Commentator Turns Back The Clock To Win G1 Whitney

Top trainers suggest they may not run in the Breeders' Cup

A Column by Steve Davidowitz
July 30, 2008

Barely a week after the 10-year-old Evening Attire won the $250,000 Greenwood Cup at Philadelphia Park, 7-year-old Commentator won the Grade 1, $750,000 Whitney Handicap at Saratoga with one of the best performances by a horse of any age at any distance this year.

This was the second time Commentator won the prestigious Whitney, and the second time was just as impressive as the first. In the 2005 Whitney, when he was a robust 4-year-old, he turned back the sustained stretch bid of eventual Horse of the Year Saint Liam to earn a sensational Beyer Speed Figure of 122 - at least five lengths above par for the G1 level.

Trainer Nick Zito can now choose to run Commentator in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint at 6 furlongs, or the $1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, or the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic at 10 furlongs. But that assumes Zito will get over his strong reservations about running any of his top horses on the synthetic racing surface now being reconfigured at Santa Anita. "It doesn't sit right that we are going to be running championship races on a synthetic racing surface that nobody knows anything about," Zito said.

Zito isn't the only high-profile trainer expressing doubts about competing for national championships in this year's Breeders' Cup races at Santa Anita. Last month trainer Steve Asmussen hinted at his intention to skip the Breeders' Cup Classic with 2007 Horse of the Year Curlin due to the uncertainty over Santa Anita's unfinished synthetic track.

Meanwhile, Asmussen's adventurous intent to run Curlin against the world's best turf horses in the Arc de Triomphe in Paris hangs by a thread. It's not even clear if Curlin will get a second chance to improve upon his second-place finish in the $500,000 Man o' War (please see my July 16th column in the archives for an in-depth review of the Man o' War). Right now the two turf options are the Arlington Million on August 9th or the $500,000 Sword Dancer at Saratoga on August 16th. But if the experiment is being abandoned, Curlin's next race will probably be the $500,000 Woodward on the dirt at Saratoga on August 30th.

Bet on Curlin to Win the Woodward Stakes!

Either way - dirt or turf - Asmussen's wariness about Santa Anita's synthetic track is shared by other prominent trainers, including Hall of Famer Bobby Frankel, who has won several major stakes on synthetic tracks in Southern California. Frankel, who trains Ginger Punch, the Eclipse Award winner of the 2007 Breeders' Cup Distaff, says he'll probably send 'Ginger' to Santa Anita to prepare her for the defense of her Breeders' Cup Distaff victory. But Frankel isn't too happy about it. (Please note, the $3 million Breeders' Cup Distaff has been renamed for 2008 - it is now called the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic.)

Ginger Punch, a fully mature 5-year-old mare with 11 wins from 17 career starts, turned in her own exceptional performance last weekend, taking the Grade 1, $250,000 Go For Wand Handicap about 30 minutes before Commentator showed off his world-class speed.

Trapped inside and surrounded by slower horses, Ginger Punch looked to be in serious jeopardy for most of the final half-mile until her enterprising jockey Rafael Bejarano edged his way through a narrow opening between rivals approaching the final furlong. Given some flickering daylight, Ginger Punch accelerated sharply through the narrow opening and quickly asserted her superiority. The moral of her adventure was there for everyone to see: It will take more than a roadblock to stop Ginger Punch.

Lurking in the background is something more than a roadblock, the undefeated 4-year-old filly Zenyatta, who is expected to seek her sixth straight in the $300,000 Clement Hirsch (G2) this Saturday at Del Mar.

Here are some more details about Commentator and Ginger Punch's victories at Saratoga on Saturday, along with brief comments on the winners of five other important stakes.

Saratoga, Saturday, July 26th

Four graded stakes with Breeders' Cup implications:

* The $750,000 Whitney Stakes (G1), 1 1/8 miles for 3-year-olds and up.

Fractional Splits: 24.16. .47.73. .1:11.80. .1:37.02. . .1:50.23 - Steady, above par splits on a deceptively dead track listed as fast.

Winning Beyer Speed Figure: 120 - An exceptional, world-class number, about four to five lengths above par for the G1 level.

Commentator, a confirmed front runner who has run some exceptional races over his well-managed, sometimes interrupted career, set relatively even splits through the first six furlongs. He won as so much the best that it is difficult seeing any horse who finished behind him defeating him in the future without a lot of help.

Student Council, a synthetic track specialist, tried hard but was no threat to the winner while dominating the rest in the final quarter mile. Might be worth keeping this one in mind when he gets back to a synthetic surface in the Fall.

Grasshopper, who showed such promise running second to Street Sense in the 2007 Travers (G1); Notional, who was a highly ranked Derby prospect in 2007 and showed signs of that form winning the G3 Salvator Mile at Monmouth last month; Rising Moon, third in the G1 Suburban at Belmont in June - all showed G3 form finishing third, fourth and fifth. All seem likely to struggle to reach the G1 level and would be better placed in G2 and G3 races.

Solar Flare, narrowly beaten in the G1 Suburban at Belmont, did chase the winner for six furlongs before making a bid on the far turn, yet tired badly in the upper stretch to finish seventh. Still developing, with room for improvement, Solar Flare may deserve another chance in a G1 race without a world-class contender in the field.

* The $250,000 Go For Wand Handicap (G1), 1 1/8 miles for 3-year-olds and up.

Fractional Splits: 24.04. .49.01. .1:14.04. .1:39.84. . .1:53.43 - Relatively even, slower than par splits on this relatively dead racing surface.

Winning Beyer Speed Figure: 92 - Unimpressive and at least five lengths below par for the level, but trumped by the extraordinary late rally between horses that showed the winner's determination and her jockey's exceptional skill under pressure.

Ginger Punch's important late rally was chronicled above and was enhanced by the fact that she carried 124 pounds and gave all her rivals a weight advantage of 7 to 11 pounds.

Indescribable, a G3 winner at Arlington Park in May, was also caught in traffic and had to steady repeatedly before she rallied mildly for third. Obviously deserves another chance against all but the winner. None of the others had any excuse and were unable to contain Ginger Punch's winning rally despite having every tactical advantage.

* The $500,000 Diana Handicap (G1), 1 1/8 miles on wet, somewhat yielding turf, for fillies and mares 3 years old and up.

Fractional Splits: 23.47. .46.98. .1:10.93. .1:34.73. . .1:46.52 - Very fast splits on a wet course. The splits drained the horses involved in the pace, which set the race up perfectly for the winning rally from back in the pack.

Winning Beyer Speed Figure: 105

Forever Together, an improving filly with two good performances in her first two grass races this year, was in no hurry early and fired a strong winning rally leaving the final turn to pass a game Dynaforce in the final yards to win going away.

Dynaforce turned in the best race in the field, however, stalking the fast pace all the way, launching a strong bid to take command in the upper stretch, only to tire understandably from her early efforts and be passed by the winner.

Rutherienne, a multiple graded stakes winner, also benefited from the early pace and passed tired horses for a lackluster third.

Bayou's Lassie set a runaway pace and quit to finish sixth in a poorly paced performance that replicated her two recent defeats under Robbie Albarado. May do much better with a rider change back to Edgar Prado and/or Elvis Trujillo. Wait a While chased the pace with Dynaforce for six furlongs and never fired. Prefers dry footing.

* The $250,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap (G2), 6 furlongs for 3-year-olds and up.

Fractional Splits: 22.06. .44.57. .56.98. . .1:10.23 - A very fast, G1 early pace on a dead track and a slightly slower than par final furlong.

Winning Beyer Speed Figure: 109

Abraaj stalked the flying fractions in mid pack and after not responding to stiff encouragement in the upper stretch finally got the message and stormed by the leaders inside the final furlong to win going away.

First Defence also chased the two front runners while inside and after swinging out for his best bid only gained mildly and couldn't handle the winner's strong late surge.

Sammarco, a front running maiden grad in his fourth career start at Belmont on June 21st, was mostly responsible for the fast early pace and held relatively well for third in a performance that suggests he belongs in graded sprint stakes.

Saratoga, Sunday, July 27th

A graded stakes with contenders for the $1 million Travers Stakes:

* The $500,000 Jim Dandy Stakes (G2), 1 1/8 miles for 3-year-olds.

Fractional Splits: 23.51. .46.94. .1:11.82. .1:38.07. . .1:51.16 - Above par early splits, set by the dueling Mint Lane and Belmont Stakes winner Da' Tara, with a slower than par final three furlongs.

Winning Beyer Speed Figure: 102

Macho Again, third in the Preakness, took advantage of the fast early splits and got the jump on the 3-2 favored deep closer Pyro, who also had a perfect set-up for his patented rally.

Pyro showed little early speed and did move outside for his rally, but he sputtered a bit in mid-stretch and couldn't out-finish Macho Again.

Tiz Now Tiz Then stalked the pace for 7 furlongs, made a move to the lead in the upper stretch and was passed by the top two.

Mint Lane and Da' Tara committed Hari-Kari and faded to last and next to last. Either would be better off when entered in a graded stakes without having to deal with the other. Neither is likely to win the Travers, however.

Please also note: Mambo in Seattle ran slightly faster to win the ungraded $81,000 Henry Walton Stakes for 3-year-old non-stakes winners 30 minutes before the Jim Dandy was run. His performance included traffic problems, a pair of inside and outside moves and a final surge to reclaim the lead nearing the wire after You and I Forever seemed to make a winning bid. Trained by Neil Howard, who nearly upset Street Sense in the 2007 Travers with Grasshopper, Mambo in Seattle will deserve a close look in this year's Travers on August 23rd.

Del Mar, Sunday, July 27th

A sprint with Breeders' Cup implications:

* The $300,000 Bing Crosby (G1), 6 furlongs for 3-year-olds and up.

Fractional Splits: 22.21. .44.62. .56.67. . .1:08.67 - A relatively moderate first quarter-mile followed by G1 fractions to the wire.

Winning Beyer Speed Figure: 107 - A good figure but about two lengths below the Breeders' Cup, G1 level.

Street Boss was patiently ridden in last place, was moved out wide into the clear at the top of the stretch and rolled on by the field to win going away in a solid performance that suggests he will have at least one advantage when he meets the nation's leading sprinter Benny the Bull in the Breeders' Cup Sprint on the controversial synthetic surface at Santa Anita.

In Summation, who entered the stretch behind a wall of horses and finally got through leaving the furlong pole, was slightly outrun by the winner in the late stages to suggest that he was still going to be second best. Nevertheless, he too is a bona fide synthetic track pro who will deserve serious consideration in the big race on October 25th.

Added notes: Please check the Breeders' Cup section elsewhere on the bodoglife.com racing page for a list of stakes pointing to the various Breeders' Cup races. Among them you will find several major stakes for fillies and mares at Saratoga and Del Mar this weekend, plus the $1 million Haskell at Monmouth Park on Sunday with Kentucky Derby-Preakness winner Big Brown. Also, for those interested in very competitive claiming races, check out the annual Claiming Crown at Canterbury Park on Saturday. The event features seven starter allowance races worth $50,000 to $150,000 for hard-hitting claiming horses from all over the country. TVG will televise the event and I will be there for a handicapping seminar at 10:30 a.m.

Steve Davidowitz has written two highly acclaimed books on Thoroughbred racing---Betting Thoroughbreds and The Best and Worst of Thoroughbred Racing. He also is a regular contributor to Daily Racing Form's Simulcast Weekly and DRF Plus and his columns appear in the Bodog Racebook each week.