Goodbye My Love

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For better or worse and for freeze advisory this late in the season, brr!  This is your last chance at Keeneland’s Spring Meet.

The handicapper says, in Race 8 choose #5 Eastwood for 4/24/15.  He raced against some very nice sprinters in New York last summer and is working well for his return.

I had my last personal visit to the track for the season today. It was wonderful and emotional.  If you can make it to tomorrow’s final live races, bet this one for me and all of of our followers!

Update: The tip was spot on. Eastwood won 1st place!

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So sorry to see the season end. Its time to focus on the Kentucky Derby now!

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A Thought For Thursday

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Here is a nice picture I took from the stalls in Keeneland’s paddock.  In the background there is one of the racetrack’s newer extensions.  It is the Saddling Paddock Chalet.  This is a private room with nice views available for the Spring and Fall Meets this year and the Breeders’ Cup Championships.

On the topic of extensions, my tipster chose Town Extension, as today’s best bet.  In Keeneland’s sixth race today, 4/23/15, pick horse #9. He has been a very consistent horse finishing in the money 7 of the last 8 races. He should show a nice late kick on the Keeneland turf course.

This 5 year old gray beauty has Paco Lopez for a jockey.  Barclay Tagg is his trainer. Town Extension is owned by Charles Fipke. This is his first race at Keeneland.  This horse has had 15 starts and the last 6, over the course of 3 years, have been at Gulfstream Park.

Let’s give this Thoroughbred a warm Kentucky welcome and win!

Update! Town Extension won 1st place.  Here are some pictures I took myself:

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Tomorrow’s tip to follow!

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It’s Earth Day, Let’s Dance!

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Happy Earth Day!  I am going to spend my day checking out some earth, particularly the dirt, or mud in Kentucky.  It is another rainy day at the races for me.  Keeneland’s Spring Meet is on its final 3 days and rain or shine I want to experience it all.

My handicapping friend has another tip for us today, 4/22/15.  He says in Keeneland’s sixth race go for horse # 6, Dance Champion.  He calls this your best bet of the day.  This horse just ran second at this distance last time out and should get a nice trip! This last race was at Gulfstream Park in March.  See that placing race here.

Dance Champion has jockey Joel Rosario.  The 4 year old gelding’s trainer is Christophe Clement. His owner and breeder is Robert S. Evans.

Time to get ready for the races.  Have a great day, don’t forget to dance and celebrate for Earth Day and win big!

Update: Here are some paddock pics, that I took myself, of today’s big winner!

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Dance Champion did score 1st place today!  Hope all of you won bragging rights at the water cooler or better yet at a racetrack!

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Pulpit to Paddock

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Good morning everyone.  After listening to your reverend on the pulpit this morning come watch Reverend Green on the paddock and track today at Keeneland.

In race 6 (4/19/15) bet on #7 Reverend Green to win his maiden race.  He has solid work tabs, especially in the two recent Keeneland works. He should be ready to win at first asking, says our tipster. He worked out at Keeneland on the 2nd and 8th of this month and then again today.

He is a 3 year old colt owned by Glencrest Farm.  His dam, Papa to Kinzie, had 9 starts and placed in a graded stakes race.  His sire, Elusive Quality, is a multiple graded stakes winner. His trainer is Thomas Proctor and his jockey is Jamie Theriot.  Reverend Green has had no starts while Proctor has had 128 this year so far and is a top earning winner of multiple graded stakes and Breeders’ Cup achievements. Theriot has had 183 starts this year and he too is a winner of many graded stakes and Breeders’ Cup races.

On a side note, Reverend Green is also a nickname for America singer, Al Green. He has had success with both secular and gospel recordings.

Update: Reverend Green was not a winner today.  I stood in the paddock today to watch this rain shy beauty.  He looked dry and warm in his shelter while I was neither.  Here are a few paddock pics of this horse.

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Tip on the Turf

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Tipster says: Most likely winner, Hootenanny.  He’s won against the best in the world. Wesley Ward should have him ready to beat this bunch.

So today (4/18/15) look to Keeneland’s 4th race for another double feature. Go for horse 1 and 1A to bet on Asia and Hootenanny.

The trainer, Ward, has had 149 starts this year. His horses have had 40 wins, 27 at 2nd place and 20 running third in 2015. He is a successful jockey turned trainer.  Hootenanny won Ward his first race, as a trainer, in the 2014 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.

Should be a beautiful day for another turf race.  I hope all of you have a great day at the races!

Update: Asia scratched prior to the race but Hootenanny ran 1st place! I hope this helped you all to win.

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Seventh Heaven

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Coming off of a high from today’s winning tip I am eager to share my handicapper’s next choice with all of you.

Tomorrow (4/17/15) for Keeneland’s seventh race, go with #10 Harvey.  The tip states he broke his maiden impressively after being bumped hard at the break. Trainer Bret Calhoun had a nice winner Thursday and seems to have brought several nice horses to Keeneland this meet.

I am glad he put it that way.  It gives us a chance to learn a bit more.  A horse is a maiden until it wins a race.  This could be the first race it starts in, it may take years or worse, it may never happen.  Harvey is a three year old colt that ran 1st at Fair Grounds in Louisiana on 3/21/15.  Thus, Harvey is no longer a maiden.  Watch him win here:

Fairgrounds Replay Video

Harvey was sired by the great Curlin, elected to the National Muesum of Racing’s Hall of Fame and winner of the Preakness Stakes, Breeders’ Cup Classic, and the Dubai World Cup.

Enjoy tomorrow’s racing!

Update: Harvey ran second. A ticket to place earned $5.40.  He was shy in the paddock prior to racing.  Here is a picture I took moments before he entered the track…

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Last Chance Derby

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Thoroughbred U is 100 days old today.  I am really enjoying my subject matter and all the experiences and people this blog has lead me to.  Thank you to all of my followers, friends and family that have contributed to my success in this process.  Tonight I want to give to all of you a tip for tomorrow’s race but I want to catch up on the road to the Kentucky Derby as well.

In my earlier stories Like Superbowl for Thoroughbreds and Cabin Fever, I wrote about a few of the horses I favored and the process for qualifying for the Kentucky Derby.  Tomorrow (April 11, 2015), that process ends with two final races.  The Coolmore Lexington race will take place at Keeneland in KY as 5:18 pm EST and the Arkansas Derby will post at 7:18 pm EST in AR at Oaklawn Park.

At Keeneland, they will run the grade III stakes in race #10 worth a purse of $250,000.  The track is 1 and 1/16 miles on the dirt.  The points awarded are 10-4-2-1.  Divining Rod (26) , Comfort, Quimet, Tiznow RJ (28), Henry Jones, Fame and Power, and my scratched buddy from Thursday, Donworth, will compete.  The horses in top contention for Derby have their rank posted in parentheses by their names.

At Oaklawn they will have a grade I stakes in race #11 with a million dollar purse.  The race is 1 and 1/8 miles.  The points are 100-40-20-10.  Featured horses are The Truth or Else, Mr. Z (24), Bridget’s Big Luvv, Madefromlucky (21), Bold Conquest (23), American Pharoah (9), Far Right (19) and Win the Space.

See The Road to the Kentucky Derby for a full listing of the top contenders.  My early favorite Carpe Diem is currently third.

If you can make it to the races tomorrow (April 11, 2015) have a great time.  I understand the weather should be nice in KY.  My handicapper says for race 7 at Keeneland go with #11 Free as a Bird, she has won six in a row and I see no reason she can’t win seven.

Update: Unfortunately, Free as a Bird came in fourth for her race.  That has my tipster picking the first place winner 60 % of the time, just 5 races in on my blog.  The return is greater than the investment and it is fun.  I am looking forward to sharing the next tip. Let’s all hope we get lucky!

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Celebrate Spring!

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March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb.  At least, that is how the English proverb goes.  That expression of weather lore is about as undependable as the previous month’s groundhog forecasting.  Despite all the crazy predictions Spring officially arrived on the 20th this month and I am so happy to see it.  On these final days of March, there is still a rapidly interchanging coolness to the air but today the sun and flowers are out.  Since I last blogged, I have enjoyed all of the joy that March brings, St. Patrick’s Day, March Madness, and a quick getaway to the Great Smoky Mountains.  Now just days away from April I am so excited for Keeneland’s Spring Meet!

My favorite holiday is St. Patrick’s Day.  I am a marshal annually in the local parade.  This year’s Grand Marshal was Tom Hammond.  He was born in Lexington, KY and he is a sportscaster on the national level.  He has a degree in animal science, specializing in equine genetics.  He has done the broadcasting for the Kentucky Derby and many times for the Breeders’ Cup, for which he won an Emmy. He has other Emmys as well and was a former play-by-play announcer for Southeastern Conference basketball.  Him and his wife, Sheilagh were very nice.  I talked to the about my blog and they even posed for some pictures.  Also, making a repeat performance this year as St. Patrick himself  was, Sean McLaughlin.  He was nice enough to snap a selfie with me. Sean is the brother of Thoroughbred trainer, Kiaran McLaughlin.  Kiaran has trained some big winners, including the Breeders’ Cup, Dubai World Cup, the Kentucky Derby, and the Belmont Stakes.  Horses he worked with have won many awards including the number 1 World Thoroughbred Racehorse Ranking and U.S. Horse of the Year.  Currently, he is training Kentucky Derby contender, Frosted, owned by Godolphin. This horse in ranked lucky 13 for May 2015’s Run for the Roses.

That brings us to March Madness.  My University of Kentucky Wildcats are on fire.  The men’s basketball team has won the SEC tournament and made it to the Final Four, in the NCAA tournament, with an undefeated  season (38-0). Go CATS!

Basketball has the best fans and since we can’t all pack into the same stadiums I like to travel during the tournaments.  I have found Las Vegas, NV does a fantastic job of highlighting the tourney.  I also feel that Gatlinburg, TN has that little Vegas feel.  I had a great time meeting new fans, representing my CATS, and taking in all the games among the endless variety of restaurants that fun town has to offer.  No racetrack though.

That was OK because now it is about time for the Spring meet!  New dress and jewelry bought (check), got my hair done today (woot woot), and my raincoat and umbrella will match (ugh, rains a lot this time of the year), means I am ready to roll.  Keeneland racetrack in Lexington, KY will start live racing at 1:05 p.m. on Friday, April 3rd, 2015.  Don’t be late, McLaughlin is the trainer for Dickinson, listed in the very first race of the day.  This is a Maiden Special Weight race.  The 3 year old horse however did stumble at Aqueduct on 3/22/15 while racing and did not finish so I am unsure if she is race day ready.  I have a lot of work to do handicapping and so do you.

Happy Easter to all and I hope you have a great time at the track!  If you have any great tips, please share.  Thank you.

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Paraskevidekatriaphobia

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Paraskevidekatriaphobia, it sounds complicated enough to make a great Thoroughbred name. Really, it is a Greek term to describe the irrational fear of Friday the 13th.

It is uncertain where the fear of this date was derived from.  Separately, both Friday and the number 13 are considered unlucky by many.  Events that occurred in religious history provide a source for superstition about Black Friday.  Despite the ancient roots, the actual fear for Friday the 13th was not developed until about the 19th century.

The fear is pretty widespread.  Up to 21 million people in the United States are somewhat crippled in their daily routines when Friday the 13th roles around.  Many avoid driving or even leaving the house at all.  It is estimated that up to 9 million dollars in business may be lost on this day.  This year we have 3 days on which the 13th falls on a Friday.  That is the maximum amount of time this happens in any calendar year.  The minimum is one per year.

How does this fear play into horse racing?  There were no graded stakes races in the U.S today , but that is coincidental.  There was a bit of bad news for the sport, however.  Currently, we have 32 states with race tracks.  Georgia is not one of those.  The Georgia Racing Coalition failed to get just 2 more votes in support of Senate Resolution 135.  Georgia needed 38 votes to start racing.  They were defeated with only 36 in favor, 10 opposed and 10 undecided by today’s expiration date.  They are hopeful that maybe next year they can try again to bring horse racing to their state.  It could create thousands of jobs and millions in taxes and other revenue from tourism, business development and agriculture.  Friday the 13th was not so lucky for Georgia.

Despite the superstition, I am not afraid of Fridays, the 13th, or the combination of the two.  Today turned out to be great for my favorite basketball team, the University of Kentucky. Go CATS!  No big races today but plenty of action in SEC basketball.  If you are scared of today, just think, in four days you will have the luck of the Irish upon you for St. Patrick’s Day!

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Cabin Fever

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My staycation began with the fallout of over 17 inches of snow.  Winter has not been kind in The Horse Capital of the World.  Being stuck in the house gave me plenty of time to scour over the horses in contention for The Run For The Roses.  While I warmed myself ,with my mother’s homemade potato soup, in my grandmother’s tea cup, I related my Irish pedigree with those hoping to make their mark in the 141st running of The Kentucky Derby.

Ireland is so important to Thoroughbred racing. They have a climate, lush grass, and limestone rich soil much like Kentucky.  The Byerley Turk who used to race and battle in Ireland was one of the three stallions from which all Thoroughbreds descended.  Horse racing can be traced to Ireland as far back as the 3rd century.  At the time, the sport was chariot racing.  The horses were raced in the area of Cuireach, an Irish Gaelic word for “place of the running horse”.  The horses still run there, now called Curragh Racecourse , in County Kildare.  It is the headquarters of flat racing in Ireland.  Ancient Kings raced there in the early 18th century.  This property includes over 1, 500 acres of facilities for training and is considered one of the finest places to train worldwide.  Over 26% of all Thoroughbreds in Ireland train there.  Ireland is the largest producer of Thoroughbreds in Europe and the 4th largest producer in the world.  This track is run by The Turf Club founded in 1790.  Like The Jockey Club, in the United States, this body governs the rules of racing and works for the well being and improvement of the industry.  There are 26 racecourses in Ireland.  They have their own Triple Crown made up of the Irish 2,000 Guineas, the Irish Derby, and the Irish St. Leger.  They are preparing for the 150th Irish Derby now.  It is a three day event that kicks off on my birthday, June 26th.  In addition to a winning horse they pick the most stylish lady and award her as well!

We are just eleven days away from my favorite holiday, St. Patrick’s Day, and only fifty seven days from The Kentucky Derby!  Warmer weather is just a wee bit away.  Twenty horses will run in the Kentucky Derby.  Currently, we are tracking 46 contenders.  The last of the final fourteen, of the original thirty-five, qualifying races begin tomorrow.  The final races end on April 11 with Oaklawn Park Arlington Derby and Keeneland’s Lexington race.  I have my eye on a few horses and I see some luck of the Irish in them.

Donegal Racing has 3 horses in contention, Keen Ice, Rock Shandy, and Danny Boy.  They are ranked 12th, 24th, and 38th.  Donegal Racing is a partnership that started in 2008 and managed by Jerry Crawford.   The name Donegal is both a family name and of the Irish County of their origin.  They chose their silks to show their heritage and they like to give their horses Irish names.  This groups’ Paddy O’ Prado was third in the 2010 Kentucky Derby as was their Dullahan in 2012.

Lucky Player is ranked 10th.  Nothing says Irish like that name, and that is all that appears to have any Emerald Isle connection.  He  is trained by Steve Asmussen.  Formerly, he trained the greats Curlin and Rachel Alexandra. 

Finally, there are the offspring of Giant’s Causeway.  This horse is an international famed sire.  He was born in Kentucky but raced and began his life as a stud in Ireland.  He is now back in Kentucky at Coolmore Stud. There is a natural wonder in Ireland named Giant’s Causeway, formed by a volcanic eruption.  In 14th place for a chance at the Kentucky Derby is Carpe Diem.  That is Latin for “seize the day”, the title of one of my favorite Avenged Sevenfold songs. He won 1st place in the Breeders’ Futurity, at Keeneland, this past October and 2nd place at San Anita Park’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile the next month.  He is my favorite so far.  #41 ranked Tough Customer is also a colt of Giant’s Causeway.

If you are trapped indoors, like me, please enjoy The Road to the Kentucky Derby and my mom’s potato soup recipe:

http://www.kentuckyderby.com/road

Potato Soup

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