2013 Saratoga Meet - celebrating 150th Anniversary

[Glimmerglass]

It looked like a beautiful mid-week, ‘hump day’ to go to the track but evidently not so much for the fans - what’s wrong with folks! Today’s (7/31/13) attendance 13,029. Last year same day was 13,991

Well anyhow some fine racing took place - feature: (video replay) $100,000 John’s Call Stakes

The winner was bred (and is owned by) the Ramsey’s although shockingly is not sired by Kitten’s Joy

Tomorrow’s feature is the 3rd steeplechase race of the meet - Race 2 THU 8-1-13 $100,000 A.P. Smithwick Memorial. Jonathan Sheppard (6 times a winning trainer of that race) is loaded with old and new for the race: he sends out Hunt Ball for his United States debut, along with the old pro 10-yr old Divine Fortune, a two-time winner of this event, and Italian Wedding.

A great remark by Sheppard was that he thinks with Irish-bred and formerly based Hunt Ball that 2 -1/16 miles is “too short”. Now that’s a m a r a t h o n runner!

[Glimmerglass]

Times Union story on the Spa infield goose - yes another happy critter making the track home: “Veteran scratch board operator and goose are best pals for life”

White works in the infield at Saratoga Race Course. For 33 years he has operated the scratch boards — the two tall, slender, guillotine-looking contraptions that display scratches and jockey changes for each race.

Once they were critical to bettors. Now, with TV monitors throughout the track displaying betting information, they’re merely a slice of Saratoga tradition.

As White posts the changes, the goose follows him like a dog. They’ve known one another for 25 or 26 years, White says, ever since the track brought her in as a baby to live at the infield pond during the race meet.

She honks or rather tweets too - example from yesterday:

It’s Tuesday so the Spa is dark. Taking suggestions for dark day shenanigans. #troublemakergoose

Field set for the 86th $750,000 Grade 1 Whitney Invitational Handicap to be run Saturday Aug. 3rd - will be aired on NBC from 5-6 pm EST

$750,000 Whitney Invitational Handicap (G1)
Post time 5:45 p.m. EDT
For 3-yrs & up, Distance at 1 1/8 miles (dirt)

PP, Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer, ML Odds

1. Successful Dan, J. Leparoux, 118, C LoPresti, 12-1
2. Mucho Macho Man, E. Prado, 119, K Ritvo, 6-1
   3. Fort Larned, B.J. Hernandez, 122, I Wilkes, 7-5
3. Cross Traffic, J.R. Velazquez, 117, T A Pletcher, 5-2
4. Ron the Greek, J. Lezcano, 118, W I Mott, 6-1
5. Alpha, J. Rosario, 115, K P McLaughlin, 10-1
6. Csaba, L. Saez, 114, P Gleaves, 20-1
7. Fast Falcon, J. Alvarado, 114, N P Zito, 15-1

The Whitney is a Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” event for the BC Classic

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For those who haven’t recently visited Funny Cide in Lexington, KY you can see him at the Old Friend’s NY location next Tuesday - Aug 6th: he’s back for a luncheon visit along with the Derby-Preakness winning gang:

Old Friends at Cabin Creek will hold a lunch with Funny Cide, the 2003 winner of the Kentucky Derby, at the farm on Tuesday, Aug. 6 from 12:30-3 p.m. On hand for a meet and greet along with Funny Cide will be his owner, Jack Knowlton, jockey Jose Santo, trainer Barkley Tagg and assistant trainer Robin Smullen.

Lunch will be catered by Five Points Deli with a suggested donation of $20 per person. Proceeds go to benefit the retired thoroughbred race horses who call Old Friends at Cabin Creek their home.

www.oldfriendsatcabincreek.com

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I don’t think he was a potential for being wheeled back for the Travers but per a tweet this morning (8/1/13):

Vyjack has been sent to New Bolton for evaluation after showing signs of colic following 6th place finish in Haskell, per owner Wilkenfeld

Thursday 8-1-13’s Saratoga Special with a lovely cover shot of Hyper by Tod Marks

Interesting tid bit from the Special and Jonathan Sheppard’s choice of exercise rider for chaser 10-yr old Divine Fortune DF, by the way, made his racing career debut on the flat at Delaware Park back in 2006 and finished sixth.

Sheppard called on flat jockey Edgar Prado for the horse’s final work for the Smithwick, which Divine Fortune won in 2010 and 2011. The reasoning was relatively practical as Prado was there to work another horse Monday and Sheppard had seven on his breeze list.

In case it didn’t get mentioned also in the AP Smithwick Memorial today will be Mr. Hot Stuff.

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Maybe the magic is back - of sorts - for Barclay Tagg who has been ice cold at Saratoga: (as noted by another) his barn went 0 for 24 at Spa in 2012 and who was 0 for 8 to start this meet, takes Spa 3rd as 1ster Confrontation goes gate to wire.

What about the Viewing Stand overlooking Oaklahoma you ask? Well you missed the ceremony Thursday Aug 1, 2013

Rain held off til after dedication of Whitney Viewing Stand at Oklahoma. Starting Sat (8/3) it’ll be open 5:30-10:30 a.m. 7 days/wk thru end of meet.

NYRA Press release - with photo of it done

In 1902, Whitney purchased a substantial tract of land stretching east of East Avenue and to the north of Horse Haven which became known as Oklahoma, where today’s training track currently sits.

The Whitney Viewing Stand is designed to model the original 1892 Judges’ Stand, which stood before the Grandstand. The timber-framed, three-story building is set upon a newly landscaped section of the grounds and has a steeply-pitched roof capped by a weather vane finial.

Overseen by Saratoga historian Paul Roberts of Turnberry Consulting, the design was handled by Saratoga Springs architecture firm Phinney Design Group.

The public can access the stand from the East Avenue gate of the Oklahoma Training Track where free parking is available.

Today’s two steeplechase races …

Race 1: $65k Optional Allowance Claiming - with Network News & Pleasant Woodman thinking its a 1 1/2 mi race

Second place was determined in a photo - it went to #4 by a fat nose

Race 2 - the Group 1 AP Smithwick Memorial video - it was the full brother to Colonel John - Mr. Hot Stuff winning the race.

Flashback - Steeplechase champion Zaccio

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On Saturday - with the big feature $750k Grade 1 Whitney Handicap - there will be a Marylou Whitney Stables runner but not in the big race … instead look for Race 7, Post Position 1, in an $80,000 maiden race for 2yr olds: Bird Now (bred in Whitney in KY), trained by Nick Zito, and to be ridden by jockey Luis Saez.

Mr. Hot Stuff, formerly owned by the late Arthur “Nick” Arundel but now competes for Mrs. S. K. Johnson Jr, is now 4-0-1 in eight starts over jumps. Having won today’s Grade 1-NSA AP Smithwick took a $60,000 winner’s purse and increased his steeplechase earnings to $147,500. Mr. Hot Stuff paid $12 to win as the 5-1 third choice in the wagering.

Not bad for a horse that finished 3rd in the Santa Anita Derby (2009) - his full brother won it - 15th in the Kentucky Derby and 8th in the Belmont Stakes.

His career (flat and hurdle): Starts: 27 going 5-2-6

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Mr Hot Stuff makes the cover of the (Fri) Saratoga Special

Great quip in the Special

"I feel like Jonathan Sheppard.”

• Trainer Jack Fisher, after winning two jump races Thursday

More photos and details on Funny Cide’s visit back to NY:

Funny Cide is scheduled to lead the post parade for the Alfred G. Vanderbilt Stakes at Saratoga Race Course on Sunday as part of the track’s first Equine Retirement Day.

[Saskatoonian]

Tomorrow definitely looks like the big anniversary festivities - wonder if there’s any chance of actually seeing any horses except from afar. I’m bummed that I missed the chasing on Thursday, but guess there’s still time - and thrilled to know that it’s possible to watch them train at the OK track again!

Thanks for all of the news, Glimmer!

[Glimmerglass]

Thanks, Saskatoonian.

Luckily a large crowd - 33,148 - showed for the Whitney and a good day of racing.

Video replay: 86th Whitney Invitational Handicap (G1)

Video replay: $100,000 De La Rose Stakes

Assateague, trained by Michael Matz, is owned by the partnership of Helen Alexander, Dorothy Matz, and Helen Groves.

Worth showing in case it was missed … even an old timer can win at Saratoga: Replay: Race 6, Aug 3, 2013; Gimme Credit wins … at the age of 10, Gimme Credit, just earned his 15th career win. It was also his third win in eight career starts at Saratoga.

Some bits post-Saturday on twitter David Grening (DRF)

Cross Traffic earned a 108 Beyer Speed Fig for the Whitney

Trainer Charlie LoPresti said Successful Dan came out of the Whitney “really good.” Said “good possibility” he runs back in Woodward.

Trainer Ian Wilkes said Fort Larned looks fine this morning. “If my horse trains the way I expect him to out of the race he’ll run” in Woodward.

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In case anyone missed it in NBC, TVG, or HRTV the awkward flip of Successful Dan leaving the saddling paddock to the track (video) here it is. Neither Julien Leparoux or Dan were injured and finished 2nd in the race.

Just one of those freaky things with getting spooked - maybe he looked over at The Post (bar) just feet away and saw the prices for a Bloody Mary - whoa!

Today (Sunday) it was nice that Ramon was there signing for a fundraiser.

[skydy]

I did miss it! TVG wasn’t showing the paddock.
Thanks! Glad everyone was OK. He’s a great horse. So how much are the Bloody Marys?

Sad to see that Nipissing had to be euthanized at Woodbine.

[skydy]

I’m looking forward to the Select sale tomorrow. I hope one day to be there “in person”.

Fasig Tipton has some videos up, but not many.
I like the look of the Indian Charlie filly! #20.

The Arch filly is nice as well, but I have always liked the look of his babies (the ones at auction that can be seen on the web anyway, I know it is but a small sampling).

Actually there aren’t any yearlings that look bad on the videos, but there seldom are at this sale.

One or two just had some big time updates to their pages today!

Glimmerglass, Laurie B, do you have any favorites?

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[QUOTE=skydy;7106411]
Sad to see that Nipissing had to be euthanized at Woodbine.[/QUOTE]

Sad to hear as I watched the race when Nipissing was pulled up on the backstretch but didn’t know of the outcome.

Video replay - Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. (G1) with a small old warrior field

I didn’t get to see the F-T offering book although I saw the few Virginia breds that will go through the sale on another site.

Times Union 8-5-13 “Party time at Fasig-Tipton horse sale”

The average sale price per horse over the two-day sale last year was $299,065. That amount is $20,275 lower than the $319,340 average in 2011. Sales over the two days totaled $32 million, down $892,000 from 2011. Thoroughbred trainer Todd Pletcher bought the sale’s top dollar horse, a colt by Medaglia D’Oro out of Wait a While for $1.57 million.

Fasig-Tipton Saratoga site - pdf cat; live video link; results; etc

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These are the Virginia-bred horses in the sale - just a few horses. Which in the grand scheme of what Virginia used to contribute to this sale is thin.

Glenn Petty, formerly the executive director at Virginia Thoroughbred Association (VTA), created/launched VARacingNews. He gives a great account of the history of VA bred horses in this sale - example:

In 1980, Virginia breeders and consignors sold 50 (21%) of the 233 yearlings sold. Consignors included Newstead, Camp, Keswick, Stokes, Peggy Augustus, Tyson Gilpin, Sally and Verne Hosta, Morven, North Cliff, Orange Hill, Pine Brook, Smith, Stokes, White Oak and Wolver Hill.

[skydy]

Saratoga Sale catalog here http://www.fasigtipton.com/ci/catalogues/view/2013/Saratoga-Selected-Yearlings

[skydy]

Dynaformer filly out of the dam of Optimizer sells for $1,150,000.

A kicker. Looks like she inherited the Dynaformer attitude!

Eta She sold for $1,225,00.

[CVPeg]

Ramon Dominguez interview

Thought I had seen this posted here, but guess it was on FB, so I’ll share. Ramon interviewed by Richie Migliore at Saratoga. 13 minutes. So hard not to see him back up here.

But, what a great man.

http://www.nyra.com/saratoga/videos/ramon-dominguez-interview-080413/

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@CVPeg;7108893

Thought I had seen this posted here, but guess it was on FB, so I’ll share. Ramon interviewed by Richie Migliore at Saratoga. 13 minutes. So hard not to see him back up here.

I saw that on youtube (NYRA’s page) … he looks good and not being able to ride must be tough on him (it is on the fan for certain); seeing how Mig does very well post-riding I hope Ramon can see there is life after being in the saddle.

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DRF 8-6-13: After 16-days - business/attendance at Spa

All-sources handle, which had been up 2.8 percent following the first 10 days of the meet, is now flat, or down 0.2 percent compared to last year. A total of $232,737,975 has been wagered at Saratoga compared with $233,343,246 wagered last year.

Ontrack handle is $46,034,119, down 4.5 percent compared to $48,208,876 wagered last year.

Attendance is 310,318, down 3 percent compared to 319,806 last year.

This, despite an excellent Whitney Day business-wise when attendance was 33,148, up 7 percent from 2012, and all-sources handle was $25,558,044, up 2 percent over last year. Sunday, saw a 22-percent increase in attendance and 4-percent increase in all-sources handle over 2012.

There have been 1,394 betting interests this year, compared with 1,413 last year.

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Times Union 8/5/13: Zenyatta’s half-sister will run again at Saratoga

… will run again during this meet, but no race had been targeted as of yet.

She finished last in the Shuvee after having a gate issue and ended up with two chipped teeth and some scrapes on her legs.

She has yet to return to the track.

“She is getting much better,” Shirreffs said at his barn on the Oklahoma on Monday. “We will breeze her in the next few days and then we will see.”

The rare Tuesday edition of the Saratoga Special (8/6/13) with auction results; racing Monday recaps and Wed preview

Auction results of the VA-bred horses

Barry Irwin/Team Valor paid $600,000 for a dark bay filly by Indian Charlie