No guru myself, but I suspect that Gilchrest/Baze commented on LITF’s running out of gas because that’s exactly what happened. I don’t think anyone’s a bigger fan than me, but LITF’s performance on Saturday was more visually impressive than brilliant; the final furlong in 13 and 2 was unlike him, and the time for 7f was only two ticks faster than what Watchmon (a pretty mediocre middle allowance 3YO) ran earlier in the day. I do believe that the quarter crack led to less rigorous training over the last 6 weeks, but LITF has had several performances that were, for him, sub-par (the Riva Ridge and the Sunshine Millions come to mind). He has always bounced back from these efforts brilliantly.
With respect to Dubai, I’m doubtful. After Soviet Problem lost the BC Sprint by a nose, Gilchrest shipped her overseas and had a bad experience; SP was retired soon afterward. Gilchrest strikes me as a man who learns his lessons well.
I wish him a safe trip. We had a Fed Ex plane crash land into a home this week.
The last time I was at the BM Turf Club was Santa Anita Derby day (woe is me) and the place was jumping. I will be sad to lose it.
I’d think it would be rather dicy to put Imperialism up against LITF in the BC Sprint 
DRF 10-3-05 “It’s on to the Breeders’ Cup for victorious Lost in the Fog”
Lost in the Fog made short work of his opponents, demonstrating his greatest strength during the victory by running his second quarter as fast as his first. He ran his opening quarter in 22.42 seconds, his second quarter in 22.43 seconds, and came home in 23.20 seconds, including an 11.63 final eighth. His final time of 1:08.05 was good for a 114 Beyer Speed Figure.
Oh, and yes Lost In The Fog set the new stakes record too for the Carry Back no less … even with the less than fast rated track
From The TB Times 7/10/05: "[I]The 1-to-20 favorite took advantage of a newfound competitiveness to set the pace while racing near the inside fence and drew off to win the six-furlong race in a stakes-record time of 1:09.30.
Valid Video set the previous record of 1:10.15 in 2003." [/I]
[snip]
"[I]Baze could feel Lost in the Fog’s determination when Crawfish King and Hot Space tried to mount a bid on the backstretch.
"For the first time, when the horse moved up on the backside to where he could see him, he was actually watching him and he leaned into the bit and wanted to go,’’ Baze said. "Usually he lets them come right up to him and he doesn’t care. Today he wanted to run”"he was looking for some competition.’’[/I]
Originally posted by Sannois:
Anyone have a racing shot of him?? Very cool horse!
Many are out there, here is one example: LITF wins the G-2 Riva Ridge with Russ Baze, up - from Exclusively Equine, photo by Adam Coglianese. The Riva Ridge was the closest victory he has ever had in his career to this day. Held at Belmont June 11, 2005 he beat Egghead by just 1 1/4 lengths.
An aside, one month to the day the very valiant Egghead died. Trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, he was treated for a cut on a hock, was administered a product by Wedgewood pharmacy then per The Thoroughbred Times developed diarrhea and subsequent laminitis and was euthanized on July 11. G1 winner Saratoga County also died from complications linked to this same company’s products. The firm was sued in October 2005 by several owners and an outcome is still pending.
Image: Lost In The Fog, Russel Baze up, wins $250k Ocala Stud Dash (Equi-Photo)
Image: Lost In the Fog (#5) in lead, Russell Baze up, leading field at final turn (Equi-Photo)
Yay, LITF!!! 
We could not believe that doofus of an interviewer when he asked that question. Comparing 8 wins to the Battle of the Bulge. The answer was BRILLIANT. Laughed our butts off! 
I though this was
DRF 5/13/05 “‘Fog’ foes resigned to inevitable”
excerpt:
Brian Koriner, who trains Wind Water, said he is planning to attack Lost in the Fog as soon as the gates open.
“He’ll just run his race,” Koriner said of Wind Water. “My horse has never shown he can pass anyone, and I don’t see him passing Lost in the Fog. If it takes quarter-horsing it away from the gate to get the lead, we’ll do it. I don’t plan to sit and wait. I know my horse can go 21 and 3, 44 and 2. I think my horse will be on the lead, but [Lost in the Fog] will probably get me when he wants.”
Does anyone have any information on how his quarter crack is doing? Is he still working with the bar shoe? Is it showing signs of healing? Any updates would be greatly appreciated!
The G2 Riva Ridge Breeders’ Cup Stakes (to be aired on ESPN) appears to be anything but a walkover for Lost In The Fog.
Will he win with a new jock and facing rivals who are as experienced as him?
SF Chronicle 6/10/05 - “Is Lost In The Fog Finally In Too Deep?”
I don’t know it’s so odd to people that Lost in the Fog wasn’t nominated to the Triple Crown.
The $600 early-bird noms. for the Triple Crown happened before Lost in the Fog had really popped on the scene. They had no reason to believe he would be a big star.
That said though, I hate how people are saying “Lost in the Fog is off the Derby trail”. News flash: Lost in the Fog was never on the Derby trail. His owner and trainer are making an intelligent move here. They’re going to bring the horse along nice and easy, and if they decide to stretch him out, they can do it in whatever time-frame they’d like to. Also, Lost in the Fog doesn’t exactly have a routers pedigree [though not every Derby winner does], and so far has shown no reason to think he can get the classic distances.
There’s nothing wrong with being a champion sprinter. Champali, my favorite, was a good little sprinter, and it suited him and his connections just peachy keen.
vineyridge: what does his lack of Mr. Prospector have to do with… anything?
LITF should have arrived at Saratoga already - but I haven’t seen any comments to support that yet.
He will be on “on display” this Sunday and I’m sure the volume of railbirds will be huge 
Lost in the Fog to get familiar with track
Daily Racing Form - August 17, 2005
By KAREN M. JOHNSON
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Lost in the Fog was scheduled to arrive in Saratoga from California on Tuesday evening along with his trainer, Greg Gilchrist.
Lost in the Fog will run in the Grade 1 King’s Bishop on the Travers Day undercard on Aug. 27. A 3-year-old, he is undefeated in eight starts, including seven stakes.
Gilchrist has never run a horse at Saratoga and said he intends to work Lost in the Fog here Sunday. Lost in the Fog worked at Golden Gate Fields last Sunday, covering five furlongs in 1:00.
Gilchrist said he decided to come to Saratoga early so Lost in the Fog could have a work over the track. Lost in the Fog has made several coast-to-coast trips this year, but his final piece of work had always come at Golden Gate.
“I hear the stories that horses need a race over the track at Saratoga,” Gilchrist said by phone Monday. “I felt he will need the work, and, hell, I figured I could use a vacation, because I’ve never been to Saratoga.”
Lost in the Fog will be stabled at trainer Gary Contessa’s barn on the Oklahoma training track. Gilchrist became friendly with Contessa when Lost in the Fog stayed in Contessa’s Aqueduct barn prior to winning the Grade 3 Bay Shore in April.
In his last start, Lost in the Fog won the Grade 2 Carry Back Stakes at Calder on July 10. Lost in the Fog has also won stakes at Turf Paradise, Gulfstream Park, Golden Gate and Belmont Park.
“He plays very few home games; he’s always going to the other ballpark,” Gilchrist said. “He’s no stranger to moving around.”
Russell Baze will ride Lost in the Fog in the King’s Bishop, which is run at seven furlongs. Gilchrist said that perhaps Edgar Prado, who subbed for an injured Baze when Lost in the Fog won the Riva Ridge, would be aboard for the work Sunday.
Another update/article:
Albany Times Union 8/21/05 - “A vapor trail follows Lost in the Fog”
excerpt:
[I]Greg Gilchrist, the 57-year-old trainer of Lost in the Fog, came into town last week. He knows the talent of his four-legged star and doesn’t much care what anyone else thinks.
For example, the Daily Racing Form, the bible to many racing fans, doesn’t rank Lost in the Fog in its top 10 for 3-year-old males. As a sprinter, he is ranked only eighth.
Gilchrist, as friendly a guy as you’ll meet on the backside, just smiles and shrugs.
“That’s one guy doing those rankings,” he said. “He doesn’t write my checks, he doesn’t pay my bills and I don’t have to answer to him. He is more than entitled to his opinion.”[/I]
…
In terms of performance with exercise times on a very sloppy track -
LOST IN THE FOG worked five furlongs in 1:00 4/5 over a muddy track for Greg Gilchrist with Prado aboard.
BELLAMY ROAD worked five furlongs in company in :59 4/5
Blood-Horse 8/23 - “Gilchrist Seeking Out Foes for Lost in the Fog”
Excerpt:
[I]Asked how he could put Harry Aleo’s son of Lost Soldier Lost in the picture for an Eclipse award as champion 3-year-old, Gilchrist couldn’t come up with a definitive answer.
"Maybe we can get together a match race with somebody or something like that. I really don’t know how you prove who is the best horse? All I’m doing is trying to give my horse the best chance to win and put him in spots where I think he can. There’s just not much more we can do. If the horse did win out the rest of the year, ending with the Breeders’ Cup, I think it would be very hard to bypass a horse that would be 10-for-10."[/I]
…
When was the last Sprinter to win HOTY? Are we going back as far as Dr. Fager in 1968? He was 4 when he won Champion Sprinter and still holds the World Record for 1-mi on dirt at 1 minute 32 1/5 seconds
Next start: shipped from CA to FL’s Gulfstream Park for the Grade 2 Swale Stakes a seven-furlong race on March 5.
Lost In The Fog has never gone past 6 1/2 furlong’s.
excerpt from Daily Racing Form 2/23/05
“I’m not worried about his fitness, and I don’t think seven furlongs will be a problem, although the Swale will mean another step up in company,” [trainer Greg] Gilchrist said. “Unfortunately, the Sunshine Millions sort of threw us out of step for other things we might have had in mind, turning him back to six furlongs like that, but it was hard to pass up a statebred race with a quarter-million-dollar purse. If he wins this next start, I’ll definitely find a two-turn race for him. I might even leave him right there at Gulfstream with the Florida Derby in mind.”
The $1 million Florida Derby will be decided at 1 1/8 miles April 2.
Originally posted by gilmanr:
He joins Santana Strings, while Bellamy Road’s connections remain maddeningly coy.
The Bellamy Road connections may have tiped their hand towards facing LITF -
CBS Sports 8-18-05 “Bellamy Road’s next race a kept secret”
excerpt:
[I]Ed Sexton, the racing manager for George Steinbrenner’s Kinsman Stable, said he is trying to avoid the media hype the horse received prior to the Kentucky Derby, where he finished seventh as the favorite. Still, Sexton dropped hints Thursday that Bellamy Road is more likely to run against Lost in the Fog in the $250,000 King’s Bishop at seven furlongs than the $1 million Travers at 1 1/4 miles. Both races are here on Aug. 27.
“I think it’d be more effective coming back if you beat Lost in the Fog,” Sexton said Thursday from Kinsman Farm in Ocala, Fla. “To finish second in the Travers, you’re lost, you’re forgotten about. To finish second to Lost in the Fog is a hell of a performance. If we run in that race, we wouldn’t be running for second, we’d be running to win. [Lost in the Fog] is a serious horse, he’s a top-class horse.”[/I]
Any links to video of the race? I didn’t find it on Calder’s site.
LITF went off at 1-to-20?
Nothing we haven’t read before, but another positive article: Daily Racing Form 9/15/05: “BC Sprint: Absence of other stars keeps the spotlight on Lost in the Fog”
excerpt: Lost in the Fog has combined his blinding speed, an unblemished record, and the popularity he achieved by traveling from coast to coast to rise from relative anonymity when the year began to the likely favorite for the Sprint. His is also one of the most compelling stories of this year’s Breeders’ Cup program.
[snip]
[I]Contenders
3-year-olds & up, 6 furlongs. Purse: $1 million.
RANK HORSE TRAINER ODDS
1 Commentator N. Zito 5-1
Six furlongs may be too short, but is capable of some very fast races
2 Woke Up Dreamin B. Baffert 4-1
Freshened after two good wins in important sprint stakes; very logical
3 Pomeroy P. Biancone 6-1
He ran right out of his mind in his dazzling victory in the Vanderbilt
4 Lost in the Fog G. Gilchrist 2-1
America’s darling hasn’t beaten a good horse, let alone an older one
5 Battle Won C. Simon 10-1
Runs well everywhere he goes, but three straight seconds are a worry
6 Pico Central P. Lobo 12-1
A lost season so far for the best one-turn horse in the country last year
7 Greg’s Gold D. Hofmans 12-1
Recently emerged with his Crosby win; next race will tell if he’s for real
8 Wildcat Heir B. W. Perkins Jr. 15-1
The 2004 De Francis winner has talent; he also has lots of layoff lines
9 Unfurl the Flag D. Bernstein 20-1
A sixth as the chalk in the Crosby failed to back up his Triple Bend win
10 Mass Media R. Frankel 15-1
Upset winner of Forego has to prove he wasn’t being an opportunist
The top 10 contenders for each of the eight Breeders’ Cup races are ranked by Mike Watchmaker, who set the odds and wrote the comments. Actual Breeders’ Cup fields will have up to 14 starters.[/I]
Well, as the cashier said when he paid me $21 for my $20 win ticket, “It’s about being part of history.” What a treat to be able to see him in person!
I’m sorry to say that my movie of the race didn’t turn out - except the bit at the finish line. But I did get a couple good shots in the Winner’s Circle. I’ll post them in the next day or two.
On a sad note, do any of you that were there know the outcome of the horses that were injured today? One in the 9th and one in the 10th?
