Saturday Backstretch with Gordon

 

 

Unlike yesterday morning's heavy rains, the weather on Saturday is picture-perfect as there's nary a cloud in the sky and it's warm enough to discard the jacket. Actually, the weather turned great yesterday afternoon as the sun came out and the track was fast. Congratulations to trainer Jonas Czernyson--who got married last month at the Round Barn here at The Red Mile--driver David Miller and owner Thomas Dillon for their Filly Futurity victory with Seaside.

 

After fighting some heavy traffic getting in due to the UK-Alabama football game, I got to the track and decided to make Saturday the "Missing in Action" tour as I wanted to find out about a couple of stars who were sitting out this week's Grand Circuit races. Actually, my first MIA horse came yesterday as I saw Mario Zuanetti, whose Atlantic Trot purchased Judge Joe on the eve of his Yonkers Trot victory a couple months ago. After the draw for the Kentucky Futurity on Wednesday I saw the name plate made up with Judge Joe's name, so I grabbed it and put it away to give to Mario when I saw him. Mario said Judge Joe would start in next weekend's Transylvania Trot as they preferred to avoid a match-up with Muscle Hill in the third jewel of trotting's Triple Crown this afternoon.

 

But today, I walked over to Ray Schnittker's barn to see about the 2-year-old pacer One More Laugh, who set a world record in the Sept. 29 Governor's Cup final at Harrah's Chester with a 1:49.2 effort. I saw caretaker Jessica Dowse, who looked after Deweycheatumnhowe last year, and she said Ray had left earlier this morning shortly after taking One More Laugh on a jog around the racetrack. Like Judge Joe, Jessica said One More Laugh will be in to go next week in the International Stallion Stakes.

 

I then trekked on over to Steve Elliott's barn to check on North America Cup, Meadowlands Pace, and Little Brown Jug winner Well Said, who I knew wasn't going to be entered in today's Bluegrass. Steve told me he was giving the colt this week off but he'd be back in action in next Saturday's Tattersalls Pace. "Everything's good, he's doing great," Steve told me of Well Said. I know that owners Susan Grange and Jeff Snyder won't be on hand for the race; Jeff told me earlier this week that he was traveling to Hong Kong on business, but he'd be back in time for the Breeders Crown later this month at Woodbine.

 

I took a walk up to Ron Burke's barn and he was standing outside. I told him that it was strange to see Buck I St. Pat in today's opener, a race that has a purse of just $5,000 and a field that includes the tough Lanson. Ronnie said he had just been talking to a couple of people about the very same thing. With the weather today, who knows? Maybe if the mare wins that $2,500 first-place check she can do so by lowering her mark of 1:52 set in the Breeders Crown in August at the Meadowlands.

 

I'm writing this column from the press box at The Red Mile and there were a few people here very early in anticipation of the card. Oh yeah, a couple of people mentioned to me yesterday that I had neglected to mention gas prices, so here goes: They are still $2.16 and $2.17 at the stations nearest The Red Mile, but it was strange since a station I passed yesterday closer to my home that was at $2.21 had jumped to $2.39 on my way home after yesterday's races.

 

Good luck today, great racing, and I'll be back on Wednesday morning.