Saratoga Monday

9,320 at Saratoga on the 1st Monday, becoming a traditional four-figure attendance day if I'm not mistaken (no, I'm not taking the time to look it up.)   Probably won't have another one of those in decent weather until the final week of the too-long meeting.

Ramon Dominguez followed up his six win day with a winner in the opener for Anthony Dutrow, the leading trainer with three winners in five starters.  The other two were seconds.  Decisive Mood  paid $10.40 coming off an allowance win at Monmouth as the bettors opted for a couple of Churchill shippers instead.  Maybe they were thrown off by the Fractions Unavailable notation on his running line.  This three-year old son of Awesome Again is out of a Gone West mare who's a half-sister to the Canadian 3yo champion Peaks and Valleys; and from the distaff family of the champion turf mare Forever Together. 

Veiled Prophet ($31.60) moved up sharply off the claim for trainer Dominic Galluscio.   Winning jockey Cornelio Velasquez had ridden this horse last time and stuck around for the new connections.  Not saying that as a redboard, as I was at work and not playing....but always a good sign to keep an eye out for.  The rider also took the 3rd on Lady Rizzi ($11.40) for Linda Rice, her first winner of the meet; and the 8th on improbable longshot Grandpa Len ($46)

Churchill shippers ran 1-2 in the 4th; Tiz Sardonic Joe ($13.20) was the second winner from five starters (1 2nd) for trainer Eddie Kenneally.  You might recall that this barn struggled here a bit last summer.  Kenneally is one win from equaling his total of three winners for the entire 2011 meetings, from 26 starters.  Three-year old son of Tiznow is a half to a graded turf winner in Joe's Blazing Aaron (though only 3 for 16 lifetime), and a group stakes placed French horse.

Well, the first of two short-priced Pletcher first-time two-year olds to go down did so in the 5th.  This barn is now 1 for his first 21 and is taking some adoring horseplayers down with him.   Although the Toddster always seems to be on an even keel, it was reported that three hairs were seen blowing out of place as he was leaving the track.  Citizen Emma at least ran well in the 5th, a turf route, but fell short to Da Mi Basia Mille (Pure Prize) ($19.80), second winner of the meet for Clement.   And then, as if making that one even money wasn't enough, the bettors sent Polan off at 3-2 in the 7th.  This one faded to 5th behind Soul House ($14.20), who got off to a bad start and used it to his advantage as he ran down another exhausted field of two-year olds.  And getting back to a point I tried to make in the last post before I screwed it up - just visually, it seems rather apparent that a race on the grass, even at a longer distance, has gotta be far easier on these young horses than the pounding sprint races on dirt surfaces.  The surface is kinder, and they're not either running full out nor getting ridden all out and whipped mercilessly as they tire from their early efforts.  However, briefly, and surely amongst many other factors, people in this sport are way too beholden to tradition to institute real change that could truly make the game less punishing on the animals.

Soul House earned $36,000 for the win, more than twice his purchase price as a yearling at the Spa last year.  He's by Limehouse out of a Stormin' Fever mare, and is inbred 3x4 to Dixieland Band, 4x4 to Secretariat.  (As I've mentioned before, I don't bother mentioning inbreeding to Northern Dancer and Mr. Prospector because they're so common.)  His 6-1 odds came despite his hailing from the 31% 1st-time starter outfit of Arlington-based trainer Larry Rivoli.  He had a winner from seven starters last year, his entire Saratoga resume, but a sharp 26% over the last year overall, so probably worth keeping an eye on.