Thursday Again
Real Writing on Racing 💯
Well it was beautiful at the Spa on Wednesday afternoon, a warm summer day with a slight breeze that kept things comfortable. The blue skies were a big improvement from the early week precipitation and Canadian forest-fire smoke. However that splendid weather did nothing to improve my steeplechase handicapping though I did cash on a turf sprint (😳) and was a 14-1 shot nose away from making more money than the next Powerball winner.
🤷🏼♂️ Race one was the $150,000 AP Smithwick (Gr I), the initial jump race and stakes of the meet. I arrived early and spotted a member of Team Clancy hovering around the paddock entrance before the horses arrived to be saddled. Spoke to Sean for a minute or two before brother Joe ambled over prior to his appearance on national television (which he does au naturel by the way, no makeup for Joe). So I asked him who he was leaning toward in what in what steeplechasing experts such as himself described as a wide open affair. I don’t remember his exact words but when he disclosed that Welshman was his choice…I took a deep breath and slowly uttered…”I have some bad news for you…”.
That said when the Jack Fisher trainee looked great marching down the horse path towards the paddock just minutes later, I felt my confidence grow. An irrational thought perhaps considering my dismal steeplechase wagering streak (I even lost a bet last Fall at Belmont at Aqueduct after going O for the 2022 Spa meet). Yet with Joe Clancy’s support and Welshman looking like an equine Tom Jones (the most famous of all Welshmen) I found the moxie to lay down a nice win bet and even threw in a few early doubles wagers keying Welshman with the logical contenders in the second.
Alas I’m still an anchor to the jumping set as Welshman tracked the leaders, in what seemed to be good position laying fourth, but never really put in much of a run as the winner, Belfast Banter (trained by Cyril Murphy and ridden by Barry Foley) blew past him like he had morphed into Zaccio. Adding injury to insult, Welshman was eased late and the final tally was 9th and last by 41 1/2 lengths. Nevertheless there is an allowance race over the hurdles in the condition book for next Wednesday when I can try to end the Steeplechase futility streak once again…only next time I’m asking Sean who he likes to avoid putting the whammy on Joe again.
💸 Race two was a maiden $40000 claiming race going a mile out of the Wilson chute (they better oil the chute as it’s getting a LOT of use). It appeared to be a mundane affair except for the presence of the Pletcher trained Memphis, an $850.000 yearling purchase two years ago from the Saratoga Fasig-Tipton auction, who was looking like a bust, exiting a thrashing in a MSW race by 30 lengths on the grass less than 3 weeks ago at Belmont. The favorite was also dropping down in class from a MSW but Cloud Forest had much better form and was breaking from the inside which has seemed to be an advantage in 1 mile races thus far. Well coming out of the gate sluggish probably wasn’t what trainer Bill Mott had envisioned for Cloud Forest, especially with four others vying for the lead coming out of the dogleg, including Memphis who was widest of all. Just past the first quarter marker, Jose Lezcano sent Cloud Forest up the rail to grab the lead approaching the half mile pole in a move reminiscent of a harness racing tactic. Rounding the far turn Memphis engaged Cloud Forest from the outside and got a half length past him straightening up down the homestretch. Cloud Forest never gave up, battling the length of the stretch but Irad on Memphis kept him pinned down and ultimately prevailed. The last 1/8 was 13.23 and the final time was a tick slower than the $10000 claimer a few later so I don’t think Linda Rice grabbed a Diamond in the rough via the claim box here as Horse Racing Twitter seemed to believe. Cloud Forest was also tagged by Natalia Lynch.
💵 A horse in race three had caught my eye back in April when breaking her maiden at Turfway Park on the synthetic track but hadn’t been seen since. Golden Dagger showed up in this starter allowance for fillies that had run for $50k or less going 5.5f on the turf. Maddie’s Grace was sent postward as the 4-5 favorite off of a pair of solid races though the presence of Irad riding undoubtedly added to her being overbet. Three of the six fillies broke from the gate and took off after the lead, engaging in a speed duel down the backside with Golden Dagger drafting behind under Dylan Davis, the Bolt D’Oro filly getting a dream trip. Maddie’s Grace was one of the dueling leaders though Irad eased her back and angled her three wide while moving toward the lead again on the turn. She actually forged to the front mid-stretch when the early leaders tired but when Davis unleashed Golden Dagger she responded by accelerating inside the favorite and drawing off late. Proud Foot who lagged behind early, rallied late to be a clear cut second and completing a $57.25 exacta as Golden Dagger returned a generous $11.20 to win. Bill Morey trained the winner, his first Saratoga victory.
®️ Race six was the Game of Silks race of the week, a restricted MSW for fillies that had sold or RNA’ed for $50000 or less in their most recent auction, going 5.5 furlongs in the dirt. A full field of ten lined up for the competitive event with first time starter Ginuccha going off as the 3-1 post time favorite for Butch Reid and Irad. Second time starters, both coming off of runner up positions, Ilikefunsize and Khozy Colby were the second and third choice’s respectively. Overlooked a bit in the betting market was Queen’s Martini, a Mucho Macho Man filly for Danny Gargan and Luis Saez, who was making her first start. Khozy Colby was sent right to the lead by Jose Ortiz and set respectable early fractions for the class (22.34 x 46.59) while fending off bids by Ginuccha and Ilikefunsize. Meanwhile Queen’s Martini had to be hustled along up the inside after finding a spot of trouble leaving the gate. Saez remained on the inside on the turn before floating the filly to the outside straightening out in the stretch and as soon as she was in the clear, she responded and blew past Khozy Colby to register an emphatic triumph. Dean Reeves scooped Queen’s Martini up at last years Keeneland September sale for $19k (he may have just been buying partners out) and her $45,650 earned after race one makes that appear to be money well spent. Khozy Colby shouldn’t be in this class too long and third place finisher Crazy Cami should improve with the experience.
😐 The 7th was a NY bred NX2x allowance race for fillies and mares going a mile on the inner turf course labeled good. In my mind it was a three horse race between Collaboration, Golden Rocket and Classic Colors and I wasn’t really dead set on even wagering on the race. However Classic Colors wasn’t getting any respect on the tote board despite a good post draw, competitive speed figs and a trainer that is batting 28% for the year. When she got to 10-1 as post time closed in, I made my wager and said I will take my chances at that price. She drifted even further, leaving the gate at 14-1 and when Manny Franco unleashed her in the stretch when finding room after an inside trip, I thought that I had backed into a score. Alas it wasn’t to be as Lisa’s Vision and Flavian Prat had gotten not only the jump on Classic Colors, but she got the bob too as her nose was down at the exact right time to deflate my hopes of a really big day.
📺 As the field turned for home in the 8th, a high level allowance race for fillies and mares going a mile out of the Wilson chute, favored Sixtythreecaliber looked like she’d be last in the field of five. Give jockey Tyler Gafflione credit though as he never gave up on her, driving her through a tight seam mid-stretch to grab the narrowest of leads and gamely holding off a late bid by Nostalgic to get the winners share of the 121k pot. TV Tom Amoss trains the Gun Runner filly for My Racehorse and Spendthrift farm. Gerrymander disappointed once again which seems to be the theme of most of her career.
🏖️ Monmouth Park drew the Haskell field yesterday and it’s a good one with talented three year olds Mage, Tapit Trice, Arabian Knight, Geaux Rocket Ride, Salute the Stars and Extra Anejo set to do battle about 5:45 Saturday afternoon.
The DRF’s Dave Grening preview’s todays Cab Calloway division of the NY Stallion Stakes here.
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The 1994 Haskell for your viewing pleasure!