|
|
HANDICAPPING INSIGHTS APRIL 19, 2013 by Dick Powell Almost four years to the day since her glorious career began, the connections of Black Caviar finally pulled the plug and stopped her racing career after winning her first 25 starts. 15 of those wins were Group 1s and to show you how dominant she was, nearly all of them came against male company. But she was never marketed as "Come out and see Black Caviar take on the boys" in the lame, battle of the sexes that we are always searching for. Black Caviar was always marketed for herself, "Come out and see Black Caviar." The results were sensational and racetracks in Australia were filled to the gills each time she ran as fans tried to get a glimpse of the big mare one last time. Black Caviar's last race was a win in the Group 1 T.J. Smith Stakes at Randwick where she had to run right-handed and face some opposition that was out to beat her and not be happy just to be in her presence. It didn't matter as Luke Nolen got her clear and she dominated in the long stretch to win as easily as any of her prior ones. Plans were being discussed as to where she would run next and whether another trip to Ascot was in the cards but, suddenly, it was all over. Black Caviar's racing career is over and the only plans being discussed are which stallion will she visit. Black Caviar's female family has been in the news lately. Her half-brother, All Too Hard, has won three Group 1 stakes races already. She has a two-year-old half-sister by Redoute's Choice named Belle Couture that sold for A$2.3 million and a yearling half-brother, also by Redoute's Choice, that sold for A$5 million last week. Anything she produces will be incredibly valuable and considering how strong the bloodstock markets are down under, there should be more fireworks coming as they get sold and when they make the races. There are a lot of records in sports that are considered unbreakable. But in today's world of horses racing so infrequently, seeing one win her first 25 starts against world-class company should have the invincibility of Joe Dimaggio's 56-game hitting streak. I can't see it ever being broken. Since Black Caviar weighs more than 1,200 pounds and hits the ground hard with every stride, Peter Moody did a masterful job keeping the wheels on during the four years of her racing career. She had her share of physical issues but they always seemed to clear up with time off from which she would come back stronger than ever. *** In Hot Springs, Arkansas, Oaklawn Park was running its final day of racing and 66,158 fans showed up for the signature event, the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby. It attracted a field of 10, but the betting was evenly matched among War Academy, Oxbow and Overanalyze, with the rest at much more generous odds. At the start, Oxbow was off to a poor start from post 10 and was not able to engage the leaders as expected. Falling Sky went to the front and set a modest pace covering the first half-mile in :47 3/5 and six furlongs in 1:12 2/5. Racing out in the middle of the track was Overanalyze who loomed boldly outside of horses on the far turn. Rafael Bejarano set him down in the stretch run and he quickly seized command and drew off to win by 4 1/4 lengths. His final time for the nine furlongs was only 1:51 4/5 and he earned a BRIS Speed racing of 96. What makes Overanalyze interesting is that he was one of the horses that bypassed the Breeders' Cup due to the ban on Lasix for juveniles. Instead, he ran third at Churchill going a mile in the Grade 3 Iroquois Stakes then finished up last year with a game win in the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes when he earned a terrific BRIS Speed rating of 104. In his first start this year, the Grade 3 Gotham Stakes on the inner dirt track at Aqueduct, he drew post 11 and raced evenly finishing fifth. In desperate need of qualifying points, his win in the Arkansas Derby did the trick and he'll be an interesting contender for the Derby since he ran a big number last year at two going nine furlongs and has had two preps this year. He just has the look of a horse that is about to explode next time out. The rest of the Arkansas Derby field made very little impression on me. An hour before at Keeneland, the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes was run on the Polytrack going nine furlongs. The big winner of the Blue Grass was Verrazano since the horse he beat by three lengths in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby, Java's War, came back here to win by a neck over the hard-luck Palace Malice. Java's War was in 14th place early in the race and bided his time with Julien Leparoux aboard. He began to pick up horses around the far turn and found another gear in the deep stretch when he ran down Palace Malice at the wire. The final time for the nine furlongs was 1:50 1/5 and he earned a BRIS Speed rating of 96. The negative for Java's War is that he has yet to run a triple-digit BRIS Speed rating, but he comes in here off two good preps and clearly has not been asked to empty out yet. He'll have his hands full in the Derby when he will have to pass about 19 horses but there is nothing to indicate that he can't do it.
 Send this article to a friend
|
|
