August 2006 Archives

I am surprised. I was fairly certain that Martin Garcia would win the Del Mar riding title, but it looks like the talented Victor Espinoza is going to prove me wrong by backing up his Hollywood Park title with one at Del Mar as well. Espinoza won one race today at Del Mar, meaning he holds a 48-35 edge over his younger counterpart as the meet heads into its final days. Garcia was injured Monday and is out for the remainder of the meeting.

If you haven't already seen Sunday's seventh race at Del Mar, when Phar to Win almost got carried up into the clubhouse terrace restaurant on the first turn, you need to check it out on TVG replays or, better yet, calracing.com, where you don't have to pay a fee to watch something that should be free.

Take a look at these horses running today at Del Mar. I think they have a big shot.

Right now, you'd have to put Bernardini on top of the Breeders' Cup Classic hopefuls list the way he easily won Saturday's Travers Stakes at Saratoga. I thought Bluegrass Cat had a shot to beat him heading into the race, but Bernardini made short work of the Cat and all others once the field hit the top of the stretch.

While Bernardini looks to be at the head of the class in this year's 3-year-old division, don't discount Bluegrass Cat in today's $1 million Travers Stakes at Saratoga.

A very capable trainer, Clifford Sise, has been eerily quiet so far this Del Mar meeting. Sise, who has won with 18 percent of his 173 starters this year, is 0 for 15 at the beach and overdue to make a big splash at the meet.

I was thinking (OK, sort of dreaming, too) about if I owned a talented 2-year-old colt. What would I name it? How often would I race it as a 2-year-old? And, perhaps most importantly, who would I get to train and ride the horse?

Trainer Murray Johnson's rip job on Del Mar officials and fellow trainer Doug O'Neill following Sunday's Pacific Classic was out of line. But give the veteran trainer credit. He apologized the following day and also called O'Neill to offer a personal apology.

Doug O'Neill may be atop the trainer standings, but former NoCal mainstay Brian Kornier is showing the folks here in SoCal that he knows how to train.

Now that Lava Man has proved he's as adept at winning Grade I races on both dirt and the grass like the great John Henry, where does he rank in terms of all-time great horses we've seen here in California?

OK, I've picked against Lava Man twice this year now and both times been burned, the most recent being in today's Pacific Classic. No more. I knew he was a tremendous race horse before today, but he convinced me today that he's one of the best we've seen around these parts in quite some time.

I know Lava Man is the most accomplished horse in the field, but my gut feeling tells me he's not going to win the Pacific Classic today.

I really like Proxenia in the third race today ... trained by Gallagher, ridden by Solis, this horse is coming out of the Grade I American Oaks and should be rolling in the stretch.

This is an interesting feature race, with two talented dirt 3-year-olds who have yet to prove their worth on turf against a couple of talented grass runners.

If you haven't already, check out calracing.com ... what a great site for live racing, replays and general information about horse racing in California.

Let's start out the weekend with a big night at Del Mar, OK?

Some nice betting opportunities today at Del Mar ...

The top four jockeys at the Del Mar meet blanked Wednesday, meaning Victor Espinoza is still atop the rider standings by five wins over both Alex Solis and Martin Garcia.

OK, seventh race ... Nickypalmer with Alex Solis up ... this guy went postward at 8-5 and 7-5 his past two starts and didn't get the job done.

What this sport needs right now is one major television station televising action from ALL the tracks. Want to watch the fifth race at Gulfstream Park? No problem. You know where to turn. Got a bet going in the ninth at Santa Anita? Just flip on the TV, grab a cold one and enjoy the action.