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On the road to the 2012 Kentucky Derby

Racing
#261

The Wood Memorial & Bay Shore derby prep races are announced. This will be - along with action from Keeneland and Santa Anita - aired on NBC Sports not the cable offering :wink:

Saturday, April 7, 2012, 4:30-6 p.m. EST
NBC Sports
Resorts World Casino New York City Wood Memorial (Aqueduct Racetrack) and Santa Anita Derby (Santa Anita Park), Central Bank Ashland Stakes (Keeneland Race Course)
Host: Tom Hammond
Analysts: Gary Stevens, Randy Moss
Reporters: Kenny Rice, Donna Brothers, Laffit Pincay, III, Mike Battaglia (from Keeneland), Bob Neumeier (from Aqueduct)

It’s shame that the Grade 1 Carter does appear to be slated for airing as part of the 90-minute package. It has well known runners (by PP) 1. Jackson Bend. 2. Caleb’s Posse. 3. Calibrachoa 4. Shackleford. 5. Emcee. 6. Tahitian Warrior. Emcee and Warrior are coupled

AQU Saturday April 7, 2012 Race 8 - $250k Grade 3 Bay Shore Stakes"

By Post Position: 1. Trinniberg 2. Pefect Trippi. 3. Copy My Swagger. 4. Phil Dancer. 5. King & Crusader. 6. Hardned Wildcat. 7. Maan. 8. How Do I Win

AQU Saturday April 7, 2012 Race 9 - $1M Grade 1 Resorts World Casino New York City Wood Memorial Stakes"

By Post Position: 1. Alpha 2. Casual Trick 3. My Adonis 4. Teeth of the Dog 5. Street Life 6. Gemologist 7. Tiger Walk 8. The Lumber Guy

#262

Unless Hansen is it, or Union Rags learns a lot, this is yet another one of those years without a true standout going into the Derby. There have been too many of those years lately.

I know Hansen is running in the Blue Grass, but IMO that just about ruins his Derby chances. I can’t remember just how long it’s been since the Blue Grass Stakes winner has won the Derby, but it seems like decades.

The 2012 three year olds all seem like fungible nothings. Hard to get interested and hard to stay interested. No wonder racing seems to be dying; if a three year shows something, it’s immediately put to stud. You can’t follow them, nor can they build a fan base that brings folks to the track.

#263

I don’t think this crop is all that bad, yeesh. In no specific order: Creative Cause, Prospective, Gemologist, Daddy Long Legs, El Padrino, Take Charge Indy, Daddy Nose Best, Alpha, etc. Lots of potential with these horses, IMO.

And Street Sense didn’t win, but he was 2nd in the Blue Grass.

#264

I’m not terribly concerned about Hansen using the Blue Grass Stakes as his last prep race. While plenty of money in bank the goal - like Union Rags last effort - is just to keep him fit, focused on racing, and learning from experience.

Dr. Hansen had a laundry list of “why” he wanted to remain in Kentucky vs. shipping back to Aqueduct for the Wood. Among them was the accessibility to family, friends and fans as well as Hansen having lost a measured about of weight when he shipped to Aqueduct last time out.

The field is set for Saturday’s $750,000 1 Grade Santa Anita Derby (Race 6) - a notable absence is Bodemeister who is going to the $1 million Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park on April 14.

All 122-lbs. Distance 1 1/8 miles.

PP. Horse… Jockey

  1. Creative Cause… J Rosario
  2. Liaison … R Bejarano
  3. Holy Candy … A Quinonez
  4. I’ll Have Another… M Gutierrez
  5. Longview Drive … R A Baze
  6. Paynter … M Garcia
  7. Senor Rain … E Flores
  8. Midnight Transfer … M E Smith
  9. Blueskiesnrainbows … J Talamo
  10. Brother Francis .. G K Gomez

Also Augustin Stable’s Ever So Lucky, being pointed to the 88th running of the Grade 1, $750,000 Blue Grass on April 14, worked five furlongs in :59 2/5 on Tuesday (April 3rd) morning over the Keeneland Polytrack.

This year, Ever So Lucky’s training and racing schedule has been interrupted several times, leading Sheppard to remark that “he’s been ever so unlucky.”

“We’ve had a lot of trouble with bad tracks and poorly judged workouts,” Sheppard said before today’s work. “He got a nasty grab on his heel; now it’s developed into a quarter crack. He’s working in a bar shoe.”

Sheppard said Ever So Lucky will work again next Tuesday, depending on the weather and how the colt is doing. Julien Leparoux is to ride Ever So Lucky in the Blue Grass.

#265

Saturday April 7th Illinois Derby is as expected oversubscribed but unlike other races there is a Also Eligible list of backup runners. The boost of the overall purse has lured Rosie Napravnik to the Stickney, IL track which I think is a first for her.

$500,000 Grade 3 Illinois Derby Race 9

Distance 1 1/8 miles
122-lbs for all
Max field of 14

PP. Horse. . Jockey.

  1. Romancing the Gold … I Ortiz, Jr.
  2. Hakama …J Pimentel
  3. Ring It Up … L Wade
  4. Currency Swap … S Bridgmohan
  5. Pretension … J Santiago
  6. Skyring … R A Vazquez
  7. Saturday Launch … C A Emigh
  8. Z Rockstar … Q Hamilton
    9 . Fastestwhogetspaid … I Ocampo
  9. Frankie Is Rock … E E Perez
  10. Our Entourage … E Castro
  11. Morgan’s Guerrilla … R Napravnik
  12. Done Talking … S Russell
  13. Slamit … C Hill

Also Eligibles:
15. Explain … F C Torres
16. Arm Force … E Castro
17. Defiant Flyer … S B Martinez

#266

Hopefully nobody was putting their life’s savings on the filly - On Fire Baby - with the Kentucky Derby Future Wagers :wink: Confirmed: she is going to the Oaks.

#267

Strike The Gold in 1991.

Who knows? Maybe it’s time.

#268

In today’s Santa Anita Derby the runner " Holy Candy" has scratched with the connections opting instead to take on Hansen in the Blue Grass Stakes.

#269

go hansen

[QUOTE=Glimmerglass;6240829]
In today’s Santa Anita Derby the runner " Holy Candy" has scratched with the connections opting instead to take on Hansen in the Blue Grass Stakes.[/QUOTE]

Holy Candy better have his runnin’ shoes on!

#270

Graded earnings as of today (Sunday 4-8-12):

2012 Kentucky Derby contenders ranked by graded stakes earnings

Rank Horse Trainer Earnings

  1. Hansen Michael Maker $1,400,000
  2. Daddy Long Legs Aidan O’Brien $1,294,030
  3. Union Rags Michael Matz $1,170,000
  4. Creative Cause Mike Harrington $836,000
  5. Wrote (IRE) Aidan O’Brien $756,630
  6. Gemologist Todd Pletcher $703,855
  7. Take Charge Indy Patrick Byrne $698,400
  8. Hero of Order * Gennadi Dorochenko $615,500
  9. Sabercat Steve Asmussen $601,429
  10. I'll Have Another 	Doug O'Neill 	$601,000

  11. Daddy Nose Best 	Steve Asmussen 	$545,558

  12. Secret Circle 	Bob Baffert 	$470,000

  13. Dullahan 	Dale Romans 	$405,000

  14. Liaison 	Bob Baffert 	$393,000

  15. Alpha 	Kiaran McLaughlin 	$380,000

  16. Prospective 	Mark Casse 	$365,452

  17. Trinniberg 	Bisnath Parboo 	$324,500

18. Done Talking Hamilton Smith $311,000 << IL Derby winner
19. Drill Bob Baffert $300,000
20. Went the Day Well Graham Motion $282,000
21. Rousing Sermon Jerry Hollendorfer $270,000
22. Mark Valeski Larry Jones $260,000
23. El Padrino Todd Pletcher $250,000
24. Reveron Agustin Bezara $220,000

#8 Hero of Order is almost guaranteed a non-Derby starter :wink:

#271

Video replays of this weekend’s graded Derby-impacting races:

Grade 3 Illinois Derby with “Done Talking”

Done Talking previously ran in the G3 Gotham against Hansen finishing 10th of 13th, but clearly that was a toss out race. This was the slowest Illinois Derby in at least 44 years. Hakama, last in the early going, finished third, and was followed by Saturday Launch and Our Entourage. Much vaulted (of the entries) Currency Swap finished a very lack luster 12th and will not make it to Churchill Downs.

Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby with “I’ll Have Another”

The win was in front of 33,166 in the crowd - including Academy Award winning actress Dame Helen Mirren. I’ll Have Another was timed in 1:47.88 for 1 1/8 miles on the fast main track. The win was his third in five starts. He is 2 for 2 this year, having won the Robert Lewis Stakes on Feb. 4 in his first race in five months.

Grade 1 Wood Memorial with “Gemologist” going a perfect 5 for 5

Gemologist outgamed a troubled-trip Alpha to the wire to win Saturday’s $1 million Wood Memorial by a neck. It was three lengths back to Michale Matz trained “Teeth of the Dog”.

Like the Illinois Derby we aren’t talking a fast race: Gemologist covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.96 which was the third slowest Wood since 1990.

Kiaran McLaughlin said that Alpha (Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin Racing) he’ll be going to the Kentucky Derby.

G3 Bay Shore (albeing with a small graded amount of money) - taken by Trinniberg who went gate to wire under Willie Martinez to take it by a large margin.

#272

G3 Bay Shore (albeing with a small graded amount of money) - taken by Trinniberg who went gate to wire under Willie Martinez to take it by a large margin.

As expected, with the Bay Shore being more sprint oriented and not exactly fattening with the graded loot, the connections of winner Trinniberg are already saying very refreshingly he’s a “Preakness runner” - from his trainer: … with some caution to his stable crew :wink:

“I’m still 85 percent for the Preakness, 15 percent for the Kentucky Derby,” the owner reiterated.

"Everybody likes the Derby; I like it, too. Everybody wants to win that race, but if I think he’s not capable of going a mile and a quarter, why go just to run?

“I don’t want to ruin the horse and there are so many races for three-year-olds. His breeding says a mile to a mile and a sixteenth, and that’s it. He’s a good horse, and I want to keep him a good horse.”

The son of Teuflesberg gave his connections several signs that he was not overly taxed by his gate-to-wire win in the seven-furlong Bay Shore.

“Last night, we gave him his feed at 7:15 and by 7:40, he was finished,” said Parbhoo, who manages the colt with his father, trainer Bisnath Parboo. "He wanted to bite everybody, and he’s not that type of horse. Usually, he’s very easy."

Reminds me of this sign :smiley:

#273

By the way, in case anyone forgot about the “silver bullet” - Hansen put in a damn solid work in advance of the Blue Grass Stakes!

Saturday April 7th

Exercise rider Joel Barrientos was in the saddle for trainer Mike Maker as the gray son of Tapit covered the distance in 1:00 over fast footing on the six-furlong training oval. He was joined in upper stretch by the Maker-trained five-year-old mare La Gran Bailadora, a multiple stakes winner who was just starting her work.

Hansen was clocked in fractional times of :11 4/5, :23 3/5, :35 4/5 and :48 1/5, and galloped out six furlongs in 1:13 4/5. The colt’s work was the fourth-fastest of 14 at the distance and satisfied Maker, who looked ahead to next Saturday’s final Kentucky Derby prep for Hansen over Keeneland’s synthetic Polytrack course.

“I just hope we draw well at Keeneland,” Maker said. “It looks like there’s going to be a big field.”

#274

Here are the remaining graded stakes races before the Kentucky Derby:

14-Apr $1 Million Toyota Blue Grass (G1)
14-Apr $1 Arkansas Derby (G1)
21-Apr $200k Jerome (G2) (142nd edition)
21-Apr $200k Coolmore Lexington (G3) << down from $300k a few years ago
30-Apr $200k The Cliff’s Edge Derby Trial Stakes (G3)

If Hansen wins (as I expect him to) the Blue Grass that takes away any chance for a runner far down the list to vault into a guaranteed spot.

For the Arkansas Derby I suspect this will bring in a horse outside of the top 20 (e.g. #25 Optimizer, #24 Isn’t He Clever, or #49 Bodemeister) so almost certain to bump a horse or two down the list and firmly on the bubble.

The Coolmore Lexington with $120k in graded will only help a runner with at least $280k in graded money get in … same for the Derby Trial.

With this year’s AE (“Also Eligible”) returning (last seen in 1984) for the Kentucky Derby up to four horses will be designated AE for the Derby. They can draw into the field until scratch time on Friday, May 4 at 9 a.m. ET. It’s conceivable that one horse could scratch post-draw and move into the field. Although “I Want Revenge” (for example) scratched the day of the race and something occurring like that again doesn’t help anyone on the AE list :wink:

#275

I think it’s highly unlikely that Coolmore will send Wrote, he has neither the pedigree nor dirt form. I imagine they will roll the dice with Daddy Long Legs though. So that should open up another spot there.

Crazy that you’ll probably need over $300k just to start this year. In the long run I think it’s a shame as it’s going to set off purse wars between Derby preps in the future. The purses for early season 3yo races are already way over inflated, it’s only going to get worse. And people wonder why they retire young and don’t race as older horses.

I think a points system for KY Derby places would be much better. Weight it towards G1s, 3yo races (as opposed to 2yo races), and longer races (9f>8.5f>8f>sprint etc).

#276

[QUOTE=Drvmb1ggl3;6245543]
I think a points system for KY Derby places would be much better. Weight it towards G1s, 3yo races (as opposed to 2yo races), and longer races (9f>8.5f>8f>sprint etc).[/QUOTE]

I couldn’t agree more.

Less emphasis or at least some type of reduced dollar value for accumulated 2-yr old earnings should be part of the structure. Although for this year’s top 20 earners it isn’t really distorted too much by 2-yr old money - as Hansen (BC JV winner) has banked enough at 3 to get in as well. Several 3-yr old-only races this year were fattened up.

Giving less value to G2 and G3 races I’m sure would create a huge ‘political’ firestorm as tracks like Hawthorne with a $500k purse would complain about their G3 status. That is the AGS committee’s determination, etc.

We’ll see who gets shutout this year and how much noise they make to influence the rules next year. That said I suspect that Churchill loves it being open season, would not want their options reduced and frankly would say “more the merrier” even if many starters are ill-suited to the race.

#277

Wow - this is crazy! Wasn’t the $600k+ check from Fair Grounds good enough? Now you want to take on a huge field of horse including my sentimental favorite for the Derby?

Blue Grass Stakes - likely a full field - the latest news:

A notable new prospect [for the Blue Grass] surfaced Monday morning for the 1 1/8-mile race when trainer Gennadi Dorochenko informed Keeneland officials he intends to run back Hero of Order, the 109-1 winner of the Louisiana Derby, off 12 days’ rest.

#278

Since the Swede Hanson didn’t win the Master’s last weekend, what does that mean for the horse Hansen?

Gemologist is looking really, really strong to me right now.

#279

[QUOTE=Glimmerglass;6246624]
Wow - this is crazy! Wasn’t the $600k+ check from Fair Grounds good enough? Now you want to take on a huge field of horse including my sentimental favorite for the Derby?

Blue Grass Stakes - likely a full field - the latest news:[/QUOTE]

Nah, you don’t understand…it’s a prep for the Preakness! :eek: (And maybe he’ll look to show up on the undercard for the first Saturday in May!)

#280

[QUOTE=vineyridge;6247207]
Since the Swede Hanson didn’t win the Master’s last weekend, what does that mean for the horse Hansen?[/QUOTE]

No worries, they’ve nicknamed him Bubba just in case in the shedrow :smiley:

As for Hero of Order evidently his connections checked with the folks over at Aintree for this weekend’s John Smith’s Grand National @ £975,000, but they were already no longer accepting entries :wink:

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