Our own Linny has her top 12: via NY OTB - as of January 14 before Point Encounter was injured and off the Derby trail.
A few interesting names, cited, but otherwise not on man other’s lists: Giant Oak (#5), Patena (#10) - although Steve Haskin gave huge props to him too, and Atomic Rain (#11)
[QUOTE=Glimmerglass;3805100]
I should ask a friend if ‘Pamplemousse’ is named for the Del Mar eatery of the same name 
If so then I’d have an in or sorts.
Square Eddie certainly has an interesting passport: Canadian born, raced in England twice (Kempton & Salisbury), then Keeneland, and the Breeders’ Cup![/QUOTE]
The Pamplemousse won the San Rafael Stakes - albeit a small field of 5 due to scratches - and Square Eddie never seemed to fire to close it out. The horses indeed is named for the Del Mar restaurant and a close friend’s brother is best friends with the owner of that place. No idea of the connection between the horse owner and the eastery though. While all that a $2 will get me a copy of The Wall Street Journal I still will see if I can get more info on the horse 
I just got back from that race and The Pamplemousse is an exquisite looking horse, a sort of silvery maroon roan. I bet him across the board, so was happy with the outcome though it didn’t pay as much as you’d think, considering Square Eddie went off at 1/5 odds! I took a number of pictures, including a nice one at the gate. In the 8th race a horse broke down on the far side, I think it was Muni, who looked a little subdued in the paddock compared to others.
The Pamplemousse is a beauty to behold.
[QUOTE=justalittlex;3812502]
I just got back from that race and The Pamplemousse is an exquisite looking horse, a sort of silvery maroon roan.[/QUOTE]
Further on his ownership: LA Times 1-18-09
The Pamplemousse is owned in part by Ann Winner and Carol Bienstock of Encino; Solis II, of Pasadena, and brothers Bill and Jeff Strauss of Del Mar. The Strauss brothers also own a restaurant near the race track in Del Mar, named The Pamplemousse.
Jeff Strauss told the story.
“I was working in France in a restaurant,” he said, “and the chef asked me to bring him a pamplemousse. I had no idea what that was, and finally, another guy handed me a grapefruit and told me to give him that. It became my favorite French word.”
It could also become a favorite word of horse players on the first Saturday of May.
“It’s almost like the biggest jinx, just to think that,” Bill Strauss said. "But in the back of your mind, there’s now that little kernel of thought . . . "
Jenny Craig’s Chocolate Candy won the ungraded California Derby at Golden Gate Fields but not - IMHO - that terribly commanding over Axel Foley. Will he be that much of a contender in Kentucky? Well he likes synthetics …
He might run next in the Grade 3, $200,000 El Camino Real Derby on Feb. 14, then Grade 1, $750,000 Santa Anita Derby on April 4.
An interesting prediction from Star-Telegram (TX) racing columnist Gary West regarding Silver City:
(Purchased for $700,000 as a yearling by Clarence Scharbauer Jr. of Midland, TX)
In the Dixieland, the gray colt was more receptive to rating than he had been, even in workouts, suggesting that even though he remains a free-running sort two turns could be within his reach. I will not be surprised if he beats Old Fashioned in the Southwest Stakes.
Still Gary lists Old Fashioned at the top of his Top 10 list for the Derby and Silver City at #17. Freisan Fire moved up to #11.
Still one of the more interesting runners (and cited before) that will either be ‘the real deal’ or just a vapor is Mr. Fantasy. His maiden on Dec 28th was impressive, but that was over a horse like Katskill Bay who ran today and was struggling against another nice but not Derby material runner in Anger Management.
I haven’t seen his legs, but from what I can tell, as far as conformation goes, this horse has the goods looks wise. And he has all the help in the world from Julio Canani who is an extremely capable trainer. He won’t mess this horse up like so many others would, that is for sure.
He was such an awkward horse as far as looks and movement went as a two year old. You never really know if they will grow into themselves. It looks like he sure is and he is improving all time and don’t be mistaken…it was a fantastic performance. He set extremely fast fractions early on, and still spurted away from them at the end. This is the type of horse that will keep improving at this time. I think that he may be the real deal.
If anyone wants to see his workout as a two year old from the OBS March Sale 2007, he was Hip #254. You can view it on their website.
And word on the grapevine is that Square Eddie might not be the same horse, but we shall see if that rumor proves to be true.
Anyway, the Pamplemousse is a really exciting horse. Although I wonder if he will be able to run on the dirt. He has quite a lot of turf breeding on his dam’s side, and he moves a bit like a turf horse.
Also, here are some videos of him on the backside at SA.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BD0BPwIHWHA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wb9f23wjQug&feature=related
Here is his pedigree
http://www.pedigreequery.com/pamplemousse
I do not think that he will have a problem going 1 1/8, but a mile and a quarter may be questionable with his breeding. His dosage is low though, which suggests that he should get the mile and a quarter. Still, that Cherokee Run on the sire’s side and the dam sire Rubiano have me wondering if he will be able to get a true route of ground.
Regarding next steps for “the grapefruit”
… is likely to have only one race before the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby on April 4.
Trainer Julio Canani is taking a cautious approach to The Pamplemousse’s campaign, citing the need to give a growing colt time to develop.
“I don’t want to run him too much,” Canani said. “He’s developing mentally and physically. He’s awkward because he’s growing and growing.”
Canani said The Pamplemousse is unlikely to start in the $200,000 Robert Lewis Stakes on Feb. 7, leaving the $200,000 Sham Stakes over 1 1/8 miles on Feb. 28 and the $200,000 San Felipe Stakes over 1 1/16 miles on March 14 as likely preps for the Santa Anita Derby.
Asked about the Lewis, Canani said, “It’s too soon.”
I’m putting my hand in early. I like Flat Out for the '09 Derby.
[QUOTE=Tryin2Event;3824012]
I’m putting my hand in early. I like Flat Out for the '09 Derby.[/QUOTE]
He won the Smarty Jones - The BloodHorse remarked this on 1-21-09 on him and the oooooold school connections of time
Flat Out, winner of the Smarty Jones, is an intriguing horse. Racing wide on both turns, the son of Flatter just loped on by his opponents in the stretch, despite not changing leads and drifting in just a bit. He finally switched to his right lead inside the sixteenth pole and continued to draw clear, winning by 3 1/2 lengths with a final eighth in :12 3/5 over a dead racetrack.
What makes him intriguing is that he comes a very old female family. Because his dam foaled him at age 23 and her dam foaled her at age 19 it means that Flat Out has Double Jay, a foal of 1944 in his third generation and Sailor, a foal of 1952, in his fourth generation. You never see either of those two stallions that close up anymore, especially Double Jay, one of the great broodmares of all time. This horse is still a bit immature, but he certainly has ability.
Square Eddie who didn’t squeeze ‘Le Grapefruit’ is looking to take on Old Fashioned at Oaklawn - and I don’t think he’ll fare too well. Per the DRF
Square Eddie, second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in October and the San Rafael Stakes at Santa Anita last Saturday, will make his first start on a conventional dirt track in the Grade 3, $250,000 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park on Feb. 16.
Square Eddie finished two lengths behind The Pamplemousse in the San Rafael Stakes over a mile.
“He was tired after that race,” Reddam said. “We’re anxious to try him on the dirt.”
I wonder what the intent of this sentence was:
“You never see either of those two stallions that close up anymore, especially Double Jay, one of the great broodmares of all time.”
I expect it omitted “sires” and was meant to praise Once Double (among others), rather than to feminize DJ?
I recently lost a mare to colic whose third sire was Double Jay. Even stranger, I owned a horse who showed under the name Pamplemousse - at least until an announcer introduced him as Pimple Mouse - until his death 10 years ago.
The seven furlong $150,000 Hutcheson Stakes (Grade 2) on Jan. 30 at Gulfstream will have Hello Broadway and most likely Break Water Edison.
BWE trained by John Kimmel was a possible for racing the next day - Jan 31 - in the two-turn $150,000 Holy Bull Stakes (Grade 3) at 1 1/8 miles instead.
Hello Broadway has under Barclay Tagg the following plans: Hutcheson, then one-mile $250,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) February 28th, then 1 1/8 miles, $750,000 Florida Derby (G1) March 28. If all is good then the Kentucky Derby …
Trainer Kenny McPeek, who is perhaps as loaded with talent as Larry Jones, has made the following plans for now:
“Right now we’re looking to run Danger to Society in the Holy Bull Stakes (gr. III) here (on Jan. 31), Theregoesjojo in the race at Fair Grounds (Risen Star Stakes, gr. III on Feb. 7) and Free Country in the race at Tampa Bay Downs (Sam Davis Stakes, gr. III on Feb. 14).”
IEAH makes a move to buy up a possible future Derby contender:
flashback to a week ago with the the Jan 14th remarks by Steve Haskin at The BloodHorse
One horse I can all but guarantee will be in the top 5 on the official Derby Dozen is LeComte runner-up Patena. This race answered a great many questions about the son of Seeking the Gold – he can handle dirt, he can come home in fast time, and he reminds me of his second dam’s full-brother Touch Gold. So, if you’re looking for class and stamina …
And viola: Jan 23rd - LeComte Runner-up Patena Sold to IEAH - as to how much $$, it wasn’t reported.
“IEAH has an uncanny ability to to identify classic horses early in their careers,” said John Sikura, owner of Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms near Lexington. “We have retained an interest in the horse and hope he’s the next success story. It was a difficult decision to sell, but IEAH put a substantial value on him.”
Two years when Larry Jones was senting Hard Spun into the Triple Crown chase they had him contribute columns to the New York Post. Hopefully they’ll get him to do the same with Old Fashioned …
NY Post Jan 24, 2009 “Jones Gunning for Old Fashioned win in '09 Derby”
Anyway you slice it, Jones had the year of his life, with maybe an even bigger one coming up.
He just might be destiny’s child. If any trainer is due to win the Kentucky Derby, it’s Larry Jones.
He burst into the public spotlight two years ago with a blazing, hard-running colt named Hard Spun, who ran up a storm through the Triple Crown before running second to Curlin in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
Last year, Jones soared to the heights and crashed to the depths. Proud Spell won the Kentucky Oaks, and the next day his gallant filly Eight Belles ran a mighty second to Big Brown in the Kentucky Derby, only to suffer a fatal breakdown soon after the finish line.
Her death was tragic, but Jones was pilloried by animal activists, deluged with hate mail, suspected (without foundation) of using drugs, all of it leading to a congressional hearing.
The personal assault on him was a travesty, but he bore it with stoic grace, the pain eased by Proud Spell’s memorable wins in the Delaware Oaks and the Alabama Stakes at Saratoga.
Now, after two straight seconds in the Derby, Jones is set to embark on another cross-country odyssey, a magic carpet ride heading for Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May.
The last odds book update from Wynn/Encore’s “Race & Sports Book” is Jan 12, 2009.
Some of the movers reflected then in the Derby odds:
Old Fashioned: 15/1
Friesan Fire: 35/1
Jose Adan: 60/1 (down from 150/1) JA had been sold to Godolphin along with Vinyard Haven in Oct
Square Eddie: 30/1
Beethoven: 20/1
Capt Candyman Can: 35/1
Charitable Man: 40/1
Hello Broadway: 40/1
More on a likely Bob Baffert return to Lousiville with some real firepower:
Courier-Journal 1-25-09 “Pioneerof the Nile starts to ‘blossom’”
“He’s a May foal, and he’s starting to blossom,” Baffert said. “He’s changed the last couple of months. If you’re going to have a Derby horse, he looks the part.”
Baffert called the CashCall “a stop-and-go type of race for him.”
“The horse is learning as he goes along,” he said. “With more racing he’ll figure it out, and we’re figuring out his style. He’s just a big, long-striding horse. He sits back there, and if you ask him to go, he gets to the leaders really quick. … And he doesn’t get tired. I thought the horse that ran second was going to blow by us. But (Pioneerof the Nile) dug in again and wouldn’t let the horse by.”
But Jeff Mullins says he has right now the best horse he’s had with I Want Revenge:
Trainer Jeff Mullins calls I Want Revenge his best Kentucky Derby prospect yet – and he’s a three-time Santa Anita Derby winner. The son of Stephen Got Even started off with three thirds at sprint distances before winning at 1 1/16miles and falling inches shy in the CashCall.
“He’s the best one I’ve ever had,” Mullins said
We saw (although it was with a ranking!) the Top 100 Derby prospects from Gary West of the Star-Telegram a couple weeks ago, now the Louisville Courier Journal has their Top 100 prospects to watch:
Jan 25, 2009 Courier-Journal/Jennie Rees “100 3-year-olds to watch on the march to the Derby”
In alpha order
Also included in the dosage # although IMHO that has added value in predicting winners as much as knowing the shoe size of the runners too
The Dosage Index is a numerical system that rates horses based on breeding; since 1929, only four Derby winners (Strike the Gold in 1991, Real Quiet in '98, Charismatic in '99 and Giacomo in 2005) had Dosage Index ratings above 4.00. Because of a change in the classification of his sire, Alydar, Strike the Gold would now qualify.
He was expensive, had some noted connections and just won his first start by a decent margin but I’m shocked he’s already on Top 10 lists!
BH 1-25-09 “Dunkirk, $3.7 million Yearling, Romps”
Dunkirk, a $3.7 million yearling purchase owned by Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, made that price look like a potential bargain when he overcame traffic problems, swung six wide and blew his opposition away in his career debut at Gulfstream Park.
Courier-Journal “Top 10 lists Jan 25 2009”
Jennie Rees
Courier-Journal
Eric Crawford
Courier-Journal
Let’s see if he’s the real deal … Mr. Fantasty (half-brother to Tin Cup Chalice no less) who smoked 'em like a cheap cigar in his debut [try 10 1/2-length victory; 6F in 1:10.51 and earning a 97 Beyer Speed Figure] will race Wednesday (Jan 28) at the Big A
This will be a first-level allowance race restricted to New York-bred 3-year-olds.
Then again that is if the race is run - NY is projected to get some wicked bad weather in the next couple of days so we’ll see
The goal is to run him in the 57th running of the $250,000 Gotham Stakes (grade 3) at 1 1/16
I was super impressed with Dunkirk’s race, not too surprised that he made a list.
Does anyone have a link to the nominations for the Bob Lewis stakes?
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