High Five / Low Five
High Five!
High Fives to Steve Asmussen and Shug McGaughey. Steve announced Midnight Bisou will head to the Distaff and not the Classic. It’s the right call and move. Shug waited until Code of Honor told him let’s go to California and run in the Classic not the other way around. Old school. How it should be.
Low Five!
Low Five to California Governor Gavin Newsom. He is clearly not familiar enough with racing for his shut it down approach.
High Five!
High Five to Woodbine for trying a new crop rule limiting encouragement to underhanded use only. While education about riding crops may have been a better idea, we’ll throw them a High Five for making some effort.
Low Five!
No surprises here. The NYRA stewards earned this Low Five. Whether you agree with the disqualification of Vino Rosso or not, we have had enough of the inconsistency , subjectiveness, and the lack of accountability with stewards. All that said, this was one bad bad call. Low Five.
High Five!
Congratulations and High Five 🖐 to jockey Abel Cedillo who gave a nice ride to Mongolian Groom to take a well deserved Grade 1 in the Awesome Again at Santa Anita on Saturday. The young rider came right back Sunday to take the Zenyatta with a heady stalking ride aboard Paradise Woods. Abel has been riding top shelf of late and people are taking notice. Keep it up Jock! High Five! A High Five also goes out to Ricardo Santana Jr. and trainer Steve Asmussen for complete domination of the Oklahoma Derby card at Remington Park, the pair teamed up for 7, yes that’s right 7 wins on the night!
Low Five!
A Low Five goes to Peter Brant or whoever named the horse he is running in the Arc this year. Sure it is great to see Peter back in the game at a higher than ever level, and having success here and abroad, but seriously. They couldn’t come up with a better name than “Sottsass” ? The guy might have been a fantastic architect but his last name just doesn’t fit a racehorse. Especially a good one.
High Five!
Past the Wire throws a big High Five to Jose Ortiz but this time it is not for his ability in the irons, but his class and compassion out of the saddle. After winning races on Sandy’z Slew Jose made Sandy a big winner retiring him to his farm outside Ocala. High Five 🖐 Jose. Well done. Jose will have to share a High Five with Johnny Velazquez who flew to Santa Anita to break the graded stakes wins in North America not once but twice, picking up 661 and 662 on Bask and Eight Rings for Bob Baffert. We’ll throw Bob a High Five too for the graded stakes double. One last High Five today goes to the Rainbow 6 winner at Gulfstream who took down a nice score, 2.2 mil, and Ed de Rosa of Twin Spires who confirmed the ticket was purchased through them and is sharing structure and style. Nice one guys and gals!
High Five!
Newmarket and Breeders’ Cup share a High Five 🖐 from Past the Wire for putting together one heck of a Friday card with a “Win and You’re In” Breeders’ Cup race. The Rockfel offers a spot in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. On Saturday the Juddmonte Royal Lodge goes with a berth into the Breeders’ Juvenile Turf up for grabs. Great time to start watching the Euros.
Low Five!
Churchill Downs Inc. earned yet another Low Five for moving one step closer to getting out of the horse racing business in Florida and ruining Calder. An appeals court ruled the company could use its license for jai alai and then to operate a casino at Calder in Miami Springs. Maybe some day they will just race Oaks and Derby day. They can move any stakes they may care about to those two race days. Sorry CDI, not personal, strictly business, you all understand that.