Sports, Ink

Track Talk: Road to Derby begins at Breeders' Cup

ARCADIA, Calif. --- Get out your notebooks, pencils , calculators and stop watches. We're officially on the road to the Kentucky Derby.

The first important prep race, of course, was the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita Park on Saturday (Nov. 7).

Over the years, the Juvenile has been a key indicator of future Derby success, even though only one Juvenile winner (Street Sense in 2006) actually went on to win the Run for the Roses on the first Saturday in May. Last year, for instance, Mine That Bird finished 12th and last in the Juvenile at Santa Anita and then won the Derby three races later.

If that pattern holds true, go bet your future book money on D'Funnybone, the New York-based colt (stabled at Aqueduct with trainer Richard Dutrow Jr.) who ran 13th and last in the Breeders' Cup race.

Don't laugh. This was the only time in five career starts that D'Funnybone had raced on a synthetic surface. And, after watching races at Santa Anita for four days, I have come to agree with the widely-held opinion that "dirt horses" can't handle synthetics. The Juvenile is a throwout for D'Funnybone, who ran second for the first three-quarters of a mile, and should not be downgraded.

Another non-winning contender to emerge from the Juvenile is runner-up Lookin At Lucky, beaten by a head as the 2-1 favorite.
 
Leaving from post 13, he closed from 10th to be second and, as trainer Bob Baffert said, "He probably was the best horse, but the post killed him." There's no reason to think Lookin At Lucky is not going to be Baffert's main Derby horse.

"He showed today what a good horse he is," Baffert said. "It's just frustrating to know you have much the best horse and come up short like that. ... At least you know that you can look forward to the Derby."

Oh yes, the winner of the Juvenile was an Irish-bred, Dubai-owned bay colt named Vale of York.

Whether or not he'll become a Derby threat is yet to be known. As the Dubai-based Godolphin Stable does with all its good 3-year-olds, Vale of York will be taken home to winter in Dubai and train there for the Derby. This formula has so-far been unsuccessful and Godolphin has yet to earn a dime at the Derby.

"I think we're definitely [going to] take him back to Dubai and look at the New Guineas and the [Dubai] Derby there at the new race track that Sheikh Mohammed [Godolphin's owner] is building," said Simon Crisford, Godolphin's racing manager. "But after that we'll look at the Kentucky Derby. But we need to make it through the next stage first before we can make any firm committments."

Crisford said "of all the 2-year-olds we have right now, he would be the one we're looking at for Churchill Downs. But handling synthetic surfaces and racing on the dirt surface is two completely different things. So this horse will not have run on any dirt by time he gets to Churchill Downs if he gets there."

Crisford went on to say "the horse booked his ticket [to Churchill Downs] winning today. He's certainly booked his ticket to be given the respect to try to get there anyway. Let's hope he can get there."

Crisford said that before the Breeders' Cup victory, Vale of York was considered just the second best 2-year-old in the Godolphin stable. The best youngster was thought to be Buzzword, who finished fifth in Saturday's other Breeders' Cup race for 2-year-olds --- the Juvenile Turf --- at a mile on the grass. It was the first race in North America for Buzzword, who posted a 2-3-1 record in seven starts on the grass in England and France.

It also was the first race in the U.S. and on a non-grass surface for Pounced, the winner, who had won once and placed twice in his only career starts in England and France.

Nat Rothschild, owner of Pounced, was asked if he was dreaming about the Derby now.

"I just want to enjoy today, and this week, and this month, and even the rest of the year, savor this moment," Rothschild said. "I don't think about the next step."

But I do.

I'm going to put the names of D'Funnybone, Lookin At Lucky, Noble's Promise (third in the Juvenile followed by:) Piscitellli, Aikenite, Beethoven, Radiohead, William's Kitten, Eskendereya, Alfred Nobel, Pulsion and Aspire in my "Horses to Watch" list and buckle up for a long, hot and interesting fall, winter and spring. And maybe send a few "Future Book" bets to Las Vegas along the way.

The Derby this year is on May 1, just 174 days away. As the man tells the jockeys at the starting gate, "get tied on!"

--- Bob Summers

Track Talk: Betting the Breeders' Cup II

ARCADIA, Calif. --- After a disastrous first day, we're aiming for a financial turnaround on Saturday at the eight-race Breeders' Cup program (plus extra stakes races at the beginning and end of the Cup card.

Race 1: The Damascus Stakes: Favorites M One Rifle and Viscount look like logical ones to hook up in the daily double with Pounced and Becky's Kitten in the first Breeders' Cup race. I also bet $2 win and place on All Saint, touted by Daily Racing Form's Brad Free as the "upset special." That's an $12 investment.

Result: M One Rifle led for a long time before yielding to Smart Bid and finishing third.

Bankroll: Minus $168.60.

Race 2: Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf: My man Frankie Dettori rides Pounced, my $2 win-place wager. I'm also connecting him in the double with Lord Shanakill, a Richard Mandella trainee, in the next race. I'm also putting $2 to win on Becky's Kitten. And a $3 pick three on Pounced with Lord Shanakill, Diamondrella and Gotta HaveHer) with Zensational. Total investment, $11.

Result: After being trapped along the rail until the top of the stretch, Dettori gets Pounced free and runs down Bridgetown by three-quarters of a length. Dettori, of course, celebrates with his famous flying dismount. Pounced, the 2-1 favorite, and the first favorite to win here in 11 races, pays $6.80 to win and $4.80 to place. Hey, I made a 60 cent profit and I'm alive in the double and pick three.

Bankroll: Minus $168.00.

Race 3: Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint: I put $2 win and place on Lord Shanakill and another $2 to win on Gotta Have Her, Desert Code and Diamondrella and wheel my choice in second place with those three in the exacta. At the last minute I made a $2 win-place bet on Silver Timber, a 20-1 shot that's 8-1 on the morning line. That's a total of $17

Result: California Flag, the 3-1 favorite, led most of the way on the downhill 6 1/2 furlong course with Gotta Have Her getting up for a distant second. Joe Talamo rode the winner. He's a member of the "All Others" ticket, which leads the jockey bet standings over Julian Leparoux (two winners), Johnny Murtagh, Garrett Gomez and Dettori (one each).

Bankroll: Minus $185.

Race 4: Breeders' Cup Sprint: In the paper today, the Happy Handicapper recommended Triple Crown veterans Gayego (the second favorite) and Join in the Dance (a 40-1 long shot). So I bet $2 win and place on the long shot and boxed that pair in the exacta with Zensational, the Bob Baffert-trained favorite and Crown of Thorns, trained by Hall of Famer Richard Mandella. I also bet a $2 daily double combining Zensational and Gayego with Lookin At Lucky and Aikenite in the next race. That's a total of $24.

Result: Long shot Dancing In Silks won a four-horse photo by a nose and wiped out all my investments, even though Crown of Thorns was second and Gayego fourth.

Bankroll: Minus $209.

Race 5: Breeders' Cup Juvenile: In a desperate attempt to cash a ticket I bet $38 on various combinations that I won't even enumerate.


Result: Thanks to the first-time Lasix, big overlay angle --- my $4 win ticket on the surprise winner, Vale of York, returns $126.40. They say even a blind squirrel gets an acorn once in a while.

Bankroll: Minus $120.60.

Race 6: Breeders' Cup Mile: Flush with success, I put $30 on various combinations involving Court Vision, Cowboy Cal and Courageous Cat.

Result: Courageous Cat runs second to the favorite, Goldikova, who becomes the day's third winning favorite and, with Oliver Pselier aboard, the fifth winner for "All Others", and just about clinches that jockey bet thing. My place bet on Courageous Cat pays $12.80.

Bankroll: Minus $137.80.

Race 7: Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile: Mastercraftsman is a huge favorite. I wheeled him in the exacta over Mr. Sidney, Chocolate Candy and Ready's Echo. Then I bet the latter three to win and bought another win-place ticket on Chocolate Candy. And after looking at the post time odds, I bet more $2 win-place tickets on Ready's Echo and Chocolate Candy. Total bet is $21.

Result: Ready's Echo, sent off at 24-1, came flying at the end to finish second to 21-1 shot Furthest Land. Then the jockey Manoel Cruz, who finished far back on Mambo Meister claimed foul, but it was disallowed. Ready's Echo paid $18.20.

Race 8: Breeders' Cup Turf: Only seven horses in the field, headed by defending champion Conduit from Ireland. I boxed him with Dar Re Mi and Spanish Moon in the exacta. I also wheeled Conduit into the next race, the Classic, with Mine That Bird, Colonel John and Richard's Kid. Total investment $12.

Result: Conduit caught front-running Presious Passion in the last furlong. No ticket cashed, but I'm alive with three horses in the Classic. Ryan Moore rode the winner to clinch the jockey bet for the 9-5 favorite, All Others.

Bankroll: Minus $152.60.

Race 9: Breeders' Cup Classic: Like the Happy Handicapper wrote in the paper, it costs $12 for an exacta box combining Mine That Bird, Summer Bird, Colonel John and Regal Ransom. That's the final bet of Breeders' Cup XXVI.

Result: Zenyatta came from second last, weaved through the field and won in a race for the ages. I lost money, but watching that historic race live was worth the trip. Thanks for following along.

Bankroll: Minus $164.60.

--Bob Summers

Track Talk: Betting at the Breeders' Cup

It's a beautiful Friday at Santa Anita and I'm going to let you look over my shoulder while I try to make a few bucks at the wagering windows during the next two days at the Breeders' Cup.

Race 1: Let's kick off the weekend with a $12 daily double wheel combining Riviera Cocktail (trained by Hall of Famer Neil Drysdale), On Fire (a huge overlay at 12-1) and Mr. Hot Stuff (a Kentucky Derby veteran) in the first race with Halfapondarosa and Barbara's Love in the second. I also played $2 to win on Riviera Cocktail and Mr. Hot Stuff. Total wager: $16.

Result: Mr. Hot Stuff was second and Riviera Cocktail finished third to Deal Breaker, a runaway winner under Rafael Bejarano.

Bankroll: Minus $16.

Race 2: I'm dead in the double, but I'm sticking with my original selections and playing $2 to win on Halfapondarosa (undefeated in two career starts) and Barbara's Love (a "four corners" selection whose best race came on this track at today's distance. And I'm boxing them together in the exacta with the 3-1 favorite, Stunningly. Oops, I just reread the past performances and found that Barbara's Love doesn't really fit my criteria. But it's too late to cancel the bet. Especially because I had a nice chat with my Southern California cousin named Barbara last night.

Result: Ugh. Barbara's Love ran fourth and that was the best of my bunch.

Bankroll: Minus $26.

Race 3: The 14-race Breeders' Cup marathon begins with the 1 3/4-mile Marathon. They have a new bet in which you try to pick the jockey who will win the most Breeders' Cup races. I bet $4 on Frankie Dettori and $2 each on John Murtagh Rajiv Maragh and "All Others." So that's another $10 investment, but I won't know the result of it until late Saturday afternoon.

I'm betting $4 win and place on Cloudy's Knight (trained by Hall of Famer Jonathan Sheppard) and also taking a $2 win-place flyer on long shots Black Astor and Gangbuster and then wheeling big favorite Mastery (with Dettori aboard) over those three in a $3 exacta. Counting the jockey bet, I'm risking $29.

Result: Man Of Iron (with Murtagh up) came up the rail to nip Cloudy's Knight (with Rosemary Homeister Jr. up) by a nose with Mastery third. I get $14.80 for Cloudy's Knight's place ticket, so I lose only $14.20 on the race and my man Murtagh leads the jockey bet, 1-0.

Race 4: Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf: Let's try a four-horse exacta box for $12 on Elusive Galaxy, Smart Seattle, Rose Catherine and Jungle Tale. All have been working well and this wide-open race promises to produce a monster payoff. Let's also place $2 to win and place on Smart Seattle and long shots Potosina and Hatheer. Total wager is $24.

Result: Tapitsfly (Robby Albarado up) got up to catch pace-setter Rose Catherine in the final strides with House of Grace third.

Bankroll: Minus $64.60.

Race 5: Breeders' Cup Juvenile: Not a lot of brainwork here. I bet $5 to win on Negligee, the "Buffalo Horse" who is 2 percent owned by George DiPiano of West Seneca. And then I wheeled her in the exacta with Biofuel, Champagne D'Oro, Zilva and Always A Princess. And boxed her with Always a Princess and Blind Luck. And I also played Zilva and Beautician to win and place just for crazies.
 
Result: My $28 investment paid $9.40 after She Be Wild (whom Negligee beat last time they met) won with Julien Leparoux aboard, followed by Beautician ($9.40 to place) second and Blind Luck third.

Before the race, I went to the paddock to wish DiPiano good luck. Then on the way to the track I saw Reade Baker, Biofuel's trainer, and also wished him good luck. Wouldn't you know it, in the stretch drive, Negligee bumped Biofuel off her stride. I guess I was sort of a kiss of death for both fillies.

Bankroll: Minus $83.20.

Race 6: Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf: Three of my favorite trainers are in this race, so I bet $5 win and place Visit (trained by Bobby Frankel), Forever Together (Jonathan Sheppard) and Dynaforce (Bill Mott) and boxed them in an exacta and ended up wagering $38 altogether.

Result: Visit and Dynaforce ran 1-2 until the top of the stretch and then faded out of contention. Forever Together was last on the final turn and closed stoutly to be third to Midday (Thomas Queally up) and Pure Clan. The jockey race bet is now being led by "All Others," by a 2-1 margin over Murtagh and Leparoux. And my bankroll has slid into the minus too much neighborhood.

Bankroll: Minus $121.20.
 

Race 7: Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint: I bet another Sheppard-Frankel exacta box with Informed Decision and Ventura. I'm also going to bet Seventh Street for $2 win and place and put her in the exacta box. Total wager is $10.

Result: Informed Decision (Leparoux up) got to the top at the top of the stretch and held off a furious charge by odds-on favorite Ventura and I pick up a $7.70 return. Boy, do I feel smart. Leparoux wins his second race and is tied with "All Others" for the lead at two winners apiece.

Bankroll: Minus $123.50.

Race 8: Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic: For the final BC race of the day I'm boxing Muska (Mott), Proviso (Frankel) and Woodbine sensation Careless Jewel. I'm also going to play a daily double combining Muska and Proviso with Richard's Kid and Mine That Bird in Saturday's Classic. I also played a Ladies Classic-Classic double wheeling Careless Jewel with Mine That Bird, Summer Bird, Colonel John and Regal Ransom and bet $2 to win on Mushka and Proviso. Total bet is $18.

Result: Careless Jewel opened a huge lead, then faded in the drive while Life Is Sweet (Garrett Gomez aboard), came flying home for the 2 1/2-length victory with Mushka second and Proviso fourth. Gomez is the jockey bet favorite but this is his first win. All my bets were destroyed.

Bankroll: Minus $141.50.

Race 9: Las Palmas Handicap: This is not a Breeders' Cup race and it's the final event of a day in which no favorites have won, so far. I'm going to bet $2 win and place on Teamgeist, who finished third behind Proviso and Mushka in her last start. Also on my exacta ticket is Zardana, a stablemate of Life Is Sweet, and Internallyflawless, ridden by Gomez for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert. In a desperation move, I also bet $5 to win on the favorite, Tizaqueena since a favorite is "due" to win. Total investment is $15.

Result: No luck here. Tuscan Evening won the race and none of my horses even hit the board. This is not the way I envisioned the weekend going. Oh well, it's good nobody is reading this tale of handicapping ineptitude.

Bankroll: Minus $156.60.

--- Bob Summers

Track Talk: Negligee at the Breeders' Cup

ARCADIA, Calif. --- I am walking around Santa Anita Park today wearing a navy blue baseball cap with the word "Negligee" on it in bright yellow script.

No, the California sun and smog hasn't turned me into some kind of weirdo. I don't know what people's reaction to me would be in the "real" world, but here at the race track on the eve of the Breeders' Cup, everybody understands it. Some people even stop and say "good luck."

I received the cap this morning as a gift of George DiPiano and his wife, Libby, of West Seneca. George owns 2 percent of the 2-year-old filly named "Negligee" who is 6-1 on the morning line (she wears No. 10) in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies race, which goes to the post at about 4:45 p.m. Friday (ESPN2).

"Years ago, I was grooming horses and walking hots. And now I'm the owner of a Breeders' Cup horse. It doesn't get much better than that, does it?" George said while we watched the busy human and equine scene on the morning before racing's richest weekend.

The DiPianos got stuck in freeway traffic and didn't get to the track in time to watch Negligee gallop around the track. But I have seen her for the past two mornings and, in my opinion, she looks terrific. She's a compact, muscular bay who looks like a million bucks. But then, most of the 166 Breeders' Cup horses (they race in 14 events spread over Friday and Saturday) look great.

But it's not just me. Other people agree.

"The young filly gets the nod for workout of the day (Nov. 1) because of the manner in which she handled herself in her first serious move over the Pro-Ride [synthetic track surface] in preparation for the Juvenile Fillies," wrote Mike Welsch in the Daily Racing Form after he caught her half-mile workout in a zippy 47.12 seconds (while the official clockers timed it in 46.80 seconds.)

This will be the fourth career race for Negligee, a daughter of sire Northern Afleet and dam Naughty Notions.

The Kentucky-bred filly originally sold for $52,000 as a yearling and was trained at Woodbine in Toronto by top Canadian trainer Mark Casse, who is best known around the Buffalo area as the trainer of Gallant, the by-a-whisker winner of the 2009 Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie Race Track.

After winning her career debut (you could have claimed her for $62,500) and finishing second in the $156,000 Ontario Debutante Stakes at Woodbine on Aug. 15, she was sold to her present owner, a 26-member syndicate (of which DiPiano is one member) known as Sovereign Stable, a client of New York-based trainer John Terranova.

In her first start for Sovereign, she won the Grade 1 Alcibiades Stakes at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky. in an eye-popping fashion described by Racing Form handicapper Byron King thusly: "She won ... despite being boxed in for much of the race and getting clear with less than a furlong remaining. Her finish once turned loose [by jockey Rajiv Maragh] was outstanding, and she ran down the previously unbeaten She Be Wild, who had opened a clear lead and seemed home free."

Even though he owns only 2 percent, DiPiano --- a retired U.S. Airways supervisor --- is having as much fun as if he owned her all. Negligee already has won $348,007 and 2 percent of Friday's $1,080,000 first-place purse is $21,600, which --- this is just my guess --- he probably will use to buy an interest in another horse.

But that's up in the air. Right now, the 65-year-old native of Queens (home of Aqueduct Race Track) has just one thing on his mind.

As he put it, "All I can think about is Negligee."

--- Bob Summers

Track Talk: Fort Erie awards

   FORT ERIE, Ont. … Chocolateforlunch, a 5-year-old mare who won five of six starts at Fort Erie Race Track this season, was named the track's 2009 Horse of the Year at Thursday's (Oct. 22) annual awards banquet at Leisureplex.

   Chocolateforlunch, trained by Lyle Morden and ridden by Rui Pimentel, was also named the year's top female sprinter.

   Owned by Barbara Lewis and Winter Road Racing Corp., she won $58,420 at the Fort, all at distances between 5 and 6 furlongs, including one victory on the grass course.

   Her five-race 2009 win streak, which included the $29,000 Fort Erie Slots Cup on July 19, was snapped with a runner-up finish to Gaja on Oct. 12. It was her only defeat at the Fort in nine starts dating back to 2007.

   Pimentel, who rode 91 winners and earned $894,968 in purse money, was honored as the meet's leading jockey while Nick Gonzalez (61 winners, $527,119) was the leading trainer. Gonzalez was also Outstanding Trainer in a vote of his peers. Eddie Robinson was named Outstanding Jockey by a vote of riders.

   Gonzalez conditioned Cacouna (best male claimer) and shared the training of Kilmoganny (top distance male) with Daryl Ezra.

   Sharon Simms of the John Simms stable was named best assistant trainer and Kenra Wieczorek of the Willie Armata stable was top groom.

   Other equine awards went to: Here'stotemperance (female claimer), Spread the News (male sprinter), Lucky Day (distance female), Another Ascot (turf male), Alkmene (turf female), Vikrant (best claim) and Krz'n'Flashy (quarter mile champion).

   Fort Erie's season ends next week, with racing Sunday (Oct. 25) through Tuesday (Oct. 27) at 1:45 p.m.

   Close races for for the most wins by an apprentice jockey (Mike Mehak or Melanie Pinto, also honored as winningest female rider) and most wins by an owner (Michael Annechino, Ivan Dalos, Howard Keen or Colebrook Farms) will go down to the final day.

   Here are some details about the equine winners:

   Cacouna (male claimer): 11-6-3-1, $46,461. Trained by Gonzalez, ridden by Chris Griffith in all his starts. All his wins were with claiming prices between $4,000 and $5,000.

   Here's to Temperance (female claimer): 9-4-3-1, $31,870. Trained by Mike Newell, ridden to wins by Pimentel (2) and Martin Ramirez (2). Won four races with claiming prices between $4,000 and $7,500.

   Spread the News (male sprinter): 8-5-0-1, $52,800. Trained by John Simms, ridden to five wins at between 5 and 6 1/2 furlongs by Pinto. Won the $29,000 Don Valliere Memorial Cup on July 26.

   Chocolateforlunch (Horse of the Year and female sprinter): 6-5-1-0, $58,420. Trained by Lyle Morden, ridden to five wins between 5 and 6 furlongs by Rui Pimentel. Richest horse with at least three starts at the track. Won the $29,000 Fort Erie Slots Cup on July 19. Won at 5 furlongs on the turf on June 7.

   Kilmoganny (distance male): 6-4-1-0, $32,020. Trained by Gonzalez (2 wins) and Ezra (2 wins) and ridden to wins by Anthony Stephen (2) and Ramirez (2). Won at distances between 1 miles and 70 yards and 1 3/4 miles.

   Lucky Day (distance female): 9-3-3-0, $34,422. Trained by John Simms and ridden to wins by Pimentel (2) and Pinto (1). Won at 1 mile and 70 yards (2) and 1 1/16 miles.

   Another Ascot (turf male): 6-3-0-1, $30,937 on the grass. Trained by Ezra and ridden to victory by Dale Hemsley (2) and Ramirez (1).

   Alkmene (turf female): 3-2-1-0, $23,800 on the grass. Trained by Ashlee Brnjas and ridden to wins by Matt Moore and David Garcia. Won the $29,000 Labatt Cup on Sept. 7.

   Vikrant (best claim): 12-4-1-1, $29,470. Claimed by trainer Armand Concessi for owner David Trumble for $4,000 on May 18. Went on to win 4 of 11 races and $29,050 racing mostly for between claiming tags of $4,000 and $7,000. Finished fifth to Spread the News in the Don Valliere Memorial Cup on July 26.. Ridden to wins by Eddie Robinson (3) and Garcia (1).

   Krz' n' Flashy (quarter mile champion): 5-4-0-0, $36,088. Trained by Robert J.W. Johnston and ridden to wins by Dean Deverell (2), Kris Robinson and Roderick Dacosta. Won four of five 2-furlong dashes for $10,000 claimers, the fastest in 21.63 seconds on Aug. 4.

--- Bob Summers

Track Talk: Batavia Downs

Batavia Downs' all-time track records for both trotting and pacing will be in danger Saturday (Oct. 10), when two nationally prominent horses take their shots at the two richest miles on the Friendly Track's 12-race card.

Trotter Baby Boy Grin, who set the all-ages trot record (1:54 4/5) at historic Yonkers Raceway on Sept. 24, drew the far outside No. 6 post, but still looms as the horse to beat in the $10,000 Brian Schroeder Memorial Trot (fifth race). The 4-year-old pacing-bred gelding won the fastest trotting mile (1:58 2/5) of the Buffalo Raceway season on June 12 when he was in the Jerry Nugent Jr. barn.

He since has been sold and now is in the care of trainer Kimberly Asher and driver Larry Stahlbaum. In his last start, the bay won at Pocono Downs in a lifetime best 1:53 4/5. The Batavia trotting record is owned by Earl, who won in 1:56 in 1993.

The night's pacing star is Foiled Again, a career earner of $934,773 who drew the rail in the $40,000 Robert J. Kane Memorial Invitational. Ranked No. 17 in this week's national media poll, the 5-year-old gelding has won 11 of 20 starts this year and is coming off a 1:50 2/5 victory at Chester Downs. He's trained by Ron Burke and driven by Matt Kakaley.

The Downs' pacing record (1:52) was set in last year's Kane by Kenneth J, driven by Jim Morrill Jr.

--- Bob Summers

Track Talk: Auction Action

Horsemen say "a good horse can come from anywhere" and a lot of good Western New York harness horses seem to come from the annual September yearling auction at Morrisville State College.

Last Sunday's sale (Sept. 27) saw a total of 229 yearlings hammered down for an average of $8,477, down about 21 percent from last year.

I counted about 30 horses sold to familiar names on the Buffalo Raceway-Batavia Downs circuit, with five selling for $10,000 or more.

The biggest price paid by a Western New Yorker was the $17,500 that trainer Allan McCarty of Hamburg shelled out for Marion Malibu, a brown trotting colt by Malabar Man (lifetime best winning  mile, 1:53 1/5), winner of the Hambletonian at the Meadowlands, trotting’s biggest race, and Horse of the Year in 1997.

Marion Malibu is the first foal of Cousin Scarlett, a daughter of Donerail (1:55 4/5), the champion 2-year-old colt trotter of 1992. Donerail is a son of Valley Victory (1:55 3/5), the champion 2-year-old colt trotter of 1988.

Next biggest local purchase was the $12,500 Dave McNeight Jr. of Blasdell paid for Mystic Candy, a daughter of Malabar Man. The brown trotting filly is out of Mystic Victory, a daughter of Victory Dream (1:53 2/5), the Hambletonian winner and champion 3-year-old colt trotter of 1994.

Judy Blaun of Elba paid $11,000 for Pistachio, a bay trotting colt from the first crop of Cash Hall, (1:51 1/5), who finished third in the 2004 Hambletonian.

James Schire of Niagara Falls paid $10,000 for Ms Perfect Circle, a bay pacing filly from the first crop of American Ideal (1:47 4/5), winner of the 2005 Confederation Cup, the marquee race of Flamboro Downs in Dundas, Ont.

Ms Perfect Circle’s dam is Cirque (1:53), which makes her a half-sister to Queen Aliceanna (1:57 3/5), currently racing at Batavia Downs.

Dale Wareham of Fredonia bought three horses, topped by $10,000 for Clydabell, a bay trotting filly by Broadway Hall (1:56 4/5), the undefeated (9 for 9) champion 2-year-old colt trotter of 2002. Clydabell is the first foal of Art Of Deception, another daughter of Malabar Man.

Complete auction results are available at www.morrisvillesale.com

--- Bob Summers

Track Talk: Night of Champions

A pair of 2-year-olds --- filly trotter Munis Blue Chip and colt pacer He's Gorgeous --- who won New York Sire Stakes races on Buffalo Raceway's final weekend in July emerged as champions of their age-sex-gait classes at the NYSS Night of Champions at Vernon Downs on Saturday night (Sept. 26). Each won a $175,000 championship race very impressively.

Munis Blue Chip, driven by Tim Tetrick for trainer/co-owner Ray Schnittker, won her mile in 1:57 3/5, a track record for 2-year-old trotting fillies, taking three-fifths of a second off a Vernon record that stood since 1996.

When Munis Blue Chip won a $22,077 NYSS race at Buffalo on July 24, Schnittker did the driving. But this time he turned the reins over to Tetrick, one of the top catch drivers in the country

"I think these catch-drivers have an edge on me on a big track [Vernon is seven-eighths of a mile around]," said Schnittker, the Pendleton native now based in Middletown. "On a half-mile [like Buffalo Raceway or Batavia Downs], I don't know that it makes a difference, but on a big track they do it all the time and are confident."

Schnittker entered six horses in the stakes races. The three he drove himself finished sixth, sixth and ninth and earned no prize money. The three driven by Tetrick finished first, second and third and earned $152,250.

He's Gorgeous, driven by Jason Bartlett for trainer Linda Toscano and owner Kenneth Jacobs, won by 3 1/2 lengths in 1:52, a stakes record just one second slower than the track record for his class. He's Gorgeous won a $26,714 NYSS race at Buffalo Raceway on July 25.

"He was sick this week and was having trouble breathing and we had to put him on antibiotics. I was nervous tonight because I wasn't sure how he'd be," said Jacobs, of the Syracuse suburb of Baldwinsville. His namesake, Kenneth J, last October set the Batavia Downs all-ages track record (1:52) in winning the Robert J. Kane Memorial Pace.

Here's how other horses and people with Western New York connections fared in their races.

Tuesdays With Mom, a 2-year-old filly trotter owned and trained by Peter Arrigenna of Piffard and driven by Jeff Gregory, finished second to Munis Blue Chip and earned $43,750.

Proper Villain, a 2-year-old colt trotter driven by John Campbell for trainer Allan McCarty of Hamburg finished sixth.

Kash N Credit, a 3-year-old colt trotter driven by Jason Bartlett for trainer/owner Clint Galbraith of Scottsville, finished eighth.

OK Braveheart, a 3-year-old gelding pacer who set a Batavia Downs track record for his class (1:52 2/5) on Sept. 4, finished eighth.

Russell Hill, a 3-year-old colt trotter who set a Batavia Downs track record for his class (1:57 4/5) on July 31, finished fourth and earned $14,000.

Driver Jim Morrill Jr. of Hamburg was blanked in six NYSS drives. He finished second once, fourth four times and seventh once.

--- Bob Summers

Track Talk: Baby Boy Steps Up

Baby Boy Grin was bred to pace, but it's obvious now that he was born to trot.

The former Buffalo Raceway star (his 1:58 2/5 mile on June 12 was the Hamburg track's fastest trotting race of 2009 and is Western New York's fourth fastest trot of the year) has moved up to the big leagues.


On Thursday (Sept. 24) he became the fastest trotter in Yonkers Raceway history with a victory in 1:54 4/5 for driver Larry Stalbaum in a race for a $20,000 purse.

The following is from Yonkers publicity director Frank Drucker:

The 4-year-old Grinfromeartoear gelding took no prisoners from the pole. The 2-5 favorite threw down the gauntlet through fractions of 28 1/5, 57 1/5 and 1:25 1/5.

He led by three lengths at the half, a half-dozen at the three-quarter pole and eight turning for home. His final margin was 8-1/4 lengths over Hurrikanebiggeorge (Jason Bartlett), with KLM Express (Jim Marshall III) third.

Baby Boy Grin, co-owned by (trainer) Kim Asher and Mike Sorentino, Jr., returned $2.80 for his seventh win (third consecutive) in 19 seasonal starts. His record-setting effort displaced American Lane and his 1:55.1 mile (June 7, 2008) from the Raceway record books.

"He was just real sharp tonight," Stalbaum said. "He did it all by himself."

"The story I heard about him was that Erv Miller originally paid $40,000 for him, and he wouldn't pace a lick. He wound up selling him [to Buffalo-based owners known as Nasty Boys Stable] for about $4,500.

"They [trainer/driver Jerry Nugent Jr.] turned him into a trotter, and he began making progress. I found out about him, then watched some of his races. He was trotting some big miles up there, and I liked what I saw. I bought him [in mid-June] for $55,000, because I thought he'd at least fit well in the conditioned races here."

--- Bob Summers

Track Talk: Batavia Downs

When it comes to snatching horses out of claiming races (in which the horses are for sale), Bob Gruber III has been one of the most active and most successful trainer on the Western New York harness circuit this year.

And on Tuesday night (Sept. 22) one of his best claims --- a 7-year-old pacing gelding named KLW Clown --- was on display at Batavia Downs.

With regular driver Ron Beback Jr. in the sulky, KLW Clown won for the fourth time in six starts since Gruber and co-owner James Kustra claimed him for $4,000 out of a race at Buffalo Raceway on July 19. In six races since, KLW clown has won $8,900 in purse money and rewarded his betting backers with $2 win payoffs totaling $27.40 for a $12 investment, a return on investment of about 128 percent.

KLW Clown is just one of Gruber's success stories. A glance through some recent programs and the Web site http://wnyharness.tripod.com (click on Racing Information) shows many horses that won for Gruber shortly he and his clients bought them.

Shrewsbury Falcon: Claimed for $6,000 on Aug. 28, won two starts later and paid $4.60.

CL Bull Run: Claimed for $5,000 on Aug. 21, won a week later and paid $4.30.

Carli Dey: Claimed for $6,000 on Aug. 10, won her next start on Aug. 30 and paid $7.10.

She Goes All Duvay: Claimed for $4,800 on July 22, won her next start on Aug. 5 and paid $3.90.

Two On The Ace: Claimed for $10,000 on July 18, won seven days later and paid $6.60.

Clay Hill King Pin: Claimed for $3,000 on July 1, won his next three starts paying a total of $18.10 for three $2 win bets.

Long Live America: Claimed for $6,000 on June 28, won on July 18, paying $34.80. Since then he has also won twice more with payoffs of $6.60 and $8.70.

Joey Pants: Claimed for $3,000 on June 13, won his third and fourth starts after that, paying $3.60 and $4.60.

Bettors who ignore Gruber's recent claims, do so at their own peril.

--- Bob Summers