BC Notes From Across the Pond Viewpoint
Oct 28, 2014 15:21:01 GMT -5
Post by Jon on Oct 28, 2014 15:21:01 GMT -5
Interesting series from Brit point of view. Follow it here:
www.sportinglife.com/racing
GC at the BC Pick Six Part Two
The draw is done and dusted and a few of the mists around the Breeders’ Cup are slowly clearing.
Tuesday signals the arrival of more of the Euro players and C4 and RUK analyst Graham Cunningham has been getting amongst the action again in part two of his BC Pick Six blog.
1: Good luck to Hannon – but it could be Toro Nada round these tight turns
Members of the jury, have you reached a verdict on which you are all agreed?
Well, not quite perhaps, but four of five judges in Monday’s Racing Post Monday Jury feature were unable to see past Toronado as a Euro banker in the BC Mile.
No prizes for guessing that resident Coral curmudgeon James Knight was the sole dissenting voice on a panel completed by John Reid, George Margarson, Pietro Innocenzi and Toronado’s trainer Richard Hannon.
But on this occasion I’m firmly with the Dark Knight and happy to treat Toronado as a very vulnerable jolly this week.
Wise Dan’s absence has clearly removed a major obstacle from the High Chaparral colt’s path and Timeform give him 4lb in hand after a light but honourable campaign featuring a Queen Anne win at Ascot and fine seconds behind Kingman at Goodwood and Charm Spirit at Longchamp.
A handy draw in stall 5 sees him trading as 2-1 favourite to prove the jury right in their majority verdict, but I’m in the opposite camp for several reasons.
First, this field contains several dangerous floaters, headed by the improving Irish colt Mustajeeb and backed up by Goldikova’s brother Anodin, the former Gosden colt Seek Again and the highly progressive California hope Toms Tribute.
And second, I have a nagging doubt as to whether Toronado will be at his very best in a race featuring two tight turns and one of the shortest home straights on the BC roster.
Richard Hughes has expressed a desire to see Toronado given another chance over ten furlongs several times this season and the more you look at the replays of Goodwood and Longchamp the more he looks like a strong-travelling colt who may not quite have the instant turn of foot to put this to bed.
Victory would cap a memorable first season for Hannon jnr and fulfil an ambition to do what his illustrious father Richard snr never quite managed to do in 40 years among the elite of the training profession.
But they don’t award Breeders’ Cup races on sentiment.
And for as long as Toronado is still trading at 2-1 the value call is to take him on.
2: Follow the Crush to end up flush?
How best to describe the latest edition of Crushing The Cup?
Gerald Delamere on speed would be a fair appraisal of the annual BC opus produced by American fanatics Peter Mallett and Jim Mazur and this year’s offering contains the usual quota of difficult-to-decipher jargon relating to contenders, pretenders, bombers and fuzzies.
However, Crusher Mallett and Crusher Mazur (as they refer to themselves repeatedly in a phone book sized tome) are nothing if not passionate and thorough in their desire to cash that life changing ticket.
So crush their efforts into a couple of bite-sized chunks, I hear you say.
Well, here goes for Friday’s key Crushing clues – with Saturday to follow a little later in the week.
After a raft of introductory material – including the revelation that Santa Anita’s main track now consists of El Segundo sand sourced when a runway at LAX airport was excavated – the following Crush points stand out.
Juvenile Turf – Euros have won 5 of 7 renewals, supplying 71 per cent of winners despite having only 27 per cent of starters.
Dirt Mile – Better than eight out of ten winners will be front runners or pace pressers
Juvenile Filly Turf – Belmont’s Miss Grillo Stakes tends to be a key trial for a race where the first two in the market tend to struggle
Distaff – This isn’t a kind race to beaten horses trying again. Leading fancy Close Hatches seeks to buck a trend which has seen only one of that group succeed.
3: Rome burns for Classic success
Imagine if Jeremy Kyle owned the hot favourite for the Derby.
That day still looks a fair way off whatever lie detector you care to use, but one of his American equivalents is experiencing something similar as part owner of Saturday’s Classic favourite Shared Belief.
Jerry Hollendorfer’s colt is unbeaten in seven and, along with dual BC winner Mizdirection, has helped Rome perform a dramatic about turn in his approach to racing.
Smack talk is Rome’s stock in trade as host of one of America’s most popular sports talk shows on CBS and he once dismissed racing as “not a real sport – just a bet.”
Owner involvement has taken him to a very different place nowadays but it’s always wise to remember your earlier errors.
And Rome has made a few belters. His on-air suggestion to NBA Commissioner David Stern that the Draft Lottery had been fixed backfired somewhat when Stern replied by asking “have you stopped beating your wife yet?”
Better still was his clash with NBA star Jim Everett during his days hosting a show on ESPN2.
Rome had referred to Everett as Chris (a play on the name of the female tennis star Chris Evert) in the belief that he had become averse to taking big hits.
This video shows that Everett took exception to the suggestion in fairly direct terms.
Perhaps Jim should give Jezza Kyle a ring ahead of Saturday – just in case.
4: Mike and Vic are the best of buddies – or are they?
If the Lord has ever placed a fitter looking 49-year-old on earth than Mike Smith then he’s done a fine job of hiding him.
And the man who has ridden more BC winners than anyone (20) puts his ripped frame down to intense cardio work on one or two muscle groups a day followed by blast rower sessions, weighted sit ups, hanging leg raises, resistance leg throws and a brutal cross between a press up and a squat called the mountain climber.
Smith tops that off by biking home daily from the races on the uphill route to his home in Sierra Madre, but anyone who thinks such a severe regime enables him to enjoy California’s fine cuisine now and again would do well to note the predictable yet scary payoff in which he revealed he has he has taught himself “to feel satisfied with just one bite of something.”
Smith was his usual cheery self when drawn upsides his weighing room rival Victor Espinoza at a media conference on Monday but it didn’t take a genius to detect lingering tension after an incident in which his Mexican-born rival took unusual steps to force him out towards the San Gabriel mountains before Shared Belief battled home in the Awesome Again Stakes.
“I hold no grudges,” smiled Smith.
“We’re good,” replied Victor.
But the body language told a different story.
Suffice to say no quarter will be asked or given if the pair come down the stretch locked together aboard Shared Belief and California Chrome in Saturday’s Classic.
5: Classic is a big deal for NBA star – just not the biggest deal
Put Smith on top of Espinoza’s shoulders and he would just about be able to hold a conversation at eye level with Rashard Lewis.
The 6ft 10in basketball star with a passion for racehorse ownership is in town and took his place on the panel to discuss his own Classic prospects with Bill Mott’s Cigar Street.
Lewis seemed in danger of getting lost in the shuffle as the attention zoned in on Mike and Vic so I took the microphone to ask whether watching as an observer in a race with $5m on the line made him nervous.
It come as a surprise when he smiled slowly and replied “not really.”
Then I googled Lewis and read that he signed a $118m deal with Orlando Magic in 2007 with the final two years each worth a guaranteed $21m.
Good old Rashard. I suppose that sort of security would make a bloke feel pretty chilled out in most circumstances.
Rashard Lewis in NBA action
6: Euros for the Euros? It might just work
Apologies for banging the media drum briefly, but experience suggests it might be time for the Breeders’ Cup to address the issue of how to maximize its global pull.
Put simply, the days when high profile print journalists from all over the world flocked to the BC are long gone and highly unlikely to return as newspapers continue to tighten their financial belts.
Greg Wood is here from the Guardian in Britain, while Marcus Armytage is on duty for the Telegraph and Jon Lees is carrying the Racing Post baton.
But none of the other British papers are represented and you would get lonely very swiftly seeking major American print writer interest among a loyal yet distinctly ageing home based media posse.
So what’s the answer?
Logic suggests the BC needs to spread its wings and concentrate its attention on the internet, video and dedicated blogging markets in which the vast majority of younger race fans access media nowadays.
Breeders’ Cup has upped the ante of late by providing significant travel allowances for Euro horses.
But Melbourne Cup organisers have gone a step further by subsidizing trips for committed media who in turn provide the entire Spring Carnival with an international profile it could never have dreamt of until relatively recently.
Granted, it’s not the way things used to be be when Fleet Street’s finest used to descend on the BC in the early days of Euro invasions.
And maybe it isn’t the way it should be. But it’s modern media business at work.
Major racing events have never been squeezed tighter in the fight to get their message across in an increasingly crowded sports calendar.
Despite some stern challenges, the BC isn’t on the wane.
But perhaps it could do a little more to seduce those who think it might be.
ROM
www.sportinglife.com/racing
GC at the BC Pick Six Part Two
The draw is done and dusted and a few of the mists around the Breeders’ Cup are slowly clearing.
Tuesday signals the arrival of more of the Euro players and C4 and RUK analyst Graham Cunningham has been getting amongst the action again in part two of his BC Pick Six blog.
1: Good luck to Hannon – but it could be Toro Nada round these tight turns
Members of the jury, have you reached a verdict on which you are all agreed?
Well, not quite perhaps, but four of five judges in Monday’s Racing Post Monday Jury feature were unable to see past Toronado as a Euro banker in the BC Mile.
No prizes for guessing that resident Coral curmudgeon James Knight was the sole dissenting voice on a panel completed by John Reid, George Margarson, Pietro Innocenzi and Toronado’s trainer Richard Hannon.
But on this occasion I’m firmly with the Dark Knight and happy to treat Toronado as a very vulnerable jolly this week.
Wise Dan’s absence has clearly removed a major obstacle from the High Chaparral colt’s path and Timeform give him 4lb in hand after a light but honourable campaign featuring a Queen Anne win at Ascot and fine seconds behind Kingman at Goodwood and Charm Spirit at Longchamp.
A handy draw in stall 5 sees him trading as 2-1 favourite to prove the jury right in their majority verdict, but I’m in the opposite camp for several reasons.
First, this field contains several dangerous floaters, headed by the improving Irish colt Mustajeeb and backed up by Goldikova’s brother Anodin, the former Gosden colt Seek Again and the highly progressive California hope Toms Tribute.
And second, I have a nagging doubt as to whether Toronado will be at his very best in a race featuring two tight turns and one of the shortest home straights on the BC roster.
Richard Hughes has expressed a desire to see Toronado given another chance over ten furlongs several times this season and the more you look at the replays of Goodwood and Longchamp the more he looks like a strong-travelling colt who may not quite have the instant turn of foot to put this to bed.
Victory would cap a memorable first season for Hannon jnr and fulfil an ambition to do what his illustrious father Richard snr never quite managed to do in 40 years among the elite of the training profession.
But they don’t award Breeders’ Cup races on sentiment.
And for as long as Toronado is still trading at 2-1 the value call is to take him on.
2: Follow the Crush to end up flush?
How best to describe the latest edition of Crushing The Cup?
Gerald Delamere on speed would be a fair appraisal of the annual BC opus produced by American fanatics Peter Mallett and Jim Mazur and this year’s offering contains the usual quota of difficult-to-decipher jargon relating to contenders, pretenders, bombers and fuzzies.
However, Crusher Mallett and Crusher Mazur (as they refer to themselves repeatedly in a phone book sized tome) are nothing if not passionate and thorough in their desire to cash that life changing ticket.
So crush their efforts into a couple of bite-sized chunks, I hear you say.
Well, here goes for Friday’s key Crushing clues – with Saturday to follow a little later in the week.
After a raft of introductory material – including the revelation that Santa Anita’s main track now consists of El Segundo sand sourced when a runway at LAX airport was excavated – the following Crush points stand out.
Juvenile Turf – Euros have won 5 of 7 renewals, supplying 71 per cent of winners despite having only 27 per cent of starters.
Dirt Mile – Better than eight out of ten winners will be front runners or pace pressers
Juvenile Filly Turf – Belmont’s Miss Grillo Stakes tends to be a key trial for a race where the first two in the market tend to struggle
Distaff – This isn’t a kind race to beaten horses trying again. Leading fancy Close Hatches seeks to buck a trend which has seen only one of that group succeed.
3: Rome burns for Classic success
Imagine if Jeremy Kyle owned the hot favourite for the Derby.
That day still looks a fair way off whatever lie detector you care to use, but one of his American equivalents is experiencing something similar as part owner of Saturday’s Classic favourite Shared Belief.
Jerry Hollendorfer’s colt is unbeaten in seven and, along with dual BC winner Mizdirection, has helped Rome perform a dramatic about turn in his approach to racing.
Smack talk is Rome’s stock in trade as host of one of America’s most popular sports talk shows on CBS and he once dismissed racing as “not a real sport – just a bet.”
Owner involvement has taken him to a very different place nowadays but it’s always wise to remember your earlier errors.
And Rome has made a few belters. His on-air suggestion to NBA Commissioner David Stern that the Draft Lottery had been fixed backfired somewhat when Stern replied by asking “have you stopped beating your wife yet?”
Better still was his clash with NBA star Jim Everett during his days hosting a show on ESPN2.
Rome had referred to Everett as Chris (a play on the name of the female tennis star Chris Evert) in the belief that he had become averse to taking big hits.
This video shows that Everett took exception to the suggestion in fairly direct terms.
Perhaps Jim should give Jezza Kyle a ring ahead of Saturday – just in case.
4: Mike and Vic are the best of buddies – or are they?
If the Lord has ever placed a fitter looking 49-year-old on earth than Mike Smith then he’s done a fine job of hiding him.
And the man who has ridden more BC winners than anyone (20) puts his ripped frame down to intense cardio work on one or two muscle groups a day followed by blast rower sessions, weighted sit ups, hanging leg raises, resistance leg throws and a brutal cross between a press up and a squat called the mountain climber.
Smith tops that off by biking home daily from the races on the uphill route to his home in Sierra Madre, but anyone who thinks such a severe regime enables him to enjoy California’s fine cuisine now and again would do well to note the predictable yet scary payoff in which he revealed he has he has taught himself “to feel satisfied with just one bite of something.”
Smith was his usual cheery self when drawn upsides his weighing room rival Victor Espinoza at a media conference on Monday but it didn’t take a genius to detect lingering tension after an incident in which his Mexican-born rival took unusual steps to force him out towards the San Gabriel mountains before Shared Belief battled home in the Awesome Again Stakes.
“I hold no grudges,” smiled Smith.
“We’re good,” replied Victor.
But the body language told a different story.
Suffice to say no quarter will be asked or given if the pair come down the stretch locked together aboard Shared Belief and California Chrome in Saturday’s Classic.
5: Classic is a big deal for NBA star – just not the biggest deal
Put Smith on top of Espinoza’s shoulders and he would just about be able to hold a conversation at eye level with Rashard Lewis.
The 6ft 10in basketball star with a passion for racehorse ownership is in town and took his place on the panel to discuss his own Classic prospects with Bill Mott’s Cigar Street.
Lewis seemed in danger of getting lost in the shuffle as the attention zoned in on Mike and Vic so I took the microphone to ask whether watching as an observer in a race with $5m on the line made him nervous.
It come as a surprise when he smiled slowly and replied “not really.”
Then I googled Lewis and read that he signed a $118m deal with Orlando Magic in 2007 with the final two years each worth a guaranteed $21m.
Good old Rashard. I suppose that sort of security would make a bloke feel pretty chilled out in most circumstances.
Rashard Lewis in NBA action
6: Euros for the Euros? It might just work
Apologies for banging the media drum briefly, but experience suggests it might be time for the Breeders’ Cup to address the issue of how to maximize its global pull.
Put simply, the days when high profile print journalists from all over the world flocked to the BC are long gone and highly unlikely to return as newspapers continue to tighten their financial belts.
Greg Wood is here from the Guardian in Britain, while Marcus Armytage is on duty for the Telegraph and Jon Lees is carrying the Racing Post baton.
But none of the other British papers are represented and you would get lonely very swiftly seeking major American print writer interest among a loyal yet distinctly ageing home based media posse.
So what’s the answer?
Logic suggests the BC needs to spread its wings and concentrate its attention on the internet, video and dedicated blogging markets in which the vast majority of younger race fans access media nowadays.
Breeders’ Cup has upped the ante of late by providing significant travel allowances for Euro horses.
But Melbourne Cup organisers have gone a step further by subsidizing trips for committed media who in turn provide the entire Spring Carnival with an international profile it could never have dreamt of until relatively recently.
Granted, it’s not the way things used to be be when Fleet Street’s finest used to descend on the BC in the early days of Euro invasions.
And maybe it isn’t the way it should be. But it’s modern media business at work.
Major racing events have never been squeezed tighter in the fight to get their message across in an increasingly crowded sports calendar.
Despite some stern challenges, the BC isn’t on the wane.
But perhaps it could do a little more to seduce those who think it might be.
ROM