ZJ's Zenzational Race of the Week

Alright,

Sliding into week #2 of ZJ's Zenzational and I must say, this was easy for me to choose this weeks nominees. I have three horses and one human who qualified for the list.

Coming in at #4 - Gulfstream Park race 5 from 1/15/14 ~ Hartford

Gulfstream Park race 5 - 1/16/14

This race featured the highly anticipated debut of Hartford, the gorgeous grey son of Tapit for Todd Pletcher.  He attended the pace, eased to the front turning for home, and just galloped away from the field with powerful strides under a complete hand ride. Much like his stablemate Constitution, he has a very bright future ahead of him, maybe not on the KY Derby Trail as there is 100 years of history against him being he never made a start at age two. Supremely impressive though, and worth following.

Coming in at #3 - Gulfstream Park race 11 from 1/18/14 ~ Michelle Nihei

Gulfstream Park race 11 - 1/18/14

This was a maiden race at 7 1/2 furlongs on the turf and truth be told, was a highly competitive affair as I went five horses deep on my tickets and didn't use the winner Charlie A. This daughter of Curlin was trained to the minute for her debut by Michelle Nihei and was ultra impressive. I have been a fan of Michelle's since the days she was an assistant for Todd Pletcher. I would go to the paddock just to see her. Michelle is sinfully beautiful, supremely intelligent, and a fabulous horse woman. She only had 62 starters in 2013, but she gets the most from her limited stock. Michelle knew she had this horse ready, she even tweeted 30 minutes before the race with a cryptic clue noting that Luis Contreras had rode a winner for her this day last year. Charlie A was so cranked up and moving so fast turning for home, she almost ran right over the horse in front of her. It was another excellent training job from an under-rated trainer who deserves a barn full of prospects.

Coming in at #2 - The Fair Grounds race 6 from 1/18/14 ~ Daddy Nose Best

Fair Grounds race 6 - 1/18/14

This is why I love turf racing. At no point in this race did anyone think the 5 yr old from Scat Daddy would be the winner. The turf at the Fair Grounds is spotty at best, having issues with drainage so the footing for these horses is really an unknown, sometimes Yielding, sometimes Firm, on the same track, during the same race. Daddy Nose Best raced in a jackpot for the first half of the race, boxed in on the rail in the back of the pack. Still in last turning for home with all 7 runners in front of him, he swung out at the quarter pole and absolutely rocketed home for the victory. The kind of victory that makes your heart pound, the whole reason we love this game of horse racing.

At #1 and getting the nod as ZJ's Zenzational Race of the Week ~
Ribo Bobo - Gulfstream Park race 9 from 1/18/14

Florida Sunshine Millions Sprint GP race 9 ~ 1/18/14

Talk about rags to riches, there won't be a better story in racing than this Louis Quatorze gelding who was claimed by Jason Servis for $6,250 in March of 2013 and has proceeded to win 10 of his last 11 starts and seems to be getting better and better now winning races his former connections would never have thought possible. Ribo Bobo will be the inspirational story of 2014 going forward for sure now that he has conquered the Claiming Crown and the $150,000 Sunshine Millions Sprint. Dubai may be in his future.

There it is, ZJ's Zenzational Race of the Week. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, let me know. @Pick4win on Twitter.