SPRINT DIARY
SEPTEMBER 9, 2009
by Vance Hanson
Fans at Del Mar this summer were witness to the probable Breeders’ Cup Sprint
(G1) favorite on two occasions. ZENSATIONAL (Unbridled’s Song), the gray
flash trained by Bob Baffert, made short work of overmatched fields in the Bing
Crosby S. (G1) and Pat O’ Brien S. (G1), and now will bypass the October 11
Ancient Title S. (G1) and head straight to the November 7 Breeders’ Cup.
We admit to not being quite as knowledgeable about racing history in Southern
California compared to locales further east, but we would dare say that
Zensational’s dominance of California’s sprint division this early in the season
is virtually unprecedented for a three-year-old. Glancing at a list of past
winners of the Bing Crosby, Pat O’Brien and Triple Bend H. (G1), which
Zensational also won in July, we found very few sophomore winners of those races
much less one who captured more than one of these events in the same year.
In general, we have mixed feelings about Zensational. His three stakes wins
this summer have been won the right way given the paucity of legitimate
competition. This is unquestionably a down year for older sprinters in Southern
California, and Zensational has been good enough to not only take advantage of
the situation but do so in dazzling style. However, how well will he perform
when he finally meets a rival closer to his equal? Or will he ever be seriously
challenged?
We can not begin to answer these questions until the field for the Breeders’
Cup Sprint begins to take a more recognizable shape. Suffice it to say he would
appear to have an advantage over potential eastern invaders who do not share his
depth of experience over synthetics, but we aren’t quite ready to concede either
the Breeders’ Cup Sprint nor the divisional championship to him just yet.
History is replete with horses who appeared to be invincible only to be exposed
when stepping up to face legitimate competition, Lost in the Fog being a recent
example.
Strikingly good: If Zensational is the undisputed king of West Coast
sprinters, FABULOUS STRIKE (Smart Strike) would lay claim to the same
honor among the East Coast contingent. Though he began the season with setbacks
in the General George H. (G2) and Carter H. (G1), he has easily avenged both
losses in subsequent outings. Returning to his preferred trip of six furlongs,
he comfortably won both the True North H. (G2) and Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. (G2)
over relatively stellar opposition.
It is unclear what ambitions, if any, Fabulous Strike’s connections have
regarding the Breeders’ Cup Sprint. Their hero was beaten six lengths by
Midnight Lute at Santa Anita last year in what was a rude introduction to the
joys of Pro-Ride. Though he has not had a published work since the Vanderbilt as
of this writing, we soon expect him to begin getting cranked up in advance of
the October 3 Vosburgh S. (G1), a race he won in 2007 and finished second by a
head in last season. If not inclined to head to California, Fabulous Strike
could reappear after that in the October 24 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash
(G1).
Should success come to Fabulous Strike at both Belmont Park and Laurel, he
would possess a solid body of work that might resonate with the influential bloc
of Midwest- and East Coast-based Eclipse Award voters. That would be dependent,
of course, on what happens in California this fall.
Saratoga blitz: The recently concluded Saratoga meet was also the
scene of several other sprints of importance for males, namely the Forego S.
(G1) and King’s Bishop S. (G1) for three-year-olds. Not much separated the first
five finishers in the seven-furlong Forego this past Saturday, and it was a
resurgent PYRO (Pulpit), now sporting Godolphin blue, who edged KODIAK
KOWBOY (Posse) by a half-length.
We stated in a previous edition of the diary that a seven-furlong specialist
like Kodiak Kowboy would seemingly have a difficult road toward a divisional
championship, and his Forego performance did not change our mind in that regard.
We would probably extend the same doubts to Pyro, a deep closer who would
probably be more proficient in the seven- to eight-furlong range. Either one of
these could still explore all options by trying races like the Vosburgh, but
we’re inclined to think races like the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1), Bold Ruler
H. (G3) and Cigar Mile (G1) would be more likely goals.
The August 29 King’s Bishop, on the other hand, might prove to have a
longer-term impact on the divisional race. While we did not personally back
VINEYARD HAVEN (Lido Palace [Chi]) to win the King’s Bishop, it was
disappointing that a courageous victory by the colt following a long layoff had
to be overturned in the stewards’ room after he fouled runner-up CAPT.
CANDYMAN CAN (Candy Ride [Arg]), who was elevated to first. Meanwhile, race
favorite MUNNINGS (Speightstown) struggled when racing along the inside
over the sloppy going and did not appear to run his best race when finishing
nearly five lengths behind the top pair. Give Vineyard Haven’s easy victories
over Munnings in last year’s Hopeful S. (G1) and Champagne S. (G1), however, it
wasn’t altogether surprising that the Godolphin colorbearer re-established his
superiority over the Todd Pletcher-trained colt.
While Capt. Candyman Can, who was a strong second to Quality Road (Elusive
Quality) in that colt’s track-record performance in the August 3 Amsterdam S.
(G2), and Munnings perhaps aspire to stay in the sprint ranks this fall,
Vineyard Haven would seem more likely to point toward mile races like the Jerome
H. (G2) and the Cigar Mile.
We’ll conclude this discussion of East Coast males by mentioning FATAL
BULLET (Red Bullet), last year’s Canadian Horse of the Year. Returning from
a near nine-month layoff to win the July 19 Bold Venture S. at Woodbine, the
four-year-old dragster failed to contend when moving back to dirt for the
Vanderbilt and trailed in the field of six. Fatal Bullet is clearly more
proficient on synthetics, and might seek to improve on his noteworthy
second in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint with a return trip to California. He
might possibly be the one to give Zensational a run for his money.
Dames and damsels: While VENTURA (Chester House) is in a bit of a
holding pattern as she prepares for a possible title defense in the Breeders’
Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1), some of the division’s bigger names had a showdown
in the August 29 Ballerina S. (G1). Contested in the slop, an upset was pulled
off by MUSIC NOTE (A.P. Indy), who had fared poorly in her only prior
start of the year in the Ogden Phipps H. (G1). The classy filly narrowly missed
in the Eclipse Award balloting last year for champion three-year-old filly, but
her 5 1/4-length embarrassment of dual champion INDIAN BLESSING (Indian
Charlie) was unexpected to stay the least. Music Note had virtually no sprint
form to speak of, save her debut back in October 2007, and just seemed to relish
the conditions more than the others. She is expected to stretch back out for her
next start, but could return to the Filly & Mare Sprint fold if she does not
perform up to snuff going long.
Indian Blessing ran a much better race than she had in the Desert Stormer H.
in June, but reportedly missed a work leading up to the Ballerina and might not
have been completely fit. We certainly haven’t seen the Indian Blessing of old
since she returned from her trip to Dubai following a second-place finish in the
Dubai Golden Shaheen (UAE-G1) in March, and we wonder whether that trip has
taken a lot out of her. Her next race, the September 26 Gallant Bloom H. (G2),
should tell us more about her current condition. She won the race last year over
an overmatched group of older fillies, but this upcoming renewal could be
loaded.
Also confirmed for the Gallant Bloom is SARA LOUISE (Malibu Moon), who
didn’t appear fully cranked in winning the August 29 Victory Ride S. (G3) over a
modest field following a layoff of exactly nine months. Privately purchased by
Godolphin after her juvenile campaign, the sophomore has the distinction of
being the last horse to beat Rachel Alexandra (Medaglia d’Oro), the heavy
favorite to be named Horse of the Year. That occurred in the Pocahontas S. (G3)
last November, though Rachel returned the favor when crushing Sara Louise in the
Golden Rod S. (G2) four weeks later.
INFORMED DECISION (Monarchos), third in the Ballerina, is a
synthetic-loving filly and has been entered in Saturday’s Presque Isle Downs
Masters S. (G3). She outgamed Ventura through
the stretch in winning the Madison S. (G1) at Keeneland in April, and
could be the kind to take to Santa Anita’s Pro-Ride come Breeders’ Cup time.
Since our last installment, GAME FACE (Menifee) followed up her
authoritative Princess Rooney H. (G1) victory with a solid 1 1/2-length triumph
in the Honorable Miss H. (G2) on August 9. While she would certainly add
intrigue to a race like the Gallant Bloom, is also scheduled to show up in
Saturday’s Presque Isle Downs Masters S. on Tapeta, which should give Pletcher
an idea of how well she can handle a synthetic surface. In addition to Informed
Decision, she will also face the dangerous DIAMONDRELLA (GB) (Rock of Gibraltar [Ire]),
who took her sixth straight in winning the June 6 Just a Game S. (G1) on turf.
ELUSIVE HEAT (Elusive Quality), a daughter of 2001 champion
three-year-old filly Xtra Heat, has won three of four career starts by a
combined 24 lengths. She missed by a nose in the Old Hat S. (G3) back in
January, but has rebounded to take her last two, including the August 9 Geyser
Spring S. by 5 1/4 lengths. She is undoubtedly a filly with a bright future.
Green machines: The myriad of turf sprint stakes contested throughout
the Eastern half of North America this summer yielded no standout, though the
results of Monday’s Turf Monster H. at Philadelphia Park suggest that
CHAMBERLAIN BRIDGE (War Chant) is the most consistent specialist in the
region. The Turf Monster was the gelding’s fourth stakes win on the year, and he
previously lost two other stakes this season by a neck. The October 10 Woodford
S. (G3) at Keeneland, a race he won last year, might be his next port of call.
CANNONBALL (Catienus), who nearly made history when second by a neck
in the Golden Jubilee S. (Eng-G1) at Royal Ascot in June, got off the 2009 duck
in his first race back from that European adventure when taking Sunday’s
Commentator S. at Saratoga by a neck. Though he was only beating a field
comprised of fellow New York-breds, the 5 1/2-furlong dash was undoubtedly a
little short for him and served as a good tightener for the tougher races to
follow.
Out west, CALIFORNIA FLAG (Avenue of Flags) looked good returning from
a near nine-month layoff to take the August 19 Green Flash H. at Del Mar by a
neck over DELTA STORM (Storm Boot). California Flag ran a bad one in the
inaugural Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint last year, but book ended that loss with
scores in the Morvich H. (G3) and Hollywood Turf Express H. (G3). A title
defense in the September 30 Morvich is probably next, and that race once again
figures to be the key prep for the course-and-distance Breeders’ Cup race on
November 7. In addition to California Flag, the Morvich is also expected to
serve as the comeback race for DESERT CODE (E Dubai) and MR. GRUFF
(Mr. Greeley).
Up next: Our next installment in mid-October will look back at the
final preps for the three Breeders’ Cup sprint races and other divisional news.