Zoe Cadman

August 25, 2010

Zoe’s Arlington Adventures

> My Weekend began aboard a plane bound for Chicago.

Upon boarding the plane I literally ran right into the larger than life Mike Ditka, apologized, took his picture, and then ran over his foot with
> my oversized wheel on luggage. I scurried to my seat, the ones in the
> back of the bus of course – no way was I sitting anywhere close to the
> legendary coach of the ONCE famous Bears!! (They got soundly
trounced in their pre season game on Saturday night)

> Friday morning I awoke to the ghastly sound of the infamous wake
> up call, where I bounced out of bed (not) and made my way down to the
> lobby to meet Caton (Bredar). She fancied an early start as
> well.

First stop the Stidham barn where my good friend Hilary had
> lined me up some of the easiest rides in the barn (so easy they would
> have made Jon White look like Chris McCarron).
> Fitness tested, I was off for coffee and a good old natter. While up
> on the front side it was discovered my mount for the legends race had
> been scratched. Lunch was my first thought – my second was that of
> disappointment.

This is when I first met Ron Faucheaux (pronounced Fo-
> Shay), an up an coming young trainer of the highest calibre with a 50%
> win rate to back him up! He had the only horse on the also
> eligibles. I had to ask his name twice and make sure I wasn’t talking
> to a high school kid (baby face is not the word).

He agreed to run his horse so I could ride, funny I never thought I would wear the black
> diamonds so synonymous with leading owner (Frank Calabrese) ever
> again!

Incidentally, he also sponsored the race and has donated over
> $200,000 to the permanently disabled jockeys fund over the years. Love
> him or hate him you can’t deny his generosity buried deep, deep down.
> In there is a heart of gold (sorry to let that out Frank!).

> The Dining with the Dynasties was a great success and Nancy Lasala did
> her usual brilliant job of organizing everything. Everyone involved
> had a great time, although I don’t know whose idea it was to feed all us
> old fat jockeys before we were supposed to ride! All I could do was
> look at my pasta primavera longingly.

Great to see the proper legends: Pincay, Cordero, Bill Boland, Pat day, Fires, Guidry, Ron
> Turcotte, Patti Cooksey, just to name a few (I was after all just a sub
> filling in for the injured Gary Stevens). If my resume was even one tenth of his somebody else would be typing this).

> Race time. After using a shoehorn and some Vaseline to slide into my
> old faithfuls (britches and boots), myself and Patti (Cooksey) warmed up
> by running up and down the perfectly manicured jocks room back yard
> (fenced off for good reason – to keep us IN).

Warmed up and weighed in, myself, Guid, Earlie and Otto (Thorworth, subbing for Jean Cruget)
> had our plan of action, and we shared it with the “young
> Guns” (Karlson, Graham, junior, Castanon, and young Michael Baze). It went
> as follows:

“If you can touch the person next to you, your too damn
> close!!!….safety first”!

> I had already received my instructions from the effervescent Steve
> Leving – stable manager for the Calabrese empire. They read as follows:

> “I claimed this one, and it was a bad claim. Perfectly sound but needs
> a change of tactics (just what a jock wants to hear) there is speed in
> the race. Oh I want you to take back to last and save ground (I was in
> the 11 hole – no prob!).”

> Upon leaving the jocks room I decided the only two people who were
> really having fun were Patti and I, so I decided to hop on James Graham
> and ride him to the paddock. In hindsight I may have been better off
> riding him in the race!

> We all made it without incident to the gate, other than my buttons on
> my britches kept popping open.

DDDDRRRIIINNNGGG, and there off!

> Karlson to the lead as expected, with fires in hot pursuit. I took
> back and got tucked in aboard Hez a Harley Man. My god, he was
> pulling my arms out of their proverbial sockets! Feet on the
> dashboard, down the backside we go – not very fast I might add – Karlson
> doing her best to walk the dog and boy did she, (my dear old dog at a
> hundred and nine could walk faster than that).

Down the back side we go. I am now firmly positioned on the rail with still a double
> handful. All soughts of thoughts are flying thru my head. Past the 3/8
> pole, still waiting, then at the 1/4 pole my horse deflated like a
> cheap Wal-Mart Ballon on Valentines day – and I was in full out scrub
> mode (so much for saving the best for last, wheres the wire I thought).

> I hear a little peep to my inside at the 1/16 pole. You could have
> knocked me over with a feather as it was Guidry (famed foe his 8 wide
> moves) sneaking up my inner of all places. Didn’t get by though. We all
> hit the wire – or it hit us. Inez Karlson four in front of Earlie who at
> 63 years young still has IT!

The rest of us behind and looking for oxygen. He said take back, right? Never a word about passing a horse
> (just kidding Eddie Arroyo – senior state steward).

> Young Guns Win!

> Saturday morning-million day. Up not so early today, but certainly
> ready for a bonanza day of international Proportions. We had some rain
> during the night and the inner turf course was labeled as yielding,
> whereas the outer and million lane was labeled as good – let the games
> begin!

> The Irish are coming, The Irish are coming. And yes they did with
> Kieran Fallon and Jamie Spencer on a day trip from England looking
> quite spritely I may add (Pretty sure they didn’t sit at the back of the
> bus!)

In true European fashion the boys walked the course accompanied
> by yours truly. I offered Kieran my high heels but he declined as he
> said no man would ever walk in high heels as well as Michael
> Dickinson (soo true).

> James “Lucky Charm” Graham took the first graded stake of the day for
> my dear old friend, Larry Demeritte, with a flawless ride over the
> outer turf course, in great shape by that race (GIII Stars an
> stripes)

> The Secretariat was a tour de force by the great white (dapple grey)
> hope Paddy O Prado, who seemed under a KJD Drive at the 3/8 pole, sprout wings at the 1/8 pole and fly home the easiest
> of winners, making his trainer (Dale Romans) quite vocal in
> comparing him to Kittens Joy.

> The Beverly D perhaps over shadowed the million in a lot of
> ways when Eclair de lune stormed her way to victory in the 21st
> running of the race by 1 1/2 lengths over a determined Hot Cha
> Cha. But the best was yet to come.

In a standing ovation as Mr. D. walked down slowly from his box, I have never seen soo many people
> cheering for a more deserving person than Mr. D. The race named for his
> late wife. He said, “I would rather win this than the Kentucky Derby” in a very emotional post race interview – Hooray, I say!

> The Million was won in extraordinary fashion. More like bullet from an
> AK47 than a race horse. Named for revolutionary French composer Claude
> De Bussy, Debussy was supposed to be Gosdens second string in the
> Million, but went things went Awry when his stable mate Tazeez broke in
> the air (in typical Euro Fashion) then seemed to run off down the back
> side with Richard Hills a mere Passenger aboard.

Gio Ponti, however, seemed to have no such difficulty and endured what some may say was a
> questionable ride from Dominguez. I say he rode him like the best
> horse (he was odds on after all). He moved up down the backside,
> went very wide, opened up and seemed to be home free – but remember, even
> John Henry couldn’t produce back to back winnings of the million.

But it was young Norwegian born William Buick who provided the
> spoiler for John Gosden Aboard Debussy. Now, no one is going to say his
> ride was questionable as he won, but just think by how far he could have
> won if not having to alter course in mid stretch after being boxed
> in. If that’s the case NO ONE would have any argument that Gio
> Ponti was just beaten by a better horse -even if he was a second
> stringer!!
>
> Brilliant Weekend had by all. First class all the Way. THANK YOU!
>
> Notes:

Eclaire de Lune arrived back in Del Mar safely Monday.
>
> The Gosden Pair of Debussy and Tazeez – 1st and 3rd
> respectively in Million – left AP for home on
> Monday morning.
>
> Composer Claude De Bussy wrote a song called Clair De
> Lune – Now if that’s not divine intervention I don’t
> know what is!
>
> Thoroughly Enjoyed working with Caton and Jill
>
> Zoe was very tired Sunday morning!

July 9, 2010

Off To the Bank Manager

These are tough times we’re living in. The economy’s still teetering on the brink of flat-lining, the unemployment rate refuses to drop below the double digit marker, and I can now afford my Beverly Hills spa day beauty treatments only once a week – and Oliver Twist thought he had a rough deal.

But it was while reading the U.K.’s Racing Post results page that a spark of inspiration flashed across my mind – a fail-safe plan to see us all through these lean times in prosperity and luxury.

Firstly, schedule a meeting with your bank manager (ladies, wear something revealing, gentlemen, wear something dashing – swap that around depending upon the gender of the bank manager).

Secondly, look directly into your bank manager’s eyes and repeat these words: “I need tens of thousands of dollars to give to Richard Hannon because he’s going to buy me a fast 2-y-old who will win me lots of races – some of them big expensive races.”

Thirdly, gently pry the money from your bank manager’s clutches, thanking him or her for their understanding and/or beauty, get immediately onto the blower to Richard Hannon telling him to hurry on down to the yearling sales, then sit back and relax in the certainty that your hard earned money has been well invested – it really couldn’t be simpler.

The Richard Hannon 2-y-old bandwagon has continued unabated at Newmarket this week. Wednesday, Memory followed up her Royal Ascot win in the Albany Stakes with a facile romp in the Cherry Hinton; however, in the immediate aftermath of her win, I noticed that bookmakers priced her up in the single digits for next year’s 1000 guineas. A word of warning – she’s not a guineas winner, so avoid those measly prices like you’d avoid your mother-in-law.

Then Thursday, his 10-1 shot Libranno turned in a gutsy performance to win the July Stakes – a group 2 over 6 furlongs. In the process, he trounced a smart field that included the Coventry Stakes runner-up, Elzaam, so the form looks rock solid. I was rather taken with his win, and being by Librettist – a horse who improved significantly with age – I envisage a bright future ahead of him.

And before I move onto today’s July Cup, I must quickly mention Hannon’s tough-as-Teflon Dick Turpin who finally bagged himself his very own group 1 in France on Sunday. A big race serial bridesmaid (although I am somewhat reluctant to call him that – it would be like calling Scott Hazleton a nagging old broad), he has been thrown to the lions all season, only to come out with his reputation enhanced but his scorecard empty. He absolutely trounced the field on Sunday (the caliber of the competition admittedly being slightly less taxing than his usual fare), and I cannot wait to see him cross swords with his contemporaries once again.

Now to today’s July Cup, and the return to the fray of Kinsale King.

His trainer, Carl O’Callaghan (who’s rags-to-riches immigration story makes Don Corleone’s read like a “Where’s Waldo” children’s book), has been spending rather a lot of time in England of late, and this leads me to one of two conclusions:

-That the British Royal Family have finally had enough of Queen Lizzy (she was spotted bumbling around New York this week), and are taking measures to instate Carl in her place as head of the monarchy.

-Or that he’s getting a little too big for his boots – literally and figuratively. At 9 feet, 2 inches, Carl is a big man, but what’s with this extended leave of absence in dear old Blighty? Too big for America, Carl? I will be horrified beyond belief if you come back with a cut glass English accent!

As for the race, I’m afraid it’s a forgone conclusion: Starspangledbanner.

His demolition job in the Golden Jubilee at Royal Ascot is still vividly ingrained upon my memory, and I will be very surprised to see anything but a repeat performance tomorrow. Kinsale King, the grizzled old warrior that he is, I hope to see in one of the supporting spots, and at a big price, don’t be surprised to see the Aussie sprinter Nicconi put up an improved effort on his Ascot running.

Right, I’m off to the bank manager…

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