Don Chavez

Defending Breeders’ Cup Mile champion Artie Schiller has been retired at the age of 5.  The connections of owners William Entenmann and Denise Walsh, and trainer Jimmy Jerkens have sited a chronic ankle injury as the reason for retirement.  He finished his career with 10 wins in 22 tries, and over $2 Million in earnings.

Can the 2006 racing season get any worse?  The stars of the sport keep pushing up daisies or retiring.  Before you know it, the Breeders’ Cup with have passed and we’ll hear news of the retirements of Bernardini and Lava Man.  So who will be left as the household name of horse racing?  A dismal Funny Cide who has struggled to find the winner’s circle after a valiant 3 year-old campaign?  Or could the timing be perfect for a horse like Discreet Cat to put together dazzling 4 and 5-year-old campaigns that will reel in the media and international attention? 

For the second year in a row, the MassCrap has been canceled by Suffolk Downs, citing loss of revenue to Rhode Island and Connecticut casinos and slot machines as the cause. The $200,000 Grade II race was scheduled to be held as a prep race for the Breeders’ Cup on September 30, but now they are worried about just being able to finish their fall meet.

The solution to this is simple; either meet the needs of the premier (if you can classify it as that) track in Massachusetts, or just get rid of the tracks all together. Why tinker around with this issue any longer. If you’re not going to meet the needs of the horsemen, then why not just close the tracks and allow OTB’s to open instead (I have no clue what the regulation of OTB entails, but I do know that the overhead is much lower than a track facility). Either way, there is one thing that Massachusetts does not want to miss out on…the revenue generated by the FANS of horse racing.

To no surprise, the 2006 Travers Stakes turned out to be a two horse race, with Bernardini easily fending off a weak bid by Bluegrass Cat.  Although, wagering on the race was pointless, it was great to see Bernardini continue to show his dominance in the three year old division.  The only question that remains is; does he have what it takes to beat older horses in the Classic this fall?

Unfortunately, it was announced today that another great horse is being retired.  Bluegrass Cat came out of the Travers with a fracture and will no longer race.  He retires with impressive earnings of $1,756,280.

Saint Liam outside his barn after winning the 2005 Breeders’ Cup Classic.

During the week before last November’s Breeders’ Cup, TVG asked trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. how he felt about Saint Liam’s chances to capture the Classic.  His response?

“I’m all in babe.”

Saint Liam was true to form, and scored a one length victory over Flower Alley on a fast Belmont Track the following Saturday.  I was fortunate to be there in person that day, and see Saint Liam end his career in style.  I even had the chance to the five year old Horse of the Year, upclose back at his barn after the race (see above photo).

He finished his career with a hefty $4,456,995 in purse money, and nine wins, six seconds, and one third in twenty tries.  His 2005 campaign was stellar, winning four out of six Grade One stakes races, and earning a triple digit Beyer in all six races.  Had the front running Commentator not been cut lose on an uncontested lead in the Whitney, Saint Liam surely would have capped off the season with five victories.

The son of Saint Ballado was retired less than a year ago, after the Breeders’ Cup Classic, and owned by a syndicate, was sent to Lane’s End farm for stud duty.  At a stud fee of $50,000 he had 115 mares in foal for 2006.

To the dismay of many horse racing fans, Saint Liam suffered a “slip and fall” injury today, which resulted in his tibia shattering into twenty pieces.  He was transported to Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital, where x-rays were taken and it was established that surgery and/or casting was not an option.  He was later euthanized.

In the shadow of Saint Liam’s death, lies the recent announcement that Lost in the Fog has terminal cancer, and will also be euthanised relatively soon.  One can only wonder if Lost in the Fog will suffer longer, as a result of a PR move to prevent the 2006 racing season from looking like the death montage at the Academy Awards.  To nobody’s surprise, I can already see the headline to stop the montage.

“Barbaro eats grass again.”

English Channel turned the table on Manhattan Handicap winner Cacique yesterday, in the Grade 1 United Nations Stakes at Monmouth Park.  After being rank under John Velazquez in the early stages, English Channel exploded with a brilliant stretch run to overcome Cacique.  9-5 favorite Relaxed Gesture finished third in the 1 3/8 Mile turf contest.

This weekend kicks off with a pick 6 carryover of $99,799 at Hollywood Park.  The pool should swell over the $500,000 mark, but maybe even higher if we’re lucky.

The main event of the weekend is the $1M Colonial Turf Cup.  Barclay Tagg and Lael Stables (of Barbaro fame) will send out Showing Up for the first time since the Kentucky Derby, and for his first start on the turf. 

Hollywood Park Entries

The Turf Cup has drawn 14 entrants, all hoping to capture a $2.3M bonus by winning the Turf Cup, Virgina Derby, Secretariat Stakes, and the Breeders’ Cup Turf this year.  If anyone pulls off this sweep, the connections will collect a total of at least $5M in purse and bonus money.

Turf Cup Entries

Unfortunately for Barbaro fans, I have just learned that his hind leg has become infected. The connections have turned to a Doctor who specializes in post-equine leg surgery reconstructive surgery. The reconstructive surgery was a success and Barbaro is all ready running. There is already a buzz that we might see him at Saratoga this Summer.

5 year old mare Ouija Board scored a victory in the $688,000 Prince of Wales’s Stakes today, with a half length victory over Electrocutionist.  Ouija Board went off at the juicy odds of 8-1, and covered the 1 1/4 Mile turf race in 2:06.92.

Ouija Board is being pointed towards the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf event in October at Churchill Downs.

This weekend is just what the doctor ordered for racing fans still healing from the Barbaro incident.  Things have been so bad, that one fan resorted to impersonating Mr. Ed and serenading Barbaro.

The weekend kicks off today with a pick 6 carryover of $526,158 at Hollywood Park.  The first leg is scheduled to go off at 8:02 PM Pacific Time.

Also, Breeders’ Cup winners Shirocco and Ouija Board will square off today in the Group 1, $470,000 Coronation Cup at Epsom.

On Saturday, fans can get a helping of graded stakes races at Churchill Downs with the Dogwood Breeders’ Cup Stakes (G3) and the Aristides Breeders’ Cup Handicap (G3) featuring Lost in the Fog.  Unlike his last tune up race, LITF is expected to fire in the Aristides.  His odds will be hammered down with his 10 consecutive victories still fresh in every bettors mind, but hopefully it will be a great performance to watch.

In Belmont Stakes news Cause to Believe is skipping the Belmont and pointing to the Affirmed, and Team Valor’s Oh So Awesome has been confirmed for the Belmont.

In Don Chavez news, I received my first (and hopefully last) cease and desist order for the website.  I won’t go into who sent it, but I’m sure everyone in the country knows the horse that these people own.  Fortunately the matter has been resolved in a civilized manner. 

Defending Breeders’ Cup Sprint champion Silver Train, fended off a late run by Sun King to take the 2006 Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park today.  Silver Train kept the pressure on front running Mass Media, through a grueling :44.84 half mile, and the duo began to pull away as they entered the stretch.  Mass Media faded, but Silver Train’s work was not done, as Sun King made a late run to take the place money by less than a head.

Dutrow made no proclemations of being “all in” prior to this race, but he expected a big performance from Silver Train who has now won 4 of 6 races over Big Sandy.  Silver Train returned $6.60 for the win.

Looks like the Train is back on track.