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The distinction of riding the winner of the first race at the Meydan belonged to Richard Hills. The British reinsman guided the Hamdan Al Maktoum-owned No Risk Al Maury to a fluent victory in a race for pure Arabian-breds. Jockey Hills was thrilled. “I was hoping I would win the first race and it has happened. I could not be more delighted," Hills said.
Winning trainer Gillian Duffield was laconic. “It is wonderful. It’s history.”
The only discordant note on opening day was Ahmed Ajtebi’s fall. Ajtebi’s mount in the sprint, Desuetede, stumbled and jockey Ajtebi was unseated. There were no broken bones but Ajtebi had bruises in his neck, arms and legs.
Frankie Dettori lavished praise on the Meydan. He expressed total satisfaction with the Tapeta surface. Referring to the stands, Dettori said, “It can compare favourably with any stadium in the world and it is out of a spaceship from Star Wars.”
Here is news from England and America. In England, jockey Fergal Lynch has paid the 50,000-pound fine. He has met the deadline imposed by the British Horseracing Authority. Paul Struthers, official spokesman, stated, “Fergal Lynch has the 50,000 pounds in full.”
In America, there is sad news. Justin Vitek, a jockey who plied his trade in mid-Western tracks, is dead. He was 36 and died of acute myelogenous leukemia. It is a form of blood cancer. Jockey Vitek won 763 races from 8,205 rides for earnings of $9,8 million. His biggest win came in the 2000 (G II) Golden Rod Stakes at Churchill Downs.
Tom Drury, a Kentucky-based trainer, let Vitek ride his horses in the final days of his career. “He was convinced that he was going to ride again. If he was going to stop, he was determined to stop on his terms. That speaks to his character. He gave you 110% every time. He was competitive. He was a good, solid all round rider and a good, kind-hearted person,” Drury stated.
Private Terms came to the 1988 Kentucky Derby with a seven for seven record and was the 7-2 favourite. His streak ended and he was ninth in the Run for the Roses. Winning Colors, Gary Stevens up, won the Derby making it all. In the Preakness won by Risen Star, Private Terms finished fourth. As a sire, Private Terms, by Private Account out of Laughter by Bold Ruler, produced Soul of the Matter and Afternoon Deelites, two outstanding racehorses. Laughter is half sister to Ruffian. Trained by Charlie Hadry, Private Terms, at three, won the Gotham and the Wood Memorial.
Because of infirmities caused by old age, Private Terms has been euthanized. He was 25. After the 2006 breeding season, Private Terms was pensioned owing to declining fertility.
Todd Pletcher is one of America’s top trainers. Wait A While, a Pletcher-trained mare, raced in the 2008 Breeders’ Cup Filly-Mare Turf. It was found that Pletcher had exceeded the regulatory threshold for procaine, a local anaesthetic. It is a substance that is commonly used in antibiotics for horses. Pletcher has been fined $25,000 and given a 10-day ban. The reason I am mentioning this is that there is transparency.
Santa Anita hosted the 'Sunshine Millions' last weekend. On Saturday, jockey Russell Baze steered Bold Chieftain, a California-bred millionaire, to a clever victory in the $500,000 Sunshine Millions Classic. Held up until the field turned for home. Noble Chieftain responded to Baze's call to strike the front in the second part of the stretch and held the fast-finishing Palladio, the Canadian invader, by a neck. Bold Chieftain was giving trainer Bill Morey, Jr his 12th stakes win in his career. The 1800-metre race on Santa Anita's pro-ride surface was run in 1 48.33 seconds. Bold Chieftain is by Chief Seattle out of Hooked On Music who is by Seattle Dancer.
The Usual Q T, the 11-10 favourite and a Group I winner, was putting a six-race win streak on the line. Pressing Enriched, the pacesetter, The Usual Q T weakened in the lane to finish ninth and last. The Usual Q T's wins had come on the grass course.
Trainer Bill Morey, Jr had said that the Millions would be Bold Chieftain's swansong. After the race, there was a change of heart. Morey commented, "it is pretty hard not to be looking down the road at another."
On Sunday, the Grade II ($150,000) Forward Gal Stakes was run at Gulfstream Park in Florida. The focus of attention was the 7-5 public choice, She Be Wild, the Eclipse winner as the best freshman girl. She Be Wild, victorious in the BC at Santa Anita, had won four of five starts on synthetic surfaces. The Forward Gal was on 'natural' dirt. The winner was the Kelly Breen-trained Bickersons, a 9-1 chance. Bickersons stalked the pace and put daylight between herself and the others in the stretch. She won the 1400-metre race by seven lengths. Bickersons, a Silver Deputy filly out of Dancehall Floozy by Paramount Jet, was 10th in the BC Juvenile Fillies race. Joanie's Catch, a 51-1 longshot, took second and the exacta returned $682.40 on a $2.00 wager. She Be Wild was fifth and beaten ten lengths by the winner.
Kelly Breen talked about the length of the race. "Seven-eighths is probably her best game and may be, she can go a one-turn mile."
Jockey Bravo praised his mount. "That was an eye opener. You have the BC winner and a full field and our filly destroys them. It makes us all feel good going forward. I give trainer Kelly all the credit."
She Be Wild's jockey was Julien Leparoux. "She took to the dirt well. I got a good trip but the distance was too short for her," he averred.
Larry Bortstein wrote racing stories for the Orange County Register. He was based in California. He was a fixture in the interview room at Santa Anita. He had a lot of questions. Bortstein, 67, died on Sunday. It is a case of what is called pulmonary embolism. I knew Larry well. I am sad.
Dancing Forever is headed to India. One of the top turf runners in 2008, Dancing Forever will stand at Nirmal Ruia's Hazzara Stud near New Delhi. The seven year-old son of Rahy won many a Graded race. He won or placed 15 times in 24 starts for earnings of $915,000, Dancinginmydreams is Dancing Forever's dam. Seeking The Gold is the sire of Dancinginmydreams.
Here is a correction. It was reported that there was one dissenting vote in the Eclipse older female category. The reported count was 231-1. Duke Dosik of the Daily Racing Form now says that he inadvertently ticked the wrong box. Dosik was all along favouring Zenyatta. We now know the vote was 232, no dissent.
There was a Grade I race at Santa Anita on Sunday. It was the $250,000 Santa Monica. Gabby's Golden Gal gave jockey Martin Garcia the first G I win of his career. It was a 1400-metre race. Hailing from Bob Baffert's barn, Gabby's Golden Gal tracked the leaders, went three=wide in the upper stretch, led with 200 metres to go and ran on. The 11-1 chance is a four year-old filly by Medaglia d'Oro. She was a disappointing seventh in the La Brea Stakes on December 26.
Juddmonte's Proviso was the 2-1 favourite and played the bridesmaid role with Rafael Bejarano.
Jockey Martin Garcia made no attempt to contain his happiness. "It is an amazing thing she (Gabby's Golden Gal) did today. She was rank in her last start and needed it. Bob (Baffert) told me that the main thing was to let her relax. She did exactly that. She took off when asked. This is my first G I win and I am dedicating it to Bob who has given me a lot of chances."
Do you remember Big Brown? The Boundary colt won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness and flopped in the Belmont Stakes. Big Brown was retired to stud at the end of 2008. On January 12, a filly sired by Big Brown was born. The mother is Impressive Attire by Seeking The Gold. Impressive Attire is out of Sharp Cat by Storm Cat. Big Brown was the champion sophomore in 2008. His fee for 2010 is $55,000 and he stands at the Three Chimneys Farm in Kentucky.
On Sunday, a million-dollar harness race was held at Vincennes in Paris. There were 18 starters. The winner returned 172-1. The second horse was a 100-1 chance. It is the Prix d'Amerique. The race honours American involvement in the Second World War and pays tribute to America's efforts to rebuild Europe.
I have written a piece for the RWITC website. There is a RWITC link in Indiarace. Please take a minute or two to read the story and if you have a comment, please send a posting to Horsetalk.
