Oh Say Can You See? A British Turf Victory?

The Europeans may not be bringing into the 2010 Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Turf (gr. 1) an armada the size of the British fleet that assaulted Fort McHenry during the battle of Baltimore of 1814, but the odds of an American victory are about the same. While Major George Armistead fought off the British naval bombardment; and General Samuel Smith, Rogers Bastion, Navy Commodore John Rogers and the boys defended Baltimore in the end, it is yet to be determined if homeland trainers Bill Mott, Richard Mandella, Steve Hobby and Christophe Clemente can pull the same upset.

According to Mike Watchmaker’s Daily Racing Form graded line, the American with the best chance at the Breeders’ Cup Turf this year is Paddy O’Prado at 8-to-1 odds, who may not choose to even run in the Turf for preference to take on Zenyatta in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic. After that our American hopes lay with Winchester (10-1), the winner of the Turf Classic Invitation (gr. 1) at Belmont Park Oct. 2; Al Khali (10-1), winner of the Canadian International (gr. 1) at Woodbine Oct. 16; and California turf star Champ Pegasus (15-1), winner of two graded turf races in his last two starts including the Clement L. Hirsh at the Oak Tree meeting at Hollywood Park Oct. 3; and Telling (20-1), winner of the grade 1 Sword Dancer on the Saratoga grass the last two years but winless in his other 11 starts in 2009-’10.

The Euros have won 10 of the last 13 editions of the Breeders’ Cup Turf and apparently want to continue their dominance of the grass racing championship on American shores. The captain of the European flagship is Workforce (GB), winner of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (gr. 1) at Longchamp in France Oct. 3. According to the Crushing the Cup, eight of the last 15 Euro turf winners have come out of the Arc, but none of them out of the race’s winner’s circle. Prix de l’Arc de Triompe winners are winless in five tries in the Breeders’ Cup Turf, the last being 2007 Arc winner Dylan Thomas who later finished fifth in the Turf. The closest to pulling off the Arc/Turf double was Tremaplino, who finished second in the 1987 Breeders’ Cup Turf after winning the Arc.
But that hasn’t influenced the British punters who have Workforce bet down to the 2.4-to-1 favorite on the BetFair line or Watchmaker, who has him listed as the 2-to-1 favorite on his DRF graded line.

Workforce is a lightly raced 3-year-old colt who set the track record at Epsom winning the group 1 Epsom Derby in June, one of his three career victories from just five races. While trainer Sir Michael Stoute has the Arc/Breeders’ Cup jinx to break, the Turf Classic has historically been a race true to form with favorites producing an above average 35% victorious performances. And of course Sir Stoute has won the Breeders’ Cup Turf four times including the last two with Conduit.

But the prognosticator favorite now appears to be Behkabad (Fr), who finished fourth behind Workforce in the Arc in a troubled trip. Not only is Behkabad appealing to trip handicappers around the world, but it just so happens that Arc also rans have the successful history behind them as well.

Debussy (Ire) has already invaded the United States to plunder the Arlington Million (gr. 1) with his victory Aug. 21 at Arlington Park near Chicago. Trainer John Gosden returned him to Great Britain to run third in the Oct. 16 Champion Stakes (gr. 1) at Newmarket has plenty of support in his return American soil as Watchmaker has him listed at 12-to-1 in his DRF line.

Consider these recent winners of the Breeders’ Cup Turf: Conduit (Ire) (2009, 4th in Arc); Shirocco (Ger) (2005, 4th in the Arc), High Chaparral (Ire) (2003, 3rd in the Arc), Daylami (Ire) (1991, 9th in the Arc), Pulsudksi (Ire) (1996, 2nd in the Arc).

Yes the star and stripes may wave over Churchill Downs after the Breeders’ Cup Turf if the Patriots can somehow hold off the Red Coats Saturday. And if they do, the bombs won’t be bursting in air-they’ll be at the cash windows at the home of the brave.

Gio Point To Fight History As Much As Rivals in Arlington Million

Gio Ponti, the Champion Older Male and Champion Grass Male of 2009, tries to make history Saturday at Arlington Park near Chicago. Should Gio Ponti (photo right) win the grade 1 Arlington Million on turf, he would become the first horse to win the 1-1/4 race in consecutive years in the 27 previous runnings of the race.

Horse of the Year John Henry won the inaugural Arlington Million in 1981 with a historically thrilling nose victory over The Bart (photo left), and again in 1984. But John Henry missed the second running of the Arlington Million due to injury and was upset by European invader Tolomeo in 1983.

Powerscourt remains the only horse to cross the finish line first in consecutive years, but his 2005 victory came a year after being disqualified from first and placed fourth for interference in the stretch of the Arlington Million. Ironically, Powerscourt is not the only horse to be disqualified from the Arlington Million winner's circle after being the first to cross the wire. In fact, in happened in two consecutive runnings.

In 2003, Storming Home hit the wire in front, but without carrying jockey Gary Stevens. Just moments before the wire - looking as if he was a sure winner, Storming Home ducked sharply, unseating Stevens. Stevens suffered several injuries, including a collapsed lung, and second-place finisher Sulamani was given the victory.

The Arlington Million has a solid history through it’s 28 runnings (the race was not run in 1998 or ’99) with 19 Champions representing 23 year-end honors after racing in the Million. The most celebrated of those, of course, is John Henry who garnered two Horse of the Year honors, three Champion Grass Male and two Champion Older Horse Eclipse Awards at the end of the three years he competed in the Arlington Million. John Henry was also the Champion Grass Horse in 1980, the year before the first Arlington Million.

Hall of Fame trainers Charlie Whittingham and Ronald McAnally have won the Arlington Million three times and jockeys Laffit Pincay Jr., Gary Stevens, Cash Asmussen, Jerry Bailey and Jose Santos have each won two. Manila, Estrapade, Steinlein, Star of Cozzene and Golden Pheasant are among the thoroughbreds who have stood in the Arlington Park winner’s circle following the million.

Yet with all of that history, the Arlington Million has never produced a winner of the Breeders’ Cup Turf (gr. 1) in the same year. Manila is the only horse to win both races having won the Breeders’ Cup Turf in 1986 before going to Chicago win the million the next year. Breeders’ Cup Turf winners Theartical (1987) and Northern Spur (’95) lost the Million in the same year as their Breeders' Cup victories; and English Channel won the 2007 Breeders’ Cup Turf after finishing 4th in the ’06 Arlington Million.

Last year Gio Ponti rattled off consecutive grade 1 victories on turf on his way to his championships. This year he is hoping to win his second consecutive major after winning the grade 1 Man o’ War Stakes at Belmont Park and begin a new streak. He has endured losses this year with a runner-up finish in the Manhattan (gr. 1) on Belmont Stakes day and fourth in the Dubai World Cup (gr. 1UAE) in March in Dubai.

This year Gio Ponti will be facing a field of nine others including European Invaders Summit Surge, Tazeez and Debussy. Although most of the competition figures to come from Just As Well and General Quarters from the domestics. Just As Well was second in the Arlington Million last year and more recently runner-up in the the local Arlington Handicap (gr. 3T) while General Quarters counts the Woodford Reserve (gr. 1T) at Churchill Downs among his recent wins.

At 7-5 in the morning line, Gio Ponti certainly looks like the most probable winner. But if history teaches us anything, normality is not to be counted on in the Arlington Million.

Presious Passion "Truckin" Again in Monmouth Park Stakes

Presious Passion is a super star running this weekend. He may not be a super star in the strictest sense of wins and recognitions, having finished second in the Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. 1) to Conduit and only winning one grade 1 race last year. In fact, he was a very distant third in the Eclipse Awards race behind Champion Gio Ponti and Conduit.

But like the legendary rock band The Grateful Dead, Presious Passion doesn't need a platinum record to put on a darn good show and draw adoring fans every time.

His almost unheard of turf running-style that resembles the fabled hare sprinting early only to lose to the tortoise, almost defies logic at the grade 1 level. When he can endure and continue to leave his competition like he did in the grade 1 United Nations last year, or unexpectedly battle a champion like Conduit to the wire as he did in the Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. 1T), he defies how horses are supposed to run in longer route races. It is even more defiant on grass. Racing to a big lead on the turf and trying to hold off the inevitable charge of the late runners is much akin to how Lenny Kaye described the The Dead's music in a 2007 issue of Rolling Stone magazine: "it touches on ground that most other groups don't know exist."

And like Jerry Garcia taking The Dead through an extended and improvisational version "Dark Star" in concert, jockey Elvis Trujillo tries to stay in rhythm and harmony with Presious Passion. Just as Bob Weir and Garcia took on stage cues from each other as to when to go solo during live concerts, Trujillo and Presious Passion certainly communicate through a long turf race - changing leads when it feels right, but keeping the pace going the whole time. If nobody passes out, it's a helluva show.

Jerry Garcia was known for his soulful and extended guitar solos. Presious Passion is known for his soulful and extended turf races. In a rock and roll industry that is known for the one hit wonder, The Greatful Dead has lasted more than 40 years. In a thoroughbred game that has to endure the annual exodus of many of our biggest stars, Presious Passion continues to race at age six.

Since coming up just short in the Breeders' Cup Turf last year, Presious Passion has traveled to South Florida to win the Mac Diarmada (gr. 2T) before traveling to the United Arab Emirates to Dubai's Sheema Classic (gr. 1UAE) in March. After getting to his customary big lead in Dubai, the soft turf course took it's toll and he faded to last.

Saturday he returns to New Jersey to attempt to win the Monmouth Park Stakes (gr. 3T) for the second consecutive year. Trainer Mary Hartmann will then point him toward a possible three-peat in the grade 1 United Nations Invitational later in the Monmouth season.

So there will be plenty of Passion-Heads in Oceanport over the summer. They may not be driving vw vans or doning tie-dye and love beads... but you can be sure they've come to see "Truckin'."

Truckin, I'm goin' home, whoa whoa baby, back where I belong
Back home, sit down and patch my bones, and get back truckin on
Hey now get back truckin home. -- The Grateful Dead, "Truckin'," 1970