(Monday, November 30) Filling the shoes of the late Bobby Frankel is no small task, but at least for last weekend, his longtime assistant Humberto Ascanio did his best, winning Grade 1 races with Fluke and Ventura.

Nobody was better getting a horse ready for a big race than Frankel, who won 25 Grade 1 races in 2003, a record that seems unlikely to be broken any time soon.

After spending more than three decades working for Frankel, his longtime assistant Ascanio did his boss proud, landing his first Grade 1 victory with Fluke in Friday's $300,000 Citation Handicap at Hollywood Park.

Ridden by Joe Talamo, the colt pulled off the upset, paying $20.00 to win and beating the likes of Cowboy Cal, Proudinsky, and Blue Chagall.

Ventura was supposed to retired after her second place finish in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, but Frankel wanted the five-year-old mare to go out a winner, and convinced Garrett O'Rourke, manager of Juddmonte Farms to race her in the $300,000 Matriarch Handicap (G1) on Saturday.

The mare did not disappoint, taking command in midstretch and pulling clear late under jockey Garrett Gomez to win by 1 ¾ lengths, returning $3.20 as the heavy favorite.

"It was Bobby's last wish," O'Rourke said."He said so the Friday before he died. He called me up and I got the feeling it was the goodbye phone call. And he told me that he was scared and what he was going to do -- not take anymore of the transfusions. And he paused -- that chokes anyone up -- then he turned around and said, 'talk to Humberto, we're still going with Ventura, right? Just tell him two easy half miles and she will be there.' He knew he was going in days, and still, it was that important to him."

If Ascanio was feeling any pressure, he sure was not showing it leading up to the race, but certainly had the look of relief after Ventura got the job done.

"That's what I want, for him," he said. "I wanted this one more, for him. I wish she could stay one more year, but that's the last call. And that's why he wanted her in, he knew she was gonna win this one. They wanted to retire her a winner."

"I was blessed to be around him all these years. There is only one Bobby Frankel."

Ventura is headed to Kentucky to begin her breeding career. Juddmonte has not announced who the lucky guy is yet.

Japan Cup Dirt Not for Birds: Belmont Stakes winner Summer Bird will miss the Japan Cup Dirt (G1) next week due to a small bone chip that was discovered after a work on Saturday. Trainer Tim Ice is reporting it is not a career ending type of injury and we might see the three time Grade 1 winner back on the track in three or four months.

Vodka, Straight Up: If you stayed up late on Saturday night for racing from Japan you were treated to one of the most exciting races of the year in the $5.9 million Japan Cup (G1). The mare Vodka held off the late charge of Oken Bruce Lee by the smallest of margins, setting off a huge celebration at Tokyo Race Course.

The five year old mare was trying the race for the third time and was ridden for the first time by jockey Christophe Lemaire,

The reigning Japanese Horse of the Year was coming into the race off a pair of losses in the Mainichi Okan (G2) and Tenno Sho (G1), but was sent off as the 7/2 favorite by the nearly 100,000 at the track, and the degenerate gamblers like me up late Saturday night.

Among the males she defeated was Conduit, the winner of the Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) the past two years. Conduit was never a factor and will start his stud career in Japan next year.

The three U.S invaders were not much of a threat. Just as Well was seventh, Interpatation checked in 14th, and Marsh Side was 17th.

Homeboychris Not My Buddy: Trainer Richard Dutrow was telling everyone that Champagne (G1) winner Homeboychris is his Derby horse, and I went along for the ride in Saturday's Remsen (G2).

I knew I was in trouble when I laid eyes on Buddy's Saint in the post parade. The Bruce Levine trainee toyed with the field, winning by 4 ¾ lengths, while Homeboychris struggled home fifth.

The win looked impressive but the early Beyer Speed Figure came in at a low 80. The colt ran the nine furlongs in 1:52.95.

Levine plans to ship the colt to Florida for the winter.

Kowboy Was Smoking: Kodiak Kowboy earned a 104 Beyer winning the Cigar Mile (G1) on Saturday at the Big A in what was an ultra game effort.

He beat Bribon by three quarters of a length with Vineyard Haven another head back in third.

The win could garner him a few extra votes for champion sprinter this year, although a one-turn mile is not exactly a sprint.

He has four stakes wins on his resume including two other Grade 1's, the Carter Handicap in April and the Vosburgh in October, and he beat Fabulous Strike in both of those victories.