Heatseeker and Colonel John Big Winners on 'Big Cap' Day

by Steve Davidowitz | Mar 5 2008

Hey Byrn Scores Impressive Win at Gulfstream Park to Join Derby Picture

A Column by Steve Davidowitz
March 5, 2008

The 2008 Santa Anita Handicap did not have a single horse among its 14 starters who could be favorably compared to many previous Hall of Fame horses who have won this race. But with the victory scored by the modestly accomplished Heatseeker, trainer Jerry Hollendorfer just might have gained a missing credential that will bolster his Hall of Fame quest.

Hollendorfer has been a victim of the poorly constructed Hall of Fame voting system that is begging for a drastic overhaul. He's also been a victim of having performed Hall of Fame work for three decades in Northern California where the racing spotlight rarely shines bright.

Check this out: Jerry Hollendorfer has won more than 50 consecutive meet training titles at Golden Gate Fields and Bay Meadows. I suggest you read that statistical summary again, to let the sheer power of this man's amazing record sink in.

Mr. Hollendorfer also has more than 5,000 career wins and even took the Arlington Park meet title when he shipped in to Chicago with a modest sized stable for the first time in 2001.

Rarely blessed with top-class horses, Jerry Hollendorfer nevertheless has developed several important graded stakes winners, including Event of the Year and the Grade 1 winners King Glorious, Lite Light, Pike Place Dancer and now Heatseeker. On a personal note, I covered racing in the San Francisco Bay area for the Oakland Tribune and The Racing Times in the early 1990s and saw Hollendorfer perform day after day as one of the finest horsemen in American racing, a man with Hall of Fame talent but a relatively low profile on the national racing stage. That is why Heatseeker's victory in the historic 'Big Cap' finally could earn this outstanding horseman a deserved spot on the highly restrictive Hall of Fame ballot in 2009 or 2010.

As for what really happened in the Santa Anita Handicap and a few other important races last weekend, here's my weekly review. Please note that most of the major stakes run in America this year and in 2007 are reviewed in my archived columns found on the right hand side of the horse racing page.

Saturday, March 1st at Santa Anita Park

* The $1 million Santa Anita Handicap (G1), 1 1/4 miles for 4-year-olds and up

Fractional Splits: 24.02. . .46.89. . .1:10.11. . .1:34.87. . .2:00.42

Monterey Jazz was the lukewarm betting favorite at $3.90-1 after his impressive and very fast win in the Strub Stakes (G2) over a glib and yet troubled Cushion Track on February 2nd. In this 10-furlong contest Monterey Jazz opened up an insane lead of more than 12 lengths through seven furlongs, only to spit out the bit and fade badly to 12th in the final 3/8 miles. Likewise, Air Commander, game winner of the San Fernando on an equally super slick Cushion Track on January 12th, fell back to ninth after breaking slowly and chasing Monterey Jazz for the first six furlongs.

Meanwhile, the eventual one-two finishers - Heatseeker at $7-1 and Go Between at $5.90-1 - were also previous winners over the Santa Anita track during the Cushion Track period. Despite the bulky 14-horse field in the Big Cap, both enjoyed relatively comfortable trips in the second flight behind the runaway front runner and were the dominant contenders when the real race began on the final turn.

Heatseeker proved best, pure and simple, while third-place finisher Champs Elysees, making his first start on a track other than turf, encountered just enough traffic trouble rallying from far back that his narrow third-place finish over Tiago was better than it may have appeared in the results chart.

While none of the remaining horses in the fully subscribed 14-horse field encountered serious traffic problems, the early tactics employed by Monterey Jazz created built-in excuses for most. Perhaps a more relaxed pace or a pace that involved serious competition for the lead would have produced more desirable performances throughout the field.

* The $200,000 Sham Stakes (G3), 1 1/8 miles for 3-year-olds

Fractional splits: 24.97. . .50.04. . .1:14.35. . .1:38.27. . .1:50.15

This was a strangely run race given that two of the speed types - Trevor's Clever and Coast Guard - were scratched, leaving no confirmed front runner, no horse with genuine sprint speed.

Colonel John, a highly rated Kentucky Derby prospect making his first start since finishing a good second to Into Mischief in the CashCall Futurity at Hollywood Park on December 22nd, picked up the tempo when he challenged for the lead outside Victory Pete on the turn. Under another excellent ride by Garrett Gomez, Colonel John continued to the wire at a Grade-1 clip, finishing his final 3/8 miles in a sharp 34.80 on the synthetic hybrid (Pro Ride / Cushion Track) track.

El Gato Malo, previously undefeated in three career starts, did have some traffic issues in the stretch which did not alter the outcome in my opinion.

Reflect Times failed to catch a tiring Victory Pete for his second straight disappointing finish in a Graded stakes

Although the performances of the top two were encouraging, there is little chance that either will see such a slow, uncontested pace when and if they meet the leaders of the 3-year-old division in the 1 1/4-mile Kentucky Derby on dirt at Churchill Downs on May 3rd. Next stop for both is the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby (G1) on April 5th, to be run at the same nine-furlong distance.

* The $300,000, Kilroe Handicap (G1), 1 mile on the turf for 4-year-olds and up

Fractional splits: 23.47. . .47.58. . .1:10.70. . .1:22.04. . .1:33.37

A relatively small field of six for this Grade-1 turf event and the winner was 9-1 shot Ever a Friend, claimed for a moderate $62,500 on December 6, 2007. Ever a Friend's only prior stakes victory was for new trainer Mike Mitchell in a non-graded $84,000 sprint stakes on the 6 1/2-furlong downhill Santa Anita turf course on December 31st. This was his first start in 2008.

In this Grade 1, the 5-year-old Ever a Friend stalked the moderate pace set by Storm Military and opened up a clear lead at the top of the stretch while facing no serious rivals thereafter. Obviously improved under new management, it remains to be seen if his form will hold up against sharper rivals.

That, in fact, was the surprising story of this prestigious one-mile race. War Monger, the $11-10 betting favorite, apparently lost his sharpness shipping in from Florida and finished a flat, uninspiring third, four lengths behind the winner.

Artiste Royal, winner of the 10-furlong Clement Hirsch (G1) at Santa Anita last October and a sluggish eighth in the Japan Cup at Tokyo Racecourse in November, trailed the field for most of the race and only rallied belatedly to edge War Monger for second.

Storm Military did set the moderate pace, but faltered to finish in a dead heat for fourth with Out of Control, while hopeless longshot Napper Tandy was never in the contest yet was only beaten eight lengths in last place.

On the same day a full field of 14 contested the Santa Anita Handicap, there were only five relatively unaccomplished horses competing in the Gulfstream Park Handicap. In other words, Gulfstream Park management - which also owns and runs Santa Anita - sure picked a smart day to run a similar main track stakes race.

Saturday, March 1st at Gulfstream Park

* The $350,000 Gulfstream Park Handicap (G2), 1 3/16 miles for 4-year-olds and up

Fractional Splits: 24.91. . .50.50. . .1:14.46. . .1:38.06. . .1:56.96

Sir Whimsey, a non-stakes winning grandson of A.P. Indy who had won a recent allowance race over the track, continued his improvement with this solid effort over slightly overrated $12-10 betting favorite Fairbanks. The latter's only stakes victory was in a Grade 3 at Santa Anita in March 2007 and he had every opportunity to win here when the front runner drifted out in the upper stretch, but failed to take full advantage. Kiss the Kid, whose third-place finish was an indictment of the rest of the field, was tiring badly after setting relatively slow splits.

Leonatus Antus stalked the leader for almost a mile but also faded in a weak performance while Wood be Willing showed nothing at any stage of the contest.

Beyond the stakes competition last weekend, the most impressive performance was turned in by the relatively obscure 3-year-old Hey Byrn in an allowance race on the March 1st card. The winning performance instantly projected Hey Byrn as a probable starter in the Florida Derby at Gulfstream next month as a possible contender for the Kentucky Derby.

Sunday, March 2nd at Gulfstream Park

* The third race, $43,000, 1 1/8 miles, for 3-year-old non-winners of two other than maiden or claiming

Fractional Splits: 23.74. . .50.17. . .1:13.82. . .1:39.53. . .1:52.78

A slow early pace, a fast middle pace and a moderate last quarter, as adjusted for the relatively slow speed of the racing surface.

Hey Byrn, a 14-length winner over entry level allowance rivals in his most recent start on February 10th (with a solid Beyer Speed Figure of 97), was stakes placed last summer at Calder and obviously has matured quite a bit during the winter.

In this eye-catching performance, Hey Byrn settled outside in fourth place behind the leading group, moved up with minimal urging to reach a strong striking position entering the stretch, and blew by his rivals with a flourish leaving the furlong pole to leave the rest six lengths behind.

Hey Byrn left the impression there was more there and more to come and I put him ninth in my top 12 Kentucky Derby rankings that will appear along with Dave Tuley's rankings elsewhere on Bodog's horse racing page each week through mid-April, beginning this Friday.

The disappointment in this race was the previously undefeated Alaazo, who may have been injured, finishing last after making a brief move to contention on the backstretch.

Added Note: A strong field of nine is scheduled to compete in the $600,000 Louisiana Derby (G2) on Saturday, March 8th at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans. In post position order the field includes: Stevil, My Pal Charlie, Pyro, J Be K, Unbridled Vicar, Tale of Ekati, Blackberry Road, Yankee Bravo and Majestic Road.

Pyro, of course, was second to undefeated War Pass in the Champagne Stakes and the Breeders' Cup Juvenile last year and returned in 2008 with a stirring stretch running victory in the Risen Star Stakes on February 9th. Yankee Bravo is undefeated in three career starts including the California Derby at Golden Gate Fields, while J Be K is also undefeated and has blistering early speed. Blackberry Road has several in the money finishes in graded stakes. Tale of Ekati won the Futurity Stakes (G1) at Belmont last year. Majestic Warrior was an impressive winner of the Hopeful (G1) at Saratoga before he was injured in the Champagne Stakes.

To this point on the Triple Crown chase, no race has offered the quality and depth of the Louisiana Derby.

Steve Davidowitz has written two highly acclaimed books on Thoroughbred racing---Betting Thoroughbreds and The Best and Worst of Thoroughbred Racing. He also is a regular contributor to Daily Racing Form's Simulcast Weekly and DRF Plus and his columns appear in the Bodog Racebook each week.