On June 6th I am hoping to see the jockey in blue and gold with a Z come in 1st! I am awfully excited about our chances of getting a Triple Crown Winner this year. I touched on jockey silks a bit in The Emperor’s New Clothes but that post addressed the uniform of the jockey and the tack for the horse. The silk is actually a representation of the owner.
Owners have been registering their silks since medieval times. In New York, owners register their colours thru The Jockey Club, established in 1894. Owners from other states may register thru New York as well. The Belmont Stakes, the final piece of the Triple Crown, is a New York race. Owners may choose from 38 jacket designs with 19 sleeve designs. The design may only be registered in 1 person’s name. The front and back must be identical. The Jockey Club offers a maximum of 4 colors per silk, with a max of 2 colors on the jacket and 2 on the sleeves, but they will not offer navy blue because it looks a lot like black. They allow a tasteful emblem or up to 3 initials on 4 of the jacket designs and just 1 initial on 1 of the other jacket designs. Despite being called silks they are usually made with lycra or polyester now. They are lightweight and fitted to be aerodynamic. My favorite jacket design is the shamrock pattern. Silks Illustration
Owners can be very superstitious about the colors they choose. Some colors seem to be luckier than others. Another superstition leads the jockeys to toss their silks on the floor and stomp on them when they are new so the garment hits the ground in hopes they won’t fall and hit the ground themselves while wearing it.
In the top photo we see jockey Jerry D. Bailey wearing green and pink silks. These are the colours of Prince Khalid Ibn Abdullah, owner of Juddmonte Farms. Bailey is most famous for riding the great Cigar. Bailey won 7 Eclipse Awards before he retired in 2006 but he went on to be a horse racing commentator and analyst. Juddmonte Farms has earned many awards including 10 Eclipse Awards. Cigar was National Museum of Racing Hall of Famer and American Horse of the Decade for the 1990s. Sadly, he died last October.
11 horses have won the Triple Crown. These were; Sir Barton, Gallant Fox, Omaha, War Admiral, Whirlaway, Count Fleet, Assault, Citation, Secretariat, SeattleSlew, and Affirmed. The prettiest silks of these horses owners were those of Meadow Farms owner Penny Chenery, who owned Secretariat. These silks were a blue and white checkered jacket with blue and white striped sleeves. Both Whirlaway and Citation jockeys wore Calumet Farm’s red jacket with a blue collar and blue hat and 2 blue stripes on each sleeve. The jockeys of 2 more on this list wore white jackets with red polka dots. The horses they rode were Gallant Fox and Omaha. These silks belonged to Belair Stud in Maryland that raced from 1923 to 1953.
American Pharoah’s jockey wears the colours of Zayat Stables,LCC. owned by Ahmed Zayat and located in Hackensack, Maryland. The jockey silk is blue with 3 gold balls in a sash formation and a gold Z on one shoulder and on the hat cover. Zayat has been racing since 2005. He has had 19 Breeders’ Cup contenders, 13 GI winners, and 6 Eclipse Award winners.
35 horses have won the 1st two jewels of the Triple Crown with 23 stopping there and 11 winning it all. Will American Pharoah be next?
Here we are, its 5/16/15, time for the 140th running of the Grade I Preakness Stakes! In the lucky 13th Pimlico race of the day, at 6:18 p.m. EST, the 1.5 million dollar purse race will begin. Just 8 of 14 possible horses, the smallest field since 2000, are competing in this race and only one of them could someday be a Triple Crown winner!
The Preakness Stakes takes place at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. Just like the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes it shares the same dirt track, flower, and drink. See yesterdays post Filly Friday. They also eat crabcakes, yuk! To make the Black-Eyed Susan flower blanket, for the winning horse, since 1940, they painted the centers of about 4 thousand daisies black, now they use Viking Poms. I fudged a little on my own flower pic above too and darkened up the middle. The race is called “The Run for the Black-Eyed Susans.” The reason they use the wrong flower is because the Black Eyed Susan blooms in June in Maryland and it is only May so daisies are in season. I just need to take more flower pictures, myself. The winning owner gets a silver trophy replica of The Woodlawn Vase, made in 1860 and valued at 1 million dollars. This copy is sterling valued at $30,000. They also paint the jockey silks on the weather vane on top of the Old Clubhouse to match the winning owner’s colors after the race is won. The song of the day is “Maryland, My Maryland.” It reminds me of “O Christmas Tree.”
The first race occurred in 1873. By 1932 it was the second leg of the Triple Crown series. Secretariat ran the speed record at 1:53. Smarty Jones won by the most lengths at 11 and 1/2.
Let’s check out the contenders, listed in post position…
American Pharoah
Dortmund
Mr. Z
Danzig Moon
Tale of Verve
Bodhisattva
Divining Rod
Firing Line
I want a Triple Crown winner. We have not seen one since 1978 with Affirmed. Thus, I’m pulling for the favorite, American Pharoah. The KY Derby was his 5th win straight of 6 starts. 4 of those wins were Grade I stakes. He won an Eclipse Award at 2 years old. This horse won the KY Derby by a length. He is a California horse just like last years winner, California Chrome. Right next to American Pharoah on the rail is Dortmund, these two horses have the same trainer Bob Baffert. All 3 of his previous KY Derby winners have gone on to win the Preakness. Baffert has trained 5 Preakness winners total. Dortmond lost his first race ever at the KY Derby but still managed to come in 3rd, 3 lengths behind the winner. Mr. Z was just involved in a quick sale. He was owned by Zayat Stables when he came in 13th in a field of 18 at the KY Derby. Just days ago, Calumet Farm in Lexington, KY bought him and decided to give him the chance Zayat was not. Zayat still has American Pharoah in the race and he was going to give Mr. Z a break to build confidence. The trainer, D. Wayne Lukas, remained throughout and he thinks the horse is ready now. The fun thing about studying horse racing is the learning. I would have figured horses hated the transportation part but his trainer says the scenic van ride from Kentucky to Maryland was very good for the horse. Calumet Farms has the most wins of any owner in the Preakness. Lukas has the 2nd most wins of any trainer in the Preakness. Danzig Moon also ran in the KY Derby. He came in 5th place running from the 5th pole position. This Thoroughbred is close to the same post now. He lost by more than 6 lengths. Of the 8 horses running the Preakness, 5 ran in the KY Derby and he was the 2nd to last of these. Jockey Julien Leparoux did prefer this horse to ride over Divining Rod. Tale of the Verve wanted to run in the KY Derby but he didn’t make the cut. He has won a Gr. I stakes of the same length as the Preakness. He won his maiden race at Keeneland. Tale of the Verve is probably your biggest long shot of the day. Bodhisattva was not a KY Derby horse. He is however, the only horse in the race with a win at Pimlico. Divining Rod did not run in the KY Derby either. He is probably the best of the 3 without KY Derby experience. This horse did win the Lexington Stakes at Keeneland and he has Javier Castellano for a jockey. He just won the 2015 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes at this same track yesterday! Last but not least, Firing Line, was 2nd place by a length in the KY Derby. Thus we have the top 3 KY Derby horses running in the Preakness. That has happened 7 times in the prior 20 years and never have they come in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in repeat order.
My handicapper says, “Historically, horses that win the derby from on or near the pace do extremely well in the Preakness. Derby winners that come from far back have struggled in the Preakness. Since the top three finishers in the KY Derby were all very close to the lead, I expect all three of them to run very well in Baltimore. I will be boxing American Pharoah, Firing Line, and Dortmund in the exacta and I’ll add Danzig Moon in a trifecta and superfecta box.”
My tipster also inspired me to consider the strong possibility of rain. Looks like the favorite American Pharoah loves mud. 34 horses have won the KY Derby and the Preakness. Fingers crossed, I want the chance at the Triple Crown!
Update: A record crowd of 131,680 attended the Preakness to see American Pharoah win. This was the 14th time since 1978’s Triple Crown that a horse has won both the KY Derby at the Preakness. Finish order was:
My mom grew these pretty flowers in her yard, right here in Kentucky, but they happen to be Maryland’s state flower and also the name sake, for the second jewel of the de facto Filly Triple Crown, the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes.
Friday, 5/15/15, Pimlico Race Course will host the 91st running of this race. At 4:50 p.m. EST in race 11, nine 3 year old fillies will compete to make history and a $250,000 purse, the smallest amount in 4 years. Pimlico is located in Baltimore, Maryland. This race was created in 1919 and at that time was called the Pimlico Oaks. It wasn’t until 1952 that the name was changed to the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes, named for this 13 petaled flower representing MD as one of the 13 original colonies. They made a drink by that name as well, The Black-Eyed Susan Recipe. This dirt race is 1 and 1/8 miles or 9 furlongs. It 1st became a graded race in 1973 and has held Gr. II since 1976. The fastest time is 1:41:20 and the largest win is by 9 lengths.
The Filly Triple Crown is generally comprised of the Kentucky Oaks held at Churchill Downs, the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes and the Acorn Stakes at Belmont Park. Some may argue that this isn’t the correct line up but these are the three races that match the counterparts to the Triple Crown; The Kentucky Derby, The Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes. There are other important filly races and New York has there own Triple Tiara too. There have only been 3 horses to win the Filly Triple Crown. Those were Wistful in 1949, Real Delight in 1952 and Davona Dale in 1979. Each of these Thoroughbreds were bred and owned by Calumet Farm in Lexington, KY. Nellie Morse ran and won the Pimlico Oaks and the Preakness stakes back in 1924. She was the fourth filly to win the Pimlico Oaks and no filly did that again until 2009, she is Rachel Alexandra, also born in Lexington,KY.
This year’s Black-Eyed Susan Stakes isn’t just about one race. It got its own day! The 1st post starts a 12 p.m. and for just $10, those who attend, get 14 races, 7 of those being stakes races, and 5 live bands. I love living in the horse capital of the world but now would be a great time to visit Baltimore. The Maryland Jockey group developed Empowerment 3600 to make this day “The Ultimate Girls Day Out” by partnering with groups year round for development of healthier and happier lives. They chose to fund raise for Susan G. Komen, for breast cancer and Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, for retired horses. The bands are the Gin Blossoms, Fuel, Vertical Horizon, The Reagan Years, and Margaret Valentine. The final race of the day is the Pimlico Special. This is a Gr. III race for horses 3 and older. This year all ten contenders are 4 and 5 years of age. The race is 1 and 3/16 or 9.5 furlongs on the dirt. This is the same race that Seabiscuit beat War Admiral in, back in 1938. There are some good betting opportunities this day. The Black-Eyed Susan Stakes has a gifted field, so anything could happen there and the day holds two 50 cent pick 4s and one 50 cent pick 5 with guaranteed pools. Also, there is a daily double that flows into the following day for the Preakness.
So, what about this gifted field, all bred in Kentucky, listed in post position…
Danessa Deluxe
Pure
Ahh Chocolate
Gypsy Judy
Include Betty
Sweetgrass
Devine Aida
Luminance
Keen Pauline
Danessa Deluxe is the second favorite. She has just 1 start this year in which she placed in a Gr. II. She has had 6 starts total. This race will be long for her. Pure has 3 starts in 2015 and 7 lifetime. She won her maiden in San Anita last month. Ahh Chocolate won her race at Keeneland and she is undefeated but has only had 2 starts total. She is the third favorite and runs off the pace. Gypsy Judy has had her eye on this race for sometime. She is slower but of 5 starts she has won twice, placed once and showed once. Include Betty is the only horse in this race that just ran 2 weeks ago in the Kentucky Oaks. That makes her our only hope for a Filly Triple Crown this year. She finished 8th in the Oaks after getting bumped and running into too much traffic. She finished 7 lengths behind the winner, Lovely Maria, who shares her same owner. Include Betty has had 8 starts and is a graded stakes winner. She is the 1st horse to run this race following the Oaks since 2010. She likes to run from behind and this is the horse I want to see win. Sweetgrass, with 4 starts has 2 wins and 2 shows. Her last race was at Keeneland where she won. Devine Aida has 6 races in her past in which she was 1st four times and 2nd once as well. She is a multiple stakes winner. Luminance is the favorite. She is trained by Bob Baffert. He pulled her out of contention for the KY Oaks pretty late saying he intended to enroll her in this race and the Acorn. She has a stellar pedigree. She likes to jump up front then sit off the pace. In 3 starts she has 2 wins and one place. Finally, we have Keen Pauline. She has the same jockey, Javier Castellano, as last years winner, Stopchargingmaria. She has no wins of 2 starts this year but in her last 4 races she ran 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th in that order.
Cheers to the ladies. I’m pulling for the Filly Triple Crown!
Update! There will not be a Filly Triple Crown winner this year. Congratulations to Keen Pauline!
Winning money on a horse race is fun but do you ever think about how much you are winning even when you don’t bet? The Thoroughbred racing industry is a cash horse cow for the local, state, and national economy.
The horse industry in America pays 1.9 billion dollars in taxes. It employs 4.6 million workers generating 39 billion dollars directly and the figure explodes to 102 billion after figuring in the money from suppliers, employees and spectators. There are horses in every state. When live racing is in season the local shops, restaurants, hotels, etc. get a massive boost in visitors and money.
This past weekend featured The Kentucky Oaks and Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY. Churchill won’t release it exact figures but it is estimated to have made 100 million dollars in revenues. Nationally, the horse industry has a 3.5 billion dollar impact on Kentucky’s economy. 194,300 Kentuckians work in the industry. Visitors to Keeneland race track for 2 meets and 4 sales in 2014 brought $590 million dollars to Lexington, KY’s economy.
On May 16, 2015 Pimlico in Baltimore, MD will hold the 140th running of the Preakness Stakes. In 2013 this race brought in 2.2 million dollars to state and local taxes. All expenditures figures in at 34.7 million dollars supporting 393 full-time jobs.
The 3rd leg of the Triple Crown series will be run at Belmont Park in Nassau County in New York. In 2012 this race brought a 9 million dollar boost to the county’s economy before consideration of the money made at local businesses.
Lucky Kentucky gets yet another boost this Fall when Keeneland will host the Breeders’ Cup for the first time. When the race ran in Los Angeles in 2008 and 2009 it brought in over 60 million dollars for the city. This race was held at Churchill in 2010 and it generated 53.3 million dollars in regional revenue. The economic impact expected in 2015 is over 80 million dollars.
Keep in mind most tracks and many horseman provide a wealth of donations and funding in the name of charity and philanthropy on their own. I have had the pleasure of eating breakfast with James E. “Ted” Bassett III and he signed my copy of his book “Keeneland’s Ted Bassett My Life” for me. He is a leader in the horse industry and former chairman and president of Keeneland and president of the Breeders’ Cup Ltd. among many other things. He just funded the construction of Bassett Hall for student residence in 2016 at Transylvania University in Lexington, KY.
In the Thoroughbred racing industry we are all winners. The economic impact is outstanding. Cash is king, and it is also the name of the partnership that ran the 2005 Preakness winner, Afleet Alex. My mind is stirring with excitement for the Preakness that is just around the corner. Afleet Alex was owned by Cash is King Stable. He ran third in the Kentucky Derby and 1st in both the Preakness and Belmont Stakes. He almost fell while running the Preakness. He earned a career 2.7 million dollars before retiring to stud at Gainsway in Lexington, KY. He is still a sire there and his son Materiality just ran 6th in the Kentucky Derby and is a contender for the Preakness.
Yes, I will have a full Preakness Stakes story before race day. Until then, I will be reading and learning so I can keep on sharing. Thank you for following my posts.
Final Update: American Pharoah for the win, Firing Line in 2nd, and Dortmund in 3rd
UPDATE! International Star just scratched.
I should be sleeping, but I’m blogging. I’m too excited for rest anyway. Tomorrow, Saturday May 2, 2015 at 6:34 p.m. EST is the 141st running of the Kentucky Derby! I wavered on my pick for the Oaks, she showed, but tomorrow it is time to seize the day. I have my sights set on Carpe Diem, he has been my favorite for a long time. Before I get ahead of myself, we need to explore the history, traditions, contenders, and keep it fun.
The Kentucky Derby was ran at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky for the first time in 1875. It is the only race in the Triple Crown that has run consecutively since its beginning. It is also the youngest of the 3 races. The Preakness started in 1867 and took time off from 1891 to 1893. The Belmont began in 1873 but took a break from 1911 to 1912. The first Triple Crown winner, Sir Barton, ran in 1919.
The Derby is also called The Run for the Roses. The winning horse has received a garland of roses since 1896. The drink of choice is the distinctive, but not delicious, Mint Julep, consisting of bourbon and crushed mint, like booze and toothpaste, yuk. The pie, named for the day, is quite yummy and when I start making You Tube videos I am going to share my version with you. I plan to start the You Tube thing soon as I just got a book on it. The song, of course is, “My Old Kentucky Home”. The fastest Derby horse ever clocked was Secretariat in 1971. Only one other horse has beat the 2 minute mark. That happened in 2001 with Monarchos. This race is 1 and 1/4 miles (10 furlongs) on the dirt. It will be the 11th race of the day at Churchill. The purse is 2 million dollars. There will be 4 trophies issued. A gold trophy goes to the winner and a silver one for each the jockey, trainer, and owner. The side depicts a horseshoe and the top has a mounted horse. Don’t forget the hats. Ladies, be creative. Spend big, make a fashion statement, or make your own hat. Be on the lookout for markdown hats in the Fall and Winter then custom design your hat to match your dress, with a stop at your favorite hobby shop. Go from drab to fab if your mom is good with a glue gun, wire cutters and thread.
Finally, lets get to the horses! Listed by post position the Derby will feature:
Ocho Ocho Ocho
Carpe Diem
Materiality
Tencendur
Danzig Moon
Mubtaahij
scratch
Dortmund
Bolo
Firing Line
scratch
scratch
Itsaknockout
Keen Ice
Frosted
War Story
Mr. Z.
American Pharoah
Upstart
Far Right
Frammento
American Pharoah is the favorite. He lost his first start but has not been defeated since, he is a speed horse but he has to cut to the rail from a great deal away. He is the reining juvenile champion. He is owned by Zayat Stables just as Mr. Z is. They are running side by side and he is also a speed horse. They do have different trainers, the 1st is Bob Baffert ,who took all of his fillies out of the Oaks, and the later is D. Wayne Lukas.
Dortmund is the 2nd favorite. He is sired by 2008 Derby winner Big Brown. He has the experience of 6 races including this very track where he won by over 7 lengths. He is running undefeated, as is Materiality. Only 7 undefeated horses have ever won the Derby. Dortmund is trained by Baffert, as is the favorite. He is also a fan of the speed. I like his position better too. He is one of 3 California horses in the race, including Firing Line and Bolo. Firing Line is also known for speed and finished close 2nd twice to Dortmond but also set a track record for 1 and 1/8 miles at the Sunland Derby of just 1 minute and 47 seconds. He is a steady runner. Bolo, has finished third to Dortmund twice this year.
Carpe Diem and Materiality also have to come out side by side under the same trainer, Todd Pletcher, but are owned by separate groups. Both speed horses they have to be careful not to get in each others way. Carpe Diem has won 4 of 5 races and was 2nd only in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, he has shown a lot of versatility in his races. DanzigMoon trailed him at 2nd place in the Bluegrass Stakes. Materiality was the winner of the Florida Derby.
Ocho Ocho Ocho will also speed early. He is sired by 2007 Derby winner, Street Sence. He is right on the rail, so that should get him out in front but I do not think he can keep up the pace for the duration. Far Right isn’t as far out to the right as he was positioned before Pletcher scratched a third horse, and yet another last minute scratch. He is a deep closer, perhaps the strongest closer, so he can probably handle his position. He has run second to American Pharaoh and will benefit from this race being a bit longer. International Star and Keen Ice are closers too. Keen Ice has run third to International Star and looks to be a longshot. He is owned by the lovely Irish, Donegal Racing. International Star is so experienced with 20 to 1 wins. He is sired by 2000 Derby winer, Fusaichi Pegasus. He won the Louisiana Derby. He is owned by Ken and Sarah Ramsey, the winningest owners at both Churchill and Keeneland. Frammento was added in when Pletcher pulled a horse out. He has no stakes wins this year. He does have the experienced and derby winning Nick Zito for a trainer.
Frosted could be a pleasant surprise. He had surgery recently to improve his breathing and he is trained by Kiaran McLaughlin who is no newbie to the Derby or major racing. He has the same odds as Upstart, who ran second in the Florida Derby to Materiality.
Other long shots include Tencendur, Itsaknockout, and War Story. Tencendur runs with the pace. Itsaknockout lacks experience and was fourth by a distance in the Florida Derby. International Star has beat out War Story, also a closer, 3 times.
Mubtaahij may have done the best job of staying off the radar. No Middle East horses have won the Derby yet but he has a fighting chance. He is in a good post position. He has talent and won the United Arab Emirates Derby. This will be his first race in the United States.
I gave you my pick. My tipster opted out of a tip, this time, but shared a lot of materials. Two of my experienced and winning friends volunteered their favorite horse for this Derby. They say, go with Firing Line, with Mr. Prospector and Raise a Native on both sides of the pedigree. Looking at recent Derby winners, and his loss by a nose to Dortmund, after a bump, and again by just a nose, to the same, he is ready to win. In his last start he won by over 14 lengths! One winning Derby horse since 2010 has defaulted by this bloodline. That amazing freak of nature was Animal Kingdom in 2010.
As for the fun… I hope everyone does something special to enjoy the Kentucky Derby. Keeneland is hosting the world’s largest party and that is where I will be. Whatever you do, seize the day! Please, follow me on Twitter and Facebook, also ThoroughbredU. Go Carpe Diem! I leave you with 2 great songs:
TGIF rarely has held so much anticipation for me. I can not wait for this Friday, May 1, 2015 and 5:49 p.m. EST! The 141st running of the Kentucky Oaks is going to be a tough race. This Grade I stakes race on the dirt for 3 year old fillies of 1 and 1/8 miles with a million dollar purse is quite the championship of Thoroughbred racing. Who is your favorite? Let’s explore some history, review the contenders and have some fun with this contest of champions.
The Kentucky Oaks ran for the first time the 19th of May in 1875. The track was Churchill Downs, by the name of Louisville Jockey Club, in Louisville, Kentucky. This track first opened that same year and ran only 4 races, those included the Kentucky Oaks and the Kentucky Derby. These races are the only races that have been ran continuously at the same track and the oldest uninterrupted contests of all sports ever. The founder was Colonel Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr. His contribution to Thoroughbred racing history could be an entire post on its own. He developed many of the racing rules used today and his stakes racing design is the model the Breeders’ Cup uses. The Oaks is patterned after the British Epsom Oaks. The event is sponsored by Longines, a Swiss watch company, founded in 1832. The Oaks has several traditions. The song of choice is “My Old Kentucky Home” by Stephen Foster, in use as early as 1921. The flower is the Stargazer Lily. Kroger makes a blanket of theses flowers to place upon the winner. This tradition began in 1916 with roses but went to lilies thereafter. Lilies for the fillies! The lilies share the color of the event, pink! The Oaks partnered with Horses and Hope as well as Bright Pink. This is the 7th year this event is committed to supporting these charities that are devoted to breast and ovarian cancer. The drink of the day is the Oaks Lilly. Make one yourself by following the recipe here Oaks Lily . For a fabulous calorie saving and sober drink try a mocktail by substituting the vodka with your favorite sparkling water. The winner is presented with a sterling silver statue. This statue stands 25 inches tall and has a horseshoe on the top and 2 horse heads for handles. The statue is engraved with the name of each winner since the race 1st took place. The statue is kept year round in the Kentucky Derby Museum in Louisville. It was created in 1924. The winner is also presented with 12 sterling silver julep cups that are engraved too. In most cases these are broken up to be shared by the owner, trainer, jockey and more.
Fourteen horses will race tomorrow. This pool by post position is:
Forever Unbridled
Shook Up
Include Betty
Eskenformoney
Condo Commando
Angela Renee
Lovely Maria
I’m A Chatterbox
Money’soncharlotte
Oceanwave
Sarah Sis
Stellar Wind
Birdatthewire
Puca
Post Position goes from post #1 being the tracks inside rail to #14 being furthest towards the outside rail. Gates #2 through 10 tend to be preferred positions. It is good to keep close to the rail by the 1st turn but best to not get pinned in. It also matters if the horse is a speed horse or a closer where the best position may be.
The prep schedule for the Oaks began at Churchill Downs in September and ended in April at Keeneland, also in Kentucky. Keeneland featured 3 qualifying races. The horses were ranked on a points system. Most races were Grade I, II, or III. The points ranged from 10-4-2-1 (for win, place, show, or fourth) to 50-20-10-5 and 100-40-20-10 depending on the race. The top score makers are Condo Commando, I’m a Chatterbox, Stellar Wind, Birdatthewire, and Lovely Maria. These are actually the favorites this evening as well, but not in this order. The favorite is Stellar Wind. Larry Jones is the trainer of both post 7 and 8. He was pleased enough just saying “I’m not a good 13 person”, but it should be interesting to see how theses two top fillies compete. Todd Pletcher is training both 4 and 6. Horses 5,8, and 7 all come from the Storm Cat line of the great Secretariat. This line has never produced a Derby winner. The favorite, at post 12, is a Curlin daughter. Posts 2 and 10 are both grey beauties. Last year’s winning trainer with Untapable was Steve Asmussen who has post # 2 this time.
Thoroughbred U for me is my own racing industry study program. I hope you can learn from my blog as well. I am far from handicapping for others and my tipster sent me plenty of info but not a tip. I am going to go with #8, I’m a Chatterbox! This is my pick and not to be confused with a tip, this time.
Don’t forget to wear your pink! My mom and I custom designed a pink lily hat to match my dress. I will talk a bit more about hat design in my next post, all about the Kentucky Derby! Have fun tomorrow. I will be at Keenland’s party on the lawn to celebrate and watch the racing on some big screens.
Update: Lovely Maria, Shook Up and I’m A Chatterbox was the order of the day!
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!
So sorry to see the season end. Its time to focus on the Kentucky Derby now!
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:
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!
Dance Champion did score 1st place today! Hope all of you won bragging rights at the water cooler or better yet at a racetrack!
