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

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

MARATHON 1. Temple City 2. A.U. Miner 3. Eldaafer 4. Alcomo 5. Unusual Suspect JUVENILE FILLIES TURF 1. Winter Memories 2. White Moonstone 3. Roxy Gap 4. New Normal 5. Fancy Point FILLY & MARE SPRINT 1. Champagne D’oro 2. Evening Jewel 3. Rightly So 4. Sara Louise 5. Sweet August Moon JUVENILE FILLIES 1. Summer Laugh 2. Tell a Kelly 3. Wonderlandbynight 4. Awesome Feather 5. R Heat Lightning FILLY & MARE TURF 1. Midday 2. Red Desire 3. Éclair de Lune 4. Hibaayeb 5. Ave LADIES’ CLASSIC 1. Blind Luck 2. Havre de Grace 3. Devil May Care 4. Life at Ten 5. Biofuel JUVENILE TURF 1. Rough Sailing 2. Soldat 3. Major Gain 4. Air Support 5. Pluck TURF SPRINT 1. California Flag 2. Chamberlain Bridge 3. Rose Catherine 4. Fatal Bullet 5. Stradivinsky MILE DIRT 1. Musket Man 2. Tizway 3. Here Comes Ben 4. Crown of Thorns 5. Warrior’s Reward JUVENILE 1. Stay Thirsty 2. Boys at Tosconova 3. Uncle Mo 4. Jaycito 5. Pathfork MILE 1. Goldikova 2. Violon Sacre 3. Gio Ponti 4. Sidney’s Candy 5. Paco Boy SPRINT 1. Discreetly Mine 2. Big Drama 3. Atta Boy Roy 4. Girolamo 5. Kinsale King TURF 1. Paddy O’Prado 2. Workforce 3. Al Khali 4. Fame and Glory 5. Bourbon Bay CLASSIC 1. Blame 2. Zenyatta 3. Lookin at Lucky 4. Quality Road 5. Espoir City

Quality Road Over Troubled Waters

Quality Road remains an enigma. Truly a horse that demands our attention, a new chapter in his saga will unfold tomorrow afternoon in the Woodward Stakes at Saratoga. Even away from the daily grind, I find my thoughts not drifting too far away from the talented colt. On vacation on the shores of Lake Superior, I find peace in looking out on the majestic beast of a lake. Big and beautiful, it is also powerful and unforgiving. I lose myself as my eyes focus on the waves rising up and then crashing down. I wonder about the countless mysteries that must lie beneath the surface. As I ponder the words I use to describe the greatest of all the great lakes, I can’t help but to think about the Lake Superior of race horses. I am speaking of Quality Road, and like the lake, he is big and beautiful, and powerful and unforgiving. He is also a horse full of mystery, and much like the waves of Lake Superior, his career seems to rise and fall with each passing moment. The wave rose with his successful career debut late in his juvenile season. The single race was impressive enough for many to have him on their early Kentucky Derby watch list. …and then the wave crashing down as Quality Road was easily defeated in his sophomore debut, beaten in an allowance race at Gulfstream Park as the 7-10 favorite. The wave rose quickly again in his next two starts as he gained revenge on his vanquisher in winning the Fountain of Youth, and then broke a track record in his Florida Derby triumph. The two stakes wins propelled him to be the most talked about horse on the Derby trail. …and then the wave crashing down as Quality Road was taken out of consideration for the Run for the Roses due to troublesome quarter cracks. The soreness relented, and Quality Road would not return for his new trainer, Todd Pletcher, until August. The wave rose again with a vengeance, as Quality Road’s long awaited return to the races produced an electrifying performance and another track record in easily taking the Amsterdam Stakes against a solid field. His bandwagon became packed almost immediately as experts called him the best sophomore male in the nation. …and then that wave crashed down again as the real sophomore champion, Summer Bird, defeated him consecutively in the Travers and the Jockey Club Gold Cup. Quality Road‘s star took another hit when his penchant for resisting the starting gate came to a head in the BC Classic causing a frightening situation. The wave rose one more time as the son of Elusive Quality started his older career with three straight stakes wins, including a tour de force showing in the Grade 1 Donn Handicap that had the speed figure gurus falling over themselves to glorify. The bandwagon was revved up again, and the Horse of the Year talk was aplenty. …and then the wave came crashing down again. Blame was to blame this time as heavily favored Quality Road could not hold off the improving stretch runner in last month’s Whitney. In the process, Blame snatched the mantle as the best male horse in America from the talented but enigmatic Quality Road. Tomorrow is the Woodward … look for the fortunes of Quality Road to rise again. Dramamine anyone?

Don’t Blame Me for Gushing

“We were super confident,” Gomez said. “It’s just one of those things you don’t want to say too much so you can let the horse do the talking. He’s trained magnificently for this race and every other race I’ve ridden him in. He’s a magnificent older horse and I can’t wait until we go farther.  “If you watched me ride him, I never hit him. I actually moved up at about the three-eighths pole and I felt pretty confident then. I was just biding my time until we turned for home. I just didn’t want to sit too long because he’s got a long consistent run and just keeps coming. … He kept staying on and in that last eighth of a mile, when I finally got right to [Quality Road], I said ‘I got him.” Garrett Gomez had good reason to be confident. His charge Blame rallied relentlessly down the stretch to do what to some was the unthinkable, and nail Quality Road a few strides before the wire. No matter who you were rooting for, yesterday‘s Whitney Handicap lived up to advance billing. It was supposed to the best race so far in 2010, and it was. Yesterday’s race was a shining example of why we watch horse racing.  Three of the best horses in the nation put on a show, and they produced a thrilling stretch run. Yes, I said three. Musket Man deserves his props. After being forced wide on the first time, the gutty little Yonaguska colt chased Quality Road around the track, and once again ran a big race. It’s clear that he is not quite as good as the top two, but he is quite a horse in his own right. He is still my early pick to win this year’s Breeders’ Cup Mile. But make no mistake, yesterday was all about Blame, and he could not be a more deserving star. Winning stakes in relative anonymity until yesterday, Blame continues to climb to the stratosphere of the racing world. I saw the Al Stall trained bay win last Fall’s Clark Handicap as a three-year-old; I was very impressed. I saw him rally on a speed track to win this year’s Foster; my respect for him grew. In the Whitney, he turned it up another notch. In beating the best male horse in America, he now smoothly steps into that title. Claiborne Farm’s Blame is now the top male horse in the nation. Yesterday’s win was his best yet, his fifth straight in graded stakes, and the scary thing is, he still may be improving. I have a feeling this horse will never be underestimated again. “I tried to put him into the bridle, but he was just going through the motions, which is strange for him. I was hoping there’d be nobody there, so I got to drifting. I was trying to make it more difficult for the horse on the outside.” So said disappointed rider John Velazquez who was aboard the race favorite. As for Quality Road, he ran a very good race, but it was not quite what his staunchest of supporters were hoping for. The terrific talent, who can make the speed figure dials spin, has still not proven that he can beat the very best gong a route of ground. Does yesterday prove he can not? Absolutely not, but the question lingers. Until he beats Blame, Zenyatta, Rachel, or all of the above at a classic distance, we just don’t know. What’s next for these two titans? Well the ultimate answer is the Breeders’ Cup Classic and a showdown with a couple of ladies, but for the immediate future, the Jockey Club Gold Cup would seem to be a sensible stage for Blame-Quality Road II. We shall see. For now I am going to watch the replay of the Whitney about a dozen more times. Race of the year so far? I’d say so!

Whitney Wonderland

Quality Road is the kind of talent that makes you believe in superheroes. Born with the ability to leap tall buildings and outrun speeding bullets, he has proven to be able to run like the wind and carry his speed for at least nine panels. Tomorrow’s Whitney Handicap, at a mile and an eighth, falls into the realm of his track record breaking history. Therefore it stands to reason that we are just hours from adding his name to an illustrious list of past winners. Horses like War Admiral, Tom Fool, Kelso, Dr. Fager, Alydar, Lady’s Secret, Personal Ensign, Easy Goer, and Invasor have snared the Whitney. But wait, not so fast my friends, just ask Secretariat about counting Whitney chickens before they have hatched. Big Red was shocked in this very race by Onion, 37 years ago. Two big reasons not to hand the trophy over to the Road early, come in the form of Blame and Musket Man. Blame is all racehorse. Bred to run long and improve with age, the next time Blame runs a bad race, will be the first. As honest as they come, he fires every shot, is getting better on a monthly basis, and is for 1 for 1 over the Saratoga strip. The winner of four consecutive graded stakes, Blame has never faced a magnificent monster like Quality Road before, but after tomorrow’s run, we may be saying the same about Quality Road never having faced anyone like Blame before. Gritty is a word that best describes Musket Man. Not the quickest horse in the world, nor is he blessed with a Forego like closing kick, but this mucker and grinder knows how to get things done. The winner of six of his first nine races, Musket Man is currently on a three race losing streak, but the luck of the draw has clearly not been on his side. He ran a bang-up race last time in the Met Mile, only to be repelled by Quality Road. Can he turn the tables in the Whitney? Stranger things have happened, and getting nine pounds from the chalk can’t hurt his chances. Other Whitney contenders include the underrated recent winner of the Suburban Handicap, Haynesfield, who will be looking for a fifth consecutive victory, and the somewhat forgotten Mine That Bird, winner of the Derby, 2nd in the Preakness, and 3rd in the Belmont last year, he is making only his second start of 2010. Who will win the Whitney? Most likely, Quality Road. At nine furlongs, without much speed, I expect him to be extremely difficult to beat.  But even an impressive win tomorrow will not prove that he will beat the best at 10 furlongs this Fall at Churchill Downs.  Who will I bet in the Whitney? On this one, the author makes no choice, 2-5 is low, real low, even for Superman.

Ten Matchups I Need to See

Quality Road vs. Blame - 2010 offers the best older male set we have had in America in years, and Quality Road and Blame sit proudly on top of the division. The good news: we are only 48 hours away from seeing this clash of titans. Throw in Musket Man, and the Whitney is the race of the year so far. Let’s get it on! Devil May Care vs. Blind Luck - The best two sophomore fillies, one based in the West, the other in the East, missed out on a meeting in the Kentucky Oaks when Devil May Care ran in the Derby. The two giants in the division, with seven graded stakes wins this year between them, are on a collision course for the August 21 Alabama. I can’t wait. Vineyard Haven vs. Discreetly Mine - Yes I know there are at least a dozen interesting sprinters tearing up tracks around the country, but after their recent monster performances at the Spa, these are the two that I want to see face off. With Discreetly Mine likely to run against three-year-olds next out, Belmont’s Vosburgh might be the setting for this showdown. Tuscan Evening vs. Proviso - I am not sure this one will happen, but the records of these two distaff turfers in 2010 is sterling. Mott says the Beverly D against Tuscan Evening is a possibility, which would make the Arlington affair the premier event for girls on the green, and one that would likely decide the Eclipse Award a few months early. Boys at Tosconova vs. Kantharos - It is awfully early to start jumping on the juvenile bandwagons, but these two colts have been so impressive in their first two starts that I would love to see them race soon, even if they are not the best at the end of the year as the distances get longer. How about a showdown closing day at Saratoga in the Hopeful? Lookin at Lucky vs. Rail Trip - This seems like a strange request, but they are two of the best horses in America, and they both have something to prove before the Breeders’ Cup. Can Rail trip excel on dirt? Can Lookin at Lucky handle older horses? Maybe, just maybe, we can answer these questions simultaneously in the September 4, Woodward. Goldikova vs. Canford Cliffs - I venture outside of the borders of the United States for this one. Goldikova is an all-time great and the unquestioned top miler in the world. Canford Cliffs is the upstart on a roll, with three straight major wins. Let’s see the best run again the best; Canford Cliffs is eligible to give Goldi a run for her money. Gio Ponti vs. Paddy O’Prado - Another example of the reigning turf kingpin taking on the new challenger. I have a ton of respect for Gio Ponti, but in this case I am siding with the young gun. Both horses will run on Arlington Million Day, but in different races. The Turf Classic, in the Fall, may be the opportunity for youth to be served. Exhi vs. A Little Warm vs. Trappe Shot - While Lookin at Lucky has taken over the division, I believe it is in the non-Triple Crown participants that will provide him the stiffest competition the rest of the way out. In Exhi, A Little Warm, and Trappe Shot, you have three young colts who are becoming very good. Let’s hope all three put on a show in the Travers. Rachel Alexandra vs. Zenyatta - You didn’t think I would leave this one off the list now did you? Two supreme queens. Two first ballot Hall of Famers. Two of the best I have ever seen. A win would cement the victor’s place in history, a defeat would take nothing away from the loser’s spectacular career. A meeting would be nothing short of the greatest matchup between female horses in the history of racing.

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

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.

Bold, if not Controversial, Predictions

Prediction #1 – The three-year-old male division remains undecided until the Eclipse Awards announcement in January. In the end, the winner of the race with the strongest field of the season, takes home the hardware. The race is the August 28 Travers, and the winner is Exhi. Prediction #2 – Rachel Alexandra will hustle out on the track and into the starting gate at the last second, before easily winning Saratoga‘s Ruffian Stakes. When her connections were asked why she almost missed the race, they explained that Jess Jackson had not decided where she would run until three minutes before post time. ***The remainder of today's column can be found on Youbet.com*** Click Here

Classic!

Do you realize how good this year‘s Breeders‘ Cup Classic could be? Now I understand we will be fortunate to have all of these wonderful horses line up in the starting gate at Churchill on November 6, but as of now the potential for a showdown unlike anything we have seen in a long, long time is out there. Think about the potential starters… ***The remainder of today's column can be found on Youbet.com*** Click Here Also ... My man on the Euro scene, Ciarán De Barra, fills us in on the big doings starting tomorrow at Royal Ascot, including a strong prediction for a superstar miler over on ZATT International.

Happy Memorial Day!

Today is a day to celebrate the memory of our fallen soldiers. It is also traditionally one of the finest racing days of the year. As usual there are big stakes and great cards all over the nation on Memorial Day. So today I wish you all a happy holiday… now let’s talk horses. Lone Star Park, Hollywood Park, and Monmouth Park all have multiple stakes to keep a close eye on, but no race today is bigger than the return of the brilliant Quality Road in Belmont Park’s historic Met Mile. A career that has been filled with setbacks, but also with the promise of ultimate quality, has led Quality Road to be one of the most interesting horses on our racing landscape in years. Today, another chapter of the Quality Road saga will be written. ***The remainder of today's column can be found on Youbet.com*** Click Here

Back On a Quality Road

It is hard to believe that Quality Road has only made nine lifetime starts. This is a colt who has been making racing headlines from day one. Let’s take a quick look at a timeline of highlights: November 29, 2008 - His racing debut results in one of the highest Beyers of any juvenile of 2008, as he easily wins a 6 ½ furlong maiden race at Aqueduct. February 28, 2009 - After a disappointing 2nd place finish in his three-year-old debut, Quality Road destroys his competition in his first stakes try in the Fountain of Youth. March 28, 2009 - He breaks the track record while winning the Grade 1 Florida Derby in only his 4th lifetime start, making him the early favorite for the 2009 Kentucky Derby. April 27, 2009 - It is announced that a second quarter crack will keep Quality Road, the likely favorite for the Run for the Roses, out of the big race at Churchill Downs. June 15, 2009 - News comes in that owner and breeder Edward P. Evans has transferred Quality Road from trainer Jimmy Jerkens to the barn of Todd Pletcher. August 3, 2009 - Recovered from his quarter crack problems, and making his first start for his new high profile trainer, Quality Road grabs his 2nd track record with a scintillating win against top sprinters in the Amsterdam Stakes at Saratoga August 29, 2009 - Despite his lack of racing, Quality Road is the clear favorite in the prestigious Travers. Fractious in the gate, he has a tough trip in the slop and tires late to finish 3rd in the Mid-summer Derby to the new leader of the division, Summer Bird. October 3, 2009 - Another meeting with Summer Bird again plays out on a sloppy track in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. This time Quality Road is more competitive, but again succumbs late to the soon to be sophomore champion. November 7, 2009 - Quality Road becomes so traumatized that he will not load into the Breeders’ Cup Classic starting gate in what becomes a scary scene. He suffers minor injuries and suffers mentally as well, needing to be vanned all the way back to Belmont Park from Southern California after refusing to get on the plane. November 20, 2009 - The racing community is surprised to learn that Quality Road, less than two weeks removed from his BC incident, may run in the Cigar Mile after schooling in the starting gate several days. The plan is eventually scrapped and Quality Road is sent South for the Winter. Like I said, it is hard to believe that Quality Road has only run nine times, and judging from his last performance, it is clear his story is far from over. His most recent race was undoubtedly his best race to date and what a performance it was. In the Donn, Quality Road stalked the lead of Past the Point closely, and smoothly moved up to challenge the leader on the turn. The powerful bay colt took over the lead before straightening out for the stretch, and "poof!" the race was over. Quality Road enjoyed a sudden advantage at the top of the lane, and from there put his immense talent on display when asked by rider John Velazquez. His lead extended with every awesome stride, crossing the wire more than a dozen lengths in front in the grade 1 affair. Final time over the Gulfstream strip was 1:47.49, giving Quality Road his third track record in only those nine starts. What’s next for Quality Road? Tune in to Monday’s Met Mile and find out!

Vacation Over … What’s Next?

Seven days in Maryland over and out. I had more than my fill of crabs, the boardwalk, and sand in my…well you get the idea. Candie, Kendra and I did have a great time, and who knows, maybe we will make it back to Ocean City, Maryland sometime down the road. We decided on Maryland in the first place strictly to visit Pimlico, and a couple of days there was an experience that I will not soon forget. The pilgrimage to Pimlico and the Preakness was something I needed to do. Would I recommend the Baltimore oval as a racetrack destination? Maybe. It is different than any other racetrack I have ever been to, and as you know, I have been to a lot. A city track that is either old, or steeped in tradition, depending on your point-of-view, I will say that Pimlico puts on a good show for the Preakness. The traditionalist side in me hopes that Maryland never loses the Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown. Heading back to Chicagoland on a jet plane, or actually a Mazda 5, in our case, I got to thinking about what is on the horizon for us horse racing fans. That is what I do after all, as the mile markers whiz by. Maryland to Delaware, back into Maryland, to Pennslylvania, to Ohio, to Indiana, and finally home in Illinois. Of course I’m going to think about the horses at least a little. Here’s what I was thinking about. The queen of the turf mile, Goldikova, returns on Sunday in the Prix d'Ispahan at Longchamp, and she should have her hands full with the classy filly, Stacelita. Eight days after that, the Met Mile will be the third race of 2010 for Quality Road. In case you missed it, his last race in the Donn Handicap was one of the most impressive performances seen so far in the 21st century. Keeping my attention at Belmont Park, the Test of Champions, will be run six days later. While this year’s Belmont Stakes does not boast a list of big names, it is still a Classic, and one that I am salivating over as a betting race. One week later, Zenyatta the great, puts her unblemished record on the line in the Vanity at Hollywood Park, and that same weekend I will be road tripping to Louisville for a sure to be interesting Stephen Foster Handicap. Finally the first half of June may include the next race for my favorite horse Rachel Alexandra, and who knows, maybe it will be the race where we see the real Rachel. Am I deflated by another year without a Triple Crown winner? Nope, not me.

What if Eclipse Awards Went Out Today?

Admittedly handing out awards barely more than 1/3 of the way through the year is a tad bit silly, but hey, I can be silly once in a while...Let's have some fun! Horse of the Year - Quality Road Older Male - Quality Road Older Female - Zenyatta 3-year-old Male - Super Saver 3-year-old Female - Blind Luck Turf Male - General Quarters Turf Female - Tuscan Evening Sprint Male - Kinsale King Sprint Female - Mona de Momma 2-year-old Male - Lou Brissie 2-year-old Female - Twelve Pack Shelly Let the debate begin!

The Tale of Two Races

“It was the best of times, It was the worst of times…” I wonder if Charles Dickens was a fan of the horses. Yesterday’s wonderful day of racing had its ‘worst of times’ moments, with the cancellation of Santa Anita’s big card, and a broken bit that had the promising Eightyfiveinafifty looking more like a scared jackrabbit being chased by the wolves. Like a microcosm of life, with the bad came the good. The good, in this case, came in the form of two beautiful four-year-old colts named Quality Road and Musket Man. The two horses have a few things in common. Both colts won for the sixth time in their ninth lifetime start, and neither have ever finished out of the money. Both Musket Man and Quality Road winter in Florida and call the Northeast their home the rest of the year, and both colts fell just short of ultimate glory in the previous season. That is where the similarity ends. Sticking with the Dickens theme, If Musket Man is the French peasant, than Quality Road is the English aristocrat. Greatness was expected for Quality Road from a young age. Since his smashing win in the shadow of New York City as a juvenile, this is a colt who all the experts have touted and spoke about in the most glowing terms. With his powerhouse victories at Gulfstream Park early last year, Quality Road steamed towards the Kentucky Derby as the likely favorite. Unfortunately, an ugly quarter crack kept the big, muscled son of Elusive Quality out of the Derby, and out of the entire Triple Crown for that matter. Meanwhile, no one paid much attention when a dark bay, sired by Yonaguska won his first three starts at Belmont, Philadelphia Park, and Tampa Bay Downs. Musket Man chugged along proudly wearing his blue collar and carrying his lunch pale to impressive victories in the Tampa Bay and Illinois Derbies. With Quality Road recuperating on the sidelines, Musket Man ran large, if not somewhat unlucky, races to finish 3rd in both the Derby and the Preakness. Still, Musket Man was far from a household name. While Quality Road readied for a much anticipated return to the races, it was now Musket Man’s turn to succumb to soreness. A bone bruise would put him on the shelf for the remainder of the year. Quality Road finally returned with a blazing win in the Amsterdam Stakes at Saratoga, and the pundits dove on to his bandwagon. His mercurial rise back to the top of the division was stunted somewhat by two defeats at the hands of the champion, Summer Bird, in the Travers and Jockey Club Gold Cup. Those defeats were on messy tracks and to a horse with a great deal more bottom than the talented colt who was now trained by Todd Pletcher. His 2009 season, which was paved with both brilliance and setbacks, would have one final unusual turn. Set to contest America’s richest race, the Breeders’ Cup Classic, Quality Road balked at the starting gate. The refusal to enter the gate escalated into a scary situation and Quality Road was scratched, but avoided injury. The psychological damage from the incident was evident a few days later when Quality Road would not willingly enter the airplane ready to transport him home. Instead he hit the highway and was driven all the way across the nation back to New York. Through his struggles, Quality Road is now beloved, not only by fans of his immense talent, but also by those who feel for what he went through in November. Unfinished business is a theme for both horses, as they passed on an early exit to the breeding shed, and returned for their third season of racing. The glamour boy, Quality Road ran an absolute monster race yesterday in winning the Grade 1 Donn Handicap. Every bit of his talent and strength was on display as he destroyed a full field of mediocre stakes horses. His winning margin was nearly 13 lengths as he broke his own track record set in last year’s Florida Derby. In just nine races, it was his third track record and preliminary reports of his Beyer number are set at a gaudy 122. Quality Road has not accomplished as much as the reigning Queens of racing, but he is unquestionably a member of the current racing aristocracy. A King in waiting. Not quite so regal, but in my opinion just as good a story, is the small town, Musket Man. Yesterday he ran a deceptively excellent race in the Super Stakes at Tampa. In his first race in nearly nine months, Musket Man showed everything you could have hoped for, as he stalked a fast pace from a wide position, and then battled with a 7 furlong specialist, who had mustered up a full head of steam, through most of the stretch. They left the rest of the field far behind, and it was a hard fought ½ length victory for the classy Musket Man. It was a perfect return race that should set him up nicely for the bigger things to come. They come from different sides of the track to be sure, and yesterday’s races may have looked disproportionately more impressive in favor of Quality Road, but both horses are pure quality in their own ways. Each colt has an ultimate goal of the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Classic, and whether or not that is the venue, I hope they someday meet as two of the best handicap horses in the nation, and don’t be too surprised if the unheralded Musket Man gives the superstar Quality Road everything he wants.

The Return of Quality

Brilliant but balky, frighteningly fast but fearful, supremely talented but tempestuous. Quality Road is an enigma wrapped in a stunningly beautiful and powerful thoroughbred racehorse.  Gulfstream Park’s Sunday feature, The Hal’s Hope, will mark Quality Road’s first race since his second place finish in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. We all saw his entry into the Breeders’ Cup Classic go terribly wrong. It was a scary sight to see one of the most powerful horses in the nation, do every thing in his power not to load into the Santa Anita starting gate. Blindfolding him only pushed things closer to disaster. If not for the courageous effort of Junior Hungerford, one of the starters loading the BC horses, things could have gone far worse for this horse of quality. How good is Quality Road? Possibly the most talented male horse in America. His wins in the Fountain of Youth, Florida Derby and Amsterdam were brilliant. Quality Road broke track records with ease. He is that rare horse with speed to burn and lungs that should carry him through classic distances. Quality Road’s losses at ten furlongs to Summer Bird were on messy tracks and to a horse with more bottom than him. The results of the Travers and the Jockey Club may not be the same results we see this year, if he is a happy horse. Will he enter the Gulfstream Park starting gate without freaking out? No one knows for sure, but there is good reason to be very hopeful. Trainer Todd Pletcher and former starter Bob Duncan have given him time and tender care in re-educating Quality Road in the starting gate. Several weeks ago, when I was concerned with Quality Road coming back too soon in November’s Cigar Mile, I wrote: “If he were my horse, I would give him some time. Time to get over the traumatic experience at Santa Anita and time to feel good again. Clearly he was mentally effected by the incident, as he refused to get on the plane to head back to New York. His connections instead, had to van him all the way across the country. Running back so quickly in the Cigar Mile is not allowing for the horse to ease his psyche. Sure, the Cigar Mile is a big race and one that would seem to set up quite well for the talented Quality Road, but 2010 is full of big races, starting at Gulfstream Park, a track that he loves. I say give this horse a little rest, relaxation and rehabilitation, so that he can return next year at his best and claim his position as one of the top horses in America.” Did his connections listen to Zipse at the Track??? No, probably they came to this decision all on their own, but I am certainly glad that the decision to give him some time and not rush him back to the races was made. Gulfstream was a friendly place for him last Winter, full of good memories. There will be no huge crowd and helicopters flying over head on Sunday. All systems are on go. I am a fan of horses in general, but I also have special interest in those who have the rare talent to be truly great. Therefore I will root strongly for Quality Road this Sunday. I hope that his fear of the starting gate has been suppressed enough that he will run. I hope that his frightening memory has been replaced enough with positive experiences that he will be happy to run. A couple of big ifs, but if they do happen, we could see something special. A physically and mentally fit Quality Road, has all the potential in the world, let’s see what he can do. Quality Road Schooling - Photo by Lynne Veitch

Calling All Horse Whisperers

Should Quality Road run in Aqueduct’s Grade 1 Cigar Mile next Saturday? That, my fellow horse fans, is the question. A little background on Quality Road. In only four races the big, beautiful, bay colt by Elusive Quality established himself as the favorite for the Kentucky Derby. His Fountain of Youth and Florida Derby were powerful displays of speed and class. A nasty quarter crack ended the Derby dreams of the Edward Evans runner and caused him to be away from the races for more than four months. During this time off Evans transferred him from Jimmy Jerkens to the Todd Pletcher stable. Returning to the races, Quality Road set a track record in the Amsterdam Stakes at Saratoga. The sky was the limit. He followed with two competitive losing efforts at 10 furlongs to the division leader Summer Bird in the Travers and the Jockey Club Gold Cup. It was enough for Team Quality Road to send the talented colt on to the Breeders’ Cup Classic and that is where the trouble began, or should I say, became worse. This was not the first time that Quality Road struggled to enter the starting gate. Remember all the trouble he had before the Travers? Loading for the Jockey Club Gold Cup was no picnic either. These traumatic experiences are not readily forgotten by a horse. Bad memories last longer than good ones. In the Breeders’ Cup, with a helicopter whirring overhead, everything came to a head. We all cringed as the starters at Santa Anita attempted to load Quality Road into the Classic starting gate. Quality Road simply would not go into the gate. Anything and everything the starters did, including blindfolding the powerhouse colt, only succeeded in making him more upset. On this day he was going to hurt himself before he went into that starting gate. The Thoroughbred race horse is a hot-blooded and temperamental breed and the starting gate can be an unpleasant aspect of racing for most horses. A high percentage of Thoroughbreds learn to live with being loaded into the gate and do so with calm. It is not uncommon, however, for a horse to dislike the loading process so much that they never get over the issue. They never walk into the starting gate with complete calm and confidence. The excellent sprinter of the mid 90s, Lit de Justice comes to mind. He was a very talented horse who had all sorts of gate problems. Trainer Jenine Sahadi was patient with him and finally went the route of blindfolding the champion sprinter before ever trying to enter the starting gate, and before the horse had the chance to get overly agitated. This program worked, for the most part, for Lit de Justice. Quality Road is a massive horse who fits more tightly into the starting gate than most. It is no wonder that the specter of the gate is so unnerving for Quality Road. Those of you who suffer from claustrophobia, as I do, know what I mean. While he consistently acts like a gentleman in gate schooling sessions, the added pressure of race day creates too many nerves. Perhaps a more detailed plan for getting Quality Road into the starting gate on race days is needed, or perhaps time and more positive schooling experiences will help alleviate his current uneasiness. Early word from his connections back in New York are good. He has once again schooled successfully and is being monitored in preparation for the Cigar Mile. Still, I can not help but to wonder if this quick return is the best thing for the horse. I have no doubt that Evans and Pletcher want to do right by the horse, and there is something to be said for getting right back in the saddle. I, however, would go a different route. If he were my horse, I would give him some time. Time to get over the traumatic experience at Santa Anita and time to feel good again. Clearly he was mentally effected by the incident, as he refused to get on the plane to head back to New York. His connections instead, had to van him all the way across the country. Running back so quickly in the Cigar Mile is not allowing for the horse to ease his psyche. Sure, the Cigar Mile is a big race and one that would seem to set up quite well for the talented Quality Road, but 2010 is full of big races, starting at Gulfstream Park, a track that he loves. I say give this horse a little rest, relaxation and rehabilitation, so that he can return next year at his best and claim his position as one of the top horses in America.

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.

The Jockey Club Gold Cup and the Three Amigos

This Saturday’s Jockey Club Gold Cup promises to be one of the races of the year. While it is true there will be some other horses with solid credentials in the race, all eyes will be on New York’s three amigos. Summer Bird and Quality Road renew their Travers battle, and the horse that almost ended Rachel Alexandra’s streak, Macho Again, joins the fray. Male championships in both the 3-year-old and older divisions could well go a long way to being decided with an impressive win by one of the amigos. Belmont will host the exciting match up in the historically important race and yours truly is ready to pick the winner. Summer Bird is a beautiful chestnut son of Birdstone. Owned by Kalarikkal & Vilasini Jayaraman and trained by Tim Ice, Summer Bird has won 3 out of 7 starts and more than $1.5 million in this, his first year of racing. He has won two of the most important races for his generation in the Belmont and the Travers and has also finished 2nd to Rachel Alexandra in the Haskell. He started his stakes career when he was a fast finishing 3rd in the Arkansas Derby in only his third start. Summer Bird seems to be still developing and is getting better and better as he learns to harness his long strides. He has proven to relish a route of ground of 1 ¼ or more and his only race over the Belmont surface produced a classic win. If voting ended for an eclipse award today, he would be the champion 3-year-old. His lead in the division is a tenuous one though, and any misstep could shift favor to others such as Mine That Bird or Quality Road. Summer Bird will be ridden again by Kent Desormeaux and is the likely favorite on Saturday. Macho Again is a tough little gray son of Macho Uno. Owned by West Point Thoroughbreds and trained by Dallas Stewart, Macho Again has won four graded stakes and has finished 2nd in four more including three Grade 1s in his three-year racing career. As a 3-year-old, he won the Jim Dandy and the Derby Trial and was 2nd in the Preakness and the Super Derby. This year as a 4-year-old, Macho Again has Won the Stephen Foster and the New Orleans Handicap. In his last two races he was a fast closing 2nd in the Saratoga Grade 1s the Whitney and the Woodward. Consistency has been an issue for Macho Again in the past but it seems like he is becoming more of a push-button, one-run horse for Robby Albarado since he took over riding duties five starts ago. The faster the pace set early on by Tizway and Quality Road, come Saturday, the more of a threat Macho Again’s late rally will become. Being the lone older horse of the three amigos is an advantage. Quality Road is an impressive looking, muscular 3-year-old son of Elusive Quality. Owned by Edward Evans and now trained by Todd Pletcher, Quality Road has often been considered the most brilliant of all the 3-year-old males running this year. His wins in the Fountain of Youth and Florida Derby earlier this year and the Amsterdam this Summer have been as impressive as they have been fast. His two losses out of six starts come with legitimate excuses and he is primed for superstardom. The Travers was his first try at the classic distance of 1 ¼ and it came with only a 6 ½ furlong sprint as preparation. John Velazquez will be in the saddle again and should have Quality Road forwardly placed to get first run of the three amigos. This strategy could prove a major tactical advantage. This is now the time for Quality Road to step up and move to the next level. While I have a great deal of respect for both Summer Bird and Macho Again, I fully expect Quality Road to add his name to the great list of champions who have won the Jockey Club Gold Cup. Quality Road will get the catbird seat sitting just off of Tizway and pounce on the far turn. I believe he will assume command as they straighten out, and from there, no one will catch him. His hulking physique should be perfectly suited to the sandy surface and sweeping turns of Belmont Park. This win will vindicate his great potential and avenge his defeat (with less than a perfect trip) in the Travers. For all those people who jumped on the Quality Road bandwagon at Saratoga: You were right, only a race too early.

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!