Lots of stuff.
First the races, then odd ball stuff.
The Kentucky Derby Trail is ready to start shifting into great starting in the next couple of weekends. We have a couple of races this weekend for 3YOs of note:
The San Vicente Stakes at Santa Anita will be up first:
http://www.brisnet.com/cgi-bin/brisw...99/summary.htm
[ URL above, Saturday January 29, 2022, Santa Anita Park - Race 4, PPs ]
Looks like
Pinehurst over
Forbidden Kingdom based on production, but any of these horses could improve to win. They just are so talented and are improving.
The Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park up next:
http://www.brisnet.com/cgi-bin/brisw...99/summary.htm
[ URL above, Saturday January 29, 2022, Oaklawn Park - Race 9, PPs ]
Looks like
Newgrange over
Dash Attack. But
Barber Road might be value here.
Onto the Older horses..
At Santa Anita, the Palos Verdes is being run:
http://www.brisnet.com/cgi-bin/brisw...99/summary.htm
[ URL above, Saturday January 29, 2022, Santa Anita Park - Race 9, PPs ]
Welcome back to the great
Cezanne who hopes to paint himself a win. We remember this $3.6M yearling who was a wow 2 summers ago, until he fell short in the Shared Belief. He then re-appeared last April for one brilliant minor stakes win in the Kona Gold, but disappeared again. But he's back and is hopefully sound. He will be challenged by
Essential Wager (no not Essential Quality).
In the 3YO Filly division, toward the KY Oaks, there is the Martha Washington at Oaklawn Park:
http://www.brisnet.com/cgi-bin/brisw...9/summary.html
[ URL above, Saturday January 29, 2022, Gulfstream Park - Race 4, PPs ]
Secret Oath and
Optionality look to be the players here, but are not high on the KY Oaks contenders list at the moment.
The big race, of course, for the weekend is the Pegasus at Gulfstream Park:
http://www.brisnet.com/cgi-bin/brisw...9/summary.html
[ URL above, Saturday January 29, 2022, Gulfstream Park - Race 12, PPs ]
This race is the swan song for
Knicks Go, who will ride off to the sunset and go to stud. But it will not necessarily be easy, because before life is good, he will be challenged by BC Mile winner
Life Is Good.
Life Is Good is a great horse, but Knicks Go has been in a different area code and was voted the world's best horse by Longines last month. The exacta may pay $2.50.
They had trouble filling this $3M race (what is it $300k for 3rd?, oh the agony). For
Flightline, who will soon pick up the mantle of the World's Best Horse, it is just too soon since his last race, now that would have been a race of the year vs. Knicks Go!!! Maybe Life Is Good as a 4YO can get close for part of the race; who knows. $12M from the Saudi Cup isn't enough to keep Knicks Go from going to stud. Perhaps
Stilleto Boy for 3rd.
Sir Winston, the Belmont winner from 3 years ago, is also in the field, but this race may be too short for his talents.
If I must, here is the $1M Pegasus Turf race:
http://www.brisnet.com/cgi-bin/brisw...5/summary.html
[ URL above, Saturday January 29, 2022, Gulfstream Park - Race 11, PPs ]
Does someone else want to handicap?
In other news, the Baffert/NYRA hearing is in its 3rd day, and there have been fireworks. As part of the defense, a Steward (named Lewandowski) was called in defense of Baffert (the Steward really never met Baffert), but under cross-examination the Steward went ballistic. Sounds like the stuff made for TV or the movies. The Steward says on the stand, " Are you accusing me of lying?...If you think I'm lying, then just accuse me of lying. Are you calling me a liar? Are you calling me a liar sir? Are you calling me a liar?" It was explained to him that the attorneys are allowed to ask the questions without having answer them. A loud tirade went on for minutes, and the prosecuting attorney allowed this witness to just .. go on. Nothing about a Code Red though. FYI, the hearing is about whether Baffert can be banished from NYRA; as you may recall, this banishment was put on hold for a number of months. Baffert has not been called to testify in his own defense.. yet.
I read this morning that a 10 year old horse named Backsideofthemoon, that finished 3rd in the Queens County Stakes recently, has been ordered to leave the grounds at Belmont, where he was housed since 2015. The reason.. he's 10 years old. A new rule instituted last April by the NYRA says that 10 year old (race) horses can't race or be housed at NYRA tracks anymore. Apparently their fitness doesn't matter. For thoroughbreds and standardbreds, until this year, the mandatory retirement age was 14 years of age. The concern is that thoroughbreds that reach the age of 10, in New York, could potentially hurt themselves (or give New York Tracks a black eye if they hurt themselves in front of the public). Very few horses continue to race by the age of 10. I presume that accompanying ponies can be of any age; remember Lava Man?!
Larry
DevilHorse
Larry
DevilHorse