posted November 9, 2009 at 15:20 EST in Horse Racing Articles
Breeders Cup Friday Recap
Breeders’ Cup Recap: Venture Fails on Ladies’ Day but Life Is Sweet wins for John Shirreffs
This past Friday, Nov. 6th, was supposed to be the warm-up for trainer John Shirreffs. It’s still proved to be only the warm-up for the excellent trainer, but it was much warmer than anyone expected it would be when the second stringer in Shireffs’ barn, mare Life Is Sweet, dominated the BC Ladies’ Classic and won the $2,000,000 race with aplomb.
Okay, not a warm-up, maybe a hot-up. That’s how good Life Is Sweet was in beating up on Music Note, Proviso, Mushka and Cocoa Beach.
There were no excuses for any of her competitors either as every horse in the race arrived to the front-running Careless Jewel at almost the exact same time at the top of the stretch. Only Life Is Sweet made the requisite move in the lane to record the 2 ½ length victory.
In hindsight, the win should have been a foregone conclusion. Life Is Sweet loves the Santa Anita Pro-Ride surface and Careless Jewel was sure to ensure a wickedly fast pace to set up her closing kick. The mare simply did what she does best in the Ladies’ Classic, run her fanny off on her favorite track.
Life Is Sweet paid $18.20 for the win.
Ventura Makes Her Move but It’s Too Little Too Late
Bobby Frankel’s superstar mare, Ventura, made her patented move in the stretch of Friday’s BC Filly and Mare Sprint but it was a bit too late as the synthetic monster that is Informed Decision held her off for the victory.
Laying only a length behind what looked to be wicked fractions, Informed Decision turned on the jets at the exact right time and simply kept running as Ventura made her menacing move. Informed Decision is now 7 out of 8 at the 7 furlong distance and absolutely loves synthetic surfaces.
As the second choice in the race, Informed Decision paid $8.80 to win.
Lone European Proves Best in the Filly and Mare Turf
The only European horse to enter the starting gate in the BC Filly and Mare Turf was the Henry Cecil trained Midday.
It turns out that Europe only needed one horse in order to win the F&M Turf as Midday beat a solid field of turf distaffers led by Forever Together and Santa Anita specialist Magical Fantasy, to record a 1 length victory over Pure Clan in the F&M Turf.
Midday went off as the favorite in the 8 horse field and paid $6.60 to win. Closing from only 2 lengths off the pace, Midday simply outclassed her rivals. Forever Together had an excuse in that the 2008 BC Filly and Mare Turf champ had too much to do in the lane, but there was no way on her best day she was going to get to Midday. Last year’s champ ended up finishing 3rd.
At the top of the stretch, it looked like Visit had the race in the bag when she scooted away from the pack but as is the case in most of Visit’s races, her turn of foot although breathtaking is amazingly short lived. Visit couldn’t keep it going and ended up getting passed by Midday, Pure Clan and Forever Together.
She Be Wild Gets Crazy in the Juvenile Fillies
The Wayne Catalano trained She Be Wild sort of got lost in the betting last Friday as Beautician, Blind Luck, Negligee and Connie and Michael took most of he action.
But as is the case in the Breeders’ Cup, the forgotten horse often times comes up big. She Be Wild rode the rail to a victory in the BC Juvenile Fillies and left no doubt she was indeed the best two year old gal in the United States in 2009. She paid $16.80 to win when crossing the finish line ahead of Beautician and Grade I Oak Leaf winner Blind Luck.
It was a brilliant ride by jockey Julien Leparoux who waited for the opening on the rail that he so desperately needed. Once that happened, She Be Wild scooted through past Always A Princess to record the victory. It was an incredibly courageous effort for She Be Wild who had little room on the rail in which to get through.
Man of Iron and Tapitsfly Prove Best in Marathon and Juvenile Fillies Turf
The Aidan O’Brien trained Man of Iron proved best in the BC Marathon this past Friday when he passed the ultra tough Cloudy’s Knight on the rail to record the victory. Man of Iron paid $14.80 to win.
Tapitsfly, going off at over 10 to 1 odds, tracked pacesetter Rose Catherine and kept to taks down the lane to win the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf. Tapitsfly paid $21.60 for the victory.
