So true.
A tiny stretch away from this thread, but once a horse considered for a TC race, anybody see Harlem Rocker today? Was this a “he needed a race” scenario???
Could someone post the list for the horses that will most likely be showing in the Belmont?
Maybe in order you think they are going to win? A friend of mine likes Tale of Ekati, so wondering where he would be in the mix? Wasn’t he fourth in the Derby? Did he run the preakness?
From the NYRA/Belmont and BloodHorse notes for June 1st:
Tomcito, who was third to Big Brown in the Florida Derby (gr. I) and seventh to Casino Drive in the Peter Pan (gr. II), will not start in the Belmont Stakes, according to trainer Dante Zanelli.
Zanelli said the son of Street Cry was suffering from a “reaction” but did not specify what caused it. “It’s very depressing,” he said.
I swear I ready somewhere that Tomcito might be transferred to another trainer but will be shipped back to Kentucky.
And the entries begin to dwindle…
Samotis–
Here’s the Daily Racing Form’s Belmont Stakes page. It lists the contenders. Although you can take Spark Candle, Behindatthebar, and Tomcito off the list.
http://www.drf.com/tc/belmont/2008/140.html
[QUOTE=miss_critic;3256560]
A tiny stretch away from this thread, but once a horse considered for a TC race, anybody see Harlem Rocker today? Was this a “he needed a race” scenario???[/QUOTE]
Good thing he skipped the Preakness for that. :rolleyes:
I have no idea why Baffert/Stronach would’ve though a horse [Harlem Rocker] that excelled on dirt could just show up and kick 'em all on synthetic. Have we not seen enough proof that says you can do well going from synthetic to dirt but more often then not vice versa isn’t successful? That is why all the Curlin fans could be in for a very rude experience if he shows up at Santa Anita against Heatseeker (IRE) who loves the stuff and is brilliantly fast on it.
Too bad the Canadian punters put so much faith into Harlem Rocker:
Previously unbeaten Withers Stakes (G3) winner Harlem Rocker, the overwhelming favorite at 0.35-to-1, was never a factor, finishing fourth in the seven-horse field in his first start on a synthetic surface and first attempt in a two-turn race.
Anyhow … back to the Belmont and the Canadian-owner runner:
Tale of Ekati worked on Sunday to the pleasure of Tagg
Tale of Ekati breezed six furlongs in 1:11.99 on Sunday on the main track at Belmont Park, which was rated as muddy.
“This was the move I was hoping for last week,” said Tagg, who also was unhappy after the colt’s four-furlong workout in :46.84 handily on May 20 at Belmont. “Now, you can only hope that it wasn’t too much for him. Everything seems to be going well now, and we’re back on schedule.”
Perhaps he’ll be both the horse for course but also sitting on a big effort. No issues with feet, tainted owners, or high expectations. Tale of Ekati, as Tagg said, loves the Belmont course which is key as ‘Big Sandy’ can be very intimidating to horses new to it.
Tale of Ekati won his career debut at Belmont Park by 8 1/4 lengths and won the Futurity Stakes (G2) at Belmont in his third career start.
Kind of related to the conversation… Charles Fipke, owner of Tale of Ekati, also owns Not Bourbon, the winner of the Plate Trial (where Harlem Rocker was 4th).
Maybe this is the beginning of a good luck streak for his stable.
Final official breeze for Denis of Cork this morning at Churchill Downs before he gets air-shipped up to NY with Macho Again Tuesday.
With his Belmont jockey, Robby Albarado, in the saddle, Denis of Cork galloped out five furlongs in 1:01.60 in what trainer David Carroll had planned as a maintenance work. Denis of Cork had breezed five furlongs on the two previous Mondays at Churchill.
Muscial chairs with assigned jocks continues …
[quote]Trainer Nick Zito and Kassem Masri, the owner of Anak Nakal, on Monday released jockey John Velazquez from his commitment to ride Anak Nakal in the Belmont Stakes on Saturday so Velazquez could ride Ready’s Echo.
Velazquez had committed to Anak Nakal before knowing definitively that Ready’s Echo would run. Ready’s Echo is trained by Velazquez’s main client, Todd Pletcher.
“We had a call and we released him,” Zito said. “Mr. Masri and I believe in good karma.”
Zito said Julien Leparoux would now ride Anak Nakal. Alan Garcia, Zito said, would ride Zito’s second Belmont entrant, Da’ Tara.
Such biting sarcasm by ESPN’s Bill Finley!!
Bill Finley June 2 “Un-American”
Excerpt
These people are living in fantasyland. We dope the living you know what out of our horses and the benefits are obvious. Horses race longer than ever, are more durable than ever and never get hurt. Then we send them off to the breeding shed and they produce the next generation of healthy, robust horses that can run all day, race 35 times a year and keep the breed strong. Thank goodness the industry here has taken the anything-goes approach that it has. Imagine a sport where a horse that is bleeding, is lethargic or is sore or needs a rest actually needs to be turned out and can’t be given a quick fix.
If Dutrow’s peers opinion on “Will Big Brown win the Belmont Stakes?” has any value then the almost uniform answer is ‘yes, he’ll win’:
Albany Times Union June 2, 2008 “Will he do it?”
Trainer Bob Baffert
(failed with three horses to win Triple Crown)
“I can’t see him getting beat unless something drastic happens to him coming out of the starting gate. He is a super horse, awesome. He is a great athlete, has a great mind and doesn’t get tired.”
Jockey Steve Cauthen
(rode Affirmed to 1978 Triple Crown)
“It would be nice to see Casino Drive push him a little bit, that would be fun. It looks like Big Brown has extraordinary talent.”
Trainer D. Wayne Lukas
(trained Charismatic, who failed to win the 1999 Triple Crown)
“Yes, yes I do. I think he’ll do it. But strange things do happen. I thought Spectacular Bid (1979) was the best I ever saw and he lost it. But you would have to have a lot of imagination to pick against Big Brown at this point.”
Trainer Ken McPeek
(trained Sarava to upset win over War Emblem in 2002 Belmont Stakes)
“He is one of the most impressive horses we’ve seen in a long, long time. If he wins the next one, which I do think he’ll win and I think he’ll win it for fun, you put him in the category of Secretariat and Seattle Slew.”
Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott
“Why not. It looks like it. Big Brown’s a monster.”
Trainer Carl Nafzger
(won last year’s Kentucky Derby with Street Sense)
“Yes, Big Brown has just dominated too much. But remember, Big Sandy (Belmont Park) has gotten a lot of them.”
Trainer Billy Turner
(trained 1977 Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew)
“Something would have to go drastically wrong for him to lose. He just takes everything in stride and does whatever the rider asks him to do. When he wants to do something, he just accelerates.”
Trainer John Veitch
(trained Alydar, who finished second behind Affirmed in all three Triple Crown races in 1978)
“He has as good an opportunity that I have seen. He is a very talented horse and is probably better than a lot of the horses who have come close in the last 30 years.”
Jockey Jorge Velasquez
(Alydar’s jockey)
“Big Brown is the real deal. There is no way they are going to beat him, even going 2 1/2 miles.”
The only outspoken (if you can call it that) voice:
Trainer Elliot Walden
(his Victory Gallop ended Real Quiet’s Triple Crown bid in the 1998 Belmont)
“I’ll tell you what, there is a definite foe in Casino Drive. I think he has a legitimate chance to beat Big Brown.”
[QUOTE=Glimmerglass;3256755]
From the NYRA/Belmont and BloodHorse notes for June 1st:
I swear I ready somewhere that Tomcito might be transferred to another trainer but will be shipped back to Kentucky.[/QUOTE]
I read the same article. I think what it said was the trainer was going back to KY and Tomsito wasn’t, so that’d be the reason for the switch.
Thanks miss_critic for the correction 
NYRA Pegs Belmont Stakes Field at Nine
by Blood-Horse Staff, June 2, 2008
The New York Racing Association said June 2 a field of nine is probable for the June 7 Belmont Stakes (gr. I), third leg of the Triple Crown.
The field for the Belmont will be drawn June 4 along with the rest of the Saturday program. Also on the card with the $1-million Belmont is the $400,000 Just a Game Handicap (gr. IT), the $400,000 Manhattan Handicap (gr. IT), the $250,000 Acorn Stakes (gr. I), the $250,000 True North Stakes (gr. II), and the $200,000 Woody Stephens Breeders’ Cup Stakes (gr. II).
Here’s the probable field, with trainers and jockeys, for the 1 1/2-mile Belmont, according to NYRA officials:
Anak Nakal, Nick Zito, Julien Leparoux
Big Brown, Richard Dutrow Jr., Kent Desormeaux
Casino Drive, Kazou Fujisawa, Edgar Prado
Da’ Tara, Nick Zito, Alan Garcia
Denis of Cork, David Carroll, Robby Albarado
Icabad Crane, H. Graham Motion, Jeremy Rose
Macho Again, Dallas Stewart, Garrett Gomez
Ready’s Echo, Todd Pletcher, John Velazquez
Tale of Ekati, Barclay Tagg, Eibar Coa
The Belmont Stakes has a probable post time of 6:25 p.m. EDT. ABC will provide live coverage from 5-7 p.m.
[QUOTE=Glimmerglass;3258887]
Such biting sarcasm by ESPN’s Bill Finley!![/QUOTE]
Bill Finley June 2 “Un-American”
My hat’s off to you, Mr. Finley. Well done!
Big Brown’s workout this morning (Tue June 3rd) over ‘Big Sandy’:
According to the New York Racing Association clockers, the son of Boundary posted fractional times of :23 3/5 and :35 1/5 en route to the five-eighths of a mile time of 1:00. With regular exercise rider Michelle Nevin aboard, he galloped out six furlongs in 1:14 2/5.
Workouts from the contenders (from Equibase.com):
Anak Nakal at Saratoga: 4 furlongs in 49:67
Denis of Cork at Churchill Downs: 4 furlongs in 48:60
Icabad Crane at Fair Hill: 4 furlongs in 48:60
This is the video age so its about time some of the old school media provided video reports - viola
Video - Associated Press - June 2, 2008 - “Hoof Healed, Big Brown Ready to Run” 1 min +
I didn’t otherwise read or see before the remark about PeTA wanting an outside ‘expert’ to look at Big Brown’s hoof before he races.
A very happy Dutrow (after this morning’s workout with BB) said this is the plan:
In the next four days (June 4-7), Dutrow said Big Brown would, “walk (Wednesday), jog (Thursday), gallop (Friday), run (Saturday).”
