SHOWDOWN FOR THE WINNER'S CIRCLE.Byline: KEVIN MODESTI Horse Racing horse racing, trials of speed involving two or more horses. It includes races among harnessed horses with one of two particular gaits, among saddled Thoroughbreds (or, less frequently, quarterhorses) on a flat track, or among saddled horses over a turf course with INGLEWOOD - The 2001 Horse of the Year contest between Point Given and Tiznow could be decided by an X factor. Voters will have to be hard-hearted to ignore it. The X factor is 2000. The Horse of the Year award should be based solely on performances this year, or so cold logic would suggest. Comparing 3-year-old Point Given's and 4-year-old Tiznow's seasons by the traditional objective standards, Point Given looms as a landslide winner in the balloting at the end of December among racetrack journalists and executives. The case for Tiznow depends on giving the California-bred extra credit for becoming the first horse to score a repeat victory in 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. when he defeated Sakhee by a nose at Belmont Park on Oct. 27. That means taking into account something that happened last year - Tiznow's equally game victory by a nose over Giant's Causeway at Churchill Downs on Nov. 4, 2000. Is it fair for voters to consider Tiznow's Classic repeat, something such horses as Skywalker, Unbridled, Concern, Cigar and Skip Away tried and failed to accomplish? Is it fair that many voters will give Tiznow an extra long look because he's attempting the first successful Horse of the Year defense since Cigar's in 1995-96 and the second in more than two decades? It says here that it's natural and reasonable to read between and beyond the past 12 months' statistical lines in the 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. and consider the historical implications of the what a horse achieves. It says here that it's proper to list ``intangibles'' among the factors, the way Jimmy ``The Greek'' Snyder used to do with NFL NFL abbr. National Football League NFL (US) n abbr (= National Football League) → Fußball-Nationalliga games, and give Tiznow and trainer Jay Robbins a push for overcoming the horse's nagging injuries. It also says here that it will take a huge check mark next to ``intangibles'' for Tiznow to make this a contest. Too bad they never raced against each other because Point Given was retired Aug. 31 with a tendon injury. Let's compare their 2001 results. Earnings: Edge to Point Given, $3.3 million to $2.9 million. Wins: Point Given, 6-3. Win percentage Point Given, 86 percent to 50 percent. In-the-money percentage: Tiznow, 100 percent to 86 percent. Graded stakes wins: Point Given, 5-3. Grade I stakes wins: Point Given, 5-2. ``Major'' wins: Point Given, with 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. , Preakness and Belmont stakes, compared to Tiznow's Santa Anita Handicap The Santa Anita Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in the late winter at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. It is a Grade I race for horses three years old and up, and is considered the most important race for older horses in North America during and Breeders' Cup Classic. Average winning margins: Point Given, 4.4 lengths (including the 12 1/4-length romp in the Belmont) to Tiznow's 2.1. Versatility: Point Given, who won on five tracks, at distances from 1 1/16 miles to 1 1/2, while Tiznow won on two tracks at 1 1/16 and 1 1/4. Who'd they beat?: Tiznow, who did all his racing against 4-year-olds and up, including the European standout Sakhee, while Point Given was never tested against elders. Reliability as betting favorite: Point Given, 6 wins in 7 tries, to Tiznow's 2 in 4. Highest weights carried to victory: Point Given, 126 three times, to Tiznow's 126-122-122. Top Beyer speed figures: No edge: Tiznow earned a 117, a 117 and a 110 as a fully developed horse, and Point Given went 117-114-111 as an early- to mid-season 3-year-old. Worst moments: No edge: Point Given's defeat was an ill-timed fifth in the Kentucky Derby. Tiznow stumbled three times, in less challenging races, but not as conspicuously. Intangibles: Edge to Tiznow. The Racing Form's Mike Watchmaker wrote this week that Point Given captured the public's imagination and that Tiznow ``never elicited such emotion.'' That's an East Coaster's view that ignores the hero's welcome Tiznow received at the Santa Anita Handicap winner's circle and his popularity in his native California. Adding it all up, I give Point Given 10 check marks and Tiznow three. That's without giving Point Given the benefit of ``what-might-have-been'' thinking that some supporters will apply to an injured horse. Tiznow could improve his resume by trying the turf course for the first time and winning the Dec. 1 Hollywood Turf Cup at Hollywood Park. But it's looking less and less likely that his handlers will decide to run Tiznow in that race. Owner Michael Cooper has been negotiating with Kentucky breeding farms for a stud deal that would mean Tiznow's retirement. To go out a champion, he'll need Horse of the Year voters to add up more than the numbers. --This weekend: The big race at Hollywood Park is Saturday's Hollywood Preview for 2-year-olds. It's a steppingstone step·ping·stone n. 1. A stone that provides a place to step, as in crossing a stream. 2. An advantageous position for advancement toward a goal. to the Dec. 15 Hollywood Futurity. Heavyweight Champ, third behind Officer in the Champagne Stakes, traveled 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 for trainer John Terranova and will be ridden by Gary Stevens in the 7-furlong Prevue. Roman Dancer is the local favorite after running away with the Sunny Slope at Santa Anita in 1:08 3/5 for 5 furlongs and will be ridden by Kent Desormeaux. Actually, a bigger race for California horses might be Saturday's De Francis Dash at Laurel Park in Maryland. Kona Gold (Alex Solis) and Caller One (David Flores Flores, town, Guatemala Flores (flōrəs), town (1990 est. pop. 2,200), capital of Petén department, N Guatemala. Flores was built on an island in the southern part of Lake Petén Itzá and on the site of the ) try to bounce back from Breeders' Cup Sprint The Breeders' Cup Sprint is an American Weight for Age Grade I Thoroughbred horse race for three year olds & up. Run on dirt over a distance of 6 Furlongs (3/4 mile), the race has been held annually since 1984 at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the disappointments. OUT OF THE GATE HOLLYWOOD PARK LEADERS JOCKEYS / WINS Alex Solis / 9 Kent Desormeaux / 6 Garrett Gomez / 6 David Flores / 4 Chris McCarron / 4 Laffit Pincay / 3 TRAINERS / WINS Barry Abrams / 3 Bob Baffert / 3 (Seven tied) / 2 PINCAY WATCH Laffit Pincay is off slowly at Hollywood Park, with three victories in 34 mounts through Thursday. Pincay's record career-wins total is up to 9,254. ON THE STAKES SCHEDULE Hollywood Park Saturday --$100,000 Hollywood Prevue Stakes, 2-year-olds, 7 furlongs Sunday --$100,000 Moccasin moccasin, in footwear moccasin, skin shoe worn by indigenous people of North America, excepting the sandal wearers of the Southwest area. There were two general types of moccasins, the hard-soled, which was used in the Eastern woodlands and the Southeast , 2-year-old fillies, 7 furlongs Laurel Saturday --$300,000 Frank De Francis Memorial Dash, 3-year-olds and up, 6 furlongs Aqueduct Saturday --$150,000 Red Smith Handicap The Red Smith Handicap is a turf race for thoroughbred horses open to three-year-olds and up and set at a distance of one and three-eighths miles. Run at Belmont Park on Long Island, New York, it is a Grade II event and offers a purse of $150,000. , 3-year-olds and up, 1 3/8 miles on turf Churchill Downs Saturday --$150,000 Miss Revere Revere, city (1990 pop. 42,786), Suffolk co., E Mass., a residential suburb of Boston, on Massachusetts Bay; settled c.1630, set off from Chelsea and named for Paul Revere 1871, inc. as a city 1914. , 3-year-old fillies, 1 1/16 miles 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. Ireland- and England-based trainer Aidan O'Brien has broken D. Wayne Lukas' 14-year-old record for Grade I or Group 1 victories in a season, according to Daily Racing Form statistics. O'Brien earned his 23rd when Ballingarry won the Group 1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud The Critérium de Saint-Cloud is a Group 1 flat horse race in France for two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies run over a distance of 2,000 metres (approximately 1 mile 2 furlongs) at Saint-Cloud Racecourse in November. in France on Tuesday. O'Brien's total includes Johannesburg's victory at 7-1 odds in the Grade I 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. at Belmont Park. O'Brien's Breeders' Cup included Milan's second in the Turf, Bach's third in the Mile, Sophisticat's fifth in the Juvenile Fillies and Galileo's sixth in the Classic. ... Europe's Horse of the Year title, awarded this week, went to Breeders' Cup Turf The Breeders' Cup Turf is a Weight for Age Thoroughbred horse race on turf for three-year-olds and up. It is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup. The race's current title sponsor is John Deere. winner Fantastic Light. Galileo was named champion 3-year-old, Johannesburg champion 2-year-old and Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf winner Banks Hill. ... Former jockey Sam Maple died of cancer Tuesday in Kentucky at age 48. Maple, brother of rider Eddie Maple, is best known for his work aboard Smarten smart·en v. smart·ened, smart·en·ing, smart·ens v.tr. 1. To improve in appearance or stylishness; spruce up. 2. To make quicker: smarten the pace. and for riding titles at Oaklawn Park and three other tracks. ... Eddie Delahoussaye completes a three-day suspension today for a riding violation. ... Hollywood Park's first post is 7 p.m. today. Friday racing will start at 12:30 p.m. the rest of the meet. ... Hollywood Park will begin its program at 11 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day. Los Alamitos will be closed Thursday. - Kevin Modesti CAPTION(S): photo, box Photo: no caption (Laffit Pincay) Box: OUT OF THE GATE (see text) |
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