Green but Game » Nobiz Like Shobiz

Maiden Race as Magic 8 Ball?

Hello Broadway, half to No Biz breaking his maiden at Saratoga (budmeister 26.2)

When I saw this today, I remembered immediately that I recently asked if they had announced the inevitable regarding War Pass yet.

Today was the day… they finally came out with it and announced that War Pass has been officially retired and will stand at Lane’s End, a deal that was put in place after last year’s BC Juvenile. No surprise, just check it off the “when will they announce it” list.

Within a half an hour I notice that No Biz’s stud fee has been announced… $7,500. As Jessica put in in her reply to my email question “Is it just me or is No Biz a huge bargain?”

What a great price on a horse that won stakes at two and three, on dirt and turf.

And what do we think the fee for War Pass will be? (Upcoming poll alert!!) Much more than $7,500, that’s for sure.

Just last weekend halfs to No Biz and War Pass duked it out it a classy baby race with No Biz’s little bro, Hello Broadway, gamely defeating Imperial Council (no relation) by a nose while War Pass’s little bro was in the mix for show.

What are the odds of that coincidence? And too bad I didn’t have a few bucks on it!

Posted by dana on Sep 05 2008
Filed Under: 2yo, Injury, 3yo, War Pass, 2008, Maiden, Nobiz Like Shobiz, Breeding, Let Horses Race, Retirement, Saratoga, Racing

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Stay Classy

Channing Hill gets his first G1 win aboard the classy First Defence in the Forego (~ RAYMOND)

I didn’t do too much handicapping for today but it turned out to be exacta day at GbG manor! I did the 8th & 9th with a 5 minute look at the Woodward.

The 8th was fantastic, a classy baby race featuring Hello Broadway, a half to GbG fav Nobiz Like Showbiz owned by Elizabeth Valando, trained by Tagg with Coa up. In addition to liking Hello Broadway I also really liked Imperial Council and Fast Draw.

If I did any super noticing this weekend (and I really don’t think I did), it was that Mushka & Country Star, both Empire Makers, were fantastic as 2yos. I thought Imperial Council, by Empire Maker, was training well but it was the Empire Maker thought + looking good in the parade that sold me. Fast Draw had also been training well since his last start and I was hoping he would improve on his 3rd try.

I think the 8th could have been the most exciting race of the ones I watched. Hello Broadway & Imperial Council looked professional dueling in the lane. Just when it looked like Imperial Council, at 20-1, might power on by, Hello Broadway dug in and put his neck in front for the well earned win. The show horse, Ruler’s Vision, is a half to War Pass. Have they officially retired War Pass yet? My exacta would have been oh so much more fulfilling if Imperial Council would have held off Hello Broadway but I’ll be keeping an eye out for both of these classy babies nonetheless.

In the Forego, I really liked First Defence but thought Lucky Island looked pretty hard to beat. I also liked Eternal Star and Ferocious Fires and played all of them in varying priced exacta boxes. I couldn’t believe it when Lucky Island broke so horribly, but he did pour it on and manage to get himself in the race. Annoyingly Greeley’s Conquest blew what would have been an excellent paying exacta by edging Ferocious Fires… damn!! But I was happy to see the classy First Defence really strut his stuff by setting some impressive fractions and winning by 6+ lengths. Also, congrats to Channing Hill for his first G1 win!

In the Woodward I threw out Divine Park, more for the distance than coming off a break, and Out of Control for the surface. I’ve always really liked Wanderin’ Boy and A.P. Arrow but Past The Point was more intriguing to me coming off a win at the distance and having a nice looking prep work. Loose Leaf was also coming off a win at the distance but I didn’t think his works were as nice even though his last race a touch classier.

I put Curlin over all of the above, boxed them all sans Curlin in case the HOY had a (un)Lucky Island like scenario. I also put them all over Curlin (and wouldn’t I have felt pretty darn smart if Past The Point would have held on to win!).

Was it just me or did it look like Garcia and Johnny V. did a bit of race riding in the first turn? It looked like a Divine Park, Curlin, Out of Control ice cream sandwich! Curlin was able to get himself in a good position and like always he came on when asked. Robby looked a little panicky when Curlin wasn’t easily taking over Pass The Point but the Horse of the Year got the job done like the classy pro he is. I’d love to see him back at Belmont for the JCGC next month!

Speaking of Nobiz, Adriano finally came back to form winning the Kent Stakes, a race Nobiz won last year. I was annoyed when Adriano’s connections caught Derby fever after his win in the Lane’s End. It took him until now get back to his best form on the turf, but he came back with classy style winning with an exciting late run get up just in time. Welcome back Adriano, stay classy!

Posted by dana on Aug 30 2008
Filed Under: Mushka, War Pass, Robby Albarado, Channing Hill, Country Star, Raymond Haddad, 2008, Empire Maker, Alan Garcia, 2yo, Nobiz Like Shobiz, Curlin, Saratoga, Barclay Tagg, Eibar Coa, Turf, John Velazquez, Racing

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Reproduction & Economics (Sex & Money!)

Nobiz Like Shobiz will stand at Darby Dan in 2009 (Sarah K Andrew)

Earlier this week I noticed two items over at Bloodhorse in the breeding section. GbG horse of interest War Emblem seems to be making progress in his “recovery”!

You may remember that there was a time when he wasn’t covering any mares even though he was fully functional, so to speak. He was prescribed what the article calls “intensive therapy” including relocation, changes in breeding shed handling and hormone supplements… and guess what, it’s working!

Although, apparently he’s still choosy:

“Now about 70% are OK for him, but the other 30% remain very difficult,” Dr. Nobuo Tsunoda said. “And if he hates a type of mare, he attacks them.”

Some of War Emblem’s peculiarities have included a dislike for large mares and an attraction to chestnuts over females of other colors, said Shadai spokesperson Mariko Yoshida.

He’s already covered 30 mares this year and 20 are in foal to him. Keep up the good work War Emblem!

Another GbG fav, Nobiz Like Shobiz, has finally been placed at Darby Dan where he’ll stand for 2009. No fee has been set.

Moving on now to money… there are two interesting posts from fellow TBA-ers today around the economics of the game. Cangamble has a thoughtful post on Take Out with an great comment thread and Steve Zorn has an in-depth and eye opening post on the economics of ownership. Both are great reads.

And last but not least, did you know that Belmont has a chicken hawk? No, not that little bird who followed Foghorn Leghorn around or an old man who likes young boys… a red tailed hawk! Jason captured a couple of shots of Belmont’s own bird of prey this weekend… guard your hot dogs and perhaps small children!

Posted by dana on Jul 16 2008
Filed Under: War Emblem, TBA, 2008, Industry, Sarah K. Andrew, Nobiz Like Shobiz, Breeding, Gambling, Belmont, Racing

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Curtain Call for Nobiz Like Shobiz

Nobiz Like Shobiz and his entourage after winning the 2007 Wood at Aqueduct (Sarah K. Andrew)

Nobiz Like Shobiz is inextricably tied to my intro to horse racing. The 2006 Champagne was being run at Belmont on my second trip to the track. Besides being a fan of champagne in general, I quickly became a fan of Nobiz, although at the time Swifty and I couldn’t tell a claiming race from a Derby Prep. No Biz, along with Hard Spun were my very first Derby horses.

You may remember that No Biz was a bit of a Derby hype horse. The Times had a great feature on him and his team prior to the Derby that not only included the picture used in this post (possibly one of my all time fav pics), a quote from his exercise rider, Derrick Sturniolo, that Swifty and I still use to this date:

He’s all business on the racetrack. But he’s a big old love bug in the barn.

but a pre-First Saturday in May video that gives the casual fan a look at how horses get to the Derby entitled The Education of a Race Horse.

What I loved about Elizabeth Valando as an owner is that she would run Nobiz as long as he was sound. I had high hopes for a long(ish) career for him, particularly since he so brilliantly lived up to his potential on the turf.

Fellow TBA-er Michael recently shared a conversation Rick Porter about his deal with Hard Spun where Porter had admitted regrets about rushing into the deal and would liked to have campaigned him as a 4yo. It’s unclear to me from Porter’s quote if he meant that Darley wanted to campaign Hard Spun as a 4yo and Porter wouldn’t agree to it or if Darley wanted to start running Hard Spun in their colors immediately (hopefully Michael can clear up my confusion).

I feel like I grew up quick, fast and in a hurry this year as horseplayer… I’m no longer shocked by the “bred to be a stallion” culture, but No Biz was one of those rare horses that we could have counted on seeing mature into an elder statesman, if you will. Which makes his injury all the more sad. I really didn’t want to see him in the BC last year as it wasn’t really his distance, although he ran a really game race. Who’s to say the injury wouldn’t have emerged eventually (what I don’t know about horses physically is a LOT).

And one more thing, I STILL didn’t see anything about his retirement at DRF! Was it buried in another article? That’s a bit ridiculous.

Alright, Queue Ethel Merman and dim the house lights while we take a look at the big old love bug’s notable moments:

Holy Bull: