Saratoga Special

I return to the blog this week fresh off of my first ever visit to Saratoga. All I can say is what an extraordinary place it is for any fan of racing. From the Oklahoma Training Track (pictured) to the gorgeous paddock (pictured) to the Horse Racing Hall Of Fame and the enthusiastic crowds that show up everyday, it is as I remarked to Tom Durkin, "what every day at the races should be."

I was at Saratoga on Wednesday and Thursday last week for live racing and the first thing that strikes you about the place is the people that are there. They come in for free early for training and breakfast, stake out their spot, and after leaving and coming back in to pay their admission, stay there the rest of the day. The clubhouse is open-air, so whatever the elements are, they are. Luckily, the two days I was at Saratoga were mild and not too uncomfortable, so I was able to walk around and scout out just about every place to watch the races either live or on television that are available.

The backside is flat out amazing. The Morning Line serves breakfast, there are plenty of places to sit and watch the horses working out. As you make your way through the barn area, the expanse is just as beautiful as the front side. The barns meander through the trees and there are jogging tracks that do the same. The Oklahoma Training Track is a full one-mile oval with a wide 7/8 mile turf track inside of it. The approaching road to the Oklahoma has small signs that mention the names of each of the eleven Triple Crown winners. There are more barns near the training track and the entire atmosphere around the place is just electric for any true horse racing fan.

Of course, I had to check out the announcer's booth and visit with Tom Durkin while I was there. I was surprised that the booth was not more substantial, but as Tom pointed out, Saratoga existed for over 70 years without one, so it was really more of an afterthought. The announcer's booth is blocked at various points either by the support posts in the clubhouse, the trees in the infield, or the grandstand itself. It is not an ideal spot to call a horse race from, but for an afterthought, it gets the job done.

Finally, the racing is second to none. The highlight of the entire experience was watching Winter Memories win the Grade 2 Lake George from an impossible position at the top of the stretch. She was checked in behind horses and appeared to lose all of her momentum at that point. Jose Lezcano then guided her outside and she started to inhale the turf course and just blazed past everyone to win by a substantial margin. It was truly a championship performance and one that will be pointed to should she win any year-end awards. I was also able to witness a five-furlong track record set by JC's Pride, who was also ridden by Jose Lezcano. JC's Pride ran the distance in 56.54 seconds.

All in all, I can say that my first experience at The Spa was a memorable one. I can also say that I certainly hope that it won't be my last time there. Tune in again tomorrow for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Summer Is Here

The summer season has finally arrived. I say that, not because there is a heat wave gripping much of the nation right now, but because the two standout summer racing meets are ready to begin on Wednesday and Friday, respectively. Del Mar kicks off their 37-day season on Wednesday afternoon and will continue to race until September 7. Saratoga will be running forty days of live racing starting on Friday and continuing until September 5.

Both seasons will be offering plenty of great racing as usual. The one thing that most people start to do during these two seasons is monitor the two-year-olds. Del Mar and Saratoga often provide the horses that will be the favorites going forward to first the Breeders' Cup Juvenile and Juvenile Fillies and then, usually, it's on to the Kentucky Derby or Kentucky Oaks. There will be the inevitable flashes of brilliance from a previously untried or untested juvenile horse that will make wiseguys all over the place utter the famous sentence, "That's my Derby horse for next year!"

Of course, there will be other goings-on at both tracks. Del Mar offers a slew of Grade 1 races, including the Eddie Read Stakes and the Del Mar Oaks on the grass. Don't forget about the Grade 1 Polytrack races there like the Bing Crosby Stakes, the Clement L. Hirsch, the Pat O'Brien, Del Mar Debutante and Futurity, and of course, the Pacific Classic on August 18. Saratoga isn't lacking for high-end competition either with seventeen Grade 1 events there, most famously the "Summertime Derby" or Travers Stakes on August 27.

I will be making my first pilgrimage to Saratoga next week, which means I will be in attendance for the Grade 2 $150,000 Lake George on Wednesday and ungraded $75,000 Quick Call on Thursday. I am looking very forward to seeing the Spa for my maiden voyage. With any luck, I will come home from that trip having broken the maiden by being a winner for the trip as well. However, you know, the mere fact that I am heading that way will make a winner out of me for once, so the way I am looking at it, I am ahead for the trip already.

They Are Off will be taking off for the remainder of July and will return refreshed and ready to go in August with all that great summer racing I was just talking about still in front of us. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

The Grade 2 $600,000 Virginia Derby

Before beginning the handicapping segment this week, I must first offer congratulations to Frank Mirahmadi for being named the new announcer at Oaklawn Park. Frank is an excellent race caller, a better person, and I cannot wait to hear him inject his unique brand of excitement into the racing season in Arkansas next season.

The Grade 2 Virginia Derby offers a strong, competitive field of twelve horses going 1 1/4 miles on the turf at Colonial Downs. The morning-line favorite at 5-2 is Banned, who won back-to-back graded turf races at Churchill Downs during the spring season, the Grade 2 American Turf and the Grade 3 Jefferson Cup. Here is the analysis:

The top pick in here will be #8 Crimson China from Team Valor and trained by Graham Motion, the same owner-trainer team of Kentucky Derby winner, Animal Kingdom. Julien Leparoux will ride this colt in here. He is a perfect 2 for 2 over the turf this year, winning at Gulfstream in February and an ungraded stakes race at Monmouth in May. His works are fairly strong and he offers decent value at 5-1. I will put #4 Street Game in the second spot with the riding services of Edgar Prado. This horse ran off three straight wins over the turf at Belmont leading into this go. Two of those were over yielding turf and one of those was the Grade 3 Hill Prince. Prado actually is getting back aboard this colt Saturday, having not ridden him since a second at Gulfstream in March. I will use the favorite, #7 Banned, in the third spot. Those two graded stakes wins at Churchill stand out and the Sire is Kitten's Joy, pure turf breeding for sure. It is worth noting that in winning those two races in Kentucky, he defeated a couple of the foes he faces here. Jose Lezcano is in the saddle Saturday. A longshot to like is #3 Newsdad with Kris S. present on the Sire side for more strong turf breeding. However, this 15-1 shot only has a maiden win to his credit at Gulfstream on January 28. Bill Mott is the trainer and if you can get 15-1 on a Mott horse in a big spot, it might be worth the effort. Here is the play for the Grade 2 Virginia Derby:

$5 WP #8
$1 EX BOX 3-4-7-8-10
$1 TRI 4-7-8 with 4-7-8 with 2-3-4-7-8-10
TOTAL- $54

The blog is currently MINUS $788 for the year. I think if we get to MINUS $1,000, we might have to stop keeping track. Maybe that is the best way to start a winning streak. Anyway, remember that They Are Off accepts no responsibility for any wagers placed in conjunction with these selections. They are merely suggestions. Tune in again next week for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Luke Kruytbosch

July 14 has become a day of mixed emotions for me over the last few years. It was on July 14, 2008 that Luke Kruytbosch passed away in Indiana, not far from Ellis Park in Kentucky, where he worked in the summers after calling the races at Churchill Downs in the spring and fall and Turf Paradise in the winter. I have tremendous mixed emotions on this date every year because, of course, I am sad on the one hand that my friend is no longer with us, that he passed away at the tragically young age of 47, and that we don't get to hear him calling the races again in that characteristic style and voice that he had. It was a voice that served the racing industry incredibly well.

However, I also look back at the time I knew Luke with a great fondness. Believe me, I still count it as one of the best things in my life that he was not only my mentor, but my friend as well. I still have the last voice mail he ever left on my cell phone saved these three years later. At the time, I was still calling the races in Houston, and Luke was in Phoenix, chiding me that the Suns were beating the Rockets on this particular night. As has been said many times by many people since his passing, Luke was always the "life of the party" even if the party was 1,200 miles away.

When he passed away, Luke was memorialized at both Churchill Downs and Turf Paradise. His ashes were spread at Churchill Downs, where he realized his greatest ambition in racecalling, which was, like almost all of us announcers, to call the Kentucky Derby. Luke said many times his first Derby call, Charismatic's win in 1999, was his personal favorite. However, he is still remembered just as fondly, if not more so, at Turf Paradise. I was asked to speak at the memorial service for Luke there and I've never had to do anything more difficult. I am, of course, glad I was able to be a part of the service because it enabled me to see firsthand all of the people that Luke touched with his spirit, generosity, and personality. I knew that there were so many feeling the same sense of loss that I felt and I had to keep it together for my friend.

I will be entering my third season this autumn at Turf Paradise and the reminders of Luke there are many. I provide one myself with a picture I took with him in the announcer's booth at Churchill Downs before the renovations done at the track. Also, the booth is where a branch that was draped over Luke's picture at the memorial is kept. There is a bench in the clubhouse that is permanently dedicated to Luke's memory. Finally, the people at Turf Paradise are the most vivid reminders to me about Luke because it always seems that Luke is still a part of each and every one of them. I am the announcer at Turf Paradise and hope to be in that position for a long time to come. However, there will always be only one "Voice Of Turf Paradise" and he is still dearly missed.

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

Versus

Versus is a word with many meanings right now in the world of Thoroughbred racing. For one, it is the network on which NBC now places much of its racing coverage and will be airing broadcasts from Saratoga this spring in a much-needed boost to the television presence of the sport. Versus also is a combative word, as in the viability of tracks without additional gaming versus the success of those that do have it. In this vein, I look at versus in the way it was originally intended, as a way to set up a climactic matchup, like a top heavyweight fight or a championship game in any sport. Versus is a word that sometimes gets incorporated into a rivalry like Dallas vs. Pittsburgh in the NFL in the 1970s or Ali vs. Frazier in boxing from the same time frame. Right now, the best rivalry we have in racing is shaping up to take place again this weekend at Delaware Park.

Blind Luck and Havre De Grace is the most outstanding racing rivalry in the business currently and the two ladies are fairly even in their results. Blind Luck has two wins in their five matchups, Havre De Grace has two wins in the five matchups, and one (the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic) was won by the now-retired Unrivaled Belle. However, Blind Luck finished second at Churchill Downs and Havre De Grace ran third. Also keep in mind that one of those prior races was over this racetrack, in the Delaware Oaks won by Blind Luck. It certainly isn't like the two horses aren't coming into this race on the downswing. Havre De Grace is 3 for 3 in 2011, which includes a win the Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park. Blind Luck's recent record in wins in the La Troienne at Churchill Downs and the Vanity at Hollywood Park.

By the way, another name not to be ignored in the mix is Life At Ten, who has still yet to recover from the whole Breeders' Cup fiasco last fall, when she should have been scratched after not warming up properly and having her rider disclose that information to the national television audience, leaving the only one's apparently unaware of the horse's condition the track veterinarian and the track stewards. Her trainer, Todd Pletcher, thinks Life At Ten might be a go for this race this weekend.

If you think about it, though, as far as the rivalry goes, it is the best of the available bunch right now. Animal Kingdom vs. Shackleford was shot down after Animal Kingdom was injured in the Belmont Stakes and shelved for the rest of the year. Who else do we have, Bob Baffert's Dudes, First Dude vs. Game On Dude after the 1-2 in the Hollywood Gold Cup? How about Gio Ponti vs. anyone they can throw at him on the turf at this point? Face it, the rivalry game in racing isn't much right now. Do we have to harken back to the glory days with Affirmed vs. Alydar and Sunday Silence vs. Easy Goer? It might not be that desperate yet, but if Blind Luck vs. Havre De Grace doesn't keep the momentum rolling, it could still get there.

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

The Grade 1 $500,000 Hollywood Gold Cup

As detailed on the blog yesterday, the Hollywood Gold Cup is a race that has built up a storied history and legacy over its 71 prior runnings. The 72nd edition will be run on Saturday at Hollywood Park with a purse of $500,000 being offered to its eight participants, which includes the defending champion, Awesome Gem. Here is the analysis:

My top pick in the Hollywood Gold Cup is likely the same as everyone else's, #1 Twirling Candy. Joel Rosario has the riding assignment for trainer John Sadler. This colt has started three times in 2011, winning twice. The only loss came in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap after what could only be classified as a roughly-run stretch drive. He won the Grade 2 Strub and the Grade 2 Californian in his other two performances. He is three for four over the cushion track at Hollywood Park. He worked seven furlongs on July 2, covering the distance in a blazing 1:25. For second, I will go with a California-bred, #6 Soul Candy, who has not won since the California Cup Classic in October 2010. He has run five times since then with two thirds and three fourths on the resume'. However, he ran fourth in that Grade 2 Californian won by the top pick and makes the second start off the most recent layoff, an angle I like. Garrett Gomez will be at the controls here. Chantal Sutherland rode #4 Game On Dude to an upset win in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap on March 5 and this will be the first time they are paired up since that win for the Bob Baffert trainee. Game On Dude finished behind Awesome Gem in the Grade 3 Lone Star Park Handicap, but ran an excellent race under difficult conditions in the Grade 3 Charles Town Classic the time before that. This gelding has been working well lately, it should be noted. I will put the defending champion here, #5 Awesome Gem, in the fourth spot. His lone victory since winning here last year came in that Lone Star Park Handicap. He ran a decent second in the Grade 3 Cornhusker Handicap at Prairie Meadows last time out. David Flores was up for the win in this race last year and returns to the saddle again on Saturday. Here is the play for the Grade 1 $500,000 Hollywood Gold Cup:

$2 EX 1 with ALL
$1 TRI 1 with 3-4-5-6 with ALL
TOTAL- $38

Currently, the blog is MINUS $750 for the year. Yes, we made a $2 profit last week, which triggered mass celebrations. Remember, They Are Off accepts no responsibility for any wagers placed in conjunction with these selections. They are merely suggestions. Tune in again next week for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Hooray For Hollywood!

This Saturday is the 72nd renewal of one of the top handicap races on the West Coast, the Grade 1 $500,000 Hollywood Gold Cup. If you look back at some of the names of the winners of this race, you will get a veritable who's who of racing royalty. Names like Seabiscuit, Citation, Swaps, Ack Ack, Affirmed, Ferdinand, Cigar, and Skip Away have all been to the Winner's Circle following the Hollywood Gold Cup.

However, oddly enough, there are only two horses that have ever won consecutive runnings of the Hollywood Gold Cup and they both won three in a row. Native Diver turned the trick from 1965-1967 and Lava Man also scored a three-peat from 2005-2007. Native Diver was elected to the Hall Of Fame in 1978 and while it is unlikely Lava Man will join him there, Lava Man certainly was no slouch when it came to racing, winning 17 of 47 starts and over $5,000,000 in purse money. That's not bad for a horse that was up for a claiming tag early in his fine career. Interestingly enough, both Native Diver and Lava Man were California-breds.

There is a Kentucky-bred that has the opportunity to join that short list as a repeat winner of the Hollywood Gold Cup on Saturday. Awesome Gem was relatively ignored by the bettors last year at odds of 8-1 and ended up springing a nice upset over 2009 Hollywood Gold Cup winner, Rail Trip, and Richard's Kid, who was a back-to-back winner of the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar in 2009 and 2010. Awesome Gem has won only once since that victory in the Hollywood Gold Cup last July. He took the prize in the Grade 3 Lone Star Park Handicap two starts back on May 30. He then followed that up with a runner-up result in the Grade 3 Cornhusker Handicap at Prairie Meadows in Iowa. Is this stone closer starting to round into form to make it possible for him to become just the third back-to-back Hollywood Gold Cup winner? The Gold Cup will be the feature race on the blog for the weekend selections on Friday.

Here is the link to watch Awesome Gem's victory in the 2010 Hollywood Gold Cup: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzkZc7o8pOI. Tune in again tomorrow for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE.

News Flash(point)

It is my opinion that Flashpoint has the capacity to be one of the leading (if not the leading) sprinters in 2011. He proved that point again this weekend with a seven-length victory in the Grade 3 $143,000 Jersey Shore Stakes at Monmouth Park. Flashpoint has now run five times in his brief career, sprinting thrice and going a route twice. The three sprints were wins and the two route races were utter failures. Flashpoint broke his maiden at six furlongs over the inner track at Aqueduct on January 15. He followed that up with a crushing win in the Grade 2 Hutcheson at seven furlongs, defeating some very good sprinters including Travelin Man.

It is at this point that the connections appeared to get a little bit greedy, thinking the horse might be fast enough to carry that speed longer distances than six or seven furlongs. He was entered in the Grade 1 Florida Derby, drew the outside post in the field of eight, couldn't get to the front like he was supposed to, and ended up running a decent fourth with everything considered. I can actually forgive the connections one attempt to at least see what the horse can do at a longer distance. There is nothing wrong with trying something once and failing at it, after all, most everyone does that every day. It is the next race that actually raised my hackles a little bit with Flashpoint. He was entered in the Preakness at Pimlico, going 1 3/16 miles. To be frank, I don't know what in the horse's performances had indicated that he could go that far, especially if he were to be pressed. Of course, he was pressed right into last place in the field of fourteen by the eventual winner, Shackleford. Was this merely a case of Triple Crown Fever gone awry? It very well might have been, especially since the Derby wasn't in the plans based on Graded Stakes Earnings at that point.

I am now happy to see that Flashpoint is back in the races he should have been running in all along. The time for the six furlongs of the Jersey Shore was a solid 1:08.73, especially given that the condition of the track was muddy. I am looking very forward to seeing Flashpoint challenge the likes of Smiling Tiger, Noble's Promise, Aikenite, Morning Line, Trappe Shot, Amazombie, Big Drama (when he returns) and the other older sprinters he will likely have to deal with for the rest of the year, leading up to the Breeders' Cup Sprint or Dirt Mile (which is a one-turn race at Churchill Downs). As a matter of fact, I think it would be ideal to see trainer Wesley Ward get this guy ready for the Grade 1 King's Bishop at seven furlongs for three-year-olds at Saratoga. That race won't be run until August 27, but it should be a great continuation of what promises to be an excellent sprinting season that has seen only a couple of blips on the radar screen.

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

The Grade 1 $750,000 United Nations

One of the premier turf events of the summer highlights the holiday weekend at Monmouth Park in New Jersey. The Grade 1 $750,000 United Nations is run at 1 3/8 miles on the turf, certainly an odd distance, but one that makes this race a good barometer of who you might be able to look for in future long-distance turf races later on the calendar, like the Grade 1 Man O'War and the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf. Here is the analysis:

I made a yeoman's effort to try and find someone in this race that could beat #9 Chinchon and just couldn't do it. He is the defending champion in this race and while he has not won again since that race, he looks awfully tough in here. The one thing that really worried me about him is the travel schedule he has followed since winning here last year. From Monmouth, he went to France, Canada, Dubai, and Singapore. Garrett Gomez has the ride on Chinchon, just as he did in 2010. Another overseas horse lights my fancy in here with #7 Stacelita. She is a French-bred filly that has faced the boys in the last two, so it is certainly nothing new to her here. She ran third in a Group 3 race at Longchamp last time out on June 13. This will not be her first foray out of Europe, though. She went to Hong Kong to race at Sha Tin in December in the Group 1 Hong Kong Cup, finishing eighth. I will put #5 Sleepless Knight in the third spot. He ran second behind Teaks North (also in this field) in the Grade 3 Monmouth on June 12. The Sire is 2000 Breeders' Cup Mile winner, War Chant. That Grade 3 last time out is the first time this horse was let off at more than 4-1 since his career debut at Gulfstream in February 2009. He is 6-1 on the morning line for this try. Trainer Kelly Breen has been doing very well of late. For fourth, I am going with the winner of the Grade 3 Breeders' Cup Marathon last fall, #4 Eldaafer. He was a winner two back at 1 mile and 40 yards at Atlantic City during their brief season. He followed that up by running fourth of five in the Grade 2 Brooklyn Handicap the day before the Belmont Stakes in New York. This horse is bred to run all day with three Belmont Stakes winners present in the last two generations. Paco Lopez has the ride. Here is the play for the Grade 1 $750,000 United Nations:

$20 WPS #9
$2 EX 9 with 2-4-5-7
TOTAL- $68

The blog is now MINUS $752 for the year. Like I said last week, at least we are coming close, but of course, THEY DON'T PAY YOU FOR CLOSE, DO THEY?!?!?!? Remember, They Are Off accepts no responsibility for any wagers made in conjunction with these selections. They are merely suggestions. Tune in again next week for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Over And Out

2011 Kentucky Derby winner, Animal Kingdom, had his season cut prematurely short after having surgery performed on a fracture in his left hock. Animal Kingdom will not race again in 2011, although Barry Irwin of Team Valor is optimistic that the Derby winner will be able to return for the 2012 Dubai World Cup at Meydan. In a press release, Irwin also said that it is likely that Animal Kingdom suffered the injury as a result of the troubled trip he suffered while running sixth in the Belmont Stakes on June 11.

Unfortunately, this costs the sport of Thoroughbred racing some of the high profile storylines that go with any winner of the Kentucky Derby in the months following the triumph. There will no be no talk of whether he runs in the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth or the Travers Stakes at Saratoga. There will be no anticipation of rematches with Preakness winner, Shackleford, or Belmont winner, Ruler On Ice. There will be no tracking of his progress en route to the Breeders' Cup World Championships at Churchill Downs this November. All we have right now are the memories and images of a gallant champion who won the biggest race of them all and gave his all over the next two races trying to make our Triple Crown dreams come true.

I certainly hope there will be no pinning of any blame to Rajiv Maragh for what happened to Animal Kingdom. Maragh, you may remember, was aboard Isn't He Perfect in the Belmont Stakes. Isn't He Perfect was held at fault by the stewards at Belmont Park for impeding Mucho Macho Man and the subsequent squeezing of Animal Kingdom shortly after the start of the race. Maragh was given a seven-day suspension for his ride of Isn't He Perfect and I think that is fair enough. There is no concrete evidence to suggest at what point Animal Kingdom was injured during the Belmont Stakes. There is no definite point at which you can say (watching the replay), "Yes, right there is where he got hurt." So, it might have happened right after the incident at the start. It might also have happened at some point on the racetrack while Animal Kingdom was displaying his characteristic heart and trying to get back into a race he had no chance to win. Maragh was given and served his suspension and that has to be the end of it for all racing fans, as far as that goes.

For now, all we can do is hope that we will be able to see Animal Kingdom come back in 2012 and live up to the expectations we all had for him following his Derby triumph. It may start over the Tapeta surface at Meydan in the 2012 Dubai World Cup or maybe he gets a prep race in before he heads overseas. Wherever it may begin and wherever it may end, I am looking very forward to seeing the career of Animal Kingdom continue in 2012 and very much would like to be there for the ride.

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

Glorious!

She certainly was that, wasn't she? Inglorious captured the 152nd running of the Queen's Plate on Sunday afternoon at Woodbine on an overcast day where she shined through the cloud cover to fashion a memorable and conclusive victory. Inglorious rallied from off a speedy pace to register a 2 1/2 length victory over the sixteen colts and geldings she faced and is now the 34th filly to win Canada's top race for three-year-olds.

It completed a tremendous Double for the filly as she had already prevailed in the Woodbine Oaks, making her the fifth filly ever to win both races and the first since 2001. Inglorious rated just behind mid-pack in the early stages while Oh Canada, Curgone, and Okiyama set suicidal fractions in the front of the field. They went 23 4/5 for the quarter and 47 3/5 for the half ensuring that none of them would be around at the finish. Luis Contreras, riding in his first Queen's Plate ever, sent the filly forward as the field of seventeen moved into the stretch and once she got going, she was not going to be stopped. There must be kudos given to the 61-1 longshot, Hippolytus, that ran much closer to the pace than the winner and still staved off everyone else to hold on for second. His race was very reminiscent of the race Closing Argument put forth at 71-1 in the 2005 Kentucky Derby to me. A good effort, just not good enough on the day. The heavy favorite, Check Your Soul, made a substantial move on the final turn before flattening out and finishing seventh.

Inglorious' trainer, Josie Carroll, did not say whether or not the filly would proceed on the Prince Of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie, the second leg of the Canadian Triple Crown. However, it appears that Hippolytus, Pender Harbour, and Bowman's Causeway, who ran second, third, and fourth, respectively, are intent on moving forward to Fort Erie. That is according to the DRF.com website.

If you missed the 152nd running of the Queen's Plate and would like to see the glorious run of Inglorious, here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUhBVJElUt4. Tune in again tomorrow for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

The 152nd Queen's Plate

The Canadian version of the Kentucky Derby takes place this weekend. While I am on the subject, a quick word of support and thanks that no one (human or equine) was hurt this week as a result of the tornado that touched down at Churchill Downs in Kentucky. The tornado caused some damage to the barn area and the cancellation of the Thursday program of racing as well. Back to the task at hand now, Woodbine hosts the 152nd running of The Queen's Plate for Canadian-bred three-year-olds with a field of seventeen. Here is the analysis:

The top selection in the Queen's Plate is #14 Queen'splatekitten, who will have the riding services of John Velazquez. I am not sure who the last rider was to win the Kentucky Derby and the Queen's Plate in the same year is, although I know that Bill Hartack turned the trick with Northern Dancer in 1964. This colt, trained by Todd Pletcher, won the Marine at Woodbine on May 21 with Eurico Da Silva aboard. He is also two-for-two at Woodbine in his brief career. He ran seventh in the Grade 1 Blue Grass at Keeneland, the only race over Polytrack that he failed to win. Last year, Big Red Mike went all the way in front to win the Plate (as tipped by the blog). If anyone is going to do that this year, it might just be #3 Oh Canada. He will have blinkers on for this try and there is such a dearth of speed in here, he just might be able to get the lead and never relinquish it. He has never missed the money in five starts, but ran third behind the top pick in that Marine on May 21. There might be some distance limitations here as well, but if he can control the pace, anything goes. I mentioned that Eurico Da Silva was aboard the top pick for that last win. Da Silva gets the call on #16 Bowman's Causeway. He might be alone among these runners as far as facing top-flight U.S. competition this year. He has already run against the likes of Dialed In, Soldat, To Honor And Serve, Mucho Macho Man, and the Preakness winner, Shackleford. He ran second in the Plate Trial on June 5 and posted a bullet workout on June 19 over the training track at Saratoga. The horse that beat Bowman's Causeway in the Plate Trial was #13 Check Your Soul, who will likely be the favorite in here. He has won three straight and the last two of those came with Patrick Husbands aboard. In a race with seventeen entering the gate, I think there has to be some value to be found, so while I include the favorite in the mix, I think you have to try and top him. Here is the play for the 152nd Queen's Plate:

$1 EX BOX 3-10-13-14-16
$1 TRI 14 with 3-9-10-12-13-16
TOTAL- $50

They Are Off accepts no responsibility for any wagers placed in conjunction with these selections. They are merely suggestions. The blog is right now MINUS $702, so we need to stop getting close and hit one of these things soon. Tune in again next week for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

The Usual Suspects

It has been determined that the Breeders' Cup has three finalists for host site of the 2012 edition of the Breeders' Cup World Championships. They are Belmont Park, Churchill Downs, and Santa Anita. If those names seem familiar come Breeders' Cup time, then you are right. Churchill Downs was host last year and will host again this year. Santa Anita was the host in 2008 and 2009, while Belmont last hosted the event in 2005.

I think you can forget the days of the "sprinkling" in of other sites to host the Breeders' Cup. Arlington (2002 host) and Woodbine (1996 host) suffer the indignity of being Polytrack surfaces (an affliction that also hurts Del Mar's chances) and now that the euphoria of artificial surfaces has apparently waned, you can forget a return trip, Chicago and Toronto. It would appear that Lone Star (2004 host) and Monmouth (2007 host) were just one-time attempts to show that any track capable of hosting the Breeders' Cup will get it requisite time in the spotlight. So, tough luck, Dallas and New Jersey.

The Breeders' Cup has toyed with the idea in the recent past of having one permanent host site. While that idea is apparently off the table now, thankfully so, is this really any better? Instead of one host site, you have a small rotation of tracks that will serve as hosts in the Breeders' Cup eyes. Yes, one is in New York, one is in Los Angeles, and one is in Kentucky, so they have covered most of the major areas where media and horse racing seem to intersect, but by limiting the distribution of the Cup to these three places, you also limit the number of fans outside these areas that might get interested if they were able to attend a Breeders' Cup. Having worked in this industry for so long, many people in it feel that if you can get new people in the door at a racetrack, they will almost certainly want to come back. How many new fans will you cultivate in New York, L.A., or Louisville?

On the other side of the coin, there are some formerly reliable host sites that have taken themselves out of the running by changing the makeup of their racetracks to cater to other interests besides racing, namely Gulfstream. Also, the major benefit that Belmont, Churchill, and Santa Anita have going for them is that they are used to putting on such a big show and usually can do so without so much as a single hitch. Belmont and Churchill host Triple Crown events and Santa Anita isn't called the "Great Race Place" for nothing.

Unfortunately, I think that the Breeders' Cup finds itself in an unwinnable situation when it comes to host sites. Those tracks that can get everything done when it comes to hosting a Breeders' Cup are a very minute number. One of the goals of the Breeders' Cup is to grow the sport of Thoroughbred Racing everywhere, but it is hard to meet that goal when you aren't given the opportunity to properly spread the word in more than three places. While I would like to see more of a sample of racetracks hosting the sport's premier two days of racing, it might not really be a realistic circumstance for that to happen.

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

The Grade 1 $500,000 Stephen Foster Handicap

The Grade 1 $500,000 Stephen Foster Handicap will be run at Churchill Downs on Saturday afternoon. The race is named after the composer that wrote "My Old Kentucky Home", which is played for the horses as the come out on to the racetrack before the Kentucky Derby in a usually emotional moment for all concerned. The Foster drew a field of eleven for this thirtieth renewal. Here is the analysis:

My top pick in the Foster will be #3 Apart, who was the winner of the Grade 3 Schaefer on Preakness Day at Pimlico in Baltimore. While Garrett Gomez had the ride on that occasion, the jockey here will be Julien Leparoux, who is having his usual fine season in the Kentucky Bluegrass. This colt posted back-to-back Beyers of 100 in the last two starts and won the Grade 3 Ack Ack Handicap over the Churchill track in November 2010. For second, I will go with #10 Giant Oak, who will be running late as is his usual style. He came from well out of it to win the Grade 1 Donn Handicap at Gulfstream in February and has a third and a fifth in the two tries since that score. Shaun Bridgmohan was aboard for all three 2011 races. This horse's recent work tab at Churchill Downs has been fantastic. He ran fourth in this race in 2010. I will use #11 Mission Impazible in the third spot. This pick comes even after posting his worst recent race last time out on Kentucky Oaks Day in the Grade 3 Alysheba, a seventh in which he failed to offer even token resistance. He is now 0 for 3 over the Louisville surface and there is a rider change to mention with Javier Castellano taking over for trainer Todd Pletcher. Finally, if there is a reasonable longshot in this field, I feel it is #7 Equestrio, whose most noteworthy accomplishment this year was defeating Kentucky Derby favorite, Dialed In, back in March at Gulfstream in what was the favorite last prep race before his win in the Grade 1 Florida Derby. This will be only this colt's second effort with graded company, but trainer Nick Zito knows his way around Churchill Downs. Here is the play for the Grade 1 $500,000 Stephen Foster Handicap:

$10 WP #3
$1 EX BOX 3-7-10-11
$1 TRI BOX 3-7-10-11
TOTAL- $56

Currently, the blog is MINUS $646 for the year, but we are getting closer to be sure. They Are Off accepts no responsibility for any wagers placed in conjunction with these selections. They are merely suggestions. Tune in again next week for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Terry Wallace

It was announced today that Terry Wallace, the longtime voice of Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas, will be retiring from the announcer's booth for the 2012 season. Wallace has been the voice at Oaklawn for 37 consecutive years and only sat out his first race at the track during this past spring season. Think about that for longevity and consistency. Wallace called 20,191 consecutive races at Oaklawn Park, ending the tremendous streak on January 28, 2011. For many racing fans at that track, his is the only announcer's voice that they have ever known.

Wallace is a certified legend in two states as far as racecalling goes. In Arkansas, the Mayor of Hot Springs declared it Terry Wallace Day when he hit 20,000 consecutive calls. He also has been honored as the official voice of Arkansas and this year was declared "Man Of The Year" by the Arkansas HBPA. In Nebraska, Wallace was the longtime voice at the AkSarBen racetrack in Omaha and still calls the races at the newer track in Omaha, Horsemen's Park, which runs an annual four-day race meeting. I had the opportunity to work with Terry for part of the 2010 season at Horsemen's Park and enjoyed it thoroughly.

I would like to wish Terry Wallace all the best in his retirement from Oaklawn and certainly hope that he will get to enjoy many more days at the races as just a fan, since I am sure he has been a fan of the races for even longer than he has been an announcer and ambassador for the sport.

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

Fifteen

That is the new number of races for the Breeders' Cup World Championships in 2011. There will be a Juvenile Sprint added to the lineup starting this year on Friday, November 4. The race will be run at six furlongs on the main track and will be open to colts, geldings, and fillies for a $500,000 purse.

I have been a supporter of cutting the Breeders' Cup races back in number to a more manageable total almost since the inception of "Filly Friday" back in 2007. Apparently, the concept of "Filly Friday" is now more or less out the window, since in addition to the new race, they also run the Breeders' Cup Marathon on the Friday schedule as well. There will be seven races total on Friday and two of them are not simply dedicated to distaff runners.

However, with that being said, I actually think this is a good addition made by the Breeders' Cup to the Championship program. Juvenile sprinters (like turf sprinters) were a division that was originally left completely out of the Breeders' Cup for too long. This could become a more realistic spot for the youngsters that just aren't ready to go two turns or whose distance limitations don't allow them to go as far as the mile and a sixteenth required for the Juvenile and Juvenile Fillies races. After all, most of the Juvenile runners nowadays have a very limited number of races before the Breeders' Cup rolls around on the first weekend of November.

Now, are there too many races? Clearly, yes. There is no need for a Breeders' Cup Marathon at 1 3/4 miles and honestly, I can do without the Dirt Mile and the Filly And Mare Sprint is superfluous, in my opinion. If the juvenile fillies can sprint with the boys, then so can the older ones. Remember, there were more than the fair share of distaff winners of the Sprint before the creation of the Filly And Mare Sprint. However, I think the addition of this Juvenile Sprint race is a good move by the Breeders' Cup. I think it promises to be a fun race to watch.

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

Ruler On Mud

The 143rd Belmont Stakes was run on Saturday afternoon over a sloppy track at Belmont Park. The weatherman certainly didn't cooperate, unless you were the connections of the top two finishers. In fact, the owner of Stay Thirsty, the runner-up, Mike Repole said that the conditions were perfect for his horse in a pre-race interview and he was very nearly right. They just happened to be more perfect for Ruler On Ice, who won at 24-1. Ruler On Ice had proven in the past that he could handle a sloppy racetrack and he proved it again on Saturday.

It is, however, a good thing that Ruler On Ice was sitting right behind Preakness winner, Shackleford, who set the early pace because if you watched the entire card from Belmont Park on Saturday, then you know that speed was the buzzword for Belmont Day. If you got to the front, you had an awesome chance of going all the way. Justin Phillip went to the front in the Grade 2 Woody Stephens and never looked back. Trappe Shot enjoyed just about the same trip Ruler On Ice did (sitting right behind the leader) and he won for fun in the Grade 2 True North Handicap. It even was the case on the turf as C.S. Silk went all the way in front in the Grade 1 Just A Game Stakes and Mission Approved led start to finish in the Grade 1 Manhattan Handicap.

Kentucky Derby winner, Animal Kingdom, showed just what a fine animal he actually is in this or any other kingdom. Animal Kingdom had a horrific start to the race, getting squeezed badly and almost unseating John Velazquez after Isn't He Perfect moved inward right after the start and affected Mucho Macho Man, who in turn affected Animal Kingdom. The Derby winner was really never in the race, but exuded class when he eventually did start to move up on the outside. He made all the way up to fourth in the stretch before eventually winding up sixth.

To be completely honest with you, I thought I was going to be writing a slightly different recap of the Belmont Stakes after Brilliant Speed (my top pick) started rolling off the far turn. When they entered the stretch, it looked like he was going to blow by everyone and win by a significant margin. However, right about the time I started to think about how brilliant I was for picking him, Brilliant Speed flattened out and ended up running third. Stay Thirsty ran a great race (as tipped on this blog by Martha Claussen) and narrowly missed getting Mike Repole that Triple Crown winner he seemed destined to have this year before Uncle Mo took ill.

In the aftermath, Ruler On Ice's trainer, Kelly Breen, said there is no definite plan for the immediate future, although the Haskell could be possible. Animal Kingdom might be heading the same way, or he could be pointed to the Travers or the Arlington Million or the Secretariat Stakes. Nehro, who ran fourth, will be having surgery later this week after coming out of the Belmont with an ankle chip, according to DRF.com.

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

The 143rd Belmont Stakes

Saturday is the culmination of the spring Triple Crown season. All the races that led up to the Derby and Preakness now come to the final chapter, the 143rd Belmont Stakes, also known as the "Test Of Champions". From this point on, there will be plenty of excellent races throughout the summer and those will, of course, be leading up to the Breeders' Cup World Championships in the fall. Right now, though, we focus on the 1 1/2 miles of the Belmont Stakes. Here is the analysis:

I honestly think that #6 Nehro is going to win the race on Saturday, but I am loathe to pick a horse that will likely be the favorite or the second choice in such a spot. Therefore, my top pick will be #5 Brilliant Speed, who comes with a much more attractive morning line of 15-1. Joel Rosario guided this colt to a win in the Bluegrass and a strong showing with a close-up 7th in the Kentucky Derby. I think the lack of dirt experience will be a moot point for this runner considering he appears to be bred to run this type of distance. I will put #6 Nehro in the place position. Again, I think he is likely the winner here, but it could present a problem that he seems to have second-itis. He has been second in three straight, including the Kentucky Derby. I like the fact, by the way, that the first two selections both skipped the Preakness after running decent races in Louisville. For third, I will put the Derby winner, #9 Animal Kingdom. He was very close to knocking off Shackleford and setting us up for a Triple Crown try tomorrow, but his win in the Derby and second in the Preakness were both top-notch efforts. Will he be able to do it a third time in a row? For fourth, I will go with a longshot in #3 Ruler On Ice at 20-1 on the morning line. He was the runner-up in the Tesio at Pimlico on May 7 and will be adding blinkers for this start on Saturday. He also has been working like a beast in the mornings, with bullets on four of the last five appearances. #12 Shackleford will round out the top five in here. He is just so darn tough, I think it takes a monumental effort to get by him. He almost showed that in the Derby and he outright proved it in the Preakness. The only question with him is the post position. Did drawing outside compromise his early speed to the point that he will not get the trip he needs to go 1 1/2 miles? Here is the play for the 143rd Belmont Stakes:

$5 WP #5
$1 EX BOX 3-5-6-9-12
$1 TRI 5-6-9 with 5-6-9 with 2-3-5-6-9-10-12
TOTAL- $57

Remember, They Are Off accepts no responsibility for any wagers placed in conjunction with these selections. They are merely suggestions. Tune in again next week for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Third Time's The Charm

The former Houston Handicapping Impresarios (Martha Claussen, Dr. Reid McLellan, and myself) are back for the third installment of the Triple Crown with selections and thoughts on the 143rd Belmont Stakes. As usual, I will be offering my selections and thoughts on the race in tomorrow's post, but Martha and Reid kick off the proceedings and it's ladies first:


MARTHA CLAUSSEN'S BELMONT ANALYSIS

Too many idiots dogging the bad Belmont; frankly I am impressed that they got a nice, full field of 12 and the undercard stakes are fantastic. The Belmont Stakes is known a the "Test of a Champion," and I am just not sure that either Animal Kingdom or Shackleford have enough left in the tank to conquer a mile and one-half. Steve Asmussen held Nehro out of the Preakness and that gives him a nice fitness edge from my perspective. Corey Nakatani has been able to get a good closing kick out of this Mineshaft colt and should break through on Saturday. In the Beyer department, Animal Kingdom is tops and cannot be ignored, but favorites have been beaten in so many Belmont Stakes, it would be hard to endorse him on top. I like 20-1 Stay Thirsty, who gets a rider change to my top jock, Javier Castellano. Has sported some nice works and Todd Pletcher is no fool! I am just not a Shackleford fan, so for my fourth horse, I looked at Master of Hounds (who was one of my Derby horses) and Santiva. Saw no works on Master, which I found troubling, so by default, Santiva is in.

Martha's Belmont Selections: Nehro, Animal Kingdom, Stay Thirsty, Santiva

Martha's Suggested Belmont Plays:
$5 WPS on #2
$5 EX BOX 2-6-9

$1Pick 3 - Race 9-11
If I can beat Aviate in the Foxwoods and Gio Ponti in the Woodford Reserve, the Pick 3 could be sweet!

1-2-4-7 with 2-4-5-9 with 2-6-9

Total Belmont Plays: $78



REID McLELLAN'S BELMONT ANALYSIS
Watching the Derby replay several times I decided I liked the move that #1 Master Of Hounds made from mid-stretch to wire, weaving through traffic before making a quick move to the inside and finishing strongly. He's had five weeks to prepare and this is his third race this year. I am hoping for 12-1 or more and am playing him to WIN. #6 Nehro also had the five weeks to prepare and will probably go off as the betting favorite and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him in the Winner's Circle. #9 Animal Kingdom paired identical 103 Beyer Speed Figures in the first two legs and has impressed me as a legitimate classic three-year-old. Animal Kingdom is a grandson of Candy Stripes and a German stallion whose offspring prefer to win at distances over nine furlongs, Animal Kingdom is best bred to go twelve furlongs. #10 Mucho Macho Man has had a significant jockey change and if he had not raced in the Preakness, he would be my top pick. I just think "3M" has not had enough chance to build back the energy necessary for the "Test Of Champions". #12 Shackleford will have the lead to himself unless Isn't He Perfect or Prime Cut decide to take him on early. The grandson of Unbridled is big enough to get the job done, I just don't think he'll carry his speed the entire distance.

Reid's Belmont Selections: Master Of Hounds, Nehro, Animal Kingdom, Mucho Macho Man

Reid's Suggested Belmont Plays:
$50 WIN #1
$1 SPR 1-6 with 1-6-9 with 1-6-9-10 with 1-6-7-9-10-12
TOTAL- $74

Remember, They Are Off accepts no responsibility for any wagers placed in conjunction with these selections. They are merely suggestions. Tomorrow, it will be my turn to take a shot at the 143rd Belmont Stakes. Tune in again then for right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE

Draw!

The draw for the 143rd Belmont Stakes took place on Wednesday morning and there appeared to be some interesting developments out of the pill pulling. The thing that stands out immediately is the Preakness winner, Shackleford, getting the outside post position. He is stuck out in the twelve hole. This is not the same deal as the Derby, where he drew fourteen and was able to get to the front easier through the long stretch at Churchill Downs before the field got to the first turn. No, this time the run to the sweeping first turn at Belmont Park is much shorter and if Shackleford is to get to the front, he is going to have to work much harder than he did to do it in either of the previous two races. This apparent complication to his chances is evident with the morning line of 9-2, making him the third choice.

The Kentucky Derby runner-up, Nehro, drew post position number six for Saturday's Belmont Stakes. He is second choice at 4-1. What will be most interesting about Nehro is what running style will be employed by his connections, trainer Steve Asmussen and jockey Corey Nakatani. Will he take back and make one big run, as he did in his second-place finishes in the Louisiana and Arkansas Derbies, or will he be much closer to the pace than we all expected, as happened in Louisville? He certainly looked to be the winner of the Kentucky Derby at the top of the stretch before Animal Kingdom did his thing. Keep in mind, however, that big closers usually don't fare too well in the Test Of Champions.

Speaking of Animal Kingdom, he drew post position number nine and I don't really think where he drew will matter to his connections at all. Again, the question here will be position for the Derby winner. In the Kentucky Derby, he got a dream trip every step of the way under John Velazquez and laid relatively close to a relaxed pace and was able to make his move at the right time. However, in the Preakness, Shackleford and Flashpoint went much faster early on before things settled down and Animal Kingdom was much farther back than he had been in the Derby and he came up very narrowly short. Again, remembering that deep closers are the exception rather than the norm in the Belmont, the guess here is that he will be closer to the pace as things develop.

As for the others in the twelve-horse field, I think the most interesting horse of the lot is down on the rail. Master Of Hounds ran fifth in the Derby and was among a cluster of horses at the end that included Santiva and Brilliant Speed (both present here also). Master Of Hounds ran like he would be craving the extra distance the Belmont offered and would be well-suited to the race. Did drawing the rail compromise his chances? It remains to be seen, but I think the inside might be the spot to be, especially if he is able to sit mid-pack and Garrett Gomez is able save all the ground and have him positioned well for the final four furlongs.

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

Working For The Weekend

The Kentucky Derby winner and Preakness runner-up, Animal Kingdom, got in what was considered by most who saw it a tremendous workout on Monday morning. Officially, he worked a half-mile at Belmont Park in 47.76 seconds, going five furlongs in 1:00.45, and finishing out six furlongs in 1:14.20. It would appear that he is primed and ready to give us his best effort in the 143rd Belmont Stakes on Saturday afternoon. John Velazquez was aboard for the workout and both he and trainer Graham Motion gave the Derby winner sterling reviews.

The runner-up in the Kentucky Derby, Nehro, also worked on Monday morning for trainer Steve Asmussen. Nehro covered a half-mile in 50.85 seconds and ran out five furlongs in 1:03.97. Meanwhile, one of the new shooters, Prime Cut, worked out at Churchill Downs on Monday morning, going five furlongs in 1:01 for trainer Neil Howard. Prime Cut will be returning to Belmont on Saturday, where he ran third in the Peter Pan Stakes last month.

The Daily Racing Form also reports that the weather should be cooperating on Saturday with temperatures in the mid-70s, although there is a 50% chance of scattered thunderstorms throughout the afternoon. Of course, there will be more on the Belmont Stakes this week here on They Are Off. Tune in again tomorrow for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

The Grade 3 $100,000 Aristides Stakes

Aristides is a name very familiar to anyone who has even a basic knowledge of Thoroughbred racing. He is the first horse to win the Kentucky Derby, back in 1875. Churchill Downs has hosted a Stakes race named in his honor for the last 23 years, run at six furlongs. This year's edition of the Aristides features some very fast sprinters in its field of eight. Here is the analysis:

My top choice in here will be #8 Noble's Promise, who has had some success in the past at Churchill Downs. He actually held the lead at the top of the stretch in the 2010 Kentucky Derby before finishing a credible fifth. His lone recent trip at six furlongs came at Churchill Downs in the Jimmy V Stakes, where he posted a 102 Beyer figure in winning by nearly three lengths. His workout on May 28 was sparkling, covering five furlongs in 59 seconds flat for a bullet. Alan Garcia rides for trainer Ken McPeek. The next speed demon to use is #3 Capt. Candyman Can. He ran fourth in the Grade 2 Churchill Downs on Derby Day this year, but was only a half-length of the winner in what was a blanket finish. His other two 2011 starts were victories, one at Gulfstream and one at Tampa Bay. Keep in mind he in the stretch in that Derby Day undercard race and that race was a full furlong longer than the race today. We return to a past winner we picked for the third choice with #1 Here Comes Ben. They Are Off selected him in the Grade 1 Forego at Saratoga last summer when he scored at odds of 10-1. He was never a factor in the Grade 2 Churchill Downs, finishing seventh after not contending. That race is just one of two times in seven starts in Louisville that he has not hit the board. Julien Leparoux will be in the saddle here. For fourth, I will use #5 Cash Refund, who was a winner in the slop at Churchill last time out on May 15. His past Beyers suggest that he can contend here with the right trip. The catch is that he will likely be up front on what promises to be a sizzling pace and will have to hold off the closers to get the job done, which I find difficult to fathom. Here is the play for the Grade 3 Aristides:

$5 WP #8
$1 EX BOX 1-3-5-8
$1 TRI 1-3-8 with 1-3-8 with 1-2-3-5-7-8
TOTAL- $50

Currently, the blog is MINUS $561. I have been shopping for a tourniquet to stanch the bleeding. Remember, They Are Off accepts no responsibility for any wagers placed in conjunction with these selections. They are merely suggestions. Tune in again next week for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Photo Finish

Martha Claussen, frequent They Are Off contributor, has written a story for SureBet Racing News on the Coady family, who have been involved in racing at nearly every level for many, many years. In fact, Turf Paradise runs the Jack Coady Sr. Stakes every year to honor the patriarch of the family. What do they do? Well, you likely see a member of the family on racetracks every day. They are track photographers (and damn good ones at that) poised at the finish line to get those beautiful shots of winning horses crossing that line in victory. I worked with Jack Coady Jr. for many years in Houston and Shawn Coady currently works as photographer at Turf Paradise. They are all tremendous people and Martha's story does them proud. Here is the link:


http://www.surebetracingnews.com/NEWS/Coady_Photography-06012011.htm

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

Animal Instinct

Word came down this weekend that Kentucky Derby winner, Animal Kingdom, was definitely going to go to the Belmont Stakes. As a matter of fact, Barry Irwin, leader of Team Valor, has informed the rest of the investors that the horse will be working at Belmont Park on Monday, covering a half-mile in what should be final tune-up for "The Test Of Champions".

Trainer Steve Asmussen worked the Derby runner-up, Nehro, this weekend, going six furlongs in 1:12.20. Nehro worked in company with another horse and while actually finishing a length behind the other horse, who is also trained by Steve Asmussen. This workout actually took place at Churchill Downs in Kentucky. The drf.com website is reporting that Asmussen plans to ship Nehro to New York on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the Preakness winner, Shackleford, arrived in New York on Monday morning for trainer Neil Howard and will likely have a workout of his own on Saturday morning to determine whether or not he will participate in the Belmont.

It is the hope here that Shackleford's workout goes well and he does indeed enter the Belmont Stakes. It would be extraordinary to have a two-horse rivalry with the Derby and Preakness winner, of course, develop. But, if you throw in the Derby runner-up and consider that all three are trained by some of the top conditioners in the game (Graham Motion, Steve Asmussen, and Neil Howard), we could be looking at a very promising summer as far as the racing scene goes. How tremendous would it be for these three to all be there at the end of the Belmont and then go on to run in some of the bigger three-year-old races on the calendar this summer? A three-way battle at the Haskell Invitational or the Travers Stakes would be a monumental step forward into the spotlight for racing. If this trio were to continue on through this year and (dare I say it) into 2012, it could be something to start generating national interest again outside of the Triple Crown or the Breeders' Cup.

Just watch the NBA Finals starting tonight, there will be plenty of interest in this series. Why? The Miami Heat were everybody's villains at the start of the season with the way Lebron James left Cleveland for South Beach, taking his talents with him to play with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. Now, the media is all agog over how the Heat have magically put it together and "The Heatles" are on the cusp on a championship. On the other side of the ledger you have the Dallas Mavericks with Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd longing for an elusive championship to validate their greatness.

What do all these men I have mentioned have in common? They are all "stars" in their respective sport. "Stars" sell in the "here today, gone tomorrow" world of media coverage we live in today. Horse racing, like any other sport, needs "stars" to become more and more prominent beyond the usual $2 bettor that visits the track anyway or the occasional pretty face that comes out only for the Derby. It is possible we are looking at some equine stars right now that could pick up the baton from Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra and carry it into the immediate future.

It is, of course, impossible now to have a Triple Crown winner this year, but racing might get something out of this that is just as important: relevance for more than five weeks in the spring or two days in the fall.

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

The Grade 2 $150,000 American Handicap

The Grade 2 American Handicap at Hollywood Park on Saturday is basically an exercise in trying to beat Sidney's Candy, who will likely go off as a prohibitive favorite. He certainly deserves such backing, even though he ran second last time out to Crown Of Thorns in the Grade 2 Mervyn Leroy on the Cushion track at Hollywood on May 7. Here is the analysis:

I think the biggest think working against the favorite in this spot is the presence of plenty of pace to run with him on the front end. I expect Ryehill Dreamer and Liberian Freighter to be winging along the front end with Sidney's Candy to create quite a fast pace scenario here. I am, therefore, going to go with what I think is the most interesting horse in the race, #6 Goldwaki. He is making his 2011 debut here for new trainer Ron McAnally. If you look at the distances this horse ran in 2010, you will see that the shortest race he tried was at 1 3/8 miles. He has not been as short as one mile since October 2009, before he broke his maiden. He lost his last three races in 2010, but finished behind some fine runners, like Bekhabad, who went on to run in the Breeders' Cup. It's a long layoff, but I think his workouts have shown he can go fast when he needs to. For second, I will go another I expect to lay off the pace a bit in #4 The Usual Q.T., who will have Victor Espinoza aboard here. He finished third behind the two pacesetters I expect to run with Sidney's Candy in the Grade 3 Inglewood on April 24. In fact, he has hit the board in his last five efforts, but has not been a winner since the Grade 1 Eddie Read at Del Mar in July 2010. He has won five of seven tries at one mile on the turf in his career. I will put #7 Sidney's Candy in the third spot. He is clearly the best overall horse in the field, but I think the circumstances will conspire against him in this spot. Plus, his price will be so short, he is worth a bet against. I will use one of the other pacesetters to round out the top four with #1 Ryehill Dreamer. He could very well hang on for a minor piece of this one after posting back-to-back Beyers in the low 100s. His last workout on May 20 was a five-furlong bullet, covering the distance in a scorching 58 3/5 seconds. Here is the play for the Grade 2 American Handicap:

$5 WP #6
$1 EX 4-6-7 with ALL
$1 TRI 4-6 with 4-6-7 with ALL
TOTAL- $55

The blog is now MINUS $506 for the year. I think we might be in the midst of a resuscitation, though, as we try to make our way back to even for the year. Remember, They Are Off does not accepts any responsibility for any wagers placed in conjunction with these selections. They are merely suggestions. Tune in again next week for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Lucky Number Thirteen

Thirteen has long been considered a most unlucky number. Friday the 13th, triskaidekaphobia, and even Thirteen Women (long-lost weirdo thriller with two of my favorites, Myrna Loy and Irene Dunne, that pops up occasionally on TCM) are just a few of the the examples of why thirteen is a number no one wants a part of. However, if you are like Goldikova and you just won your thirteenth Group or Grade 1 race, then thirteen should be welcomed with hails and hosannas.

The connections of the three-time Breeders' Cup Mile winner invigorated the racing public when it was announced after her record-setting win at Churchill Downs last November that she would be returning to try and make it four in a row. The first step on that arduous journey to immortality was taken this weekend in France, while the North American racing public was centered on the Preakness Stakes and Animal Kingdom's try to become the twelfth Triple Crown winner. That effort ended up falling just a bit short, but Goldikova's effort was another of her classic performances.

From the article on the race on Racingpost.com, trainer Freddie Head described her win as "a brilliant and courageous seasonal debut". She won the Group 1 Prix d'Ispahan at Longchamp in France over 1 1/8 miles, holding off the charge of Cirrus Des Aigles and won at generous odds of 3-5 on the French Tote system. Those odds are generous if you consider the greatness of the horse we are talking about here. Head refused to commit to Goldikova's next race, which many are hoping would be the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot. Wherever they elect to return her, the six-year-old Goldikova emphatically drove home the point this weekend that she is finest horse in training in the world right now, we now have a baker's dozen of examples as to why that statement is true.

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

Un-Shackled

The 136th Preakness Stakes on Saturday went to Shackleford, who dug in through the stretch after setting taxing early fractions in a speed battle with Flashpoint and withstood the charge of the Kentucky Derby winner, Animal Kingdom, in the stretch to produce a neck victory. Shackleford was able to get a slight breather in the middle stages of the race on the front end, which is likely what gave him the extra added edge he needed to survive and get his colors painted on the weather vane at Pimlico.

He also has more guts and determination than any other three-year-old in the class this year. He first displayed it to us in the Florida Derby, where he nearly pulled off an epic upset at long odds and made Dialed In work every inch of the way to get past him. He showed a glimmer of it on the First Saturday In May, when he led in the stretch of the Derby and made it tough for the first three finishers all the way to the end. It finally paid off in victory in the Preakness, where Shackleford just continued to demonstrate why internal fortitude is just as important a factor in who wins a horse race as who the fastest horse is.

Let us not forget the fine effort of the Derby winner, Animal Kingdom, in running second in Baltimore. He fell much further behind the front-runners in the early stages behind the speed duel that was going on. He and Dialed In were so far behind at one point, it made one think they were in a separate race. However, John Velazquez nearly pulled off a great come-from-behind ride aboard Animal Kingdom, missing by what turned out to be a very thin margin. It is the second time in three years that the Derby winner almost came from the clouds to run down a front-running Preakness champion. Don't forget that Mine That Bird was this close to Rachel Alexandra at the finish of the 2009 Preakness and she ran with the pace all the way that day, much the same way Shackleford did on Saturday.

So, where does this leave us? I think it could set up an epic edition of the Belmont Stakes in nineteen days. If both Animal Kingdom and Shackleford go on to New York (and the early indications are that they will), we could be seeing a fine rivalry develop. Throw in the return of Derby runner-up, Nehro, in the Belmont, along with Peter Pan winner, Alternation, New Yorker Mike Repole's Stay Thirsty, and maybe more Mucho Macho Man and we could be in store for a ringing rendition of the 143rd Belmont Stakes in a few weeks. I know that a lot has been said about the lack of quality of the three-year-old crop this year, but after the first two legs of the sport's most important series, I think those labels of inadequacy are misplaced.

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

The 136th Preakness Stakes

We now come to what is actually my favorite of all the Triple Crown races. The Derby has the build-up and the history and the Belmont has the pay-off (or failure) of a Triple Crown winning possibility. However, The Preakness is the race that sets everything up for that history to be achieved. It is the race that creates the hype and the build-up for a Triple Crown chase and while we haven't had that ultimate triumph since 1978, there have been countless chances since then. Will we have another chance this year? Here is the analysis:

Yes, I think, we will have a chance at a Triple Crown winner in 2011 becuase I am picking #11 Animal Kingdom to win the Preakness on Saturday. I will allow that he likely won the Derby mainly because John Velazquez was on him two weeks ago, but Johnny V returns to the saddle here. The colt has never been worse than second in five lifetime starts and Derby-winning horses usually give a good account of themselves in the second leg (Super Saver being the exception). Barry Irwin certainly did himself no favors with his bitter statements after the Derby, but his current trainer, Graham Motion, seems to have everything in motion for a shot at history in three more weeks. For second, I will go with #9 Mucho Macho Man, who closed so impressively at Churchill Downs to get third. While he was closer to the pace than the eventual winner, he didn't get uncorked until late in the stretch and by then, it was just too late. He has the speed figures to be a factor in here and as has been said before, the horses that run in the Derby always appear to have a bit more two weeks later. He did post a bullet workout on May 17 over the training track at Belmont, covering four furlongs in the slop in 49 1/5 seconds. I will inject a "new shooter" in the third spot with #8 Dance City. I expect him to be close to the pace in this race (along with Flashpoint and Shackleford), but I don't think Flashpoint is suited for this distance and Shackleford gave so much two weeks ago, he might be a little weaker here. Dance City pressed the pace in the Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park and survived to end up third, behind Archarcharch and Nehro, neither of whom are here. His price of 12-1 is also attractive. I will put the Derby favorite, #10 Dialed In, next. He did not run at all in the Derby, especially since the pace was much slower than was expected. He rallied past some tiring horses to get up to eighth. I think he will benefit from a little quicker tempo here, which I expect to happen. Don't forget, Nick Zito has won the Preakness before after a disappointing Derby run with Louis Quatorze in 1996. I will go five-deep here with #6 Sway Away, who could be a price pick to upset the apple cart in the Preakness. He was the last horse left out of the Derby field and the extra rest could be to his benefit off two subpar performances. His Sire, Afleet Alex, won this race in 2005 despite being manhandled at the top of the stretch by Scrappy T. Garrett Gomez gets the call. Here is the play for the 136th running of The Preakness:

$1 TRI 8-9-11 with 6-8-9-11 with 6-7-8-9-10-11-14

10-cent SPR 6-8-9-11 with 6-8-9-11 with 6-7-8-9-10-11-14 with 5-6-7-8-9-10-11-13-14

TOTAL- $81

The blog did have the winner of the Peter Pan last week to get off the losing streak, but we are still MINUS $425 for 2011. Remember, They Are Off accepts no responsibility for any wagers placed in conjunction with these selections. They are merely suggestions. Tune in again next week for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Second Chance

Since the three "experts" (myself included) flopped so miserably on the first leg of the Triple Crown, the 137th Kentucky Derby, I felt it only fair for all of us to get a second chance at glory with the 136th running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico on Saturday. Again, I am joined by Martha Claussen and Dr. Reid McLellan, my two former co-handicappers at Houston. We will all be offering selections and analysis for the Preakness, and it's ladies first:

Martha Claussen's Preakness Analysis
Unlike someone I know, I will not jump on the Animal Kingdom bandwagon after completely disregarding him in the Derby. Nice run, but Super Saver won the Derby and finished eighth in the 2010 Preakness. Lots of interesting angles. Will Dialed In get some pace to run at so he can collect his $5.5 million bonus? Will Martin Garcia make the difference on Midnight Interlude and win back-to-back Preakness Stakes for Bob Baffert? What about the "new shooters" like Astrology, Sway Away, Flashpoint, and Dance City? Dance City intrigues me and will not get a lot of action. History says the Derby horses do best. I am throwing "history" and "dosage" into the swollen Mississippi River after seeing a horse win the Kentucky Derby in his dirt debut. So, I will take a few chances in my selections and go for a Pick 3 as I feel I can single Paddy O'Prado in the Grade 2 Dixie Stakes.

Martha's Top Four Selections: Dialed In, Dance City, Midnight Interlude, Astrology

Suggested Preakness Plays:
$14 WIN #10
$2 EX ALL with #10
$5 WPS #8

There are a few nice horses in the tenth race, the Grade 3 William Schaefer Memorial, so I will go five-deep. Graham Motion may win with Icabad Crane. I will single Paddy O'Prado in the Grade 2 Dixie and throw in some price picks in the Preakness.
Race 10
$1 PICK THREE 2-3-5-7-8 with 4 with 1-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11
TOTAL- $45
TOTAL PREAKNESS PLAYS- $100



Reid McLellan's Preakness Analysis
#11 Animal Kingdom came from my "not fast enough" (NFE) category in the Derby, which meant I threw him out of even a superfecta possibility. His breeding was the only thing I liked about him, but I did not consider his non-dirt efforts good enough, even in this year's "evenly matched" group of three-year-olds. Now he gets a chance to "prove" that he is as good a dirt horse as any in this crop and he will get to do it without the burden of my money riding with him. Two horses that ran in the Kentucky Derby that came to Baltimore made impressive late moves along with "AK", #9 Mucho Macho Man and #10 Dialed In. It is interesting to note that only ONE of the fourteen entered had their final breeze at Pimlico (#2 Norman Asbjornson who is in my NFE group).#5 Shackleford doesn't have much competition for the lead all the way to the stretch unless the trainers of #4 Flashpoint (Wesley Ward) or #8 Dance City (Todd Pletcher) decide to challenge. Flashpoint trained super for Ward on the Polytrack at Keeneland, so I question his ability to stay the distance. I won't overlook the Steve Asmussen trained #1 Astrology either. That son of A.P. Indy has never been worse than third in seven starts and has three improving Beyer speed figures coming into this classic. Michael picked #7 Midnight Interlude in the Derby and he'll be sad if he doesn't pick him in the top three. Martha stayed with her buddy, Nick Zito, and I am going to stay with my sentimental horse "3M".

Reid's Top Four Selections- Mucho Macho Man, Dialed In, Shackleford, Astrology

Suggested Preakness Play
$20 WIN #9

10-cent Superfecta 5-9-10 with 1-4-5-9-10 with 1-4-5-9-10-11 with 1-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11
TOTAL PREAKNESS PLAYS- $62

No No Nehro

It has been determined by the connections of Kentucky Derby runner-up, Nehro, that he will skip the Preakness and instead wait for the Belmont Stakes three weeks from Saturday. This is a similar tack to the one taken by Nick Zito with Birdstone seven years ago that denied Smarty Jones the Triple Crown. Of course, this time the trainer is Steve Asmussen and the owner is Ahmed Zayat, not Marylou Whitney. However, the idea is along the same lines, which is to have a fresher horse ready for the longer race.

Of course, this idea didn't work last year for Zito, when he skipped the Preakness with Derby runner-up, Ice Box, and waited for the Belmont and he was never a factor at all. It will be quite interesting to see how this all falls out, especially if Animal Kingdom is able to come through on Saturday in Baltimore and set us up for a Triple Crown chance by winning the 136th running of the Preakness. It makes one long for the days when there was a healthy bonus in the millions of dollars that further connected the races and made it financially sensible for connections to try and run in all three races rather than cherry-pick their spots.

The draw for the 136th Preakness will be conducted later today. Tune in again tomorrow for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone...GOODBYE!

The Grade 2 $200,000 Peter Pan Stakes

Arrived in Nebraska without incident and am ready to kick things back into high gear with selections for the Grade 2 Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont Park on Saturday. This race is used as a prep for the Belmont Stakes to be run in four weeks time. There will likely be some "new shooters" out of this race for the Belmont to challenge Animal Kingdom, who will hopefully be chasing history in the Belmont. Of course, he would have to add the Preakness Stakes to his Kentucky Derby triumph next Saturday. So, without any further ado, here is the analysis:

My top pick will be #6 Alternation, who had to scratch out of the Rebel at Oaklawn Park with starting gate issues and then started badly in the Arkansas Derby before finishing a closing fifth. He has been working quite well since the Arkansas Derby with back-to-back bullets at Arlington at five and six furlongs, respectively. Ramon Dominguez will ride for trainer Donnie Von Hemel. I called my second pick to a victory in the Turf Paradise Derby on February 26 and that is #3 Beer Meister. He is a stone closer and there should be plenty of pace for him to run at in this one. He caught a hopelessly wide trip in the Sunland Derby on March 27 and still rallied to finish a strong fifth. His 20-1 morning line price makes him a very attractive longshot in this race and he could definitely get a piece of it. For third, I will use Charles Cella's #2 Uncle Brent. Of course, Cella is the man at Oaklawn Park and that is where this horse has raced exclusively until Saturday. Uncle Brent has two wins and a second in three lifetime efforts in Arkansas and will have the riding services of the Derby winner, John Velazquez. As I referred to earlier, I believe there is quite a bit of pace in this race and I will use one of the speedsters, #10 Joe Vann, to round out of the top four. He was a front-running winner of the Illinois Derby at Hawthorne on April 9 and is currently working a three-race win streak. I just think he might have too many challenges up top to sustain any bid once the closers get in gear. He should be good enough, though, to hang on for a chunk of the action. Here is the play for the Grade 2 Peter Pan Stakes:

$5 WP #6
$1 EX BOX 2-3-6-10
$1 TRI 3-6 with 2-3-6 with 2-3-4-6-9-10-11
TOTAL- $42

We continue to take it on the chin after the Derby and now the blog is MINUS $418 for the year. However, we will persevere. Remember, They Are Off accepts no responsibility for any wagers placed in conjunction with these selections. They are merely suggestions.

I must pass along belated congratulations to Lone Star Park announcer, John Lies, who became the first "voice" to successfully pick the winner of the Kentucky Derby as part of "What The Voices Think". Unfortunately, I continue the oh-fer streak that has gone on since Go For Gin in 1994. Tune in again next week for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

The 137th Kentucky Derby

The big day has finally arrived and it comes without the 2010 Breeders' Cup Juvenile champion, Uncle Mo, who was scratched by his connections on Friday. That leaves us with a field of nineteen horses who will be going 1 1/4 miles for the first time in their lives. The favorite is likely to be Dialed In, although he should now be a heavier favorite than originally anticipated. Here is the analysis for the 137th running of the Grade 1 $2,000,000 Kentucky Derby:

My top pick for the Derby will be the Bob Baffert trainee, #15 Midnight Interlude, who was the winner of the Santa Anita Derby on April 9 despite having to alter course in the stretch. The rider will be Victor Espinoza, who teamed with Baffert for Derby glory in 2002 on War Emblem. The horse has been working lights-out at Churchill Downs, with two bullets on the docket. I even think he might like a wet track should there be one on Derby Day. One of the bullets was over a sloppy strip and he broke his maiden on a track listed as wet-fast. I am usually loathe to consider the "wiseguy" horse in the Derby, but will do so with #19 Nehro, trained by Steve Asmussen. Asmussen has done just about everything in Thoroughbred training except win the Derby. He is in the same boat that Todd Pletcher was in last year, when Super Saver got him off the Derby donut. Quite simply, Nehro's last two races have been outstanding. He ran second in both of them, but had he had another furlong to run at the winner, which he gets here, he would have more than that one win. I will put #13 Mucho Macho Man in the third spot. He had shoe issues in the Louisiana Derby and he still managed to run a credible third at Fair Grounds. Trainer Kathy Ritvo will have the sentimental angle in this Derby, given all that she overcame to get to this point. Rajiv Maragh will be aboard. The longshot I will be including is #3 Twice The Appeal. Calvin Borel is aboard and he has only won three of the last four editions of the Derby. He might get the trip he wants after drawing the inside slot and if it is a wet track, this horse's chances increase exponentially. Since this is the Derby, I will include a bonus fifth horse with #17 Soldat. He was high on my Derby list until the Florida Derby fiasco. He is another that could benefit from some rain falling in Louisville. Alan Garcia has the riding assignment on a horse that should be a part of the pace set-up in here. Here is the play for the 137th Kentucky Derby:

$10 WP #15
$1 EX BOX 3-13-15-17-19
$1 TRI BOX 3-13-15-17-19
TOTAL- $100

Remember, They Are Off accepts no responsibility for any wagers placed in conjunction with these selections. They are merely suggestions. There will not be any blog posts until Friday next week in the aftermath of the Derby, as I head to my summer station of Lincoln Race Course. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

Getting The Band Back Together

For the majority of my time in Houston, I had the distinct pleasure of working with two excellent people in the Communications Department. If you read this blog, you are already familiar with Martha Claussen, who was the boss and an astute handicapper. The second person I worked with was Dr. Reid McLellan, a gentleman who was the Fan Education Director at the racetrack in Houston, but he is about as familiar with horseflesh as anyone I ever met. The three of us would have very spirited seminars where we would discuss the merits of our picks for the big occasions and usually spend a good chunk of time bashing the other two members of the trio for whatever reason. So, for the first time (and certainly not the last time) in the history of They Are Off, here are the opinions of two of the three members of the group (with the third member's thoughts to come tomorrow). We'll go with ladies first!:

Martha Claussen's Derby Thoughts

Always a pleasure to reunite with my former colleagues, Michael and Reid and I will try not to be too crabby about this less than stellar group of 3-year-olds!

I have been a fan of Dialed In since the Holy Bull in January and although I am disappointed that he is the favorite, I cannot get off the Nick Zito bandwagon. Dialed In has a huge closing kick and quality pedigree as his sire, 2003 Horse of the Year, Mineshaft, is a son of the incomparable A.P. Indy. My last Derby winner, Monarchos, won the Florida Derby, so I have always loved the Florida road to the Derby. This will be Zito's 25th Derby starter and his third win. Go Nick Go! Soldat flopped in the Florida Derby, but is the only horse in the field with a Beyer Speed Figure over 100 (no joke!). I had my doubts about Master of Hounds, believing he was more of a turf specialist than a true Derby contender. This year, obviously, the standards have changed and the Aiden O'Brien charge has as much of a shot as the rest of the 30-1's. He did run last November at Churchill Downs, finishing sixth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G2). His prep for the Derby was the U.A.E. Derby (UAE-G2) on the Meydan polytrack, where he ran second. I dissed the chances of Paddy O'Prado last year and he ran third, so why not go turf again for a nice price. Nehro ran a huge race in the Arkansas Derby, closing gamely for second. Might be peaking right at the right time.

Martha’s Top Four Selections – Dialed In, Soldat, Master of Hounds, Nehro

Suggested Derby Play:
The Woodford Reserve precedes the Derby and is wide-open, but I am going to narrow it to four runners: Little Mike, Prince Will I Am, Doubles Partner and Expansion. Will wheel over eight Derby horses (my top four and four more longshots) and finish it off with a single in race 12, Streakin' Mohican.

Pick 3 - Race 10-12
1-5-8-14 with 1-7-8-9-11-15-17-19 with 9
Total $32

Dr. Reid McLellan's Derby Thoughts

This was without doubt the most difficult Derby field to handicap since I started handicapping before my announcer buddy was born. If this was a non-winner of THREE allowance race, THIRTEEN of these would be eligible to enter, with three being non-winners of TWO. One of my favorite Derby winners (and to be a favorite Derby winner it had to be my top pick for that race) was a non-winner of two, 1987 winner Alysheba. So in 2011 I am going back to that well one more time and pick #11 Master Of Hounds as my top pick in what could be one of the most exciting Derby finishes in a long time. This son of Kingmambo looked impressive training at last year's Breeders' Cup at Churchill and I think his breeding is the best of this bunch. Then what do I do? Another of the N2L runner, #19 Nehro, has the co-best last race Beyer Speed Figure, sharing that (lowly) number with #1 Archarcharch. I have a special connection with #13 Mucho Macho Man as his trainer, Kathy Ritvo (and her husband Tim) are big supporters of the Groom Elite program at Gulfstream Park. The Ritvo Stable pony that escorts "3M" to the track in Florida each morning is my demonstration horse in the afternoon. I wonder if Martha picked #7 Pants On Fire and his female rider, Rosie Napravnik, a good young rider that has an outside shot to be the first female rider to win the Derby. But what do I do with #18 Uncle Mo, impressive as a two-year-old but enters the race with a lot of questions. And, it was #4 Stay Thirsty that looked the best to me on the track during morning gallops last weekend. If everyone takes back and lets either #6 Comma To The Top or #14 Shackleford get loose on the lead, they may prove tough to catch. But I think we will see a mad dash to the front, Uncle Mo will get caught up in it and the race will go to the mid-pack closer that gets the best trip.

Reid's Top Four Selections- Master Of Hounds, Nehro, Mucho Macho Man, Archarcharch

PURPLE POWER DERBY PLAY: $10 WIN #11 and $1 EX BOX 1-11-13-19 and $1 SPR 11 with 1-13-18 with 1-4-7-13-19 with 1-4-7-8-13-18-19

TOTAL- $82

My thanks to both Martha and Reid for their contributions to the blog and we will certainly try to bring them both back for the remainder of the Triple Crown races. My selections for the 137th Kentucky Derby will be posted on the blog tomorrow. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!

What The Voices Think 3.0

For the third consecutive year, I have asked some of my fellow announcers in the horse racing world for their opinions on who will win the Kentucky Derby. The first two years of this produced exactly zero correct selections (although Don Stevens of Delta Downs DID have the trifecta in his first three picks he e-mailed last year). Don's pick for this year will be posted later on this week in an update of this post. However, here is the sampling from some other voices of racing:

Pete "The Anchor" Aiello (Hialeah and River Downs)- Twinspired
Craig Braddick (Yavapai Downs)- Dialed In
Tom Harris (Retama Park and Houston)- Midnight Interlude
John Lies (Lone Star Park)- Animal Kingdom
Dan Loiselle (Woodbine)- Archarcharch
Don Stevens (Delta Downs)- Dialed In
Travis Stone (Louisiana Downs)- Midnight Interlude
James Witherite (Harrah's Chester Harness)- Dialed In

As I said, this post will be updated with more picks as they come in to the home office. Tomorrow will feature Derby selections from my old Houston co-handicappers, Martha Claussen and Dr. Reid McLellan. Friday will be the big day with this voice's selections for the 137th Kentucky Derby. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!