Horse Racing Weekend Recap: 3 Stars Debut to Classic Causeway

One of the richest traditions in hockey is the honoring of the three stars following the game. In our newest series Betting News will award 3 stars to outstanding performance from the previous week of racing. In this first installment, Classic Causeway stole the show.

Sport in Need of Stars

One of the problems faced by the modern horse racing game is the lack of star power. This is due the lucrative breeding industry and the cautious campaigning of modern trainers.

Secretariat vs. Justify

Perhaps no greater example of the change in how the game has changed than by looking at the careers of triple crown winners past and present.

Secretariat

In the 1970’s Secretariat took the world by storm with one of the most impressive Belmont Stakes victories anyone has ever witnessed. The victory completed the triple crown. The Belmont Stakes was the colt’s 12th race. He would finish his racing career in 1973 having run in 21 races. His 1973 campaign comprised of 12 races.

Justify

The most recent triple crown winner completed the feat in 2018. In fact all of his races were in 2018. The colt broke his maiden in February and quickly advanced through an allowance and the Santa Anita Derby. The latter qualified him for the Kentucky Derby. After hitting the wire in the Belmont Stakes the horse was run directly to the breeding shed. He finished his career with just 6 races.

A Renewed Call for Stars

Sports are entertainment and the athletes are the stars that engage the fans. Even when my hometown Timberwolves were desperately giving away tickets to fill the lower bowl of their stadium, games against Lebron, Kobe, and MJ were sell outs.

The Real Stars

This series is designed to make heroes out of the horses that fans can get behind, follow, and fall in love with. Despite the awesome ability of Justify, American Pharoah, or Secretariat very few fans fall in love with the game because of those horses.

It is horses like Ohbeegeewhyen who ran in the midwest 42 times. He was the horse that started it all for me. Runners like Allied Invasion who edged clear at the wire at Saratoga bringing home my first pick 6. A horse like Kobe Fifty Two who fought back gamely inside of the favored Monte Ne on Valentines day at a massive price.

These are the runners that make the sport the great and can give players a chance to follow their favorites. This series is designed to highlight more of these runners.

3 Stars Week of July 4th-10th

3rd Star- Interstatedaydream (Horseshoe Indianapolis)

The debut of the Betting News 3 stars will include a couple of pretty chalky picks. Interstatedaydream went off as the heavy favorite for Brad Cox in the Indiana Oaks. The event is a grade 2 race and was contested at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

She was coming off a win in the grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan which is the Preakness weekend equivalent to the Kentucky Oaks.

Not surprisingly that effort led her to heavy favoritism in Shelbyville. When the pools closed she was 1-5 in the win pool on Saturday.

Stalk the Pace

Early in the race she stalked off the outside of the leaders. Heading into the far turn she drew along side early leader Patna. She easily dispatched of that one as they entered the stretch. However, almost immediately she came under pressure from a horse to her outside.

In Deep Water

As they entered the lane the heavy favorite looked in deep water as the #7 Runaway Wife (9-1) put a head and front and looked poised to draw off. Horses being pack animals often struggle when they get passed to fight back on.

Strong Resolve

What happened next is what landed Interstatedaydream on the list this week. Despite getting passed early in the stretch she dug in gamely and fought back. By the time they hit the wire, not only had she drawn even but pulled away to win by open lengths.

It is that kind of grit that will allow this horse to perform at her best in the big races all year long.

2nd Star- Joyful Cadence (Prairie Meadows)

Prairie Meadows has a couple of contenders for the three stars on Friday night. In an allowance race just a couple of races prior an 82-1 shot found the winner’s circle edging out the odds on favorite. That performance made her a contender for this spot, but it was hard to argue with the visual impression left by this week’s 2nd star, Joyful Cadence.

Without question the runner came in with the best credentials. In her only 2 graded stakes tries she had finished 2nd and 3rd. She was summarily crushed at the windows going off at odds of 1-9.

4 Wide Up the Back Stretch

The start of the Saylorville was a snappy one. Four horses broke with speed and scrambled for the lead. Joyful Cadence was the widest of the four and put up honest fractions in the widest path of the quartet.

As the foursome neared the far turn the #5 Upandcomingstar dropped back leaving three abreast.

The Far Turn

While the two inside runners appeared all in entering the turn, the track announcer noted, “Joyful Cadence looks well within herself.” He was indeed correct as she continued to travel wide through the turn disposing of the early pace challengers.

Reylu Cruises to Victory

The stretch run was a lonely one for the jockey. His horse was 4 lengths clear coming out of the turn. Throughout the stretch run jockey Reylu Gutierrez looked between his leg and over his shoulder searching for any potential threat. They never came and Joyful Cadence jogged across the line by over 5 lengths without so much a tap of the crop.

1st Star- Classic Causeway (Belmont Park)

There were a lot of special performances turned in by horses this weekend with all of the phenomenal stakes action from around the country. However, it is hard to argue that any was more impressive and shocking than the run that Classic Causeway gave in the Grade 1 Belmont Derby on Saturday.

An Unusual Path

Many handicappers scratched their heads when this horse was entered in this spot. Giant’s Causeway, his dad, can be a decent turf influence, but the dam left a lot to be inspired in that regard.

Furthermore, casual fans may remember this horse from the Kentucky Derby. The horse who was running the entire year in dirt routes was entered here on turf for the very first time. Regardless of class it is highly unusual to try turf for the first time in one of the most prestigious grade 1 turf events in the country.

Skepticism Abounding

Many handicappers hypothesized that maybe the horse was entered in this spot to use his patented early speed as a “rabbit” for Tiz the Bomb who comes from off the pace for the same trainer.

Prior to the race the runner was called “The most mismanaged horse of 2022” by Fox reporter Maggie Wolfendale. She mentioned that she felt he looked like a turf horse, but that this spot was “ludacris” for a first try.

New York Racing Association handicapper Andy Serling piled on as the horses entered the starting gate.

I honestly think that Classic Causeway is a terrific race horse, but if he’s going to be a grade 1 winner in this country it’s going to be at 7 furlongs.

And I get pointing to the [Kentucky] Derby. It’s the Derby and it’s not like he ran badly and they found the right races to run him in…

This horse, I think, has the potential to be a grade 1 quality horse going sprinting.

Quick Start

As expected Classic Causeway jumped out to the early lead at 26-1. Although turf races in New York can sometimes have slow pedestrian uncontested pace, he was not alone. A pair of long shot runners kept him company on the front end and kept the pace honest.

Nevertheless, Classic Causeway led throughout the early stages of the race.

Cavalry Charge

Entering the stretch Classic Causeway was let out and opened up by a couple lengths but the finishers were kicking into high gear. In the final moments a wall of horses closed in on the front runner but never got any closer than a length.

A Stunning Result

The result meant that Classic Causeway is now 1 for 1 on turf and scored that victory in a $1,000,000 grade 1 stakes. The next test will likely come at Saratoga later this summer which features the most competitive turf racing in North America.

Nominate Outstanding Performances

The new race week begins on Monday, July 11th and will run through Sunday, July 18th. If you would like to nominate a horse for one of the Betting News 3 stars of the week email t3handicapping@gmail.com or reach out via twitter @T3handicapping.