Jason Witham Talks Everest Weekend in Australia on TDN Writers’ Room

So Randy, this is the part where we usually like to review the races from last week.

And again, this is a very quiet time of year, but we did have a grade one at Keeneland, the Queen Elizabeth II.

And, uh, Tam Tam, uh, an easy winner for Phil, uh, Bauer, wired the field.

Uh, the big disappointment to me, I fell in love with this filly, Luster, after she won the Kings Plate and just demolished males in that race.

But I think I got a little bit fooled because these horses that race in the Canadian restricted bred races, even against males, have generally not fared that well when they try graded company in the US.

But, uh, Tam Tam for Phil Bauer, uh, Junior Alvarado wires the field to win the, uh, last grade one race before the big show on Breeders' Cup weekend.

It was a battle of Oaks winners.

The runner of Faithful Departed, I say Oaks winners, Oaks participant.

She had been second in the Belmont Oaks and the Saratoga Oaks on turf.

Tam Tam was coming off a win in the Del Mar Oaks, and Tam Tam was clearly the best horse.

Uh, very well-bred.

$975,000 yearling by Medaglia d'Oro out of a mare named Princess Julia, who was by Distorted Humor, out of Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Folklore.

So a lot to like pedigree-wise about Tam Tam, and boy, she certainly looked good.

I share your disappointment about Luster.

It's either the stepped-up quality of competition, or possibly she's just not quite as good on turf as she is on the Tapeta up in Canada.

Now, she did start her career with two wins as a two-year-old on turf.

Her numbers though on Tapeta, possibly because she's just gotten older and more mature, have just really skyrocketed, but there's also that possibility.

Kind of the same deal on Sunday.

The same trainer that Luster has, [clears throat] Josie Carroll, ran a two-year-old filly in a stakes race at Woodbine.

And I'm telling you, her name is La Marrada.

And on Tapeta, I don't think there's a two-year-old filly in America who can outrun her.

She broke her maiden on Tapeta by 11 3/4.

Then she lost in her next start, um, on turf, and came back again on Tapeta Sunday and won by eight with, like, a 94 Beyer speed figure.

She can really run.

But she's seemingly better on Tapeta than grass, and maybe Luster kind of falls in the same category for the same stable.

So Randy, this is the part where we usually like to review the races from last week.

And again, this is a very quiet time of year, but we did have a grade one at Keeneland, the Queen Elizabeth II.

And, uh, Tam Tam, uh, an easy winner for Phil, uh, Bauer, wired the field.

Uh, the big disappointment to me, I fell in love with this filly, Luster, after she won the Kings Plate and just demolished males in that race.

But I think I got a little bit fooled because these horses that race in the Canadian restricted bred races, even against males, have generally not fared that well when they try graded company in the US.

But, uh, Tam Tam for Phil Bauer, uh, Junior Alvarado wires the field to win the, uh, last grade one race before the big show on Breeders' Cup weekend.

It was a battle of Oaks winners.

The runner of Faithful Departed, I say Oaks winners, Oaks participant.

She had been second in the Belmont Oaks and the Saratoga Oaks on turf.

Tam Tam was coming off a win in the Del Mar Oaks, and Tam Tam was clearly the best horse.

Uh, very well-bred.

$975,000 yearling by Medaglia d'Oro out of a mare named Princess Julia, who was by Distorted Humor, out of Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Folklore.

So a lot to like pedigree-wise about Tam Tam, and boy, she certainly looked good.

I share your disappointment about Luster.

It's either the stepped-up quality of competition, or possibly she's just not quite as good on turf as she is on the Tapeta up in Canada.

Now, she did start her career with two wins as a two-year-old on turf.

Her numbers though on Tapeta, possibly because she's just gotten older and more mature, have just really skyrocketed, but there's also that possibility.

Kind of the same deal on Sunday.

The same trainer that Luster has, [clears throat] Josie Carroll, ran a two-year-old filly in a stakes race at Woodbine.

And I'm telling you, her name is La Marrada.

And on Tapeta, I don't think there's a two-year-old filly in America who can outrun her.

She broke her maiden on Tapeta by 11 3/4.

Then she lost in her next start, um, on turf, and came back again on Tapeta Sunday and won by eight with, like, a 94 Beyer speed figure.

She can really run.

But she's seemingly better on Tapeta than grass, and maybe Luster kind of falls in the same category for the same stable.