THOROUGHBRED BEAT
JANUARY 19, 2006
by James Scully
Oaks lore — FOLKLORE (Tiznow), who will be named champion
two-year-old filly on Monday, returned to the races with a loss at Santa Anita
in the seven-furlong Santa Ynez S. (G2). She only worked three times beforehand
and was asked to carry 123 pounds, but jockey Edgar Prado made no excuses. “She
didn’t get tired,” Prado said. “She came home running, but she just got run down
today. She did everything right. She was good in the post parade. She went to
the gate good. She did everything but win.” Folklore may have needed a race, but
it was hard to believe that she could finish third behind Dance Daily (Five Star
Day) and Talullah Lula (Old Trieste). The race was at the same distance of the
Matron S. (G1), which she won by 14 lengths, and all of her career starts have
come around one turn. She figured to school this bunch even on a bad day.
However, Folklore didn’t exactly distinguish herself with only a 98 BRIS Speed
rating in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) (needing more than two seconds
longer to complete 1 1/16 miles than her male counterparts), and she didn’t earn
big numbers at any point last season. Bred to easily handle a route of ground,
trainer D. Wayne Lukas had to be thinking Kentucky Derby (G1) with Folklore,
especially considering his lack of male candidates at this point of the year,
but those plans look far-fetched right now. She didn’t look like a good future
bet for the Kentucky Oaks (G1) on Monday, but that will be the only classic in
early May that suits her.
The Hawk — On Sunday at Santa Anita, KITTY HAWK (GB) (Danehill
Dancer) made her U.S. debut in dramatic style, mowing down her rivals with a
tremendous rush to win a one-mile turf allowance. She looked hopelessly beaten
turning for home, and announcer Trevor Denman summed it up perfectly. “Kitty
Hawk from out of nowhere,” Denman screamed in deep stretch as the chestnut filly
came flying. “Kitty Hawk looking like she just jumped in it at the eighth pole.”
Not only did she appear to be moving about five times as fast as her nearest
rivals in the final furlong, but the three-year-old filly continued to stride
out beautifully after the finish. Now 3-2-1-0 in her career, Kitty Hawk is
trained by Patrick Biancone and appears poised for bigger and better things in
the future.
Comebacks — First it was CLOCK STOPPER (Gilded Time), who re-appeared
on the worktab in mid-December, and then BALLETTO (UAE) (Timber Country) showed
up breezing in South Florida recently. Both horses appear on their way to a
comeback. Clock Stopper was rounding into top form at this point last year for
trainer Dallas Stewart, finishing a good third in the Richter Scale Breeders’
Cup Sprint H. (G2) at Gulfstream prior to his first graded win in April’s
Commonwealth Breeders’ Cup S. (G2) at Keeneland (earning a 113 Speed rating).
The gelding was set for a major assault on the biggest sprint races in 2005, but
was retired soon after the Commonwealth due to a reported bowed tendon. He’s
turned in three drills since returning to training, including a sharp
four-furlong move last Saturday in :48 3/5, the sixth fastest of 34 horses at
the distance. It was even more surprising to see the Darley-owned Balleto
prepping for a return. Winner of the 2004 Frizette S. (G1), she hasn’t started
since finishing second to Sweet Catomine in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies
at Lone Star Park and could’ve easily embarked on her next career as a
broodmare. The four-year-old has resumed training at Payson Park, recording two
workouts this month, and she’s potentially a great addition to the distaff ranks
in 2006.
Eclipse — The Eclipse Awards will be handed out Monday in Beverly
Hills, California, and most of the winners appear to be foregone conclusions.
One category that is up for grabs is the male turf division, and it will be
interesting to see whether voters hold LEROIDESANIMAUX’s (Brz) (Candy Stripes)
runner-up finish in the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) against him. A brilliant winner
in each of his first three outings, the Bobby Frankel trainee was the best turf
horse to run in North America in 2005. However, he had a bad foot on Breeders’
Cup Day and gutted out second on class alone, three parts of a length behind
Artie Schiller (El Prado [Ire]) and a head better than the filly Gorella (Fr)
(Grape Tree Road [GB]). A sound Leroidesanimaux would’ve crushed his rivals, and
one can make a valid argument that he should’ve been scratched by officials
before the race. When wagering for the Breeders’ Cup races opened Friday
morning, a lot of money went on the nose and into the exotic pools aboard the
heavy favorite. On Saturday morning, Breeders’ Cup officials announced a major
equipment change — Leroidesanimaux would be wearing aluminum pads. In fact,
Frankel told the media Saturday morning that Leroidesanimaux would be lame if he
took the pads off but, of course, that nugget of valuable information wasn’t
revealed on-track, just the equipment change. Those who wagered early on
Leroidesanimaux essentially got burned (most people who wager early do so
because they can’t wager during the afternoon and therefore had no chance at a
refund) and those wagering on him after the equipment change were left playing a
guessing game, hoping a injury wouldn’t stop the best horse in the race. That’s
a bum deal for all in my book. I know, I know — who cares about the betting
public and why should we be surprised when officials sacrifice integrity for the
mighty dollar?