The PR paid off.

On Monday, Curlin was named the Eclipse Award Horse of the Year for the second year in a row.

No doubt he was aided by parades, gifts of specially-labeled wine (pictured), his owner’s never-ending praise, and the excuse that Curlin lost the 2008 Breeders’ Cup Classic because of a “false surface.”

The Curlin wine was sent just in time for Eclipse Award voting season with a DVD and card “signed” by owners Jess Jackson and Barbara Banke. Jackson is owner of the Kendall-Jackson winery, thus the choice of gift.

Here are the final vote tallies for all categories. The Male Sprinter, Male Turf, Owner, and Breeder categories were points of great contention. The Photography winner was also much-debated.

One category that wasn’t debated as much but really stands out to me is the Jockey category. Garrett Gomez, 210 votes, to Rafael Bejarano’s 11 votes!? Bejarano’s sweep of all five riding titles in the Southern California racing schedule is a rare feat. He also had more wins, places, and shows than “Go-Go.” Every meet that Bejarano and Gomez rode against each other, “Raffy” came out on top. Though Gomez had more earnings, I can’t help but feel that the bias towards Breeders’ Cup winners propelled Gomez to such a runaway win, especially from the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) voting bloc, which includes Breeders’ Cup Ltd. He won four out of 14 races and the Shoemaker Award for outstanding jockey of the event.

For a different look at the Eclipse Awards, I recommend Ray Paulick’s live blog.

-Marcie Heacox

Saturday features two notable racing debuts on opposite coasts, starting with Nicanor:

Nicanor is a 3-year-old full-brother to the storied Barbaro. Like his older sibling, media have focused a tremendous amount of attention on him. Nicanor runs in race 8 at Gulfstream Park in Florida, a $40,000 maiden special weight at one mile on the dirt. Post time is 4:43 p.m. Eastern, 1:43 p.m. Pacific. The race is sandwiched between the Holy Bull Stakes (Gr. III) and Donn Handicap (Gr. I). Like Barbaro, Nicanor is bred and owned by Roy and Gretchen Jackson, trained by Michael Matz, and ridden by Edgar Prado.

Sweet Thoughts is the first foal out of 2004 Champion Juvenile Filly Sweet Catomine. The 3-year-old bay filly is sired by A.P. Indy. Sweet Catomine was retired under less-than-ideal circumstances. After winning five straight races she ran against the males in the Santa Anita Derby (Gr. I). Unfortunately, she finished fifth, beaten by Buzzard’s Bay and eventual Kentucky Derby (Gr. I) winner Giacomo. What followed was an unforgettable controversy that ultimately ended with owners Pam and Marty Wygod and trainer Julio Canani severing ties and Sweet Catomine being retired and bred at age three. The Wygod’s also own Sweet Thoughts, but John Shirreffs is the trainer and Garrett Gomez the jockey.

Sweet Thoughts runs in the fourth race at Santa Anita at 2:02 p.m. Pacific Standard Time. The race is a maiden special weight at one mile on the turf. Free live video is available at Calracing.com.

-Marcie Heacox

The Sunshine Millions, one of the first major racing events of the year, is held jointly at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale, Fla. and Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif. Each track runs four races that pit the best California-breds and Florida-breds against each other.

Ironically, the event coincides with Southern California’s wet season and is often an overcast day. There is a chance the seventh annual Millions will not contain sunshine. Weather.com predicts a 10 percent chance of precipitation and partly cloudy afternoon skies. Gulfstream’s outlook is a bit rosier.

A storyline involving Fairplex Park and Barretts Equine Ltd. is that of All Saint (pictured left), who runs in the Sunshine Millions Dash at Gulfstream. The gray or roan colt was bought by owner Eddie Gamez of Pomona for only $2,700 at the 2007 Barretts October mixed sale. He has now earned $122,400, easily paying for his purchase price and upkeep. He is coming off a victory in the California Breeders’ Champion Stakes, which was his trainer Triphon Dahl’s first stakes win. All Saint regularly trains on the dirt surface at Fairplex Park. For more of All Saint’s story, click here.

Todd Pletcher-trainee Icy Atlantic (pictured right) has run third and second in the Sunshine Millions Turf and is taking another stab at it. He was best known as champion English Channel’s “rabbit” before successfully branching out on his own. He is an 8-year-old un-gelded horse, an extreme rarity, especially for a stakes-level runner.

The Sunshine Millions Sprint boasts two grade I winners - In Summation and Georgie Boy. Georgie Boy comes into the race off of a third-place finish in the seven-furlong Malibu Stakes (Gr. I), and In Summation returns from a fourth-place run in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (Gr. I).

California-breds are poorly represented in the Florida races, with only seven horses total in four races. Trainer Barry Abrams has the lone Cal-bred in the Filly and Mare Turf, Bel Air Sizzle, and one of two Cal-breds in the Classic, Medzendeekron. Doug O’Neill-trainee and grade I winner Mistical Plan is one of two Cal-breds entered in the Filly and Mare Sprint. She won the 2007 Sunshine Millions Oaks.

The California-breds are once again the underdogs. There are less foals born each year in California than in Florida and less Cal-breds entered in the Sunshine Millions. It is also common for Florida-breds to be based in California, but not vice versa. Several Florida-breds who have always been based in California have good chances of winning their respective races, including Backbackbackgone in the Dash, Wild Promises in the Filly and Mare Turf, Dearest Trickski in the Filly and Mare Sprint, and Emmy Darling in the Oaks.

Past Performances:

Dash (pre-entries) (Gulfstream - 1:07 p.m.*)
Dash (nominations PP’s)
Filly & Mare Turf (Gulfstream - 1:36 p.m.)
Filly & Mare Sprint (Gulfstream - 2:05 p.m.)
Turf (Santa Anita - 2:23 p.m.)
Classic (Gulfstream - 2:45 p.m.)
Oaks (Santa Anita - 2:54 p.m.)
Sprint (Santa Anita - 3:26 p.m.)
Distaff (Santa Anita - 3:57 p.m.)

*All times Pacific Standard Time

-Marcie Heacox

Lava Man half-brother makes debut

Enriched, a half-brother to the legendary California-bred Lava Man, makes his career debut in Saturday’s first race at Santa Anita, a maiden race over 6 1/2 furlongs for older horses …Full DRF Story .

 Trumpet Player Jay, named for Southern California track bugler Jay Cohen, broke his maiden today in the first race at Santa Anita, a $45,000 maiden special weight.

“It was just about the greatest day I’ve ever had at the track,” said Cohen.

Cohen played “The Call to the Post” with his “heart  pumping so hard” before the race and watched the race with the owners, Ellenay Racing, in their box seats.

After the win he celebated by playing “Happy Days are Here Again.”

According to the official Equibase results chart, Trumpet Player Jay “chased a bit off the rail then between foes on the turn, bid outside the runner-up past the eighth pole, gained the lead and won clear under a left handed crack of the whip and a strong hand ride.”

The bay colt won by two lengths in a quick time of 1:08:12 for six furlongs. Joel Rosario gave the winning ride and Mark Glatt is the winning trainer.

Bettors who had Trumpet Player Jay on their tickets got $7.00 to win, $3.80 to place and $2.60 to show. Cohen said he had about $40 worth of bets on the horse.

“It was the first time in probably 10 years that I’ve bet while working,” said Cohen.

After cashing all of his tickets, Cohen wants to round up an uncashed ticket to add to his scrapbook of Trumpet Player Jay memorabilia, which includes programs and losing tickets from his two previous races.

-Marcie Heacox

The road to the Kentucky Derby started today with The Pamplemousse’s win in the San Rafael Stakes (Gr. III) at Santa Anita. The gray or roan colt’s final time for one mile on Pro-Ride was 1:35.31. In his stakes debut he beat Grade I-winner Square Eddie and European import Ryehill Dreamer, among others. The winning owners are Bienstock and Winner Stable, Alex Solis II, Strauss, et al. Alex Solis (whose son is a co-owner) is the winning jockey and Julio Canani is the winning trainer. The Pamplemousse is named after a restaurant across the street from Del Mar Racetrack. Click here for more video of the race from Larry Zap.

In the previous race Alpha Kitten started a possible trail towards the Kentucky Oaks with victory in the Santa Ynez Stakes (Gr.II). Her owners Jerry and Ann Moss went from highs to lows in one day when their colt Madeo was pulled up with possible minor injuries in the San Fernando Stakes (Gr.II), which was won by Nownownow.

“If one were to consider the number of tracks hosting monkey races during the 1930s, these races would have appeared to be a widespread phenomenon …more.”

And the modern adaptation, the Banana Derby.

With more animal wackiness…

Record-setting mare Peppers Pride has now officially been retired according to a DRF story. Breeding plans are pending.

Multi-millionaire and G1 Pacific Classic-winner Go Between died Monday from cardiac arrest following a workout. The chestnut son of Point Given hit his highest note winning the $1 million Pacific Classic Stakes at Del Mar last year on Polytrack. He enjoyed great success on synthetic surfaces, also winning a $1 million race on Santa Anita’s old Cushion Track.

Condolences to the Bill Mott barn and owner Peter Vegso, whom I thank for trying to keep the 6-year-old horse in race training instead of rushing him to breeding shed.

Now is a time of change in horse racing. New synthetic tracks are being installed at tracks around the country and around the world. Drug restrictions are tighter than ever and the testing is high tech. Many argue the Thoroughbreds themselves have changed drastically through selective breeding. Bettors can bet and watch races run thousands of miles away through the click of a computer mouse.

Horse racing, though, remains a sport deeply rooted in tradition. Here’s a comical look at some of the ways horse racing has stayed the same over the decades.

In the big-screen adaptation of Guys and Dolls (1955), the song “Horse Right Here” features the colorful tip sheets that are still hawked at nearly every racetrack entrance. Weather conditions, breeding, and morning workouts remain important factors in handicapping.

The Walt Disney short They’re Off (1948) takes a more satirical approach to handicapping. Poor Goofy just wants to make a bet but is bombarded by information.

There are a few instances of outdated language in the cartoon (such as “bangtails”), and obviously only film cameras, as demonstrated in the pedigree. Press writers now use computers and the finish line photo is captured instantaneously by digital technology. However, the same mountain of different handicapping angles and “insider” tips that converged on Goofy converge on beginner handicappers today.

The more modern movie Let It Ride (1989) is also a humorous take on horse racing and betting.

-Marcie Heacox