THOROUGHBRED BEAT
NOVEMBER 16, 2005
by James Scully
Pat’s Day — Churchill Downs honored the legendary Pat Day, the best
Midwest-based jockey of modern times, with a series of events on Saturday and
announced that a life-size bronze sculpture of the Hall of Fame rider will be
cast in the track’s Paddock Garden. A native of Colorado, the 52-year-old Day is
blessed with great hands, the perfect build and a terrific sense of timing. The
fourth all-time winningest rider with 8,803 wins, 2,481 of his victories were
compiled at Churchill Downs where he won 34 riding titles. Nobody will touch
many of his records in Louisville, Kentucky, for a long, long time. Day recently
retired as the all-time leader in career earnings by a jockey, and he captured
12 Breeders’ Cup races, nine Triple Crown events and four Eclipse Awards during
his storied career. He’ll remain involved in the industry through the Race Track
Chaplaincy and will be remembered as one of the greatest to ever get a leg up.
Rock Hard ’06 — Saint Liam missed last year’s Breeders’ Cup
due to a setback but returned at five to win four
Grade 1 events this season, capping a likely Horse of the Year campaign with
one-length score in the Classic (G1) at Belmont Park. Here’s hoping that ROCK
HARD TEN (Kris S.) has the opportunity to repeat history in 2006. His status is
still up in the air pending further evaluation, but the sky’s the limit if the
massive dark bay is sound enough to make it back to the races. Unbeaten in 2005,
the Richard Mandella-trained colt reeled off victories in the Malibu S. (G1) (late
December), Strub S. (G2) and Santa Anita H. (G1) prior to winning the Goodwood Breeders’ Cup S. (G2)
off a near seven-month layoff. A foot problem knocked him out of the Breeders’ Cup, so
Rock Hard Ten will have to shoot for North America’s richest prize at age five,
like Saint Liam, if he returns to the races.
Consistency — After being roundly criticized for controversial
decisions from stewards during the Del Mar meet, the California Horse Racing
Board changed their policy and now has the stewards explain themselves to the
crowd. Bravo! Last week at Hollywood Park, two separate incidents (Wednesday and
Saturday) occurred that had no impact upon the result of the race and both times
the stewards allowed the order of finish to stand. That’s a principle that
should guide officials in Thoroughbred racing, and we’re seeing more consistency
from stewards in Southern California now that they are more accountable.
Big fields – Six of Wednesday’s 10 races at Churchill Downs drew
overflow fields and there is no shortage of entries for the Fall Meet so far in
Louisville, Kentucky. The average winning odds are 7.30-1, and the average
exotics payoffs are all extremely healthy. I wish they offered the 10-cent
superfecta, but Churchill still has the best wagering fare in the country.
Lakeman — Andrew Lakeman moved his tack to the United States from
England this year and arrived with the reputation of being a capable turf rider.
Trainer Allen Jerkens took the journeyman under his wing this summer, enabling
the rider to win his first race at Saratoga, and gave Lakeman the call on SAINT
DAIMON (Saint Ballado) in Saturday’s Huntington S. at Aqueduct. Lakeman had won
only four of 50 starts this year entering the six-furlong sprint, but he rode
the two-year-old like an accomplished professional, settling his mount into an
inside stalking position before advancing through a narrow opening along the
rail at the head of the stretch. He could have played it safe by attempting to
swing out, but Lakeman rode aggressively through tight quarters. His heady ride
helped produce a 3 3/4-length win aboard the promising colt.
Davila – John Davila Jr. notched his 2,000th career win last Friday at
Finger Lakes and is on pace to win his fourth straight, and sixth overall,
riding title at the Farmington, New York, track. A big fish in a small pond, the
42-year-old native of Puerto Rico counts champion sprinter Not Surprising among
the best horses he’s ridden.