Saratoga’s Daily Newspaper on Thoroughbred Racing Hall of ... · 13-08-2010 · Trainer Carl Domino about The Special’s kids who slept in Thursday morning “Where are all the

Year 10 • Issue 18 Saratoga’s Daily Newspaper on Thoroughbred Racing Friday, August 13, 2010

Photography by Benoit Photo and Barbara Livingston

Friday Stakes Preview • Entries/Handicapping

Hall of Fame 2010

✫ TRAINER SUBSCRIPTIONS

TO THE SARATOGA SPECIA

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COmPLImENTS OfThe aratoga

Best Pal Point Given

AzeriRandy Romero Don Pierce

2 Friday, August 13, 2010

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The Saratoga SpecialSteeplechase Times

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here&there... at Saratoga

worth repeating The Special quotes from Saratoga

Tod Marks

Dog Proofing. Tom Voss’ 15-year-old Norwich Terrier “Otis” reads The Special.

By The Numbers

8: Seconds steeplechase train-er Jack Fisher was on the track Thursday morning before he got yelled at for something.

Names of the DayTorrone, third race. Torrone is an Italian nougat candy. Owned and bred by First Class Thoroughbreds, the filly is out of Taffy Pull.

Tapaline, third race. Owned by Goldmark Farm, the filly is by Eavesdropper.

“You look hung over – too much Ben and Jerry’s.”Jockey Rajiv Maragh to Jack Clancy Wednesday morning

“You’re part of the furniture now.”Ralph Theroux about The Special’s 10-year anniversary

“4-for-21, that’s the worst ever. Tourists.”Jack Clancy, after trying to give away papers Wednesday morning

“We brake for Clancys.”Trainer Phil Serpe, as Miles Clancy walked in front of Serpe’s golfcart Wednesday morning

“I don’t think I’m made for this.”Retired jockey Angel Cordero, recalling his first and only steeplechase schooling session

“He got in his New York City taxi cab mode.”A jockey about a fellow jockey’s bumping incident

3Friday, August 13, 2010

Our graduates include: Vineyard Haven (Gr. l) • Zensational (Gr. l)

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Moon Catcher (Gr. l) • Weekend Magic (Gr. 1)

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• Third Chance at Arlington Parkfor Ron Magers and James Divito

• Sunday Splitsville at Saratogafor Mike Repole and Todd Pletcher

• Another Silver Oak, 3rd in the Sanford at Saratoga for Mike Repole and Todd Pletcher.

• Loving Dove at Monmouth Parkfor Red Oak Farm and Gregory Sacco.

• Gambline Geraldine at Belmont Parkfor Mike Repole and Todd Pletcher.

• K.R.’s Jazz at Monmouth Parkfor A Woman’s Thing and Mary Hartman.

• Saratoga Louie at Monmouth Parkfor Gary Barber and Peter Miller

SEVEN 2-year-old winners in 2010

here&there... Continued from previous page

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worth repeating The Special quotes from Saratoga

“I didn’t bet, there’s enough riding on her from the sales ring.”

Trainer and half-owner Ralph Nicks, after Valiant Passion won her debut and paid $63 Thursday

“So, he’s not really a doctor?”Anne Clancy, when hearing Doc Danner is a jock’s agent

“Can’t blame them.”Trainer Carl Domino about The Special’s kids who slept in Thursday morning

“Where are all the little Indians?”Trainer Gary Sciacca when looking for The Special’s delivery team Thursday morning

“I would, if I could, but I can’t, so I won’t.”Gap attendant Bow White on doing favors

“His shirts are like wine, they’re all vintage.”Jockey Mike Luzzi about agent Roger Sutton’s wardrobe

“Everything’s down.”Pinkerton at the Oklahoma gate when asked, ‘What’s up?’

“One day I’m going to bear out and go straight in there.”Trainer James Bond as he walked past the Horseshoe Inn Thursday morning

“So that’s my life story – in about 10 minutes.”Hall of Fame jockey Don Pierce, after a telephone interview

“That way we know where they are.”Owner Mike Balfe, who keeps the binocuars in the car (when he needs them at the track)

“In increments.”Owner Alan Brodsky, about a horse’s ability to go 2 miles

“It’s amazing how many more jump jockeys went on to become train-ers. I guess they had to work all day so they learned something.”

Trainer Allen Jerkens

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Saturday: Mostly sunny - High 83.

Sunday: Isolated thunderstorms - High 80.


Hall of fame Class of 2010

August 1, 2003. The Springwater Inn in Saratoga. Dinner guests put down their forks and walked into the bar to stare at the television. Azeri was run-ning. Horse of the Year in 2002, she’d won 10 in a row and was 1-5 in Del Mar’s Clement Hirsch.

Of course she won, draw-ing off by more than 3 lengths as the people at Del Mar – and the

Springwater – applauded.The California-based Azeri won 17

of 24 career starts for the Paulson fami-ly, earned more than $4 million, secured four Eclipse Awards (three as champi-on older mare and one as Horse of the Year) and retired in 2004. She joins the Hall of Fame today, in her first year of eligibility.

It all nearly didn’t happen. Azeri went to trainer Laura de Seroux in Au-gust 2001, an unraced 3-year-old filly. Because of the death of Allen Paulson in 2000, the family’s horses were placed in a trust and were destined for auction.

“The whole exercise was to evaluate

the stock,” said de Seroux, who took over from Simon Bray. “Michael (Paul-son) wanted me to evaluate the horses. They were all supposed to be sold at some point and Azeri was entered in the Keeneland November Sale.”

The daughter of Jade Hunter and the Ahonoora mare Zodiac Miss carried av-erage bloodlines and little else – until de Seroux saw her on the racetrack at San Luis Rey Training Center. In the first gallop, the trainer saw a good mover. In the first work, she saw real talent and told Paulson that he might want to hang on to the chestnut filly.

Sent off at 17-1, Azeri won her ca-reer debut at Santa Anita – rolling by 6 lengths on the same November day several other Paulson horses headed to Keeneland.

“Maybe that’s part of the magic of the whole story,” said de Seroux. “She was supposed to be on a Tex Sutton plane, but she was winning impressive-ly. That started everything.”

From there, Azeri won two allow-ance races – one at Hollywood Park in December and another at Santa Anita in January, her first start as a 4-year-old.

Streaking her way into the HallBY JOE CLANCY

AZERI Contemporary Female HorSe

See Azeri page 6 Tod MarksAzeri, who won 17 of 24 career starts and four Eclipse Awards, takes the 2004 Go For Wand.

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She met Summer Colony in the Grade II La Canada, and finished second. Az-eri became a Grade I winner in her next start, the Santa Margarita – her first step on the winning streak that would last 17 months.

Early on, Azeri tested her trainer’s patience.

“She was full of energy and there was a delicate balance in keeping her from boiling over so we did a lot to keep her as relaxed as we could,” said de Seroux. “Training her at San Luis Rey was a major factor. It was a quiet setting, not a lot of traffic and we had the ability to maneuver the time of her training. We had a sun pen that she went in pretty much every day and you couldn’t have those at the California tracks. She spent a lot of time lounging in her pen.”

Azeri blossomed through 2002, rid-ing up the ladder with wins in the Ap-ple Blossom, Milady, Vanity, Clement Hirsch and Lady’s Secret. She went to the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Arlington Park with seven wins in eight starts, but still had something to prove.

“The East Coast writers and people weren’t giving her much recognition be-cause Summer Colony had beaten her and they thought she was beating up on the same horses all the time out here,” de Seroux said. “But she was a late starter. We started 2002 in an allowance race and then she kept getting better. We took a filly with a world of speed, and taught her how to use it. Until we got to mid-sum-mer, she was still learning her lessons.”

The Breeders’ Cup turned into a rout as Azeri set the pace under regular jock-ey Mike Smith and roared home by 5 lengths over Farda Amiga with Imperial Gesture third. Summer Colony finished last. The victory clinched the Horse of the Year title. De Seroux singled out that race as her favorite.

“The Milady (in May) was when she really was coming into her own and de-

veloping her front-running style,” the trainer said. “By the time we got to the Breeders’ Cup, Mike Smith and I felt it was the time we were going to really let her roll. She proved us right and it was very rewarding.”

Azeri kept on winning in 2003 – add-ing repeats in the Apple Blossom, Mila-dy, Vanity and Hirsch. The streak ended in late September, when Azeri finished

third (placed second via disqualifica-tion) in the Lady’s Secret. She bled in the race, but was back training for the Breeders’ Cup when de Seroux found a tendon issue. She recommended retire-ment, but Paulson opted to bring Azeri back for a 6-year-old campaign with Wayne Lukas.

Azeri added a third consecutive Ap-ple Blossom in 2004 and won anther championship with Grade I scores in the Go For Wand and Spinster. The Go For Wand was Azeri’s lone win at Saratoga and she won a battle with Sightseek, to even the score from a loss in the Ogden Phipps. She made two starts against males that season, placing eighth in the Met Mile and placing fifth behind Ghostzapper in the Breeders’ Cup Clas-sic, her final career start.

Lukas called Azeri a joy to train.“I inherited her, she was already aw-

fully good, so all I had to do was not hurt her reputation and keep her stay-ing good,” he said. “It worked out well. I was really tickled to see her get in. The Apple Blossom was huge, when she won it for the third time. People went crazy. She was like Zenyatta and Rachel Alex-andra are now – that kind of reaction to a horse. She had that popularity good horses have.”

Azeri eventually did sell at Keeneland, to Japanese interests for $2.25 million last November. As a broodmare, she has produced two foals of racing age: Take Control (by A.P. Indy), who won his only career start last year and Arienza (by Giant’s Causeway), who has yet to start. She delivered a Distorted Humor filly and has been bred to Japanese star Deep Impact.

Azeri – Continued from page 4

Benoit PhotosAzeri and trainer Laura de Seroux do some paddock work.


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How good was Point Given? His re-sume says super. Bob Baffert has an even higher opinion of the colt, the third of his trainees to join him in the Hall of Fame.

“He was just a big horse,” Baf-fert said. “He was the best of his generation and towered over

the rest of them. He just lost the wrong one.”

That one blemish came on May 5, 2001 when the chestnut son of Thun-der Gulch out of the Turkoman mare Turko’s Turn, finished fifth in the Ken-tucky Derby. As many have learned through the years, winning the Derby can make a career. Point Given’s loss, 11 1/2 lengths behind Monarchos, who never won again, did not ruin his.

Point Given reeled off four straight Grade I victories – the Preakness, Bel-mont Stakes, Haskell Invitational and Travers – before being retired with a leg injury. He won nine of 13 career starts, eight of them stakes, and earned

BY MIKE KANE

Hall of fame Class of 2010Short, stellar career for ‘Big Horse’

Tod MarksPoint Given, a winner of four consecutive $1 million races, poses for a portrait after the Travers in 2001.See POiNT GiVeN page 9

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Point Given – Continued from page 8

$3,968,500 for his owner and breeder the late Saudi Arabian Prince Ahmed Salman, proprietor of The Thorough-bred Corporation.

With six wins in seven starts, five of them Grade I, Point Given was voted Horse of the Year in 2001. He now stands at stud at Three Chimneys Farm in Midway, Ky.

Baffert won the Derby and Preak-ness in 1997 with Hall of Famer Silver Charm and took the first two legs of the Triple Crown again the following year with Real Quiet. Point Given emerged as a serious Triple Crown series pros-pect as a 2-year-old in 2000 with run-ner-up finishes in the Champagne and the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and a victory in the Hollywood Juvenile. Wins in the San Felipe and Santa Anita Derby so-lidified his credentials and he was sent off as the favorite in the Derby.

A fast early pace was the perfect set-up for Monarchos, who turned in the second-fastest time in Derby history. Meanwhile, Point Given was a threat-ening presence in the second turn, but could not sustain his challenge under Gary Stevens. Baffert said a couple of factors came into play and had an im-pact on his colt.

“The track was very hard that day, so there was a speed bias, people were sending their horses and track records were being broken,” he said. “We sort of got caught up in a fast pace and didn’t finish. Gary came back and said, ‘I think he just wants to break and

settle.’ We really didn’t know his style because we ran him in California two starts and missed some time with him. He had a hind ankle injury that he got from rearing up. It was some kind of weird deal.”

Despite his Derby loss, Point Given was the Preakness favorite and he pre-vailed by 2 1/4 lengths. Three weeks later, he gave Baffert his lone Belmont victory, by a whopping 12 1/4 lengths.

“He redeemed himself in the next two,” Baffert said. “The way he won the Belmont was really exciting.”

Baffert said that the colt was a dream to train.

“I didn’t have to do much with him,” Baffert said. “He was the only horse I had who actually gained weight with every race. It’s amazing. He just got big-ger and bigger with every race.”

After a short hiatus, Point Given re-turned in the summer to win the two biggest races of the summer for 3-year-olds, the Haskell at Monmouth Park and Saratoga’s Travers.

“I wasn’t going to run him in the Haskell, but the prince wanted to run,” Baffert said. “I got him ready in two weeks. I gave him two five-eighths works and entered him. It was quick. He won that one and got really tired. That, to me, is when he showed his greatness. He was done at the quarter pole and he still won. Then we brought him up here and won the Travers and he got hurt in the Travers.”

Baffert paused for a second to reflect on the premature end of Point Given’s distinguished career.

“He was just getting good,” Baffert said. “He was like a locomotive.”

Benoit PhotosPoint Given trucks home during his Horse of the Year season in 2001.



Best Pal raced in the modern era, but would have made a nice throwback. The California-bred gelding started 47 times from ages 2-8, won 18 races and earned in excess of $5.6 million.

“He was the epitome of a freak – out of nothing, by nothing, and he ran a hole in the wind,” said jockey Kent Desormeaux, who rode the bay gelding 10

times. “He was one of the most honest horses I ever rode and one of my favorite all-time horses. He’d be tired around the turn, switch leads and find a whole new gear – unbelievable. His heart was as big as the racetrack.”

Today, Best Pal gets his reward. He’s a Hall of Famer.

The Golden Eagle Farm homebred reaches Thoroughbred racing’s peak based on his record, but also on his reputation. The crowd favorite won races for five jockeys (Desormeaux, Corey Black, Chris McCarron, Jose Santos and Pat Valenzu-ela) and three trainers (Richard Mandella, Gary Jones and Ian Jory), helped legitimize California’s breeding industry and solidified the Pacific Classic as a major national stop on the summer racing calendar.

The latter feat came to be based on his con-nections. Owner and co-breeder John Mabee was chairman of the board at Del Mar and long talked of a million-dollar race to boost the track’s stat-

BY JOE CLANCYCalifornia star gets his due

Benoit PhotoBest Pal won 18 races from 47 starts, mainly in California for the Mabee family. See BeST PAL page 11

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ure. On Mabee’s watch, the race came to be in 1991 and naturally, his horse won the 1 1/4-mile race – charging five wide on the turn to win by a length over Twilight Agenda and Unbridled.

“Dad always said we needed a mil-lion-dollar race at Del Mar to make it a place people wanted to come with a great horse,” said Mabee’s son Larry. “He got it done, and Best Pal won the first one. After the race, there was a standing ovation for my mom, my dad and the horse – an unreal feeling, very special.”

Larry Mabee will accept Best Pal’s Hall of Fame plaque today, but not without thinking of his parents. John Mabee died in 2002 and his wife Betty followed this winter – joining Best Pal, who died in retirement in 1998 at 10.

“I wish my mom and dad were around to see this, but they’d be very prideful,” said Larry Mabee, who over-sees Golden Eagle Farm in Ramona, Cal. “The horse meant a lot to all of us. My folks were very simple people – the attention and the adulation weren’t things they sought or tried for. They’d have a lot of pride in themselves and the horse though.”

Best Pal won his first start, a 5-fur-long maiden at Hollywood Park, as a 2-year-old in May 1990. He followed that with five more wins that season, in-cluding scores in the Hollywood Futu-rity, Norfolk and Del Mar Futurity. He lost the Eclipse Award vote as champion

2-year-old to Fly So Free, who defeated Best Pal in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Belmont Park.

At 3, the son of Habitony placed in the Santa Anita Derby and Kentucky Derby, and later won the Swaps and the Pacific Classic after being moved to Jones’ barn. The 4-year-old Best Pal reeled off four consecutive wins – the San Fernando, Strub, Santa Anita Hand-icap and Oaklawn Handicap. He added the Hollywood Gold Cup and Califor-nia Cup Classic at 5, the Native Diver and Answer Do at 6 (when moved to Mandella’s care), the San Antonio and Skywalker at 7 before retiring after one start as an 8-year-old in 1996.

Best Pal never won an Eclipse Award, but defeated plenty who did and took on some of the era’s best including Al-phabet Soup, Cigar, Concern, Strike The Gold, Fly So Free and others.

“He fits that description where you talk about heart, guts, determination, the will to win,” said Desormeaux. “And thank God for classic distances because he wasn’t silly speed. He was fast enough, he could turn 12s (12-sec-ond furlongs), but some of those horses going 6 furlongs can turn 10s and he couldn’t keep up. He could turn 12s all day long.”

Best Pal retired to a life of leisure and Golden Eagle, but soon grew tired of the easy days and wound up a lead pony for Thoroughbreds training on the farm.

“He loved that, loved the action,” said Larry Mabee. “He died happy of a heart attack on the farm and is buried there. I hope he’s remembered as a horse who did the best he could do – he got beat sometimes but he did his best.”

Best Pal – Continued from page 10


Nobody inducted into the Hall of Fame gets there without a display of complete dedication to their trade.

But in the case of jockey Randy Romero, dedication might not be a strong enough word.

Romero takes his spot in the hallowed Hall to-day. On the eve of this great honor, the 52-year-old

retired jockey could not have been more elated.

“I’m excited. I’m honored. And I’m blessed,” Romero said with a wide smile. “I’ve been riding since I was 9 years old and when I hit 16, 17, I was riding at the Fair Grounds and Louisi-ana Downs, and big riders would come from other states and ride at those tracks. I said then, ‘That’s what I want to be. I want to be that kind of rider. I want to be in the Hall of Fame.’ Dreams come true, they really do. It was a dream that I had, and I fulfilled it.”

The Cajun began riding on the rough-and-tumble Quarter Horse circuit in the

Bayou, and soon after made the move to Thoroughbreds.

Before his 26-year career ended, Romero had won riding titles at 10 tracks, won Breeders’ Cup races aboard Personal Ensign, Go For Wand and Sacahuista, and had ridden numerous stakes winners for one of racing’s most influential owners and breeders, the Phipps family.

Romero booted home more than 4,200 winners, and his mounts amassed in excess of $75 million.

But swinging his right leg over more than 26,000 horses in the afternoon did take its toll. Romero suffered some ter-rible accidents on and off the track. He constantly battled his weight and was in the hot box about as often as he was in the saddle.

Romero suffered serious burns after a hot box accident when a light bulb broke and ignited rubbing alcohol he had on his body from a rubdown.

He nearly lost his arm in a riding accident that resulted in a broken el-bow, which failed to heal properly and gave him grief for three years. All told,

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Romero – Continued from page 12

Romero required more than two dozen surgeries during his career.

Romero’s perseverance didn’t go un-noticed and is still foremost on the mind of trainer Shug McGaughey for whom Romero rode Personal Ensign who re-tired undefeated in 13 starts for the Phipps family.

She capped her career under Romero with a brilliant victory over Kentucky Derby winner Winning Colors in the 1988 Breeders’ Cup Distaff.

“I’m tickled to death. It’s well-de-served, and I think that Randy is the epitome of what people should be in the Hall of Fame,” said McGaughey, who was inducted in 2004. “He started out young, went through all the injuries, he was a great rider, he’s been a great am-bassador for the sport, and he is a very, very deserving member.”

McGaughey said there was nothing particularly distinctive about Romero’s style of riding, but what was apparent to the trainer was that horses responded favorably.

“I don’t think Randy’s style was Bill Shoemaker or Pat Day’s type of style – horses just ran for him. I think that was it with Personal Ensign; she just ran for him,” McGaughey said. “He al-ways understood her and knew when to move on her. It just all worked. I don’t think it was really his style or anything as much as it just worked. And that is what kind of rider Randy was, one that made it work.”

Since his retirement in 1999, Romero worked as a jockey’s agent and galloped horses for trainer Dallas Stewart.

Health issues continue to hound Romero, who functions without one kidney, and has no spleen or liver.

Those injuries were likely caused by the damage done while the jockey was reducing and from a riding accident early in his career when he punctured his now-removed kidney. He also has battled Hepatitis C.

Now, Romero receives dialysis three times a week. His attitude is remark-able considering the sacrifices he had to make – sacrifices that are well-chroni-cled in an entertaining read about his life and career, “Randy Romero’s Re-markable Ride,” by Bill Heller. Romero said an independent movie producer is now keen on telling his life story on the big screen.

These days Romero lives in New Or-leans with his wife of 34 years, Cricket, who will sit proudly in the audience dur-ing today’s ceremonies. His 29-year-old son, Randy Jr., an equine dentist, won’t be there because Romero’s granddaugh-ter started school this week.

The family will mark the Hall of Fame induction belatedly during a Thanksgiv-ing trip to Disney World.

“You know, I’ve been very, very blessed,” Romero said. “I was able to do something I loved and thought about all the time. I think all the things that happened – the injuries – made me a stronger person. Those comebacks re-quired a lot of rehabilitation. But I was always determined to ride again.”


Miacomet FarmLexington, Ky

Mark McEntee, Farm Manager • Katy Buchignani, Office Manager(859) 225-9267 [email protected]

S A L E S A G E N C YWILLIAM B. HARRIGAN

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00598.WBH.stripSaratogaSpcl.indd 1 7/27/10 3:10:00 PM

BY JOE CLANCY

Riding all the way to the Hall


Don Pierce wanted to be a jockey – badly – but not badly enough to take the bus from Coos Bay, Oregon to Hol-lywood Park.

“My mom gave me money for Grey-hound, but I wanted to keep the money so I hitchhiked,” he said. “You could hitchhike back then. Of course, by the time I got there, the Hollywood meet had ended so I went to Del Mar.”

He walked hots, learned to be an ex-ercise rider, turned 16, rode his first race at Ruidoso Downs in 1954 and finished with more than 3,500 wins in a 30-year career. Selected by the Historic Review Committee, Pierce earns Hall of Fame induction this year for a career spent mainly in California but one that found success all over the country.

“He held his own wherever he went,” said Hall of Fame trainer Allen Jerkens, who used Pierce on numerous horses. “He was a good, strong rider and I’m happy for him. I’m glad he’ll be here and I’m sure it means a lot to him.”

Pierce, 73, confirmed that assess-ment via telephone from BWI Airport Wednesday afternoon.

“I was kind of expecting it because I’ve been nominated a bunch and some friends had told me, but it’s been a long time and it’s a great honor,” he said. “To get in there with jocks I rode against and respected – guys like Arcaro, Shoe, Johnny Rotz, Walter Blum – is a won-derful thing. It means a lot.”

Pierce was born in Oklahoma but moved to Oregon as a child. A friend’s father trained Quarter Horses and Pierce became a jockey in match races in Oregon and California during the summer.

“I could ride, ride a horse anyway, so that’s how it started,” he said. “We

rode in Levi’s, tennis shoes and a baseball cap backward, no

pari-mutuels, no starting gate – it was slap and tap.”

Pierce won races, but also rode steers in between and knew precious little about racing until someone intervened with a suggestion.

“You’re small, you’re light, you can ride a little bit,” the man said. “You should go to the races.”

Pierce never got the man’s name and never saw him again. But took the ad-vice.

He set off to become a jockey – pock-eting his mother’s bus fare and signing up for the old-time racetrack career path of apprentice jockey. Back then, trainers took jockeys’ contracts and taught them the sport from the ground. Pierce was a hotwalker, making a living like the rest, first with trainer Hurst Philpott. Jack Howard taught the fledgling jockey to cross his reins, place his feet, gallop a horse. Pierce followed horses to Las Ve-gas, where a racetrack lasted less than two weeks in 1953 because nobody went to the races, then to Phoenix. He hooked on with trainer A.J. Horn, who was headed to New Mexico. Pierce rode his first race on Opening Day 1954 at Ruidoso Downs, and won.

“It changed my life,” he said simply.From there, the career path went

straight up. Pierce became a force in the tough southern California jockey colony. He rode for Mesh Tenney, Charlie Whit-tingham, Robert Wheeler and others. In 1973, he led the country with 32 stakes wins. He won the Santa Anita Handicap four times, took five consecutive run-nings of the Los Angeles Handicap.

In 1964, he was the regular rider of Kentucky Derby hopeful Hill Rise. To-

gether, they won several key preps in-cluding the San Felipe and Santa Anita Derby until Pierce was replaced by his friend Bill Shoemaker.

“I was hiding him, letting him win by a neck, a half-length, because I knew Shoe was looking for a ride,” Piece said. “They told me Shoe was going to ride him in the Derby, and I finally slapped Hill Rise on the shoulder and he won by 10 I think.”

Hill Rise took the Derby Trial (with Shoemaker), but lost the Derby itself to Northern Dancer. Pierce got back on and won several races with the horse, who went on to become Champion Miler in England. Other stars piloted by Pierce included Flying Paster (a fre-quent foe of Spectacular Bid), Quack, Triple Bend, Kennedy Road, Forceten and others.

“I never rode a great horse, but there have only been a few of them – Secretariat, Dr. Fager, Buckpasser, maybe one or two more in my mind,” he said. “I rode a lot of good horses.”

Pierce laughed when asked about his riding style.

“I was great if I was on a horse who could run, but so was every-body else,” he said. “I was a come-from-behind rider, always gave a horse a chance. I was a good finishing rider. People thought I was getting left at the gate sometimes, but that’s the way it worked.”

Pierce didn’t stay in California exclusively. He won a riding title at Belmont Park and enjoyed stakes success in the Hopeful (Out-ing Class, 1962) and Jim Dandy (Forceten, 1975) at Saratoga. Ralph Theroux Sr., fa-ther of NYRA racing office employee Ralph Jr., was Pierce’s agent

in New York.Jerkens recalled some good rides,

including a narrow loss aboard Shirley Jones in the Beldame.

“She just got beat, just got beat,” the trainer said. “Ralph was a good friend of mine and they rode some winners for us; Pierce could ride anywhere. I remember how disappointed they were when they lost the mount on Hill Rise. Well, who wouldn’t be?”

In a nod of respect from his fellow jockeys, Pierce won the 1967 George Woolf Memorial award, which honors jockeys whose “careers and personal character earn esteem” in racing. The future Hall of Famer retired in 1984, af-ter 3,546 wins from 28,740 mounts. He lives near Del Mar in Encinitas, Calif., where he recently started working with the track’s clockers.

Benoit PhotoDon Pierce won the George Woolf Memorial Award in 1967.

DON PIERCE JoCkey


A portrait of stamina and victory is what Harry Bassett was when he was racing.

A portrait is also the only thing left that gives people any idea what he looked like.

There are no photographs of the son of Lexington, as the technology was in its infancy when he was a champion 2-year old in 1870, the top colt in the

country in 1871 and the best handicapper in the land in 1872.

Libby Jones a member of the family that bred Har-ry Bassett and wife of former Kentucky Gov. Brereton Jones (Airdrie Stud), will accept the award.

“There are a lot of slam-dunk horses throughout his-tory,” said Ed Bowen, chairman of the Hall of Fame’s Historic Review Committee. “Some have been forgot-ten about or, for lack of a better term for it, slipped through the cracks. We specifically try to look back at what have been missed and honor horses that were very competitive against their contemporaries.”

After finishing third in his career debut, Harry Bassett broke his maiden at Saratoga by winning the 1-mile Kentucky Stakes. The win led to a triumph over 14 others in the Nursery Stakes at Jerome Park and then a final victory in the Summer Stakes at Pimlico before being named Champion Two-Year Old.

The son of Lexington, started a legendary, and champion, three-year old summer campaign with a win in the Belmont Stakes on June 10, 1871. As the warm months continued he added the Jersey Derby and the Travers, Kenner and Champion Stakes to his resume. In a display of stamina that is never seen in modern racing, Harry Bassett topped 5-year old star Hembold in two 4-mile heats with times of 7:54 ¾ and 8:03 1/2, re-spectively.

Longfellow finally stopped Harry Bassett’s streak at 14 in the Mon-mouth Cup the following

year. Harry Bassett exorcised the defeat to Longfellow in the 2 1/4-mile Saratoga Cup in a record time of 3:59 over his rival, a run that came only three days after the soon-to-be top Handicapper of the Year, had won a race at the Spa. Two more wins at Sara-toga gave Harry Bassett 17 wins in 18 tries and even though the tough schedule led to only three more wins in his next 12 starts the accomplishments could not be dismissed.

In all, Harry Bassett retired with a record of 23-5-3 out of 36 starts and earned $55,920, which translates to about $989,655 by modern standards.

“We are always looking for individuals with careers that in retrospect are deserving of honor in the Hall of Fame.” Bowen said about the horse. “When you think in terms of the past there are many deserving horses that, given the right frame of reference, are some of the best that were part of the sport.”

In any frame, Harry Bassett probably still would be competitive against anyone willing to run 4 miles at a time.

When Michael “Buster” Millerick saddled Yankee Dandy and Rackatck, his first stakes winners, in 1940 little did he know that he would be on a roller coaster ride that made him one of the best trainers in the his-

tory of California.Now he is one of the best

trainers ever as he enters the Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame.

“He ranked so high among his contemporaries in terms of stakes winners and wins and

sometimes that fact gets lost compared to the mod-ern barns that are so big,” Ed Bowen, Chairman of the Hall of Fame’s Historic Review Committee that elected Millerick, said. “There are a lot of people that search through history and honor those that are de-serving, Buster Millerick is a perfect example of that task.”

Overall, the trainer won 1,886 races and gave or-ders for 54 individual stakes winners who won the Bing Crosby, Vanity, Del Mar Futurity, Hollywood

Derby, Malibu Stakes, Milady Handicap and the Cali-fornian among others.

The pinnacle of Millerick’s career came when his greatest trainee made it to the Hall of Fame 32 years before he would.

Native Diver was the best runner to ever receive Millerck’s care. Native Diver won 37 races, including 34 stakes, in his seven seasons on the track. The horse won three consecutive Hollywood Gold Cups, the Los Angeles and San Carlos Handicaps, and set a track record in the Del Mar Handicap.

“When we search through history we find many people that deserve to be here,” Bowen said. “(Mil-lerick) is one of the best stories that we are happy to tell and have here.”

Millerick’s story included working with Hall of Fame trainer Tom Smith and for owners such as Charles Howard and John Hertz, while training horses such as Countess Fleet, Count Of Honor and George Lewis.

When he finally retired in 1984, after a career that took almost five decades, he ranked second all-time in wins at Del Mar, fourth at Hollywood Park and fifth at Santa Anita.

BY BEN MEYERS

BY BEN MEYERS


HARRY BASSETT

male HorSe

MICHAEL “BUSTER” MILLERICK

traIner

Stamina was hallmark of champion

Working on, with and for the best

National Museum of Racing and Hall of FameOne of the few images of Harry Bassett shows the black champion in full flight.

National Museum of Racing and Hall of FameBuster Millerick in the saddle.


H a l l o f f a m eHorses . ........................Year .... Year ..................Elected Foaled

A.P. Indy .................2000 ........1989Ack Ack ..................1986 ........1966Affectionately .........1989 ........1960Affirmed .................1980 ........1975All Along ................1990 ........1979Alsab ......................1976 ........1939Alydar .....................1989 ........1975Alysheba ................1993 ........1984American Eclipse ....1970 ........1814Ancient Title ...........2008 ........1970Armed ....................1963 ........1941Artful ......................1956 ........1902Arts and Letters .....1994 ........1966Assault ...................1964 ........1943Azeri .......................2010 ........1998Battleship ...............1969 ........1927Bayakoa .................1998 ........1984Bed o’Roses ...........1976 ........1947Beldame .................1956 ........1901Ben Brush ..............1955 ........1893Ben Nevis II ............2009 ........1969Best Pal ..................2010 ........1988Bewitch ..................1977 ........1945Bimelech ................1990 ........1937Black Gold ..............1989 ........1921Black Helen ............1991 ........1932Blue Larkspur .........1957 ........1926Bold ’n Determined ..1997 ........1977Bold Ruler ..............1973 ........1954Bon Nouvel ............1976 ........1960Boston ...................1955 ........1833Bowl Of Flowers .....2004 ........1958Broomstick .............1956 ........1901Buckpasser ............1970 ........1963Busher ...................1964 ........1942Bushranger ............1967 ........1930Cafe Prince .............1985 ........1970Carry Back .............1975 ........1958Cavalcade ...............1993 ........1931Challedon ...............1977 ........1936Chris Evert .............1988 ........1971Cicada ....................1967 ........1959Cigar ......................2002 ........1990Citation ...................1959 ........1945Coaltown ................1983 ........1945Colin .......................1956 ........1905Commando ............1956 ........1898Cougar II ................2006 ........1966Count Fleet .............1961 ........1940Crusader ................1995 ........1923Dahlia .....................1981 ........1970Damascus ..............1974 ........1964Dance Smartly ........2003 ........1988Dark Mirage ...........1974 ........1965Davona Dale ...........1985 ........1976Desert Vixen ...........1979 ........1970Devil Diver ..............1980 ........1939Discovery ...............1969 ........1931Domino ..................1955 ........1891Dr. Fager ................1971 ........1964Easy Goer ...............1997 ........1986Eight Thirty ............1994 ........1936Elkridge ..................1966 ........1938Emperor of Norfolk ..1988 ........1885Equipoise ...............1957 ........1928Exceller ..................1999 ........1973Exterminator ..........1957 ........1915Fair Play .................1956 ........1905Fairmount ...............1985 ........1921Fashion ..................1980 ........1837Firenze ...................1981 ........1884Flatterer ..................1994 ........1979Flawlessly ...............2004 ........1988Foolish Pleasure .....1995 ........1972Forego ....................1979 ........1970Fort Marcy ..............1998 ........1964Gallant Bloom ........1977 ........1966Gallant Fox .............1957 ........1927Gallant Man ............1987 ........1954Gallorette ...............1962 ........1942Gamely ...................1980 ........1964Genuine Risk ..........1986 ........1977Go For Wand ..........1996 ........1987Good and Plenty .....1956 ........1900Granville .................1997 ........1933Grey Lag ................1957 ........1918Gun Bow ................1999 ........1960Hamburg ................1986 ........1895Hanover .................1955 ........1884Harry Bassett .........2010 ........1868Henry of Navarre ....1985 ........1891

Hill Prince ..............1991 ........1947Hindoo ...................1955 ........1878Holy Bull ................2001 ........1991Imp ........................1965 ........1894Inside Information ..2008 ........1991Jay Trump ..............1971 ........1957John Henry ............1990 ........1975Johnstown .............1992 ........1936Jolly Roger .............1965 ........1922Kelso ......................1967 ........1957Kentucky ................1983 ........1861Kingston .................1955 ........1884La Prevoyante ........1995 ........1970Lady’s Secret ..........1992 ........1982L’Escargot ..............1977 ........1963Lexington ...............1955 ........1850Lonesome Glory .....2005 ........1988Longfellow .............1971 ........1867Luke Blackburn ......1956 ........1877Majestic Prince ......1988 ........1966Manila ....................2008 ........1983Man o’ War ............1957 ........1917Maskette ................2001 ........1908Miesque .................1999 ........1984Miss Woodford ......1967 ........1880Moms Command ...2007 ........1982Myrtlewood ............1979 ........1932Nashua ...................1965 ........1952Native Dancer .........1963 ........1950Native Diver ............1978 ........1959Needles ..................2000 ........1953Neji ........................1966 ........1950Noor .......................2002 ........1945Northern Dancer ....1976 ........1961Oedipus ..................1978 ........1946Old Rosebud ..........1968 ........1911Omaha ...................1965 ........1932Pan Zareta ..............1972 ........1910Parole .....................1984 ........1873Paseana .................2001 ........1987Personal Ensign .....1993 ........1984Peter Pan ...............1956 ........1904Point Given ............2010 ........1998Precisionist ............2003 ........1981Princess Doreen .....1982 ........1921Princess Rooney ....1991 ........1980Real Delight ............1987 ........1949Regret ....................1957 ........1912Reigh Count ...........1978 ........1925Riva Ridge ..............1998 ........1969Roamer ..................1981 ........1911Roseben .................1956 ........1901Round Table ...........1972 ........1954Ruffian ...................1976 ........1972Ruthless .................1975 ........1864Salvator ..................1955 ........1886Sarazen ..................1957 ........1921Seabiscuit ..............1958 ........1933Searching ...............1978 ........1952Seattle Slew ...........1981 ........1974Secretariat ..............1974 ........1970Serena’s Song ........2002 ........1992Shuvee ...................1975 ........1966Silverbulletday .......1996 ........2009Silver Charm ..........2007 ........1994Silver Spoon ..........1978 ........1956Sir Archy ................1955 ........1805Sir Barton ...............1957 ........1916Skip Away ..............2004 ........1993Slew o’ Gold ...........1992 ........1980Spectacular Bid ......1982 ........1976Stymie ....................1975 ........1941Sun Beau ................1996 ........1925Sunday Silence ......1996 ........1986Susan’s Girl ............1976 ........1969Swaps ....................1966 ........1952Swoons Son ...........2007 ........1953Sword Dancer ........1977 ........1956Sysonby .................1956 ........1902Ta Wee ...................1994 ........1966Ten Broeck .............1982 ........1872Tim Tam .................1985 ........1955Tiznow....................1997 ........2009Tom Fool ................1960 ........1949Top Flight ...............1966 ........1929Tosmah ..................1984 ........1961Twenty Grand .........1957 ........1928Twilight Tear ...........1963 ........1941Two Lea ..................1982 ........1946War Admiral ...........1958 ........1934Whirlaway ..............1959 ........1938Whisk Broom II ......1979 ........1907Winning Colors ......2000 ........1985Zaccio ....................1990 ........1976Zev ........................1983 ........1920

jockeysJohn Adams ..................1965Frank D. Adams .............1970Joe Aitcheson Jr ...........1978G. Edward Arcaro ..........1958Ted F. Atkinson ..............1957Braulio Baeza ................1976Jerry Bailey ...................1995George Barbee ..............1996Caroll K. Bassett ............1972Russell Baze ..................1999Walter Blum ..................1987William N. Boland .........2006George Bostwick ...........1968Sam Boulmetis Sr .........1973Steve Brooks .................1963Don Brumfield ...............1996Thomas H. Burns ..........1983James H. Butwell ..........1984J. Dallett Byers ..............1967Steve Cauthen ...............1994Frank Coltiletti ...............1970Angel Cordero Jr ...........1988Robert H. Crawford .......1973Pat Day .........................1991Eddie Delahoussaye ......1993Kent Desormeaux ..........2004Lavelle Ensor .................1962Laverne Fator ................1955Earlie Fires ....................2001Jerry Fishback ...............1992Mack Garner .................1969Edward Garrison ...........1955Avelino Gomez ..............1982Henry F. Griffin ..............1956O. Eric Guerin ................1972William J. Hartack .........1959Sandy Hawley ...............1992Albert Johnson ..............1971William J. Knapp ...........1969Julie Krone ....................2000Clarence Kummer .........1972Charles Kurtsinger ........1967John P. Loftus ...............1959John Eric Longden ........1958Daniel A. Maher .............1955Eddie Maple ..................2009 J. Linus McAtee ............1956Chris McCarron .............1989Conn McCreary .............1975Rigan McKinney ............1968James McLaughlin ........1955Walter Miller..................1955Isaac B. Murphy ............1955Ralph Neves ..................1960Joe Notter .....................1963Winfield O Connor .........1956George M. Odom ...........1955Frank O’Neill ..................1956Ivan H. Parke .................1978Gilbert W. Patrick ..........1970Don Pierce ....................2010Laffit Pincay Jr ..............1975

Edgar Prado ..................2008Samuel Purdy ...............1970John Reiff .....................1956Alfred Robertson ...........1971Randy Romero ..............2010John L. Rotz ..................1983Earl Sande .....................1955Jose Santos ..................2007John Sellers ..................2007Carroll H. Shilling ..........1970William Shoemaker .......1958Willie Simms .................1977Tod Sloan ......................1955Mike Smith ....................2003Alfred P. Smithwick .......1973Gary Stevens .................1997James Stout ..................1968Fred Taral ......................1955Bayard Tuckerman Jr ....1973Ron Turcotte .................1979Nash Turner ..................1955Robert N. Ussery ..........1980Ismael Valenzuela..........2008Jacinto Vasquez ............1998Jorge Velasquez ............1990Thomas Walsh ..............2005Jack Westrope ..............2002Jimmy Winkfield ...........2004George M. Woolf ...........1955Raymond Workman ......1956Manuel Ycaza ................1977

trainersBob Baffert ....................2009Lazaro S. Barrera ..........1979H. Guy Bedwell ..............1971Edward D. Brown ..........1984Preston M. Burch ..........1963J. Elliott Burch ...............1980William P. Burch ............1955Fred Burlew ...................1973Frank E. Childs ..............1968Henry S. Clark ...............1982W. Burling Cocks ...........1985James P. Conway ..........1996Warren A. Croll Jr .........1994Grover G. “Bud” Delp ....2002Neil Drysdale .................2000William Duke .................1956Janet Elliot ....................2009Louis Feustel .................1964James Fitzsimmons ......1958Henry Forrest ................2007Robert Frankel ...............1995John M. Gaver Sr ..........1966Carl Hanford ..................2006Thomas J. Healey ..........1955Samuel C. Hildreth ........1955Hubert “Sonny” Hine .....2003Maximilian Hirsch .........1959William J. Hirsch ...........1982Thomas Hitchcock ........1973

Hollie Hughes ................1973John J. Hyland ..............1956Hirsch Jacobs ...............1958H. Allen Jerkens ............1975William R. Johnson .......1986Philip G. Johnson ..........1997LeRoy Jolley .................1987Horace A. Jones ............1959Benjamin A. Jones ........1958A. Jack Joyner ...............1955Tommy Kelly .................1993Lucien Laurin ................1977J. Howard Lewis ...........1969D. Wayne Lukas ............1999Horatio A. Luro .............1980John E. Madden ............1983James W. Maloney ........1989Richard Mandella ..........2001Frank Martin ..................1981Ron McAnally ................1990Frank McCabe ...............2007Henry McDaniel ............1956“Shug” McGaughey .......2004MacKenzie Miller ...........1987“Buster” Millerick ..........2010William Molter ...............1960William I. Mott ..............1998W. F. Mulholland ............1967Carl Nafzger ..................2008Edward A. Neloy ............1983John A. Nerud ...............1972Burley Parke ..................1986Angel Penna ..................1988Jacob Pincus .................1988John W. Rogers ............1955James G. Rowe Sr ........1955Flint S. Schulhofer .........1992Jonathan Sheppard .......1990Robert A. Smith ............1976Tom Smith ....................2001D. M. Smithwick ............1971Woodford Stephens ......1976Mesh Tenney .................1991Henry J. Thompson ......1969Harry Trotsek ................1984Marion Van Berg ...........1970Jack C. Van Berg ...........1985Sylvester Veitch ............1977John Veitch ...................2007R. W. Walden ................1970Michael G. Walsh ..........1997Sherrill W. Ward ............1978Sidney Watters Jr ..........2005Frank Whiteley Jr ..........1978Charles Whittingham .....1974Ansel Williamson ..........1998G. Carey Winfrey ...........1975William C. Winfrey ........1971Nick Zito ........................2005

Nick Zito, Class of ’05

Edgar Prado, Class of ’08

Bobby Frankel, Class of ’95

2010 Induction Ceremony

Friday, Aug. 1310:30 a.m.

Sales Pavilion at Fasig-Tipton, on East Avenue

Free & open to public:Azeri

Best PalPoint Given

Harry BassettDon Pierce

Randy RomeroBuster Millerick

Tod MarksMembers of the Class of 2009 along with Hall of Famers Bill Mott and Kent Desormeaux.


at the Holiday Inn, Saratoga Springs, NYJuly 23rd-Sept 6th • Open Daily 9-9

Demos each Friday at 10 a.m.

Artists shown in ad l-r topTerry Lindsey, Anthony Alonzo,

Jaime Corum, Ely Fuller, Sharon Crute,Kathie Friedenberg, Louise W. King,

Werner Rentsch, Anne Wolf, Katie Upton,and Susan Cronin

TERRY LINDSEY EQUIDAE GALLERY


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Donna FreyerPO Box 2254, Camden, SC 29020803-425-4848 • Fax 803-713-1382803-243-4848 Mobile803-713-8776 [email protected]

Breaking • Training • Sales

tradition

Camden, South Carolina has been home to Thoroughbred excellence for generations.

The tradition continues.

What the field for today’s Grade II National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame Stakes lacks in quantity, it makes up for in quality.

Interactif, Nordic Truce and Kryp-ton are all Grade III winners.

Paris Vegas, making his North American debut, is Group I placed in Austria.

Grand Rapport beat older horses in his last race, his first in eight months, and even Colizeo, entered in case the race comes off the turf, won the Grade III Northern Dancer in June.

Then there’s Citrus Kid.A 3-year-old son of Lemon Drop Kid

trained by John Terranova for owners James Covello and Pittsburgh-based Golden Goose Enterprises, Citrus Kid hasn’t run since finishing seventh of 10 in the Grade III LeComte, his second start since being purchased privately following a victory in the $76,000 Do-ver Stakes at Delaware Park last Oc-tober.

His lone turf start came in his debut on Aug. 5, 2009 for then-trainer Gary

HALL OF FAME STAKES preVIeW

Taking Aim Citrus Kid looks to test solid group on turf

BY PHIL JANACK

See STAkeS page 19 Maggie KimmitKrypton works out at Saratoga in preparation for today’s run in the Hall of Fame Stakes.


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Contessa, where an unripe Citrus Kid finished seventh behind eventual graded stakes winners Dean’s Kitten and Paddy O’Prado.

“We just need to prep him for the fall,” Terranova said. “We need a race. He’s ready to run. He’s been ready, but we’ve had trouble finding the right spot to get going in. The turf, I don’t know. We didn’t have him when he ran on the turf first out, but he did run in a nice race that ended up being a lot of class horses. I think he’s got a lot of pedigree for it, but I haven’t worked him on it so I don’t know. He’s been training very well, so we want to see where we are here.”

Terranova feels Citrus Kid has come back to the races a different horse. He had surgery to remove an undescended testicle following the LeComte, then had to overcome an illness that knocked him out in the spring.

“He’s kind of a new horse now,” the trainer said. “He’s a first-time ridgling. That was giving him a lot of problems. He had a fit before his last race, and when we went over him, that really seemed to be giving him a lot of discomfort. We took that away, so we’ll see. We were supposed to run in the Rushaway back in March. We went to Keeneland from Florida, and the day after he shipped to Kentucky he got a high fever and he ended up subsequently missing a lot of time. We just brought him back nice and steadily, and he’s been doing really, really well. His workouts have been fantastic, and he looks great. Everything is go-ing really well.”

Terranova is eyeing some of the fall races for 3-year-olds, including the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby and the $500,000 Super Derby, both Sept. 25,

or the inaugural $300,000 Smarty Jones Stakes at Philadelphia Park Sept. 6. All three are run on dirt.

“Those are the major 3-year-old races left, I guess, in September, aside from the Travers (at Saratoga Aug. 28), which I wouldn’t think we’d do,” he said. “We just want to get him back in the starting gate. We honestly don’t know where we’re at right now. We need to get him going and get a good race into him.”

The Hall of Fame figures to be a competitive affair, and Terranova said Citrus Kid figures to be a game-day decision.

“The turf was just a lack of options almost. It’s not a big field, but it’s a good field,” he said. “He’s a

nice horse, but I don’t know what level he’s at. Right now, he’s training fantas-tic and he’s looking good, so we’re giv-ing him all the chances in the world to show us something.”

Winner of the Grade III Hill Prince at a mile on June 4, Krypton stretched out to 10 furlongs for the Grade II Virginia Derby last time, finishing third behind Paddy O’Prado and Interactif in July.

Trained by Kiaran McLaughlin for Harvey Clarke and Ron Winchell, Kryp-ton cuts back to 1 1/8 miles in the Hall of Fame, his seventh start this year, includ-ing two on the Polytrack at Keeneland.

“He ran well last time and got beat by probably the leader in the division right now,” McLaughlin said. “He’s training fabulous. He’s been training better than ever the last two months on the dirt, working lights out, so you have that in the back of your mind, but we’ll keep him on the turf right now. He’s better racing on the turf. I respect (Nordic Truce) and (Interactif). They’re probably the two main ones to beat, but we’re doing very well.”

Interactif is winless with three sec-onds in five starts this year, including the Grade II San Felipe over Santa Ani-ta’s synthetic surface. His last win came

in the Grade III Bourbon Stakes on Keeneland’s turf last October, one start after taking the Grade III With Anticipation at Saratoga.

“I think he’s versatile enough that he can kind of lay wherever you need him based on the way the race is unfolding,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “I think he handles a variety of distances well, but this suits him perfectly.”

Nordic Truce won his first three career starts for trainer Christophe Clement before having his streak ended by Krypton in the Hill Prince, finishing second by a neck. He will break from outside post six under jockey Julien Leparoux.

Tod MarksBelmont Stakes starter Interactif will make a go of it today for Todd Pletcher.

Stakes – Continued from page 18


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Race #

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Records

DeanKeppler

BrianNadeau

JohnPanagot

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55/157 40/157 51/157 39/157 36/157

JohnShapazian

GaileFitzgerald

Power

Belo SorteCrowned General

SlyWing Glider

Wildcat SteviePower Dreams

LandlashHealthy Debate

TapalineCruzin With Cash

Old Kit BagScorper

Sea Of LiquidityGeneral SongSweat ShopCurlinello

Last Out Of PanamaEast Indies

ColizeoNordic Truce

InteractifPaperless

Active TraderConsort

Magdalena GirlSunnybrookJacky Juice

Belo SorteSly

Crowned GeneralFlying Gang

Sweet WilliamPower DreamsHealthy Debate

TorroneLandlash

Cruzin With CashScorper

Eager LeaderSea Of Liquidity

Sweat ShopGeneral SongPletcher Entry

Air SupportGoodtimehadbyall

Nordic TrucePletcher Entry

KryptonActive Trader

ConsortArtie’s Chapter

Dubb EntrySatin Jet

Sunnybrook

SlyCrowned General

Matt’s a GiantCheeky MamaWing GliderFlying Gang

TorroneLandlash

Freud’s NotebookScorper

Eager LeaderSound ChaserSweat Shop

General SongWarrant Ofc. Cook

Last Out of PanamaDerby KittenAir Support

InteractifNordic Truce

KryptonActive Trader

ConsortPaperless

SunnybrookMagdalena Girl

Lady Alma

Belo SorteWinthrop House

SlySweet WlliamFuture EmpireFlying Gang

TorroneHealthy Debate

Freud’s NotebookCruzin With Cash

ScorperEager Leader

Sea of LiquiditySweat Shop

General SongPletcher Entry

Air SupportCockeyed Rooster

Pletcher EntryKrypton

Nordic TruceActive Trader

ConsortHumilarityDubb EntrySunnybrook

Magdalena Girl

Crowned GeneralSly

Matt’s a GiantSweet William

Wascally RabbitFuture Empire

TorroneHealthy Debate

Freud’s NotebookScorper

Eager LeaderShe’s Not Easy

Sweat ShopGeneral Song

Man on the RightSurf Cast

Last out of PanamaGoodtimehadbyall

KryptonInteractif

Nordic TrucePaperless

Active TraderHumilarity

SunnybrookMardi Belle

Magdalena Girl


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“I could not sleep, I was full of anticipation. I could not wait to get to the racetrack. I paced the paddock. My mouth was dry. I had a knot in my stomach. But I was in awe of my horse. My heart pounded. I thought the gates would never open. I thought the pace was too fast. I thought the jockey moved too soon. I thought we still had a chance. I screamed at the top of my lungs. I pumped my fists. I jumped for joy. I won! I hugged my family. I thought my dad would be proud. I congratulated my partners. I called my friends. I lost my voice. I stood in the winner’s circle. I celebrated. that night, i dreamed of doing

it all over again…”

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Royal Ascot (June)L’Arc de Triomphe (Sep-Oct) Cheltenham (March)Dubai (March)Aintree (April)

Friday, August 13. Post Time 1 p.m. Entries with program number, post position, jockey, trainer, and morning-line odds.

1ST (1:00) 5 1/2 FuRLONGS (TuRF) 3&uP CLAIMING ($25,000) PuRSE: $36,0001 1 Can’t Refuse ..............Lenclud F ............. Persaud Randi .......20-12 2 Kingsdale Ocean (IRE) ..Chavez J F ............ Toscano John T Jr .12-13 3 Subtitles ....................Velasquez C .......... Ryerson James T ..10-14 4 Crowned General .......Albarado R J ........ Romans Dale ...........7-25 5 Matt’s a Giant ............Maragh R ............. Farro Patricia ...........5-16 6 Sly .............................Dominguez R A .... Dutrow Anthony W ..5-27 7 Winthrop House ........Garcia Alan ........... Rice Linda ...............3-18 8 Perfectus ...................Piermarini T ......... Falk Jacqueline ........8-19 MTO Belo Sorte .................Albarado R J ........ Romans Dale ...........8-510 MTO The Zipster ................Castellano J J ....... Violette, Jr. R A........6-1Exacta, Trifecta, Super (.10), Pick 3 Races (1-3), Daily Double 2ND (1:33) 5 1/2 FuRLONGS 2YO MDN CLM ($35,000) PuRSE: $25,0001 1 Future Empire ............Castellano J J ....... Hushion Michael E ..6-12 2 Flying Gang ...............Albarado R J ........ Nicks Ralph E ........12-13 3 Sweet William ...........Coa E M ............... Ward Wesley A ........3-14 4 Wing Glider ...............Maragh R ............. Contessa Gary C ....12-15 5 Wildcat Stevie ...........Lezcano J ............. Barbara Robert ........6-16 6 Cheeky Mama ............Dominguez R A .... Rice Linda ...............5-17 7 Dynatough .................Mena M ................ Scherer Merrill R ...15-18 8 Power Dreams ...........Cohen D ............... Badgett William Jr ...8-19 9 Wascally Rabbit .........Luzzi M J .............. Contessa Gary C ....12-110 10 Victory Team .............Lenclud F ............. Harty Eoin ...............6-1Exacta, Quinella, Trifecta, Super (.10), Pick 3 Races (2-4) Pick 4 Races (2-5), Daily Double 3RD (2:06) LAKE LuZERNE S. 7 FuRLONGS NY BRED FILLIES 3YOPuRSE: $70,0001 1 Landlash ....................Dominguez R A .... Gyarmati Leah .........6-12 2 Rogue’s Jewel ...........Mena M ................ Martin Carlos F ......12-13 3 Freud’s Notebook ......Jara F ................... Brown Bruce R ........3-14 4 Torrone ......................Santiago V ............ McLaughlin Kiaran ..4-15 5 Tapaline .....................Maragh R ............. Kimmel John C ........6-16 6 Amiga Del Sol ............Castellano J J ....... Kimmel John C ......12-17 7 Northern Warrior .......Velazquez J R ....... Ubillo Rodrigo A ....10-18 8 Healthy Debate ..........Lezcano J ............. Brown Bruce R ........7-2Exacta, Trifecta, Super (.10), Pick 3 Races (3-5), Daily Double

4TH (2:40) 5 1/2 FuRLONGS (TuRF) 3&uP CLAIMING ($25,000) PuRSE: $27,0001 1 Kick Up Your Heels ....Samyn J L ............ Martin Frank ..........30-12 2 She’s Not Easy ..........Leparoux J R ........ Rice Linda ...............8-13 3 Sound Chaser ............Santiago V ............ Callejas Bernardo ....6-14 4 Muy Guapo ................Lenclud F ............. Hernandez Ramon .15-15 5 Luigi P .......................Coa E M ............... Bizelia Anthony J ...12-16 6 Warrior Poet ..............Albarado R J ........ Lukas D Wayne .......3-17 7 Eager Leader .............Garcia Alan ........... Rice Linda ...............4-18 8 Voodoouthinkur.........Prado E S ............. Reiff Eugene ............8-19 9 Old Kit Bag ................Husbands S P ...... Ubillo Rodrigo A ....15-110 10 Scorper .....................Dominguez R A .... Rodriguez Rudy R ...7-211 MTO Cruzin With Cash .......Prado E S ............. Hills Timothy A ........7-212 MTO Kill the Joker .............Bermudez J E ....... Gullo Gary P ............5-1Exacta, Quinella, Trifecta, Super (.10), Pick 3 Races (4-6) Pick 6 Races (4-9), Daily Double 5TH (3:14) 1 MILE (INNER TuRF) 3&uP MAIDEN CLAIMING ($25,000) PuRSE: $23,0001 1 Unique Tune ..............Coa E M ............... Ritvo Timothy ........20-12 2 Sweat Shop ...............Velasquez C .......... Levine Bruce N ........2-13 3 General Song .............Dominguez R A .... Pletcher Todd A .......5-24 4 Warrant Ofc. Cook .....Borel C H .............. Wilkes Ian R ............7-25 5 Dade City ...................Hill C .................... Barbara Robert ......30-16 6 Man On the Right ......Solis A .................. Sciacca Gary .........20-17 7 Implied Odds .............Castellano J J ....... Martin Carlos F ......10-18 8 Sadies Grandson .......Mena M ................ McGillycuddy K L ..15-19 9 Seren Trippidy ...........Espinoza J L ......... DeRosa Alexander .20-110 10 Intrepid ......................Velazquez J R ....... Dutrow, Jr. R E ......10-111 AE Naughty You ..............Lezcano J ............. Serpe Philip M .........6-112 AE Unforgettable P J ......Maragh R ............. Ortiz Paulino O ......30-113 AE Mystic Era .................Lenclud F ............. Toscano John .......50-114 MTO Sea of Liquidity .........Castellano J J ....... Brown Chad C .........5-215 MTO Dare to Live ...............Leparoux J R ........ McPeek Kenneth ...12-1Exacta, Trifecta, Super (.10), Pick 3 Races (5-7), Grand Slam Races (5-8) Daily Double

6TH (3:48) 1 1/16 MILES (TuRF) 2YO MAIDEN PuRSE: $51,0001 4 Last Out of Panama ...Velazquez J R ....... Pletcher Todd A .......3-11A MTO Curlinello ................................................ Pletcher Todd A .......3-12 1 Goodtimehadbyall .....Mena M ................ Scherer Merrill R .....7-23 2 Grigio ........................Borel C H .............. Baker James E .........8-14 3 Surf Cast ...................Gomez G K ........... Howard Neil J ..........6-15 5 Rogue Romance ........Luzzi M J .............. McPeek Kenneth ...15-16 6 East Indies .................Prado E S ............. McPeek Kenneth ...12-17 7 Willy Pay ...................Dominguez R A .... Kimmel John C ......10-18 8 Cockeyed Rooster .....Albarado R J ........ Terranova, II John .15-19 9 Air Support ................Castellano J J ....... McGaughey III C R ..6-110 10 Derby Kitten ..............Leparoux J R ........ Maker Michael J ......8-111 MTO Striding Ahead ...........Leparoux J R ........ Mott William I ..........6-112 MTO It’s Truly Ahvee ..........Dominguez R A .... Rice Linda 5-1A-Coupled: Last Out of Panama and CurlinelloExacta, Trifecta, Super (.10), Pick 3 Races (6-8), Pick 4 Races (6-9) Daily Double 7TH (4:22) NATIONAL MuSEuM OF RACING HALL OF FAME S. (G2)1 1/8 MILES (INNER TuRF) 3YO PuRSE: $150,0001 5 Interactif ....................Castellano J J ....... Pletcher Todd A .......8-51A MTO Colizeo ................................................... Pletcher Todd A .......8-52 1 Paris Vegas ...............Gomez G K ........... Chappet Fabrice .......8-13 2 Grand Rapport ...........Dominguez R A .... Contessa Gary C ....12-14 3 Krypton .....................Maragh R ............. McLaughlin Kiaran ..3-15 4 Citrus Kid ..................Hill C .................... Terranova, II John .15-16 6 Nordic Truce ..............Leparoux J R ........ Clement Christophe .5-2A-Coupled: Interactif and ColizeoExacta, Trifecta, Pick 3 Races (7-9), Daily Double

8TH (4:56) 6 1/2 FuRLONGS 3&uP MDN CLM ($35,000 - $25,000) PuRSE: $25,0001 1 Artie’s Chapter ...........Lezcano J ............. Barbara Robert ........6-12 2 Stroke ........................Garcia Alan ........... Rice Linda .............12-13 3 Humilarity ..................Leparoux J R ........ Zito Nicholas P ......10-14 4 Paperless ..................Borel C H .............. Lukas D Wayne .......5-15 5 Zen Village .................Coa E M ............... McLaughlin Kiaran ..6-16 6 Splendid Behavior .....Maragh R ............. Baker Charlton .........8-17 7 Consort .....................Velazquez J R ....... Pletcher Todd A .......7-28 8 Active Trader .............Dominguez R A .... Hushion Michael E ..3-19 9 Jack’s Work ...............Mena M ................ Stewart Dallas .......15-1Exacta, Trifecta, Super (.10), Daily Double

9TH (5:30) 6 FuRLONGS NY BRED F&M 3&uP MDN CLM ($20,000) PuRSE: $22,0001 10 Feldberg ....................Dominguez R A .... Rodriguez Rudy R ...7-21A 12 Jacky Juice ................Castellano J J ....... Brown Chad C .........7-22 1 Shahzadi ....................Lezcano A ............ Hernandez Ramon .20-13 2 Shuttle Craft ..............Studart M ............. Odintz Jeff .............20-14 3 Magdalena Girl ..........Leparoux J R ........ McPeek Kenneth .....6-15 4 Hear Her Roar ...........Lenclud F ............. Martin Carlos F ........8-16 5 Jen’s Dream ..............Gracia J A ............. Caetano John ........50-17 6 Lady Alma .................Espinoza J L ......... Kelly Patrick J ........10-18 7 Mardi Belle ................Prado E S ............. Schosberg Richard ..8-19 8 Sunnybrook ...............Hill C .................... Parisella John ..........3-110 9 Satin Jet ....................Maragh R ............. Schettino Dominick ....5-111 11 Cottage Industry ........Samyn J L ............ Martin Frank ..........20-1A-Coupled: Feldberg and Jacky JuiceExacta, Trifecta, Super (.10)

friday’s Saratoga entrieS

Dave HarmonCrowned General (first race) won at the Spa on July 28.


168 Lincoln Ave | Saratoga SpringsA tradition for 80 years!

Performances start 30 min after the last race

Reservations: .com or call Mike Stone at 518-584-4030Friday, August 13

NYPLAYERS

Saturday, August 14

DISCO NIGHTLive performances by

Lisa Lisa, Maxine Nightingale and The Trammps

Sunday, August 15Strawberry Fields

BEATLESNIGHT

Monday, August 16Strawberry Fields

BEATLESNIGHT

Wednesday, August 18

PIG ROASTEVENT

with entertainment

Thursday, August 19

REFRIGERATORSFriday, August 20

GARY USBONDS

Saturday, August 21

BIG SHOTsongs of Billy Joel

Sunday, August 22

COMMANDERCODY

BY SEAN CLANCY

In Te Domine charges around turnto capture NY Stallion StakesBlessed Trip

The clock read 50.14 for the first half-mile of the Statue of Liberty Stakes. Linda Rice winced in disgust.

Wedged in a clubhouse box with the owners and fans of In Te Domine, Rice didn’t like what she was seeing as Ra-mon Dominguez braced against the 1-2 favorite like he was riding a wakeboard in choppy water.

“Ooooh, that hurts,” Rice said as she read the half-mile split.

It would be the last time Rice winced.

In Te Domine circled five wide on the turn, rolled past the leaders to win by a comfortable three-quarters of a length. Dominguez never turned over his whip. Bret-ton Woods rallied from eighth to nail Raffie’s Rose for second. In Te Domine finished 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.42.

Dominguez knew he was worrying Rice.

“Very much so. I knew how slow they were going and I knew on paper there was a lack of speed but my filly was coming off two sprint races and I knew she could be fresh or rank, but at the same time, I tried having her clear be-fore and that didn’t work,” Dominguez said. “I was on a mission trying to get her behind horses, it wasn’t pretty, I was taking a pretty bad hold of her from the get go to the quarter pole. I was very pleased and surprised that she finished up the way she did.”

Dominguez bounced off his saddle twice in the first turn, then rode In Te Domine like he was in a phone booth, trying not to move while she pulled against him. It was part tutorial, part tactics.

“I had my options to get out but it was not the right choice, so I had to wait and hope for the best,” Dominguez said. “I could have used her natural speed to get position but what are you teaching her if she gets clear and gets running. Sometimes you have to sacri-fice for tomorrow. Today we were able to do something that wasn’t pretty but will help her down the road.”

The road looks clear for the New York-bred daughter of Freud. An

$11,000 purchase at the New York Breeders Sale in 2007, In Te Domine finished second in both her starts as a 2-year-old and won her 3-year-old de-but at Belmont Park this spring. She broke Dominguez’s hold in her next start, when fading to fifth. She won a state-bred allowance, with Alan Gar-cia, in her most recent start before the Statue of Liberty.

Having Dominguez alleviated Rice’s concern – a little.

“There are a lot of good riders in the room but when they put a half up in 50, I was pretty comfortable because I know Ramon is on there, he’s a great judge of pace, he’s a great rider. No matter what happens, I’ve done my best,” Rice said. “In the one race at Belmont, she ran off with Ramon. She’s a little green acting and needs racing experience. Ramon knows that, she got away from him at Belmont, she’s just learning to put it to-gether. She’s a little hot here and there on the track and in the paddock, but I think she’ll develop into a nice filly.”

The win marked a special day for owners Tom and Larry Zyra. The broth-ers have been coming to Saratoga since they were kids. Now, they’re lawyers, adults, proud horse owners and cherish-

ing the moment. “A thrill of a lifetime. This is the first

racehorse we’ve owned,” Larry Zyra said. “We’re awestruck. It’s unbeliev-able. We are honored to be here. We are humbled. All the credit goes to Linda Rice. She picked out the horse, she’s trained her great. We understand that we are incredibly blessed to be here. I told my brother on the way up, it becomes an even more surreal experience each time we run a race. We couldn’t be happier.”

Tom Zyra echoed his brother’s senti-ments.

“It’s absolutely indescribable. We have some appreciation of how tough this game is, the filly has meant so many things to so many people. We are hum-bled by it, yet, euphoric by it,” Tom Zyra said. “It’s always been a dream of ours, we never thought it would happen. When we were kids, it was the Vander-bilts, the Whitneys. We got drawn into it and loved the athleticism of the horses and the jockeys, these are the best ath-letes in the world. This is a dream come true.”

For Rice, it all traces back to her first trip to the New York Breeders Sale in 2005. She went to escape. She discov-ered a pipeline.

“I had a horse who I loved break down and I did not want to go to the barn the next morning. I just wanted to leave town so I drove up to the New York Breeders Sale,” Rice said. “His name was June The Tiger, he won Open-ing Day at Saratoga, I had claimed him from Pletcher, he won three in a row, we had three weeks of rain at Belmont, the track was terrible and he broke his leg, we put him down. I couldn’t go to the barn the next day so I came to the sale instead.”

Rice bought stakes winners Mother Russia, In Te Domine and other viable New York-breds. Last year, the company put Rice on the cover of the catalogue.

“The first year, I bought maybe four. The next year, I bought 10. The next year, I bought 12,” Rice said. “Oh yeah, it’s more competitive. The first year, it was just me in the rain and the mud and the sleet.”

Rice laughed at the lunacy of avoid-ing the track by going to a sale.

“Most people go somewhere else, go to Atlantic City and play dice, no, not me, I go to a horse auction,” Rice said. “Looking at foals makes me feel better, fills the heart.”

STATUE OF LIBERTY STAKES reCap

Tod MarksIn Te Domine, with Ramon Dominguez aboard, heads to the finish in the Statue of Liberty on Thursday.



Through 18 days, Todd Pletcher is the leading trainer, John Velazquez sits atop the jockey standings and

– no surprise here – trainer Jonathan Sheppard and owner Bill Pape are dom-inating the steeplechase competition.

Dominating might be an understate-ment.

Sheppard-trained horses finished first and second in the Calvin Hough-land Hurdle that opened Thursday’s program. Lead Us Not ridden by Brian Crowley edged Parker’s Project ridden by Danielle Hodsdon.

At the halfway point of the six-race steeplechase series at the Spa, Sheppard and Pape are 3-0. Sheppard also has two seconds, a third, a fourth and a sixth.

Crowley has two wins and a second and Hodsdon has a win, a second and a fourth.

Hodsdon won the Grade I A. P. Smithwick last week and it looked like she would win Thursday on Parker’s

THURSDAY RACING reCap

BY MIKE KANE

Lead Us Not wins another jump race for

Sheppard, Pape

Tod MarksLead us Not made it 3-for-3 at the meet for Jonathan Shepard and Bill Pape

3-for-3

See ThurSdAy page 25


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Thursday – Continued from page 24

Project, owned by Albany businessman Ed Swyer. She didn’t expect to be passed in deep stretch by Lead Us Not.

Crowley relinquished the lead to Riddle moved his horse to the outside after the final jump and finished with a flurry.

“That was a nice surprise because he’s been a little disappointing,” Shep-pard said. “He looked like a nice horse as a novice, when he was young, but he’s never really recaptured that form. I always kind of felt that he had it in him to do better, and he just put it together today.”

Sheppard acknowledged that the runner-up exceeded his expectations.

“He ran great. Actually, I thought he had it won,” Sheppard said. “Dani got a wonderful jump out of him on the last fence and he’s a good stayer. He wasn’t quitting or anything, but the other horse just suddenly found a little bit extra. I think he ran great. I was very proud of both horses.”

• Valiant Passion put co-owners Ralph Nicks and Barry Berkelhammer in a position for a nice return on their investment when she won the second race by 9 1/4 lengths. Nicks and Berkel-hammer bought the 2-year-old daughter of Lion Heart for $11,000 at Keeneland September and she turned in an impres-sive performance in her debut.

“She’s shown a lot since Day 1,” Nicks said.

The filly is on the market, he said, and she might have attracted some in-terest with the way she ran off to win easily for jockey Julien Leparoux.

“This is a nice horse,” Nicks said. “I expected a big effort; maybe this is a little surprising.”

Bettors didn’t like her chances. She was 30-1 and paid $63.

• In the third, Smokehouse won for trainer Jim Ryerson in a $35,000 maid-en claimer. Wearing blinkers for her second start, she finished strongly to get the win.

“She ran a little spotty for us at Mon-mouth,” Ryerson said, “so we put the blinkers on her and took a shot that this wouldn’t come up too tough and brought her up here.”

The gray Limehouse filly owned by Anthony Perri won by 3 1/4 lengths as the favorite.

• On a day of the closer, Heritage Hall had the most impressive finish of

Tod MarksSmarti Bobbi, with Javier Castellano aboard, wins the sixth for Angel Penna Jr. on Thursday.

all. The 4-year-old Unbridled’s Song colt closed from last in the field of seven at the top of the stretch to win the fifth by a half-length. The injury-plagued runner making just the third start of his career, won the seven-furlong starter al-lowance. He was eligible for the race after running in and winning a $10,000 maiden claimer at Churchill Downs on July 3.

“I put him in a bad spot that day, but I wanted to get a line on him because he’s had nothing but problems his whole life,” trainer Al Stall said. “I don’t nor-mally like to pick spots that we don’t have a chance in, but I said `let’s just give him a little chance and see where he places himself and how he does it.’ Everything has worked out.

“Hopefully, he’ll learn how to run a little bit more and he can go further, too.”

• Veteran trainer Angel Penna Jr. and jockey Javier Castellano found the right formula for Smartie Bobbi, who came from off the pace to win the sixth, a 1 1/16 miles maiden claimer for fillies and mares on the turf. The Smarty Jones filly was never a contender in her first two starts, but responded and got into the game wearing blinkers in her next two races. Penna saw that she was too hard to control when she was near the lead, though, and had Castellano take her back. Perfect.

“She’s a good filly,” Penna said. “She’s going to be there. You’ve got to beat her. She’s not a world-beater her-self, but you have to beat her because she’s going to fight it.

“We changed her way of running a little bit. Because she was a little too close to the lead, we decided to come from behind and give her a little breath-er. She gets very rank in front. It worked out. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. This time it did.”

• Trainer Linda Rice and jockey Ra-mon Dominguez, winners of the Spa division titles last year, tightened the standings with two victories Thursday. They combined to win the New York Stallion Statue of Liberty Stakes with In Te Domine and the 10th with Precious Farming.

Rice is third with nine wins and Dominguez is tied for second with Cas-tellano with 19 winners.

Precision Farming broke a three-rac-ing losing streak in the turf sprint for $25,000 claiming fillies.

“The filly has been training well,” Rice said. “We didn’t have a real good winter with her. We had a few issues and it took us a while to get them re-solved.”


1 2

4 Sette E Mezzo 5 Heritage Hall 6

7 Surfing Ian 9 10 Precision Farming

Thursday’s saraToga winners • PhoTos by dave harmon

Valiant PassionLead Us Not 3 Smokehouse

Smartie Bobbi

Great Crusade

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Two-year-old filly Button Girl makes it look easy in Monday’s second race.

pHoToof the day

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Thursday, August 12, 2010

1ST 2 1/16 MILES (HuRDLE) 4 & uP ALLOW OPTIONAL CLM ($30,000) PuRSE: $53,0005 Lead Us Not Crowley B 14.40 7.20 4.708 Parker’s Project Hodsdon D 6.40 4.703 Grantor Nagle D 7.90Time 3:52.28Winning Trainer: Sheppard Jonathan E - Owner: Pape William L.Ch.g.8 by Royal Anthem - Sultress by Gallent RomeoBreeder: William L. Pape & Jonathan E. Sheppard$2 Exacta (5-8) Paid $91.00$2 Trifecta (5-8-3) Paid $954.00$2 Superfecta (5-8-3-7) Paid $8,424.00

2ND 5 1/2 FuRLONGS 2 YO MAIDEN SPECIAL WEIGHT PuRSE: $50,0007 Valiant Passion Leparoux J R 63.00 20.80 12.601 Shaaraat Garcia Alan 8.10 5.608 Becata Lezcano J 13.40Time 1:04.66Winning Trainer: Nicks Ralph E - Owner: Nicks, Ralph, E. and Berkelham-mer, BarryB.f.2 by Lion Heart - Bold American by Quiet AmericanBreeder: Chestnut Farm$2 Exacta (7-1) Paid $565.00$2 Quinella (1-7) Paid $196.00$2 Trifecta (7-1-8) Paid $5,793.00$2 Daily Double (5-7) Paid $479.00 Daily Double Pool $150,406$2 Superfecta (7-1-8-4) Paid $285,735.00

3RD 5 1/2 FuRLONGS 2 YO MAIDEN CLAIMING ($35,000) PuRSE: $25,0009 Smokehouse Prado E S 5.20 3.60 2.906 In Her Hey Day Velazquez J R 7.50 5.102 Private Escort Santiago V 5.90Time 1:06.85Winning Trainer: Ryerson James T - Owner: Perri Anthony M.Gr./ro/f.2 by Limehouse - She’s Smokin by Husar (Mex.) - Breeder: F. Jack Liebau Sr.$2 Exacta (9-6) Paid $43.60$2 Trifecta (9-6-2) Paid $391.50$2 Pick 3 (5-7-9) 3 Correct Paid $2,097.00 Pick 3 Pool $51,025$2 Daily Double (7-9) Paid $363.50 Daily Double Pool $74,792

4TH 1 1/16 M (INNER TuRF) 3 & uP CLM ($20,000) PuRSE: $26,0009 Sette E Mezzo Desormeaux K J 4.00 2.70 2.405 Fagedaboudit Sal Lopez P 3.60 3.404 Berning Blaze Prado E S 6.10Time 1:42.82Winning Trainer: Mott William I - Owner: Haras Santa Maria de ArarasB.h.5 by Dynaformer - Lovely Lyric by Alydar Breeder: Haras Santa Maria de Araras S.A.$2 Exacta (9-5) Paid $14.40$2 Quinella (5-9) Paid $9.70$2 Trifecta (9-5-4) Paid $105.50$2 Pick 3 (7-9-9) 3 Correct Paid $514.00 Pick 3 Pool $56,540$2 Daily Double (9-9) Paid $11.80 Daily Double Pool $67,337$2 Superfecta (9-5-4-3) Paid $240.40

5TH 7 F 3 & uP STARTER ALLOWANCE ($50,000 - ) PuRSE: $48,00010 Heritage Hall Lenclud F 20.20 10.00 5.608 Harmonizer Gomez G K 7.10 3.609 Star of New York Castellano J J 2.60Time 1:23.62Winning Trainer: Stall Albert M Jr - Owner: Spendthrift Farm LLCDk. br or b.c.4 by Unbridled’s Song - Court Reception by A.P. IndyBreeder: Vallecito Farms, LLC$2 Exacta (10-8) Paid $130.50$2 Trifecta (10-8-9) Paid $287.50$2 Pick 3 (9-9-10) 3 Correct Paid $193.00 Pick 3 Pool $99,845$2 Pick 4 (7-9-9-10) 4 Correct Paid $3,943.00 Pick 4 Pool $169,929$2 Daily Double (9-10) Paid $75.00 Daily Double Pool $60,005$2 Superfecta (10-8-9-4) Paid $2,070.00

6TH RACE 1 1/16 MILES (TuRF) 3 & uP MDN CLM ($50,000 - $40,000) PuRSE: $30,0002 Smartie Bobbi Velasquez C 9.80 5.30 3.4011 Fleet Allaire Solis A 8.00 5.604 The West Rim Maragh R 2.70Time 1:43.20Winning Trainer: Penna Angel Jr - Owner: Castletop StableCh.f.3 by Smarty Jones - Merill Gold by Gold FeverBreeder: Dapple Bloodstock$2 Exacta (2-11) Paid $109.50 $2 Trifecta (2-11-4) Paid $380.00$2 Pick 3 (9-10-2) 3 Correct Paid $361.50 Pick 3 Pool $75,478$2 Daily Double (10-2) Paid $147.00 Daily Double Pool $72,748$2 Superfecta (2-11-4-10) Paid $1,472.00

7TH RACE 6 FuRLONGS 3 & uP CLAIMING ($12,500) PuRSE: $25,0008 Surfing Ian Khan A 23.20 10.20 7.309 King Andrew Bermudez J E 4.90 3.602 Felinefelon Espinoza J L 11.40Time 1:10.92Winning Trainer: Baker Charlton - Owner: Baker CharltonDk. br or b.g.7 by Rizzi - Bigger Half by Megaturn Breeder: Sez Who Thoroughbreds$2 Exacta (8-9) Paid $104.50 $2 Trifecta (8-9-2) Paid $868.00$2 Daily Double (2-8) Paid $146.50 Daily Double Pool $74,818$2 Pick 3 (10-2-8) 3 Correct Paid $1,516.00 Pick 3 Pool $70,268$2 Superfecta (8-9-2-1) Paid $2,549.00

8TH NY STALLION STATuE OF LIBERTY STAKES 1 1/16 MILES (INNER TuRF) 3 YO FILLIES PuRSE: $100,0004 In Te Domine Dominguez R A 3.00 2.50 2.109 Bretton Woods Castellano J J 4.90 3.5010 Raffie’s Rose Desormeaux K J 4.20Time 1:44.42Winning Trainer: Rice Linda - Owner: Blackout Racing Stables and Zyra, Lawrence J.Dk. br or b.f.3 by Freud - Luminate by A.P. Indy Breeder: Rojan Farms & Barbara R. Bongard$2 Exacta (4-9) Paid $18.20 $2 Trifecta (4-9-10) Paid $86.50$2 Pick 3 (2-8-4) 3 Correct Paid $201.00 Pick 3 Pool $102,337$2 Daily Double (8-4) Paid $54.00 Daily Double Pool $81,049$2 Superfecta (4-9-10-1) Paid $295.40

9TH 7 FuRLONGS 3 & uP CLAIMING ($10,000) PuRSE: $20,00011 Great Crusade Maragh R 7.00 4.50 2.901 Shotgun Bandit Castellano J J 12.00 5.803 Bridge to Nowhere Dominguez R A 3.40Time 1:25.00Winning Trainer: Lukas D Wayne - Owner: Lukas, D., Wayne, Maloof, Phil-lip, JEH Racing Stable LLCCh.c.4 by Awesome Again - Victory U.S.A. by Victory GallopBreeder: T. F. VanMeter$2 Exacta (11-1) Paid $108.00 $2 Trifecta (11-1-3) Paid $367.00$2 Grand Slam (2,4,11-2,8,9-4,9,10-11) Paid $40.40$2 Pick 3 (8-4-11) 3 Correct Paid $165.00 Pick 3 Pool $63,709$2 Daily Double (4-11) Paid $14.60 Daily Double Pool $82,052$2 Superfecta (11-1-3-5) Paid $2,905.00

10TH 5 1/2 FuRLONGS (TuRF) 3 & uP CLM ($25,000) PuRSE: $28,0002 Precision Farming Dominguez R A 14.40 7.10 4.601 Wildcat Aly Castellano J J 7.90 4.409 Lights Out Lisa Luzzi M J 3.10Time 1:02.94Winning Trainer: Rice Linda - Owner: Liebau, Jr. Frederick JackCh.f.4 by Smart Strike-Health Farm by Pleasent Colony. Breeder: Liebau Farms$2 Exacta (2-1) Paid $97.50 $2 Trifecta (2-1-9) Paid $315.00$2 Superfecta (2-1-9-8) Paid $2,115.00$2 Daily Double (11-2) Paid $49.40 Daily Double Pool $154,601$2 Pick 3 (4-11-2) 3 Correct Paid $73.00 Pick 3 Pool $137,514$2 Pick 4 (8-4/5-2/11-2) 4 Correct Paid $689.00 Pick 4 Pool $345,230$2 Pick 6 (10-2-8-4/5-2/11-2) 5 Correct Paid $433.50 Pick 6 Pool $2 Pick 6 (10-2-8-4/5-2/11-2) 6 Correct Paid $65,864.00 Pick 6 Pool $275,332

Saratoga Attendance: 17080 Mutuel Pool: $2,624,154ITW Mutuel Pool: $2,720,334 ISW Mutuel Pool: $6,395,145

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Steps from the Track!


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• Tuesday, August 31 — Golf Tournament at McGregor Links Country Club, Saratoga Springs, NY

by Joe Clancy

theoutsiderail Then and NowAzeri was Zenyatta before Zenyatta.And Laura de Seroux understands. Now retired, the

trainer steered Azeri through a Horse of the Year and champion older mare campaign in 2002, another divi-sional championship in 2003 and a winning streak that reached 11 races. Based in California, Azeri dominated the fillies and mares in her home state through that skein – and caught flack.

“The East Coast writers and people weren’t giving her much recognition because Summer Colony had beaten her and they thought (Azeri) was beating up on the same horses all the time out here,” de Seroux said Thursday. “Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?”

Sure does.Trainer John Shirreffs and owners Jerry and Ann

Moss hear the same complaints about Zenyatta. The champion older mare of 2009 has won 18 consecutive races, almost all of them in California. Critics want Zenyatta to come East, meet 2009 Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra and other opponents, prove her greatness.

As if it needs proving. Horses like Azeri and Zenyatta don’t come along

very often. Sustained equine excellence shows up in only fleeting glimpses – teasing the humans who look for it and try to quantify it. Back in her exercise-rider days, de Seroux galloped six Grade I winners a day

for Charlie Whittingham. They lost races regularly and Whittingham would simply mutter “we’ll live to fight again another day.”

From March 2002 to August 2003, Azeri fought and won – stringing together eight Grade I victories. Since her first start in November 2007, Zenyatta has fought and won – seemingly capping her career with a Breeders’ Cup Classic win last fall only to come back and win four more starts this year.

These types of runs should be savored, embraced, applauded. Compare them to any horse or era you want, but don’t demand more. Another day to fight is promised to no horse.

“People want you to take horses like this and see what they can’t do, instead of appreciating what they can do,” de Seroux said. “As a trainer, you can’t cave, you’ve got to do what’s right for your horse. Every time. You can’t turn it into Roman theater. You’re re-sponsible.”

A Californian, de Seroux feels for Shirreffs but not simply out of loyalty.

“I’m right there with the Mosses and John Shirreffs heart and soul,” she said. “I love what they’re doing. You can’t really compare (Zenyatta and Azeri), but it’s history in the making – again. Winning streaks are to be cherished because they just don’t happen. Good horses beat each other all the time.”

Only they didn’t with Azeri (for a while) and they haven’t with Zenyatta.

De Seroux resisted the urge to start Azeri against colts and geldings, carefully managing her star and get-ting a rare Horse of the Year crown for a filly or mare. The next year the trainer did the same thing, stepping

through the 2003 Apple Blossom, Milady, Vanity and Clement Hirsch before the streak finally ended in the Lady’s Secret Stakes (now called the Zenyatta) at Santa Anita Sept. 28 – the last time Azeri raced in de Seroux’s name.

The mare bled in that race, but recovered and was training for the Breeders’ Cup when de Seroux noticed a tendon injury. Azeri’s season ended, de Seroux rec-ommended retirement – and lost her horse. Owner Michael Paulson sent Azeri to Wayne Lukas, who en-gineered another championship campaign in 2004.

De Seroux holds no grudges, and would make the same decision were she a trainer today. Now 58, she closed her racing operation in 2007 when the numbers and the success couldn’t keep pace with the work. The Rancho Santa Fe resident rides horses – hunters and jumpers – every day and assists her husband Emmanu-el with his bloodstock business.

“I didn’t take out my trainer’s license until 1999 and I didn’t intend to train the rest of my life when I did,” she said. “When I walked away, it was time. I don’t have to feel bad every day now. Something goes wrong every day as a trainer. It’s not for the weak of heart.”

De Seroux did not make the trip to Saratoga for Az-eri’s induction, though she asked about the broadcast schedule on HRTV and expects to watch. If she were here, she’d be smiling.

“I’d dwell on the good. I’m proud of her,” de Se-roux said. “Azeri was an amazing part of my life. I’ve got no anger or resentment, no sour grapes.”

Just Azeri and Zenyatta.

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Ralph Nicks thought about the question. Almost said something. Then stopped.

“Let me work a couple of babies first,” Nicks said. The question was The Special’s annual stumper,

“Name your one winner.”Nicks worked the babies – we never asked again

– but be sure he would have volunteered Valiant Pas-sion, the $63 horse he unveiled yesterday to win the second by a cool 9 1/4 lengths. He also would have mentioned Button Girl, his other first-time starter who won here August 9; she only paid $15.60.

Here’s what you should know about Valiant Pas-sion; he liked her, he did not bet her, he owns half of her (that’s a big enough bet) and she’s for sale.

After filling orders for their clients, Nicks and bloodstock agent Barry Berkelhammer decided to buy something for themselves at Keeneland September last fall. They ran along with a few, passed on a few and finally Nicks saw a bay daughter of Lion Heart in the back ring. He called Berkelhammer, they followed her to the top ring, asked Four Star Sales about her vet-ting, scanned the page and Berkelhammer put his hand up for the final time at $11,000.

Hip 2636, Book 4. “We looked at each other and said, ‘Are we missing

something here?’ ” Nicks said. “What can we get for her now?”

Broken at Berkelhammer’s AbraCadabra Farm in

Nicks’ Timeby Sean Clancy

cupofcoffeeOcala, the filly learned her lessons and came to Nicks’ Churchill Downs barn this spring without missing a beat. Nicks nearly had her ready to run at Churchill’s spring meet, then decided to wait until Saratoga.

“Barry called me from the farm and said she was out-training everybody,” Nicks said. “She’s so laid back, I worked her a time or two at Churchill and said, ‘What an engine she’s got.’ ”

At Saratoga, she didn’t even get a stall. Nicks bed her down in the pony stall, on the back of his barn, facing neighbor John Terranova. What could he do? He couldn’t put a client’s horse in the pony stall.

She’s fine with it. Facing seven other first-time starters including the

hyped Inflation Hedge, Come A Callin and Town Flirt, Valiant Passion toyed with her rivals, taking dirt under Julien Leparoux (who replaced the injured Robby Al-barado), she rated and then sprang through a hole at the top of the stretch and cruised home.

For anybody, this was a coup of a lifetime. Buy a cheap horse and get the money at Saratoga. For Nicks, 43, this was business.

Son of a trainer, longtime assistant for Hall of Famer Bill Mott, Nicks knows this stuff doesn’t happen often.

“People dream about winning a race at Saratoga, to get it done under these circumstances, it’s a pretty special feeling,” Nicks said while fielding inquiries to sell. “I get some nice horses, but I don’t get the number of nice horses. I have five babies up here, We’ve won with two of them already. I have a total of 11 for the year.”

Mott, Pletcher, Zito and other proven veterans get the numbers. Upstarts Brown and Benzel have fol-lowed the lights, collecting high-profile owners and plenty of horses. Nicks, he plies his trade, quietly, try-

ing to see all his horses, trying to train all his horses. He’s not slick. He split his string this summer, with 19 here and 11 at Churchill Downs. He’s not completely comfortable with that scenario. He likes to go back at night and see his horses, see how they’re doing when the sizzle comes off the steak. He and Mott used to do this. That’s when you really see how they’re doing.

“I don’t want to be a 200-horse guy, I want to be the 40-50 kind,” Nicks said. “I like training horses. I like seeing my horses every day. I don’t like having 19 here and 11 at Churchill. I have good people there, but it’s not the same as walking down your barn after feed time or coming in at 7 in the evening when there isn’t anybody around and getting to read the animal. Al-len Jerkens enjoys going to the barn when everybody’s gone. Bill Mott, same thing. We’d sit around there at 7 o’clock and look at them, that’s what we’re here for.”

Nicks worked for Mott for 13 years, working with champions Cigar, Fraise, Escena, Ajina. His favorite was Turf Champion Paradise Creek.

Nicks plans on keeping 16 to 19 horses for the fall circuit in New York for the first time, then will go to Fair Grounds for the winter and come back to New York for the spring season. It’s a big move. He knows he needs to be in New York.

“I want to make the New York transition,” Nicks said. “I think there’s more opportunity for the good horses up here, I worked for Bill for 13 years and was around as good a horses as there’s ever been. I just want some of them.”

Nicks continued to field calls and texts about Val-iant Passion. Nestled in the front row of the clubhouse box seats, he toasted his Saratoga score with his wife Tracy and friend Tommy Drury.

The champagne never tasted so good.


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Documents

Saratoga’s Daily Newspaper on Thoroughbred Racing Hall of ... · 13-08-2010 · Trainer Carl Domino about The Special’s kids who slept in Thursday morning “Where are all the