John Henry vs. The Bart

August 30, 1981, a date that will forever be treasured in Chicago racing history. It was the inaugural running of the Arlington Million. A race that has been the biggest around these parts since it began on that Summer day. It was a coup for Arlington Park to have attracted the top horse to the nation's first million dollar race. In John Henry, you had something for everybody. He was a true rags to riches story. John Henry was son of the modest sire Old Bob Bowers and the equally unheralded Once Double. Early on John Henry was considered a foal with poor conformation and a bad attitude. Nobody would expect much from him and this was displayed for his purchase price of $1,100 at a January sale. He was sold a few more times before he made it to the races at small tracks in the Bayou. Not many champions start their career at Jefferson Downs and Evangeline Downs. Once it was noticed that he could run a bit, John Henry garnered more interest and was purchased by Sam Rubin, sight unseen. Eventually, an affinity for the grass was discovered and the horse would go from claiming races to stakes races. In the Fall of 1979 Ron McAnally would take over training and the horse would soon become a champion. By the running of the first Arlington Million, John Henry was the defending turf champion and well on his way to Horse of the Year for 1981. America identified with his ascent from meager beginnings to superstar. He was horse racing’s version of the American Dream. In the Million, he would face a soft Arlington turf and a strong field of 11 other turf runners. Among them was a little known Irish five-year-old named The Bart. The Bart had been competitive in turf stakes in California, but de did not have the resume of John Henry or many others in the field. Handicappers figured that the big horse’s main competition would come from local hero Rossi Gold, Eastern turf star Key to Content, or one of the French invaders Argument and Madame Gay. It was a great field and it accomplished Arlington’s goal of an international field. Make no mistake though, John Henry was the star. He would be supported to the tune of 11-10 while The Bart was ignored at 40-1. A crowd of more than 30,000 patrons filled the Suburban Chicago race place to the brim. NBC Sports was there to televise the race both to U.S. fans as well an international viewing audience. Chicago was back on the racing map. Key to Content took the early lead and Eddie Delahoussaye had longshot The Bart following in perfect stalking position. John Henry was shuffled back to farther back then he usually occupied the first part of the race. Fractions were slow on the soft turf and the leading pair looked strong. John Henry made his way to a striking position on the turn, but it did not look good when The Bart spurted clear of Key to Content at the top of the lane. John Henry was resolute, but The Bart was still full of run. He was strong, but it became desperate as America’s champion was charging relentlessly on the outside. The finish line was coming quickly as John Henry, ridden by legendary Willie Shoemaker, gained with every powerful stride. When they hit the wire it was too close to call, Arlington Park announcer Phil Georgeff did not know, no one did. It was tight. The NBC announcers thought they knew, and were talking about The Bart as if he had won. A lengthy inspection of the photo ensued, and then the numbers were posted … 1, 4. John Henry had won. Fans went wild. John Henry had won, by a single hair protruding from his proud nose. To the victor went all the spoils as the legend of John Henry grew. He would grace the American racing scene with his ability and determination for three more years, twice more visiting Arlington Park for the Million. But it was on August 30, 1981, when a gallant horse named The Bart gave him everything he wanted, and in so doing, brought out the true greatness of John Henry. To this day the bronze statue of John Henry and the Bart, battling to the wire together, overlooks the beautiful Arlington paddock. A fitting tribute to one of racing’s greatest races.

Discovering Gone Astray

If you have followed Zipse at the Track from the very beginning, you know that one of my favorite horses in training is the Phipps Stable’s Gone Astray. I liked what I saw in the bay colt last Summer at Saratoga and I have followed him ever since. Unfortunately, every time that he would try graded stakes in New York, Gone Astray would run decently, but with no real chance to win. Sometimes talented horses need time to develop or sometimes it is just time for a change. For Gone Astray, that change was entering him in two-turn races. After eight races at one-turn, with results that did not seem to match the horse’s talent, his last four tries have come in longer races and the improvement has been exciting. Today, I look for the excitement to continue The Shug McGaughey trained three-year-old son of Dixie Union returns to the races in the Grade 3 Discovery Stakes at Aqueduct. In the Discovery, Gone Astray will face only four rivals in the 1 1/8 mile race, but a couple of his rivals are interesting. Four-time stakes winner Haynesfield, a front-running winner against older New York bred stakes horses last out in the Empire Classic, and former claimer Bad Action, who has improved steadily for conditioner Gary Contessa, becoming a graded stakes winner in his last start at the Meadowlands, are the main threats. Despite the merits of Haynesfield and Bad Action, do not expect juicy odds for parimutuel purposes. Gone Astray's impressive scores in his last two races will assure short odds today. After two promising races, but tough luck defeats, in his first two attempts over a route of ground, Gone Astray began collecting Derbies. On Labor Day, Gone Astray announced himself at Philadelphia Park in a big way. In the one million dollar Pennsylvania Derby, Gone Astray turned the stretch into his own personal playground. With Eddie Castro piloting for the first time, the attractive homebred exploded on the turn and ran away from the field of eight with shocking ease. When they hit the wire, Gone Astray was 9 ¼ lengths ahead. For me, it was affirmation in my belief that this colt had the talent to be a top horse. I quickly began to dream about Gone Astray entering the Jockey Club Gold Cup and running against some of the top horses in the nation. Shug McGaughey had no such dreams. Less than four weeks later Gone Astray showed up in Northern Ohio to compete in Thistledown’s Grade 2 Ohio Derby. It was no competition. Castro patiently held his charge of a slow early pace, and confidently pulled Gone Astray to the outside on the turn for a clear path to comfortably run down the loose-on-the-lead War Fighter. Margin of victory was only 2 ¼ lengths at the wire, but it was easy win, and War Fighter finished more than seven lengths ahead of the 3rd place finisher. Once again, I was impressed and I thought bigger and better things might be in store for this three-year-old. Instead McGaughey, who once thought the horse was best suited for sprint races, has found a somewhat easier spot for Gone Astray. I am happy to see Gone Astray gain in confidence while he is patiently placed and I will be patient as I wait for him to join racing’s elite. In the meantime, tune in for today’s Discovery and watch him roll. Despite his impressive wins in the Pennsylvania and Ohio Derbies, Gone Astray has not yet captured the racing world’s full attention, but he is high on my personal list. I consider him to be one of the most underrated horses in America. Only the future will tell if I am correct in pinning such high hopes on Gone Astray.

Calling All Horse Whisperers

Should Quality Road run in Aqueduct’s Grade 1 Cigar Mile next Saturday? That, my fellow horse fans, is the question. A little background on Quality Road. In only four races the big, beautiful, bay colt by Elusive Quality established himself as the favorite for the Kentucky Derby. His Fountain of Youth and Florida Derby were powerful displays of speed and class. A nasty quarter crack ended the Derby dreams of the Edward Evans runner and caused him to be away from the races for more than four months. During this time off Evans transferred him from Jimmy Jerkens to the Todd Pletcher stable. Returning to the races, Quality Road set a track record in the Amsterdam Stakes at Saratoga. The sky was the limit. He followed with two competitive losing efforts at 10 furlongs to the division leader Summer Bird in the Travers and the Jockey Club Gold Cup. It was enough for Team Quality Road to send the talented colt on to the Breeders’ Cup Classic and that is where the trouble began, or should I say, became worse. This was not the first time that Quality Road struggled to enter the starting gate. Remember all the trouble he had before the Travers? Loading for the Jockey Club Gold Cup was no picnic either. These traumatic experiences are not readily forgotten by a horse. Bad memories last longer than good ones. In the Breeders’ Cup, with a helicopter whirring overhead, everything came to a head. We all cringed as the starters at Santa Anita attempted to load Quality Road into the Classic starting gate. Quality Road simply would not go into the gate. Anything and everything the starters did, including blindfolding the powerhouse colt, only succeeded in making him more upset. On this day he was going to hurt himself before he went into that starting gate. The Thoroughbred race horse is a hot-blooded and temperamental breed and the starting gate can be an unpleasant aspect of racing for most horses. A high percentage of Thoroughbreds learn to live with being loaded into the gate and do so with calm. It is not uncommon, however, for a horse to dislike the loading process so much that they never get over the issue. They never walk into the starting gate with complete calm and confidence. The excellent sprinter of the mid 90s, Lit de Justice comes to mind. He was a very talented horse who had all sorts of gate problems. Trainer Jenine Sahadi was patient with him and finally went the route of blindfolding the champion sprinter before ever trying to enter the starting gate, and before the horse had the chance to get overly agitated. This program worked, for the most part, for Lit de Justice. Quality Road is a massive horse who fits more tightly into the starting gate than most. It is no wonder that the specter of the gate is so unnerving for Quality Road. Those of you who suffer from claustrophobia, as I do, know what I mean. While he consistently acts like a gentleman in gate schooling sessions, the added pressure of race day creates too many nerves. Perhaps a more detailed plan for getting Quality Road into the starting gate on race days is needed, or perhaps time and more positive schooling experiences will help alleviate his current uneasiness. Early word from his connections back in New York are good. He has once again schooled successfully and is being monitored in preparation for the Cigar Mile. Still, I can not help but to wonder if this quick return is the best thing for the horse. I have no doubt that Evans and Pletcher want to do right by the horse, and there is something to be said for getting right back in the saddle. I, however, would go a different route. If he were my horse, I would give him some time. Time to get over the traumatic experience at Santa Anita and time to feel good again. Clearly he was mentally effected by the incident, as he refused to get on the plane to head back to New York. His connections instead, had to van him all the way across the country. Running back so quickly in the Cigar Mile is not allowing for the horse to ease his psyche. Sure, the Cigar Mile is a big race and one that would seem to set up quite well for the talented Quality Road, but 2010 is full of big races, starting at Gulfstream Park, a track that he loves. I say give this horse a little rest, relaxation and rehabilitation, so that he can return next year at his best and claim his position as one of the top horses in America.

Who Am I ???

*I ran in more than 50 races, winning almost half and finishing in the money 40 times. *My 17 stakes wins came at eight different racetracks. *I loved the Windy City, where I had six wins, one second, and one third in only eight starts. *I never raced at 2-years-old, but I still managed five successful seasons of racing. *I was named by my owner, not my parents. *Travel was a big part of my career as I raced at 15 different tracks in nine different states. *I was never a champion, but I did defeat a multiple Eclipse Award winner. *Like a fine wine, I improved with age, although I was a stakes winner in five consecutive years. *I became the 21st member of what, at the time, was a very exclusive club. *I was ridden by eleven different riders, but only two after I was transferred to Bill. *I went out a winner and I did it in my favorite city. You should know by now … Who Am I ???

Extolling European Excellence

Last night at the Claridge Hotel in London, England, the highest honors in European Racing were presented. The 19th annual Cartier Racing Awards celebrated seven outstanding horses in eight divisions and one person for their accomplishments in one of the finest years for European Thoroughbreds in recent memory. Here are the worthy recipients: Horse Of The Year & Three-Year-Old Colt - Sea The Stars In 2009 Sea the Stars completed one of the greatest seasons of racing ever witnessed by racefans. The three-year-old son of top sire Cape Cross and champion mare Urban Sea was undefeated in six starts, but that only tells a small part of his story. His six performances were all in Group 1 races and each of the races are among the most prestigious and important races on the continent. Making this season of perfection even more impressive was the way he won each race. Never fully extended, every time Sea The Stars hit the wire, fans were left to wonder just how much more this horse had in his enormous tank. Older Horse - Goldikova A four-year-old bay filly by Anabaa out of Born Gold, Goldikova proved her greatness on both sides of the Atlantic again in 2009. Proving to be the most outstanding miler in the world, she had overpowering victories in England, France, and America. Her second straight victory in the Breeders’ Cup Mile placed her in very select company. Goldikova raised her record to 10 wins and 2 seconds in 12 starts at the one mile distance, including eight in a row, with her four wins at the distance this year. If she stays in training in 2010, Goldikova will try to stamp herself as the greatest miler in modern racing. Three-Year-Old Filly - Sariska Completing the English Oaks and Irish Oaks double is a special accomplishment and it was enough for Sariska, a three-year-old bay filly by Pivotal out of Maycocks Bay, to claim top honors in Europe this year. The Oaks double completed a three racing winning streak and propelled her to stardom. While Sariska finished her 3 for 6 season with two losses, they did little to diminish her stature. First running a game 2nd to the top older mare, Dar Re Mi, in the Yorkshire Oaks and then giving the older males a run for their money with a highly competitive 3rd in the Champion Stakes where she finished ahead of the Irish Derby winner Fame and Glory. Two-Year-Old Colt - St Nicholas Abbey The champion juvenile colt in Europe this year also looks to be the most promising for the classics of 2010. In only three races, St Nicholas Abbey, a two-year-old bay colt by Montjeu out of Leaping Water, went from Maiden winner to champion. His win in the Group 2 Juddmonte Beresford Stakes in Ireland and then a most impressive win in the Group 1 Racing Post Trophy in England, was easily enough to annex the Cartier Award and also make him a clear Winter favorite for next year’s Epsom Derby. Bred for distance, the Irish bred runner is expected to relish the longer going of next year’s key races. Two-Year-Old Filly - Special Duty Special Duty, a two-year-old chestnut filly by Hennessy out of Quest to Peak, won England’s Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes in impressive fashion capping a consistent season that saw her run first or second in each of her four races. The win at Newmarket directly proceeded a narrow defeat in her home nation of France in the Group 1 Prix Morny against the boys. Before that she had defeated the highly regarded Siyouni in the Group 2 Prix Robert Papin. Off these impressive results, the Criquette Head-Maarek trained filly has been installed as the early favorite for next Spring’s 1000 Guineas. Stayer - Yeats An eight-year-old bay colt by Sadler’s Wells out of Lyndonville, Yeats has proven that he is as exceptional as a stayer in his career longevity as he is in his staying power in Europe longest races. His convincing win in the continent’s most important distance race, Ascot’s 2 ½ mile Gold Cup, was incredibly his fourth consecutive in the prestigious race. Yeats became the first horse in history to win the Gold Cup a fourth time in the long and storied history of the race. Once a favorite for the Epsom Derby before meeting a setback just days before the race, Yeats has endured in his remarkable career. Sprinter - Fleeting Spirit A four-year-old bay filly by Invincible Spirit out of Millennium Tale, Fleeting Spirit only won once in her five starts this year, but her smashing triumph in the Group 1 July Cup was enough to carry the day. The July Cup win was considered the best European sprint race run in 2009. She also finished a competitive 2nd in her other three races in Europe, all of which were important Group 1 sprints. She finished the year with an out of the money performance in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, but her consistent form in the top sprints in Europe made her a champion. Award of Merit - John Oxx A special 18-member Cartier Jury awarded, Sea The Stars' trainer, John Oxx, the Cartier Award of Merit 2009 for his lifetime of training achievements and for doing more than any other horseperson for the good of European racing this year. Highly respected throughout the sport, Oxx enjoyed his greatest season to date in this his 30th year of training. Oxx, an Irishman, is very involved in many facets in the well being of racing in Ireland. Before Sea The Stars, Oxx trained many top horses in Europe, including the 2000 Arc winner and champion Sinndar and the 1995 Breeders‘ Cup Mile winner and champion filly, Ridgewood Pearl.

Remembering ... Sunday Silence

Tom Durkin‘s words still freshly echo between my ears whenever the thought of Sunday Silence or Easy Goer comes to mind. “Easy Goer with one final acceleration and Sunday Silence holds on!!!” Everything was on the line and the two magnificent horses, forever joined in history, responded with a racing epic that day at Gulfstream Park. Beating a great horse like Easy Goer for the third time in four tries was not easy, but from a very young age things were not easy for the champion. After surviving a life threatening virus as a weanling at Stone Farm in Paris, Kentucky, Sunday Silence grew into a long-legged, narrow frame. Cow-hocked, he impressed no one with his conformation. Sunday Silence was well bred, by Halo out of Wishing Well. Halo had already produced champions Devil’s Bag and Glorious Song and a Derby winner in Sunny’s Halo. Wishing Well was a multiple stakes winning daughter of Understanding. The solid breeding was overshadowed though by the looks of the gangly youngster. Twice offered for sale at auction, he attracted no buyers even with very modest reserve prices, leaving owner and breeder Arthur Hancock III no choice but to retain the colt to race. Adding to the adversity of his childhood, Sunday Silence was involved in an awful accident. As a 2-year-old, Sunday Silence was being transported by van when the driver had a heart attack. The van overturned and nearly ended the young colt’s life. Sunday Silence would endure. Veteran trainer Charlie Whittingham, liked what he saw once the colt began his training. He did not rush the leggy colt and brought the horse to the races for the first time late in his juvenile season. After a narrow defeat in his opening race, Sunday Silence rebounded with a ten length score in his second race. He continued to develop and things all came together in the Spring. He demolished the field in the Santa Anita Derby in April and went to the Kentucky Derby as a clear second choice. On May 6, 1989 Sunday Silence shocked the racing world as he galloped home 2 ½ lengths in front of the most highly regarded Derby favorite in ten years. It was not a straight course down the stretch of the Churchill Downs mud, but it was a triumphant one for the horse no one wanted. Baltimore would soon host Sunday Silence vs. Easy Goer II The Preakness was one of the greatest races ever run on an American racetrack. It brought together Sunday Silence fresh off his Kentucky Derby win and his blueblood rival, Easy Goer who had finished second in the Derby as a heavy favorite. Before Louisville, it was well established that the powerful chestnut son of Alydar was a special horse, but with his win in the Derby, Sunday Silence had emerged as a second superstar from the 1986 foal crop. The Preakness would be a showdown between the East Coast establishment and the West Coast upstart. The world was watching. Easy Goer was once again made the favorite, but this time the odds were much closer. Odds make little difference to the horses and the race was on. Pat Day, careful not to give Sunday Silence too much room for comfort, made a big move on the turn to go by his rival. The black horse was squeezed and was suddenly two lengths behind. Pat Valenzuela swung his charge to the outside and then something magical happened. Sunday Silence, using perhaps his greatest racing asset, an electrifying burst of speed, pounced like a cat on a mouse and was abreast of Easy Goer like a shot. The race was on. The entire Pimlico stretch became a racing battleground for two horses that were too good to lose. The only other time I have ever witnessed such an intense display was in the Affirmed - Alydar Belmont Stakes of 1978. The horses turned their heads slightly so that they could look at each other eyeball to eyeball as their riders vigorously urged their talented runners on. Sunday Silence on the outside Easy Goer on the inside. Neither horse had one iota of give up, it was racing perfection incapsulated within a quarter of a mile. Easy Goer fought on gamely from the rail and gained a nose advantage in the stretch, but in the end, Sunday Silence edged in front by a whisker. Watching this race, was proof that horse racing is the purest form of athletic competition. On to New York they would go. The Triple Crown was not to be, as the powerful Easy Goer relished the 1 ½ mile distance, the sandy surface, and the sweeping turns of Belmont Park. His great rival had his day in the sun with an easy victory over my hero in the Belmont Stakes. The nation would again have no Triple Crown winner, but the rivalry between Sunday Silence and Easy Goer was flourishing. The 1989 Breeders’ Cup Classic would bring these racing titans together for a final time. Since the Triple Crown, Easy Goer was a dominating force in the New York racing scene. Sunday Silence was lightly raced, but was coming off a rousing win in Louisiana. With a win, either horse would win the three-year-old championship and the Horse of the Year title. Both horses were treated as superstars by their throngs of fans in South Florida. The greatest match-up in Breeders‘ Cup history lived up to the expectations. Sunday Silence took his familiar stalking position with Easy Goer a little farther back. Pat Day made the first move, rushing up to join his rival on the backstretch. It was Sunday‘s Silence‘s turn to respond and respond he did. Displaying the incredible acceleration that he was blessed with, Sunday Silence spurted away from the Phipps runner and carried himself to a clear lead in late stretch. Then it was one last run by his great rival… I will let Tom Durkin say it one more time “Easy Goer with one final acceleration and Sunday Silence holds on!!!” Sunday Silence was the 1989 Horse of the Year. In all he won nine times out of fourteen races and never finished worse than second. Besides his three classic wins over Easy Goer, Sunday Silence won the Super Derby by six lengths and the Santa Anita Derby by eleven lengths. He earned just a shade under five million dollars and was quickly ushered into Racing’s Hall of Fame at first opportunity. For all his racing accomplishments, Sunday Silence would still meet doubters when it was time for syndication. For a final time, American breeders did not believe in Sunday Silence, and he was sent to stud in Japan. Zenya Yoshida saw the opportunity through the indifference in the United States and stood Sunday Silence his entire stud career. It can not be overstated what Sunday Silence meant to the Thoroughbred breeding industry in Japan since he began his stud career there in 1991. His complete dominance as a sire in Japan is best described by the words of my friend living in Japan and noted Thoroughbred photographer, Kate Hunter “Sunday Silence did for the Japanese thoroughbred what Eclipse did for English Thoroughbreds. Every horse will eventually find itself crossed with Sunday Silence in Japan. He took Japanese Thoroughbreds to a new level, where they now can compete successfully with the rest of the world.” To this day and despite his relatively short career at stud, Sunday Silence’s progeny have earned more money worldwide than those of any other sire in history. On Sunday, August 19, 2002 Sunday Silence passed away at Shadai Stallion Station in Japan's Hokkaido. The great horse died of heart failure after a long battle with debilitating laminitis. Infection had spread to his leg causing laminitis and only the heart and the will of a true champion allowed him to survive and fight for life for more than three months. In the end the infirmity got the best of the black stallion. His many caretakers at the breeding farm said he found some relief from his pain near the end. Sunday Silence now rests in peace at Shadai Stallion Station. News of his failing health and finally his death at the young age of 16 years touched horse fans throughout the world. I know it touched me, I loved Sunday Silence. It still touches me, for now I am just trying to get down the words through all of these tears. I remember you … Sunday Silence.

A Bend in the Derby Road

No, it is not too early to start talking about the 2010 Kentucky Derby. One of the things that I absolutely love about the sport of horse racing is the anticipation that it creates. There is always so much to look forward to, especially with a promising young horse. The possibility of what a horse may become, or a race that he may someday enter are limitless. There is no better race to anticipate and there is not a bigger race to dream about then the Kentucky Derby. We have five and a half months to follow, discuss, and conjecture upon the most recognized horse race in the world. The Bob Baffert trained Californian colt, Lookin at Lucky will soon be named the juvenile champion and is a deserving Winter Book favorite for the Run for the Roses. Today, I would like to showcase a horse who may not be on the radar of many, but should be. His name is Jackson Bend. To date, Jackson Bend has won 5 of 6 starts and $477,820. All of his races were run at Calder and they were all for the Jacks or Better Farm. The win total should continue to grow, but he will no longer be carrying the purple silks of Fred Brei and Jacks or Better, as he sold a majority interest in Jackson Bend to Robert LaPenta for an undisclosed fee. LaPenta transferred the colt from original trainer Stanley Gold to Hall of Fame member, and trainer of two Kentucky Derby winners, Nick Zito. Don’t feel too bad for the original owners, they bred the colt at their farm in Ocala, Florida where they still own Jackson Bend's sire Hear No Evil and his dam Sexy Stockings. The LaPenta offer was just one of a half-dozen offers for Jackson Bend. How did this modestly bred colt, who had never left Calder before, garner this kind of attention? Jackson Bend‘s latest win came in the $400,000 In Reality Division of Calder‘s Florida Stallion Stakes series for 2-year-olds. The In Reality victory completed a three race sweep for Jackson Bend and was his fifth consecutive score. It was a remarkable win for such a young horse. He stumbled badly out of the starting gate, dropping to his knees. Jackson Bend athletically gathered himself up and quickly put himself in a stalking position of the 1 1/16 mile race. He made what appeared to be a decisive move on the winning turn, until another horse came flying up to him on the outside. Showing his class and finishing ability, Jackson Bend easily was able to repulse the challenge from Thank U Philippe down the lane, and was going away at the finish to a 2 ¾ length score. This type of powerful finish is nothing new for the Florida bred colt. He began his career with a fast closing second in a Maiden Special Weight in May and since then, it has been perfection. The first time I saw Jackson Bend was his third career start in the Frank Gomez Memorial. I really was not expecting too much from this lightly raced field of Florida based juveniles. What I did see was two excellent young horses and a thrilling finish. D’Funnybone, who went on to become the dominant two-year-old in New York, spurted clear in the stretch and the race seemed as good as over. Even as near to the wire as one hundred yards away, I would not have given a plugged nickel for the chance of any horse to run down D’Funnybone, yet that is exactly what happened. In a raw display of heart and will, Jackson Bend dug deep, found multiple higher gears to shift into, and swooped right buy the talented speedster. I was surprised and I was impressed. Jackson Bend has since confirmed what I saw that day and now sits squarely near the top of my list of early Derby favorites. There you have it, Jackson Bend is one horse we need to keep an eye on. Let the road to Louisville begin…Does anyone want to talk Derby with me?