Fourth Time's a Charm

Durability in thoroughbred horse racing is not what it used to be. Gone are the warriors of the past that danced every dance, year after year. You seldom see horses any more who can run well against the highest levels of competition over periods of four, five, even six seasons of racing. Where have horses like Kelso, Forego, and John Henry gone? There may be no timeless, gelding greats of that ilk in today’s Pacific Classic, but we do have a horse who has been unafraid to knock heads with the big boys in each of his five seasons of racing. A horse who will go anywhere, run on anything, and without fail, give 100%. His name is Awesome Gem. ***The remainder of today's column can be found on Youbet.com*** Click Here

Beat the Big Favorite and Arlington Goes Green

Four giants of the American racing landscape in twenty-ten are all in action today. Current leader of the three-year-old filly division, Blind Luck, super sprinter, D'Funnybone, defending turf and older male champion, Gio Ponti, and the top older male on the left coast, Rail Trip, will each go off as a prohibitive favorite in big stakes races around the nation. All of them figure to be difficult for their competition to handle, as they try to strengthen their hand for year end awards. As I see it, only three of them will make it out of the weekend unscathed, and one will be taken down at odds low enough to expect the toteboard to light up. Which big favorite do I think will go down? I’ll give you a hint … in the Man O‘ War, Gio Ponti will get back to his winning ways, at Calder, D’Funnybone is close to a sure thing, and Blind Luck towers over her Delaware Oaks competition. ***The remainder of today's column can be found on Youbet.com*** Click Here

And Now for Something Completely Different …

The Top 10 Performances of the weekend. Let’s count it down. 10) Tie - Varenar and Interpatation both pulled off shocking upsets over a couple of the best turf horses in the world yesterday. Varenar upset Goldikova in the Prix de la Foret at Longchamp and Interpatation outlasted Gio Ponti in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic. Probably the biggest win that either horse will attain but worth a mention for the best of the weekend. 9) Kodiak Kowboy is one tough sprinter when he runs his best and yesterday in the slop of the Vosburgh he ran his best. With the timing of a fine Swiss watch, Kodiak Kowboy unleashed his powerful rally late to run by one of the best sprinters of recent years, Fabulous Strike, for a gritty victory. 8) Mastercraftsman did not beat much in his runaway victory in the Diamond Stakes Friday night in Ireland, but what he did do, was prep effectively for the Breeders' Cup. In his first try on a synthetic surface, Mastercraftsman said “yes” to his connections for a shot at the Classic 7) Awesome Gem was due. If ever a good horse was due for a stakes win, this was the horse. Awesome Gem had run so many good races with no ultimate reward, that you just had to root for him to finally break through for his first stakes win in more than two and a half years. I say good for the old boy, congratulations on your Hawthorne Gold Cup score. 6) Music Note did what she needed to do in a Grade 1 race that was decimated by defections. Her win in the Beldame against an overmatched field, was effortless and it sets her up perfectly for another try in the BC Ladies Classic. 5) Gone Astray is a horse I have been watching for some time and I am confident he is better than most people realize. Yesterday in the Ohio Derby, he met few horses of consequence, but he won authoritatively after chasing down a leader loose on the lead. Big things are in this colt’s future. 4) Pure Clan is pure class. After a tough pace scenario in her last start, the Beverly D, she was primed for her best effort and it was produced over the boggish turf course yesterday at Belmont in the Flower Bowl. She will see different turf conditions in the Breeders’ Cup, but she will be a major factor. 3) Careless Jewel was fantastic yet again as she absolutely toyed with her filly counterparts in the rich Cotillion Stakes at Philadelphia Park. She is now ready to step up and take on the big girls next because she is making a mockery of these 3-year-old races. 2) Summer Bird has taken a stranglehold on the 3-year-old male eclipse award with another huge win in the state of New York. His Jockey Club Gold Cup win was a workmanlike display of consistency and class as he methodically wore down Quality Road. This win places him firmly in the upper echelon of American horses in only his first year of racing. Drum roll please…and the number 1 performance of the weekend was… 1) Sea the Stars was absolutely spect-Arc-ular in winning the world’s most important race on the grass. He traveled to France and met his largest and toughest field yet, but it made little matter as he verified his greatness with an electrifying two length victory. Stuck down on the rail and a little keen early on, Sea the Stars easily shifted out to get a clear run and then turned on the afterburners to easily dispatch the world class field. If this proves to be his final career race, he certainly leaves the world of racing on a tremendous note.