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Harness Racing Immortality



A harness horse named Southwind Amazon broke Niffit's record and re-wrote the harness racing history books on Nov. 5, 2024, earning his 138th career victory.

That is 138 career wins.

I repeat: 138 wins.

The sad thing is he turns fifteen in January 2025 and must retire from racing on Jan. 1, 2025 as the rule prohibited any (harness) horse with an age of fifteen or older to compete.

So he must retire from racing on Jan. 1, 2025.

Southwind Amazon mainly competes in midwestern tracks and his majority of wins came at Northfield Park in Northfield, Ohio.

On Tuesday December 17, 2024, the talented gelding will look for win 139 against conditioned company in the opening race on the program at his home base track Northfield Park.

Making his 398th carer start, Southwind Amazon has taken his connections on the ride of a lifetime.

"He has raced against some of harness racing's greatest of all-time, I couldn't be prouder of him," said Paul Holzman (his trainer).

Southwind Amazon is expected to have two more starts following his race on Tuesday December 17, 2024, before he brings the curtain down on his career.

"In a couple weeks when we bring the curtain down on his career, I'm not sure I will know what to do, it's going to be bittersweet."

Southwind Amazon will be honored one last time, when he makes his final career start the final week of December, his connections will pull his shoes in the winners’ circle before he walks off into the sunset.


Gosh, I would've love to be at the racetrack on-site for his last few races, but not possible.

I don't know about you -- I have a lump in my throat and some little teary-eyes just thinking about this horse getting his shoes pull in the winners’ circle and perhaps envisioned him walking off into the sunset while on-lookers cheer.

I need a napkin!

Pick for Friday December 13, 2024


My "Watch Horse" Calling Card is running today Friday at Oaklawn, race 7.

Bet Calling Card (ML 2-1) to win, place using double down betting strategy.

Is Calling Card a Road to the Kentucky Derby contender in the making?

We’ll get a better idea when he starts as the probable favorite (ML 2-1) in a $125,000 allowance optional claimer racing one mile at Oaklawn.

Calling Card showed some potential in his first two starts on turf, but exploded when switched to dirt in a one-mile maiden special weight for New York-breds at Aqueduct, crushing his rivals by 17 1/4 lengths with strong speed figures.

If he can run similarly fast against a tougher non-state-restricted field at Oaklawn, then a Road to the Kentucky Derby foray is surely next on the agenda.

A REMINDER: MARK YOU CALENDAR: December 26, 2024.


That date is going to be an exciting day to be at racetracks all over the country, but unfortunately I am not able to attend due to personal reason.


IT'S A BUMMER!
IT'S A BUMMER!
IT'S A BUMMER!


There are many races containing my exciting "Watch Horses" that are scheduled to race that day, and one in particular that I am very excited to see him race is San Saba, a 2yo colt by Justify out of a Hard Spun mare Palace Princess.

This colt's third dam is the great champion racehorse Azeri, who won multiple Gr I races (too many to mention).

San Saba costs $725,000 as a yearling.

San Saba is trained by Bob Baffert and Baffert still have another exciting unraced, unnamed 2yo who cost $3.4 million at the Saratoga Sales this past August.

We don't know the status of that $3.4 million colt whether he is ready to make a debut soon or not -- no sign of him being gossip at all.

As for San Saba -- he's ready to make his debut right now but Bob Baffert doesn't have a race to put him in and he has to wait until December 26 to run him.

From what I saw from his workouts San Saba is ready to put on a "show" on December 26, 2024.


San Saba workouts at Santa Anita:

4f, Dec 9th, in 48.00 (h) finishing 14/53
5f, Dec 2nd, in 59.60 (hg) finishing 1/37
5f, Nov 25th, in 59.80 (h) finishing 4/40
4f, Nov 18th, in 48.00 (h) finishing 16/82
4f, Nov 11th, in 47.20 (hg) finishing 4/56


San Saba workouts at Los Alamitos:

5f, Nov 3rd, in 59.60 (h) finishing 2/12
4f, Oct 24th, in 47.00 (hg) finishing 1/2
4f, Oct 16th, in 47.20 (hg) finishing 3/4
4f, Oct 6th, in 47.60 (h) finishing 1/24
4f, Sep 29th, in 48.60 (h) finishing 6/26
4f, Sep 22nd, in 48.40 (h) finishing 7/36
4f, Sep 5th, in 49.00 (h) finishing 4/12
3f, Aug 25th, in 36.20 (h) finishing 2/7
3f, Aug 18th, in 36.40 (h) finishing 2/7
3f, Aug 7th, in 35.60 (h) finishing 3/13


His December 9th workout was spectacular, as a matter of fact, all of his workouts were spectacular, but his December 9th workout caught my eyes even more; and in it, he was a beast, picking off horses one by one in that gallop out.

That workout earned a "Work of the Day" from @santaanitapark.

What a workout by San Saba and he showed so many dimensions I didn't see before in his two solo works.

He showed he has good gate speed and he can also settle and rate off another horse if asked.

Another word, he's a "push-button" horse.

Reminds me of Barnes in that before he raced I saw him answer alot of questions regarding his gate speed, rating ability and finishing ability.

I had to do a double take when he was coming down the lane, looked like the spitting image of his Dad (Justify).

What an exciting looking colt.

I will say this:

This is the easiest money you'll ever going to get on the December 26 Santa Anita card, and that includes all races across the country.


EASY MONEY!
EASY MONEY!
EASY MONEY!


Too bad I can't be at the track where I live to watch and wager on this exciting looking colt.

Anyhow, if you're able to go, power to you -- and there are plenty of good races all over the country on that day, and here is one of them that I profiled about it a while ago.




ACCURACY verses HOPE ROAD


MARK YOU CALENDAR: December 26, 2024.

Hope Road will cut back in distance and run seven furlongs in the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes on Dec. 26, 2024, at Santa Anita and Accuracy is also expected to race in that race.

Hope Road just won the Grade 3 Bayakoa Stakes for fillies and mares this past Saturday at Del Mar.

This will test how good of a racehorse Accuracy is when she faces real racehorses like Hope Road, Tamara, Sugar Fish, Kinza, Brightwork, One Magic Philly, Sandy Bottom, Splendora and possibly others as well.


Here is what I profiled on Accuracy several weeks ago:


THREE-YEAR-OLD FILLY CAUGHT MY EYES!


HOW GOOD IS THIS 3YO FILLY?

IS SHE FOR REAL?


To answer those questions: There’s no way to know yet.

From what I saw from her performance on Saturday October 19, 2024, race 1 at Santa Anita, she looks to be a star in the making (in my opinion).

If she can reproduce this level of form in the future, then the sky is the limit.

Her name is Accuracy, a 3-year-old daughter of Arrogate trained by Michael McCarthy.

Accuracy never threatened to win her first two starts at Del Mar, finishing third in maiden special weights over 6 1/2 furlongs and one mile.

But when she took her game to Santa Anita for a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight, the result was spectacular.

Accuracy led all the way through fractions of 22.60 seconds, 46.39 seconds and 1:10.82 to dominate by 15 lengths in the strong time of 1:42.44, earning a massive 108 Beyer Speed Figure.

It seems that the seven-furlong La Brea Stakes for 3yo fillies at Santa Anita on December 26, 2024, is the logical next race for this 3yo filly.

Stay tuned!

STARS IN THE MAKING



Churchill Downs 2024's second edition of the Stars of Tomorrow last Saturday November 30, 2024 was probably the strongest edition ever, in my opinion, producing several "Star in the Making" prospects.


First off, a filly named Book'em (in race 3) won a $100k optional claiming race very impressively against 8 other 2yo fillies.

The one-mile race had the track record listed as 1:33 1/5 and her final time of 1:34 1/5 is more than 2 seconds faster than the mile time for the Golden Rod Stakes which won by Good Cheer (:24.1 :48.3 1:12.2 1:36.4 1:43.1) and also more than 2 seconds faster than the Kentucky Jockey Club which won by Jonathan's Way (:24.2 :49.1 1:13.3 1:36.4 1:43 flat).

It's a fair conclusion to assume that if this race was run at the same distance as the two races above her final time would have been faster than Good Cheer's and Jonathan's Way's final times.

So clearly Book'em fits my profile as the 'Star in the Making' prospect.


In race 5 a colt named Patch Adams came within 2/5 of a second of breaking the track record of 1:20 2/5 set by an older horse.

Patch Adams ran the seven-furlong $120k maiden special weight (purse $120k) race in 1:20 3/5, in an overflow field of 16 2yo colts, making 4 2yos as the also eligible horses.


In his previous and only start Patch Adams finished third in a $99k maiden special weight six-furlong race, beaten 1 1/2 lengths as the 4/5 favorite on October 11, 2024, at Keeneland.

In that race he showed speed from the outset to engage a couple of early fleet foot 2yos and took over the lead approaching the far turn while holding the lead to the top of the stretch when a new rival moved up to challenge for the lead.

He battled that rival gamely to the 16th pole and got tired late to finish third, beaten 1 1/2 lengths.

In the Saturday November 30's race the Brad Cox-trained juvenile again showed speed from the outset to press early rivals with fractions of 22.51 and 45.14 seconds while racing outside rivals, took over through a stiff six furlongs in 1:08.60 and powered clear late to win wrapped up by 10 1/2 lengths.

Patch Adams reached the finish line in 1:20.77, just 0.34 seconds off the track record set in 2012 by two-time Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint winner Groupie Doll.

The future looks bright for this son of perennial leading North American sire Into Mischief.

Not to mention a 98 Beyer Speed Figure for Patch Adams, 2nd highest by a 2-year-old thus far this year 2024. (Only Rated by Merit had a 99)

Very impressive!


In race 6 (6 1/2 furlongs) Ed Brown Stakes which won by Keep It Easy (:22 :44.4 1:09 1:15.2) -- and he, too -- fits my profile as the 'Star in the Making' prospect.


In race 7 another colt named Disco Time (:23 :45.2 1:09.4 1:22 1:34.4) also fits my profile as the 'Star in the Making' prospect.

Disco Time tracked a fast pace of 23:03 (for quarter-mile), 45:51 (for half-mile), and he took over the lead to clock 1:09.83 for six furlongs, 1:22.18 for seven furlongs and his winning time of 1:34.98 for the one-mile race was not bad in comparison to the track record of 1:33 1/5 for the one-mile distance.

The one-mile race was for $100k optional claiming with a purse of $127k [in a field of 9 2yo colts].

In his previous and only start Disco Time won a $118k maiden special weight seven-furlong race by 3 3/4 lengths in 1:23.86 running as the 5/2 favorite on November 1, 2024, at Churchill Downs [earning Beyer Speed Figure of 77].


In race 10 another filly named Impressive Buy also fits my profile as the 'Star in the Making' prospect.

The six and one-half furlong Fern Creek Stakes ($225k) seemed like a wide open 2yo (fillies) stakes race if not for the presence of Shisospicy (pronounce she-so-spicy) when she won her only previous start on October 18, 2024 at Gulfstream Park in a maiden special weight race by a whopping 16 1/4-lengths.

Shisospicy earned Beyer Speed Figure of 80 for that October 18 six-furlong race, making her the 5-2 second choice behind the 2-1 favorite Impressive Buy for the Fern Creek Stakes.

Impressive Buy (:21.3 :44.1 1:09.1 1:16) won the Fern Creek Stakes very impressively.




ALSO WORTHY OF MENTION AS THE STAR IN THE MAKING PROSPECTS ARE THE FOLLOWING:


Golden Rod Stakes: Eclatant, Good Cheer

Kentucky Jockey Club: Jonathan's Way




BUT THE REAL STAR IN THE MAKING IS PATCH ADAMS!


On Saturday November 30 Patch Adams got off evenly in third about one length back and he continued to track leaders in third to the top of the stretch when he strongly burst into scene to take the lead, and from there, he was looking like an easy winner every step of the way while being geared down inside the 16th pole.

He almost broke a track record set by an older horse and that says a lot.

He earned a massive Beyer Speed Figure of 98; yes, 98, only Rated by Merit -- whose Beyer Speed Figure of 99 -- has a higher figure than Patch Adams for 2yos of any sex in 2024 thus far.

I'm very excited about Patch Adams and perhaps about the 2yo filly Book'em as well, but the jury is still out on the filly and we'll find out soon if she is as good of a racehorse as I think she is.

But I have no doubt about Patch Adams' status as the future star.

He will be a star of his generation in 2025 and beyond.

The Smarty Jones Stakes on Saturday January 4, 2025 at one-mile and one-sixteenth at Oaklawn Park is the most likely his stakes debut race.

Stay tuned!

Pick for Saturday November 30, 2024



1 Mile | Open | 3 Year Olds And Up | ALLOWANCE OPTIONAL CLAIMING : $40,000 | Purse: $55,000

Track: Del Mar

Surface: Turf

Race: 3

Horse: Middleburg (ML 8-1)


Bet Middleburg (ML 8-1) to win, place, show using double down betting strategy.

Yes, this qualifies as my longshot play of the week.

Pick for Saturday November 30, 2024



Golden Rod Stakes
1 1/16 Miles | Fillies | 2 Year Olds | G2 STAKES | Purse: $400,000

Track: Churchill Downs

Surface: Dirt

Race: 9

Horse: Good Cheer (ML 4-5)


Bet Good Cheer (ML 4-5) to win.

Put a lot of money on her to win.

Pick for Saturday November 30, 2024



FTBOA Florida Sire In Reality Stakes
1 1/16 Miles | Restricted | Open | 2 Year Olds | G STAKES | Purse: $300,000

Track: Gulfstream Park
Surface: Dirt

Race: 10

Horse: Rated by Merit (ML 3-5)


Bet Rated by Merit (ML 3-5) to win.

Put a lot of money on him to win.

Pick for Saturday November 30, 2024



FTBOA Florida Sire My Dear Girl Stakes
1 1/16 Miles | Restricted | Fillies | 2 Year Olds | G STAKES | Purse: $300,000

Track: Gulfstream Park
Surface: Dirt

Race: 6

Horse: Stunner (ML 3-5)


Bet Stunner (ML 3-5) to win.

Put a lot of money on her to win.



UPDATE: November 30, 2024 | 8 PM Central Time

Result:

1. My Denysse $72.80 $8.60 $6.00
2. Stunner $2.10 $2.10
3. Fede $4.20

Stunner ran below form as the 3-10 favorite in the 1 1/16-mile FTBOA Florida Sire My Dear Girl.

She regressed quite a bit and even that she should've beaten these cheapies.

This marked a major regression on the Daily Racing Form Beyer Speed Figure scale from Stunner's previous victory in the Tempted at Aqueduct, so I'm willing to forgive this defeat and assume something went wrong.

Stunner did act up a bit before the start, popping open her starting gate doors, and maybe this affected her performance.

After setting fractions of 23.32, 47.49 and 1:13.21, she opened up a four-length lead from the far turn and all the way to inside the 8th pole but grew leg-weary late.

According to the Equibase GPS result chart, Stunner ran her final quarter-mile in 29.07 seconds to finish second by a neck against the stretch-running My Denysse.

Very slow for the last quarter-mile.

Pick for Friday November 29, 2024



1 Mile | Fillies and Mares | 3 Year Olds And Up | ALLOWANCE OPTIONAL CLAIMING : $40,000 | Purse: $55,000

Track: Del Mar
Surface: Dirt

Race: 8

Horse: Accuracy (ML 3-5)


Bet Accuracy (ML 3-5) to win.

Put a lot of money on her to win.



UPDATE: November 29, 2024 | 8 PM Central Time

Result:

1. Accuracy $2.20 $2.10 $2.10
2. Ultimate Authority $2.40 $2.10
3. Lovin On the Run $2.40

The spectacular runaway 15-length maiden winner Accuracy did it again in spectacular fashion while this time stepping up in class for a $40,000 allowance optional claimer.

Facing four rivals, the 3-year-old daughter of Arrogate led throughout the one-mile race by carving out fractions of 22.94, 46.57 and 1:10.93 before pulling away to win by 7 1/4 lengths in 1:35.85. A very sharp final time.

The Malibu Stakes on December 26 (at Santa Anita) is next on the agenda for this flashy 3yo filly.

Pick for Thursday November 28, 2024


HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!



Thanksgiving Classic Stakes
6 Furlongs | Open | 3 Year Olds And Up | G STAKES | Purse: $225,000

Track: Fair Grounds
Surface: Dirt

Race: 9

Horse: Montalcino (ML 4-1)


Bet Montalcino (ML 4-1) to win and place using double down betting strategy.


Montalcino is lightly raced, but he’s already made a habit of defeating good horses. He debuted on Sept. 1 in a seven-furlong maiden special weight at Saratoga, where he pressed the pace on his way to victory over Masmak, who has returned to win his next two starts, and next-out maiden winner Hurricane Nelson.


Then on Oct. 4, Montalcino set fractions of 21.61 and 43.79 seconds on his way to wiring a seven-furlong allowance at Keeneland by six lengths over Banned for Life, who returned to win a Churchill Downs allowance.

Montalcino will take his next step up the class ladder in the six-furlong Thanksgiving Classic at Fair Grounds and I expect him to win this race.

He's too good of a racehorse to not winning this race.