Throwback Thursday - 2011 Breeders' Cup Turf

On Monday, I had my Throwback Thursday planned and ready.  A day later, a sad occurrence turned those plans upside down, as life usually does to plans.  My remembrance of another race can wait for me to write a tribute to one of the coolest horses of this decade so far.  On Tuesday morning, champion stayer St. Nicholas Abbey injured himself in a morning workout and had to undergo surgery on Wednesday.  Prayers still need to be said for the bay son of Montjeu, as his life could be in jeopardy with any setbacks he faces.

The colt had done well across the pond before this race, winning Grade 1 races at two and four years of age.  However, it was this performance at Churchill Downs that drew me to St. Nicholas Abbey.  It is a race I remember less for the actual race and more for the pre- and post-race details.

St. Nicholas Abbey was under the care of the great Aidan O'Brien, the head of one of the greatest racing operations in the world.  Many famous jockeys had ridden for O'Brien in his Breeders' Cup triumphs, but in 2011, he would send his Coronation Cup winner to the Breeders' Cup Turf with his 18 year-old son Joseph aboard.  If Joseph O'Brien could win the Breeders' Cup Turf, he would be the youngest jockey to win a race at America's richest day of racing. 

There was much build-up regarding the O'Briens and Sir Nicholas Abbey before the race.  Young Joseph, at 5'11", towered over his fellow jockeys in the paddock, despite his baby face.  St. Nicholas Abbey, a regal bay colt with a white stripe down his long face, took everything in stride in his first trip to the States.  Trainer O'Brien calmly gave his son and Julien Leparoux, aboard Await the Dawn, their instructions for the race.

Cool and collected was Joseph O'Brien.  Answering questions fired at him from reporters and fans alike in his Irish lilt, the young jockey got a leg up on his mount and they headed off to try to make history.  It would be tough; a talented field would challenge the pair.  Among them were the females Sarafina, a multiple Grade 1 winner in France, and Midday, the 2009 winner of the Breeders' Cup Classic, as well as Juddmonte's talented colt Sea Moon and Brilliant Speed, the best American hopeful in the race.

St. Nicholas Abbey entered the gate first in the field of nine.  He got away a little slowly, but that was all right, for O'Brien tucked him away on the inside, keeping away from the pace up front.  That is where the colt stayed for the majority of the race.  There were some nail-biting moments for the O'Brien team, but turning into the homestretch, Joseph hooked St. Nicholas Abbey to the outside and called on his colt for all the run he could muster.

And run he did!  St. Nicholas Abbey began to fly past horses, overtaking Sea Moon and Brilliant Speed and taking the lead.  Putting the whip away, O'Brien hand-rode his horse to the wire as the colt drew away to win by open lengths. 

The result was explosive.  An 18 year-old son riding for his father in one of the richest races in the world was the perfect storyline, and here it had unfolded perfectly.  Joseph O'Brien became the youngest rider to win a Breeders' Cup race, beating out Fernando Jara, who had won the Breeders' Cup Classic aboard Invasor in 2006.  It would be his breakthrough victory; the jockey would go on to win riding titles and classic races alike.

It was also St. Nicholas Abbey's debut as an international star.  The bay colt would go on to win two more Coronation Cups, a Dubai Sheema Classic, and a third-place finish finish in the Arc de Triomphe, among several other outstanding performances.  He was slated to run in this weekend's King George and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, which boasts a field that includes French champion Cirrus des Aigles and Irish Derby winner Trading Leather. 

After the race, horse and jockey made their way to the winner's circle amidst much happy clamor.  They stopped to talk to the guys at the ESPN booth, they accepted pats and handshakes from the crowd gathering on the track, and finally, Aidan reached his son.  The look on his face said it all - pure pride and exultation.  Young Joseph beamed, helping the handlers lift the wreath of purple and yellow flowers onto St. Nicholas Abbey's regal neck.  The applause in the winner's circle was loud and joyful.  This was a win that everyone could celebrate.

A fractured pastern prevented St. Nicholas Abbey from proving his worth on the track yet again, but he is doing well so far and there is a great possibility that he can go on to become a healthy and productive sire.  His absence on the racetrack will be felt deeply.  I know I always looked forward to seeing the white-striped face of St. Nicholas Abbey and his young rider, clad in purple and white silks.  The image of them capturing the Breeders' Cup Turf together is a wonderful, and thankfully permanent, memory.

Throwback Thursday - 2008 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint

Yesterday, in Del Mar's 5th race, a chestnut filly named Moving Desert took the lead at the head of the stretch and drew away under a confident ride by Joel Rosario.  "Wow!" I said to myself, for she looked very nice in breaking her maiden in her third start.  Immediately, I searched for her pedigree.  She was by Desert Code...and for some reason, that name rang very familiar in my ear.

Desert Code...where had I heard of him before?

I opened a page with his information, and it finally hit me.  This was the chestnut rocket that had blown past his rivals in late stretch to win the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint of 2008!  It was, at the time, one of the most exhilarating performances I've ever seen in this sport.  Now that it's fresh in my mind, my opinion has not changed.

The 2008 Breeders' Cup was the first ever Breeders' Cup held on a synthetic surface.  I had no strong opinions about the inaugural running of the Turf Sprint, as I was not very familiar with the horses running in it.  I sought answers in the post parade, as I do when I'm totally stumped on a race.

As the horses made their way up Santa Anita's downhill turf course to the starting gate, a stocky chestnut colt in lime green silks caught my eye.  His name was Desert Code, and he was 36-1.  I knew absolutely nothing about him except that veteran jockey Richard Migliore was aboard him.  However, "The Mig," who had been riding since the 80s, had never won a Breeders' Cup race.  Desert Code was a serious longshot in a field of very accomplished horses, and yet I was drawn to him.

Well, why not?  I had nothing to lose.

The horses broke from the gate quickly, the downward slope carrying their momentum faster and faster.  The gray California Flag, a downhill specialist who would win the Turf Sprint in 2009, ran with Mr. Nightlinger and set a blazing first quarter of 20 and change.  My eyes were constantly searching for the copper-colored form of Desert Code, and found him running near the rear of the field, green blinkered head bobbing as he ran.

After ripping through an astonishing half mile in 41 and change, the horses careened around the turn and entered the stretch.  Desert Code was trapped behind a wall of horses at the top of the lane.  As California Flag began to tire, the classy sprinter Diabolical looked as if he had the best shot to win.  A multiple stakes winner, the 5 year-old had been purchased by the formidable racing operation Godolphin and was the favorite in this race.  Flying past other horses, the bay stretched out and took the lead under Frankie Dettori.

No one saw Desert Code coming.  The Mig hooked him to the outside and, as if launched from a slingshot, the chestnut colt began to fly past his rivals, edging out Storm Treasure and bearing down on Diabolical like an express train.  All Dettori must have seen was a copper and lime green blur as Desert Code took the lead, crossing the wire to win by a neck.  Even the announcer, Trevor Denman, was stunned, not even mentioning the winner's name until an instant before the finish line.

How had it happened?  At the top of the stretch, Desert Code looked as if he had no shot to win.  When a path opened up, however, the veteran Migliore took his chance and sent his colt, and his horse did the work for him.  Desert Code galloped out, open lengths ahead of his rivals as his rider beamed and shouted with exultation.  After nearly 30 years of riding, Richard Migliore had finally won his first Breeders' Cup race aboard this 36-1 longshot.  The fleet-footed colt held his blinkered head high as the Mig pulled him up from his championship run.  He would pay $75 to win - the fourth highest payout in Breeders' Cup history.

That by far would be the greatest win of Desert Code's career.  He would go on to win a couple more races, but fail as a returning champion in the 2009 version of the Turf Sprint, finishing a distant eleventh.  He retired to stud in 2010; interestingly enough, that was around the same time that his veteran rider decided to call it quits as well.  The two had made their first - and last - Breeders' Cup win an exhilarating one. 

I had almost forgotten about Desert Code until Moving Desert won yesterday.  Her easy victory brought this memory back to my mind's eye.  I can still remember watching the TV that day, my jaw dropped with astonishment as Desert Code made one of the greatest winning runs I've ever seen in this sport.  Now I can be assured that his legacy will live on through his offspring, for as I watch Moving Desert's race again, I can see her sire's smooth, lengthy stride in the way she won.  That's the great thing about horse racing - champions retire, but their memories remain through bloodlines.

Throwback Thursday - 2005 Belmont Stakes

"And they're off!  And Pinpoint, breaking toward the inside, A.P. Arrow with some early speed, on the outside, Southern Africa, as they make their way into that first turn..."

Most famous race calls are memorable to me only by a particular quote.  This one, however, is one that is nearly memorized in my head.  The nuances and inflexions of the incomparable Tom Durkin's words will forever be remembered by me, bringing a smile to my face as I watch and listen to the race, eight years later.  Yes, while Afleet Alex put on a terrific run in the stretch, leaving his rivals in his wake, the race call will always be the most special part of that race for me.

Five weeks had passed since Giacomo's huge upset in the Derby at 50-1, and three weeks since Afleet Alex had recovered from that infamous stumble to win in the Preakness going away.  Their match-up in the Belmont Stakes was highly anticipated.  If there's not a Triple Crown on the line, the best possible scenario for publicity is to have the Derby and Preakness winners face each other in the final jewel of the series.

Afleet Alex was made a solid favorite for the Belmont, with Giacomo a distant second choice.  Then there was Reverberate, who finished second in the Peter Pan Stakes, and Southern Africa, a two-time stakes winner.  Nick Zito was going for another Belmont win with Andromeda's Hero; the trainer had upset the race with Birdstone the previous year.  Pinpoint, A.P. Arrow and Indy Storm all opened at 20-1, and the handsome bay Chekhov would break from the outside.  Watchmon and Nolan's Cat were longshots - in fact, Nolan's Cat had yet to even win a race! 

I made sure to record the event on a VHS tape to watch again later.  Do they even sell VHS tapes any more?  That alone makes my recollection of this event feel a little dated, and it was only eight years ago!  I recorded it over a TV cartoon, so on the tape, there's about five or so minutes of cartoon before horse racing coverage kicks in.  It starts with the pageantry in the paddock, and the horses heading to the track to the tune of Sinatra's timeless classic "New York, New York."  The post parade is next, followed by warmups...and what happens next is simply racing history.

The gates opened and immediately Pinpoint went to the lead on the inside.  A.P. Arrow and Southern Africa went with him; Chekhov was caught extremely wide into the first turn.  Giacomo was much closer than he had been in the Derby, when he stunned the crowd by coming out of virtually nowhere to get up in the final strides.  Even farther back was the Preakness winner; Afleet Alex was biding his time, waiting to make his move. 

Pinpoint's pace in the Belmont of 2005 could best be described as methodical - 24 and 2, 48 and 3, 1:12 and 4.  After about six or seven furlongs, A.P. Arrow and Southern Africa begin to move up on the chestnut leader, but close on their heels was Giacomo, and he looked fabulous going into the turn!  The gray colt swept by and took the lead at the far turn - a drastically different scenario than his victory five weeks ago.  The spectators wondered - where was Afleet Alex?  If you look closely, you could see the little bay threading his way through the pack like a needle through thread, full of run.

Afleet Alex hooked to the outside as they swept around that wide Belmont turn.  Giacomo still had the lead, but "Afleet Alex ran right by Giacomo like he was standing still!"  The Derby winner was instantly defeated in that moment as his rival uncorked his tremendous turn of foot.  Afleet Alex made a mockery of that field, pulling away to win by open lengths.  He did it so easily! 

While Afleet Alex made it look like a workout, Andromeda's Hero put in a nice run for trainer Zito to finish second.  And from the extreme back of the pack, the white face of Nolan's Cat was coming on!  He swept past the Derby winner and Southern Africa to finish a game third, his best performance to date. 

There was no doubting, however, that this was Afleet Alex's day.  He crossed the wire in a nice time of 2:28 and 3 for twelve furlongs, running the last quarter in 24 and change - very nice, considering that the horses on the front end had begin to slow after six furlongs.  His tremendous burst of energy in the stretch was no illusion.  After two dominating performances in his classic wins, people started to lament his poor trip in the Derby that cost him the victory.  He was certainly the best of the crop and could have been the first Triple Crown winner in decades.

When I went to New York City in 2005, I was fortunate enough to go to Belmont Park in the morning for breakfast and a tour.  I was even luckier enough to get a glimpse of this great colt as he went through a morning workout.  I was starstruck and was even more excited for the little bay colt to make his next start on the track.

That next start never came.  Afleet Alex suffered a hairline condylar fracture in July and was subsequently retired in December, going to Gainesway for stud duty.  Who knows what great things he could have done as an older horse?  He received the award for Eclipse Champion Three Year-Old Male and finished second in Horse of the Year votes to Breeders' Cup Classic winner St. Liam.  That was his final bow as a racehorse.  From then on, his current legacy would be restricted to being a stud.

Yes, Afleet Alex has produced some good winners.  Some of them have even gone on to win Grade 1 races.  None of what he does in the future, though, will compare to his stunning win in the Belmont Stakes.  And nothing of what Tom Durkin does in the future will be as memorable to me as his call in that 2005 Belmont Stakes. 

"But then Jeremy Rose said go on Afleet Alex, and they were going, going, gone."

In Their Blood - The Roots of Modern Thoroughbreds (Family 1)

Everyone with any knowledge of Thoroughbred pedigrees knows the names of the three stallions that jump-started the breed - the Darley Arabian, the Byerly Turk and the Godolphin Arabian.  Those three, in different numbers and offspring, can be found in every Thoroughbred pedigree today.  How soon we forget, though, the mares that started it all.  Though some bore only the names of their sire or owner, and still others names that weren't exactly flattering, the foundation mares of the Thoroughbred breed had an incalculable influence on today's stock.  While we tend to look no farther then the relationships between the first five generations of a horse's pedigree, champions are linked by their female families and the dams that started it all.

There is an immense number of female families that has been researched, from the very first mares to set their roots in England to the foundation mares of the Americas and other parts of Europe.  This series of articles will focus on the first 26 female families that sprang from English mares that lived in the last part of the 17th century and into the beginning of the 18th century.  Little did the breeders of that age know that they were cultivating stock whose offspring would run for multimillion dollar purses in the future.  For while we might think that this sort of information is outdated and not needed, we can also find links to top horses running today, from Game On Dude to Paynter and many others.

I want to give kudos to two websites for this project; first, to Thoroughbred Heritage and their amazing database of the champions of yore.  They are loaded with information about not only the Thoroughbred female families but also are chock-full of facts about foundation sires, breeders and even genetics.  Their website is my first stop in this sort of research.  After I go there, I always take a look Pedigree Query to trace male and female lines and look at past race results.  Though it has its errors and problems - a database of that magnitude always will - it's very rare that you can't find a horse on Pedigree Query.  Those two websites have kept me afloat, even if the glut of information has given me a few headaches!

So, without further adieu, let's get started!  Our first female family we have to profile is Family #1.

Throwback Thursday - 2007 Firecracker Handicap

Happy Independence Day!  In honor of this wonderful day, I've tailored my Throwback Thursday post to go with the spirit of the holiday.  Most all of us in America will spend our evening watching and/or setting off firecrackers, so why not talk about a race I saw in person, the 2007 Firecracker Handicap?  Much less known than Wise Dan's recent win in the 2013 edition of the race, it is still an event that will forever be remembered in my mind.

In 2007, we took a trip down to various parts of Kentucky.  I was 12 years old and, of course, thrilled to be there, as a young racing fan.  We went to Keeneland in the morning, took a tour of Three Chimneys - where I got to meet my favorite horse of all time, Smarty Jones - and finally, we traveled up to Louisville for a day at the races at Churchill Downs.  It just happened to be the day of a big stakes race.

For all the other races, we stayed in our seats.  However, I wanted to see the stakes runners up close, so we went to the paddock rail to watch the goings-on there.  How thrilling it was!  To be merely feet away from riders like Rafael Bejarano and Julien Leparoux!  I was in the presence of celebrities, and my heart pounded at the thought.

My pick to win the race was Brilliant, a beautiful white-faced colt in the colors of Live Oak Plantation.  My brother, a big Star Wars fan at the time, selected Obi Wan Kenobi, naturally.  I took a picture of each of the horses and then, when they headed back to the track, went back to my seat to watch the race.

We took a video of it, but that file has since been lost in the shuffle.  However, YouTube, being the great resource it is, has a recording of that race, called by the late, great Luke Kruytbosch. 

They broke from the gate and the #1 horse, Remarkable News, immediately shot to the lead on the hedge.  For an instant it looked as if Brilliant would take second, but a wall of horses on his outside rushed up, led by Tiganello, who would settle in just behind the leader.  Remarkable News led the field through easy fractions of 24 in change, 47 and change, 1:11 and change...he was saving his energy for the stretch drive!

As they hit the stretch, his jockey gave him the go-ahead, and with a fresh burst of energy, Remarkable News was able to hold off the late run of Brilliant in the stretch, winning by a couple of lengths in a nice time of 1:34.74.  The winner was piloted by Ramon Dominguez; little did I know that six years later, the champion jockey would retire.  Remarkable News would go on to be fourth in the Woodbine Mile and then seventh in that soggy Breeders' Cup Mile won by the gray Kip Deville.

The Firecracker Handicap is by far the biggest race I've had the pleasure to see in person.  Though I will see bigger in the future, Remarkable News' wire to wire win will always have a special place in my heart as the first.

2007 Firecracker Handicap winner Remarkable News, with Ramon Dominguez up

Pedigree Highlights - Fasig-Tipton July (Part Four)

179 - Old Fashioned - Varilla (Aljabr)
Gray or roan colt consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, Agent XXXVI
Old Fashioned needs no introduction; the son of Unbridled's Song has already been featured in this series.  This colt is out of an unraced mare that has produced two winners out of three to race so far.  Second dam Miss Sobriety produced multiple Grade 1 winner Habibti, who in turn produced two stakes winners of her own, one of which is Breeders' Cup Marathon winner Eldaafer.  Third dam Quillummo, a half-sister to several stakes winners, was the dam of Gal in a Ruckus, a Kentucky Oaks winner.  Quillummo also produced Highbury, who became the granddam of the undefeated champion Soft Falling Rain.

188 - Malibu Moon - Chapena (Fusaichi Pegasus)
Bay filly consigned by Spendthrift Farm/Taylor Made Sales Agency, Agent
Another Malibu Moon to highlight here.  This filly has speed on the bottom in addition to the stamina she has on the top with that A.P. Indy sireline.  She is a half-sister to Who is Camille, a listed stakes winner, as well as another winner in Johannesboom.  La Chaposa, her second dam, was a Peruvian sprint champion who was directly responsible for some Grade 1 winners and champions.  Among them are Chaposa Springs, who won races like the Test and Ballerina Stakes, and You and I, a Met Mile winner who became a decent sire.  Chaposa Springs is the granddam of Grade 2 winner Mendip, and You and I sired the popular stakes winner - and stakes producer - You. 

191 - Bellamy Road - Affirmed Dancer (Affirmed)
Chestnut colt consigned by Gainesway, Agent V
Bellamy Road is best known for his 17 length Wood Memorial triumph in which he defeated his rivals in the most nonchalant of ways.  He has become a decent sire, producing another Wood Memorial winner in Toby's Corner, among others.  This colt is a half-sibling to La Gran Bailadora, a Grade 1 placed stakes winner by Afleet Alex.  All five of Affirmed Dancer foals to race have gone on to win.  She herself was a stakes winner.  Second dam Woolloomooloo - try saying that three times fast! - was a champion grass and handicap mare in Canada.  Besides Affirmed Dancer, she produced four other winners.  Third dam Tintaburra produced two stakes winners, and fourth dam Northern Lake was the dam of Grade 1 winner Southern Arrow.

194 - Langfuhr - Aly's Vow (Broken Vow)
Chestnut colt consigned by Mallory/Orth
As a sire, Langfuhr has not done badly for himself at all.  Among his offspring are track record-holder Lawyer Ron and Canadian Triple Crown winner Wando, as well as a slew of other graded stakes winners.  The son of Danzig is one of the most underrated sires in the game, in my opinion.  This colt is a half-sibling to stakes winner Promise Me More, and dam Aly's Vow was a stakes winner herself.  Crossing Danzig with this female family has worked well before - third dam Sweetest Chant produced Danzig's Beauty, who in turn was the dam of leading sire Distorted Humor and his Grade 2-winning sister, Dancing Gulch.  Other members of this female family include millionaires Never Retreat and Seaside Retreat; the latter holds a course record.

232 - Quality Road - Day Mate (Dayjur)
Dark bay or brown filly consigned by Oak Lodge USA LLC, Agent I
This dark bay filly is a half-sister to Grade 2 winner Tap Day, who also managed a good second in the Grade 1 Suburban Handicap.  Second dam Possible Mate is a half-sibling to the dam of Grade 1 winner Dream Empress.  She herself produced the multiple graded stakes winner Fairy Garden, as well as two other stakes winners in A. O. L. Hayes and King's Mate.  Her daughters who didn't win stakes ended up producing stakes winners of their own.  Quality Road was fragile but brilliant on the racetrack, setting three track records and winning races like the Woodward, the Met Mile and the Florida Derby, among others.  This yearling is part of his first crop; whether he takes on the siring brilliance of his own sire, Elusive Quality, is anyone's guess.

240 - "Seeking Paradise," Blame - Eden's Storm (Stormy Atlantic)
Bay filly consigned by Dapple Stud, Agent
Blame will always hold the fated label of being the only horse to defeat Zenyatta.  That alone gets him some flack from hardcore fans of the racemare.  No matter what they say, though, Blame was a brilliant horse with a great pedigree as well, and his foals should do brilliant things.  This filly is just the second foal out of a winning mare who is a half-sibling to a Grade 1 winner on two continents, David Junior.  Third dam North of Eden was, putting it simply, a hell of a horse.  Though not a winner herself, she is a half-sibling to champion Theatrical and millionaire Taiki Blizzard.  Three of her foals won Grade 1 stakes:  Paradise Creek (who was champion grass horse as well), Forbidden Apple and Wild Event.  Her daughter Eden's Causeway later became the dam of Grade 1 winner Eden's Moon.  This female family is strong as it can get, as far as Grade 1 success.

244 - Hold Me Back - Episode (Kris S)
Bay colt consigned by Highclere Sales, Agent I
Here's another Hold Me Back colt, from a female family that has produced a couple of stallions.  I mean, it doesn't hurt that his dam is a half-sibling to Mr. Greeley.  She herself has already produced five winners, including stakes winner Vestrey Lady.  Another sister of hers, Majestic Legend, was the dam of Bedazzle, who in turn produced Street Sense, the 2007 Kentucky Derby victor, who has become a nice stud in his own right.  Yet another sister to Episode, Society Gal, produced Grade 1 winner Mona De Momma.  From what I've seen of the female families in the yearlings by this sire, it appears that Hold Me Back got a pretty decent first book.  Let's just hope they sell - and run - to the caliber of that book.

Thank you for sticking with this and reading!  Stay tuned; I'll be previewing the first day of Keeneland September, as well as other sales coming up!