CIGAR SUSTAINS ANOTHER HOOF INJURY
Horse of the Year Cigar will defend his Breeders' Cup Classic title with a minor injury to the quarter crack in his right front hoof, which has plagued him for nearly a year. Hoof cracks are characterized by location; a quarter crack is sited on either side of the hoof (as opposed to the toe or heel regions).
Trainer Bill Mott and farrier Jim Bayes worked Tuesday night, Oct. 15 to apply a fiberglass patch over the crack just hours after Cigar was pre-entered in the $4 million Classic, to be run Oct. 26 at Woodbine Racecourse. According to Mott, the patch was applied more to safeguard the old injury more than to protect a 'slight' new problem on the hoof. The injury didn't prevent Cigar from working this morning over the Belmont track. The star breezed six furlongs in 1:15.22.
'He went much like he did last year, reported Mott. 'He's fine, his foot is fine and we are all in good humor. There's something there, but to call it a quarter crack might be bad terminology,' Mott explained. 'As we speak, I'm happy to report it does not seem to be a serious problem. What we did basically was repatch the old problem. '
Plans call for Cigar to work once more at Belmont, possibly on Oct. 23, and if all goes well, to leave later that day or the next morning.
Cigar's hoof problems began after the 1995 Breeders' Cup, when he developed a minor crack. Subsequent cracks disrupted his schedule in February and June, causing him to miss the Santa Anita Handicap in March and the June 30 Hollywood Gold Cup.
BREEDERS' CUP WEB SITE OFFERS MUST-HAVE INFORMATION
Breeders' Cup Limited has an expanded, enhanced web site, www. breederscup.com, designed and implemented through a partnership among Breeders' Cup Ltd., Equibase Company and Hammond Communications. The 650-page site includes pre-race notes and photos, which will be updated daily beginning Oct. 21; past performance data, available two days prior to the Oct. 26 Breeders' Cup Day; a 'Racing to the Breeders' Cup' section; hotel, restaurant, travel and transportation information for race-day patrons; race results and finish-line photos chronicling the Breeders' Cup National Stakes, a year-long program of Breeders' Cup-sponsored races; Breeders' Cup merchandise catalogs; a 'Fun Facts' section with an extensive array of information derived from previous Breeders' Cups, including data on owners, trainers, breeders, sires and winning trainer-jockey combinations; ESPN's 'Racing to the Breeders' Cup' television schedule; trivia contests; and a chat line, 'Listen Up,' which allows users to communicate on- line with the Breeders' Cup. Finish-line photos from the Breeders' Cup races will be posted approximately one hour after each race and charts will appear on-line after the last race -- the Breeders' Cup Classic -- of the Championship Day. The site is built for Netscape 2.0 or higher or AOL 3.0.
MEDIA ECLIPSE AWARD NOMINATIONS DUE DEC. 1
Entries for the 1996 Eclipse Awards for Media must be submitted to the Thoroughbred Racing Associations (TRA) office and postmarked no later than Dec. 1, 1996. Media awards are presented in newspaper writing, magazine writing, photography, national television, local television and radio categories. Entries will be judged for outstanding achievement in the coverage of Thoroughbred racing. Submissions must have been published or aired for the first time between Dec. 1, 1995 and Nov. 30, 1996 in a paid circulation publication or on a commercial or public television or radio station. Entries are limited to three per entrant in the television, radio and photography categories and two per entrant in newspaper and magazine writing. Fiction pieces are not eligible in any category.
For the first time, the newspaper and magazine writing categories will be judged by a panel of journalism professors. Winners in the photography category will be selected by a panel of sports photo editors, while the television and radio categories will continue to be selected by representatives of the TRA, National Turf Writers Association and 'Daily Racing Form.'
Newspaper and magazine entries must include the author's name, date and name of the publication and a tearsheet. Contestants are also urged to include a straight text version of their entries. In the newspaper writing category, entrants may have a sampling of their overall work submitted as a single entry (limit of three samples) in lieu of separate, multiple entries. Such entries must be accompanied by an editor's letter of nomination. Photography entries must include a tearsheet of the published photo and five non-returnable 8- by-10-inch prints. Photos used in commercial ads are not eligible.
Tapes of radio and television entries must be accompanied by a letter detailing the name of the entrant, the date the program aired and the name of the station or network on which it aired.
For additional information on the media awards, contact the TRA at (410) 392-9200.
EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT THE BREEDERS' CUP, AND THEN SOME!
FAVORITES: Favorites have won 33 of 84 Breeders' Cup races, a 39 percent rate. The worst finish by a favorite was in the 1992 Distaff at Gulfstream Park when Saratoga Dew finished 12th at 2-1. The previous worst finish by a favorite was in the 1988 Mile at Churchill Downs when Warning (GB) finished 11th at 9-5. There have been 26 odds-on choices with 13 winners, Bayakoa (ARG), Chief's Crown, Cigar, Dance Smartly, Flanders, Inside Information (part of an entry), Lady's Secret, Life's Magic, Meadow Star, Open Mind (part of a five- horse D. Wayne Lukas entry), Personal Ensign, Princess Rooney and Twilight Ridge. The losers were Dancing Brave, Dehere, Easy Goer (twice), Go for Wand, Groovy (twice), Housebuster, Infinidad (CHI), Lure, Paradise Creek, Sky Classic and Slew o' Gold. The shortest priced winner was Meadow Star, who paid $2.40 after winning the 1990 Juvenile Fillies.
LONGSHOTS: There have been 22 horses to go off at odds of 100-1 or greater, only Arcangues, winner of the 1993 Classic at 133.60-1, has finished in the money. Besides Arcangues, the closest to glory were Regal Dreamer, Vilzak and Forested, who placed fourth. Regal Dreamer, sent off at 145.40-1, missed show money by a nose in the 1985 Juvenile. Vilzak, sent off at 147.30-1, missed third by a neck in the 1987 Turf. Forested, at 133-1, missed show money by a length. The highest priced winner was Arcangues, who paid $269.20 after winning the 1993 Classic.
TOTALS: A total of 817 different horses have started a total of 982 times in Breeders' Cup competition.
FASTEST: The fastest times for the seven Breeders' Cup races are presented below. Note: Both juvenile races were run at 1 mile in 1984, 1985 and 1987. The Distaff was run at 1 1-8 miles from 1984-88. (T)-turf race. The information is formatted as follows: Race, Distance, Time, Horse (Year). Sprint, 6 furlongs, 1:08 1-5, Thirty Slews (1992); Juvenile Fillies, 1 mile, 1:35 4-5, Twilight Ridge (1985); Juvenile Fillies 1 1-16 Miles, 1:42.55, My Flag (1995); Distaff, 1 1-4 miles, 2:01 1-5, Lady's Secret (1986); Distaff, 1 1-8 miles, 1:46.15, Inside Information (1995); Mile, 1 mile (T), 1:32 3-5, Royal Heroine (IRE), (1984); Juvenile, 1 mile, 1:35 1-5, Success Express (1987); Juvenile, 1 1-16 miles, 1:41.60, Unbridled's Song (1995); Turf, 1 1-2 miles (T), 2:24, Fraise (1992); Classic, 1 1-4 miles, 1:59.58, Cigar (1995).
JUVENILE WINNERS -- HOW DO THEY DO LATER ON?: Of the 24 horses who won either the Juvenile or Juvenile Fillies as two-year-olds, 11 have run in another Breeders' Cup race (five colts and six fillies). No juvenile winner has won another Breeders' Cup race.
WEATHER: In 1988, the dirt course was labeled sloppy for the first race and muddy for the following four while the turf course was good for both grass races. In 1990, the dirt course was listed as fast while the turf was labeled as good. In 1995, the dirt course was labeled good for the first three races and muddy for the last two while the turf course was listed as soft. The temperatures for the 12 runnings of the Breeders' Cup have been: 70 degrees (Hollywood Park, 1984); 54 degrees (Aqueduct, 1985); 73 degrees (Santa Anita Park, 1986); 73 degrees (Hollywood Park, 1987); 50 degrees (Churchill Downs, 1988); 79 degrees (Gulfstream Park, 1989); 43 degrees (Belmont Park, 1990); 43 degrees (Churchill Downs, 1991); 87 degrees (Gulfstream Park, 1992); 81 degrees (Santa Anita Park, 1993); 75 degrees (Churchill Downs, 1994); 66 degrees (Belmont Park, 1995).
SUPPLEMENTAL ENTRIES: There have been 40 supplemental entries to the Breeders' Cup races. Only 12 of those horses placed well-enough to win back their supplemental fee: Wild Again (1984 Classic); Tasso (1985 Juvenile); Pebbles (GB) (1985 Turf); Bayakoa (ARG)(1989 and 1990 Distaff); Bertrando (1991 Juvenile and 1993 Classic); Star of Cozzene (1991 Mile); Paseana (ARG) (1992 and 1993 Distaff); Cherokee Run (1994 Sprint); and Soviet Problem (1994 Sprint). RIDING FEATS: No jockey has picked up a check in all seven Breeders' Cup races in a single year. There have been four riders who won money in six races (Angel Cordero Jr., 1985 and 1988; Laffit Pincay Jr., 1985; Eddie Delahoussaye, 1987; Chris McCarron, 1989). Cordero, Delahoussaye and McCarron only rode in six races while Pincay placed seventh in the 1985 Turf, missing a 7-for-7 day by a nose with Greinton (GB).
POSTS: The most successful post position is numbers 4 with 10 winners. Post 2 has nine winners, followed by posts 1 and 6 with eight, by posts 5 and 8 (seven), posts 3, 11 and 12 (five), posts 7, 9, 10 and 14 (four) and posts 8 and 13 (two).
COLORS: There have been 42 bay, 20 chestnut, 14 dark bay or brown and eight gray or roan winners of Breeders' Cup races.
ALPHABETICALLY: Horses whose names start with a P have won nine Breeders' Cup races, followed by S (eight); C (seven); B, L, M and T (six); A, F, G, O and R (four); D, I and E (three); U (two); and K, H, N, V and W (one). There has never been a horse whose name started with an X to run in the Breeders' Cup while You and I (1995) is the only horse whose name starts with a Y to have run in the Breeders' Cup.
TURF CLUB VALLEY FORGE OPENING TO BENEFIT HANDICAPPED CHILDREN
The $5 million Turf Club Valley Forge, a state-of-the-art off-track betting parlor and entertainment venue in Valley Forge, Pa., opens Saturday, Oct. 19. On Friday night Oct. 18, Representative John Lawless of Eaglesville, Pa., will be the guest of honor at a private opening party and ceremonial ribbon-cutting. The Montgomery County Development Foundation for Handicapped Children will be the evening's chosen charity. Representative Lawless will receive $1,000 with which to bet on behalf of the Foundation. The Foundation will receive a minimum of $1,000 regardless of Representative Lawless' handicapping skills.
HOOSIER PARK PHOTOGRAPHER WORKS ON DOLE CAMPAIGN
Hoosier Park track photographer Jim Linscott moved from the racetrack oval to political circles last week when he became the official photographer for one of the campaign stops of presidential candidate Bob Dole.
The Republican party was searching the central Ohio area for a farm to use as a backdrop for a stop on Thursday, Oct. 10. Midland Acres, one of the state's largest Standardbred breeding operations, was chosen along with Linscott.
'It was one of the most unique experiences I have ever had,' said Linscott of his duties as the official photographer for the Dole family. 'The Secret Service sent in 13 agents on the Sunday prior to Dole's appearance to check out everything and from there, everything went crazy. The coordinators of the event were expecting 3,000 people for Dole's 15-minute speech and there was every bit of that there. He wore a Midland Acres hat during his stay and then his six- bus caravan moved on to the Lancaster, Ohio County Fair.'
1998 ENGLISH VODAFONE DERBY TO PERMIT SUPPLEMENTARY ENTRIES
The Vodafone Derby, previously known as the Epsom Derby, will accept supplementary entries for the first time. Beginning in 1998, supplementary entries will be accepted for a fee of 75,000 pounds per horse seven days prior to the event. It is expected that when added to the purse, the supplementary fees will make the Derby Britain's first one million pound race.
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF RACING AWARDED IMS GRANT The National Museum of Racing has been awarded $112,500 by the Institute of Museum Services to support the general operations of the Saratoga Springs, N.Y., museum. The Institute of Museum Services (IMS) is a federal agency which, since 1976, has supported museums' educational role through grant programs that encourage outstanding museum management and comprehensive collections care practices.
The IMS received 953 applications in Federal Year 1996 and made 192 awards, roughly 20 percent of those that applied.
RACING ON THE AIR
Oct. 19 'Racehorse Digest' 6:00-6:30 a.m. ESPNRACING TO HISTORY
Oct. 17, 1970: Nijinsky II ended his career finishing second in the Champion Stakes at Newmarket. In 13 races he won 11 times and finished second twice.
Oct. 17, 1986: Kent Desormeaux made his Maryland debut, in the fourth race, at Laurel Racecourse, Laurel, Md., aboard Shonda's Shickels. He finished second, but was disqualified for interference and placed fourth.
Oct. 17, 1991: Hall of Fame jockey Angel Cordero Jr. rode his 7, 000th victory aboard Dont Cross the Law (sic) at Belmont Park.
Oct. 18, 1956: Nashua, ridden by Eddie Arcaro, was paraded at Keeneland in his last appearance at a racetrack.
Oct. 18, 1973: The owners of Secretariat announced that his last race would be the Canadian International Championship Stakes at Woodbine Racecourse.
Oct. 18, 1976: MacK Miller swept the top three spots in the Long Island Handicap with his trainees Javamine, Nijana and Fun Forever.
Oct. 18, 1978: Jockey Dave Gall became the first rider to win eight races during a single program. He rode 10 consecutive races for the day at Cahokia Downs, finishing second and fifth in his two losing efforts.
Oct. 20, 1923: Zev, winner of the 1923 Kentucky Derby, defeated England's hero Papyrus, winner of the 1923 Epsom Derby, in a $100,000 match race at Belmont Park. The race, the International Special, marked the first time an English champion had been sent to the U.S. to race. For his victory, Zev was awarded $80,000 and a gold cup valued at $5,000. Public interest in the race was so great that it was broadcast on the radio-a first. Within two days, films of the race were distributed at movie theaters in New York City and, eventually, across the nation.
Oct. 20, 1954: Bill Shoemaker rode his 2,000th winner, Florence House, at Tanforan.
Oct. 21, 1961: Eddie Arcaro won the Jockey Club Gold Cup for a record tenth time. His mount, Kelso, won the Gold Cup five straight years, 1960-64, setting the mark for most consecutive victories in a stakes race.
Oct. 21, 1992: Woodbine Racecourse first used the Equibase Company's past-performance information for its official track program.
Oct. 22, 1945: El Lobo and Featherfoot became the first Thoroughbreds to be transported by airplane. They were flown from Los Angeles to San Mateo in a twin-engine Budd transport plane piloted by Maj. William Hoelle of the Flying Tiger Line, who landed the plane in the parking area at Bay Meadows. On Oct. 27, El Lobo won the Burlingame Handicap at Bay Meadows, proving that horses could fly (and win).
Oct. 22, 1955: A rare triple dead-heat for first took place at Mexico's Caliente in the eighth race. Stormsorno, Chance Speed and Beaufair were the three winners.
Oct. 22, 1964: Jockey Bill Shoemaker won the 5,000th victory of his career aboard Slapstick at Aqueduct Race Track.
Oct. 22, 1973: Secretariat was flown to Woodbine Racecourse, where he would compete in his final career race, the Canadian International Championship Stakes.
Oct. 24, 1877: Congress adjourned to see a race between Parole, Ten Broek and Tom Ochiltree, which was held at Pimlico.
Oct. 24, 1953: Tom Fool won the Pimlico Special Stakes by eight lengths, capping a perfect four-year-old campaign with 10 stakes wins in as many starts. The Special was his fourth consecutive race run as a non-betting exhibition. Tom Fool was voted Horse of the Year for 1953, acing out Native Dancer, who lost only one of his 10 stakes races that year, the Kentucky Derby.
Oct. 25, 1870: Pimlico, the nation's second-oldest Thoroughbred racetrack, began its inaugural meet.
Oct. 25, 1947: After winning the Gallant Fox Handicap at Jamaica, a former $1,500 claimer, Stymie, became the world's leading money- winning Thoroughbred, with earnings of $816,060. Stymie raced two additional years and retired in 1949, at age eight, with lifetime winnings of $918,485.
Oct. 26, 1949: Bill Shoemaker rode to his first stakes victory, the George Marshall Claiming Handicap at Bay Meadows, aboard a five-year- old horse named Al.
Oct. 26, 1990: Jockey Julie Krone rode her 2,000th career winner, aboard John Forbes-trained Rainbow Quartz, at The Meadowlands.
Oct. 27, 1870: Preakness won the Dinner Stakes at the newly opened Pimlico Racecourse. In 1873, the first Preakness Stakes, a race named in his honor, was held at Pimlico.
Oct. 27, 1990: Bayakoa (ARG) became the second horse to win two consecutive Breeders' Cup Championship races. Both of her victories came in the Breeders' Cup Distaff.
WEEKEND STAKES |
SATURDAY |
William P. Kyne Handicap, 3&up;, $100,000, 1 1-8 Miles Turf, Grade III, Bay Meadows
The William P. Kyne Handicap features Savinio, who was awarded the
victory via disqualification in the Grade II Goodwood Breeders' Cup
Handicap. Cleante (ARG) won the Grade II Bel Air Handicap at
Hollywood. Chequer finished second in the Harry F. Brubaker Handicap
at Del Mar.
NEW YORK SHOWCASE DAY AT BELMONT
Seven races for New York-breds
Calder Breeders' Cup Derby, 3yo, $150,000, 1 1-8 Miles, Grade III, Calder
Fayette Stakes, 3&up;, $175,000, 1 1-8 Miles, Grade II, Keeneland
Franfreluche Stakes, 2yo fillies, $75,000, 6 Furlongs, Grade IIIC, Woodbine
Hawthorne Derby, 3yo, $200,000, 1 1-8 Miles Turf, Hawthorne
Linda Vista Handicap, 3yo fillies, $100,000, 1 1-16 Miles, Grade III, Santa Anita
Martha Washington Stakes, 3yo fillies, $100,000, 1 1-16 Miles Turf, Grade III, Laurel
SUNDAY |
Volante Handicap, 3yo, $125,000, 1 1-8 Miles Turf, Grade II, Santa Anita
The Volante Handicap features a few horses who can handle both the
turf and the dirt. Matty G won the Grade I Hollywood Futurity on dirt
and the Grade III Ascot Handicap on turf. Odyle won the Grade II San
Felipe Stakes on dirt and the Relaunch Handicap on turf. The Barking
Shark was second in the Grade I Louisiana Super Derby on dirt and the
Grade II Del Mar Derby on the turf. Rainbow Blues (IRE) won the Del
Mar Derby in his American debut.
Cup and Saucer Stakes, 2yo, $150,000, 1 1-16 Miles Turf, Grade IC, Woodbine
Miss Grillo Stakes, 2yo fillies, $100,000, 1 1-16 Miles Turf, Grade III, Aqueduct
Pilgrim Stakes, 2yo, $100,000, 1 1-16 Miles Turf, Grade III, Aqueduct
Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes, 3&up; (f&m;), $100,000, 6 Furlongs, Grade III, Keeneland
The Running Horse (https://www.isd1.com/alauck/)