Star-Studded Belmont Weekend Closes Out Triple Crown
You’re not going to find any inspiring back stories this week. Instead we provide a potpourri of subjects, including a brief look at the Belmont, an overview of the star-studded weekend, racing’s newest potential superstar, a look back in history, and some pedigree tidbits. So there is a little something for everyone. ~ Steve Haskin
Star-studded Belmont Weekend Closes Out ’22 Triple Crown
By Steve Haskin
It was December 4, 2021, New York racing’s final weekend of important stakes before winter racing takes over. It was also trainer Todd Pletcher’s last opportunity to win major 2-year-old stakes up North before heading down to Florida.
It was a bright sunny day with temperatures reaching the high 40s. In the eighth race, the Remsen Stakes, and the ninth race, the Demoiselle Stakes, both at the lengthy distance of 1 1/8 miles, Pletcher was unveiling two of his promising 2-year-olds, Mo Donegal and Nest, respectively. Pletcher is one trainer who likes those nine-furlong races late in the year for his juveniles in order to give them a solid foundation before embarking on the road to the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks.
Pletcher had won the Remsen twice and even had his 2021 Derby contender Known Agenda break his maiden going 1 1/8 miles before finishing third in the Remsen. Pletcher owned the Demoiselle, winning it six times, including the previous year’s running with Malathaat, who would go on to win the Kentucky Oaks and Alabama Stakes.
In the 2021 Remsen, Mo Donegal was able to eke out a nose decision over the promising Zandon, while Nest won the Demoiselle in similar fashion scoring by a neck. Six months later, Mo Donegal and Nest would finish first and second, respectively in the Belmont Stakes in one of the most impressive training feats in the history of the Test of the Champion.
Will we remember Pletcher’s feat more than witnessing the Cinderella story of Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike? It has been learned from NBC’s Kenny Rice that the colt got a good deal of sand and small rocks in his eyes, possibly going into the first turn, that had to be cleaned out by the veterinarian after the race. Will his tale either come to a quick and disappointing end or simply put on hold for a while until the colt and his team can regroup and attempt to continue the story at a later date?
That remains to be seen but on this year’s Belmont Stakes day, Goliath got his revenge on David and there was little back story that would even remotely come close to evoking the emotions everyone felt following the 80-1 shocker at Churchill Downs.
But is it possible that Pletcher’s Belmont coup was not even the highlight of the day that saw a cavalcade of racing’s brightest stars compete?
Three weeks after the Remsen and Demoiselle, some 3,000 miles away at Santa Anita, trainer John Sadler was unleashing a potential freak of a racehorse named Flightline, owned by racing’s most famous grape growers, the Hronis brothers, who had already made a major splash on racing. But even winning the 2018 Breeders’ Cup Classic with Accelerate would have to take a back seat to what racing fans across the country would witness with this budding talent in the seven-furlong Malibu Stakes.
California fans had already seen the $1 million son of Tapit demolish a maiden field by 13 ¼ lengths and an allowance field by 12 ¾ lengths, earning outrageous Beyer speed figures of 105 and 114. Now he was facing Grade 1 company and racing without Lasix for the first time. Amazingly, you couldn’t tell the difference between the Malibu and his first two, as he once again annihilated his opponents, winning by 11 ½ lengths eased up in a virtual canter, with jockey Flavien Prat never moving his hands and earning a 118 Beyer and putting together back-to-back Thoro-Graph numbers in an unheard of negative-5.
Following the race I sent a one-word text message to Kosta Hronis that read simply “Freak!!” He responded, “We’re just trying to soak it all up and enjoy it while we can. His talent seems limitless. America’s new favorite racehorse.”
Well, that last sentence had to wait. Unfortunately a strained hock, not a common injury at all, suffered in February brought this streaking comet to a halt. Even Sadler said this injury was unusual, and there was no telling when he would be able to return to the races. The target following the Malibu was the Met Mile, but those plans were now up in the air. Fast forward to June 11 and here was Flightline at Belmont Park to take on Grade 1 Carter Handicap winner Speaker’s Corner, grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner Aloha West, and Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Happy Saver in America’s most prestigious and historic mile race. But Flightline would have to face this formidable group coming off an injury, a six-month layoff, his first trip outside California, and racing at a mile for the first time on a sandier surface over a mile and a half oval.
What we witnessed bought back images of horses like Ghostzapper and Spectacular Bid, two other freaks who could do anything and overcome anything.When Flightline broke dead last from the rail and then had to rush up and steady twice tying to move up inside Speaker’s Corner, who was riding an impressive three-race winning streak, 
it was time to find out exactly what we were dealing with. Was Flightline going to be able to overcome such adversity? Was he really the freak we had seen in his first three races? He would have to be to tower over this field the way he towered over his previous opponents after having to face so many obstacles.
When it was over, “freak” might have been too tame a word. Once Flavien Prat was able to ease him to the outside and just move his hands on him he inhaled Speaker’s Corner and again bounded clear, winning by “only” six lengths. He had run his second quarter in a scorching :22 1/5 and his third quarter around that big turn in :23 1/5 before coasting home in 1:33 2/5, earning a 112 Beyer speed figure, his fourth triple-digit Beyer number in as many starts.
So when exactly did his team realize just what they had? As Kosta Hronis texted after the race, “We knew early on he was something special that no one had ever seen before.”
That no one had ever seen before. That was quite a statement. This year and next year will mark the 50th anniversary of the Triple Crown campaigns of Meadow Stable’s Riva Ridge (1972) and the incomparable Secretariat (1973), the horse no one in the world had ever seen before or since. 
It is appropriate that Flightline’s third dam, Finder’s Fee, is by Storm Cat, whose dam is by Secretariat, out of Fantastic Find, whose dam is by Riva Ridge.
Speaking of Secretariat, if you take the winners of the six dirt stakes on Saturday – Acorn winner Matareya, Woody Stephens winner Jack Christopher, Brooklyn winner Fearless, Ogden Phipps winner Clairiere, Met Mile winner Flightline, and Belmont winner Mo Donegal – and add the two big dirt stakes winners on Friday – True North winner Jackie’s Warrior and Bed o’ Roses winner Bella Sofia – those eight horses not only all have Secretariat in their pedigree, his name appears a total of 16 times.
Jack Christopher, who is looking more like Flightline Jr. after remaining unbeaten and untested in four career starts with his brilliant 10-length romp in the Woody Stephens, has Secretariat in his pedigree four times. He has now won his four starts by an average margin of almost 6 ½ lengths and his time of 1:21 flat in the Woody Stephens was only two-fifths of a second off the near-stakes record time of his sire Munnings.
If you add last year’s Sprint champion Jackie’s Warrior’s five-length victory in the True North in 1:15 flat for the 6 ½ furlongs, three-fifths off the track record, I doubt we have seen three more brilliant performances in one weekend in a very long time.
A good deal of the talk was about the small fields on Saturday, which, along with Friday, saw mostly four, five, and six-horse fields. Not only were the fields small, but they were dominated by racing’s powerhouse trainers. In the six dirt stakes on Saturday, Todd Pletcher, Steve Asmussen, and Brad Cox not only won grade 1 stakes they trained 50 percent of all the horses entered, with Pletcher alone accounting for 36 percent. In the two non-sprint grass stakes, Chad Brown trained 54 percent of all the horses entered. As we would say in Brooklyn back in the ‘50s, this weekend was not for kids in short pants.
Getting back to the Belmont Stakes, run in a respectable 2:28 1/5, not only did Mo Donegal finish three lengths ahead stablemate Nest, who stumbled at the start and then and was bumped by Rich Strike, costing her valuable early position, Nest was 3 ¼ lengths ahead of third-place finisher Skippylongstocking in a gallant effort and total domination by Pletcher and owner Mike Repole. To have male and female stablemates finish one-two in a major race, and both with the same owner, is something you hardly ever see. Only Citation defeating fellow Calumet stablemate Bewitch in the 1951 Hollywood Gold Cup immediately comes to mind.
While we’re on the subject of history, I couldn’t help notice how training methods have changed so dramatically over the years. Mo Donegal’s last work before the Belmont was in company with Nest, as both horses breezed an easy half-mile in :49 4/5 seven days before the race. Three other starters worked seven days out, while Rich Strike’s final work was 11 days out. The only horse to work within five days of the Belmont was Creative Minister who had a slow half-mile breze in :50 1/5. Using those work schedules let’s turn the clocks back to 1946 and Assault’s Triple Crown campaign in what is meant merely as a fascinating history lesson and nothing more.
That year there was only one week separating the Derby and Preakness, making for a four-week Triple Crown. After winning the Derby and Preakness, Assault shipped to Belmont and worked four times in six days, culminating with a mile work in 1:43 3/5. Six days before the Belmont he worked a mile and a quarter in 2:05. Three days later he worked a half in :50. The next day, two days before the Belmont, he worked a full mile and a half in 2:32, then won the Belmont by three lengths to sweep the Triple Crown. This was after racing three times in April and working seven times before romping by eight lengths in the Derby. With only one week between the Derby and Preakness he still worked a mile in 1:45 two days before the race. So from April 5 to June 1, less than two months, Assault ran six times, swept the Triple Crown and won the Wood Memorial, and had 17 workouts.
There is no rhyme or reason for deviating onto this path other than to show how much the sport and especially the horses have changed over the years. There is no point to prove or right or wrong. Racing was what it was then and is what it is now. It is just interesting to compare the two different worlds on occasion.
Ironically, Assault’s full-sister Equal Venture would produce Prove Out, who turned in two of the most incredible performances ever seen to upset both Secretariat and Riva Ridge, while also undergoing an exhausting training schedule from trainer Allen Jerkens, who like Assault’s trainer Max Hirsch was strictly old school. More on that story next week, as we celebrate the 60th anniversary of the birth of “The Giant Killer” and how he was able to upset Secretariat twice.
For now let us bid farewell to the 2022 Derby and Triple Crown trails. Because of the inspiring story behind Rich Strike we can only hope his bubble hasn’t burst and that his story doesn’t fade into the abyss of one-hit wonders and fluke upsets. The Belmont Stakes is not the race to decide his legacy, especially when you had a jockey and trainer who basically were strangers to this unique and often demoralizing racetrack and were unfamiliar with how to attack it.
Of the 20 horses in the Derby, only three made it to the Belmont, with one winning and two never being a factor. We had the Derby winner skip the Preakness and the Preakness winner skip the Belmont. So we now move into the summer racing season with the hope that the Haskell and Travers will sort out this perplexing crop of 3-year-olds. It has been an interesting journey since January. I hope you all enjoyed the ride.
Photos courtesy of New York Racing Assoication/Coglianese Photos
Congratulations to all of the winners and runner ups and to all the horses who gave their best in the Royal Ascot.
Once again I enjoyed 5 days of pageantry, tradition, the very best in horse racing and seeing all the fascinators, hats and dresses and of course the arrival of members of the Royal family (especially The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge).
While our American horses did not win, they did come close. Today Campanelle tied for 3rd in the Platinum Jubilee Stakes.
I think we saw the rise of some new shining stars and sadly the dimming of a couple of beloved stars (Stradivarius).
As far as I know all horses and jockeys returned safe.
Happy Father’s Day Steve and all the other Dads who comment here.
Tomorrow I am going to our little restored hometown theater and watching “Top Gun: Maverick”.
Thanks, Lynda, last day of Royal Ascot is always sad. I’ve been there twice but back in the late 70s. Much better and more fun now
Steve, the rain came as scripted just to add to the sense of melancholy.
Yes Lynda, the Royal Ascot Carnival was just fabulous. I actually watched a few races live last night/this morning after coming home from seeing “Harlequinade” (Australian Ballet). The costumes, shared by both American & Australian Ballet, are beyond beautiful. Each costume is worth more than $2,000+. I watched the remaining races early this morning, 39f and frosty, then started feeling rather dysphoric so I played The Seekers haunting “The Carnival Is Over,” just to seal the deal. Lol. Pierrot and Columbine are mentioned in the song and are the main protagonists in “Harlequinade.”
Off to Sandown, Newmarket, back to Ascot then, “Glorious Goodwood,” up to York…
Back to beautiful Chantilly tonight, Prix de Diane (French Oaks). Looks wide open here, perhaps Zarak’s daughter Times Square can assert herself at a price. Zellie seems more obvious though.
Sensational performance by Inspiral in the Coronation Stakes, Frankie Dettori wasn’t taking any prisoners in this dominating performance. 5 for 5 now for Inspiral.
That was an awesome race. She left no doubt as to how exceptional she is.
That’s right Laura, no doubt about it.
So happy for the Gosdens, Frankie and Cheveley Park!
Watched as much as I could today (vet farm visit today).
Lynda, do you have Herefords? Cancer eye used to be a major problem with a friend he switched to Brafords and introduced Santa Gertrudis bulls to the heard.
Hi Davids,
No, I do not have any cattle. My late father and his brother had a small dairy farm when I was growing up. My Dad had Guernseys and my Uncle had milking short horn Herefords and they had a Hereford bull.
Eye cancer is most commonly found in Hereford and Angus/Hereford cross cattle and cattle with baldfaces; Paint, Pinto, Appaloosa, Haflinger horses and in horses that have baldface blazes and certain breeds of cats and dogs.
There is genetic link to a predisposition for developing eye cancers that runs in certain strains or bloodlines in the Hereford cattle and the Haflinger horse (one of my horses is a Haflinger). The key to stopping the progression of the disease it catching it early when the tumor can be removed rather than the entire eye. That is why I have my vet examine my Haflinger’s eyes every time they come to my farm for any reason.
I adore Guernsey and Jersey cattle. A childhood friend had an Ayrshire on their beef cattle property which we used to milk as kids. She was so docile you could have ridden her.
Davids, have a funny story to tell you about one of my Dad’s Guernseys who was named “Daisy” (by me).
My Mom’s family was from Wythe County (Virginia) so we visited my Grandmother and my aunts, uncles and cousins quite often. If we happened to go up to Wytheville on a Saturday my Dad and I would go to the cattle auction.
I could not have been more than 5 years old when my Dad bought Daisy (she was just 6 weeks old) at one of these auctions. There was a slight glitch, however, and that was getting Daisy back to Bedford County (100 miles east).
At the time my Dad had a 49 Chevrolet Coupe that he purchased brand new before he and my Mom got married.
Now my Dad was a person who carefully thought out everything and he decided that the best way to get Daisy back to the farm was to take the back seat out of the car, store it in the trunk and put Daisy in the space where the seat had been in a bed of thick straw.
The whole way home (then a three hour drive at least) I hung over the front seat and petted and loved on that little calf. At one point I remember attempting to craw over the seat and sit next to Daisy. That of course gave my Mom a fright. She was a city girl and was terrified of any creature that had more legs than she had. My Mom was so angry with my Dad for bringing a cow home in the backseat of the car that she did not speak to him for several weeks.
By this time I was old enough and big enough that my Mom finally allowed me to go to the barn with my Dad to milk the cows and feed Daisy. While he milked his other cows, he let me feed Daisy with a metal bucket that had a big rubber nipple on it (she was so young that she was still drinking milk).
When Daisy was about a year old my Dad put me on Daisy’s back and for a long time afterwards, he would put me on Daisy’s back and he would lead her around in the field with me on her back.
Guess you could say Daisy was my first “horse”, LOL.
To this day, the Guernsey is my favorite breed of cow. They are so gentle, so kind and those beautiful eyes!
Lynda, thanks for sharing such a lovely, amusing family story. It’s amazing when you reflect back on your childhood freedom and exploits you were allowed compared to how children are protected now.
I used to spend so much time at my friend Woody’s cattle property that his mother used to kid to my mother that she was going to adopt me. Much to my mother’s displeasure. The craziest things we used to get up to racing each other on horseback or bicycles or mustering cattle imitating all the Western movies we’d seen.
One day we got the silliest idea of racing each other – one on horseback, the other on a bike – downhill to a gate and back again. Well, we took off hell for leather. However, we didn’t realize that the horse would naturally slow and turn away from the gate but the bike needed clever maneuvering at that speed. Splat, I went flying straight into the metal gate.
Woody jumps down, sees all the blood gushing from my my mouth and starts hollering to his parents that I’m going to die. I ended up ok though, just fortunate the teeth didn’t break skin and no bones were broken just massive swelling everywhere. Poor Woody, got screamed and yelled at but I convinced my parents that I was ok and would be fine staying at Woodys with the help of a sympathetic doctor. “Boys will be boys, part of growing up, don’t worry.”
By the time I returned home, a week later, all that was left was bruising and a faint scar that has disappeared over the years. The promises to both parents that we’d never do such a stupid thing again lasted all of a week or so but that was our secret.
Davids, your story is so typical of my exploits growing up.
I was an only child (and a Daddy’s girl).
My Dad’s farm joined those of his brother and one of his sisters and they had 8 children between them. The two closest to my age were boys.
We were forever getting into something and in trouble.
It distressed my Mom so that I was a tomboy and forever getting bruises, scrapes, cuts and even a concussion.
We did indeed have childhoods that most children will never experience.
LOL, there were enough of us that we could play softball in the cow pasture and used cow patties (piles) as bases.
One time one of my cousins came up with the idea to sneak a few of his Dad’s cigarettes out to the smoke house and we three would smoke them. We thought we had the door shut but the one cousin’s little sister peeped through the door and saw what we were doing and ran straight away to tattle on us. We all got into trouble of course and all three of us got a spanking.
They were wonderful times and I have so many cherished memories.
When we get together now we have lots of stories to retell and we laugh and laugh and laugh about the things we did.
That is so true, Lynda. We had so many adventures, the weekends and school holidays lasted forever because every minute was filled with something to do. At the back of our house were agistment paddocks with several ponies. As we became friends with the owners we were allowed to let the horses through our gate into the yard and help groom the ponies. Everything equine was just a pleasure.
Spectacular 3-year-old debut for the daughter of Frankel out of an 8-month-layoff and overcoming a poor break. Gosden did not enter her in the (May 1st) 1000 Guineas because “she wasn’t quite right”… he reckons Inspiral has blossomed now … and what a filly she’s become…! 10 furlongs will be a piece of cake for her…Another Enable?
Frankel also is the sire of Godolphin’s Hurricane Lane who looks favored to win the 1-1/2-mile Hardwicke Stakes tomorrow.
BTW the New York bred Spendarella was impressive in second for Graham Motion and William Buick…the daughter of Karakontie will be seeking a Grade I win back in the States. Pizza Bianca came from last to pass 4 other fillies to finish 8th.
Let’s see how Ward’s Campanelle fares in the Platinum Jubilee against Home Affairs, Creative Force and A Case of You … Irad Ortiz needs some kind of a redemption moment the last day at Royal Ascot.
Nelson, I think the Gosdens already have ‘another Enable’ in Emily Upjohn. In the making, anyway. The Arc is in her sights.
Congrats to these descendants of Secretariat who won or finished in the top three at the Royal Ascot today (so far)
Lysander, Changing of the Guard, Grand Alliance, and Spendarella.
Congratulations to Mediate (Aiden O’Brien – Ryan Moore) on winning the Albany Stakes at the Royal Ascot today.
This is the second win for sire No Nay Never in the 2022 Royal Ascot.
No Nay Never was sired by Scat Daddy out of Comical Cat (by Elusive Quality)
For Stradivarius fans that was painful to watch
Frankie had him tucked inside, and victory was there for him but his choppy strides could not get him there…so humid….Frankie walking him up to the gate I was worried….do right by him, that’s a race he once would have won….
UPDATE! I wasn’t watching him that well, was mostly watching my 4th place finisher….I thought Strad had a good look at the win, though, he was tucked in and waited…but had dead aim and I didn’t see him reaching….
Nowhere to go. Didnt get any look until swung widest of all and then too late. Then FD gets beat on two horses owned by The Queen including an odds-on favorite. Tough day for Frankie and the fans.
Nearly got there for the Queen…one more jump!…Steve I played The Ridler, win/place (its really win/show over there)…expected to be taken down! Then I saw I won! THEN. .I realized the defacto wager is $1, thinking I had won $110 was only $55 but….it’s $55 more than I expected, he fouled that 4th place horse!
Grreat pick. I thought he was coming down, too. Jock will be suspended big-time.
Again I am not able to watch any of this live so have to rely on the racing news as it comes out. I understand that TR was ridden in a way that interfered but the stewards upheld the win. One of the owners of a horse that had been hampered said unlike US racing order of finish stands over there. There are some differences in the way they do things.
I do love the track though. It really looks so huge compared to anything over here.
They have the full race replay now and he got 10 days suspension. The head on view of the end of the race showing TR drifting over made it pretty clear the horse could have been straightened out,
Yes, Steve, you wanted The Queen’s horses to get there, the roar from the crowd would have been phenomenal had they won. Stradivarius losing was a downer but Kyprios looked the winner from a long way out, traveling beautifully.
The progeny of Galileo have such determination to win, was thrilled by Magic Lagoon’s win in the Ribblesdale Stakes.
Yes, tears.
I have to wait until the replay to see it but early this morning on a British race show they were betting against him. I think 2 of them had picked the winner. They said it was the Queen’s horse Reach for the Moon’s race to lose so not sure what happened there either.
Hi Steve
Thanks so much for your articles and how they inspire so many comments by your community of readers.
Before putting to bed this year’s Triple Crown season, I have a question for you and your older readers. What do you think Canonero II’s Derby odds would have been had hen not been grouped in the 1971 Derby’s Mutual Field”? Six horses were part of the ‘Field’ which went off at what strikes me as a relatively low 8.70-to-1. (The other five members of the Field filled the final five finishing places in the race.)
The 1971 Derby lacked a superstar with Unconscious being the post-time favorite at 2.80-to-1. Other leading entrants were 4.80-to-1 Jim French (your go-to horse when outlining grueling Derby prep campaigns) and Calumet’s entry of Eastern Fleet and Bold and Able (3.80-to-1).
One reason I ask about Canonero’s likely odds is to speculate whether he might have faced longer odds than Rich Strike at 80-to-1.
I welcome your reply and that of others who remember how he became a media super-star and shined a bright light on Venezuelan horse racing.
greg (Fan of Damascus)
Hi Greg, thank you very much. And it is my opinion that Canonero would have been or should have been close to 100-1 but there were some really bad horses in that field so he might have been a bit lower than that. BTW the other 5 horses in the mutuel field finished 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th, and 20th
I was lucky to see Canonero II training, at Santa Anita in 1972, I think it was….or was it ’73?…..anyway he “honked” loudly, you could hear him fron other side of the track….speaking of “loudly”, remember the racehorse Loud? I’m sure you do, Steve gosh I wasn’t that old yet I remember some of those old horses like it was yesterday—“Yesterday, when I was young”….
Yes, remember Loud well winning the Travers and placing in three JC Gold Cups to Shuvee twice and Prove Out.
Back on the days when many New York stables came west, for Santa Anita in the Winter….now most head south to Gulfstream but 50 years ago in the early 70’s a young teenaged boy who liked Horse Racing those races were strong! 1972 Santa Anita had some epic Gr1’s! Turkish Trousers, Typecast, Convenience, Manta, Street Dancer two lengths apart, in Santa Margarita. Autobiography, Triple Bend, Unconscious, His Majesty, Good Council a NECK apart in the San Fernando, what a race!
Wow! I’m impressed sir.
Hi Greg:
i’m old enough to remember that one. I concur with the 100-to-1 Steve suggested. No one had ever IMAGINE a Venezuelan Derby winner.
What a difference a week makes. The drop off from last Saturday’s card at Belmont to this Saturday’s card is drastic. Not unexpected of course. After last week’s parade of stars, we get a “meat and potatoes” type card. The kind of program that you might expect to see on a Thursday. I’m not complaining. It’s the price to be paid for running all those great races on their Belmont festival weekend.
Steve – great wrap up of the thoroughbred racing season to date. With all due respect to your personal and professional ties to Secretariat, I have to take exception with your characterization of him as “incomparable, the horse no one in the world had ever seen before or since.” Well he might be except for the one horse who is the Zeus of the thoroughbred Mount Olympus – Man o’ War. I have chronicled many times why the ranking always comes down the same way in all the major polls of experts who have the background to objectively survey the entire history of US thoroughbred racing. But let’s just take the pedigree aspect you brought up with the current crop of winners. You say that Secretariat shows up 16 times in total on the pedigrees of 8 current winners. Now, Man o’ War’s continuing impact on current pedigrees is well-documented. So let’s compare the number of times that Man o’ War appears on those same pedigrees: Flightline – 29; Jack Christopher – 12; Matareya – 23; Fearless – 17; Clariere – 17; Mo Donegal – 21; Jackie’s Warrior – 26; Bella Sofia – 13….for a staggering total of 158….compared to 16 doesn’t seem fair! Looking forward to your pre-BC blogs after the Haskell and the Travers. Best, Dave
Hi David, let me ask you, why cant you have two things no one had seen before or since? Why cant you have two things that are incomparable? Some people, yourself included, still wish to compare Man o’War and Secretariat. Two different horses two different eras, two different worlds, two different sports. We have never seen the likes of Secretariat before or since and we have never seen the likes of Man o’ War before or since. Same goes with Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, and Mickey Mantle. You wish to compare who is better. To me that is impossible. As for pedigree why do you want to compare a horse through 6 generations to a horse through 13 or 14 generations? Who is likely to be in more pedigrees going back that far.? Let each horse be who he is and was without having to constantly compare the two. It’s all meaningless .
Steve, several years ago there was an article (I think on Blood Horse) about the trend of line breeding American Thoroughbreds, both sire and dam lines back to Secretariat. I have searched in vain so far in finding that article.
The synopsis of the article was that it was an attempt to bring back qualities of Secretariat to compensate for what has been lost as a result of the deep line inbreeding to Mr Prospector, Native Dancer and Northern Dancer.
I am not here to argue which one is the GOAT, Secretariat or Man O War; a senseless argument IMHO since it is subjective.
What I am arguing is the impact Secretariat, as a broodmare sire, has had on American Thoroughbreds for almost 50 years.
Bud Delp, who boldly called his horse the “Greatest horse to look thru a bridle”….when asked if he was concerned about Flying Paster, who had won the SA and HOL Derbies by 6 and 10 lengths–said “Paster better be as good as Secretariat, cuz that’s the only horse I’ve seen that could run with us”…..
Steve – All fair points. But let me expound on the pedigree matter, without taking anything away from Secretariat. Not many people today are aware of Man o’ War’s tremendous legacy as a stud which has had a profound influence on pedigrees to this day. Man o’ War had 22 seasons in stud, and although he only covered a small number of mares per year (25) compared to the practice today, his enduring genes are still very much prevalent in both his male and female lines. He sired 64 stakes winners, his sons won an unmatched 6 triple crown races — including Triple Crown winner War Admiral — and he was the broodmare sire of 128 stakes winners, including 8 champions. His name amazingly appears in the pedigrees of eight other BloodHorse Top 16 horses: Kelso (4), Dr. Fager (6), Forego (8), Seattle Slew (9), Affirmed (12), War Admiral (13), Buckpasser (14), and Damascus (16). One of his grandsons was media darling Seabiscuit. His enduring genes are still very much prevalent in recent top champions (22 connections in American Pharoah’s pedigree, 23 in Arrogate’s and 23 in Justify’s…..far more than any other stallion from any timeframe in these lineages.)
Frank Mitchell in his article Bloodlines….Man o’ War’s Century of Influence, the Paulick Report (3/28/17), put it this way: “Among Man o’ War’s sons, Triple Crown winner War Admiral was prominent during his lifetime and particularly through his daughters, War Admiral is an important part of the fabric of pedigrees. His daughters produced such major racers and breeding stock as Buckpasser and Hoist the Flag. The other highly visible son of Man o’ War who has come down in pedigrees is War Relic, especially through In Reality and his stock. Man o’ War, however, is widely distributed through pedigrees and through numerous sources…This volume of presences of a horse from a century ago is a sure indication of the importance of Man o’ War as contributor to our modern pedigrees; otherwise his name would have died out. There was every reason for Man o’ War’s influence to continue because he was a powerful factor for class and staying ability, plus a surprising amount of speed….One of the interesting things about researching my archives with regard to Man o’ War’s influence as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of his birth is the realization that quite a number of the great horse’s daughters, as well as sons, have survived in contemporary pedigrees. This is a considerable accomplishment because most mares do not have a large number of foals, unlike stallions, and the likelihood that the mares’ lines of descent will live on are naturally smaller.” Thanks for listening. Best, Dave
David, Sec. was incomparable for sure.
This is not to take issue with either horse’s talent or to make a claim about who rightfully owns the title of sine qua non. My response is about mathematics. Man O’ War was one of ~1700 foals. Secretariat was one of approximately 25,000 foals. The foal crops in the years leading up to and following 1917 were similarly small. The years leading up to and following 1970 were similarly large, with a peak foal crop in 1986 of approximately 50,000 foals. Put simply, there was a bit of a genetic bottleneck in the early 20th century, a superfluity of horses in the late 20th century; many horses came from fewer ancestors, allowing ample opportunity for multiple lines from the same early 20th century stallion to show up in late 20th century/ early 21st century horses. To wit, in Jack Christopher’s pedigree alone, there are at least 40 lines of Phalaris and 34 lines of Teddy. You could probably find similar numbers for Swynford, Papyrus, perhaps Commando. Fantastic stallions all, as was Man O’War. But all were helped by geometric progression.
I was thinking genetic influences as well. I’ve read for instance that certain percentage approximations of ‘blood influences’ per generations can be divided up mathematically thus: “If the ancestor appears in the “numerical” generation, then it contributes blood to an individual by a certain percentage as shown below.
“first generation = 50.00 percent
second generation = 25.00 percent
third generation = 12.50 percent
fourth generation = 6.25 percent
fifth generation = 3.125 percent
sixth generation = 1.5625 percent
seventh generation = 0.78125 percent
eighth generation = 0.390625 percent”
Even so, this is simply an estimate and that: “there are what we call ‘recombinations’ and ‘mutations’ in the genetic world, and genes are not always passed on perfectly either. Moreover, “a common ancestor doesn’t necessarily get passed on at a particular location on the chromosome.”
Subsequently, it’s a stab in the dark on really going past the third generation on where or by whom an influence may come. Romanticism, in predicating where a sire/dam influence exists in thoroughbred breeding is part of the charm.
Davids – the chart you listed is called “blood quantum” or Indian blood laws.
Blood quantum is defined as the fraction of their ancestors, out of their total ancestors, who are documented as full-blood.
Blood quantum laws originated in the Virginia Colony in the early 1700’s as a way of designating who would be classified as Native American Indian. It was not used by the tribes until 1934 and is still in use today by some tribes as a means of assigning tribal membership.
Blood quantum does not take DNA testing into consideration nor does it recognize intermarriage between tribe or in the case of horses, line inbreeding.
Just to give you an example. By blood quorum I am 12.5% Cherokee on my maternal grandmother’s side (which is documented by the Dawes Rolls). However, DNA testing has revealed that I am 25% Native American. DNA testing is not refined enough to prove which tribe(s) I am descended from, only that the markers are there that I am Native American and descended from a single ancestral group (a unique variant (an allele) of a genetic marker in the DNA of modern-day Native American people.).
This also applies to the Thoroughbred horse. DNA testing of the Thoroughbred horse has shown the breed can be traced back to 26 common ancestors that include the Darley, Godolphin and Byerly Turk.
Recent DNA and genetic studies have revealed that the common ancestor of the “cold blooded” English mares that were bred to the imported stallions (there were more “Arabian” stallions imported than just the 3 noted above) was a now extinct breed, the Irish Hobby (Hobby is the Gaelic word for speed, swift). These horses, developed in Ireland well before the 13th century, were imported into Britain for racing and light military use for many centuries, and contributed to their pre-thoroughbred and thoroughbred racing breeds.The Irish Hobby also contributed to the American Thoroughbred, Standardbred, Saddlebred, Tennessee Walker, Missouri Fox Trotter and Morgan breeds and traces the Irish hobby to the northern Iberian peninsula, where it has an extant relative-the Asturcón. The Irish hobby contributed to the development of both the Connemara and the Irish draught breeds.
I think that it will come as a surprise to many that Irish and British native mares contributed an estimated 61% to the maternal genes of the modern thoroughbred. The speed gene came into the thoroughbred through one of these mares. Arab mares only contributed 8% and Oriental (non-Arab) mares 31%.
Lynda, that was fascinating to read. You’ve also peaked my interest on the DNA of draught/draft horses. There’s a stud in country Victoria that breeds Shires and Percheron which I’m going to visit in Spring. The temptation to buy may be too much so I’ll take a friend to talk me out of it.
Ah the marvels of genetic research!
Speaking of the Percheron, one of the best horses I ever owned was a Percheron/Appaloosa gelding. He was an awesome mountain trail riding horse. He was so well trained (to move off leg pressure) that I could walk out into the pasture and hop up on him (with the aid of a fence or a big rock) and ride him anywhere without a halter or bridle.
The Shire is now on the endangered species list as are several other draft breeds such as the American Cream.
Her Majesty The Queen has been instrumental in trying to save the draft/draught breeds from extinction in England.
The Irish Hobby is thought to have descended from the Palfrey, a lightweight and very expensive horse that originated in Germany and France. There is a great deal of evidence that the Irish Hobby was imported to England and Scotland for various activities, including racing, “…they be so light and swift”. The breed is the origin of the term hobby horse. A common Irish phrase associated with the term is “go get on your hobby horse”, which is an idiom to complain about a subject, topic, or issue in which one is excessively interested.
Hobbies were used successfully by both sides during the Wars of Scottish Independence, with Edward I of England trying to gain advantage by preventing Irish exports of the horses to Scotland. Robert Bruce employed the hobby for his guerrilla warfare and mounted raids, covering 60 to 70 miles a day.
Lynda, you are light years ahead of me. I fell in love with tracking “black type” in pedigrees as a 12 year old, but I’ve never delved as deep as you. Understandable as you are a horse woman with a fascinating “pedigree” in your own right. Fascinating stuff, as Davids so eloquently says.
Thank you Ms Blacktype.
Not sure that I am lightyears ahead of anyone, its just that horses have been my passion since the day I was born (practically) and since I was about 15 I have been working on the history of my family (ancestors).
All very good points, and well put! As for the romanticism, it is part of what draws so many of us to this sport, I think. There are a fair number of cynical hardboot types, too, but romantics abound!
That’s right, the test tube might be explaining everything but half the fun/dreams disappear under it’s gaze. Prepotency, and stamping the progeny lives on forever.
Does anybody remember the Uber-Hyped BB horse Bezos? He was something like 26-1 in Kentucky Derby Future Wagers before he ever ran a race. I think that one of the Las Vegas Sports Books had him at something like 15-1 to win the Derby. He’s being trained by Mike Maker now who might be his 4th trainer. Well, he’s entered in a $30,000 Claimer at Belmont on Saturday to be run over a Mile on the turf. This will be his 2nd time offered for a claiming tag. His record stands at 9 1-0-0. He won his 2nd race at Santa Anita and has lost 7 in a row since. Sad story. The good news is that he will be running 3rd off of the layoff for Maker. Now or never time?
Bezos has been trained by BB, Rodolphe Brisset, Linda Rice and now Mike Maker. Maker claimed him for $50,000 at Churchill Downs in November and immediately sent him to the sidelines. On Saturday, he races 3rd off the layoff and comes back quick only 13 days after his last start. Which might be a good sign. Maker lures Flavien Prat to ride him for the second time. The first time was his only win way back March of 2021. This will only be his 2nd try on turf. I wish him well, but, at this point, he’s hard to trust. BTW, Maker claimed him for $50k and risks him for $30k on Saturday. Mike Maker wins with this move quite often.
I wouldntbet him with your money …
Agreed!
Best finish by our American horses today at Royal Ascot was Love Reigns (Wesley Ward, Irad Ortiz and Stonestreet) in the Queen Mary Stakes. Better luck the rest of the week!
Some great racing today. Really enjoyed it.
Me too! Irad was constantly looking over at yhe unruly horse…he was trying to time the break but didn’t know they scratch horses and let them go, he didn’t know their ways, and THAT’S on Ward!
Dubawi, and son New Bay, are certainly making a statement for themselves.
Fell in love today with Saffron Beach by New Bay and Little Big Bear (by No Nay Never).
I read that Irad Ortiz Jr has just been suspended 5 days for careless riding at Royal Ascot. Gary Stevens often says that all major US jockeys should spend a year in Europe riding as it would improve their skills immensely.
Hi Davids, yes Irad was suspended for 5 days for after he was “deemed to have allowed Love Reigns to drift left shortly after the start, forcing Katey Kontent to move from her intended line”.
Irad has had a number if suspensions across his career for reasons similar to this one.
I see that he is still scheduled to ride the Ward horses in the Royal Ascot so not sure how that works.
As to comments that Irad cost Golden Pal the race on Tuesday, I cannot agree with that.
I am not knocking Golden Pal or Mr, Ward or the connections, but he was simply outclassed in my opinion.
With his constant reckless style of riding I knew he wouldnt escape the British stewards
With Irad, it is not a matter of if, but rather a matter of when his reckless riding will result in a tragedy.
Irad is horrible, a big neg. for racing.
Riding overseas on these historic tracks is not the same as here in the states. Downhill, uphill, turns are slightly different. Being a top US jockey means nothing over there.
Laura, exactly!
A number of my horse racing friends who follow European racing much more closely than I do are at a loss for words as to why Mr. Ward engaged the services of Irad for the Royal Ascot.
Mr. Ward maybe regretting that call and probably not the only trainer either second guessing themselves on their choice of jockeys so far at this meet. I did watch Good Morning from Ascot again and they were all outraged about the ride turned in by 2-time champion jockey Paul Hanagan. The consensus was the win should have been stripped and even more then the 10-day ban. They called it an excuse for dangerous riding in the future. I believe Irad is riding again today and so is Joel Rosario. Frankie Dettori is not having a good meet at all.
People seem to be forgetting about Messier and Taiba. Myself included. I think that they will be major “players” where ever they show up this Summer and Fall. Especially, Taiba. He seems like a colt with plenty of upside.
Do Messier and Taiba go back to BB? That will be interesting as well.
All horses close to the Derby pace get a mulligan! Taiba is GOOD! Zozos is GOOD! And Hopper is going to be a force to reckon with, he WANTS IT!
TommyMc, Equibase is showing Yakteen as trainer of record.
The colt has had 3 works since the Darby, all in June.
6/13/2022 Dirt 4F 49.20 Handily 21/59
6/8/2022 Dirt 4F 48.40 Handily 4/17
6/3/2022 Dirt 3F 36.80 Handily 1/19
He is listed as a possible in the Haskell on another web site.
Other probable/possible for the Haskell include White Abarrio and Jack Christopher.
Thanks Steve for this potpourri that flows like a delightful melody in the minds of your readers.
The epilogue to the first half of the racing season is a good opportunity to sincerely thank you for sharing your plethora of racing memories and knowledge. I really appreciate the addition of historical photos accompanying your articles; and of course, your extensive and unique coverage of the Derby trail has become an institution among horse racing people and fans equally.
We should also give special thanks to Leonard Lusky for safeguarding the respectful tone of the commentaries to stay true to the mission and values of the Secretariat website.
The finale of the TC series could not be more exciting not only after the 1-2 of Pletcher in the Belmont Stakes but also thanks to the breathtaking spectacle of Flightline, the performance of a brilliant rising star named Jack Christopher, the sprinting dominance of champion Jackie’s Warrior and the photo finish thrill of Clairiere and Malathaat. They all constitute a promise to even more thrilling second half of the racing year.
Mo Donegal’s win in the Belmont Stakes re-ignited the Remsen Stakes as a key 2-year-old Stakes. Thunder Gulch was the last Remsen winner who went on to also win the (1995) Belmont Stakes and any TC race for that matter. Empire Maker, who was third in the Remsen, endured to win the Belmont in 2003.
Flightline is one of those horses who is beyond any superlative. Hyperbole has become his second name.
I can’t help it to believe the son of Tapit to be invincible at any distance as his genetic fabric screams stamina. When you see Classic distance horses like A.P. Indy, Unbridled, In Excess and Dynaformer just in his third generation, you can easily picture him loving going longer as well. In my mind Flightline is more than able to run 1 ¼-mile in less than 2 minutes … The super star has been just warming up…!
I hope he is sound enough to reach the Breeder’s Cup Classic and prove my assumption.
The one-million-dollar Whitney Stakes at Saratoga on August 6th looks like a natural next step for Flightline to “test” him at 9 furlongs. From there it is foreseeable to have him in the Pacific Classic or in the million-dollar Jockey Club Gold Cup (both on September 3rd). He would then prove his ability to ace the 1 ¼ mile.
That path would be a classic one to his eventual crowning moment in the BC Classic at Keeneland on November 5th.
Life is Good, Country Grammar, Mandaloun, Hot Rod Charlie , Olympiad, Stilleto Boy, Express Train and any top 3-year-old will most likely taste the conquering power of the mighty Flightline as Happy Saver and Speaker’s Corner did last Saturday.
A horse with the aura of greatness of Flightline would have been a headliner in every Sports media of the 70’s… perhaps the fact that he’s run so sparsely has somehow deferred his stature as a super star in the eyes of the general public and to the main sports news outlets… A healthy and happy Flightline will make him a main protagonist of horse racing by year end…!
Yes, Nelson, where to place Flightline in preparation for second half of the year and, moreover, standing of great racehorses is quite tricky. I tend to think the conservative San Diego Handicap, Pacific Classic, Awesome Again Stakes route to the Breeders’ Cup Classic is the more likely but I do admire your ambitious proposal. The shipping around the country is the negative here but who knows?
Where to place Flightline in the pantheon of wonder horses is even more problematic. Should Flightline remain undefeated and continually win in the same vein where do you place him? Best horse this century is an easy cop out. I’ll take it. Ha ha
Good post.
Sorry Nelson, that was my post above. It’s been a long cold day here with broken sleep from howling winds the night before.
Coincidentally here (Calgary) we are experiencing continuous rain with very strong winds for the second day…worried the shingles might snap at any moment if the extreme conditions persist…
You are probably right about Saddler keeping him in California … I would just like to see him running 1 1/4 mile before the big day at Keeneland and the million dollar Pacific Classic would suffice…
Anyway, seems like there are a world of options when you have a horse like Flightline.
So hot here the metal gate to one of my pastures burned my hand when I opened it.
But can you fry an egg on the pavement?
Fry an egg and cook a steak.
Ugh. Perfectly beautiful here in the Catskills today. Makes up for the 7-8 months of winter and mud season!
Good luck, Nelson. What I fear for most with extreme weather are the large mammals like elephants, giraffes, rhinos et al who could be wiped out by drought so easily in one or two bad seasons.
With Flightline, it’s doubtful he’ll race past this year so you have a limited ‘luxury’ of seeing one of the most gifted racehorses this century.
Davids, maybe. However the owners, Hronis Racing LLC, tends to race their champions to age 5. All three have their top horses have raced to at least age 5 (Accelerate, Catalina Cruiser and Stellar Wind).
I may be completely mistaken but I’m sure I saw Bill Farish among the well wishers close to Flightline after the running of the Met Mile.
Both Accelerate and Catalina Cruiser did retire to Lanes End. Stellar Wind was sold as a broodmare and sent to Ireland to be bred to Galileo in 2019 and 2020.
We can type any name we want in that box. I’ve thought about signing in as Simon. Or Survey.
Nelson, I enjoyed reading your thoughts on Flightline. If the Breeders Cup Classic is his final race (Does anyone seriously believe that he’ll race after that?), Flightline will not be remembered years from now as one of the greats due to his abbreviated résumé. Plus there’s the question yet to be answered: Will he retire undefeated? That isn’t a given.
Thanks EddieF. I was thinking about the same scenarios…
We the fans would love to see Flightline running next year and possibly (forgive me getting ahead of myself) having a Hall of Fame career but unlike Accelerate (who ran to the age of 6) he is not owned by Hronis alone but by a big partnership (Hronis Racing LLC, Siena Farm LLC, Summer Wind Equine LLC, West Point Thoroughbreds and Woodford Racing, LLC)… it seems very unlikely they would reject any multimillion dollar offer from a mega breeder.
Short campaigns seem to be the new normal specially for superior runners with proven pedigrees. Imagine the standards of the Hall of Fame changing because of that trend… if your horse wins 5 or 6 Grade I races albeit in one year he would be nevertheless inducted. The era of immediate satisfaction and short attention span is here to stay…lol
Any idea of the fewest career starts for a Hall of Fame horse?
Lexington and Sir Archy with 7 starts…
From Wikipedia:
Name Inducted Career years Starts Wins
Lexington 1955 1853–1854 7 6
Sir Archy 1955 1808–1809 7 4
American Eclipse 1970 1818–1823 8 8
Artful 1956 1904–1905 8 6
Commando 1956 1900–1901 9 7
Majestic Prince 1988 1968–1969 10 9
A.P. Indy 2000 1991–1992 11 8
American Pharoah 2021 2014-2015 11 9
Ghostzapper 2012 2002–2005 11 9
Regret 1957 1914–1917 11 9
Ruffian 1976 1974–1975 11 10
Ruthless 1975 1866–1867 11 7
Invasor 2013 2005–2007 12 11
Go For Wand 1996 1989–1990 13 10
Personal Ensign 1993 1986–1988 13 13
Point Given 2010 2000–2001 13 9
Sunday Silence 1996 1988–1990 14 9
Tim Tam 1985 1957–1958 14 10
Bimelech 1990 1939–1941 15 11
Chris Evert 1988 1973–1975 15 10
Colin 1956 1907–1908 15 15
Genuine Risk 1986 1979–1981 15 10
Real Delight 1987 1952–1953 15 12
Sysonby 1956 1904–1905 15 14
Tiznow 2009 2000–2001 15 8
No doubt Justify, 6 for 6, will join the Hall of Fame on the first attempt.
Probably. The TC would be the determining factor, of course. If he had been 6 for 6 but no TC (let’s say he won two TC races, but didn’t compete in a third), and the “replacement” win was a big G1, he would not likely enter the HOF.
Great find, Nelson. So in “modern” times, the minimum number of starts is 10. That’s not a good sign for Flightline if he doesn’t approach that number.
Majestic Prince comes to mind when recollecting near misses to the HoF… retired after a Belmont Stakes he should not have run.
Arts and Letters stayed through a spectacular 3-y-old campaign which was sufficient to be a Hall of Famer (did not do much as a 4-year-old).
Majestic Prince could have had a HoF campaign (running in the West) had he been able to stay healthy to face Arts and Letters again in any of the big Stakes of the Summer and Fall.
Correction: Majestic Prince is in the HoF despite being retired after the Belmont…
In case anyone is interested this is a list of American horses racing this week in the Royal Ascot:
Wesley Ward – Irad Ortiz up on all of Mr Ward’s entries
2-year-old filly Love Reigns, Queen Mary Stakes on Wednesday 10/3 Owned by Stonestreet
2-year-old Seismic Spirit runs in the Windsor Castle Stakes on Wednesday 12/1
Ruthin – Palace of Holyroodhouse Stakes on Friday
Campanelle Platinum Jubilee, on Saturday
Christophe Clement – Joel Rosario up
Pizza Bianca goes in the Coronation Stakes, a one-turn mile for 3-year-old fillies – Friday
Slipstream runs the same day in the straight-course, six-furlong Commonwealth Cup – Friday
Graham Motion – Jose Ortiz up
Spendarella, unbeaten after three races and based at Fair Hill with trainer Graham Motion, also goes in the Coronation, which is coming up a very hot race this year. The Americans face Homeless Songs, excellent winner of the Irish 1000 Guineas; Cachet, who won the 1000 Guineas in England; and Inspiral, who was the winter-book 1000 Guineas favorite but will be making her 2022 debut at Royal Ascot. Jose Ortiz rides Spendarella.
2-year-old Late September trained by Rusty Arnold finished last on Tuesday in the Coventry Stakes.
Hi Lynda… I read below you were looking for a site to watch Royal Ascot.
Please, try Dubai Racing Live … I am watching right now through parsatvcom…nice broadcast!
Thanks Nelson…I finally gave in and signed up for Peacock Premium.
Big difference between here and England, they will scratch a horse quick that acts up in the gate.
Even the best get beat sometimes. Golden Pal finished 16th and last as the 9-5 Favorite in today’s King’s Stand at Royal Ascot. He broke horribly and was never a factor. The race was won very easily by an Australian sprinter named Nature Strip. I hope Nature Strip’s connections consider showing up for The Breeders Cup in November.
It was reported that Golden Pal’s saddle slipped at the break… so there was not much Irad Ortiz could do but to try not to fall.
Royal Randwick Racecourse offers the Aus$15,000,000 The Everest 6f on October 15, 2022 probably precluding a trip to Keeneland.
Wow! It would be hard to pass up a chance at a mountain of cash like that.
I would expect Brad Cox to have a bigger impact on next’s year’s Triple Crown races. Especially, with BB being out of The Derby picture for one more year. Cox was relatively quiet on this year’s “Trail” IMO. His Cyberknife did win Sunday’s
Matt Winn at Churchill paying a whopping $3. Cyberknife beat 2nd place finisher Howling Time and 3rd place finisher
Rattle N Roll. All 3 should have been in The Belmont IMO. Mo Donegal’s 98 BSF was nothing special. In fact, when they came off the turn, I thought Nest looked like the winner. But, “Mo” got the job done.
Speaking of racing dates, The Pacific Classic was run on August 21st last year. The week before Travers Day. This year, the Pacific Classic will be September 3rd. The week after The Travers. Which means it goes up against the always popular
Kentucky Downs meet. But, the best day to play Kentucky Downs may be the following Saturday, September 10th.
Kentucky Downs only races 7 or 8 days. But, it offers some of the biggest purses in the country. Maiden races are over $100k. And all turf racing. Bill Mott has already said that Jaipur winner Casa Creed is likely going to run there. A sprint race over the turf at Kentucky Downs should fit Casa Creed like a glove.
Gonna try to buy tickets early, for Del Mar and the round trip train ….see Flightline again,
You’re guaranteed to have a great time.
A smile on every face, and a winner in every race!..
Thank you Steve for another great summing up of last weekend. I hadn’t heard about Rich Strike getting all of that in his eyes so that was good to know. I think this colt will be back later this summer.
A lot has changed in this sport over the years. We can’t go back.
A lot more racing is yet to come and looking forward to any thoughts you wish to share.
Speaking of the 3-year olds, I read that Steve Asmussen’s Texas Derby winner King Ottoman may be pointed to the Indiana Derby on July 9th. Which is a Saturday. What’s interesting about that is that the Indiana Derby had been run on a Wednesday in the past. If that July 9th date is correct, they will be going up against Suburban Day at Belmont which is the last big day of the Belmont meeting. Risky.
BTW, it’s not called Indiana Grand anymore. It’s Horseshoe Indiana. I’ve been there. It’s a Racino. I like both their main track and turf course. Their jockeys? No comment.
What? “No comment” from TommyMc? I can’t believe my eyes. 😉
It’s Horseshoe IndianaPOLIS. Rolls right off the tongue.
Mo Donegal earned a 98 BSF for his Belmont win. If I remember correctly, Early Voting earned a 105 BSF for his Preakness win which makes him the fastest of the 3 triple Crown race winners. My gut feeling is that Early Voting will turn out to be best in the long run as well.
Maybe this 2022 Class of 3 year olds gets better come Travers Day in late August or by Breeders Cup in November.
I don’t mean any disrespect. I’ve actually taken a liking to quite a few of these 3-year olds.
I like EV for sure,however never do I follow numbers. RS will be back!
Rich Strike was all “keyed-up” before the race. I think that the jury is still out on him. I’d draw a line through his Belmont run. His trainer said he would be back. Which I took to mean that he’d be in Saratoga for Travers Day. Rich Strike may still turn out to be a “Churchill horse” or “pace dependent”. But, we don’t know that for sure yet. I’ll give him another chance if the situation feels right.
By “feels right” I mean if I see Rich Strike entered in a race with Summer Is Tomorrow and Crown Pride.
Agree!
MoD’s Brisnet fig was 111. EV earned a 104 in the Preakness, and RS a 102 for the Derby. I have a feeling that the Haskell and Travers may be won by non-TC runners.
Regarding Flightline’s BSF of 112 in The Mey Mile: he must have bounced off that 118 in The Malibu. Just kidding.
Met Mile
Funny thing is regarding the week earlier workout for the Repole horses, in 1969 Elliot Burch decided Arts and Letters also needed action 7 days before the Belmont, so he ran him in the Met Mile as a 3 year old after running in the Derby and Preakness, and he ran away from Nodouble by three lengths.. evidently,saving enough to one week later, win the Belmont against unbeaten Majestic Prince by 6 lengths.
Yes indeed they trained them differently.
Thanks much Steve : )
Thank you Steve for leading us on another Triple Crown journey. There is more interesting racing to come and your recap leads me to believe that this summer will continue to be an exciting one .
It has indeed been an interesting, and often surprising, journey since January. Thank you, Steve, for guiding us on this particular “trail ride.” I, for one, don’t at all mind having 3 different winners, although I certainly would have preferred for more horses to attempt at least two legs, if not all three. But that’s just not going to be the pattern these days, so we’ll enjoy them whenever and wherever they race. And hope that enough of them are sound enough to make it to the B.C . Classic.
Great comment! Love your analogy “trail ride”.
Yes Amy, I actually prefer 3 different winners of the Triple Crown races as long as they all have competed in each race. That’s very rare these days, unfortunately. With having 3 different winners of the Triple Crown, for me anyway, adds excitement for the Travers Stakes etc during late summer and fall.
Great wrap-up with historical connections to which we’ve become accustomed when reading Steve’s columns. The workout pattern of Assault (distances and intervals) is truly shocking when looked at from a 21st-century lens. Was that training unusual even in the 1940s? Then there’s the Citation/Bewitch comparison — another historical gem.
I wouldn’t be surprised if all of the big five 3yo races (TC, Haskell, Travers) were won by different horses. Has that ever happened? Let the research begin!
OK. Five races with five different winners is much more common than I figured. LOL
Eddie….I think I heard it was the third straight year there were three different Triple Crown race winners, I think that is rare…
Three or more years in a row has happened just twice in the last 90+ years: 2009, 2010, 2011 & 2019, 2020 (crazy covid year), 2021, 2022. Before that, it happened SIX consecutive years from 1924 to 1929.
It wasn’t the Triple Crown then….sometimes Derby/Preakness tun same day or day apart..
Thanks very much, Eddie. Max Hirsch was very demanding of his horses. Like Baffert today, the ones who withstand his training turned out to be top horses. The others they would cull. Sunny Jim and John Gaver trained hard as did a number of the leading trainers back then.
We rarely see a Derby workout longer than 6f now. Doug O’Neill had Happy Jack go one mile a week before this year’s Derby. Didn’t help much.
Steve, the best part of the Triple Crown races was reading your weekly Derby Rankings and Analysis prior to the Triple Crown races. Now that the races have been run I’d hazard a guess that not too many would be convinced that this crop matches last year’s crop. However, there is a reasonable chance that the best representative of this years three year crop ran in the Woody Stephens Stakes and not the Triple Crown races.
Jack Christopher has gone from strength to strength after not being able to cement his attributes as last year’s champion 2 year old. It’ll be interesting to see if Jack Christopher can stretch his pedigree to the 9f of the Haskell Stakes but the 10f Travers Stakes seems beyond his scope altogether.
There are a handful of colts with potential that may progress over the summer/fall period to usurp the standing of the Classic winners but that’s just hope, not confidence. Time will tell. In the meantime, let’s enjoy the feats of the most impressive runner we’ve seen in decades, Flightline. Thanks again, Steve, for another fantastic coverage of the Triple Crown preps and races.
Off to Royal Ascot now, in spirit only though.
David’s there are skeptics as far as Flightling gets the 10 fur….but that horse has a big stride….Jack Christopher is brilliant, but I’m not as sure about HIS stride, he looks like a miler to me….If Sadler can keep that horse together I don’t see t he horse who can come close…the 2022 three year olds—in my opinion look like a very good crop! People were down on them, after the Derby, but that was an anomaly, a pace collapse! The 2022 Travers might be one great horse race!
Matthew, there is no indication that Flightline won’t handle 10f, as you say the stride, conformation, pedigree scream distance. Perhaps, they’re concerned with his temperament which can be of concern prior to a race but considering what he just achieved in the Met Mile that problem seems to be dissipating with experience. Moreover, the Pacific Classic takes travel out of the equation.
John Sadler is highly intelligent besides being an A class trainer. Obviously, an undefeated record is the aim so Flightline runs when 100%. Most racehorses, as you would know, run with niggling problems that can prevent them performing at their ultimate best. It’s pleasing to see Flightline given every chance, he deserves it.
I appreciate it David. Thank you very much.
Davids, watched replays of the Ascot races today.
Nature’s Strip was impressive to say the least. The Australians rule in the sprints!
Felt sort of bad for Irad on Golden Pal. This was his first trip to the Ascot.
How Golden Pal Lost the Start
Confusion over the starting procedure in Britain led to favorite Golden Pal fluffing his lines at the start of the King’s Stand, according to trainer Wesley Ward.
Golden Pal’s jockey Irad Ortiz Jr was looking back to outsider Mondammej, who was withdrawn just before the off having refused to enter the stalls, and did not anticipate the gates opening, causing last year’s Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) winner to start sluggishly.
The 15-8 favorite was awkwardly away from stall 13, taking an almost sidewards trajectory for a split second and finding himself last after a few strides.
Ward said: “Irad was looking back at the horse that wouldn’t load. He didn’t realize they scratch horses over here. He said he almost fell off.”
Ortiz Jr rushed his mount through the field to try to gain his favored prominent position and Golden Pal was right up with the pace by the four-furlong marker.
Those early exertions soon told though, with the star 4-year-old retreating sharply
PS, copied “How Golden Pal Lost The Start” from Blood Horse report.
Yes Lynda, the starting procedure in England can be problematical but you would have thought that Wesley Ward would have given Irad Ortiz Jr a heads-up on what can happen. The top class Australian sprinters are lightening fast and I’d say that’s their niche in world racing.
The St James’s Palace Stakes was a cracking race, another bounce and Maljoom would have got there, he was steaming home. Baaeed, brilliant as ever, the mile races are the crème de la crème – speed + stamina. Beautiful day as well.
Davids, do not wish to sound like Debbie Downer here but I do not think Golden Pal would have won or even placed in the top 3 even if Ortiz had not blown the start.
Just like the International horses, trainers and jockeys struggle with trying to win our dirt races, we struggle trying to win on “their turf”.
Wesley Ward has done well however at the Ascot and his entries are given a lot more respect over there than we give International horses that come here to win on dirt.
Another factor is the poor quality of our turf tracts. Turf is just not appreciated in the United States. For most racing fans and handicappers, it is considered to be too slow, just like the Arabian races are for a speed frenzied American crowd.
Lynda, Australian racing, by and large, is centered around sprints to mile races. Their interstate 2 year old stakes racing is similar in function to the US Triple Crown and is called the 2 year old Triple Crown. Ha ha Just to confuse things, they also have the Australian Triple Crown for 3 year olds consisting of the Randwick Guineas, Rosehill Guineas and the AJC Australian Derby which is in Sydney.
Anyway, the prize money for the 2 year old races have always been phenomenal with the Golden Slipper Stakes the jewel in the crown – $5million Aussie dollars this year. Subsequently, brilliantly fast 2 year olds are prized and for stud duty as well. Speed/mile races are a major part of Australian racing with the consequences that, arguably, their turf sprinters are outstanding.
Golden Pal would’ve needed his very best yesterday, at any rate, because that 8yo dusted them. .
Agree, Chris Waller had warned that only Covid had prevented him from bringing Nature Strip to Royal Ascot earlier. The race was over within a blink of the eye.
Thank you for the great back stories and history. I never comment but want you to know I love reading your articles and hearing about your experiences. Your writing never falls on deaf ears. Thank you for sharing your love of the horses.
That is very kind of you Patti. Thank you so much. It’s always good to know there are people out there reading the columns but just dont like to comment. I am happy you decided you break your silence even if its just this once. It means a lot to me,
I’m one of those people, but never miss your posts, and enjoy the heck about the friendly, sometimes humorous,and educated banter of the ‘regulars.’ And I appreciate the civility of this blog. On to the Travers and the Haskell!
Thank you. With most of the racing websites discontinuing comments it’s nice people can come here and engage in friendly conversations.
No blog compares Mr. Haskin.
Thanks, Mike
Since the Wood Memorial was first run in 1925 only 5 horses have swept the premier 3 races in New York. The Wood at Aqueduct, the Belmont and the Travers at Saratoga. Mo Donegal has a chance to be a NY Triple Crown winner!! The five to accomplish this are 1984 Easy Goer, 1967 Damascus, 1964 Quadrangle, 1953 Native Dancer and 1931 Twenty Grand. I hope the Triple Crown maintains its present form, but I think this NYT shows that more time between races does not make it easier.
Interestingly, two of the five were when the Belmont was run at Aqueduct, same as the Wood.
Hi Steve and all,
Thank you for wrapping this past weekend up in a beautiful package and tying it up with a ribbon of memories from the past!
Personal opinion is that there were really good races and best of all, everyone came out in good shape and safe.
I had seen some photos of Rich Strike after the race and it did look as though he took a lot of kickback. I think he will be back and will win more races. I find him to be talented and having a lot of potential.
Always amazed at how many times I see one of Mr. Chenery’s band of broodmares and Secretariat and his progeny in the pedigrees all these decades later. When someone said that Mr. Chenery put together the best broodmare band of that era they were not exaggerating.
A little early I think to predict 3 year old colt and filly and 3 year old of the year. Lots of great racing meets coming up and there will be a return of the Kentucky Derby contenders (Cyberknife did win the Matt Winn this past weekend).
Also want to mention that one of CC’s colts won a stakes race at Gulfstream this past weekend and set a record for the race. His first foal crop in Japan is now coming two and they are gorgeous with great conformation and balance.
Hope it is cooler where all of you are than it is here. Triple digit heat index and 75% humidity here with a heat warning both today and tomorrow.
Looking forward to your next article.
Lynda, I can match you with the humidity 70% but it’s a cool 46F. Beautiful sunny day, at the moment and as still as a statue. Bad news, Emily Upjohn is not going to run in the Ribblesdale Stakes, the first disappointment at Royal Ascot and it hasn’t even started yet.
If the temp here was 46 and 70% humidity we would be getting what I call ice water rain that chills one to the bone.
I will trade ya (LOL).
Had not read that EU was not racing. Hoping she is OK.
Checked out the entries for the Gold Cup and do not see any American horses. Even if there were I would have to cheer for Stradivarius.
I think I know what is wrong with American racing….there is NO COVERAGE!
For the first time this year the Ascot is not being televised on NBC, but on the Peacock network. I do not have the Peacock Network as a part of the cable package and I am not about to add another live streaming service to the tune of $10 a month just to watch the Ascot. Will just have to content myself with results and replays from my FB friends. Sigh.
Lynda, if you have a VPN, all you do is set your location to say, London. Join ITV Hub on their website. Just search for “How to Watch Royal Ascot 2022 Live on ITV Outside UK” and follow the instructions. Good luck, sometimes these methods work sometimes they don’t.
I can’t stay up all night watching so I’ll have to use YouTube and hope they don’t have the winner’s name attached to the video.
The key line is that everyone came out in good shape and safe,
Great review and commentary….. as always….. I thought the most exciting race was Flightline It looked like a beautiful Day at Belmont Park
As I watched the horses for the Belmont…. I just felt that it wasn’t Richies Day…. He looked agitated to me…. And I’m no expert.
I’m always thrilled when they all come back safe….
I hope Echo Zulu is ok as well. Looking forward to summer here at Del Mar and seeing Saratoga again.
Thank you for this wrap up on the Triple Crown.
I thought the same– Rich Strike’s race was lost before he entered the gate. Sure hope we see him do well this summer.
Excellent & informative writing Steve. Loved the back story to this as well. I won a little money on Saturday betting Mo Donegal to win but my exotics didn’t do well.
Flightline is a monster, best horse in America IMO with perhaps Jack Christopher next.
Mo Donegal like Tonalist has to prove that he can win outside of New York.
I felt that Nest got a below average ride from Jose Ortiz through the stretch. He had her on the rail and to swing to the outside around the 16th pole which cost her a few lengths. I could be wrong but it was just my assessment.
Love your work Steve, can’t until the next blog.
Thanks Deacon a little profit is big on a day like this
About Flightline…far be it from me to give Sadler advice, four spectacular wins off the shelf is good training, and WHO DOES what he did on Saturday, off a layoff, getting pinched back and then waltzing home….but did you notice how collected he looked AFTER the race? Maybe they should warm him up hard, get him to relax by expending some energy…..
First off I wouldnt change a thing with the horse. Also when you warm up a horse hard its usually when you want him sharp and break running. You get him to relax in the race by getting him to relax in the warm up. Once you get a horse keyed up its hard to shut him off.
I have to rate Mo Donegal #1 at this point…but Epicenter would be my pick as best horse…Travers this year has become THE RACE—I have always consideted The Travers as America’s premier race for three year olds….I’ve always wondered why Saratoga does not card a ten furlong Gr1 race for older horses..
Matthew:
Good points but for me Mo Donegal has to be formidable outside of New York to be ranked #1.
The Jockey Club Gold Cup is 1 1/4 miles and is now run at Saratoga, starting last year
Steve take a look at Hopper, his two wins….maiden at 7 fur was widest and drew off, but his gallop out was other worldly ….Affirmed was his first two turn race and his first against winners, he won by five AND came away on the gallop out…..the Eclipse is wide open, Hopper will need to take a cross country hop to contend for that honor, watch out for him!
I have followed Hopper for one particular reason. I know hes by Declaration of War, but I was surprised to see Baffert of all trainers run him on grass first time out. Now he doesnt have him, at least for time being. Anyway I couldnt help but notice Hopper’s broodmare mare sire Caesour. For those who follow my column over the years you can understand my rooting interest, as Caesaor’s dam is a full-sister to my boy Jim French.
Nice story, Steve! Loved the recap on Assault’s triple crown journey. Part of his hardiness no doubt comes from his lack of inbreeding to modern phenoms like Mr. P and Danzig (although he was distantly inbred to speed ball Domino). Ironically, Assault’s sire, Bold Venture, raced only 11 times, bowing a tendon (remember those?) after winning the Derby and Preakness. His dam, Igual, was unraced.
There’s also a richness to Pletcher’s success with Nest and Mo Donegal that weekend in December and the results in the second Saturday in June. Looking forward to your next piece on Allen Jerkins the giant killer.
All those races, all those works! Assault had a good career, and as I recall reading he paid well winning the Derby….
Now I’m motivated sure…Assault or Omaha was a longshot in the Derby….
Assault: 8.20-1
Omaha: 4.00-1
I bet none of us was alive at the time to collect!