The 1997 Breeders' Cup Juvenile

The 1997 Breeders' Cup at Hollywood Park was memorable for many reasons, among them Skip Away's dominating win in the Classic and Chief Bearhart picking up a win for Canada in the Turf. However, no storyline dominated as much as the Breeders' Cup Juvenile where Favorite Trick was the overwhelming choice to win. Favorite Trick was undefeated entering the race and seemed destined for greatness regardless of the outcome on Breeders' Cup Day.

Well, he certainly lived up to the billing in the Juvenile. He would win by five conclusive lengths and set a stakes record time in doing so as well. The victory capped his undefeated campaign and was part of the resume' he had in being named Horse Of The Year in 1997, the first two-year-old since Secretariat to be accorded that distinction. Needless to say, everyone thought Favorite Trick would be able to carry over his brilliant form into his three-year-old season and win the Kentucky Derby and everything else along the way. As we all know, it didn't quite turn out that way. 1998 was the year of Real Quiet, who was documented earlier this week on this blog following his untimely passing. Favorite Trick ended up running eighth in the 1998 Kentucky Derby and did not race in either of the other two Triple Crown races. He ended up coming back in the summer to win the Saratoga prep for the Travers Stakes, the Jim Dandy, and his connections tried to turn him into a turf miler. He scored a nice win at a mile on the turf at Keeneland and was sent off as the betting choice in the 1998 Breeders' Cup Mile, but ended up running eighth that day as well.

One must wonder what might have happened had Favorite Trick been able to remain with the trainer that guided him to that two-year-old championship campaign. Trainer Patrick Byrne had Favorite Trick ready to go in all eight of those two-year-old efforts and after the successful season, Byrne was hired away by Frank Stronach and left Favorite Trick behind. 1998 Horse Racing Hall Of Famer Bill Mott took over Favorite Trick's training and was never able to achieve the same level of success with the horse that Byrne had.

Favorite Trick perished in a barn fire in New Mexico in 2006. For his career, he started sixteen times, winning twelve and running third once. His career earnings were $1,726,793. If you would like to watch Favorite Trick's performance in the 1997 Breeders' Cup Juvenile, here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jikiWUEmzdU.

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

End Of The Line

On Tuesday afternoon, Jess Jackson, owner of 2009 Horse Of The Year, Rachel Alexandra, made an announcement that really shouldn't have surprised anyone that has been paying attention over the last several months. He announced the retirement of the champion filly and plans to breed her to his other Horse Of The Year, Curlin, are already underway. By the way, one can only hope that the progeny will inherit all the champion qualities of those two parents and become yet another champion to wear the yellow and maroon Jackson colors.

I know she never faced Zenyatta, which is only a huge lost opportunity for the sport. However, I would like to offer the following thought as far as Rachel's historical importance: Rachel Alexandra's 2009 season is the greatest single season for any filly anywhere or anytime. Starting with that first start of 2009 in the Martha Washington at Oaklawn Park, Rachel Alexandra never posted a Beyer figure lower than 100. She won seven consecutive Grade 1 or 2 races. That list includes a Triple Crown race (The Preakness), a 20 1/4-length victory in the Kentucky Oaks, a 19 1/4-length victory in the Mother Goose, and back-to-back wins against her male counterparts in the Haskell (against three-year-olds) and the Woodward (against older males). She did things in 2009 that no other three-year-old filly in history has ever done and she captivated the horse racing nation in doing so.

I must admit that I was quite disappointed in her 2010 campaign, which seemed mismanaged by her connections from the start. The results of only two wins in five starts appear to bear that out. I also admit that it was quite disappointing to never see her run with the Grand Dame of the West Coast, Zenyatta. While you must blame her connections also on that front, you must also blame the connections of Zenyatta, who only ventured outside of California once in an effort to match up in what would have an historic Apple Blossom Invitational at Oaklawn Park. One can only wonder what might have happened in such a race, but whether you are in the Zenyatta camp or the Rachel Alexandra camp, you must admit that it would have been incredible to see it happen.

So, Rachel goes off now to have babies with the creme de la creme of the recent times in Thoroughbred racing. It would be tremendous to see her replicate herself, but the odds are very long that would ever happen. I think we should just appreciate what we were able to see from her and accept that she was a great champion. That is all we should ever ask from any great one, isn't it?

Here is the link to watch Rachel Alexandra's win in the 2009 Preakness Stakes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRbF1kZQLjA. Tune in again tomorrow for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Real Quiet

One thing that most of my friends and people that know me say about me is that you will usually know exactly where I stand. Very early in my career calling and handicapping races, one of my "certainties" was that Real Quiet (pictured) was not much of a racehorse. I never warmed to him at all and spent most of my time relieved that he failed to join the pantheon on Triple Crown winners by losing the Belmont by a nose to Victory Gallop. One other thing that most people that know me know is that I also can admit when I was wrong.

Real Quiet was a tremendous race horse that came as close as anyone will ever come to winning horse racing's Holy Grail and not doing it. You can almost compare him to the 1986 Boston Red Sox, who came so close yet were so far away from winning that elusive championship. Real Quiet showed guts and determination in winning the Kentucky Derby, Real Quiet showed class and brilliance in winning the Preakness, and Real Quiet showed greatness and fallibility in nearly winning the Belmont Stakes. He deserved the kudos that came his way after his five-week run at immortality (Real Quiet was named Champion Three-Year-Old Colt in 1998). The fact that he didn't quite make it doesn't deter from the fact that he gave it his best.

Real Quiet passed away at the age of fifteen following a fall in his paddock at Penn Ridge Farms on Monday. Looking back on it, he might have been 11th or 12th as far as greatness on that pantheon of Triple Crown winners, but in my opinion, he certainly should have been on the list.

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

Photo courtesy of championsgallery.com

Super Derby $100,000 Guaranteed Pick Four

I will be in attendance for the Grade 2 $500,000 Super Derby on Saturday afternoon and Louisiana Downs is offering a $100,000 Guaranteed Pick Four on Race 9-12, including the Super Derby itself, which features a very competitive field of six. Here is the analysis for each of the races in the Pick Four sequence (based on a $1 wager):

Race 9- The Happy Ticket- I think this is the most wide-open race in the Pick Four, so this is the race I will go the deepest in with five possibilities. #2 Patty's Pride, #6 Jazzy Jessy, #7 Accept, #8 Lawyer Tiffany, and #9 Tiger Girl will all be used in this pick four play.

Race 10- The Sunday Silence- #5 Aces N Kings is the 4-5 favorite in this field and deservedly so, so he will be a single in the Pick Four. He is undefeated in five lifetime starts, the last two on the turf.

Race 11- The Grade 2 Super Derby- My top choice in the Super Derby is the undefeated #5 Golden Moka, who worked well at Woodbine in mid-September and is another undefeated contender in this Pick Four play. For another selection in here, I will also use the winner of the Prelude at Louisiana Downs, #3 Apart. His trip in the Prelude was atrocious and he still won going away. It was a very impressive performance.

Race 12- The River Cities- #7 Category Seven is another big favorite here. She is working a five-race win streak and is five for seven on the Louisiana Downs greenery. #3 Dancin Perfect finished behind #7 Category Seven in two of her last three efforts, but a turn of the tables is possible here. Finally, #8 Vickies In Town deserves a look with back-to-back wins, including the Honeymoon last time out.

Here is the $1 Pick Four play for the Super Derby Pick Four:

2-6-7-8-9 with 5 with 3-5 with 3-7-8
TOTAL- $30

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 1 $1,000,000 Woodbine Mile

They Are Off's feature race of the weekend comes on a Sunday this time around as we analyze the Grade 1 $1,000,000 Woodbine Mile from Woodbine in Canada. This race is considered one of the leading preps for the Breeders' Cup Mile to be run on Saturday, November 6 at Churchill Downs. There will be a field of thirteen going postward at Woodbine for the Mile and the morning-line favorite is The Usual Q.T. at 3-1.

The top selection in the race is #12 Famous Name, a Juddmonte horse coming to run in North America for the first time. He has hit the board in 17 of 19 lifetime performances, although the Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown last time out on September 4 was one of the misses. That sixth-place finish ended a three race win streak, all of which had come at the same track where he was outrun. Two of those wins were Group 3s. Don't forget the all-important first-time Lasix for the European import. #13 Grand Adventure comes next with Patrick Husbands aboard. Husbands had the ride in each of the last three efforts, which were a Grade 2 win, a Grade 3 win, and a Grade 2 second after leading most of the way at a furlong farther than this race. He has not been to the track since the end of July, however. You might want to check out the recent streak of blistering five-furlong workouts if you have any doubts as to Grand Adventure's fitness. Let's use a big 30-1 longshot in the third spot with #10 Woodbourne. Chantal Sutherland will have the riding assignment on this gelding that is uniquely comfortable of the Woodbine turf, having recorded six of his eight lifetime wins on the Woodbine grass. His lone graded race on the recent resume' was a disaster, an eighth in the 2009 Grade 2 Sky Classic at Woodbine. It would turn out to be his last race of 2009. Since returning, he has been first or second in all five starts, albeit those race have been claimers or optional claimers mostly, just one Stakes try the exception. Finally, for fourth I will use #6 Smokey Fire, who might be challenged by this distance. Quite simply, he has never been this far before. However, he has finished ahead of the other likely fourth-place candidate for me, #7 Signature Red, the last two times they met. Smokey Fire rallied late to win the Grade 2 Play The King at Woodbine going seven furlongs, so asking for that extra furlong will hopefully not be a stretch. Here is the play for the Grade 1 $1,000,000 Woodbine Mile:

$10 WP #12
$1 EX BOX 6-7-10-12-13
$1 TRI 12-13 with 12-13 with 6-7-10
TOTAL- $46

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 time off for a road trip next week to the Super Derby at Louisiana Downs. It is my intention to post selections for the Super Derby on Thursday, September 23. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

The 2001 Breeders' Cup Sprint

Every so often with They Are Off, I like to reminisce about great races or great horses from the past. I always enjoy writing this historical pieces and I hope you enjoy reading them. For the next several weeks, I would like to highlight one edition of each of the original seven Breeders' Cup races in the lead-up to the World Thoroughbred Championships to be run at Churchill Downs on Friday, November 5 and Saturday, November 6. Today, I will start the series with a look at the 2001 Breeders' Cup Sprint.

The 2001 Breeders' Cup was run at Belmont Park just a scant six weeks after the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center in the heart of Manhattan. It is hard to believe that such a major international event took place so soon after such a devastating tragedy, but keep in mind that the 2001 World Series between the New York Yankees and the Arizona Diamondbacks was going on at about this time as well.

One of the undercurrents leading into the 2001 Breeders' Cup was the absence of a single Cup victory on the resume' of trainer Bobby Frankel. Frankel had been inducted into the Thoroughbred Racing Hall Of Fame in 1995 and had won (it seemed) every race under the sun. Well, the exceptions to that assumption were the Breeders' Cup and the Triple Crown races. As of 2001, Frankel had not managed a win in any of the races in either series. That would change in 2001 as Frankel's trainee, Squirtle Squirt, wore down the very game filly, Xtra Heat in the shadow of the wire to notch his first career Breeders' Cup winner. Both Squirtle Squirt and Xtra Heat were part of the pace of the Sprint from the moment the gates opened. Unlike most renditions of the Sprint, the opening quarter in 2001 was a pedestrian 22.2 seconds. Usually, the first fractional time in the Sprint is around 21 seconds flat or something nearer that range. So, the frontrunners in the race really hadn't exhausted themselves by the time the wire loomed. The first three finishers in the race (Squirtle Squirt, Xtra Heat, and Caller One) were all at the front of the field for the entire six furlongs. Additionally, none of that trio were well considered by the bettors that day either. Squirtle Squirt went off at 10-1, Xtra Heat was 18-1, and Caller One was 12-1. It resulted in a very nice Trifecta payoff of $2,162.

Of course, this would not be the only Breeders' Cup or Triple Crown win for Frankel in his remarkable career. He would go on to win the Filly And Mare Turf in 2002 (Starine) and 2005 (Intercontinental), the Classic in 2004 (Ghostzapper), and the Distaff in 2007 (Ginger Punch). And, let us not forget the 2003 Belmont Stakes win with Empire Maker that spoiled the Triple Crown bid of Funny Cide. Bobby Frankel passed away in November 2009 and it can certainly be said that when it came to racing, he had done it all.

You can watch the 2001 Breeders' Cup Sprint with the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcWm7cENh8Y

Tune in tomorrow for a look at this weekend's Grade 1 Woodbine Mile. By the way, Frankel won the Woodbine Mile three times, 2000 (Riviera), 2005 (Leroidesanimeaux), and 2009 (Ventura). For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Taking A Pass

The Christophe Clement-trained 2009 Turf and Older Male Champion, Gio Ponti, has elected to bypass this weekend's Grade 1 $1,000,000 Woodbine Mile at (where else?) Woodbine in favor of running in the Grade 1 $600,000 Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland to be run on October 9. Clement believes that the fact that Gio Ponti won't be spotting any weight to the field in the Shadwell, as he would have had to do in the Woodbine Mile, is a major benefit.

Certainly, there can be no arguing with Clement's logic. After all, he is only one of the best turf trainers in the world. What become the interesting part of this situation is what happens next. Will Gio Ponti use the Shadwell as a prep race for the Breeders' Cup Mile or the Breeders' Cup Classic? Gio Ponti is one of the top turf horses going right now, but keep in mind that he has actually only won one time in 2010. The rest of his campaign is dotted with near-misses and could-have-beens. That includes his last effort in the Grade 1 Arlington Million, where he was passed in the final strides by Debussy's rail-skimming rally. Even the win was mostly unimpressive, as he appeared to struggle to get past front-running longshot, Mission Envisioned, in the Grade 1 Man O'War at Belmont Park.

The final consideration is the competition he will face in either Breeders' Cup race. If he opts for the Mile, you must consider that Gio Ponti is 2 for 2 at the mile distance on the turf and he will likely be facing two-time defending Mile Champion, the brilliant Goldikova. If he elects to run in the Classic, (where he did run second last year to Zenyatta's eye-catching stretch run) he will likely face a rematch with Zenyatta, not to mention running against the likes of Quality Road, Blame, Rail Trip, and other top-flight Classic division horses in what should prove to be a great race. Also, Gio Ponti has never run a race on dirt before. The 2009 Breeders' Cup Classic was run over the synthetic surface at Santa Anita, while the 2010 Classic will take place over the dir track at Churchill Downs.

It almost looks like Clement will be damned if he does or damned if he doesn't no matter what road he elects to follow. It is my thought that he will take on Goldikova in the Mile. I think the competition will be softer in the Mile, given that other than her, there really isn't a standout horse in that division on either side of the Atlantic plus you get to keep him on the grass surface instead of running him on an unfamiliar track that other great horses have had issues with in the past (see Skip Away).

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

Not Super News

The 2010 Kentucky Derby winner, Super Saver, thus far is much like the 2009 Kentucky Derby winner, Mine That Bird. That is, neither one has won a race since their triumphs on the First Saturday In May. Granted, Mine That Bird has had many more chances that Super Saver to do that, but the fact remains they have not returned to the Winner's Circle.

Super Saver and his connections will have at least another two months to contemplate this fact while he is on the shelf for sixty days after some bone bruising was discovered that will require the Derby winner to be on "stall rest". It could very well be that the bruising has been there all along and that might very well be the reason for his lack of success since the Derby win in the Churchill Downs slop. His last three performances since the Run For The Roses were a fading eighth at Pimlico in the Preakness, a somewhat guttier fourth in the Haskell at Monmouth, and a disheartening tenth in the Travers at Saratoga. Certainly, he has been facing tough stuff, but he should have at least hit the board in one of those three subsequent starts.

The drf.com story on Super Saver mentions that Dr. Larry Bramlage discovered a major bruise on his left front cannon bone. Does this news mean that Super Saver won't turn into a one-trick pony like Mine That Bird apparently has? One can only hope so. If there is one thing that horse racing needs, it is for continued success from its marquee race winners. Since there is no race more marquee that the Kentucky Derby, let's hope that Super Saver can get back to the Winner's Circle once he gets back to the track.

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

The Grade 2 $150,000 Bowling Green Handicap

The New York Racing Association ended it summer sojourn to Saratoga this week and Saturday marks the return to Belmont Park for what is traditionally some of the best racing in the country. For those of you looking for some Breeders' Cup thoughts, you might want to check out that New York simulcast signal over the next several weeks, as the good ones will be running often. The Opening Day feature is the Grade 2 $150,000 Bowling Green Handicap with what was supposed to be a field of eleven. However, Grand Couturier's connections are opting to find a softer spot (literally, they want to run on soggy turf and the weather forecast indicates that the Northern Dancer at Woodbine on September 19 is the place for them). That means we have a field of ten to take a look at, so here is the analysis for the Grade 2 Bowling Green:

My top choice in here will be #3 Al Khali, who ran 3rd behind Telling and Bearpath in the very competitive Grade 1 Sword Dancer at Saratoga on August 14. Just as telling for Al Khali is the apparent versatility this horse has. Looking at his past performances, he can rate or he can go to the lead and be dangerous doing either one. Plus, he gets Julien Leparoux in the saddle and not many have been as hot of late. I am going to use the chalk second with #5 Winchester. First of all, I have said it before and I will say it again: CLEMENT ON THE GRASS!!! The last time that Winchester ran over the Belmont greenery, he was a winner in the Grade 1 Manhattan on Belmont Stakes Day at odds of 21-1. He followed that up with a third in the Grade 1 United Nations at Monmouth. The longshot to like in this race appears to be #10 Followmyfootsteps. While he has never run at this level before, he acquitted himself nicely at The Spa with a win and a third in two tries and his turf Tomlinson number is among the best in the field. I like him here at 15-1 on the morning line. Finally, I will use #1 Simmard to wrap up the top four. If Leparoux isn't the hottest rider around, it might just be John Velazquez. The big knock on this runner is that he has been away from the race since January. However, he did throw a bullet workout on the board at Woodbine on September 8, covering five furlongs in 59.3 seconds. Here is the play for the Grade 2 $150,000 Bowling Green Handicap:

$5 WP #4
$1 EX BOX 1-3-4-5-10
$1 TRI 3-5 with 3-5 with 1-4-10
TOTAL- $36

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

Return Engagement

Lookin At Lucky has been sidelined for quite some time now since coming down with an illness in the wake of his convincing victory in the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park. The 2010 Preakness winner, trained by Bob Baffert, has been out of action since spiking a fever. Baffert says the goal for the likely three-year-old champion is the Breeders' Cup Classic to be run in November at Churchill Downs.

Lookin At Lucky started the long climb toward that goal with his first workout since being out of action with the health issue. He worked an easy half-mile in 49.40 seconds this morning at Del Mar over the Polytrack surface there. Baffert says that he doesn't have any specific races in mind to use as a prep for the Classic.

There are some scenarios for that warmup race for the Classic and that road has been made a little bit easier with the decision of the Quality Road camp to go directly to the Classic following his win in the Woodward at Saratoga last weekend. Baffert is certainly in no rush to get Lookin At Lucky back to the races, but since he is heading to Hollywood Park anyway, a cursory look at the Oak Tree schedule shows the Grade 1 Goodwood Stakes on Saturday, October 2 to be a possibility and still leave more than a month to be prepared for the Breeders' Cup in Kentucky. There really isn't any other race to match Lookin At Lucky with during the Oak Tree season at Hollywood Park. Of course, if Baffert is in the mood to travel with the Preakness champ, he could go to Belmont park on the same day and run in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup as well. Either way, I see Baffert's options as very limited at this point.

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

BONUS RACE: The $100,000 Budweiser Select Cradle

One of my good friends in racing is Pete Aiello, who calls the races at River Downs in Ohio. The Daily Racing Form featured the Cradle Stakes in the Sunday edition History Challenge. Plus, it is the Labor Day Holiday on Monday, so how about a bonus race for the day with the $100,000 Budweiser Select Cradle Stakes:

I will put #6 Rustler Hustler on top following the win in the Continental Mile. That was his first race ever over the turf and he closed smartly to get the win. That and the fact that my all-time favorite turf horse, Cozzene, is on the Dam side gives him the edge in this spot. For second, I will use a 10-1 possible price with #4 Mesonic. Corey Lanerie has the riding assignment for trainer Eddie Kennally. This horse ran 5th behind the top pick in the aforementioned Monmouth race. He also beat the possible favorite in here two back at Arlington over the greenery. I will put that likely favorite third with #1 Awesome Attack. A Pat Byrne trainee with a win and second in two previous efforts. By the way, the win came over this very turf course on August 14. Finally, I will put #7 Naphtali in the fourth spot following an impressive first-start victory at Ellis on August 14. Perry Ouzts has the riding assignment. Here is the play for the $100,000 Budweiser Select Cradle Stakes:

$10 WIN #6
$1 EX BOX 1-4-6
$1 TRI BOX 1-4-6
TOTAL-$22

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

The Grade 1 $250,000 Forego

The Forego honors one of the great handicap horses of the 1970s. Forego was one of the first racing stars I remember seeing on my television when I was a very young racing fan. The race on Saturday will be run at seven furlongs at Saratoga and, of course, we will try to beat the favored Godolphin entry of Vineyard Haven and Girolamo. Here are the selections:

I really had a hard time separating my top two selections in this race, but I ended up going with #3 Big Drama based on the class of competition factor. Big Drama ran an excellent race when second to Majesticperfection in the Grade 1 Vanderbilt at Saratoga on August 8. He does have two previous wins at the seven furlong distance and both of the August workouts at Calder are strong. Eibar Coa has the riding assignment. For second, I will go with #4 Here Comes Ben, who is 12-1 on the morning line for this try. He has not run since June 25, but rolled off a three-race win streak before the break. All of those wins were at seven furlongs. However, this will be his first go with graded company and it is a very tough spot for him here. #6 Omniscient gets the third selection for me in the Forego. He picked up a win in an ungraded stakes race at Monmouth on August 1 and won the last two as a matter of fact. He is shortening up in distance off those wins, both of which were at 1 1/16 miles. Finally, I will use #8 Warrior's Reward, who is teaming back up with Julien Leparoux here. All three of the previous pairings were at seven furlongs and they ended up with two wins and a second. The colt is 0 for 2 at Saratoga, though, plus he has not raced since May 31. Here is the play for the Grade 1 $250,000 Forego:

$5 WP #3
$1 EX BOX 3-4-6-8
$1 TRI BOX 3-4-6-8
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!

Dancing In The Dark

The Daily Racing Form website is reporting today that Gulfstream Park is looking to add lights to accommodate nighttime racing starting with the 2011 season. That is all well and good, but according to the same story, Florida law prohibits nighttime Thoroughbred racing. While Gulfstream officials are apparently confident that they can get the law changed in time for the 2011 season (and with the way most governments function, good luck with that), this situation actually begs a different question, "Is nighttime racing the future of the sport?"

My answer to that question would be an almost unqualified yes. If you look at the success that Churchill Downs had with their nighttime racing programs since they have installed lights, it makes you wonder why more tracks don't jump on the bandwagon and try it. I understand that there is a prohibitive cost in putting lights in at a racetrack and the electrical bills will skyrocket, but if you make it a sometimes thing (a la Churchill), I think you will start to see some success with it as well. I called races at a nighttime winter track for twelve years and I can tell you that while the numbers weren't always great, those nights when we were the only game available (as a result of winter cancellations of other nighttime products) were very successful.

Of course, this discussion also came up when the lights went in at Churchill, "What about running the Derby at night?" Well, that might still be some time off, but I can certainly see Churchill and whatever network will have the Derby rights by that time fully endorsing a Kentucky Derby run in prime time. I will also bet the farm that the ratings for such an event would be through the roof. What about a prime time Breeders' Cup? Can you imagine the thought of Zenyatta blazing through not only the field but also the nighttime sky to win that race last year? And, again, I will say that with Her Eminence running in prime time, the TV numbers would have been somewhat higher.

So, I for one am pulling for Gulfstream Park to get the lights going and get the Florida legislature on board. I think it might be the way of all things racing in the not too far distant future.

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

Martha And McGovern

Ann McGovern was part of the excellent management team at Sam Houston Race Park when I was hired as the track announcer there in 1997. Martha Claussen (a frequent contributor to this blog) was my direct supervisor at Sam Houston Race Park for twelve years. It seems only natural that the two of them should get together for a retrospective of McGovern's career with her decision to leave her current post at Ruidoso Downs at the conclusion of the current meet. Here is a link to the story from the Paulick Report:

http://www.paulickreport.com/blog/good-news-friday-sponsored-by-liberation-farm-celebrating-mcgovern/

I would also like to add my personal well wishes to Ann in whatever she elects to do in the future and offer a sincere thank you to her for her part in starting my announcing career. Tune in tomorrow for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

I'm Fairly Certain...

...that Rachel Alexandra will not be Horse Of The Year in 2010. Following yet another defeat (her third in the last five starts) yesterday at Saratoga in the Personal Ensign, I don't see any way that she will win the honor. Not too long ago in this blog, I opined that Zenyatta should be Horse Of The Year and was hammered for saying such heresy by the Rachel contingent out there (which, by the way, I still count myself part of). Well, after Sunday, I think it can safely be said that a mile and a quarter just might be a tad outside of Rachel's limitations and therefore, a win in the Breeders' Cup Classic will likely not happen, especially if the field that is expected to be assembled (Blame, Quality Road, Zenyatta, Awesome Gem, Richard's Kid, Rail Trip, and others) come to Churchill Downs for the Cup.

Rachel Alexandra gave us a season for the ages in 2009 and she was deservedly given Horse Of The Year honors for a season which might be the greatest of the last thirty-five plus years. She won a Triple Crown race, she won the Kentucky Oaks in Secretariat-like fashion, she beat all comers, male and female, three-year-olds and older horses. It could very well have been the greatest single year any horse has put forth ever given all that she was able to overcome and never be beaten. However, this is now not the same horse that dazzled us in 2009. She is beatable by horses that should not be able to be considered in her class, she surrenders in the stretch where last year she would look an opponent in the eye and beat them back. It is unfortunate to say it, but Rachel Alexandra is just not the same horse.

If you accept my theory that she won't win Horse Of The Year, fine, if you don't, that's fine with me also. I still think she ranks with the greatest of all time and you can never take away any of her colossal accomplishments. However, it does leave the unanswered question of who will be Horse Of The Year? I think the winner is on that list I rattled off in the first paragraph and I think it will be whichever one of them wins the Breeders' Cup Classic. I certainly hope that like Rachel Alexandra, it will be a classic.

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

The Grade 1 $1,000,000 Travers Stakes

Saratoga hosts the 141st running of the Grade 1 Shadwell Travers Stakes on Saturday and there will be field of eleven going to the gate, including the winner and runner-up of the 2010 Kentucky Derby, Super Saver and Ice Box. The winner of the Grade 2 Jim Dandy, A Little Warm, is also in the field. In fact, he is the morning-line favorite at 7-2. Here is the analysis of the "Mid-Summer Derby", the Grade 1 $1,000,000 Travers Stakes:

My top pick in the Travers will be #2 Trappe Shot. He has been on quite an impressive run of late, winning five of his last six starts. He finished second behind the best three-year-old in the country right now, Lookin At Lucky, in the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational. There is certainly no shame in that. I expect him to be sitting pretty right behind the speed and he should get first run at the front-runners when they get to the stretch. For second, I will put the only horse to actually hit the board in two of the Triple Crown races this year, #4 First Dude. He will more than likely be headed to the front of the pack. I doubt he will be there alone, but if he is, he just might not look back. Blinkers will be added today by trainer Dale Romans. His last two workouts (at Churchill Downs) were remarkably consistent. I will put the Derby winner, #11 Super Saver, in the third spot. I would have him higher if Saratoga was getting the weather they had last weekend (rain), but tomorrow is expected to be sunny. If there is any residual moisture in the surface, that will only benefit him. The post position draw didn't do him or jockey Calvin Borel any favors. Finally, I will put #7 Afleet Express in the fourth spot. His last two races resulted in a win and a third. The Sire is Afleet Alex, who is likely the only challenger to Point Given for Horse Of The Decade honors. He also encountered some trouble in the Jim Dandy and still ended up on 2 1/2 lengths off the winner. Here is the play for the Grade 1 $1,000,000 Travers Stakes:

$5 WPS #2
$1 EX BOX 2-4-7-8-11
10-cent SPR BOX 2-4-7-8-11
TOTAL- $47

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 1996 Pacific Classic

Perhaps no running of the Pacific Classic is more remembered than the 1996 edition. That was during the two-year period where Cigar dominated horse racing like no horse had in nearly twenty years before he came along. Cigar went through the entire 1995 campaign undefeated, culminating his first of two consecutive Horse Of The Year titles with a magnificent win in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Belmont Park. Cigar would build his winning streak up to sixteen races in a row to tie the immortal Citation's streak and the 1996 Pacific Classic would be the race that would eclipse Big Cy's record and make Cigar stand nearly alone in the annals of racing.

However, the 1996 Pacific Classic would not go the way anyone thought it would. Cigar's streak would actually end on that day, as he was passed in the stretch by Dare And Go, who sat off of the speed battle that developed and roared past Cigar and stunned everyone in attendance and watching on television (yes, in those not too far distant days, there was racing on television other than TVG and HRTV). Dare And Go's win would be the first of consecutive wins in the race for trainer Richard Mandella (Gentlemen would win the race in 1997). I was still living in Phoenix for the first time in 1996 and the thing that stands out to me was that within minutes of Cigar being beaten, the entire West Coast suffered a loss of electrical power. I recall some people jokingly thinking that since we had just seen the impossible with Cigar losing, anything could happen. The culprit ended up being a freak accident with a crucial part of electrical board in California that wasn't fixed until some time later.

Cigar would actually go on to lose twice more before the end of 1996. He would be defeated by the great Skip Away in the 1996 Jockey Club Gold Cup and would run third behind Alphabet Soup and Louis Quatorze in the 1996 Breeders' Cup Classic. For a replay of the 1996 Pacific Classic that shocked the world, here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDJD_jjvqRk.

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

Some Kinda Saturday

That is what we have in front of us on both coasts this coming Saturday in the world of horse racing. Two of the summers biggest events will be taking place on the same day. First, the "Midsummer Derby", the Grade 1 $1,000,000 Travers Stakes will be taking place at Saratoga. It is one of five graded stakes on the Saturday Saratoga program and one of three Grade 1 races. Post time for that race is expected to be around 5:45 PM eastern time. Second, the Grade 1 $1,000,000 Pacific Classic will take place at Del Mar with a field of ten going postward in the highlight race of the Del Mar meeting. Post time for that race is expected to be 7:30 PM eastern time.

The Travers will feature this year's Kentucky Derby winner, Super Saver, and his Kentucky Derby winning rider, Calvin Borel, breaking from the far outside post position. The Derby winner will be listed at 6-1 on the morning line for the Travers. That is not too far out of the realm of reality since (like Mine That Bird in 2009) Super Saver has not won since his Derby score. The runner-up in the 2010 Derby, Nick Zito's Ice Box, is 10-1 on the morning line for the Travers. Again, no shocker there since he has not been able to recapture the form that led up to his Derby runner-up run. The actual shocker in the Travers might be the identity of the favorite at 7-2, A Little Warm. Granted, he won the Grade 2 Jim Dandy earlier this season at The Spa, which is the natural prep for the Travers, but hasn't he kind of come out of nowhere to suddenly be the top choice in this race. I would have thought that Trappe Shot might have been the morning line choice, given his second to current three-year-old king, Lookin At Lucky, in the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational earlier this summer at Monmouth Park.

The Pacific Classic drew a field of ten with the morning line choice being, The Usual Q.T., who drew the outside post in that field of ten. The 2009 winner of the Classic, Richard's Kid, is 7-2 for trainer Bob Baffert. It is my opinion that the most interesting horse in the field will be breaking from the rail. Battle Of Hastings usually excels in tries on the turf. However, his connections are stepping up to run with the big boys of the West Coast here and do it on the polytrack synthetic surface at Del Mar. Brice Blanc has the ride and the horse is 10-1 on the morning line. Could he be the value horse of the bunch? Hold Me Back, who seemed to have the role of "wiseguy" horse for the 2009 Kentucky Derby is in the field at 8-1. For those of you who are fans of Neil Finn, Crowded House will be 20-1 on the morning line.

I am not sure I can ever recall a year in which the two biggest racetracks of the summer ran their single biggest races of the summer on the same day. Whatever the reason for it, I certainly won't be complaining because it promises to be a fabulous day of racing on both coasts.

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

The Grade 1 $1,000,000 Arlington Million

The defending champion of the Arlington Million, Gio Ponti, is back to try and become the first horse ever to win consecutive runnings of the mid-summer turf classic. His morning line for the effort is 7-5. I think he has a strong chance to make history on Saturday in Chicago, but those of you who read this blog know that I am loathe to select anyone at 7-5. Therefore, he are the selections for the Grade 1 $1,000,000 Arlington Million:

My top pick will be #2 Debussy. He recorded a Group 3 win at Chester in Great Britain earlier this year and then finished seventh in the Group 1 Prince Of Wales Stakes at Ascot. His last try was at York and he finished 4th in a Group 2. I am concerned that he finished behind horses he will be facing here in those last two starts, but at 12-1, the price could be right. For second, I will go with the favored #6 Gio Ponti. I think the price for him is too short, especially given the fact he has just one win this year. That came last time out and he was hard-pressed to run down a big longshot, Mission Approved, to get that victory. He might finally be coming into form, but at the odds I expect him to be on Saturday, he can go ahead and beat me. In the third spot, I will select a horse that provided a They Are Off winner in the Grade 3 Arlington Handicap earlier this summer, #7 Rahystrada. He is 2 for 2 over the Arlington Turf Course and that win in the Arlington Handicap came at this distance. There are only two horses in this field that have won as many as ten races, Gio Ponti and Rahystrada. Finally, I will round out the top four with #3 General Quarters. He has run very well on the turf at times this year, but he got a horribly wide trip in the Arlington Handicap and ended up running sixth, although less than five lengths away from the winner. He has a bullet workout on August 14, five furlongs in one minute flat. Here is the play for the Grade 1 Arlington Million:

$5 WPS #2
$1 EX BOX 2-3-6-7-9
TOTAL- $35

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!

Dishing The Dirt

The Thoroughbred Times website is reporting that Frank Stronach will be putting a dirt surface in at Santa Anita Park in time for their winter season and its traditional starting date of December 26. This move, of course, is an admission by the California Horse Racing Board that their premature insistence that all tracks install synthetic surfaces was a mistake. While Hollywood Park (with cushion) and Golden Gate (with Tapeta) have been relatively successful with their synthetic surfaces and Del Mar (Polytrack) is at best an iffy proposition, Santa Anita and their Pro-Ride track was an unmitigated disaster. Santa Anita would lose racing dates if any type of rain fell in Southern California because the track became unusable. It happened time and time again and now, hopefully, with the restoration of dirt, Santa Anita will once again be able to be a racetrack and not something of a joke.

In a related article on the Thoroughbred Times website, it was also rumored that Stronach would reverse his previous position and offer Oak Tree a three-to-five year extension to run their racing season at Santa Anita. Of course, Stronach would then ask for something in return, which Thoroughbred Times reports is a four-week extension of the winter season. If the dirt plan goes through, I cannot see how it would be a bad thing for there to be more dirt racing in Southern California.

What we have here, it appears to me, are numerous rushes to judgement and the people that made them realizing that they were in the wrong. First, the CHRB mandating the changeover to synthetic and now seeing what they have wrought and deciding to allow Santa Anita to remove a disastrous racetrack with a more stable one, hopefully. Secondly, Frank Stronach declaring that Oak Tree must get out and now electing to welcome them back, if the rumors and reports are true, which is a good situation for all concerned because Oak Tree just belongs at Santa Anita.

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

Not To Be Ignored

The most amazing performance of this past weekend did not come in the Sword Dancer, where Telling went back-to-back (and beat out my top pick in the process). It did not come in the La Jolla, where Sidney's Candy dominated a strong field to win his first-ever try on the grass. No, it came a Triple Crown race from north of the border. 65-1 Miami Deco (pictured) scored a monumental upset in the final leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, The Breeders' Stakes at Woodbine.

Miami Deco stormed up the inside to steal the race from Stormy Lord, who appeared ready for glory after putting away what seemed to be his last challenger in Cognashene after a stout challenge in the stretch. The performance by Miami Deco was all the more amazing given the fact that entering The Breeders' Stakes, he was still a maiden. That's right, Miami Deco had never won a race before Saturday in his career. In fact, much like Sidney's Candy, this was the first time Miami Deco had ever tried to run on the turf before. The lineage certainly did not suggest that Miami Deco could accomplish such a feat as going 1 1/2 miles on the turf for the first time. His Sire is Limehouse, whose Sire was Grand Slam, he made his name at much shorter distances. The only clue that this might happen comes from the fact that the only time Miami Deco ever even hit the board in five lifetime starts was in the longest race of his career, at 1 1/8 miles over the polytrack at Woodbine on June 13.

So, in the final analysis, it is nothing short of a miracle what we witnessed on Sunday on the E.P. Taylor Turf Course. A horse that had never won a race, never really been close to winning a race to be accurate, a horse that had never been on the turf before and never been the 1 1/2 mile distance rose up and shocked everyone by winning a Triple Crown race in Canada.

Is this a great game or what?

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

Photo courtesy of globeandmail.com

The Grade 1 $500,000 Sword Dancer Invitational

In yesterday's post, They Are Off documented some of the great Sword Dancer's career, including his epic 1959 campaign that resulted in him being named Horse Of The Year. Today, we analyze the race named in his honor at Saratoga at 1 1/2 miles over the Inner Turf Course at The Spa. It features a field of ten, headlined by the 3-1 morning-line favorite, Expansion. Here are the selections:

My top choice in the Sword Dancer is #6 Bearpath. If you take a look at his last race (against many of this company) in the Grade 1 Man O'War, he ran 4th and was only two lengths behind the spectacular Gio Ponti. The comments part of the past performances mentions that he got squeezed at the quarter and still managed to rally and come close. Don't forget that the Man O'War was almost stolen on the front end by longshot Mission Approved. Another factor in Bearpath's favor is the addition of Calvin Borel in the irons. How much longer can #10 Grand Courturier run with the big boys of the turf? So far, 2010 has seemed to represent the end of the road for the seven-year-old. He has a sixth and two sevenths in three graded starts this year. However, he does have five wins at the distance and two scores over this Saratoga Turf Course, including a win in the Sword Dancer in 2008. I think he might run one more big race before fading into the sunset. I will put the favorite #4 Expansion in the third slot. He only lost the Man O'War by 3/4 length and ran third overcoming a wide trip to do it. He has finished in the top two in both previous Inner Turf tries at Saratoga. One demerit for this runner is that he is still winless in 2010. If he is going to be the favorite here, I would like for him to have given me an indication he can handle it. Finally, you just cannot leave a Christophe Clement trainee out of your handicapping paragraph when we are talking turf races. That is why I will include #7 Grassy in the fourth spot at 10-1. This horse has never been greater than 9-2 in the wagering in any of the last seven starts. He could be a big value here, especially coming off a win, although this is quite the step up in class. Here is the play for the Grade 1 $500,000 Sword Dancer Invitational:

$5 WP #6
$1 EX BOX 4-5-6-7-10
$1 TRI 6-10 with 6-10 with 4-5-7
TOTAL- $36

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

Sword Dancer

Saratoga Race Course will be running one of their top turf races of their season this Saturday, the Grade 1 $500,000 Sword Dancer Invitational. The race will feature ten horses going 1 1/2 miles on the Inner Turf Course at The Spa. For today's feature, I thought I would provide a look back at the horse that the race was named after.

Sword Dancer (pictured) compiled an impressive record during his time on the racetrack. He started 39 times in his career, winning fifteen of those races, with seven seconds and four thirds. Sword Dancer earned a total of $829,610 in purses for his career. Perhaps the most famous part of Sword Dancer's story is a race he didn't win. Sword Dancer finished second by a nose to Tomy Lee in the 1959 Kentucky Derby. The rider of Tomy Lee, Bill Shoemaker, thought that Bill Boland and Sword Dancer were poised to run past him at the top of the stretch and he shouted above the din to Boland, "Go Get It!". Boland thought Shoemaker was playing tricks on him and waited for Shoemaker to re-rally with Tomy Lee. It just so happened that at this point Tomy Lee and Sword Dancer made some minor contact with each other causing Tomy Lee to finally switch leads and he managed to stay right with Sword Dancer and held on to win the Run For The Roses by a mere nose.

Sword Dancer went on to win the 1959 Belmont Stakes, which just began a run of greatness that would lead him to the 1959 Horse Of The Year title. Sword Dancer would go on to win the Woodward, Suburban, Travers, and Jockey Club Gold Cup on his way to the title. He would come back again in 1960 to repeat his victories in the Woodward and the Suburban. By the way, in addition to the Horse Of The Year crown in 1959, Sword Dancer would win Three-Year-Old Colt and Male Handicap Horse recognition as well.

Sword Dancer would go on to sire one of the great horses of the 1960s in Damascus, who also failed in Louisville in 1967, but would go on to win the Preakness and Belmont that year. Sword Dancer was inducted in the Racing Hall Of Fame in 1977 and was voted #53 on the list of Top 100 Horses of the 20th Century.

Tune in tomorrow for my selections for Saturday's Sword Dancer Invitational. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Photo courtesy of tbheritage.com

Rachel's Run

2009 Horse Of The Year, Rachel Alexandra, is clearly not going to be a candidate for a repeat of that honor in 2010. She has already lost a couple of times and when she has won, she really has not been super impressive. For that matter, the company she has beaten also has not been super impressive. Given those points, plus the fact that Zenyatta keeps on winning (although her competition hasn't been stellar either), Blame is undefeated, and Quality Road has been eye-catching in his wins and was mystifying in his loss this weekend to Blame, I think it is safe to say that Rachel has far too much to overcome to be Horse Of The Year in 2010.

OK, so she won't be Horse Of The Year, that doesn't mean we can't cheer her on when she does take to the track. Her next scheduled appearance will come in the Grade 1 $300,000 Personal Ensign Stakes on August 29. She posted another workout on Monday morning over the Oklahoma Training Track at Saratoga, covering six furlongs in 1:12.95. Her trainer, Steve Asmussen, seemed pleased with the performance and the handling of rider Shaun Bridgmohan. Rachel Alexandra will have two more workouts before the Personal Ensign on the next two Mondays, August 16 and 23.

By the way, while we are here, who do I think is the Horse Of The Year in 2010? I think it is unquestionably Zenyatta. I know I bashed her competition earlier, but all she does is win, win, win. That is the point of the game after all. I am interested to see whether or not she goes in the Ladies' Classic at Churchill Downs or the classic Classic. Everyone seems to be automatically assuming she goes in the regular Classic to try and match Tiznow's feat of back-to-back wins in that race. I don't think it is as cut and dry as that. There will be a lot of mitigating factors that go into the decision of which race to run her in. Where will Rachel decide to go? Will the win streak still be alive? Which field will present her the best chance to win? The Mosses and John Shirreffs will have to answer all these questions before too long.

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

What A Weekend!

First, I must apologize if my look at the weekend that was is a day late. I have taken over the announcer's duties at Yavapai Downs in Prescott, Arizona and just returned to Phoenix this evening. That being said, to me, there were three events this weekend that merit a little further discussion, so here goes.

#1- The Whitney Handicap- I would like to ask anyone if they thought there was any way that Quality Road was going to get beat when he led the field into the stretch of the Whitney. I happen to think Blame might be the best horse in training this year and I didn't think he was going to get there. But, get there he did and by doing so, he seemingly turned the handicap division topsy-turvy. If Quality Road hangs on, he is the clear top male older horse and he would likely have waltzed into the Breeders' Cup as the possible favorite in the Classic (unless Zenyatta gets a lot of support for a repeat). However, he didn't hang on and now Blame can make his case through the rest of the year for the top spot. After all, Blame is now undefeated on the year and he has had to overcome Battle Plan at Churchill Downs and now Quality Road at Saratoga to keep that record intact. I think right now he is #1 on the list of older male horses.

#2- The Clement Hirsch- Zenyatta made it 18 for 18 with another come-from-behind victory. She actually closed into a nonexistent pace and took the lead at the top of the stretch and held on to defeat Rinterval by a neck. Did she toy with the opposition after taking the lead in the stretch much earlier than usual? Personally, I think so. I think she could have won that race by whatever margin she wanted. Apparently, her next start will come in the Zenyatta (formerly the Lady's Secret), which I think is taking the easy road by trainer John Shirreffs. He says he is not a telephone trainer, which I understand, but at this point, I don't feel there is any competition left for her in California and by not sending her out to face some tougher stuff, he is defeating the point of bringing her back in the first place. The connections have said all along that they want everyone to enjoy watching Zenyatta. Apparently, they mean everyone in California because she has only shipped out to race in another state once this year. It appears to me that protecting the streak is becoming the most important thing and rather than face quality opposition elsewhere, Zenyatta will simply be beating the same bunch of horses she has been beating. There is certainly no shame in this, but I would like to see her challenged a little more before going to Churchill Downs.

#3- The Alfred Vanderbilt- This was the performance of the weekend as far as I am concerned. The Vanderbilt was over as soon as the gates opened. Majesticperfection was in front by two lengths when the latch was sprung and never really looked back. His quarter and halftime fractions were nothing overwhelming, but the final time of 1:08.3 was sensational. He has catapulted himself to the top of the Sprint Division by beating quality stakes-winning competition like Big Drama and Bribon so decisively. I am reminded of 1998 when a horse named Reraise won the Kentucky Cup Sprint and used that late-season victory to propel himself to a Breeders' Cup victory in the Sprint that year.

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

The Grade 1 $250,000 Test Stakes

There will be a plethora of exciting racing action this weekend. Quality Road, Blame, Mine That Bird, and Haynesfield are all part of the stellar field in the Whitney at Saratoga on Saturday. Zenyatta tries to make it 18 wins in a row in the Clement Hirsch at Del Mar also this weekend. However, the fields for those races came up a little short on quantity, so They Are Off will look elsewhere for a race to handicap and actually look at the OTHER Grade 1 race at The Spa on Saturday, the Grade 1 $250,000 Test Stakes:

Of course, with the Test this year, you have to acknowledge the scratch and subsequent retirement of #5 Franny Freud, who likely would have gone off as the betting favorite in what had been a field of ten. Now, we are down to nine and the original morning-line odds could be slightly skewed. I am still going with a double-digit price on that original morning-line and take the Asmussen trained, #8 Ash Zee. She has only run three times and is making a major leap up in company, but the seven furlong distance seems to suit her nicely and her times running it in her maiden-breaker at Churchill Downs and an Allowance race at Saratoga on July 24 were certainly comparable to what she will be facing in the Test. 10-1 on that morning-line is also very attractive. I will put #4 Bonnie Blue Flag second with John Velazquez aboard. She also has a win at this elongated sprint distance on her record, in the Cinemine at Lone Star Park on May 31. She ran 3rd behind the retired Franny Freud and one of her other competitors in here in the Grade 1 Prioress. That competitor is my third choice, #3 Champagne D'Oro. She won the Grade 1 Acorn earlier this year at odds of 40-1 in a front-running performance. I think that way of running might compromise her chances here, though, as there appears to be other prominent speed that might not allow to coast on an uncontested lead. Finally, I will jump in the Way Back Machine and select #9 Christine Daae for fourth. Earlier this year, she was the hot property at Gulfstream Park. That was before she got smoked in the Bonnie Miss by Devil May Care. She first arrived on the scene winning a seven-furlong race at Gulfstream with a time of 1:21.3. Patrick Biancone is putting blinkers on for the Test. We'll see if she can dig deep and recapture some of her lost glory. Here is the play for the Grade 1 $250,000 Test Stakes:

$5 WP #8
$1 EX BOX 3-4-8
$1 TRI BOX 3-4-8
TOTAL- $22

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!

Who's Who

It will be a racing Who's Who come Saturday afternoon at both Saratoga and Del Mar. First off, you will have the Grade 1 $750,000 Whitney Handicap at The Spa. This race is only expected to feature Quality Road, who might be the early choice for Horse Of The Year right now, Blame, who makes a compelling argument himself for the honor, the 2009 Kentucky Derby winner, Mine That Bird, and Haynesfield, who took care of "Comeback Kid" I Want Revenge in the Suburban already this year.

Meanwhile, on the West Coast, The Perfect Lady, Zenyatta, will make her return to the track at Del Mar to try and extend that winning streak to 18 for 18 in the Grade 1 $300,000 Clement Hirsch Handicap. Of course, her trainer, John Shirreffs, is playing it close to the vest saying her ultimate participation in the race will be determined on Thursday or Friday, but should she go, all you can say is that Del Mar will be dripping with history on Saturday regardless of who she faces. Her last listed workout was six furlongs in 1:13.60, which Shirreffs himself described as "flawless"

So, be ready to roll on Saturday and take in the action. It could be a day you will never forget. Tune in tomorrow for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

The Leader In The Clubhouse

There might have been some question earlier this spring during the Triple Crown season as to who was the top three-year-old in the land. There might have been some support for Kentucky Derby winner, Super Saver, or the runner-up, Ice Box, who ran such a phenomenal race in Louisville. There might have been some backing for an argument for Drosselmeyer, who won the "Test Of Champions" at Belmont Park, or First Dude, or Fly Down. Maybe even a hint of thought behind someone else also.

However, after Sunday, there can be no question in anyone's mind anymore that Lookin At Lucky, winner of the Preakness and now winner of the Haskell Invitational, is the best three-year-old in this country. His performance yesterday was the stuff that legends are born of. He took a field that included a good chunk of the names mentioned in the first paragraph and toyed with them through the stretch to come home a crushing four-length winner at Monmouth Park. The Derby winner and Preakness winner made their moves together on the far turn and Lookin At Lucky just flicked Super Saver away like he was a fly troubling him back at the barn. Super Saver appeared so disheartened by this, he couldn't sustain any type of run and finished fourth. THAT is what champions do, they take their competition and destroy it in such a manner that you hardly notice it. They also do it with class and dispatch, so that you admire it at the same time.

It also seems to me that Martin Garcia and Lookin At Lucky are a perfect match for each other. Lookin At Lucky was under Garcia's steady hand when he held off everyone in a frantic finish in Baltimore and this time, it looked like Garcia was sitting there with pocket aces and the flop had just hit the board A-A-K.

I would like to ask you to go back and watch the 2010 Kentucky Derby replay again at some point. Watch the #1 post position where Lookin At Lucky broke from all the way through the stretch the first time. He doesn't just get impeded, he gets annihilated. His chances are completely compromised within the first quarter-mile of the race and it is a testament to him that he still managed to rally from as far back as Ice Box and finish sixth.

So the question becomes where does he go next? Trainer Bob Baffert said after Sunday's win that he wasn't sure if he was headed home to California or will stay east to run in the Travers at Saratoga. The one thing we can say is that even though he is a three-year-old, you might want to think about adding the name Lookin At Lucky to the current big four of Quality Road, Blame, Rachel Alexandra, and Zenyatta when it gets to be time for the Breeders' Cup Classic.

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

Photo courtesy of drf.com

Just To Let You Know

They Are Off will be taking a short summer break for the next week while I return to Arizona after a brief hospital stay this past weekend. Everything is great and I look forward to getting some opinions and selections out there once again as quick as possible.

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

The BOA Challenge

I don't normally address anything other than Thoroughbred racing on this blog, but the BOA Challenge is going to Fair Grounds in New Orleans for the first time this year and frequent They Are Off contributor, Martha Claussen, has a story on the move in the latest issue of SureBet Racing News. Here is the link to her article: http://www.surebetracingnews.com/Newspaper_pdf/SureBet_7-13.pdf

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

The 64th Oceanside Stakes

Wednesday is Opening Day at Del Mar, where the turf meets the surf. Del Mar remains one of the better legacies left by legendary crooner, Bing Crosby, along with the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, "White Christmas", and his "Road" pictures with Bob Hope. We will deviate slightly from the normal They Are Off schedule due to this and offer thoughts on the Opening Day feature: The $100,000 Oceanside Stakes:

There are several viable candidates with realistic opportunities to win this stakes race, but I will go with a 5-1 shot in #5 Hockley. The A.P. Indy product scored a nice win over an optional claiming field last time out at Hollywood on the turf on June 11. He has the second-best turf Tomlinson number in the race and David Flores will once again be in the saddle. For second, I will use the Bob Baffert trainee, #6 Macias. Macias led the Grade 3 Will Rogers at Hollywood last time out on June 20 until the stretch and this race on Wednesday is a sixteenth of a mile shorter. His two works since that last race have been outstanding, I might add. I saw #1 Face And An Ace win his last race on July 3 over the simulcast at Lincoln Race Course and he dug in to win in what appeared to be a tough spot. Brice Blanc rode that day and gets the call again here. All of this horses in-the-money results have come on the grass and he is 15-1 on the morning line. Finally, I will use the favorite as my fourth pick. #3 Twirling Candy is undefeated in two starts at Hollywood and has the top turf Tomlinson in the field. However, he has yet to go a mile and he has yet to race on the turf. There is just enough doubt here to make he think this horse is going to have to beat me out of it here. Here is the play for the $100,000 Oceanside Stakes:

$5 WP #5
$1 EX BOX 1-5-6
$1 TRI BOX 1-5-6
TOTAL- $22

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

Let It Ride

I was perusing http://www.imdb.com/ last week and I noticed an article that was linked to on that site about the "Ten Best Sports Movies Ever Made". The choice in the article was Burt Reynolds' "The Longest Yard". I certainly think that it is the running for a top spot on any such list, although I am not sure it is #1 overall (for a while, I might have put "The Natural" at #1 myself, but I have second thoughts about that as well). The article got me to thinking about quintessential horse racing movies. Actually, it got me thinking about the lack of quintessential horse racing movies. Honestly, can you name a really great movie about horse racing? "Seabiscuit" is the best recent attempt (although I find Tobey Maguire AMAZINGLY annoying in anything he does and Jeff Bridges should have been nominated for an Oscar for his portrayal of Mr. Howard, the owner of the horse). We'll have to see what justice Disney and Diane Lane do to "Secretariat" and Penny Tweedy later this year, but the one that kept standing out to me as a true horse racing movie is "Let It Ride".

"Let It Ride" is based on a book written by Jay Cronley called "Good Vibes". By the way, one of the main gambling characters in the movie is nicknamed "Vibes". He receives one of the best lines delivered by Richard Dreyfuss in the movie after he says, "I'd bet my life on it." and Dreyfuss replies, "sorry, there's a $2 minimum bet". Dreyfuss heads up what turns out to be an unbelievably high quality cast of talent in the movie.

Dreyfuss, who won an Academy Award in 1977 for Best Actor in "The Goodbye Girl", plays the main character Jay Trotter. If you are reading this blog, I am sure you have seen the movie and you don't need me to go into details about how the movie goes, but Trotter is a compulsive gambling schlub who goes to the track with a tip his cabbie buddy, Looney, got the previous night and parlays $50 into well over $600,000, if my math is correct. Looney is portrayed by David Johanssen, who had a number one hit earlier in the 80s as Buster Poindexter called "Hot Hot Hot" and was also the leader of The New York Dolls, an underground punk music group from the 70s that Johanssen is still going strong with today. The main female character is Vicky, played by Jennifer Tilly, who would be nominated for an Academy Award herself for Best Supporting Actress in "Bullets Over Broadway" in 1995. She currently is prominent in the poker world and even has a World Series Of Poker champions bracelet for winning the Ladies' Main Event a couple of years ago. Dreyfuss' teller in the movie is played by Robbie Coltrane. Coltrane might be better known to you (or your kids) as Hagrid in the Harry Potter series of films that have been all the rage in recent years. The role of 19-year-old Evangeline, girlfriend of Sidney, is played by a very young Cynthia Nixon, who would play Miranda on "Sex And The City" and in the two movies that subsequently sprung from that series. Even the bookie in the movie, Lufkin, was played by David Schramm, who was the best thing about the TV show "Wings", playing Roy Biggins from the competing airline to Sandpiper Air. Finally, there's Michelle Phillips, who plays one of the women in the Jockey Club that endlessly flirts with Trotter. All she was was a member of the 60s music group, "The Mamas And The Papas".

Could there be more talent on display in this thing? I didn't even get to the role of Trotter's wife, played by Teri Garr, who has an Oscar nomination of her own for Best Supporting Actress in 1983's "Tootsie". I kind of left her out because all of her scenes seem to be the drag on the movie. The only funny scene she has is where she finally gives up and admits to Trotter that she will become a drunk and just consume mass quantities of alcohol so she can deal with his foibles.

Yes, I know there are some flaws in the movie, like Looney calling Lufkin to bet on the Packers, even though the game appears to have already started (hey, it could have been a pre-game highlight show). However, the story, the cast, and everything about "Let It Ride" makes me think about Dreyfuss' line near the end after Vicky propositions him. He looks straight at the camera and says, "Am I having a good day or what?" If you are watching "Let It Ride", I am positive you will be having a good day.

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

The Grade 3 $150,000 Arlington Handicap

The summer turf season is going strong at Arlington Park as we get nearer and nearer to the headline event at the Chicagoland track, the Grade 1 Arlington Million, which will be one of three Grade 1 turf races to be run there on Saturday, August 21. This Saturday is Million Preview Day at the track and They Are Off will be taking a look at the Grade 3 $150,000 Arlington Handicap at 1 1/4 miles on the turf.

#3 Rahystrada might fetch a minor price in this field at 6-1 on the morning line and he is 1 for 1 over the Arlington greenery. That one was a claiming victory last July at 1 1/16 miles. The distance might be a question for the top pick in here, given that he has yet to go a mile and a quarter. However, in his last try at Pimlico, the Grade 2 Dixie on Preakness Day, he was gaining through the stretch while in tight at the eighth pole and only ended up 1 1/4 lengths off the winner. #9 General Quarters scored a nice upset win in his last grass start in the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic on Derby Day at Churchill Downs, winning by a neck at 9-1. That was also the last time Rafael Bejarano was aboard and he gets the call here. General Quarters came back with another nice effort last time out over the main track in Louisville, running third in the Grade 1 Stephen Foster. This race will undoubtedly decide whether or not he goes on Million Day at Arlington. #2 Just As Well actually was one of two horses to beat the top pick in the Grade 2 Dixie at Pimlico. He came back in the very tough Grade 1 Manhattan on Belmont Day and finished 5th, just 2 1/2 lengths behind the winner in a crazy blanket finish. Julien Leparoux was not aboard at Belmont, but does return to the saddle here. This runner is also 2 for 2 in the top two over the Arlington grass. Finally, for a wild longshot, how about #4 Cross Village? He posted a bullet workout at Arlington on June 30 and came back to run 3rd with optional claimers on July 5. He could clearly be in over his head, especially reflected in his 30-1 morning line, but if we are going to throw in a price, why not? Here is the play for the Grade 3 $150,000 Arlington Handicap:

$5 WP #3
$1 EX BOX 2-3-4-5-9
$1 TRI 3-9 with 3-9 with 1-2-4-5
TOTAL- $38

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

The Boomer

For those of you who sample the links portion of this blog every so often, you will notice that one of the links on this page takes you to the website of Greg "Boomer" Wry. He is the track announcer at Yavapai Downs in Prescott, Arizona and so much more there as well. Actually, you don't need me to tell you that, you can read it for yourself in the latest version of SureBet Racing News. Here is the link: http://www.surebetracingnews.com/Newspaper_pdf/SureBet_7-6.pdf.

The story on Boomer, written by John Gonzales, is on pages 9 and 10 of the issue. Boomer is one of my good friends in the racing industry. He first contacted me in 2001 when I first went to Turf Paradise as a late-season substitute for Luke Kruytbosch there. He called me while I was there to complement me on the job I was doing and we have been in contact ever since. As a matter of fact, I owe him a debt of gratitude for helping me out with a recommendation to Greg Hosch and the good folks at Lincoln Race Course for the summer part of my schedule.

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

Luke Kruytbosch

Two years ago today, the most distinctive and compelling voice in Thoroughbred racing was stilled. Luke Kruytbosch died on July 14, 2008 at the far-too-soon age of 47. He was getting ready for another racing season at Ellis Park when he passed away in his hotel near there.

Luke was everything I aspired to be in an announcer. Whenever someone would say I reminded them of Luke, I always accepted the compliment graciously. Needless to say, it was because of phrasing or words that I used and not because of the voice. He and I would get a good chuckle when I would relay a story about how someone compared our work, because we both knew we sounded nothing alike. However, since he was my mentor in every sense of the word, I must have unconsciously picked up things he said and would repeat them in my racecalls. All I can say about that is there was no better teacher for this student to be copying from.

One of my most prized possessions is a photograph of Luke and I taken in the old announcer's booth at Churchill Downs in 2001. I ALWAYS have it in the booth whenever I am calling a race, whether it is at Turf Paradise or Lincoln Race Course or wherever I might be at a given time. The man that took that photo is another great friend of mine named Chris. Chris had the good fortune to go to the Breeders' Cup that autumn at Belmont Park. He was just minding his own business at Belmont one afternoon that week when he felt this tremendous bearhug wrap him up. It was Luke wanting to say hello and catch up on what had been happening in the intervening months since that first meeting. I told that story at a memorial service for Luke at Turf Paradise at the start of the 2008 season and added, "when you knew Luke for ten minutes, you knew him for a lifetime." I may never utter a truer sentence.

I was taken by the vast number of memories left for Luke by his passing on an internet guestbook where friends were asked to write their thoughts on him. So many of those thoughts were from people like my friend, Chris, who had a chance encounter with Luke at the track and never, ever forgot it.

As the announcer at Turf Paradise (and by the way, you will never hear or see me introduce myself as the Voice Of Turf Paradise, that will always be Luke Kruytbosch), I have the distinct pleasure of calling the Luke Kruytbosch Stakes on Opening Day of the season. I will always start that race with his trademark "They're Off And Running" simply because there is no other way to start that race and do it right. I know I am not alone when I say that I still miss Luke just about every day. There was always something comforting about listening to whatever track he might be at and know that the place was in his good hands.

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

George Steinbrenner

Some of my friends and family might think it odd that I will be dedicating today's post to the owner of the New York Yankees, given that I am lifelong Boston Red Sox fan. However, George Steinbrenner's passing today also affects the world of Thoroughbred racing. Steinbrenner was the man behind Kinsman Stable, which remained a successful enterprise throughout his tenure.

Steinbrenner never did win any of the Classics or Breeders' Cup races with any of his horses, but it certainly wasn't for lack of trying. In fact, Steinbrenner ended up running six horses at the Kentucky Derby from Kinsman Stable. The most famous, and most recent, of these was Bellamy Road in 2005, who went into the Derby that year as a prohibitive favorite following his crushing victory in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct. The problem with this was that Bellamy Road was a frontrunner and there was so much pace in that race that year, that Bellamy Road was among the many swallowed up by the closers that ended up in front of him. Bellamy Road ended up in seventh on Kentucky Derby Day, behind 50-1 longshot winner, Giacomo.

Steinbrenner's other Derby participants were Steve's Friend (fifth in 1977), Eternal Prince (twelfth in 1985), Diligence (ninth in 1996), Concerto (ninth in 1997), and Blue Burner (eleventh in 2002). Oddly enough, when once criticizing Dave Winfield, Steinbrenner referred to him as "Mr. May". He never did find the equine version of Mr. May, or at least, Mr. First Saturday In May.

As a final note, I might remark that as a Red Sox fan, Steinbrenner never did let it become boring. During his tenure, the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry was fanned to unfathomable heights, heights that certainly made for the betterment of baseball overall. Maybe it's a sad thing that he never did win the Derby. I, for one, would have loved to see him on the Winner's Podium being interviewed by Bob Costas, guaranteeing a Triple Crown to come. It certainly wouldn't have been boring.

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

Ups And Downs

Up- Rachel Alexandra returned to the racetrack for a foggy morning workout at Saratoga this morning. The 2009 Horse Of The Year covered six furlongs on the Oklahoma Training Track in 1:12.45. For the record, she galloped out seven furlongs in 1:25.80, which is moving by any definition of the word. The workout is continued fine-tuning for her return to the races after her most recent victory at Churchill Downs. She is expected to be present in the gate for the $400,000 Lady's Secret at Monmouth Park on July 24.

Other ups from the weekend included Gio Ponti, who showed the tenacity of a champion in winning the Grade 1 Man O' War on Saturday afternoon. He just got past the stubborn 53-1 shot, Mission Approved, in the shadow of the wire. Also, how about Awesome Gem scoring a win over Rail Trip in the Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup? It seems that every so often Awesome Gem is awesome. If you are lucky enough to pick the right day when he is, more power to you.

Down- Drosselmeyer, winner of the 2010 Belmont Stakes, is likely to be returned to WinStar Farm in Kentucky from his current base of Saratoga by trainer Bill Mott. Drosselmeyer has apparently been dealing with some ankle issues that have caused him to be taken entirely out of training. It is now entirely possible that Drosselmeyer might miss the remainder of his three-year-old campaign, which has featured ups and downs itself. WinStar tried to get Drosselmeyer eligible for the Derby, but he never could get enough graded earnings to qualify, which required the five-week wait for the Belmont. However, I think that turned out OK.

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

The Grade 1 $600,000 Man O'War Stakes

Belmont Park is now in wind-down mode for the spring season and everything is getting geared up to head upstate to Saratoga for the summer (that includes me for the first time, by the way). There are still plenty of big races at Belmont, however, and that includes the Saturday feature, the Grade 1 $600,000 Man O'War at 1 3/8 miles on the Inner Turf Course. It will feature a field of eight, including Gio Ponti, whose Man O'War win last year was one of a series of four straight Grade 1s he won on the turf in the summer of 2009. Here is the analysis of the Man O'War:

I cannot realistically select against #8 Gio Ponti. However, he is 1-2 on the morning line, so there will not be a win bet here for sure, especially given the fact that he hasn't actually WON in 2010. Two seconds and a fourth don't impress in three starts this year, but this field doesn't seem to present much in the way of a challenge to his greatness. He has been first or second in all seven lifetime starts over the Belmont grass. I will use a 30-1 shot in the second spot, though. #7 Midnite Silver has never been in a graded stakes race before, but since there is a first time for everything, I guess today is the day. He won two of the last three on the turf and the last win came at 1 1/4 miles and the comment in the Racing Form says, "Going Away!". A repeat of that could at least make the exacta interesting here. I will put #6 Grand Couturier in the third spot. He finished 7th in the Manhattan on Belmont Day, June 5, but was less than five lengths off the winner in that race. Every so often, he throws a big effort on the board, especially if there is a hint of rain in the forecast. Finally, I will put #5 Mission Approved in the fourth spot mainly because he is the lone speed in this field. He might try to steal it on the front end, but I doubt he will be able to go this far all alone up top. He was part of the ridiculous pace that torpedoed Curlin's effort in this same race two years ago and faded all the way to last. He might hold on for a better finish in this one simply because he has no one to go with him. Here is the play for the Grade 1 $600,000 Man O'War:

$10 EX BOX #7+ #8
TOTAL- $20

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!

It's A Sign Of The Times

So sang Petula Clark in the 1960s, and so sings another horse racing program slashed by the ferocity of the current economic climate. Turfway Park has announced that they will be eliminating the 2010 Kentucky Cup from their fall schedule due to "continuing financial duress" at that particular racetrack.

The Kentucky Cup has been a tremendous program for the racetrack and was certainly something that handicappers were able to use to scout out possible horses to look for in the Breeders' Cup that would eventually follow. The single standout one for me was a horse named Reraise, who absolutely bludgeoned the field in the Kentucky Cup Sprint in 1998. He then returned to do it once again to the field in Breeders' Cup at Churchill Downs several weeks later. Many other champion runners also participated in the Kentucky Cup over the years, including 1997 Kentucky Derby winner, Silver Charm.

The elimination of the Kentucky Cup was just one of many slashes to the fall season that Turfway Park had to make for their fall season. They will not conduct racing on Wednesday and they will only have one stakes race on the schedule for the entire meeting. One can only hope that the news out of the Bluegrass will be improving sometime soon.

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

John Henry

If any horse captured the imagination of the American racing public during the early 1980s, you would have to believe it would be John Henry. John Henry might have been one of the most versatile runners ever to set foot on a racetrack. He could do just about anything, run on dirt, run on turf, carry weight. As I said, he could do just about anything.

His most legendary run is, of course, the 1981 Arlington Million. This was the first-ever running of the race that has come to be the biggest turf race of the summer in America. It was also something very unique in American racing at the time, a race offering a purse of $1,000,000. We are now nearly thirty years on from that summer and with the coming of the Breeders' Cup, the escalation of purses in general due to economic changes, and other factors, it is hard to believe that such a short time ago, it was such a big deal. But what a big deal it was, John Henry appeared to have absolutely no chance to win even mere feet from the wire. The Bart was in front and appeared ready to pull off a monumental upset. However, John Henry was a champion above all else and his champion's heart refused to let him lose. He barely (and I mean BARELY) got his nostril to the wire first and denied The Bart being the first-ever Arlington Million champion, even if NBC mistakenly (and prematurely) declared The Bart the winner. However, he did not deny The Bart a place in racing lore. If anything, the fact John Henry got there to win is the only reason we even remember The Bart today. There is a statue that stands on the grounds of Arlington Park now called "Against All Odds" and it is a recreation of that unbelievable finish, one of the proudest moments racing has known in a long, long time.

John Henry won 38 other races in his 83-race career and hit the board 24 other times, earning $6,591,860. That total makes him the highest-earning gelding in racing history. John Henry won a grand total of seven Eclipse Awards and was inducted into the U.S. Racing Hall Of Fame in 1990. He lived to be a grand old man of racing at the Kentucky Horse Park, where he passed away at the age of 32.

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

The $1,000,000 Queen's Plate

Woodbine will host the 151st running of the Queen's Plate on Sunday afternoon and the Queen herself will be in attendance. It is a field of thirteen Canadian-bred three-year-olds going 1 1/4 miles. Actually, it is a field of thirteen Ontario-bred three-year-olds. The 3-1 morning line favorite in the Plate is Hotep, one of two horses in the field that were nominated for the Triple Crown earlier this year. Hotep tried his luck in Louisiana before his Road To The Derby hit a significant roadblock and now he is back north of the border to try and win the most prestigious race in all of Canada. Here are the selections for the 151st Queen's Plate:

I will go with the winner of the Plate Trial over the Woodbine oval on June 13 and that is #5 Big Red Mike. As his races have been getting longer, he appears to be relishing them more and more. Eurico DaSilva gets the ride, as he did in the Trial and I really don't see anyone else in this field that could challenge Big Red Mike's efforts to get the early lead and set the tempo here. The only real other speed he might have to deal with is the filly stationed outside in post #13, Moment Of Majesty. For the second spot, I will throw a 20-1 morning-line longshot in there with #7 Ghost Fleet. He removes the blinkers for this try and his last two workouts in late June were five-furlong blowout bullets. He got a dreadful trip in the Trial and if anyone is going to make a great leap forward to contention at a price, this is it. I will put #11 Hotep next. He seems comfortable on the polytrack at Woodbine with two wins, a second, and a fifth in four career races over the synthetic. Canadian legend Patrick Husbands has the riding assignment on this A.P. Indy offspring for trainer Mark Frostad. Finally, I will wrap the top four with #9 Mobilizer, who posted Beyers in the 90s in the last two starts and ran second behind Big Red Mike in the Plate Trial. As opposed to #7, he is adding blinkers for this race and has never been worse than third in four lifetime starts. Here is the play for the 151st Queen's Plate on Sunday:

$5 WP #5
$1 EX BOX 4-5-7-9-11
TOTAL- $30

For the record, that is $30 before the exchange rate. 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!