SuperfectaBlog

Some Fillies Ran

2009-07-01T11:14:00.003-04:00

Quite naturally, the highlight of the American racing scene last weekend was the Rachel Alexandra/Zenyatta show. But how did it play abroad? The Australian noted that:

Rachel Alexandra has grown a Secretariat-like profile in the past two months, galvanising the hardened racing public and reaching out to catch the attention of Mr Average Joe and Josie.

It just happened that on Saturday on the US west coast, the five-year-old Street Cry mare Zenyatta won her 11th consecutive race, the Group I Vanity Handicap, to stay unbeaten.

Yet Zenyatta's excellent feat was swallowed almost completely by the events on the east coast where Rachel Alexandra made a stunning debut at New York's Belmont Park.

And while I would quibble with the notion that Rachel Alexandra has gained a following like Secretariat yet (even if she wins like him when she feels like it), I would on the whole agree with their larger point - non-racing fans know who she is, while Zenyatta is still just the first half of a Police album as far as they are aware. (I base this on my extremely scientific survey of my work colleagues and family, many of whom have asked me 'what is Rachel doing next?' but who look on blankly if I reply I hope she will face Zenyatta at some point).

While we in the racing community debate whose win was 'better' (Rachel's time! Zenyatta's weight assignment!) the fact remains that unless the Zenyatta/Rachel Alexandra rivalry can happen in person (and, ideally, on 'Jockeys'), few in the general public will ever get to know Zenyatta – and that’s the real shame.

Were you aware that Rachel Alexandra has her own official diary? Now you are. While in general I'm not a fan of the Horse Writing In The First Person genre, I did very much enjoy the behind-the-scenes video courtesy of Blayne Blasi, teenage son of assistant trainer Scott Blasi. I hope to see more video added along those lines. I would also like to see the videos Zenyatta's trainer, John Sheriffs, has been posting on YouTube gain a wider audience – an official Zenyatta website promoting them along with other content would be very welcome.

And while I recognize that seeing Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra share a starting gate is an unlikely dream (even with the suggestion that they could meet 'after the Breeders' Cup' - when? where?), I must continue to suggest the following: come on people - Del Cap!

Here at Superfecta HQ we are about to head to Kentucky for some downtime, so please excuse our absence and expect to see us back in action on July 13th. Should anything particularly exciting happen in the meantime, fear not - the revolution will be Twittered.

See you after the fourth!

Both Sides Now

2009-06-25T15:11:00.003-04:00

I get it, I really do - after the debacle with Curlin in the Breeders' Cup, I can see why Jess Jackson doesn't want to bring Rachel Alexandra to the Breeders' Cup this year. But two facts don't quite fit in with his firm anti-'plastic surfaces' viewpoint. The first is that Curlin always seemed to perform better over a surface (any surface) the second time around - so can we be sure he would not have taken to Santa Anita in the long term? You can argue that the fact he clearly didn't love racing on grass (despite the fact that his sire has produced some strong turf runners) suggests he would never have taken to it, but it's hard to know for certain.

Secondly, and more importantly for the argument at hand, Rachel Alexandra has already raced and won over a synthetic track, at Keeneland. If anything, I would take that as another point in her favor as far as versatility - she can win a 6 furlong sprint over synthetics, or she can excel at a 1 1/8 on dirt. Both are Good Things. In that regard, her record is almost the mirror image of Zenyatta's - Big Z has one win over real dirt, with the rest on synthetics. That suggests that both fillies could be even more capable than they've already demonstrated - but good luck trying to find out!

While I'm annoyed that it's extremely unlikely that Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra will ever face one another, I think that we have a lot to look forward to from the Rachel Alexandra camp, especially with the suggestion that she will continue to face top-level competition later this season, perhaps in the Travers, and that we should see her next year if all goes well. (Obviously for my own convenience I'm hoping for a Del Cap/Travers combo - and it sounds as though that is not beyond the realm of possibility). And while I believe Zenyatta is an amazing horse, it seems that she will probably not get the chance to really demonstrate her prowess - unless she does go in the Breeders' Cup Classic (and against a horse like Einstein, who is proven on any sort of surface you'd like to throw at him - couldn't that be a breeding goal?). That, in my opinion, is the most unfortunate part of this situation - Zenyatta will never get the recognition she is (probably) due. But if skipping the Breeders' Cup means we see more of Rachel Alexandra next year, then hey, whatever works - although I think that's got a lot more to do with her humans than with her talents.

I'd also add that I don't subscribe to the notion that there's something inherently wrong with synthetic surfaces - I don't believe the data is there to support that they are necessarily safer than a good dirt surface, but I enjoy the races run on them. This is largely because I'm a fan of Australian and European turf racing and I'm quite content to see their horses come over and beat ours - I think it serves as a useful reminder that there's more than one way to breed and train and that it's worth considering those options. True, some horses will never take to it - but let's not make assumptions ahead of time over which will and which will not.

But that's a discussion to revisit a little later in the year - this weekend, we still get to see two great fillies in action, even if it's not against one another (or, in fact, much of anything). I really like NYRA's microsite supporting Rachel Alexandra's visit - the graphic design work featuring her name in yellow would make for a much better logo than the very plain white and pink design that's currently available in shirt form. By contrast, there's very little out there discussing Zenyatta's run this weekend. She does get a press release and short video on the Hollywood Park website, but that's about it - and the mainstream media certainly doesn't care at all. I'm sure the buildup to this race will be documented on 'Jockeys,' but by the time these episodes air, there will be precious little time left to see Zenyatta live - if any at all.

Here's hoping both fillies destroy their current competition and remain healthy - and that even if they never face one another, they will take on some tough horses this year wherever they go. If Horse of the Year is the goal, Rachel Alexandra is already ahead in that contest (although there's more to do - don't forget Einstein, Well Armed or Mine That Bird) - and she's miles ahead of poor Zenyatta in the Wider Public Awareness Stakes.

I'm sorry I'll miss seeing both races live (and I will have to see if I can get home from my conference in time to watch the US take part in its first ever FIFA final, after Sunday's and yesterday's miracles), but I will certainly be monitoring both fillies and the soccer from TweetDeck while I'm away. There is much TiVoing to be done...

Things International and Coastal Girl Power

2009-06-23T12:34:00.004-04:00

Much of the news this week seems to carry a bit of an international flavor; there is talk that Wesley Ward's successes at Royal Ascot will bring more American horses (especially sprinters - Cannonball narrowly missed out on winning the Golden Jubilee). The Guardian put his accomplishments rather quaintly:

A top-class Ascot success for an American-trained horse may now be just a matter of time. When it arrives, Cannonball and Wesley Ward, the Californian trainer who was as good as unknown seven days ago, will deserve some of the credit for showing the way.

Given the strong track record Australian horses already have in the sprints at Ascot, it seems the longer-term goal is to get more 'mile and middle-distance horses' from around the world to compete. Attracting American horses (at least from the West coast) might be easier now with Polytrack reigning supreme on California tracks - stepping up to a top-level turf mile with that foundation is certainly possible.

It's very unlikely you'd see an American horse step up to try to take the long-distance mantle from Yeats, however - while it's true we do have at least enough horses to fill the Breeders' Cup Dirt Marathon (we do, right?), we simply do not have much depth in the turf stayer division. But that's not to say we cannot enjoy Yeats - it's even possible he will contest the Arc this year (and seeing an eight-year-old stallion win the year after a three-year-old filly won and headed straight to the breeding shed would be a nice bookend). It's more likely he will point toward a race at Goodwood or the Curragh, but it's certainly an enticing possibility. (Vision d'Etat, winner of the Prince of Wales's Stakes, is definitely aiming for the Arc, after finishing fifth behind Zarkava last year).

The international trend continued with the announcement of more Win and You're In races for the Breeders' Cup (the full list is here); races at Sha Tin, Deauville, Longchamp, the Curragh, Leopardstown, Dundalk, Moonee Valley, Ascot and Newmarket are all part of the package now. I was pleased to see the effort made to reach out to the Aussie sprinters via the Moonee Valley race, but given the incompatibility of our racing calendars, it's unlikely we'd ever get to see them send their best to the Breeders' Cup. (As a side note, I'd also mention how few of these races are going to be normally televised - why isn't ESPN going to be at the Del Cap? I've always seen them there in years previous).

Heading back stateside, the racing world is very excited indeed about Rachel Alexandra headlining the Mother Goose at Belmont Park this weekend (naturally, I will be away at a conference and unable to attend - can I hold out hope for the Del Cap?). While I commend the decision taken by Jess Jackson to contribute a portion of Rachel Alexandra's winnings this season to charity, I do wish they would have picked one 1) that is less reliant on pink and 2) that actually sends a larger percentage of their donations to research. If awareness is the goal, it's all well and good, but if spending your research dollars wisely is the aim, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation is a better bet. Still, it's a nice gesture and I don't hate the idea of the bracelets (just the color), but there's still a long way to go toward decent official merchandise. I will take this CafePress offering over the rather anemic-looking HorseHats.com shirt any day (although I'd really like to see something more along these lines).

As far as the race itself, it's not much on paper beyond Rachel Alexandra and Justwhistledixie (although I quite like the idea of getting a really top-class filly in this race to renew some of its past glory - even if few others bothered making the trip), but I will most definitely be following along on my iPhone.

Of course, there's walkover action on the West coast too - Zenyatta (pictured) is taking on a few other runners in the Vanity, but she'll at least have the high weight of 129 pounds to make it a little more even. (Well, it still won't make it very even, but is should make things a bit more interesting for Life Is Sweet's presumed second-place finish). The fact that there is no unofficial Zenyatta merchandise suggests that perhaps her race is the one that needs a bit more marketing.

Imagine the possibilities if both horses were in the same race...

In the meantime, I'd invite you to visit our sponsors (left and right ads) for more - they are lovely organizations and we're happy to have their support. Cheers, guys!

Royal Ascot Day Three: All Yeats

2009-06-18T14:38:00.005-04:00

Day three of Royal Ascot could only be about Yeats - but before we move on to his history-making fourth Gold Cup win, we'll review some of the other races on the card.

There was no luck for Wesley Ward this time in the Norfolk Stakes - Yogaroo slammed into the favorite Monsieur Chevalier (who was going for his fifth win in a row), basically taking him out of the race; music fans will be excited to see that Radiohead came home first (although he got caught up in the traffic trouble as well and really had to be taken up before shooting to the lead) and clearly wanted to go on even further. It was a thoroughly professional performance from the winner (especially for a 2-year-old), if not the rest of the field. Weirdly, the horse does remind me of Thom Yorke from certain angles.

The fillies were in action in the Ribblesdale Stakes; Flying Cloud finally won one for Team Godolphin and Frankie Dettori. She seemed much the best, and the race was happily devoid of the sort of drama the juvenile boys experienced.

Then of course, came the 2 1/2 mile Gold Cup; Yeats looked bright, lively and intelligent while waiting to load - he's obviously a horse with a ton of personality. Once he made his move to the front, he was not going to be passed as he headed home to make history. As they walked to the winner's circle, Yeats and Johnny Murtagh were embraced by various members of the Ballydoyle team. Yeats clearly enjoyed a victory trot for the crowd - ears pricked, neck arched, just oozing triumph. The class with which he turned away Patkai at the end was the sort of thing one rarely sees in racing. Poor Geordieland, who played Alydar to Yeats' Affirmed in their two previous Gold Cups, finished a good 15 lengths back in third.

Yeats made a second bit of history with his win today - he's the oldest horse to win in the modern era. It's rare enough to see a horse running at his level at 7 (when he equalled Drum Taps' 'old age' record last year - prior to those two, a 7-year-old had not won since 1929) - but 8 is even more impressive. There is some suggestion that he could be back to try again for an unprecedented fifth win next year, although you may recall that last year when we profiled him that there was talk of Yeats heading off to stud after his record-equalling victory - I imagine we should consider ourselves fortunate enough see him back at eight.

After the race, owner John Magnier said:

'We're lucky, for once, we didn't put him off to stud when he was three or four - it's really great the way it's all worked out.'

Indeed.

When asked if we'll see Yeats later this season, he replied:

'Why would you stop with a horse that's enjoying himself like that?' 'People enjoying seeing him, and he enjoys racing, and we enjoy going racing with him, so what would the point be in not going to somewhere like Goodwood?'

Of course, the stud career cannot be too far off at this point - he continued:

'The genes are there...not everybody wants to use a Gold Cup winner, but you need stamina in the stud as well.'

Quite so. Perhaps now, more than ever?

I'll be on the go the next several days and not likely able to check in on the rest of Royal Ascot, although I will be catching up and am especially looking forward to the return of the sprinters in the Golden Jubilee on Saturday.

Have a great weekend!

Royal Ascot: Day 2

2009-06-17T14:34:00.004-04:00

There was a bit of fallout from Johnny Murtagh's 'enthusiastic' ride on Mastercraftsman yesterday - he got a one-day ban for excessive whip use in the St. James's Palace Stakes. He picked up another six-day ban for his 'careless' ride in the Ascot Stakes, so he's now up to seven days off after just one day at Royal Ascot.

Ouqba won the Jersey Stakes at quite attractive odds; he just held off fellow longshot Deposer, who finished ahead of Frankie Dettori's Ashram. Favorite Infiraad didn't ever fire and finished at the back of the pack. Ouqba's trainer, Barry Hills, is currently in the hospital and so the horse is being managed by his son, Charlie Hills - that must have perked the family up.

The Windsor Forest Stakes also produced an upset - the aforementioned Johnny Murtagh got Spacious home first at 10-1 odds (although second choice Heaven Sent gave her quite a run for the money). Lush Lashes did get hung out a bit wide, but perhaps the extra five pounds she was toting around affected her more. For whatever reason, she has yet to recapture her great form from last year this season. In any instance, it's nice to see 6-year-old Heaven Sent put in such a great effort, even in defeat.

Things finally became more predictable in the Prince of Wales's Stakes, with French Derby winner Vision d'Etat (pictured) beating slightly-favored Tartan Bearer; talented French-bred colt Never On Sunday was third. I've always liked that this race is reserved for 4-year-olds and up - perhaps we need a few more of those Stateside.

The Royal Hunt Cup handed Murtagh another win (obviously he's loading up before his ban takes effect) aboard Forgotten Voice. He's an interesting horse with a pedigree I find quite appealing - he's by Danehill Dancer, out of a Spend a Buck mare. After a single start at age 2, he sat out his 3-year-old year with an injury and has started three times this year - so far, with a perfect record. Given his previous wins have come on all-weather surfaces, it sounds as though we might see him in California in the fall. There was a bit of controversy before the start, however - three horses were withdrawn from the already-large field for bad behavior. It seems no one was likely to reach Forgotten Voice today, however - mark him down!

Apparently, what you want to do for Royal Ascot juvenile races is bet on Wesley Ward. This time he scored with Jealous Again (although after Strike The Tiger's win yesterday, she didn't go off at long odds) in the Queen Mary Stakes, and his logic in bringing these two-year-olds over is impeccable:

"In America we train for speed and the reason I came over here was I thought the others in the race here are trained to go on for next year.

"I just thought I'd get a jump on the other trainers over here. Your horses are bred to go longer and ours are bred for speed and it worked out today. "

While it sounds as though these particular horses are likely to grow into turf sprinter/milers, does yesterday's listed stakes count toward Kentucky Derby graded stakes earnings? I'm presuming a Group 2 win like the Queen Mary Stakes would be added to the eligible pot. Perhaps raising the profile of these horses early on will pique interest in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. Runner up Lady Royal Oak's trainer, Clive Brittain, said his filly was 'the best of the English' - there was a bit of hand-wringing in some circles (well, really just the Daily Mail, but that's to be expected) after the Aussie and American wins yesterday (although I think French wins are all right, oddly enough), but it sounds as though some much-needed energy was brought to the winner's circle presentations. That's just how we colonials roll.

The favorite got home first again in the Sandringham Handicap - this time, it was Moneycantbuymelove, ridden by Jamie Spencer. The Queen's filly, Please Sing, had to make do with second place. Just think - if the exacta had been reversed, the one-two finishers would have made a perfectly acceptable imperative sentence.

Thursday could be historic for Yeats, who is aiming to collect his fourth Gold Cup win at age 8. Other major races on the card include the Norfolk Stakes (with another Wesley Ward juvenile, Yogaroo, in action - you know what to do by now) and the Ribblesdale Stakes for fillies. It's going to be an interesting day.

Weekend Roundup & Royal Ascot, Day 1

2009-06-16T13:13:00.006-04:00

Today is the first day of Royal Ascot; before we get to the racing across the pond, we'll have a quick update of the past weekend's goings-on stateside. The was naturally disappointment in Camp Superfecta over Einstein's tough trip in the Stephen Foster (and let's give credit to Macho Again for putting in a fine performance), but the fact that Einstein still managed to get up for third after finally getting some racing room was heartening. Asiatic Boy definitely showed he's looking to make an impact on American racing as well with a nice second-place finish.

Off the track, Quality Road continues to work toward a return to the races, but it will be under a different trainer – he's been taken from Jimmy Jerkins and sent to Todd Pletcher (along with five of his stablemates, although not all went into a Pletcher barn). Make of that what you will. Friesan Fire is also recovering well from injury, although his return to training seems further in the future.

And so, to Ascot – first, the Queen Anne Stakes will likely produce a few Breeders' Cup Mile entrants; it featured Gladiatorus, whose effort in the Dubai Duty Free earned him the world's top racehorse ranking, as well as Paco Boy, who ended up winning despite doubts about his ability to handle the distance. It's difficult to know what to make of Gladiatorus after such a lackluster performance - perhaps he just doesn't like Royal Ascot. In case you are keeping track, the next set of rankings comes out on June 24th - in the last edition, Paco Boy was just under Mine That Bird (and two ahead of Rachel Alexandra). Clearly some serious number crunching is going to be taking place this week.

The King's Stand Stakes again proved that the Aussies produce great sprinters; favored Scenic Blast (pictured) easily defeated tough Irish filly Fleeting Spirit and the rest of the field. (You may recall Fleeting Spirit finished fourth in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint last year). This marks the fourth time a horse from Down Under has captured this race. Clearly, the 4-year-old gelding is ready to take on the mantle – if Takeover Target wants to give it up. (He'll be running on Saturday in the Golden Jubilee Stakes – and it's possible Scenic Blast will as well - but so far only Takeover Target is having a film made about his life).

The St. James's Palace Stakes was won last year by Henrythenavigator; this year, Mastercraftsman rewarded his many backers when the heavy favorite took the race. There would seem to be something of an iron-bound convention that an Aidan O'Brien trainee must win this race – Mastercraftsman is the sixth. Whether he will want to contest the Breeders' Cup Classic remains to be seen, however; one mile seems to be his ideal distance. His victory today was exciting, but very close – I would imagine he'd be sticking with the Breeders' Cup Mile come the fall if he makes the journey.

The Coventry Stakes was won by Canford Cliffs; it's a bit early to say where the 2-year-olds will all fit but it’s no bad thing to remain unbeaten – even if it's only in two starts. Some are already labeling him a freak, though, so he bears watching.

American-bred Judgethemoment won the 2-mile Ascot Stakes – who says we don't breed distance horses any more? That said, Judgethemoment is by Judge T C – the same Judge T C who went from a modest stud fee in New York to an even more modest $2500 in Pennsylvania (via a brief high spot in Kentucky) – he's now in Saudi Arabia. Someone got a deal. But there’s some speed in his bloodline somewhere as well – his half-brother Olympic Express (also known as Ecclesiastical) won the Hong Kong Mile, the Hong Kong Derby and the Hong Kong Classic Mile. And just because this is the internet, I managed to scare up some pictures of Judgethemoment as a foal. And if you wanted to see his 2-year-old half sister by Street Cry, be my guest. Judgethemoment's trainer, Jane Chappel-Hyam, is doing awfully well, considering this is only her fourth year training on her own.

And finally for today, the Windsor Castle Stakes; while not quite as prestigious as the other races on the card, we can be proud that an actual American-based horse won – Strike The Tiger is a 2-year-old gelding trained by Wesley Ward. Given that there hasn't even been an American-trained runner at Royal Ascot since 2005, it's quite a coup – even if it's just in a listed stakes and not one of the Group 1 events scattered throughout the meet. John Velazquez was the winning jockey, so it's an American triumph all around. The second-place finisher, Fratellino, had quite an experience jump on the winner – today's race was already his eighth lifetime start. Ward has a number of other runners giving Royal Ascot a go (Cannonball already finished behind Scenic Blast earlier today) – it's a very good beginning.

Tomorrow's highlights should include the Jersey Stakes with Gallagher and Donativum, the Windsor Forest Stakes with Lush Lashes, the Prince of Wales's Stakes with Tartan Bearer and Vision d'Etat and the Queen Mary Stakes featuring Capercaillie – or perhaps you'll want to back another Wesley Ward trainee in Jealous Again.

Check back Wednesday for more!

Team Einstein Revisited

2009-06-11T16:16:00.004-04:00

As we discussed earlier in the week, it's almost Einstein time. Saturday's Stephen Foster presents the perfect excuse for my favorite Brazilian-bred to finally get a little corner of the media spotlight, and some publications have duly obliged. There are two great articles about trainer Helen Pitts-Blasi and her 'best friend in the barn' and both stories include a few Einstein factoids I had not been previously aware of. To wit:

Einstein will not actually turn 7 until October (although of course by North American reckoning, he's been 7 since January 1).

He gets cooked oats for lunch and dinner.

Last year's 9-start season was his fullest so far (after previous years had been interrupted by injury - most notably after his accident in the Dixie, detailed here previously). To put that in perspective, that's as many starts as Smarty Jones had in his entire career.

Should he win on Saturday, he will be the first horse to win a G1 on dirt, turf and synthetics in the same year - Lava Man accomplished the feat over three seasons.

And perhaps the biggest surprise:

He is still not Breeders' Cup nominated.

One hopes that the court-appointed receiver overseeing his finances sees fit to allow him to head to California this fall (and that he isn't stuck in another legal morass of the sort that prevented him from running on Belmont day last year) - he and his trainer deserve to be there on racing's biggest day.

But Arson Squad and Asiatic Boy have both come from Dubai (one returning, one debuting) to make Einstein earn it this weekend - while neither one made much of an impact in the Dubai World Cup (finishing a very, very well beaten in 11th and 12th, respectively), Arson Squad did look more like his old self pre-Dubai in the Donn Handicap - where he finished a few lengths behind Einstein. He'll get a break in weight this time, though - it's certainly a factor in his favor - but the Dubai trip remains an issue for him.

It's impossible to predict how Asiatic Boy will take to Churchill Downs (although it's hard to see him regaining his previous top form Saturday after the World Cup as his last outing) and it's always possible that Macho Again and Researcher (with the still-quite-hot Calvin Borel aboard) will make a move in the race; I also find Bullsbay very interesting and could well see him hitting the board.

But we're confirmed Einstein fans around these parts - here's hoping he completes his own G1 treble on Saturday.

End of Part One

2009-06-09T10:23:00.003-04:00

While the dust settles from the Triple Crown and many of the 3-year-olds take a little break (literally, in the case of Dunkirk, who is having surgery for a left hind fracture - although with luck he should be back in the fall - although it still adds fuel to the Unbridled's Song = 'soft bones' thesis), the focus shifts back to the older horses.

This coming weekend's big feature is the Stephen Foster, in which Einstein (pictured) has been assigned the high weight of 124 pounds. You may recall that Einstein finished second to ex-stablemate Curlin in this race last year, so I am very much hoping he finally wins it. There should be some serious competition from horses such as Arson Squad and I'm curious to see where Macho Again stands in relation to his elders (even if it occasionally seems he's the only horse still in training from last year's Triple Crown series). But perhaps the most interesting (non-Einstein) entrant will be Asiatic Boy in his US debut. He's been sent from Dubai after a miserable finish in the Dubai World Cup but previous success in the desert under the care of Mike de Kock - will the Dubai bounce affect a horse who has never raced in the US before?

We will have more later in the week on Einstein and the other Stephen Foster participants, as well as a little bit of catching up with the 3-year-olds across the pond, so do check back.

Finally, Dana has clips of some amazing Super 8 footage of Secretariat, Seattle Slew and Affirmed in their respective Belmont post parades - check it out!

Belmont Stakes Wrap-up

2009-06-08T10:26:00.004-04:00

Apologies for the abrupt end of the live-blog on Saturday, but the wireless was getting increasingly temperamental - and we had some tickets that needed cashing.

All in all, this year's Belmont was a great day out - perfect weather, a great undercard and an exciting Belmont Stakes. The fact that we left the track with considerably more money than we came in with was a nice bonus (even if it was followed with a smidgen of 'but we had that and didn't bet it' here and there).

I was quite impressed by Benny The Bull's return in the True North - I really wasn't expecting him to be so close to his best form in his first race back after such a long layoff - but I'm also not sure he would have beaten Fabulous Strike under any circumstances. Given that the track was still only officially 'good' at that point, nearly equaling the record was certainly impressive all around - I'll look forward to seeing the two hook up again later this summer. We did officially lose a bit of money, since I'd stuck with Two Step Salsa. Betting FAIL.

Our wallets bounced back with Diamondrella in the Just A Game; I had high hopes for Modern Look who made a brief run toward the end (Forever Together was boxed up for the majority of the race), but our across-the-board bet on Diamondrella more than made up for my losing Modern Look bet. I was actually surprised to see her go off at such long odds, given that she was coming off an even longer winning streak than Forever Together.

Around the Just A Game is when the MTV kids showed up and began filming; I still have no idea what that was all about or when it will air, but hey, if it's getting 15-year-old kids to the track, why not? (Although I have to say we thought the kids in question were even younger - if, indeed, it was a dating show as rumored, I can't think of many places beyond the track where a tween couple might go for a cheap afternoon out - but are they even old enough to bet?)

The Woody Stephens was another money-loser for us; I'd toyed with a last-minute across-the-board bet on Munnings after seeing how great he looked in the post parade, but we stuck with Hull and Everyday Heroes boxed with This Ones for Phil. Naturally, Munnings won impressively. Lesson learned - or not.

The Acorn was where we really got stung; we'd been boxing exactas all day, but did a straight one with Gabby's Golden Gal underneath Justwhistledixie. You can look at that as having cost either $2, or something closer to $90. I think that one will bother me for a little while.

I finally made my way out to the paddock before the Manhattan - even on a relatively-lightly-attended Belmont day, getting from the seats to the paddock and back in time is no speedy matter, but I wasn't going to miss a chance to see Better Talk Now up close (again - I may have more photos of him than of any other horse in training) - even though I didn't hold out much hope of him doing well in the actual race. Of course, he looked wonderful in the paddock and I kept thinking how great it was that he looked so fit and ready to go at his age - but of course I left him out of my trifecta anyway. I was busy taking pictures of Wesley, whose third-place finish in the Dixie on Preakness day had rewarded me fairly handsomely, and I'd invested accordingly. I had some complicated tickets with Gio Ponti over Wesley and/or Court Vision and Cosmonaut, but none of them included either Better Talk Now or eventual second-place finisher Marsh Side (nor were any just on Gio Ponti - I'd assumed, for some reason, that he'd go off at something like 2-1 and figured it wasn't worth the effort - whoops). But it was great to see Better Talk Now fighting on for third - clearly, he's not done. I was disappointed with Wesley's performance, but I'll assume for future reference that he just doesn't like soft turf.

Finally, it was time for the big race; after failing to find anywhere I could bet my dime superfecta (clerks couldn't do one, which seems ludicrous, nor was there any place obvious to get a card for the betting machines), I put together a $1 version in which I threw out Chocolate Candy - I'd picked Mine That Bird, Dunkirk, Charitable Man and Summer Bird. However, we ended up deciding it would be too expensive to box and we didn't want to bet it straight, so we nixed the idea. (Sigh.) Instead, we had an exacta box with Mine That Bird, Summer Bird and Dunkirk as well as an across-the-board bet on Summer Bird. When Charitable Man drifted up to 5-1, I also put a show bet on him - I just couldn't get into the idea of him winning for some reason.

I had very different takes on the race in person and when I watched it back on television - like many, I thought initially that Calvin Borel moved far too soon on Mine That Bird (I was a little surprised he only had one other mount on the card, given how infrequently he visits Belmont, and thought that might have been a factor). I revised my opinion somewhat after checking in at home with my TiVo - I'm not sure he had much of a choice, since the little horse was clearly eager to go. Both Mine That Bird and Dunkirk ran tough, gritty races and deserve commendation - poor Dunkirk still seemed like he didn't quite get what this was all about but was just hanging in there with pure talent. I can't say I love how his career has been managed thus far - I would be very curious to see how he would do in a different training situation.

Of course, Summer Bird ran a terrific race to win - I was very dubious about Kent Desormeax riding, but it made more sense in the context of trainer Tim Ice's personal relationship with him. I've never been a fan of Desormeax in the Belmont, but this time he got it right on and ensured that Summer Bird had the perfect trip. I hope to see him hook up with Mine That Bird, Dunkirk and Rachel Alexandra later this summer. I imagine that Birdstone's $10,000 stud fee will be shooting up into the stratosphere after siring 2/3 of the winners in this year's Triple Crown series (as well as Oaks runner-up Stone Legacy, among others) - he and Medaglia d'Oro seem to be on quite a streak lately - I wonder if Darley will try to swoop in for Birdstone as well.

And I have another note about Mine That Bird in response to the idiot at the track who was loudly proclaiming that he 'should have been taken down' (even though Dunkirk was obviously the subject of the post-race inquiry) and that he was a 'worthless horse who will never win another race' - stfu, dude! This little gelding won the Derby, was a close second in the Preakness and not far off for third in the Belmont - he's assured a place in history for that alone, and he's clearly bursting with talent. Obviously you are still bitter you missed him in the Derby and left him out of your trifecta on Saturday - but if you're planning to write him off and never bet him again, well, I'm happy to think I'll get slightly better odds on him as a result. I look forward to a long and prosperous career for him - and hopefully for everyone who ran on Saturday.

I look forward to discovering who will appear in the Haskell, the Travers, etc. - and am pleased we have such a good group working toward the Breeders' Cup this fall (especially when you consider the older horses like Einstein, Brass Hat and Better Talk Now). Perhaps I will need to think about a trip to LA...

In the meantime, feel free to browse my Belmont day pictures here.

Belmont Day Live Blog

2009-06-06T14:36:00.006-04:00

We are finally here and just caught the True North - for some reason, the dirt track is only listed as 'good' - yet Fabulous Strike and Benny the Bull just burned up the track and Teresa (just a few seats away) tells me it's been like that all day so far. As expected, Benny came up a little short, but for a first effort back after nearly a year off, it was a nice return.

I'm definitely going with Modern Look in the Just A Game - although I'm not sure I'm betting her to win. A hot dog may help me decide.

Apologies for the slow updates - the Belmont wireless is crawling! We just cashed an across-the-board ticket on Diamondrella; I had Modern Look (who made a nice run toward the end) in an exacta with Forever Together - oh well. We're going chalky with the Woody Stephens.

I thought about betting Munnings after seeing him in the post parade, but failed to take action. I tried to take action regarding the dime superfectas NYRA helpfully tells me are available, but apparently you can only bet them at the machines. And of course you cannot use the machines unless you get a card - and there isn't a useful place to get one. Hmm.

In minor celebrity news, I saw Vince Vaughn in an appalling white suit; last time I was back in NYC, we saw him at Ben & Jerry's on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn. Why is he following me around? Is it because I've never seen any of his work? Oh, and MTV is filming some sort of teen dating show (?) in the row in front of us. We avoided signing releases. There is a young person in a red dress and also a young person in a black t-shirt who are miked up to 'watch the races.'

AAAAAHHHHH! I thought I'd boxed the exacta, but in fact I only had Gabby's Golden Gal finishing second to Justwhistledixie. Oops.

Another one of those - I had Gio Ponti, but barely considered Marsh Side. But well done to Better Talk Now for getting up for a check - I had pretty much written him off for today, but I'm glad he proved me wrong. Some nice pictures of him in the paddock will follow later.

Now we are putting together a mix of complicated and silly exacta tickets for the main event. I have no idea why I keep going with a Mine That Bird/Miner's Escape exacta, but there you are. I also have some more realistic ones.

2009 Belmont Stakes: On The Record

2009-06-05T10:12:00.003-04:00

Yesterday we took a look at the Belmont undercard, so today, it's time for the main event.

1 / Chocolate Candy / G. Gomez / J. Hollendorfer / 10-1
I've been excited about Chocolate Candy for a while, and I love that he's getting Garrett Gomez. His fifth-place finish in the Derby was respectable, given the way that race was run, and of course his California record is not bad at all. Definitely one I'll be watching, even though I haven't gone back and re-jigged his West Coast Beyers as per the new synthetic formula.

2 / Dunkirk / J. Velazquez / T. Pletcher / 4-1
I did not like him in the Derby based on his lack of preparation, but for a horse making his fourth lifetime start, he actually ran pretty well, given what a terrible trip he had. I'm not usually a fan of Derby excuses, but he certainly had some legitimate ones. I don't think he'll win, but I do think he will be a factor.

3 / Mr. Hot Stuff / E. Prado / E. Harty / 15-1
While I like that he's by Tiznow (and really like his dam's pedigree) and I'm a fan of Eoin Harty, he doesn't seem quite fast enough - he's never won a stakes race.

4 / Summer Bird / K. Desormeaux / T. Ice / 12-1
Before the Derby, I wrote him off as being more of a Belmont horse - and while he's got a great pedigree for this race, I was really put off by the jockey change from Joe Talamo to Kent Desormeaux. The Sheets folks love this horse, but his Beyers haven't been spectacular. Feel free to pick your formula.

5 / Luv Gov / M. Mena / D. W. Lukas / 20-1
While it's true a horse from Marylou Whitney's stable has sprung the Belmont upset before, Birdstone had a much stronger resume coming into the race. He does seem to be improving, but it's hard not to be with only a maiden win.

6 / Charitable Man / A. Garcia / K. McLaughlin / 3-1
His win over the Belmont track in the Peter Pan and his Belmont-winning sire are making him a popular choice; he's still pretty lightly-raced, but he does have the services of Alan Garcia and clearly likes the track. Again, though, his Beyers are not that exciting and I wonder about the distance for him based on how much encouragement he needed in the Peter Pan.

7 / Mine That Bird / C. Borel / C. Woolley / 2-1
If you had informed me on May 1st that a little over a month later I'd be cheering for a little Birdstone gelding who had prepped in Canada and New Mexico, I would have assumed you were working on some sort of horse racing alternate universe parody. Yet here we are - and if you compare Early Period Bob Baffert to Chip Woolley's position now, it's not wildly dissimilar - have a look at this article from 1996 which speaks of Baffert training '...blue-light specials from K-mart' to great success while D. Wayne Lukas had the best-bred horses handed to him.

But back to the horse himself - some have knocked his running style as not the best for the Belmont - yet that single move from near the back of the pack is exactly how his sire, Birdstone, won the race. The other caution, Calvin Borel's lack of experience at Belmont, seems a more legitimate concern - but if he's guaranteeing victory, hey, why not?

8 / Flying Private / J. Leparoux / D. W. Lukas / 12-1
I was actually somewhat impressed by his Preakness finish - but I don't know that he's going to improve off of that. His biggest asset, in my opinion, is having Julien Leparoux aboard - he's going to be a busy man on Saturday.

9 / Miner's Escape / J. Lezcano / N. Zito / 15-1
Zito-trained winner of the Federico Tesio has a really interesting pedigree (he's by Mineshaft, his dam is by Broad Brush) but his resume is rather thin otherwise (and his Beyers are low). But if we're working on the 'bet a Zito longshot in the Belmont' principle, he's the one I would go with.

10 / Brave Victory / R. Maragh / N. Zito / 15-1
He was third in the Peter Pan, so at least he knows this track - but again, he was third in the Peter Pan. That will look a lot more impressive if Charitable Man wins, but he seems the weaker of the two Zito longshots.

Bring on the Calvin Crown! If I'm being forced to bet a dime superfecta, here it goes: Mine That Bird, Chocolate Candy, Dunkirk, Miner's Escape.

I'll be Twittering (@superfecta) and live-blogging all afternoon from Belmont - feel free to follow along!

The Belmont Undercard

2009-06-04T11:41:00.015-04:00

I have a new blog post up over at BelmontStakes.com regarding what a fabulous day of racing we have in store this Saturday; here, back at the ranch, I'm providing a slightly more detailed version of how I'll be ~~throwing away~~ investing my money at Big Sandy.

First up, the True North Handicap:

PP	Horse	Trainer	Jockey
1	Benny The Bull	Richard Dutrow Jr.	Edgar Prado
2	Silver Edition	D. Wayne Lukas	Julien Leparoux
3	Two Step Salsa	Saeed bin Suroor	Garrett Gomez
4	Sixthirteen	Michael Hushion	Eibar Coa
5	Desert Key	James Jerkens	John Velazquez
6	Fabulous Strike	Todd Beattie	Ramon Dominguez

I'm not entirely convinced we're going to see the same Benny The Bull we did last year; he hasn't raced in something like 11 months, he had a bone chip removed and got un-retired 'when the deal fell through for him to be a stallion' according to gentleman and trainer Rick Dutrow. I am actually glad to see him return, but I think this will be the day for either be Fabulous Strike or Two Step Salsa.

The Just A Game Stakes

PP	Horse	Trainer	Jockey
1	Carribean Sunset (IRE)	Christophe Clement	Ramon Dominguez
2	Raw Silk	Tom Albertrani	Paco Lopez
3	Captain's Lover (SAF)	Todd Pletcher	Garrett Gomez
4	I Lost My Choo	Phil Serpe	Jose Lezcano
5	Forever Together	Jonathan Sheppard	Julien Leparoux
6	Modern Look (GB)	Bobby Frankel	Garrett Gomez
7	Diamondrella (GB)	Angel Penna Jr.	Rajiv Maragh
8	My Princess Jess	Barclay Tagg	Cornelio Velasquez

Forever Together does indeed look tough here; it is a big step up in class for I Lost My Choo, but she seems to thrive on the New York circuit. I also feel I should not overlook Modern Look, since each time I ignore a Frankel-trained filly on turf, they come out to win. She's a winner in France and I like her sire, Zamindar, so I may make a small wager.

The Woody Stephens Stakes

PP	Horse	Trainer	Jockey
1	This Ones for Phil	Richard Dutrow Jr.	Garrett Gomez
2	Gone Astray	Shug McGaughey	Edgar Prado
3	Munnings	Todd Pletcher	John Velazquez
4	Regal Ransom	Saeed bin Suroor	Alan Garcia
5	Triumphant Flight	Eric Kruljac	Kent Desormeaux
6	Hello Broadway	Barclay Tagg	Ramon Dominguez
7	Kensei	Steve Asmussen	Robby Albarado
8	Everyday Heroes	Tim Ritchey	Jose Carabello
9	Hull	Dale Romans	Miguel Mena

In theory, this race should help determine where 'everyone else' fits in the 3-year-old picture; this is a good thing, since I am thoroughly confused by Hello Broadway. Is he a sprinter? Just temperamental? The blinkers are off this time, so we'll see if it makes a difference. This Ones for Phil seems ideally-suited for this race, but I am looking forward to seeing how Regal Ransom and Hull run here.

The Acorn Stakes

PP	Horse	Trainer	Jockey
1	Casanova Move	James Jerkins	Jose Lezcano
2	Gabby's Golden Gal	Bob Baffert	Javier Castellano
3	Be Fair	D. Wayne Lukas	Miguel Mena
4	Funny Moon	Christophe Clement	Alan Garcia
5	Doremifasollatido	James Jerkins	Eibar Coa
6	Livin Lovin	Steve Klesaris	Ramon Dominguez
7	Dream Play	Kiaran McLaughlin	Richard Migliore
8	Justwhistledixie	Kiaran McLaughlin	Julien Leparoux
9	Four Gifts	Steve Asmussen	Robby Albarado

On paper, it's hard to see anyone beating Justwhistledixie; however, I do find Funny Moon (with Alan Garcia up) and Doremifasollatido of interest. It may just end up a $10 trifecta, but it will be interesting to see if everyone else's odds drift up.

The Woodford Reserve Manhattan Handicap

PP	Horse	Trainer	Jockey
1	Marsh Side	Neil Drysdale	Javier Castellano
2	Court Vision	Bill Mott	Ramon Dominguez
3	Premium Gold	John Kimmel	Edgar Prado
4	Gio Ponti	Christophe Clement	Garrett Gomez
5	Champs Elysees (GB)	Bobby Frankel	Julien Leparoux
6	Optimer (ARG)	Sydney Dutrow	R R Rodriguez
7	Wesley	Mark Hennig	Kent Desormeaux
8	Senior	J W Delozier, III	Mike Luzzi
9	Better Talk Now	H. Graham Motion	Jeremy Rose
10	Cosmonaut	Phil Serpe	Jose Lezcano
11	Interpatation	Robert Barbara	Rajiv Maragh
12	Lauro (GER)	Andreas Wohler	A Starke
13	Cowboy Cal	Todd Pletcher	John Velazquez
14	Zambezi Sun (GB)	Bobby Frankel	Julien Leparoux

I always love this race, and it's got a great, deep field this year. I had a little luck with Wesley, who was third in the Dixie on Preakness day, so I will try to fit him in again; it's going to be tough, though, with Court Vision, Gio Ponti and Cowboy Cal. While none of them have been in top form of late, Cosmonaut, Champs Elysees and Better Talk Now are all worth watching and I still have no idea what's going on with Zambezi Sun - has he figured out US racing yet (and which horse is Julien Leparoux actually riding)? This is a tough one to figure out, but at the moment I'm leaning toward Court Vision, Wesley and Gio Ponti.

Check back tomorrow for my thoughts on the Belmont field itself...

An Archivist's Take on Partymanners

2009-06-03T10:26:00.005-04:00

I read yesterday's post at The Rail regarding 'Partymanners,' the undisputed horse racing king of YouTube, with great interest – it's a relatively rare occurrence when my professional and hobby worlds collide. Many of my regular readers are vaguely aware that I'm an archivist. Most probably think that has something or other to do with old papers (which it does), but a major element of my work (and, indeed, that of almost every archivist working in the field today) is worrying about digital preservation and access. I spend far more time in front of a computer (albeit one in a windowless basement room, thus maintaining the stereotype) than I do with dusty/musty papers and Paracelsus.

The brilliant thing Partymanners has done is to make racing replays widely (and much more quickly than official sources) available - if I'm on the road, I can always watch a race I missed on my iPhone via YouTube, but can almost never get other replay sites (including links embedded in, say, Thoroughbred Times articles) to work. (I should probably add that this appeals to my inner user interface geek as well).

So, score one for access - however, problems of longer-term access and preservation are still lingering. What's happening to old racing films held by, say, NYRA or Magna? Are they being left to turn into vinegar? (For those not familiar with film preservation, this is a real problem). Is there any sort of plan for long-term preservation of these films and videos? The clips Partymanners uploads tend to be from VHS transfers - so already a second-generation product at best. In theory one should be able to rely on television companies to maintain their media archives in the long term, but just try asking the BBC for all those missing early 'Doctor Who' episodes.

And preservation isn't as simple as transferring those decaying films to a digital format and burning them onto a DVD - not only would some require conservation before transfer, but the DVD format does not, in reality, provide the magic century-long lifespan some had hoped for. It's good to have a DVD backup, but nothing really replaces proper treatment of the original (regardless of format) and any good digitization plan requires some thought of future migration to different formats. Are you still using your 3.5" floppy disks for anything? (Even if you still had them and a machine capable of reading them, much of the data has likely disappeared by now anyway - they actually degraded pretty quickly in most instances).

With no central authority in racing and with racing films and videos made by so many different agencies, it may seem like bringing them into a single repository for preservation and future access is impossible. I would beg to differ - if anything, it would greatly simplify things. Surveying, cataloging and creating long-term preservation plans is what we do - putting everything together in one (appropriately climate-controlled) place would make that easy. Bringing the collections together could also make it easier to apply for preservation grants - again, that's what we do.

For those worried about copyright, well, that's yet another Thing Archivists Do. We certainly don't own the copyright to every image, journal, diary or film in the collections I work with at My Real Job - but that doesn't mean we can't provide access to them. It's up to the researcher (or filmmaker, or genealogist, etc.) to determine who does own the copyright (if we don't already know) and to take appropriate measures to ensure they aren't violating it - especially if there's a commercial aspect to the project. Most archives have standard legal agreements for this sort of work - I spend at least a portion of every day going over this sort of paperwork.

A popular movement in current archival practice is to put out reasonable-quality images and video on sites like YouTube, flickr or the Internet Archive for free - with clear directions on how those seeking high-quality versions for commercial use can do so (everyone from the Independence Seaport Museum to the Library of Congress is getting in on the action). Partymanners is filling that first void, since no official racing body seems willing or able to move into this field, but the second (revenue-generating) piece is missing.

I would love to see the NTRA or the Jockey Club actually take an interest in bringing America's racing footage together into one single repository - and for them to have an ongoing project of getting historic films up onto YouTube (or whatever replaces YouTube in the future) while ensuring their long-term preservation. There are plenty of good out-of-work archivists out there who could easily take on this job (seriously, someone please hire them - I can give you names!) - and they could continue to work with fan ambassadors like Partymanners to keep horses like Sunday Silence and John Henry from fading from public memory.

A quick note for my archivist/digital humanities friends reading - anyone want to kick around ideas for making this happen at THATCamp this year? It could be done...

Back to Belmont Business

2009-06-02T10:42:00.003-04:00

Belmont week is upon us - while we know we won't see a Rachel Alexandra-Mine That Bird showdown on Saturday (although I hope that happens in the Travers), we will have a fantastic day of racing ahead of us. Belmont day is one of my favorite days of racing all year, largely because of the fantastic undercard it features, and this year is no exception.

The True North should be interesting, with Fabulous Strike and Kodiak Kowboy taking on Disco's Son and Per Incanto. It definitely has the makings of an interesting betting race.

I'll wait to see the final entries for the Just a Game, but I like Forever Together; I may also go for my Belmont fallback position of 'Alan Garcia's horse' which seems to pay off not infrequently.

The year's Acorn is a little lacking in star power (and out of all the races on Belmont day, it has probably had the most storied list of winners: Gallorette, Shuvee, Susan's Girl, Chris Evert, Ruffian et al.) but Justwhistledixie will likely be the deserving favorite, with Just Jenda and Doremifasollatido getting some action as well.

Perhaps the toughest race on the card will be the Woody Stephens - Like Jessica, I'm not sure what to make of Hello Broadway at this point, but Hull is very interesting and I'm intrigued to see Regal Ransom as a possible starter. This Ones For Phil should like the distance.

In the Manhattan Handicap, 10-year-old Better Talk Now will be making his 50th start and it will have one of the most interesting lineups on the card - Court Vision and Cowboy Cal have both come into their own since moving to the turf, and Grand Couturier and Gio Ponti are always dangerous. While I don't think this will be Better Talk Now's year to grab a second victory in the race, Brass Hat's recent resurgence demonstrates that it's a bad idea to discount the old guys out of hand.

And as for the big race - well, you'll have to check back tomorrow (and the rest of the week) for that. But I'm certainly hoping to see Calvin Borel win his own personal Triple Crown on Mine That Bird - he's going to be a busy man this week, what with ringing The Opening Bell at the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday and making various media appearances around town.

I'll just be happy to be back on my old stomping grounds - a real bagel before heading to the track and a Nathan's Famous hot dog with (hopefully) a Brooklyn Lager will be in order once I arrive...

The Duckworth Lewis Method

2009-06-01T13:41:00.003-04:00

I know what you're thinking. But Superfecta, it's Belmont week! Why are you reviewing an album by some Irish guys about cricket? I mean, come on – you write about the Sport of Kings and, occasionally, the Beautiful Game – what could you possibly know about cricket?

Fear not, dear reader – we'll get on to Belmont business soon enough. As to why, you may be aware that I've been a rather devoted fan of The Divine Comedy's Neil Hannon since 1995; after moving back to the US from Britain, I once flew from California to Bristol just to go to a single show. (So, feel free to put a check in the 'obsessive' column, although I would hasten to point out that I no longer have the free time or money to enjoy such jaunts.)

While my music fan credentials may be more than in order, it's true I am not a cricket devotee. I do, however, have the somewhat rare privilege of living steps away from a cricket club (although I suspect I am neither rich enough nor demonstrably white enough to join that one, despite my pale complexion) and I often see the local college team practicing on their own purpose-built cricket pitch. I also had a very wealthy friend in grad school whose luxurious flat overlooked Lord's – I'm sure spending a few evenings in St. John's Wood gave me some hazy background knowledge of the game.

Oh, and I've seen 'Lagaan' and have been to at least two cricket-themed pubs. That should be a reasonable introduction to the sport, don't you think?

Fine, I hear you say – just get on with the review!

Very well, then – but first a smidgen more background about how this came to be. Thomas Walsh of Pugwash and the aforementioned Neil Hannon of The Divine Comedy are both Irish songwriters who somehow developed a love of cricket (the actual Duckworth-Lewis Method is an incredibly complicated system of calculations designed to overcome game-delay issues in one-day matches) and came together with the intention of creating the world’s finest cricket concept album – and lucky for listeners, they have succeeded – and succeeded far beyond the simple novelty record stakes. On to the track-by-track breakdown!

The Coin Toss
The opening, in which Messrs. Duckworth (Thomas Walsh) and Lewis (Neil Hannon) decide who will bat first. It sets the tone for the album beautifully.

The Age Of Revolution
Musically, a great blend of a 1920s-1930s sound (ideal for tap dancing, although I was good and kept my tap shoes in the closet) mixed with a much more modern sensibility. Lyrically, it's tough to beat the already much-quoted line, 'always denied entry by the English gentry, now we're driving Bentleys, playing Twenty20.' A great single, all around.

Gentlemen And Players
A gentle sweep though the history of the sport; this song reflects on the irony that cricket's creators have never been its masters: 'To enhance the gentry's chances they were granted the advantage of an extra stump, but still they couldn't hit a barn door.' It's a perfect song for relaxing with a Pimm's.

The Sweet Spot
Who knew there could be a real rock song (ostensibly) about cricket? Clearly one of Walsh's creations, it's a rollicking T-Rexish/Kinksesque number – I could even see Adam Lambert covering this. It's a great track.

Jiggery Pokery
I must confess this is my favorite song on the album – it ticks all my Neil Hannon/Gilbert & Sullivan crossover boxes. Hannon has crafted a stupendous patter song in the style of 'Both Sides Of The Coin' from 'The Mystery of Edwin Drood' (so, essentially, distilled Gilbert & Sullivan) about Shane Warne's 'Ball of the Century' from the 1993 Ashes, as told from the point of view of the rather avuncular Mike Gatting. It even has a men's chorus, and it's easy to picture this as a fully-staged production number (at least, it is if you're me). While I've never heard any of the songs from the Andrew Lloyd-Webber mini-musical about cricket (nor, really, would I want to), I can guarantee you this would blow it out of the water. I'd love to see Neil Patrick Harris do this onstage – and it makes me even more curious to hear what Hannon has created for his 'Swallows & Amazons' musical. More, please!

Mason On The Boundary
'The Mighty Boosh'/'The IT Crowd' star Matt Berry appears in the middle of this track in spoken-word form. (Incidentally, Berry is also the composer of 'AD/BC: A Rock Opera' – if you are a fan of 'Elephant!' from 'The Tall Guy,' you should check it out.) Oh, and Michael Mason is (apparently) a Kiwi cricketer. Bonus points for including (and rhyming) the phrase 'hopelessly Panglossian,' although one hopes it doesn't reflect too poorly on Mr. Mason.

Rain Stops Play
An instrumental that manages to sound both like rain and like the sort of aged filler music you might come across on Radio 4 – only good. Time for another Pimm's.

Meeting Mr Miandad
Every concept album needs a travel number – in this case, we have one about taking a VW camper van to Pakistan. I did have to look up Javed Miandad, but having zero knowledge of who he was didn't matter too much at first listening – there was a banjo, after all, and I love a well-played banjo. I also suspect the subject may have been chosen more for his mellifluous surname than for his specific cricketing credentials, although it certainly helps keep things on message.

The Nightwatchman
A classic Hannon character study in the style of the unfairly-much-maligned 'Eric the Gardener' or 'Girl Least Likely' – one presumes the titular nightwatchman in question is in some way associated with a cricketing facility, but is that really so important?

Flatten The Hay
This Beatles-tinged track by Walsh reflects on childhood cricket matches in rainy Irish summers – a lovely, languid tune.

Test Match Special
I admit I've heard perhaps an hour of TMS in my lifetime – American radio has nothing even vaguely similar. I liken it to a much longer Shipping Forecast (only I have a t-shirt for the Shipping Forecast, because I am sad and geeky, and own nothing similar for TMS). This track is more about the rituals associated with preparing to watch a bit of cricket on television (and by 'a bit' this could mean a few days) and it's somewhat amusing to hear such an upbeat tune associated with a sport that has a reputation for such a slow pace.

The End Of The Over
We had an intro, so we'll have an outro – it's a perfect bookend to the album.

Thanks again to the good people at Duckworth Lewis Towers for the promo copy of the album – and best of luck shifting the many, many copies that richly deserve new homes. We don't really have seasonal pop music traditions in this country (no Christmas number ones, far fewer muddy festivals, etc.) but bringing home some marvelous, sunny songs each summer would be a good one to begin. You can start by buying this record.

A Brief Pause...

2009-05-28T10:10:00.004-04:00

Apologies for the lack of posts this week, but the abbreviated work week and a bit of ongoing research for my next BelmontStakes.com post are keeping me on the slow track.

I did want to take a moment to share my appreciation for our marvelous new Hello Race Fans sponsors - please do take a moment to click on their ads while you're here, we are very glad to have them aboard.

Welcome!

A Janus-Like Weekend

2009-05-26T12:37:00.005-04:00

The long holiday weekend we've just exited was a case study in the highs and lows of the sport. It's impossible not to be excited by victories like Zenyatta's in the Milady or old warhorse Brass Hat's in the Louisville; however, the sobering accident at Arlington involving Rene Douglas was the flip side of that otherwise-bright coin.

First, the good news; Zenyatta's delayed 5-year-old debut showed that the big mare has not lost any conditioning - she's still doing her own little dressage competition in the post parade and then dawdling at the back of the pack before blowing by the field. It seems that every race really is the same for the undefeated champ. As impressive and effortless as her acceleration is, it would be so much more interesting to see her hook up with a true peer. Despite some encouraging comments after the race that she could face some stiffer competition, it seem that she will rather be pointed toward (to put it in 'American Idol' parlance) safe places.

Like Dana, I'm hoping to see something a little more unexpected in the long run - more people deserve to know who Zenyatta is, but beating up on SoCal mares isn't the way to achieve wider recognition. A Breeders' Cup showdown with Rachel Alexandra could be great indeed, but it would be even better to see them meet up on neutral ground first. Certainly new owner Jess Jackson wasn't particularly interested in taking Rachel Alexandra to Santa Anita (given Curlin's lackluster effort on Pro-Ride) unless it meant a crack at Einstein, Well Armed and the other big boys. (And I must confess that if Rachel Alexandra were to pull a Zarkava and beat older males, I'd be forever in awe).

Speaking of Rachel Alexandra, there's still no word as to whether or not she will be Belmont-bound; given the way she is working it sounds as though she wants to go. Some have argued that in recent years a Belmont victory spells career doom, although I would argue that there's a world of difference between a horse like Rachel Alexandra and, say, Sarava or Da'Tara. Afleet Alex was likely injured in the Preakness yet won the Belmont anyway and Empire Maker was rushed off to stud after the Jim Dandy (although you could probably also make the 'rush to the breeding shed after minor injury' argument about Afleet Alex, Smarty Jones - even Rags to Riches). Jazil had the breeding, but he probably still falls into the 'freak longshot win' category. While it's true in recent years that Belmont winners have not, on the whole, done much beyond perhaps participating in the Travers, that seems to be due to a combination of two factors - early retirement when the horse is at its perceived peak financial value (these are, usually, stallions we are speaking about, after all) and fewer legitimate winners with distance pedigrees. Whether Rachel Alexandra goes or not, we can at least take heart that Mine That Bird won't be shipping directly from Belmont to a stud farm.

And thus back to my favorite hard-knocking gelding - Brass Hat finally proved that he can win on turf (with a little help from the seemingly ever-present Calvin Borel). Unlike many of the horses mentioned above who were spirited off to retirement with injuries that would have earned them a little rest and a subsequent return in the past, Brass Hat continues to demonstrate that it takes more than a few potentially life-threatening injuries to keep him down. Just think - when Brass Hat was foaled in 2001, Rachel Alexandra's sire, Megaglia d'Oro had yet to make his 2-year-old debut - and Mine That Bird's sire, Birdstone, had just been born a week earlier. In horse racing career lifespan terms, Brass Hat practically has his own TARDIS - he's even got a year on fellow time traveler Einstein. Long may he continue.

There was still more high-quality racing over the weekend - Bribon won the Met Mile at Belmont and Thorn Song took the Shoemaker Mile in California, but a pall was cast over events by the injury to veteran jockey Rene Douglas. This article explains the accident in some detail, while this somewhat unfortunately-titled Thoroughbred Times article, 'Theriot suspended, Born to Be euthanized' fills in the blanks about the filly involved.

I recommend a read of the Paulick Report commentary about the role of the stewards in these sorts of incidents; it's an overdue discussion in my opinion and while it acknowledges the part played by jockey Jamie Theriot in the accident, it's evident there is plenty of blame to go around elsewhere. One hopes something positive may come out of that.

While those efforts are not going to help Rene Douglas walk again, you can get involved in a number of activities being organized to assist his family via a Facebook group or you might consider a donation to the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund. Hopefully Douglas will not be joining their ranks, but it's certainly a worthy cause.

Then One Of Us Shall Be A Queen

2009-05-21T16:03:00.004-04:00

While the will-she-or-won't-she discussion continues over Rachel Alexandra's possible participation in the Belmont (briefly mentioned in my latest blog posting at BelmontStakes.com), the other queen of the track is preparing to (finally) make her seasonal debut.

Zenyatta is defending her title and unbeaten record in the Milady at Hollywood Park. She won't have much competition, however- her stablemate, Life Is Sweet is the only real threat. While a fine racemare (and winner of the Santa Margarita last time out), she doesn't seem to be in quite the same orbit as Zenyatta. Of course, it's possible the long break since last year's Breeders' Cup could catch up to her, but it seems Zenyatta's only real competition is Rachel Alexandra - although I'd also love to see who would win if she faced Einstein on Polytrack.

My non-Einstein perennial favorite, Brass Hat, is back in action this weekend as well. I freely admit I thought his best days were behind him, but the hard-knocking gelding proved me wrong with a solid third in his last start. He has another positive working for him as well - Calvin Borel will ride him in the Louisville Handicap. One hopes some of Borel's reflected glory might get a little mainstream coverage for a horse who's had such an interesting history and who certainly deserves the spotlight. Perhaps someday he'll be a mentor for Mine That Bird. Brass Hat has no easy task - he'll be facing Spice Route (who bested him in the Elkhorn last time) again.

Like John, I was saddened to hear about the death of Broad Brush - his record of 14 wins from 27 starts stands in stark contrast to that of most stallions today - only the aforementioned Einstein is even close with 11 wins from 25 starts. In addition to his wins on the track, I loved Broad Brush's pedigree (no Northern Dancer or Bold Ruler anywhere); it's a shame his sons have never really passed it on since he was a model of durability and consistency. And he shared a factoid with Musket Man - both finished third in the Derby and Preakness.

Finally, remember to set your TiVos this weekend - as pleasantly distracting as a holiday can be, it would be a shame to miss Zenyatta's return.

Possibilities

2009-05-19T10:29:00.003-04:00

Like Val, I believe that this year's thrilling Preakness result was the best the sport could have possibly hoped for; even before the race, I had colleagues and friends who otherwise never notice racing asking me about 'the filly and the Derby horse' - and even asking me to take money to Pimlico to bet on Rachel Alexandra for them.

I am still very glad I had the good fortune (for that's certainly all it was at the time) to bet an Oaks/Derby exacta and was ecstatic about the outcome of the race, not just for Rachel Alexandra and the vindicated Mine That Bird, but also for hard-knocking Musket Man who finished third again (and rewarded me with a second show bet on him). While the Belmont distance is clearly not his cup of tea, he should be very interesting to watch later in the season - the Haskell is his next probable start.

Whether Rachel Alexandra and Mine That Bird will meet again in the Belmont remains to be seen (and while I definitely want a rematch, I'd be equally content to wait for the Travers if that's a better spot for both - I think the Belmont is going to be a great race even if only one of them is there), but there has been no shortage of drama in the jockey department for Mine That Bird. Mike Smith has a prior commitment in California on Belmont day, and it's possible Calvin Borel will get the mount back on Mine That Bird if Rachel Alexandra bypasses the race. There's much speculation in the Twitterverse that perhaps the vacancy might be reclaimed by his previous jockey, Chantal Sutherland - Animal Planet would certainly be pleased about that.

And in case you were wondering why Mike Smith is skipping a classic to run in the Whittingham, Green But Game has it right - he's keeping a good relationship going with Team Zenyatta. Speaking of Zenyatta, she fired off a reminder to everyone that she's ready to roll, working a bullet on Preakness eve. She is aiming to be the first repeat winner of the Milady since Azeri (who foaled a Ghostzapper filly on Sunday) - and one hopes we will see her take on Rachel Alexandra down the line. I hope Zenyatta goes against the boys at some point as well - she would be well-matched against another big, dark horse like Einstein, but the sight of her next to little Mine That Bird would be a treat unto itself.

It's still a long way away at this point, but we already have all the ingredients for a fantastic Breeders' Cup - let's hope everyone stays happy, healthy and in training.

Superfecta's Preakness Adventure

2009-05-18T08:03:00.003-04:00

The day began early, with your intrepid Superfecta hoping to squeeze in a 10K run before the smallest member of the household awoke. Despite setting a halfway-decent pace, by the time I returned from my run he was already up and enjoying some Backyardigans - I hoped my failure to achieve my own goal would not bode ill for Rachel Alexandra, but in any case, it was going to be slower going as far as preparing to depart for Baltimore.

After assembling my usual racetrack bag of tricks (very portable hat, sunscreen, small towel, iPhone, iPod, raincoat, snacks, cash), I set off for the train. After my initial arrival in Baltimore and some not-inconsiderable time spent deciphering the rather poorly signposted lightrail system, I ended up on a shuttle to Pimlico. It must be said the approach to the decaying track is not what one might call majestic, but no matter; once in the parking lot I had a productive meeting with an entirely legitimate businessman and ended up with a $100 apron ticket for the bargain price of $80.

Duly credentialed, I wandered around the dark grandstand interior, looking in vain for directions to the paddock, infield and/or decent food and beer. As I was initially thwarted, I determined to find my seat in time for the Gallorette - at least that part was reasonably straightforward, and I had a good view for Social Queen's victory. Venturing back into the dark building I did eventually find the paddock, although as one more used to the trees and green of Delaware Park's paddock, it was quite a disappointment. I searched in vain for food and drink, but eventually gave up on both counts after determining that $8 for a 12 oz bottle of Stella was the best thing going. Ah well, money not spent on food could be money invested at the windows - and, indeed, the lines were reasonably short and the tellers friendly and helpful, so it wasn't a bad bargain.

After throwing away money in the Hirsch Jacobs and Woodlawn by avoiding betting prohibitive favorites, I determined to sit out the Maryland Sprint Handicap and wait for the Dixie, which is always one of my favorite races on the Preakness undercard. I felt quite confidence that Parading would win and loved that there were decent odds on Wesley; finally, I'd get a halfway decent exacta payout. Alas, the unheralded Just as Well got in front of Wesley for second - the lesson learned was to never ignore the Julien Leparoux horse in a turf race.

Finally, it was almost Preakness time and the horses began to come out. Even on Belmont day with a Triple Crown on the line, I've never been in a crowd that was so enthusiastically backing one horse and one horse alone - when Rachel Alexandra came out the sound was deafening. Poor Mine That Bird got no more notice than Luv Guv as he walked by - although I did clap for him out of deference to his status as the Derby winner rather than through any sort of precognition. And he is a thoroughly appealing horse in person - compact and athletic, with a kind look about him - he seemed to be taking the big day in stride. Rachel Alexandra, by contrast, is nothing if not striking and looked every inch a champion. Although also unperturbed by the crowd's attention, her more regal movement and posture suggested she knew you were there for her - and that she was ready to show these boys how it's done.

Once they were saddled and passed us again, another huge roar went up for Rachel Alexandra - Calvin Borel was clearly having the time of his life. As the rain began to come down, I was glad I'd gone with my gut and placed an Oaks/Derby exacta - it had been threatening rain all day, and I presumed it was the only possible outcome if the skies truly opened. Having been rewarded in the Derby with an across the board bet on Musket Man, I also bet him to show - although I thought my Rachel Alexandra/Papa Clem/Big Drama trifecta was the more likely result.

From my vantage point it was impossible to see Big Drama acting up in the gate - it just seemed that they were loaded in for a very, very long time. At last the gates opened and as Rachel Alexandra used some early speed to make the front, the crowd cheered again - I simply breathed a sigh of relief that she would be clear of most of the field, but still feared a speed duel with Big Drama. However, I could see that after getting into position, Borel had a hold on her again and I relaxed - despite having to rush to the lead, she'd have something left at the end. It would not be a good strategy for the Belmont, but this was the Preakness - different tactics were called for, especially given her outside post position.

As they turned for home with the filly in front, it was obvious that most of the Derby colts were dropping out of the race - yet zooming although through traffic came plucky little Mine That Bird. But Rachel Alexandra would not be caught - she never even allowed him quite close enough to eyeball her and as she neared the wire, Pimlico erupted. After Rachel Alexandra finished (and she still didn't let Mine That Bird pass her on the gallop out), there came further cheering; this was what a champion looked like, and the term could be applied to both the first and second place finishers. Well-bred stallions, it seems, simply aren't up to the task - this is a job for fillies and geldings.

Mine That Bird reminded me of Megahertz again - a small brown blur coming from the skies in the closing strides of each race. Rachel Alexandra, by contrast, was in charge from the start and was going to stay that way - although she also seems to have more built-in versatility as far as her running style goes. One hopes we can see these two continue to face off for a long time to come - we are long overdue for our own Affirmed and Alydar. Whether they next meet in the Belmont or in the Haskell or Travers remains to be seen, but let's hope in any case it's a lasting rivalry. Both horses deserve it.

2009 Preakness - On the Record

2009-05-15T10:27:00.004-04:00

Looking over the Preakness undercard made me realize they start the show early down south - the Allaire DuPont goes off at 10.44! Depending on Amtrak and my luck with scalpers, I may or may not make it in time for the first few races. Here are a few undercard highlights:

Race 2 - Alliare DuPont
It's hard to overlook the overwhelming favorites Sea Chanter and Skylighter.

Race 4 – William Donald Schaefer
I like Ready Set and think Real Merchant might have finally settled in after moving up from Chile.

Race 7 – Gallorette
All is Vanity has an impressive record in France and I like Tejida.

Race 8 – Hirsch Jacobs
Taqarub is back after disappointing on the Derby trail, but should be tough here.

Race 9 – Woodlawn
I hope to see John Servis pull an upset with his trainee Beacon Hill Road, but Affirmatif may be tricky to beat.

Race 10 – Maryland Sprint Handicap
It's all Ah Day.

Race 11 – Dixie
This is always one of the best races on Preakness day (if you scratch the year Einstein was injured in it). This year features Wesley, Musketier, Proudinsky (on a quick turnaround after a disappointing last effort), Monba and Parading - how I will bet them remains to be seen.

And so, on to the big race -

Race 12 - Preakness Stakes

1 Big Drama
While I'm not normally a Sheets kind of girl, I think they are right to see a horse sitting on a big race; given his post and running style, I think he could be a real danger.

2 Mine That Bird
The little Derby winner is a big question mark; he seems better suited to a longer race, but it's also possible he's the real deal. I'm keeping an open mind.

3 Musket Man
He never seems to be worse than third - can I cash another show bet on him?

4 Luv Gov
Marylou Whitney must really hate Eliot Spitzer; that's cool, but I don't think I'll bet on his namesake.

5 Friesan Fire
You can argue he's almost a fresh horse since he didn't really run in the Derby. You can also argue he got pretty beaten up in it. Whether he will be at his best Saturday is difficult to predict; I will likely wait to place any bets on him until I see him in person.

6 Terrain
He's flying well under the radar, but could figure in exotics.

7 Papa Clem
Since slow works/fast races is apparently just how he rolls, you might feel confident. I like him a lot, but he also had a tough Derby - I'll follow my Friesan Fire wagering plan with him.

8 General Quarters
I've been on the fence about him all week; he's another one who might be more affected by the quick turnaround, given his troubled Derby trip.

9 Pioneerof the Nile
He proved he can run on dirt, although he's still posting lowish Beyers (if that worries you). He may like the way this race sets up, though.

10 Flying Private
Didn't like him in the Derby. Don't like him here either, despite the services of Alan Garcia.

11 Take the Points
I'll take a pass.

12 Tone It Down
At least he's carrying on the tradition of having a local horse in the race.

13 Rachel Alexandra
If you believe the tighter turns myth, you'll like her outside post; I like it for the reasons discussed yesterday. While it's horse racing and anything can happen, she's the class of the field and I hope for a decisive victory.

I'll definitely be boxing Rachel Alexandra with Big Drama and may also include Papa Clem and Friesan Fire. Depending on how the odds go I may also box the Oaks and Derby winners (and most certainly will if my rain-bringing superpower kicks into overdrive). I'm undecided on Pioneerof the Nile at short odds - although I expect him to finish somewhere in the money.

I'll be Twittering from my iPhone all day (despite this officially being known as 'the Blackberry Preakness Stakes'), and hopefully I will manage to score a decent ticket, but if not I'll be wandering aimlessly around Pimlico with a camera; you, lucky reader, can follow my adventures here.

(Don't) Sweep the Leg

2009-05-14T12:22:00.006-04:00

So, it's official – Rachel Alexandra is in, and has the outside post. I'm viewing this as a positive, given what has happened in the modern era in terms of fillies in the Preakness – for some reason, seems to have been open season on them, far more than it has been on, say, Derby winners. Most famously we had Angel Cordero whipping Genuine Risk in the face (as well as pushing her to the outside) in what surely beats the Smarty Jones Belmont cavalry charge as one of the nastiest bits of riding in Triple Crown memory.

While it was not quite as egregious an event, Winning Colors was certainly not helped by her early speed duel with Forty Niner in the 1988 Preakness. In that case, though, given her reputation as a front runner, it seemed the only way to beat her – and, indeed, it worked, although it also torpedoed Forty Niner's chances – he finished well back in the pack, while Winning Colors managed to hang on for third. It wasn't pretty, but it wasn't unexpected either – and in the end, the best horse (Risen Star, who was not really involved in that part of the drama) won.

I also find it interesting there is still some hand-wringing over the two-week turnaround for Rachel Alexandra, when it seems even less than an afterthought for the colts who ran in the Derby. While I would not want to invite any, I am a little surprised that there isn't minor outrage over Friesan Fire running in the Preakness, given his rough Derby trip and his connections. Again, I don't suggest there should be any, but it seems like a more appropriate place for those who live in the realm of constant worry to set up shop.

On the whole, I don't think anyone has any great advantage or disadvantage based on post position – so hopefully we will be in the lucky position of watching some talented horses race, without any 'special' treatment for the Oaks and Derby winners.

Finally, does anyone have an extra Preakness ticket (for a reserved seat, not the infield)? If so, get in touch! I will even wear a dress, if it's in a section that goes in for that sort of thing.

Check back tomorrow for more on the undercard and some quite thoroughly-mulled-over thoughts on each Preakness runner.

Post	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	ML Odds
1	Big Drama	J. Velazquez	D. Fawkes	10-1
2	Mine That Bird	M. Smith	B. Woolley Jr.	9-2
3	Musket Man	E. Coa	D. Ryan	10-1
4	Luv Gov	J. Theriot	D.W. Lukas	50-1
5	Friesan Fire	G. Saez	L. Jones	10-1
6	Terrain	J. Rose	A. Stall Jr.	30-1
7	Papa Clem	R. Bejarano	G. Stute	8-1
8	General Quarters	J. Leparoux	T. McCarthy	20-1
9	Pioneerof the Nile	G. Gomez	B. Baffert	5-1
10	Flying Private	A. Garcia	D.W. Lukas	50-1
11	Take the Points	E. Prado	T. Pletcher	50-1
12	Tone It Down	K. Desormeaux	W. Komlo	50-1
13	Rachel Alexandra	C. Borel	S. Asmussen	9-5

Mainstream Media, Meet Racing

2009-05-13T09:22:00.005-04:00

While we wait for the Preakness draw, you may as well check out Calvin Borel's appearance on The Tonight Show last night. (He starts at chapter five, in case you get lost). Had this been Oprah, I presume they would have subtitled him, but at least we established he did have electricity growing up.

Feel free to wander over to BelmontStakes.com to see my latest blog post over there as well - more to come later...

Preakness Plans

2009-05-12T12:06:00.005-04:00

While the Preakness draw won't take place until tomorrow, we have a reasonably good idea of the field at this point. Rachel Alexandra should be in (after Sunday's brush fire of idiocy) and Friesan Fire is now definitely a go as well. Derby victor Mine That Bird had a surprise workout the other day and is now on his way (yes, in the trailer) to Pimlico, where he is expected to be ridden by Mike Smith.

(In case you 'Jockeys' fans were wondering how that went down with Chantal Sutherland, who had ridden Mine That Bird to a number of wins in Canada, The Rail has that covered for you. Apparently she was very understanding that her boyfriend got the call instead.)

As for other likely Preakness starters, Musket Man worked a bullet at Monmouth Park and looks like he will be a serious contender (and probably an underbet one, if Rachel Alexandra does make the field). I have yet to cash my Derby ticket on him – I may wait until the weekend when I have more than one. Papa Clem worked out at Pimlico in a slightly slower-than-expected time, but it was suggested that the track surface was not at its best. Big Drama, whose running style seems ideally suited to the Preakness, is also in town and ready to go.

The connections of Hull have opted to send him to the Woody Stephens instead (and I think the undefeated colt has a great future ahead of him as a sprinter), and while Terrain is getting little notice, he has managed to score the services of Preakness-winning jockey Jeremy Rose, who certainly knows the mid-Atlantic circuit well. The only locally-based horse who will contest the race is Laurel Park regular Tone It Down, although his record is not awe-inspiring – he seems rather overmatched here.

Back at Churchill Downs, Pioneerof the Nile had a very speedy workout indeed, with General Quarters posting a more middling number. Flying Private was a bit faster than General Quarters, but I'm afraid I still can't see exactly what he adds to the Preakness field. I'd say the same of Take the Points.

And speaking of Pioneerof the Nile, he will be taking the same Wednesday flight to Baltimore as Rachel Alexandra; hopefully he lets her enjoy a quiet trip.

Before we go, let’s have one final note regarding the Mother's Day Mortification; Gary Stute, trainer of Papa Clem, may have proven himself the smartest person in the sport by staying in silent running mode:

"I was in my hotel room and a few people called me to tell me about it," Stute said. "I'm glad I was laying low."

A wise decision indeed.

Finally, the long-range weather forecast for Baltimore is showing possible thunderstorms on Saturday; I’ll be making my final decision about heading to the race that morning (allowing for late scratches), but if I am there, it essentially guarantees at least a downpour or two – I’ve only made it through one Triple Crown race (last year's horribly hot Belmont) without requiring serious rain gear. If my presence does turn the track into soup, I'll be expecting my cut of Rachel Alexandra's winnings in the form of a saddle cloth or similar…

Preakness Poltroons

2009-05-10T21:29:00.003-04:00

It seems to be all sorted out now (thanks to Marylou Whitney), but the fact that so many wealthy owners seriously considered entering their stable leftovers (completely disregarding the welfare of those horses, who have already demonstrated they aren't up to taking on this kind of field) to keep Rachel Alexandra out of the Preakness speaks volumes about some of those involved in our sport at the highest level.

Sure, Jess Jackson flew in with his checkbook to get his Preakness horse - I understand how irksome that must seem. But given the aforementioned owners, it's not as though they don't have equally deep pockets; no one was stopping them from trying to make a better offer. They had every opportunity to try to buy Rachel Alexandra after she ran a full second faster than Friesan Fire did on Louisiana Derby day and again after the Oaks - but they missed the boat.

I've never had a compelling reason to go to the Preakness and plenty of excuses to avoid it (not the least being the abysmal state of the physical plant at Pimlico and a general abhorrence of frat boys) - but if the filly is officially in, consider me Baltimore-bound.

Few things get uglier than a childish spat among the ultra-wealthy. Next time, try taking it outside in Gstaad après-ski - please keep your egos out of my racing.