Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Modern Games to be pointed to the 2000 Guineas in May
DEL MAR, Calif. – Modern Games, the colt at the center of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf firestorm Friday evening, managed to keep his cool before delivering a winning performance and came out of his race in great condition, trainer Charlie Appleby reported Saturday morning.
Modern Games won the Juvenile Turf by 1 1/2 lengths and earned an 87 Beyer Speed Figure for running one mile on a firm course in 1:34.72.
“He’s walking around back there now as we speak,” Appleby said Saturday morning on the Del Mar backstretch after checking in on his horses stabled in the quarantine facility for international Breeders’ Cup runners. “He’s eaten up, all the vital signs are good, and we’re delighted with him.”
Appleby, a private trainer for Godolphin, which bred Modern Games and stands his sire, Dubawi, won his fourth Breeders’ Cup race following victories by Outstrip in the 2013 Juvenile Turf, Wuheida in the 2017 Filly and Mare Turf, and Line of Duty in the 2018 Juvenile Turf. He won two more on Saturday, with Space Blues in the Mile and Yibir in the Turf.
Godolphin and Appleby’s second runner, Albahr, reared in the starting gate and fell over, winding up stuck in the stall and was scratched from the Juvenile Turf. He emerged from the incident with no injuries of consequence, as did jockey Frankie Dettori.
“The vets have been in there to see him and treat him this morning. He’s got superficial cuts on that left hind leg, but he ate up and all the signs are fine. He’s had a walk out there this morning. Horse and jockey both are all right,” said Appleby on Saturday.
Appleby, waiting to watch
Friday’s race trackside near the Del Mar winner’s circle, remained remarkably calm as disaster unfolded in front of him. Albahr was fitted with a blindfold and loaded riderless. He has acted up in this manner before – “He has some kinks, which is why he was gelded,” Appleby said – but as Albahr trotted past Appleby, saddleless and riderless on his way back to the stables, confusion arose around Modern Games. At one point, Appleby received a phone call, had a brief conversation, and told the people around him that Modern Games had “got a nick” and been scratched.
We know now that Modern Games had been prematurely scratched by veterinarians and track stewards and never sustained injury. Official observers positioned behind the starting gate observed Modern
Games a few yards in front of the gate as Albahr was being extricated and thought Modern Games had broken through his gate on his own. They didn’t realize that an assistant starter, trying to protect the colt from the horse thrashing on the ground in the adjacent stall, had opened the doors on Modern Games’s stall to allow him to exit. This is not uncommon in such situations, but the doors typically are opened from the rear and the horse backed out.
“All credit to the stalls handler – he did what he needed him to do to keep him safe, but it caught William slightly unaware, and that’s why he popped out of there,” Appleby said.
The explanation given by the California Horse Racing Board and veterinary officials for the quick scratch of Modern Games, before Buick even took his mount back around the gate to be examined, was that veterinarians observed Modern Games rear back in his stall and strike his head, which was what set Albahr alight, according to the official explanation. That rearing action combined with the mistaken belief Modern Games had broken through the gate triggered the scratch prior to examination.
However, Buick said nothing Friday about his mount acting up in the gate, and he told Appleby that Modern Games had been quiet before the start.
“No, William said he never did a thing in the stalls – that’s not his character. The other horse has got that sort of character about him. William said
[Modern Games] just stood there as good as gold,” Appleby said.
Buick rode a great race on Modern Games, who broke poorly once the field was reloaded following the decision to allow the colt to race for purse money only. Modern Games, Appleby said, appeared to struggle a bit negotiating the far turn – understandable from a young horse coming out of straight-course races – but really kicked home after being taken outside and pointed to the wire in upper stretch. Modern Games will be aimed at the 2000 Guineas on the first Saturday in May 2022 and is likely to have a prep for that start, according to his trainer.
Tiz the Bomb closed strongly from the back of the field, weaving between horses under Brian Hernandez Jr., to finish second, thus becoming the winner for parimutuel purposes.
Tiz the Bomb won his maiden by more than 14 lengths in a race rained off turf and onto dirt, and trainer Ken McPeek, who said Tiz the Bomb had come out of the Juvenile Turf in good order, plans to switch Tiz the Bomb back to dirt for his next start. Whether that is sometime later this year or early next McPeek hasn’t yet determined, but he said the Fountain of Youth Stakes and the Florida Derby would be on his radar. McPeek also reiterated his plan to consider Tiz the Bomb for the Derby at Epsom Racecourse in England next June.
Mackinnon, who finished third, just a neck behind Tiz the Bomb and a head in front of Grafton Street, looked good Saturday morning, trainer Doug O’Neill said. Mackinnon had won two Southern California turf stakes before Friday’s race, which was the best of his career. O’Neill said no plans had been set but he anticipated racing Mackinnon again in 2021.
Fourth-place Grafton Street, who lost a lot of ground on both turns and raced wide with no cover on the second bend, plugged along nicely, just running out of steam the final 50 yards while holding on for a close fourth. Trainer Mark Casse said Grafton Street, a hulk of a colt, was sure to be a better 3-year-old than 2-yearold and would be put away for the rest of the year to point to Florida turf stakes early in 2022.
“I think he’ll be one of the top 3-year-old turf horses in the country,” Casse said.
Dakota Gold finished fifth, a half-length behind Grafton Street, going off the 5-2 favorite after Modern Games, who was 2-1, was taken out of the pools. When Albahr flipped, his body leaned right, into stall 3, where Dakota Gold was housed. Dakota Gold, said trainer Danny Gargan, came back with some cuts sustained in the gate incident.
“I don’t think anyone was beating the winner, but that had to have affected my horse,” Gargan said.
Dakota Gold will have some down time at a farm and won’t race again until 2022, said Gargan, whose initial thought is to give the colt one race in Florida and aim at the American Turf in early May at Churchill Downs.