HORSE RACING news & results weekend of August 27

[two gun sid]

It's Travers Day!
From The Bloodhorse:
Travers Becomes Race For Survivors

The Travers (gr. I) has long been called the Midsummer Derby. It could also take on another moniker: The Survivor Stakes.

Promising fields in the spring recently have been depleted by injuries and illness for the country's oldest stakes race for 3-year-olds at Saratoga Race Course. Triple Crown race winners traditionally aim for the Travers, but most this decade have failed to make it that far.

Smarty Jones, last year's Kentucky Derby and Preakness (gr. I) champ, was retired about a month before the Travers because of chronic bruising in his hooves. In 2003, the anticipated rematch between Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Funny Cide, the locally bred favorite, and Belmont Stakes (gr. I) winner Empire Maker fizzled after both horses were deemed unhealthy.

This time, the absentees from Saturday's $1 million, 1 1/4 -mile run are Derby winner Giacomo and Preakness and Belmont Stakes winner Afleet Alex, both out with injuries.

http://racing.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=29711


11 Fillies Line Up for Del Mar Debutante

http://racing.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=29689


Lost in the Fog Big Favorite in King's Bishop

With Bellamy Road opting for the $1-million Travers Stakes (gr. I) on the same card, Harry Aleo's unbeaten Lost in the Fog looks to be an overwhelming favorite, once again, when he faces six opponents in Saturday's seven-furlong King's Bishop Stakes (gr. I).

The son of Lost Soldier, unbeaten in eight career starts, will carry topweight of 123 pounds and concede from two to six pounds to the rest of the field.

Lost in the Fog is coming off a 7 1/4-length victory in the Carry Back Stakes (gr. II) at Calder, which is just above his 6 3/4-length average winning margin. Of his eight victories, seven have come in stakes, at six different tracks.

Trainer Greg Gilchrist said recently Lost in the Fog has been working in bar shoes, after a quarter crack was discovered on his left hind hoof following the Carry Back. He added, however, that the colt would not wear them in the King's Bishop.

http://racing.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=29661

[two gun sid]

1. Admirers share personal memories of Falcon Almahurst

From the USTA website:
Dr. Bill Paull was with Charlie Hill at Tattersalls in 1976 the night that Falcon Almahurst sold as a yearling, and Paull was the veterinarian who euthanized Falcon Almahurst this past Sunday....

“I remember the night that Falcon sold as a yearling,” says Paull. “John Simpson, Sr. of Hanover Shoe Farm was sitting right in front of Charlie and he turned and said, ‘Charlie, you’ve been looking for a son of Meadow Skipper. Here’s one you ought to buy.”

Like many men, Kuffel enjoys a beer at the end of his work day and he allowed Falcon Almahurst to share a beer once. Afterwards, the two shared a beer as part of their evening happy hour ritual.

“Shoot, we have a neighbor who has racehorses, and he made it a point to come down on Christmas Eve and drink a beer with Mo,” says Ishler.

http://www.ustrotting.com/absolutenm/anmviewer.asp?a=11265&z=1

[Justpat]

2. Perfect weather here today for the Travers.

It's in the 80's but not humid and very clear. Great day.

[two gun sid]

5. Flower Alley wins The Travers.

Bellamy Road put out a good effort today finishing 2nd and Roman Ruler finishes 3rd.

Oh, and Lost In The Fog remains unbeaten.

[aaronbees]

6. Great race....

I had a feeling Flower Alley might be overlooked but thought Bellamy would steal it on the front end. BR was sure game -- he should be a monster come fall.

[two gun sid]

8. OB, the track looked damp and the going looked deep...

I thought Roman Ruler acted like he didn't like it. (Of course I'm a fan so maybe I'm not very objective.) And Flower Alley looked like he lost interest after he took the lead. How did the race look to you?

[Justpat]

9. The track had dried out pretty good by the

Travers. But the track has been deep all meet. Some horses
hate it. It helps to have a race over it. Maybe you are
right about Roman Ruler. Most horses that like California don't
do well here - witht the exception of Lost in the Fog who could run through a plowed field or a paved road and do well on either surface.

[two gun sid]

10. I missed your race the 29th but, I just looked at the chart...

it looked like your horse finished very well. She really outran her odds. You guys do good work.

[Justpat]

12. She was only beaten 2 lengths by what might be

one of the fastest fillies on the planet. She tried her heart
out as usual. We'll have to find some spot she can win. She
takes it so hard when she doesn't win.

[two gun sid]

13. I noticed she could have just as easily finished 2nd...

I don't understand how horses know when they win but, they sure as hell do.

I've seen her race before I didn't know you had her though. I've got you guys on a trainer watch so I won't miss anymore of your starts.

When are you all heading back home?

[Justpat]

18. We head back to LI on the 6th, I think.

We have one in the Saranac on the 4th, and I believe we have one
in closing day. Then it is back to the big city. I hate to go.

[u4ic]

29. Good luck to you, Old Broad

Looks like he's one of the favourites, very deserving after that last great performance of his.

I see a couple of our Canadian horses made it down, Jambalaya (Breeder's Stakes winner) and Palladio (I think he may have been racing in the States as of late).

I guess I'll just have to cheer for all three of you. :woohoo:

It looks so beautiful there at Saratoga...here, at least half of the trees have their leaves changing colour...and there are tons of mountain ash berries...usually indicative of a long, long winter. x(

[u4ic]

15. Your mare ran a great race, Old Broad

She's also a beaut. She has such a kind face in the photos below.

Alinghi looked super. The Aussies have done very well in the past couple of years with Choisir, Elvstroem, Makybe Diva and now Alinghi either winning abroad or against international fields.

Debi Kral has some pics up from the race: http://www.finalturngallery.com/album1138

[Justpat]

17. Debi is an old friend from the original Prodigy horseracing

board. We have been friends ever since.

And I love that pic of Finery's head that she took in the paddock.
I don't know if you can tell from the photo but Finery is physically
an amazon - but she acts like a queen. We love her very much.

[bread_and_roses]

23. I love the way you talk about your horses

I think Finery looks very lovely in the walking shot. Hope you find a race for her to win, and happy to hear she "outran her odds."

Good luck!

[Justpat]

25. Thank you, kenzee.

I like working with horses. We are all on this journey together
and I'm proud to share it with such great creatures.

[u4ic]

30. She has such a beautiful head...and those eyes

Is her handler quite a large man? Sometimes, with isolated shorts, I find it hard to judge a horse's size (unless they're a Rock Hard Ten or Megahertz...you can't mistake them. lol)

I love hearing about their personalities and quirks.

[two gun sid]

3. Bobnoxious captures $100,000 New Hampshire Sweeps Final

From USTA website:
SALEM, NH -- It was deja vu at Rockingham Park as Bobnoxious came from behind to win in a major pace for the second week in a row and capture the $100,000 New Hampshire Sweepstakes Final on Saturday.

Bobnoxious, who wore down Alpine Dandy and Whosurboy in deep stretch last Saturday to win the $20,000 New Hampshire Sweepstakes Prep, dug down deep again late in the race and blew by the same two pace setters in the $100,000 Final. The Sam Beegle trainee, sent off as the 4-5 favorite, paced the mile in 1:52.3 on a fast track to prevail by three-quarters of a length.

"It's tough to come back against the exact same field two weeks in a row," said Timothy Curtain, who was in the bike for both victories. "I was wanting to follow Whosurboy. He cut it last week, and I thought we'd have a chance to follow him. That's the trip I wanted, but I didn't expect it."

Curtain and Bobnoxious certainly did get the perfect trip against the same five other horses who raced a week ago. The only difference was the final order of finish after the winner. This time Whosurboy and Alpine Dandy traded places for place and show, with Whosurboy finishing second behind Bobnoxious.

http://www.ustrotting.com/absolutenm/anmviewer.asp?a=11319&z=1


Hooray for Bobnoxious!

[u4ic]

4. Soaring Free was clobbered today

in the Play the King Stakes at Woodbine (7f, T), finishing 6th, 4.5 lengths back. Last time out, he finished 2nd while flipping his palate - that was his first loss at Woodbine in 2 years. He did have surgery...I hope it didn't take too much out of him, or that he got injured.

Vanderlin won, paying $25.00.


Old Broad, I see you're going up against Alinghi on Monday. I have a friend in Oz who's taking a very keen interest in the race.

Good luck to you.

[two gun sid]

7. Classic Photo paints a winning picture in AmNat Final

From USTA website:
Saturday's $150,000 American-National Stakes for three-year-old trotting colts figured to be a rematch of this year's Hambletonian and it turned out to be just that. Only this time the results were reversed as Jack & Peggy Hood, Bill Wright & Mystical Marker Farms Classic Photo mowed down the pacesetting Vivid Photo to win by one and one-half lengths, in 1:54.

http://www.ustrotting.com/absolutenm/anmviewer.asp?a=11320&z=1


Cam's Fool & American Ideal take Cane elims

Cam's Fool and American Ideal captured their respective $57,600 divisions of eliminations for the Cane Pace at Freehold Raceway on Saturday.
The first four finishers in each division gained berths in the $230,800 Cane Pace final - the first jewel of the Pacing Triple Crown - which will be contested at Freehold on Labor Day.

http://www.ustrotting.com/absolutenm/anmviewer.asp?a=11318&z=1

[jakefrep]

20. I wonder if Classic Photo's OK...

...he's not entered in the World Trotting Derby at DuQuoin. This is surprising since his owners are from Illinois.

[two gun sid]

26. I don't know. Some friends are down at DuQuoin this weekend...

Their 2 YO filly pacer finished 2nd yesterday and they have a 3 YO colt pacer in today. YouBet is not carrying DuQuoin so I'm gonna miss all their races this weekend.
I'm gonna go look at some yearlings tomorrow before next weekends sale. I've got my eye on a filly trotter that might be out of my price range but, I'm not sure. I feel so unsure about spending money with the MI economy being what it is. We ship every race so gas prices are starting to become a factor.

How is your families stable doing?

[jakefrep]

27. Our 4YO was 2nd in a non-winners of diddlysquat in 2005...

...at Van Wert last night. Our 3YO (Katie Katie Katie) is in tonight at Van Wert. She won her last start at Hicksville.

[two gun sid]

11. Michigan-breds on display at Saginaw

From USTA website:
The Michigan Breeders Futurity for 2- and 3-year-olds was, offering purses of $200,000, were contested on a doubleheader card at Saginaw Harness Raceway this past Sunday.

On the afternoon card, the 2-year-old filly trot was raced in two divisions, and in the first division driver Peter Wrenn piloted Dynamite Diva to a first-over trip before she raced eye to eye with Em’s Gem D at the top of the stretch, and them pulled away late and secured a one and one-half length win, in 2:044, for owners Gene Oldford, Steve Oldford, the Kales Company, and Peter Wrenn.

It was the fifth win in ten starts for Dynamite Diva. Em’s Gem D, with Carl Putnam, Jr. aboard, finished second, and Benn’s Champion, with Vince Copeland in the bike, finished third.

In the second division, Word For Word, with Brad Kramer driving, chose to sit in the pocket behind the crowd favorite, Premium Vintage, driven by Jeff Sweeney. The latter led the field to the top of the stretch, at which point Word For Word and Kramer made there move, and pulled away to a two and one-quarter length victory, in 2:043, for owners Jim and Sallea Tisch and Allen Tomlinson.

http://www.ustrotting.com/absolutenm/anmviewer.asp?a=11366&z=1

[aaronbees]

14. Fair Grounds....

Has anyone heard how the Fair Grounds racetrack came through -- if it did at all -- down in New Orleans with the Hurricane rolling through? Compared to almost every aspect of this tragedy, it's small potatoes ... but I am sure curious.

[u4ic]

16. From the Blood Horse

http://news.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=29753

While acknowledging that Hurricane Katrina had caused damage to the Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, Churchill Downs president Tom Meeker issued a statement Tuesday saying the company will "reserve detailed comment on this matter until such time as we are able to conduct on-site inspections and more accurately gauge the impact Hurricane Katrina had on our Louisiana operations."



A sigh of relief for the farms in the area: http://news.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=29755

The damage of Hurricane Katrina on south Louisiana Thoroughbred farms wasn't as bad as originally feared, but it will take time to repair and replace fencing and barns, as well as remove debris and tree limbs.
"It's not as bad as I thought it would be," said Val Murrell, general manager of Clear Creek Stud near Folsom, La., located about 50 miles north of New Orleans. "It's not going to be a picnic going home, but nobody got hurt and right now that's all that matters."

Murrell said it had been difficult trying to reach family and farm employees. "We've had trouble trying to reach someone at the farm, but we finally got through today (Tuesday)," he said. "From what I could find out in a few brief conversations, a roof was blown off a yearling barn, but luckily no horses got hurt. Most of the horses that were originally housed in that barn are here at this sale. I'm sure when we get home there will be more to do to clean it all up."

[jakefrep]

19. Ron Jeremy rides again...

...Horse named after a porn star (out of a dam named Better Than Sex) is racing currently at The Meadows in Pennsylvania.

http://racing.ustrotting.com/race_entry.cfm?race_id=513773&target=849227


This was a pretty good horse in Ohio state-bred races at 2 and 3. He won as a two-year-old on Little Brown Jug day at Delaware.

[Justpat]

21. Bible Verses on the backside.....

Three days ago the track chaplain started reciting bible verses
over the loudspeaker during the harrow break at 8:15. I am
appalled.

How is this allowed and sanctioned by NYRA? Have they lost their
minds?

I plan on speaking with any NYRA officials who will see me
and if that doesn't work, I'll call ACLU. I cannot believe this.

Anyone have any suggestions? This is so outrageous.

THe first day I thought it was a joke. But it seems that this is to
be a daily occurrence.

[two gun sid]

22. I'm not sure how NYRA works

but, it would seem to me that you should not have to be subjected to religious indoctrination in the workplace. Good luck, OB, if there is any way I can help or support you let me know.

[Justpat]

24. Thanks. I'll need it.

[u4ic]

28. I would be livid, too

That's completely unacceptable...

Not that it's any more tolerable, but does it have anything to do with the hurricane, and praying for those left in its wake?

Or, perhaps, someone using that for their own agenda...?

Still...that can be done with those that wish to, gathering. Not on the loudspeaker.

Perhaps if a few of you band together, you may have more clout (strength in numbers and all?)

Good luck. Hopefully the NYRA officials will wake up and smell the coffee.

If you find resistance, posting this question in the Lounge or GD may find you some other avenues...