Tuesday Morning Notes

[This post was pulled and edited to correct a stupid error for which I actually had a reasonable explanation but which I won't go into now. So? Sue me!]

Bobby Flay ran Sunday's marathon in just a shade over four hours. That race was run on concrete, as opposed to the turf course on which his juvenile Todd Pletcher-trained daughter of More Than Ready won the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf. More Than Real ($29.20), one of the horses I kicked myself for not having considering that I tabbed Winter Memories as one of the favorites to bet against, is out of a stakes-winning Dehere mare. The Juvenile Turf winner, Pluck ($14.80), also trained by Pletcher and sired by More Than Ready, is out of a mare by Fort Wood, a Sadlers Wells half-brother to the Juvenile winner Timber Country.

This year's Juvenile winner, Uncle Mo, was Pletcher's third winner of the Breeders Cup weekend. The son of Indian Charlie earned a Beyer of 108 for his dominant win. Two turns, no problem; he looked like a winner every single step of the way. Once again, he bounded home with aplomb, getting the last five-sixteenths in 30.66 after a third quarter in 24.41. That seems like an even pace over the last half mile plus. Pletcher said after the race that Uncle Mo runs fast for the entire race....though Randy Moss and Jerry Bailey raised the question of if he can do so at a certain classic distance. But we'll get to that next spring.

Despite the wins, it was a decidedly mixed weekend for the Toddster. The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission is looking into the Life at Ten fiasco now, which is too late as far as the bettors are concerned.

“From the time Life at Ten was brought to the paddock, saddled, led to the track for the post parade, warmed up and loaded into the starting gate, neither trainer Todd Pletcher nor jockey Johnny Velasquez voiced any concerns they may have had regarding Life at Ten to any racing officials, veterinarians or the outriders prior to the running of the Ladies Classic,” the KHRC said in a statement. [Bloodhorse]

Maybe not, but both of them voiced concerns on ESPN before the race to thousands of viewers. One thing that should come out of an inquiry is that the stewards and racing officials keep the TV on.

Whatsmore, Quality Road would have been better off balking at the starting gate this time; he finished last, and I mean dead last. He went off at 6-1, though I don't know who bet him....I don't recall hearing or reading of anyone who liked him. Many of us doubted his ability at the distance, but you also gotta wonder about the two months off before the race. I know he's run well fresh, but the horse seemed in fine fettle this past summer, and hardly one in need of a freshening.

Well, no worries, Quality Road is on to bigger and better things.

Zenyatta and Blame received Beyers of 111.

I wrote about Big Drama a few times, so I guess I should have had a straight win bet in there somewhere! Had him on top in some exactas, and I actually thought I was home at one point. Trevor Denman seemed to single out Warrior's Reward as the horse making the big move, so for a while there, I thought Hamazing Destiny was he, and was yelling for him like a rank amateur. I used him and Supreme Summit, who closed fast and missed the place spot by a head and a neck. Elsewhere in the near miss category was when Gio Ponti, who I didn't like at all, came on to beat The Usual Q.T. out for second behind Goldikova. And of course, there was my cold Zenyatta-Blame exacta. That one was kinda close.