I can hardly believe that it is just three weeks until the Kentucky Derby. The final major prep races are being run tomorrow, and some tough fields have turned out to compete for their spot in the Kentucky Derby. I suspect that we will see some great performances by top horses tomorrow, as well as some surprises. It's going to be a great set of races. Let's begin by looking over the Blue Grass Stakes.
BLUE GRASS STAKES (gr. I) ---- Keeneland, Race 10, April 10th
9 Furlongs (Synthetic)
You have to give credit to this group, they are going to provide us with a spectacular race tomorrow. The field of nine is very evenly matched, and I wouldn't be surprised to see anyone here win. (Okay, I would be surprised if Stately Victor won, but you get the idea.)
The nine furlong race is run at Keeneland, which has always had an interesting surface. Like most synthetic tracks, Keeneland's Polytrack seems to favor turf horses, but Keeneland's surface is just plain unusual. In 2009, the Blue Grass Stakes winner was General Quarters. He ended up tenth in the Derby. In 2008, the Blue Grass Stakes winner was Monba. He finished last. In 2007, it was Dominican who won the Blue Grass Stakes. He finished eleventh in the Derby. In 2006, the Blue Grass winner was Sinister Minister. He ended up sixteenth in the Kentucky Derby.
Of course, the track was odd even when it was dirt. In 2005, Bandini won the Blue Grass by six lengths and was well bet in the Kentucky Derby. He ended up nineteenth.
There seems to be a pattern here. It looks to me like the winner of the Blue Grass Stakes never fires in the Kentucky Derby. But let's take a look at the horses who were beaten in the Blue Grass Stakes. . .
In 2009, Hold Me Back finished second in the Blue Grass. Although he ran twelfth in the Derby, he did return to finish second behind Belmont Stakes winner Summer Bird in the Travers Stakes. Finishing fifth in the 2009 Blue Grass was Join in the Dance, who set the pace in that year's Derby before finishing seventh. Finishing seventh in the Blue Grass was Charitable Man, who went on to win the Peter Pan Stakes and finish fourth in the Belmont Stakes.
But wait, it gets better! In 2008, Cowboy Cal finished second in the Blue Grass Stakes. Although he finished well back in Kentucky, he went on to become an excellent grade I winning turf miler. Finishing tenth in that year's Blue Grass was Pyro, who failed to fire in the Kentucky Derby but went on to become a grade I winner.
In 2007, Street Sense lost the Blue Grass Stakes by a nose, but rebounded to win the Kentucky Derby. He then finished second by a nose in the Preakness and went on to win the Jim Dandy and the Travers.
And finally, in 2005, Closing Argument finished third in the Blue Grass Stakes, but returned to run second in the Kentucky Derby, beaten only a half a length at odds of 71-1.
So that's why I'm going to be watching the colts who are beaten tomorrow, as well as the winner. Now that my big statistic analysis is over, let's take a look at the entries.
The number one horse is Odysseus. The son of Malibu Moon comes into the Blue Grass off of a desperate nose win in last month's Tampa Bay Derby. Originally, Odysseus was here strictly to prep for the Triple Crown, but now it looks like he is going to need some additional earnings if he is going to make the Kentucky Derby. A top three finish, or perhaps even a top four finish, would be sufficient, but it is possible that he could be kept out of the Derby. The 7-2 morning line second choice will be ridden by Rajiv Maragh and will carry 123 pounds, the same as everybody else.
Then there is the number two horse First Dude. The son of Stephen Got Even ran fifth in last month's Florida Derby, and is returning only three weeks later for one last shot at getting the graded earnings necessary to make the Kentucky Derby. He was beaten by six and a quarter lengths in that race, but has a good shot at running better tomorrow. Four of his five career starts have been on dirt, but it is interesting to note that he has raced at Keeneland before, finishing second in his first start to Chief Counsel, who just finished fourth in the Lane's End Stakes two weeks ago, despite going seven wide turning for home. I believe that First Dude may be a serious sleeper. He will be ridden tomorrow by Ramon Dominguez, who has not ridden him since October last year.
This brings us to the number three horse Stately Victor. The son of Ghostzapper’s morning line odds are 30-1, but he does have Alan Garcia in the saddle. He has been racing in allowance races lately, and not very well. It would be a huge surprise if he was to win, but you never know what might happen. Perhaps he can go wire-to-wire.
Now we come to the number four horse Make Music for Me. I have liked this colt for many months now, and am looking forward to seeing him race tomorrow. The son of Bernstein comes in to the Blue Grass off of a win in the Pasadena Stakes on the turf at Santa Anita. It was the colt’s first victory, although he had been running in, and running well, in more than one grade I stakes last year. He will be ridden by Mike Smith.
Then there is the number five horse Codoy. The son of Bernstein finished first in the John Battaglia Memorial Stakes last February before being disqualified for extensive interference. He is the 30-1 morning line longshot, along with Stately Victor. Codoy will be ridden by John Velazquez.
This brings us to the number six horse Pleasant Prince. The son of Indy King is the morning line favorite, and actually didn't intend to run in this race. In his last start, he lost the Florida Derby by a nose. Had he won, he would have been trained up to the Kentucky Derby. But because he has only $162,500 in graded earnings, it looks as though he will be kept out of the Derby unless he picks up some money here tomorrow. It's not going to be great, running three times in six weeks, but it's not as bad as it could be. He has been training very sharply, and will be ridden by Julien Leparoux.
Now we come to the number seven horse Paddy O'Prado. The son of El Prado has not raced since winning the grade III Palm Beach Stakes on March 6th. His run in that race was very impressive, as he raced very close to the lead through excellent fractions before drawing off to win by two and a half, running the mile and an eighth in 1:45 2/5, a very, very good time. Finishing second in that race was Dean's Kitten, who has gone on to win the Lane's End Stakes. Despite the fact that Paddy O'Prado has 10-1 morning line odds, I think that he is one of the major contenders and will definitely be in the mix. He will be ridden by Kent Desormeaux, who has won three Kentucky Derbies.
Then there is the number eight horse Aikenite. The son of Yes It's True has not raced since finishing third to Eskendereya in the Fountain of Youth, but that is certainly not an effort to be ashamed of. The seven week layoff coming to this race is a bit of a concern, but he should be ready to fire a big one. He has shown that he likes this track, as he fell only a half length short last year of catching Noble's Promise in the grade I Breeders Futurity. With morning line odds of 4-1, he has a big chance at upsetting Pleasant Prince, especially with Garrett Gomez in the saddle.
Finally, we come to the number nine horse Interactif. The son of Broken Vow has been very consistent, but has not won a race since the Bourbon Stakes last October. Since then, he has finished a close third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, second in the Hallandale Beach Stakes, and second in the San Felipe Stakes. The latter was his first race on a synthetic track, and he fell only a half length short of catching top Kentucky Derby hopeful Sidney's Candy. Interactif certainly has the pedigree to go a mile and a quarter, and he has a pedigree that reads dirt, but I think that he is at his best on turf. Anyway, he will be ridden tomorrow by Rafael Bejarano.
So, who do I like? It's tough to pick a favorite. I would love to see every runner win. I will be personally rooting for Odysseus, because I would love to see him in the Kentucky Derby, but here are my selections. . .
1 Aikenite
2 Interactif
3 Make Music for Me
4 Pleasant Prince
5 Odysseus
6 First Dude
7 Paddy O'Prado
8 Codoy
9 Stately Victor
Man, that was tough. The field for this race is incredible. But as much as I like Odysseus, and as much as I like him for the Kentucky Derby, I don't think that he is going to take to the synthetics. I feel the same way about First Dude, even though he has run here before. I can see Paddy O'Prado winning tomorrow, but I just have the suspicion that he isn't going to repeat his Palm Beach Stakes run here tomorrow. I think that this is going to be a Todd Pletcher sweep, with his two colts running one-two, just like Monba and Cowboy Cal did in 2008. I love Make Music for Me, and I have been following his career since last December, but I just don't know if he is good enough to handle this group. So my actual selections: Aikenite and Interactif. Sentimental selections: Odysseus and Make Music for Me.
Now lets move on to the Arkansas Derby.
ARKANSAS DERBY (gr. I) ---- Oaklawn Park, Race 9, April 10th
9 Furlongs (Dirt)
No matter which way you look at it, the Arkansas Derby is going to be one of the best in many years. Not only is the field top class, but it is evenly matched. Nine fabulous colts have turned out for at shot at the $1,000,000 purse. Nine of those colts are winners. Six of them are stakes placed. Four of them are stakes winners. Three of them are graded stakes winners. Two of them are grade I winners. One of them is an Eclipse award finalist. One great field. I would not be surprised at all to see the Kentucky Derby winner emerge from this race. Let's take a closer look at who's running. . .
The number one horse is Super Saver. The son of Maria's Mon is the morning line favorite, and has been extremely consistent so far, never finishing worse than fourth in five races. As a matter of fact, he has only finished fourth once, when he was beaten two lengths for all the money in the grade I Champagne Stakes. He comes into the Arkansas Derby off of a third place finish, beaten only a half a length, in the Tampa Bay Derby behind Odysseus and Schoolyard Dreams. He will be ridden by Calvin Borel, who rode him to his best victory in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes last year. He will likely set the pace tomorrow, and will definitely be in the mix. He will carry 122 pounds, the same as Dublin, Noble's Promise, and Uh Oh Bango will carry. All of the other entries will carry 118 pounds.
This brings us to the number two horse Dublin. The son of Afleet Alex won the Hopeful Stakes last year before running poorly in the Champagne Stakes and the Iroquis Stakes. However, it was discovered that he had a breathing problem, which explained his poor showings. It was corrected a few months ago, and since then he has been racing very well, running second to Conveyance in the Southwest Stakes and third in the Rebel Stakes behind Lookin at Lucky and Noble's Promise. His trainer, D. Wayne Lukas, has won thirteen Triple Crown races, and I would love to see him add one more. A win tomorrow would certainly make Dublin one of the favorites for the Kentucky Derby. He will be ridden by Terry Thompson, who has been riding quite well at Oaklawn lately. It is also interesting to note that Dublin was born in April, so he will just be turning three this month. I think we will see a great run from him tomorrow.
Now we come to the morning line second choice, who I believe will be the favorite by the time they get to the gate. The colt is Noble's Promise. The son of Cuvee has been even more consistent than Super Saver, never finishing worse than third in third in seven races. He has won three of those races, and finished second in another three. He would have been the champion two year old male last year had Lookin at Lucky not been around. Noble's Promise has run behind Lookin at Lucky in each of their three meetings. But now he has a chance to emerge from the champion's shadow and prove himself to be Kentucky Derby caliber. He will be ridden by Robby Albarado, who I'm sure will get a good run out of him, but Noble's Promise does have stamina issues. He is not bred to get a mile and a quarter and it's possible that a mile and an eighth is out of his range. We'll see what he does tomorrow.
Then there is the number four horse Northern Giant. The son of Giant's Causeway looks bred to go a mile and a quarter, but graded earnings are a concern. Currently sitting with $127,000, he would need to finish first, second, or possibly third to get into the Kentucky Derby. He enters the Arkansas Derby off of a runner up performance to Dean's Kitten in the Lane's End Stakes just two weeks ago. He may be coming back a little quick, but perhaps he can handle it. He is trained by D. Wayne Lukas, which make him Dublin's stablemate. He will be ridden tomorrow, for the first time, by Victor Espinoza. If the track turns up sloppy tomorrow, (it doesn't look like it will) I don't think anyone can beat him.
This brings us to the number five horse Uh Oh Bango. The son of Top Hit may be just a bit below the top three year old form but has been very consistent, like many of the other horses in this race. He comes into the Arkansas Derby off of a fourth place finish behind Lookin at Lucky, Noble's Promise, and Dublin in the Rebel Stakes, beaten six and three quarter lengths. However, he has the potential to improve off of that effort, as it was his first start in over three months. He might just surprise everyone and throw in a winning run. He will be ridden by Shaun Bridgmohan.
Now we come to the number six horse New Madrid. The son of Rock Hard Ten has a very nice pedigree, and has been racing rather well lately. He has only raced three times. In his debut last November at Churchill Downs, he was knocked off stride and failed to threaten while finishing sixth. In his next race, however, he ran quite well, coming four wide to finish second in a maiden race at Oaklawn Park behind Endorsement, who went on to win the Sunland Derby. In his last start, he succeeded in breaking his maiden, winning a one mile and a sixteenth maiden race by a length and a quarter over Tiz Dangerous. He does appear to be several notches below top three year old form, but he is trained by Tim Ice, who won the Belmont Stakes last year with Summer Bird. Anyway, New Madrid will be ridden by A. Castellano Jr.
Then there is the number seven horse Berberis. The son of Southern Image did not race at two, but began his career on January 3rd in a six furlong maiden race at Fair Grounds. He raced far back for much of the race, but rallied to take second, two lengths behind the winner What's New. In his second start, at a mile and a sixteenth, he stayed closer to the pace, but was caught three wide on both turns and ended up third behind Fast Alex and Elkhorn Creek. However, he was only beaten a length and a quarter for the win, and it came as no surprise when he did break his maiden in his next race. Running a mile and forty yards on a slow track at Fair Grounds, he once again came from far back to win by just under two lengths, defeating Capote Ruler and Elkhorn Creek. Like New Madrid, he would really have to step up to be in the mix tomorrow, but it's possible that he might. He will be ridden for the first time by A. Gryder, and is trained by Steven Asmussen, who trained 2007 Preakness winner Curlin and 2009 Preakness winner Rachel Alexandra.
This brings us to the number eight horse Line of David. The son of Lion Heart has been rather impressive lately, although his only two wins have come on turf. He seems to be improving, and will likely challenge Super Saver for the early lead. His last two races, both wins, have come in wire-to-wire fashion, and he has been keeping some pretty decent company. It is possible that he could contend tomorrow. He will be ridden for the first time by J. Court.
Finally, we come to the number nine horse Pulsion. The son of Include had always been a deep closer, that is, until his last race. In the Florida Derby, he broke sharply a set the pace for three quarters of a mile before giving in to Rule, and eventually fading to sixth. However, the pace he set that day was very fast, and he will likely get a slower on today. If he sticks with his new running style, he might just be able to hold off everybody. He will be ridden by Corey Nakatani, who rode him for the first time in the Florida Derby.
Those are all of the entries. Now I've just got to put them in the order I think they will finish, which is easier said than done.
After much thought, here are my selections. . .
1 Noble's Promise
2 Dublin
3 Super Saver
4 Pulsion
5 Northern Giant
6 Uh Oh Bango
7 Line of David
8 Berberis
9 New Madrid
It was tough to put them in order, but I'm confident that I got it right. I can't see anybody beating Noble's Promise at this distance, although I will be cheering for Dublin to catch him. As I have said on prior posts, Dublin is my Kentucky Derby pick, but I just don't see him catching Noble's Promise. Super Saver has obvious talent, but like Noble's Promise, has a few stamina questions. I think that Northern Giant is coming back a little fast, and that he may not be quite as good as the others. So my actual pick is Noble's Promise, but I will be cheering for Dublin and Northern Giant.
OTHER RACES TO WATCH
Although I am running out of time, I'll take a minute to mention a few other interesting races that are being run today.
An interesting field has turned out for the Comely Stakes at Aqueduct. The one mile grade III race for three year old fillies drew the undefeated She'll Be Doggone, as well as stakes placed C C's Pal and Indian Burn. It should be an interesting race, and may affect the outcome of the Kentucky Oaks. She'll Be Doggone looks tough to beat, but I believe that Volare Cantare can give her a run for her money.
Then there is the Instant Racing Stakes at Oaklawn Park. The one mile race for three year old fillies drew an eight horse field, but Tiz Miz Sue has scratched, leaving only seven running. The heavy morning line favorite at even money is Decelerator, who I think deserves to be the favorite. Bell's Shoes and Washington Bridge are expected to be her biggest threats, but I wouldn't ignore Best Reward either.
Finally, there is the nine furlong La Puente Stakes at Santa Anita. On turf for three year olds, the race drew a field of nine horses before Coloursoftheglen scratched, reducing the field to eight. The morning line favorite in this tight race is Fantastic Pick at 7-2. Then there's Ace of Aces at 4-1, Lucky Race at 9-2, and Dream Nettie at 5-1. Personally, I like Runaway Bandido, with his 6-1 morning line odds. I just have this feeling that he is sitting on a big race. Also, at 15-1, El Mirage King is worth a shot. He might just be in the mix.
And that is all. Now I shall quickly recap the races that were run last week, beginning with the Wood Memorial.
RACE RESULTS
The Wood Memorial was supposed to be a close race. Four of the six entries appeared to be very evenly matched. I figured the top four finishers would be separated by about three or four lengths.
Boy was I wrong.
As it turned out, it was all about Eskendereya, who destroyed the field with amazing ease, winning by nine and three quarter lengths. In his dust, Jackson Bend outfought Awesome Act for second, with Schoolyard Dreams, my personal pick, fourth.
So here are the results. . .
1 Eskendereya
2 Jackson Bend
3 Awesome Act
4 Schoolyard Dreams
5 Carnivore
6 Most Happy Fella
. . . versus my selections.
1 Schoolyard Dreams
2 Eskendereya
3 Awesome Act
4 Jackson Bend
5 Carnivore
6 Most Happy Fella
As it turns out, Jackson Bend proved to me once again that he is tougher than I thought. He just wouldn't let Awesome Act pass him for the place. Schoolyard Dreams, I'm afraid, just failed to fire the way I thought he would. But congratulations to Eskendereya, Todd Pletcher, John Velazquez, etc. They now how the probable Kentucky Derby favorite. However, I still don't think that Eskendereya is going to win the Kentucky Derby. I know that I am part of the minority, but I am just not convinced that he is a super horse. We'll see what happens this May.
Now I turn my attention to the Santa Anita Derby, and the disaster that happened there.
The race was anything but free of traffic. The winner was Sidney's Candy, who definitely ran a winning race. He won by four and a half lengths, with Setsuko and Lookin at Lucky in second and third. But the latter had a nightmare trip which was quite possibly the worst I have ever seen.
First, he had trouble at the start. He was squeezed coming down the homestretch for the first time, squeezed one or two times after that, but the real disaster was on the final turn. Who's Up, under Victor Espinoza, came in on Lookin at Lucky and caused Garrett Gomez, Lookin at Lucky's jockey, to pull the colt up sharply. For most horses, it would have been a disaster, and it might have caused a fall. But despite dropping back considerably and losing all of his momentum, Lookin at Lucky still re-rallied in between horses and got up in time to save third. Caracortado, who was directly behind Lookin at Lucky when the latter stumbled, was forced to back up and circle the entire field. While doing so, Setsuko took his path, forcing Caracortado to alter course once again. Still, he managed to rally for fourth. There was a steward's inquiry about the incident on the final turn, but no changes were made to the final order of finish.
So here are the final results. . .
1 Sidney's Candy
2 Setsuko
3 Lookin at Lucky
4 Caracortado
5 Skipshot
6 Alphie's Bet
7 Thomas Baines
8 Posse Power
9 Who's Up
10 Cardiff Giant
. . . versus my selections.
1 Lookin at Lucky
2 Caracortado
3 Alphie's Bet
4 Sidney's Candy
5 Who's Up
6 Setsuko
7 Skipshot
8 Posse Power
9 Cardiff Giant
10 Thomas Baines
So, I was wrong about just about everything. It's hard to say if I would have been closer had the race been run cleanly, but the fact is, it wasn't. After the race, it was announced that Garrett Gomez had punched Victor Espinoza, possibly more than once, for causing the incident on the far turn. One thing led to another and Victor Espinoza was suspended for three days and Garrett Gomez received a $750 fine. I won't type out everything that happened, but it sounded wild.
Now I shall quickly discuss the Illinois Derby.
The five hundred thousand dollar race, grade III this year rather than grade II, had drawn what I thought was a very evenly matched field, but at the wire only two mattered. They were American Lion amd Yawanna Twist. They were eleven and one quarter lengths in front of the other six runners, obviously the best.
The winner was American Lion. The son of Tiznow had been running rather poorly out in California on the synthetic tracks, but came east to try dirt for the first time. He responded with a wire-to-wire victory. Yawanna Twist, who was never worse than third through out, made a run at him turning for him and as the hit the top of the stretch it looked like he was going to go right by. But American Lion proved tough and turned him away before drawing off to a two and three quarter length victory. Backtalk finished third, a neck in front of Turf Melody.
So here are the final results. . .
1 American Lion
2 Yawanna Twist
3 Backtalk
4 Turf Melody
5 Dave in Dixie
6 Boulder Creek
7 Stephen's Got Hope
8 Game Ball
. . . versus my selections.
1 Backtalk
2 American Lion
3 Yawanna Twist
4 Dave in Dixie
5 Turf Melody
6 Stephen's Got Hope
7 Game Ball
8 Boulder Creek
I was close, but not quite on. It is obvious to me that Backtalk's workout did him in, for he ran like a tired horse. I expect him to rebound nicely in his next race, which might just be the Kentucky Derby. As for American Lion, congratulations. Some have made note of his poor final time (1:51 1/5 for a mile and an eighth) but I heard that they were running into a stiff wind, which undoubtedly slowed them down a bit.
So, it was a good race. Now let's take a look at some of the smaller races that were run over the last week.
OTHER RACE RESULTS
To begin, there was the Bay Shore Stakes. The seven furlong race for three year olds at Aqueduct drew Eightyfiveinafifty, who was last seen going through the outer rail at the same track while attempting to run in the Whirlaway Stakes. He came back in a big way on the undercard of the Wood Memorial, starting just a bit slowly but racing up to take the lead and never look back. He won by two and a half lengths as the heavy favorite, running his seven furlongs in an excellent 1:21 4/5. His next race will be the Derby Trial Stakes, and should he win there, the Kentucky Derby. Very, very interesting.
Then there was the Ashland Stakes at Keeneland. The favorite for the mile and a sixteenth three year old filly race was She Be Wild, champion two year old filly last year, but in the end, she was upset by Evening Jewel and It's Tea Time. The former won in wire-to-wire fashion, just holding off the latter by a neck. It was another three quarters of a length back to She Be Wild. Second choice Negligee, who was making her three year old debut, finished a dull seventh.
I should also mention the Beaumont Stakes, run at Keeneland on the seventh. The about seven furlong race for three year old fillies was won by Franny Freud, who was sent off as the heavy favorite. She won by nearly five lengths, defeating Chantilly Nayla and Diva Delite. All three of them may head to the Kentucky Oaks.
Then there was the nine furlong Providencia Stakes at Santa Anita Park. For three year old fillies, the favorite was In the Slips, but as it turned out, she was upset by City to City and Andina. The formed won the race in off-the-pace fashion, steadily moving up from eighth to defeat Andina by a half length. It was another length back to In the Slips. Cozi Rosie, the slight second choice, finished seventh. City to City may be one to watch in the Kentucky, should she go.
Now I come to a race which may eventually affect the Triple Crown Trail, but if so, not for many months. The race was a four and a half furlong maiden race for two year old fillies at Keeneland, and the winner was Nina Fever, who broke poorly but raced up to take the early lead a never look back. At the top of the stretch, she led by five, and by the time she hit the finish line she was in front by eight. Keeping My Focus rallied for second at 28-1, with Tristanme coming home third. Who knows? Perhaps Nina Fever will become a great filly, and will one day be compared to Zenyatta! But for now, she is the first winner for her sire Borrego. Good job Borrego!
Then there was the seven furlong Ocala Breeders' Sales Sophomore Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs for three year old colts. The winner was Thank U Philippe, a fine colt who I have always been fond of. He won the race in come from behind fashion by a neck, with My Charming Clyde coming in second and Good Lord third. No Shenanigans finished fourth, only a length and a half away from Thank U Philippe. It was another fourteen and a quarter lengths back to the fifth place finisher, Black Diamond Cat. El Wildcat and Bad Medicine trailed.
I should also mention the mile and a sixteenth Dayton Andrews Dodge Sophomore Turf Stakes for three year old colts. Run at Tampa Bay Downs, the winner was Thunder Brew, who just held off Gator Tiger for a three quarter length victory. Saint Jude finished another half length back in third, while only a neck in front of Family Foundation. The race was so close that Battle Music, who finished seventh, was only three and three quarter lengths away from the winner! Although I highly doubt that this will affect the outcome of the Triple Crown, you never know where a good horse could come from, so I mention it anyway.
Now we come to the seven furlong Stonehedge Farm South Sophomore Fillies Stakes for three year old fillies. Run at Tampa Bay Downs, the winner was Dash With Ashley, the co-second choice. With a strong bid on the outside, she came from sixth to score a four length victory. Favored Island Time finished second, a head in front of Joanie's Catch. None of the others ever really threatened.
Now I come down to a set of two allowance races, one at Woodbine and one at Keeneland. The first one, at Woodbine, was a five furlong race for three year old colts. The slight favorite was Western Smoke, with Wildcat Frankie the second choice. Wildcat Frankie set the pace for much of the race, and had a length and a half lead as they turned for home, but he was unable to hold off Fastin Bear, who came from last at the after three eighths of a mile to score a three quarter length victory. Wildcat Frankie came home second, with Teton Pass in third. Legal Review finished fourth, and Western Smoke was last of five.
The second allowance race, this one at Keeneland, was a mile and a sixteenth race for three year old colts. A great big field of eleven turned out, with Our Douglas the favorite and Raging Wit the second choice. The race was very unusual, as Raging Wit opened up a twenty length lead after a half mile, which rapidly shrunk to nothing. He ended up seventh. As for Our Douglas, he made a bold move while four wide, but fell a neck short of upset winner Harken Up. Beau Choix, at 10-1, finished third. Worldly, who had been racing in graded stakes races, finished fourth. Becky's Kitten was fifth.
And finally, FINALLY, I come to the last race. That race was the Apple Blossom Handicap. I won't discuss it thoroughly right now, (I intend to write an entire post about it) but for now I will say that the great mare Zenyatta is 16-for-16 and she ran her most impressive race ever today. Wow.
So, that's all I have to say. Enjoy the races!
-Keelerman
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