SPRINT DIARY
AUGUST 5, 2005
by Jordan Strickler
And the list grows ever shorter.
Dubai Golden Shaheen (UAE-G1)
winner SARATOGA COUNTY (Valid Expectations), who was being treated for colic
at the Saratoga Equine Veterinary Hospital in Saratoga Springs, New York,
developed laminitis and was euthanized on July 29. This comes just on the heels
of Egg Head’s death on July 11 when he was euthanized after foundering. The
George Weaver-trained Saratoga County won the 2004 Gotham S. (G3) and
picked up victories in the Mr. Prospector H. (G3) and General George H. (G2)
this year.
Another absentee from the sprinting list is MADCAP ESCAPADE
(Hennessy), who was retired recently after suffering a slight tear of the middle
distal sesamoidian ligament. The four-year-old is now at Claiborne Farm
near Paris, Kentucky, where she will start her new life as a broodmare. The bay
filly captured the Ashland S. (G1) and Forward Gal S. (G2) at three, and the Shirley Jones H. (G2) and Madison
S. (G3) this year before wrapping up her career with a 5 1/4-length win in the
July 10 Princess Rooney H. (G2). She retires with a record of 9-7-0-1 and $1,052,852.
“She was absolutely
the best filly I’ve ever trained and probably one of the most
brilliant filly sprinters that I’ve seen,” trainer Frank Brothers said. “She was
probably the best (sprinter) of her generation for sure, and maybe
the best of a lot of generations. It was her raw talent. You just
don’t see many horses with speed like that.”
The
loss of Madcap Escapade, who was a credible threat for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint
(G1) this year, leaves the race for the sprint championship a toss up and the
picture becomes even more puzzling with the last place finish of PICO CENTRAL (Brz)
(Spend a Buck) in last Sunday’s Bing Crosby H. (G1). Coming off a four-month
layoff since running a close fourth in the Dubai Golden Shaheen, the Paulo Lobo
trainee was never a threat in the six furlong affair at Del Mar, finishing 12
lengths back and earning an 86 BRIS Speed figure, the lowest of his career.
“He had his head up
and never put it down,” said Mike Smith, who piloted Pico Central.
“I hope it was a case of him needing a race. I don’t know what else
to say."
Lobo said the three-time Grade 1 winner bled for the first time
in his career in the Bing Crosby.
The Bing Crosby did introduce another possible contestant for
the Breeders’ Cup, GREG’S GOLD (Lake George), and reinforced the presence of
another, BATTLE WON (Honour and Glory). The former sat off the pace as Battle
Won dueled for the lead through fast fractions, and Greg’s Gold rallied in the stretch to
reach the lead in deep stretch and
inched clear under urging from jockey David Flores to win by 1 1/4 lengths. Battle
Won, who proved that his victory in the Churchill Downs H. (G2) in May and
runner-up finish in June’s Aristides Breeders’ Cup H. (G3) were not flukes, can be counted on
to be a major contender the rest of the year.
The next major sprint race on the road to the Breeders’ Cup is
the Alfred G. Vanderbilt (G2) at Saratoga on August 13. The likely favorite in
this one will be FOREST DANGER (Forestry), who won the Carter H. (G1) in April.
He will be dropping back to a true sprint from his fifth-place finish to Ghostzapper
in the one-mile Metropolitan H. (G1) and should give a much better account in
this one with his trademark front-running style.
One interesting prospect who is also nominated for the Vanderbilt
is KELLY’S LANDING (Patton), who dominated the Aristides, setting a new
Churchill Downs track record when completing six furlongs in 1:07 2/5. Also possible are Grade 2 winners SIR SHACKLETON (Miswaki) and SMOKUME (Smoke Glacken).