The Nomination Is In: The Grade 2 Bayakoa at Los A

Bayakoa/5 against Go For Wand/2; 1990 Breeders' Cup Distaff

I could write a blog post about what Bayakoa meant to me, and I have  (like this from 2009).  Instead of the Turk rambling I  like this blog post by Sam Ludo to summarize the amazing career of one of the greatest fillies ever,  a mare whose name belongs in the same breath as Zenyatta, Ruffian, and Rachael Alexandra.

For anyone who can stand it, this is Bayakoa in her glory, dueling Go for Wand.  With the heart of a lion these two engaged each other and it was many years before I could ever think to watch this video as I became an emotional wreck just thinking about the pride and passion that fills such animals to race to the very edge of death when challenged.

We use the word great too often in our society to identify champions.  Not all champions are great.  Great should be reserved, along with a few other adjectives, for the absolute best of the best.

Bayakoa was great. It's one of the sadder parts of the demise of horse racing in our culture, that her name isn't known more widely, acclaimed by openly, adored for forever.




As a race fan and a lover of animals, I never want to see a horse get hurt like this.  These animals were bred to race, they love to race.  As long as they are cared for after the track, Grade 1 winners or claimers, I can live with the inevitable deaths that will occur.  This one is haunting to anyone who loved Bayakoa and Go for Wand.

I am still mourning in a different way Hollywood Race Park.  I'm not that familiar with the big oval at Los A yet.  I'm learning to play it the old fashioned, by reading race charts and building my opinion of how to play its big stretch.

Anyway, this edition of the Bayakoa (thanks for leaving name alone!) is a six horse affair and a bit of a snooze fest at that.  Let's see what we can make of it.





I'm backing Yahilwa to win.  In last two races as come from more than 2 off the lead to win as well as wired a win, both at 1 mile.  Came up back of Tiz Midnight and Beholder three races back in the G1 Zenyatta.  One win at the distance in an N1X in April 2014.  Getting faster as the year goes, Trainer Cassidy is 25% won last start on 40 tries and Mike Smith/Cassidy win at 23% on 52 tries.

Hard to say what Tiz Midnight will bring.  I typically don't like the first race back off a Breeders' Cup race which is exactly what Baffert's 4 YO is doing.  Class alone, she;s top of the class.  She'll race as always within two of the lead all the way around.  Easily wins, but for value would like to see Place.

Legacy seems like the best of the rest.  Sadler's horse has run well on this track.  Sadler 18% on turf/dirt switch after a trouncing in the G2 Goldikova at SA in early November.  (I guess I could have added Goldikova and Lady's Secret to my list of greats. I know I'm forgetting others as well!)

I'm leaning towards a very simple bet construction:  A $2 Tri with 1-3 OVER 1-3 OVER 2-5-4-6 is a $16 bet and a $2 Tri with 1 OVER 3 OVER 2-5-4-6 is an $8 bet.

Have fun with it yourself if you are so inclined!

Turk Out.

The Nomination Is In: The Bayakoa Grade 2 at Hollywood Park

Beautiful, energized, driven Bayakoa.  If there was anything to get me to end my self imposed end of the year "Handicapper's Holiday" its always a race named in her honor.

Let the Turk be clear: Bayakoa is one of my all time favorites and I still get goosebumps thinking of her.  

I've been gone since the Breeders' Cup, a self imposed vacation.  I think it's important as a handicapper to push away every now and then, especially when you self analyze your post race results and see the pattern of "trying to hard." For me, trying to hard often means trying to hard to be a wise guy, trying to hard to stretch for value when the obvious answer is starring me in the face.  

I like the vacations, its almost like hitting the reset button.  I've paid no attention to the racing since Breeders' Cup Saturday, have no idea which 2 YOs are in the Futures Pool, quite frankly don't care. I'm an older horse fella, even though I'll get sucked into Triple Crown madness like every year. Getting back into the swing of things is always harder than I think it should be: I've handicapped thousands of races but for some reason when I return I feel like I just got handed the red gel pen for the first time.  I ease back in, I pick winners, stay away from the exotics for awhile and try to get my groove on.  

I like to eliminate variables in my handicapping, but between now and March I find that one of the biggest challenges is trying to understand the Trainers intentions.  It's not always to win the particular race he has entered, perhaps its to sharpen for two races down the road or its just to get a few more starts before the owner pulls the plug on the season or career of his runner.

The vacation is over though;  one thing that is always true is I enjoy the time away but I enjoy the racing more when I return and I feel renewed.  Let's get after this!

Again, it's sometimes hard to know what a Trainer's goals are.  Most likely those goals aren't about winning in December when the racing world isn't paying that much attention.  The race's sole million dollar winner, Inglorious, trained by Josie Carroll, with Mike Smith up, has been shutdown since July and seems to be just at the beginning of a path that is expected to lead the Mare to bigger things in 2013.

I like sharper animals this time of year and I'm backing Lady of Fifty this time out: 5 of 6 in the money on the fake stuff, 8 of 10 lifetime in the money and the Aftermarket filly trained by Hollendorfer, with M. Garcia up, has been training sharply at Hollywood since a 1 mile win 5 weeks ago.

Changethechannel is a3 YO English Channel girl who comes in off a sharp same distance win at Hollywood 3 weeks ago.  Game and fast, I like the sharp last out effort and we'll see what happens.

I have  a deep collection of Exotic Players (purple), most likely a bit of indecision after my layoff, but this is a pretty evenly matched collection on paper.

Bayakoa's Trainer, Ron McAnally, brings in his homebred daughter of Empire Maker, Charm the Maker, into the fray. Only two wins, both with today's pilot Gomez up, some really uninspiring Turf work, and no real reasons to hang my fedora on.  I like the class to prevail.

Class Included and Inglorious will be breaking from the outside together;  Class Included comes out of the Breeders' Cup Distaff and I don't like the way the bounce usually goes on that angle. 16 of 17 in the money lifetime but no fake dirt and no distance wins.  Inglorious I expect will run well but how well, hmm.  I'm shading down, just on the edges of Show and Exotic.

I like Willa B Awesome on the fake stuff.  I may make a game time decision after watching the post parade and shade her up.

There it is, my first effort back off a 31-60 day layoff.

Have fun, Turk Out!

Post Race Analysis for Race Day December 5, 2009: The Bayakoa Handicap Grade II; 1 1/16 Miles on Fake Dirt at Hollywood Park

When writing my pre race analysis for The Bayakoa, I got to thinking about a horse forever linked with Bayakoa and the 1990 Breeders' Cup Distaff, Go for Wand. She now rests in peace at Saratoga, forever in the mind of horse racing fans the best 3 YO filly in America in the late fall of 1990, and the image of her laying down after crossing the finish line, eyes open, proud but afraid, is as haunting as any I've ever seen at the track. Rest in Peace Go For Wand, you have never been forgotten.

I couldn't bear to watch the replay on this one yesterday. I know it's important to study your failures and your successes, but that doesn't mean I was excited about picking apart a handicap that went as they can sometimes on poly tracks: Undistinguished turf horse with no wins on poly and rather ho hum past performances comes out of nowhere to win. Doesn't mean you have to like it, but it happens. Zardana (Brz) was given a great trip by Mike Smith, sitting in the pocket third for almost the whole race while moderate fractions clicked off until the top of the stretch and the mare went outside, ran a pedestrian final sixteenth in :06 2/5ths and cruised to the wire, game over. The next five hit the line close to each other, with none of these ladies seemingly interested in offending each other. Let's take nothing away from the winner, but in my final analysis, this was a race you just move on from without many lessons to be learned. Trainer Shirreffs has won this race a record five times now. Perhaps that was the lesson. Zardana (Brz) had a career best 99 BSF.

Hollywood Park Race 8; The Bayakoa Handicap Grade II; 1 1/16 Miles on Fake Dirt for F&M 3 YO and Up.

The Nomination Is In: December 5, 2009; The Bayakoa Handicap Grade II; 1 1/16 Miles on Poly at Hollywood Park

Mighty Bayakoa, two time Breeders' Cup Distaff winner. Remembered fondly in California and deserving of praise similar to what we give Ruffian, Personal Ensign, and Zenyatta. I do not bring these revered names up to start the pointless Rachel/Zenyatta debate but to remember a wonderful horse who captured my attention so many years ago.

Race 8 Hollywood Park Post Time 7:05 Eastern: The Bayakoa Handicap Grade II; 1 1/16 miles on poly for F&M 3 YO and Up.



As always, check for changes and watch the tote closely before finalizing your bets.

Fittingly, the Turk is backing an Argentinian horse as his chalk in today's running of The Bayakoa. Teamgeist (Arg) is a 6 YO Mare trained by McPeek with Solis up. Training very fast at SA with a 5f :58 4/5ths and a 4f :47 4/5ths her last two times on the track. Winless since coming to the States, 13 of 17 lifetime in the money and a nice Show in the Grade I Spinster at KEE. Looking for a breakout run today. Far from heavy chalk, some proven fillies will challenge her.

Briecat enters with blinkers on today, and owns the races best lifetime BSF of 100 that she earned at HOL this past June at 1 1/8. Since that effort she had a miserable Grade I turf outing, a mile win and a failed 1 1/16 Grade I where she was in front at the top of the stretch. 6 wins in last 17 starts but only 2 of 7 in the money in 2009. Winner of this race a year ago, I wish her well.

Lucky Copy has the last race best BSF of 94, a dominating ALW level win by 8 1/2 lengths at 1 1/16 at KEE. 4 wins in last 10 starts for Trainer Pletcher.

The next tier down includes Silver Swallow and Cat by the Tale. Silver Swallow, with Smith Up, is 7 of 7 at HOL in the money and 11 of 15 on Poly. The 5 YO Alphabet Soup Mare is 4 of 6 in the money at the distance and should be accounted for on a Super ticket as easily achieving Show or 4th.

Cat of the Tale is 0 of 0 at HOL, 0 of 3 on Synthetics and 0 of 0 at Distance since coming to the States earlier in 2009. Two wins, an N2x and N3X and a nice Show in a Grade II that could have easily been Place last time out. A wildcard and you should account for her.

Floating Heart, a Tabor owned Giant Causeway 3 Yo is placed here by Trainer Pletcher and maybe ready to break out. 4 of 4 in the money in 2009 and 1 poly win. A stayer dropping back, not sure what to expect.

So what do we do? 10 cent Supers are in fashion so I will create several of those tickets in the boxed variety and then work some exacta bets based on my base handicap and moving horses up and down the base handicap dependent on post time odds. Low risk, medium reward betting for me here.

Have Fun, Turk Out!