The Strangest Day

Real Writing on Racing 💯

🚔 It’s impossible to ignore the biggest racing story of the summer, that was not only the talk of the town, but on a larger scale, the entire world-wide industry itself. Someone texted me yesterday, after the shock of the days events had worn down that, “racing had shot itself in the foot again”. I completely disagree. ‘Racing’ as a whole, often takes the hit for actions of its participants, at least for the human ones. That word, human, is the key here, as too often in the sphere of the racing world, it’s forgotten that the names on the paper aren’t just jumbled letters in front of the statistics. They are flesh and blood people, people with fragility’s and flaws. People who possess both strengths and weaknesses, that act with both good and bad intentions, life occasionally dimming the line between the two. Every business, every industry, every organization can be stained by the flaws of its individuals, from major corporations to political parties, even entire religions. Racing surely is no different, as we have seen the actions of too many shady, unscrupulous miscreants on every level; racists, cheaters, thieves, fraudsters as well as outright animal abusers and criminals put our game in a terribly negative light. Yet there is no doubt in my mind that despite having to navigate around those bad actors and occasionally wade through the muck created by them, racing is filled with good people, not perfect ones, but mostly solid citizens. We aren’t immune to those who push too far and the game has dangerously trended towards creating a small group of deities that the racetracks and owners in particular, seem to worship at the alter of. In light of the events of yesterday, perhaps that trend should be considered as once dominoes start toppling, it’s hard to stop them.

Domestic violence and drug trafficking are just two separate scourges that plague our entire society, and racing, as shown by yesterdays news, is not exempt from either.

🎪 Yesterdays first 😳

🎪 The third race was a NYB fillies and mares NW2x allowance race going 5.5f on the grass that had taken a little rain overnight. Get the Candy appeared to be the main speed and Luis Saez sent her to the front directly out of the gate. She was able to set very soft fractions for a turf sprint (23.35 for the quarter) and had plenty left to out-sprint her rivals home for Maker and Three Diamonds Farm. The winner was bred locally by McMahon of Saratoga thoroughbreds.

👏🏼 Shoutout to a new friend of Going in Circles media, Karl Sleight, a local attorney that operates Spa City Stables, who graciously allowed us to sit with him in his clubhouse box yesterday!

🎪 The 4th was a good, old starter handicap where Mexican Wonder Boy crushed the field, being wheeled back in 8 days after being claimed for $62500 by the emerging trainer Jose Camejo. Camejo has mostly operated in Louisiana for the bulk of his ten years of training after a relatively unsuccessful riding career. Recently he has been claiming high end runners for some large east coast owners and now has a 8-2-3-0 record at the meet.

🎪 Clear the Deck, wearing blinkers for the first time, wore down Forbidden Secret, who was very difficult to load, in deep stretch to break his maiden in try number four for McPeek and Leparoux. The race was a restricted MSW going six furlongs on the dirt.

🎪 Bill Mott sprinted Recognize on the dirt in her first two lifetime starts with both times her showing speed before fading late. Yesterday he stretched her out on the lawn and she responded with a wire to wire win going 8.5 furlongs on the inner turf. Despite his reputation as a master grass trainer, Mott’s first time turf numbers were weak going into yesterdays race (7% in 102 starts) but the double dirt sprint to a turf stretch out was a key Mott angle according to my Dad (via the ubiquitous Johnny Murphy) who of course didn’t tell me this till last night. Veteran Jose Lezcano, who has been sneakily hot recently, was aboard for his 12th win of the meet.

🎪 Immortalization recently 4th against Spa allowance company for trainer Michelle Hemmingway and Newtown Anner Stud Farm was dropped into this $35000NW3 claimer which went as the 7th race. After breaking a bit tardily, Monmouth regular Hector Diaz sent him to the lead and after shrugging off the chasers, he opened up in mid-stretch and maintained his margin to the wire to score by close to 3 lengths. The win was Hemingway’s first Saratoga victory but Immortalization went home to Norm Casse’s barn as he claimed the Honor Code gelding for AJ Suited Racing Stable.

🎪The 8th was a very solid looking 9 furlong allowance that had some promising, later developing three year old colts entered. However it was a three year old gelding named Warrior Johnny who destroyed them, scoring by 8 1/2 for Phil Bauer and his primary client, Rigney Racing and jockey Junior Alvarado. The win ran Bauer’s meet record to (7-4-1-0) and the final margin and time (1:48.90) suggest that stakes company looms for the dark bay son of Cairo Prince.

💣 The NY Stallion stakes are odd events that bring together a strange brew of horses that have a common bond in they are all sired by stallions that stand in New York. Maidens are often entered and it’s not unusual to see horses moving up from the claiming ranks, even those whose form isn’t stellar in those races. Yesterday’s race was won from the clouds by Golden Rocket, who had been claimed for $16000 three starts previous and made zero impact in an entry level allowance at Monmouth (7th) in her latest. Dismissed at 33-1 by the betting public, the Patricia Farro trainee rallied from far back early under apprentice Jose Gomez, sweeping by the field and becoming the bug boys first stakes winner.

💣💣 Sell Something under a heady Trevor McCarthy ride rallied to win the finale at 26-1 triggering a pick six carryover into Fridays card. The late pick 5 paid $94,506 for .50¢. Gary Sciacca trained the winner for Roger Cimbora.

⚾️🏒 Pitching legend Sandy Koufax and NHL coach Joel Quenneville were among the sports luminaries on-site yesterday

Day 27 (13 racing days to go)

Summer Colony (Listed) $135,000 9 furlongs F/M nw Grd stakes 2022

1. Army Wife - come out of good effort in Molly Pitcher over highway surface at Monmouth on Haskell day. Has never been able to break past 3 TG fig which probably not quite fast enough to win this without a perfect trip, but puts her solidly in contention with a bunch of others in this really strong restricted stakes. Should get good trip stalking the early pace which is likely set by Misty Veil.

2. Misty Veil - in-form filly trained by Tom Amoss, she looms as the likely pacesetter in this group. Steps up in class today though she has been sharp all year with a (6-3-2-0) record in 2022. Hard to see her getting loose enough to wire these at 9 furlongs.

3. Envoutante - on occasion is very good though most of her best efforts come at Churchill Downs. She should get stalking trip in here but tough task with having been idle since a poor race at Santa Anita in early March. We will let her beat us unless there are some significant scratches.

4. Leader of the Band - John Servis trained filly picks up Rosario for this assignment. Should be able to work out a decent trip behind what should be a good pace, Was good second to Search Results who would be 3/5 in here in her last. She is a big contender in our eyes especially considering her versatility in running styles.

5. First to Act - lightly raced Curlin filly cleared her entry level allowance condition in last. Big class step up despite this being a restricted stakes, it’s tougher than most grade 2’s. She will likely be an underlay but improving fillies in Shug’s hands are always dangerous.

6. Exotic West - flashed brief speed in the paceless Shuvee before fading. Before that was a distant second to the ill-fated Super Quick on the Black-eyed Susan undercard. This spot despite the depth of the field may actually set up better stylistically for her than her previous two and if the pace heats up, perhaps she can grab a piece of the pie at a nice price.

7. Bonny South - she LOVES to be a runner-up! Neither of her last two have been good efforts for her and it’s very difficult for me to play deep closers at this track, especially ones who have a propensity to not be able to get past the leaders late.