Casino Drive:
I feel sorry for the horse and the connection. They seem to be humble horsemen. After going through so much and having all things ready, a minor setback has caused the whole thing to be canceled. Still unbeatable in 2 starts, Casino Drive will join a long list of unbeaten horses in thoroughbred racing history that has shown so much in such a short period of time, but just unable yet to show what else they can do, and what a history his dam, Better Than Honour, can accomplish.
Big Brown:
Dutrow, IEAH, Iavarone, Desormeaux. I think I have enough about them for what they had said and done before and after the race. It was all just about Big Brown and Desormeaux during the 1 1/2m race. Desormeaux's ride was not a beauty, but if Big Brown on Belmont day was ever close to the Big Brown the rest of the world saw in the Florida Derby or the Kentucky Derby, there is no reason to believe that he cannot overcome those. The result is, as Kent said, "I have no horse." Plain and simple. But remember, is it a shocker? It upset many fans as the anticipation was so big for the Triple Crown. But if this is just an allowance race that Big Brown race (if ever) in his 4-year-0ld debut (LOL), it wasn't that big of a deal if the same result occurred. Throw out the race.
Da'Tara:
So you are convinced Big Brown is vulnerable before the Belmont, and even Casino Drive was withdrawn, you still think there are others in the field that can finish ahead of Big Brown in this 1 1/2m race. So who? Denis Of Cork, Tale Of Ekati, or maybe Macho Again or even Anak Nakal? How in the world will you get Da'Tara? I really don't know. He took the lead, set a sensible fraction, and was relaxed. When things began to pick up in the final half mile, the rest of the field didn't do that much better and everyone (except for Denis Of Cork) more or less ran at their original position. The final Beyer Speed Figure of 99, final time of 2:29.65, final half mile of 51.69 and final quarter mile of 26.44 explained everything about the quality of the race. There must be a reason Hall Of Fame trainer Nick Zito won his second Belmont, and being sired by Tiznow definitely help. Time will tell.
Good Ba Ba:
He has accomplished everything a Hong Kong-based miler can feasibly do. He has been maintaining his form since last November to end of April. As in the case of Big Brown, we can say that it was just not the same Good Ba Ba on Yasuda Kinen day. The same thing could happen on the Champions Mile or the showdown with Sacred Kingdom in the Silver Jubilee. Prior to the Yasuda Kinen, I was concerned about Good Ba Ba's running style (stay in the last third of the field, with cover 2 deep and swung out at top of stretch to accelerate) may not be suitable in racing in Japan. I have never seen that type of win there. Horses going 7, 8 or 9 wide approaching the stretch is not uncommon.
New Approach:
Sort of similar to Big Brown, the event around Jim Bolger was already bizarre. Not run, then complained about the Curragh, then a mistake, then a final decision to run (a race that was in his plan originally), and won in an exciting finish. The race itself was exciting. No question. So he ran 3 tough races in 5 weeks twice at a mile and then at 1 1/2m. And it sounds like he will go ahead to the Irish Derby which I will believe when the starting gate is opened for the Irish Derby. Nice horse he is, and as the reigning 2-year-old champion and being an offspring of Galileo, he SHOULD run well in the Derby. With the 2 close finishes in the Guineas have just made New Approach a more precious commodity.
Tartan Bearer:
He was only half a length behind New Approach, but that is the simple and cruel difference between winner and loser. There is no second chance in this race, but there are more second chance elsewhere. TB is a good horse. Move on!
He is my pick for the Coronation Cup. Kudos to Johnny Murtagh on a very wise ride aboard Soldier Of Fortune who pushed Getaway inside and kept him from accelerating. I think this did take away a placing from Getaway. I am not sure whether he can beat Soldier Of Fortune, but I think without that incident, Getaway should be much closer. However, a true top class horse "should" overcome this barrier. As in the case of Big Brown, even though the jockey's ride was not a beauty, a top class 3-year-old should overcome it. As for Getaway, the game plan should not change. He had shown in the Jockey Club Stakes that he truly belong at the level at 1 1/2m.
Elsewhere, the girls around the world were doing better than the male counterparts. Look Here in the Epsom Oaks, Ginger Brew in the Woodbine Oaks, Vodka in the Yasuda Kinen, Zarkava in the Prix de Diane, and Zaftig in the Acorn. Lush Lashes seemed to be a 1 1/4m horse, but I do think she has legitimate credential to be a Group 1 winner.
And what about Riva San, who became the fourth filly to capture the Queensland Oaks and Queensland Derby double. Horse down under race very frequently. Imagine a 3-year-old filly running two 2400m races that are a week apart? This kind of things will not happen in the US nowadays. Australia is known for producing speed horse. However, their training program and tradition give a lot of prestige to tough horse who can go long, meaning above 1600m. She came from a really blue collar family, situation sort of similar to Vision D'tat, winner of the Prix du Jockey Club a week ago.
So finally, what is my favourite race of the weekend? Benny The Bull in the True North Handicap at Belmont. It is amazing to see this horse to win in such a style only a couple of months since winning the Golden Shaheen at Dubai. Enjoy!
Finally, enjoy this nice post-race interview to Big Brown done shortly after his loss in the Belmont.
http://community.foxsports.com/blogs/Dudski/2008/06/07/Big_BrownThe_Interview
Curlin should be back at Churchill Downs this coming Saturday in the Stephen Foster Handicap. He will carry 128 lbs, giving 10 to 15 lbs to his rivals. I honestly don't think 128 lbs is a lot. In Hong Kong when I was playing 20 years ago, the standard weight spread for a class is 116 lbs to 140 lbs. That spread is now changed to 113 lbs to 133 lbs. Handicaps run in the UK often see top weights of over 133 lbs.
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