SARATOGA DAILY NOTEBOOK
SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 2005
by Dick Powell
It’s not always ups and downs. Sometimes, it’s downs and ups. Just ask Nick
Zito.
Earlier in the day, Noble Causeway (Giant’s Causeway) had to be pulled up and
vanned off. Later in the day, COMMENTATOR (Distorted Humor) made it all
worthwhile in the Whitney H. (G1).
A New York-bred son of Distorted Humor (where have we heard that before),
Commentator was coming off a spectacular optional claiming win last out going seven
furlongs in 1:20 1/5. We all know how fast he is. His past performances going
one turn look like the proverbial picket fence. However, his lone attempt at two
turns was a seventh-place finish in the Hal’s Hope H. (G3) in January at Gulfstream.
With Gary Stevens in the irons, he broke behind Saint Liam (Saint Ballado) but Stevens was on a mission and he sent Commentator to the lead around
the clubhouse turn. Straightening out for the run down the backstretch, Stevens
opened up a daylight lead while Edgar Prado was content to get Saint Liam to settle.
Commentator covered the first half in :46.41 and then really threw down the
gauntlet with six furlongs in 1:09.76, faster than any six-furlong race has been
run at the meet. Stevens had a five-length lead and Prado was beginning to ask
Saint Liam to get after him. He gradually cut the margin down but the wire was
coming just as fast. With a final spurt, Saint Liam gave it his all but fell a
neck short as Commentator held on in 1:48.33.
Zito, who is being inducted in the National Museum of Racing’s Hall of Fame
on Monday said it best after the race, “It’s an up and down game. All you can do
is keep fighting.”
We have seen our share of California shippers that show up at the Spa and
become unglued with the heat and humidity. Not always, but it’s a tough place in
which to ship cross country.
Based on this idea, Eric Kruljac had a big advantage today with his first-ever Saratoga starter when he sent out LEAVE ME ALONE (Bold Badgett) in the Test
S. (G1). He had a fast filly, drew the rail, broke on top and never looked back
to win by 7 3/4 lengths in 1:22.76. Pretty easy game?
Kruljac, who is winning at a healthy 25 percent clip this year nationwide,
was not surprised his three-year-old filly could bottom out the field.
“She will rate, but I thought we were very dominant with the speed that she
has,” Kruljac said. “My biggest concern, of course, was the one-hole, but she
keeps drawing the one-hole and, at least sprinting, she runs very well from it.
She was just a professional. She’s just getting better and better. Kent
(Desormeaux) gave her a perfect ride. We thought there might be some ‘rabbits’
sent, but he was aware of that. She just got out there and relaxed so nicely for
him. At the quarter-pole, she put them away.”
How smart did Jerry Bailey look today? Last week, he told the track vet that
Noble Causeway did not feel right going to the post of the Jim Dandy (G2). After
an inspection that found nothing, Bailey still felt that he didn’t feel right
and Noble Causeway was scratched.
Zito and staff went over him with a fine-toothed comb and were not able to
find anything wrong either. The trainer entered Noble Causeway back in today’s
3RD race, a last-ditch attempt to get a race in him as a prep for the Travers S.
(G1) on August 27. And, he had a new rider in Ramon Dominguez. Bailey had the
mount aboard ICE WYNND FIRE (Northern Afleet) for Bobby Frankel.
As soon as the horses went around the clubhouse turn, track announcer Tom
Durkin said that something was amiss with Noble Causeway, who was soon pulled up
and vanned off. To add insult to injury, Bailey went on to win the race with Ice
Wynnd Fire.
After the race, Zito indicated that Dominguez said that he warmed up fine,
broke sharply and started to act funny and stopped.
“It has to be something internal,” a puzzled Zito said.
Turf Racing 101 says that you must save ground on the turf.
Not always.
In today’s opener, Dominguez had SPEEDY DEEDY (Victory Gallop) sitting
midpack in a 1 1/16-mile claiming event on the Mellon Turf Course. Bailey had
the 13-10 favorite, Landmark (Arch), down on the rail sitting behind early
pacesetter Quick Queen (Line in the Sand).
As the field approached the top of the stretch, Dominguez swung wide and went
up after the leaders. Bailey had saved all the ground but by the time he found
clear running for Landmark, Dominguez had all the momentum on Speedy Deedy and
held on to win by a nose. Yes, he lost ground but Dominguez made the move he
wanted when he wanted and it worked — just barely.
Many juvenile debut runners impress with a great flash of speed and little
else. In today’s 5TH race, GRAND SURVIVAL (Grand Slam) raced in between horses,
had dirt kicked in his face and courageously prevailed through the stretch to
win by a half-length in 1:18.45 for the 6 1/2-furlong event. All first-out
maiden winners have questions to answer the next time they run but there’s no
doubt about Grand Survival’s gameness.
Purchased for $1 million at Barrett’s March Two-year-old in Training Sale by
Gulf Coast Farms, I am sure the phone was ringing right after he hit the finish
line. Gulf Coast was the original owner, along with Martin Cherry, of HENNY
HUGHES (Hennessy), who they sold for a reported $4.3 million to Darley Stable.
We’ll see if they hold on to this one.
Dominguez and Bailey each won three races today. John Velazquez was shut out
as was his main man Todd Pletcher, who only has one win in week two.
Horses to Watch
3RD – QUADRANT (Boundary) did all the work chasing a runaway winner over a
track that favored speed most of the day.
5TH – SUPERFLY (Fusaichi Pegasus) was a terrific third in his career debut
for Zito, who doesn’t usually have them cranked up first time out.
Sunday Preview
War Marshall (A.P. Indy) disappointed here on Opening Day but Allen Jerkens
adds blinkers in an effort to keep him near the pace. We’ll give him another
shot in race two with Richard Migliore.
We’ll try to upset the Amsterdam S. (G2) with Maddy’s Lion (Lion Hearted),
who had no chance chasing a speedball on a speed-favoring track last out at
Monmouth. He adds blinkers and does his best at this distance.