Barbaro Updates: 985

Posted November 30, 2009

updates are now here.

Update 5836: Wendy here to give you today's update.

Horsemen in Lebanon, OH have been struck with a horrible tragedy as a barn fire struck the harness track. Current news is that 2 people and approximately 42 horses have been lost. Several people are planning to lay flowers and offer support to the survivors. Discussion of the events can be found here: Lebanon Raceway fire many victims feared

Good news for Belmont, Travers and Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Summer Bird. His surgery for a non displaced cannon fracture went smoothly and assuming his recovery goes well, he's expected to fully recover and come back to racing in 2010: Successful Surgery for Summer Bird

"There was no cartilage damage at all. They inserted one screw, and it went in with no problem and fit like a glove."

2008 Champion sprinter, Benny The Bull, has been purchased by his former owner and retired from racing to begin a new career at stud: Champion Sprinter Benny The Bull Retired

"I'm very proud of Benny the Bull's racing career and have enjoyed it every step," James said. "To acquire him as a yearling and watch him develop into such a brilliant and accomplished racehorse was a great thrill, and I really believe his brilliance can translate to success in the breeding shed. He deserves the chance, and we’re excited about it."

Racing news comes from Alex's now former stomping grounds, Woodbine. Bear's Hard Ten, running in his first stakes race as well as going two turns for the first time had no problem winning the Display Stakes, Bears Hard Ten Romps in Display Stakes. I found it interesting that he was first purchased at the 2008 January Keeneland sales for a mere $1,000!

Also in racing, John Shirreffs continues with his winning ways in California. He chose not to race the Breeders Cup Ladies Classic winner, Life Is Sweet and instead entered Zardana for the Bayakoa Handicap (Gr II). Zardana Zeroes In, Tallies Bayakoa Upset

"I got kind of lucky the way the race set up for me," Espinoza said. "She really relaxed. I tried not to fight her so she could do her own thing."

For those of you who believe in superstitions, Zardana (who is by Crimson Tide), won at the same time Alabama was beating the University of Florida for the Southeast Conference football title. It quite literally was a "Roll Tide!" day.

Update 5835: Well a two year journey came to a conclusion this morning. Late July 2007 (I think) I left the Fair Hill area to travel around North America by racetracks. And that I have done. I started at Penn National, then Presque Isle, Keeneland, Churchill Downs, Sam Houston, Woodbine, Oaklawn Park and Woodbine. The two hardest parts of the journey were leaving the Fair Hill area one early Monday morning, and leaving Barn 30 at Woodbine this morning. I have enjoyed some fantastic experiences, and perhaps some not so good. And I have met and made friends with some great people. My goal was to learn, and that I have accomplished. I have no plans for next steps. For the time being I will keep our sites going, because honestly that will be all I will be doing for a while!

I have many people to thank during my travels and I will not attempt to do so here. I do want to mention those who have been most supportive: Steve Asmussen, Darren Fleming (Steve's assistant who hired me), Hank Gensler (Steve's assistant who I have worked for for more than a year), Chaplain Shawn Kennedy (racetrack chaplain at Woodbine), Corrine Phillips (HBPA at Woodbine), Alison, April, Mike, Jennifer and Gemini.

This morning I galloped two horses for Steve. A quiet end to my two years with Steve.

I will be offline for a day or two, Wendy will provide updates.

Update 5834: Only five galloped this morning for Steve at Woodbine. All mine galloped nicely. The track was pretty quiet with less and less horses training. Basically only those who are running this weekend, and "babies" getting some early track education before the track closes for training this weekend.

Yesterday I hung out at the races for the afternoon with Keith and Gene. Gene was in town to watch the Bills play the Jets. It's always fun to meet new racing people who also blog about our sport. While I did not stay around to watch, Friesan Fire's debut at Fair Grounds was perhaps not as good as his connections would have hoped. He finished a well beaten third in his first start since his 10th place finish in the Preakness. Woodbine trainer Josie Carroll won the race: Friesan Fire Third in Fair Grounds Allowance.

And please keep calling.

Update 5833: Six galloped this morning for Steve at Woodbine. Not too cold, but a damp morning with a good amount of rain before the renovation break. All mine galloped nicely. One also went to the gate for some schooling, and schooled well.

Yesterday, as I was finishing up, another trainer came to me letting me know of a suspicious person on the backside looking to buy horses. He had a stock trailer and seemed to just want any kind of horse. His story also changed a few times (buying for the Amish, buying for a riding school.) This is important to note, as we are coming to the end of the meet, and all too often cheaper horses are vulnerable to these types of transactions. As soon as Woodbine got the word this guy was hussling horses they reacted, and he left with an empty trailer.

Paulick Report produced a story on the use of Jockey Club papers yesterday. It's a must read, and includes some great comments. As the Jockey Club does seem to have made some positive steps to help those who work with rehabbing racehorses (free tattoo search service), making the papers more useful would also be a very good thing: JOCKEY CLUB COP-OUT.

We have an interesting runner this afternoon at Fair Grounds. Early Derby favorite Friesan Fire is making his comeback in an optional allowance race: Friesan Fire resurfaces at Fair Grounds.

Old Friends New York satellite facility is receiving it's first horses: Thunder Rumble, Gigli to Old Friends in N.Y., excerpt:

"We couldn't have found three more appropriate Thoroughbreds to be the first residents at the Bobby Frankel Division of Old Friends at Cabin Creek," said Blowen. "Thunder Rumble proved that a New York-bred could beat the best in the country. Moonshadow Gold was a resilient claimer, and Gigli was owned and trained by Bobby. More importantly," he added. "I know the Peppers are going to give them the retirement they so richly deserve."

And please keep calling.

Update 5832: Superfecta here, with your weekly update (a bit delayed due to travel and an office move).

As many have noted, Vodka's thrilling win in the Japan Cup put yet another stamp on the Year of the Filly. With Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta Stateside, Goldikova in Europe and Vodka in Asia, it almost seems that the colts are an afterthought - indeed, even Down Under, the talk of the racing world is a filly (although one who has yet to make her professional debut).

While these stars (and, perhaps, a star in the making) are united by gender, there are major differences in the way they are handled and the ways in which their campaigns have been planned. Both Vodka and Goldikova have regularly faced males in their careers - and they've both shipped around the world to face the best competition on offer. While both mares have an impressive stack of G1 victories, their connections have not been worried about marring their records with the odd loss - even a closing fourth-place finish can demonstrate their class, while such a result might be seen rather differently in the US. Part of this is no doubt due to the differences between turf and dirt racing, but it's also worth considering whether we in North America are overly concerned with the notion of a perfect record - for Rachel Alexandra, a perfect eight-for-eight season, and of course Zenyatta's fourteen lifetime starts (and wins).

This is not to denigrate our own stars, for both have achieved great things - but imagine what more might be possible if maintaining perfection were to be taken out of the picture. I suspect that even while cheering Zenyatta to victory in the Breeders' Cup Classic, many fans thought, at least for a moment, of what more we might have seen from the big mare.

Greatness does not require perfection, nor does perfection equal greatness - Rachel Alexandra, Zenyatta, Vodka and Goldikova have demonstrated that it comes in a variety of packages.

Update 5831: Eight horses galloped for Steve this morning at Woodbine. So a busy morning relative to the last few days. Thankfully it was not too cold! Three of my horses also went to the gate for some schooling. All galloped nicely and schooled nicely. The track is getting much quieter as more and more horses are leaving. My last day for galloping will be Saturday.

Clear Admit, a consulting company I used to work for, reviewed my whitepaper on Social Media yesterday: Marketing 2.0 for MBA Admissions: Embracing Social Media.

And please keep calling.

Update 5830: A chillier morning this morning at Woodbine, with a hint of light snow flurries in the area. We actually went through the month of November without any snow, and apparently that has not happened in this area for many many years! I galloped five horses this morning for Steve. A nice easy morning as the meet at Woodbine continues to wind down. All my horses galloped nicely. We have another load of horses shipping out a little later today. Here is Rovina, who will be one of those horses leaving.

I also heard this morning that owner Maggi Moss has retired Golden Hare. Golden Hare was the winningest horse of 2007. I got to gallop him one time at Sam Houston. He was subsequently claimed off us. And we claimed him back later, and now he is retired. Very cool.

Here is this week's Facebook Group e-mail: Tweet this: OLEX, Quality Road, Constant Montpellier, Grand Forks, Old Friends, Kelsey Riley, Julia Brimo, Chaplain Shawn Kennedy, England, Whitepaper, Quality Road, Lentenor, Lentenor, Ernie Paragallo, Lentenor, Stardom Bound, Kodiak Kowboy, Luis Contreras, Julia Brimo, Vodka, Summer Bird, Emile Ramsammy, Steve Asmussen, Beyond The Homestretch, Zenyatta.

And please keep calling.

Update 5829: It's the last week of the Woodbine meet. This also means we are shipping horses out, and we had a load ship out early this morning. It also meant I had a lighter day for galloping, and had five to gallop today. All galloped nicely, although they were all a little sharp too!

Saturday is my last day of work here at Woodbine, and my last day working for Steve Asmussen. I have worked for Steve for two years and four meets, and it has been a wonderful experience. It's just time now to do something different, whatever that will be!

Yesterday the fans at Hollywood Park were treated to a Zenyatta parade. And, appropriately, it was the largest crowd for their meet: Fans celebrate Zenyatta's accomplishments at Hollywood Park. Found on Paulick Report.

Summer Bird, who was injured on Sunday while training for a start in the Japan Dirt Cup, will return home for surgery: SUMMER BIRD TO UNDERGO SURGERY AFTER RETURN TO U.S.

And please keep calling.

Posted by Alex at 2:41 PM | Comments (171)

Barbaro Updates: 984

Posted November 17, 2009

updates are now here.

Update 5828: Seven galloped on a chilly Sunday morning here at Woodbine. All mine galloped nicely. The siren was kept busy this morning and I saw one rider walking back with his stirup in his hand! All in all a decent morning's work for this time of year. Rovina was a nice winner for us yesterday. She has now won four races here at Woodbine, which is the most by any of our horses. A few others are on 3 wins, we shall see if any of those will get lucky during the upcoming last week of racing!

Lentenor put in a good effort yesterday to finish second in his second start, and first start on the turf. He did not have the smoothest of trips, and appeared to break in the air a little, but all in all a decent effort. He does look to be a big horse! Stardom Bound was flat in her reappearance won in good style by Flashing Flashing Shows Her Heels in Sharp Gazelle Win. Kodiak Kowboy was impressive in winning the Cigar Mile. It's nice to see he can stretch out a little: Kodiak Kowboy KO's Hill 'n' Dale Cigar Mile. And Ventura kept up the good run of horses previously trained by Hall of Famer Bobby Frankel: Ventura Fulfills Frankel's Wish in Matriarch.

Over in Japan it was the Japan Cup. This race was won by another filly, Vodka. She just hung on in the closing stages: VODKA PREVAILS IN JAPAN CUP...BARELY. Summer Bird, who is also in Japan and was preparing for a start in the Japan Dirt next weekend, suffered a career threatening injury yesterday: SUMMER BIRD INJURED IN JAPAN.

Update 5827: Only five galloped this Saturday morning for Steve at Woodbine, as things continue to wind down towards the end of the meet. And a little chilly too, but not too bad for this time of year. We have not had any snow yet! All mine galloped well for a short and straightforward morning's work. We have five runners this afternoon, so lets hope for a little racing luck!

Of course much attention today will be focused on Aqueduct, as Barbaro's 2yo brother Lentenor makes his second lifetime start and first start on the turf. It is the third race: Lenny Definite for Aqueduct Race. There are also plenty of other good races on the card at Aqueduct today, including the Grade 1 Cigar Mile: Short But Strong Field to Contest Cigar Mile. And Stardom Bound, last seen in the Spring when she was beaten by Hooh Why in the Ashland, makes her return to the races this afternoon at Aqueduct in the Gazelle: Stardom Bound Returns in Gazelle.

Fluke won the Grade 1 Citation Handicap yesterday at Hollywood Park. It was an emotional win and first winner for longtime Frankel assistant Humberto Ascanio: Fluke delivers emotional Citation victory for connections. And 3yo Blame signaled that he will be a strong contender in the older horse division next year by beating some very useful older horses in the Clark Handicap: Blame Points the Way in Huge Clark Verdict.

Finally New York is looking to strengthen it's Equine abuse laws in light of Ernie Paragallo's abuse case. The Paragallo trial is expected to get underway in the Spring: N.Y. officials hope to strengthen abuse laws in light of Paragallo arrest.

Update 5826: Six galloped this morning for Steve at Woodbine. A nice and easy morning. For my first set I was on my favorite, Salty. As we were approaching the tunnel another rider fell off and his horse came towards us. Thankfully Salty did not take too much interest! All galloped nicely. A few horses are now starting to ship out as we close in towards the end of the meet. Storm Treasure was one of the ones who left this morning.

Woodbine was represented in Kentucky yesterday with a terrific win by Serenading in the Falls City Handicap. Congratulations to trainer Jose Carroll: Serenading Sings Winning Tune in Falls City. At Churchill Downs today we have the Clark Handicap, which looks to be a terrific race for older horses: Macho Again, Einstein to meet again in Clark.

Here is a survey of all the major races this weekend: WEEKEND STAKES: WHERE TO WATCH brought to you by KBC Horse Supplies.

We also learned yesterday that Lentenor is entered for a race at Aqueduct on Saturday. And it appears that is where he is scheduled to run: lentenor to race .

Update 5825: Happy Thanksgiving! I am thankful for you.

Seven horses galloped this morning at Woodbine. Three of these also went to the gate. All went nicely. It was a bit of a damp morning here, but unseasonably warm. Let's hope this weather holds out for another 10 days, as the meet is over after next weekend's racing!

The biggest news over the last 24 hours for us is Saturday's entry for Barbaro's 2yo brother, Lentenor: Surprise!, Lentenor to race at Churchill.

We also learned that Quality Road will not run this weekend in the Cigar: Quality Road out of Cigar Mile, excerpt:

"The bottom line is we felt maybe it was a little bit of a push for the horse given everything that transpired between Santa Anita and now," Baker said. "We're focusing now on what we hope to be a very productive 2010 campaign that puts him in position to be champion older horse and Horse of the Year. With that in mind we're giving him a little bit more time."

I do want to welcome Amy, who is now a new moderator of the ABR discussion board.

Finally, and a little off topic, a whitepaper I have been working on was published yesterday. It is follow on from a paper I published in 2006 regarding social media: Engagement Marketing Revisited: How to Embrace the New Social Media Tools.

Update 5824: I am back! Thanks Wendy for providing the updates in my absense. I had a wonderful 3 day trip to the UK, which included London and Cornwall.

And please keep calling.

Update 5823: Superfecta here, with your regular weekly update (back on schedule).

Things are slowly getting back to normal here at Casa Superfecta, after a quick jaunt to the left coast for some soccer (but more on that later). The Breeders' Cup may be in the history books, but Thanksgiving weekend offers quite a variety of top-level racing.

On Thanksgiving Day at Churchill Downs, Unbridled Belle and Swift Temper are in action in the Falls City Handicap; it is likely the last start for both millionaire mares.

The following day, Einstein is aiming to return to winning form in the Clark Handicap; as Julien Leparoux will be in Japan, he'll have Rajiv Maragh aboard as well as some stiff competition from Macho Again and Bullsbay. But it seems that it may not be the final start for the stalwart son of Spend a Buck - he's been supplemented to the Hong Kong Cup in December - however, it would still be lovely to see him win.

Both coasts are in action over the weekend; in New York, the Cigar Mile is the headliner. Quality Road has been working hard on his gate schooling, and the distance makes the race seem like a good fit for him - if he wants to start. It's a great lineup in any case - Bribon, Kodiak Kowboy, Munnings, Vineyard Haven and Pyro are all possible starters. The 2-year-olds will also be on display in the Demoiselle and the Remsen.

In California, Ventura has a chance to give Bobby Frankel a final win in the Matriarch; while she will run in the name of his longtime assistant, Humberto Ascanio, Frankel was still directing her career, even at the end:

"Last Friday (Nov. 13), Bobby called me while I was at the barn and told me, 'I'm going home tomorrow. I'm not going to take any more transfusions. I just don't want to go on like this.' And he said, 'I'm scared.'

"There was a silence, and then, Bobby said, 'Talk to Humberto and just tell him, two easy halfs for Ventura and she'll be fine for the Matriarch.'

Ventura's frequent rivals Rutherienne and Diamondrella (who is now trained by Gary Stevens, which was apparently something of a surprise to him) are also expected, but it would be nice to see Ventura end with a flourish. Also looking for a positive final race is Cowboy Cal in the Citation, but he will have competition in the form of El Gato Malo, Whatsthescript and another Frankel horse - Proudinsky.

And while she will not be running, Zenyatta will still be very much a presence in California over the weekend; she's expected to parade around Hollywood Park between races on Sunday. There will be posters, DVDs and other collectibles on offer - although hopefully these are not part of the package.

Overseas, Breeders' Cup Turf repeat champion Conduit will line against top Japanese mare Vodka in the Japan Cup - last year's winner, Screen Hero, will be on hand to defend his title. Conduit will be retiring to stud in Japan after the race, but he could take home a considerable bonus if he wins on Sunday. Interpatation, Marsh Side and Just As Well will be representing the US in the race.

And while neither news item relates specifically to this weekend, there is welcome word that Rachel Alexandra has begun to stretch her legs again, and that Goldikova will, as rumored, remain in training next year. Rachel Alexandra will head to the Fair Grounds for the winter after leaving Churchill Downs, while Goldikova's campaign to win a third Breeders' Cup Mile will begin again in France.

Check back later (likely after the holiday weekend) for some thoughts on what racing might learn from American soccer - and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Update 5822: It's great to see one of racing's stars planning on running next year and attempt a three-peat in the Breeder's Cup Mile: Goldikova Targets Mile Three Peat

The Paulick Report posted this story about several of Kiaran McLaughlin's horses having allegedly test positive for a banned substance: McLaughlin Horses Allegedly Test for Banned Substance in KY

The final numbers from the November Keeneland Breeding Stock sales have many within the industry showing some optimism: Optimism Persists as Keeneland November Ends

"The Thoroughbred market is best described as resilient," Russell said. "The strong clearance rate reflects the fact that horsemen are adjusting to the new reality. Consignors did a good job of appraising their horses. Throughout the industry, changes are taking place - a reduced number of mares bred, reduced stallion fees, and other measures that will insure a return to market profitability in the near future."

And please keep calling.

Update 5821: Some exciting races are coming up on the horizon which will be of interest to many racing fans.

This coming Friday will be the Clark Handicap which features a rematch of Macho Again and Einstein. This may be Einstein's last start as there was discussion of retiring him. Also in the field will be the Whitney Stakes winner, Bullsbay and three year old Blame who recently won the Fayette Stakes against older horses at Keeneland: Einstein, Macho Again Working Toward Clark Rematch

Coming up in December will be the Japan Cup Dirt. It was reported that Summer Bird is now settled in Japan to prepare for his start in that race. Summer Bird Arrives for Japan Cup Dirt

On the west coast, Joe Talamo enjoyed a 5-win afternoon (one shy of the track record) with one of the wins coming in the featured race, The Moccasin Stakes at Hollywood Park: Talamo highlights five-win day at Hollypark by taking Moccasin aboard Bickersons

Found on the Paulick Report

And please keep calling.

Update 5820: Wendy here bringing you today's update while Alex is away visiting the UK.

Yesterday brought us four Grade III stakes races across the country. The Kennedy Road, at Woodbine, found Smokey Fire winning his first stakes race: Smokey Fire stays Hot in Kennedy Road. In the New York racing scene, the Asmussen trained Haynesfield won the Discovery Handicap by an impressive 4 ½ lengths: Haynesfield Drives to Clear Victory in Discovery Handicap. In turf racing, Acoma won the Cardinal Handicap at Churchill Downs in a very close finish: Acoma takes Cardinal Handicap in a Dogfight and finally, in California, 2 year old American Lion won the Hollywood Prevue Stakes: American Lion Roars Home in Hollywood Prevue

Jay Privman reports from California that Lava Man turned in a bullet work for 6 furlongs at Hollywood Park yesterday:

He's getting closer. Lava Man, off for more than a year, turned in the fastest six-furlong drill of the morning at Hollywood Park on Saturday when he was timed in 1:12.20 for trainer Doug O'Neill.

In other news, Hal Wiggins, trainer for Rachel Alexandra when she won the Kentucky Oaks, has been named the Kentucky Horseman of the Year.

Update 5819: Seven galloped for Steve at Woodbine this Saturday morning. And all seven galloped nicely, although a couple were a little strong. A nice easy morning's work ahead of a long day. Tonight I will be traveling to the UK for a three day visit (London and Cornwall). In my absense Wendy will post an update here each day. I will be back late Tuesday night.

Paulick Report published an article on free adoption of Thoroughbreds yesterday: GOOD NEWS FRIDAY sponsored by Liberation Farm: FREE TO A GOOD HOME.

The feature race here at Woodbine today is the Kennedy Road. It may be one of the best races for the entire meet: Field Commission Battles 9 in Kennedy Road. And here is the list of where to watch the few key races throughout North America: WEEKEND STAKES: WHERE TO WATCH brought to you by KBC Horse Supplies.

Finally Zenyatta's team gets one of what might be a few end of year awards: Turf publicists name 'Team Zenyatta' as Big Sport of Turfdom.

Update 5818: Eight galloped this Friday morning for Steve at Woodbine. All galloped nicely. I took two to the gate for some schooling. Both schooled nicely, although one was a little "fractious" after schooling in the gate. In a good way! No rain this morning and still a little warm for this time of year, so good weather for training.

Jockey Julia Brimo, who won a Sovereign Award in Canada as an apprentice, is still recovering from her bad spill at Keeneland. Here is her "get well card." And jockeys in North America will donate proceeds from a mount on November 28 in support of the Julia Brimo Fund: Jockeys to contribute to Julia Brimo Fund.

Quality Road, who was scratched from the Breeders' Cup Classic after becoming fractious during the gate loading process, is back to school in New York: Quality Road Passes First Gate Test.

The last horse entered in the name of the late Bobby Frankel appropriately won: Frankel's Final Entrant at Hollywood Wins.

Update 5817: Seven galloped for Steve this morning at Woodbine. And a bit of a damp morning too! Three of mine also went to the gate for some schooling. All schooled nicely and galloped nicely.

Last night, while at the races, I met Mike Ziegler. Mike is here at Woodbine for the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance. It was fun chatting about all things racing, including the Breeders' Cup and Zenyatta and Quality Road.

This two-sided essay on the horse slaughter issue was published yesterday. I was interviewed for the essay. Kelsey, the author, is local to Woodbine. It's long and thorough: Horse Slaughter: Complications and Intricacies, it ends:

"The way I look at this is like the starfish parable: a guy walks up and down the beach all day, finds a starfish on the beach, chucks it back into the sea, sees another starfish on the beach, chucks it back into the sea. Someone comes up to him and says, 'Why are you spending all your time doing that? You're not going to stop starfish getting stranded on the beach and dying'. He's like, 'Yeah, but for that starfish I chucked back into the sea, it meant the world to him'. That's the way I justify it. And for that horse, those 3100, it's pretty cool."

In the fifth race at Churchill Downs yesterday a 12yo mare, who had had nine years off, was entered to run. She would have been the first starter for her trainer. Sense prevailed finally and she was a stewards scratch: Grand Forks to remain in training after scratch.

Old Friends has opened a division in New York. It's first resident, Moonshadow Gold, is scheduled to arrive later this week: Old Friends Satellite Opens in NY.

And please keep calling.

Update 5816: Ten galloped this morning for Steve at Woodbine. So a busy morning. Four of these also went to the gate for some schooling. All galloped nicely and schooled nicely. Once the sun came up it turned into a beautiful morning for training horses. It was a little chilly early.

As we were finishing up jockey Constant Montpellier swung by the barn. Constant is now a retired jockey! He had a gate accident a month or two ago, and had planned to retire at the end of this meet. He decided it was not worth coming back for the final part of the meet. Good luck to Constant Montpellier for the future!

I wrote a short essay, published on Paulick Report, about why it would be ill-advised for animal rights people to use the Quality Road gate incident to further their agenda: ALEX BROWN: DON'T MAKE QUALITY ROAD A POSTER CHILD.

If anything could have been predicted in racing ahead of time, it's that Sea The Stars would be voted Horse of the Year in Europe. And of course that happened yesterday: SEA STARS IN CARTIER AWARDS.

Trainer Bobby Frankel was laid to rest yesterday, one day after he died from lymphoma at the age of 68: Frankel remembered as 'one of greatest ever'.

And please keep calling.

Update 5815: Here is this week's Facebook Group e-mail: Tweet this: 18 cents / pound, ABR Radio Show, Thoroughbred Times, David Cotey, Zenyatta, Claremont Auction, Quebec Feedlot, Kip Deville, 1k Twitter followers, ABR changes, Our Boys, Bobby Frankel, skipping next week.

Following the death of Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel, there has been an outpouring of reflection of his terrific career. You can see many of those articles on Paulick Report.

I only had five to gallop for Steve this morning, so a nice and easy morning's work. It was chilly, with a layer of frost sitting on top of the track. But with plenty of layers on I managed to stay warm. All my horses galloped nicely.

Steve Haskin provides an excellent commentary on how difficult it will be this year to vote a horse of the year after the two terrific performances of Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra: Haskin on Horse of the Year: Stalemate.

And please keep calling.

Posted by Alex at 2:17 PM | Comments (296)

Barbaro Updates: 983

Posted November 16, 2009

updates are now here.

Update 5814: Six galloped this morning for Steve at Woodbine. A nice straightfoward morning, with all my horses galloping nicely. Three also went to the gate for some schooling, and schooled very well.

Hall of Fame Trainer Bobby Frankel died this morning, after a long illness. I had known he was ill for some time. Bobby Frankel was a terrific horseman. While I did not really know him, I had met him through friend Andy Durnin. In lieu of flowers, Mr. Frankel requests donations be made to Old Friends Retirement Home, the Grayson Foundation, and CANTER: Hall of Famer Bobby Frankel Dies at 68.

On better news, Julia Brimo, who suffered a horrific spill when her horse clipped heals at Keeneland, is doing better: Fallen Keeneland jockey: 'I'll be back'.

Hollywood Park will be celebrating Zenyatta at the end of it's current meet: Hollywood Park to Salute Zenyatta Nov. 29.

And Sea The Stars is favored for Cartier Awards, the European equivalent of our Eclipse Awards. These will be announced tomorrow: Sea The Stars among Cartier Horse of the Year finalists.

That's it for today's update!

And please keep calling.

Posted by Alex at 3:01 PM | Comments (38)

Barbaro Updates: 982

Posted November 13, 2009

updates are now here.

Update 5813: Off topic a little, but I have just finished the book: Our Boys: A Perfect Season on the Plains with the Smith Center Redmen.

This book chronicles a season with a high school football team which is on a major winning streak. The season starts with a team which was perhaps not as talented as it's predecessors, but they remained unbeaten as we observe their maturation. The book however is about much more than football. It is about life lessons, the importance of community and so much more. Here is a quote near the end of the book:

"But I also want you to understand that life is not about winning or losing; it's about competing. It's about working hard and getting a little bit better each day".

Joe Drape is the author. Joe Drape covers horse racing for the New York Times and involved me in The Rail project.

Update 5812: Beginning tomorrow (Monday) this site will be updated once per day, rather than multiple times per day. There are two reasons for this change:

a. This will allow ABR to become less dependent on my time at all times of the day.

b. Racing in North America is heading into a winter lull, so there should simply be less news.

I will post the daily update sometime from mid morning to early afternoon. The only day we will have more than one post will be Tuesday, as Superfecta also posts an update on Tuesdays.

Update 5811: Eight horses galloped for Steve this morning at Woodbine. And all galloped nicely. Quite a mild morning this morning so a pleasant morning's work. And then breakfast with apprentice jockey Mike Mehak.

Update 5810: The Cartier Awards, which are the European version of the Eclipse Awards, will be announced on Tuesday. Sea The Stars will be the likely winner of Horse of the Year: Sea The Stars Favored For Cartier Awards.

Update 5809: Steve Crist, of the Daily Racing Form, blasts the rankings provided by the International Federation of Horse Racing Authorities: Euro rankings show a blatant bias.

Found on Paulick Report.

Update 5807: I galloped seven horses for Steve this morning at Woodbine. All galloped nicely for a very straightforward morning's work. I was a little aggitated about some e-mails I have received lately about the Quality Road incident from last week. So after I got off my last horse I wrote an essay in the tack room about the incident and the ensuing firestorm. Will try to get it published somewhere today.

Update 5806: Plans are developing to have Zenyatta parade for the fans at both Hollywood Park and Santa Anita. And Lava Man continues to train up to his return, which is currently scheduled to be the second week of December in a Grade 3: Tracks planning to parade Zenyatta.

Update 5805: Very good news. Gio Ponti, who wrapped up a terrific 2009 campaign with a second in the Breeders' Cup Classic to Zenyatta, will return for 2010 and is being pointed for the Dubai World Cup: Gio Ponti to Race in 2010.

Update 5804: I had eight horses to gallop at Woodbine this morning. Two of these also went to the gate for some schooling. All mine galloped and schooled nicely. The track siren went off a couple of times alerting us of loose horses, so a couple of riders parted company with their horses.

Beginning Monday of next week I am going to move to one update per day. And this update will be posted around mid morning to early afternoon. I need to make a few changes to ABR to attempt to "future proof" the community while also reducing the hours per day I need to be involved. This is one of the steps I am "experimenting" with in order to try to accomplish this.

Update 5803: A busy afternoon and evening yesterday. We had three runners yesteray afternoon at Woodbine. After the second one ran I left and headed out to Claremont Auction. Claremont Auction is a smaller horse auction (about 30 horses) with a long tack sale before it got started. Here are a couple of horses waiting for the sale to begin. The horse sale did not start until about 10:30 pm, and I left just before it did begin. We did, however, pick up a thoroughbred that was coming back from Quebec.

And please keep calling.

Posted by Alex at 9:54 AM | Comments (72)

Barbaro Updates: 981

Posted November 12, 2009

updates are now here.

Update 5802: Seven galloped this morning for Steve at Woodbine. And another chilly morning, although we now have bright sunshine. All mine galloped nicely, although Salty was a little on his toes, plunging and rearing a little after his gate schooling!

After finishing galloping I watched the Zenyatta TVG Breeders' Cup Special. I am not sure that is what it is called, but it is all about Zenyatta and her win on Saturday. She is HUGE! It is a very good show if you get a chance to see it.

And here is a nice commentary on the Breeders' Cup from Steve Haskin: Haskin's Breeders' Cup Wrap: Final Thoughts .

Update 5801: A quick explanation of the voting system for Horse of the Year, as well as an opportunity to show the New York Times who you would vote for: Zenyatta or Rachel Alexandra: Filly vs. Mare.

And please keep calling.

Posted by Alex at 9:51 AM | Comments (28)

Barbaro Updates: 980

Posted November 11, 2009

updates are now here.

Update 5800: Timeform, a globally respected handicapper, adds its insight into who are the best horses in the world. Sea The Stars is on top, Goldikova is next, and then Zenyatta: GOLDIKOVA PIPS ZENYATTA - TIMEFORM.

Found on Paulick Report.

Update 5799: And here is our final ABR radio show of 2009s racing season: Alex Brown Racing on the Radio. We recapped the Breeders' Cup, and had some fun!

Update 5798: Wow, it got cold again this morning. Something of a surprise. I had nine to gallop. Four went to the gate for some schooling. All galloped nicely for a crispy morning's work. And now to prepare for our 11:30 am radio show.

Update 5797: It's Wednesday, so at 11:30 we will host our 30 minute ABR Radio Show: Alex Brown Racing on the radio. This is our final radio show for the year, and we will review the Breeders' Cup races from last weekend, and discuss Horse of the Year implications. It should be another fun show!

And please keep calling.

Posted by Alex at 9:49 AM | Comments (33)

Barbaro Updates: 979

Posted November 10, 2009

updates are now here.

Update 5796: Superfecta here, with your regular weekly update.

While Zenyatta's historic win in the Classic seems to eclipse the rest of the two-day event, there were many other interesting storylines - each race stood out in its own way this year.

Marathon
What a fascinating result - nine-year-old Cloudy's Knight very nearly got there to be the oldest Breeders' Cup winner on record (and jockey Rosemary Homeister, Jr. would have been only the second female jockey to win a Breeders' Cup race), but he was run down by three-year-old Man of Iron. The Aiden O'Brien trainee was actually sold just before the race and will be moving to Luca Cumani's barn, but he proved yet again that like his half-siblings, Rags to Riches and Jazil, his dam's offspring like to run as long as possible. He will aim for the Dubai Carnival races next. Last year's winner, Muhannak, was no factor this year, but he also changed hands and will remain in California under the tutelage of Ben Cecil. Man of Iron was the only Ballydoyle horse who ran on Lasix - and their only winner this year.

Juvenile Fillies Turf
Tapitsfly rewarded her backers, professionally taking on Rose Catherine in the stretch. Favored Lillie Langtry came out of the race with a slab fracture, but she should be back after some minor surgery and time off. Tapitsfly gave trainer Dale Romans his first Breeders' Cup victory - and so far American-based runners are two-for-two in this turf event.

Juvenile Fillies
She Be Wild proved she enjoys running on synthetics, but she and the other top two finishes, Beautician and Blind Luck, will all be aiming for the Kentucky Oaks on conventional dirt. Both the runner-up and third-place finishers had some bad luck during the race, as did wiseguy favorite Biofuel, who got pretty knocked around - luckily, all seemed to have only minor complaints and a few of them may run again before the year is out.

Filly & Mare Turf
Legendary trainer Henry Cecil scored his first Breeders' Cup win when Midday took the Filly & Mare Turf - and perhaps she will be back to defend her title, as the plan is for her to remain in training next year. It's an exciting possibility.

Filly & Mare Sprint
Informed Decision gave jockey Julien Leparoux his second Breeders' Cup weekend win; as expected, it came down to a dogfight between the winner and top-class mare Ventura. We should see Informed Decision next year as well.

Filly & Mare Classic
Without stablemate Zenyatta to waltz past her in the closing strides, Life is Sweet finally had a chance to demonstrate her class - and trainer John Shirreffs plenty of confidence going in to Saturday's races.

Juvenile Turf
The first Breeders' Cup race on Saturday's card went to Pounced; the American-bred, European-based colt had the always-welcome piloting services of Frankie Dettori. Trainer John Gosden (who was based at Santa Anita for many years) snagged his second victory in this race, having won last year with Donativum.

Turf Sprint
California Flag, who had given himself an impromptu workout before the race, proved he suffered from no ill-effects from his adventure. Joe Talamo secured his first Breeders' Cup win aboard the California-bred speedball, with 'other' filly Gotta Have Her getting up for second (the well-traveled Diamondrella didn't fire on Saturday).

Sprint
Dancing in Silks scored a major upset - and made trainer Carla Gaines the third woman to train a Breeders' Cup winner in the process. All the 'big names' finished off the board, with Gayego getting closest in fourth. Favorites Zensational and Fatal Bullet finished near each other in fifth and sixth, and global star Fleeting Spirit did not seem to take to the surface. It was a fantastic race for longshot bettors!

Juvenile
Upset winner Vale of York gave up-and-coming Godolphin jockey Ahmed Ajtebi his first Breeders' Cup win. The horse may be pointed to the Kentucky Derby, but he'd be working against history by prepping in Dubai. Bob Baffert trainee Lookin at Lucky was not terribly lucky in the race, but he still finished a respectable second - and seems a more likely Derby contender.

Mile
Goldikova continued to display her brilliance - matching the great Miesque's back-to-back Mile wins, and she did so by overcoming a difficult post position and not the easiest trip in this year's installment. It caps a year in which she's been (mostly) beating up on the world's best milers and it means she now has seven G1 wins. The suggestion that she could come back next year to aim for a third Mile win was not immediately ruled out - let's hope it happens. For those who may grumble that it seems unfair to give an Eclipse award to a horse who has made a single US appearance this year, I'd say that's true - unless it's Goldikova.

Dirt Mile
Mastercraftsman was billed as unbeatable, but obviously no one told longshot Furthest Land. Followed closely on by perpetual maiden Ready's Echo and Midshipman, Furthest Land gave Julien Leparoux his third win for this year's Breeders' Cup. And Mastercraftsman? He's retired.

Turf
Another repeat - Conduit did it again. What was perhaps almost as exciting was Presious Passion's gutsy effort for second in the race - running off like a sprinter at the beginning, yet still managing to get a big slice of the purse. Dar Re Mi also ran a good race for third (overcoming some considerable traffic trouble), and we could see her again next year. Conduit will now retire to stud in Japan, and it's possible Presious Passion may also head to Asia - but in his case he'd be going to Hong Kong for the Hong Kong Vase.

Classic
Did Rip Van Winkle's feet bother him? Perhaps. But even if he had been in top form, it's difficult to imagine anyone having beaten Zenyatta on the day, as she was perfection incarnate. It's easy to overlook the quality efforts put in by both Gio Ponti in second and Twice Over in third, but neither had any sort of chance against the giant mare. Poor Einstein had to check behind the slowing Rip Van Winkle, which essentially took him out of the race, and Summer Bird did not have the best luck but still managed to be a closing fourth. But it was really all Zenyatta - and while the Horse of the Year discussions will go on, they really don't matter; she's one of the greatest, and that's all anyone will remember.

Update 5795: An easy morning this morning for Steve at Woodbine. I only had five to gallop, and all easy gallops. All galloped nicely too. Just a very short and straightforward morning's work, ahead of a pretty busy day.

Now off to OLEX from where I will tweet.

Update 5794: This week's ABR Facebook Group e-mail: Tweet this: OLEX, Elora, Proton Station, ABR radio, Woodbine flyer, 2,500 members, Steve Hiatt, Henry Cecil and Midday, Life is Sweet and John Shirreffs, Goldikova, Zenyatta, Zenyatta, Zenyatta.

And please keep calling.

Posted by Alex at 9:54 AM | Comments (41)

Barbaro Updates: 978

Posted November 9, 2009

updates are now here.

Update 5793: There will be much discussion regarding who will be Horse of the Year for 2009. The NTRA poll currently shows Zenyatta with a slight lead: Zenyatta Reclaims Top Spot in Poll by a Nose.

Of course it is hard to really compare two horses, of different ages, who did not race against each other. What we do know is both Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta were brilliant this year.

Update 5792: A nice and easy morning this morning for Steve at Woodbine. I only had six to gallop. Two also went to the gate for some schooling, and schooled nicely. And the weather is simply gorgeous for this time of year! A very straightforward morning's work.

Update 5791: Joe Drape wraps up this year's Breeders' Cup: Zenyatta Shines Brightest in Sparkling Breeders' Cup.

And please keep calling.

Posted by Alex at 9:52 AM | Comments (43)

Barbaro Updates: 977

Posted November 6, 2009

updates are now here.

Update 5790: A couple of cool blog posts:

Zenyatta: A Horse for the People
On Zenyatta, Rachel Alexandra and Memory.

And now off to the races at Woodbine.

Update 5789: Eight galloped for Steve this morning at Woodbine, and a gorgeous morning for training too. All mine galloped nicely. There was a lot of buzz around the track this morning regarding Zenyatta's terrific performance yesterday. Inevitably the discussions lead to whether her victory was good enough to give her horse of the year honors.

Update 5788: Media coverage of Zenyatta's Classic victory:

Zenyatta triumphs in Classic
It's All Zenyatta in the BC Classic
Zenyatta simply perfect in Classic
Zenyatta Wins Breeders' Cup Classic

Update 5787: And here is the race on YouTube: Breeders Cup Classic 2009.

Update 5786: And how to you beat the performance of Goldikova, ask ZENYATTA!

Update 5785: Breeders' Cup live discussion: Breeders Cup Live Thread/Results.

Update 5784: A little over halfway through the card on the second day of the Breeders' Cup and no doubt the performance of the Championships so far: Goldikova's repeat win in the Mile. Absolutely outstanding win.

Update 5783: Eight galloped this morning for Steve at Woodbine. And it was a little warmer this morning too for training. All mine galloped nicely. One was a little (too) excited coming on to the track. Thankfully he settled down a little when it was time to gallop! We have a couple of runners this afternoon, and I will stay at the track to watch the Breeders' Cup races.

Update 5782: In the wake of Life is Sweet's victory yesterday, can trainer John Shirreffs do the double today with the unbeaten Zenyatta: A Sign, Perhaps, in a Filly's Victory.

Update 5781: Some great Breeders' Cup races today. I won't deny there was a significant air of disappointment when Careless Jewel folded in the Ladies Classic, but other than that --- great stuff. Life is Sweet won the Ladies Classic for Zenyatta's trainer John Shirreffs. Jonathan Sheppard won a race with Informed Decision. He also had a third place finish with Forever Together. And Henry Cecil won his first Breeders' Cup race with Midday. An exciting start. More tomorrow.

Update 5780: Here is an update from Sue McMullen on the European contigency in the Breeder's Cup:

This year's European raiders have something to live up to as five wins last year was record-breaking and set the bar very high.

Here is a brief look at this year's main contenders and includes only those who are travelling and not US based.

Marathon Stakes

Muhannak (IRE) : Winner last year but that was arguably a weaker field. Has not shown anything like that form this season and the increase in distance looks against him. Father Time: Won the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot in June but beaten on last two runs and stamina has to be questioned. Mastery: Proven over the distance when winning the St Leger at Doncaster in September with Father Time three and a half lengths fourth. Has a touch of class – three and half lengths third to Cavalryman in the Group One Grand Prix de Paris - and has had one run on the Polytrack at Kempton. Man of Iron: Improving type but will need to be as this is a step up on any of his three wins – although the last two of those have come on the Polytrack at Dundalk.

Juvenile Fillies Turf

Lillie Langtry: Second-favourite for the 1000 Guineas and better than her penultimate run (beaten on heavy ground at the Curragh in August) suggests. Won a valuable sales race at Newmarket last month and represents high-level European form.Junia Tepzia: Originally trained in Italy (now Germany). Unbeaten in two races including a Listed race at San Siro. She could be anything.

Filly & Mare Sprint

Only Green: Won a Listed race at Chantilly last month but has looked out of her depth in higher grades.

Filly & Mare Turf

Midday: Trained by the hugely popular Henry Cecil, she won both the Oaks and Irish Oaks and then won the Group One Nassau Stakes at Goodwood in August, beating Rainbow View by two and a quarter lengths. rCecil believes she may have needed the run in the Prix de l’Opera at Longchamp last month and will come on for that run.

Ladies Classic

Rainbow View: Top-flight juvenile last season but has won only one in seven this year. Second in the EP Taylor at Woodbine last month, when Lepareaux rode. Fast ground has been a problem before but she may take to Pro-Ride.

Tomorrow

Juvenile Turf

Viscount Nelson:: Listed winner at Tipperary and second to Poet’s Voice in the Group Two Champagne Stakes at Doncaster in September.
Pounced: Trainer won this race last year with Donativum and this one comes to the race with a higher level of form having finished second in the Group One Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at Longchamp last month, with Buzzword a half-length third. Awesome Act: Only ninth when stepped to Group One level in the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket last month and has something to find on bare form. Buzzword: Won a Group Three race in France in September and a close fifth in the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket last month.

Turf Sprint

Lord Shanakill: Formerly with Karl Burke and yet to race for new yard having been with Madella for about a month. Not run since the end of July but did win the Group One Prix Jeam Prat in France.Strike the Deal: Could be a lively outsider. Hit form with a Listed and Group Three win in September and both of those came when ridden by Kieren Fallon.

Dirt Mile

Mastercraftsman: Top-notch turf miler who has won the Irish 2000 Guineas and St James’s Palace Stakes. Placed twice over ten furlongs by Sea The Stars (International and Irish Champion Stakes) later in the season and then won a Group Three on the Polytrack at Dundalk. Can be a slow starter but likely to be able to grind it out in the finish.　

Juvenile

Alfred Nobel: Recent from does not read that well but it could be underrated by US odds makers. Recent runs in Ireland have been on heavy ground and he then ran fifth in a valuable sales race at Newmarket where he appeared to be the victim of a heavy draw bias. Better ground could show a very different horse.Beethoven: O'Brien's second string according to jockey bookings. Been running without success in most of the top juvenile races in Europe. Was only a neck second to a stable companion in the Group One Dewhurst Stakes, although that form looks a little flimsy.
Vale of York: The yard’s juveniles have been running well in Europe this year and this one has shown some form but would still be a surprise to win this. Radiohead: Recently bought by his US owner. Has won twice over five furlongs – then took on the older sprinters to finish third in the Group One Nunthorpe Stakes - and was held up to get the six furlongs in the Group One Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket last month where he finished second to Awzaan so stamina has to be a concern.

Mile

Delegator: Second in both the 2000 Guineas and the St James’s Palace Stakes before being bought by Godolphin. Has since won a Group Two at Goodwood (but may lose it for a banned substance) and finished third to Rip Van Winkle in the Group One Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot. Godolphin are thinking of dropping in distance for next year as a stiff mile appears just too much. However Last Tycoon, who was a six-furlong horse in Europe, found the two-turn mile at Santa Anita easy when he won this race in 1986. Zacinto: Highly rated two-year-old who missed the first half of this season because of injury. Has improved with every run and split Rip Van Winkle and Delegator in the QE II. Gladiatorus: Rated the best horse in the world when he won on Dubai World Cup night. That was on a two-turn mile but looked a shadow of that form in his first three runs of the European season. Did win a Group One in Italy last month but a real leap of faith to fancy him here. Goldikova: Trying to emulate Miesque, who Head rode to win the Mile in 87 and 88. Put up an imperious performance to slam a good field in the Group One Prix Jacques Le Marois by six lengths at Deauville in August. Below-par last time out, in the Group One Prix de la Foret. The draw was against her – as it is here – and the trainer was preparing her with one eye on this race so she can be expected to come on for the run.

Sprint

Fleeting Spirit: Very game filly who was fourth in last year’s Turf Sprint since when she has run in four Group One races winning the July Cup and finishing second in the other three. The concern is that she has been a slow starter so may be playing catch-up.

Turf

Conduit: Put up a career-best performance to win this last year and backed that up by winning the Group One King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot in July and then running fourth to Sea The Stars in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. He's at his best coming from the back of a fast-run race so a front-runner like Precious Passion should set it up for him. Red Rocks: Won this race in 2006, third in 2007 but well off the pace in 2008 and shown very little in three runs since. Dar Re Mi: Has been an underrated filly but won two Group Ones this season (was actually three but disqualified in France for causing very minor interference) against her own sex. Just behind Conduit when fifth in the Arc but looks held on that form.
Spanish Moon: Not allowed to run in Britain after refusing to enter the gate but he's won two top races in France this season.

Classic

Twice Over: Can be forgotten that he beat last year’s Classic winner, Raven’s Pass, first time up as a three-year-old. Did not fulfil that promise last season and seemed to have plateaued with a string of placed runs. Dropped in grade for a couple of easy wins and then came back to win the Group One Champion Stakes at Nerwmarket last month. A career-best victory but more needed here. Rip Van Winkle: Further reports of foot problems have been superceded and O'Brien says he's now fine. Fourth in both the 2000 Guineas and the Derby but then, arguably, gave Sea The Stars his biggest test when a length second in the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown. Won both the Sussex Stakes and the QEII over a mile and earlier form suggests he should handle return to ten furlongs.

Good luck to all concerned and let's hope for a trouble-free and fantastic BC>

Update 5779: Don't forget you can listen to our ABR radio shows to pick up Breeders' Cup tips for today and tomorrow.

This week's show we covered all the races with the help of Lisa Grimm from Superfecta: Alex Brown Racing on the Radio

And last week Paul Moran helped us focus on four of the key races, the Classic (tomorrow), Ladies Classic (today), the Mile (tomorrow) and the Sprint (tomorrow): Alex Brown Racing on the Radio.

Only five galloped this morning at Woodbine. Two also went to the gate for some schooling. An easy morning's work which was very nice. We have a few runners this afternoon, and it's the Friday program for the Breeders' Cup, so I will be up at Champions Bar at Woodbine watching all the races!

Update 5778: Breeders' Cup begins today with Ladies day. Stars such as Careless Jewel (Zenyatta's presence looms over Ladies' Classic), Ventura (Ventura leads strong Filly and Mare Sprint field) and Forever Together (Ladies man Strawbridge set for Friday) will attempt to win their respective races.

In all there are six Breeders' Cup races today and eight tomorrow: WEEKEND STAKES: WHERE TO WATCH brought to you by KBC Horse Supplies.

And please keep calling.

Posted by Alex at 9:24 AM | Comments (109)

Barbaro Updates: 976

Posted November 5, 2009

updates are now here.

Update 5777: This year's White Horse Award winner: Hiatt Earns White Horse Award.

Update 5776: Public service announcement, for any racetrack: Beware who wants your horse and why!

Update 5775: Seven galloped for Steve this morning at Woodbine. Three of those also went to the gate for some schooling. All galloped nicely and schooled nicely. A bit chillier this morning, and a little rain, but the sun is trying to come through.

Update 5774: All the focus is on the Breeders' Cup, which has a 14 card program that begins tomorrow at Santa Anita. Rachel Alexandra will not be participating. She will move down to Fair Grounds by the beginning of December: Rachel Alexandra to winter in New Orleans.

And please keep calling.

Posted by Alex at 9:52 AM | Comments (31)

Barbaro Updates: 975

Posted November 4, 2009

updates are now here.

Update 5773: Today's radio show, now archived: Alex Brown Racing on the radio. All about the upcoming Breeders' Cup, with some terrific tips for the 14 races!

And some flattering words: Bearing Witness -- the Compassion of a Dedicated Horseman.

Update 5772: A busy morning this morning at Woodbine. I had nine to gallop, four of which also went to the gate for some schooling. A couple of them were a little fired up this morning. I am guessing because of the cooler temperatures. But I managed to stay on.

Now to prepare for our 11:30 am radio show. All about the Breeders' Cup!

Update 5771: It's Wednesday, so at 11:30 am we will host our 30 minute ABR radio show: Alex Brown Racing on the radio. Lisa Grimm of Superfecta will join us to help handicap each of this weekend's Breeders' Cup races. Should be another fun show!

And please keep calling.

Posted by Alex at 9:51 AM | Comments (39)

Barbaro Updates: 974

Posted November 3, 2009

updates are now here.

Update 5770: Zenyatta will face the boys in the Breeders' Cup Classic, and has been installed as the 5-2 favorite: Zenyatta is 5-2 Favorite in the Classic.

Update 5769: Superfecta here, with your regular weekly update (Breeders' Cup edition) -

Shocking's Melbourne Cup win gave his sire, Street Cry, G1 winners at both sprinting and staying distances, but the stallion could garner even more accolades this weekend. While Street Sense has already carried the banner for Street Cry in the Juvenile, and Zenyatta took the Ladies' Classic last year, if she were to win the Classic this time around, one presumes his stud fee would take another leap upward (and well done to Darley for updating the graphics on his page to reflect the latest news - if not the body text - while that might be taken as a given in other sports, it's relatively rare in racing to see the marketing piece done with any style, as anyone who has ever watched stud farm ads on TVG can attest).

We'll know the answer to the will-she-won't-she dance this afternoon when the post positions for each race are drawn; it's hard to imagine Zenyatta's connections wouldn't want to take the bigger shot. But the solid European contingent is feeling very confident indeed already - and while Santa Anita's surface is given as the major reason, I would argue that last year the better horses on the day won, for the most part (as, indeed, was the case of the previous year on Monmouth Park's sloppy track, despite arguments to the contrary) - whether it will go the same way this year remains to be seen.

Starting tomorrow, we'll do a race-by-race analysis (although you can preview the Marathon here) - check back then, and follow us on Twitter for live thoughts on the races Friday and Saturday! In the meantime, you can catch us on Alex's radio show tomorrow discussing All Things Breeders' Cup - tune in!

Update 5768: Off to OLEX.

Update 5767: A quiet morning this morning at Woodbine with only six to gallop. And all galloped nice and easily.

Of course last night was the Melbourne Cup. It was won by Shocking, who had won a race only a week before in order to prepare for this 2 mile race: SHOCKING WINS MELBOURNE CUP.

Update 5766: This week's ABR Facebook Group e-mail: Tweet this: Sea The Stars, Fort Erie closing, Careless Jewel, ABR radio, Zenyatta, Lentenor, Jeff Mullins, Legendary Stacey, Terry Husbands, Corey Fraser, Emile Ramsammy, Patrick Husbands, Lentenor, Suffolk Downs, Fort Erie, Muscle Hill, Tribal Belle, Jimmy Simms, The Scottish Nook, The Pub, Shocking..

And please keep calling.

Posted by Alex at 9:53 AM | Comments (32)