SID FERNANDO
E
ither way it’s viewed, fashion in its various forms is mostly dictated by the reigning hierarchy, or Establishment, which is revamped every so often by the societal upheavals that mark civilizations. Over the last 10 years, for example, we’ve seen a bloated commercial marketplace – ruled by breeders, stud farms, and money-making main-track stallion prospects – reach an apex from 2004 to 2007 and plummet with the global economic meltdown of 2008 – a reaction to excess. It’s noteworthy for its eerie symbolism that the Horses of the Year from 2009 to 2013 were three females (Rachel Alexandra, Zenyatta, and Havre de Grace) and a turf gelding (Wise Dan, twice) – not one stallion prospect – and the leading sire of 2013 was Kitten’s Joy, a turf horse made by a private owner-breeder. Each was the antithesis of the lauded male dirt champion of another era that was the stock in trade of the Establishment, which lost a big part of its hold on racing in the ensuing recession as it dealt with infighting, smaller foal crops, synthetic tracks, medication uniformity, breakdown issues, diminished wagering, higher takeout, casino infiltration, track closings, bad publicity, and international disapproval. Now, wealth has returned to the upper echelons of society, and a rejiggered Establishment of new and old owners and breeders under the leadership of the Jockey Club is flexing its heft to effect change. Part of its philosophy appears to have a reactionary sheen, particularly in these areas: A return to dirt racing and the dismantling of synthetic tracks; the push for medication reform and the abolishment of race-day medication (i.e. Lasix) to achieve international harmony; and renewed desire to breed the classic dirt horse. All of this, presumably, would rekindle the notion of the great “medication-free” American dirt horses of the 1960s and 1970s that were admired and sought the world over. Can this approach succeed in 2015 and beyond? Southern California is soon to be all dirt, and two important tracks with Jockey Club connections – Keeneland in the heart of 96
TRAINERMAGAZINE.COM ISSUE 35
Out with the new and in with the old The noted mid-20th century pedigree theorist, author, and observer Franco Varola once said that racing is a microcosm of society, and how right he was. Racehorses, after all, are bred according to the fashion of the times, which racing is structured to accommodate; or, perhaps, if you prefer the chicken before the egg scenario, it’s the other way around, that racing is shaped by fashion and horses are produced to fit the resulting paradigm. Kentucky breeding territory and the host of the 2015 Breeders’ Cup; and Meydan in Dubai, home of the richest race in the world and controlled by Jockey Club member Sheikh Mohammed – have turned from synthetic to dirt, too. This year will mark the first time since Meydan opened in 2010 that the Dubai World Cup and the Breeders’ Cup races will be contested on dirt, and the potential spoils for dirt sires and runners, particularly at 10 furlongs, will be immense. Both Keeneland and Meydan, ironically, were renowned for their safety and large fields during their synthetic eras but maligned for the quality of their bigrace winners, which ultimately didn’t sit well with the powers that be. Will the Jockey Club-backed bills in the Senate and House of Representatives to phase out Lasix materialize into law? Probably not, especially with so much opposition from trainers, many of them at the bottom rungs of the sport and far removed from those owners and breeders who are motivated to bring the dirt horse back to international relevance. Can breeders put more stamina into horses?
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This year will mark the
first time since Meydan opened in 2010 that the Dubai World Cup and the Breeders’ Cup races will be contested on dirt
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Yes, and it’s notable that in 2015 there will be six sons of the great Irish-bred Galileo, a son of Kentucky-bred Sadler’s Wells, at stud in North America, which has historically imported turf horses to fortify dirt quality and stamina. In the big picture, it’s fairly safe to say that no one’s going back in time to the Golden Age of the mid-20th century when Franco Varola made his pronouncements or the 1970s when Forego won against topclass competition at sprints and two miles without the aid of medication. But change borne by the good intentions of those who would revitalize the American dirt horse is in the air. It’s fitting – symmetrical, even – that the Eclipse Award winners of 2014 are mostly dirt horses, and particularly symbolic of this is the Horse of the Year. California Chrome, the popular Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner, won Horse of the Year over turf gelding Main Sequence, becoming the first stallion prospect to land the big prize since Curlin in 2008, and the first three-year-old since Curlin in 2007. Now, California Chrome isn’t bred as smartly as Curlin and he is trained by the type of guy who’s more familiar with cheaper horses than national champions, but the colt may get a chance to become internationally relevant in Dubai, and it’s almost certain he’ll find a home at stud at an establishment in Kentucky. California Chrome is a grandson of Pulpit, the sire of 2014’s leading stallion Tapit. Tapit is the sire of 2014 champion three-year-old filly Untapable and Belmont Stakes winner Tonalist, and at $300,000 live foal, he is currently the most expensive sire in America. He and California Chrome are reflections of the new, old era. ■