No Champagne For Favorites

- How bad were Majestic Warrior and Ready's Image in the Champagne?? Oh man! I was never really that hepped on Majestic Warrior's Hopeful, but I figured he'd at least be closing instead of backing up at the finish. And Ready's Image was already dead last as they turned for home, ugh; and Pletcher said he would not be pointed to the Juvenile.

I don't believe we saw the Derby winner today; nor the Juvenile winner for that matter. War Pass set a quick pace with opening quarters of 22.87 and 22.85; and I think he held on in large part because the only ones chasing him were the two longest shots in the field. He hung on by 1 1/2 in a final quarter of 25.88. He's three-for-three, which is hard to criticize, but it's unclear how he'll do stretching out to two turns. Champagne winners are o-for-nine in the Juvenile since Timber Country was the last to win both in 1994.

Bob Baffert was said to be off to catch a plane back to the West Coast, no doubt to saddle Tough Tiz's Sis in the Lady's Secret on Sunday; so Jan Rushton interviewed Garrett Gomez instead after Indian Blessing won the Frizette. Afterwards, she said that Indian Blessing is the likely favorite for the Juv Fillies. Really? I mean, I was impressed by the way she calmly rated behind the longshot speed and moved to take the lead. But a 27.24 second final quarter? And I'm more inclined to accept the chart caller's description of "ridden out to the finish" rather than Durkin's characterization of her having been "geared down." Maybe for a couple of strides before the finish, in my view.

The Toddster didn't fare well in the Breeders Futurity at Keeneland either, as The Roundhouse finished 6th as the 2-1 choice.

Tribal Rule Rules!

- Georgie Boy came flying from dead last and roared down the Polytrack stretch with Garrett Gomez, back on the left coast to ride for trainer Kathy Walsh, with whom he is close freinds, to win the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity on closing day. The horse ran kinda funny in the stretch, and never changed leads though it looked like he was thinking about it. So it was quite impressive, but in truth, Salute the Sarge probably should have remained undefeated; he was checked sharply off the heels of a crowded group in front of him turning for home, and charged between horses to get second.

Like the Debutante winner Set Play, Georgie Boy is by a moderately priced Storm Cat stallion; Tribal Rule stands in California for $5,000. He won only a maiden special and allowance in four career starts...and those came at age five! The Stallion Register notes that he was California's leading freshman Sire in 2006, and leading 2nd Crop Sire in 2007. And I imagine that was even before what has been an absolutely astounding week for the stud and his owners at River Edge Farm who, some day soon, might be able to afford a website. Foals of Tribal Rule won no less than four stakes races in six days, all in California! Rush With Thunder took the El Cajon at Del Mar on Friday; on Monday, Rule By Force took the Yavapai Downs Futurity, and Rockella won the Palo Alto at Bay Meadows. And then Georgie Boy topped it all off with a Grade 1 win. For a second-year, regional sire with a total of 109 foals, that pretty much rules!

- The final tally of fatalities at the Del Mar meeting was six - two in races, the rest in training accidents; that's as opposed to 14 last meeting, eight during the afternoon.

[Track president Joe] Harper said owners who typically "re-load" their stables during the latter stages of the meet told him they were stunned they didn't need to do so this year. Harper talked about X-ray machines that went virtually unused and the huge increase -- 20 percent or more -- in horses healthy enough to train each morning.

"One owner said if he brings 20 horses here, he normally brings 12 or so back home with him," Harper said. "This year he is taking 19 home, and the one he doesn't have was claimed." [North County Times]

Southern California racing will now have a 2 1/2 week respite from the synthetic stuff, as racing shifts to Fairplex.

- Shut down for two weeks by a virulent outbreak of equine flu, racing will resume in New South Wales, Australia with what is being referred to there as "phantom races." There are 835 confirmed cases of equine influenza on 119 properties across NSW and the figure is growing. [The Australian] The program, to be held on Saturday, will be closed to the public. So horsemen there will get an idea of what it's like to race at Belmont Park.

- If you checked out the video of Spectacular Bid's walkover win in the Woodward over in the right sidebar, you might have noticed the distinctive voice of Harvey Pack doing the narration. Harvey's been ubiquitous lately promoting his book May The Horse Be With You, a totally delightful read which hopefully you've already had a chance to check out. I had the pleasure of meeting Harvey briefly up in Saratoga, and am hoping to speak to him more extensively soon for what would be the first interview in the history of LATG. Harvey recently did an interview on Bill Littlefield's 'Only A Game' program on NPR, which you can link to from this page. It's a lot of fun and well worth checking out if, hopefully, you have the right audio download to do so.

Babies at Belmont

- The second at Belmont on Friday is a two-year old maiden race with just five entries, all of whom are fillies making their debut. They are racing for a whopping $52,000, as purses have been hiked for the last three weeks of the meeting. Good move by NYRA to try and head off the short fields that are usually pervasive over the last couple of weeks of this meeting as the focus turns to Saratoga. In general, be wary of horses racing here now, as they may really be prepping for a larger objective upstate.

Back to the second; Pletcher has the 7-5 morning line favorite in Crosswater. This is an Overbrook homebred by the mighty Storm Cat, 17% with first-time starters. Crosswater is out of a Forty Niner mare, and is a half-sister to stakes placed El Nino. The dam is a half to the juvenile champ Boston Harbor; and the second dam, by Vice Regent, is a half to the great champion sprinter Groovy. You know the drill with the Toddster and first-timers; and his percentage of 29% with debut juveniles at Belmont over the last two years betters his overall average of 24%. So don't be surprised if he's bet down to his 7-5 morning line.

But keep an eye on Phantom Income. Here's one of those juvenile sales horses who far exceeded his sire's stud fee after a quick breeze. This daughter of the Florida sire Montbrook ($15,000), sold for $200,000 after flying a furlong in 10.1, a tick off the show's best. She's trained by Richard Violette, hardly a big first-time guy like Pletcher. But last week, Violette sent out Fed Watcher to win his debut at 5-1, earning a sparkling Beyer of 98 after getting his five furlongs in 56.10. Fed Watcher came out of the same sale as Phantom Income, selling for just $60,000 after working a quarter in 21.2.

Montbrook is a 12% debut sire, and Phantom Income is out of Catch the Ghost, a half-sister to the champion Ghostzapper. So she also certainly has a license to be fast, and could be some value as the 3-1 third choice in the morning line.

Namaste's Wish (5-2) is a $600,000 yearling purchase making her debut for Bill Mott. The trainer is only 13% with first-time two year olds over the last two years; but at Belmont, that average goes up to 26%, 10 for 38. Namaste's Wish, by Pulpit, is a full-brother to the Grade 1 winner (Cigar Mile) Purge, standing at Vinery for $20,000.

Shining Sea debuts for Mark Hennig, two for 44 with first-time two-year olds. This filly, by Stormy Atlantic, is out of a half-sister to the multiple Grade 1 winner Keeper Hill.