17. That is the number of wins in the 3yo classics that Eddie Arcaro had in his career. That includes 5 in the Kentucky Derby, run over a 10f course. Maybe that is the reason why he is the namesake for this 12th race on the Vermont contingency of the Equinics, a 10f dirt race for all 4yo+ horses. All 20 residencies are represented in this classic G1, but only one will survive. For more on Eddie Arcaro, check out GR Simster geoff’s bio at http://www.sojourneys.org/equinics2006/race5.html. In this article, we take a look at the 20 competitors, by residency. But first, my journey (or soon-to-be journey).
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The phone rang at 12:30am Monday morning. As a displaced Browns fan stuck in Pittsburgh until 2008, I was depressed over the lack of a good call and the Steelers winning Super Bowl XL. But 6 little words changed my point of view that day; “They’re burning a couch at Morewood!” I walked out at around 10pm and took some pictures, and soon, the rioting enveloped me as well. We took to the streets, flipping cars, burning signs, and high-fiving everyone around us (I may hate the Steelers, but I’m pretty good at pretending).
At around 11:30, we got tired. There was not much else going on (the riot police had just come to break up the fire in which a Subway sign [the food chain, not the transportation] was burned), so we headed home. I got a call at around Midnight, telling me that the riots had picked up again, and more cars had gotten flipped.
Then at 12:30, I got another call. I assumed it was from my friend Dave, telling me to come check out the destruction. But it wasn’t. It was Roys, calling out for people to cover the Equinics. So I had my choice: Italy, or Vermont. Unfortunately, my schedule didn’t allow for a trip to Italy…I had a test scheduled for Friday afternoon.
I was told that the BTB would cover a flight and other expenses, so I immediately said yes and tried to get a flight to Vermont. I found one that left at 3:30pm Friday, and would land at 5:30, for a very cheap price. Too bad my test ended at 3:30. So I had to keep looking. Sure enough, there was one more. American Airlines had a special going. For the low, low price of $2500, I could get to Vermont in about 12 hours. The flight left Pittsburgh at 6 and landed in Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. After a 3 hour layover, I would stop in St. Louis. Then, a 1am red-eye flight would get me to Vermont by 6am on Equinics day. But at this point I was committed. So I said ok.
Then I was told that the BTB would only cover a flight. Not the 3 that I would be taking. So I’m stuck eating the cost of my flight (minus the $150 that the single flight would have cost), and I will be arriving a few hours before race time.
Since I will not get to see the horses warm up until race day, I can only tell you what I expect will happen. In other words, I make no guarantee that any of this is a good idea to follow for betting advice. It may be that one (or more) of the horses has 3 broken legs, and is running anyway.
It’s a good thing I have a good arm. I will also be saddling my entry to the Equinics, Private Miswaki, in the George Moore. Why do I need a good arm? Because it’s in Italy. So if you plan on flying around noon on Saturday, between Vermont and Italy, watch out for flying saddles.
Now on to the actual race stuff:
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History of the Race: While this race may not have been named for Eddie Arcaro all these years, it has been around since the original Equinics, in 2000.
2000 – The Hades Handicap was sponsored by Socalslew in 2000, and fits the same conditions (although, since it was in the summer, the race was for 3yo+, rather than 4yo+). It was the big race, with a purse of 1.25 million. The race was 788.3705. Although having 12/1 odds, the biggest name in the field was Ireland’s entry, Down The Jazz. Winner of the Bluegrass Derby and the Middle Jewel in 2000, he was trying to take on older horses for only the second time. He was coming off a poor 4th place run in the Travellers, but Ireland was hoping he would turn in a better run. The other big name was Colonel Prospector, sent out by New York, who was coming off a win in the Sand Castle Classic, out in Dubai. The show, however, was stolen by 3/1 favorite and hometown star One The Naked, running for Vermont. Running a 122 speed figure, One The Naked blew his opponents away, winning by 2-3/4 lengths. It would be the pinnacle of his career, although his next race was a win in the Jockey Guild Gold Cup. He showed occasional signs of life after that, but was never as good as that one race back in the summer of 2000. The runner up was Pan Jay, running for Delaware. The bronze medal went to Minnesota, who sent out Vanilla Mint. Although there was no official tally in 2000, Vermont did not do too well…This was its only win, and it only had 1 other medal, a 3rd place finish.
2002 – In the first winter running of the Equinics, the theme left the Greek Gods and went to the stars. The horseracing stars, that is. The purse dropped to $500,000, and the name changed to the Black Gold Keles, and would be run with a similar race code to this winter, 1299.3712. It was sponsored by roys. There would be one returnee from the 2000 Equinics, Silver Medalist Pan Jay. However, the Delaware residency shut down, and Pan Jay’s new sponsor was Queensland. He would go off as the third choice, and ended up with the Bronze Medal. Of the 17 residencies, 16 would have entries in this race. 6 of the previous 12 residencies were still around (although DelPenn ran under Delaware in the 2000 Equinics, as far as I can tell), and it would be one of those returnees, Viking Racing, that would stand on the highest pedestal after this race. Your Boundaries, owned by sos, had shown signs of brilliance early in his career. However, the races were sporadic. His first race of the year showed that signs were pointing in the right direction. Although he finished 2nd, he ran a good race. It gave him the chance to come into the Equinics as the 9/2 second choice (behind 4/1 Worldly Plus Moe, the A.S.R. representative, who finished 12th), and he took advantage. Running a 116 SP, he won by 1-3/4, and took home gold for the Vikings. The silver medal went to Minnesota’s Buddy Eagle. Unfortunately for this talented horse, his owner, fairmontst, left the game shortly after the Equinics, and Buddy Eagle only ran 12 times, going 12: 2-5-2. He never quite ran as well as he did that day. Pan Jay ran a great race for the bronze medal, but it took a lot out of him. He would never run as fast again. Viking Racing finished tied for 3rd, with 22 points.
2004 – The theme shifted back from Horse Racing to the real Olympics for these Summer games based on former Olympic cities. The $1 million Mexico City Mettle was contested as race 2216.3703. 17 residencies would compete this time, but no horses would run back in this race from the previous year. 8 residencies would return from the previous Equinics (GSR entered the 2004 event and was formed as a replacement for ASR, which closed between the two Equinics), and this would be the strongest field yet. A very even field of 17 entered, with the slight favorite being 7/1 Gonzalo, who ran a shocking 2nd in the Middle Jewel Stakes in 2003, entering for perennial powerhouse Ireland. He would run a very good race and finished with a 115 SP, but it wasn’t quite enough. He finished with the silver medal, but ended 3-1/4 behind the gold medalist. For the first time since its inception, a longshot would come out on top in this race. That longshot came from the Northwest Racing Circuit, and went by the name of Coastal Mining. He was coming off a poor performance his previous race, and had never won a graded stakes before. But that did not stop him from pulling off the upset at 12/1, winning with a 118 SP to bring home the gold. It would be his last graded win (although he is still active). The bronze medal went to Mana LC, running under the Nexis label (although based on the tag, I would say that he was specifically a resident of the Longchamp track). Northwest Racing Circuit finished 3rd in the 2004 Equinics, with 29 points.
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Vermont – Will homefield advantage reign supreme? It did in 2000, but hasn’t since. This year, they will try their luck with socalman’s Obispo Town. A 5yo son of Kingmambo, this horse has finished in the top 5 in 28 of his 30 career races, including 10 wins. His first race this year was a win in race 2741.6410, where his time was slow, but he won by 4-1/2. Hopefully he saved enough for this race. He has 1 G1 win, in last year’s Jockey Guild Gold Cup. He finished last season off with a 2nd on the DelPenn Champions Day, coming from way back to miss by just 2 lengths. He is a deep closer, and has a high SP of 111.1 over this distance. At 10f, he has a record of 6:3-2-0, and for his career he has earned $1.7 million. Obispo Town starts from PP 4 with 10/1 odds and S. Gravina aboard.
Queensland – It may not be a good omen, but Queensland’s entry in this race is babyfarm’s Here For The Party. Hopefully, this 4yo colt by Hansel is here for more than just that. As a younger entrant, he definitely does not have the experience of some of the older horses in this one. He has yet to race in 2006, and has been off for almost 4 months. In 12 career races, he has only run on the dirt 4 times. However, in those 4 races, he is 4:2-2-0. “Party” has never tried this distance, although he seems to be getting better as the races get longer. His last run, although finishing 2nd, was his best, running a 109 SP in a G1. We’ll have to see if his stalking style will help him here. Here For The Party starts from Post Position 9 with 22/1 odds and T. Bates aboard.
GR Simsters – Those game Cross-overs have made their selection in Stormzapper, a 4yo son of Storm Cat. Owned by rosesinmay and possibly named after my favorite horse, Ghostzapper, he had an incredibly promising 3yo campaign. Unfortunately, it was only 2 races long. An incredibly good run early in 2005 led to high hopes, but sadly, he hasn’t quite lived up to expectations. He has put together a couple of decent 4th place runs in his last 2 races (on DPCD day, as well as this year, in the Orangeton Handicap), but is 0 for 2 at this distance, and will probably need a huge boost in this one to win. Stormzapper has drawn Post 18 with 13/1 odds and N. Lawton aboard.
Minnesota – From the classic story of “Yellow River” by I.P. Daily (or under pseudonym I.P. Freely) comes this 5yo by A.P. Indy, I.P. Native. Owned by ruffian99, this one was very good early in his career. However, since June, this one has been more inconsistent. He is a horse that will certainly contest the lead, but considering he hasn’t won anything higher than an allowance in 6 months, he may be in trouble. For his career, he has earned $255k, and has a record of 3:0-1-1 for this distance. I.P. Native has drawn Post 10 with 22/1 odds and B. Kneen aboard.
Fun and Friends Stable Club – Although it is one of the game’s smaller residencies (at least in popularity), that doesn’t stop this group from participating in the biggest residency event of the year. And for this contest, they send out lieut60’s Wizard of Westwood. This 6yo son of Vision and Verse is an experienced horse, with 9 wins in 31 tries. However, this former claimer has never tried a graded stakes before. His most recent owner has finally found his niche, cranking out his best race 2 back at this distance, in an Allowance. However, his one try at this distance in a stakes was not quite good enough, finishing second. He hasn’t run this year, and will need to take a huge jump in class to compete here. Wizard Of Westwood will come out of Post 7 with 24/1 odds and I. Fain aboard.
GSR – St. Kilda will be the global entry here from the opcon stable, running for 2004’s Equinics Champions. Although historically the ASR/GSR has had a wide selection to choose from, GSR has been cutting back, and as such, had limited choices. It found a good one in the 4yo son of Miswaki. The 4th place runner in last year’s Bluegrass Derby, his races resemble a sinusoidal curve. He is winless in Graded Stakes, but looks to be in the best form of his young career. Tossing out the last race because of the off-track, he has still never run higher than 4th at this distance. But hopefully the age bump will help him out here. St. Kilda will start from Post 14 with 16/1 odds and A. Rolling aboard.
Great Plains – Coming out of the Midwest is chibound’s Search and Conquer. According to owner Fabman, this 5yo son of Machiavellian was injured right before the Breeders’ Bowl, and was unable to race. His return to racing has been subpar, with back to back 97 SPs, in 4th and 9th place finishes. Fabman says that “this race is his best distance, and I think I have him ready.” In 3 races going this long, he is 3:1-2-0 with an average SP of around 107. The two seconds came in G1s Movieland Shiny Cup and the CA Classic. In 31 career races, he only has 1 Graded win, but has placed another 5 of 7 total runs, including 4 2nds. He’s got the experience, but was that injury too much to overcome? Search and Conquer has 10/1 odds and will start from Post 15 with P. Munoz aboard.
CR Racers – The Chat Room regulars have banded together to form this group, and they have submitted rharfo1’s Poker In The Back as their entrant into this race. Bought for around $820k, this 5yo son of Broad Brush has turned his career around under Rharfo’s tutelage. His races at this distance have not been good, although the failed attempt in the Jockey Guild Gold Cup can be passed off as a bounce race. The problem race is the CR Racers Allowance, where he only lost by 2, but ran a much worse race than he is used to. Is it possible that the extra furlong tires him out that much? He has 8 wins in 17 starts, including going a great 7 of 13 last year, including a very close 2nd in the Lewis & Clark Handicap, with a 113SP for 9f. He hasn’t run yet this year, so hopefully the break has helped give him the stamina he needs. Rharfo describes his horse by using the age-old adage “one man’s rubbish is another man’s treasure.” The treasure will become richer with a good run here. Poker In The Back has drawn post 1 with B. Langhorne aboard at 11/1 odds.
DelPenn – One of the oldest, richest residencies sends out Year Of The Vote from Catahoula. The 5yo son of Event Of The Year tried his best on DPCD day, but ran 5th in this race’s counterpart. His previous run was in the BB Classic, where he finished a dull 7th. His record is 28:8-5-7, which includes 4 wins in 13 attempts at this distance. His best race came 4 back, in the Windy City Gold Cup, where he ran a 113 SP to win by ½ length. His first try this year was in an ungraded stakes, where he ran a fast closing third. It was .5f shorter, and hopefully the added distance will help. He’s got what it takes, he will just have to find it again this year. Year Of The Vote has drawn Post 5 with F. Gossett aboard at 11/1 odds.
EAAA Racing – Formed after the division of the continents, this relatively new residency sends their representative to the race in the form of kevoman4’s Independent State(IRE). While the horse is still young, the 4yo son of High Chapparel(IRE) looks to be in a little over his head here. He has only tried Graded stakes once, and had a poor showing in the Queen of the County Stakes to end last year. While his record at this distance is 3:1-2-0, the most glaring thing is that while some horses have yet to run in a race this year, this colt has already run twice. His last race was in week 2748, allowing for a mere one week rest. His last run was a mediocre race in an Allowance, where he lost ground at the end to finish 2nd, 5 lengths behind the winner. The speed figures do not seem to line up with the others, but this one looks like it has a bright future. If this were the Summer Equinics, his chances would be much better. Independent State(IRE) has been given 44/1 odds with V. Jennings aboard in Post 16. He is the longshot in the race.
Ireland – 2004’s Bronze Medal finisher returns for another go with frosty’s Sinanju. Hoping to continue the trend from last Equinics when their 4yo finished 2nd, they are going with another 4yo colt, this time by Rahy. A lightly raced horse, this young stud has only run 13 times, but has 6 wins to show for it. He’s riding a 2-race winning streak coming in here, although both were in ungraded stakes. He ran a huge 3rd in a G2 in the middle of 2005, but his other attempt at Graded success, the GSR Derby in week 2643, did not turn out too well, as he finished 7th. He seems to love longer distances, and his deep closing style is well suited for it. In fact, this race may be too short. He won by a nose in his one race this year, although it was shorter than this week’s race, and if the race were longer, the lead would have been stretched out. Ireland looks like they have a contender here. Ace, the trainer, had a warning for his opponents, saying that “the dirt classic division better be ready. this lightly-raced Fantastic Light clone is going to make some noise this year. the ultimate goal of course being the BB Classic.” Sinanju will come from Post 12 at 15/1 odds and P. Haynes aboard.
Alpine Turf Club – Another quiet residency, bigmomma3’s Cryptych comes to Vermont from the ski slopes. This 5yo son of Cryptoclearance shows that this residency does not have the deep pockets of some of the bigger ones. A former claimer and, until 2 races ago, starter runner, this horse is 6:4-0-2 over the 10f dirt track. However, those 4 wins all come in starter allowances. In preparation for the Equinics, he tried his luck at an unlisted stakes, his first try at the level in over 2 years, and 2nd try ever. He struck out, finishing 8th in a field of 12. He is another deep closer, but his kick did not fire last race. His previous run, where he blew away an Allowance field, showed what he is capable of. However, this is a very high jump in class, and he may be running in quicksand on Saturday. ***Cryptych did not make it to post in the Eddie Arcaro.
Kentucky Horsemen – inhalers owns the representative from the Bluegrass State, Bubble Toes. The winner of an 8f Kentucky Horsemen race earlier in 2005, this 4yo son of Aptitude looks to be in a little trouble in this race. He’s 0 for 5 in graded stakes, with his best run being a 4th in the Felipe Alou Cap, early in 2005. On top of that, there is no evidence that he can run this long. His best races have been around 8f, whereas his races that are closest to this distance have had speed figures in the mid-90s. His best finish in these 3 races was an 8th place finish in last year’s Frederico Stakes. However, he is coming off a great win in an ungraded stakes for his one run this year, and his stalking style could put him somewhat close in this one. Bubble Toes will come from Post 2 with D. Givins aboard and 14/1 odds.
Down Under Racing – The Aussies have done it again. They will send out Sensatious, from the coffee stable. This horse had an amazing streak of 8 straight wins before barely missing in a stakes that was too short for him. After a 3rd place finish, he came back in 2006 to win his first try. His owners brought him through the ranks perfectly, and the horse has rewarded them with 9 wins in 16 races. This 6yo son of Conquistador Cielo is in the prime of his career. He has never tried Graded company, but this looks like the perfect spot. DUR made a good selection, and he should be competitive near the front of the pack. Sensations gets stuck with Post 19 and L.L. Ahrens aboard, with 12/1 odds.
Ohio Thoroughbred Racing – From the state that brought you the Indians, the Cavs, and yes, the Browns too, it now brings bigkev’s 4yo son of Danzig, Canungra Folly. This horse has never won a Graded Stakes, but he is 4 times Graded placed. That includes a 2nd place finish in the Felipe Alou Cap in 2005, where he lost by ½ length, but beat his foe for this week, Bubble Toes. A stalker at heart, he has never run this far, but has shown signs of being able to handle it. He ran a monster race in week 2622, and nearly continued that ability into his next race, a G3. This year, he has run one time, winning a 9f ungraded stakes by 1/4. Ohio hopes that he can continue with that, and add one more win to the 4 in 16 races that he has. Canungra Folly will come from Post 11 at 12/1 odds with V. Gardner aboard.
Northwest Racing Circuit – Last year’s winner of this race (and bronze medalist overall) sends out squirrel4’s Solar Song. This 4yo colt by Deputy Minister has proven to be the best 3yo that the NWRC had last year. He swept the NWRC Triple Crown and went 5 for 5 in NWRC races (the three legs of the triple crown, the Cavalcade Cup, and the NWRC Marathon). His most important race leading up to this one, however, was probably the Buckpasser Stakes. In his best race of the year, he came flying from the back to take home the victory. His one try this year, in the Maxxed Platinum Plate Cap, was a little too short for him, and he ran out of ground at the end, finishing 2nd. He will be one of many flying from the back, but as his 18:8-3-2 (and 13:7-0-2 from last year) show, he is a contender. Solar Song will come from Post 3 with J. White aboard and 9/1 odds.
Viking Racing – 2002’s winner sends out Tete Cathedral(IRE) from the Sabbath stable. A 4yo son of Sinndar(IRE), this horse hasn’t done too well in Graded stakes prior to this one. He had one decent run early in his 3yo season, finishing 4th. That race was followed by 4 straight Allowance wins. His second attempt, however, was a disaster. His 17th place finish could possibly be explained by his previous race, running 16f, which is clearly too long for him, and finishing a very far back 3rd. The G1 that followed was too short (8f), and he may have been tired from the previous race. He only had 2 weeks rest between the races, so that one can be tossed. Overall, this colt has gone 19:7-3-5, including 1 ungraded stakes win in 3 tries. His one try this year was a win in an allowance, and he is 3 for 3 at this distance. Will he make it 4 for 4? He will be coming from the back with everyone else to try. Sabbath says that he “Has been pretty good at around 10 furlongs, but still has to do much more to be like his mother, Sister Rum, [an] Equinics sprint champion.” He also acknowledges the toughness of the race, saying that “An Irish bred horse will win this race, but it’s not my horse. Tete Cathedral will get some extra carrots if he ends in the top half.” Tete Cathedral(IRE) has been given 43/1 odds and unlucky Post 13, with P. Cadigan aboard.
Benelux – Wonderboy Cougar(IRE), owned by karlch, is the entry for these Europeans. The 5yo son of Barathea(IRE) has one heck of a resume coming into this one. Whether or not the oddsmaker make him the favorite, the 2005 Eclipse Award nominee probably should be. 2nd to Older Horse of the Year Call of the Wild II in the BB Classic, he showed what he could do later with a win on DPCD day. Winner of 5 graded stakes and 3 G1s last year, he seems to be in the best form of his career. With 11 wins in 24 tries, he will definitely play a role in this race. He has not run this year, and his owner is certainly hoping that the age doesn’t hurt him, but it shouldn’t. Most importantly, he will be one of the few near the lead. That could help big time in this race. Wonderboy Cougar(IRE) has been installed the 6/1 favorite and picks up W. McClendon and Post 5.
Epsom Downs Residency – One of the newest residencies, Epsom sends out a bargain bred by It’s Fleetwood Mac, The Mac Is Back. From the newscoobi stable, this 5yo by Fabman back in 2003. He eventually gave up and dropped him in a $5000 claimer. A couple of claimers later, he ended up in newscoobi’s barn, where he ended 2004 with 6 straight wins (1 was for a previous owner). He couldn’t quite compete in the Minnesota vs. Great Plains challenge, although the race may have been too long. He has since changed his home location a couple of times. 2 races back, to cap off 2005, he took home a CR Racers restricted Allowance, and now he has jumped ship again, this time for Epsom. He’s got 1 run under his belt this year, where he finished 7th at this distance. Unfortunately, that looks like the rule rather than the exception. He will be welcome here by most entrants, as he will push the pace so the closers can kick into gear, but he looks a step slower than the rest. The Mac Is Back draws Post 8 with 37/1 odds and J. Caves aboard.
Nexis – The final entrant in this 20 horse field is Peyresurde, from the sansebas stable. The 4yo son of Sadler’s Wells won last year’s Frederico Stakes in his last slew of graded stakes, but is hitting the prime of his career now. 4th and 3rd in his last two races (both G3s), he is another one who will be coming from way back to try and catch this. He ended 2005 with 4 of the best races of his career, even though he only won two. Unfortunately, he hasn’t done so well at this distance. His one try, the 2005 Bluegrass Derby, was a poor 19th place finish, although it can be passed off as a bounce race, coming off of a 1 week rest. He seems to like shorter races (8-9f), but his owner hopes that his closing style will work well with this distance. Based off of his one race this year, his owner may be right. Peyresurde will start from Post 6 with D. Fendlay Jr. up and 19/1 odds.