Last big races are this weekend. Should be fun. We then have the home stretch of Lexington, Jerome, and Derby Trail.
Big props to Four Roses Stable (small batch and single barrel are both divine) and Shall We Play A Game for significant donations to our Old Friends Trust. With their big help we can easily reach our goal of $220. Let's do this people.
After this weekend there will be one more supplemental draft where you can pick up two more horses. Choose wisely.
I've been chasing points where I hope others aren't and so far that hasn't worked out. Still some time for a big score.
So many easy ways to go for your song of the day (Midnight Crooner, Scatman, Heavy Breathing). But here's what I'd say at the betting window: "Oaklawn, Race 11, give me $100 exact box, #10 w/Kentucky bred Ricky Skaggs. Then add Ashley Monroe with 'em in a $50 tri box. Let it ride."
$750,000 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I, Race 11, 6:18 p.m.), 3YO, 1 1/8 Miles (Polytrack)
PP. Horse, Jockey, Trainer, Odds
1. Heavy Breathing (KY), C Lanerie, T Pletcher, 12-1
2. Gung Ho (PA), E Prado, M Maker, 30-1
3. Prospective (KY), L Contreras, M Casse, 10-1
4. Hansen (KY), R Dominguez, M Maker, 6-5
5. Russian Greek (KY), M Mena, G Dorochenko, 50-1
6. Dullahan (KY), K Desormeaux, D Romans, 6-1
7. Politicallycorrect (KY), E Trujillo, W Ward, 30-1
8. Midnight Crooner (KY), G Gomez, B Baffert, 15-1
9. Holy Candy (KY), J Rosario, J Sadler, 30-1
10. Howe Great (KY), J astellano, G Motion, 6-1
11. Ever So Lucky (KY), J Leparoux, J Shepphard, 12-1
12. Hero of Order (KY), E Martin Jr., G Dorochenko, 12-1
13. Scatman (KY), S Bridgmohan, M Lauer, 12-1
All will carry 123 pounds.
$1 Million Arkansas Derby (gr. I, Race 11, 5:45 p.m.), 3YOs, 1 1/8 Miles PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer, ML Odds
1. Cozzetti (KY), J Lezcano, 118, D L Romans, 15/1
2. Stat (KY), J R Velazquez, 118, T A Pletcher, 10/1
3. Najjaar (KY), C H Borel, 118, D C Peitz, 15/1
4. Jake Mo (KY), M C Berry, 122, A Milligan, 30/1
5. Secret Circle (KY), R Bejarano, 122, B Baffert, 5/2
6. Isn't He Clever (KY), R Albarado, 122, H Dominguez, 6/1
7. Optimizer (KY), J K Court, 118, D W Lukas, 30/1
8. Atigun (KY), T J Thompson, 118, K G McPeek, 30/1
9. Sabercat (KY), C S Nakatani, 122, S M Asmussen, 15/1
10. Raconteur (KY), C P DeCarlo, 122, T A Pletcher, 15/1
11. Bodemeister (VA), M E Smith, 118, B Baffert, 9/5 Blinkers Off: Isn't He Clever, Bodemeister
Quite a few big races on tap this weekend. Keeneland opens today. We are one month away from The Day.
Your song of the day comes courtesy the #5 horse in the Wood Memorial. One of the weirdest and coolest bands ever. Great music, awesome theme and every album cover they the had was amazing. Good luck this weekend.
$750,000 Santa Anita Derby (gr. I, Race 6, 2:30 p.m.), 3YOs, 1 1/8 Miles PP. Horse, Jockey, Trainer, ML Odds
1. Creative Cause (KY), J Rosario, M Harrington, 6/5
2. Liaison (KY), R Bejarano, B Baffert, 8/1
3. Holy Candy (KY), A Quinonez, J W Sadler, 8/1
4. I'll Have Another (KY), M Gutierrez, D F O'Neill, 5/2
5. Longview Drive (KY), R A Baze, J Hollendorfer, 12/1
6. Paynter (KY), M Garcia, B Baffert, 12/1
7. Senor Rain (IN), E Flores, P Miller, 15/1
8. Midnight Transfer (KY), M E Smith, C Gaines, 10/1
9. Blueskiesnrainbows (VA), J Talamo, B Baffert, 20/1
10. Brother Francis (KY), G K Gomez, J M Cassidy, 20/1 All carry 122 pounds.
Blinkers Off: Creative Cause, Blueskiesnrainbows
$1 million Wood Memorial (gr. I, Race 9, 5:15 p.m.), 3YO, 1 1/8 Miles (Dirt) PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer, Odds
1. Alpha (KY), R A Dominguez, 123, K P McLaughlin, 5-2
2. Casual Trick (KY), C S Nakatani, 123, N P Zito, 20-1
3. My Adonis (KY), E Trujillo, 123, K J Breen, 8-1
4. Teeth of the Dog (KY), J Bravo, 123, M R Matz, 15-1
5. Street Life (KY), J Alvarado, 123, C C Brown, 4-1
6. Gemologist (KY), J Castellano, 123, T A Pletcher, 8-5
7. Tiger Walk (KY), J R Velazquez, 123, I Correas IV, 15-1
8. The Lumber Guy (NY), C H Velasquez, 123, M E Hushion, 8-1
$500,000 Illinois Derby (gr. III, Race 9, 5:46 p.m.), 3YO, 1 1/8 Miles (Dirt) PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer 1. Romancing the Gold (PA), I Ortiz, Jr., 122, J C Englehart
2. Hakama (KY), J Pimentel, 122, M J Trombetta
3. Ring It Up (KY), L Wade, 122, C Richard
4. Currency Swap (FL), S Bridgmohan, 122, T M Pompay
5. Pretension (NY), J Santiago, 122, C W Grove
6. Skyring (KY), R A Vazquez, 122, D W Lukas
7. Saturday Launch (KY), C A Emigh, K G McPeek
8. Z Rockstar (OK), Q Hamilton 122, D K Von Hemel
9. Fastestwhogetspaid (ON), I Ocampo, 122, B Williamson
10. Frankie Is Rock (KY), E E Perez, 122, R Aguilar
11. Our Entourage (KY), E Castro, 122, T A Pletcher
12. Morgan's Guerrilla (KY), R Napravnik, 122, M J Maker
13. Done Talking (KY), S Russell, 122, H A Smith
14. Slamit (FL), C Hill, 122, T A Ice
Also Eligibles:
Explain (KY), F C Torres, 122, B H Cox
Arm Force (KY), E Castro, 122, E G Harty
Defiant Flyer (TX), S B Martinez, 122, L P Davis
$250,000 Bay Shore Stakes (gr. III, Race 8, 4:38 p.m.), 3YO, 7 Furlongs
PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer
1. Trinniberg (KY), W Martinez, 120, B Parboo
2. Perfect Trippi (FL), C S Nakatani, 116, D L Romans
3. Copy My Swagger (KY), D Cohen, 116, D Jacobson
4. Phil Dancer (PA), C H Velasquez, 120, R E Reid Jr.
5. King and Crusader (MD), M J Luzzi, 120, R E Dutrow Jr.
6. Hardened Wildcat (KY), J Alvarado, 120, C C Brown
7. Maan (KY), J Castellano, 116, E Kenneally
8. How Do I Win (KY), J R Velazquez, 116, T A Pletcher
Here's a list: horse racing, basketball, bourbon, bluegrass music, country ham (hell, throw in coal and tobacco for good measure). If you are a Kentuckian you should either love, like, have an affinity for or at least appreciate all those things. If not you need to turn in your native card.
Still stuck at $70 in our charity venture. We can do better than this people.
Union Rags and El Padrino hooking up in the Florida Derby along with Take Charge Indy and others is going to be fun.
The Louisiana Derby is being run on Sunday. That's a good idea Fair Grounds.
Remember if you haven't picked up horses in the 1st supplemental draft yet this weekend might be a good time to do that.
Great to hear Bob Baffert is recovering well from his health scare. Love Bobby B.
I have a dream: At the end of the big game on Saturday I just hope that whatever happens the fans, the bands, the cheerleaders, the teams are smart and civil enough to join arm and arm and join in a rendition of 'My Old Kentucky Home' just at they first did in Knoxville in 1983. It's a pipe dream, but it's my dream.
Our song today was written by the great Florence Reece during the Harlan County, Kentucky coal mining wars of the 1930s. If you haven't seen the film Harlan County USA...you must. It's an amazing document of an important part of Kentucky history. Good luck this weekend.
$1 million Florida Derby (gr. I, Race 11, 5:40 p.m.), 3YO, 1 1/8 Miles (Dirt) PP. Horse, Jockey, Trainer 1. Fort Loudon (FL), L Jurado, S Gold
2. News Pending (KY), R Maragh, D Romans
3. Take Charge Indy (KY), C Borel, P Byrne
4. Neck 'n Neck (KY), E Prado, I Wilkes
5. Z Camelot (KY), J Bravo, D Romans
6. Union Rags (KY), J Leparoux, M Matz
7. Bartolome (KY), J Castanon, J Garoffalo
8. El Padrino (KY), J Castellano, T Pletcher
9. Reveron (KY), E Trujillo, A Bezara All horses will carry 122 pounds
Louisiana Derby
Fire Alarm, Miguel Mena, 20-1
Windsurfer, John Velazquez, 12-1
Finnegans Wake, Corey Lanerie, 15-1
Flashy Sunrise, Rajiv Maragh, 30-1
Cigar Street, Shaun Bridgmohan, 7-2
Shared Property, Leandro Goncalves, 10-1
Mr. Bowling, Robby Albarado, 2-1 (entry)
Mark Valeski, Rosie Napravnik, 2-1 (entry)
Arm Force, Julien Leparoux, 20-1
Comisky's Humor, Richard Eramia, 20-1
Z Dager, Shane Sellers, 8-1
Rousing Sermon, Mike Smith, 6-1
Hero Of Order, Eddie Martin Jr., 30-1
Afford, James Graham, 15-1
This guy knows a guy who looks like the lead singer of Spin Doctors
I'm still in a great mood. This could end anytime so enjoy it while it's here.
We have $70 in our in our fundraising efforts. We have 22 stables in
our league. Don't need to be a math major to understand there's a
discrepancy here. It supports a good cause, it's fast, it's easy, it's
secure, it all goes straight to Old Friends, you can do it anonymously,
etc. Let's get it done people.
Remember to pick up three more horses in your stable between now and Derby Day. The supplemental draft opened this last Monday so it's your chance to enhance your stable.
Derby preps will be on NBC Sports Network Saturday. No information on what they are showing, but something will be on. Great marketing there.
Two decent races this weekend in the Sunland Derby and Spiral Stakes. Sunland is a grade III race....with an $800,000 purse. Slots, slots, slots!
And now your song for the weekend. Something fun, reference a prep race, some Derby tie-in, ah-ha. So see that #5 horse in the Sunland Derby? I hear this song and BOOM I'm magically in Louisville, Kentucky in the spring of 1993. Remember that Derby Sea Hero Stables? Of course you do. Good luck this weekend.
I hope those cigarettes are gonna make you cough.
$800,000 Sunland Derby (gr. III, Race 12, 5:45 p.m.), 3YOs, 1 1/8 Miles PP. Horse, Jockey, Trainer
1. Castaway (KY), R Bejarano, B Baffert
2. Ender Knievel (KY), J R Velazquez, T A Pletcher
3. Stirred Up (VA), M Garcia, B Baffert
4. Isn't He Clever (KY), L Contreras, H Dominguez
5. No Spin (KY), C Hill, T A Ice
6. Daddy Nose Best (KY), J R Leparoux, S M Asmussen
7. Tequila Factor (KY), M Hernandez, C L Wilson
8. Justanoldsong (KY), R Eikleberry, D Wolochuk All carry 122 pounds.
$500,000 Vinery Racing Spiral Stakes (gr. III, Race 10, 5:45 p.m.), 3YO, 1 1/8 Miles (Polytrack) PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer 1. Russian Greek (KY), C S Nakatani, 123, J Hollendorfer
2. Red Jack (KY), M Pedroza, 123, D W Lukas
3. Heavy Breathing (KY), J Castellano, 123, T A Pletcher
4. Went the Day Well (NY), J R Velazquez, 123, H G Motion
5. Holiday Promise (KY), J Alvarado, 123, T A Pletcher
6. All Squared Away (KY), L Contreras, 123, P Miller
7. Ill Conceived (PA), S Elliott, 123, J C Servis
8. Coach Royal (KY), F Jara, 123, J Sallusto
9. Tizanexpense (KY), V Lebron, 123, M J Maker
10. Mr. Prankster (KY), R Napravnik, 123, M J Maker
11. Stealcase (KY), R Maragh, 123, M E Casse
12. Handsome Mike (KY), J Rosario, 123, D F O'Neill
Gulfstream is apparently our fave Derby prep series. Surprised. New poll is up.
Secret Circle did what he was supposed to do in the Rebel and I like what I saw. He sat in 3/4, cruised a while and was confident to weave through traffic around the far turn and take control. Beyer Figure of 92 might be a little lower than what I'd like, but still within range.
Optimizer! Wow. Anyone care to comment on that blazing stretch run to nail place?
Top two in our league continue to be ULhothot and People of Iowa's Stable, but The Esper Rose and Morning Dew Stable took big leaps this week.
Derby Love has now been updated for 2012. It's one of my favorite Derby blogs, but I'm biased because Sea Hero Stables (who runs the site) was my college roommate at UofL. However, it's new and improved and definitely worth checking out. And there's a chance to see 19YO Kentucky Bred. Man, I need to work out more.
Brown Squirrel Stable alerted me of NBC possibly asking Churchill Downs to move Derby later into the evening in the future. I actually love the idea. Love Breeders' Cup under lights and the Dubai World Cup is an awesome spectacle. Just scared to death to have that many drunk people in darkness. Infield would be out of control.
Vinery Racing Spiral, Rushaway, and Sunland Derby up this weekend. Still miss Spiral Stakes being called the Jim Beam Stakes and am still amazed it was once call Galleryfurniture.com Stakes.
Had a great weekend. Best thing that happened? Hmmm....Oh, I found out UPS doesn't disrespect or hate me. Thank you UPS.
Enjoy Kentucky bred Nappy Roots singing bout the world, but still never forgetting where they are from.
There's only one race on tap this weekend, but it should be a good one. Not much in this post, but I'll try to follow up Monday with some more to say. Until then enjoy some Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. I've read in interviews where these guys don't understand why they are compared to The Jesus and Mary Chain and like. Seriously? I mean you are a cool band, but you weren't born out of some space vacuum. Own it.
$500,000 Rebel Stakes (gr. II, Race 10, 5:48 p.m.), 3YO, 1 1/16 Miles (Dirt) PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer 1. Unbridled's Note (KY), C Hill, 115, S M Asmussen
2. Scatman (KY), L S Quinonez, 117, M E Lauer
3. Cyber Secret (KY), R Albarado, 117, L S Whiting
4. Optimizer (KY), J K Court, 115, D W Lukas
5. Jake Mo (KY), M C Berry, 117, A Milligan
6. Sabercat (KY), C S Nakatani, 119, S M Asmussen
7. Secret Circle (KY), R Bejarano, 122, B Baffert
8. Atigun (KY), T J Thompson, 117, K G McPeek
9. Reckless Jerry (KY), J Rocco Jr., 115, K P Smith
10. Ring It Up (KY), L Wade, 115, C Richard
11. Pee H Dee (KY), I Ocampo, 117, C Richard
12. Najjaar (KY), C H Borel, 117, D C Peitz
13. Adirondack King (KY), S Elliott, 117, J C Servis
I don't know about you, but I had a great weekend and this coming week is shaping up to be nice too.
Appears to be the real deal.
Creative Cause stalked a swift pace and pounced on a game Bodemeister to take the San Filipe. Creative Cause evidently galloped out very strong which is a good sign of possible things to come. That 7 furlong tune up of the San Vicente appears to be a great public workout as it was touted.
Prospective took the Tampa Bay Derby by out dueling Golden Ticket. Both were game, but the speed quality of the race appears to be a bit in question.
Trinniberg won the Swale Stakes.
Beyer Speed Figures for the race winners: Trinniberg-99, Prospective-88, Creative Cause-102.
I took gambles on not picking up Hansen and Creative Cause in my stable. I do this every year thinking I'm gonna be some wise guy. So far it hasn't worked out so well.
We only have the Rebel Stakes this coming weekend, but with Baffert's Southwest division winning duo Secret Circle and Castaway meeting up it should keep us entertained.
Congrats to 'ULhothot' for topping our league table this week. 'ULhothot' is actually short for 'UL is my hot hot sex' which is not only an awesome and hilarious username it's totally true right now....well, at least for me.
We just had daylight savings. Spring is budding which means Derby is just around the corner. UofL won the Big East and are gonna be playing in my backyard for the Big Dance. Oh yeah, I'm going.
So I'll leave you with this song of the day. Everything in it reflects how I feel right now-the band, the song, the audience, the video in the background. This is also one of my four-year-old daughter's favorite songs. There are many things I'll probably fail at in fatherhood, but I already know my girl is hip to good music. She can be digging John Coltrane and Nina Simone and then slide into Erasure and Le Tigre like nobody's business. I realize this is Kathleen Hanna's second appearance on the blog. Yeah, she cool. Have a great week.
One stellar race, one decent race and one non-factor race just for good measure this weekend. Let's get to it.
Awesome exhibition just started at the Derby Museum. So they have some wood from one of the last trees of the land that the Downs now stands on and made it into a bar for the exhibition. Friggin' awesome. The Churchill brothers owned and leased the land to Meriwether Lewis Clark (their nephew) who put into motion what we know as the Downs, the Derby, the Oaks, the Clark Handicap etc. Great story.
San Filipe is going to be a cool race. I'm looking forward to many of the colts in this race and am predicting a break out performance. Creative Cause is your early favorite.
It's amazing how far the Tampa Bay Derby has come in just a few short years. A decade ago we wouldn't even be talking about this track let alone this race. Whoever runs this race course needs to give some ideas to the entire racing industry 'cause they are doing something right down there. Doesn't appear to be as deep a field this year, but a couple of these horses figure to be in the mix the first Saturday in May.
The Swale Stakes also occurs. Meh. But Swale is one of those cool, yet tragic stories in racing. Plus he was trained by Powell County, Kentucky's own Woody Stephens. That's right around my stomping ground growing up. You haven't played golf until you've played at Meadows Golf Course in Clay City/Powell County. I found a golf website that had a comment from juice0013 that best sums up this place: Basically you are paying to play golf on an open field. Great for
beginners because no matter how much you slice, it is still in bounds.
No fairways/roughs, just tee boxes and green. Every green is the
same... round and high in the center. Tough course, but cheap cheap
cheap. I can't say I haven't returned plenty of times just to play
some cheap golf on a Saturday. Exactly. Plus the barn in the middle of the 8th/17th fairway is just classic.
Oh yeah...GO CARDS. Beat Irish.
Took me awhile to figure out which way to go for your song of the day. Finally narrowed it down to a few ideas. Groovin' Solo seemed a bit too obvious as did Musical Flair. Motor City provided way too many options (Jack White, Bob Seger, Eminem, Iggy Pop, etc.) so I went sideways on y'all. Heard the track below yesterday and was blown away. If you are faithful readers you should be reading this on Friday morn (just to set the stage a bit). So....GOOD MORNING DIVA. Good luck this weekend.
$300,000 San Filipe Stakes (gr. II, Race 9, 4:38 p.m.), 3YOs, 1 1/16 Miles PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer
1. Blingo (KY), M E Smith, 118, J A Shirreffs
2. Bodemeister (VA), R Bejarano, 118, B Baffert
3. American Act (KY), M A Pedroza, 118, J Carava
4. Midnight Transfer (KY), V Espinoza, 118, C Gaines
5. Groovin' Solo (KY), A Quinonez, 118, M K Cho
6. Liaison (KY), M Garcia, 123, B Baffert
7. Creative Cause (KY), J Rosario, 123, M Harrington
8. Rousing Sermon (CA), J Talamo, 118, J Hollendorfer
9. Tiz Point (KY), G K Gomez, 118, R E Mandella
10. Empire Way (KY), B Blanc, 118, M Harrington
Blinkers Off: Groovin' Solo, Liaison
$350,000 Tampa Bay Derby (gr. II, Race 11, 5:28 p.m.), 3YO, 1 1/16 Miles (Dirt) PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer 1. Prospective (KY), L Contreras, 120, M E Casse
2. Golden Ticket (KY), M R Cruz, 116, K G McPeek
3. Twin (FL), D Centeno, 116, P Maestre
4. Chief Energy (KY), P Lopez, 116, J J Toner
5. Tell All You Know (KY), L R Goncalves, 116, C J Stewart
6. Cozzetti (KY), J Lezcano, 116, D L Romans
7. Battle Hardened (KY), J R Leparoux, 120, E Kenneally
8. Ravelo's Boy (KY), J Sanchez, 116, M J Azpurua
9. Spring Hill Farm (VA), J Castellano, 116, T A Pletcher
10. Take Charge Indy (KY), C H Borel, 116, P B Byrne
11. Fox Rules (NY), H Villa-Gomez, 116, M A Ferraro
12. Cajun Charlie (LA), T J Hebert, 120, B S House
$150,000 Swale (gr. III, Race 11, 5:35 p.m.), 3YO, 7 Furlongs (Dirt) PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer 1. Quick Wit (KY), A O Solis, 115, D L Romans
2. Trinniberg (KY), W Martinez, 115, B Parboo
3. Silver Menace (KY), R A Dominguez, 117, K Ritvo
4. Motor City (KY), E S Prado, 121, I R Wilkes
5. Hello Prince (FL), J A Garcia, 121, D Pita
6. Bahamian Squall (FL), L Saez, 115, D Fawkes
7. Ever So Lucky (KY), J Bravo, 115, J E Sheppard
8. Musical Flair (KY), J C Leyva, 121, S Santoro
9. Seve (KY), K J Desormeaux, 115, D L Romans
10. Good Morning Diva (KY), R Maragh, 115, J D Braddy
Not a lot to report, but there are three graded stake races this coming weekend so things will pick up a bit.
Thoughts go out to all in Kentucky who felt the effects of the terrible weather last week. Though the damage was immense and there were some lives lost it's actually amazing things weren't worse than they were. I know folks whose house was leveled in western Johnson County, but they escaped from harm.
Hansen earned some respect from me this last weekend. For a front runner he had an unwanted outside post in the Gotham. He actually eased into a rating position and calmly stalked the pace before unleashing in the last quarter. My only concern at this point is the lack of class he faced in that race and his ability carry with further distance. He could easily be in the superfecta range come Derby Day and I think is a must use in exotic wagering.
Tampa Bay Derby, San Filipe, and Swale Stakes are all this coming weekend. We should see a lot of talent heading to the gate. I've gotta gain some ground in the standings as I took a gamble and did not pick up Hansen in my stable (yet).
Oh, the John Battaglia Memorial also occurred. I have no idea who won. Seriously, a non-grade stakes race at Turfway Park in early March should not be considered a Derby prep race.
New poll question is up. I included Keeneland even though it doesn't have a tradition prep series because winners of the Blue Grass and Lexington stamp their ticket to the Derby. And it's Keeneland. However, I chose Oaklawn as I love the series and really want to get down there for the Arkansas Derby one day.
Somber, yet sweet song from the legend Mingus to ease into your Monday. Talk to you Friday.
It's official: we think Baffert only owns red and yellow ties (I think it's 37 yellow and 4 red).
So if someone decided to add to my obituary that Jennie Rees retweeted me I'd be cool with that.
We have raised $70 of our fundraising goal of $210. Let's get it done.
Someone asked me on Twitter last week what I think about the Kentucky State Senate denying Commonwealth voters a chance to vote on gaming in Kentucky. I'm working on an opinion post so that should be out soon.
Pegasus Pins are out now! They are one of those little things I miss about the Derby City, but now they can be bought online and I will be purchasing one (green). The Kentucky Derby Festival is definitely my favorite American fest. I love Portland, but the Rose Festival pales in comparison.
Not a huge weekend of racing, but with 2YO Hansen running it'll keep the intrigue up a bit. I'm not a big fan of Hansen. I'm very suspicious of most precocious 2YOs (especially with a front running style). We all saw the Holy Bull Stakes. Love his color and even though I'm generally pretty traditional when it comes to racing I would have liked to have seen the dyed mane and tail.
I don't think I have any horses running this weekend. Jockey and trainer points galore.
My Louisville Cardinals v/Morning Dew Stables' Syracuse Orange tomorrow. Over the last few years I would normally looked forward to this automatic win. I do not have that feeling now.
Thought about a number of ways to go with your song of the day. @pressthepace had me inspired to go with Prince and 'Batdance'. Interesting, but odd and not one of Prince's finest moments. Thought to go super cheese with Hanson and 'MMMBop'. Say what you want, but that's a great pop song. Ultimately, I decided to go with a safe bet. I'm a big fan of this Hansen. He rarely disappoints.
$400,000 Gotham Stakes PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer, Odds 1. My Adonis (KY), E Trujillo, 120, K J Breen, 5-1
2. Stealcase (KY), L Contreras, 116, M E Casse, 12-1
3. Finnegans Wake (KY), K J Desormeaux, 116, D L Romans, 20-1
4. Pretension (NY), J Santiago, 116, C W Grove, 20-1
5. Maan (KY), R Maragh, 116, E Kenneally, 15-1
6. Dan and Sheila (KY), J R Velazquez, 116, T A Pletcher, 8-1
7. Suns Out Guns Out (KY), I Ortiz Jr., 116, D L Romans, 30-1
8. Raconteur (KY), C H Velasquez, 120, T A Pletcher, 15-1
9. King and Crusader (MD), M J Luzzi, 116, R E Dutrow Jr., 15-1
10. Side Road (KY), A Garcia, 116, K P McLaughlin, 12-1
11. Done Talking (KY), D Cohen, 116, H A Smith, 20-1
12. Hansen (KY), R A Dominguez, 123, M J Maker, 6-5
13. Tiger Walk (KY), E Castro, 116, I Correas IV, 12-1
$75,000John Battaglia Memorial PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer 1. Dynamical (KY), J Martinez Jr., 118, M E Casse
2. Ill Conceived (PA), S Elliott, 118, J C Servis
3. Phantom Fury (KY), R A Prescott, 118, M E Lauer
4. State of Play (KY), V Lebron, 124, H G Motion
5. Posey Rose (KY), M Pedroza, 118, V D Coyle
6. Mr. Prankster (KY), J McKee, 124, M J Maker
Great start to the Road to the Roses. Let's get right to it.
Risen Star-Mark Valeski ran a nice race, but I really think El Padrino (Beyer of 98) is a class above. From my amateur eyes it looked at if Rosie Napravnik went to the whip on Mark Valeski about eight times in the stretch. Javier Castellano showed whipped, but only used twice. Not really any other horses to talk about from this race. A quick search reveals El Padrino is translated in English to The Godfather. So that's pretty cool.
Fountain of Youth-Too bad Algorithms scratched, but Union Rags was probably going to beat just about anybody yesterday. Discreet Dancer looked very comfortable on the front end and I thought with those modest fractions he could pull away. Alas, he didn't have anything for the stretch run and Union Rags blew by him.
Two big performances this weekend. Which one do you think was better?
There are 21 individuals in our league so I've changed our Old Friends donation goal to $210. Please donate so we can achieve our goal by Derby Day.
Standings-Things were really tight at the top after the Risen Star, but People of Iowa's Stable raged in front after the Fountain of Youth. I'm guessing that stable 'power horsed' both winners. Nice work. Four Roses Stable (love me some Four Roses Small Batch and Single Barrel) currently stands in stalking position. It was a good start and there's plenty of racing ahead.
I'm from small county in Kentucky. Growing up in the 1980s you had to really search for music outside of country, pop, and classic rock (seriously, jazz just didn't exist). This song came out when I was 15 (yeah, I just dated myself...so what). Looking for wannabe angst-filled music you had few avenues to explore: MTV (I didn't have cable OR satellite), older siblings of friends who were into cool music (few and far between), and....Columbia House Record Club. It was like iTunes pre-Internet. I bought The Cure's Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me along with 11 other similar albums around this time. Best penny I ever spent.
I remember this being really cool back in the day. Now, not so much. Kinda cheesy isn't it?
WHATEVER! You just don't understand! Leave me alone! I'm going to my room!
Gotham and John Battaglia Memorial are up next. Talk to you all on Friday. Have a great week!
So we are finally here to the start of the Road to the Roses fantasy horse racing challenge. Really excited about this season.
Currently my favorite Derby prospect
Make sure you sign up and finalize your stable by tonight.
If you are new to the league or just fell into this blog and want to join-welcome! Feel free to be part of the fun.
League information is in the top right of this blog. Make sure you enter that after you get your stable together.
Read over the league rules. Really the most important thing to remember is to activate three power horses every week.
Remember we are a charitable league so make sure you donate $10 to Old Friends in the donation box to the right. It's quick and easy to do and supports a very worthy cause. Thanks to everyone who has already donated (including me).
Really interested to see what El Padrino can do in the Risen Star. Nearly picked the colt named Mark Valeski for my stable because I
actually worked with a guy out here in the City of Roses with that same name. Weird. He's owned by a former Kentucky governor and trained
by a Kentuckian. I hope I don't regret not taking him.
I have to say the Fountain of Youth is the real excitement. Algorithms and Union Rags have been buzz horses for a while and rightly so. I got chills when I saw Discreet Dancer's last outing. I realize it was an allowance/optional claimer race, but he looked sharp (as he did in his 2YO race in December). Likes to get out front and this might be his downfall. Really looking forward to this race.
No luck on getting Kenny Mayne, Rex Chapman, Bobby Flay, Gene Simmons, and Bryan Cranston to join our league as of yet. There's still time.
I've done just about every fantasy sport there is, but to me nothing compares to this. It's by far my favorite. Race entries for this weekend's Risen Star and Fountain of Youth are after the song of the day.
So you are going to click on this song and wonder what's the connection. There is a connection. I really hope I'm not disappointed next time I check the stable names in our league. Good luck to everyone!
$300,000 Risen Star Stakes (gr. II, Race 11, 4:55 p.m.), 3YOs, 1 1/16 Miles PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer
1. Afford (KY), S Bridgmohan, 116, G Geier
2. Optimizer (KY), C H Marquez Jr., 116, D W Lukas
3. a-Mr. Bowling (KY), R Albarado, 120, J L Jones
4. Z Dager (KY), S J Sellers, 116, S M Asmussen
5. Ted's Folly (OK), R Zimmerman, 120, W L Brown
6. b-Adena's Chance (FL), R E Eramia, 116, G Dorochenko
7. b-Hero of Order (KY), J Graham, 116, G Dorochenko
8. El Padrino (KY), J Castellano, 116, T A Pletcher
9. a-Mark Valeski (KY), R Napravnik, 116, J L Jones
10. Shared Property (KY), L R Goncalves, 120, T M Amoss
11. Tizanexpense (KY), M Mena, 116, M J Maker a - Brereton C. Jones coupled entry
b - Gennadi & Irina Dorochenko coupled entry
$400,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes (gr. II, Race 11, 5:13 p.m.), 3YOs, 1 1/16 Miles PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer 1. Neck 'n Neck (KY), J Lezcano, 116, I R Wilkes
2. Algorithms (KY), J Castellano, 120, T A Pletcher
3. Fort Loudon (FL), R Maragh, 120, S I Gold
4. Casual Trick (KY), C S Nakatani, 116, N P Zito
5. Discreet Dancer (FL), J R Velazquez, 116, T A Pletcher
6. News Pending (KY), K J Desormeaux, 116, D L Romans
7. Union Rags (KY), J R Leparoux, 122, M R Matz
8. Csaba (KY), P Lopez, 116, P A Gleaves
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