FIRST HALF OF YEAR COMPLETE - SECOND SEASON BEGINS

Ralph Siraco's Blog

June 2009

Mine That Bird, Rachael Alexandra and Summer Bird will go down as each a winner of the 2009 Triple Crown. Most amazing award goes to Mine That Bird's Kentucky Derby. Most impressive award goes to Rachael Alexandra for her Preakness win, and, most improved performance will go to Summer Bird's Belmont. But, the most gutty as well as most incredible performance goes to Belmont Stakes runner-up Dunkirk. It was discovered the day after the "Test of the Champion" that the Belmont pacesetter, who provided an "up tempo" for the 1 1/2 mile venture, and, who was passed by Mine That Bird at the head of the imposing home stretch only to re-rally while winning his personal battle with the Derby winner, only to settle for second, was found to have fracture a rear cannon bone during the running of the race. Dunkirk will miss most of the rest of the year while recovering from corrective surgery of the injury. To think a horse can run that way while sustaining a fractured bone is a testament to the spirit and competitive nature of the Thoroughbred animal. Incredible and somewhat unbelievable.

We will now wait for the second-half of the year to shake out how good or mediocre this sophomore class really is. However, there is no mistaking the best of the glamor group right now is the filly. She is something. Early images of Rachael and Zenyatta in the same race--with their contrasting racing styles--can make for a epic championship showdown. Let's keep our fingers crossed. With Jess Jackson on record as a "non-plasitc race surface" believer, it will take his sportsmanship side to bring Rachael into Zenyatta's back yard for the Breeders' Cup Championships at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountain range over the "Pro Ride" Santa Anita carpet fiber. And, then if then which will come into play--for BOTH Rachael Alexandra and Zenyatta. There certainly would be a Classic attached to the race name, BUT, whether it would be on the FRIDAY or the SATURDAY card could really bring down the house. The "Ladies Classic" would take center stage if the two threw it down in the Friday feature. But, if they take their personal battle to invade the "Breeders' Cup Classic" against the best of both sexes in the world, then we would really have a "definitive" Championship showdown.

PERIOD. The big bucks, the big BC trophy, the GOLD Eclipse Award and along with that the "Horse Of The Year (WORLD) title for 2009. Oh well, horseplayers are entitled to their dreams. It's a Mind That Bird type of year.

HAVE A GREAT RACE DAY.