An Academic Look at Horse Racing in 2009

My late mother Joan taught second and third grade for more than 30 years and my father Phil was a successful math teacher and coach before he began training Quarter Horses full time. So I guess it's in my blood to qualify things on an A through F basis, sometimes throwing in extra credit, "works well with others" or my mom's smiley faces.

If I were to sit down at the dining room table after dinner and grade horse racing and a few factions thereof, I guess this is the logic I would follow.

I'd give a solid A to the racing with Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta giving the valedictions and the commencement with their A+ report cards throughout the year. Without having to recall a moment of any of their races, I can justify this grade with Zenyatta being named the runner-up to Serena Williams as the Associated Press Female Athlete Of The Year and Rachel Alexandra's victory in the Blackberry Preakness being ranked among the Top 10 Sports Moments of 2009 by Time Magazine.


I'd give the Triple Crown a B+, only because each race was won by a different horse and Mine That Bird never won again after taking the Kentucky Derby presented by Yum.

The diminutive gelding from New Mexico arrived at Churchill in a Sooner Trailer two-horse instead of in a custom equine van behind a Peterbuilt 389; with a trainer in Chip Woolley Jr. (photo below) donning a cast, two crutches, a big black cowboy hat and a mustache the envy of every 14-year-old bronc-rider this side of the Pecos. And dag burnit if they don't go and win the whole pumkin' rollin' at 50-to-1 odds. And they have the super charismatic Calvin Borel in the saddle to boot.

Then Rachel Alexandra comes along and steal's Mine That Bird's jockey in true TMZ fashion and wins the Preakness before a little known Summer Bird takes the Belmont. Borel, now back on Mine That Bird for the Belmont but finishing third, was denied a chance to become the first jockey to win a Triple Crown on different horses but gives the trilogy story a boost with the effort.

It was a very enjoyable Triple Crown, but I hesitate to give it a top grade.

The older horse division of 2009 gets a C minus with only Gio Ponti's A plus, a B plus for Presious Passion (top photo), Einstein, Bullsbay and a few others others pulling the group out of D range.

Frank Stronach did his best to flunk out all of track management this year with bankruptcies dominating the Magna Entertainment front, but I'm not going to give the whole bunch an F.

That would not be fair to the foot soldiers that managed these tracks with budgets and personnel slashes that had all the rational of a Lady Ga Ga hairstyle. I can only speak personally about Lone Star Park who produced some very nice events and race cards with not much more than the personal experiences, creativity and relationships built in the local and national markets when things were more profitable. I can only assume the management teams at the other tracks were faced with similar hurdles.

Pimlico management still gets my Dunce Cap of the year for their infield crowd restrictions on Preakness Day. I was the track manager at tiny Manor Downs near Austin, Texas in the mid-80's when our track infield hosted Farm Air II, numerous Grateful Dead and Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble concerts in an equine environment. Pimlico's lame justifications for crowd reduction fell on deaf ears with this blogger.

I will also give extra credit to the New York Racing Association for putting on such great racing during the Summer and Fall at Belmont Park and Saratoga and proving that good horse racing can bring good crowds and a great horse can bring a crowd to remember.

Now ending the year with the New York comptroller asking for your financial records is reason for concern, but I'll still give NYRA a passing grade this year.

Churchill Downs always gets an A plus for their Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks presentation, their racing, facility, etc. And with the installations of lights and the beginning of Friday night racing at the historic track they only solidified that grade.

Arlington Park's season was filled with highs and lows. No. I'm sorry. It was filled with highs and two tragic injuries to jockeys Rene Douglas and Michael Straight. Both Douglas and Straight are battling paralyzing injuries suffered in spills at Arlington Park. I'll give Arlington Park an A plus for their handling of both incidents both in the moments after each accident up through the following months. They have organized and produced fundraisers for both riders but more importantly, I believe, have acted professionally and compassionately.

On the West Coast Santa Anita management gets the Magna exemption and really the same thing applies to Hollywood Park which may have hosted the last meeting at the Track of Lake and Flowers. More to come on that. Del Mar? ... I give a C. How can you screw up the Pacific Ocean, Zenyatta and Bing?

The jockeys get an A plus from me this year for their performances both on and off the track. Nothing shows character like taking care of your own and the jockeys made a big stride when their Jockeys' Guild was able to close their bankruptcy case in July. That ended the two-year case and the beginning steps to repair the damage of what will go down in Guild history as the decade of darkness.

And while Douglas and Straight suffered catastrophic accidents at Arlington Park this summer, fellow riders and their wives rallied to their assistance both financially and in friendship. The Don MacBeth Memorial Jockey Fund completes their 22nd year of assisting fallen riders and the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund passed the the $2 million mark in disbursements during the year.

Calvin Borel electrified America as only "Boo" can with appearances on the network morning show and late night circuits while Mike Smith, Chantal Sutherland, Joe Talamo, Alex Solis and others opened their lives and their jocks' room in the popular Animal Planet television series Jockeys.

On the track there were standout performances like Joe Talamo's performance on I Want Revenge in the Wood Memorial, Calvin Borel on Mine That Bird in the Kentucky Derby, and that flying partnership of Elvis Trijillo and Presious Passion in a United Nations victory and a Breeders' Cup Classic runner-up.

To the fans (come on... you brought me an apple), I place you on the honor roll and you also gets my mom's smiley face at the top of your paper. I want to recognize the New York fans that wore cowboy hats on Belmont Day and gave Rachel Alexandra ovations that will be written about for years. I salute the fans of California as well for their Zenyatta signs and ovations and of course the fans that have supported the various charities of our sport.

At the end of it all, I'd say racing made it through the year with a B minus. And I give that grade on a bell curve influenced by the economy. When all is said and done, I'm sure attendance and handle will have taken significant hits and horse racing didn't have many home runs in television ratings either. But California racing didn't fall in the ocean, no mares had eight foals, Chantal Sutherland didn't hit Mike Smith's Escalade with a golf club and Chip Woolley didn't crash into the Hudson river with Mine That Bird.

As bad as 2009 was for a lot of folks, I think racing did okay. Certainly well enough to move ahead in 2010 but not quite good enough to break out the good "bubbley" tonight.

But Happy New Year everyone, nonetheless.

Classic Opportunities

I'm not sure the robot from Lost In Space needs to be rolling around the Santa Anita barn area warning Breeders' Cup Classic trainers of danger, but the work by Mine That Bird on Monday morning should be of concern to those who have written him off.

The big smile and glowing comments after the work by trainer Chip Woolley were nice to hear, but we get that from just about all trainers after a good work. But there are two semi-hidden bits of information that are making me take a second look at the Derby winner in the Classic.

Woolley is just now revealing that Mine That Bird's throat surgery in August, while fully successful, came at a very inopportune time. Woolley said MTB was at the top of his game just before the Travers and the surgery was more detrimental to his training than originally thought. Mine That Bird just wasn't back in top form for the Goodwood, according to Woolley, hence the dissappointing sixth-place finish.

The other hidden nugget from the work is the time of the last eighth of a mile in 11 seconds flat. Is that an omen of the return of the startling late kick we saw in the Derby and the big late run we saw in Preakness from the little Birdstone colt?

Richard's Kid Classic Longshot
Zenyatta is my top choice in the Classic and one really doesn't have to look to far down the morningline to start hitting some pretty good prices on horses like Quality Road, Einstein and Gio Ponti.

But the Bob Baffert-trained Richard's Kid is my longshot choice and will be on the top line with Zenyatt on my trifecta.

He won the Pacific Classic (gr. 1) at this distance at Del Mar and was a closing third in the 1-1/8 mile Goodwood (gr. 1) over Pro-Ride in his last race. He also fits a number of profiles as outline in my Breeders' Cup handicapping bible Crushing the Cup.

According authors Jim Mazur and Peter Mallet, 56% percent of the winners in Breeders' Cup Classics on fast tracks were "rally" horses or "closers". He has a six furlong work in him from Oct. 27 and his half-mile in :47 1/5 Monday morning at Santa Anita was apparently much more impressive to watch than to read about. Of all Classic winners, 96% had a sharp last race and 86% have a grade 1 win.

I Like Gio
All throughout the year, I've thought the older turf horses have been a better lot than their counterparts running on main tracks. And for that reason Gio Ponti (photo) is another that I like an awful lot in the Classic. I would have him on top of my trifecta ticket along with Zenyatta and Richard's Kid, but it is against my betting philosophy. (If you need three tries to pick a winner, you shouldn't be betting trifectas.)

Gio Ponti went on a nationwide, grade 1 tour of turf terror this year winning the Frank Kilroe in California, the Manhattan and Man O War in New York and the Arlington Million in Chicago. If turf horses truly can transfer their turf form to Pro-Ride with no fall off, look out for Gio.


Breeders' Cup Or Bust Update
The Paulick Report and Breeders' Cup Charities are in the midst of a cross-crountry bus tour raising money for the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund and the V Foundation for Cancer Research. Their latest stop was in New Mexico at Zia Park. Click here to read the update from The Paulick Report.

Presious Passion Sprints To Record UN

When I wrote a few Friday that the United Nations Stakes was going to be perhaps the most fun race to watch, quite frankly I was expecting a typical, grade 1 turf race, stampede-style charge to the final strides type race. But what we got was more entertaining and exciting and it included only one horse.

Presious Passion (photo) was looking for his second consecutive UN victory and was expected to race on the front end. He went to the front all right - like his tail was on fire. Jockey Eddie Trujillo let Presious Passion sprint away as though he had forgotton the extra lap of the 1-3/8 mile race as he led the field by as many as 20 lengths while covering the first 6 furlongs in an irrationally fast 1:09.1.

But my laughing slowed significantly when I noticed how relaxed Trujillo and Presious Passion looked while galloping along a half-mile from the finish. Just as they raced around the far turn, the field began to close the gap and Lauro and Brass Hat appeared to about to pounce when Presious Passion continued to race at a pace that made the crazy 20-length lead a two-length victory. And the final time was as stunning as each of the fractional times before it, as the 6-year-old shattered the stakes record by almost two full seconds with a final time of 2:10.97.

The $750,000 United Nations carries a "Win And Your In" tag meaning Presious Passion qualifies again for the Breeders' Cup World Championships at Santa Anita Nov. 6 and 7. Last year, owner Patricia Generazio and trainer Mary Hartmann opted not to run in the Breeders' Cup.

In the biggest Roswell reunion this weekend outside of the annual UFO Festival (photo), jockey Mike Smith has given a commitment to ride Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird for the next two races trainer Chip Woolley announced at Churchill Downs Saturday.

Smith gets the return mount after opting off Mine That Bird following a second in the Preakness because of a possible confict with his clients Jerry and Jan Moss, owners of Horse Of The Year candidate Zenyatta. Borel got back on MTB for the Belmont, finished third, then left for Warrior's Reward and his loyalty to trainer Ian Wilkes.

The "Mine That Bird and his Disloyal Jockeys" saga continues however, as Smith would only commit to the West Virginia Derby Aug. 1 and the $1 million Shadwell Travers Stakes Aug. 29 at Saratoga and not the Breeders' Cup Classic. The circle completes again with Zenyatta being a possible for the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic.

Our Sunny's Halo fans had another big day Friday when his son Backtalk became the stallion's first graded stakes winner in the United States by taking the grade 3 Bashford Manor Stakes at Churchill Downs. Flatter Than Me was second and Brassy Boy was third while continuing to outrun his expectations. Something tells me the little Arkansas-bred Brassy Boy will be a horse to watch out of the Hal Wiggins barn.

Borel Guarantees Belmont

Not even NBA players guarantee victories in New York. And they're going to play the Knicks. Major League baseball players wouldn't think of guaranteeing a victory in the hallowed halls of the all-new, sacred, state-of-the-art Yankee Stadium. Guarantee a victory against the football Giants and you'll probably get more than somebody's "you wanna piece of me?"

But there's our man Calvin Borel stepping off of his Belmont Stakes mount Mine That Bird after a Monday morning workout at Churchill Downs saying, "We're going to win it. No questions asked." Add to that his similar guarantee before the Preakness aboard a different horse just about three weeks ago. Although he and Rachel Alexendra lived up to that guarantee, nobody comes out trying to hit the guarantee double. Especially in New York.

But there's our man Calvin Borel. Egotistical? Brash? Boastful? Naive? Who the...? Nope. Calvin Borel. Bulletin board material for the other jockeys? Probably not. Jockeys at this level know they will have plenty to occupy their time and energy during the roughly two-and-a-half minutes it will take to run the Belmont Stakes. There is no room for malice aboard 1,000 pound horses running 40 miles per hour.

And there's our man Calvin Borel. He's now a two-time Kentucky Derby-winning jockey who is trying to become the first jockey in history to win the Triple Crown on different horses. There's Calvin Borel getting ready to attempt something that will place him alongside the likes Eddie Arcaro, Bill Shoemaker, Woody Stephens, D. Wayne Lukas and company in the Triple Crown and thoroughbred racing record books.

As if being from the tiny, cajun town of St. Martinsville, South Louisiana, having a ninth-grade education and getting invited to a white tie dinner at the White House with President Bush and the Queen of England weren't enough, (I heard he accidentally called Prince Charles Street Sense but a jockey agent told me that), he goes off and guarantees a victory in the Belmont Stakes on Mine That Bird.

Who does something like that and doesn't allienate the world? Our man Calvin Borel. And not a head will turn in aghast nor a chin nod in disapproval. Is it possible to guarantee with humility? I don't know, but if anyone can do it, Calvin just did.

To add perspective to his quote: "I loved the way he went today," Borel said after the work. "He really came bouncing off the track once we were done. That's what I love about him. He's just so happy."

I'll bet you if Mine That Bird could talk, he would have said the same thing about Calvin.
______

Mine That Bird worked a half-mile in 50 seconds flat but worked the final eighth of a mile in a speedy 11.60 then galloped out five furlongs (5/8ths of a mile) in 1:02.2. Needless to to say trainer Chip Woolley was reported to be very pleased. Apparently the final test of the late firing mechanism was a success.

Mine That Bird will board a flight from Louisville, Kentucky to New York on Wednesday.

Belmont challenger Chocolate Candy finished his final preperation for the Derby by also working Monday morning at Belmont Park for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer. He also worked four furlongs covering the distance in 50.25 under restraint from exercise rider Lindsey Molina. He then galloped out in 1:03.59. Chocolate Candy was second in the Santa Anita Derby behind Pioneerof the Nile and fifth in the Kentucky Derby in his last two starts.

Rachel Removed From Belmont Picture

Statement by Jess Jackson on behalf of Stonestreet Stables and Harold McCormick
“Rachel Alexandra is an incredible thoroughbred who has proven to be the best three year old in racing today. We are elated by all the attention her wins in the Oaks and Preakness has garnered the sport. The many letters and emails we have received from young girls and racing enthusiasts lets us know that many fans are proud of Rachel. When we purchased Rachel, our goal was to restore the sport’s vitality and grow its fan base by extending the racing careers of its stars.

After careful consideration, we have decided not to run Rachel Alexandra in the Belmont Stakes next weekend. We have advised Calvin Borel, Chip Woolley and Belmont of our decision. We thank them, the media and the fans for their many courtesies and patience while we pondered.

We know the media and many fans would have liked to see her run in the Belmont Stakes — we feel the same. But all of us sincerely interested in the horse must agree that we only want to see her run when it is best for her. While she is in great shape, having strong works, and recovering well from her amazing performances, we feel Rachel deserves a well-earned vacation. Since March 14, Rachel has won four graded races with just two weeks rest between her last two victories. We will always put her long-term well being first. And, of course, we want to run her when she is fresh.

Rachel, her owners, her trainers and her fans can continue to anticipate an exciting campaign. All major races will be considered as we look to the rest of Rachel’s racing career.”

Mine That Bird Jockey Can Take Page Out Of Rene Douglas Belmont

We are now just nine days away from the Belmont Stakes and we don't yet know if the Preakness winning filly Rachel Alexandra is going to run. After a nice work over a sloppy track on Monday at Churchill Downs, owner Jess Jackson said he will wait until later this week before making a decision.

If you think you're anxious for a decision, just think what jockey Calvin Borel and his agent Jerry Hissam have been going through this week. If Rachel goes in the Belmont, they'll be aboard. If not, they will likely return to the Mine That Bird Camp. That is if Bird's trainer Chip Woolley doesn't decide on a jockey for the Belmont before Jackson decides on what to do with Rachel Alexandra.

Once all these decisions are made, we racing fans can all relax and begin to enjoy the days leading up to the third leg of the Triple Crown.

But the anxiety will only begin for whomever the jockey will be for the late running Mine That Bird. Despite what most might think, the long 1-1/2 mile distance of the Belmont Stakes can be a henderance and not a help for a stretch-runner like Mine That Bird. True, a little extra distance in the 1-3/16 mile Preakness and Mine That Bird may - I repeat may - have caught and passed Rachel Alexandra. The Belmont gives Bird that extra distance. But it rarely provides the most important ingredient for the success of any closer in any race. Pace. And pace makes the race.

Jockeys will ride entire careers and may not ride races further than 1-1/16 miles. If so, it happens only a few times-a-year at best. About 99.99% of all thoroughbreds will never approach a race at that distance in their racing life. Americans like speed and speed doesn't usually fly for a mile and-a-half. Not unless the frontrunner gets an easy, early and unchallenged lead.

This is where the Belmont gets tricky for a jockey though. Many times in the Belmont, regardless of company, the jockeys on the early leaders will keep the pace at a pedestrian level - knowing full well they have a long road to travel before crossing the wire. They want to keep as much gas in the tank for when they hit the top of the stretch and the late runners come calling.

To illustrate this point, I thought what better race to feature than the 1996 Belmont Stakes won by the late running Editor's Note. Notice the fast early pace. They run the first quarter of a mile in 23+ seconds and the first six furlongs (3/4 of a mile) in 1:12 and change. Both rapid fractions for the Belmont. Also notice how far back Editor's Note is in the early stages. He doesn't really appear in the picture until the race is about a third of the way complete. This is a very similar running style to Mine That Bird.

Jockey Rene Douglas eases Editor's Note into contention approaching the far turn then begins to circle the field and put's his horse in a position to win at the top of the stretch. Notice that Skip Away appears to be the winner heading for home, but that's when Douglas flips the switch to the auxillary gas tank on Editor's Note.

Mine That Bird's kick is a little more patient, but dramatic and sudden when he fires. But whomever rides him in the Belmont would do well to study this Douglas masterpiece.