Really interesting Glimmerglass.
Interesting - and well founded - is this bash on Magna (yet again) for their negative impact with Gulfstream Park and its usefulness on the road to the Kentucky Derby.
In 2004, Stronach’s Magna Entertainment razed Gulfstream Park’s perfectly good grandstand and enlarged the oval from a mile to 1 1/8 miles. That’s typical of the sort of “vision” that has Magna where it is today, in dire financial circumstances.
By enlarging the oval, Gulfstream in effect eliminated 1 1/16 -mile races from its program. And that disrupted the natural progression in distance in its series of stakes for 3-year-olds preparing for the Triple Crown. As trainer Todd Pletcher said, 1 1/8 miles was the worst possible distance for the track.
For 51 years, the Fountain of Youth was run at 1 1/16 miles. It was the natural bridge from the Hutcheson, which was run at 7 furlongs, to the Florida Derby, at 1 1/8 miles. The Fountain of Youth often provided an early intimation of classic talent, and it produced 12 Kentucky Derby winners, including Tim Tam, Spectacular Bid and Thunder Gulch.
But in 2005, the Fountain of Youth added a sixteenth of a mile, a significant alteration for young developing horses whose connections have rosy aspirations. Few 3-year-olds are ready for 1 1/8 miles this early in the year, and the change persuaded many trainers to send their horses elsewhere.
This year’s Fountain of Youth does look quite good but it’s seemingly more of a showcase of sprinting ability vs. what previously gradutated from its ranks.
One of the runners in Saturday’s Fountain of Youth Stakes is an interesting claimer off-spring who seems to be lost in the shuffle of talent. Notonthesamepage (4-1) from PP 3 is a fast colt and owned by Ken & Sara Ramsey. The winner of six-furlong Spectacular Bid by an eye opening 8-1/4 lengths (earning a 114 Beyer) is actually the son of claimers:
Notonthesamepage is a product of two horses that New York trainer Rick Schosberg claimed for Ramsey: His stallion Catienus (claimed for $50,000 off Sheik Mohammed) and Blue Holiday (a $16,000 acquisition off Maggi Moss).
“A total of $66,000 and produced a possible Derby horse,” Ramsey said. “… This could be my moment; I’ve got sweaty palms already … I think we’re going to sprint up the stretch and win it myself.”
Ramsey was talking about winning Saratoga’s Hopeful as soon as Notonethesamepage impressively won a Churchill Downs maiden race April 3. But a temperature kept the colt out of Saratoga’s first 2-year-old stakes.
As typical for Ken Ramsey he’s going to have some fun (possibly) defying the naysayers
“Everybody is saying he’s just a sprinter. Well he has Lear Fan as his second dam’s sire. Lear Fan is by Robert; that’s going to put some stamina in there. So it’s very possible this horse can sprint a mile and a quarter. And if he does, of course we’re going to try to stretch him a little farther and see if he can sprint a mile and a half.”
[QUOTE=Glimmerglass;3898703]
The Dunkirk hype is amazing then again each weekend another horse wins and the flavor of the week rises to the top. I was shocked when HRTV’s snapshop of the Derby field for this week made remarks that “Dunkirk goes to the top” of the Derby list. Are you kidding me?
Video 2-20-09 HRTV’s ‘Pursuit of the Crown’ (26 min 20 sec)
How about others who once were “hot” but just because they’re not front an center the memory fades - example Beethoven. From the DRF he had a lovely work Fri morning
Calvin was on Warrior’s Reward [previously unbeaten] in the race against Dunkirk Thursday 2/19 and remarked this about Dunkirk:[/QUOTE]
Dunkirk may prove me wrong, but I think that the comparisions to Big Brown are premature because Big Brown was a slam dunk to be a serious, serious TC horse when he won the allowance at this time last year.
I think Dunkirk is a nice colt though, and he definitely has room to improve, but I will look elsewhere for now for the star three year old of the year.
I still like Pioneerof the Nile the most, but his turf/synthetic type pedigree and an article by Mott about his preferred surface worries me a bit.
A horse may pop up in the Foutain of Youth tomorrow or, shall I say, today. I think that race is really intriguing. I have liked Capt. Candyman Can for awhile now, but I certainly don’t like his front wraps or the fact that he doesn’t move like a very sound horse. That horse has a lot of heart, but his pedigree doesn’t exactly scream mile and a quarter either.
The Pamplemousse is working like an absolute monster. That horse looks like a million bucks, and I absolutely love his conformation. I didn’t like him very much as two year old because he was a very, very awkward moving and awkward looking colt. He still moves awkward…lol, but he has come into himself nicely and that stride and motor of his certainly make up for that high knee action. I’m actually a big believer in Kafwains on the turf and synthetic. I have a Kafwain filly too, so I’m a little biased as well when it comes to The Pamplemousse;) I will sit out the Sham because I think the favorite wins in this case.
Anyway, it looks to be a good day of racing:).
HI all, just my 2 cents. I agree about papplemouse. A shoe in for this one. 
NOTSP will never make the Derby, IMHO. Look at Ward’s record on stakes on the PPs. It is…0%. That’s a very odd statistic to see on PPs for a horse headed to the KY Derby. It would be…a historical anomaly.
So, even if NOTSP wins this one, and he could, he doesn’t have a trainer to take him to the Derby. Ward is great with babies, in regular races, though, not knocking him.
Dang, Quality Road just jumped onto the Derby scene in a big way…fast, fast, fast. I couldn’t see the video stream too well on youbet.net (very blurry) and want to see it on a different quality of video before I make a decision, but this may just be that star three year old that I was talking about;)
He’s a son of Elusive quality as well, and we all know what he can do! Finished the mile in 1:35.01:eek:. That is really fast for how slow GP has been playing lately.
Final results for the Fountain of Youth - Grade 2
W: Quality Road
P: Theregoesjojo
S: Beethoven
With “just” a $200k total purse the winner is still possibly on the bubble with enough graded money … the speed of Notonthesamepage wasn’t there and This Ones For Phil couldn’t hold on. Beethoven came from last most of the race to close.
I’d presume that the Florida Derby is next. The puse there is at least $500k so a first or second there puts him in.
Remember, alot of the horses on the list probably will drop off for different reasons. I think it’s fair to say that Phil and NOTSP showed themselves to be sprinters today. Very nice colts, but sprinters…
Whooo…whoo…Cali’s got some runners this year! That horse is a freak on the synthetic. The Pamplemousse in a runaway! (Yes, I am excited about this horse).
HOORAY FOR THE PAMPLEMOUSSE! I LOVE THIS HORSE!
Damn but that was impressive, The Pamplemouse is a whole lot of horse. What a lovely way of going he has too, I could watch him gallop all day, and a handsome devil to boot.
His pedigree up close would make you question his ability to go middle distance, but on today’s performance he looked like he has another furlong in him at least.
I lurve the Pamplemousse too. He made it look so easy. He’s built like a tank, runs like a locomotive.
I still love me some Friesan Fire, can’t wait to see his next race. And don’t get me started on next week’s Oaks at Santa Anita. Stardom Bound has captured my heart as well. No way of knowing if they’ll run her against the boys at this time, but her last-to-first races give me the chills.
The Pamplemousse is an exquisite color, almost lavender, not that it has anything to do with how he runs. But a treat to see him.
Yay - I’ve been checking back here to see who won the Sham Stakes and hoping for the Pamplemousse. A cute horse named for a breakfast fruit - how can one not love it?
Is the race on the net yet? If so can anyone post a link?
Julio Canani said my favorite line of the whole year so far.
A reporter went up to Julio in the winner’s circle and asked him if he thought The Pamplemousse could rate. Julio paused for a moment, and then said enthusiastically, “Who cares?” Haha.
[QUOTE=Filly85’;3915883]
Julio paused for a moment, and then said enthusiastically, “Who cares?” Haha.[/QUOTE]
Wait, Julio didn’t swear in his response? 
That win by The Pamplemouse in the Sham Stakes was effortless and he routed that field as expected and frankly required. Had he lost his chances of moving forward would’ve been seriously questioned. Is he better on synthetic then Pioneerof The Nile? We will see in the very near future. Going from synthetic to dirt typically isn’t that difficult but nothing is a guarantee.
I dropped my friend who is good friends with the chef behind the eatery for whom the horse is named and wished them well. I suspect tonight they are having a blast!
[QUOTE=Glimmerglass;3915998]
I dropped my friend who is good friends with the chef behind the eatery for whom the horse is named and wished them well. I suspect tonight they are having a blast![/QUOTE]
Thank you, Glimmerglass. I’ve been wondering how the horse got a name like grapefruit. Picturing all sorts of unlikely scenarios.
And thanks, Barnfairy for the link - off to watch it now.
Another off the trail …
Actually not much of a shock …
Midshipman to miss Kentucky Derby - SportingLife (UK) March 1, 2009
… Saeed bin Suroor in Dubai and Godolphin have confirmed he suffered a minor soft tissue injury to his left fore leg during routine exercise at their Al Quoz Stables.
Racing manager Simon Crisford told www.godolphin.com: "Unfortunately Midshipman has knocked himself and inevitably this injury will rule him out of the Triple Crown races.
"It is a huge shame as he had been pleasing us enormously and was ready to make his reappearance next Thursday.
“He is scheduled to return to America in early April and hopefully he will be back on the track later in the season.”
