Your 08 Derby pick?

[Glimmerglass]

[QUOTE=Texarkana;2975142]
Slew’s Tiznow is out[/QUOTE]

Ah, thanks for passing that along!

What I thought was interesting was the Blood-Horse article this week (“What Foot Forward?”)
regarding the Derby trail and how many contenders won’t have run on dirt at all. Steve Haskin went so far as to create two distinct lists of contenders:

It is senseless to include horses racing in California on the same list as horses racing on dirt back east.Due to the fact that we have no idea what we’re dealing with, this first Derby preview will be separated into two sections—horses that have never raced on dirt and horses that have. Obviously, the former will be a much shorter list, but it’s better than attempting to mix the proverbial apples and oranges.

It does make one wonder how a horse like Yankee Bravo - undefeated but only a synthetic runner - will fare if he did ship to Churchill and stepped on that glorious dirt. The ‘save a little in the tank, hang back, then close’ winning way on CA synthetics often will backfire badly on dirt.

[Texarkana]

I read that article, too. What really bothers me is Santa Anita’s now blazing-fast-yet-hard-as-a-rock “Cushion” Track. Not only can we not accurately gauge the speed of the horses running on it (as compared to the east coast horses poking along in the dirt), but I can’t help but wonder if we’re going to see a lot of very sore west coast 3 year olds. They’re going to be campaigning on essentially blacktop.

[johnnysauntie]

Pyro and Curlin work together!

I’m still on Pyro’s bandwagon. 6F 1:13, galloped out 7F in 1:26

http://racing.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=43412

[miss_critic]

[QUOTE=Glimmerglass;2971910]
Twice: 1991 - Strike The Gold and 1994 -Go For Gin

He’s been loaded for bear before (e.g., for the 2005 Kentucky Derby he saddled a record five starters for five different owners) but just hasn’t had another winner.[/QUOTE]

Duh, I am such an idiot…thanks for not rubbing it in.

I remember 2005. That is what Pletcher was like last year. My take is, if they are loaded, look elsewhere!

Don’t you think the trainers themselves would be concerned about how their horses will handle CD dirt track if they only run on synthetics?

[Glimmerglass]

[QUOTE=miss_critic;2975702]
Don’t you think the trainers themselves would be concerned about how their horses will handle CD dirt track if they only run on synthetics?[/QUOTE]

One would think so - but it a similar sense it hasn’t stopped the popularity of the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland since they converted over to synthetic as a final prep before the KY Derby.

[Glimmerglass]

I forgot about this gutsy horse that the Ramsey’s picked up last year and put in a very nice maiden effort then somehow dropped into a claim: U.S. Cavalry

Looks like he might be pointed towards the Derby trail!

BloodHorse 1-30-08 “WEBN: U.S. Cavalry Aiming Higher”

[U.S. Calvary] takes on 11 rivals in the $50,000 WEBN Stakes Feb. 2 on the Turfway Park Polytrack.

A 3-year-old gelding, U. S. Cavalry certainly has the bloodlines to be a Kentucky Derby contender, as he is a son of multiple graded stakes winner Officer, out of the Distorted Humor mare Humorous Wish. The WEBN will be new territory for U. S. Cavalry, however, as he stretches out to a mile for the first time.

[Glimmerglass]

Interestingly when the DRF cited Barclay Tagg as having ‘like Zito’ a string of horses pointed towards the Derby trail not mentioned was a one-time early ‘contender’: Big Truck.

“Tagg eyes Derby with trio” - Jan 30th. Cited were: Tale of Ekati, Elysium Fields, and Jockey Ridge.

[Calico]

Big Brown

Please forgive me if this has already been mentioned, I did not see it in this thread - but, is the Boundary son, Big Brown, on the derby trail?

[Texarkana]

Please forgive me if this has already been mentioned, I did not see it in this thread - but, is the Boundary son, Big Brown, on the derby trail?

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.

[Glimmerglass]

[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]

Although I think no horse is off the trail just yet unless they are injured, their times are hopelessly slow, or they couldn’t stretch out to 1 1/4mi unless riding in the back of a horse van.

Curlin of course didn’t even make his maiden until he was 3-yrs old

Agreed however with Texarkana’s point that his name isn’t on any of the “ones to look for” lists (a few go out to at least 100 horses) and its hard at Feb 1st to not be on the radar somewhere.

[Linny]

Big Brown was hurt after his maiden, keeping him out of the BCJT.

My top choice, Anak Nakal is a sw at Churchill Downs.

[Glimmerglass]

Egads that is an ugly Derby Festival poster!

Per the organizers - it features “an explosion of events, in a very colorful, abstract appearance.” - it barely even features horses. Or rather it does but them running across lava fields

[Barnfairy]

@Glimmerglass;2979846

Egads that is an ugly Derby Festival poster!

Per the organizers - it features “an explosion of events, in a very colorful, abstract appearance.” - it barely even features horses. Or rather it does but them running across lava fields

Um…is that St. Barbaro in the sky?

Oh dear. Well, it certainly is colorful.

~~

I’m liking Anak Nakal these days too. And I’m a little sad that his daddy his headed to Turkey (but glad that WinStar will take him back when he’s retired.)

[miss_critic]

[QUOTE=Glimmerglass;2979846]
Egads that is an ugly Derby Festival poster! [/QUOTE]
:eek:
Wow is all I can say. Did it occur to “them” that they might have a little too much going on there???

[SleepyFox]

[QUOTE=miss_critic;2980004]
:eek:
Wow is all I can say. Did it occur to “them” that they might have a little too much going on there???[/QUOTE]

Oh my. That’s unfortunate. Probably the same person did that poster that did the old KY license plates - the ones with the smiling sun saying “Kentucky - it’s that friendly.” Remember those?

Is it just me or has it been a while since there was a really good looking Derby poster/logo?

[Glimmerglass]

[QUOTE=miss_critic;2980004]
Did it occur to “them” that they might have a little too much going on there?[/QUOTE]

Not sure of the year but it’s been simple before

Barnfairy I think the pegasus symbol is just part of the festival and no inference of Barbaro should be assumed

[Glimmerglass]

For clarity I will say this - the Derby Festival logo is not the same as the Kentucky Derby logo.

The Festival I thought was the prelude of activities in Louisville the week before which tries to be inclusive to a variety of activities and allow non-horse-fans to feel “part of the love” and spotlight.

That said the 2008 Kentucky Derby logo is MUCH better then the 2007 information superhighway flattening the horse’s ears logo.

[Glimmerglass]

re: Whirlaway Stakes at Aqueduct today

That was an utter craptastic effort by Cave’s Valley today in that race! Something may have been wrong but Mario Pino didn’t appear to make any effort to send him along when the fractions were freaking slow as molasses and he was at the rear most of the race. I cannot imagine he’ll be “on the Derby trail” henceforth.

[Barnfairy]

@Glimmerglass

re: Whirlaway Stakes at Aqueduct today

That was an utter craptastic effort by Cave’s Valley today in that race! Something may have been wrong but Mario Pino didn’t appear to make any effort to send him along when the fractions were freaking slow as molasses and he was at the rear most of the race. I cannot imagine he’ll be “on the Derby trail” henceforth.

Maybe he didn’t like the footing? I’m not sure exactly how the weather has been in NY, but we had a nasty storm come through up here that coated everything with a weird granular snow – it was like walking on beach sand.

[Glimmerglass]

ESPN 02/02/08 “Whirlaway: Barrier Reef raises his stock”

Cave Valley, the 2-1 favorite, was sixth of seven. Michael Trombetta, the trainer of Cave’s Valley, said he was shocked to see his horse last down the backside and was not sure what went awry.

I agree Barnfairy that maybe the surface didn’t agree with thim however that was the same excuse used for the poor showing in the Delta Jackpot

Out on the West Coast we have another horse clearly on the Derby trail with Crown of Thorns. He put in a solid 2 1/2 victory in the G2 $200k Robert Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita going 1 1/16 miles. The Richard Mandella trainee ridden by Victor Espinoza (owned by B. Wayne Hughes) is the son of Repent, hence the play on words.

Up next for him:

Mandella said Crown of Thorns would be pointed to the Grade 3, $200,000 Sham Stakes on March 1, and then the Grade 1, $750,000 Santa Anita Derby on April 5 as preps for the May 3 Kentucky Derby.