The Wrong Horse

Bill Handleman: Heaven is a Bettor Place

2010-06-09T19:40:00.000-07:00

Heaven is a bettor place today with the passing of a gem of a guy, Bill Handleman. One of the Jersey Boys when we hit the road to cover the Derby or the Preakness or the Belmont, or any old race at Monmouth Park during the past 30 years, there was no one more passionate about horse racing, no one more dedicated, no one who came so close so many times to the biggest score ever than Bill. Yes, he scored huge with a $100,000 jackpot at Penn National in 1995, but just watching him at the races was a sight to behold. With more tough beats than anyone should endure (OK, maybe I'm exaggerating), Bill could always explain what prevented him from cashing a ticket, and used every excuse in the book hundreds of times. Was that really the point? No. He loved the game, and loved to be a player. And that's what I'll always remember about Bill: A passionate player who dearly loved the game, and made everyone around him feel like it's OK to get into it. Win or lose. Be a player!

How about this? On Feb. 10, at Fair Grounds: Gold Square LLC’s Handleman made the pace and increased his margin in the final furlong to win Friday’s $41,000 six-furlong allowance sprint by three-and-a-quarter lengths at the wire.

Hi Ho Pimlico

2010-05-02T12:49:00.000-07:00

Get your Preak off!

Before we get started with Preakness fever, this new ad/marketing/promotion campaign trying to show the youth of America how hip Pimlico/Maryland Racing/Frank Stronach's bankrupt tracks are is laughable. What can you people be thinking? Don't answer that! It won't work. Let people bring their own coolers into the infield and they will come. If you choose not to go back to that route, so be it (it's probably safer, anyway). But don't lure them with hipster talk. It's insulting.

Now, on to the Preakness: Here's a rundown of potential Preakness runners who will be out to beat Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver and thwart a Triple Crown try in the Belmont Stakes on June 5.

From the Derby, winning trainer Todd Pletcher says he hasn't ruled out Mission Impazible. Huh? He'd really risk having Super Saver get beat by his own stablemate? Too much celebrating Saturday night, Todd.
Then again, he said he's likely to send Aikenite to the Preakness. Gotta wonder if that's gonna happen.

Other Derby runners who might show up in the Preakness are Paddy O' Prado, Dublin and Jackson Bend. Remote but still possible are Ice Box and Lookin At Lucky.

Potential new shooters, according to Pimlico's top PR man Mike Gathagan, include A Little Warm (second, Louisiana Derby); Bushwhacked (second, Lexington Stakes); Caracortado (fourth, Santa Anita Derby); Hurricane Ike (Derby Trial winner), Pleasant Prince (third, Derby Trial); Schoolyard Dreams (fourth, Wood Memorial) and Turf Melody (fourth, Illinois Derby).

By the way, in case you missed it, Calvin Borel already has predicted a Triple Crown for Super Saver. After winning the Derby for third time in four years, clever Calvin said Super Saver is the horse that's gonna do it, sweep the Derby, Preakness and Belmont and become the first to sweep the races since Affirmed in 1978.

Super Saver will not have an easy time winning the Preakness in what could be a full field of 14. Stay tuned.

2010-05-02T12:42:00.000-07:00

Greetings from beautiful Belmont Park!

It's Sunday, May 2, and post time for the first race. Just thought I'd put a digital in between the chain link fence to catch the break. I caught it. My dog, Sammy, was impressed, too.

2010-02-28T18:31:00.001-08:00

With the Sham washed out, and no other Kentucky Derby prep races of note, here's this week's Top 10 list of Derby contenders (photo is Eskendereya crusing to victory in the Fountain of Youth):

Lookin At Lucky

Eskendereya

Conveyance

Rule

Discreetly Mine

Jackson Bend

D'Funnybone

Dublin

Tempted to Tapit

Radiohead

The Sham is set for Saturday, although rain could be an issue at Santa Anita's-soon-to-change-from -Pro-Ride-synthetic-surface-to-DIRT, while the Gotham on good ol' dirt could see Bob Baffert's Tiz Chrome show up.

Ticket to Ride (Beatles, 1965)

2010-02-20T12:35:00.000-08:00

A huge day for Kentucky Derby preps, but lots to catch up on regarding Rachel vs. Zenyatta. As expected, Rachel Alexandra was voted Horse of the Year and the final balloting wasn't close. Yes, Zenyatta was awesome in the BC Classic, but Rachel was awesome just about ALL YEAR!

Now, the two great ladies of racing are being given a ticket to ride into history if they do meet on April 9 at Oaklawn Park in what is being billed as a ``Race for the Ages''.

Both are on the same training schedule, turning in workouts on Thursday _ Rachel in Nawlins' and Zenyatta in California. Both are set for their first starts of 2010 on March 13 _ Rachel at Fair Grounds and Zenyatta at Santa Anita.

Both will then be pointed to Charles Cella's track in Hot Springs after the owner offered to raising the purse of the $500,000 Apple Blossom to $5 million.

After a day of wrangling, in which Rachel's owner Jess Jackson put trainer Steve Asmussen up to making comment that Rachel wouldn't be ready for the race, Cella changed the date and all is fine. Zenyatta's owner Jerry Moss was stunned at first _ not that Jackson said he wasn't sending his filly _ but that he was countering with a 3-race series between the two. ``What the hell is he talking about,'' Moss told me when I informed him of Jackson's proposal the night it happened.

But enough, the race is one for now. I am not sure it will happen, but I hope it does: There are still many days to go before these superstars show up for the race, and all must go perfectly in both camps for the race everyone is asking for actually happens.

Wouldn't it be something if one or both lost on the 13th _ after all, Rachel hasn't run since the Woodward in early September and Zenyatta hasn't run since the Classic in early November. Let's hope it doesn't happen and them we'll have one of the most anticipated races _ other than the Kentucky Derby or a Triple Crown attempt _ in many, many moons.

And then it's on the Kentucky Derby on May 1: Heading into today's Derby preps, here's my Top 10:

1. Lookin At Lucky

2. Buddy's Saint

3. Jackson Bend

4. Rule

5. Eskendereya

6. Dave in Dixie

7. Conveyance

8. Dublin

9. Super Saver

10. Radiohead

The In Crowd (Dobie Gray, 1973)

2009-11-06T20:54:00.000-08:00

This is a stretch, for sure, but Ladies Day, or Breeders' Cup Day 1 was all about gray: With absolutely no buzz whatsover (these were championship races?) we were looking for the extra betting edge and went for the Grady Lady-Pick 5. What? We'll it worked: With a total of 5 grays in five of the six Breeders' Cup races Friday, we had two winners and a runner-up: Tapitsfly ($21.60 to win) in the Juvenile Fillies Turf; Beautician ($9.40 to place) in the Juvenile Fillies; Forever Together ($2.40 to show) in the F&M Turf; Informed Decision ($8.80 to win); and Careless Jewel (zip, last in the Ladies Classic). A profit on the day.

On Saturday, we'll go gray again but there's not much: Summer Movie in the Juvenile Turf (these races are so riveting _ lol _ I don't even know if he made the field); Silver Timber and California Flag in the Turf Sprint; Zensational in the Sprint; Mastercraftsman in the Dirt Mile; and Monzante in the Turf. No grays in the Classic, so I'm going with Gio Ponti, with a small wager on Richard's Kid.

Let It Be (The Beatles, 1969): Take A Mulligan, Gary

2009-11-05T16:49:00.000-08:00

On the day before the two-day Breeders' Cup commences at Santa Anita, Hall of Fame golfer Gary Player _ he owns a 20,000-acre breeding farm in his native South Africa_ was presented with the Breeders' Cup's newest gimmick (excuse me, "award") for Sports and Racing Excellence.
The golfer then hit his opening drive into the rough with this: ``We need more horses like Rachel Alexandra and Sea The Stars to come and compete. Don’t hide them away. Don’t make excuses about tracks. We need these champions to compete against each other."
C'mon, Gary. Breeders' Cup CEO Greg Avioli put you up to this, right? Why else would you make such a ridiculous statement? In golf, yes, the best show up for the majors. All the time. Every year. You know. You did.
Horse racing? Not the same. You know it. European star Sea The Stars has his own story (breeding, you know), but this is a direct shot at Rachel Alexandra and her owners, wine baron Jess Jackson and his longtime pal, Harold McCormick. To accuse them of hiding Rachel, making excuses about tracks and then saying ``we need champions to compete'' ... well, Gary, you haven't been paying attention.
Rachel Alexandra: 8-for-8 this year, a-race-a-month campaign until her third win over boys (big boys) in the Woodward Stakes in September. And as for her absence from the Breeders' Cup, Jackson's two-time Horse of the year Curlin did not like the surface last year in the Classic, and he made it clear many months ago he did not like ``plastics.'' Anyway, Rachel already has earned the right to be ranked among the best fillies ever (right up there with Ruffian).
So, Gary, how does not running against Zenyatta, a synthetic sensation running on her home track, affect Rachel's accomplishments? Where was Zenyatta when there were several chances to go against Rachel on dirt?
See? Racing has created yet another conundrum with a rush to synthetics despite lack of proof it will cut down on breakdowns. If the Breeders' Cup were on dirt, would Zenyatta take on Rachel? Of course we want champions to compete (the Breeders' Cup tried to lure Rachel to the Classic by increasing the winner's share, remember?). As you say, Gary, you'd never back down from Nicklaus or Palmer, and if you lose you lose. But there is quite a bit more that goes into deciding whether a horse should run in a particular race at a particular track.

So, let's look at what the Breeders' Cup has done to make this one of the least compelling Breeders' Cups ever (and thank you Jerry and Ann Moss for Zenyatta in the Classic, at least). They scheduled the event at the same synthetic track two years in a row without waiting for feedback from owners, trainers, etc. They wanted their two-day event to become a 14-race festival that would bring out the Hollywood stars and create a buzz. It ain't happenin, folks. Of the 14 races that could see a maximum of 190 horses compete, only 3 of the 14 fields are full and 42 starting gates will be empty over the two days. And with racing's No. 1 lady waiting for her 4-year-old campaign, and Zenyatta going against the boys, Friday's Ladies Classic(that's no lady, that's my wife!) will have a field of 8 out of a possible 14.
A thought: When the Cup is held at Churchill Downs in 2010, it should be a one-day event with eight or nine races. Enough buffoonery.

Thank You Girl (The Beatles, 1963): Rachel Alexandra

2009-11-04T18:53:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile.
But now it's time to chime in before the Breeders' Cup. I will try to make this short. Rachel Alexandra is Horse of the Year. No matter what happens this weekend.

Zenyatta can win the Breeders' Cup Classic by 32 lengths. It doesn't matter. If one race determines Horse of the Year, the award will be a farce. It was a farce in 2004 when Ghostzapper won _ by a lot _ over Smarty Jones. Are you kidding me? Smarty Jones won every single race in his life except his last one, he was beaten in the final strides of the Belmont Stakes. Not many horses have done for racing what Smarty Jones did until his dramatic defeat by Birdstone. Of course, the owners were villified for supposedly waffling on whether their horse was healthy or not, and then retired him for huge sums of money. Isn't that what horse racing has come to? And then the nearly universally despised Frank Stronach plays the sympathy card, saying Ghostzapper, who had run all of 3 _ count 'em! _ races that year, would not only be in the Classic, but would keep running, unlike that turncoat Smarty Jones. And the voters bought it. They voted Ghostzapper, 4-for-4 and without a race the first half of the year, Horse of the Year over Smarty Jones, a mere 8-for-8 before the Belmont _ , winner of the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness. Get real people. And now, thanks to ESPN/ABC -- oh thanks for televising nationally all the Rachel Alexandra races over the summer -- Zenyatta has a chance to win Horse of the Year if she can beat the boys in the Classic. Sorry, too late. I love Zenyatta, a gorgeous mare who has never lost. She has beaten every female she's faced, sometimes in dramatic fashion. She ventured away from California's synthetic surfaces only once - and won in Arkansas. Woo hoo. However, it has been Rachel who has lifted racing this year, given it the star it so dearly longs for, a filly who may just be the best female horse ever _ EVER! She is expected to run next year as a 4-year-old, too.

Zenyatta has beaten the likes of Lethal Heat, Cocoa Beach and Hystericalady; Rachel has beaten every 3-year-old filly thrown her way _ by a lot; and then beat the Derby winner, the Belmont winner and the likes of Bullsbay, Macho Again, Munnings and Musket Man. She won the Preakness, the Haskell and the Woodward -- three wins over the boys -- and older boys, too. Rachel is 8-for-8 in 2009, and her owner says he won't run her on synthetics because he doesn't like the surface. Zenyatta would be 5-for-5 with a Classic win. It's Horse of the Year, not Horse of the Career. No matter what happens in the Classic, the vote shouldn't be close. It should be unanimous.

You Can't Always Get What You Want (Rolling Stones, 1968)

2009-07-24T17:02:00.000-07:00

It's warm up weekend.

Sure, there's the Coaching Club American Oaks at Belmont, but no Rachel Alexandra. There's the Nijinsky Stakes on the turf at Woodbine with Rahy's Attorney (ho hum) and there's the Eddie Read Handicap on the turf at Del Mar with American Handicap winner Monterey Jazz and seven others (another ho hum)...

But wait 'til next weekend, perhaps the best of the summer before the Travers on Aug. 29 ... Next weekend is when all three winners of the Triple Crown races will be in action ... Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird was vanned from Churchill Downs to Mountaineer Racetrack and Casino for next Saturday night's West Virginia Derby (do we really believe a Derby winner is running in West by God Virginia?)

And the next day, at 6:14 pm, is the Haskell Invitational showdown between Preakness winning filly Rachel Alexandra and Belmont Stakes winner Summer Bird ... The two will be meeting for the first time and the race promises to be a doozy. Add Arkansas Derby winner Papa Clem to the mix, not to mention stakes-winning Munnings and a few local hotshots, and who knows what'll happen when the filly takes on the boys for the second time... She is coming off a billion-length win in the Mother Goose a few weeks ago against a few rivals competing for second place. She's win seven in a row, all under Calvin Borel, and who knows how Cajun Boy will approach this race at Monmouth, where he rarely rides. Hopefully, a few races over the course is on his agenda, not the Jersey Shore only down the block.

While the Haskell has two of the Triple Crown race winners, the greatest meet in the world -- Saratoga -- will be entering its first weekend topped by Saturday's Jim Dandy Stakes, featuring Kensei, the Dwyer winner owned by Jess Jackson, who owns Rachel Alexandra. An aside: Quality Road, the Florida Derby winner who would have been the Derby favorite but suffered a quarter crack and missed the Triple Crown races, is set to return in the Amsterdam on Aug. 3 _ a sprint also featuring Capt. Candyman Can.

Let's get it on. It's summer racing at its best, and it's only a week away. And by Travers day, a showdown looms: Mine That Bird vs. Rachel Alexandra vs. Summer Bird.

Cool. Maybe, if you try sometime, you can always get what you want.

And I ask: Where is TV on this? ESPN? Forgetaboutit. Is there no national TV for the Derby winner? Or the filly in the Haskell? Is this sport nuts, or what?

For what it's worth _ the Haskell is worth a quarter-million dollars more this year, up to $1,250,000 .... And there's also a bonus for the winners of any Triple Crowns races who run in the Haskell. Nice work, Monmouth and its president Bob Kulina, always trying to put together the best race possible no matter what the price.

Fourth of July: It's A Sunny Day!

2009-07-04T18:00:00.000-07:00

Good Day Sunshine (The Beatles, 1966)

And it was. OK. I arrived at Belmomt Park about 2:30, some time after the fourth race. So I'm not the betting kind, at least not on this Fourth of July, but what a glorious day after so many Rain (The Beatles, 1966) days in June that poured into July. But there was no rain today, and three grand ol' stakes races were run and a crowd of more than 7,000 showed up at this massive racetrack. They were the lucky ones -- at the top of the stretch are private BBQ areas for groups, and a grassy area for families who just want to toss out a picnic blanket and kick back and enjoy the day.
Of course, I was lucky enough to be invited to a birthday party in one of the BBQ areas (for Teresa, or Brooklyn Backstretch) _ and I made the most of it: one really well done hot dog with mustard and kraut, a couple of cans of Molson and a few bakery cookies. Mm mm.
Then it was time for the stakes _ races. Loved Just Ben in the Dwyer, especially after watching him romp on the Belmont Stakes undercard. Oh well. Just Ben is just plain no good in the stretch and Kensei, apparently a fictional name based on a real person named Miyamoto Musashi, who is believed to have been one of the most skilled swordsmen in history and the greatest samurai. Cool, huh? Maybe it's true.
Anyway, the horse is owned by Jess Jackson of Curlin and Rachel Alexandra fame. So now Jess has a 3-year-old colt on the rise to go with his fabulous filly Rachel. He was in the winner's circle, touting his new star, and saying he's looking at Saratoga or other options or Monmouth Park. OK, we'll wait to see where he ends up.
Calvin Borel, a favorite topic, was aboard Warrior's Reward in the Dwyer. They stumbled badly at the start and finished third. The Jim Dandy is next for him.
In the Prioress, it was Cat Moves -- the least experience filly in the field -- beating eight rivals to make her record 3-for-3 for trainer Tony Dutrow. The Test at Saratoga on Aug. 8 is next.
And finally, the 123rd running of Suburban gave good ol' (don't tell 'em my age) Barclay Tagg his first stakes win in New York this year when Dry Martini rallied from last to first. Asiatic Boy held on for second in a Suburban devoid of an older star (perhaps this is why the race was downgraded to a Grade 2 -- although the purse was $400,000) ...
Also on the day, Mike Smith was selected to ride Mine That Bird in the West Virginia Derby _ Calvin blew his chance by not committing to the gelding. Good move by Chip Woolley. Back to Belmont and when all was said and done, it was a lovely day at the track -- and that's a good thing.

Cool it, Calvin

2009-07-01T18:28:00.000-07:00

Cool Jerk (The Capitols, 1966)

OK Calvin Borel, enough is enough. The jig is up.
You and your agent, Jerry Hissam _ and we used to like you guys_ have taken this too far. Perhaps you think you're too famous these days, you Mr. Stay-in-Manhattan all Belmont week and then climbing aboard Mine That Bird, making an early move and finishing third in the Belmont Stakes.
It's fine to be confident and cocky. Heck, you earned it after so many years of riding the rails before hitting it big in the 2007 Kentucky Derby aboard Street Sense. But what the hell are you doing now?
You were desperate for a Derby ride this year, and got hooked up with Mine That Bird and won the dang thing at 50-1. Then you ditched him for a filly and beat your own Derby winner in the Preakness with Rachel Alexandra. Ain't it grand to be you -- going for your own personal Triple Crown?
And then you diss Belmont Park, refuse to ride one race over the course in the week leading up to the Belmont and what happens? You move early, and the Bird can't hold off Summer Bird in the stretch.
So now you are waffling again, and thank goodness Mine That Bird's trainer Chip Woolley made his move now -- Hey Calvin, you're outta here if you don't commit to my gelding through the Breeders' Cup ... Well, Hissam was being hush and refusing to commit to anything other than to Warrior's Reward _ a 3-year-old with promise who runs in the Dwyer at Belmont on Saturday and likely the Jim Dandy on Aug. 1. Oops! That's the same day you're supposed to ride Mine That Bird in the West Virginia Derby, and then comes the Travers and then the Breeders' Cup Classic. So you won't commit to the horse you won the Derby on? You want to ride for Ian Wilkes, who took over for the man who put you on Street Sense (Carl Nafzger)?
Good for you. Your choice. And now you won't ride the Derby winner again.
What you tried to do -- keep Woolley hanging on _ is not popular in this corner, and not good for the sport .. and Calvin, you know it. Yes, it's all about the money and heaven knows you made a ton of it aboard Mine That Bird, not to mention winning 7 in a row aboard Rachel Alexandra. So you made your choice by refusing to make a commitment. You made a commitment to Rachel. Why not Mine That Bird? A horse that will be running long after Rachel is sent to the farm? You guys may know more about this then this corner, but what is coming out in the media is not too pretty. Here's hoping Woolley & Co. come up with a rider that will bring their horse back to the winner's circle -- in West Virginia, New York and California.

Rachel and Rachel, Rachel

2009-06-19T14:21:00.000-07:00

Bits And Pieces (The Dave Clark Five, 1964)

Bits: She's a leading lady, all right, perhaps even thoroughbred racing's version of a leading lady the stature of Joanne Woodward. So what's the connection? None, other than it was Woodward who won a Golden Globe award as best actress for her portrayal of a repressed school teacher living with her overbearing mother who suddenly gets a man in her life during summer vacation in the 1968 movie ``Rachel, Rachel.''
And now there's Rachel Alexandra, kept away from the boys by her previous owners, who suddenly has a new owner, beats the boys in the Preakness in the spring and is looking forward to a great summer season and eventually a breeding session with her new owners' top stallion, Curlin.

And don't worry, Rachel Alexandra _ only 3 _ will pick up awards of her own on the way to her date with 2-time Horse of the Year Curlin (sort of the Paul Newman of the male horsey set _ Paul was Joanne's husband for those keeping score) ... Soon to be in common: Appearances in Vogue Magazine _ Joanne's photo has appeared in the mag thousands of times with and without Paul: Rachel Alexandra's Vogue debut is scheduled for the August issue.

Pieces: An offer to purchase Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird was turned down by co-owners Mark Allen and Dr. Leonard Blach earlier this week, trainer Chip Woolley reports. ``I'm happy. I spent 25 years looking for this horse and I sure didn't want to lose him.'' The potential buyer was not identified _ whoever that is. Chances are it wasn't Jess Jackson, the Kendall-Jackson Wines co-founder who bought Rachel with the intention of breeding her to Curlin _ to provide racing with a superhorse. Mine That Bird is a gelding. ... Todd Pletcher is now training Quality Road, who won 3-of-4 starts, including the Florida Derby, for trainer Jimmy Jerkens. Not a quality move, Mr. owner, Edward Evans, unless there is something we don't know about, which is likely the case _ the horse has a quarter crack less than a week before the Derby, Edward ... And no one is more horse-health conscious than Jimmy Jerkens.

The Travers: Until They Meet Again

2009-06-14T18:04:00.001-07:00

The Travers Stakes is the oldest major thoroughbred horse race in America. And when the 140th edition is run Saturday, Aug. 29 at grand old Saratoga, the field of 3-year-olds could make this a most memorable mile-and-a-quarter.
I'm even thinking the Midsummer Derby may top the Kentucky Derby for suspense: Mine That Bird vs. Rachel Alexandra vs. Summer Bird _ the Derby winner vs. the Preakness winner vs. the Belmont winner, plus a cast of 3-year-olds looking to avenge losses in the Triple Crown races as well as previously injured horses on the mend (like Quality Road).
A look-see:
_ Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird is set to run in the West Virginia Derby at Charles Town on Aug. 1, then show up at Saratoga and train up to the Travers. Hey? a Derby winner ever run in the West Virginia Derby?
_ Preakness winner Rachel Alexandra's schedule has yet to be determined, but as of now the Travers is not out of the question. Let's say the filly runs next in the Mother Goose later this month, and again about a month later. Could the Travers be next? Stay tuned.
_ Belmont winner Summer Bird is headed to the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park on Aug. 2, followed by a trip to upstate New York for the Travers.
_ Florida Derby winner Quality Road, the likely Kentucky Derby favorite before an injury knocked him out, is back in training. If he bounces back from a quarter crack, Jimmy Jerkens could have him ready for the Travers.
_ While Belmont runner-up Dunkirk has been sidelined with an injury, Peter Pan winner Charitable Man, who was fourth in the Belmont, is headed to the Jim Dandy at Saratoga on Aug. 1 and then the Travers.
_ Santa Anita Derby winner Pioneerof the Nile is the best of the west, and finished second in the Derby. He is trained by Bob Baffert. Baffert will be inducted into the Hall of Fame during the Saratoga meet, and he just might have Pioneerof the Nile for the Travers.
_ Musket Man, third in the Derby and third in the Preakness, passed on the Belmont, will be back for the Haskell, and the Travers is an option.
_ Wood Memorial winner I Want Revenge, injured the morning of the Derby, is likely out of the picture, but just about every other 3-year-old is still in.
Let's see what happens.

WayAfterThoughts on the Belmont

2009-06-09T09:17:00.000-07:00

WELL DONE OR TOASTED?:

WELL DONE

TIM ICE: May the horses come into your barn. A cool, quiet and intense young man, Mr. Ice arrived at Belmont Park at 34 years of age _ and left two weeks later at 35 after winning the Belmont Stakes with Summer Bird. He did a masterful training job _ putting blinkers on (he saw that his Bird wasn't focused in the stretch at the Derby, although 6th place wasn't bad for a fourth career start) and bringing him here for nearly two weeks to become familiar with the track.
Payoff should be big time for Mr. Ice, who already has a few interested owners knocking on his barn door (Hey, Rick Porter, ya listening?). Looks like Mr. Ice -- an Ohio boy currently based at Louisiana Downs -- could get to like the New York racing scene. Betting he'll spend his summer at Saratoga, with Summer Bird being pointed to the Jim Dandy on Aug. 1 and the Travers on Aug. 29. Welcome to New York.

MINE THAT BIRD & CO: Just love this little gelding and his crew of cowpokes from the Land of Enchantment; Broken leg trainer Chip Woolley (12 pins and a metal plate from knee to ankle in right leg), racing manager Kelly Denninton and owners Mark Allen and Dr. Leonard Blach showed racing nogoodnicks how to enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime moment and share it with others.
Ol' Chipper enjoyed his New York experience, and look for his Bird to resurface in Saratoga as well. Mine That Bird went 1-2-3 in the Derby, Preakness and Belmont and earned over $1.5 million for his connections! And this gelding will keep on going!

KENT DESORMEAUX: What can we say Kent? You deserved it.
Worst beat ever in the 1998 Belmont aboard Derby-Preakness winner Real Quiet (2nd by a nose); and biggest disappointment ever last year with Derby-Preakness winner Big Brown (last after being pulled up). You rode a perfect race, finally, and we think you have this one figured out.

TOASTED

CALVIN BOREL: Calvin, your new marketing/sponsor guy, gave you bad advice. Why in the wide wide world of jockey sense would you spend a week in Manhattan, ignore the racetrack, show up on Letterman, at MSG, the stock exchange, etc., etc., and expect to make good your guarantee of victory?
OK, so Joe Namath can party all night and lead the Jets to a Super Bowl win over the Colts, but Calvin, you lost to the Colts in this one. Your rail ride in the Derby was glorious, your effort in the Belmont was godawful.

MIKE SMITH: Short story shorter, Mikey boy coulda been aboard Mine That Bird in the Belmont, but even before all the histrionics surrounding Borel/Rachel Alexandra/Mine That Bird he begged off due to loyalty to owners Jerry and Ann Moss and trainer John Shirreffs. Instead of riding in the Belmont, Mikey hopped on Madeo for the Charlie Whittingham Memorial Handicap at Hollywood and finished fourth. Hmm. Pass up a Belmont in favor of a Whittinghan. Wait 'til next year!

JESS JACKSON: Just because I'm not certain what his motives are with the filly. Hooray for winning the Preakness, but something just doesn't seem right about the way you shelled out however many millions to buy Rachel Alexandra in a plan to `revitalize'' the sport.
People were all over Baffert for buying a Derby winner (and Preakness winner as well)a few weeks before the race, but you go out and buy a Preakness winner 9 days before? Why didn't you speak up before the Oaks? And buy her then and run her in the Derby? She'd won four stakes in a row to that point. And the owners said they wouldn't run her against the boys.

Calvin Will Show Up for the Belmont, We Think!

2009-06-05T15:16:00.000-07:00

Gotta make this quick, headed to a Belmont Stakes gala (cocktails in Garden City, oo la la!) ... So there's all these jockeys at the Belmont Cafe this morning, staying out of the rain even though their Belmont mounts are out on the track stretching their legs, galloping and foolin' around in the slop with their exercise riders getting drenched. Prado, Garcia, Velazquez, Maragh, and a few others I probably didn't recognize. Oh, and a couple of Hall of Famers were goofing off as well. ``He's no'' Angel Cordero Jr. and Jorge Velasquez were in the house and acting like children, chasing each other around the tables and yukking it up. Pletcher, Dale Romans, a bunch of jock agents also were on the scene on the day before the Belmont.

Missing? CALVIN ``CROWN'' BOREL!!!! Mr. Famous is hanging in a ritzy hotel on Central Park with his fiance and God bless, Calvin, enjoy the hell out of this week. However, you've won the Derby on Mine That Bird, the Preakness on the filly Rachel Alexandra and you're back on the Bird for the Belmont seeking to become the first jockey to win your own Triple Crown. And you take the week off from riding? No mounts all week at Belmont? You don't want a race over the 1 1/2-mile oval that has done in so many jocks who mistime their move in the longest race they will ever compete in? Not smart, Calvin. Yes, you guaranteed a victory with this great little gelding, but c'mon -- Letterman, the Garden, Wall Street over the racetrack on a week like this? Bad move from this view. Love Chip Woolley, love the horse. Don't love your week away from the track.

Garden Party for Horse Racing

2009-06-02T15:21:00.000-07:00

It was a good day for horse racing -- for a change. The New York Racing Association put together a luncheon/news conference at Madison Square Garden today, promoting the not-so-on-the-radar Belmont Stakes on Saturday. Of course, Calvin ``we're gonna win'' Borel was the center of attention. Everywhere he walked at the Garden's Bar & Grill, microphones, notepads, TV cameras, bloggers and tweeters followed. All he did was say what he said yesterday: He will win the Belmont aboard Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird to become the first jockey to capture the Triple Crown on different horses. He rode Rachel Alexandra to victory over Mine That Bird in the Preakness. He says he's in a dream and riding it out, and that he wants to win this one for Chip -- the Bird's trainer Chip Woolley, who stuck with him even after he took over the gelding for the filly. Lots of other racing types were there as well - the Bird's New Mexico owner-trainer trio of Mark Allen, Leonard Blach and Woolley; trainer Kiaran McLaughlin and jockey Alan Garcia _ Kiaran sends out Charitable Man and Garcia rides him looking for his second Belmont win in a row. McLaughlin was pretty funny, say there's no need to run the race since Calvin guaranteed a victory, but then added this about his horse: His father was a Belmont winner (Lemon Drop Kid), he's 2-for-2 at Belmont, 3-for-3 on dirt and need I say more? Johnny V, who will ride Dunkirk, told the riders in attendance not to let Calvin on the rail ... Borel added that he's glad Rachel Alexandra is not running because, he said, she needs a rest.

And to kick off the festivities, NYRA CEO Charley Hayward made his opening remarks short and to the point regarding synthetic surfaces: He said the races Saturday will be on the turf and on the dirt and they are going to stay that way. Why he decided to throw out that line at this newser is questionable, but it's a clear statement that synthetics are not in NYRA's future (applause, please).

Hey Calvin, Why didn't you give us the Derby winner?

2009-06-01T12:10:00.000-07:00

You gotta hand it to these jockeys, boy, they just know exactly what's going to happen, don't they? Hey wait a minute! If they know who's gonna win before they run the race, doesn't that means something's wrong? Let's face it, if the jockey says he's going to win and wins, wouldn't you think something's fishy? I am not saying I would, but others might. Who those others are I cannot say, but I am not one of them. That leads me to Calvin Borel. He's 1-for-1 on giving out winners of Triple Crown races: Correct Calvin gave everyone a head's up that he was gonna win the Preakness aboard Rachel Alexandra _ and that was why he was getting off Mine That Bird, the horse he won the Kentucky Derby on just two weeks prior to the Preakness So he's 1-for-1 and now he's looking at 2-for-2. For whatever reason, lovable Calvin had this to say to reporters after jumping off Mine That Bird (oh, did I mention he's back on Mine That Bird for the Belmont because Rachel Alexandra isn't running in it?) following a final workout Monday morning at Churchill Downs: ``We're going to win it, no questions asked." OK, so let's bet on Calvin again. If you believed him before the Preakness and bet $2 on the filly to win, you collected $5.60 -- that's $3.60 profit. Do the math for a $100 win bet (it's $280, for a profit of $180); and so forth ... And if you didn't believe Calvin and bet a $2 exacta box on the Derby winner and the filly), the payoff was $19.60 (for a $4 investment); again do the math. I'm not good at math. Works out pretty good for a can't miss bet, don't you think? OK. Mine That Bird will be the heavy favorite to win the Belmont, and won't pay too much when (if - lol) he does win, but having a winner is better than not having a winner. But Calvin, where were you before the Derby, damn it? Why didn't you tell us you were sitting on one of the greatest winning runs in Derby history, one that returned a mind-numbing $103.20 on a $2 win ticket (do your own math, it makes me sick even thinking about it). Place was worth $54 and show $25.80, and a $2 exacta, with one of the favorites Pioneerof the Nile finishing second, paid $2,074. (In the photo up above, Calvin's probably telling Mine That Bird trainer Chip Woolley after the Derby, `Aren't you glad I didn't open my mouth?')

Owner of World Speaks; Filly Rests

2009-05-29T16:03:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it's tough to understand everything Mark Allen says. Why listen to him, anyway, you say? He's a cowboy from New Mexico and if it wasn't for a plea deal his father, former Veco CEO Bill Allen, made with the feds, he may not have been a co-owner of Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird. However, Mark Allen is the co-owner of the Derby winner and Preakness runner-up. Earlier this week, he and the rest of the Bird connections were waiting for Jess Jackson, the owner of Preakness winner Rachel Alexandra, to make up his mind whether or not to run his new found filly in the Belmont Stakes. Allen and Co. needed to know because if she did run, it would mean the Bird people would lose Calvin Borel as their rider. Borel was Rachel's regular rider and the two have won six races in a row. As each day passed, the wait was getting to Allen. Here's what he told me a few days ago: ``We want Calvin, but Mr. Jackson owns the world. We just live in it.''

Today, a week before the Belmont and two weeks after the Preakness, Jackson spoke: ``After careful consideration, we have decided not to run Rachel Alexandra in the Belmont Stakes next weekend.'' Jackson also said his goal when he bought the filly for scads of millions was to restore the sports vitality and grow its fan base by extending the racing careers of it stars. Thanks Jess. You have done your filly, Calvin Borel, and the rest of the racing world a solid. You rock. However, what happens if Mine That Bird wins the Belmont? Can we call Jess Jackson the Triple Crown spoiler? That's good for racing?

Suite: Judy Blue Eyes

2009-05-25T19:49:00.000-07:00

After work in the city, I arrive at the train station in time to walk home, jump in my car, drive over to Belmont and show up a few minutes before the Metropolitan Handicap, the Met Mile to most. What a great move! So it's a compelling race, with 6-year-old gelding Bribon edging Smooth Air for the win in one heckuva finish. But the best part occurs in the winner's circle. Marc Keller, a banker who lives in New York, is the winning owner and brings along some pals. One of 'em is Judy Collins. Yes, folk singer, inspired by Dylan, the blue eyes behind the classic ``Suite: Judy Blue Eyes'' by CSN, and wonderful human being. I have to say hi, meet her husband, and then she tells me that like every girl who grows up in Colorado she's been around horses all her life. And then she tells me this is the first time she's ever been to the race track. Really? Really she says. ``And it's the second time I ever bet. The other time was on War Emblem.'' She says she's here because of a day off as she prepares for the final week of a six-week run at the Cafe Carlyle in Manhattan. ``What a very nice way to spend a day out of the office,'' she says as she walks to a private room to sip champagne with Keller and the rest of his pals. A belated happy 70th birthday Judy (it was May 1, according to her bio).

Filly & the Mare

2009-05-24T16:38:00.000-07:00

This is not brain surgery: I do not know how fit Rachel Alexandra will be after Monday's workout at Churchill Downs, but NO WAY should she run in the Belmont Stakes.
As I have been saying since she crossed the finish line in the Preakness a length ahead of the fast-closing Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird, this filly has nothing to prove _ to anyone. Are you listening Mr. Jackson? And thank you Hal Wiggins, Rachel's former trainer before Jess Jackson bought her for what seems to be a number in the $12 million to $14 million. He told Jerry Bossert of the NY Daily News he believes Rachel can get the job done going 1 1/2 miles three weeks after winning the Preakness and five weeks and a day after winning the Kentucky Oaks. But he added: "I'd be surprised if they run her. They don't have a whole lot more to prove." Thanks Hal. The next challenge: ZENYATTA (pictured left) the champion older female of 2008 who is now 10-for-10 after winning the Milady Handicap at Hollywood Park over the weekend. Now that's a race I'd love to see, and who cares where it is? Except my preference is Saratoga, say in the Alabama in August ...

Counting the Cars on the New Jersey Turnpike (and I-95)

2009-05-21T17:44:00.000-07:00

I've waited too long for this but let's see if I can recall my drive home the morning after the Preakness. Left the Hunt Valley Marriott at 8a without a cup of coffee and headed 15 miles to Pimlico to visit Chip Woolley. I spend about 45 minutes trolling the barn area, chatting with Chip about the Belmont Stakes in three weeks and how he was just thrilled with the way his horse Mine That Bird performed in nearly catching Rachel Alexandra in the stretch the day before. Still, no coffee. After trainer Larry Jones tells me Friesan Fire seems like he'd rather be in the breeding shed than on the racetrack, it's time to leave. We, my wife is with me, jump into the car and head out on the highway. OK, I say, we're off to a late start, let's get onto 95 (heading to New York) and we can pull over at some exit. No worries. Lots of McDonald's to grab a cup of coffee and a greasy mc-something. Sign appears. We pull off. No Mickey D's! Trees. Cows. Big trucks. Back to 95. Next exit. Another McDonald's sign. No worries, this one will be right off the exit. Wrong! More trees. A damn cow. Back to 95. Up ahead, the jackpot, Chesapeake House, with a genuine Starbucks just up ahead. We'll wait. We know it's a big place, but I need coffee. Did I say it's now 10 am something and no coffee? Pull off. Park about a quarter mile away from the steps to the joint. Walk around a few corners. Walk over to Starbucks to get in line, and, I am absolutely not kidding you, a woman walks over to us and says --- and I am not making this up: ``We don't have any hot coffee today.'' And walks away. It's like the Cheese Shop bit from Monty Python. You have any gouda? No. Any swiss? No. etc., But it's very clean! Not this place. Too funny, right? True. We walk away dumbfounded ... As we leave, about 150,000 people speaking what sounds like Japanese are pouring into the place. Not one word of English is heard as we make our way past men, women and many children, who sure sound like they need food _ and now! All I want is coffee.

We make it outside, and as we're walking down the steps into the parking lot to leave, abdout 200 very large black women in hats are headed to the steps. A church group is coming to breakfast at the Chesapeake House? No way! We did not stay to find out. We hop in the car and I put on my Jay and the Americans CD --- ``Only in America.'' Perfect. We pull out, laughing. Did I mention I still haven't had a cup of coffee?

Onward. This will happen. Another exit with a McDonald's. By now, we're in North East, Md. --- we know this as the home of Michael Dickinson, the trainer of Da Hoss and Tapit who invented his own synthetic racing surface. I remember the exit from my visit to Michael's farm a few years ago. We pull off. Turn right. Trees. Cows. But we keep going, about 4 miles down the road and we come to a mall. Dunkin Donuts. Spectacular. Coffee is mine. And it is, along with a super greasy croissant stuffed with sausage and egg ... Mmmmmmmmmmm. I want a donut but resist. We're leaving now and my wife is driving. I need to get on my computer ... I am focused on a story I need to write. We're headed toward the Delaware Memorial Bridge and on into Jersey and then Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens and finally Nassau County. Piece of cake. Done it a million times. My wife calls my name. I say I am concentraing on the story. Can't talk now. A few minutes later, she calls my name again. I am not talking to you I say. A few minutes later, same thing. Finally after about 25 minutes I look up and see an exit for Veterans Stadium (or whatever the new stadium is in Philly). What the hell are you doing? You went the wrong way! Now my wife is panic-stricken. I mean it. She is on an elevated roadway and bridge and her hands are glued to the steering wheel, in the middle lane, and driving now at about 20 mph. On 95!!!!! Talk to me she says. I hate bridges! OK. I love you. I love our son, our daughter -- hey, pull over I'll drive --- keep talking to me she says. We'll get home have a drink, it's a beautiful day, we'll go to the beach. No good. she makes it to the exit. I drive. She's frozen with fright. Back to the highway. Woo hoo. Turn around and head to the Jersey Turnpike. What time is it now? Who cares? noon? It's only a 3 plus hour drive! Now we're on the Turnpike and making up time. LOL. Oops. Almost out of gas. Pull into a station - Sunoco - and gas is $2.13 a gallon. Hooray for us! We get in line and we're the third car. However, there's an empty lane next to us that says extra long hose so I pull over to the tank becasue no one else has this figured out. The long hose will reach all the way to the driver's side where my gas tank is. However, the car that was behind me in the other lane I pulled out of is getting gas and I'm still waiting. Now I'm cranky and irritable. I put the car in drive, pull out and scream `F U' ... I'll show you! You'll pay! I'm leaving and I hope I run out of gas! Then you'll be really sorry. There, I tell my wife, I told those bastards! ... Now I'm happy because I let those gas people have it good, didn't I? Now, we're running on empty, but we make it to the next gas station, and fill er up. And incredibly, the rest of the trip home is smooth, as I recall. Then, I figure if Mine That Bird can go from last to first along the rail to win the Derby, then go from last to nearly first in the Preakness despite getting knocked around on the far turn, my trip was worth it all. I got to see a great filly beat a really, really gutty gelding in a sensational race. And I had a cup of coffee the day after, too.

Say It Ain't So, Mike

2009-05-18T19:31:00.000-07:00

So the latest news in ``As The Triple Crown Turns'' has jockey Mike Smith following the lead of Calvin Borel _ ride Mine That Bird in a Classic and say `See ya, got another horse to ride.'' You guys got something against geldings? Well, anyway, shame on you Mikey, you Hall of Fame nogoodnick. While Borel had a semi-legit case for jilting Mine That Bird for super filly Rachel Alexandra after he won the Kentucky Derby aboard the gritty, little gelding (she's a better horse, proved it by winning the Preakness, plus he was her regular rider and she didn't run in the Derby), Smith gets absolutely no support here. And what a lame excuse: I already made a commitment to ride a horse named Madeo in the Charles Whittingham Memorial Handicap at Hollywood Park on Belmont day (June 6) before agreeing to take over for Borel and ride Mine That Bird in the Preakness. A commitment? In racing? Balderdash. Smith said that he's being loyal to Madeo's trainer John Shirreffs and owners Jerry and Ann Moss. Yes, they were responsible for him getting to ride 50-1 shot Giacomo to a Derby win in 2005, and he is the regular rider for the Mosses' Zenyatta but c'mon! I certainly can't believe Sheriffs _ one of the most laid-back dudes in the game _ or the Mr. A&M Record founder Moss _ would have a problem if Smith asked to stick with Mine That Bird, who is certain to be the favorite to win the Belmont and earn $600,000 (Smith gets about 10 percent of that). Who knows? Sherriffs may have even given him that option.
Mine That Bird's trainer Chip Woolley _ a New Mexico-based trainer heretofore virtually unknown outside the Land of Enchantment _ has to be wondering what the heck is going on? His horse wins the Derby and Borel vamooses and beats him aboard Rachel Alexandra; now Smith is ditching the horse to ride at home in some nondescript race in California. Hey Edgar Prado, looking for a nice horse in the Belmont?

Take A Rest Rachel

2009-05-17T18:55:00.000-07:00

Just arrived home from the Preakness _ I will deal with the sidetrips later (in a word OY!) _ and I am hoping Rachel Alexandra is now resting comfortably in her stall at Churchill Downs. She needs a rest! No matter what her new owner Jess Jackson and new trainer Steve Asmussen are saying now, I don't believe for a minute she will show up for the Belmont on June 6. I had my reservations about her running in the Preakness against the boys after just a 15-day break, but Jackson _ of Curlin and Kendall-Jackson wine fame _ was determined to match ``his'' filly against the boys to give racing an intriguing matchup that would boost the sport. Fortunately, it all worked out _ the race was terrific, and the filly was sensational, although she was all out in beating the Derby winner Mine That Bird by a length .... The Lady indeed is a Champ ... And that's all we need for now. No rematch with Mine That Bird in a 1 1/2-mile marathon. What would it prove? ... Put her back with fillies for a couple of races this summer, and then see how the Travers on Aug, 29 shapes up ... Who knows? By then, top 3-year-olds who missed the Derby such as I Want Revenge and Quality Road might be back from injuries. Add Mine That Bird, and then we're talking ...