Nice by Code of Honor. He is an elegant, greyhoundy looking thing to me, watching the replay. Makes me wonder what he’ll be as a 4-year-old. Which isn’t taking anything away from a TC run this year; I’d love to see McGaughey win another. Classy connections and nice colt.
Distance shouldn’t be a problem for him.
I just love that old timey looking big ring snaffle Shug uses on some of his horses, including Orb. Classic look.
I noticed that too! So classic and classy!
Code of Honor looked great winning the FOY. Would love to see him go on and do big things in the TC.
I was also impressed with Bourbon War, and loved that move he made in the stretch. One of our horses ran against him when he won his debut at Aqueduct back in November, and I was impressed with him in person that day as well. He seems to be improving and developing a running style that could serve him well in the Derby.
No offense to California, but would love to see a horse from the East Coast step up this year!
love me some Noble Mission offspring! and everyone thought they’d be only turf runners… So many of his 2 yr olds and yearlings sold for dirt in the last 6-12 months. Great win for them, hope this guy continues on, Ill be rooting for him!
So what happens with Game Winner and Improbable and the rest of the San Felipe bound bunch now? Could they hold the San Felipe somewhere else in California? Will they all go to the Rebel or Gotham instead? I agree that safety is paramount and am glad Santa Anita is doing this, but trainers are going to be scrambling.
Speaking of adjusted schedules, the Derby points race in Ireland that was cancelled on Friday due to a medical situation, person and not horse, has been rescheduled for Wednesday the 6th, and I’m a bit surprised to see that USS Michigan is entered. He just raced Friday and won a race on the undercard right before that track’s situation happened and racing got cancelled. Aiden O’Brien must be very confident that this horse is made of stern stuff. You almost never see that short of a wheel-back these days.
Odd year so far.
Apparently USS Michigan isn’t in the Patton. I had read somewhere that he was, but you know what they say about the accuracy of the internet, even supposed news sources.
So Baffert is taking his top two, Game Winner and Improbable, to the Rebel at Oaklawn:
They were pointing to the Santa Anita races, and were left all dressed up and nowhere to go after the disruption of racing at Santa Anita.
Meanwhile, in the Gotham at Aqueduct, Instagrand was disappointing, did not look like the second coming of Man o’ War, as predicted by some. Maybe he will move forward, had a very long layoff.
Tacitus looked good in Tampa Bay Derby–and by Tapit out of a champion mare. Maybe?
So far, so meh.
How is a race split? Does the track draw randomly, like post positions?
Betting entries will be split, and supposedly it’s random.
I heard the Rebel split, as far as which entries will be in which division, will be at “at the discretion of the racing secretary” rather than random. But, that was on Twitter, so who knows? I am unable to find anything more official that specifies how they will decide who runs in which division.
They have stated that they will do it if there are at least ten entries for each division, and that the purse will be $750,000 for each, and each will determine 63.75 Derby points, with 37.5 going to the winners.
https://www.oaklawn.com/news/2019/mar/06/rebel-could-be-split-help-horsemen/
Tacitus looked really good. Instagrand looked rusty. I got the superfecta in that race, though only played the 10 cents. Still nice. 
I didn’t think Instagrand would win off that long of a layoff. Could improve, though.
And as for the winner of the Jeff Ruby Stakes, whose name I refuse to even type, I wouldn’t like him even if he were the second coming of Secretariat. Cannot get over that name. Ugh!
You mean the Jeff Ruby “Steaks”, right?? (rolls eyes)
1 Like
Yes, but the name of the race, as awful as it is, isn’t as bad as the name of the horse that won it. :rolleyes:
1 Like
Omaha Beach! My vote for best name on the Kentucky Derby trail this year and also for trainer whom I’d most like to see get one. And I realize neither of those factors makes a difference in how fast they run. (Well, trainer might help, not how much he deserves it but in how much he knows.)
That said, Game Winner impressed me and looked like a real Derby horse. He needed this race and was coming on at the end. Improbable didn’t impress me nearly as much with his second in his division. To my admittedly just a fan eye, he didn’t look especially like he wanted more ground. Game Winner did.
So Long Range Toddy wins the first section of the Rebel, upsetting Improbable, and Omaha Beach takes the second, upsetting Game Winner. Upsets seem to abound this season.
Who remembers Take Charge Lady? Awesome race mare! She is the dam of Take Charge Indy, Long Range Toddy’s sire. And she is the dam of Charming, Omaha Beach’s dam.
1 Like
Mostly what I got out of both Rebels was there is still no sure favorite for the KD yet.
I liked how Omaha Beach looked.
Less charmed by both Game Winner and Improbable.
Not on the KD trail but thought the Azeri was a great race. Midnight Bisou looked smashing. Enable just didn’t have it 
Great races, but I don’t like how long it took Omaha Beach to break his maiden. A KY Derby winner has to be able to overcome adversity. The Rebel set up wonderfully for Omaha Beach.
