Happy handicapper: Fast times could mean fast money
Racetrackers love trite expressions. Some are true. Some are, well, just things people say.
“Time only counts when you’re in jail” is one of the Happy Handicapper’s favorites. Only he doesn’t necessarily believe it.
In recent years, he’s learned to rely on another old saying: “Fast horses work fast.”
Which brings up this weekend’s major handicapping challenges — today’s New York Derby at Finger Lakes and Sunday’s Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie.
The H. H. thinks both of these races can be solved by studying the speed of the workouts of the leading contenders.
Take a look at the past performances of the Derby, a $150,000 race at 1 1/16 miles that has attracted six New Yorkbred 3-year-olds.
The probable favorite is No. 3 Tin Cup Chalice, an undefeated (5 for 5) gelding that has never raced farther than 7 furlongs. Since his last race June 22, trainer Michael Lecesse has breezed him just once, at 5 furlongs in a so-so 1:01 2/5.
Now consider the No. 1 horse, Almighty Silver. He’s already won twice at today’s distance and since his last race June 1, trainer Charlton Baker has drilled him pretty strongly.
He worked twice over the Belmont Park training track and, in a nice final sharpener, breezed a half-mile at Finger Lakes in 48 seconds flat.
That time — equal to 24 seconds per quarter mile or 12 seconds per furlong (eighth of a mile) — is what is called “racehorse time.” This colt looks like he is ready to go and will get the
H. H.’s money this afternoon. Shift to Fort Erie for Sunday’s $500,000 Prince of Wales Stakes, Canada’s version of the Preakness at 1 3/16 miles.
Eight Canadian-bred 3-yearolds are running but only three show workouts in such fast times.
First is Deputiformer, the second-richest ($272,720) horse in the Prince of Wales after favored Not Bourbon ($961,160).
Deputiformer (No. 1) has had only one workout since the June 22 Queen’s Plate, but it was a dandy — 5 furlongs over the Woodbine dirt training track in 59 3/5 last Monday.
The time could indicate that Deputiformer is on his toes and ready to do battle again. Don’t forget, he made a nice move on the last turn and led the Plate after a mile.
Pewter (No. 6), a surprise entrant from Saratoga-based trainer H. James Bond, worked a half mile over the Spa’s training track — a deep, tiring surface nicknamed “Oklahoma” — in 48 seconds on June 26.
This work earned a “bullet” for being the fastest of the 70 half-mile workouts recorded that day. Think about that for a second. The best at Saratoga.
Six days later, on July 2, Bond sent the gelding a mile over the Saratoga main track in a pedestrian 1:43 3/5. But last Monday, Bond cranked him up again on the main track for another bullet — 5 furlongs in a minute flat.
Pewter may be 20-1 on the morning line, but heed what Bond told Daryl Wells Jr., the Fort’s publicity director: “He worked very, very well and did everything the right way.”
But the most impressive workout times and performances of the Prince of Wales field belong to the favorite, Not Bourbon (No. 7).
On July 2, 10 days after his Plate victory, trainer Roger Attfield watched him breeze 5 furlongs over the Woodbine training track in 59 1/5. Then last Wednesday morning Not Bourbon breezed again in 47 1/5 seconds.
That was the fastest of 37 at the distance and surface that day and the move was reminiscent of the zippy 46 3/5 half-mile Attfield put into the colt four days before the Plate.
“This horse thrives on work,” Attfield said in his post-Plate news conference. “. . . He loves to train and those kind of horses, I will work them. . . . This horse will gallop horses to death.”
Wednesday’s work also made Not Bourbon the only Prince of Wales horse to have two fast workouts since the Plate.
Later in the day, the H. H. asked Attfield why he so often drilled Not Bourbon in “racehorse time.”
His answer will send the Handicapper to the window to bet Not Bourbon. “He’s a racehorse,” Attfield said. “That’s why.”
