HRN: Appreciation for American Pharoah

Each time I post a new article on my Horse Racing Nation blog, I post a notice on this blog. These notices include an excerpt from the beginning of that article and a link to the piece. My latest Horse Racing Nation article is. . .

Appreciation for American Pharoah

"Admit it. You have said something along the lines of the statement, “We have a Triple Crown winner,” over and over since the Belmont Stakes (gr. I) in hopes that you would eventually become accustomed to the reality. After 37 long years of waiting, American Pharoah put an end to the drought, sweeping the Kentucky Derby (gr. I), Preakness Stakes (gr. I), and Belmont Stakes to the overwhelming elation of racing fans.

At last, the horse we had been waiting for arrived. For nearly four decades, the racing industry had been yearning for a horse that could join the immortals. Finally, American Pharoah came along and gave racing enthusiasts exactly that.

Nevertheless, plenty of naysayers remain. While most of the racing community wishes that we could enjoy this horse for a longer amount of time, some say the horse’s connections are taking too great of a risk by continuing to race him at all. And now that “the one” has finally arrived, many cynics refuse to believe it. . ."

Click here to read the rest of my newest Horse Racing Nation article.

A Spectacular Saratoga Saturday

Saturday was a day full of rarities at Saratoga. From Zagora becoming the first French-bred to win the Ballston Spa Stakes (GII), to Contested winning the Test Stakes (GI) from off the lead, to Willy Beamin winning the King’s Bishop Stakes (GI) off three days’ rest, and to Alpha and Golden Ticket crossing the wire in a dead heat for the victory in the Travers’ Stakes (GI), the Saratoga card on August 25 was one to remember.

Zagora’s Record-Breaking Ballston Spa

Becoming the first French-bred to take the Ballston Spa wasn’t the only record Zagora set in her Ballston Spa victory. The Chad Brown trainee also set a new course record, posting a final time of 1:39.07 for the mile and one-sixteenth turf event, eclipsing the previous record of 1:39.92 set by Leroidesanimaux in 2005. The Ballston Spa was her fourth graded stakes victory this season.

Contested’s Aced Test

Contested returned to her brilliant winning ways when she swept to a two-length lead in the Test. Following a poor start, she did not go straight to the lead, but found herself in front at the end of the race, completing the seven furlongs in a brisk 1:22.47. Sprint races are where she belongs and she is certainly among the best in the division, though she will have to face very tough rivals such as Winding Way and Groupie Doll later this season in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (GI).

Willy Beamin’s Inspiring King’s Bishop

Racing off just three days’ rest is unheard of in modern-day American racing. Winning off merely three days’ rest is even rarer. But Willy Beamin did just that. Following an easy romp in the Albany Stakes on Wednesday, the gelding was sent off at 11-1 in the King’s Bishop, in which he closed to finish a half-length ahead of Fort Loudon for the victory. I am in absolute admiration of this fine Thoroughbred!

A Historical Travers

The Travers – also known as the Midsummer Derby – was inaugurated in 1864 and is thus the oldest major Thoroughbred race still contested in the United States. Though magical history hung over the race, so did the dark cloud of the losses of many of our sophomore superstars. With I’ll Have Another, Union Rags, Bodemeister, and, possibly Hansen, retired – and with Paynter on the sidelines – the Travers lacked superstardom. But what the historical race lacked in star power, it made up for in excitement. The finish of the ten-furlong race could not have been more thrilling, resulting in a dead heat between the favorite, Alpha (a horse I can’t help but compare to Stay Thirsty), and longshot Golden Ticket. Dead heats are rare in and of themselves, but this was the first one in the extensive history of the Travers.

Many believe the result of this race made the three-year-old division even more unclear. To me, however, it made it clearer that I’ll Have Another still holds the lead for Eclipse Award Champion Three-Year-Old Male. Rather, the larger question was how the traditional Travers canoe would be painted. The answer to that question: two separate canoes, one for each victor.

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Pride and Power

Two chestnuts. One grade one race.

Monday’s Three Chimneys Hopeful (GI) has many brilliant colts, but the main two I will be cheering for are J C’s Pride and Power World. Both are very talented colts. One is known for his flashy speed while the other is known for his stamina.

J C’s Pride is the least experienced of the two, but he’s definitely not lacking in talent. He’s one of the most well-known two-year-olds on the East Coast. A chestnut son of Henny Hughes out of the Silver Deputy mare Hi Lili, he’s raced twice and has already broken a track record at Saratoga.

In his first start, J C’s Pride finished second to highly-touted Overdriven – who will miss the Hopeful after an inconclusive nuclear scintigraphy. J C’s Pride finished thirteen lengths clear of the third-place finisher in that five furlong maiden special weight at Belmont Park. He was then pointed to a maiden special weight at Saratoga Race Course.

Darley, where Henny Hughes -
the sire of J C's Pride - stands
at stud.
Photo by: Terri Cage

On July 27, the son of Henny Hughes broke his maiden in a stylish manner. The chestnut colt broke sharply from post three, shooting straight to the lead under Jose Lezcano.  He never looked back from there, finishing three and one-quarter lengths in front of the rest of the field. The final time was 56.54 for five furlongs, which broke the track record for that distance on the main track.

Not only has J C’s Pride shown much potential on the track, but his pedigree offers potential as well. His sire, Henny Hughes, has sired four stakes winners in two crops of racing age. The sire of Henny Hughes, Hennessy, sired Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner and top sire Johannesburg, as well as many other talented horses.

Being by a tremendous sprinter in Henny Hughes, many people doubt J C’s Pride’s ability to go long. However, there is potential for him to stretch out on his dam’s side. J C’s Pride’s dam, Hi Lili, is by Silver Deputy, who of course sired this year’s Stephen Foster (GI) winner, Pool Play.  Hi Lili’s dam, Snit, won ten of twenty-seven starts, including four stakes races. Her one graded stakes win came in the Cotillion Handicap (GII) at a mile and one-sixteenth. Snit was victorious at the distance of a mile and one-eighth three times. She went on to produce three stakes horses, two of which won at the distance of a mile and one-eighth. One of those two was GIII winner Blind Date.

J C’s Pride may not be the next Belmont Stakes winner, but this talented colt definitely has potential to go long. And if he doesn’t go long, he certainly has a good chance to become an accomplished sprinter or miler.

Flower Alley,
one of Distorted Humor's
most successful sons.
Photo by: Terri Cage

One of my favorites in the Hopeful is Power World, a son of top sire Distorted Humor. The colt broke his maiden in a game victory at Churchill Downs before going on to finish second in the Bashford Manor Stakes (GIII) and the Sanford Stakes (GII). The distance of the Hopeful will be the longest distance he has covered yet, which should suit him just fine.

His sire Distorted Humor has sired many winners of a distance of mile and one-eighth or longer, including GI winners Commentator, Flower Alley, and Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Funny Cide, as well as many others. Distorted Humor is currently the fourth-leading sire in North America by earnings. His chief earner this year is Alternation ($221,500), who won the mile and one-eighth Peter Pan Stakes (GII) at Belmont Park earlier this year.

The dam of Power World is Purrfectly, a daughter of the great pensioned sire Storm Cat. Purrfectly has already produced a top producer in Santa Catarina, a GII winner who finished second in three GI events, including the Kentucky Oaks. It is safe to say that Power World has an impressive pedigree that gives him plenty of potential to achieve success at longer distances.

Though both J C’s Pride and Power World are both chestnut colts with stellar pedigrees, they have completely different running styles. J C’s Pride is a front-runner who sets scorching fractions while Power World comes with a late run. The Hopeful should be an exciting race.

Of course, J C’s Pride and Power World aren’t the only talented horses entered in the Hopeful. Entries include impressive maiden winners Hunt Crossing, Vexor, Currency Swap, Clip the Coupons, Big Blue Nation, and Laurie's Rocket, as well as second-place finisher in the Best Pal Stakes (GII) at Del Mar, I'll Have Another, and fifth-place finisher in the Three Chimneys Saratoga Special Stakes (GII), Trinniberg. Regardless of who wins, the Hopeful could be a huge hint as to what horses will be our top three-year-olds in 2012. After all, past runners in the Hopeful include 2011 Travers Stakes (GI) winner Stay Thirsty, 2005 Champion Three-Year-Old Male Afleet Alex, 1990 Preakness Stakes winner Summer Squall, multiple GI winner Chief’s Crown, Triple Crown winners Affirmed and Secretariat, and the great Man o’ War.


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Fighting for Mo

Cholangiohepatitis. For most people, it’s just a big word. For Uncle Mo, it was a big problem. Cholangiohepatitis is a liver disease which causes inflammation of the bile passages and liver, irregularly causing hepatic failure.

Uncle Mo
Photo: Terri Cage

Two days before the Kentucky Derby, Uncle Mo was scratched from the prestigious race and was sent to WinStar Farm in Versailles, Kentucky for recovery. For over two months, he stayed at the renowned farm, recovering from his illness while gaining about one hundred pounds. After some galloping at WinStar, the bay son of Indian Charlie returned to trainer Todd Pletcher’s barn at Saratoga Race Course on July 11.

 

After three steady workouts, Uncle Mo fired two consecutive bullets and a near-bullet in preparation for the Foxwoods King’s Bishop Stakes (GI). Many doubted his connection’s decision to enter him in such a tough race for his comeback, but he was entered in the prominent seven furlong race regardless. He wasn’t the only talented horse in the field. Graded stakes winners Flashpoint, Caleb’s Posse, Dominus, and Justin Phillip were entered, as well as stakes winner Poseidon’s Warrior and graded stakes-placed horses Runflatout and Cool Blue Red Hot.

Sent off as the favorite, Uncle Mo broke from post seven, sitting a few lengths off the leaders down the backstretch before John Velazquez urged him to catch the front-runners around the far turn. On a track that was favoring inside runners, Uncle Mo surged on the far outside, taking the lead just before the eighth pole.

However, Caleb’s Posse was coming with his run on the outside. Uncle Mo was all out up front, but Caleb’s Posse caught him right at the wire, winning by a nose. Yet the 2010 Two-Year-Old Champion Male galloped out past the winner after the wire. It was an incredible comeback for Mike Repole’s champion, especially when you throw in the fact that he lost a shoe during the race.

Uncle Mo winning the the 2010
Breeders' Cup Juvenile.
Photo: Terri Cage

Nonetheless, Mike Repole – who won the Travers Stakes (GI) with Stay Thirsty in the next race – has since mentioned that the King’s Bishop might have been Uncle Mo’s last race. On the other hand, Todd Pletcher has made statements concerning the colt hinting at either the Kelso Handicap (GII) on October 1 or the Pennsylvania Derby (GII) on September 24. Stay Thirsty is also possible for the Pennsylvania Derby, but his connections seem to be leaning towards the Jockey Club Gold Cup (GI) on October 1. Plans are to keep the two separated.

Fans across the country hope that Uncle Mo will remain in training with hopes of making it to the Breeders’ Cup World Championships this November at Churchill Downs. After all, the colt obviously loves running and has already made it this far. Why not just keep running?

Of course, the well-being of Uncle Mo should be the first priority. However, if he remains healthy, it seems that the son of Indian Charlie should remain doing what he loves and was bred to do: race.

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