If that’s the case then neither Game Winner or Improbable should stand a chance after their less than stellar races…
As it looks, for now, there’s still isn’t a single stand out for the KD. We’ll have to see what the next few weekends bring us.
Mandella has said he thought OB was a turf horse. His first several races were on turf. The lights really came on when they tried dirt since he wasn’t winning on turf. So I don’t hold his early races against him.
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I thought Game Winner ran really good considering the splits and how wide he was. I didn’t realize how slow the times were until Joel made such an early move. Smith outrode Rosario, Rosario tried to make it work, but it wasn’t the horse’s fault.
It would be neat if Omaha Beach turned into another Cigar.
I think Improbable is the horse to beat so far. He was four horses wide (and very wide with the four) and he almost won. He would have won that race if he had not been in the outside post. He has an incredible stride. Reminds me so much of Justify. If he wins his next race (assuming they will run him again before the Derby) I think he has a shot.
Louisiana Derby disappointing–War of Will ran poorly, but seems to have an excuse. Trainer says caught a patella, and pulled a muscle. May have come out of the gate cross-firing and bobbled in fixing it.
Sunland Park, Mucho Gusto seemed not to have much gusto for the distance.
Seems like after every Derby prep this year, the first question about the winner is “Who?”
Agree. The most impressive horse I saw from this weekend was Chasing Yesterday, Pharoah’s little sister. She had all the excuses some of the Derby-aimed horses have (poor start, very wide trip both turns, etc.) and still was much the best in her race.
I’m waiting to see who runs at Hot Springs. I always go down for the Arkansas Derby, my one live trip to the races each year. Saw AP there in 2015. Still waiting to see another Derby winner. Never know what might happen, but I have my doubts that I’m going to see another one there this year. So far, I have to put Omaha Beach and Game Winner at the top of my list of candidates for this year, and I don’t think either of them are going back for the Arkansas Derby. Nobody has really wow’d me so far.
Game Winner is prepping for Santa Anita Derby, but Omaha Beach is supposed to go to Oaklawn.
Looked again at the Sunland Park Derby, and Anothertwistafate looked better the second time around.
I’m throwing up…
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I’m liking Omaha Beach but another year where the favorites are having to pull out or putting in a lackluster performance in a prep race.
Also happy to see Omaha Beach is going to Oaklawn rather than racing at SA and I love SA. But I’m with Laurierace. Not sure I’d be comfy racing a horse there quite yet but also not sure what “thing” needs to happen to change my mind either.
Also another Chasing Yesterday fan 
Watched the Louisiana Derby & could see the misstep War of Will took about a stride out of the gate. He never looked comfortable after that. I was expecting to hear he had some type of injury.
Still waiting for someone to catch my eye. As of yet, there’s not any one standout.
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Well this weekends races didn’t really bring any more clarity to the Derby picture lol
It seems like the (race) favorites are not running to their odds.
Wonder what the next few prep races will bring us.
One thing this weekend’s races did bring us is two new horses–Plus Que Parfait and Gray Magician–both of whom weren’t on the Derby trail last but who now have enough points to get in.
Interesting to see that Improbable is currently #19 on the Derby points list.
Dont several of them race this weekend at Gulfstream and SA (which I assume is still on the slate)?
Yes, both Gulfstream and SA have races carded this coming weekend.
Races this weekend with KD points:
Wood Memorial 4/6 (Aqueduct, 100 points to the winner)
Blue Grass 4/6 (Keeneland, 100 points to the winner)
Santa Anita Derby 4/6 (Santa Anita, 100 points to the winner)
Be watching, those races traditionally clear the picture up and send those with good efforts on to perform well in May.
I think we got a little spoiled by some dominant horses the past few years. This year seems more the norm waiting to see who emerges. Particularly since it seems racing frequently to prep them has fallen out of favor.
Not That Brady is running in The Wood. Won The Withers but stopped last race in The Gotham.
By Big Brown, he was the first foal for Lisa’s Booby Trap - the filly who won her first 3 races at Finger Lakes by a combination 36 lengths, then came to Saratoga to run in some real competition with mixed efforts. But at the time, her story was the talk of the town, especially concerning her beginnings. Crooked as all get out, and blind in one eye . A book written about her and her trainer who was hard on his luck, but kept her and named her after his wife and his favorite strip club which he frequented after his wife died. Lisa had told him she was returning as a racehorse.
Long odds, but Not That Brady’s best race on par with the others in this field.
Would be fun to see him do well. Saw his mother run and it was quite the story.
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I really want to know what “unspecified physical issue” prompted Jason Servis and the colt’s owners to enter Maximum Security in a $16K claimer. It’s been alluded to more than once, with Servis saying, “Candidly, if you read between the lines, there had to be a reason why I ran him for $16,000. Am I glad I didn’t lose him? Hell, yeah,” Servis said. “Is he training good and sound? Yes. But there was a reason why I ran him for $16,000.”
There’s always a risk every time a horse steps on the track, but surely these connections are better horsemen than to run a time bomb with a short fuse in the Derby. Methinks Servis should have kept his trap shut; at best his remarks are generating wild speculation. At worst…I don’t want to dwell on it, but if it happens there will be mobs howling for blood.
Yeah, I thought that sounded pretty weird. And let’s hope the colt stays sound, or at least races sound, or the repercussions could be ugly.
If I had to guess I think Servis was saying that he ran the horse for 16k for a reason to keep himself from looking like an idiot moreso than the horse is held together with duct tape and could give way at any second. At least I hope that is why he said it.
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My first guess would be chips, which sometimes may not be causing much of a problem right now, but the size and location indicate that they most likely need to be removed in the future. Sometimes not a big deal, sometimes a big deal. But the physical issue is probably something that is not likely to give way and cause a breakdown at any given moment.
