Alabama Slammer

Tweet

Princess of Sylmar being led to
winners circle by owner Edward Stanco

It's too bad there's not a filly Triple Crown (or Tiara) because there's a good chance Princess of Sylmar would have swept all three races this summer. After backing up her Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks win on opening weekend at the Spa with a convincing victory in the Coaching Club American Oaks she set herself up for a divisional title with a win in Saturday's $600,000 Grade 1 Alabama Stakes at Saratoga Race Course.

The only likely challenger, Fiftyshadesofhay wasn't much of a threat while the Majestic Warrior filly circled the field winning by 2 1/2-lengths over the field of five in the nationally televised race. She's all but locked up the 3-year-old filly division with her third consecutive Grade 1 victory. There's a chance she's done for the year with only races at Parx (Cotillion) and Belmont (Beldame) currently being considered for the filly. She's not Breeders' Cup nominated, although that fee is a pittance based on her year-to-date earnings. The connections appear to want to take a break and point towards a 4-year-old campaign (one likely without Royal Delta in the mix, mind you).

The Space Gal accompanied me for a nice weekend at the Spa which commenced early Saturday morning with a visit to Leah Gyramati's barn to visit some of the Bona Venture Stables crew and horses. We spend time with Nicholson (named after Orlando Magic first round draft pick Andrew Nicholson, a 2012 Bona grad), Smooth Bert and Bullet Baby. Smooth Bert worked four furlongs in 47 and 4 and looks ready to go for Wednesday's Albany Stakes where he'll attempt to prevent Amberjack from a $250K bonus in winning the Big Apple Triple, last won by the late Tin Cup Chalice. Mike Luzzi will have the mount on Smooth Bert.

I learned that Gyramati is quite the animal lover, she's currently nursing an abandoned baby squirrel back to health. She was under a heating pad in her barn and was fed some milk during our visit...quite the sight.

Here are some pictures from the backstretch and from the day, mostly around the Sword Dancer and the Alabama....

Hervie Castillo readies to work Smooth Bert (upper right)
in his best pink pants (he lost a bet)
Bottom left - Sweet Reason (broke her maiden last week)

Trainer Leah Gyramati nurses a baby
squirrel back to health

Midnight Taboo - Repole Stables

Terry Finley, Tom Albertrani confer with
Twilight Eclipse jockey Javier Castellano

Jersey Joe Bravo gets a leg up
on Sword Dancer winner Big Blue Kitten

Twilight Eclipse- runner-up
in the Sword Dancer

Nutello - show horse

Tannery - only filly in Sword Dancer
field finished fourth

First time by in the Sword Dancer

Big Blue Kitten soars to the win

Jersey Joe celebrates

Big Blue Kitten - winners circle

Sword Dancer trophy presentation

Fiftyshadesofgray

King of Prussia Stables owner Ed Stanco

Pletcher saddles the Princess

Carnival Court trainer Kiaran McLaughlin

Javier Castellano aboard Princess of Sylmar

Irad Ortiz Jr. on Carnival Court

Fiftyshadesofhay

First time by in the Alabama

Princess of Sylmar by 2 1/2-lenghts

Mike Battaglia interviews the Toddster
on NBC Sports Network

Princess of Sylmar with Ed Stanco
after a quick dousing

The top 3-year-old filly in the land

Saratoga Surgical Strike: ThoroFan, the Sale and a DQ

Tweet

Wise Guys

Made a quick surgical strike to the Spa this week for the ThoroFan annual board meeting, to take in the Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings sale on Tuesday night and to attend the races on Wednesday.

I've been part of the ThoroFan board since October 2010 and am the Treasurer of the not-for-profit organization. We've made great strides with membership and industry groups over the past few years and we recently received news that our Annual Awards Brunch will officially be part of the Eclipse Awards weekend at Gulfstream Park next January on the Friday before the Eclipse Awards event.

We held our first Annual Awards Brunch last January and pulled off a successful event (which isn't easy doing from New York) that featured Nick Zito as the keynote speaker, and we presented our first annual ThoroFan Award to Ms. Wolfson, owner of Affirmed. She attended with family and friends and was truly honored by the Award. We also had handicapper of the year, Michael Beychok and Starlight Racing/NBC Sports personality Donna Barton Brothers as guest speakers.  Here's hoping with the support of the NTRA we continue to grown this event.

If you haven't checked out Tom Amello's Joe ThoroFan blog and his Saratoga Diaries, make sure you check it out, there is a ton of useful information there.

After the meeting we had a nice casual drink and readied for the sale, which was my first time ever attending any type of sale. It was fascinating seeing the horses up close in the walking ring and reading the pedigrees provided with the free catalogs that were on site. It really is quite the social event (if you're not working, of course) with tons of fans, locals and industry types all over the place. The facility is of the highest quality and the drinks were cold. After about an hour, a colleague and I started to amuse ourselves by trying to guess the final bid using "The Price is Right" model and would bet a buck a hip. If you hit the number on the nose it paid double. Yours truly walked away with 16 crisp ones after nailing hip 113 on the nose in the final bet of the night. Degenerate gambling at it's best.

On Wednesday, I mostly caught up with friends around the track, but managed to make a wager or three early in the card. I benefited greatly from the DQ of Orino as I had singled West Hills Giant in the middle of a 6x1x5 Pick-3 trying to catch some long shots around WHG. Let's say I wasn't too upset by the decision. Ironically I was standing in the winner's circle next to the two jockeys Saez and Prado who were having a civilized discussion about the inquiry during the long wait for the decision.

Here are some pictures from the two days at the Spa...

Inside the F-T Sales Pavilion

Do I hear $650,000?

Well, yes I do (on this horse)

Outside walking ring

Goose and Tonic (drink of choice)

Drum Roll, please in Race 4

Johnny V on 6-1 Drum Roll

The Toddster, JV and assistant

Luis Saez on Orino

Edgar Prado aboard West Hills Giant

The Spa from the inner turf course

View of the Turf Terrace, Durkin Central
and Press Box

Durkin Central

Beautiful Video Board showing post parade
before the Cab Calloway

By us the first time from the hedge

Eclipse Worthy - Finish Photo
(jumped the gun)

Prado on the phone with the stewards

A dejected Saez after
the DQ

A not very happy James Bond
trainer for Orino after the DQ

Winner via DQ - West Hills Giant

Winner's Photo

Excited Groom!

Space Invasion: International Day at Woodbine

Tweet

Joshua Tree

That's Joshua Tree (IRE) winner of the 2012 Pattison Canadian International, with jockey Frankie Dettori aboard in the Woodbine winner's circle after winning the International for the second time in the last three years.

It was an extremely balmy 70 degrees at Woodbine on Sunday afternoon for the 75th running of the Canadian International, sponsored by advertising giant Pattison, and the winds were whipping pretty well all day long to boot. The day featured a number of talented jockeys from around the world including Olivier Peslier, Dettori and contingents from the west coast (Garret Gomez and Mike Smith) and from New York (Ramon Dominguez and Johnny V) going for some big prize money on the E.P. Taylor turf course at Toronto's track.

Three Breeders' Cup (BC) "Win and You're In" races on the weeds were won by Next Question (Nearctic - BC Turf Sprint), Siyouma (E.P. Taylor - BC F&M Turf) and the aforementioned Joshua Tree (International - BC Turf). However, it looks like only Next Question will play the free pass and head to Santa Anita in early November. My recap for The Buffalo News from Sunday up at Woodbine can be found here.

It was another rough day at the windows although when I'm working I don't usually spend as much time playing the ponies, especially on the polytrack of Woodbine, which has gotten the best of me over the years. Our pooled Pick-4's with Woodbine media maven Keith McCalmont and Daily-Gazette racing writer Mike MacAdam went up in flames. A) Because we inadvertently left off Next Question, Keith's pick to win the race in the early P4 and B) Because a horse named Sorry About That won the nightcap clearly destroying any thoughts of P4 glory.

It was good to see Jessica Chapel, Ernie Munick, Garnet Barnsdale and Nick Costa, all passionate horse folks up at Woodbine to take in Canada's richest race on the calendar. Kudos again to the Woodbine press corps, who find new ways to make me feel comfortable and make me want to get back to the Canadian track as soon as I can.

Here are some pictures from the Canadian International Day.

Mike MacAdam and I were greeted
by a seranade upon our arrival from the U.S.A.

Matt Carothers was in the house
(I got the stink eye when taking this photo)

Garret Gomez in the Great White North
to ride Hammers Terror in the Nearctic

Johnny V about to board Nearctic third place finisher
Night Carnation for George Strawbridge

Ramon Dominguez piloted Nearctic
winner Next Question

Next Question holds off
Night Carnation in the Nearctic

Chad Brown gives last minute instructions to
Ramon who rode Dream Peace in the E.P. Taylor.
Videographer Munick looks on.

Mike Smith made a rare Woodbine
appearance to ride Vamo a Galupiar 

Arc winning rider Olivier Peslier flew in
to ride second place finisher Pagera in the E.P. Taylor

E.P. Taylor winner Siyouma

3-Siyouma takes the E.P. Taylor over 2-Pagera
and 5-Dream Peace

Ramon to Chad: I kept turning the wheel this way, but......

International second place finisher Dandino
heads to the track

Show horse Forte Dei Marmi in
the walking ring

Air Support and Javier Castellano
head down the path to the main track

The lush E.P. Taylor turf course
(or a mistaken picture..what do you think?)

Joshua Tree heads to the winner's circle

Dettori's Flying Dismount

Hug it Out: Dettori and assistant trainer Lucie Botti

The Champ: Joshua Tree