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CONTENTS AUGUST 2014

5 From The Publisher

7 Page 7: Horses to Watch

Every day page updates with a live “BUZZ” play in-today. Bookmark!

8 The Teaser

Topics that titillate the racing mind.

12 Cover Story:

Hambletonian 2014Heyden, Warkentin & Horowitz check in from the Big M with picks.

17 Ron Burke:Strength in NumbersWe profile the "Todd Pletcher of Harness Racing," while our Back To Night School feature links to Burke's radio appearance in class with Casse, Catalano et al "Developing Young Horses."

21 Questions for Caton

Renowned handicapper Caton Bredar takes your Qs each issue!

24 Arlington Million PreviewSpencer spotlights the drama that has become a Million mainstay.

29 Travers PreviewNadeau shows what floats in the Midsummer Derby at the Spa.

34 Get Ready for RemingtonShottenkirk previews the chat season at OKC's re-rising racetrack.

39 Trial By FirePerkins gets you set for winning trends in the All American trials.

51 August Calendar

Stakes, key dates, Race of Month

59 Galloping Out

Del Mar's devilishy tough opening.

57 BRIS Handicapping Hints

45 Commentary: PETA-Asmussen from different anglePlonk expounds on the hot topic.

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From the Publisher

Racing’s big months annually are April, May, August and October. Most of the

sport’s important races fall into those four flips of the calendar. And while there’s no denying the Triple Crown’s importance, you sure don’t mind looking at the August lineup of big races and smiling at the wagering prospects.

We open with the Hambletonian at The Meadowlands for the harness set and the Whitney at Saratoga for the Thoroughbreds. Over the course of August, add in the Arlington Million, Travers, and Pacific Classic on the west coast, and you can see why August can be so hot for racing fans. These events harken back to the days when technology and betting competition didn’t compete with on-track attendance. Fans will be elbow-to-elbow this month for the Hambo, Million and Travers.

On the pages to come, we’ll fight for space and set up all of those scenes for horseplayers.

- JP

Horse Player NOW Magazine Copyright 2014

Horse Player NOW All Rights Reseved

Editor, Publisher, Designer Jeremy Plonk

Contributing Writers Caton Bredar

Jerry Shottenkirk Brian Nadeau

Brian W. Spencer Jen Perkins

Ken Warkentin Bob Heyden

Justin Horowitz Ed DeRosa

Photography Chief Enzina Mastrippolito (Photosbyz)

Contributing Photographers Adam Coglianese / NYRA

Michael Lisa / MeadowlandsDustin Orona / Remington Park

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We update this page of the digital magazine every racing day–keep coming back!

Each day’s play derived directly from that day’s official…

FRIDAY, AUGUST 15, 2014 Race 1 - Del Mar#7 Curlin Iron (8-1) ***

Our Eyes: This 3yo was entered in a maiden claiming $20K earlier in the meet but was scratched when he drew the No. 1 post. Now hedraws the outside and trainer Bill Spawr is a surprising 2-for-5 with first-timers at Del Mar the last three years. – Jeff Nahil

Jeff's Playbook: 2 units to win, 3 units to place.

OUR EYES. YOUR PRIZE. Full Report $10 daily ($15 Sat.) Subscriptions $49.95 /month…

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THE TEASER:

From Tammy ‘Fox’ Wynette to real sour juice to Pulp Fiction, eventually it will all make sense.

Stand By Your Man Teaser’s got to hand it to Tammy Fox, life partner of trainer Dale Romans, for standing by her man when he and Ed Musselman, publisher of the Indian Charlie newsletter, began trading blows on the Churchill Downs backside.

According to published reports, Fox and Romans were heading toward the racetrack when they encountered Musselman, who recently had written a bitingly satirical Indian Charlie column about Romans. The two men exchanged ‘un-pleasantries’ before Musselman reportedly took a swing at Romans. Musselman later said he lashed out

first because he feared Romans and Fox were about to jump him. Fox, who stands about four feet tall and spotted combatants at least a foot in height and over 100 pounds each on the official scale of weights, joined the fracas in defense of Romans.

When the backside dust had cleared, as the aggressor in the altercation, Musselman was suspended 30 days and is required to attend anger management counseling; Romans was exonerated for protecting himself and Fox was handed a 15-

day ban, including anger management counseling. Teaser hopes Tammy at least got her money’s/time’s worth. And, if you

Teaser, definition: A male horse used at breeding farms to determine whether a mare is ready to receive a stallion. Also, perhaps the most unfulfilling occupation in the universe.

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ever wind up in a foxhole, Tammy’s the one ‘Fox’ you’d want watching your back.

Cheaters Don’t Always Prosper According to a story at DRF.com, trainer Naipaul Chatterpaul was suspended 60 days and fined $5,000 by the New York State Gaming Commission due to four medication violations. An additional 120-day suspension was stayed for two years beginning Sept. 15 provided Chatterpaul does not accrue any additional equine violations for which he is found responsible.

Say what?

Teaser’s all for cleaning up illegal drug use in Thoroughbred racing, but Naipaul Chatterpaul? Juicing? Really?

According to Equibase, in the past 7 years, Chatterpaul-trained horses have made a total of 774 starts with 67 firsts, 95 seconds and 98 thirds for earnings of $2.9 million…or, in other words, the equivalent of a horrible month for Todd Pletcher.

Chatterpaul is a native of Guyana and once won the G1 Manhattan Handicap with 21-1 longshot Mission Approved, a horse he had claimed a year earlier for $35,000. According to the DRF.com article, over a two-year period from February 2012 through January 2014, Chatterpaul had four violations involving two medications: Clenbuterol, a bronchodilator, and Flunixin, a non-steroidal anti-inflamatory (also known as Banamine). One of the runners won, the others were fourth (twice) and fifth. All four runners have been disqualified and ruled unplaced in the order of finish.

If Chatterpaul was trying to ‘level the playing field’ or to ‘take an edge’ in the medication arms race, he pretty much missed the point. It doesn’t count if you juice, get caught and don’t cash at better than a 9% rate. He ought to be made to serve an extra 60-day suspension on principle alone.

Everyone Outta the Pool! Maybe In an effort to make the world safe for democracy…or in pursuit of some other vague, noble goal, the California Horse Racing Board spanked advance deposit wagering operators Twin Spires and Xpressbet for coordinating Players’ Pools—

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where ADW account holders pool money in an effort to collectively take down large wagers such as the pick six.

The CHRB originally had notified two of the three largest ADW operators that the practice was illegal according to California racing law…and it appears as if that’s still the case. However, the CHRB recently stated publicly that they would not be prosecuting individual players for violating the statute.

The convoluted messaging caused Teaser to experience a Pulp Fiction moment:

Jules: So, tell me again about Players’ Pools?

Vincent: Okay, what you wanna know?

Jules: Players’ Pools is legal there in California, right?

Vincent: Yeah, it's legal, but it ain't a hundred-percent legal. I mean, you can't just log into an ADW, pool your

money and start betting away. You're only supposed to bet at the track or in certain designated places.

Jules: And those are OTBs?

Vincent: Yeah. It breaks down like this: It's legal to pool it, it's legal to bet it, and, if you're the proprietor of a racetrack, it's legal to accept it. It's still illegal to do it with an ADW, but that doesn't really matter, 'cause... get a load of this: If you get stopped by the cops in California, it's illegal for them to prosecute you. I mean, that's a right the cops in California don't have.

Jules: [laughing] I'm going, that's all there is to it, I'm freaking going.

Vincent: Yeah baby, you'd dig it the most.

-HPN

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Horse Player NOW Magazine has called upon three of Meadowlands’ leading handicappers to provide insight into the Aug. 2 Hambletonian and itssuperb supporting undercard. “Hollywood” Bob Heyden, Ken Warkentin and Justin Horowitz provide their analysis of the Hambo, Hambletonian Oaks and the John Cashman Memorial. Can anyone outrun Father Patrick?

TRIXTON NUNCIO HARPER BLUE CHIP

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HAMBLETONIANRACE ANALYSIS

by Bob Heyden

10. Father PatrickFather Patrick becomes the first horse ever to win the Hambletonian at the Meadowlands from post 10, the first for Yannick Gingras, the third for Jim-my Takter and the 16th in a row for Fa-ther Patrick overall. He is a wonderful colt, the most versatile of this group, and the outer post may actually ben-efit as the inside pretenders now can only flex their muscles early. Sire Can-tab Hall didn’t have the best of luck in the 2004 Hambo final - he got caught behind a tiring Tom Ridge - his son can more than make up for it today in what will likely be THE FASTEST Ham-bo ever and the first sub 1:50 classic.

5. NuncioNuncio has never been worse than second - EVER - yet is third choice. Campbell has no equal in the race’s history and knows the colt better than anyone. He’s primed and ready and his gate speed is key.

7. TrixtonHas the look of a ferocious colt, tal-ented beyond belief, and has to be on every drivers mind every second of this race. But the Hambletonian is about positioning, speed and most importantly, what year you were born. Explosive Matter and Napole-tano didn’t get to choose that either. For the first time ever in the history of million dollar races, which began in 1980 with Niatross, a trainer is about to go 1-2-3.

by Justin Horowitz

10. Father PatrickHe has won 15 races in a row and that’s not by mistake. This colt is more than good enough to overcome the outside post position. Need further proof? Take a look at his win in the Stanley Dancer from post 9 where he made the lead in the opening quar-ter and still finished up strongly in 27 seconds. The best thing about the outside post is our price will be slight-ly more generous.

7. TrixtonWhenever he’s avoided Father Pat-rick, he has been the next best look-ing trotter in the crop. Takter wants his first Hambletonian win as a driver and perhaps the post position advan-tage is the difference? I still think this horse is second best.

5. NuncioHe’s matured tremendously this sea-son under the tutelage of Takter. Campbell can now get his horse to relax behind horses, giving him more options. He’s the only horse to beat Father Patrick, but that was more than a year ago. I don’t know how much more improvement he has left, but he’ll need to show it if he is to beat the top two. That said, he rounds out the “Takter trifecta.”

by Ken Warkentin

10. Father PatrickThe biggest standout since Muscle Hill has pretty much been idle since his Dan Patch Award winning fresh-man campaign. Aside from his unde-feated season, 15-race winning streak and 1:50.2 world record, anyone who saw his final tune up qualifier sim-ply can’t disagree with Jimmy Takter when he calls him the perfect trotter and the best he’s ever developed. There’s more than enough power and talent here to handle any adversity.

7. TrixtonObviously, if it wasn’t for Father Pat-rick this Muscle Hill colt would be the king of the hill. This big, growthy colt with a bright future is developing into a speedy, yet handy and impos-ing figure, dominating the NJSS Final and setting the Mohawk track record in the Goodtimes. Has a chance to make things interesting if his stellar stablemate gets roughed up and he gets a clear shot.

5. NuncioThe Beal and Dancer runner-up com-pletes one of the most formidable trios in Hambletonian history for Team Takter. Prepped perfectly with a 1:51.4 Reynolds division, six-time Hambletonian winner John Campbell has nursed him along, and if they mix it up enough, this improving son of Andover Hall could pick up the pieces.

Hambletonian Day handle has topped $7 million 15 consecutive years. High $2 win - $57 (Amigo Hall '03); Low $2 win - $2.20 (Mack Lobell '87).

Highest $2 exacta - $462.40 ('11); Low $2 exacta - $4.60 ('87).Fastest fractions - 1/4 26.3 - 1/2 54.3 - 3/4 1:22.2 - Final 1:50.1

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JOHN CASHMAN MEMORIALRACE ANALYSIS

by Bob Heyden

1. Sebastian KWill follow in the fine Swedish tradi-tion already established in this race, most notably by Stig Johansson in 2002 with track record setting Victo-ry Tilly (1:50.4) and bring home the Cashman trophy. The fastest trotter ever born, he’s selected post 1 in a race that saw a 1:50.1 winner in 2009 with Lucky Jim and a 1:50 elimination winner this year Archangel. Svan-stedt hinted that another world re-cord is not out of the question.

4. ArchangelTries to become the second Yonkers Trot winner to later win the Cashman - Mack Lobell the only other. Now the fastest trotter ever on a mile track at 1:50 flat, Ron Burke’s ultra impres-sive outfit is now featuring power-house trotters as evidenced by two track records set in last week’s elimi-nations. His speed may force a world record mile.

9. Market ShareWas caught out from a tough post last year in this very race where speed ruled (Sevruga). Is this deja vu? or can he join Mack Lobell as the only Hambletonian winner to also take the Cashman? This field is over $17 million composite, and the barn has won this race prior with 2012 Horse of the Year Chapter Seven.

by Justin Horowitz

1. Sebastian KHe’s a sloppy track nose loss away from being undefeated in his eye-catching North American ca-reer. he has shown tremendous gate speed and the ability to cruise on the front end. There are some wise guys lining up to try and beat him now and I think that gives us a chance to steal a little bit of value. All hail King Sebastian and King Ake!

8. IntimidateWith the expected quick pace, this horse will possibly be double digit lengths behind early on. But he has shown an ability to close with a mon-ster rally and if he can split the two favorites, you have a chance to spice up your exotic wagers.

4. ArchangelFourth in the 2012 Hambletonian, Archangel has matured into the mon-ster he hinted at during his 3-year-old season. Beautiful black son of Credit Winner, “Archie” set a world record in his elimination after being reunited with Gingras. He sat on the back of Sebastian K in his world record at Po-cono before making a break. I expect Gingras to take it to Sebastian from “go” and turn this race into a sprint for home.

by Ken Warkentin

1. Sebastian KThe barefoot wonder has acclimat-ed instantly to North American rac-ing and has been super impressive with his amazing speed and accel-eration. Racing consecutive weeks actually seems to have sharpened him, and under the right conditions we may see further history made by this monster. You know Ake Svan-stedt isn’t going to get any breathers today, but when it comes down to sheer strength the Swedish import has the edge.

9. Market ShareParked fifth as the beaten favorite in last year’s Cashman, the 2012 Hambletonian hero and two-time Dan Patch Award winner has turned a corner at the right time. The triple millionaire was also conservative right before he went down the road in the 2013 TVG FFA, and he’s a clutch performer with five wins, a second and third in seven races for $500,000 or more.

4. ArchangelAfter making breaks in two of his previous three it was a bit surprising to hear Yannick Gingras say he was sitting on a big mile. Nevertheless, Team Burke has a new world cham-pion, who has come all the way back from stallion duty last year. He has seen the back of Sebastian K sever-al times this season, and there’s no doubt he’s going to push off from an inside draw and make the favorite work for it.

John Campbell's Record 6 Hambletonian Driving VictoriesMack Lobell (1987) Armbro Goal (1988)Harmonious (1990) Tagliabue (1995)

Muscles Yankee (1998) Glidemaster (2006

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HAMBLETONIAN OAKSRACE ANALYSIS

by Bob Heyden

11. Shake It CerryYes we are looking at Jimmy Takter becoming just the second trainer to ever win both the Hambo and the Oaks in the same year (1988 Jan Johnson with Armbro Goal and Nans Catch). Not only was she clearly the best at 2, she hasn’t needed her best in her last few and is perfectly primed for Pierce’s fourth Oaks. The second tier is not an issue, especially in here where she can follow the rail early.

7. Lifetime PursuitThe runner-up in the 1:53.3 record Merrie Annabelle from 2013. She is sharper than her lines indicate and remember this is Hambo day, Muscle Massive’s PPs would not have bowled you over either going into the 2010 Hambo final. Yannick Gingras is primed for a really big day, 2 days be-fore turning 35.

8. Heaven’s DoorCan leave the gate in a hurry. She’ll be forwardly placed all through-out in what figures to be a big day for Ake Svanstedt. This is more of a wide open year in the Hambo Oaks and keep in mind that prior to Bee A Magician’s 2013 romp, six straight fa-vorites bit the dust in the Oaks. Train-er/driver winning the Oaks is rare nowadays, but it was early on when Glen Garnsey did both three times in the first four editions (1971, 1973, 1974).

by Justin Horowitz

8. Heaven’s DoorWith all the attention on the top two choices, don’t let this improving filly get away at what should be a nice price. If we learned anything this year at the Meadowlands, it’s don’t under-estimate Ake Svanstedt horses in big spots. The talented, but previously unpredictable Muscle Hill daughter has shown much more maturity her last three starts and her respectable performance in the Del Miller makes her my best value play.

1. Designed To BeHer last two starts have not been tru-ly run races and therefore, don’t fault her too much for getting beaten at short prices. The post draw gives her the tactical advantage that she hasn’t had in her last two races and she’s only been off the ticket once in 12 ca-reer starts.

11. Shake It CerryThe post draw did her no favors. She’s been clearly in the lead by the first quarter in each of her last five races, which will not happen today with her second tier starting position. Without being able to dictate the race dynam-ics, this filly will have to show a new dimension and I’ll try to beat her at what still should be a short price.

by Ken Warkentin

1. Designed To BeWorld champion at two and three has now had road trouble in her last two here, while Shake It Cerry has been allowed to steal away. Team Orange Crush has her on her toes for Libfeld and Katz. The White Knight set the stakes record of 1:51.4 with 2014 Horse of the Year Bee A Magician, and hopefully this talented filly will get a chance to prove her superiority today from the rail leading the Team Orange Crush trio.

11. Shake It CerrySet a track record winning last year’s Merrie Annabelle enroute to division honors and has continued her dom-inant style for three-time Oaks win-ners Jimmy Takter and Ron Pierce. Obviously, she’s dangerous when in control of the pace, another Donato Hanover looms, yet logically the pres-sure figures to ramp up despite fol-lowing 1-Designed To Be out of there.

8. Heaven’s DoorBroke her maiden in style with an im-pressive 1:52 wire-to-wire NJSS Final and was a solid runner-up with not much chance in the Del Miller. Rela-tively light in experience, and hasn’t raced in three weeks, yet you know Ake Svanstedt will have her ready to roll and forwardly placed. We clearly haven’t seen the best of this Muscle Hill filly.

Hambletonian Oaks Superlatives High $2 win - $122.80 (Working Gal '90). Low $2 win - $2.40 (Bee A Magician '13).

Highest $2 exacta - $3198.60 ('82)

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RON BURKE: Strength in Numbers

By Ken Warkentin

When harness racing super-trainer Ron Burke declared his goal was to break his own staggering records again in 2014, very few could doubt him.

In 2013, the 44-year-old from Pennsylvania, based in Cannonsburg, cruised to his third straight training title at the Meadowlands, and the massive Burke operation flew past the 5,000-wins mark and $100 million.

Some call him the Todd Pletcher of harness racing.

Burke is the leading trainer in the sport for the fifth straight year. Last year, Burke amassed 1,090 wins from 4,494 starts and $22,228,815 – all records.

Just past the midway point of 2014, Burke was overseeing approximately 250 horses at six

different venues in four states, and had more than 500 wins and $10 million.

In addition to the Big M, in 2013, Burke was also the leading money winner at

all three tracks in his home state, The Meadows, Pocono Downs and Harrah’s Philadelphia, as well as Hoosier Park in Indiana and Yonkers Raceway in New York.

Burke learned the business from his father, Mickey Burke, who originally had car dealerships and owned horses with other trainers at The Meadows, namely Dick, Doug and Dane Snyder. Mickey often helped out, learned the ropes and drove in his first race in his mid-50s. Now in his late 70s, Mickey still is very much involved in training the stable’s youngsters.

As Ron began helping his dad develop his stable in the early 1980s, he not only overcame his initial fear of horses, he discovered

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he had a special rapport with them, particularly the bad actors.

Ron, the horse whisperer, learned to love horses, grew to love racing, and his work would soon speak loud and clear at the sport’s major racetracks. The younger Burke also has a knack for absorbing detail and recall, and keeps track of everything utilizing today’s technology.

Every year has been better than the year before, and for the Burkes, racing has been a family affair ever since they emerged and thrived with the advent of racinos.

In 2014, double millionaire Sweet Lou started off the season as the hottest free for all pacer in the sport, dominating the TVG FFA Series and romping in major events like the Roll With Joe at Tioga Downs in 1:48.3, the Ben Franklin at Pocono Downs in a world record of 1:47 and the William Haughton Memorial in 1:47.1.

Among Ron Burke’s record 15 Breeders Crown finalists last Fall, Foiled Again (pictured below), the sport’s first $6 million pacer, became the richest North America-based harness horse in history and oldest to win a Crown event at age nine in 2013.

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The ultimate warhorse capped last season with a dramatic tally in the TVG FFA Pace Final and is still going strong in 2014. Burke calls him the most consistent and hardest trying horse he’s ever trained.

Clear Vision, Bettor’s Edge, Allstar Legend and Ultimate Beachboy are also among his dominant Open class battalion.

This season, Burke has campaigned two of the hottest three-year-old pacers around in Art Rooney winner All Bets Off, and JK Endofanera, who gave Burke his first $1 million race win with a 12-1 upset in the North America Cup.

Allstar Rating, Southwind Silence, Somestarsomewhere and At Press Time also are in his “glamor boy” three-year-old pacing colt division contingent.

On the female side, and in a very competitive Open Pacing Mares division, Rocklamation kicked off her bid for top honors in 2013 with a 1:49.3 division of the Golden Girls after a huge rally. The consistent five-year-old by Rocknroll Hanover also closed from the clouds to win the Milton Final

at Mohawk and hit the board in six other major events in her class.

On Meadowlands Pace Night 2014, the near-double millionaire Rocklamation rallied to a 12-1 upset from post nine in the Golden Girls with the mile of her life, 1:48.3, despite a month off.

Add that veteran to a strong contingent of young stars like New Jersey Sires Stakes champion two-year-old trotting filly Mission Brief, and the Burke Barn formula for unprecedented success is a slam-dunk to continue well into the future.

LISTEN TO OUR RADIO ARCHIVE LESSON

“DEVELOPING YOUNG HORSES” THAT FEATURED RON BURKE, MARK CASSE, WAYNE CATALANO & MORE

IN JULY 2013 WEEK 19.

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COMING THIS MONTH IN NIGHT SCHOOL! TUESDAYS, 8:30 PM ET

CLICK FOR MORE Visit Horseplayernow.com for the racing industry’s FREE national online fan education program.

AUGUST 5 TELEVISION ANALYSTS

Learn from our pros with TV experience

what to listen for and what to ignore with on-air commentary.

AUGUST 12 VISUAL

HANDICAPPING

Live chat with top handicappers as we discuss during live

racing video what your eyes should watch.

AUGUST 19 TOTEBOARD CLUES

The odds change every 90 seconds or sooner – what are you watching for and how can you capitalize? Find out!

AUGUST 26 WATCHING RACES

CRITICALLY

Trip handicapping is about knowing how to pick apart a race from all angles. We tell you

how in real-time.

LOOK AHEAD: SEPT 2 TRIP

HANDICAPPING

The return of SiriusXM radio simulcasts with

Steve Byk! Top players share their trip secrets and what to watch for.

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Pose your questions each week in Night School – or by emailing askcaton@horseplayernow.com!

Each issue, we’ll take your questions for Caton Bredar, Horse Player NOW analyst, Night School co-host and noted reporter for HRTV.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT SARATOGA?

There are so many, it's hard to pick! I have a special connection with Saratoga, even though I haven't spent a lot of time here myself. My Mom spent many of her summers growing up here when her father (my grandfather, Ted Atkinson) was riding. He led the standings at the Spa five times, so it's special for me in general.

I also love the atmosphere--the fact that everyone in town is interested in racing and that it's a focal point in the newspapers and local news. Plus, it's a lot of fun to see big crowds at the races again, no matter what kind of weather.

You have to love the opportunity to follow the 3-year-olds, some of the alums from the Triple Crown plus the new shooters from the Jim Dandy to the random allowance races, through the Travers. Also,

it's fun seeing the new 2-year-old stars.

But as great as the racing and the atmosphere are, I have to say my favorite thing is getting up early, walking around Clare Court and Horse Haven, getting a cup of coffee and just sitting in the stands watching the horses go through morning workouts.

With the big trees and the people lining the track apron, Mary Ryan describing the action over the P.A., you feel like you've stepped back into another era when racing was king. There is no other track in the country quite like Saratoga on an early August morning.

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Pose your questions each week in Night School – or by emailing askcaton@horseplayernow.com!

WHICH 3-YEAR-OLD ARE YOU MOST INTERESTED IN FOR THE SECOND HALF OF THE

SEASON, AND WHICH HORSE IN GENERAL ARE YOU MOST EXCITED TO SEE RUN THIS

SUMMER?

While most people are waiting for California Chrome to come back (and I'm eager to see him, too) I'm pretty excited about some of the horses I think didn't get a shot to show what they were capable of. Shared Belief, of course, is intriguing and may well turn out to be the best of the best.

As for horses in general, no question, I'm hoping to see Wise Dan make a successful return to the races. Not just because it's the rare opportunity to see a two-time Horse of the Year, but after all he's been through with emergency colic surgery, just to see him back at the track at all is amazing. It’s a testament not only to his amazing courage, but also the great job Charlie Lopresti and all the people around him have done keeping him healthy, nursing him back and generally developing and caring for one of the great horses of our

generation. If he makes it back to race at all, it'll be one of the great stories of the year.

HAMBO OR HASKELL?

Tough call, and why choose when you can do both? New Jersey has

one of the rare doubleheaders—cross-breed, cross-state classics generally over the course of a weekend or two, but never on the same day. Both Monmouth and Meadowlands are exceptional for their respective events. Both offer tremendous supporting races around their marquee events.

They are, respectively, among the two greatest days on the calendar for horseplayers and fans. It's been an honor to cover both great races over the course of my career in broadcasting, and I'd never want to have to choose between the two. And I will say, while I may have a greater familiarity with Thoroughbred racing, I generally do better gambling-wise on the Hambletonian! (Could be all the great harness racing experts that help me out at the Meadowlands!)

Follow me @CBredar.

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MILLION-DOLLAR

DRAMA

By Brian W. Spencer

John Henry's reputation as the

quintessential iron horse from the

1980s will always be well deserved.

A graded stakes winner at age 9,

he started 83 times and returned

to the winner's circle on 39

occasions while racking up

earnings of more than $6.5 million.

Though John Henry's place in

racing lore is cemented, there

exists a modern racehorse with a

chance in the near future to equal

the champion in one way. While

Pennsylvania-bred Real Solution is

34 wins and more than $5.2 million

dollars in earnings shy of the

legendary John Henry, he will aim

on August 16 to join John Henry as

a two-time winner of the Arlington

Million after earning top honors

with an assist from the stewards

last year.

The Arlington Million, the

centerpiece of the Illinois racing

calendar, is always a classy and

international affair that has proven

to be a mostly formful event. For

those who enjoy data-mining race

histories in an attempt to uncover

hidden trends, the Million does not

offer many hard and fast angles.

Running style has been no major

indicator of success in the last

decade:

Running Style Wins

Front-Runner 3

Midpack-Runner 5

Closer 2

European invaders have won four

of the last 10 runnings, yet for all

of the talk about European

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domination in American turf

races, they have on occasion

been forgotten at the

windows, producing the two

largest winning mutuels in the last

ten years – Debussy returned

$24.00 in 2010, and Spirit One paid

$29.40 in 2008.

While favorites

have won just

two of the last

10 runnings,

that doesn't

mean that the

Million is a race

in which to swing

at big longshot

prices. Mid-range

runners have been

the name of the

game with an

average win

payout of $15.72

in the last

decade, the real money has been

there for the taking on those

fourth-choice-at-7/1 kinds of

runners we all love finding.

As illustrated by the pricey

European winners mentioned

above, there can be incredible

value to be had on the “lesser”

shippers from across the pond. The

American betting public seems to

have some trouble separating a

handful of Euros, so they gravitate

towards the bigger names, leaving

the less-heralded runners at

attractive prices on

the board.

What's the best

way to find that

Euro who may be

sitting on

something good

despite

appearing a bit

of a second-

stringer? Use

social media

to your

advantage

and read

everything

you can from

those on-site regarding

morning jogs, physical

appearances and energy levels

from the shippers – it worked with

Debussy and has been an

invaluable supplement to

handicapping over the last few

years.

25

Even though the wagering side of

the Arlington Million hasn't created

much drama or too many surprises

over the years, the race itself has

had several dramatic performances

in recent editions. Here's a

rundown, with video links, of four

of the most high-drama moments

in recent Arlington Millions.

4. 2008 – Johnny-in-the-spot!

(Click videos to watch)

6/5 race favorite Archipenko

worked out a great, ground-saving

trip just behind leader and eventual

winner Spirit One and appeared to

have run turning for home.

Unfortunately, Johnny Murtagh

aboard the one-paced Mount

Nelson was committed to keeping

the chalk pinned in on the fence,

costing the choice any chance of

catching the gate-to-wire winner.

After the race, Archipenko's rider

Kevin Shea said, “Johnny had me

trapped in all the way around, and

when it was time to go I begged

him to let me go and he wouldn't

let me through.” Conditioner Mike

de Kock was equally displeased.

“There was no need for Johnny to

keep us in like that.”

3. 2013 – Hold All Tickets!

Real Solution was elevated to the

top spot after The Apache was

disqualified for interference in the

stretch. The Apache hit the top

before drifting out about five paths

under left-handed urging from

Christophe Soumillon, bumping

Real Solution. In a call that could

have gone either way, trainer Mike

de Kock once again had to settle

for a well-meant charge finishing

second.

26

2. 2010 – Buick’s Inside Pass

Debussy's dream trip nearly went

bad. After securing a great spot

racing more or less in the pocket,

Debussy was caught behind tiring

forward players General Quarters

and Quite a Handful who were

both backing up.

When he finally got room to stretch

his legs just outside of the eighth

pole, he had already given away

first run to 4-5 favorite Gio Ponti.

Looking like an underneath threat

at best outside the sixteenth pole,

he produced a flashy turn of foot

under William Buick inside the final

pole to post an 11-1 upset.

1. 2004 – Power Drained

Powerscourt moved wide on the far

turn to power to the front in the

stretch, but lugged in badly under

heavy right-handed whipping from

rider Jamie Spencer, bothering

both Epalo and Kicken Kris, whose

rider Kent Desormeaux nearly flew

out of the saddle in anger as his

mount crossed the wire. His mood

surely changed for the better after

the winner was disqualified,

elevating Kicken Kris to the top

spot. Powerscourt was the second

consecutive Million winner to be

disqualified after Storming Home

spooked and dumped Gary Stevens

just before the wire in 2003, but he

would exact some revenge the

following year with an easy three-

length score in the 2005 Million.

- HPN

GET MORE AP 'CAPPING HELP ON PAGE 57 WITH BRIS HANDICAPPING HINTS!

27

28

The Travers. The Midsummer

Derby. A grueling 1 ¼ miles over

the Saratoga main track. Long

known as the fourth leg of the

Triple Crown, it’s arguably every bit

as coveted as the Preakness and

the Belmont Stakes on any trainer

and owner’s laundry list.

Long on history, the Travers is the

centerpiece of a Saratoga meet

that is full of centerpieces. Run for

the 145th time August 23, the race

is sure to draw an all-star cast of

3-year-olds that will look to use a

win as a stepping-stone to greater

glory against older horses in the

fall. So what has worked in the

past and what hasn’t? And who are

the main contenders?

Let’s take a look.

How to Get There

Over the last 20 years, Travers

winners have traveled many

different paths to get to the

winner’s circle in Saratoga’s most

prestigious race, but what final

prep has been the most used

springboard to victory? While

Monmouth Park’s prestigious

Haskell offers a purse of $1 million

and a shot at a Grade 1, the local

prep, the Jim Dandy, has proven

the most-used and most-successful

launching pad to a Travers win.

Jim Dandy 11

Haskell 4 Swaps 4 Belmont 1 Other 1

21 preps due to dead-heat in 2012.

29

As the graphic attests,

it’s pretty obvious that

the best path to a

Travers win is a race

over the track, which

should come as no

surprise to anyone, but

is also worth

remembering as the

race draws near. Often

times the Haskell

winner will get all the

publicity, and rightfully

so, to a certain extent,

but you have to go back

to Point Given in 2001 to

find the last horse to pull off the

Haskell-Travers double. Taking it a

step further, since Point Given’s

double, Haskell winners are 0-for-6

in the Travers and horses exiting

the race are just 1-for-20, with

Summer Bird in 2009 the only

horse who ran in the Haskell that

came back to win the Travers.

Betting Trends

The chalk hasn’t exactly had an

easy go it either, over the past 20

years. While it’s always good to be

the top man on the totem pole, the

Travers is often ripe for that late-

developing 3-year-old who sat out

the Triple Crown or quite possibly

came to hand towards the end of it

(think Will’s Way and Flower Alley).

Favorites have won just eight times

in the past 20 years and it’s a bit

more dramatic when you consider

that the sample started with Holy

Bull and Thunder Gulch winning as

the chalk and with Alpha in there

as well, even though he was a

dead-heat winner. However, if the

exotics are for you, then sadly

you’re going to need the favorite to

cash a ticket, as the chalk has been

Wicked Strong (7) outkicked Tonalist (4) in the Jim Dandy last month. Click to watch.

30

out of the money just four times in

the past 20 years.

The good news is that there have

been several mid-priced winners of

the race, as the average mutuel

price of the Travers winner has

been $9, so it’s tough to scoff at a

7-2, especially when you consider

we’re usually dealing with a field of

seven or eight horses.

And don’t forget, we started the

sample with Holy Bull ($3.60) and

Thunder Gulch ($3.50). Toss them

and things rise up to $9.58 over

the past 18 renewals.

Running Style

The novice tends to think closers

will do well in a 1 ¼-mile race but

that’s a very tricky assumption in

the Travers, for several different

reasons.

First and foremost, the Travers

usually has a relatively compact

and select field, meaning you won’t

get the hell-on-wheels pace of the

Kentucky Derby.

Second, the Saratoga main track

isn’t exactly a good spot for

closers, especially going two turns.

If you’re without tactical speed

then you run the risk of leaving

yourself way too much to do off

the far turn, with likely some salty

3-year-olds in front of you to run

down. So, it’s no surprise that just

5-of-21 recent winners (remember

the dead-heat of 2012) have been

closers.

Conversely, only Medaglia d’Oro

(2002) and Bernardini (2006) were

wire-to-wire winners, and

considering they were both odds-

on and overwhelming choices, it’s

easy to see that you’ve got your

work cut out for you if you want to

lead every step of the way in the

Travers.

So, without holding you in

suspense for that much longer, it’s

quite obvious that tactical speed

wins the Travers.

No fewer than 14 of the past 21

winners either pressed or stalked

the pace from close range before

making their winning move. Simply

put, if you want to win the Travers,

you better be able to stay within 5

lengths of the leaders early or run

the risk of leaving yourself with too

much to do late.

31

Odds and Ends

It’s worth noting that while the Jim

Dandy, Haskell and Swaps

(formerly run at Hollywood Park

and now run as the Los Alamitos

Derby) have been the most popular

prep races, there have been two

horses to buck the trend--Birdstone

(2004) and Golden Ticket (2012).

Nick Zito hardly needs to

validate his Hall of

Fame resume, but

his work with

Birdstone in 2004

was spectacular, as

the ‘little horse that

could’ entered the

Travers off a layoff

of 84 days, having

not run since winning

the Belmont Stakes.

As for Golden Ticket,

his case is even more

remarkable, as he entered having

not run in 112 days, in a Churchill

Downs optional-claimer, no less.

Credit to Kenny McPeek; that’s one

heck of an accomplishment.

Another nugget you might want to

consider, and one that might be a

bit surprising, is that a horse does

not have to win his Travers prep,

as 11 of the past 21 Travers

winners won their final prep (I use

the term loosely because the

Haskell is hardly a prep).

It’s hardly an end-all be-all stat,

but it’s something to think about

and quite possibly a link to why

favorites haven’t had great success

in the Travers.

Another thing to

consider – the Jim

Dandy winner hasn’t

exactly been a sure-

fire thing in the

Travers, as the

ledger sits at 6

winners and 5

losers out of the

local prep.

Stats and trends

aren’t going to guarantee

you success in the Travers, but the

above, if nothing else, gives you a

good look at the summer’s most

anticipated race. What you do with

them is up to you, but they’ll be at

the top of my handicapping list

when I delve into those PPs the

week of the race.

– HPN

32

33

By Jerry Shottenkirk

We see it every year in the Horse

Player NOW Remington Park chats

– the change of seasons. In

Oklahoma City, Okla., the changes

can be abrupt and all during one

race meeting.

Remington Park begins its Fall

Thoroughbred campaign August 15

and continues through December

14. That’s a tale of two seasons.

Temperatures when the meet

begins can be in the 100s, and by

mid-December can be in the 30s.

It’s part of the charm and

challenge of handicapping this

risen-from-the-ashes track that

premiered to the world on Sept. 1,

1988.

Also with the 2014 meet, the

Remington Park chats are back,

dubbed “Night School Friday Night

Live.” I have hosted Friday night

special gatherings of online

chatters, and they’ve read my

views and have taken in various

comments from HPN founder

Jeremy Plonk and Remington Park

announcer Dale Day, all while

tossing in their own two cents.

34

Caleb’s Posse

(above) and Alsvid

(left) are just two of

the recent-past’s

rising two-year-olds

to launch from

Remington Park.

2-year-old Triple

$75k Kip Deville – Sept. 28

$100k Clever Trevor – Nov. 7

$250k Springboard – Dec. 14

35

The centerpiece of the season

comes on Oklahoma Derby Day,

September 28 – one of the few

Sundays on the schedule, which

usually includes a weekly run from

Wednesday through Saturday.

Presented along with the $400,000

Grade 3 Oklahoma Derby will be

the $200,000 Remington Park

Oaks, the $150,000 Remington

Park Sprint Cup, the $100,000

Remington Green Stakes, the

$75,000 Kip Deville Stakes, the

$50,000 Flashy Lady Stakes and

the $50,000 Ladies on the Lawn

Stakes. That would be a whopper

of a card anywhere.

Despite the extreme changes in

weather, Remington’s back story is

one that has casino wagering as an

important character. Remington’s

first few years were highly

successful, but business tailed off

in a big way, mostly around the

turn of the century/millennium. It

had lost its luster to many, and

purses had dropped to a little more

than $40,000 per day. More than

10 years later, it’s going great

guns. The addition of a casino and

millions in updates by current

owner Global Gaming RP gave the

horse racing and breeding industry

hope, and today it’s a reality as

purses have jumped to more than

$200,000 per day. And with those

purses come quality racing stock.

So what’s the key to

handicapping Remington Park?

It’s in the numbers -- barns & fields.

There have been some dominant

outfits and jockeys in the history of

the track – some who were here at

the start and still have stable

representation here. Meanwhile,

some of the more successful

stables have not been here long,

but didn’t take long to join the

ranks of connections to watch.

What makes Remington Park

different from tracks on its level is

the number of starters per race.

Like every track, it has some short

fields, but most are attractive to

bettors because of those sheer

numbers. Large-sized fields are

magnets for those who like to play

the horizontals. Payoffs for Pick 3s

and Picks 4s are usually nice and

fat. Even the most formful exactas

and trifectas aren’t as chalky as in

most other places, simply because

36

of the number of participants per

race. That’s attractive when it

comes to the rolling Pick 3s and

the Primetime Pick 4, which is the

last four races of the card.

Connections, Connections,

Connections

There are several outfits that

dominate – some we’ve known for

a long, long time and some we’ve

known for a few years.

Trainer Steve Asmussen is the

reigning champion trainer. He has

won the local meet title 7 straight

times, but there is enough

successful competition on the

backstretch that it’s not as if his

horses are odds-on each time.

Donnie K. Von Hemel is the track’s

all-time leader. He has garnered

946 wins and is well ahead of

Asmussen, who has won 633 races

locally. Von Hemel’s name will

show up repeatedly during the

stakes schedule, which includes 35

events and purses of more than

$3.5 million.

There are plenty of powerful

stables to provide serious

competition.

Robertino Diodoro, whose horses

have been buzz saws in Canada

and Arizona, and have been much-

respected in California, brings a

stable for the meet for the first

time. He won last year’s Oklahoma

Derby with Broadway Empire.

Bret Calhoun, Roger Engel, J.R.

Caldwell, Chris Hartman and Randy

Morse bring many horses than can

beat you, and Karl Broberg is back

after some time away from the

local track. Hall of Famer Jack Van

Berg had some success at Lone

Star Park and has moved his stable

to Oklahoma City.

They’ll all have to bring their best if

they want to beat most of the

horses that come out of the

Federico Villafranco stable, which

has been powerful at Oaklawn and

Prairie Meadows. Villafranco trains

for Danny Caldwell, who has won

four consecutive owner titles.

Caldwell’s stable reps won 29 races

last season.

Remington also has a good group

in the jocks’ room. Cliff Berry is the

track’s all-time leader and is a

single win away from 2,000 locally.

Luis Quinonez is no stranger to the

37

local winner’s circle, having won

1,161 races.

Ramon Vazquez is the defending

champion jockey. He won 64 races,

many for Asmussen and

Villafranco. Quinonez, Berry and

Alex Birzer will provide the

strongest competition to Vazquez.

Around the Ovals

Remington has a one-mile main

track and a seven-furlong turf

course with a chute. While it can

change from day to day, speed can

be very dangerous on the main

track and in the shorter turf races,

while closers are more effective in

turf races beyond five furlongs.

Remington rarely has track surface

issues. Breakdowns are minimal

and the main track is normally fair-

playing. The turf course also is

kept in good shape and has

minimal workouts over the green.

The portable turf rail is moved in or

out as needed.

Remington’s racing product is the

best of the night-time tracks on

many weekdays, and has good

betting participation from other

points of call. Remington also has

been a popular spot for online

chatters. The chats can be accessed

through the HPN

and RP websites.

Fans who appreciate

free live streaming

video can get it each

racing day, via

Remingtonpark.com.

The ThoroEnduro free online handi-capping contest, with $9k in prize money, begins Aug. 23 and runs through Dec. 14.

- HPN

38

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39

TRIAL BY FIRE

Handicapping Trials for the All American Futurity

By Jen Perkins

Imagine if all horses nominated to the Kentucky Derby competed against

each other in races at Churchill Downs in April, and only the fastest horses

qualified for the final run for the roses. In Quarter Horse racing, this is

exactly how the field is determined for the richest race of the sport, the

prestigious Grade 1 All American Futurity at Ruidoso Downs. This year, two

days of trials for the All American Futurity will be held on August 14-15th,

and the top five fastest from each day will continue to the final.

Trials have been contested for the All American since its inception in 1959.

In the first year of the race, 28 entries competed in three trials, and in the

following year, the number had dipped to only two trials of nine horses

each. As the purse grew over the years, so did the number of nominations,

reaching a record number of 252 horses entered in 26 trials in 2011.

As any good handicapper knows, one key to handicapping Quarter Horse

stakes races is to watch the qualifiers in their trials. Time trials are dress

rehearsals for the final, allowing horses to race at the same distance over

the same surface, against some of their potential competition.

Tackle the 2014 All American Futurity trials with this game plan:

40

Do: Watch and wager on the trials. Jump start your All American

handicapping by viewing the trials live, and add the fun of watching the

qualifier list unfold throughout the day. Last year, the two days of trials at

Ruidoso handled over $1.5 million, so there is plenty of money in the pools

and enough unpredictability to bring big prices. Follow all the action with

free live streaming video through QRacingVideo.com.

Don’t: Forget to look at pedigrees. Some horses never run well at 440

yards, let alone as a two-year-old. A horse whose sire, dam, or dam’s sire

was an All American Futurity winner suggests that the potential for All

American Futurity success may be in her genes.

Do: Know the leading horses in the sport. Review the AQHA-

Horseplayernow.com poll and glance through the results of some of this

year’s graded stakes.

Don’t: Ignore company lines. Now that you know who the key horses are,

scan the past performances of the entries in each trial to spot a horse that

ran against a more talented horse in the past but now faces easier

company.

2013 All American Futurity Trial Wins by Post Position

Post 1: 1 Post 2: 3 Post 3: 4 Post 4: 1 Post 5: 2

Post 6: 0 Post 7: 4 Post 8: 5 Post 9: 2

Post 10: 6

Do: Use horses from the inside and outside posts. In a field of two-year-

olds with varying levels of maturity and experience, an inside or outside

post greatly reduces the chance of a troubled trip. In a 440 yard race, there

may be enough time for a good horse to potentially overcome interference

by running wide.

Don’t: Assume boys have an advantage. Many fillies mature faster than

colts, and it is not unusual for the girls to outrun the boys. Fillies won 25%

41

of the trials in 2013, and in the last 20 years, six winners of the All

American Futurity were fillies.

Do: Understand the system. All American hopefuls are nominated as

weanlings, followed by a series of sustaining payments and entry fees. If a

horse skips this process, they can still join the trial fields with a $50,000

supplement fee. A horse that has been supplemented deserves

consideration.

Don’t: Dismiss horses with experience. Remember that connections have

been paying into the trials since before the horses were in training, and

horses of all abilities compete in the trials. Horses that have run well in

previous races have a slight advantage in All American trials.

Horse AAF Trial Notable Performances

Houdini 1st 1st Rainbow Derby (G1),

2nd Texas Classic Futurity (G1)

Kates Dynasty 1st 1st Texas Classic Futurity (G1),

6th Rainbow Derby (G1)

Hes Relentless 1st 3rd Rainbow Derby (G1),

7th All American Futurity (G1)

One Valiant Hero 2nd 2nd Ruidoso Derby (G1),

2nd Bob Moore Memorial (G2)

This Dude Can Fly 2nd 1st Heritage Place Derby (G2),

8th Rainbow Derby (G1)

Her O Don Won 3rd 2nd Rainbow Derby (G1)

Rock You 3rd 1st Ruidoso Derby (G1),

1st Bob Moore Memorial (G2)

Viva Mi Corazon 6th 1st Los Al Winter Derby (G1),

2nd Los Al 2 Million Futurity (G1)

42

Do: File trial information for later. Note what the winner of a trial does later

in its career, and consider betting back the otherwise unknown horses that

ran behind him. A horse that ran fourth in a trial may not look impressive

until you realize that the trial winner later won a graded event.

Do: Play the connections. Gone are the days when a single trainer or jockey

sweeps a majority of the trials, but hot trainers and jockeys will emerge

throughout the day. If a trainer and jockey team up to bring in several

winners early, ignore their future entries at your own risk.

2013 All American Futurity Trial Wins by Trainer/Jockey Combinations

Blane Wood / Ricky Ramirez (5) Michael Joiner / G.R. Carter, Jr (4) Juan Gonzalez / Jaime Leos (2) Paul Jones / Cody Jensen (2) Luis Villafranco / Cody Jensen (2) Eddie Willis / David Pinon (2) Eddie Willis / Jimmy Brooks (2)

Whatever your angle, don’t forget to have fun and enjoy watching the

current and future two-year-old stars of Quarter Horse racing as they

compete for a coveted spot in the gate and a place in the history books in

the $2,700,000 2014 All American Futurity.

Jen Perkins is a member of the Racing Aces fan education

program from the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA).

She completed the Race Track Industry Program at the

University of Arizona and has been involved in Thoroughbred

and Quarter Horse racing as an owner, breeder and

handicapper for over 20 years.

43

44

COMMENTARY

ASMUSSEN-PETA CONTROVERSY

FROM A DIFFERENT ANGLE

By Jeremy Plonk

The dust-up between PETA and

Steve Asmussen, which became big

news in Spring 2014, could have

turned out to be racing‟s Waterloo

in its war on drugs. Instead, it

turned out to be little more than

water cooler discussion, where

racing folk / mainstreamers alike

had something to wet their whistle,

but little to digest.

The bombshell

could have rocked

racing‟s culture.

Allegations that

Asmussen and

assistant Scott

Blasi ran an

operation that

mistreated animals

put not only their

personal careers

on the precipice of

extinction, but

placed anyone who

enjoys the sport, or makes a living

in and around it, in harm‟s way of

something major.

Recently the story turned full circle

when Asmussen welcomed Blasi

back as his right-hand man in the

barn. The boss “relieved” Blasi of

his duties in late March after the

foul-mouthed sidekick was the

subject of most

of the PETA

sting operation

edited and

released via

Youtube. After

four months

apart, the two

long-time

barnmates were

reunited at

Saratoga and

the public was

left with a two-

fold reaction.

45

“Business as usual,” declared

one side of the war on drugs,

which had hoped this was the

smoking gun or Jose Canseco

Juiced moment, the book that

helped destroy baseball‟s

problems with performance

enhancing drugs.

“It‟s about time,” declared

another side of the public that

looked at the story from the

perspective that PETA‟s mission

against racing is such a vendetta

that the edited video offered

nothing to trust or adjudicate.

Like most things, the PETA vs.

Asmussen situation likely isn’t

black or white, but rather

shades of gray. Our society, since

the O.J. Simpson case first became

a courtroom TV miniseries in the

mid-1990s, has been one to

demand a smoking gun.

Popular fictional series like “CSI”

dominate television, and we

demand – right or wrong – that

circumstantial cases involve some

sort of DNA that confirms beyond a

reasonable doubt.

Asmussen and Blasi are free of

most DNA when it comes to the

PETA allegations. Not only did the

video fail to catch them in an “Aha

moment” with any illegal drugs,

the PETA crowd went

inexplicably silent during the

Triple Crown series even as

California Chrome lured a

larger-than-usual audience for

the sport. That‟s the kind of stage

in which PETA, if it had even 13

seconds more footage worthy of

release, would have produced 13

minutes more video to show all

why the sport must be stopped and

stopped now.

It‟s also noteworthy that as of July

31, the original PETA video sits at

300,469 Youtube views. That

sounds like a lot until you realize

that something as inane as

“Upside-Down Mascara: Does This

Thing Really Work?” has 2.5 million

views. If this story was as hot as

first thought, and had “legs” as we

say in the media business (despite

a bad pun in this case), wouldn‟t

there be even a few more

mainstream hits on the video?

46

How many of those 300,469 views

are racing people caught up in the

story? I know my hits count there.

Coming Clean Personally – My

Experiences Inside That Barn

In honesty, I thought there was

more to it upon my initial view of

the Youtube video. While I may be

an industry-type who earns my

entire living and supports my

family with horse racing-based

ventures, I was first more

disturbed by what was in the

video than who edited it. Even

with a loathe and distrust of PETA,

my 20-plus professional years

covering horse racing at the

highest levels, and Asmussen‟s

barn specifically since 1995, I did

not make the racing-protective leap

that what was being purported was

totally unfathomable.

As the daily notes writer at

Remington Park from 1995-„98, I

walked in Asmussen’s barn in

Oklahoma City a few times per

week. I had seen a culture of

temper that was real. Some of

the most vociferous workplace

barrages had not been overheard,

but rather observed while standing

right next to Asmussen himself. But

he would finish his verbal tirade,

compose himself, turn to me, and

say, “Now, what can I help you

with today?”

We always got along, but I had

seen the way language and temper

permeated that operation. Blasi

and Asmussen get along so well

professionally because they are cut

from the same mindset. To be

blunt: both are difficult to get

along with for many.

When I became a member of the

official Kentucky Derby notes team

for Churchill Downs, and Asmussen

began to rise in stature nationally

with horses for the Oaks and

Derby, I remember the year when

horse assignments came up and

the team captain seemed taken

aback when I welcomed the

chance to cover Asmussen‟s horses

daily for the media notes.

Pool reporters the previous year

were all but done with dealing with

the personalities of Asmussen and

Blasi and wanted nothing to do

with them. But I had covered them

in the past, understood their

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means and had a very good

working relationship.

In fact, in years when Asmussen

didn‟t have a horse in the Derby,

he was one of the trainers I would

go to in order to discuss the horses

in the race. I had made a practice

of identifying some trainers around

the backstretch who could lend me

an opinion of how good the

competition was at a particular

track, an Oaklawn, Fair Grounds,

etc. Guys like Asmussen, the late

Bob Holthus, trainer Bernie Flint,

they were regular stops for me to

lightly discuss horses for the Derby

because they were straight

shooters when it came to analysis.

I recall in 2005 going by

Asmussen‟s barn and asking him

what he thought of Afleet Alex. He

had run against him in Arkansas a

few times and had a sense of that

circuit. My question in essence

was: What happened to Afleet Alex

in the Rebel, when he ran sixth for

no apparent reason, other than

trainer Tim Ritchey coming out

afterward and saying he had a

minor lung infection?

Asmussen replied, give or take a

few words, that he had run many

horses who were later found to

have lung infections and none of

their performances were that

drastic from superstar to dead last.

And as we walked away on the

horse path from the track to the

barn, he added something to the

affect: Whatever it was with

Afleet Alex, they figured it out

in the Arkansas Derby, but it

wasn’t any #$@#%!* lung

infection.

Timing Is Everything

PETA‟s video release in March 2014

came about just after Asmussen‟s

Hall of Fame nomination was

announced, and it appeared that

the media-clever PETA crowd was

using that timing in which to

launch its assault on Asmussen.

With him training a star filly to win

the Kentucky Oaks in Untapable,

and running Tapiture in the

Kentucky Derby, the hush from

PETA during the first weekend in

May was a silencer – not the

smoking gun – that really changed

the narrative of this story for me.

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Right or wrong, I have to admit

that I was more in the camp that

something was terribly amuck in

the Asmussen shedrow upon

seeing the video – even knowing

full well the dastardly nature of the

organization editing it. If that

makes me naïve or disloyal to

horse racing, I can accept that

criticism. But I‟d be lying to you if

I claimed that I saw the PETA

video and felt an immediate need

to defend racing, much less the

subjects in the video being

accused. Where there‟s smoke,

there‟s usually fire.

Racing typically will bury its head in

the sand and hope this stuff goes

away. It’s bad for business in a

gambling game to unearth

how corrupt the training

process and drug culture may

be, much less the implications of

jockeys using buzzers that were

part of the video‟s side story. So if

racing was to let this all slide, you

might not come to any firm

conclusions that Asmussen and

Blasi deserve a pass.

But what about PETA? The fact

that they‟ve quit beating this drum

may speak volumes to just how

ginned up the original video really

was. At the least, even those of us

who aren‟t in the camp that you

must have DNA evidence to prove

a common-sense case, it does

make you think that this story had

a short shelf life for a reason.

To Blasi or Not To Blasi?

Hiring Blasi back wouldn‟t be my

decision if I‟m running that

company. There were enough

terminable offenses in the

video that implicated him

beyond the accusations of

illegal drug use or outright

animal cruelty.

His inability to separate owner-

trainer relationships by sharing too

much with the staff was strike one,

and the reason Asmussen gave for

his original “relief” of duty. Sharing

the company‟s practice of falsifying

Social Security documents for

illegal aliens with low-level staff is

another inexplicable dereliction of

management, much less the

illegality of the original practice.

More troubling to me, however,

was the part of the video that gets

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no attention. About 6 minutes in,

Blasi discusses how he‟ll fool the

attending vets and stewards by

masking an injury to avoid a

scratch next time. Even if that is

business as usual in many claiming

barns, it cannot be the practice at

the higher levels in the spotlight.

As I wrote in an ESPN.com

piece about Doug O’Neill in

2010, you can’t have it both

ways (link). If you want to be in

the big leagues, you must wash

your hands of the darker sides of

the game and practices that occur

with cheaper horses.

I‟m not advocating that any horse

deserves poor treatment or to run

while nursing maladies, regardless

of purse level or class. What I‟m

saying is that when you run a high-

profile sports business, which elite-

level trainers are, there‟s a true

sense of brand recognition and

public relations that are absolutely

part of the business model. That’s

not being politically correct;

that’s running a multi-million

dollar operation for multi-million

dollar owners and investors.

My Conclusions as of Today

As for the allegations of illegal

drugs or blatant mistreatment, I‟m

left to think the latter doesn‟t exist

if we haven‟t seen them four

months later.

With regards to the former, the

illegal drugs, Asmussen‟s record of

testing and violations has to stand

on its own and be judged like all

trainers working under the same

rules. He‟s got a medication rap

sheet that tells the story about

which we don‟t have to speculate.

It‟s the same for any trainer.

The follow-up discussion should be

what to do with all of those

violators, including administering

things like thyroid medications to

horses without thyroid problems,

and a toughened stance on

sanctions, suspensions and testing.

That‟s where the industry must

buck up and get it right, or else

public trust (read that to mean

wagering dollars, not PETA

sympathizers) will deal the game a

terrible fate.

-HPN

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Point Given / Photos By Z

AUGUST 2014 1 Caress (Sar), f/m, 5.5F-T Real Good Deal (Dmr), 3yo, 7F

2 WV Derby Day (Mnr), 9 stakes Whitney (Sar), 3&up, 9F Vanderbilt (Sar), 3&up, 6F Test (Sar), 3yof, 7F Lure (Sar), 4&up, 8.5F-T De la Rose (Sar), f/m, 8F-T Clement Hirsch (Dmr), f/m, 8.5F Eternal Search (WO), 3yof, 8.5F-T My Frenchman (Mth), 3&up, 5.5F-T Soaring Softly (GP), f/m, 8.5F-T LA Cup Day (LaD), 9 stakes IA Breeders Night (Prm), 7 stakes Coup (Elp), 3&up, 5.5F-T

3 Best Pal (Dmr), 2yo, 6.5F Tryo (Mth), 2yo, 5F-T

Waya (Sar), f/m, 12F-T Grace (SR), 3&up, 8.5F-T Seagram Cup (WO), 3&up, 8.5F Nandi (WO), 2yof, 6F

4 Shepperton (WO), 3&up, 6.5F NYSS (Sar), 3yo, 8F-T NYSS (Sar), 3yof, 8F-T Br. Columbia Cup (Hst), 7 stakes

6 Sorrento (Dmr), 2yof, 6.5F John’s Call (Sar), 3&up, 13F-T AJ Foyt (Ind), 3&up, 8.5F-T Henderson (Ind), f/m, 8.5F-T Governors (Ind), 3yo, 8.32F First Lady (Ind), 3yof, 8.32F

7 Birdstone (Sar), 3&up, 15F

8 Hall of Fame (Sar), 3yo, 8.5F-T Daisycutter (Dmr), f/m, 5F-T John Bullit (Cby), 3&up, 8.5F-T Hoist Her Flag (Cby), f/m, 6F Debutante (SR), 2yof, 6F

9 Fourstardave (Sar), 3&up, 8F-T La Jolla (Dmr), 3yo, 8.5F-T Ontario Debutante, 2yof, 6F Gardenia (Elp), f/m, 8F Monmouth Oaks (Mth), 3yof, 8.5F Desert Vixen (GP), 2yof, 6F

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Learn more about handicapping every Tuesday (8:30 pm ET) in Night School!

Dr. Fager (GP), 2yo, 6F Washington Oaks (Emd), 3yof, 9F Prairie Juvenile Mile (Prm), 2yo, 8F Leavitt (CT), 3yo, 7F Minnesota Derby (Cby), 3yo, 8.32F Minnesota Oaks (Cby), 3yof, 8.32F Jackson Owner’s (SR), 3&up, 5F-T Cleve Kindergarten (Tdn), 2yo, 6F

10 Mabee (Dmr), f/m, 9F-T Adirondack (Sar), 2yof, 6.5F Saratoga Special (Sar), 2yo, 6.5F Play the King (WO), 3&up, 7F-T Wonder Where (WO), 3yof, 10F-T Colleen (Mth), 2yof, 5F-T Fort Monmouth (Mth), f/m, 5.5F-T Cavonnier Juvenile (SR), 2yo, 6F Emerald Derby (Emd), 3yo, 9F Malvern Rose (PID), f/m, 8.5F Horizon (BTP), 3&up, 8.5F Vivacious (BTP), f/m), 8.5F

11 Tenski (Sar), 3yof, 8F-T

13 Troy (Sar), 3&up, 5.5F-T Green Flash (Dmr), 3&up, 5F-T

14 Saratoga Dew (Sar), f/m, 9F

15 Sandy Blue (Dmr), 3yof, 8F-T Morrissey (Sar), 3&up, 6.5F

16 Arlington Million (AP), 3&up, 10F-T Beverly D (AP), f/m, 9.5F-T Secretariat (AP), 3yo, 10F-T Amer St Leger (AP), 3&up, 13.5F-T Straight Line (AP), 3yo, 8F Hatoof (AP), 3yof, 8.5F-T Alabama (Sar), 3yof, 10F Lake Placid (Sar), 3yof, 9F-T Del Mar Oaks (Dmr), 3yof, 9F-T Sky Classic (WO), 3&up, 10F-T Vandal (WO), 2yo, 6F Governor’s Cup (RP), 3&up, 9F Vance Sprint (RP), 3&up, 6F Jersey Shore (Mth), 3yo, 6F Christmas Past (GP), 3yof, 8.5F-T Arapahoe Classic (Arp), 3&up, 9F Sadie Hawkins (CT), f/m, 7F

17 Breeders (WO), 3yo, 12F-T Sword Dancer (Sar), 3&up, 12F-T Alydar (Sar), 4&up, 9F Iselin (Mth), 3&up, 9F Rancho Bernardo (Dmr), f/m, 6.5F Solana Beach (Dmr), f/m, 8F-T Gold Rush Futurity (Arp), 2yo, 6F

18 Summer Colony (Sar), f/m, 9F

20 Better Talk Now (Sar), 3yo, 8F-T

21 Union Avenue (Sar), f/m, 6.5F

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Learn more about handicapping every Tuesday (8:30 pm ET) in Night School!

22 Personal Ensign (Sar), f/m, 9F Tale of the Cat (Sar), 3&up, 6F CTT & TOC (Dmr), f/m, 11F-T Red Earth (RP), 3&up, 7.5F-T

23 Travers (Sar), 3yo, 10F King’s Bishop (Sar), 3yo, 7F Ballerina (Sar), f/m, 7F Ballston Spa (Sar), f/m, 8.5F-T Del Mar Hcp (Dmr), 3&up, 11F-T Ontario Colleen (WO), 3yo f, 8F Violet (Mth), f/m, 9F-T Forty Niner (GP), 3yo, 8.5F-T DeBartolo Mem (RP), 3&up, 8.5F-T Turning For Home (Prx), 3&up, 8.5F-T

Gall Memorial (CT), 3&up, 7F

24 Pacific Classic (Dmr), 3&up, 10F Del Mar Mile (Dmr), 3&up, 8F-T Pat O’Brien (Dmr), 3&up, 7F Longacres Mile (Emd), 3&up, 8F Emerald Distaff (Emd), f/m, 9F Seaway (WO), f/m, 7F NY Showcase (Sar), 6 stakes Cliff Hanger (Mth), 3&up, 9F-T

25 Smart N Fancy (Sar), f/m, 5.5F-T

27 Ontario-bred Day (WO), 6 stakes PG Johnson (Sar), 2yof, 8.5F-T Generous Portion (Dmr), 2yof, 6F

ITOBA Stallion (Ind), 3yof, 8F ITOBA Stallion (Ind), 3yo, 8F

28 With Anticipation (Sar), 2yo, 8.5F-T

29 El Cajon (Dmr), 3yo, 8F Riskaverse (Sar), 3yof, 8F-T Ricks Memorial (RP), f/m, 8F-T

30 Woodward (Sar), 3&up, 9F Forego (Sar), 3&up, 7F B Baruch (Sar), 3&up, 8.5F-T Prioress (Sar), 3yof, 6F Washington Park (AP), 3&up, 9F Del Mar Debutante (Dmr), 3yof, 7F Brubaker (Dmr), 3&up, 8F Vice Regent (WO), 3yo, 8F-T Boiling Springs (Mth), 3yof, 9F-T Monarchos (GP), 3yo, 8F Bishop Memorial (CT), 3yof, 7F Evangeline Star (Evd), 2yo, 6F Evangeline Starlet (Evd), 2yof, 6F

31 Del Mar Derby (Dmr), 3yo, 9F-T Torrey Pines (Dmr), 3yof, 8F Tranquility Lake (Dmr), f/m, 8F Spinaway (Sar), 2yof, 7F Glens Falls (Sar), f/m, 11F-T Sapling (Mth), 2yo, 8F Sorority (Mth), 2yof, 6F Ruidoso Derby (Rui), 3yo, 8.5F MN-bred Day (Cby), 6 stakes

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Aug 2 – TV: NBC Whitney/Test Aug 2 – Albuquerque meet opens Aug 5 – Online: Night SchoolAug 6 – Night School Tour onsite at Presque Isle for Family Night Aug 9 – Prairie Mdws meet ends Aug 10 – TV: FS1 Saratoga Special Aug 12 – Online: Night SchoolAug 13 – Online: Woodbine chatAug 13 – Ferndale meet opens Aug 15 – Remington meet opens Aug 15 – Online: Remington chatAug 15 – Golden Gate meet opens Aug 17 – TV: FS1 Sword Dancer Aug 17 – Arapahoe meet ends Aug 19 – Online: Night SchoolAug 20 – Online: Woodbine chatAug 22 – Online: Remington chat

Aug 22 – Timonium meet opens Aug 23 – TV: NBC Travers Aug 24 – TV: NBCSN Pacific Classic Aug 26 – Online: Night SchoolAug 27 – Online: Woodbine chatAug 29 – Sep HPN Mag release Aug 30 – TV: NBCSN Woodward Aug 30 – Evangeline meet ends

Horse Player NOW hosts Jeremy Plonk & Katie Gensler live teaching seminar on-track

at Presque Isle August 6!

PLAY WITH OUR PROS.

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Learn more about handicapping every Tuesday (8:30 pm ET) in Night School!

KEY INGREDIENTS TO THE KING’S BISHOP: Each of the last 3 winners rallied from 8th or farther back since Discreetly Mine wired the ’10 cast. Lost in the Fog (’05) is the only west coast shipper to win this race since 2001. 5 of the last 6 exited a local prep already at the Saratoga meeting. Only 2 winners of the last 10 were turning back from a route – Willy Beamin and Hard Spun. 4of the last 5 winners were horses who were not part of Triple Crown.

MOST RECENT RENEWAL: Capo Bastone rallied from more than 15 lengths back to nail a hard-luck dueler Mentor Cane. The 28/1 “other Pletcher” outkicked 5/2favorite & stablemate Forty Tales.

CLICK FOR FREE PICKS

HANDICAPPER’S AIDES: Last 10 Winners – Full History ’13 Capo Bastone T. Pletcher I. Ortiz

’12 Willy Beamin R. Dutrow A. Garcia ’11 Caleb’s Posse DK Von Hemel R. Maragh

’10 Discreetly Mine T. Pletcher J. Velazquez

’09 Capt Candyman Can I. Wilkes J. Castellano ’08 Visionaire M. Matz A. Garcia

’07 Hard Spun L. Jones M. Pino ’06 Henny Hughes K. McLaughlin J. Velazquez

’05 Lost in the Fog G. Gilchrest R. Baze ’04 Pomeroy P. Biancone E. Prado

Last 10 Winners’ Preps ’13 Capo Bastone 7th Woody Stephens (Bel) ’12 Willy Beamin 1st Albany (Sar)

’11 Caleb’s Posse 1st Amsterdam (Sar) ’10 Discreetly Mine 1st Amsterdam (Sar)

’09 CaptCandymanCan 2nd Amsterdam (Sar)

’08 Visionaire 1st allowance (Sar) ’07 Hard Spun 2nd Haskell (Mth)

’06 Henny Hughes 1st Jersey Shore (Mth) ’05 Lost in the Fog 1st Carry Back (Crc)

’04 Pomeroy 2nd Amsterdam (Sar)

KING’S BISHOP

August 23, 2014

AUGUST RACE OF THE MONTH

The Spa will be jammed Aug. 23

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While premier summer racing is most often associated with Saratoga in the East and Del Mar in the West, Arlington International Racecourse near Chicago is unquestionably the epicenter of summer racing in the Midwest with its international festival of racing, quality two-year-old racing program, and a colony of well-known horsemen.

A benefit that Arlington has that those aforementioned summer tracks don’t, is that AP opens in May, giving summer racing handicappers a chance to identify trends in the circuit when big events such as the Arlington Million on August 16 come around.

Those familiar with this space and Brisnet.com’s circuit snapshots using data gleaned from the ALL-Ways software won’t read much new here in the way of angles. The same variables that predicate success at other venues work at Arlington as well, but under-standing how well they work can help wagering decisions as well as handicapping ones.

HANDICAPPING HINTS

as handicapping ones.

As a multi-race player, two of the questions I most often ask myself are, 1) Where can I single, and 2) where should I spread?

When it comes to non-maiden main track (Polytrack) races at Arlington, the last-out Brisnet.com Speed Rating is a good single indicator with horses sporting a 7-point advantage in that category winning 38% of the time with a +1% ROI, so you’re actually getting a little bit of value on the standout as well. These types also hit the board 78% of the time, so there’s something here for vertical players as well!

Back speed and dirt speed do not do well at Arlington, so do not be fooled by black class—especially if that top performance came on dirt. The top Brisnet.com Speed Rating (from the last 10 starts) wins just 25% of the time with a -27% ROI. If that top rating came on dirt, then the win percentage drops to 23%.

If looking for a longshot to include,

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If looking for a longshot to include, then late pace is worth a look. The horse with the best late pace numbers in two of its last three starts has won just 17% this year at Arlington, but the ROI is “only” -5%. The few times they’ve won, they’ve paid. This is the type of angle I won’t lean on by itself, but if you’re getting something else in the horse’s favor like a positive rider/trainer change or a cutback, then it’s worth a flyer at a price.

We love PRIME POWER here at Brisnet.com, but so do Arlington bettors. The top Prime Power horse has won 36% this year, but the ROI is -11%. You can use these horses with confidence, but try to add some value to the ticket elsewhere.

So that’s Polytrack, but what about the turf that will play host to all those great races in a couple weeks?

In turf routes, late pace is again a powerful indicator. I.e., this is a course you need to finish well on, and the top late pace while winning only 19% of the time

HANDICAPPING HINTS

and the top late pace – while winning only 19% of the time – breaks even from an ROI standpoint, and if that top horse has at least a two-point cushion then it’s 20% wins with a +5% ROI.

Here’s something really interesting with late pace, though. If we use those same horses in races considered to have either an extremely fast or slow pace then this metric produces a +2% ROI, and if the gap is at least 6 points, then the win percentage is 30% with a +100% ROI (double your money).

When it comes to the Arlington turf, solid closers will get to run their race if pace is present.

Good luck!

Ed DeRosa – from the ALL-Ways Database

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Dealing with Del Mar. To

say it’s been a tough go at Del Mar to open the 2014 meeting would be an understatement.

Whether it’s the turf course condition, the Polytrack, a rash of horse fatalities (including G1 winner Dance With Fate – one of my favorites), or just plain, bad handicapping, it’s been difficult to embrace one of the season’s most lovable annual fixtures.

Through the meet’s first two weeks, favorites won just 23% and the average winner has been 8.6-to-1 odds. That kind of uphill handicapping even makes Keeneland’s puzzles look like match races at the county fair. The average $.50 pick 5 during that span paid $40,000!

Field size was up to open the stand, and it’s natural to expect that to soften a bit as the weeks unfold. As field size drops, so, too, should prices and the level of difficulty in landing winners.

The boxcar payoffs we’ve come to expect will wane, but will they be replaced by more “reachable” prices? That’s the hope. Opening day had 18/1, 25/1 and 30/1winners to set the tone. A pair of 53/1 shots and a trio of 20/1s litthe tote during Week 2.

In the spirit of fairness, trust and honesty, which are hallmarks of what we do at Horse Player NOW, our Del Mar handicapping was abysmal – like much of the public. My first 11 spot plays of the meet went 11: 2-1-1 and paid a measly $3 and $6.20.

As a horseplayer and publichandicapper, my job now is to work even harder – printing every chart, watching replays and unearthing the Hows andWhys in the results. Nobodyever said summer was all fun and games. Let’s hope it starts paying off. - JP

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