Bits and Pieces according to ZATT
It took 37 years for a Triple Crown winner to re-emerge after the great Affirmed did his thing back in 1978. You could say that American race fans were starved for the next one. Finally, along came American Pharoah and rightly so, we cannot get enough. His recent parade at Churchill Downs was met with rabid enthusiasm, and now there is another one scheduled for Santa Anita next Saturday. He has captured the imagination of race fans everywhere, and thanks to him, there are more race fans now than there were a month ago. From millionaires and movie stars, to the $2 bettor, American Pharoah is the new face of thoroughbred racing to all. Kudos to Zayat Stables, Bob Baffert, and the horse himself, for making it so easy for us all to shower him with our appreciation and affection.
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The noisy complaints about Perry Martin’s decision to bring California Chrome to England after the Dubai World Cup are almost too much to be believed. He developed a very minor injury preparing for what would have been his third race in the first six months of 2015, and he spent time in a new and interesting location. What is so bad about that? The minor injury could have happened anywhere, and if I was the horse, I would have enjoyed the change of scenery. I applaud Martin for attempting to do something truly remarkable with their star. Something done far too sparingly in today’s racing. And make no mistake, California Chrome was treated like a prince in his foreign sojourns. Get real people.
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As for the race in which he was scheduled to run, the Prince of Wales’s will probably prove the highlight of this year’s Royal Ascot meet. Two of the best turf horses in the world came down to the wire together. In the end, it was the lightly raced Free Eagle taking the top prize in only his fifth lifetime start. His potential, for trainer Dermot Weld, is off the charts. Having said that, the best horse in the race was The Grey Gatsby, who was stymied at a key point in the stretch, and would have won had he not been. He may be 0-for-3 so far in 2015, but I have no doubt that he is on the verge of winning big races again.
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You remember Cross Traffic and Graydar -- Two extremely talented, but lightly raced sons of Unbridled’s Song, who were trained by Todd Pletcher? Well, now we have a third in Liam’s Map. His return win yesterday at Belmont was huge, and seemingly is on a similar talent level of the first two. Unfortunately, neither Cross Traffic and Graydar were able to fully reach their potential due to physical setbacks. Here’s hoping that this will be the one who can stay healthy and really show us what he has. On that hope, I have an off-the-wall suggestion -- I think this horse would be a monster on the turf. And who knows, maybe it would help keep him healthy and running. It likely will never happen, but that is what I would like to see.
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I see trainer Wesley Ward often, and all over the United States at the track. Belmont, Santa Anita, Gulfstream, Keeneland, Churchill Downs, he is there. I don’t know about you, but it’s becoming harder to picture the former Eclipse Award winning jockey without the top hat and tails. It seems he was born to win there. On Wednesday, he pulled off another Royal victory for America with the good looking daughter of Scat Daddy, Acapulco. Last year, Hootenanny parlayed Royal Ascot success into a Breeders’ Cup win later in the season for Ward. Acapulco gives every impression of being a similar type of talent.
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Speaking of big performances by Americans at Ascot, please do not sleep on the performance of Miss Temple City in the Group 1 Coronation Stakes yesterday. The daughter of Temple City ran absolutely huge, while finishing a competitive fourth against some of the best middle distance young fillies in the world. She appears to be getting better with every start for Sagamore Farm and trainer Graham Motion. Don’t be surprised to see more serious clashes with the unbeaten star Lady Eli in the near future. She is that good.
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The race to get American Pharoah to run at their racetrack should continue to entertain. Monmouth, followed by Saratoga, remain the early leaders, but first Canterbury Park dangled a $2 million carrot, and now word is that Del Mar is putting together quite a bonus structure to try to lure the superstar to the Pacific Classic. Stay tuned and enjoy the madness.
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As firm as Royal Ascot has played this week, maybe the popular California-bred actually would have run huge in the Prince of Wales’s -- wouldn’t that have been fan-tastic? Food for thought.
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OK, I admit it … I have never worn a top hat and tails, but I am quite certain that I would look good in them.