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Gelding proving worth a 'Million'
GARY WEST
In My Opinion
He lost his first four races by a total of 60 lengths, and he looked more like an oversized whippet than a racehorse. His trainer, Graham Motion, who's a bright fellow but no thaumaturgist, never imagined that this slight horse would one day take him to the Breeders' Cup.
But there they were in 2004, at Lone Star Park at Grand Prairie, in the winner's circle after the Breeders' Cup Turf. And Saturday, Better Talk Now, who's still capable of competing at the highest level, could take Motion into the winner's circle at Arlington Park, after the famed Arlington Million.
"I still feel he could be as good, if not better, than he's ever been," Motion said about the 7-year-old gelding. "He's a lot more relaxed than he used to be, and that's going to help him tremendously."
When he won at Lone Star, upsetting Kitten's Joy, Better Talk Now was a 27-1 long shot, an upstart whose earlier victory in the Sword Dancer Stakes had been regarded as something of a fluke. Since then, of course, he has proven himself repeatedly.
Last year, he won the United Nations and the Man o' War Stakes. And he began his 2006 campaign with a victory in the Dixie Stakes at Pimlico. And so he enters the Million with a career bankroll of nearly $2.8 million.
"I think [Better Talk Now] can run with any horse, certainly in this country," Motion said, "when things set up favorably for him."
A favorable set-up means a lively pace. And Motion said he expects just such a pace Saturday since the front-running The Tin Man is also in the field. Also among those entered are English Channel and Cacique, the first two finishers in this year's United Nations, as well as Cosmonaut, who ran fourth in the Lone Star Park Handicap.
The European invaders for the Million are Ace, Touch of Land, Phoenix Reach and Soldier Hollow.
Fallon won't ride
Arlington Park stewards denied Kieren Fallon, six-time English riding champion, a jockey's license Wednesday. He was to ride Ace in Saturday's Arlington Million.
Last month, the British Horseracing Regulatory Authority banned Fallon from riding because of involvement in an alleged race-fixing scheme. He has been charged in England with conspiring to defraud bettors.
Retama's season begins
Starting today, Retama Park near San Antonio begins a 51-day thoroughbred season that will conclude Nov. 4. Highlights will be two $100,000 turf stakes for juveniles, the Senorita and Joven, on Sept. 2, and the Texas Hall of Fame program Oct. 14, with six stakes totaling $470,000.
Danny Pish, who has topped the Retama trainers' standings seven years in a row, again has a powerful stable. Bobby Walker Jr., Terry Stanton, Larry Taylor, Ted Gondron and Roman Chapa are among Retama's jockeys.
A sharp eye
His Diamond D Ranch had consigned five horses to the Fasig-Tipton auction of 2-year-olds in training, and so Ed Dodwell sat patiently in the sales pavilion at Lone Star Park on April 4 and waited for the next horse in the consignment to enter the ring. He waited patiently, for a while anyway.
But a chestnut son of Time Bandit caught his eye. "I really like this colt's looks," Dodwell said of the horse being led around the sales ring, "at least from the knees up."
Seated near the back of the pavilion, Dodwell couldn't see any more than what was above the knees, and since he was recovering from a recent surgery, he wasn't ready to jump up for a better look. So, as bids were coming in for the horse, Dodwell turned to his wife for some assistance.
"Caroline, would you go up there and see if that colt's legs are all pointed in the right direction?" Dodwell said. And she did.
With his wife's nodding approval, Dodwell raised his hand and bought the colt for $13,500.
Dodwell hadn't intended to buy anything. Before the horse who was later named Mysterious Merlin walked into the ring, Dodwell had never seen him.
Well, Mysterious Merlin won his debut by nearly four lengths last week at Louisiana Downs in Bossier City, La.
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