Ralph Siraco's horse racing column appears Monday and his Southern California selections run Tuesday-Sunday.
Yes, Virginia, there is life after Smarty Jones.
While the sport's biggest equine star gets a little R & R before a return in the fall, the other equines who have had their share of past headlines are hitting the tracks in an effort to regain some of their past glory.
As we pass the year's halfway point and officially move into summer, a check of the sport's leader board reveals no surprises from the new faces following the Triple Crown.
On Saturday, two past Eclipse Award winners fell to defeat.
At Belmont Park, the $300,000 Ogden Phipps Handicap showcased 2002 Horse of the Year Azeri. She faced a small field of three that included Sightseek and Storm Flag Flying.
Since a brief retirement from racing, Azeri was put back into training by owner Michael Paulson with a new Hall Of Fame trainer. D. Wayne Lukas took over the conditioning duties and Azeri made her debut for her new trainer by winning the Apple Blossom -- for the third time -- at Oaklawn Park in April.
Following a loss at Churchill Downs on Derby week, Azeri faced the boys for the first time in her career in the Met Mile over the Memorial Day weekend. She battled for a while before retreating and finished off the board.
At odds of 4/5, Azeri was favored to bounce back to the win column in the Phipps. However, she battled the early lead with Sightseek in the one-turn 1 1/8-mile event, but, faded badly in the homestretch to finish fourth and last while Sightseek held off the challenge of Storm Flag Flying to win. Her next start is now in question -- if there is another.
At Suffolk Downs outside Boston, the darling of last year's Triple Crown quest returned to action. Funny Cide headed a competitive field of nine in the $500,000 Massachusetts Handicap. Although Funny Cide had won two races since his 2003 Belmont Stakes loss, he has lost over twice as many starts since. Funny Cide got a catbird trip in the 1 1/8-mile MassCap only to find himself in a three-way dog fight to the wire. Pacesetter The Lady's Groom had plenty left after soft early fractions while Funny Cide had drawn alongside to challenge. But, it was Offlee Wild who came charging in the middle of the track to do battle with the twosome and in a three-horse blanket finish, Offlee Wild prevailed by a head. Funny Cide was another head in front of The Lady's Groom who settled for third. Unlike Azeri, Funny Cide's narrow loss should keep him fighting the fights lea ding to the Breeders' Cup at Lone Star Park later this fall.
Medaglia d'Oro, who finished runner-up in the past two Breeders' Cup Classics, has been retired, leaving trainer Bobby Frankel leaning on Peace Rules to carry the handicap banner for the stable. Peace Rules must now bounce back from a dull effort in the recent Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs. Breeders' Cup Classic defender Pleasantly Perfect has resumed training for an ultimate repeat try in the Breeders' Cup Classic this year. After taking the Dubai World Cup in March, Pleasantly Perfect took some R & R and now starts gearing up for the fall campaign. New shooter Southern Image, who won his second million-dollar race this year while capturing the Santa Anita Handicap in March, was beaten a dirty nostril in the Stephen Foster. He continues a schedule that his handlers hope will lead to Lone Star Park for the Breeders' Cup as well.
The national earnings leader board for top horse and trainer is no surprise. Smarty Jones ranks at the top in earnings, largely on the $5 million bonus from Oaklawn Park for sweeping its sophomore series and the $1 million Kentucky Derby, as well as the $1 million Preakness Stakes. His earnings total this year is $7,563,535. Smarty's trainer, John Servis, by virtue of his earnings with Smarty Jones, has totals of $8,099,043 to lead the nation's trainers. But it's a jockey who has the highest earnings mark. Alex Solis, who is the regular rider of Pleasantly Perfect, tops the nation's riders with earnings of $10,474,464.
Both defending leaders of the jockey and trainer earnings mark are sitting currently in fourth place in their categories. Jerry Bailey, last year's top earning jockey, at the moment sits with $7,577,128 in fourth. Likewise, last year's top trainer, Bobby Frankel, is fourth on the list with $6,102,059.
The nation's top jockey and trainer ranked by wins are jockey Rafael Bejarano with more than 215 wins and trainer Steve Asmussen with more than 260 victories.
And the long full summer of racing has just begun.
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