2008

EVEN Cary Grant would have been challenged to look this cool. Racing with style and speed to spare, Big Brown sauntered home first in the 133rd Grade 1 Preakness Stakes before a crowd of over 112,000, moving one victory closer to the elusive Triple Crown.

The colt’s five and a quarter length victory makes Big Brown the fourth undefeated winner of the Triple Crown‘s first two legs, joining Majestic Prince, Seattle Slew, and Smarty Jones. Only the great Seattle Slew went on to win the mile and a half Belmont Stakes for a series sweep.

Following a damp and muddy Friday in Baltimore, skies were clear above Pimlico Race Course for the Triple Crown’s nine and a half-furlong middle jewel. Big Brown, with one-time leading Maryland apprentice Kent Desormeaux aboard, was a prohibitive 1/5 favourite.

Gayego left the gate in a headstrong gallop from an outside post, leading the field into the first turn. With Riley Tucker in closest pursuit, Big Brown was on the rail in the early stages, saving ground, before Desormeaux eased him over to their familiar spot in the clear.

Fluid strides

Midway around the final turn, Big Brown locked up the $1 million classic in fewer than a dozen fluid strides. Once more than five lengths in front with a furlong still to run, Desormeaux eased up on Big Brown, mindful of the one remaining classic in three weeks’ time.

The winning time was 1min 54.8secs, nearly identical to six-year-old Student Council’s time in the Pimlico Special the previous afternoon.

‘‘Yesterday, we saw a new side of him,’’ Rick Dutrow said the next morning. ‘‘He was down on the inside, there was a horse in front of him and a horse on the outside of him. This horse can adapt to anything.’’

The grey Macho Again saved ground early in the race and, with a five-wide rally, arrived in time to secure second by a half-length. Third place finisher Icabad Crane also saved ground early on and was returned up the rail by Jeremy Rose for the stretch run.

Police escort

With a police escort leading the way and a United Parcel Service truck in tow, a van carrying Big Brown pulled into the Belmont Park backstretch early on Monday afternoon. The unflappable colt was led into the same stall at Barn 2 occupied by Empire Maker before his 2003 Belmont Stakes victory.

‘‘We believe we have a fresh horse for the Belmont,’’ noted Dutrow, who added Big Brown did run down on both hind heels and was treated with a skin ointment for some superficial nicks.

The prospective field for the June 7th Belmont Stakes will include a few Triple Crown returnees, plus a bold new challenger in Casino Drive, the Japanese-owned winner of the Peter Pan Stakes.

Robert Clay of Three Chimneys Farm and Big Brown’s owners, International Equine Acquisition Holdings and Paul Pompa junior, have announced a deal to stand the son of Boundary at Three Chimneys Farm. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the deal is believed to be for $50 million.

Already home to dual classic winner Smarty Jones, the farm will welcome Big Brown sometime this year. Michael Iavarone of IEAH had previously confirmed that Big Brown will not race as a four-year-old.

Creachadoir gives royal display

2008

IT may have been a quiet start to the season for Godolphin, but Sheikh Mohammed’s Newmarket operation chalked up its first Group 1 success of the campaign when Creachadoir ran out a clear-cut winner of the Juddmonte Lockinge Stakes at Newbury on Saturday.

In a top-class renewal of this prestigious event, Frankie Dettori led early, tracked Rob Roy for a while, then went on again and made the best of his way home under the stands’ rails. Phoenix Tower, always well there, kept on but was beaten three-parts of a length, with Tariq, several lengths adrift passing the furlong marker, bursting through for third, only a neck behind. Then came Cesare and Arabian Gleam, followed by Aidan O’Brien’s Australian import and dual Group 1 winner Haradasun.

Creachadoir, a son of King’s Best, finished second in both the French and Irish 2000 Guineas for Jim Bolger last year and became one of Godolphin’s high-profile purchases. On his second in the Hong Kong Mile, where he was beaten a whisker, he had every chance on the book, and word soon spread that he was well forward. Starting at 3/1 favourite, he enjoyed the run of the race but was well on top close home.

‘‘Our horses are now coming back very well and this is a great result for us. We’ll take him to Ascot for the Queen Anne Stakes,’’ said winning trainer Saeed bin Suroor. ‘‘There was a bit of pressure today but he didn’t let me down. He was a good horse last year and is probably better this year,’’ added Dettori.

Henry Cecil was delighted with Earl of Sefton winner Phoenix Tower, who has come back from two hairline fractures and looks to be improving at four. He could go for the Queen Anne or the Prince of Wales’s Stakes over 10 furlongs, which might suit him better.

Jimmy Fortune on Tariq caused a share of trouble, while Cesare and Jamie Spencer went around the outside, then drifted right again and left Haradasun the meat in the sandwich. Fortune was suspended for one day and Spencer for two.

Several of them could meet again in the Queen Anne and there will be support for Tariq, though he was not making any more ground in the final 50 yards after his eye-catching manoeuvre, while Cesare probably ran to his best and remains fractionally short of Group 1 class. All of which leaves Haradasun as the most likely threat when battle is re-joined.

Danny Mullins makes his mark

2008

JUST three days after making his first appearance in the saddle, Danny Mullins became the latest member of a great Irish racing dynasty to make his mark on the track when he partnered My Girl Sophie to victory in the seven-furlong handicap at Leopardstown.

The 16-year-old son of Tony and Mags Mullins had previously enjoyed notable success on the pony racing circuit, and this latest recruit to the riding ranks was starting out his career in the wake of a most successful National Hunt season for his cousins Emmet and Patrick.

Mullins was in action for his master Jim Bolger, whom he started riding out for last summer, and sent My Girl Sophie (5/1) straight into the lead. A wave of rivals headed by Mary Josephine closed up heading towards the final furlong, but the Danzig filly was not to be denied and ran on well for Mullins to score by a length and three-parts.

Kilbeggan gives racing a voice

1958

KILBEGGAN staged a successful meeting on Monday last, when Mrs V. Vanden Bergh had the pleasure of having her colours carried to victory in the first and last events on the programme.

Pas Si Beau, trained for her by Joe Osborne, won the opening Brusna Maiden Hurdle; while she completed the double when Paddy Sleator saddled her six-year-old Joint Account to take the Tally Ho Hunters’ Chase.

The Kilbeggan executive are to be congratulated for stepping into line with the majority of other courses and providing their public with a commentary on the various races.

Pas Si Beau, who had run well at Limerick, started at the attractive odds of 5/1. With W.J. Brennan in the saddle, he won readily. At the post he had five lengths to spare over Tipadore. Joint Account’s winning path was made much easier when Take Time fell at the second-last fence. Maranboy, with T.P. Burns in the saddle, justified favouritism in the Midland Handicap.