Horse racing through the eyes of a small-time owner
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Bottom left: Katskill Bay in the winner’s circle after his maiden-breaking win out at Aqueduct. Top right: the view from the rail out at Aqueduct.
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Katskill Bay
Race 1- Katskill broke slow out of the gate, but Maylan settled him in nicely. Around the first turn, she eased Katskill into the rail in behind Robachino, who broke from the inside post. When it was clear Robachino was not going to budge from the rail, Maylan swung Katskill 4 wide around the second turn, setting him up for a stretch run. Katskill’s head reared to the right a bit in the dash for home, but he made a valiant bid nonetheless. He lost in a photo for third, needing only one more head bob to catch the tiring Robachino. He ran a race that was maybe 100 yards longer than Robachino’s. If he had gotten a better trip and had he been sharper out of the gate, he could even have gotten up to second. But there was going to be no catching Giant Ryan, a second-time starter, who ran a big race. Maylan said after the race, “he kind of reared up in the gate, but for a first-time starter he ran real good.”
Race 2- We ran up against a buzz saw in this one. It was the glittery debut of Mr. Fantasy, who marched 8 ½ lengths clear of a dejected field. Katskill, in perfect position at the top of the stretch, failed to make a bid. At the time, this baffled me. Katskill had always come home faster than he had gone out- in races, in morning breezes, always. He had never failed to accelerate, when asked. An email from Mike offered some explanation- a broken bridle. Ah, the intoxication of an explanation.
Race 3- I felt before this race that Katskill presented the bet of the year. He went off at 13-1, getting no respect from the pundits. His first two races were way better than fourth-place finishes- the first he suffered a horrendous break and a tough trip, the second a broken bridle at the top of the stretch. We were going on Lasix for the first time (never a handicapping angle in my mind, but something to consider). And arguably the field was the weakest he had faced to-date. But the lack of respect didn’t bother the little man. He paid $11.80 on the place. He overcame a cruddy post (9) to go wire-to-wire in 2nd place. At the quarter pole it looked like he was going to make a real push by the eventual winner, Inger Management, who commandeered the rail the whole way (and who had come out of the 3 post). But Inger Management held off the gallant KB by ¾ of a length. KB posted an 83 speed figure in the effort.
Race 4- A weak field and an 83 figure last time out got the eyes of the pundits. The handicappers bet Katskill down to 1-1 by post time. Also, Katskill had drawn a fortunate post, 3 from the rail, this time around. The horse that worried me the most was the Candy Ride colt, Snipe (and who I put at the bottom of a winning exacta). Out of the gate, Katskill regressed from his flawless break last time out, but he recovered nicely. The first ¼ mile hit the board- a fast 22.6- with Katskill in perfect stalking position about 4 lengths off the pace. At the top of the stretch, Maylan made a strong petition, and Katskill responded. He came home 2 and ½ lengths clear of the competition, posting a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 89.
Race 5 - Some races are simply too difficult to recollect. Some races eat at you, won’t leave your mind alone. Frustrate. This was one of them. Katskill was up against a small field, was training well going into the race, and was only up against one horse that I felt clearly outclassed him. All the stars appeared aligned. The NY Stallion Stakes was supposed to be a better day. Katskill’s first shot at stakes company (albeit non-graded stakes company). Katskill....it is almost too painful to write....finished third. I didn’t expect the win. But in my mind second needed to happen. But as much as you try to twist and bend this sport to your conception of the way things should be, the more it rears its absurd head, spits in your face, and taunts, “sit down little man. Pray and hope. That is all you can do. I am driving this cart. And its not going to make sense.”
Race 6 - Katskill stretched out for the first time to 7 furlongs in his sixth race, a $43,000 Allowance race at Belmont Park, coming off the longest layoff of his career but also a strong set of morning work. There is probably no bigger fan of Maylan Studart than me, but arguably for the first time I think it is fair to say a tactical error hurt us in this one. Katskill took to the front of what was a scorching pace, the first 1/4 went in 22:95, the first 1/2 in 45:82. The favorite Slevin walked out of the gate, and trailed the field nearly the entire way. Katskill had took to the front about 3 furlongs into the race. With a furlong to go, Katskill was two lengths clear. Katskill raced to win at 6 furlongs. He got little guidance from Maylan that today he had to run differently. In the final furlong, Katskill appeared to be running backwards. Monte Carlo, the eventual winner who went off at odds of 11-1, was sitting sixth at the turn from home. The most sickening part of the race was the way in which Slevin came up to get third (epecially because I had a show bet on Katskill) behind Pegasian who got second. Considering Katskill was going 7 furlongs for the first time in his life, I felt Maylan should have held him back more at the start, set him off what would have been a fast pace anyway due to the strong move to the front by Jaypress (15-1). Not to mention, Maylan had to use her whip about 8 times down the stretch. Espinoza aboard Monte Carlo, on other hand, was able to sweep far outside, use the whip twice, and breeze by an exhausted Katskill on the rail. Maylan has a wonderful rapport with Katskill, so maybe he was telling her something different. I won’t play Monday morning quarterback. I feel, though, on this one we lost a battle of strategy; not of speed.
Race 7 - Katskill returned to Stakes company for the 7th race of his career. As the starting gate opened, the tote board had Katskill going off at odds of 44-1! Sure, his father has produced only one winner on turf in over forty tries. Sure, Katskill had finished 4th in his only start stretching out to 7 furlongs. But come on, give my colt a break! The little warrior in six previous efforts had never put out an effort worse than 4th. And across those six races, Katskill suffered from a handful of bad trips, some graded stakes competition, and a jockey tactical error. so this Sunday past what did Katskill do when the betting pundits discarded his chances? He ran the best Beyer Speed Figure of his career (91), suffered an absolutely horrendous trip, and still finished 4th! Although, while Katskill maintained his consistency and competitive spirit, the 4th was disappointing. Katskill always puts out a respectable performance, but he seems to lack that complete disdain for losing that all the greats possess. As Mike said in an email to the partners after the race, “The decision of where to go next with KB is paramount.” Indeed it is. The colt has shown some proficiency on grass. He has handled the 7 furlongs. What to do? Rest assured Katskill’s next race will come in an Allowance race, but at what distance? On what surface? Summer is upon us, all I can think of is Saratoga, hopefully Katskill hasn’t peaked yet.
Race 8 - Rain blanketed the northeast for much of June and July, creating havoc for Katskill’s race schedule. On two consecutive occasions prior to his July 3rd outing, Katskill was scratched from the program. The second scratch coming in the Mike Lee Stakes. So on July 3, Katskill came down in class and returned to dirt to run in an Allowance race. What a race it was! Alan Garcia was aboard with the injury to Maylan. Garcia ran put together a smart ride along the rail; and Katskill responded with the best figure of his career and his second win! Katskill, with the win, has now become Desert Warrior’s second highest earner in 2009. And he has yet to put out an effort worse than 4th.
Race 9 - Coming off the second win of his career, Katskill returned to the turf and moved to a route distance for the first time in his career. The decision to go a mile on the turf was made with one eye focused on the horizon- Saratoga. But in the words of poet Robert Burns, "The best-laid plans of mice and men / Go oft awry." Saratoga seems yet far away. Katskill put out his worst effort Thursday. But the effort was largely a product of bad luck. The strategy was sound and simple: hold KB back in the middle of the pack, and let him go in the stretch. The pace was scorching- the first 1/2 going in 45 and change- so KB looked poised to strike. But it wasn’t KB that made the move to the front, but rather a 20-1 shot. At the top of the stretch, Garcia got caught behind a wall of horses (it turns out that KB lost both of his front shoes). Our warrior champion marched across the tape 8th- the worst finish of his career.
So just like that- the worst race of KB’s career comes right on the heels of his very best. And these fluctuations of fate have left me feeling a bit like Thomas Arnold on the shores of Dover Beach, staring out at the “Sea of Faith,” “But now I only hear/ Its melancholy, long, withdrawing roar,...” But hope, I suppose, springs eternal. Sweet, sweet Saratoga- how I long to see your face.
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