…and it’s Adriano in the Lane’s End. Halo Najib was 2nd.
That puts both of them as good as in for the Kentucky Derby if they choose.
And, while before the race, Motion was quoted as saying Adriano was not likely for the derby no matter what happened… it sounds like they changed their tune in the winners circle. 
The only way I could be happier is if all my fantasy horses hadn’t finished at the back of the pack (thanks, Turf War). :lol:
[QUOTE=Glimmerglass;3053829]
I stand corrected that TVG coverage is not exclusive with the race itself but elements around and leading up to it ;)[/QUOTE]
A second correction. TVG will air the race live exclusively. ESPN will air the Blue Grass on tape delay.
Fierce Wind was purchased last week by CNET founder Halsey Minor and will keep him in training with Nick Zito. Minor purchased the famed and beautiful Carter’s Grove plantation on the James River in Virginia for $15.3 million last December to be used as a TB breeding operation.
[QUOTE=Texarkana;3092776]
…and it’s Adriano in the Lane’s End. Halo Najib was 2nd.
That puts both of them as good as in for the Kentucky Derby if they choose.
And, while before the race, Motion was quoted as saying Adriano was not likely for the derby no matter what happened… it sounds like they changed their tune in the winners circle. [/QUOTE]
And then they woke up, said it was fun, but no dice that Adriano will start in the KY Derby
Also saying “doubtful” is the connections of Big Glen, but then again on ESPN Frank Brothers already said that pretty quickly after the win in the ungraded Rushaway.
Worth pointing out for March 23, 2008 - not one top 20 list from the DRF, Equibase, Courier-Journal, Ft Worth Star Telegram, NY Post or Churchill Downs lists or otherwise even hints at Tomcito at all. Not one. Nobody.
Courier-Journal Derby ratings for Mar 23, 2008
So when he impresses in the Florida Derby maybe then they will give some credit.
I mean for goodness sakes receiving mention is Bordeaux Bandit - who? Seriously. Who is that? 3 lifetime starts 1-1-0 … his last effort was an entry-level allowance race at Gulfstream which he lost with a 4th place finish.
By comparison a horse that’s raced at 1 1/2 miles against 3rd olds (effectively) when he was 2-yrs old and won the race - isn’t even given mention?
Folks put Bordeaux above a Tomcito? At least he’s had a half dozen articles written about how interesting he could be which is more then 80% of the ‘Top 20’ have received.
ESPN 3-24-08 Paul Moran “Will Tomico prove he belongs on Derby trail?”
His position in the Kentucky Derby chase, which is becoming increasingly complicated as it progresses, will be defined by Tomcito’s performance in the Grade 1 Florida Derby.
The anticipated participants include Big Brown, the undefeated, lightly raced and so far untouchable colt from trainer Rick Dutrow’s arsenal; the Barclay Tagg-trained Elysium Fields, a fast-closing runner-up to Cool Coal Man in the Fountain of Youth Stakes, and Fierce Wind, a Nick Zito-trained colt who won the Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs over Big Truck, subsequent winner of the Tampa Bay Derby.
If Tomcito stands his ground in Florida on Saturday, there will be no question that he belongs among the eventual 20 assembled at Churchill Downs on May 3. If the odds appear to be stacked against the best three-year-old in Peru, they have been from the outset of his career.
“I like to point out,” said Zanelli, “that 51 horses went to Peru two years ago from the U.S. Only three of them made the classics down there and only one of them won.”
BloodHorse’s Steve Haskin 3-24-08 KY Derby Trail
Have there ever been three more intriguing and unusual horses in a grade I Derby prep than Peruvian superstar Tomcito and the spectacular, but untested, allowance winners Big Brown and Hey Byrn? With other intriguing unknowns in the field such as Face the Cat, the Florida Derby should provide plenty of fireworks.
For the Pyro fans:
Video: Pyro’s workout (with Dominic Terry up) at Keeneland (3/24) before sunrise in five furlongs at Keeneland in 1:02 2/5 ; Steve Asmussen was very pleased with the time.
Thanks to Alan at Left at the Gate for the link
I think we are going to have a top contnder out of the FL Derby. It’s our last chance for some unknowns to strut their stuff. I am more excited for this prep than any other thus far. Right now I can’t seperate 4 of them.
Per Haskin’s report, I checked out Numaany’s Aqueduct race. I was really impressed with his raw talent. I’ll be rooting for him this Saturday too.
[QUOTE=Tiramit;3085589]
As a professional marketer I have my feet firmly planted in the promotions camp BUT could there really be a Kentucky Winner named “Autism Awareness”? [/QUOTE]
But you know what had that horse been name ‘Insert Name Here’ and won the race, I doubt much more then 1 paragraph would’ve been done on him and only in the racing papers.
Instead, today, March 25th, some two plus weeks after wining the race and also being sidelined for at least 3 months with injury The Los Angeles Times did a nice lengthy story on the horse and owner- “Autism Awareness: Better than winning at 62-1 odds”. This was in addition to the local SF Chronicle and other Bay Area papers giving coverage after the win.
As pointed out on another board and in the DRF article below - the workout of Colonel John - March 25 - at Santa Anita at 8:30 am PST was posted on youtube
However unlike the Pryo video yesterday which was the pure and glorious sounds of the early morning work out this was made into a music video. Hmmmm
NTRA 3/25 “Colonel John exudes confidence”
A sparse crowd was on hand Tuesday at Santa Anita on Tuesday, but Kathy Harty, wife of trainer Eoin Harty, recorded the workout on video and uploaded it to YouTube.com, where anyone can watch.
Florida Derby Post Positions drawn
Field of 12 for Saturday’s $1 Million Grade 1 race at 1 1/8 mi (dirt)
PP - Horse - (Jockey)
Worth citing, per the Daily Racing Form: No horse has ever won a race going 1 1/8 miles at Gulfstream from post 11 or 12 since the racetrack was reconfigured and lengthened to 1 1/8 miles in 2005
From the Dogwood Stable website:
"Dogwood Stable’s Kentucky Derby hopefuls Atoned and Blackberry Road will have their next starts in the Grade 2, $500,000 Illinois Derby on April 5 and the Grade 2, $1 million Arkansas Derby on April 12, respectively, announced Dogwood Stable President Cot Campbell.
Atoned will have the services of Joe Bravo in the Illinois Derby at Hawthorne, and Calvin Borel returns to pair up with Blackberry Road in the Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park."
[QUOTE=Glimmerglass;3101266]
Florida Derby Post Positions drawn
Field of 12 for Saturday’s $1 Million Grade 1 race at 1 1/8 mi (dirt)
Further bad news: Post positions 8 on-out are 0-for-37 at 1 1/18 miles on the main track this meet at Gulfstream.
A filly in the Kentucky Derby?
Proud Spell’s connections nominated her today (3/26) to the Triple Crown
Jay Privman of the Daily Racing Form laments the obvious with the Florida Derby - Big Brown might be sunk before the gates open. As cited before he’s starting from the 12 hole which is no mans land and if history has anything to say - Big Brown likely won’t win with post 12.
DRF 3-26-08 “Defeated by the draw?”
Bill Mott, the trainer of Majestic Warrior, was disappointed in the draw. “It’s as far outside as I could be to still consider running,” Mott said from the Payson Park training center in Florida, where he is based in the winter. “At least it’s not 11 or 12. Right now, we’re in.”
Ah, posts 11 and 12. Going 1 1/8 miles on the main track at Gulfstream, with a short run to the first turn, the outside posts are like the Bermuda Triangle. Since Gulfstream reconfigured its track four years ago, posts 11 (0 for 18) and 12 (0 for 11) are a combined 0 for 29 at 1 1/8 miles, the distance of the Florida Derby.
What I’m still astonished by is that they still gave him the 3-1 odds. Abbout the most insane call I’ve seen in years. Why would any punter take such a huge risk on him for such a low return. Tomcito is going off (ML odds) at 12-1 which are so high that folks would be foolish not to bet on him. Doubtful he’ll go off at anything above 8-1, if even that high.
Yeah, those posts suck since so many of them need the $$ and could POTENTIALLY be worthy of a spot in the derby.
I really wanted to see Edgar on Hey Byrn.
I’ll put it out there that I’ll put the boxed trifecta for the Florida Derby as Tomcito, Nistle’s Crunch, and Fierce Wind.
With that said finally some respect and coverage on Tomcito!
Tomcito overwhelmed the competition in Peru, and now the 3-year-old colt is back in America with a chance to earn a shot at the Kentucky Derby.
Bred in Kentucky, bought for a bargain price of $7,500 and sent to South America to race, Tomcito is the mystery in the 12-horse field for Saturday’s Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park.
“The big question is to see where he belongs, where he ranks against these horses,” Tomcito trainer Dante Zanelli said Thursday at Palm Meadows training center. “How does he compare? I don’t know. I have to run.”
The $1 million race is a key prep for the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in five weeks, and a solid effort most likely will have Tomcito’s owners - several Peruvian businessmen who operate Jet Set Racing - making plans for Derby week in Louisville, Ky.
“To be able to get this horse there would mean a lot,” said Zanelli, who bought Tomcito at the 2006 Keeneland yearling sale and sent him his to uncle, top Peruvian trainer Juan Suarez.
“Not only because I picked the horse, but because there are a lot of people - and a nation - behind him. There are hundreds of people who buy low-budget horses who dream they can be something special. I think he can be the people’s horse.”
Tomcito, who will be ridden by Jorge Chavez, is a 12-1 shot in the 1 1-8-mile Florida Derby, with Big Brown the 3-1 favorite and Elysium Fields the second choice at 4-1.
Until the race unfolds, it is tough to gauge how Tomcito stacks up against much tougher competition. He could very well blow away the field, or end up being overmatched.
In Peru, he was a champion 2-year-old with four victories in five races, including a 9 3/4-length romp in the 1 1/4-mile Clasico Ricardo Ortiz de Zevallos and a 3 1/2-length win in Peru’s 1 1/2-mile Derby Nacional on Nov. 17 in his last start.
He also competed against horses about 6 months older, basically 3-year-olds. In the Southern Hemisphere, thoroughbreds are born in the summer months beginning in July. Tomcito was born in the Northern Hemisphere on Feb. 13. In the U.S., 2-year-olds do not compete against older horses.
In addition, Tomcito has won at the Derby distance of 1 1/4 miles, while hardly any of the Derby contenders have run that far.
“The one thing that’s hard to measure, though, is the level of competition he was facing,” Zanelli said. “They’ve had a number of good horses that have gone to Peru the last couple of years, many of them coming from Argentina. I think Tomcito has a lot of class and is very special and we feel confident going into Saturday’s race that he has the ability to prove he belongs here.”
Tomcito certainly has the bloodlines of a champion. His sire is Street Cry, who also sired last year’s Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense. And like Street Sense, Tomcito’s style is to rally from way behind.
The Derby win was not lost on Tomcito’s owners.
“After that, they were already talking about winning the Kentucky Derby,” Zanelli said.
Buying Tomcito was a breeze. Because he was considered too heavy and had wide-set front legs, buyers were scared off. But Zanelli saw a long, fluid stride and decided the horse could excel in Peru.
“He has a very wide frame but a very long stride and was perfect for the market where he was going,” the trainer said. “The Peru track is deep and his long stride is suited for that. And he went on to prove that and became an exceptional horse.”
Jockey Edgar Prado, a fellow Peruvian and one of Zanelli’s best friends, saw Tomcito run in October and also was aboard for a workout at Palm Meadows.
“I think he can compete with horses here,” Prado said.
Tomcito was sent back to the U.S. in December, and Zanelli took over his training with Suarez visiting on occasion. Zanelli has seen Tomcito run only once in person.
“We’re very confident he’s doing great, very confident he’s a good horse,” he said. “We are thinking that we can actually be very competitive, perhaps win.”
Boxing tomcito and hey byrn
Elysium Fields and Fierce Wind at the wire. I think Big Brown is just going to miss.
ETA-- Making my pick a boxed tri with EF, FW, and Tomcito.
I still think Big Brown is going to miss but probably make it for 4th.
I just got back from the OTB. I feel like an idiot bc I didn’t know you couldn’t wager the day before AND the price of beer went up. WTHELL!!!
Re: Big Brown
In response Calico’s inquiry on Big Brown:
[QUOTE=Texarkana;2976890]
I don’t think he’s raced since last September when he broke his maiden. And I haven’t seen his name anywhere. So no, not at this time.[/QUOTE]
inserts foot in mouth
:lol:
You know, I just this afternoon decided “Big Brown” isn’t such a bad name for a TB, afterall! :):)
Arcadien
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