THOROUGHBRED BEAT
DECEMBER 28, 2005
New Year’s wishes
by James Scully
Triple Crown winner — We’re due a big celebration. There have been
many close calls over the past 27 years, but no horse has been able to sweep the
Triple Crown since Affirmed in 1978. The Triple Crown is special, one of the
most difficult prizes to accomplish in all of sports, and Thoroughbred racing is
lucky to have such a grand tradition. That’s why it’s surprising to hear cries
for changes, like lessening the distances or spacing the races farther apart,
because making the task easier would only cheapen the series. This sport needs
to guard its most cherished institutions, not break them down. There are at
least four extremely promising classic prospects at this early stage — STEVIE
WONDERBOY (Stephen Got Even), FIRST SAMURAI (Giant’s Causeway), BLUEGRASS CAT
(Storm Cat) and PRIVATE VOW (Broken Vow) — and others will emerge over the next
couple of months. Belmont Park is the place to be when the Triple Crown is on
the line. It’s a fantastic experience regardless of the outcome, but I’d like to
celebrate a crowning achievement for a change.
Healthy — So many top horses had their racing careers cut short by
injury in 2005 (Afleet Alex, Ghostzapper, Kitten’s Joy, Roses in May, Southern
Image, Eddington, Smuggler, Madcap Escapade, Sweet Catomine etc…) that we can
only hope for a better 2006. Injuries are a big part of the sport, but there is
one trend that has become more common recently with usually disastrous results
— running lightly raced horses in the Kentucky Derby (G1). The data is
overwhelming, horses don’t win the Derby off only a couple of prep races and/or
a long layoff, but more trainers are taking the conservative
approach every year. The best example came this spring when Nick Zito, a
two-time Derby winner and one of the most respected Triple Crown conditioners of
his era, brought three of his five starters — Bellamy Road, Noble Causeway and
High Fly — into the grueling race with little bottom to them. Bellamy Road, the
Kentucky Derby favorite, raced only twice in the seven months preceding the
first Saturday in May and went to the sidelines following his disappointing
seventh-place finish. High Fly and Noble Causeway both tried to win the Derby
off a five-week freshening and were up the track at the conclusion of 1 1/4
miles. All three are winless with only one start apiece since the Triple Crown,
so the strategy of playing it safe before the most difficult test of their
racing career extracted a heavy toll. Horses entering the first leg of the
Triple Crown under adverse circumstances (layoff or limited prep races) are
usually nowhere to be found by the fall.
Keep NYRA — The New York Racing Association (NYRA) has been dogged by
the New York State Attorney General and financial woes, so it’s hardly been the
ideal model for track management, but do we really want to see Magna, Churchill
Downs or one of their affiliates take over Aqueduct, Belmont Park and Saratoga?
I don’t think so. These two powerful entities are more like little children who
can’t get along. There’s simply no common ground — Churchill hates Magna and
vice versa. Races from Gulfstream, Santa Anita and Maryland can’t be shown on
TVG (Churchill’s ally). HRTV customers can’t watch races from Churchill Downs,
Arlington and Calder. It’s a Cold War. NYRA responded enthusiastically to
the Attorney General’s suggestions, cleaning house to eliminate any real or
perceived corruption, and they’ll be on the road to financial recovery when
slots arrive at Aqueduct. Keeping the franchise with NYRA avoids the tipping of the scales between hated adversaries, and NYRA’s
management is better now than it’s ever been.
Uniformity — Kentucky took a positive step in implementing new
medication rules this year, but the sport still needs a national policy that
restricts race-day drug use. The perception is still there that many barns have
an unfair advantage (“he’s got the needle”), and international observers are
quick to slam U.S.-based horses as being “hopped up.” There’s no policy in place
for steroid use among sale horses, and our reliance upon medications is
weakening the breed.
Summer destinations — Trips to Saratoga and Del Mar are the ultimate
reward for Thoroughbred racing fans. Happy New Year!