BUSY MULES SHOW UP PRIM THOROUGHBREDS.Byline: KEVIN MODESTI Horse Racing DEL MAR - Some people would think it's declasse dé·clas·sé adj. 1. Lowered in class, rank, or social position. 2. Lacking high station or birth; of inferior social status. of Del Mar to pull a blatant publicity stunt by scheduling a match race Sunday between a couple of mules. The track that once gave the world Seabiscuit vs. Ligaroti presents Black Ruby vs. Taz. The nerve. Actually, those people would have it backward. In a number of ways, Del Mar's regal thoroughbreds should feel outclassed out·class tr.v. out·classed, out·class·ing, out·class·es To surpass decisively, so as to appear of a higher class. Adj. 1. by the big-eared breed that has gained a following in the past few years with sometimes-wild sprint races at the Northern California county fairs. Compare top thoroughbreds with Black Ruby, the 10-year-old chestnut mare who goes into this 400-yard ``Mule Duel'' with 47 victories in 54 official starts, her only two defeats in the past 26 tries having come at the hooves of Taz. Top thoroughbreds race for as long as it takes to prove their greatness and promptly are escorted to the breeding sheds, where their owners cash in. Black Ruby, the five-time mules champion, keeps coming back for more competition, re-emerging from her owners' home north of San Francisco each June to torment the likes of Taz, Jet Setter, Evelyn Nelson and Bar JF Party Animal. Top thoroughbreds take so much time off between races it's easy for fans to forget about them. Black Ruby races every week or two all summer, raced on back-to-back days last June in Nevada and raced twice in one day as recently as last year. Top thoroughbreds are pumped full of medication and despite that have a hard time staying healthy. Black Ruby races clean and injury-free. Mules are products of the matings of donkeys and horses. Mules themselves don't breed, a powerful incentive for owners to keep them racing. ``They're durable,'' said Ed Burdick, trainer of Taz, who comes into this $10,000 match on a rare one-race winning streak, the 8-year-old gelding and jockey Jack Kaenel having beaten Black Ruby and Jim Burnsby by a head while carrying eight fewer pounds at the California State Fair in Sacramento. ``We very rarely have breakdowns. They can race to 16 (years of age). How often do you see a thoroughbred go beyond even 7?'' And, most charming of all, Black Ruby wins and wins. Her 15-race winning streak from June 2000 to August 2001 has been matched recently in the thoroughbred world only by Cigar's 16-race streak in 1994-96. ``She's a winner, she's competitive, she tries every time,'' Mary McPherson, who, with her husband Sonny, owns Black Ruby, said in trying to explain the mare's appeal. ``Her record stands for itself.'' The Mule Duel, to be run after Sunday's final thoroughbred race, will be held as an exhibition because in California betting on mule events is permitted only at fair tracks. This marks Black Ruby's and Taz's debut at a major-league track. A rematch already is scheduled a week from Saturday at the Los Angeles County Fair The Los Angeles County Fair (also called simply the L.A. County Fair) is an annual event held in the Fairplex in Pomona, California, held every September. It is a carnival with rides, merchants, food vendors, cooking contests, and livestock. The 2007 L.A. in Pomona. If only a few of the nation's leading thoroughbreds were as busy as its most famous mules. As the Oct. 26 Breeders' Cup at Arlington Park near Chicago approaches, too many contenders in the eight divisions are resting instead of racing. Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner War Emblem, sixth in the Aug. 25 Pacific Classic at Del Mar, isn't scheduled to compete again before the Breeders' Cup Classic The Breeders' Cup Classic is a Grade 1 Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race for 3 years old and older run at a distance of 1¼ miles (2012 m) on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup. . Kentucky Oaks winner Farda Amiga A personal computer series introduced in 1985 by Commodore. Amigas gained a reputation early on as advanced graphics and multimedia machines, and NewTek's Video Toaster application brought it to the forefront of economical, high-end video editing. , leading American grass mare Astra and leading American grass male Beat Hollow are expected to go 70 days without running before their Breeders' Cup events. And Lido Palace, who will defend his title in the $500,000 Woodward Stakes on a program of Breeders' Cup preps at Belmont Park on Saturday, comes into the 1 1/8-mile race off a 66-day layoff. Repent came back from a 20-week layoff forced by injury to finish a strong second to Medaglia d'Oro in the Travers Stakes, and Daily Racing Form The Daily Racing Form, LLC (DRF) is a broadsheet newspaper founded in 1894 in Chicago, Illinois by Frank Brunell. The paper publishes the past performances of race horses as a statistical service for bettors on horse racing in the United States. columnist Steve Crist theorized the colt's success first time back might be influencing the way trainers map their horses' pre-Breeders' Cup campaigns. It appears the first priority for trainers with Breeders' Cup-caliber horses is to avoid injury before that multimillion-dollar day. ``I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. if it's a trend as much as it's a coincidence,'' said Repent trainer Ken McPeek, who also has Breeders' Cup Distaff The Breeders' Cup Distaff is a Weight for Age Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares, 3 years old and up. It is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup. It is sponsored by the airline Emirates. contender Take Charge Lady, pointing for her first start since May in Saturday's Gazelle gazelle, name for the many species of delicate, graceful antelopes of the genus Gazella, inhabiting arid, open country. Most gazelles are found only in Africa, but several species range over N Africa and SW Asia; the Persian, or goitered, gazelle ( Handicap at Belmont. ``I don't know that horses have changed or trainers maybe are taking more time.'' But McPeek said he thinks thoroughbreds have ``got only so many races back to back to back'' and must be nursed along with frequent breaks. If only they had a little more mule in them. --Paying respects: Although Belmont Park in New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of will be closed Wednesday, normally a racing day, in observance of Sept. 11, Del Mar will be open. It's the track's closing day. Del Mar will serve as the host that afternoon for a ceremony, put on by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) is the main governing body of Thoroughbred horse racing in the United States. They are also the main governing body of the Breeders' Cup World Championships. , to be beamed by simulcast to tracks across the country. It will be ``brief, dignified and patriotic,'' NTRA NTRA National Thoroughbred Racing Association NTRA National Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (Egypt) NTRA National Training Reform Agenda NTRA Nano Technology Research Association (Korea) commissioner Tim Smith said. The ceremony, to be hosted by sportscaster Dick Enberg, will be held from 1:10 to 1:20 p.m., during which the tracks plan to conduct no racing business. OUT OF THE GATE DEL MAR STANDINGS Through Wednesday Jockeys Wins Pat Valenzuela 41 Victor Espinoza 30 Laffit Pincay 28 Alex Solis 27 Kent Desormeaux 22 Corey Nakatani 22 Trainers Wins Bob Baffert 26 Bill Spawr 14 John Sadler 11 Ron McAnally 9 Craig Lewis 8 ONE TO WATCH Easy Grades, back on the main track after two defeats on turf, faces six other 3-year-olds in the El Cajon Stakes today at Del Mar with a chance to persuade trainer Ted H. West to send him to the Sept. 21 Super Derby at Louisiana Downs. Easy Grades made his name by finishing second to Came Home in the San Rafael and the Santa Anita Derby The Santa Anita Derby is an American Grade 1 thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds run each April at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California and carries a purse of $750,000. but has yet to win a stakes. ON THE STAKES SCHEDULE Del Mar Saturday --$300,000 Del Mar Derby The Del Mar Derby is an American thoroughbred horse race run each year at Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, California. The race is open to horses of either gender, age three, willing to race one and one-eighth miles on the turf. , 3-year-olds, 1 1/8 miles on turf Sunday --$150,000 Palomar Handicap, 3-year-olds and up, fillies and mares, 1 1/16 miles on turf Monday --$100,000 I'm Smokin, 2-year-olds bred in California, 6 furlongs Wednesday --$250,000 Del Mar Futurity The Del Mar Futurity is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, California. Beginning in the racing season of 2007, this race has been upgraded by the American Graded Stakes Committee from a Grade II event to a Grade I. , 2-year-olds, 7 furlongs Belmont Park Saturday --$500,000 Woodward, 3-year-olds and up, 1 1/8 miles --$500,000 Man o' War, 3-year-olds and up, 1 3/8 miles --$250,000 Gazelle Handicap, 3-year-old fillies, 1 1/8 miles Woodbine woodbine, name for several vines, among them honeysuckle and Virginia creeper. woodbine Any of many species of vines belonging to various flowering-plant families, especially the Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia, family Vitaceae) of Sunday --$1 million Atto Mile, 3-year-olds and up, 1 mile on turf A WEEK AT THE RACES At The Races is a British television channel, originally co-founded with Channel 4, but now owned by a partnership between British Sky Broadcasting, Arena Leisure PLC and 28 (out of the 59) UK racecourses. John McKee finished with 114 victories at the River Downs season that ended Monday to break Steve Cauthen's 1976 record for wins by an apprentice at the Cincinnati track. ... Eddie Delahoussaye planned to miss the rest of the Del Mar meet after a fall last Friday left him sore. The 50-year-old Hall of Famer spent a night in the hospital after the turf-course accident. ... Gary Stevens picked up Delahoussaye's scheduled mount on Miss Houdini the next day and rode the 2-year-old filly to an 11-1 upset in the Del Mar Debutante. It was Stevens' first victory since his latest knee surgery. ... Miss Houdini gave trainer Warren Stute his second Del Mar Debutante victory. The first came, incredibly, 51 years ago with Tonga in the race's inaugural running. ``I can't wait 50 more years for my next one,'' Stute, 80, told the Daily Racing Form. ... Sky Jack, the early leader in the Pacific Classic, is scheduled for surgery to remove a chip from his right knee. Trainer Doug O'Neill hopes the 6-year-old will be back to defend his Hollywood Gold Cup The Hollywood Gold Cup is a Grade I stakes race for thoroughbred horses inaugurated in 1938 at Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood, California. It was run as a handicap race until 1997 when it was switched to weight-for-age conditions. championship next summer. ... Bosque Redondo, the other pacesetter in the Classic, continues to recover well from an operation to repair fractures sustained in his fifth-place finish in the Aug. 25 race, trainer Paco Gonzalez said. ... Saratoga's daily average of $16.3 million in wagers during its just-completed season broke the North American North American named after North America. North American blastomycosis see North American blastomycosis. North American cattle tick see boophilusannulatus. record set at the upstate New York Upstate New York is the region of New York State north of the core of the New York metropolitan area. It has a population of 7,121,911 out of New York State's total 18,976,457. Were it an independent state, it would be ranked 13th by population. track last summer. Edgar Prado beat out Jerry Bailey for the jockey championship; Todd Pletcher edged Bill Mott for the trainers title. ... Harlan's Holiday returned to the races with a 4 1/2-length victory Monday in the Pennsylvania Derby at Philadelphia Park. Beaten as the favorite in the Kentucky Derby, Harlan's Holiday hadn't raced since finishing fourth in the Preakness. - Kevin Modesti CAPTION(S): box Box: OUT OF THE GATE (see text) |
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