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Tagg’s Belmont Maiden Winner Hombre May Be On Course For Queen’s Plate

Robert Cudney's Hombre earned an 83 Beyer Speed Figure for an impressive 3 3/4-length maiden win Sunday over yielding turf in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight for 3-year-olds and up at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Trained by Barclay Tagg, the 3-year-old Tourist colt was bred in Ontario by Joey Gee Thoroughbreds. Out of the Perfect Soul mare Classic Soul, Hombre is a half-brother to the graded stakes-placed Speedy Soul.

With Dylan Davis up in Sunday's second-out maiden score, Hombre rallied three-wide through the turn and made his winning bid at the five-sixteenths marker before drawing clear.

“When they got to the pole and he started to move, I thought don't move too soon now, but he was just so smooth,” said Tagg. “He wasn't chasing after him, he just went right around the other horses. It's a pleasure to watch that.”

Hombre ran fifth on debut in April at Belmont after experiencing some trouble at the break.

“We thought he'd run well yesterday, but you never know. He'd only had one race,” said Tagg. “It was pretty smooth. He was running the whole way and when the jockey asked him for more, he went on with it.”

Tagg said the connections would like to point Hombre to the 10-furlong Queen's Plate, first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown slated for August 22 on the Tapeta at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario.

Hombre, who breezed over the Woodbine Tapeta last year when in the care of trainer Liz Elder, was sent to Tagg over the winter to prepare for a sophomore campaign.

Tagg said Hombre should be able to handle the surface change and stretch out in distance for the Queen's Plate.

“We can send him up there a couple days ahead of time and let him gallop on it,” said Tagg regarding the Tapeta. “I don't think he'd have any distance issues, but you don't know until you try. He's a nice-looking horse. He's well balanced, strong up front and strong behind.”

Tagg said Hombre came out of the race well and could make one start at the end of July at Saratoga before heading to Woodbine.

Hayward R. Pressman, Diamond M Stable, and Donna R. Pressman's Step Dancer breezed on the Belmont inner turf Monday.

Tagg said the War Dancer sophomore, who rallied to finish second last out in the NYSSS Spectacular Bid on June 19 at Belmont, will target the NYSSS Cab Calloway, a one-mile turf test for eligible New York-sired sophomores on July 28 at Saratoga.

“That's his first work since he ran. He went a half-mile on the turf and went well,” said Tagg. “We'll probably run him back in the New York stallion race on July 28 at one mile on the inner turf.”

Step Dancer, bred in the Empire State by Sugar Plum Farm and Richard Pressman, finished third in the Grade 2 Pilgrim on October 3 at Belmont ahead of a score in Awad at 1 1/16-miles over yielding turf at the same track.

Tagg, who conditioned famous New York-breds Tiz the Law and Funny Cide, said Step Dancer has the talent to eventually return to graded stakes races.

“I think so,” said Tagg. “We've been pretty lucky with a couple New York-breds, but you never know where they're going to come from. He's not that big, but he's put together well and moves well.”

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Tapeta Installation Begins Monday At Gulfstream Park

The installation of a Tapeta racing surface began Monday at Gulfstream Park.

The third racing surface will be positioned over what is currently the outer third of the turf course. To allow for the installation of the new surface, Gulfstream has cut back beginning this week from a four-day race week to a three-day race week. The Silks simulcasting room will remain open seven days a week.

The Tapeta surface is just one of several projects Gulfstream is working on to enhance the racing and customer experience. Along with the installation of a new all-weather surface, Gulfstream is renovating the drainage system on the inside of the turf course and installing a new infield tote board.

Work on the third racing surface is expected to continue through August. Turf racing will continue throughout the project except for races at five furlongs.

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WVRC Chair Wants Charles Town to Switch to Synthetic

Although he stopped short of saying that a surface change at Charles Town Races might soon be mandated by state racing regulators, West Virginia Racing Commission (WVRC) chairman Ken Lowe Jr. made it clear during Tuesday's meeting that he will be advocating for a synthetic surface to replace the traditional dirt that comprises the track's six-furlong oval.

Lowe's Apr. 20 comments came against the backdrop of 11 equine fatalities at Charles Town so far in 2021. The track is closed for racing Wednesday through Saturday this week to perform maintenance and a safety evaluation. Charles Town has also lost three programs this year because of bad weather, and one date because of a lack of entries.

“Let's truly think about working together to figure out a way that Charles Town can go to synthetic,” Lowe said. “I don't see an answer to this problem that we have every year here. I know [the track superintendent] is doing a great job. Management's trying…. But why go through this every year? Let's figure out a way to do it so there can possibly be a synthetic surface at Charles Town that solves most of the problems with a proper drainage system, et cetera. I think that's the solution.”

Lowe's comments were preceded by a general surfaces presentation by Mick Peterson, the director of the Racetrack Safety Program and a professor of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering at the University of Kentucky. Peterson routinely advises the nation's top-tier tracks on equine safety and track composition.

While underscoring that synthetic tracks are not specifically his area of expertise, Peterson did note that Turfway Park in neighboring Kentucky has had an “incredibly successful” long-term safety profile while using Polytrack (2005-19) and (Tapeta (2020-21).

Peterson added that there are similarities between Turfway and Charles Town, in that both race at night and during winter months with a primarily a low-level horse population. He did not outright advocate for a switch at Charles Town, though.

“Probably at the next meeting, I'm going to suggest for the racing commission [to give] its approval that we come up with a date and begin the process of figuring out how to shift Charles Town to a synthetic surface, and what's involved,” Lowe said.

Erich Zimny, Charles Town's vice president of racing operations, thanked Peterson for his expertise while cautioning the WVRC not to rush to judgement on a synthetic surface mandate.

“The last time a commission made a mandate for a synthetic surface in a state in this country, that kind of went sideways,” Zimny said.

Zimny was referring to 2006, when the California Horse Racing Board ordered all major Thoroughbred tracks in the state to install synthetic surfaces in lieu of dirt. The tracks ended up being safer according to several studies, but there were problems with maintenance and complaints from some horse people and handicappers who preferred the traditional dirt. The California mandate was reversed within two years.

Lowe, a long-time West Virginia horse owner, has had an abrasive history with Charles Town management over various issues for the better part of a decade.

In 2011, when Lowe was president of the Charles Town Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association, track management ejected him from the property for a violation of Charles Town's house rule against solicitation (authorizing the distribution of political flyers). He subsequently told TDN he won an undisclosed court judgment from track management when he challenged that ejection.

Lowe was appointed to the racing commission in 2017. Shortly thereafter, he led a failed bid to withhold commission approval for a fully-funded version of the GII Charles Town Classic, the track's signature race. That action almost scuttled the Classic for 2018, but the state's governor, in reaction to well-publicized backlash, vowed to have the WVRC's decision revered. The commission subsequently re-voted to approve funding for that stakes.

On Tuesday, when Lowe prompted Zimny for his reaction to switching to a synthetic surface, Zimny opted not to discuss the issue in public until he had time to talk about it privately with members of Charles Town's management team.

“It's certainly something that will have to be discussed internally here, and I would caution against anything rash as far as mandating anything,” Zimny said.

“Erich, you know me. I don't do anything rash. I always ask everybody. I'm smiling. Can you see it?” Lowe quipped.

“We'll be prepared to discuss it at the next meeting,” Zimny replied.

In a post-meeting follow-up email to TDN, Zimny declined further comment, but added that “Can also say that our rate of fatal musculoskeletal injuries during races had fallen each year from 2017 thru 2020. Was at 1.43 per 1,000 starters in 2020, including less than 1 per 1,000 from January thru March last year.”

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‘Storm’ Rolling in For Jeff Ruby

A field of 11, headed by Joseph Morey Jr.'s Hush of a Storm (Creative Cause), aim to take advantage of the Kentucky Derby points on the line in Saturday's GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park. Drawing the 2 hole, the William Morey trainee kicked off his career finishing eighth against $150,000 maidens on the dirt at Churchill last November, but rebounded in fine style to win with ease while trying the Tapeta for the first time going a mile a Turfway in December. A narrow winner facing optional claiming company Jan. 6, the New York bred recorded his biggest success to date when winning the 8 1/2-furlong John Battaglia Memorial S. Feb. 26. Aboard for all three wins, Santiago Gonzalez gets the call.

Hoping to turn the tables on Hush of a Storm is Battaglia third Gretzky the Great (Nyquist), the sole Grade I winner in the field. Campaigned by Gary Barber and Eclipse Thoroughbreds, the Ontario bred was runner up in his career bow over the Woodbine turf last July before graduating in an off-turf test over that track's synthetic surface the following month before eking out a win in the grassy 6 1/2-furlong Soaring Free S. Aug. 23. Favored for the Sept. 20 GI Summer S., the bay came home an easy 3 1/4-length winner, but failed to carry that form in his seasonal finale, tiring to sixth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Keeneland Nov. 6.

“After the Breeders' Cup, Gretzky had some minor ankle surgery and so, we missed some time with him,” said Mark Casse. “I knew if I was going to make a dirt start that I was going to have to race him two or three more times. So, the reason I went to the Battaglia was just simply because it's not as tiring.”

As for his Battaglia performance, Casse added, “He definitely was a little short, unfortunately. We drew the one [hole] and I told the rider, look, I want you to put him into the race. I don't like coming from the one and letting horses run by you and then they go in front of you and next thing you know, you're last. So, we asked him to run away from there. And unfortunately, he caught some pressure from a long shot that kind of ran ahead and was with him for three-quarters-of-a-mile. He put that horse away and then two more came at him, two more that had to be a lot fitter than we were, so I was proud of our horse.”

“I thought he tried and ran hard, staying back,” he concluded. “But more importantly, he's trained very well since then. And I'm excited. I'm very happy we picked up Chris Landeros to ride him. In my opinion, nobody rides Turfway Park like Chris Landeros. So, I think that's a big plus for us.”

While a top rung performance could pave the way to the Kentucky Derby starting gate, Casse indicated Canada's first jewel of the Triple Crown is far more likely for the colt.

“Is the derby a possibility? I wouldn't rule it out,” said Casse. “He would have to give us a tremendous performance though in the Jeff Ruby and then we'd have to come up with a plan on the Derby. But Queen's Plate is definitely in our crosshairs. And with him being a Canadian bred, it's a million dollars and it's such a prestigious race. We've been fortunate enough to win it a couple of times. We'd like to win it again.”

Also exiting the Battaglia, M Racing Group's Like the King (Palace Malice) makes the jump into graded company following a runner-up in the Battaglia. A runaway winner going a mile on the turf at Belterra last September, the Wesley Ward trainee finished third in an off-turf test at Keeneland a month later but found himself back in the winner's circle going a mile at Turfway Dec. 4. Drawing the inside stall this time, the colt will be ridden for the first time by Drayden Van Dyke.

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