A $5M Match Race?

Richard Fields loves racing.

He bought Suffolk Downs last year, and hopes to revive it into what it once was. Each time I read a Suffolk headline, it is about some promotion, or him sinking cash into his track, or him trumpeting the fact that they are open for business and come along.

Two years ago he revived the Mass Handicap. It had been going on for 60 years before being discontinued. Now he wants to take it to greater heights. He announced that his own company would put up the cash for a purse increase of the Handicap to $5M, if Curlin and Big Brown stay undefeated the rest of the way, and show up.

“Big Brown and Curlin are regarded as the two best thoroughbreds in the world and racing fans would like nothing more than to see them go head to head,” said Fields. “If they are to square off, we feel that a $5 million purse is a great incentive and what better place than at Suffolk Downs in the city of Boston, the sports capital of the world.”

We know Jess Jackson is a sportsman. We spoke about him here in a previous post.

Are the Big Brown owners sportsman? We'll see.

We need more people like Richard Fields in this business.

Harness Edge Has Some Class

I am always impressed by the folks at the Harness Edge. Yesterday a letter to the Edge reported on some trouble a woman had regarding getting a reservation for her and her friends on North America Cup night. It turns out that she was in fact on the list, Woodbine let the Edge know, and an immediate apology by The Edge was on their website.

It's a small thing, yes. But in the media age it seems that when someone reports something, there is an editorial slant on it, and if it turns out to be a mistake we never hear or see anyone taking responsibility for it. Harold and the crew obviously do not prescribe to that, and it shows in this small example.

I have stated often here, that I have opinions, but it does not mean they are right. If anyone who reads the blog has any issue with those opinions, please comment, or email me and set me straight. I want to have accurate opinions, because inaccurate ones are useless.

The Edge is doing some great things, including some excellent podcasts. Today they have young driver Ty Buter featured on that podcast, so check that out if you are interested.

NA Cup Morning Lines and Beyer on Brown

The North America Cup morning lines are out.

In the first elim Badlands Nitro is listed at 8-5. In any other year (last year) Santanna Blue Chip would have been the talk of the division. He gets some respect at 2-1. Share the Delight, my pick for a good showing Cup week is third choice. Keystone Horatio just keeps winning, but is listed at 6-1. Can't take them all in this tough division I guess.

In the second elim, 2-5 is the odds on Beach. He'll probably be 1-5 with a huge minus show pool, but that is a good line. Art Official, our choice to ome second to him in our fair odds line is 5-1. Again, a good line, I believe.

In the third division Dali is listed at 8-5. That is too low for me. I would have made him 5-2. The other toughies all get listed at decent fair odds, including Sand Shooter and Rudy Rednose. I think Sand Shooter will be three lengths better this week, so I agree with that line. Rudy has some go.

The program for the good card of racing should be out today.

Beyer Has Cajones

It has been often stated that the racing press is filled with fluff, trying to support a sport that needs it, and being good "company men". Andrew Beyer did not get the memo apparently. In a DRF article on Big Brown he lets those thoughts be known.

.....the only admirable figure in the Belmont winner's circle will be Big Brown.

Snippets, on owner Mike Iavarone:

Iavarone's sudden prominence in racing underscores the weakness of the sport's regulatory system and should be a caution for any innocent who considers investing in horses. Iavarone couldn't sell a share of a 10-cent gold-mining stock without being licensed by the securities industry and making his professional history a matter of public record. But he was soliciting investments for a $100 million horse-racing "hedge fund" without disclosing his background - a fact that has sparked disbelief and derision from commentators outside the sport. John Helyar, co-author of "Barbarians at the Gate," wrote for Bloomberg.com: " 'Big Brown' has taken on a whole new meaning. It describes the . . . dung piles littering Iavarone's past."

On trainer, Richard Dutrow:

Yet even if Dutrow didn't have a single blemish on his official record, rival trainers, track officials, and bettors would still view him with suspicion. After Dutrow acquires new horses, he seemingly has the power to transform them magically. When he took over the training of Saint Liam in 2003, the colt had won only two minor races in seven starts. Under Dutrow's care he was a new horse, winning four Grade 1 stakes and the Horse of the Year title. When a trainer does this once, it's a remarkable feat. But when he improves horses dramatically on a regular basis, he will be suspected of taking some unfair edge. Dutrow does it on a regular basis. Over the past five years, the horses he has claimed have won an astonishing 35 percent of the time in the first start for his barn.

In many other countries, trainers with Dutrow's record and reputation would be booted out of the sport. In the U.S., where penalties for medication violations are usually laughable, an unsavory reputation is scarcely a handicap, because owners gravitate to high-percentage trainers. When the IEAH Stable's previous trainer was socked with criminal charges for cheating with one of the stable's horses, IEAH sought out Dutrow. And thus did he eventually get the opportunity to train Big Brown.

Love em or hate him, Beyer is certainly not there to cheerlead. He speaks his mind. For that we are lucky to be able to read him.

$60,000 win on a 2-1 shot? And a Bit More.

Well, time for a quick runner post.

In the old days we used to go bet a horse, go to the wicket and cash, or crumple it up and throw it on the floor. That's the way it was (well I guess there were bookies too, but I never met one back then). Now it is a different story. One can buy and sell horse futures on an exchange, we can bet prop bets at casino's on many things, and of course, we have the future pool bet. And sometimes they can pay big.

Back a few years ago I put $20 on Funny Cide back in January, at I think 90-1. That was a decent score, and I was a happy camper. Well, how about this. $60,000 profit on a Kentucky Derby Future bet on Big Brown.

"My friend Rob Hutcherson from Louisville, Kentucky joined me out at the Venetian. We are both very big horse racing enthusiasts and happened to bet Big Brown at his Gulfstream Allowance race on March 5th. What struck us about Big Brown is that we have never seen a three-year-old go such a quick first quarter then draw off by 10 lengths under a hand ride. The ironic part is that the race was scheduled on the turf and was switched to the main track after the rain. Big Brown was never being pointed for the Kentucky Derby and had zero graded stakes earnings which are necessary to even make the starting gate the first Saturday of May. After witnessing the most impressive race ever won by a three-year-old that day, before the results were official, we noticed he was eligible for the Kentucky Derby and ran to the window and made our $300 wager at an unheard of 200 to 1.

Nice work boys, nice work.

There is a scan of the ticket in the story.

Second, there are some folks out there, despite their love for the horse, who do not want to see the Big Brown horse win the TC this weekend. One posted something on Paceadvantage.com, showing one reason why. In this hefty stakes race the very good Commentator was ran at hard by two Dutrow rabbits in a suicidal second split, allowing St Liam a walk in the park.

Here is the race on Youtube that the poster did not like (actually this was a heavily debated race in the t-breds at the time, some calling it a dark day for racing and sportsmanship). Any comments? What do you think? Part of the game, or a torch job? If someone uses a race like this to not cheer for a guy like Dutrow do you find that justified?

I don't know what to think. Way back when, we looked at Big Brown in a post, and I do like the horse. I am not overly thrilled with the horse and I do not think he's Secretariat, but I like him. Do I think he is the horse I am looking for to finally break the Crown drought? I don't know, but one thing I know, if he wins, he deserves it. He's a horse; and he can not pick and choose who he raced against, or who his owner is, or who is trainer is. He's just a horse.