Thursday was a tough series of races even with four of the grass events being salvageable, just the 6th and 10th moved to the main track. Social media was still full of surface change angst but most of the complaining seemed to be a result of a misunderstanding of the situation or frustration stemming from the multitude of off track races that occur daily, often likely a combo platter of both. The two races that were taken off were both turf sprints that theoretically do more damage to the turns and also classes less likely to have wholesale scratches without main track only assistance. The sixth held together well with 8 and the finale not so well with 7, a few unexpected scratches including both having a vet scratch. Having two races on both courses seems to be the most racing officials are willing to use which is four more than none if you are keeping score at home. The weather was seasonably warm though the forecast for Friday had most bummed before the day was even over as more rain and off the grass races seem imminent.
🏇🏻Race one was a battle of attrition as Chad Brown refugee Bargaining Power, making his four year old debut with blinkers off and Irad on, began his decent down the class ladder taking on Linda Rice’s Ride Up, also dropping to the maiden $40,000 level for the first time. Irad gunned the gelded son of Frosted to the lead right from the gate and dueled with Mo Than Luck for a little more than a quarter while setting a solid pace, with Ride Up stalking those two in third after a tardy break (seeing LOTS of gate issues lately). As soon as Bargaining Power had dispatched Mo Than Luck (who needs a few mo drops in class) brother Jose on Ride Up moved to collar him as they turned for home and had soon driven right on by, drawing clear and holding the late running Sippican Shop safe. Bargaining Power was third by default as the others never raised a gallop and wasn’t claimed so look for him in a maiden 25k downstate at Baqueduct. Ride Up snapped a 1-19 skein for Rice over the last 10 days, the son of Malibu Moon was claimed from the race as was runner up Sippican Shop though the latter was voided.
🏅Race two was a second level allowance race going a mile on the inner turf which was labeled good but seemed relatively firm. Only five faced the starter and when he let the field go, Not So Close rocketed directly to the lead as expected. What wasn’t expected was Sister Lou Ann with blinkers removed to sit back and not offer even token pressure as she generally races on or near the lead, allowing Not So Close to steal away to a soft half mile in 48.79. That veritable head start allowed Ricardo Santana aboard the 4yo Empire Maker filly to sprint home, covering her final quarter in 22.48, not allowing any of the others including post time fav Chili Flag(Fr) to make up the needed ground. Last year’s Breeders Cup Juvenile Filly turf runner up Pleasant Passage chased and faded to finish last of the five, still not showing any development during her three year old season.
🌺 Race five was an inscrutable auction restricted maiden for 2yo fillies going 6 panels that drew a field of eight after one scratch. The four fillies that took all the tote action were Accommodate Eva, a Louisiana bred by Munnings shipping up from Kentucky for Dallas Stewart; Ginuccha, a Maximus Mischief filly who was 4th as the favorite in this class last month; Leslie’s Loot, a Fast Anna filly who was 3rd in the condition on the grass 2 weeks ago and Boxed Wine, a first time starter by Vino Rossi for Phil Antonacci. Ignored by the wagering public at 13-1 was Flowers for Me, a West Coast filly who ran 6th behind Ginuccha last month in her only start for Jim Ryerson. Breaking alertly from the rail, Dylan Davis pushed Flowers for Me to get position behind a rapid Leslie’s Loot who had opened up a 3 length lead heading for the turn with Irad putting Ginuccha into a drive to make up ground while three wide with Accommodate Eva spinning her wheels and Boxed Wine way back after a tardy start. Leslie’s Loot started to tire as they passed the quarter pole and Davis had Flowers for Me surging to the lead in a full drive, bracing for the closers. Ginuccha flattened out in the lane and couldn’t muster enough of a late rally to bother the winner with Accommodate Eva grinding it out down the stretch to be third. The first two came out of the July 19th auction restricted maiden race so keep an eye out for others exiting that as third place finisher that day also came back to run well.
📐The 7th was a maiden special weight race for fillies and mares 3 and up going a mile on the inner. It’s safe to say that things went exceedingly well for favorite Tangential who got a dream run under Irad and won nicely in a good performance. You can’t say the same about several others whom had less than ideal trips including runner up No Deli (Ire) whose jock Joel Rosario lost an iron at the start compromising his ability to get any early position and the filly by No Nay Never trailed the field in the first turn and down the backside before unleashing a furious stretch rally. Meanwhile 3rd choice Mirabella got hung out wide on both turns and landed on the board in third, while second choice Isola (Ire) was very rank again in the first turn and never really settled at any point, tiring from her early efforts. Tangential is a Justify filly trained by Chad Brown and ridden by Irad who finished with 4 on the day, one of which he was gifted which we will discuss next.
😡 The NYRA Stewards have spent an inordinate amount of time in the spotlight the last several years because of their inability to make consistent decisions when adjudicating on-track incidents. The capricious manner in which they operate was on display once again yesterday after the Rick Violette Stakes field had completed the mile and a sixteenth on the Mellon grass course. Turning for home Let’s Go Big Blue had gotten the jump on odds-on favorite Ramblin’ Wreck and jockey Jose Lezcano had yet to use any of his six allowed strikes of the whip. As the two closers in the compact six horse field, they were both unleashing their late runs while out wide on the course that had the temporary rails at their maximum setting. Lezcano struck Let’s Go Big Blue once on his right flank and the colt was in full flight with Irad and Ramblin Wreck inching up outside of them though still a length and half behind. Lezcano then switched the stick to the left hand and doled out two more strikes after which Let’s Go Big Blue shifted out several paths and while perhaps not making contact with his rival, definitely herded him out a few paths. Irad went to his right hand to counter and actually seemed to herd back slightly nearing the wire though the initial incident seemed to be a foul, at least by the technical definition. The objection and inquiry sign went up as the field was galloping back to be unsaddled and while it took a few minutes, the on track monitors finally showed the four pronged incident views, though just a single time, which struck many as unusual. Just a few minutes later the announcement came down that they had indeed DQ’ed Let’s Go Big Blue for interference, which didn’t seem to be a popular decision considering the boo’s that rained down on the winners circle. The fact of the matter is that the evidence shown does support a violation that clearly could have affected the final order of finish, Let’s Go Big Blue and Lezcano do herd Ramblin’ Wreck and Ortiz and the margin was very slim. Yet the stewards seem to be operating in a vacuum when the rest of us aren’t living in that same realm. On a regular basis at NYRA tracks we see blatant herding from habitual offenders not even attract enough attention from the stand to hang an inquiry sign. Just this meet alone there were at least two cases where fouls were absolutely committed and summarily dismissed (without explanation which to be fair would likely be tough to stomach) that were in the eyes of most seasoned observers worse than yesterdays incident. That the DQ in the Rick Violette came swiftly after what seemed to be little deliberation is perplexing when one recalls those other non-DQ’s like in the Jim Dandy where the inquiry was just as short the other way. The irony of the discussion is according to the rules they actually got it right yesterday BUT when compared to the standard THEY have allowed, did they really get it right? The old saying in regards to umpires and officials in mainstream sports is that we just want them to be “consistent and fair for both sides” (which isn’t really accurate, we want them to be good and not bog games down with incessant calls) and in racing that rings true as well. It’s vitally important for stewards to not only be consistent but to establish safe standards that protect all the participants including bettors, both physically and financially as they are determining outcomes after the fact. They are failing in that task in many places not just NYRA as the southern California stewards often seem to make it up as they go (we are still waiting on the release of the report on Modern Games Breeders Cup debacle from the CHRB) and Maryland has had some bizarre outcomes and we barely even pay attention to that circuit. The reason that jockeys ride in the rough manner that they do is because the stewards have failed to create a proper standard and the fallout from that is the wild inconsistency that is created when herding is the norm, not the outlier. I completely understand why the connections of Let’s Go Big Blue were upset as were those that wagered on him as they have seen much worse get overlooked. I can see why people are claiming that they made the right call as they are correct in saying that the rules were broken. The credibility of the product is strained when calls like this are viewed this way because we all await the NEXT time a similar incident occurs and if it’s allowed to stand…many people will feel cheated once again. We have a terrible system and no place is it worse than NY where you have three different masters being served with one steward employed by the Jockey Club, one employed by NYRA and the chief working for a completely political body, the NYSGC. The training that stewards receive is inadequate, there is literally no oversight and accountability is close to zero as it’s like pulling teeth just to get them to even explain decisions in a rudimentary manner. Racing has all sorts of issues but this is one that drives as much or more scorn than any of them and it doesn’t have to be that way….but will anyone in racing’s ivory towers ever listen?
🏇🏻 DRF handicapper and NYRA ML maker David Aragona breaks down today’s third race from Saratoga Here.
😔 RIP Art Collector who died yesterday from complications from laminitis
🌧️ As expected there will be no grass racing today at Saratoga 🌧️
🎉 This Saturday night at the Saratoga Harness track a match race for charity is taking place pitting jockey Flavian Prat against driver Brett Beckwith in a one mile trotting race. If you are in town check it out as it’s free to attend
Art Collector was a very good horse that was headed for retirement this fall that unfortunately was stricken with laminitis this past week which led to his being put down. Here he is during happier times last year
Chuck. Again so spot on regarding the steward’s inconsistencies.