IT'S A SAD STATE FOR RACING.Byline: KEVIN MODESTI LOUISVILLE, Ky. - ``What's happening in California?'' a horse-racing publicist from 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 asked the other morning on the Churchill Downs Churchill Downs, Ky.: see Louisville. backside. There was something in her tone of voice. She wasn't asking if the rain has stopped. She was asking if the racing is drying up. Perhaps never before has California been so desperately in need of a Kentucky Derby Kentucky Derby One of the classic U.S. Thoroughbred horse races. It was established in 1875 and run annually on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs track in Louisville, Ky. With the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes, it makes up U.S. racing's coveted Triple Crown. victory to polish the state's image in the eyes of the thoroughbred world. Of course, considering that the best of the 3-year-olds coming out of Santa Anita Santa Anita may refer to:
Bobby Frankel, the Hall of Fame trainer who is in the process of moving much of his stable from California to Kentucky and New York, put it in stark terms. ``The California horses used to be the best in the country,'' Frankel said. ``No more.'' It hasn't been an easy winter to be a proud California racing fan. Hollywood Park Hollywood Park may be several places:
Three high-profile trainers were among four at Santa Anita to have horses fail post-race tests for the prohibited performance enhancers known as ``milkshakes.'' One of them was Jeff Mullins Jeffrey Vincent Mullins (born March 18 1942) is a retired American basketball player and coach who is best known for his playing career with the Duke Blue Devils, the Golden State Warriors of the NBA, and later as , who subsequently won 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. for the third year in a row. To the dismay of the sport's promoters, Mullins stuck his boot in his mouth during the milkshake controversy and told a newspaper columnist Noun 1. newspaper columnist - a columnist who writes for newspapers agony aunt - a newspaper columnist who answers questions and offers advice on personal problems to people who write in columnist, editorialist - a journalist who writes editorials that anybody who bets on races is an ``idiot'' or an ``addict.'' Nice way to coax the public back to the track. To the absolute horror of the sport's promoters, prominent horse owner Marty Wygod stuck his loafer in his mouth after Sweet Catomine ran poorly in the Santa Anita Derby, telling reporters the filly had physical problems in the days before the race. Now you tell us, the bettors said. Generally, horseplayers around the country tune in California races and are turned off by the slowly shrinking fields in both everyday races and the big track's historic stakes. And then there is this universally disrespected crop of California 3-year-olds running in today's Kentucky Derby: Buzzards Bay Buzzards Bay, inlet of the Atlantic Ocean, 30 mi (48 km) long, from 5 to 10 mi (8–16 m) wide, SE Mass., connected with Cape Cod Bay by the Cape Cod Canal and bounded on the SE by the Elizabeth Islands. Its shores are very irregular. (20-1 on the morning line), winner in what looked like a mediocre running of the Santa Anita Derby; Wilko (20-1), winless since his Breeders' Cup Juvenile The Breeders' Cup Juvenile is a Thoroughbred horse race for 2-year-old colts and geldings raced on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup. victory in Texas last fall; Giacomo (50-1), 0 for 5 since his maiden victory last October; Don't Get Mad (30-1), who had to sink to the Derby Trial The Derby Trial is a race for Thoroughbred horses run at Churchill Downs at the end of April, one week before the Kentucky Derby. An ungraded stakes with a purse of $100,000, it's open to three year olds willing to race one mile on the dirt. to win this year; Spanish Chestnut (20-1), thrashed in two starts in Kentucky since his San Rafael Stakes The San Rafael Stakes is a race for thoroughbred horses run at Santa Anita Park, located in Arcadia, California. The race is a Grade II event with a purse of $150,000 and is open to three-year-olds willing to race one mile (8 furlongs) on the dirt. victory; and Going Wild (50-1), the Sham Stakes winner beaten a total of 57 1/4 lengths in two races back east. One horse came out of California to win a significant prep race. That was Greeley's Galaxy (15-1), who warmed up with maiden- and-allowance-level victories at Santa Anita before trouncing a weak field in the Illinois Derby. Of course, if he wins here today, Santa Anita won't get the credit, Hawthorne will. To be fair, critics must note that California had an unbeaten 2-year-old champion on track for the Kentucky Derby until Declan's Moon was injured in March. And some Californians will console themselves with thoughts of an eastern bias among the nation's evaluators of equine talent. ``West Coast horses traditionally don't get a lot of respect,'' said John Shirreffs, who trains Giacomo. ``East Coast horses get a little more publicity.'' Said Mullins: ``They haven't put much stock in California horses the last few years.'' Then again, ``they'' haven't been wrong. No graduate of the Santa Anita Derby has won the Kentucky Derby since the Silver Charm-Real Quiet-Charismatic run in 1997-99. No winner of the Santa Anita race has won the Kentucky race since Winning Colors and Sunday Silence in 1988 and 1989, respectively. It hasn't been an easy few years to be a proud Los Angeles racing fan. And how much worse would it feel if George Steinbrenner's Bellamy Road won the Derby, a Yankee horse winning racing's World Series? The Golden State needs a Derby win. That would make the racing world respect California again. ``For a week,'' Shirreffs said. |
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