The Gelding Thread

[ShuveesGirl]

[quote author=DRF] Life in the old boy yet

Step aside, youngsters: Silverfoot is back in the game.

While 10-year-old Better Talk Now was finishing third in the Manhattan Handicap at Belmont on Saturday, 9-year-old Silverfoot was making his first start of 2009 at Arlington in The Tin Man Stakes. He won it, and looked good enough in the process that Silverfoot might reasonably be aimed at the Arlington Million on Aug. 8 - exactly what trainer Dallas Stewart has in mind.

Stewart said Silverfoot, who returned to Churchill over the weekend, would next race on July 11 in the Arlington Handicap, but that "the real goal" of this summer campaign was a return to the Million, in which Silverfoot finished a close fourth despite a less-than-ideal trip in 2008.

Silverfoot does his best running in the stretch, but tends to come around horses on the far outside. Saturday, jockey Chris Emigh ducked toward the rail for racing room in midstretch, and with surprisingly rapid acceleration, Silverfoot closed quickly and got up by a neck. The competition was not the strongest, but the nine-furlong distance was shorter than Silverfoot's best, and the horse is likely to improve off the comeback run.

"It was a thriller watching him perform," said Stewart. "He seems good, doesn't seem tired, doesn't seem out of sorts at all right now."[/quote]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCE9D8fq4zA

[ShuveesGirl]

[quote author=DRF]Fabulous Strike returned to his favorite distance - and perhaps his favorite track - and put on an awesome display of speed, scoring a 1 1/4-length victory over defending sprint champion Benny the Bull in Saturday's Grade 2, $250,000 True North Handicap at Belmont Park.

After dueling with longshot Sixthirteen through a half-mile in 43.62 seconds, Fabulous Strike continued on and easily held off Benny the Bull, who was making his first start in 11 months. Fabulous Strike covered the six furlongs in 1:07.85 - which when converted from hundredths is 1:07 4/5 - equaling the stakes record set by Groovy in 1987. Artax owns the track record at 1:07.66. The track was labeled good for the True North, but was upgraded to fast after the race.

"He's really just a running machine," winning rider Ramon Dominguez said.

Fabulous Strike broke so sharply from post 6 that Dominguez was content to clear the field and get to the rail, which was good on Saturday. He was quickly joined by Sixthirteen, who after breaking slowly was rushed up to get a half-length lead in a quarter run in 21.85 seconds.

Meanwhile, Benny the Bull had moved into third position around the turn and looked poised to take advantage of the hot pace. But Fabulous Strike put away Sixthirteen turning for home, and easily held Benny the Bull at bay.

"We were on a suicide mission, so to speak, at that point, because I wasn't going to take back in the middle of the turn," Dominguez said. "I was very pleased with the way he continued on. He never stopped running."

Fabulous Strike, a 6-year-old gelded son of Smart Strike, won for the 13th time in 22 starts an increased his bankroll to $1,179,412 for owner Walter Downey and trainer Todd Beattie.

"He's a warrior, that's how you sum it up and he's a true one," said Beattie, who will target the Alfred G. Vanderbilt at Saratoga on Aug. 9 for Fabulous Strike. "He gets up and goes to work everyday."[/quote]

Photo by Dianne Boothe: http://finalturngallery.com/g2/main....eDBCR.jpg.html

[second_glance]

Silverfoot in the Arlington Million? That would be awesome!

And much thanks for starting this thread!

[ShuveesGirl]

[quote author=DRF] Trainer Robert Ribaudo plans to give Bribon, winner of the Shadwell Metropolitan Handicap, a summer vacation - that is, if the 6-year-old gelding will allow it.

Despite running a hard race in defeating Smooth Air by a half-length in Monday's Grade 1, $600,000 Met Mile at Belmont Park, Bribon acted Tuesday morning as if he were ready to do it all over again - and soon.

Ribaudo said when he received a congratulatory call Tuesday morning from Tony Micallef, the agent for Bribon's jockey, Alan Garcia, he joked with Micallef that Bribon "came out of the race so good I'm looking for a race for him next week.

"In reality, that's the way he came back," Ribaudo added. "It's hard to believe. It was a hard race, he made a big move, he got beat up pretty good, and he dug in. You'd never know it looking at his feed tub. He ate up right away, and this morning he's full of himself."

But with no significant one-turn race at which to point Bribon to this summer, Ribaudo believes he will just sit chilly with the 6-year-old gelded son of Mark of Esteem for the time being. Looking ahead, however, Ribaudo said his two main options for Bribon's next stakes are the Grade 1 Forego at Saratoga, a seven-furlong dirt race on Sept. 5, or the $1 million Woodbine Mile on turf on Sept. 20. Though Bribon is winless in three tries on the turf in this country, he did win twice on grass in Europe.

"He is a grass horse by nature," Ribaudo said. "I don't believe his success is strictly a transition from grass. The gelding [of Bribon] and the settling down and finding the right distance are just as important as the surface switch."

Ribaudo did say that Bribon is not Breeders' Cup-nominated and that he would not be supplemented to that event. Ribaudo noted that as a gelding, Bribon is only worth what he can make on the track for owner Marc Keller.

"He doesn't have much resale value," Ribaudo said. "Purses are what's going to count between now and whenever this ride comes to an end."[/quote]

[ShuveesGirl]

[quote author=second_glance link=topic=34961.msg746624#msg746624 date=1244600152]
Silverfoot in the Arlington Million? That would be awesome!

And much thanks for starting this thread!
[/quote]

Glad you like it. :smiley: I will be adding all these horses to my StableMail so I can post their workouts too.

[Ezariah]

[quote author=ShuveesGirl link=topic=34961.msg746622#msg746622 date=1244600011]
Photo by Dianne Boothe: http://finalturngallery.com/g2/main....eDBCR.jpg.html
[/quote]

Yep, Miss D did a good job on this one, great photo! :smiley:

[Songbird]

Silverfoot has been a favorite of mine for a long time. I've been following him for years, it seems. He's fun to watch and usually a good one to bet to pick up a check.

God bless the geldngs!

[gravano]

What a great race to watch.
Nice ride by Emigh.
Dooley (caller) sounds like a little kid on Christmas morning "The Old Gladiator"

[Blue Jeans]

What's not to love about Silverfoot? He's a treat for the eyes ... and his fans adore him.

Added: I saved the best for last! The video! "Silverfoot is back!" ... and boy was he ever! Thanks, ShuveesGirl.

[ShuveesGirl]

You're very welcome, Blue Jeans. :smiley:

[quote author=DRF]Commentator prepping for Whitney run

ELMONT, N.Y. - Now that the Belmont Stakes is over, Saratoga becomes a prominent thought in the minds of many horsemen and fans. When Nick Zito thinks about Saratoga, one of his most prominent thoughts is of the Whitney Handicap.

With the opportunity for Commentator to win a third Whitney in five years foremost in his mind, Zito has found a perfect spot in which to prep the 8-year-old New York-bred gelding. In Friday's $65,000 Kashatreya Stakes at one mile, Commentator meets four New York-breds. Commentator is 5 for 5 against New York-breds, winning all five by a combined margin of 44 3/4 lengths. He has not faced statebreds since 2007, when he won a race similar to Friday's by 11 1/4 lengths.

Commentator figures to make some noise of his own in the Kashatreya, which also will be the return to the races of the multiple stakes winner Naughty New Yorker. Commentator has run only once this year, that being a fourth-place finish in the Charles Town Classic on April 18. Zito couldn't find a suitable prep for Commentator for that nine-furlong race, and Commentator got a little tired in that three-turn race, his first off a five-month layoff.

"He's had time to recuperate, his works have all been great," Zito said Wednesday from Saratoga. "We just need to get him back on track, get him back going. This is a good spot to get him going. Hopefully, he'll run well."

In addition to being the most accomplished horse in the field, Commentator also looms the lone speed under John Velazquez from post 3. After this race, Commentator, who won the Whitney in 2005 and 2008, will have eight weeks until the Whitney, scheduled for Aug. 8.

"We'll have plenty of time," Zito said.[/quote]

[ShuveesGirl]

Photos by Annika Heeck:

Fabulous Strike winning the True North: http://finalturngallery.com/g2/main....+copy.jpg.html

Better Talk Now getting hosed off after the Manhattan: http://finalturngallery.com/g2/main....+copy.jpg.html

[ShuveesGirl]

[quote author=DRF]A repeat of the quasi-match race between the front-runners Ball Four and Rail Trip in the Grade 2 Mervyn LeRoy Handicap last month may not occur in Saturday's $250,000 Californian Stakes at Hollywood Park. Rather than facing only four others, as they did in the LeRoy, the two have 10 potential spoilers waiting behind them this time.

Ball Four, an 8-year-old gelding, won the Mervyn LeRoy by 1 1/4 lengths over Rail Trip, leading throughout. Rail Trip was within a half-length until the final turn. The Mervyn LeRoy was Rail Trip's first loss in six starts.

Ellis vows that the same scenario will not repeat itself in the Californian, which is run over 1 1/8 miles.

"We can't let Ball Four do what he did," he said. Rail Trip, said Ellis, "is a faster horse than what he's been showing."

Rail Trip was the 3-5 favorite in the Mervyn LeRoy and is certain to attract massive support in the Californian. Ellis is concerned about the distance, especially if a speed duel develops.

"It doesn't help matters," he said. "There's no question about that. He wasn't stopping in the last race. They were finishing pretty good. There'll be a legitimate pace in there."

Trainer Patrick Biancone warned after the Mervyn LeRoy that Ball Four was better with ample time between races. He said the gelding is training too well to pass the Californian.

"He came out of the race so good and is in good form," Biancone said. "This time, we have two disadvantages. The surprise factor is not there. and we give weight to everybody. We didn't scare away anybody."

Under the allowance conditions of the Californian, Ball Four will carry 120 pounds, spotting the other 11 entrants two to four pounds.

Biancone said he will not try different tactics with Ball Four, who has led through most of his recent starts.

"He has his own style," he said. "He's too old now to change."[/quote]

[ShuveesGirl]

[img width=410 height=292]http://i6.tinypic.com/34g7klk.jpg[/img]

[quote author=DRF]...the veteran turf horse Cloudy's Knight, who was based in Chicago for much of his career, still is only in light training at the farm, [trainer Jonathan] Sheppard said. Cloudy's Knight, a Grade 1 winner, was turned over to Sheppard about two months ago.[/quote]

[ShuveesGirl]

Commentator cruises at Belmont:

http://drf.com/news/article/104606.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81kzx_hf2ws

[ShuveesGirl]

Presious Passion battles back at Monmouth

[quote author=DRF]Presious Passion looked like a beaten horse in the stretch Saturday at Monmouth Park, but he dug deep and gamely held on to defeat Banrock by a nose in the $200,000 Monmouth Stakes on the turf.[/quote]

http://drf.com/news/article/104646.html

[ShuveesGirl]

[quote author=Bloodhorse]Lightly-regarded Informed, ridden vigorously by Tyler Baze from before the quarter pole, gradually wore down favored Rail Trip in deep stretch to win the $250,000 Californian (gr. II) (VIDEO) at odds of 14-1 at Hollywood Park June 13.

Sporting bright red silks with a "For Rent" logo emblazoned in a white circle on the back, Baze threaded his way around traffic on the final turn with Informed to emerge on the outside in position to challenge the leaders Rail Trip and Ball Four in the 1 1/8-mile Cushion Track test. Baze, who said afterward he was instructed to ride the bay horse hard to get him to respond, scrubbed for all he was worth down the lane while just showing his charge the whip. His effort paid off with a three-quarters-of-a-length win over Rail Trip, who was the 2-1 favorite in the field of 10.

Rail Trip, ridden by Jose Valdivia Jr. along the inside, nipped the late-charging Dakota Phone and Rafael Bejarano by a head for second. The final time was 1:48.37.

Valdivia, who had been outmaneuvered on Rail Trip by the front-running Ball Four for an upset in the 1 1/16-mile Mervyn LeRoy Handicap (gr. II) one month ago, seemed determined to not let that one dictate the pace this time. Rail Trip bounced to the lead out of the gate, but Ball Four and Joe Talamo came after them, with Ball Four eventually taking over. Though they were moving quickly early, leaving the stalkers in the field several lengths behind, the fractions -- :23.51, :47.61, and 1:11.45 -- weren't ridiculously quick.

Ball Four weakened past mid-stretch while Rail Trip continued to fight on down the lane, determined to hold off Informed. But Informed, in the middle of the track, closed relentlessly and eventually inched away late for an improbable victory.

"From the get-go, I was going to make Ball Four work a little more today," Valdivia said. "That other kid (Joe Talamo on Ball Four) was riding on a loose rein, so I just eased him back out of there. No sense going head and head. He ran his race. You just can't beat Doug O'Neill right now."

"Without Ball Four in the race I think we?re an easy winner," trainer Ron Ellis said of Rail Trip. "We?ll see about the Gold Cup. I want to see how he comes out of this. I?m not sure if farther is better for him.?

Song of Navarone wound up fourth, a neck behind Dakota Phone, who rallied from eighth in the stretch. Then came Awesome Gem, Ball Four, Ukiah, Unusual Smoke, Mr Napper Tandy, and Aitcho. Mast Trackand Limestone Edgescratched.[/quote]

[Prairie Bayou]

Speaking of Better Talk Now, you may want to include one of his stablemates. Independent George.

[attachment deleted by admin]

[the Bid]

Ball Four is another great addition to the list. Is Researcher a gelding? Oz has great sprinters Takeover Target and Apache Cat.

[Bean]

Great pic of BTN jogging and looking to the right. He has the look of Eagles.

[Prairie Bayou]

[quote author=Bean link=topic=34961.msg749443#msg749443 date=1245028940]
Great pic of BTN jogging and looking to the right. He has the look of Eagles.
[/quote]

He always cocks his head to the right.