Upsets happen in horseracing coast to coast but they don’t always happen to superstars on the same weekend.
That is exactly what transpired July 31 and August 1 as the champion Beholder was upset in the Clement Hirsch at Del Mar and the Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist tasted defeat in the Haskell at Monmouth Park.
Beholder had not raced since June 4 when she took the Vanity Handicap at Santa Anita but she had trained like the proverbial Swiss clock for her return.
She was attempting to run her Del Mar record to 5 for 6 but Stellar Wind had a different idea and she put away the champ when the money was down.
Upsets happen in horseracing for a number of reason and make no mistake about it, Stellar Wind is a legitimate filly.
In the Hirsch Stellar Wind, ridden by California Chrome’s rider Victor Espinoza, took it to Beholder from the sound of the bell and that was what prompted the victory in a classic stretch duel.
Beholder made the lead and held it for 6 furlongs with Stellar Wind right on her throat. At the top of the stretch, Stellar Wind put a head in front just outside her main rival and prevailed by a half-length therefore proving to all that upsets happen in horseracing.
Stellar Wind has only been out of the money once and she was troubled in that Churchill Downs race last year. She was ridden very aggressively for the first time in her career showing a new wrinkle in her last race that trainer John Sadler can tap into in the future.
Nyquist had a tougher test as he had to ship across country to face his Haskell rivals and he had to try to win on a sealed sloppy surface.
A sealed surface occurs when the track’s maintenance crew has been made well aware of the impending bad weather hours or days before the event and they take measures to improve the track.
Those measures revolve around packing down the track by using heavy duty rollers to tighten the track and make it safer for the horses and riders.
Nyquist had not raced since settling for third in the Preakness Stakes in May but had worked like his old self coming to the Haskell.
The son of Uncle Mo drilled fast for his debut at Monmouth Park and in his final work before the Haskell, he worked a very clever mile in 1:39 2/5. That is race horse time.
Similar to Beholder, Nyquist made the lead but only had it briefly. He opened up a half-length lead in the $1 million Haskell but was quickly tackled by Bob Baffert’s student American Freedom.
That pair raced in tandem to the top of the stretch when they were joined and eventually overtaken by the Preakness winner Exaggerator.
Interestingly, Exaggerator, who was winning on a wet surface for the 4th time in 5 starts on a wet surface, got the same kind of a trip in the Haskell as he did in the Preakness. He was allowed to settle and run on his own while dead last early in the race and his rider Kent Desormeaux watched with glee as a speed duel developed right in front of him.
And you have to give Exaggerator’s trainer Keith Desormeaux his props. The runner was preparing for the Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga but had not trained well on that track.
Desormeaux turned on the Weather Channel, saw the forecast for rain in New Jersey near Monmouth Park, called the audible and the rest is history.
Granted, upsets happen in horseracing for numerous reasons but sometimes those reasons are orchestrated. Stellar Wind’s trainer never lost faith in his charge even after she was beaten by Beholder in the Vanity. He knew his runner well enough to know she was set for a peak performance.
Exaggerator’s trainer just went back to the drawing board and he decided on the Haskell because of the axiom to be the best, you have to beat the best.
Horseracing always has and always will be about pace and about how the race sets up. Keith Desormeaux saw that there was plenty of speed in the Haskell, knew that his horse moved up on wet surface and he knew his horse was thriving.
Looking to the future both of these recent winners have options.
Exaggerator could seal the deal as the top 3-year-old in the country if he shows up and wins the Travers Stakes at Saratoga. At this point the Travers could be a bit short on quality.
Stellar Wind earned an automatic bid to the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, a race she lost last year by a neck and that would seem to be an eventual goal.
After the Hirsch trainer Sadler was asked if he was considering the Pacific Classic and he responded: “right now I’m considering a margarita!”
