The results of the 2006 New Orleans Mayoral Stakes are now official: it’s C. Ray, Landrieu, Couhig, Boulet.
[For those who haven’t heard—any betting ticket containing Zookeeper Forman may be discarded. Track officials have ruled that his bump of C. Ray in the last turn—which squeezed C. Ray on the rail and opened a clear outside path for Landrieu—was not flagrant enough to disqualify him altogether, but enough to penalize him
three positions (3rd to 6th) on the final board.]
Closing at 3-1, C. Ray (the “C” stands for “Shook Up the World”) seems to have been one of those after-the-fact, obvious steals, as he again proved himself to be a more-than-legitimate, graded-stakes caliber horse. Indeed, the (now) two-time winner of the New Orleans Mayoral outran a crowded field rather nonchalantly. In what may be called “classic C. Ray” style, he appeared to be merely breezing for most of the race, turning on the jets only to hold off the hard late charge of the pedigreed favorite, Landrieu.
While those who bet on Landrieu may disagree, to his credit, he also proved that he can run with the best, exhibiting the grit and class that made him a heavy odds-on favorite. Still, questions linger as to what direction the We Third Rate Kennedys Stable will point him in now that his winning streak at the stakes level has been snapped. Some believe that his connections are planning to keep to their pre-Mayoral Stakes script and run him in the next G2 Louisiana Gubernatorial, though others foresee them speeding up his transition from the track to the breeding stall, where he will no doubt stand for over 100 Gs. Only time will tell; but, either way, there’s no glue factory in Landrieu’s near future.
As for the other two serious contenders in the field—one raised his stock, while the other lowered his. Pitbull Couhig, with his surprising 3rd place performance in the Mayoral, put his name on the racing map and at the top of the list of probable contenders for 2010. Contrastingly, Zookeeper Forman did nothing to impress his connections, and it’s no secret that the ultra-successful Money Is No Object Stables has little patience for runners who can’t add to its already-full trophy case. In fact, there has already been talk that he may be gelded before his next race, if not sold at auction first.
In considering the next New Orleans Mayoral Stakes, one thing is certain: a new champion will be crowned (as C. Ray, by rule, cannot again enter the race). And, though not certain, it is very probable that a number of horses from this year’s running will try again to become a Mayoral Stakes winner in four years—a number which (in addition to Pitbull Couhig) will likely include James Arey and Manny Chevrolet Bruno. Of Arey, who has been sold recently by Fabulous Stables to the up-and-coming Ghetto Fabulous Stables, we can expect to see a leaner, meaner, more street-wise version of him in 2010. Of the venerable Manny, on the other hand, we can expect much of the same: a horse that gets dusted more thoroughly and more often than a coffee table in Audubon Place.
Another potential contender for the next Mayoral is Ollie “Big O” Thomas, a speed horse who seems primed to make the jump in class to graded-stakes races after convincingly winning several consecutive City Council Classics. Barring injury, look for Big O, with his intimidating wire-to-wire style, to be the early favorite when the betting window opens in 2010.
