WARNING: DO NOT READ UNLESS YOU HAVE A LOT OF TIME ON YOUR HANDS. I AM ABOUT TO RECAP WHAT HAS HAPPENED OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, AS WELL AS WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN THIS WEEKEND. THIS COULD EASILY GO OVER FIVE THOUSAND WORDS.
That said, allow me to begin. . .
A lot of things have happened since I last posted. The 2010 Preakness Stakes is in the history books, the Dwyer Stakes, Lone Star Derby, and many other good stakes races are over, and the Belmont Stakes field has already been sorted out pretty well.
I'll begin by recapping the Preakness Stakes, which was by far the biggest race run during the past couple of weeks.
PREAKNESS STAKES RECAP
The year 2010 had been fairly predictable up until May 15th. Todd Pletcher wins this, Todd Pletcher wins that, or, look at that! Another three year old stakes winner for Todd! Todd, Todd, Todd! For the first time, Todd Pletcher stood in the winner’s circle of the Kentucky Derby. He had the winners of the Wood Memorial, Fountain of Youth, Louisiana Derby, Lexington Stakes, Risen Star Stakes, El Camino Real Derby, Bonnie Miss Stakes, Tampa Bay Derby, and three year old runners had placed in many more graded stakes races. His Derby winner Super Saver looked incredible coming into the Preakness. There was no possible way that he finish out of the top three in the second leg of the Triple Crown.
The only horse given a good chance at beating him was Lookin at Lucky, but it wasn't supposed to happen. Sure, Lookin at Lucky could win, but it was fact that the two year old champion had been dethroned.
It took Lookin at Lucky just under two minutes to reclaim the status as king of his crop.
Under an excellent ride from new jockey Martin Garcia, Lookin at Lucky finally got lucky, stayed out of traffic, and outfought two game colts to the wire in the Preakness Stakes. Unfortunately, neither of those two colts were Super Saver. The Derby champion came up empty on the far turn and finished eighth, beaten nearly twelve lengths.
The early stages of the race defied logic. Much to everyone's surprise, First Dude, the third longest shot in the field of twelve, raced right to the front to open up a length and a half lead. Super Saver, breaking from gate eight, got away cleanly and took up the chase. Unlike in the Derby, where he sat up to eight lengths off the lead, the colt was sent right up to pressure First Dude on the outside. I thought that he was in a pretty good position until I saw the first quarter mile fractions. :22 4/5. At the point, I knew the race was over for him.
Meanwhile, Jackson Bend, who had finished twelfth in the Derby, was racing along in third on the rail, where Super Saver probably should have been. Caracortado was running well in fourth, but he was stuck four wide. Yawanna Twist and Lookin at Lucky were racing together in sixth, with Yawanna Twist down along the rail taking the turn very well. The latter had been in tight at the start, and had to steady at the seven furlong marker, but had still gotten himself into a good position just behind Jackson Bend. Then it was Paddy O'Prado in seventh, with Schoolyard Dreams, Northern Giant, Aikenite, Pleasant Prince, and Dublin trailing the field. Dublin, who has always drifted out at the break, had an absolutely horrible start, drifting all the way to the outside while losing many lengths before Garrett Gomez convinced him to go back to the other rail. At this point, the race was just about over for him.
So the race continued on. After a half mile in :46 2/5, I was ready to scream. Why is Super Saver so close to the lead!? The fractions were blazing! At this point, I glanced through the field and made a prediction --- the top four finishers would be First Dude, Lookin at Lucky, Jackson Bend, and Yawanna Twist, in any order. Yes, First Dude was setting a solid pace, but I felt that he had a way better chance at hanging on the Super Saver did.
With three furlongs to go, I saw those red colors moving on the outside. Caracortado was moving with them. Super Saver was being asked for more but he wasn't responding. And First Dude still had the lead! Jackson Bend was in the mix, and perhaps the best horse, but he was still looking for racing room. And Yawanna Twist was right there as well!
Into the homestretch and four horses put together a thrilling duel to the wire. At the eighth pole, it was Lookin at Lucky on top by a half length. First Dude was refusing to give up and still had a chance. Yawanna Twist had suddenly appeared from nowhere and was closely willingly, while Jackson Bend had finally found some racing room and was coming on strongly.
Down to the finish they come and I'm cheering for Lookin at Lucky and Jackson Bend. Yawanna Twist was beginning to tire, and First Dude just wouldn't give up. But in the end, Lookin at Lucky proved once again how tough he was, hanging on for a three quarter length victory. The final time was 1:55.47. First Dude held off a rallying Jackson Bend for second, while the latter closed strongly for third. And he probably would have won if he had found racing room a bit sooner.
But he didn't. So Lookin at Lucky came through and gave Bob Baffert his fifth Preakness victory, his ninth win in a Triple Crown race overall, and his first since War Emblem's Preakness win in 2002.
And so now I guess that it is time to compare my Preakness picks to the actual order of finish.
Here are the results. . .
1 Lookin at Lucky
2 First Dude
3 Jackson Bend
4 Yawanna Twist
5 Dublin
6 Paddy O'Prado
7 Caracortado
8 Super Saver
9 Schoolyard Dreams
10 Aikenite
11 Pleasant Prince
12 Northern Giant
. . . and here were my "Official Picks". . .
1 Super Saver
2 Caracortado
3 Lookin at Lucky
4 Jackson Bend
5 Dublin
6 Schoolyard Dreams
7 First Dude
8 Paddy O'Prado
9 Yawanna Twist
10 Pleasant Prince
11 Aikenite
12 Northern Giant
. . . my "Gut Feeling" picks. . .
1 Super Saver
2 Schoolyard Dreams
3 Caracortado
4 Aikenite
5 Pleasant Prince
6 Yawanna Twist
7 Dublin
8 Lookin at Lucky
9 Jackson Bend
10 Paddy O'Prado
11 First Dude
12 Northern Giant
. . . my "Average Beyer Speed Figure" picks. . .
1 Yawanna Twist
2 Super Saver
3 Lookin at Lucky
4 Caracortado
5 Dublin
6 Jackson Bend
7 Aikenite
8 Schoolyard Dreams
9 First Dude
10 Paddy O'Prado
11 Pleasant Prince
12 Northern Giant
. . . my "Highest Beyer Speed Figure in Last Race" picks. . .
1 Super Saver
2 Paddy O'Prado
3 Aikenite
4 Lookin at Lucky (DH)
5 Yawanna Twist (DH)
6 Dublin
7 Schoolyard Dreams
8 Caracortado
9 First Dude
10 Pleasant Prince
11 Jackson Bend
12 Northern Giant
. . . and my "Random" picks.
1 Aikenite
2 Paddy O'Prado
3 First Dude
4 Schoolyard Dreams
5 Yawanna Twist
6 Jackson Bend
7 Dublin
8 Lookin at Lucky
9 Pleasant Prince
10 Super Saver
11 Caracortado
12 Northern Giant
My "Official Picks" actually weren't too bad. I had Dublin and Northern Giant in the right spots, and I was close with Pleasant Prince, Aikenite, Lookin at Lucky and Jackson Bend.
As I mentioned when I discussed the Preakness in a prior post, I loved First Dude and Yawanna Twist here, but I just couldn't put them in the top six. Obviously I should have, but I didn't. Oh well. . .
I don't think I will even discuss my "Gut Feeling" picks, as my gut feeling was dead wrong. It just goes to show that. . . that. . . hmm. . . well, I guess it doesn't show anything really.
Then there were my "Average Beyer Speed Figure" picks. They didn't do too bad, getting Dublin, Pleasant Prince, and Northern Giant in the right places, as well as being close on Lookin at Lucky and Schoolyard Dreams.
This brings us to my "Highest Beyer Speed Figure in Last Race" picks. It had Yawanna Twist in the right spot, dead heating for fourth, as well as Northern Giant, and it was close with Dublin, Caracortado, and Pleasant Prince, but it had a trifect the included the sixth, eighth, and tenth place finishers.
And then there were my "Random" picks, drawn out of a hat. In reality, however, the hat was my desk, where I had the names of all the entries written on pieces of paper. All I did was mix up those papers and pick them up at random. But anyway. . .
The random picks didn't do terribly. It predicted that Super Saver was going to run awful, and is actually had Northern Giant in the right spot. It was also close with Pleasant Prince, Dublin, Yawanna Twist, and First Dude. But it picked Aikenite to win. . .
So in conclusion, I shall point out a few interesting facts. First off, I posted five different lists of picks. All five of them had Northern Giant to run last. And Northern Giant ran last. . .
Secondly, I mentioned in a prior post that a horse who did not run in the Kentucky Derby runs well in the Preakness every year. This year, that horse was First Dude, who was coming out of the Blue Grass Stakes. It's a useful handicapping tool if you can identify which of those fresh horses will run well. Of course, if you can't, then it's useless, but whatever.
And finally, I'm going to hand out a couple of awards.
The award for best run in the Preakness goes to Dublin, who came from nowhere to finish fifth despite the terrible start. Congratulations to Dublin and his connections! Perhaps he will finish off that run next time.
The award for best losing effort goes to First Dude, who set brilliant fractions and still hung on for second.
And finally, the award for the saddest story goes to Garrett Gomez, who had ridden Lookin at Lucky in all of his prior starts before being replaced by Martin Garcia. Perhaps Lookin at Lucky wouldn't have won without Martin. But I will always remember that Garrett Gomez might have won his first Triple Crown race if not for the jockey switch. . .
And one last thing. I really enjoyed watching NBC's broadcast of the race. I thought they did great.
BLACK-EYED SUSAN RECAP
This was to be the race. After failing in the Fantasy Stakes and the Kentucky Oaks, Tidal Pool was due for her first stakes win. And how could you not pull for her? Her jockey is Calvin Borel and her trainer is D. Wayne Lukas. Her running style suited the track and she looked ready for a big win. The only thing that could stand in her way was the fact that she had raced only two weeks prior, and racing luck. There was nothing that could be done about the two weeks, but because of her running style, all she had to do to avoid traffic was break sharply and take the lead.
At the start, Tidal Pool stumbled and was unable to get to the lead. I knew the race was over for her, but I cheered for her anyway.
So in the early going, it was Khancord Kid who took the lead. She was followed closely by Acting Happy, Harissa, and Tidal Pool. Acting Happy, a 10-1 shot, was getting a perfect trip on the outside, while Harissa was being very stubborn about rating. Then it was two lengths back to C C's Pal, followed by Seeking the Title, Diva Delite, No Such Word, and Patriot Miss.
So after fractions of :23 3/5 and :47 2/5, it was still Khancord Kid. Acting Happy was right there, and Tidal Pool was still on the outside. Harissa had finally settled and dropped back a bit, and C C's Pal was moving closer. Seeking the Title, Diva Delite, No Such Word, and Patriot Miss were still trailing.
Then, with three and a half furlongs to go, things began to happen. And they weren't good. Diva Delite was making a run on the outside and clipped heels with C C's Pal, falling and throwing her jockey Julien Leparoux. Seeking the Title was unable to get out of the way in time and stumbled over Diva Delite, throwing Kent Desormeaux. Fortunately, both horses and both riders were okay. Julien Leparoux had a slight injury and will be resting for about two weeks, but otherwise everyone was fine.
Anyway, this left seven runners to dual it out, really six if you exclude Patriot Miss, who was hopelessly beaten by this point.
So into the homestretch they came and Tidal Pool had a narrow lead, but Acting Happy was moving strongly and had the lead at the eighth pole. No Such Word was closing strongly late, but was unable to get up for the win. Under the wire first was Acting Happy, with Jose Lezcano riding her. No Such Word finished second, Tidal Pool third, Harissa fourth, Khancord Kid fifth, C C's Pal sixth, Patriot Miss seventh. Seeking the Title and Diva Delite did not finish.
So here are the results. . .
1 Acting Happy
2 No Such Word
3 Tidal Pool
4 Harissa
5 Khancord Kid
6 C C's Pal
7 Patriot Miss
. . . versus my picks. (minus Seeking the Title and Diva Delite)
1 Tidal Pool
2 Harissa
3 Patriot Miss
4 C C's Pal
5 No Such Word
6 Acting Happy
7 Khancord Kid
As you can see, my longshot pick Patriot Miss did not pull through. Acting Happy proved me wrong and ran a great race, and so did No Such Word.
So congratulation to Acting Happy and her connections! It was an exciting race and I enjoyed it greatly. I can't wait to see where these fillies run next.
Oh, and one last note, I would pay attention to the three year old filly Streaker. Trained by Shug McGaughey, who trained Personal Ensign, the filly beat Acting Happy by three quarters of a length in an allowance race earlier this year. Acting Happy used that race as her final prep for the Black Eyed Susan. The Acorn Stakes is quite possibly Streaker's next start, so watch out.
PREAKNESS STAKES & BLACK EYED SUSAN STAKES UNDERCARD RECAPS
Once again, I had my picks for the undercard of the two big races, and I though I would repost my selections along with the results of each race and see how I did. I'll begin with the Preakness Stakes undercard.
MAY 15th
Race 1
Winner - Primary Witness
My Pick - Primary Witness
Race 2
Winner - Virsito
My Pick - Virsito
Race 3
Winner - Convoy Ahead
My Pick - Convoy Ahead
Race 4
Winner - Northpoint Costas
My Pick - Northpoint Costas
Race 5
Winner - Lighthouse Sound
My Pick - Macho Chick (ran 2nd)
Race 6
Winner - Comodero
My Pick - Comodero
Race 7
Winner - Beau Choice
My Pick - Beau Choice
Race 8
Winner - Blame
My Pick - Blame
Race 9
Winner - Rainbow View
My Pick - Rainboy View
Race 10
Winner - Taqarub
My Pick - Roaring Lion (ran 2nd)
Race 11
Winner - Strike a Deal
My Pick - Just as Well (ran 2nd)
Race 12
Winner - Lookin at Lucky
My Pick - Super Saver (ran 8th)
Race 13
Winner - Granted Ruler
My Pick - Granted Ruler
MAY 14th
Race 1
Winner - Call of a Lion
My Pick - Yogi'ssplashofgold (ran 3rd)
Race 2
Winner - With Purpose
My Pick - Swear Alliegence (ran 2nd)
Race 3
Winner - My Bullet
My Pick - California Cool (ran 9th)
Race 4
Winner - Honor in Peace
My Pick - Honor in Peace
Race 5
Winner - Alwaysacontest
My Pick - Back to Therapy (ran 2nd)
Race 6
Winner - Starfish Bay
My Pick - Canadian Ballet (ran 5th)
Race 7
Winner - Squabble
My Pick - Dixieland Melody (ran 3rd)
Race 8
Winner - Central City
My Pick - Hero's Reward (ran 3rd)
Race 9
Winner - Vindy City
My Pick - Vindy City
Race 10
Winner - Phosphorescent
My Pick - Oh My Me My (ran 9th)
Race 11
Winner - Lights Off Annie
My Pick - Lights Off Annie
Race 12
Winner - Acting Happy
My Pick - Tidal Pool (ran 3rd)
Race 13
Winner - Joharmony
My Pick - Joharmony
So I didn't do too badly. I was doing extremely well on Preakness Day, that is, until the big races right before the Preakness came along. The Preakness itself was actually the only race where my pick ran worse than second!
I didn't do quite as well on Black Eyed Susan day, but I still managed to pick four winners. Not to bad, considering I had never heard of many of the runners.
And now that I have recapped all those races, I shall go back through to May 2nd and mention a few interesting races that I failed to bring up in any of my last Triple Crown Countdowns, beginning with the May 2nd New York Stallion Park Avenue Stakes for three year old fillies.
OTHER RACE RECAPS
The six and a half furlong dirt race at Belmont Park had a very heavy favorite in Franny Freud. Sent off as the 1-4 favorite, she proved that she was the best horse by overwhelming her five rivals while easing up across the wire seven and three quarter lengths in front.
She is without a doubt a filly to watch. She could even upset Blind Luck for champion 3yo filly honors later this year if she keeps running like this.
The race was nothing more than a fast workout for her. Sitting just off the pace set by So N So, she quickly blew past that rival and was never challenged. So N So ran an excellent race to just hold off Freud's Notebook for second, while Positive Pitch, Raffie's Rose, and Ommadon's Angle trailed the field. The final time was 1:16 flat.
Then there was the New York Stallion Times Square Stakes. The exact same race as the latter one except for colts, the heavy favorite was General Maximus. Although he wasn't quite as heavy a favorite as Franny Freud, and although he wasn't quite as impressive as the filly, he still proved he was the best, winning by three and a quarter lengths in wire-to-wire fashion. Make Note, the third choice, came home second best, nearly seven lengths clear of Game Token. Hittin the Note, Cajun Jet, Ommadon's Answer, Zealous Boy, and Reading Group trailed the field.
Then there was the Senorita Stakes, a one mile turf event for three year old fillies. Held at Hollywood Park, the pretty heavy favorite was City to City. Andina was the second choice, and Cozi Rosie the third choice. In the end, those three filled the top three spots, but not in the order that their odds said they would.
In the early going, it was I'mneverwrong who was rushed to the early lead. She was followed closely by City to City, while Andina and Cozi Rosie sat back in fifth and sixth.
After three quarters of a mile in 1:11 3/5, I'mneverwrong was beginning to fade and City to City was moving up to take the lead. Cozi Rosie made a strong move to pass Andina and Pulpit Magic while moving into the fourth position while only two lengths off the lead. Andina was another length and a quarter behind her racing in sixth.
Down the stretch they came and City to City had a head in front. I'mneverwrong was trying to stay with her but was tiring. Cozi Rosie continued her rally and took the lead at the sixteenth pole and drew off to a one length victory. Andina just nosed City to City for second, while Triple Cream, who had raced third for much of the race, finished a neck behind them in fourth. It was another length and a half back to I'mneverwrong, who was beaten by only two and three quarter lengths, while Hasty and Pulpit Magic trailed the field.
So in conclusion, Cozi Rosie is definitely a filly to watch.
This brings us to the Indiana Downs Distaff Stakes, a one mile turf event for three year old fillies at Indiana Downs. The slight favorite was Go Ask Alex, a daughter of Afleet Alex, while the second choice was Lisa's Kitten, a daughter of Kitten's Joy. In the end, Lisa's Kitten was never a threat, but Go Ask Alex turned in an extremely dominating performance.
At the start, Sing Sing Cinderela broke fastest, but Go Ask Alex was rushed up to take the lead before a quarter mile had been run. Helen Belen raced in second, while Prima Donna Pirate, Ms. Thanksgiving, Sing Sing Cinderela, Lisa's Kitten, and Shakaleena trailed the field.
After a solid opening half mile of :46 3/5, Go Ask Alex was still the leader by one length. Helen Belen continued to pressure her, while Ms. Thanksgiving had moved up a bit, while Prima Donna Pirate had dropped back to fourth, but was still a good five lengths in front of Sing Sing Cinderela. Nobody else was in the mix.
After three quarters in 1:10 2/5, it was time for Go Ask Alex to fade. But she didn't. Helen Belen made every effort to get to her, but Go Ask Alex was just too good. The filly drew off under a steady drive to win by seven and a quarter while breaking the track record. Prima Donn Pirate rallied for second, while Helen Belen held on to third. Lisa's Kitten finished sixth while never threatening, beaten by a good fourteen and a half lengths.
Then there was the Texas Stallion Stakes out at Lone Star Park in Texas. For three year old colts and geldings at a mile and a sixteenth, the heavy favorite was Coyote Legend, and he deserved it. The colt had been doing extremely well, and had already beaten older horses. Three year olds? No problem for him.
As the gates opened, April's Picture got out fastest of all, but quickly dropped back to last, leaving Royal Hay Patch to set the early pace, along with El Oso. Those to cut fractions of :24 2/5 and :49 flat while Coyote Legend bided his time in fourth.
Then Coyote Legend decided to make his move. He quickly blew past the leaders and had a half length lead with five sixteenths to go. El Oso and Royal Hay Patch were still stubbornly sticking with him, and Wild Mudder was in with a chance as well, but Coyote Legend was just too good for them. Under strong urging, he drew off to a seven and a quarter length victory, getting the distance in 1:45 2/5. Royal Hay Path hung on for second, while Wild Mudder rallied for third. He was followed by April's Picture, El Oso, Winding Road, and Big Texas Daddy. The latter was actually sent off as the second choice, but failed to threaten.
This brings us to the Dwyer Stakes, which I discussed in detail in my May 7th post. My two favorites were Fly Down and Drosselmeyer, but unfortunately, I picked the wrong horse.
The one turn mile and an eighth race at Belmont Park was the local prep for next month's Belmont Stakes. The heavy favorite was Drosselmeyer. Fly Down was the second choice, with Remand and Soaring Empire given a chance as well. But in the end, it was all about Fly Down.
At the start, Turf Melody and Soaring Empire raced up to take the early lead, with Carnivore right behind them. Unfortunately, there was a very stiff wind blowing down the backstretch right in the faces, compromising any chances that they may have had. Especially when they went :23 4/5 and :47 3/5 for the opening fractions. Remand was there in fourth.
Meanwhile, Drosselmeyer was in behind horses racing fifth, with Codoy sixth and Fly Down was biding his time in last.
Then Fly Down made his move. With a very quick move, he blew past the entire field with a four wide run and poured it on. Drosselmeyer ran into a bit of traffic on the final turn, but when he did get out, he was unable to match strides with the winner.
The final winning margin was six lengths. The final time was 1:50 1/5. He is trained by Nick Zito. On to the Belmont Stakes.
He will without a doubt contend in the big one.
So here are the results. . .
1 Fly Down
2 Drosselmeyer
3 Remand
4 Soaring Empire
5 Carnivore
6 Turf Melody
7 Codoy
. . . versus my picks.
1 Drosselmeyer
2 Fly Down
3 Turf Melody
4 Soaring Empire
5 Remand
6 Carnivore
7 Codoy
Well. . . I had Soaring Empire in the right spot! I was cheering hard for Turf Melody, but he had too much to do running into the wind. The top three finishers all came from behind, which is not surprising. So overall, I'd say it was a great race.
And one final note, Drosselmeyer, who finished second, will continue on to the Belmont but will be ridden for the first time by Mike Smith, who will replace Kent Desormeaux.
And then there was the Lone Star Derby, another race I discussed in detail a couple weeks ago. In the mile and a sixteenth event for three year olds, Game On Dude, who was not the morning line favorite but was sent off as the slight favorite at post time, proved he deserved the status.
Although the race turned up a bit lighter than in recent years, it was still a fascinating race. Could Henshn Hero, the second choice, go the distance? Was Game On Dude good enough? And what about Wando Redd? What was Gilded Woodman doing here?
Those questions were answered in just under a minute and forty-five seconds.
In the early going, Henshin Hero and Wando Redd were both sent to the lead, so fans got to see the the speed dual that they anticipated. Game On Dude sat just off of them in third, followed by Thatlleaveamark, Crider, and Gilded Woodman.
After fractions of :22 4/5 and :46 1/5, the positions were unchanged. As a matter of fact, the only difference was that Crider had pulled farther away from Gilded Woodman.
After six furlongs in 1:11 flat, Game on Dude began his move. He swept past Wando Redd and Henshin Hero to take the lead. He continued to pour it on and won by four and a half lengths. Crider came from far back to finish second, while Henshin Hero finished third. Wando Redd was fourth, while Thatlleaveamark finished fifth. Gilded Woodman finished last, beaten a total of seventy-three and three quarter lengths.
So here are the results. . .
1 Game On Dude
2 Crider
3 Henshin Hero
4 Wando Redd
5 Thatlleaveamark
6 Gilded Woodman
. . . versus my picks.
1 Crider
2 Henshin Hero
3 Game On Dude
4 Wando Redd
5 Thatlleaveamark
6 Gilded Woodman
So I got the bottom three right, and I was close on everyone else, but I failed to pick the winner. Oh well.
Interestingly, Game On Dude will be using this race as a prep for the Belmont Stakes.
Now, it's starting to get late and if I'm going to have this up before the day's races are run I'm going to have to speed this up.
The next race of note was a mile and a sixteenth allowance race at Churchill Downs. For three year olds, the slight favorite was Prince Will I Am, but my pick was the second choice Colizeo. Although Prince Will I Am closed very strongly, Colizeo held him off to win by a length and a quarter. Down With Dixie was third. So I actually hit the trifecta in that one. Berberis, the third choice, finished last of eight.
Then there was the Railbird Stakes at Hollywood Park. A seven furlong grade III for three year old fillies, the favorite was Switch. Once again, the favorite closed fast but was unable to catch the second choice Tanda, who held her off to win by a half length. All Due Respect, the third choice, finished third.
This brings us to the Tom Ridge Stakes out at Presque Isle Downs. The favorite was Strapping Groom, but although he got a perfect stalking position, he faded to finish last. As it turns out, a 20-1 shot Rockin' Rockstar just held off my pick Flamin' Hot to win by a neck. The final time for the six furlong event was 1:08 2/5. A very interesting race. Perhaps a champion sprinter will come out of this one.
Then there was the Jim Murray Handicap at Hollywood Park. At a mile and a half on turf for three year olds and up, the only three uear old running was Alphie's Bet. I didn't handicap the race, but I liked Acclamation, who was sent off at about 15-1.
As it turns out, Acclamation raced out to a five length lead, which grew to eight, which grew to ten, which shrunk to five, which ended up at seven and a half as he blew his opponents off their feet. The quarter mile fractions? :24 4/5, :24 3/5, :25 2/5, :24 2/5, :23 3/5, and :23 2/5. Incredible. No one else ever had a chance.
As for Alphie's Bet, he finished last in a disappointing performance. Falcon Rock ran second, a neck in front of Rendezvous, who was another neck in front of favored Scintillo. Unusual Suspect ran fifth.
And finally, there was the Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs. A seven furlong event for three year olds, the favorite was Cool Bullet, but my pick was Thiskyhasnolimit, who was actually won of my earlier picks for the Triple Crown. In the end, it was close, but Thiskyhasnolimit proved best by three quarters of a length, just getting up to defeat Cool Bullet. Privilaged finished third, followed by Vow to Wager, Silver Craft, and Southern Danger. So I picked the order of finish, even though I forgot to post it here!
Now, as much as I would like to discuss this weekend's races in great detail, I'm afraid that I am out of time. So I will have to merely post my picks without any discussion. : (
AMERICAN 1,000 GUINEAS
1 Bay to Bay
2 Go Ask Alex
3 Queen of the Creek
4 Orchestrator
5 Kilmore Quay
6 Chantilly Nayla
7 Lucky Lass
8 Besitos
ARLINGTON CLASSIC STAKES
1 Workin for Hops
2 Gleam of Hope
3 Alfarabi
4 Our Champion
5 Mister Marti Gras
6 Family Foundation
7 Summer Movie
8 Indy Scent
LAZARO BARRERA MEMORIAL STAKES
1 Concord Point
2 Macias
3 Skipshot
4 Hawaiian Springs
5 Smiling Tiger
6 Domonation
7 Dixie Trouper
8 Mr Tokyo
9 Big Man Has a Sign
And that's all for now! I'll be back later in the week with the results and more picks, but for now I'm done. Enjoy the races!
-Keelerman
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