ALWAYS BREAKS OUT THE TY ON HOLIDAYS
Rumors that Big Brown would ship to the Labor Day running of the Pennsylvania Derby never had the ring of truth and the Kentucky Derby and Preakness victor won't be there.
But what about the Sept. 13 running of the PTHA President's Cup?
The connections of Big Brown have indicated they want a turf race as a final prep for the Oct. 25 Classic at Santa Anita.
The Philly race is at 1 1/8 miles over the green with a current $250,000 purse.
Kick in half a million more and you get a terrific field with a marquee name.
The race suits Big Brown's time frame nicely and he would of course avoid Curlin who is main track bound in the Woodward and Jockey Club Gold Cup.
Next weekend's card full of Pa.-bred stakes at Philly will be a welcome relief.
Saturday's opener witnessed two of the seven in the field being eased in the stretch.
Latewinterstorm was vanned off appearing lame and Safebreaker was eased after losing contact.
With no turf and small fields, an August feature, one must persuse the simulcasting menu for signs of good racing.
Yesterday's finale at Laurel saw Appeal to the City fail as the heavy favorite, finishing fifth in a turf sprint.
Rose was aboard Appeal to the City on June 23 at Delaware Park when he struck her in the eye with the whip in deep stretch after she lugged in over the winners' heels.
Rose was dealt a six month suspension, reduced to three months by the commission, and will be back on Sept. 23.
He said the incident was accidental and maintained his innonence.
Interesting, Appeal to the City, who was treated at the New Bolton Center fer her eye injury, was dropping from $20,000 to $10,000 at Laurel after running third for a $20,000 tag at Colonial in her first outing after the fiasco.
Following Big Brown's easily anticipated but hard-earned Haskell victory, trainer Rick Dutrow suggested that Curlin, the assumed other fastest horse in the world, wasn't in the same class as his horse.
Jess Jackson, prinicipal owner of Curlin, who along with Big Brown share's a Preakness victory if little else, offered to meet Big Brown in the Woodward at the Spa on Aug. 30 but Michael Iavarone, part-owner of Big Brown, said his horse was still too tired from the Haskell.
Jackson countered with the offer of an encounter next month in the Jockey Club Gold Cup but Big Brown's camp said they were looking for a turrf race in mid September with the Oct. 25 Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita the eventual target.
But Jackson does not seem to like the synthetic surface at Santa Anita and will likely not send his horse West.
So plenty of races but no head to head.
An unofficial poll conducted by this writer had about 10 voters choosing Curlin over Big Brown in any match-up, with not one racetracker feeling that Big Brown was, at least any more, his equal.
Two people expressed the belief that Big Brown wouldn't even run again.
Do the two groups realize the possibility that Commentator could outrun them both?
Enter the mule.
On Saturday in Fernwood, California, Black Ruby, the greatest racing mule in history, will return from a year's layoff to make her 100th start (HRTV).
"Ruby," at the ripe old age of 16, has managed to win 58 times, with 17 seconds, and 14 thirds while banking $236,085.
That's Donald Trump money in mule land.
Black Ruby has never avoided certain footing or competition and, a further warning to Curlin and Big Brown, has taken a couple of match races too.
