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TURF DIARY AUGUST 8, 2009 In this edition, we'll recap the Man o' War S. (G1), preview Saturday's Arlington Million (G1) and Secretariat S. (G1), assess developments among the milers, and take a quick look ahead to the August 15 Sword Dancer Invitational (G1). Architect of victory: If GIO PONTI (Tale of the Cat) had been defeated in the July 11 Man o' War at Belmont, he would have had a few reasonable excuses. The Christophe Clement pupil was widest of all on both turns, rating off a pedestrian pace in his first crack at 1 3/8 miles, and spotting the early leader MUSKETIER (Ger) (Acatenango) five pounds to boot. Not only did Gio Ponti blithely surmount those obstacles, but he turned in his most impressive performance of the season, and confirmed his status as pro-tempore division leader. The Man o' War unfolded very differently from Gio Ponti's past two scores in the Frank E. Kilroe Mile H. (G1) and Manhattan H. (G1). Those were contested at a far more taxing pace. In the latter two, he raced about a dozen or so lengths back before getting up in the final strides, exploding late while the field was slowing down. Because of the early crawl in the Man o' War, Gio Ponti naturally found himself much closer, just about three lengths or so behind. But he was also forced to rally just when the front-running Musketier was accelerating; the field had to quicken just to keep pace with Musketier, and quicken still further to try to overtake him. Of the exceptional field assembled for the Man o' War, only Gio Ponti had the brilliant speed to reel in the tactically-advantaged pacesetter. Like a miler among stayers, he produced the blistering change of gear that has become his trademark. Readily blowing past Musketier, Gio Ponti opened up through a final furlong in roughly :11 3/5 to win by a comfortable 1 3/4 lengths. In the process, the bay colt showed the polymath panache worthy of the original Gio Ponti, the renowned Italian architect and designer of the 20th century. Musketier, a surprising addition to the Man o' War, repelled all other comers in a career-best effort. The Roger Attfield charge was coming off a four-length tally in the Singspiel S. (Can-G3) at Woodbine, and he vindicated his trainer's judgment to pitch him into the deep end. Musketier held on for second by a half-length from QUIJANO (Ger) (Acatenango), who was exiting his second straight triumph in the Gran Premio di Milano (Ity-G1). Fourth-place finisher CHINCHON (Ire) (Marju) closed boldly to the inside about the same time that Gio Ponti was storming on the outside, and the French shipper loomed as a brief threat. Unlike Gio Ponti, Chinchon could not sustain his turn of foot, hit the wall at the eighth-pole and was outfinished late. DANCING FOREVER (Rahy) was disappointing in eighth, but an explanation soon came to light. Trainer Shug McGaughey told Daily Racing Form that the Phipps Stable homebred sustained a suspensory injury during the race and recently underwent surgery. Dancing Forever is obviously hors de combat for a while. Arlington Million: Gio Ponti will attempt to extend his winning streak to four in Arlington's signature event. He's been bullet-proof recently in terms of ground description, pace scenario and distance, but like everyone else in the field, he'll be chasing front runner extraordinaire PRESIOUS PASSION (Royal Anthem). In his last three races over marathon distances, Presious Passion has reeled off his 1 1/4-mile split in 2:01 2/5 (last December's W.L. McKnight H. [G2] at Calder), 2:00 3/5 (February's Mac Diarmida S. [G2] at Gulfstream) and 1:59 (the July 4 United Nations S. [G1] at Monmouth). The Mary Hartmann veteran promises to set off like the proverbial scalded cat at Arlington, and if he's at the top of his game, he's likely to flirt with a sub-2:00 final time for the 10 furlongs. Presious Passion doesn't figure to slow down appreciably; he'll probably have to be caught at full tilt. On the other hand, he's up against a terrific field, superior to those he's been crushing of late. [Saturday update: Contrary to original expectations of firm turf at Arlington, rain has persisted enough to downgrade the course to "yielding" as of early this afternoon. Presious Passion is a card-carrying firm turfer -- the firmer, the better -- so this development is not welcome news to his camp. He's done well, if not spectacularly, on "good" going, but he's tended to flop on yielding ground. The lone exception to this rule of thumb was his narrow victory in the 2008 UN on yielding turf.] While Gio Ponti has already demonstrated the ability to quicken off a fast pace (especially going shorter), EINSTEIN (Brz) (Spend a Buck) has rarely been involved in such rapidly-run contests. Indeed, not since the 2008 Donn H. (G1) on the dirt has Einstein participated in a race with a :46-and-change half. For most of his career, the nearly-black stallion has encountered moderate fractions, occasionally setting them himself, or more often tracking them. How might the Helen Pitts-Blasi charge handle the culture shock? I suspect that a fast pace will play to his strengths, accentuating his stamina and turning the Million into a war of attrition. The last two times Einstein got a marginally quicker tempo on firm turf, in the 2008 Gulfstream Park Turf (G1) and the 2007 Mervin H. Muniz Jr. Memorial H. (G2), he won. Of course, Einstein is game, genuine and versatile enough to have scored in a variety of conditions, but the point remains that this kind of set-up may suit him best. JUST AS WELL (A.P. Indy) booked his Million ticket with a driving, last-to-first triumph in the July 11 Arlington H. (G3) at this course and distance for Jonathan Sheppard. Although that wasn't the deepest field, the well-related six-year-old deserves credit for uncorking a strong rally off a snail-like pace. Earlier this campaign, Just as Well was an outstanding second to an in-form Kip Deville (Kipling) in the Gulfstream Park Turf, and two starts ago, he was a similarly good runner-up in the Dixie S. (G2). Those formlines tie in with Einstein, Gio Ponti and Presious Passion to varying degrees, suggesting that Just as Well could be a sleeper here. MR. SIDNEY (Storm Cat), a rallying fourth to Presious Passion in the Mac Diarmida, has arguably improved in the interim. I've been critical of the fact that his Maker's Mark Mile (G1) and Firecracker (G2) coups have come on yielding ground (handily beating Just as Well in the former), and he's taking a major class hike here. The royally-bred Bill Mott trainee should be closing late, but will it be enough to make his presence felt? RECAPTURETHEGLORY (Cherokee Run) was an unexpected late nomination for the Million. The Louie Roussel charge has both class and distance concerns in this spot, and his best chance might have been lulling the field to sleep on the front end. That tactic's gone out of the window with Presious Passion's arrival. Still, Recapturetheglory was fifth in Big Brown's Kentucky Derby (G1), and as a fellow New Orleans native who remembers Risen Star, I wouldn't mind seeing him outrun his odds. Invasion force: Of the three international raiders in Arlington Million XXVII, CIMA DE TRIOMPHE (Ire) (Galileo [Ire]) brings the strongest credentials on form. After winning last year's Derby Italiano (Ity-G1), the gray was announced as a candidate for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Fr-G1), implying that his connections regarded him quite highly. He failed to land a blow at Longchamp, winding up ninth to the matchless Zarkava, and was transferred to the crafty Luca Cumani over the winter. Sixth in his seasonal debut in the Prix Ganay (Fr-G1), he was beaten a grand total of 3 1/2 lengths by Vision d'Etat (Chichicastenango), who went on to capture the Prince of Wales's S. (Eng-G1) at Royal Ascot. "Cima" rebounded next time out to pip champion Conduit (Ire) (Dalakhani) on the head-bob in the Brigadier Gerard S. (Eng-G3), where he benefited from a seven-pound weight concession. When facing Conduit at level weights in the deep Eclipse S. (Eng-G1) last time out on July 4, Cima was put firmly in his place in fourth, five lengths behind third-placer Conduit. Neither could hold a candle to three-year-old phenom Sea the Stars (Cape Cross [Ire]). The Eclipse has turned out to be an unusually key race. Runner-up Rip Van Winkle (Galileo [Ire]) has since thrashed older horses in the Sussex S. (Eng-G1), and Conduit went on to win the prestigious King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. (Eng-G1). Cima was under strong consideration for the King George, but ultimately passed in favor of going to Arlington, a big hint that Cumani is high on his chances here. The four-year-old will love the fast pace to set up his late kick, but he can't allow himself to get too far behind the rest of the pack. [Saturday update: The Eclipse got yet another form boost when sixth-place finisher Jukebox Jury (Montjeu [Ire]) came back to defeat a solid group of older horses in today's Rose of Lancaster S. (Eng-G3) at Haydock.] Cumani presumably has a line on fellow shipper GLORIA DE CAMPEAO (Brz) (Impression), a Pascal Bary trainee, who was all out to hang on from the Cumani-trained Presvis (Sakhee) in the May 17 Singapore Airlines International Cup (Mal-G1). "Gloria" enjoyed a more favorable trip than Presvis at Kranji, prompting a steady pace before spurting away in the stretch. Presvis was compromised by the outermost post, and by being reserved far off the crawl, yet rolled home late to miss by a diminishing head. Considering that Presvis had just won the Queen Elizabeth II Cup (HK-G1), and had finished second to Gladiatorus (Silic [Fr]) in the tough Dubai Duty Free (UAE-G1) two back, Gloria's effort was clearly a career-best. Note also that he smashed the Kranji course record to finish 1 1/4 miles in 1:59 1/5. Gloria, who was a remote runner-up to Well Armed (Tiznow) in the Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1) two starts ago, should be forwardly placed in the chasing pack, and is likely to get first run on the closers. The Walter Swinburn-trained STOTSFOLD (GB) (Barathea [Ire]) was third to Cima and Conduit in the Brigadier Gerard, and came back to score over an iffy bunch in the June 18 La Coupe (Fr-G3). Plans called for the multiple Group 3-winning gelding to prep for Arlington in the July 25 York S. (Eng-G2), but he was scratched because of rain-softened ground. I'm not convinced that he would have beaten the impressive Kirklees (Jade Robbery) that day in any event, and it's difficult to make a case for why Stotsfold should turn the tables on Cima. Secretariat: Unfortunately, only one foreign invader is lining up in the 1 1/4-mile prize for sophomores. Technically, he's not even foreign any more, since he's now owned by an American group who purchased him from Coolmore, but BLACK BEAR ISLAND (Ire) (Sadler's Wells) is very attractive, by whatever description. A full brother to dual classic hero and two-time Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) winner High Chaparral (Ire), the Aidan O'Brien colt is taking a considerable class drop in this spot. The last time he raced left-handed on a galloping course like Arlington, he finished powerfully to capture the 1 5/16-mile Dante S. (Eng-G2) at York. The bay was well beaten in his next three at 1 1/2 miles -- 10th in the Derby (Eng-G1) at undulating Epsom, third in the right-handed King Edward VII (Eng-G2) and seventh in the right-handed Grand Prix de Paris (Fr-G1). Black Bear Island should relish the conditions, as well as the class relief, on tap in the Secretariat. It could also be significant that Johnny Murtagh makes the trek to ride the soon-to-be ex-Ballydoyle colt. Furthermore, it's disappointing that neither Battle of Hastings (GB) (Royal Applause [GB]) nor Straight Story (Giant's Causeway) is in the Secretariat. The two followed up their Colonial Turf Cup (G2) duel with another thrilling stretch struggle in the July 18 Virginia Derby (G2), where Battle of Hastings prevailed again. The form of both races looks rock solid, as the same horses filled the top four placings in each. Representing this sterling Virginia form in the Secretariat is TAKE THE POINTS (Even the Score), who was fourth in the Colonial Turf Cup and an improved third in the Virginia Derby. Although the Todd Pletcher colt strikes me as one-paced, he merits respect because he's coming out of the best three-year-old races on the grass so far this year. Several Secretariat contenders are exiting the American Derby (G2) over the course. Arlington Classic winner GIANT OAK (Giant's Causeway), a big, lumbering colt, got embroiled in a barging match in the American Derby and never recovered. Hopping onto his left lead when bumped, he was unable to get himself re-organized and crossed the wire a troubled fifth. Giant Oak was promoted to fourth via the disqualification of OIL MAN (Ire) (Pyrus), who was judged to have been the culprit for lugging in. Perhaps overlooked in the fracas was the remarkable rally turned in by the lightly-raced REB (Stormy Atlantic) in his stakes debut. Dead last of seven at the eighth-pole, the Rusty Arnold trainee was steered off the fence, around the field, and to the outside, launching an eye-catching charge to get up by a head. While it's true that he avoided the scrimmaging, Reb proved that he's a smart colt in the making to be able to close as he did, in only his fifth start. From the black-type rich family of Jolie's Halo (Halo), Southern Image (Halo's Image) and Sharrood (Caro [Ire]), Reb traces to the influential mare Myrtlewood (Blue Larkspur). Also noteworthy are LAUREATE CONDUCTOR (Bernstein), who hails from the same team as Gio Ponti and comes off a score in the July 5 Choice S. at Monmouth Park, and DRIVING SNOW (GB) (Verglas [Ire]), successful in the July 7 Oliver S. at Indiana Downs in his belated seasonal reappearance. Formerly based in Ireland, Driving Snow promises to be the answer to a trivia question one day: Who beat Sea the Stars in his career debut? Driving Snow captured that maiden last summer at the Curragh, with Black Bear Island second and Sea the Stars a close fourth. Of course, that was a lifetime ago, and Driving Snow still has something to prove at this level. [Update: The DRF is reporting that Driving Snow is injured and out of the Secretariat.] Le roi est mort; vive le roi? Last Sunday's Fourstardave H. (G2) at Saratoga marked a changing of the guard among the milers. JUSTENUFFHUMOR (Distorted Humor) might still be a "knucklehead," as Kiaran McLaughlin calls him, with issues at the gate, but the well-bred four-year-old handily dismissed a solid group in his stakes debut. In contrast, erstwhile sovereign KIP DEVILLE continued his retrograde motion with a poor eighth, and in so doing, lost his grip on the orb and scepter. Trainer Richard Dutrow reported that the gray is currently out of training, and that a nuclear scan was scheduled to determine if anything is amiss. Might Justenuffhumor, now five-for-five on turf, become his heir apparent? The Darley Stable colt showed plenty of natural talent in the Fourstardave, which was just his sixth lifetime start. Justenuffhumor relaxed early along the hedge, crept closer turning for home, professionally sliced between rivals, and bounded clear by 2 1/2 lengths. All the bay colt needs is the mental toughness that comes from seasoning. (For pedigree details on Justenuffhumor, see the "watch list" from last month's Turf Diary.) Justenuffhumor will likely head to the August 28 Bernard Baruch H. (G2), where he could get a rematch with Fourstardave third COWBOY CAL (Giant's Causeway). The Pletcher-trained Cowboy Cal experienced a bit of early pace pressure on the good turf in the Fourstardave, and was giving five pounds to Justenuffhumor. I don't think that either of those factors made much of a difference to the result, but it's arguable that the race may not have unfolded ideally for him. Another Bernard Baruch candidate could be Godolphin's TAM LIN (GB) (Selkirk), a wire-to-wire winner of the July 16 Double Feint S. at Belmont. Passing the bar: A more accomplished claimant to Kip's throne at present is Canadian turf champion RAHY'S ATTORNEY (Crown Attorney), who continues to build his case for a title defense in the September 20 Woodbine Mile (Can-G1). The Ian Black trainee stretched out to 1 1/4 miles in the Nijinsky S. (Can-G2), in which he finished fourth last year, and proved that the distance held no fears for him. Showing how much he has progressed, Rahy's Attorney stalked in second early, seized the lead on the far turn, powered five lengths clear, and gallantly held on from Canadian champion MARCHFIELD (A.P. Indy) by 1 3/4 lengths on the soft going. Finishing 5 3/4 lengths farther back was CHAMPS ELYSEES (GB) (Danehill). Rahy's Attorney has tactical speed and a ferocious will to win, two traits that make him dangerous. He was unable to win in his two forays away from Woodbine last season, but the five-year-old model looks ready to win anywhere. Opportunistic poacher: When a perfect storm of circumstances put paid to two of his rivals in the July 25 Eddie Read H. (G1) at Del Mar, GLOBAL HUNTER (Arg) (Jade Hunter) capitalized to earn his first top-level laurel. THORN SONG (Unbridled's Song), sporting blinkers that had been opened up by new trainer Mike Mitchell, had his head cocked to the right as he blasted to the early lead. That turned out to be an omen, for on the clubhouse turn, the gray violently lurched to his right and bolted to the outer rail. One down. Next, MONTEREY JAZZ (Thunderello), who had been drafting beautifully in second, much like his American H. (G2) victory, panicked when Tyler Baze had to snatch him up. With the fight-or-flight reaction aroused, there was no reasoning with Monterey Jazz, who sped off through fast fractions. They weren't as blazing as the splits he set in his course record-setting allowance score at Hollywood, but that was a flat mile over a different course, with a horse in happy rhythm. None of that applied to the 1 1/8-mile Eddie Read, and Monterey Jazz was noticeably tiring leaving the far turn. Two down. Enter Global Hunter, who happened to be in the right place at the right time. A clear second after Thorn Song checked out, Global Hunter enjoyed as much as a 4 1/2-length advantage over his nearest pursuer. When Monterey Jazz emptied in front of him, Global Hunter moved in for the kill, and got the jump on the rest. The A.C. Avila charge dispatched his prey through a mile in 1:34, and although he took a shade more than :12 to finish his final furlong, he did enough to bag the prize by a length from the closing AWESOME GEM (Awesome Again). As a barometer of how little the bare result means to the mile division, Global Hunter is now switching to sprinting on the Polytrack for Saturday's Bing Crosby H. (G1). Trainer Craig Dollase has mentioned that Awesome Gem could revert to Polytrack for the September 6 Pacific Classic (G1), or possibly dirt for the August 16 Longacres Mile (G3). Dollase had previously indicated that Monterey Jazz could go to Longacres. The wayward Thorn Song, however, is planning to make amends at the next logical opportunity on turf, the August 29 Del Mar Mile (G2). Salute the Colonel: The July 31 Wickerr S. at Del Mar looms as a much more informative race, unveiling a latent turf star in COLONEL JOHN (Tiznow), who sizzled one mile in 1:32 3/5 in his debut on the surface. Last year's Santa Anita Derby (G1) and Travers S. (G1) winner had not raced since his fourth in the Malibu S. (G1), and it would have been no shock if the distance were too short for him. Showing a real affinity for the grass, the Eoin Harty charge cruised along in midpack, then got himself into the race when advancing late on the backstretch. Colonel John was a mere two heads back in third through six furlongs in 1:09 -- an unthinkable position for him at that point in a sprint on dirt or synthetic, and strongly suggestive of his preference for the turf. He took command swinging for home and drove to a two-length victory over a solid field for a restricted event. Two-time Wickerr winner BECRUX (Ity) (Glen Jordan), who had been chasing Awesome Gem and Monterey Jazz in a pair of allowances, finished second. Harty now has an embarrassment of options for Colonel John, ranging from the Pacific Classic, to the September 5 Woodward S. (G1) on dirt, to an encore on turf in the Del Mar Mile. I wouldn't mind if "The Colonel" does an Einstein and bounces around all types of surfaces, but I surely hope that we see him back on the grass at a higher level in the future. Watch list: Godolphin's COLONY (Ire) (Statue of Liberty) finished a sneakily good third in the Double Feint in his return from a five-month layoff. Despite racing over a 1 1/16-mile trip that is much too short for him, and rating in last while Tam Lin enjoyed an uncontested lead through slow fractions, the Saeed bin Suroor colt delivered a useful closing kick and was beaten all of a length. Successful in the 1 1/2-mile King George V Heritage Handicap at Royal Ascot in 2008, Colony also beat MIDSHIPS (Mizzen Mast) and an immature Conduit in a handicap last year. They've clearly moved onwards and upwards since then, but Colony still bears watching. At first blush, WINCHESTER (Theatrical [Ire]) was disappointing in his return in last Saturday's 7TH race at Saratoga, but upon closer inspection, his debut for Clement was mildly encouraging. On the debit side of the ledger, last year's Secretariat conqueror was never in the hunt en route to finishing sixth. On the plus side, he was off slowly, lagged as many as 16 lengths behind a tepid pace, and actually made up 10 lengths in a little more than a half-mile. Moreover, it was only a 1 1/16-mile affair, and Winchester had needed 1 1/4 miles just to break his maiden. All things considered, Winchester did not do badly at all. The winner, SETTE E MEZZO (Dynaformer), is reportedly stakes-bound for Mott. On the horizon: GRAND COUTURIER (GB) (Grand Lodge), a belatedly-closing fifth in the Man o' War, has owned the 1 1/2-mile Sword Dancer Invitational at Saratoga for the past two years. The Robert Ribaudo charge will attempt an unprecedented hat trick next Saturday in his third start off the layoff. Among his potential opponents are Man o' War runner-up Musketier, third-placer Quijano, sixth MARSH SIDE (Gone West) and last Midships; LAURO (Ger) (Monsun) and BRASS HAT (Prized), respectively second and third to Presious Passion in the UN; the 10-year-old BETTER TALK NOW (Talkin Man), the winner of the 2004 Sword Dancer and most recently third to Gio Ponti in the Manhattan; Dixie winner PARADING (A.P. Indy); Dutrow's RISING MOON (Runaway Groom), exiting a third in the Suburban H. (G2); and intriguingly, Prix Vicomtesse Vigier (Fr-G2) hero AMERICAIN (Dynaformer), a Wertheimer et Frere homebred who would be making his first start for Pletcher. Where the turf meets the surf, the August 30 Del Mar H. (G2) is expected to feature BLACK ASTOR (Black Minnaloushe), the front-running winner of the July 19 Sunset H. (G2), while the September 6 Del Mar Derby (G2) looks fascinating. Besides Battle of Hastings, Triple Crown trail veterans CHOCOLATE CANDY (Candy Ride [Arg]) and PAPA CLEM (Smart Strike) are on the list of probables, and the undefeated I'LL SHOW THEM (Smarty Jones) can stamp his passage in the August 15 La Jolla H. (G2) for David Hofmans. Next month's issue will recap the action from Arlington, Saratoga and Del Mar, and look ahead to the Woodbine Mile.
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