February 2007 Archives

1982 Santa Anita Handicap. John Henry vs. Perrault. Shoemaker vs. Pincay. This race had it all, including a controversial disqualification that had some crying foul.

If you're looking for a couple of horses to single in your Pick Six at Santa Anita today, take a look at Corage in the fourth and Silver Z in the finale.

If you can stomach the 2-1 morning line, Exactly looks like a great bet in the eighth at Santa Anita today.

Some facts you might not know about John Henry, who will be honored on Santa Anita Handicap Day, March 3:
-- He, along with Milwaukee Brew, are the only two-time winners of the Big 'Cap.
-- He won 26 of 39 starts for Hall of Fame trainer Ron McAnally, who knew just what made the feisty gelding tick.

-- He's the all-time leading money-winner for a gelding, earning about $6.5 million.
-- He's 31 today and will celebrate his 32nd birthday at the Kentucky Horse Park on March 9.
-- Not only did he win the Big 'Cap twice, but he also won the Arlington Million twice and finished second another time.

In order to figure a horse's age in human years, you take its age, multiply by three and add eight. That means that on March 9, the amazing John Henry will be 104 years old. They say most hores live to be 15-20, that few live to be 25 and even fewer are alive at 30. It would figure that John Henry, who was sold for $1,100 as a yearling, would buck the odds.

Nice day today for jockey Clinton Potts, who won the first and paid $6.80 and then took the third at $27 and the fifth at $39.60 for trainer Mike Mitchell. Anybody who was betting Potts today will eat well tonight.

Take a look at Cousin Joe in the fifth race at Santa Anita on Friday ... good trainer in Martin Jones, good turf rider in Jose Valdivia Jr. and he raced wide last out. He should be closing down the hill today and could pick them all up in the lane. He's a healthy 10-1 on the morning line and, at those odds, I'd play him across the board.

I was in shock. I was a BIG fan of Sham and my best friend was a BIG Secretariat fan. I was shattered that June afternoon in 1973, but I have to admit ... to this day, it is still the most dominating victory I have ever seen by a horse. Anybody out there know of any other that was MORE impressive?

Yes, Invasor is an impressive race horse. Here's a replay of his victory in this month's Grade I Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park. Pay particular attention to him (No. 1 horse) at the top of the stretch, when he has to check sharply and then re-rallies to win for fun.

Notional, four-length winner of the Grade II San Rafael at Santa Anita on Jan. 13, won the $300,000 Grade III Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds in Louisiana on Saturday, stamping the In Excess colt as a legitimate Kentucky Derby contender. The heavy 2-5 favorite, Circular Quay, finished fifth, but you can toss out the effort. Jockey John Velazquez had to steady the son of Thunder Gulch sharply at the head of the stretch after an incident and he lost all chance. He was running on strongly at the end.

Quick Little Miss, trained by Glendora resident Mel Stute, will shoot for the first Grade I win of her career Saturday when she goes in the $250,000 Las Virgenes Stakes for 3-year-old fillies. Quick Little Miss, a $40,000 purchase, has earned $288,080. She is co-owned by Stute's wife, Annabelle, and The Hat Ranch.

Santa Anita's leading jockey, Garrett Gomez, has the opportunity to set a single-season record for most wins at the Arcadia meet if he continues at his current pace. The record is 138, set by Laffit Pincay, Jr. during the 1970-71 meet. Gomez has 44 victories through the first 31 days of this 85-day meeting.

Owners Lee and Susan Searing of Arcadia will fly in Kent Desormeaux to ride Jump On In in Saturday's Grade I Las Virgenes Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Santa Anita. The filly's regular rider, Corey Nakatani, is committed to rider Oak Leaf Breeders' Cup Stakes winner Cash Included in the Las Virgenes.

Jockey William Antongeorgi III, seventh in the Santa Anita jockey standings with 12 victories, lost his five-pound apprentice weight allowance after Sunday's races and begins riding Wednesday as a journeyman. He is undeterred.

Invasor, the 2006 Horse of the Year, made his 2007 debut in ultra-impressive fashion on Saturday, overcoming an incident where he clipped heels with a tiring horse at the head of the stretch before unleashing a powerful closing surge that enabled the 5-year-old horse to win the $500,000 Grade I Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park in Florida.

Betting the horses is a lot like playing the stock market. You wouldn't invest in anything but solid companies, right? Solid, proven companies like Coca-Cola, Exxon-Mobil and Phillip Morris. The type of companies that have a track record year, after year, after year.

Kellie Cerin, wife of trainer Vladimir Cerin, died Thursday of injuries to her head after a fall, Cerin told the Daily Racing Form. The couple, which had been married for 17 years, was vacationing in Mexico at the time of the tragic accident. Cerin told the Daily Racing Form's Steve Andersen that his wife tripped on a step and hit her head.
Funeral services have been set for Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at Church of the Good Shepherd in Arcadia.

After Ravel's impressive victory in today's Sham Stakes at Santa Anita, it appears we have at least four viable Kentucky Derby contenders here in the Southland. Ravel joins the John Sadler-trained Exhale, who broke his maiden impressively on Jan. 15, San Rafael Stakes winner Notional and Great Hunter, who finished third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. The latter two are both trained by Doug O'Neill.

Santa Anita publicity official Ed Golden reported in his notes Friday that Kellie Cerin, wife of trainer Vladimir Cerin, died Thursday night in an accident while on a family vacation in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
Our prayers and condolences go out to the Cerin family during this very difficult time.

OK, after a brief respite away from the betting windows, let's jump right back into the pool and take a stab at this pick-six carryover at Santa Anita on Strub Stakes Day.