Godolphin "blue" is "red" hot!

There’s an old saying that getting “hot” at the right time of the season means more when heading into the championships. Well, that’s what exactly is going on with the powerful thoroughbred racing stable of the desert; Godolphin. After a rather weak start to their American campaign this past spring, the “royal blue” silks of his highness; Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and his well bred stable of runners have caught fire since the start of the Saratoga race meet. Head trainer; Saeed bin Suroor and his American assistant trainer; Rick Mettee have assembled the most well bred thoroughbred runners in the world and pointed them to many of the top stakes races this past summer and into the Fall. Many of these Godolphin runners had little racing time in the early part of 2009 and now are making impact in races the last few months with all pointing toward the Breeder’s Cup races this coming November at Santa Anita.

One of last year’s Kentucky Derby favorites; Pyro made a return to the races on the opening day card at Saratoga with a sharp 2nd place finish in the James Marvin Stakes at seven furlongs. After that overnight stake effort, Pyro would return in the grade I – Forego Stakes on the final Saturday of the meet and was victorious over a very large and tough field of older male sprinters. Look’s like he’ll remain sprinting and point toward the Breeder’s Cup Sprint with prep races most likely in New York .

The four year old filly; Seventh Street captured the Go For Wand Stakes on a slop track early in the Saratoga race meet. She returned at Belmont Park earlier this month and was 2nd in the Ruffian Handicap. Cocoa Beach who was a late season monster last year running 2nd in the Breeder’s Cup Distaff behind Zenyatta scratched from the Go For Wand Stakes to try the grass and was victorious in the De La Rose Stakes going a mile on the turf. Even though she hasn’t shown her good form from last season, Cocoa Beach showed she can handle either racing on dirt or grass.

Another sharp filly from the Godolphin barn is the three year old runner; Flashing who raced well at Belmont Park earlier in the summer and captured the grade I – Test Stakes at Saratoga going seven panels. Most recently she tried the synthetic track at Presque Isle Downs and was third. One of the nice two year olds from last year that went on the shelf from racing returned at Saratoga early in the meet and showed his early two year old form. Girolamo, a son of AP Indy broke his maiden impressive last summer at the Spa. He came off a layoff from last Fall and won first out for his three year old campaign. After the seven furlong optional allowance win, he returned at Belmont Park and won a mile race in allowance company. The sky could be the limit for the good looking three year old colt down the road.

Another sharp three year old from last year; Gaygeo returned to the races at Saratoga and found the winner’s circle, after racing 2nd in the Godolphin Mile at Nad El Sheba back in March. On the Travers Stakes undercard, team Godolphin found the winner’s twice and also got a runner-up placement. Sara Louise; who was the last horse to defeat Rachel Alexandra, won the Victory Ride Stakes going six furlongs. Music Note turned back from route racing and went seven furlongs for the first time in over a year. The result was a victory in the Ballerina Stakes and later on,Vineyard Haven; who had not raced yet in the states as a three year old finished first in the King’s Bishop Stakes. But was disqualified and placed second for bearing out in the stretch drive. Just this past Friday, last year’s Breeder’s Cup Juvenile winner; Midshipman returned to the races for the first time in Godolphin “blue” and was triumphful at Belmont Park in an allowance test. My Kentucky Derby selection; Regal Ransom returned from his dull derby effort and won the Super Derby last Saturday at Louisiana Downs, which has topped off a very big recent winning streak for the Sheik and his connections.

It’s been an exciting two months for this racing group and all these named runners will be pointing to bigger races in the next few months. The Godolphin success has also played well for a very popular New York based jockey. Richard Migliore has been named of late on many of the Godolphin horses. There couldn’t be a better or nicer jockey than Rich and with the current “hook up” with Godolphin means many big mounts the next few months. When your hot, your hot and Godolphin "blue" and their contingent is “red hot”.

We're "Alive & Kickin" .....national sports coverage, take note!

I’ve seen quite a few great thoroughbred races the past 23 years and some championship caliber horses, but the events of this past Saturday may have topped them all. History was made at historic Saratoga Racetrack in the Woodward Stakes when the three year old filly; Rachel Alexandra defeated older colts in front of a crowd of 32,000 screaming fans. This sensational filly once again showed her dominance over the opposite sex and stamped herself as the leading contender for the 2009 Horse of the Year honors. Being in attendance at this historic event meant quite a bit to me as a racing fan and lover of thoroughbred racing and will be always etched in my mind for the rest of my life.

If you follow the sport of thoroughbred racing like I do or are a fan of Saratoga , you knew full well the importance and historical meaning of this particular race. But, on a national scene this event wasn’t covered as it should have been. The local television and newspapers gave Rachel’s race full coverage, partly because the event was held at Saratoga . Unfortunately, thoroughbred racing only seems to make “headlines” during the Triple Crown season and if something negative impacts the sport. Unless a Triple Crown is on the line or a horse is injured during the running of a major race, the national media usually misses the boat.

What Rachel Alexandra accomplished last Saturday was a rarer event than even a horse trying to win a Triple Crown. Very seldom fillies or mares face older male counterparts in North American dirt races. While it happens often in Europe and sometimes here in the states on grass, the distaff runners stay against their own kind on dirt. When it comes to three year old runners, the girls never face the boys at all. This year, we had a girl beat the boys twice in two major three year old races for the males. This alone should have her in the headlines nationwide to say the least. But when her connections chose to race at Saratoga against older male colts, this alone should have been top story news in sports before and after the race. I know that the “four letter” sports network was busy covering the first weekend of college football, but the other four cable networks should have jumped at the chance to show this once in a lifetime event. Thankfully, the New York based MSG plus who covers thoroughbred racing from NYRA gave Rachel her due with coverage. The sports world is covered on all angles in this day and age with lesser events. The “sport of kings” has been around for centuries. Some say that thoroughbred horse racing is a dying sport. For all those nay sayers, I say it’s far from that! The excitement is still there and horses like Rachel Alexandra will lead the sport back to the top. It may be about the wagering during the daily nine, but when it comes to the spotlight of the our sport; thoroughbreds that capture the imagination like Rachel Alexandra are what will make the “sport of kings” rise to the top again. National sports coverage, take note!

My final race statistics for the 2009 Saratoga meet were; 85 winners selected “on top” out of 365 races for the 36 day meet. Total money won on those 85 winners was $538.40 (on a $2.00 wager), 53 winners were listed from my 2nd runner-up pick and 97 other winners came from my multi-race runners listed. 78 exactas, 49 triples and 14 superfectas all “boxed” plays were given out as well with 50 other multi-race winning plays (doubles, pick 3 & 4 or grand slams). As the meet went on; my handicapping improved with 49 winners chosen the second half of the meet, after only having 36 the first three weeks.

"Hickory the Handicapper" week #6 - 2009 Saratoga results

13 winners “on top” selections (63 races) = $71.80

11 winners from “runner-up” selection
15 winners from “exotic & multi-race” selections

16 exacta “boxed” winners
11 triple “boxed” winners
2 superfecta “boxed” winners
9 “other” exotic winners

“Personal” bankroll @ 473. ($459.)

It's ALL about Rachel today......

It’s an old cliché, but very true this time. A race like today's only comes around once in a lifetime. Today is a rare opportunity to see an amazing racehorse try to complete a feat that has only been attempted once before, a three year old filly going up against older seasoned male horses and winning in New York. The darling of the girls in 2009, Rachel Alexandra will try to make unique history at this historic track in a few hours. I’ve seen some pretty nice fillies race in my lifetime and some great ones, but Rachel Alexandra brings an element like no other distaff runner since Ruffian.

I only remember seeing Ruffian from films at the time she ran. Her story was a great one, but tragic. Her brilliance was unheard for her time and she dominated her sex much like Rachel Alexandra has. But, before that ill faded breakdown in a match race versus Foolish Pleasure in 1975, she only dominated her own sex. The great Lady’s Secret would defeat the “boys” in the Whitney Stakes here in 1986, but she was four year’s old at the time. Back in 1990, the late great Go For Wand won both the Test Stakes and Alabama Stakes only weeks apart as a three year old filly. But, today Rachel Alexandra attempts a feat that may be only done once in a lifetime.

The ramifications are wide spread here in today’s Woodward Stakes. Since the race’s inception in 1954; no filly or mare has won this race. Let alone that it’s a three year old filly trying to do this is amazing itself. Hall of Fame colts and geldings have won this race during its long history. But only one time during the great history of racing in New York , has a three year old filly defeated older male counterparts in a grade I race. That was in 1887 when Lady Primrose won the Manhattan Handicap. Few have tried, but those few aren’t in the same caliber of Rachel Alexandra.

Her rise to prominence started at Oaklawn Park in February and has ridden a seven race win streak in today’s event. Handling her lady foes quite easily in her spring prep races, her twenty plus length victory in the Kentucky Oaks stamped her as something special. It was on to face her three year old male counterparts in the Preakness Stakes and again she did not disappoint. For good measure, she crushed her own sex again in the Mother Goose Stakes and after that once again showed that she was the best three year old horse in training with a Haskell Stakes victory at Monmouth Park over Belmont Stakes winner & last Saturday’s Travers victor; Summer Bird.

Coming into today’s event, Rachel Alexandra gets a considerable weight break for facing older male horses. She’ll be giving eight pounds up to her six opponents. Only two of the “boys” she is facing have ever won a grade I race, she has four straight times. While this group of older males seems even on paper, there is no superstar that has accomplished what she has this year or any year.

The only two horses that look like they will be running on the front end with her are; D’Tara and Pass the Point. The later held on gamely last year in this race versus Curlin. Bullsbay had a career effort in the Whitney Stakes last time out and may “bounce” off that effort. Same goes for the other part of the Nick Zito entry; Cool Coal Man. He has shown in his past performances that when he faces grade stakes competition he’s not quite up to it. If anyone could defeat this superstar filly, it may be one of three remaining horses (Asiatic Boy, Macho Again or It’s a Bird). Asiatic Boy has finished second in both his North American starts. Scratched from the Whitney Stakes, he returns trying to regain his form previous to this year’s Dubai World Cup. Macho Again is a “grinder” and should be flying late to pick up the pieces. It’s a Bird was no factor downstate in the Suburban Handicap, but his trainer ships in for a reason. My selections for this race are; Rachel Alexandra with Asiatic Boy for second and Macho Again & It’s a Bird in the exotic and multi-race spots. We’ll have beautiful late summer weather this afternoon. So come out to the Spa and see history in the making. It’s very doubtful you’ll ever see a three year old filly like Rachel Alexandra again!