I am attempting to condense a week’s happenings in a manageable piece. Let me begin with the change in the number of graded stakes to be run in America in 2009. There will be seven graded races added to the calendar. Six of them are Grade I races. Two of them will be part of the Breeders’ Cup program. The BC filly-mare Sprint and the BC Dirt Mile will now be Grade I contests.

You could not have forgotten Big Brown. Winner of the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, Big Brown flopped in the Belmont Stakes when going for the Triple Crown. Big Brown is by Boundary who is by Danzig. Big Brown’s mother is Mien who will be covered next year by the great ‘Henry.’ I am referring to Aidan O’Brien’s multiple Group I winner, Henrythenavigator who is standing at the Ashford stud near Versailles, Kentucky. Henry was second to Raven’s Pass in the BC Classic at Santa Anita in the final race of his career.

Funny Cide, a New York-bred, was victorious in the 2003 Kentucky Derby and the Preakness. In the Belmont Stakes, he failed and the sloppy track was cited as the reason for his subpar performance. Funny Cide also won the Jockey Club Gold Cup and retired with earnings of $3,529,412. Funny Cide is a gelding and is now eight. He will be sent to the Kentucky Horse Park where visitors can meet and greet him. Funny Cide was ridden by Jose Santos.

The four Group I races in Hong Kong will be run on December 14. There will be 38 trainers from 10 foreign jurisdictions. Every race will have a full field of 14 horses. The total purse will amount to 62 million HK dollars. One US dollar is worth 7.75 HK dollars. There is strong overseas representation.

Bill Nader, the Executive Director of Racing in the HK Jockey Club, expressed delight. “We can guarantee great lineups, given the presence of BC horses, Classic winners, defending titleholders and a host of Group I stars from far and wide.”

Talking about how the Hong Kong Group I events have changed the perception of the festival, Mark Player, the International Racing Manager, said, “Hong Kong races are not just end of the year events. They have become so important that they are now being highlighted as key targets for many horses.”

The Mile Championship at Kyoto Racecourse last Sunday was won by Blumenblatt, a 9-1 chance. A five year-old mare, Blumenblatt, by Admire Vega-My Wild Flower (Topsider), was ridden by Y Yoshida. S Ishizaka trains Blumenblatt. Kyoto is a right handed course.

The time for the 1600-metre race was 1 32.6. Eighteen ran. Blumenblatt was the first female to win the race in 14 years.

Here are some numbers about the betting. The attendance was 47,862. The handle for the day was 23,998,079,400 yen. A sum of 16,669,502,900 yen was bet on the Mile Championship. One dollar gets you 115 yen.

On Sunday, the Japan Cup (grass) will be run. In the past 10 years, non-Japanese runners have won twice. Such is the dominance of Japanese horses. It may not be different this year. Purple Moon, Sixties Icon and Papal Bull represent England but they are likely to be at high numbers because of Japanese fondness for local stars. The race carries a 5.34 million dollar purse. Vodka , a Japanese mare who won the 2007 Derby, is likely to carry the public purse. Deep Sky and Meisho Samson, accomplished local horses, are in the field. The race will be run about 11 45 A M Sunday, India time.

Hollywood Park, in California, hosted the Grade I Citation Stakes on Friday. Hyperbaric, Tyler Baze aboard, made it all. The purse was $400,000 and it was a 1700-metre race on the grass. The winner returned $13.00. Julio Cunani was the winning trainer. Formal Decree tracked the winner and challenged in vain.

Trainer Cunani said, “he (Hyperbaric) is putiing it all together. He will go to Dubai to run in the Duty Free.”

Jockey Tyler Baze talked about his ride. “I got 100% from my horse. With three furlongs to go, he jumped into the bridle and was ready to roll. It was cruise control then on.”

Churchill Downs in Kentucky staged the Grade II Clark handicap. The $440,400 race went to Einstein and jockey Julien Leparoux. Commentator was the piping hot favorite and jumped out smartly to take the lead. Einstein chased the favorite and ranged alongside turning for home. Down the lane, Einstein, a Brazilian-bred Spend The Buck gelding, put some separation and held the challenge of Delightful Kiss. Einstein ran the 1800 metres in 149.8 and paid $11.80. It was a dirt race. Helen Pitts trains Einstein.

Jockey Leparoux has gone past Pat Day’s mark of 55 wins to set a record. End of Fruday, Leparpoux’s number was 59. He spoke about Einstein. “I knew I had to stay close to Commentator and my horse broke sharp. I just kind of eased up a little bit on the outside. I just ran behind him all the way. When I asked him, he stuck his head in front and we were gone. It was done.”

On Friday at Aqueduct in New York, Leah’s Secret, in the hands of Eibar Coa, justified favoritism in the Grade II Top Flight handicap. The 28-10 favorite ran the 1600-metre dirt race in 1 36.4.

TV in America covered the Mumbai situation for three full days. I saw several Indian TV reporters. They were brilliant. I was at the Taj Mahal hotel in February.