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POST PARADE AUGUST 17, 2011 Of turf, television and men by Vance Hanson The crowd of more than 31,000 that attended last Saturday's International Turf Festival at Arlington Park were forced to dodge raindrops during the course of the afternoon, but it seemed well worth it as they were witness to several outstanding performances by leading Eclipse Award candidates. CAPE BLANCO (Ire) (Galileo [Ire]) may have run the slowest raw time in the 29-year history of the Arlington Million (G1), due largely to deteriorating course conditions, but the clock really isn't the best way to judge the style and relative ease of his victory. While not exactly toying with this group, and perhaps finding the footing more to his liking than was the case with several of his opponents, Cape Blanco nonetheless confirmed our earlier opinion that he's quite likely the best Thoroughbred seen in the U.S. this year. There was no guarantee that Cape Blanco would run back to his victory in the July 9 Man o' War S. (G1), especially after negotiating another transatlantic journey from Ireland, but on paper that's all that really looked necessary to win. He simply had too much class to oppose on merit, and the 2 1/4-length margin in the Man o' War between him and GIO PONTI (Tale of the Cat) figured to rise in the Arlington Million considering the American champion's preference for firmer ground. The margin was indeed higher in the Arlington Million, but only by an extra quarter-length. Gio Ponti ran yet another gallant race in defeat, but met a rival that's simply better. The most shocking aspect of the Million result was the Cape Blanco paid $6.20, the highest mutuel in the three Grade 1 races that comprise the Festival. Cape Blanco most certainly solidified his grip on leadership in the race for champion turf male honors, and the hope is trainer Aidan O'Brien will continue to ship the four-year-old back to the States for other engagements. The most logical would be the October 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational (G1) at Belmont Park over 1 1/2 miles, followed by the November 5 Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) at Churchill Downs at the same distance. A sweep of those two races, combined with continued volatility in other divisions, would certainly put Cape Blanco in the discussion for Horse of the Year honors. At this time, he'd have my vote. O'Brien had another winner at the Festival when TREASURE BEACH (GB) (Galileo [Ire]) eked out a neck win over ZIYARID (Ire) (Desert Style) in the Secretariat S. (G1) for three-year-olds. A grinding type that is never going to dazzle with wide-margin victories, Treasure Beach was hands-down the most accomplished European invader ever to come over for the Secretariat. It's not every year the 1 1/4-mile test attracts an Irish Derby (Ire-G1) winner who also happened to narrowly miss in the Epsom Derby (Eng-G1). Ziyarid, a rare U.S. starter for The Aga Khan, attempted to take the field the entire way with Treasure Beach in close pursuit throughout. The two matched strides for nearly three-sixteenths of a mile before Treasure Beach gained the upper hand late. While the narrow margin of victory over a mere French Group 3 winner suggests Treasure Beach might not be all that (as the young folks would say), sheer class and a strong fighting instinct have allowed him to prevail against rivals rated much more highly that Ziyarid. An example is Nathaniel (Galileo [Ire]), whom Treasure Beach beat a neck in the Chester Vase (Eng-G3) and who later won the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. (Eng-G1). What O'Brien will eventually do with Cape Blanco and Treasure Beach is hard to predict, but it seems unlikely either has a race in Europe on their agenda for the remainder of the season unless one of the yard's other superstars can not fulfill the rest of their continental engagements. A showdown between the two at the Breeders' Cup may not be in the offing either but would be most enticing. What would not be appetizing, from a parochial American viewpoint, is if O'Brien were to undo all the good work Cape Blanco has done to this point and instead have Treasure Beach be the yard's standard-bearer in America's leading grass stakes this fall. With a championship for Cape Blanco firmly within sight, this is definitely not the time to change horses in midstream. There's seemingly plenty of options left in North America -- the Canadian International (Can-G1) and Northern Dancer Turf S. (Can-G1) are other races that come to mind -- for both horses to pad their resumes this fall. On the flip side, Coolmore's global ambitions extend beyond Europe and North America to places like Australia. While they would gladly accept an Eclipse Award, and have multiple times in the past, the desire to showcase Cape Blanco in a race such as the Cox Plate (Aus-G1), Australia's premier weight-for-age event, might be of higher priority to them than clinching an American championship. Before moving on to the fillies and mares, it might be best to make passing reference to some of the leading American-based contenders for champion turf male honors, as well as explain our reservations regarding their respective candidacies. With Cape Blanco ascendant, it's a longshot that Gio Ponti will be able to win a third straight turf male title, especially since he's yet to win a stakes this season. A return to the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) is a likely course of action, and we shall note shortly how deep that race is likely to be. Gio Ponti's stablemate in the Christophe Clement barn, WINCHESTER (Theatrical [Ire]), made a return to the winner's circle last Saturday in the Sword Dancer Invitational (G1) at Saratoga. Among the vanquished were United Nations S. (G1) and Gulfstream Park Turf S. (G1) hero TEAKS NORTH (Northern Afleet), who in turn has defeated the tough dual Grade 1-winning GET STORMY (Stormy Atlantic) in two of their three meetings this year. Winchester is on his way to the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational, a race he won last year, but if he's lucky enough to avoid either of O'Brien's two stars in that spot, he's unlikely to do so at the Breeders' Cup. It's worth recalling Winchester ran fourth in the Breeders' Cup Turf last season to Dangerous Midge (Lion Heart), a horse that would have to be rated much lower on the talent scale than both Cape Blanco and Treasure Beach. The speedy ACCLAMATION (Unusual Heat), who's won the Eddie Read S. (G1), Charles Whittingham Memorial H. (G1) and Jim Murray H. (G2) in succession this summer, is expected to take a detour off the turf for the Pacific Classic (G1) later this month. He's struggled in his rare appearances outside California and would seem hard-pressed to replicate some of his firm-course romps over potentially softer ground should he make a run at the Breeders' Cup. The events of the last several days have shook up the race for champion turf mare. An unprecedented fourth consecutive win in the Breeders' Cup Mile in November by GOLDIKOVA (Ire) (Anabaa) could easily propel her to a third Eclipse championship, but she will have to hope the Beverly D. S. (G1) heroine, STACELITA (Fr) (Monsun), figuratively stubs her toe between now and November. Goldikova met defeat Monday in the Prix Jacques le Marois (Fr-G1) at Deauville, finishing second in going softer than she prefers. It was interesting, however, that trainer Freddie Head suggested in his post-race comments that age might be catching up with the six-year-old. There seems no sign of such a thing on paper as Goldikova has compiled a mark of 4-2-2-0 this year, her setbacks coming against the marvelous Canford Cliffs in the Queen Anne S. (G1) and to the increasingly brilliant IMMORTAL VERSE (Pivotal) over the aforementioned soft going. Nonetheless, the wear and tear that comes with age is a potential barrier even for a mare as brilliant as Goldikova. In the race for Eclipse Award honors, Goldikova's margin for error shrunk following Stacelita's strong win the Beverly D. at Arlington. Saving ground throughout while in close attendance to the pace, Stacelita slipped through an open seam along the rail at the top of the stretch and drew off to a comfortable 1 1/4-length win while not seriously challenged. It was the first U.S. win for the former French highweight, who had run third in the United Nations against males the previous month. While Stacelita has had some success against males in the past, she's most at the top of her game in races restricted to fillies and mares, with seven wins and two runner-up finishes in nine attempts. Stacelita's final two races of the year are expected to be the October 1 Flower Bowl Invitational (G1) at Belmont and the November 4 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1) at Churchill. The latter will again be a difficult race if it attracts top European invaders like MIDDAY (GB) (Oasis Dream [GB]), but a two-race sweep by Stacelita would considerably enhance her credentials for an Eclipse Award even if Goldikova, or Immortal Verse, were to win the Mile. This is in acknowledgement that a significant share of the Eclipse electorate would prefer a logical candidate with more than a single U.S. win., as was the case in 2008 when Goldikova was outpolled by Forever Together. ****** The meet-long coverage of Saratoga racing by NBC/Versus, along with the nationwide broadcast of the Arlington Million by WGN America, have been encouraging developments on the part of the industry in re-establishing a presence on the nation's television screens. The recent announcement that The Jockey Club will underwrite the production of a national network racing series to be broadcast in 2012 is another welcome sign the industry is serious about increasing the sport's exposure to an audience that can not be reached by HRTV and TVG alone. The sport of racing has an interesting history with the television medium, and a great deal of mythology surrounds that history. It's a subject we'll explore in greater detail in a future Post Parade. ****** Fifty seasons ago, Kelso was in the midst of his second consecutive Horse of the Year campaign. There would remarkably be three more after that, and if not for an untimely eye injury in late 1965, a sixth national title might have been added to his legend. The death on Sunday of trainer Carl Hanford, aged 95, virtually brings to an end the enduring and endearing story of Kelso. The man responsible for getting the very best out of the gelding year after year was himself blessed with the gift of longevity. Hanford became private trainer for Allaire duPont's Bohemia Stable in early 1960. Among the new arrivals at Hanford's barn was a three-year-old gelding named Kelso, who had a compiled a record of one win and two seconds within the span of 19 days in September 1959. One month before Kelso's emphatic 10-length debut win for Hanford in June 1960, Daily Racing Form reporter E. Palmer Heagerty commented: "La Corredora probably is Carl's all time favorite, though he hesitates to say just that in so many words. He firmly believes that there has never been a filly or mare in this country who could have handled La Corredora on the afternoon in 1952 that she humbled Kiss Me Kate in the Gallorette Handicap at Pimlico or on the day the following year that she won the Ladies Handicap in New York with a mile and five-sixteenths in 2:30 2/5. "Carl's friends, which includes everyone who knows him, are hopeful that he will come up with another such runner. It couldn't happen to a finer fellow." Indeed.
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