BarbaraAnne Helberg's Blog
Posted by BarbaraAnne Helberg
It was a dream trip for Well Said in his second heat at the Little Brown Jug September 24, after he had dominated his elimination heat. Apparently, the Pepsi North America Cup winner and leading pacer in North America was having sweet dreams of victory a few hours before pacing smartly through his Jug elim.
If you've seen the movie Seabiscuit, you know what a relaxed horse is, but, believe me, you ain't seen nothin' yet! Not until you've seen Well Said's idea of relaxing before a big race. The land's leading money winning pacer was curled up on the wood chips in his stall, his head propped on his legs like a big ol' puppy-dog as he casually kept an eye on the flash-bulb-popping visitors vying for position a few yards in front of him four hours before he was due to shine in the Little Brown Jug's second of two elimination heats.
With everyone in front of him oohing and ahing and talking about how relaxed he seemed -- and how such a relaxed demeanor was a great pre-race sign -- a few spectators wondered if Well Said intended to interrupt his nap to participate in such a petty thing as the biggest American-based race of his life. The big bay Western Hanover colt was the 5-2 favorite for his elim heat ahead of Carnivore at 4-1, and it was hard not to wonder, observing the laid back NA Cup champ, if Carnivore might have a Well Said lunch in their elim of nine contestants.
But, not to worry -- Well Said has pulled it all together. He knows how to relax, he knows how to keep a low profile, and he knows how to win. Everything considered, everything was Well Said at this year's Jug.
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Posted by BarbaraAnne Helberg
"Mountain High, River Deep" is how race horse owner Nick Ben-Meir described the emotional experiences inherent with the Thoroughbred racing game in The Blood-Horse magazine column "Final Turn" (July 4, 2009/No.27 issue). The first rule of owning race horses -- don't fall for them! -- is often broken, it seems. In a time when the health, safety, and welfare of the performing race track Thoroughbred remains under scrutiny, such testimonials as Ben-Meir's keep cropping up voluntarily.
The anguish of top winning owners and trainers -- The Jacksons (Barbaro); The Joneses (Eight Belles); Frank Whiteley Jr. (Ruffian) -- received mixed reviews in their time, but one needs only to apply thoughts of flesh and blood to surmise the roller coaster rise and fall of emotions that follow gain and loss, life and death. Ben-Meir spoke of the high of winning with Sailor's Cap and the low of losing him to an inexplicable collapse just months later. Like reaching the mountain peak, then tumbling off and helplessly plunging down head first. Like shouting out the birth of and crying out the death of one's child. Like racing through extreme gain and loss in the mere heartbeat of life's time.
Ben-Meir began his high-low saga of Sailor's Cap with a humorous description of his seven-year-old golden retriever's attempt to hide himself between the couch and the ottoman to escape the screaming taking place between Ben-Meir and his wife. The couple were in front of the television, yelling and cheering on Sailor's Cap as he was about to win the 2009 Poker Handicap (G3 T).
It's likely the beloved dog sought the same refuge June 17, when the phone rang and the room was silenced by grief. As animals respond to us, we grow in response to them.
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Posted by BarbaraAnne Helberg
The brilliant Standardbred pacer Dan Patch performed and/or exhibited his considerable skills at county fairs. His presence was paramount to growing the pasttime of horse racing, which before and in his decades of stardom was the most popular sport in America. Then, it was harness racing, with trotters being the favored class, to which horse racing fans flocked. Thoroughbred racing began to take the leading reins of the equine industry after 1915, when the filly Regret won and drew growth potential to the Kentucky Derby.
Although rain sometimes washes out the races at the local county fair, the rest of the show goes on in a tradition old as the Pilgrims landing at Plymouth Rock. The Pilgrims created the first stock exchange and showmanship fair, so to speak, when they displayed and traded their bounty with the Native American Indians.
The Henry County Fair in Napoleon, Ohio celebrated its 156th edition this year (August 14-20), with full junior fair exhibition programs every day, as well as a treasure trove of displays and entertainment for adults who didn't have performing artists at the junior contests. The Henry County Fair has always been first about area youth and their many clubs and 4-H groups. The kids work hard to raise show market, or show judged animals -- dogs, sheep, rabbits, horses, goats, swine, and more. They produce needlework, grow flowers and veggies, paint, and photograph. In all contests, they learn the valuable life lessons inherent in competing against their peers and contemporaries.
And, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the opportunity for sheer forget-my-diet-for-a-day enjoyment of fair food! Elephant ears! Italian sausage sandwiches! Real French fries! Ice cones! Yummy!
Don't forget to partronize and thoroughly enjoy your county fair this year!
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Posted by BarbaraAnne Helberg
Scratching Justwhistledixie and I Want Revenge from their big races on Kentucky Derby weekend were spot on decisions by Thoroughbred racing connections. The industry enjoyed a moment well-deserved in the spotlight of rightness, for those two decisions were made for the best interest of two horses who were to be key participants in their pretigious races. Their removals from the weekend's two prime races, the Kentucky Oaks May 1 and the Kentucky Derby May 2, respectively, changed the faces of the races and altered public betting, all for the good of the animals.
Decisions of this type are difficult for all involved in the fervor of conditions that surround a big race day, and racing at Churchill Downs on the first Saturday weekend in May represents Thoroughbred racing's grandest celebration of its sport. Kudos for those key weekend decisions are justly deserved.
Another good decision was made in the Kentucky Derby running, as Friesan Fire, who took over the betting favorite's spot when I Want Revenge wasn't able to run, was badly clipped coming out of the gate. FF's jockey, Gabriel Saez, closely observed his mount's difficulty. Saez quickly determined that Friesan Fire recovered to gait correctly, and that the son of A.P. Indy could continue to go unhampered in an easy gallop. Saez dropped the reins and let the colt finish the race at his own pace. The 135th Kentucky Derby card will always say Friesan Fire finished 18th in a shortened field of nineteen.
What always won't be obvious on that card's statistics is that a jockey took care of his horse in a decision similar to that of jockey Kent Desormeaux aboard favorite Big Brown in last season's Belmont Stakes with a Triple Crown title on the line. That duo finished dead last, but alive and well.
Posted by BarbaraAnne Helberg
How about Dunkirk? He was eyeballed off by Quality Road in the final furlong of the Florida Derby. Without Quality Road in Saturday's race at Churchill Downs, will the son of Unbridled's Song step into a more confident stretch run? He may be trainer Todd Pletcher's strongest candidate in years. Pioneerof The Nile and I Want Revenge will be the top choices. Can I Want Revenge repeat his huge Wood Memorial effort in Louisville's twenty-horse field and longer sprint?
And, Bob, I do like your boy Pioneerof The Nile. He was awesome in the Santa Anita Derby, obviously a go-getter who Garrett Gomez was able to rate successfully. But, Bob, you stuck him into Derby Gate 16 to avoid excessive kickback in his first try on dirt. Too iffy for me. General Quarters is a big-muscled, beautiful dude with the great story, but is he too heavy for the 1-1/4 miles?
Any new capable shooters? Flying under the radar are Flying Private, Nowhere to Hide; Birdstone's two sons, Summer Bird and Canadian Two-Year-Old champ Mine That Bird; Atomic Rain, and Mr. Hot Stuff. Todd Pletcher's other two, Advice and Join in the Dance? All of the above will soon fade. Godolphin's two, Desert Party and Regal Ransom? Too much travel. The steady duo of West Side Bernie and Musket Man? Underachievers.
I see a stretch fight among Chocolate Candy, Papa Clem, Hold Me Back, and Friesan Fire, and I'll stay with Friesan Fire, my early season choice, even if my boy has fallen for Zenyatta.
Best Eleven Order of Finish: Friesan Fire, Hold Me Back, Chocolate Candy, Papa Clem, Pioneerof The Nile, I Want Revenge, General Quarters, Musket Man, Desert Party, Dunkirk, and Mine That Bird.
Posted by BarbaraAnne Helberg
General Quarters answered the bell in the prime Kentucky Derby prep, the Blue Grass Stakes. The Sky Mesa colt gets a Derby-qualifying bankroll and points in my rankings this time around. In February, GQ won the Sam F. Davis.
Old Fashioned, unbeaten until he went second to Win Willy in the Rebel Stakes, placed Saturday in the Arkansas behind Papa Clem, already a graded stakes Derby qualifier. Old Fashioned won't slip away that easily. He is Unbridled's Song strong.
Dunkirk, who hasn't raced since his second place finish to Quality Road in the Florida Derby, benefitted the most from the results of Saturday's preps. His graded stakes earnings are in question, so he's waiting to see who can get ahead of him in that category in the final weeks of Derby preps.
Here's My Revised Kentucky Derby Best Eleven this Week:
- Friesan Fire
- Pioneerof The Nile
- Quality Road
- I Want Revenge
- Hold Me Back
- Musket Man
- Desert Party
- Chocolate Candy
- Old Fashioned
- General Quarters
- Dunkirk
Dunkirk has gained ground for total graded stakes earnings over Win Willy and Crowded House (GB), as well as Bittel Road and Azul Leon, The Pamplemousse, and Imperial Council while favorites already ahead of him won again.
Quality Road's eyeballing dismissal of Dunkirk in the Florida Derby, however, left doubts in my mind as to Dunkirk's intestinal fortitude, while Pioneerof The Nile looked young and eager and ratable in the Santa Anita, and Friesan Fire's three impressive runs, along with his pedigree, still whispers in my ear.
Well-pedigreed Hold Me Back's second in the Blue Grass after his Lane's End victory seems to signal that he's ready, and I Want Revenge's quality recovery in the Wood is too much to ignore. Musket Man was great in the Illinois Derby.
Posted by BarbaraAnne Helberg
It's that time of year to throw caution to the winds and pick a Kentucky Derby winner. I like to go with the gut and consider Thoroughbred pedigrees.
My number one contender for the KD winner's circle is A.P. Indy's Friesan Fire. A.P. Indy, a Seattle Slew boy, has always tripped my trigger. I've been waiting for Indy to have an explosive son to handle the Run for the Roses. I believe Friesan Fire is the real deal. I would love for trainer Larry Jones to trot to that winner's circle. Jones is a top notch horseman in my book. My only reserve is whether FF will continue to hold up to his heavy schedule. But, then, think Hard Spun.
My next best pick is Todd Pletcher-trained Dunkirk, who looks to be a Big Brown-type freak. But Toddie has never won a Triple Crown race with a colt. His great filly, Rags to Riches, blew herself up beating the emerging Curlin in 2007's Belmont Stakes. A no-holds-barred performance in the Florida Derby this weekend will point Dunkirk to a favorite's spot for the first Saturday in May.
My Kentucky Derby Best Eleven this week:
- Friesan Fire -- A.P. Indy and Bollinger, by Dehere
- Dunkirk -- Unbridled's Song and Secret Status, by A.P. Indy
- Pioneerof The Nile -- Empire Maker and Star of Goshen, by Lord At War
- The Pamplemousse -- Kafwain and Comfort Zone, by Rubiano
- Desert Party -- Street Cry and Sage Cat, by Tabasco Cat
- I Want Revenge -- Stephen Got Even and Meguial, by Roy
- Quality Road -- Elusive Quality and Kobla, by Strawberry Road
- Old Fashioned -- Unbridled's Song and Collect Call, by Meadowlake
- Chocolate Candy -- Candy Ride and Crownette, by Seattle Slew
- Theregoesjojo -- Brahms and Slewie Blues, by Seattle Slew
- Imperial Council -- Empire Maker and Jaramar Rain, by Thunder Gulch
Posted by BarbaraAnne Helberg
There are few Thoroughbreds who have been voted Horse of the Year in consecutive years. The last to do so was Cigar (1995-1996), from whom Curlin wrenched the all-time career racing earnings title this season past. That alone would seem to have earned Curlin the 2008 HOY. He not only won the Dubai World Cup Classic (a $6 million race), he came back to American soil to scoop up every premier race in sight, save the last -- the BC Classic, where, as his owner and trainer had feared, it was the new Pro-Ride track surface that did in the champ after he had fought to a leading position in his final stretch run. But no Thoroughbred did more than Curlin in 2008.
We watched Curlin grow from his beginning, run in a wild and green 2007 Kentucky Derby, pounding out a third place finish down the middle of the lane as if to say, "Hey, wait for me, gents! I'm arriving!" It was his first year of competition. We held our breath as Curlin showed true courage in the Preakness, nosing out the Derby champ (Street Sense) for a huge victory. We screamed boy-girl during the Belmont as Curlin displayed desire, heart, and guts as he was himself nosed out by the equally courageous filly, Rags to Riches.
We were awed by the tremendous move around the turn on muddy, misty Breeders' Cup day when the chestnut left the rest behind and claimed true fame. Last March we bursted with American pride when the four-year-old colt put away the world at Dubai, and when he captured the Stephen Foster, the Woodward, the Jockey Club Gold Cup (second straight), and the money title.
Second straight HOY deserved? Absolutely! Happy trails, Curlin! We hopefully await your offspring!