Kentucky Derby 2011

[Glimmerglass]

Third Glance - thanks for that update although its not what I wanted to hear At least he will be back and if he never does return he sure as hell earned a nice retirement from all that loot.

Bits and pieces

Hawthorne Park boosted the Illinois Derby (G3) from $250k to $300k. TVG put up the money to boost the purse and maybe entice a few more runners to consider this route.

Field for the $1M Grade 1 Florida Derby - SUNDAY - April 3rd

Race 10 @ 5:42 pm EST; 122-lbs all

PP. Horse. Jockey.

1. Soldat. A Garcia
2. To Honor and Serve. G K Gomez
3. Arch Traveler. L J Lezcano
4. Bowman’s Causeway. L P Lopez
5. Shackleford. J L Castanon
6. Stay Thirsty. R A Dominguez
7. Dialed In. J R Leparoux
8. Flashpoint. C H Velasquez

The wholeday’s card looks fantastic with so many well known runners.

[Glimmerglass]

Off the Derby trail

Another - Comma To the Top - not injured but not Louisville bound.

Comma to the Top won the CashCall Futurity at Hollywood Park in December, and finished fourth in the recent San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita. Miller says the gelding is still being pointed toward the Santa Anita Derby on April 9.

He has been removed from the Future waging in the official Kentucky Derby Pool wagering

[Glimmerglass]

[QUOTE=Glimmerglass;5512117]
Derby implication races Sunday from Gulfstream Park:
3-Apr Swale Stakes (G2 ) $150k
3-Apr Florida Derby (G1) $1M[/QUOTE]

Race Replay: 7-furlong Swale (Grade 2 - $90k to the winner) won by Travelin Man

Jockey John Velazquez up, trained by Todd Pletcher.

“That was the way we were expecting to run,’’ said Velazquez, who won his third stakes in two days. “He’s going to be a better horse when he gets to follow somebody instead of being chased after.’’

Indiano got up for second by a head over Little Drama.

Next for Travelin Man? Grade 3, $200,000 Derby Trial, a one-turn, one-mile race at Churchill Downs on April 30. He is doubtful for the Kentucky Derby but maybe a Preakness runner if he can stretch out a bit.

The Florida Derby is up shortly - one of the best fields of any prep thus far this year and likely the best FL Derby field assembled in several years.

[VirginiaBred]

Dialed In wins by a head!

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/62273/dialed-in-pushes-button-in-florida-derby

[Glimmerglass]

Video replay: $1M Grade 1 Florida Derby - Apr 3, 2011

(pdf) full chart for race including complete order of finish; a rather nifty $339.60 exacta payoff.

Gulfstream- photo image Race 10

[Glimmerglass]

In case it was missed before: Dialed In is in a good position to cash in the $5.5 million bonus if he wins the Preakness - forget about the Kentucky Derby. It almost makes one wonder if they shouldn’t skip right to Pimlico as the Deby does create a lot of walking wounded.

By virtue of winning the Florida Derby and capturing the Grade 3 Holy Bull earlier in the meet, Dialed In becomes eligible to earn the Preakness 5.5 bonus of $5.5 million if he were to also go on to win the Preakness on May 21.

Quote from Nick Zito:

“I haven’t felt this emotional in 20 years since Strike the Gold (won the Derby),” Zito said. “I’ve been around long enough to know how special he is with just four races, from one 6½-furlong maiden race as a 2-year-old.”

“We had a plan," Zito said. “Julien did what we asked him to. It was a gamble with the speed bias, but I knew he was capable of running this type of race. I knew he could do this if he stayed healthy. He’s amazing and I’m blessed. Once he got in position (to rally) I felt good. I’ve thought all along he was one of the top 3-year-olds in the country and he proved it today.”

[nasalberry]

I thought Shackleford looked extremely awkward coming out of the final turn on his right lead.

[Toadie_s_mom]

Can’t wait to get a dirt work out for Animal Kingdom:yes:

[Glimmerglass]

Some whined (elsewhere) about the slower-ish time of the Florida Derby and that is reflected in the Beyer Speed Figure issued to Dialed In: just 93 Beyer Speed Figure, the lowest figure for the race since Friends Lake got a 92 in 2004.

[For comparison - R Heat Lightning earned a 100 Beyer in winning the Oaks. Also going way back: Friends Lake in the 2004 KY Derby finished 15th of 17 official finishers; 19 starters but Quintons Gold Rush DNF that year.]

What’s the plan next for Dialed In? Train up until the Kentucky Derby at Palm Meadows then shipping to Churchill Downs (where he’s won already) the week of the Kentucky Derby. Dialed In ranks 2nd in graded earnings at of now.

How about Shackleford the long-shot 2nd place finisher for the FL Derby? They want to go to Louisville however with a mere $212k in graded money (almost all from this weekend) I’d say that’s a long shot. He’s at #20 now but lots of rancing to come. Still his connections don’t want to race again before the Kentucky Derby and will just roll the dice - if they make it in, then so be it - if edged out with graded money that’s life.

One surprise although too early to tell is the poor run by To Honor and Serve (almost assured to get a gate at the Kentucky Derby - if his connections want) who was beaten 6 3/4 lengths for 3rd. The horse put in an effort worth noting on a post card might not be pointed to the Derby. Still I doubt Derby fever will be quelled and I suspect he’ll still go and they’ll toss it out as a one-off poor run.

Still going to the Derby as well (per the connections) is Stay Thirsty who looked to be at best a $20k claimer in the Florida Derby. He’s no rabbit so I’m not sure how Uncle Mo could benefit from a stablemate being in the race.

[Glimmerglass]

Uncle Mo arrived in NY - delayed by poor weather - this morning and the field for the $1M Wood Memorial was selected.

A bigger field then I’d expect although at least a few are just happy with potentially running for 2nd. The title sponsorship helped boost the overall purse from $750k to $1M.

More importantly that means the 2nd place runner will see an added $50,000 in graded money to a total $200,000 as opposed to $150,000.

Resorts World New York Casino Wood Memorial Stakes
When: Saturday April 9 @5:48 p.m. EDT
Aqueduct Racetrack
Purse: $1 million
Distance: 1 1/8 miles. Weight: 123 pounds for all

PP. Horse [] Jockey [] Trainer [] ML odds

1. Starship Caesar [] Velasquez [] Parboo 50-1
2. Toby’s Corner [] Castro [] Motion 8-1
3. Full of Scoundrels [] Lopez [] Chatterpaul 50-1
4. Arthur’s Tale [] Dominguez [] Albertrani 12-1
5. Uncle Mo [] Velazquez [] Pletcher 1-5
6. Preachintothedevil [] Alvarado [] Contessa 20-1
7. Duca [] Court [] Lukas 20-1
8. Norman Asbjornson [] Pimentel [] Grove 15-1
9. Isn’t He Perfect [] Hill [] Shivmangal 50-1
10. Son of Posse [] Maysonett [] Vitiello 99-1

[Glimmerglass]

The Illinois Derby swelled with the number of entries this year although it remains to be seen if any are serious Kentucky Derby threats. The purse as noted before was upped from $250k to $300k thanks to TVG. Maybe that’s where Mr. B, Frank Lyons, et al’s paychecks have gone …

Grade 3 $300,000 54th Running of the Illinois Derby

When: Saturday April 9, 2011
Where: Hawthorne Race Course
Distance: 1 1/8 mi 5:37 p.m. (EST)

PP. Horse. Jockey. ML Odds

1. Lagoon of Diamonds, Eduardo Perez, 15-1
2. Smarter Than Ever, Jozbin Santana, 15-1
3. Joe Vann, Florent Geroux, 6-1
4. Watch Me Go, Luis Garcia, 7-2
5. Vouch for Victory, Julio Felix, 15-1
6. Sour, Brian Hernandez, Jr, 6-1
7. The Fed Eased, Jose Valdivia, Jr, 5-1
8. Zoebear, Seth Martinez, 10-1
9. Roman Flame, Tim Thornton, 30-1
10. El Grayling, Victor Lebron, 9-2
11. Southern Sculptor, Luis Medina, 12-1
12. Future Empire, Tanner Riggs, 30-1
    all are assigned 122-lbs

[Glimmerglass]

And a field of 11 has been selected for Saturday April 9th’s West Coast action. This is a key leg of the Preakness 5.5 bonus too

Race 10 $1,000,000 Santa Anita Derby - Grade 1

Distance: 1 1/8 mi
Time: 4:37 PST
Weight: 122-lbs all

PP. Horse. Jockey. Trainer

1. Offlee Wild Boys. J Talamo. Miyadi
2. Indian Winter. P A Valenzuela. Hollendorfer
3. Mr. Commons. M E Smith. Shirreffs
4. Silver Medallion. G K Gomez. Asmussen
5. Comma to the Top. C S Nakatani. Miller
6. Midnight Interlude. V Espinoza.B Baffert
7. Quail Hill. M A Pedroza. Hofmans
8. Premier Pegasus. A Quinonez. Cho
9. Anthony’s Cross. J Rosario. Harty
10. Bench Points. R Bejarano. Yakteen
11. Jaycito. M Garcia. Baffert

It looks to be the best Derby-implications race of the already busy Saturday with Keeneland also in full swing.

[Glimmerglass]

Another off the Derby trail

[QUOTE=Glimmerglass;5490367]
Indeed - a true nod of the cap is deserving: Nov 29, 2010 “Why Premier Pegasus is my derby pick”

Pedigree on Premier Pegasus; although the spelling for that race mare (21 7-2-3) from the early 1980’s is “Glimmer Glass”[sic][/QUOTE]

Alas he’s injured:" DRF 4-7-11 “Premier Pegasus injured and out of Santa Anita Derby”

… a hairline fracture in the cannon bone of his left foreleg, according to Maria Ayala, the assistant to owner-trainer Myung Kwon Cho.

Maria Ayala said she noticed that Premier Pegasus “had a little stumble” during the gallop, which raised concern. She said that after the colt cooled out and had a morning bath that she alerted Cho of a potential problem.

X-rays taken later on Thursday morning revealed the injury.

“The doctor said he had a hairline fracture of the cannon bone,” Ayala said. “Not good. The horse is okay. He ate good. Mr. Cho, said, ‘Maria, relax. It’s not your fault.’”

[Glimmerglass]

So its being reported that Bob Baffert speedball Jaycito may scratch from the Santa Anita. He’s been fighting for the last 10-days a sore foot and while he’s in the race tomorrow the connections may scratch. If so then he’ll get shipped to Keeneland and will race April 23rd in the Coolmore Lexington Stakes.

ETA: the DRF article “Jaycito battling foot bruise”

Baffert said an abscess was diagnosed in Jaycito’s foot after a workout at Hollywood Park on March 22, and that the foot has been tender in recent days.

“I’ve been battling it for the last 10 days,” Baffert said Friday. "It’s healing, but it’s still bugging him a little bit.

“I’m not going to make the call until tomorrow morning. If it’s still tender, I’ll skip. It would heal if he stayed away from the track a few days, but I don’t have that luxury. I thought we had it under control.”

He is wearing a bar shoe and if he does race in the SAD he’ll wear one in that too.

[jennywho]

Majorly bummed, my Derby horse since last summer is off due to a suspensory injury

“To Honor and Serve, who finished third in the Florida Derby (gr. I) and Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth Stakes (gr. II) earlier this year, has strained the suspensory ligament in his left foreleg, the Daily Racing Form reported April 8”

Read more: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/62372/injury-sidelines-to-honor-and-serve#ixzz1IyTRnPOi

The good news for me is that I will no longer be torn between THaS and Uncle Mo,.

Also Jaycito is officially out of the SA Derby, talk about a race that went from super exciting to now missing Jaycito AND Premier Pegasus.

[Glimmerglass]

Bummer with To Honor and Serve as Bill Mott is a damn fine trainer.

However this always the case each year with a flurry of horses in the “Top 15” or so sidelined. I wouldn’t be shocked with Uncle Mo either somehow getting knocked off.

ETA: The DRF’s take on the injury - …sidelined with suspensory injury"

In his 3-year-old debut, To Honor and Serve finished a non-threatening third behind Soldat in the Fountain of Youth, a race Mott figured his horse would need. In last Sunday’s Florida Derby, however, To Honor and Serve didn’t fare much better, finishing third, again beaten 6 3/4 lengths.

“I guess you could speculate that he came out of the race with it; whether it happened during the race is neither here nor there,” Mott said. “I think there has to be a reason that he didn’t run any better than he did. That certainly wasn’t this best effort.”

[Glimmerglass]

[QUOTE=Glimmerglass;5442836]
I think Uncle Mo is overrated and not the more developed horse (vs. his peers) he was in late fall of last year. If he did run in the TBD I think he’d get a wakeup call that 2011 isn’t 2010 and a 2-yr old Eclipse Award doesn’t mean a thing at 3.[/QUOTE]

I posted the above Feb 22nd.

Today in the $1M Grade 1 Wood Memorial at the Big A Uncle Mo looked like a more swift Budweiser Clyde in the stretch and was beaten by Toby’s Corner and Arthur’s Tale (who??), respectively.

Not that he cannot do well in the Kentucky Derby but I’ve never been one the drooling ditto heads who think Uncle Mo is a monster “just because”. He hasn’t show a thing on the track since 2010. Time moves on and the tide shifts where stars at 2 come up against developing horses at age 3.

[dogdays]

Uncle Mo looked a little thin to me in the post parade, not his usual self. :no:

[Glimmerglass]

Video: $1M Wood Memorial 4-9-11 Grade 1

1 - Toby’s Corner (interesting a son of 2005 Wood winner Bellamy Road)
2 - Arthur’s Tale
3 - Uncle Mo

How dubious is it for Uncle Mo? Try the simple fact that Arthur’s Tale is coming off a first-level allowance win 18 days earlier. Ouch.

No replay yet for the $300k Illinois Derby (G3), but the outcome is effectively making this a non-event relative to the Kentucky Derby.

Joe Vann won it for trainer Todd Pletcher with Florent Geroux up. However he isn’t nominated to the Triple Crown series. Plus his bank from the race is under $200k in graded money which isn’t good enough to get to Churchill.

Zoebear was second behind Joe Vann, followed by The Fed Eased and Sour.

[MightyBobbyMagee]

Love Toby’s Corner, never heard of Arthur’s Tale before watching HRTV this morning. Anyone a fan of Preachintothedevil–or his dam, Acey Deucy? A friend works at Stonebridge who owns Acey, and I used to work for Contessa, who’s the trainer. I hope Gary leaves him alone for awhile and stops putting him waaay in over his head. He finished 8th out of 9 today.