The thrill and the excitement of opening day approaches quickly. Packed stands, competitive racing and quality horses – I can only hope I’m still alive to witness it. If this morning at Santa Anita is any gauge for things to come I’ll be lucky to make it past Christmas Eve.
Rarely have I seen more loose horses in one place. It was like the HRTV “Inside Information” about the ponies of Chincoteague. Special mention must go to the poor exercise rider whose reins snapped off during a piece of work. For all those unable to picture how that must have felt, imagine sitting behind your very drunk friend on a motorcycle hurtling down the freeway – oh yes, and your friend’s got terrible eyesight and the freeway’s packed. Let’s just hope that poor rider does his own laundry…
Another honorable mention must go to Brian Koriner for a feat of acrobatics rarely seen outside of the Cirque du Soleil. Mid-dismount, his pony decided to make a dash for freedom, launching Brian into the air. What is remarkable is that Brian secured a two-footed landing Nellie Kim would have been proud of (remarkable considering Brian’s physique is more WWF than women’s gymnastics). What is even more remarkable is that during his whole routine, Brian never once stopped text messaging someone. A well deserved 9.8 Brian. Very well done. Next stop – the pommel horse.
Aside from a debilitating fear of ever setting foot on the track again, this morning did offer me a first opportunity to test the turf course. It felt great. There was a beautiful covering of grass that gave it a nice cushion and bounce. Champions Gate, my trusty stead, must have been equally as enamored with it as I was because he dragged me around there – hence the bullet workout.
Now, most of you by now are aware that I will occasionally cast off my rosary beads and partake in a little restorative beverage. So who should I see today working on the turf? None other than my favorite drink…I mean racehorse, Strawberrydaiquiri. A multiple group winner in England, she’s now in the care of Ben Cecil, and she worked this morning in an easy half of 53 and 4/5 (though judging by the peculiar arrow shape of her exercise rider she could have gone down there in something markedly quicker than 53′s).
To opening day, and the first race on the card – a California Breeders’ stakes for fillies. The likely favorite will be Ismene, for whom I shall be rooting.
Ismene holds the dubious honor of being owned by my good friend Steve Ferraro. I use the term “dubious” not as a reflection of the man himself, but more as a reflection of the company he keeps – more specifically, the company he keeps in one of Sierra Madre’s most notorious watering-holes (or so I’m reliably informed!). Nevertheless, as much as I would love to see Ismene land the spoils, my head says that Tangerine Ticket will be hard to beat for the Marty Jones barn.
While Santa Anita’s racegoers will be donning their light frocks and designer sunglasses, the English racing community will be decked out like a large Inuit community to witness what could possibly be THE defining moment of the modern jump-racing era.
If Kauto Star wins the King George at Kempton on Monday, for a record fifth time, all his naysayers must finally concede that he, rather than Arkle, sets the benchmark to which all future jumpers are compared. To my mind, he has already accrued that honor, but another win in the Boxing Day showcase, against last season’s Gold Cup victor Long Run, must surely seal the deal.
It’s a fascinating clash, and as a rising 12-year-old, Kauto Star has a stern fight on his hands against a rival half his age. But the Paul Nicholls camp is bullish on Kauto’s chances, and as someone who is also getting a little long in the molars, I can assure you that us oldies can wield a walking-cane with equal vigor to the young-uns.
Anyway, have a wonderful Christmas, and don’t eat too much on Sunday because there’s a feast and a half of exciting racing to get through on Monday.
