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The horses were running into the last of the sun, a long pack, moving with big strides and hypnotic smoothness. They all had been injected that morning with Lasix, a diuretic. It prevents the pulmonary bleeding hard running causes in many horses.
War of Will
War of Will is inbred 3 x 3 to Northern Dancer, and he won the 2019 Preakness from post 1. He also won the Lecomte Stakes and Risen Star Stakes this year. In addition, he is a Grade 1 winner on both dirt and turf. Casse believes he can handle the grueling mile-and-a-half distance of the Belmont Stakes.
The son of War Front drew the single post on Saturday at Pimlico while a loud concert was still playing in the infield. He saved ground as the gate opened and stalked a fast pace set by Warrior’s Charge. Tyler Gaffalione moved him into a good position at the top of the stretch, and War of Will powered away to win by 1 1/4 lengths. He earned $1.4 million for owner Gary Barber and trainer Mark Casse.
McKinzie
McKinzie was a racehorse that had many highs and lows. He ran in eleven graded stakes races and came first or second in fourteen of them. He was the top-ranked colt of his crop and earned $3.5 million. He is the most decorated of Street Sense’s progeny.
He started his career by winning two graded stakes and was a runner-up in the Kentucky Derby. He later won the Pennsylvania Derby. However, he failed to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic and finished 12th.
He drew post six of 14 in the Saudi Cup and had to chase a speedy pace set by Mendelsohn. He tired quickly and finished a disappointing 12th of 14. He beat only Catholic Boy and Roaring Lion. He is a son of Street Sense, who was one of the best-racehorses of all time.
Vino Rosso
Vino Rosso, a colt by Curlin, emerged as the winner of Saturday’s $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. The runner-up was McKinzie, who had 5-2 odds heading into the race.
McKinzie had a slight lead over pacesetter War of Will going into the far turn but was not able to maintain it. The horse faded and finished a half length behind McKinzie. The lone filly in the race, Elate, was a full length back in third.
The winner, Vino Rosso, was a Keeneland September Yearling sale purchase by co-owners Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable. He has a lot of stamina in his pedigree to love classic distances and his sire is a multiple stakes winner at 1 1/4 miles.
Just Grazed Me
Nick Alexander’s Just Grazed Me, trained by Phil D’Amato, won her third race since her impressive debut win over fellow Cal-breds at 6 1/2 furlongs on June 24. She rallied from off the pace to beat Fleet Treat Stakes rival Spiced Perfection by 1 1/4 lengths in the $101,404 Senator Ken Maddy Stakes (G3T) Nov. 2 at Santa Anita Park.
She is a daughter of winning Cuvee mare Fairway Road. Her victory in the Senator Ken Maddy Stakes improved her career record to seven wins and four seconds from ten starts and increased her earnings to $494,332.
All of the horses in the race had been injected with Lasix, a diuretic marked on the racing forms by a boldface L. It’s used to prevent pulmonary bleeding, which hard running can cause in many horses.
Mongolian Groom
On the far turn, War of Will hugged the inside rail and was pressed by McKinzie. At the top of the stretch, big chestnut colt Vino Rosso loomed large on the outside. Mongolian Groom was in third place, but he suffered a serious injury to his left hind leg and was euthanized on the backstretch.
CHRB equine medical director Rick Arthur declined to disclose whether veterinarians had observed short, choppy movement in Mongolian Groom’s hind legs prior to the race. He also declined to specify what medication the horse received on Oct. 19, which would have triggered new restrictions under Stronach Group house policies.
A 25-page evaluation by renowned veterinary orthopedic surgeon Larry Bramlage concludes that the injury of Mongolian Groom in the Breeders’ Cup Classic could have been prevented with additional safety measures and evaluation procedures. His report includes six suggested process improvements.
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