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THOROUGHBRED BEAT JULY 9, 2009 by James Scully East Coast sensation -- GOZZIP GIRL (Dynaformer) strutted home an impressive 3 1/4-length winner, trouncing a full field of 14 three-year-old fillies in Sunday's American Oaks (G1), and the other East Coast-based runner in the field, MAGICAL AFFAIR (Giant's Causeway), lost all chance when stopped cold in upper stretch, eventually finishing fourth after an extremely troubled trip. These two fillies were much better than their West Coast counterparts, as well as three international shippers, in the 1 1/4-mile turf affair at Hollywood Park. Gozzip Girl is developing into a beast on the lawn, winning five of six lifetime turf attempts, including three graded stakes, and the Tom Albertrani-trained miss just missed in a Grade 1 on Polytrack, finishing second by a neck in the Ashland S. (G1). She earned a career-best 101 BRIS Speed rating on Sunday and is poised to step up and defeat elders this fall. Bishop showdown -- The Travers S. (G1) is the main event at The Spa on August 29, with Triple Crown race winners Mine That Bird (Birdstone), Rachel Alexandra (Medaglia d'Oro) and Summer Bird (Birdstone) all possible for "Mid-Summer Derby," and the King's Bishop (G1) promises to be an outstanding event on the undercard. We witnessed a pair of top-quality sophomore sprinters dominate older competition last weekend, with MUNNINGS (Speightstown) cruising to an easy score in Saturday's Tom Fool H. (G2) and ZENSATIONAL (Unbridled's Song) comfortably wiring his foes in Sunday's Triple Bend H. (G1), and these talented colts are on a collision course at Saratoga. They figure to face stiff competition in a deep renewal of the King's Bishop, which could include CAPT CANDYMAN CAN (Candy Ride [Arg]), who showed his immense skills at seven furlongs with convincing wins in the Hutcheson S. (G2), Bay Shore S. (G3) and Matt Winn S. this season; once-beaten EVERYDAY HEROES (Awesome Again), who registered a 108 BRIS Speed rating for his smashing victory in the Hirsch Jacobs S. (G3) two back and exits a commendable second to Munnings in the Woody Stephens S. (G2); Grade 3 hero and seven-furlong specialist BIG DRAMA (Montbrook), who is a candidate to cut back to the King's Bishop following a start in the Haskell (G1); and CUSTOM FOR CARLOS (More Than Ready), who recorded a 107 Speed number for his terrific 6 1/4-length tally in Sunday's Jersey Shore S. (G3). It's an exciting group of three-year-olds. Suburban woes -- DRY MARTINI (Slew Gin Fizz) ran a big race Saturday, recording a career-best 109 BRIS Speed rating for his two-length decision in the Suburban H. (G2), but he didn't beat much in the less-than-stellar edition of the 123-year-old event. Runner-up Asiatic Boy (Arg) (Not for Sale) didn't want any part of the 10-furlong distance and won't be on the racing scene much longer, with an impending trip to South America for the winter/spring breeding season. Third-placer Rising Moon (Runaway Groom) hasn't won since capturing an allowance/optional claiming event in May 2008. Dry Martini rounded out 2008 with a third in the Queens County H. (G3) and dropped his first three starts this season. However, he entered the Suburban on the upswing, posting a narrow win in the Three Coins Up S. at Belmont, and is now a huge presence in a gloomy older horse division on the East Coast. There's little quality to be found. Filly highweight -- The East Coast older horse division is weak, and the two best older horses on the West Coast are females. Zenyatta (Street Cry [Ire]) would be odds-on in Saturday's Hollywood Gold Cup (G1), but she's not running. That leaves her stablemate, the four-year-old filly LIFE IS SWEET (Storm Cat), as the one to beat. Winner of the Santa Margarita Invitational (G1), La Canada (G2) and El Encino (G2) earlier this year, the John Shirreffs-trained lass will meet 12 undistinguished male rivals. Summit -- A pair of champions will be on display at Calder Saturday in the Summit of Speed program, with BENNY THE BULL (Lucky Lionel) facing five rivals in the Smile Sprint H. (G2) and INDIAN BLESSING (Indian Charlie) meeting eight foes in the Princess Rooney H. (G1). Their best will get the job done, but I'll try to beat both heavy favorites. Benny the Bull is probably the most daunting task, given his strong runner-up effort last time in the True North H. (G2) that netted a 106 BRIS Speed rating, but he's a threat to regress under a 124-pound impost in his second start back off the lengthy layoff. I like the inside speed, IKIGAI (Whywhywhy). Indian Blessing will face a deeper group off a disappointing fourth in the Desert Stormer H. at Hollywood, and I'll willing to take a stand against horses that don't appear to be in top form. MARINA BALLERINA (Outflanker) is three-for-three at Calder, including a smart wire-to-wire score in the June 13 U Can Do It H. that garnered a 105 Speed number, and I'll stay with the hot horse. Night racing -- After attending night racing at other tracks, I would've never anticipated its success at Churchill Downs. I think it turned out bigger than any one predicted, with approximately 90,000 people attending the three-program experiment, and it's a winning formula for years to come. The track turned into a place to hang out, with bands and reduced food and drink prices attracting people of all ages, and I think there's something to the idea of holding Breeders' Cup races under the lights: it would attract larger crowds and bigger television audiences. Experiment with it on the Friday program at Churchill in 2010. If the evening card proves successful, the Breeders' Cup can continue to incorporate it in the future. But it's difficult to imagine the Breeders' Cup getting much right presently. The organization lost in the stock market and faces a big deficit. They spent money researching a ridiculous proposal, openly suggesting the idea at the 2007 Breeders' Cup, of holding the Breeders' Cup in Hong Kong or Europe. And they've seemingly aligned themselves with Santa Anita, making the controversial decision to run over the Pro-Ride in Southern California two straight years. I don't understand the mindset. When asked about the possibility of Belmont Park hosting the event in 2011, Breeders' Cup Chief Marketing Officer Peter Land told Daily Racing Form, "It will depend on whether people want to stay on the East Coast for two years in a row (2010-11) or return to California." Churchill isn't on the East Coast.
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