Lane One

Horse of the Year Clue?

2011-11-07T21:12:00.000-05:00

Since the Horse of the Year voting is going to be very close, here is a look at the final NTRA poll which gives us some insight as to how voting might go but the key to remember is that there is a few weeks before the votes must be cast.

HORSE	A-S	STS-1-2-3	PTS	PVS
1. Havre de Grace (15)	4-F	7-5-1-0	189	1
2. Game On Dude (1)	4-G	8-3-3-1	141	4
3. Royal Delta (1)	3-F	7-4-1-1	135	-
4. Tizway (1)	6-H	4-2-0-2	122	3
5. Drosselmeyer (1)	4-C	7-2-2-0	111	-
6. Acclamation (2)	5-H	7-5-0-0	88	6
7. Cape Blanco (1)	4-C	6-3-0-0	71	8
8. My Miss Aurelia	2-F	4-4-0-0	63	-
9. Flat Out	5-H	7-2-3-0	60	2
10. Caleb's Posse	3-C	10-5-1-1	49	-

Other Horses Receiving Votes: Hansen-27; Union Rags-26; Amazombie-23; Goldikova-18; St. Nicholas Abbey-16; Regally Ready-10; Ruler On Ice-9; Animal Kingdom-8; Blind Luck-8; Turallure-7; Plum Pretty-6; Turbulent Descent-5; Teaks North-4; Court Vision-3; Stephanie's Kitten-3; Musical Romance-2; Stacelita-2; Together-2; Rapid Redux-1; Secret Circle-1.

Quick Look at the Breeders' Cup Classic

2011-10-31T23:34:00.003-04:00

The 28^th running of the Breeders’ Cup should culminate with Goldikova going for an unprecedented fourth consecutive Mile victory and the best horses in the world fighting it out for the $5 million Classic.

The Classic is being built up as a potential duel between the talented Uncle Mo and this year’s “super filly” Havre de Grace but the race appears to be deeper than those two.

Here is a quick look at the Classic field:

1 – Prayer for Relief – Trainer Bob Baffert announced on Tuesday that he would scratch his colt because of a fever.

2 – Flat Out – He has been one of the most consistent horses all year and is very familiar with Churchill Downs as he spends part of the year under the Twin Spires. Oddly enough, he has yet to win in two starts at Churchill but will still be formidable if he can break through on Central Avenue.

3 – Drosselmeyer – He is best known for winning the Belmont Stakes in 2010 but has yet to recapture that glory. He has shown flashes this year including his runner up finish to Flat Out last month at Belmont.

4 – Ruler On Ice – This year’s Belmont winner hasn’t repeated his stellar performance when he beat Animal Kingdom and Shackleford in the final leg of the Triple Crown. If the track comes up wet, that might serve as his best chance to upset this field.

5 – So You Think – The most well traveled horse in the field makes his U.S. debut after becoming a racing star in Australia in 2009-2010. His success continued in Europe this year but he will need to prove that he can run on dirt, which he has never done before.

6 – Ice Box – After showing tremendous promise with his 2010 Kentucky Derby runner-up finish, the Nick Zito trained colt returns to Churchill in hopes of showing that same brilliance. The son of Pulpit will need to repeat his Derby effort if he hopes for any chance to win.

7 – Rattlesnake Bridge – The lightly raced 3-year-old colt is improving with each start and his runner-up finish to Stay Thirsty in the Travers was his best effort to date. The question going into the Classic is how big of a step forward will he take when he faces older horses for the first time.

8 – Game on Dude - Trainer Bob Baffert’s best hope to win his first Classic rests with this son of 1998 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Awesome Again. He has two big wins, both in Southern California, and now “the dude” must prove he can win two events like that in a row.

9 – Stay Thirsty – The hottest 3-year-old in the country was a disappointment earlier this year when he 12^th in the Kentucky Derby but rebounded with a runner-up finish in the Belmont. After he swept the two big sophomore races at Saratoga (Jim Dandy and Travers) he finished third to Flat Out and Drosselmeyer in his last race. Now, the question will be can he win outside of New York, which he has yet to do.

10 – Havre de Grace – Last year, Zenyatta attempted to beat the boys for the second straight year in the Classic but fell just short to Blame. Now this super filly, who has won 5 of 6 this year, will try to look to become just the second female to win this event. He biggest Achilles heel could simply be the distance of the Classic – 1 ¼ miles. She has lost both times running that far (all against her gender) and now will have to do that against the boys.

11 – Headache – The other “local” horse in the field will need to improve off his fifth place finish in The Whitney to have any shot. He does have two big advantages though – He has three victories at Churchill Downs and has a win at the 1 ¼ miles distance.

12 – Uncle Mo – There were such high hopes for last year’s 2-year-old champion after he cruised to victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. He was expected to be the favorite for the Kentucky Derby but a rare liver ailment kept him out of the Triple Crown and away from the races from late April until August. After a runner-up finish at Saratoga in August, he cruised to an easy and impressive win at Belmont last month. His ability has never been in question but can Mo beat the best horses in the world at 1 ¼ miles?

13 – To Honor And Serve – Another colt that was expected to be formidable as 3-year-old but he yet to win a big race this year. His last race was impressive but it wasn’t even close to the level of horses he’s running against on Saturday.

The Filly In Front

2011-10-06T18:15:00.000-04:00

Havre de Grace cruising to win in Belmont's Beldame

In what has been a very up and down year with racing’s elite horses, we may have finally seen the best rise to the top this past weekend but we still don’t have a unequivocal “horse to beat.”

A lot of attention, and justifiably so, will be focused on Havre de Grace (right) who not only has emerged as the best filly in the country but perhaps the best horse. She left little doubt about who the top female is after cruising to an easy win in Saturday’s Beldame at Belmont Park. That victory was on the heels of her breakout performance on Labor Day Weekend when she beat males in Saratoga’s Woodward Handicap.

Her trainer, Larry Jones, indicated her next race will be in the Breeders’ Cup Classic and with a victory would lock up Horse of the Year. She would become the third female in a row to capture that title, marking a first in racing.

With her resume and the fact that a girl is racing against the boys, she will likely be the favorite for the Classic at Churchill Downs next month.

Another former star that has returned to some semblance of glory is 2-year-old champion Uncle Mo. He was all set to be racing’s next “big thing” but a mysterious liver infection knocked him out of the Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown. The colt didn’t return to the races until late August when he finished second but he rocketed to an impressive victory in the Kelso at Belmont in a very quick final time.

You can certainly make a case, as some have, that Uncle Mo and his late resurgence will make him the favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. There is no question that he does have more mainstream name recognition than all of his potential competitors but it’s hard to see a horse who has yet to beat any of the top caliber athletes become the betting choice next month.

Another horse that will likely take significant money at the betting windows include Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Flat Out (left) who has been finished only worse than second once all year. But, that off the board finish came at Churchill Downs in the June’s Stephen Foster Handicap. What could be more troubling is that he is 0-for-2 at Churchill.

Also Uncle Mo’s stablemate, Stay Thirsty, has improved dramatically since his 12^th place finish in the Kentucky Derby. He has racked up wins in the Jim Dandy and Travers and will need to prove to everyone that he can run well and win outside of New York.

The top two horses from the West Coast will be Acclamation and Game on Dude. Both have had up and down years but Acclamation got white hot during the summer as he reeled off four wins in a row including the Pacific Classic. Game on Dude, from the barn of trainer Bob Baffert, has two big wins in ’11 including last weekends Goodwood and the Santa Anita Handicap back in March.

Who will be favored for the Classic will be an interesting story to watch but all signs point to the hottest girl in the country by the name Havre de Grace.

Fitting Finish

2011-06-11T20:19:00.000-04:00

Another Belmont Stakes is in the books and we saw a huge upset with Ruler On Ice easily beating the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner. Was it a total surprise that we saw an upset?

In a word...NO.

This has been an unpredictable Triple Crown as each race saw a surprise but this was the biggest of all them. Most of the fans seemed convinced that one of the horses for the Kentucky Derby would be able to pull out a win on Saturday but the best finish was Brilliant Speed, 3rd.

Plus with the bad weather and sloppy track, it was a perfect storm for an upset.

Right from the start, trouble was brewing as Animal Kingdom, the Derby winner, got into trouble as Mucho Macho Man bumped him a few steps from the starting gate and dropped back to last. Ruler On Ice was tracking Shackleford in second for most of the way and once the Preakness winner began to fade at the top of the stretch, he was home free. The only horse he had to fend off was another longshot, Stay Thirsty.

"At the half-mile pole, I was hearing whips cracking behind me and I could hear guys chirping to their horses, and all I'm doing is picking up the tempo," said Ruler On Ice's jockey Jose Valdivia. "With a half-mile remaining, I still felt like I have a lot of horse under me."

Now, as we head into the summer and start looking ahead towards the Breeders' Cup, who is the best 3-year-old in the country? More than likely the Animal Kingdom and Shackleford will battle for those honors but they may not meet again until the Breeders' Cup Classic in November.

Animal Kingdom's owner, Barry Irwin, indicated he might start the horse back on the Turf which could mean he'll bypass the Haskell and/or Travers.

Shackleford's plans are not known but it is a safe bet, if he comes out of the Belmont in good shape, that he will run in one of the big 3-year-old races left this year.

So with another upset in the book, it completes another disappointing Triple Crown series as we are 33 years without someone sweeping the three races. But the Breeders' Cup awaits and hopefully all the best 3-year-old will reunite to decide who is the best sophomore in the country.

Odds Update - 4 p.m.

2011-05-07T16:02:00.000-04:00

1) Archarcharch - 13-1
2) Brilliant Speed - 26-1
3) Twice The Appeal - 10-1
4) Stay Thirsty - 16-1
5) Decisive Moment - 37-1
6) Comma to The Top - 35-1
7) Pants On Fire - 7-1
8) Dialed In - 5-1
9) Derby Kitten - 34-1
10) Twinspired - 29-1
11) Master of Hounds - 12-1
12) Santiva 35-1
13) Mucho Macho Man - 9-1
14) Shackleford - 24-1
15) Midnight Interlude - 8-1
16) Animal Kingdom - 22-1
17) Soldat 14-1
18) Uncle Mo - SCRATCHED
19) Nehro - 10-1
20) Watch Me Go - 27-1

12 Noon - Derby Odds Update

2011-05-07T12:05:00.000-04:00

1) Archarcharch - 12-1
2) Brilliant Speed - 25-1
3) Twice The Appeal - 9-1
4) Stay Thirsty - 15-1
5) Decisive Moment - 37-1
6) Comma to The Top - 35-1
7) Pants On Fire - 7-1
8) Dialed In -5-1
9) Derby Kitten - 31-1
10) Twinspired - 27-1
11) Master of Hounds - 17-1
12) Santiva 32-1
13) Mucho Macho Man - 9-1
14) Shackleford - 22-1
15) Midnight Interlude - 10-1
16) Animal Kingdom - 20-1
17) Soldat 15-1
18) Uncle Mo - SCRATCHED
19) Nehro - 10-1
20) Watch Me Go - 27-1

First Day Kentucky Derby Day Odds

2011-05-07T00:27:00.000-04:00

Now that the first day of wagering is in the books, here is the rundown of the odds of the 19 Derby horses.

1) Archarcharch - 13-1
2) Brilliant Speed - 30-1
3) Twice The Appeal - 7-1
4) Stay Thirsty - 17-1
5) Decisive Moment - 42-1
6) Comma to The Top - 43-1
7) Pants On Fire - 9-1
8) Dialed In - 9-2
9) Derby Kitten - 29-1
10) Twinspired - 21-1
11) Master of Hounds - 18-1
12) Santiva 30-1
13) Mucho Macho Man - 12-1
14) Shackleford - 19-1
15) Midnight Interlude - 10-1
16) Animal Kingdom - 24-1
17) Soldat 17-1
18) Uncle Mo - SCRATCHED
19) Nehro - 7-1
20) Watch Me Go - 29-1

Update Derby Odds - 4 p.m.

2011-05-06T16:04:00.000-04:00

Updated Kentucky Derby Odds - 4 p.m.

1) Archarcharch - 13-1
2) Brilliant Speed - 29-1
3) Twice The Appeal - 8-1
4) Stay Thirsty - 16-1
5) Decisive Moment - 39-1
6) Comma to The Top - 42-1
7) Pants On Fire - 9-1
8) Dialed In - 9-2
9) Derby Kitten - 27-1
10) Twinspired - 21-1
11) Master of Hounds - 20-1
12) Santiva 26-1
13) Mucho Macho Man - 11-1
14) Shackleford - 20-1
15) Midnight Interlude - 10-1
16) Animal Kingdom - 23-1
17) Soldat 19-1
18) Uncle Mo - SCRATCHED
19) Nehro - 8-1
20) Watch Me Go - 29-1

First Look at Derby Odds

2011-05-06T10:22:00.000-04:00

Now that Uncle Mo is scratched from the Kentucky Derby and the wagering has begun, here is a first look at the odds for the Derby....

1) Archarcharch - 12-1
2) Brilliant Speed - 25-1
3) Twice The Appeal - 10-1
4) Stay Thirsty - 13-1
5) Decisive Moment - 36-1
6) Comma to The Top - 38-1
7) Pants On Fire - 8-1
8) Dialed In - 7-2
9) Derby Kitten - 27-1
10) Twinspired - 22-1
11) Master of Hounds - 99-1
12) Santiva 31-1
13) Mucho Macho Man - 8-1
14) Shackleford - 23-1
15) Midnight Interlude - 15-1
16) Animal Kingdom - 48-1
17) Soldat 21-1
18) Uncle Mo - SCRATCHED
19) Nehro - 10-1
20) Watch Me Go - 20-1

Missing Derby Star

2011-04-20T23:33:00.002-04:00

The “Run for the Roses” is rapidly approaching and one of the all-time great Kentucky Derby jockeys may well be on the sidelines this year.

Calvin Borel, who is the only rider in Derby history to have won three times in a four year stretch (2007-2010), does not currently have a horse for this year’s renewal. His best chance, Elite Alex, finished a disappointing ninth in the Arkansas Derby. But all may not be lost for Borel as there are potentially three mounts that could open up in the next few days.

One could be J P’s Gusto, who was a well-beaten eighth in the Arkansas Derby. Right now, the connections are deciding if they want to run their colt in the Derby and if they decide it’s a go, then they may well be in the market for a new jockey.

Borel aboard Rachel Alexandra in '09 Preakness

Another potential spot for Borel, although less likely, is Arkansas Derby runner-up Nehro. Jockey Corey Nakatani already has one potential Derby ride with Santa Anita Derby runner-up Comma To The Top and if he sticks to that colt, then trainer Steve Asmussen would need a new jockey. Borel does not ride for Asmussen much but they did team up to win the Preakness in 2009 with the great filly Rachel Alexandra. (pictured right).

Another possible open spot for Borel is if Animal Kingdom commits to the Derby over the next few days. The colt, who won the Spiral Stakes last month, will more than likely need another rider as jockey Alan Garcia has already committed to ride Fountain of Youth winner Soldat. Plus, Animal Kingdom has had a different rider in each of his four starts.

The last open slot could be European based Master of Hounds. Jeff Lowe of Thoroughbred Times reported that Borel's agent Jerry Hissam plans to reach out to trainer Aidan O'Brien to see if he can get his client aboard the colt.

If none of those opportunities comes to pass then the Derby will be without a jockey who has had one of the most remarkable runs in racing history.

(Photo courtesy of Eclipse Sportswire)

Kentucky Derby "Stat of the Day"

2011-04-17T22:25:00.008-04:00

With the 137th Kentucky Derby approaching, I have compiled a list of interesting stats and tidbits. I will add at least one per day via Twiiter (@lanegold) and below will be a list of all the nuggets I have posted so far.

If there's a stat you would like to see, please let me know.

Uncle Mo is the only horse in this year's field with over $1,000,000 in earnings. He has $1,436,000 in earnings. The next closest is Dialed In ($879,206) and Archarcharch ($832,744).

For those Master of Hounds fans, no horse since 1937 has won the Derby with just one start as a 3-year-old. The best finish was by Challedon (2nd) in 1939.

Toby's Corner's father (Bellamy Road) and grandfather (Mister Frisky) were beaten Kentucky Derby favorites.

Only two horses since 1937 have run worse than 4th in last pre-Derby start and went on to win Run for the Roses. Count Turf (5th, Wood Memorial) and Iron Leige - 1957 (5th, Derby Trial.

There are 18 Derby winners starting with the letter "S", most ever. Of the 18, three won Triple Crown. (Sir Barton, Secretariat and Seattle Slew).

The Lexington, which is set to run this weekend at Keeneland, has produced two Derby winners - Charismatic, 1999 &; Swale, 1984. Charismatic is the only horse to have won both races. Swale finished 2nd in the Lexington.

Dialed In is looking to become first post-time favorite to win the Derby with four lifetime starts. The other horses who were favored - Coaltown (1948, 2nd. Note: - He was coupled with Triple Crown Winner Citation) and Indian Charlie (1998, 3rd).

Dialed In will try to become just the third horse and first since 1918 to win Derby with just four lifetime starts. (Other winners - 1902 - Alan-a-Dale and 1918 - Exterminator)

The Arkansas Derby has produced five Derby winners (1983, 1992, 1996, 2004, 2010). Only two horses won both.

The Toyota Blue Grass has produced 23 Derby winners but only one has won both in last 31 years - Strike The Gold - 1991.

There has been six horses that won the Derby after finishing 3rd in their last pre-Derby start.

A New Derby Favorite

2011-04-17T22:11:00.001-04:00

A little over a week ago, it looked like we would have three solid favorites for the Kentucky Derby but now only one horse truly deserves that honor and the other two are questionable to be in the starting gate on May 7.

Dialed In prevailing over Shackleford in the Florida Derby

Dialed In, who won the Florida Derby over two weeks ago, will give trainer Nick Zito his best chance to win the Run for the Roses since his five horse entry back in 2005. The New York native has already won two Derbys (1991 and 1994) and will relish being back in the spotlight.

The son of Mineshaft will try to become just third horse to win the Derby with just four lifetime starts and first since 1918. Despite his statistical impediment, he will be sent off as the Derby favorite.

Meanwhile, Uncle Mo not only suffered his first career defeat in last week's Wood Memorial but his Derby status is still very much up in the air after trainer Todd Pletcher revealed this week that the 2-year-old champion had a GI tract infection. It certainly was questionable if Uncle Mo could have handled the Derby distance of 1 1/4 miles but with this latest malady, it seems that he the Derby odds are now stacked against him.

Trainer Bob Baffert, a Derby regular for a number of years, looked to be in great shape with The Factor going into the Arkansas Derby. Sent off as the prohibitive favorite, the colt uncharacteristically did not take the early lead and faded to seventh down the stretch. Baffert already was quoted as saying that he wasn't sure The Factor wanted to go the 1 1/4 miles so after his dismal performance on Saturday, it appears his Derby winning chances are pretty slim.

Fear not for Baffert as he still has Midnight Interlude and Jaycito as possible Derby starters.

There is a lot that can still happen with less than three weeks until the Run of the Roses but the one thing that does appear certain, Dialed In will be the post-time favorite.

(Photo courtesy of Eclipse Sportswire)

Fountain of Youth Comments

2011-02-26T18:55:00.000-05:00

Here are a few comments from trainers and jockeys after the Fountain of Youth

Kiaran McLaughlin, trainer, Soldat - "When he drew the one post we decided he had to go to the lead. That doesn't mean we might not have another strategy in the future (depending on the draw). It's on to the Florida Derby now. He's always done everything right and today we got the fast track we wanted. The timing of the program here is perfect for us - five weeks from now to the Florida Derby (April 3) and another five weeks to the Kentucky Derby (May 7)."

Bill Mott, trainer, To Honor and Serve - "He (jockey John Velazquez) liked his race. He said he did everything he asked until he got to the quarter pole and then he said he got a little flat. I can imagine he might have needed the race. If he got beat I thought he might carry (Velazquez) a little more into the stretch. It looks like he needed the race. John compared him to the horse he rode and won the Davona Dale (R Heat Lightning). The first time down here she was a little flat and she came back and ran big today."

John Velazquez, jockey, To Honor and Serve "I thought he ran very well. He settled in really well going down the backside. He ranged up to the leader on the far turn and finished well, just didn't have the closing kick he usually does. I think, off the layoff, that is to be expected. Overall, I thought he ran terrific."

Thursday's Breeders' Cup Classic Notes

2010-11-04T13:27:00.000-04:00

Zenyatta – The reigning Breeders’ Cup Classic champion left Barn 41 at 9:15 a.m. and was followed by hundreds of adoring fans, including owners Jerry and Ann Moss and trainer John Shirreffs.

With regular exercise rider Steve Willard aboard, the 6yo mare was led with a pony to the back of Churchill Downs’ 1m chute where she stood for approximately 10 minutes before making her way to the main track for a 1 ½ m gallop.

“She galloped beautifully,” Shirreffs said. “She’s very happy. On the second day of taking her to the track, you might think she’d be a little flat but she was full of energy. Steve said he could have gone around another time, and as the trainer, that’s what you look for - the enthusiasm and good energy.”

Asked about what the experience of training Zenyatta has meant to him, Shirreffs said, “This is a great celebration. She’s the love of our lives. She’s the fantasy. She’s everything we ever could have wanted and to share her with everybody is just incredible.

“I don’t know how to describe the feeling when you bring her over for a race, you can feel the anticipation and energy,” he added. “So many people adore her so you feel a lot of love, too. Your chest swells with pride and you’re so proud to be with them at that moment.”

Blame – The Al Stall Jr. trainee jogged one circuit of the Churchill Downs oval and galloped the same on Thursday morning before the break. Everything was in order for an upcoming start in Saturday’s Classic.

“The way he’s been for the past couple days is the way he’s been for the past couple years,” said Stall. “He’s the same every day, which is a good thing. He’s his normal self – laid back, quiet, eating. He trains very kind.”

The barn where Blame is stabled, number 47, runs parallel to the main track chute. It proved to be a fine vantage point for Stall on Wednesday, when the unbeaten Zenyatta made her way to the track for the first time.

“I stood back here and watched her and avoided all the crowds at the gap; I had an exclusive,” the trainer said. “She looked awesome. I couldn’t imagine how big she is and how much she weighs because it’s hard to grasp, but she’s in fine flesh. It seemed like she took up the whole chute.”

Lookin At Lucky – The 3yo son of Smart Strike went to the track along with Juvenile Fillies morning-line favorite A Z Warrior immediately after the renovation break on Thursday, jogging a circuit and galloping 1m under exercise rider Jorge Alvarez.

“He looks good, so far so good,” said Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert. “He’ll run his race. We’re all going to find out how tough we are; it’s a great race, really good top horses in there. I think he’s up to it. He’s still a young horse so I don’t know how he fits in right now going a mile-and-a-quarter. He’s tough, though, 2-year-old champion and going to be 3-year-old champion. He keeps going and going.”

Baffert said there are no plans to retire Lookin At Lucky at the end of the season, although offers have been made to buy the colt for stud duty.

“So far we haven’t made any plans,” he said. “There’s people that have been trying to buy him for a stallion, but these owners just enjoy racing. You get a good horse like that, you want to watch him run.”

Reporters asked Baffert for his thoughts on Zenyatta’s likelihood of receiving Horse of the Year honors after the Breeders’ Cup.

“She has to win,” he said. “Only because they sort of stayed in California with her and didn’t really venture out. She has to win here on the dirt – she did it last year, she was phenomenal, but she did it on a synthetic track so there’s always going to be that question mark. If she does it here on dirt, on these grounds, that’s what it’s all about. But she’s supposed to win, so I don’t think they’re worried about it, they’re pretty confident. It’s going to be a great race. There’s always, ‘Well, maybe this time,’ and eventually they all get beat, but she’s just amazing. Win, lose, or draw, she’s a great mare that’s been so good for the business. We have a lot of respect for her.”

Quality Road – His rivals might have gotten a bit of a break in last year’s Classic when the Todd Pletcher-trained 3yo became frazzled at the Santa Anita starting gate and ultimately was scratched, but there are no signs of a repeat of that kind of incident in this year’s big race.

“It was the ultimate letdown,” Pletcher said Thursday after the son of Elusive Quality returned from a morning gallop. “He’s been perfect ever since.”

Pletcher turned to former NYRA starter Bob Duncan after the incident and asked him to work with the colt.

“We schooled him at Belmont right after the Breeders’ Cup,” Duncan said. “Basically, before we even started schooling him at the gate, Todd and I spent a little time with him around the barn, the paddock and the backside and just put him through a few exercises to kind of get connected to him – just moving him around and trying to get some leadership issues settled. Within 15 minutes he was following us around. Todd and I looked at each other and said ‘Geez, where’s the problem?’ He was that good.”

He has since won all but one race in five 2010 starts, a head loss to Blame in Saratoga’s Whitney. He’s been “a perfect gentleman” in the gate all year, according to Pletcher.

“We took him over to the gate the next day and we took our time because it was his first time after the Breeders’ Cup,” Duncan recalled. “We didn’t know what to expect. He walks right into the starting gate. We added things each time. Will he go in the gate with the open door? Will he go with it closed? Next time around, will he go in next to another horse? He just did everything by the book. Eventually we did the dress rehearsal over at Aqueduct, which went very well, and he’s been good all year.”

Pletcher said he believes Quality Road is still in line for a shot at Horse of the Year, and now he isn’t worrying too much about what happens before Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup finale.

“The one thing we learned is it wasn’t about the starting gate,” Duncan said. “Like a lot of good horses, he’s an ‘Alpha horse.’ He wants to lead. He wakes up in the morning and says I want to see if I moved up in the pecking order today. If you can just do a little to something every day to re-establish your leadership, then he’s perfectly happy. He’s the kindest, gentlest horse to be around. He couldn’t be any nicer.”

Espoir City – The 5yo Japanese horse was hand-walked in the quarantine barn Thursday, the morning after he breezed 4f in 49 3/5 under jockey Tetsuzo Sato.

Trainer Akio Adachi said Espoir City came out of his work in good order. The horse is likely to jog Friday morning.

There have been three previous runners from Japan before this year – Agnes World (eighth in the 2000 Sprint); Personal Rush (sixth in the 2004 Classic); and Casino Drive (12^th in the 2008 Classic). Red Desire is scheduled to run in the Friday’s Filly & Mare Turf making Espoir City the fifth Breeders’ Cup starter from Japan. He has won two Group 1 races in the last 12 months, the Japan Cup Dirt, a 9f race, and the 1m February Stakes. He has been on course toward the Breeders’ Cup since late spring. Adachi said that he and the owners feel the horse is a contender.

“We wouldn’t have come this far, with all the expenses, if we weren’t thinking that we have a good chance,” Adachi said through interpreter Mikki Tsuge, West Coast Representative for the Japan Racing Association, who has been serving as the connections’ liaison at Churchill Downs.

Etched – The 5yo son of Forestry made his first appearance on the Churchill Downs track Thursday morning, galloping 1 ½ m under exercise rider Pat Correa. The Kiaran McLaughlin-trained Classic hopeful walked on Wednesday morning when he arrived following the long van ride from Saratoga Springs.

“He can be a little difficult at times. We went out before the break. It was nice and quiet. He threw a couple of bucks and kicks starting off and got into his gallop,” assistant trainer Neil McLaughlin said. “He’s a bit of a character, so we were trying to get a quiet track for him and things worked out well.”

His connections have no worries about Etched’s behavior on race day.

“No problem. He’s really good at the races. It’s more in the morning that he gets a little testy at times and has a mind of his own,” McLaughlin said.

Regular rider Alan Garcia will be returned to the saddle aboard Etched, who was ridden by Eddie Castro in his Monmouth Cup victory last time out.

First Dude/ Paddy O’Prado – Both of trainer Dale Romans starters in the Classic galloped 1 ½ m Thursday morning and the conditioner said they’re continuing to do great and they’re ready for their Saturday engagement.

First Dude, a 3yo Stephen Got Even colt, is looking for his first win since breaking his maiden in January at Gulfstream Park. The runner-up in the Pennsylvania Derby in his last start will break from post 4 in the Classic and will be ridden by Robby Albarado.

Paddy O’Prado, a 3yo son of El Prado, will be making his second start against older rivals in Saturday’s Classic after finishing second to Turf hopeful Winchester in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Belmont Park in his last start. Regular rider Kent Desormeaux has the mount aboard Paddy O’Prado who starts from post 2.

Fly Down – The Nick Zito-trained 3yo colt galloped 1 ½ m under Carlos Correa Thursday morning at Churchill Downs over the track that he proved to his liking last fall. Fly Down broke his maiden at Churchill last November, scoring a half-length decision over Classic hopeful First Dude in his second lifetime start.

The Hall of Fame trainer is hopeful that conditions will once again be suited to son of Mineshaft.

“I’m hoping Fly Down gets a great chance to run his race. I’m hoping there are legitimate fractions,” Zito said. “As long as that happens, I think he’ll have a legitimate chance to run.”

Of course, legitimate fractions should also benefit Zenyatta, the undefeated 8-5 morning-line favorite for the Classic.

“You have to say she’s the horse to beat, because you are what your record is, and that’s what it says. Whether it’s the colts, the dirt, she’s still the horse to beat. You have to give her that distinction. You have to,” said Zito, acknowledging that this year’s Classic will be Zenyatta’s biggest challenge.

Julien Leparoux will ride Fly Down for the first time Saturday.

Haynesfield – Looking purely at the pedigree of Turtle Bird Stable’s Haynesfield, one might assume that he would be best suited to the Sprint, but of the nine wins Steve Asmussen’s Classic contender has on his resume, eight have come at distances of 1m or greater.

“It’s funny, he’s by Speightstown, who is a Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner (2004), so you’d think he might want to stay short,” Asmussen said. “But Haynesfield is a big tall, long jumping horse who obviously has ability over longer distances. Over time, you let them tell you. It’s about finding what they’re capable of doing and where they can have success.”

In his only previous start over the Classic’s 1 ¼ m distance, which came in his most recent start, Haynesfield wired the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont.

Musket Man – The 4yo son of Yonaguska galloped 1 ¾ m on the main track Thursday morning, and trainer Derek Ryan said the colt is good to go Saturday.

“He’s doing great,” Ryan said. “He’s never been better. I expect him to be right there.”

Musket Man has a history on the Churchill Downs main track. He ran third after being bumped hard in deep stretch in the 2009 Kentucky Derby, and this year on Derby Day, he ran into severe traffic problems and finished third in the Churchill Downs Stakes.

The Classic will be Musket Man’s sixth start of the year, which was the plan all along, Ryan said.

“It looks like he has gaps in his past performances, but that’s by design,” the trainer said. “I wanted to get him to the Met Mile in the spring (finished second to Quality Road), and then give him most of the summer off.

“He hates the heat, so we sent him back to the farm for three weeks during the summer, and then brought him back for the Whitney (third behind Blame and Quality Road). I used the Whitney and the Monmouth Cup (second to Etched) as his Breeders’ Cup preps.

“He’s coming into the race in great shape. Now if there’s a legitimate pace, and if the rider (Rajiv Maragh) reads the pace right, and if he fires, I expect him to be right there at the finish.”

Musket Man, owned by Eric Fein and Vic Carlson, won the Tampa Bay Derby and Illinois Derby on his way to the Kentucky Derby last year. This season, he’s won just once in five starts, taking his seasonal debut in an overnight stakes at Tampa Bay.

Pleasant Prince – With a Saturday date with Zenyatta in the offing, Pleasant Prince tuned up again with a 1 ½ m gallop over the main, continuing his progress toward the Classic.

“He’s as good as I can get him,” trainer Wesley Ward said Thursday morning. “I’m expecting a good effort from him. He’s been eating the bottom out of his feed tub and sleeping all night.”

Where does Ward see Pleasant Prince going down the backstretch of the 1 ¼ m race?

“He’ll probably be teamed up with Zenyatta at the back of the pack,” said the trainer. “He usually drops back right after the start.”

Thursday Early Breeders' Cup News

2010-11-04T12:04:00.000-04:00

Some early Breeders' Cup news, including a Zenyatta report (courtesy Breeders' Cup).....

The reigning Breeders’ Cup Classic champion Zenyatta left Barn 41 at 9:15 a.m. and was followed by hundreds of adoring fans including owners Jerry and Ann Moss and trainer John Shirreffs.

Hollendorfer Plans to Declare Indian Gracey

Owner-trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said he plans to scratch his 2yo filly Indian Gracey from the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies due to a sore right front foot.

Hollendorfer had not liked how she was jogging off the track Wednesday, and when he checked the filly early Thursday morning, he was certain that he would not run her on Friday.

“She has a hot right front foot, so we’re not running,” Hollendorfer said. “I’d rather know now than in the race. She’s talented, so she’ll get other chances. But we’re going to do the right thing by her and not run this time.”

· Thursday Workouts:

Beethoven – 3f turf in 37; Master of Hounds – 3f turf in 38; Deciphering Dreams – 3f in 38 2/5; Midday – 3f in 42

Wednesday's Breeders' Cup Classic Notes

2010-11-03T12:50:00.000-04:00

Zenyatta – The undefeated, reigning queen of Thoroughbred racing had her first gallop over the Churchill Downs track at about 9 a.m. on Wednesday, one day after arriving from California. A large crowd, including owners Jerry and Ann Moss, followed Zenyatta to the track and watched her gallop under regular exercise rider Steve Willard. Prior to the gallop, she was led to the back of the mile chute and allowed to stand and relax before her gallop.

“She did fine,” said trainer John Shirreffs with big smile on his face. “She seems very happy and really got over the track good. They say that the Churchill track is a lot like the Oaklawn track. That’s what I’ve heard, but I’m from California. She seems to like it just fine.”

“I love seeing all the people come out to see her,” said Shirreffs. “I think that’s what makes her so special and how she will be remembered. Everyone that sees her becomes a fan. We’ve all become her fans.”

“She's terrific,” added Willard. “She couldn't be training any better. She loves the dirt. I knew it two years ago and I knew it going into Hot Springs (for the Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park). She drives off it. It doesn't have the trampoline effect like the synthetics. The crowd was great. They were mostly quiet, a couple yelled, but for the most part very accommodating.”

Zenyatta will school in the paddock with the horses running in the second race Wednesday.

Lookin At Lucky – The nation’s top 3yo contender got his first tour of the Churchill Downs track under exercise rider Jorge Alvarez on Wednesday morning after the renovation break, and Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert declared it a “super good” trip.

“There’s ‘good,’ and then there’s ‘super good’,” Baffert said around 8:30 a.m., as the Smart Strike colt galloped once around. “I like it when it’s super good. He looks so different on dirt; he looks like he’s happier, he enjoys himself. He moves so much smoother over the dirt than he does on synthetics. He’s doing well.”

In spite of a sixth-place finish in the May 1 Kentucky Derby in his last visit to Churchill Downs, Lookin At Lucky has stamped his credentials in the division with his latest win in the Oct. 2 Indiana Derby, a score in the Haskell Invitational, and a Preakness victory earlier this spring. According to Baffert, he’s still going strong in the second part of the year.

“The Indiana Derby showed a dimension we didn’t know he had, of really having the worst of it and still coming through in such an easy manner,” Baffert said. “I thought for sure down the backside that he was finished, you know, there’s no way he’s going to run the way the track was playing that day. And he went around there and came back like it was nothing for him. Even in the Kentucky Derby after getting wiped out, he still was trying to get there. And that’s the thing about this horse – he has so much determination. So it’s exciting to come into the race the way he’s doing right now.”

Lookin At Lucky arrived at Churchill on the same Tex Sutton charter flight that brought the unbeaten Zenyatta. He’ll tangle with older horses for the first time in the Classic.

“I think a lot of us trainers, we’re all in the same boat, none of us have ever faced this kind of competition before,” Baffert said of taking on Zenyatta. “But it’s still worked out to be one of those Breeders’ Cup Classics where all the good horses have shown up, and it’s going to be a good race. It’s hard to get really excited about it because the mare’s in there, so I don’t want to get too excited. I just want to see a good run. Turning for home, I’d like to be in a spot to get a good run because every time he gets a chance to get in a good run, he wins.”

Quality Road – The third betting choice on the morning line went out for a leisurely gallop Wednesday morning, and trainer Todd Pletcher said he was much more concerned by his star’s post position (1) than the memory of last year’s starting gate issues that resulted in a late scratch from the Classic.

“We haven’t seen any indications it will be a problem,” Pletcher said. “I would say as far as disappointments go you could rank that one pretty high, but he’s been great ever since. When we laid out a program last fall this is what we had in mind this year. Other than finishing a head short in the Whitney, everything has gone exactly the way we planned.”

The son of Elusive Quality has lost twice at the Classic distance of 1 ¼ m, but Pletcher doesn’t believe his 4yo has distance limitations.

“This is the kind of race where you worry about everything,” he said. “If you watch his race in the Donn and the Florida Derby, I can’t see a mile-and-a-quarter being an issue as strong as he finished his mile-and-an-eighth races. Even at a mile and an eighth, you’d be concerned just with the quality of the field. There’s no margin for error. I think you have to be ready to run your best race.”

Pletcher said he has never lost confidence in the colt.

“We felt like all along we’ve got the best horse in training,” said Pletcher, who have the rare opportunity of winning the Kentucky Derby (Super Saver) and Classic at Churchill in the same year. “I think the Donn is the strongest race any horse has run this year.”

Blame – The 9-2 second choice for the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic took to the track Wednesday morning for an easy jog. Trainer Al Stall Jr. said everything was as it should be with the 4yo son of Arch, who will make the final start of his career against Zenyatta on Saturday before being retired to stud at Claiborne Farm.

Blame’s last work was turned in on Monday, an effortless 4f in 49 4/5 under jockey Garrett Gomez.

Espoir City – Jockey Tetsuzo Sato breezed the 5yo horse 4f in 49 3/5 Wednesday morning.

Rather than using the Japanese style of breaking off at the finish line and working around the first turn, as he had done Sunday, trainer Akio Adachi had Sato work the two-time Group 1 winner to the wire, the conventional approach in North America.

“Today was sort of the final touch-up,” he said through interpreter Mikki Tsuge, West Coast Representative for the Japan Racing Association, who has been serving as the connections’ liaison at Churchill Downs. “We had the jockey on him. There were no instructions, no specific fractions requested. I just wanted the jockey to feel how the horse was.”

Adachi was pleased with the work.

“I’m quite satisfied,” he said, adding the son of Gold Allure can handle whatever develops in the Classic.

“Espoir City is quite versatile,” he said. “No instructions will be given to the jockey. We will leave it to him. If he breaks well, he can settle wherever. If he doesn’t break well, he can cover ground. I’m not concerned.”

The Japan Cup Dirt and February Stakes winner drew post 11 in the 12-horse field.

“I actually like it,” Adachi said.

The trainer said his horse can deal with the American style of racing, with a quick early pace.

“In his recent races, he has been up front,” he said. “I’m quite certain that he has the speed to keep up with the pace here. Also, I’m not concerned with the distance. This will be his first time going a mile-and-a-quarter, but I’m quite confident that he will handle the distance as well. I really don’t have any major concerns.”

Etched – The 5yo son of Forestry arrived at Barn 40 on the Churchill Downs backstretch at 3:30 Wednesday morning after leaving his Greentree Training Center in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. at 1 p.m. Tuesday.

“Everything went well,” said trainer Kiaran McLaughlin from his Belmont Park base. “He just walked this morning and will train tomorrow.”

Etched, who has won both his starts this year, will be making his Grade 1 debut while taking on Zenyatta and 10 other males in the Classic.

“We have never run against Zenyatta. I have a great deal of respect for her. Obviously she’s the one to beat,” McLaughlin said. “It would be great for racing if she could retire undefeated, but for my family, I’d like to beat her. But if we don’t win, I’d hope she does win. If we do win, I can tell you I won’t feel bad for long.”

Alan Garcia has the mount on Etched.

First Dude/ Paddy O’Prado – First Dude galloped 1 ½ m on Wednesday and was then made to stand on the track “to get a good look at Zenyatta.”

The Dale Romans-trained First Dude enters the Classic off a runner-up finish in the Pennsylvania Derby and Romans feels that race was key to him finally reaching a level of maturity.

“He just needed the time to mature and I think he’s finally coming around,” said Romans. “I honestly believe he thinks he won that race because ever since that race, he’s been real cocky. He’s never been like that before."

Paddy O' Prado, the El Prado colt who finished third in the Kentucky Derby, galloped 1 1/2 m over the main Churchill track on Wednesday in preparation for his return to dirt in the Classic after three wins and a second on turf.

“He's never trained better than he did this morning,” said Romans. “Both my horses are coming around at the right time. We're definitely not going to have any excuses if we lose.”

Both First Dude and Paddy O'Prado will gallop up to the Classic.

Fly Down – The 3yo son of Mineshaft galloped 1 1/2m at Churchill Downs Wednesday morning under exercise rider Carlos Correa.

Fly Down, who broke his maiden at Churchill Downs last fall, has demonstrated a strong late kick that has powered him to victory in the Dwyer and second-place finishes in the Belmont Stakes and the Travers Stakes, which he lost by just a nose to Afleet Express.

“It’ll be an interesting race. I just hope the horses that are supposed to go…go, for our horse,” said Zito, obviously hoping that Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Haynesfield, Woodward victor Quality Road and others will set a strong early pace to complement his colt’s late-running effort. Zito acknowledged that Zenyatta would also be a beneficiary of a solid early pace.

“Naturally all eyes are on Zenyatta,” Zito said. “You are what your record is, and she has a perfect record. Obviously, this is her biggest test, win, lose, or draw.”

Julien Leparoux will be aboard Fly Down for the first time.

Haynesfield – In Saturday’s Classic, Turtle Bird Stable’s Haynesfield will attempt to become the first New York-bred to capture a Breeders’ Cup race. He has nine wins on his resume from 13 starts, with four of those coming against restricted company, but in his final start of 2009 the connections realized they might have something special.

“His win in the Discovery last year showed us what he could be,” Asmussen said. “His Suburban victory this year, and in his Jockey Club (Gold Cup) after that, he showed us that he’s a top class horse.”

Haynesfield has traditionally done his best running on the lead, or from just off the pace. A dry track that’s tough to close over would work to his advantage.

“Speed holds if you’re fast,” Asmussen joked. “It’s a very fair racetrack. The track was very slow opening day (Sunday), but with racing the next few days, it should tighten up a bit.”

Musket Man – The 4yo colt stretched his legs with a 1m jog over the Churchill Downs main track Wednesday morning, going out for the first time since arriving late Tuesday.

Trainer Derek Ryan, who arrived in Louisville at midnight, was on hand to supervise the colt’s training. Musket Man is stabled in Barn 41, in the same stall he occupied when he ran third in the 2009 Kentucky Derby and third in the Churchill Downs Stakes on Derby Day this year. Musket Man found traffic trouble in both races or he might have fared better.

“He seems to get into trouble here,” Ryan said, “but he finds trouble everywhere. We need a clean trip in this race.”

This year, the son of Yonaguska, owned by Eric Fein and Vic Carlson, has won just once in six starts, with three seconds and two thirds. He was second to Quality Road in the Metropolitan Handicap and third behind Blame and Quality Road in the Whitney Handicap.

Last out, Musket Man was the 1-2 favorite in the Monmouth Cup, but was beaten a neck by Etched, another Classic rival.

“He should have won that race,” Ryan said. “I said he would only go to the Breeders’ Cup if he won, but I know he was much the best that day and unlucky to lose by a neck. I know he’ll run well here.”

Musket Man gets another change of riders for the Classic, with Rajiv Maragh taking over again. Maragh rode the colt in the Whitney, when he was closer to the pace than usual.

“Rajiv knows the horse,” Ryan said, explaining the switch from last out. “He chased the speed in the Whitney because he didn’t want Quality Road to steal the race on the lead.”

Pleasant Prince – The 3yo son of Indy King galloped 1 1/2m on the main track after the mid-morning break and trainer Wesley Ward continues to be encouraged about the colt owned by Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey.

“He’s been training awesome for quite a while, and that’s why Mr. Ramsey paid the $100,000 to nominate him for the Classic,” Ward said Wednesday morning. “He’s just doing awesome and I think he’s going to run big enough to warrant that extra fee.”

Pleasant Prince drew post 9 at Tuesday’s post-position draw, but Ward said he’s not concerned about that. “He’ll get good position up fairly close,” the trainer said.

Tuesday's Breeders' Cup Headlines/Notes

2010-11-02T12:26:00.000-04:00

Today's Breeders' Cup headlines and notes, courtesy of the Breeders' Cup...

Arrivals Tuesday: A Tex Sutton charter from California arrived before noon in Louisville Tuesday with 11 horses that are scheduled to compete in the Breeders’ Cup. Included on the flight was the unbeaten defending Breeders’ Cup Classic champion Zenyatta for trainer John Shirreffs, along with Classic contender and leading 3-year-old Lookin At Lucky, trained by Bob Baffert.

Also aboard the chartered flight were A Z Warrior (JF) and Gabby’s Golden Gal (FMS) for Baffert; Champ Pegasus (T) and Crown of Thorns (DM) for Richard Mandella; Awesome Gem (Mar) and Tropic Storm (TS/DM) for Craig Dollase; Unzip Me (TS) for Martin Jones; Jaycito (J) for Mike Mitchell; and J P’s Gusto (J) for David Hofmans.

Classic entrant Musket Man boarded a van in New Jersey at 3:30 a.m. Tuesday for the approximately 12-hour ride from Monmouth Park to Churchill Downs and was expected to arrive late in the afternoon.

Trainer Derek Ryan had horses entered at Parx Racing Tuesday and said he would drive to Louisville after the races at the Philadelphia track.

Musket Man, owned by Eric Fein and Vic Carlson, will be stabled in Barn 41 on the Churchill backside, taking the same stall he occupied when he ran third in the 2009 Kentucky Derby and third in the Churchill Downs Stakes this year on Derby Day.

Etched is taking the scenic route to Churchill Downs and the Classic, being shipped by van from his Greentree Training Center in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Tuesday into Wednesday morning. Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin decided it was the best mode of transportation for the “difficult” Classic contender.

“It would have been a four-hour ride to Long Island, another hour at the airport and then the flight,” McLaughlin said. “He can be a bit difficult and he’s a very large horse, so it’s just better for him to head down there on a van.

McLaughlin estimated that Etched will arrive at Churchill Downs at 5 or 6 a.m. Wednesday after being loaded onto the van at 1 p.m. Tuesday.

Etched’s stablemate Soldat, a Juvenile Turf contender stabled at Belmont Park, was scheduled for a quicker form of transportation to Louisville Tuesday aboard a Tex Sutton chartered flight from JFK International due at approximately 5:30 p.m.

The American-based horses from Godolphin arrived safe and sound from New York and had settled down in their stalls in Barn 36 at Churchill Downs on Tuesday morning after an uneventful van ride from Belmont Park.

Assistant trainer Henry Spiller said Breeders’ Cup Sprint contender Girolamo, Dirt Mile contenders Gayego and Vineyard Haven, and Filly & Mare Sprint starter Sara Louise all shipped well and will go to the track Wednesday morning at 6 a.m. to gallop 1 1/4m in preparation for their respective starts. Godolphin’s main assistant, Rick Mettee, is scheduled to arrive in Louisville Tuesday evening, while head trainer Saeed bin Suroor will arrive Thursday.

Winchester, winner of the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Belmont last time out, will accompany stablemate and Mile starter Gio Ponti on the last Tex Sutton chartered flight from New York to Louisville Tuesday. The pair of turf specialists will be bedded down in Barn 40. Trainer Christophe Clement will arrive on Friday.

On Tuesday, Gio Ponti’s connections announced that the 5yo son of Tale of the Cat will bypass the Classic, which was listed as first preference in the pre-entries.

“He came out of the Shadwell Mile in great order. I’m very excited to run him in the Breeders’ Cup Mile,” Clement said Tuesday.

Also new on the grounds was Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf contender Fancy Point, who vanned in late Monday from trainer Will Phipps’ base in Ocala, Fla. The 2yo daughter of Point Given will jog 1m, gallop 1m, and school in the paddock Wednesday morning

The European horses were released from quarantine Tuesday morning with Goldikova (IRE) leading the way to the track for a first look at Churchill Downs.

The 5yo mare, trained by Freddy Head, is seeking an unprecedented third straight victory in the Breeders’ Cup Mile. She jogged over the main track Tuesday morning, just stretching her legs.

Other Europeans getting their first exercise on the dirt track Tuesday included Debussy (IRE), Dangerous Midge and Behkabad (FR), all entered in the Turf, and Filly & Mare Turf runners Midday (GB) and Plumania (GB).

Epsom Derby and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Workforce (GB) is to be entered in the Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Turf, but a decision on whether he will actually run will be made later in the week, with the hope of rain softening the turf course.

Head lad Stuart Messenger sent both Workforce and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf contender Dux Scholar to the track for the first time on Tuesday morning, and after they jogged for a bit, gave them each an gallop on the turf.

With the lack of rain in Kentucky, firmness of the course has been a concern and heading back to the barn, a grim-faced Messenger said “It’s very firm. We’re going to have a very serious discussion on whether we will run.”

Messenger phoned trainer Michael Stoute, who was about to fly to the United States from his Newmarket base in England, and they decided to enter the horse and then monitor the course condition the rest of the week.

Workforce, by King’s Best, could return to run as a 4yo, which is a factor in the decision. It’s possible that Dux Scholar would also scratch if Workforce does.

Trainer Akio Adachi said Espoir City (JPN) will work Wednesday morning at approximately 8:45 a.m. following the renovation break.

Jockey Tetsuzo Sato will be aboard for the breeze, which will likely be five or six furlongs, beginning at the finish line. Adachi said it was a typical training schedule for the horse, which has won 10 of 13 starts, including the Japan Cup Dirt and the February Stakes since being switched from turf to dirt in August 2008.

Espoir City worked 4f Sunday and will stay on his usual schedule with a second breeze the week of the race.

“It’s basically the style. Of course it depends on the individual horse,” Adachi said through interpreter said Mikki Tsuge, West Coast Representative for the Japan Racing Association who has been serving as the connections’ liaison at Churchill Downs. “With him, it’s pretty much sticking to his routine.”

Adachi said the horse will walk Thursday and jog Friday.

Tuesday Workouts:

Pashito the Che - In his final major preparation for Saturday's Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Sprint, Tuna Stable LLC and Off the Hook LLC's Pashito the Che worked 4f over a fast main track in 51 3/5.

With exercise rider Jennifer Stisted aboard, the 4yo son of Flatter ran splits of 14, 26 3/5, 38 3/5 and he galloped out in 1:07 2/5.

"The work was a little slower than I wanted, but I told my wife (Stisted) I'd rather have him go slow than fast," trainer Scott Lake said. “He passed another horse in the stretch and finished out good. He came back great. It's all systems go."

· Tuesday Declarations:

Major Gain – Gary and Mary West’s son of More Than Ready came up with a temperature Tuesday morning and will not be entered in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.

“He will be fine in a few days but will not be well enough to run on Saturday,” trainer Wayne Catalano said. “It is disappointing, but these things happen sometimes.”

Monday's Zenyatta Report

2010-11-01T15:09:00.001-04:00

Monday's Zenyatta Update, courtesy Breeders' Cup.....

Two-time champion Zenyatta, looking to improve her 19-0 record with a repeat victory in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Saturday at Churchill Downs, jogged 1m over the Hollywood Park training track on Monday morning.

This was her last training exercise before leaving California. The 6yo Street Cry mare will leave her barn at 2 am (PT) on Tuesday morning to board a chartered Tex Sutton flight to Kentucky leaving at 5 am. Owners Jerry and Ann Moss and trainer John Shirreffs will board a private plane and hope to arrive in Louisville ahead of their prized mare.

“It was just a jog day,” said Shirreffs. “It was just something nice and easy.”

When asked what he thought of the “60 Minutes” feature about Zenyatta, which aired Sunday night, he replied, “It was very good. They did a great job with it.”

Shirreffs, who became the first trainer to win the Ladies’ Classic and the Classic in the same year, will be looking to pull a double again this year. He will also saddle Harmonious in the Filly & Mare Turf.

Monday's Classic Notes

2010-11-01T13:35:00.001-04:00

Zenyatta – The defending Breeders’ Cup Classic champion jogged on the training track at Hollywood Park at 9:00 PT Monday morning with exercise rider Steve Willard aboard ahead of her trip Tuesday morning aboard the Tex Sutton Forwarding charter carrying the final contingent of California-based Breeders’ Cup contenders, tentatively scheduled to arrive in Louisville by noon or early afternoon.

A more detailed report on Zenyatta will follow separately.

Blame – One of the top contenders expected to take on the unbeaten Zenyatta in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, the Al Stall Jr. trainee turned in an easy final workout on Monday morning at Churchill Downs when he breezed 4f in 49 4/5 under jockey Garrett Gomez.

The 4yo son of Arch came onto the track accompanied by a pony around 6:10 a.m. and jogged the wrong way down the stretch to the far turn before coming back and breaking off from the pony just past the wire. He appeared eager to run and on the muscle, but settled nicely into a smooth gallop before being set down to the task along the backside. Clockers caught him galloping out 5f in 1:03 1/5.

“It was just a little maintenance work,” Stall said. “He started out comfortable, did his job, pulled up with a little buck and a squeal, and came on home. That’s him. Garrett said he’s becoming like a movie star; he loves all the cameras and attention out there. When he cut loose from the pony he tried to take off a little, but he settled down well.”

“The last time I went to work him at Saratoga before the Whitney, I had trouble getting him to the pole, he was pulling that hard,” Gomez said. “This morning he started out like that, but I was able to kind of con him around there and play with him and get him into a nice little gallop and kind of trick him that he was just going to gallop around there. Then, when we got to the backside, he started pulling and I actually broke him off at about 4 ½ furlongs. I just kind of tried to let him hit his stride and pick it up as we went along like he does in all his races. His work was just what we were looking for, just enough to open his lungs and get him a little more on edge getting closer to race day.”

Stall had talked of potentially breezing the runner, a homebred owned by Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider, on Sunday. But he decided early last week to wait until after Churchill Downs’ opening day and scheduled the work for Monday instead.

“I thought the track would be in really pristine shape after all the harrowing of opening day, and it looked really good this morning,” he said.

In his last start, Blame was runner-up to fellow Classic contender Haynesfield by four lengths in the Oct. 2 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park. Before the recent loss, he carried a four-race win streak toward the Breeders’ Cup, with 2010 victories in the Aug. 7 Whitney Handicap at Saratoga, the June 12 Stephen Foster here at Churchill Downs, the May 15 William D. Schaefer Stakes at Pimlico, and a 2009 score in the Clark Handicap here last November.

Blame will be retired to stand at Claiborne Farm following his start in the Classic.

“I’m glad were considered one of the top horses,” said Stall. “It’s a tough race but I feel like we belong.”

All of the colt’s wins this year came under Gomez.

“He did what he was supposed to do and turned into a really good racehorse, and hopefully now he can turn into a great one,” the jockey said.

Lookin At Lucky – Lookin at Lucky walked the shedrow at Hollywood Park Monday morning after working 5f in 59 3/5 Sunday.

“I asked Bodie (his son), ‘Who is the fastest in the world?’ and he said, ‘Zenyatta,’ so I guess it’s all uphill,” said trainer Bob Baffert. “Seriously, he’s doing great. We just need some racing luck.”

Quality Road –It was a quiet morning for the Woodward winner, who walked the shedrow after his final work on Sunday over the main track at Churchill Downs. The son of Elusive Quality went 4f and was timed in 48 3/5, seventh-best of 60 on the tab.

“I thought it was a very good work and he galloped out well,” said trainer Todd Pletcher, who had the colt ready for last year’s Classic only to suffer the misfortune of having him scratched at the gate when Santa Anita’s assistant starters were unable to get him loaded.

“That was disappointing, but we were fortunate that he didn’t get injured and we’re able to come back and try again.” said Pletcher, who sent his formerly high-strung star to former NYRA starter Bob Duncan after the Breeders’ Cup to get him to learn how to relax before racing.

“Bob worked with him shortly after that, and there haven’t been any problems this year,” said Pletcher, who pre-entered 11 Breeders’ Cup runners. John Velazquez, who has been aboard in all but two of Quality Road’s 12 starts, will ride the Edward P. Evans color bearer.

Espoir City – The 5yo Japanese Classic hopeful was walked in the shedrow Monday morning, the day after he worked 4f in 48 3/5.

“All is well. He came out of his breeze in good condition,” said Mikki Tsuge, West Coast Representative for the Japan Racing Association, who has been serving as the connections’ liaison at Churchill Downs.

Trainer Akio Adachi and trainer Tetsuzo Sato are scheduled to arrive in Kentucky on Monday and be at the track for training Tuesday morning. Tsuge said it is possible that Adachi may work the son of Gold Allure again on Wednesday.

Espoir City has won 11 of 20 career starts, including two Group 1 races, the 2009 Japan Cup Dirt and the 2010 February Stakes, and has purse earnings of $5.9 million

Etched – The Monmouth Cup winner galloped 1 3/8m over the Polytrack at Darley USA’s Greentree Training Center in Saratoga Springs Monday, the morning before he is scheduled to board a van bound for Churchill Downs and is expected to arrive early Wednesday.

“He’s stabled at Greentree at Saratoga, so it’d be a four-hour van ride down here and then he’d have to be boarded onto a plane,” said trainer Kiaran McLaughlin from Belmont Park. “We figured it would be easier for him to put him in a box stall and van him down there.”

Etched, a 5yo son of Forestry, will be ridden by Alan Garcia.

First Dude/Paddy O'Prado – First Dude, Donald Dizney’s Stephen Got Even colt who has held his own against the top 3yos this year, was feeling good Monday morning as he went to the track to jog 2m on Monday with exercise rider Tammy Fox aboard. It was the colt’s first time to the track since his 5f workout on Saturday in 1:01 1/5.

“He was saying ‘Hi ho silver and bucky, bucky, bucky’,” said Fox, a former jockey and the longtime partner of trainer Dale Romans.

“He was just playing out there,” said Romans. “He’s feeling good. He came out of the work really well.”

Jockey Robby Albarado, who was aboard Romans’ first Breeders’ Cup winner, Tapitsfly last year in the Juvenile Fillies, has the mount on First Dude in the Classic.

Paddy O’Prado, Donegal Racing’s multiple stakes-winner walked the shedrow of Romans’ barn on Monday and will return to the track on Tuesday to jog. The El Prado colt completed preparations for the Classic on Saturday with a 5f workout in 1:01 on Saturday.

Paddy O’Prado had been pre-entered in both the Turf and Classic, but his connections have opted for the Classic.

“It was a breeding decision,” said Romans. “He’s already proved he can run on turf. If he proves can run well in here on dirt, it will really increase his stud value. He ran well on the dirt in the Kentucky Derby and it’s not like the Turf was going to be an easier race. Realistically, we felt he has as good a chance in the Classic as we would have in the Turf.”

Regular rider Kent Desormeaux keeps the mount in the Classic.

Fly Down/Morning Line – Assistant trainer Stacy Prior attended to the training of Fly Down and Morning Line Monday morning at Churchill Downs as trainer Nick Zito was en route to Louisville.

“Everything’s good. Both horses galloped 1 ½ miles,” said Prior, reporting that exercise rider Carlos Correa was aboard both Classic hopefuls.

Gio Ponti – Gio Ponti, who finished second in last year’s Classic, galloped over Belmont Park’s main track this morning. Gio Ponti was pre-entered in both the Classic and Mile this year.

“He’s doing great, really excited about running him Saturday,” trainer Christophe Clement said. “He’s leaving (for Kentucky) Tuesday.”

Jockey Ramon Dominguez has the mount.

“I’ve never had a horse like him,” Clement said. “He’s been top class at two, three, four and five. He’s a pleasure to be around.”

Haynesfield – Turtle Bird Stable’s Haynesfield, who breezed 4f in 50 on Sunday in his final major move prior to Saturday’s Classic, is “very sharp right now” according to trainer Steve Asmussen.

“The horse is doing well, I’m very pleased,” he said. “With him, it’s all about the gate and how he acts in it, and if he doesn’t lose his race there.”

Such was the case in the Whitney at Saratoga on Aug. 7 when Haynesfield broke through the gate pre-start, and wound up finishing fourth behind Blame. He would turn the tables on that Classic foe seven weeks later, wiring the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont by four lengths.

“He schools very well in the morning, it’s just the afternoon,” Asmussen said. “The gate setting on the front side is a huge concern. Ironically, you are able to school at the quarter-pole here, exactly where the gate is set for the race. Hopefully that will be the difference for him. He has given a few performances away in the past.”

Haynesfield hasn’t run in a race at Churchill before, but he’s worked three times over the track in advance of the Classic.

“We got him in here early because of his quirks, and the horse has responded extremely well,” Asmussen said. “He’s comfortable with his surroundings, and I’m very happy with the way he travels over this racetrack.”

Asmussen confirmed that Jockey Club Gold Cup winning rider Ramon Dominguez retains the call for the Classic

Musket Man – The 4yo colt, who ran third in his two starts at Churchill Downs, was scheduled to get on a van at Monmouth Park late Monday night for the trip to Kentucky, trainer Derek Ryan said. He is scheduled to arrive Tuesday afternoon.

“He had his final work at Monmouth Saturday (5f breeze in 1:00 4/5),” Ryan said, “and he’ll gallop up to the race at Churchill Downs.”

Ryan said he’ll arrive at Churchill Downs on Wednesday.

Musket Man, owned by Eric Fein and Vic Carlson, will be housed in Barn 41 on the Churchill backside, taking the same stall he occupied when he ran third in the 2009 Kentucky Derby and third in the Churchill Downs Stakes this year on Derby Day.

In his recent starts, Musket Man was third behind Blame and Quality Road in the Whitney Handicap at Saratoga in August, and last out was second by a neck behind Etched in the Monmouth Cup on Oct. 9.

He’s had two breezes since, 6f in 1:17 at Monmouth on Oct. 23, and then his 5f breeze last Saturday, which was fifth best of 21 works at the distance.

Rajiv Maragh, who was aboard for the first time in the Whitney, gets the call again for the Classic.

Pleasant Prince – With a solid 5f workout in 1:01 3/5 on Sunday at Churchill Downs, trainer Wesley Ward’s Pleasant Prince jogged 1m Monday as he continued preparation for Saturday’s Classic at 1 ¼m on the main track.

Ward said from his Florida base that the 3yo chestnut colt continues to train well and he’s encouraged about how he might run in the race. The son of Indy King, owned by Kentuckians Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey, broke his maiden at Churchill Downs as a 2yo and returned to finish third the track’s Derby Trial April 24.

Pleasant Prince will be ridden in the Classic by Southern California-based Joel Rosario, who was in the irons in the colt’s victory in the Oklahoma Derby at Remington Park in his most recent start Oct. 10.

Monday Breeders' Cup Flash Notes

2010-11-01T12:42:00.001-04:00

Here's a quick look at today's Breeders' Cup headlines, courtesy of the BC Notes Team.....

* Zenyatta jogged on the training track at Hollywood Park at 9:00 PT Monday morning with exercise rider Steve Willard aboard ahead of her trip Tuesday morning aboard the Tex Sutton Forwarding charter carrying the final contingent of California-based Breeders’ Cup contenders, tentatively scheduled to arrive in Louisville by noon or early afternoon.

A more detailed report on Zenyatta’s Monday morning activity will follow later.

* Goldikova & Workforce were among the 19 European-trained Breeders’ Cup contenders that arrived on the Breeders’ Cup charter originating in France and stopping in England before landing in Louisville on Saturday evening. This group walked Quarantine barn 42 Monday morning and are expected to go to the track for the first time on Tuesday morning.

* Unrivaled Belle, pre-entered in both the Filly & Mare Sprint and the Ladies’ Classic, will run in the latter.

“Unless there is some last minute decision, she is going in the Ladies’ Classic,” trainer Bill Mott said. “I took a good look and I think she would be very competitive in the Filly & Mare Sprint, but her last two races have been two turns and she won going two turns here in the spring. I guess that’s really where the big reward is (Ladies’ Classic).”

* Monday Workouts:

Churchill Downs: Acting Happy – 4f in 49; Blame – 4f in 49 4/5; Informed Decision – 4f in 47 4/5; J. B.’s Thunder – 4f in 50; Riley Tucker – 4f in 49 3/5; Sweet August Moon – 3f in 35 4/5; Thiskyhasnolimit – 4f in 48 4/5; Unrivaled Belle – 4f in 49 2/5; Warrior’s Reward – 4f in 49; California Flag – 3f turf in 36 2/5; Proviso – 4f turf in 51 3/5; Al Khali – 5f turf in 1:01 2/5; Banned – 5f turf in 1:02 3/5; Forever Together – 5f turf in 1:01; Sidney’s Candy – 5f turf in 1:01

* Arrivals Monday: A Tex Sutton Forwarding charter from Baltimore arrived with horses trained by Tony Dutrow and Graham Motion.

· Temple City declared from the Breeders’ Cup Marathon on Thursday, Oct. 28 after much consideration by trainer Carla Gaines and Hughes.

“He really didn’t run well in his last race at Hawthorne (8th in the G2 Hawthorne Gold Cup on Oct. 2) and I don’t think he likes the dirt as well as he does the turf,” Gaines said. “So we decided to keep him in California and he’ll run in the G1 Hollywood Turf Cup, which is a 1 ½ mile race.”

Thursday Zenyatta's Notes

2010-10-28T15:05:00.001-04:00

Today's Zenyatta notes (courtesy Breeders' Cup)

The undefeated Zenyatta, looking to win a historic 20th straight race with a repeat in the Breeders’ Cup Classic on November 6, is getting more and more aggressive in her training each day, indicating to her connections that she’s ready for her toughest test yet. On Thursday, it took all of exercise rider Steve Willard’s strength to contain her during her 1 ½ mile gallop over the main Hollywood Park track.

“She’s pretty solid,” said trainer John Shirreffs, as he watched her gallop.

“She’s pretty aggressive today,” added Willard as he dismounted. “She’s really wanting to do some more. She’s ready for a work.

Jerry and Ann Moss’ two-time champion will continue to gallop one more day, Friday, and her final timed workout will be Saturday, October 30. She is scheduled to leave California for Kentucky on Tuesday, November 2.

Breeders' Cup Race Order

2010-10-27T16:55:00.001-04:00

Here is the final race order for both days of the Breeders' Cup. There were two changes from the initial schedule released in September. On Friday, the F&M Turf and Juvenile Fillies switched places and the Dirt Mile and Sprint swapped positions on Saturday.

Friday, November 5 – ALL TIMES EASTERN

1. Allowance 2:00 pm

2. Allowance 2:30 pm

3. Stakes 3:00 pm

4. Stakes 3:30 pm

5. $500,000 Breeders’ Cup Marathon (gr. III) - 4:10 p.m.

6. $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (gr. II) - 4:50 p.m.

7. $1 million Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (gr. I) – 5:30 p.m.

8. $2 million Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I) – 6:10 p.m.

9. $2 million Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (gr. I) – 6:50 p.m.

10. $2 million Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic (gr. I) -7:30 p.m.

Saturday, November 6 – ALL TIMES EASTERN

1. Allowance 12:05 pm

2. Stakes 12:35 pm

3. Stakes 1:15 pm

4. $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (gr. II) -1:50 p.m.

5. $2 million Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Sprint (gr. I) - 2:30 p.m.

6. $1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (gr. II) -3:15 p.m.

7. $2 million Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (gr. I) - 3:55 p.m.

8. $2 million TVG Breeders’ Cup Mile (gr. I) - 4:40 p.m.

9. $1 Million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (gr. I) -5:20 p.m.

10. $3 million Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Turf (gr. I) – 6:00 p.m.

11. $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (gr. I) - 6:45 p.m.

Tuesday's Zenyatta Report

2010-10-26T16:01:00.000-04:00

Here's today's Zenyatta report from Southern California (courtesy Breeders' Cup)....

Two-time champion Zenyatta, preparing to defend her Breeders’ Cup Classic title and perfect 19-0 record, didn’t make life easy on regular exercise rider Steve Willard on Tuesday morning as he had to use all his strength to pull her up after a 1 ½-mile gallop over the Hollywood Park main track.

“That was a good gallop,” said trainer John Shirreffs. “No concerns at this point. Although, I do want to get her on the (dirt) training track again this week and off the synthetics.”

“She did great,” added Willard. “Just terrific. She didn’t want to pull up and said, ‘hey, let’s do some more.’”

Jerry and Ann Moss’ Zenyatta will continue to gallop the remainder of the week and her final timed workout will be Saturday, October 30. She is scheduled to leave California for Kentucky on Tuesday, November 2.

Monday's Zenyatta Report

2010-10-25T14:51:00.000-04:00

Here's Monday's Zenaytta report (courtesy Breeders' Cup)....

ZENYATTA GALLOPS ONE MILE ON MONDAY

Two-time champion Zenyatta, preparing to defend her Breeders’ Cup Classic title and perfect 19-0 record, went to the main Hollywood Park track on Monday and jogged a half-mile before galloping a full mile under regular exercise rider Steve Willard. Normally, she would have gone to the training track, but overnight rain left the dirt track too wet. The main racetrack surface is Cushion Track.

“That’s the good thing about synthetic,” said Willard. “We haven’t had to stop at all. She’s doing really, really good. She’s in a terrific place mentally.”

Sunday's Zenyatta Report

2010-10-24T16:36:00.000-04:00

A quiet day for Zenyatta but here's the report (courtesy Breeders' Cup)...

Two-time champion Zenyatta showed no signs of being tired from Friday’s workout and, in fact, was quite a handful for exercise rider Steve Willard on Sunday morning. To ensure that she didn’t do too much, trainer John Shirreffs sent Willard and Zenyatta to the Hollywood Park training track with pony Winston and his rider, Fred Wilson, to jog one mile. It was her first trip to the track since Friday.

“On the first day back to the track, I just look to see that the rider stays on,” said Shirreffs. “She looks really good right now.”

Zenyatta’s final workout before she leaves California to defend her title in the Breeders’ Cup Classic will be Saturday, October 30. The Street Cry (IRE) mare will leave California on a Tex Sutton chartered flight on Tuesday, November 2.

Friday's Zenyatta Workout

2010-10-22T15:04:00.001-04:00

Here is a report on Zenyatta's workout this morning courtesy of the Breeders' Cup...

WORKS SEVEN FURLONGS

Two-time champion Zenyatta, by design, was put through a major exercise on Friday, working seven furlongs in 1:27 1/5 over the Hollywood Park main track under regular jockey Mike Smith. The splits for the workout were :38 4/5, :50 4/5, 1:03 1/5 and 1:15 1/5. She completed the final quarter-mile in :24.

The work was the second of three workouts scheduled before Zenyatta departs for Kentucky on November 2 to defend her title in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs on November 6. Breaking into the work at the three-quarter pole, the undefeated mare worked in company with stablemates Sorbonne, with Isabelle Bourez up, and El Vino, with Steve Willard up. She easily passed Sorbonne rounding the turn for home and then finished almost on even terms with El Vino.

“The objective today was to not have her pass anyone,” said trainer John Shirreffs. “We wanted to keep her focused throughout the entire work because she tends to slack off when she gets by another horse. We wanted her to have a fresh horse with her the whole time. It went pretty much as we had planned.”

“I got a great response from her,” said Smith, who noted that the track was a little heavy due to the rain the last few days. “She was a little aggressive leaving there, which is good because it shows that she wants to do more. The goal was to keep her focused and she did that. She caught the first horse (Sorbonne) pretty easily and then took a breather around the turn. I asked her to focus again and go after Steve’s horse (El Vino) and that horse was really focused. She got to him pretty nicely. We wanted 1:27 and we got 1:27 1/5. One second off seems pretty good to me.”

Zenyatta’s next workout out will be Saturday, October 30. She will leave California on a Tex Sutton chartered flight on Tuesday, November 2.

Prospective Breeders' Cup Fields

2010-10-21T16:17:00.000-04:00

Thanks for our friends at Churchill Downs, here's a list of horses that can potentially run in each of the Breeders' Cup Championship races.

CHAMPIONSHIP FRIDAY

MARATHON

A.U. Miner (trained by Clark Hanna), Alcomo-BRZ (Eduardo Caramori), Atoned (Neil Howard), Bright Horizon-GB (Aidan O’Brien), Eldaafer (Diane Alvarado), Falling Knife (Tom Amoss), Precision Break (Paul Cole), Tastahil-IRE (Barry Hills) and Temple City (Carla Gaines). Known horses whose connections may be giving the Marathon some consideration: Dansant-GB, Gabriel’s Hill, Giant Oak (Clark Handicap), Prince Will I Am (Turf), Wade Giles-IRE, Where’s the Remote (Hollywood Turf Cup) and Whispering Gallery-GB.

JUVENILE FILLIES TURF

Arch Support (trained by Gary Contessa), Forest Legend (Victoria Oliver), Kathmanblu (Ken McPeek), More Than Real (Todd Pletcher), New Normal (Mark Frostad), Quiet Oasis-IRE (Brian Meehan), Tale Untold (Richard Hannon), Together-IRE (Aidan O’Brien), Winter Memories (Jim Toner) and Wyomia (Juvenile Fillies). Known horses whose connections may be giving the Juvenile Fillies Turf some consideration: Cloneylass-IRE, Fancy Point, Harlan’s Ruby, Hooray-GB, Jazzy Jessy, Jordy Y (Juvenile Fillies), Singapore Lilly-IRE, Street Chimes, Theyskens’ Theory (Juvenile Fillies) and Tiger Girl.

FILLY & MARE SPRINT

Champagne d’Oro (trained by Eric Guillot), Dubai Majesty (Bret Calhoun), Evening Jewel (Jim Cassidy), First Passage (Marty Wolfson), Informed Decision (Jonathan Sheppard), Jessica Is Back (Marty Wolfson), Moontune Missy (Eoin Harty), My Jen (Eddie Kenneally), Qualia (Robert Ribaudo), Rightly So (Tony Dutrow), Rinterval-IRE (Eric Reed), Sara Louise (Saeed bin Suroor), Secret Gypsy (Ronny Werner), Sweet August Moon (Brian Koriner), Switch (John Sadler) and Tidal Pool (D. Wayne Lukas). Known horses whose connections may be giving the Filly & Mare Sprint some consideration: Gabby’s Golden Gal, Nicole H and Rapport.

FILLY & MARE TURF

Changing Skies-IRE (trained by Bill Mott), Eclair de Lune-GER (Ron McAnally), Forever Together (Jonathan Sheppard), Harmonious (John Shirreffs), Hibaayeb-GB (Saeed bin Suroor), Midday-GB (Henry Cecil), Plumania-GB (Andre Fabre) and Red Desire-JPN (Mikio Matsunaga). Known horses whose connections may be giving the Filly & Mare Turf some consideration: Ave-GB, Hot Cha Cha, Keertana, Miss Keller-IRE, Shared Account and Turning Top-IRE.

JUVENILE FILLIES

A Z Warrior (trained by Bob Baffert), Awesome Feather (Stan Gold), Delightful Mary (Mark Casse), Harlan’s Ruby (Ken McPeek), Izshelegal (Terry Knight), Jordy Y (Wayne Catalano), Joyful Victory (Tony Dutrow), R Heat Lightning (Todd Pletcher), Soundwave (Ronny Werner) and Tell a Kelly (John Sadler). Known horses whose connections may be giving the Juvenile Fillies some consideration: Honey Chile (Pocahontas), Indian Gracey, Tale Untold (Juvenile Fillies Turf), Theyskens’ Theory, Together-IRE (Juvenile Fillies Turf) and Wyomia (Juvenile Fillies Turf).

LADIES’ CLASSIC

Acoma (trained by David Carroll), Acting Happy (Rick Dutrow Jr.), Blind Luck (Jerry Hollendorfer), Funny Moon (Christophe Clement), Havre de Grace (Tony Dutrow), Life At Ten (Todd Pletcher), Malibu Prayer (Todd Pletcher), Persistently (“Shug” McGaughey), Seeking the Title (Dallas Stewart) and Unrivaled Belle (Bill Mott). Known horses whose connections may be giving the Ladies’ Distaff some consideration: Always a Princess, Evening Jewel (F&M Sprint), Milwaukee Appeal, Third Dawn (Chilukki) and Zardana-BRZ.

CHAMPIONSHIP SATURDAY

JUVENILE TURF

Air Support (trained by “Shug” McGaughey), Banned (Tom Proctor), Cozy Kitten (Wesley Ward), Klammer-GB (Jane Chapple-Hyam), Pluck (Todd Pletcher), Soldat (Kiaran McLaughlin) and Typhoon Slew (Mike Maker). Known horses whose connections may be giving the Juvenile Turf some consideration: Biondetti, Deciphering Dreams, J.B.’s Thunder (Juvenile), Major Gain, Mantoba-GB, Powhatan County, Rerouted, Rockin Heat, Rogue Romance (Juvenile), Rough Sailing, Titus Mills-IRE, Treasure Beach-GB, Utley and Willcox Inn.

DIRT MILE

A Little Warm (trained by Tony Dutrow), Aikenite (Todd Pletcher), Awesome Gem (Craig Dollase), Crown of Thorns (Richard Mandella), Dakota Phone (Jerry Hollendorfer), Gayego (Saeed bin Suroor), Here Comes Ben (Charlie Lopresti), Hurricane Ike (John Sadler), Mine That Bird (D. Wayne Lukas), Thiskyhasnolimit (Steve Asmussen), Tizway (Jim Bond), Twirling Candy (John Sadler) and Vineyard Haven (Saeed bin Suroor). Known horses whose connections may be giving the Dirt Mile some consideration: Bribon-FR (Sprint), Duke of Mischief, Jeranimo, Mad Flatter, Morning Line (Classic), Redding Colliery (Clark Handicap) and Warrior’s Reward (Sprint).

TURF SPRINT

Awakino Cat (Linda Rice), California Flag (Brian Koriner), Central City (Ronny Werner), Chamberlain Bridge (Bret Calhoun), Due Date (Steve Margolis), Elusive Gift (Richard Vega), Fatal Bullet (Reade Baker), Grand Adventure (Mark Frostad), Little Nick (Anthony Quartarolo), Quick Enough (Doug O’Neill), Rose Catherine (Todd Pletcher), Silver Timber (Chad Brown), Stradivinsky (Rick Dutrow Jr.), Tropic Storm (Craig Dollase) and Unzip Me (Marty Jones). Known horses whose connections may be giving the Turf Sprint some consideration: A Unique Treasure, Bridgetown, Gilt Edge Girl (Sprint), Ravalo, Scenic Blast-AUS and West Ocean.

JUVENILE

Boys At Tosconova (Rick Dutrow Jr.), J P’s Gusto (David Hofmans), Jaycito (Mike Mitchell), Stay Thirsty (Todd Pletcher) and Uncle Mo (Todd Pletcher). Known horses whose connections may be giving the Juvenile some consideration: Astrology, Blue Laser (Delta Jackpot), Caleb’s Posse, Factum, J.B.’s Thunder (Delta Jackpot), Madman Diaries (Delta Jackpot), Major Gain (Juvenile Turf), Mountain Town, Murjan, Riveting Reason, Rockin Heat, and Rogue Romance (Juvenile Turf).

MILE

Courageous Cat (Bill Mott), Court Vision (Rick Dutrow Jr.), Delegator-GB (Saeed bin Suroor), Get Stormy (Tom Bush), Goldikova-IRE (Freddie Head), Paco Boy-IRE (Richard Hannon), Proviso-GB (Bill Mott) and Sidney’s Candy (John Sadler). Known horses whose connections may be giving the Mile some consideration: Beethoven-IRE, Enriched, Gio Ponti (Classic), Grand Rapport, Society’s Chairman, Starspangledbanner-AUS, Victor’s Cry and Yankee Fourtune (Commonwealth Turf).

SPRINT

Atta Boy Roy (trained by Valorie Lund), Big Drama (David Fawkes), Cash Refund (Steve Margolis), Cost of Freedom (John Sadler), Dancing in Silks (Carla Gaines), E Z’s Gentleman (Bob Baffert), Girolamo (Saeed bin Suroor), Hamazing Destiny (D. Wayne Lukas), Kinsale King (Carl O’Callaghan), Riley Tucker (Steve Asmussen), Smiling Tiger (Jeff Bonde), Supreme Summit (Mike Puype), Warrior’s Reward (Ian Wilkes) and Wise Dan (Charlie Lopresti). Known horses whose connections may be giving the Sprint some consideration: Bank Merger, Bribon-FR (Dirt Mile), Gilt Edge Girl (Turf Sprint), Hollywood Hit, Latigo Shore, Rule by Night, and Wildcat Brief.

TURF

Al Khali (trained by Bill Mott), Behkabad-FR (Jean-Claude Rouget), Champ Pegasus (Richard Mandella), Debussy-IRE (John Gosden) and Winchester (Christophe Clement). Known horses whose connections may be giving the Turf some consideration: Dangerous Midge, Gitano Hernando-GB (Classic), Joshua Tree-IRE, Paddy O’Prado (Classic/Japan Cup), Plumania-GB (Filly & Mare Turf), Prince Will I Am (Marathon), Redwood-GB, Tazeez, Telling and Workforce-GB.

CLASSIC

Blame (trained by Al Stall Jr.), Espoir City-JPN (Akio Adachi), Etched (Kiaran McLaughlin), First Dude (Dale Romans), Fly Down (Nick Zito), Haynesfield (Steve Asmussen), Lookin At Lucky (Bob Baffert), Morning Line (Nick Zito), Musket Man (Derek Ryan), Quality Road (Todd Pletcher) and Zenyatta (John Shirreffs). Known horses whose connections may be giving the Classic some consideration: Crown of Thorns (Dirt Mile), Gio Ponti (Mile), Gitano Hernando-GB (Turf) and Paddy O’Prado (Turf).

Shirreffs on Zenyatta - Oct. 15

2010-10-15T15:14:00.000-04:00

From the Keeneland Press Release....

LEXINGTON, KY (October 15, 2010) – John Shirreffs, trainer of the undefeated Zenyatta, met with the media Friday morning at Keeneland to discuss the 6-year-old mare’s preparations for her defense of the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) she won last year Santa Anita.

A perfect 19-for-19 in her career, Zenyatta worked five furlongs in 1:02.60 on Thursday at Hollywood Park and is scheduled to have two more works there before flying to Louisville, Ky., for the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic to be run November 6 at Churchill Downs. Shirreffs is in Lexington to saddle Harmonious in Saturday’s Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) at Keeneland.

“It was her first work back (since winning the Grade 1 Lady’s Secret on October 2), an easy five-eighths,” Shirreffs said about Zenyatta’s Thursday work. “It was a starting point to get into a routine. Her next two works will be longer and faster.”

Other topics addressed by Shirreffs included the following:

How does the Zenyatta of 2010 compare with the Zenyatta of 2009 coming into the Breeders’ Cup?

“I think she is as good or better than she was last year. She has been at the racetrack in training since she was a 2-year-old, so her fitness is good. The main thing you have to do is keep her mentally happy and wanting to do it.”

What is it that has allowed her to basically not miss a beat during her career and manage to win every time?

“I wish I knew. She is very special and has the real ability to lengthen her stride at the end of races. Sometimes people will say a horse will quicken at the end of a race and run a little harder. You just watch when she drops her head and starts to lengthen her stride. You seldom see that in horses. … Some horses can do that for a quarter mile and stakes horses can for three-eighths, but I have seen her do some amazing things and extended her stride for a half-mile.”

Zenyatta has cut it close in many of her races. Were there any races where you thought that maybe this was going to be the day she did not get there?

“Several. But one in particular was the (2008) Vanity (G1) when (trainer Bob) Baffert had a top filly in there (Tough Tiz’s Sis). She had to start her run at the half or 4 ½ to get the speed and it was the longest extended drive I have ever seen a horse make.”

What would your thoughts be should Zenyatta lose in the Breeders’ Cup Classic and not be named Horse of the Year?

“It would be almost too much. It would be a real slap in the face. I think she deserves it on what she has done on the track and as for the industry as a whole.”

What is your favorite Zenyatta moment?

“There are so many special times. I think it was when she walked into the paddock at Del Mar last year and the crowd was so amazing. People were yelling ‘Go Zenyatta! Go Zenyatta!’ and the paddock there is a lot like Churchill Downs and then the tunnel leading to the track. She didn’t flinch. I was really proud of her.”

What do you think your emotions will be when you saddle her for the last time?

“I don’t want to think about it. Walking to the paddock with Zenyatta is such an incredible experience. You just can’t believe it. You feel like everybody loves your horse and loves you. Churchill Downs is always an emotional place. When you go through that tunnel everybody is just yelling and screaming and the energy is going everywhere.”

Should Zenyatta’s undefeated streak end in the Classic, do you think it will tarnish her legacy?

“It would not be the end of the world. She has an opportunity to achieve something (going 20-for-20) unattainable. … As far as I am concerned, she is just one of the best ever. When she is done, she is going to go off to the pasture and whether she is 19-for-20 or 20-for-20, I think she will be OK.”

Speed Figures - Saturday

2010-10-10T11:09:00.000-04:00

After one of the last big days of Breeders' Cup Prep Races, here are some of key Beyer Speed Figures from the major stakes courtesy of Daily Racing Form. This time, I've included the horses previous figure for comparison.

BELMONT PARK

Jamaica
Prince Will I Am 90 (86)
Citrus Kid 87 (72)
Beau Choix 86 (94)

Frizette
A Z Warrior 81 (66)
R Heat Lightning 78 (76)
Joyful Victory 71 (77)

Champagne
Uncle Mo 94 (102)
Mountain Town 85 (61)
I'm Steppin Up 66 (61)

KEENELAND

Woodford
Silver Timber 99 (89)
Central City 98 (81)
Due Date 97 (90)

TCA
Dubai Majesty 91 (90)
Old Time Religion 89 (78)
Informed Decision 88 (90)

First Lady
Proviso 102 (97)
C.S. Silk 101 (82)
Gotta Have Her 101 (86)

Breeders' Futurity
J.B.'s Thunder 84 (72)
Santiva 77 (68)
Wilcox Inn 77 (73)

Shadwell Turf Mile
Gio Ponti 99 (100)
Society's Chairman 97 (84)
Courageous Cat 94 (103)

OAK TREE - HOLLYWOOD

Oak Tree Mile
Liberian Freighter 102 (96)
Colgan's Chip 102 (100)
Tropic Storm 97 (100)

Ancient Title
Smiling Title 103 (96)
Supreme Summit 102 (92)
EZ's Gentleman 100 (90)

By The Numbers

2010-09-28T23:01:00.000-04:00

It was a sad Tuesday in the world of Thoroughbred Racing as super filly Rachel Alexandra retired and 1998 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Real Quiet passed away.

Both horses brought racing fans great memories during their racing career including record setting victories and memorable defeats.

I thought it would be interesting to take a look at some of the well known and not-so-obvoius statistical superlatives each horse achieved. And, the ironic part is that some of their stats are similar.

Rachel Alexandra's record win in the Kentucky Oaks

Rachel Alexandra

Career Record
19 Starts - 13-5-0

Career Earnings

$3,506,730

Number of Years Raced
3

Grade 1 Victories
5 (Kentucky Oaks, Preakness, Mother Goose, Haskell and Woodward)

Number of Graded Stakes Victories
9

Number of Jockeys Used
2 (Brian Hernandez, Jr. and Calvin Borel)

Number of Times Made Betting Favorite
15 (79% of career starts)

Longest Winning Streak
9 (Golden Rod - Nov. 2008 - Woodward - Sept. 2009)

Longest Losing Streak
2 (New Orleans Ladies - La Troienne - 2010)

Best Beyer Speed Figure
116 - 2009 Haskell Invitational

Number of Races Over 100 Beyer Speed Figure
12

Largest Margin of Victory
20 1/4 lengths - 2009 Kentucky Oaks

Career Debut
May 22, 2008 - Churchill Downs, 9th Race

Number of Tracks Run
8 (Churchill. Keeneland, Fair Grounds, Oaklawn, Pimlico, Belmont, Monmouth and Saratoga)

Number of Trainers
2 (Hal Wiggins and Steve Amussen)

Average Margin of Victory
4.63 lengths

Average Odds
3.16-1
(Note: Her first two races, she was sent off at 26-1 and 12-1)

Average Field Size
7.16

Real Quiet

Career Record

20 Starts - 6-5-6

Career Earnings
$3,271,802

Number of Years Raced
3

Grade 1 Victories
5 (Hollywood Futurity, Kentucky Derby, Preakness, Pimlico Special and Hollywood Gold Cup)

Number of Graded Stakes Victories
5

Number of Jockeys Used
6 (Joe Steiner, David Flores, Scott Stevens, Kent Desormeaux, Gary Stevens and Jerry Bailey)

Number of Times Made Betting Favorite
7 (35% of career starts)

Longest Winning Streak
2 (Kentucky Derby-Preakness, 1998)

Longest Losing Streak
6 (June 15, 1997-Sept. 5, 1997)
Best Beyer Speed Figure
115 - 1999 Hollywood Gold Cup

Number of Races Over 100 Beyer Speed Figure
11

Largest Margin of Victory
3 - 1997 Maiden Special - Oct. 18, 1997

Career Debut
June 15, 1997 - Churchill Downs, 1st Race - Finished 7th

Number of Tracks Run
11 (Churchill. Hollywood, Santa Fe, Del Mar, Santa Anita, Golden Gate, Pimlico, Belmont, Fair Grounds, Lone Star and Suffolk)

Number of Trainers
1 (Bob Baffert)

Average Margin of Victory
1.25 lengths

Average Odds
3.35-1

Average Field Size
8.6

Now What?

2010-08-29T19:06:00.001-04:00

There was a time when it wasn't a matter if Rachel Alexandra would win; it was simply an issue of how badly she would beat her opponents. Now we wonder if she can beat the elite horses in the nation.

On Sunday at Saratoga, Rachel looked like she might capture her first Grade 1 and major race of 2010 as the field came down the home stretch for the final time. But in the final sixteenth of a mile of the Personal Ensign, she began to get very leg weary and a very ordinary horse named Persistently went right by Rachel in the final strides.

"After we put away Life at Ten at the quarter pole, I didn't feel any acceleration and I got worried," jockey Calvin Borel said. "She wasn't really there. I knew if anyone was running behind us, we were in trouble."

If she was defeated by Life at Ten in Sunday's race, it would not have been as big of a disappointment as Life at Ten entered the Personal Ensign with a six race winning streak. But Persistently had only won three times in 13 races and had trouble beating horses that weren't in the same league as Rachel or Life at Ten.

Now, what does the future hold for the defending "Horse of the Year?"

"I'm very disappointed that she lost but I am very happy with Rachel," Rachel's trainer Steve Asmussen said. "It hurts to lose and you're disappointed for it but if that's the case, just think how happy she's made you and all the things has done for us...If she isn't exactly where she was last year, hopefully she can get back there."

As for her next race, Asmussen said "We want to evaluate who we are and who she is and where she is at. We're just worried about her well being."

One thing about her future is certain, she will not be a two-time Horse of the Year. What is almost as certain is that she will not run in the Breeders' Cup Classic against the best horses in the country. She would have little chance to beat the likes of Blame, Quality Road and the undefeated Zenyatta. The most likely spot for her will be the Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic where she will have a chance to salvage a good year.

But a good year is not what everyone expected. We were counting on another great year with the hope that she and Zenyatta would meet to prove who was the best female horse in the country. Now her last shot to be in the spotlight will come in the Breeders' Cup.

Before all the Rachel bashers come out of the "wood works" we need to remember one thing; her 2009 campaign was still one of the greatest ever for a 3-year-old filly. Rachel was 8-for-8 last year including wins over the boys in the Preakness, Haskell and Woodward and a near 20-length victory in the Kentucky Oaks. Truly amazing.

What she has done this year should not take anything away from her accomplishments last year.

Rachel just appears to be a filly who peaked in 2009. That is very common in racing. We all just had reasonable expectations that her greatness would continue into 2010.

Saturday's Speed Figures

2010-08-29T14:14:00.001-04:00

On the biggest day of the Saratoga meet, here are some notable Beyer Speed Figures. (These are of course, courtesy of the Daily Racing Form.) I've also throw in a couple of Del Mar #'s as well.

The eye popping figure was the 2-year-old debut of Uncle Mo who earned a 102. He won his debut race by 14 1/4-lengths and was the fourth fastest figure of the day. Very impressive considering he is young and inexperienced..

Ballston Spa
Dynaslew   99

Victory Ride
Rapport   103

Ballerina
Rightly So 100

King's Bishop
Discreetly Mine 93

Travers
Afleet Express  105
Fly Down 105
First Dude 95
Afleet Again 93
A Little Warm 92

Del Mar

Pacific Classic
Richard's Kid 95
Crowded House 94
Dakota Phone 93

Pat O'Brien
El Brujo 106
Crown of Thorns 105

One Hit Wonder?

2010-08-28T20:00:00.000-04:00

When the Kentucky Derby rolls around on the first Saturday in May, there are high hopes that a star will emerge and become one of the sport's best athletes in a business that so desperately needs them. This year, Super Saver, trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by Calvin Borel, took center stage as he rolled to a 2 1/2-length victory over the fast closing Ice Box.

But, in a matter of 14 days, those hopes faded very quickly. In fact, since May 1, Super Saver has become one of racing's biggest disappointments. In the Preakness, he followed the Derby win with an eighth place finish after being in second place during the early part of the race. Pletcher decided to skip the Belmont and wait for the two big summer races for the three-year-olds, the Haskell and Travers.

In the Haskell, Super Saver looked like he might be coming around as he ran fourth to Preakness winner Lookin at Lucky. But on Saturday, Super Saver regressed again and beat only one horse in the Travers as he finished 10th in the 11-horse field.

After the race, Todd Pletcher had little explanation.

"We were tracking in a good, fast spot but just came up empty."

In fact, Super Saver never was closer than eighth at any time during the race which saw a stirring stretch run as Afleet Express nosed out Fly Down.

To add insult to injury, Ice Box, the Derby runner-up has finished ninth, sixth and eighth since the "Run for the Roses." In fact, he finished nearly 14 lengths ahead of Super Saver in Saturday's Travers despite running eighth.

What's next for Super Saver? Your guess is as good as mine. He has one more shot at redemption in November when the Breeders' Cup returns to Churchill Downs, assuming Pletcher decides to tackle the best horses in the world.

If Super Saver could find a way to knock off stars such as Blame, Quality Road (who is also trained by Pletcher) and the undefeated filly Zenyatta in the Breeders' Cup Classic, a lot of his luster would be restored but otherwise, the Derby winner will join a long list of "one hit wonders."

Weekend Beyer Speed Figures

2010-06-14T11:58:00.002-04:00

It was a great weekend of racing in which we saw many of the best take to the track.

Headlining that was Horse of Year Rachel Alexandra returning to form with a huge win in the Fleur de Lis at Churchill Downs on Saturday and Zenyatta's gutsy win Hollywood's Vanity Handicap on Sunday.

Thanks to my friends at the Daily Racing Form, here are the key Beyer Speed Figures from those races.

Fleur de Lis
Rachel Alexandra 108 (winning margin - 10 1/2-lengths)

Vanity Handicap

Zenyatta 103 (winning margin - 1/2 length)

St. Trinians 102

Stephen Foster
Blame   102 (winning margin - 3/4 length)
Battle Plan   101
General Quarters   96

Californian

Rail Trip 108 (winning margin - 2 3/4 lengths)

Sangaree 103

Who Saw Zenyatta Run?

2010-06-13T22:44:00.005-04:00

Everytime you see Zenyatta run, it is hard not to remain in awe of one of the greatest thoroughbreds in history, regardless of gender.

The six-year-old mare ran her record to a perfect 17-for-17 with a gusty performance as she wore down St. Trinians in the final furlong to capture her third straight Vanity Handicap. Her win was even more impressive for a litany of reasons which included the fact she was giving a lot of weight to the rest of the seven horse field and her jockey, Mike Smith, kept her wide on both turns.

The one part that is a little disturbing to me is that only around 12,000 fans saw her awesome performance. That attendance figure is becoming more accepted as a good day but for a horse like Zenyatta in a market like Los Angeles, it is actually pretty sad.

What makes that attendance figure even worse is the fact that Hollywood Park offered a Zenyatta Bobblehead Giveaway. Those gimmicks used to help bring in a handful of extra people but even the allure of a "freebie" wasn't enough to catapult the crowd figures.

This sort of racing ambivalence in big city racing markets is becoming very commonplace. Huge markets like New York, LA, Chicago and Miami are drawing a fraction of the racing crowds they used to. Even in Louisville, home of the greatest race, getting people to the track has been an ongoing struggle. (Big exceptions, of course, are Derby Week, Friday night racing and the Thanksgiving Holiday weekend.)

Big city sports fans only seem to come out to the track when it's a big day (i.e. Belmont Stakes, Big Cap, etc.) but today should have qualified as one of those days. And those people who didn't make it out to Hollywood, missed out on a great race and an even greater horse.

For years, racing has been crying out for stars and we have two genuine ones in Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta yet why don't people come out to see them run on a consistent basis? Promoting the stars has been a challenge and the fact that Daily Newspapers have cut back their racing coverage significantly is a hindrance. But it's also incumbent upon the individual racetracks and the sport to promote when it's top notch stars run.

I don't know how much Hollywood Park promoted Zenyatta's appearance outside of the Bobblehead giveaway but you have to think it wasn't enough.

We are simply running out of time before both Rachel and Zenyatta are retired and racing loses another golden opportunity to win over new fans. We are very lucky that Zenyatta is still racing but the window is about to close as you have to assume that she only has three more races left before she is done.

And for those that didn't see her run, you have missed out. We may not see anyone like her for sometime.

Photo courtesy of Eclipse Sportswire - www.eclipsesportswire.com

Will Zenyatta be Perfect Again?

2010-06-13T14:15:00.002-04:00

Zenyatta, who remains on top of her game at age 6, will put her perfect record on the line today at Hollywood Park in the Vanity Handicap.

(Post Time - 7:37 ET and you can watch the race at NTRA.com)

She is not only looking to move her record to an unprecedented 17-for-17 but she is attempting to win her third straight Vanity. It will certainly not be a "walk in the park" but a typical Zenyatta effort should give her another win.

Here's a quick look at her opponents.

1) Miss Silver Brook - It would take a monumental effort to win this race. She's never beaten these type of horses before and is 0-for-3 at Hollywood Park.

2) St. Trinians - The five-year-old is dangerous here as she won four straight races since coming to the United States early in 2009. She beat 2009 Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic winner Life Is Sweet in February but her trainer got a little too ambitious when she took on the boys in the Santa Anita Handicap in March when she finished sixth. St. Trinians hasn't run since so she is well rested and gets jockey Martin Garcia for the first time. (Garcia is best known for winning the Preakness aboard Lookin at Lucky).

3) Zardana - The stablemate to Zenyatta is best known for beating Rachel Alexandra in March down in New Orleans but she followed that up with a bad fifth place effort at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Oaks Day. She's also an all or nothing performer as she has a record of 8-0-1 in 20 starts. She'll need her an effort better than her win in March to beat the champion.

4) Will O Way - Another horse that appears overmatched against Zenyatta, She's never beaten these type of horses in her career and also hasn't win since January 2009.

5) Zenyatta - No introduction needed

6) Cherryblossommiss - Even though she's trained by one of the better conditioners in Southern California, she also will need a monumental effort to knock off Zenyatta. She does have a win at Hollywood Park but that wasn't against these type of horses.

Foster Day Beyer Speed Figures

2010-06-12T20:53:00.000-04:00

Thanks to my friends at Daily Racing Form, here's a look at some of the key Beyer Speed Figures from today's Stephen Foster Day card at Churchill Downs.

Super filly Rachel Alexandra had the best Beyer of the day after her smashing win in the Fleur de Lis. Meanwhile, Blame continued his great run with a hard fought win over Battle Plan in the Stephen Foster.

Fleur de Lis
Rachel Alexandra 108 (winning margin - 10 1/2-lengths)

Jefferson Cup
Gleam of Hope 86 (winning margin - 1/2 length)

Northern Dancer
Colizeo 95 (winning margin - neck)
Worldly 95

Regret
Caminadora 84 (winning margin - 3/4 length)

Stephen Foster
Blame 102 (winning margin - 3/4 length)
Battle Plan 101
General Quarters 96

Strong Top Tier

2010-06-12T20:19:00.004-04:00

Now that the Triple Crown is behind us, we start to turn our attention to the best horses in the country.

That's not a sleight against the top sophomores like Lookin at Lucky, Super Saver and Drosselmeyer. But the Triple Crown race winners are still growing and developing while the older horses are in their prime.

On Saturday, we saw some of those stars in action in Kentucky and California.

Blame stamped himself as one of the elite when he wore down the regally bred Battle Plan in the Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs. The win was Blame's fourth in a row and now has seven wins in 10 starts.

Battle Plan meanwhile suffered his first loss in his last five tries but should still be a force in the second half of the season.

Earlier in the day at Churchill Downs, defending Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra (right) reminded everyone she's still a super filly as she obliterated the Fleur de Lis by 10 1/2 lengths.

Her 108 Beyer Speed Figure from Saturday is identical to her record victory in last year's Kentucky Oaks and Preakness. Her record now stands at 12 wins from 17 starts. Not too shabby.

At Hollywood Park, Rail Trip pronoucned himself as the top male on the West Coast as he easily captured the California Handicap. He's now 2-for-2 this year and has won eight of 11 career starts. His only question mark for later in the year is will he duplicate his fantastic form on traditional dirt as all his victories have come in California.

On Sunday, Zenyatta, the undefeated superwoman, will likely stay perfect when she runs in the Vanity at Hollywood Park. (Post time - 7:37 EDT)

The only other horse to watch might be the best of them all. Quality Road, who captured the Met Mile on Memorial Day, has been super since he turned four. He is unbeaten in three starts this year and his win in the Donn Handicap produced the highest Beyer Speed Figure of the year - 121. In fact, Quality Road has two of the four best Beyers of 2010.

And, by the way, Todd Pletcher trains Quality Road, Battle Plan and Super Saver. Talk about a loaded barn.

The summer racing season should be fantastic and culminating with the Breeders' Cup at Churchill Downs in November.

Photo courtesy of Eclipse Sportswire - www.eclispsesportswire.com

Belmont Day Speed Figures

2010-06-06T13:26:00.000-04:00

For those that follow the sport of racing regularly, the Daily Racing Form's Beyer Speed Figures give you some insight into how fast the horses ran. The 2010 renewal of the Belmont produced some very moderate (and disappointing) Beyer Figures but some other horses on the card shined.

One of the stars from Saturday was 3-year-old Trappe Shot. He has won his last three very impressively and ran a Beyer of 105, the second best the entire day. Expect to see him take on the "big boys" in the near future.

Here are the Belmont figures plus others of note:

BELMONT STAKES

Drosselmeyer            94
Fly Down                  93
First Dude                 93
Game on Dude          91
Uptowncharlybrown 90
Stay Put                    86

Ice Box                     81
Make Music For Me 75

MANHATTAN

Winchester               102
Gio Ponti                  101

ACORN

Champagne d'Oro     95
Amen Hallelujah        94

TRUE NORTH

Bribon                     107
Snapshot                 103

JUST A GAME

Proviso                    96
Phola                       95

WOODY STEPHENS

D'Funnybone           100
Discreetly Mine        93

2010 Belmont

2010-06-05T20:32:00.000-04:00

Coming into this year's Belmont Stakes, with the absence of Super Saver and Lookin at Lucky, it certainly took something away from the "Test of Champions" but we still saw a fantastic race on Saturday.

Drosselmeyer finally lived up to his early season hype (and $600,000 price tag) and grounded out a win over Fly Down and First Dude. But it is hard to get excited about Drosselmeyer and I am trying to put my finger on why.

Is it because the final time of the race was an uninspiring 2:31.57?

Because trainer Bill Mott isn't the most exciting personality in racing?

Is it because Drosselmeyer is a horse that has found a way to lose six of his eight starts when most expected him to win nearly off them?

I am certain there are even more reasons that I can't think of but not as the sun is setting here at Belmont Park.

It was was a bummer that Ice Box, the Derby runner-up, never fired and finished 9th. Also not running his best was Make Music For Me, trained by Alexis Barba, as he finished 10th. Both horses had excuses but never good to see some of best out of the Kentucky Derby run so poorly.

One thing to get excited about is that we have a very murky 3-year-old picture and no one has emerged as the best. Now Super Saver, Lookin at Lucky and Drosselmeyer will slug it out during the next four months to determine who is the best sophomore.

Also was exciting to see First Dude run another gutty performance as he set the pace in the Belmont and hung on for a 3rd place finish.

After next week's big races at Churchill Downs and Hollywood, most of the stars in racing will get some time off until the summer racing seasons at Del Mar and Saratoga. Then it should be tons of fun to see the best battle for supremacy.

Bill Handleman

2010-06-05T20:22:00.007-04:00

I hope people made this event. Bill passed away this week but was one of the nicest people I have come across in racing. The world and the game will not be the same without him. I hope every ticket in heaven is a winning one for him.

From a Press Release....

Friends and colleagues of Bill Handleman, longtime sportswriter and columnist for the Asbury Park Press, will hold “A Tribute to Bill Handleman” on Saturday, June 12 at a Monmouth County restaurant.

Handleman is currently battling a severe illness.

The tribute will be held from 9:30 a.m. until noon at Mister C’s Beach Bistro, Ocean and Allen Ave., Allenhurst, N.J.

The $50 donation to the tribute includes Brunch at Mister C’s, and two clubhouse passes to Monmouth Park.

Belmont Order of Finish

2010-06-05T19:23:00.000-04:00

1) Drosselmeyer
2) Fly Down
3) First Dude
4) Game on Dude
5) Stay Put
6) Interactif
7) Stately Victor
8) Ice Box
9) Make Music For Me
10) Dave in Dixie
11) Spangled Star
12) Uptowncharlybrown*

*Uptowncharlybrown finished fifth but was disqualified and placed last

Preakness Numbers & Thoughts

2010-05-16T21:48:00.010-04:00

Here's just a few interesting stats and tidbits from Saturday's middle leg of the Triple Crown.

The Daily Racing Form's Beyer Speed Figures from the Preakness:

Lookin at Lucky 102

First Dude 101

Jackson Bend 101

Yawanna Twist 99

Dublin 93

Paddy O'Prado 85

Caracortado 85

Super Saver 84

Schoolyard Dreams 83

Aikenite 79

Pleasant Prince 73

Northern Giant 68

The horses listed in BOLD FACE are possible for the Belmont Stakes. Of that group, only First Dude is the most likely. The Belmont will have Kentucky Derby runner-up Ice Box and he should be one of the favorites for the 1 1/2 miles marathon.

This will be the second time in five years that neither the Derby or Preakness winner will venture to New York for the final leg of the Triple Crown. In 2006, the ill-fated Derby winner Barbaro, who suffered an near fatal injury in the Preakness before succumbing to his wounds months later, and Preakness winner Bernardini skipped the Belmont.

Trainer Bob Baffert's Preakness win now gives him nine Triple Crown victories which is tied for fifth best all-time. D. Wayne Lukas, who could send Dublin to the Belmont, is tied for the lead with 13.

Baffert tied Lukas for most wins in the Preakness with five. The all-time leader is R. Wyndham Walden with seven victories.

The list of Belmont contenders outside of the Preakness runners: Drosselmeyer, the talented colt who will have a new jockey; Fly Down, the Nick Zito trained winner of the Dwyer; Game on Dude, winner of the Lone Star Derby for Baffert; Make Music For Me, 4th in the Kentucky Derby; New Madrid; Setsuko, who was excluded from the Derby for insufficient Graded Stakes Earnings; Stately Victor; Stay Put; and Uptowncharlybrown, who is now in the barn of trainer Kiaran McLaughlin;

On the under card, Blame took a big step in becoming one of the top horses in country when he made a successful debut in 2010 in the William Schaefer. His effort yielded him an 101 Beyer Speed Figure. His next race is expect to be the Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs next month.

Finally.....

2010-05-15T19:14:00.004-04:00

BALTIMORE - No sport may be more dependent on luck than racing and Lookin at Lucky didn't have much go right for him in the last six weeks. On Saturday, the aptly named horse finally had everything go his way and captured the 135th Preakness Stakes.

Early in the week, trainer Bob Baffert, who now has five Preakness victories, elected to change riders on the Lookin at Lucky for the first time. Garrett Gomez was given the boot and 25-year-old Martin Garcia, a former cook at a Northern California deli, got the assignment.

Garcia looked like a calm, cool veteran as he kept the colt out of trouble the entire race and guided him to the front as they turned for home. Then Garcia kept after "Lucky" nearly the entire stretch run and held off a stubborn pacesetter First Dude.

"He knows I have confidence in him," Baffert said. "I think the jockey knows that a trainer has confidence in him, you click...I think we've been clicking. I sent him all over the States. I just hope he shows up Monday to work my horses."

The irony of the Preakness is that Gomez, who got a new riding assignment aboard Dublin, got into trouble right from the start and dropped back to last. Dublin made a nice run and finished fifth.

As for Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver, it just appeared he was tired. Jockey Calvin Borel kept Super Saver close to the front and the early taxing fractions took their toll as he started to fade before the final run down the home stretch.

"When they went to the far turn, you can see that Calvin was squeezing and asking him to get that horse (First Dude) and just couldn't do it," trainer Todd Pletcher said. "He hung in there. He kept fighting. He tried hard. It was back a little quick for him. Now we've got time to come back for a big summer."

Also, big credit to First Dude as he ran a gutty effort to hold on for second. He set a quick early pace and held off late challenges from Jackson Bend and Yawanna Twist.

The sad part for racing is that the Belmont Stakes will probably not get either Super Saver or Lookin at Lucky as both trainers seemed really uncertain about moving on to the toughest leg of the Triple Crown.

Looks like the most prominent horse at the Belmont will be Derby runner-up Ice Box. First Dude might also move on but that's still up in the air.

But it was great to see the best horse win as Lookin at Lucky proved that he still is one of the best 3-year-olds in the country.

Preakness Odds Update - 5:50 pm

2010-05-15T17:48:00.004-04:00

Last update before the race:

1) Aikenite - 30-1 (down from 35-1)

2) Schoolyard Dreams - 14-1 (was as low as 12-1)

3) Pleasant Prince - 22-1 (bouncing between 22-1 and 23-1)

4) Northern Giant - 25-1

5) Yawanna Twist - 15-1

6) Jackson Bend - 11-1

7) Lookin at Lucky - 5-2 (up from 2-1)

8) Super Saver - 9-5 (down from 2-1)

9) Caracortado - 18-1 (down from 19-1)

10) Paddy O'Prado - 7-1 (down from 8-1)

11) First Dude - 25-1

12) Dublin - 9-1

Preakness Odds Update - 5:25 pm

2010-05-15T17:23:00.002-04:00

1) Aikenite - 35-1 (been steady at that #)

2) Schoolyard Dreams - 13-1 (was as low as 12-1)

3) Pleasant Prince - 23-1 (was down to 22-1)

4) Northern Giant - 25-1

5) Yawanna Twist - 15-1

6) Jackson Bend - 11-1 (up from 12-1)

7) Lookin at Lucky - 5-2 (up from 2-1)

8) Super Saver - 9-5 (down from 2-1)

9) Caracortado - 18-1 (down from 19-1)

10) Paddy O'Prado - 8-1 (up from 7-1)

11) First Dude - 25-1

12) Dublin - 9-1 (first time in single digits today - could be 3rd choice)

Preakness Odds Update - 4:55 pm

2010-05-15T16:53:00.002-04:00

1) Aikenite - 35-1

2) Schoolyard Dreams - 14-1 (bounced between 16 and 14 in the last couple of minutes)

3) Pleasant Prince - 25-1

4) Northern Giant - 25-1

5) Yawanna Twist - 15-1

6) Jackson Bend - 12-1 (up from 11-1)

7) Lookin at Lucky - 2-1

8) Super Saver - 2-1 (up from 9-5)

9) Caracortado - 19-1

10) Paddy O'Prado - 7-1

11) First Dude - 25-1

12) Dublin - 10-1 (still bouncing between 10-11)

Preakness Odds Update - 4:20 pm

2010-05-15T16:17:00.002-04:00

1) Aikenite - 35-1

2) Schoolyard Dreams - 15-1

3) Pleasant Prince - 25-1

4) Northern Giant - 25-1

5) Yawanna Twist - 15-1

6) Jackson Bend - 11-1

7) Lookin at Lucky - 2-1

8) Super Saver - 9-5

9) Caracortado - 19-1 (down from 20-1)

10) Paddy O'Prado - 7-1

11) First Dude - 25-1

12) Dublin - 10-1 (down from 11-1 - still bouncing between 10-11)

Preakness Odds Update - 3:50 pm

2010-05-15T15:52:00.003-04:00

1) Aikenite - 35-1

2) Schoolyard Dreams - 15-1

3) Pleasant Prince - 25-1

4) Northern Giant - 25-1

5) Yawanna Twist - 15-1

6) Jackson Bend - 11-1

7) Lookin at Lucky - 2-1

8) Super Saver - 9-5

9) Caracortado - 19-1 (down from 20-1)

10) Paddy O'Prado - 7-1

11) First Dude - 25-1

12) Dublin - 11-1 (up from 10-1 - been bouncing between 10-11)

Horse By Horse Look at the Preakness

2010-05-15T15:24:00.006-04:00

Here's a quick look at the Preakness Dozen.

1) Aikenite (Career Record 8-1-2-2) - Trainer Todd Pletcher's "other" entrant's only win came last August at Saratoga. He usually puts in a good effort but appears a little overmatched here.

2) Schoolyard Dreams (Career Record - 6-2-2-1) - Do you remember Musket Man from last year? This horse has the same owner and trainer and should be close to the front. He hasn't run since finishing fourth to Eskendereya in the Wood Memorial but you should expect him to be in the thick of it down the stretch.

3) Pleasant Prince (Career Record - 9-1-2-2) - Expect him to be last early on and then make one big run as they turn for home. His best effort was a second place finish to Kentucky Derby runner-up Ice Box. If he's too far back, he may not be able to catch up.

4) Northern Giant (Career Record - 9-1-2-2) - He was on target for a run in the Derby before his last place finish in the Arkansas Derby last month. That effort is a big concern and may just be a little worn down after five races this year.

5) Yawanna Twist (Career Record - 4-2-2-0) - He has gotten better with each start but failed as the favorite in last month's Illinois Derby. His breeding suggests he won't want to go the Preakness distance but his trainer won this race a couple of years ago with Big Brown. His current odds are a little too short though.

6) Jackson Bend (Career Record - 10-5-4-0) - You can just throw out his performance in the Kentucky Derby (finished 12th). Now that he's back on a dry track, he should run much better. Not sure he will relish the Preakness distance but should be in the mix coming down the home stretch.

7) Lookin at Lucky (Career Record - 9-6-1-1) - He has been anything but lucky. The fact that he finished 6th in the Kentucky Derby despite getting bounced around like a pinball early in the race is remarkable. He has a new jockey, 25-year-old Martin Garcia, and that is bit of a concern but there is no questioning the horse's talent. He may be due for smooth sailing.

8) Super Saver (Career Record - 7-3-2-1) - The Kentucky Derby winner is out to prove to the world that his win two weeks ago wasn't a fluke. He will need to show the world that he can win away from Churchill Downs and also on a dry track. If "rockstar" jockey Calvin Borel can keep him clear of trouble again, he'll have a great shot to keep Triple Crown hopes alive and back up Borel's Triple Crown Guarantee.

9) Caracortado (Career Record -7-5-0-1) - He was destined to run in the Kentucky Derby until his 4th place finish last month in California. The key for him is to prove he can run on a normal dirt track. His biggest victories have come on the "artificial" dirt in California. If you like him, you will get great odds.

10) Paddy O'Prado (Career Record - 7-1-2-3) - His 3rd place finish in the Kentucky Derby was the best race of his life but now he has to prove, like Super Saver, that he can run well on a dry track away from Churchill Downs. The big question is whether he will be near the front early or drop back like he did in the Derby.

11) First Dude (Career Record - 6-1-3-1) - Trainer Dale Romans "other" horse comes off a third place finish in the Blue Grass Stakes last month. He's a horse with a lot of talent and Romans was really hoping he would have enough earnings to get into the Kentucky Derby. Another horse that will be a really good price. He's a live longshot.

12) Dublin (Career Record - 9-2-1-2) - The D. Wayne Lukas trained colt gets a new rider in Garrett Gomez. Depending on who you talk to, that's either a good or a bad thing. Gomez's experience and winning big races should help as Dublin also got into trouble in the Kentucky Derby. Although he hasn't won a race this year, this horse has been one of the most consistent. Definitely a horse to watch carefully.

Preakness Odds Update - 3:20 pm

2010-05-15T15:18:00.002-04:00

1) Aikenite - 35-1

2) Schoolyard Dreams - 15-1

3) Pleasant Prince - 25-1

4) Northern Giant - 25-1 (down from 30-1)

5) Yawanna Twist - 15-1

6) Jackson Bend - 11-1

7) Lookin at Lucky - 2-1

8) Super Saver - 9-5

9) Caracortado - 20-1

10) Paddy O'Prado - 7-1 (down from 8-1)

11) First Dude - 25-1

12) Dublin - 10-1 (down from 11-1)

Preakness Odds Update - 2:50 pm

2010-05-15T14:49:00.001-04:00

1) Aikenite - 35-1

2) Schoolyard Dreams - 15-1 (down from 16-1)

3) Pleasant Prince - 25-1

4) Northern Giant - 30-1 (up from 25-1)

5) Yawanna Twist - 15-1

6) Jackson Bend - 11-1

7) Lookin at Lucky - 2-1

8) Super Saver - 9-5

9) Caracortado - 20-1

10) Paddy O'Prado - 8-1

11) First Dude - 25-1

12) Dublin - 11-1 (up from 10-1)

Preakness Odds Update - 2:20 pm

2010-05-15T14:18:00.002-04:00

1) Aikenite - 35-1

2) Schoolyard Dreams - 16-1

3) Pleasant Prince - 25-1

4) Northern Giant - 25-1

5) Yawanna Twist - 15-1

6) Jackson Bend - 11-1

7) Lookin at Lucky - 2-1

8) Super Saver - 9-5

9) Caracortado - 20-1

10) Paddy O'Prado - 8-1

11) First Dude - 25-1

12) Dublin - 10-1

Preakness Odds Update - 1:45 pm

2010-05-15T13:41:00.002-04:00

1) Aikenite - 25-1

2) Schoolyard Dreams - 16-1

3) Pleasant Prince - 24-1

4) Northern Giant - 25-1

5) Yawanna Twist - 15-1

6) Jackson Bend - 11-1

7) Lookin at Lucky - 2-1

8) Super Saver - 9-5

9) Caracortado - 20-1

10) Paddy O'Prado - 8-1

11) First Dude - 25-1

12) Dublin - 11-1

In A World By Himself

2010-05-01T21:22:00.005-04:00

Simply put, jockey Calvin Borel has become one of the greatest riders in Kentucky Derby history.

After another brilliant rail skimming ride nearly the entire race, Borel guided Super Saver to a 2 1/2 length victory over a fast closing Ice Box.

There's nothing fancy or difficult about what Borel does. He just puts his horse on the rail and saves as much ground as possible. And, despite his nickname of Calvin Bo-Rail, other jockeys are powerless to stop him in the "Run for the Roses."

To put into perspective of his accomplishments, here are some stats to ponder:

His three Derby wins puts him in a tie for fourth all-time. (Five other jockey have three wins).

He has three wins from his last four appearances is a streak only bested by Bill Hartack's three consecutive wins (1960-62-64).

Borel's has three wins from just eight starts (.375 winning percentage). Earl Sande is the only other rider to have the 3-for-8 record.

If you wagered $2 across the board (Win-Place-Show) on Borel in the last four years, you have turned a profit of $226.20 (thanks to ESPN's Pat Forde).

He now only trails Hall of Fame riders Eddie Arcaro (5), Bill Hartack (5) and Bill Shoemaker (4) on the all-time wins list.

It remains to be seen if Super Saver is a Triple Crown quality horse but one thing we know for certain, Borel is one an elite category and we should expect him to add to that total for years to come.

Photo courtesy of Eclipse Sportswire

Early Kentucky Derby Odds

2010-04-30T19:04:00.002-04:00

Some great values in this Kentucky Derby:

1) Lookin at Lucky 9-1

2) Ice Box 11-1

3) Noble’s Promise 21-1

4) Super Saver 7-1

5) Line of David 15-1

6) Stately Victor 16-1

7) American Lion 25-1

8) Dean’s Kitten 18-1

9) Make Music For Me 25-1

10) Paddy O’Prado 11-1

11) Devil May Care11-1

12) Conveyance 25-1

13) Jackson Bend 22-1

14) Mission Impazible 24-1

15) Discreetly Mine 41-1

16) Awesome Act 13-1

17) Dublin 21-1

18) Backtalk 20-1

19) Homeboykris 17-1

20) Sidney’s Candy 11-1

Kentucky Oaks Breakdown

2010-04-30T08:13:00.004-04:00

On a spectacular day at Churchill Downs, it promises to be one of the more exciting Kentucky Oaks Days on record. We will see Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra look to regain her glory in the La Troienne and then, four hours later, the Fillies will run for the Lillies.

A full field of 14 will run in the Kentucky Oaks and here's a breakdown of the field.

#1 It's Tea Time (Career Record - 3-1-2-0) - The inexperienced filly ran great in Keeneland's Ashland as she was narrowly beaten by fellow Oaks competitor Evening Jewel. She's a talented horse but the big question about her is will she handle dirt as her races have only been on turf and polytrack.

#2 Jody Slew (Career Record - 10-4-0-3) - The daughter of Slew City Slew has been tough to figure out. She started of her three-year-old season with two straight wins but then threw in a clunker last time with a seventh place finish in the Fair Grounds Oaks. She will need her best effort to have any chance here.

#3 Quiet Temper (Career Record - 8-3-4-0) - The Dale Romans trained filly seems to be getting better with each this year. She won the Fair Grounds Oaks last time and the fact that she was able to stay behind the speed. If she does that again today, she'll have a great chance.

#4 Age of Humor (Career Record - 5-2-2-1) - This is another filly that is getting a little better with each start but she will need to improve a lot to be a factor today. She finished second last time at Turfway Park but was a soundly beaten third behind Jody Slew and Quiet Temper in the Silverbulletday.

#5 Blind Luck (Career Record - 9-6-1-2) - Trained by Northern California kingpin Jerry Hollendorfer, she is a deserving favorite. Her last start was a very impressive win in the Fantasy at Oaklawn Park and that race gave her valuable experience on the dirt. If she repeats that performance, she will be tough to beat.

#6 Beautician (Career Record - 8-1-4-0) - Her last place finish in Ashland at Keeneland a month ago is a bit of a concern. You could just simply write the race off because it was Polytrack but you never like seeing a horse enter the biggest race of her life off such a bad effort. She does have one win at Churchill Downs and does prefer dirt to the artificial kind.

#7 Crisp (Career Record - 5-3-0-1) - Off since early March, the John Sadler trained filly has been one of the best in Southern California. Her only subpar effort was a fourth place finish to Blind Luck and Evening Jewel in mid February. She should laying just behind the early speed and, if she likes the dirt, will be a major factor.

#8 Tidal Pool (Career Record - 10-3-2-1) - Her running style will be crucial for her today. In her last race, the Fantasy, she went right to the lead but couldn't hold off Blind Luck. With other speed horses in the Oaks, she would be better suited by dropping back a bit. Jockey Calvin Borel is in the saddle which should be an added benefit.

#9 Bella Diamante (Career Record - 7-2-3-0) - The daughter of Lost Soldier has never fared well against the quality of this field and would appear to be up against it. If you are looking for a positive, she finished second to Quiet Temper last year.

#10 Champagne d'Oro (Career Record - 8-1-2-1) - She will be the speed of the race and likely the only way she'll win the race is if she can slow everything down up front. She tired that tactic in her last, the Fair Grounds Oaks, and finished a close second to Quiet Temper.

#11 Evening Jewel (Career Record - 8-3-4-0) - This filly is one of the most consistent in the field. She hasn't been worse than second in seven straight starts and finished only a nose behind Blind Luck in February. The big question mark is will she like dirt. She's only ever run on artificial dirt and she didn't even workout on the dirt at Churchill. Big question mark but big potential.

#12 Ailalea (Career Record - 6-2-0-1) - After trained Todd Pletcher entered Devil May Care into the Kentucky Derby, this become his only Oaks hope. Her two races in 2010 were subpar with two sixth place finishes and she will need to return to her 2009 form is she has any chance in the Oaks.

#13 Amen Hallelujah (Career Record - 9-4-2-2) - After she captured the Davona Dale in late February, she put herself on the map as a prime contender for the Oaks. She followed up that performance with a runner-up finish to Devil May Care but drawing the 13 post could present a problem as she tends to be near the lead. Her jockey must avoid getting floated wide on the first turn if she has a chance to win.

#14 Joanie's Catch (Career Record - 18-2-8-6) - The most experienced member of the field but doesn't win very much. Her best effort was a third place finish to Devil May Care and Amen Hallelujah in the Davona Dale. With her post position and not so stellar record, it will take a herculean effort for her to wear lillies.

Wet Track Pointers

2010-04-29T13:59:00.008-04:00

WEATHER FORECAST UPDATE: Good news is that worst of probably won't get going until mid-morning but it's still a bad forecast. Here's the latest from the National Weather Service.

Saturday: Periods of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 10am. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. High near 74. South wind between 10 and 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.

Saturday Night: Periods of showers and thunderstorms. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Low around 66. South wind between 10 and 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.

----

The only certainty on Derby Day this year appears to be the weather which will be a rainy mess. Now the key is trying to figure out who will like the sloppy going on Saturday.

Here's some good info.

There are four horses that have already won on a wet track:

#4 Super Saver (Wet Track Record - 2-1-1-0) - His win on a sloppy track came at Belmont Park last year when he broke his maiden by seven lengths. His other wet track race came in his debut and he finished second to fellow Derby entrant Discreetly Mine. Plus, he has jockey Calvin Borel aboard and he has won two of the last three Derbys.

#11 Devil May Care (Wet Track Record - 1-1-0-0) - The filly enjoyed her only run in the slop when she debuted with a 4 3/4-length victory at Saratoga.

#15 Discreetly Mine (Wet Track Record - 2-1-0-0) - The Todd Pletcher-trained colt rolled to a 6 1/4-length win on a good track at Saratoga last August. He beat stablemate Super Saver in that race. His wet track loss came in early January when he finished fourth in the Spectacular Bid at Gulfstream Park.

#18 Backtalk (Wet Track Record - 2-2-0-0) - The son of 2004 Derby winner Smarty Jones won his career debut by 2 3/4-lengths on a good track. In February, he captured a minor stakes race at Delta Downs on a sloppy track.

Others to keep an eye on:

#2 Ice Box - He's never run on a wet track but his father, Pulpit, liked it. And one of trainer Nick Zito's Derby wins came on a sloppy track (Go For Gin).

#6 Stately Victor - In his career debut, he finished second on a "good" track at Saratoga.

#14 Mission Impazible - He finished third in last year's Kentucky Juvenile at Churchill on a "good" track and was second in a "sloppy" track allowance race at Gulfstream in January.

#17 Dublin - Don't let his fourth place finish to Backtalk last year at Churchill fool you. He had a tough trip in that race and his parents both ran well on wet tracks.

Last Stop or Not?

2010-04-14T20:57:00.007-04:00

For many years, the "Road to the Kentucky Derby" basically ended in the Coolmore Lexington Stakes at Keeneland with just two weeks before the big race. But, with an overflow field expected, there might be one more stop.

In the Coolmore Lexington, the two horses with the only shot to move on to the Derby are Uptowncharlybrown and Connemara. The connections for both horses were uncertain even if they were victorious that they would move to the first Saturday in May.

What other race could change the picture? Believe it or not, it's the Derby Trial which is run on opening day of the Churchill Downs Spring Meet. The Derby Trial, which many years ago was one of the major prep races for the Derby as the race produced eight Derby winners, has been de-emphasized over the years since it is run a week before the Derby.

This year, with the purse being increased to $200,000 (thanks in part to horse owner Robert LaPenta whose sponsorship helped rename the race after one his Derby Hopefuls, The Cliff's Edge), a win might propel another horse into the Derby field.

One such horse is Eightyfiveinafifty. The colt, who was thought to be a Derby contender early in the year, took a step back after he "bolted" during the running of the Whirlaway at Aqueduct and didn't finish the race. After a little time off, he came back with an easy win the Bay Shore Handicap on the same day that Eskendereya won the Wood Memorial.

That win plus the Derby Trial would put him at #21 on the current list and be the first win in if another horse drops out. Don't be surprised if another horse, who is outside the Top 20, takes a shot at the Derby Trial with the intent of rolling back the next week.

On Friday, another horse joined the fray with hopes of going from the Derby Trial to Derby. Pleasant Prince, who is currently 26th, looked to be out of the Derby after running seventh in the Blue Grass last Saturday. The colt, who narrowly lost the Florida Derby to Ice Box in March, will make his third start in four weeks in the Derby Trial.

Plus, don't forget that it's always a near certainty that at least horse one will either drop out or get hurt before next Wednesday.

The horses that are waiting to get in are:

21) Jackson Bend

22) Backtalk

23) Make Music For Me

24) A Little Warm and Setsuko

26) Pleasant Prince

27) Caracortado

28) Connemara

So just when you thought we finally had our field of 20....think again. That's what has made this Road to the Derby a great ride.

Derby Over Analysis, One Step at a Time

2010-04-12T18:08:00.008-04:00

With just one Kentucky Derby prep race left, the over analysis of the potential field can really begin and I'll start off with a relatively easy analysis.

Sometimes the simplest way to analyze at a race is to look at the information that is right in front of you. The Daily Racing Form publishes a set of speed figures, Beyers (named for their inventor Andy Beyer), and they give you a quick and easy look at how fast a horse ran in a particular race.

(If you want a little more info on the Beyer Speed Figures click http://drf.com/flash/drf_pp_tutorial.html)

For those who believe in the Beyer Speed Figures, there are only three horses who have broken through the 100 barrier.

Eskendereya, the likely 2-1 favorite, is the number king as he racked up a 109 in last week's Wood Memorial and 106 in the Fountain of Youth back in February.

Next on the list is Santa Anita Derby winner Sidney's Candy. The horse, who is named for weight loss giant Jenny Craig's late husband Sidney, scored a 100 last week.

The only other horse inside the Top 20 who has a landed a triple digit figure might surprise you. (It surprised me.) Endorsement, who won the Sunland Park Derby on March 28, earned a 101. And before you dismiss the Sunland Park Derby, it produced a little horse named Mine That Bird.

The only major horse who hasn't cracked 100 is 2-year-old champion Lookin at Lucky. One would imagine he might have if didn't get sideswiped in the Santa Anita Derby but he is widely considered to be one of the horses to beat in less than three weeks.

What do these numbers mean? Quite possibly nothing but at the very least you see, at a glance, who merits your attention.

There will be plenty of other ways to analyze the field of 20 but we'll take it slow and pass on additional insight as we countdown to the Derby.

Winners and Losers

2010-04-10T23:41:00.010-04:00

The continuing and ever changing Kentucky Derby picture got even a little more crazy on Saturday afternoon after big upsets in the Blue Grass and Arkansas Derby.

The only constant on Saturday was who is still the horse to beat in just under three weeks. According to Churchill Downs morning line oddsmaker, Eskendereya will likely be a 2-1 favorite for the Derby and Sidney's Candy and Lookin at Lucky will be the second and third choices.

After a topsy turvy Saturday. here's a look at Saturday's winners and losers:

WINNERS

Stately Victor - A horse that wasn't considered a serious Derby contender at any point this year vaulted himself from a no name to #9 on the Derby Graded Stakes earnings list after capturing the Blue Grass Stakes with a record win payoff of $82.20. The son of Ghostzapper now gives Churchill Downs based trainer Mike Maker two Derby starters (the other - Dean's Kitten).

Paddy O'Prado - Seemingly trainer Dale Romans' last hope for a Derby starter, the gray colt delivered with a solid runner-up finish in the Blue Grass. Paddy O'Prado moved into 19th on the Earnings List and will give two-time Derby winning rider Kent Desormeaux a shot at a Roses "hat trick."

Interactif - His fourth place finish in the Blue Grass may seem insignificant but the $37,500 in earnings he pocketed put him in 17th place and all but locked up a spot in the Derby starting gate. Trainer Todd Pletcher said that neither of horses in the Blue Grass cared for the artificial Polytrack but nonetheless, he still managed a good effort to pick up needed money.

Line of David - Trai

ner John Sadler, who already had a major contender with Sidney's Candy, added one more after Line of David led nearly every step of the way in an upset victory in the Arkansas Derby. The son of 2004 Derby runner of Lion Heart won his third straight and is tied with Eskendereya for fifth on the Earnings list.

Jon Court - The jockey, who spent many years at Churchill Downs, now has a cha

nce to return home with one of the hottest horses in the Road to the Kentucky Derby.

Super Saver - Even though he narrowly lost the Arkansas Derby, his effort was significant for the following:

Calvin Borel - One of the most beloved and well known jockeys in the past few years secured another ride in the Derby after he guided Super Saver to his 2nd place effort. Borel will be seeking his third victory in four years, which would be a remarkable achievement.

WinStar Farm - This well known Kentucky farm locked up their fourth Derby contender with Super Saver's finish. They could add a fifth if Drosselmeyer runs and wins next week's Coolmore Lexington Stakes. Drosselmeyer is currently 36th on the Earnings list and the Lexington victory is essential is he wants run on the first Saturday in May.

Todd Pletcher - The future Hall of Fame trainer, who is 0-for-24 in the Derby, now has six horses slated to "Run for the Roses" led by Eskendereya.

LOSERS

Jackson Bend - Even though he has been runner-up to Derby favorite Eskendereya two consecutive times, the Nick Zito trained colt slipped from #17 to #22 on the Earnings list after Saturday's Derby Prep upsets. The only shot he has to make it into the Derby field is with two defections. Zito's lone Derby hope is now with Florida Derby winner Ice Box.

Pleasant Prince - After finishing second in the Florida Derby, it seemed that he was all but a lock to make the Derby. But after it became apparent that he wasn't going to have enough money to get it, his connections elected to run him in the Blue Grass. That moves backfired as he finished seventh and now sits 29th on the Earnings List.

Odysseus - In the middle of March, he was the talk of racing after pulling off an improbable victory in the Tampa Bay Derby. Since that was his only Graded Stakes race, he was going to need no worse than a third place finish in the Blue Grass to move on to the Kentucky Derby. Things looked promising early as he was on the lead but he tired quickly on the final and finished last. He's now 26th on the list.

Aikenite/Todd Pletcher - The only bad news from Saturday for Pletcher was with Aikenite's subpar performance knocked him down 24th on the Earnings List. The Preakness might be next for him.

Make Music For Me - Trainer Alexis Barba has a small stable of horses and she was really hoping to have her first Derby starter but after his sixth place finish in the Blue Grass, he went from 20th to 25th on the Earnings List.

Backtalk - Even though he didn't run this weekend, he slipped out of the Top 20. He dropped form 18th to 23rd and all trainer Tom Amoss can do is wait and hope for defections.

Photos courtesy of Eclipse Sportswire

Updated Derby Bucks

2010-04-10T19:01:00.004-04:00

In the ever changing Graded Stakes money picture for the Kentucky Derby, here's the list computer by yours truly with just one prep race left.

# Horse Trainer $$$$$$$

1 Lookin at Lucky Bob Baffert $1,480,000

2 Noble's Promise Ken McPeek $738,000

3 Rule Todd Pletcher $645,000

4 Sidney's Candy John Sadler $630,000

t-5 Eskendereya Todd Pletcher $600,000

t-5 Line of David John Sadler $600,000

7 Mission Impazible Todd Pletcher $485,934

8 Ice Box Nick Zito $457,500

9 Stately Victor Mike Maker $451,112

10 Endorsement Shannon Ritter $400,000

11 Conveyance Bob Baffert $386,000

12 American Lion Eoin Harty $378,000

13 Dublin D. Wayne Lukas $373,208

14 Super Saver Todd Pletcher $363,832

15 Discreetly Mine Todd Pletcher $355,000

16 Dean's Kitten Mike Maker $326,475

17 Interactif Todd Pletcher $307,950

18 Awesome Act Jeremy Noseda $285,000

19 Paddy O'Prado Dale Romans $250,950

20 Homeboykris Richard Dutrow $250,500

21 Uh Oh Bango Kory Owens $237,952

22 Jackson Bend Nick Zito $230,000

23 Backtalk Tom Amoss $225,916

24 Aikenite Todd Pletcher $221,750

25 Make Music For Me Alexis Barba $218,750

26 Odysseus Tom Albertrani $183,750

27 A Little Warm Tony Dutrow $180,000

27 Setsuko Richard Mandella $180,000

29 Pleasant Prince Wesley Ward $166,250

30 Tempted to Tapit Steve Klesaris $156,000

31 Caracortado Mike Machowsky $153,000

32 Connemara Todd Pletcher $138,500

33 Schoolyard Dreams Derek Ryan $137,500

34 Northern Giant D. Wayne Lukas $132,000

35 First Dude Dale Romans $97,500

36 Drosselmeyer Bill Mott $94,500

Zenyatta - Queen For Only One Day

2010-04-07T09:30:00.015-04:00

In the midst of the building anticipation of the Kentucky Derby, one of the greatest Equine athletes we've seen in years returns to the stage on Friday.

Zenyatta, (left) the equine version of the UConn Women's basketball team, will put her 15-for-15 record on the line in Oaklawn Park's Apple Blossom.

Seeing her run is always a treat and those in Hot Springs, Ark. will be a witness to what should be another victory.

The sad part though is that this race was supposed to the "Race of the Century" between Zenyatta and 2009 Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra.

It is debatable why Rachel and her connections elected to skip the Apple Blossom but after suffering her first defeat last month to Zardana (Zenyatta's stablemate), there was little doubt she wasn't ready to face Zenyatta and pursue the $5,000,000 purse that Oaklawn Park owner Charles Cella was offering.

One can only hope that the two will meet this year because it is a near certainty that their racing careers will be over at the end of the year. (This debate will be left for another article.)

Rachel's defection from the Apple Blossom left only four other competitors who are nowhere close to the ability of Zenayatta.

Zenyatta is an imposing figure and her presence in just about any race will scare off most of the competition. But with $500,000 on the line, it is surprising that only four others volunteered to step in the ring with racing's heavyweight.

Plus, her seemingly inevitable victory will be quickly overshadowed Saturday by the $1,000,000 Arkansas Derby, one of the last major Kentucky Derby preps on the calendar.

Racing needs a star like Zenyatta and the only way she will ever get the attention she deserves is if she faces Rachel. An added bonus would be for Zenyatta to run at Churchill Downs during Kentucky Derby week. That's the only place all year where over 1,600 members of the media and over 100,000 people will attend the races.

Zenyatta was supposed to run there last year but trainer John Shirreffs decided that the morning rains on Derby Day made the track unsuitable for his star pupil. Let's hope they make a return trip to the Twin Spires in a couple of weeks.

And, a little horse named Rachel Alexandra happens to be stabled there so might the "Race of the Century" be on again? That might be a longshot but at the very worst, the largest crowd in person and on TV for a racing during the year might get a chance to gaze upon an incredible athlete.

Photos courtesy of Eclipse Sportswire - http://www.eclipsesportswire.com

Top 10 Cons for Eskendereya

2010-04-05T21:14:00.011-04:00

Now for those who don't like Derby favorites or just don't believe the hype of Eskendereya, this is for you. Here are 10 reasons to look at the other 19 horses in the Derby field.

CONS

10) Feeling Lucky? - Winning the Kentucky Derby involves a lot of luck and Eskendereya has been very fortunate in his races this year. The only time in his short career he had to overcome adversity was in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile last November when he nearly got body checked early in the race and wound up finishing ninth. Every horse has the same obstacle in the Derby but when you are the favorite, that fortune or misfortune is magnified. Four leaf clover anyone?

9) Quality - One angle when trying to handicap the Derby is to figure out the quality of your previous competition. The Wood Memorial seems to have been a decent field but not very deep. In the race before, the Fountain of Youth, the competition was weaker. Only time will tell if he in fact beat good horses or not.

8) Road Weary - For a young horse, travelling a lot can be a concern. Eskendereya will not only be racing at his sixth different track in his career, but trainer Todd Pletcher elected to send his phenom back to Florida to train for two weeks before leaving for Kentucky. It seems like an unnecessary extra trip when you need every edge in a race like the Derby.

7) Out of Gas? - Although he won the Wood and Fountain of Youth easily, was it too much, too soon for the sophomore? It's very possible that he peaked with his eye opening victory in the Wood and to try and duplicate that in the Derby will take a special horse. He's not that yet.

6) Derby Chalk - After Lookin at Lucky's hard luck defeat in California, Eskendereya will be the choice on the first Saturday in May and being a Kentucky Derby favorite has proved to be a curse on many occasions. Although the percentage of favorite that have won the Derby (38%) is slightly higher than the industry average, it is somewhat surprising that more haven't won the "Run for the Roses." We've seen plenty of talented favorites come to Louisville and leave with nothing more than a long day at the track.

5) Road Never Traveled - History is on the side for Eskendereya after winning the Wood Memorial as it has produced 20 Derby victors. But the colt is trying to become the first horse to win the Fountain of Youth, Wood and Derby. It may seem to be a small thing but these little statistical anomalies seem to hold up over time.

4) No Guts, No Glory - Sometimes the measure of a great horse is how they win the close finishes. 1997 Derby winner Silver Charm became known for being one of the guttiest horses as he was battled tested time and again. In Eskendereya's four wins, he only once was asked for run and that was when he was on the lead against weak competition. In the Derby, he will be coming from behind and then likely have to turn back the country's best 3-year-old challengers.

3) Running Style - Based on what we've seen, the horses on the lead in the Derby should be moving at a pretty good clip and Eskendereya won't be far behind. That could soften him up and leave him vulnerable down the famous and long Churchill Downs stretch.

2) In The Saddle - Jockey John Velazquez is one of the top riders in the country but the "Run for the Roses" has eluded him. He is 0-for-11 and that's the sixth most Derby mounts without a win. It's his best chance for a victory but the pressure to win this event on a horse with huge expectations is tremendous. He's in a tough spot but none tougher than.....

1) Best Never To Win.... - It's a phrase we've heard many times in sports. Golfer Phil Mickelson was saddled with that title for years until he finally broke through and won The Masters. Trainer Todd Pletcher is in that very same position. Despite being one of the best in the business, he has come up empty with 24 horses in the Kentucky Derby. After this Derby is in the books, he will have had the second most Derby entrants in history, trailing only his mentor D. Wayne Lukas.

To his credit, he does have a Belmont Stakes victory but winning the Derby is THE benchmark. He is by far the leader with most starters in the Derby without winning. He will be peppered with questions over the next three weeks about that and he has said this colt is his best shot to end his Derby Drought. If Eskendereya doesn't win, it will be a long 364 days until Derby 137.

Top 10 Pros for Eskendereya

2010-04-05T17:02:00.010-04:00

Over the next couple of days, we'll take a look at the Top 10 reason to love or hate likely Kentucky Derby favorite Eskendereya.

We'll kick it off on a positive note and give you plenty of ammo to back up your love for what could be one of the best 3-year-olds we've seen in a few years.

10) The Golden Path - The Wood Memorial has produced more Derby winners (20) that any other prep race. The race has also produced the most Triple Crown winners - six. Not to say that Eskendereya will be accomplish something that no equine athlete has done in 32 years but just a little food for thought.

9) The Pilot - John Velazquez has been of the better riders in the country but the "Run for the Roses" has eluded him. Of the elite jockeys in the country, he is one of the few left that hasn't won a Derby. He is 0-for-11 but that should benefit to him since the Derby is unpredictable and experience is crucial.

8) Great Frequent Flyer - For a young horse, the travel around the country hasn't seemed to bother him. When he runs in the Derby, it will be his sixth different track in seven races.

7) Just the Right Number of Races - Since 1937, only nine horses have won the Derby racing just twice as a 3-year-old. Granted, the last three have succeeded with just two races before the Derby but the magic formula has nearly always been three.

6) Lineage - On the surface, there is no question that Eskendereya's family is outstanding. For starters, his Grandfather, Seattle Slew, won the Triple Crown in 1977 and his father, Giant's Causeway, was one of the best horses in the world in 2000. What makes his bloodlines even better is that his parents and Grandfather liked the Churchill Downs racing surface. Giant's Causeway was second in the Breeders' Cup Classic, his mother trained at Churchill during her brief racing career and, of course, Slew won the Derby.

5) Well Rested - Pletcher has not overraced this colt in 2010. He gave Eskendereya six weeks off after winning the Fountain of Youth in mid-February and now will have a month break before the Kentucky Derby. That rest will undoubtedly come in handy as the Derby will be the longest race of his career.

4) En Fuego - Along with Sidney's Candy, there has been no hotter 3-year-old. His back-to-back wins are the best we've seen this year and he seems to getting better with each start which isn't good news for the rest of the field. He has won three in a row and his margin of victory in those triumphs has gotten bigger and bigger despite the competition getting tougher.

3) Triple Figures - For those that believe in them, his last two
Beyer Speed Figures (106, and 109) are tough to ignore. What's even more remarkable is he achieved those figures an d wasn't even asked to exert himself. The last horse to put up these lofty figures in his previous two races before the Derby was Smarty Jones in 2004 and he went on to w in the Derby and Preakness.

2) Head Coach - Trainer Todd Pletcher, one of the best in the business, was uncharacteristically heaping praise on his pupil after winning the Wood. It has been well documented that he is 0-for-24 in the Derby but even he was happy to concede on Saturday that this is by far his best chance to capture Roses. And, it goes without saying that he is overdue.

1) Dirt is Good - Unlike a handful of other Derby hopefuls, Eskendereya has never lost on traditional dirt tracks (4-for-4). In fact, his best races have been on dirt and, for those who don't know, Churchill Downs has a dirt surface. With the proliferation of the artificial dirt courses, it is becoming more and more rare to find a horse who has quality experience on traditional dirt tracks.

Photos courtesy of Eclipse Sportswire

The Money List - 4/4/10

2010-04-04T12:41:00.006-04:00

Here is the Kentucky Derby Graded Stakes Earnings list as I have compiled it. (Churchill Downs will release its Official List during the week.) I have not included another of the fillies and Breeders' Cup Juvenile champ Vale of York since they appear unlikely to run but this should give you a good idea where everyone stands with less than a month to go.

Horse Trainer Graded Earnings Record

1 Lookin At Lucky Bob Baffert $1,480,000 8-6-1-1

2 Noble's Promise Ken McPeek $708,000 7-3-3-1

3 Rule Todd Pletcher $645,000 7-4-1-2

4 Sidney's Candy John Sadler $630,000 6-4-1-0

5 Eskendereya Todd Pletcher $600,000 6-4-1-0

6 Ice Box Nick Zito $457,500 7-3-0-0

7 Mission Impazible Todd Pletcher $473,434 5-2-1-1

8 Endorsement Shannon Ritter $400,000 4-2-1-0

9 Conveyance Bob Baffert $386,000 5-4-1-0

10 American Lion Eoin Harty $378,000 6-3-1-1

11 Discreetly Mine Todd Pletcher $355,000 8-2-3-1

12 Dean's Kitten Michael Maker $326,475 11-3-1-2

13 Awesome Act Jeremy Noseda $285,000 8-2-2-2

14 Dublin D. Wayne Lukas $273,208 7-2-1-1

15 Interactif Todd Pletcher W $270,450 7-3-2-1

16 Homeboykris Rick Dutrow $250,500 6-2-1-0

17 Jackson Bend Nick Zito R $230,000 9-5-4-0

18 Backtalk Tom Amoss $225,916 7-4-0-1

19 Aikenite Todd Pletcher $218,000 6-1-1-2

20 Make Music for MeAlexis Barba $215,000 7-1-2-1

21 Mendip Saeed bin Suroor $200,000 4-3-1-0

22 Radiohead (GB) Rick Dutrow $196,332 9-3-2-1

23 Uh Oh Bango Kory Owens $187,952 6-2-3-0

t24 A Little Warm Tony Dutrow $180,000 7-2-4-0

t24 Odysseus Tom Albertrani $180,000 4-3-1-0

t24 Setsuko Richard Mandella $180,000 8-1-4-2

27 Super Saver Todd Pletcher $163,832 5-2-1-1

28 Pleasant Prince Wesley Ward $162,500 7-1-2-1

29 Tempted to Tapit Steve Klesaris $156,000 6-1-3-1

30 Caracortado Mike Machowsky $153,000 7-5-0-1

31 Connemara Todd Pletcher $138,500 5-3-1-1

32 Schoolyard Dreams Derek Ryan $137,500 6-2-2-1

33 Northern Giant D. Wayne Lukas $127,000 8-1-2-2

34 Paddy O'Prado Dale Romans $100,950 5-1-1-2

35 Drosselmeyer Bill Mott $94,500 7-2-2-2

The Derby Dollars

2010-04-03T23:25:00.005-04:00

Now that there are just three major Kentucky Derby preps left, the chances to earn that crucial money to make it into the starting gate are evaporating quickly.

Three talented horses that were on the "money bubble." took care of business on Saturday. Most notably, Eskendereya's (left) eye opening 9 3/4-length win in the Wood vaulted him to $600,000 in Graded Stakes earnings. According to my unofficial tally, that's #5 on the list.

The wire-to-wire Santa Anita Derby victory for Sidney's Candy (right) propelled him #4 ($630,000) on the list while American Lion rose to #10 ($378,000) after he captured the Illinois Derby.

Ironically, the runner-ups in the Wood and Santa Anita Derby could well be left out of the Derby. Jackson Bend, the Wood second place finisher, moved up to #17 with $230,000, but could easily be passed next weekend. Santa Anita Derby runner-up Setsuko, is in even more peril as he has $180,000 and is tied with two others (A Little Warm and Odysseus) at #24.

Others notables that are in even more trouble are:

#28 - Pleasant Prince - $162,500

Florida Derby runner-up may run one more time

#29 - Tempted to Tapit - $156,000

Trainer indicated that he may skip the Derby because of insufficient earnings

#30 - Caracortado - $153,000

Fourth in Santa Anita Derby and unlikely to run again before Derby

#31 - Connemara - $138,500

Todd Pletcher has not said if he will run again after finishing 3rd in Lane's End

#32 - Schoolyard Dreams - $137,500

Fourth in Wood Memorial and unlikely to run again before Derby

#35 - Drosselmeyer - $94,500

Third place finisher in Louisiana Derby likely to run in Coolmore Lexington

The money drama will continue over the next two weeks but three horses and their connections can rest easy.

Santa Anita Derby photo courtesy of Eclipse Sportswire