DEL MAR – The degree to which life imitated art imitating life was almost spooky in yesterday's 13th running of the $1 million Pacific Classic.
Take several elements of the current movie "Seabiscuit." Substitute real-life counterparts for some of the characters. Mix thoroughly with a dash of imagination and you have Candy Ride, under Julie Krone, winning by 31/4 lengths over Medaglia d'Oro in a track-record 1:59.11 for 11/4 miles.
Or, if you saw the movie or read the book, three-quarters of a length less than the margin by which Seabiscuit defeated War Admiral in the match race at Pimlico, also in track-record time, in a 110-yard shorter distance.
Yesterday's race was not a match race. It just worked out that way.
Medaglia d'Oro and Candy Ride, the 3-5 favorite and 2-1 second choice in the betting, respectively, separated themselves slightly from 25-1 Fleetstreet Dancer and 3-1 Milwaukee Brew on the first trip past the grandstand. The top two maintained their edge down the backstretch, then drew off by themselves with three-eighths of a mile to go.
They were eyeball-to-eyeball for several strides before Candy Ride, the unbeaten (now 6-for-6) semimystery horse from Argentina, simply showed his heels to the No. 2-ranked handicap horse in the country and dealt Medaglia d'Oro, ridden by national leader Jerry Bailey, an initial loss in four starts this year.
It was the biggest victory ever recorded west of New York for a female jockey. And Krone, a 40-year-old Carlsbad resident, has the one in New York, having guided Colonial Affair to victory in the 1993 Belmont Stakes to become the only female with a Triple Crown race victory.
"Amazing, unbelievable," Krone bubbled after the win. "You just can't measure something like this. There is not a way to put a scale on it. It is the sweetest. I feel like I can fly."
The circumstances that put Krone into her position were the first Seabiscuit-esque aspect of the story. And they involved Gary Stevens, the jockey who played George Woolf to actor Tobey Maguire's Red Pollard in the movie.
Stevens, who had the mount on Candy Ride, was injured in a spill in the Arlington Million nine days ago. Krone was chosen to replace him, and on Saturday Stevens met with Krone to give her input on riding Candy Ride.
It was similar to a scene in "Seabiscuit" in which Maguire's character, injured before the match race against War Admiral, gives Stevens' character advice. "We had a Gary Stevens-Tobey Maguire moment," said Stevens, who was in the winner's circle after the race.
"Julie had seen some quotes about the horse and she rode him in a workout, so she had it figured. But she wanted to have a meeting.
"You react in races like this, but any little bit of information you can get to react to is a bonus."
And Stevens, who entered horse racing's Hall of Fame in 1997, three years before Krone became its only female member, had information to share.
"I just wanted her to know that you could run this horse to San Francisco and back," Stevens said. "She breezed him the other day and she felt the power. But she needed to know how fit he was. "The main thing I told her was if Bailey tries to sneak away at the half, just attack. I said: 'Attack.'
"It's like a match race when you're seeing how good your competition is. Take the battle to them. And the race was over at the three-eighth pole.
"She rode him to a T."
The race developed, just as Stevens had told Krone it would and trainer Ron McAnally and owners Sid and Jenny Craig envisioned it. Bailey did try to sneak away with Medaglia d'Oro, and Krone and Candy Ride attacked and prevailed.
"Gary had me so excited after the meeting that I felt like I'd already won the race," Krone said. "Going into the turn, I was reciting everything that Gary had told me and it went just like he said."
Playing the part of Seabiscuit owner Charles Howard in yesterday's drama was Rancho Santa Fe's Sid Craig. Howard's quest was to win the Santa Anita Handicap. Craig's was to win the Pacific Classic.
Craig had won the Epsom Derby, England's version of the Kentucky Derby, with Dr Devious, and the $1 million Breeders' Cup Distaff with Paseana. But Craig was 0-for-2 in Pacific Classics until McAnally found Candy Ride and touted him as a potential Pacific Classic winner.
"It's the most exciting moment in my racing career," Craig said. "More than (winning) the Epsom Derby, more than the Breeders' Cup. "It doesn't get any better than in your own back yard."
Thoughts and feelings similar to those Seabiscuit triggered in Howard are apparently being duplicated by Candy Ride for Craig.
"When he won his first race, they asked what I thought and I said, 'He could be the best horse on the planet,' " Craig said. "You know what? He could be."
http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/20030825-9999_1s25delmar.html
Take several elements of the current movie "Seabiscuit." Substitute real-life counterparts for some of the characters. Mix thoroughly with a dash of imagination and you have Candy Ride, under Julie Krone, winning by 31/4 lengths over Medaglia d'Oro in a track-record 1:59.11 for 11/4 miles.
Or, if you saw the movie or read the book, three-quarters of a length less than the margin by which Seabiscuit defeated War Admiral in the match race at Pimlico, also in track-record time, in a 110-yard shorter distance.
Yesterday's race was not a match race. It just worked out that way.
Medaglia d'Oro and Candy Ride, the 3-5 favorite and 2-1 second choice in the betting, respectively, separated themselves slightly from 25-1 Fleetstreet Dancer and 3-1 Milwaukee Brew on the first trip past the grandstand. The top two maintained their edge down the backstretch, then drew off by themselves with three-eighths of a mile to go.
They were eyeball-to-eyeball for several strides before Candy Ride, the unbeaten (now 6-for-6) semimystery horse from Argentina, simply showed his heels to the No. 2-ranked handicap horse in the country and dealt Medaglia d'Oro, ridden by national leader Jerry Bailey, an initial loss in four starts this year.
It was the biggest victory ever recorded west of New York for a female jockey. And Krone, a 40-year-old Carlsbad resident, has the one in New York, having guided Colonial Affair to victory in the 1993 Belmont Stakes to become the only female with a Triple Crown race victory.
"Amazing, unbelievable," Krone bubbled after the win. "You just can't measure something like this. There is not a way to put a scale on it. It is the sweetest. I feel like I can fly."
The circumstances that put Krone into her position were the first Seabiscuit-esque aspect of the story. And they involved Gary Stevens, the jockey who played George Woolf to actor Tobey Maguire's Red Pollard in the movie.
Stevens, who had the mount on Candy Ride, was injured in a spill in the Arlington Million nine days ago. Krone was chosen to replace him, and on Saturday Stevens met with Krone to give her input on riding Candy Ride.
It was similar to a scene in "Seabiscuit" in which Maguire's character, injured before the match race against War Admiral, gives Stevens' character advice. "We had a Gary Stevens-Tobey Maguire moment," said Stevens, who was in the winner's circle after the race.
"Julie had seen some quotes about the horse and she rode him in a workout, so she had it figured. But she wanted to have a meeting.
"You react in races like this, but any little bit of information you can get to react to is a bonus."
And Stevens, who entered horse racing's Hall of Fame in 1997, three years before Krone became its only female member, had information to share.
"I just wanted her to know that you could run this horse to San Francisco and back," Stevens said. "She breezed him the other day and she felt the power. But she needed to know how fit he was. "The main thing I told her was if Bailey tries to sneak away at the half, just attack. I said: 'Attack.'
"It's like a match race when you're seeing how good your competition is. Take the battle to them. And the race was over at the three-eighth pole.
"She rode him to a T."
The race developed, just as Stevens had told Krone it would and trainer Ron McAnally and owners Sid and Jenny Craig envisioned it. Bailey did try to sneak away with Medaglia d'Oro, and Krone and Candy Ride attacked and prevailed.
"Gary had me so excited after the meeting that I felt like I'd already won the race," Krone said. "Going into the turn, I was reciting everything that Gary had told me and it went just like he said."
Playing the part of Seabiscuit owner Charles Howard in yesterday's drama was Rancho Santa Fe's Sid Craig. Howard's quest was to win the Santa Anita Handicap. Craig's was to win the Pacific Classic.
Craig had won the Epsom Derby, England's version of the Kentucky Derby, with Dr Devious, and the $1 million Breeders' Cup Distaff with Paseana. But Craig was 0-for-2 in Pacific Classics until McAnally found Candy Ride and touted him as a potential Pacific Classic winner.
"It's the most exciting moment in my racing career," Craig said. "More than (winning) the Epsom Derby, more than the Breeders' Cup. "It doesn't get any better than in your own back yard."
Thoughts and feelings similar to those Seabiscuit triggered in Howard are apparently being duplicated by Candy Ride for Craig.
"When he won his first race, they asked what I thought and I said, 'He could be the best horse on the planet,' " Craig said. "You know what? He could be."
http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/20030825-9999_1s25delmar.html
