July 4, 2004. The closing weekend of the summer Churchill Downs meet features some exciting, highly contentious racing. Today's 10th race, a 5 furlong sprint on the turf, is a $50k optional claimer for non-winners of 1 on the turf other than... for 3 year olds and older. Well-bred (Williamstown - Channel Three, Tri Jet) and lightly raced 5 year old, Fredericktown, is a front-running type who was given a freshening in a $100k stakes race at Philadelphia, after nearly 8 months on the bench. The winner of last year's $100k Kentucky Cup Turf Dash showed early speed and, after being shipped to Churchill, has posted some eye-popping works. Top national jockey, Rafael Bejarano, gets the mount on one who we consider the speed of the speed and the likeliest to get a fair price to win. Stephen Asmussen's Western Roar won his maiden race in his only career start on the grass, at Fair Grounds in March. The 3 year old gelding, out of Roar, has won over the main track here at Churchill and will be another big gun on the front end. Bred for speed, National Legend makes his turf debut after a number of curious route attempts at Oaklawn Park and Churchill. This doesn't seem to be the right spot. One of our favourite sophomores, Jimmy Cracked Corn, has become a real barnstormer, hitting 7 different tracks since late November and missing the board only once. The Tom Amoss trainee goes against older horses for the first time and tries the turf for the second time. Coming out of a win in a $40k stakes race at Canterbury Park, we might be more inclined to play this on top if the contest is moved to the dirt. Prince Georgi, the only horse in for a tag, appears to be very outmatched by these. Boston Harbor colt, banned in Boston, will be well-bet after 3 decent finishes in Grade 3 stakes races this spring as a 4 year old. This race isn't far below a Grade 3 in terms of class and the John Hennig trainee has shown his best stuff at 7 furlongs and a mile. We prefer him lengthening out. Calvin Borel gets the mount on Rahy's Secret, a 6 year old veteran of 26 turf tries. Moving up in class and without a win in 6 tries at Churchill leaves us feeling cold about this one. Formerly a handicap runner in the Aidan O'Brien barn, Tesio (GB) makes his 2nd North American start after a lackluster loss at the distance on the dirt here a few weeks ago. We'll need to watch one, before determining if this one can regain his old form. Nine year old gelding, Airbourne Command, will have to overcome a lot of speed in front of him today. Outside horse, 7 year old gelding Testify, will receive some support at the windows, based on his second to Abderian in the Turf Monster Hdcp at Philadelphia. Apprentice Brian Hernandez is in the irons and they will need a perfectly timed ride and enough room to sneak through at the wire. We don't like the prospects of this one at the price. SELECTIONS 8-4-10-9 FINISH 4-10-1-9 Our second choice for the win, Western Roar (6-1), didn't blink over the turf to dirt move, gaining the lead quickly under Shane Sellers and setting fractions of 21.70 and 44.48 en route to a gate to wire victory in 56.58, holding off our third choice, Testify (9-1), to win by a head. Plucky sophomore gelding, Jimmy Cracked Corn (4-1) got a ground saving trip from Larry Melancon and finished third. As expected, Banned in Boston (4-5) proved to be the underlay of the day, after failing to fire in the stretch. The exacta paid $102.60, the trifecta delivered $564.60. The superfecta returned $1,583.00. Congratulations! July 3, 2004. A couple of last year's Triple Crown contenders take on some Handicap division veterans in today's 7th at Belmont Park in the Grade 1 Suburban, to be run at a mile and a quarter. Winless on the year, Bowman's Band has drawn the outside post. The Allen Jerkens-trained 6 year old is a graded stakes winner at 9 furlongs and stretches out from a strong closing performance in the tough running of this year's Met Mile a month ago. His even run in the Pimlico Special suggests that the distance isn't out of the question. Jorge Chavez will likely have him forwardly placed from the outside in what shapes up to be a pretty paceless event. The horse to catch will be Peace Rules, with usual jockey Jerry Bailey, up. This Bobby Frankel trainee is dangerous second off the bench. In January a disappointing fourth in the $1million Sunshine Millions Classic was followed up by, arguably the 4 year old's best performance in the New Orleans Handicap. Similarly, he ran a dismal, fading fourth in last month's Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs. Look for a sharp front-running race today. With two wins at the distance and 3 wins early in his career at Belmont, Funny Cide is a threat to improve off a hard-fought second in the Mass Cap, after a stretch duel with Offlee Wild. Jose Santos will be well-placed from inside post to run a ground-saving trip, leaving something in the tank for the stretch drive. Trainer David Carroll ships in from Kentucky with veteran 7 year old gelding, Devil Time, a winner of 5 stakes races for Ohio-breds last season. Well-beaten when moved up into graded stakes company, this one is in tough today. Colonial Colony was opportunistic in the slop at Churchill, winning the Stephen Foster Hdcp. with a time 3 full seconds slower than the 2003 version of the Grade 1 race. Expect a return to the form that saw him winless in over a year going into that one. Two years ago, Sarava shot to national prominence by winning the Belmont Stakes at 70-1 over Medaglia D'Oro. He hasn't really come close to that performance since. If Dynever, a quiet winner of over $1.2 million, gives us anything close to his Breeders' Cup Classic trip, he'll win this one going away. He followed his 3rd in the Classic with a win in the Grade 3 San Bernardino, didn't handle the tight turns at Pimlico, then came up with a determined try at Belmont in the Grade 2 Brooklyn Hdcp. Corey Nakatani ships in from California for the ride. We're not convinced that Newfoundland is really comfortable at the classic distance, compared to some of the others in this field. Definately a horse on the rise, today might not be the day he takes the step up to a Grade 1 win. SELECTIONS 7-3-1-8 FINISH 3-2-1-6 After today's awe-inspiring victory, Peace Rules (3-1) must be counted as one of the top three older horses in training in North America. With earnings of over $1 million on the year and over $3 million in his career, a third Grade 1 victory and a win at the Classic distance, a showdown with Pleasantly Perfect and Southern Image at year's end is a must for race fans. He set the pace along the inside in a comfortable 23.85 seconds then sped along the backstretch, completing the 2nd quarter mile in 22.51 with Newfoundland (8-1) gamely attending the pace from the outside. Jose Santos and Funny Cide were looking for a hole on the inside, finally seizing the moment on the 2nd turn, after 6 furlongs had been completed in a sizzling 1:09.33. It looked as though the former darling of New York was going away, when Peace Rules courageously fought back, with Newfoundland still pressing to his outside, and nosed back into the lead in the deep stretch to win by a neck over Newfoundland, with Funny Cide having to settle for third, 3/4 of a length better than longshot Colonial Colony (21-1). The exacta paid $64.50, the trifecta returned $198.50 and the superfecta paid $2,123.00. July 2, 2004. The 2nd at Churchill Downs is a 6 furlong sprint for fillies and mares, 3 years old and older, with claiming prices of $30k down to $25k. Blue Moon Rising will be heavily bet as she goes after her 4th straight victory, the last two coming at this claiming level. There is an awful lot of quality speed in this field and the Carl Bowman trainee, with Mark Guidry up, will be hard pressed to make another trip to the winners' circle. We'll be betting against her. Two her immediate right in the gate will be Slewgiana, moving up from a near miss against $15k claimers, racing first off the claim by trainer Jerry Orm, currently winless at the meet. Despite the return of jockey Rafael Bejarano, we don't think the filly can win yet at this level. Prissy Linda, a 6 year old veteran of Ohio allowance racing, arrives from River Downs. She's in over her head here. Trainer Dale Romans wheels back I Will Survive nine days after her impressive win at 6 1/2 furlongs with a $20k tag. Racing 3rd off the bench, the 7 time winner looks poised to repeat the form cycle of last spring when she rattled off a number of strong performances on the rise to the N2x allowance level by the fall. We think she'll survive the early speed duel and take the top prize. Some Came Running has been doing her best running at routes and it's a little baffling as to why trainer William Connelly would play the route to sprint angle and potentially stop the momentum she had after a strong 2nd on the grass here at a mile. Life Savior likes the lead and she will have a tough time getting it after starting from the 8 post. New trainer David Vance moves her up in class and goes to the apprentice rider Brian Hernandez. Robby Albarado keeps the mount on veteran 6 year old, Pioneer Inn, who has a habit of hitting the board at Churchill Downs. Trainer Randy Morse gave her a tightener a few weeks ago after an unproductive winter trip to Florida. The race sets up nicely for her to close for a share. Inside horse, Way Fleeter comes here from a win at Indiana Downs against much cheaper company than this. A win from this one would be a shocker. A potential overlay is outside horse, closer White Scarf, who has finished 4th to Blue Moon Rising twice since shipping in from Arizona. We've got to at least use her on the bottom of the superfecta ticket. SELECTIONS 4-6-3-9 FINISH 8-6-9-4 Trainer David Vance, with only one win at this Churchill meet, got a huge performance out of Life Savior (22-1) in her first start for the barn. Apprentice jockey Brian Hernandez took advantage of the lightning quick surface by hustling the longshot to the lead after the opening quarter had been run in 21.75 seconds. The 4 year old was 3 lengths clear by the top of the stretch and got the win handily in 1:10.60. Blue Moon Rising (3-1) saw her 3 race win streak snapped as she got the place prize, a half length ahead of closer White Scarf (7-1). The exacta paid $245.20, the trifecta returned $1,861.80 and the superfecta came in at $8,820.20. July 1, 2004. The 8th at Monmouth Park is for fillies and mares, 3 years old and older, which have never won 3 other than... or carry a claiming price of $45k. The race is to be run at 1 1/16 miles on the turf. The likely pacesetter, Picnic Theme, is a 7-time winner and easily has the most career earnings of the field at $218k. The 6 year old mare spent all of last season in New Jersey, winning a claiming race at Monmouth in August and finishing her season with a win in a $100k optional claiming race at the Meadowlands, after starting the season as a competitor in stakes races for state breds. A lack of turf pedigree and experience combined with a plethora of early speed types in this field have to turn us away from this veteran today. In her debut over this course a month ago, 4 year old Poetic Romance just missed after a hotly contested stretch run. Trainer Norman Pointer had success with the filly in Florida this past winter and jockey Alan Garcia will have a good shot at the win if he is aggressive in keeping the Storm Creek filly forwardly placed. Barring any mishaps, this is our pick to win. At her best, 5 year old Strodes Lane could win at this level. But, wintering at Tampa didn't seem to agree with her and trainer Colin Sherwood, winless at the meet, is stone-cold in 2004 and he calls upon low percentage rider Alexis Beitia as Edwin King Jr. sticks with Picnic Theme. Mr. Greeley filly, Secretively, has been winning allowance races in Pennsylvania over the winter, but, would need a huge step up in performance to compete seriously with these. Well-bred turf specialist, 4 year old filly Prof. McGonagall (Storm Cat - Rootentootenwooten, Dieses*GB) will go off as a deserving favourite based on her 3 turf wins in Kentucky, including defeating Ocean Silk in her last outing by 2 1/4 lengths. Owner/breeder Alex G. Campbell Jr. paid a $500k stud fee and, so far, has made back almost a grand. A new course and a new rider are all the obstacles to victory there are for this girl. Philadelphia trainer, Clifford Sise, ships in Argentine import, Cervoise (Arg), from a catastrophic North American debut in February. The former Graded stakes winner in South America sat out the entire 2003 season and is not particularly well bred for the grass. We'll pass. When Tazotee can set a slow pace, she is successful. That won't happen today. Michael Gill's Lavender Baby returns to the allowance ranks after a couple of humiliating defeats in stakes races. In for a claiming price of $45k, the 5 year old mare has already won at the N3x level in Texas and was a bargain claim from the Bret Calhoun barn for $30k. Gill's number one rider, Stewart Elliot, gets the mount and would be wise to keep her out of the early fray if possible. She's a serious threat to hit the board. Another Argentine bred is 6 year old mare, D'ohana (Arg), trained by Mark Hennig. After being blanked in 2003, she finally won at Gulfstream Park, coming from 12 lengths off the pace at 9 furlongs. An excellent closer who seems to occasionally lack the killer instinct in the stretch, it wouldn't take much of a breakdown up front for her to walk away with the top prize. SELECTIONS 4-3-9-7 FINISH 4-6-3-9 While still an apprentice, jockey Alan Garcia was aboard when our top choice Poetic Romance (3-1) broke her maiden in a turf sprint at the Meadowlands last fall. He used the same strategy today, bringing her wide into the stretch after making up 10 lengths in the 3rd quarter mile, to win by a neck over game longshot Tazotee (66-1) and highly regarded Prof. McGonagall (8-5). Underlay of the day had to be bettors' choice, D'ohana (Arg), who went off at 3-2 despite having just 3 wins in 24 career starts. With Tazotee up for 2nd, the gimmicks paid large. The exacta returned $524.40, the trifecta $1,476.40 and the superfecta, with 3 of our top 4 choices, paid $9,650.20. Congratulations!