2009 KY Derby 135th edition; final post-position/odds p28

[Glimmerglass]

[QUOTE=jennywho;3882676]
I just read that former $20K claimer General Quarters is owned by his groom. How cool is that?[/QUOTE]

Kinda, sorta the story but it’s a little more that his owner (who was also his prior trainer) has done the care / work for him

Courier-Journla Feb 15, 2009 “Retired principal’s colt schools 'em in Sam F. Davis”

General Quarters – a 3-year-old gray colt claimed for $20,000 in his first race – gave owner Tom McCarthy, a retired Louisville high school principal, his biggest triumph in racing.

[Jockey Lopex to owner McCarthy] said, 'We’re going to the (Kentucky) Derby, aren’t we? I said, ‘We’ll see.’ That was very emotional, very exciting. I left my family and wife up there for six weeks to come down and take care of him and get to be with him. My wife (Patricia) just called me and said, ‘You’ve got to get me a plane ticket for the next race.’ "

The March 14 Tampa Bay Derby and Keeneland’s April 11 Toyota Blue Grass are the next targets, he said.

McCarthy long has had a tiny stable at Churchill Downs’ Trackside Training Center, but General Quarters is his only horse currently racing. He purchased the son of Sky Mesa last May 30 out of a $20,000 maiden-claiming race, then trained General Quarters for his next five races in Kentucky – including a second-place finish at Keeneland and a third at Churchill – before sending him to trainer Mark Miller at Tampa.

[Glimmerglass]

Interesting final odds and historical detail with regards to the Futures Pool 1 :pool closed Feb 15, 2009 with “all others” favorite

Example with how the odds flux if you wagered on the following horses in each respective pool plus the day of the Derby:

Funny Cide (2003):
pool 1 payout: $188
pool 2 payout: $120.80
Pool 3 payout: $23.60
Derby day: $10.20

Giacamo (2005):
pool 1 payout: $52
pool 2 payout: $54.20
Pool 3 payout: $103.60
Derby day: $102.60

Barbaro (2006):
pool 1 payout: $40.20
pool 2 payout: $32.20
Pool 3 payout: $20.80
Derby day: $14.20

So for 2009 - final pool 1 payouts, if the respective horse wins:
Old Fashioned: $16.40
I Want Revenge: $111.80
The Pamplemousse: $60.40
Silver City: $72.80
Haynesfield: $66.80

As for Midshipman he won’t start his 2009 season until March:

Midshipman will race for Saeed bin Suroor for the first time in the $250,000 Al Bastakiya, an about 1 1/8-mile stakes on the March 5 “Super Thursday” card at Nad al Sheba.

Hmmmm …

[Glimmerglass]

20 minutes to post for the Southwest Stakes … Old Fashioned listed now at 1 to 9

I sense that ‘the dispatcher’ is heading off to the gallows with Old Fashioned ready to crush this field

[Glimmerglass]

Old Fashioned wins by about 3 1/2 over Silver City and then a big gap back to the rest. Very fast fractions and Ramon did have to ask Old Fashioned to get going and out of the match racing that was brewing. While much further back the D. Wayne Lukas’s part-owned and trained “Buzzin and Dreaming” finished an impressive 3rd over the rest of the field

Next to watch is the 3-yr old filly Evita Argentina take on the boys at Santa Anita in the Grade 2 $150,000 San Vicente Stakes. Purportedly John Sadler is doing this to keep Evita away from tangling with Stardom Bound.

[Linny]

Praise Heaven!!! At least one of these horses did what it was supposed to do. He showed an ability to rate that he’s never been asked to do. Ramon took him on a long hold and he eased off of stretchout sprinter Silver City, who stuck around for 2nd. Unbridled’s Song colts run 1-2.

[VirginiaBred]

@Glimmerglass

Old Fashioned wins by about 3 1/2 over Silver City and then a big gap back to the rest. Very fast fractions and Ramon did have to ask Old Fashioned to get going and out of the match racing that was brewing. .

Damn! Those were my two choices and favorites! :):):):):):) Woo Hoo!!!

Congratulations Unbridled’s Song!!!

[Glimmerglass]

Evita

[QUOTE=Glimmerglass;3886255]
Next to watch is the 3-yr old filly Evita Argentina take on the boys at Santa Anita in the Grade 2 $150,000 San Vicente Stakes. Purportedly John Sadler is doing this to keep Evita away from tangling with Stardom Bound.[/QUOTE]

Holy Smokes

While she isn’t Kentucky Oaks let alone Derby bound (she’s more of a sprinter) that was sweet!! Evita Argentina (f) didn’t want anything whatsoever to do with the boys and sat far behind everyone and then boom - from utterly dead-last to sprint past the entire field with Garrett “Go Go” Gomez as the pilot. Roaring down the middle of the track to fly past the entire field!

My hat is taken off to Evita Argentina for defeating the field of the boys. Not only that but she’s the first filly since 1947 to win the $150,000 San Vicente Stakes.

They be crying Evita, Evita! again …

[Glimmerglass]

Video replay of Evita Argentina in the Grade 2 San Vicente Stakes today - worth a look

[justalittlex]

I was blown away by Evita Argentina today, what a great gal, and what a great rider too. Kept her in back until it seemed impossible, then explosive run to the wire. go Gogo!

[Glimmerglass]

Next for Evita Argentina: $400,000 Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) on March 14

If you listen to the replay you’ll note that up the backstretch Trevor calls out all the positions and horses but leavs out Evita as she’s so far behind that he actually calls the 2nd to last horse as last

With Old Fashioned: some very good signs

“Down the backside I knew we were going fast, but it didn’t feel like he was rushing to keep up with the leader,” said Ramon Dominguez, who rode Old Fashioned for trainer Larry Jones."I hope that stretch run did him some good. I didn’t hear him blowing after the race like I might have expected after those fractions and a hard first effort of the year."

Jones said plans are to leave Old Fashioned at Oaklawn for the Grade 2, $300,000 Rebel on March 14. The horse had done most of his training up to the Southwest at Fair Grounds. The Rebel is the final local prep for the Grade 2, $1 million Arkansas Derby on April 11.

Even nicer is how well Oaklawn did with numbers: attendance Monday was 31,074.

[DLee]

That was stupendous to watch!!

[Glimmerglass]

About 1 month away and finally a little bit of press on the automatic qualifier for the Kentucky Derby - regardless of earnings, graded wins, nomination, et al …

Feb 17, 2009 Wimbledon Guardin (UK) “The magic of Kentucky at Kempton”

In addition to earning a guaranteed spot in the starting gate for the 135th running of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, 2nd May, 2009, the KDCS winner will also receive a $100,000 bonus if the horse competes in the Kentucky Derby.

The Kentucky Derby Challenge Stakes is an enhancement of a Conditions race that was held in March of last year, a race which was won by Campanologist, who went on to win the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot. Amy Starkey, Managing Director of Kempton Park Racecourse said:, "Kempton Park is delighted to be in partnership with Churchill Downs. The establishment of the Kentucky Derby Challenge Stakes represents a fantastic opportunity to increase the international profile of Kempton as well as promoting the Kentucky Derby to European based owners and trainers.

[Glimmerglass]

youtube/NTRA Video replay: Grade 3 Southwest Stakes Feb 16, 2009 @ Oaklawn Park

youtube/NTRA Video replay: Grade 2 San Vicente Stakes Feb 16, 2009 @ Santa Anita

Note in the San Vincente at about the 0:39 time mark Trevor says “and Gallant Son is last” while actually #4 Evita Argentina (f) is about 6-lengths furthe back from Gallant Son! She only comes into the top panoramic frame shot at the 1:08 mark trailing the field 62-years since the last gal to do it ‘Evita’ wins the San Vincente

[Glimmerglass]

“The British are coming, the British are coming” or maybe the Irish

Good to see … the European auto-entry into the Kentucky Derby is getting a rousing amount of interest and all 14 slots will most assuredly be taken. There is even a chance for a potential filly:

SportingLife (UK) Feb 17, 2009: “Thumbs-up For Kentucky Challenge”

Kempton report so much interest from leading trainers in the inaugural Kentucky Derby Challenge Stakes that they may have to ballot horses out of the race on March 18.

The likes of John Gosden and Aidan O’Brien have already expressed a desire to take part.

"We had been thinking about November for the race but Aidan, John and others said if we make it in March they will be able to get their better horses ready.

"John Gosden has four possibilities and hopes to run two, Paul Cole could run two, we hope Aidan may send us two across from Ireland and Richard Hannon is interested.

"We may not even have the space for all of them in the field of 14.

“I wouldn’t rule (balloting) out. The dream is to go from here to the Kentucky Derby and run a good race there.”

O’Brien was the last European trainer to have a Kentucky Derby runner when Johannesburg and Castle Gandolfo lined up to little effect in 2002.

He said: "We have three possibilities for at this stage - Born To Be King, Chief Lone Eagle and Great Wisdom.

Gosden added: "We have four horses entered in the Triple Crown (Nawaadi, Close Alliance, Mafaaz and Red Spider) and the introduction of this race is a very far-sighted innovation because the closer we bring our racing together with the US, the healthier it will be for the UK racing industry.

… and the possible filly starter:

[b]Butler has Goodwood maiden winner Pachattack in mind for the Challenge.

He reported: "The filly is by Pulpit, quite a good sire on the dirt.

"I worked for Wayne Lukas, who trained the last filly to win the Kentucky Derby (Winning Colors in 1988) and I think this is a perfect prelude to the race.

“We will take her to Kempton at some point for a look around. I have one or two colts in mind for the race, but she’ll be at the head of the pack.”[/b]

Interesting as Frankie Dettori rode Pachattack at Goodwood

[Glimmerglass]

Not For Sale

The Louisville KY resident and former High School principal is not interested in hearing offers for Sam F. Davis Stakes winner General Quarters

… the horse came out of the Grade III race in good order - and the phone has been ringing off the hook from those looking to buy the son of Sky Mesa, whom McCarthy claimed for $20,000.

General Quarters earned both a 100 Beyer speed figure and 100 BRIS fig. The Beyer fig is the highest for a 3-year-old at 1 1/16 miles this year. (The full BSF list here )

As far as a sale, McCarthy said, “I’ve waited too long for this. It’s a dream of every trainer who ever puts a bridle on a horse that they hopefully can get one to win the Derby. I’m kind of hoping this might turn into something like that.”

McCarthy is not committing to anything as far as selling, instead just writing down the offers and phone numbers and telling people he’ll call them back if he decides to sell. He said some stud farms in Ocala inquired about standing the colt as a stallion some day.

“I don’t want to lead anybody on,” he said, adding of a sale, “It would have to be something astronomical. It’s just like anything else. What’s a dream worth?”

Old Fashioned received a 93 Beyer for the Southwest Stakes victory

[Barnfairy]

A little more on General Quarters and owner/trainer Tom McCarthy in the DRF today: At 75, a shot at the Derby

excerpted from article linked above:

…McCarthy has hit the jackpot with General Quarters, who scored an upset win last week in the Sam Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs. On a Derby Watch list that includes such prominent names as Bob Baffert and Bobby Frankel, Larry Jones and John Ward, Rick Dutrow, Barclay Tagg, and Steve Asmussen, McCarthy finds himself right there with his horse.

His one and only horse…

Not until Saturday - not when he was training full time or dabbling part time - had he ever won a stakes race.

“I only take on what I can do myself,” McCarthy said in a telephone interview from Florida. “I’ve kept my hand in it all the time. I wouldn’t know what to do with myself if I didn’t have a horse. I’m a young 75. I keep active. I spend a lot of time with him.”…

McCarthy’s association with General Quarters began at the 2007 Keeneland September yearling sale. There were two colts he liked at the sale that he thought he could afford, both by the sire Sky Mesa. The first one into the ring, out of an Unbridled’s Song mare, “had a funny way of going in his right front,” McCarthy said. He decided to pass on the first colt, who sold for $20,000, and await the second colt.
But the second colt “went out of my price range,” McCarthy said. He left empty-handed.

Last May at Churchill Downs, McCarthy noticed in the entries a pedigree that looked familiar, that of the first colt.

“I knew right away it was him,” McCarthy said.

Now named General Quarters, the gray colt was entered in a $20,000 maiden-claiming race for 2-year-olds.

“He had a couple of nice breezes at Keeneland showing in his past performances,” McCarthy said.

Having saved months of training bills and able to get him for the same price for which he sold as a yearling, McCarthy decided to try and claim General Quarters.

So did three others. But McCarthy won the shake, taking home a colt who won that debut race by a neck for trainer Wesley Ward.

I just love stories like that one.

eta: the picture that accompanies the article, for those who aren’t DRF members

[justalittlex]

This story made my day-- and that wonderful picture!

[Glimmerglass]

Tom McCarthy and General Quarters are a perfect example of those combinations which make the Derby mix interesting, if he indeed starts on the First Saturday

Frankly if the lineup was strictly the same-old insiders and names who always are cited in one issue of the BloodHorse or TB Times every few weeks year round it gets stale.

The interesting folks who bubble up on ‘the trail’ to Churchill are what makes this fun.

[Glimmerglass]

The Pamplemousse had a great work Wed:

With his regular jockey, Alex Solis, aboard, The Pamplemousse effortlessly cruised through six furlongs on a gorgeous morning here. His official final time was 1:12.40 - Canani had him slightly faster - but the time was not nearly as important as the way in which The Pamplemousse did it. Canani, excitable when he wakes up, was dazzled, so much so that as soon as the work ended, he started spewing off a series of unprintable expletives, not in disgust, but in admiration.

“Did you see that?” is the G-rated version of what Canani said. “Look at him. He was just galloping. Thank God I don’t got the fever.”

[Drvmb1ggl3]

Dunkirk looks interesting.
Is the Derby too soon for him?
He’s bred in the blue for sure.