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.

Who Am I ???

*I won 5 out of 7 races during my championship season, but won only 4 times the rest of my career. *I was not bred in Kentucky, but I was a grandson of Mr. Prospector and a great grandson of Bold Ruler. *I raced, and won, on both turf and dirt, but I am best known for my victories on the dirt. *My trainer has saddled numerous champions, but I was his first colt to win an Eclipse Award. *Both of my grade 1 victories required a photo finish. *I never raced overseas, but I moved there at the turn of the century. *I was a California based horse, but I did manage to race at Aqueduct Racetrack five times. *My most important wins occurred in California, Kentucky, and New York. *My last career race was my worst, I finished 9th on the turf. *I ran at 2, 3, and 4, and competed in graded stakes in each year, but all of my graded stakes wins occurred in the same season. *Dad was named after a writer; Mom liked to have a good time. You should know by now … Who Am I ???

Pictures of Rachel

I used to wake up in the morning I used to feel so bad I got so sick of having sleepless nights I went and told my dad He said, "Son now here's some little something" And stuck them on my wall And now my nights ain't quite so lonely In fact I, I don't feel bad at all Pictures of Rachel made my life so wonderful Pictures of Rachel helped me sleep at night Pictures of Rachel solved my childhood problems Pictures of Rachel helped me feel all right Pictures of Rachel Rachel, oh Rachel Rachel, oh Rachel Pictures of Rachel And then one day things weren't quite so fine I fell in love with Rachel I asked my dad where Rachel I could find He said, "Son, now don't be silly" "She's been dead since 2039" Oh, how I cried that night If only I'd been born in Rachel's time It would have been alright Pictures of Rachel made my life so wonderful Pictures of Rachel helped me sleep at night For me and Rachel are together in my dreams And I ask you, "Hey mister, have you ever seen" "Pictures of Rachel?" Photos by Patrick Sheehan Lyrics by The Who

Winning Money at the Racetrack

It’s not always easy, but it can be done. I am pleased to report that I have reached the point in 2010, where if I lose every wager for the rest of the year, I will still have a profitable year. I can say this because, knowing how much I consistently wager, I will not bet as much for the rest of the year as I am already ahead. A nice feeling to be sure, but what does this mean? Should I quit my job, and become a full-time gambler? Should I let the winnings ride, and start placing increasingly larger wagers? Tempting, but my answer is a resounding “no.” I’ve had enough losing steaks to match my hot streaks, I’ve had enough years in the red, and I’ve had enough heartbreaking losses to know better. Come to think of it, it isn’t even that tempting. So why do I do gamble in the first place? A simple answer is because it is fun. A more complex answer would be that it is the ultimate challenge connected to my favorite pastime. It gives me a chance to put my problem solving skills to the test on a regular basis, which in turn only makes the great game of horse racing even more enjoyable. ***The remainder of today's column can be found on Youbet.com*** Click Here

Major Moves Within the Three-Year-Old Division

Is there any doubt as to who the top three-year-old in the nation is now? I don’t think so. It was an absolute cakewalk for Lookin at Lucky today in the Grade 1 Haskell. It seems to be as simple as get a good ride, and Lucky does the rest. After all, he has never lost a race in which he received a good trip. On paper it looked like Lucky was the horse to beat going in to the Haskell, but few thought it would be this easy. Considered to be one of the deepest fields of the year, the Haskell Invitational was supposed to be a race where someone would step up and announce themselves as the leader of the division. Mission accomplished. Preakness winner Lookin at Lucky received a perfect stalking trip on the outside by rider Martin Garcia, and effortlessly ranged up on leaders Super Saver and First Dude on the far turn. The race was all but over as Garcia used motionless hands to guide Lucky to the lead. From there only the margin of victory was in doubt as Lookin at Lucky rolled powerfully home about four lengths clear of second place finisher, Trappe Shot. The juvenile champion of 2009 has firmly grasped hold of divisional leadership looking for another year-end honor, and it will take an awful lot for any horse to knock him off that lofty spot. If Lookin at Lucky wants to clinch the Eclipse in his next start, one of the horses he will have to deal with in the Travers is the impressive Jim Dandy winner. A Little Warm appeared ready through for a breakthrough performance, and that is precisely what he delivered yesterday in the half million dollar Jim Dandy Stakes. Just as he had done in a recent allowance at Delaware Park, A Little Warm chased Miner’s Reserve through a strong early pace. Collaring his rival, as the two colts straightened out for home, the son of Stormin Fever proved too much down the lane and registered a 1 3/4-length victory. Final time for the race was a snappy 1:47 and 4/5, which is only 3/5 off the stakes record set 14 years ago by classic winner Louis Quatorze. A Little Warm earned his first graded stakes win in the nine furlong, grade 2 Travers prep for trainer Tony Dutrow and owner-breeder Edward P. Evans. He now sports an impressive record for 2010, with three wins and two seconds from only five starts, after winning his final start in 2009 by more than ten lengths. A Little Warm will put his ability to the ultimate test in four weeks time in the Mid-Summer Derby, where he will try to become the ninth Jim Dandy winner to go on to win the Travers. The double was most recently completed by champion Street Sense in 2007. The ten furlong distance will be an eighth of a mile longer than he has yet attempted, but with this kind of win over the track going in, A Little Warm should be one of the ones to beat in the prestigious Travers.  But then again, there is a horse named Lucky. Photo by Cecilia G. Felix