It was a cloudy day punctuated by frequent spells of light rain in New Jersey on Wednesday. As I drove to the Sheraton on Wednesday morning, I had to be extra careful on wet roads. The hotel took about 50 minutes. There was a five-minute wait and I boarded the media bus to go to Monmouth Park.
There was an official luncheon and a speech or two about Monmouth Park. The audience was made aware of a number of people who had worked to bring the Breeders’ Cup to Monmouth Park. It was not a big crowd by any means. Those who did not attend did miss some excellent food. The potato salad was out of this world. There was rice pilaf. Three kinds of cheese and well-cooked pasta made the fare sumptuous. There was a boatload of shrimp and beef. The coffee was first class. There was an open bar. I was tempted but it was too early in the day to have a drink.
Monmouth Park was racing. The track was sloppy. The grass was soft. When I looked at the track, I could see how different it was from tracks in Europe. ‘Sweeping turns’ is a phrase that cannot be applied to Monmouth Park. Will Excellent Art be able to do his best in the BC Turf? Will Dylan Thomas be at home? Picking the best horse to win is one thing. Determining if a horse can handle the track is another matter. The 24th running of the BC poses a challenge that will test the skills of the most astute handicappers.
The forecast is for rain on Thursday. The high will be 60 degrees on Friday with rain. Saturday will have on and off showers and the high will be 60 degrees. Sunday, according to the weather office, will be a perfect day. There is no question that the grass will be more on the soft side than on the firm side. The dirt track will not be fast. ‘Good’ is what it will be called but I think, ‘sloppy’ would be the operative word.
Street Sense, according to trainer Carl Nafzger, is coming up perfect. Nafzger did not try to hide his delight. “He (Street Sense) worked great. He came back on Tuesday morning blowing just right. He needed to test the track.”
Calvin Borel, who will ride the Derby winner in Saturday’s Classic, was brimming with confidence. “He’s awesome. He handled the track as well as he did at Churchill Downs. He is doing good and they better come ready.”
Passage Of Time worked and so did Jeremy. The former, a failed favourite in the Epsom Oaks, is on a comeback trail. Rain and the prospect of more to come pleased the connections of Passage Of Time. Henry Cecil, on his way to the US, expressed relief at the track coming up soft.
Jeremy, to be handled by Frankie Dettori, gave every indication he’s ready for the big test. The Jersey Stakes winner in 2006 comes off a disappointing race in the Prix Foret at Longchamp over the Arc weekend.
European representation has been declining in recent years. Andre Fabre, France’s top trainer, has had 39 runners in the BC races but only nine since 2000. “It is fun to go to Dubai because expenses are taken care of. However, despite the high expenses, BC is still the highlight of the racing year,” he said.
War Pass and Nashoba’s Key put unbeaten records on the line. With Street Sense breaking the Juvenile jinx by winning the Derby, there is renewed and heightened enthusiasm about the Juvenile. Discreet Cat is firmly fancied despite red flags about his fitness. His comeback race in the Vosburgh can be interpreted in more than one way. Garrett Gomez showed optimism but his tone showed restraint and considerable caution.
The $23 million purse money offered for the 11 BC races is a record in American racing. Monmouth Park has undergone a $30 million renovation. The track has been brought up to 21st century standards. Horace (Smitty Smith) is the Vice President of operations and he points out, “The BC gave us a wonderful opportunity to restore Monmouth to its original glory.” A brand new turf course has been constructed. The main track has been refurbished.
Post time for the 10-race card on Friday is 12.30 PM. Post times for the three BC races are 4.20 PM, 4.55 PM and 5.35 PM.
On Saturday, there are 11 races. Post time is 11 AM. The first BC race is at 12.30 PM. The last BC race will be run at 5.35 PM. General admission tickets must be prepaid and are $50.
On Wednesday in England, Seb Sanders rode two winners in Lingfield’s afternoon card. He went to Kempton and drew a blank in the twilight card. He got a ban for one day at Kempton. He is at 161. Jamie Spencer went through the Bath program without a winner. He is at 157. He did not ride at Kempton.
The final Group I race in England is the Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster on October 27. Peter Chapple-Hyam won it last year with Authorized. Declaration Of War, second to Rio De La Plata in the Lagardere at Longchamp, will represent Hyam this year.
On Thursday, there is a trainer-jockey press conference in the morning at Monmouth Park. I am looking forward to it.
