Belmont Week is here!

It's Belmont week!

Mine That Bird had his final workout before the mile and half Belmont today, also returning to the track was Rachel Alexandra. I think both parties where very pleased with how they both ran. And Calvin Borel is confident in Mine, link. In other Belmont news, Summer Bird will be racing in blinkers for the first time. When the PP’s come out on Weds, I’ll have my picks then (I will say that I’m leaning towards a Mine That Bird/Charitable Man/Chocolate Candy trifecta). BTW Todd Pletcher is blogging again for NTRA, link.He did this in 2007 with Rags to Riches after she won the Belmont.

One of the 2yo’s who I’m watching worked out today up at Saratoga.

Rule
Your Comment: 2007 c Roman Ruler x Rockcide (Personal Flag)
Date: June 1, 2009
Track: Saratoga
Distance: Three Furlongs
Time: 37:62
Track Condition: Fast
Surface: Dirt training
Rank: 17/59

I should note that I did remove a part of my comment that I usually have because I’m going to explain why I’m following this horse. Roman Ruler is by Fusaichi Pegasus and was part of the 2005 3yo class. Although he did not run in the Triple Crown, he was a highly regarded and won the Haskell beating Sun King. Rockcide is a NY bred by Personal Flag. She didn’t win a race, and while it maybe surprising that she got into a G1 winner’s first book, let me explain a little bit of her female family. Rockcide hails from the same family as Belle of Cozzene (G3 winner), Zee Oh Six (Listed Stakes winner and ¾ brother to Belle of Cozzene) and Quakerbell (Listed stakes winner). However, her grand dam’s best foal in the shed, was a mare who won only 2 races in her life (Note: This is a clue of where I’m heading towards wink wink). Rockcide is out of this particular mare, Belle’s Good Cide by Slewacide. Her first foal, a colt named Coincide (By Cozzene), won three races and is now standing in Venezuela. Her second foal was also a colt, a chestnut by a rookie stallion by the name of Distorted Humor (Note: Clue #2!, and I’m sorry I have to mention him and his most famous foal. The story wouldn’t be complete without it). This colt however, would end up being a gelding before his racing career began. Trained by Barclay Tagg and owned by Sackatoga Stable, Rockcide’s half brother is the one and only Funny Cide! If you are wondering Rockcide was Belle’s 3rd foal and only female. The final foal, Homicide (by Mojave Moon), is now a timber racer. Sadly sometime after Homicide was born, Belle passed away from colic.

Anyway back to Rule, the fact that he is up at Saratoga tells me that Nick Zito trains him. Which is cool, since Nick trains another great DH gelding by the name of Commentator (Whose full sister Source of Humor makes her debut for Graham Motion on Friday at Monmouth). However, I could also be wrong and there is another trainer who is based up there. So, if anyone knows who trains Rule, please leave a comment on this post. I’m pretty interested in who does train him, and if he’s going to make his debut at Belmont, or wait until later in the year. Especially since he’s been working steadily.

Even though the US Triple Crown will end this upcoming Saturday in the Belmont, the Canadian Triple Crown will be getting started in a few weeks. The final major prep was yesterday in the Plate Trial, and the winner was Eye of the Leopard (AP Indy x Eye of the Sphynx by Smart Strike), link. Owned by the famous Sam-Son Farm, he should be the favorite for the Queen’s Plate at a mile and a quarter. Also for you Square Eddie fans, he’s still not recovered from his recent setback and will skip the Queen’s Plate. I feel bad for his owner Paul Reddam, who is from Canada. However, it’s for the best. We should see him later this year in the other Cali races.

Sadly, Susan Magnier who owns Ballydole (her husband John, Michael Tabor and Derek Smith make up Coolmore), lost her father the great trainer Vincent O'Brien (No relation to Ballydole’s current trainer Aidan O'Brien) this morning in Ireland. Mr. O’Brien was 92 and trained many great horses including El Gran Senor (the future broodmare sire of Chester House and Empire Maker) and Nijinsky II (British Triple Crown winner, and the sire of Ferdinand and Dancing Spree). Link