Take A Peek At The Preakness

Keepmeinmind, racing in the Bluegrass Stakes, will compete in the 146th Preakness Stakes.
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Ram took the lead at the start of a maiden at Keenland this past Fall.  He will race in the 2021 Preakness Stakes.
Ram took the lead at the start of a maiden at Keenland this past Fall. He will race in the 2021 Preakness Stakes.

The middle of May brings the Middle Jewel Of The Triple Crown! Just two weeks after the Kentucky Derby the 146th Preakness Stakes is scheduled for Saturday, May 15th, 2021. The race will feature some contenders from the KY Derby as well as a few entries that bypassed The Run For The Roses. Read on to take at peek at this Preakness.

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Racing the Rebel: On the Road To The Kentucky Derby

Keeneland's Fall Stars Weekend hosted many BC berth races including a Kentucky Derby prep race, The Claiborne Breeders' Futurity.
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Keeneland's Fall Stars Weekend hosted many BC berth races including a Kentucky Derby prep race, The Claiborne Breeders' Futurity.  Super Stock and Keepmeinmind both picked up points in the race,
Keeneland’s Fall Stars Weekend hosted many BC berth races including a Kentucky Derby prep race, The Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity. Super Stock and Keepmeinmind both picked up points in the race.

Get ready for the Rebel, where they are racing for an opportunity to Run For The Roses! Eight are entered and half of the field will win points on the Road To The Kentucky Derby. This weekend there is only one KY Derby prep. All eyes will be on Oaklawn as the showdown is on. This race has a historical history of producing KY Derby starters and winners. Read along and don’t miss a furlong.

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Record Breaking, Ready and Abel – The Keenleland January Sale

Abel Tasman added another title to her list of achievements when she broke a sales record at Keeneland January Sale.
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Abel Tasman added another title to her list of achievements when she broke a sales record at Keeneland January Sale.
Abel Tasman added another title to her list of achievements when she broke a sales record at Keeneland January Sale.

The four day 2019 Keeneland January Horses Of All Ages Sale is underway and it started on the right hoof. Keeneland reported an increase in head sold with a higher gross amount and average price compared to session 1 in 2018. The sale topper was Abel Tasman. She sold for $5 million dollars! That is the top price for any broodmare prospect ever sold at a Keeneland January Sale. There were several nice offerings at the start of the Keeneland sale with some promising results.

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Kings Of Keeneland

Keeneland's paddock is beautiful.

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Lawn jockeys decorated with the winners of previous stakes decorate Keeneland.
Lawn jockeys decorated with the winners of previous stakes decorate Keeneland.

It’s been exactly one week since things really heated up at Keeneland racetrack in Lexington, KY.  The October meet opened Friday, October 5th and served up some hot temperatures and hotter stakes races.  Fall Stars Weekend delivered 10 stakes races.  Since then they have held another stakes as well.  What has sire power meant to Keeneland’s racetrack so far and who may we expect to win this weekend’s stakes?

 

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Should She Sweep the Susan? : Black-Eyed Susan Stakes

Opening Day at Pilmlico in Maryland preceding the 2018 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes.

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Opening Day at Pilmlico in Maryland preceding the 2018 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes.
Opening Day at Pilmlico in Maryland preceding the 2018 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes.

It is almost time for the middle jewel of the Filly Triple Crown!  Now repeat this triple times, “Should She Sweep the Susan, Should She Sweep the Susan, Should She Sweep the Susan?”  That is a hard question to ask and a harder one to answer.  Who will sweep the Susan?  I have a few ideas about the fillies entered in the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes.

 

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Olympian of the Outback: Winx!

Sydney, Australia home of the 2000 Summer Olympics and Winx!

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Sydney, Australia home of the 2000 Summer Olympics and Winx!
Sydney, Australia, home of the 2000 Summer Olympics and Winx!

As the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics started a few days ago, I quickly lost interest following the opening ceremony.  I wish all of the athletes luck in pursuit of their Olympic dreams but the featured sports are just not, “The Sport of Kings”.  I’ve never been to the Olympics and I am good with that.  The closest I have ever been to anything Olympic was this street art when I visited Sydney in September of 2011.  All the while, when I was checking out koalas and joeys, my favorite thing about Australia was foaling and I didn’t even know it.  Winx was born on 9/14/11 and racing has never been the same for Sydney or the world.  Winx is my favorite Olympian of the Outback!

 

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Lucky 13

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I am on pins and needles about all of the fun things going on this weekend.  I am a marshal in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade this Saturday!  It is March Madness time and I love the Kentucky Wildcats, go Big Blue Nation!  Finally, we have 2 of the 13 remaining Kentucky Derby prep races this Saturday too!

On March 12, 2016 we have the Tampa Bay Derby and the San Felipe Stakes.  We can watch some of our favorites and plenty of our less well known 3 year olds battle it out for KY Derby points to become one of the 20 contenders.  Each of these races will reward 50 points to the winner, 20 points for 2nd place, 10 points for third place and 5 points for the 4th place finisher.  Currently, Mohaymen is at the top of the leaderboard with 70 points followed by Gun Runner with 51 points and Shagaf with 50 points.  That being said, the winner of these races will take a nice jump near the top of the leaderboard.

The 36th Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby, Grade II,  will be held at Tampa Bay Downs in Florida, race 11,  at 5:24 P.M EST on 3/12/16.  The purse is $350,000 and the race is 8 and 1/2 furlongs on the dirt.  This race was inaugurated in 1981.  Last year’s winner, Carpe Diem, was my 2015 KY Derby pick.  However, he ran 10th and American Pharoah kept on winning!  In 2007 Street Sense won both the Tampa Bay and Kentucky Derbys.  Street Sense still holds the speed record for the Tampa Bay Derby.  This year, the Tampa Bay Derby has 10 horses in competition.  Riker and Brody’s Cause competed against each other before, as seen in the photo above, in the Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in 2015.  Currently, Destin has 1 point on the leaderboard.  Riker has 10 points and Brody’s Cause has 14.  The full field, by post position, followed by jockey and trainer, is as follows:

  1. Morning Fire – Daniel Centeno – Keith Nations
  2. Rafting – Edgar Prado – H. Graham Motion
  3. Outwork – John Velazquez – Todd Pletcher
  4. Economic Model – Irad Ortiz,Jr, – Chad Brown
  5. Star Hill – Julien Leparoux – George Arnold, II
  6. Riker – Florent Geroux – Mark Casse
  7. Destin – Javier Catellano – Todd Pletcher
  8. Brody’s Cause – Corey Lanerie – Dale Romans
  9. Tale Of S’avall – Joe Bravo – Barclay Tagg
  10. Awesome Banner – Antonio Gallardo – Stanley Gold

As a side note, tune in earlier, at 3:54 P.M. to see Silver Magnolia in the Florida Oaks, race 8 and at 4:54 P.M. to watch Tepin in race 10, the Hillsborough Stakes, both at Tampa Bay.  Neither are  KY Derby prep races but Silver Magnolia won by 8 and 1/2 lengths in her last race at Tampa Bay.  While, Tepin is 5 years old and she is awesome.  She has won multiple graded stakes including the Breeder’ Cup Mile.  I really enjoy watching her.  The entire race card at Tampa Bay on Saturday should be fun.  It will be the biggest day of racing ever at that track.  Saturday is Festival Day at Tampa Bay with a total purse of $760,000.

Switch over to the West coast for the next KY Derby prep race at 6 P.M EST.  Watch the San Felipe Stakes, Grade II,  at Santa Anita in California, part of Big ‘Cap Day!  This is the 7th race on the card for Santa Anita on 3/12/16.  The purse is $400,000.  This 8 and 1/2  furlong race on dirt has 7 horses entered.  The San Felipe was inaugurated in 1935.  Consolidator owns this race’s speed record, established in 2005.  Dortmund won the San Felipe stakes in 2015 and then showed third in the KY Derby.  In 2014 California Chrome won both the San Felipe and the KY Derby!  Right now, I Will Score has 2 points towards the KY Derby.  Uncle Lino has 4 points, Exaggerator has 16 points and Mor Spirit already holds 24 points.  Exaggerator was in the pack photographed above as well.  I focused on Exaggerator and Mor Spirit in my last story, seen here:

A Pinch Of Luck

There are some strong contenders in the San Felipe Stakes field, listed here:

  1. Uncle Lino – Fernando Hernandez Perez – Gary Sherlock
  2. Danzing Candy Mike Smith – Clifford W. Sise, Jr.
  3. Mor Spirit -Gary L. Stevens – Bob Baffert
  4. Cupid – Martin Garcia – Bob Baffert
  5. I Will Score -Rafael Bejarano – Jerry Hollendorfer
  6. Smokey Image – Victor Espinoza – Carla Gaines
  7. Exaggerator – Kent J. Desormeaux – J. Keith Desormeaux

I am thrilled to see how these last lucky 13 KY Derby prep races resolve.  I hope you all have a great weekend at the races.  If you are lucky enough to see these races live, tell us about it.  I would love for you to share your stories.  Please, follow and like my pages on Facebook and Twitter.  Thank you in advance!

Update: Cupid has scratched.

 

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