This is the week sandwiched between the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness state-side, and between the English Guineas and the French Guineas in Europe. Racing action at tracks across the continent is in top gear. In the Sunday (May9) Toronto edition of the DRF, it included coverage of 8 tracks - Woodbine, Fort Erie, Churchill Downs, Belmont, Calder, Arlington, Hollywood and Assiniboia Downs.
1:20.07 for Hollywood Hit in the Vigil
The Vigil Stakes at Woodbine on May9 was won by Hollywood Hit in a track record performance. Broke sharply from the gate, Jim McAleney guided the 4-year-old Oklahoma-bred gelding to fractions of 22.08, 43.72 and 1:07.33 for 6f, and stopped the clock of this seven furlongs test in 1:20.07. His win streak is now 6, dated back to a Alw N1X win at Lone Star 366 days ago, although he was disqualified from first-place purse money after failing a post-race drug test in the King Corie Stakes last September. Former sprint champion Fatal Bullet ran a creditable second in his 5-year-old debut. Hall of fame jockey Kent Desormeaux flew in town to ride Together Indy, who won last time out at Keeneland's COmmonwealth Stakes-G2. He wasn't a factor at all for the most part of the race and ran 6th of 7.
Thoroughbred Times story
Castanon and Alvarado "Dog Fight" in a $25k Maiden Race
Not really. It is a good race (Friday May7, Race 6, $25k maiden claimer at 5.5f at Arlington), both the horses (Run for Sami and Comitatus) and the men put in a good show. What's more appealing was the handshake in front of simulcasting TV after the wire between the 2 jockeys. This is professionalism.
Chester Cup (heritage handicap)
Chester Racecourse is most similar to a sharp North American track as you can find anywhere in the UK. With a stretch of only about a furlong and a half, positioning is extremely important, regardless of the distance of the race. Hence, one of the main handicapping consideration for the the 2m2f+ Chester Vase was the draw, believe it or not. The accomplished David Pipe trained hurdler Mamlook stalk the easy pace for the first 2m of the race. After 2 full circuits, the entire field sprinted home and Mamlook, who carried 124 lbs, defeated the 136 lbs top-weight Tastahil by a head.
Racing Post Story
Lingfield Oaks Trial and Derby Trial - Dyna Waltz and Bullet Train
My first impression of Dyna Waltz's win in the Lingfield Oaks Trial was that she simply outstayed the rest of the field. "Out-stay" is a term we rarely hear in North America, at least not in a 3-year-old race of either sexes in the first half of the year.
Oaks Trial - Sportinglife Story
Oaks Trial Chart
After Juddmonte's Bullet Train (Sadler's Wells x Kind, by Danehill) won the Lingfield Derby Trial, his trainer Henry Cecil said, "He's improving all the time. He won't necessarily (run in the Derby), you don't run in the Derby unless you think you have got a chance."
That may be true for the Epsom Derby if there are a few clear leaders in the race. But for a Kentucky Derby that was as wide open as this year's version (when the favourite was better than 6/1 and the longest shot was only at31/1 in a 20-horse race), every horse entered as a chance of winning. If your horse qualifies, is healthy, and has shown competitive running at beyond a mile, then there is no reason not to go. In the pedigree of the majority of the horses trained in North America, there is no horse who's truly bred for 10-12 furlongs. Speed is always the premium of traditional dirt racing in North America, and there is no reason to change it. The breeding formula is to have speed and more speed and the hope to have it sustained for at least a mile and you are in good shape to have lots of opportunity to run. If you have a 3-year-old with excellent "turn of foot" and can stay at least a mile and a half or more, I'm sorry but there is absolutely no opportunity for such a horse in North America.
Derby Trial - Sportinglife Story
Derby Trial Chart
No comments:
Post a Comment