Horse Racing: Closer Looks at the 2012 Delaware Handicap, 2012 Eddie Read and the 2012 Coaching Club American Oaks

It’s a very exciting time of year in the sport of Horse Racing. The nation’s best horses, top jockeys and best trainers will once again be out in full force with the openings of Del Mar Racetrack in southern California and Saratoga Race Course in upstate New York.

Del Mar actually opened Wednesday for the 75^th time, while Saratoga opens today (Friday) for the 144^th time. Both tracks are long in tradition and quality and both make for a great “bridge” between the Triple Crown series and the Breeders Cup in November.

Over the next several weeks you will notice that I will be mainly focused on those two tracks as, once again, that’s where the best quality of racing will be.

This week, I’m putting together my first Horse Racing Preview tripleheader of the season as I will be taking closers looks at the 2012 Delaware Handicap at Delaware Park, which features 2011 champion Royal Delta, The Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga, which boasts two top fillies in Zo Impressive and In Lingerie, and the Eddie Read at Del Mar which features another 2011 champion in Acclamation.  

 

DelMar – July 21, 2012

Race 3 – 3:00 PM (PST)

Eddie Read Stakes (Grade I)

Purse $300,000 for Three-Year-Olds and Upward.

One And One Eighth Miles. (Turf)

 

PP	Horse	A/S	Med	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer
1	Hog’s Hollow	6/G	L	R Bejarano	119	P Gallagher
2	Interaction	6/H	L	B Blanc	119	R L McAnally
3	Acclamation	6/H	L	P A Valenzuela	123	D Warren
4	Casino Host	4/C	L	J Talamo	121	R W Ellis
5	Slim Shadey	4/G	L	G K Gomez	122	S Callaghan

 

Analysis:

1) Acclamation- 2011 champion older male will attempt to extend his winning streak to seven and, at the same time, repeat in this race, which he won last year.

His 2012 debut race was a wire to wire score at a longer distance (1 1/4 miles) than what he is going to have to run this Saturday ( 1 1/8^th miles) which definately helps his cause.

On paper, it looks as though this speedster should have things all his own way on the front end as, with the exception of Hog’s Hollow, there isn’t all that much speed signed up to challenge him in the early stages.

Lastly, he’s shown back to back impressive 1:12.3 six furlongs works to which trainer Don Warren said: “He pulled up good after his last work, we were very pleased. He cruised along on the backside and finished up his last quarter in :23. We’re more concerned with how he pulls up, and he looks good in the mornings.”

Down the road for this now six year old obscurely bred bay horse.
 

 

2) Slim Shadey- finished fifth in the United Nations in his last, but that was after five straight good outings (he shows two wins and three seconds with a few of those races vs. Grade: 1 and Grade: 2 competition). In fact, in one of those second place finishes, he was beaten just one length behind the top choice so he’s shown he can run with him in the past.

That being said, this late runner will probably be at an extreme tactical disadvantage should the race unfold the way it appears on paper (Acclamation is left alone on an uncontested early lead).

 

3) Interaction- looked good in his 2012 debut, and prep race for this, while coming from fifth position early with a 4 wide move at the top of the stretch to get up to win. If he improves off that effort he might run well in this race.

The problem I’m seeing is twofold. One, that was his first win since December of 2009 and he, too, likes to run late and will be at a pace disadvantage (like Slim Shadey).

 

 

 

Saratoga- July 21, 2012

Race 10 – 5:45 PM    

Coaching Club American Oaks (Grade I)

Purse $300,000. For Fillies Three Years Old

One And One Eighth Miles

 

P#	PP	Horse	A/S	Med	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1	Questing	3/F	L	I Ortiz, Jr.	121	K P McLaughlin	3/1
2	2	Disposablepleasure	3/F	L	R Napravnik	121	T A Pletcher	4/1
3	3	Yara	3/F	L	J Rosario	121	J C Guerrero	15/1
4	4	Funny Proposition	3/F	L	S Bridgmohan	121	M E Casse	8/1
5	5	Zo Impressive	3/F	L	R Maragh	121	T Albertrani	2/1
6	6	In Lingerie	3/F	L	J Castellano	121	T A Pletcher	5/2

 

Analysis:

1) In Lingerie- gets the close call in what looks like, on paper, should be a great race and rematch between the top two picks with Zo Impressive winning their first encounter by four lengths back in February.

But a lot has changed since then as this filly looks to have improved leaps and bounds. She dominated the Bourbonette Oaks at Turfway Park (by 6 lengths) in March, but it was her last race (the prestigious Black Eyed Susans) on Preakness Day that impressed me.

She stumbled at that start of that race, but recovered quickly to keep herself fairly close early on. If the bad start wasn’t bad enough, she was forced to go somewhere between four and five wide on the turn for home, yet still ran down the early leaders to win by 1 ¼ lengths.

Well bred filly (Empire Maker- out of a Storm Cat mare), hails from the always high powered Todd Pletcher barn, is three for four with a second place finish in her career and is listed as the 5/2 second choice on the morning line odds….I’m not so sure about that.

 

2) Zo Impressive- is the 2/1 favorite and rightfully so. She’s never run a bad race (5-3-2-0) and owns a win over In Lingerie.

This daughter of the gorgeous Hard Spun was impressive in her last race (the Mother Goose Stakes) as she “dug in gamely” to win after being brushed twice and going three wide into the stretch.

 

3) Disposablepleasure- is the logical third pick after she finished second to In Lingerie and Zo Impressive in her last two races. You have to kind of like the consistency (8 lifetime starts and 6 on the board finishes) and should “pick up a small check” in this spot too.

 

 

 

DelawarePark- July 21, 2012

Race 10 – 5:45 PM    

DelawareH. (Grade II)

Purse $750,000 for Fillies and Mares.

Three Years Old and Upward.

One and One Quarter Miles.

 

P#	PP	Horse	A/S	Med	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1	Royal Delta	4/F	L	M E Smith	124	W I Mott	7/5
2	2	Tiz Miz Sue	5/M	L	J Rocco, Jr.	114	S Hobby	12/1
3	3	Cash for Clunkers	4/F	L	A Garcia	114	R A Violette, Jr.	8/1
4	4	Daring Reality	4/F	L	R Santana, Jr.	112	C A Lynch	15/1
5	5	Pachattack	6/M	L	K J Desormeaux	118	H G Motion	6/1
6	6	Awesome Maria	5/M	L	R A Dominguez	121	T A Pletcher	9/5
7	7	Love and Pride	4/F	L	J Rose	115	T A Pletcher	10/1

 

Analysis:

1) Royal Delta- last year’s champion 3-year-old filly came back very strong from the Dubai World Cup debacle (one from which yours truly wrote several times sending this filly there and running her in that race was a terrible idea) when she inhaled her competiton with a “quick move” on the turn for home and ran away from them all in the Fleur de Lis Handicap at Churchill Downs on June 16.

She has recorded several good works since that lopsided win and is obviously a quality filly with blueblood breeding (Empire Maker- Delta Princess). She looks poised to take over the older filly and mare division of this sport.

“From this time last year, she is more mature and more professional at this stage of the year,” trainer Bill Mott. “The distance (1 ¼ miles) does not bother me”.

 

2) Awesome Maria- had a very impressive (and dominating) six race winning streak snapped when finishing an even third in her last against the talented It’s Tricky.

Was that just a hiccup and she starts a new winning streak on Saturday afternoon or it that a sign she lost a step recently? She shows a series of good works (capped off with five furlongs in1:00 flat at Saratoga) since that last race and, to be honest with you, it’s hard to say which way her form will go from this point. But anyway you slice it; you must respect this gray daughter of Maria’s Mon.

 

3) Pachattack- don’t forget this filly by the handsome Pulpit was a good closing fourth in last year’s Breeders Cup Ladies Classic and, after a little time off, she came back and won a Grade: III race at Keeneland.

From there, and in her last race on June 16, she ran a disappointing sixth in the Grade: III All Along Stakes on the turf….key word: on the turf.

Looking at her last 10 career races, she is clearly a better horse on the dirt than turf, closes and is batting over .500 in on the board finishes in now 28 lifetime starts.

Honorable Mention:

Tiz Miz Sue shows 17 of 25 lifetime starts on the board but shows a total of just 6 wins in those same 25 starts. But if you closer, you’ll also see 4 of those 6 wins came over this Delaware Park surface. Taking it one step further, that means she is 4 for 6 here and 2 for 19 everywhere else…..longshot possibility??

Record: 9-32= 28%

 

Little Bets N’ Pieces:

**** Houston, a $2.9 million yearling sale in 1987, died April 12 from the infirmities of old age at Ren-Mar Thoroughbreds in California. He was 26.

Houston, who had some of the most impressive bloodlines of recent memory, (by Seattle Slew out of champion Smart Angle) debuted as a 2-year-old with a 12 1/2-length victory at Belmont Park in July but only raced once more that year when he beat eventual champion Sunday Silence.

At three, Houston won the Bay Shore Stakes at  Belmont Park by 10 1/2 lengths in his 3 year old debut. He next finished fifth in the Santa Anita Derby and then captured the Derby Trial Stakes at Churchill Downs.

In both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, Houston was amongst the early leaders but faded to eighth in the Derby and sixth in the Preakness.

From that point on, he was kept in mostly shorter (sprint) races as the speedster won the King’s Bishop Stakes at Saratoga and was second in the Tom Fool Stakes.

The next year Houston only ran twice before being retired with a record of 5 wins from 11 starts and earnings of $240,632. Houston entered stud at Walmac International near Lexington,Ky. and would later stand at Getaway Thoroughbred Farm in California.

Houston is represented by 13 stakes winners and the earners of more than $14.2 million. He is represented by 570 foals of racing age, of which 436 have started and 280 have won. 

 

 

**** Bob Baffert won his second spring/summer training title in a row at the recently concluded Hollywood Park meet and jockey Rafael Bejarano was the top jockey.

Baffert trained 35 winners, which was eight more than John Sadler.
           
Bejarano finished with 74 wins, 25 more than runner-up Joe Talamo. Bejarano also led with 13 stakes victories.

Game On Dude, who won the Californian Stakes and Hollywood Gold Cup, was a unanimous selection as horse of the meet.

 

 

***** Reigning Eclipse champion jockey Ramon Dominguez won the Belmont Park spring/summer riding title for the fourth straight year when he booted home 70 winners during the 56-day meet that ended July 15.

Javier Castellano finished second with 60 wins, followed by Jose Lezcano (43 wins) and Rosie Napravnik (35).

Rick Dutrow Jr. was the leading trainer at the Belmont spring/summer meet with 27 winners, with Christophe Clement finishing second with 22 wins.

 

**** 2012 Kentucky Derby and Preakness runner up Bodemeister has spiked a fever and will skip the July 29 Haskell Invitational at MonmouthPark.

Trainer Bob Baffert reported via his Twitter account that the colt’s fever went up last Saturday.

“I’ve had a rash of sickness going through my barn,” Baffert said. “It takes a week for it to run its course. I treat them all with penicillin. He (Bodemeister) looked good today, though (his illness) is not serious. I just really jump on them with an antibiotic immediately.”

Bodemeister would likely have been the favorite in the summer classic because last week Belmont Stakes winner Union Rags was declared out of the Haskell with a tendon injury.

Baffert hasn’t decided where he will send Bodemeister next but has a year end goal of running in the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita Park.

“(His fever) just happened, so I haven’t had a chance to sit down and talk with the owners,” Baffert said. “First we’ve got to get him back going, and then we’ll look for something. It won’t take long for him to get back because he’s so fit.”

Baffert also indicated Paynter, who was second to Union Rags in the aforementioned Belmont Stakes, is now probable for the Haskell.

 

 

**** With Bodemeister out, it looks as if 2011 two year old champion Hansen will now join the Haskell field even though he was originally scheduled to run the following week in the West Virginia Derby.
If he does start, Hansen could take a prominent role in the Haskell picture.

“We’re perhaps a 60-70% chance to run at Monmouth,” said owner Dr. Kendall Hansen, “Even if Paynter runs that will not affect our decision. We’re looking forward to meeting him. Hansen is sitting on his biggest win. He will be a monster in his next race. After running a mile and a sixteenth in 1:42 in the Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows, he acted like it was a work. He has never come out of a race stronger. (Trainer) Mike (Maker) is as confident as he gets. He doesn’t think anyone can beat him right now.

“I understand having a chance to win a grade one doesn’t come often in horse racing. We ran second in the (Grade: I) Blue Grass Stakes, losing in the final strides to Dullahan when he freaked and ran an 11.88 final furlong. I like Mr. (Jerry) Crawford and several other Donegal owners and it seems like a good idea to renew this friendly rivalry.”

At this point other possible starters for the Haskell include Gemologist, Neck ‘n Neck, My Adonis, Unstoppable U, and Le Bernardin.

 

 

**** Went the Day Well, winner of the Vinery Racing Spiral Stakes and a fast closing fourth in the Kentucky Derby, will not run again this year due to bone bruising in his front ankles Team Valor president Barry Irwin said this past Tuesday.

“Fortunately there are no fractures or chips or spurs, but the deep bone bruising in his front ankles was severe,” Irwin said. “It is probably why he ran so poorly in the Preakness, It didn’t show up until he was put back in hard training and breezed.”

 

**** 2011 Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom, sidelined since a turf allowance win atGulfstreamPark February 18, has been put back in training with routine gallops at Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland and is probably two weeks away from his first breeze. According to Team Valor CEO Barry Irwin, a plan is in place for his comeback race in the fall.

 

 

**** Hall of Fame trainer Frank “Pancho” Martin has died at age 86.

Born in Cuba, Martin trained more than 50 stakes winners including Sham, a chief rival of Secretariat in the spring of 1973.

Martin’s other stakes winners included 1972 champion older male Autobiography and champion 2-year-old filly Outstandingly, who won the inaugural Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies in 1984