Humming the tune… Another one bites the dust.… 
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That’s a shame as he was a bright star from Laurel Park. I suppose it will make it easier for Irish War Cry in the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct on April 8.
Of course promising horses dropping off the Derby trail each year between March and May is a guarantee.
What a weird year this is. I don’t think any three year old male except Girvin has managed to win two KY D Point races in a row. Are they all not very good, or are they all too good? Girvin has been racing in New Orleans, so not precisely in heavyweight company.
Is there a California hot shot?
I think just no ore or two standouts more than all too good or not very good.
Mastery maybe was the standout but IMO now we still don’t really know.
Yeah, the normal injury crop but to me, nothing has stood out (well, Unique Bella and she’s not on the Derby trail).
That first Saturday in May will be interesting to see whose in the starting gate and who crosses the wire first.
Every time I see the name J Boy’s Echo, I cringe. I know many a good horse has a bad name, but there are some names I just can’t root for. And yes, there have been far worse names than that one. I still prefer some dignity and majesty for a horse.
All of which I realize has nothing to do with running ability.
Favorite names of 3yos this year so far: Mastery, American Anthem, Classic Empire, Sonneteer.
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I’m hoping for a good race from McCracken. His owner, Janis Whitam is an absolute gem of a human and has been in this game a long time.
J Boys Echo is a half to a horse named Masaru whom I raised for my boss as a weanling to 2yo pinhook. I always thought he was a lot more talented than his race record showed, but I’m pretty sure he was short a few brain cells. It will be interesting to see how his brother progresses.
I’m hoping for something good from McCracken as well as Irish War Cry in the Wood. If IWC doesn’t fire this time, don’t think he’s that strong a G1 winner, at least at this point in his career.
Just curious. Why is the Toyota Bluegrass a GII and not a GI??
I think all 3 tomorrow, Wood, Bluegrass, SA Derby, should be interesting 
The wacky year continues. IWC won but somehow didn’t impress me much in it. McCracken third, looked like traffic in several places? I’m not writing him out for the Derby, but I wish somebody would make a definitive statement. I’m not counting the longshot who won the Blue Grass; I think that was a one-shot wonder.
On the distaff side, my favorite filly It Tiz Well took third in the Santa Anita Oaks. I want her to do well, but on the other hand, in case she ever wants a second career where I can buy her for dressage and a sport horse broodmare, I don’t want her to get too many graded wins racked up. Raises the price.
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Many thanks to those of you who keep those of us vicarious race followers in the loop!
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Gormley won the SA Derby and looked fairly good doing it, I thought, determined, at least, but not dominant. Baffert’s horses had a bad day. Nothing this year is dominant, sigh. I could get behind Gormley. Would be nice to see the trainer and owners get another Derby after Giacomo’s. They’re nice people. And I know the “niceness” of the connections has nothing to do with the horse’s ability, but I have a hard time rooting for some folks. Kind of like the horses with especially undignified names, like I mentioned above.
Speaking of names, there is a filly named Yorkipoo Princess? Gag!
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dressagetraks, took the words right out of my mouth. The lack of a clear cut KD favorite continues… I’m still ok with IWC but not overly charmed. McCracken… maybe he needed the race after his brief time off. Gormley… mehhh.
I’m more on board with the fillies division. With Unique Bella out of the way, It Tiz Well looked very nice as did Paradise Woods in the SA Oaks.
Actually my favorite race of the day was the Carter that Green Gratto took at 54-1 :eek:
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It used to be but was demoted. Graded status of each race is reviewed every year by the Graded Stakes Committee. The basic criteria is the quality of the field of horses running. It the Committee feels after several running’s that the quality of the horses entered is lacking has dropped to second tier the race can and will be dropped in status.
For many years the Bluegrass was a major “prep” race for the Derby and was a Grade 1. But training styles changed, trainers preferred to give their horses more time between races. Plus there are a lot more “prep races” than there used to be. Most of the same races but much bigger prize money being offered and the timing suited trainers.
If memory serves the BG used to be run 2 weeks before the Derby.and the purse was not as enticing. Keeneland seemed to think at the time that the status of Keeneland and the “Bluegrass Stakes” made up for the lack of prize money. But trainers and owners didn’t. The quality of the field lacked for a number of years and it lost its Grade 1 status. They chained the date (pretty sure) and increased the prize money.
I would suspect it will regain G1 status in the near future. But I think they have to wait until another G1 is dropped from another race before that will happen. Don’t think “they” will/can add another Grade 1 race. I think the number of Grade 1’s is capped.
I seem to remember reviewing the historical results of the Bluegrass, winners and how they did in the Derby and there after. Going back to the 80s. By and large the runners/winners didn’t fair well in the Derby. I suspect trainers did the same along with their approach/plans on how to get their horse in the gate the first Saturday in May.
I actually liked how Irap ran and don’t think it was a one-shot wonder. Derby winner? ehhh that’s a stretch but I do think he’ll have a solid career if he continues improving (and he has been improving from past races).
This will be the year I place a bunch of long shot bets because you just never know.
Gumtree, thanks. I knew that a committee reviewed the stakes each year and adjusted grading, just didn’t know what was the basis behind how a stakes race is graded.
Interesting that yesterday of the 3 Derby preps, 2 were GII and only the SA Derby is a G1.
For the ladies, 2 GIs and 1 GII (the Carter at Aqueduct).
A really nifty resource - below link - although it will be modestly reshuffled with the final Derby points awarded this Saturday (4/15) with the Arkansas Derby (pts 100-40-20-10) and less so the minor points awarding Keeneland run Lexington (pts 10-4-2-1)
Classic Empire (who is effectively on the Derby bubble at #21 with 32-points) is entered into the Arkansas Derby, but who knows how he’ll do. He has not raced since Feb 4th and he refused twice to break off during works down at Palm Meadow. Rut-roh.
Past Performances of the Derby qualified horses in order by Derby Points as of 4/11/17:
Thanks for posting the Brisnet PPs, Glimmerglass.
Am so glad that IWC is back - love him.
Also fun to watch Gormley w/ a nice 3rd from Royal Mo. And I know this year the SA Derby wasn’t much to write home about, but did Reach the World ever take the scenic route home, and make up a lot of ground near the end - but he’s too far back in the standings to show up.
Also glad to see Joe Sharp with Girvin. He and Rosie must really be enjoying this time of their lives!
I didn’t believe that Classic Empire could pull it off. Tip of the cap to him on returning to victory despite suggesting to everyone he’d be sour or at least unlikely to defeat such a field in Arkansas. So that’s it - after the Lexington and Arkansas Derby - from here on out its effectively horses who are either pulled out or drop out: source Daily Racing Form/CDI/Triple Crown as of 7pm April 15, 2017
[TABLE=“class: ckeditor-styled-table, border: 1, cellpadding: 1, cellspacing: 1”]
[TR]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]1.[/TD]
[TD]Girvin[/TD]
[TD]Joe Sharp[/TD]
[TD]150[/TD]
[TD]$849,800[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]2.[/TD]
[TD]Classic Empire[/TD]
[TD]Mark Casse[/TD]
[TD]132[/TD]
[TD]$2,093,820[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]3.[/TD]
[TD]Gormley[/TD]
[TD]John Shirreffs[/TD]
[TD]125[/TD]
[TD]$884,000[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]4.[/TD]
[TD]Irap[/TD]
[TD]Doug O’Neill[/TD]
[TD]113[/TD]
[TD]$744,000[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]5.[/TD]
[TD]Irish War Cry[/TD]
[TD]Graham Motion[/TD]
[TD]110[/TD]
[TD]$672,660[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]6.[/TD]
[TD]Thunder Snow (IRE)##[/TD]
[TD]Saeed bin Suroor[/TD]
[TD]100[/TD]
[TD]$1,621,063[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]7.[/TD]
[TD]Always Dreaming[/TD]
[TD]Todd Pletcher[/TD]
[TD]100[/TD]
[TD]$589,000[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]8.[/TD]
[TD]Gunnevera[/TD]
[TD]Antonio Sano[/TD]
[TD]84[/TD]
[TD]$1,137,800[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]9.[/TD]
[TD]Practical Joke[/TD]
[TD]Chad Brown[/TD]
[TD]74[/TD]
[TD]$966,000[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]10.[/TD]
[TD]J Boys Echo[/TD]
[TD]Dale Romans[/TD]
[TD]63[/TD]
[TD]$305,000[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]11.[/TD]
[TD]State of Honor[/TD]
[TD]Mark Casse[/TD]
[TD]62[/TD]
[TD]$309,564[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]***[/TD]
[TD]Conquest Mo Money[/TD]
[TD]Miguel Hernandez[/TD]
[TD]60[/TD]
[TD]$496,000[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]12.[/TD]
[TD]Tapwrit[/TD]
[TD]Todd Pletcher[/TD]
[TD]54[/TD]
[TD]$295,570[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]13.[/TD]
[TD]Malagacy[/TD]
[TD]Todd Pletcher[/TD]
[TD]50[/TD]
[TD]$570,000[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]14.[/TD]
[TD]Hence[/TD]
[TD]Steve Asmussen[/TD]
[TD]50[/TD]
[TD]$481,129[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]15.[/TD]
[TD]Fast and Accurate##[/TD]
[TD]Mike Maker[/TD]
[TD]50[/TD]
[TD]$320,712[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]16.[/TD]
[TD]McCraken[/TD]
[TD]Ian Wilkes[/TD]
[TD]40[/TD]
[TD]$385,048[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]17.[/TD]
[TD]Battle of Midway[/TD]
[TD]Jerry Hollendorfer[/TD]
[TD]40[/TD]
[TD]$224,000[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]18.[/TD]
[TD]Patch[/TD]
[TD]Todd Pletcher[/TD]
[TD]40[/TD]
[TD]$200,000[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]19.[/TD]
[TD]Battalion Runner[/TD]
[TD]Todd Pletcher[/TD]
[TD]40[/TD]
[TD]$140,000[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
[B]*** Conquest Mo Money is NOT Triple Crown nominated.
already a late TC nominee[/B]
If supplemented - at a cost of $200,000! - and it is believed that the owners will do so, then that kicks Cloud Computing [technically now at 20] down to number 21, Untrapped 22, Lookin at Lee 23, Sonneteer 24
An aside: I cited PA-bred Downhill Racer (Jonathan Sheppard trained) who was last out a stakes winner at PARX. He hasn’t raced yet in 2017 but just put in a solid work at DelPark this week. Anyhow he’s nominated to the 1 1/8-mile Federico Tesio which is a “win and you’re in” for the Preakness Stakes - provided the horses is nominated to the TC. Downhill Racer is nominated.
Thought Classic Empires’ win was very nice. Not the best trip and gritty to get the win.
Less impressed with West Coast who couldn’t hold off Senior Investment in the Lexington. For West Point to make the Derby it depended on the Arkansas Derby.
A KD without Baffert… who’d have thought.
I’m still a IWC fan but I think the Derby is still fairly wide open… Lots of good possibilities.
Wonder if Conquest Mo Money’s connections will pony up the cash for a late nomination.
Classic Empire looked nice and determined yesterday. Maybe a bit rusty, but he had his head on straight that day, at least.
Sonneteer is one gorgeous fellow. I think he’s going to get there one of these days. Showing amazing grit for a maiden, and they obviously think the world of him to have him in this company. He doesn’t run like a sprinter, in spite of his sire.
Malagacy was getting somewhat upset in the paddock while being saddled. Made me wonder about how he might handle Churchill.
Conquest Mo Money looked very good in the paddock, stood out to me, but I could never bet on that name. I’m sure his owners will be looking at that supplemental fee long and hard. Oddly, he came in wearing a sheet. It was 80 degrees and sunny. He was the only one to arrive at the paddock in a sheet, though they pulled it off almost immediately.
