Barbaro Updates: 263

updates are now here.

Update 1804: I am now back from my travels. Thanks Superfecta for keeping things going. No doubt it will take me a couple of days to get up to speed with everything that has occured in racing. A couple of quick things; Hawty Creek is now back at her owner's farm, and will train from there going forward. This was planned as part of my pending retirement plans, I hear she is doing well after her last race. The open house at fair Hill on sunday, I have pushed the start time up to 8:45 am (up 15 minutes). It will begin by the racetrack next to the main entrance of Fair Hill (rte 213 entrance).

Update 1803: The Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners & Breeders have announced that Barbaro is their 2006 Horse of the Year; Bernardini was awarded the top 3-year-old title, but I'm sure all here find this honor for Barbaro long overdue - congrats to all!

In the latest Derby news, Slew's Tizzy is now officially 'doubtful' but there's still a long nine days to go...

Anyway, that's Superfecta signing off for now in anticipation of Alex's return -- see you at Delaware Park!

Update 1802: A few quick notes - Alex gets back from Blighty tonight, and there is a bit more press coverage about the Barbaro documentary. There is a nice Q&A with Mr Jackson here. Also, there' a new update:

New Update! Equine Heaven.
www.equine-heaven.com.

Update 1801: There's some press coverage of the Barbaro Celebration in the Philly papers today; some of the recent improvements to Delaware Park that will be on display opening weekend are covered here. There are still no official dropouts from the Derby field so far and Chelokee's current chances of getting in are explained a bit more here. The only thing we know for certain about the Derby at this point is that the menu for the Queen has been drawn up, although I think they are making a mistake by leaving out Derby Pie. There are more details on her visit to Kentucky here - she will likely pay a visit to Lane's End Farm as she is good friends with owner Will Farish (who some of my friends met at a deli in Kentucky last week - they were impressed because he seemed to know everyone's name, from the regulars to the staff).

In other news, Belmont winner Jazil will be trying the turf at Keeneland in the Elkhorn - we'll see how he takes to the surface. For those who live locally, Dr. Dean Richardson is giving a talk on May 9th for the Hatboro-Horsham Educational Foundation - more details here.

Update 1800: Here's the Wednesday update (a little early) from Shelley and Debra - remember to keep your calls friendly and polite for maximum effect:

National Call in Day is behind us but our job is NOT over. The GOOD news is that they received a huge number of calls. The BAD news is that the calls were from both sides!!

The Senate Committee on Science, Commerce & Transportation has a planned "mark-up" session on Wednesday, April 25th at 2:30 for S.311, The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act. This means the committee may debate, amend, or rewrite the proposed legislation, and they may also vote on whether or not to send the bill to the entire Senate for its consideration.

Pro slaughter is putting pressure on the Senate Committee on Commerce in their final attempt to derail the passage of the bill.

Here's what you need to do:

It is important that as many people as possible contact committee members asking them to vote for S311. This time around, we must also call/fax the cosponsors in this committee and ask them to speak out in support of S311 and urge their colleagues to join them in their support to pass S311 WITHOUT AMENDMENTS.

Please call EVERY member of the committee with a special emphasis on the following three senators:

1. Senator Bill Nelson, FL - (202)-224-5274 or Fax: (202)-228-2183

2. Senator Jim DeMint, SC - (202)-224-6121 or Fax: (202)-228-5143

3. Senator John Rockefeller, W. VA - (202)-224-6472 or Fax: (202)-224-7665

Please make your calls EARLY on Wednesday BEFORE it is debated in the committee!!

When S311 gets to the floor for a full vote, we will post new instructions. Today (Wednesday) we must put all of our efforts into the committee members to get it to the floor. Otherwise, there could be no tomorrow!!!!

We'll keep you updated as new developments arise.

Fingers crossed for a successful outcome..........

Shelley and Debra

Update 1799: Just a few quick reminders - the latest update is ready at Equine Heaven:

New update! Equine Heaven.
www.equine-heaven.com

And a gentle reminder from Friar Tuck below about calling your representitives -- keep up the good work:

This momentum is wonderful news! Remember: Keep it simple, direct (and polite!) when calling/faxing. We really need them to hear us, and you know the one about the spoonful of sugar helping the medicine go down...

Update 1798: While the graded earnings dance carries on this week, it's useful to remember that the 20 horses who usually fill the Derby starting gate are not always those who most deserve to be there -- recalling some of the gamesmanship that's kept worthy horses out of the field in the past (think Rock Hard Ten) can be a depressing exercise (which is why I called it gamesmanship rather than sportsmanship). In my perfect world, I've simplified everything and limited it to a (fairly opinionated) 15 horse field; while you can certainly make an argument for others and against some of these, I've always been of the opinion that 20 horses is too many and leads to traffic trouble that can keep the best horse from winning (think Afleet Alex). So, without further ado, The Superfecta Dream 15:

Any Given Saturday (always tries)
Chelokee (clearly talented)
Circular Quay (has earned it, layoff or no layoff)
Cowtown Cat (I'm not a believer, but he's showed he belongs)
Curlin (could be a freak, but hasn't proven it yet)
Great Hunter (a model of consistency in big races)
Hard Spun (numbers went up at the right time)
Liquidity (his workouts look a lot better than Cobalt Blue's do)
Nobiz Like Shobiz (blinkers on, please)
Scat Daddy (still not my pick, but I'd never overlook him)
Sedgefield (working on the 'toss the last race' principle)
Stormello (he's shown a lot of grit too)
Street Sense (impossible not to include)
Teuflesberg (not sure he wants the distance, but he's so hard-knocking)
Tiago (made the right move at the right time)

There, that wasn't so hard! Who needs 20? But seriously, it would be useful to shake up the selection process a bit. Graded earnings are a good start, but I like Steve Day's suggestion that the top 18 on graded earnings get an automatic berth, then there are two wildcard spots left up to a panel. That could overcome not only a lockout on earnings, but also prevent some of the more egregious maneuvering that sometimes goes on to keep specific horses out of the race.

But let's take a moment to focus on someone who's definitely in the race -- Hard Spun's jockey Mario Pino; it's amazing to think this is going to be his first Derby. He's a fantastic rider who has been well-known in Maryland and Delaware for years, it's great to see him get some national recognition at long last.

Update 1797: There will be a special winner's circle tribute to the Jacksons at this year's Kentucky Derby, between the 6th and 7th races. Barbaro's Derby victory will be replayed on the Churchill Downs screens and they will be presented with a check for the Barbaro Memorial Fund.

Update 1796: Here's the latest from Shelley & Debra:

This week could possibly be the "beginning of the end" for the slaughter of American horses. We need everyone's help for this huge push.....

The Senate Committee on Science, Commerce & Transportation has a planned "mark-up" session on Wednesday, April 25th at 2:30 for S.311, The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act. This means the committee may debate, amend, or rewrite the proposed legislation, and they may also vote on whether or not to send the bill to the entire Senate for its consideration.

Here's what you should know:

It's been reported that pro slaughter is putting pressure on all legislators, with a big push on the Senate Committee on Commerce in their final attempt to derail the passage of the bill.

Here's what you should do:

1. It is important that as many people as possible, ESPECIALLY constituents, contact committee members asking them to vote for S311. This time around, we must also call/fax the cosponsors in this committee and ask them to speak out in support of S311 and urge their colleagues to join them in their support.

2. Inside scoop: There are 11 of 23 committee members who will vote "YES" for this Bill to be released for a vote on the Senate floor. That means we need one more vote.

THE FOLLOWING SENATORS ARE OUR BEST CHANCE TO GET THE VOTES WE NEED ON THIS COMMITTEE. PLEASE CALL AND ASK THEM TO SUPPORT BILL S.311 WITHOUT AMENDMENTS.

1. Senator Bill Nelson, FL - (202)-224-5274 or Fax: (202)-228-2183

2. Senator Jim DeMint, SC - (202)-224-6121 or Fax: (202)-228-5143

3. Senator John Rockefeller, W. VA - (202)-224-6472 or Fax: (202)-224-7665

When S311 gets to the floor for a full vote, it is imperative that every senator has heard from their constituents. Remember, even if one is not a co-sponsor, the important part is that they vote FOR the bill. PLEASE keep calling your OWN senators this week!

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TUESDAY APRIL 24TH IS THE HUMANE SOCIETY'S NATIONAL CALL IN DAY. That is the day to get everyone you know involved in calling their representatives. Have them call their congress person for HR503 and their senators for S311. Remember to check the current list of co-sponsors so you do not call those that are already on board. We MUST make those phone lines light up!! This could be the final push to get this legislation passed. The momentum seems to be with us now......we can't lose it!!! click here

We'll keep you updated as new developments arise.

Shelley and Debra

Update 1795: Just a quick update for the moment (feel free to blame SEPTA for the brevity of this entry), with more to follow; as of now, things are where they were yesterday in terms of graded earnings - no official dropouts yet!

Update 1794: Mill Ridge added another photo of La Ville Rouge's colt to their website; he's a very alert-looking fellow!

Update 1793: Barbaro's legacy: A better life for horses is now online; it covers just about every angle of the Barbaro Effect, from efforts to end slaughter to funding for laminitis research and everything in between. FOBs and TWR are mentioned specifically thanks to Alex, so have a read and enjoy the spotlight!

Update 1792: Hard Spun had a good workout at Keeneland, and Equine Heaven has a new message:

New Update!
Equine Heaven
www.equine-heaven.com

Update 1791: Here's Teresa's report from Keeneland:

For several years, a horse racing friend of mine and I have been talking about going to Keeneland. He wrote his master's thesis on horse racing and is currently working on a book about the architecture of racetracks, and he is my most reliable track friend. Finally, this weekend, we made it happen. In what some may term an insane road trip, we left Brooklyn at dawn on Friday, drove to Lexington, spent Saturday there, and drove back to Brooklyn today. But it was worth every minute!

We began Saturday with the morning workouts. In addition to seeing the glory of Keeneland without all the crowds, and witnessing the majesty of thoroughbreds in the morning light, I had a quick groupie-type conversation with Nick Zito ("Hi, Mr. Zito, I'm from Brooklyn, too, and a big fan of yours") and watched a wonderful moment with Michael Matz. As I stood by the rail watching the horses, Mr. Matz rode up on his pony to a group of children standing there; he let them pet his pony, and then handed them peppermints so that they could feed them to the pony. "Just hold your hand out flat and he'll take it-that's what he's looking for," he said, as the pony nuzzled the children. Unfortunately, I think the children were all too skittish to give it a go. Nonetheless, it was wonderful to watch. If any of you watched the ESPN coverage of the race, the incident with Chelokee happened as Michael was talking to the children, and he took off on his pony. I looked around the track to see if I could figure out what had happened, fearful of the worst; I was relieved when I watched my TiVo'd coverage tonight to see that all is well.

We then dashed off for a quick visit to the Kentucky Horse Park. We sped through the museum, lingered in the gift shop, and wandered the grounds in perfect timing to "meet" Cigar and Da Hoss, the latter of whom particularly is a perfect model, posing for the cameras in several positions. Anyone who has read Glenye Cain's The Home Run Horse knows the inspirational story of Da Hoss. Since his retirement, he certainly seems to be eating well, as evidenced by a delightfully round equine belly.

The weather in Lexington was glorious, beautifully warm and sunny, which of course added to the experience. We felt so lucky, given that the week before, Keeneland was 40 degrees and raining. We got a spot on a bench on the apron just at the finish line, lucky for us, as I later learned that I chose to attend Keeneland on the very day that an attendance record was broken-33,000+, more than had ever attended Keeneland in its history! No wonder things felt a little crowded. We were fortunate to have sat ourselves next to a native Kentuckian and his wife, who is from the NYC area; while I hate to indulge in stereotypes, Southern hospitality was alive and well-I don't think my glass was empty the whole time we sat together!

The racing was spectacular-a bizarre mix of chalk (favorites) and amazing longshots. I'm not sure whether I can blame the Polytrack, but I found handicapping quite difficult; I hit several early races, and then gave back most of my winnings. For the Lexington, I keep looking and looking at Slew's Tizzy, and finally talked myself out of betting this longshot-ah, what a regret THAT is! I don't know if I've ever seen a feature race whose exacta paid $1,000-I'd love to know how many people had it. My one consolation in the race is that a former student of mine, Helen Pitts, who now trains in Kentucky, trained the horse who finished fourth, Trust Your Luck. It seemed clear that Belgravia had something physically wrong; he'd run well off his last layoff, and it was shocking that he faded so quickly. I read today that he'd bled, which would certainly explain the way he raced at the end.

Having grown up in Saratoga, there was something that felt familiar about Keeneland: the pride in and beauty of the architecture; the party/family atmosphere (so different from the hardcore gambling at Aqueduct!); the sense that there is a limited opportunity to enjoy this beautiful place, and that people should take advantage of it. That sense, along with the success of Del Mar (where I've never been) makes me think about how successful these "boutique" race meets are: short meets, quality horses, beautiful settings-is that the future of horse racing? Or does it lie in year-round or longer meets supplemented by other types of gambling? Jay Hovdey writes about this in Saturday's Daily Racing Form, and the decision by a community in northern California not to open a racetrack associated with slot machines.

Though I spent nearly 24 hours in the car this weekend, and about 36 in Lexington, it was entirely worth it. My day at Keeneland could not have been any more perfect (OK, maybe if I'd made a profit!), and if any of you ever has a chance to go...GO! You won't regret it.

Update 1790: In today's news, Dick Jerardi makes the case that none of the 'local' horses like Hard Spun are really local and also notes about Slew's Tizzy that 'philosophies have been known to change when owners get Derby Fever.' Indeed, it seems like that's becoming more of a possibility -- trainer Greg Fox most recently said:

"Our feeling right now is we really don't want to commit to anything, positive or negative," he said, referring to discussions with owner Joe LaCombe. "There's no decision absolutely yes or absolutely no. There's no reason we have to decide today. We don't have to make a decision till entry day, actually."

Xchanger (now up for sale) and Imawildandcrazyguy are both back in the Derby mix, which is bad news for Chelokee -- but things are very fluid right now, we'll have to wait and see how it all shakes out.

Update 1789: While Xchanger's victory in the Federico Tesio was a bit of a surprise, it was nothing compared to Slew's Tizzy huge upset in the Coolmore Lexington.

What that means in terms of graded earnings for the Derby is that Chelokee is stuck at number 22 on the list; however, Slew's Tizzy's trainer, Greg Fox (a former vet) said:

"Our philosophy is that we don't run horses back in two weeks," said Fox when asked if Slew's Tizzy will run in the Derby on May 5.

After a great performance it can be hard to keep owners from getting Derby fever; we'll see how it all turns out. Speaking of Chelokee, there's a good article on Chelokee and Michael Matz in the Inquirer today -- here's hoping he makes it into the field. In other local horse news, there's a story about Hard Spun's masseuse -- it takes a village!

Finally, while we are all looking forward to Barbaro's birthday celebration, it's nice to see there are some other fun benefits coming up -- Avalon in Louisville will be hosting a Secretariat-themed fundraiser May 1 . The official Secretariat.com site features a story on the rescue of Secretariat's half-brother from a Texas feedlot
and you can register for the benefit here.

And this is a bit late, but please enjoy the latest Equine Heaven update from Saturday at www.equine-heaven.com

Update 1788: Just a quick Alex update from the UK. Gorgeous weather here, off to Cornwall today. Hawty Creek ran well yesterday, but she was in a little trouble around the first turn and was last down the backside. No one was going to match the winner, and the jockey said he felt she would be better off sprinting than going long. Oh well, she ran hard again, she is certainly a game and consistent mare! OK, back offline for me and back to Superfecta for more updates.

Update 1787: Hawty Creek's race at Philadelphia Park today was held up slightly by the Michael Dickinson-trained Queen's Report fussing a bit before loading; Hawty Creek was a little wide around the first turn but no one was going to catch Seeking an Angel who pulled away to win by something like 15 lengths, but she did hang in for third!

Update 1786: The latest anti-slaughter update is now online.

Update 1785: Here's an update on Gator Nation's race yesterday: he ran in the 10th at Laurel and was impeded badly going into the first turn, but stuck in to finish fourth -- he was moved up to third, ahead of the horse who finished second as a result of the traffic trouble. Well done, Gator Nation!

Update 1784: Hello all --

Superfecta here, deputizing for Alex; naturally much of the news this morning is on Barbaro's newest full sibling, born yesterday morning at Mill Ridge Farm. There's a picture of the new colt here and some more detail about La Ville Rouge's other foals here. I'll add more links throughout the weekend as they appear.

In the 'litigation - it's not just for 3-year-olds' category we have an appearance by Lawyer Ron, whose owners are arguing over his racing career. As of now, he's being pointed toward the Metropolitan Mile, but his next move could well be decided by the courts. It's clearly a busy season in Kentucky legal circles.

Things are not so rosy for Godolphin either; Ashkal Way has a tendon injury and it sounds as though he might return to training in the future, but it's equally possible that he might head toward retirement. Discreet Cat is also delaying his return to the races (and to the US), but the indication (so far) is that he will re-appear later this year. His absence will no doubt make the Met Mile more attractive for Lawyer Ron...if he's allowed to race!

For today's Coolmore Lexington, we're told to 'look for quicker pace than Blue Grass' -- I'm awarding them my Understatement of the Month award in advance. I still like the Lasix-free Belgravia. More later!

Update 1783: I am about to catch my flight to england, and will be back late wednesday. In the meantime Superfecta will keep adding appropriate updates in my absense. Comments will be closed and the discussion board will be maintained by WendyMI. I look forward to returning.

For my final update here is a report from Jeannine Edwards with regard to the Lexington run tomorrow and broadcast on ESPN2 6 - 7 pm:

The sun is finally out! It's gorgeous here in Lexington, KY. Tomorrow is our last show before the Kentucky Derby week frenzy at Churchill begins. The Lexington Stakes is sort of a non-descript field of horses who are still sorting themselves out, but I think it's safe to say the winner will most likely reappear in two weeks in the Derby. For the most part, it's just too hard to resist the temptation.

We will cover the Lexington extensively because we have plenty of time in the show (6-7pm ET). Soaring By is a Todd Plecher trainee who is hoping to get back on track. Todd said they really liked the horse last year leading up and after his impressive debut in July at Belmont. But when he broke through the starting gate before the Louisiana Derby, he pretty much spent his race right there. Todd said now here we are, April 20, and 0 graded earnings. (Needed to get in the KY Derby field.) So tomorrow is Soaring By's last chance.

Patrick Biancone trains Belgravia, another colt looking to get back on track after a lengthy layoff over the winter. Belgravia developed a severe lung infection in mid February. He was in CA and they were pointing him to the Bob Lewis Stakes, which he never made. This is a colt who was purchased for $2 million as a yearling, and they've had high expectations for him ever since. Patrick told me "he's got it all.... he tries hard, he has natural speed and stamina, and tremendous acceleration, he can follow any pace." He said they are very anxious and happy to have him back in the races. If he runs impressively tomorrow, he will run back in the Preakness.

Forty Grams is another who needs to step it up a notch and prove he belongs. The Steve Asmussen-trained colt ran 3rd most recently in the WinStar Derby, a race Steve said "he should have won. He got himself beat that day." The colt was nervous after shipping in to NM, never relaxed, and was keyed up in the race. He raced very aggressively amidst a fast pace, and then never switched leads. Steve said they were very disappointed in him that day. They are hoping he'll relax early and then switch leads when the time comes tomorrow. He breaks from Post 1, so he very well could end up on the lead.

There are several other nice horses in the race, including Joe Got Even (3rd in the Lane's End behind Hard Spun) and Trust Your Luck (2nd in the Rushaway behind Dominican.) We're also televising the Federico Tesio from Pimlico. Usually we get a Preakness starter from the Tesio, and this year we could see Etude add his name to that list. He's a very talented, promising colt just now starting to figure things out, and tomorrow he takes another step in his career progression. Xchanger is also in the race, and his connections haven't completely ruled out a start in the KY Derby if all goes well tomorrow.

Part of our coverage tomorrow includes a look at the KY Derby field as it stands now, the latest graded earnings list, and I'll have an interview with Michael Matz, at his barn with Chelokee, as we discuss Chelokee's Derby status and how tomorrow's Lexington Stakes could impact Chelokee's Derby chances. (He's currently #21 on the list.... just outside of the Derby starting gate.) We'll also get updates from some trainers with horses in last week's big Derby prep races, we'll take a closer look at Polytrack and how it's affecting racing/training, and we'll have several reports and interviews with the participants in the Lexington.

It's our last stop on the Road To The Derby.... we're all very excited about the Derby field and how it's shaping up.

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