The running of the GII Ruffian S. Saturday at Belmont lacked the sizzle that was part of the narrative for several other major races over the weekend, but that wasn’t the fault of Monomoy Girl (Tapizar). She did exactly what was asked of her. She showed up and beat four overmatched horses in an effort that was more perfunctory than impressive.
“This was a nice race for her to come back into stakes competition and now we can tackle some bigger races and a tougher field, too,” jockey Florent Geroux said.
Exactly.
With Monomoy Girl coming back off an 18-month layoff, trainer Brad Cox was in no hurry to throw her to the wolves. He started her off in an allowance race at Churchill Downs and then in the one-mile, one-turn Ruffian, a race that didn’t figure to include a stellar group of opponents for the 2018 Eclipse Award winner. But the time has come for Cox to get more aggressive and point for a race that will be a truer test.
There are a lot of good storylines out there this year. How far can Tiz the Law (Constitution) go in the strangest Triple Crown ever? What will Maximum Security (New Year’s Day) look like when he comes back for new trainer Bob Baffert? At age seven, will Tom’s d’Etat (Smart Strike) continue to thrive for trainer Al Stall, Jr. and be named Horse of the Year?
But nothing would compare to a rematch between Monomoy Girl and Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute). It’s enough that it would be a showdown between two superstar mares, but it’s the intrigue, uncertainties and twists that would make this such an exciting, unpredictable “good-for-the game” race.
The story of the rivalry between the two begins in the 2018 GI Kentucky Oaks. Monomoy Girl won that day and Midnight Bisou was third. She beat her again in the GI Coaching Club American Oaks. In the GI Cotillion S. at Parx, Monomoy Girl crossed the wire in front, but was disqualified for bothering Midnight Bisou, who was placed first. Monomoy Girl was first in the 2018 GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff and Midnight Bisou was third, making it a perfect four-for-four in terms of which filly crossed the wire ahead of the other.
With Monomoy Girl sidelined throughout 2019, Midnight Bisou flourished. She went seven for eight last year and was named champion older filly or mare. She’s been every bit as good, if not better, this year, finishing second when going against males in the $20-million Saudi Cup and then returning with a flourish, an 8 1/4-length winner in the GII Fleur de Lis S. at Churchill. She’s scheduled to go next in the GI Personal Ensign S. at Saratoga Aug. 1.
That’s what we know. What we don’t know is who the better horse is today, Midnight Bisou or Monomoy Girl? It could be that Midnight Bisou took full advantage of Monomoy Girl’s absence and would not have done nearly as well if her rival were standing in her way. Or has Midnight Bisou improved so much that she is now the better horse of the two?
The only way to find out is for them to meet on the racetrack.
The most likely spot for that to happen would ordinarily be in the GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff, but there’s no certainty both will be there because Midnight Bisou’s connections have said their horse may run in the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic. There is still the possibility, however, that both could land in the same prep for the Breeders’ Cup, perhaps in the GII Beldame S. at Belmont or, more likely, the GI Spinster S. at Keeneland.
More often than not, the stars don’t align when it comes to getting star horses into the gate to face one another. Rachel Alexandra never did face Zenyatta. But this one might be different. The ownership groups behind both horses have already shown that they are game for anything. Midnight Bisou was slated to be retired at the end of last year, but came back for another season, which has included an adventurous trip to Saudi Arabia. The Monomoy Girl camp endured 18 months away from the races and brought their horse back when many would have retired her. Neither one is afraid of a challenge or will duck anyone. Whether it’s in the Breeders’ Cup or in a fall prep, they very well could face one another.
Should they meet, I would back Monomoy Girl. Until Midnight Bisou proves she can beat her, I can’t get past those four races in 2018 and Monomoy Girl looks like the time away has done nothing to diminish her skills. But the fun won’t be in being right or wrong, but in seeing two of the best of their generation proving their superiority on the racetrack. Fingers crossed that it happens.
Kudos to Swiss Skydiver and Her Team
Trainer Kenny McPeek and owner Peter Callahan could have gone the safe route and run Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) against fillies in the GI Central Bank Ashland S., a race she likely would have won. Instead, they decided to run their filly against boys in the GII Toyota Blue Grass S.
In the end, it may have cost them a Grade I win and the winner’s share of a $400,000 purse, but they need not look back or have any regrets. They are a rare pair that figured out that sometimes it’s worth giving your horse the ultimate test and trying to make history. Had Swiss Skydiver run seventh, they might have looked foolish. But she put in a valiant effort and finished second behind a quickly rising star in Art Collector (Bernardini). In defeat, she earned more respect and admiration than she possibly could have achieved by beating fillies for a fourth straight time in the Ashland.
Swiss Skydriver earned enough points to run in the GI Kentucky Derby, but McPeek said the GI Kentucky Oaks is now the plan. That’s the right choice. If she couldn’t win the Blue Grass, she’s not a Derby winner. What she is is an outstanding filly who put in a valiant effort for an owner and trainer who made this a Blue Grass to remember.
Keeneland Sheds Light on Late Odds Drops
There was another race last week where the odds plummeted on a horse at the very last second and, of course, the horse won. This time it happened at Keeneland. In the sixth race Friday, the odds on Early Mischief (Into Mischief) dropped from 10-1 to 5-1, which didn’t show up until the race was underway.
Someone at Keeneland understood how bad this must have looked. These odds drops are the result of the computer/rebate players pounding the pools at the very last second, betting so much that they can cause massive odds shifts. There’s nothing illegal about this, but every time it happens, it leaves a bad taste in everyone’s mouth and leads some to believe the game is rigged. It’s a serious problem.
Keeneland decided to inform the public of exactly what happened. They investigated and then issued a statement, revealing that $16,000 was bet to win on Early Mischief in the last betting cycle. That same cycle accounted for 26% of the win pool.
That doesn’t solve a problem that is not going to go away, but Keeneland did everything it could to be transparent and let the wagering public know that it had their backs. Other tracks need to follow Keeneland’s lead.
The post The Week in Review: The Race Everyone Wants to See, Midnight Bisou Vs. Monomoy Girl appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.
Equine airway disease can be tricky to diagnose; analyzing the horse's breath may help identify horses affected by the disease. A study out of Italy collected equine breath condensate and studied its metabolic byproducts to see if there was a difference between healthy horses and those suffering from the disease.
Drs. Marilena Bazzano, Luca Laghi, Chenglin Zhu, Gian Enrico Magi, Beniamino Tesei and Fulvio Laus studied six healthy horses and six horses with equine asthma. Equine asthma affects about 14 percent of adult horses; affected equine can be used as animal models for human asthma research and treatment.
The team then studied the metabolic byproducts in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and the exhaled condensate of each horse. The team found 12 metabolites in the lavage fluid and seven in the breath condensate. There were notable differences between the healthy and asthmatic horses, including higher levels of methanol and ethanol in the asthmatic group. The higher methanol level indicates the horse's lungs were actively inflamed. The scientists believe the higher ethanol concentrations may be related to pulmonary disease.
The researchers noted that there is a lack of standardized collection methods for equine breath condensate, as well devices to collect it, which limits the ability for horses to be used as animal models for human research. Though the study used a small number of horses, the scientists are confident that analyzing metabolites has potential to assist in diagnosing horses that suffer from equine asthma. Further research is needed.
Read more at HorseTalk.
Read the full study here.
The post Just Breathe: Analyzing Horse Breath May Help ID Equine Asthma appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Trainer George Weaver has long believed that Vekoma is capable of big things on the racetrack. The 4-year-old son of Candy Ride has delivered on that faith in a major way this season, earning back-to-back Grade 1 victories in the seven-furlong Carter Handicap and last Saturday's Runhappy Metropolitan Mile Handicap.
Vekoma defeated Network Effect and Code of Honor by 1 ¼ lengths in the Met Mile, leading throughout the one-mile contest.
“I actually did think he could be on the lead,” Weaver said after the race. “I thought we had the most natural speed of the horses in the race. I knew the outside horses liked to show speed, but at the end of the day I thought if we broke well, they might just be caught chasing. When I talked to Javier in the paddock, he was non-committal, and I said the whole time that I know Javier understands this horse and feels what he can and can't do, and I left it in his hands.
“At the quarter pole, it seemed like all comers were coming and I thought 'Man, does he have anything left in the tank or not?' When they got to the eighth pole and I saw him rebreak and keep going, I got excited. It was fun.”
The big wins have increased Vekoma's career earnings to $1,245,525, making him Weaver's highest earner since the trainer took out his license in 2002.
“I was so proud of him,” said Weaver. “Physically he's matured and filled out, and I really couldn't be any happier with him.”
The Met Mile was Weaver's fourth top-level win as a trainer, following Saratoga County's win in the Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen in 2005 and Lighthouse Bay's win in the Grade 1 Prioress in 2013.
Still, the Louisville native grew up with dreams of the Kentucky Derby. He made his inaugural Run for the Roses in 2015 with Tencendur, but that horse faded to finish 17th.
Early last year, Weaver had gotten excited that Vekoma might give him a stronger chance in a second trip to the Derby. The colt won the G2 Nashua as a juvenile, and made his 3-year-old debut a third-place finish in the G2 Fountain of Youth Stakes. In April, Vekoma dominated the G2 Blue Grass Stakes by 3 ½ lengths, securing his spot in the starting gate for the Kentucky Derby.
Unfortunately, Vekoma disappointed on the day, up close early and fading to finish 12th, and the colt was sent to the farm for a break that lasted the remainder of 2019.
“He did not perform well on Derby day, and I don't know if it was the (sloppy) track or if it just wasn't his day,” Weaver said. “He's a terrifically talented racehorse, and I've always thought he was a star. Obviously, we were hoping to do better in the Derby, but history shows that a lot of really nice horses don't run well on the first Saturday in May.”
Bringing the colt back to the races involved a lot of dedication from both Weaver and his wife and business partner, Cindy Hutter. The couple first met in 1991 when they were employed by D. Wayne Lukas, but didn't date until they both made the move to trainer Todd Pletcher's team.
Pletcher, also employed by Lukas early in his career, left the Hall of Famer to go out on his own in 1996, and Hutter went along as his assistant. Weaver made the move to Pletcher's barn in 1997, but as assistant trainers, he and Hutter had to work at separate locations for much of the year.
In 2002, the couple made the decision to stick together and work for themselves.
“We decided to make a go of it and do everything all at once,” Weaver explained. “We went into business for ourselves, we bought a house, had a kid; we didn't hold back and did it all at once.”
Today, 18 years later, Hutter is very hands-on with the horses while Weaver is able to handle many of the business aspects like communicating with owners and planning races.
When it came time to bring Vekoma back to the races early in 2020, Hutter was on the talented colt's back nearly every morning.
“She's gotten on him most of his career,” Weaver said. “I have confidence when she tells me they're doing well. She's a great horseperson and knows our horses very well.”
In late March, Vekoma made his first start off a nine-month layoff a winning one in Gulfstream's listed Sir Shackleton Stakes, dominating the seven furlong-contest by 3 ¾ lengths. Though his next start was delayed a bit by the coronavirus pandemic, Vekoma didn't miss a beat and celebrated his first Grade 1 win with an impressive romp in the Carter Handicap, a Win and You're In Challenge Series race for the Breeders' Cup.
With a 7 ¼-length win and a final time of 1:21.02 for seven furlongs, Vekoma earned an automatic entry into the Breeders' Cup Sprint. The Met Mile win earned the colt a slot in the Dirt Mile, so there are plenty of options leading up to this year's World Championships.
“Nothing's written in stone, but we'll probably focus on a mile or under going forward,” Weaver said. “We're going to nominate to the Whitney for sure, but he's run two huge races back-to-back. The most likely scenario, to me, is that he would come back in a race like the Forego. We want to plot a campaign to get us to the Breeders' Cup, so we'll take a look at the calendar and go from there.”
“I think he's the best older horse in the country,” co-owner Randy Hill told NYRA publicity. “The horse will tell us. He's such a warrior.”
The post Breeders’ Cup Presents Connections: ‘I’ve Always Thought He Was A Star’ appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
