Thoroughbred Racing 2020

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Maximum Security made his return to the races yesterday by winning the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap, beating Midcourt by a nose while giving away 5 pounds to him. What a gritty horse! He really dug deep. So did Midcourt, for that matter. It was an exciting race. Baffert said he did not have Max really cranked up, as this race was really a prep for the Pacific Coast Classic, but Max is all heart.

 

[skipaway]

Maximum Security made his return to the races yesterday by winning the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap, beating Midcourt by a nose while giving away 5 pounds to him. What a gritty horse! He really dug deep. So did Midcourt, for that matter. It was an exciting race. Baffert said he did not have Max really cranked up,: as this race was really a prep for the Pacific Coast Classic, but Max is all heart.

It was a good race. I thought for sure he was done in the stretch, but he gutted it out. I was watching on TVG, they were rolling over trying to make Baffert some kind of guru trainer who was going to detox Max and show us the real horse. They never once mentioned Justify, Gamine or Charletan.

 

[aftershocks]

... they were rolling over trying to make Baffert some kind of guru trainer who was going to detox Max and show us the real horse.

Typical sophomoric, status quo coverage, but so silly. Max has always showed nothing but heart, regardless of any of the humans/ handlers around him.

 

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Tiz The Law was AMAZING today at Saratoga in the Travers! Practically cantering home at the end while the others were staggering down the stretch. So obvious in the final turn that he was going to win. His jockey was just sitting there and Uncle Chuck’s jockey was riding for all he was worth. Nice to see Tiz The Law win as a hometown favorite, and nice to see a small operation find gold a second time. They also made a $20,000 donation to Old Friends Cabin Creek, which is nice to see.

And the filly Gamine is also AMAZING. So much talent.

 

[aftershocks]

Some articles about Max, his latest race, and his switch to Bob Baffert:

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.co...lification-jason-servis-bob-baffert-luis-saez

‘Getting Him Used To The Way I Do Things’: Maximum Security Turns In First Breeze For Baffert - Horse Racing News | Paulick Report

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert was pleased with champion colt Maximum Security's first work in his barn on Monday, in which the 4-year-old son of New Year's Day covered a half-mile in :49.60 seconds at Santa Anita Park. “We're getting to know him,” Baffert told the Daily Racing Form. “He's a...

www.paulickreport.com

Maximum Security wins first start for Bob Baffert

Maximum Security won the $150,000 San Diego Handicap in a photo finish at Del Mar on Saturday, his first start in five months for new trainer Bob Baffert.

www.espn.com

Maximum Security Noses Out Midcourt In San Diego Handicap - Horse Racing News | Paulick Report

Making his first start for trainer Bob Baffert, Gary and Mary West and Coolmore partners' Maximum Security – the 3-year-old male champion of 2019 and winner of the $20-million, Group 1 Saudi Cup last out on Feb. 29 – made a successful return to the races on Saturday, winning the Grade 2 San...

www.paulickreport.com

In the second article, Baffert calls Max, "a classy horse,' and indicates that he and his team are 'getting to know him,' and getting him accustomed to how they train. In the first article, which is longer, Baffert is quoted as saying that he can see why Max was run in a claimer early on in his development, "because he's very lazy. He can be lazy in the mornings. I talked to Saez about how he's a completely different horse in the afternoons. He's a big game horse."

That's pretty interesting. So Max is a horse who apparently doesn't like to wake up in the mornings. I don't blame him, btw. So he takes his time getting acclimated to his day. But once he does, he's loaded for bear in the afternoons! I think Baffert's observations reveal that one of the keys to his success is understanding and adjusting to the personalities of the horses he trains.

There's been some back-and-forth arguing between racing fans regarding how the substitute jockey, Sedillo, rode Max in the San Diego Handicap. Sedillo pulled Max back a bit from rushing ahead too much on the lead in that race. But perhaps he pulled Max back by too much, which necessitated a harder time getting him into position for the stretch run. I think Sedillo was right to not let Max run out too fast and get into an early battle, but as new jockey on Max, he might have misjudged the pacing a bit for Max. None of that prevented Max from digging hard carrying a greater weight, while also having to run farther around outside to catch up with Midcourt and ultimately win the duel to the finish line, by barely a nose.

I hope Saez is recovered from his v i r u s diagnosis, and will be able to get back aboard Max in future races.

 

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Swiss Skydiver was very impressive winning the Alabama in Saratoga yesterday. Like Tiz The Law recently in the Travers, she was totally geared down partway down the stretch and still won by a big margin, practically cantering at the end. That is a mile and a quarter race, like the Derby, which is coming up in less than 3 weeks now. There was speculation she would go in the Derby —she’s number 13 on the list of eligible horses, I believe— but the owner (or maybe the trainer, I forget which now) said she will go in the Kentucky Oaks. She’ll face another freak filly, Gamine, in the Oaks so it will not be a walkover.

Tiz The Law is now #1 on the consensus list of contenders for the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Still, it will be interesting to see how he handles three big races coming up in the span of 2 months: Kentucky Derby in September, Preakness in October, Breeders’ Cup Classic in November. That’s a lot of racing these days, and it remains to be seen if he can keep his energy and performance level up. If he were to win all those 3 races, that would mean he’d won all the Triple Crown races this year, plus the Travers (mid-summer “Derby”) and then the Breeders’ Cup Classic. It boggles the mind. And especially coming from a small operation. (That operation has now won all the triple crown races plus the Travers, with Funny Cide and Tiz The Law, which is also pretty amazing.)

 

[pollyanna]

Kentucky Derby to be run without spectators

https://twitter.com/DerbyMedia/status/1296899947212746753?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

 

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Kentucky Derby to be run without spectators

https://twitter.com/DerbyMedia/status/1296899947212746753?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

Totally the right decision. Good job Churchill Downs.

 

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I was a little surprised, but not really I guess. But it was a fast turnaround from their plan to allow 23,000 spectators.

I highly doubt I’ll be going to the Breeders’ Cup in November. Or Old Friends.

BTW, Old Friends welcomed The Pizza Man as a new retiree!

 

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Nice gate to wire win for Maximum Security in the Pacific Classic at Del Mar. He was pressured the entire way and drew off in the end.

 

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I was so happy for Max. Not that he knows what’s gone on around him, but I’m still glad to see him still winning with another trainer. He has such heart. I am hoping for a good battle in the Breeders’ Cup Classic between him and Tiz The Law. Of course, Tiz still has to get through the Derby and Preakness in good order. The group that owns Tiz The Law is a big supporter of Old Friends, so it’s hard to root against them, but still. Go Max!

 

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I know it's not part of 2020 racing, but 2004 Belmont winner Birdstone has just been retired to Old Friends. He has made friends with Michael Blowen, the president and founder of Old Friends. I saw him in January at Gainesway Farm and he looked great. He still looks great. And all interested in everything going on around him.

It is killing me not being able to go visit.

Old Friends Welcomes Birdstone

Belmont Stakes & Travers Winner FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MEDIA CONTACT Cynthia Grisolia, [email protected], (502) 863-1775; or Michael Blowen, [email protected], (502) 863-1775 Belmon

myemail.constantcontact.com

 

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In honor of Derby week, Horse Country is partnering with the Kentucky Derby to offer virtual tours of Horse Country partners. The first one is tonight at 6 pm EDT, and is a visit to Godolphin at Jonabell Farm, and a chance to catch up with Derby winners Nyquist and Street Sense. The folks there have been very kind to me on several occasions, and given me a T-shirt and hats on a few occasions. And when I realized I’d missed seeing Holy Bull on one tour, the tour guide took me back to his stall again. I was especially glad of that because he died not that long after, poor guy.

You can follow from the Horse Country Facebook livestream or the Kentucky Derby Facebook page or YouTube page.

 

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Yikes, Tiz The Law drew post 17 for the Kentucky Derby. With the new starting gate, he’s actually further out than post 17 used to be. So he will have a long way to run. On the other hand, this will keep him from getting trapped inside. On the other other hand, he seems to be many lengths faster than the other horses, so the extra distance may not be an issue. The best horse doesn’t always win the Derby, often due to traffic problems, so at least he avoids that. And if he’s really the best horse, he will win. I am rooting for him because of his connections, and their support of Old Friends Cabin Creek.

 

[Vagabond]

Yikes, Tiz The Law drew post 17 for the Kentucky Derby. With the new starting gate, he’s actually further out than post 17 used to be.

Are you sure?

www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/243151/kentucky-derby-favorite-tiz-the-law-draws-post-17

"I kind of look at it as not 17 with the new starting gate," said Jack Knowlton, managing partner of Sackatoga Stable. "It's probably more like 13, 14, 15 maybe. It's a new world that we are in with the starting gate. Obviously, when you had that gap you were a lot further outside...."

 

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Are you sure?

www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/243151/kentucky-derby-favorite-tiz-the-law-draws-post-17

I read that the two sides of the gate are further away from the rail in each case. Maybe he just got confused. And actually there’s 18 horses and they’re going to start loading at gate 2, so he’s actually in gate18.

 

[pollyanna]

King Guillermo To Scratch From Kentucky Derby 146

King Guillermo To Scratch From Kentucky Derby 146 at the Kentucky Derby.

www.kentuckyderby.com

 

[pollyanna]

Pull Out of the Kentucky Derby? Pressure on a Black Owner Mounts

In any other year, Greg Harbut would be enjoying the achievement of a lifetime. On Saturday, he will watch his horse Necker Island enter the starting gate for the 146th running of the Kentucky Derby, a moment of pride for a family that over the generations has built its success in the...

news.yahoo.com

 

[pollyanna]

Finnick the Fierce, the 1 eyed gelding, has scratched

1-eyed Finnick the Fierce scratched from Kentucky Derby

The field for the Kentucky Derby has been reduced to 16 after Finnick the Fierce was scratched on Friday. The Derby on Saturday will have its fewest starters since 2003, when Funny Cide beat 15 rivals. King Guillermo, owned by former major league All-Star Victor Martinez, was scratched because...

www.yahoo.com

 

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Well, that was quite the Kentucky Oaks! Shedaresthedevil was a pretty long shot and she ran the fastest Kentucky Oaks ever! Gamine could not handle the distance. I hope this is not an omen for Tiz The Law. Not that he can’t handle the derby distance -he already has, in the Travers- but just that he’s an overwhelming favorite.

I actually don’t think that Greg Harbut should pull out of the derby. POC are under represented in the owner ranks, and the fact that he is there is a big deal. Plus it’s not like this opportunity comes along very often; many owners never get there.

But the protesters should protest peacefully, I think. Take advantage of the Derby publicity.

 

[Vagabond]

What a race! Authentic is the real thing!

 

[Lacey]

Authentic was definitely the bigger and stronger horse than Tis the Law at the end, Velasquez the jockey.

Baffert was choking up about his Assistant Trainer who was beside his other entry, #10 Thousand Words, who fell in the prep and was Vet Disqualified due to possible injury from the fall. His AT broke his arm in the incident and missed the race.

Then Baffert got knocked down in the Winner's Circle by his own horse, Authentic, who was spooked.

Hmmm, lots of spooking...

 

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I was bummed for Tiz The Law but Authentic beat him fair and square. Kind of a shock given his dominating Travers win.

Jimmy Barnes, Baffert’s assistant trainer, is a cool dude. He arranged for a bunch of us from Old Friends to watch Pharoah’s workout at Churchill, the one that everyone was talking about after the Preakness. Very very nice of him. And Baffert is a supporter of Old Friends, too. He checked them out very carefully before he recommended that Game On Dude go there for his retirement. Apparently in an interview he said something along the lines of, “donate to Old Friends! It’s not a scam!” Anyway, I hope Jimmy will heal quickly and that Baffert is okay. Funny the horses were agitated given that the crowd was not there.

I don’t think Thousand Words actually fell; I thought the announcers said he reared up and hit his head. Whenever that happens, it’s an automatic disqualification.

 

[Lacey]

I was bummed for Tiz The Law but Authentic beat him fair and square. Kind of a shock given his dominating Travers win.

Jimmy Barnes, Baffert’s assistant trainer, is a cool dude. He arranged for a bunch of us from Old Friends to watch Pharoah’s workout at Churchill, the one that everyone was talking about after the Preakness. Very very nice of him. And Baffert is a supporter of Old Friends, too. He checked them out very carefully before he recommended that Game On Dude go there for his retirement. Apparently in an interview he said something along the lines of, “donate to Old Friends! It’s not a scam!” Anyway, I hope Jimmy will heal quickly and that Baffert is okay. Funny the horses were agitated given that the crowd was not there.

I don’t think Thousand Words actually fell; I thought the announcers said he reared up and hit his head. Whenever that happens, it’s an automatic disqualification.

I have it on tape and am going to go back and watch, but I am fairly sure the horse reared up, sort of danced around on his hind feet, and fell, it really was sort of unbelievable. And I was kind of mad, in my general ignorance, of why no one could stop him from going down. I think that's how the AT broke his arm, the horse was on it??? And also, I am worried if a horse can withstand that kind of fall, let's hope he's not injured...I know nothing, but think his left leg was limping after.

 

[Vagabond]

Yes, Thousand Words fell, though the horse-racing term for it is "flipped."

Video here.

 

[Lacey]

Couldn't see it on the linked video, but did on my tape, at 4 hours, 6 minutes of recorded portion before race.

Horse did go down, "attendant" (my quotes, was it one of the trainers?) did have reins in hand, he sort of jerked him back down after horse went up, and he held reins as horse went down quickly and forcefully. The reason I mention that is it seemed as if the horse had a bloody mouth after, even commentators mentioned that. The AT Jimmy Barnes was off on the side, so I was wrong, it didn't seem, after all, like the horse landed on him, he just took a really bad fall. Baffert was right there. Scary stuff, but must happen all the time?

 

[Vagabond]

CRAWFORD | Kentucky Derby modifies 'My Old Kentucky Home,' and adds silence

Track officials considered not playing the song. They considered other options. It already was going to be different in this *********-altered reality.

www.wdrb.com

https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/243404/preakness-no-more-maryland-my-maryland

Churchill Downs ditched the lyrics to My Old Kentucky Home, which refer to selling off slaves, this year. Now, Pimlico is completely scrapping Maryland, My Maryland, which is a Civil War Era call to arms against the Union set to the music of Oh, Tanenbaum. At least New York, New York, which is usually sung before the Belmont Stakes, has nice safe lyrics about Vagabond shoes.

 

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Darn. I’m not surprised, but still. I was thinking there’d be some fans allowed at the Breeders’ Cup....

2020 Breeders’ Cup will be conducted without fans in 2020 | Breeders' Cup

To the fans and supporters of Breeders’ Cup,

www.breederscup.com

Well, I’ll just think about how much money I’m saving. I might go down to Kentucky that weekend, depending on how things are, but probably not. Old Friends always does a special day for Breeders’ cup when it’s in Kentucky, but I doubt they will do that now. And the farms always have open houses that week after the Breeders’ cup, but I’m guessing they won’t allow just anyone in. And the sales will probably not be open, although a friend of mine said you can apply for a pass; she got one for the September yearling sales. Sigh.

@Sarah I need to come meet Nay Nay some time.... Just to get a horse fix.

 

[Sarah]

@sk8pics come over any time! The boys would love you meet you! The thoroughbreds and Jiminy!

 

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Preakness today! No rematch between Tiz The Law and Authentic, but we do have the filly Swiss Skydiver in the mix!