Thoroughbred Beat

THOROUGHBRED BEAT

JANUARY 26, 2006

by James Scully

Eclipse trio -- Here are some final thoughts on three of Monday

night's Eclipse Award winners.

SAINT LIAM (Saint Ballado) came a long way over the last two years to earn

Horse of the Year and older male honors. The bay horse made his career bow in

late February of 2003 at Gulfstream Park and broke his maiden in his second start

in late March. He earned only one more victory before being transferred to

Richard Dutrow Jr. near the end of his three-year-old season, his best effort

being a non-threatening second in July's Iowa Derby. From nine starts in 2003,

Saint Liam gave no indication that he would develop into the world's best dirt

horse. The Kentucky-bred stepped forward with some respectable performances

early in his four-year-old campaign, finishing second to Peace Rules in the New

Orleans H. (G2) and third behind Peace Rules and Ole Faunty (Quiet American) in

the Oaklawn H. (G2), but he didn't find his best form until September's Woodward

S. (G1). Sent off at nearly 12-1, Saint Liam fully extended Ghostzapper to the

wire, falling only a neck short. He went on to win four prestigious Grade 1

events, including the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), and earned BRIS Speed ratings

of 117 (twice) and 116 in 2005.

Saint Liam's running style also changed during his championship season. He

was a front runner at four, ripping off half-mile splits in :45 and change while

showing the way in the Oaklawn H. and Woodward, and would not be rated when

making his 2005 bow in the Donn H. (G1), leading wire to wire for a 3 3/4-length

victory over the quick Roses in May, who easily captured the

Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1) in his next outing. Saint Liam raced close to the pace

in his next two attempts, the Santa Anita H. (G1) and Stephen Foster H. (G1),

but he wasn't displaying the same early zip in those races. When August's

Whitney H. (G1) rolled around, Saint Liam wasn't able to stay in the same area

code with the pacesetting Commentator (Distorted Humor) during the opening

furlongs, prompting Dutrow to enter a pair of rabbits to benefit Saint Liam in

the Woodward next out.

I'll admit that I attributed his sudden loss of early speed as a sign that he

was over the top, but I was wrong, way wrong. Saint Liam turned in a world-class

performance from off the pace in the Woodward, toying with his rivals through

the stretch at Belmont Park, and he relaxed beautifully during the early stages

of the Breeders' Cup Classic, launching his powerful rally on the far turn en

route to another convincing victory in his career finale.

Champion sprinter LOST IN THE FOG (Lost Soldier) proved to be an incredible

traveler during 2005. Over the span of 10 months, he made seven cross-country

trips from his Northern California base to the East Coast, winning the first six

in brilliant fashion. Transportation has improved over the years with direct

flights and other conveniences, but we're still talking about shipping an animal

nearly 3,000 miles. That can take something out of a horse, especially one who

is doing it about every six weeks. Lost in the Fog proved incredibly resilient,

earning BRIS Speed ratings of 114, 109 and 108 while racking up a Grade 1 and

three Grade 2 victories on the East Coast, but the travel schedule figured to

catch up to him eventually. The lone aberration (Breeders' Cup) on his

remarkable record came at the end of a very long and difficult campaign.

Champion turf male LEROIDESANIMAUX (Brz) (Candy Stripes) turned in an

outstanding 2005 campaign prior to his first setback, a narrow runner-up finish

in the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1), and did so with tremendous speed. He was the

most exciting front-running turf specialist that North American racing had seen

since Lure, who sparkled during the early 1990s, winning back-to-back running of

the Breeders' Cup Mile on the engine. The Bobby Frankel-trained Leroidesanimaux

actually won eight straight starts, dating back to early 2004, and his Atto Mile

(Can-G1) performance in mid-September truly sparkled. He tackled a solid field

of rivals that afternoon at Woodbine and ripped off early fractions in :23 and

:45 4/5 before exploding at the top of the stretch, effortlessly drawing clear

for a 7 3/4-length triumph that netted him a 110 Speed rating. It's a shame that

he didn't get to show his best at Belmont Park in late October. Compromised by

foot problems that lead to him wearing aluminum pads, Leroidesanimaux couldn't

get to the lead in the opening half-mile, but he still managed to finish a

courageous second.

Bad form -- Even if the criteria is being a celebrity with horse

racing connections, Jerry O'Connell is the worst possible host for the Eclipse

Awards. He appeared uncomfortable from the moment he appeared on stage and told

unfunny jokes. The material wasn't necessarily bad, it was just delivered poorly. O'Connell did a terrible job introducing presenters,

and his call for a round of applause celebrating the Hall of Famers in the

audience was embarrassing.

Derby Future Wager -- Pool 1 gets underway Thursday and the mutuel field

(all other three-year-olds) looms as the big favorite once again. The mutuel

field has been the favorite in the opening pool each year since Churchill Downs

introduced the wager in 1999, but it's been a bad bet in recent years. Two of the last three Derby

winners, Giacomo (Holy Bull) and Funny Cide (Distorted Humor), were listed among

the 23 individual wagering interests in

all three pools, and the mutuel field in Pool 1 has been successful only three

times in seven years. The last two (Smarty Jones and War Emblem) returned only $5.60 and $7.60, respectively.

If you relish the opportunity to take a short price on such uncertainty in late

January, #24 is available this weekend.