Bailey denied in final career start; Moscow burns up track at Santa Anita

Bailey denied in final career start; Moscow burns up track
at Santa Anita

Jerry Bailey signed autographs after his final career race (Bill Denver/Equi-Photo) Though the Sunshine Millions Classic was the highlight of the eight stakes events at Santa Anita and Gulfstream Park on Saturday, it was the Sunshine Millions Turf that garnered most of the attention because it marked an historic occasion. The $500,000 test will go down in history as the final career start for Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey. Bailey set the date and race two weeks ago, with Silver Tree (Hennessy) having the honor of carrying the multiple Eclipse Award-winning rider in his final race. Everything was going as planned on Saturday, with racing fans, horsemen, industry leaders and fellow jockeys lining up to wish Bailey a fond farewell. The ending to the tale, however, was as ironic as fickle fate could have wanted. The excitement started even before the race, when Silver Tree gave Bailey a farewell of his own, kicking him while the two were in the paddock. The moment everyone was waiting for, though, finally came when the gates opened on the 1 1/8-mile Turf. Captain Squire (Flying Chevron) immediately moved to the front and settled down into pacesetting duties through fractions of :23, :46 and 1:09 3/5. All the while, Silver Tree and Bailey were saving ground while racing along the rail near the back. Even farther from the front was Live Oak Plantation’s MIESQUE’S APPROVAL (Miesque’s Son), who was running next to last in the early stages under Eddie Castro. That left the bay horse plenty of maneuvering room to swing out entering the turn, which he did with devastating effect. As Bailey was waiting for a hole to open up to send Silver Tree through, Miesque’s Approval was already settling into his best stride with clear sailing in front. Room finally appeared on the rail for Silver Tree and Bailey immediately went for it as his mount furiously rallied, but they weren’t able to catch Miesque’s Approval in time, finishing three parts of a length behind the winner.

The ironic part of this tale comes in knowing that Bailey used to ride
Miesque’s Approval on a regular basis. It was only when the seven-year-old bay
was switched from trainer Bill Mott’s barn to that of Marty Wolfson that Castro
gained the mount.

“You can only hope to get a good spot and wait for a hole to open up,” Bailey
said afterward. “I guess today it came a bit too late. I guess you could say I
went out with a bang, because the horse kicked me in the hip in the paddock. If
I weren’t in so much pain (from the kick) going into the gate, I probably would
have broken down (and cried). The crowd has been beautiful. I just hope more of
them bet to place than to win.”

Miesque’s Approval rewarded his faithful backers, who sent him off at nearly 49-1,
with payouts of $99.60, $30.40 and $12.60 for stopping the clock in 1:44 4/5 on
the firm turf. Silver Tree was the near even-money favorite and ended the $119
exacta ($1). Another three lengths farther back came Icy Atlantic (Stormy
Atlantic), who rounded out the $1,380.60 trifecta ($1) at 13-1. Stormy Roman
(Future Storm) completed the 1-4-12-2 superfecta ($1) that returned a very nice
$12,577.20. Next under the line were Dream On Dream On (Untuttable), Captain
Squire, We All Love Aleyna (Nines Wild), Gin and Sin (Go for Gin), Touched by
Madness (Sword Dance [Ire]), Eastern Sand (Line in the Sand), Night Dash
(Vaudeville) and Willow O Wisp (Misnomer). Ballonenostrikes (Lost Soldier) and
Be My Buddy (Belong to Me) were scratched.

“Believe it or not, I loved this horse today.” Wolfson revealed. “He got very
sick last November and I had to take him to the hospital, but since I’ve got him
back, he’s been training great for the last month. So I really expected him to
run well today.”

Before Saturday, Miesque’s Approval earned his biggest win in the 2002 Kent
Breeders’ Cup S. (G3). He also owns three other stakes scores and nine
black-type placings, including the 2003 Maker’s Mark Mile S. (G2) at Keeneland.
His record now reads 33-8-9-5 and Miesque’s Approval became Thoroughbred
racing’s newest millionaire ($1,014,474 in earnings) with the victory.

The Florida homebred is following in the hoofsteps of his successful older
half-brother, Revved Up (Sultry Song), who added last year’s Stars and Stripes
Breeders’ Cup Turf H. (G3) to a record that contains seven other stakes wins.
The two are out of Win Approval (With Approval), who has an unraced
three-year-old colt named Siteofawinner (Distant View).

A bobbling start forced Bullseye Racing LLC’s MOSCOW BURNING (Moscow Ballet)
farther back in the field than usual in the $500,000
Sunshine
Millions Filly & Mare Turf, but it turned out to be exactly what the bay
mare needed. When jockey David Flores asked the James Cassidy charge for her
run, she answered, swinging wide around the turn and going on to post a 1
1/2-length score as the 6-5 favorite.

“David had me scared to death,” Cassidy said. “I thought we were going to get
trapped big time (down the backstretch). I think this is as good a race as she
could have ever run, as much as she had to do, go wide and give away all that
space.”

Midwife (Family Calling) wasn’t quickest from the gate, but that didn’t stop
the five-year-old from going up and taking the lead. Setting easy splits of :23
4/5, :47 4/5 and 1:12 1/5, the pacesetter had a clear margin down the
backstretch, with Charmsil (Silver Charm), Beneficial Bartok (Bartok [Ire]) and
two-time defending champion Valentine Dancer (In Excess [Ire]) battling it out
behind her. Moscow Burning and Flores were content to save ground near the rail
while running in seventh.

As Midwife entered the final turn, she found the rest of the field catching
up and started giving way. Charmsil managed to get up by a length through a mile
in 1:36 2/5, but Beneficial Bartok moved by to grab a brief lead and Moscow Burning
was flying on the far outside. Charging down the middle of the
course, the six-year-old Moscow Burning would not be denied, taking the lead late and finishing
1 1/8 miles on the green in 1:48 1/5.

“To be honest with you, I wasn’t sure she was going to get up,” Cassidy said.
“This is fantastic, to have a mare like this. If she never ran again, this would
be perfect.”

Moscow Burning gave back $4.60, $3.20 and $2.60 while starting the $1 exotics
of $13 (exacta), $148.40 (trifecta) and $1,487.90 (6-10-12-5 superfecta).
Beneficial Bartok had her head down at the line, denying Charmsil runner-up
honors. Following the top three were First Draft (Othello), Allbow (Rainbow
Blues [Ire]), Formal Miss (Formal Dinner), Midwife, Valentine Dancer, Eclipse
Winner (Event of the Year), Vous (Wild Rush) and Tiger Belle (Tiger Ridge).
Brave Vixen (Formal Gold) and Dancing General (General Meeting) were withdrawn

Moscow Burning previously scored wins in the 2004 editions of the Sheepshead
Bay H. (G2) and Fran’s Valentine S. as well as two other black-type events. She
was second in the 2004 Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf and placed in five
other stakes, including the John C. Mabee H. (G1) and Flower Bowl Invitational
S. (G1). She also became a millionaire with the winner’s share in this one, now
boasting $1,177,535 in lifetime earnings to go along with a 25-10-5-2 record.

Bred in California by Harris Farms Inc. & Ken Maddy Trust, Moscow Burning is
the most successful foal of the stakes-winning Burning Desire (Mr. Leader), who
has an unraced sophomore filly named Starlight Wish (High Brite).