Last weekend, in this space, yours truly suggested that Uncle Chuck could make Tiz the Law cry ‘Uncle’ in the Travers. We were half-right. Although there was plenty of ‘Uncle’ crying, unfortunately, most of it was done by Uncle Chuck instead of Tiz the Law. The weeping actually began long before the million-dollar featured race. […]
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Last Saturday, at Del Mar, the Bob Baffert-trained Thousand Words took control of the Shared Belief Stakes and never let go. In his wake was the highly regarded and heavily favored Honor A. P. This Saturday, on the opposite coast, at Saratoga, a similar scenario could play out when Baffert saddles talented-but-untested Uncle Chuck against […]
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Tiz the Law, who won the 1 1/8-mile Belmont Stakes with authority last time out, tiz the one to beat in the 1 1/4-mile Runhappy Travers Stakes at Saratoga on Saturday. There is no doubt about that. The Travers has attracted a field of eight. Tiz the Law drew post 6. Saratoga oddsmaker David Aragona […]
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Yours truly is fresh off four days in Saratoga and the trip was…Spa-tacular! It was the 17th time side-kick Will and I have made the trek northward to Saratoga for Travers week. At the conclusion of this year’s sojourn, we both agreed that this was the best ever. It’s difficult to put a finger on […]
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In the days leading up to the Travers, Shug McGaughey expressed his confidence that Code of Honor was going to run a biggie in this important 1 1/4-mile event. And the chestnut colt did not let his Hall of Fame trainer down. Ninth early in the field of 12, Code of Honor charged to the […]
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This year’s Travers field lacks a superstar. So far. A victory here parlayed to a Breeders’ Cup Classic score would be enough to garner a statue in January at Gulfstream Park as top 3-year-old male. Do any of this year’s Travers starters have the juice to pull off that maneuver? Probably not. However, favored Tacitus […]
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Revenge is sweet, even when it takes 16 years to get it. Back in 2003, Medaglia d’Oro was sent away as the 3-5 favorite in Del Mar’s Grade I Pacific Classic on Aug. 24 following a win in the Grade I Whitney Handicap at Saratoga on Aug. 2. Medaglia d’Oro, with Jerry Bailey riding for […]
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Batman at the Spa If last Saturday and Sunday’s Saratoga racing cards had been broadcast as part of the ‘60s television hit Batman, starring Adam West as the Caped Crusader and Burt Ward as Robin, several ‘POWS,’ ‘YIKES,’ ‘WHAMS’ and ‘ZOOMS’ would have flashed across the screen. During those two days at the Spa there […]
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