- Rafael Bajarano is replacing Victor Espinoza on Point Determined in next week’s Santa Anita Derby, because the latter is opting to ride Balance in the Ashland at Keeneland that day instead; and who can blame him? If she wins big, I may start a new phone number, 1-800-GODERBY, to draft her to run against the boys!
- That was a cold exacta in the first at Santa Anita for yours truly, and you read it right here. Yeah, I was looking for more than $13.40, but I’ll take it.
- John at …Not To The Swift is looking for Pletcher’s Saint Augustine to be overshadowed in the betting pools by his stablemate Sunriver in the Florida Derby tomorrow, and I think that’s good thinking; remember, Saint Augustine is coming off a win in a higher allowance level than is Ashado’s baby bro.
The same strategy may be worthwhile in tomorrow’s G3 Excelsior at the Big A. Pletcher has Colita, the 4-1 second choice behind Funny Cide. He’s coming off a big allowance win in a lifetime best 105 Beyer, and I think even those sentimental New Yorkers will opt for him over the slumping Derby winner, still looking for his first win since the ’04 Jockey Club Gold Cup. Colita is an erratic one though, and in the past he’s just been a tad short in graded stakes company. Stablemate West Virginia could get overlooked. He had rounded into fine two-turn form late last year, taking the Iselin, and missing by a neck in both the Stuyvesant and Queens County, all Grade 3’s. He threw in a bad one in between on a sloppy track, one-turn state-bred race at Belmont. In his last two, he ran into Brass Hat, who certainly confirmed his form with his excellent second in Dubai, as well as the muck at Gulfstream in the Grade 1 Donn. He loves the Big A main track, with a 4-2-1-1 record there, and could bounce back with a stronger effort here. [Note: there’s a chance of showers here tonight and tomorrow afternoon.] Liquor Cabinet is in fine fettle for Mark Hennig and makes his graded stakes debut. Your Bluffing is a neck short of six wins in a row at Delaware and Laurel, but faces better and ran his heart out with 125 pounds just two weeks ago.
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Friday, March 31, 2006
Friday Notes - March 31
Posted by Alan Mann at 5:26 PM
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5 Comments:
...keep an eye on Getback Time (6/1 ml) in Saturday's opener...i have a good report on him, and Valdivia was aboard for that latest drill...if a jock is taking the time to work a maiden-claimer for Mark Glatt, and then he's named to ride, chances are they mean business...
...also, regarding Brad Free's column today, he asks:
"Quick question: Can you name the winner of the Dubai World Cup? Didn't think so."
...anyone else find that a little insulting?...
...incidentally, i agree with Alan in regard to Balance...i think she deserves her shot vs. males...it doesn't look like she's going to get it though...if her connections were giving ANY thought to the Derby, they'd almost certainly stay home and test the waters in the Santa Anita Derby, rather than shipping her Keeneland to run vs. fillies on the same day...maybe another big win in the Ashland will change their minds, but i doubt it...btw, this will be Balance's first start outside California, so that'll be interesting...but given she's run well on grass in addition to dirt, i doubt she's very surface-conscious...i don't think it'll be a problem....
WORLD CUP DAY WINNERS IN GOOD FORM
Godolphin's Electrocutionist, who powered to victory in the Group One Dubai World Cup last Saturday, and the impressive winner of the Group Two UAE Derby, Discreet Cat, have both come out of their races well. They have been tack walking at their Al Quoz base in Dubai and in the course of the next month will be shipped to Europe and America respectively for their exciting sumer campaigns. Electrocutionist is being aimed for the Group One Prince Of Wales Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 21 and Discreet Cat's plans will be confirmed in due course.
...hmmm...so Discreet Cat is being shipped to America during the month of April...sounds good!... 8^)
"Quick question: Can you name the winner of the Dubai World Cup? Didn't think so."
Yeah, that seemed a bit condescending. I was giving him the benefit of the doubt and thinking that perhaps he was referring to the ungodly hour of the race on the west coast.
...i'm sure he was trying to make the point that the race isn't all that important to Americans as a whole, and perhaps also that the winner was an overseas colt who's never run in America...but yeah, i felt i was being talked down to just the same...
...as for Getback Time, he ran horribly...i don't know what's going on this year, the non-2yo first-time starters my clocker is giving pushes to just aren't firing (at least not first time out, a few of them have come back to win in start #2)...it's been that way the whole meet, and i'm getting my ass handed to me...it's not been a good year so far, and that's putting it mildly...at one point i lost TWENTY races in a row, my biggest losing streak ever...beginning now, i think i'll restrict myself to 2yo's only...they've always been my forte, even before i started with this workout report thing...i just feel more secure with the baby races...kind of like Linus and his blanket... 8^P
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