Lost In The Fog: Feb 2002 - Sep 2006; godspeed to you!

[Glimmerglass]

<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by FLAbreds:
Why, I know the man that owned Lost In The Fog as a yearling! <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

FLABreds now that is wicked cool

`Lost in Fog’ again shows sprint talent

By Ed Gray FL Sun-Sentinel newspaper
1/30/05

HALLANDALE BEACH · As Lost In the Fog barreled down the stretch on his way to finishing off the most impressive performance on Saturday’s Sunshine Millions program, most owners and trainers would have been overcome with Kentucky Derby fever.

Although Lost In the Fog distinguished himself as one of the country’s brightest 3-year-old prospects with a 4 1/2-length victory in the $250,000 Dash, owner Harry Aleo and trainer Greg Gilchrist were hardly making plans for the first Saturday in May in the Gulfstream Park winner’s circle.

“My thought right now is it’s early to be thinking about stretching him out,” said the 85-year-old Aleo, whose 3-5 favorite remained undefeated in three starts with a dominating front-running victory in the 6-furlong Dash. “I don’t think either of us [is] thinking of Derby.”

Lost In the Fog’s quality certain is not an issue, particularly after his performance under Hall of Fame jockey Russell Baze, but his ability to carry his dazzling speed beyond sprint distances is still in question.

“I’ll sit down and talk with Mr. Aleo as far as stretching him out in some of the bigger races,” said Gilchrist, whose stable is based in Northern California. “There is a race called the Swale here going seven-eighths of a mile [March 5], if we decide not to go farther.”

Lost in the Fog, who has captured his three starts by a combined 26 lengths, demonstrated a fondness for the Gulfstream racing strip Saturday. The son of Lost Soldier, who previously had been victorious at Golden Gate Fields and Turf Paradise, drew away in 1:09.96.

Dismissing nine opponents bred in Florida or California, Lost In the Fog handled his first cross-country trip with professionalism.

“Usually our tracks on the West Coast are harder and faster than they are on the East Coast. It’s always in the back of your mind: Do I have my horse fit enough?” Gilchrist said. “When they turned for home, I knew I had [a fit horse].”

[mighty_mite]

Originally posted by Glimmerglass:
<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><div class=“ip-ubbcode-quote-title”>quote:</div><div class=“ip-ubbcode-quote-content”>Originally posted by mighty mite:
I watched him jog on the track, then I took pictures of him in his stall and talked to Greg for almost half an hour.

Very cool - any chance you have photos to share? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I’ll get them developed this week. Then I’ll try to post them here. I’m not good with computers so it will be trial and error.

[gilmanr]

LITF earned a 105 Beyer for the KB; seems about right. The DRF’s Clockmaker grudgingly raised his ranking among sprinters to #4 (!). Puzzling, to say the least. Forest Danger disappointed again in the Forego, and LITF is simply the only consistent performer in this division.

[Glimmerglass]

A comment that really spoke to me regarding Gilchrist:

NY Daily News 8-22-05

[I]A low-key trainer based in Northern California, Gilchrist has handled the media attention that has come along with his special colt with a mixture of professionalism and what appears to be genuine warmth.

“Pressure to me was 35 years ago, running for $1,500 at a county fair and having bills to pay and a broke-down horse that I was leading over there,” Gilchrist said. “That’s pressure.”[/I]

Regarding the bar shoe, a bit further info but nothing overly new …

Bar shoe no big deal for Fog, Gilchrist says
DRF 8-23-05

By DAVID GRENING
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Trainer Greg Gilchrist raised a few eyebrows Sunday morning when he revealed that for the last few weeks his undefeated sprinter, Lost in the Fog, has been training in a bar shoe to protect a quarter crack in his left hind foot.

Gilchrist said, however, that he doesn’t believe the foot will be an issue when Lost in the Fog runs in Saturday’s Grade 1 King’s Bishop at Saratoga, and he doesn’t expect Lost in the Fog to race with the bar shoe on.

“I would doubt very seriously that he wears it in the race,” Gilchrist said Monday from northern California. “I’m not even concerned about that foot. It’s not bothering him. I wouldn’t say it won’t bother him after the race, but you’ve got to play hurt sometimes. It’s not a major thing.”

It certainly didn’t seem to bother Lost in the Fog on Sunday, when he worked five furlongs in 1:00.96 over a muddy Saratoga main track. Under Edgar Prado, Lost in the Fog went his first quarter in 25.69 seconds and got his last three-eighths in 35.27.

“I didn’t want to take the bar shoe off for the work, because I was afraid he might split the quarter open,” Gilchrist said. “At the same time, I was a little concerned he might get to slipping on the racetrack, so I cautioned Edgar about that, too. He said he never felt anything the whole way.”

Gilchrist said the quarter crack was diagnosed since Lost in the Fog won the Carry Back Stakes at Calder on July 10 in his most recent race. That win was his eighth from as many starts.

[snip]

Others pointing to the King’s Bishop are Better Than Bonds, Fusaichi Rock Star, Social Probation, and The Daddy. Santana Strings, winner of the Amsterdam Stakes, is possible.

Better Than Bonds, an allowance winner over this track last out, worked four furlongs in 47.86 seconds Monday at Saratoga. Fusaichi Rock Star, winner of the Grade 2 San Vicente in February, went five furlongs in 59 seconds Sunday at Del Mar. Fusaichi Rock Star was due to ship here Wednesday.

[Kellsboro_Jack]

It wasn’t a walkover for sure as Egghead - the ‘fastest’ horse in the field with a prior 112 Beyer Speed Fig to LITF’s 110 top - made a damn good try to close!

Prado’s post race comments said he thought LITF was done with his drive, then he tapped him and boom a whole new gear was there.

[Glimmerglass]

One less competitor in the BC Sprint for LITF:

TB Times 10-3-05 “Woke Up Dreamin retired after Vosburgh”

[Glimmerglass]

Just an update - LITF returns from his Florida holiday this week …

TB Times 12/30/05 - “Lost in the Fog to return to Gilchrist’s barn on Wednesday”

excerpts:

Gilchrist has not mapped a 2006 schedule for Aleo’s colt other than to say that the Breeders’ Cup Sprint on November 4 at Churchill Downs is the long-range objective and that Lost in the Fog likely will not ship out of California as much as he did in 2005.

• snip -

Lost in the Fog’s four-year-old debut could come in the $100,000 Golden Gate Fields Breeders’ Cup Sprint, a six-furlong event on April 22, but if the colt trains forwardly, Gilchrist could find an earlier spot.

I’m glad LITF will return for another year of racing

[system]

DOes anyone know if the Grade 1 King’s Bishop race on Aug. 27th will be televised?

[JER]

Cancel that. Roman Ruler out of BC.

Well… Jerry Bailey’s available now.

[SeaOat]

We hope to meet him on our home turf in the DeFrancis Dash , assuming Fog comes out of the BC fine.

[EponaRoan]

He’s at my local track, Turf Paradise? Wow - will have to see if we can get some photos or something.

[gilmanr]

The quarter crack gave me a start, as well, but glad to see Gilchrest optimistic. Assuming he’s okay, the King’s Bishop continues to develop into something special. Santana Strings is now pointing there, as well (after the beating he took at Calder, he might be hard to figure, but won’t second guess Rasmussen… and SS performed impressively in TX). I’m envious, Glimmerglass! Don’t know how many of you remember Soviet Problem (my personal all time favorite filly), but Gilchrest continues to show extraordinary aptitude with sprinters. His two year old Frisco Star, who just set a track record for 5 furlongs at Santa Rosa (okay, not much of a track… but he’s only two!) might be next in line.

[Glimmerglass]

TB Times 8-17 "Lost in the Fog settles in at Saratoga "

Excerpt:

[I]Gilchrist said Lost in the Fog shipped in fine, arriving at about 9 p.m. EDT on Tuesday night after vanning from Newark, New Jersey, where their cross-country flight landed at 4 p.m. He settled into his stall on the Oklahoma Training Track comfortably.

In addition to Lost in the Fog making his first start at Saratoga, it is Gilchrist’s first-ever trip to Saratoga.

“It’s a beautiful place,” Gilchrist said. “I have never seen the backside, so I didn’t really know what to expect. It’s kind of like a fair atmosphere. We have a couple of places out there (in California) that are kind of like this, not this old.”[/I]

Welcome to Spa, Lost In the Fog, and make yourself at home

[Glimmerglass]

Originally posted by JER:
Any links to video of the race? I didn’t find it on Calder’s site.

LITF went off at 1-to-20?

Alas Calder doesn’t have race-replays online that I know of As for the final odds the TB Times was incorrect, I think, as the SF Chronicle printed he went off at 1 - 9.

One negative to having LITF at your race course is the financial cost to the track: per the DRF he resulted in a <span class=“ev_code_RED”>negative pool in the amount of $160,865</span>, which was the same thing when he raced in NY at the Riva Ridge Stakes. He costs the NYRA something in excess of $100k due to negative pools.

A couple of corrections:

• the track actually was listed as “fast” although that’s questionable

• his final stakes winning time was faster than Madcap Escapade’s in the prior race on the card at the same distance; the Carry Back Stakes has been held over 32 years

• LITF’s time was 0.35 seconds off the track record … had he a little more competition and the track truly fast than he likely could’ve set the track record as he was easily ridden off in the end

His final Beyer will exceed 100, making his 100+ in all 8 starts something never accomplished before

Next stop: Saratoga Springs for the running of the G1 King’s Bishop Stakes on Travers Day, August 27th.

[GT_s_Filly]

I’m just so happy and excited for this little guy and all his connections. I haven’t been able to catch him live (broadcast or otherwise) but I’ve been following here on the board and just with all the articles - THANKS GLIMMERGLASS! - I feel that I’m some how rooting him on at every race.

What are his bloodlines? It seems like everyonce in a while a good long term horse pulls out a few good years of racing and really makes an impact. GO LITF GO!

[lizathenag]

I was lucky to be a Hialeah in 1977 when Seattle Slew set a new track record of 1:20 3/5 for seven furlongs. The race was written for him and he galloped home easily.

wish I had gotten to GGF Saturday!

[gilmanr]

Picked up the magazine yesterday, and found it a thoroughly enjoyable read. Quite a deluge of articles this week, of course, but I certainly found this CBS Sportsline.com account of this morning’s gallop interesting:

Lost in the Fog looked more like a horse training for the one mile and one quarter Classic then the six furlong Sprint. Was full of himself and on his toes immediately after entering the racetrack at 7:00 a.m. and while jogging approximately three eighths of a mile the wrong way to the top of the stretch under regular exercise rider Suzy Milne. Once reversing direction it didn’t take long for the undefeated 3-year-old to grab hold of the bit and two minute lick down the stretch before coming nicely to hand around the clubhouse turn. He then galloped along strongly for another mile before again reaching out and ripping off a couple of :13 and change eighths the second time through the stretch. Finished the awesome two mile gallop as strong as he began and gives every indication he’s not only fast but as fit as a fiddle coming up to Breeders’ Cup day.

[lizathenag]

why wouldn’t they race him in a bar shoe? If it were on the front I would worry about it being pulled off but I would think it wouldn’t matter on the hind.

[Glimmerglass]

Originally posted by gilmanr:
Does anyone have any information on entries for this race, now that Bellamy Road appears to be ducking out?

The only ones for the KB I’ve seen as a “go” are LITF and Santana Springs, which came off his successful win this past Saturday in the $150,000 Amsterdam Stakes (G2). Not that Bellamy Road’s connection are clear in shying away from doing the King’s Bishop. All logic points to that race if they want him to race at Spa - and I’m sure George wants to see him on the biggest day of the meet.

At least doing the KB they stand a good chance to take 2nd place and get him tuned up for the October 1st $500,000 Super Derby (G2) at Louisiana Downs. Per this article, near the bottom, Steinbrenner nominated BR to that Derby

[Glimmerglass]

San Francisco Chronicle 2/27: “Fog Lifting for Aleo, Local owns nation’s most exciting horse”

A very good profile article on Harry Aleo

excerpt:

But Derby or no, this is a dream horse with amazing potential, and he will always run under the orange and black silks of Aleo’s stable. Aleo swears that his beautiful sprinter will never become his cash cow.

“Not one hair on that horse will be sold,” Aleo vowed.

Some think he’s dreaming, but this is a man who knows about dreams, miracles and horses with mystical auras.

Harry Aleo once mowed down the great Joe DiMaggio. He helped Gen. George Patton turn back the Germans in France. He made his first race-track killing - - two bucks – on the greatest dream horse of 'em all.

Aleo was 17 and already a horse racing fan when Seabiscuit faced War Admiral in the famous 1938 match race. Harry was delivering groceries for his family’s Noe Valley market the day of the race. He pulled the truck to the curb, turned up the radio and rooted the Biscuit home, winning $7 for his $5 bet.

He was too busy working to play sports at Mission High, but Aleo did play baseball at City College, where he outhit teammates Jerry Coleman and Charlie Silvera, both of whom became New York Yankees.

The Brooklyn Dodgers signed Aleo to a minor-league contract as a third baseman. Tuning up for spring training in 1940, Harry pitched to a team of San Francisco pros in a pick-up game at Funston Field. In the lineup: Joe DiMaggio, who won the American League batting title in '39 (.381) and would win it again in '40 (.352).

“The first pitch was outside,” Aleo said, “then I threw him my dinky curve. He took a mighty swing and fouled out to third base.”

But Aleo blew out his right elbow shortly after that and his baseball career was toast. He joined the Army, fought under Patton in the Battle of the Bulge, then returned home and started Twin Peaks Properties, which he still actively runs.

…

Also from The Blood-Horse:

Lost In The Fog Sizzles in Pre-Swale Blowout
2/27/2005

(from Bay Meadows report)
Two talented Bay Area 3-year-olds, Lost In The Fog and Stellar Magic, had workouts Sunday morning in preparation for their next major assignments.

Lost In The Fog, who is undefeated in three starts, worked five furlongs at Golden Gate Fields in a sizzling :58 1/5 on a track rated wet-fast. Hall of Famer Russell Baze was aboard for the work.

“You’ve got to make him do a bit or he’s not going to get anything out of it,” said Baze. “He did just what we wanted him to do. He showed a little more zip early, relaxed around the turn and finished strong.”

Lost In The Fog will be flown to Florida Tuesday and run in the $150,000 Swale Stakes (gr. II) at Gulfstream Park on Saturday. Trained by Greg Gilchrist and owned by Harry J. Aleo, Lost In The Fog won the $250,000 Ocala Stud Dash at Gulfstream Park in his most recent race on Jan. 29.