Confidence From All Places At Belmont Saturday

(photo: Summer Bird and jockey Kent Desormeaux)
I would think there will be a good number of confident steps taken into the Belmont Park paddock Saturday. Certainly the competition will be coming in droves throughout the day as five grade 1 stake races dominate the card in what is known as Super Saturday in thoroughbred circles. Without any shadow of doubt, it ranks among the most important and enjoyable days of horse racing in the world. Kentucky Derby Day, Breeders' Cup Day, The Royal Ascot in Great Britian, Arc Day in France, any race day in Ireland and Super Saturday at Belmont Park.

The added money attractions start in the sixth race with the $600,000 Beldame Stakes for fillies and mares at 1-1/8 miles on a main track that is expected to be hit with rain and thundestomes tonight and tomorrow. The same weather will surely produce a yielding turf course.

But neither rain nor slop nor four other rivals look to be much of a match for Godolphin Stables' Music Note in Beldame. She who won the grade 1 Ballerina on an off track at Saratoga by 5-1/4 lengths in only her second start of the year. Not only does Music Note like an off track, but she appears to be quite comfortable on Long Island too having won the grade 1 Mother Goose, Coaching Club American Oaks and Gazelle at Belmont Park last year.

Unbridled Belle looks for her second Beldame after winning in 2007, but her only victory this year came in the grade 3 Obiah Handicap at Delaware Park. Her entry-mate Captain's Lover will try to repeat her win in the Matchmaker Stakes at Monmouth Park. While the Matchmaker was not quite this level of compition, it was the first start on dirt for Captain's Lover who may improve Saturday with that experience. But it might not take a victory the optimal preperation for the Breeders' Cup Distaff.

Both Round Punch in 2006 and Ginger Punch in 2007 won the Breeders' Cup Distaff coming out of the Beldame. Ironically though, both won the Distaff after finishing third in the Beldame.

When the sprinters parade over from the barn area for $400,000 Vosburgh the following race, confidence will not come from one, but from the group as a whole.

Fabulous Strike will be looking for his second Vosburg victory after winning in 2007 and missing only by a head while running second last year. He is also coming off of an impressive win the the grade 2 Vanderbilt Handicap Aug. 9 at Saratoga but will have no cakewalk, despite his even-money morning line odds.

Kodiak Cowboy is coming off a close second to Pyro in the Forego Handicap (gr. 1) at Saratoga and a third behind Fabulous Stike in the Vanderbilt. He defeated Fabulous Strike earlier this year in the seven furlong Carter Handicap (gr. 1) at Aqueduct. Trainer Todd Pletcher is confident Munnings can bounce back after consecutive thirds in the NetJetsKing's Bishop Stakes (gr. I) behind Capt. Candy Man and Haskell Invitational (gr. 1) behind Rachel Alexandra. Before that he was impressive in winning the grade 2 Tom Fool at Belmont Park and will adjust favorably in his return to Elmont.

Speightstown was the last Breeders' Cup Sprint winner to make his previous start in the Vosburgh. Oddly enough though, he was also third in his Breeders' Cup prep race in New York.

Last year Dynaforce won the Flower Bowl Handicap over a yielding turf course and her connections are hoping she will repeat that performance Saturday. Pure Clan, however, will be trying to repeat her race in the grade 3 Modesty Handicap at Arlington Park when Dynaforce was third.

Perhaps the most dominating individual at Belmont Saturday will be Gio Ponti (photo left) when the 4-year-old son of Tale of the Cat goes after his fifth consecutive grade 1 turf win in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at 1-1/2 miles. He started his streak with the Frank E. Kilroe at Santa Anita in March. He then went to Belmont to win the 1¼-mile Woodfood Reserve Manhattan Handicap and the Man o’ War Stakes before winning the Arlington Million in Chicago Aug. 8.

Gio Ponti is the consensus leader in the older turf horse division in North America and will be heading to California for the Breeders' Cup after the Hirsch. However, trainer Christophe Clement has not yet said if he will run the the Breeders' Cup Classic on the main track or the Breeders' Cup Turf.

When trainer Tim Ice walks into the paddock before the Jockey Club Gold Cup with Summer Bird, he may not have any more faith than before other races with the Belmont and Travers winner, but he says he's going to enjoy the additional confidence
of the fans. For the first time in Summer Bird's seven-race career, he will be the favorite.

It is doubtful that those odds will shake the resolve of trainer Todd Pletcher who will lead over Florida Derby (gr. 1) winner Quality Road. Sidelined from the Triple Crown by quarter crack problems in his hoofs, Quality road set a 6-1/2 furlong track record in the grade 2 Amsterdam Stakes at Saratoga in his first start back. Then finished third in the Shadwell Travers (gr. 1) behind Summer Bird. With two solid races under his belt since the extended Spring break, Quality Road figures to improve in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, especially if the footing at Belmont is more to his liking than the sloppy Saratoga track on Travers day.

The top of the East Coast older horse class will be represented in the Jockey Club Gold Cup as well with Macho Again and Asiatic Boy going at it again. They last met behind Rachel Alexandra in Woodward at Saratoga when Macho Again was just a head behind in second and Asiatic Boy was fourth. Asiatic Boy was also second behind Macho Again in the grade 1 Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs this summer.

Curlin was the last Jockey Club Gold Cup winner to take the Breeders' Classic in his next start, having done so in 2007. In the three previous years, Breeders' Cup Classic winners Invasor ('06), Saint Liam ('05) and Ghostzapper ('04) all made their previous starts in New York, but none were in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. Saint Liam and Ghostzapper came out of victories Woodward Stakes while Invasor won the Whitney just prior to the Breeders' Cup.

Regardless of the winners, however, this day will certainly have a major impact on the Breeders' Cup during the first weekend of November.

Thoughts, Comments and Questions.

Jockey Joe Talamo said on Twitter Sunday night that he will be aboard Mine That Bird Tuesday morning at Santa Anita to work the Kentucky Derby winner in preperation for the $350,000, 1-1/8 mile Goodwood (gr. 1) at Santa Anita on Oct. 10. At this time Calvin Borel has the mount aboard Mine That Bird in the Goodwood. According to an artcle in timesunion.com, Mine That Bird arrived in Southern California Friday morning after a 12-hour van ride from New Mexico. And yes, trainer Chip Woolley is still on crutches.


Kentucky Cup Classic (gr. 2) winner Furthest Land may be heading to the Breeders' Cup in November, but it doesn't look like it will be in the Classic. Trainer Michael Maker has instead indicated that the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (gr. 1) will be the ultimate goal with possibly the Fayette Stakes (gr. 3) at Keeneland Oct. 31 as the next step.

It's been a bad week for fans of some great stallions and a champion gelding. First El Prado and Summer Squall pass away. Then we lose Kona Gold and now Cryptoclearance. As a fan of Alysheba, I remember well the hard charging Crytoclearance who was part of that good class of 1984. Bet Twice, Lost Code, and Java Gold were among the stars of that class.

The Sunday morning work tab at Belmont Park is filled with big names preparing for the track's Super Saturday featuring five grade 1 races. In preperation for the Jockey Club Gold Cup, Travers (gr. 1) winner Summer Bird worked five furlongs in 102.40 with jockey Kent Desormeaux aboard while Florida Derby (gr.1) winner and Travers third-place finisher Quality Road also went 5/8th of a mile in 1:01.60. Asiatic Boy put in a rapid half-mile work in :47:55. The work was the fastest that morning getting the bullet notation for that distance.

Gio Ponti, in preperation for the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic and his his fifth straight grade 1 win, put in his duty on the turf course working five furlongs in 1:01.04. Belmont Park will also feature the Beldame for fillies and mares and the seven furlong Vosburgh. Expect to see grade 2 Tom Fool Handicap winner Munnings in the Vosburgh.

I wonder if it was such a good idea for Kentucky Senate President David Williams (R-Burkesville) to begin a public correspondence responding to William S. Farish with "I never cease to be amazed..."? Williams was responding to a editorial published in The Paulick Report in which Farish illustrated the benefits slot machines would bring to the state's horse industry. Farish is the owner of Lane's End Farm, but more important to Williams - I would think - is that Farish is the former U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom, appointed by President George W. Bush. Farish is a longtime prominent Republican needless-to-say.

Rachel Alexandra Toys With Boys In Haskell

Just before the Haskell I liked Summer Bird. I thought Munnings, with his top level speed would get to the lead or race alongside Rachel Alexandra early in the race and perhaps force the other to go a little faster than desired. I thought Papa Clem might make a bid at her at the top of the stretch and Summer Bird or longshot Atomic Rain would run down a weary Rachel Alexandra.

Midway through the $1.25 million Haskell I was feeling pretty good. Munnings raced to the lead, forced Rachel Alexandra and Calvin Borel wide around the first turn and completed the first quarter of a mile in a rapid 22.99 seconds.

As they continued down the backstretch the pace remained swift and although Kent Desormeaux had Summer Bird a little closer than I would have I liked, I still felt confident.

As the three leaders raced into the far turn, I lost all confidence. I saw the hands of Desormeaux on Summer Bird and John Velasquez on Munnings begin to move back and forth. Meanwhile Borel's hands had not moved and Rachel Alexandra had. The boys were being asked to run and falling behind while Rachel was in a gallop and accelerating. In an instant she was pulling away with ease as Summer Bird, Desormeaux, Munnings and Velazquez worked in futulity trying to keep up.

As Rachel Alexandra turned for home alone, Borel twirled his stick in her view and began pumping his hands against her neck. He briefly looked back and asked her to put them away.

Which she did as if only toying with Borel and the rest of the boys on her way to joining Serena's Song as the only two fillies to ever win the prestigious Haskell.

Her final running time for the 1-1/8 mile was 1:47.21, only 1/5 of a second off of the track record set by Majestic Light in 1976 and equalled by Bet Twice in the epic 1987 Haskell over Lost Code and Alysheba.

And Rachel was again in a mere gallop by the time she approached the wire. Just as relaxed as she was in winning the Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn Park in April, The Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs in May, to a certain degree the Preakness two weeks later. Her victory in the Mother Goose at Belmont Park in July was more like a stroll.

We still may not know how good she is.

Haskell Purse Up To $1.25 Million In Effort To Attract Mine That Bird

In an effort to attract a full field and possibly Kentucky Derby presented by Yum Brands winner Mine That Bird, Monmouth Park has increased the purse of the grade 1 Haskell Invitational by $250,000 to $1.25 million.

Currently expected for the Aug. 2 Haskell are Blackberty Preakenss (gr. 1) winner Rachel Alexandra, Arkansas Derby (gr. 2) winner Papa Clem, Tom Fool Stakes (gr. 2) winner Munnings, Longbranch Stakes winner Atomic Rain. Iowa Derby winner Duke of Mischief is also a current possibility.

However, Mine That Bird trainer Chip Woolley Jr. said Thursday morning that he will be placing the Derby winner on a van Friday headed for Mountaineer Park and the grade 2, $750,000 West Virginia Derby to be run Aug. 1.

The new purse distribution will pay $700,000 to the Haskell winner, $250,000 to the runner-up, $125,000 to third, $85,000 to fourth, $50,000 to fifth, and $20,000 to sixth through last. Typically purse money in Thoroughbred races is paid down to fifth and possibly sixth place only.

Del Mar Thoroughbred Club reported a record crowd of 44,907 for the July 22 season opener. That figure exceeded the previous all-time record crowd of 44,181 set in 1996 when Dare and Go upset Cigar in the Pacific Classic (gr. I). Attendance for last year’s Del Mar first day was 43,459.

Jay Privman reported on drf.com Thursday that injured jockey Rafael Bejarano may be back in action as early as two or three weeks. Bejarano suffered multiple fractures in his cheek and jaw when is mount Mi Rey broke down in the third race at Del Mar Wednesday and had surgery to repair the injury at Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, Ca.

Bejarano's jaw was not as badly damaged as first feared. He did not need to have it wired shut, according to the post. "He'll have rubber bands holding it, so he'll be able to open his mouth and at least have soft foods, not be confined to just liquids," his agent Joe Ferrer said to Privman. "His face looked like he went 15 rounds with Mike Tyson."

Zensational and Munnings Move To Head of Sprint Division.

Two sophomore runners went to the head of their class Sunday when 3-year-olds Munnings won the grade 2 Tom Fool Handicap at Belmont Park over older horses and Zensational (photo) took the grade 1 Triple Bend Handicap at Hollywood Park, also against the older age group.

It is somewhat uncommon for 3-year-olds to challenge their more experienced and mature rivals this early in the year, as Munnings, a son of champion sprinter Speightstown, became just the fourth 3-year-old in the 35-year history of the Tom Fool to win the race and Zensational was the first 3-year-old to take the Triple Bend in 25 years.

Zensational, has won 3 of 5 starts and $249,300 for owner Zayat Stables and is expected to face Munnings in the grade 1 King's Bishop Stakes at Saratoga in August and perhaps the Breeders' Cup Sprint at Santa Anita in November. Munnings has now won two consecutive graded sprints after winning the grade 2 Woody Stephens Stakes at Belmont on Belmont Stakes day in early June.

Zensational is trained by Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert and Munnings is trained by multiple training champion Todd Pletcher. Baffert won the last two Breeders' Cup Sprint's with Midnight Lute and Pletcher on the race in 2004 version with Speightstown, the sire of Munnings.

While the sprint division, meaning horses that race predominantly at less than one mile, may not be the most glamorous division, it is almost always the most competitive.