Scared Of The Girl

Looks like Asmussen and Jackson are wielding Rachel Alexandra like a poker player wields a pair of aces. He shows his trump hand and everyone folds. It is no surprise that this group of horsemen are not scared to fold a hand with so many games available for three year old colts. The announcement that Rachel is targeting the Haskell has scared off potential pace duelers Papa Clem and Big Drama. This sets the stage for a Rachel showcase where she has everything her own way. Her reputation is beginning to help her as her mere presence is leveling the competition before she even hits the track.

Pocket Cowboys Rolls In The New York Derby

It is almost a year now but I have been waiting for Pocket Cowboys to get back on the turf. This huge son of Wild Event is built for the grass. To my surprise he shipped up to Finger Lakes and took down the New York Derby on dirt returning $14. There is going to be a day when this horse goes back to the turf and when he does bet him. The crowd is going to be skeptical of him as a turf prospect with only one bad turf race on his past performances way back in October 2008 when he was a two year old. This gelding has the class and ability to run on the turf. Maybe Scott Schwartz enters him in a turf race at Saratoga, give him the benefit of the doubt as this horse will improve on the green.





















Credit Tom Cooley Photography

Monmouth Rolls Out The Red Carpet For Rachel

Monmouth is the best track of them all for attracting star three year old horses. This year Monmouth continues the tradition by luring star filly Rachel Alexandra for the Haskell Invitational. Monmouth is not afraid to turn this race into more of a showcase than an actual horserace. It is the closest thing to the Harlem Globetrotters/Washington Generals in horse racing. This year a filly will play the Globetrotters.

The crowd wants horses that were on TV during the triple crown and Monmouth delivers those horses to the New Jersey racing fans. Monmouth has been know to pay appearance fees to connections for bringing their three year olds to the Haskell. Not only do the connections receive an appearance fee but they are treated like gold. It seems like every year there is a dominant performance from a top three year old that competed in the triple crown series.


With appearance fees luring top horses to the Haskell the race has been a showcase for favorites year after year. This is not the race to look for a longshot. The only upset I can recall in the last few years was Peace Rules upsetting Funny Cide in 2003 but was Peace Rules returning $6.00 really an upset? The speed favoring surface played to Peace Rules running style, this is the race to showcase classy front running route three year olds. Rachel Alexandra fits the Haskell to a tee.


This year you can expect Monmouth to jump through every hoop for Rachel Alexandra. Start with an generous appearance fee, then add in the red carpet treatment for the connections and top it off with a speed favoring track for her running style. The NJSEA which runs Monmouth will pull out every stop. This is Rachel's showcase at the shore, she is a dominating presence that will scare away other horses. Look for other speed horses like Big Drama to defect from the race. If Rachel is out there all alone on the speed favoring Monmouth surface deep closers like Summer Bird will have little chance to confront her in the lane. It will not even be close.

Rachel should win this $1million dollar invitational race with ease. This race will be a showcase and you can expect the same type of crowd pleasing performance as she offered in the Mother Goose. It should be a great day to watch a dominating performance by the shore.

Revenge Play Of The Day

Belmont Park race 9

Here is our chance to try to beat Da' Tara who beat most of us Belmont Stakes 2008. Revenge will be sweet. This race is loaded with front running types from top to bottom. #1 Dubai Gold is a lone closer who will be a price and will have a juicy pace set up. It seems like the entire field except for Dubai Gold can not pass horses, while needing the lead. I wouldn't be surprised to see the advertised paper pace not materializing but the 10-1 morning line on Dubai Gold is enough reward to entice a play with this type of a speed laden field.

Stats 2009

28 12-3-1
strike rate 43%
cumulative return 96.20
$2 ROI $3.44

Man O' War Pick 4 Stimulus?

Looks like NYRA is trying something new on Saturday to stimulate the late pick 4 pool or possibly to avoid some expected late afternoon rain. The featured Man O' War is carded as race 7 rather than the traditional penultimate race 9. Is this an experiment to see how race order affects the late pick 4 handle? The race occupying the penultimate slot is uncharacteristically a New York bred maiden, race sequencing has been turned on its head. Maybe the secretary thought it would stimulate the pick 4 to lead off with a intriguing race. Creatures of habit are not going to be happy that their Saturday ritual is being tinkered with.


Horseplayers hate change(that's why they follow a game that peaked in the 1960's) and they are not going to like their racecard being shuffled like a deck a cards. This is like rearranging the silverware at a formal dinner, knives belong on the right and the featured stakes race should be the penultimate race on the card. Look for the handle on the late double to be decimated.

Wednesday Spotlight On Bestowed

Belmont Race 7
Could Bestowed win a stakes off a year layoff? When you consider that he only had one race in 2008 it really is a 20 month layoff. Before you completely dismiss him consider that he has the backclass to dominate this field. Most people would see those double layoff lines coupled with bad races and just toss this longshot runner. I think that form is old news I suspect something much better today.

There is potential for Bestowed to light up the toteboard and watch the crowd rip ticket after ticket on the favorites. Chad Brown has had a great start to his career and can fire with a fresh one. Bestowed as a tab filled with sharp workouts. His competition has has more holes in it than a pound swiss cheese. The three horses drawn inside all have speed and figure to make life hard on each other. Pennington is coming off a taxing win and Mission Approved had a long trip to Woodbine for a graded stakes, certainly this race today is an afterthought for him. The others seem to be outclassed or win shy. The works say Bestowed is sitting on a big race, I like that the connections were confident enough to opt for the stakes spot off the layoff. (He scratched out of a allowance race on Sunday for this spot)Most are going to take a wait and see approach on Bestowed and see what kind of form he has off the layoff. After a paddock inspection and tote board check this guy might make for a great play. Call him the play of the day.

Stats 2009

27 12-3-1
strike rate 44%
cumulative return 96.20
$2 ROI $3.56

Fabulous Strike Likes It Light

When the brilliant Fabulous Strike scratched out of yesterdays Tom Fool I thought he might have been injured. The horse is so damn fast he seems like one who could hurt himself. That was not the case, instead it looks like the trainer was sending out the message to not tack on the weight on his horse. Catering to horseman is what racing secretaries have to deal with. With so much racing out there and so many stakes spots racing offices have to market their races to horsemen. Tracks are in serious competition for stakes horses and the horsemen have the upperhand.

Todd Beattie "I have a lot of respect for Munnings and we were giving him 11 pounds today," said Beattie, who trains Fabulous Strike for Walter Downey. "With the difference in weight, drawing the one hole, and going seven furlongs, we just felt there wasn't a lot working in his favor. He ran a monstrous effort four weeks ago. I had a long discussion with Mr. Downey and he felt the same."

In the future you can expect any racing secretary to be very careful when putting weight on Fabulous Strike as not to upset the trainer and end up with an uninteresting short field with limited wagering. This is a win-win for Fabulous Strike, not only will he get more time for his next race but he will likely carry less weight the rest of the year. As Todd Beattie feared Munnings rolled and won impressively with ease. Look for this three year old to take the Amsterdam and Kings Bishop up at the spa. Fabulous Strike is likely for the six furlong Vanderbilt at Saratoga.

The Power Of Simon Bray

Simon Bray from TVG was on last night and touted two year old first time starter Mettled to the TVG audience as a live firster in Belmont's 4th today. He claimed that the owner Gary Barber personally told him the horse was really live. The filly was 12-1 morning line and opened up at 4-5 so the horse is either live or Simon Bray just swayed a ton of money on a short price loser. The horse was not bet in the double pool anywhere close to the amount of action in the win pool.