Some Fillies Ran

Quite naturally, the highlight of the American racing scene last weekend was the Rachel Alexandra/Zenyatta show. But how did it play abroad? The Australian noted that: Rachel Alexandra has grown a Secretariat-like profile in the past two months, galvanising the hardened racing public and reaching out to catch the attention of Mr Average Joe and Josie. It just happened that on Saturday on the US west coast, the five-year-old Street Cry mare Zenyatta won her 11th consecutive race, the Group I Vanity Handicap, to stay unbeaten. Yet Zenyatta's excellent feat was swallowed almost completely by the events on the east coast where Rachel Alexandra made a stunning debut at New York's Belmont Park. And while I would quibble with the notion that Rachel Alexandra has gained a following like Secretariat yet (even if she wins like him when she feels like it), I would on the whole agree with their larger point - non-racing fans know who she is, while Zenyatta is still just the first half of a Police album as far as they are aware. (I base this on my extremely scientific survey of my work colleagues and family, many of whom have asked me 'what is Rachel doing next?' but who look on blankly if I reply I hope she will face Zenyatta at some point). While we in the racing community debate whose win was 'better' (Rachel's time! Zenyatta's weight assignment!) the fact remains that unless the Zenyatta/Rachel Alexandra rivalry can happen in person (and, ideally, on 'Jockeys'), few in the general public will ever get to know Zenyatta – and that’s the real shame. Were you aware that Rachel Alexandra has her own official diary? Now you are. While in general I'm not a fan of the Horse Writing In The First Person genre, I did very much enjoy the behind-the-scenes video courtesy of Blayne Blasi, teenage son of assistant trainer Scott Blasi. I hope to see more video added along those lines. I would also like to see the videos Zenyatta's trainer, John Sheriffs, has been posting on YouTube gain a wider audience – an official Zenyatta website promoting them along with other content would be very welcome. And while I recognize that seeing Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra share a starting gate is an unlikely dream (even with the suggestion that they could meet 'after the Breeders' Cup' - when? where?), I must continue to suggest the following: come on people - Del Cap! Here at Superfecta HQ we are about to head to Kentucky for some downtime, so please excuse our absence and expect to see us back in action on July 13th. Should anything particularly exciting happen in the meantime, fear not - the revolution will be Twittered. See you after the fourth!

Both Sides Now

I get it, I really do - after the debacle with Curlin in the Breeders' Cup, I can see why Jess Jackson doesn't want to bring Rachel Alexandra to the Breeders' Cup this year. But two facts don't quite fit in with his firm anti-'plastic surfaces' viewpoint. The first is that Curlin always seemed to perform better over a surface (any surface) the second time around - so can we be sure he would not have taken to Santa Anita in the long term? You can argue that the fact he clearly didn't love racing on grass (despite the fact that his sire has produced some strong turf runners) suggests he would never have taken to it, but it's hard to know for certain. Secondly, and more importantly for the argument at hand, Rachel Alexandra has already raced and won over a synthetic track, at Keeneland. If anything, I would take that as another point in her favor as far as versatility - she can win a 6 furlong sprint over synthetics, or she can excel at a 1 1/8 on dirt. Both are Good Things. In that regard, her record is almost the mirror image of Zenyatta's - Big Z has one win over real dirt, with the rest on synthetics. That suggests that both fillies could be even more capable than they've already demonstrated - but good luck trying to find out! While I'm annoyed that it's extremely unlikely that Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra will ever face one another, I think that we have a lot to look forward to from the Rachel Alexandra camp, especially with the suggestion that she will continue to face top-level competition later this season, perhaps in the Travers, and that we should see her next year if all goes well. (Obviously for my own convenience I'm hoping for a Del Cap/Travers combo - and it sounds as though that is not beyond the realm of possibility). And while I believe Zenyatta is an amazing horse, it seems that she will probably not get the chance to really demonstrate her prowess - unless she does go in the Breeders' Cup Classic (and against a horse like Einstein, who is proven on any sort of surface you'd like to throw at him - couldn't that be a breeding goal?). That, in my opinion, is the most unfortunate part of this situation - Zenyatta will never get the recognition she is (probably) due. But if skipping the Breeders' Cup means we see more of Rachel Alexandra next year, then hey, whatever works - although I think that's got a lot more to do with her humans than with her talents. I'd also add that I don't subscribe to the notion that there's something inherently wrong with synthetic surfaces - I don't believe the data is there to support that they are necessarily safer than a good dirt surface, but I enjoy the races run on them. This is largely because I'm a fan of Australian and European turf racing and I'm quite content to see their horses come over and beat ours - I think it serves as a useful reminder that there's more than one way to breed and train and that it's worth considering those options. True, some horses will never take to it - but let's not make assumptions ahead of time over which will and which will not. But that's a discussion to revisit a little later in the year - this weekend, we still get to see two great fillies in action, even if it's not against one another (or, in fact, much of anything). I really like NYRA's microsite supporting Rachel Alexandra's visit - the graphic design work featuring her name in yellow would make for a much better logo than the very plain white and pink design that's currently available in shirt form. By contrast, there's very little out there discussing Zenyatta's run this weekend. She does get a press release and short video on the Hollywood Park website, but that's about it - and the mainstream media certainly doesn't care at all. I'm sure the buildup to this race will be documented on 'Jockeys,' but by the time these episodes air, there will be precious little time left to see Zenyatta live - if any at all. Here's hoping both fillies destroy their current competition and remain healthy - and that even if they never face one another, they will take on some tough horses this year wherever they go. If Horse of the Year is the goal, Rachel Alexandra is already ahead in that contest (although there's more to do - don't forget Einstein, Well Armed or Mine That Bird) - and she's miles ahead of poor Zenyatta in the Wider Public Awareness Stakes. I'm sorry I'll miss seeing both races live (and I will have to see if I can get home from my conference in time to watch the US take part in its first ever FIFA final, after Sunday's and yesterday's miracles), but I will certainly be monitoring both fillies and the soccer from TweetDeck while I'm away. There is much TiVoing to be done...

Things International and Coastal Girl Power

Much of the news this week seems to carry a bit of an international flavor; there is talk that Wesley Ward's successes at Royal Ascot will bring more American horses (especially sprinters - Cannonball narrowly missed out on winning the Golden Jubilee). The Guardian put his accomplishments rather quaintly: A top-class Ascot success for an American-trained horse may now be just a matter of time. When it arrives, Cannonball and Wesley Ward, the Californian trainer who was as good as unknown seven days ago, will deserve some of the credit for showing the way. Given the strong track record Australian horses already have in the sprints at Ascot, it seems the longer-term goal is to get more 'mile and middle-distance horses' from around the world to compete. Attracting American horses (at least from the West coast) might be easier now with Polytrack reigning supreme on California tracks - stepping up to a top-level turf mile with that foundation is certainly possible. It's very unlikely you'd see an American horse step up to try to take the long-distance mantle from Yeats, however - while it's true we do have at least enough horses to fill the Breeders' Cup Dirt Marathon (we do, right?), we simply do not have much depth in the turf stayer division. But that's not to say we cannot enjoy Yeats - it's even possible he will contest the Arc this year (and seeing an eight-year-old stallion win the year after a three-year-old filly won and headed straight to the breeding shed would be a nice bookend). It's more likely he will point toward a race at Goodwood or the Curragh, but it's certainly an enticing possibility. (Vision d'Etat, winner of the Prince of Wales's Stakes, is definitely aiming for the Arc, after finishing fifth behind Zarkava last year). The international trend continued with the announcement of more Win and You're In races for the Breeders' Cup (the full list is here); races at Sha Tin, Deauville, Longchamp, the Curragh, Leopardstown, Dundalk, Moonee Valley, Ascot and Newmarket are all part of the package now. I was pleased to see the effort made to reach out to the Aussie sprinters via the Moonee Valley race, but given the incompatibility of our racing calendars, it's unlikely we'd ever get to see them send their best to the Breeders' Cup. (As a side note, I'd also mention how few of these races are going to be normally televised - why isn't ESPN going to be at the Del Cap? I've always seen them there in years previous). Heading back stateside, the racing world is very excited indeed about Rachel Alexandra headlining the Mother Goose at Belmont Park this weekend (naturally, I will be away at a conference and unable to attend - can I hold out hope for the Del Cap?). While I commend the decision taken by Jess Jackson to contribute a portion of Rachel Alexandra's winnings this season to charity, I do wish they would have picked one 1) that is less reliant on pink and 2) that actually sends a larger percentage of their donations to research. If awareness is the goal, it's all well and good, but if spending your research dollars wisely is the aim, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation is a better bet. Still, it's a nice gesture and I don't hate the idea of the bracelets (just the color), but there's still a long way to go toward decent official merchandise. I will take this CafePress offering over the rather anemic-looking HorseHats.com shirt any day (although I'd really like to see something more along these lines). As far as the race itself, it's not much on paper beyond Rachel Alexandra and Justwhistledixie (although I quite like the idea of getting a really top-class filly in this race to renew some of its past glory - even if few others bothered making the trip), but I will most definitely be following along on my iPhone. Of course, there's walkover action on the West coast too - Zenyatta (pictured) is taking on a few other runners in the Vanity, but she'll at least have the high weight of 129 pounds to make it a little more even. (Well, it still won't make it very even, but is should make things a bit more interesting for Life Is Sweet's presumed second-place finish). The fact that there is no unofficial Zenyatta merchandise suggests that perhaps her race is the one that needs a bit more marketing. Imagine the possibilities if both horses were in the same race... In the meantime, I'd invite you to visit our sponsors (left and right ads) for more - they are lovely organizations and we're happy to have their support. Cheers, guys!

Royal Ascot Day Three: All Yeats

Day three of Royal Ascot could only be about Yeats - but before we move on to his history-making fourth Gold Cup win, we'll review some of the other races on the card. There was no luck for Wesley Ward this time in the Norfolk Stakes - Yogaroo slammed into the favorite Monsieur Chevalier (who was going for his fifth win in a row), basically taking him out of the race; music fans will be excited to see that Radiohead came home first (although he got caught up in the traffic trouble as well and really had to be taken up before shooting to the lead) and clearly wanted to go on even further. It was a thoroughly professional performance from the winner (especially for a 2-year-old), if not the rest of the field. Weirdly, the horse does remind me of Thom Yorke from certain angles. The fillies were in action in the Ribblesdale Stakes; Flying Cloud finally won one for Team Godolphin and Frankie Dettori. She seemed much the best, and the race was happily devoid of the sort of drama the juvenile boys experienced. Then of course, came the 2 1/2 mile Gold Cup; Yeats looked bright, lively and intelligent while waiting to load - he's obviously a horse with a ton of personality. Once he made his move to the front, he was not going to be passed as he headed home to make history. As they walked to the winner's circle, Yeats and Johnny Murtagh were embraced by various members of the Ballydoyle team. Yeats clearly enjoyed a victory trot for the crowd - ears pricked, neck arched, just oozing triumph. The class with which he turned away Patkai at the end was the sort of thing one rarely sees in racing. Poor Geordieland, who played Alydar to Yeats' Affirmed in their two previous Gold Cups, finished a good 15 lengths back in third. Yeats made a second bit of history with his win today - he's the oldest horse to win in the modern era. It's rare enough to see a horse running at his level at 7 (when he equalled Drum Taps' 'old age' record last year - prior to those two, a 7-year-old had not won since 1929) - but 8 is even more impressive. There is some suggestion that he could be back to try again for an unprecedented fifth win next year, although you may recall that last year when we profiled him that there was talk of Yeats heading off to stud after his record-equalling victory - I imagine we should consider ourselves fortunate enough see him back at eight. After the race, owner John Magnier said: 'We're lucky, for once, we didn't put him off to stud when he was three or four - it's really great the way it's all worked out.' Indeed. When asked if we'll see Yeats later this season, he replied: 'Why would you stop with a horse that's enjoying himself like that?' 'People enjoying seeing him, and he enjoys racing, and we enjoy going racing with him, so what would the point be in not going to somewhere like Goodwood?' Of course, the stud career cannot be too far off at this point - he continued: 'The genes are there...not everybody wants to use a Gold Cup winner, but you need stamina in the stud as well.' Quite so. Perhaps now, more than ever? I'll be on the go the next several days and not likely able to check in on the rest of Royal Ascot, although I will be catching up and am especially looking forward to the return of the sprinters in the Golden Jubilee on Saturday. Have a great weekend!

Royal Ascot: Day 2

There was a bit of fallout from Johnny Murtagh's 'enthusiastic' ride on Mastercraftsman yesterday - he got a one-day ban for excessive whip use in the St. James's Palace Stakes. He picked up another six-day ban for his 'careless' ride in the Ascot Stakes, so he's now up to seven days off after just one day at Royal Ascot. Ouqba won the Jersey Stakes at quite attractive odds; he just held off fellow longshot Deposer, who finished ahead of Frankie Dettori's Ashram. Favorite Infiraad didn't ever fire and finished at the back of the pack. Ouqba's trainer, Barry Hills, is currently in the hospital and so the horse is being managed by his son, Charlie Hills - that must have perked the family up. The Windsor Forest Stakes also produced an upset - the aforementioned Johnny Murtagh got Spacious home first at 10-1 odds (although second choice Heaven Sent gave her quite a run for the money). Lush Lashes did get hung out a bit wide, but perhaps the extra five pounds she was toting around affected her more. For whatever reason, she has yet to recapture her great form from last year this season. In any instance, it's nice to see 6-year-old Heaven Sent put in such a great effort, even in defeat. Things finally became more predictable in the Prince of Wales's Stakes, with French Derby winner Vision d'Etat (pictured) beating slightly-favored Tartan Bearer; talented French-bred colt Never On Sunday was third. I've always liked that this race is reserved for 4-year-olds and up - perhaps we need a few more of those Stateside. The Royal Hunt Cup handed Murtagh another win (obviously he's loading up before his ban takes effect) aboard Forgotten Voice. He's an interesting horse with a pedigree I find quite appealing - he's by Danehill Dancer, out of a Spend a Buck mare. After a single start at age 2, he sat out his 3-year-old year with an injury and has started three times this year - so far, with a perfect record. Given his previous wins have come on all-weather surfaces, it sounds as though we might see him in California in the fall. There was a bit of controversy before the start, however - three horses were withdrawn from the already-large field for bad behavior. It seems no one was likely to reach Forgotten Voice today, however - mark him down! Apparently, what you want to do for Royal Ascot juvenile races is bet on Wesley Ward. This time he scored with Jealous Again (although after Strike The Tiger's win yesterday, she didn't go off at long odds) in the Queen Mary Stakes, and his logic in bringing these two-year-olds over is impeccable: "In America we train for speed and the reason I came over here was I thought the others in the race here are trained to go on for next year. "I just thought I'd get a jump on the other trainers over here. Your horses are bred to go longer and ours are bred for speed and it worked out today. " While it sounds as though these particular horses are likely to grow into turf sprinter/milers, does yesterday's listed stakes count toward Kentucky Derby graded stakes earnings? I'm presuming a Group 2 win like the Queen Mary Stakes would be added to the eligible pot. Perhaps raising the profile of these horses early on will pique interest in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. Runner up Lady Royal Oak's trainer, Clive Brittain, said his filly was 'the best of the English' - there was a bit of hand-wringing in some circles (well, really just the Daily Mail, but that's to be expected) after the Aussie and American wins yesterday (although I think French wins are all right, oddly enough), but it sounds as though some much-needed energy was brought to the winner's circle presentations. That's just how we colonials roll. The favorite got home first again in the Sandringham Handicap - this time, it was Moneycantbuymelove, ridden by Jamie Spencer. The Queen's filly, Please Sing, had to make do with second place. Just think - if the exacta had been reversed, the one-two finishers would have made a perfectly acceptable imperative sentence. Thursday could be historic for Yeats, who is aiming to collect his fourth Gold Cup win at age 8. Other major races on the card include the Norfolk Stakes (with another Wesley Ward juvenile, Yogaroo, in action - you know what to do by now) and the Ribblesdale Stakes for fillies. It's going to be an interesting day.

Weekend Roundup & Royal Ascot, Day 1

Today is the first day of Royal Ascot; before we get to the racing across the pond, we'll have a quick update of the past weekend's goings-on stateside. The was naturally disappointment in Camp Superfecta over Einstein's tough trip in the Stephen Foster (and let's give credit to Macho Again for putting in a fine performance), but the fact that Einstein still managed to get up for third after finally getting some racing room was heartening. Asiatic Boy definitely showed he's looking to make an impact on American racing as well with a nice second-place finish. Off the track, Quality Road continues to work toward a return to the races, but it will be under a different trainer – he's been taken from Jimmy Jerkins and sent to Todd Pletcher (along with five of his stablemates, although not all went into a Pletcher barn). Make of that what you will. Friesan Fire is also recovering well from injury, although his return to training seems further in the future. And so, to Ascot – first, the Queen Anne Stakes will likely produce a few Breeders' Cup Mile entrants; it featured Gladiatorus, whose effort in the Dubai Duty Free earned him the world's top racehorse ranking, as well as Paco Boy, who ended up winning despite doubts about his ability to handle the distance. It's difficult to know what to make of Gladiatorus after such a lackluster performance - perhaps he just doesn't like Royal Ascot. In case you are keeping track, the next set of rankings comes out on June 24th - in the last edition, Paco Boy was just under Mine That Bird (and two ahead of Rachel Alexandra). Clearly some serious number crunching is going to be taking place this week. The King's Stand Stakes again proved that the Aussies produce great sprinters; favored Scenic Blast (pictured) easily defeated tough Irish filly Fleeting Spirit and the rest of the field. (You may recall Fleeting Spirit finished fourth in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint last year). This marks the fourth time a horse from Down Under has captured this race. Clearly, the 4-year-old gelding is ready to take on the mantle – if Takeover Target wants to give it up. (He'll be running on Saturday in the Golden Jubilee Stakes – and it's possible Scenic Blast will as well - but so far only Takeover Target is having a film made about his life). The St. James's Palace Stakes was won last year by Henrythenavigator; this year, Mastercraftsman rewarded his many backers when the heavy favorite took the race. There would seem to be something of an iron-bound convention that an Aidan O'Brien trainee must win this race – Mastercraftsman is the sixth. Whether he will want to contest the Breeders' Cup Classic remains to be seen, however; one mile seems to be his ideal distance. His victory today was exciting, but very close – I would imagine he'd be sticking with the Breeders' Cup Mile come the fall if he makes the journey. The Coventry Stakes was won by Canford Cliffs; it's a bit early to say where the 2-year-olds will all fit but it’s no bad thing to remain unbeaten – even if it's only in two starts. Some are already labeling him a freak, though, so he bears watching. American-bred Judgethemoment won the 2-mile Ascot Stakes – who says we don't breed distance horses any more? That said, Judgethemoment is by Judge T C – the same Judge T C who went from a modest stud fee in New York to an even more modest $2500 in Pennsylvania (via a brief high spot in Kentucky) – he's now in Saudi Arabia. Someone got a deal. But there’s some speed in his bloodline somewhere as well – his half-brother Olympic Express (also known as Ecclesiastical) won the Hong Kong Mile, the Hong Kong Derby and the Hong Kong Classic Mile. And just because this is the internet, I managed to scare up some pictures of Judgethemoment as a foal. And if you wanted to see his 2-year-old half sister by Street Cry, be my guest. Judgethemoment's trainer, Jane Chappel-Hyam, is doing awfully well, considering this is only her fourth year training on her own. And finally for today, the Windsor Castle Stakes; while not quite as prestigious as the other races on the card, we can be proud that an actual American-based horse won – Strike The Tiger is a 2-year-old gelding trained by Wesley Ward. Given that there hasn't even been an American-trained runner at Royal Ascot since 2005, it's quite a coup – even if it's just in a listed stakes and not one of the Group 1 events scattered throughout the meet. John Velazquez was the winning jockey, so it's an American triumph all around. The second-place finisher, Fratellino, had quite an experience jump on the winner – today's race was already his eighth lifetime start. Ward has a number of other runners giving Royal Ascot a go (Cannonball already finished behind Scenic Blast earlier today) – it's a very good beginning. Tomorrow's highlights should include the Jersey Stakes with Gallagher and Donativum, the Windsor Forest Stakes with Lush Lashes, the Prince of Wales's Stakes with Tartan Bearer and Vision d'Etat and the Queen Mary Stakes featuring Capercaillie – or perhaps you'll want to back another Wesley Ward trainee in Jealous Again. Check back Wednesday for more!

Team Einstein Revisited

As we discussed earlier in the week, it's almost Einstein time. Saturday's Stephen Foster presents the perfect excuse for my favorite Brazilian-bred to finally get a little corner of the media spotlight, and some publications have duly obliged. There are two great articles about trainer Helen Pitts-Blasi and her 'best friend in the barn' and both stories include a few Einstein factoids I had not been previously aware of. To wit: Einstein will not actually turn 7 until October (although of course by North American reckoning, he's been 7 since January 1). He gets cooked oats for lunch and dinner. Last year's 9-start season was his fullest so far (after previous years had been interrupted by injury - most notably after his accident in the Dixie, detailed here previously). To put that in perspective, that's as many starts as Smarty Jones had in his entire career. Should he win on Saturday, he will be the first horse to win a G1 on dirt, turf and synthetics in the same year - Lava Man accomplished the feat over three seasons. And perhaps the biggest surprise: He is still not Breeders' Cup nominated. One hopes that the court-appointed receiver overseeing his finances sees fit to allow him to head to California this fall (and that he isn't stuck in another legal morass of the sort that prevented him from running on Belmont day last year) - he and his trainer deserve to be there on racing's biggest day. But Arson Squad and Asiatic Boy have both come from Dubai (one returning, one debuting) to make Einstein earn it this weekend - while neither one made much of an impact in the Dubai World Cup (finishing a very, very well beaten in 11th and 12th, respectively), Arson Squad did look more like his old self pre-Dubai in the Donn Handicap - where he finished a few lengths behind Einstein. He'll get a break in weight this time, though - it's certainly a factor in his favor - but the Dubai trip remains an issue for him. It's impossible to predict how Asiatic Boy will take to Churchill Downs (although it's hard to see him regaining his previous top form Saturday after the World Cup as his last outing) and it's always possible that Macho Again and Researcher (with the still-quite-hot Calvin Borel aboard) will make a move in the race; I also find Bullsbay very interesting and could well see him hitting the board. But we're confirmed Einstein fans around these parts - here's hoping he completes his own G1 treble on Saturday.