Saturday Night Notes - July 22

- This could go in the "what else is new" category, but Bill Mott is on quite a roll with his grass starters. With the win by 23-1 shot Union Avenue in the G2 American Derby at Arlington, he's now won with four consecutive starters in graded turf stakes. He won previously with Go Between in the Virginia Derby; After Market in the Lexington; and Quite a Bride in the Boiling Springs. All of these stakes winners are three-year olds.

I didn't bet the race, but I was thinking that it was one of those races where the odds were just all out of whack. Stream Cat, the slight 3-1 favorite, had Beyers that made him no more than a middling contender in my opinion. Second choice Golden Arrow was making his first US start with just one win in eight tries in Ireland. I thought at the time that the winner was one of about a half dozen horses that looked like possible contenders at good prices. Others more than Union Avenue though.

He's a son of Gone West, out of Miss Union Avenue, a turf stakes winner by grass champ Steinlen. For the sire, standing for $125,000 this year, it's his first graded stakes winner of the year.

- And Holy Giacomo, I never would have had him today! Watching TVG earlier in the day, the talk was all about how there was no speed in the San Diego with the scratch of Spellbinder. Giacomo was almost an afterthought given that scenario. Furthermore, speculation was that the race, at just a mile and a sixteenth, was merely a prep for the Pacific Classic.

I figured he was a major underlay at 9-2. Guess I figured wrong. Who would have guessed Preachinatthebar and favorite Rathor would hook up, later joined by Texcess on the way to a 1:09.85 three quarters. The last time Giacomo was in a race that went under 1:10 to six furlongs was the Kentucky Derby, his last win until today. Since then, he had not been within five lengths of the front at the finish.

It was nice to see a Derby winner display the determination Giacomo showed today, and the sport will certainly benefit if he goes on and gets some more fast paces to run at. It's the second graded stakes winner of the year for sire Holy Bull, whose son Bishop Court Hill took the G1 Carter.