Free: Brickyard Ride had quarter crack in Triple Bend
Some horses run too poorly to believe, others run too good to lose. It happened in the same sprint stakes last week at Santa Anita and are the lead items in the first handicapping notebook of June . . .
Brickyard Ride had excuse
Surely there had to be a reason Brickyard Ride quit early in the Grade 2 Triple Bend Stakes on Sunday at Santa Anita. The 3-10 favorite after winning four successive stakes, Brickyard Ride caved at the quarter pole and finished fifth under Juan Hernandez. It turns out he had an alibi – an irritating quarter crack in a hind foot.
“He came out of the race with a foot bothering him,” trainer Craig Lewis said. “Juan said he didn’t push off like he usually does, and we’re assuming that’s the reason. He just didn’t run his race.”
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It was not his first quarter crack, just the first to affect performance. Brickyard Ride had a quarter crack in a front foot early this year.
“Once we got it patched it stayed good, cold, and never affected him,” Lewis said. “This one did affect him. He just wasn’t himself.”
Brickyard Ride was to ship Wednesday to San Luis Rey Downs for hyperbaric treatment. After 10 days, he will return to Santa Anita and resume training. He can still make a July 30 target race at Del Mar – the six-furlong Grade 1 Bing Crosby or Grade 2 San Diego at two turns. Lewis and owner-breeder Sonny Pais will not allow the one misfire to detract from an outstanding meet in which Brickyard Ride won 4 of 5.
“We had a bad day, but he gave us some good days,” Lewis said. “He’ll live to fight again.”
Principe Carlo drops split decision
Trainer Librado Boracio could have chosen an easier spot for sprinter Principe Carlo, such as last Saturday’s Thor’s Echo against California-breds. Instead, Boracio chose the Triple Bend against Brickyard Ride. Why the tougher spot?
“He’s Frazier, I’m Ali. Let’s go,” Boracio said, laughing.
The trainer was in good spirits even after Principe Carlo lost the Triple Bend by a nose to American Theorem. Boracio instructed jockey Kyle Frey to go after Brickyard Ride early.
“If we’re going to win, let’s use our best asset,” Boracio said. Principe Carlo “wants to look them in the eye.”
He sizzled a half-mile in 44.09 seconds, put away Brickyard Ride, but got worn down. As sometimes happens, the runner-up ran better than the Triple Bend winner. Here’s hoping American Theorem and Principe Carlo meet again this summer at Del Mar.
Give Frey assist in Shoemaker
Frey rode longshot front-runner Dance Some Mo to a last-place finish Monday in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile, but mission accomplished. Frey hustled Dance Some Mo from the gate, seemingly intent on making the lead and taking the starch out of odds-on pace-presser Smooth Like Strait to set it up for Count Again, for the same owner and trainer as Dance Some Mo. Smooth Like Strait pressed the hot pace set by the longshot and sizzled six furlongs in 1:09.02. Too fast. Late-runner Count Again ran past to win in 1:32.40 with a 108 Beyer Speed Figure, highest turf-mile fig since Got Stormy’s 109 at Saratoga in summer 2019. Good for Count Again and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., nice assist by Dance Some Mo and Frey.
Class jump for the win
The Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup on Monday at Santa Anita was the latest reminder that in the California handicap division “class” is not a prerequisite to win. Gold Cup winner There Goes Harvard, moving up from a modest win in a second-level allowance and running in his first graded stakes, paid $19.60. It happened before in Santa Anita Grade 1 races. Last-out N2X winners who won the Santa Anita Handicap next out include $31.60 Game On Dude in 2011 and $34.60 Melatonin in 2016.
Patience pays off for Hernandez
Waiting is the hardest part. But patience is an essential quality of a top rider, along with strength, pace awareness, and skill to negotiate clean trips. Juan Hernandez rode odds-on front-runner Alice Marble a mile on turf Saturday at Santa Anita in the Fran’s Valentine Stakes. Bad luck.
“I missed the break,” Hernandez said. “After that, I had to change plans. I decided to wait. Then I had to wait a little longer. I just had to wait, get lucky, and find some room.”
It looked grim turning for home. Alice Marble was buried, five lengths behind.
“But the race wasn’t over,” Hernandez said. “And I knew I had a lot of horse.”
He stayed cool, found a seam, Alice Marble exploded and won. No worries.
Don’t quit your day job
One of the 4,595 winning tickets in the mandatory-payout pick six Monday at Santa Anita was purchased by a powerful (cue laughter) press box betting syndicate. Total cost of the group wager was $210.60 – two tickets that cost $81 and $129.60. While some syndicate members contemplated early retirement pegged to a pick six score, the dream was modified when the 20-cent wager paid just $899.60.
Five winners started at 5-2 or less, and the highest-odds winner was 5.10-1. Overall, bettors poured $4.5 million into the pick six, which began with a jackpot of $588,485. All said and done, “effective” takeout was about 10 percent. So yes, the pick six is still worth betting on mandatory payouts.
Bye Neverland, hello real life
How many lengths will We the People regress in the Belmont Stakes? When he won the Peter Pan on a wet track, he earned a 103 Beyer, highest by a probable Belmont starter. But history suggests he will regress.
Since 2000, nine Peter Pan winners ran back in the Belmont. All nine declined on figures, including 2014 Belmont winner Tonalist, whose fig dropped four points. During that period, all Peter Pan starters in the Belmont are 2 for 29 (winners Tonalist and 2009 Peter Pan runner-up Sir Winston). For what it’s worth, the lowest Belmont price for a Peter Pan winner the past two decades was Charitable Man, 4.60-1 as the fourth-place finisher in 2009. We the People figures in that odds range.
Fearless prediction
Anyone can hit an exacta on race day. But what is the chance of accurately predicting an exacta a week out, even before the post-positon draw? Based on past performances of the nominees for the Grade 1 Just a Game Stakes on June 11 at Belmont Park, trainer Chad Brown should finish one-two in the filly and mare turf mile.
His nominees include multiple Grade 1 winner Regal Glory and Grade 2 winner Speak of the Devil, smashing winner of her U.S. debut. If both start, Regal Glory and Speak of the Devil should complete the $1 exacta. Early payoff estimate: $4. Jackpot! Just remember, you read it here first.
You can depend on Brown chalk
Speaking of Brown, a tweet last week by handicapper David Aragona touched on a noteworthy stat regarding Brown-trained favorites at Belmont Park this meet. Going into the Thursday card, Brown was 19 for 27 with chalk, a 70 percent win rate and flat-bet profit ($2.95 per $2 win bet). Brown starters Friday at Belmont include likely allowance favorite Highly Respected in race 7 and two-time runner-up Growth Capital in race 9.
This cheater didn’t prosper
News out of Ontario, Canada, was harsh – trainer Robert Gerl was suspended 20 years by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario for multiple medication violations according to a story by Daily Racing Form reporter Ron Gierkink. It’s a stiff penalty. Gerl starters reportedly tested positive for ostarine, a non-therapeutic substance that produces rapid muscle growth. The strange part of the saga is the trainer’s record. From autumn 2019 until his most recent starter in late 2021, Gerl lost 56 consecutive races and had a 5 percent win rate over the past 15 years. Not the type statistics one typically associates with someone charged with bending rules.
Having top rider never hurts
This week’s top quote was from a California horseman regarding the importance of riders. “If I have the best horse, I don’t need the best jockey,” he said.
It might make sense. On the other hand, if you have the best horse, why not go ahead and employ the best jockey to eliminate the possibility that jockey will somehow find a way to beat you?
Haughty, for good reason
Not that 4-5 is a bargain, but considering the company line of comeback filly Haughty, perhaps it is not the right move to go against the favorite in the $150,000 Penn Oaks on Friday at Penn National. In her last start, Haughty finished third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, a race that turned out amazingly productive – eight of 12 fillies that ran back subsequently won stakes.
Miller back in business
Peter Miller is back training after six months. To clarify plans – Miller will not start horses at the current Santa Anita meet, but he plans to run this fall at Santa Anita.