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

In a New York State of Mind

What a day. Good horses, great times, and better people. Sincere thanks to all of you that made my homecoming to Belmont an unforgettable day. A man with friends is a rich man, and yesterday I felt like a billionaire. As far as the equine stars, there was no doubt that Haynesfield stole the show. Touted to us by Sam the Bugler, the lone New York-bred in the field made every pole a winning one in the prestigious Jockey Club Gold Cup. The days headliner, on a day with five grade 1 stakes, was dominated by the four-year-old son of Speightstown. Under a heady ride by Ramon Dominguez, Haynesfield was allowed to relax on an uncontested lead, while setting early fractions that were slower than expected. Opening up by as much as seven lengths early in the stretch, he proved long gone from the rest, including heavily favored Blame. Sent off at 7-1, Haynesfield improved his lifetime record to a sparkling 9 for 13. At the wire, he was under wraps, and four lengths ahead of Blame, the 4-5 favorite, who had his five race win streak snapped. Haynesfield, proving he enjoys Belmont as much as I do, is now a whisker away from being perfect in six starts at Big Sandy. In the day’s other big events, it was the Flower Bowl that proved to be the most exciting. English import Ave was able to split horses in deep stretch, and power to a narrow victory over Changing Skies and Red Desire. It was the first victory in America for the Roger Attfield trained miss, and announces her as a real threat for next month’s Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf. Also impressive on Belmont’s yielding turf course yesterday was Winchester. The early trailer in the nine-horse field, he uncorked a furious rally that carried him by the game favorite Paddy O'Prado who had made what looked like a winning move on the turn. The win in the $500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic was Winchester’s second grade 1 victory on big days at Belmont this year, as he had earlier accounted for the Manhattan Handicap on Belmont Stakes day. As a 2-1 favorite, I was not willing to place my money on Girolamo, who had never before run the distance of six furlongs. The sprint trip proved to be no problem, as the four-year-old son of A.P. Indy showed the rest of the field both his class and his heels in powering his way to an easy score in the Vosburgh Invitational. In the Grade 1 Beldame, Life At Ten, returned to her winning ways with a rather easy two length tally. Clearly enjoying no Rachel Alexandra to deal with, she won her fifth stakes race of the year in only six starts, and now will head to the Breeders’ Cup as one of the horses to beat in the Ladies Classic.

If You Don’t Like Presious Passion, Then You Don’t Like Horse Racing

He did it again. That seven year old gelding from modest beginnings, Presious Passion was back at the races and showing his speed, class, and heart once again to easily wire the field in today’s feature at Gulfstream Park. The Grade 2 Mac Diarmida Stakes was the backdrop for another Presious Passion show. As per usual, he sprinted out to a sizeable advantage, and led his competition on a merry chase. He gives the other horses a little hope as they chip away at his lead on the backstretch and the far turn. Generally this is false hope, and so it was today. When Presious Passion turned for home, jockey Elvis Trujillo knew he had a ton of horse to sprint away from his challengers. The classy turfer Winchester, in receipt of six pounds from the star of the show, gave it his all down the Gulfstream stretch, but never had a chance to catch Passion. The final margin of 1 ¼ lengths made little matter, because Winchester was not going to go by him if they went around the track again. I have seen this same scenario, Presious Passion opening a large lead and still having plenty left to sprint home to another superlative performance, time an time again, yet it never grows old. Even as I have learned to expect the show, his performances becomes no less fascinating and thrilling. I hope I get a chance to see many more races with Presious Passion out there winging it on the front end. A Sue Kawczynski Photo My next opportunity should come in the $5 million Dubai Sheema Classic. That’s right, the gorgeous, chestnut gelding will soon be hobnobbing with the Sheikhs of the United Arab Emirates. Talk about a Cinderella story. The 1 ½ mile Dubai Sheema Classic will be run at the brand new Meydan Race Course on March 27. In that race, Passion will face some of the best turf horses from all over the world. I can not tell you for sure that he will win, but I can safely say he is the horse that the rest of the field will have to worry about. You can bet your bottom dollar he will be out and winging on the Meydan turf course. Today, Presious Passion showed that he is in excellent shape and all systems are go for the trip to Dubai. Presious Passion won the Mac Diarmida Stakes for the second consecutive year. It marked the Mary Hartmann trained gelding's 14th career victory on the grass in 41 starts on the lawn. He his quickly closing in on the $3 million dollar mark in career earnings. A number that will significantly rise with a strong performance in the desert. At seven years young, Presious Passion shows absolutely no signs of slowing down, in fact he seems to be as good, if not better, than ever. His run a few races back in the Breeders’ Cup Turf was full of class, and now today he has returned to his winning ways. I can not imagine I would get any argument in saying that he is an absolute joy to watch run. I will take it one step further…If you don’t like Presious Passion, then you don’t like horse racing.