Godzuki Turns Back Bazinga in Steward's Cup Juvenile

Original article written by Marzy Dotes posted 11 years 1 week ago

The stallion hung his head inside his stall as he watched the dark bay colt prance by him on his way to the racetrack. Sadness etched in his eyes, his posture betraying a bit of a slump. He hadn’t been able to attend the first day of racing action in the Steward’s Cup being held this year at Louisville Downs.

His owner Art Vandelay had loaded up the private jet with this bouncy colt appropriately named Bazinga to race in the most important competition of his career. So Highly Regarded had to stay behind and watch his owner take his latest budding star to the epicenter of the biggest racing day of the year, from his digs back in California.

But then when the stud caught the racing action on his plasma television screen on the wall, he brightened when he saw a familiar face.

One of his sons, Godzuki had battled through the 1 1/16 miles of dirt to seize the lead in the final yards and put away Bazinga by a neck to win the $2 million Grade I Steward’s Cup Juvenile. The petite and perfectly conformed bay colt sped the race in 1:44.40. His owner Keith Maidlow had paid $2.518 million for him at auction and this nicely bred colt is out of Steward’s Cup who’s a half sister to the likes of Derby Report and Triple Crown Trail. In the shed she’s produced three millionaires including marathoner Maryland Million.

Godzuki didn’t light the surface on fire during his morning works though he broke 58 seconds for five furlongs on the dirt as he seemed more than content to focus his energy and talents on competition. Sure enough after lining up with four other inexperienced youngsters for the first time, he put his heart into his race right to the wire to win by a neck after dueling much of it. It became clear early on that he loved to get into the thick of the racing action starting when the gates opened.

He won his next two races the same way including the Buckingham Stakes by a neck over Ice and Fire who’d be joining him in the Juvenile. Then he headed to the Steward’s Cup.

Bazinga went to join him, off of two wins in three starts. Last time out he’d won the Thriller Stakes by 1 ¾ lengths over Skipping Stone. The stellar colt is of course the product of the naturally lethal crossing of super sire Just Victory (who produced this year’s Baltimore Crown winner in Just Ludicrous) and Father’s Day in this case a mare named Inoculatte. Vandelay had been high on this colt since his conception and when Highly Regarded saw how enamored, he felt a bit dismayed taking some power naps in his stall to think about what to do to put himself back on top in his master’s eyes.

Highly Regarded is the highest ranking fourth crop dirt routing sire in terms of sheer wins and second for stakes wins. He’s already sired two millionaires in Rising Stars who emulated his sire by winning the Steward’s Cup Marathon last year and Fancy Her Kiss who’s entered in this year’s Ladies Route where she’ll face Maryland Million.

Just Victory’s been highly successful at stud too siring 42 stakes winners so far with three crops hitting the racetrack including the aforementioned Just Ludicrous. His racers tend to like the shorter routes and he’s seen a lot of success there as the leading third crop sire. In the Juvenile, his runners had done quite well with Clash of Kings winning last year’s rendition by four lengths and Commander finishing third the previous year.

But in this year’s Juvenile there were other runners lining too. Eric Nalbone brought in a contingent of three entries. Ice and Fire, a son of North American Champion Three Year Old Male Flames and Steward's Cup Distaff winner Asleep As I Am had finished second in the Buckingham Stakes behind Godzuki but his regular jockey David Faulkner opted to ride the undefeated and highly touted Doc Halladay instead. This black colt who won the Persevere Stakes last time out is a son of the very nice dual surface sire War Daddy and is out of Sleep Soundly a $58.5 million daughter of Hall of Famer Wonder.

Another regally bred horse in the race was Erik, who was picked up by Larry Burndorf for $3.753 million who defeated White Fang by a neck in the Cape Stakes last time out. He’s a son of Hall of Famer and North American Horse of the Year Sun Raider and is out of Throne mare Shining On who though a stakes winner herself is still waiting to produce that star in the shed.

War Daddy had an undefeated son in the statuesque black colt Knights who defeated Jack London in the Bubbly Stakes in his last race less than two weeks earlier. He’s out of Throne mare Royal who’s a half sister to the likes of Astonishing, Annihilating and Chretiens. Jolene Danner bred and owns the youngster and his jockey Miguel Bryne who just released his first novel to great fanfare seemed pretty high on his chances in this race.

The field went to the starting gate as over 100,000 people packed the grandstand to watch tomorrow’s stars and perhaps travelers on the Triple Crown Trail head to the starting gate. Some unidentified figure ran out onto the racetrack and the security team that had been in force all week due to a rash of unexplained events went out to apprehend him.

Godzuki paid no attention, so focused on his final preparations for the biggest moment of his brief career. Bazinga under the capable hands of Holly Winter bounded out onto the racetrack itching for combat and nearly found it with Ice and Fire. The crowd hushed wondering what would happen next. Clark Hoss shook his head.

“It’s a picture perfect day,” he said, “You can’t blame this on lingering humidity from the monsoons.”

Sami looked like she might start to cry again but Glenn Sykes reined his horse in and threw Winter a glare before starting to warm up Ice and Fire.
The starters waited patiently for the youngsters to arrive and finally they began loading them into the gate as the tension began to build along with the anticipation and excitement. The gates sprung open and sure enough, Bazinga bolted for the lead over Godzuki and the battle began as they headed down the racetrack. Ice and Fire clung behind them in third over Doc Halladay.

As they headed into the backstretch, Ice and Fire stuck his head out in front of Bazinga and Doc Halladay which shuffled Godzuki into the fourth spot which displeased him greatly. The far turn welcomed the horses and Godzuki took the lead back again over Bazinga who led Ice and Fire and Doc Halladay who opened up on the rest of the field.

Into the stretch, the horses ran as people in the grandstand began to cheer their favorites all the way to the very end.

Watching his flat screen TV, Highly Regarded’s ears perked up as he saw his latest son in the stretch battle of his life. Godzuki led by a length as the horses headed into the homestretch but Bazinga tore into it quickly and the two battled down the stretch with Ice and Fire breathing down their necks and Doc Halladay showing up for the duel to the wire as well.

Everyone was in an uproar as the leaders poured it on in the final yards but Godzuki just gritted it out until he won the race by a neck over Bazinga. That horse finished second by a head over Ice and Fire who held off his stable mate by a half length.

As the horses warmed down, jockey Alonso Ferrari stuck his fist up in the air. He rode his mount over to the winner’s circle where a crowd had already congregated. Winter attracted the media’s attention when they spotted the sparkling ring on her finger and she demurred on answering questions after the award ceremony.

Godzuki soon headed back the Wise Owl Estate to prepare for what presumably will be prep races for the Triple Crown next year where he looms as a serious challenger. Bazinga joined him there as Art settled him in before heading off to Skype with Highly Regarded back in California before he settled for his nap. He had felt badly about not being able to bring his buddy with him to Kentucky.

The retired racehorse looked at the crowd of media reporters at his stall who all showed up after Godzuki’s amazing victory and decided to take his call.

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