The best bit of news from the grapevine this morning: Blind Luck works six furlongs in 1:11 4/5 in preparation for a four-year-old debut in the GII El Encino Stakes on January 16th. Yes, we had already heard that she wasn’t retiring in the wake of what is almost certainly a championship season, but boy is it nice to have it confirmed. I will never get enough of the little iron filly. May she crush her El Encino rivals in to the brand new dirt.
Speaking of, it seems awfully fitting that my first actual racing post on here should state once and for all that I am firmly on the side of natural dirt tracks. I think synthetic tracks are silly for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that it treats a symptom and not the problem. The problem, of course, is more fragile racehorses. Synthetic surfaces, if they are safer as they claim to be, would actually serve to compound the crisis by allowing brittle-boned animals to go undetected through their careers and breed, thereby weakening the entire allelic population and by not allowing any young horse to reach the potential for strength and durability that can only be achieved by concussive force applied to bone and tissue. Which is also the reason that I think synthetic surfaces in training centers is stupid.
But I digress.
The year is now 2011, which means that the Kentucky Derby chase is officially underway, and that makes Jasmine make the 8D face. And as anyone who has followed me over from deviantART will know, the word for this crop in general is badass. Uncle Mo and To Honor and Serve are the obvious big boys, with horses like Boys at Toscanova, Jaycito, JP’s Gusto and Comma to the Top sharing buzz and street cred as well. Then there are the maiden and allowance winners and stakes-placed two-year-olds looking to break in: Brethren and The Factor were each so impressive last out that their bandwagons are almost as full as the top-rated two.
The badass factor is most obvious in a select few, Uncle Mo being the most obvious. His Champagne Stakes was run as quickly as Seattle Slew’s, and his Breeders’ Cup Juvenile nothing short of devastating. 1:50 might not seem like an exciting nine-furlong time, but To Honor and Serve’s Remsen was three seconds faster than the equivalent filly stakes earlier in the card. Brethren, by Distorted Humor out of an A.P. Indy Mare (both stallions known for late-blooming classic horses) ran 1:08 4/5 for six furlongs in his debut. The Factor? Yes, the Santa Anita track was wicked fast on its first day of service, but 1:06.98 for a two-year-old is just silly. Naturally, the boo birds have already come out calling him “nothing but a sprinter,” but to them I say what loser cares? If he turns out to be nothing but a sprinter, I will still freak out every time he runs.
Of the lesser-known badasses, my favourite is Rogue Romance. I fell in love with him watching his last-to-first tour de force in the GIII Bourbon Stakes on turf at Keeneland in October, and then his third-place finish to titans Uncle Mo and Boys at Toscanova in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in his first attempt on dirt sealed the deal. If he runs on dirt in his three-year-old debut, which I assume he will, you know his connections are thinking Derby. And I don’t blame them. His daddy did win it, after all. He’s my slightly dark horse early in the season. As of right now, my not-dark-at-all horse is To Honor and Serve, with Brethren close behind. Uncle Mo is a freak of nature who probably has more talent than both of those other horses put together, but they have the pedigree advantage as far as distance, and I want to see Uncle Mo trained and raced to win a Kentucky Derby before I hand him the race on a silver platter.
And it’s probably a good thing that the racing public hasn’t found me yet on that last sentence, because I can just hear the capslock DO NOT BLASPHEME TODD PLETCHER WHO ARE YOU TO JUDGE already… Oh, hypothetical troll, how you are in for a ride with me. But that is definitely a topic for another day.
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January 1, 2011 at 7:16 pm
Sheepish
Can’t wait to see what shapes up to be the Oaks field this year as well. I wouldn’t say no to a yet unknown next Medaglia d’Oro superstar. π
January 1, 2011 at 7:20 pm
PonySpam
π indeed! I will mention them soon enough, but I cannot WAIT for Awesome Feather and Dancinginherdreams to meet up. That could be a heck of a rivalry if their schedules collide.
January 1, 2011 at 7:20 pm
Arwen
I’m still mourning Kantharos…I should probably get over him, shouldn’t I. XD
ANYWAY, super start Jas, and I look forward to MANY more awesome reads.
January 1, 2011 at 7:20 pm
PonySpam
Yes, you should. xDDD
Merci, mon amie.
January 1, 2011 at 7:33 pm
blindy
I’m ridiculously excited to watch Uncle Mo get better (because even though he’s good now it’s got to be next to impossible for him to improve) and yes, I’ll help you hand him the race on a silver platter.
January 1, 2011 at 7:35 pm
PonySpam
xD
The big question with him will be distance and training. A horse like that, such a brilliant horse, needs conditioning and what they call “bottom” to him to stretch his speed to classic distances of ten furlongs and longer. That’s why I’m NOT handing him the race just yet.
January 1, 2011 at 8:00 pm
zeunicorn1o
Ponyspam has become one of my favourite sites already. :3
I agree with you about dirt. Just out of interest, is it harder or softer on a horse’s legs than turf?
I like Uncle Mo and Brethren, from what I’ve seen of them (very little XD). Mainly because you talk about them a lot, lol. But I haven’t formed any view on the Derby, of course.
Could you explain to me about times, and workouts please? I have very little idea of what’s good and bad, and what they mean in the run up to a race. :3 Only if you don’t mind, of course. Can you tell what a newbie to racing I am?
January 1, 2011 at 8:04 pm
PonySpam
π
It is harder. Synthetic surfaces as a rule are designed to be more shock-absorbant than natural dirt. Unfortunately, that means that the horses’ legs never get to build up bone like they would on dirt.
I’m sure I’ll introduce you and everyone slowly to times and works and so forth over time, but generally what’s called a “twelve-clip” is desirable in workouts. That’s twelve seconds to a furlong, and comes out to :48 for a half-mile, 1:00 for five furlongs, 1:12 for six, etc… though it should be mentioned that keeping up a twelve-clip gets harder as the distances get longer.
January 1, 2011 at 9:57 pm
blindy
AHMG! That just helped me out as well.
January 1, 2011 at 8:11 pm
PonySpam
Oh, and since my train of thought went all over the place, let me actually answer your question: Dirt is harder on the legs than turf in general. Firm turf can be harder than dirt, but as a rule, grass has more cushion.
The reason my brain leapt over to synthetics and didn’t give my typing fingers time to catch up was that I wanted to mention that synthetics were designed with turf-type properties in mind, and they’re considered in general to be more similar to turf than to dirt. Proof: the huge number of European grass horses that won Breeders’ Cup races the two years it was run on Santa Anita Pro-Ride.
January 1, 2011 at 8:24 pm
zeunicorn1o
XD Thank you for the answers to both. It’s interesting to wonder how bone density would compare between turf horses from the UK and dirts horses from the USA, and whether the frequency of accidents differs greatly. As far as the Europeans are concerned, I bet they’re all in favour of synthetics, though, if it helps them win. I’m glad it’s changed back. More bone, less accidents, better horses. Yay.
I’m really excited to read your blog posts, we shall all be experts on racing in no time! And my HARPG races may improve somewhat, lolol.
January 1, 2011 at 8:45 pm
PonySpam
Yes, indeed! If I had the money I would fund that study.
Hee hee. xD Multidisciplinary benefits of reading the blog.
January 1, 2011 at 8:18 pm
Pande
Who is Rogue Romance by? I have a feeling I’m going to hit myself with my desk as soon as hear the sire’s name… but ahhh well.
And I’m sorta kinda obligated to like Todd Pletcher… since he DID graduate from the University of Arizona’s racetrack program… which I’m in right now. D: Any nay-saying and I’m going to be booted from the program, I just know it. XDDD
January 1, 2011 at 8:47 pm
PonySpam
Rogue Romance is by the one and only Smarty Jones. π
lololol then please, defend him to your heart’s content! xD I do like him in general, but being number one in the industry he’s just an obvious person to pick on for several flaws that are prevalent in most or all modern trainers’ systems. Which I’m sure I will rant about at great length eventually. *cackle*
January 2, 2011 at 1:55 pm
Pande
*headdesk* Darnit! I knew that one. x.x Guh.
For no reason I /always/ get Smarty Jones and Funny Cide confused, I have NO idea why this is, but I always think Funny Cide is the Stallion and Smarty Jones is the Gelding.
Gee, shoowsss how much I know. X’D
/ lame
But that dooesss make sense, being the head of it all makes you more of a target when things go wrong — s’how the world works. Still, I was really happy for him when he got his first Derby win. π
I think my favorite little time horse this year is most likely El Grayling, I mean, sure he didn’t come in first against Brethren, but he had a flare I liked. XD Plus… he’s gray and a son of Northern Dancer (and therefore Native Dancer) — that alone makes me like him. x3 Plus his Dam Sire is Dynaformer, and he does have some nice foals…. sometimes. XD
January 1, 2011 at 8:26 pm
1pen
I’m going to stick to my Brethren camp because of massive Brethren soft spot.
January 1, 2011 at 8:47 pm
PonySpam
Yes, well. I was aware of your bias. XD And hey, not exactly a bad pick on merit, either.
January 1, 2011 at 8:30 pm
TJ
Yes to all of the above. XD
January 1, 2011 at 8:48 pm
PonySpam
lololol
January 2, 2011 at 12:48 am
Ehetere
Firstly, I’m going to thank you for creating this blog.
Combined with bloodhorse, this will make following all things
American racing much easier in a foreign country XD. Secondly:
UNCLE MO. Tis amazing. I do hope he’ll be able to stretch to 10
furlongs – whatever the outcome it’ll be exciting to watch I’m
sure.
January 2, 2011 at 5:43 pm
PonySpam
I hope to be very useful. π
Exciting to watch is a given on the Derby trail. :3333
January 2, 2011 at 1:37 pm
Perididdle
I’m biding my time on Uncle Mo. When it comes to Derby horses, I have a serious, serious name bias (I literally opted to not supported Big Brown because I hated his name. And then his owners, but still…xD Same with Smarty Jones. Wee little Peri nearly had a heart attack when Birdstone pounced on him, and probably one of the only ones induced by glee) that is unfair but nevertheless prevalent, but I’m trying to break myself of it! I’m seeing a lot of great horses simmering ‘under the radar’ – Robie the Cat, Premiere Pegasus (sort of), Tiz Blessed. I also like a lot of fillies, and I’d love someone to man up and see what their girls are capable of!
I’m liking Jaycito and Boys at Tosconova for the big guys. But it’s so hard to even try guessing in January. My girlfriend fell in love with some little guy named Curlin the day he won his maiden some day in February. xD Not a Derby horse, sure, but certainly a good TC pick.
January 2, 2011 at 5:47 pm
PonySpam
I actually love Uncle Mo’s name. He’s not named after some old relative of the owner’s; it’s a sports term meaning momentum. Having Uncle Mo on your side, etc etc, would mean that the tide has turned in your favour.
The under the radar horses are arguably the most fun to follow this time of year. I sure freaked the hell out when a second-time starter went six panels in 1:06.98, that’s for sure. XDD
I saw Curlin’s debut live on satellite by some fluky crazy stroke of luck… it was actually the moment I fell irrevocably in love with horse racing in general, so… yeah. :3 And hey, he got squashed on the rail in the Derby and closed like crazy to finish third. A year later, run him with Big Brown and I’m convinced Curlin wins the Triple Crown.
January 3, 2011 at 1:15 pm
Perididdle
I know about Uncle Mo’s name, I just…still don’t like it. xD But it did warm me to do it somewhat. I remember a thread title about him named ‘Whoa Uncle Mo’, and I always try to think of that as his name, and I like it more!
I’d heard about the Factor a few weeks before his first start, because apparently he was a freak in the morning. Baffert and his company were so high on him there was a giant buzz before he even showed up entered anywhere. I was bummed about his first start, but apparently, he reaaallly likes dirt! *Glee* Also, Baffert is I think a huge gift to horse racing from a publicity standpoint – he loves the camera, the camera loves him, he is great with the press and oh goodness, that HAIR (I have a big trainer crush on him). If he were to win the Crown, I think he’d take it all the way and get racing some seriously good publicity. Much better than Pletcher, who I don’t think is a very personable man, or…gag…Dutrow. So I’m all over any big thoroughbred butt currently parked in the Baffert barn!
Curlin for a relatively ‘green’ horse in the DERBY did amazing. Had he won the Derby, I am positive he would’ve done the crown. And if any horse since I’ve been following racing in 2002 has deserved it, it is dearest Curlin! As I said when Rachel retired earlier than I liked, the Curlin x Rachel babies had better win ALL THE TRIPLE CROWNS.
January 3, 2011 at 3:09 pm
PonySpam
His debut was a fluke. The jockey didn’t listen, did something stupid and got him boxed in all the way around. But yeah… his stride is just made for dirt.
I love Baffert. Baffert is the bestest. Except maybe Larry Jones.
ALL THE TRIPLE CROWNS. Indeed. xD
January 2, 2011 at 4:00 pm
LittleShadow
You have no idea how happy this makes me. :] GAQ Blog = Awesomesauce.
WOO! LET THE DERBY MADNESS BEGIN!
January 2, 2011 at 5:44 pm
PonySpam
MADNESS MADNESS MADNESS