Pyro returns to training for his 4yo campaign (Banamine)

While we wait around for some decent racing this weekend and the Belmont jockey announcements a few things caught my eye.

My beloved Pyro is back on the work tab! I had heard that he’s been galloping at Keeneland for awhile but nothing official until now. As if the news of the Belmont Special service being restored wasn’t enough, Pyro will be based in New York with Rick Mettee! Perhaps we’ll get a chance to see him at Belmont before the end of spring-summer meet.

This week’s HANA pool party takes place this Saturday at Canterbury Park, race 8. If you’re not familiar with Canterbury Park, check out Ted’s excellent recap of opening day!

I’m not sure about you but I’ve been enjoying Equidaily’s hilarious new editorial graphic trend… well done!

Are the now seemingly repetitive tote failures the side effect of Mercury Retrograde? We should probably be so lucky as Mercury Retrograde ends on June 14th.

Kennedy has a nice look at some of the current 3yo sprinters who are overshadowed by the Triple Crown while Ghostnapper has an interesting take on how team Zenyatta really needs to step it up.

And finally, buried at the bottom of a DRF post about something else, it looks Channing Hill is heading back east to Monmouth for the summer:

Two jockeys who found California a tough circuit to crack have left for greener pastures. Channing Hill won just two races from 53 mounts in Southern California and has left for Monmouth; Jesus Rios won 13 races from 163 mounts and left for Calder.

Be sure to say hi to Channing while you attend the ReRun 3rd annual Day at the Races Fundraiser at Monmouth on June 13th!

Posted by dana on May 21 2009    
Filed Under: 4yo, Channing Hill, Zenyatta, 2009, HANA, Technology, Pyro, Belmont, Come Back, 3yo, Sprint, Racing

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Channing Hill at Santa Anita (yausser)

Since I was smart enough to DVR the Florida Derby this week I have now have added a screen capture of the DRF Formulator ad showing two women with the text overlay “for every skill level”, you know, in case you didn’t believe me or thought I might be exaggerating (who, me?).

I’m finding it a touch odd that folks have waited until now to make the many & valid points being raised re: the new British automatic berth. All of these issues were apparent when it was announced, right? As a friend pointed out, “no one complained last week when it knocked Beethoven off the list”. Indeed.

Reminder, the first HANA Pool Party is tomorrow, WRD R6. Check out the HANA blog for free PPs and more. I’ll be playing a $1 exacta box of 1,2,3,6,10,11 with a couple of bucks of on 2 & 6 to win.

After this weekend Quality Road has moved on to my “like like” list, and how! Over at PDI I rated him #2 behind Freisan Fire but in all reality I can’t make a strong case of why one should be over the other so I’m just leaving Freisan Fire in #1 for now. I’m not really buying the LA Derby as non-legit path to winning the Derby. Sure the numbers are daunting but that didn’t stop Street Sense from proving the numbers wrong about Juvenile winners.

Guess I really oughta come up with a new poll now that it’s official that IEAH bought 50% of I Want Revenge. Way to go, those who voted for “Buy Another Derby Prospect”, perhaps you should apply to work at IEAH!

And speaking of that poll, as much as I’d love to see Stardom Bound in the Derby, the more I see the depth in the 3yo filly division the more I want them all to run in the Oaks against each other. Rachel Alexandra vs. Stardom Bound could be the rivalry of the year. And when War Echo comes back later in the year, look out! Check out this eyewitness account of Stardom Bound working at Keeneland.

It should also be noted that several fillies ran with colts this weekend on dirt and they didn’t break down! Please people, let’s move on from fear-based assumption that fillies and colts don’t mix. Just ask Indian Blessing, who picked a very nice check for solid effort against her male colleagues!

Posted by dana on Mar 30 2009    
Filed Under: Stardom Bound, 2009, Indian Blessing, Iavarone, Quality Road, I Want Revenge, Rachel Alexandra, Kentucky Oaks, Channing Hill, Kentucky Derby, Derby Trail, You Can Help, 3yo, Santa Anita, Exacta, Racing

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Kayla Stra & Jennie C. Green in the winner’s circle with Lucius Antonius (yausser)

I was making my usual rounds this morning when I happened upon this excellent photo set over at flickr of Kayla Stra scoring a win, over Chantal Sutherland no less, Friday at Santa Anita. It was the 4th race, a $25k maiden claimer at 1 mile on the fake stuff.

Lucius Antonius, trained by the also lovely Jennie C. Green (in the white shirt) and owned by Gary Broad (no comment), “stepped to a slim advantage and set pace outside rival, roused and shook free in upper stretch, came in some later and just lasted under urging”, according to the chart.

But you can see it all here, Kyla mentally preparing outside the Jockey’s room, the team approaching the paddock, the pep talk, trying to psych out the opponents, breaking well, and holding off Chantal Sutherland in the stretch. Great stuff! And at least as interesting, if not more so, than anything else that went on in racing this weekend, no?

Speaking of which, check out Geno’s foray into “complaining”, well done and the more the merrier!

It also appears as though Channing Hill gets his first couple of mounts at Santa Anita on this Wednesday in the 5th & 7th.

Posted by dana on Mar 22 2009    
Filed Under: Claimer, 2009, Jockeys TV Show, Kayla Stra, Channing Hill, :), Chantal Sutherland, Maiden, Santa Anita, Racing

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Channing Hill at Belmont (raymond)

Best of luck to Channing Hill as he leaves us New Yorkers behind and ventures out west to ride at Santa Anita and then Hollywood.

Here he is on First Defence in the G1 Forego last summer at the Spa. It looks like someone put Vaseline on the lens but you get the picture.

We hope to see you around every now and again, don’t forget to visit!

Posted by dana on Mar 16 2009    
Filed Under: Channing Hill, Raymond Haddad, 2009, Santa Anita, YouTube, Race Replay, Hollywood Park, Racing

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Chantal Sutherland prepping for a days work while enjoying a GURU Energy Drink (GURU Energy Drinks)

Earlier in the year I was able to be of some assistance to the fine people of GURU Energy Drink in their quest to track down the talented and stunning Chantal Sutherland. It all worked out in the end and I even ended up being the lucky recipient of some of their product, which I must say is both delicious and unjanglingly energizing.

Recently my pals at GURU got in touch to say hi and, as promised, forward on this photo of Chantal prepping for a day at work while enjoying a refreshing GURU Energy Drink (points for the matching helmet, nail color and beverage can). As indicated earlier, I think she could sell a beverage, no?

Recently the topic of marketing has been racing around the blogosphere (har har) like a house on fire! Winston… Not Really made a great point the other day about using jockeys to market racing. And not only semi-naked ones! I totally agree with him and added several examples of “hot” images of jockeys that don’t involve bikinis, oil or lip licking.

Alan Garcia, hot.
Chantal Sutherland, gorgeous.
Jacqueline Davis, stunning.
Eibar Coa, work it.
Norberto Arroya, bring it.
Channing Hill, oh yeah.
Alex Solis, boom.

These are just a few examples of jockeys looking alluring in a contextually appropriate setting that actually references racing, thus tying the sex appeal to the racing. Sure, the brazen approach might work, but this kind of ad seems more likely to send a guy to his favorite porn site rather than the track.

Posted by dana on Dec 19 2008    
Filed Under: Channing Hill, 2008, Alan Garcia, Marketing, Chantal Sutherland, Eibar Coa, Jocks

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