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COMMENTARY AUGUST 29, 2013 Rousing performances by James Scully
This could finally be his year. 'Dude' compiled major wins along the way to his previous Classic engagements, but he's never arrived unscathed, sustaining multiple losses in both 2011 and 2012. The dark bay son of Awesome Again will bring a different swagger into the 2013 championship event, training up to the Classic with a perfect five-for-five mark in tow, and became only the second horse to capture the Santa Anita Handicap, Hollywood Gold Cup and Pacific Classic in the same year. All were authoritative wins at the 1 1/4-mile distance. Royal Delta romped to a 4 1/2-length decision in the Personal Ensign at Saratoga and appears at the top of her game presently. She's three-for-five in 2013, winning those starts by a combined 20 1/4 lengths, and her only U.S. setback came after a well-beaten 10th in the Dubai World Cup on Tapeta, which was no surprise given that she finished up the track in the same overseas race last year. The landscape gets interesting if Royal Delta takes the September 28 Beldame as expected. The five-year-old mare has captured the last two runnings of the Breeders' Cup Distaff and the lack of depth in her division is striking -- there will be no rivals of Royal Delta's caliber in this year's Distaff field. Even the top three-year-old filly, Princess of Sylmar, will bypass the race in favor of a four-year-old campaign. Owner Benjamin Leon has shown the courage to face males twice before and I think she ultimately winds up in the Classic field. Victories in the Beldame and Classic would put Royal Delta squarely in the mix for Horse of the Year honors. Two weeks ago, on August 17, Princess of Sylmar lived up to her growing reputation with a dominant 2 1/2-length score in the Alabama, her third straight Grade 1 tally. The impressive victory virtually guaranteed her the Eclipse Award for champion three-year-old filly and the daughter of Majestic Warrior has come a long way since capturing Busanda and Busher Stakes on Aqueduct's inner track during the cold days of winter. Her ascension began after a non-threatening second to Close Hatches in her graded stakes debut, the April 6 Gazelle. Princess of Sylmar overcame a troubled start to win the Kentucky Oaks going away by a half-length at 38-1 odds and followed with an emphatic six-length triumph in the Coaching Club American Oaks nearly two months later. Both efforts earned a 104 BRIS Speed rating, a significant improvement over her previous numbers, and Princess of Sylmar continued to shine in the Alabama, registering a sparkling 107 Speed figure. Given that she raced through the winter, without any breaks since October, it makes sense to skip the Breeders' Cup -- her connections can point her toward the 2014 event. Trainer Todd Pletcher has not tipped his hand regarding Princess of Sylmar's final start of the season, listing both the September 21 Cotillion (against three-year-old fillies) and the Beldame as options. I would love to see her give Royal Delta a run for the money in the latter. August 17 also featured an unprecedented hat trick of sorts as Ken and Sarah Ramsey owned and bred three Grade 1 winners, all sired by the Ramsey homebred stallion Kitten's Joy. Real Solution capped the big day in the Arlington Million, winning via disqualification after being interfered with in deep stretch, and he's a candidate to see him build upon the encouraging performance for Chad Brown. The five-year-old was making only his third U.S. attempt and eighth overall start of his career. Going back three weeks, Wise Dan did not disappoint in the August 10 Fourstardave, delivering another world-class effort to win going away while completing a mile in a sizzling 1:34 on "good" turf. His connections decided not to take any chances this summer/fall with the versatile gelding, keeping the reigning Horse of the Year in one-mile turf events, and he's the best U.S. performer under such conditions since Hall of Famer Lure. His win streak has reached eight but even if Wise Dan wins out this year, with a second straight victory in the Breeders' Cup Mile, he will need some help to defend his Horse of the Year title. Game On Dude and Royal Delta would steal the spotlight with a Classic win, and even Wise Dan's older half-brother, Successful Dan, can make a strong case if he strings together victories in the Woodward, Jockey Club Gold Cup and Classic. There's even the remote possibility that a three-year-old like Orb, Palace Malice or Will Take Charge could string together a Jockey Club Gold Cup-Classic double this fall. The Classic is a crucial race in the Horse of the Year chase and Wise Dan factored into the equation last year by virtue of Fort Larned's upset victory. He needs similar circumstances again in early November. The Woodward takes center stage this Saturday and the 1 1/8-mile event at Saratoga lost a major player on Wednesday when Pletcher opted to train Whitney winner Cross Traffic up to the September 28 Jockey Club Gold Cup. It will still feature a nice seven-horse field, with Paynter shipping in from the West Coast to challenge Flat Out, Fort Larned, Mucho Macho Man and Successful Dan. The sentimental side may lean toward Paynter -- what a great story for horse racing -- but I think Successful Dan will prove best.
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