THOROUGHBRED BEAT
DECEMBER 7, 2005
by James Scully
Kong — The trailers look great and crowds from coast to coast will
pack American theatres this weekend for the remake of the 1933 epic picture King
Kong. Coincidently, Hong Kong is the site for the best Thoroughbred racing in
the world this weekend with Sunday’s Hong Kong International Races at Sha Tin
Race Course. The $2.3 million Hong Kong Cup (HK-G1) is the richest of four
premiere events and has attracted the defending champion, ALEXANDER GOLDRUN
(Gold Away [Ire]). The four-year-old filly faces a difficult task against Hong
Kong Derby hero VENGEANCE OF RAIN (Zabeel), a five-time stakes winner in Hong
Kong this year, and the French mare PRIDE (Peintre Celebre), who has competed
well against males this season, including a Group 2 score over Japan Cup
(Jpn-G1) winner Alkaased (Kingmambo) in September. The $1.8 million Hong Kong
Mile (HK-G1) will feature BULLISH LUCK (Royal Academy), who snapped Silent
Witness’s (El Moxie) win skein earlier this year and finished an excellent
second in last year’s event, Japanese invader HAT TRICK (Sunday Silence) and
RAKTI (Polish Precedent). The brilliant filly OUIJA BOARD (GB) (Cape Cross
[Ire]) is set to make her final career start in the $1.8 million Hong Kong Vase
(HK-G1), where she will have a highly anticipated meeting with WESTERNER (Danehill).
Last year’s champion stayer in Europe and winner of the 2 1/2-mile Gold Cup S.
(Eng-G1) during the 2005 Royal Ascot meeting, Westerner possesses the rare
ability to transcend top-class ability from 12-20 furlongs. The six-year-old
exits an excellent second in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Fr-G1) and would
seriously flatter Hurricane Run (Montjeu [Ire]) with a victory in the 1 1/2-mile
Vase. A formidable trio is set for the world’s richest turf sprint, the $1.29
Hong Kong Sprint (HK-G1), in CAPE OF GOOD HOPE (Inchinor [GB]), CHINEUR (Fasliyev)
and ADMIRE MAX (Sunday Silence).
Integrity and a Dream — The Hong Kong Jockey Club takes the integrity
of the sport very seriously. Sunday’s contestants will race without medication
and officials recently banned Majors Cast (Ire) (Victory Note) from competing
because of questions surrounding his health. “We do not want horses in our international races who are just making up the
numbers, have some unsoundness and basically should not be there,”
Executive Director of Racing Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges said. “Majors Cast has had his problem for several days
now and if it was still not good enough to travel, it is better for our betting
customers that we make the decision we did.” Imagine a U.S. racing official
saying that a week before the Breeders’ Cup. Remember the situation surrounding
the favorite in this year’s Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1)? Three U.S.-based horses will compete in
Hong Kong and all will be an automatic toss for most international bettors with
the absence of Lasix and Bute. DESIGNED FOR LUCK (Rahy) (Hong Kong Cup) and
WILLOW O WISP (Misnomer) (Vase) both look overmatched regardless of medication,
but NICOLE’S DREAM (Northern Trend) is an intriguing prospect in the Sprint.
“She’s a freak. Her breeding is nothing, you would have never heard of her sire
or dam; she’s massive but very correct,” trainer Larry Rivelli effused, adding
that Hong Kong’s zero tolerance policy won’t affect the five-year-old mare.
Nicole’s Dream is much better on grass than dirt, recording a 5-2-1 mark in her
last eight turf sprints, but she’s made her last 40 starts on Lasix. American
medication policies are extremely lax compared to international standards,
leaving many foreign observers to believe that all our horses our “hopped up”
and unable to compete with the best horses abroad on a level playing field (no
Lasix or Bute). “She will jump very fast from the gate, take the lead and
hopefully stay there,” Rivelli said. Nicole’s Dream will attempt to win one for
America.
Apprentice — Billy Antongeorgi experienced a wild ride in his career
debut at Hollywood Park on Sunday, losing his right stirrup soon after the break
but continuing to guide his mount to a wire-to-wire victory. “I just lost my
right stirrup when we broke out of there,” said Antongeorgi, an 18-year-old San
Diego resident. “My boot was a little slippery, and, well, it was my first time.
Anyway, I kept riding.” His mount, the three-year-old filly Five o’Clock (Avenue of Flags),
provided quite a pounding to the 10-pound apprentice without an iron, but Antongeorgi
kept things together through the stretch to win by two lengths. Trainer Paul
Aguirre decided to use the new rider after watching him in morning workouts. “He’s worked about 10 horses for me and I’ve been impressed,” Aguirre said.
“But I had to do a little talking to my owners to convince them to use him.”
Everything turned out right in the end.
Exiting the Breeders’ Cup — SAND SPRINGS (Dynaformer) became the
latest Breeders’ Cup participant to return to the races, but the multiple Grade
1 queen disappointed her many supporters at 3-5 in Saturday’s My Charmer H.
(G2). Despite her shortcomings, which were directly related to a terrible start,
2005 Breeders’ Cup horses have not been a good bet-against returning off a short
rest. SUNDROP (Jpn) (Sunday Silence), who was vanned off following a last-place
showing in the Filly & Mare Turf (G1), returned to capture the Falls City H.
(G3) 21 days later. STELLAR JAYNE (Wild Rush), who finished fourth in the
Distaff (G1), won the Top Flight H. (G2) recently, and PRIVATE VOW (Broken Vow)
bounced back from a disaster in the Juvenile (G1) to take the Kentucky Jockey
Club S. (G2) impressively. ATTILA’S STORM (Forest Wildcat), who made his stakes
bow with a fourth in the Sprint (G1), came right back to win the Fall Highweight
H. Throw in just-miss runner-up performances from SUAVE (A.P. Indy) (Clark H.
[G2]) and SHE SAYS IT BEST (Stormy Atlantic) (Golden Rod S. [G2]), and Breeders’
Cup participants, for the most part, have shown no signs of regression in their
following start.
Wonderboy — Soon-to-be juvenile champion STEVIE WONDERBOY (Stephen
Got Even) returned to the worktab last Saturday and trainer Doug O’Neill
announced plans to kick off the colt’s three-year-old campaign in the January 14
San Rafael S. (G2) at Santa Anita, with the March 4 Santa Catalina (G2) and
April 8 Santa Anita Derby (G1) also on the calendar. By using three Kentucky
Derby (G1) preps, O’Neill doesn’t put himself in position to bring a short horse
to the most grueling race in North America. We see trainers every year
attempting to win the Kentucky Derby off only one or two starts from the
previous four months, and the results are often disastrous. Eight horses have
tried over the past two years, and only Birdstone and Lion Heart have been able
to buck the percentages by winning a race following the Run for the Roses.
Closing Argument, Friends Lake, Tapit and Read the Footnotes all retired without
another victory. Bellamy Road (Concerto) and High Limit (Maria’s Mon) both
remain winless, but at least they’re expected to race at four. How many
conditioners will bring a lightly raced three-year-old into next year’s Kentucky
Derby?