Boobirds in Minority

- There was a report in the NY Post yesterday that Edgar Prado drew some “loud boos” amidst the cheers when he entered the paddock for the 3rd race at Belmont on Sunday. I was there, and I’m happy to report that the jeers were confined to the usual peanut gallery that gathers on the grandstand side of the path leading from the paddock to the track to harrass the jockeys every day. I’d also say that it was only a couple of idiots, but just a few people booing loudly can counter a far larger number of people clapping or cheering and create a false impression. That’s pretty common at sporting events, and the booers usually get more of the press attention. The sad truth is that there really weren’t enough people at the cavernous track on Sunday to create any real crowd reaction at all. But I did hear a couple of people yell that the rider was a hero; unfortunately, that wasn’t reported by the Post.

Reports from New Bolton today lend further encouragement to a recovery for Barbaro.

"He's actually better today than he was even yesterday and he was pretty good yesterday," Dr. Dean Richardson said. "He's walking very well on the limb, absolutely normal vital signs. He's doing very well."

Barbaro was on his feet in his stall, even scratching his left ear with his left hind leg just two days after Richardson and a team of assistants spent more than five hours pinning together the leg bones he shattered in the Preakness Stakes on Saturday. [AP]

The fact that he was using his left leg to scratch his ear sounds like good news to this layman, as it seems to indicate that he’s comfortable putting weight on the injured leg. That would help to preclude the possibility of him developing potentially fatal laminitis in his good limb.

- Indian Vale was last at 4-5 in the five-horse, Grade 2 Shuvee at Belmont on Sunday. Her pp lines now show five dominating wins, and two fifths in her seven starts. The other fifth was the day that Angel Cordero rode her at Philly Park. She stumbled a bit at the start, but stalked the leader while “in hand,” and had no visible excuse. Pletcher said: “The track was in good shape. We'll check her out." [Bloodhorse] It was another disappointing performance by last year’s CCA Oaks winner Smuggler, who faded to third, beaten 11 lengths as the 2-1 second choice.

For winner Take D’Tour (Tour D’Or), it was her third straight dominating win and her third stakes triumph. The Grade 1 Ogden Phipps was termed a “good possibility" for her next start, and I doubt you’ll see 6-1 on her anytime again soon.