Sept. 27-28

Note: This blog is non-commercial and was developed for my own personal use to organize my racing viewing activity.  Your comments as to its usefulness to you would be appreciated.  Thanks!

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One of the best summaries of racing action in the U.S. and World Wide is the UPI Weekend Preview!  Check it out! Click here

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 BELMONT SUPER SATURDAY

 Fields set for Belmont's Super Saturday extravaganza

 

On Sept. 27, Belmont Park will host Super Saturday, which will include six graded stakes, including 5 Grade 1s, worth a total of $3.4 million. Topping the list is the Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup for three-year-olds and up.

The 1 1/4-mile Jockey Club Gold Cup is expected to attract V. E. Day, Wicked Strong and Tonalist, the respective top three finishers of the August 23 Travers at Saratoga. Also probable are Whitney winner Moreno, Suburban Handicap victor Zivo, Grade 2-scoring millionaires Last Gunfighter and Prayer for Relief, multiple Group 1-placed Big Cazanova and Grade 2-placed stakes hero Stephanoatsee. Fellow Grade 2-placed stakes winner Speak Logistics is possible.

Fillies and mares will travel 1 1/8 miles in the Grade 1, $400,000 Beldame. Stopchargingmaria, victorious in the Alabama and Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga, was scratched from Saturday's Cotillion at Parx Racing against her own age group to take on older runners for the first time in the Beldame. Probables also include Delaware Handicap vixen Belle Gallantey as well as Grade 3 scorers Hot Stones and Stanwyck.

A star-studded field is expected for the Grade 1, $600,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic. The prospective lineup for the 1 1/2-mile turf marathon is likely to feature last year's runner-up and two-time Grade 1 king Big Blue Kitten as well as Main Sequence.  Read more at source

NOT TO BE OUTDONE, SANTA ANITA OFFERS UP ITS OWN VERSION OF SUPER SATURDAY!

OKTOBERFEST, with 5 Grade 1 races, including the Awesome Again, Chandelier, Front Runner, Zenyatta, and Rodeo Drive, worth $1.5 Million

Santa Anita Autumn Meet opens with Eddie D. featured

Unbridled's Note will be seeking his second Eddie D. victory in three years on Santa Anita's opening day.

America's top jockeys and trainers are set to compete beginning Friday as Santa Anita's 23-day Autumn Meet, which will be highlighted by the two-day Breeders' Cup World Championships on October 31 and November 1, gets underway.

"We've got an incredible overall jockey colony and our horse inventory looks good as well," said Rick Hammerle, Santa Anita Vice President of Racing. "Our trainer roster is second to none and we're optimistic we're going to be able to provide our fans top-class racing and good betting opportunities."

Rafael Bejarano, who will be seeking his 20th leading rider title in Southern California, heads one of the nation's deepest jockey colonies that also includes the likes of Hall of Famer Mike Smith, who is the all-time winningest jockey in Breeders' Cup history.

The featured race on Friday's card is the Grade 3, $100,000 Eddie D., an about 6 1/2-furlong turf sprint that serves as a course-and-distance tune-up for the $1 million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint on November 1.

Unbridled's Note, who won the 2012 Eddie D. and finished third by a half-length in his title defense last season, is back for another go. The Steve Asmussen trainee's win two years ago came in the horse's grass debut, and the son of Unbridled's Song has subsequently won the 2013 editions of the Joe Hernandez Handicap and Daytona over the Santa Anita turf. Read more at source

Santa Anita Featured Events


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HRTV'S PURSUIT OF THE CUP - VIDEO - click here
Preview of this weekend's racing along with a look ahead at the Breeders Cup

Andy Serling previews Super Saturday at Belmont

Matt Bernier/Dan Illman handicap the Eddie D Friday, Opening Day Santa Anita - Video
Jay Hovdey ties to sort through the veritable plethora of Grade 1 races this Saturday!
Steve Andersen - Eddie D potential launching pad for Ambitious Brew
Steve Andersen - Santa Anita opens with a flurry of stakes first two weekends

GAME ON DUDE DAY AT SANTA ANITA!  - click here

Courtesy Brisnet.com

You can be sure to catch this ceremony today by going to the Live Stream at Santa Anita (here) between 6-7 pm EDT (3-4 PDT).  You may need to register or sign in, but no catch, no charge to watch live racing at the site.

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 RACING ON TV/LIVE STREAM:

UPDATE!  THEY'VE ADDED ADDITIONAL 30 MINUTES - COVERAGE BEGINS AT 5:30 p.m. EDT!
Saturday, September 27 - television: 
5:30-8 pm, EDT, NBC/SN

Also, watch LIVE STREAM at Santa Anita Park, Saturday, Sept 27,

1:00 PDT/4:00 EDT   http://www.santaanita.com/horse-racing/live-racing/ 

You will need to register, but it's free.  First post 1:00 p.m. PDT/4:00 EDT

DRF will live stream the Friday card at Santa Anita - click here
DRF will live stream the Saturday card at Santa Anita - click here
 

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Time Ordered List of Races below...return here after the race has been run, click on the CARD and see the result and replay by BloodHorse. 

Sept. 20-21

Note: This blog is non-commercial and was developed for my own personal use to organize my racing viewing activity.  Your comments as to its usefulness to you would be appreciated.  Thanks!

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 THE ROAD TO THE BREEDERS CUP GOES THROUGH PENNSYLVANIA!

Photo America's Best Racing

The return of Kentucky Derby winner California Chrome, Kentucky Oaks winner Untapable and several graded events for the speedballs highlight the weekend racing schedule.

Classic

The battle for 3-year-old honors and, possibly, for Horse of the Year as well, shapes up Saturday at Parx Racing and next weekend at Santa Anita.  California Chrome, the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner, has not raced since his Triple Crown bid was stymied in a fourth-place finish in the Belmont Stakes. He came out of that race somewhat the worse for wear and old-school trainer Art Sherman has given him plenty of R & R.  Read more at source

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LIVE STREAM OF PENNSYLVANIA DERBY - The free Pennsylvania Derby live stream can be accessed Sept. 20 at 4:30 p.m. EDT on the America’s Best Racing homepage: www.americasbestracing.net

The highly anticipated return of 2014 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner California Chrome in the $1-million Pennsylvania Derby on Sept. 20 will be streamed live at America’s Best www.americasbestracing.net).
Racing (

Beginning at 4:30 p.m. ET, the 90-minute telecast from Parx Racing in Bensalem, Pa., outside Philadelphia, will be a feed of the regional broadcast produced by The Comcast Network. The $1-million Cotillion Stakes for elite 3-year-old fillies and the Gallant Bob for 3-year-old sprinters also will also be shown during the live stream.

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HRTV Pursuit of the Cup - Video

Note:  After a race has been completed, come back here, click on the CARD below for the BloodHorse result and race replay.

Pleasantly Perfect - Redux

Note: This blog is non-commercial and was developed for my own personal use to organize my racing viewing activity.  Your comments as to its usefulness to you would be appreciated.  Thanks!

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PLEASANTLY PERFECT

Taylor Made Farms

UPDATE 
Original post Dec. 5, 2012

September 18, 2014:  Pleasantly Perfect is in the news recently with one of his daughters putting in a maiden win at second asking, at Gulfstream Park, Sept. 18. Race 4:  Bella Collina, 9/18/14, Gulfstream, Race 4 - MSW - Result/Replay

One of my all-time favorite horses is Pleasantly Perfect (Pleasant Colony ex. Regal State x Affirmed), who by the way is an excellent example of a horse who was a late bloomer (biggest races weren't until he was 5 and 6).  He won the Breeders' Cup Classic as a 5 year old then went to Dubai as a 6 year old and won the World Cup, came back to U.S. that same year to win the Pacific Classic, and was 3rd defending in the BC Classic. 

He was part of the Richard Mandella amazing 2003 Breeders' Cup success story, where Mandella won the Classic, the Juvenile, the Turf, and the Juvenile Fillies, breaking D. Wayne Lukas' record of three Breeders Cup race wins in one day.  His most successful offspring has been Shared Account. 

Not quite fashionable for breeders/buyers who are looking for early maturers.  Just boggles the mind that a buyer wouldn't want the progeny of a horse who won $7.7 Million!!!!  Himself a Breeders Cup winner and a sire of a Breeders Cup G1 race.  Here is his stallion page at Taylor Made Farms:  Stallion profile- Taylor Made Farms - Pleasantly Perfect Be sure to watch the Taylor Made video of Pleasantly Perfect's big races, and those of two of his offspring, Cozi Rosie and Shared Account.  Will be interesting to see what Taylor Made sets his fee at for 2015.

B. 1998, Pleasantly Perfect didn't do much at all until he was 4 years old. It took him 4 tries to break his maiden, until at four, he did so and also winning a Grade 2. Then, at 5, he won the Breeders Cup Classic and the Goodwood, with a third in the San Antonio. At 6, he won the Dubai World Cup, the Pacific Classic and the San Antonio, ran second in the San Diego H., and a third in the Breeders Cup Classic. His bankroll when it was all said and done was a tidy sum of $7.8 Million!

He is the daddy of Nonios, Cozi Rosie, My Adonis, Rapid Redux, Setsuko, and his most successful offspring in the U.S. is a daughter, Shared Account, who earned $1.6 Million over two seasons. Retired at the end of 2011, she was booked to Bernardini.

Tough, durable, he is the son of Pleasant Colony who in 1981 won the KY Derby, the Preakness, the Wood, and the Woodward, all Grade 1 races, losing horse of the year honors to John Henry! (Yours truly was on hand for the 1981 Kentucky Derby. There is a slide show of my trip to see these two races and many of the photos on this blog header are from my trips.)

Who wouldn't want to have a foal from this family? His great grandaddy on his sire's side is the great Ribot; his dam's sire is none other than the last Triple Crown winner, Affirmed. He has no inbreeding through the fifth generation. And this lovely guy stood most recently at Lane's End for $5,000!  Moved recently to Taylor Made Farms, his fee for 2015 has not been disclosed.

I should have titled this piece, "I just don't get it," because I absolutely just do not get why any buyer would want a yearling or two year old with champagne glass legs, a career that might last 12 months, total, and bypass a chance at a horse that would bring you nothing but sheer fun and joy watching him grow and develop into a mature, race-winning machine!!! This just shows how short-sighted today's buyers are, looking only for the early-maturing, fragile, youngsters that might make it through one season, and then poof, off to the breeding shed to breed more of the same. If I win the lottery, the very first thing I want to do is try to buy one of PP's youngsters and send him/her to Mr. Patience, John Shirreffs! I think that would be nirvana for me!

Pedigree
Career Statistics:
Starts: 18   Firsts: 9    Seconds: 3    Thirds: 2
Earnings: $7,789,880
Highest Speed Figure:  122
Timeform rated 130
 

2003 BREEDERS CUP CLASSIC & 2004 WORLD CUP
Watch as Pleasantly Perfect comes from mid-pack to mow down the leaders, Medaglia d'Oro and Congaree, and win by daylight in the Classic, and then beats Medaglia d'Oro again in the World Cup! The duel between Medaglia d'Oro and Pleasantly Perfect in the Dubai World Cup is one of the most thrilling stretch runs ever!







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Remembering the 2001 Breeders Cup

Note: This blog is non-commercial and was developed for my own personal use to organize my racing viewing activity.  Your comments as to its usefulness to you would be appreciated.  Thanks!

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One of the most emotional and event-filled Breeders' Cups was the 2001 Breeders Cup Classic at Belmont Park in NY, in which "Tiznow wins one for America".  Steve Haskin did an in-depth account of the drama and the excitement that led up to the event on October 27, 2001. In addition, a couple of days following that terrible event on 9/11, Steve penned a memorable account of what it was like in those dark days immediately following 9/11, "View from the Verrazano".  See links below for both of these articles.
 

In an international show of support, the horses came from across the globe.  The international contingent included horses from Godolphin and Aidan O'Brien's yard including those from Coolmore, and Juddmonte.  World famous G1 winners in the Classic included Sakhee, the great Galileo, Macho Uno, and of course, Tiznow. The Ballydoyle group alone was believed to be the most valuable contingent of Thoroughbred horses ever shipped (total ins. value over $200Million including Galileo, valued at $65Million).   The European contingent wound up taking home almost $4Million in prize money.

This is one of Steve's longest articles, but well worth settling in and drifting back to that unbelievable, heart-wrenching time in America's history, when our lives changed forever.   When we thought we would never smile again,  a horse by the name of Tiznow pushed away the clouds and brought smiles and pride and hope to a weary nation.

TIZNOW - CHAPTER 2 - Steve Haskin

And, Steve Haskin's reflections in the days following the events of 9/11:  Haskin: View from the Verrazano     Also:  Haskin: Tiznow wins for America







Breeders' Cup 2001 - All races

ESPN:  What a Cup!
Mary Cage: Breeders Cup flashback: Tiznow

Sep 13-14

Note: This blog is non-commercial and was developed for my own personal use to organize my racing viewing activity.  Your comments as to its usefulness to you would be appreciated.  Thanks!

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CONGRATULATIONS TO NELLY AND HER NEW FILLY!


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There's a lot on the line in terms of money and prestige in weekend racing in France, Ireland and Canada.  TEN GRADE 1 races in Great Britain and Ireland, 2 at Woodbine in North America.

There are big races at Leopardstown and the Curragh in Ireland. TREVE, the defending Arc champion, will try to maintain her status as favorite for next month's renewal with a Group 1 trial heat in France. Dual Derby winner AUSTRALIA faces some old rivals in Ireland. Queen's Plate winner LEXIE LOU is back on the grass at Woodbine.

There are two St Legers -- one at Doncaster in England, the oldest Classic on the planet -- and the other at the Curragh in Ireland.  The winner of the American St. Leger, run last month at Arlington Park, The Pizza Man, is back in action this weekend.

In North America, turf action centers on Woodbine, near Toronto, with two graded races on the green on Saturday and three more on Sunday. The fun culminates in the $1 million, Grade I Ricoh Woodbine Mile, a qualifier for a Breeders' Cup Mile that already looks to be a race for the ages. Read more at source

JOCKEY CLUB TOUR ON FOX ENDS SUNDAY
Racing on TV schedule for Sunday

INAUGURAL CHAMPIONS WEEKEND AT DONCASTER AND CURRAGH
Doncaster 4-day St. Leger meeting take centre stage
Times Up seeking third in Doncaster Cup
Australia awesome entry for Irish Champions Weekend
Australia fully primed to lead O'Brien assault
Fields shaping up for Irish Champions weekend
Kingston Hill heads 15 in St. Leger at Doncaster

Jarnet to pilot Treve in Vermeille at Longchamp

HRTV Pursuit of the Cup - video
HRTV Pursuit of the Cup - International Report
TCI Insider - Video

See List of Races in Time Ordered Format below - return after the race to watch replay at CARD

Sep 6-7

Note: This blog is non-commercial and was developed for my own personal use to organize my racing viewing activity.  Your comments as to its usefulness to you would be appreciated.  Thanks!

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BRING ON THE TWO YEAR OLDS!!!!

Juvenile stakes featured along with Ack Ack & Locust Grove at Churchill Downs

The Road to the Kentucky Derby/Oaks starts this weekend!

Hashtag Bourbon offered an impressive rally to win the Mountaineer Juvenile going away (Coady Photography)  The ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY and ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY OAKS series begins Saturday with a pair of stakes at Churchill Downs, the Grade 3 IROQUOIS and Grade 2 POCAHONTAS for fillies. Both races offer points on a 10-4-2-1 scale to the top four respective finishers. Those aren't the only stakes races of interest as the Louisville, Kentucky track will also offer Grade 3, $100,000 ACK ACK H. for older horses and the $100,000 LOCUST GROVE for fillies and mares. The $100,000 Iroquois drew a strong field of nine for 1 1/16 miles and features a rematch between two of the top three finishers from a June 28 maiden special weight at Churchill Downs, Mr. Z and Hashtag Bourbon. Mr. Z won at first asking that afternoon and came back to finish second in both the Grade 3 Sanford and Grade 2 Saratoga Special at Saratoga. Trained by D. Wayne Lukas, the Malibu Moon colt figures to go favored off of those performances, earning a field-best 94 BRIS Speed rating last time. Corey Lanerie retains the mount.   Read more at Brisnet..

http://www.kentuckyderby.com/

Vicar's In Trouble returns home for Super Derby

Vicar's in Trouble seeks a sweep of his home state's premier races for three-year-olds (Lou Hodges Jr./Hodges Photography) Vicar's in Trouble, who captured the Louisiana Derby and Lecomte at Fair Grounds last winter by a combined margin of 10 1/4 lengths, returns to his home state Saturday as the one to catch in the Grade 2, $400,000 SUPER DERBY at   Louisiana Downs. The Into Mischief colt did not scare any of the competition away -- a total of 11 are in the Super Derby -- and there are other speed elements he will have to contend with, but class could carry Vicar's in Trouble a long way in the nine-furlong heat. Vicar's in Trouble hopes to snap a three-race losing streak in the Super Derby. Burdened with the disadvantageous 1 post in the Kentucky Derby, Vicar's in Trouble failed to make the lead, endured a troubled trip and trailed the field of 19. He also failed to make the lead in his comeback, the Iowa Derby over a sloppy Prairie Meadows strip, but hung on for third after a wide trip.

He had everything his own way, though, in the August 2 West Virginia Derby, but was simply outfinished by two better horses -- Tapiture and Candy Boy. Vicar's in Trouble will be reunited Saturday with Rosie Napravnik, who was aboard Tapiture at Mountaineer and has guided Vicar's in Trouble to all three career wins.  Read more at Brisnet

Kentucky Downs kicks off with three lucrative stakes
Turf racing returns to Kentucky Downs on Saturday with a 10-race program featuring three stakes, including the inaugural running of the $250,000 Dueling Grounds Derby. The 1 5/16-mile affair has attracted a nice field of 10 sophomores that includes classic-placed Medal Count and Grade 2 winner Global View.

The $200,000 Kentucky Downs Juvenile and $200,000 Kentucky Downs Juvenile Filles, both at seven furlongs, will also be offered on the opening-day program.

Kentucky Downs is exclusively turf, conducted on North America's only European-style course, and the 2014 meet consists of five days of racing on September 6,10,13,17 and 24. The daily average purse structure is more than $1 million and the Franklin, Kentucky, track has made a number of upgrades to the grounds, including the installation of a world class turf rail; improved drainage system; and the addition of 16 surveillance cameras in the stable area.  Read more at Brisnet

INTERNATIONAL
UNDEFEATED SEA THE MOON preps for the Arc in the GROSSER PREIS VON BADEN G1 ON SUNDAY! The video here is for his German Darby wire to wire sensational run. In the video, you will see him go from the inside rail and be taken abruptly to the outside rail at the top of the stretch in a planned move to accommodate his tendency to do this anyway. Amazing to see this move. He is #2 white silks with two-tone green stripe.

Definitely a "horse to watch", Sea The Moon is the 3 year old sensation by Sea The Stars. Write-up for Sunday's race: Sea The Moon preps for Arc at Baden Baden on Sunday

SHOCKER!  Sea The Moon second to Ivanhowe at Baden Baden!  Write-up race result

 

English version of German Derby race replay:


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Note:  After a race has been completed, return here and click on the CARD below to watch replay.