THOROUGHBRED BEAT
JANUARY 11, 2006
by James Scully
Dazzling — A pair of three-year-olds put on a show Saturday at the
Big A. In the 6TH race, SWEETNORTHERNSAINT (Sweetsouthernsaint) smoked his
opposition from the start, increasing his advantage at every call en route to a
7 3/4-length decision in a six-furlong maiden special weight. From the same
female family of Grade 1 winner Snow Ridge and Grade 2 hero Eye of the Tiger,
the Michael Trombetta-trained gelding was making his third career start after
being disqualified from a 16-length win over $40,000 maiden claimers at Laurel
Park in mid-December. Sweetnorthernsaint earned a huge 107 BRIS Speed rating.
Two races later, ACHILLES OF TROY (Notebook) ran away with the
one-mile-and-70-yard Count Fleet S. in spectacular fashion, quickly drawing
clear on the far turn and powering through the stretch to a 14-length blowout.
Trained by Jennifer Pedersen, Achilles of Troy was exiting a 4 1/2-length maiden
win going six furlongs at Aqueduct on December 29, his first start with Lasix.
The gray not only easily handled his two-turn debut and received a 109 Speed
figure, he established himself as a legitimate Kentucky Derby (G1) contender.
Riggers’ favorite — GAFF (Maria’s Mon), who showed class on the turf
in Europe when finishing second to classic winner Footstepsinthesand (Giant’s
Causeway) in a 2004 listed event, recorded his third straight U.S. win and first
graded victory when taking Saturday’s six-furlong Mr. Prospector H. (G2) at
Gulfstream Park. After making his first four starts last year in Ireland, the
bay colt was sent to trainer Steve Asmussen’s shedrow and made his dirt debut in
September at Belmont Park. Gaff has improved in each start since and earned a
terrific113 BRIS Speed rating in the Mr. Prospector. He could be one of the best
sprinters this year.
Still rooting for — The downside to Saturday’s Mr. Prospector was
FUNNY CIDE’s (Distorted Humor) dreadful performance. Unraced since early July,
the six-year-old didn’t figure to win going six furlongs, but an encouraging
effort wasn’t too much to ask for. Instead, Funny Cide raced at or near the back
of the pack throughout in an extremely dull showing. Some geldings get better
with age, but that hasn’t been the case with Funny Cide. He did record a
prestigious win at four in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1), but the New York-bred
has performed below expectations in nearly every start since winning the 2003
Preakness (G1) by 9 3/4 lengths. There’s still a chance that Funny Cide can get
back to the same level as trainer Barclay Tagg tries to turn things around, but
it doesn’t look good for him.
Jinx? — No favorite won the Kentucky Derby (G1) for two decades, 20
years of futility, from 1980-99. Some called it the “Kentucky Derby favorite
jinx.” No Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) has won the Kentucky Derby since its
inception in 1984, 22 years and counting. Three horses (Alysheba, Spend a Buck
and Sea Hero) have lost in the Juvenile before capturing the Run for the Roses,
but the “Breeders’ Cup Juvenile jinx” has held strong for winners. It’s
completely bogus, pure coincidence. But I guess it does lend itself to a little
more value at some point in the future. The same bettors who figured, “I
won’t bet Fusaichi Pegasus in the 2000 Kentucky Derby because he’s the favorite and favorites
can’t win the Kentucky Derby,” will stay away from Stevie Wonderboy (Stephen Got
Even) and future Juvenile winners (if Stevie Wonderboy doesn’t win) until the
phony “jinx” is broken.
New calling — Referee Steve Javie missed it during Sunday’s New
Jersey Nets-Toronto Raptors game. Vince Carter and Morris Peterson, who are good
buddies, gave each other friendly taps, but Javie didn’t see Carter’s and tagged
Peterson with a technical. There was no ill will, they weren’t hitting each
other, but Peterson (who had gotten an earlier technical for arguing a call)
wound up being ejected from the game. Carter and others tried to explain the
situation to Javie, but he would listen to none of it. As a result, New Jersey
was able to eke out a narrow win on a last-second shot from, fittingly, Carter.
That call reminded me of when Bob and John (Seeking the Gold) got disqualified
in the Real Quiet S.; Sarafan’s (Lear Fan) DQ in
the Escondido; the bizarre ruling in the Clement L. Hirsch H. (G2); and a few
more controversial decisions at Del Mar and Hollywood Park last year. If Javie
ever gets the boot from the NBA, the stewards’ booth in Southern California
would be a good fit.