Clear as Mud

After the second week of the Grand Circuity at The Red Mile, it has become clear, Sebastian K, who once had a lock on Horse of the Year honors all of a sudden looks vulnerable with his second place finish in the Allerage Farms Stake yesterday, finishing second to Creatine.

In the Hambletonian/Breeders Crown poll, Sebastian K will likely remain in first but some of those first place votes will peel off.  The question is where will those votes go to?  Father Patrick?  Nope, he lost yesterday to Nuncio in the Kentucky Futurity.  Sweet Lou?  Nope, he ran out of steam in the Allerage Farms Pace to finish fifth.  Trixton?  Not likely since he is retired.  Artspeak?  He was on his way to victory in the International Stallion Stake when a costly miscue relegated him to a third place finish.

The Red Mile usually cements the leaders of the various divisions by the time the two week stand ends.  This year, it leaves things wide-open.  For Sebastian K, wins in the Yonkers International and Breeders Crown against his nemesis Commander Crowe becomes more important if he wants to go into awards season with Horse of the Year sewed up.  Sweet Lou, his win streak is a thing of the past is going to have to pick things up once again to be a contender.  As for Father Patrick, it seems the Takter trio of Father Patrick, Nuncio and Trixton are taking turns winning so while the stable is doing well, their success may be hurting their chances for Trotter of the Year and Horse of the Year.

Of course, Shake It Cerry and JK Shesalady come out of Lexington with stronger credentials than before, not enough to get to the top of the poll yet but are possibilities if they keep on going and the others continue being mortal.  So while The Red Mile pretty much cements who will be taking home honors, this year racing leaves The Red Mile with more questions than answers.    We will see how the voters look at this past week's performances when the new rankings to come out.

Sunday Briefs

Yesterday, the curtain came down on racing at Suffolk Downs.  Yes, there is talk about horsemen leasing the track to run a meet next year but race meets run by horsemen have a dismal record; the economics is just not there.

One thing I don't understand is the MGCB being caught flat-footed when Suffolk Downs announced they were closing when Wynn Resorts was given the casino license.  Do these people live in a vaccuum?  Everyone knows most racetracks without slots are just holding on hoping for a gaming license.  Once they find out a license isn't coming, the doors close with one exception.  Penn National Gaming is keeping Rosecroft going, probably because they are making a profit, albeit small (they do get some slot revenue).  I have no doubt once the ink turns red, unless PNG has some ulterior motive, the doors will close once again.


I love racing at the Red Mile.  Where else can you see the nation's best horses race.  As much as you see racing's royalty, it has to be the most boring racing for pure handicappers.  Fields of seven horses doesn't cut it.  Despite the bombs which have hit the board this year, the vast majority of races are won by odds on favorites.

With today be closing day at The Red Mile, here are my top picks in the major races:

• 4th - The Allerage Farm Open - I've been a big Sebastian K fan and provided the track is fast he should win.  If you want to try for a longshot, I do think Wishing Stone may be worth a look.
• 5th - The Kentucky Filly Futurity - Shake It Cerry should extend her winning streak to four here.  Heaven's Door gets a driver change which may wake up the filly if she stays flat.
• 8th - The Allerage Farm Open (F&M) 1st Div - Here is my (morning line) longshot, Charmed Life.  With a decent trip she can win it all.
• 9th - The Allerage Farm (F&M) 2nd Div - Yagonnakissmeornot looks to be the winner here.  Have to look at Shebestingin off her qualifier but it seems her speed is saved for the morning.
• 10th - The Kentucky Futurity - A dash for the cash and it looks like Team Takter is poised for the top two positions with Father Patrick easily winning at, oh, 2-5 if lucky.
• 11h - The Alllerage Farm Open -  The FFA pacers close out the 2014 Grand Circuit meet at The Red Mile with Modern Legend repeating his Canadian Pacing Derby victory in a minor upset.  

One thing I would love to see is the Grand Circuit adopt a European flare, having championship races for the top point earners during the Grand Circuit season.  Regardless of which Grand Circuit event is contested (be it the Meadowlands Pace or the Tompkins-Geer, the winner would be given 50 points, 25 points to second, 12 points to third, 8 points to fourth, and 5 points to fifth.   The horses with the top ten points in each division which enter the final would race for a $100,000 final.  Either the final could be contested at The Red Mile or alternate tracks each year.   Another advantage of the points system is some horses would head to the 'minor' stakes in an effort to earn points to make it a final.  It also would give those horses not ready for prime time at the start of the year an opportunity to take on  the big guns in races which likely would be their end of season finales.

Enjoy the day.

A Campaign to Get Back 'Princess'

A friend of mine directed me to the following Go Fund Me Campaign.  Here is the story from the site.  

For those of you who don't know the whole story; there was a horse that I took care of for 3 years and she ended up being sold. She was gone for about a year until. he didn't race well for the new owners so they put her online for sale. I called immediately and the owners and I made a deal so I could train the horse and race her.

For a year and a half everything was going great. Until I had shoulder surgery 4 months ago, and the owners decided to take the horse 2 days after my surgery (me being in a significant amount of pain to fight/argue/etc.) without consent and meanwhile still owing me a hefty amount of money! There was no explanation why the horse was taken and I was not paid, but the words out of the owners mouth were, "I know how much the horse means to you, but I have to take her away from you."

So the owners tried to race her themselves and she didn't do well the 1st or 2nd time they tried. 7 weeks later they tried to qualify her to race again and she didn't go fast enough. So, what did they do? They sold her to the Amish, knowing how much the horse meant to me and that she would have a good home for life.

I immediately called the Amish and we sorted out a deal and I was to have a deposit and a truck and trailer exactly one week from that day to get her back.  Knowing how much the horse meant to me, they asked for very high price, but she's worth it to me. 

The night before I was suppose to pick her up, the Amish had called and told me the deal was off because they wanted all $3,500 up front. I don't have that kind of money sitting around because I have been out of work due to my shoulder surgery. I'm back working now though, trying to save money to bring her home. The Amish still have her and still want all the money up front. So I'm kindly asking everyone to make a donation, no matter what it may be ($1-$1,000) every dollar counts! 

If I happen to not be able to get her back within a reasonable time frame, I will DONATE ALL DONATIONS to a Horse/Standardbred Rescue Group. The quicker I can raise/earn the money, the quicker she will return to her loving home for life, and out of the hands of the "Amish" Meat Dealers. I appreciate everyone's help! 

If you are interested in helping, just click here to be directed to the link.

Yes, I know there are similar stories from other people and you can't save all of them, but one saved is one less going off to an uncertain fate.

What Have Those Wild And Whacky Canadians Been Up To At The Lexington Selected Sale

Over the past several years horse sales have, like everyone else, fought to regain ground lost to the economic downturn. However, the sales received an added kick in the gut two and a half years ago when the Ontario government announced an end to the slots at racetracks program in that province. Lack of clarity in regard to the future of the sport north of the border compelled many Canadian buyers to stay home. But this year, with long term stabilizing agreements in place and reason to believe that the industry will eventually be folded back into the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, optimistic buyers rolled south in caravans, each one toting a satchel of cash. The question is, what attracted these wild and whacky Canadians to the Lexington Selected Sale, and exactly what have they been buying?

Bettor’s Delight, who serves his one year residency in the OSS program in 2015, has been very popular with Canadian buyers. Sportswriter rolled over the two-year-old class this year and will no doubt do the same to the sophomores in 2015, however the mighty Bettor’s Delight is no pushover. Three years after leaving New York he still rules the roost in that state’s sire stakes program. This sets up as the clash of the Titans in 2015. It looks like 14 of the 22 sons and daughters of Bettor’s Delight that have sold through session four went to Canadian based buyers.

Casie Coleman, who tasted tremendous success with BD’s sons Betterthancheddar and Vegas Vacation, paid $85,000 for a half-brother to Southwind Silence. Jeff Gillis bought a colt out of Marietta Hall for $65,000; Mallar Farms paid $60,000 for a colt out of KG Delight; Keith Clark, Synerco Ventures and Jack Darling also purchased the offspring of that stallion.

Kadabra has not been popular with Lexington buyers, with the exception of his syndicate members, in recent years. Two years ago seven averaged $42,000 while last year 10 averaged $31,000. The $400,000 Hartman, McDuffee and Katz paid for the Pizza Dolce filly skews the average somewhat but at this point 19 of them are averaging an impressive $68,000. BAM didn’t seem to make a big difference last year, but the stabilization of the program in tandem with the dearth of quality trotting stallions in Ontario has apparently given buyers a renewed love for the 15-year-old son of Primrose Lane.

Fifteen of the 19 Kadabras sold through day four have gone to Canadian based buyers. Surprise! Surprise! They’re all gone. Putting the $400,000 baby aside, Victor Hayter paid $150,000 for a brother to The Game Plan; Bob McIntosh and friends gave $90,000 for the first foal of Windsong Soprano; Rick Zeron bought a filly out of Miss Wisconsin for $75,000. There were also plenty of bargains by Kadabra: Susanne Kerwood got a colt for $10,000; Rocco Auciello a colt for the same; and Per Henriksen purchased a filly for $13,000.

There were only a dozen Sportswriters for sale, but they were popular, averaging $59,000. Last year 19 averaged $29,000 at this sale, with none of them topping the $100,000 mark. Last year Casie Coleman purchased nine by her former charge—not all at this sale. She bought a colt and a filly for $62,000 each at Lexington. This year she bought a colt from JK Sure I Can for $50,000 and a filly for $45,000. Yankee Tony Alagna swooped in and took the prize from this group, a half-brother to Warrawee Needy for $170,000. And, to add insult to injury, he also grabbed another colt for $47,000.

Jack Darling paid $100,000 for a Sportswriter colt; Mark Steacy gave $110,000 for a half-sister to Dancin Yankee; Larry Todd bought a colt out of A And Gs Princess for $47,000; Carl Jamieson got a ridgling for $55,000. Blake MacIntosh, who never lost sight of the bargain bin, bought a colt for $7,000. And Steve Calhoun got a filly for $12,000.

There are 31 by SBSW being offered at the sale but just five fillies and one colt have gone to Canadian based buyers. Mark Steacy purchased a filly for $100,000 and Coleman bought a filly for $45,000 and another for $52,000.

Manofmanymissions, the mercurial son of Yankee Glide who won the BC at two and the KY Futurity and Dancer at three, sold 13 for a $40,000 average. He was relocated to Ohio in 2014, but this crop is Ontario eligible. Canadian based buyers took six colts and a filly thus far. Several will sell tonight. The average got a big boost from Victor Hayter’s purchase of a brother to D’Orsay for $120,000.

There are only two by Majestic Son for sale. The colt sells tonight, but Mark Steacy paid $77,000 for the filly, a half-sister to Oaks winner Lifetime Pursuit. That’s the third highest price ever paid for a yearling by that sire. Steacy also bought the top two, a colt for $110,000 in 2010 and another colt for the same amount the following year.

Eight by Shadow Play averaged about $40,000. Jack Darling paid the top price ever—not very long in this case—for a Shadow Play filly. He gave $92,000 for a sister to Gallant Yankee.

There’s lots more to say about what our wild and whacky friends up above did at the Lexington Selected Sale, but I have to run. Maybe I’ll continue this later.

Joe FitzGerald

A Rule to Emulate

In New York, the gaming commission has handed thoroughbred Doug O'Neill a 45 day suspension and a $10,00 fine for violation of medication rules under the trainer's responsibility rule.  Under the terms of this negotiated settlement O'Neill faces an additional fine and days if found guilty of another medication violation for Class 1-3 medications up to December 18, 2015.  More importantly to O'Neill was the fact the suspension would not begin until two days after this year's Breeders' Cup, claiming owners have entrusted him with horses to race in the classics.

Alas, it was all for naught as the Breeders' Cup has informed O'Neill it will not be accepting pre-entries from him which makes him ineligible to participate in this year' Cup.  The Convicted Trainers Rule (admittedly harshly named) specifies anyone convicted of a Class 1 and certain Class 2 medication violations within the past twelve months is banned from participating in that year's Breeders' Cup.

From what I can tell, there is no such rule in the Breeders' Crown which provides for banning such a trainer from entering and racing horses in standardbred racing's championship races and there should be.  No trainer convicted of using performance enhancing medications should be allowed to participate in the center stage of the harness racing world.  In fact, I would go further, indicating any horse trained by a convicted trainer 30 days after conviction will be deemed ineligible to participate in that year's Breeders' Crown as well.

The Breeders' Crown would be well advised to adopt this rule.


Welcome to Dayton Raceway which opened its inaugural harness racing season last night.  Opening night was well received in the market with the grandstand filled to overflowing.  Of course, once initial curiosity is satisfied, we will see if the track is a vibrant entity or just another welfare recipient of slot revenue.


Another bomb came in at The Red Mile yesterday as Aldebaran Eagle won his division of the International Stallion Stakes at 106.40-1.  These bombs have been coming in with more regularity than usual, but let me remind you of one of Harness Racing 101's rules: "Never bet a longshot because it won't come in.  Never talk someone else off a longshot becaue it will come in".


The Canadian RUS season came to a conclusion last night at Western Fair District in Ontario.  The winner was Lexus Hawkeye who was a winner in 2:04.3.