Wood Memorial, Santa Anita Derby and Illinois Derby Thread.

[two gun sid]

From The Bloodhorse:
Cobalt Blue Leads 9-Horse Field for Illinois Derby
Merv Griffin’s grade II winner Cobalt Blue has been installed as the 9-5 morning line favorite among nine 3-year-olds entered for Saturday's Illinois Derby (gr. II) over 1 1/8 miles at Hawthorne Race Course.

Trainer Doug O’Neill, who trains Cobalt Blue, winner of Santa Anita's 1 1/16-mile San Felipe (gr. II) March 17, will have two representatives in the race. He also entered Leatherman Racing LLC and Jason Wood’s Family Talk, a maiden winner making his first stakes appearance in the Illinois Derby, to be run for the 50th time Saturday.

The field includes graded stakes winner Cowtown Cat, who is owned by Win Star Farm and Gulf Coast Farms; stakes winner Catman Running, the pride and joy of Joe Harris; and stakes-placed Bold Start, owned by Lawrence Carroll. Other starters include: Equirace.Com's (Ron Peltz) Love Dubai; Silver Wing Stable’s (John Gerbas Jr.) Quite Acceptable; Cathy and Bob Zollars’ Reporting for Duty; and Bruce Lunsford’s Sacrifice Bunt.

All starters will carry 122 pounds and the winner’s share of the purse is $300,000. The Illinois Derby goes as race 7 of an 11-race card that begins at 1:10 pm.

http://tcm.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=38314

[aaronbees]

1. Unbelievable day of racing later today...

Hope you get to the Illinois Derby, Sid. I have a lingering cold so no Oaklawn trip for me today (maybe next weekend).

Wood Memorial: I suspect Nobiz will improve somewhat with blinkers, and I think Any Given Saturday may not be pushed a whole lot (except enough for the place) so soon after the Tampa Bay Derby. Edge to Nobiz and I'm really pulling for him to flash that Remsen form and end his wandering mind ways. Overall a pretty slim field.

Illinois Derby: Kenzee, Cobalt Blue should give a good account of himself here, don't ya think? I think Cowtown Cat is a cut below CB, who has much more upside for Merv and O'Neill. Would be nice to see that CB, Merv Griffin and O'Neill make the Derby together after Stevie Wonderboy's troubles.

Santa Anita Derby: I actually like King of the Roxy, who showed some impressive form in the Hutcheson, to stretch out a little further. Liquidity, now back at SA, should bounce back up so he's dangerous. Bwana Bull is a sleeper pick to round out the tri. Rest of the field are allowance horses.


** Elsewhere it's a fantastic day with the Carter and Excelsior at Aqueduct (crazy Corinthian is running!), plus the Apple Blossom and Oaklawn handicaps down here (Round Pond tries to right things this year and Lawyer Ron makes a return to former home base), and day two of Keeneland's spring meet (which was graced by snow on day one). Funny Cide ran seventh Friday in a Keeneland allowance race. You know, maybe he's enjoying himself out there (though I sure don't see it) and certainly an allowance at this track is nothing to scoff at, but just watching that race got me dejected.

Anyways, who do ya'll like? **

[bread_and_roses]

4. Hey, aaronbees, wasn't the Santa Anita exciting!

I was cheering for the $8,000 Roxy, but that was an exciting win to watch.

I have a fondness for the crazy Corinthian, ever since I first saw him last year. However, I would have liked to see Evening Attire get it - just read the account of the race at espn....Corinthian was crazy again, sounds like.

Was disappointed that Cobalt didn't seem to run at all. Ah, well. Looking forward to seeing Great Hunter run next weekend.

I didn't see FunnyCide's race, was disappointed to read of it....something went wrong with that horse, I'm convinced - mentally, I mean. (LOL, I write "I'm convinced" as if I'd have any way to know anything about it....)

[aaronbees]

8. I like Roxy too....

With that name and price tag he's endearing. He probably won't get the K. Derby distance but it's nice to see this one tap a bit more talent, eh? It was a real exciting race ... I was like, Tiago who? But very cool to see an upset by a promising newcomer and I have a soft spot for these connections. About Corinthian, I think he just blew the break -- still have some high hopes for that nut. Great Hunter should run great - looks like O'Neill's best hope now.

I agree on Funny. I think he just doesn't buy into the competitive game anymore. I suspect they'll give him a couple more races to see if he warms up to a couple wins this year.

[aaronbees]

2. Nobiz wins the Wood Memorial!!!

Way to go, big lug!

Sightseeing 2nd, Any Given Saturday 3rd. Time was 1:49.46 for the 1 1/8 miles. Very nice win!

[Awsi Dooger]

6. Nice win by Nobiz but a leisurely final eighth

Yikes, 13.44 seconds for the final furlong. Any Given Saturday was more like 13.94, since he was right there then gave way toward the finish. I suppose Sightseeing will be given some ink for his stretch run, but it really wasn't closing, just Nobiz not finishing.

Maybe the track was dull. I didn't see any of the other races at Aqueduct today.

[aaronbees]

10. It did seem a touch slow

Will be interesting to see the speed figure (I'm guessing an improvement for him of a couple points). But I think this race showed marked improvement in his running style. He was keen to run early and yet rated on the backstretch, moved up willingly to put away Any Given Saturday and, frankly, to my eye he held off Sightseeing rather sternly, I think (chart noted he did it "resolutely," a good term for it). Most importantly, little funny business from him and more focused.

[aaronbees]

3. Cowtown Cat wins Illinois Derby; Tiago takes Santa Anita Derby

Unfortunately, Cobalt Blue flattened out at the far turn coming into the straight after making a middling move - nothing left for the stretch.

Tiago, half-brother to Giacomo with the same connections, comes in from the clouds to get the Santa Anita at a nice sweet price. Liquidity took a lead then folded; King of the Roxy stretched out okay to get second and just caught before the wire.

Lawyer Ron just won a nice rendition of the Oaklawn Handicap. Looks like Prado really got him to settle nicely. Love this horse and glad to see him get it right -- he's been through a lot and I think he'll be a big player this year, judging from today's score.

[bread_and_roses]

5. Glad to hear Lawyer Ron won

I liked him a lot last year, even with his dorky name.

[two gun sid]

7. Jesus Christ, I'm cold....

That was my last visit to Hawthorne in April. I'll be skipping the IL Derby in the future. Every year it's so goddamn cold it is not enjoyable. Save me a seat at Oaklawn, aaronbees.

Cobalt Blue is a good lookin' horse and, while it's too bad he ran so poorly today, he will win some races in the future. He looks like a graded stakes winner. Cowtown Cat got a dream trip. Everything went his way today. Track had a very definite speed bias.

I caught Nobiz on simulcast and was impressed. Go Team Tagg!

I didn't see the SA Derby but will watch a replay later. Who the hell is Tiago?

As far as the KY Derby is concerned, my friends, I think Pletcher's got 'em surrounded.

[aaronbees]

9. Heard it was 31 degrees

No way you'd get me out there for that! I remember Chicago's lake-effect chill and that's all I want of it; there's a reason I moved West and then South!

And yep, you need to get down here for an Arkansas Derby sometime! Corned beef sandwich on me!

Seems like Cowtown kind of got the trip CB got a few weeks ago ... hope O'Neill doesn't rush the latter. I'm still hopeful Pletcher doesn't win ... it would be amazing if he and DO are shut out - they likely have nearly half the field. Even though I'm more confident of Nobiz today, I'm starting to feel it's Street Sense's Derby to lose.

[two gun sid]

11. 31 and windy, felt like about 10 degrees....

hey, Lawyer Ron won today. Glad to hear it. He always does well at Oaklawn.

Smokey Stover won today at SA. Bordonaro scratched out of the race. I'd like to see a race with those two and Thor's Echo this year.

[Awsi Dooger]

14. I feel the same way about Street Sense

I can't overlook freakish ability and he's shown it. My friend Wayne turned me onto Ghostzapper years ago before anyone was talking about him. I asked him about the Derby yesterday and he said Street Sense emphatically.

I also like Circular Quay's ability, if not the deep closer style.

This year I don't know as much as I should about the second and third tier horses. But the name Cowtown Cat doesn't thrill me. I'll root against him on that point alone. I don't want to be reciting all the Derby winners and forced to throw in a name like Cowtown Cat.

[jakefrep]

12. Tiago - half-brother to Giacomo

and has the same connections (Jerry Moss, John Shireffs) as well. He did well to catch King of the Roxy.

[two gun sid]

13. How about equal time for the Ladies....

From The Bloodhorse:
Christmas Kid Ties Bow On Ashland for Evans
It felt a little like Christmas at Keeneland Saturday, where temperatures approached freezing. Naturally, Christmas Kid felt right at home in winning the $500,000 Ashland Stakes (gr. I) for 3-year-old fillies and becoming a major contender for next month's Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) at Churchill Downs.

Jockey Rene Douglas took advantage of an opening along the rail at the top of the stretch and Christmas Kid accelerated through it to open a two-length lead inside the final furlong. But she was hard-ridden in the final yards to hold off the fast-closing Octave, the 3-5 favorite who missed by a head with Garrett Gomez aboard.

James Jerkens trains the winner for owner/breeder Edward P. Evans.

Christmas Kid needed racing room coming off the final turn of the 1 1/16-mile Ashland and she got it when early leader Mistical Plan drifted out slightly under Robby Albarado nearing the three-sixteenths pole. Douglas needed every yard to hold off the unlucky Octave, who was bumped and squeezed at the start, bumped again on the final turn and rallied six wide. Christmas Kid appeared to jump the tracks left by the starting gate near the finish.

http://racing.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=38344



Congrats to the winner but, I really like Octave. She's talented and beautiful.

[two gun sid]

15. King of the Roxy to skip Derby, point toward Preakness

From Brisnet.com:
Multiple Grade 2 winner KING OF THE ROXY (Littleexpectations) will bypass the May 5 Kentucky Derby (G1) in favor of the Preakness S. (G1) on May 19, announced Barry Irwin, president of owner Team Valor. The dark bay sophomore ran second in Saturday's Santa Anita Derby (G1) to Tiago (Pleasant Tap), who is a half-brother to 2005 Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo (Holy Bull).

"He ran well enough to compete in the Kentucky Derby and he has more than enough graded earnings to make it into the starting gate," Irwin said of King of the Roxy. "However, due to an insufficient preparation, we feel it would compromise the colt's future to run him back on the first Saturday in May."

The Todd Pletcher-trained King of the Roxy raced only once this year prior to the Santa Anita Derby. He made his sophomore bow in the Hutcheson S. (G2) at Gulfstream Park, scoring by 2 1/4 lengths. Last year, he ran second in his stakes debut, the Saratoga Special Breeders' Cup S. (G2), before capturing the Futurity S. (G2) at Belmont Park. King of the Roxy ended his two-year-old season with an eighth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1).

"I have said all along that I did not consider him to be a Kentucky Derby candidate," Irwin continued, "because, after getting sick following last fall's Breeders' Cup, he became ill and was not able to make his initial start at three until the first week of March. The extra two weeks will give Todd Pletcher a better chance to get him ready for the Preakness.

http://www.brisnet.com/cgi-bin/editorial/news/article.cgi?id=7500

[Awsi Dooger]

19. I wish more horses would point to the Preakness

Seems like the Pimlico field has been very weak many times in recent years, leading to big romps by the Derby winner. They all take a shot in the Derby and then only a handful show up in the Preakness, and many of them regress. If we have a Triple Crown winner I want him to face stiff tests all three times, including fresh lurkers like when Red Bullet skipped the Derby but then knocked down Fusaichi Pegasus two weeks later.

However, from a realistic point of view, if I owned a top 3-year-old I would go out of my way to be at Churchill.

[two gun sid]

16. Round Pond retired due to knee injury

From DRF:
Round Pond, the winner of the Breeders' Cup Distaff in November, came out of her third-place finish in the Grade 1, $500,000 Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park on Saturday with a slab fracture to her left knee and has been retired, her owner, Rick Porter, said on Monday.

The fracture is non-displaced, said Porter.

Round Pond, 5, flew from Oaklawn to Keeneland on Monday morning, and remains in the care of her trainer, Michael Matz. Porter said X-rays of her knee are being forwarded to Dr. Larry Bramlage, and it has yet to be determined whether Round Pond will need surgery.

"He's going to call me and tell me whether we need to put a screw in there, or whatever he might suggest," said Porter. "Whatever he says is what I'm going to do."

http://www.drf.com/news/article/83887.html

[aaronbees]

20. She's been a memorable runner

Unfortunately, seems like she's had some bad luck in her career, too. Hope they send her for a date with A.P. Indy.

[two gun sid]

17. Derby preps undergo shakeup

From DRF:
With the regional finals having been run this past weekend in California, Illinois, and New York, focus for the May 5 Kentucky Derby becomes a little more narrowed. Other than the Arkansas Derby on Saturday at Oaklawn Park, all the action will be taking place here in Kentucky, where Saturday’s Blue Grass Stakes and the Lexington Stakes on April 21 are the final graded stakes leading to the Derby.

The Grade 1, $750,000 Blue Grass at Keeneland will be headed by Street Sense, the current favorite for the Derby, who is training here at Churchill Downs and had an aggressive gallop Monday on a bitterly frigid morning in which temperatures fell below freezing. But the complexion of the fields for both the Blue Grass and the Grade 2, $1 million Arkansas Derby were altered dramatically on Monday, following a weekend in which several well-regarded Derby prospects saw their stock fall in such races as the Wood Memorial, Santa Anita Derby, and Illinois Derby.

The Blue Grass lost Any Given Saturday last week, when he was re-routed to last Saturday’s Wood Memorial, in which he finished third to Nobiz Like Shobiz. On Monday, Lane’s End winner Hard Spun was officially removed from consideration for the Blue Grass. Rushaway winner Dominican, who had been scheduled to run in the Arkansas Derby, instead will now go to the Blue Grass. And the Arkansas Derby field was reduced further by the defection of Louisiana Derby runner-up Ketchikan, who has an injury to his left front leg.

Hard Spun was scheduled to leave Keeneland for Churchill Downs over the weekend, but when the Churchill main track froze on Saturday, trainer Larry Jones decided to remain at Keeneland. That, according to Jones, threw off a work scheduled for Tuesday.

http://www.drf.com/news/article/83888.html

[aaronbees]

18. Too bad about Ketchikan

I had some hopes for him in the Ark. Derby. I dont' understand all the hemming and hawing about Hard Spun - seems a bit silly to me.

Oh, and speaking of fillies, have you read about or seen Magnificience? She's a strapping, gorgeous chestnut 3-year-old who just won a minor stakes at Santa Anita in her second outing. She's really one to look out for. I like Octave as well ... just fear she might be a lock for placing second in all the stakes races this year.

I've got Derby fever something fierce, man!

[Awsi Dooger]

21. Yeah, I had an interest in Ketchikan

Only because I've been to that Alaskan city twice and really enjoyed it. Every time I hear his name I think about those trips.

Magnificence is a terrific looking young filly, strapping indeed. Here's a link to a video of her win in the Santa Paula.

http://www.ntra.com/video.aspx?id=24395

[trumad]

22. Could this be a preview of the derby?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWm_o9o6TbU

I'm leaning to Any Given Saturday depending on the odds. He ran tough with Nobiz but went flat the last 1/8... and he lost by a nose to Street Sense. He's a money horse for sure.

[trumad]

23. Then again

Barbaro won the Florida Derby last year--- so maybe I'll take a harder look at Scat Daddy who won this year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWJxeXp8Sek

[Awsi Dooger]

25. You'll certainly get better odds on Any Given Saturday after the Wood

He'll be double digits to win. I still like him but coming off two tough races, and losing both, is typically not the best Derby setup.

[Justpat]

26. They will have run Any Given Saturday too many times

in the last five weeks.

Pletcher seems to be weeding out his Derby horses so that Scat Daddy will have
the optimal preparation. Just my opinion.

[Justpat]

24. Did you see the time?

22, 44, 1:08, finsihed up in 1:14 for six and half.

Amazing.

[aaronbees]

27. I heard she may end up in the Acorn

Those are smokin' fractions!