Buried in the NYRA Notes today was news that Salve Germania, the Irish-bred/German-owned winner of Saturday’s G2 Ballston Spa Handicap, is staying in the US and will now be trained by Todd Pletcher. So far it seems that the ownership didn’t change, but so often that is the case.
This week’s racing news will be dominated by the every whinny and oat eaten by Rachel Alexandra as she prepares to become the first filly to win the G1 Woodward Stakes (against older boys). True she’s got a combined win margin – this year alone – of 65 lengths and she’s been 1/5th off the track record twice and she’s a freak. Also there is no doubt she’s one of the best we’ll see in years. But people seem to forget that none of this would be happening if wine mogul Jess Jackson hadn’t ponied up millions to get her away from Dolphus Morrison and trainer Hal Wiggins.
Jackson should write Sheikh Mohammed a commission check because he paved the way for “name your price” buys that quietly happen so often in this business.
Take Vineyard Haven for example: he wins back-to-back G1′s as a 2yo and Darley/Godolphin pays $12 million for him, ships him across the globe, runs him once, and ships him back home to get DQ’d from a G1 win in his comeback performance.
Despite the fact that it’s more 0′s than anyone should ever pay for a son of Lido Palace, the fact remains that the Sheikh will pay for a good young horse. Heck, he even pays for not-so-good 3yo’s like Atomic Rain and Westside Bernie – all in hopes that they’ll run well at the World Cup Carnival next year. To boot, an organization that seldom buys young fillies, purchased Sara Louise (really only famous for being the last horse to best Rachel Alexandra), who came back to win a stake on the Travers undercard her first time out for them.
I overheard someone joking earlier that Godolphin preps their horses in graded stakes and their bloodstock agent follows after winners of 2yo races with a blank check ($1 mil for every furlong your horse can go).
I wouldn’t be surprised if both were true. Sheikh Mohammed is famous for buying big and hoping the horse turns out a major winner and he’s certainly had success (despite that minor “we’ll win the Kentucky Derby within five years” thing – I think we’re going on 10 years now, so… yeah, not so much).
Remember the post-Kentucky Oaks press conference when then-owner Morrison said Rachel wasn’t in the Derby because the girls should race girls and stallions against stallions? I guess we can thank Jess Jackson for following in the Godolphin footsteps, signing the blank check, and putting her against the boys twice now.
The real question, though is if the girl can beat the older stallions – hopefully it won’t be as foolish as Darley’s Derby dreams.
