Super Saturday

It’s good to wake up on the East Coast. The air is crisp, the rain is gone, and I’m working on very little sleep which only adds to my giddiness for the day of great racing ahead. Let’s get right into the five marquee events that make up Super Saturday today at Belmont Park. The Vosburgh Invitational kicks off the grade 1 promenade and traditionally serves as a key prep for the Breeders‘ Cup Sprint. Despite being a grade 1 affair at a sprinting distance, the Vosburgh lacks a ton of early speed, which could well give an advantage to the pacesetter. That early leader should be Wall Street Wonder who was becoming one of the top sprinters in the country before a Spring setback in the sloppy Churchill Downs Handicap. If he can shake free from the sharp New York bred, Driven by Success, as the field turns for home, Wall Street Wonder could be long gone at a distance he loves. Girolamo proved last Fall that he is a colt of quality, and had a useful prep a month ago in the Forego Stakes. If he can return to the form where he was last year at this time, he will be a major danger in here, but with only one race since last year’s Classic and running at a distance that he’s never before competed, questions abound. ***The remainder of today's column can be found on Youbet.com*** Click Here

Before the Breeders’ Cup, There is October 2

I try to temper my anticipation for the Breeders’ Cup because I know it is still almost seven weeks away, but it is not easy when I think about what will be at this year’s two-day smorgasbord. I honestly believe that this year’s Cup is shaping up as one of the best in history. Luckily, I have great racing in the meantime to help me get through the next 47 days. Speaking of great racing, with each passing day, I am becoming more excited for a day of racing only 12 days out. October 2 has always looked good on paper, but now as we move closer to the big Breeders’ Cup prep day, horses are coming out of the woodwork to make one final push towards Louisville. Decisions are still not finalized, but this is what the day will potentially look like. Super Saturday at Belmont Park will be just that. I will be in attendance, and my mouth has already began to water at the thought of Blame being tested by Rail Trip, Afleet Express, and Fly Down in the prestigious Jockey Club Gold Cup, Rachel Alexandra attempting to regain her dominance over Eastern females in the Beldame, Paddy O’ Prado wading into the older turf waters for the first time in the Turf Classic, and the brilliant Japanese filly, Red Desire making her American debut in the Flower Bowl Invitational. Throw in the speedsters in the Vosburgh, and I will be in a grade one state of mind. Not to be outdone, the stars will be out at Hollywood Park, and no star shines brighter than the Queen of Perfection. Adding to the occasion is the fact that the Lady’s Secret Stakes will almost certainly be Zenyatta’s swan song at a California racetrack. While the proceedings may be dominated by the Big Z; Twirling Candy, Richard’s Kid, and Crown of Thorns will headline a most intriguing Goodwood Stakes, and J. P’s Gusto will look to keep his stakes streak going in the Grade 1 Norfolk Stakes. Add a couple of graded turf stakes for the distaffers, including the always interesting Yellow Ribbon, and you can see that both coasts will be loaded on the 2nd of October. If you can’t make it to the Atlantic or the Pacific, how about the top three-year-old in the nation making an appearance in the Hoosier State, as Looking at Lucky uses the Indiana Derby as his Classic prep. The Indiana Oaks should serve as a tasty side dish for the Indiana doings. Staying in the Midwest, just up 65 North a ways, and Hawthorne should produce a Classic contender, as it plays host to the half a million dollar Hawthorne Gold Cup. Back east, Parx (sounds weird doesn’t it?) Philadelphia will have one of the best races of the day with Blind Luck, Devil May Care, and Havre De Grace renewing their rivalry in the rich Cotillion Stakes. A little farther south, it’s Maryland Million Day at Laurel. The day’s racing riches seem almost boundless. October 2 may be no Breeders’ Cup Day, but as you can see, it will be an awesome day of racing that should keep us satisfied until we can all get together at Churchill Downs.

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.

Rail Trip, Tanda and Fly Down

Last year Rail Trip proved that he was one of the top handicap horses in America, highlighted by a smashing victory in the Hollywood Gold Cup. This year he may be even better. Making his first start in eight months, and since a minor injury that kept him out of last Fall’s Breeders’ Cup Classic, Rail Trip turned the Mervyn Leroy Handicap into a personal showcase of his immense talent. The 3 ½ length win was as effortless as it was impressive, as he stalked Three Drunks early and then took over the race at his pleasing. The Jay Em Ess owned colt looks bigger, stronger, and more confident than ever now as a five-year-old. Competition in the Mervyn Leroy was not the strongest, and things will surely get tougher for the Ron Ellis trained horse, but on Saturday he served notice that he will be the one to beat in all big handicap races this year in California. A possible showdown with super mare Zenyatta may be in his future, and hopefully the son of Jump Start will take to a dirt surface come Breeders’ Cup Classic time. One thing is for sure, this winner of 7 of 10 lifetime races, is one serious racehorse. ***The remainder of today's column can be found on Youbet.com*** Click Here

There Were Other Races Last Week

The focus last week was clearly on a beautiful young filly who competed in the Woodward Stakes. There were, however, many other important races outside of Saratoga, run with countless Breeders' Cup implications. Sea the Stars is the only other horse with a claim to Horse-of-the-World and with his win on Saturday in the Irish Champion, he made a bold statement. It was a match-up of Derby winners as Sea the Stars took on Irish Derby winner Fame and Glory for the first time since he upset him in the Epsom Derby. The high quality Mastercraftsman, who had given Sea the Stars a bit of a scare in their last race, completed the trifecta of top 3-year-olds. Mastercraftsman and then Fame and Glory got first run ahead of Sea the Stars, but when the superstar son of the great mare Urban Sea got rolling the outcome was quickly decided. Bounding away to defeat his main rival, Fame and Glory by 2 ½ lengths, Sea the Stars has now proven he is the dominant horse in Europe. He has won all five of his starts this year and they have all been Group 1 contests. The Arc will be a big test as it often comes up rather wet in the Fall in Paris, in fact, if it is too wet Sea the Stars may not run. After that, America and the Breeder’s Cup hopefully will be calling. Richard’s Kid won the million dollar Pacific Classic on Sunday, further blurring the handicap division in the U.S. At nearly 25-1, he was one of the rank outsiders going in, but proved to be a stretch running force as he got up to nip the admirable Einstein. The favorites Rail Trip and Colonel John ran 3rd and 5th respectively and neither bolstered nor diminished their BC Classic hopes. What this race means to the Classic, I frankly have no idea. The different synthetic surfaces in California leave me scratching my head and as stated before I believe it to be a travesty to hold the Breeder’s Cup on the Santa Anita surface two straight years. I am not sure outside of Chicago how many people are talking about She Be Wild, but the 2-year-old daughter of Offlee Wild has now run three superior races over the Arlington synthetic surface and in my mind is a real threat to beat her more talked about foes on the East and West coasts come Breeder’s Cup. She has a relaxed stalking style and then effortlessly blows them away coming out of the turn. Do not be fooled by her Arlington-Washington Lassie winning time, as her mile in 1:38 3/5 looks great once compared to the day’s other stakes races, and it was easy. I have been looking for Gone Astray to win something for some time now and Labor Day was the day. Was it ever. Gone Astray turned Philadelphia’s Park’s 30th renewal of the Pennsylvania Derby into little more than a laugher as he pounced on the turn and then just kept on going to an impressive 9 ¼ length score. Left in his wake were only Grade 3 types, but he looks like a horse who is finally putting it all together. Unlucky loser in his previous two races, he was considered for the Travers, but his connections found the easier spot in a million dollar race. I am interested to see if Shug McGaughey bites the bullet and tries Summer Bird and Quality Road next in the Jockey Club Gold Cup.