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A to the Z (8-1) drew post four Thursday and will be ridden by Todd Kabel.
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A to the Z Bio
Don’t be fooled by A to the Z’s last two past performance lines, a 10th-place finish at Churchill Downs on Derby Day and an eventful ride at Sonoma County Fair in Santa Rosa on August 6. The five-year-old California-bred has demonstrated enough Atto-like talent over the past year to warrant contender status. A top effort on Sunday would make him a live longshot in the $1-million turf classic.
For a better picture of his greatness, visualize how the son of Benchmark’s second-place finish to Leroidesanimaux in last year’s Gr. 1 Citation Handicap unfolded through the eyes of the Hollywood Park chart caller on November 27: A to the Z settled inside, moved up on the second turn, waited momentarily then split horses in midstretch, rallied inside the winner and continued gamely but could not get by.
“To me that was a win,” affirms trainer Paula Capestro, who owns the horse with husband Andrew. “Leroidesanimaux, as we all know, is a world-class horse. He was stalking the pace, too, right in front of us. When he started running, we started running. We ran into a little traffic. (Leroidesanimaux) had a clearer path than we did. He had the jump on us. Garrett (Gomez, jockey of A to the Z) did an unbelievable job. It was like an out-of-body ride. He had to negotiate traffic and get through in some tight spots. Once he got clear, we just missed. Had it been the other way around, I don’t know how it would have turned out. That’s when I knew we had a world-class horse.”
“The timing of the Atto fits with anything we would want to do for turf racing through the fall,” states Capestro. “We were actually looking at the Eddie Read at Del Mar, but A to the Z wasn’t quite ready for that. So, I opted for the Grace Handicap at Santa Rosa over their new turf course, which was two weeks later.”
The chart for the $98,000 Santa Rosa turf contest tells a compelling story: “A to the Z stumbled to his knees at the start and unseated his rider then led the field while very wide to the second turn, dropped closer to the rail into the stretch and finished in front without bothering the contestants.”
“He tripped coming out of the gate and the rider was caught unaware and sort of had to jump off,” explains Capestro. “That was a thrill of a lifetime watching our horse run around the course on his own. He set a record and thought he was the winner. He pulled himself up and waited for the pony to take him off the track. It wasn’t what I had in mind and we certainly didn’t get paid for it,” she says, adding that A to the Z came out of the ordeal without even the slightest grabbed quarter or bent shoe. “It turned out to be the kind of a prep I was really looking for, a confidence builder in a little easier spot. All in all, we were fortunate.”
In the Turf Classic on the Kentucky Derby undercard, Capestro suggests A to the Z wasn’t fit enough and didn’t handle the Churchill Downs turf course. “The course has a sandier base to it and my horse wasn’t accustomed to it. I criticize myself for not having him fit enough to run that day. He lost by five lengths, but the whole field basically finished in front of him. That was hard to watch, because I felt responsible. He was really tired when he came off the track.”
Vowing not to duplicate what she considers a mistake, Capestro shipped A to the Z to Toronto, over two weeks before the race. “I’m really not familiar with all the different courses around the country because I’m relatively new in the racing game compared to so many of the trainers we’re running against, I decided that I need to get (to Woodbine) early, sort things out, learn for myself and give him every advantage I can.”
As a result, A to the Z has had time to acclimate to his surroundings and work twice at Woodbine – once over the Woodbine backstretch turf training course and once, last Sunday, on the E.P. Taylor Turf Course. “The plan was to go (five furlongs) in 1:02, as if they were on the rail. So we went 1:05, which was about the equivalent (with dogs up, pylons). It was really good for him. He needed to see where the running started. He was half-asleep for his work because he’s used to two turns and (starting his run) around the second turn. The turns are so big, it’s almost like you’re not on a turn. It’s really nice.”
“We’re going to run our race, regardless of what others do. Typically, he stalks the pace and makes a good last run,” says Capestro, comparing his style to that of Better Talk Now, the 2004 Breeders’ Cup Turf hero. “I think that he’s going to love this course and that long stretch. I see this race as being perfect for A to the Z.”
As Capestro learned on Sunshine Millions Day over the winter, A to the Z can, on occasion, be too smart for his own good. When it looked like he had Star Over the Bay beat, the warrior battled back and got the better of the chestnut. “He’s a horse that you don’t stick his nose in front until the end. Once he’s headed a horse, he sort of thinks he’s already done his job.”
“He’s very quiet for the most part. If you lead him around, he sort of looks like an old cow pony. He walks with his head really low and saunters around the shed-row. But when he’s coming up to a race, and he knows it’s time and he’ll get fired up. He’ll start bucking and kicking. He tells you when he’s ready to rock and roll.”
Awesome Action Bio
He's got high-profile connections, he's knocked off some high-profile competition and now he's taking a shot at winning one of North America's high-profile turf events, the Atto Mile. Can Awesome Action score the big one for NHL star Curtis Joseph, NHL agent Don Meehan and company?
"He's a very competitive horse and he doesn't throw many bad races," said conditioner and co-owner Sue Leslie, who'll saddle her first Atto starter. "He's run the best races of his life coming into the Atto. As funny as it might sound, I think he's still improving at five. But this is a Grade 1 race with some very tough horses."
“He was fairly immature at two and three. Now, he's a wiser horse and approaches things much more professionally. That's what makes Curtis and Don such great owners. They are very patient and give their horses the time to mature."
It was just over three years ago when Awesome Action took some action in his career bow on August 18, 2002, a five-furlong race over a fast Woodbine main track. Under Robert Landry, at odds of 7-2, the dark bay made a mild bid along the inside to finish third, beaten four lengths. After two fourth-place finishes, including one over a yielding E.P. Taylor Turf Course, the Ontario-bred crossed the line second, but was elevated to top spot after the winner was disqualified.
In his first added-money test, the seven-furlong Queenston Stakes in 2003, Awesome Action faced off against some top three-year-olds, finishing third to Mobil, who also happens to be in the Atto Mile. The son of Awesome Again only saw dirt from October 26, 2002 until June 12, 2004, before Leslie decided to see if greener pastures lay ahead for the gelding. And what did Awesome Action do in his second turf start, contested at a flat-mile? He bested fellow Atto rival Sophia's Prince by a neck at odds of 25-1.
Heading into 2005, however, the hard-trying horse had never won an added-money race, although he was stakes-placed. Coming into the Ontario Jockey Club Stakes off a third-place, main track finish, Awesome Action was saddled with the task of taking on one of North America's premiere turf titans, Soaring Free. Under a perfect ride from Landry, Awesome Action lit the lamp, netting the first stakes victory in his career, a half-length triumph at nearly 8-1. "He picked a good day to show up," said Landry, of the dark bay. "I also had a great trip. My guy ran a helluva race today and I'm really proud of him."
Next time out, however, Awesome Action wasn't quite at the top of his game, crossing the wire seventh to fellow Atto rival Vanderlin in the Play the King Stakes on August 27. It was only the second time in eight starts on the Toronto oval turf, where 'Awesome' failed to hit the top-three. In fact, it was the lowest he's ever finished in 26 starts, having missed a cheque only three times. "He didn't get his best trip," said Leslie. "He wasn't steadied, but he might have had a chance to move up."
He's a sweetheart in the barn, quite uncomplicated. He gets a little more spunky when he gets to the racetrack, bucking and squealing, that kind of thing. But when it's time to run, he's a real professional."
So now Awesome Action finds himself in the biggest 'game' of his career. Who knows? With home ice advantage, one of Woodbine's top turf riders in the saddle and a horse that has proven he can show up in the big one – it could be an awesome afternoon for Leslie and Co.
King of Happiness Bio
Atto Mile contender King of Happiness is a consistent runner with Beyer figures (Daily Racing Form speed ratings) of at least 102 in his last eight starts. The five-time winner with earnings of $444,022 hasn’t missed a cheque since the U.S. phase of his career began in January of 2004.
From age two to four, King of Happiness was under the tutelage of trainer Sir Michael Stoute, who prepared his pupil for victories in his first two career starts, including a win in the Grade 3 Craven Stakes at Newmarket. From there, the waters deepened as he twice hooked superstar Rock of Gibraltar and competed in the 2003 Dubai Duty Free on Dubai World Cup day at Nad Al Sheba.
Trainer Neil Drysdale, a two-time Atto winner, missed last year’s Atto for the first time since 1998. The Kentucky-bred was almost his 2004 representative. “We thought of bringing him last year and decided not to.”
Last year, the six-year-old chestnut (one of six redheads in the race) won two allowance events in eight starts. But against stakes company, he recorded just one third-place finish ($77,000 H. F. Brubaker Handicap) in four added-money attempts, two of which were Grade 1 events (fourth, Shoemaker Breeders’ Cup Mile and fourth, Eddie Read Handicap).
In 2005, Drysdale says King of Happiness has been a ‘happier’ horse, having hit the exactor in all three of his races, including a nose victory over stablemate Red Fort in his season debut April 30, the Grade 3 Inglewood Handicap. “We anticipated that he was going to be a better horse this year. The race record speaks for itself. He warrants a crack at the Atto Mile. Obviously our competition is going to be tough with Bobby Frankel’s horse (Leroidesanimaux) in there.”
Perhaps one reason for the turnaround, says Drysdale, is a more aggressive running style. “That’s helped a lot. Last year, there was always a tendency to take him back and make a run. His best races have always been when he’s up close to the pace. I think Patrick’s (jockey Valenzuela) style suits this horse well.”
Since the victory, Drysdale says the Atto has been the target. “We’ve been pointing for the (Atto) since the beginning of the summer. It’s been mapped out on his schedule for him since he won the Inglewood.”
Interestingly, Labeeb, Drysdale’s first Atto champ in 1998, entered the Atto off a 2-½ month break. King of Happiness has also been off 2 ½ months since his last race, a runner-up finish to Whilly in the Grade 2 American Invitational Handicap. The April foal shows seven workouts since the July 3 race. Drysdale says the layoff was by design. “That’s been the plan. He’s been sticking to the campaign we’ve mapped out.”
The Nureyev Factor: Descendants of the successful Northern Dancer stallion Nureyev have dominated the eight-year history of the Atto Mile, appearing in the pedigrees of five of the race’s winners. The angle’s lone qualifier this year is King of Happiness, a son of Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Spinning World, who is a son of Nureyev. The grandsire of 1997 winner Geri is Nureyev; the dam-sire of 2000 upsetter Riviera is by Nureyev; the dam of 2001 victor Numerous Times is a granddaughter of Nureyev; the 2002 winner Good Journey is by Nureyev; 2003 champ Touch of the Blues was out of a dam by Nureyev.
Le Cinquieme Essai Bio
Trainer Paul Nielsen feels Le Cinquieme Essai (which translates from French as ‘the fifth try) is as good as he’s ever been right now. And even though his career highlight came in 2002 when he won the Prince of Wales Stakes, the second leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, over Fort Erie’s main track back in 2002, en route to a Sovereign Award as Canada’s top male three-year-old, the conditioner believes the six-year-old Ontario-bred is better suited to the turf…. and that “a mile is right up his alley, perfect for him.”
It’s tough to argue with those ‘Nielsen ratings,’ especially if you look at the horse’s past performances. Four of his 10 career wins have come at that distance.
Le Cinquieme Essai worked in 48 seconds breezing on Sunday, September 11, over Woodbine’s training turf course. “Galloped out (five furlongs) in a minute, out (six furlongs) in :13 and change,” said Nielsen. “I’m delighted with him. Everything is going his way right now. I know it’s going to be a real difficult race but he’s as good as he could possibly be. So whatever happens, happens.”
“We haven’t raced him hard this year,” said Nielsen, who saddled one other Atto starter, Cracker’s Folly, who finished ninth to Riviera in 2000. “We’ve been picking our spots. We’ve been heading towards this race if everything unfolded the way we hoped it would. The Play the King was a bit of a testing ground. He ran well enough in there to earn a start in the Atto. In the back of our minds, we were certainly pointing towards that.”
Le Cinquieme Essai comes into the Grade 1, $1 million turf classic off a head defeat in the aforementioned seven furlong Play the King, August 27, when he looked like a winner in late stretch only to be caught in the last few jumps by a flying British raider named Vanderlin, one of his Atto foes as well. He’d come into the stake on a four-race win streak, two at Woodbine late last year, including the Labeeb Stakes, then his first two outings this season, the Connaught Cup here and the Daryl Wells Sr. Memorial at Fort Erie.
“It thought it (his Play the King performance) was huge,” continued Nielsen. “It was a little bit of a difficult spot for him. I thought he was even a little bit short. But he came through. It was a terrific effort. We were very happy with it, obviously. I know (jockey) Stevie (Bahen) said he heard him (Vanderlin) coming. He went pretty hard from the top of the lane to the wire. We just got beat, fair and square.”
If the William Scott homebred is third or better in the Atto, he’ll join the ranks of equine millionaires, as he’s currently banked $919,753 during his five years of combat. According to Nielsen, his Atto hopeful already looks like a million bucks. “He’s in great shape, absolutely terrific shape. I like the way the horse is right now. He’s just going forward. It’s certainly the year to try it (the Atto). He’s coming up to the race in terrific order. I’m so happy with him. I think he’ll be very competitive and has got a great chance.”
Since September 1, 2003, he’s never been worse than third in 10 outings, the most consistent stretch of his career. The only blot on his record was his four-year-old season, when, inexplicably, he won only once in five starts. “He just didn’t train forwardly,” said Nielsen. “I don’t know why. But the last year or so, he’s just matured mentally and physically and is much more professional now. He’s from a very late family. They do take time. I’m lucky enough I’ve got the man (owner Scott) who is patient enough to wait and has a vision.”
“The early part of his career, he almost drove me nuts, trying to get him settled, trying to do things right. As he’s got older, he’s kind of come full circle.” But he’s still got a mind of his own, Nielsen admits. “He’s quite pushy and rammy. He’s good in the stall, but in the shed and in his training, he’s very aggressive. He trains quite forwardly. You’ve almost got to watch that you don’t over-train him, but he’s always been that way.”
Nielsen admits the Prince of Wales victory has also been his career highlight to date. “At the time it (Fort Erie) was our home track. I lived in Niagara Falls. That was a huge thrill.”
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