A Travers Miracle

Time for a little multiple choice, ZATT style: Which one of these outlandish statements is true? A) One of our Triple Crown winners entered the Kentucky Derby 0 for 6. B) A Hungarian race mare retired undefeated … after 54 starts. C) The 1981 Horse of the Year was kidnapped at stud and never found. D) A three-year-old colt will attempt to win the Travers after only one start. A bit of a trick question, as the answer is all of the above. Yes, in 1919 Sir Barton swept the Derby, Preakness, and Belmont after losing all six starts before the Run for the Roses. Native Hungarian Kincsem, won each of her 54 starts in the late 1870’s throughout Europe. Shergar, Europe’s Horse of the Year and 10 length winner of the Epsom Derby, was kidnapped a little over a year after gong to stud in Ireland. The crime was never solved and the horse was never found. Amazing and true stories that are part of racing’s lore. On Saturday, Admiral Alex will try to add his name to the fantastic stories of racing’s rich history, when he runs in Saratoga‘s $1 million Travers Stakes. While many far more accomplished horses are still straddling the fence on whether or not to run, such is not the case for the recent maiden winner Admiral Alex. He has his connections confident that the colt belongs in the race and is in with a chance. And his connections are not a couple neophytes. Owner/Trainer Leon Blusiewicz has been training horses for some 37 years, while rider Kent Desormeaux won last year’s Travers, as well as, six triple crown races. Who is this horse who has his connections so excited after only one start? Admiral Alex made his one and only start in a Maiden Special Weight on July 31 at Saratoga. He won the 1 1/8 mile race by one length in a time of 1:49.76. That’s it, that’s the entire recap of his racing career. In fairness, Blusiewicz has liked and talked about Admiral Alex for a long time. Several setbacks had delayed the expected debut of the chestnut colt for a full year, but now everything seems to be finally coming together for him. Admiral Alex is called the best horse he has ever trained by Blusiewicz. Probably hyperbole, but it was a statement that caught my attention, especially since I loved one of his good ones. Willa on the Move was one of my favorites and a grade 1 winner for Blusiewicz in the late 80’s. Clearly his trainer thinks he is a special horse, how about his world class jockey? More of the same, as Kent Desormeaux is also touting the horse whom he works in the mornings, and was aboard for his only start. Desormeaux has gone as far as to say that he will be very disappointed if Admiral Alex doesn’t win. Strong words indeed. Should we really take the word of these experienced horsemen and expect a colt who has run only once in his career to actually run big in the Travers? My guess is Admiral Alex will be up against it on Saturday, but one thing I have learned in watching a lifetime worth of horse races, is never say never. What if Blusiewicz and Desormeaux are right and the son of Afleet Alex runs a big race, or what if, dare I say, he somehow manages to hit the wire first. What a story that would be, a Travers miracle … stranger things have happened.

The Office, Triple Crowns, and Erin

The hilarious crew at the Dunder Mifflin paper supply company in Scranton, Pennsylvania were at it again. I am of course speaking of the television show, The Office. The Emmy winning, mega-hit has been my favorite situation comedy for years. Last night they took it to a whole new level and gained an even greater appreciation from yours truly and horse fans everywhere. During one of the most important episodes of the season, “The Delivery,” one of the characters, Erin Hannon, displayed an impressive talent. She recited each winner of racing’s Triple Crown. I must admit it took me off guard…I was floored. I did a quick rewind and watched and listened intently for accuracy. Who says Thoroughbred horse racing has not gone mainstream? Is today's piece on ZATT a little silly?  Proudly, I say yes.  But for someone who follows horse racing with my level of dedication, and who is also a fan of The Office, the scene made me very happy.  On a somewhat more serious note...racing in popular culture may be poised for a resurgance.  The Office will not be the only mainstream outlet to shine a loving light on our great sport.  Two major motion pictures featuring Secretariat and Julie Krone will be out in the near future, and HBO has signed on for a David Milch drama series called "Luck" starring Dustin Hoffman, set to debut in early 2011. But enough of the serious talk, let's get back to the hijinx at Dunder Mifflin... Let me set the scene; when boss Michael Scott called an office meeting to take Pam’s mind off her pregnancy labor pains, he asked for anything interesting, any hobbies, or special skills from the staff to entertain Pam. The skill of Phyllis, to put lipstick on in the same way Molly Ringwald did in the Breakfast Club, was quickly rejected. Andy started off the show with the evolution of dance, dance, done in complete silence.  Ryan was next with a dramatic reading, presumably straight from his journal, and finally it was Erin’s turn. Starting with the most recent, she quickly ran down the list, Affirmed, Seattle Slew and so on. Erin blazed her way through the first ten horses, before forgetting the final horse, the very first horse to win the Triple Crown. Thinking on her feet, she hilariously mentioned the jockey Johnny Loftus and the sire Star Shoot, but the scene was cut away from before she could remember the final name. Of course the answer was Sir Barton…I am sure Erin knew that. Actress Ellie Kemper portrays the likeable receptionist, Erin Hannon, on the show. I do not know if she had anything to do with the Triple Crown skit, or if it was strictly the brainchild of one of the show’s writers. Either way, it was a very welcome addition to a wonderful show. To last night’s episode of The Office, I give a resounding two thumbs up. I invite you to watch the episode here:  http://www.nbc.com/The_Office/video/episodes/#vid=1206655  The scene begins at approximately seven minutes in, with Erin's speech at approximately 8:25 of the video.  Enjoy!