Barbaro Updates: 906
updates are now here.
Update 5372: Rachel Alexandra will not run in this year's Breeders' Cup, but the plan is for her to compete next year: Jackson Adamant: No Breeders' Cup for Rachel.
Update 5371: ABR Facebook Group weekly e-mail: Tweet this: OLEX, Radio, Michael Blowen, Chantal Sutherland, Del Mar, Mi Rey, Rafael Bejarano, Bayland, Salty, Tony Goswell, Mine That Bird, Lights on Broadway, Rene Douglas, Ramon Dominguez, Caroline Duquet, Ernie Paragallo, Georgian Bay, Rahy's Attorney, Rachel Alexandra, and Mine That Bird.
Update 5370: Superfecta here, with your regular weekly update.
It's opening week at Saratoga and things get going with some celerity - the 2-year-olds step out in the Sanford on Thursday, and this Saturday the featured race is the Jim Dandy. But much of the focus at Saratoga so far this week has been on the workouts - Rachel Alexandra turned in her final work for the Haskell yesterday on Saratoga's Oklahoma training track. By all accounts, she loves Saratoga - so here's hoping for a win on Sunday in Jersey and a return to New York for the Travers.
Of course, she will have some competition in the Haskell - while Summer Bird may have the credential of a Triple Crown win, the shorter distance and the speed-favoring track at Monmouth Park will not do him any favors. The truth is we really don't know how talented he is yet - is he a one-hit wonder like so many recent Belmont winners, or is he the real deal, like his sire, Birdstone? Apparently there was plenty of interest in purchasing Summer Bird before his Belmont victory - even IEAH wanted a piece of the action before they got busier with their lawsuits.
There had been talk of Quality Road heading to the Haskell, but he is now aiming for the Amsterdam at Saratoga instead as his Travers prep. Perhaps the horse with the best chance of eyeballing Rachel Alexandra in the Haskell is Munnings - he's got the speed, but the distance is a real question for him. Atomic Rain and Papa Clem both need to earn their way back to the top tier of their division - but on paper, neither one has the class to beat the filly.
We'll have more on the Haskell later in the week, but let's not forget the other 'big' horse running at the weekend (even if, in fact, he's quite wee) - Mine That Bird will make history regardless of the outcome of his race as he's the first winner of a Triple Crown race to run in West Virginia. It's impossible not to see this as ducking Rachel Alexandra, but his connections had little to gain by taking her on in the Haskell - the track doesn't fit his running style to begin with, so he may as well collect a win (and a big check) somewhere else, with a view toward facing off against bigger fish later in the season.
And let's not overlook the 2-year-olds mentioned above - will Bulls and Bears join Afleet Alex, Affirmed and Secretariat as a Sanford winner? Or perhaps the oddly-named Nacho Friend? We will know later in the week. I highly recommend a perusal of Colin's Ghost today for some perspective on what opening day at Saratoga was like in 1919 - the year a 2-year-old named Man o' War finished second in the Sanford.
Check back later in the week - and I hope to see you at Monmouth Park on Sunday!
Update 5369: More about Rachel Alexandra's preparation for the Haskell: Asmussen Deems Rachel Alexandra ready for Haskell
And another story on Mine That Bird's work yesterday morning in preparation for the West Virginia Derby: Mine That Bird Breezes at Mountaineer
And please keep calling.
Update 5368: From the NYRA Press Office:
RACHEL ALEXANDRA BREEZES ON SARATOGA'S OKLAHOMA TRACK
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Rachel Alexandra put in her final workout Monday morning over the Oklahoma Training Track at Saratoga Race Course in preparation for her next start.
The three-year-old filly, owned by Jess Jackson and Harold McCormick, breezed four furlongs in 49.26 seconds with exercise rider Dominic Terry aboard. Trainer Steve Asmussen said she will remain at his Saratoga barn until Thursday night or Friday morning when she will be shipped to Monmouth Park for a start in Sunday’s Grade 1, $1.25 million Haskell Invitational.
"She seems to be doing extremely well," Asmussen said. "We want everything to go well, and we expect it to [go well]. We have a tall task for her this week. We want to show the respect that we think it deserves. We're excited about the opportunity."
The Haskell will be Rachel Alexandra's second effort against colts. In the Preakness Stakes, she held off Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird, becoming the first filly to win the second jewel of the Triple Crown in 85 years. Rachel Alexandra is one of seven expected Haskell starters, with Belmont Stakes winner Summer Bird and Woody Stephens winner Munnings among her competition.
"We want her to stay in a nice rhythm," Asmussen said. "We want her on her feet. We want her to be responsive to [Jockey Calvin Borel] and in his hands so he can do what he thinks is appropriate with her come race time."
Update 5367: Rachel Alexandra put in her final work today before the Haskell: Rachel Alexandra, Papa Clem in Haskell Works, and Mine that Bird put in his final work before the West Virginia Derby: Mine That Bird in West Virginia Derby Work
Update 5366: Local news station WFAA in Dallas/Fort Worth produced a story on the rescue of Lights On Broadway: Horse Racing's Dirty Little Secret
Update 5365: Alex just sent out a tweet of where he is staying. It's beautiful there!
Update 5364: Belmont Stakes winner Summer Bird had his final breeze Sunday morning in preparation for The Haskell: Summer Bird breezes toward Haskell
And Alex has tweeted that he's vacationing near the beautiful Georgian Bay area of Pointe au Baril, Ontario which is in the area referred to as 30,000 Islands. It must be pretty darn nice because he's going to stay a wee bit longer than he originally planned and will be back sometime tomorrow.
Update 5363: Ramon Dominguez and Gary Contessa took the rider and training titles at Belmont's Spring/Summer meet. Ramon set a modern day record in the process: Contessa, Dominguez Capture Belmont Titles
Update 5362: Alex has left Woodbine for a short vacation but that is no reason to stop keeping up with Woodbine happenings. Woodbine trainer, Ian Black, had a big win today in the Nijinsky Stakes with his horse Rahy's Attorney: Rahy's Attorney Prevails in Nijinsky Stakes
Update 5361: Off on a one-day vacation. Wendy will be providing updates until I return!
Update 5360: Is the Paragallo abuse continuing ? Official Says Neglect Continues at Farm.
I had eight to gallop at Woodbine this morning. And all galloped nicely. The barn was in good form this morning after our two wins yesterday. Here is Salty this morning after his win. We had a few workers so Luis was at the barn working horses. I went out with the final set of workers, on the pony. All seemed to work nicely.
And to continue our Woodbine Characters series:
Patrick Husbands, jockey. Patrick Husbands is currently leading the jockeys standings at Woodbine, and leading quite comfortably. Patrick rode a couple of races for us last year. Patrick's major client is leading trainer Mark Casse. But he also gets choice mounts for other leading trainers including Malcolm Pierce and Bob Tiller. Seems like a good guy too!
Update 5359: Two Grade 1 races were run yesterday. Longshot Global Hunter won the Eddie Read after Thorn Song bolted while on the lead and upsetting the running of the favorite Monterey Jazz: Global Hunter Hits Target in Eventful 'Read. Christophe Clement trained Funny Moon came from last to take the Coaching Club of America Oaks at Belmont Park: Funny Moon Picks 'em All Up in Coaching Club.
At Woodbine Tasty Temptation won the Wonder Where, the final leg of the Canadian Triple Tiara: Tasty Temptation Savors Wonder Where Win.
And in the UK, Sir Michael Stoute trained the first three home in the King George Stakes: Stoute Makes History with King George Sweep.
Update 5358: Phew! We were two for two at Woodbine today! And Salty Langfuhn won.
Update 5357: Off to the races at Woodbine. We have a couple of runners so hoping for a little luck.
Update 5356: A very light morning's work this morning at Woodbine. I only had four to gallop, and they all galloped before the break. And galloped nicely. A little humid this morning, we are expecting heavy showers this afternoon I think during the races.
And to continue our Woodbine Characters series:
Jimmy McAleney, jockey. Jimmy McAleney is one of the leading jockeys here at Woodbine. And last year he led the jockeys race right up until the final couple of weeks. Jimmy also rode many of our winners here last year. A cool guy, he and Danny Williams (his agent) are a great team. And they ride many of Terry Jordan's winners, while also riding for many of the other top trainers here. Jimmy is scheduled to ride in the West Virginia Derby against Mine That Bird!
Update 5355: The Grade 1 Eddie Read is the feature race of the day today, at Del Mar: Dollase duo leads Eddie Read field. This race will be televised on ESPN 2 at 8 pm Eastern.
A neat piece on some of the racing media who are tweeting: A Special Tweet For Racing Fans. This includes Randy Moss who has all the latest develops for the Eddie Read.
Update 5354: Congratulations to Ramon Dominguez, his first summer of riding at Belmont Park!
From NYRA:
DOMINGUEZ GETS 93RD BELMONT WINNER TO SET RECORD
ELMONT, N.Y. - Jockey Ramon Dominguez set a modern-day record for victories at Belmont Park's spring/summer meet when he guided Michael Dubb and Robert Joscelyn's I’ve Got Speed ($7.70) to win the fifth race Friday, notching his 93rd winner for the meet.
Hall of Famer Angel Cordero, Jr., held the mark for most victories since records were first kept, bringing home 92 winners during the 1982 Belmont Park spring/summer meet. Fellow Hall of Famers Jose Santos and Mike Smith each had 86 winners for the 1986 and 1991 spring/summer meets, respectively.
"It's very, very exciting," said Dominguez. "It didn't even cross my mind coming into the meet, and it's just a reflection of the type of opportunities that have been given to me. This is just a result of that support."
Dominguez had moved into a tie with Cordero on Thursday by winning the first race aboard Saul J. Kupferberg's Inter Galactic ($4.50) and then taking the fourth race with Zayat Stables' Mine Or Who's ($7), his 92nd winner.
Dominguez, who moved his tack to New York from the Mid-Atlantic circuit earlier this year, had 21 winners through the first 19 days of racing beginning April 29, then moved into the lead for good on May 25, when he had two winners to break out of a deadlock with Rajiv Maragh. For 32 of the next 33 days, he rode at least one winner, including four winners on July 11.
Included among his victories were the Grade 2 Shuvee Handicap and the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps aboard Seattle Smooth, the Grade 2 True North Handicap with Fabulous Strike, the Cupecoy's Joy division of the New York Stallion Series on Mother Russia, the Mike Lee with Legal Consent, the Grade 2 First Flight Handicap with Porte Bonheur, the Grade 1 Prioress with Cat Moves, and the Grade 1 Man o' War aboard Gio Ponti.
Dominguez, 32, is currently The New York Racing Association, Inc.'s leading rider, having won the inner track meet and the spring meet at Aqueduct Racetrack earlier this year as well. Dominguez has 233 winners from 848 mounts in New York, with more than $8 million in purses and a win percentage of 27.7%. Nationally, he ranks second in wins, behind Russell Baze.
A native of Venezuela, Dominguez came to the United States in 1995 and rode his first winner in March of 1996. Beginning in 2007, he divided his time between New York and Delaware Park, where he won five riding titles in 11 years, before moving to New York for good this spring with his wife, Sharon, and two children, Alexander and Matthew.
Update 5353: An outstanding piece on injured jockey Rene Douglas: Rene Douglas: Two months later.
Now off to the races at Woodbine.
Update 5352: Seven horses galloped this morning for Steve. Two of these also went to the gate for a little schooling. All galloped and schooled nicely. During the break time I went over to the track kitchen and ran into Tony Goswell. Tony is someone I have known for many years at Fair Hill. He also works for big Canadian owners and is here for a couple of days checking things out. After I was finished I ran into Chantal Sutherland, who had a couple of nice winners here yesterday. We talked about her upcoming appearance on our radio show for next week.
And to continue our Woodbine Characters series:
Gary Kemplen, agent for Patrick Husbands. Gary Kemplen is agent for the leading Woodbine jockey Patrick Husbands. Gary is busy during the mornings, much like the other agents, going from barn to barn talking with trainers and going to the track to watch horses work. And like most people here, Gary seems a very cool guy.
Update 5351: From John Asher at Churchill Downs:
MINE THAT BIRD LEAVES CHURCHILL DOWNS ON JOURNEY TO MOUNTAINEER, WEST VIRGINIA DERBY
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (July 24, 2009) - A trailer carrying Double Eagle Ranch and Buena Serte Equine's Mine That Bird, winner of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I), has departed Churchill Downs on an approximately seven-hour journey to West Virginia's Mountaineer Racetrack Casino and Resort.
Mine That Bird is scheduled to return to competition for the first time since a third-place finish in the Belmont Stakes (GI), the final jewel of racing's Triple Crown, in the $750,000 West Virginia Derby on Aug. 1. Churchill Downs had been home to Mine That Bird and trainer Chip Woolley since the 3-year-old gelding's arrival a few days before his 50-1 upset in the Kentucky Derby, and Woolley was at the wheel of the pick-up truck that was connected to Mine That Bird's trailer when the team pulled away from Barn 42 just before 7:10 a.m. (EDT) on Friday.
"We're ready to go," said Woolley. "You get to looking forward to going to run again and it gets kind of drab after you've been a while not running. I'm kind of excited about going and being to a new place we haven't been. So I think it'll be a lot of fun. As much as I hate leaving Louisville and Churchill, it's going to be fund to move on down the road."
Mine That Bird had an active morning before he stepped onto Woolley's van. He spent about 20 minutes in a hydrotherapy treatment that has been part of his local routine over the past several weeks, then the Derby winner walked under the shedrow until just before it was time to leave. Several well-wishers dropped by bid farewell to Woolley and Mine That Bird, and a few offered a peppermint as a farewell gift to the Derby winner.
"Even from day one, before we won the Derby, the people here were great," Woolley said. "Everybody here has just treated us so well and made every door open to us. So leaving is kind of a hard thing. You like staying here - I'd like to stay here. But you've got to move to where the races are at. But we've really enjoyed it and it'll be an experience a man will never forget."
The run in the West Virginia Derby is the first step on a summer-fall campaign for Mine That Bird that is also expected to include a bid for the $1 million Shadwell Travers (GI) at Saratoga on Aug. 29 and the ultimate goal of a run in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic (GI) on Nov. 7 over the synthetic Pro-Ride surface at Oak Tree at Santa Anita.
Woolley liked what his saw from Mine That Bird on Friday as the son of Birdstone bucked and played as he walked under the shedrow minutes before his departure.
"He's doing great," Woolley said. "He's really climbing that peak that we're looking for and really doing good. So I'm glad I trained him here and the horse stayed healthy and sound over this racetrack, so we're ready to roll on, I guess."
Mine That Bird is scheduled to work on Monday at Mountaineer, a move that Woolley said would be a "soft half-mile or five-eighths."
The Kentucky Derby winner embarks on the second-half of his 2009 campaign with a record of 5-2-1 in 11 races and earnings of $2,121,581.
Update 5350: Jockey Rafael Bejarano underwent surgery after his terrible spill opening day at Del Mar: BEJARANO HAS SURGERY FOR FACIAL INJURIES.
And from John Asher at Churchill Downs:
KENTUCKY DERBY WINNER MINE THAT BIRD, WOOLLEY SCHEDULED TO DEPART CHURCHILL DOWNS ON FRIDAY
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (July 23, 2009) - Double Eagle Ranch and Buena Serte Equine's Mine That Bird, winner of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I), is scheduled to leave Churchill Downs this morning, which will very likely mark the end of his time in 2009 at the home of the Kentucky Derby.
Trainer Chip Woolley said Mine That Bird is schedule to leave Churchill Downs on a journey to West Virginia's Mountaineer Racetrack Casino and Resort at approximately 7 a.m. (EDT).
The Kentucky Derby winner is scheduled to leave Churchill Downs in the manner in which he arrived a few days prior to his 50-1 upset victory in the 135th Kentucky Derby. Woolley's truck will pull a trailer that will carry the Derby winner to Mountaineer for the race on Saturday, Aug. 1.
Mine That Bird is scheduled to load onto the van at Barn 42, which has been the 3-year-old gelding's home since his arrival prior to the May 2 Kentucky Derby.
And please keep calling.
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Thanks - have a great weekend everyone!
Posted by: Christian at July 24, 2009 11:41 AM