Media Chemistry: Picking a Horse, Not a Guy

Get a group of horseplayers together and ask 'em who they like and it's going to sound a lot like this:

Racing is a sport built on debate - do you see a toteboard in the middle of Lambeau Field? No. That's because racing (unlike football) depends on 2 things: horses running in circles and folks betting on them. Here is where I'll take the British style of bookmaking over the American style of wagering any day - across the pond, you can wager on not only which number will win today but if the Sea The Stars x Zarkava baby will win the 2014 Arc de Triomphe.

I've got a new bet to add to their lineup: the odds of a singularly unanimous response to "what was the most interesting moment" from the same group of guys as above after a Breeders' Cup weekend like we had at Santa Anita. The odds would probably be the same as that blue blooded 2014 Arc winner is on Ladbrokes right now: 100/1.

But that was exactly the ticket that cashed on Saturday night. In my very unofficial FocusedFilly polling of the media going into the race, I heard about 60/40 in favor of Zenyatta not getting the Breeders' Cup Classic win (or, as track announcer Larry Colmus told me afterwards: we all wanted her to, but no one in the industry really thought she could pull it off). Yet, post-race polling showed that the stand-out moment for every single member of the media was not Vale of York in the Juvenile or even the repeat wins of Goldikova and Conduit (shocking, I know).

One hundred percent of folks had a singular answer to the singular moment question and it was: Zenyatta. This from members of the media who can't agree whether the free hotel ravioli is filled with ricotta or sausage. Not that we needed any more confirmation that what the superfreaky supermare did was extraordinary, but I think her ability to unify a very vociferous press corps makes her eligible for the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize.

Speaking of prizes, the wonderful double edged sword of Saturday's victory is that it now forces a two month blitz from the Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra camps on just who gets to be Horse of the Year (I'm expecting something on par with the Obama/McCain presidential campaigns minus the shock of adding an Alaskan to the ticket - though they did have a (yes, 1) Thoroughbred stallion a few years back).

Of the 111 previous Horses of the Year, fewer than 10 have been female. So, for the first time in history, we're in for the treat of seeing 2 fillies do battle on the ballots used by the National Turf Writers to determine the ultimate end of the year honor.

A cross country battle royale is all but a given when you consider where these two have campaigned: Zenyatta left Southern California just once this year (to train at Churchill Downs for a month), while Rachel Alexandra has been on 7 tracks in 8 states (none west of the Mississippi).

On Saturday night over cocktails at the media hotel, much of the buzz echoed Zenyatta's owner Jerry Moss' sentiment that she deserves it because she "beat everyone who showed up" (ie: not Rachel). It seemed the tide was turning against months-old beliefs that Rachel sewed up the honor when she bested boys for the second time in the Haskell.

Of the hundreds of conversation snippets overheard, it was amazing to hear just how many votes had seemingly already been cast - before the end of the season, before the Breeders Cup, before the ballots were even printed. Bob Fortus of the New Orleans Times-Picayune was the lone voice of dissent: when asked by a New York writer whether the weekend had changed his mind, he said not in the least, and the reason - when pressed - "I had never let myself make up my mind before getting to today. That's the point of voting at the end of the season."

I don't pretend to know which mare will end up Horse of the Year - they both deserve it and we should have the first ever joint title if it were up to me. But I do know that racing - and its media especially - has a very short memory. And why not? It is a sport about opinions and debate and two minutes after one race is decided, we all turn the page and go at it again (eight-plus times a day). This does not bode well for Rachel Alexandra.

The great thing is that a healthy debate - much like the content of the presidential campaign trails wind up as governmental policy - can only improve the game and raise its profile. It also means that the records and run lines of these great mares will be scrutinized every which way from the Saturdays and Sundays on which they ran and every step of those big races will count twice as much as they did when the gates broke open, the wires were crossed, and the flashbulbs went off.

As lyricist Fred Ebb once explained about the appeal of the song Adelaide's Lament in Guys and Dolls: "Every line in it is worth something. It means something - has impact. It has vitality. It has humor and charm and appropriateness. And I don't know how you can get much better than that."

With the year racing's had and the Horse of the Year ballot we're expecting, I truly don't know how it does get any better.

btw, if you don't get the title of tonight's blog or just saw the video clip for the first time (or really just in general), you must rent the movie - it's truly one of the greats

Classic Day: Truly A Zen Moment

For the 4th time this year, I get to write a blog about a filly beating the boys impressively in a major stake. But, for the 1st time this year, this is not a story about Rachel Alexandra.

The list of racing's greatest mares includes the likes of Personal Ensign, Ruffian, Paseana, Regret, Lady's Secret, and Winning Colors. And there's no doubt that Rachel's name gets to be added to that list - but not before you see Zenyatta there.

The mare whose gritty style will have your heart in your throat until the wire's shadow has past.

The mare whose every win came with a pre-race dance and ears pricked at the wire.

The mare whose jockey says he still doesn't know how many gears she has.

The mare whose Beyer figures and Sheets numbers never scared you enough to toss her but never had you rushing to the windows.

Zenyatta: the mare who retires a perfect 14-for-14 lifetime.

On a Breeders' Cup weekend that saw 3 returning champs get beat, we also had 3 win (taking liberty that Zenyatta won last year, just in the other Classic). Yesterday was a day for multi-named winners: Life Is Sweet, Man of Iron, Informed Decision, etc. Today, on the other hand, was one for the single named: Zenyatta, Conduit, Goldikova, and Pounced.

It wasn't without controversy - we had the only official jockey objection and steward's inquiry in the Dirt Mile (kudos to Manny Cruz for trying to get the extra purse money for a fading horse who was barely bumped: that may be ok at Calder, but this is the big leagues baby).

Today also wasn't without giant prices. Yesterday's longest shot was $21.60 (Tapitsfly in the Juvenile Filly Turf) ... today had 3 over $40, topped by $63.20 (Vale of York in the Juvenile).

Speaking of Vale of York, yes, you can already pencil him in to the Kentucky Derby starting gate for next year. Don't believe me? When asked about how the horse performed today, Godolphin racing manager Simon Crisford's response was basically "we'll see how it goes next first Saturday in May on the Churchill Downs dirt."

And Churchill Downs' John Asher has admitted to already adding to the bio book for next year's Derby - and for a great reason: Vale of York's rider is a Dubaian apprentice jockey who literally makes a second living riding camels in the UAE desert and was deported from the UK at some point for what I'm told were "immigration issues". If you're not already, I highly recommend following Ahmed Ajtebi on Facebook - the kid's hysterical.

Among the other racing news, we saw a wonderful career closeout performance by Conduit - the dual Turf winner will soon head off to Japan to start life as a stallion. I find it a truly remarkable circle of racing life that Conduit's stallion, Dalakhani, will now be neighbors at the Aga Khan's Gilltown Stud with Sea The Stars, who just beat Conduit in the Arc in what would turn out to be both of their final performances on European soil.

Then there's Goldikova - your repeat Mile winner. Remember when folks said Rachel was the only 3yo filly to be facing (let alone beating) older males? Yeah, well, US memories are short when it's a Euro we're talking about. Regardless, Goldikova proved she's as gusty and gritty and yet girly as they come - she took on 2 tough (if not stellar) Breeders' Cup Mile fields and did the near impossible: she won. That now makes 4 dual Mile winners, 3 of those consecutive (Miesque and Lure being the other 2).

When asked about what honor Zenyatta should receive given her record and performances this year, jockey Mike Smith said simply and honestly that "she's the Horse of the Decade". There's no doubt that the debates that have already been started will now rage like a true Southern California wildfire about Horse of the Year and other end of year honors - Zenyatta, Rachel Alexandra, Summer Bird, Gio Ponti, Mine That Bird, etc.

I'm not a turf writer and therefore don't have an official vote, but I'm seriously thinking that this weekend be called the Breeders' Cup of the Decade.

Classic Day: Bring On The Dart Board

I'm investing in a dart board. Why? Glad you asked: today is one of those cards where I want to put the Form up on a wall and simply throw darts at it to pick my plays. It's one of the tougher cards I've ever seen and yesterday's shutout of favorites has me a little freaked to single anyone who seems to be a lock.

With that said, here's my stab at what's going to happen...

Juvenile Turf: I personally am not an 11-Interactif fan, so I would totally rather look at Kenny McPeek's charge 7-Bridgetown, but I'm going the Euro route with 4-Pounced because his Sheet numbers put him square in the mix and John Gosden doesn't ship unless he's got talent

Turf Sprint: I want to see a filly sweep on boy's day, so I gotta root for a 9-Diamondrella over 7-Gotta Have Her exacta, but John Sadler thinks his best shot of the weekend is 1-Noble Court and that's lofty enough praise for me

Sprint: we may be in for a broken track record with the ridiculous speed duel that's going to take place here and 1-Zensational doesn't break clean so will probably not be a part of it and wants no part of closing so he's a totally beatable favorite; 5-Gayego is the non-route buzz horse of the week, but my gut says 8-Capt. Candyman Can closes like a freight train and gets the glory

Juvenile: with 13-Lookin At Lucky drawing the far outside Lucky 13 post, this goes one of two ways for me, as I see either 5-D'Funnybone stealing it on the lead (if his record & Sheet numbers hold and he keeps incrementally stepping up, then he's going to be tough to beat); otherwise 9-Aikenite (the only horse I wanted to buy from the sales all season and my biggest buzz horse of the year so far) closes into the pace and gets the win for Dogwood

Mile: the start of the DartBoardPick4 here begins with crushing my big Keeneland play last out 5-Karelian, but it's all 11-Goldikova here (I don't care about the outside post when you have such a freakily talented horse) with 8-Zacinto and 7-Fernely behind her; quick shoutout to the jockey of 9-Gladiatorus, who's Facebook page is truly fun to follow

Dirt Mile: a good friend who's handicapping I trust implicitly says that 1-Mastercraftsman is the bullgoose of the week (strutting around like he owns the joint), so I gotta heart that; and I'm looking for a price underneath from either 4-Bullsbay or 7-Pyro

Turf: 2-Conduit was my play of last year and I still love him, so for the exotics I'm thinking the filly 5-Dar Re Mi completes a Euro exacta and the (banned in the UK because he can't load into a gate) 7-Spanish Moon gives us the imported trifecta

Classic: what a race to end with! I truly believe that 4-Zenyatta gets the win (distance and other horses going with her won't be a factor - she's as bigger freak than Goldikova); 2-Colonel John is as consistent as they come & absolutely loves synthetics/Santa Anita so he's gotta be on the ticket, and I round out insanity with either 8-Einstein (gotta root for the hardest working horse in showbiz - he gives 110% every single time) or 10-Rip Van Winkle (the supposed feet issues don't scare me)

As a sidenote to the Classic, please do not get me started on the ridiculousness of 7-Gio Ponti and 12-Quality Road ... the former is an utter grass horse who could trounce the now 7 horse field in the Turf even though it's not at his preferred distance; the latter should be in the Dirt Mile because - as I've said time and time again - he doesn't want to go too much further than 8 furlongs.

Ladies Day: Who's Your Mama?

A non-TrackRat friend asked me earlier this month why the Breeders' Cup is special. "The Kentucky Derby is like the MLB All Star Game," he said, "everyone's heard of it, even if we don't really understand exactly what it is."

If the Derby is the All Star Game, that makes Breeders' Cup the World Series, right?

I live in New York, so the fact that the Yankees just won their 27th Championship is pretty big news (so big in fact that their celebratory parade preempted even Oprah on local television today). And there isn't really a pinstriped lineup in recent memory that hasn't been listed at some point during the season as a favorite for pennant contention.

But they still have to play 162 games a year. And the same is true in racing: they still have to load the horses into the gate and send 'em round the track. And, last I checked, the teams (and horses) who do it best all year long wind up in the championships. But the Yankees don't always win - and neither do the favored horses.

The working theory on racing favorites is a 33% win rate - not too bad, not too good. Today's Breeder's Cup card probably skews the curve some ... 0 for 6. 0%. As I say to my dog when he asks for table scraps: none, zilch, zip, nada, nanka. That's - umm - disturbing.

Now, that said, the biggest price on the day was only $21.60 for Tapitsfly in the Juvenile Fillies Turf. That means the prices were fairly logical all day long. However, fate (otherwise known as whatever God you pray to when you're half of a photo finish) did pitch a Favorites Shutout today at Breeders' Cup Stadium.

Who got beat? Three returning winners, a slew of international stars, and much of the best fillies (and colts for those who played the Marathon) that America had to offer.

Who won is the better question: if winning today was a pitcher's dream, then homebreds were it's A-Rod. Five of the six horses walking around the winner's circle decked out in a golden blanket of flowers were owned by the same folks who'd paid for their birth to be possible. That's staggering. It's also a statement on where the sport's heading (we live in a world where Overbrook is dispersing all of their horses) - I, for one, wouldn't object to a "old new age" of racing - remember when Juddmonte owned turf racing? It was good business.

And today gave us more than a few glimmers that yesteryear isn't too far gone: the breeding on the new Marathon and Distaff/Ladies Classic winners alone is enough to make me squeal - the former is Man of Iron (half brother to Belmont winners - with an "s" - Rags to Riches and Jazil, and G2 winner Casino Drive); the latter is Life Is Sweet (full sister to 2004 champion juvenile filly Sweet Catomine).

Among the great things about Life Is Sweet getting the victory was how she overpowered what were thought to be much better horses, did it with ease, and established her rightful place outside of Zenyatta's shadow. And it does prove that John Shirreffs was going to win the Distaff/Ladies Classic for a second straight year with whatever it took - Zenyatta, Life Is Sweet, or a claimer if he had to.

See, I always saw Life Is Sweet as the pinch runner on the roster: she earned her spot to play in every game, but never really got the glory of hitting the grand slam. If I say Brett Gardner, you probably would say "who?" He's the guy the Yankees bring in to score crucial runs off base hits late in the game. Gardner's made a name for himself stealing bases and today Life Is Sweet earned her own pinstripes with her version of a clutch hit: but this one came with a $2,000,000 kicker. No RBI needed.

As every coach (and handicapper) must ask: what did we learn from today's game? We saw the track play fair with the rail the strongest route, and 0% favorites with 83% homebreds. If I may move from baseball to football analogies here: as Pete Carroll must've said after last week's Oregon game: this is not what I was expecting.

But, hey, that's Breeders' Cup!

Distaff Day Plays

I'm sorry, I simply cannot call it the Ladies Classic. It's like calling a Kleenex a tissue or saying "search the internet" instead of "Google it". I'm not programmed to such things.

With that tantrum out of the way, here are my plays for Distaff Day:

Marathon: call me a chalk eating weasel but it's 6-Mastery ('nuff said)

Juvenile Filly Turf: if Aidan O'Brien felt she's good enough to get on & school her himself, then 8-Lillie Langtry is a play for me

Juvenile Fillies: Kenny McPeek says she's way better than his talented filly star of last year, so I have to go with 4-Beautician, though I think 10-Negligee could take 'em all down

Filly & Mare Turf: 3-Rutherienne always gets my backing but I think it's 2-Forever Together holding off 6-Midday in the final strides

Filly & Mare Sprint: 2-Sara Louise will totally be there at the end but 9-Ventura repeats and may be a decent price with how evenly matched these gals are

Distaff/Ladies Classic: in the Karma category (trainer Bobby Frankel is ill), 5-Proviso upsets a ridiculously talented field, though 8-Rainbow View makes a serious bid with 7-Music Note close in third ... in a "beat the probable favorite" move: 1-Careless Jewel does have the best sheet numbers & has never been out of the money (5 wins in 6 starts w/ 1 third) but her worst numbers were on the synthetic surfaces that started her career - true she's had time to mature & is probably a different horse than she was back then, but at the price she'll probably be, there's other horses here I'd rather take

Bring on the Ponies!

Welcome to #bc09 or @BreedersCup or simply The Breeders' Cup.

Other than Oaks & Derby Days, you won't find a more difficult set of cards to handicap. While it's true that we're missing some stars, it's just as true that the best horses in the world are in town to throw it down.

Who's going to run away with the Classic like Ghostzapper? Who's going to fly like War Chant in the Mile? Who's going to dead heat like Johar and High Chapparal in the Turf? Who's going to catch who in the final strides of the Ladies Classic (Distaff) like Personal Ensign did to Winning Colors?

I'm not sure if I'll cash a ticket (real or mythical) in any of the now 14 races - I'm a realist - but I do know that we're in for some seriously fantastic racing action.

These are the moments us TrackRats live for.

A Lusterless Classic?

Given that we're about 2 weeks away from Breeders' Cup, nearing the end of the '09 racing season in general, and starting to focus on the 2yo crop that will be next year's stars, I figure that when I log on to DRF.com nowadays, the news will be somewhat happy - who's going to which division, who's standing at stud, and who debuted big.

What I don't like to see is what I got this afternoon:
And we have to add Macho Again after it was announced early Tuesday that a cough (aka The Clark's A Better Fit) will keep the feisty gray from contending this year's Classic.

If you're keeping score, that's 5 horses in 1 afternoon. If we keep at this pace, Zenyatta will have the Breeders' Cup Classic all to herself.

The way I see it, a bruised foot (Rail Trip) and a cough (Macho Again) are totally logical reasons to stay away - a few missed days of training this close to the big event can be the difference maker.

As for the retirement of Sea The Stars last week - for a 3yo to do what he did this season is beyond extraordinary and he absolutely deserves time off. Did that necessitate full blown retirement? Probably not in my book, but John Oxx is without question one of the best horsemen in the world so I find it hard to second guess him.

But - I'm sorry - Gitano Hernando not coming because he's prepping for the Dubai World Cup, Mambo Meister giving up a guaranteed spot due to owner issues, and Lahaleeb being a supplement should not be reasons to steer clear of Santa Anita.

The biggest issue I have is with the Goodwood Stakes winner - Gitano Hernando - sitting out. As I recall, Team Valor purchased him earlier this year for a run at the Belmont Stakes before a fever knocked him out of training for a few weeks. If you were pointing a horse towards the Classic races and he then blasts a talented and full field over the Breeders' Cup Classic surface ... why, then, would you pull him out of contention for a race that's not for another 5 months?!? That just doesn't add up. But what does figure as a more logical "reason" is the supplemental fee it would take for him to be in the starting gate - 9% of the $5 million purse is still a lot of zero's (even if the Classic's history started with supplemental entrant Wild Again).

This would probably be a really good time to mention that - had she not gotten a very well deserved break for the back half of the year - Rachel Alexandra would have contested the Breeders' Cup Classic. When trainer Steve Asmussen and owner Stonestreet Stable chose to bench her, she was looking at a field that included the likes of Summer Bird, Macho Again, Einstein, Sea The Stars, Bullsbay, Rail Trip, Mastercraftsman, Gitano Hernando, Conduit, and Rip Van Winkle. Not to mention Zenyatta should she seek to win her 14th straight start against the boys.

There's always that point in late February when a ton of horses fall of the Kentucky Derby Trail for one reason or another - illness, injury, realization that they just aren't that good. Suddenly the picture you'd had in your head for months about what the probably field will be is demolished. And that moment for me always comes with a twinge of guilt for the game overall because you know you would've seen something magical.

As with any set of athletes, there will always be injuries that knock the best from contention. But to lose 3 big names (Rail Trip, Macho Again, and Gitano Hernando) from just the Classic all in one day is just depressing.

The race will still be amazing but it does lose a smidge of its original luster. So with 2 weeks still to go I gotta ask: who's going to step up and bring some excitement?

CSI: Race Track Edition

Like most sports, racing has a drug problem. No one disputes this and Joe Drape's piece in the New York Times earlier this week just showcases the issue yet another way.

But I think I have the solution - and it's fairly simple: video.

Santa Anita - legendary (though bankrupt) racetrack and (controversial) home to this year's Breeders' Cup - announced Thursday that fans wishing to see Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird didn't have to wait until his run in the Goodwood Stakes on Saturday ... simply log on to a website for 24/7 webcam access.

If I can buy a webcam at BestBuy for $29.99 to watch my dog play in the backyard when I'm at work, why can't racetracks buy them in bulk to watch each barn? (just the four corners would probably do the trick) Most barns at big tracks are already wired for internet access and it's a simple phone call for those who aren't.

Some will say the costs outweigh the benefits, especially for smaller tracks. My answer: do it for the stakes barns only. Do you think Jeff Mullins would have walked into Aqueduct's "safe zone" with a big 'ole syringe loaded with an illegal substance if he knew he would be on camera? My guess: nope!

Providing webcams for stakes barns would allow the Stewards to "go to the tape," much like referees in professional sports or the police in a convenience store robbery. Seriously, who didn't hear about the Mullins/Air Power case or the Biancone/Cobra Venom incident(s) and think there had to be an easier way to prove fault that didn't rely solely on an (underpaid) security guard or a (complicit) veterinarian?

We know a direct link exists between medication (even some of the legal stuff) and horse breakdowns - so slowing the prevalence of the illegal meds would go a long way towards furthering the safety of horses and jockeys on the track. Besides, people bet hundreds/thousands/millions of dollars on racing everyday and those "investments" in the game need to be protected.

Furthermore, it could also be used in a marketing capacity. Posting the webcam video on the track's site is invaluable promotion: we already know horses appeal to every demographic - men, women, children, seniors, experts, casual fans - everyone.

And (for an industry that's not the biggest fan of change) in-the-stall video is just another application of something that's already being done: several tracks, including Santa Anita, already stream morning workouts.

For those who don't believe the safety/integrity/marketing value outweighs the cost, let me show you how I spent (much of) my Thursday:

Mine That Bird eating Mine That Bird looking around Mine That Bird with trainer Chip Woolley Mine That Bird not caring about Chip Woolley

Mine That Bird looking around Mine That Bird eating Mine That Bird with his groom/exercise rider Mine That Bird getting his stall mucked out

If I can watch a stall being cleaned in real time, I think the Stewards could catch a vet or trainer doing something illegal. And yes, there would be ways to beat the system (ie: blind spots), but the same could be said of bank and military base security. No one idea is perfect, but we do know the current plan isn't enough.

The only real cost to this idea might be the number of trainers that would go out of business from a serious tightening of the medication rules. But - hey - I'm game for anything that ups the integrity of the sport, keeps horses safe, and is good promotion.

The only question from the racing industry should be: How do we get a big enough shopping cart for all those webcams?

Pardon Me Pletcher

I must confess to having a small crush on Todd Pletcher. It's not as big as the ones I have on D. Wayne Lukas or Bob Baffert, but - come on - handsome cowboys immaculately dressed - you can't beat that!

Todd is amazing in his own right: at 42, he has trained nine Champions, has won four consecutive Eclipse Awards as outstanding trainer (only the 3rd guy to do so), and has hundreds of horses in training across the country. The only knock to his near-perfect resume is his 0-for-24 in the Kentucky Derby (so bad his is jinx that he failed to hit the board despite having 1/4 of the field in 2007.)

But Pletcher has a problem. Like all coaches, Todd wants the best for his players and has owners to answer to. So this explains his habit of excusing every bad run or wrong step. But there have to be limits.

After Quality Road failed to fire in the Travers Stakes, Pletcher blamed a tough trip. Forget the fact that even his own jockey seemed to think the horse needed more than a single prep (and a sprint at that) before he was ready to tackle his Travers foes. True the trip may not have been ideal, but Quality Road had room and - the rule in that case is - the best horse wins. And it wasn't him. Besides the fact that he was never going to catch Summer Bird, Todd blaming the trip seemed more than a little petty.

The best Mr. P in the horseracing world will always be Mr. Prospector - legendary racehorse, unbelievable stallion, sire of sires, and all around top notch animal. As the next big Mr. P to come along, Pletcher may be as prolific a trainer as Mr. Prospector was a stallion, but Quality Road ain't ever going to match what Mr. P did in the starting gate.

Today Quality Road will take on older horses for the first time in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. He should be the lone speed and the trick will be if he can outrun his propensity to be a straight sprinter. If his nose isn't in front when they hit the line, I can't wait to hear what excuses Todd will come up with this time.

photos courtesy of Eclipse Sports Wire

Going Small & Hitting It Big

We all have those horses that stick out for some reason, capture our attention, and hold a place in our hearts. It's not about what they paid or if they even win - there's something about them that's special, even if you're the only one to see it.

My list includes horses I saw at the sales and followed to the track: including Legally Blanca (aka The Wishful Legacy filly from OBS March) who won a minor stake at Belmont a few Sundays back; Best Lass (aka Who Would Buy A PA-bred Werblin?) who captured the Prairie Meadows Oaks earlier this year; and less notably Carnival Ride, a good worker and hard-tryer from the Bob Holthus barn with maybe the longest tongue I've ever seen.

I don't StableMail a lot of horses from the sales, but La Rocca was one - she was really beautiful and, with her catalog page and performance, was definitely the kind of horse buyers were there to get. It was no surprise when she wound up in Todd Pletcher's barn and, though it took her 4 tries to break her maiden, showed a ton of promise. But her story takes an interesting turn - she was sold in late July to an owner in the Northwest and is undefeated since: now with 2 stakes wins to her name.

It's interesting not because she was sold, but rather because a filly who faced the likes of now-G1 winner Funny Moon just six months ago is running at Hastings Park in British Columbia. Most people don't even know that Hastings is still in business - it's that small. But don't forget: a win is a win. We're all so used to Godolphin or Jess Jackson buying stakes horses to run in major races, but here's a case where a man (Peter Redekop) saw a horse that could win the local stakes. And when you put a horse in the right spot, magic happens.

For all the talk about the Thoroughbred breed dying out because breeders have pushed for speed not stamina, it's interesting that there's a sudden influx of notable older horses - not even geldings. Einstein is a perfect example: at 7yo, he'll run at any distance, at any track, and run his race every time; and he'll stand as a stallion next year.

There's a few of these older guard horses in the Hawthorne Gold Cup on Saturday, namely Jonesboro (7yo), Alcomo (6yo), and Going Ballistic (5yo). The latter is one of those horses I talked about above - he caught my eye way back in March of 2007, when he crossed the line fourth behind Curlin in the G3 Rebel at Oaklawn. He was just so gray and bouncy - he had that "specialness" that lodged him permanently in my heart.

Though he was off the Derby Trail shortly after - he wasn't that good - I followed Going Ballistic's career as he captured three stakes through the end of '07. I lost all interest when his career stalled in 2008, but caught his name on a graphic earlier this year shortly before he was trounced by Prom Shoes in the Essex Handicap at Oaklawn. He may have lost, but I found him again.

It would be another 5 starts for him to get back into the winner's circle and it took a trip to Remington Park in Oklahoma City to do so. Though not exactly known as a hub of horseracing activity, Remington played host to a $150k stake that drew many of these older guard horses who seem to meet each other in the starting gate time and time again. That day happened to be Going Ballistic's turn to win (not to discount his 6-wide trip).

A trip to Hastings or Remington probably isn't on most owner's radars, but more should try it. The solution to some of racing's biggest problems may not be bigger purses - the majority of horse owners don't need the purse money (Godolphin has oil, Jess Jackson has wine, Jerry Moss has music) - why not make a concerted effort to run good horses at smaller tracks?

Who knows? Putting racing in the right spot could make magic happen.