THOROUGHBRED BEAT
JANUARY 26, 2006
by James Scully
Eclipse trio — Here are some final thoughts on three of Monday
night’s Eclipse Award winners.
SAINT LIAM (Saint Ballado) came a long way over the last two years to earn
Horse of the Year and older male honors. The bay horse made his career bow in
late February of 2003 at Gulfstream Park and broke his maiden in his second start
in late March. He earned only one more victory before being transferred to
Richard Dutrow Jr. near the end of his three-year-old season, his best effort
being a non-threatening second in July’s Iowa Derby. From nine starts in 2003,
Saint Liam gave no indication that he would develop into the world’s best dirt
horse. The Kentucky-bred stepped forward with some respectable performances
early in his four-year-old campaign, finishing second to Peace Rules in the New
Orleans H. (G2) and third behind Peace Rules and Ole Faunty (Quiet American) in
the Oaklawn H. (G2), but he didn’t find his best form until September’s Woodward
S. (G1). Sent off at nearly 12-1, Saint Liam fully extended Ghostzapper to the
wire, falling only a neck short. He went on to win four prestigious Grade 1
events, including the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), and earned BRIS Speed ratings
of 117 (twice) and 116 in 2005.
Saint Liam’s running style also changed during his championship season. He
was a front runner at four, ripping off half-mile splits in :45 and change while
showing the way in the Oaklawn H. and Woodward, and would not be rated when
making his 2005 bow in the Donn H. (G1), leading wire to wire for a 3 3/4-length
victory over the quick Roses in May, who easily captured the
Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1) in his next outing. Saint Liam raced close to the pace
in his next two attempts, the Santa Anita H. (G1) and Stephen Foster H. (G1),
but he wasn’t displaying the same early zip in those races. When August’s
Whitney H. (G1) rolled around, Saint Liam wasn’t able to stay in the same area
code with the pacesetting Commentator (Distorted Humor) during the opening
furlongs, prompting Dutrow to enter a pair of rabbits to benefit Saint Liam in
the Woodward next out.
I’ll admit that I attributed his sudden loss of early speed as a sign that he
was over the top, but I was wrong, way wrong. Saint Liam turned in a world-class
performance from off the pace in the Woodward, toying with his rivals through
the stretch at Belmont Park, and he relaxed beautifully during the early stages
of the Breeders’ Cup Classic, launching his powerful rally on the far turn en
route to another convincing victory in his career finale.
Champion sprinter LOST IN THE FOG (Lost Soldier) proved to be an incredible
traveler during 2005. Over the span of 10 months, he made seven cross-country
trips from his Northern California base to the East Coast, winning the first six
in brilliant fashion. Transportation has improved over the years with direct
flights and other conveniences, but we’re still talking about shipping an animal
nearly 3,000 miles. That can take something out of a horse, especially one who
is doing it about every six weeks. Lost in the Fog proved incredibly resilient,
earning BRIS Speed ratings of 114, 109 and 108 while racking up a Grade 1 and
three Grade 2 victories on the East Coast, but the travel schedule figured to
catch up to him eventually. The lone aberration (Breeders’ Cup) on his
remarkable record came at the end of a very long and difficult campaign.
Champion turf male LEROIDESANIMAUX (Brz) (Candy Stripes) turned in an
outstanding 2005 campaign prior to his first setback, a narrow runner-up finish
in the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1), and did so with tremendous speed. He was the
most exciting front-running turf specialist that North American racing had seen
since Lure, who sparkled during the early 1990s, winning back-to-back running of
the Breeders’ Cup Mile on the engine. The Bobby Frankel-trained Leroidesanimaux
actually won eight straight starts, dating back to early 2004, and his Atto Mile
(Can-G1) performance in mid-September truly sparkled. He tackled a solid field
of rivals that afternoon at Woodbine and ripped off early fractions in :23 and
:45 4/5 before exploding at the top of the stretch, effortlessly drawing clear
for a 7 3/4-length triumph that netted him a 110 Speed rating. It’s a shame that
he didn’t get to show his best at Belmont Park in late October. Compromised by
foot problems that lead to him wearing aluminum pads, Leroidesanimaux couldn’t
get to the lead in the opening half-mile, but he still managed to finish a
courageous second.
Bad form — Even if the criteria is being a celebrity with horse
racing connections, Jerry O’Connell is the worst possible host for the Eclipse
Awards. He appeared uncomfortable from the moment he appeared on stage and told
unfunny jokes. The material wasn’t necessarily bad, it was just delivered poorly. O’Connell did a terrible job introducing presenters,
and his call for a round of applause celebrating the Hall of Famers in the
audience was embarrassing.
Derby Future Wager — Pool 1 gets underway Thursday and the mutuel field
(all other three-year-olds) looms as the big favorite once again. The mutuel
field has been the favorite in the opening pool each year since Churchill Downs
introduced the wager in 1999, but it’s been a bad bet in recent years. Two of the last three Derby
winners, Giacomo (Holy Bull) and Funny Cide (Distorted Humor), were listed among
the 23 individual wagering interests in
all three pools, and the mutuel field in Pool 1 has been successful only three
times in seven years. The last two (Smarty Jones and War Emblem) returned only $5.60 and $7.60, respectively.
If you relish the opportunity to take a short price on such uncertainty in late
January, #24 is available this weekend.