Archive for the ‘Live Blogs’ Category

By Ray Paulick
There are a lot of people sitting on pins and needles in Hot Springs, Ark., this afternoon, all waiting to see what happens at Santa Anita Park and Fair Grounds when two-time champion Zenyatta and Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra make their 2010 debuts in anticipation of their long-awaited match-up, scjheduled to take place  in the $5-million Apple Blossom Invitational at Oaklawn Park on April 9.

From the hotel and motel owners, bar and restaurant operators, the folks who sell their front lawns for parking spaces to souvenir stand concessionaires and Oaklawn Park owner Charles Cella, everyone has the same question: Will they both show up?

Consensus seems to be in the 50/50 to 60/40 range that the Battle of the Amazons will take place, though anyone who’s been following Rachel Alexandra’s camp carefully in recent days wouldn’t be surprised to see Jess Jackson burst racing’s bubble and say his filly won’t come to Hot Springs.

Behind the scenes, there have been discussions for national television for the Apple Blossom, though the Paulick Report has learned that NBC Sports, which will have its camera and crew in place at Oaklawn Park for the April 10 Arkansas Derby, has passed on the opportunity.

If that’s the case, the best opportunity for the Apple Blossom will be on ESPN, which is currently scheduled to show the second round of the Masters golf tournament from 4-7 p.m. (Eastern Daylight Time) If the published reports of the last couple of days are true and Tiger Woods makes his comeback in the Masters, and has an afternoon tee time for the second round, a 7-8p.m. Eastern time slot would have a terrific lead-in audience.
 
Sunset in Hot Springs will be around 8:35 p.m. (Eastern Time), and track officials are planning to put the Apple Blossom very late on the card. Thus, it’s possible the race could go off at close to prime time in the East Coast and a reasonable time for a wide viewing audience in the Midwest. But many West Coast are more likely to be sitting in their car on a freeway at post time for the Apple Blossom.

A further indication of ESPN’s interest in the Apple Blossom could come later today when they may cut in to SportsCenter to show Rachel Alexandra’s and Zenyatta’s comeback races. Let’s all hope for a safe journey for both of racing’s superstars.

Today’s attendance at Oaklawn is probably in the vicinity of 25,000, and it’s not easy to navigate through the crowd lined up for beers, food and wagering inside the gr7andstand (not to mention the long line for the ladies room). I can’t imagine what this place will be like on April 9 if Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra are here.

5 p.m. … Oaklawn Park’s general manager, Eric Jackson, stopped by the press box and updated the Paulick Report on plans for the Apple Blossom. It looks pretty the certain the race will be run at 7:45 p.m. (Eastern) as the 11th and final race on the program. Jackson said. That makes a one-hour ESPN spot all the more likely following hte Masters from Augusta. While some will complain that racing needed to be on a broadcast network, the 7-8 p.m. timeslot on the networks belongs to local affiliates who fill the hour with trash like "Access Hollywood," "Entertainment Tonight" or with game shows like "Jeopardy" and "Wheel of Fortune." 

Jackson talked bluntly about the economics of offering a $5-million purse for the big race. "God bless Charles Cella,"  Jackson said. "From a sporting standpoint, this is one of the greatest gestures in the history of the sport. From a business standpoint, as I said to the racing commission, it’s the dumbest thing Oaklawn Park has ever done.

"We can’t make a dime," said Jackson, indicating the Friday of the "Racing Festival of the South" would have been a sellout with or without the two champions. "But that didn’t enter into Charlie’s thinking on this."

Prices will remain the same as usual at Oaklawn Park on Apple Blossom (hot tip–the Reuben sandwich for $6.50 is a steal), though private parking lot operators said they will charge as much as $50 a spot (up from $20 on Rebel Stakes Day). The infield will be open, and for the first time Oaklawn will have hospitality and corporate sponsor tents there–even though they don’t have any corporate sponsors yet. "We had a staff meeting when we first came up with this and someone said, ‘You want us to do in seven weeks what most people have a year to do?’" Jackson said. "I told them, ‘No, we actually have eight weeks now.’"

Handicapper Paul Skelton tried to convince Jackson the Apple Blossom day races will be stronger along with the following day’s Arkansas Derby because horsemen shipping in will sent other horses to fit the card. Jackson thought about it for a second and said, "Okay, maybe now we’ll only lose $4.7 million instead of five. That makes me feel a whole lot better."

So it all comes down to what Bill Murray’s character in "Caddyshack," Carl Spackler, got the time he caddied for the Dalai Lama and got stiffed on his tip. "I say, ‘Hey, Lama, hey, how about a little something, you know, for the effort, you know.’ And he says, ‘Oh, uh, there won’t be any money, but when you die, on your deathbed, you will receive total consiousness.’ So I got that goin’ for me, which is nice.

So will Charles Cella and Eric Jackson. Gunga galunga.

5:40 p.m. …  Well, if the Tampa Bay Derby is any indication of how this day is going to go, it could get a little strange. Odysseus, making his stakes debut after romping to a 15-length allowance/optional claiming win at Tampa Bay, surged to the lead right at the wire to edge Schoolyard Dreams by a nose in a weirdly contested race. Super Saver, the 3-2 favorite who set fractions of :23.52, :47.02, 1:11.74, and 1:37.42, was a close third for trainer Todd Pletcher.  Final time for the 1 1/16 miles was 1:44.37.

Rajiv Maragh had Odysseus in a perfect striking position throughout the Tampa Bay Derby but the Malibu Moon colt looked to be struggling at the top of the stretch, falling back to fourth or fifth position when Schoolyard Dreams moved to the lead. But as Schoolyard Dreams and Super Saver battled in the final sixteenth, Odysseus squeezed between them and had just enough to get up at the wire and win in a head-bobbing finish. Local hope Uptowncharlybrown had a rough trip from the rail, having to block and steady around the final turn before winding up fifth. Gleam of Hope was pinched back to last after the start but rallied into contention on the stretch turn before fading to fourth.

The winner races for Satish Sanan and family’s Padua Stables and was the 2-1 second choice in the wagering. The $250,000 OBS March 2-year-old purchase, bred in Kentucky by Haymarket Farm and Lakemont Stable, is trained by Tom Albertrani.

Tampa Bay Derby chart.

6 p.m. … Saw Airdrie Stud owner and former Kentucky Gov. Brereton Jones  earlier in the card and didn’t think much of it when he said he’d only been to Oaklawn Park three other times, and each  time he ended up winning a graded stakes race on the day. "Of course, I don’t really know if we belong in this field," Jones said about his filly No Such Word’s chances in the Grade 3 Honeybee Stakes. All I could think about as the Canadian Frontier 3-year-old filly pulled away from favorite Beautician and the rest of the Honeybee Stakes was "Thanks, Gov!" The filly is trained by Cindy Jones, whose husband, retired trainer Larry Jones, is one of the most recognizable hotwalkers in all of racing.

6:16 p.m. … The fillies are walking toward the starting gate for the New Orleans Ladies and I notice that Rachel Alexandra has taken about $975,000 of the $1 million in wagers in the show pool.

6:20 p.m. … It got awfully quiet at Oaklawn Park when Zardana pulled up alongside Rachel Alexandra  and then went right on by in the stretch run of the Ladies to win by three-quarters of a length. Trainer Steve Asmussen has been telling anyone who would listen that he’s concerned Rachel wasn’t quite fit enough, and guess what? He was right. 

Zardana, coming off a fourth-place finish in the Santa Maria Handicap for John Shirreffs–YES, THAT JOHN SHIRREFFS, also the trainer of Zenyatta–is a Grade 2 winner of the Bayakoa Handicap at Hollywood Park who was ridden to perfection by David Flores. Zardana settled into third position  while Fighter Wing set fractions of :23.84, :47.22 and 1:12.86 for six furlongs.  Calvin Borel had Rachel Alexandra second early, racing wide around the first turn and then just off the leader down the backstretch while appearing a bit eager. She moved to the front before hitting the far turn, but was quickly under attack from Zardana, who had all the momentum entering the stretch. Rachel Alexandra fought back, feeling the sting of Borel’s whip four times from the left hand four times from the right, but then the rider wrapped up on the filly when defeat was certain.

The winner, a Brazilian-bred daughter of Crimson Tide was winning for the eighth time in 19 starts. She is owned by Arnold Zetcher. Zardana paid $21 to win on a $2 mutuel. Unforgotten was a distant third, followed by Fighter Wing and Clear Sailing.

Here’s the New Orleans Ladies Chart.

6:45 p.m. … Zenyatta did her job, winning the Santa Margarita with yet another dramatic stretch run. More in a few minutes, but let me just say that Mike Smith did one hell of a job negotiating through traffic at the top of the stretch, then swinging ooff the fence and winning comfortably without ever going to the whip.

6:52 p.m. … Champion Lookin At Lucky just got up to win the Rebel, defeating Noble’s Promise by a nose, with Dublin third. That wasn’t what I would call a comfortable win, and I’m not thinking Lookin At Lucky looks like a horse who has another three-sixteenths of a mile in him.

6:55 p.m. … Planning to escape the press box for a while and catch the post-Rebel press conference. Back in a little bit. Need to catch my breath. Too many exciting races in too short a time.

7:30 p.m. … Horses in the paddock for the day’s final 3-year-old prep,. the San Felipe at Santa Anita.

7:35 p.m. … I asked one of Lookin At Lucky’s co-owners, Mike Pegram (pictured, left), if he thought after today’s narrow win in the Rebel if he thought the Smart Strike colt could get a mile and a quarter for the Kentucky Derby, and he had a quick response. "Mickey Mantle never knew he could hit a curveball till they threw him one. This horse is an athlete."

Trainer Bob Baffert said jockey Robby Albarado aboard Noble’s Promise put Looking At Lucky in a box near the half-mile pole and said jockey Garrett Gomez told him he got bounced around a little near that point of the race. Watching the head-on replay as the horses were pulling up when Gomez could be seen saying something to Albarado. "Look, he’s telling him something," Baffert said, "He’s saying, ‘You sonofabitch!’"

Dublin ran a solid third behind the top pair after moving toward the lead at the top of the stretch.

7:50 p.m. … Like taking candy from a baby. That’s how easy the win by Sidney’s Candy was in the San Felipe. Under jockey Joe Talamo, the John Sadler-trained colt cruised through soft fractions of :24.39 for the opening quarter mile, :48.55, 1:13.53 and 1:36.26 en route to a final clocking for the 1 1/16 miles of 1:42.30. Interactif chased early and late, finishing second, beaten about a length, with American Lion third after taking back off the early pace while wearing blinkers for the first time. Sidney’s Candy was coming off an easy win in the seven-furlong San Vicente Stakes, so this was the Candy Ride colt’s first try around two turns.Sadler’s other entrant, Dave in Dixie, a stretchrunner, never fired.

8:00 p.m. … I am still in absolute awe of Zenyatta and the manner in which she won the Santa Margarita, spotting from 11 to 15 pounds to her rivals and coming off a four-month layoff. Today’s win was "only" by 1 1/4 lengths, and the filly that finished second, a 51-1 shot named Dance to My Turn, is obviously not a world beater. But when Smith was caught in traffic at the top of the stretch more than a few people watching the telecast around me said ‘She’s gonna lose.’ But just as in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, Smith found room along the inside (he’s not Five-Wide Mike any more), then guided her into the clear to make a breathtaking run to the lead in a matter of strides.

I don’t want to get in the 2009 Horse of the Year debate, but those who continue to put Zenyatta down mystify me. What more could they possibly want her to do? 15-for-15 is pretty darned good.

Here’s the Santa Margarita chart.

8:25 p.m. … Media relations director and race caller Terry Wallace stopped by for a chat and you could feel a great sense of disappoint about the Apple Blossom from him—not that the race or the day will be any less exciting for racing fans (with or without Rachel Alexandra, since Zenyatta is scheduled to come here either way). "If both fillies were to come here off a win, this would have really given the sport something it needed,"  Wallace said. "It will still be a big day, but this really took the starch out of the sails." He agreed that it would be like a prize fighter losing his warm-up bout before a championship boxing match against an opponent he’d never faced. Racing people understand that prep races are meant to get horses ready for something bigger down the road, but the general sports fan or non-racing media person might not. The New Orleans Ladies should be viewed with the same significance as a spring training game for Major League Baseball or a pre-season game in the NFL.

The only problem with that philosophy is that Jess Jackson wants to win them all, and now that Rachel has lost carrying his silks I’m afraid he will back out of the Apple Blossom,. even though veteran horsemen I spoke with after the New Orleans Ladies thought it was an excellent prep race for Rachel Alexandra.

8:45 p.m. … Bouncing around yet again, I want to revisit the Rebel Stakes. Lookin At Lucky really had a rough trip, according to the Equibase footnotes: "Lookin At Lucky, bothered start, settled off the pace and on the inside, jumped across Noble’s Promise heels when that one came out just outside the half-mile marker, quickly recovered, advanced four wide into contention turning for home, set down, late bid, gained the nod in a game effort."

"There was a lot of race riding going on. They put him in a spot," said Baffert, who said he got exactly what he wanted out of the Rebel, whether Lookin At Lucky had gotten up to win or not. "This was kind of a Kentucky Derby experience he got." Baffert hasn’t been to Oaklawn Park for over a decade, but said he really liked the dirt surface of the main track, saying it’s as close to Churchill Downs in its composition as any track he’s seen. He even told the track superintendent he’d like to take him back to California with him. (Of course, I have to wonder how many days Baffert would be here before he started complaining about the track surface, something he’s known to do just about anywhere he’s been stabled.)

He said "anything’s possible" regarding the next start for Lookin At Lucky, though indicated the Wood Memorial or the Arkansas Derby would be the most likely spots. He compared Looklin at Lucky to the first of his three Kentucky Derby winners, Silver Charm. "You know he’s gonna give you everything he’s got," Baffert said.  Speaking of Silver Charm, it was when he was considering what to do with Bob and Beverly Lewis’  horse after scratching out of the Santa Anita Handicap that he said, "We could either go the Oaklawn Park for the Oaklawn Handicap or Dubai for  the Dubai World Cup (which Silver Charm won), but it’s a lot easier to get to Dubai." The private jet owned by one of Lookin At Lucky’s owners made Baffert’s trip to Hot Springs a little easier this time around.

Here’s the chart for the Rebel Stakes.

Here’s the chart for the San Felipe.

9:20 p.m. … Oaklawn Park is becoming one of my favorite racetracks in the country. It’s all about horse racing, and the management and staff seem to always put on a good show. Today’s attendance turned out to be 36,298. Yes, a lot of them came in hopes of winning the pickup truck and boat/trailer given away, but find me another track that packs ‘em in like this on the weekends. From Arkansas billionaires to farmers in bib overalls they love their horse racing here in Hot Springs and the whole region that Oaklawn Park draws from.

Come April 9, the day of hte Apple Blossom Invitational, this place will be jumping again, whether or not Rachel Alexandra shows up.If she is here, she’ll be a lot fitter and better prepared filly than she was today in the New Orleans. And if she isn’t here, racing fans will be treated to what I think is the greatest female Thoroughbred in my lifetime. It will be a day to remember…. no matter what.

That’s it from Oaklawn Park.

By Ray Paulick
The big question on my mind has nothing to do with Rachel Alexandra or Zenyatta as the luminaries start to arrive at the Four Seasons Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif., and TVG begins its four hours of coverage of the 39th annual Eclipse Awards recognizing Thoroughbred racing’s champions of 2009. Though I have my suspicions about who will win Horse of the Year (and BetFair, which lists Rachel Alexandra as the 1-2 favorite, with Zenyatta at 8-5, confirms my belief), we’ve got nearly three hours of waiting before getting the official word.

Accepting was Jess Jackson, who said he hopes this is the year that Thoroughbred racing begins to turn around in a positive way. Best line of the night was when Jackson said he first wanted to introduce his "mother…I mean my wife, Barbara Banke"–admitting that it might have been a Freudian slip. Did he mean Oedipal? After five minutes, I’m wondering how long his Horse of the Year speech will be, or does
 he know something and he’s milking this because it will be his only time in the spotlight tonight?
 
There are those magic words…"in conclusion"….but he’s still going. "Rachel and Zenyatta will prove who is the better in the long term….but neither filly will be a loser tonight." Seven and a half minutes: I would have taken the unders.

9:42 p.m. … Bathroom break everybody.

By Ray Paulick
Belmont Park offers five Grade 1 races today, beginning with the Beldame (you remember, the race where TVG boosted the purse in hopes of getting Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra, connections for neither of which appeared to take very seriously). I’ll be writing a live blog providing results of Belmont’s races (following the Beldame is the Vosburgh for sprinters, the Flower Bowl for fillies and mares on turf, the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational for male turf horses, and the Jockey Club Gold Cup, which pits the top-class 3-year-olds Summer Bird and Quality Road against Macho Again, who nearly caught Rachel Alexandra in the Woodward Stakes. I’ll provide some of the other day’s graded stakes activity from Hawthorne, where the Grade 2 Hawthorne Gold Cup is being run, as the serious final prep races for the Breeders’ Cup World Championships get under way.

(All photos by Eric Kalet.)

Here is a link to today’s Belmont Park Equibase charts.

Post time for the Beldame is 3:23 p.m. Eastern.

The rains came midway through the Belmont card, and though the main track was still called fast when Music Note entered the gate as the 1-5 favorite in the Beldame, it was a very wet, fast track. Music Note may have had a few nervous moments, as track announcer Tom Durkin said, when she was pinned down on the rail in the long run down the backstretch while tracking pacesetter Unbridled Belle.  But jockey Rajiv Muragh, moved the daughter of A.P. Indy to the outside around the turn and she wore down Unbridled Belle to get the win by 2 1/4  lengths, covering the distance in 1:48.49.  Unbridled Belle (who set soft fractions of :24.24, :47.99 and 1:11.66) held second, with Copper State third and Captain’s Lover fourth in the five-horse field. Captain’s Lover and Unbridled Belle were coupled, and Captain’s Lover and John Velazquez did their best to keep Music Note down on the rail, but Captain’s Lover couldn’t keep up after five furlongs.

Music Note was winning for the seventh time in 11 starts for Godolphin. This was just her third start of the year, following a fifth-place finish in the Ogden Phipps at Belmont Park and a victory in Saratoga’s Ballerina. She finished third behind Zenyatta and stablemate Cocoa Beach in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic (formerly the Distaff). The Saeed bin Suroor-trained filly paid $2.50 for the win.

Couple of college football notes: Michigan State upset previously unbeaten Michigan, 26-20, in overtime. Alabama crushed the University of Kentucky Wildcasts 38-20.

3:58 p.m. … The rain at Belmont has gotten worse, making it tough to even pick up the horses on the television feed. Good luck Tom Durkin, though the fact the Vosburgh is a four-horse field makes it a lot easier for him.

Kodiak Kowboy got up in the final strides to beat odds-on favorite Fabulous Strike by a half-length in the six-furlong Vosburgh under Shaun Bridgmohan. The 4-year-old son of Posse owned by Rick Porter Fox Hill Farms and Tom Simon’s Vinery Stables was back in the care of trainer Steve Asmussen for the Vosburgh after being transferred from Asmussen to Larry Jones a little over a year ago.

Fabulous Strike got a stalking trip, settling just off the pace of Go Go Shoot, with Munnings in third and Kodiak Kowboy the trailer. Go Go Shoot went a quick opening quarter-mile in :22.33 over a very rain-soaked track. Fabulous Strike moved to the lead on the turn under Ramon Dominquez, but Kodiak  Kowboy was beginning his rally before straightening out for the stretch run. He appeared to have all the momentum, but hesitated when he was getting the muddy kickback from Fabulous Strike. Bridgmohan shifted Kodiak Kowboy to the outside and he quickly regained his best stride and went on to win by a half length. Munning was third after never really threatening.

This was the 10th win from 22 starts for Kodiak Kowboy and the second in a Grade 1 race, following his victory earlier this year in the Carter Handicap at Aqueduct. He had finished second to Pyro in the Forego and third behind Fabulous Strike and Go Go Shoot in the Aflred G. Vanderbilt Handicap in his previous two starts. Kodiak Kowboy ran third for Jones in last year’s Vosburgh.

Kodiak Kowboy covered the six furlongs on a sloppy main track in 1:10.08 and paid  $11.60.

4:15 p.m. … When Matt Carothers sings Happy Birthday to Ken Rudulph on TVG, that can mean one of two things: mute button or HRTV. We’ll go for the latter. I have a feeling I’m not alone.

4:30 p.m. … Congrats to Equibase for putting together a useful late changes/scratches service. I won’t ask what took so long. Here is the link to Belmont’s late changes. Presious Passion wasn’t listed as a scratch from the Joe Hirsch last time I looked, but that was the word from the television talking heads.  Carribean Sunset has been scratched from the Flower Bowl, while Gio Ponti’s entrymate Winchester and Ready’s Echo have been scratched from the Hirsch.

The rains are still falling heavily at Belmont Park as the field of fillies and mares heads toward the gate for the Flower Bowl.

4:40 p.m. … Julien Leparoux gave the ever-consistent Pure Clan a perfectly timed ride in the Flower Bowl, getting up in the final sixteenth of a mile, then pulling away to beat Criticism by 2 3/4 lengths over a boggy Belmont turf course. Queen of Hearts was third and Moneycantbuymelove fourth.

Leamington took the early lead in the Flower Bowl, putting up very slow splits of :26.81 for the quarter, :53.81 for the half-mile and 1:20.43 for six furlongs on the soft turf, with Criticism tracking her. Leparoux had  Pure Clan in good position in fifth, then rallied on the final turn and took dead aim at Criticism and jockey Javiar Castellano. 

It was the eighth victory in 15 starts and 14th 1-2-3 finish for the Lakland Farm runner trained by Bob Holthus. The daughter of the Storm Cat stallion Pure Prize was coming off a third in the Beverly D. Stakes at Arlington and had one previous Grade 1 victory in last year’s American Oaks on the Hollywood Park turf course. Pure Clan was never a factor in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Filly &  Mare Turf at Santa Anita.

Final time of the 1 1/4 mile Flower Bowl was 2:12.43 after a mile fraction of 1:46.63. It was a bog out there, but Pure Clan didn’t seem to mind it one bit.

5:08 p.m. … It’s true that you don’t see the Phipps Stable silks at Thistledown that often, but the trip by Gone Astray from Belmont Park to Cleveland was well worth it as the son of Dixie Union sat off the early pace set by War Fighter, moved to the lead at midstretch and drew away impressively by 2 1/4 lengths. The Shug McGaughey-trained colt was coming off a big win in the Pennsylvania Derby. Gone Astray covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.56 War Fighter was second, with Ice Road third. Gone Astray was the 2-5 favorite.

5:15 p.m. … Gio Ponti looked like a winner in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational when he cruised up alongside pacesetter Interpatation at the top of the stretch, but the Bobby Barbara-trained 7-year-old gelding by Langfuhr found a second wind in the final furlong and rerallied to beat Gio Ponti by 1 3/4 lengths on an extremely soft turf course.

Robbie Albarado rode the winner, who was getting just his sixth career win from 50 starts for owner Elliot Mavorah. He set all the fractions of :26.01, :54.22, 1:22.20 and 1:48.77 for the opening mile After a mile and a quarter time of 2:14.59, Interpatation completed the 1 1/2 miles in 2:41.22, about 17 seconds slower than the course record.

Interpatation hadn’t finished in the top three in his last seven starts. His last in the money finish came when second to Grand Couturier in the 2008 Joe Hirsch Turf Invitational. Gio Ponti, on the other hand, came into the Joe Hirsch off four consecutive Grade 1 victories, but the 1 1/2 miles of the race and the soft conditions may have exposed the 4-year-old son of Tale of the Cat’s distance limitations, as he had never raced farther than 1 3/8 miles. 

Interpatation paid $89.50 on a $2 wager to win. Telling, the original third-place finisher, was disqualified and placed fourth behind Grand Couturier for interference.

5:30 p.m. … Awesome Gem and David Flores ran down Nite Light to win the $500,000 Hawthorne Gold Cup going away at Hawthorne Park, giving West Point Thoroughbreds the first leg of a big potential parlay that could culminate with a victory in the Jockey Club Gold Cup only a few minutes from now with Macho Again. Going Ballistic was third and You and I Forever fourth in the mile and a quarter Gold Cup, a Grade 2 event. 

5:50 p.m. … The rain  has subsided as the field entered the gate for the Jockey Club Gold Cup, which begins midway around the clubhouse turn on this 1 1/2 mile oval.  

Summer Bird and Quality Road put on a show, racing together the length stretch while well off the rail, but Summer Bird prevailed by one length to win the Jockey Club Gold Cup on a sloppy dirt track. Pacesetting Tizway was third, with Macho Again never really getting untracked and finishing fourth.

Summer Bird only has four career victories to his credit, beginning with a maiden win at Oaklawn Park in March. But the son of Gainesway stallion Birdstone, owned and bred by Drs. K.K. and Devi Jayaraman and trained by Tim Ice, has built quite a resume with the other three victories, all Grade 1–the Belmont Stakes in June, the Travers in August, and now the Jockey Club Gold Cup in early October–to make him the clear leader for an Eclipse Award in the 3-year-old male division.

Kent Desormeaux allowed Summer Bird to settle off the early pace set first by Tizway through the opening quarter mile in :24.96 and then by Quality Road through a half mile in :49.73 and six furlongs in 1:13.12.  Sensing that Quality Road might have it too easy on the front end, Desormeaux moved Summer Bird toward the lead before hitting the far turn, and engaged Quality Road in earnest when the pair hit the top of the stretch, the mile in 1:37.62. With Summer Bird on the outside, the pair raced together to the final sixteenth, when Summer Bird edged away gradually for the win, the 1 1/4 miles in 2:02.51 on the sloppy track. 

There were plenty of  other races on the day that I didn’t blog about, but George Jacob and Jill Baffert’s Misremembered won the Grade 2 Indiana Derby, which offered a $500,000 purse. Victor Espinosa rode the winner, a son of Candy Ride. Giant Oak finished second, a half length back, with Karama third. Win Willy, the slight favorite over Misremembered, finished fifth.

 JOCKEY CLUB GOLD CUP QUOTES

Beginning shortly after 2 p.m. (Eastern), Ray Paulick will be live blogging the Breeders’ Cup teleconference where the organization’s new long-term strategic plan will be outlined by Cup president, Greg Avioli; Satish Sanan, a member of the board of Directors and chairman of the Strategic Planning Committee; and William Field of Value Partners, the international consulting firm that developed the plan in conjunction with the committee.

Nominators to the Breeders’ Cup program will be allowed to ask questions about the plan, as will members of the media.

2:05 p.m. … Greg Avioli, Breeders’ Cup president, says the Breeders’ Cup "has experienced tremendous change in just the past three years" after few changes in the first 20 years, then outlines the changes: two days instead of one, higher purses, more races, the Challenge Series, and increased betting handle in a down market. Sanan and the board, he said, decided this was not a time "to rest on our laurels," and then introduced Sanan, who was named chairman of the Strategic Planning Committee last August.

2:08 p.m. … Sanan said racing and the Breeders’ Cup has been "outpromoted by other sports" and said the long-range plan (and he emphasized long range) was developed to help the Breeders’ Cup and the industry grow. "It’s one of the most comprehensive projects undertaken by Breeders’ Cup" and credited management, the board of Members and Trustees and industry stakesholders worldwide for bringing input into the process. He then introduced Field to outline the plan.

2:10 p.m. … Field said the process included four workshops, a detailed survey of the Trustees, a shorter online survey of nominators, interviews with international industry leaders. "What we tried to do here is look at the Breeders’ Cup at a slightly new way." Field said he was struck by the affection people have for the Breeders’ Cup and that it truly is the world championship. "It is something that is recognized by many people around the world as the pinnacle of world racing." That’s not to say there’s not more that can be done to make it better, Field said. "We certainly think there are many markets in the world where racing is facing challenges similar to what you are facing in North America, but there certainly are opportunities." He said there is no other "brand" like the Breeders’ Cup internationally.

"North America is the No. 1 priority, but you have a great international aspect," Field added, citing more participation and increased international handle. 

Field said there is a proposal for a new mission and vision for the Breeders’ Cup. Mission: to support breeders by promoting the growth of the Thoroughbred racing industry through the staging of the Breeders’ Cup competition.  The vision is to be the most prestigious and popular competiton in world racing, reflecting in  the quality of the horses, the  event as well as total wagering. 

A third point Field wanted to make is that the BC has to serve a lot of different groups in the industry. "We think it is very important that the Breeders’ Cup needs to refocus more on the customer" — the horseplayers, casual fans and television viewers. 

Related to that, the Breeders’ Cup "is a great brand name" said Field. Great recognition in sports, though not necessarily with the general public, he added. Streamlining of the brand might help with the general public recognition. Building on the Challenge Series and creating races that will determine which horses will run in the championships, he said was one way. "We would like to see that whole process be reinforced…so we are not just thinking about the event in November."

Strengthening the Challenge Series would promote the brand and help increase betting, he added.

Alongside the Challenge Series, Field said, was an opportunity to build some strong alliances with racetracks across the country. "There is an opportunity to work (with the tracks) as partners," he said, citing the fact that racetracks are looking for ways to increase their business.

"We would love to draw some of the major tracks into long-term partnerships," something he said is much more difficult if done on a short-term basis.

The road to the Breeders’ Cup (Challenge Series) and the championship itself has to be promoted as one brand, Field added. "We need to reach out through partners if we are going to reach the customer."

Avioli said the recommendations delivered to the board have been given to management to take to racetracks and come back to the board by the end of the year with an "actual working document" that will explain exactly how the Challenge Series will look.

2:25 p.m. … Sanan reiterated that it will be a long-term plan and that once management reports back to the board there will be more details to be made public: He then repeated the four key points of the plan:

1) the new mission and vision of the Breeders’ Cup 

2) unified and enhanced BC competition to run throughout hte season

3) improve and build long-term strategic relationships with racetracks to put together a framework for long-term relationships

4) redefining our customers and putting our customers at the heart of everything so that we have an unyielding focus on the customers.

2:30 p.m. … The teleconference is open to questions. First, Bill Landes asks why only 80% of Members and Trustees responded to the surveys and asked who the 20% were that did not fill out the surveys. He added that he wants more disclosure from the Breeders’ Cup on meeting attendance and other issues that are not shared with nominators or the public. In response, Avioli began by explaining who the boards are and that 100% of the board of directors responded to the survey. Landes wasn’t happy with that, saying there are still 10 Members and Trustees who didn’t reply to the survey and thinks their names should be published.

Avioli said he would begin publishing the list of attendees of future meetings.

2:35 p.m. … Landes was the only nominator with a question. I began the media round with a couple of questions, one on the past programs that might  have been more short-term than long term in strategy, and the other on what will be different now about how the BC and tracks work together. Field said he preferred not to focus on the past, although he had studied the various programs (special stakes, stakes supplements, challenge series, etc.). 

On the second question, Avioli said that one of the recommendations from Value Partners is to try more of a collaborative approach. "In the past, they’ve said,  ’Here’s our series, would you  like to participate?" Avioli said. "The mindset is going to be different. we’re not going to develop something and try to sell it. We want to first identify tracks that want to work with the Breeders’ Cup on a number of levels (including being a host site)," and then work with those tracks to develop the programs. Field said one of the big challenges is fragmentation and that there will "always be and always have been issues and niggles between tracks and Breeders’ Cup, but I was very surprised to hear the enthusiasm the tracks have for the Breeders’ Cup. If we can approach it on the basis that Greg just described, I am certain that a lot of tracks are going to be very keen on this."

Sanan said "In any business, if you are going to be successsful and form long-term relationships, the word partnership means you must be willing to risk long-term risks and rewards…your goals really have to be aligned…I think all of the conflicts you hear about really will go away, particularly if it is an all encompassing partnership. There is a  big strategic difference in how we have done it and how we plan to do it in the future."

2:40 p.m. … A question about the budget and the current year operating deficit. Sanan said he hopes the long-term plan will reduce the heavy reliance on nominators, that increased wagering and sponsorships are part of the plan moving forward. 

2:45 p.m. … There is a question about holding the Breeders’ Cup overseas. Field said there were a number of suggestions that the BC consider being held internationally. "We wouldn’t absolutely rule it out forever but we don’t think it is the desirable thing to do." Field said there were a number of suggestions in the plan about the rotation. There isn’t any urgency to doing anything other than North American tracks, he said, "though you never say never. …. It’s not part of the plan we propose." Sanan said it was discussed and debated but felt the consensus was that it needed to be perfected at home first before looking overseas. "Take it slowly, perfect it North America…and maybe we will revisit it a few years from now. If it makes good business sense perhaps we would undertake it."

2:50 p.m. …. Another question from a nominator: What will BC do to encourage new nominators and get old nominators to return? Does the BC only want the "heavy hitters?" Avioli said the BC wants as many nominators as possible and cites the current stakes supplement  program as a reason for their participation….he said the strategic plan includes the continuation of stakes races but that there will be more of an emphasis on quality in the future. "I don’t think you will see any decrease in the amount of money the Breeders’ Cup puts out there for nominators. I think there will be an increase in the money for nominators," said Avioli.

2:52 p.m. … Will future  championship purses be decreased, Avioli is asked. He said the plan did not take a position on that. "What we’re trying to say is we don’t know what the appropriate level the championship purses will be until we have a better idea of what the entire program will entail." Sanan said Avioli wasn’t the question, but that the answer won’t be known until the strategic plan develops into an implementation plan and financial plan. "When we have that,, that’s the only point at which we can make a decision: do we increase or do we decrease." Avioli and Sanan confirmed that there will be no change in 2009 championship purses.

2:55 p.m. … Are there any more specific recommendations you can detail at this time, one media rep asks? "Regrettably, the answer is probably ‘no,’" said Avioli, "because what we’ve been given is a very high-level strategic plan." There are broad concepts but no specifics. "They don’t exist right now," said Avioli, who said he hopes to have details in December.

3:00 p.m. … Will the Breeders’ Cup consider reducing the number of races or drop back to one day? Field said "the issue of how many races is a tactical issue and not one we focused on as part of the long-term strategic plan. We didn’t want to be distracted by issues such as that. The important thing that the event in November is regarded as the event (horse owners) want to bring their horses to."  Avioli said it will be hard to get the general sporting public to focus on 14 different divisions. "It doesn’t mean you wouldn’t have a full complement of races on championship day but that you wouldn’t focus"  on all of the divisions on the series throughout the year. Sanan said: "It’s largely going to depend upon when we start the series, how many tracks and how many days. … It may just be limited to what we used to have." Avioli said: "To clarify, the concern is how do we lead into 14 different races, 14 different divisions." He said there will not be a series focusing on 14 different divisions leading up to the championships.

3:05 p.m. … The participants are asked how the Breeders’ Cup plans to bring horseplayers and customers into the process. Avioli mentioned that there have been panels with large bettors or "whales" that have been consulted with, and Field said focus groups have been conducted and will continue. "We also have the benefit of a large bettor who leads this committee," Avioli said of Sanan, who is known as a big gambler. Sanan said Breeders’ Cup has not done a good job taking care of horseplayers in the past but said he is recommending between now and the end of the  year when the plan is finalized that a workshop with handicappers/horseplayers be included to get their feedback.

3:15  p.m. … Final comments from the participants. "What I’d like to leave you with is that we are just beginning the process," said Avioli. "We know the challenge we are facing here. We are cognizant of the various attempts to organize alliances in the past. We are confident we are going to come up with something that is well received."

Sanan said the Breeders’ Cup had a choice to be defensive or be "bold and creative and innovative and help management develop a long-term strategic plan  …. to look into our crystal ball and see what’s going to happen five years from now and capitalize on that."

Field emphasized that this plan was not written by "just a group of consultants,", that industry stakeholders played a big role.

3:15 p.m. … That’s it from the Breeders’ Cup teleconference. It will be interesting to see how this plan unfolds in the next six months, what tracks will be brought onboard as partners, how the stakes supplements and Win and You’re In Series is altered or consolidated, and whether or not the strategic plan, which obviously will be an ambitious effort to create a meaningful series of races, will have an impact on the structure of the year-end championships.

My own comment: From the standpoint of someone who has been following the Breeders’ Cup closely for many years, I think this approach is the most significant and it is hoped the most effective strategic process the Breeders’ Cup has undertaken since its inception. There have been many programs introduced, given a short-term chance to make a difference, and then modified or allowed to linger without any meaning or impact. If the Breeders’ Cup commits to the strategic plan, develops an implementation and financial plan along with significant track partners, this could be a significant boost for the Breeders’ Cup and the sport of racing and business of breeding. I congratulate those who brought the plan to this stage and encourage management and racetracks throughout the country to find a way to make this work.

If it fails to do so, the long-term strategic plan for the Breeders’ Cup will join the scrap heap of so many other well-intentioned efforts of the past, from such things as the American Championship Racing Series, the national office of the Thoroughbred Racing Associations, the creation of a "league office" at the National Thoroubhred Racing Association, the merger of the NTRA and Breeders’ Cup, and the Thoroughbred Championship Tour, among others

Let’s hope for the former. The Breeders’ Cup and racing needs something horseplayers, casual fans and industry stakeholders can understand, support and participate in.–Ray Paulick

Copyright © 2009, The Paulick Report

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By Ray Paulick
I don’t expect Jess Jackson to surprise us and call in with the Rachel Alexandra announcement the racing world has been breathlessly waiting for (you know, will she or won’t she?), but one never knows. Chip Woolley might give us some thoughts about potential jockeys for Mine That Birdor or even talk about Stupid Motorcycle Tricks. Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin could charm us into believing that Charitable Man is a cinch to win the Belmont Stakes, and Jerry Hollendorfer may convince us that all Chocolate Candy needed in the Kentucky Derby was another quarter mile.

At any rate, starting shortly after 1 p.m. (EDT), I’ll be live blogging the NTRA’s Triple Crown teleconference call concerning the June 6 Belmont. Trainers Woolley, McLaughlin and Hollendorfer are the scheduled guests. I’m betting that moderator Eric Wing’s questions will be twice as long as the answers given by two of the three men (you can guess which one is more verbose!), but, hey, it’s a slow news day.

1:05 p.m. … This isn’t starting off well. The Muzak renditionwhile of the Beatles "I"m Happy Just to Dance With You" while I was on hold waiting for the conference to begin was utterly depressing. John and George are spinning in their graves. I didn’t know the song was a slow ballad.

1:07 p.m. … Eric Wing starts off with Chip Woolley and asks if there will be enough pace in the race if Rachel Alexandra doesn’t go. He’s not worried, saying that a slow pace puts Mine That Bird closer to the pace than usual. How long will he wait for a jockey if the decision about Rachel Alexandra extends till next week, putting Calvin Borel on the fence? "About to or close to entry time. I’m gonna give Calvin as much time as possible…to keep him from losing two mounts. He won me the Derby. I owe him the opportunity if it’s possible."

"It’s irrelevant to me" if the filly does or doesn’t go, Woolley says. He just wants Calvin on his horse. "I believe it would be good for racing (if Rachel goes). It brought out a lot of people last time."

1:10 p.m. … "It’s been a lot of fun…the one thing it’s done is validated my career," Woolley said when asked what winning the Derby meant to him. Woolley said he spent 25 years working hard and the Kentucky Derby gave him "validation" for what he’s done. "I thought today he looked as good as he’s looked…period," Woolley said of Mine That Bird’s condition. He expressed some concern that Mine That Bird’s closing kick might be compromised a bit on the Belmont’s deeper surface.

What has he learned about training a horse through the demanding the Triple Crown? "Fortunately for me, my horse only runs about three-eighths of a mile, so it’s not quite as hard on him as it has been for the other horses," he said. "It’s just horse racing. It’s just on a higher level. You just try to keep your horse in the best of shape and hope you don’t miss anything."

"He’ll gallop Friday, Saturday, Sunday, work Monday, walk Tuesday and leave Wednesday," he said of the Birdstone gelding’s schedule.

"You’ve got to respect Charitable Man, he’s a monster on that racetrack," Woolley said when asked about who he fears. Woolley said you have to respect all of the competitors in the race.

Woolley said his stable back in New Mexico is in the hands of his brother, though he checks in daily. "I have to keep my fingers in it. I can’t stand not to," he said.

1:18 p.m. … Is Woolley concerned about the effects the Triple Crown will have on Mine That Bird, who could have a long career since he is a gelding? The trainer said he plans to give him a month off  after the Belmont and only has three more races scheduled for the year. "He’s handled it well (so far)," Woolley said. "If the horse hadn’t been on his very best game we probably would have passed it up," he said of the Belmont. "I haven’t put much thought to it," Woolley said when asked whether or not he thinks Rachel Alexandra will run in the Belmont. 

1:20 p.m. … How important is timing Mine That Bird’s move in the Belmont. "Absolutely," it’s important. "If you push the button too early you could come up empty at the wire. It’s imperative we get the right trip and make our move at the right time. If you look at previous Belmonts, on average the horses closer to the pace tend to win. History says you need to be a little closer to the pace. So he’s got his work cut out for him."

"I’ve seen the films of Birdstone winning the Belmont, but it has no bearing on my horse’s race," Woolley said when asked about Mine That Bird’s breeding. "We were the best horse in the Derby on that given day and I felt we were the best horse in the Preakness on that day. Going into this I think we have the best horse."

"I managed to get him beat twice at Sunland Park…so I can see why he went off at long odds in the Derby. What nobody paid much mind to was that we changed his tactics."

What are the three races he’s plotted out? "We haven’t really decided where those races are and what they’re going to be, other than the Breeders’ Cup," he said.  Woolley said he is likely to return Mine That Bird to Churchill Downs after the Belmont, or somewhere close to Churhill. "We’re looking at all options, every major race around. It could be anywhere," he said.

1:25 p.m. … Was there any change of equipment from Sunland to the Kentucky Derby? "D bit and a tongue tie. That’ s all he really needs. The horse is such an easy horse to ride, so he doesn’t need any specific equipment. The main thing is just to ride with patience. That’s all I really wanted."

1:28 p.m. … Can Mine That Bird make a transition in running style to be closer to the lead at the eighth pole and will he like the "big sandy," the nickname of Belmont’s main track. "I don’t think the depth of the racetrack will probably bother him as much as the other horses," he said. Woolley said he isn’t going to change Mine That Bird’s running style.

Why did he ship back to Churchill after the Preakness instead of going to Belmont? "He got a little rattled on me when I got him to Pimlico. As soon as he got back here he settled right in." Woolley knew Mine That Bird had trained well at Churchill and was concerned about how well he would handle Belmont in the mornings during the two breezes schedule between the Preakness and Belmont Stakes.

1:30 p.m. … "I don’t want Calvin sitting on the sidelines,"  Woolley said again about the delay in naming a rider. For that, he deserves some kudos. He understands the pickle Borel is in between Rachel Alexandra and Mine That Bird, and it would be easy for him to go out and get another rider ("They’ve all called me," he said.) Woolley just moved up in my book because of that loyalty to Borel.

1:32 p.m. … Kiaran McLaughlin is on. Is the Belmont a race in which tactical speed is important? "I think you have to be forwardly placed most of the time, but it’s also what your competition is and how the race shapes up for each horse. Mine That Bird, I agree with his trainer that he’s going to continue to run his style. Jazil (McLaughlin’s Belmont winner) had that style and we didn’t change. I have a lot of respect for Mine That Bird…but I wouldn’t trade places with anybody."

1:35 p.m. … What does McLaughlin make of Rachel Alexandra’s effort in the Preakness? "She’s a superstar, and it was a great day for our industry…although for both of them to run back in 35 days or 36 days it’s hard to do that. So it will be hard on her and tough on her to win the Belmont in a mile and  a half. Mine That Bird is a tough little horse. I DON’T see them running Rachel Alexandra."

How has Charitable Man bounced back? "He was one more work scheduled this Saturday, and then gallop to the race after that. He’s training great, eating well…he’s doing very well."  Does Charitable Man need a fast track? McLaughlin doesn’t think so. "He can handle anything other than the Polytrack," he said.

"I don’t think it is a big advantage (training on the Belmont surface," McLaughlin said. "The advantage is that we’re here." He said the stress of travel for horses can make a difference. "He doesn’t have to travel. He doesn’t have to get on a van or a plane, so that’s a plus. Belmont isn’t the kind of racetrack that horses either like or dislike."

What happened to Charitable Man to delay his 3-year-old campaign? "He cracked a shin," McLaughlin said, having a screw put on the bone and later removed. "We just didn’t have enough time to have him fit enough to run in a proper series of prep races. We made the choice to go in the Blue Grass (three weeks before the Derby). … Mr. Warren (the owner) was kind enough and patient enough to wait for the Peter Pan." The shin is completey healed, McLaughlin added.

"I’ve always dreamt fo winning the Kentucky Derby, and it’s hard to pass up the Kentucky Derby if you have a horse that qualifies on graded earnings. … I just thought running back in three weeks off the Blue Grass" would be detrimental for the rest of the year. "He’s a great sportsman," McLaughlin said of Warren, "and I didn’t have to twist his arm (not to run in the Derby." Warren wanted to do what was best for the horse, McLaughlin said. What a concept!

"He’s a beautiful horse, a magnificent horse," McLaughlin said of Charitable Man. 

1:43 p.m. "After he ran in the Preakness," McLaughlin said of Mine That Bird, "I have a lot of respect for him. He’s a gutsy little gelding." McLaughlin was stabled in the same barn as Mine That Bird before the Derby and said there was no comparison in looks between his horse and the Derby. "He’s a little gelding who cost $9,500 as a yearling," he said. McLaughlin thought Calvin Borel and the wet track had a lot to do with the Derby win, but felt the Preakness validated him as a good horse.

1:45 p.m. … McLaughlin said he actually had three horses under consideration for this year’s Derby and ran none of them. In the future, he said, he’d run four or five in the race if he could. "God put our eyes in the front of our head, so I always look forward, so I’m not going to look backwards," McLaughlin said, when asked if he thinks he might have been able to win the Derby with Charitable Man.

"Part of me wants to see her run and part of me doesn’t," McLaughlin said of the Rachel Alexandra’s possible run in the Belmont. "If she runs, she’ll probably be forwardly placed, and I do think we can beat her," he added. "It would mean a lot to the Belmont Stakes and NYRA if she’s in it, but Mine That Bird brings a lot to the race." Does a mile and half take more out of a filly? "It probably does…but I don’t think the mile and a half takes more out a horse than a mile and a quarter does on the first Saturday in the May." The faster fractions and bigger field make the Derby a tough race on a horse, McLaughlin said.

1:50 p.m. … Mafaaz, the horse who qualified for the Kentucky Derby by winning a race in England and then ran poorly in the Blue Grass Stakes, is now at Shadwell Farm in Lexington. He was switched from John Gosden to McLaughlin. McLaughlin said the horse has been gelded and will probably run at Saratoga.

1:52 p.m. … Jerry Hollendorfer is on the line. "He seems to be getting over the (Belmont) strip. He’s getting over the track very well (in his workouts and gallops)," Hollendorfer said. "Garrett’s ridden Chocolate Candy before and he’s won on hm last year. We’ very happy to have Garret (Gomez) riding our horse. He’s one of the best in the country." 

"You can only guess (on whether Chocolate Candy has improved since the Kentucky Derby). We think we’re in a pretty good position, going over the racetrack, and we think we can get the mile and a half. … I’d rather be more forwardly placed (than Mine That Bird figures to be). We should be a little better placed than we were in the Derby."

1:55 p.m. … "He’s been doing very well at Belmont. When Garrett worked him he said he got over the track very well." What were Hollendorfer’s impressions of the Preakness? "I don’t know how they’ll bounce b ack, but I assume if both are starters they have been doing very well. Speed is an asset in any race (and Rachel Alexandra would bring in a great deal of speed). The Belmont has been good for speed horses. I think Mine That Bird is a very legitimate horse. I don’t think there’s doubt in anyone’s mind that he’s a real runner."

Some guy in San Francisco wants to know if Hollendorfer can sleep in an airplane and whether he flies first class or coach! "Yes," to sleeping Hollendorfer says, and "no" to first class. "I flew Jet Blue to New York, and they don’t have first class," he said.

I think we must be nearing the end of this call.

2:00 p.m. … Where does Chocolate Candy rank with some of Hollendorfer’s past runners? "He’s one of the best that I’ve tried to take the Triple Crown races. He’s a beautiful looking horse and he covers a lot of ground."

That’s it from the NTRA Triple Crown teleconference.

Copyright © 2009, The Paulick Report

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By Ray Paulick

How often do you have a guilt-free chance to get sloppy drunk and chow down on an  honest to goodness Maryland breakfast of fried chicken, biscuits and gravy, and scrambled eggs? At least once a year if you come to the Alibi Breakfast that is part of the Preakness tradition at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore.

(Actually, I’m not sure how many people are drinking the Black-Eyed Susan signature drink. It seems more of those in attendance are dumping out the souvenir glass contents in the nearby bathroom sink and saving the glass to take home.)

Legend has it that the breakfast began at Old Hilltop in the late 1930s when trainers and other horsemen would gather to shoot the bull about the chances of their horses in the upcoming Preakness. It’s grown to be a major media event in the clubhouse of the rickety racetrack. Trainers of most Preakness horses show up to be interviewed, but the concept is to give them a chance to make an excuse ahead of time in case their horse loses.  It’s also an opportunity for the Maryland Jockey Club to honor members of the media for their contributions. This year’s winners are Tom Pedulla of USA Today, recipient of the David F. Woods Memorial Award for best Preakness story of 2008; Old Hilltop Awards  for longstanding coverage of the sport with excellence to Jeannine Edwards of ESPN and Bob Fortus of the New Orleans Times-Picayune; and the Jerry Frutkoff Preakness Photography Award to Rob Carr of the Associated Press.

The late, great Jim McKay, an icon of sports broadcasting and one of the greatest all-time supporters of the Maryland horse industry, used to host the event. Then along came Chris Lincoln, the longtime voice of horse racing on ESPN. The duties this year were handled by local broadcasters Scott Garceau and Keith Mills, who frankly had a hard time filling the big shoes of their predecessors.

The live blog begins shortly….

10:15 a.m. … This could be better than expected. One of the hosts said their job was to keep this from becoming the Alibi Lunch. The invocation used to be about 30 minutes long, but this year’s blessing given by Reverand Monsignor Robert J. Jaskot was quick and to the point. Bless the horses and those around them.

Tom Pedulla’s award winning story focused on Kent Desormeaux and his son Jacob, who suffers from Usher syndrome that cost him his hearing at birth and is taking away his sight. Very touching acceptance speech by a gracious man who asked that we all keep Jacob in our prayers. These guys are going to have me in tears pretty soon.

Bob Fortus said as a racing fan all he ever wanted was to have his ticket paid for to come to such events as the Preakness and to win an award was just gravy. Groovy. 

As for Jeannine Edwards, I’m thankful for the work she’s done in both horseracing and college basketball for ESPN. Her halftime interviews with former University of Kentucky coach Billy GIllispie were classic, and his insulting were a sign that he was a bad fit for the program. When the UK program comes rolling back under John Calipari, we’ll have Jeannine in part to thank!

10:25 a.m. … On to the interviews of the trainers and owners. Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird is up first. Trainer Chip Woolley called the last two weeks a whirlwind, saying he’s gotten a lot of phone calls from many of the unsung trainers in the business. "He’s a real patient rider and has great instincts," Woolley said when asked about the change in riders from Calvin Borel to Mike Smith.  Woolley thought the police escort given to the van bringing Mine That Bird was pretty cool. "Last time the police were after me I went to jail," said Woolley. Co-owner Mark Allen (pictured left), who hatched a short-lived plan to keep Rachel Alexandra out of the Preakness and appropriately wore his black cowboy hat, did his talking before the breakfast as he was a popular guest of local television crews.

10:30 a.m. … Bob Baffert, trainer of Pioneerof the Nile, was welcomed back to the Preakness after an extended absence and then asked about being elected to the Hall of Fame this year. Baffert said he was happy it happened while both of his parents were still with him. He said he thought he was going to win this year’s Derby until Mine That Bird rallied from last to win in a romp. "I’d heard stories that having a bird crap on you is good luck, and said owner Ahmed Zayat had a bird make a mess on his glasses in Louisville early Derby week.  "But I think having two birds crap on you (Mine That Bird being the other)" wasn’t so lucky, Baffert said.  Baffert said part of him was happy Rachel Alexandra was in the race and part of him wasn’t.

Trainer D. Wayne Lukas asks Baffert "what part of you wants (Rachel Alexandra) in the race?" Lukas claims Marylou Whitney’s Luv Gov is named after the disgraced New York governor "Ed Spitzer." Wayne doesn’t get off the sports pages much, I’m afraid. "We don’t have any grandiose plans here," he said, referring to his two 50-1 shots.He said he was going to seek advice from the Mine That Bird connections, who won the Derby at 50-1.

10:40 a.m. … David Hawkes, trainer of Big Drama, said his colt got "real comfortable right away" after being the first Preakness starter on the scene. He said the presence of Rachel Alexandra makes the race "real tough." Blinkers are coming off Big Drama, who is expected to be the speed of the race.

Vic Carlson, Musket Man’s co-owner said "we’ll probably be betting him to show," since he’s never been worse than third in seven starts. Carlson said Musket Man will be vanning to Pimlico the day of the Preakness from Monmouth Park.  He said he got a good trip the first half of the Derby, in which he finished third, but in the Preakness he hopes "Pioneerof the Nile will stay in his own lane" down the stretch. Apparently, Eibar Coa considered claiming foul against Garrett Gomez, rider of Pioneerof the Nile, for interference in the stretch of the Derby, but the race was made official before he could.

Larry Jones: "We just glued him back together," he said of Friesan Fire’s cuts and scrapes suffered in the Derby. How about his trip, he was asked. "Well, it wasn’t what we were looking for," though he said some of the problems were "self inflicted. We just hope the other horses will leave him alone." Asked about the speed of the race, Jones said, "I’ll bet David wishes he could put those blinkers back on.(Big Drama) … The field is very tough, but that’s what the Triple Crown is supposed to be about." What about the retirement talk? "I don’t get (sentimental). If this horse runs like he did in the Kentucky Derby, that (retirement) may come on Sunday."

10:45 a.m. …Trainer Al Stall is starting his first Triple Crown runner in Terrain. Nice prank by the emcees to introduce him as Art Stall. (Except I don’t think they were kidding.) Al is happy to be here. We’ll check in with him Saturday night to see if he still feels that way.

10:50 a.m. … They got Gary Stute’s name right as the trainer of Papa Clem, then asked him where he was when his father Mel won the Preakness 23 years ago with Snow Chief. "I was standing right next to him, and four strides before the wire, I said ‘congratulations’ to him," Stute recalled. He got the meanest look from his dad he ever saw, Gary said, in reference to the old tale about never giving someone a "you got it" until the horses cross the wire. "Once he passed the finish he let out a big smile," Stute said of his father. Both of Gary Stute’s parents will be in attendance for hte Preakness. Stute mentioned that he won’t give any riding instructions to Rafael Bejarano.

Tom McCarthy, owner and trainer of General Quarters, has been around the racetrack a long time and said it was a tough thing to tell his wife and kids so many times that he couldn’t be with them on a Saturday because he had a horse running. They didn’t know much about racing, he said, adding he "made up new words" to explain some of the losses his horses suffered. Talking about the Derby, McCarthy wasn’t happy with the messy, wet racetrack on Derby day and said he likes the sandier strip at Pimlico. Referring to Mine That Bird’s stretch run along the rail, McCarthy said, "He was flying while we were swimming."

10:55 a.m. … Don Lucarelli, co-owner of Take the Points, apparently is a sports gambler, saying he "takes tthe points" when betting on games. He likes longshots, which Take the Points will be, as he’s 30-1 on the morning line. Take the Points is vanning in on Saturday morning, from Belmont Park. Take the Points is adding blinkers, Lucarelli said, on the advice of Alex Solis, who rode the colt to a fourth place finish in the Santa Anita Derby in his last start in April.

11:00 a.m. … Scott Blasi wonders why he’s doing the interviews as he had to do with Curlin so many times "because Steve (Asmussen) misses his plane." What about the 13 post for Rachel Alexandra? "I talked about it with Steve and we think it’s a great post. We just hope Calvin doesn’t get confused about the outside rail and get too close to it." Borel loves riding the rail, but it’s the inside rail he takes. "Calvin knows more about her than anybody. He was a big part of her development at Hot Springs (Oaklawn Park) and knows more about her than any of us. We’re just excited to be running her off (former trainer) Hal Wiggins’ training."

That’s a wrap, from what in my memory was the fastest Alibi Breakfast in recent history.

By Ray Paulick

Click here to link to Kentucky Oaks day charts.

So many questions about today’s Kentucky Oaks program. Will Rachel Alexandra continue to dominate her division without breaking a sweat in the Oaks? Who will benefit from the scratch due to the wet track conditions of champion Zenyatta in the Louisville Stakes? How will the track (labeled sloppy early in the card) affect the day’s racing? And why on earth is HRTV’s Carolyn Conley wearing a potted plant on her head?

I hope to have those answers and more as I live blog the 12-race marathon Kentucky Oaks day program from Churchill Downs. I’ll be back shortly after 1 p.m. (Eastern) to cover the rich stakes program, culminating with the Kentucky Oaks.

1:10 p.m. … Well, we have a muddy, sealed racetrack for the Oaks card, which means the track superintendant rolled it tight to keep as much moisture from seeping in to the surface as possible. What often happens with a sealed track are speed biases early in the day and a more tiring track as the day wears on–provided there’s not a lot more rain that falls. Times can vary, but I’ve seen sealed racetracks rated sloppy that were faster than a dry and fast racing strip.

The early races yielded slow fractional times, with the winners either racing on the early lead or pressing the pace. The first race, a 1 1/16-mile allowance race, was won by Luna Vega and Shaun Bridgomohan, coming from just off the pace (fractions were creepy crawly :26.11, :51.23, :1:15.45, 1:39.30 and a final time of 1:45.64).Susies Gal, the early leader, finished second. 

The second race, a starter allowance, was won by pace-presser Multipass, who drew off from Lokomamma to win by four under Julien Leparoux (fractions were quicker, :23.93, :46.83, 1:24.65 and a final time for the mile of 1:38.12). The speed in the race, Lost Village fell back to last.

In the third, the A.P. Indy filly On a Roll broke her maiden under Rafael Bejarano going wire to wire to win by a half-length while setting moderate fractions of :24.11, :48.34, 1:13.60 and 1:40.29 en route to a final clocking for 1 1/16 miles of 1:47.27.

1:22 p.m. … Here’s a news flash. Friesan Fire is the early betting favorite for the Kentucky Derby at 4-1, with morning line favorite I Want Revenge second choice at 5-1, Pioneerof the Nile and (get this) General Quarters co-third choices at 8-1, and Dunkirk and Chocolate Candy next at 9-1 each. The Louisville bettors are obviously smitten by the Tom McCarthy saga, the story of the former hometown school teacher and principal with a horse stable and a Derby dream. I’m guessing the early play on Friesan Fire is based on his superior off-track form in the Louisiana Derby.

1:25 p.m. … Stlil catching up on the early part of the card. Senor Fuego charged from far off the pace to take the fourth race, a maiden sprint, but the fast  fractions set by Mighty Score (under that great judge of pace, Stewart Elliott) set it up for the John Velazquez ridden, Todd Pletcher-trained first-time starter by Speightstown. The fractions were :21.45, :44.96, and :57.76 en route to a six-furlong clocking of 1:11.03. 

1:35 p.m. … What happened to the racetrack after the third? All of a sudden, the fractions are ultra-fast.  Calvin Borel rallied up the rail from last place to win the fifth under Warrior’s Reward, closing fast under fractions of :21.93, :44.10 and 1:08.92 to beat the Grade 1-placed Munnings in 1:21.60 for seven furlongs, just 1 1/5 seconds off the track record. Fufty Too set the pace at 17-1 and beat just one horse.

1:55 p.m. … Apparently track superintendent Butch Lehr "opened up" the track after the third race, which allowed it to dry out and apparently quickened the track up almost immediately. As the day goes on, however, the track could become sticky and tiring, one horsemen told me. He also said the rail has been the ideal place to be so far, and that might not change.

One word of caution about track biases. Jockeys see horses winning on the lead, and all of sudden several of them will  gun for the front. That leads to faster fractions and completely different pace scenario, resulting in more winners coming from off the pace. Biases may not always  be what they seem.

2:00 p.m. … This isn’t Kentucky Oaks related, but until we get a chance to post it elsewhere, I thought I would pass on word that stewards at Delaware Park have decided to scratch the two horses formerly owned by Paraneck Stable, the operation run by Ernie Paragallo, that were entered to race on Monday in the name of Nob Hill Stable. Paraneck’s horses have been banned from racing in New York until a new authorized agent has been approved by the New York State Racing and Wagering Board to replace Paragallo.

2:02 p.m. … Is there a method to Butch Lehr’s madness? After opening the main track for races four and five (the sixth, the Aegeon Turf Sprint was on grass),  he’s  floated it again, sealing it back up. Should we look for a frontrunner to win this next race, the 1 1/6-mile Louisville Stakes (the race from which Zenyatta scratched)?

2:05 p.m. … Catching up on the sixth race, the Aegon Turf Sprint went to course specialst Chamberlain Bridge,  a War Chant gelding winning for the third time in as many starts on the Churchill Downs turf.  Garrett Gomez rode for trainer Bret Calhoun. Cannonball finished second, with Smart Enough third. 

2:10 p.m. … Are we going to have an inquiry after Miss Isella and Calvin Borel bulled their way through a narrow opening on the rail and past unbeaten One Caroline to win the Louisville Stakes? She clearly leaned out and into One Caroline and Edgar Prado near the eighth pole. The two fillies appeared to bump solidly,  then Miss Isella drew off to win by three-quarters of a length on the same track on which she won the Fall City Handicap last fall. Ian Wilkes trains Miss Isella for Domino Stud of Lexington. One Caroline was losing for the first time in six starts for  G. Watts Humphrey Jr. and trainer Rusty Arnold.  Swift Temper finished third.

There was no inquiry.

"The other filly didn’t give me much of a fight. It looks like she fell to pieces," Borel said of One Caroline. "She hung in with me for six or seven strides  and  run out of horse. My filly loves this track, though, you couldn’t imagine. She just glides on it." The winner is a daughter of Silver Charm, who showed a lot of heart throughout his career, including the 1997 Kentucky Derby, which he won by a head. She was bred by her owners.

Borel, the regular rider of Oaks favorite Rachel Alexandra, said he thinks that filly will just love the track condition.

Miss Isella paid $19.40 after completing the mile in 1:36.68.  One Caroline went right to the front and set fractions of :23.96, :47.65 and 1:11.72 before being hooked first by Swift Temper on the turn for home and then by the winner.

3:10 p.m. … Last year’s 2-year-old filly champ Stardom Bound may be on the sidelines for now,  but IEAH Stables and their partners have another star filly on their hands in Laragh, who wired the field in the 1 1/16-mile Edgewood Stakes, the eighth race on the Oaks Day program. Ridden by Edgar Prado and trained by John Terranova, Laragh was never seriously threatened as she rolled to her fourth win in eight lifetime starts, winning by about 1 1/4 lengths over the fast-closing Magical Affair. Banker’s Choice was third. 

Laragh showed good early speed to get the lead, then relaxed beautifully, setting fractions of :23.57, :48.43, 1:13.04 and 1:37.32, with a final time of 1:43.88. Prado used the whip twice in deep stretch to keep Laragh’s mind on business. Laragh was coming off a fifth-place finish in the Grade 2 Comely at Aqueduct on a sloppy track, her worst career performance. She, along with Stardom Bound, is a gray daughter of Tapit, the Pulpit stallion standing at Gainesway Farm. Mike Ryan bred Laragh, who was produced from the El Prado mare, Rose of Summer.

3:30 p.m. … Scratch Justwhistledixie from the Kentucky Oaks…apparently a stone bruise that isn’t serious but enough to take her out of the race.

3:55 p.m. … Another rallying winner up the rail, as Bullsbay under Jeremy Rose got up in the final sixteenth of a mile to defeat Cool Coal Man in the Alysheba Stakes. The 5-year-old son of Tiznow was winning at Churchill Downs for the third time in as many starts for trainer Graham Motion. He covered the 1 1/16-miles in 1:44.29. Informed and Garrett Gomez set the early fractions (:24.55, :48.72, and 1:13.57) and was tackled by Cool Coal Man and John Velazquez on the turn for home. Cool Coal Man appeared headed to victory, but Rose shot up the rail after racing in mid-pack to the stretch and got the narrow victory. Cool Coal Man was second, with Star Guitar third and Informed fourth. The winner paid $8.40.

4:40 p.m. …. After a brief (if late)  lunch interlude, I realized that the 10th at Churchill Downs, the American Turf Handicap, may be the only good betting race left on the card. Rachel Alexandra will be 1-9 to win the Kentucky Oaks and the 12th race of the day, a maiden race scheduled on turf, has been scratched down to four horses as a main track event. Tough to make much money or "get out" under those conditions.

The American Turf has a field of nine 3-year-olds, with the rail horse, Stormalory, coming off a narrow win at Keeneland in the Transylvania Stakes, the 2-1 favorite. I think a better alternative in the race will be Battle of Hastings, trained by Jeff Mullins and going for his third win in a row after running poorly in his U.S. debut.  The Royal Applause gelding won two of five in England last year at 2. Skipadate, a Mark Casse-trained colt by Skip Away, took some early money in the wagering, perhaps because of the troubled trip he had in the Transylvania when lacking room at the three-eighths pole and going very wide into the stretch.

4:55 p.m. … The American Turf  was a "get out" race for whoever had the 45-1 shot Orthodox, who tracked the early pace of Turfiste, then grabbed the lead in the final furlong and held Battle of Hastings at bay to win by three-quarters of a length. Stormalory was pulled up on the backstretch of the 1 1/16-mile race.

The winner, a 3-year-old by Pulpit, was ridden by Jon Court and is trained by John Glenney. He was winning for the third time in nine starts and this was his first stakes victory. Jockey Tyler Baze had to fight to keep Battle of Hastings from lugging in down the stretch, compromising his chances after getting a good early trip in third position as Turfiste set fractions of :24.23, :48.86, and 1:13.86 for the opening six furlongs. Orthodox covered the distance in 1:44.17 after a mile split of 1:38.15. The turf course was rated good by Equibase.

We’ll try to get an update on Stormalory as soon as possible.

We’re going to see if we can the Bravo channel to watch the Kentucky Oaks, which it’s been rumored will be shown between features on lifestyles of the housewives of Jefferson County (Ky), reruns of Make Me a Supermodel, and the debut of I’m a Horseplayer: Get me Outta Here.

5:00 p.m. … Seems like a regular horse racing show for the first minute, with NBC’s Bob Costas setting the scene…then it’s on to the fashion….Nancy O’Dell wearing a silly hat and promising to tell us all about the fashion and food (hot dogs?) of Oaks Day. Then a quick shift to NBC’s Donna Brothers and Bethany Frankel (who seems like a perfectly awful person and is one of the Housewives of New York). Back to Nancy O’Dell again, this time with NBC’s Bob Neumier (nice pink tie, Bob!). Nancy O’Dell says she looks at the horse’s asses for her handicapping. Neumier seems rightly stunned.

I may have to switch back to HRTV.

5:05 p.m. … I’m a glutton for punishment. Bravo now has ex-footballer Tiki Barber (nice pink tie, Tiki!) interviewing a top chef (I guess that’s another Bravo show), who is explaining  how to make bread pudding…a racetrack staple if I ever heard of one. Goes down really well after a dog.

5:07 p.m. …  A serious note: the switch to Bravo was a good fit for this year’s Kentucky Oaks and the emphasis on breast cancer awareness by Churchill Downs. Many of the sporting world’s biggest events involve charities, and this year’s Oaks is a fund-raiser for the Susan G. Komen Foundation, the leading breast cancer education and  research organization. (Click here to read Brad Cummings’ Paulick Report Good News Friday article sponsored by Liberation Farm on this issue.) A parade of cancer survivors around the track has the Churchill Downs crowd cheering, and Donna Barton does an interview on horseback with breast cancer survivor  and retired jockey Patti Cooksey, who now works for the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission. It’s all good.

5:15 p.m. … Bethany Frankel ("I don’t mind being judgmental," she says…so she really is trainer Bobby Frankel’s daughter!) picks the winner of a hat contest that is part of the show. HRTV’s Carolyn Conley didn’t make it to the finals with her potted plant hat. Haven’t seen a horse yet on the Bravo telecast, but I’m sure we will sooner or later.

5:20 p.m. … It’s the dynamic handicapping duo of Neumier and Mike  Battaglia (nice pink tie, Mike!), who’d have a hard time picking winners in a walkover. Battaglia tells people not to bet on the race…just watch it and enjoy. Let’s hope Bob Evans, the Churchill Downs chairman, isn’t watching. CDI doesn’t make money by having people just watch a race.

5:25 p.m. … Tom Hammond and retired Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens make their first appearance on the show and start talking about the horse race to come. (NIce pink ties, fellas!) And there are the horses in the paddock.

Another serious note: the Make a Wish Foundation has a young girl, Rachel Mattson, the filly’s namesake, brought next to Rachel Alexandra and she’s given a souvenir pink halter with the filly’s name on it, and jockey Calvin Borel goes out of his way to greet Miss Mattson.

5:35 p.m. … There’s a lot of talk about Rachel Alexandra being nearly unbeatable, but we’ve yet to see any of her dominating performances via videotape on the telecast….just lots of voiceovers by Stevens and Hammonds as they show the paddock scene. I’d love them to show the replay of the Fair Grounds Oaks, where Borel spent most of the final sixteenth of a mile celebrating, doing everything but flipping the bird to the jockeys who were racing behind him that day. He was told to tone it down a bit for the Medaglia d’Oro filly’s next winning start, the Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn Park.

Rachel Alexandra comes into the race off a four-race winning streak that began last November in the Golden Rod Stakes at Churchill Downs. Prior to that, she’d won 2-of-5 starts for trainer Hal Wiggins and her owners, L and M Partners. The Kentucky Oaks is Rachel Alexandra’s first Grade 1 race.

5:45 p.m. … I’d guess 18 lengths (it was 20 1/4, officially). Rachel Alexandra just destroyed her opposition in the Oaks. Calvin Borel actually gets paid for that ride? Other than a few looks back to his inside and outside, Borel sat chilly as a statue down the stretch after Rachel Alexandra took the lead from pacesetter Gabby’s Golden Gal inside the five-sixteenths pole. "It’s the greatest horse I’ve ever been on in my life," an emotional Borel said of the long-bodied filly in a post-race interview with Donna Brothers. of NBC.

"Tremendous," Hal Wiggins said to NBC’s Kenny Rice. "More than what I thought I had to tell you the truth." He was asked about running the filly in the Kentucky Derby and said it "never entered my mind," though added he might think about it as he soaks in the victory.

Rachel Alexandra covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:48 4/5, following early fractions of :23 3/5, :47 2/5 and 1:11 4/5, but it wasn’t the time that she posted as much as the manner of this victory. I’ve only seen one filly win by a bigger margin, and that was Landaluce winning the six-furlong Hollywood Park Lassie Stakes  (since renamed the Landaluce) by 21 lengths. The quality of Landaluce’s competition in that Grade 2 race wasn’t that strong, and neither was this year’s Kentucky Oaks, but when you put that much daylight between yourself and your foes, it is spectacular, no matter who you beat. Only Secretariat’s 1973 Belmont Stakes victory by 31 lengths was more dominating, at least in my memory.

Stone Legacy, one of three fillies entries from the barn of D. Wayne Lukas (trainer of Landaluce), finished second, with Flying Spur third.

Dolphus Morrison, the breeder and co-owner of Rachel Alexandra, said he has no regrets not running his filly in the Kentucky Derby. "No sir," he told Bob Costas. "The Triple Crown races are a showcase for the future stallions of our industry and fillies should run with fillies and stallions with stallions."

I’ve got a feeling the connections of the 20 colts scheduled to run in the Derby aren’t regretting his decision, either.

That’s it from Ray Paulick

Postscript: Stormalory, who pulled up as the favorite in the American Turf, was euthanized because of multiple fractures to his left front leg.

Copyright © 2009, The Paulick Report

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It’s Tuesday night of Kentucky Derby week and that means one thing: the annual Derby Trainers Dinner, where the trainers of Derby starters have a chance to be grilled by emcees Chris Lincoln, a former host of ESPN racing telecasts, and Paul Rogers, the voice of the Louisville Cardinals and a well-known radio broadcaster. The Paulick Report will be live blogging this year’s dinner, which is put on the by Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders and the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association.
 
So forget about watching “American Idol” tonight (we all know that Adam Lambert is a cinch to win) and tune in to our live blog starting around 8 p.m Eastern. All of the trainers who show up are sure to say their horse has a good chance to win, and those who don’t will be blasted by Lincoln.

8:20 p.m. … After some brief remarks from Paul Rogers, Chris Lincoln was introduced and of course my first thought was whether he was still the svelt, handsome and debonair Chris or the over the top, needs two airline seats on Southwest Chris.  He was somewhere in between. Lincoln said it broke his heart that Quality Road had to be withdrawn from the race–not because he wanted to see Jimmy Jerkens win the race but because "I had a 40-1 future book bet on the sumbitch." Lincoln is great at this stuff.

8:25 p.m. … Dr. David Richardson introduced both Gov. Steve Beshear and his Jane, and the governor hopped on-stage to make a few remarks.  He talked about being at the track early that morning and loving the fact that Kentucky is the horse capital of the world. "Ladies and gentlemen, it is a pleasure to be here  tonight with the leadership of Kentucky’s signature industry," Beshear said, recognizing the members of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commissiono that were in attendance. Integrity is a critical part of the industry, he said, Then he moved to a different subject. "I do not want to be the governor that presides over the former horse capital of the world.  It is time that we have some form of expanded gaming in Kentucky," Beshear said to rousing applause. "I am goinig to work as hard as I can to make sure we can get this done, some way, some how."

Lincoln back up to the mike. "Dickie couldn’t make it, didn’t want to make it…so he gets my first ‘rat bastard’ of the nght," Lincoln said about Rick Dutrow, who didn’t come to the Derby  Trainers Dinner to accept the mint julep cup traditionally given to the previous year’s winning trainer.

On to the trainer interviews, and apparently the 2009 Derby Trainers Dinner is a first in that all of the Derby trainers are in attendnce.. Bob Baffert and D. Wayne Lukas were brought up first as a team, and attempted a comedy routine. Lukas had some prepared material, obviously."He’s lost a lot of weight," Lukas said about Lincoln. "We had to get a restraining order at Burger King for him."

Baffert talked about the story of Tom McCarthy, the former teacher and principal who trains and owns General Quarters.: "This guy’s been training quarter horses before i was born," said Baffert. "He knows what he’s doinig. He’s been sandbagging everybody. he used to train at Rillito. So we’ve got to watch out for this." Lukas chimed in. "Him and Jeff Mullins," he said

"Welcome to the new master of ceremonies, D. Wayne Lukas," said Lincoln.

8:30 p.m. … Lincoln asks Lukas if Baffert being elected into the Hall of Fame cheapens the place. "In all sincerity," he said, "if you don’t put him in, you shouldn’t have it," said Lukas.

8:35 p.m. … "We’re optimistic, but we’re realistic," Lukas said about his 45th Derby starter, Flying Private, a longshot in the race. "We’ll make some noise."

Baffert said he’s led over some really good horses and "had to be poured out of a shot glass" after they ran badly. He didn’t seem to want to talk about his horse, Pioneerof the Nile, instead talking about the great experience of winning the Derby, something he’s done three times. "For all you newcomers into town, the first thing I recommend is you go to the Derby Museum," said Baffert. "It’s very emotional and you need to see it."

8:40 p.m. … Saeed bin Suroor is asked if Sheikh Mohammed is going to be in town for the Derby. He hedged a little and said "maybe," which probably means "yes." He describe his pair of Derby horses this year, Desert Party and Regal Ransom, as the best horses Godophin has brought to the Derby. "Desert Party was my favorite of all the horses we had brought over," bin Suroor said. 

8:45 p.m. … Kelly Breen, trainer of Atomic Rain and West Side Bernie, said he didn’t want to come up right after Baffert and Lukas. "That’s a tough act to follow," he said. "I kind of gave up a couple of days ago," Breen said about getting Atomic Rain into the race. The son of Smart Strike moved into the field by graded earnings with the defection of Square Eddie and the decision of trainer Todd Pletcher not to run four horses in the race. "I’m ecstatic to be here," he said. Lincoln asks what he’s thinking about as the Derby approaches. "I’m not a Kentucky boy so I’m not so sure I’ll get into ‘My Old Kentucky Home.’ Now if they play some Springsteen or Bon Jovi, that would be alright. I’m a Jersey bred."

8:50 p.m. … Eoin Harty is asked if brothers Colonel John and Mr. Hot Stuff have similar pesonalities. "No," he said, "one is an intellectual and the other is a jack-off, if you can say that." Lincoln mentions that the Dubai World Cup, which Harty won with Well Armed this year, will be worth $10 million next year. "It’s the only time you can get pissed for winning a $6 million race," Harty said, wondering why they couldn’t increase the purse in 2009.

8:55 p.m. … "This has to be the best named horse in the race," Lincoln says about Chocolate Candy as trainer Jerry Hollendorfer comes to the stage. "He’s destined to be a Hall of Famer," he adds about the Northern California based trainer. "I can’t say I know why she named this horse," he said, but I know she did name him.," Hollendorfer said of the weight-loss queen who has won the Epsom Derby with her late husband, Sid Craig. Hollendorfer said talk show host Larry King will be among Jenny Craig’s Derby guests. Lincoln pointed out that Hollendorfer has had bad luck at the Derby. "They tell me Sheikh Mohammed needs a backstop," Hollendorfer said. I don’t get it. 

9:00 p.m. … Longshot Summer Bird’s trainer Tim Ice is one of the first-time Derby participants. "We’re here and we’re going to give it everything we have," he said. "We weren’t really thinking about the Kentucky Derby," he said of the horse’s third-place finish in the Arkansas Derby, his first start after breaking his maiden. "We just wanted to see how good of a horse we had."

Lincoln asks if Summer Bird’s owners are in the audience and mentions that K.K. Jayaraman is a heart surgeon. When Jayaraman and his wife first came to the Derby 20 years ago with LeRoy Jolley as their trainer,  Lincoln said he asked the owner, "How can a heart surgeon have a trainer who has no heart. "

9:06 p.m. … Larry Jones gets a big hand when he is introduced. "I think everybody agrees Friesan Fire has the pedigree for it," Jones tells Rogers when asked if the son of A.P. Indy is the best horse he’s brought to the Derby in the last three years. He was then asked about the seven-week layoff Friesan Fire has had since winning the Louisiana Derby in mid-March. "Hard Spun was coming off a six-week layoff and that had never been done," Jones said. "Eight Belles was coming off a mile and a sixteenth race, and they say that had never been done, so we’re going to make Friesan Fire overcome both of those obstacles."

9:10 p.m. … Tom McCarthy is reminded by Lincoln that’s he’s 75 years old, "which makes you even older than Wayne Lukas." "I have the eyes of a 45-year-old," McCarthy said, adding that he feels like a young man. McCarthy tells the story of a wheelchair bound Navy veteran from Lexington he met after General Quarters won the Blue Grass. The name, given to the horse by original owner Ken Ramsey, is an order given to sailors. This was the first time the veteran ever came to the races. "I just had to come," he told McCarthy. "If you knew how many times in the middle of the night I had to jump out of bed when they gave hte order ‘general quarters,’" he said.

9:15 p.m. … Bill Mott, a member of the Hall of Fame, has never had much luck in the Derby. "If we don’t win it this year," the trainer of Hold Me Back said, "we’ll just try to get it done next year." Mott said. I remember back when Mott was training primarily for the late Allen Paulson and I asked him if he was frustrated training for someone who bred horses that excelled on turf and as older runners. "Oh, Mr. Paulson wants to win the Derby," Mott said, "and so do I."

9:20 p.m. … Jeff Mullins is told that I Want Revenge will be the morning line favorite. What made you send the horse to New York, Mullins is asked. "It was time to let him see the dirt and see how he runs on it," the California-based Mullins said about the Stephen Got Even colt’s winning trips to Aqueduct for the Gotham and Wood Memorial. "It seems like he likes the dirt a lot more than the synthetic tracks," Mullins added. "His stride changes on the dirt. On the synthetics he runs with his head down. He seems to have more punch on the dirt, too." How about Joe Talamo. "For a young guy," Mullins said. "I don’t know who impressed me more, the horse or the rider. They both gave me goosebumps." There are no questions about the detention barn incident at Aqueduct that landed Mullins a seven-day suspension from the New York State Racing and Wagering Board. The suspension begins the day after the Derby.

9:25 p.m. .. Todd Pletcher said Join in the Dance "will be in front" in Saturday’s Derby. "He’s not the kind of horse that you can take ahold of," he says. He said his biggest concern about Florida Derby runner-up was having enough graded stakes earnings ot get into the race. It turned out not to be a problem with defections and dropouts. "He just wasn’t ready to run until January," Pletcher said of Dunkirk’s late start, which means he’ll try to break the long string of Derby winners that had at least one race as a 2-year-old. "But he hasn’t missed a beat after we got him at Keeneland in the fall and he went down to Palm Meadows for the winter," Pletcher said. Pletcher was asked about his long Derby losing streak by Lincoln. "I hoped we might get through this without being reminded of that," Pletcher said with a straight face. Does the four-time Eclipse Award trainer do anything without a straight face?

9:25 p.m. … McLean Robinson, trainer of Win Willy, seems like a humble fellow who doesn’t seem used to the spotlight. I’m not sure, but I think he said he hopes Win Willy will run better than he thinks he will. That’s a confidence builder.

9:30 p.m. … By contrast, Musket Man’s trainer Derek Ryan seemed like a natural with a microphone in his hands. "Your horse is five for six and he might be 20 or 30-1," Paul Rogers said. "He can’t read the odds-board," Ryan said. "He’s done about everything we’ve asked of it."

9:30 p.m. … Gary Stute said Papa Clem reminds him of the Bob Baffert-trained Derby winner Silver Charm because "he just keeps on trying. … And I want to thank Win Willy, because if hadn’t been for him (he beat Old Fashioned in the Rebel Stakes) I wouldn’t have gone to the Arkansas Derby."  Papa Clem has been first or second in most of his races but was taken back by off the pace by Rafael Bejarano in the Arkansas Derby. "I was a little nervous," admitted Stute, the son of Mel Stute. Bo Hirsch, the owner of Papa Clem, is the son of the late California breeding and racing icon Clement Hirsch. If you ever have a chance to talk with another icon of California racing, Dr. Jack Robbins, ask him to tell you some Clement Hirsch stories. He’s full of them.

9:35 p.m. … Bennie Woolley is the first trainer I’ve seen at this dinner on crutches. Why is the trainer of longshot Mine That Bird on crutches" A motorcycle accident., he says. I missed the rest of it, and since I am running out of battery power and Wooley was the last of the trainers interviewed, I’m afraid that is it from the 2009 Derby Trainers Dinner.