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Gitano Hernando wins the Goodwood Stakes at Santa Anita with Kieran Fallon on board, from Wolverhampton to Santa Anita.
To be fair he won in impressive style against some good types at Wolverhampton like Cesare and pretty much destroyed them that day and he looked way to good value for this sadly with my big bet today being a flop I never back him.
I guess they’d take their chances in the Classic, doesn’t really say much for the American challenge though and RVW or Sea The Stars will hack up.
Zenyatta took her unbeaten record to thirteen with an easy success in the Lady’s Secret Stakes, equalling the record set by Personal Ensign.
With her ears flicking back and forth throughout, Mike Smith had Zenyatta much closer than on her previous start, but still had four lengths to make up turning in.
She coasted past her rivals without ever being asked a serious question and went on to win by the best part of 1 1/2L from Lethal Heat.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nb68fbcFp30
A few opinions pasted from PaceAdvantage…
"Good race,I just HATE she’s beating the same exact horses every single race. Yeah we know she’s better than these same girls. Let’s go on to harder stuff guys. Let’s see some racin!"
"I’ve never seen a jockey look so small or inconsequential on a horse as Smith does on her. It’s uncanny."
"Did I hear that right?? The talking heads said the owners of Zenyatta would rather have an undefeated record than be HOY. The context was whether she would run the Distaff or the Classic. Isn’t the point of "sports" to be the greatest at what you do?? That would mean she needs to run in the Classic."
"Did you hear him after the race?? He said Zenyatta could hold her own in the Classic, but when he was asked if she could win against STS, he hedged big time."
"Zenyatta, the queen. Ears pricked, I love watching that big loping stride she has, huge stride, didn’t even need the whip. She was swishing her tail in post parade like she’s the boss."
"Never found anything about Zen boring. As a thoroughbred, with beauty, personality, magical being.
Standing in the winners circle, still doing her little leg dancing.
I could sit in a lawn chair and watch her in a field, all day, in and out.
There is a quality about her that just TRANCENDS what she does in the racing arena. It goes beyond running on the track in a race."
The Yanks might as well pack up now, waste of time them sending any horses to the BC. If this Gitano Hernando or whatever he’s called W’Hampton Allowance winner is winning Grade 1s over there, then seriously they should be ashamed. Would love to see a proper European horse take on Zenyatta in the Distaff, no surprise if our challenger wins IMO. She’s clearly not that great, because if she were, she wouldn’t be constantly running against the fillies still after 13 starts.
So in summary, I wasn’t looking forward to the BC and now I’m looking forward even less. What a shame the 2 most expensive racedays in the world have turned into farces.
Of course, horses remain unbeaten after thirteen starts all the time.
As one reporter said prior to her victory "To remain this consistent, over such an extended period of time, is something to celebrate."
To sum her up in one word. Unique.
Bigger than Denman, with an incredible turn of foot that compares to just about any top class european horse, she has the constitution and unflappable temperament of Sea The Stars and the beauty to go with it.
I’ve never seen a horse win so many top races with their ears flicking back and forth like her. She only ever does enough and I agree with her jockey, who said "She can go with anyone, anytime, anywhere. She has an amazing turn of foot, one that I’ve never seen before. I just have so much confidence in her. Today she had ten gears but she only had to use four of them."
It’s a bit unfair to say she can’t be that great because she has only raced against fillies. Having an unbeaten run can have a negative effect on connections because they will do their utmost to keep it.
Can you imagine the extra pressure on John Oxx if STS hadn’t lost on his debut? Best thing that could have happened to the horse, in my opinion.
Sadly, I think connections will go for the Ladies Classic. They have said she will race early next year and I’m sure they’re attracted to the prospect of retiring her undefeated and breaking the ‘perfect’ record.
There is no question that Zenyatta is a very good filly. Yet, until she faces the colts, and especially the likes of Sea The Stars or Rip Van Winkle in the Breeder’s Cup Classic, then a doubt will remain as to how good she really is.
It is one thing disposing of the same group of fillies time after time, in similar fashion; quite another when the opposition is of a higher standard altogether.
Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning
What do you think about these races and my selections?* $500,000 Breeders’ Cup Marathon – Got to be a euro here. Septimus if he runs, Kasbah Bliss if Septimus Doesn’t make it, and if both don’t than Father Time if Cecil Bothers. If it has to be a US horse, then Midhsips will be the one.
* $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf – Whatever the euros send over. Was hoping they’d send Lille Langtry over, but it might have to be a wait and see thing.
* $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (gr. I) – Ventura might still be the one despite her indifferent form of late, as she’s obviously the best on her day and has done it all before.
* $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I) – Hot Dixie Chick will likely be a big threat but i really like the way that Negligee caught She Be Wild yesterday and that will take a lot of beating.
* $2 million Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT) – Going with the euros here as long as they aren’t over the top, or likly to be. If Dar Re Mi turned up I would pick her, no hesitation. Shalyana isn’t going to come over, Forever Together was beaten again yesterday. Stacelita won’t overturn form with Dar Re Mi and most likely won’t come anyway. Look Here would need them to go off like Jumbo Jets, and even then the trip might still be too short. Rainbow View could make a really nice each way selection.
* $2 million Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic (gr. I) – Zenyatta. What more can be said. Life Is Sweet might make a place, Careless Jewel’s form looks weak. Cocoa Beach might be value to get a place.Saturday
* $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (gr. IIT)- Pounced. Ran really well in the Prix Jean Luc last time out, and if he goes,. will have a fantastic chance. All other UK horses to have not run in Group/Sales races before that had been unplaced.
* $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (gr. I)- Erm… Colonel John might make it???
– Ah just seen the odds 
…. Midshipman at 10’s is value, as he handles the track, has the form and seems to be in good health. Capt. Candyman Can can has the form but looks like a non stayer to me, and Crown Of Thorns has won over the course.
* $1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint –
* $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (gr. I)
* $2 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint (gr. I)
* $2 million Breeders’ Cup Mile (gr. IT)
* $3 million Breeders’ Cup Turf (gr. IT)
* $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (gr. I)Will finish later in editt!! (Rushed for time)
No betting on turf after a huge gamble on Spanish Moon and rumours of Conduit not coming out of The Arc well.
I heard Colonel John was being pointed to the Classic. Court Vision will go in the Mile and Goldi will go in the Dirt Mile…Indian Blessing will go in the F & M Sprint…Mine That Bird, despite his loss (many of us over here feel if was jockey error more than horse capability), Summer Bird and Kent Desormeaux will also go in the Classic and have the running style and are doing well right now so he’ll be there. Look for Zensational and Gayego to be battling it out in the Sprint and watch the upcoming races this weekend out of Keeneland and Woodbine for the BC challenge winners will head to CA because this is the last weekend of Win and You’re in races for the Breeder’s Cup. There is also the SPend A Buck stakes at Calder and the Emirates Champion STakes at Newmarket amd the winners gain autmatice entry in the BC starting gate(s).
I too will back Einstein every time…He is a classy older horse who has mastered dirt, turf, and the poly. As for Zenyatta, she is a wonder to behold for sure. After seeing her last year and watching her all year I am even more excited to see her in the paddock. All her fans know to keep the noise quiet so she stays clam but watching her paw, and arch her neck, and prance like a dressage horse is really something to see. She is a MONSTER mare at 17.2 hands and she weighs in at 1,217lbs! That’s HUGE! Most colts don’t even get that big. She is breathtaking and I really think that 1 1/4 miles will suit her. Once she unwinds completely her strides are so long that she covers ground effortlessly and under a HAND RIDE the entire time. Mike SMith never goes to the whip with her. He just tells her to go and she tells him to hang on! LOL! I can’t wait to see the Big Girl again. She is breathtaking.
Let me just start out saying I LOVE Zenyatta but she has never been tested, has run only 4 times this year and is beating up on the same group. She should go in the Classic IMO and let us see what she can truly do when she has something to run with. Okay rant over…
The one horse I truly wanted to be in this year is Rebellion(GB) who I truly adore and finished second in the dirt mile last year. He raced last on August 29 and has not worked since so I have a feeling something is awry with him and certainly at this late a stage he won’t be going to CA. It’s a shame because he LOVES the poly.
Oh BTW, the Thoroughbred Times and racing2day have a contest going and they are awarding three people with $500 to pick accumulated winners from the 2 days. There is a team USA and team Europe. After last year switching teams would not be a hard thing to do. LOLOLOL Here is the link in case you want to do it.
http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/national-news/2009/October/27/THOROUGHBRED-TIMES-Racing2day-team-for-Cup-contest.aspx
Hello ladies and gents….
Few of you may remember me but I wont hold it against you if you dont.
I’ve been really looking forward to these Championships all year and a few of you will know how focused I am on the Cali circuit.
There are killings to be made at the BC this year purely because, after GH’s win in the Goodwood, there are a lot of people thinking the Americans have no chance in the majority of races on the poly.
Completley wrong. Beware the Americans they are a lot stronger this year especially in the 2yo division and there are some very hot sprinters there this year.
I’ll be aiming for the Pick 6’s mainly but I’ll chip in with my single opinions too. I must say Spanish Moon is my main tip for the weekend though and I anticipate that (if staying in training) he will transfer to Frankel at the end of the year possibly in time for the Hollywood Derby.
No, don’t remember you.
Pick 6? Does that mean you’re in the big leagues now, or just shooting big?
We’ve missed you in lots of races/threads.
Gerald
Nothing wrong with picking European horses. It’s not easy getting an insight into American horses anyway. Ante post wise i’ve backed Europeans, and a couple of American trained horses. Maybe closer to the time i will back a couple more of theirs. I’m well aware of how good Zensational and Ventura are, but some of us like a better priced horse. There’s a difference between ignorance and just not knowing, especially with the negative comments and fuss they make over the track.
I’ll be more than happy to oppose Rip Van Winkle in the Classic.
Did he finish off the QEII with enough vigor to suggest he will remain fit, vibrant and in-form come Santa Anita? The injury setback might have finally caught up with him.
That horrid "Aidan O’Brien 3YOs in Group 1 races October-December" statistic lingers in the back of my mind.
It is a relatively weak Classic on paper though.
No, don’t remember you.
Pick 6? Does that mean you’re in the big leagues now, or just shooting big?
We’ve missed you in lots of races/threads.
Gerald
Hello Gerald! Pick 6 is basically the US version of the Scoop 6. I’ve hit two so far over there on minor race days on small tickets. By no means a big player, I limit my ticket to $125 (roughly £70). Last years Breeders Cup Pk6 paid $55,000 for the Ravens Pass, Goldi, Midshipman, Donativum, Midnight Lute (Favourite) and Conduit sequence. Thats a hell of a lot for a pretty simple sequence. Worth trying my hand again anyway!
Graeme, absolutely agree with you. I’m in the habit of liking a price horse too. Zensational is…well…sensational and Ventura is coming back to the boil just at the right time but these two arent necessarily the US horses I like for this years BC.
California Flag, albeit the current 4/1 favourite for the turf sprint, is an exceptional front running American horse and if CF gets a decent draw it could be very hard to catch him. He is the only horse this season to run a sub 22secs first quarter down the Santa Anita hill over the 6.5f turf sprint distance and still win with his ears pricked! Pretty exceptional considering we’ve only had 3 winners from the front so far from 20 races. It’s very hard to lead all the way on that course.
Zensational is very fast but at the moment i’m favouring Gayego from the US side for the poly Sprint. Zen will go off very very fast and that may set it up for Gayego or another deep closer drawn better.
As for the Turf itself, I do like Spanish Moon (as I said) but I’ll be even more confident if he gets a low draw. I think it’s very important to get a low draw the way the turf course is riding this year even though the race is over 1m4. Nothing has won from anything other than the lowest 2 stalls on the turf over 1m2 or 1m4 so far this year.
Looks like i’ve waffled on! Sorry guys, as you can see I’ve been a bit deep in my research of the Cali scene haha!
I don’t think the Classic is all that weak. You can make a case for at least 5 horses here to win and there are two here that are undefeated this year. Gio Ponti is going at a mile and a quarter which is a better distance for him than the turf. Einstein and Awesome Gem can go on any surface and have shown that ability. The one horse that jumps out at me as a viable longshot is Richard’s Kid. This horse used to be here in MD where we have conventional dirt tracks. He was sold and has run out west winning a grade one and placing in others. He’s by Lemon Drop Kid out of a Broad Brush mare so he should love the distance. Mastercraftsman may go in the Dirt Mile. Zeynatta may go in the F&M Classic. In the Classic you may have:
Gio Ponti
2009 Record: (6-4-1-0)
2009 Earnings: $1,433,000
2009 Win %: 66% In-The-Money %: 83%Summer Bird
2009 Record: (8-4-1-1)
2009 Earnings: $2,023,040
2009 Win %: 50% In-The-Money %: 75%Rip Van Winkle
2009 Record: (5-3-1-0)
2009 Earnings: $823,093
1– Queen Elizabeth Ii S. (G1), Sussex S. (G1), 2– Coral Eclipse S. (G1)Mastercraftsman
2009 Record: (6-3-1-1)
2009 Earnings: $922,692
1– St. James’s Palace S. (G1), Irish Two Thousand Guineas (G1), Diamond S. (G3), 2– Juddmonte International S. (G1), 3– Irish Champion S. (G1)Zenyatta
2009 Record: (4-4-0-0)
2009 Earnings: $630,000
2009 Win %: 100% In-The-Money %: 100%Einstein
2009 Record: (6-2-1-2)
2009 Earnings: $1,269,304
2009 Win %: 33% In-The-Money %: 83%
**IMO the most versatile horse in the field. He has raced on synthetic, dirt and turf this year.
Quality Road
2009 Record: (6-3-2-1)
2009 Earnings: $947,030
2009 Win %: 50% In-The-Money %: 100%Mine That Bird
2009 Record: (7-1-2-2)
2009 Earnings: $1,892,200
2009 Win %: 14% In-The-Money %: 71%
**A better record this year than most. I think he’s better on dirt. He would need another Derby performance to pull this off.
Regal Ransom
2009 Record: (3-2-0-0)
2009 Earnings: $1,650,000
2009 Win %: 66% In-The-Money %: 66%Colonel John
2009 Record: (3-1-1-0)
2009 Earnings: $145,182
2009 Win %: 33% In-The-Money %: 66%Richard’s Kid
2009 Record: (10-3-1-2)
2009 Earnings: $732,840
2009 Win %: 30% In-The-Money %: 60%
**Since moving to CA he has not been out of the money on synthetic.
Bullsbay
2009 Record: (9-3-2-1)
2009 Earnings: $712,030
2009 Win %: 33% In-The-Money %: 66%
**A hard knocking horse who is coming into his own. He trains on the poly but I think he’s better on dirt.
Awesome Gem
2009 Record: (8-2-2-1)
2009 Earnings: $475,800
2009 Win %: 25% In-The-Money %: 62%
**Graded stakes place on synthetic. Not sure he fits in here.
Girolamo
2009 Record: (3-3-0-0)
2009 Earnings: $150,000
2009 Win %: 100% In-The-Money %: 100%California Flag, albeit the current 4/1 favourite for the turf sprint, is an exceptional front running American horse and if CF gets a decent draw it could be very hard to catch him. He is the only horse this season to run a sub 22secs first quarter down the Santa Anita hill over the 6.5f turf sprint distance and still win with his ears pricked! Pretty exceptional considering we’ve only had 3 winners from the front so far from 20 races. It’s very hard to lead all the way on that course.
Zensational is very fast but at the moment i’m favouring Gayego from the US side for the poly Sprint. Zen will go off very very fast and that may set it up for Gayego or another deep closer drawn better.
I don’t know if this is a good thing or not but I agree on both counts. California Flag has been much talked about around the scene as well as on TVG and HRTV as being the horse to catch in the Turf Sprint.
I watched Gayego run last year on the BC card though not in a BC race and I have to say he’s one damn good looker. His sire was very fast as well and finished third in the BC Sprint as a 3yo off a very, very long lay-off and I believe only one prep race. Gayego has become more seasoned and is one to watch from behind. The one thing about the BC Sprint is that these are the best sprinters around and Zensational will not have it easy on the lead which leads me to look from a horse that likes to run a bit later. If Zensational is the freak they believe him to be then fine. The main advantage he has is that this race is in his own back yard. The same goes for California Flag.
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