Havre de Grace is one very special filly. For years the status quo was challenged by only the greedy, the foolish or the very gifted. Fillies rarely contested the nation’s toughest and most prestigious open company races against males, unless the male contingent came up very weak, or the filly was something exceptional. Havre de Grace proved to be the exception in her last start when she easily dominated a field of seven males to win the Woodward Stakes (gr.1) by 1 ¼ lengths, placing herself squarely in the discussion for Horse of the Year. In five starts this year Havre de Grace has won four starts in decisive fashion while losing just once by a nose. There’s been just one horse that’s had the measure of Havre de Grace from day one, and that’s Blind Luck. It takes a great horse to beat a great horse.
On Saturday, Havre de Grace will go for her third Grade 1 win of the year, when she comes to Belmont Park for the first time in her career, to contest the 72nd Beldame Stakes (gr.1). A short field of five fillies has been entered in the Beldame, including brilliant 3-year-old filly Royal Delta, dual Grade 1 winner Life at Ten and graded stakes winner Satans Quick Chick. The Larry Jones trained Havre de Grace has turned in just two works since her exciting romp against the boys on September 3rd, most recently turning in an easy 1:02.20 five furlong breeze at Delaware Park Monday. Fitness will not be an issue for the 4-year-old Saint Liam filly. She’s conquered everyone except Blind Luck this year, so if she’s feeling as good as she’s been feeling since March, there might be no stopping her in the Beldame. [To read the complete post and see Royal Delta's chances of winning, click here to visit HRN Distaff Runner blog]
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Best of Three Continents?
Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana probably didn’t have horse racing in mind when she sang the words, “Best of both worlds”, but that line could easily be applied to turf super-stars, Winter Memories, Black Caviar and Goldikova. Though in this case, it’s the best of all three “worlds”.
You know something special has taken place in the racing world when three days after an event, the web is still abuzz with news and online forums are lit-up with excited back and forth debates and chatter. That is exactly what Winter Memories scintillating performance in the Garden City Stakes has evoked since her dazzling turn of foot at Belmont Park Saturday. I won’t linger over the details of Winter Memories bad trip again, as that has been exhaustively covered in the last three days, but there are interesting things worth noting about her win.
When Winter Memories wins, she does it with little or no help from the jockey. Some will disagree with me on this, but the rider switch to Javier Castellano, who I think is a terrific rider, did absolutely nothing to help Winter Memories pick up her first Grade 1 win. Castellano gave her a terrible ride, forcing her lose position after breaking well and running comfortably in behind the pacesetters approaching the first turn, then keeping her under a strangle hold and allowing horses to block her path to the outside as the field navigated the turn. Entering the stretch it was clear to everyone that Castellano had Winter Memories in what appeared to be an impossible position and still he did nothing, waiting instead until the final furlong when Hungry Island moved up on the outside to swing Winter Memories into the clear. Please don’t misunderstand the point I am trying to make here, which is not to bash Javier Castellano, but to praise the ability of Winter Memories to rouse herself to such a super-horse effort and win. Despite not being allowed to run her race until the final furlong of the stretch, the El Prado filly traveled her final 1/8 of a mile in an astounding 10.6. That is unheard of in racing. Even a sub-11 final 1/8 is unheard of, and the fact that she did it in a hand ride and was eased just before hitting the wire makes it all the more astonishing.
She received a 93 Beyer in the Garden City Stakes which at first glance may seem low, but keep in mind she wasn’t able to utilize the length of the stretch this time like she was in the Lake George Stakes where she received a career best 95 Beyer. Imagine what she might have been assigned if allowed clear running room.
It appears the final start of 2011 for the Jimmy Toner trained filly will be in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (gr.1) at Keeneland on October 15th. Winter Memories would almost surely meet Grade 1 winner Summer Soiree in the Queen Elizabeth II, which would set up for one of most exciting turf filly matchups of the year. Summer Soiree has lost just once this year, much like Winter Memories, though she finished far up the track in 10th while contesting the Kentucky Oaks. Since then the War Front filly has done no wrong, winning the Grade 3 Boiling Springs Stakes by more than eight lengths, and capturing the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks by half a length in her most recent start. Summer Soiree started the year with two runaway wins before finishing out of the money in the Kentucky Oaks; First a 9 ¾ length allowance romp which she followed up with a 10 ¾ length rout in the Grade 3 Bourbonette Oaks in late March. The Queen Elizabeth II should be an excellent match up, and with Hungry Island and possibly Pucker Up (gr.3) winner, Marketing Mix, also heading to the Queen Elizabeth, this field is beginning to look Breeders’ Cup worthy. [Read the complete post about Winter Memories, Goldikova and Black Caviar at HRN on Distaff Runner]
You know something special has taken place in the racing world when three days after an event, the web is still abuzz with news and online forums are lit-up with excited back and forth debates and chatter. That is exactly what Winter Memories scintillating performance in the Garden City Stakes has evoked since her dazzling turn of foot at Belmont Park Saturday. I won’t linger over the details of Winter Memories bad trip again, as that has been exhaustively covered in the last three days, but there are interesting things worth noting about her win.
When Winter Memories wins, she does it with little or no help from the jockey. Some will disagree with me on this, but the rider switch to Javier Castellano, who I think is a terrific rider, did absolutely nothing to help Winter Memories pick up her first Grade 1 win. Castellano gave her a terrible ride, forcing her lose position after breaking well and running comfortably in behind the pacesetters approaching the first turn, then keeping her under a strangle hold and allowing horses to block her path to the outside as the field navigated the turn. Entering the stretch it was clear to everyone that Castellano had Winter Memories in what appeared to be an impossible position and still he did nothing, waiting instead until the final furlong when Hungry Island moved up on the outside to swing Winter Memories into the clear. Please don’t misunderstand the point I am trying to make here, which is not to bash Javier Castellano, but to praise the ability of Winter Memories to rouse herself to such a super-horse effort and win. Despite not being allowed to run her race until the final furlong of the stretch, the El Prado filly traveled her final 1/8 of a mile in an astounding 10.6. That is unheard of in racing. Even a sub-11 final 1/8 is unheard of, and the fact that she did it in a hand ride and was eased just before hitting the wire makes it all the more astonishing.
She received a 93 Beyer in the Garden City Stakes which at first glance may seem low, but keep in mind she wasn’t able to utilize the length of the stretch this time like she was in the Lake George Stakes where she received a career best 95 Beyer. Imagine what she might have been assigned if allowed clear running room.
It appears the final start of 2011 for the Jimmy Toner trained filly will be in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (gr.1) at Keeneland on October 15th. Winter Memories would almost surely meet Grade 1 winner Summer Soiree in the Queen Elizabeth II, which would set up for one of most exciting turf filly matchups of the year. Summer Soiree has lost just once this year, much like Winter Memories, though she finished far up the track in 10th while contesting the Kentucky Oaks. Since then the War Front filly has done no wrong, winning the Grade 3 Boiling Springs Stakes by more than eight lengths, and capturing the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks by half a length in her most recent start. Summer Soiree started the year with two runaway wins before finishing out of the money in the Kentucky Oaks; First a 9 ¾ length allowance romp which she followed up with a 10 ¾ length rout in the Grade 3 Bourbonette Oaks in late March. The Queen Elizabeth II should be an excellent match up, and with Hungry Island and possibly Pucker Up (gr.3) winner, Marketing Mix, also heading to the Queen Elizabeth, this field is beginning to look Breeders’ Cup worthy. [Read the complete post about Winter Memories, Goldikova and Black Caviar at HRN on Distaff Runner]
Friday, September 16, 2011
Winter Memories Vs. the Field
[Originally posted on Horse Racing Nation]
Winter Memories turned in the worst effort of her brilliant career last month when she finished fourth in the Woodford Reserve Lake Placid Stakes (gr.2) after enduring a horrible trip boxed in on the rails. Now, the four-time graded stakes winner returns Saturday to defend her reputation against a strong field of eight sophomore fillies on Belmont Park’s inner turf course.
Despite finishing out of the money in the Lake Placid, Winter Memories will still go off a solid favorite in the Garden City Stakes (gr.1) off the strength of her three consecutive graded stakes scores earlier this year. Starting in mid-May the striking gray filly won the Grade 3 Appalachian Stakes, Grade 2 Sands Points Stakes and the Grade 2 Lake George Stakes, all in dominant fashion. After breaking from post five in a field of seven in the Woodford Reserve Lake Placid, Winter Memories got pinned down on the rail as the field navigated the far turn and struggled to find a gap to run through as the field entered the homestretch. She finally managed to work her way through an opening on the inside and find clear running room, but by that time it was too late, and Hungry Island was well on her way to winning. In seven lifetime starts the El Prado filly has crossed the line ahead of the pack five times and finished second once. Her only unplaced effort came in the Lake Placid. She enters the Garden City Stakes off two five furlongs works. Her last move was a fairly slow 1:03.48 move over Belmont’s Inner Turf course, but still ranked as the fastest of three moves at the distance. There is little doubt she is the class of this field, and that’s saying a lot when you consider there are three other graded stakes winners running, not to mention two black-type stakes winners. She’s the type of filly that makes you think she’s a once in a lifetime kind of talent. [Read the complete story here on Distaff Runner at Horse Racing Nation]
Winter Memories turned in the worst effort of her brilliant career last month when she finished fourth in the Woodford Reserve Lake Placid Stakes (gr.2) after enduring a horrible trip boxed in on the rails. Now, the four-time graded stakes winner returns Saturday to defend her reputation against a strong field of eight sophomore fillies on Belmont Park’s inner turf course.
Despite finishing out of the money in the Lake Placid, Winter Memories will still go off a solid favorite in the Garden City Stakes (gr.1) off the strength of her three consecutive graded stakes scores earlier this year. Starting in mid-May the striking gray filly won the Grade 3 Appalachian Stakes, Grade 2 Sands Points Stakes and the Grade 2 Lake George Stakes, all in dominant fashion. After breaking from post five in a field of seven in the Woodford Reserve Lake Placid, Winter Memories got pinned down on the rail as the field navigated the far turn and struggled to find a gap to run through as the field entered the homestretch. She finally managed to work her way through an opening on the inside and find clear running room, but by that time it was too late, and Hungry Island was well on her way to winning. In seven lifetime starts the El Prado filly has crossed the line ahead of the pack five times and finished second once. Her only unplaced effort came in the Lake Placid. She enters the Garden City Stakes off two five furlongs works. Her last move was a fairly slow 1:03.48 move over Belmont’s Inner Turf course, but still ranked as the fastest of three moves at the distance. There is little doubt she is the class of this field, and that’s saying a lot when you consider there are three other graded stakes winners running, not to mention two black-type stakes winners. She’s the type of filly that makes you think she’s a once in a lifetime kind of talent. [Read the complete story here on Distaff Runner at Horse Racing Nation]
Friday, September 2, 2011
Beauty and the Angel: The Spinaway
Originally Post On Distaff Runner - Horse Racing Nation:
A solid field of nine juvenile fillies has been entered in the 120th running of the Spinaway Stakes (Gr.1) set to be run this Sunday. The Spinaway is one of the most prestigious, and coveted stakes races in the nation for juvenile fillies, and has proven to be the launching pad for many a championship season. Back in 1904 Tanya captured the prized event before making history by winning the Belmont Stakes the next year. During the course of the next century, hallowed names like Top Flight, Cicada, Affectionately and Ruffian joined the roster of winners, further enhancing the validation of the Spinaway as a championship defining race. More recently R Heat Lightning took home the top spot in 2010, before launching a stunning early season campaign in 2011 that saw her win the Davona Dale and Gulfstream Oaks by more than 15 combined lengths. Case in point; The Spinaway is an extremely valuable commodity.
This year it appears to be a showdown between Judy the Beauty, and Georgie’s Angel. Georgie’s Angel hails from the barn of red-hot trainer Todd Pletcher, and is the only graded stakes winner in the field, and thus the favorite. She began her career on July fourth at Churchill Downs, defeating nine other fillies by more than six lengths, while posting a winning time of :51.23, just over a second off the track record for the 4 ½ furlongs. Brought back just 18 days later in Saratoga’s Grade 3 Schuylerville Stakes, the Bellamy Road filly broke fastest of all but was quickly taken in hand by jockey John Velazquez and dropped back to rate mid-pack on the inside. Coming off the turn Georgie’s Angel drove four wide and swept to the lead, easily holding off a late closing True Feelings by a comfortable 1 ½ lengths. [Read the complete post here on Distaff Runner at Horse Racing Nation]
A solid field of nine juvenile fillies has been entered in the 120th running of the Spinaway Stakes (Gr.1) set to be run this Sunday. The Spinaway is one of the most prestigious, and coveted stakes races in the nation for juvenile fillies, and has proven to be the launching pad for many a championship season. Back in 1904 Tanya captured the prized event before making history by winning the Belmont Stakes the next year. During the course of the next century, hallowed names like Top Flight, Cicada, Affectionately and Ruffian joined the roster of winners, further enhancing the validation of the Spinaway as a championship defining race. More recently R Heat Lightning took home the top spot in 2010, before launching a stunning early season campaign in 2011 that saw her win the Davona Dale and Gulfstream Oaks by more than 15 combined lengths. Case in point; The Spinaway is an extremely valuable commodity.
This year it appears to be a showdown between Judy the Beauty, and Georgie’s Angel. Georgie’s Angel hails from the barn of red-hot trainer Todd Pletcher, and is the only graded stakes winner in the field, and thus the favorite. She began her career on July fourth at Churchill Downs, defeating nine other fillies by more than six lengths, while posting a winning time of :51.23, just over a second off the track record for the 4 ½ furlongs. Brought back just 18 days later in Saratoga’s Grade 3 Schuylerville Stakes, the Bellamy Road filly broke fastest of all but was quickly taken in hand by jockey John Velazquez and dropped back to rate mid-pack on the inside. Coming off the turn Georgie’s Angel drove four wide and swept to the lead, easily holding off a late closing True Feelings by a comfortable 1 ½ lengths. [Read the complete post here on Distaff Runner at Horse Racing Nation]
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