Tizway took the Met Mile by storm Monday, posting a spectacular winning time of 1:32.90, less than 1/10 of a second off the stakes record and just 3/5 of a second off of the track record, the fastest clocking since 1996. The Metropolitan Handicap was the first Grade 1 win for the 6-year-old son of Tiznow. For an excellent recap of Tiznow’s Met Mile victory read Joe DePalo’s article on Horse Racing Nation.
Gemstones and jewels are valued according to their rarity and overall quality and if Awesome Gem’s value was to be measured, he would rate pretty high. The 8-year-old Awesome Again gelding has continually proven to be one of the nation’s most competitive males ever since his third place finish in the 2007 Breeders’ Cup Classic (gr.1) behind Curlin and Hard Spun. On Monday Awesome Gem showed once again just how special he is when he rallied from just off the pace to take the $300,000 Lone Star Park Handicap (gr.3) at Lone Star Park in Texas, defeating a short but solid field of five.
Breaking from the gates Awesome Gem got away well in fourth position as Lydia’s Last Step went to the lead with Game On Dude less than half a length away in second. Flat Out rode the rail in fourth to the inside of Awesome Gem with Thiskyhasnolimit in last but less than four lengths from the lead. After a slow opening quarter in :24.51 the three back runners strung out behind the two leaders with Awesome Gem just two lengths back, another two in front of Thiskyhasnolimit, now half a length ahead of Flat Out. Entering the far turn Awesome Gem kicked into high gear and made a rapid move two come on even terms with Lydia’s Last Step and Game On Dude. Coming off the turn Awesome Gem easily disposed of a mild rally from Game On Dude and plunged down the stretch for his first win since taking the Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup on July 10th last year.
At the finish line his margin of victory was just one length, but he was clearly the best. Flat Out lived up to his name, coming flying from dead last and far back in the homestretch to snag second after making up more than seven lengths. Awesome Gem has commanded my respect ever since his game effort in the 2007 Breeders’ Cup Classic when he denied Street Sense third place behind his Triple Crown rivals and I have tried my best to support him in each and every start since then. He has truly proven to be as rare and precious as a gem, one to be treasured and appreciated in this modern age of racing where our best runners are carted off to the breeding shed after one solid season of racing.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Monday, May 30, 2011
Belmont All Around: Met Mile
Mondays usually usher in a period of quiet in racing. The influential weekend races have all been run and it’s back to morning works and gallops. Memorial Day however is different, it’s the one Monday where the weekend leads up to the grand finale at Belmont Park: the Metropolitan Mile (gr.1), better known as the Met Mile. After Morning Line was declared from the Met Mile Thursday by trainer Nick Zito with a foot condition the race became one of the most wide open affairs of the season among the older male division, but then again the entire division is pretty much wide open as of now.
Haynesfield inherited the title of race favorite, though a tempid one, over such competitors as Aikenite, Tizway, Tackleberry, Soaring Empire, Kensei, Yawanna Twist and Ibboyee. Tackleberry was on a roll earlier in the year, winning three straight stakes races starting with the Sunshine Millions Classic before winning the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Sprint Championship and Handicap. He created two dynamic rivalries in his five races 2011 races with Soaring Empire and Tizway, both of whom have traded off winning and losing to each other at least once. Tizway finished one spot ahead of Tackleberry in their last race, the Charles Town Classic Stakes, finishing third behind Duke of Mischief and Game on Dude. Soaring Empire started the year out winning the Hal’s Hope Stakes (gr.3) over Rule, Morning Line and Tackleberry and then finished second to Tackleberry in his next two starts at Gulfstream Park. The trio finished 1-2-3 in the Gulfstream Park Handicap (gr.2) on March 12th with Tackleberry gaining the upper hand over Soaring Empire and Tizway, all separated by less than half a length.
Aikenite enters the Met Mile off two consecutive scores in Grade 2 races. He took the Commonwealth Stakes over a short but solid field of five on April 16th and then followed that up with a thrilling nose victory in the Churchill Downs Stakes on May 7th over Apriority, Ibboyee, Capt. Candyman Can, Noble’s Promise and Smiling Tiger among others. He almost ran out of stretch in the Churchill Down Stakes and should appreciate the extra furlong in the Met Mile.
Aikenite, Tackleberry, Soaring Empire and Tizway have all shown excellent form this year and I wouldn’t be surprised to see anyone of them hit the board, or even all four. Haynesfield had a poor debut last month in the Westchester Stakes, finishing fourth of five, and I think he’s a vulnerable favorite.
The Belmont Stakes (gr.1) field is slowly coming into sharper focus. Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom is a definite starter and Preakness winner has arrived at Belmont and while still being on the fence for the race, he will be trained as if he will enter. A work scheduled for Saturday will determine if Shackleford will compete of sit out the Belmont. Impressive Peter Pan Stakes (gr.2) winner Alternation will skip the third jewel of the Triple Crown in favor of targeting some of the major late summer races. The son of Distored Humor would certainly have garnered a good amount of support, including from yours truly, but will definitely be a colt to watch later in the year. Nehro bypassed the Preakness Stakes (gr.1) after finishing a fast closing second in the Kentucky Derby (gr.1) and showed his race readiness Monday morning at Churchill Downs with a sharp six furlong work he completed in 1:12.20.
Haynesfield inherited the title of race favorite, though a tempid one, over such competitors as Aikenite, Tizway, Tackleberry, Soaring Empire, Kensei, Yawanna Twist and Ibboyee. Tackleberry was on a roll earlier in the year, winning three straight stakes races starting with the Sunshine Millions Classic before winning the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Sprint Championship and Handicap. He created two dynamic rivalries in his five races 2011 races with Soaring Empire and Tizway, both of whom have traded off winning and losing to each other at least once. Tizway finished one spot ahead of Tackleberry in their last race, the Charles Town Classic Stakes, finishing third behind Duke of Mischief and Game on Dude. Soaring Empire started the year out winning the Hal’s Hope Stakes (gr.3) over Rule, Morning Line and Tackleberry and then finished second to Tackleberry in his next two starts at Gulfstream Park. The trio finished 1-2-3 in the Gulfstream Park Handicap (gr.2) on March 12th with Tackleberry gaining the upper hand over Soaring Empire and Tizway, all separated by less than half a length.
Aikenite enters the Met Mile off two consecutive scores in Grade 2 races. He took the Commonwealth Stakes over a short but solid field of five on April 16th and then followed that up with a thrilling nose victory in the Churchill Downs Stakes on May 7th over Apriority, Ibboyee, Capt. Candyman Can, Noble’s Promise and Smiling Tiger among others. He almost ran out of stretch in the Churchill Down Stakes and should appreciate the extra furlong in the Met Mile.
Aikenite, Tackleberry, Soaring Empire and Tizway have all shown excellent form this year and I wouldn’t be surprised to see anyone of them hit the board, or even all four. Haynesfield had a poor debut last month in the Westchester Stakes, finishing fourth of five, and I think he’s a vulnerable favorite.
The Belmont Stakes (gr.1) field is slowly coming into sharper focus. Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom is a definite starter and Preakness winner has arrived at Belmont and while still being on the fence for the race, he will be trained as if he will enter. A work scheduled for Saturday will determine if Shackleford will compete of sit out the Belmont. Impressive Peter Pan Stakes (gr.2) winner Alternation will skip the third jewel of the Triple Crown in favor of targeting some of the major late summer races. The son of Distored Humor would certainly have garnered a good amount of support, including from yours truly, but will definitely be a colt to watch later in the year. Nehro bypassed the Preakness Stakes (gr.1) after finishing a fast closing second in the Kentucky Derby (gr.1) and showed his race readiness Monday morning at Churchill Downs with a sharp six furlong work he completed in 1:12.20.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Sassy Memories of an Eclair
You can probably guess from the title what three fillies I’m about to talk about; Sassy Image, Winter Memories and Éclair de Lune. Memorial Day weekend is always one of the most exciting few days in spring for racing enthusiasts, it ushers in the changing of the guard in a manner of speaking. Most of the big graded stakes races that are held in the southern states and Californian now have to vie with the powerful presence of Belmont Park and New York racing opening for their meets. The Met Mile always takes top billing this weekend every year but a plethora of graded stakes races, beginning on Friday and going through Monday, will play the part of a strong supportive cast with fields chockfull of proven, talented fields.
On Monday the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes, Grade 2 Sands Point Stakes and the Grade 3 Winning Colors Stakes will represent some of the finest in filly and mare racing spanning three different states; California, New York and Kentucky. Éclair de Lune and Malibu Pier headline a field of eight fillies in the Gamely Stakes at Hollywood Park (gr.1). The 1 1/8 mile test for 3 year olds and up will be run with a $250,000 purse this year over the turf and boasts five graded stakes winners.
Malibu Pier enters off two straight graded stakes scores over Santa Anita’s turf course in the March 19th Santa Ana Stakes and the April 16th Santa Barbara Handicap, both grade 2. Éclair de Lune finished fifth behind Malibu Pier in the Santa Ana two starts back and enters riding a four race losing streak where her best finish was fourth place. Dubawi Heights will stretch out to 1 1/8 miles for the first time but has won her last three starts, two of them over Hollywood Park’s turf course. Cozie Rosie last finished second to Malibu Pier in the Santa Barbara Handicap. She started the year out winning the Beuna Vista Handicap (gr.2) over Briecat and Malibu Pier before closing out 2010 with a Grade 3 win and another Grade 2 runner up finish to Evening Jewel in the Honeymoon Stakes way back in late May.
I’ve always liked Éclair de Lune a lot but I think Cozie Rosie and Malibu Pier have superior form coming into this race and Dubawi Heights seems to be rounding into the best condition of her career. [Click here to continue reading about the Gamely, Sands Point and Winning Colors Stakes on Distaff Runner at Horse Racing Nation]
On Monday the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes, Grade 2 Sands Point Stakes and the Grade 3 Winning Colors Stakes will represent some of the finest in filly and mare racing spanning three different states; California, New York and Kentucky. Éclair de Lune and Malibu Pier headline a field of eight fillies in the Gamely Stakes at Hollywood Park (gr.1). The 1 1/8 mile test for 3 year olds and up will be run with a $250,000 purse this year over the turf and boasts five graded stakes winners.
Malibu Pier enters off two straight graded stakes scores over Santa Anita’s turf course in the March 19th Santa Ana Stakes and the April 16th Santa Barbara Handicap, both grade 2. Éclair de Lune finished fifth behind Malibu Pier in the Santa Ana two starts back and enters riding a four race losing streak where her best finish was fourth place. Dubawi Heights will stretch out to 1 1/8 miles for the first time but has won her last three starts, two of them over Hollywood Park’s turf course. Cozie Rosie last finished second to Malibu Pier in the Santa Barbara Handicap. She started the year out winning the Beuna Vista Handicap (gr.2) over Briecat and Malibu Pier before closing out 2010 with a Grade 3 win and another Grade 2 runner up finish to Evening Jewel in the Honeymoon Stakes way back in late May.
I’ve always liked Éclair de Lune a lot but I think Cozie Rosie and Malibu Pier have superior form coming into this race and Dubawi Heights seems to be rounding into the best condition of her career. [Click here to continue reading about the Gamely, Sands Point and Winning Colors Stakes on Distaff Runner at Horse Racing Nation]
Friday, May 27, 2011
The Sheepshead Bay S. and New Directions
The Kentucky oaks is three weeks in the past, the focus on three year old fillies has shifted forward and much like the headlining events for the sophomore fillies the focus of this blog has also changed direction. It starts with the title, Kentucky Oaks Runner will return next year when the Kentucky Oaks trail once again resumes but for now The Distaff Runner takes over and everything filly and mare holds precedence. Sprints and distance races, juveniles and up, fillies and mares, ladies and distaff, The Distaff Runner will cover it all. The new header features two of the most outstanding female runners of the last decade that represent the very best of their divisions. Indian Blessing was, in my humble opinion, one of the greatest female sprinters of the last 20 years, while Zenyatta was one of the most talented closers and classic distance runners in decades. My hope is that over the next seven to eight months, before January rolls around once again, readers and writer alike will be able to takeoff on an exciting and eye-opening journey that sees us witness countless epic moments in the sport and the emergence of the next great distaffers. The Distaff Runner now rises from the ashes like the phoenix reborn, Kentucky Oaks Runner no more; it’s time for a new direction.
Most of the action this holiday weekend through Monday will be swirling around the Metropolitan Handicap and the male milers but both Arlington Park and Belmont Park will host two signature Graded stakes events on Saturday that will showcase solid filly and mare competition. Arlington Park features such players as Upperline, Pachattack, Milwaukee Appeal, Satans Quick Chick and It’s Tea Time in the 2011 running of the Arlington Matron Stakes (Gr.3) but it the Grade 2 Sheepshead Bay Stakes that we’ll be taking a look at. The Sheepshead Bay (gr.2) features a short field of six female runners headed by the Graham Motion trained La Luna de Miel and Grade 1 winner Hibaayeb. [Click here to read the complete post on The Distaff Runner on Horse Racing Nation]
Most of the action this holiday weekend through Monday will be swirling around the Metropolitan Handicap and the male milers but both Arlington Park and Belmont Park will host two signature Graded stakes events on Saturday that will showcase solid filly and mare competition. Arlington Park features such players as Upperline, Pachattack, Milwaukee Appeal, Satans Quick Chick and It’s Tea Time in the 2011 running of the Arlington Matron Stakes (Gr.3) but it the Grade 2 Sheepshead Bay Stakes that we’ll be taking a look at. The Sheepshead Bay (gr.2) features a short field of six female runners headed by the Graham Motion trained La Luna de Miel and Grade 1 winner Hibaayeb. [Click here to read the complete post on The Distaff Runner on Horse Racing Nation]
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
From the Preakness to the Belmont
It’s Wednesday, April 25th, 2011 and, just like that, the Preakness Stakes is four days in the past and all eyes are turned toward the June 11th, 143rd running of the Belmont Stakes (Gr.1) and the potential for an exciting matchup between the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winners. But for a moment I would like to look back at the Preakness Stakes before surging ahead to the Belmont and try to make some sense out of exactly what happened.
On May 21st, Preakness Stakes day, I was flying back home from Ireland with no cell phone service after a week of spotty internet service in Dublin and was literally on the edge of my seat waiting to debark and embrace cell coverage and internet availability with open arms. Within minutes of landing the seatbelt sign flashed off, cell phones came out en mass and startup screens blinked to life as beeps, bleeps, buzzers and rings announced a flood of notifications. The first thing I did with my long lost internet use was go straight to the BloodHorse.com and check up on the latest Preakness updates. Very quickly I realized that it was after 4:00 P.M. and the Preakness was set to go off in a matter of hours so I switched to Twitter and read the minute to minute updates from my faithful racing fanatic friends. Most of the prerace twitter concerned the antics of Shackleford, who was putting up quite a show and was completely drenched in sweat during the post parade. By the time the field had reached the gate nearly everyone was saying to toss the son of Forestry. The drive from Logan International Airport in Boston to my house in Connecticut takes about two hours and by the time familiar landscapes were flying past my car window the Preakness field had left the gate and we were less than two minutes away from crowning a new champion.
“Shackleford wins!” I had refreshed Twitter for the hundredth time since the Preakness field had broken from the gates and my screen was now filled with the surprised exclamations of pronouncing Shackelford the winner. I actually gave a short whoop of delight; Shackleford had been one of my top three picks for the Preakness and one of three colts I had been planning to profile while in Ireland on my blog. His gritty front-running Kentucky Derby effort had won me over completely when he hung on for fourth after leading from the start, finishing 8 ½ lengths behind Animal Kingdom.
The bell rang and Flashpoint streaked out of post four in the Preakness field like he had been shot from a cannon with a flaming tail to boot. Shackleford was hot on his heels from post five, Dialed In had dropped back to last with Animal Kingdom 13th of 14 as they entered the first turn. The opening quarter was a rapid :22.69 as the leading pair continued to blaze along. Astrology sat just behind the top two with Midnight Interlude to his outside as Mucho Macho Man rated about 7 lengths off the frontrunners. Down the backstretch positions remained relatively unchanged, Shackleford edged to within a neck of Flashpoint, pushing him through a half that went in :46.87. As the far turn loomed ahead Shackleford made his move and quickly put Flashpoint away as Animal Kingdom swept around the horses from the back. The field thundered into the homestretch with Shackleford leading by one length and pulling away. From behind the leaders Astrology was finally able to find some running room and made a bold move for the lead but from the center of the track it was Animal Kingdom moving the best of all. Closing swiftly with every stride the Kentucky Derby winner inhaled the field in a matter of seconds while Shackleford pulled two lengths clear of Astrology. Down to the wire the two colts laid it all out on the line, the roars of the crowd roaring across the track in wave upon wave as neither rival gave an inch. The final margin of victory came down to a half length in favor of Shackelford who showed millions of fans across the country just how big his heart is and how much talent he possesses. Animal Kingdom ran a terrific race in defeat and came within half a length of continuing his Triple Crown pursuit, proving to any doubters that he is indeed the real deal.
Now we turn our eyes ahead to the Belmont Stakes and for the first time since 2005 it appears both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winners could be headed for the 1 ½ mile classic. Shackleford doesn’t seem well suited for 1 ½ miles but has proven it is stupid to underestimate his skills. Training and attitude should give us a decent idea of how he comes into the race if he does indeed head for the Belmont but stamina issues can only be answered by running so there I will just have to take a “wait and see” approach. With his distinctive broad white blaze across his face and flaming chestnut coat Shackleford looks the part of a champion and is easy to spot in a crowd.
[caption id="attachment_1486" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Animal Kingdom - Anne M. Eberhardt"]
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Animal Kingdom might have been able to catch Shackleford in the Preakness if the race had been 1/16 of a mile longer like in the Derby but regardless he has shown an affinity for dirt and a devastating late kick that propels him better than the entire class of 2011 so far. 1 ½ miles should be right up his alley. Mucho Macho Man finished sixth in the Preakness after losing his left front shoe, the same thing that happened when he finished third in the Louisiana Derby earlier in the year. Either this big guy likes to run barefoot or he just has bad luck. In the Derby he closed well but late to get up for the third and I think he will be better suited for the longer 1 ½ miles at Belmont than either the Derby or Preakness winner.
Notable Derby and or Preakness starters not listed as possible for the Belmont Stakes right now are Dialed In, who finished 8th in the Derby and 4th in the Preakness, and Astrology, who finished a very promising third in the Preakness after being unable to sustain his strong early move in the stretch.
Returning to the classic scene are five Kentucky Derby alumni led by second place finishing Nehro along with European Master of Hounds (5th), Santiva (6th), Brilliant Speed (7th) and Stay Thirsty (12th). Nehro looks like a monster just coming into his own and his closing Derby run was brilliant. He should love the added distance of the Belmont Stakes more than any other returning contender.
On May 21st, Preakness Stakes day, I was flying back home from Ireland with no cell phone service after a week of spotty internet service in Dublin and was literally on the edge of my seat waiting to debark and embrace cell coverage and internet availability with open arms. Within minutes of landing the seatbelt sign flashed off, cell phones came out en mass and startup screens blinked to life as beeps, bleeps, buzzers and rings announced a flood of notifications. The first thing I did with my long lost internet use was go straight to the BloodHorse.com and check up on the latest Preakness updates. Very quickly I realized that it was after 4:00 P.M. and the Preakness was set to go off in a matter of hours so I switched to Twitter and read the minute to minute updates from my faithful racing fanatic friends. Most of the prerace twitter concerned the antics of Shackleford, who was putting up quite a show and was completely drenched in sweat during the post parade. By the time the field had reached the gate nearly everyone was saying to toss the son of Forestry. The drive from Logan International Airport in Boston to my house in Connecticut takes about two hours and by the time familiar landscapes were flying past my car window the Preakness field had left the gate and we were less than two minutes away from crowning a new champion.
“Shackleford wins!” I had refreshed Twitter for the hundredth time since the Preakness field had broken from the gates and my screen was now filled with the surprised exclamations of pronouncing Shackelford the winner. I actually gave a short whoop of delight; Shackleford had been one of my top three picks for the Preakness and one of three colts I had been planning to profile while in Ireland on my blog. His gritty front-running Kentucky Derby effort had won me over completely when he hung on for fourth after leading from the start, finishing 8 ½ lengths behind Animal Kingdom.
The bell rang and Flashpoint streaked out of post four in the Preakness field like he had been shot from a cannon with a flaming tail to boot. Shackleford was hot on his heels from post five, Dialed In had dropped back to last with Animal Kingdom 13th of 14 as they entered the first turn. The opening quarter was a rapid :22.69 as the leading pair continued to blaze along. Astrology sat just behind the top two with Midnight Interlude to his outside as Mucho Macho Man rated about 7 lengths off the frontrunners. Down the backstretch positions remained relatively unchanged, Shackleford edged to within a neck of Flashpoint, pushing him through a half that went in :46.87. As the far turn loomed ahead Shackleford made his move and quickly put Flashpoint away as Animal Kingdom swept around the horses from the back. The field thundered into the homestretch with Shackleford leading by one length and pulling away. From behind the leaders Astrology was finally able to find some running room and made a bold move for the lead but from the center of the track it was Animal Kingdom moving the best of all. Closing swiftly with every stride the Kentucky Derby winner inhaled the field in a matter of seconds while Shackleford pulled two lengths clear of Astrology. Down to the wire the two colts laid it all out on the line, the roars of the crowd roaring across the track in wave upon wave as neither rival gave an inch. The final margin of victory came down to a half length in favor of Shackelford who showed millions of fans across the country just how big his heart is and how much talent he possesses. Animal Kingdom ran a terrific race in defeat and came within half a length of continuing his Triple Crown pursuit, proving to any doubters that he is indeed the real deal.
Now we turn our eyes ahead to the Belmont Stakes and for the first time since 2005 it appears both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winners could be headed for the 1 ½ mile classic. Shackleford doesn’t seem well suited for 1 ½ miles but has proven it is stupid to underestimate his skills. Training and attitude should give us a decent idea of how he comes into the race if he does indeed head for the Belmont but stamina issues can only be answered by running so there I will just have to take a “wait and see” approach. With his distinctive broad white blaze across his face and flaming chestnut coat Shackleford looks the part of a champion and is easy to spot in a crowd.
[caption id="attachment_1486" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Animal Kingdom - Anne M. Eberhardt"]
[/caption]Animal Kingdom might have been able to catch Shackleford in the Preakness if the race had been 1/16 of a mile longer like in the Derby but regardless he has shown an affinity for dirt and a devastating late kick that propels him better than the entire class of 2011 so far. 1 ½ miles should be right up his alley. Mucho Macho Man finished sixth in the Preakness after losing his left front shoe, the same thing that happened when he finished third in the Louisiana Derby earlier in the year. Either this big guy likes to run barefoot or he just has bad luck. In the Derby he closed well but late to get up for the third and I think he will be better suited for the longer 1 ½ miles at Belmont than either the Derby or Preakness winner.
Notable Derby and or Preakness starters not listed as possible for the Belmont Stakes right now are Dialed In, who finished 8th in the Derby and 4th in the Preakness, and Astrology, who finished a very promising third in the Preakness after being unable to sustain his strong early move in the stretch.
Returning to the classic scene are five Kentucky Derby alumni led by second place finishing Nehro along with European Master of Hounds (5th), Santiva (6th), Brilliant Speed (7th) and Stay Thirsty (12th). Nehro looks like a monster just coming into his own and his closing Derby run was brilliant. He should love the added distance of the Belmont Stakes more than any other returning contender.
Monday, May 23, 2011
The Real Royal Delta
I had a plan this past week when I was preparing to take off for my trip to Ireland. I had my laptop, flashdrive and saved files all relative to the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (gr.2) set to go. My hotel in Dublin had free high speed WiFi and I was eager to continue my coverage of the race and contenders while I was overseas. As luck would have it my hotel was having major trouble with their internet signal and couldn’t discover the problem, so for the full duration of my stay internet service was sketchy at best and wouldn’t work at all with my laptop. I was able to get one four times for a few minutes to send out a few e-mails and check in on some news but no luck researching or posting stories. So here I am playing catch up and writing my post-Black-Eyed Susan recap.
On October 30th, 2010 Royal Delta stormed through the long Belmont stretch to demolish a one mile maiden field by 12 lengths under no pressure from jockey Jose Lezcano. It was easily the most impressive New York debut by a juvenile filly of the year and promised good things to come. Put away until her seasonal debut in the Suncoast Stakes at Tampa Bay on March 12th, Royal Delta finished 9th out of 10 while Wyomia captured the win. One month later Royal Delta turned things around at Keeneland when she dusted a 1 1/16 mile allowance field by three lengths. After being briefly under consideration for the Kentucky Oaks on May 6th at Churchill Downs trainer Bill Mott decided to skip the Oaks in favor of the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (Gr.2) two weeks later. [Read the complete post here on Horse Racing Nation]
I'll be posting some more recaps here on my blog hopefully late tonight!
On October 30th, 2010 Royal Delta stormed through the long Belmont stretch to demolish a one mile maiden field by 12 lengths under no pressure from jockey Jose Lezcano. It was easily the most impressive New York debut by a juvenile filly of the year and promised good things to come. Put away until her seasonal debut in the Suncoast Stakes at Tampa Bay on March 12th, Royal Delta finished 9th out of 10 while Wyomia captured the win. One month later Royal Delta turned things around at Keeneland when she dusted a 1 1/16 mile allowance field by three lengths. After being briefly under consideration for the Kentucky Oaks on May 6th at Churchill Downs trainer Bill Mott decided to skip the Oaks in favor of the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (Gr.2) two weeks later. [Read the complete post here on Horse Racing Nation]
I'll be posting some more recaps here on my blog hopefully late tonight!
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Back from Ireland
I returned from my trip to Ireland yesterday afternoon and am ready to get right back into the swing of things here with our American horse racing. Check back tomorrow morning for a new post where I’ll try and give some thoughts on a variety of races this weekend including the Preakness, Godikova’s return and much more!
I apologize but once again I am having internet issues so my post will not be up in the morning but rather I hope to have it up by Monday night.
I apologize but once again I am having internet issues so my post will not be up in the morning but rather I hope to have it up by Monday night.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Altering the Picture
It’s hard to believe that the Preakness Stakes (Gr.1) is only six days away from being run already. The Derby feels like it was just yesterday and now everything has shifted to Baltimore and the second jewel in the Triple Crown. On Monday I will be leaving for Ireland until Saturday night so I’m not sure how much I’ll be able to stay on top of the Preakness updates and news but I’ll try my best to get at least one post in before the weekend. Also I’ll be posting over on Horse Racing Nation about the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes probably sometime around Wednesday so keep an eye out there and I hope to hear some of your thoughts on the races.
The 2011 Peter Pan Stakes had one of the best fields I have seen in a number of years and produced an end result that was worthy of high-class billing. As the best known non-Triple Crown prep race for the Belmont Stakes, the Peter Pan often seems to fill with colts that were unable to make the Kentucky Derby cut or just weren’t good enough to compete there, thus giving the race a distinctive second-tier quality feel. Not so this year as a strong field of ten sophomore colts lined up to make their mark at Belmont Park with Alternation putting in a terrific rally to defeat Adios Charlie by a nose in the 9 furlong test. Alternation finished fifth in the Arkansas Derby in his last start while Adios Charlie was coming off an impressive score in the Jerome. Both colts ran great races and I think we’ll be seeing a lot more of them throughout the year. Prime Cut ran on for third.
I wish I had more time to recap some of the weekend races but I have a ton of things to finish up before I head out for my trip tomorrow. Until next time!
The 2011 Peter Pan Stakes had one of the best fields I have seen in a number of years and produced an end result that was worthy of high-class billing. As the best known non-Triple Crown prep race for the Belmont Stakes, the Peter Pan often seems to fill with colts that were unable to make the Kentucky Derby cut or just weren’t good enough to compete there, thus giving the race a distinctive second-tier quality feel. Not so this year as a strong field of ten sophomore colts lined up to make their mark at Belmont Park with Alternation putting in a terrific rally to defeat Adios Charlie by a nose in the 9 furlong test. Alternation finished fifth in the Arkansas Derby in his last start while Adios Charlie was coming off an impressive score in the Jerome. Both colts ran great races and I think we’ll be seeing a lot more of them throughout the year. Prime Cut ran on for third.
I wish I had more time to recap some of the weekend races but I have a ton of things to finish up before I head out for my trip tomorrow. Until next time!
Thursday, May 12, 2011
The Black-Eyed Susan Stakes
[caption id="attachment_1469" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Pimlico.com"]
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The Black-Eyed Susan Stakes was first inaugurated at Pimlico Race Course in 1919 and was won by Milkmaid in the same year Sir Barton became the first American Triple Crown winner. Run as the Pimlico Oaks until 1952 the race was then renamed the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes in honor of the Maryland state flower and also to make a connection with the famous blanket of Black-Eyed Susan’s that are presented to the winner of the Preakness Stakes. In its first year of running the Black-Eyed Susan was contested at a distance of 1 1/16 miles but has bounced around from 1 1/16, 1 3/16 and 1 1/8 miles until 1989 when the race was set at 1 1/8 miles and has stayed that way ever since.
Several fillies have used the Black-Eyed Susan to cement their status as leading three year old performers during the race’s 86 running’s including Silverbulletday, Serena’s Song, Davona Dale, Gallorette, Twilight Tear, Vagrancy and Nellie Morse, all of whom were named divisional champions at the conclusion of their sophomore campaigns. Sixteen fillies in total have won the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes and gone on to be named divisional champion. [Continue reading the entire post here on Horse Racing Nation]
[/caption]The Black-Eyed Susan Stakes was first inaugurated at Pimlico Race Course in 1919 and was won by Milkmaid in the same year Sir Barton became the first American Triple Crown winner. Run as the Pimlico Oaks until 1952 the race was then renamed the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes in honor of the Maryland state flower and also to make a connection with the famous blanket of Black-Eyed Susan’s that are presented to the winner of the Preakness Stakes. In its first year of running the Black-Eyed Susan was contested at a distance of 1 1/16 miles but has bounced around from 1 1/16, 1 3/16 and 1 1/8 miles until 1989 when the race was set at 1 1/8 miles and has stayed that way ever since.
Several fillies have used the Black-Eyed Susan to cement their status as leading three year old performers during the race’s 86 running’s including Silverbulletday, Serena’s Song, Davona Dale, Gallorette, Twilight Tear, Vagrancy and Nellie Morse, all of whom were named divisional champions at the conclusion of their sophomore campaigns. Sixteen fillies in total have won the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes and gone on to be named divisional champion. [Continue reading the entire post here on Horse Racing Nation]
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Warming up to the Preakness Stakes
Sometimes leftovers can taste better than the meal and that’s the way it’s looking with the May 12st Preakness Stakes (gr.1). With the Kentucky Derby limited to 20 starters chosen by their graded stakes earnings some horses are inevitably left out and forced to wait another two weeks for the Preakness Stakes to prove their mettle. When Uncle Mo was scratched from the Derby on Friday morning Sway Away was currently sitting at number #21 on the graded stakes earnings list but was still prevented from running in the Derby because of the starters policy that will not allow another horse to be entered if one has scratched out. Churchill Downs is currently contemplating changing the policy to allow horses to enter after scratches.
This year the Preakness Stakes seems to be attracting a full, strong field of 14 starters with Sway Away being one of them. It took virtually a matter of minutes after Animal Kingdom’s Derby victory for trainer Graham Motion to declare his horse a definite Preakness Starter so the Triple Crown hopes for 2011 at least remains alive. Animal Kingdom’s final time for the Derby was a respectable 2:02.04 but it was his closing half mile in :47 1/5 which is now the second fasted closing half mile in the Derby ever, behind only Secretariat’s closing half, was brilliant. It’s hard to believe he won the Derby with such relative ease with only four prior starts. The question now is can he add the Preakness to his trophy case, and the really big question is can he win the Triple Crown? I think the ability is there but I’m not confident he can get the job done in the Triple. The Preakness seems doable even with the strong field but add the Belmont three weeks later and that’s asking an awful lot of such an inexperienced runner.
Included among the list of possible starters is Derby runner-up, Nehro, who is more likely to pass on the race than he is to run, and Derby third place finisher Mucho Macho Man as well as fourth place finisher Shackleford along with Santiva and Derby favorite Dialed In. Astrology could be headed to the Preakness fort trainer Steve Asmussen after bypassing the Derby.
Other possible Preakness starters include; Prime Cut, Dance City, Flashpoint, King Congie, Mr. Commons, Norman Asbjornson, The Factor, Isn’t He Perfect and Harlan’s Hello.
The most intriguing of these is the possibility of The Factor running. After he flipped his palate and ran seventh as the heavy favorite in the Arkansas Derby the Bob Baffert colt will be making a fairly quick turnaround after surgery to correct his problem. Flashpoint is also an interesting addition. He was last seen finishing fourth in the Florida Derby (gr.1) after winning the Hutcheson Stakes (gr.2) by more than seven lengths.
So as things stand now the Preakness appears to be shaping up as a very competitive race. The Derby is only the beginning not the end, we still have two legs of the Triple Crown left and much more room for surprises.
Uncle Mo it appears will be skipping all the three year old classics as the son of Indian Charlie has been sent to WinStar Farms in Kentucky to diagnose and receive treatment for a yet undiscovered ailment. Trainer Todd Pletcher said the goal is to get him healthy and bring him back to win Champion Three Year Old Male and Horse of the Year.
This year the Preakness Stakes seems to be attracting a full, strong field of 14 starters with Sway Away being one of them. It took virtually a matter of minutes after Animal Kingdom’s Derby victory for trainer Graham Motion to declare his horse a definite Preakness Starter so the Triple Crown hopes for 2011 at least remains alive. Animal Kingdom’s final time for the Derby was a respectable 2:02.04 but it was his closing half mile in :47 1/5 which is now the second fasted closing half mile in the Derby ever, behind only Secretariat’s closing half, was brilliant. It’s hard to believe he won the Derby with such relative ease with only four prior starts. The question now is can he add the Preakness to his trophy case, and the really big question is can he win the Triple Crown? I think the ability is there but I’m not confident he can get the job done in the Triple. The Preakness seems doable even with the strong field but add the Belmont three weeks later and that’s asking an awful lot of such an inexperienced runner.
Included among the list of possible starters is Derby runner-up, Nehro, who is more likely to pass on the race than he is to run, and Derby third place finisher Mucho Macho Man as well as fourth place finisher Shackleford along with Santiva and Derby favorite Dialed In. Astrology could be headed to the Preakness fort trainer Steve Asmussen after bypassing the Derby.
Other possible Preakness starters include; Prime Cut, Dance City, Flashpoint, King Congie, Mr. Commons, Norman Asbjornson, The Factor, Isn’t He Perfect and Harlan’s Hello.
The most intriguing of these is the possibility of The Factor running. After he flipped his palate and ran seventh as the heavy favorite in the Arkansas Derby the Bob Baffert colt will be making a fairly quick turnaround after surgery to correct his problem. Flashpoint is also an interesting addition. He was last seen finishing fourth in the Florida Derby (gr.1) after winning the Hutcheson Stakes (gr.2) by more than seven lengths.
So as things stand now the Preakness appears to be shaping up as a very competitive race. The Derby is only the beginning not the end, we still have two legs of the Triple Crown left and much more room for surprises.
Uncle Mo it appears will be skipping all the three year old classics as the son of Indian Charlie has been sent to WinStar Farms in Kentucky to diagnose and receive treatment for a yet undiscovered ailment. Trainer Todd Pletcher said the goal is to get him healthy and bring him back to win Champion Three Year Old Male and Horse of the Year.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Pretty as can be in the Oaks
Medaglia d’Oro has produced magic twice in the last three years in America’s most celebrated race for three year old fillies. In 2009 Rachel Alexandra set the bar at an unreachable height with her 20 ¼ length victory in the Kentucky Oaks when she came within 1/5 of a second of the stakes record. In 2011 Plum Pretty had to fight tooth and nail to emulate her Horse of the Year half sister but still got the job done in a sparkling time of 1:49.50 with more than 110,000 fans in attendance, the third largest in Oaks history.
The 2011 Kentucky Oaks showcased the brightest and best of American racing as one of the strongest fields in history made it to the starting gate after months of anticipation and planning. No less than six graded stakes winners and five additional stakes winners lined up for the 137th running of the Kentucky Oaks. Plum Pretty proved emphatically that her 25 length victory in the Sunland Park Oaks on March 27th that had some people thinking she had peaked too soon, was no fluke at Churchill Downs on May 6th.
At the break Plum Pretty shot straight from the gate while St. John’s River came out awkwardly and darted towards the outside rail, forcing jockey Rosie Napravnik to veer her sharply back to the inside. Crossing swiftly behind the pack St. John’s River took up the rear of the field as Plum Pretty rated comfortably behind Summer Soiree into the first turn. Race favorite Joyful Victory broke well from post one while Lilacs and Lace broke like a shot to her outside and moved over to the rail just ahead of Joyful Victory. Kathmanblu came out of stall four straight as an arrow as Daisy Devine flashed by, gunning for the leaders. [Read the complete post here on Horse Racing Nation]
The 2011 Kentucky Oaks showcased the brightest and best of American racing as one of the strongest fields in history made it to the starting gate after months of anticipation and planning. No less than six graded stakes winners and five additional stakes winners lined up for the 137th running of the Kentucky Oaks. Plum Pretty proved emphatically that her 25 length victory in the Sunland Park Oaks on March 27th that had some people thinking she had peaked too soon, was no fluke at Churchill Downs on May 6th.
At the break Plum Pretty shot straight from the gate while St. John’s River came out awkwardly and darted towards the outside rail, forcing jockey Rosie Napravnik to veer her sharply back to the inside. Crossing swiftly behind the pack St. John’s River took up the rear of the field as Plum Pretty rated comfortably behind Summer Soiree into the first turn. Race favorite Joyful Victory broke well from post one while Lilacs and Lace broke like a shot to her outside and moved over to the rail just ahead of Joyful Victory. Kathmanblu came out of stall four straight as an arrow as Daisy Devine flashed by, gunning for the leaders. [Read the complete post here on Horse Racing Nation]
Kentucky Derby 137 Wrap: Ruling the Kingdom
The 137th Kentucky Derby was one for the record books and in more ways than one. In front of the largest Derby crowd in history, 164,858 fans to be exact, Animal Kingdom became the first horse in history to win the world’s greatest race having never run on dirt before.
When jockey John Velasquez replaced the injured Robby Albarado on Animal Kingdom in the Derby after his mount, 2010 Champion Two Year Old Male Uncle Mo, was scratched Friday morning, it was with far lower performances expectations in mind. None of that mattered after Velazquez guided Animal Kingdom to a flawless win in the $3 million dollar race for three year olds.
Trainer Graham Motion came roaring onto the Kentucky Derby scene on April 9th when Toby’s Corner defeated Uncle Mo to win the Wood Memorial (gr.1) and stamp his ticket to the Derby. It appeared Motion was on his way to Louisville with a legitimate contender until a problem was detected in the colt’s left rear leg and he was withdrawn from race consideration. Motion was left with Vinery Racing Spiral Stakes (gr.3) Animal Kingdom as his final Derby possible but the colt had never started on dirt in his career. None of that mattered on Saturday when Animal Kingdom flew to a 2 ¾ length victory over 18 of the nation’s best colts to give Motion his first win in the Kentucky Derby.
As the field thundered from the gate to the roar from the massive Churchill Downs crowd, Animal Kingdom came out a step slow from post #17 but quickly got into stride and was guided towards the inside rail by Velazquez. Comma to the Top broke fastest of all from post six as Shackelford charged into the fore from post fourteen, quickly taking the lead by half a length passing by the stands for the first time. Nehro surprisingly tossed his late running ways to the wind and broke sharply, placing himself just behind the leaders in sixth on the outside with Mucho Macho Man just behind and race favorite Dialed In dead last well out of it into the first turn. Animal Kingdom raced on the outside in the clear in thirteenth around the first turn and into the backstretch as Shackleford led the field through a first quarter in :23.74. Racing down the backside Shackleford continued to lead as the field’s positions remained relatively unchanged, Archarcharch ran in sixteenth after breaking awkwardly from post one as Dialed continued to trail.
As the field approached the far turn Shackleford led the field by a length and a half as Nehro moved up on the outside to take second with Pants on Fire and Comma to the Top started their rally’s, the four of them fanned out across the track. Through the turn they charged at the leaders, Pants on Fire dropping back as Animal Kingdom began to uncork his run from far back and Mucho Macho Man struggled through traffic mid pack. Into the stretch Shackleford continued to lead, running his heart out on the rail as Nehro showed a completely new dimension, coming strong from off the pace to inch his way past Shackleford. A second after Nehro took the lead Animal Kingdom literally exploded under Velasquez and came charging hard on the outside. Bursting past the leaders he flew down the stretch, Nehro struggling to keep up as Shackleford refused to give in and Mucho Macho Man finally broke through and found his best stride. Blazing under the line Animal Kingdom finished full of run with Nehro finishing second by a neck over a fast charging Mucho Macho Man with Shackleford hanging tough to finish just ¾ of a length back in fourth.
[caption id="attachment_1454" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Graham Motion - Anne M. Eberhardt"]
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Motion was shocked after the race stating that he never expected to win the Derby. “To win the Derby is not something I ever expected to do. I’m always going to be considered a Kentucky Derby winning trainer and that speaks volumes.” It was an all around feel good story that surrounded the Derby victory this year. Jockey John Velazquez has had his mounts scratched three years in-a-row now going back to 2009 when Quality Road was scratched with a quarter crack as the favorite. In 2010 Eskendereya was scratched as the probably favorite because of a leg injury. This year Uncle Mo was scratched as the second favorite and certainly the most talked about Derby contender.
Animal Kingdom was clearly the best horse in the race and has now registered three wins in five starts. His Derby move was almost identical to his Vinery Spiral win and the impressive victor has already been given the go ahead to point for the Preakness Stakes (Gr.1) on May 21st. Dialed In who never seemed to launch a serious rally in the Derby will be pointed for the Preakness as will Mucho Macho Man who ran a strong third in the Derby. Nehro, Shackleford and Santiva are also possible to return for the Preakness but it looks like Nehro could skip in favor of the Belmont Stakes (gr.1).
Shackleford turned in a terrific effort in the Derby, setting all the fractions up front and losing by less than four lengths. Archarcharch was pulled up after the race and vanned off in an ambulance. Apparently the talented colt sustained a lateral condylar fracture that is not life threatening.
I had so much fun with the Derby this year, being so involved and up to date. When the horses were walking by in the post parade I tweeted my top three choices were Mucho Macho Man, Dialed In and Shackleford. Santiva and Nehro also looked really good warming up and then at one point I turned to my sister when Animal Kingdom jogged across the screen and said “He looks like he’s ready to run big but I’m not going to tweet him because I’ll look like an idiot when he loses.” She laughed along with me and then said “Now watch him go and win.” You have to love irony.
When jockey John Velasquez replaced the injured Robby Albarado on Animal Kingdom in the Derby after his mount, 2010 Champion Two Year Old Male Uncle Mo, was scratched Friday morning, it was with far lower performances expectations in mind. None of that mattered after Velazquez guided Animal Kingdom to a flawless win in the $3 million dollar race for three year olds.
Trainer Graham Motion came roaring onto the Kentucky Derby scene on April 9th when Toby’s Corner defeated Uncle Mo to win the Wood Memorial (gr.1) and stamp his ticket to the Derby. It appeared Motion was on his way to Louisville with a legitimate contender until a problem was detected in the colt’s left rear leg and he was withdrawn from race consideration. Motion was left with Vinery Racing Spiral Stakes (gr.3) Animal Kingdom as his final Derby possible but the colt had never started on dirt in his career. None of that mattered on Saturday when Animal Kingdom flew to a 2 ¾ length victory over 18 of the nation’s best colts to give Motion his first win in the Kentucky Derby.
As the field thundered from the gate to the roar from the massive Churchill Downs crowd, Animal Kingdom came out a step slow from post #17 but quickly got into stride and was guided towards the inside rail by Velazquez. Comma to the Top broke fastest of all from post six as Shackelford charged into the fore from post fourteen, quickly taking the lead by half a length passing by the stands for the first time. Nehro surprisingly tossed his late running ways to the wind and broke sharply, placing himself just behind the leaders in sixth on the outside with Mucho Macho Man just behind and race favorite Dialed In dead last well out of it into the first turn. Animal Kingdom raced on the outside in the clear in thirteenth around the first turn and into the backstretch as Shackleford led the field through a first quarter in :23.74. Racing down the backside Shackleford continued to lead as the field’s positions remained relatively unchanged, Archarcharch ran in sixteenth after breaking awkwardly from post one as Dialed continued to trail.
As the field approached the far turn Shackleford led the field by a length and a half as Nehro moved up on the outside to take second with Pants on Fire and Comma to the Top started their rally’s, the four of them fanned out across the track. Through the turn they charged at the leaders, Pants on Fire dropping back as Animal Kingdom began to uncork his run from far back and Mucho Macho Man struggled through traffic mid pack. Into the stretch Shackleford continued to lead, running his heart out on the rail as Nehro showed a completely new dimension, coming strong from off the pace to inch his way past Shackleford. A second after Nehro took the lead Animal Kingdom literally exploded under Velasquez and came charging hard on the outside. Bursting past the leaders he flew down the stretch, Nehro struggling to keep up as Shackleford refused to give in and Mucho Macho Man finally broke through and found his best stride. Blazing under the line Animal Kingdom finished full of run with Nehro finishing second by a neck over a fast charging Mucho Macho Man with Shackleford hanging tough to finish just ¾ of a length back in fourth.
[caption id="attachment_1454" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Graham Motion - Anne M. Eberhardt"]
[/caption]Motion was shocked after the race stating that he never expected to win the Derby. “To win the Derby is not something I ever expected to do. I’m always going to be considered a Kentucky Derby winning trainer and that speaks volumes.” It was an all around feel good story that surrounded the Derby victory this year. Jockey John Velazquez has had his mounts scratched three years in-a-row now going back to 2009 when Quality Road was scratched with a quarter crack as the favorite. In 2010 Eskendereya was scratched as the probably favorite because of a leg injury. This year Uncle Mo was scratched as the second favorite and certainly the most talked about Derby contender.
Animal Kingdom was clearly the best horse in the race and has now registered three wins in five starts. His Derby move was almost identical to his Vinery Spiral win and the impressive victor has already been given the go ahead to point for the Preakness Stakes (Gr.1) on May 21st. Dialed In who never seemed to launch a serious rally in the Derby will be pointed for the Preakness as will Mucho Macho Man who ran a strong third in the Derby. Nehro, Shackleford and Santiva are also possible to return for the Preakness but it looks like Nehro could skip in favor of the Belmont Stakes (gr.1).
Shackleford turned in a terrific effort in the Derby, setting all the fractions up front and losing by less than four lengths. Archarcharch was pulled up after the race and vanned off in an ambulance. Apparently the talented colt sustained a lateral condylar fracture that is not life threatening.
I had so much fun with the Derby this year, being so involved and up to date. When the horses were walking by in the post parade I tweeted my top three choices were Mucho Macho Man, Dialed In and Shackleford. Santiva and Nehro also looked really good warming up and then at one point I turned to my sister when Animal Kingdom jogged across the screen and said “He looks like he’s ready to run big but I’m not going to tweet him because I’ll look like an idiot when he loses.” She laughed along with me and then said “Now watch him go and win.” You have to love irony.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Final Kentucky Derby Thoughts
[caption id="attachment_1448" align="aligncenter" width="317" caption="KentuckyDerby.com"]
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With the sad, but not completely unexpected news, that Uncle Mo has been scratched from the Kentucky Derby I find myself scrambling to pick another favorite. It has pretty much come down to a very even and competitive field in this year’s Derby without standout like Premier Pegasus or a 100% fit Uncle Mo so I’m going to stick my neck out there and just make a choice based on nothing but my own instincts and love of the contenders.
1) I think I’ve decided to go with Mucho Macho Man. Not only does he have a very heart-warming story to go along with consistency, he is also the youngest contender in the field, technically still a two-year-old. You can’t fault any of his Churchill works and he had a good excuse to lose the Louisiana Derby (gr.2) after losing a shoe in the beginning of the race.
2) Dialed In is still one of my favorites and after seeing how well Churchill played on Friday with the Oaks card to closers on the dirt track you have to think he’ll get a favorable run on a dry track. Traffic issues are always going to be a huge question mark with a closer in a 19 horse field but that’s part of the risk. To me he gives the best physical impression of all the Derby contenders.
3) The best series of works goes hands down to Archarcharch in my eyes. You would be hard pressed to find another contender in the field that has run as often and as consistent as the colt. The Arkansas Derby allowed him to showcase one of the best rallies of the year and I think he’s still improving.
4) Pants On Fire has several things going for him; red-hot jockey Rosie Napravnik to guide him, some very impressive works at Churchill and also get favorable post position number seven.
5) Soldat could turn out to be the dark horse in the Derby and not only if the track comes up wet. He’s run some very impressive speed figures earlier in the year and a return to any one of hi 100+ Beyer’s would probably be enough to take down this field. He will need to relax off the pace if he hopes to survive the 1 ¼ mile journey but I don’t see a problem there.
6) Todd Pletcher and Mike Repole still have one hope to win the Derby and judging by the last two works Stay Thirsty has posted, he’s prepared to run a much bigger race than his awful Florida Derby placing. As a son of Bernardini there’s definitely something to be said for family stamina.
So there it is, my top six choices as it stands now. I almost always change my mind last minute when I see the horses warming up and I’ll most likely be tweeting something like; “Wow, Archarcharch and Soldat look amazing in the post parade” or “Stay Thirsty looks really good!”. It all comes down to a play of the moment for me I guess, and especially in a wide open derby like this. As a side note I do have to mention Midnight Interlude has also caught my eye as have Shackelford and Nehro.
Good luck to all and may the best horse win.
[/caption]With the sad, but not completely unexpected news, that Uncle Mo has been scratched from the Kentucky Derby I find myself scrambling to pick another favorite. It has pretty much come down to a very even and competitive field in this year’s Derby without standout like Premier Pegasus or a 100% fit Uncle Mo so I’m going to stick my neck out there and just make a choice based on nothing but my own instincts and love of the contenders.
1) I think I’ve decided to go with Mucho Macho Man. Not only does he have a very heart-warming story to go along with consistency, he is also the youngest contender in the field, technically still a two-year-old. You can’t fault any of his Churchill works and he had a good excuse to lose the Louisiana Derby (gr.2) after losing a shoe in the beginning of the race.
2) Dialed In is still one of my favorites and after seeing how well Churchill played on Friday with the Oaks card to closers on the dirt track you have to think he’ll get a favorable run on a dry track. Traffic issues are always going to be a huge question mark with a closer in a 19 horse field but that’s part of the risk. To me he gives the best physical impression of all the Derby contenders.
3) The best series of works goes hands down to Archarcharch in my eyes. You would be hard pressed to find another contender in the field that has run as often and as consistent as the colt. The Arkansas Derby allowed him to showcase one of the best rallies of the year and I think he’s still improving.
4) Pants On Fire has several things going for him; red-hot jockey Rosie Napravnik to guide him, some very impressive works at Churchill and also get favorable post position number seven.
5) Soldat could turn out to be the dark horse in the Derby and not only if the track comes up wet. He’s run some very impressive speed figures earlier in the year and a return to any one of hi 100+ Beyer’s would probably be enough to take down this field. He will need to relax off the pace if he hopes to survive the 1 ¼ mile journey but I don’t see a problem there.
6) Todd Pletcher and Mike Repole still have one hope to win the Derby and judging by the last two works Stay Thirsty has posted, he’s prepared to run a much bigger race than his awful Florida Derby placing. As a son of Bernardini there’s definitely something to be said for family stamina.
So there it is, my top six choices as it stands now. I almost always change my mind last minute when I see the horses warming up and I’ll most likely be tweeting something like; “Wow, Archarcharch and Soldat look amazing in the post parade” or “Stay Thirsty looks really good!”. It all comes down to a play of the moment for me I guess, and especially in a wide open derby like this. As a side note I do have to mention Midnight Interlude has also caught my eye as have Shackelford and Nehro.
Good luck to all and may the best horse win.
Pretty as Plum: Kentucky Oaks Card full of Thrills
Oaks day graded stakes racing got off to a rousing start this afternoon in the La Troienne Stakes (gr.2) as Champion Blind Luck engaged in a stretch battle for the ages with Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic winner Unrivaled Belle. After stumbling badly coming out of post number seven, Blind Luck was taken up sharply by jockey Garett Gomez to avoid getting pinched between fillies and fell well back of the field around the first turn. Down the backside Gomez edged Blind Luck closer to the field as Unrivaled Belle sat just behind the pace in a perfect stalking position.
Entering the far turn Blind Luck began to make her move, making her way around fillies to reach mid pack as the front runners spread out to cover the track four wide. Unrivaled Belle on the outside swung into the turn about five wide as Blind Luck charged under a full head of steam from behind, flying into the turn six paths wide. Down the stretch Unrivaled Belle quickly gained a slight advantage over the field before Blind Luck engaged to her outside, under a vigorous ride from Gomez. Stride by stride Blind Luck proved just how much of a champion she was, refusing to quit as Unrivaled Belle proved equally game on the inside. The pair flashed under the wire to the roar from thousands of ramped up fans, Blind Luck winning by a thrilling head over her game rival.
It was the champions first start at Churchill Downs since winning the 2010 Kentucky Oaks over Evening Jewel by a head after a similar sensational stretch run.
The Edgewood Stakes:
Diva Ash turned the Edgewood Stakes into an absolute runaway today over Churchill Downs turf course, taking the lead at the first jump and never looking back. Smart Sting and Niji’s Grand Girl broke ran just to her outside approaching the first turn but into the backside Diva Ash opened up by a length and a half with ears pricked. Entering the far turn the field began to close on Diva Ash, closing the gap to half a length but with just a shake of the reins the talented filly drew off again and flew into the homestretch four wide, leading the field by a length. Down the stretch Diva Ash continued to pour it on with jockey Kent Desourmeux, inching away to win by 1 ½ lengths.
The Eight Belles Stakes (gr.3):
Kent Desormeaux captured his second consecutive graded stakes race on the Churchill Downs Kentucky Oaks undercard when he guided Victoria’s Wildcat to a skillful victory in the Grade 3 Eight Belles Stakes. Breaking out of the gate in the 7 furlong race Home Sweet Aspen was fastest into stride while holding a narrow advantage over Holiday Flare, Mysterious Chimes and Formal Plan all spread out across the track. The opening quarter went in a rapid :22.02 with Arienza in behind the leaders on the rail with Pomeroy’s Pistol racing just a length behind. Rounding the far turn Honey Chile moved into contention and raced head and head with Home Sweet Aspen as Pomeroy’s Pistol began to move up from behind and Victoria’s Wildcat came under a full drive by Desormeaux, picking off fillies with tremendous momentum.
Off the turn Honey Chile was now under a full drive to overcome Sweet Home Aspen who was still running strong after running the half mile in :44.57. Along the rail Arienza was spent and continued to fade badly as Victoria’s Wildcat exploded from between horses and charged down the center of the track to win going away by more than two lengths. It looks like Churchill is playing kindly to closers today!
The Alysheba Stakes (gr.3):
If the La Troienne stretch run didn’t get your blood boiling, then the Alysheba certainly must have, as it came down to a photo finish that separated First Dude by a hair from Regal Ransom with a blanket of horses finishing in behind. Breaking fastest from the gate were Regal Ransom and Wise Dan from posts eleven and one who shot straight out to the lead with Wise Dan taking a slight edge going into the first turn. Onto the backstretch Mission Impazible ran in third with First Dude and Equstrio just behind. Behind those came Caracortado with Awesome Gem another 1 ½ lengths behind in seventh. Giant Oak and Demarcation took up the rear as the field began to spread out down the backside.
Approaching the far turn First Dude began to slowly move up outside of horses as Regal Ransom moved closer to the leader in second. Into the stretch Regal Ransom rushed up on the outside to seize the lead as First Dude swung seven wide and came flying at the leader. Caracortado shot to the inside behind leaders as Awesome Gem turned on a terrific late rally and switched to the outside. Down the stretch the field now fanned out across the track, Regal Ransom still held onto a narrow lead as First Dude continued to close relentlessly, inch by inch. Under the line it was impossible to separate First Dude and Regal Ransom by a head bob in a tight photo finish, with Equistrio finising half a neck back in third between those two while Awesome Gem and Caracortado turned in strong runs to finish less than a length behind the top three.
The American Turf Stakes (gr.2):
Banned turned in a brilliant stretch run to win the American Turf Stakes (gr.2) over a large field of sophomore runners on Churchill’s turf course. Sitting well behind the pace set by Great Mills, Banned rated about twelve lengths behind Great Mills under jockey Garett Gomez fourth from last. The opening quarter was run in a easy :23.53 while the half went in :47.56. As the field entered the turn Banned began to kick it into high gear while Great Mills slowly pulled away from the field, looking like a serious front-running threat. Down the stretch Banned moved so fast from far back that I missed his initial move until he was almost in the lead. Exploding down the center of the track Banned flashed under the line a winner by about five lengths while being eased in the final few strides.
Last year Banned finished fifth in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf as the favorite behind Pluck and Soldat and looks poised to return to the head of his division.
The 137th Kentucky Oaks (gr.1):
Staying true to form in the biggest race of the day the Kentucky Oaks stole the show with another thrilling close finish. As the field of thirteen talented fillies surged from the gate it was Summer Soiree who took the lead from the three hold as Plum Pretty came rocketing out of the twelve hold under Martin Garcia to run a close second. Into the first turn Summer Soiree opened up while Daisy Devine settled in behind the top two with Lilacs and Lace to her inside. Joyful Victory ran half a length behind with Kathmanblu directly behind her. Zazu raced third last as the field raced down the backstretch while Rosie Napravnik held St. John’s River dead last.
Entering the far turn Plum Pretty began to move up on Summer Soiree with Joyful Victory, Lilacs and Lace and Daisy Devine all in a close striking position. Into the stretch and Plum Pretty took the lead with Garcia still sitting chilly, behind her Joyful Victory got in the clear while Zazu came from far back to swing into the stretch eight wide. Napravnik had meanwhile guided St. John’s River around fillies in the turn before switching to the inside rail and setting her down for the drive. Halfway to the wire Plum Pretty began to really pour it on, now under a vigorous ride while St. John’s River shifted outside and drove with all her might to catch the leader. It appeared for just a moment that Plum Pretty might win by open lengths, but St. John’s River continued to close with a frenzy. Blazing past the finish Plum Pretty just managed to hold off St. John’s River by a neck as Zazu closed from well back to take third by a half length over Joyful Victory with Bouquet Booth another hose back in fifth.
This marks the second Oaks winner Medaglia d’Oro has sired in the last three years after Rachel Alexandra’s record setting romp in 2009. Trainer Bob Baffert was visibly very pleased with his fillies effort. Plum Pretth entered the Oaks off a 25 length romp in the Sunland Park Oaks and came into the race training very well at Churchill Downs. Second place finishing jockey Rosie Napravnik was very disappointed with the tough loss but was very proud of the run her filly made after her poor start when she veered sharply toward the outside rail.
The Oaks lived up to its billing as a wide open affair but the best filly of the day clearly won. Kathmanblu finished 6th, Street Storm 7th, Daisy Devine 8th, Suave Voir Faire 9th, Summer Soiree 10th, Her Smile 11th, Lilacs and Lace 12 and Holy Heavens 13th.
Entering the far turn Blind Luck began to make her move, making her way around fillies to reach mid pack as the front runners spread out to cover the track four wide. Unrivaled Belle on the outside swung into the turn about five wide as Blind Luck charged under a full head of steam from behind, flying into the turn six paths wide. Down the stretch Unrivaled Belle quickly gained a slight advantage over the field before Blind Luck engaged to her outside, under a vigorous ride from Gomez. Stride by stride Blind Luck proved just how much of a champion she was, refusing to quit as Unrivaled Belle proved equally game on the inside. The pair flashed under the wire to the roar from thousands of ramped up fans, Blind Luck winning by a thrilling head over her game rival.
It was the champions first start at Churchill Downs since winning the 2010 Kentucky Oaks over Evening Jewel by a head after a similar sensational stretch run.
The Edgewood Stakes:
Diva Ash turned the Edgewood Stakes into an absolute runaway today over Churchill Downs turf course, taking the lead at the first jump and never looking back. Smart Sting and Niji’s Grand Girl broke ran just to her outside approaching the first turn but into the backside Diva Ash opened up by a length and a half with ears pricked. Entering the far turn the field began to close on Diva Ash, closing the gap to half a length but with just a shake of the reins the talented filly drew off again and flew into the homestretch four wide, leading the field by a length. Down the stretch Diva Ash continued to pour it on with jockey Kent Desourmeux, inching away to win by 1 ½ lengths.
The Eight Belles Stakes (gr.3):
Kent Desormeaux captured his second consecutive graded stakes race on the Churchill Downs Kentucky Oaks undercard when he guided Victoria’s Wildcat to a skillful victory in the Grade 3 Eight Belles Stakes. Breaking out of the gate in the 7 furlong race Home Sweet Aspen was fastest into stride while holding a narrow advantage over Holiday Flare, Mysterious Chimes and Formal Plan all spread out across the track. The opening quarter went in a rapid :22.02 with Arienza in behind the leaders on the rail with Pomeroy’s Pistol racing just a length behind. Rounding the far turn Honey Chile moved into contention and raced head and head with Home Sweet Aspen as Pomeroy’s Pistol began to move up from behind and Victoria’s Wildcat came under a full drive by Desormeaux, picking off fillies with tremendous momentum.
Off the turn Honey Chile was now under a full drive to overcome Sweet Home Aspen who was still running strong after running the half mile in :44.57. Along the rail Arienza was spent and continued to fade badly as Victoria’s Wildcat exploded from between horses and charged down the center of the track to win going away by more than two lengths. It looks like Churchill is playing kindly to closers today!
The Alysheba Stakes (gr.3):
If the La Troienne stretch run didn’t get your blood boiling, then the Alysheba certainly must have, as it came down to a photo finish that separated First Dude by a hair from Regal Ransom with a blanket of horses finishing in behind. Breaking fastest from the gate were Regal Ransom and Wise Dan from posts eleven and one who shot straight out to the lead with Wise Dan taking a slight edge going into the first turn. Onto the backstretch Mission Impazible ran in third with First Dude and Equstrio just behind. Behind those came Caracortado with Awesome Gem another 1 ½ lengths behind in seventh. Giant Oak and Demarcation took up the rear as the field began to spread out down the backside.
Approaching the far turn First Dude began to slowly move up outside of horses as Regal Ransom moved closer to the leader in second. Into the stretch Regal Ransom rushed up on the outside to seize the lead as First Dude swung seven wide and came flying at the leader. Caracortado shot to the inside behind leaders as Awesome Gem turned on a terrific late rally and switched to the outside. Down the stretch the field now fanned out across the track, Regal Ransom still held onto a narrow lead as First Dude continued to close relentlessly, inch by inch. Under the line it was impossible to separate First Dude and Regal Ransom by a head bob in a tight photo finish, with Equistrio finising half a neck back in third between those two while Awesome Gem and Caracortado turned in strong runs to finish less than a length behind the top three.
The American Turf Stakes (gr.2):
Banned turned in a brilliant stretch run to win the American Turf Stakes (gr.2) over a large field of sophomore runners on Churchill’s turf course. Sitting well behind the pace set by Great Mills, Banned rated about twelve lengths behind Great Mills under jockey Garett Gomez fourth from last. The opening quarter was run in a easy :23.53 while the half went in :47.56. As the field entered the turn Banned began to kick it into high gear while Great Mills slowly pulled away from the field, looking like a serious front-running threat. Down the stretch Banned moved so fast from far back that I missed his initial move until he was almost in the lead. Exploding down the center of the track Banned flashed under the line a winner by about five lengths while being eased in the final few strides.
Last year Banned finished fifth in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf as the favorite behind Pluck and Soldat and looks poised to return to the head of his division.
The 137th Kentucky Oaks (gr.1):
Staying true to form in the biggest race of the day the Kentucky Oaks stole the show with another thrilling close finish. As the field of thirteen talented fillies surged from the gate it was Summer Soiree who took the lead from the three hold as Plum Pretty came rocketing out of the twelve hold under Martin Garcia to run a close second. Into the first turn Summer Soiree opened up while Daisy Devine settled in behind the top two with Lilacs and Lace to her inside. Joyful Victory ran half a length behind with Kathmanblu directly behind her. Zazu raced third last as the field raced down the backstretch while Rosie Napravnik held St. John’s River dead last.
Entering the far turn Plum Pretty began to move up on Summer Soiree with Joyful Victory, Lilacs and Lace and Daisy Devine all in a close striking position. Into the stretch and Plum Pretty took the lead with Garcia still sitting chilly, behind her Joyful Victory got in the clear while Zazu came from far back to swing into the stretch eight wide. Napravnik had meanwhile guided St. John’s River around fillies in the turn before switching to the inside rail and setting her down for the drive. Halfway to the wire Plum Pretty began to really pour it on, now under a vigorous ride while St. John’s River shifted outside and drove with all her might to catch the leader. It appeared for just a moment that Plum Pretty might win by open lengths, but St. John’s River continued to close with a frenzy. Blazing past the finish Plum Pretty just managed to hold off St. John’s River by a neck as Zazu closed from well back to take third by a half length over Joyful Victory with Bouquet Booth another hose back in fifth.
This marks the second Oaks winner Medaglia d’Oro has sired in the last three years after Rachel Alexandra’s record setting romp in 2009. Trainer Bob Baffert was visibly very pleased with his fillies effort. Plum Pretth entered the Oaks off a 25 length romp in the Sunland Park Oaks and came into the race training very well at Churchill Downs. Second place finishing jockey Rosie Napravnik was very disappointed with the tough loss but was very proud of the run her filly made after her poor start when she veered sharply toward the outside rail.
The Oaks lived up to its billing as a wide open affair but the best filly of the day clearly won. Kathmanblu finished 6th, Street Storm 7th, Daisy Devine 8th, Suave Voir Faire 9th, Summer Soiree 10th, Her Smile 11th, Lilacs and Lace 12 and Holy Heavens 13th.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Kentucky Oaks 137: A Day of Pink
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Racing’s day of pink has arrived. In just a few short hours Churchill Downs will slowly begin to fill with thousands of fans ready to witness an exciting day of racing and the stands will rapidly become a sea of pink. Pink has become the color of preference at the Kentucky Oaks since it began to partner with the Susan G. Komen for the Cure in 2009, a joined effort to bring a broader awareness to breast cancer. This year the Survivors Walk will be held for the third consecutive year; 137 survivors of breast cancer will parade past the stands down the track followed by the cheers and applause from the many thousands of supporters and well wishers. It is easily one of the most heartwarming and inspiring moments I have witness while at the track.
At approximately 5:45 P.M. Eastern time today, a field of thirteen fillies that comprise one of the most talented Oaks fields in history, will break from the gates at Churchill Downs, run around the dirt oval and lay their hearts out on the line in the final furlong, but only one will cross the finish wire first. When those thirteen fillies hit the head of the stretch in the Oaks all the best laid plans, analysis and theories will be forgotten as the rush of the moment takes over and all that matters is winning.
This year’s Oaks is an exceptionally tough race to handicap and I have been picking my brain trying to decide how the race will play out. To be completely honest I would only be surprised to see Suave Voir Faire, Her Smile, Bouquet Booth and Street Storm win. Of the remaining ten fillies each and every one has proven themselves to be a gifted athlete, worthy of exceptional racing ability.
As a fan I will be rooting for Joyful Victory to win. The more I see of this filly the more I like her. Not only has she proven herself to be one of the most brilliant performers of the year with two consecutive victories, she also has one of the most amiable trainers in the game in Larry Jones, a trainer I hold in very high regard. Jones won the Kentucky Oaks in 2008 with Proud Spell but has never had a filly quite this good leading up to the big dance. This week Joyful Victory has been training like a monster and appears ready for another huge performance.....[Read the complete post here on Horse Racing Nation]
[/caption]Racing’s day of pink has arrived. In just a few short hours Churchill Downs will slowly begin to fill with thousands of fans ready to witness an exciting day of racing and the stands will rapidly become a sea of pink. Pink has become the color of preference at the Kentucky Oaks since it began to partner with the Susan G. Komen for the Cure in 2009, a joined effort to bring a broader awareness to breast cancer. This year the Survivors Walk will be held for the third consecutive year; 137 survivors of breast cancer will parade past the stands down the track followed by the cheers and applause from the many thousands of supporters and well wishers. It is easily one of the most heartwarming and inspiring moments I have witness while at the track.
At approximately 5:45 P.M. Eastern time today, a field of thirteen fillies that comprise one of the most talented Oaks fields in history, will break from the gates at Churchill Downs, run around the dirt oval and lay their hearts out on the line in the final furlong, but only one will cross the finish wire first. When those thirteen fillies hit the head of the stretch in the Oaks all the best laid plans, analysis and theories will be forgotten as the rush of the moment takes over and all that matters is winning.
This year’s Oaks is an exceptionally tough race to handicap and I have been picking my brain trying to decide how the race will play out. To be completely honest I would only be surprised to see Suave Voir Faire, Her Smile, Bouquet Booth and Street Storm win. Of the remaining ten fillies each and every one has proven themselves to be a gifted athlete, worthy of exceptional racing ability.
As a fan I will be rooting for Joyful Victory to win. The more I see of this filly the more I like her. Not only has she proven herself to be one of the most brilliant performers of the year with two consecutive victories, she also has one of the most amiable trainers in the game in Larry Jones, a trainer I hold in very high regard. Jones won the Kentucky Oaks in 2008 with Proud Spell but has never had a filly quite this good leading up to the big dance. This week Joyful Victory has been training like a monster and appears ready for another huge performance.....[Read the complete post here on Horse Racing Nation]
Derby Posts Set: Mo on the Fence
The post positions have been set for the Kentucky Derby and the dreaded #1 hole has been given to Arkansas Derby (gr.1) winner, and Churchill Downs buzz horse Archarcharch this year. Last year race favorite Lookin At Lucky endured a nightmarish trip from post position number one but still managed to finish a respectable sixth after all hope of winning was swept away in the mad rush from the gate. Archarcharch will face the heat this time around with jockey Jon Court aboard but both trainer and jockey have remained very optimistic about their colts chances despite the bad post. After rattling off a series of impressive works at Churchill Downs Archarcharch has come more into the spotlight than ever following his Arkansas Derby win at long odds. He will have some tough traffic issues to overcome but he’s one of the most seasoned and definitely the best conditioned horse in the entire field so if any colt can overcome the odds it’s probably him.
Dialed In received a beautiful post, tucked in snugly between Pants On Fire to his inside and Derby Kitten to his outside, in post number eight with Julien Leparoux set to ride. He’s another one who has been making a good impression since his arrival at Churchill Downs. The first couple visits to the track looked a little stiff but his most recent gallop was full of energy and had him stretching out beautifully on Wednesday. I suspect he likes a dry track better than a wet one which is why he looked so much better in his recent gallop than he did when going over the sloppy surface.
Uncle Mo can’t get a break it seems. Between his loss of historic proportions in the Wood Memorial, a light training schedule brought on by his GI infection, slight loss of appetite in the weeks leading up to the Derby, constant media pressure and a rumor mill that runs 24/7, it seemed the Champion had a full plate. Not full enough it seems. On Wednesday the son of Indian Charlie was slapped with post position 18, just two from the far outside, a post that will make his job a lot harder. If he hopes to run close to the pace or just behind the leaders he’s going to have to find a way to work his way through traffic and secure a spot before the first turn so as not to get hung wide. As it stands now owner Mike Repole says his champion is 50/50 to run in the Derby. He will only run if they feel he is 100% percent. A final decision will be made on Thursday evening or Friday morning after the colt is examined by a team of three veterinarians as well as trainer Todd Pletcher and Repole. I hope he passes with flying colors and takes a shot, who knows if he can win right now but I'll still be rooting for him to wear the garland of roses.
Repole and Pletcher’s second runner, Gotham Stakes winner Stay Thirsty, was assigned post four which should offer the Bernardini colt a favorable run to settle into a comfortable position the first time past the wire. He has been trainer very well at Churchill and looks primed to turn in a much better effort than his dull Florida Derby run. Pletcher was especially pleased with the post as his first Derby winner, Super Saver, started from the four post.
Mucho Macho Man will break from post thirteen with Shackleford beside in post fourteen. The Bob Baffert trained Midnight Interlude will break from post fifteen while Soldat will break two down in post seventeen. Nehro breaks from post nineteen, but with his late running style he shouldn’t have any trouble with the post.
Dialed In was installed as race favorite at odds of 9-2 with Uncle Mo second choice at odds of 4-1. Nehro was set as the third choice at odds of 6-1 while the entire rest of the field sits at odd so 10-1 and higher. Talk about value to be played!
Dialed In received a beautiful post, tucked in snugly between Pants On Fire to his inside and Derby Kitten to his outside, in post number eight with Julien Leparoux set to ride. He’s another one who has been making a good impression since his arrival at Churchill Downs. The first couple visits to the track looked a little stiff but his most recent gallop was full of energy and had him stretching out beautifully on Wednesday. I suspect he likes a dry track better than a wet one which is why he looked so much better in his recent gallop than he did when going over the sloppy surface.
Uncle Mo can’t get a break it seems. Between his loss of historic proportions in the Wood Memorial, a light training schedule brought on by his GI infection, slight loss of appetite in the weeks leading up to the Derby, constant media pressure and a rumor mill that runs 24/7, it seemed the Champion had a full plate. Not full enough it seems. On Wednesday the son of Indian Charlie was slapped with post position 18, just two from the far outside, a post that will make his job a lot harder. If he hopes to run close to the pace or just behind the leaders he’s going to have to find a way to work his way through traffic and secure a spot before the first turn so as not to get hung wide. As it stands now owner Mike Repole says his champion is 50/50 to run in the Derby. He will only run if they feel he is 100% percent. A final decision will be made on Thursday evening or Friday morning after the colt is examined by a team of three veterinarians as well as trainer Todd Pletcher and Repole. I hope he passes with flying colors and takes a shot, who knows if he can win right now but I'll still be rooting for him to wear the garland of roses.
Repole and Pletcher’s second runner, Gotham Stakes winner Stay Thirsty, was assigned post four which should offer the Bernardini colt a favorable run to settle into a comfortable position the first time past the wire. He has been trainer very well at Churchill and looks primed to turn in a much better effort than his dull Florida Derby run. Pletcher was especially pleased with the post as his first Derby winner, Super Saver, started from the four post.
Mucho Macho Man will break from post thirteen with Shackleford beside in post fourteen. The Bob Baffert trained Midnight Interlude will break from post fifteen while Soldat will break two down in post seventeen. Nehro breaks from post nineteen, but with his late running style he shouldn’t have any trouble with the post.
Dialed In was installed as race favorite at odds of 9-2 with Uncle Mo second choice at odds of 4-1. Nehro was set as the third choice at odds of 6-1 while the entire rest of the field sits at odd so 10-1 and higher. Talk about value to be played!
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
A Dozen Plus One in the Oaks: The Final Novel Nine
My latest Kentucky Oaks post is up on Horse Racing Nation. I started writing this morning at 9:30, had most of the article finished by about 10:30 and was just waiting on the post position draw to do some analysis. Between teaching until 3:30 I was able to finish all my analysis of the 13 fillies and proceeded to try and publish my post to my Horse Racing Nation blog. After five tries and five internet connection losses I was about fit to kill, and each time I lost my connection I kept losing all the data and links I had uploaded. Anyway, I finally got it published much later than planned after much blood, sweat and tears (sounds better than tantrums, shouting and general bad temperament!) and I hope you will enjoy it! :)
The Kentucky Derby has been littered with defections left and right during the past month it seems, this past week alone three colts were removed from consideration due to injury or physical issues of some kind.
Unlike the Derby the Kentucky Oaks has remained virtually unscathed, losing just a few fillies here and there but no major defections resulting from physical injury. Aside from the removal of Dancinginherdreams, who was really no surprise after two consecutive dull efforts, all has remained incredibly strong on the filly front.
Sadly things shifted just a tiny bit south on Monday when expected Oaks favorite, R Heat Lightning, was pulled from race consideration after a knee injury was discovered. According to trainer Todd Pletcher the Trippi filly will be sent to Rood and Riddle equine clinic later this week for an examination that should determine whether or not her injury is career-threatening. R Heat Lightning was training exceptionally well leading up to the Oaks after winning the Davona Dale (gr.2) and Gulfstream Oaks (gr.2) by a combined margin of 15 ½ lengths. Here’s to hoping she heals up with no additional problems and is able to resume her brilliant career on the track later in the year.
With R Heat Lightning out of the picture it appears the way has been cleared for Joyful Victory to run as a clear and decisive favorite. Most of the contenders have arrived at Churchill Downs now for the big race and the field has been set. Thirteen fillies will contest the 137th running of the $1 million Kentucky Oaks on Friday May 6th, and breaking from post number one is my Oaks pick the Larry Jones trained Joyful Victory. So here it is, the last Novel Nine of the year. [Follow the link here to read the complete Novel Nine and share your thoughts on the Kentucky Oaks field]
The Kentucky Derby has been littered with defections left and right during the past month it seems, this past week alone three colts were removed from consideration due to injury or physical issues of some kind.
Unlike the Derby the Kentucky Oaks has remained virtually unscathed, losing just a few fillies here and there but no major defections resulting from physical injury. Aside from the removal of Dancinginherdreams, who was really no surprise after two consecutive dull efforts, all has remained incredibly strong on the filly front.
Sadly things shifted just a tiny bit south on Monday when expected Oaks favorite, R Heat Lightning, was pulled from race consideration after a knee injury was discovered. According to trainer Todd Pletcher the Trippi filly will be sent to Rood and Riddle equine clinic later this week for an examination that should determine whether or not her injury is career-threatening. R Heat Lightning was training exceptionally well leading up to the Oaks after winning the Davona Dale (gr.2) and Gulfstream Oaks (gr.2) by a combined margin of 15 ½ lengths. Here’s to hoping she heals up with no additional problems and is able to resume her brilliant career on the track later in the year.
With R Heat Lightning out of the picture it appears the way has been cleared for Joyful Victory to run as a clear and decisive favorite. Most of the contenders have arrived at Churchill Downs now for the big race and the field has been set. Thirteen fillies will contest the 137th running of the $1 million Kentucky Oaks on Friday May 6th, and breaking from post number one is my Oaks pick the Larry Jones trained Joyful Victory. So here it is, the last Novel Nine of the year. [Follow the link here to read the complete Novel Nine and share your thoughts on the Kentucky Oaks field]
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Some 'Mo' Good Things: Derby Works
Ever since his smashing 16 length Saratoga debut, Uncle Mo has been the idol of the public and the darling of the media. After his shocking defeat in the Wood Memorial Stakes in early April Uncle Mo underwent treatment for a GI Infection and came back on April 26th with an encouraging five furlong work he ran in 1:01.60 at Churchill Downs. On Sunday Uncle Mo had his final work before the derby in company with stablemate and fellow Kentucky Derby contender Stay Thirsty. Over a very sloppy Churchill Downs track Uncle Mo broke off about a length behind Stay Thirsty and finished on even terms with his partner after running head and head down the homestretch. His final time for the five furlongs was a solid 1:01.60 while Stay Thirsty finished up in 1:01.80. It was apparent watching the work that both colts were eager to do more and continued to gallop out around the far turn strongly, Uncle Mo getting six furlongs in 1:14.28 and seven furlongs in 1:28.01.
In a press conference held shortly after the work, owner Mike Repole and trainer Todd Pletcher expressed great pleasure at the progress especially Uncle Mo has made since the Wood.
Pants On Fire was also on the track Sunday morning for his final Derby move, getting four furlongs in a strong :47.80 to rank 7th fastest of 37 horses to work the distance. Trainer Kelly Breen said after the race “For us, that was a very good work out.” Pants On Fire will have Rosie Napravnik in the irons for the Kentucky Derby run next Saturday and if they win it will be the first time in history that the prestigious race was won by a female jockey.
Wood Memorial hero Toby’s Corner breezed six furlongs in 1:15.00 flat for trainer Graham Motion Fair Hill Training Center’s synthetic surface. The son of Bellamy Road colt has won four of his six starts.
Comma to the Top turned in a excellent 1:00 2/5 five furlong breeze at Hollywood Park Sunday morning that had trainer Peter Miller and jockey Patrick Valenzuela extremely pleased as evidenced by an enthusiastic exchange of high-five’s.
Make sure to check out my latest post on Horse Racing Nation that discusses the most recent Kentucky Oaks contenders works. Joyful Victory just keeps looking better and better! See the post Here.
In a press conference held shortly after the work, owner Mike Repole and trainer Todd Pletcher expressed great pleasure at the progress especially Uncle Mo has made since the Wood.
Pants On Fire was also on the track Sunday morning for his final Derby move, getting four furlongs in a strong :47.80 to rank 7th fastest of 37 horses to work the distance. Trainer Kelly Breen said after the race “For us, that was a very good work out.” Pants On Fire will have Rosie Napravnik in the irons for the Kentucky Derby run next Saturday and if they win it will be the first time in history that the prestigious race was won by a female jockey.
Wood Memorial hero Toby’s Corner breezed six furlongs in 1:15.00 flat for trainer Graham Motion Fair Hill Training Center’s synthetic surface. The son of Bellamy Road colt has won four of his six starts.
Comma to the Top turned in a excellent 1:00 2/5 five furlong breeze at Hollywood Park Sunday morning that had trainer Peter Miller and jockey Patrick Valenzuela extremely pleased as evidenced by an enthusiastic exchange of high-five’s.
Make sure to check out my latest post on Horse Racing Nation that discusses the most recent Kentucky Oaks contenders works. Joyful Victory just keeps looking better and better! See the post Here.
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