Was anyone watching TVG this morning
for the AP Smithwick? They had Chris Kutulak[?] and Jimmy Dugan, to talk about Steeplechasing, as Jimmy is the resident chasing person. They then showed a couple pix of Jimmy in ‘fightin trim’ and taking a hurdle, and a couple of Chris at a cross country fence in Malibu. I think he said he was riding an ottb, and he did a nice little spiel about second carreers for them. Nice touch!
TVG does a pretty good job with the steeplechasing part (at Saratoga) by bringing in Jimmy Duggan, as seen here and giving it a bit more attention then any other racing. This is the only time you see Jimmy. He was a former jump jock but has said before that he just couldn’t keep control of his weight and ultimately gave it up.
I believe they also cited that the NSA has inked something like 6 new chasing races at Monmouth (?) in the future so they’ll use Jimmy more if that comes to pass.
As noted by today’s Saratoga Special from the S-T folks
Name of the Day [Friday August 7, 2009]
Guadalcanal, eigth race (The John’s Call): U.S. Marines, fighting against Japanese forces, landed on and around the island of Guadalcanal in the South Pacific as part of the Solomon Islands Campaign during World War II, 67 years ago today.
(See also A Very Historic Day, for the Country and for the Marines)
Guadalcanal, the horse and actually the second horse to have that name, as you may recall was the unfortunate sacrifical maiden runner inserted into the 2008 Belmont Stakes up against Big Brown. He finished 7th in that race besting only Big Brown and Icabad Crane.
Calvin Borel will get the call on Guadalcanal today and he’s a decent turf horse.
I saw Mine That Bird
The kids and I headed over to the track this morning to watch workouts. We saw Mine That Bird - he galloped twice around the track. Unfortunately we did not see RA or Zenyatta…we didn’t get there until 7:15, so maybe they were out earlier. We’ll go back over next week again, only earlier if I can get this kids up 
I love the track in the morning.
We always play tourist and take the back stretch tour. As we approached the area where they gate train - there was a horse on the ground under the gates :eek: They pushed the gate back so they could get the horse up. Horse looked to be OK. Our tour guide said the horse did the same thing yesterday - got in the gate, then sat down. Somehow got wedged under…
Here are a few pictures from this morning - including a few of Mine That Bird. This facebook page is a public link.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2013776&id=1415833193&l=e126374508
[QUOTE=crazy gray horse;4290672]
We saw Mine That Bird - he galloped twice around the track. Unfortunately we did not see RA or Zenyatta…we didn’t get there until 7:15, so maybe they were out earlier.[/QUOTE]
Zenyatta is about 2,600 miles away 
She will race on Sunday in the $300,000 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes (G1) at Del Mar, CA. I don’t expect to see her come to Sataraga ever.
Rachel is stabled relatively close to the OK track - she’s at the end of the shedrow for Steve Asmussen’s fleet [like many others his sign is hung up] with a blue hanging plant relatively outside of her stall.
An interesting bit on Mixed Up the steeplechaser who won yesterday in the AP Smithwick …
Sheppard did the unthinkable when he took Mixed Up off Lasix this spring. The Hall of Fame trainer experimented last summer in a training flat race, skipping the anti-bleeding medication and took it away for good when he sent out Mixed Up for his 10-year-old debut at Aiken. Mixed Up ended a four-race losing streak with a nose victory, his first since winning the 2007 Smithwick and the Lasix has stayed in the vet’s truck ever since.
“He didn’t run well in the Turf Writers here two years ago and then we ran him back in the Lonesome Glory and he nearly collapsed after the race, when we finally got him back to the barn and did some tests, they said he was very badly dehydrated and had a potassium imbalance, it could have been a result of having too much Lasix,” Sheppard said.
I wish more trainers looked into how detrimental too much Lasix can be for a horse…horses that run every other week on it in the heat of the summer are just wrung out. Good for Sheppard to be on it!!
Glimmer - daughter thought she read that Zenyatta was coming here as she is her favorite. Oh well. We’ll still be looking to see RA at some point.
Crazy Gray Horse - you could’ve seen Summer Bird if you were there Friday morning. He’ll go back out tomorrow (8-8) “Summer Bird will gallop 1 1/2 miles at the Spa Saturday”.
Rachel Alexandra was out yesterday - for the first time since the Haskell - to stretch her legs on the track. Not confirmed but her next timed work is projected to be next Tuesday and like the others will be early in the morning
Thanks Glimmer - I’ll mark the dates and maybe get to watch Summer Bird, as I missed him this morning. I do hope to spot RA. While I enjoy attending the races, I really prefer the track in the morning 
A bit spooky with 2-yr old (as a Durkin said “as green as the grass beside her”) Encore Saritta in the 7th for maidens. She was running well beyond the field but then looked like she was going to jump the rail. Robby Albarado rode it with ice-water in his veins
Before the 8th its always nice to see John’s Call brought out to lead the post parade in the race named for him. At the age of 18 he still looks good … John won 16 races in 40 starts with earnings of $1,571,267.
Originally purchased for $4,000 as a potential steeplechaser, [John] was more at home on the flat. His trainer Tom Voss said, “He wasn’t a good jumper.”
I met Mine That Bid this week. He’s as small as they say and pointing for the TRavers. Stabled 3 stalls away is Summer Bird, the Belmont winner.
Rachel lives across the street on the Oklahoma side. She gallops on the training track, usually at 5:45am.
I hope to find Chip Woolley tomorrow or Sunday and ask what Mine That Bird’s work schedule will look like. Every time I’ve seen Tim Ice (trainer of Summer Bird) he’s been on the phone. Maybe next time…
http://s205.photobucket.com/albums/bb31/Linny999/Saratoga%202009/
Here are some shots of MTB with Chip Woolley as well as a few other Saratoga pics from the last couple of weeks.
Great pics Linny. We headed back to the track this morning. We saw MTB work out again. Chip Wooley was on the stairs watching the workout and chatting with people. We did see Summer Bird after the break. Larry Jones was working Kodiak Kowboy… Did hear RA works out before 6 on the OK track, so we may not see her…
Highlight for my kids today: during the break we strolled out by the jockey’s room. The ‘keeper’ was setting out the silks for the day. He asked each of my kids their favorite color, excused himself for a minute, then came back and handed each a jockey’s skull cap cover They thought that was very cool. Daughter’s cap was green and blue and has the farm name Brushwood embroidered on it. Son’s cap is pink and black - no names 
. Son hasn’t taken his off :lol:.
[QUOTE=crazy gray horse;4292537]
Great pics Linny. We headed back to the track this morning. We saw MTB work out again. Chip Wooley was on the stairs watching the workout and chatting with people.[/QUOTE]
By all accounts the MTB folks are very approachable which always helps the sport.
One very interesting bit cited on ESPN (during the Arlington Million coverage) is that Mine That Bird will be worked the morning of the Travers Stakes. They feel there is a need to change his routine and that the morning of the big race will help him.
Interesting strategy.
Alas no Hollywood ending with the Whitney Handicap and Commentator taking it a 3rd time.
He was swallowed up by a sensational blitz from nowhere with Jeremy Rose on Bullsbay and enroute to win the race. Macho Again nipped Commentator too to take second. An 8-yr old taking 3rd in the Whitney is worthy of applause for Commentator …
When the odds first came up for the Whitney on TVG Bullsbay was 55-1. I said “whaaaat?”. I had to have some of that action. Of course he came down to 18-1, and I only had $5 on him (I’m a big gambler :lol:) but I loved his Arazi-like move to take it. He is quite an attractive colt–I am a big fan of the Tiznow’s.
Times Union Aug 9, 2009 " A conversation with Marylou Whitney" - excerpt
Q: If you could change one thing about Saratoga, what would it be?
A: I think everyone who works on the backstretch. Those people don’t make very much money, they work long hours and the living conditions aren’t good and we are trying to get that all changed. They should be able to bring their families and their wives out there to live.
Q: Is Birdstone (2004 Belmont and Travers winner) the favorite horse you have owned? He took you places.
A: Yes (laughs). He has taken us places. John and I are very proud we bred him (Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird and Belmont winner Summer Bird are offsprings of Birdstone) and he represents us.
Q: What do you think about Rachel Alexandra?
A: We love her! I think she is absolutely great. John and I felt very badly when a group of men were trying to put their horses in and not let Rachel Alexandra run (in the Preakness). I said I would take my horse out to let Rachel run. She is wonderful.
And from a prior interview: Times Union Aug 2, 2009 “A conversation with jockey Calvin Borel” - excerpt
Q: How many suits do you own?
A: Not too many, and the ones I got I got a few years ago. I never owned one before.
Q: How many ties?
A: Maybe three. I’m not a big fan of clothes. Give me a shirt and some jeans and I’m ready to go. I tell you what, the first Derby I won, I borrowed a suit from (fellow jockey) Robby Albarado to go to the Preakness. I didn’t have one.
Q: Favorite movie?
A: “Casey’s Shadow.” I bring a copy with it everyplace I go. I must have watched it a million times.
Commentator has been retired following his 3rd place finish in the Whitney.
I’m guessing the MTB will gallop, not “work” on the morning of the Travers. On the track “work” means breeze.
I hope to see MTB and Summer Bird this week and post more pics. FB users are invited to scheck out my “Saratoga Newsdesk” site with pics and updates at : http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Saratoga-Newsdesk/228677960620?ref=ts
[QUOTE=Linny;4295024]
Commentator has been retired following his 3rd place finish in the Whitney.
I’m guessing the MTB will gallop, not “work” on the morning of the Travers. On the track “work” means breeze. [/QUOTE]
I agree that MTB likely will just gallop although the term “work” was used just for the record.
Actually, it became official last night when trainer Nick Zito and owner Tracy Farmer huddled at Zito’s barn following Commentator’s third place finish in the Whitney Handicap.
“Physically, there is nothing wrong with him,” Zito said at his barn on the Oklahoma Training Track Sunday morning. “Other than his age.”
“He doesn’t have anything left to prove,” Zito said. “What I need to stress here is that when he was on, he was as good as any horse in America.”
Zito said Commentator will remain at the Spa for the next three weeks and then be sent to Farmer’s Shadowlawn Farm in Midway, Ky. He also said he would be in favor of bringing Commentator over for a final public appearance if officials of the New York Racing Associaiton wanted it.
NYRA needs to give the guy a nice send off. People want one last time to see the hard working old man and this sport doesn’t do enough retirement events.
I’d love to have Commentator try his hand at steeplechasing! Plenty of solid old warriors and big graded stakes runners have migrated over from Rochester to Steppenwolfer.
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