Monday, September 13, 2010

Not Super News

The 2010 Kentucky Derby winner, Super Saver, thus far is much like the 2009 Kentucky Derby winner, Mine That Bird. That is, neither one has won a race since their triumphs on the First Saturday In May. Granted, Mine That Bird has had many more chances that Super Saver to do that, but the fact remains they have not returned to the Winner's Circle.

Super Saver and his connections will have at least another two months to contemplate this fact while he is on the shelf for sixty days after some bone bruising was discovered that will require the Derby winner to be on "stall rest". It could very well be that the bruising has been there all along and that might very well be the reason for his lack of success since the Derby win in the Churchill Downs slop. His last three performances since the Run For The Roses were a fading eighth at Pimlico in the Preakness, a somewhat guttier fourth in the Haskell at Monmouth, and a disheartening tenth in the Travers at Saratoga. Certainly, he has been facing tough stuff, but he should have at least hit the board in one of those three subsequent starts.

The drf.com story on Super Saver mentions that Dr. Larry Bramlage discovered a major bruise on his left front cannon bone. Does this news mean that Super Saver won't turn into a one-trick pony like Mine That Bird apparently has? One can only hope so. If there is one thing that horse racing needs, it is for continued success from its marquee race winners. Since there is no race more marquee that the Kentucky Derby, let's hope that Super Saver can get back to the Winner's Circle once he gets back to the track.

Tune in tomorrow for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

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