American Pharoah tries to add the Travers feather to his glittering cap

Despite living abroad, thanks to the technological marvel called the internet, I have been able to follow horse racing in India. It was perhaps about 15 years ago that Indian racing began its world wide web journey.

 

America provided a good platform for me to see all the big events in the US racing calendar. It also made it convenient for me to travel to Europe, Japan and Dubai. The Melbourne Cup is the one glaring omission from the list of places I have visited. I made a seven-day trip to Trinidad in December 2006 to see racing at Santa Rosa racecourse.

 

My winter sojourns in India  (since 2000) have helped me make friends and develop contacts. I contributed to Indiarace in a big way for five years. RWITC carried a lot my stories and that gave me considerable exposure.

 

Given my interest in Indian racing and the time I spend understanding it, I believe that the time has come for me to venture into the ‘handicapping’ arena. I will make a beginning in this piece.

 

There are two meetings on Saturday, August 29, 2015. Let us deal with Pune first.

 

I like the chances of Lord Jim in the fourth race. Pesi Shroff trains Lord Jim, an Iffraaj progeny. Lord Jim was an eye-catching second in his debut. An odds on chance in his next start, Lord Jim delivered in impressive fashion. On February 28, 2015, Lord Jim, Richard Hughes up, ran listlessly in an 1800-metre race. Shivalik Showers won easily making it all and franked that form climbing to greater heights. Lord Jim, without question, did not perform up to his potential. Officially, no explanation has been given. Exactly six months later, the Shroff trainee sets foot on the track. The freshening should have done Lord Jim a world of good. Trevor Patel gets the call. Lord Him finds eminently manageable opposition.

 

There is another horse that I like in the Pune card. It is Jupiter in the fifth race.   In his first race in a handicap, Jupiter was ridden aggressively by Yash Narredu. Stalking the pacesetter until the final turn, Jupiter bounded forward when asked the question. I feel that there is more to come. Yes, jockey Sunil rides but claims a three and one half kilo allowance. Sunil is unlikely to hurt Jupiter’s chances. Christmas Eve, a filly with speed, will attempt start to finish tactics. Once looked in the eye, from what I have seen, she throws in the towel.

 

I have three in Kolkata that I strongly recommend. Real Presence, Shailesh Shibde up, went down fighting in a photo finish as  the 65/100 favorite. It is time for Real Presence to make a winner’s circle visit.

 

In the third, Torero,  who was touched off in his last outing, is ready. P S Chouhan has the mount.

 

The sixth race is the Kolkata  Monsoon Sprint. Deserving Visit has the most appeal. The China Visit filly has a record good as gold. Returning from a layoff, Deserving Visit, in the hands of C Alford, roared thru the short Kolkata stretch to win in her Monsoon debut. She is in cracking form and it is difficult to oppose her.

 

Here is news from England. Richard Hughes has been granted a trainer’s license. He will train in a yard located in Hampshire. British bookmakers are offering even money that Hughes will have a winner (as a trainer) at Glorious Goodwood in 2016. Richard Hughes has had  remarkable numbers as a jockey at the Chicester course.

 

American Pharoah will leave from post two in the Travers on Saturday. . The Travers (dirt 2000 metres) has a 10-horse field. The Bob Baffert pupil is the 1/5 morning line favorite. Coral, the UK bookmaker, is offering 2/7. It is about 29/100.

 

Texas Red, winner of the Breeders Cup Juvenile in 2014 and the Jim Dandy winner at Belmont this year as a sophomore, will oppose American Pharoah. Frosted, second in the Belmont Stakes and again second in the Jim Dandy, is also in the Travers line up.

 

Two facts about Saratoga this year. The inside has not been productive. Favorites have been falling like nine pins.  Will the Triple Crown champion overcome these  two trends?

 

Only three Triple Crown winners have raced in the Travers. Gallant Fox was the runner-up in 1930. Whirlaway won in 1941. Affirmed, who had beaten Alydar in the Triple Crown races in 1978, won the Travers but was disqualified and placed second behind Alydar.

 

On Thursday, American Pharoah made a five-minute appearance for a gallop at Saratoga. Jorge Alvarez, the regular exercise rider, was aboard. He said, “you want to make sure that they handle the track the first time on it. He has been to numerous tracks. He handled it really well.”

 

American Pharoah will have another gallop on Friday and Bob Baffert will supervise the work.

 

Saturday’s Saratoga has an abundance of Grade I contests. The Travers is the centerpiece. There is the Ballerina, the King’s Bishop, the Forego, the Sword Dancer and the Personal Ensign.

 

When the Arc weekend racing is completed on October 4, Longchamp, the storied Paris course, will be demolished and reconstruction will begin. The plan calls for an all-weather track too. Longhcamp will not be ready until 2017. It is not known where the 2016 Arc De Triomphe will be run. Either Maisons Laffite or Saint Cloud, both Paris tracks, will face the axe. The decision will come soon.

 

I have great memories of Saint Cloud, It is left handed and it is beautiful.

 

I have been going to Longchamp for close to 20 years. The Arc weekend is one of the best organized meetings. The viewing area, the transportation, the press facilities and the general ambience are unparalleled.

 

American Pharoah sets sights on Saratoga's Travers

Is this a coincidence or what? La Tonnarella, a five year-old Glory Of Dancer mare, won a race in Pune on Sunday August 23, 2015. The Vishal Gaikwad-trained La Tonnarella had not raced since April 5, 2014. She failed in her debut. The April 5, 2014 start was La Tonnarella’s second start. She was a prohibitive favorite and who else was on board? It was Trevor Patel. La Tonnarella won laughing and the margin was nine lengths.

 

Turn the clock forward. On Sunday, August 23, 2015, the race was over 1400 metres. Trevor Patel was riding La Tonnarella who was the favorite and a clear favorite. Held up and making headway from halfway, La Tonnarella proved the fastest when it mattered in the lane. Trainer Gaikwad deserves recognition for a special skill. How many trainers can have a horse race-ready after an 18-month layoff? It is a simple case of defying conventional wisdom.

 

We now take a look at the Betfred Ebor, a 2800-metre race, run in York (England) on Saturday, August 22, 2015. Litigant, a seven year-old gelding by Sinndar out of Jomana (by Darshan),  had run on April 18, 2014 and was winning his fourth race in a row. Move the clock forward to August 22, 2015. Litigant was a 33/1 outsider in the Ebor .  Oisin Murphy, a promising young British rider, was aboard. Litigant came from trainer Joseph Tuite’s yard. Litigant asserted himself in no uncertain terms. Another case of conventional wisdom going awry. The question is if Vishal Gaikwad was Litigant’s trainer and Trevor Patel the rider, would the odds have been much lower?

 

Long layoffs are a concern in handicapping. It is a rule that must be rigidly followed. Yes, there are exceptions and those exceptions must be evaluated with due care and thought.

 

On the American front, there is news worth reporting. There were three Triple Crown champions in the US in the 1970-1980 span. Secretariat did it in 1973. Seattle Slew won all three races in 1977. In 1978, Affirmed and Steve Cauthen accomplished the feat. It was not until 2015 that there was another Triple Crown champion.  American Pharoah, favorite in every one of the contests, delivered in effortless fashion. In early August, American Pharoah, a son of Pioneerofthenile, made the trip to Monmouth Park (New Jersey) and justified odds on favoritism in the William Hill Haskell Invitational.

It has now been confirmed that American Pharoah will go to Saratoga (upstate New York) to race in the Grade I Travers Stakes on Saturday, August 29, 2015.

 

The decision was made after American Pharoah did an exceptional piece of work at Del Mar where he is stationed. A pupil of trainer Bob Baffert, American Pharoah was ridden by Martin Garcia. After going through fractions of 23, 47 1/5, 58.4/5 and  1 10 3/5, the three-year old American Pharoah completed 1,400 metres in 1 23:1/5.

 

Bob Baffert, rarely lavish in his praise, said, “it was  pretty incredible work. He is a pretty incredible horse.”

 

Asked to comment on a possible clash with Beholder in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (October 31 at Keeneland), Baffert gave an evasive but humorous answer. “I just hope she (Beholder) is his (American Pharoah’s) first date next year. They need to date.”

 

The Travers, called the midsummer Derby, has a 1. 25 million dollar purse. It has been increased to 1.6 million.

 

Saratoga has long been called the ‘graveyard of champions,’ Secretariat was beaten at Saratoga. It is a five-week meeting that carries immense prestige.

 

American Pharoah will be flown on August 26 to New York from San Diego. Victor Espinosa, going through a renaissance in his riding career, will continue the partnership.

 

It has been stated that the Breeders’ Cup Classic will be American Pharoah’s swan song. It is indeed a courageous gesture on the part of American Pharoah’s connections to have accepted to race in the Travers.

 

Athens, winner of the Bangalore Oaks this year, is a daughter of Pioneerofthenile.  Empire Maker, winner of the 2003 Belmont Stakes in the slop, is Pioneerofthenile’s father. On that day, across the pond, Kris Kin, Kieren Fallon up, won the Epsom (Vodafone) Derby.

Look over your credit card statements carefully

This is a lesson all credit card users need to learn. Before you pay the balance or part of the balance every month, please go through the items. And go through the items carefully.

 

Seven years ago, my credit card carried a nine-dollar charge for a highway toll in France. On the date the toll was incurred, I had returned to Chicago from Paris. Marriott Courtyard charged me for a breakfast (Pasadena, California )  after I had left a hotel. Marriott charged me for a movie I did not watch in my room. Radisson in (Stockholm, Sweden) charged me for a bottle of wine (in the mini fridge) that I did not consume.

 

These are not mistakes or cases of  oversight.  I strongly believe that this is a pattern. These (fraudulent) charges are inserted in your card statement. There are many who pay the amount without checking the charges. If one cardholder out of 100 pays this charge, it is money that these businesses get without providing the service.

 

In my July Chase Explorer Card statement, there was a $24.95 charge for a Time Magazine renewal. When I asked for a Time (12 months) subscription in July 2014, I used my Explorer card. As a matter of principle, I do not opt for automatic renewals.

 

I disputed the charge with Chase. My daughter (in Redmond, Washington) called Time and asked that the subscription be cancelled. She was told that it had been done and that the credit card will be notified.

 

In the August statement, a $24.95 charge for Time has appeared. I disputed the charge with Chase.

 

I went to the TIME webpage and canceled the subscription. I wanted an explanation why a second charge is in my statement after the subscription had been canceled.

 

I am awaiting TIME’s reply.

 

The point is that any merchant can put in a charge. It, then, becomes your headache. Same thing with US credit reports. Any Tom, Dick or Harry can put in a negative item. You have to fight it.

 

All businesses indulge in this nefarious practice. Please look over the items in your monthly statement.

 

Beholder teaches boys a racing lesson in the Pacific Classic

This is a horse racing story that has to be told. What happened at Del Mar in California on Saturday was out of the ordinary. Let me set the table. The race was the $1,000.000 Grade I Pacific Classic over 2000 metres. Beholder, a girl tackling the boys, was the favorite despite the fact that she was going over 2,000 metres  for the first time in her career. 

 

Beholder, ridden by Gary Stevens, justified the public confidence. Yes, she won without giving any anxiety to her supporters. And yes, she became the first filly or mare to win the Pacific Classic but the overwhelming part of the story was the manner in which Beholder did it.

 

Beholder and jockey Stevens sat third through fractions of 22.36, 45.45 and 1 09:98 and when Stevens let his mount loose, the five year-old Henny Hughes mare, shot to the front. In a matter of strides, the Pacific Classic had been put to bed. Beholder ran on putting daylight between herself and her adversaries. The winning margin was eight and one quarter lengths. The mile came in 1 35:2 and Beholder completed the 2000-metre journey in 1 59:77.

 

Richard Mandella, Beholder’s trainer,   was winning his fourth Pacific Classic since the race was instituted in 1991. “When she made that move, it just took my breath away,” Mandella said.

 

Jockey Stevens was effusive in his praise. “She did all that on her own. Her ears were pricked straight up as if it was a morning workout. I knew she hadn’t hit the after burners yet. I let out a scream as we went past the wire. It was out of jubilation. This mare makes me emotional,” Stevens averred.

 

Beholder now has a spot in the Breeders’ Cup Classic to be run on October 31 at Keeneland Race Course. It is the mighty American Pharoah that Beholder will face in that race.

 

The Breeders’ Cup Distaff is another option. Beholder, by virtue of her win in the Clement Hirsch, has an automatic berth in the Distaff.

 

Beholder is Henny Hughes, a Grade I winner of the King’s Bishop and the Vosburgh stakes. Henny Hughes is a son of Hennessy. Leslie’s Lady, a daughter of Tricky Creek,  is Beholder’s mother.

 

I will be at Keeneland for the two-day Breeders’ Cup meeting on October 30 and 31.

 

I saw Beholder win the Juvenile Fillies race at the Breeders’ Cup festival in 2012 at Santa Anita. I was at Santa Anita again when she  won the Distaff in 2013 as a three year-old. In 2014, she was a late scratch in the Distaff.

 

Treve remains favorite to win the Arc De Triomphe this year. Now five, Treve is on course to make it three in a row. It is a case of a girl taking the boys on. With Golden Horn’s loss in York’s Juddmonte International, Treve is firmly planted atop the pecking order. The Arc will be run at Longchamp on October 4.

 

In the US, Beholder has run out of competition in the distaff division. Her Pacific Classic romp should encourage her connections to take their chances against American Pharoah.  What a treat will that be? Mouth-watering may be a hackneyed cliché. Let me call it ‘nerve-tingling.’

 

 

Air Ticket Mess

My wife and I have been in Chennai, India since early July. We are here to attend two weddings.

Every winter we leave our Chicago base to go to India for four months. More often than not, we use frequent flyer miles to book our tickets.

On Monday August 17, 2015 about 3 P M India time I contacted the American Airlines award travel ticketing section. I used the Skype system to call. It was 1 30 AM in America on Monday. The wait time is short when it is late night or early morning in the US.

After I had given the preliminary information, I got connected to an agent within a minute. I spoke to a patient and friendly lady agent. You need 135,000 miles for a round trip business ticket. I and my wife had enough miles in our respective accounts.

The agent was able to find two business (round trip) seats with Qatar Airways, a partner in the One World group that American heads. I gave the agent my frequent flyer number. She confirmed the (number of ) miles in my account. She made the booking and gave me a reference (what is called a record locator) number.

We moved on to my wife's ticket. I gave the agent my wife's frequent flyer number. She confirmed that there enough miles in my wife's account. She made the reservation and gave a record locator number.

I gave her my (Citi MasterCard) number. The cost (phone booking charges and taxes and fees) were charged. The agent assured me that the process was complete and that I would receive confirmation for the two bookings by email.

Twelve hours later, there was a confirmation for my wife's ticket. No confirmation for me.

I checked my frequent flyer account. A 135,000-mile deduction had been made.

There was no deduction from my wife's account.

Something had gone wrong.

I waited for 24 hours. I called  3 30 AM Tuesday US time. I got through to an agent quickly. I explained the situation. The agent responded. "Sir, you did not have enough miles in your account for two tickets."

Another attempt was made. I said that a deduction had been made in my account and my wife's ticket had been issued. I had not been ticketed and that no miles had been taken from my wife's account.

Finally, the agent seemed to grasp the problem. Then there was this statement from the agent. "Sir, I now see what has happened. I need the credit card information but it must be your wife's card."

My wife has a Citi card but we did not have it in our possession. I pleaded with the agent to look at the number of times we have travelled together. She was adamant. "Sir, I cannot help you unless I have (my wife's) credit card information."

The conversation ended.

We contacted our daughter who had my wife's credit card. We obtained the details.

My wife called American. This is where luck came in. We are blessed. The lady agent did not take more a minute to understand our predicament. "There is a simple solution," she told my wife.

"I will take the miles from your account and issue a ticket for your husband and let me have the credit card information. I see the last four digits of the card," she said.

The agent mentioned the last four digits in the card and asked to confirm the validity date (until when) and the three-digit security code on the back of the card. Not a word that the card had to be my wife's. The exercise was over.

Yes, there's a security concern when using credit cards. In our case, there was overwhelming evidence everything was proper. The agent, playing hardball, made it difficult. From the first exchange, she appeared impatient.

The lesson is that no two agents ( people) are the same. You need to be lucky. We got lucky.

After all, we are going to travel together. We have been American passengers for a number of years. It was nothing but luck that brought an exasperating experience to a delightful end.

All this while hoping and praying that the Skype connection will not get disconnected.

Prince Bishop wins Dubai World Cup

I want you all to read Sam Walker's piece in the Racing Post about Prince Bishop winning the Dubai World Cup on Saturday.

I have often said that 'pace makes the race.' The pace was very quick. In the early stages, Prince Bishop, William Buick up, was unable to keep up. It would be appropriate to say that Prince Bishop was more out of the race than in it. The Dubai authorities had changed the Tapeta surface to conventional dirt to encourage American participation. The move may not have the desired effect but it has opened the door to US-based runners. Secret Circle , trained by Bob Baffert and ridden by Victor Espinoza, won the 1200-metre Golden Shaheen. The Golden Shaheen result was in keeping with the pattern set for the day. Speed was good and front runners did very well. The Dubai World Cup was an exception.

The pace set in the World Cup was unsustainable. California Chrome, wide for the most part, was part of the pace-making apparatus. I tried to get the fractions but could not despite a diligent search.
The speed machine fell apart.  Prince Bishop went from last to first.

Could California Chrome's jockey Victor Espinoza have done something different? It is a judgement call. California Chrome has done well when up with the pacesetters. The last thing that jockey Espinoza would have thought about was Prince Bishop making up that much ground in the stretch.

Yes, I had a small wager on California Chrome. I had a friend make my wager at an offtrack location in suburban Chicago.

Races are run to determine the winner. More often than not, the result does not meet our expectation.
That is what we need to understand.

A horse not being allowed to run on merit is a serious charge. Such a charge needs a higher-than-usual standard of evidence. In the absence of such evidence, 'the benefit of the doubt' theory prevails.

Take the case of Oxford Opinion. The MAM-owned youngster was making the fifth start in his career. Why would he shy away? Why would he become temperamental? He won in a 12-horse field in Bangalore. He was third in a big field in Mumbai's Poonawalla Million. In a four-horse field, Oxford Opinion was on his worst behavior. I am not attributing a motive. Frankie Dettori told me after running unplaced in the 2007 Arc de Triomphe with Authorized, "whenever horses race poorly, if we can pinpoint the reason, we will all be millionaires."

Suraj Narredu is going to France. He will ride there until mid-May. He called  Monday evening. Wished him good luck.

Yash Narredu called me. I said until we meet again, take care of yourself  and ride a lot of winners.



    

Dream Ahead mile clear in Middle Park: Hooray confirms progression in Chevely Park

Before the third race at Newmarket on Friday, the going was officially changed to ‘soft.’ Hooray was dipping her toe in uncharted waters and trainer Sir Mark Prescott had doubts about his filly’s propensity to handle soft ground. Fans, however, were unwavering in their faith and Hooray was the best fancied in the 1200-meter Cheveley Park Stkes, a Group I Contest for freshman girls. The Sir Mark Prescott trainee,coming off a romp in Kempton's Sirenia Stakes, was the 7/2 favorite.

Seb Sanders got away well and in a matter of strides, Hooray established control. The margn widened as the race developed. Sanders had little or no work to do as Hooray went on to win by four and one half lengths in a time of 1 14.09 seconds. That was Hooray's fourth win in seven starts. Hooray is by Invincible Spirit out of Hypnotize who's by Machiavellian.

Natagora and Special Duty, winners of the Cheveley Park Stakes in recent years, have gone on to win the English 1000 Guineas the following year. Will Hooray follow in their footsteps? Sir Mark Precott tried to answer that question. "I did not think she would handle the ground. When they are useful as she is on fast ground, you worry. She has been improving. We stopped restraining her and let her go on. It has been the making of her. She was very impressive although I believe she will not be an effective miler," Sir Prescott averred.

Jockey Sanders expressed his opinion. "She is improving all the time. Her best performances have been on fast ground but she handled today's ground."

The other Group I race at Newmarket on Friday was the Shadwell Middle Park Stakes. It was a race over 1200 metres for two year-old (entire) colts. Dream Ahead, coming off a facile victory in the Prix Morny at rain-softened Deauville, was going for a hat trick and was the 5/4 favorite. William Buick had the David Simcock trainee held up in the rear of the eight-runner field. Strong Suit, Richard Hughes up, drew first blood as they raced into the dip. Dream Ahead was seen making quick headway. As the leader was sighted coming out of the dip, it was Dream Ahead who had said 'goodbye' to the field. Despite veering across the track,the Diktat colt won drawing away by nine lengths in 1 14.28 seconds.The time tells you how (very) soft the ground was. Strong Suit edged Approve for the runner-up berth. Land of Dreams (by Cadeaux Genereux) is the dam of Dream Ahead. The Middle Park win gave Dream Ahead a three for three career record.

The Racing Post called Dream Ahead's effort a 'barnstorming performance.' Dream Ahead was introduced to the 2000 Guineas market as a 4/1 chance. Trainer Simcock spoke about how much his colt loves soft ground. "He won't run with any 'firm' in the description this year. He is an exciting horse. It is very much a relief and we are lucky to find one like him."

Jockey Buick spoke. "He's an amazing horse. He gave me a feel that no other horse has ever given me.He will be hard to beat. Bring on next year," he exulted.

Here are tidbits that you should find interesting. Blame arrived in New York early Friday afternoon. He had a workout at Keeneland before being put on the plane.

Belmont Park cancelled Friday's card. Saturday's weather forecast is encouraging.

Grand Couturier has been retired. The son of Royal Lodge earned $1,449,701. He was a hard nut to crack on the grass. Trainer Robert Ribaudo talked about the physical problens that plagued his pupil. The announcement came on Thursday. Grand Couturier won the Grade I Sword Dancer Invitational in 2007 and 2008. He also won the 2008 edition of the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic.

In England on Friday, Richard Hughes won with Scottish Boggie, the 5/4 favorite, at Newmarket. Paul Hanaghan had one winner, the 11/8 favorite, Haylaman, at Wolverhampton. Hanaghan has a nine-win lead going into Saturday's races.

Maxime Guyon clicked with three winners at Saint Cloud on Friday. The going was extremely soft. Jockey Guyon won with Golden Lilac, the 4/5 favorite trained by Andre Fabre. The duo won again with the 59/10 Kreem. Guyon's third winner was the 23/10 favorite, trained by E Leenders. Guyon is among the leaders in the riding department in France.

Sha Tin had two big races on Saturday. Sacred Kingdom, a multiple Group winner, made a worthwhile addition to his tally. The ultra quick Sacred Kingdom landed the 1000-metre Grade III Sha Tin Sprint Trophy as the 9.4 favorite. The time was 55.95 seconds on the Sha Tin turf course. Brett Prebble rode for trainer P F Yiu.

The other event, the National Day Cup over 1400 metres (turf) was taken by Lucky Nine who was the 27/20 favorite. Caspar Fownes, who has strong India connections, trains Lucky Nine. It was another high profile win for jockey Brett Prebble.

In the next blog, we'll look at Saturday's Newmarket action. There are big fields and wide open races. Three races have 20 or more runners. The feature is the Group I Kingdom Of Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes over 1600 metres for fillies and mares. The Cambridgeshire (Heritage Handicap) has 35 runners and it is a 1800-metre race.

Longchamp has four Group II races on Saturday. We will look at the results briefly. America has a boatload of stakes action.

Saturday at Longchamp was damp and discouraging and there was a 5000-strong crowd. The skies are clearing in Paris and the forecast calls for dry weather until late Sunday. The rainfall has been so heavy that the going is likely to be soft. The Arc is supposed to attract 50,000 fans. A large throng is expected from Ireland and England.

October 2, 2010