It's not often that you see a horse overcome as much trouble as Wise Dan did in the Firecracker Handicap (gr. II) last Saturday. Over a rain-soaked turf course that he didn't seem to relish, Wise Dan spent much of the race trapped in a pocket along the rail with nowhere to run. In the homestretch, he had to try a couple of times to get through on the rail before finally squeezing -- and I mean squeezing -- along the inside of Seruni to take the lead. Thereafter, the race was virtually over, but Wise Dan did cause this writer's heart to miss a beat when he stumbled briefly nearing the finish. I shouldn't have worried. Wise Dan, unaffected by his misstep, continued to draw clear and won by two lengths in what very well may have been the most defining race of his career.
I say that not only because Wise Dan overcome a very tough trip, but because he did so while carrying 128 pounds and conceding his rivals between eleven to thirteen pounds apiece. Granted, that's not the kind of weight that legends like Kelso and Forego used to carry, but in the racing of today, that's a pretty big spread. For Wise Dan to overcome it the way he did further stamps him as something more than just another good horse. Wise Dan may very well be on his way to becoming a legend. Certainly, if he can win either the Whitney Handicap (gr. I) or the Woodward Stakes (gr. I) at Saratoga this summer, it would cement his status as one of the finest horses to ever set foot on an American racetrack. From a versatility standpoint, there simply isn't a precedent for what Wise Dan has accomplished. On turf, he has won the Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. I), Shadwell Turf Mile (gr. I), Woodbine Mile (gr. I), Woodford Reserve Manhattan Handicap (gr. I), Maker's 46 Mile (gr. I), Fourstardave Handicap (gr. II), and two runnings of the Firecracker (gr. II). On synthetic tracks, he has won the Fayatte Stakes (gr. II), Ben Ali Stakes (gr. III), Phoenix Stakes (gr. III), and the Presque Isle Mile Stakes. On dirt, he has won the Clark Handicap (gr. I), finished second by a head in the Stephen Foster Handicap (gr. I), and missed by just 2 1/2 lengths in the Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I). All told, his record on turf stands at 9-8-0-0. On dirt, it is 7-3-1-0. On synthetic, it is 7-5-0-0. Wise Dan is remarkable. As it stands now, he deserves ranking as a genuinely special horse. A few more victories, and he could legitimately be called one of the greatest horses the sport has ever seen.
Another top miler seen in action last Saturday was Obviously, who ran a very strong third to Wise Dan in last year's Breeders' Cup Mile. Sent off as the odds-on favorite in the Shoemaker Mile (gr. I) at Hollywood Park, Obviously used his trademark early speed to open up a commanding early advantage and was never challenged thereafter, cruising to an easy 3 1/4-length triumph in the blazing time of 1:32.86. This is a seriously good horse, and if he's any better this year than he was in 2012, he could make things very challenging for Wise Dan come Breeders's Cup time.
The male sprinters division had a series shakeup when Gentleman's Bet upset Delaunay in the Iowa Sprint Handicap and Centralinteligence romped in the Triple Bend Handicap (gr. I) over the likes of Comma to the Top, Drill, Rail Trip, Camp Victory, and Jimmy Creed. The victory by Gentleman's Bet wasn't a huge surprise, given that he entered the Iowa Sprint off of a sharp victory in a Churchill allowance race, but what was surprising was that Delaunay had no not response in the final furlong. Granted, the heavy favorite broke poorly and had to make a wide bid to gain the lead, but I really expected him to go right on by Gentleman's Bet and win in a romp.
As for the Triple Bend, Centralinteligence had proven himself to be a high-quality horse in the past, so his victory wasn't too surprising either. But the dull efforts from Camp Victory and Jimmy Creed -- who finished seventh and eighth, respectively -- were even more shocking than Delaunay's defeat.
On a happier note, the veteran gelding Rail Trip ran very well in his first start since his runner-up finish in last year's Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (gr. I), rallying to finish fifth after trailing for much of the race. All told, he was beaten just 2 1/2 lengths for second at a distance that's really too short for him, and I'm hopeful that he'll come back with a big effort in the San Diego Handicap (gr. II) later this month.
Starformer may not be the most consistent mare, but on her best day, the Bill Mott-trainee is among the better turf mares in this country. Her decisive victory in the New York Stakes (gr. II) was visually impressive, and her :22 4/5-second final quarter mile was very good indeed. However, the very slow early pace (:50.15 for the half-mile) put a serious damper on the chances of late-closers like Lady of Shamrock and Dream Peace, who nevertheless rallied well to finish second and third in performances that were undoubtedly better than they looked on the surface.
Adding further intrigue to the filly and mare turf division was the Eatontown Handicap (gr. III) at Monmouth Park, where the immensely talented Dayatthespa was sent off as the 2-5 favorite. Really, she ran quite well, sprinting through blazing fractions of :46 2/5 and 1:09 1/5. However, those fast fractions proved to be her undoing, as Laughing came charging on the outside to win by three-quarters of a length while stopping the clock for 1 1/16th miles in a spectacular 1:39 1/5. I have long been of the opinion that Laughing has the potential to be one of the finest turf mares in the country, and I believe that the Eatontown Handicap was the first step toward reaching that status.
Following Dreaming of Julia's upset in the Mother Goose Stakes (gr. I) on June 22nd, the three-year-old filly division continues to lack a standout leader. Bob Baffert's Fiftyshadesofhay may have taken a major step toward assuming leadership with her 3 1/2-length victory in the Iowa Oaks (gr. III). Having already won the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (gr. II) and Santa Ysabel Stakes (gr. III) earlier this year, in addition to placing in both the Las Virgenes Stakes (gr. I) and Santa Anita Oaks (gr. I). She hasn't picked up a grade I victory yet, which is something she would need to do in order to secure division leadership, but she's flashed enough talent to suggest that grade I company is well within her reach, and I look forward to seeing where she turns up next.
We'll wrap up this week's recap by briefly mentioning the Chicago Handicap (gr. III) at Arlington Park. The seven-furlong sprint for fillies and mares marked the first start for Aubby K since her game victory in the Humana Distaff (gr. I) at Churchill Downs on Derby day, and thanks to this grade I triumph, Aubby K was sent off as the heavy favorite. But as we all know, synthetic tracks like the one at Arlington are very different from dirt tracks like the one at Churchill, and Aubby K never really threatened for the win while finishing third behind Cozze Up Lady and Queen's Award. Granted, those are a couple of nice fillies, but I'm pretty certain that Aubby K will rebound upon returning to dirt. An Aubby K/Groupie Doll showdown in the Ballerina Stakes (gr. I) at Saratoga could be very interesting indeed!
-Keelerman
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