Easy Goer | Horse Racing Free Tips

Pat Day Joins The TDN Writers’ Room Podcast

Just a few days removed from his 70th birthday, Pat Day joined the TDN Writers' Room podcast presented by Keeneland to talk his career, what he's been up to since retiring in 2005 and, most of all, the Breeders' Cup. Day rode Wild Again to victory in the inaugural GI Breeders' Cup Classic in 1984 and it was an historic win that helped turn the future Hall of Famer into one of the biggest stars in the sport. Day was this week's Green Group Guest of the Week.

“What that race meant for my career was monumental,” Day said. “First of all, let me back up. In January of 84, that was when I came to Christ. I was a stone alcoholic and a drug addict and was still highly successful in the midst of that. On January 27th of 1984, I accepted Christ into my life and got set free from that addictive lifestyle. I recognized that God had blessed me with tremendous talent and ability and opportunities and I started treating that with the respect that it deserved. Subsequently, I had an incredible year capped by the victory with Wild Again in the inaugural Breeders' Cup. That helped secure my first of four Eclipse Awards. I don't know that you could put a price on just what that did for my career. It was tremendous and catapulted me to the next level. I started getting opportunities after that to participate in the major races all over the country and to ride some of the top choices in those races.

If the Wild Again win was Day's top Breeders' Cup moment, his loss to Sunday Silence aboard Easy Goer in the 1989 Classic was surely his worst.

“When they came off the turn, Easy Goer was slow to change leads,” Day said. “He finally did. When he did, he caught on and accelerated, but obviously it was too little, too late. There was just so much hanging in the balance. The Eclipse Award for top 3-year-old. Horse of the Year. There were some tremendous accolades that hung in the balance. That Breeders' Cup was hard and the second hardest pill to swallow with him would have been the Preakness. I think I rode a horrible race and I think that I cost him the race in the Preakness. Easy Goer was a great horse. The best I ever rode. I know the record doesn't reflect it but I still think he was better than Sunday Silence.”

Who was his toughest opponent?

“Day in and day out, the smartest, strongest rider I rode against on a regular basis was Jerry Bailey,” Day said. “He would draw up a game plan and he was able to implement that game plan just about every time.”

Who was the most competitive rider he ever went up against?

“With that subject, Angel Cordero's name always comes up,” he said. “We would laughingly say he could ride two or three horses in a race. Angel, I love you, man. He was an astute handicapper. And if he handicapped the race and he felt that you had the horse to beat, he was going to beat you. He felt like if he beat you he would win the race. He was very competitive.”

Elsewhere on the podcast, which is also sponsored by 1/ST Racing, the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association, WinStar Farm, the KTOB, XBTV and West Point Thoroughbreds, the team of Zoe Cadman, Randy Moss and Bill Finley discussed Frankie Dettori's decision to postpone his retirement and focus on U.S. racing in 2024 and the GI Kentucky Derby. The team agreed that Dettori, who has been riding in top form this year, deserved at least one more year. Finley predicted he might decide to keep riding for two or three more years. They also reviewed last week's action which included a win by European shipper Mawj (Ire) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) in the GI Queen Elizabeth Challenge Cup S. at Keeneland and the ultra-impressive win by City of Troy (Justify) in the G1 Dewhurst S. at Newmarket.

To watch the Writers' Room, click here. To view the show as a podcast, click here.

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Sunday Shoes ‘Kicks Off’ With ‘Rising Star’ Debut

Lael Stables' Sunday Shoes (f, 3, Pioneerof the Nile–Silvertoni, by Tapit) was forced to cover stacks of ground when making her career debut in a 6 1/2-furlong maiden under the Wednesday night lights at Turfway and turned in a spectacular effort to earn the 'TDN Rising Star' distinction.

A $500,000 acquisition by Michael Hernon on behalf of Roy and Gretchen Jackson's operation from the Woodford draft at Keeneland September in 2021, Sunday Shoes was sent off as the 9-2 third choice on debut and was one of the first to break the line from her double-digit draw before easing back to sit in about midfield, albeit well out into the track. Waited with into the final three-eighths of a mile, the bay uncorked an eye-catching rally around the turn while still trapped out and was no better than five deep at the entrance to the stretch. Sunday Shoes wanted to have a good look around once she made the lead, but she was kept to her task and pulled nicely clear of what appeared on paper to be a strong group. OXO Equine's second-time starter Upper Case (American Pharoah), well-beaten behind future GISW Chocolate Gelato (Practical Joke) at Saratoga last August, was runner-up here as the 9-5 chalk, while firster Chelsea Pier (Arrogate) spiced up the triple at 24-1.

Sunday Shoes is a sixth 'Rising Star' for the much-missed Pioneerof the Nile, who is the sire of Lael's gifted turf sprinter Arrest Me Red, also a Ward trainee. Woodford Thoroughbreds acquired the winner's stakes-winning dam–also second in the 2016 GII Adirondack S.–for $800,000 in foal to Quality Road at the 2018 Keeneland November sale.

Silvertoni, herself a $230,000 KEESEP yearling, is a grand-daughter of Grade I winner Easy Now, a half-sister to the legendary champion and nine-time Grade I winner Easy Goer (Alydar) and GI Ballerina S. heroine Cadillacing (Alydar). Fourth dam Relaxing (Buckpasser) was the champion older mare of 1981 and Broodmare of the Year in 1989.

5th-Turfway, $68,852, Msw, 2-15, 3yo, f, 6 1/2f (AWT), 1:16.66, ft, 3 1/2 lengths.
SUNDAY SHOES, f, 3, by Pioneerof the Nile
1st Dam: Silvertoni (SW & GSP, $141,330), by Tapit
2nd Dam: Somasach, by Johannesburg
3rd Dam: Easy Now, by Danzig
Sales history; $500,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $42,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O-Lael Stables; B-Woodford Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-Wesley A Ward.

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Old Friends: Whitney, Travers Winner Will’s Way Passes At Age 27

Will's Way, winner of the 1997 Whitney Handicap and 1996 Travers Stakes, died Dec. 24 at Old Friends at Cabin Creek in Greenfield Center, NY.

Euthanized due to declining health, the son of Easy Goer out of the Tentam mare Willamae was 27.

Will's Way was among the flagship stallions retired to Old Friends, the non-profit Thoroughbred Retirement farm in Georgetown, Ky. After a few seasons in Kentucky, Will was transferred to Cabin Creek, the organization's satellite facility just outside Saratoga where he was often greeted by his many adoring New York fans.

Campaigned by trainer James H. Bond for owners Rudlein Stables, Will had a relatively short but spectacular career on the race track. After breaking his maiden at Gulfstream Park first time out in 1996, he went on to capture the G1 Travers Stakes at Saratoga, prevailing over Preakness winner Louis Quatorze and the great Skip Away.

In 1997 Will took the G1 Whitney Handicap, again at Saratoga, over Formal Gold, with Skip Away finishing third. The top two finishers each earned extraordinary 126 Beyer Speed Figures.

In his career, Will's Way won or placed in 11 of 13 races and retired with earnings of $954,400. His greatest son, Lion Tamer, won the G1 Cigar Mile Handicap in 2004.

“We all loved him so much,” said Joann Pepper, owner and manager of Cabin Creek. “He would take our breath away when he decided to run. I will miss brushing his tail and kissing his star—I'll even miss letting him chew on me,” Pepper added, referring to Will's sometimes cantankerous personality. “It was such an honor to care for him.”

“He was such an exciting racehorse, and we were so thrilled to have him with us first in Kentucky and then in New York,” said Old Friends founder and president Michael Blowen. “Our heart goes out to our friends at Cabin Creek. Joann and Will had a very special bond, and we know he will be sorely missed by everyone there.”

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McGaughey Looks to Add to Whitney ‘Honor’ Roll

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — Following the draw for the GI Whitney S. Wednesday morning, trainer Shug McGaughey answered more questions about his previous Whitney winners than this year’s runner, Code of Honor (Noble Mission {GB}).

McGaughey, a member of racing’s Hall of Fame since 2004, will try for his fourth victory in Saratoga’s premier dirt race for older horses Saturday with William Farish’s 4-year-old homebred colt.

The chestnut drew in the middle of the strong five-horse field, that features Tom’s d’Etat (Smart Strike), who has won four straight stakes, and GI Hollywood Gold Cup winner Improbable (City Zip), trained by Bob Baffert. Last year, Baffert won the Whitney with McKinzie (Street Sense).

The Whitney field also includes three-time graded stakes winner By My Standards (Goldencents) and Mr. Buff (Friend Or Foe), the massive New York-bred division champion seeking his first graded stakes victory.

With Whitney winners Personal Ensign (1988) and Easy Goer (1989), both Hall of Famers, and Honor Code (2015) on his vast stakes resume, McGaughey, 69, spent a fair amount of time talking about the present and the past.

Code of Honor was moved up to second in the 2019 GI Kentucky Derby following the disqualification of Maximum Security (New Year’s Day) and won last year’s GI Runhappy Travers and GI Jockey Club Gold Cup via the disqualification of eventual GI Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Vino Rosso (Curlin).

Code of Honor enters the Whitney following a third-place finish in the GI Runhappy Metropolian H. July 4.

Though the Whitney field is the smallest since Personal Ensign beat just two others 32 years ago, McGaughey said it is deep in quality and will be a big test for his late-runner. Tom’s d’Etat with Joel Rosario up, is the 6-5 morning-line favorite in the “Win and You’re In” race for the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Improbable and Code of Honor are listed at 5-2. On June 27, Tom’s d’Etat extended his win streak in the GII Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs.

“It won’t be easy,” he said. “I’ve just got to hope that Code of Honor runs a monster race. It will be kind of interesting to see what the tactics are with only five. I know where I’m going to be, but I’m not sure what the others are going to do or how much they’re going to press. You know that Joel isn’t going to do anything stupid. Hopefully, he’ll be up there fairly close, as he was, I think, in the Stephen Foster and we are able to pick him up. It’s a pretty solid field. I feel like we’re lucky to be in it. If he runs his race, they’ll know he is there.”

McGaughey said that Code of Honor is better suited for the two-turn 1 1/8 miles of the Whitney than the one-turn Met Mile at Belmont Park. Code of Honor is two-for-two at the Spa.

“I have a lot of confidence,” McGaughey said. “He was so fresh last year for the Travers. I think it will be a little different kind of a race this year because he ran on June 6 [winning the GIII Westchester] and ran back in the Met Mile. He’s bounced out of it good. His two works here were good. I’ve got confidence that he will run his race. If that is good enough, we’ll get our picture taken. If not, we’ll figure out something else.”

McGaughey was in his third year training for Ogden Phipps and his family when he ran Personal Ensign in the Whitney. She had recovered from an injury–a broken bone in a rear leg–that had kept her away from the races for almost a year. The 4-year-old filly faced two very capable runners, Gulch and King’s Swan, and McGaughey said he had some concerns about asking her to face males over a sloppy track.

“The rain came up early, so I came over here to kind of see what was going on with the track,” McGaughey said. “They ran a sprint race earlier in the card–I remember Angel Penna had a horse in there–and it looked like to me that the water was just on top of the track. I told Mr. Phipps that I thought they were going down into a drier track and I didn’t think it would be a problem. I knew she didn’t mind the mud.”

Personal Ensign prevailed by 1 1/2 lengths over Gulch at 4-5 and is the last female to win the Whitney.

“She was able to run an incredible race,” he said. “It’s funny, one of the numbers guys called me earlier in the week and said ‘She can win this race if she gets the perfect trip.’ If you remember, [jockey Angel] Cordero and King’s Swan pushed her way out in the middle of the racetrack. She was out there kind of the whole way, but she was good enough to win.”

Three months later, Personal Ensign finished her career at 13-0 record with a heart-stopping victory by a nose over Kentucky Derby winner Winning Colors in the GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Churchill Downs.

McGaughey said the Whitney was part of the plan to silence some critics and put her at the top of the older female division.

“I remember on the West Coast they said, ‘She only wins at Belmont.'” McGaughey said. “So I said, ‘Well, I’ll take care of that part of it.’ We took her down to Monmouth and she won the Molly Pitcher from here to across the street. Mr. Phipps was anxious to start her against the colts and I thought this was the perfect place to do it. In case we were wrong and it took too much out of her, we would still have enough time for the fall racing. We thought this was a pretty good opportunity. Plus, he didn’t want to duck and run to some place, like Chicago, to run against the colts. He wanted to do it here.”

The following summer, McGaughey became the first trainer to win-back-to-back Whitneys in over 50 years with the 3-year-old Easy Goer. After runner-up finishes to Sunday Silence in the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, Easy Goer beat Sunday Silence by eight lengths in the GI Belmont S.. Rather than prep him for the Travers in the Jim Dandy, McGaughey put him in the Whitney and ran Fast Play in the Jim Dandy. Easy Goer, the last 3-year-old to win the Whitney, won as he pleased by three lengths over Clever Trevor at 1-5.

“We knew that Easy Goer was an exceptional horse,” McGaughey said. “He came out of the Belmont–and I wouldn’t have done it–but he gave you the feeling that you could run him back in two weeks. We obviously didn’t do that, but we pointed for here. Mr. Phipps was anxious to do something of that sort and we had an alternative, too, with Fast Play, who we could run in the Jim Dandy. Obviously, it was the right decision and I thought it was the right decision going in, too.”

Hall of Fame jockey Jacinto Vazquez provided some drama by pinning Easy Goer along the rail behind the pacesetter for a while, but he took advantage of an opening.

“He had to come through there, but he was in a little bit of trouble,” McGaughey said. “I can remember watching Pat Day and thinking, ‘He’s got a lot of horse. Whenever it opens he’s going to be there.'”

McGaughey was second to Criminal Type with Dancing Spree by 1 1/2 lengths in 1990 and Out of Place was second by a nose in 1992. He added his third Whitney five years ago with Honor Code, who edged Liam’s Map by a neck at 7-2. It followed his victory in the Met Mile and was the last of his six wins in an 11-race career.

“Honor Code was an exceptional horse,” McGaughey said. “He wasn’t the easiest horse to train. He kind of did a little bit of what he wanted to do. After he won in the Whitney, he didn’t want to go back to the training track. I had to bring him up here and train. I don’t know why.”

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