GULFSTREAM PARK NOTEBOOK
FEBRUARY 25, 2005
by Dick Powell
Jerry Bailey is flirting with the thought of retirement this year and it’s
very possible that after this year’s Triple Crown races and publicity tour for
his new book, we could see Jerry ride off into the sunset and onto the set of a
network broadcasting gig. His business is down and he only seems to be riding
top horses for trainers like Bobby Frankel and Bill Mott.
After seven weeks of racing, Bailey has only 85 mounts at this year’s Gulfstream meet, by far the least of any of the top riders. Jerry
picks his spots more carefully than ever and usually represents little
pari-mutuel value to us players.
In Saturday’s Shirley Jones H. (G2), Bailey had the mount on the brilliant
MADCAP ESCAPADE (Hennessy), who won her first four starts last year, the first three
coming at Gulfstream. Her only blemish in five starts last season was when she went way
too fast on a muddy track in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) and was caught by eventual
three-year-old filly champion Ashado (Saint Ballado).
Off for 295 days, Madcap Escapade was training brilliantly for trainer Frank
Brothers and the public sent her off as the 3-5 favorite in the Shirley Jones.
Second in the betting at just under 4-1 was Society Selection (Coronado’s
Quest), who did her best racing last year on wet tracks at Saratoga when she won
the Alabama S. and Test S. — both Grade 1s. The Allen Jerkens trainee ran
poorly in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) at Lone Star in October and was making
her first start off a series of five and six furlong workouts at Gulfstream.
Cornelio Velasquez had the mount.
Third in the betting was Alix M (End Sweep), who upset Bear Fan (Pine Bluff)
in the Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Sprint in her last start and seemed to
have a fitness advantage over her layoff rivals.
At the start of the seven-furlong contest, Society Selection stumbled badly in
post 2 and Madcap Escapade swerved in from post 1 to avoid her. After the
race, Frank Brothers said that he wanted to throw up at the break. That’s how
bad it was. With the race hardly 50 yards out, the two favorites were in big
trouble. You would think that Alix M should have had a five-length uncontested
lead at this point, but it didn’t happen.
Like a blur, Bailey got Madcap Escapade straightened out and as soon as she
was five lengths behind at the start, she was three lengths in front after
running a quarter mile in :22.65. And, despite making up so much ground in so
little time, she was running very relaxed for Bailey, who had her in cruise
control. Society Selection trailed throughout and Alix M was doing all the
chasing in second place.
After a half in :44.86, Madcap Escapade flew by the eighth pole, covering six
furlongs in 1:09.10. Finally, it looked like she was about to pay for her
earlier exertions, but Bailey kept her smooth to the wire and she won by two
lengths in the very fast time of 1:22.06, which is a new track record for the
refurbished Gulfstream main track. Alix M was a one-paced second, chasing the
speed every step of the way, and Society Selection finished dead last.
Brothers was able to get Madcap Escapade to stretch out to two turns last
year when she upset Ashado in the Ashland S. (G1) at Keeneland last year and it will be
interesting to see where she goes next. Being by Hennessy out of a Saratoga Six
mare, she’s not going to go much farther than 1 1/16 miles and maybe the Apple
Blossom (G1) at Oaklawn on April 9 will be on her agenda. As fast as she is,
she owns a terrific cruising speed and should be able to handle the middle
distances. But, she’ll have to break better than she did last Saturday.
Another rider in the Gulfstream news is Kieren Fallon who has aborted his
plans to ride in America full time and has now returned to Europe to wait for
the flat season to begin. With Coolmore’s stable rider Jamie Spencer
self-destructing in last year’s Breeders’ Cup, Fallon denies that he’ll have
first call on Aidan O’Brien’s juggernaut. He says he’s committed to Sir Michael
Stoute for the season but as recently as Sunday was seen playing golf in
Barbados with John Magnier, master of Coolmore, which has the British tabloids
in an uproar.
Fallon’s Florida experiment was fun to watch. I don’t think I have ever seen
a world-class rider get his horses into more trouble than Fallon. Go back and
read the chart comments of his mounts – mostly on turf – and you will see the
words “blocked,” “steadied” and “checked” used repeatedly. Plus, “broke slow”
was a given.
On Gulfstream’s blazing-fast turf course, Fallon’s mounts all too often did
not break with the field and rushed up into traffic. He was usually content to
sit in behind horses but when someone pulled up alongside him, he usually had
nowhere to go. When he had daylight, horses responded to his hands and
heels and there is no doubt that he’s one of the world’s great riders. He probably benefited from the experience of racing here, something that Jamie
Spencer could use.
Wednesday (2/16)
2ND – GONE FORMAL (Formal Dinner) was a first time starter that lost all
chance when he hit the gate at the start, rushed up to take the lead and then
weakened.
5TH – CHILLY ROOSTER (Arch) was fit and ready to go in his second start off a
six-month layoff but had traffic problems in the deep stretch.
7TH – UNPLUGGED (Untuttable) is a speedball that was used hard from post 12
and was caught in the deep stretch.
Thursday (2/17)
4TH – MEADOW FUN (Meadow Monster) was hard used coming out of the chute going
a mile and wound up in tight quarters. He still continued on nicely and responded
well to Chavez, who rode him for the first time.
6TH – CHARISMATIC ROB (Charismatic) was outkicked to the wire when he ran
into traffic on the far turn in his second start off a long layoff.
8TH – MAGIC KITTY (Storm Cat) ran well in her turf debut off only one dirt
sprint and should improve with another maiden turf try.
Friday (2/18)
3RD – HIDDEN PEAK (Peaks and Valleys) had a nightmare trip in his second
lifetime start and still was good enough to get second in decent time. Won’t be
a maiden for long.
6TH – THUNDER AGAIN (Thunder Gulch) pressed a very fast pace three-wide
before weakening late in his first start off a 126-day layoff.
7TH – TURNKEY JOB (Gulch) wasn’t able to use his speed to best advantage when
he couldn’t clear the field and would probably run better going two turns.
8TH – KEEPING WATCH (Danehill) lost all chance at the start when she stumbled
badly but ran well after that despite being forced four wide on the far turn.
Saturday (2/19)
5TH – MAJOR MECKE (Mecke) has been finishing his races real strong lately
since being dropped down to this class level and bears watching.
7TH – WALL STREET (Fusaichi Pegasus) wound up pressing the pace on the inside
and never really got a breather. He was caught by a stablemate but was much the
best of the rest.
9TH – ALPHABET SCOUT (Alphabet Soup) got caught between horses when
contesting the pace in his second start off a long layoff.
11TH – BAENA (El Prado [Ire]) made a huge middle move before weakening late
and was only beaten a length in decent time.
Sunday (2/20)
9TH – MASTER COMMAND (A.P. Indy) rallied from last to get second in his
career debut going short. $650,000 yearling purchase should be much tougher
going longer with Velazquez added.
Monday (2/21)
6TH – DON AGUSTIN (Gilded Time) recovered well after being bumped so hard at
the start that his rider lost his iron.
9TH – OUR EXPLOIT (Exploit) held well despite being forced to run a sub 24
second third-quarter going a mile.