Spanning the globe today for non-stop racing

Last week we had "wall to wall" NCAA Men's basketball games from noontime to midnight. Today we have non-stop thoroughbred action, from the desert in Dubai starting at 8:40 am this morning, until this evening with the Florida Derby at 6:48pm. We'll cover two continents, three major racetracks with a ton of graded stakes races to handicap. It's a smorgasbord of betting opportunities which can yield a cornucopia of results!

We go first to Meydan Racecourse in the United Arab Emirates at Dubai for their World Cup card. Starting with the Godolphin Mile (2nd) the selection is American invader; Prayer for Relief (#8) which drops from tougher U.S. stakes competition and turns back in distance to his best effort going a mile two starts back. The Dubai Gold Cup (3rd) is a two mile marathon on the weeds. A field of 14 are entered and the "class" horse draws the far outside, Brown Panther (#14) my top pick. The UAE Derby (4th) may have implications on this year's Kentucky with 100 points on the line for winning this race. It will be tough to go past, Mubtaahij (#1) who won the prep for this race going the same mile and three sixteenths distance is the pick. The Al Quoz Sprint (5th) is a five furlong dash on the weeds that is wide open. I'm with the known quantity here in Casper Netscher (#11) running 3rd losing by a head going this distance here and winner of a turf sprint stake at Woodbine last Fall. The dirt sprint is at six panels, the Dubai Golden Shaheen (6th) a race where American runners often do well, in fact they dominate. The Bob Baffert trained; Secret Circle (#7) looks to break a winless streak dating back to over a year when he won the Breeder's Cup Sprint of 2013, he's my top selection here. The Dubai Turf (7th) is the first of two consecutive races on the weeds. Maybe the widest open event of the day, the Todd Pletcher trained; Mshawish (#3) has won three in a row and gets the call here for me. The Dubai Sheema Classic (8th) is headlined by Horse of the Year finalist and top turf horse in the world currently; Main Sequence (#5) who has been unbeaten since shipping stateside for Graham Motion. With his will to win, I see him tough to beat once again. The feature race of the day is the 10,000,000 guaranteed Dubai World Cup (9th) featuring Horse of the Year ~ California Chrome who draws the far outside post. While he should be the post time favorite, it's the other American runner who I'll be going with. Lea (#5) was gaining late in the grade I - Donn Handicap in his last start and should relish the mile and a quarter race distance.

We also have two major three year old prep races to look at in the southern part of our country. The Louisiana Derby (11th) wraps up the Fairgrounds route to Churchill Downs with a dominate winner of both prep races here in International Star (#9). While he is the "horse to beat", I'll take War Story (#6) to make the third time a charm and turn the tables on him. For second, the afored mentioned favorite and underneath in triples and superfectas; A Day in Paradise (#5) - Keen Ice (#7) - Defondo (#3). Meanwhile, Gulfstream Park showcases their feature race of the meet - the Florida Derby (14th). It's a showdown between Upstart (#9) who was disqualified last start in the Fountain of Youth Stakes and Itsaknockout (#4) who was placed first above him. While either of these two runners can win, I'm going with a new face today, but the same old trainer. Materiality (#7) has had only two career starts and won them both for Todd Pletcher. He's bucking the trend of no Derby winner that was unraced as a two year, but Pletcher had a similar runner last year named Constitution who was also lightly raced and won. The second and third spots I'll go with #9 & #4 plus superfecta adds - My Point Exactly (#6) - Ami's Flatter (#1) - Quimet (#5) in the fourth spot.

A giant legend in our sport ...... The Chief

The thoroughbred racing world lost a legend, a giant in it's sport this past Wednesday evening. H. Allen Jerkens, better known as the "Chief" and also known as the "Giant Killer" past away at the age of 85 in Florida. The youngest inductee to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame at age 45 in 1975, he has been a staple in New York racing for decades. This soft spoken, big man trained many great horses throughout the years. His style of training a thoroughbred was a throwback to a long forgotten time. Nowadays, it's hard to appreciate what this man accomplished. Always doing what was best for the animal and achieving the success he did in his career.

I had the pleasure just once to meet the man they called; the "Giant Killer". In 1998 when I started my first year with the Recorder, NYRA brought all the new media people on a special tour of Saratoga Racecourse. That tour included a back stretch trip and on one afternoon when our touring tram stopped by historic Claire Court on Saratoga's barn area, we met the legend. As the tram was making a turn, there was a recognizable figure near the rail who was grazing thoroughbred. That figure was Mr. Allen Jerkens himself, as our tour guide told us over the speaker. Many in our group where younger reporters who weren't that familiar with what this man had achieved in horse racing. But, my keen knowledge of the sport differed from that.

This was the man who upset one of the greatest horses of all time; Secretariat with a horse named Onion in the 1973 Whitney Stakes. This victory named him the "Giant Killer" and soon label Saratoga as the "Graveyard of Favorites". But, Allen was well established long before that victory with multiple victories with his runner; Purple Beau over the great Kelso in 1962. He was 33 years old with those feats and along with his achievements in the early 70's set him up well to become the youngest trainer ever to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame of thoroughbred racing. Later in his career he would train such runners like Devil His Due and Sky Beauty to championship races in the 90's. He still trained horses into 2015 and recently won a stake race at Gulfstream Park just a few week's ago they even named a race after him at the Hallandale oval. The thoroughbred world lost a giant in the history of thoroughbred racing, a void that will certainly never be fulfilled again.

Here's a list of my dozen best three year old runners so far this Triple Crown season. Defects have been quiet until this past week when Texas Red declared from the Triple Crown trail due to foot issues. They are listed in order of achievement this calendar year and with their trainer and next schedule stakes start. 1) International Star (Maker - Louisiana Derby) ~ 2) Dortmund (Baffert - Santa Anita Derby) ~ 3) Upstart (Violette - Florida Derby) ~ 3) Itsaknockout (Pletcher - Florida Derby) ~ 5) American Pharaoh (Baffert - Oaklawn Derby) ~ 6) Carpe Diem (Pletcher - Bluegrass Stakes) ~ 7) Far Right (Moquett - Oaklawn Derby) ~ 8) El Kabeir (Terranova - Wood Memorial) ~ 9) War Story (Amoss - Louisiana Derby) ~ 10) Royal Son (Pletcher - Spiral Stakes) ~ 11) Prospect Park (Sise - Santa Anita Derby) ~ 12) Far From Over (Pletcher - Wood Memorial)

When we last spoke..... the return of ATP for a 17th season!

Previously on ATP (At the Post), we looked at the state of the game and recent racetrack closures. The path NYRA has endured in recent years and it's future will place a load of expectation on the Saratoga meet. We summarized that it will be the public support on track and revenue intake that will determine the future of the sport. We also focused on the fall out of this year's Breeder's Cup Classic, the non-disqualification and when the dust settles, who will be the top thoroughbred of 2014. Fast forward to a new year and with my first column of 2015, we move forward for our 17th year discussing the Sport of Kings, it's leaders both on track and behind the scenes with trends of the public and what the future holds ...... at this moment.

We truly had an "old fashioned" winter, one for the record books. It affected all the east coast tracks right down to Florida. The month of February was the snowiest and coldest in at least twenty years, if not longer. The winter of discontent affected the New York circuit and the inner-track at Aqueduct big time. A record amount of race day cancellations plagued NYRA this winter. Even with the shorten live racing schedule, the amount of lost racing dates will effect NYRA's bottom line this year. Lost revenue will have to be made up and I'm sure NYRA will start to look to ways of getting back the monies lost in various ways. Days that NYRA was supposed to be close during the late winter / early spring meet at Aqueduct will most certainly be made up and even more emphasis will be placed on the Belmont summer meet plus the 40 days at Saratoga. It will be an interesting year for New York racing. The soap opera continues, one that has endure for nearly 15 years. Thoroughbred racing vs. the powers to be in N.Y. state government.

Shared Belief was one of the best juvenile runners of 2013, but foot issues held him back for the early part of his three year old season last year. But, he returned with a vengeance at mid season and remained undefeated headed into the Breeder's Cup Classic. But, a very uneventful start hindered his chances and the undefeated streak was snapped. The controversial disqualification decision was the talk of the racing world after his defeat the public outcry for more uniformed steward decisions, especially in major graded stake races was brought to the forefront.

But the outcome did not stop Shared Belief proving that he is the best older horse in the country so far this year. At the top of his game by winning the seven furlong Malibu Stakes the day after Christmas and defeating Horse of the Year - California Chrome in the San Antonio Handicap impressively, this past Saturday he faced 13 other runners in the historic Santa Anita Handicap going the classic distance of a mile and a quarter. As the 3-10 favorite, he proved that he is the BEST main track horse to come along in recent years by destroying the field under a hand ride. This son gelded son of Candy Ride is now 10 for 11 lifetime and will make his next start outside California, in Arkansas at Oaklawn Park. He made me a believer and the sky is the limit with the Dark Bay gelding.

So, as we start a new season on ATP we pick up on the story lines of five months ago and look forward to the excitement with Shared Belief and a bit of apprehension with the state of thoroughbred racing in New York and the battle that NYRA will have the remainder of the year and the "bottom line" with the state. All this with the Road to the Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown awaits us, along with the 2015 Saratoga season and the next 38 weeks of ATP (At the Post) will be exciting for me and the weekly readers of this column. Come along for the ride, fellow horse racing fans!