I like Dialed In, Mucho Macho Man, and my real interest is Santiva…
I like Dialed in, Mucho Macho Man and Santiva. I am not real surprised Uncle Mo scratched…Kind of bummed since it would have been interesting to see how he did…
Jockey Change
Looks like Robby Albarado (with his facial injuries and broken nose) is not riding Animal Kingdom now and free-from-riding-no-go-Mo John Velazquez steps in.
To be clear - Team Valor’s Barry Irwin dropped Robby. Citing that he was taken off his mounts today (although Robby said he was ready to ride Sat) they thought it “best” to switch when the opportunity was available.
(Worth noting that Animal Kingdom was ridden to victory by Alan Garcia last)
Video: Today Show segment on Rosie Napravnik
Interesting her remarks on utterly hating getting beat by another female jockey.
thanks for good share. very very very good(cok iyi bi paylasim)
[QUOTE=VirginiaBred;5591220]
I like - Aracharcharch, Dialed In & Midnight Interlude (and not in that order - 
).[/QUOTE]
I am with you (with the addition of Shackleford)
I’m with ArchArchArch; Pants on Fire and Dialed in.
I thought that Premier Pegasus and Maclean’s Music were really exciting. So I’m having trouble getting on any bandwagon…
[QUOTE=Madeline;5592122]
I thought that Premier Pegasus and Maclean’s Music were really exciting.[/QUOTE]
Originally the Jess Jackson-owned Maclean’s Music was going to be running at Churchill this week or in an undercard race but that hasn’t transpired. I don’t see him going to the Preakness which I thought was a possibility but now there is no chance.
Regarding the Uncle Mo saga, per the DRF Mike Repole (he) “made the decision Thursday morning after Pletcher told him he didn’t want to run the horse.”
Though Pletcher said there are no specific race plans for Uncle Mo, he indicated that the horse probably would not race again until mid-summer. While Uncle Mo did gallop strongly Friday morning at Churchill Downs, Pletcher did not rule out taking the horse out of training for a period of time.
“The primary focus at this point is to try and diagnose what’s going on,” Pletcher said.
Though the announcement wasn’t made until Friday morning, Repole said he made the decision Thursday morning after Pletcher told him he didn’t want to run the horse. That came after Repole and Pletcher conferred with three veterinarians - Dr. Ken Reed, Dr. Doug Byars and Dr. Steve Allday - who couldn’t come up with a firm diagnosis. Repole said out of respect to the three veterinarians who examined Uncle Mo, he wanted to wait until they performed further tests to announce the scratch.
I say he never returns to the track myself, but hopefully I’m proven wrong as a cynic.
[QUOTE=Glimmerglass;5592336]
I say he never returns to the track myself, but hopefully I’m proven wrong as a cynic.[/QUOTE]
Agreed.
I’m looking forward to seeing how Animal Kingdom performs with the jockey change.
Is there some reason Churchill has ever given for not having an also-eligible list for this race? Just wondering. I have trouble seeing a logical reason not to. It would increase their $$$ (another entry fee and more in the betting pool), and while I think 20 is too many, as long as they allow 20, they might as well do one set of 20 as another.
Really feel bad for the connections of #21.
[QUOTE=dressagetraks;5592487]
Is there some reason Churchill has ever given for not having an also-eligible list for this race? Just wondering. I have trouble seeing a logical reason not to.[/QUOTE]
Most basic reason being that it would assume that #21 would then take (in this case) Uncle Mo’s PP #18. While that’s not a great position what if he had the #7 hole? If I was Archarcharch I’d be miffed that a latecomer to the party got a plumb spot and you’re still stuck with crappy PP #1.
The Derby is unique in that advances wagering is allowed. I’m hard pressed to think of a single race in the US that you can do that on 24-hours in advance.
Further is there was an AE it would be almost guaranteed every year henceforth will always be 20-starters. The next on the list would never skip. I’m happy there are 19-starters and not 20.
OK, Iv’e got to ask a dumb question because I’m tired of sitting here wondering. If so much ground can be saved on the rail, and Calvin heads for it as soon as possible, why then is the number 1 post position such a bad thing?
As I understand it, and many more experienced can correct if needed, the rail is bad at the VERY beginning of the race, i.e. right as you come out of the gate, because 19 (now 18) horses to your outside are trying to all get over and all want your lane, so #1 often gets immediately squeezed back. Once the field has gone a furlong or so and is stretching out and not all in the same piece of track, the rail is a nice, ground-saving position.
Maybe any also eligible could automatically get PP #1? 
[QUOTE=Elly Mae II;5592549]
If so much ground can be saved on the rail, and Calvin heads for it as soon as possible, why then is the number 1 post position such a bad thing?[/QUOTE]
True that the rail start to finish will always mean you travel less distance than anyone further out from the rail.
However breaking from Post Position 1 is a challenge at the start because the entire field is moving over to the rail. That means either you can get mugged (bumping, potential running up on your heels, kickback with dirt, etc) or if you run like mad to ensure you’re holding the lead position you spend far too much energy as such early.
It works for a rabbit to blast away from that spot but if you’re a closer or at least off the pace then not so much.
Odds
I’m gobsmacked by the drop in odds for Calvin Borel & Twice the Appeal tomorrow already. He’s on a horse that I say cannot win but the advanced wagering has dropped him to an astonishing 8-1. No jockey in the history of the Derby has won the race three years in a row.
Well, that makes sense. Thanks, guys.
A doctor signing off a report today - I’m a medical transcriptionist:
“Thank you very much for this dictation, have a good day, and have a great weekend. And if you bet on the Kentucky Derby, I hope you win!”
The no.1 hole is especially bad in the Derby because with the auxilary gate the 1 horse actually ends up not in the first lane, but actually inside it, so he has to move rightwards to actually get to the rail. Here look at the replay of last year’s Derby, see how Looking at Lucky is actually in the turn when he breaks. If he goes straight he would run right into the rail on the turn. If you fast foward to the 7m32s mark, you get a close up of what happened.
[QUOTE=Glimmerglass;5592336]
I say he never returns to the track myself, but hopefully I’m proven wrong as a cynic.[/QUOTE]
It’s comical and a bit sad that they have been working him all along with the intentions of running tomorrow. Now that he can’t make the big dance, this has gone from minor enough to race him in the biggest race 3 year old race in the world to a season-ending and possibly career-ending diagnosis.
Ah, racing and all it’s money-driven idiosyncrasies…
I read somewhere that with the defection of Mo, everyone moves out one slot.
