I am Impressed

Who has impressed me so far in 2010? Take a look… 1) Quality Road - February 6 The big bay’s win in the Donn was hands down the best performance of 2010. The 12 3/4 length win in the grade 1 race, garnered a monster Beyer of 121. 2) Eskendereya - February 20 & April 3 Take your pick. In the Fountain of Youth Eskendereya showed he was the most brilliant sophomore in the land, and in the Wood Memorial, he repeated the performance. 3) Zenyatta - June 13 After two good victories over lackluster fields to start the year, the Big Z showed her greatness once again, as she ran into a big performance by St Trinians in the Vanity, but inhaled her late as per usual. 4) Rachel Alexandra - June 12 Two narrow losses after her long layoff had the racing world buzzing about her demise. Not so fast my friends, her Fleur de Lis win was vintage Rachel Alexandra. 5) Concord Point - June 26 First try on dirt, and…wow! If the Iowa Derby is a true indication of this colt’s ability on dirt, then he may become a major force in the second half of 2010. 6) Blame - June 12 Carried less weight and ran a little than slower than Rachel did on the same day, but still his dogged rally on a speed favoring track in the Grade 1 Foster was very impressive and a great way to prepare for this Fall’s BC Classic. 7) Lookin at Lucky - March 13 Unlucky as usual, this classy colt’s first race of 2010 was racked with trouble, yet he still managed to run down the loose and formidable Noble’s Promise, to win this year’s Rebel Stakes like a true champion. 8) Boys at Tosconova - July 2 I am placing myself open for much criticism with this high rating, but that is how impressed I was with this juvenile son of Officer’s maiden win last week. Not sure what his future will hold, but this performance was absolute bigtime. 9) Majesticperfection - June 25 A sprint stakes at Iowa gets this one into the top 10? Yes, he defeated top sprinters and he did it such a way that you just know this horse is the real deal. He is 6f in 1:07.24 kinda fast. 10) Rail Trip - June 12 Bigger, better, and more mature, the California gelding may be ready to tackle the nation’s best, if he continues to look as impressive as he did in his effortless runaway in the Californian. 11) Exhi - June 27 Four straight stakes wins, and each one more impressive than the last, gets this striking sophomore a spot on this list vis a vis an eight length runaway in the Victoria Park Stakes. 12) Redding Colliery - May 31 Who? This late developing son of Mineshaft is a horse on the improve. His last effort in winning the Lone Star Handicap, by nearly seven lengths, earned a 111 Beyer, signaling him as one to watch. 13) Paddy O’ Prado - June 19 The top single performance by any turf horse was turned in by three-year-old Paddy O’Prado, in an alarmingly easy win in the Colonial Turf Cup. He should stay on turf after that performance. 14) Kantharos - July 3 Proving that the juvenile maiden win in the slop was no fluke, Kantharos made an absolute mockery of the Bashford Manor Stakes, and did it in racehorse time. 15) Hollywood Hit - May 9 Announced himself as the fastest thing going on a synthetic surface with a sharp win over Fatal Bullet in Woodbine’s Vigil Stakes. Any horse who runs 7f in 1:20 flat catches my attention. 16) Tuscan Evening - May 29 Her impressive win streak in stakes races continued in the Gamely, and in it, she proved her class by defeating a champion in Forever Together.

Eskendereya Out

For the second consecutive year, the early Kentucky Derby favorite is out. Eskendereya, the strong favorite for Saturday's Kentucky Derby, has been removed from consideration from the run for the roses because of swelling in his left front leg. Bad news for his connections, and fans especially, but it is also bad news for any race fan that wants to see the best horses compete in the world’s most important race. Seriousness of the injury is not yet known, but for Saturday, the deal is done. Eskendereya is out of the Kentucky Derby. The rumor mill was rampant yesterday when the word leaked out that Eskendereya would not work out at all this weekend. Fueling the speculation, was the fact that Eskendereya was the only Pletcher horse not to have his front bandages removed in his stall. The rumors were true, and the bad news was clear to the trainer by this morning. The swelling, which extends from the ankle to the knee, was worse than yesterday and meant that Eskendereya has no chance of being at his best in six short days. One possible ramification of the disappointment, could be that Pletcher’s star filly, Devil May Care, is even more likely now to run against the boys. With the defection of her more publicized barn mate, Devil May Care can now enter the Derby with her regular rider, John Velazquez in tow. A difficult decision may be a whole lot easier now for Team Pletcher. A small consolation, but this could prove to be very good news for a stable that right now has to be in a little bit of shell-shock. For Pletcher, this is a major blow for the hugely successful trainer who is already saddled with a Kentucky Derby albatross. Zero for twenty four, and maybe after today’s news, you can say and counting. Eskendereya is the colt that Pletcher calls the best he has ever brought to Louisville, and now he will not be saddling one of the race favorites. The good news for Mr. Pletcher is with his embarrassment of riches, he still may have a horse that can break his much publicized losing streak. Mission Impazible, Super Saver, Devil May Care, are you ready to step to the plate? Don’t be surprised if the answer is yes and today’s great disappointment is replaced with the greatest joy a trainer can celebrate in six days time. Photo by Sue Kawczynski

Todd Pletcher - The Definition of Due

Todd Pletcher has clearly been the man so far this year on the Kentucky Derby trail. Pletcher’s horses have won this year’s Wood Memorial, Louisiana Derby, Fountain of Youth, Sam F. Davis Stakes and Risen Star Stakes. So dominant is Pletcher, that it is almost hard to imagine a big Derby prep without at least one of his runners in the mix. In this week’s prestigious Blue Grass, he will have two of the favorites in Aikenite and Interactif. In the Arkansas Derby, he has another of the top choices in Super Saver. The Pletcher prep wins are likely to continue. This winning streak is nothing new for the 42 year old conditioner. Pletcher has won four Eclipse Awards as the nation's outstanding trainer. He has led the national standings in earnings four times, and in 2007, he set a record when his stable earned more than $28 million. But despite of all of these personal achievements, his career is incomplete. ***The remainder of today's column can be found on Youbet.com*** Click Here

Ode to Eskendereya Musket Man You probably expected me to compose a celebratory piece about a certain Wood Memorial winner today, didn’t you? In a day that was absolutely dominated by a sublime performance by a three-year-old rocket named Eskendereya, I instead offer my readers a different perspective on the beauty of a horse, and the race. Sure it was easy to marvel at the magnificence of Eskendereya as he effortlessly cantered free from quality opposition, barely slowing down on the fast lane to Louisville. I, however, found an even greater amount of joy in watching a horse in a losing effort only 36 minutes later on the same Aqueduct Racecourse. His name is Musket Man and Musket Man is the embodiment of everything I admire in a Thoroughbred horse.  So much so, that today I immortalize him on the pages of ZATT. Musket Man O’ Musket Man Whenever you run I believe you can A gorgeous dark bay with a powerful stride You always give your fans quite the ride Thundering hooves and flowing mane Your competition finds you impossible to tame I am never afraid to be your admiring tout For I know on race day you will run your heart out In the Carter Handicap you may have lost by a nose But with the race you ran your stock still rose If you run a bad race it will be your first More likely you will win each race with a burst Last year you made noise on the Triple Crown trail This Breeders’ Cup you may be the colt we all hail New York, Philly, Tampa, Chicago, Kentucky and Baltimore You have earned your fans and we are hardcore Six nice wins already to your credit There will be many more I believe in fact I will bet it Ten lifetime races and each time you impress You have become a great favorite of mine I must confess Now I vow to follow you both near and far For me you will never be anything but a star I will search for your name in hope to see you run For you Musket Man the best is yet to come Photo by Sue Kawczynski       Poem by Brian Zipse

Wood-Working on ZATT

New York’s premier prep for the Kentucky Derby, the Wood Memorial, will celebrate its 86th edition this Saturday at Aqueduct Racetrack. In its rich and storied past, the Wood has seen such winners as Gallant Fox, Count Fleet, Assault, Native Dancer, Nashua, Bold Ruler, Damascus, Foolish Pleasure, Seattle Slew, Pleasant Colony, Slew O’ Gold, Easy Goer, Unbridled’s Song, Fusaichi Pegasus, Empire Maker, Bellamy Road, and I Want Revenge. It has consistently been one of the most important springboards to the Run for the Roses, and this year’s running sets up to be a strong one. With some realistic handicapping, the Wood boils down to a four horse race. Each of the big four of Eskendereya, Awesome Act, Schoolyard Dreams, and Jackson Bend, has a chance to win Saturday and then make a big splash at Churchill Downs. Let’s take a closer look at the Wood Memorial’s fantastic four: Eskendereya (Giant's Causeway—Aldebaran Light by Seattle Slew) Trainer: Todd Pletcher   Jockey: John Velazquez   ZATT Odds: 6-5 Eskendereya has been freshened since his monster effort in the Fountain of Youth. In his time away, the Florida Derby finish of Ice Box and Pleasant Prince 1-2, only served to flatter the Wood Memorial favorite. Pletcher believes the beautifully bred colt will run all day, and a performance similar to his last at Gulfstream will make him one of the two choices in Louisville. He appears to be the number one bullet in Pletcher’s brigade of prospects. Awesome Act (Awesome Again—Houdinis Honey by Mr. Prospector) Trainer: Jeremy Noseda   Jockey: Julien Leparoux   ZATT Odds: 2-1 A quality English import, with breeding that suggests a route of ground on dirt, makes for a most interesting Kentucky Derby prospect. Another solid effort, now against tougher competition, in his second dirt race will make the European a hot choice in Kentucky. The chestnut colt, trained by the same Englishman who brought us BC winner Wilko, certainly had the look of quality in his first two U.S. starts. Schoolyard Dreams (Stephen Got Even—Hear This by Prospector’s Music) Trainer: Derek Ryan   Jockey: Ramon Dominguez   ZATT Odds: 5-1 He has all the look of a horse who is getting good at the right time, and has bounced back from an excellent effort in the Tampa Bay Derby with a bullet work over the deep strip in Tampa. The Wood Memorial should offer a good gauge for the Tampa Bay Derby which I have rated very highly. Conditioner Derek Ryan has been high on this colt for a long time and, in the Wood, will finally get the rider he has been wanting to ride Dreams, in Ramon Dominguez. Jackson Bend (Hear No Evil—Sexy Stockings by Tabasco Cat) Trainer: Nick Zito   Jockey: Calvin Borel   ZATT Odds: 5-1 He ran a big race in the Holy Bull, but will have to show improvement after running a well beaten second in the Fountain of Youth, to none other than Eskendereya. I refuse to take this one too lightly, however. He is trained by master conditioner Nick Zito, and has run well in all of his eight starts. Maybe the Fountain of Youth was not his best, he was preferred to Eskendereya by bettors that day, and maybe Zito has him geared up for the big ones. He is still a horse to fear.

Down and Derby c16

The Run for the Roses, Christmas, for any self respecting race fan, is only 16 weeks away! By now you are all familiar with the plan, Zipse at the Track will fill out the Kentucky Derby starting gate with 20 horses, in three categories, to keep your Kentucky bound eyes on. The Big 8 will include the eight horses I feel the most likely to win come the first Saturday in May. The Hidden Dragons will include the horses laying in wait and ready to breathe fire in the near future, and the Forget Me Nots category will feature those horses that may not be currently on the forefront of anyone’s mind, but are eligible to be there, with one solid race. I will unveil the categories one at a time to begin, and after that, they will form a Top 20 list all the way to the Derby. This week, the… Forget Me Nots 1 Bulls and Bears (Holy Bull - Cherokee Canyon by Cherokee Run) No, I have not forgotten about this Richard Violette trained colt. His two races, a gutsy maiden win over Discreetly Mine at Belmont, and a fast finishing fifth in Saratoga’s Sanford Stakes, both demonstrated qualities I look forward to in a Derby horse. In his maiden win, he overcame the kind of adversity horses will be tested for in the Derby. In the Sanford, he dropped back to last, swung out for the drive, and despite running erratically while looking for space to run, he came home full of run, but just a little late in the blanket finish. The gray son of Holy Bull had some setbacks that kept him from the races since, but looks to have all the tools to make a big splash when he returns to the races. 2 Eskendereya (Giant’s Causeway - Aldebaran Light by Seattle Slew) One of the Pletcher brigade, Eskendereya has excelled in his two dirt races after beginning his career on the turf. The Breeders Cup Juvenile appears to be a throw out race for the regally bred colt, as he was bothered significantly on a roughly run first turn. Back on dirt, he made most of a good ride on the pace, to easily handle a strong allowance field at Gulfstream Park. The win puts him on track to be a major player in the South Florida preps and further improvement could move the youngster, who is now two for two on dirt, even higher on my Derby chart. 3 Eightyfiveinafifty (Forest Camp - Lifeinthefastlane by Unbridled‘s Song) The aptly named son of Forest Camp is speeding his way right into everyone’s must watch list. The Derby distance will be a big question mark, but this horse has oodles of ability. He has only two races so far, the first of which was in one of the key maiden races of 2009. He battled through fast fractions and tired late in a stakes quality field (Dublin won the Hopeful in his next start after winning this one) to finish 3rd. After time off from sore shins and a hock issue, he returned today and won a maiden at Aqueduct by 17 lengths. Now it is a question of stretching this talented horse out around two turns, but 2010 is off to a great start for the Gary Contessa trained colt. 4 Noble’s Promise (Cuvee - The Devil’s Trick by Clever Trick) Why is this horse not much higher on my Derby list? Two reasons: breeding and dirt. He clearly was an excellent juvenile, arguably the second best in the country. He ran six races and each one was top-notch, and because of this obvious quality, he earned a place on my list. The problem is he is a colt who has never raced on dirt, and while some horses can make the transition to dirt seamlessly, he has the added negative of breeding that screams sprint. The day a son of Cuvee wins the Derby is the day I stop writing this column. I believe this one may continue to do well until the distance gets to nine or farther. He very well may make it to the Derby starting gate, but that is as far as he will go. 5 Thiskyhasnolimit (Sky Mesa - Lovely Regina by Deputy Minister) There is much to like about this Steve Asmussen trained colt, but he went from major player to forgotten horse with one questionable performance. His last race saw him finish a well beaten sixth in the Kentucky Jockey Club, but being too far off of Super Saver’s pace and then running into heavy traffic left him with no chance. Before that, the beautifully bred son of Sky Mesa ran a big race to win the Iroquois Stakes, his second win over the Churchill strip. Once he learns how to put his talent towards consistent running, he will become a major player once again. The Asmussen stable still likes him and so do I. 6 Pulsion (Include - Spring by Stravinsky) One of my longshot selections for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, he limped across the finish line a well beaten 11th. After the race he came back a little worse for the wear from being banged around hard on the first turn. Fully recovered, the distance bred son of Include is now back on the work tab at Gulfstream Park, in preparation to test the waters on dirt for the first time. Before the rough BC, Pulsion had been a horse on the improve, culminating with a fast closing finish to nab 2nd in Lookin at Lucky’s Norfolk. This is a horse who may appreciate dirt and the added distances that are ahead of him. On a sad note, I would like to pass on my condolences to the connections of Clutch Player. One of my Hidden Dragons, Clutch Player, owned by Kaleem Shah and trained by Bob Baffert, died on Monday after a short battle with a form of pneumonia. Clutch Player was a horse with limitless potential, and I can not imagine the sorrow felt by the people closest to him. He was sadly replaced on my Hidden Dragon list by Hawaiian Springs. Next week the First Top 20…