Saratoga 141st meet concludes. That's all folks!

[Drvmb1ggl3]

[QUOTE=Glimmerglass;4319861]
Whoa - per an interview with the owners of Mine That Bird at Ruidoso Downs this afternoon they are learning towards NOT running MTB in the Travers. Instead they said they’re likely to just haul him back to Ruidoso where he’s expected to make a previously promised appearance and train him up to the Breeders Cup.[/QUOTE]

There might be something to that. It’s been proffered by some that his out of nowhere performance in the KY Derby was due in part to the effects of high altitude training. Ruidoso sits at 7,000ft.

[Glimmerglass]

You have to start to wonder if Mike Smith is losing his judgement with the big races.

Whatever was going through his mind when he took Tiny Woods out there in 21.1 and then 44.2 was foolish. No 2-yr old is going to hold that one up! He flew all the way from California to Saratoga to put in that silly ride?

Edgar Prado and Rick Dutrow and Paul Pompa Jr. (original Big Brown owner) pick up the pieces and take the Saratoga Special by a very solid 10-length smackdown with D’ Funnybone (FL). By D’Wildcat and out of Elbow.

Look who is laughing now

[Linny]

The time for the 6 1/2 furlong first fraction is always fast as there is a very long runup to the timer. That said, speed was this colt’s stock in trade and they tried to run the other speedballs off their feet.

[Barnfairy]

I do recall all the 2yo races I saw at Saratoga had wicked fast first fractions like that.

I’m just not used to seeing that sort of speed 'round these parts…:uhoh:

[Glimmerglass]

Saratoga Special and Michael G. Walsh Novice Stakes

Tiny Woods finished 2nd to last while Smith suggested something was amiss:

Mike Smith, the jockey aboard Tiny Woods, said he thought his horse was not breathing well during the running of the race.

D’Funnybone covered 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:17.58 and returned $10.40 to win. While it was the slowest Saratoga Special time in 10 years, the track appeared slowed by midday showers.

“I was very impressed by it,” said Pompa, best known as being the part-owner of 2008 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown. “I just like to win but when they draw off like that at Saratoga you have to be very satisfied.”

Regarding jock Robbie Walsh injured in today’s steeplechase

Steeplechase jockey Robert Walsh suffered a broken collarbone after his mount, Normandy Tower, fell over the final fence of Thursday’s $70,00 Michael G. Walsh Novice Stakes. He will miss the final two weeks of the meet.

Though Normandy Tower lay on the turf for almost 10 minutes, she eventually got up, having suffered only from exhaustion.

[Glimmerglass]

Friday - Aug 21st - will feature a second Saratoga race visit in this meet for a couple of well known names: Race 1 Biogio’s Rose Stakes (at 7 Furlongs) Doremifasollatido

And Race 7 an allowance for $78,950 at 1 1/8 miles with Luv Gov - although the race has other known names: Nowhere to Hide and Blackberry Road - the one-time Kentucky Derby candidate reunited with Calvin Borel.

[Glimmerglass]

Alas no Tom Durkin singing the name at this meet …

1st Race: Scratches: Essex Ferry (No. 1) and Doremifasollatido (5)

[Glimmerglass]

My hometown paper had this flashback (‘Bound Volumes’) in this week’s edition regarding the widely known racing family and long time members of the community:

[i]50 Years Ago
Mrs. Stephen C. Clark Jr.'s four-year old bay gelding, Shield Bearer, scored a two and a half length victory in the featured $6,000 Schenectady Purse at Saratoga Tuesday afternoon. Fans at the historic track installed Shield Bearer as the solid favorite to beat five other horses in the mile event. The victor returned $4.70 for a $2 bet. The young Panamanian jockey Manuel Ycaza kept Shield Bearer off the pace after leaving the gate on top, allowing Nance’s Rule to set the pace early while Shiled Bearer saved ground along the rail. Ycaza steered Shield Bearer around Nance’s Rule at the head of the stretch and pulled head for the win.

August 19, 1959[/i]

Shield Bearer would go to win the Bernard Baruch Handicap in 1961 again with Ycaza up; Mr. Clark would also win the Bernard Baruch in 1970 with his horse, Bailar, with Angel Cordero Jr. up, and again in 1981 with Native Courier and Eddie Maple up.

[Glimmerglass]

Very sloppy and pouring down rain at Saratoga today. Bobby Flay’s runner “The Mayor” came up short and had to settle for 2nd in the 2nd race.

The rest of day will have almost no post parade [under cover until they must go out] and post times are being moved up. NYRA says they’ll keep the signature race today - the Lake Placid (Grade 2) - on the turf but I think that’s very optimistic.

NYRA’s new Saratoga blog spot

http://saratogainsider.blogspot.com/

Further despite the weather today (8-21) is contest day for entries submitted and selecting the winner to meet Summer Bird, Mine That Bird, or Rachel Alexandra

After the fifth race, at approximately 3:30 p.m., announcer Tom Durkin will call five winning numbers. The winners will have 45 minutes to report to the grandstand info booth. At 4:30 p.m., each winner will draw an envelope in the Winner’s Circle. Three winners will get to meet one of the great horses. The two others will receive consolation prizes: breakfast on the porch for 2 and reserve clubhouse seating Aug. 26.

The winners may bring 3 guests each. They’ll have breakfast on the porch in the morning and watch the day’s card from a clubhouse box. At 10 a.m. the Mine That Bird and Summer Bird winners will meet their horses; Rachel Alexandra will receive her visitors at 3:45 p.m. All winners will be given a keepsake photo of their visit with the horses.

[Glimmerglass]

Again - Mark Allen was reached on the phone by TVG today and reiterated that going to the Travers Stakes with Mine That Bird is not likely. He’s concerned with any risks associated with his throat and would prefer to skip and regroup for the Breeders’ Cup back in NM.

As such I’d say regardless of his trainers input that the odds are slim to none for him racing at Saratoga.

IMHO with him missing a couple days of training and the throat work MTB’s connections are truly concerned with losing again …

[Glimmerglass]

Regarding Bob Baffert’s Tiny Woods - from the 8-22 edition of the Saratoga Special

The Bob Baffert-trained Tiny Woods, who finished seventh as the favorite in the Saratoga Special, suffered from a displaced palate, which stops air from getting to a horse’s lungs. Mike Smith, who rode Tiny Woods, said as soon as the starting gates opened, he heard a noise that indicated Tiny Woods was having difficulty breathing.

Tonja Terranova, who oversees the horses Baffert ships east, said once Tiny Woods returned to the barn, the 2-year old’s palate was restored to its normal position. She explained some horses displace when they get anxious.

“It might have happened in the gate,” Terranova said. “They were backing horses out of the gate, and he was getting a little antsy. I don’t think it is a problem with him; by the time he got back to the barn, he was OK.”

[Barnfairy]

Did anybody catch the 9th today before the Alabama? I have never seen a finish quite like that before.

The chart doesn’t do it justice!

[Drvmb1ggl3]

@Barnfairy;4324684

Did anybody catch the 9th today before the Alabama? I have never seen a finish quite like that before.

The chart doesn’t do it justice!

Yeah, that was some finish for sure. I’m amazed they were able to separate them all. Would be great to see the photo of that.
Gotta love the grass.

[Glimmerglass]

From Newsday: “The ninth race was the Mother of All Photos, with five noses separating the first six horses. Grassy, the 2-1 favorite, won despite losing several lengths at the start.”

I watched it live and - with a nod to those recalling the NYC ads of Crazy Eddie - it was insane!

[Linny]

Milwaukee Brew put on a show before the Alabama.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Saratoga-Newsdesk/228677960620?ref=mf

[Glimmerglass]

[QUOTE=Barnfairy;4324684]
Did anybody catch the 9th today before the Alabama? I have never seen a finish quite like that before.

The chart doesn’t do it justice![/QUOTE]

NYRA’s official win photo - Race 9, August 22, 2009 - a noses between the SIX riders.

As TVG said you couldn’t even line up six horses and riders that close if you tried!

[Acertainsmile]

I love the filly that won the Alabama…Careless Jewel. What a naughty girl, and overcame quite a check to do so!

[kcmel]

:)From the Blood Horse:

What another great day it was at the old Spa Course on Saturday. The rain stayed away. The crowds came in droves. You had to be there to believe it when six horses finished less than a half-length apart in the ninth. It was mind-blowing.

Grassy, a son of El Prado, proved the best of a tight bunch despite a trip that gave trainer Christophe Clement the willies. Left at the gate and finding himself 10 lengths behind once the first turn was run, the impressive roan colt circled a half dozen horses wide as the leaders dove into the stretch and carried on gamely at Ramon Dominguez’s urgings. He nosed his way ahead at the very end of what must be the closest six-horse finish in Saratoga history, maybe anywhere.

Clearly, the victory was admired by all, as applause rang through the clubhouse like church bells. The ovation didn’t subside for nearly a minute as one by one each of the runners returned to the unsaddling area. One man who didn’t earn the notice he deserved was Alan Garcia. The meet’s leading jockey gave the co-favorite Good Prospect a daring ride that almost snatched victory from sure defeat.

Unfortunately, when all was said and run, Good Prospect lost by a nose and a nose. You could say that for the second and the fourth and the fifth and the sixth place horses, too - only, if you do that, make it a nose and a nose and a nose and a nose and a nose.

[Glimmerglass]

A very nice run - and almost disaster - for Barclay Tagg trained Nehantic Kat (6-yr old daughter of Tomorrow’s Cat) in Sunday’ main event, the 30th running of the Yaddo Stakes (pronounced like “shadow”) in honor of the sprawling artist colony next door to the Saratoga Race Course.

Replay: $110,000 Aug 23, 2009 Yaddo Stakes - turf 1 1/8 mi

[Barclay Tagg] watched jockey Jose Lezcano, aboard Crazy Catlady, nearly put Nehantic Kat and jockey Rajiv Maragh over the rail nearing the five-sixteenths pole, Tagg thought all was lost.

“Here, I thought I had a good chance of winning and the whole thing’s shot,” Tagg said. “And then here she came.”

After taking a few strides to gather up his mare, Maragh guided Nehantic Kat to the six-path in upper stretch and Nehantic Kat rallied powerfully through the lane to win the Yaddo for New York-bred fillies and mares by 1 1/2 lengths over Vivi’s Book. It was three-quarters of a length back to Crazy Catlady, who got third by a neck over Chestoria.

Back in 2005 the filly “Kate Winslet” (so named for the actress and with permission granted for the Jockey Club papers) won this race.

Typically artists in residence from the colony attend the race and in the winner’s circle to present the trophy to the jockey and the horse’s owners. Oddly though the Trask family while very wealthy, socially prominent, and advocates of Saratoga Springs (the town and community) never appear to have owned any race horses or attended the races there.

Worth noting: the mare “Irish Linnet” won the Yaddo stakes 5 times in a row! 1991 @ age 4 through and including 1995; in 1992 she won it in a DH with Her Favorite.

[Glimmerglass]

Worth showing the big but deceptive numbers for today: the DRF results page for Sun 8-23-09 Saratoga Attendance: 57,114. However today was the free ‘Long Sleeved Saratoga Tee Shirt’ which means the “spinners” must’ve been out in force!

Also worth mentioning is the continued support and generocity of Marylou Whitney and her husband John Hendrickson … two articles on Saturday (8-22-09) evening for the backstretch workers and their families. See also “Bingo night” which was supported by Marylou.

The weekly game, together with movie nights, karaoke and a lavish Sunday dinner, are designed to make the workers feel valued and included in the Saratoga community.

The evening activities, coordinated by BEST, the Racetrack Chaplaincy and private supporters led by racehorse owners Marylou Whitney and John Hendrickson, are intended as a distraction and entertainment for the workers. A meal is served as well – a catered banquet on Sundays and hot dogs and hamburgers other nights of the week. At Bingo, there are good prizes at stake, too.

Tom Durkin was there calling numbers and about 225 workers played for bikes, hot pots, sunglasses, watches, clothes and portable stereos.

Marylou was there with John; they make an appearance almost every night they sponsor an event, John told me. She waited in the car with her poodle, Edelweiss (Edel for short) until the game began, then she worried about taking a seat from a worker.