Gulfstream Park Notebook

GULFSTREAM PARK NOTEBOOK

FEBRUARY 25, 2005

by Dick Powell

Jerry Bailey is flirting with the thought of retirement this year and it's

very possible that after this year's Triple Crown races and publicity tour for

his new book, we could see Jerry ride off into the sunset and onto the set of a

network broadcasting gig. His business is down and he only seems to be riding

top horses for trainers like Bobby Frankel and Bill Mott.

After seven weeks of racing, Bailey has only 85 mounts at this year's Gulfstream meet, by far the least of any of the top riders. Jerry

picks his spots more carefully than ever and usually represents little

pari-mutuel value to us players.

In Saturday's Shirley Jones H. (G2), Bailey had the mount on the brilliant

MADCAP ESCAPADE (Hennessy), who won her first four starts last year, the first three

coming at Gulfstream. Her only blemish in five starts last season was when she went way

too fast on a muddy track in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) and was caught by eventual

three-year-old filly champion Ashado (Saint Ballado).

Off for 295 days, Madcap Escapade was training brilliantly for trainer Frank

Brothers and the public sent her off as the 3-5 favorite in the Shirley Jones.

Second in the betting at just under 4-1 was Society Selection (Coronado's

Quest), who did her best racing last year on wet tracks at Saratoga when she won

the Alabama S. and Test S. -- both Grade 1s. The Allen Jerkens trainee ran

poorly in the Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) at Lone Star in October and was making

her first start off a series of five and six furlong workouts at Gulfstream.

Cornelio Velasquez had the mount.

Third in the betting was Alix M (End Sweep), who upset Bear Fan (Pine Bluff)

in the Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Sprint in her last start and seemed to

have a fitness advantage over her layoff rivals.

At the start of the seven-furlong contest, Society Selection stumbled badly in

post 2 and Madcap Escapade swerved in from post 1 to avoid her. After the

race, Frank Brothers said that he wanted to throw up at the break. That's how

bad it was. With the race hardly 50 yards out, the two favorites were in big

trouble. You would think that Alix M should have had a five-length uncontested

lead at this point, but it didn't happen.

Like a blur, Bailey got Madcap Escapade straightened out and as soon as she

was five lengths behind at the start, she was three lengths in front after

running a quarter mile in :22.65. And, despite making up so much ground in so

little time, she was running very relaxed for Bailey, who had her in cruise

control. Society Selection trailed throughout and Alix M was doing all the

chasing in second place.

After a half in :44.86, Madcap Escapade flew by the eighth pole, covering six

furlongs in 1:09.10. Finally, it looked like she was about to pay for her

earlier exertions, but Bailey kept her smooth to the wire and she won by two

lengths in the very fast time of 1:22.06, which is a new track record for the

refurbished Gulfstream main track. Alix M was a one-paced second, chasing the

speed every step of the way, and Society Selection finished dead last.

Brothers was able to get Madcap Escapade to stretch out to two turns last

year when she upset Ashado in the Ashland S. (G1) at Keeneland last year and it will be

interesting to see where she goes next. Being by Hennessy out of a Saratoga Six

mare, she's not going to go much farther than 1 1/16 miles and maybe the Apple

Blossom (G1) at Oaklawn on April 9 will be on her agenda. As fast as she is,

she owns a terrific cruising speed and should be able to handle the middle

distances. But, she'll have to break better than she did last Saturday.

Another rider in the Gulfstream news is Kieren Fallon who has aborted his

plans to ride in America full time and has now returned to Europe to wait for

the flat season to begin. With Coolmore's stable rider Jamie Spencer

self-destructing in last year's Breeders' Cup, Fallon denies that he'll have

first call on Aidan O'Brien's juggernaut. He says he's committed to Sir Michael

Stoute for the season but as recently as Sunday was seen playing golf in

Barbados with John Magnier, master of Coolmore, which has the British tabloids

in an uproar.

Fallon's Florida experiment was fun to watch. I don't think I have ever seen

a world-class rider get his horses into more trouble than Fallon. Go back and

read the chart comments of his mounts - mostly on turf - and you will see the

words “blocked," “steadied" and “checked" used repeatedly. Plus, “broke slow"

was a given.

On Gulfstream's blazing-fast turf course, Fallon's mounts all too often did

not break with the field and rushed up into traffic. He was usually content to

sit in behind horses but when someone pulled up alongside him, he usually had

nowhere to go. When he had daylight, horses responded to his hands and

heels and there is no doubt that he's one of the world's great riders. He probably benefited from the experience of racing here, something that Jamie

Spencer could use.

Wednesday (2/16)

2ND - GONE FORMAL (Formal Dinner) was a first time starter that lost all

chance when he hit the gate at the start, rushed up to take the lead and then

weakened.

5TH - CHILLY ROOSTER (Arch) was fit and ready to go in his second start off a

six-month layoff but had traffic problems in the deep stretch.

7TH - UNPLUGGED (Untuttable) is a speedball that was used hard from post 12

and was caught in the deep stretch.

Thursday (2/17)

4TH - MEADOW FUN (Meadow Monster) was hard used coming out of the chute going

a mile and wound up in tight quarters. He still continued on nicely and responded

well to Chavez, who rode him for the first time.

6TH - CHARISMATIC ROB (Charismatic) was outkicked to the wire when he ran

into traffic on the far turn in his second start off a long layoff.

8TH - MAGIC KITTY (Storm Cat) ran well in her turf debut off only one dirt

sprint and should improve with another maiden turf try.

Friday (2/18)

3RD - HIDDEN PEAK (Peaks and Valleys) had a nightmare trip in his second

lifetime start and still was good enough to get second in decent time. Won't be

a maiden for long.

6TH - THUNDER AGAIN (Thunder Gulch) pressed a very fast pace three-wide

before weakening late in his first start off a 126-day layoff.

7TH - TURNKEY JOB (Gulch) wasn't able to use his speed to best advantage when

he couldn't clear the field and would probably run better going two turns.

8TH - KEEPING WATCH (Danehill) lost all chance at the start when she stumbled

badly but ran well after that despite being forced four wide on the far turn.

Saturday (2/19)

5TH - MAJOR MECKE (Mecke) has been finishing his races real strong lately

since being dropped down to this class level and bears watching.

7TH - WALL STREET (Fusaichi Pegasus) wound up pressing the pace on the inside

and never really got a breather. He was caught by a stablemate but was much the

best of the rest.

9TH - ALPHABET SCOUT (Alphabet Soup) got caught between horses when

contesting the pace in his second start off a long layoff.

11TH - BAENA (El Prado [Ire]) made a huge middle move before weakening late

and was only beaten a length in decent time.

Sunday (2/20)

9TH - MASTER COMMAND (A.P. Indy) rallied from last to get second in his

career debut going short. $650,000 yearling purchase should be much tougher

going longer with Velazquez added.

Monday (2/21)

6TH - DON AGUSTIN (Gilded Time) recovered well after being bumped so hard at

the start that his rider lost his iron.

9TH - OUR EXPLOIT (Exploit) held well despite being forced to run a sub 24

second third-quarter going a mile.