Happy Saturday. We are back with another Saturday Special. Notice a trend? We’re loosening up, warming up, gearing up for spring, steeplechase season, The Belmont Special and of course, our flagship, The Saratoga Special. It’s racing season. And writing season.
Sean ventures to Cheltenham for the first time since 2020. Check out his daily reports here next week. Tom is busy cramming for the Oscars. And Joe … is the empty nester back from Key West?
Worth Repeating
“It means I’m the oldest man that ever won the Honeybee. You’ve got to always remember that this game is a game of experience. There’s no how-to books. You can go to the library and pull all the books ever written on racing and none of them will tell you how to train. Some of them tried. I’ve read some of it and thought, ‘Oh my God.’ Talk about misleading somebody. I think if I was an owner, I would probably get somebody that had experience. I think the experience factor is huge.”
Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas after upsetting the Honeybee at Oaklawn Park
“I personally feel like she’s better now than she’s ever been. As far as a crossroad race, yeah, there’s going to be a big decision that’s made after this race, in terms of what we do next with her. The idea when we came down here was to see if we aimed for the Apple Blossom or the Madison at Keeneland. So, it’s all going to be dictated by how she runs this weekend.”
Trainer Norm Casse about Azeri runner Hot And Sultry
“There won’t be any prisoners taken on Saturday, as he is up in grade, and they don’t hang about. A lot of the opposition have been running over 6 furlongs, so it will be interesting to see what happens.”
Trainer Geoffrey Oldroyd about Wulferina Stakes contender Doctor Khan Junior at Wolverhampton Saturday
“A party where a race breaks out.”
The theme of the Boilermaker Road Race. Come on runners, let’s head to Utica Sunday, July 14.
“I’m a 3-point favorite.”
The Special’s John Shapazian, when told this week’s handicapping challenge focused on the Tampa Bay Derby card in his wintertime backyard (see his picks below)
By the Numbers
4: Days until the first Saratoga tickets go on sale. At 10 a.m. Wednesday morning, full-space group hospitality reservations will be available to the sport’s greatest meet. The 1863 Club, Paddock Suite, Surfside Party Deck at The Post, Stella Artois Spa Verandas, Mionetto Easy Goer, Big Red Spring and Festival Tent.
800,000. Dollar prize to the winner of the 25th National Horseplayers Championship. It starts March 15.
13: Returning champions to the NHC.
4,998: Career wins for jockey Scott Speith (he had one booked ride Friday).
999: Career wins for trainer John McCaslin. His next starter is slated for March 11.
Names of the Day
Saratoga Steve. Ayr. Race 7. Yup, a horse named Saratoga Steve running in Scotland. Come on, someone must know the story here. First one to tell us about Saratoga Steve gets a free Reader’s Club membership to The Saratoga Special. Two memberships if it’s Steve with his own story.
Step Out. Ayr. Race 7. The 5-year-old is by Walk In The Park.
Friday I’m In Love. Aqueduct. Race 3. Classic. The New Yor-bred is by Weekend Hideaway out of Saturday Bliss.
Sunblock. Wolverhampton. Race 8. The 3-year-old filly is by Too Darn Hot.
Eccentric. Wolverhampton Race 8. The 3-year-old gelding is by Dandy Man.
Hunt Ball. Gulfstream Park. Race 11. We liked this one last summer. The Godolphin homebred is by Into Mischief out of Dance Card.
Spot Plays of the Day
Sandown. Race 1. 8:15 a.m. Tip your glass to The Special if Spiced Rum wins the opener. She’ll be a big price.
Chelmsford City. Race 2. 1:00 p.m. Hissyaan could improve in the stretch to 10 furlongs. Hook him up with Endosser and Superfluidity in a three-way-USA triple.
Buzz for Walk On
The forthcoming book Walk On by Stephen Panus, president of The Jockey Club’s TJC Media Ventures Inc., is generating some serious buzz and was recently selected by ABC TV’s “Good Morning America” for its highly popular and selective Book Club. The book will be featured on the April 20 show as the Buzz Pick. Walk On officially releases April 16.
Not only that, but Kirkus Book Reviews, considered the “most trusted, authoritative and influential voice in the publishing world,” raves about Walk On proclaiming it to be “a raw, moving memoir that deftly explores grief and hope in equal measure. …It is Panus’ unique and sometimes poetic turns of phrase, however, that truly bring Jake’s story to life. … The author’s acknowledgment that grief is an ‘unwelcome topic in our society’ makes his willingness to tackle it head-on even more admirable.”
For more information check out Panus’ website and order a copy of the book here.
Oscar Night Preview
Watch all the nominated films for Best Picture before the Oscars. The tradition started in 2009, the same year the number of nominees jumped from about five a year to 10. There haven’t always been 10 since, but close and the 2023 group comes in at that number and I’ve seen them all.
Truth be told there were plenty of years when watching them all became impossible, either because they weren’t still playing in theaters or – aghast – not available on a streaming service. Imagine that.
Through the years the winners all made sense – The Hurt Locker, The King’s Speech, The Artist, Argo, 12 Years a Slave, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), Spotlight, Moonlight, The Shape of Water, Green Book, Parasite, Nomadland, CODA and Everything Everywhere All at Once. Some I agreed with, some not so much, but at least they made sense. They were worth of being called the best.
How about this year? The 2023 Best Picture nominees range from A to Z – American Fiction to The Zone of Interest. There’s a Barbie in there, along with a Maestro and an Oppenheimer. Life and death with Anatomy of a Fall, Killers of the Flower Moon and Past Lives. And don’t forget The Holdovers and Poor Things.
So how do they stack up? Oppenheimer should (will) win, and Cillian Murphy will surely pick up the prize for best actor in the process. He’s almost as good as Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer as he is Tommy Shelby in Peaky Blinders. Almost.
As for the rest of the films, here’s my ranking for 2023’s Best Picture nominees:
- Oppenheimer
- American Fiction
- The Holdovers
- Barbie
- Past Lives
- Killers of the Flower Moon
- Anatomy of a Fall
- The Zone of Interest
- Maestro
- Poor Things
Just one amateur film critic’s opinion. Enjoy the Oscars. – Tom Law
Handicapper’s Corner
The Saratoga Special handicapping team returns after a spotty performance last week with eyes on making amends at Tampa Bay Downs for the stacked Tampa Bay Derby card. Hats off to the racing office down there for pulling together a strong lineup.
John Shapazian (6/26):
1-Calisue, Seiver, Ligeia.
2-Practical Way, Geaux Yoska, Hercules.
3-Mr Bolt, D Flash, Mellifluous.
4-Camera, Very Practical, Qualificata.
5-Alimara, Mayfly, Twisted Romance.
6-Skippylongstocking, Sherlock’s Jewel, Dash Attach.
7-Move To Gold, In A Jam, Full Nelson.
8-Easy Come Easy Go, Poiema, Hihellohowareyou.
9-Market Segmentation, Elusive Princess, Star Fortress.
10-Dynamic Pricing, Style Points, Waskesiu.
11-No More Time, Sturdy, Heartened.
12-Notinamillionyears, Startup Mentality, Where’s Emma.
Tom Law (3/26):
1-Seiver, Legeia, Calisue.
2-Practical Way, Unflappable Max, Khozando.
3-D Flash, Mr Bolt, Mellifluous.
4-Camera, Very Practical, Wine Pairing.
5-Novara, Active, Alimara.
6-Dynamic One, Skippylongstocking, Dash Attack.
7-Move To Gold, In A Jam, Tok Tok.
8-Cheetara, Dream Concert, Sterling Silver.
9-Star Fortress, Fluffy Socks, Marketsegmentation.
10-Style Points, Weigh The Risks, Witwatersrand.
11-Domestic Product, No More Time, Sturdy.
12-Notinamillionyears, Startup Mentality, Evita.
Charles Bedard (4/26):
1-Seiver, Calisue, Peace Fire.
2-Geaux Yoshka, Practical Way, Khozando.
3-Mr Bolt, Mellifluous, Tear It Up.
4-Qualificata, Camera, Very Practical.
5-Alimara, Active, Mayfly.
6-Skippylongstocking, Sherlock’s Jewel, Dash Attack.
7-Fulmineo, Move To Gold, Tok Tok.
8-Sterling Silver, Dream Concert, Lady Radler.
9-Fluffy Socks, Elusive Princess, Sparkle Blue.
10-Style Points, Dynamic Pricing, Pharaoh’s Wine.
11-Heartened, Domestic Product, No More Time.
12-Startup Mentality, Notinamillionyears, Sirius Light.
Rob Whitlock (2/14):
1-Sevier, Peace Fire, Dream Tap.
2-Practical Way, Hercules, Old Town Road.
3-Snowname, I’ll Sciciliano, Rubys Big Red.
4-Change The Play, Qualificata, Fluffy.
5-Alimara, Mayfly, Stage Right.
6-Dynamic One, Skippylongstocking, Dash Attack.
7-Tok Tok, In A Jam, Move To Gold.
8-Night Cap, Dreaming Of Snow, Cheetara.
9-Star Fortress, Fluffy Socks, Sparkle Blue.
10-Poolside With Slim, Style Points, Waskesiu.
11-Sturdy, Domestic Product, Heartened.
12-Startup Mentality, Where’s Emma, Apropos.
Jessica Paquette (7/26):
1-Seiver, Pretty Flattering, Dream Trap.
2-Hercules, Practical Way, Khozando.
3-Mellifluous, Mr Bolt, D Flash.
4-Qualificata, Very Practical, Camera.
5-Mayfly, Novara, Active.
6-Sherlock’s Jewel, Dynamic One, Dash Attack.
7-Tok Tok, Fulmineo, In A Jam.
8-Cheetara, Dream Concert, Sterling Silver.
9-Sparkle Blue, Fluffy Socks, Star Fortress.
10-Austere, Waskesuiu, Style Points.
11-Good Money, Heartened, No More Time.
12-Where’s Emma, Evita, Startup Mentality.
Jockey of the Week: Frankie Dettori
From the Jockeys’ Guild
There are very few high-profile races legendary superstar jockey Frankie Dettori has not won around the world. The short list became even shorter on Sunday when Dettori won the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap. The win capped a special day when Dettori also won the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes. The panel of racing experts voted Dettori Jockey of the Week for February 26 through March 3.
The weekly award recognizes jockeys for riding accomplishments and who are members of the Jockeys’ Guild, the organization which represents more than 1050 active, retired and permanently disabled jockeys in the United States.
Riding for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, Dettori was aboard Imagination for the first time in the San Felipe. Off as the favorite in the scratched down field of four, the quartet raced together going into the first turn when Scatify, racing on the rail, came out and bumped Imagination. Dettori took Imagination wide pressing the leader Wine Me Up turning up the backside. The two stablemates then raced in tandem from the three-eighths pole to the wire with Imagination prevailing by a head.
“My horse got frightened, and I took him back to get him wide to get him to relax and get him back into the race,” Dettori said. “He fought a great duel. He was full of heart.”
Dettori reversed his decision to retire at the end of 2023 to ride at Santa Anita this winter and had a long-held wish to win the Santa Anita Handicap. He first saw the Big ‘Cap as a teenager in the late 1980s when he exercised horses and rode sparingly in Southern California, long before his ascent to international fame.
The wish came true courtesy of Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert and the mount aboard Newgate.
Off as the second favorite in the field of seven, Newgate raced in fifth with longshot Subsanador in the lead around the clubhouse turn. Approaching the quarter pole, Newgate collared stablemate Reincarnate and gradually wore down Subsanador to win by a head.
“I thought I would get to the line OK and in fairness Subsanador gave me a good fight,” Dettori said. The last 20 yards we got out in front, and I couldn’t believe it. I could not believe I had done it. …I rode in the Big Cap for the first time last year and it was a dream. And to win it, I couldn’t ask for anything more. It is a big feather in my cap, they don’t get bigger than the Santa Anita Big ‘Cap.”
Other nominees for Jockey of the Week were Adam Beschizza, who won the most races for the week with eight, Irad Ortiz Jr. with two graded stakes wins at Gulfstream Park, Joel Rosario, who won the Grade 3 Gotham, and Luis Saez, who won the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth.
Reads of the Week
Racing lost another colorful character – a piece of the quilt if you will – with the passing of announcer Larry Lederman last week. Widely known in Standardbred circles, he certainly made an imprint on Thoroughbred racing. Check out this piece on Let’s Go Racing Parx by Dick Jerardi, who goes into the Hall of Fame’s Joe Hirsch Media Roll of Honor later this year.
Did you catch Rusty Arnold’s open letter? Check it out here on the National HBPA website.
Stable Tour Flashbacks
We missed last week – writers/editors error – but we’re back with a couple classics from an all-timer on horses who run Saturday.
Bill Mott on Mellifluous: The unraced Coal Front 2-year-old colt came in from the farm with Bendoog a day earlier and no matter how you say it he’ll get a chance. “His name is Mellif . . . Mellifil . . . M-e-l-l-i-f . . . Mellif-louis . . . Mellif-il-us. He’s a 2-year-old, we’ll get him going some more and see.”
Mott on Hunt Ball: Godolphin’s 2-year-old colt, a half-brother to millionaire Cody’s Wish, snoozed while standing along the side wall. Mott opened the screen and had a look at the son of Into Mischief, second in his debut here Aug. 19. “He’s actually starting to put some weight on now. He was awfully light before, but he’s filling out now. You want to be a racehorse? Huh? Big boots to fill. The way he ran, I think he’s going to be OK. He broke, he was last, he made his way up through horses. He got there and then he couldn’t catch the leader. That was a good race.”
As for the races…
Auteuil. Race 3. 7:23. Blinkers come off Fortunes Melody for the listed hurdle. Zarakhan looms large.
Auteuil. Race 3. 7:58. Kaadam seeks his fourth straight win in the Grade 3 Duc D’anjou Chase.
Sandown. Race 1. 8:15. Sandown offers another strong card on its annual pre-Cheltenham Saturday spot. Juvenile hurdlers ring the bell in the opener.
Sandown. Race 2. 8:50. Our favorite race. The EBF Final. Hasthing looks like a good thing.
Sandown. Race 3. 9:25. Bonus hunting. The Imperial Cup entices 16 contenders for its £100,000 hurdle handicap prize.
Wolverhampton. Race 1. 9:40. With a bit of a lull in jump action, the all-weather will do. The Wulferina Stakes kicks off the action.
Wolverhampton. Race 2. 10:15. The gallant Sir Busker returns to action. The 8-year-old seeks to build on his $667,101 bankroll in the Lincoln Trial Handicap.
Gowran Park. Race 5. 11:30. With Cheltenham on the horizon, Paul Townend takes one ride on Aime Desjy in the Holden Fleet Management Beginners Chase.
Tampa Bay Downs. Race 6. 2:27 p.m. The $100,000 Michelob Ultra Challenger leads off the stakes. Skippylongstocking and Dynamic One exit the Pegasus World Cup and stand out in field of six.
Tampa. Race 7. 3:04. Move To Gold, winner of the Awad last fall at Aqueduct, looks tough in the $75,000 Columbia for 3-year-olds on the grass.
Gulfstream Park. Race 9. 4:06. Big Invasion, just beaten in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint and a three-time winner on the course, returns for 2024 debut in $100,000 Silks Run Stakes going 5 furlongs on the turf.
Tampa. Race 9. 4:12. Chad Brown comes loaded – per usual – with Fluffy Socks and Marketsegmentation in the Grade 2 Hillsborough. No layup as he seeks third straight win in turf stakes and seventh overall with Star Fortress, Elusive Princess and Aspen Grove in the field.
Gulfstream. Race 10. 4:36. Spirit Wind and Olivia Darling, 1-3 last time out in the Grade 3 Sugar Swirl, meet again the Grade 3 Hurricane Bertie.
Tampa. Race 10. 4:45. The Grade 3 Florida Oaks. Don’t call it a prep for the Kentucky Oaks though, since it’s on the grass.
Fair Grounds. Race 7. 4:45. More Than Looks, sixth after a troubled trip in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, makes his 2024 debut in 1-mile allowance-optional on the grass.
Aqueduct. Race 8. 4:58. Kant Hurry Love shortens back to more preferred 6-furlong trip for the $100,000 Correction Stakes and meets familiar foe in multiple stakes winner Hot Fudge.
Santa Anita Park. Race 4. 5:00. Game of Thrones fans will be all over Winterfell, first-time starter by Arrogate for Bob Baffert here in 6 1/2-furlong maiden. Baffert also runs Juddmonte firster Canada Gate.
Tampa. Race 11. 5:18. The headlining Grade 3 Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby carries the torch for the next two weeks as the only Kentucky Derby points race. There’s 50 to the winner, all but an automatic bid, along with a $400,000 purse. Domestic Product, second in the Grade 3 Holy Bull last time; and Grade 3 Sam F. Davis Stakes winner No More Time top the field of 10.
Fair Grounds. Race 9. 5:45. Pink Polkadots, the winner of back-to-back starts to open her career, draws outside but still looks tough in field of 10 for the $100,000 Allen “Black Cat” Lacombe Memorial.
Oaklawn Park. Race 9. 5:55. Last-out stakes winners Comparative, Saddle Up Jessie and Bellamore headling the Grade 2, $400,000 Azeri.
Santa Anita. Race 6. 6:00. New York-bred Carpe Diem filly Kinza looks to make it 3-for-3 in the Grade 3 Santa Ysabel.
Santa Anita. Race 7. 6:30. Another New York-bred, multiple stakes winner Dancing Buck, looks like in the Grade 3 San Simeon going 6 1/2 furlongs down the hill on the grass.
Santa Anita. Race 8. 7:00. The Beholder Mile flies the flag as the lone Grade 1 in the U.S. this weekend. Adare Manor makes her return against Desert Dawn and Coffee In Bed, 1-2 in the Grade 3 La Canada in late January; and East Coast shippers Interstatedaydream and Green Up, along with potential major players Sweet Azteca and Kirstenbosch.
Turfway Park. Race 7. 8:55. Field of eight for the$125,000 Big Daddy. Bill Morey sends out the strong duo of Shefflin and Night Time, while John Terranova ships Our Shot south from New York for 6-furlong stakes.
