Handicapping Insights

HANDICAPPING INSIGHTS

FEBRUARY 17, 2006

Never look a gift horse in the mouth

by Dick Powell

For whatever reason, virtually every issue I raised in last week's

Handicapping Insights regarding Gulfstream Park's simulcast product has either

been corrected or made better.

I did not want to spend another week on this subject, but I also feel it is

unfair when the media criticizes something and then buries the correction. Over

the past weekend, especially on Sunday when Aqueduct was canceled due to record

snowfall, I watched the Gulfstream simulcast very closely.

The first noticeable change was a hand-held camera in the paddock that

enabled us to see the entire horse -- not just the top half that we had been

privy to. You could easily tell if a horse was wearing front-leg bandages and

the camera shot was close enough to tell if anyone was getting sweaty or

beginning to wash out.

I like seeing the horses in the saddling stalls to see who is saddling the

horse -- listed trainer or assistant -- but that's just me. Viewing the entire

horse is must-have information while seeing the saddling stall is nice-to-have

information I can live without.

There was a conscious effort to not only show the entire horse as they walked

by but each starter in the race. Joanne Jones did her usual stellar job of

pre-race analysis and when she is finished, Gulfstream now gives you shoe

information at a dependable time and place. Plus, they actually gave mud caulk

information, listed as "stickers," as well as bend shoes. The shoe information

is not on very long and is not repeated, but at least you know when it is coming

and have plenty of time to be ready for it. If they listed it in the crawl with

the changes for the current race, it would be even better.

Once the horses leave the paddock, it might be a good idea to have a camera

facing the horses as they walk down the path before they come onto the track.

This would give us a chance to see how the horses are walking with riders up as

they approach the track.

With the horses on the track, the viewing of the post parade is excellent, as

it had been from the start of the meeting. The horses are walking in a way that

you can see the entire horse, how it is behaving and at the proper angle so that

you can see if they are sweating at their shoulder.

The real test will be the next time heavy rain hits Gulfstream but for now,

it was refreshing to see that a track can make changes and respond to customers'

criticisms.

*****

I went to my doctor this morning for my usual six-month checkup, and besides

gaining 15 pounds my blood pressure was up as well. Dr. Murray is a big racing

fan and wanted to know how this year's crop of three-year-olds look. I drew a

blank.

If I had some promising colts or geldings at my fingertips, I could have

re-routed the conversation to how exciting this season will be instead of the

lecture on less salt and carbs and more exercise. Oh well, it was early in the

morning and I didn't have my horse racing cap on yet.

However, it still got me thinking about this year's Derby Trail. I have waxed

poetic about FIRST SAMURAI (Giant's Causeway) previously, but he has lost his

last two starts. He continues to train well but you wish that Frank Brothers

would take a page out of Hall of Fame conditioner Allen Jerkens playbook and

work him long and slow instead of short and fast.

I gave POINT DETERMINED (Point Given) a shot in the Derby Future Wager - Pool

1 at 18-1 odds, but he was promptly beaten next time out when he stumbled out of

the gate. He now takes the very un-traditional route of going up to Northern

California for an optional claimer going two turns to try to get back on the

trail.

BARBICAN (A.P. Indy) is another colt that I fancy but will have to enjoy

an uninterrupted campaign to even be considered for the Kentucky Derby (G1).

I wrote about MUSIC SCHOOL (A.P. Indy) before the year began and, after

missing a week when Oaklawn had three inches of rain, he made his seasonal debut

going a mile there against first-level allowance foes and was a handy winner two

weeks ago. Considering how long a break he was coming off and the fact that it

was his first try at two turns, it was a solid performance but he has a lot of

catching up to do without a lot of time to do it.

Neil Howard, recently nominated for the Hall of Fame, is not known for

rushing horses, so Music School will have to do everything right. He has a

beautiful stride, relaxes for Robby Albarado and has push-button acceleration.

In his two-turn debut, he did get tired in the deep stretch, but he should

benefit from that and be much fitter next time out. With Fair Grounds now closed

and Howard stabling at Oaklawn, Hot Springs, Arkansas, looks like the place to

watch as the Derby approaches.

DR. PLEASURE (Thunder Gulch) is an immensely talented colt that was rushed at

the end of last year. He recently worked a minute and change for five furlongs

for John Ward, but it is unclear where he stands for his three-year-old debut.

He's bred to run all day on the main track and romped in his career debut last

year going short so he could come running first out this year and get into the

picture very quickly.

Of all the sophomores that I have not written about, the most impressive to

me has been ACHILLES OF TROY (Notebook), who showed that his blowout win in the

Count Fleet was no fluke when winning Saturday's Whirlaway S. on the

Aqueduct inner dirt in a very fast time. He has speed, stamina and a new rider in

Ramon Dominguez, who fits him like a glove. Win or lose on the first Saturday of

May, this is a three-year-old that should make a lot of money this year if he

stays healthy. And, we have seen in recent years that Derby winners can come

from any state or racing circuit.