The big new on Friday was the scratch of Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner I'll Have Another due to developing tendonitis in his left front leg. There are still a lot of other horses in the race and most of them were out on Friday morning, most during their special session at 8:30am just after the rennovation break.
I'll Have Another, shown here galloping on Thursday morning and after he was scratched, had some heat and swelling in his left front leg yesterday. After treating it overnight, they took him out at 5:30 this morning for a jog but the swelling was back. They did a scan of the leg and found the beginnings of tendonitis and scratched him from the Belmont Stakes, stopping his bid for the Triple Crown. He has been retired. His trainer Doug O'Neill said, "He's got tendonitis in his left front tendon. He's not 100 percent, and I ain't taking any chances."
Atigun came out for a gallop during the special session. His trainer Ken McPeek said in reaction to the scratch: "I feel really terrible for the connections. To do what they've done and what they've been through - it's like completely letting the air out of a balloon. Doug [O'Neill] has done this for a long time and he'll keep his head up and they'll come back in the future."
Dullahan was out for a gallop Friday morning around 7:30am. His trainer Dale Romans said about I'll Have Another scratching from the race: "It's devastating. I really wanted him to compete. This was going to be a special race, one of the biggest races of our time. It's just devastating. We're going to inherit the role as favorite, but I'd rather have him in there. I think we could have competed with him and it would have been a great race and great for the sport. It would have been something special to beat him."
Five Sixteen gallop this morning as well. His trainer Dominick Schettino said about the scratch: "It's a shame what happened, a potential Triple Crown winner. It would have been great for the sport."
Guyana Star Dweej galloped with a work partner this morning. His owner-trainer Doodnauth Shivmangal said in reaction to the scratch: "What I do in the morning, I look at my horses. I don't look at other people's horses. As a trainer, I don't breeze too much myself, but I thought something wasn't right. That's horse racing. We understand that things like that happen. But it's not good. I don't like it. It's not pleasant for me. The competition will be one less horse I have to worry about, but in my heart, deep down, it's not something that I want to happen."
Ravelo's Boy galloped during the special session this morning. Asked why he brought Ravelo's Boy, a 50-1 long shot in Saturday's Belmont Stakes, all the way from Florida for the race, trainer Manny Azpurua said, "You have to try, my friend."
Street Life galloped during the special session this morning. "I thought he [galloped] perfectly," said Brown. "I couldn't be any happier."
Union Rags went out for a gallop during the special session at 8:30am. His trainer Michael Matz said in reaction to I'll Have Another being scratched: "I came home last night. I didn't know what the situation was and today people were texting back and forth. I feel sorry for the horse. It would have been nice to try to get the Triple Crown, that's for sure."
In addition to the two races for 3-year-olds on Louisiana Derby Preview Day, there were two other stakes races contested over the Fair Grounds main track. The last stakes race of the card was the $100,000 Mineshaft Handicap (G3) featuring a field of 5 older horses going 1 1/16 miles. Last year's Louisiana Derby winner Friesan Fire was sent off as the 3-5 favorite exiting a win in the Louisiana Handicap. In to challenge him included 5-2 second choice General Quarters, second in the Louisiana Handicap last out, and 9-2 third choice Giant Oak, unraced since finishing fourth in the Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs.
Jockey Shaun Bridgmohan sent Friesan Fire to the lead immediately and he was joined by General Quarters to his inside. The pair battled for the lead for the first 7 furlongs through fractions of 24.73, 48.20, and 1:12.17. Entering the stretch, 17-1 longest shot Stonehouse, who had stalked the pace in third the whole way under new jockey Miguel Mena, came out wide to pass Friesan Fire at the 1/8 pole. Friesan Fire faded from the pace duel but General Quarters continued to rally on the inside. Stonehouse held him off in the final strides to get the win by a neck in 1:44.09. It was another 1 3/4 lengths back to Giant Oak third, and 3 3/4 more to favorite Friesan Fire fourth.
Left: Stonehouse in the winner's circle. His trainer Joseph "Spanky" Broussard said, "This old horse can run. (Stonehouse) is a nice horse and he's already proved it. He'd already won over half a million dollars. He's raced everywhere. When he sees the truck he jumps right in. I thought he'd run good, and when he caught up to those speed horses turning for home I knew he was going to win it."
Right: Stonehouse in the post parade. His jockey Miguel Mena said, "My boss told me to take him back. General Quarters put pressure on us in the first turn and in the second turn we were good and it looked like Friesan Fire was galloping and putting pressure on us and he didn't like that."
Left: Trainer and owner Tom McCarthy gives Robby Albarado a leg up on second place finisher General Quarters in the paddock. McCarthy said, "We'll just have to try again. Today we beat Friesan Fire but we set it up for somebody else. I was very pleased with the way my horse fought back today. We fell back a little bit and he caught his breath and then he came right on again. He ran a winning race."
Right: Third place finisher Giant Oak in the post parade. His jockey James Graham said, "He kept running through the wire. I'm very pleased. I think he's much better on dirt and I'm looking forward to his next start."
Fourth place finisher and beaten favorite Friesan Fire leads as they pass by for the first time. The 3-5 favorite looked very strong in the paddock and post parade, but was passed by the eventual winner at the 1/8 pole and faded in the final 1/16. The Steve Asmussen trainee has a record to 5 wins, 1 second, and 2 thirds in 12 starts, earning $657,765 for owners Vinery Stables and Fox Hill Farms.
Kicking off the stakes action on Saturday was the $60,000 Pan Zareta Stakes for older fillies and mares sprinting 6 furlongs on the main track. After 2 horses scratched out, only four went to post with Dubai Majesty sent off as the even money choice, exiting a nose defeat in the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Sprint last out. In to challenge her were 3-1 second choice Coy Cat, second in the Leggio Memorial, 4-1 third choice Simplify, who was third in the Leggio, and 6-1 Double Espresso, second in the Orleans Stakes at Delta Downs before winning an allowance at Oaklawn last out.
Simplify went to the front down the backstretch under jockey Shaun Bridgmohan, and was joined on the turn by Double Espresso to her outside through fractions of 22.96 and 46.70. Through the stretch, Simplify tired and faded to past, as Double Espresso opened a short lead on favorite Dubai Majesty at the 1/8 pole through 5/8 in 58.43. Dubai Majesty put in a rally but Double Espresso was up to the challenge, holding her off by a head in 1:10.82. It was a long 4 3/4 lengths back to Coy Cat third, and another 5 1/2 to Simplify last.
Left: Double Espresso in the winner's circle with trainer Tom Amoss at her hip. Amoss said, "She's a big filly. She's easily 17 hands. Like a lot of horses that big, she's gotten better with time. Today was one of her best races. I'm a little bit tempted to see how far she can go and obviously that means (the New Orleans Ladies) running against (Rachel Alexandra). We'll see how that plays out."
Right: Double Espresso returns after the race. The 4-year-old daughter of Medaglia d'Oro improved her record to 5 wins, 1 second, and 3 thirds in 10 starts, earning $161,933 for owner Goldmark LLC.
Left: Second place finisher Dubai Majesty in the paddock. Her trainer Bret Calhoun said, "It just makes me sick, absolutely sick. She gets away tardy and I think it costs us the race. I thought she was several lengths the best horse today and if she gets away I think she wins by herself. It's just one of those unlucky things."
Right: Third place finisher Coy Cat returns after the race. The 3-1 second choice raced last on the inside early under jockey Patrick Valenzuela, came three wide into the lane to get third beaten 4 3/4 lengths. The Paul McGee trainee improved her record to 5 wins, 7 seconds, and 3 thirds in 24 starts, earning $245,355 for owner Jay Em Ess Stable.
Left: Retired Hall of Fame jockey Pat Day places a wreath of flowers on the grave of Pan Zareta in the infield after the race. He was at the Fair Grounds signing autographs to raise money for the Race Track Chaplaincy of America.
Right: The grave of 1924 Louisiana Derby and Kentucky Derby winner Black Gold in the infield which is near Pan Zareta's grave. Tradtionally, a wreath of flowers is placed on the marker each year, usually by the winning jockey. The Black Gold Stakes was held last week so the roses are a bit wilted now.
Here is the next entry into the birds I've seen. I peeped this guy out my front door being chased by a murder of crows a few mornings ago.
So I ended up deciding to scrap the old Turkey Vulture I was working on. Once I started on this guy I couldn't stop. This one came out little more dramatic i think...just a wee bit.
Fun post Tammy! I remember cameras with flash cubes! :) I like the old pictures. Was John laughing while laying there on the ground? And yes, I think Case might be okay if you don't pull that picture out for his future wedding slide show, LOL! :)
Funny that John stayed on the ground long enough for you to naba few photos. My John would be up in a flash giving me 'the look'. lol!
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The 2018 Stillwater Park(ing) Day was officially and successfully held on Oct 5th, 2018, with the collaboration of Landscape Architecture and Architectural students from OSU. Postponed for a raining day and confronting a windy day, we have seen great art installations expressing environmental concerns and designers' tastes. Also, the communications with the public was a very inspiring process.
PARK(ing) Day began in San Francisco in 2005 when a metered parking spot was turned into a park to bring awareness for the need of more open spaces in urban areas as well as making people think about how public spaces are created and how they are used.