139th meeting of Saratoga concluded; records fall

[Glimmerglass]

Oddly - or perhaps not - once again Carl Nafzger is being coy about Street Sense for this weekend. While I never expected him to be a loud mouth saying he’d win any race he enters by 10 lengths I would think he’d be less suggestive of Street Sense being only so-so.

His workout should’ve occured already this am on the track so this may be a moot issue …

Times Union 7-26-07 “Street Sense status uncertain”

“Nobody is hedging,” Nafzger said at the barn. “If he works well and everything is right, he will probably run in the Jim Dandy. If he does something wrong after the work or he’s not right, we’ve got another week and we would run in the next one. Why should we make a decision publicly because we don’t know.”

He said he wasn’t disappointed after losing the Preakness and seemed surprised to think anyone would think he was.

“I was never disappointed in him,” Nafzger said. “We got beat. We got beat fair and square. Hell, that’s horse racing. You have a horse like this … how can you be disappointed? I would be disappointed if he ran a bad race. The word disappointment is not in my vocabulary. If the horse executes, I’m not going to be disappointed.”

“I don’t know how popular he is; you have to let the public decide that,” Nafzger said. “I know he would draw a lot of people if we took him to Arlington Park and galloped him. Let’s just leave a horse a horse and enjoy it. Humans always have this thing like we are are going to turn them into Greek gods. I have trained horses a long time, and I don’t have any pretense that we are going to win the world or do this or that. As long as he executes, I’m happy.”

[Glimmerglass]

I assume he will run in the Jim Dandy now

The son of Street Cry went an easy four furlongs in :51.59 under regular rider Calvin Borel.

Borel: “It’s what we wanted, to see how he would handle the track, and he went across it like a bear. He’s just blossomed; he was a lot more forward with me this morning. He’s just an awesome horse.”

[holmes]

[QUOTE=Blacklabs;2585198]
Also can you go see her at their barn like the other barns at the track or is it closed.[/QUOTE]

No - quite stiff penalties too - hot walking for a week with laundry and probably detention barn duties.

[Glimmerglass]

Anyone else catch the video of Calvin working out Street Sense this morning from Saratoga? The two just seems to work together so well. The “skiing” in the irons to get him to relax to tucking down and getting him to flow in the work. It was quite nice and clearly they had plenty of go on tap if asked or even if Calvin moved him to the rail.

70-1 longshot in the 6th turf race, Al Sheetahn, almost had the shocker of the meet. In fact I thought it was a done deal before he lost to a hard charging Giant Storm at the wire. Nothing like a $2 exacta paying off $1,022 for those who took the risk!

[miss_critic]

Where?

[Glimmerglass]

Lawyer Ron in the Whitney!

Court will be in session at Spa with Lawyer Ron making a showing.

For the 80th running of the Whitney Handicap the post positions were selected at 11 am EST Thursday for Saturday’s action; see video link. This race will be aired live on ABC Sports.

Invasor won this last year by nose over sun King who returns again now winless in four starts. Expect Papi Chullo, who is looking brilliant, to be one of the favs.

$750,000 Whitney Handicap (Grade I)
Race 10; 1 1/8-mile Dirt course; going off at 5:46 pm
Saturday July 28

PP Horse Jockey Weight
1 Flashy Bull Alan Garcia 118
2 Papi Chullo Eibar Coa 115
3 Brass Hat Willie Martinez 118
4 Fairbanks Richard Migliore 116
5 Wanderin Boy Rafael Bejarano 117
6 Sun King Corey Nakatani 117
7 Magna Graduate Garrett Gomez 118
8 Student Council Robby Albarado 115
9 Diamond Stripes Edgar Prado 116
10 Dry Martini Cornelio Velasquez 115
11 Lawyer Ron John Velazquez 118
12 Awesome Twist Javier Castellano 114

[miss_critic]

Glimmerglass, where did you see SS’s workout? I would be very happy to see this!

[Glimmerglass]

[QUOTE=miss_critic;2587738]
Glimmerglass, where did you see SS’s workout? I would be very happy to see this![/QUOTE]

TVG cameras captured the workout which they aired a few times. Speed wise it was only ranked 31st of 33 moves at the distance which was per the plan.

Regarding the Cordero bobbleheads - there was 30,000 total but it was a split of 27,000 wearing red-and-white silks and 3,000 attired in purple and gold.

“Special editions delight spinners and put a new ticketing system to test”:

The limited number of the purple bobbleheads quickly turned them into prized possessions at the racetrack. When Rose Thew, 60, of Saratoga Springs, pulled hers out of the box to show it off, memorabilia dealer Glenn Smith offered her $50. After a brief conference with her daughter, Thew countered with $100 and Smith declined.

Looks like he would have overpaid (ebay example)

[Glimmerglass]

[QUOTE=Glimmerglass;2586968]
Invasor won this last year by nose over sun King who returns again now winless in four starts. Expect Papi Chullo, who is looking brilliant, to be one of the favs.[/QUOTE]

Regarding Papi Chullo:

AP 7-27-07 “Papi Chullo seeks first Grade 1 win; Owner, trainer excited about Whitney Handicap”

In 2004, Papi Chullo was sent on a bizarre career path. His first start came in a stakes race rather than the traditional maiden race – he finished fourth in the 2004 Gold Rush Stakes. He also ran in the Sham, the Fountain of Youth and the Florida Derby before recording his first victory – in a maiden race. Papi Chullo won three of his first 17 races, having run at 13 tracks in eight states, under 11 different jockeys and for five different trainers.

Familiar surroundings, says Contessa, may be the key to the turnaround.

“He likes going home to the same stall every night, for a change,” Contessa said. “He’s been bounced from track to track to track. I believe the horse needed some regularity in his life – the same training regime, vitamin program, feeding program, the same exercise rider.”

It slooks like the regularity is paying off quite weel, since purchased for $150k a couple months ago and moved to Contessa’s barn:

… Papi Chullo has reeled off two eye-opening wins, a 7 1/4-length romp in a 1 1/16-mile allowance race at Belmont on May 4 and a remarkable five-length victory in the Birdstone Stakes on June 9 against graded-stakes winners Hesanoldsalt and A.P. Arrow.

[Glimmerglass]

Wow - an old name from the past of a horse that “once was a contenda” …

Race 3 at 7 furlongs with a field of 6

Although I think there are a couple of late scratches, it is Master of Disaster once the next “it” horse from DelPark

Looking back to 2005 when you could buy his Horse Hat

[Linny]

The overnight for Sunday is out and Steet Sense’s name is on it, looks like he’s a go for the Dandy.

[Glimmerglass]

[QUOTE=Linny;2589564]
The overnight for Sunday is out and Steet Sense’s name is on it, looks like he’s a go for the Dandy.[/QUOTE]

Sunday has a 60% chance of rains - which will make little Cooperstown and the Baseball Hall of Fame induction of Cal Ripken, Jr and an expected 60,000 fans an utter mess - but Street Sense has run in the mud before

Race #9 Sunday July 29 - 5:20 EST
Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes at 1 1/8 mi

PP Horse (Jockey, Weight)
1 Sightseeing (Edgar Prado, 121)
2 Flashstorm (Shaun Bridgmohan, 115)
3 Street Sense (Calvin Borel, 123)
4 Cowtown Cat (Garrett Gomez, 121)
5 Tiz Wonderful (John Velazquez, 119)
6 C P West (Cornelio Velasquez, 115)

My guess would be a finish of win, place, show of #3, #1, #5 with maybe #6 Zito’s C P West actually maybe getting 3rd …

[Blueshadow]

Lucky you to be there for this ! I’ll be watching from Del Mar… maybe looking for a small exacta box…

[Glimmerglass]

[QUOTE=Glimmerglass;2588771]
Wow - an old name from the past of a horse that “once was a contenda” … it is Master of Disaster once the next “it” horse from DelPark

Looking back to 2005 when you could buy his Horse Hat[/QUOTE]

“Master” even with Ramone up was deadlast in the field of 4. The allowance was won by big Preakness (2006) contender Like Now who is trying to make a comeback - this was his first win since March 2006 (and first race since July '06) when he won the Gotham Stakes (G3) in prep for the Triple Crown chase …

[Glimmerglass]

Reminder …

[b]Breeders’ Cup Challenge from Saratoga

Saturday, July 28, 4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. EASTERN on ABC Sports[/b]

Featuring live - in order of airing:

Grade 1 $750,000 Whitney Handicap
Grade 1 $250,000 Go For Wand Handicap (distaff)
Grade 2 $250,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap (Sprint)
Grade 1 $500,000 Diana Stakes (F/M turf)

[Glimmerglass]

Brilliant effort by Lawyer Ron to not only win the Whitney Handicap (Grade 1) and secure a slot in the 2007 Breeders’ Cup Classic, but destory the stakes and track record at 1 1/8 miles for Saratoga!

[Glimmerglass]

For the record this was a track record repeat:

Lawyer Ron won the 80th running of the $750,000 Whitney Handicap in a track record time of 1 minute, 46 3/5 seconds at Saratoga Race Course on Saturday afternoon.

Trainer Todd Pletcher and jockey John Velazquez earned their second victory in the Whitney, run for thoroughbreds 3 years and older at 1 1/8 mile. Their first triumph came in 2002 with Left Bank, who shared the previous track record at 1:47

[holmes]

I went over to Street Senses Barn today - he looks awesome.

[Barnfairy]

Lawyer Ron: He sure had the stuff today. Nicely ridden, too. Well done.

Ginger Punch: What a classy mare she is. No trouble with the mile & 1/8th today; had the feeling she could have gone on. Lovely full tail, too, if I may say so.

And was that Plaid I saw all braided up in the paddock? Nice touch.

Pity I won’t be able to watch Street Sense et al tomorrow. :sigh:

[miss_critic]

I know this is completely irrelevant to racing, but I wish they would take that braid out of Lawyer Ron’s forelock. It looks retarded. He is much more handsome without it. Just my opinion.

I bet the connections of the real real Lawyer Ron were pretty happy today. However, I think the 3 yr olds might have a chance in the Classic division this year.

Hunglikeastallion-Please tell what you saw!!! Has he filled out some? I imagine him to be a pretty cool charachter.