California Dreamin’ with Stardom Bound

As white as the snow of a Winter’s day, Stardom Bound was the toast of the racing world this time last year. The beautiful daughter of Tapit ruled over Southern Californian peers with an iron hoof. After flying finishes to be second in her first two starts, she tore through her competition to the tune of five consecutive grade 1 wins and collected an Eclipse Award as the juvenile filly champion of 2008. Not since the days of the great Vigors, had there been such a stretch running, silver streak. Her final win of the grade 1 skein was the prestigious Santa Anita Oaks in March. That race marked the first time in the streak where she did not win going away, but it was impressive nonetheless as the gray went very wide and was still seventh in the stretch before unleashing her patented late run to get up on the shadow of the wire. The Kentucky Derby was under consideration. The racing world appeared to be at her mercy. Flash-forward one Winter and the perfectly pure snow has been mixed with a bit of slush. Stardom Bound has raced just twice since taking the Santa Anita Oaks. Her winning streak ended with a third place finish in the Grade 1 Ashland Stakes. It was a shocking loss, at odds on, for the champion. It marked her first race outside of the Southern California circuit, and while it had been decided she would not pursue Derby dreams to go for the Oaks, it was still a major blow for the star filly. A minor injury kept her out of the Kentucky Oaks and away from the races for some time. She returned from more than seven months off and finished fifth in the Grade 1 Gazelle Handicap at Aqueduct on Thanksgiving weekend. Hopes had been so high. It was a big disappointment for everyone rooting for Stardom Bound and the doubters came out in droves. Many surmised that Stardom Bound was no longer the same filly who had accomplished so much. Would we ever see the real Stardom Bound again? In Sunday’s El Encino Stakes, Stardom Bound will be back at Santa Anita, the site of her exciting Breeders’ Cup win, for the first time since her win in the Oaks. Once again hopes are high. Mike Smith will be in the saddle, as he has been for every one of her nine previous starts. Stardom Bound, who had been purchased for $5.7 million dollars by IEAH Stables after her BC win, has been trained by Rick Dutrow since leaving California. Despite the Ashland and Gazelle results, her trainer remains confident in her ultimate ability, and the people around her are still believing in big things for their filly. Can a return home begin a return to glory? The homecoming not only brings back familiar surroundings, it also includes a return to the synthetic surface that she loved. There is good reason to be hopeful for success. A win on Sunday would thrill her throngs of followers, but it would also mark a resurrection of one of racing’s biggest stars. While the El Encino will be the first non-grade 1 race since her second lifetime start, Stardom Bound is not in store for an easy run. Chief among her rivals will be the Bill Mott trained Justwhistledixie. The four-year-old daughter of Dixie Union will attempt to return to winning ways, as the four-time stakes winner has also not seen the winner’s circle since last March. She has yet to run a poor race though, and will be a major threat in her first race in California and on a synthetic surface. Tough competition to be sure for Stardom Bound, but I have a feeling a return to the site of her greatest success just might be the key in revitalizing her career, and wouldn’t we all like to see the old Stardom Bound again?

A Feast for the Fans

I hope you all had a turkey day filled with friends, family, and food, but do not take too long to digest that last piece of pumpkin pie, for there is a whole new feast being served up by racetracks from coast to coast. Churchill Downs serves up two solid days of racing with a healthy heaping of six stakes races. Saturday will feature the youngsters, headlined by Thiskyhasnolimit in the Kentucky Jockey Club and Sassy Image in the Golden Rod. Both horses will try to repeat the success they had in recent stakes races at Churchill. Also on the Saturday menu, will be a turf stakes for juveniles of each gender. For added intrigue, a cherry on top of the all two-year-old card will be fashioned in the day’s closing race by Barbaro’s full brother, Lentenor, who makes his turf debut in his second career start. Friday’s races will include the River City Handicap, a wide open turf affair for older males. My rooting interest will fall squarely on the extremely hard knocking New York bred, Banrock. All of the aforementioned races are appetizing, but there is no doubt that the featured entry will be today’s Grade 1 Clark Handicap. A loaded field of 14 runners make this one of the more competitive races of the year. Einstein, Macho Again, and Bullsbay all are still in with a chance for year end honors and a win today would go a long way in the minds of many voters. Throw in talented horses like Blame, Etched, and Misremembered trying to make a name for themselves and live longshots Giant Oak and Demarcation and you have all the ingredients for one whale of a race. Aqueduct’s main course is Saturday with four major stakes races headed by the Cigar Mile. A compact field of six will square off in the Mile with the highly talented and lightly raced Vineyard Haven taking on some salty veterans. Sensational sprinter, Kodiak Kowboy, top miler, Bribon, and his own dangerous entry mate, Pyro, offer a huge challenge to the beautiful gray. This has been Vineyard Haven’s long term goal since his return this Summer and with a victory tomorrow would validate himself as a true star. The Gazelle features the long awaited return to the races of Stardom Bound. Now trained by Rick Dutrow, the gray filly has been away since her disappointing third place finish in April’s Ashland Stakes. The Ashland loss ended a skein of five straight Grade 1 scores for last year’s juvenile filly champion. Chief among Stardom Bound’s rivals, figures to be the up and comer Unrivaled Bell, who has been effortlessly working her way up in class and could be any kind. In Saturday’s Demoiselle, juvenile fillies will stretch out to nine furlongs for the first time in their careers. Kelly Breen ships in an entry of New Jersey invaders and could well take the big money back across the Hudson. Possibly the most interesting morsel of the day could be found in the Remsen Stakes. Two of the most exciting 2010 Kentucky Derby prospects will look each other in the eye, as Champagne hero Homeboykris and the scintillating winner of the Nashua, Buddy’s Saint do battle. Aqueduct preps for Saturday’s smorgasbord with a tasty Friday appetizer. In the Top Flight, Justwhistledixie returns for new trainer Bill Mott, after nearly six months away and looks to build upon her stakes winning total that she began this time last year at the same racetrack. She will need to be at her best though, as she takes on a tough field headed by the fast Godolphin filly, Sara Louise. Hollywood Park offers up a little greenery for the more delicate of tastes. Things get started today with the Grade 1 Citation Handicap. The classy Cowboy Cal will be favored as he tries to rebound quickly from a beating administered by the might filly Goldikova in the Breeders‘ Cup Mile. On Saturday a pair of turf stakes top the card. Featured is an excellent matchup of older females at nine furlongs on the lawn. The Matriarch has attracted pure class with Ventura, Diamondrella, Rutherienne and four other mares in a race sure to please the most finicky fan. The other Saturday stake is the Generous which is topped by Bridgetown, fresh off his runner-up finish in the BC Juvenile Turf. The weekend bonanza lasts a little longer on the left coast as Sunday’s Hollywood Derby sports a full field of classy three-year-olds. Take the Points, Battle of Hastings, The Usual Q.T., Al Khali, Straight Story, and Black Bear Island all figure prominently in this excellent betting affair. Finally on Sunday, if you still have a little room left, look for the turf debut of the speedy young miss, Connie and Michael in the Miesque Stakes. The good news with all this great racing is, unlike Thanksgiving meals all around the country, this equine feast should not leave you reaching for the Rolaids. Enjoy race fans.