Round Six

After all the hype, tomorrow is the big day. It will be the Showdown in Stanton (where Delaware Park is located), Rumble in the DelCap, the West vs East. Lets meet the field for the 2011 Delaware Handicap!


Delaware Park - July 16, 2011
Race 10 - 5:18 PM 
Delaware H. (Grade II)
Purse $750,000. For Fillies And Mares Three Years Old And Upward. . One And One Fourth Miles. 

PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer
1 Life At Ten (KY) D Cohen 115 T A Pletcher
2 Thundering Emilia (KY) J Pimentel 111 M R Matz
3 Havre de Grace (KY) R A Dominguez 124 J L Jones
4 Love's Blush (MD) T L Dunkelberger 112 R Jenkins
5 Blind Luck (KY) G K Gomez 122 J Hollendorfer


First off the bat, Thundering Emilia is more then likely the better of the two longshots in this race. Love's Brush IMO will be the backmarker after BL makes her move in the stretch. So now that is out of the way, the question will be will the real Life at Ten show up, or is she done? Since her BC fiesco, she really has not been the same horse. The weather tomorrow is supposed to be good, so that might help her. The other thing that will help is that she is basically going to be the lone speed and she's won at this distance and track before. The problem is so has Blind Luck. She's finally rounding back into form with a win in the Vanity for her 6th Grade 1 of her career. She gets Garrett Gomez on her who has ridden her before and won this race back in 2008 with Hystericalady. Which leads us to the hometown favorite Havre de Grace. Not only is she coming off a win in the Obeah, the record for that race is pretty good. 3 out of the past 4 years, the winner of the Obeah has gone on to finish in the top 3 for the DelCap (only Peak's Maria Way did not finishing fourth, but runner-up Unbridled Belle won the race). She has a former leading rider at Delaware in Ramon Dominguez on her back, he who also has won this race in 2007 with Unbridled Belle.


So who is my pick? I gotta with my heart and go with Saint Liam's best foal and Pollard's Vision's best foal neck and neck for the wire. I'm going with Havre de Grace for the win, Blind Luck for second and Life at Ten showing her class to finish third.


I'm really excited to see Grace and BL as I have not seen them before. I will be having pictures (paddock possible, but since DelCap day is always busy, but def. track level for DelCap)!

A Real Rivalry and a Champion on the Downfall

Affirmed and Alydar; Street Sense, Curlin and Hard Spun; Kip Devile and Showing Up; those three sets of horses have one thing in common. That is that they where arch rivals. On Saturday, the latest arch rivalry will add a new chapter. This time it's Blind Luck and Havre de Grace. The race is the Delaware Handicap at a mile and a quarter. Blind Luck has won twice, Grace twice in their five meetings (the lone time niether won was the BCLC last year in which "Clover" finished in front of Grace). Grace will be carrying 2 pounds more then Clover. I haven't seen either of them before (when the DE Oaks happend last year, I was out of state on vacation), so I'm very excited to see the both of them.

One horse who I have seen before is the defending champion Life at Ten. Despite her poor running this year after the debacle that was the 2010 BCLC, she is more then likely will try to defend her title. I'm really not sure about this, while she likes the surface, even before this situation she was a notch below Blind Luck and Havre de Grace. Sure she's a two time G1 winner, but her one time before the BCLC that she faced a high caliber horse was in the Personal Ensign. She was third that day finishing behind Rachel Alexandra in what was the future Hall of Famer's last race. If she does go, she will get a new jockey. According to DRF.com, David Cohen will be riding her.

It should be a good horse race either way.

Why the Life at Ten debacle will never really go away

There is light at the end of the tunnel for the situation that is the 2010 Breeders' Cup Distaff. If you remember correctly, this was the race that multiple Grade 1 winner Life at Ten had shown symptoms of tying up. Her jockey John Velazquez told ESPN who was broadcasting the BC that she was not herself and yet the stewards (including Chief Steward John Veitch) and vets let her run. She was eased in the race that was won by Unriviled Belle.

This set off a firestorm that led to the fineing of Velazquez, hearing into Veitch's actions. Yet the vets where given a pass. That's wrong and they should be found accountable for not scratching Life at Ten and not only putting her and Velazquez at risk, but the other jockeys as well. Lets face it, to me they are the ones who should scratched her, so that she could be looked over more carefully and see what exactly was wrong with her. In turn Velazquez's reputation IMO has been tarnished (and may have cost him from being a first ballot inductee in the the Hall of Fame), the same goes Veitch, a Hall of Fame trainer.

The real loser in this though is Life at Ten herself, trainer Todd Pletcher has been running her against graded company and she has done poorly all year long. The latest a second to last place finish in the Ogden Phipps a race she won last year. To tell you the truth, I'm really suprised she even came back this year. I believe the plan was to retire her after the Distaff and then sell her at Fasig-Tipton. Sadly though human error got in the way.

So what will happen? The hearing that is currently going in will most likely determine Veitch's fate. Weather be suspention or termination, the 2010 BC Ladies Classic debacle has changed the outlook on horseracing forever.

TBA Photo Contest

It's that time of year for the Thoroughbred Bloggers Alliance's Photo Contest. There are many great entries this year which you can find and vote for here.

Here is my entry Life Wins which I named because well Life at Ten had just won the Delaware Handicap.

You can choose up to 10 photos in the voting. Then the Top 10 will be chosen (with one photo chosen per photographer)

A New Contender Emerges

Maybe it was good luck for Life at Ten that I posted a picture of her now retired stablemate Unbridled Belle. Or it could be that Malibu Moon fillies love Delaware Park (she is the third MM filly I've seen win a stakes race in person, the other two where Moon Catcher in the Susan's Girl and Delaware Oaks, and Bon Jovi Girl in the Susan's Girl and second behind Mani Bhavan in a maiden on Delaware Oaks Day 2 years ago). Whatever it is, she has emerage as a new contender for the Older Female crown this year. Todd Plecher won his 4th Delaware Handicap tying Henry Clark for the most DelCap wins.

However, what makes Life at Ten, possibly the most impressive of his winners (the other three being Irving's Baby, 2006 Eclipse winning Older Female Fleet Indian and the formentioned Unbridled Belle who is my favorite Pletcher horse outside of Super Saver, Rule, Rags to Riches and Ashado respectivley) she was the only one who did not prep in the Obeah (she won the Ogden Phipps the same day up at Belmont defeating Unriveled Belle and Funny Moon). Not bad for a mare who until last November had trouble winning Allowance races. The Personal Ensign is going to be a barn burner if all the players show up: Life at Ten, Miss Singsix, Funny Moon, Milwaukee Appeal, Tasty Temptation and the two big prizes Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra (although Z my guess will stay in Cali for the Hirish even though she doesn't relish the Del Mar surface, Rachel runs this upcoming Saturday in the Lady's Secret). However, only time will tell if this actually happens.

Other stakes action this weekend:

Virginia Derby: Paddy O' Prado is a beast on turf. In a way it's great that the Derby didn't ruin him, and he is def. the horse to beat in the Secretariat in a few weeks. Of course he could take on older horses the same day in the Arlington Million, but my guess is they will keep him against 3yo's for now.

Swaps: Skipshot upsets Sidney's Candy by a nose. I don't think either horse will particpate against older though until the Goodwood at Oak Tree.

Modesty: It's offical, Tuscan Evening is America's best hope to claim back the F/M Turf title. However keep an eye on Eclair de Lune if she goes in the Beverly D. Her owner Richard Duchossois, is the widower of the namesake. Big disapointment from Rainbow View.

Dick Memorial: Could Treat Gently be the best distance horse in America? All of her losses in North America where at less then a mile and a quarter. Both of her last two races have been over a mile and a half and she's won both of them. If she can keep this up, maybe the Turf and not the F/M Turf could be in her future.

Arlington Handicap: Don't know much about the winner Rahystrada. However this sets up great for Just as Well who will try to turn the tables on Gio Ponti (if he comes) in the Arlington Million. Unfortanlly General Quarters will miss the race after re-injurying himself.

Photo Above: Life at Ten in the post parade right before the Delaware Handicap, photo was taken by me (Rachel Levine). Here are more photos from Saturday's DelCap:

Gozzip Girl before the Dick Memorial, she finished fourth.

Last year's Barbaro winner Our Edge in the Carpenter Memorial. (This was the only race of the three that I took photos where I missed the post parade) He finished 4th to Sir Whimsey.

Milwaukee Appeal in the post parade for the DelCap. She finished 4th (see a pattern in this?)

 I will have more photos up on Thorough Gallery within the next few days. So stay tuned for them soon!

What a Weekend!

I'm going to do something different for this week. Since there where some great races weekend, I'm going break down each race one by one.

Ogden Phipps: There is finally a challenger to Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra. Life at Ten upset Unriveled Belle and Funny Moon. It will be very interesting where Todd Pletcher goes next.

Obeah: Miss Singsix won with Morena who was second in this race last year, finishing second again. While this was her first win in this race, this is Team Valor her owners third win in a row in this race. They owned Unbridled Belle who had won the previous two years. She'll be one of the favorites in this year's Delaware Handicap.

Skip Away: This one is at Monmouth not the Graded one down at Gulfstream. Cool Coal Man is a horse for a course. He's 2 out of 3 there and the only time he didn't win, he finished third. Obviously last year's Woodward took more out of Bullsbay then it did Rachel who had another poor showing.

Californian: Unless Zenyatta's connections change their mind and not go to the HGC, I think Rail Trip will defend his HGC title with no problem. He was dominate in this race with Sanagree (Congagree's little brother) finishing second for what seems the ummpteenth time to Rail Trip.

Stephen Foster: Two words: Blame Wow! That was very, very impressive race to close against Battle Plan like that. Blame could be the horse to challenge Quality Road as top older male, a division until really this week looked watered down. And how about General Quarters! All aways there when he's healthy, makes you wonder with a better trip in the Derby last year where he would have been? I'm wondering something is wrong with Macho Again because this is his fourth poor race in a row.

Woodbine Oaks: Sometimes horses coming in undefeated can be overhyped, I'm not going to say that's the case of Embur's Song, but it could be very close. Roan Inish won the race, but heart broke for the runner up Moment of Majesty. A head is all that sperated them and would have given her co-owner former Toronto Maple Leaf Curtis Joseph the biggest win of his horse racing ownership career. As for the winner, she'll move onto the Queen's Plate where she actually could win it, I'm hoping that Moment of Majesty goes on to. Reason being is I would LOVE to see Saint Liam sire a Classic winner and this is his only chance.

Vanity: One of these days, Mike Smith is going to overestimate the field and cost Zenyatta the race. Thankfully yesterday was not it. Big Z was able to get win #17 and in thrilling fashion. I gotta give some love to the runner up St. Tritians. If Zenyatta ever loses, she could be the horse to beat her. Hopefully this never happens, but you never know. While technically Pepper's Pride holds to record for consecutive wins, they where all against state bred company (New Mexico). Zenyatta has broken a record hold by 2 legends, Cigar and Citation (along with a few others, but those are the big two). It will be interesting where she goes next.

Flur de Lis: SHE'S BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rachel Alexandra returned to her winning ways and back to her typical destroying of the field. People will say she didn't beat much, but you know what? It doesn't matter to me, to see her back in the Winners Circle for me is more important. Is she the same horse as last year? No, but she has done something that other 3yo fillies who where Horse of the Year failed to do. That's win at 4. Keep in mind, her two losses where not as a bad as you think. What changed, I think going back to her perfered mile and eighth and getting the Figure 8 off where big. Having her regular rider Calvin Borel on was also huge. A huge confidence builder and I'm excited to see where she goes next.

Later this week I will have a post on Rachel and Zenyatta. This article will talk about how niether of them where expected to be the glamor girls of their crops.

Tomorrow Royal Ascot starts with Goldikova taking on the boys once again. The Americans aren't as strong as they where last year, so I'm not expecting much. Plus for the first time in 5 years, the Ascot Gold Cup will have a different winner since Yeats has retired. Plus it snuck up on me this year. For this reason, I won't be covering the meet as in depth as I somewhat did last year, but hopefully everybody does well in this very prestigous meet.