Thoroughbred Daily News has an interesting writeup about Big Brown’s sales history on page 9 in today’s edition (free subscription):
[QUOTE=Texarkana;3055662]
Who was asking about Big Brown earlier this year?
It seems he’s back in action after a 12 3/4 length allowance victory at Gulfstream yesterday. Dutrow says he’s aiming for the Blue Grass Stakes next.
I don’t see Majestic Warrior being even a Bellamy Road for the Steinbrenners but we’ll see on Saturday. That is a long layoff since his last start and a bad post-position. If he rises to the occassion great …
AP/NBC 3-5-08 “Derby hopeful has Steinbrenners seeing roses”
Thanks so much for the Big Brown update! I had asked about him earlier in the year, before knowing he was off for an injury. He sure looks great, and it’s fantastic he’s Keeneland-bound!
Some of the Kentucky Derby trail graded stakes races this weekend …
$250,000 Gotham Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct - Saturday - 4:50 EST
PP. Horse, Weight, Jockey
(I have Giant Moon in my “Take Ten” stable)
$600,000 Louisiana Derby (G2) Fair Grounds - Saturday - 4:48 EST
PP. Horse, Weight, Jockey
$150,000 El Camino Real Derby (G3) Bay Meadows - Saturday - 4:15 PST
PP, Horse, Weight, Jockey, Morning Line
Uh oh, me too. He’s as good as doomed with our luck. :winkgrin::lol:
Is there a relationship btwn Behindatthebar and Preachinatthebar?
Calvin lost another mount??? Oh dear.
I’m rooting for Ekati here, but like MW, an awful tough test first back.
[QUOTE=Glimmerglass;3059263]
$250,000 Gotham Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct - Saturday - 4:50 EST
(I have Giant Moon in my “Take Ten” stable)[/QUOTE]
Of course I did jinx myself with the Giant Moon 
If you could see through the fog you’d see him drop off the radar screen and no where to be found at the finish - lovely.
Win - Visionaire
Place - Texas Wildcatter
Show - Larry’s Revenge
Congtrats to Michael Matz with Visionaire as that was a convincing win in the super slop.
ps - regarding Calvin Borel not being on Zito’s Stevil - that was due to Calvin being at Oaklawn for another mount. He wasn’t dropped from riding Stevil but rather decided on a more sure thing (or more money) vs. taking the long shot in LA. Stevil won an allowance and since then has dropped 3 races so there is no sure thing with him.
Off the Derby Trail: … drum roll please … Maimonides
And there goes another from my “Pick Ten” stable 
Hmmm … one of the several horses pulled from Bob Baffert and well see how another J Be K does today.
And the winner of the Louisiana Derby is … Pyro … and Majestic Warrior a bust
Pyro Wins Louisiana Derby
17 minutes ago
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Pyro has won the Louisiana Derby, reaffirming his status as a leading contender for the Kentucky Derby in less than two months.
Pyro pulled into the lead coming down the stretch and easily outran eight rivals Saturday at the Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans.
The 1 1-16-mile Louisiana Derby was considered the toughest prep race to date.
Pyro, the 4-5 favorite trained by Steve Assmussen, won the Risen Star Stakes here last month with a last-to-first stretch run.
My Pal Charlie finished second as a 60-1 long shot. Yankee Bravo was third, with other Derby hopefuls Tale of Ekati sixth and Majestic Warrior seventh.
And the rider switch didn’t help Blackberry Road. He was 4th. I didn’t see the race, but according to the chart he was up much closer than usual.
Giant Moon was my Derby horse. Guess I need to find another one. :lol:
The Gotham was crazy with all the fog! My derby sleeper and Take Ten horse, Texas Wildcatter, ran alright. I would have been happier if he didn’t get nailed at the wire by Visionaire. :winkgrin:
I wouldn’t completely give up hope on Giant Moon after today. He obviously didn’t care for the sealed track or the misty fog. Although correct me if I’m wrong, but he doesn’t have a graded dollar to his name minus the $1250 he picked up today.
I can’t even say anything bad about Pyro. It’s just no fun to root for the obvious favorite. Even though he literally is a “dark horse,” it’s just not the same. 
The final times in the two races were pretty darn close-- 1:44 3/5 for the Gotham and 1:44 2/5 for the Louisiana Derby. But very different track conditions and a lot more of a pace in the Gotham. Although I’d expect that over a sealed track.
So how about Indian Blessing getting beat?
[QUOTE=Glimmerglass;3059263]
$150,000 El Camino Real Derby (G3) Bay Meadows - Saturday - 4:15 PST[/QUOTE]
Wild, just wild and most certainly (or one hopes) this story will go mainstream. If any recalls Breeders’ Cup runner “Greg’s Gold” then the long-shot and major upset winner is of the same.
The winner: Autism Awareness at 62-1
Per TVG he was entered only to promote the name and cause. Autism Awareness, namesake of a cause dear to owner Johnny Taboada, who has an autistic son.
He was was purchased at the NCYS (Northern California Yearling Sale) for $1,000. Yep one-thousand dollars. Interesting the colt has a 2 year old full sister named Cure Autism.
California-bred Autism Awareness improved to two wins, three seconds, and one third in 14 career starts and boosted his earnings to $151,967. Out of the winning Sharp Victor mare Lady Essex, Autism Awareness finished fourth in the Harvest Futurity last season in his only previous stakes race.
Replay of the dirt race within this article link
Not sure if going to the Kentucky Derby is possible as the win brings “just” $90,000 in graded stakes earnings. That has in recent years been far shy of what ot takes to secure a starting gate at Churchill.
That was quite the performance he put on!
Back last summer he was running in the maiden claimer ranks on the fair circuit. Looking over his PPs, he certainly seems like he’s a real tryer who’s had to work for a living. Until today, he had a record of 13-1-3-1.
Wow, what a story. I really hope this wasn’t a fluke and he can repeat.
I am just now finishing watching all those races today! And once again, the girls ran faster than the boys. I was really happy for Proud Spell, but I wonder if Indian Blessing beat herself and if the shipping back and forth didn’t hurt.
I’m not giving up on Maj War or TailofEkati; that was a tough tough spot for them to come in to. They just flattened out and TofE had an issue right out of the gate.
And although good for TXwild and Vis. how much can you take from that race other than the top 2 like the slop?
I did see CB was riding Jonesboro and figured it out. Just like J.V stayed at Gulfstream to ride Commentator.
I had Maimonides too. That’s really too bad bc I think he is a nice horse. Maybe they just need to give him even more time and he can race later on.
You know what I really wish? Instead of interviewing the winners, they need to interview everybody else so that we can have a little more insight to the other horses for the Pool 2!!! You know, like what if Tagg says on Monday “Yeah, we figure he’ll be a good 1 turn horse so we’re bagging the KD…” and then I bet him the day before!!!
[QUOTE=miss_critic;3062095]
And once again, the girls ran faster than the boys. [/QUOTE]
I hate to say it, and I’m sure many will disagree, but these two girls could beat even the best of the boys. Makes me wish they were aiming them at the Derby instead of the Oaks.
And although good for TXwild and Vis. how much can you take from that race other than the top 2 like the slop?
C’mon, you mean you weren’t brilliantly impressed with Texas Wildcatter in the fog? :winkgrin: Seriously, though-- I’ve been pulling for this horse all along. He’s a good horse. Giacomo-esque, and I’m not just saying that because he’s grey. I don’t know why he doesn’t get more credit. I don’t even think Pletcher himself likes him.
TXW might be more of a Zanjero type? But I agree, he deserves more respect.
Does anyone know what’s going on with Country Star? After Indian Blessing got trounced yesterday, I was going to bet CS in the future Oaks pool, but couldn’t remember if there’s something wrong with her, or if she’s just on a break?
I’m still going to try to beat Pyro. I made a future pool bet on Visionaire and “all other tbs”. :yes:
[QUOTE=Glimmerglass;3061409]
And the winner of the Louisiana Derby is … Pyro … and Majestic Warrior a bust[/QUOTE]
I’ll admit it: I’m becoming a Pyro-maniac! He sure loves that long stretch at FG - what a closer! :yes: A friend of mine who was at the track called going nuts after the race - he said it was great race to see in person.
I keep thinking Blackberry Road is going to do better than he does.
I’m putting a few bucks on Nikkisgoldsteed who appears to be at odds of 99+ in the Futures Wager Pool 2 - he came close yesterday and shadows may have played a factor and he won the $100,000 Turf Paradise Derby before. So not deserving of those long odds.
The story of the GGF El Camino Real Derby winner is making bigger coverage, which is good.
Shortly after Taboada and trainer Genaro Vallejo bought the colt — they got him for the minimum bid of $1,000 — they were approached by two trainers who offered $2,000 for the horse.
SF Chronicle 3-9-08 “‘Awareness’ is big winner”
Autism Awareness ran in fourth place until jockey Luis Contreras angled him to the outside in the early stretch, and the bargain-basement colt responded like a Kentucky blueblood.
“I can’t express how good it feels to win this race,” Contreras said. “The horse helped me a lot. He relaxed the way I wanted him to and when it was time to go, he took off.”
Taboada, a mortgage broker and director of operations of a Silicon Valley company, owns 10 horses including a sister of Autism Awareness that he named Curing Autism.
The horrible crash two races before really put the day’s racing at GGF on a real downer
Poor Little G Man and Knoblock were both euthanized - actually Little G Man died on the spot from his injuries - in the incident involving clipped heels and an overzealous move with took little room in the whole to make the cut in. The other two horses, Ward Brooks and Irish Yodeler, also involved in the spill appear to be “ok”.
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