Have the Carnations Waiting

By Jude T. Feld

Now relegated to “afterthought” status because of a mottled Triple Crown season, the 142nd Belmont Stakes (G1) still holds some interest, especially for those seriously engaged in breeding Thoroughbreds. For at least the past two decades, American breeders have manufactured horses mainly for the commercial market – those bred for speed and precociousness – with little interest in what their production would do past the sales ring.

This “cart before the horse” philosophy has translated into shorter races and even shorter fields on most race cards around the country. The racing itself has become mundane – How many turf sprints and six furlong main track races can you have on one card? – so horseplayers have quit betting because they are bored stiff, purses have dwindled in most locales to the point where owners and trainers are losing pantloads of money every month and racetrack seats are empty everywhere.

The Belmont Stakes (G1) is considered by many to be a folly – Three-year-olds running a mile and a half in June – “For what?” they say. “They probably won’t run that distance again all year or even in their lifetime.”

They are correct about the racing schedule, but not about the folly. The one thing the Belmont (G1) does, that many other Grade 1 races do not, is indicate who might excel as a sire of horses who can run longer than a race at Los Alamitos. A.P. Indy, Tabasco Cat, Thunder Gulch, Touch Gold, Lemon Drop Kid, Point Given, Empire Maker, Birdstone and Afleet Alex are some of the recent winners who come to mind and boy do we need them to step up and we need breeders to utilize them if Thoroughbred racing is going to be more than a dash for a tiny bit of cash.

Patience was once the earmark of the successful owner and breeder, who bred milers to distance line mares in the hopes of winning a Classic race. They kept the horses they bred, raced them in their colors and had trainers dedicated to the successful development of the animal’s talents. Horses had careers instead of just meets.

With the passage of time and more racing dates, speed became king and economics came into play. More owners entered the game and were anxious to be seen in the winners’ circle. Commercial breeding became the order of the day, providing horses “bred to win early” as the saying goes. Everyone wanted a Northern Dancer, a Mr. Prospector, a Storm Cat – forget Bull Lea, Princequillo and Seattle Slew – “Who can afford to wait?”

Evidently, Robert V. LaPenta can.

Two years ago, he won the Belmont (G1) with Da’ Tara. His Tiznow colt’s two-year-old season was unremarkable to say the least, failing to win a single race in 2007. Breaking his maiden going a mile and an eighth at Gulfstream in January, the Nick Zito-trained colt had a checkered Derby prep season, but put it all together on Belmont (G1) day, cruising wire-to-wire under jockey Alan Garcia, to win by five and a half lengths and squashing Big Brown’s Triple Crown bid.

LaPenta’s distinctive maroon and gold colors will be carried by Ice Box in this year’s event. The grandson of Belmont (G1) winners A.P. Indy and Tabasco Cat also had a slow juvenile campaign, although he was able to eke out a maiden win at Meadowlands in his final race of 2009.

2010 has been a different story for the son of Pulpit, who was purchased for a mere $125,000 at the 2008 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Also winning at a mile and an eighth at Gulfstream in January, he followed up that effort with a troubled trip in the Fountain of Youth (G2). Zito continued to sing his praises before the Florida Derby (G1) and although his trainer didn’t sway public sentiments with his statements, Ice Box lived up to the Hall of Famer’s hype, narrowly defeating Pleasant Prince in a lengthy stretch duel at 20-1 on the board.

Second to Super Saver in the Kentucky Derby (G1), several racing pundits felt Ice Box was really best on the day after suffering a horrific trip from the two-hole.

With close to a million bucks in his bank account, a Grade 1 win and a Kentucky Derby (G1) placing, Ice Box enters the Belmont (G1) as the likely favorite and most likely winner.

His breeders, Kurt and Kim Butenhoff, whose nom de course is Denlea Park, Ltd., bred a son of a Belmont (G1) winner to a daughter of a Belmont (G1) winner, no doubt in hopes of getting a Belmont (G1) winner. LaPenta had the patience to buy a Belmont (G1) prospect and then allow Zito, who has now won the Belmont (G1) twice, to develop his colt’s talents. Will Ice Box win a second Belmont (G1) for him and a third for Zito?

The only thing we know for sure is that LaPenta can afford to wait to find out.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 26th, 2010 at 1:55 pm and is filed under Featured Articles. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.