HANDICAPPING INSIGHTS
DECEMBER 11, 2009
by Dick Powell
Lost in all the attention that was received by American racing over the
Thanksgiving Day Weekend was another incredible performance turned in by VODKA (Tanino
Gimlet) in the Japan Cup (Jpn-G1).
The first filly winner in 64 years of the Japanese Derby (Jpn-G1) two years
ago, she has continued her success against male runners by winning the Tenno Sho
(Autumn) (Jpn-G1) last year and two consecutive runnings of the Yasuda Kinen
(Jpn-G1). But these races were between a mile and a mile and a quarter and
despite her win in the Derby she was still suspect going a mile and a half.
In the Japan Cup, trainer Katsuhiko Yumii decided to remove Japan’s legendary
champion rider Yutaka Take on Vodka and replace him with Christophe Lemaire. It
might have been Lemaire’s first ride aboard Vodka, but he rode her like he was
her regular pilot. He was able to get her to race forwardly while relaxed for
the first mile as it looked like a very fast pace was being set.
Lemaire asked her for run turning for home and it was here when she won the
race. Rather than try to rate her for as long as possible, Lemaire opened up a
clear lead and dared her 17 rivals to come catch her with less than a furlong
remaining. The 13-5 favorite began to shorten stride and a host of rivals loomed
boldly. Second choice Oken Bruce Lee (Jungle Pocket) was making the strongest
move and looked like a winner a few strides from the wire, but Vodka was grimly
holding on. They hit the wire together and after a long review the photo showed
that Vodka held on by a desperate nose.
To show you how deep the field for the Japan Cup was this year, Conduit (Ire)
(Dalakhani), winner of this year’s King George VI & Queen Elizabeth S.
(Eng-G1) and the last two runnings of the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1), was
farther back in fourth.
Vodka now has earnings of $12,089,295 which includes seven Group 1 stakes
victories. She bled some in the Japan Cup and will be ineligible to run in the
season-ending Arima Kinen (Jpn-G1) but will end her career in the $10 million
Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1) on March 27 at Meydan Racecourse. She hasn’t gained the
fame that RACHEL ALEXANDRA (Medaglia d’Oro), GOLDIKOVA or ZENYATTA have this
year racing against males, but that could all change in Dubai when the entire
racing world will be watching.
Winstar Farm’s run of success with juvenile males continued last Friday night
in Vinton, Louisiana, when RULE (Roman Ruler) gamely won the $750,000 Delta
Jackpot S. (G3) at Delta Downs. Winner of the Jean Lafitte S. in track-record
time there last out by nine lengths, he had to work a lot harder Friday night on
a bizarre night in Southwest Louisiana that saw frigid temperatures and some
snow falling.
Sent to the front by Johnny Velazquez, the son of red-hot, first-crop sire
Roman Ruler (Fusaichi Pegasus) set a demanding pace over a very sloppy, sealed
track. The even-money favorite covered the first half in :46.75 and he was under
heavy pressure by Uh Oh Bango (Top Hit), an Arizona-bred that trains in
Remington Park and just missed in the Iroquois S. (G3) last out at Churchill.
Glenn Corbett loomed boldly on Uh Oh Bango and it looked like he and trainer
Kory Owens were going to win a $750,000 race, but Velazquez went to a strong
left-hand whip and Rule prevailed by a hard-earned neck to give Win Star its
third graded stakes race.
The Delta Jackpot will be a hard race to evaluate down the road. Rule earned
a BRIS Speed rating of 98 which is very good going two turns for a juvenile.
Coupled with 101 he earned when winning the Jean Lafitte, he goes to the Triple
Crown trail as good as anyone. Rule has now earned $450,000 in graded stakes
earnings so he has a guaranteed spot in next year’s Kentucky Derby (G1). He
showed that he can run on a difficult, wet surface and when challenged at the
top of the stretch, he gamely battled on. Winstar should have a lot of fun with
him next year.