Turf Diary

TURF DIARY

MAY 13, 2009

by Kellie Reilly

With six months to go until Breeders' Cup 2009, the time has come to renew

our acquaintance with the turf scene. Will this year resemble 2008, when the

continual ebb-and-flow failed to yield a definitive divisional leader, leaving

the door open to the plundering Europeans? Will the turf division remain a mass

of flotsam and jetsam, or will a true champion emerge to bring order from the

chaos? The early returns suggest the former, but it's far too soon to judge.

Pure genius: EINSTEIN (Brz) (Spend a Buck) once again proved

that he's right up at the head of the class with a gritty title defense in the

Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (G1) on Kentucky Derby Day. The Helen Pitts-Blasi

charge was well placed by Julien Leparoux, just off the early pace, and he

always looked to be traveling beautifully. Despite having to go wide turning for

home, Einstein quickly engaged the tough-as-nails COWBOY CAL (Giant's

Causeway), who had gotten first run on him, and simply outdueled him to win by a

head. Each completed the last furlong in roughly :12 2/5, a respectable time on

rain-softened ground, and pulled 2 3/4 lengths clear of third.

While Einstein could exert significant gravitational pull on the division,

the seven-year-old rates as a triple-surface threat, and as such, has a universe

of options open to him. Indeed, the Woodford Reserve was his first start on

grass since his troubled fifth in last summer's Arlington Million (G1). Since

then, he has captured the historic Clark H. (G2) on the dirt at Churchill Downs,

finished third in the Donn H. (G1) at Gulfstream Park, and added synthetic to

his repertoire with his professional score in the Santa Anita H. (G1) on

Pro-Ride. Einstein will once again desert the turf in search of further

main-track glory in the June 13 Stephen Foster H. (G1) at Churchill, where he

will bid to improve on last year's runner-up effort behind dual Horse of the Year Curlin.

Sneakily good: COURT VISION (Gulch) ran a better-than-appears

third in the Woodford Reserve. Toting the top weight of 124 pounds, conceding

five pounds to both Einstein and Cowboy Cal, the Bill Mott pupil was anchored in

last for virtually the first six furlongs before making a bold, but arguably

premature, move. Court Vision was right in the thick of things at the top of the

stretch, but he had spent himself getting into that position, and he could not

keep pace with the top two inside the final furlong.

Interestingly, Court Vision had endured a similar trip in his reappearance in

the February 1 Gulfstream Park Turf H. (G1). After advancing on the far turn,

Court Vision loomed boldly in midstretch and threatened fellow IEAH Stables

runner KIP DEVILLE (Kipling), only to stall late. Not only did the

top-class Kip Deville repel his bid, but 24-1 shot JUST AS WELL (A.P.

Indy) rolled home in the waning yards to snatch runner-up honors by a head.

Perhaps Court Vision should revert to the tactics that served him so well in

last fall's Hollywood Derby (G1), where he was held up by Ramon Dominguez and

only unleashed at the last minute to conquer Cowboy Cal. If his explosive kick

can be deployed in this manner, instead of being compromised by middle moves, he

is bound to rake in big prizes this season.

Kip the mile king: Kip Deville must still rank as North America's top

miler on the overall strength of his resume, despite his unflattering 10th in

the March 28 Dubai Duty Free (UAE-G1). Perhaps the nearly nine-furlong trip was

a shade too far in world-class company at Nad al Sheba, even though he stayed

every yard of nine furlongs in the Gulfstream Park Turf. Or, perhaps more to the

point, "Kip" just cannot take his game abroad. I was a little surprised that he

wasn't closer to the pace set by the impressive winner Gladiatorus (Silic [Fr]).

The very fact that Kip was not in his usual attacking mode was an early

indicator that he wasn't going to fire. Still, as the winner of the 2007

Breeders' Cup Mile (G1), and runner-up to the brilliant Goldikova (Ire) (Anabaa)

last season, he figures to reassert himself back on American soil.

Kip's shadow has hovered over subsequent graded stakes. KISS THE KID

(Lemon Drop Kid), a rallying fourth in the Gulfstream Park Turf, came back to

land the 7 1/2-furlong Appleton S. (G3) on March 28 with a strong closing rush.

It must be acknowledged, however, that he benefited from the nightmare trip that

befell PASSAGER (Fr) (Anabaa), who was making an eye-catching move

between horses when the hole closed and he had to take up. For all that,

Passager was beaten a total of 1 1/4 lengths in third. With a clear pathway, he

would have been right alongside Kiss the Kid.

Maker's Mark question mark: The Maker's Mark Mile S. (G1) at Keeneland

has been won by Kip for the past two seasons, and if he had not abdicated his

throne in favor of Dubai, he probably would have garnered his third straight

trophy on April 10. Instead, the royally bred MR. SIDNEY (Storm Cat), a

$3.9 million Keeneland yearling, capitalized on Kip's absence to earn his first

career stakes victory. Reveling in the yielding ground, he plowed to the front

at the top of the stretch and hurled back a stiff challenge from Passager to win

by a half-length. Trudging home third, another 5 3/4 lengths back, was Just as

Well.

This result can be read two ways: either Mr. Sidney is a rising star, a true

late bloomer who has massive scope for improvement with just eight lifetime

starts under his belt, or the race is a question mark, in gigantic font, bold

face. On the plus side, Mr. Sidney is clearly on the upswing for a Hall of Fame

trainer in Mott. His dam is multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire Tomisue's

Delight (A.P. Indy), a full sister to Horse of the Year Mineshaft, who only

reached his peak at four. On the other hand, this was not the deepest field ever

to assemble at Keeneland, and it did not help that its lone Grade 1 winner,

THORN SONG (Unbridled's Song), blew the start, hustled up, spectacularly

faded leaving the backstretch, and wound up last.

Furthermore, I'm not entirely sure that Passager ran his best race. Although

he had plenty of soft-ground form in France, I don't think his action looked as

fluent at Keeneland as it had on the parched sod of Gulfstream. To my eyes,

Passager was reaching out and leveling off at Gulfstream, but when confronted by

the yielding turf at Keeneland, he maintained a more guarded stride, as if he

were coping with it well enough, but working to get over it and not really

relishing it. Considering that Passager was making only his third U.S. start in

the Maker's Mark, he is one to keep an eye on when he reappears for Roger

Attfield.

Kilroe clarity: The March 7 Frank E. Kilroe Mile H. (G1) at Santa

Anita attracted a strong field worthy of its status, produced an electrifying

finish, and has accordingly become a key early-season race on the West Coast.

GIO PONTI (Tale of the Cat) was 11 lengths off the pace at the half-mile

mark, and had seven horses in front of him at the eighth-pole, but the

Christophe Clement colt passed each and every one of them. Summoning a telling

burst of speed, Gio Ponti nipped the mercurial mare VENTURA (Chester

House) in the last stride to score by a nostril in 1:33 3/5.

Even allowing for Ventura's tendency to idle while she's ahead, and the fact

she carried the same weight as Gio Ponti (118 pounds), it was nonetheless a

first-rate effort by the winner. Gio Ponti sizzled his final half-mile in a

little more than :45, and his last eighth in :11. If he can repeat that effort

on Breeders' Cup Day at this same course and distance, he would be a serious

threat in the Mile.

Gio Ponti's success sets the stage for an intriguing counterfactual. Since he

and Court Vision were archrivals last year, with Court Vision taking two of

their three meetings, what might have happened if Court Vision had tackled the

Kilroe Mile?

Upholding the form, or cutting corners: DIXIE CHATTER (Dixie

Union) got the perfect stalking trip in the Kilroe, gained the lead in

midstretch, but was overwhelmed by the raw speed of Ventura and then Gio Ponti.

Undaunted, Dixie Chatter fought on determinedly to finish a respectable third,

beaten by three-quarters of a length. Next time out in the April 4 Arcadia H.

(G2), the Richard Mandella trainee promptly upheld the Kilroe form. After saving

all the ground on the rail, he slipped through and drove home to score by

three-quarters of a length from MR NAPPER TANDY (GB) (Bahamian Bounty),

who had been sixth in the Kilroe.

While Dixie Chatter took the inside route in the Arcadia, MADEO

(Mizzen Mast) was hung out nearly in the center of the course turning into the

stretch. He took some time to gather his momentum, and although he eventually

rallied, it was too late. Madeo settled for third, a neck adrift of fellow

closer Mr Napper Tandy.

Madeo surely lost far more ground than his margin of defeat, and he was also

spotting three pounds to Dixie Chatter (119 to 116), and five to Mr Napper

Tandy. Does that necessarily mean that he would have won with a better trip?

Like Gio Ponti and Court Vision, Madeo and Dixie Chatter traded decisions during

their sophomore campaigns in 2008, so I don't think the matter is conclusively

proven one way or another. Madeo has the lovely, raking stride of a top-tier

turf horse, but Dixie Chatter is a bull dog who does not yield easily.

The Arcadia's form looks rock solid, and in turn, that makes the Kilroe look

all the stronger. Mr Napper Tandy returned to capture the April 25 San Francisco

Mile (G2) in startling last-to-first fashion at Golden Gate Fields. It was a

relatively soft spot, to be sure, but Mr Napper Tandy deserves credit for being

the only closer to land a blow. On April 26, Madeo came back to claim the 1

1/16-mile Inglewood H. (G3) at Hollywood Park, producing a smart change of gear

to get up in time. The top three were separated by only two heads, with

pacesetter STORM MILITARY (Arg) (Bernstein) just hanging on for second

from the staying-on U S RANGER (Danzig), but both were readily dismissed

by Madeo.

Another Juddmonte revelation: Not satisfied with being represented by

Madeo, Juddmonte Farms stallion Mizzen Mast has dispatched MIDSHIPS to

fly the flag in Santa Anita's turf marathons. A good third to Court Vision and

Cowboy Cal in his U.S. bow in the Hollywood Derby, the gray flopped in his

four-year-old debut in an allowance/optional claimer. Bobby Frankel realized

that the Juddmonte homebred would be best suited to front-running. Despite his

name, Midships does in fact want to be at the forefront, and he has perfected

the role of lone speed under the guidance of Victor Espinoza. In the March 21

San Luis Rey H. (G2) at 1 1/2 miles, the pair set steady fractions, slowed down

the tempo midway, and then barreled to the wire with a lethal :23 2/5 final

quarter. The about 1 3/4-mile San Juan Capistrano Invitational H. (G2) unfolded

in a similar vein, with Midships cruising along most of the way and only picking

up steam late.

Like his stablemate Ventura, Midships did not display such quality in his old

days in England, and he has improved significantly since crossing the Atlantic.

He will face stiffer tests of class in the future, but unless his rivals concoct

a strategy to press him early, he's going to be tough to run down.

More frustration: One might think that being an exquisitely bred

multiple Grade 1 winner was all fun and games, but try telling that to

ARTISTE ROYAL (Ire) (Danehill), who has had a frustrating time in three of

his last four starts. The Neil Drysdale veteran was an equine pinball when 11th

in the December 14 Hong Kong Cup (HK-G1); he was stopped cold in midstretch of

the Kilroe, but regrouped to finish fifth; and in the San Luis Rey, he stumbled

at the start and was relegated to last, whence he had no hope of catching

Midships, but managed to grab third. Initially scheduled to return to Hong Kong

for the April 26 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (HK-G1), Artiste Royal skipped that

engagement and was entered in the Woodford Reserve, only to scratch. The lone

bright spot in the past few months was his remarkable victory in the January 19

San Marcos S. (G2), roaring from dead last to force his nose down on the wire.

Surely Artiste Royal is poised to deliver that kind of effort again, perhaps as

soon as his title defense in the June 6 Charles Whittingham Memorial H. (G1).

Honorable mention: Before wrapping up this first issue of the season,

several other performers should be praised. PRESIOUS PASSION (Royal

Anthem) has run his heart out in all three of his races so far in 2009. Just

collared by SOLDIER'S DANCER (Lost Soldier) in the January 24 Sunshine

Millions Turf at Santa Anita, at a 1 1/8-mile trip that's a bit short for him,

the Mary Hartmann veteran returned to win a wild edition of the 1 3/8-mile Mac

Diarmida S. (G2) at Gulfstream on February 21. Presious Passion was embroiled in

a wicked speed duel, opened up by seven lengths through a mile in 1:36 1/5,

looked to be in serious trouble as the field closed in on him, and was about to

be headed in midstretch, but he came again to score by a half-length. Finishing

fourth that day was subsequent Maker's Mark Mile winner Mr. Sidney. The March 21

Pan American S. (G3) was Presious Passion's next port of call, and even though

it was rained off the turf, he tried his utmost on the sloppy track before

finishing second to BUDDY'S HUMOR (Distorted Humor). Presious Passion may

not be the stuff that Eclipse Awards are made of, but he's a grand old

gladiator.

The Attfield-trained SPICE ROUTE (GB) (King's Best), a badly hampered

third to Presious Passion in the Mac Diarmida, has shown useful versatility.

Three starts back, the chestnut gelding had narrowly prevailed over Soldier's

Dancer in the December 6 Tropical Turf H. (G3) going 1 1/8 miles at Calder. Last

time out, Spice Route landed the 1 1/2-mile Elkhorn S. (G2) on April 24 at

Keeneland, over a field that included multiple Grade 1 heroes CHAMPS ELYSEES

(GB) (Danehill) and BETTER TALK NOW (Talkin Man). Still only a

five-year-old, Spice Route promises to be a consistently classy sort over a wide

range of trips for some time to come.

Finally, multiple Grade 3 winner COSMONAUT (Lemon Drop Kid) returned

from a nearly 10-month layoff to garner the May 2 Fort Marcy S. (G3) in style.

Prompting the pace of Godolphin's quirky TAM LIN (GB) (Selkirk), the

seven-year-old gray always seemed to be in control of events, and so it proved

as he strode to an authoritative 1 1/2-length triumph at Belmont Park. Cosmonaut

is a Grade 1-caliber animal at his best, and he is eligible to break through

with an overdue win at that level.

On the horizon: Our next edition will review Saturday's Dixie S. (G2),

the Shoemaker Mile (G1) on Memorial Day, the Charles Whittingham and Manhattan

H. (G1) on June 6, and catch up with the turf three-year-olds.