Tuesday Night Notes - Jan 3

- I speculated here the other day that Pussycat Doll’s dominating win in the La Brea was a result of her taking to the wet going, but according to her jockey Garrett Gomez, as related by owner Mike Pegram to the Form’s Jay Hovdey, nothing could be further from the truth.

If her rider is to be believed, Pussycat Doll disliked last Saturday's racetrack so much that she won the seven-furlong La Brea Stakes by only 5 3/4 lengths under Garrett Gomez.

"That's what the Garrett told us," said owner Mike Pegram. "He said he didn't want to sound cocky, but she didn't like that track at all. The good ones, they handle anything."

Pegram also raced the filly’s sire, Real Quiet, and her dam, Hookedonthefeeling (Citidancer), with whom he won the La Brea in 1999. He’s the breeder of Pussycat Doll, and sold off the dam for $1.525 million. Some guys have all the fun, y'know? He says that he won’t be selling Pussycat Doll. "Even I'm smart enough to know that when you see that Grade 1 in two straight generations of a family, that's something you don't get rid of, unless you absolutely have to."

According to the Pedigree Query site, Hookedonthefeeling has a 3-year old filly by Deputy Minister, a 2-year old colt by Unbridled’s Song, and a yearling filly by Vindication.

Pussycat Doll is the first Grade 1 winner for the Derby/Preakness winner Real Quiet, who is standing in Pennsylvania for $6,000; it’s just his second graded stakes winner in three crops of racing age prior to 2006, the other being the G2 Demoiselle winner Wonder Lady Anne.

- The three-year old colt Barbaro (Dynamformer) is getting some attention in the wake of his dominating win in the Tropical Park Derby at Calder, his third win in three career starts, all on the grass. Sounds like a winning formula to me, and Edgar Prado said, "He was much the best and he can be any kind of horse." But the temptations of the Triple Crown series may dictate a change of surface. [Thoroughbred Times]

- Lost in the Fog is back in the barn of trainer Greg Gilchrist, and the connections are apparently oblivious to the criticism, not all of it warranted in my opinion, that he’s ducked the toughest competition. "I don't think he is going to take that many trips this year," Gilchrist said. "If he stays sprinting, we will try to stay in California."

Gilchrist, who said Lost in the Fog might have been a tired horse in the Breeders' Cup, said he will train him very lightly in January before picking up some steam in February. He is targeting the Golden Gate Fields Breeders' Cup Sprint, a $100,000, six-furlong race for 3-year-olds and up on April 22, but might find a race for Lost in the Fog before that event. [Contra Costa Times]

- The Calder meet ended in unspeakable tragedy with the sudden death of racing secretary Bob Umphrey. We always feel sorrow anytime that a young man of 53 dies so unexpectedly, but when I consider the fact that he was talented and fortunate enough to have a dream job that most of us would do anything for, it makes it all the more heartrending. Umphrey was credited with revitalizing the Miami track with innovations such as the Grand Slam stakes series and the Summit of Speed program, and this year’s Princess Rooney stakes will be the first Grade 1 in track history. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends.