R1: EGA Casthouse Trophy – TB – Maiden – 1400m(~7F) – Dirt
2 Bee Jersey - 7 Fawree
- 5 Capezzano
Bee Jersey is a Charles Fipke homebred trained by Doug
Watson. He won a trial on December 14th quite convincingly, and
being a son of Jersey Town is naturally suited to the dirt. Fawree, a Mike de
Kock trainee for Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, is a son of Candy Ride
out of the incredibly talented mare Keeper Hill. She was a three time Grade 1
winner, including a victory in the Kentucky Oaks. This is her last foal.
Capezzano is a son of Bernardini who was a solid second in his last start to
the impressive Cosmo Charlie. Should continue to do well here.
R2: EGA Al Taweelah Alumina Trophy – TB - Conditions – 1400M(~7F) – Dirt
4 Mufeed – 1 Fly at Dawn – 6 Nomorerichblondes
Mufeed was the ultimate professional in his first start,
winning handily. Size wise he appeared to tower over his opponents, so he is
quite mature for a two year old. Fly at Dawn has three wins from five starts on
the season for trainer Charlie Appleby. His first attempt on dirt as a son of
Discreet Cat, he should take well to the surface. Nomorerichblondes was a bit
of an upset in her debut victory last out and has her work cut out for her
against the boys here.
R3: EGA Billets
Trophy – TB – Maiden – 1600M(~8F) – Dirt
14 Mazeed – 15 Somerset House – 5 Dangerous Thought
Had to settle with the two top two year olds over the older
horses. Mazeed was expected to win in his last start but ran third to the
impressive Cosmo Charlie. With a start under him now, he looks to improve for
trainer Mike de Kock. Somerset House is a very well bred son of Hard Spun for
Godolphin, his dam being a half to Fast Cookie, the talented dam of MG1W
Frosted. Dangerous Thought is a son of Super Saver and Thursday marks his first
start on dirt. The track will ideally improve him, but if he fails here one
must think he just lacks talent. Taking a chance on him. Honorable mention in
his first start is First Start, and the Drosselmeyer son Just Pretend.
R4: EGA Jebel Ali Trophy – TB – Handicap - 1200M(6F) – Dirt
4 Shoreditch - 6
Mathematics - 5 Archaic
Shoreditch is the obvious choice here after his romp in his
debut race on the first of December. The talented son of Dubawi won easily.
Mathematics is a solid choice for Doug Watson, coming in off of a win just 200M
further over this surface at the beginning of December. This may be a hair too
short for him but the field is murky outside of Shoreditch. Archaic rounds out
as he has a win and a third from two starts at this distance and though he was
far behind the top two finishers in his last start, he was the best of the
rest.
The two sons of Distorted Humor head my selection. First
off, Winslow is a son of Justwhistledixie, who was a graded stakes winner but
is best known as the dam of Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner New Years’ Day, as
well as the highly-touted MGSW Mohaymen. Curiously enough Winslow was sent to
Europe and has one win and one third from five starts there, three on the turf
and two on all weather. He should adapt well to the dirt and if he has half of
either brother’s talent, should win here.
Comicas is another with a pure dirt pedigree who will finally get his
first try on the surface here. He has two wins and two seconds from six starts
as well as a second in listed company here in Meydan at the beginning of the
year on turf. Dirt may be the right move for him with trainer Charlie Appleby. Alareef comes in off a win here at Meydan at
1200m, his last four starts he has placed in the top four and has two wins.
Seems to be a rather consistent horse. I should also honorable mention Desert
Force who has been doing quite well in his two starts this season.
Two sons of Dubawi this time around. Baroot comes in for
Mike de Kock, his first start of the season after having a moderately
successful season prior. Should be prepped well. North America enters off a win
in his last start over this distance, successfully breaking his maiden then in
his seventh start. Power Crazy is an American import who won his debut impressively
for Gary and Mary West and trainer Wayne Catalano at Churchill Downs back in
June. Will be interesting to see how he fares here.
Dehbashi broke his maiden last out over 2000M, should not
have trouble with the extra distance. Son of Blame has some class for Doug
Watson. Skygazer in his last three starts sends to the lead and that seems to
be his ideal tactic. Distance should not
be an issue for him. Piepowder Court also broke maiden in his last start over 2000M,
but that was in 2015. Horse has some major issues as he is a six year old with
only three starts under his belt. If he stays sound he has the chance to do
alright here.
R8: EGA Al Taweelah Trophy – TB – Handicap – 1600M(8F) –
Dirt
2 Sky Jockey – 3 Hello - 10 Freserburgh
Sky Jockeey is the most proven horse in the field and his
two starts of this season have been productive so far. He enjoys this distance
with a win and second from two starts. Hello enters off of a win in his last
start, not really bred for dirt but if he did it at Jebel Ali why not here too?
Fraserburgh enters off of a win at Jebel Ali in November. This field is not too
competitive, he should do well.
R1 – The Easy Goer S. - $150,000 – 1 1/16 M – 3yos
2 Cupid – 3 Rally Cry – 1 Race Me Home (Ire) – 5 Economic
Model
Pretty obvious here. Cupid coming back after surgery to
correct his breathing, most likely going to romp. Insanely talented horse.
Rally Cry is alright, nice winner of an allowance last out in good time. Race
Me Home (Ire) will probably prefer two-turn races, but he is very well bred as
a son of the MG1W mare Society Selection. Round out with Chad Brown’s Economic
Model who won an allowance here at Belmont last month.
R2 – Alw 90000N1X – 1 1/16 M – 3yo+
6 Connect – 2 Eagle Scout – 5 Doctor Mounty – 1 Lemon Drop
Title
Connect stretches out here for Chad Brown after breaking his
maiden in his second start at 6 ½ furlongs a month prior. A son of Curlin, he
should have no problem with the distance and he has the top connections of Chad
Brown and Javier Castellano. Chad is quite high on this horse and he should run
well here.
Eagle Scout is a well bred son of Tapit, his dam being ½ to
Funny Cide. His last start was a lackluster 5th, well beaten as the
favorite at Keeneland, but trainer Todd Pletcher knows how to ready horses for
big days at Belmont Park.
Doctor Mounty for Shug McGaughery took four tries to break
his maiden but he finally got the job done over the same trip here at Belmont
and he was second in his two previous attempts.
R3 – The Acorn – G1 - $700,000 – 1 M – 3yoF
5 Cathryn Sophia – 6 Go Maggie Go – 4 Carina Mia – 2 Off the
Tracks
Hard to pick against Cathryn Sophia after her dominant
victory in the G1 Kentucky Oaks in May. She has the ability to go to the lead
or track, so unless she sends and gets hooked in a speed duel, it is unlikely
that she will be tired. Last out she breezed a bullet.
Next up is Go Maggie Go, the impressive Dale Romans trainee
who enters off a convincing victory in the G2 Black Eyed Susan three weeks ago.
She barely missed the jump for second in the KY Oaks in just her third lifetime
start, and she is improving with every race. The smaller field will protect her
from trip trouble and this filly will be soaring late. I just wonder if it is a
hair too short for her at a mile.
Carina Mia ran a bang up race in the G2 Eight Belles last
out and she is no doubt talented. It will be interesting to see how she fares
today as it was clearly the speed duel in the Ashland that wore her out to
finish fourth.
Off the Tracks was duel entered for a stake on Friday but as
NYRA rules go, she had to scratch in preference for this race. She is no doubt
a nice filly but I am not yet sure she is up to the class standards of the top
three.
R4 – The Brooklyn Invitational – G2 - $400,000 – 1 ½ M – 4yo+
Kid Cruz is the only standout of the field, entering off of a win in the G3 Excelsior Handicap. He will be forwardly placed which is a necessity at this distance at Belmont Park. A son of Belmont Stakes winner Lemon Drop Kid, he should not have much trouble getting the distance.
Next I will take Securitiz for Jimmy Jerkens and Centennial Farm, who comes in off a decent effort in the Flat Out Stakes last month, finishing second to fellow competitor Turco Bravo (Chi). A son of Tiznow out of an A.P. Indy mare, he should relish the distance. Turco Bravo (Chi) wsa the Flat Out and was second last year in the 1 3/4 miles Birdstone Stakes at Saratoga, so distance is not a problem. Round out with Neck 'n Neck, a longshot with a decent chance to fill exotics.
R5 – The Ogden Phipps – G1 - $1,000,000 – 1 1/16 M – F&M
4yos+
Is this the best race of the entire year so far? I would say
so. I’ll take Curalina on top after a devastating performance in her first
start as a 4yo, beating up the field in the G1 La Troienne Stakes at Churchill
one month ago. Granted, the field was not killer, but it did include Sheer
Drama, who was coming in off of a win in the G1 Madison. This lovely Curlin
filly seems to have really stepped up her game, and we all know that Todd has
them fully cranked for a big day of racing.
Cavorting enters off of a killer performance in the G2
Ruffian, crushing homer Carrumba with relative ease. She’s never been this far
before but it is still a one-turn event, so she should not be too troubled. She
looked like a good thing coming home in her last to win by 5, and this is only
1/16th of a mile further on the same track, so she should be able to
do it.
Forever Unbridled may be one of the nicest fillies Dallas
Stewart has ever trained, and her mother won the Kentucky Oaks. She enters off
a convincing win in the G1 Apple Blossom Stakes last out and a three race win
streak. Her half-brother Forever d’Oro is running in the Belmont Stakes too, so
Lemons Forever is well represented on one of America’s biggest days of racing.
I round out with Stopchargingmaria who is consistently a
phenomenal talent, but I am taking a stand against her here. She should run
very well with her second start off a layoff, but why not go for the newer
shooters to the distaff division? This is by far the most difficult race of the
day and I wouldn’t be surprised to see any of these four or Sheer Drama land in
the winner’s circle.
8 Mosler – 2 A Lot – 4 Summation Time – 12 Pure Sensation
A salty field of turf sprinters line up in the Jaipur. I’ll
take Bill Mott’s Mosler on top, a horse I’ve always been a big fan of. He was
third in his first start since being off in September, and he should improve
second off a layoff. He’s fired two bullets in his last two works over the turf
at Belmont, and he’ll be ready to roll. He gets Rosario, who is a very strong
finisher, aboard.
A Lot was impressive in his last start at Belmont, going 7F
in the Elusive Quality stakes to win by a nose. This will be his second start
with new trainer Chad Brown, and he’s 6:3-1-1 over the Belmont turf. Cutting
back to sprint distances seems to be to his liking, and he should put in a big effort.
Summation Time is tempting at 15-1 for trainer Christophe
Clement. He’s got a first and second from two starts over the Belmont turf and
he’s been on the board each of his three tries at this distance. His past few
races have set up for his closing kick, but with Rocket Heat here he should be
getting a fast pace to run into regardless. Castellano choses to take off this
horse to ride Ready for Rye, but I am skeptical of that Albertrani trainee’s
true talent as he has not necessarily beat much in the past.
Pure Sensation is another Clement trainee with a chance. He
heads into this race off of a four month break, but if he’s back on track,
should run well.
7 Counterforce – 4 Justin Squared – 12 I Will Score – 9 Tom’s
Ready
A very difficult field of three-year-olds is sent forward to
contest the Woody Stephens. I believe with all the speed, either of few of
these horses will try new rating tactics or we are in for a massive speed duel.
Two of the favorites, Sharp Azteca and Justin Squared, will link up in the
suspected speed duel, along with talented Hollendorfer trainee I Will Score, leaving
room for a closer to turn the tables. With that in mind I’ll try
Asmussen-trainee Counterforce, who will be coming with a late kick.
Justin Squared is on the rise and his talent level is still
untapped, so he will hang on potentially with I Will Score, who will have
tougher go of it on the outside. Round out with Dallas Stewart’s Tom’s Ready
who gets blinkers off here.
R7 The Just a Game – G1 - $700,000 – 1 M – F&M 4yo+
A competitive field lines up for the Just a Game. I will
take the Euro invader Irish Rookie (Ire) on top, who was second beaten two in
her last start over at the Curragh. Her last start last year was a third beaten
two to the nice Esoterique in a G1. She
will need pace to close into, but luckily there looks to be a few speed horses
in the race.
I also really like Celestine in this race for Bill Mott, who
has three entrants in the field. She comes in off an easy front-running effort
in the G2 Honey Fox, but I do not think she is necessarily a one-dimensional
front runner. She’s two for two here at Belmont on the turf, and she is quite
talented.
Next up I’ll take Faufiler (Ire) for Graham Motion, who
comes in off a nice effort in the G2 Royal Heroine stakes at Santa Anita. She’s
a deep closer and as I said, there will be speed here for her.
Round out with Lady Lara (Ire) who didn’t run well in her
last but prior to that was second to the great Tepin in the G3 Endeavor.
Calculator enters off of two strong efforts in the G2
Churchill Downs S where he was beaten a length by Catalina Red, and prior to
that by a Salutos Amigos who came soaring to win the G1 Carter by head. He will
get the ideal set up here with lots of speed in the race and it’s about time he
steps up.
Frosted is poised to return here after his stint in Dubai
and less than stellar World Cup. This may be a hair too short for him but he
was one of the premier three-year-olds last year and should hopefully improve
off of that form. This field isn’t world beaters and I do not believe in the
Dubai bounce.
Noble Bird ran a hell of race last out to win the Pimlico
Special by 11 ¼ lengths, but he faces much tougher competition here. If he is
rank he flops, if he is not, he will run huge. Hoever, there is a lot of other
speed in the race, and while he can rate, he does his best on the lead.
Tamarkuz, Dubai’s top miler last year, returns for Kiaran
after a long break. Off the layoff he should do well and his campaign last year
was not incredible, but it was not bad. If he tracks the leaders he should be
sitting pretty at the end of the race.
10 Flintshire – 11 Divisdero – 5 Big Blue Kitten - 3 Wake Forest
Flintshire is head and heels over the US turf division and
the only horse who is maybe capable of giving him a run for his money is
Divisdero. I do not understand why he is on first time Lasix, why change
something in his 20th race? Didn’t need it then, doesn’t need it
now. Score US racing.
Divisidero is very nice and ran huge last out. He is the
biggest threat to Flintshire’s dominance. Should be enough speed in there to
send him flying late but I believe Flinty will get the jump on him.
Big Blue Kitten consistently runs well. Pace will benefit
his closing kick as well. Should run huge, loves Belmont with 4 wins and 2
seconds from seven starts.
Round out with Wake Forest (Ger), also for Chad Brown, who
enters off a solid win in the G1 Man o’ War last month at Belmont. He and Big
Blue Kitten are interchangeable for me.
R10 – Belmont Stakes – G1 - $1,500,000 – 1 ½ M – 3yo
Hard to pick against the favorite here. Exaggerator is a son
of Curlin, so he will get the distance, and he is at this point the second-best
3yo colt in the country after Nyquist. He is versatile and should be able to
sit closer to the lead, escaping the Belmont-closer fallacy.
Governor Malibu is an improving son of Malibu Moon who put
in a big effort last out in the G2 Peter Pan, a notorious Belmont prep race,
against the very top quality Unified. He is improving with each start and
should sit a nice trip either tracking or mid-pack. Should get the distance as
well.
Cherry Wine ran a big one last out in the Preakness and
trainer Dale Romans has been vocal about having him more forwardly placed in
this race. He always gives his all and has been steadily improving with each
start.
Round out with Suddenbreakingnews who is a very strong
closer but will be handicapped by his running style here. He always packs a
powerful closing kick, and he is perfectly bred for the distance being a son of
Mineshaft out of an Afleet Alex mare. I would not be surprised if he won
either, but I have to pick against due to his running style.
It was hard for me to toss Creator, who gains the rabbit
Gettysburg and was putting in a huge move on Derby day before being severely
hampered. Brody’s Cause could rebound here as well, and if the two time G1
winner version shows up, he will be right up there at the wire. Lani is an
interesting play just due to his training style and the stamina it must
instill, but mentally he is not there. Destin is also interesting as a more
forwardly placed horse who has a good running style but distance questions
surrounding his name.
While the Kentucky Derby is decadent and depraved, the
Preakness was a sloppy play day. The weekend began with the Black Eyed Susan on
Friday, probably one of the most exciting days of racing that is headlined by a
Grade 2 stakes.
My initial plan to attend the Preakness was launched back in
April when my good friends came down to Lexington to see their filly, Ma Can Do
It, contest a maiden special weight. She is owned by Kyle and Glenda Nagel.
Though I’ve known them for just over a year, it feels as though it has been a
lifetime. We met last May during the week of the Kentucky Derby as they are also
good friends with the Romans, and we immediately bonded as they too were living
in Boston at the time. Since then it’s been a whirlwind of fun and incredible
experiences whenever we get together.
Ma finished second in that maiden special weight, a seven
furlong event over the dirt. She’s run quite well in the past, third in the G1
Darley Alcibiades in her two year old season, and she ended her campaign last
year with a fifth behind Songbird in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. She’s
a stunning daughter of Majesticperfection, big and scopey, and we have always
felt that two turns is her ideal. Her two starts this year were not her best
efforts as she got herself really worked up prior to the races, resulting in a
poor showing as the 8-5 favorite after almost flipping in the paddock at
Oaklawn earlier this year, and then in the paddock of the April race at Keeneland
she was covered in sweat by the time they announced riders up. This was such a
reverse from the Ma we know. In the barn, she is the gentlest horse in the
Romans’ stable, and she craves human affection. She never once worked herself
up last year, so her sudden change of character pre-race was disconcerting.
Dale had told Kyle that if they could calm her down and if Ma
continued to train well in the weeks leading up to the Black Eyed Susan that he
would enter her in the race. Luckily, she put in some great efforts in the
mornings and she got the okay to ship to Pimlico, so we all came in to
see her run, and support Go Maggie Go, Cherry Wine, and the rest of the Romans’
runners during the weekend.
Friday morning I woke up at 3:30am, took a quick shower, and
hit the road an hour later to Louisville. My flight was direct to Baltimore out
of Louisville, and I arrived in Baltimore at a little after 8am. Upon arrival, I
scoured the entire airport for a bagel before I found in a distant gate with a
little bagel shop, and I sat and contently munched away, waiting for the Nagels
to land.
Their flight landed at 9:30am and I was greeted by Kyle,
Glenda, and their daughter’s friend Hannah, who coincidentally attended Tufts
while I was there and was friends with one of my close friends, though our
paths never crossed. We hopped in an uber and headed to our hotel, where we met
up with Kyle’s daughter Taylor and her friend Nellie. After changing out of our
plane clothes to race day attire, we were on our way to Pimlico.
I had personally never been to Pimlico before, and I’ve
mainly heard bad things about the facility from most of the people who have
been there. However, each one of those people unanimously would agree that the
Preakness is the most fun jewel of the Triple Crown. I had a great experience
at the small track, though it didn’t necessarily start off that way.
When we entered, I immediately got the throwback vibe that I
get whenever attending my home track of Suffolk Downs. Pimlico is an old place,
full of history, which has not been renovated much. Some people may hate it and
view it as decrepit, but hailing from a similar racetrack, it felt mostly homey
to me.
However, after ascending the escalator to our given seats,
we were a bit concerned. We were sat in the “Triple Crown Room”, but if that
room had anything to do with the Triple Crown, we weren’t aware. It was a long chamber,
a pale, faded pink, with absolutely no windows and TVs that seemingly were
purchased shortly after the invention of the Technicolor television set. Some
of them were not working. The small bar area had a very minute alcohol section,
and the famous Black Eyed Susan drink was in premade pitchers, served in
plastic cups. Generally speaking, I’m just thankful to be at the races and
seating does not aggravate me, but this was the rare exception. The Nagels had
a filly in the feature race and this was where Pimlico had decided to seat them?
We couldn’t even see the track and the immediate outside area was only
accessible if you had boxes!
Luckily for us, Bailey came to find our table and she
brought Kyle up with her to their seats in the Jockey Club room to see if there
was something that they could do. After asking why he had been assigned to the
Triple Crown room with a horse in the feature, the hostess in the Jockey Club
room looked taken aback and said that they had actually had a table reserved
for the Nagels in the Jockey Club room, and were surprised we had not shown up
yet.
We were all eager to relocate to our new digs and very
pleased with them. Past the finish line on the third floor, the Jockey Club
Room was a huge upgrade with an entire wall of windows looking out over the
track. The seating was much better, the bar was much better, and the entire
atmosphere was completely improved. As a few of the people in our party had
never been to the races before, we were relieved that their first experience
would not be tarnished by such a lackluster seating situation.
The Marlins Man, myself, Nick and Max
We took in the races and enjoyed each other’s company
throughout the day. Kyle’s son, brother, and father showed up and the party
really started. Kyle’s father, Lou, is a phenomenal man in his early eighties.
He’s a pleasure to be around and has quite the history behind him. He actually
used to work at the track in the past, including a stint as an exercise rider
until he woefully got too big, and he reminisced about his time at the races
fondly. A very fascinating man to talk to with a passion for life and the
thoroughbred.
One of the most exciting racing events of the day was Ben’s
Cat performance in the Jim McKay Turf Sprint. His fifth victory in the race, fourth
consecutive, the crowd went wild for the ten-year-old gelding as he powered
down the stretch. His trainer, King Leatherbury, is a legend in his own right.
Leatherbury ranks third in all-time victories in the United States. He was a
dominating figure on the Maryland circuit in the 1960s and 1970s, and he is
still relevant today at 83 years old. Last year, he was inducted into the Hall
of Fame after a long and worthy career.
Finally, it was time for the race we had been waiting for,
the Black Eyed Susan. It's important to note that Dale won this race the previous year with Stonestreet Farm's Keen Pauline, who graced the cover of the day's program. This year, Dale had two entrants, Go Maggie Go and Ma Can Do It. I
was excited to see Go Maggie Go contest the race as she put in a phenomenal
effort, running fourth and just missing the jump for second last out in the G1
Kentucky Oaks. That was only her third lifetime start as she had debuted
earlier this year down at Gulfstream and was a dominant maiden victor before
taking the G2 Gulfstream Park Oaks. We had a feeling she would put in a big
effort on Friday, and she did not disappoint.
Go Maggie Go and the girls on Oaks Day
Ma was another story. Sent off at odds of 50-1, it was
obvious the betting public was not a believer in the big filly. However, we all
were, so I played her across the board with a reasonable amount of confidence
that she would put in a solid effort. We knew we would get a feel for her
performance based off her pre-race antics.
We headed down to the small indoor enclosure that is the
Pimlico paddock, a largely unsafe area to saddle horses in my opinion. Maggie
was in gate five and Ma in gate four, so we gathered side by side. I immediately
knew that Ma was going to run a big one when she was calm, cool and collected
in the paddock, despite the claustrophobic enclosure and the buzz of the crowd.
Petting her on the neck, I knew she had
it in her. Maggie was equally relaxed with Amanda rubbing her face.
Go Maggie Go
Ma Can Do It, calm
While the horses left the paddock, I quickly snatched their
Black Eyed Susan nameplates with their respective gate positions off the stalls
and handed Kyle his filly’s. We followed the horses out toward the track and
escaped up a staircase that led to the box area.
My heart began to pound as the fillies loaded into the gate.
I was so nervous for the two, and so excited, I just could not wait. When the
gates flew open they both got away cleanly. Ma managed an excellent
ground-saving trip up the rail while Maggie set the pace, pressured by Kinsley
Kisses, and pulled away convincingly. Ma powered down the inside to land second in a blanket finish, and we
collectively lost our minds.
There is not much more exciting than finishing 1-2 in a
graded stakes race on a big day of racing, but that is exactly what Dale
accomplished. With giant smiles on our faces and shouts of elation we all
galloped across the track toward the winners’ circle, where a beautiful Maggie
was lead in and draped in a blanket of sunflowers. In just her fourth start she
is a two-time graded stakes winner, and her future looks bright. I have a feeling
the Alabama at 1 ¼ miles, as I have mentioned in the past, is hers for the
taking. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Ma there either.
The Nagel family celebrating Ma's big effort
Equally as happy as we were for Maggie’s victory, we were
for Ma’s strong second place. It’s hard to find a family nicer or more generous
than the Nagels, so sharing in their happiness was easily a highlight of the
weekend. Ma may still be a maiden, but she’s already amassed $192,100 in
earnings. Not bad! Her future is also quite bright, and I’m sure that maiden
victory is on its way. Why even run her in maiden conditions if she is going to
continue running so well in graded company?
The day ended on a high note as we went out to dinner at a
nice Greek restaurant. Exhausted, I decided to hit the hay early as opposed to
go out.
The Preakness was ushered in by a bout of rain that did not
relent for the majority of the day. Luckily for me, I was promised cover. My
friend John Scheinmann had been gracious enough to connect me with a job for
the day, and I was to be working as a handicapper for Pimlico in the Sky
Suites, the luxury suites at the beginning of the first turn.
As I walked into the track, I was unfortunate enough to
stumble upon the death of Homeboykris, the winner of the first race. The
entrance to the suites was on the first turn and Homeboykris had fallen right
there on his way back to the barn. When I arrived he was lying down, and I
watched with a heavy heart as his distraught handlers attempted to get him to
stand up. Their frantic efforts made me swiftly acknowledge that it must have
been a heart attack. He passed relatively quickly in front of me.
As much sadness as I felt for the valiant animal that gave
his life for the victory, I felt a larger sadness for the sport. Racing related
deaths and injuries unjustly find a way to happen when the sport is in the nation’s
eye, and I knew there would be much said about it by the media. It always pains
me to think that people will perceive our sport not off of the beauty and
excitement that it harbors, but off the much less frequent pain and grief that
it may present. There is a clear misunderstanding between the general public
and the racing world that unfortunately the media does an awful job of
addressing. Collectively as a sport we do not do enough to establish the truth-
that for every bad event that occurs in racing, there are a thousand more that
would bring nothing but joy to the heart. Every sport has its villains-
baseball has steroids, football has head injuries, hockey has its ridiculously
sought-after fighting. Meanwhile, the goodness with which so many of these
animals are treated, the bond between human and horse, and the true nature of
the thoroughbred- the desire from birth to run and race one another in the
fields that translates to the racetrack- all of this gets so easily overlooked
and lost by the general public. As bad as the tragedy of a horse death is, the
greater tragedy is the sheer number of people who perceive the sport as
inherently bad, when it is far from that.
Returning to my experience. I had prepped for the day by
studying the card and arranging a variety of bets to advise my suites on. I was
nervous at first as I did not know exactly what the situation held in store for
me, but I adjusted quickly. There were quite a few suites in the area but I
would focus on the more expensive ones, which were filled with people quite
inexperienced with betting on horse races. I enjoyed teaching them the basics
of how to read a form and what kind of bets to make, and they ate it up. I was
lucky to have very attentive audiences in each of the suites and a core group
of people who continuously sought out and valued my advice and opinions.
Overall, it was a very lovely day.
As the time neared for the big race, I found my way out to
Preakness village in the infield. I had texted the Nagels to see where they were located, and
found that they had made their way into the Stronach Tent. This luxurious tent
was located past the finish line in the infield, and it felt less like a tent
than a lodge in Aspen. Extravagantly decorated, the place was draped in plaid
blankets, mahogany bars, old time racing memorabilia, and an assortment of antlers
and artifacts. It harbored a great atmosphere.
At this point the rain was really coming down, so I lucked
upon a poncho, grabbed a paddock pass, and headed out into the rain. Per
tradition, horses are saddled on the turf course in front of the grandstand for
the Preakness Stakes. The turf was damp and slippery, and by the time I had
arrived the horses were on the course. I made my way over to the designated
spot for the horse in the first gate and found the Cherry Wine squad had
gathered to watch the beautiful gray colt.
Cherry Wine holds a special place in my heart. The first
time I had met him was my very first visit to Lexington, Kentucky, back in
October of 2013. It was just after my summer of interning in the NYRA Press Box
up at Saratoga, where I initially became friends with Bailey. She had invited
me down for a weekend at Keeneland at her farm in Kentucky, and I had so much
fun that weekend that two years later I moved down to Lexington.
Cherry Wine on the right and two paddock mates
The Romans Farm is a nice property that boasts a gorgeous
pond draped in a weeping willow tree, by a huge field with an old cemetery in
it. This was where Cherry Wine and all of the other weanlings were turned out.
At the time, Dale had an abundance of Paddy O’Prado colts and fillies on the
farm and one of the friendliest was the lighter gray colt with the big stripe
down his face. Little did we know at the time that some three years later he’d
be on the Triple Crown trail.
The next time that I came across Cherry Wine was last summer
at Saratoga. He was inconspicuous the entire summer, a calm grey in a stall
labeled “C.S. Royce,” shadowed by the monstrous form of Keen Ice some three
stalls down. Our most memorable experience together was the day after the
Travers Stakes and Keen Ice’s giant-slaying victory over American Pharoah. That
day, Dale was busy with interviews and was not able to make it to the races. He
told me to go as his representative and keep an eye on things as he had a
maiden debuting in a turf race.
As it went, I arrived backside to meet with Ubaldo and
Cherry’s groom, Ernesto. By then I had discovered that C.S. Royce was not
actually C.S. Royce, that was his dam’s name and he had been bestowed the name
of Cherry Wine. The holding barn at Saratoga is directly next to Dale’s barn,
so we made the short trip over to wait for the two-year-olds to get called over
to the paddock. When they did, the three of us trekked over, smiling the whole
way as were still giddy off of Keen Ice’s win the prior day. Cherry Wine was
relatively well behaved for a two-year-old, and after being saddled in the pink
towel for gate eight he received the leg up and Shaun Bridgmohan landed lightly
on his back in the orange silks of Frank Jones. With that, our trio followed
the horse onto the track and ducked out to watch him against the rail of the
clubhouse.
Cherry Wine in the paddock at Saratoga before his debut
There was clearly trouble in the gate as Cherry Wine reared
up twice, and to me it appeared that he may have banged himself up. He was
backed out of the gate and the track veterinarian gave him a brief once-over
and the okay to re-enter, and they were running. Cherry ended up settling quite
wide toward the back of the pack, clearly green throughout and finishing a well
beaten ninth.
From there I got separated from the other two as they went
back onto the track to greet him, but I made it back to the barn at the same
time as they did. I looked in disbelief as Cherry’s head was covered in blood
from a cut he sustained while rearing. His front legs were cut up as well, and
I was actually quite shocked the vet had allowed him to run. That was my last experience
with him of the year.
Fast forwarding to the future, Cherry Wine had physically
grown quite a lot as he stalked about in the paddock for the Preakness, the
rain making his grey darker than its true color. After Corey Lanerie got the
mount up and headed to the track, the Romans decided to stay on the turf course
to watch the race as opposed to contend the bridge to the grandstand across the
slop. This ended up being a great vantage point and we were not alone. I stood
by my friend Amanda, who hotwalks Cherry Wine when she is in town and had
offsided him for the race.
Heading into the Preakness, I was quite confident that
Nyquist would win. He’s just so much better than the rest of the crop, and his
running style is incredibly versatile so I knew he wouldn’t get caught up in a
speed duel. Clearly, I was mistaken. Luckily I had also advised everyone and
their mother in the suites to play Cherry Wine as the longshot pick, so that
worked out.
Anticipation mounted as they headed into the gate and I
could feel my heart beating out of my chest. When they broke, I stood by the
rail to watch them head by the first time and observed Cherry Wine sitting far
toward the back with the other grey, Lani. From there I changed my view to the
giant television in the infield and my jaw about dropped when I saw Nyquist
gunning between two cheap speed horses in a ridiculous :22.38 opening fraction.
It only got worse as they went the half in :46.56, with my heart sinking. Why
in the world would a jockey send such a versatile horse on a suicide mission
against two horses who did not stand a chance?
Meanwhile, I couldn’t even locate Cherry Wine because he had
dropped so far out of it as to not be in the picture. I knew he broke his
maiden over a sloppy course, so I wasn’t concerned about him handling the mud,
but I was curious if he had taken a sharp right at the first turn to stop at
the Sky Suites for a Black Eyed Susan drink.
As they came thundering around the far turn and into the
stretch, I shook my head in dismay as I saw Exaggerator skip past Nyquist. Gutierrez
is dead in my books for that ride, and you could visibly tell that poor Nyquist
knew he was getting passed and hated it. Cherry Wine’s location was still a
mystery but as they neared I saw the grey rocketing up the inside of Nyquist
and let loose a huge scream as he crossed the wire a nose in front. Amanda and
I found each other yelling at the top of our lungs, and then we galloped over
to Dale, who was staring intently at the screen, trying to decide if his horse
had gotten up over the unbeaten champion or not. When it was official everyone
looked pretty elated, and who wouldn’t after running such a huge race in a
classic?
After running on the track to greet Cherry and essentially
destroying my boots, I reconvened with the Nagels back in the Stronach tent. We
all high fived after such a huge run, with most of us cashing massive tickets
as Cherry had gone off at 17-1. From there the rest of the night was filled
with bourbon and celebrations, and my first Preakness experience was in the
books. As sad I was that Nyquist had lost in such a brutal fashion, Cherry Wine’s
incredible effort resonated in my heart.
Needless to say, while my first Preakness experience was a
bit damper than desired, it was also incredibly fulfilling. I got paid to
handicap horse racing and share my love for the sport and gambling with others,
and to top it off the Romans had a huge weekend with their runners which was
just an absolute blast. Hopefully the next time I return to Pimlico the weather
is slightly more enjoyable, but other than the precipitation, I left Baltimore
with zero complaints and strictly happy memories.
The girls killing it in the Stronach Tent
Hannah and Kyle with Miss Maryland! Blue steel baby
This year I
will be attending my very first Preakness Stakes, and I’m so excited!
Unforunately the forecast has a 90% chance of rain on Saturday. While
handicapping off the turf races is something I enjoy, it is not quite clear
what the track conditions will be yet. Therefore I handicapped for both on the
turf and off the turf conditions. Best of luck to everyone playing the card
this weekend!
4 Cinco Charlie – 7 Salutos Amigos – 3 Always
Sunshine
Cinco Charlie runs his best when he is
the lone speed in the race and he appears to be here. He’s 2-2 on the slop and
the forecast predicts rain, should run well for Steve Asmussen.
Salutos Amigos comes to Baltimore for
David Jacobson after a decent effort in the G2 Churchill Downs Stakes. He’s an
incredible 7-7 on a wet surface and is dropping out of graded company.
However, he rarely performs his best outside of New York so I’m willing to take
a stand against him here.
Always Sunshine rounds out the field
for me. He should sit a nice tracking trip and he was second to Salutos on his
home turf two back in the G3 Tom Fool. He is also 2-2 on a wet surface and his
last start was an 11 ½ length demolition of an allowance at Parx.
R6 – The James
W. Murphy Stakes – 1M – Turf - $100,000 – 3yos
He’ll Pay comes in off a stakes victory
at this distance over the synthetic for trainer Larry Jones. He did that
immediately upon graduating from maiden company, so perhaps he is coming into
his own. He seems to be training well and this looks like a good spot for him.
Copingaway: A speedy horse, he enters
off of a nice victory in stakes company last out at Gulfstream Park. Prior to
that he was on the board in multiple allowance races at Gulfstream, and the
competition in this field is not too stiff for him to do well.
Aquaphobia may have a name that won’t
suit him for Saturday as it’s supposed to pour. Hopefully he isn’t too afraid
to get wet because if this race stays on the grass I will use him to round out
my tri as he was a decent third in only his second start, last out at
Keeneland, and prior to that a nice winner of an allowance down at Tampa.
Off the turf picks: 2 He’ll Pay – 5 Conquest
Windycity – 7 Marengo Road
R7 – OC 32k/N2x
– 6F – $55,000 – 3yo+
2 Chief
Istan – 8 Troubled Waters – 4 Cooking Up a Storm
R8 – The Very
One – 5F – Turf - $100,000 – F&M 3yo+
Turf picks: 12 Lady Shipman – 1 Miss Matzoball
– 9 Exaggerated
Lady Shipman is near impossible to pick
against. She has been an easy winner of almost every single turf sprint she has
been entered in, and is 11: 8-2-0 from this distance. She already has a win
over Pimlico’s turf surface and she enters off a superbly easy victory in her
last effort down at Gulfstream.
Miss Matzoball for Roy Lerman broke her
maiden over a yielding turf course, and if the weather is as predicted, the
turf should be very soft for Friday. Two back she was a stakes winner at
Gulfstream but did not run as well in her next start at Keeneland. She should
benefit from the surface, but no one is getting close to the 12.
Exaggerated comes in off a win over
Miss Matzoball at Keeneland, the Giants Causeway, and she is particularly
quick. She will probably get toasted by the 12 and hang on for third.
Off the
turf: 9 Exaggerated – 10 Joya Real - 3
Disco Barbie
^Assuming
Lady Shipman scratches
R9 – The Chick
Lang – 6F - $100,000 – 3yos
3 Quijote - 5 Never Gone South – 1 Justin
Squared – 6 Counterforce
Quijote enters off of a few nice
efforts for trainer Tom Amoss. He’s an interesting choice, fast, and was second
as the favorite last out. Six furlongs is probably his ideal, so cutting back
helps.
Never Gone South has two wins from
three tries on a wet track and was sixth last out to Governor Malibu who went
on to run a very impressive race in the Peter Pan and is now being pointed to
the Belmont Stakes. He’s fast, and there is a lot of speed, but I think a wet
surface will help him hold on.
Justin Squared is the heavy favorite
for conditioner Bob Baffert and was an easy winner of an allowance at Laurel in
his last start. He is also speedy but I am skeptical of his ability against the
other speed hungry horses in the field, though he could easily prove me wrong
as he has been working bullets. His works have been coming at Santa Anita so he
has put a lot of mileage on in the past month.
Counterforce comes into the race off an
easy win in a stakes at Oaklawn Park and should benefit from the hot pace. I
could easily swap my top three around and be content with any order. They’re
all nice horses, I just like the 5’s prior slop form.
R10 – The Gallorette
Handicap – 1 1/16 M – Turf - $150,000 – F&M 3yo+
Tiger Ride is cross entered for Friday,
so depending on which race she enters, I really like her in this spot. There is not much speed in the race which will
hurt her closing style but she is probably the most competitive horse in the
field which will assist her.
Heath enters off of a nice allowance win
over a soft turf course for Bill Mott at Keeneland, and they thought highly
enough of her to give her three stakes tries before that start. Second start
off a layoff should benefit her as well.
Josdesanimaux was second in her last
start, a stakes race at Tampa, but prior to that was on a four race win streak
(excluding the interior race where she lost her rider). She has since been
transferred to Mark Casse’s barn where she will be making her second start for
him off of a layoff.
Ol’ Fashion Gal will sit a nice
tracking trip after two decent starts this year for Casse. She’s getting back
into the swing of things after a long layoff saw her off the races for 10
months.
Off the turf: 3 Tiger Ride – 10 Ginger N
Rye – 11 Vielsalm
R11 – The
Larc Sir Barton – 1 1/16 M – $100,000 – 3yos
7 Dazzling Gem – 5 American Freedom – 8 Moon
King
Dazzling Gem gets some class relief
here which should be huge for him as he ran fourth behind three Derby
contestants last out in the Arkansas Derby, and prior to that was third to Gun
Runner in the Louisiana Derby. This stakes should set up well for him.
American Freedom comes in off a subpar
effort in the G3 Pat Day Mile, after breaking his maiden over a sloppy, sealed
course impressively at Santa Anita. He drops down again here and stretches out,
which should be good for him as a son of Pulpit.
Moon King comes in off an okay
allowance race, but he isn’t facing worldbeaters in this field. Mark Casse is a
top conditioner and should have this horse ready to go.
Donegal Moon needs to rebound from a
poor effort in the Blue Grass Stakes, while previously romping in an allowance
race at Parx. This is a good spot for him, but there is a lot of speed in the
race and if he is not on the lead he does not win.
R12 – The Longines
Dixie – G2 – 1 1/16 M – Turf - $250,000 – 3yo+
9 Ring Weekend – 7 Grand Arch – 8 Prince
Gagarin (IRE) – 12 Take the Stand (ARG)
Ring Weekend is getting back on track
here in his seasonal debut for Graham Motion. He has been training nicely and won a
G1 in his only start of the year in 2015, so we know he runs well fresh. He
also took the Hill Prince back in 2014 over a soft surface, and the Saranac
over a good surface. He’s very live.
Grand Arch also returns to the races
after running third to Tepin in the BC Mile last year. He is a proven winner
over a yielding surface, taking the G1 Shadwell Turf Mile, and should put in a
big effort on Saturday.
Prince
Gagarin (IRE) was running over soft footing throughout his entire British
campaign and was a winner here over a soft turf course in his first start in
the United States a few weeks ago at Keeneland.
Take the Stand (ARG) rounds out my
choices as the lone true speed of the race coming in off a win in a G3 turf
race down at the Fair Grounds.
Off the
turf: 12 Take the Stand (ARG) – 10 El Kabeir – 1 Long on Value
R13- The
Preakness – G1 – 1 3/16 M - $1,500,000 – 3yo
Nyquist is going to be very hard to
beat. Unless the Derby took his soul out of him, he’s not losing. He’s
undefeated and a monster, he’s already won over the slop (Florida Derby), and
he can run from the lead, to tracking, to the back of the pack (#tbt BC
Juvenile).
Exaggerator will get an ideal set up with
a lot of speed in the race, but I do not think anyone is quick enough to toast Nyquist, so he will have plenty of kick to beat back Exaggerator (for the fifth time). There isn’t much outside of Nyquist. No one else is fast
enough. Would have preferred if Exaggerator had skipped this race to try at
Nyquist in the Belmont, but oh well. He’ll run his race but I doubt it will be
enough to get to Nyquist.
Cherry Wine broke his maiden in the
slop and should do well here with the same setup as Exaggerator. He barely
missed second in the Blue Grass Stakes, and he is not facing much here outside
of the top two. He can definitely get the distance as well.
Collected is the minor league horse
upgrading for the first time. Will he transfer well or will he fade? His Lexington
was nice but he didn’t beat much, Swipe wasn’t 100% and nothing out there was
quite impressive. Apparently he has tiny feet which will be good for slop, but
I am still skeptical of his talent.
R14 – Maiden
Special Weight – 1 1/16 M –Turf - $50,000 – 3yo+
Fantastic Style ships in from California to contest the
Skipat for the top connections of trainer Bob Baffert, owner Kaleem Shah, and
jockey Javier Castellano. She’s a cut above the rest, being a very fast multiple
graded stakes winner who has two wins from two starts at this distance. She’s
guaranteed to be upfront early, and while there is a lot of other speed in the
race, she is capable of going quicker than anyone else. Sweet on Smokey enters
for trainer Claudio Gonzalez off of a nice second in the Sugar Maple at Charles
Town on April 23rd. Prior to that she was a runaway winner of the
Videogenic Stakes at Aqueduct on April 2nd. She tends to sit off the
pace and make a move, and the hot pace that is guaranteed by the speed horses
in the race will fit her well. She’s 6:5-0-1 at this distance. Sweetrayofsunshine
ships in from New York for trainer/owner David Jacobson. At seven years of age,
she’s a model of consistency with 12 wins from 26 starts, and a record of
6:3-3-0 at this distance. She likes to be up on the pace which may be difficult
but since coming to Jacobson’s barn she’s a got two wins, one in a stakes race,
and three seconds from five starts.
R7 – The Pimlico
Special Handicap – G3 – 1 3/16 miles - $300,000 – 3yo+
2 Stanford – 1 Page McKenney – 7 Noble Bird
Stanford enters off a win in the $1,000,000 Charles Town
Classic after making the pace. He’s been right there in his two other starts of
the year, the Gulfstream Park Handicap and the Fred Hooper. He’s the lone true
speed in this race as well, registering high speed figures in his last few
starts. Pimlico’s racetrack should suit him well. Page McKenney ran second in last year’s
Pimlico Classic to Commissioner and returns looking for revenge. He was a good
second last out in the Charles Town Classic, and he entered that race off of a
four race win streak, all of which came in stakes company. He’s 2:1-1-0 at
Pimlico and tends to sit nice tracking trips. The question for Noble Bird is
which Noble Bird will show up. In his
last start he was very rank and was a distanced eighth. Prior to that he ran a
great race to finish second in the G3 Ben Ali at Keeneland. However, he has a
tendency to become rank in his races and when he does, he fades poorly. When a
level-headed Noble Bird shows up, he almost always runs well. Unfortunately, we
will not know until the horses break through the gates.
R8 – The Jim McKay
Turf Sprint – 5F - $100,000 – 3yo+
2 Ben’s Cat – 7 Rocket Heat – 4 Expected Ruler
Is it possible to root against the iron gelding Ben’s Cat
and his incredible trainer King Leatherbury? I don’t think so. If he gets beat
today, it’s by Rocket Heat, but it’s unlikely. He has, after all, won this race
four times, three in consecutive years, and is the defending champion. The
gelding has 31 wins in 54 lifetime starts, registering a 10:6-1-0 record on
Pimlico’s turf. He returned to the races on May 1st after a break, getting
up just in time to take an allowance in super impressive fashion. His main competition,
Rocket Heat, enters off of a win in the G3 Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs.
Rocket Heat tends to send to the lead, and cruised in his last start to win in
56.47 seconds. He thrives at this distance with four wins and a second from six
starts. He’s the second choice. Expected Ruler, a three year old trained by the
young conditioner Liam Benson, enters off of a nice allowance victory at
Keeneland. A turf stakes winner in his debut at Monmouth, he followed that up
with two subpar efforts in graded stakes at Churchill and Keeneland. He returned
in his sophomore year to run sixth beaten 9 ¼ behind the superstar Manhattan
Dan at Gulfstream, before taking the race at Keeneland. He’s definitely a
longshot but if Ben’s Cat doesn’t fire, there’s a lot of horses left in the
field to pick up the pieces.
R9 – The Allaire
Dupont Distaff – G3 – 1 1/8 miles - $150,000 – F&M 3yo+
I settle on Ahh Chocolate, the Neil Howard trainee coming in
off of a decent third in the Doubledogdare at Keeneland. This Candy Ride (ARG)
filly has been in the money in all of her last four starts and was third here
in the Black Eyed Susan last year. She’s by no means a world-beater but she has
won at this distance before and her lifetime worst race, tenth beaten 4 1/2,
came in a turf race last August. Tiger Ride, another Candy Ride (ARG) filly, enters
for Graham Motion after a poor showing against Tepin in the G1 Jenny Wiley over
the turf. This filly is intriguing, she has run on turf and dirt multiple times
at multiple distances. I’m not sure if it is because Motion has no clue what
her ideal is, or because she’s just good enough to do anything. Her seasonal
debut came in the G2 Inside Information, a 7F sprint, before the 1 1/16 try
over the turf. Now she extends out to 1 1/8 on the dirt, the furthest distance
she has ever contested. Why not give her a shot? Round out with the mare
Savings Account for Tom Proctor who enters off of a win in the Esplanade Stakes
over a muddy, sealed Fair Grounds with Ahh Chocolate third behind her.
R10 – The Hilltop – 1
1/16 M - $100,000 – 3yoF
5 Miss Katie Mae (IRE) – 14 Wessex – 9 Channel Regatta
If it weren’t for her horrible post position, I would have
Juddmone Farm’s Wessex on top here. She’s a debut winner jumping up to stakes company
for top conditioner Bill Mott, but being draw in gate 14 makes her trip
incredibly difficult. Instead I settled
on Miss Katie Mae (IRE) for Graham Motion. Her first start in the United States
was a decent fourth by 2 ¼ at Keeneland in allowance company. In that race she
covered 40 feet more than the winner, the equivalent of about 4 ¾ lengths, as
all of the top three horses covered less ground than she did. She also had the
quickest final quarter. Prior to that she raced in England and was graded
stakes placed, losing the G3 Anglesey Stakes by just a neck. She’s got a better
European record than her other Irish counterpart, Spinamiss (IRE) for Todd
Pletcher. Channel Regatta, a horse from local connections, enters off of two
wins, a maiden and an allowance. She has already won twice from this distance
and as the field is not a group of world beaters she could definitely get up to
be part of the money.
R11 – The Black-Eyed
Susan – G2 – 1 1/8 M - $250,000 – 3yoF
3 Land Over Sea – 5 Go Maggie Go – 9 Midnight On Oconee - 4 Ma Can Do It
Land Over Sea put in a huge effort in the Kentucky Oaks to
land a close second, three lengths behind Cathryn Sophia. She covered 60ft (~7
lengths) more than third placed Lewis Bay, and 45ft (~5 ¼ lengths) more than
fourth placed Go Maggie Go, all of whom finished within a neck of the O’Neill
trainee. She was drawn in gate 13 on Oaks day and should benefit from an inside
post here. She has proven herself to be one of the nicer three-year-old fillies
after coming out of Songbird’s shadow and I think she will cement that claim in
the Black Eyed Susan. Go Maggie Go enters off of an impressive fourth in just
her third start. She made a huge move down the stretch and barely missed the jump
for second after a troubled trip. She was also taken out of her prior
established running style, a stalking trip, and shuffled to the back of the
pack. With a good draw here and some experience under her belt, she should be
able to turn in a big performance. I round out with Midnight on Oconee, a Larry
Jones trainee who struggled in her last start, the Fair Grounds Oaks, finishing
a distant seventh. Before that subpar performance she was second in the Rachel
Alexandra and second in the Silverbulletday. She’s speedy, and Jones knows how
to do well with fillies. She could be sitting on a nice effort. Add in the maiden Ma Can Do It who has repeatedly done well in graded company and will relish the stretch to two turns.
The Kentucky Derby has come and gone in the inevitable
whirlwind of mint juleps, big hats, and fast horses that sweeps it in and out
every year. Though this year’s edition did not reach the same epic proportions
of my first Derby experience last May, it was every bit as memorable as
American Pharoah’s.
My Derby weekend began by giving two sets of tours on Oaks
day at my place of employment, Spendthrift Farm. The first, a tour for fifty
Texas A&M alumni correlated with the veterinary school, went significantly
smoother than I had expected. The next was a tour for a lovely mother and
daughter duo from Columbus, Ohio, and my friend’s energetic and fun mother. I
always prefer the intimacy of smaller tours, and hearing anecdotes about your
friends as children and growing up is always an enjoyable exchange, farm
history for blackmail.
By three o’clock I had leapt into my dress and began
powering down I-64W to Louisville. I arrived with plenty of time to spare at
the backside and parked next to my friend’s barn. Bailey Romans, daughter of
Dale Romans, has been one of my best friends since we met at Saratoga some four
years ago and her family has always been more than generous with me in sharing
in the excitement of their racing stable and general life activities.
Bailey and I on Derby day
They had Go Maggie Go running in the Kentucky Oaks. The
Ghostzapper filly had only run twice before, winning her debut easily this
year down at Gulfstream Park before following that up with another effortless
victory in the G2 Davona Dale. The plan was to do the walkover with her, and it
was executed to perfection. While Beto, her groom led her down the backside, my
friend Amanda Gillman, a partner in Donegal and equally passionate racing
enthusiast offsided the filly, and another good friend in photographer and
Darley Flying Starter Mary Ellet joined us for the expedition. It was easily
one of the highlights of the weekend as we four girls and Beto made our way
over to the paddock. There was of course the inevitable dodge of the security
guards entering the paddock area, but after a brief dance of evasion I
triumphed. Honestly, I walked in with an Oaks contestant, you would think I
wouldn’t have to worry about being “detained” as some lady with a clipboard had
attempted to have me.
Mary Ellet, myself, Amanda Gillman, Go Maggie Go, and Beto
Once successfully in the paddock, I discovered Bailey and
Jake, her brother, were on set about to be in interviewed by Wave 3 News. The
Kentucky Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective Association, overseen by Jennie
Rees and Bailey, started this great initiative called #KyDerbyKids, where sons
and daughters of trainers contesting the Kentucky Derby could share with the
public their experiences leading up to the race through Twitter. It’s a great way
to expose a younger generation to the experiences of other youth in the
industry. Bailey received a lot of media time through the initiative, and she
is an excellent public speaker, so the movement had a great representative.
The race itself did not pan out exactly as we had idealized,
but Go Maggie Go ran incredibly well considering it was only her third start. Before
she entered the gate we started a “Go Maggie Go” chant in the box area, and
people enthusiastically joined in. She broke decently but was taken out of her
normal tracking style, settling back on the rail. She swung out some five wide
in the far turn and for a little there I was afraid she was not going to make a
move. However, when she got out into the center of the stretch she unleashed an
impressive turn of foot. She had the fastest final furlong and quarter times, and
barely missed the jump for third. Taking
nothing away from the winner, Cathryn Sophia ran an absolutely spectacular race
after being wide throughout, but Maggie will simply get better with distance.
The G1 Alabama at 1 1/4 miles up at Saratoga sounds right up her alley.
Amanda and I with Maggie after the race
Derby day came quickly after a night of bourbon and
handicapping, and I was so excited. Our friend Kate Melican, Jake’s girlfriend,
is an incredibly talented fashionista and she hand crafted my fascinator that
morning. You can visit her website at She's A Southern Belle. I wasn’t sure I loved my dress, a floral with a high neckline coincidentally
in the colors of Albaugh Family Stable’s silks, but it all came together quite
well. We packed in the car and drove to the track, arriving late morning. As is
tradition within the family and extended friends, a huge group of us amassed in
the Stephen Foster Lounge to take in the races.
Kate Melican of She's a Southern Belle and I with the facsinators she designed
One of my good friends works at Snapchat and he hooked me up
with the lady coordinating the Kentucky Derby feed, so I spent a large part of
the day gathering snaps for the Kentucky Derby story. It was quite enjoyable
and I hovered around the winners’ circle area, where I was able to briefly (10
seconds or less) interview Bob Costas, Adrian Grenier, and Victor Espinoza to
name a few. Over 3.5 million people viewed my snapchats from the Derby. That
was a very fun part of the event. In the fifth race, the Romans won with
Hesinfront, and we had our first picture of the day taken. It’s always fun to
see everyone enjoying themselves in the winner’s circle, and of course there is
an electricity in the air that makes winning on Derby day all the more special.
Eventually it was time to head to the backside to prepare
for the walkover. That is easily the most thrilling part of Derby day, other
than the big race itself. Albaugh Family Stable, the crew that owns Brody’s
Cause, is a great group of people and a pleasure to be around. It’s headed by
Dennis Albaugh, the pesticide billionaire from Iowa who is as down to earth and
friendly as can be. The experience of all your friends gathered by the barns,
the nerves pulsing through your body, it’s such a rush of emotion that it’s
hard to handle.
It got creepy as the minutes passed. Storm clouds rolled in
rapidly and just as country music sensation Lady Antebellum began to deliver the
national anthem, the skies opened and rain started pouring down torrentially.
It was haunting as the wind and precipitation whipped through the backside, and
the words to our nation’s anthem beat on through it all, echoed by a chorus of
167,000 voices. We were sheltered under
the barn for protection and missed the running of the Woodford Reserve Turf
Classic. It seems as though the rains had ushered in bad luck, because in the paddock for that race a sign flew off the roof and hit entrant Grand
Tito, causing the horse to act up and eventually flip over and hit his head hard,
dragging his groom to the same doom. He was scratched, and the race went off.
Two horses clipped heels and fell during the running, which was eventually won
by Divisidero, but the drama that preluded the Derby did not continue on into the race.
Brody with Mark Simms and Jose
The rain stopped in time for the walkover and the skies
cleared, allowing bright sunlight to caress the backs of the twenty horses that
aligned to contest the most exciting two minutes in sports. Last year I did the
walkover with the Romans crew, Donegal Racing, and Keen Ice. This year’s
edition was slightly different as Brody’s Cause was the first horse to head to
the paddock. It was also nice as the crowd was not as riled up so Brody
remained calm, cool, and collected. Not as though he ever acts up, he’s one of
the classiest racehorses I have ever been around. The cheers for Dale rained
down from the grandstand as eager fans shouted their support for one of
Louisville’s most beloved trainers. Cries for Iowa occasionally were shouted to
the Albaughs, and the entire trek gave me the chills. Disappearing under the
twinspires and through the tunnel to the paddock, the sensation was dulled by
the mass amounts of people clustered inside. I snuck out of the crowd packed in
the oval to see if I could get some more decent footage for snapchat by Brody’s
stall, and the lovely bay stood there patiently with Jose, his groom, to his
left, and Mark Simms, a good family friend of the Romans, to the right. Dennis
told me to give Brody a pep talk so I whispered some words of advice in his
ear. He’s the kind of horse that you can do that to, you can literally walk up
to his head while he is in the paddock for the Kentucky Derby and whisper in
his ear, and he won’t even flinch. Many of the horses were nervous wrecks, but
I swear with Brody, he’s so special and relaxed that you do not even need to
worry about moves that would be considered silly or dangerous around any other
horse. He’s like my paint at home, kind, intelligent, and wise beyond his
years.
Brody cool as a cucumber in the paddock
There were a few particularly wild moments in the paddock as
last year’s Triple Crown winning trainer Bob Baffert noted that Danzing Candy’s
saddle had slipped and ushered him back into his #20 stall. Baffert and who I
presumed was the exercise rider readjusted the horse’s saddle and sent him
on his way. A class act. Ironically not four minutes later, after the jockeys
mounted and the horses were leaving the paddock, one of the connections of #18,
Majesto, came running up to Dale exclaiming that they needed help, the girth
was loose. In a panic Majesto was brought back to his stall and Dale fixed his
saddle. Immediately after, Dale and Bob convened, both a little shocked but
also laughing at what had just occurred.
Bob Baffert attending to Danzing Candy
We watched the race in the paddock as Baffert and the
connections of Mor Spirit gathered a few feet away. Unfortunately keeping track
of your rooting interest on the paddock screen is about as easy as finding
Waldo, so we didn’t really know where Brody was throughout or where he ended.
We were well aware that Nyquist won, and I couldn’t help but smile a little as
he had been my number 1 Derby pick throughout the whole season, and I got to know his
team well as they prepped at Keeneland, they’re incredible people.
We went down to the track to see what Luis Saez, Brody’s
jockey, had to say after the race. Johnny, Nyquist’s exercise rider, and I
spotted each other at the same time and he quickly intercepted me for a big hug
that quite literally swept me off my feet. You can’t help but be happy for your
friends when they win, especially when it’s the Kentucky Derby.
Brody’s Cause had finished seventh, and he didn’t really
have too much of an excuse. He had an incredibly wide trip and had the
third-fastest final quarter, but it just was not his day. A little dejected, we
returned to the lounge to take it all in.
Wildly enough, the Romans had one last entrant in the final
race of the card that was also owned by Albaugh Family Stable. Race Me Home, an
impeccably bred son of the talented multiple Grade 1 winning racemare Society
Selection, by the great British sire Oasis Dream, was unplaced in two starts.
Tammy Fox was completely confident in the likelihood of his winning this race, and
we watched diligently from the same area the Romans always view the races. With
the lights on and the dark skies streaked with lightning, Race Me Home finished
first under the wire. That feeling of pure elation returned as we all gathered
in the winner’s circle, Dennis Albaugh’s face lit up with a huge smile as he
threw hugs out to everyone in his path, and laughter filled the air and took the weight of Brody’s loss off of everyone.
Bruce Romans and I in the paddock before the last
That night it seems as though there was a reason for Brody’s
loss, Dale needed all of his luck on his way home from the races. The skies
reopened as we left the track and rain dampened the night. Dale and some his friends
were travelling back from dinner when a lady ran a stop sign and smashed into
them, causing their car to spiral into an oncoming car. In a panic everyone was
taken to the hospital in ambulances. Luckily
none of the injuries were life threatening, but everyone was in a lot of pain
and there were more than a handful of broken bones between the passengers. They
had a guardian angel with them that night because the car was totaled and they could easily have died.
Brody and his barn cat friend the day after
The next morning Amanda and I went to the barns to check in
on Brody’s Cause and the horse was lively as ever, playfully nipping at the
barn cat’s tail every time he strutted by Brody’s stall. The backside itself
was deserted, the complete opposite of the hustle and bustle that had led up to
Saturday's climax. Afterward we caught up with our friends at Nyquist’s barn and the
mood was jovial, but relaxed. The champ himself was napping, but by the end of
our visit he had resurfaced, releasing a big yawn before attentively taking in
his surroundings. He would ship out to Pimlico to follow his Triple Crown quest
the next day.
Amanda and I with part of Team Nyquist, Tyler and Jack
With all of the excitement over, I packed up my bags and
drove back to Lexington, with a quick stop at Vietnam Kitchen to get my
favorite meal, a noodles and chicken dish simply called K11. While Nyquist ventures
to Pimlico this week, I’ll be recuperating from the highs and lows of Derby for
the next few days. The post-Derby depression is real, but the idea of attending my first Preakness is the motivation I need to make it through the next two
weeks. As always, I am forever grateful for my friends and the people who allow
me to make such incredible memories. May they continue for years to come.
