A Diamond(rella) in the Rough

Ok folks, it is time for another Zipse Special. For those of you slightly uninitiated in the ways of Zipse, a Zipse Special is a Breeders’ Cup entrant who will not be favored, but is the horse I consider the most likely winner of the race. Simply stated, put a sawbuck or two on one of these runners and watch your greenbacks grow. (By the way, I sincerely apologize for jamming my last name into the first two sentences a ridiculous three times.) We find the excellent bet, featured in today’s column, in Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint. This race will be wide open and it will have a full field, but there is one horse that I am excited to bet. Her name is Diamondrella. In the past two years, Diamondrella has proved nearly flawless, winning 7 of 9 races . On turf, her record shines even brighter, with 7 victories in 8 tries. In her last seven races on the grass, Diamondrella has won every time. Her lone loss on the lawn the past two years was when she finished 2nd by a head in her first start of 2008. In all of these races she has been ridden by Rajiv Maragh, who has quietly become one of the best jockeys in the nation. This 5-year-old daughter of the brilliant Rock of Gibraltar, has proven that she can win on any type of course condition. With this gaudy record, you may choose to question her competition. While it is true that she has only run against females, Diamondrella has proven her class this year, as she has twice beaten the defending champion turf mare, Forever Together. I also assert that a turf sprint is one of the most logical places for a femme fatale to defeat the men. Diamondrella has the push-button speed to win stakes at 5 ½ furlongs and the relentless drive to beat top quality horses at a flat mile. The BC Turf Sprint is a distance almost exactly in between at 6 ½ furlongs, giving the Angel Penna Jr. trained Miss plenty of time to make her patented rush. She will also benefit from the wicked pace that will be set by among others, the probable favorite California Flag, who blistered a half mile in an unheard of :41 and 4 in this race last year, before faltering late. If California Flag can set that type of pace and still be strong enough in the final furlong to win this race, then I say, more power to him. I, for one, will not be expecting a front runner to win this race. I foresee scores of horses flying down the lane, and in my opinion, the best of the bunch is Diamondrella. Besides the attractive wagering opportunity that she represents, I project her at 8-1, there is good reason to have a rooting interest in the bay mare. A win by Diamondrella would be the first for her trainer Penna and jockey Maragh, both of whom are masters of their trade to a level one would expect Breeders’ Cup glory in the very near future. A Diamondrella victory would also be sweet redemption for her sire Rock Of Gibraltar, who was one of the unluckiest BC losers in history, when he was left at the gate from an outside post, was checked, and came flying to be 2nd by ¾ of a length in the 2002 Breeders’ Cup Mile. One last reason for many to hope that Diamondrella can win the Breeders’ Cup Sprint…she is a girl running against the boys. We have seen that a few times this year and isn’t it always fun?

P-i-d ... What's Pid ???

P-i-d … What's Pid? That is exactly the question I asked myself just two short years ago as I had my nose deep inside the Daily Racing Form. I did a little research and found out it was a racetrack in Pennsylvania called Presque Isle Downs. OK, fair enough, probably another new track with cheap horses surviving on the fringe of the thoroughbred horse racing map. My stubborn mind has been changed though, as today I come not to bury Pid, but rather to praise Presque Isle Downs. Through further investigation, I learned that it is in Erie, PA, just off Interstate 90 and almost smack dab in the middle of Cleveland and Buffalo. Opened in 2007, they run on Tapeta, a synthetic surface designed by Michael Dickinson of Da Hoss fame. Tapeta actually seems to be better liked than many of the other synthetic surfaces seen today in the U.S. Presque Isle’s purses are supplemented by slots and like many tracks with slots, their purse structure is strong. My appreciation has grown through seeing classy horses, and quality horse people ply their trade at Presque Isle and by noticing live horses coming from Presque Isle. This is especially true of quality filly and mare sprinters. Tonight is the Presque Isle Masters, a $400K sprint for the fairer sex and for the first time ever, I proclaim Presque Isle Downs to have the race of the week. Not bad for a track still in their infancy and located not too far from the middle of nowhere. Sorry residents of Erie! The Masters (I even like the name of the race, reminds me of April in Augusta) is loaded with fast females and headed by four Grade 1 winners. Informed Decision, Game Face, Flashing and Diamondrella are all worthy of being considered as top contenders for the upcoming Breeder’s Cup Filly & Mare Sprint and with a win tonight, should become one of the favorites for that race. The Masters offers a perplexing handicapping dilemma in that most of the horses are coming off different surfaces. Informed Decision is the proven commodity having a sparkling record on synthetic surfaces and she is likely to appreciate the switch from Saratoga slop to the Tapeta track. Game Face and Flashing are both coming off impressive wins on the dirt and have never been better. Neither, though has experience on this surface. Diamondrella conversely comes in as a turf horse and may have an easier time adapting to the all weather surface than the dirt specialists. Trained by Angel Penna Jr., Diamondrella has won six straight on the lawn and is using this race as a gauge to see which BC race best suits her. It should be a most interesting race and I believe it is likely that more than one of these female sprinters will be on the way to the Breeder’s Cup via Presque Isle. Kudos to Presque Isle Downs for putting together such a fine race in such a short time in existence. I urge those who have never watched a race from Presque Isle, to watch the Masters tonight, I know I will be tuned in.