Columnist Ralph Siraco: Bailey, Krone top Thanksgiving weekend racing

Ralph Siraco

Monday, Dec. 1, 2003 | 9:38 a.m.

Ralph Siraco's horse racing column appears Monday and his Southern California selections run Tuesday-Sunday.

Leftovers Monday sees turkey soup as we unbuckle another notch on the belt of a great Thanksgiving feast of racing. A record-breaking horn of plenty kept serving great racing from great performances as the four-day holiday rolled along.

And, as tradition would have it, the main recipe for success was the turkey and stuffing of the equine world. Just another gourmet serving of Bailey and Frankel with a healthy side of Krone dashed with a smitten of Zito and Lukas.

Before the turkey was carved on Thursday, jockey Julie Krone had cooked up a victory in the Underwood Stakes at Hollywood Park aboard the Bobby Frankel-trained Watchem Smokey. The victory served as the appetizer of a four-course feast for the first lady of the saddle.

On Saturday, Krone swept both added money events at the Inglewood, Calif., track. A 40-year-old Hall of Famer, Krone guided Castledale to win the $100,000 Generous Stakes on the Hollypark lawn. Making his first start stateside, the Irish-bred runner just lasted to take the trophy in front of fast-closing Dealer Choice. Lucky Pulpit was third. Four races later, Krone piloted Redattore to victory in the $400,000 Citation Handicap. The 8-year-old Brazilian-bred won his 14th career race while beating favorite Irish Warrior and third-place Mister Acpen while capping off a three-win day for Krone.

Julie saved the best for last. On Sunday, after finishing off the board on Acago in the Matriarch, she returned aboard Sweet Return in the $600,000 Hollywood Derby. Sent off at 16-1 odds on a day the track honored her with a "Julie Krone Bobblehead Doll" giveaway promotion, Krone took the International field gate-to-wire in posting the upset. Rationing Sweet Return's speed through a pedestrian pace, Krone managed to steal off with the victory as another McAnally-trainee, stablemate Fairly Ransom, rallied fast for second. The favorite, Kicken Kris, finish third in a blanket finish.

Although Krone produced more stakes wins over the holiday, Bailey provided three quality stakes victories to wrap up one record and establish another.

Bailey had a grand slam day on Saturday at Aqueduct in New York. The Big Apple track featured three stakes races on the card. First was the $200,000 Demoiselle Stakes for 2-year-old fillies. Bailey guided Ashado to a photo-finish victory over La Reina while long shot Dr. Kathy was a close third. Bailey was riding the filly, who finished second in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies to Halfbridled, for the first time. With that win, Bailey tied jockey Mike Smith's 1994 record of 68 stakes victories in a year. He returned to scale Read The Footnotes in the $200,000 Remsen, also for the freshman class. Bailey coasted home by daylight aboard Read The Footnotes while Master David finished a distant second as West Virginia checked in third. Bailey became the new record-holder, winning more stakes races in one year at 69 than any other rider.

He wasn't done yet. In the $350,000 Cigar Mile, Bailey rode defending champ Congaree. The Bob Baffert trainee uncorked a doozie to give Bailey stakes win No. 70 for the year. Battling the Frankel-trained Midas Eyes through the one-turn race, Congaree pulled away through the home stretch to a convincing victory. Midas Eyes had enough to hold off Toccet for second. Bailey swept the Big A threesome for another record to eclipse the $23 million mark in earning for his mounts this year.

For Frankel, along with Watchem Smokey, Heat Haze captured the $500,000 Matriarch on Sunday with a horse-spliting victory under jockey John Velazquez. Heat Haze rallied from last place over a field of 14 in the mile turf event to get up in the final jumps, beating Musical Chimes and Dedication. Frankel's 24th Grade I victory added to his single-year record established this year.

For dessert, there were a couple of traditional goodies.

Trainer D. Wayne Lukas, who holds many titles in the sport's record books, added another juvenile victory to his plate. Be Gentle, who finished a disappointing 11th in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, bounced back with a gutty victory in the $200,000 Golden Rod Stakes at Churchill Downs on Saturday. The marquee race for the division at the fall meeting showcases possible contenders for the Kentucky Oaks the following spring at the Kentucky Derby track.

Speaking of the Kentucky Derby, trainer Nick Zito, who breathes each breath for the Derby, could be loaded for the feature race at Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May. Although he has Breeders Futurity winner Eurosilver and Champagne victor Birdstone resting for next year's Derby campaign, the two-time Derby-winning trainer unleashed another contender under the famed twin spires. The companion feature of the Golden Rod, the $200,000 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes, was also run on the Saturday card. The Zito-trained The Cliff's Edge duplicated his Iroquois Stakes victory in winning the juvenile title race at the Churchill fall meet. A Bird in the hand may be the Edge to turn Silver into Derby gold for Zito.