|
|
HANDICAPPING INSIGHTS APRIL 25, 2008 by Dick Powell SKY BEAUTY was not inducted into the National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame on Monday and that's a shame. Nothing against INSIDE INFORMATION, who won the contemporary female honor, but Sky Beauty should have already been in. Now, because of the Hall of Fame voting process, there's a good chance that she might never make it. Let me make clear that I am completely prejudicial when it comes to Sky Beauty. My friend, Mike Tobin, used to manage Sugar Maple Farm in New York and I used to visit the farm often. Seeing her as a yearling with her blue-blood pedigree on her halter (Blushing Groom – Maplejinsky) was heady stuff. Foaled in Kentucky, she was pretty much raised in New York after being weaned. She sold for only $355,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling in 1991 but went to the shedrow of Hall of Fame trainer Allen Jerkens. I don't have to recap her career here, but Sky Beauty won the Filly Triple Crown and the Alabama (G1) in 1993. That alone should be enough for racing's highest honor. When she came back at four and won four straight Grade 1 stakes, including the Hempstead H. carrying 128 pounds, a plaque in the Hall should have been guaranteed. You have to search the records pretty hard to find a filly that won nine Grade 1 stakes. As far as I can see, anyone that did is in the Hall. Inside Information, by the way, won five. Hall of Famer PASEANA (Arg) won 10 Grade 1 stakes in the United States. But the one factor in her career that has been held against her might, in my opinion, actually wind up helping her. Sky Beauty was virtually unbeatable in New York. In fact, she finished first in her first 15 starts in New York. She was disqualified and placed third after finishing first in the Spinaway S. (G1) at Saratoga and under the revised rules of racing in New York, the stewards would now have the discretion to leave her up if they felt that the foul did not affect the outcome. Anyone who saw that Spinaway travesty knows that there's no way she would be disqualified under today's New York rules. Where Sky Beauty had problems was on the road. She lost her sophomore debut to Dispute in the Bonnie Miss S. (G2) at Gulfstream and finished her season with a fifth in the Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) at Santa Anita. At four, she won her first five starts, all in New York, before running terribly again in the Distaff at Churchill Downs. At five, she began the year by winning the Vagrancy H. (G1) for the second year in a row but then ran second to Inside Information in the Shuvee H. (G1) while spotting her seven pounds. Her career ended with a distant third to Inside Information's stablemate, Heavenly Prize, in the Hempstead while carrying highweight again. Fast forward to 2008 and most will say that drugs have hurt the integrity of the game. Well, Sky Beauty finished first in her first 15 starts when New York still banned the diuretic Lasix. Most will agree that Lasix is not only a performance enhancer but can also be used as a "mask" of other drugs in a horse's system. We say we want a drug-free, level-playing field and yet we are punishing Sky Beauty for her record at other tracks where those jurisdictions permitted Lasix. When the playing field was level -- NYRA did not lobby New York State Racing and Wagering Board to legalize raceday Lasix until mid-1995 -- Sky Beauty was virtually unbeatable. The fact that she was trained by someone who has never even had the suspicion of bending or breaking the rules should add to her credentials. I have some weird sleeping habits. You could call me in the middle of the afternoon and wake me up. Or, when I should be in bed sleeping I'm awake. Lucky me. Last Friday night/Saturday morning, I was up late watching racing from Australia. Rosehill had a fantastic card of Group 1 stakes racing and I wanted to see WEEKEND HUSSLER (Hussonet) in his latest Group 1 stakes. He didn't disappoint, winning the George Ryder (Aus-G1) for his fourth straight Group 1 win this year. But it was the next race that really caught my eye. The Golden Slipper (Aus-G1) is a six-furlong stakes that has the highest purse for juveniles in the world -- $3.3 million. This year's renewal attracted a bulky field of 16 with the favorite being SEBRING (More Than Ready), who was undefeated in three starts. Darley Australia reportedly purchased a 50 percent interest in Von Costa de Hero (Encosta de Lago) a few days before the race and had to be crushed when he drew post 15. In his previous start, he overcame late traffic to win going away and the feeling was that six furlongs might be too short for him. At the start, both Sebring and Von Costa de Hero broke poorly and trailed the field. Sebring was buried behind a wall of horses on the inside while Von Costa de Hero was trailing the field of 16 while in the middle of the track. Turning for home, Glen Boss masterfully began to weave Sebring through on the inside as the field spread out across the track. With less than a furlong to go, a hole opened up two paths off the rail and he exploded to the lead. But just as soon as he made the lead, a maroon blur was flying down the outside of the track, making up ground with giant strides. Von Costa de Hero was at least 12 wide at the top of the stretch and still in 10th place with a furlong to go. When Craig Williams got him in the clear and asked him to go, the response was spine-chilling. From an impossible position, it looked like he might get there, but Sebring hung on by a short head to take down the prize. I can't ever remember any horse coming from farther back in less distance than Von Costa de Hero. And Sebring's inside rally was nothing to sneeze at. But here's what makes Australian racing so compelling to watch and worth staying up all hours of the night -- they will face each other again this Saturday morning in the Sires Produce S. (Aus-G1) going seven furlongs at Randwick. Australia has a Triple Crown for juveniles and it is run on three successive Saturdays. I won't even have to set the alarm clock. Not much to report on the Kentucky Derby (G1) since the composition of the field is so much up in the air. I hope DENIS OF CORK (Harlan's Holiday) makes it in and I'll definitely use him in exotics if he does. But he’s going to need some defections or have the two fillies that are rumored to be cross-entered in both the Derby and Kentucky Oaks (G1) to not enter the Derby at all for him to get in. The limit of 20 horses is in place once the entries are taken on Wednesday so if the two fillies decide to cross enter and then run in the Oaks, they still take up spots in the Derby field and will exclude horses that are on the earnings bubble.
 Send this article to a friend
|
|
