Zaftig defeating Indian Blessing in the Acorn (EASY GOER)

Ugh! I was just saying to myself that I was gonna take a quick peak at the Form (which I can’t access from work) and then step away from the computer, but alas the top headline is “Injury forces Zaftig to retire“. Arrrrrrrr!

The Grade 1-winning 3-year-old filly Zaftig has been retired from racing after tearing the suspensory ligament in her left hind leg, her connections said Friday.

Zaftig has been shipped to the Hogan Equine Clinic - run by Dr. Patty Hogan - in Cream Ridge, N.J., where she will spend the next month or so before being shipped to Kentucky.

“[Hogan] said it’s too great a probability that she’s going to re-tear it,” said Susan Moore, who owns Zaftig along with her husband, John. “The best thing to do is retire her and turn her into a broodmare, unfortunately. She’ll stay with Patty for about four weeks, then we’ll ship her down to Kentucky and either we’ll breed her or sell her as a broodmare prospect.”

Moore added that the injury made her feel like “somebody kicked you in the stomach.”

I’ll bet it did. She was looking likely for the Cigar mile next weekend, which was making me uncharacteristically want to hop on the subway and head out to the Big A with some pals to see her. Her run in the Acorn was my favorite race of Belmont Stakes day.

Note that as she comes up to Indian Blessing in the stretch that Velazquez drops the whip… handride y’all! Really impressive.

On the bright side, at least she didn’t get hit by lightening and her dam, Zoftig who was recently purchased for 1.5M by Live Oak Stud, is in foal to Hard Spun!

Best of luck to her for a speedy recovery, we’ll miss you!

Posted by dana on Nov 14 2008    
Filed Under: Get Well Soon, YouTube, Farewell, Aqueduct, Jason Moran, 3yo, Injury, Retirement, Belmont, Hard Spun, Race Replay, Racing

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Papi Chullo being groomed prior to the 2007 Whitney (Banamine)

GbG sentimental fav Papi Chullo is back in New York and running in the first at Aqueduct tomorrow, a starter handicap at 1 1/8 on the dirt.

I first became of aware of Papi Chullo in his eye popping victory in the Birdstone on Belmont day last year where he dominated a classy field including Hesanoldsalt and AP Arrow. Apparently I’m not the only one who noticed him as IEAH bought in to him not too long after that.

After his emphatic win in the Birdstone, the next stop was the G1 Whitney. His new trainer, Gary Contessa, had just won the Belmont training title and it seemed that Papi Chullo had finally found the right fit with his new connections. Papi had definitely been around the block and back by the time he made his way to Contessa’s Winning Move Stables.

Papi Chullo, 5, came into Contessa’s barn in a unique way. Following a last-place finish in the Oaklawn Handicap, Papi Chullo was put up for sale in an auction-type format.

“A guy tells us whoever makes the best offer by Wednesday gets him, and he gave us a fax number where to send the offer,” said Contessa, whose owner Steve Sigler made the offer. “We made an offer and on a Wednesday we got a call that we got him.”

In mid-April, Papi Chullo vanned from Oaklawn Park to Contessa’s Aqueduct stable. Contessa found a third-level allowance on May 4 at Belmont Park and told Sigler that though the horse had trained well, “don’t be surprised if he’s second or third.”

The race scratched down to four horses and Papi Chullo rolled to a 7 1/4-length victory, running 1 1/16 miles in 1:39.89, just missing the track record of 1:39.51.

After the race, Contessa told Sigler, “We got us a racehorse here, boy.”

It was not to be in the Whitney as he finished 9 out of 11. His next out was the Iselin at Monmouth where he didn’t fare much better. Not too long after the Iselin he was taken out of training with an injury. While I remember it happening I can’t track down any details on it other than Dan Ilman’s excellent disabled list, which has it listed as “bleeding” on 10/02/2007.

On October 21st of this year, he made his return in $16k claimer at Delaware park and he was in for a tag. I cringed when I noticed and was hesitant to look at the results after the fact. I was relieved to find out that he won AND he wasn’t claimed. In my quest for info on Papi’s post-Iselin injury I did find this convo by Papi Chullo fans at Trackchampions.com. They’re weren’t as jazzed about his comeback win as I was.

Best of luck to Papi Chullo tomorrow, here’s hoping the 6yo horse still has some race some in him… Nostradana believes he does.

Update: Papi didn’t do so hot, saved ground nicely but couldn’t make a run of it. Fingers crossed that he’s not tossed back in for a tag.

Posted by dana on Nov 08 2008    
Filed Under: Dan Ilman, 2008, Aqueduct, Injury, Papi Chullo, Racing

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( raymond )

As Moran put it, NYRA is trolling the web with the addition of new Facebook and MySpace pages. I don’t disagree with the commenter who is pleased to see NYRA take this direction, but as someone who has never received an email reply from NYRA, color me cautiously optimistic.

“Developing these pages are part of a viral marketing strategy we’ve recently implemented that targets a demographic of racing fan that NYRA has not effectively and actively communicated with in the past,” said Neema Ghazi, NYRA’s Director of Marketing.

I “became a fan” (which is what they call the action one takes to follow a page on Facebook) and so far so good. They’ve created a fair amount of upcoming events (but haven’t invited the 551 current NYRA fans: note to NYRA, pushing content to fans is good!) and added a good amount of photos.

“These platforms are excellent mediums through which NYRA can engage its fans,” said Ghazi. “A website like Facebook can serve as a useful feedback mechanism that inevitably encourages continuous dialogue between racetrack executives and the racing public.”

Feedback mechanism and continuous dialogue between racetrack executives and the racing public… funny you should mention that. While at work today, I received this tweet on my phone.

From DRF (last section, bottom of the page):

The stewards fined jockey Norberto Arroyo Jr. $500 for striking his mount, Hanna Can Fly, twice in the face with his whip in Wednesday’s ninth race. Hanna Can Fly was on the lead early in the race, then backed up through the field to finish 10th.

The incident wasn’t that much different than the one for which Jeremy Rose received a six-month suspension last summer at Delaware Park. That suspension was reduced to three months.

After having a bit to eat this evening while watching a familiar Law & Order re-run, I clicked right on over the NYRA’s page to hopefully start a continuous dialog with some race track executives by way of their feedback mechanism.

Posted to the NYRA wall (which is the one of the main “feedback mechanisms” of a Facebook group):

Question. I read the following in DRF today:

“The stewards fined jockey Norberto Arroyo Jr. $500 for striking his mount, Hanna Can Fly, twice in the face with his whip in Wednesday’s ninth race. Hanna Can Fly was on the lead early in the race, then backed up through the field to finish 10th.

The incident wasn’t that much different than the one for which Jeremy Rose received a six-month suspension last summer at Delaware Park. That suspension was reduced to three months.”

http://drf.com/news/article/99742.html

Can you please explain this ruling? I watched the race replay at Twinspires and could not see the incident. If it is similar to Jeremy Rose’s incident, in which he was suspended for 3 months (reduced from 6), can you also explain why Arroyo was only fined and not given any suspension?

Here’s hoping NYRA’s foray in social media elicits better results than that old fashioned contraption known as email. Will keep you posted!

Posted by dana on Nov 07 2008    
Filed Under: Raymond Haddad, The Whip, Stewards, Industry, 2008, NYRA, Aqueduct, Internet, Racing

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Jackie Davis, apprentice rider ( raymond )

Congrats to New York Bug Jockey Jackie Davis who got her first win today on a 64-1 shot Blue Hill Bay.

Jacqueline Davis, the 21-year-old daughter of retired jockey Robbie Davis, earned her first career victory at Aqueduct on Wednesday, guiding Blue Hill Bay ($131) to a front-running victory in a $35,000 claiming race on the turf. She won her first race in her 33rd mount.

Davis is a graduate of the inaugural class of Chris McCarron’s North American Racing Academy, based in Lexington, Ky.

Be sure to check out this set of photos on flickr of her and her family preparing for her first race this summer at Saratoga. Highlights include Castellano and Johhny V helping her out with her silks, chatting with The Chief on his golf cart, posing with the gang before the race and being congratulated by dad after the race. Great stuff!

Posted by dana on Nov 05 2008    
Filed Under: 2008, Raymond Haddad, Aqueduct, NYRA, Jocks, Racing

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The Big A in better looking days, 1965 (Festin2008)

GbG horse of interest National Pride is on the opening card of the Big A today in the Best of Luck Stakes. Tin Cup Chalice who notably beat a closing Pyro (on dirt!) last out in the Indy Derby and WV Derby runner up Web Gem are also entered.

Later on the card Nuumany & Helsinki are entered in an allowance optional claimer (not for a tag).

I know several New Yorkers who are jazzed about racing being back at the Big A… have fun y’all!

Not going to the Big A today? Check out this set of old race track photos.

Posted by dana on Oct 29 2008    
Filed Under: 2008, National Pride, Aqueduct, Racing

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