewhere, of course.

#5-The Factor- Trainer Bob Baffert has confirmed that the winner of the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park will be returning to Arkansas for the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby on April 16. He worked six furlongs in 1:11 2/5 on Monday morning. I still question whether or not the running style he will be employing will work, but since I was so spot-on in the Florida Derby and the way the clearly played out the way I figured it, that should tell you something.

#6-Archarcharch- I am starting to think of him in the same hard-knocking, all-heart category I have Santiva and had Gourmet Dinner before he bowed out. He won the Grade 3 Southwest at Oaklawn and acquitted himself nicely, running third behind The Factor in the Grade 2 Rebel. I expect him to be there at the end of the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby, maybe not as the winner, but certainly part of the picture at the end. He always seems to be right there.

Tune in again tomorrow for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

The Grade 1 $1,000,000 Florida Derby

2011-04-01T21:10:00.000-07:00

Sunday will be one of the more presitigious Derby preps of this 2011 season when the Florida Derby is run at Gulfstream Park. It is a very deep field of eight going to the post. It is quite possible that the winner of the Kentucky Derby in five weeks will be participating in this race on Sunday. Here is the analysis:

I have said on this blog that I think Soldat is going to win the Kentucky Derby at this point. I reserve the right, of course, to change that opinion. However, I will pick against him in the Florida Derby by selecting #2 To Honor And Serve as the winner. I think that the Grade 2 Fountain Of Youth was just a bit much for a 2011 debut for this Mott trainee and I happen to thik that he will be ready to roll on Sunday. There is a bullet workout on May 27 at Payson Park. I just think he wasn't ready on February 26 and I think he will be ready on Sunday. I will put #1 Soldat in the second spot. He might be able to rate a bit more than he did in the Fountain Of Youth when he just went and kept right on going until he reached the Winner's Circle. Alan Garcia has been money with him so far and the colt is 2 for 2 over the track at Gulfstream Park in 2011. #7 Dialed In will be the third selection in here. He has two wins and a second with Julien Leparoux aboard and I really think the second was merely a tightener. Trainer Nick Zito nearly won that elusive third Kentucky Derby last year with Ice Box. This closer could get him that victory in five weeks. Finally, I will put #8 Flashpoint in the fourth position. I think it is utter folly to run him in here. I certainly don't think his speed will hold up for any type of excessive distance. Hopefully, his connections will be cured of their Derby Fever after Sunday and get this horse ready to sprint this season, where he belongs. Here is the play for the Grade 1 $1,000,000 Florida Derby:

$2 EX BOX 1-2-7
$2 TRI BOX 1-2-7
TOTAL- $24

The blog is currently MINUS $174 for 2011. However, we will keep plugging away. Remember, They Are Off accepts no responsibility for any wagers placed in conjunction with these selections. They are merely suggestions. Tune in again next week for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!