Latest Posts from ST-JournalsFamily MattersPosted on June 25, 2009 They say every horse has a story. And this is Lenski’s. Part of it anyway. The 6-year-old runs in a maiden hurdle race at Colonial Downs Sunday. He’s winless in four career starts. He sold for $190,000 as a weanling, $600,000 as a yearling. He ran at Saratoga for Patrick Biancone. He went almost three years between starts. But the part I know doesn’t concern any of that. I know his family. My father trained Lenski’s dam, granddam and great-granddam. They took the Clancys from the 1970s to the 1990s, elementary school to college, first kisses to marriage . . . First came Restless Singleton, a Timonium sales purchase back in 1975. Dad spent $10,500 of Donny Ross’ money on the daughter of Restless Native, thanks to a nudge from Mom to go slightly over-budget. The yearling filly was black, big, long, bony, mean, nervous, but she could run. She won three times in one summer at Delaware Park (July 19, Aug. 4, Aug. 16, 1978). We were all there – Dad, Mom, Sheila, Sean, me, Mr. and Mrs. Ross, the Connors’ kids (Laurie is the director at Willowdale now), Michael Dickens, Linda Kegris, current NSA steward Taylor Jackson leaning on he rail, the usual gadflies at the back of the Delaware Park winner’s circle. The groom, Sue Stude, sported a “Get Restless” T-shirt by the third victory. Should have trademarked it. Jimmy Baxis, who once needed to drive my father’s car to make a riding engagement at Timonium, was the jockey. What ever happened to Jimmy Baxis? Restless liked the turf at Delaware. And why not? She lived there. We were based at the Ross family’s Brandywine Stable within the track’s grounds. The house dated to the 1700s. The barn and indoor track complex weren’t that old, but they still oozed history with names like Greek Money, Open Fire, Cochise and Masked General flying the blue and gold silks through the decades. Restless didn’t care much for history. She was more interested in living up to her name. She did everything restlessly – walked, trained, stood in the stall (or didn’t stand in the stall). A weaver, she wore out her front shoes with a near-constant side-to-side sway at the stall door. She adopted our goat, Billy, as a companion. He calmed her down, some, or at least gave her something else to fret about. She loved him, he tolerated her. Eventually, the roles reversed. Billy got upset when Restless left the barn and calmed down when he could stand next to her. The big mare won five times and placed in a stakes during her career. She earned a whopping $41,000, but did give us quite a summer at Delaware Park. I superstitiously wore the same shirt for all three wins, which seemed like a good idea at the time but looks ridiculous in the photos 30 years later. When her racing career ended, Restless became a broodmare and was bred to Cyane. Cyane and a Restless Native mare? Talk about old school. The Rosses named the foal, a filly, Tattiebogle. It’s a scarecrow in Scotland. Almost as big, long and black as her mother, Tattiebogle cast a shadow around the barn. Someone once remarked that she had “an ass like the West Chester bus” while I walked her down the shedrow. I never saw the West Chester bus, but I’m assuming it was pretty broad. And so was she. She followed her mother, who died before having another foal, to the winner’s circle. Carrying the Brandywine silks like Restless, Tattie won six times including two Pennsylvania-bred stakes for Dad. In my parents’ mud room, Tattie’s win photos hang under Restless’. No pack of kids, no repeating shirts, just smaller groups and the passage of time. Dad, me, Sean, the Rosses, van driver Jack McKee, superstar groom Lonnie and his Gilligan hat. Buck Thornburg rode her, so did Gregg McCarron. She nearly won at Saratoga in 1986. McCarron (Matt’s dad) came back steaming mad at Angel Cordero, claimed foul, said we’d get the win in the stewards’ stand, then watched in dismay as Cordero’s number stayed up. Tattie more than doubled her mother’s career earnings, amassing more than $89,000 with two victories in each of her three seasons (1985-87) and 16 top-three finishes in 25 starts. She started her broodmare career by being bred to Dixieland Band, a Mid-Atlantic hero owned by Bayard Sharp and trained in Middletown, Del. The son of Northern Dancer won the Pennsylvania Derby, Massachusetts Handicap and more. In 1989, Tattie produced a filly, naturally, named Twigazuri (no idea what that means) who wound up in Dad’s barn at Fair Hill Training Center in the early 1990s. Still owned by the Ross family, she was lighter in color and smaller than her ancestors but was never called petite. She couldn’t quite match her mother and grandmother on the racetrack but did manage a win and five seconds. The win came in 1992 and the photo hangs on the same wall with her mother and grandmother. Tattiebogle produced nine winners from 10 foals to race. The Rosses kept her son M’Bogo, who grew into one of the largest 2-year-olds I’ve ever seen (in hindsight, Deputy Minister was not a wise choice for a mare once compared to a bus). I remember trying to stay on him while jogging inside the barn at Fair Hill one winter. He never started in a race, but became a world-class foxhunter in Pennsylvania. The rest went to the sales ring. Son Nicou Nicou (by Private Terms) sold at Keeneland September and won three stakes in Canada. Another son Eratospook (by Opening Verse) finished second in the Grade III Cherry Hill Mile. Daughter First Wife produced six winners. Eventually, Tattiebogle followed her foals to the sales ring as the Ross family dispersed its horses. She and Twigazuri sold in 1993 (bringing $43,000 and $9,000, respectively). Despite the small sales tag, Twigazuri took the family to new heights as a broodmare. Her second foal, Futural, earned more than $800,000 on the racetrack. The son of Future Storm won the Grade II Mervyn LeRoy Handicap, the Grade II San Bernadino and finished third in the Grade I Hollywood Derby. Now retired at Old Friends in Kentucky, Futural won a dozen races. His brother, Lenski, runs over hurdles at Colonial Downs Sunday for trainer Karen Gray. And now you know part of his story. A Lucky ManPosted on March 20, 2009 “I’ll see you when I’m lucky.” For the better part of 15 years, my day at the races ended when I heard that statement from John Thigpen. I can’t even be sure where we met, but the relationship stayed fairly constant in Virginia, South Carolina, North Carolina, New York, New Jersey, wherever the circuit took us. He provided conversation, insight, opinion, jokes, a program, a chair, some history, a little advice. Eventually, he even became a paper boy. I sent him a box, and he handed them out on his rounds. And he made lots of rounds. Mr. Thigpen used to be in the tack business – traveling the country for some of the biggest names in the industry (M.J. Knoud, Kopf Manufacturing Company, B.T Crump and Company, Blue Ribbon Leather Company and Northrun Saddlery). He was good at it, too. Mr. Thigpen could have sold hockey pucks to Cubans. He once got me a ticket to a big trade fair in Pennsylvania (I was a Northrun salesman for a day) so I could try to sell ads. I didn’t do so well, but I had a blast watching Mr. Thigpen. Predictably, he knew everyone and kept up a steady banter with customers of all ages. When he died last month, he left me thinking about all of those moments, all those years. At the two-day Virginia Fall meet one year, he booked me a hotel room in Warrenton (Howard Johnson’s?). We ate dinner together that night, breakfast the next morning – he knew everyone in both restaurants – toured Middleburg Training Center, talked about Paul Mellon, soaked up the mountain views along Atoka Road. At Saratoga one year, Mr. Thigpen got into an accident. A bigger truck hit his little silver pick-up at the intersection of Fifth and East Avenues (who hasn’t almost been hit there?). His biggest worry were the Steeplechase Times he left blowing all over the corner. In 1998, Sean led the NSA jockey race late in the year. Mr. Thigpen came along for the ride and shared a personal good-luck habit. “I’m holding my left one,” he’d tell us whenever things got close in the standings. Craig Thornton won three on the season’s final weekend, and then got another victory via disqualification after the season ended, but he never passed Sean (they settled for a tie). Thanks for the luck, odd as it was. Years into our friendship, Mr. Thigpen met my family. He liked my son, Jack, right away. In the middle at home, Jack makes friends easily and found a sure one this time. Mr. Thigpen asked about Jack every time we spoke. “Holler at Jack for me when you get home,” Mr. Thigpen would say at the end of a phone conversation. He also took a shine to my wife, Sam, and made me smile every time he said “Tell Sam I’m crazy ’bout her.” I did, on both accounts. Over the past few years, I met Mr. Thigpen’s sons Andy and Jack but never did meet Mrs. Thigpen – though I heard plenty of stories (she’s apparently a saint). I hope my family stays as together as the Thigpens. In 2002, the NSA presented Mr. Thigpen with the Monk Noland Award for behind-the-scenes service. Nothing fancy, the award gets given periodically in honor of a man who put in countless hours to help the sport. The crowd at Springdale Hall Club that night stood and cheered for no more deserving recipient – and I got chills. One of my favorite moments in steeplechasing. The last few years were tough on Mr. Thigpen, and anyone who knew him. As his sons told me, he failed a little bit at a time. He didn’t travel as much. He stopped driving. He grew a beard. He and June moved to a home for seniors. He still talked – louder – but the conversations weren’t quite as regular. He had his moments though, and floored me with spot-on opinions and statements about the latest crisis in the sport. He would have made a good ombudsman, with the ability to make peace while still taking a stand. But he’s gone at 89. Somebody recently told me that steeplechasing too often doesn’t recognize people who contribute to the sport. People pass away before we pay them tribute. She was right, but it’s not just steeplechasing. We never fully appreciate a life well lived until it ends. That’s not steeplechasing, it’s human nature, the way life goes. Mr. Thigpen certainly didn’t wait to tell anyone how he felt. Me? I guess I should have written this column years ago, but I think he knew. I’ll miss the conversations, the time, the phone calls. I’ll miss him. And I’ll see him when I’m lucky. Snow DayPosted on March 2, 2009 If you called the office today, you got voice mail. Sorry. It snowed and snowed and snowed some more. The clock just turned to 3 p.m. and it’s snowing again. I did a little work - keeping up with email and some phone calls (somehow we made the yearbook pages two different sizes in the same document, though the printer says he can fix it). Otherwise, we shoveled and sledded and slid around. The boys just went to shovel their grandmother’s driveway and sidewalks in Newark and then we’re headed to the big hill for another round. Not sure we’ll be able to do this tomorrow - school will surely happen unless the wind really kicks up. I got a great email from Benny Williams on snow days in Kentucky….
Sounds like fun and similar for any kid who grew up on a horse farm. We used to hitch our sleds to Bruce Miller’s Jeep and bounce across the fields, and tackling the various hills around Chester County was a right a passage – Moe’s Hill, Hood’s Hill on 841 (with a lookout for cars), the Airplane Field hill along Greenlawn Road and all the rest. We broke sleds, broke bones, tested the laws of physics and the earth’s gravitational pull. Great stuff. I could have lived without the tromping around trying to bring horses in from the fields, banging ice out of buckets and all the other glories of winter with horses. Snow like this makes me wonder how trainers get horses ready for Aiken without going south. Amazing, really, and it just goes to show how phenomenal horses are that they can do it at all. Back to the slopes… we’ve got an inner tube, a Noma Snow Racer (fastest sled ever built), a boogie board-like thing, a Zipfy (you sit on it and hold a handle) and all manner of other self-propelled devices. Be back in the office on Tuesday for real life – maybe. Remembering Morley StreetPosted on March 1, 2009 As a sports writer for the Cecil Whig, perhaps the world’s smallest daily newspaper, in 1991 I picked up a rare horse assignment and headed to Fair Hill to see the foreign horses in town for the Breeders’ Cup Steeplechase. Cheering News and Morley Street walked in a circle with their “lads” and headed out for a gallop. Had I done more research, I would have known Morley Street’s reputation and paid more attention but he made a lasting impression. He looked fast. He looked good. Despite the trip across the Atlantic, he looked rested. A chestnut with blazing eyes and a smart face, Morley Street had dazzled American steeplechasing the year before when he won the 1990 Breeders’ Cup at Belmont Park. But I didn’t see that race and nor did I have a chance to see Morley Street up close. Well, he impressed me and anyone else at Fair Hill when he ran away with another Breeders’ Cup. Zoom, he was gone – flying home to win easily over mere mortals Declare Your Wish and his fellow international runner Cheering News. The American victories only confirmed his greatness. Back home in England, he won four consecutive runnings of the Aintree Hurdle (1990-93, at the Grand National meeting in April), and the famed Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham (1991). Last year, we looked at the greatest campaigns in American steeplechase history to compare Good Night Shirt’s 5-for-5 season to some of the best ever. Morley Street’s 1991 campaign stands up against any season. He started by winning a hurdle race at Newbury, took the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham in March, won the Aintree Hurdle, finished second in a Group III on the flat at Doncaster, won the Breeders’ Cup in October and also won a hurdle race at Ascot. That’s five hurdle wins, three of them in major races, on two continents. Trained by Toby Balding, the son of Deep Run passed away last week at age 25, making anyone who saw him recall the greatness – especially if their next reporting assignment was a high school soccer game. Derby Future wager Pool 1 Tips…Posted on February 12, 2009 Time to talk Kentucky Derby. Pool 1 for the Kentucky Derby Future Book opens this weekend and it’s a good starting off point to get some discussion going as we build momentum towards Derby 135. First off, my biggest piece of advice on this weekend’s pool is pretty simple; don’t bet. But if you must (and we must), look for value. The idea itself is, to allow those of us that can’t whisk away to Las Vegas to bet early on the Derby, is a great one, but said value will be hard to come by. But somewhere between that first future pool in 1999 to the one this weekend a lot got lost in the translation. I’m all for being able to place a bet on a potential Derby winner in February. But what I’m not all for is getting unappetizing odds that are a far cry from reality. There are 23 individual horses in pool one and then the all-encompassing “field,” which represents all the others not listed. The field always goes off as the favorite in pool one, at somewhere around 5-2. If you’ve got about $10,000 burning a hole in your pocket playing the field isn’t a bad idea. But for me, someone with about $13 dollars in my pocket (that’s a high estimate), I’m not really looking to sit on 5-2 for three months just to win a couple of cases of Guinness on the first Saturday in May. I want talented horses at big odds. The problem is, when you have only 23 to choose from, it makes that dream almost impossible. Instead, what you get are about 15 horses between 10-1 and 20-1. It doesn’t seem all that bad until you take a step back and think it over. It’s February 11 right now. What are the odds that Old Fashioned, who will go favored among the individual horses, makes the Kentucky Derby-much less wins it? But you’re going to get about 10-1 that he wins the race. By comparison, Big Brown was undefeated and facing a group of sub-par 3-year-olds last year, and he was 5-2 in the race. So why would want 10-1 three months out? What’s even worse, Old Fashioned runs in the Southwest Stakes Monday afternoon at Oaklawn, after the pool closes. If he’s up the track or even uninspiring in victory you’re 10-1 looks like a big underlay. I’ll save the rant for another day, but simply put; why can’t we have all 401 Triple Crown nominees in the pool? If you can have superfectas will millions of permutations, can’t you have a mutuel pool with 401 of them? Old Fashioned would be your 40-1 favorite if that were the case. How cool would that be? But they offer the pool because we’re going to bet on it. So, with that in mind, let’s take a look at the 23 individual betting interests and how they might stack up should they find themselves in the starting gate on May 2. I won’t bother to list acceptable odds because sadly most will be well below my starting price. Instead I’ll just try to give a rough guideline at the odds they figure to go off at. And one important thing to remember, if you are going to the window please make sure you have your horses and their betting numbers correct, as there are no refunds in the Derby Future Wager. I’ll list them in betting order, but be sure to double check when you hit the windows. 1 Beethoven: 15-1 ML (trainer: John Ward; pedigree: Sky Mesa-Moonlight Sonata, by Carson City) — He gets a pass for an even fourth-place finish in the Holy Bull at Gulfstream on January 31, as it was his first start of the year, he was marooned in the far outside 10-hole and that day was one of the worst speed biases you will ever see. And with all that being said he didn’t know poorly at all. Won the Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill to close out his 2-year-old campaign and owning a two-turn stakes win as a juvenile is never a bad thing. Derby connections in his corner too. If he gets away on the board he’s not the worst saver in the world at 30-1, though I doubt you’ll see that price. 2. Big Drama 30-1 ML (David Fawkes; Montbrook-Riveting Drama, by Notebook) — He’s not getting a lot of publicity but he’s done little wrong so far, including stepping into open company and winning the Delta Jackpot to close out a 5-for-6 2-year-old campaign. That win was important because it gives him the necessary earnings to get into the Derby, a topic that will be discussed over and over in the coming months. Still, he’s got a sprinter-miler type of pedigree and it’s hard to envision him beating the best of his generation at 10 furlongs. You could do worse than taking 50-1, but even that seems a bit light. 3. Capt. Candyman Can 10-1 ML (Ian Wilkes; Candy Ride-Stormy Way, by Storm Creek) — Looked good sprinting when he won his seasonal bow, the Grade II Hutcheson at Gulfstream on January 30. He’s built quite a following, and rightfully so. Wilkes knows how to win the Derby, assisting Carl Nafzger with Street Sense in 2007. This guy has a pedigree that suggests he’ll run all day and his tactical speed only adds to the appeal. What doesn’t is his price. Worth taking a strong stand against this nice colt, simply because he’ll be a huge underlay. 4. Chocolate Candy 50-1 ML (Jerry Hollendorfer; Candy Ride-Crownette, by Seattle Slew) — Nicely bred sort picked up his game last year when switched to two turns, hardly surprising given his pedigree. Beaten only 1 ½ lengths by Pioneerof The Nile in the Grade I CashCall Futurity last year, so you know he can play with the big boys out west. Workmanlike effort to start off his season in the California Derby at Golden Gate on January 17. He’s one of many in here that have never run on conventional dirt and until someone shows me that winning the Derby on a synthetic diet can be done I won’t believe it. 5. Flying Pegasus 30-1 ML (Ralph Nicks; Fusaichi Pegasus-Lilly Capote, Capote) — Under the radar 2-year-old made a strong first impression as a sophomore in the Risen Star on February 7, dragging his jockey to the lead turning for home after breaking from the 12-hole and only wilting late to a razor-sharp Friesan Fire. It’s worth noting that he ran faster that day than he did as a 2-year-old, often a great sign for a horse making their first start at 3. And surely he was nowhere near cranked in the Risen Star either. Here’s a very talented colt that is likely to get completely overlooked at the windows. He’s probably one of the few horses in the pool worth a wager, and the line forms directly behind me. 6. Friesan Fire 12-1 ML (Larry Jones; A.P. Indy-Bollinger, by Dehere) — Old Fashioned is getting all the credit, but his stablemate has some serious talent as well. Beat the aforementioned Flying Pegasus pretty handily in the Risen Star and posted a speedy number to boot. If he shows he can be successful away from the Fair Grounds-a big question mark so far-then he has as much a chance as anyone else. 7. Giant Oak 15-1 ML (Chris Block; Giant’s Causeway-Crafty Oak, by Crafty Prospector) — Ran huge in the Kentucky Jockey Club behind Beethoven, just missing by a neck while running wide. His Risen Star was a nightmare, so you can easily look past it. He’s getting a lot of publicity for a horse who has never won a dirt race and unfortunately that’s going to make him a big underlay at the windows, regardless of how talented he might be. 8. Haynesfield 50-1 ML (Steve Asmussen; Speightstown-Nothing Special, by Tejabo) — I know he’s beating up on lesser this winter at Aqueduct, but I was pretty shocked to see him that high on the line, considering he’s done nothing wrong and has run about as fast as anyone else out there. He’s answered every test so far and though his pedigree says sprint you could do a lot worse than taking a stab, assuming he’s a big number. However, it is worth nothing he has zero graded stakes earnings thus far. 9. Hello Broadway 50-1 ML (Barclay Tagg; Broken Vow-Nightstorm, by Storm Cat) — Nobiz Like Shobiz’s little brother has shown some talent in his brief career and he’s a viable prospect for Derby winning trainer. Dueled on the lead in the Hutcheson and was understandably leg weary in the lane. Yet to try two turns, which could be where he shines. Another worth a stab if you get close to his morning line-but I wouldn’t count on it. 10. I Want Revenge 50-1 ML (Jeff Mullins; Stephen Got Even-Meguila, by Roy) — Another synthetic specialist who has yet to run on conventional dirt. Nosed out by Pioneerof The Nile in the CashCall last winter and then ran third behind that runner in the Robert Lewis, which marked his seasonal debut and first start with blinkers. Versatile and talented, but that dirt thing is a real stickler with me. 11. Midshipman 12-1 ML (Saeed bin Suroor; Unbridled’s Song-Fleet Lady, by Avenue Of The Flags) — Whisked off to Dubai after his championship season that saw him win a pair of Grade I’s, including the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. He was one of the best of his generation, but the hurdles here are daunting. Not only does he have to do it from Dubai, but he’s another who’s never run on conventional dirt. All at about 12-1. No thanks. 12. Notonthesamepage 30-1 ML (Wesley Ward; Catienus-Blue Holiday, by Cure The Blues) — Speedball freaked in the Spectacular Bid at Gulfstream on Opening Day and put up a Beyer (114) that would win the Derby by open lengths. The problem was that it was at 6 furlongs and he’s folded up shop badly both times he tried farther. For speed figure fans. 13. Old Fashioned 10-1 ML (Larry Jones, Unbridled’s Song-Collect Call, by Meadowlake) — The only thing you can knock about this guy is the short price you’ll get at the window. Other than that you’re simply grasping straws up to this point. Go watch his Remsen and you’ll leave shaking your head. It was a public workout in a $200,000 Grade II race. Heck, he’s even come from off the pace in his debut, if you’re worried about him being speed crazy. Right now the only question is how he’s progressed from 2 to 3. Makes his sophomore debut Monday in the Southwest going 1-mile at Oaklawn, which is after the pool closes. He’s clearly the horse to beat at this point, but in early February that doesn’t amount to much. He’ll be about 10-1 in this pool and there’s a good chance he’ll be that price in the next one (if not higher) as well, so there is zero reason to head to the windows. 14. Papa Clem 20-1 ML (Gary Stute; Smart Strike-Miss Houdini, by Belong To Me) — He’s progressed nicely with maturity and distance and was a tough-luck loser to Pioneerof The Nile in the Lewis. His mom was a crack sprinter in her day so not sure how this guy will fare at classic distances with his pace-pressing running style. Another who has never tested conventional dirt and his listed price would represent a huge underlay. 15. Patena 20-1 ML (Rick Dutrow; Seeking The Gold-Handpainted, by A.P. Indy) — This colt has built himself a little following over the past month and the purchase by IEAH, who turned him over to Dutrow, has people thinking Big Brown all over again. Second to Friesan Fire in the Lecomte (his first start on dirt), and we know how that guy fared in his next start. Beautiful pedigree on display here as well. This colt has the look of a nice one, but he offers no value at all. 16. Pioneerof The Nile 20-1 ML (Bob Baffert; Empire Maker-Star Of Goshen, by Lord At War) — The clear West Coast leader has progressed rapidly since being transferred to Baffert’s barn after starting his career with Bill Mott. His win in the CashCall essentially guaranteed him a spot in the Derby, which allows Baffert to map out his path as he sees fit. He was much the best after a troubled trip in the Lewis, his first start at 3, and he does possess a nice running style for the Derby. There’s a little worry about 10 furlongs from me, as mom was a really nice sprinter-miler in her day and has dropped the accomplished sprinter Forefathers. Yet another who has yet to try dirt and I highly doubt you’ll see him available at 20-1 when you go to the window, so I’m not planning on finding out if he can the real stuff. 17. Silver City 50-1 ML (Bret Calhoun; Unbridled’s Song-Proposal, by Mt. Livermore) — Here’s a neat sort that will be completely ignored at the windows but has done nothing wrong in his brief career. You get high sprint speed in this corner from a runner who’s never been beyond 6 ½ furlongs. However, he is bred to stretch out a bit and mom was a nice runner to boot. Heck, he’s even got a win at Churchill Downs. No graded earnings in this corner but he could be 75-1 when the pool closes. Worth a flyer for sure. 18. Stardom Bound 12-1 ML (Bobby Frankel; Tapit-My White Corvette, by Tarr Road) — Juvenile Filly champ looks to be on a collision course with Pioneerof The Nile in the Santa Anita Derby in April. As impressive as she is in the afternoon she’s yet to run really fast and has a running style that spots her opposition several lengths during the early running, so she’s probably jumping into the deep end of the pool against males. Surfside and Sweet Catomine were the last two gals that come to mind who tried the Sa Derby and neither threatened in the race or were the same for quite some time afterwards. As for the Kentucky Derby? Well, she’s done her best work at Santa Anita and has never tested dirt. Couple that with the other knocks mentioned above, then add in that only three fillies have ever won the Derby, and I’ll ask if you think 40-1 is a good price, much less the 12-1 she’s tabbed at? I didn’t think so. 19. Taqarub 30-1 ML (Kiaran McLaughlin; Aldebaran-Honor Bestowed, by Honor Grades) — Like Silver City, this guy has shown high speed in three sprint wins, so he’s an unknown at longer distances. Shipped down to Florida after his win in the minor Jimmy Winkfield at Aqueduct, so he’ll test some heavy hitters in his next start, which could be the Fountain Of Youth. Talented and fast, but top connections will probably make him an underlay. He’s another with no graded earnings, but if he drifts to 50-1 or so, you could do worse. 20. The Pamplemousse 30-1 ML (Julio Canani; Kafwain-Comfort Zone, by Rubiano) — Good looking winner of the two-turn San Rafael at Santa Anita on January 17, and he gets a few additional points for going wire-to-wire on a track that hasn’t been kind to front runners. With that being said, it was a five-horse field and Square Eddie, who ran second, returned with banged up shins and may be off the Derby trail. His two route races have been very impressive and he’s improving, so if he drifts in price he’s not the worst stab in the world. Another who has never run on conventional dirt. 21. This Ones For Phil 12-1 ML (Rick Dutrow; Untuttable-Heaven’s Gate, by Septieme Ciel) — Somehow, someway he got a 116 Beyer for his win in the Sunshine Millions Dash, which was his first start for Dutrow. He’ll go next in the Fountain Of Youth and test that freak number against Notonthesamepage’s one. Not even Triple Crown nominated, so that probably tells you all you need to know right there. Though he’ll be nowhere near the 12-1 he was assigned, even the 30-1 you figure to get is not enough. 22. Vineyard Haven 12-1 ML (Saeed bin Suroor; Lido Palace-Princess Aloha, by Aloha Prospector) — In my opinion this was the best 2-year-old around last fall. A pair of daylight Grade I wins in the Hopeful and Champagne-on dirt-attest to that. Whisked off to Dubai after being privately purchased, and that’s where he’ll do his legwork. The good news is he’s alive and well, and entered at Nad Al Sheba on Thursday as a prep for the UAE Derby in March. The bad news? Well, this strategy has never come close to working and he’ll be a severe underlay. Talented, no doubt, but the hurdles here are enormous. 23. West Side Bernie 50-1 ML (Kelly Breen; Bernstein-Time Honored, by Gilded Time) — Like Beethoven, this guy had no chance in the Holy Bull when he broke from the parking lot and tried to rally from off the pace. But if you watch closely you see a powerful move from a colt making his first start of the season for a very good trainer who’s numbers with layoff types are well below his other stats. The point is that this guy ran huge that day and will only get better. He’s got plenty of earnings as well and we know he can route on dirt. That’s a lot of positives. Oh, and he’s 50-1 on the line. See you at the windows. 24. All other 3-Year-Olds 5-3 ML — This price is pretty accurate, and truth be told, it’s a very good bet-if you are planning on plucking down $10,000 that you don’t need for the next few months. The rest of us, who will head to the window with a couple of spare $ McCarron turns out letter perfectPosted on January 8, 2009 Reprinted from the December 19 Steeplechase Times. I’ll be honest, I never thought he’d make it this far. But I never told him. A flat rider trapped in a jump jockey’s body, Matt McCarron showed up in steeplechasing like he got off at the wrong bus stop. He rode a handful of races in 1992 and began the next season with a last-fence fall over timber at Foxfield. His dad, former flat jockey Gregg McCarron, ran out on the course and helped him home. Boy, they had a lot to learn. Most jump jockeys bring jumping to the table first, whether it’s foxhunting, or showing or Pony Club or simply riding ponies on the farm. The race riding comes second. For McCarron, it was the opposite. When your father wins some 2,400 races and your uncle Chris wins more than 7,000 and has a plaque in the Hall of Fame, the race riding comes easy. Jumping is a different story. The kid jumped fences like a motorcycle rider; bmmp, bmmp, bmmp. He rode too short, came to the races like it was a surprise and didn’t know the difference between Joe Aitcheson and Joe Walsh. But he learned. His career ended Nov. 29 with a fall from Orison to the Palm Beach turf – 187 victories, $3,971,627 in purses earned, and a sport convinced. Me included. Late in the 2000 season, McCarron whirled into the Colonial Cup jocks’ room. Set to ride two races, he arrived late, pulled out dirty tack and won the Raymond Woolfe on Segregation Lane to complete an electric 13-for-37 season. I couldn’t believe he could be successful the way he applied himself to his business. Well, to me, it was a business. To him, it seemed like a lark. Retiring after the day’s races, I was disgusted with my friend’s approach to riding races. It was all an afterthought to him. He never even found a chair in the Colonial Cup jocks’ room; that amazed me, he stood in the corner, balanced on one foot and got dressed. While I suffered from over-thinking most things steeplechasing, McCarron didn’t think about any of it. I wrote him a letter. Hello my friend. Be prepared for a letter from an old jump jockey. As you know, I have just retired. Now it’s up to you. I’ll get straight to the point. You have everything it takes to be champion jockey. I’ve told three people that up to now. Myself, Chip and Gus. Not a bad average, I figure. You need to improve four things; confidence, appearance, jumping and style. Take my place in the room, next to Chip and Gus, ride hard and have fun. P.S. You need to want it more than anything in the world. Whether my letter had anything to do with it or not, McCarron began to make me proud. He changed. He became a jockey. He wanted it. McCarron averaged 6.25 wins a year for his first eight seasons and 15.2 for his final nine seasons; that 2000 season began a streak of nine consecutive double-digit yearly win totals, culminating in this, his final season. He had ridden 50 winners at the end of 1999; 187 by the end of 2008. The Maryland native won his first championship in 2003, tying David Bentley. The next season, he dominated the riding colony – winning 24 races and guiding Hirapour to win the Colonial Cup and an Eclipse Award. As the victories piled up, so did the stock. He became the regular rider of Hirapour, winning the Royal Chase, A.P. Smithwick, New York Turf Writers Cup and Colonial Cup and also stood in when Grade I winners Sur La Tete and McDynamo needed a rider. He won eight races, including three stakes, aboard the venerable Greek Hero. There from the start, trainers Billy Meister, Alicia Murphy and Jimmy Day helped get him started. Neil Morris put McCarron on winners early on and remained loyal. Due to the wings of Hirapour, McCarron picked up the powerful Doug Fout barn. By the end, he rode winners for any and every trainer. This year, McCarron picked up the spare on Be Certain for Tom Voss, and won the National Hunt Cup. The jockey teamed up with Fout to win Saratoga’s New York Turf Writers Cup with Dark Equation. His last stakes win came aboard Class Real Rock for Lilith Boucher at Far Hills. His last win came four races before Orison, when he partnered with Dave Washer’s Roseland in a filly and mare maiden. McCarron finished the year in a three-way tie for second and finished his career in ninth place all-time. He won his 100th race in 2003 and was debating on making a run at becoming just the ninth jockey to win 200 when Orison dislodged him at Palm Beach. On the final day of his 17th season, with nothing left to prove, McCarron was playing with house money and knew it was about time to go. Orison made sure of it. There lies the rub of being a jump jockey – right about the time you start getting plum rides and figuring out the horses, courses and people it’s time to go. A broken clavicle, a shattered scapula, five broken ribs and a broken vertebrae in his neck ended his quest for 200 and stopped an improbable and remarkable riding career. “Do you want the exclusive?” McCarron asked from his hospital bed in Wellington, Fla. two days after the fall. “I’m retired. I didn’t want to go out like this but after 16 years and getting hurt like this, I’m done. It’s going to take a while to sink in . . . I’m trying not to think about it right now.” Think about it all you want – you made us all proud. keep looking » |
