Amateurcapper

FOCUS ON THE HEROS...

Everything that was right about horse racing was featured this weekend at Hollywood Park.

There was a fantastic day of racing celebrating what will be the penultimate Hollywood Gold Cup at Hollywood Park. While I would win a Pick 3 wager, my inner fan was both disappointed and happy that a magnificent filly would suffer her first defeat. The Sunday card at Hollywood Park provided another graded stakes winner's circle photo for a classy California conditioner.

JOHN SADLER won three of the four stakes races on Saturday and deserves every success he enjoys. He is known primarily to racetrackers in California but I'm sure he'll increase his national and international renown with selected runners in the future. I would not be surprised to see SADLER tighten the girth on any one or all of these horses come Breeders' Cup weekend.

Early on he was known as a trainer of brilliantly fast sprinters. SADLER's diversity was on display with a juvenile stakes win in the Landaluce, scoring with one race maiden EMMY DARLING ($8.40) who avenged her debut loss to GLITTER CITY (2^nd). The very next race was the American H. (G.2) and Sadler pulled an improbable upset with the longest shot in the field, WHATSTHESCRIPT ($60.20). This 4y.o. colt was a horse new to his barn that he was preparing for the Eddie Read H. and was merely hoping for a good late finish. They benefited from a spirited pace battle and overwhelmed the field with a well-timed ride from journeyman jockey ISAIS ENRIQUEZ. SADLER won the A Gleam H. (G.2) with reformed $32k claim DEAREST TRICKSKI ($15.80), who's proving to be a synthetic track wonder with wins in the G.1 La Brea S. and the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Sprint also on her resume.

Talk about spreading his wealth...SADLER won the Landaluce with DAVID FLORES for owners IKE and DAWN THRASH, the American H. with ENRIQUEZ for TOMMY TOWN THOROUGHBREDS, LLC, and the A Gleam with Hall of Fame jockey MIKE SMITH for owner TOM MANKIEWICZ.

SADLER would finish a dream weekend with a win in Sunday's Beverly Hills H. with BLACK MAMBA for DOUBLE DOWN STABLES, INC. after SADLER hired the hottest jockey over the last two years, GARRETT GOMEZ to record the first northern hemisphere stakes win for the New Zealand bred mare.  BARBECUE EDDIE dispatched N2x allowance foes with the ease you'd expect from a horse who was dropping from six consecutive stakes races, four graded stakes and two G.1's, since he defeated N1x runners last August at Del Mar. Without Benny the Bull, Idiot Proof, In Summation or Greg's Gold to deal with, the BRIAN KORINER trainee seized the lead early and was never threatened. He served notice that he'll be double tough in the Breeders' Cup Sprint if KORINER can keep the son of Stormy Atlantic healthy.

MAST TRACK, in a front-running flashback to Skimming's back-to-back Pacific Classic wins, gave BOBBY FRANKEL a sweet Hollywood Gold Cup win. He bred, owns, and trains the son of a Juddmonte stallion he trained, Mizzen Mast. While the 4y.o. horse enjoyed a low impost (113 lb.), cozy rail draw, and an easy "lone-F" trip he still had to discourage multiple G.1 winner STUDENT COUNCIL leaving the turn and stay the trip against distance-loving runner-up GO BETWEEN. The son of Point Given ran a winning race, finishing two lengths clear of STUDENT COUNCIL.

Then there was MAGNIFICIENCE.

The massive 4y.o. Stormy Atlantic filly graced my eyes for the first time in person. The television truly does not do her justice. Her head was clearly above the other distaffers in the saddling enclosure.

Predictably, she suffered the first defeat of her career at the hooves of DEAREST TRICKSKI in the A Gleam H. She faced a field of 10 other fillies, double the amount she'd defeated in three prior efforts. There were seven graded stakes winners and another two more were graded stakes placed. Even my 6y.o., becoming well-versed in Kidney sweat thanks to Rave's input in his entries, noted she was getting a little warm behind as they left the paddock.

In a virtual repeat of her career debut, MAGNIFICIENCE missed the break. Just before the gates opened, she was looking around and for all intents and purposes the race was over. FLORES allowed her to settle into a comfortable stride the first ¼ mile while DEAREST TRICKSKI jetted to a clear lead from her far outside post and set a slow :22.83 pace for the 7f race. The tandem were staring at a five wide trip from there. Track announcer Vic Stauffer noted, "she'd have to be a half hour the best to stay undefeated," midway on the turn. The DRF chartcaller had her only three lengths back at the ¼ and ½, then just 3 ½ lengths back at the stretch call and I believe doubling those facts would be closer to accurate. In the end, MAGNIFICIENCE was defeated by the better filly on this day. Considering how well she was running the final 1/8 mile, I have no doubt that she would have defeated 'TRICKSKI with a clean break.

Talk about intelligence...like writers noted about BIG BROWN when he lost the Belmont S., MAGNIFICIENCE threw her head a few times toward the winner's circle before being led to the receiving barn. She now understands that post-race praise is reserved for winning.

The silver lining to her defeat is that MAGNIFICIENCE and her giant strides should be set up amazingly for her first try around two turns. That could come as early as the Clement L. Hirsch H. (G.2) on August 2 at Del Mar. I would not be surprised to see trainer BRUCE HEADLEY wait until the Lady's Secret S. (G.1) in early October because of the quirky nature of the Polytrack in the afternoon at Del Mar.

At Hollywood Park this weekend the stars were out and most did not disappoint. Remember them all come Breeders' Cup weekend!

Trainer Roger Attfield captured his record-tying eighth Queen's Plate, his first since 1995, when NOT BOURBON held off gallant filly GINGER BREW on Sunday over the Woodbine polytrack. This grandson of Sadler's Wells can add to the historic NORTHERN DANCER sire line legacy if he can win the Prince of Wales Stakes on July 13 at Fort Erie, his first-ever race on traditional dirt, and then the demanding 1 ½ mile Breeders' Stakes on the E.P. Taylor turf course.

This colt has every right to become only the eighth Canadian Triple Crown winner. Like the last winner, WANDO, NOT BOURBON is a great grandson of NORTHERN DANCER. In fact, all five Triple Crown winners since 1989 have NORTHERN DANCER in their pedigrees.

NOT BOURBON has won at distances from 7f to 10f this year. While the dirt in leg #2 is a question, many offspring of the Northern Dancer sire line have fared well on it. Particulary accomplished on dirt has been the STORM CAT line, the U.S. equivalent of SADLER'S WELLS. Classic winner TABASCO CAT (Preakness S., and Belmont S.) along with CAT THIEF (BC Classic) had national success on dirt like their sire did in a narrow defeat in the 1985 BC Juvenile and a G.1 win in the Young America.

NOT BOURBON's top worry could be the distance of the 3^rd leg, being out of BOURBON BELLE who was a multiple graded stakes winning sprinter from speed-dominant lineage. His sire line has ample stamina and perhaps the turf will allow NOT BOURBON to achieve a rare feat by early August.

He is by NOT IMPOSSIBLE, a full brother to PERFECT SOUL (G.1 winning miler, $1.5 million) and both are sons of the great SADLER'S WELLS who will go down historically as the best son of NORTHERN DANCER on the track and in the breeding shed. A champion miler in France as a 3y.o., SADLER'S WELLS became the top U.K. stallion for 12 years, 11 years running from 1992 to 2002. He also was leading sire multiple times in Ireland which contributed to his 295 stakes winners.

SADLER'S WELLS is represented as damsire to three-time G.1 winner in 2008, HENRYTHENAVIGATOR, recent winner of the St. James Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot last week. He is also damsire to ill-fated HORATIO NELSON (Fr-G.1 Grand Criterium), Godolphin's IBN KHALDUN (Eng.-G.1 Racing Post Trophy) and multiple G.1 winning filly PEEPING FAWN.

HENRYTHENAVIGATOR has yet to race beyond 8f and there is much to accomplish in middle distance events. He is by KINGMAMBO, son of back-to-back BC Mile winner MIESQUE, who can get G.1 winners up to 12f. However his offspring are generally better suited from 7f to 9f. Surely, HENRYTHENAVIGATOR would be a deserving BC Mile favorite if his form can be maintained or reproduced later this season.

The thoroughbred horse racing industry is facing a one month full court press set by the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection after their first of what appears will be several meetings designed to force uniform regulation in the sport.

Instead of perseverating over Rick Dutrow, Jr.'s no-show (Did you think he'd really attend? Don't think that he's off the radar...his late scratch was not even via personal call but heard by House Representatives through the media. He'll be witness #1 next month, with a federal escort, count on it!!!), there should be around-the-clock meetings of industry leaders to form their own advisory committee, elect a commissioner of horse racing, and begin to set standards that will be uniform throughout the country.

To be fair, this board should include representatives for every subgroup that is affected by rules governing horse racing. I propose one person to be the voice of horseplayers, breeders, horse owners, trainers, jockeys, race track owners, off-track betting facilities (Las Vegas casinos), and internet wagering providers (did I omit any other group?) present at the next congressional hearing. My feeling is that those representatives, the FOUNDING FATHERS of this new age of thoroughbred horse racing if you will, should be in their posts long enough to lay the foundation for this new association. Their work should be transparent to the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection showing the government expected progress for the items they consider of immediate concern.

Among their first duties will be to standardize medication policies for equines (Lasix, anabolic steroids, and phenylbutazone) and people (alcohol and drug testing). Jockey weights should have a consistent minimum nationwide that is healthy and realistic when compared to worldwide standards. There should be a policy set for what material constitutes a main track in American racing. Alan Marzelli, president of the Jockey Club mentioned his lobby for a ban on toe grabs...the committee should also address standard horse shoes for dirt and turf in their version of the constitution. There should be defined cut-off times for wagering pools. These are but a few of the many issues that have been concerns to the welfare of our game.

Horse racing is on the brink of becoming government-run...THAT IS NOT WHAT'S BEST FOR THE GAME! I CHALLENGE HORSE RACING'S TOP REPRESENTATIVES TO STEP UP AND TAKE CONTROL. ELECT A COMMISSIONER OF HORSE RACING! THE FUTURE OF HORSE RACING IS DEPENDING ON YOU. TIME IS RUNNING OUT...

Instead of talking about the trip that Kent Desormeaux (I admit it was very poor) gave BIG BROWN in the Belmont Stakes, the real explanation for the poor effort is the affect that WINSTROL absence had on the Kentucky Derby and Preakness S. winner. Can RICK DUTROW's arrogance, that BIG BROWN didn't need the anabolic steroid to win the Belmont Stakes, have cost the IEAH team a chance at history? Michael Iavarone's quote to Joe Drape of the New York Times printed two days prior to the race confirms it:

Dr. Gary Gaffney of the University of Iowa, College of Medicine has many interesting points in his Steroid Nation blog (http://grg51.typepad.com/steroid_nation/).

1. BIG BROWN may have suffered from steroid withdrawal characterized by low testosterone levels. Among the health benefits of testosterone, natural or synthetic, are increased production of red blood cells and increased energy. BIG BROWN, without the extra oxygen-carrying red blood cells he had for the Derby and Preakness, lacked the stamina and energy and uncharacteristically crashed and burned turning for home in the Belmont. This explains what Desormeaux felt under him and is likely the reason he pulled BB up.

2. The Journal of the American Veterinary Association published a 1993 study that cited long-term (monthly for eight years) stanozolol injections to a nine-year-old quarter horse gelding, abruptly stopped, produced "anorexia, lethargy, weight loss, and bilateral forelimb lameness."  The second listed withdrawal side effect could definitely affect BB's performance.  Also: "Secondary hypoadrenocorticism was diagnosed on the basis of clinical signs, lack of high endogenous plasma ACTH concentration, and lack of cortisol response to administration of ACTH." JP may be on to something when he asks why BIG BROWN hasn't been sent to New Bolton Center for a complete check-up. If he were, they would likely find the reason...heaven forbid Dutrow actually would want to know fully what Winstrol (or lack of) really did to the best horse he‘s ever trained!

3. Dr. Gaffney reports there is a Panama City veterinarian and horse owner, Dr. Richard Alker, coming forward with his hypothesis about BIG BROWN's "big frown": "They took him off of steroids and that caused the problem," Alker said. "If you get a horse used to those for their recovery, the benefits that provides for muscles and the things that steroids do for them, and you take it off of it there is a letdown. And even though the horse wasn't on an abusive dose of steroids, it could have still caused an effect that was certainly detrimental to them. If it had been on a year, then off for six, seven months, his body would have been used to not having them," Alker said. "But because he quit them in that time frame there's this kind of letdown then, I think, that's certainly possible it was a mistake."

4. WAIT! DUTROW DOES KNOW WHAT WINSTROL DOES TO BIG BROWN. Gaffney reports that in a separate New York Times article, Dutrow said he will put BB back on the steroid while preparing for the Haskell Invitational or the Travers Stakes.

Folks, we can expect the pre-Belmont BIG BROWN to complete his career as long as the steroids are on board. That means he'll likely run in small fields (anyone interested in winning and "clean" would be silly to run against him), and is a good bet to demolish all comers with the performance enhancers.

I'd be interested to know, what does Three Chimney's president Case Clay have to say about that? Is it possible that BIG BROWN will be yet another major winner not able to perform in the breeding shed because of the steroid? How will broodmare owners support BIG BROWN when he's retired?

Stay tuned...I think BIG BROWN could be in for a long racing career (as long as steroids are legal) if the stud deal falls through. He looks even more risky as a stallion prospect right now.

The lead on drf.com reads: "Dutrow questions Desormeaux's ride."

All I'm reading is his blather about how he or his stable cannot be held to blame: "I know he went into this race unbelievable, so the rest Kent's got to answer."

While I agree that Kent Desormeaux once again failed to deliver when the biggest prize was on the table, his poor ride could have kept BIG BROWN from the win but he should have at least hit the board off his prior form.

I'm perplexed as to why everyone is so afraid to ask Dutrow if there was anything he would have done to prepare BIG BROWN differently for this test of Champions? After all, David Hofmans was able to get TOUCH GOLD, he of the well-publicized quarter crack, to win the Belmont to thwart SILVER CHARM's Triple Crown bid back in 1997.

I'd start with, "Is it true, as other news outlets have reported, that BIG BROWN has not received his usual Winstrol injection since mid-April?"

Then, "If he didn't, why did you feel compelled to skip the dose in May?"

Followed by, "Did you have pressure from anyone to race BIG BROWN steroid-free in the Belmont Stakes? If not, did you believe that he was such a dominant horse that you were going to prove he could win the Belmont without the medication that helped him to three straight grade 1 wins and put him on the precipice of becoming the 12^th Triple Crown winner?"

Fellow horseplayers, have you noticed the embarrasing lack of power major league baseball is experiencing since the Mitchell report outed ROGER CLEMONS among other past and present players? This situation is eerily similar without the government report.

The betting public deserves to know when (or if) he races again, will we get the STEROID FILLED BIG BROWN, A SUPERMAN OF RACEHORSES or STEROID-FREE BIG BROWN, A CLARK KENT OF EQUINES.

Mr. Dutrrow must give the wagering public answers. I'll invite anyone who wagers on BIG BROWN in the Travers to save their tickets if he doesn't show the brilliance of his first five races and races without steroids again. A class-action lawsuit should then be brought against IEAH and Richard Dutrow, Jr. for failing to give the bettors the same BIG BROWN that won his first five career starts by a combined 39 lengths. There's got to be a lawyer that will take that case.

You will love another racehorse like BIG BROWN again...

Take solace in knowing that none of the 3y.o.'s that finished in front of BIG BROWN today could have even sniffed a chance at winning the Triple Crown. BIG BROWN was the only horse in this foal crop with enough brilliance to bring you, and the sport of horse racing, to this point and blinded you to reason. Big, well-muscled, magnificently balanced, intelligent racehorses can do that. Undefeated horses who win by open lengths beg for comparison to Triple Crown winners of the past. When you fall in love in varying capacities in your lives, there is no rationalizing how you come to that point...the same goes with horse racing; you just do.

There is a 2y.o. going through his education as we speak that may capture your imagination the next Triple Crown season. Perhaps it's a yearling that will pass through the auction ring later this summer and fall. Or maybe it's a weanling still taking cues from mom in a green pasture.  In between there will be others that provide a diversion before the next one comes along.

Now it is time to reflect on the journey BIG BROWN has taken you on. As fast and as thrilling as a rollercoaster ride, it's over.

Whether you're the kind of person to get right back in the game in search of the same thrill or need to take some time to take stock of your emotions, there will be another.

The next one will not be the same; life experience changes perspective and affects future choices.

And when it happens, when you fall in love with another racehorse, it will be larger than life...like BIG BROWN was while he was yours.

Sincerely,

AmCap

Much has been made over the steroids that Rick Dutrow, Jr. gives all his horses, including undefeated potential Triple Crown winnner #12, BIG BROWN. Medication could be a big part of the Dutrow, IEAH success story. The "hay,oats and water" approach of CASINO DRIVE's connections will be severely tested if the regally bred colt is to run in the 140^th Belmont Stakes despite the "11^th hour" stone bruise.

Can anyone on the Belmont backside find out if CASINO DRIVE's connections will consider using an analgesic for his foot?

A stone bruise surfaced on reigning HOY CIGAR shortly after the 1996 Eclipse Awards and prevented him from coming to Santa Anita for the Big ‘Cap back in 1996. He also lost enough training to nearly cost him the inaugural Dubai World Cup win when his immense heart allowed him to re-rally past SOUL OF THE MATTER in a pedestrian 2:03 and change. CIGAR was not the same horse he was in 1995 as evidenced by his broken win streak and three defeats on the year. On the surface, this does not bode well for the lightly raced CASINO DRIVE.

However, recall that CASINO DRIVE'S connections were happy with his recent "workouts" and overall preparation, despite the pedestrian times by U.S. racing standards. Observers noted how healthy his coat looks. He has not been scratched yet, despite the scuttlebut going around the backstretch.

From the information I've read, once a stone bruise is detected it's possibly been there for a while. In the case of CD it appears to be relatively new, or an irritation of an old stone bruise, due to the presence of heat and the inference of lameness detected Thursday from racing manager Nobutaka Tada. Tada said, "We were not 100% happy with the movement in his hind leg. We didn't like the way he walked."

When asked about CD's stiffness behind earlier in the week, trainer Kazuo Fujisawa dismissed it saying the son of Mineshaft has always moved like that. Is it possible that the bruise is pre-existing? Was it the reason he did not start last year? How was his gait any different from his usual way of going? Is this so serious that it prevented him from going through his usual marathon walking program the last two mornings, or was this merely a precaution?

I was interested to find online information for treatment of stone bruises that stated it's possible to apply a numbing agent to the tender area if a horse must compete. This preparation sounds similar to the spray given to baseball players who get hit by a pitch or foul ball so they can continue playing. The medication could last for a few hours, more than enough time for CD to perform in the Belmont Stakes without feeling the sting in his foot. Considering he will race without Lasix, it's possible that CD will not get the medication.

If CASINO DRIVE runs in the Belmont Stakes, estimating at what capacity he can perform without the benefit of medication is a question his supporters and his detractors must answer. This is the key to winning exotic wagers in this potentially momentous race.

DESORMEAUX PILOT OR POLITICIAN? JOCKEY "SHMOOZED" HIS WAY TO BIG BROWN MOUNT

If you haven't caught TVG's Legends with Rick Dutrow, Jr., it was enlightening enough to catch a replay if you have time. According to Dutrow, EDGAR PRADO was working BIG BROWN in Florida prior to his 2008 debut but a IEAH party attended by KENT DESORMEAUX and his wife was the reason PRADO never scaled BIG BROWN in the afternoon.  Iavarone's idea, not Dutrow's.  Could that explain Prado's ride on RILEY TUCKER?  From this story, I'd expect him off all IEAH runners (BENNY THE BULL) if he loses.

Desormeaux is such a good lobbyist for himself, why not try to take on Barack Obama and John McCain in November if he wins the Triple Crown ?

Good luck.

SHAME ON US ALL!!! The blogs over the last two weeks on this usually informative site, along with the horse racing information on various websites, periodicals and newspapers, illustrates to me how very connected and informed horseplayers and fans can regress to a time in life when the game was innocent. I was sucked into the vortex as well. Like many of you, I respect BIG BROWN's ability. However, I have come to the realization that all these Belmont Stakes, BIG BROWN, CASINO DRIVE, 30 year Triple Crown drought posts along with thoughts of "I hope BIG BROWN loses" and "I hate his connections" blather as the primary virus that infects horse racing. This hot air balloon ride BIG BROWN is taking us on will burst within a week of the Belmont Stakes if he wins, in one day if he loses. Then what will horse racing media have to offer to the novice horse racing fan? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!

Do you really think that if the NBA lost KOBE BRYANT, David Stern would miss a beat? No way. LEBRON JAMES, nicknamed "KING JAMES" a little too soon, is waiting to assume the MVP throne that has already been promised to him without the young superstar earning it. CHRIS PAUL has made a strong case for MVP already. DWAYNE WADE will craft a memorable '08-'09, reminding us that he won an NBA Championship just two years ago. This year there's Finals rivalry renewed with the BOSTON CELTICS including K.G., PAUL PIERCE and RAY ALLEN vs. the LOS ANGELES LAKERS icluding KOBE, PAO GASOL and LAMAR ODOM. When they are through battling for the title there's the NBA Draft and Summer League to hold enough attention in the media. Then there is a Summer Olympics featuring Dream Team II and then the regular season soap opera begins again in late October. The much-anticipated debut of GREG ODON will mix with ‘07 Rookie of the Year BRANDON ROY in Portland. ANDREW BYNUM will rejoin his Laker teammates on the court and DWIGHT HOWARD is coming up with ways to out-do his Superman dunk. SHAQUILLE O'NEAL will try to find the fountain of youth (or Roger Clemens‘ needle), giving aging STEVE NASH and AMARE STOUDAMIRE a Western Conference Title and a chance to win it all before their brittle bodies implode. The Spurs and Pistons will try to get younger while Detroit will add a search for a new head coach to the drama. The NBA is a marketing department's perfect storm.This year could be horse racing's perfect storm as well, only our media is on a Triple Crown hiatus.

BIG BROWN stands the best chance to win a Triple Crown since AFFIRMED did it in 1978. True He's big, classy and can run any way Kent Desormeaux pleases. True. I get him fellow horseplayers and I understand the excitement. But did it need to be the lead story and consume countless keystrokes over the last two-plus weeks? What these pieces did was promote to the public that the Triple Crown group is the only game in horse racing worth mentioning.

Why hasn't anyone bothered to make comments or posts about DIVINE PARK's win and the courage of 7y.o. COMMENTATOR in the Metropolitan H., that has implications for the BC Dirt Mile and/or BC Sprint? How about MAGNIFICIENCE's successful, long-awaited return (only to me and Bruce Headley, it appears) to run her unbeaten record to three and consider the possibility of the grand chestnut filly stretching out in the next few months to have the BC Distaff as a long term goal? She could take on ZENYATTA, who extended her personal undefeated streak to five with a win in the Milday H.? Regally bred ACOMA upset the G.3 Dogwood to throw her hat into the Distaff discussion.

Did anyone catch HEATSEEKER's dominance of TIAGO in the Californian as the even-money favorite making him a solid contender for the BC Classic? How about MAURALAKANA stamping herself as the leader of the BC Filly and Mare Turf division with a Sheepshead Bay win on May 23? DAYTONA is preparing for a BC Mile title on his home SoCal circuit with his recent Shoemaker Mile win to go along with his Kilroe Mile victory.

If not for Toby Turrell's insight into CURLIN's preparations for the Stephen Foster H., would anyone outside of this space and the horse racing industry know that the reigning HOY will be running in a little more than a week? For all the crying about BIG BROWN being retired after the Belmont, why aren't there an equal amount of praises to CURLIN and his connections who will be racing at least through the Jockey Club Gold Cup and a possible BC Classic defense? Shouldn't we be pushing his attempt to become back-to-back HOY and the sport's leading money winner into the media RIGHT NOW, so that when the Belmont Stakes ends there can be awareness raised that there is life after the Triple Crown?

Well, that would take agreement by all the racing jurisdictions country wide. A commissioner would help narrow these discussions. Oh, right, horse racing doesn't have one.

Hollywood Park offers the inaugural running of the Gallant Man Stakes ($100k) and trainer MIKE MITCHELL will saddle 8-5 morning line favorite BIG BOOSTER. He will also saddle the heavy favorite in the 3^rd race, KILDERRY, who may become yet another in a long line of MITCHELL success stories. Earlier in the meeting a horse he claimed a few years back, ON THE ACORN, defeated regally bred Champs Elysees in the Jim Murray Memorial H. (G.2) for the second straight year capturing his 3^rd graded stakes win since joining the MITCHELL barn. Successful for decades in the claiming game, he has been able to win at the top level of the game over the last ten years as well.

BIG BOOSTER came under his care after a decent career routing on the dirt and turf primarily in Florida until competing in claiming races in early 2007. After a non-effort in his first race in California on the turf, he won a N3x on the Hollywood Cushion Track running down yesterday's G.2 Californian winner Heatseeker. BIG BOOSTER went on to two close-up 3^rd place finishes in G.1's (Hollywood Gold Cup and Goodwood H.) in ‘07. He is coming back to his best form in his last two races, finishing 2^nd in the G.3 Tokyo City H. and winning the San Juan Capistrano H. (G.2) last time out.

KILDERRY started his career at Fair Grounds but was purchased privately by La Canada Stables and good trainer Jack Carava, the connections of nice California-bred stakes performer Epic Power. Fortunately for Mitchell, Carava lost the poker game when he put the son of E Dubai into a seemingly safe $100k claimer in early April. Mitchell must have known something about KILDERRY's pedigree, tipped off by his career debut 2^nd in an off-turf sprint.

His dam, EMPRESS OF INDIA, was unraced and a daughter of Arc de Triomphe (G.1) winner DANCING BRAVE. She's a ½ sister to $2.2 million yearling SARATOGA SIX, winner of all four career starts including the G.1 Del Mar Futurity as a juvenile. Another ½ sister, a full to Saratoga Six, is MILLIARDAIRE who was undefeated in two starts without earning black type. Her daughter LAKEWAY (7-for-14, $965k) took care of that in spades with four G.1 wins at three (Las Virgenes, Santa Anita Oaks, Hollywood Oaks and Mother Goose S.), a G.2 win (Churchill Downs H.) and a 3^rd in the BC Distaff (to Inside Information and Heavenly Prize).

In BIG BOOSTER and KILDERRY, MIKE MITCHELL has two morning line favorites who look very solid today and going forward. Ignore his talents and future starters at your peril.