Off the Record

Got an email from NYRA about the two track records that were tied or broken on Wednesday, and I don't know if that's something they really want to publicize considering the ordinary animals who are now written into the record books. Seems a little silly, really, and nothing more than evidence of a superfast track. Super Shape ($16.40), who tied the record for 6 1/2 furlongs of 1:14.46 set by Bear Fan in 2004, is a 35K claimer who was winning his second race, sandwiched around two awful efforts, since being claimed for owner Mike Repole for the same price in May. This was his first race for trainer Bruce Levine, who has bounced back strongly from a poor Saratoga meet with nine winners from 34 starters (26%). Super Shape earned a Beyer of 97.

In the 4th, Birdrun ($6.20) ran a mile and a sixteenth in a record 1:39.38. This horse graduated in a romp for a 35K tag for Mott in the spring, and maybe it gave the son of Birdstone some confidence, if you believe in that sort of thing. He since ran two good seconds in allowance and starters allowance company before this effort, in which he earned a career best Beyer of 99. (There were only two other dirt races on the card, both cheap state-bred maiden claiming sprints.)

Tom Bush won the 5th with Boxitup ($13.20), and this barn is just blazing hot right now....eight winners from his last 12 starters! (Burnished Copper was 3rd at 12-1 in the 7th.) And that includes Get Stormy, who won the G3 Bryan Station at Keeneland on Sunday, the barn's first graded winner since Rahy's Appeal in 2006.