Heckuva One-Two Punch For The Derby

Transcription

1 April 28, SPECIAL Heckuva One-Two Punch For The Derby By Bud Lamoreaux It doesn t happen often and it may be a bit of a stretch, but a pair of Thoroughbreds trained by the same connections, who appear to be a near lock in this year s Kentucky Derby, bring back memories of 1948 when Citation beat Calumet stablemate Coaltown on his way to a signature Triple Crown. Coaltown was no slouch. He won Horse of the Year honors from Turf & Sport Digest in History tells us that this year s story is not yet as interesting, unless, of course, American Pharoah or Dortmund win the elusive Triple Crown for trainer Bob Baffert, breaking a 37-year drought that goes back to Affirmed in 1978 when Triple Crowns appeared to be a dime a dozen. Baffert has come as close as any trainer, finishing second with Silver Charm in New York in 1997, then losing the Belmont by a nose the following year with Real Quiet. He won the first two legs of the Triple Crown again in 2002 with War Emblem. die Arcaro asked Jones. Arcaro apparently wasn t sure if Coaltown didn t stand a better chance of taking the roses. Just don t get in a speed duel with my other horse, Jones replied. Coaltown was in front by six lengths after a half mile. Citation won by 3 1/2. It s usually not a ticklish situation when a trainer has more than one Derby entry, but in the case of near co-favorites it has to make it a little bit dicey. Bob Baffert is a wonderfully entertaining guy, and I d like to be a fly on his shoulder when he gives his jockeys their final instructions on the first Saturday in May. Racing certainly has more intrigue and, imagined or not, Continued on Page 7 But in 1948, trainers Ben Jones and his son Jimmy Jones were having a not so real quiet battle of their own. They both eventually made the Hall of Fame, but back then Ben was trying to become the second trainer to win four Derbies and Calumet was odds-on to win it either with Coaltown or Citation. Jimmy had been campaigning Citation anywhere he could find a race for him and was listed as the trainer. But when it came time for the Derby, Jimmy s name came down and up went ole Ben s, though Jimmy did get to saddle the winner. Sonofagun, said Jimmy to Heywood Hale Broun when they were both still hale and hearty, he just stole him from me. I was standing next to the cameraman as the CBS News producer of their interview and Jimmy appeared to be getting hot under the collar over something that had happened 50 years before. It was almost as if he was letting out the hurt he had felt for all those years. Citation had 45 career starts, finishing out of the money only once, and Jimmy was there for every one of them. He really loved Citation like no other campaigner he had ever trained and he kept trumpeting that brilliance until the day he died. According to an obituary in the Los Angeles Times when Jimmy Jones died in 2001, this conversation took place in the saddling area of Churchill Downs just before the 1948 Derby. Are you sure I m on the right horse, jockey Ed-

2 Page 2 Pedigree Spotlight Mubtaahij s International Intrigue By Frank Mitchell Flying the flag of international competition as a prospect for this year s Kentucky Derby, Mubtaahij won three of his four starts in 2015, including the UAE Derby in impressive style. Racing for Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa of Dubai, Mubtaahij is the son and grandson of important racehorses bred by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, and raced by Godolphin, Sheikh Mohammed s international racing operation. Most importantly, Mubtaahij is a grandson of the marvelous Dubai Millennium, a son of Seeking the Gold and the Shareef Dancer mare Colorado Dancer. A racehorse with a piercing turn of foot, Dubai Millennium won nine of his 10 starts, losing only the English Derby. The bay won four times at the G1 level, twice at a mile in the Prix Jacques le Marois and the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, and twice at 10 furlongs in the Dubai World Cup and the Prince of Wales s Stakes. Dubai Millennium appeared ready to extend his dominance to the 12-furlong races in Europe when a fracture to a hind cannon ended his career. Retired to stud at Dalham Hall in England, Dubai Millennium attracted an extraordinary book of mares before tragedy struck and the horse fell victim to grass sickness part way through his first season at stud. From 56 foals, Dubai Millennium sired some good horses, including one who was almost as good as himself in Dubawi, the winner in five of his eight starts at 2 and 3. Dubawi won G1 races both seasons that he raced, accounting for the National Stakes at the Curragh as a juvenile, then the Irish 2,000 Guineas and Prix Jacques le Marois at 3. Dubawi was also third in the Derby. All said, however, what has made Dubawi such an important sire? Because he is, without much doubt, the most important stallion in Europe not from the Northern Dancer line. Perhaps the extra touch of precocity to win a G1 at 2? Or the extra touch of class to land third in the Derby when it wasn t really his distance? Whatever the reason, Dubawi has made a serious name for himself in Europe and has gone a long way toward entrenching the male line of Mr. Prospector through Seeking the Gold as a major force in European breeding for the future. Dubawi is the sire of 87 stakes winners, including 58 group stakes winners and 17 G1 winners. That is breathtaking for a sire who is only 13 and who has six crops to race age 3 and older. In addition to Mubtaahij, Dubawi has sired the English 2,000 Guineas winners Makfi and Night of Thunder, plus Dubai World Cup winners Monterosso and 2015 winner Prince Bishop, a gelding from his sire s first crop. A further point of interest is that the Dubawi s G1 winners have won around the world from England and France to Italy, Germany, South Africa, Hong Kong, Australia, Canada, and the U.S., where Dubawi Heights won a pair of G1 stakes in California. PRS Nationwide offers INSURANCE DISCOUNTS. Learn More

3 Page 3 Misplaced Vowels And The Road To The Tripel Crown (Sorry, We Had To) By Natalie Voss Ever since American Pharoah emerged a star juvenile last year, English majors everywhere began scratching their heads over the placement of the last two vowels in the colt s name. Although there are many rules about the length and content of a horse s Jockey Club-registered name, MerriamWebster s blessing is not required. Approved name requests are sent back to owners, providing them another opportunity to notice any mistakes, but Jockey Club officials are used to seeing odd spellings. Normal course of business is to check the names as presented to the Registry Office, said Rick Bailey, Jockey Club registrar. Anecdotally, a good number of misspelled names are submitted that way intentionally, sometimes because of the way a name is spelled/misspelled in the pedigree. Although that doesn t appear to have been the case here, American Pharoah s connections are certainly not the first on the trail of a Triple Crown race to misplace a few letters on their horse s registration papers. In 2009, a horse called Friesan Fire swept the Le Comte, the Risen Star, and the Louisiana Derby for Larry Jones and Vinery Stables/Fox Hill Farm. The A.P. Indy colt was 18th in the Kentucky Derby and 10th in the Preakness. Since Friesan isn t recognized as a word, it s likely the horse was named for the medieval ethnic group inhabiting the German and Dutch coasts, or perhaps the drafty-type breed of black horses originating from that area. Both the people and the horse are called Friesians (or sometimes Frisians). One year earlier, Icabad Crane finished third in the Preakness for owner Earle Mack and trainer Graham Motion. RANDOM FACTS by Ray Paulick More than 7,800 liters of bourbon (about 175,000 shots ) will be needed as the major ingredient for Mint Juleps on Saturday. Churchill Downs will go through 475,000 pounds of shaved ice for Oaks and Derby day. The gelded son of Jump Start has gone on to achieve at least as much attention as an eventer, if not more, with 3,300 Facebook fans as he has progressed to the preliminary level under Olympian Phillip Dutton. The horse was in fact named for the fictional school teacher Ichabod Crane in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. I went to school in Sleepy Hollow, so I know just where the headless horseman rode, Earle Mack said after the Evan Shipman Stakes. Icabad was phonetically correct, anyway, as was Govenor Charlie, the Bob Baffert trainee who won the Grade 3 Sunland Derby then finished eighth in the 2013 Preakness. The Govenor is still in training at Baffert s home base at Santa Anita. Continued on Page 4

4 Page 4 Continued from Page 3 Spelling errors have not been restricted to also-rans in the Triple Crown races, however. The 1983 Preakness winner was a horse called Deputed Testamony. Although deputed is a thing (it means appointed or instructed), many people were caught up with the notion that the first word was meant to have been Disputed, evidently ignoring the misspelling of testimony altogether. The horse s success was undisputed, as he went on to collect three more stakes wins, including the Haskell. The 1980 Belmont Stakes winner was named for Temperance Hill -- in owner John Ed Anthony s home base of Arkansas. The a was inadvertently replaced with another e on the horse s Jockey Club application, however, and the swap carried over, likely to the frustration of Arkansas turf writers. Temperence Hill picked up four more graded stakes wins after the Belmont and collected the Eclipse Award for Champion 3-Year-Old Male in Earlier the same year, a horse named Plugged Nickle was seventh in the Kentucky Derby. The misspelling of nickel was blamed on an unidentified clerk (though it s not clear whose clerk), but it seems clear the connections were making a play for the coin, as the horse was the son of Key to NEW DATE OCT. 4th, 2015 the Mint and Toll Booth. The John Schiff homebred retired to Gainesway Farm before shipping to South Africa Preakness runner-up Magic Weisner nearly didn t make it to the races after a severe ankle infection almost killed him at three months old. Onewoman operation Nancy Alberts wanted to name the horse for the Govenor Charlie veterinarian who saved him, Dr. Allen Wisner, but added an extra e on the horse s paperwork. Then there are the misspellings that are a little harder to forgive. A horse named Rhoman Rule (not to be confused with Roman Ruler, who came along later), was ninth in the 1985 Kentucky Derby. There is nothing in the horse s pedigree to suggest the extra h was carrying on a family tradition, though Los Angeles Times sportswriter Jim Murray stated in 1991 that the error was somehow intentional, to Murray s frustration. A bigger crime, in his opinion? The combination of a pun and a spelling mistake in Esops Foibles, who ran fifth in the 1978 Kentucky Derby. Fortunately, most of the racing world s attention was focused on the race s first two finishers. None of these is as memorable as a 1700 s racehorse named Potoooooooo, who got his name from a misunderstanding (or practical joke, it remains unclear) between an owner and a groom. The owner told the groom to write the horse s name, Potato on his stall, and what appeared there was Pot followed by eight o s. The result amused breeder Willoughby Bertie so much, he kept it. Pot-8-0s, as he was often referred to, PRS won 30-odd races in seven years. About Featured Yearling Session Catalog Fee $ Mixed Sale Horses of all Ages Commission 5% with a $150 minimum Catalog Deadline August 25th Supplemental entries accepted after catalog deadline and until Sept. 30th 2829 South MacArthur Blvd., Oklahoma City OK info@heritageplace.com For advertising inquiries please call Emily at Ray Paulick - Publisher ray@paulickreport.com Emily Alberti - Director of Advertising emily@paulickreport.com Scott Jagow - Editor-in-Chief scott@paulickreport.com Mary Schweitzer - News Editor mary@paulickreport.com Natalie Voss - Features Writer natalie@paulickreport.com Emily White - Weekend Editor emilywhite@paulickreport.com Frank Mitchell - Contributing Writer COPYRIGHT 2015, BLENHEIM PUBLISHING LLC

5 Page 5 The Derby Field By The Numbers By Natalie Voss M. Wooley/Equi-Sport There s no debating that power and majesty of a Thoroughbred can t be distilled into numbers and bar graphs. After 140 years of Kentucky Derby history, however, there is a lot of data out there to put this year s field into context. Here are a few statistics behind this year s Derby hopefuls: Birth Month: Astrology buffs may be interested to know that most of this year s field was born in the month of March. The oldest horses in the field are Mr. Z and Firing Line, both January babies, while foreign shipper Mubtaahij is the youngest he will be just four days past his third birthday when he enters the Derby starting gate. Over the past 20 years, the most common birth month for Derby winners is February. February foals in this year s field include Dortmund, Carpe Diem, American Pharoah, and Bolo. Million-dollar baby: Carpe Diem was the most expensive of this year s group, having commanded $1.6 million at the OBS March sale as a 2-year-old. The least expensive horse was Far Right at $2,500 as a short yearling at the Keeneland January sale. All but two horses in the field went through the sales ring. Place of origin: Unsurprisingly, more horses in this year s field were bred in Kentucky (14) than anywhere else. Three hail from New York, one from Florida, one from Ontario, and one from Ireland. Two-year-old starts: The average number of starts in this year s field is 3.1. One horse, Materiality, will try to become the first Derby winner since Apollo in 1882 to win the roses without having raced as a 2-year-old. Since 1937, 58 horses have tried and failed to overcome the curse; three of them finished second, with the most recent being Bodemeister in Three horses in this year s field -- Itsaknockout, War Story, and Tencendur -- had one juvenile start. Three-year-old debut: Most of this year s field started their 3-year-old season as soon as possible 12 of them began in January, four in February, and four in March. Since 1929, just 15 winners made their 3-year-old debut in March. Was that a drop? Nine of the 20 starters have experience on wet or off racetracks. Eight of Continued on Page 6

6 Page 6 Continued from Page 5 the nine hit the board while performing over an off surface. Kings of the road: New York and Louisiana proved the most popular places for this year s field to get their last preps in, with four Derby starters having wrapped up their spring 3-year-old campaigns in those states. In all, the field will hail from six different states (based on last start) and one foreign country. The top seven horses by points each finished their Derby campaigns in different states. Unbeaten: Since 1915, 24 horses have entered the Derby with undefeated records (15 of them betting favorites). Seven of them have left undefeated, most recently 2008 winner Big Brown. Dortmund and Materiality will try to accomplish the same feat this year. Javier Castellano Millionaires: Only two horses Street Sense in 2007 and California Chrome last year have entered the race millionaires and won. Five contenders this year International Star, Dortmund, Carpe Diem, and American Pharoah, Mubtaahij are millionaires. Running style: 22 Derbies have been won wire-to-wire. Three horses in this year s field have won races wire-to-wire so far. Only two, Dortmund and American Pharoah, have won more than one race in this style. Two horses in this field War Story and Far Right have won races having been last during one point of call in the race. The last-to-first strategy has succeeded just eight times in Derby history, with the most recent performance being Mine That Bird in Pilot success: It s not often that the national leading rider by money or victories also wins the Derby the same year they sit atop the leaderboard. Perhaps there s only so much racing luck to go around. The last one was Jerry Bailey in 1996 (leader by earnings, rider of Grindstone). This year s leaders: Javier Castellano by wins and Victor Espinoza by earnings. PRS Your dollar is getting $tronger in Europe In Ireland, France and Germany: Spring 2014 Spring ,000 purchase price $139,000 $105,500 25,000 annual training fees $34,700 $26,200 20,000 stallion nomination $27,800 $21,000 In Britain: Spring 2014 Spring ,000 purchase price $171,000 $146,500 20,000 annual training fees $34,200 $29,200 25,000 stallion nomination $42,700 $36,500 info@destinationeuroperacing.com

7 Page 5 PR Trivia: Know Your Kentucky Derby History? By Mary Schweitzer 1. Name the only U.S. President to attend the Kentucky Derby while in office. 2. The Kentucky Derby was originally run at the distance of 1 ½ mile. In what year was it changed to 1 ¼-miles? 3. In 1895, this iconic landmark made its first appearance at Churchill Downs. What was it? 4. Sixteen female trainers have saddled Derby starters. Name the trio that finished in the top three. 5. Only one trainer has more Derby victories than D. Wayne Lukas. Who is it? 6. At age 52, Gary Stevens (Firing Line) could become the 2nd-oldest jockey to win the Derby. Who s the oldest? 7. Who is the only jockey to have won both the Kentucky and Epsom Derbys? 8. Who is the only jockey to win the KY Derby that also went on to train a winner of the race? 9. Historic Calumet Farm has bred nine KY Derby winners, eight of which they owned. Name the one that did not race in the devil s red and blue silks. 10. Who was the last Derby winner inducted into the racing Hall of Fame? Get the latest headlines delivered straight to your inbox each morning. Equine Management System Web based Equine Management System keeps track of all costs and activities for all your horses. Your secure information on all platforms. Activities Expenses Purchases Sales Healthcare Workouts/Scheduling Free 30 Day Trial Owners Trainers Managers Partnerships Continued from Page 1 Machiavellian plots than those other sports soap operas that go on endlessly about deflatable balls or juiced-up players who can t wait for the next hit. Racing has its own juice problems, but it also allows us to dream. Heywood Hale Broun once wrote, unfinished dreams are the best kind and the moving ceremony in my fantasy in which I accept the elaborate cup is more wonderful than the more likely reality; someday a silver mug for winning the secondary feature at Oaklawn Park. But looking back, would I change it? I don t think so. I would miss out on so much mirth, peace and amity. PRS E. S. (Bud) Lamoreaux III is the former Executive Producer of CBS News Sunday Morning with Charles Kuralt who won four Eclipse Awards for his backstretch profiles. Free Sign up Today! Trivia Answers Your trusted, independent source for racing and breeding news, opinion, and investigative reporting. For advertising inquiries please call Emily at Richard M. Nixon, 1968; ; 3. The Twin Spires; 4. Shelley Riley (Casual Lies, second, 1992), Kristin Mulhall (Imperialism, third 2004), Kathy Ritvo (Mucho Macho Man, third 2011); 5. Ben Plain Ben Jones; 6. Bill Shoemaker, 54 (Ferdinand, 1986); 7. Steve Cauthen, Affirmed 1978 and Slip Anchor, 1985, Reference Point 1987; 8. Johnny Longden (1943, Count Fleet, 1969 Majestic Prince); 9. Strike the Gold, 1991; 10. Silver Charm, 1997

8 Page 8 Five Longshots to Watch By Scott Jagow The post-time favorite has won the last two Kentucky Derbies, but we all know that doesn t happen often on the first Saturday in May. A look at some horses that could surprise at long odds: Will the last-second surge in the Santa Anita Derby that gave Bolo just enough points to make the Derby field be fortuitous? He traveled the equivalent of almost eight lengths farther than the winner and Derby favorite Dortmund, and the son of Temple City came into his previous prep short on training. This colt obviously likes the grass, but several turfpedigreed runners have won or come close in the Derby in recent memory. Plenty of Kentucky Derbies have been won by horses that failed to win their final prep but took a step forward in that race. Danzig Moon showed significant improvement in the Blue Grass, finishing a fast-closing second to Carpe Diem. His pedigree suggests he ll like the distance, and the son of Malibu Moon is at least a threat to sweep past the handy types exhausted by a swift pace. El Kabeir s pedigree doesn t scream 1 1/4 miles, but his determination and consistency make a loud statement. While soundly beaten in the Wood Memorial, the Scat Daddy colt didn t get going until late, on a flying-dirt track challenging to closers. He picks up three-time Derby winner Calvin Borel, who rode him at Churchill Downs last fall. Based on his nine-start foundation and never-worse-thanfourth record, leaving this colt off your wagers is a mistake. Far Right may not be the Mine That Bird of this Kentucky Derby, but he s close. From the barn of under-the-radar trainer Ron Moquette, the $2,500 yearling doesn t appear to match up with this field s heavy hitters, but he s got things going for him. To be ridden by Mike Smith, who stunned the 2005 Derby field aboard 50-1 Giacomo, Far Right has more seasoning than many of his rivals, having raced nine times since getting an early start to his career a year ago. He s also shown the ability to maneuver in traffic, and his pedigree has back class for getting the distance. International Star is speed-challenged on paper but has several positive intangibles. By Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus, this guy has shown the kind of moxie and maneuverability that ll give him an edge late in the crowded, tiring Derby field. Also note that three of the last four Kentucky runnerups prepped in the Louisiana Derby. PRS