Quality and Class: Metropolitan Handicap and More

Metropolitan Handicap:

[caption id="attachment_716" align="alignleft" width="298" caption="Quality Road"][/caption]

Almost four months after his incredible 12 ¾ length Donn Handicap  (gr.1) romp Quality Road returns to action in the Metropolitan Handicap May 31^st.The talented colt will lead a cast of impressive talent in the Metropolitan this year when he faces seven other contenders. Quality Road is undefeated at the mile distance of the Metropolitan and according to trainer Todd Pletcher he has enough natural speed to rate off the pace or set it, whichever way the race happens to set up. In his only previous start over the Belmont oval last year Quality Road finished second to 2009 3-year-old Champion Male Summer Bird in the Jockey Club Gold Cup on a sloppy track. He has won both of his starts this year and is coming into this race very fresh and rested which has served him well before.

Musket Man could be Quality Road’s biggest challenger with his fast closing ability, especially if the pace is hot and with Quality Road in the race the splits are usually pretty fast. In his last start Musket Man finished third as the favorite in the Churchill Downs Stakes behind second place finisher, and fellow Metropolitan contender, Warrior’s Reward. Before that Warrior’s Reward again finished ahead of Musket Man when he defeated him by a head at Aqueduct.

You and I Forever last posted an upset victory in the Gulfstream Park Handicap on March 13^th and is looking for his second consecutive graded stakes win here.

Le Grand Cru also enters the Metropolitan off an upset victory at odds of 27-1 in the Westchester Handicap at Belmont.

Kensei enters the Metropolitan off the worst performance of any entrants having last finished a poor 7^th in the Churchill Downs Stakes. Last year he won the Jim Dandy but has been winless since, he will have to make drastic improvement if he hopes to run well with this group.

Convocation and Tizway complete the field.

It looks like Quality Road’s race all the way but with a horse like Musket Man in the race I’m not willing to just hand it over to him on a silver platter. I think Quality Road will win the race, and probably in stunning fashion again, but I won’t be surprised to see Musket Man make a close race of it or even post an upset. Warrior’s Reward has a great shot too, but in the end I think this will be about Quality Road.

The Gamely Stakes:

Two of turf racing’s most accomplished and talented females will make sure the spotlight does not stay situated

[caption id="attachment_717" align="alignright" width="298" caption="Tuscan Evening"][/caption]

exclusively on the nation’s leading male runners in the Metropolitan Handicap this weekend when Tuscan Evening and Champion Forever Together take to the track in the Gamely Stakes (gr.1) at Hollywood Park. Tuscan Evening will probably go off as the favorite as she enters the race off four consecutive graded stakes wins ranging in distance from 6 ½ furlongs to 1 ¼ miles. She is in the form of her life and although she has won 10 of her 14 starts here in the United States she has yet to win a grade 1 race, she looks to change that in the Gamely.

Forever Together will be looking for her first win since she won Saratoga’s Diana Stakes (gr.1) on August 1^st. Although she has not won a race since then she has proven to always be a very formidable force with her spectacular late-closing-kick.

The two fillies behind the leading two with the best chance at posting upsets seem to be Gotta Have Her and Well Monied. The field is completed by Medaglia d’Amour, General Consensus, Princess Haya and Cat by the Tale.

Tuscan Evening looks like the clear-cut favorite here with the flawless form she has produced so far this year, but I’m going to pick Forever Together for a very mild upset. She’s been a favorite of mine for years and I love a filly that can kick it into high gear from far back while eating into the front-runners lead with every closing stride.

The Winning Colors Stakes:

Finally Hot Dixie Chick is back, after her last race in which she turned heads with a decimating win in the Prima Donna Stakes in March, Hot Dixie Chick looks to prove herself against older fillies and mares for the first time. She finished third in the Eight Belles Stakes (gr.3) in her last start behind a victorious Buckleupbuttercup.

Last year’s Winning Colors victor Dubai Majesty is back to defend her title this year in the six furlong event. She has lost all four of her 2010 starts but has finished second in three of those four efforts so her form is still consistent.
Emmy Darling, Double Espresso, Nadeshiko, Secret Gypsy, Minewander and J Z Warrior complete the field. I’m hoping Hot Dixie Chick will come back to form in this one and show the same spark she did in the Prima Donna Stakes. Although she is trying older fillies and mares for the first time I think she is much more talented than the rest of the contenders in the field and will win this one easily.

In order to keep this post to a readable length I’m just going to bring up a  few more of the major races this weekend without going into great detail.

The Lone Star Park Handicap has one of my favorite older runners entered in Awesome Gem. I almost always root for this guy to win. It looks like his biggest challeng will be from Jonesboro and Mythical Power.

The Berkeley Stakes (gr.3) is headlined by Bold Chieftan, Delightful Kiss and Dakota Phone. Bold Chieftan is another one of my favorite older runners and this time around the 7-year-old enters the race riding a three race winning streak.

This year’s second place Kentucky Oaks finisher Evening Jewel will be making her turf debut in the Honeymoon Handicap (gr.2) at Hollywood Park this Monday. She is two noses away from being the leading three-year-old filly in the nation but for Blind Luck and I for one will not want to miss this race.

It seems I could go on and on finding great races to write about the Memorial Day weekend but suffice it to say there are a bunch more races to keep an eye on: the Shoemaker Mile (gr.1), the Calder Stakes, Sands Point Stakes, Eatontown Stakes (gr.3), Connaught Cup, Matron Stakes (gr.3), Vagrancy Handicap (gr.2) and Dogwood Stakes (gr.3).

Have a great Memorial Day weekend to all. In closing I would like to say this to all veterans; for all you have sacrificed and will sacrifice for us in the future I thank you. It is because of you that we Americans live in comfort, peace and prosperity, you honor us all with your service, God bless American and you.

Memorial Day Weekend: Racing Lineup

Belmont Stakes News:

[caption id="attachment_713" align="alignleft" width="298" caption="Ice Box"][/caption]

Leading Belmont Stakes contender, Florida Derby winner and Kentucky Derby runner-up Ice Box proved his readiness to face the rigors of the Triple Crown’s third jewel on Thursday at Saratoga with a flashy bullet half mile work. Ice Box completed his half mile in :46 3/5ths and trainer Nick Zito says that he clocked him galloping out the six furlongs in 1:14. His was the fastest move at the distance of 22 identical works and had Zito sounding pretty happy with the effort. “He finished with good energy and looked good doing it” Zito said before stating that Ice Box appeared to have zip in him. It sounds like Zito will once again have a powerful hand in the Belmont Stakes.

Bluegrass Stakes winner Stately Victor also turned in a good workout for his run in Belmont Stakes on May 25^th. Stately Victor went five furlongs in a speedy :59.40 with excellent internal fractions throughout the work. He galloped out the six furlongs in 1:14.20.

Both Drosselmeyer and Make Music For Me turned in works at Belmont park on Wednesday in preparation for the Belmont Stakes. Neither time for the two colts was very impressive but both of the colts trainers seemed to think the track was somewhat deep and tiring. Make Music for Me went a mile in 1:43.65 for trainer Alexis Barba while Drosselmeyer covered six furlongs in 1:14.10 for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.

Dave In Dixie has joined the Belmont cast this year for trainer John Sadler. After working one mile in 1:39.60 at Hollywood Park the decision was made to enter the colt in the Belmont. Dave In Dixie will be ridden by Kentucky Derby winning jockey Calvin Borel in the Belmont according to Sadler.

Aristides Stakes:

Jockey Calvin Borel and Churchill Downs Stakes (gr.2) victor Atta Boy will attempt to win a second graded stakes race at Churchill Downs after flying to a rousing upset at odds of 10-1 in the Churchill Downs Stakes on Kentucky Derby Day May 1^st. This time around the 5-year-old will go off as the high-weight favorite in the six furlong Aristides Stakes (gr.3) against five opponents. He will most likely receive a strong test from 4-year-old Cash Refund who enters the Aristides riding a three race winning streak. Cash Refund’s biggest success has come from setting the pace on the front-end so the six furlong distance will be well suited to his style. Others entered are Lissa’s Star, Riley Tucker, Chief of Affairs and Cassoulet.

Chief of Affairs in one to watch after winning his last start, the James Whitcomb Riley Stakes,  in dominant fashion over fellow entrant Riley Tucker. He has hit the board in all 5 other starts this year.

I will post about more of the weekend’s upcoming races by tomorrow morning including the Metropolitan Handicap, Gamely Stakes, Winning Colors Stakes and Lone Star Park Handicap.

Rachel Alexandra, Zenyatta and Goldikova

Racings two leading ladies Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta tore up the track on Monday while both working toward their next prospective starts.

Rachel Alexandra displayed her usual brilliance while posting a five furlong work at Churchill Downs which seemed

[caption id="attachment_708" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Rachel Alexandra"][/caption]

to please trainer Steve Asmussen greatly. She finished the work in a time of 1:00 2/5, resulting in the second fastest time of 14 horses at the distance. She galloped out six furlongs in the very good time of 1:12.80 and seven furlongs in 1:26. Asmussen said she galloped out super and looked great while again declining to comment on a next start for the reining Horse of the Year. Instead he said that “All options are open.” Rachel Alexandra has finished second in both of her 2010 starts this year and while they have been very close races resulting in a loss by a neck and a nose, the performances seem to be a level below her spectacular races of last year.

The undefeated super-mare Zenyatta worked a sparkling six furlongs in 1:13.00 at Hollywood Park Monday in preparation for her third yearly consecutive start in the Vanity Handicap on June 13th. So far this year she has maintained her perfect record by first winning the Santa Margarita Handicap in March and then taking the April 9th Apple Blossom by more than 4 lengths in Arkansas. Both wins were completed by the big mare, who has earned a reputation of capturing her races against all competition, with consummate ease.

She will be going for a third consecutive win in the Vanity after having captured the 2008 and 2009 editions. Her undefeated record currently stands at 16-for-16 tying her with such greats as Citation and Cigar. If she wins the

[caption id="attachment_709" align="alignright" width="298" caption="Zenyatta"][/caption]

Vanity Handicap she will extend her spectacular winning streak to 17-in-a-row and remain undefeated.

She will once again be facing fillies and mares that will be totally outclassed and far less accomplished than her. Although there were other more intriguing and challenging races in which Zenyatta could have run her connections have again decided to keep her in California even though they tentatively stated earlier in the year that she would be making her rounds on the country’s premier dirt tracks and hinted that she would be facing males much more often. While I love to watch Zenyatta run, we have all seen her in the Vanity before and it’s the same old scenario again; a race in her home-state on synthetics, against sub-par competition all fillies and mares.

Why can’t the Mosses and John Shirreffs see the benefit of giving her a challenge while at the same time putting on a spectacle for the fans. She beat the best boys the world had to offer in the Breeders’ Cup Classic last fall so what’s the excuse? How about the lame excuse trainer John Shirreffs offered up when he said that it’s different for them to ship seeing as they have to go over the Rockies. They should at least tell the public the truth and not make up some cheesy excuse like that, the fans aren’t stupid. We know they just want to keep her in her comfort zone now that Rachel Alexandra is win-less in both her 2010 starts. It was wonderful of the Mosses to bring Zenyatta back for a 2010 campaign but what happened to wanting to share Zenyatta with all her fans like the ones on the East Coast? It’s time to stop treating Zenyatta like a fragile antique china doll and race her, take her out of her comfort zone already and lets watch the action. I have no doubts the big mare can handle whatever comes her way at this point, she is big, powerful and incredibly gifted. The Mosses are doing far more damage to her reputation by running her in the Vanity than if they ran her in a race like the Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs.

Here’s what I want to see from Zenyatta and her connections this year: 1) at least two starts against males before the Breeders’ Cup, because honestly there isn’t another mare in this country that can run with her right now, 2) all remaining starts on the dirt, we know she can handle synthetics, she can dance the tango on synthetics while winning a Grade 1 race for crying out loud, 3) a start on a track where the surface is listed something other than fast or dry, a true champion runs no matter the odds, they don’t pick and chose according to the forecast.

Zenyatta is one of the greatest race mares ever to set hoof on a track, I think she should have the chance to prove it.

The astonishing European and American champion mare Goldikova got her 2010 campaign off to a rousing start in

[caption id="attachment_707" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Goldikova"][/caption]

the Prix d’Ispahan (Fr-I) in France on May 23rd. After making a stunning move approaching the wire to seize the lead and open up, the brilliant mare held on to win by a half-length. The two-time winner of the Breeders’ Cup Mile looks like she is in tip-top shape and entering another year of racing in her best form yet. The ultimate goal for Goldikova this year will once again be the Breeders’ Cup Mile and an attempt at an unprecedented 3 consecutive Breeders’ Cup Mile victories. Her year is off to a remarkable start and if she wins the Breeders’ Cup Mile again this year it will be a Breeders’ Cup achievement unequaled by any.

Belmont Stakes: Not so Bleak

The Belmont Stakes will be completely bereft of any Triple Crown contenders this year for the first time since 2006. Not one single contender from the 5 young horses to enter the Kentucky Derby starting gate and then continue on to the Preakness two weeks later this spring are going to brave America’s crowning distance race jewel for three year olds.

After the announcement that Preakness winner Lookin At Lucky and then Kentucky Derby champion Super Saver and

[caption id="attachment_703" align="alignleft" width="298" caption="Ice Box"][/caption]

Derby third place finisher Paddy O’Prado would all be bypassing the final jewel of the Triple Crown was made, it seemed only Dublin and Jackson Bend would remain to run the course. Jackson Bend was questionable for a short while after the Preakness, with trainer Nick Zito unsure whether or not he wanted to send the talented colt on to the Belmont or freshen him for the late summer races. It came as little surprise when the decision was made in favor of the latter. Dublin was then left to carry the torch as the sole contender to compete in every leg of the Triple Crown this year. Trainer D. Wayne Lukas squashed that fantasy on the morning of May 20th, announcing that the chestnut son of Afleet Alex will instead be pointed to the bigger races later this summer after his rigorous Triple Crown campaign.

Although it may appear that prospective Belmont Stakes contenders are bleak at this point the field is actually shaping up to include some very nice young colts. Headlining the ever shrinking list of probably Belmont starters is Kentucky Derby runner-up Ice Box. After his spectacular stretch run in the Kentucky Derby during which he made up twice as much ground as any other runner, many people were looking forward to seeing this Nick Zito trainee tackle Super Saver and Lookin At Lucky again in the Preakness Stakes. His connections opted to skip the Preakness in favor of the Belmont Stakes though and now he comes into a race custom built to enhance his late-running style. This time he will enter the race as the favorite, well rested and with a master trainer at the helm. Hypothetically speaking; if Ice Box wins the Belmont he makes a strong case for the 3-year-old Male championship.

Other possible starters in the Belmont Stakes include Preakness Stakes runner-up First Dude, six-length Dwyer Stakes victor Fly Down, Dwyer runner-up Drosselmeyer, Lone Star Derby winner Game On Dude, Kentucky Derby fourth place finisher Make Music for Me, Blue Grass Stakes winner and eighth place finisher in the Kentucky Derby Stately Victor, Lexington Stakes third place finisher Uptowncharlybrown, Withers Stakes third place finisher Spangled Star and Stay Put.

If nothing else this year’s Belmont could prove to be a redemptive race for a number of contenders.

In other news Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra and undefeated dual-champion Zenyatta both have been working well for their connections. Zenyatta is preparing for an incredible three-peat in the Vanity Handicap on June 13th while Rachel Alexandra’s next start is undecided.

I've included some pictures from my trip to the Kentucky Derby/Oaks below. Unfortunately my camera had some

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problems during the running of the Derby and I wasn't able to get

[caption id="attachment_690" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Rachel Alexandra"][/caption]

any good pictures that day but I got some nice ones of Rachel Alexandra and the La Troienne

[caption id="attachment_691" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Be Fair #1, Morena #2"][/caption]

contenders.

[caption id="attachment_694" align="aligncenter" width="737" caption="Rachel Alexandra"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_693" align="aligncenter" width="574" caption="Distinctive Dixie "][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_695" align="aligncenter" width="819" caption="Rachel Alexandra"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_696" align="aligncenter" width="819" caption="Rachel Alexandra"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_697" align="aligncenter" width="819" caption="Rachel Alexandra (can you tell what my focus was on?)"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_699" align="aligncenter" width="818" caption="Unrivaled Belle "][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_700" align="aligncenter" width="368" caption="Into the Homestretch (A little blurry-hard to hold still when you're jumping and cheering)"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_701" align="aligncenter" width="614" caption="Stretch Run"][/caption]

Lucky Number 7: Lookin At Lucky Wins the 136th Preakness Stakes

The Preakness Stakes was a story of redemption in its truest form. In the 2010 renewal of the Kentucky Derby on May 1^st Super Saver may have proven to be the best horse of the day, but this day belonged to Lookin At Lucky and he proved that the best horse lost the Derby this year. Given a perfect trip and ride for the first time since his 2010 racing debut Lookin At Lucky broke from the lucky number 7 post and put all the Derby naysayers to silence with an impressive display of heart, class and true grit while posting the biggest win of his career to date.

When the field for the 136^th Preakness Stakes broke from the gate it was Kentucky Derby champion Super Saver with

[caption id="attachment_682" align="alignleft" width="250" caption="Lookin At Lucky"][/caption]

Calvin Borel up to take the lead but before the field entered the first turn First Dude came flying up on the outside to show the way. Lookin At Lucky had a perfect break and new jockey Martin Garcia guided him into sixth place entering the back stretch. Nick Zito trained Jackson Bend meanwhile was exactly where his giant-slaying trainer had hoped he would be. Right behind the pacesetters in third on the rail and running well within himself. Dublin had the worst start of the entire field breaking from the 12 post and darting straight for the outside rail, then veering in sharply for new jockey Garret Gomez to settle behind the field in last position. On the front end First Dude was rattling off a rapid pace of :22.91 for the opening quarter and :46.47 for the half mile with Super Saver glued to his side by about a half length. Settled comfortably behind was Jackson Bend and Caracortado to his outside with Ywanna Twist just behind those. Approaching the far turn Lookin At Lucky kicked it into high gear on the outside and moved in tandem with Caracortado to catch the frontrunners. Super Saver began to rapidly fall back as the field came on, blocking the running path of Jackson bend while Dublin came flying up from dead-last on the outside. First Dude was still leading the pack out front, running the race of his life. Entering the homestretch Lookin At Lucky swept to the lead with Caracortado fighting back gamely on the inside while Jackson Bend swung around horses behind and began to kick it into high gear. Lookin At Lucky surged to a half length lead over First Dude on the inside while Caracortado slowly dropped back. It looked like Lookin At Lucky was home free when suddenly First Dude found another gear and came on again, actually heading Lookin At Lucky mid-way down the stretch. With the crowd screaming wildly in their ears both jockeys went to work on their colts, urging them on with all their will-power. Lookin At Lucky proved the best horse in the end, surging forward yet again to win by ¾ of a length while Jackson Bend came flying late to seize third place, a head behind First Dude.

Waltzing under the wire to the roars of delight that poured from his hosts of fans Lookin At Lucky galloped into the backstretch with ears pricked, looking like a colt who had just come back home. This year post position number 7

[caption id="attachment_683" align="alignright" width="298" caption="Lookin At Lucky "][/caption]

really was lucky number seven. This marks the seventh lifetime victory for the very talented son of Smart Strike and it looks like many more could be in store for him this year. Not enough can be said for both the second and third place finisher’s performances in the Preakness this year. First Dude hung on all the way down the backstretch and even managed to launch another strong run in the homestretch to try and catch Lookin At Lucky after relinquishing the lead. Jackson Bend rewarded the confidence that many of us have had in him since last year by finishing third in yet another gutsy performance that proved he is one of the top 3-year-olds this year. I think the questions about his so called distance limitations have been answered beyond any doubt now.

Bob Baffert has now equaled the record of 5 Preakness Stakes wins after his star pupil captured the second jewel of the 2010 Triple Crown, this was his first win in the Preakness since his victory in 2002 with War Emblem.

Kentucky Derby champion Super Saver faded badly entering the homestretch to finish a dull 8^th. Dublin after his poor start put in a terrific run from last place to register a 5^th place finish. The Belmont looks like it might be a good fit for the chestnut colt if trainer D. Wayne Lukas elects to continue down the Triple Crown trail with his charge. Ywanna Twist finished 4^th, Dublin 5^th, Paddy O’Prado 6^th, Caracortado 7^th, Super Saver 8^th, Schoolyard Dreams 9^th, Aikenite 10^th, Pleasant Prince 11^th and Northern Giant 12^th.

So now the big question to ask is this; who will advance to the Triple Crown finals in the Belmont Stakes? Bob Baffert rarely skips the last leg of the triple if he has a good horse that runs well in the first two and with Lookin At Lucky’s impressive win in the Preakness on Saturday May 15^th I seriously doubt he will bypass the Belmont unless there is an issue found with the horse in the next couple of weeks.

Picking the Preakness

[caption id="attachment_674" align="alignleft" width="298" caption="Super Saver"][/caption]

The contenders for the 2010 Preakness Stakes are confirmed, post positions have been drawn and a controversial advertising campaign is generating more outside interest in the race than has been shown in years. A field of twelve talented young thoroughbreds are set to face-off in the Preakness Stakes this Saturday. Of the 20 contenders to run in the Kentucky Derby two weeks ago only five are returning to contest the second jewel of the Triple Crown. Kentucky Derby champion Super Saver leads the pack this time around and enters as the deserving favorite.

On Wednesday post positions were drawn and Super Saver drew post #8 right alongside Derby favorite Lookin At Lucky in #7. Super Saver is coming into the Preakness looking fresh, full of himself and ready to run another highly competitive race. Trainer Todd Pletcher has stated that he wouldn’t want to trade places with anyone and has the utmost confidence in his Derby winning charge.

Lookin At Lucky might finally get a chance to run his race here if his #7 post position is any indication. Lucky number seven? We’ll see, but trainer Bob Baffert is certainly happy with the post his star runner has received this time around, saying that he’s just happy to see the colt get a decent post after being hung out to dry in the two biggest races of his career; the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and the Kentucky Derby. He will be ridden for the first time by jockey Martin Garcia who Bob Baffert says knows the horse better than former jockey Garrett Gomez.

Kentucky Derby third place finisher and the third choice in the Preakness Stakes, Paddy O’Prado, is coming into the race off an impressive performance in the Derby in which jockey Kent Desormeaux was severely criticized for a ride in which some thought he gave up on the horse before crossing the finish line. Both are coming into the race with something to prove. Desormeaux, who won the race in 2008 aboard race favorite Big Brown, will be looking to prove he can ride a good race on a horse some say would have finished better than third in the Derby and Paddy O’Prado will be looking to prove he can run just as good a race as he did in the Derby on fast track conditions.

Jackson Bend enters the Preakness Stakes off a twelfth place finish in the Kentucky Derby, his only start where he did not hit the board in 10 lifetime starts. Some people still don’t believe this tough little colt can get the distance but

[caption id="attachment_675" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Jackson Bend"][/caption]

nothing has altered the faith of trainer Nick Zito so far. And why should he have doubts about the colts ability after the way he’s been working after the Derby. Two days before leaving for Pimlico Jackson Bend sizzled a four furlong work in typical fashion, running the distance in :46 3/5ths, the fastest of 69 works at the same distance.

Dublin, coming off a seventh place finish in the Derby, looks to make a drastic step forward after missing out on every opportunity given him this year. He has loads of talent, that much is certain and respected trainer D. Wayne Lukas still has faith in the colt but nothing he has done this year has quite lived up to expectations. He has been consistent this year is nothing else, especially if given a dry track and a clear stretch run. He will be breaking from the #12 hole.

Schoolyard Dreams will come into the Preakness as the most well rested and fresh contender of them all after last having finished fourth in the Wood Memorial Stakes on April 3^rd, but he will not be coming in unprepared. According to trainer Derek Ryan Schoolyard Dreams will greatly benefit from the long time in-between races and only finished so poorly in the Wood Memorial because he ran back only three weeks after finishing second in the Tampa Bay Derby.

Caracortado also enters the Preakness having last raced on April 3^rd in the Santa Anita Derby, a race in which he

[caption id="attachment_676" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Caracortado"][/caption]

finished a troubled fourth after being compromised entering the stretch. This will be the California geldings first start on natural dirt and though recent synthetic-to-dirt form has been exceptional of late there is never any way to tell how a horse will take to the conditions. His works have been very good leading up to the Preakness and if there is any one horse in the field that can steal the spotlight in a magical Cinderella-styled way, it would be Caracortado.

Pleasant Prince missed getting in the Derby starting gate due to insufficient earnings and a poor showing in the Cliff’s Edge Derby Trial Stakes at Churchill Downs. Prior to a third place finish in the Derby Trial he finished an uninspiring seventh in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes. His connections have no grand belief that he will actually win the Preakness but think the colt deserves a shot at a piece of the action.

Todd Pletcher remains true to form in the Preakness by entering not only Derby victor Super Saver but also the well traveled Aikenite. Aikenite last finished second to Hurricane Ike in the Cliff’s Edge Derby Trial Stakes. His race record for the year is somewhat confusing, but his finish in the Derby Trial looked much more promising than his previous 2010 preps.

Yawanna Twist, who last finished second in the Illinois Derby on April 3^rd, will be searching for another Preakness victory for trainer Richard Dutrow, Jr. after Big Brown’s victory in 2008.

Northern Giant gives trainer D. Wayne Lukas his second starter in the 2010 Preakness along with Dublin. Terry Thompson will be switching mounts from Dublin to Northern Giant after perennial leading jockey Garrett Gomez picked up the mount on Dublin.

First Dude will be the second starter for trainer Dale Romans in this year’s Preakness after his star pupil Paddy O’Prado. His odds of 20-1 say that he won’t be much of a threat but with jockey Ramon Dominguez riding him his chances could be better than they at first seem.

Much like the Derby this year, the Preakness Stakes seems like it could be pretty much anybody’s race. Lookin At Lucky retains my vote as the top pick here after failing to place in the Derby in a race which virtually deprived him

[caption id="attachment_677" align="alignright" width="225" caption="Lookin At Lucky "][/caption]

of any fighting chance. I’ve been a huge Jackson Bend advocate all year. Now though I’m not sure not that he can truly get this distance against this competition but for the sake of loyalty I’m taking him as my second pick. Super Saver looks too good right now to leave out of any top three picks and could easily, and not surprisingly win again, so I’m taking him as my third pick.  Schoolyard Dreams would be my fourth pick and Paddy O’Prado my fifth, but that’s just a shot in the dark.

Post time for the Preakness Stakes is set for 6:12 p.m. Enjoy the weekend’s extravaganza of racings finest and good luck to all. Who are your picks for the 2010 Preakness Stakes?[polldaddy poll=3195183]

Saving Face: Preakness Stakes Taking Shape

It has been exactly one week since my glorious trip to the Kentucky Derby and since then I have had some time to evaluate and re-evaluate what transpired in the 136^th running of the Derby. In my last post I believe I undervalued the significance of Super Saver’s Derby victory and also the quality of the colt. It is only 7 days away from the Preakness Stakes where Super Saver and jockey Calvin Borel will attempt to prove they are able to take a shot at winning the Triple Crown. Up to this time I have been saying that Super Saver had everything go his way in his Derby win and is over-rated to put it nicely, stating that I didn’t think he even had a chance at winning the Triple Crown or Preakness Stakes. Okay, so he did get a muddy track to run on in the Derby and he did have the best Derby jockey in recent history and he was the recipient of a perfect trip. The muddy track was just good luck, the perfect trip and good jockey, that was skill and talent. Calvin Borel is incredible, three Kentucky Derby wins in four years is one of the most sparkling feats in Triple Crown history if you ask me. His skill as a rider is staggering and his ability to keep his cool while competing at the highest level of competition under the utmost public scrutiny is astounding. Then there’s the horse, Super Saver is no slouch and no matter how sore I was (okay am) about the pounding Lookin At Lucky received in the Derby, there is no denying that the winner was very deserving.

Having already won the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (gr. 2)by five lengths last November over the Churchill Downs strip, Super Saver obviously loves the track and had proven his worth against the best Kentucky juveniles. Prior to the Kentucky Derby this year Super Saver finished close up in both his 2010 prep races. In his 2010 debut he finished a credible third, a half length behind Odysseus and Schoolyard Dreams in a thrilling rendition of the Tampa Bay Derby (gr.3). Next he finished second behind long-shot winner Line of David in the Arkansas Derby (gr.1) after steadily gaining ground in the stretch, losing by a mere neck. The signs were all there for me to see, he improved in every single start this year, had an impressive win over the Churchill Downs track to his credit and had Derby wizard Calvin Borel in the irons. His Kentucky Derby win makes complete sense.

Now that I have amended my prior poor attitude toward this year’s Derby winner we can move on to the Preakness Stakes and the intriguing field that is beginning to take shape there.

Super Saver leads the pack of confirmed Preakness starters and other familiar names are either joined, or poised to join his on the roster. Derby 7^th place finisher Dublin continues down the Triple Crown trail for trainer D. Wayne Lukas in the Preakness and looks to prove that his continued hype and strong juvenile reputation is still warranted. He finished third in both his two previous Derby preps this year, the last coming a head behind Super Saver in the Arkansas Derby.

Aikenite is confirmed for the Preakness according to trainer Todd Pletcher which means he will most likely have at least two starters in the second jewel of the Triple Crown.

Kentucky Derby 3^rd place finisher Paddy O’Prado is coming back in the Preakness with his connections riding high on confidence. His performance in the Derby was deceivingly good but with so much going on in the stretch run his move was primarily missed. With another effort like the one he produced in the Derby he could make a huge statement in the Preakness.

Caracortado, the gelding who was denied a run at the roses after finishing 4^th in the Santa Anita Derby (gr.1), is back and looks like he is ready to run to his best form next Saturday. After winning the first 5 starts of his career Caracortado quickly became the “buzz” horse on the Derby trail earlier this year but after two losing efforts he has fallen far behind the rest of the pack. If the recent winning form of synthetic-to-dirt horses is any indication his chances in the Preakness are looking very good.

Schoolyard Dreams, Hurricane Ike, Jackson Bend, Pleasant Prince, A Little Warm, Turf Melody and Make Music for me are other possible starters for the Preakness with Schoolyard Dreams, Jackson Bend and Hurricane Ike looking the best. The connections of Schoolyard Dreams couldn’t be any more confident coming into the race, stating that they are coming to win.

Lookin At Lucky is the biggest name right now not confirmed for the Preakness Stakes with trainer Bob Baffert unwilling to commit until he is certain it is the best thing for the colt. He is 52% to go according to the latest from Baffert and it seems doubtful he will bypass the race unless something drastic happens to alter his situation. After a horrible trip in the Derby in which the talented son of Smart Strike was unable to do his true running, the 2009 Champion 2-year-old Male will be looking for redemption in the Preakness and also looks to take back the mantle of best 3-year-old colt.

Derby, Oaks and Rachel Alexandra

Calvin Borel has done it again. On Saturday May 1^st Borel won the Kentucky Derby riding the rail for the third time in the last four years. Victories in 2007 aboard Street Sense, 2009 aboard long-shot Mine that Bird and now on Super Saver in 2010 instantly place Borel among the elite company of the greatest Kentucky Derby jockeys of all time.

On a track that looked like a mud slide just washed down from the mountain, Borel guided second favorite Super

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Saver to a thrilling 2 ½ length victory in the 136^th Kentucky Derby. After stalking the pace in a perfect posititon down the backstretch, Borel guided Super Saver up the rail  and burst past Noble’s Promise off the turn to seize the lead. Charging for the wire Super Saver began to gradually open up on the field while Ice Box came flying late with a terrific rally on the far outside and Paddy O’Prado surged from between horses to emerge from the pack. Down to the wire Ice Box was closing faster than any horse in the field but his amazing rally came up more than 2 lengths short of a victorious Super Saver after a nightmarish trip.

Race favorite Lookin At Lucky rallied well for sixth following the worst trip of his life in which he got jostled back to the rear of the field after breaking from the #1 hole and was the recipient of several aggressive bumping sessions. He was bashed into the fence three times before the field had gone by the wire the first time and when he finally got into gear at the top of the stretch a wall of horses provided nowhere to run. Garrett Gomez guided him inside of horses and he amazingly threaded his way through the pack and kept coming on, breaking through the field to take 6^th in another amazing show of heart, courage and tenacity. Hopefully he will come back in the Preakness with a better post position and a fair trip. After watching the Derby replay multiple times I feel more than ever that this is the best three year old in the land.

Ice Box was undoubtedly the most impressive horse in the Derby this year, closing like a bolt of lightning out of nowhere with a dazzling turn of foot just like he did in the Florida Derby. After the race trainer Nick Zito expressed disappointment and hinted that he believed the best horse lost. But he added, “I have to be happy with the way he ran today.”

Super Saver is now headed to Baltimore to contest the Preakness Stakes and stake his claim at a Triple Crown attempt but something tells me this horse just isn’t good enough. He won the Derby in great style and is very talented, no doubt about that, but the wet track was his big break and he got a perfect trip from a jockey that knows Churchill Downs like the back of his hand. By the way, guess who completely left this guy off his last Derby Dozen? That’s right, I completely left out Super Saver in my final selections even though I knew Calvin Borel was riding.

In winning the Derby, Super Saver became the first Kentucky Derby champ for perennial leading trainer Todd Pletcher. The monkey is now off his back and deservingly so. After the withdrawal of his top colt Eskendereya who figured to be a heavy favorite in the Kentucky Derby, victory in the Derby must have tasted something like sweet redemption for Todd Pletcher.

Overall the Kentucky Derby proved to be a huge success this year, attracting the 6^th largest attendance in history with 155,804 on hand and posting the highest TV ratings in 18 years for the NBC telecast.

The Kentucky Oaks proved to be just as much a success as the Derby with a record crowd attendance totaling  116,046 and the weather couldn’t have been better. Under blue skies, shining sun and to the roar of more than a

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hundred thousand cheering fans, Blind Luck prevailed in one of the most stunning Oaks victories in history.

Breaking from the gate the field of 14 fillies it was the Calvin Borel piloted Tidal Pool who was up for the lead. Behind her and glued to her side was Age of Humor with Ailalea and Evening Jewel not far behind. Going into the first turn Blind Luck was dead last. Down the backstretch the field began to bunch closer together approaching the far turn and then Blind Lucky began to roll. At the same time Evening Jewel took over the lead from Tidal Pool and began to inch away. Into the stretch they came with Blind Luck rushing up four wide, relentlessly closing the gap between her and Evening Jewel. The two fillies hit the wire together and from my vantage point it appeared Evening Jewel had the advantage. Minutes later the numbers were posted and a roar rose from the crowd as number #5, Blind Luck lit up the board.

Evening Jewel and Blind Luck have quite the rivalry going now after finishing in the exact same order by the exact same margin in the Las Virgenes Stakes (gr.1) on February 10^th at Santa Anita.

What are the chances of a Zenyatta vs. Rachel Alexandra meeting after the results of the 2010 La Troienne Stakes (gr. 2)? Rachel Alexandra, making just the second start of her 4 year old year failed to win for the second consecutive time when finishing second to Unrivaled Belle.

In front of a record Kentucky Oaks day crowd at Churchill Downs Rachel Alexandra took control of the La Troienne

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field coming off the final turn and looked poised to extend her lead at will. Entering the stretch she was in front and riding hard for the wire when Unrivaled Belle and jockey Kent Desormeaux, swinging four wide into the stretch, collared her off the turn. Showing true heart and courage, Rachel Alexandra fought back along the inside to regain the lead by a mere nose. Back and forth the two fillies fought, separated by only the bob of a nose. Charging to the wire, Unrivaled Belle inched ahead ever so slightly, desperately holding onto her slim lead. At the wire Rachel Alexandra was defeated by a nose after the most exciting stretch duel of the Churchill Downs meet to date.

What this means for her chances of meeting up with Zenyatta is anybody’s guess but, she has proved this year that no matter what is thrown her way she will not quit and that is the quality of a true champion. She did finish well ahead of Zardana who beat her last out in the New Orleans Ladies so she appears to still be improving. Now that she has lost two races Jess Jackson and Steve Assmussen should have nothing to fear facing Zenyatta. If Rachel loses again it will probably be a second place finish and losing to Zenyatta is better than losing to Zardana or Unrivaled Belle, aside from the fact that the “greater than” talk will begin.

My first trip to the Kentucky Derby and Oaks was amazing. I got some good pictures of Rachel Alexandra which I will share as soon as I get them downloaded onto my computer. Unfortunately something happened with my camera just before the Derby so I didn’t get any good pictures of the big race.