Breeder's Cup Post Mortem

Those were some of the worst selections ever represented as actual handicapping. All in all, I dropped more at the windows than I think I ever have in a single day at the track. I had a blast and it was worth every penny.

Breeder's Cup Picks

Juvie Fillies
Knights Templar - Yes she's a half to my filly, and that gives me an excuse to single a longshot in my early pick 4, but I don't care for Adieu or Folklore in this race, especially at the short price they'll each be. If I went one more deep, I'd take the Belmont proven Sensation.

Juvie boys
I like Henny Hughes, and my wise guy play is Superfly. First Samurai is a toss. Crawled home in the Champaign, and Henny had Stevens sending her hard. Regardless, you can't take short price with 2yo's....they're just to fluid when developing at this age.

Filly & Mare Turf
Karen's Caper - I'm all over her at the ML of 15-1 and higher, and I think she'll be higher. She had her stateside prep, has loads of talent, and the off going will be no problem. I'm adding Wend in my Pick whatevers. Ouija Board is capable of repeating, but the odds keep off most of my multi race tix. I love superstar Megahertz and she proved she can handle shipping and an off course in Chicago, but this is the type of company she hasn't been able to run with.

Sprint
I'm singling LITF, like the rest of the free world. The only non-multi race bet I'll make in this race is maybe Lifestyle and/or Attila's Storm to show. God forbid Foggy finishes off the board, these lads have every right to pay my next credit card bill with a show bet.

Mile
Leroidesanimaux is going to be tough to beat, and I can't leave him off the Pick 3/4/6. At least one pick whatever will include Valixir & Majors Cast, and these two will comprise my exacta.

Distaff
Stellar Jayne. It's the tactical speed. She's like a kinky girlfriend--you can do anything with her. On the lead, off the pace, up the rail, out wide. I'll also incorporate the young and improving Sweet Symphony. There's all kinds of value here.

Turf
Tough race. I'm taking imports Shirocco and Azamour, in that order. Gun Salute and Fourty Niner's Son rounds out my super.

Classic
Rock Hard Ten scratched which greatly decreases the value of the race from a sporting perspective, but from a betting standpoint, it saves me money. Single Borrego in the P6, and add Sauve on the wider tix.

Delta Slam Disappoints

The only foal of racing age out of the filly's dam finished 9th at Keeneland today. After his last race, I really thought he'd put it together next out. He was stepping up in class, drew the ten hole, and prefers to stalk or close--tough hand to win with on the speed favoring Keeneland strip. Anyhow, it wouldn't be horse racing without some disappointment.

Delta Slam in Third Career Start

Delamere's first foal, now a two year old, goes postward on Thursday in a $50,000 maiden special weight on the main track contested at 8.5 furlongs. We'll be rooting for him.

Starlet

Kathy from Triad sent me some pix today, and said "She is doing well -- "full of it" with the cool weather that has arrived!"

This reminded me of Charlie Whittingham, the famed trainer, who was fond of saying, "Owners are like mushrooms. Keep them in the dark, and feed them plenty of shit."

Hopes Up, Cash Down

The first boarding bill from the horse farm came today. No surprises, but I had to look over the charts from the half-siblings' races to remind myself what I'm paying for--not hay and oats--but hope. In the horse racing racket, hope isn't cheap.

The pain is further abated as Knights Templar is now pointed to the Breeder's Cup Juvenile Fillies race. If by some stroke of luck we see a win in the Cup for her, and a big win from Delta Slam I'd expect a phone call from the bloodstock set about our filly in short order. Not likely, but one can hope.

Naming Conventions

In the world at large horse names are of far more interest than horse races. Neophytes at the track are more apt to discuss how cute or funny the names "Susie's Indiscretion" and "Rent Check" in the fourth race are, than they are to delight in the way the third race ended in a thrilling photo.

Horseplayers forget this. Just the opposite, we will relish the memory of the 7 horse in an open claimer that we cashed on at 30-1, or that chestnut shipper that closed at astronomical odds to complete our trifecta. Particularly, when it comes to the bread and butter of most tracks' weekday cards consisting of maiden and claiming races, we may forget the horses even have names as we make our running notes in the form and place our bets by number.

Now it's different, though, because I'm the one that will register this filly's name. I nearly forgot about this aspect, as horseplayers are want to do, but luckily my new partners reminded me before the checks were written and feelings were hurt. I've been in a lot of partnerships initiated by others where I didn't get to register a horse. I took time off work, flew to Kentucky, and sucked up to Frank Taylor from Taylor Made farms so that I could get a quality pony I could afford. He doesn't make a habit of selling fillies below market, but he threw this first timer a bone. I'll be damned if I don't name her.

A common convention is to name horses after their sires, dams, or both. Storm Bird begat Storm Cat. Better yet, Colonial Affair begat Jefferson's Secret. Now the Jockey Club and a rather inventive owner are in court battling over his request to give a daughter of Jefferson's Secret the name Sally Hemmings.

Many owners name their horses consistent with a theme. Harry Aleo, owner of Lost in the Fog, names most of his horses with his hometown in mind and has campaigned the likes of Sutro and Frisco Star. Eugene Melnyk chooses names of places near his home in Barbados such as Graeme Hall and Flower Alley. I'm leaning toward a mechanical watch theme, but remain undecided on a name. Merely knowing that I have a horse I haven't named yet seems to compel folks to assemble and declare the best name for my horse. I've received no small number of suggestions about what to name her, but I see no need to either follow or host a naming convention.

Knights Templar Dominates in Mazarine

October 1st was a good day for owners of both foals by Exploit and foals out of Delamere. Not only did the Delamere colt offer a good account of himself, but this 2yo Exploit filly put on an exhibition in the Grade 3 Mazarine.

Woodbine
Knights Templar takes Mazarine BC

By RON GIERKINK
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Knights Templar ($10.10) led throughout the $270,400 Mazarine Breeders' Cup, taking the Grade 3 stakes for 2-year-old fillies by 13 1/4 lengths at Woodbine Saturday.
Knights Templar set fractions of 23.59 and 47.26 seconds, before opening up a five-length lead midway on the far turn of the mile and a sixteenth route. She drew off in the stretch, winning in a quick final time of 1: 43.15.

"She ran brilliantly today," said Jim McAleney, who rode Knights Templar for trainer Danny Vella. "Danny gave me permission to go if nobody else wanted [the lead]. He said he just wanted her happy and comfortable the first part of it, and she was happy and comfortable the first part, the middle part, and the last part."

Knights Templar banked $168,900 for owners Clover IV Stable and Krista Seltzer.

Sudsy Baby rallied along the rail to edge Top Notch Lady by a head for second. Favored Arravale finished ninth in the 11-horse field.

Delta Slam Puts in Good Second Start Effort

Delta Slam is by Grand Slam and is the first foal out of the little known Broodmare Delamere. He was a $145k Barretts purchase as a 2yo in training this past spring. I'll be looking for him to break his maiden in his next start, hopefully in a few weeks.

The chart of an October 1st race shows the 2nd place horse Delta Slam making an impressive 5-wide move around the far turn to finish a half length behind the favorite in a 12 horse field, and well clear of the show horse. In his first race he hopped the start and showed little. Sometimes horses take a while to figure it out, even if they have talent.

This is good news. Hopefully he's taking after his mother, and his half sister by Exploit can show as much promise by her second race. Of course, Grand Slam is no slouch, either.

Grand Slam is a more desirable sire than Exploit, has a higher stud fee at $85,000, and brings higher prices at auction. Grand Slam sired the likes of Limehouse and Cajun Beat. For comparison, Exploit's fee when he covered Delamere was $30,000. Now he stands in Korea, which is another reason we got this filly cheap. The reason being, if Exploit isn't in the US sireing winners, he's off the radar and thus less demand for his offspring. Also there's the American blinkers that horsemen wear that tells them if the stallion isn't in the US, it must not be much of a stallion.