Bad Choices and Turf Championships

Paddy O’Prado lost a huge opportunity when his connections decided to run him one race too late on Breeders’ Cup Day at Churchill Downs. By choosing to run a superior turf horse on the dirt in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, they turned their back on a $3 million purse and the most important race run on turf in America. The result was a non-threatening 5th place finish to Blame and Zenyatta. Meanwhile two good horses, but far from world beaters, named Dangerous Midge and Champ Pegasus battled down the lane to finish a clear 1-2 in the Breeders’ Cup Turf. With the Eclipse Award decisions pending, I wonder if his connections not only cost him a win in the Breeders’ Cup, but also an end-of-the-year championship. O’ what might have been. Imagine if you will Paddy O’ Prado in the Turf field.  I can.  I visualize the talented grey three-year-old in a menacing stalking position, before pouncing as the field straightens out for the stretch run. Champ Pegasus and then Dangerous Midge would have no answers for their more talented foe. Jockey Kent Desormeaux would drive Paddy to the wire a few lengths clear of his pursuers. The eruption of emotion from the large partnership group of Donegal Racing would be heard throughout the Churchill grandstand. It did not happen. As we all know, trainer Dale Romans and managing partner Jerry Crawford went a different way. The decision still bothers me. Was it based on greed? Or arrogance? Did they really think that there horse, who has never won a race on dirt, would win the Classic? I hope their $150,000 paycheck for running 5th in the Classic provides some consolation, but then again maybe not … The 1st place check in the Turf was $1,620,000. As for the Eclipse Award, I believe he should still receive the honor. His competition includes Gio Ponti, Winchester, Champ Pegasus, and Dangerous Midge. The latter ran only once in America, and was rather nondescript in Europe. Champ Pegasus won only two graded stakes in California. Winchester has two grade one wins, but plenty of losses including a poor performance in the BC Turf. That leaves Gio Ponti as the main competition for Paddy O‘Prado. Now I have nothing negative to say about Gio Ponti, but as marvelous a horse as he is, and as wonderful a career as he has had, he managed only 2 wins in 7 starts this year. His 2nd to Goldikova in the BC Mile did nothing to hurt his resume, but he was no match for the great mare. I prefer the resume of Paddy O’Prado, who has four graded stakes wins on the turf this year, albeit in races for three-year-olds. His only recent loss on grass was a fine 2nd place finish, when he made an early move to the lead in the Turf Classic. It was his first try against older, on soggy grass, and farther than 1 ¼ miles. It seemingly was the ideal prep for the Breeders’ Cup Turf. If only. I believe in Paddy O’Prado. I see him as the finest grass horse in our country, and he is my choice as the most deserving horse to win the Eclipse Award as the Outstanding Male Turf Horse of 2010. Too bad his connections did not give him a chance to prove it in the Breeders‘ Cup. Now we will have to wait and wonder if their arrogance cost him a turf championship. Photo Courtesy of Reed Palmer Photography

Destination Twin Spires

I have arrived. To be back in Louisville again is always special, being under the Twin Spires still gives me goose bumps, and as far covering the Breeders’ Cup for the first time, well suffice it to say, life is good. 14 races jam packed with the finest thoroughbred horses in training, is as good as it gets in this sport. Each of the races offers great interest with divisional titles resting in the balance, but two races in particular headline the show. First comes the Queen. Everyone is abuzz with yesterday’s arrival of Zenyatta. Her finale is set to be the greatest challenge of her historic career, as the great mare shoots for a perfect 20, and a third Breeders’ Cup victory against a strong field of male opponents in the Classic. She is the deserving star of the show, and I can tell you first hand she is receiving a hero’s welcome since arriving to Churchill Downs. As wonderful a story as the Classic may be, of almost equal interest is the Breeders’ Cup Mile, and a good old fashioned showdown between America’s Gio Ponti and France’s Goldikova. ***The remainder of today's column can be found on Youbet.com*** Click Here

23 Days and Counting … ZATT’s Breeders’ Cup Rankings

MARATHON 1. Bright Horizon 7-2 2. Giant Oak 6-1 3. Eldaafer 6-1 4. Alcomo 8-1 5. A.U. Miner 8-1 JUVENILE FILLIES TURF 1. Winter Memories 2-1 2. White Moonstone 3-1 3. Roxy Gap 6-1 4. New Normal 8-1 5. Together 5-1 FILLY & MARE SPRINT 1. Champagne D’oro 8-1 2. Evening Jewel 4-1 3. Rightly So 5-1 4. Sara Louise 6-1 5. Dubai Majesty 5-1 JUVENILE FILLIES 1. Tell a Kelly 4-1 2. Summer Laugh 8-1 3. Awesome Feather 8-1 4. A Z Warrior 7-2 5. R Heat Lightning 5-1 FILLY & MARE TURF 1. Midday 6-5 2. Red Desire 10-1 3. Éclair de Lune 8-1 4. Hibaayeb 6-1 5. Ave 8-1 LADIES’ CLASSIC 1. Blind Luck 5-2 2. Havre de Grace 5-1 3. Biofuel 12-1 4. Life at Ten 7-2 5. Persistently 12-1 JUVENILE TURF 1. Rogue Romance 5-2 2. Soldat 6-1 3. Formosina 8-1 4. Air Support 8-1 5. Cozy Kitten 6-1 TURF SPRINT 1. Fatal Bullet 8-1 2. Chamberlain Bridge 9-2 3. Rose Catherine 5-1 4. California Flag 4-1 5. Silver Timber 6-1 MILE DIRT 1. Tizway 6-1 2. Here Comes Ben 5-1 3. Crown of Thorns 4-1 4. Warrior’s Reward 10-1 5. Vineyard Haven 6-1 JUVENILE 1. Uncle Mo 3-2 2. Stay Thirsty 15-1* 3. Boys at Tosconova 4-1 4. Jaycito 6-1 5. Pathfork 10-1 MILE 1. Goldikova 6-5 2. Gio Ponti 4-1 3. Violon Sacre 30-1 4. Paco Boy 8-1 5. Sidney’s Candy 8-1 SPRINT 1. Big Drama 9-2 2. Wise Dan 10-1 3. Girolamo 4-1 4. Smiling Tiger 6-1 5. Atta Boy Roy 12-1 TURF 1. Paddy O’Prado 6-1 2. Workforce 3-1 3. Al Khali 12-1 4. Fame and Glory 5-1 5. Behkabad 5-1 CLASSIC 1. Blame 5-1 2. Zenyatta 8-5 3. Quality Road 5-1 4. Lookin at Lucky 4-1 5. Musket Man 20-1

Uncle Mo and Gio

What would Uncle Mo do for an encore after his swiftly run 14 ¼ length runaway victory when breaking his maiden in his debut at Saratoga? Winning one of the most prestigious juvenile stakes in the world with disdainful ease would do nicely. Yesterday at Belmont Park, Uncle Mo did just that, as he announced himself as the favorite for next month’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile with an impressive romp in the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes. With rider Johnny Velazquez acting as pilot, Uncle Mo cruised to the finish line in 1:34.51 on a fast Belmont strip. It was one of the fastest final times in the rich history of the Champagne. In fact it was the third fastest ever, behind only champions Devil’s Bag and Seattle Slew. Trained by Todd Pletcher and owned by Repole Stable, the bay son of Indian Charlie strode clear from his opposition after setting fast early fractions in tandem with longshot I’m Steppin’ It Up to waltz home 4 ¾ lengths the best. Third choice Mountain Town ran a huge race to finish second, and was nearly ten lengths clear of the rest of the field. What has impressed me so much about Uncle Mo so far is the way he has finished off these races. Not looking like a one-turn specialist in any way, he strides out to the wire as if added distance will matter little to this talent. To run a final quarter yesterday in 24 seconds after being involved in a speed dual was simply special. After the race, Pletcher said the sky’s the limit for his charge, and I wholeheartedly agree. I’m not one for juvenile hyperbole, but Uncle Mo’s first two races are as impressive as anything I’ve seen in a long time. I remember when Seattle Slew began his career 34 years ago, and this is similar. Of course, he has 15 more great performances and a Triple Crown to go to approach the rarified air of Slew, but at the very least, I can report that Uncle Mo is the real deal. If Uncle Mo defines equine potential, than we need only to look to another of yesterday’s top performers to understand the meaning of equine class. Gio Ponti, coming back after a tough luck loss in Arlington’s Million and dropping down to the one mile distance for the first time this year, exuded class in winning Keeneland’s $600,000 Shadwell Turf Mile. Rider Ramon Dominguez knew what he had yesterday, and he was able to sit chilly-willy on the five-year-old champion, as Gio Ponti smoothly split horses on his way to an effortless one length tally. The victory marked the sixth grade I victory for the dual Eclipse Award winner, and pushed his lifetime earnings over $4.6 million. In his four-season career to date, Gio Ponti has yet to run a bad race. The victory was his 11th in 22 starts, and should set him up perfectly for an attempt in the Breeders’ Cup Mile. Last year he ran second to the great Zenyatta in the BC Classic, but with the Classic being run on a traditional dirt surface this year, it would seem that the decision to run in the Mile instead of the Classic would be the prudent one. In the Mile, things will not get any easier though, as waiting in the wings is another great mare, two-time defending champion Goldikova. After yesterday’s sublime performance, you would have to give America’s best hope, Gio Ponti, a real chance against the great French mare.

The House Horse and Paddy O’Prado is Too Good

“I’d rather win this race than the Kentucky Derby,” the words came from Richard Duchossois, as he tried to hold back the tears. He got his wish. The man who has championed Chicago racing for nearly thirty years, finally won the race that he always wanted. The Grade 1 Beverly D. is one of the premier turf races for fillies and mares held in America, but more importantly it is the race that is named after his late wife. In a race that looked about as wide open as a race could look going in, it was the house horse, Éclair de Lune, who took over the contest as the field turned for home. Sprinting for the wire, the four-year-old German bred was easily able to hold off the late charge of Hot Cha Cha and Gypsy’s Warning to win by 1 ½ lengths. It was the third lifetime win in ten starts for the filly Duchossois purchased last Fall, and her first in four starts in America. As Éclair de Lune crossed the wire, it didn’t take long for the large Arlington crowd to realize that the winner was Mr. D’s horse. The horse, local rider Junior Alvarado, and legendary trainer Ron McAnally received a rousing applause for their achievement, but it was the owner of Arlington Park who brought the fans to their feet. Beverly Duchossois passed away thirty years ago, and yesterday it was a beloved 88-year-old man who emotionally accepted the winner’s trophy in the race that he always wanted to win. Not to be outdone by the house horse, Paddy O’Prado once again flashed the brilliance that we have come to expect this Summer. More than just a budding turf star, the son of recently deceased sire, El Prado, has now reached a point where it would be tough not to call the three-year-old colt the finest turf horse in North America. Despite his overwhelming favoritism at 1-2, yesterday’s task was not an easy one. Local horse Workin For Hops had been very impressive in winning the first two legs of Arlington’s Mid-America Triple, and European raider, Wigmore Hall was coming off two wins in England and had looked great since arriving in Chicago. Both of Paddy’s main rivals would run their race yesterday, but it would make little matter in the Grade 1 Secretariat Stakes. Paddy 'O Prado made a quick and decisive thrust early in the Arlington stretch overwhelming the local hope. As the English horse made a bold rally on the outside, it was soon evident that Paddy O’Prado had plenty left in the tank. The margin may have been only a length and a quarter, but it looked like they could have gone around the track again without threatening the winner. Next up for the powerful gray will be Belmont's Turf Classic in six weeks. It will be his first attempt against older horses, and from there Paddy O’Prado will have a date in the Breeders’ Cup Turf, where he will likely be America’s best chance to reclaim victory for the home team. What’s this, the Arlington Million only gets third billing on ZATT? I’m afraid so. In quest of becoming the first back-to-back winner in the 28-year history of the Arlington Million, Gio Ponti ran a winning type of race. At the back of the pack for the first part of the race, he uncorked a powerful rally that carried him widest of all turning for home. Once straightened out, he continued his powerful acceleration to collar leader Tazeez, and quickly assumed control of the prestigious race. I would like to tell you that Gio Ponti coasted home and was a most popular winner of the Million, but of course, I can not. On Million Day 2010, there would be a fly in the ointment, and that fly’s name was Debussy. A four-year-old Irish bred colt, trained by John Gosden, Debussy was a grade 2 winner in France and a grade 3 winner in England, but had won only 4 of 13 lifetime starts and had earned about one-tenth of the earnings of Gio Ponti. That would all change yesterday, as the son of Diesis showed a brilliant turn of foot in the final eighth of a mile to shock the favorite. With young rider William Buick in tow, Debussy waited patiently early in the stretch, before bursting through a seam and angling to the rail. As Gio Ponti looked to be home free, there appeared Debussy running like a horse afire along the paint. Before anyone knew what had hit them, Debussy had shot to the lead and won going away by a half length. The victory would have been sweet for Gio Ponti, but the European horse had earned the victory. It was easily the biggest win in Debussy’s career, and for those lucky enough to back him, his 11-1 odds were an excellent reward. Photo by Four Footed Fotos

More Than Just a Million

Excitement is in the air this morning here at Arlington Park as we are only hours away from the International Festival of Racing. Headlining the Turf Festival will be the 28th edition of the Arlington Million, a race that has seen most everything in its history. There was the legendary, innaugural and two-time winner, John Henry, doing his thing, and then the Miracle Million of 1985 which was held just weeks after the fire that destroyed Arlington Park. In more recent runnings we’ve witnessed Gary Stevens dumped from his mount, Storming Home, only yards from hitting the wire first, and the erratic path of Powerscourt that cost him back-to-back victories in the Million. Consecutive Arlington Million wins will be the theme of the day, as Gio Ponti will be heavily favored to do just that and become the first horse ever to officialy repeat Million glory. ***The remainder of today's column can be found on Youbet.com*** Click Here

Hall of Fame … Yes or No?

Entry into Racing’s Hall of Fame is the ultimate honor a Thoroughbred horse can achieve. As a racing fan, I always enjoy thinking about who may, or may not, become Hall of Famers. There is a five year waiting period after retirement, but let’s jump the gun and take a look at the cases for our current stars. Gio Ponti has work to do. He has the advantage of being an Eclipse winner in both the older male and turf divisions, but if his career ended today, I believe the answer would be no. Another Arlington Million victory, or a first BC win would make the consistent, multiple grade 1 winner hard to turn away from the Hall’s front door. ***The remainder of today's column can be found on Youbet.com*** Click Here

Gio Ponti IV - The Return of a Champion

Do you enjoy non-stop action and spine-tingling excitement??? How about heart stopping thrills or cliffhanging finishes??? Coming Soon to a neighborhood theatre … Gio Ponti IV - The Return of a Champion! Sure to be one of the can’t miss films of 2010, our equine hero is back one more time to thrill audiences everywhere. Rarely do sequels out do the original, but in the Gio Ponti series each movie outshines the one before. If you only see a few movies next year, Gio Ponti IV - The Return of a Champion, must be one of them!!! Starring - Gio Ponti Co-Starring - Ramon Dominguez Director - Christophe Clement Producers - Tale of the Cat & Chipeta Springs Executive Producer - Castleton Lyons Release Date - January 1, 2010 Here is a brief recap of the first three films, in case you missed one second of the spellbinding saga: In the original, Gio Ponti - The Beginning, the world fell in love with Gio for good, as they followed him from his early training days with Christophe Clement, to his triumphant victory at first asking, to his impressive stakes win in only his second start, and to finally, his heartbreaking and unlucky journey in the 2007 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. A wonderful story, but more was to unfold… The second in the series, Gio Ponti II - Undiscovered Worlds, left audiences everywhere on the edge of their seats and wanting more. Gio traveled from one coast to the other, delighting his fans with thrilling finishes. He racked up victories in the Hill Prince and the Virginia Derby and narrow defeats in the Del Mar Derby and the Jamaica. His troubled trip in the Hollywood Derby brought the audience to tears. Gio Ponti’s final performance was a foreshadowing of things to come as he made his initial foray on to a synthetic surface with a scintillating score in Santa Anita’s Sir Beaufort Stakes. This film brought moviegoers to their collective feet, but also, only wanting and needing more and that is exactly what they got… Fans of the series were brought to screams of joy, laughter, tears, and waves of thunderous ovations as 'Gio Ponti III - Your Surface or Mine?' hit the theatres this past January. Gio Ponti added to his legend with powerful and consecutive victories in the Kilroe Mile, Manhattan, Man o' War and Arlington Million. All of these races were of the Grade 1 variety, only furthering Gio’s box office appeal. The four-year-old heartthrob took the role of tragic hero quite well as he transferred his talents to the Pro-Ride surface of this year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic, running a bang-up 2nd to Supermare Zenyatta. Academy Awards are sure to follow. Surely this was to be the swan song, but no, he will be back! Want a little teaser for Gio Ponti IV - The Return of a Champion? The borders of the United States will no longer be big enough to contain our hero as he will travel half way across the globe to compete in the 10 million dollar Dubai World Cup. How exciting does that sound? Get you tickets early, this is sure to be one wild ride!

Can Win For Losing

There were fourteen winners over the two days of Breeders’ Cup and these horses deserve all the attention and accolades they receive. Zenyatta was the biggest of winners and currently the toast of the racing world, but what about the horses that did not hit the finish line first. Losers, disappointments and afterthoughts? I think not. Many of these horse deserve some love for the outstanding races they ran in losing efforts. Here are the best of the lot: Lookin at Lucky was the clear favorite in the Juvenile despite his #13 post position. He had been perfect in four starts including facile scores in three major stakes in Southern California. The clear leader of the division, the Eclipse Award was his to lose. He did not. Lookin at Lucky’s race in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile was the best run by a 2-year-old this past weekend. He suffered through a pedestrian early pace near the back of the pack and was parked wide the entire race. Despite this, his drive in the lane was relentless and was only denied in a photo finish by a horse who had a perfect trip and was able to sprint home the last 100 yards. Lookin at Lucky strengthened his claim as the 2-year-old champion and the early Derby favorite. It was business as usual for Gio Ponti who never fails to fire his best shot on the far turn. Usually this patented move preludes a canter into the winner’s circle. The BC Classic was not to be for Gio Ponti, as he succumbed to the fantastic feminine force, but he did secure his standing as the best older male in America on turf or synthetics. Gio Ponti, with his second in the Classic, proved his class and consistency and did nothing to tarnish his reputation. At least one Eclipse Award is in his future. Summer Bird is the best three-year-old colt in the nation. There can be no more debate. While his run for fourth in the Classic was nothing sensational, it did show what an honest and classy horse he is. On a surface that he had never before raced, Summer Bird was still able to put himself in position to win the race at the top of the stretch in a race where every other horse his age ran poorly. I do not know if he will ever have to run on Pro-Ride again, but if he does, you can expect improvement. It will be back to dirt for our three-year-old champion, and a trip to Japan next, but his race in the Breeders’ Cup only reaffirmed his hold on the glamour division. What can you say about Presious Passion? He is tough as nails. He is unique and he is fun too watch. He sprints to a huge early lead running 6 furlongs in 1:09 and 1 and then has plenty left to dig in the entire stretch. Horses do not run this way. It took a great effort by the best older turf horse in the world to run him down and make no mistake, Conduit was life and death to get by our American speedster. Final time was a brilliant 2:23 and 3 for the 1 ½ mile test on the Santa Anita lawn. I do not think he will rest the turf championship away from the deserving Gio Ponti, but Presious Passion proved to the world what a truly special horse he is. Ventura is a wonderful mare and she ran a huge race in running second in the BC Filly & Mare Sprint. Pace makes the race and the first part of the race was just a little too slow for the confirmed stretch runner. Informed Decision is a great mare and a deserving Eclipse Award champion this year, but Ventura gave her everything she had and if the pace had been different the result may have been as well. I credit Ventura for easily passing all the other horses and gobbling up tons of ground in a race that did not set up well for her. She lost the race, but none of her reputation. Cloudy’s Knight is nine-years-old and is still as good as ever. In the BC Marathon, the old-timer ran one of the best races of his life. He made a winning move on the turn, only to be passed by Man of Iron on the inside. Cloudy’s came back at him on the outside, but lost in a thrilling finish. His trainer, Jonathan Sheppard should be credited for preparing this horse to run his best at an advanced age. Riding Cloudy’s Knight, was jockey Rosemary Homeister. It was her first ever ride in the Breeders’ Cup and she gave the old boy a great chance to win on Ladies Day. Win or lose, Cloudy’s Knight was a wonderful story…too bad he did not get that photo. Biofuel was an unknown Canadian juvenile filly a short time ago, but with her impressive win in the Mazarine Stakes at Woodbine and then her spirited rally in the BC Juvenile Fillies, she has stamped herself as one of the most promising horses in her division. In the Breeders’ Cup, she was running fastest of all in the middle of the track when she was banged sideways by another filly. The trouble was enough to throw Biofuel completely off stride. Once she gathered herself, she once again came flying. Biofuel finished fourth, but was beaten only a length and a half for all the money. With a better trip, she may have well been the winner.

Belmont’s Grade 1 Day

Now if we could just have Grade 1 weather. Yes, I wake up a little disappointed this morning as much like Travers Day, it looks like another big day for NYRA is going to be wet. You never know with the weather, but right now Belmont looks likely to have a sloppy day. This changes things of course for the horses, jockeys, fans, and from my standpoint on the handicapping front. The horses that would have won on a fast track and a firm turf, may very well not win in the wet conditions. It is not often that one racetrack has five Grade 1 races in succession, so let’s still enjoy the quality horses running in big races, but…was a nice sunny day too much to ask? Oh well, at least Woodward Day was a beauty. The Grade 1 Beldame - Music Note on dirt. Music Note on mud. Music Note in the slop. No odds here, so let’s single her in the Pick-3 and if you are really feeling ambitious, the Pick-6. I do not see her losing this one. The Grade 1 Vosburgh - I was all set to try to beat favorite Fabulous Strike with the Belmont loving Munnings, but I have lost confidence in his chances of running down the favorite on a wet track. Fabulous Strike is a monster at 6 furlongs and likes a wet track. He should be able to handle Go Go Shoot, who might not like the slop, pretty early and will be long gone. More chalk, so I am relying heavily on the exotics and getting off to a good start in the Pick-4. The Grade 1 Flower Bowl - I think Pure Clan is the best horse in the race, but I think her advantage actually moves down on a soft turf. Her main rival Dynaforce certainly appreciates plenty of cut to the turf as evidenced by last year’s Flower Bowl and now becomes an even bigger threat. Because of this, I expect bettors to make Dynaforce the favorite and while I fear her, I am sticking with Pure Clan. She is all class, can handle a wet turf and is unlucky to not have an even better record on the grass. All she needs is a reasonable pace, which I think will happen today, to roll in the lane. Today is her day. The Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic - Gio Ponti is well on his way to being named the turf champion. He can run on any type of grass condition, is very consistent, and appears to like the Belmont turf course. Having said this, I do feel like he is vulnerable today. This is the farthest he has ever run and he has to face defending champ Grand Couturier, on a course condition and a distance that he absolutely loves. I will be rooting for Gio Ponti to continue his winning ways as a fan, but on my multi-race tickets, I will include both him and Grand Couturier. The Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup - I was really liking the chances of Quality Road on a fast track. A little more question is now in my mind as his top two rivals (Summer Bird and Macho Again) have more quality off-track form than he does. I still do see the race unfolding with Quality Road getting the perfect stalking trip and pouncing on the turn. Maybe the slop will spread out the horses even more and he will be even more likely to run away from them in the stretch. Today is his day to move to the head of the class of 3-year-old males. No matter the condition of the track, I am going to stick with Quality Road as the final horse on my all Grade 1 Pick-4. Rain or no rain, I am going to enjoy Belmont’s Grade 1 day. I hope you do the same.

What Gets My Juices Flowing?

You want to know what gets my juices flowing? A weekend full of major stakes races with all kinds of Breeders’ Cup implications and even some eclipse award ramifications. As a pure fan of thoroughbred horse racing, nothing is better than the week of anticipation leading up to all these major races. Belmont has five Grade 1 stakes on Saturday topped by the Jockey Club Gold Cup. This race features a showdown between 3-year-olds Summer Bird and Quality Road and the classy older horse Macho Again. The 3-year-old championship could well be decided by a victory in the Jockey Club. The Joe Hirsch Turf Classic sees Gio Ponti make his last prep for the BC Turf as he tries to annex his fifth consecutive Grade 1 win in his march to an eclipse award. It will not be easy though, as the son of Tale of the Cat will be making his first lifetime start at a mile and a half against a loaded field headed by defending champ, Grand Couturier. In the Beldame, the Godolphin Stable tries to keep the train rolling with a two-pronged attack of Music Note and Cocoa Beach, who both take another step towards regaining their star status of last year. Standing in their way will be the formidable Icon Project. The Flower Bowl looks to be a wide open affair with several mares looking like they have a chance to win here and then repeat at Santa Anita. The Vosburgh is always an interesting affair and features Munnings back at his favorite racetrack against the ultra classy 6-year-old Fabulous Strike. Also on Saturday, Philadelphia Park runs the rich Cotillion Stakes with the dazzling Careless Jewel making her first start since her tour de force in the Alabama. Hoosier Park hosts it’s best race, the Indiana Derby, featuring a horse very much on my radar, the Pennsylvania Derby hero Gone Astray. In my neck of the woods, Hawthorne Race Course will renew the Hawthorne Gold Cup with a field of older horses hoping to prove that they belong with the big boys. Things will get going early on Sunday as the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe will be run in Paris. Will Sea the Stars be in the race? That is almost as important a question as to who will actually win the race. The condition of the turf should provide the answer. Sunday also has some big offerings in the States, as Santa Anita runs the final local juvenile preps for the Breeders’ Cup with the Norfolk and the Oak Leaf. Both races produced Breeders’ Cup champions last year and with the BC at Santa Anita again this year, they are no doubt the most important prep races for the Juvenile and the Juvenile Fillies. In the Norfolk, Lookin at Lucky can solidify his favoritism for the BC and in the Oak Leaf Blind Luck will step up to challenge the more proven Mi Sueno. Belmont counters with the Kelso which should include some of America’s best hopes to win back the Breeders’ Cup Mile. I am most anxious to see the very promising colts Justenuffhumor and Courageous Cat square off in an acid test for both. I will preview these races in more detail later in the week, but for now, let the anticipation begin. This should be a big week for all fans of thoroughbred horse racing…I know I’m excited!

Euro-Trashing

I am getting a little tired of the disrespect shown to American racing by blokes on the other side of the pond. Timeform, out of England, creates their own Global Ranking while The International Federation of Horseracing Authorities, based in France, puts out the World Thoroughbred Ranking. Both lists are an insult to the very best of the American horses. Too much emphasis is placed on the Breeder’s Cup and the Dubai World Cup and not enough is placed on all of our other races. If an American horse doesn’t compete in the BC or Dubai, than they are barely a blip on the world radar. Also, they place far too great an importance on the results of last year’s Breeder’s Cup where European horses had some solid success. As far as their world rankings, here are some notable examples causing my displeasure: Rachel Alexandra, the greatest 3-year-old filly we have seen for many years, is rated behind Rip Van Winkle on the Timeform rankings. Rip Van Winkle is clearly a nice Irish 3-year-old, but to rate this horse, who has won once out of four tries this year, a whopping five pounds ahead of Rachel Alexandra is insulting. Meanwhile, the World Thoroughbred Ranking lists her in a tie for ninth globally and six pounds below Rip. I guess the International Federation people have not seen her last eight races! Gio Ponti, winner of four consecutive Grade 1 turf races, is judged to be below at least 15 other turf horses on these respective European rankings, or excuse me, World rankings. 15 or more turf horse are better than Gio Ponti??? This is nothing less than a slap in the face to American race horses. Reminds me of the lack of respect given to Manila, the year he thrashed Europe’s star Dancing Brave. Our consistent success in the Dubai World Cup proves our dominance on our best surface, dirt. America has won five of the last six runnings of the world’s richest race. While on our secondary surface, turf, sure the Europeans are tough to beat, but we hold our own as evidenced by winning the Breeder’s Cup Turf 12 times out of 25 runnings. Europeans are quick to point out their win in the BC Classic last year. OK, you got that one, but on our third surface, synthetics, and it was the first European win in the Classic for 15 years. This gives them two Classic wins in total. I am confident that if we sent a few horses every year to the Arc, the Americans could also claim a victory every 15 years or so. With the chip that is currently on their shoulder, I am sure the Euros will expect to come over here and sweep our Breeder’s Cup this year. Sorry blokes, it is not going to happen. Bring your superhorse, Sea the Stars, bring all your best Europe. You are going to need it to compete with the USA in 2009.