Seriously, it’s the exact opposite of what he’s doing – going from two turns to one, actually. However, in a sense, the return of Zandon (start) to the Aqueduct on Saturday will bring everything complete.
Since it was on the equivalent card last year that he started what has become a rather frustrating string of races, for one reason or another he is said to have not reached his full potential. . When you consider that these include the GI Kentucky Derby, it shows just how much rudimentary ability he has. It’s also good, then, that some of us find that Purebreds are a mystery enough to feel no need to bet on them anymore. Because at this stage, he’s starting to feel like one of those horses you’re watching over the cliff.
During his last visit to the Aqueduct, for GII Remsen S., we were forced to find the culprit; is in fact a pantomime villain. Obstructed with just a nose, despite the antics of Irad Ortiz Jr. on Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo), suggesting that Zandon has all the attitude needed to make the most of his talent.
Despite the unfortunate abbreviation of his career, the winner that day will return to New York to beat the next GI Preakness S. winner in the GII Wood Memorial S. and then win the Classic. of the city itself. Meanwhile, however, Zandon teased his fans for just one day when it all came together, in GI Blue Grass S.
What’s particularly frustrating in the Derby is that, in principle, he should have been ideally suited to the infamous speed crunch that summoned Rich Strike (Keen Ice) to our attention. . True enough, he rushed into contention in the turn only to falter almost conspicuously, though still classy enough to take third place. And since then, he’s only built up the impression that his ending style will always require a fairly specific scenario actually to get him back into the winner’s circle.
To be fair, even if things stand still, Zandon clearly belongs to the elite of the crop, not once seeking shelter from the white heat of competition. In that context, though, going back a turn for the first time since debut seems like a pretty obvious call, just a week after GI Clark H.
I’ve always felt that turning a mile is not only a very specific measure, but a particularly instructive measure of that elusive cup: the balance between speed and endurance. A mile or two is more about a “turn” than a “mile”, redirecting energy to redirecting and redistributing weight. In contrast, a turn that must be completed more or less in one breath and a reasonable representation of the type of lung capacity makes the GI Met Mile a reliable signpost for a stallion’s potential. If you think back to how an ingrained person gets closer like Honor code (AP Indy) meet the requirements of that race, perhaps Cigar will also score the same for Zandon to promptly launch his “slingshot”.
But my god, what is this? Who should expect him, in his first encounter with the older horses, but the last object to his rather finicky record? Can even Zandon’s most ardent fans hope that Mind Control (Stay Thirsty) will be defeated in the final start of such an exemplary career?
Linkion will obviously announce the destination of Mind Control in the coming days. King In A Day (Uncle Mo), his half-brother, was well received in New York but make no mistake, Mind Control offers a genetic teak that should be welcome anywhere, including Bluegrass. People will argue about his lovely girl, but they have no problem with another forgettable son of Storm Cat, Mr. Yankee, behind. American Pharoah; and how wonderful, if Bernardini’s growing aloof legacy could be supplemented with a viable male line through Mind Control’s Stay Thirsty male.
One way or another, this pack has worked wonderfully in Mind Control—a 10x bet scorer, who was able to win over $2 million this time, the 29th start in his career. his career. This is a GI Hopeful S. winner who has kept his form going through FIVE seasons, keeping generation after generation honest. There’s no easy choice when you’re going to class with this guy around, as Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow) can attest after their Class III encounter at Monmouth this summer; or Silver Bang (Spin hard), similarly, in a Parx-listed race last year.
Mind control | Sarah Andrews
The bad news for Zandon is that Mind Control has shown a special affinity for this environment. In five career starts at the one-mile, he has four wins and one second place; while his overall Aqueduct record is 4-2-1. A two-time First Place winner at Saratoga in seven stretches, he sets a formidable standard for the flashy sophomore trying out a new ride.
But you know what, the difference between the pair — gray terrier versus bulldog, Spitfire versus Lancaster — just makes me appreciate both more. After all, it’s the way these Purebreds keep the mirror alive, that makes them so captivating. As I stubbornly persisted with Zandon, I assumed I was showing weakness for the kind of flair that responds to life’s challenges in a way that in itself adds color and value to existence. But Mind Control also reminds me that I don’t just want charisma from the man beside me in the trenches.
So let’s hope that these contrasts, in this race, will act as sticks and stones to light the fire against the coming winter; and that Zandon could lay some sort of marker for his ascent, as an adult, through a handicap that has been exhausted by multiple retirements.
Between them, Zandon and Mo Donegal at least renewed Remsen’s aura. This time, that race will be watched with the anxious attention of three ranchers standing shoulder to shoulder for the first year boys’ championship. After Bolt d’Oro took the initiative last weekend, both good magic and justification Field candidates to fight back here.
You have to go back 27 years to Thunder Gulch to find the last Remsen winner to take part in the Derby, even though Go For Gin only scored a double the previous year. But in an age when trainers are very reluctant to give Triple Crown horses an outdated platform, the ninth race before Christmas certainly comes at a high price.
Whether in the way they are maneuvered or how they are bred, Classic racehorses need a foundation. It is a mistake to think that the virtues of “blue-collar” are alien to true “blue blood”. We don’t just need the glamor of Zandon, nor just the mettle of Mind Control. Just as a mile draws them together, we need the best of both worlds.
Hopefully Zandon’s story still has a long way to go. In the meantime, how well-timed Red Oak Stable, at Tampa Bay not 10 minutes before the Cigar Mile, for Mind Control’s sister by candy ride (Arg). If she was made of things like Mind Control, then she would have exactly what we should all be looking for. As Clint Eastwood’s Preacher put it, at the end of another memorable duel in pale knight: “There is nothing like a beautiful hickory piece.”
