Big Brown has no place among the all-time greats
It took a while, but those recent victories by Big Brown in the first two legs of the Triple Crown have finally created the same problems associated with other professional sports, making comparisons between great athletes past and present.
Sure, Big Brown's races have been astonishing. Everywhere you go, the talk is about what a great horse he is, and how he should be considered among the best of all time.
It is time for all of us to become serious.
Yes, Big Brown is a nice horse -- but a great one? Do not even go there.
Imagine a horse who has raced only four times and has beaten fields filled with mediocre rivals being called one of the greatest!
This is a horse who, by year's end, could close out his career with six races in his lifetime.
Big Brown is being mentioned in the same sentence as Secretariat, who raced 21 times and won 16 races, Man O' War with 21 starts and 20 wins, and Seabiscuit, who ran an astonishing 89 times and banked 33 wins.
Triple Crown winner Affirmed, a winner of 22 races from 29 starts, had to earn his stripes competing against archrival Alydar who won 14 races in 26 starts.
Then there is Swaps, who from 25 starts won 19 races, including five World Speed records. In the 1940s, Citation became the sport's first millionaire when he won 32 races in 45 starts.
Then there is the people's horse, John Henry, who competed in 89 races and won 39 times -- and retired at the grand old age of nine years.
Yes, we are all looking for a superstar; unfortunately, to become one, you have to go out and earn it.
A career built on possibly six starts does not constitute greatness.
(c) The Vancouver Province 2008
Big Brown trainer Dutrow friend of Torre, Zimmer
Five years ago, on a chilly April afternoon, trainer Rick Dutrow sat in Aqueduct's film room and dialed his friend and client Joe Torre. In a few minutes, Dutrow's filly Cyber Secret would challenge unbeaten 2-year-old champion Storm Flag Flying, and Dutrow sensed an upset. He urged Torre and Don Zimmer to bet on Cyber Secret, who led all the way and paid $9. Dutrow also told Torre to link Cyber Secret in the late double with another of his horses, who lost.
"Rick is a colorful character and I get a kick out of him," Torre said Tuesday in Los Angeles before his Dodgers played the Mets. "Of course, if you ask him, every single horse that he has is going to win."
Or even if you don't ask. Dutrow touted the world last week on Big Brown, and the undefeated colt's 4 3/4-length runaway in the Kentucky Derby made him a prophet.
"Rick's a friend of mine, and we talk often," Torre said. "He told me, 'Babe, this horse is really something.' I watched him after the Derby and he couldn't find enough people to hug. His tie was all disheveled, and he's not a guy you're going to dress up anyway.
"It really touched me. I was so happy for him because he's had a tough life. The mother of his daughter got killed in Schenectady, and Rick's mother helped raise Molly. He had a very combative relationship with his dad, who pretty much disowned him because he felt he didn't work at anything. Unfortunately, died of cancer [in 1999] before he realized that all of a sudden Rick had sort of straightened himself out."
Sort of is an indulgent way of putting it. Dutrow, 48, is an engaging rogue and a notorious man of controversy. He's been banned from racing three times for marijuana use, including for five years in New York in the 1980s. His horses have used illicit substances, too, and he's been suspended at least once for drug positives every year from 2000-07, including 2005, when he trained Horse of the Year Saint Liam. Many straight arrows in racing cringed as Dutrow clutched the Derby trophy. He doesn't defend his many transgressions but doesn't apologize for them, either.
"Sometimes I wonder if I had to go through some of the things I've gone through to get where I am today," Dutrow said. "I don't think I'm the type of person you'd look to for guidance. If I ever got good advice, I never took it."
Zimmer, a longtime horseplayer who attended the Derby, hooked up Dutrow and Torre. Zimmer was a friend of Dick Dutrow and got Torre interested in racing. By A Nose Joe, named by Torre's wife, Ali, was his first horse with Rick. Torre said he used to own "pieces of 15 or 16 horses" with Dutrow but is down to "two or three" because most of the Dodgers manager's stable is in California.
Dutrow won the 2005 Queen's Plate, Canada's version of the Kentucky Derby, with Wild Desert, who was part owned by Torre. Dutrow claimed the filly Sis City for $50,000, and Torre purchased 25 percent of her. She won several stakes before being sold for $2 million. Dutrow also trained a colt he named Torre and Zim in honor of his pals.
On Sunday morning, Torre called Dutrow from Denver to congratulate him. "Joe and Zim are my people," said Dutrow, and Torre is thrilled for his friend.
"Rick is something special now," he said. "He's got a horse that's obviously special. It's just beginning, but it's like an Academy Award -- they can't take it away from you. They'll always talk about you as the Derby winner."
Copyright (c) 2008, Newsday Inc.
On the Kentucky Derby worktab
Wood Memorial (G1) winner TALE OF EKATI (Tale of the Cat) breezed four furlongs in :49 2/5 under exercise rider Kristen Troxell at Churchill Downs on Tuesday in his final major workout prior to Saturday's $2 million Kentucky Derby (G1). The bay colt was timed in fractions of :12 3/5, :24 3/5 and :36 4/5. He galloped out five furlongs in 1:03 2/5.
"You can't see much of anything unless you watch it on TV. You go to the clocker's stand and watch it on TV -- corporate America!" trainer Barclay Tagg remarked in reference to the massive tents in the infield. "I just wanted him to go a nice half-mile. He went fine. Nothing dramatic."
Tagg, who saddled the New York-bred gelding Funny Cide for a victory in the 2003 Kentucky Derby, said he doesn't change his training philosophy leading to the 1 1/4-mile classic.
"You just do the same old routine -- nothing fancy," Tagg said. "It's another horse race. You bring him up to it the best you can -- the way that works best for him -- and hope they run well."
Tagg is concerned about the possibility of a muddy track on Saturday. The forecast for the Louisville, Kentucky, area calls for thunderstorms Friday night with partly sunny conditions and a chance of scattered showers on Saturday.
"I don't like rain. I don't like muddy tracks. You never know where you are on a muddy track," Tagg said. "(Tale of Ekati) didn't like a muddy track in the Breeders' Cup (Juvenile [G1] at Monmouth Park) and I don't imagine he'll like it if it's here. If you get it, you get it. You can't stop the rain."
OBS Championship S. winner HALO NAJIB (Halo's Image) breezed five furlongs around the dogs in 1:05 on a firm turf course beneath jockey Kent Desormeaux. The Zayat Stables colorbearer is on the outside looking in with respect to a starting position in the Kentucky Derby and is more likely to run in Friday's $150,000 Crown Royal American Turf S. (G3). Halo Najib has $157,996 in graded stakes earnings and is 21st on the list for the Derby, which is limited to a maximum field of 20 horses.
"I just wanted to let him run down the lane and let Kent see if he's got a quick turn of foot on him," trainer Dale Romans said. "I love it when I see my horses come back after a work and it doesn't look like they even did anything."
Desormeaux has the mount aboard Halo Najib in the American Turf. If Halo Najib were to draw into the Derby field, Romans said that the mount would go to Cornelio Velasquez or David Flores.
Multiple Group 1 winner TOMCITO (Street Cry [Ire]), who would need at least three defections in order to run in the Derby, drilled four furlongs on the main track in :46 4/5, second best of 29 works at the distance. The Dante Zanelli-trained colt, who finished sixth as the lukewarm favorite in the Lexington S. (G2) on April 19 at Keeneland, has $151,292 in graded stakes earnings. Tomcito likely will point toward the Preakness S. (G1) on May 17 at Pimlico.
In other Kentucky Derby news:
Undefeated Florida Derby (G1) winner BIG BROWN (Boundary) took his first tour around the main track at Churchill Downs on Tuesday, and shortly thereafter trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. all but predicted a victory in the Kentucky Derby.
"I feel very confident that if Big Brown breaks with the field, I think he's going to run a big race," Dutrow said. "I just haven't seen any other horse with my eyes that can beat him. That's all."
Big Brown stamped himself as one to be reckoned with in a 12 3/4-length allowance victory on March 5 at Gulfstream Park. Just over three weeks later, the bay colt romped to a five-length victory in Florida Derby. Dutrow kept the colt at the Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida and shipped him to Churchill Downs Monday. With a big crowd of media following him from the barn, Big Brown walked to the track at 8:30 a.m. (EDT). Under exercise rider Michelle Nevin, he galloped about 1 1/2 miles.
"He traveled very good. I was with him the whole way," Dutrow said. "A lot of horses really like flying; he's one of them. He ate up everything last night. He trained good this morning. We're happy with things."
During a news conference, Dutrow talked at length about the quarter cracks that have twice interrupted Big Brown's career. He said the hoof issues were resolved in time for the colt to get in his two Gulfstream races and run his unbeaten record to three.
"Since then, every day has been a good day for Big Brown," Dutrow said. "That's where we are right now."
Following the allowance victory, Dutrow said he and the owners, IEAH Stables and Paul Pompa Jr., elected to step up to Grade 1 company in the Florida Derby.
"That's why we ran him back in 24 days," he said. "Anybody who watches me train horses, I like waiting the 30 to 40 days. When they put in an effort, I like waiting. But the circumstances were different. Everybody dreams of being where we are right now, and we had to make some type of move and decide what we wanted to do next.
"After we thought about it, we thought 24 days wasn't the best kind of scenario, but we watched him run. It didn't look like he was on his belly that day. It didn't look like he gave it all that he had. So we figured, 'OK, yeah, we can try this. What have we got to lose?' We went into the Florida Derby very confident. Even though we drew the 12 post, right away I loved it because he wasn't going to get in trouble. He would have things go his way in the race and that the only way I could see him getting beat was if he got in trouble. I just couldn't see those horses beating him. He came out of the race really good."
Dutrow said Big Brown will gallop Wednesday and breeze three furlongs on Thursday. The trainer said he won't make any changes in how he handles the colt.
"I'm training him for a horse race," Dutrow said. "It doesn't make me feel anything different just because he's training for the Kentucky Derby. Even though it's the biggest race in the world, still, I'm basically training him for a horse race. That's the only way that I'm looking at it.
"I've been dreaming about the Derby all my life. So now I'm here. I don't want to put more into training him because I think all you have to do is basic stuff around him. His talent and his ability is going to get us there, not my training techniques. Just him. He's the one's that's got us here. Any good-enough horseman can do what I've done with this horse. Any jockey can do what Kent (Desormeaux) has done with this horse. Any groom, hotwalker. It's the horse that is what is making the whole game go here."
Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner COLONEL JOHN (Tiznow) returned to the track Tuesday morning and trainer Eoin Harty liked what he saw. On Sunday, the bay colt turned in the fastest five-furlong work of the day, getting the distance in :57 4/5. Monday, his exercise was limited to walking the shedrow. On Tuesday, he was given the chance to stretch his legs a bit on the track.
"It was a real easy morning, just jogged him once around there," Harty said. "He was full of himself. I'm just glad I got him around there in one piece without him doing something stupid. He wanted to do a lot more."
Harty said that Colonel John has flourished since the breeze, his first over a dirt track since last summer. At Keeneland and in California, Colonel John has trained and raced over synthetic surfaces.
"He came out of that work in great shape, which was good to see," Harty said.
Harty said he expects to school Colonel John in the paddock during the early part of the racing program on Wednesday.
Santa Anita Derby runner-up BOB BLACK JACK (Stormy Jack) had a quiet Tuesday morning, merely walking the shedrow after breezing four furlongs in :48 3/5 on Monday.
"The horse ate up and all is well," trainer James Kasparoff said. "He's doing good and acting super. It'll be just an easy one for him today."
The trainer talked strategy about the Run for the Roses.
"Ideally, I'd like to see him sitting second in the early running," he said. "But he can take the lead if nobody wants to go do it. I've got the fastest horse in the race, but the issue is how do you dole out that speed. I like the way (jockey Richard) Migliore sits him. He'll do right. I thought his ride in the Santa Anita Derby was a good one. Distance isn't a question with this horse. He'll run on. I don't see that as a problem."
brisnet.com
Icabad Crane joins open stakes winners
Icabad Crane is the latest New York-bred 3-year-old open stakes winner of 2008, with his victory in the $100,000 Tesio Stakes on April 19 at Pimlico Race Course.
The group also includes Big Truck, winner of the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby; Z Fortune, winner of the Grade 3 Lecomte Stakes; and Giant Moon, winner of the Count Fleet Stakes.
Bred and foaled at Marlene Brody's Gallagher's Stud in Ghent, N.Y., Icabad Crane is owned by Earle I. Mack.
Purchased for $110,000 at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Co. sale of 2-year-olds in training, Icabad Crane, a son of Jump Start, has now earned $125,400 with a record of 3-0-1 in 4 starts.
The Tesio Stakes is often used as a prep for the Preakness Stakes, to be run on May 17 at Pimlico.
Icabad Crane is out of the winning Rahy mare Adorahy, who has an outstanding New York family.
Second dam Adorable Micol won the Grade 3 Countess Fager Handicap and placed in several graded events. She is the dam of Adcat, winner of the Grade 3 New Hampshire Sweepstakes, and Adorydar, winner of the Torrey Pines Stakes and third in the Grade 1 Hollywood Oaks.
Yet another productive daughter of Adorable Micol is Adoryphar, who placed in the Grade 2 La Prevoyante Handicap and is the dam of stakes winner Ruthian.
Ruthian is the dam of the superior runner Rutherienne, winner of the recent Grade 2 Jenny Wiley at Keeneland and the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks last year.
Adorable Micol is also the granddam of Albany Handicap winner Gratiaen.
Mr. Greeley colt brings $750,000
A New York-bred colt by Mr. Greeley sold for $750,000 to the Shadwell Estate Co. of Sheikh Hamdan al-Maktoum at Tattersalls' Craven 2-year-old breeze-up sale on April 17 in England.
He was foaled at Tom Gallo's Blue Stone Farm in Cambridge, N.Y.
The colt is out of Dehere of the Dog, by Dehere, and was sold for $260,000 last year at the Keeneland September yearling sale out of the Gallo Sales Agency consignment. He was purchased by Margaret O'Toole.
Gallo is the managing owner of the Dehere of the Dog broodmare partnership, which bred the colt. The group also includes Mia Gallo, Joan Desadora, Dave Stack, and Fred Gorsline.
Dehere of the Dog is a half-sister to Sunray Spirit, winner of the Grade 3 Cowdin Stakes. Third dam Slewsbasque, by Seattle Slew, is a daughter of La Basque.
La Basque is a half-sister to champion filly Heavenly Cause, whose terrific family includes Wood Memorial winner Bounding Basque.
Dehere of the Dog is currently in foal to first-year stallion Discreet Cat, winner of the Grade 1 Cigar Mile.
New York juveniles sell well at Ocala
Juveniles by several state sires brought healthy prices at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Co. 2-year-olds in training sale this past week.
Hook and Ladder was represented by a colt named Stately Chief, who sold for $120,000 on April 21.
Consigned by Sequel Bloodstock (Becky Thomas), agent, he was purchased by Elektikos Stable, Linda Rice, agent.
He is out of Fine Design, a daughter of Colony Light. Colony Light's half-brother Silvardara placed in the Grade 3 Lawrence Realization.
Wicked Climb, another colt by Hook and Ladder, was purchased by Gary Contessa for $92,000 at the same session.
Also consigned by Sequel Bloodstock, he is out of Devil's Waltz, by Marshua's Dancer. His half-brother Waltzin' Storm placed in the Grade 2 Summer Stakes and Grade 3 Play the King Handicap at Woodbine.
Hook and Ladder stands at Sequel Stallions in Hudson.
On the second day at OBS, a colt by Freud brought $80,000 from Linda Rice, agent. He is out of Friendziedfruitcake, by Wild Again. Friendziedfruitcake's half-sister Zealous Connection won the Grade 2 Landaluce Stakes.
Freud is also at Sequel Stallions.
A filly by Desert Warrior fetched $65,000 at this session. Consigned by Jennifer Maselli, agent, she was purchased by Marshall Dowell.
Out of the Runaway Groom mare Groom Service, the filly is a half-sister to stakes-placed Lonesome Leo.
This family includes several stakes winners, among them Chores at Dawn, winner of the Aspidistra Handicap at Calder.
Desert Warrior stands at McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds in Saratoga Springs
drf.com
Leading sire Storm Cat experiencing declining fertility
Leading sire Storm Cat has experienced a decline in fertility this season, according to published reports.
The 25-year-old by Storm Bird out of multiple Grade 2 winner Terlingua, by Secretariat, stands at Overbrook Farm in Lexington for $300,000 after standing the previous five seasons for $500,000. Storm Cat was the leading general sire in 1999-2000 and is a seven-time leading juvenile sire.
Storm Cat has had strong fertility rates throughout his career at stud, but the numbers are down this season.
"There is no indication that the problem is anything other than the natural degeneration that comes with old age," Ric Waldman, manager of stallion operations at Overbrook Farm, told Racing Post. "Storm Cat is otherwise in fantastic health and has a good libido and as long as he is comfortable covering we will continue with him. There has been no discussion of next season yet, not even privately."
Storm Cat has sired 670 winners from 925 starters that have amassed $111,834,554 in purse earnings through Monday. He has sired eight champions, 98 group or graded stakes winners, and 160 stakes winners from 18 crops of racing age.
Among his leading runners are 2000 European Horse of the Year Giant's Causeway, 1994 Preakness (G1) and Belmont (G1) Stakes winner Tabasco Cat, and champions Storm Flag Flying, Sweet Catomine, Hold That Tiger, and One Cool Cat.
Storm Cat also is well regarded as a sire of sires. Sons of Storm Cat who have gone on to success at stud include leading sires Giant's Causeway and Hennessy as well as Tale of the Cat, Forest Wildcat, Stormy Atlantic, Forestry, Bernstein, and Van Nistelrooy, among others.
A William T. Young homebred, Storm Cat won four of eight career starts, including the 1985 Young America Stakes (G1). He stood his first season at stud for $30,000 in 1988 at Young's Overbrook Farm.
(c) Copyright 2008, Thoroughbred Times
In politics and horse racing, it's a race to the finish
Everyone hates it when the press covers a presidential campaign like a horse race instead of a serious battle of ideas. Issues wonks say the focus on candidates' tactics is insulting to voters. Railbirds say the comparison to politicians is insulting to horses.
But once in a great while, a campaign unfolds in such a way that a horse-race analogy is unavoidable.
I don't know what's shaping up as a more classic horse race, Saturday's Santa Anita Derby (featuring Sham Stakes winner Colonel John, San Rafael Stakes winner El Gato Malo, and Lewis runner-up Coast Guard) or the ongoing presidential contest (headed by Iowa Futurity winner Barack Obama, New Hampshire Stakes winner Hillary Clinton, and the romping Super Tuesday Stakes winner John McCain).
Democrats wring their hands over the prospect that their favorites, both accustomed to setting the pace, will continue to wage such an intense battle for the front that they soften each other up, leaving the survivor too weak to hold off the stretch-runner from the Republican stable. The Democrats are, of course, the resolute Clinton and the easy-striding Obama. The Republican is the rested and patient McCain.
Racetrack regulars aren't surprised by what we're seeing on the news channels. We've all seen a thousand races like this. They're called speed duels.
"The analogy is fantastic," Chris McCarron, the retired Hall of Fame jockey, said Tuesday from Lexington, Ky.
"Sometimes you see two aggressive individuals burning up all their energy, and in this case (politics), that includes money. McCain can just sit back and continue to save money."
And while Obama and Clinton trade insults, McCain takes notes for the fall campaign.
Obama and Clinton don't need campaign managers. They need jockeys.
McCarron rode four Santa Anita Derby winners - Dinard (1991), Cavonnier (1996), The Deputy (2000) and Came Home (2002). He recently founded the North American Racing Academy in Lexington, Ky., a training program for aspiring jockeys and horsemen.
So, what would McCarron tell a jockey to do when he finds himself in a potentially suicidal speed duel, riding a habitual front-runner pushing harder and harder to keep up with an equally speedy rival?
"When you get to the point of no return, you've got to figure out how you're going to test the other individual for class," McCarron said. "And you've got to figure out how you're going to create the least amount of hindrance for your horse."
In other words, if you're aboard a front-runner in a duel, better to let your horse maintain his or her natural running rhythm than to start whipping and driving too soon.
"I don't know if that's any advice for a couple of politicians," McCarron admitted.
"Maybe they (Clinton and Obama) need to back off a little bit and let their past performances speak for themselves." McCarron caught himself. "Actually, I hope they do beat each other up," he said with a laugh. "I'm voting for McCain."
Everybody's got a favorite (or bitter) memory of a major race in which the favorites hooked up in a hell-bent sprint for the lead that left their tongues hanging out and a plodder taking advantage.
The 1991 Nassau County Handicap at Belmont Park doped out as a showdown between Farma Way, the West Coast's top handicap horse, and Jolie's Halo, his East Coast counterpart. But they ended up going head and head on the front end, cracking 1:09 for the first three-quarters of a mile - and cracking each other. When Festin passed them to win, Farma Way jockey Gary Stevens got the blame from trainer D. Wayne Lukas and was fired.
After Bold Forbes and jockey Angel Cordero won the 1976 Kentucky Derby by taking a clear early lead over favored Honest Pleasure and Braulio Baeza, the Honest Pleasure team stuck closer to Bold Forbes two weeks later in the Preakness. But Honest Pleasure succeeded only in pushing Bold Forbes to a sizzling pace of 1:09 for the three-quarters, causing both to wilt as Elocutionist rallied from fourth to win at 10-1odds.
Maybe the most colorful example of front-running tactics at work, from the world of equine campaigns, involved the Triple Crown 20 years ago. Like Obama-Clinton, it was a battle of the sexes.
In the 1988 Kentucky Derby, Winning Colors and Gary Stevens got away with an uncontested lead, and she became the third filly to win America's most famous race. Come Preakness day, Derby runner-up Forty Niner's trainer Woody Stephens was determined not to let it happen again. Forty Niner and rider Pat Day hustled out of the starting gate, denied Winning Colors the lead and even bumped her several times on the backstretch. You can guess how this turned out.
Winning Colors faded to third. Forty Niner caved in to seventh. Risen Star rallied from fourth to win at 6-1.
Most political handicappers still expect the Democratic nominee to win the presidential election in November. In the Intrade.com prediction market, nearly 60 percent of the money is on the Democrats. But let's see how things look once the campaign turns into the homestretch this summer, when the survivor of the Clinton-Obama duel must try to hold off McCain.
Like it or not, this election really is a horse race.
Copyright (c)2008
Los Angeles Newspaper Group
Arkansas Derby loses second prep victor
Hot Springs, AR - This year's $1 million Arkansas Derby will be without the two winners of Oaklawn's two major prep races. Rebel Stakes winner Sierra Sunset has been scratched from the April 12 race with an ankle injury, while Southwest Stakes champ Denis Of Cork will start in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct on April 5.
Trainer Jeff Bonde announced on Thursday that X-rays revealed Sierra Sunset has a hairline fracture of the left front ankle.
"The first set of X-rays were clean, but when we took a second set, we found the hairline, Bonde said from Bay Meadows. "It's not bad enough to require surgery, but the colt will miss 60-to-90 days. He will take the next available flight back to California, and we'll go from there."
Sierra Sunset, owned by Philip Lebherz, Al Mariani, George Schmitt and Carol Wirth Trust Charles Wirth, has won four of 11 career starts for $428,696.
The colt was second to Denis of Cork in the Southwest Stakes last month. He began the year with a fourth-place finish in the San Rafael Stakes at Santa Anita, the same track where he won the California Cup Juvenile last November. His first stakes victory was the Bay Meadows Juvenile at Bay Meadows Race Course last September.
Trainer David Carroll will have Robby Albarado in the saddle for Denis of Cork's Wood Memorial start. Albarado, the jockey for 2007 Horse of the year Curlin, was aboard when Denis of Cork won the Southwest Stakes.
Denis of Cork is undefeated in three lifetime starts for owners Mr. and Mrs. William Warren, Jr. The colt has earned $198,552.
The Arkansas Derby has proven to be a major indicator of success in recent Triple Crown races.
Smarty Jones turned his 2004 win into victory in both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. The following year Arkansas Derby winner Afleet Alex captured the Preakness and Belmont Stakes after a third place finish in the Run for the Roses.
Two years ago Lawyer Ron won the Arkansas Derby and became one of the top handicap horses in 2007. Curlin captured last year's Arkansas Derby on his way to winning the Breeders' Cup Classic and being voted Horse of the Year. In between, Curlin was third in the Kentucky Derby, first in the Preakness and second to Street Sense in the Belmont Stakes.
(c)2008 The Sports Network. All Rights Reserved.
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