RACING TO THE BREEDERS' CUP

JohnPiesen.com ^ | 10/24/203 | John Piesen

[ex-Texan]

RACING TO THE BREEDERS' CUP
By JOHN PIESEN
Former correspondent for New York Post and Daily Racing Form

Now I’m nervous. After filing my Breeders’ Cup pix I bought my usual half-dozen dailies at my friendly neighborhood 7-11, turned on some good old-fashioned Yankee-bashing on the radio, and opened my New York Times to the sports pages.

I turned right to reporter Joe Drape’s selections, and, much to my chagrin, noticed that not once in eight races that Drape, whom I respect very much, agreed with me. How can this be? How can the high and mighty New York Times not agree with me on one single, solitary Breeders’ Cup race? Not even on the Distaff, in which the whole world says Frankel is a lock.

It was a sobering experience. After reading Drape’s piece, I had to figure either Drape or Piesen is going to have one very bad Breeders’ Cup. And it better be Drape. Hey, if Jason Blair can bring down the New York Times, why can’t John Piesen?

Then I turned to the New York Post, the same New York Post for which I toiled so long and hard in my formative years. For much of that time, I double-teamed the racing beat with the estimable Ray Kerrison, a great guy (although I’m not crazy about his politics), and a fabulous turfwriter.

But I must admit that I was never especially fond of Ray’s big-race selections. With that in mind, I turned right to Ray’s Classic selection, praying all the way that he would not (NOT) pick my horse.

Whew! Ray picks Evening Attire. Now if there were one horse in the Classic I would throw out, it would be Evening Attire. Remind me to ask Ray when he gets back how in the world he could come up with Evening Attire.

Ray may not be the greatest public handicapper in the game, but he is the luckiest gambler. I guarantee that he will have a ticket on every $20-plus winner at the Breeders’ Cup.

After breathing several sighs of relief that Ray did not pick my Classic horse, I flipped breathlessly to the New York Daily News for its insightful racing coverage…and my eye caught the following headline on reporter Sherry Ross’ Breeders’ Cup sidebar: “New York Nags Feeling the Heat.”

Don’t blame Sherry for this miserable excuse for a headline. Sherry, like all reporters, doesn’t write the headlines. Headlines are written by copyreaders back at the home office, and approved by the copy chief, and, often, his superiors.

Hey, in the same paper, Mike Lupica wrote that the Yankees iced Game 3 of the World Series by scoring four runs in the BOTTOM of the ninth at Florida. I guess that made as much sense to the Daily News editors as “New York Nags…”

Then there was the quote in USA Today from Richard Mandella, the trainer of Juvenile Fillies favorite Halfbridled. After the filly landed post 14, Mandella was quoted thusly: “that post would be the one I would have picked.”

Somehow, I don’t think so. I think maybe Mandella actually said: “that post would NOT be the one I would have picked.”

But enough nitpicking.

Well, maybe not.

On WFAN, the top-rated radio sportstalk station in New York City, resident expert and horse-owner Mike Francessa has been doing promotional spots all week for the Classic, a race which WFAN will broadcast live.

On one spot, Francessa correctly pointed out that the biggest upset in Breeders’ Cup history was perpetrated by Arcangues ($269.20) in the 1993 Classic.

Here’s the rub: the horse’s name is pronounced are-CONG. Francessa pronounced it ar-CAN-JUICE!

Meantime, Richard Migliore, the best jock never to win a Breeders’ Cup race, won’t win one again this year. The Mig will ride the five-race card at Belmont Park, and he is sitting on five live mounts. Keep that in mind when you head to the windows.

And, speaking of the windows, there is a first-timer running Sunday at Philadelphia Park. His name is Frisky Spider. I’m not promising a price. The 2-year-old son of Frisk Me Now, a $10,000 purchase, will make his second start on opening day at Gulfstream Park, and then go to the Fountain of Youth and Florida Derby, or maybe the Arkansas Derby.

As I noted above, my Breeders’ Cup selections can be found merely by calling 1-888-612-2283, but I will be happy to offer my selections in the Head2Head.

I must point out that Head2Head match-ups will be offered on all eight Breeders’ Cup races. The bet is pari-mutuel and there will be a 15 per cent takeout. The winning Head2Head horse is the one who finishes before his or her opponent.

DISTAFF: Elloluv over Take Charge Lady. It’s a case of two mares going in opposite directions.

JUVENILE FILLIES: Victory U.S.A. over Tarlow. Makes up for her dad Victory Gallop getting beat at 7-1 in the 1998 Breeders’ Cup Classic.

MILE: Special Ring over Peace Rules. From Handicapping 101, always take the closer over the speed horse in the Breeders’ Cup Mile.

SPRINT: Valid Video over Captain Squire. Jockey Bravo was near-tears when he learned a broken back would force him to miss Valid Video. Lucky for the horse Prado was available.

FILLY & MARE: Islington over Tates Creek. This is a tough call. Islington is the better mare, but some may not like it hot.

JUVENILE: Tiger Hunt over Chapel Royal. A natural: the Breeders’ Futurity runnerup vs. the Champagne runnerup. The fillies ran faster in the Frizette than the boys did an hour later in the Champagne.

TURF: Sulamani over Storming Home. Hey, the winner of this matchup may winthe race. Impressed by Sulamani’s last, but can’t knock Storming Home. Gary Stevenssays he’s the best he’s ever ridden…and that includes Victory Gallop.

CLASSIC: Volponi over Funny Cide. Volponi has been pointed for this race for a year, or since he won it last year. Funny Cide has been pointing for this race for a week.

[ex-Texan]

OK . . . I agree with him. Except that I am picking Funny Cyde because the horse has great Hall of Fame woman Jockie Julie Krone on board.