Barbaro Updates: 1008

updates are now here.

Update 6192: Fair Hill’s leading trainer, Graham Motion, is enjoying a terrific November and won the Grade 1 Matriarch in California yesterday: Gypsy’s Warning Rallies to Score Matriarch. The Clark Handicap, at Churchill Downs, was a rough run race, and the winner was disqualified: Giant Oak Wins Clark by Disqualification. There are a number of other Graded Stakes throughout this holiday weekend: Weekend Stakes: Where to Watch brought to you by West Point Thoroughbreds.

Nicanor ran third yesterday at Aqueduct. He rated slightly off the leader, and ran evenly down the lane to maintain third position.

Update 6191: Nicanor returns to the races today, in the Three Coins Up Stakes, at Aqueduct. Nicanor is second choice in this turf stakes race, which runs the risk of moving to the dirt, depending on the weather in New York. Post time: 3:10 pm.

The feature race of the day is the Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs. Tradionally one of the best older horse races on the calendar, it now suffers from being a little close to the Breeders’ Cup in the calendar: Apart aims to continue roll in Clark Handicap.

Update 6190: Happy Thanksgiving!

Update 6189: Another light schedule of Graded Stakes racing is on offer this weekend: Weekend Stakes: Where To Watch brought to you by West Point Thoroughbreds.

Update 6188: It is now official, Zenyatta is retired. She will head to Lane’s End Farm, in Kentucky, in early December. Before doing so, she will parade at Hollywood Park. A stallion has not yet been named for Zenyatta’s first mating: Zenyatta retires.

Update 6187: Racing begins it’s winter lull in the wake of the Breeders’ Cup last weekend. This weekend we have three graded stakes on Saturday: Weekend Stakes: Where to Watch brought to you by WEST POINT THOROUGHBREDS.

The main ongoing talking points after this year’s Breeders’ Cup appear to be who should win Horse of the Year (Zenyatta versus Blame) and the controversy surrounding the race of Life at Ten in the Ladies Classic. Personally I think the best thing to come out of the Breeders’ Cup is the knowledge that Goldikova is likely to be back for a fourth attempt, and the possibility that Zenyatta is not yet retired.

Here is a nice tribute to Rough Sailing.

Update 6186: Well 2010 Breeders’ Cup is now over, and we all know what happened. I wrote about Zenyatta’s race for The Rail: A Game of Inches. We all felt deflated when Zenyatta lost, but now with a little perspective, we all appreciate what a great effort she put forth. Goldikova was star, winning her third Breeders’ Cup race, and she will return to the races next year! Mine That Bird is now retired, something that perhaps should have happened a little sooner, but it has now happened. And finally, we will mourn the loss of Rough Sailing.

Personally I was just in awe of Zenyatta and her team the three days I was at the Breeders’ Cup. A class team through and through. Thanks.

Update 6185: I have been enjoying the build-up to the Breeders’ Cup, especially going to the track for training the last two mornings. You can follow my exploits on twitter.

Update 6184: The post position draw was yesterday for the upcoming Breeders’ Cup races. Zenyatta, will break from post position 8 in the Classic, and was installed as the 8-5 morning line favorite: Zenyatta Is Early Favorite to Repeat in Classic. Here are a full list of post positions and odds for Friday (starting race 5) and Saturday (starting race 4).

Ongoing coverage over the next few days can be accessed at Daily Racing Form, Bloodhorse, Thoroughbred Times, Paulick Report and of course, The Rail.

Here is the TV schedule for the Breeders’ Cup.

I am traveling to Louisville, KY, today for the Breeders’ Cup. Not sure what internet access I will have, but will provide updates as I can. Will tweet a lot.

Update 6183: As we get closer to this year’s Breeders’ Cup, we should not forget that last night was actually the biggest race in Australia, and a race that genuinely stops a nation. The Melbourne Cup was won by Americain, who is a son of Dynaformer: Americain stuns So You Think to win Melbourne Cup. Found on Paulick Report.

Update 6182: Nicanor runs this afternoon at Woodbine, in the Labeeb Stakes.

Here is the chapter outline for my Barbaro book. Tomorrow I will be sending my work to the copy editor.

Update 6181: The Breeders’ Cup gets underway next weekend, so this weekend the stakes schedule remains very light as all the big horses continue their preparations for next weekend’s races: Weekend Stakes: Where to Watch brought to you by WEST POINT THOROUGHBREDS.

Update 6180: My first entry for The Rail: At Churchill Downs, Barbaro Lives On.

I also saw Michael Matz today, and asked him to read the last paragraph in my Barbaro book. Michael’s quote ends the final chapter.

Update 6179: Here are the Breeders’ Cup pre-entries and preamble.

Update 6178: The Rail is now covering the Breeders’ Cup.

Update 6177: The Breeders’ Cup is a little less than two weeks away, and The Rail will be covering the event for the first time. The Rail’s coverage will begin tomorrow. I will again be contributing to The Rail, and am also planning to attend the Breeders’ Cup.

And please keep calling.

Posted by Alex at 11:56 AM | Comments (799)