Kodiak Moment

- I had a good day in the Special, picking four winners on top, and I had the late Pick Three (for real) for $111. That was the lowest will pay of the six I was alive with, after singling the first two legs; but certainly a better result than the second place finisher, who I didn't have. Friday's picks should be up here shortly now.

Kodiak Kowboy was one horse I had because I did do the extra work. I was intrigued by The Roundhouse, but watching the replay of Kodiak Kowboy winning the Bashford Manor won me over; he was ridden confidently and ran as professionally as could be for a young colt. With Shaun Bridgmohan replacing Corey Lanerie, this son of leading first crop sire Posse sat a perfect trip in the G2 Special behind the two speeds, waited patiently for room at the top of the stretch, and burst through horses to open up a big lead. The Roundhouse put in a nice rally for second, but wasn't making up any appreciable ground at the end. The last 2 1/2 furlongs were run in 30.98, which is a rate of about 24.75 for a quarter.

So here's a pretty solid juvenile, a winner of two graded stakes in a row, and four out of five overall. "We’re hoping to run him in the Belmont Futurity (Grade II, Sept. 15)," Steve Asmussen told Bloodhorse. While Posse made his living as a sprinter, there seems to be plenty of stamina in his pedigree, and I imagine that his progeny will go on with the right matings. Kodiak Kowboy is out of a mare by the late Travers winner Coronado's Quest who is a half-sister to West By West, a graded winner around two turns; and his second dam is a half to the Brooklyn Handicap winner Little Missouri...and that when it was run at a mile and a half. He's inbred 4x4 to Mr. Prospector, and has horses like Glorious Song, Blushing Groom, Cox's Ridge, and Roberto close up in his pedigree, so...I'm not talking about, y'know, that, just saying that he should be able to go two turns at Monmouth this fall if, that is, he's still sharp six months after his first race.

The best two-year old performance of the day however may have come in the maiden race. Secret Gypsy (Sea of Secrets) broke the track record for 5 1/2 furlongs, getting the distance in 1:03.26 in her career debut, cruising on top to the stretch, and then drawing away when asked under a hand ride by Desormeaux. Tom Durkin noted after the finish that she didn't want to go into the gate. She was a secret at the windows, going off at 13-1 for Ronny Werner, who does OK with these, at 17% over the last two years. Zito's first-timer Overandabeauty got bet on the nose at 3-1 and held second after chasing the winner.

We're leaving for Saratoga on Sunday morning; our rental starts that day. If Rags to Riches was running in the Alabama, we'd probably have gone up a day early, and used my Holiday Inn points for a free night. In Albany. I don't like the one in Saratoga. Even without Rags to Riches, if it was a great card, I might have persuaded the Head Chef, who despises the Holiday Inn, to leave a day early. But after having seen the entries, we'll stick to our plans. There's a two mile dirt race on the card, and while there's nothing wrong with an oddball race every once in a while to keep things fun, you might as well just stick your money in a slot machine.

The Head Chef, who has graciously donated her services in the form of a home-cooked dinner to be auctioned off at the Belmont Child Care Association's fundraising dinner event at the Gideon Putnam hotel next Wednesday, is bringing her friend Eileen along. Eileen has broken up with her boyfriend, and is looking for some men, to put it frankly. The Head Chef somehow has convinced her that the track at Saratoga would be a good place to meet guys. Personally, I think she might be disappointed, though you never know. I mean, what serious horseplayer guy is thinking about women when he's at Saratoga, right? This is like the opposite of the Capital Play theory that women attract men to the track. Maybe it's the other way around, and then those women who were attracted by the men will then attract other men who will attract other women, and all of a sudden it will be like Australia, Saratoga will become a big pick-up joint and put Siro's out of business. But anyway, if you see a woman who's obviously on the prowl on Sunday, please stop and say hello.