Hats off to....Caiman!

I wanted to start this semi-regular post as "Tip o' the Cap to...," however my pal and fellow horse racing blogger Jared Kennedy (http://kennedyscorridor.blogspot.com/) has been using that tagline for months as part of his "Weekend Review" segment, and it would be quite unprofessional of me to steal his tagline - so, "Hats off to..." must do. Essentially what these posts are intended to do is share memories/stories/performances/etc. of horses/trainers/jockeys/owners that rarely or never receive much attention nationally. It'll take a lot for me to ever do a "Hats off to..." blog for Todd Pletcher, Garrett Gomez, Zenyatta, or Sheikh Mohammed.

I'd like to dedicate this inaugural blog to one of my favorite horses, if not my favorite horse, Caiman.

Every year it seems as if one or two completely over matched and untalented horses stumble into the starting gate of the Belmont Stakes, their connections holding unrealistic visions of grandeur and the belief that their colt or gelding has the ability to outpace proven Grade 1 winners at the unique 12f distance. I'm not even talking proven stakes performers like Da' Tara and Sarava here, I'm talking maidens, claimers, and allowance runners who slink back into obscurity about 2:35 after they emerge from it. You may not recognize the names of many of these also-rans, but I'll run through them anyway. In 2002, it was Artax Too (11th), and 2003's version was a colt named Supervisor (5th of 6). The 2005 running featured the likes of Indy Storm (4th) and Watchmon (9th), and in 2006 Double Galore (DNF) and Oh So Awesome (5th) had their 2:30 in the sun. Most recently it was Guadalcanal (7th) in 2008, although I do give that one some credit - he's at least staying afloat against allowance runners in turf marathon races.

2004 was no different than any of these other fields. In and amongst the proven Grade 1 winners in the field was a little known colt named Caiman, who shipped in from trainer Angel Medina's Hawthorne base for the 136th rendition of the Belmont Stakes.

The story of Caiman begins like does the story of most other thoroughbred racehorses - stallion sees mare and animal instincts take over. Not really the most romantic way of putting it, but that's just the way it is. In the spring of 2000, John T.L. Jones Jr. of Walmac International Stud fame decided to breed his mare Storming Up, a winning daugher of European champion Storm Bird, to brand new Maryland stallion Malibu Moon, an unproven son of A.P. Indy who was forced into retirement with just a maiden win to his credit in two career starts. Call the $3,000 advertised stud fee of Malibu Moon in 2000 a deal compared to the $40,000 he demands in Kentucky for the 2009 season. Out of that mating, one that was sure to receive no headlines around the horse racing world, a bay colt was born. Jones, seemingly unimpressed with what he saw, entered the colt in the 2001 Keeneleand November Breeding Stock Sale as a weanling.

As top-caliber racemares and producers like Twenty Eight Carat, Cee's Song, Jostle, and Phone Chatter, as well as well-bred and gorgeous weanings and yearlings such as a colt who'd later be known as Tizdubai (full brother to Tiznow & Budroyale) and a filly who'd later go by Teeming (half sister to Rags to Riches, Jazil, and Casino Drive) sold for six and seven figures, hip number 3697 went through the ring, receiving a rock bottom bid of $3,000 by purchaser Victor Achar, an owner/breeder from Mexico. This weanling was one of Achar's 18 purchases at the sale, none of which cost more than $10,000.

Achar would later name his Malibu Moon weanling "Caiman," which is Spanish for alligator. Caiman would begin his career at the historic Hipodromo de las Americas racetrack in Mexico City - hardly the starting point for a horse hoping to someday compete in American Grade 1 races. Caiman would win 2 of 3 races at the track, including an 8-length romp in a $3,200 allowance race. Even though Caiman was only able to earn $4,032 in those three starts, Achar shot for the moon with the unproven colt, and made the decision to ship the horse to the United States, where he'd be trained by Angel Medina, a staple in the South Florida racing circuit. Achar also nominated the colt to the American Triple Crown.

Continuing with the "shoot for the moon" theme, Achar and Medina couldn't have picked a more difficult race for Caiman to make his United States-debut in - the Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes, against a field of 9 Kentucky Derby hopefuls, including Second of June, Friends Lake, Silver Wagon, and El Prado Rob. Caiman was dismissed in the wagering at 75/1, and he ran like a 75/1 shot should - 8th of 9, beaten 22 3/4 lengths. Medina regrouped with the colt, and placed him in an easier spot - a Gulstream Park allowance, where Caiman was unlucky to run into Grade 1 winner Birdstone, who was making his seasonal debut. His connections had to have been pleased with his effort, though, as he ran 3rd at 45/1, beaten only 3 lengths by Birdstone. Achar and Medina again placed the horse in a tough spot, the Grade 3 Swale Stakes. The betting public again dismissed Caiman, this time at 51/1, and the colt again failed to live up to expectations, running 5th of 5, beaten nearly 10 lengths. With the Gulfstream Park meet soon coming to a close, Medina switched his focus to Illinois' Hawthorne Race Course and sent much of his stock, Caiman included, to the Cicero-area track. And while at Hawthorne, Caiman awoke, winning a pair of allowance races, one each on the turf and dirt, showing his versatility. Caiman's performances, once again, persuaded Achar to shoot for the moon with his colt, and Achar put up the $20,000 required to run in the third leg of the Triple Crown - the $1,000,000 Belmont Stakes.

As Caiman's Belmont jockey Ramon Dominguez glanced around the starting gate for the race, he had to have taken a moment to consider the historical impact of the race and the talent assembled in the gates around him. Six gates to his right was journeyman Stewart Elliot, seated aboard a chestnut colt and donning the blue and white silks of the little-known Someday Farm. The colt his was sitting on, Smarty Jones, had just won the Kentucky Derby by 2 3/4 lengths and the Preakness Stakes by 11 1/2 lengths, and was looking to become the 12th winner, and the first since 1978, of the elusive Triple Crown. Right next to Caiman was his adversary from the Gulfstream Park allowance race, Birdstone. Two gates to Dominguez's right was the tall and physical presence known as Rock Hard Ten, and directly to the left of Caiman was future Grade 1 winner Purge. Just inside of Smarty Jones was the versitile Eddington. I can only wonder if Caiman knew the challenge he was up against - 5 current or future Grade 1 winners were in the starting gate, and a sixth, Master David, was already Grade 1 placed. It took just 2:27 2/5 seconds for Birdstone to crush the dreams of a nation and upset Smarty Jones, and several seconds later Caiman crossed the finish line behind 7 of his 8 rivals. The final margin of Caiman's defeat was 31 1/4 lengths. During the call of the race, legendary caller Tom Durkin only managed to announce Caiman's name once - I guess that's almost fitting in a way, though. He was the obscure horse going into the race, and Durkin did nothing to change that billing.

To date, Caiman has started 66 times since that day at Belmont. The other 8 horses in that field would make only a combined 63 starts after the Belmont. Smarty Jones would never race again. Birdstone would only race twice morre, and Rock Hard Ten only 6 more times over 2 years. Caiman, stll in the care of Achar and Medina, would start in 9 more stakes races, 4 of them graded, over the next 7 months. He would hit the board just once, that being in the 7f Forward Pass Stakes (50k) at Arlington Park, where he was beaten only a neck by Nebraska Moon. On March 11, 2005, Medina dropped Caiman into a claiming race for the first time in his career. He'd lost 14 straight races dating to those Hawthorne allowances, and it was quickly becoming time for Achar to receive some compensation for the colt. Caiman had taken the connections to places that they'd only dreampt of going to, but at teh end of the day, horse racing is a business and Achar had a business decision to make - he offered Caiman to anyone willing to pay $50,000 for him.

Scott Lake liked what he saw from the colt, and on behalf of the Winning Move Stable, claimed the colt from Achar. He'd ship Caiman from Gulfstream to his base at Belmont, where Caiman would become a favorite amongst the fans and a nuisance among the handicappers. It was under Lake that Caiman and a myriad of jockeys, including Aaron Gryder, Jorge Chavez, and Jose Santos would develop quite a reputation for consistency. In 7 starts with Lake, Caiman would never miss the board, running either second or third each time out. He ran into top quality horses like Commentator, Unforgettable Max, Love of Money, Kennel Up, and Bailero, but consistently found himself incapable of winning. He was a lovable loser indeed. After switching to the barn of Gary Contessa, it was much of the same for Caiman - no wins - and it was becoming evident that Caiman was losing a step or two. In 2005, Caiman raced 15 times, and by that December he was claimed by Rene Araya, on behalf of Raymond Vitolo, for $17,500.

Under Araya's tutledge, Caiman would finally work his way back into the winner's circle - in fact, he won 3 of 12 starts with Araya, and hit the board 8 times. September 1, 2006 would mark his final start on the New York circuit, a circuit where he gained popularity among fans and hit the board in a remarkable 16 of 22 starts (72.7%). Nearly each of his races followed the same story - drop way back early, and mow them down late.

Since that claim in September 2006, Caiman has become quite the traveler. He's started at 11 different tracks and has been claimed 8 times. He's been trained by 7 different men and women. He left (via claim) and returned (via claim) to the barn of Larry Rivelli 3 times. He's run at everything from 7 furlongs to 2 miles. He's won at least twice in every calendar year, and won 5 times in 18 starts in 2006. He ran most recently at Tampa Bay Downs on December 13, where he finished 6th of 12 against $5,000 claimers. Under jockey Huber Villa-Gomez, he took his usual position toward the rear of the field, but age is catching up with the 7 year old horse more than ever, and his usual furious closing kick has lost most of its punch. He's currently owned by Neal M. Allread, the CEO of Kurz-Kasch Incorporated, a manufacturing company based in Dayton, Ohio. His trainer is Barbara I. McBride.

I first saw Caiman race in that Belmont Stakes, but didn't really notice him until a brisk fall evening in 2006. The Michael Lauer-trainee was running in the 9th race at the track most local to me, Mountaineer Park. I saw that the colt had the class to be competitive at this starter allowance level, and that he'd just missed by less than a length last out at Mountaineer in a similar race. Despite his being hammered to 7/10 at the windows, I put some money on him. And sure enough, as always seemed to happen, he just wasn't quite good enough. Rex Stokes put him on the lead in the 10f race, and he and a Prairie Meadows shipper named Canela battled back and forth throughout the race. It was an outstanding duel, with neither horse willing to give an inch - Caiman asserted himself with a lead at the mile point, but Canela had pulled even by the top of the lane. Caiman dug in to give his all, and so did Canela. Canela gained a clear upper edge within the sixteenth pole, and one final push from Caiman wasn't enough to get the job done - Canela was the winner by 1/2 length and my win ticket on Caiman was worthless. I was still impressed. The duo stopped the timer in 2:03.81, a very respectable time at Mountaineer, and only 1/5 of a second off the track record. Ever since then, I've followed Caiman's career closely, although I'd never bet on him again. He brielfy returned to Mountaineer for several months earlier this year, and he hit the board in 4 of 5 starts against $5,000 claimers. I went to see him in one of the starts, didn't bet him, but still cheered proudly for the bay horse. Seeing him put a smile on my face - not many horses can do that.

If anyone knows Allread or McBride, can they do me a favor and pass along a message? I'm not asking for a shoe or a halter, nor do I have the means or resources to offer Caiman a home for when he's done racing. I'm not looking to claim or purchase the horse, but I would love for them to know one thing - that their horse has at least one fan. Everytime I see his name amongst my stable mail, I excitedly check to see if he was able to win or not. The majority of the time he comes up short, but it's been a fun ride just sitting back and watching Caiman do his thing.

Thanks for taking me along for the ride, Caiman. While most popular and talented thoroughbreds come and go, Caiman has always been around to enjoy. Here's to nothing but success in 2009, and as always stay safe buddy!


Readers, I edited the name of Dr. Greenfield from my post - I showed very poor discretion in mentioning his name amongst the other Belmont Stakes losers, as it has been brought to my attention that the circumstances surrounding his defeat are far more complicated than the fact that he just wasn't good enough. I regret tarnishing his name, and apologize to the Team Valor Stables and anyone else I may have upset. My apologies.

Dustin