Eclipse Awards … at First Blush

The Breeders’ Cup can make or break a horse’s quest to be named an Eclipse Award winner, and that may be especially true this year. The excitement over the past few days at Churchill Downs not only drew great emotion, it also went a long way in deciding who would be named a champion at year‘s end. With less than two months remaining in the calendar year there are several big races yet to be run. What impact any of those races may have is questionable though, as the Breeders’ Cup appears to have put most of the divisional championships firmly in the grasp of the following ten horses. Two-Year-Old Filly - Awesome Feather left Calder unbeaten and untested, now she is an undefeated Breeders’ Cup champion and has clinched the juvenile filly championship.  As of today, she is owned by Frank Stronach. Two-Year-Old Colt - Uncle Mo is an electrifying and undefeated Breeders’ Cup champion and has sewn up the divisional championship. He also will be a strong Winter book favorite for the Kentucky Derby. Sprint Female Horse - Dubai Majesty was one of many who had credentials to be considered beforehand, but with her impressive win in the Filly & Mare Sprint, she zoomed to the head of the class. Sprint Male Horse - Big Drama may have earned his first grade one victory in the BC Sprint, but the hard knocking Florida bred has been very consistent this year. Saturday’s win should wrap up the award. Turf Female Horse - Goldikova again. The great mare won her third BC Mile, and she did it more impressively than ever. Proviso and the ill-fated Tuscan Evening racked up wins, but no one touches Goldikova in this division. Turf Male Horse - Paddy O’Prado would have been the BC Turf winner if he only ran. Of course, he did not, but with a longshot Turf winner, and Goldikova beating Gio Ponti in the Mile, he may hold on to a slim advantage in an unspectacular division. Three-Year-Old Filly - Blind Luck is this year’s rags to riches to story. The little filly that could fired every time, and her 2nd place finish in the Ladies’ Classic is plenty to solidify her position as the top sophomore filly in America. Three-Year-Old Male Horse - Lookin at Lucky came up a little short in the final furlong of the Breeders’ Cup Classic, but in no way tarnished his well earned reputation. Not always the luckiest of runners, Lucky’s four stakes wins, including the Preakness and Haskell, carry the day. Older Female Horse - Zenyatta. No need to say more. Older Male Horse - Blame was able to fulfill the promise so many had seen in the son of Arch for a long time. His win in an epic BC Classic may have been unpopular with many, but he earned it on the track. It took a special horse to finally beat Zenyatta, and his name is Blame. Horse of the Year - Blame was terrific this year and won the Classic, but Zenyatta was one stride short of perfection … I am going to need a little more time before I make a final decision on this one.

Big Drama in South Florida (and a little drama too)

Not since Tony Montana prowled the streets has there been this much drama in South Florida. What’s with all the drama? As in much with life, it all begins with Mom. Riveting Drama is an unraced, 16 year-old Florida broodmare, and without setting foot on the Calder grounds, she became the star of their Summit of Speed on July 10. The daughter of prolific Sunshine State sire, Notebook, has produced seven horses of racing age and all of them are winners. She had produced a stakes winning, and a stakes placed filly previously, but it is her two current colts who really have people talking. Her juvenile son, Little Drama was a romping winner in the Frank Gomez Memorial Stakes, and on the same card, her four-year-old son, Big Drama, returned to the top form that he displayed last Summer. Riveting Drama was barren the year between her two boys, so they are her only runners on the track right now, but she does have two young full sisters to Little Drama to watch out for in the future. Big brother Big Drama used a sharp middle move to take over the Smile Stakes on the turn. Opening up a big lead in the stretch, the winner of over $1.4 million easily held off the late charge of Mambo Meister to win by 1 ½ lengths. It was the eighth win in only 13 starts for the son of Montbrook, including seven stakes wins. Big Drama was classy enough to hang around for 5th in last Spring’s Preakness, but this year his races are likely to be confined to sprints. It is sprinting where Big Drama has the best chance to become a champion for owner and breeder Harold L. Queen, and as was evident in the Smile, he has the talent to be a real threat in this year’s Breeders’ Cup. It was his second stakes wins in two races this year, and he is now likely to hit the road and be tested in some of the big sprints in the Northeast in preparation for the BC Sprint. Not to be outdone by his older sibling, Little Drama announced his potential as a future star with a 9 ½ length dismantling of his juvenile foes in the Gomez. After clipping heels in a 2nd place finish in his only previous start, the David Fawkes trained, and Elbar Coa ridden youngster ran away from his competition in breaking his maiden in the 5 ½ furlong stakes. Queen and Fawkes will now point their new talent for the Florida Stallion series in an attempt to pull of the same sweep they engineered with Big Drama. If Little Drama can pull off the feat it would come as no surprise to his connections. Coa calls the colt’s potential unlimited, while Queen feels that the juvenile is even better than his older brother was at the same time two years ago. High praise indeed. As we watch the developments of these two talented Dramas in the coming months, let’s never forget the girl that got them there. Riveting Drama is one heckuva Mom!

Travers Day … Here is What I Saw

A sea of slop and a soft turf course were the stage yesterday for some of the best horses in America. Travers Day is an important one, not only for the 3-year-olds, but also for many other divisions as well. I had my thumb at the ready to dish out some approval or some disappointment to the performers. Here is what I saw. Thumbs up to Summer Bird. He is now the master of his domain (3-year-old colts) with his second impressive win in a classic race. Summer Bird was much the best yesterday and proved his Belmont Stakes win was far from a fluke. In my eyes, he is now the clear leader in the division, and only a win by one of the other 3-year-olds in the Breeder’s Cup Classic would deny him an eclipse award. Congratulations to his young conditioner Tim Ice, who is barely one year into being on his own as a trainer. Thumbs up to Music Note. She was inches from being the 3-year-old filly champion last year, but her one race so far this year left much doubt as to her 4-year-old campaign. That doubt was erased with an overpowering performance in the Ballerina. Music Note is back, and I move her all the way up to the second position on my list of top older mares behind only Zenyatta. Thumbs up to Vineyard Haven. I knew he was a top 2-year-old last year, but to think he would run this well against such a great field yesterday caught me by surprise. His talent is undeniable as it almost overcame just one race in twelve months and that being during an unproductive Winter in Dubai. If he improves at all off of the King’s Bishop, he will be a force to be reckoned with this Fall. Thumbs up to Sara Louise. Another one who I thought might not be ready for her best yet, but she just outclassed her rivals in the Victory Ride. It will be very interesting to see where she goes from here, but she may be a very good one. Thumbs up to Salve Germania. I bet on her, so that is enough for me. The European certainly relished the boggy turf course and ran the race of her life. She might never beat this kind again, but hey, once is pretty good. Thumbs up to Rachel Alexandra. The empress of American racing was once again flattered by her former competition. Notably Summer Bird and Sara Louise. Every time her former rivals come back and win big races impressively, it makes me think that she is even better than the extremely high opinion I already had. Thumbs down to the Jim Dandy horses. Kensei sixth, Warrior’s Reward fifth, and Charitable Man fourth, all had little to say when the real running of the Travers went down. For a bunch that looked like they all had a shot going in, it was a dismal finish, proving that this year’s Jim Dandy was inferior in quality to its normal high standard. Thumbs down to Indian Blessing. Indian Blessing was a star at 2. Indian Blessing was a star at 3. Indian Blessing is not a star at 4. I don’t know if she is not the same since her Dubai sojourn, or if she has just lost a step, but she is not the same horse this year. Thumbs down to Big Drama and Munnings. I expected a lot more of these two highly regarded 3-year-old colts. Full of class and dropping down in distance. Both bred to enjoy slop, they simply did not have it yesterday and were no match for Vineyard Haven and Capt. Candyman Can. They will need to step up their games if they want to be factors in either the BC Sprint or Dirt Mile.

Travers Day / Rainy Day

Ahh … Travers Day. One of my favorite days of the year. The Travers itself is always great, throw in a bunch of other very good stakes at Saratoga and you have yourself one of the best racing days of the year. Unfortunately, this year looks like it might be a little wet. I will not let that dampen my enthusiasm though. What I will do, is alter my selections accordingly for the wet track. Here is what I think: Race 7 - The Victory Ride Sara Louise, the last horse to beat Rachel Alexandra, will be overbet. Since I am not fond of her chances anyway, coming off the long layoff, I am happy to throw the favorite right out. All of her Twist, part of the Kelly Breen entry, can handle a wet track and should appreciate the fast pace carved out by her entry mate. She is the main play. The longshot play is Trix in the City, from the hot Linda Rice barn, who is actually stepping down in class after chasing the blazing Elusive Heat in her latest. She should be high odds and has a chance. The play - The All of Her Twist entry boxed with Trix in the City, Selva and Reforestation Race 9 - The Ballston Spa I am hoping that NYRA can keep this race on the turf. If so, on a yielding or soft turf, this race becomes more wide open. Recent import Salve Germania and Thomas Proctor’s Closeout both would appear to prefer soggy grass and could have enough to take this against the very classy, favorites Rutherienne and Cocoa Beach. The play - Key exacta box Salve Germania and Closeout with Cocoa Beach, Rutherienne, My Princess Jess and Captain’s Lover. Race 10 - The Ballerina Two of the best female sprinters in the world Indian Blessing and Informed Decision will battle in an interesting 7 furlong affair. I give Indian Blessing the slight edge in the slop, but not by much. Longshot Modification is not as good, but appears to want dirt and like it wet. Throw in Music Note who lost the 3-year-old filly championship by only a head last year and it should be a fun race. The play - Trifecta with Indian Blessing and Informed Decision boxed for 1-2 and Music Note and Modification in the third spot. Race 11 - The King’s Bishop What a race! The fur should fly early. Insuring fast early fractions causing some weary legs in the lane of this contentious sprint. Having said this, I am going for the closer, Not For Silver. 15-1 on the morning line, but this horse should love rallying at 7 furlongs off a fast pace. With the likes of Big Drama, Munnings, Capt. Candyman Can, and Vineyard Haven, this is as classy a race as you will see for 3-year-old sprinters, enjoy. The play - Not For Silver to win. Race 12 - The Travers Is he great or is he just good? That is the question with Quality Road. We should find out today. I will not be betting him for three reasons. He will be overbet, possibly closing in on even money. He may be a little short, coming off only a 6 ½ furlong sprint and I expect him to be involved in a contested early pace. Because of that pace I like Summer Bird, who we know loves the distance and should have a perfect trip. I had decided to throw out Kensei, but he is just a little more scary on a sloppy track. Any of the others have done enough to not be a major surprise in this solid field of seven. The play - Summer Bird to win.