Always Dreaming faded down the stretch, where Cloud Computing overtook second-favorite Classic Empire to win the 142nd Preakness States on Saturday at Pimlico Race Course.
Cloud Computing wins the 142nd Preakness Stakes over Classic Empire
Everyone was saying it was a two horse race. Everyone was wrong.
Cloud Computing pulled the upset in Saturday’s running of the 142nd Preakness Stakes on Saturday under overcast skies on a fast track.
He caught the leaders down the stretch and overtook second-favorite Classic Empire to win by a nose and end the Triple Crown hopes of Always Dreaming, winner of the Kentucky Derby. Senior Investment finished third.
Always Dreaming and Classic Empire were the clear favorites among the record Pimlico Race Course crowd of 140,327, as well as simulcast bettors across the country.
Latest Preakness odds as post time approaches
Here are the latest odds on the Preakness Stakes as of 6 p.m. EDT.
1. Multiplier 18-1
2. Cloud Computing 13-1
3. Hence 20-1
4. Always Dreaming 7-5
5. Classic Empire 2-1
6. Gunnevera 10-1
7. Term Of Art 40-1
8. Senior Investment 25-1
9. Lookin At Lee 8-1
10. Conquest Mo Money 9-1
Preakness racing surface now labeled as fast
As expected, the racing surface at Pimlico Race Course has been upgraded to fast for the 142nd running of the Preakness Stakes.
An overnight rain left the track muddy when fans and horsemen arrived Saturday morning. But the lack of more precipitation and a steady wind dried out the track significantly.
It was still a little wet but not the slop that hindered horses two weeks ago in the Kentucky Derby.
Latest Preakness odds, less than 2 hours to go
Here are the latest odds on the Preakness Stakes as of 5 p.m. EDT.
1. Multiplier 18-1
2. Cloud Computing 13-1
3. Hence 19-1
4. Always Dreaming 3-2
5. Classic Empire 2-1
6. Gunnevera 10-1
7. Term Of Art 40-1
8. Senior Investment 25-1
9. Lookin At Lee 8-1
10. Conquest Mo Money 9-1
Latest Preakness odds, with less than 3 hours to go
Here are the latest odds on the Preakness Stakes as of 4 p.m. EDT.
1. Multiplier 18-1
2. Cloud Computing 13-1
3. Hence 19-1
4. Always Dreaming 8-5
5. Classic Empire 2-1
6. Gunnevera 10-1
7. Term Of Art 40-1
8. Senior Investment 25-1
9. Lookin At Lee 8-1
10. Conquest Mo Money 9-1
Preakness racing surface upgraded to good
Three hours before the running of the 142nd Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course, the racing surface was upgraded from muddy to good.
It actually appeared the surface had improved several races earlier, but no change was made in its status until midday.
When asked whether the surface would improve enough to be rated fast by Preakness post, Sal Sinatra, Maryland Jockey Club president and general manager, said: “I’m pretty confident. I’m feeling good about it.”
It hasn’t rained all day, and a brisk wind has done its best to dry the track. The last rainfall was late Friday evening, which delayed the finish of the Baltimore Orioles game.
Preakness Field: 10. Conquest Mo Money
Trainer: Miguel Hernandez
Jockey: Jorge Carreno
Owner: Judge Lanier Racing
Morning Line: 15-1
Last race: Second in the Arkansas Derby
Why he’ll win: He’s probably the best early speed in the race, and if he can throw down honest fractions he might be able to hold on and steal the race, especially if Always Dreaming and Classic Empire flatten out. He’s got five weeks of rest so that should help.
Why he’ll lose: He got run down by Classic Empire in the Arkansas Derby at 1 1/8-miles. And lost the Sunland Derby, also at 1 1/18 miles, to Hence. His only real negative is if he has the stamina to go the extra distance beyond 1 1/16 miles.
Preakness odds at less than 5 hours to go
Here are the latest odds on the Preakness Stakes as of 2 p.m. EDT.
1. Multiplier 18-1
2. Cloud Computing 14-1
3. Hence 19-1
4. Always Dreaming 3-2
5. Classic Empire 2-1
6. Gunnevera 10-1
7. Term Of Art 45-1
8. Senior Investment 25-1
9. Lookin At Lee 8-1
10. Conquest Mo Money 9-1
Preakness Field: 9. Lookin at Lee
Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Jockey: Corey Lanerie
Owner: L and N Racing
Morning Line: 10-1
Last race: Second in Kentucky Derby
Why he’ll win: Second place in the Kentucky Derby normally gets you more love than this horse is getting. His sire, Lookin at Lucky, won the Preakness in 2010. He finished second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile so he has performed in the big races.
Why he’ll lose: He had an absolutely perfect rail trip in the Kentucky Derby, which is unlikely to be duplicated in the Preakness. He’s a good horse but seems just a cut below the top horses in this race.
Preakness Field: 8. Senior Investment
Trainer: Kenneth McPeak
Jockey: Channing Hill
Owner: Fern Circle Stables
Morning Line: 30-1
Last race: Won the Lexington Stakes
Why he’ll win: In the unlikely event there are torrid early fractions by the best horses, he could pick up the pieces with a late rally. He’s fresh, having not raced in five weeks.
Why he’ll lose: He seems way over his head against this level of competition. The only major prep he ran was the Louisiana Derby, where he finished sixth. Not sure why he’s here.
Preakness Field: 7. Term of Art
Trainer: Doug O’Neill
Jockey: Jose Ortiz
Owner: Calumet Farm
Morning Line: 30-1
Last race: Seventh in the Santa Anita Derby
Why he’ll win: He’s fresh with six weeks since his last start. He was third in the San Felipe behind Mastery and Iliad, both off the trail because of injury. He has added blinkers, which could make a difference. He could definitely grab a paycheck passing tiring horses in the stretch.
Why he’ll lose: He’s never shown he can win at this level or really even compete with the top echelon. Trainer Doug O’Neill didn’t plan on entering him in the Preakness until Calumet Farm suggested it. O’Neill didn’t even get to Pimlico until late Friday and didn’t send his top assistant Leandro Mora to Baltimore to supervise the horse this week.
Preakness Field: 6. Gunnevera
Trainer: Antonio Sano
Jockey: Mike Smith
Owner: Peacock Racing Stables
Morning Line: 15-1
Last race: Seventh in the Kentucky Derby
Why he’ll win: If he can keep from getting too far behind, he could repeat his stellar performance in the Fountain of Youth. He’s got the best big money rider in Mike Smith aboard and that’s a plus. Along with Lookin at Lee, he’s the most experienced colt, making his 11th start.
Why he’ll lose: The shorter distance coupled with his late charging style makes it pretty difficult to gain a lot of ground late against such talent as Always Dreaming and Classic Empire. Jockey Jose Castellano got off the horse to ride Cloud Computing.
Latest Preakness odds, less than 6 hours to go
Here are the latest odds on the Preakness Stakes as of 1 p.m. EDT.
1. Multiplier 18-1
2. Cloud Computing 14-1
3. Hence 19-1
4. Always Dreaming 3-2
5. Classic Empire 2-1
6. Gunnevera 10-1
7. Term Of Art 45-1
8. Senior Investment 25-1
9. Lookin At Lee 8-1
10. Conquest Mo Money 9-1
Preakness Field: 5. Classic Empire
Trainer: Mark Casse
Jockey: Julien Leparoux
Owners: John C. Oxley
Morning line: 3-1
Last race: Fourth in the Kentucky Derby
Why he’ll win: He had an absolutely horrible trip in the Kentucky Derby, getting slammed by McCraken after he was slammed by Irish War Cry. Recovering the finish fourth was quite an accomplishment. He was the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile champion and won the Arkansas Derby, so he’s got lots of talent. His post gives him tactical advantage over Always Dreaming.
Why he’ll lose: Sometimes after a horse has a really tough trip, it doesn’t come back in the next race. It’s more mental than physical. He may run his race and still not beat Always Dreaming, who is equally, if not more, talented.
Preakness Field: 4. Always Dreaming
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: John Velazquez
Owners: MeB Racing, Brooklyn Boyz, Teresa Viola, St. Elias Stables, Siena Farm and West Point Thoroughbreds
Morning Line: 4-5
Last race: Won the Kentucky Derby
Why he’ll win: He’s likely be the best horse. It’s no easy feat to win the Kentucky Derby, and he did it will a trouble-free trip. Todd Pletcher says the horse has been training perfectly and in great health and spirit. His early speed and stalking ability will keep him out of trouble.
Why he’ll lose: A lot of good horses were compromised in the Derby by the track conditions. He was never really threatened so you didn’t get to see how he would handle the pressure. He’s a 3-year-old, and strange things can happen.
Preakness Field: 3. Hence
Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Jockey: Florent Geroux
Owner: Calumet Farm
Morning line: 20-1
Last race: 11th in the Kentucky Derby
Why he’ll win: He was the wise-guy choice in the Derby, so a few people saw something that wasn’t necessarily evident on paper. He’s got a good trainer in Steve Asmussen and a good jockey in Florent Geroux. He had a 97 Beyer speed in winning the Sunland Derby.
Why he’ll lose: Winning the Sunland Derby is not a steppingstone to much. He never got any traction in the Derby, and it’s unknown whether it’s a product of the track or the horse.
Preakness Field: 2. Cloud Computing
Trainer: Chad Brown
Jockey: Javier Castellano
Owners: Klaravich Stables and William H. Lawrence
Morning Line: 12-1
Last race: Third in the Wood Memorial six weeks ago.
Why he’ll win: The trainer-jockey combination of Chad Brown and Javier Castellano is a big plus. The horse qualified for the Kentucky Derby but was instead pointed to this race. His second in the Gotham Stakes posted a 96 Beyer speed rating.
Why he’ll lose: He is very lightly raced with only three starts. He hasn’t won since his first race, a maiden sprint.
Latest Preakness odds, less than 7 hours to go
Here are the latest odds on the Preakness Stakes as of noon EDT.
1. Multiplier 18-1
2. Cloud Computing 15-1
3. Hence 20-1
4. Always Dreaming 7-5
5. Classic Empire 2-1
6. Gunnevera 0-1
7. Term Of Art 45-1
8. Senior Investment 25-1
9. Lookin At Lee 8-1
10. Conquest Mo Money 9-1
Preakness Field: 1. Multiplier
Trainer: Brendan Walsh
Jockey: Joel Rosario
Owners: American Equistock
Morning line: 30-1
Last race: Won the Illinois Derby four weeks ago.
Why he’ll win: He has won his last two races, including the Grade 3 Illinois Derby, so we don’t know how good he can be. It’s a tall order to step up to this competition, but Always Dreaming won the Florida Derby in his first stakes race.
Why he’ll lose: He didn’t run at all as a 2-year-old, and four races may not be enough. The horses he beat in the Illinois Derby at Hawthorne would not be considered stellar. His speed figures are very mediocre for a race of this magnitude.
Latest Preakness odds, less than 8 hours to go
Here are the latest odds on the Preakness Stakes as of 11:15 p.m. EDT.
1. Multiplier 18-1
2. Cloud Computing 15-1
3. Hence 20-1
4. Always Dreaming 3-2
5. Classic Empire 2-1
6. Gunnevera 9-1
7. Term Of Art 45-1
8. Senior Investment 25-1
9. Lookin At Lee 8-1
10. Conquest Mo Money 10-1
Overnight rain leaves Pimlico surface muddy
A strong overnight rain left the Pimlico Race Course track listed as muddy for the first race. It originally was listed as good but was downgraded shortly before the first post.
There is no threat of rain in the forecast on Saturday day, so there is a reasonable expectation that the track will be listed as fast by the time the Preakness goes off shortly before 7 p.m. Eastern time.
There is a slight breeze, which also should help dry the track.
The weather is near perfect for racing, with temperatures in the upper 60s under an overcast sky.
What time is the Preakness Stakes?
It’s time to plan your day, and you want to be home for the second leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown. So what is post time for the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course?
If you’re in Maryland, or anywhere else on the East Coast, it’s 6:48 p.m.
In Chicago, how about 5:48 p.m.
Hiking in the Rockies, well, it’s 4:48 p.m.
And enjoying life in Los Angeles, your afternoon is interrupted at 3:48 p.m.
Now that’s not to say the race will actually go off at that time. The big races tend to go off around five or six minutes after the post as the tracks try and collect all the bets they can.
The load into the gate will be quick as there are only 10 horses compared with the 20 in the Kentucky Derby. After the gates open, the 1 3/16-mile race will take about 1 minute 56 seconds, give or take a second or two.
What’s at stake is a possible Triple Crown bid if Always Dreaming, the Kentucky Derby winner, can beat this field. The next and final race in the Triple Crown is the Belmont Stakes in three weeks.
Ask Wayne Lukas if you want to know how to win the Preakness
If you want to know about the Preakness, especially if you want to know how to win the race, there’s only one person to ask.
And there he was sitting by himself early Friday morning in a plastic chair on the shedrow of the stakes barn at Pimlico Race Course. The familiar cowboy hat was perched atop his head. Sunglasses adorned his face. He wasn’t doing much, just waiting to instill wisdom on whoever wanted it.
Wayne Lukas — only those who don’t really know horse racing use the “D” before his name — ambled over to the fence and proclaimed morning-line favorite and Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming as his top choice in Saturday’s running of the 142nd Preakness Stakes.
“I actually think he looks better to me this week than he did at the Derby,” Lukas said. “I watched him pretty close. I think he can get it. I think the next one [Belmont Stakes] is going to be the tough one for him.”
The time that TVG’s Kurt Hoover was Todd Pletcher’s boss
Todd Pletcher’s connections to Southern California aren’t very strong, but he did spend a short time in Arcadia when his father was training at Santa Anita.
Pletcher, trainer of Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming, ended up playing basketball on a team named the Trailblazers in an Arcadia recreation league in 1980.
“I was out there for one semester,” Pletcher said. “When you are at a new school, it’s a tough situation. This was a good way to meet people and get involved.”
He was living near Arcadia High School but because of a fire he had to go to Dana Junior High.
Trainer Todd Pletcher says Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming is ready to â€stretch his neck’ at Preakness
This year’s Preakness has lacked the buzz and lifeblood that sometimes can accompany the second leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown.
There is no freak of nature horse.
There is no outrageous trainer.
There is no one who really believes a major upset is possible.
The civility of everyone is stifling.
It’s a perfect fit for Todd Pletcher and his Kentucky Derby-winning horse, Always Dreaming.
Classic Empire ready to go to work as Preakness approaches
If a person refuses to work, there’s a good chance they get fired.
If a horse refuses to work, there’s a good chance they get sent to a nice farm where they can frolic and play.
Well, maybe not quite like that, but not too far off.
This was the decision trainer Mark Casse made after Classic Empire refused to engage in a workout in the middle of the Kentucky Derby prep season.
You always remember your first time, although jockeys don’t find it a big deal
You would never think of buying a car without test driving it. Or, when you go to the rental car counter, you’re often given a choice, so you pick the vehicle with which you’re most familiar.
So how is it that jockeys can get on a horse without ever having ridden or worked the animal and make it look like they are lifelong friends?
If you ask the best — and in this case, that’s Mike Smith — they will tell you it’s no big deal to have your butt on a horse for the very first time seconds after the “riders up” call.
Smith will be doing just that for a second straight Triple Crown race Saturday, when he rides Gunnevera in the Preakness.
This will follow his ride on Girvin, a horse he had never ridden, in the Kentucky Derby two weeks ago.
Five story lines to follow as Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming heads to the Preakness Stakes
Last year, the Preakness Stakes was labeled as the next meeting in the intense rivalry between two West Coast colts, Nyquist and Exaggerator, who ran first and second, respectively, in the Kentucky Derby.
Exaggerator turned the tables and won the Preakness, with Nyquist finishing third. Southern California racing was on top.
This year, the thinking is the exact opposite, and it’s the absence of California horses that is so glaring.
What’s that old blues song — if it wasn’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all?
The latest blow came Sunday when Royal Mo suffered a sesamoid fracture of his right front ankle during his last workout before Saturday’s Preakness.
There was no initial indication that there was additional damage to the area around the fracture. He was vanned to the New Bolton Center, where the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary Center is located.
The injury is certainly career-ending, but if there are no complications, it will not be life-ending and he will be retired to the breeding shed.
Recapping Always Dreaming’s victory in the 143rd Kentucky Derby
Mary Ellen Bonomo came up with the name.
Anthony Bonomo and Vincent Viola had the goal and helped with a plan.
Todd Pletcher knew how to get it done.
Always Dreaming did all the rest.
The lightly raced 3-year-old colt took the lead on the backstretch and seemed to have everything under control as he became the 143rd winner of the Kentucky Derby on May 6.
He won by 2 3/4 lengths over Lookin At Lee, who could never really make a charge at him. Battle Of Midway, trained by Jerry Hollendorfer and ridden by Flavien Prat, finished five lengths behind Lookin At Lee in third.
Preakness speculation began as soon as the Kentucky Derby field crossed the finish line
It’s a Kentucky Derby rite of passage, the excitement that builds for the Preakness the moment the winner crosses the finish line at Churchill Downs.
Is Always Dreaming good enough to win the Preakness? Sure.
Is he a Triple Crown horse? Probably not, but it’s too early to tell.
The Kentucky Derby was not a good indication of the ability of many of the horses because the surface, which Equibase ridiculously labeled as “wet fast,” compromised the run of a lot of starters.
Slide show: Photos from the 143rd Kentucky Derby
Always Dreaming cruises to the Kentucky Derby victory
If there was a consensus, although not a very strong one, for the 143rd running of the Kentucky Derby, one of four horses would win Saturday’s race: Always Dreaming, Classic Empire, Irish War Cry and McCraken.
Well, maybe this sport does follow form.
Always Dreaming was able to navigate the 1 1/4 miles of the world’s most famous race to receive the blanket of roses.
He won by three lengths over runner-up Looking at Lee. Battle of Midway finished third just ahead of Irish War Cry.
Kentucky Derby odds with about an hour to go
Here are the odds as of 5:30 EDT for the Kentucky Derby. The morning line odds are in parentheses so you can see which horses are getting more or less action than expected.
1. Lookin at Lee (20-1) 31-1
2. Thunder Snow (20-1) 16-1
3. Fast and Accurate (50-1) 37-1
4. Untrapped (30-1) 57-1
5. Always Dreaming (5-1) 9-2
6. State of Honor (30-1) 51-1
7. Girvin (15-1) 22-1
8. Hence (15-1) 16-1
9. Irap (20-1) 38-1
10. Gunnevera (15-1) 10-1
11. Battle of Midway (30-1) 37-1
12. Sonneteer (50-1) 36-1
13. J Boys Echo (20-1) 46-1
14. Classic Empire (4-1) 7-1
15. McCraken (5-1) 6-1
16. Tapwrit (20-1) 26-1
17. Irish War Cry (6-1) 9-2
18. Gormley (15-1) 21-1
19. Practical Joke (20-1) 30-1
20. Patch (30-1) 12-1
Kentucky Derby Field: 19. Practical Joke
Trainer: Chad Brown
Jockey: Joel Rosario
Owners: Klaravich Stables and William Lawrence
Morning Line: 20-1
How he got here: Second in the Bluegrass and Fountain of Youth, third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.
Why he’ll win: He never runs a bad race, having never finished worse than third. His stalking style could benefit in a race with very little pace.
Why he’ll lose: He couldn’t get past a tiring Irap in the Bluegrass, so there should be some concern that he can go the extra furlong.
Kentucky Derby Field: 20. Patch
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione
Owner: Calumet Farm
Morning Line: 30-1
How he got here: Second in the Louisiana Derby
Why he’ll win: If you believe in magical stories at the Derby, then this one-eyed horse fits the bill. He’s also bred to go the distance.
Why he’ll lose: This is only his fourth race, and that lack of experience will work against him. He also hasn’t really raced any formidable opposition, other than finishing second to Girvin.
Kentucky Derby Field: 18. Gormley
Trainer: John Shirreffs
Jockey: Victor Espinoza
Owners: Jerry and Ann Moss
Morning Line: 15-1
How he got here: Won the FrontRunner, the Sham and the Santa Anita Derby.
Why he’ll win: Veteran trainer John Shirreffs has made an adjustment to Gormley’s running style before he won the Santa Anita Derby. They horse also has a great jockey in Victor Espinoza. If the track stays wet, that should also benefit him.
Why he’ll lose: The Santa Anita Derby time was very slow. He’ll need some luck to out-close some of the stronger horses as his speed numbers seem weaker than others.
Weather worsening at Churchill Downs
Despite a forecast for no more rain at Churchill Downs, it returned at about 4:15 EDT and continued through the 10th race.
Any chance of the track being upgraded to good or wet fast seemed to be remote.The track was listed as sloppy just as the sun came out about 30 minutes before race 11.
Weather radar showed another cell was headed to the Louisville area as the Kentucky Derby was still about two hours away.
Handicappers will be looking at the past performances and breeding to see who does well in the slop.
Thunder Snow, Hence, Classic Empire, Tapwrit, Battle of Midway and Gormley have all won a race over a wet dirt surface.
Kentucky Derby odds with about two hours to go
Here are the odds as of 4:30 EDT for the Kentucky Derby. The morning line odds are in parentheses so you can see which horses are getting more or less action than expected.
1. Lookin at Lee (20-1) 30-1
2. Thunder Snow (20-1) 16-1
3. Fast and Accurate (50-1) 37-1
4. Untrapped (30-1) 58-1
5. Always Dreaming (5-1) 9-2
6. State of Honor (30-1) 52-1
7. Girvin (15-1) 22-1
8. Hence (15-1) 15-1
9. Irap (20-1) 38-1
10. Gunnevera (15-1) 10-1
11. Battle of Midway (30-1) 37-1
12. Sonneteer (50-1) 35-1
13. J Boys Echo (20-1) 46-1
14. Classic Empire (4-1) 7-1
15. McCraken (5-1) 6-1
16. Tapwrit (20-1) 26-1
17. Irish War Cry (6-1) 5-1
18. Gormley (15-1) 21-1
19. Practical Joke (20-1) 30-1
20. Patch (30-1) 13-1
Kentucky Derby Field: 17. Irish War Cry
Trainer: H. Graham Motion
Jockey: Rajiv Maragh
Owner: Isabelle de Tomaso
Morning Line: 6-1
How he got here: Won the Holy Bull and the Wood Memorial.
Why he’ll win: If you toss out the Fountain of Youth, where he finished seventh, he’s undefeated. He has some early speed and if he can turn honest fractions he is talented enough to hold off the batch of closers.
Why he won’t: The time in the Wood was a bit slow . No horse has ever won from the 17, and he’s New Jersey-bred, which is even below Cal breds.
Slide show: Kentucky Derby hats on parade
Kentucky Derby Field: 16. Tapwrit
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: Jose Ortiz
Owners: Bridlewood Farm and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners
Morning Line: 20-1
How he got here: Won the Tampa Bay Derby, second in the Sam F. Davis
Why he’ll win: He was impressive with his win in the Tampa Bay Derby. He was bought as a yearling for $1.2 million, so there has to be something there to bring that kind of price.
Why he’ll lose: He’s never won a race outside Florida, and is just one in a bushel of closers in the race. In this case, he doesn’t measure up with the others.
Kentucky Derby Field: 15. McCraken
Trainer: Ian Wilkes
Jockey: Brian Hernandez Jr.
Owner: Whitham Thoroughbreds
Morning Line: 5-1
How he got here: Wins in the Kentucky Jockey Club and Sam F. Davis, third in the Bluegrass.
Why he’ll win: He’s three for three at Churchill Downs, so he likes the surface. His works have been strong. You can throw out his third in the Bluegrass as he was coming back after a minor injury. Strong closer.
Why he’ll lose: There are a lot of closers in the race and only one of them is going to get the perfect trip and pace scenario. He’s a good horse, but so are a lot of the others.
Kentucky Derby Field: 14. Classic Empire
Trainer: Mark Casse
Jockey: Julien Leparoux
Owner: John Oxley
Morning Line: 4-1
How he got here: Won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and Arkansas Derby, third in the Holy Bull.
Why he’ll win: He might be the best horse in the race and he’s handled the big crowds by winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita. He overcame a troubled trip in the Arkansas Derby, so he showed class and talent in his last race.
Why he’ll lose: The horse has been unpredictable. At Saratoga, he unseated his rider out of the gate. In Florida, he refused to work twice. He needs to be in the right frame of mind or things can go poorly.
Latest Kentucky Derby odds
Here are the odds as of 3:30 EDT for the Kentucky Derby. The morning line odds are in parentheses so you can see which horses are getting more or less action than expected.
1. Lookin at Lee (20-1) 30-1
2. Thunder Snow (20-1) 16-1
3. Fast and Accurate (50-1) 37-1
4. Untrapped (30-1) 58-1
5. Always Dreaming (5-1) 4-1
6. State of Honor (30-1) 51-1
7. Girvin (15-1) 22-1
8. Hence (15-1) 15-1
9. Irap (20-1) 38-1
10. Gunnevera (15-1) 9-1
11. Battle of Midway (30-1) 38-1
12. Sonneteer (50-1) 35-1
13. J Boys Echo (20-1) 46-1
14. Classic Empire (4-1) 7-1
15. McCraken (5-1) 7-1
16. Tapwrit (20-1) 25-1
17. Irish War Cry (6-1) 5-1
18. Gormley (15-1) 21-1
19. Practical Joke (20-1) 30-1
20. Patch (30-1) 13-1
Kentucky Derby Field: 13. J Boys Echo
Trainer: Dale Romans
Jockey: Luis Saez
Owner: Albaugh Family Stable
Morning Line: 20-1
How he got here: Won the Gotham Stakes, third in the Withers, fourth in the Delta Jackpot and Bluegrass Stakes.
Why he’ll win: If he can duplicate his performance in the Gotham, he will be a force. Has a strong trainer in Dale Romans, who knows this track.
Why he’ll lose: Losing regular rider Robby Albarado to injury is a definite negative. Like many others, the horse has late speed, so it’s likely to be crowded down the stretch.
Kentucky Derby Field: 12. Sonneteer
Trainer: Keith Desormeaux
Jockey: Kent Desormeaux
Owner: Calumet Farm
Morning Line: 50-1
How he got here: Second in the Rebel Stakes and fourth in the Arkansas Derby.
Why he’ll win: Hasn’t finished worse than fourth in his last nine races. Has a Hall of Fame jockey in Kent Desormeaux and his brother Keith is one the best least-known trainers in the country. Can use the distance.
Why he’ll lose: No maiden has won the Kentucky Derby since 1933. There are too many closers and he’s not likely one of the better ones.
Kentucky Derby Field: 11. Battle of Midway
Trainer: Jerry Hollendorfer
Jockey: Flavien Prat
Owner: Don Alberto Stable and WinStar Farm
Morning Line: 30-1
How he got here: Finished second in the Santa Anita Derby.
Why he’ll win: He’s never run a bad race, having won twice and finished second and third in four starts. Jockey Flavien Prat, one of the best young jockeys, should improve on his performance on the favorite in the Kentucky Oaks. Horse is on his way up.
Why he’ll lose: Very lightly raced. Comes out of a Santa Anita Derby that had an extremely slow time.
Track condition upgraded at Churchill Downs
The rain has stopped and the sun has come out at Churchill Downs causing the track condition to be upgraded from sloppy to muddy.
Now, that may not seem like much, but it is a testament to how well the Churchill Downs dirt surface handles water.
The upgrade was made in time for the eighth race, some four hours before the Kentucky Derby.
The guess remains that the track will end up with either a good or wet fast designation by post time, shortly before 7 p.m. EDT.
Last year, a one-hour rainstorm turned the track wet before the Derby, but the official condition was never changed from fast.
The turf course remains good.
Kentucky Derby Field: 10. Gunnevera
Trainer: Antonio Sano
Jockey: Javier Castellano
Owner: Peacock Racing Stables
Morning Line: 15-1
How he got here: Won the Delta Downs Jackpot and Fountain of Youth. Second in the Holy Bull and third in the Florida Derby.
Why he’ll win: He’s one of two colts to score points in four prep races, so he’s consistent. A third in the Florida Derby was a good finish since he was in the far outside post, which on the short stretch of Gulfstream makes it difficult to win from there.
Why he’ll lose: He has to come from far back, and given the lack of pace in this race, it’s going to be difficult to pick off that many horses.
Latest Kentucky Derby odds
Here are the odds as of 2:30 EDT for the Kentucky Derby. The morning line odds are in parentheses so you can see which horses are getting more or less action than expected.
1. Lookin at Lee (20-1) 29-1
2. Thunder Snow (20-1) 16-1
3. Fast and Accurate (50-1) 37-1
4. Untrapped (30-1) 58-1
5. Always Dreaming (5-1) 4-1
6. State of Honor (30-1) 51-1
7. Girvin (15-1) 22-1
8. Hence (15-1) 15-1
9. Irap (20-1) 37-1
10. Gunnevera (15-1) 9-1
11. Battle of Midway (30-1) 37-1
12. Sonneteer (50-1) 35-1
13. J Boys Echo (20-1) 45-1
14. Classic Empire (4-1) 8-1
15. McCraken (5-1) 7-1
16. Tapwrit (20-1) 25-1
17. Irish War Cry (6-1) 9-2
18. Gormley (15-1) 21-1
19. Practical Joke (20-1) 29-1
20. Patch (30-1) 14-1
Kentucky Derby Field: 9. Irap
Trainer: Doug O’Neill
Jockey: Mario Gutierrez
Owner: Paul and Zillah Reddam
Morning Line: 20-1
How he got here: Won the Bluegrass Stakes.
Why he’ll win: Trainer Doug O’Neill did not think Irap would win the Bluegrass, but he got a perfect trip to break his maiden in his eighth race. Sometimes horses suddenly get better. His connections have won two Derbies in five years.
Why he’ll lose: It took him eight races to break his maiden. The horse got a perfect trip in the Bluegrass and that’s not likely in the Derby; too many horses. And the distance might be too much for him.
Kentucky Derby Field: 8. Hence
Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Jockey: Florent Geroux
Owner: Calumet Farms
Morning Line: 15-1
How he got here: Won the Sunland Derby.
Why he’ll win: He was the talk of the backstretch and has become the horse of the wiseguys. Other horses coming out of the race such as Irap and Conquest Mo Money have done well.
Why he’ll lose: The wiseguy horse rarely wins. Plus, it was the Sunland Derby he won, not exactly a stepping stone to the Derby.
Kentucky Derby Field: 7. Girvin
Trainer: Joe Sharp
Jockey: Mike Smith
Owner: Brad Grady
Morning Line: 15-1
How he got here: Won both the Risen Star and Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds.
Why he’ll win: He’s undefeated on the dirt in three races, and his other race was a second on the turf. He’s been working well and picks up “Big Money” Mike Smith as his jockey.
Why he’ll lose: At four races, he’s very lightly raced. He also had a problem with a quarter crack in his right front leg. Brian Hernandez Jr., his regular rider, decided to ride McCraken, so that should tell you something.
Kentucky Derby Field: 6. State of Honor
Trainer: Mark Casse
Jockey: Jose Lezcano
Owner: Conrad Farms
Morning Line: 30-1
How he got here: He was second in the Florida Derby and Tampa Bay Derby and third in the Sam F. Davis stakes.
Why he’ll win: In the Florida Derby, he held off a fast -charging Gunnevera, but still trailed Always Dreaming. He has some early speed and would need a lot of luck behind him to come out on top.
Why he’ll lose: He hasn’t won on dirt in his last four starts. All his early races have been on synthetic. One win in 10 starts does not bode well for this Canadian bred.
Check the latest odds for the Kentucky Derby
Here are the odds as of 1:30 EDT for the Kentucky Derby. The morning line odds are in parentheses so you can see which horses are getting more or less action than expected.
1. Lookin at Lee (20-1) 29
2. Thunder Snow (20-1) 16
3. Fast and Accurate (50-1) 37
4. Untrapped (30-1) 60
5. Always Dreaming (5-1) 4
6. State of Honor (30-1) 53
7. Girvin (15-1) 22
8. Hence (15-1) 14
9. Irap (20-1) 35
10. Gunnevera (15-1) 9
11. Battle of Midway (30-1) 38
12. Sonneteer (50-1) 34
13. J Boys Echo (20-1) 44
14. Classic Empire (4-1) 8
15. McCraken (5-1) 7
16. Tapwrit (20-1) 25
17. Irish War Cry (6-1) 5
18. Gormley (15-1) 21
19. Practical Joke (20-1) 30
20. Patch (30-1) 14
Kentucky Derby Field: 5. Always Dreaming
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: John Velazquez
Owners: Brooklyn Boyz Stable, MeB Racing, Teresa Viola Racing, St. Elias Stables and West Point Thoroughbreds
Morning Line: 5-1
How he got here: Won the Florida Derby.
Why he’ll win: He was fantastic in the Florida Derby, running the fastest time since 1978 when Triple Crown winner Alydar won the race. He has won all three races since he switched barns to Pletcher.
Why he’ll lose: If he runs like he did in the Florida Derby, he won’t lose. But the other horses won’t let him get away with some of the fractions he did at Gulfstream. He may be a little short for 1¼ miles.
Weather and track condition update from Churchill Downs
The weather in Louisville has been nothing short of terrible the past couple of days. Friday’s Kentucky Oaks was contested over a sloppy track and the strip opened for racing Saturday morning with the same designation.
According to weather.com, the chance of rain for the remainder of the day is only 15%. The sun has even snuck out a little from behind the clouds.
The guess here is that track conditions will improve to either good or wet fast by the time the Kentucky Derby goes off, around 6:45 p.m.
The turf course is listed as good.
Kentucky Derby Field: 4. Untrapped
Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Jockey: Ricardo Santana Jr.
Owner: Michael Langford
Morning Line: 30-1
How he got here: He finished second in the Risen Star at the Fair Grounds and third in the Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn.
Why he’ll win: He’s won at Churchill Downs, in a maiden race as a 2-year-old, so he likes the surface. If the track comes up wet, bettors will give extra weight to his second-place finish in the LeComte over the slop. He also returns to his regular rider Ricardo Santana Jr.
Why he’ll lose: Hasn’t won since his maiden triumph in November. A sixth in the Arkansas Derby with Mike Smith aboard doesn’t bring confidence.
Kentucky Derby Field: 3. Fast and Accurate
Trainer: Mike Maker
Jockey: Channing Hill
Owners: Kendall Hansen, Skychai Racing and Bode Miller
Morning Line: 50-1
How he got here: He won the Spiral Stakes at Turfway Park.
Why he’ll win: The owners are confident enough to have spent $200,000 to supplement him in the race. He’s also coming off three wins in a row.
Why he’ll lose: He’s not a dirt horse. He’s only run once on dirt and finished fifth. All his other races were on synthetic or turf.
Kentucky Derby Field: 2. Thunder Snow
Trainer: Saeed bin Suroor
Jockey: Christophe Soumillon
Owners: Godolphin Racing
Morning Line: 20-1
How he got here: Automatic qualifier by winning the UAE Derby in Dubai.
Why he’ll win: He’s won his last three races, all graded stakes. He’s won $1,627,541, second only to Classic Empire in this field. Since he hasn’t raced in the U.S. we really don’t know how well — or poorly — he can perform.
Why he’ll lose: Foreign horses traditionally don’t do well in the Kentucky Derby. The 100,000-plus people cheering can be unnerving for a horse in a different environment.
Kentucky Derby Field: 1. Lookin At Lee
Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Jockey: Corey Lanerie
Owners: L and N Racing
Morning Line: 20-1
How he got here: He campaigned at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas. He finished third in the Southwest Stakes and third in the Arkansas Derby.
Why he’ll win: He’s battle tested — his last six races have been graded stakes races, although he didn’t win any of them. He’s got a strong finishing kick, so the distance shouldn’t be a problem.
Why he’ll lose: The fact that he has hasn’t win a graded stakes probably puts him a cut below the other horses. The one hole is the worst on the track.
What time is the Kentucky Derby?
The time of the Kentucky Derby fluctuates a bit every year, and you can usually count on it going off a little later than scheduled. This year, the gates are supposed to open at 6:46 p.m. in Louisville. So, doing the easy math, that’s 3:46 p.m. in Los Angeles.
But there are some other things that happen on Derby Day.
The national anthem will be performed at 5:08 p.m. (We’ll do Louisville times for these other events.) by Harry Connick Jr.
About 6:05, the horses will start their long walk (not long for a horse) from the barns to the paddock. There will be a lot of nice suits with mud on them given the weather here.
At approximately 6:31 p.m. will be the call of “Riders Up,” which is when the jockeys get on their horses.
About a minute later is the singing of “My Old Kentucky Home.”
And then, after some jogging around, comes what’s called the most exciting two minutes in sports.
What can go wrong getting a horse to the Kentucky Derby? How about everything
The math makes no sense.
You start with about 22,300 foals in 2014. Figure about half of them are colts, so you’re down to 11,000.
Of those, the field gets cut some more at the start of their third year, when you have to pay $600 to nominate your colt — or sometimes filly — to be eligible to run in the Kentucky Derby. This year there were 418 nominations: 378 colts, 30 geldings, five ridglings and five fillies.
That puts it at 1.9% of the 2014 foals being eligible for what is almost every horse owner’s dream.
Wide-open Kentucky Derby has everyone dreaming
The No. 1 commodity on the backstretch during Kentucky Derby week is dreaming.
Especially this week, when there is no overwhelming favorite. There are 20 scenarios to win Saturday’s race, and the one commonality is you absolutely need a good trip.
You can make a case for a lot of these horses.
The morning-line favorite at 4-1 is Classic Empire, winner of last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Throw out his third-place finish in the Holy Bull and he’s undefeated.
French jockey Flavien Prat rode to the top in Southern California. Now he gets his chance in the Kentucky Derby
The single camera was set up on the south side of the jockeys room at Churchill Downs. Three people from NBC were scurrying about, trying to find the right-sized stool, asking that the noise in the room subside and that the volume be turned off on the monitor behind them.
Laffit Pincay III, the affable host of most of NBC’s horse racing coverage, was going to interview the three French jockeys riding in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby.
Julien Leparoux, the veteran at 33 and riding in his 10th Derby, and Florent Geroux, the jokester at 30 and riding in his second Derby, both flanked Flavien Prat, who despite his salt-and-pepper hair is the rookie at 24.
“I’m hoping I can get the other two to get Flavien to open up,” Pincay said to a nearby reporter.
Trainer John Shirreffs not concerned by Gormley’s inconsistent campaign
Parents remember when their A-student brings home his first B, or, heavens, even a C. Maybe the parents react with a stern lecture or by taking away privileges or even removing the device that seems to be growing out of the child’s hand.
Rare is the parent who just views it as part of growing up. No big deal. Move along, nothing to see here.
You would be lucky to have John Shirreffs raising your kid, or in this case, your horse.
The 71-year-old trainer of Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo, and the best female horse of all time, Zenyatta, has shrugged aside the uneven campaign of Gormley, his entrant in this year’s Kentucky Derby, as just part of growing up.
Kentucky Derby draw sheds little light on which horse has the advantage
The Kentucky Derby draw for post positions did little to untangle the mess for those trying to predict the winner of the most prestigious horse race in the world.
Classic Empire, the 4-1 favorite, drew the No. 14 slot, with 5-1 second choices Always Dreaming in the 5 and McCraken the 15.
This year’s race is considered one of the closest and most difficult to handicap in years.
“When you look at it just on numbers, it’s very evenly matched,” said Doug O’Neill, trainer of last year’s winner, Nyquist. “There are a lot of nice 3-year-olds that look like they are getting better and better. But there are no freakish 2-year-olds that have continued on as a 3-year-old.”
A kidnapped trainer, an orphaned colt and the chance of a lifetime at the Kentucky Derby
Trainer Antonio Sano never expected to be here, having escaped Venezuela after being kidnapped twice.
The same can be said about a strapping foal who became an orphan shortly after his birth when his mother dropped dead.
Yet here they are at the Kentucky Derby, looking to fulfill an impossible dream with improbable storylines.
Sano found the colt and bought Gunnevera for his clients for $16,000, mere pennies in the horse industry.
But this tale began years before that.
It’s anyone’s guess who will win this year’s Kentucky Derby
On Sept. 17, the Iroquois Stakes was run at Churchill Downs as the first Kentucky Derby prep. It was won by Not This Time. He was retired two months later with a soft tissue injury.
Two weeks ago, Senior Investment won the Lexington Stakes at Keeneland as the last Derby prep. He didn’t have enough points to qualify for Saturday’s race.
Sandwiched in between were 34 other points-bearing races that have done little to clear up the picture as to who will win the Kentucky Derby.
Last year was easy. There was even Triple Crown talk as undefeated Nyquist strolled in to Louisville, Ky., as the clear favorite. He was victorious, and it was also the last race he won.
Arrogate runs down California Chrome to win Breeders’ Cup Classic
Horse racing has a new star.
Arrogate, a lightly raced 3-year-old, ran down California Chrome in the stretch to win the $6-million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Saturday at Santa Anita.
The race was everything that was promised between North America’s all-time leading money winner and the upstart who had run (and won) only one Grade 1 stakes.
California Chrome broke on top and kept the lead with Melatonin by his side. Arrogate was rating nicely near the lead but not running as fast. Arrogate started to move on the far turn but Chrome still had the lead entering the stretch.
It looked as if Chrome might hold on as they approached the wire but Arrogate found another gear and sailed by to win by half a length.
Arrogate paid $5.40, $2.80 and $2.60. Chrome paid $2.60 and $2.40. Keen Ice paid $5.80 to show.
Arrogate was not ready for the Triple Crown season, running only once at Los Alamitos in April and finishing second. His next race he won at Santa Anita in June and he hasn’t stopped since.
But it was his eye-popping performance at Saratoga in the very competitive Travers Stakes that got everyone’s attention, winning by 13 ½ lengths.
Rafael Bejarano had ridden Arrogate to all his wins going into the Travers but Baffert also had American Freedom in that race and the owners wanted Bejarano to ride that horse.
Mike Smith happened to be “in the right place at the right time” and finds himself with the sport’s new superstar.
Chrome captured everyone’s heart with his humble beginning. He was the product of $2,500 breeding of Lucky Pulpit and Love the Chase. He was a California bred, the kind that the Kentucky bluebloods looked down on.
But when he won the Santa Anita Derby by a comfortable 5 ÂĽ lengths people started to believe in the David-vs.-Goliath story. Chrome then won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness before the grind wore him down in the Belmont Stakes.
He had a disastrous 4-year-old campaign, which is pretty much why he was brought back as a 5-year-old. After losing in the Dubai World Cup, he was sent to England and Chicago without running a race.
After a long layoff he came back in January at Santa Anita, winning the San Pasqual, and he hadn’t lost until Saturday.
3-year-old wins Breeders’ Cup Classic
Slideshow: Photos from the 2016 Breeders’ Cup races
Tourist makes himself at home in Breeders’ Cup Mile
For the second time Saturday, a horse with multiple Breeders’ Cup starts finally broke through with a victory. And Tourist didn’t change races to make it happen.
The 5-year-old Tiznow horse was nowhere in two previous Breeders’ Cup Mile tries, but he took advantage of a Joel Rosario ride that was both patient (early) and aggressive (late) to beat defending champion Tepin by half a length.
Tourist, who had won just one of five starts (all in Grade I races) this year, returned $26.80 in what almost certainly will be the final start of his career. The final time of 1:31.71 was just .02 off the course record set last month by Vyjack.
Earlier in the day, Obviously won the Turf Sprint in his fifth Breeders’ Cup race. The previous four came in the Mile.
Insider Tips: Classic
Always look for value in the Classic. Hoppertunity and Effinex offer it in droves. Each is 15-to-1 on the morning line. They blazed to a 1-2 finish in the Jockey Club Gold Club a month ago, which sets them up nicely to make a run at California Chrome.
If Chrome gets an easy lead, this strategy goes out the window. But Melatonin or the lightly raced Arrogate should press Chrome, allowing Hoppertunity (with 13 out of 22 starts at Santa Anita) and Effinex to come charging late.
While you’re at the windows, pick up a two-buck ticket on Chrome. If the wondrous horse wins at or near even-money, tuck it away as a souvenir.
Insider Tips: Classic
The greatest unknown quantity of the entire Breeders’ Cup? That’s an easy one.
An anonymous three-year-old named Arrogate went off in the Travers just over two months ago at odds of 11-to-1. It was his fifth outing, first in a stakes race.
He won -- by 13 1/2 lengths. His Beyer speed figure was an astonishing 122. Now he heads into the Classic at morning odds of 5-to-2, second only to California Chrome.
Less seasoned horses have performed admirably this weekend, but Arrogate has eight fewer starts than the next less experienced contestant. That’s quite a gap.
He might be the “now” horse, but the low odds could be a reflection of the public’s over-eagerness to find a challenger for Chrome.
Easy game for trainer Kruljac
One Breeders’ Cup start, one Breeders’ Cup win for trainer Ian Kruljac.
Finest City, a 4-year-old City Zip filly, gave Kruljac a perfect record by winning Saturday’s Filly & Mare Sprint by three-quarters of a length over defending champion Wavell Avenue.
It was only the second stakes victory for Kruljac; Finest City won the Great Lady M Stakes in April at Los Alamitos.
The winner, who returned $19.40, was ridden by Mike Smith, who had picked the “wrong” horse in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint earlier in the card, but wound up with his 24th all-time Cup victory in the “other” short-distance dirt race.
Finest City, who hadn’t run since a runner-up finish in the John C. Mabee two months ago at Del Mar, dueled three wide for the lead down the backstretch, took the lead going past the quarter pole and then held Wavell Avenue safe through the length of the stretch.
Insider Tips: Mile
For those waiting on the possibility of earning more than pennies on the dollar with a successful wager on Tepin, now is the time to pounce.
In his six starts this year on U.S. soil, Tepin has set sail at odds of lower than 1-to-2. That means his backers collected less than $3 on a $2 win wager.
Tepin was assigned odds of 3-to-1 for the Breeders’ Cup Mile. While the number could drop, it will not approach the ridiculously short odds to which his supporters have become painfully accustomed.
Insider Tips: Mile
Acclimation to the Santa Anita grass course had no bearing for the morning line oddsmaker with the Breeders’ Cup Mile.
Five of the 14 horses have traipsed over the course, and all are longshots. Not even What A View’s 5-for-5 ledger could generate odds of better than 20-to-1.
The most attractive play among the familiarized quintet is Midnight Storm (12-to-1). He has two wins and a second in five starts.
The burden for Midnight Storm is seizing and holding the lead. He bolts out of the 13th hole, and pacesetters have yielded the lead in seven of the nine Mile stagings at Santa Anita.
Heffernan steals Turf aboard Highland Reel
This is only the second time Seamus Heffernan has ridden in a Breeders’ Cup, but the 44-year-old Irish jockey took his rivals to school Saturday by riding Highland Reel to victory in the $4 million Turf, the second-richest race on the card.
Highland Reel ($9.60) led his rivals down the hill, running the first half-mile of the 1 1/2-mile race in a fairly rapid 48 seconds flat. He began to open up on the backstretch, running the second half-mile in an almost identical 48.16 seconds. The other jockeys let him go and were unable to catch up in the final part of the race.
Favored Flintshire wound up second, 1 3/4 lengths behind, followed by Found. Highland Reel had finished second to Found in last month’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. Earlier this year Highland Reel won the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot.
It was the first Breeders’ Cup win for Heffernan, but the 11th for veteran Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien, including his sixth in the Turf.
The final time was 2:23, not far off the track record of 2:22.72.
Insider Tips: Filly & Mare Sprint
Trainer Michelle Nevin is a relative newbie to the Breeders’ Cup stage. Her initiation came in 2014 when By The Moon was eighth in the Juvenile Fillies.
Now she accounts for two entrants in the Filly & Mare Turf. By The Moon returns at morning odds of 8-to-1, and Paulassilverlining looms just behind in the pre-race pecking order at 10-1.
Consistency is their hallmark. Paulssilverlining owns four wins and two places in her last seven tries, while By The Moon has been no worse than second in five of her last seven.
Nevin is an up-and-comer in her profession but might need more Breeders’ Cup experience to score.
Inside Tips: Filly and Mare Turf
Of the 13 participants in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf, seven have never set foot on the Santa Anita track in a race. Three others have circled it once, and the best finish among them was third.
If you subscribe to a home-field advantage, the options are simple. Toss out Finest City, with a place and two shows in five tries.
That leaves Gloryzapper (15-to-1), with a victory and three seconds in four outings, and Tara’s Tango (8-to-1), with eight of 13 career starts at Santa Anita. The record shows two wins and four others in the money.
If familiarity counts, Tara’s Tango could wind up in a familiar spot -- the Santa Anita winner’s circle.
Insider Tips: Turf
The standard question before each Belmont Stakes in evaluating a horse is, can he get the 1 1/2-mile distance?
Let’s ask it for the Breeders’ Cup Turf at the same 12 furlongs. What is the likelihood of the dozen rivals having enough stamina to survive the Cup’s longest event?
Relis and Mondialiste have never traveled so far. Texas Ryano did once, finishing off the board. Ulysses triumphed in one of two tries, and Money Multiplier placed in his pair of outings.
The most seasoned at the distance, unsurprisingly, is favored Flintshire (5-2). Highland Reel has won or placed in five of seven shots and Found in four of five. Both offer short prices, so alluring options with more profitable returns are Ectot (8-1), who has a couple of wins and a second in five tries, and Big Da Hoss (20-1), who is batting .667 in six outings.
In a switch, East dominates Juvenile
2-year-old becomes Kentucky Derby favorite
West Coast horses have won four of the last five runnings of the Kentucky Derby, but if the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on Saturday is any indication, there could be a change in 2017.
Eastern horses finished in the top six places in the Juvenile, headed by Classic Empire, who held off favored Not This Time by a neck in a solid 1:42.60 for 1 1/16 miles. They were 7 1/2 lengths clear of Practical Joke in third.
The winner, ridden by Julien Leparoux for trainer Mark Casse, returned $11. Classic Empire, a son of Pioneerof the Nile (American Pharoah’s sire), won the Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland in his last start and also captured the Bashford Manor in July at Churchill Downs.
Only two previous Juvenile winners have won the Derby, but one of them was Nyquist in May. The other was Street Sense in 2010.
Obvious winner in Turf Sprint, at least to bettors
Flavien Prat guides 8-year-old to victory
While most handicappers saw a wide-open race between 14 starters, bettors narrowed in on Obviously as post time approached for the Breeders’ Cup.
In this case, the smart money lived up to its name.
Obviously provided the first Breeders’ Cup win for trainer Phil D’Amato and jockey Flavien Prat by holding off the fast-charging Om by a long nose. Pure Sensation was third and Calgary Cat fourth.
Eventually bet down to 7-2 favoritism, Obviously returned $9.60 for the win.
It was the 13th win in 29 career starts for the 8-year-old gelding Obviously, but only his second in the last two years. He was running in the Turf Sprint for the first time after four tries in the Mile (where his best finish was third in 2012 at Santa Anita).
Only one horse older than 8 has won a Breeders’ Cup race: Calidoscopio was 9 when he won the Marathon (now discontinued) here in 2012.
Insider Tips: Turf
Trainer Michael Stoute, teaming with jockey Frankie Dettori, crashed the Chad Brown-Aidan O’Brien party in the Filly & Mare Turf. Queen’s Trust (8-to-1) upstaged the foursome saddled up by turf specialists Brown, who sent off the favored Lady Eli as well as Sea Calisi, and O’Brien, who had the second pari-mutuals pick Seventh Heaven plus Pretty Perfect.
Part II of this story line arrives four races later with the Turf. Brown’s duo is the favored Flintshire (5-to-2) and Money Multiplier (20-to-1). O’Brien trains Found and Highland Reel, the co-second choices in the morning line at 3-to-1.
Aiming to one-up them again is Stoute and Dettori with Ulysses (12-to-1). Stoute, who claimed his seventh Cup victory today, had expressed more enthusiasm for Queen’s Trust prospects than for Ulysses’. So, history might not repeat.
Insider Tips: Juvenile
An ultra-fast pace in the Juvenile is envisioned by TimeformUS’s Pace Projector, and it’s easy to see why.
The majority of the 11-horse field would rather run on or near the lead, which is uncommon for a 1 1/16th-mile contest. Syndergaard has been first out of the gate in all three starts. Klimt, Theory, Three Rules and Gormley have had little dirt kicked in their face.
The scenario sets up nicely for closer Practical Joke (6-to-1). Two other back-of-the-pack types are long shots who could hit the board: Lookin At Lee (20-to-1) and Term of Art (30-to-1), though the latter just broke his maiden.
Not This Time (7-to-2) charged from seventh to an easy win in his most recent race. The Dale Romans trainee would be well-advised to stick to that plan and avoid rushing to the front as he did two starts ago, even though it resulted in a 10-length win as a maiden.
Insider Tips: Turf Sprint
The downhill turf course at Santa Anita is like no other in North America, and horses unaccustomed to it often are discombobulated.
In the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, 10 of the 14 contestants are strangers to the course. Of the others, Lady Shipman struggled to a sixth as a favorite in her latest start.
Undrafted (12-to-1), meanwhile, took to the course well. He was a fast-closing third in this event two years ago, though has not traversed it since.
Needing no acclimation today are Obviously (6-to-1), with a win and two seconds in three tries. Ambitious Brew (10-to-1) is better acquainted with the course and won five weeks ago when Lady Shipman was an also-ran.
Aside from Lady Shipman, the downhill veterans are worth a look.
Jockey decision turns out wrong in Sprint
Martin Garcia guides 3-year-old to victory
Mike Smith has won more Breeders’ Cup races than any jockey past or present, but that doesn’t mean he always makes the right decision.
Given the choice whether to ride 3-year-old Drefong or 6-year-old Masochistic in the Sprint, Smith chose the latter. On paper, it was the right choice: Masochistic was ultra-impressive in both his starts this year and was the 8-5 favorite Saturday.
Smith’s choice was Martin Garcia’s gain. The younger jockey picked up the mount on Drefong, and won his fourth Breeders’ Cup race when the 3-year-old pulled away from Smith and Masochistic. The final margin was 1 1/4 lengths, with Masochistic barely holding second over Mind Your Biscuits.
The final time was 1:08.79. Drefong returned $9.80 as the 7-2 third choice. It was his fifth straight win, including the King’s Bishop at Saratoga in his last start in August.
Insider Tips: Turf Sprint
The morning-line odds you might have seen for the Turf Sprint contain no typographical errors. The favorite, Pure Sensation, is 5-to-1. It does not get any higher than this for the top choice.
On the other end, the longest price in the field of 14 is 20-to-1 for Calgary Cat. All of which makes the Turf Sprint perhaps the most balanced race in Breeders’ Cup history.
Dive in, handicappers. You’ll need every available minute to sort out the contenders from the pretenders.
Insider Tips: Sprint
An arbitrary cutoff point on Beyer speed figures with the Breeders’ Cup Spring is triple digits. If you have been hitting 100 or higher consistently, you are in the picture of contenders. If 99 or below, you are cropped out.
Hence, it’s easy to eliminate two of the five longer shots. Delta Bluesman has been below 100 in his past two efforts, while Mind Your Biscuits has yet to break through into triple digits.
Limousine Liberal scored an impressive 104 last time out, but was in the mid-90s the four previous starts.
Noholdingback Bear has hit 101 in three of the past four races. Though Canadian trainer Michael De Paulo is at a career peak, he is a Breeders’ neophyte.
For the longshot lovers among us, this is a needle-in-a-haystack search.
Queen’s Trust ruins storybook finish for Lady Eli
Lady Eli overcame tendonitis and the often-fatal laminitis just to make it back to the Breeders’ Cup, but her bid to win a second Cup race was ruined in the final yards of Saturday’s Filly & Mare Turf.
Queen’s Trust nosed out the favorite at the wire to give Europe its first victory at this Breeders’ Cup. The 3-year-old English-bred was ridden by Frankie Dettori for trainer Michael Stoute.
Queen’s Trust paid $18 after running 1 1/4 miles on turf in a fast 1:57.75. It was just her second career win but she had placed in several group stakes overseas.
Lady Eli won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf two years ago but got sick before last year’s event. She was idle for almost 14 months before returning this summer.
Avenge finished third and Seventh Heaven was fourth.
He rallies Queen’s Trust in Filly & Mare Turf
Champagne to start Day 2 at Breeders’ Cup
Champagne Room won the first Breeders’ Cup race of Day 2, and anyone who bet on her will be able to afford plenty of the bubbly.
The 2-year-old daughter of Broken Vow was sent off at 33-1 and paid $69.20 for a $2 ticket after upsetting the field in the Juvenile Fillies.
Ridden by Mario Gutierrez for trainer Peter Eurton, Champagne Room stalked the pace set by Chandelier winner Noted and Quoted, then held off Valadorna to win by three-quarters of a length.
It was the first Breeders’ Cup win in four starts for Eurton. Gutierrez previously won the Juvenile last year aboard Nyquist.
Favored American Gal, who was expected to set the pace, broke slowly and raced wide throughout but still rallied for third.
Champagne Room won the Sorrento Stakes in August at Del Mar but finished third in the Del Mar Debutante and fourth in the Chandelier.
The winner completed 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.12.
In an unrelated note, Shaman Ghost was scratched earlier in the day from the Classic. Assistant trainer Keith Sweeney said he “spiked a little temperature” Friday night. The move leaves nine rivals for heavily favored California Chrome.
Insider Tips: Sprint
With the scratch of Lord Nelson, the Sprint boils down on paper to three primary contenders, two of them old-timers and the other a young’un.
Masochistic and A.P. Indian might be 6 years old, but both have little wear on their tires. Masochistic, the morning-line favorite, has 13 starts, eight of them wins, while A.P. Indian is 11-for-17.
Millennial handicappers might side with Drefong, a 3-year-old with a mere five starts. The four wins have come by an aggregate 24 1/2 lengths, so the Bob Baffert trainee cannot be dismissed.
But taking on the two prodigious boomers is a lot to ask of the kid. With typical blazing speed overflowing in this field, the stalking A.P. Indian is a fetching play.
Video: Thousands turn out for first day of Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita Park
A crowd of 45,763 attend the first day of the 2016 Breeders’ Cup. Video by Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times
Insider Tips: Filly & Mare
When handicapping Breeders’ Cup races, we tend to look unkindly on entrants who have been claimed once, much less multiple times. Our thinking is, any connections that expose a horse in a claiming race must not have the Cup on their horizon.
Yet Al’s Gal (15-1) is in the Filly & Mare Turf mix after switching barns three times. The most recent claim for the 5-year-old was for $35,000 in February 2015 by sharp owner Ken Ramsey.
Mike Maker has trained Al’s Gal for most of her 26-race career. She has been stellar for six races, winning half of them and placing as runner-up in the rest.
Her claiming days are over, and the frequent barn-switching should not be held against her on Saturday.
Insider Tips: Filly & Mare Turf
The subplot for the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf race is a two-on-two matchup of the most respected grass trainer in the U.S. and his overseas counterpart.
Trainer Chad Brown of the U.S. sends out favorite Lady Eli (5-2), whose Songbird-like record shows seven wins and a place in eight outings.
The next morning-line choice is Irishman Aidan O’Brien’s Seventh Heaven (3-1), with a not-too-shabby four victories out of eight tries.
The “undercard” for each trainer could bring some separation. O’Brien’s Pretty Perfect (15-1) arrives in questionable form. Sea Calisi was switched to Brown’s barn when the French horse resettled in New York in May, and she has displayed remarkable consistency with two wins, a second and a third in four races.
The lesser of a trainer’s two entrants often upstages the star. At 8-1, Sea Calisi can carry on the tradition.
Insider Tips: Juvenile Fillies
The key to handicapping elite-level rookie horses is finding those primed for a leap in improvement.
In the Juvenile Fillies, for example, Jamyson â€n Ginger’s Beyer speed figure jumped from 67 to 103 for her last race. To better that number is unlikely, and she is likely to flatten out.
The Beyers of top contenders Noted and Quoted (9-to-2) and Union Strike (6-to-1) climbed 11 and 12 points, respectively.
So, consider one with more modest Beyer jumps in his latest outing. With Honors (10-to-1) went from 73 to 79, Daddy’s Little Darling (12-to-1) from 68 to 71.
Then there is Yellow Agate (8-to-1), whose Beyer dipped from 84 two races ago to 77 even though the latter was a Grade 1 win. That victorious debut was eye-opening and raises the possibility of substantial improvement from her more recent gig.
Pick Six pool at Santa Anita could exceed $4 million
A crowd of 45,763 attend the first day of the 2016 Breeders’ Cup. Video by Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times
There’s a two-day carryover pool of $511,261 for the Pick Six at Santa Anita, which means the total Pick Six pool is expected to exceed $4 million for Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup card.
The Pick Six will be for races seven through 12.
The Breeders’ Cup Classic, featuring California Chrome, is Race 12 on the day.
It’s not too early to get excited about the 2017 Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar
Is it too early to get excited about the 2017 Breeders’ Cup World Championships, to be held Nov. 3-4 at Del Mar?
Not if you’re the wife of a trainer.
“Once my wife gets there, getting her out will be difficult,” trainer Mark Casse said. “A couple of years ago, I told my friends, â€Del Mar is where, when trainers die, this is heaven.’ We love Del Mar. It’s just a beautiful place with the weather. My wife is still talking about going. I may end up getting divorced because she may not leave once we get there.”
Del Mar has worked for years to host the Breeders’ Cup, and track President Joe Harper has been at Santa Anita this weekend watching and learning. He is scheduled to be part of a meeting on Monday with Breeders’ Cup officials reviewing what went right and what went wrong this weekend.
He said everybody will enjoy the San Diego experience next year.
“I’ve always felt Del Mar would be such a unique place,” he said. “It’s San Diego. You can’t beat it.”
Insider Tips: Juvenile Fillies
Experience? Who needs it?
The winners of Friday’s two juvenile races showed a combined five starts: Oscar Performance, first in the Juvenile Turf, had three starts, and New Money Honey, winner of the Juvenile Fillies Turf, had two.
Horseplayers should not be deterred by entrants with thin resumes in today’s pair of events for 2-year-olds.
Up next is the Juvenile Fillies with two-time starters Valdorna (5-to-1), Union Strike (6-to-1) and Yellow Agate (8-to-1). They have combined for four wins and two seconds.
Later on the card, the Juvenile includes two-race participants Gormley (5-to-1) and Theory (12-to-1), plus several who have logged three starts.
Being green can be good.
Insider Tips: Breeders’ Cup
Good morning from Santa Anita, which is yawning itself awake for Day 2 of the Breeders’ Cup.
As the immortal sports columnist Red Smith wrote from a wagering standpoint, a bad day at the track is better than a good day everywhere else.
Friday was a bad day for many bettors. No favorites won, which is hardly unusual for a four-race stretch in the Cup, but both of the prohibitive picks went down -- Dortmund by a lot, Songbird by a little.
Check in throughout the day for a a couple of tips on each of the nine Cup races.
Behold a great race and two great champions
6-year-old mare defeats unbeaten Songbird
The Breeders’ Cup Distaff was everything it was supposed to be ... and more.
After a stretch-long duel that had the Santa Anita crowd of 45,763 roaring Friday afternoon, Beholder nosed out Songbird by maybe two inches to win the final start of her career.
Ridden by Gary Stevens, Beholder was the third choice at 3-1 behind Songbird (even) and Stellar Wind (5-2). She paid $8.60 after 1 1/8 miles over a tiring track in 1:49.20.
Forever Unbridled finished third, with Stellar Wind fourth.
It was the 18th win in 26 career starts for Beholder, including 14-of-16 at Santa Anita. She had lost her last three starts, two to Stellar Wind and the Pacific Classic to California Chrome. Friday’s win likely will earn Beholder her fourth Eclipse Award.
It was the first loss in 11 career starts for Songbird, last year’s 2-year-old champion and a lock to be this year’s 3-year-old champ.
Beholder previously won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies in 2012 and the Breeders’ Cup Distaff in 2013. She missed the last two editions due to injury but completed a hat trick as a 6-year-old.
Among Songbird’s 11 victories was last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. She is expected to run as a 4-year-old.
Distaff: Insider Tips
“Anthropomorphism” is a wonderful word for spelling bees and Scrabble games. It’s defined as the act of giving human characteristics to animals, which commonly occurs in horse racing.
We know that two-legged racers generally attempt to go faster when competitors draw even with them. Does the same apply with four-legged athletes?
Horseplayers believe that thoroughbreds do not universally show such a tendency. Which makes Songbird a bit of a mystery in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff.
Nearing the finish line, the filly is customarily well ahead of the field. She is unaccustomed to repelling a late challenge down the stretch.
If Beholder or Stellar Wind -- or, less likely, a longshot -- can pull alongside Songbird, who knows how she will react? The uncertainty is a straw worth grasping for backers of any horse other than the lopsided favorite.
Honey finds the money in Juvenile Fillies Turf
New York-based horses made it 3-for-3 in Breeders’ Cup races Friday at Santa Anita when New Money Honey out-finished Coasted by a half-length to win the Juvenile Fillies Turf.
The winner is trained by Chad Brown, whose first Breeders’ Cup victory came in the same race at the same track in 2008. He now has eight.
Ridden by Javier Castellano, the 2-year-old daughter of Medaglia d’Oro (also the sire of Distaff favorite Songbird) covered the mile in 1:34.01, about three-quarters of a second slower than the Juvenile Turf winner, Oscar Performance (1:33.28). She returned $15 as the co-fifth choice in the wide-open field.
Coasted was second, a length in front of Cavale Doree, with pace-setting Lull fourth.
Insider Tips
Serious horseplayers often consult with TimeformUS’ Pace Projector, an algorithm-based forecast of a race’s pace that might offer clues on how it will unfold.
Generally, a large field enhances the chances of a rapid pace that could eventually favor horses running midpack or toward the rear. But one of the quickest projected paces on Breeders’ Cup weekend is in the Distaff, with just eight contestants.
That could bode well for challengers to the unbeaten Songbird, a 6-to-5 favorite, and Beholder, the co-second pick at 5-to-2. Both tend to position themselves on or near the lead. Stellar Wind, also 5-to-2, displays a more varied running style, so jockey Victor Espinoza might pump the brakes early and hope to overtake the tiring stars up front.
Insider Tips
And down the stretch Happy Mesa came. The 2-year-old was closing in on the leaders Oct. 10 at Santa Anita when jockey Florent Geroux dropped his whip.
Momentum still moved Happy Mesa forward but he settled for second place, 2 1/2 lengths behind the winner.
Happy Mesa is 2-for-2 when getting his butt whipped to the finish line. Accomplished trainer Graham Motion has taken over for Hamilton Smith, which vaults the horse to live longshot status at 20-to-1.
Jose Ortiz will be aboard, though not because Geroux was bumped. The Frenchman will wield the whip -- gripping it tightly, no doubt -- on La Coronel (9-to-2).
Dortmund upset in Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile
Jockey Mike Smith wins his 23rd Breeders’ Cup race
Many experts figured Dortmund was the most likely winner on Breeders’ Cup Friday, if not the entire weekend, but he didn’t even hit the board in the Dirt Mile.
Tamarkuz, a 6-year-old who hadn’t won a race in 19 months and was winless in his six previous U.S. starts, shocked Dortmund and the rest of the field, rallying past Gun Runner in the stretch to post a 3 1/2-length win. Accelerate, a 40-1 longshot, edged Dortmund for third.
Sent off at nearly 12-1, Tamarkuz paid $25.80 after running the mile in 1:35.72. He was ridden by Mike Smith, who leads all Breeders’ Cup jockeys with 23 victories. Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin earned his third Cup victory.
Dortmund was outrun for the early lead by Runhappy, took the lead with about 3 furlongs left but was quickly put under pressure by Gun Runner, who grabbed the advantage at the quarter pole. But Gun Runner was no match down the stretch for Tamarkuz.
It was the first loss for Dortmund in a race not won by a Kentucky Derby winner. His previous defeats came against American Pharoah (twice last year) and California Chrome (all three races this year).
Insider Tips
The full field for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf is about evenly split between U.S.- and European-based horses. History favors the Americans, who have won six of the eight editions.
Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien sends out the chilly morning-line favorite Roly Poly (4-to-1), who was bred in Kentucky but has raced exclusively in the United Kingdom. O’Brien has yet to score in this event. He had virtually monopolized the Juvenile Turf but came up short today with Lancaster Bomber (second) and Intelligence Cross (ninth).
Because Roly Poly’s breeding suggests a problem enduring a mile, the preferred Euro is Spain Burg (5-to-1). The French-bred 2-year-old has followed a narrow defeat on soft turf with three consecutive wins on firm footing, similar to what he will find at Santa Anita.
Insider Tips
You will have to look elsewhere to find an overwhelming favorite being touted. The talent in Breeders’ Cup races runs too deep to chase a small payout.
Yet, something to consider in the Dirt Mile, with Dortmund as a 6-to-5 morning line choice: The last two winners went off at 3-to-5 (Goldencents) and 1-to-2 (Liam’s Map). Form has held recently in this contest.
Bonus tidbit: In the nine-year history of the Dirt Mile, no trainer has won twice. If you believe the trend will continue, scratch off Point Piper, prepped by Jerry Hollendorfer, and Gun Runner, readied by Steve Asmussen.
Oscar Performance wins Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf race
In the land of Oscar, it was fitting that Oscar Performance won the first Breeders’ Cup race Friday at Santa Anita.
The 2-year-old son of Kitten’s Joy captured the Juvenile Turf by 1 1/4 lengths over Lancaster Bomber. Good Samaritan, the 5-2 favorite, had trouble on the first turn and rallied for third.
Sent off as the third choice at 6-1, Oscar Performance paid $15.20 after running a mile on the grass in 1:33.28.
It was the third straight win for Oscar Performance, who also won a maiden race at Saratoga and the Pilgrim at Belmont. He provided the first Breeders’ Cup victory for jockey Jose Ortiz and trainer Brian Lynch.
Insider tips
Eight-time winner Dortmund has never lost a race that did not include California Chrome or American Pharoah. Let that sink in for a minute.
However, the hottest entrant in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile is not Dortmund, the almost-odds-on favorite, but another Chrome.
Texas Chrome -- no relation -- has won three straight races. The quality was a few cuts below Dortmund’s, which explains T. Chrome’s morning odds of 20-to-1.
The only plausible scenario for an upset is Dortmund getting caught up in a lively pace with Bradester, Midnight Storm, Runhappy and/or Accelerate. The door would be cracked open for the midpack horse Gun Runner. Or maybe the Chrome you’ve never heard of.
First longshot comes in on Breeders’ Cup Day
No sooner did we write that there hadn’t been any upsets on Breeders’ Cup Day when -- of course -- there was an upset.
How About Zero, a 2-year-old Cal-bred filly from the Nyquist and I’ll Have Another team of owner Paul Reddam, trainer Doug O’Neill and jockey Mario Gutierrez, held off Ms Wakaya to win the $200,000 Golden State Juvenile Fillies.
The daughter of Square Eddie went off at 10-1 and returned $22.60 after running seven furlongs in 1:24.79.
Previously, the only real “upset” in the first four races on a warm 84-degree afternoon at Santa Anita came in the $100,000 Damascus Stakes, where Bob Baffert’s Jazzy Times, the 2-1 favorite, was passed late by Silent Bird, the 7-2 third choice ($9.40).
Jazzy Times was ridden by Rafael Bejarano, who would have completed a hat trick with the victory. Bejarano won the first two races aboard Ten Blessings ($8.40) and Watch This Cat ($3.60), the former another horse trained by Baffert.
The third race also was won by the favorite, Scuba ($6). He triumphed in the $200,000 Marathon at 1 3/4 miles. It was his third straight victory, all in races of at least 1 1/2 miles.
Up next is the Breeders’ Cup portion of the program, beginning with the Juvenile Turf. The Dirt Mile, Juvenile Turf Fillies and Distaff will follow.
Insider Tips
Trainer Aidan O’Brien can identify with the San Francisco Giants, who won the World Series thrice recently in a five-year span.
The Irishman has taken three of the past five Juvenile Turf events and gets two swings of the bat Friday.
O’Brien re-teams with jockey Ryan Moore, a three-time Turf champion, on Intelligence Cross. The two-time winner has yet to run more than six furlongs but is bred to handle the Turf’s mile distance.
The other O’Brien entrant, Lancaster Bomber, has only one win but barely missed last month in a Group 1 race.
Each was assigned morning odds of 6-to-1, an attractive price given the racing giant who will saddle them up.
Trainer Ron Ellis could become a grandfather this weekend
It could be big weekend for trainer Ron Ellis. He will send out favored Masochistic on Saturday in the $1.5-million Breeders’ Cup Sprint. And he could become a grandfather at any moment.
His daughter, Elizabeth, married to jockey Joe Talamo, was supposed to deliver her first child on Halloween. So now there’s a nonstop baby watch.
The couple does not know whether it will be a boy or girl. But it could be a memorable weekend for the Ellis and Talamo families.
Insider Tips
As a rule, European shippers wield a slight road-field advantage in Breeders’ Cup turf races. Grass is their natural surface.
The advantage varies from one venue to another based on the makeup of the turf course. In general, the softer, the better for the Europeans.
However, the newly installed bermuda sod at Santa Anita is considered fast, which could compromise thei chances, beginning with the Juvenile Turf.
Next: A look at the race’s two invaders trained by the Irish sage Aidan O’Brien.
Jockey Rafael Bejarano wins first two races at Santa Anita
Jockey Rafael Bejarano is off to a fast start at Santa Anita on Friday.
He has won the first two races on the undercard of the Breeders’ Cup program.
He guided Ten Blessings and Watch This Cat to victories in the first and second races.
Inside info: California Chrome’s full sister is running at Santa Anita
California Chrome fans will get a treat one day before the 5-year-old runs in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
California Chrome’s full sister, R Sunday Surprise, is scheduled to run in the fifth race Friday at Santa Anita.
She ran third at Del Mar on Aug. 28, then ran ninth at Santa Anita on Sept. 30.
Doug O’Neill is the trainer and Tyler Baze will be riding her in the $200,000 Golden State Juvenile Fillies Stakes at seven furlongs.
Inside info: Watch out for Flavien Prat
Jockey Flavien Prat, 24, has been one of the rising young riders in Southern California after moving from France two years ago. This will be his first Breeders’ Cup appearance, and he has nine mounts this weekend.
Beware.
He’s healthy after suffering a severe back injury last year. He shared the Del Mar jockey title with Rafael Bejarano and has some live mounts.
For today, he’s aboard Big Score in the Juvenile Turf; Vyjack in the Dirt Mile, and Cavale Doree in the Juvenile Fillies Turf.
Insider Tips
The stock market is slumping. Interest rates are poised to rise. Cubs devotees are broke from buying overpriced game tickets and merchandise, while some might soon be jobless from missing work because of extended celebrating.
Fortuitously, the Breeders’ Cup arrives as a sports port in the storm. A mere two-buck investment on a horse can pay for a meal at some of colleague Jonathan Gold’s 101 best restaurants. Of course, the races also can be enjoyed for the proverbial entertainment purposes only.
Tune in on occasion for tips that might lead to some menu-reading. Be aware, though, that handicapping these mostly wide-open races can be the sport’s version of Rubik’s Cube.
Dortmund catches a breather in Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile
It’s not that often that you can say someone is stepping down to a Breeders’ Cup race but you can make that case for Dortmund.
The 4-year-old spent last year chasing eventual Triple Crown champion American Pharoah, and this year he has been seeing the rear end of California Chrome.
So, rather than put him in the marquee Classic on Saturday, he has been entered in Friday’s Dirt Mile.
“I’m backing him up to the mile,” trainer Bob Baffert said. “I think that’s probably his peak distance. He can go 7/8ths. He’s a really good horse. You could even run him in the sprint. He’s got enough speed.”
Trying to pick a winner in Friday’s Breeders’ Cup Distaff is the toughest of tasks
Count them up. Three horses. Five Eclipse Awards. Two hall of fame jockeys. Two hall of fame trainers. Just shy of $10 million in earnings. Thirty-five victories in 47 starts (74% winners).
The best race is never supposed to come early but that is what’s happening in the two-day Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita when the unquestionable three best female horses will all meet for the first time on Friday around 4:35 p.m. in the Distaff.
“It’s like when you see the Warriors and the Cavaliers, you know it’s going to be a tough series,” said John Sadler, trainer of Stellar Wind.
“You won’t be shocked if any of the three win it. They are all champions. They are all very good.”
Jockey Flavien Prat, back from injury, has 10 mounts in his first Breeders’ Cup
A year ago, jockey Flavien Prat was in a body brace recuperating from five broken vertebrae in his back and a punctured lung after a September spill at Los Alamitos. It forced him to miss the 2015 Breeders’ Cup in Kentucky.
Now the 24-year-old French native is back with a vengeance. He has 10 scheduled mounts for this weekend’s two-day event at Santa Anita, making it his first appearance in the Breeders’ Cup.
“It is a special event,” he said. “I have some pretty nice shots on horses who have improved a lot during the year.”
Prat finished in a tie for first place in the jockey standings at Del Mar and has been gaining growing respect among top trainers in Southern California. He’ll be riding horses for Bob Baffert, Richard Mandella and Phil D’Amato, among others.
Bob Baffert has supporters and detractors in how he deals with jockeys
Bob Baffert, still fresh and snappy after hours of morning interviews, steps into his stall-sized office at Barn 5 near the front of the Santa Anita backstretch.
He immediately looks on his desk to find a faded winner’s circle picture from a long-ago quarter-horse track.
“See who the jockey is? What do you think of that?” he asks.
At the middle of the page on the right side were the words: “Up: B. Baffert.”
Slightly less than four decades ago, the country’s most famous and arguably most successful trainer was a quarter-horse jockey, winning a self-proclaimed 25 out of “about 2,000 races.” Actually it was much fewer, but Baffert didn’t mind poking fun at himself.
The relationship between trainer and jockey is one based on trust and the fact that two humans can build a plan that can be executed by a 1,000-plus-pound animal.
Baffert’s supporters say he is one of the best at understanding the aspects of the trainer-jockey relationship. His detractors, including his jockey on Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, see it differently.
Hoppertunity just isn’t getting any respect
The buzz surrounding this year’s $6-million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Saturday has naturally focused on the certifiable most popular horse in the world, California Chrome, and his possibly more talented understudy, Arrogate.
But while most all the questions to trainer Bob Baffert are about his lightning-quick 3-year-old, a few stalls down sits the other horse Baffert has in the race, Hoppertunity.
The 5-year-old has quietly but assuredly put together a great career. He has won six of 22 racing against the best in the world. He has lost three times this year to Chrome. His last eight races, he has posted a speed figure of 100 or higher.
“Hoppertunity is like Rodney Dangerfield. He’s like, â€I get no respect,’ ” Baffert said, while trying for an imitation of the late comedian, imaginary tie pulled in his hand.
California Chrome and Songbird receive post-position assignments for the Breeders’ Cup
The reigning king and queen of horse racing, California Chrome and Songbird, received post-position assignments Monday as anticipation began to grow for this weekend’s Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Santa Anita.
There will be 13 races and $28 million worth of purses, but the main focus is centered on the $2-million Distaff on Friday and the $6-million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Saturday. It’s the ninth time Santa Anita has hosted horse racing’s world championships.
California Chrome, a 5-year-old California-bred son of Lucky Pulpit with a North American-record $13,432,650 in career earnings, has won all six of his races in 2016. He drew No. 4 in a field of 10 for the 1 1/4-mile Classic and will be ridden by Victor Espinoza. He has been installed as the even-money morning-line favorite.
Songbird, a 3-year-old filly who’s won 11 of 11 races in her career, will be facing older fillies and mares for the first time in the 1 1/8-mile Distaff and is the 6-5 favorite. She will break from the No. 1 position, and the competition will be strong in the eight-horse field. Songbird and jockey Mike Smith will have to defeat Eclipse Award winners Beholder and Stellar Wind.
A look at the best races in this weekend’s Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita
Bob Baffert’s sustained success as a trainer has earned him the unwanted position of being the sport’s most recognizable ambassador. But if you are looking for lock-it-down predictions, laced with a bit of friendly bombast, you’ve got the wrong guy.
So when he went all effusive to a group of turf writers last week, it raised the idea that maybe next weekend’s Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita really is something special. Sure, there are the usual ridiculously high numbers of 13 races running for $28 million in purses, but there are some matchups that will tantalize spectators and confound bettors.
“You look over the field and this is probably one of the strongest Breeders’ Cup years I’ve ever seen,” Baffert said.
“We’ve got the Filly and Mare Distaff. You’ve got the Classic, the Sprint, Turf. I’ve never seen so much talent. … This is the year to buy a ticket. I’m telling you to be there. … There is going to be incredible racing.”
Baffert has seven horses entered in five of the races, including a colt, Arrogate, that may be both the most talented and the biggest question mark and another horse that looks to be a can’t-miss winner. The name of that horse is just one of the five storylines to watch at Friday and Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup.
Nyquist out of Classic, his rocky post-Kentucky Derby career a reflection of so many other champions
The mythology surrounding Nyquist was crushing. Here was a horse that not only couldn’t lose, he couldn’t be passed.
His road to the Kentucky Derby was filled with brilliance, overcoming a troubled trip in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, outdueling Exaggerator at Santa Anita, humiliating an unbeaten Mohaymen on his home track in Florida and then finally winning the Kentucky Derby in movie-script fashion.
That was the last race he ever won.
On Saturday, the racing book was closed on the horse hoping to be only the second, besides Seattle Slew, to win the Triple Crown undefeated. Trainer Doug O’Neill said his prized 3-year-old would not run in Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita after he developed a puffy ankle following a lackluster work on Thursday.
“He walks completely sound, and his X-rays are clean,” O’Neill said, but there was not enough time fo get him ready for the Classic. The official announcement on his retirement is expected to be made early in the week by Darley America in Lexington, Ky., where Nyquist will stand stud.
“After winning this year’s Derby and being undefeated [to that point], Nyquist will go down as the best horse I’ve ever been blessed to have trained,” O’Neill said.
Nyquist is still a winner in the eyes of his trainer
Doug O’Neill was still trying to put forth the best positive face, but you could see he was pained after his colt, Nyquist, lost for the first time in nine tries in the Preakness Stakes.
“We’ll huddle up with [owners] Paul and Zillah [Reddam] and the whole crew and see how he comes out of it,” he said. “It looks like he came back in good shape. Maybe, we’ll try again” in the Belmont.
Saturday was the first time that Exaggerator has beaten Nyquist in five tries.
“I can’t wait to see him in a little bit [after the race], give him a big kiss and pat on the head because he’s still a winner in our book,” O’Neill said.
“They are not machines. Being eight for eight, we kept thinking that this horse is never going to lose, but they all lose at one time or another. We’ll be OK.”
Early money on Stradivari
There was quite the buzz early in the afternoon when Stradivari was bet down to being the betting favorite at 3-5. Ahead of Nyquist. Ahead of Exaggerator.
One person at an off-track betting facility at nearby Laurel Park had placed an $80,000 win bet on the then 8-1 horse. Because there wasn’t a lot of money in the win pool at that time, it affected the odds a lot.
By post time, Stradivari, who finished fourth, was back to 8-1. Nyquist went off as the favorite at 4-5 and Exaggerator was 5-2.
Uncle Lino vanned off
Uncle Lino, who led the early part of the race, was vanned off the track after he finished seventh.
“After the race he was still walking fine, jogging fine, putting weight on all limbs,” said on-call veterinarian Keith Latson. “But they discovered he had a little bit of inflammation in the right front tendon. So rather than walking him back to the stakes barn, they decided to load him up on the ambulance and give him a ride back. It sounds like a minor injury.”
Watch a replay of Exaggerator winning the Preakness Stakes
Nyquist’s unbeaten run and Triple Crown bid are ended by Exaggerator in a muddy Preakness Stakes
BALTIMORE — Trainer Keith Desormeaux always hates to talk about what it means to have brother Kent riding for him in some of the most important races of their lives.
He doesn’t like that people expect them to be awash in family love. You know, Wally and the Beaver times three.
So, there it was after his colt Exaggerator stopped Nyquistâ€s Triple Crown bid by winning the Preakness Stakes on Saturday at Pimlico Race Course .
So how did they acknowledge each other?
“I looked at him, he looked at me and I got a fist pump,” Kent said. “That’s all we did.”
It was the first time in five tries that Exaggerator has beaten Nyquist. And it was decisive. Cherry Wine nosed out Nyquist for second but was 3½ lengths behind the winner of the 1 3/16-mile race, the second stop on the Triple Crown trail.
Nyquist trainer Doug O’Neill was gracious after his colt lost for the first time in nine tries.
“Hats off to Exaggerator and Team Desormeaux,” O’Neill said, standing in the mud that was the race track minutes after the race. “I didn’t think we could get beat, to be honest with you. . . . We’ll kind of figure this all out, watch some replays.”
The replay that was most interesting was of Keith describing what he thought while he was watching his brother ride in the 11-horse field.
“I wanted to strangle him when I saw him go to the rail,” Keith started out. “This is the only race he rode today, and I was, like, all these other jockeys realize it’s a quagmire down on the rail, and I’m like, what’s he doing?”
“Welcome to my house,” Kent interjected to laughter.
“Then I started worrying,” Keith picked up, “why in the world is he so close to the lead approaching the far turn, we’re already three or four lengths off. I looked over at my girlfriend [assistant trainer Julie Clark] and said, â€I hope he’s not asking him to be there.’
“In other words, I hope the horse has done all of this on his own. Obviously he had because when Kent really asked him to run, he had plenty left.”
A less emotional picture of the race goes something like this:
Uncle Lino, the Santa Anita-based horse for trainer Gary Sherlock, went to the lead as expected, Nyquist set up on his outside as the race developed. Nyquist then made a bold move and took a half-length lead at the half-mile mark. The time was 46.56 seconds, considered fast for a race of this length.
Meanwhile, Exaggerator was eighth at a half-mile and up to sixth at the three-quarter-mile mark. Nyquist still had the lead at that point but Exaggerator pulled even as they entered the stretch. Exaggerator then started to pull away. At one point in mid-stretch Exaggerator had cleared Nyquist and jockey Mario Gutierrez pulled his colt to the outside in the hope of gaining some traction. It didn’t work.
Back in Maurice, La., Brenda Desormeaux, mother to Keith and Kent, described herself as “jumping up and down like a 13-year-old, when you don’t have no sense at all. No, make that a 5-year-old.”
Whatever lack of emotion the sons had, the mom more than made up for it.
“I am beyond words,” she said. “These are accomplishments that you can only dream of having with two sons. I am speechless.”
A heavy overnight rain had left the Pimlico track muddy. The rain stopped for most of the day, much to the delight of the record crowd of 135,256, but a steady light rain began an hour before the race. The track was deep and muddy.
“These are two huge races on off tracks,” Keith Desormeaux said. “The one at the Santa Anita Derby [which Exaggerator won by 6¼ lengths], I tried to downplay because it was just such a meltdown pace in front of us. Today the pace was acceptable and he still ran huge.
“So you have to think the track means a lot to his performances. But his fast-track performances are not so bad either.”
In three weeks, Desormeaux is committed to running Exaggerator in the Belmont Stakes, the final leg in the Triple Crown.
“I’ll be there with bells on,” Keith said.
But he will have plenty of late-charging competition in the 1½-mile race. Cherry Wine and Brody’s Cause, both trained by Dale Romans, will also be there. It’s expected that Nyquist will skip the race, but O’Neill says they haven’t made any decisions.
So, the act known as the Brothers Desormeaux will be headed to Broadway. Or at least Long Island.
Follow John Cherwa on Twitter: @jcherwa
Latest Preakness odds
Here are the Preakness odds at 4:30 p.m. EDT
1. Cherry Wine 17-1
2. Uncle Lino 35-1
3. Nyquist 3-5
4. Awesome Speed 45-1
5. Exaggerator 5-2
6. Lani 30-1
7. Collected 16-1
8. Laoban 80-1
9. Abiding Star 40-1
10. Fellowship 60-1
11. Stradivari 8-1
The Times’ Preakness picks
This is one you shouldn’t have to overthink. Maybe we’re a homer for Southern California racing, but we’re picking a Santa Anita trifecta.
1. Nyquist. He’s the best horse. Simple as that.
2. Exaggerator. It’s always tougher for closers to beat great stalkers, but Exaggerator is an impressive horse.
3. Uncle Lino. He’s the best of the early speed and held on for third in the Santa Anita Derby.
Now if you want to throw in a couple more horses, you should add Cherry Wine and Stradivari, but likely in the No. 3 position.
Latest Preakness odds
Here are the Preakness odds at 4:30 p.m. EDT
1. Cherry Wine 17-1
2. Uncle Lino 35-1
3. Nyquist 3-5
4. Awesome Speed 45-1
5. Exaggerator 5-2
6. Lani 25-1
7. Collected 16-1
8. Laoban 80-1
9. Abiding Star 40-1
10. Fellowship 60-1
11. Stradivari 8-1
Latest Preakness Odds
Here are the Preakness odds at 3:30 EDT
1. Cherry Wine 22
2. Uncle Lino 45
3. Nyquist 8-5
4. Awesome Speed 50
5. Exaggerator 3
6. Lani 25
7. Collected 20
8. Laoban 90
9. Abiding Star 50
10. Fellowship 80
11. Stradivari 7-5
What time will Nyquist run in the Preakness?
If you like slop, if you like mud, you’ll love the Preakness Day card at Pimlico Race Course.
As rain continued to fall throughout the morning and into the afternoon, the excitement was building for the 141st running of the Preakness Stakes. The big moment should come somewhere around 6:45 p.m. local time, or 3:45 p.m. in Los Angeles.
The race card starts at 10:30 a.m. EDT. Television coverage of the undercard starts at 2:30 p.m. (11:30 PDT), and the big boys at NBC take over the coverage at 5 (2 PDT).
Preakness Field: 11. Stradivari
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: John Velazquez
Owners: John Gunther
Morning Line: 8-1
How he got here: This is the most touted horse of all the newcomers. This will be his fourth start. He won his last two races by almost 25 lengths total. But neither race was in stakes company.
Why he’ll win: If you believe in the wise-guy theory, then this horse has a huge shot. Around noon on Saturday he became the 3-5 favorite when an $80,000 win bet was placed on the horse at Laurel and greatly altered the then-small win pool. A couple of hours before post, however, his odds were back to his 8-1 morning line.
Why he won’t: He’s untested and never run against this class of horse. But, since he likely hasn’t reached full potential it’s hard to say how good he can be. Still, it would be a surprise if he upsets the more seasoned horses.
Preakness Field: 10. Fellowship
Trainer: Mark Casse
Jockey: Jose Lezcano
Owners: Jacks or Better Farm
Morning Line: 30-1
How he got here: Fellowship is the most raced horse in the Preakness, with 12 starts. He was fourth in the Pat Day mile two weeks ago on Kentucky Derby day. He has not won a race this year.
Why he’ll win: He’s another one for which it is difficult to make a good case. He was moving forward with third-place finishes in the Holy Bull and Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream earlier this year. His third in the Florida Derby shows he can compete at this level.
Why he won’t: He just doesn’t seem like he’s made enough progress to win a race of this caliber. He’s got some late speed but not of the intensity of an Exaggerator or Cherry Wine. He’ll be looking for fifth or sixth.
Preakness Field: 9. Abiding Star
Trainer: Edward Allard
Jockey: J.D. Acosta
Owners: Stonehedge
Morning Line: 30-1
How he got here: He’s the second most-raced horse in the race (11 starts), but he hasn’t been at the premium tracks. He’s won all five races this year in Philadelphia and at Laurel. It took seven races for him to break his maiden, and he hasn’t lost since.
Why he’ll win: Maybe something happened five races ago where he finally figured everything out. He’s got a lot of early speed, so if the race collapses behind him and no one closes, then there is a sliver of a chance he can win.
Why he won’t: This company is just too tough for a horse that raced a lot in Philadelphia. His early speed probably can’t match that of Uncle Lino. He’s likely to drift back and never be seen again.
Preakness Field: 8. Laoban
Trainer: Eric Guillot
Jockey: Florent Geroux
Owners: McCormick Racing, Southern Equine Stable
Morning Line: 30-1
How he got here: Laoban also was eligible for the Kentucky Derby but didn’t draw into the race. His best finish is a second in the Gotham, when he was caught by Shagaf. But he’s still a maiden, winless in five starts. This will be Geroux’s first time riding the colt.
Why he’ll win: Anything can happen in horse racing, and that axiom is probably the best case you can make for this horse. He does have some early speed, and if the race falls apart, maybe he’ll have a short lead going into the stretch. But that’s all highly unlikely.
Why he won’t: Asking a maiden to win a Triple Crown race is a tall order, and this horse doesn’t seem like he can do that.
Preakness Field: 7. Collected
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Jockey: Javier Castellano
Owners: Speedway Stable
Morning Line: 10-1
How he got here: He’s coming off a win in the Lexington Stakes. He’s won four of his six starts, three of them stakes races. He started his career in Southern California, winning both races at Santa Anita and a second at Del Mar.
Why he’ll win: You can never count out Baffert, and the horse seems to be moving forward with each start. If he can be near the lead entering the stretch and Nyquist doesn’t fire, then he has a shot in this race.
Why he won’t: Baffert hasn’t been talking up the horse, which is either an indication or a ploy. We’re guessing an indication. This is a big step up in company.
Preakness Field: 6. Lani
Trainer: Mikio Matsunaga
Jockey: Yutaka Take
Owners: Koji Maeda
Morning line: 30-1
How he got here: Along with Nyquist and Exaggerator, he is the only horse here that ran in the Kentucky Derby. He’s well traveled, having earned his way into the Derby by winning the UAE Derby in Dubai. He finished ninth in the Kentucky Derby and was not much of a factor. He has three wins in seven lifetime races.
Why he’ll win: Because he’s raced mostly in Japan, so we don’t know a lot about him. His win in Dubai shows he can handle decent competition. He’ll have to strike lightning to win.
Why he won’t: He’s a bad actor in the paddock and is usally taken to the track by himself. That’s never a good sign. No horse has ever come over after winning in Dubai and shown much. Should be same today.
Preakness Field: 5. Exaggerator
Trainer: Keith Desormeaux
Jockey: Kent Desormeaux
Owners: Big Chief Racing, Head of Plains Partners, Rocker O Ranch
Morning line: 3-1
How he got here: He’s faced Nyquist four times, losing all. However, in two races this year he has finished second in both, including the Kentucky Derby. He’s won four of 10 races with three seconds. His win the Santa Anita Derby over the slop was impressive and cemented his position as Nyquist’s chief competitor.
Why he’ll win: If anyone can beat Nyquist, it’s this horse. He’s got some of the best connections in the business with the Desormeaux brothers. He was working out great and seems in perfect shape. It could all align for him today.
Why he won’t: It’s tougher to win races from behind than from the front, so he could run into trouble. Everyone was wowed by his performance in the Santa Anita Derby, but the Desormeaux brothers said that finish was deceiving because their horse wasn’t flying at the end as much as the other horses were stopping. We’ll see.
Preakness Field: 4. Awesome Speed
Trainer: Alan Goldberg
Jockey: Jevian Toledo
Owners: Colts Neck Stables
Morning Line: 30-1
How he got here: He’s coming off getting nosed in the Federico Tesio over a good track at nearby Laurel. Before that he finished fourth in the Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream. Has won his four other races, including the Mucho Macho Man at Gulfstream.
Why he’ll win: He’s well rested having last run on April 9. He has some middle speed that could clear him should the front-runners fail to grasp the surface.
Why he won’t: He’s never won against this kind of company. The fact that he gave up the lead in a race at a mile and an eighth is not a good sign. He looks like he won’t be much of a factor today.
Preakness Field: 2. Uncle Lino
Trainer: Gary Sherlock
Jockey: Fernando Perez
Owners: Tom Mansor, Purple Shamrock Racing and Gary Sherlock
Morning Line: 20-1
How he got here: Uncle Lino is coming off a win in the California Chrome Stakes at Los Alamitos. He has had some maturity issues that Sherlock says cleared up quickly in the past month. He’s run over the slop twice, finishing third to Exaggerator in the Santa Anita Derby and second in his first race at Del Mar. He’s won two of seven races.
Why he’ll win: His front-running style will have him on the lead, which is where you can’t get in any trouble. Should Nyquist not bring his best stuff and everyone else have trouble with the track, he could pull a big upset.
Why he won’t: It’s a lot to ask for both Nyquist and Exaggerator to come up short, and they probably won’t. Uncle Lino should put in a strong effort but is still likely to get passed at the top of the stretch or even mid-stretch.
Preakness Field: 3. Nyquist
Trainer: Doug O’Neill
Jockey: Mario Gutierrez
Owners: Paul and Zilllah Reddam
Morning line: 3-5
How he got here: He’s undefeated in eight starts, including the Kentucky Derby, handling every test thrown at him. He’s overcome a troubled trip to win the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. He traveled to Florida to beat the best horse on the East Coast in Mohaymen at the Florida Derby. And he â€won the Kentucky Derby with a perfect trip.
Why he’ll win: Simply put, he’s the best horse. He’s given you no reason to think he won’t win. His ability to go to the front or stalk makes him a perfect Triple Crown candidate. Plus he won’t be having mud kicked inh is face.
Why he won’t: Any horse can get beaten, even the best ones. If he doesn’t bring his A game, or the two-week turnaround is too short, he could be vunerable. But don’t count on it.
Preakness Field: 1. Cherry Wine
Trainer: Dale Romans
Jockey: Corey Lanerie
Owners: William Pacella, Frank Jones, Frank Shoop
Morning Line: 20-1
How he got here: He enters the race after a third in Blue Grass Stakes. Romans has switched the colt between the turf and dirt, although his last four races have been on the dirt. His only trip over the slop was when he broke his maiden at Churchill Downs in November. He has two wins in eight starts.
Why he’ll win: He has a strong finishing kick and should come flying at the end. If the inside part of the track is dead and the outside is faster, he could come strong out of Nyquist’s vision should he be on the rail.
Why he won’t: He’s never won a stakes race, and this is tough company. Being in one shouldn’t be much of a factor since he comes out of the gate so leisurely. He’s worth a play at the bottom of the tri or super.
Learn about the Preakness Stakes horses
Starting at noon PDT, we’ll be giving you all the information you’ll need to understand Saturday’s running of the Preakness Stakes. Previews of each of the 11 horses will roll out every 10 minutes. Stay tuned. Race time is 3:45 PDT.
Are Nyquist and Exaggerator this year’s Affirmed and Alydar?
Few things make sports more interesting than a good rivalry. Even if that rivalry might be nothing more than wishful thinking.
Horse racing was widely popular in 1978 when Affirmed and Alydar hooked up in the Triple Crown races. Affirmed won all three by a total of less than two lengths.
Now, with a Triple Crown for the undefeated Nyquist listed as somewhere between possible and probable, the talk of a potential rivalry with Exaggerator is giving fans a classic story line.
Does Uncle Lino have a chance at the Preakness? These two old friends hope so
There they were, two old friends from Pleasanton, Calif., looking at the horse they say can beat Nyquist and win the Preakness Stakes on Saturday.
Gary Sherlock, the trainer of Uncle Lino, stood back leaning against a fence early Thursday outside his stall at Pimlico Race Course, while Tom Mansor, the principal owner, inspected the horse and held court in front of more than a half-dozen friends and family.
“We’ve got the mayor of Pleasanton over there,” Mansor tells a gullible reporter.
It wasn’t.
They were asked what was the craziest thing they did 5 1/2 decades ago at Amador High School, which sits less than a mile from the Pleasanton Fairgrounds Racetrack.
“We ain’t telling,” Mansor said, injecting an expletive just for color.
“Our lawyers say no,” Sherlock jumps in. “But he knows [what we did].”
A day in the life of Nyquist: Ice boots, exercise, maybe even acupuncture
You would think that winning one of the world’s most famous races would be life-changing for an athlete: instant celebrity, selfies with adoring fans, fancy meals and even a day or two of well-deserved rest and relaxation.
Not so much for Nyquist, winner of the Kentucky Derby.
As he prepares for Saturday’s running of the Preakness, the second leg of the Triple Crown, the Santa Anita-based colt lives a Groundhog Day existence. Sure, he did enjoy some travel earlier — from California to Florida to Kentucky and now to Maryland.
But his boss, trainer Doug O’Neill, is wedded to routine. So Nyquist’s days begin with a predawn wake-up call, followed by a collection of walks, runs, equipment changes, chiropractic work and a vibrating floor. His reward is a bucket filled with grain, molasses and a few carrots.
Here’s a day in the life of the sports world’s newest star.
Nyquist seen as presumed victor at Preakness on Saturday
Nyquist’s quest to be only the second undefeated horse in history to win the Triple Crown makes its next stop at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore this Saturday.
Many see it as little more than a formality that he will win the Preakness Stakes and be a Belmont away from reaching the rarefied air of Seattle Slew, who was unbeaten when he won the Triple Crown in 1977.
But reaching that conclusion seems to be as much about the setup of the race as it is the horse.
Will Nyquist win the Preakness? These factors may make the difference
It’s tough being the middle child. Just ask the Preakness.
It wasn’t always that way. Eleven times before 1932, when the current order was established, the Preakness was run before the Kentucky Derby. Twice it was run on the same day.
The reality of the current order is that no race in America will be bigger than the Kentucky Derby. And no race will be more important than the Belmont Stakes if a horse is going for the Triple Crown.
Kentucky Derby notes: Exaggerator is now 0 for 4 against Nyquist
Exaggerator and jockey Kent Desormeaux must be getting awful tired of seeing Nyquistâ€s tail running in front of them.
Saturday’s Kentucky Derby win by the undefeated Nyquist was the fourth time that Nyquist has beaten the Keith Desormeaux-trained colt.
“What a horse, I can’t respect that horse enough,” Keith said.
There are two different versions of what happened to Exaggerator in the Derby.
“My horse slammed on the brakes at 3 1/2 [furlongs to go],” the jockey said. “I ducked back to the inside and then took off. When you see the replay, it will be obvious.”
But brother Keith had a different look at the race.
“I didn’t think Exaggerator hit the brakes as much as Kent alluded to,” the trainer said. “I thought we had time to catch Nyquist. He had clear running room from the entire one-quarter-mile stretch. I thought for sure we would catch him. He did kind of level off the last sixteenth of a mile.”
The two horses probably will meet again in Baltimore at the Preakness Stakes.
Trouble with Danzing Candy
Danzing Candy, who makes his home at San Diego, may have had some problems breathing, according to jockey Mike Smith.
“I never heard him breathe the way he did today,” Smith said. “It sounds like he flipped his palate. As loud as the crowd was, I could hear him down the lane. When I pulled him up, he sounded like a lion.”
Trainer Cliff Sise Jr. reported that the horse cooled out fine but said they had summoned a veterinarian to scope his throat.
Danzing Candy finished 15th after setting the early pace.
No excuses for Mor Spirit
Mor Spirit, Bob Baffert’s entry in this year’s Derby, was never really a factor in the race, finishing 10th and running mid-pack most of the way.
“I had a good trip but no excuse,” jockey Gary Stevens said. “I didn’t think he cared for the racetrack and ran similar to the way he did in the Santa Anita Derby.”
A fast-moving thunderstorm blew through Churchill Downs about two hours before the race, leaving the track what can best be described as wet fast. The Santa Anita Derby was a sloppy track because of a day of rain.
“He came away from there OK and he got a good spot going into the first turn,” said Baffert, who swept the Triple Crown races last year with American Pharoah. “Then it just didn’t happen from there. He didn’t engage. He just didn’t have anything to fire for the finish.”
Watch Nyquist win the Kentucky Derby
Now you know . . .
Undefeated
A note on the finish
The results of today’s race will be unofficial until track stewards report there are no fouls or protests.
The vast majority of the time, the winner is finalized in a couple of minutes. But it can take longer. Why? Sometimes race officials change the order of finish based on fouls, including if jockeys whip other horses or if two horses purposefully block the path of another by moving out of their path into the other’s path.
Attendance numbers for today’s race
Meet the jockeys for the 142nd Kentucky Derby
The horses get into place
Nyquist remains unbeaten with strong stretch run in Kentucky Derby
LOUISVILLE, Ky.--Sometimes, horse racing turns out just like it was planned.
Nyquist, a horse long on ability and detractors, left few questions remaining that he is the best 3-year-old in the country.
In a performance that was cheered wildly by the 167,227 in attendance at Churchill Downs on Saturday, he won the 142nd running of the Kentucky Derby by 1ÂĽ lengths.
It was the second Derby win for the team of trainer Doug O’Neill, owner Paul Reddam and jockey Mario Gutierrez. This group took I’ll Have Another to wins in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes four years ago. Their chance at a Triple Crown was stopped when the horse had a tendon injury the day before the Belmont Stakes.
The race was so formful that second-favorite Exaggerator was second and third-favorite Gun Runner was third.
“He’s just a remarkable athlete,” O’Neill said of Nyquist after the race. “If you work him by himself, he’ll even swish his tail a little bit as if to say, â€What do you want from me?’ But if you put him in company, he’s just a Ferrari.”
The race started as scripted with Nyquist clearing the 20-horse field and settling near the lead. Danzing Candy, as expected, was quick to go to the front, running somewhat fast fractions of 22.58 seconds for the first quarter mile and 45.72 for the half.
Danzing Candy started to drop back on the far turn and Nyquist and Gun Runner entered the stretch side by side. But as soon as he straightened out, Nyquist, running four off the rail, started to pull away and easily held off Exaggerator, who was 15th after three-quarters of a mile.
Easily wasn’t quite how Reddam remembered it. When asked when he felt he had the race won, he had a one-word answer: “Wire.”
Gutierrez said he did not know Exaggerator was gaining on him.
Both Nyquist and Exaggerator are usually stabled at Santa Anita. Now, it looks as if they will be taking up residence in Baltimore to run in the Preakness in two weeks. The race is slightly shorter, by 1/16th of a mile, than the 1 1/4-mile Kentucky Derby.
Nyquist has been dogged by suggestions his breeding couldn’t handle the Derby distance. His sire, Uncle Mo, never won a race of more than 1 1/16 miles, but that horse spent a lot of his 3-year-old campaign with a liver problem.
“I feel really good for the horse,” Reddam said of Nyquist. “Along the way the last year he took a lot of shots for whatever reason, and I think he proved all his critics wrong today.”
Nyquist was named after Gustav Nyquist of the Detroit Red Wings. Reddam is a lifelong Red Wings fan and even has a business, buying yearlings and selling them as 2-year-olds, called Red Wing.
“When the Red Wings [lost in] the playoffs, I was starting to worry about our horse,” he said.
Dennis O’Neill, Doug’s brother, found the horse for Reddam at a purchase price of $400,000. Dennis also found I’ll Have Another for $35,000.
“I said to someone it felt like four years ago I had bought a lotto ticket,” Dennis O’Neill said. “And I said to buy two lotto tickets in one lifetime, I don’t think that’s ever happened. That’s how I feel about this, just an unbelievable day.”
The legend that is growing around Nyquist is his ability to engage and beat any competitor. In eight races, he has never been passed in the stretch.
“Anybody who watches Nyquist’s races, you will see that he will not allow any other horse to pass him,” Gutierrez said. “He’s the kind of horse that always has something left for whatever comes late.
“That’s how I get so much confidence from him. Because if anybody comes late, I know I’ll have something to respond to that.”’
Another shot against Nyquist is really directed at O’Neill for running Nyquist only twice as a 3-year-old before the Derby. One of the races, the San Vicente Stakes in February, was only seven furlongs. The other, the Florida Derby, where he knocked off a previously unbeaten Mohaymen, was 1 1/8 miles.
“When we did our Team Reddam meeting after winning the Breeders’ Cup race [last year], we talked about giving him a little break and having two races as a prep for the Kentucky Derby,” Doug O’Neill said.
“We felt pretty confident about that. I think we would all be lying [to say] if we got beat here today, we would be saying maybe we didn’t do enough with him.”
Nyquist will be heading to Baltimore as only the eighth horse to emerge from the Kentucky Derby undefeated. The last one was Big Brown in 2008.
In two weeks, we’ll know if the Triple Crown dream is still alive. Only one horse was undefeated after winning the three races: Seattle Slew.
He had his share of detractors too.
Who will wear the garland of roses?
Latest weather update
It’s really raining now at Churchill
Here are Derby odds with 90 minutes to go
1. Trojan Nation 38-1
2. Suddenbreakingnews 24-1
3. Creator 16-1
4. Mo Tom 23-1
5. Gun Runner 10-1
6. My Man Sam 18-1
7. Oscar Nominated 39-1
8. Lani 28-1
9. Destin 21-1
10. Whitmore 30-1
11. Exaggerator 5-1
12. Tom’s Ready 44-1
13. Nyquist 2-1
14. Mohaymen 12-1
15. Outwork 26-1
16. Shagaf 55-1
17. Mor Spirit 12-1
18. Majesto 57-1
19. Brody’s Cause 23-1
20. Danzing Candy 26-1
Raining at Churchill Downs
It’s getting darker and darker
Sounds like a vote for Nyquist
Let the conspiracy theories begin
TVG’s Eurton makes her pick
Nyquist’s quest
Nyquist and Exaggerator won’t mind
It’s always about the hats
Derby Day fixture
Jon Voight at the Derby
Here are Derby odds at 4 p.m. at Churchill Downs
1. Trojan Nation 37-1
2. Suddenbreakingnews 24-1
3. Creator 16-1
4. Mo Tom 23-1
5. Gun Runner 10-1
6. My Man Sam 18-1
7. Oscar Nominated 39-1
8. Lani 27-1
9. Destin 21-1
10. Whitmore 30-1
11. Exaggerator 5-1
12. Tom’s Ready 43-1
13. Nyquist 2-1
14. Mohaymen 12-1
15. Outwork 26-1
16. Shagaf 54-1
17. Mor Spirit 12-1
18. Majesto 57-1
19. Brody’s Cause 23-1
20. Danzing Candy 26-1
Hats off!
Here are the odds for the Derby at 3 p.m. at Churchill Downs
1. Trojan Nation 37-1
2. Suddenbreakingnews 23-1
3. Creator 16-1
4. Mo Tom 23-1
5. Gun Runner 10-1
6. My Man Sam 18-1
7. Oscar Nominated 39-1
8. Lani 27-1
9. Destin 21-1
10. Whitmore 30-1
11. Exaggerator 5-1
12. Tom’s Ready 43-1
13. Nyquist 2-1
14. Mohaymen 12-1
15. Outwork 26-1
16. Shagaf 55-1
17. Mor Spirit 12-1
18. Majesto 58-1
19. Brody’s Cause 22-1
20. Danzing Candy 27-1
More and more people
Looking at the data
Shannon Sharpe hits the red carpet
The countdown continues
Here are the odds for the Derby at 2 p.m. at Churchill Downs
1. Trojan Nation 38-1
2. Suddenbreakingnews 23-1
3. Creator 16-1
4. Mo Tom 23-1
5. Gun Runner 10-1
6. My Man Sam 18-1
7. Oscar Nominated 40-1
8. Lani 26-1
9. Destin 21-1
10. Whitmore 31-1
11. Exaggerator 5-1
12. Tom’s Ready 43-1
13. Nyquist 2-1
14. Mohaymen 12-1
15. Outwork 26-1
16. Shagaf 54-1
17. Mor Spirit 12-1
18. Majesto 58-1
19. Brody’s Cause 22-1
20. Danzing Candy 27-1
Derby fashion
Joey Fatone on the Derby red carpet
Here are the odds at 1 p.m. at Churchill Downs
1. Trojan Nation 38-1
2. Suddenbreakingnews 24-1
3. Creator 16-1
4. Mo Tom 23-1
5. Gun Runner 10-1
6. My Man Sam 18-1
7. Oscar Nominated 40-1
8. Lani 27-1
9. Destin 21-1
10. Whitmore 32-1
11. Exaggerator 5-1
12. Tom’s Ready 43-1
13. Nyquist 2-1
14. Mohaymen 12-1
15. Outwork 26-1
16. Shagaf 54-1
17. Mor Spirit 13-1
18. Majesto 59-1
19. Brody’s Cause 22-1
20. Danzing Candy 27-1
It’s getting pretty crowded at Churchill Downs
Picks for the Derby
D’Amato gets a second with Gotham News
Kentucky Derby odds at noon in Louisville
1. Trojan Nation 38-1
2. Suddenbreakingnews 24-1
3. Creator 16-1
4. Mo Tom 23-1
5. Gun Runner 10-1
6. My Man Sam 18-1
7. Oscar Nominated 40-1
8. Lani 27-1
9. Destin 21-1
10. Whitmore 32-1
11. Exaggerator 5-1
12. Tom’s Ready 44-1
13. Nyquist 2-1
14. Mohaymen 12-1
15. Outwork 27-1
16. Shagaf 62-1
17. Mor Spirit 13-1
18. Majesto 59-1
19. Brody’s Cause 21-1
20. Danzing Candy 27-1
Here’s a horse that’s underbet
In crowded Kentucky Derby field, Nyquist owner Paul Reddam finds reason for confidence
Paul Reddam is an owner who knows a thing or two about horse racing. He helped call the shots in I’ll Have Another’s improbable run to Kentucky Derby and Preakness wins four years ago. He also helps manage a successful pinhooking operation, which is thoroughbred shorthand for buying stock low as a yearling and selling high as a 2-year-old.
So, there was the owner of Cash Call, a large company specializing in small loans, on the phone with his emissaries at the Fasig-Tipton sale at Gulfstream Park in South Florida last year.
He had two things in mind, holding on to an Eskendereya colt he had bought as a yearling for $85,000 and buying a 2-year-old colt from the first crop sired by Uncle Mo.
The horses didn’t have names yet, but would later be known as Mor Spirit and Nyquist.
The Derby field: 20. Danzing Candy
Trainer: Cliff Sise Jr.
Jockey: Mike Smith
Owners: Halo Farms and Jim and Dianne Bashor
Morning Line: 15-1
Story: He got on everyone’s radar with a surprise win in the San Felipe and then fell off the radar with a disappointing fourth in the Santa Anita Derby, after running very fast early fractions over a sloppy track. Getting the farthest outside post didn’t help, but at least it means he won’t have to wait long in the double load at the gate. The long front stretch after the start should give him enough time to get to the front. He has won three out of five races, and this is his first race outside of Southern California. Owners Ted Aroney and Jim and Dianne Bashor live in San Diego County.
Why he’ll win: Jockey Smith is a money rider and if he can hoodwink everyone into slower fractions off the lead, he may be able to hang on. A lot depends on how much he has to use his horse to get to the lead.
Why he won’t win: It’s real difficult to go wire to wire in the Kentucky Derby. The odds are Danzing Candy will be in the lead midway through the far turn but when Nyquist makes his move, Danzing Candy may start to back up.
--John Cherwa
The Derby field: 19. Brody’s Cause
Trainer: Dale Romans
Jockey: Luis Saez
Owners: Albaugh Family Stable
Morning Line: 12-1
Story: He was an impressive winner of the Blue Grass Stakes, with a big finish to beat a field of 14. His first start was on the turf at Ellis Park, where he finished eighth, 25 lengths back. He hasn’t been on the turf since. He went into the Tampa Bay Derby as the favorite and threw in an unexplainable seventh-place finish. Trainer Romans is one of the best in the business but does not have a Derby win. This is one of his best chances. Brody’s Cause beat Exaggerator as a 2-year-old at Keeneland. Jockey Saez has yet to hit the board in three Derby starts.
Why he’ll win: The horse’s push-button acceleration could be what’s needed as others around him either start to tire or find trouble. He should start to make his move heading into the far turn.
Why he won’t win: He has thrown in a couple of bad races at surprising times, especially in Tampa. He does not benefit from such an outside post.
—John Cherwa
The Derby field: 18. Majesto
Trainer: Gustavo Delgado
Jockey: Emisael Jaramillo
Owners: Alejandro Ceballos
Morning Line: 30-1
Story: His big moment was a second in the Florida Derby to Nyquist, where he galloped out past Nyquist. So he has the distance. It took him five tries before he broke his maiden, which he did at Gulfstream. He loses jockey Javier Castellano, who chose to ride Destin instead. Jaramillo has never ridden the colt.
Why he’ll win: He’s a middle-of-the-pack horse, not too fast and not too slow. He’s likely to pick up a lot of positions as other horses tire in the stretch. He’ll need a perfect trip and then some.
Why he won’t win: There are a lot better closers in the race and a lot better early speed and stalkers. So, he’s a horse whose style may not work in this race.
—John Cherwa
The Derby field: 17. Mor Spirit
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Jockey: Gary Stevens
Owners: Michael Lund Petersen
Morning line: 12-1
Story: He finished his 2-year-old campaign with a stakes win at Los Alamitos and then won the Robert Lewis at Santa Anita as a 3-year-old. Then he finished second in the San Felipe and Santa Anita Derby and did so without really threatening the winner. He has never finished worse than second with three wins and four places. He was once owned by Nyquist owner Paul Reddam, but was sold to his current connections as a 2-year-old. Trainer Baffert has won the Derby four times.
Why he’ll win: You’ve always got a chance when Baffert is your trainer. He knows how to get a horse peaking for the first Saturday in May. Also a big plus is jockey Stevens.
Why he won’t win: He just didn’t develope like people thought he would. Losing to Danzing Candy and Exaggerator in consecutive races shows that he might not have that huge burst of speed needed at the end.
--John Cherwa
The Derby field: 16. Shagaf
Trainer: Chad Brown
Jockey: Joel Rosario
Owners: Shadwell Stable
Morning line: 20-1
Story: He was undefeated in three starts before running fifth in the Wood Memorial, where he made a strong mid-race move but flattened out. How much of that was due to the muddy track is unknown. He has shown a finishing kick over a dry track. Since 1980, none of the 39 starters that ran in both the Gotham Stakes and Derby have won the Derby. This is trainer Brown’s second Derby start, having run Normandy Invasion to a fourth place finish in 2013.
Why he’ll win: He’s never lost on a dry track and was training well at Churchill Downs. The owners know horse racing as they also own Mohaymen.
Why he won’t win: He just doesn’t look strong or experienced enough to handle this level of competition. The owners decided to ship him out of Florida to New York, which meant they liked Mohaymen better.
--John Cherwa
The Derby field: 15. Outwork
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: John Velazquez
Owners: Mike Repole
Morning line: 15-1
Story: This horse is the real Uncle Mo connection as the owner, Repole, was the owner of Uncle Mo when he ran. The horse is lightly raced, having run only four times. But he’s won three of them, including in the slop in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct.Outwork is the horse that Nyquist owner Paul Reddam said he was most afraid of. Trainer Pletcher has won only one Kentucky derby is 43 starts.The horse’s highest speed figure is 96.
Why he’ll win: If Nyquist has the breeding to go 1 1/4 miles, then so does Outwork, as they are both sired by Uncle Mo. If Outwork can let Danzing Candy go to the front, he can then rate off the lead and might have enough left at the end to have a winning trip.
Why he won’t win: The times for the Wood were exceedingly slow, and you can’t blame that all on the mud. Outwork’s immaturity may just catch up with him in the Derby.
--John Cherwa
What you need to know about this year’s Derby horses
Starting this morning at 8:10 Pacific, we’ll be rolling out our capsule look at all the horses — one at a time — in the Kentucky Derby. They will appear by post position. Learn how well the horse you drew in your Derby pool will or won’t do. And later today, we’ll give you our predictions.
The Derby field: 14. Mohaymen
Trainer: Kiaran McLaughlin
Jockey: Junior Alvarado
Owners: Shadwell Stable
Morning Line: 10-1
Story: He was the “it” horse before the Florida Derby. He was undefeated, the horse everyone loved more than Nyquist. But when that race was run, it was Mohaymen under scrutiny. His fourth place made him suspect. But if you throw out the worst “two minutes of his life,” as his trainer says, you have a formidable horse. He has five winners in six starts, including wins at Aqueduct and Gulfstream.
Why he’ll win: Throw out the Florida Derby, on an off track, and how can you not like this colt? Everyone, be it horse or person, has an off day. This might have been Mohaymen’s off day. If that’s true, look out.
Why he won’t win: Maybe that Florida Derby line was more indicative if how he’s actually able to run. If that’s the case, look at the second 10.
—John Cherwa
The Derby field: 13: Nyquist
Trainer: Doug O’Neill
Jockey: Mario Gutierrez
Owners: Paul and Zillah Reddam
Morning Line: 3-1
Story: What’s not to love? He’s won all seven of his races while facing the best competition. His connections are the same as I’ll Have Another, who won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness four years ago. They know the Derby drill. His most impressive performance might have been the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, where he overcame considerable trouble to win by half a length. He’s won short and he’s won at 1 1/8th but his breeding still comes under question. His last race was the Florida Derby, where he crushed the undefeated Mohaymen. He is this year’s rock star with a lot of strong undercard acts.
Why he’ll win: He’s the best horse. The colt responds to any challenge and brings the opinion that if he is engaged, he will not be passed.
Why he won’t win: It’s said that his breeding will not allow him to go 1 1/4 mile, but all the optics indicate otherwise. If he gets in a speed duel, though, his first loss will be upon him.
—John Cherwa
The Derby field: 12. Tom’s Ready
Trainer: Dallas Stewart
Jockey: Brian Hernandez Jr.
Owners: GMB Racing
Morning Line: 30-1
Story: He is the weakest of the three Uncle Mo-sired colts in the race. He’s partially owned by Tom Benson, owner of the New Orleans Saints. Get it? Son of Uncle Mo. Owned by Tom Benson. He’s a Pennsylvania bred, same as Mor Spirit and coming off a 42-day layoff. He finished second to Gun Runner at the Louisiana Derby. Has won only one of nine races and none in 2016.
Why he’ll win: Uncle Mo has a great first crop, why not this one? That’s all we got. A stretch to find him in the top 10.
Why he won’t win: He just hasn’t beaten the kind of competition that he will face in the Kentucky Derby. His lone win was in a maiden race.
--John Cherwa
The Derby field: 11. Exaggerator
Trainer: Keith Desormeaux
Jockey: Kent Desormeaux
Owners: Big Chief Racing, Head of Plains Partners, Rocker O Ranch
Morning line: 8-1
Story: Connections include the first brother trainer-jockey combination at the Derby since 1993. After a third in the San Felipe, trainer Keith Desormeaux wondered if the colt was a miler, not the classic 1 1/4 miles. He answered that question by winning the 1 1/8 mile Santa Anita Derby by 6 1/4 lengths. He’s won four of nine races, but has lost to Nyquist three times. An off track would benefit him, but that’s not in the forecast. He was favored in the Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland but lost to Brody’s Cause.
Why he’ll win: Just a great colt with an exceptional trainer and jockey. If he repeats his performance in the Santa Anita Derby, jockey Kent says he’ll win by 10.
Why he won’t win: He hasn’t been able to beat Nyquist yet, including a loss at 7 furlongs in the San Vicente, where Exaggerator gave everything he could. May be Alydar to Nyquist’s Affirmed.
--John Cherwa
The Derby field: 10. Whitmore
Trainer: Ron Moquette
Jockey: Victor Espinoza
Owners: Harry T. Rosenblum, Robert V. LaPenta and Southern Springs Stables
Morning Line: 20-1
Story: Espinoza, who rode American Pharoah and California Chrome, is picking up the mount. The gelding has won two of six lifetime races, a maiden and optional claimer. He finished third in the Arkansas Derby behind Creator and Suddenbreakingnews. He hasn’t raced at Churchill Downs since he broke his maiden in November of last year. His comment lines show he finds ways to disadvantage himself with a “broke slow,” “pinched,” “steadied”and “bobble start.”
Why he’ll win: Early in his career he showed some early speed but lately he’s been closing late. Hopefully that shows a versatility of style that could benefit him in this race.
Why he won’t win: He just hasn’t shined like some of the other horses in this race.
—John Cherwa
The Derby field: 9. Destin
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: Javier Castellano
Owners: Steve Davison and Randy Gullatt
Morning Line: 15-1
Story: Destin is coming off a 56-day layoff, which is said to be the longest since records started to be kept in 1929. He won his last two races, the Tampa Bay Derby, where he beat Outwork, and the Sam F. Davis Stakes, also at Tampa. The colt has won three of five starts. No horse that has won the Sam Davis has ever won the Derby.He seems to travel well, having raced at Belmont, Gulfstream, Fair Grounds and Tampa. Trainer Pletcher has had 43 Derby starters with only one win.
Why he’ll win: He’s certainly well rested so that might be a positive. Castellano as jockey is a major plus. Destin should be ahead of all the late closers, so that could work in his advantage.
Why he won’t win: The layoff is certainly a concern. His level of competition is not as strong as many of the other horses. Look for him to finish in the middle.
—John Cherwa
The Derby field: 8. Lani
Trainer: Mikio Matsunaga
Jockey: Yutaka Take
Owners: Koji Maeda
Morning Line: 30-1
Story: Earned points for the race by winning the UAE Derby in Dubai. His other five races were in Japan. He will be the ninth Derby starter to have raced exclusively outside North America before running in the Derby. He has traveled from Japan to Dubai to the United States in the last two months and it’s unclear how much that travel will take out of him. He has three wins in six starts and two of the last three. Is used to big fields having run in races with 14, 15, 16 and 16 horses.
Why he’ll win: Since we really don’t know a lot about him, anything is possible.
Why he won’t win: Until a Dubai Derby winner does anything in this race, you can’t take them seriously. In eight starts a Dubai winner has never hit the board.
--John Cherwa
The Derby field: 7. Oscar Nominated
Trainer: Mike Maker
Jockey: Julien Leparoux
Owners: Ken and Sarah Ramsey
Morning Line: 50-1
Story: His owners supplemented him into the race for $200,000. He has run seven times, but six of those have been on the turf. His only dirt start, which was actually Polytrack, was winning the Spiral Stakes at Turfway Park. Leparoux has only ridden him once, back in November in a turf allowance race at Churchill Downs. He was claimed by the Ramseys in October for $75,000. His best speed figure was 96, which will be tough against this group.
Why he’ll win: When Animal Kingdom won in 2011, he had also never run on a true dirt surface. So it can happen.
Why he won’t win: Not sure why he’s in the race, especially at a price of $200,000. It’s difficult for a turf horse to win a dirt race, especially when it’s the Kentucky Derby.
--John Cherwa
The Derby field: 6. My Man Sam
Trainer: Chad Brown
Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.
Owners: Sheep Pond Partners, Newport Stables and Jay W. Bligh
Morning Line: 20-1
Story: He is lightly raced with only four lifetime starts and only one as a 2-year-old. Regular rider Ortiz is back on board after skipping the Blue Grass Stakes to stay in New York. Finished a hard-charging second in the Blue Grass, 1 3/4 lengths behind Brody’s Cause. Won his second race as a maiden by eight lengths at Aqueduct. It’s his only win. Brown has been a hot trainer the last couple of weeks with three wins in eight starts.
Why he’ll win: He’s still improving and has his regular jockey back on. He was eating up ground in the Blue Grass but just ran out of room. The extra length will help.
Why he won’t win: Like the other closers he needs a near-perfect trip and has to stay out of trouble. He’ll pay a good price if he hits the board.
--John Cherwa
The Derby field: 5. Gun Runner
Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Jockey: Florent Geroux
Owners: Winchell Thoroughbreds
Morning Line: 10-1
Story: He led the points standings with 151. He has only five lifetime starts, but he’s won four of them. His only loss came over a sloppy track at Churchill Downs; he won his first race at Churchill over a fast track. The colt is coming off a 42-day layoff after winning the Louisiana Derby by 4 1/2 lengths. This is Geroux’s third ride on the horse. He had a bullet work on April 18 over five furlongs at Churchill.
Why he’ll win: His ability to stalk off the pace will keep him out of trouble and away from all jostling at the back of the pack. His 100 Beyer in Louisana is a plus.
Why he won’t win: He hasn’t really beaten a stellar field. The crop at the Fair Grounds was considered average. The competition may be too tough.
—John Cherwa
The Derby field: 4. Mo Tom
Trainer: Tom Amoss
Jockey: Corey Lanerie
Owners: GMB Racing
Morning Line: 20-1
Story: He was the 20th quaifier under the points system. He’s also coming off a 42-day layoff, having last run in the Louisiana Derby on March 26. He was the beaten favorite, finishing fourth in that race. He is one of three of Uncle Mo’s sons in the race, meaning there will be questions about him going 1 1/4 miles. He’s won three of seven races, with his only stakes win the Grade 3 LeComte at Fair Grounds.
Why he’ll win: Yet another late speed horse, he needs everything to fall perfectly just to hit the board. But, what happens if he runs a trouble free race?
Why he won’t win: He seems to find trouble as evidenced by his third in the Risen Star and fourth in Louisana Derby. Sometimes it’s more than bad luck.
—John Cherwa
The Derby field: 3. Creator
Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Jockey: Ricardo Santana Jr.
Owners: WinStar Farm
Morning Line: 10-1
Story: He is one of three sons of Tapit in this race. He has four starts as a 3-year-old. The last horse with that many preps to win the Derby was Smarty Jones in 2004. Creator has won two of eight races, including the Arkansas Derby three weeks ago with a Beyer Speed Figure of 100. It took him six tries before he broke his maiden. The grey was bought for $440,000 at the Keeneland yearling sale. Trainer Asmussen was recently elected in the Racing Hall of Fame.
Why he’ll win: He needs a perfect trip and should come flying at the end, but so should a lot of others. He’s one of those “from the cloud” horses.
Why he won’t win: He just seems to find trouble whenever he races. He draws comments such as “wide,” “bumped” and “shuffled back.” It’s even easier to get in trouble with 20 horses.
—John Cherwa
Running down the Derby field: 2. Suddenbreakingnews
Trainer: Donnie Von Hemel
Jockey: Luis Quinonez
Owners: Samuel F. Henderson
Morning Line: 20-1
Story: This gelding is coming off a second to Creator in the Arkansas Derby, meaning he’s only had three weeks’ rest. He’s won three of eight lifetime starts and had four second place finishes. His biggest win was in the Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn, beating Whitmore by 2 3/4 lengths. He has only raced at Oaklawn and Remington Park in Oklahoma City. A win here would mark the first time a horse that broke its maiden at Remington won the Derby, and the 11th time a gelding won the Run for the Roses.
Why he will win: He’s very consistent with only one race where he was off the board. Like many, he needs many of the closers to get in trouble and then Quinonez, who has ridden every race, needs to find a spot outside.
Why he won’t win: The closer competition seems just too strong in this Derby and this horse may just be in the second tier. But, like a lot of young horses, he’s due to improve.
-- John Cherwa
The Derby field: 1. Trojan Nation
Trainer: Paddy Gallagher
Jockey: Aaron Gryder
Owners: Julie Gilbert and Aaron Sones
Morning Line: 50-1
Story: He will be the first maiden to run in the Kentucky Derby since 1998. He was pretty unnoticed in his first five races, four of them at Santa Anita. He had distance breeding; he was sired by Street Cry, who sired Zenyatta. Gallagher looked for a good spot and thought the Wood Memorial would be the right place. Trojan Nation stunned everyone when he just got outbobbed by Outwork, earning enough points to come to the Derby.
Why he’ll win: He’s got the breeding to get the distance. He needs some ridiculous fractions by the front-runners to help eliminate Nyquist and Mohaymen, then he needs the other closers to have bad trips. All this is unlikely.
Why he won’t win: We won’t see the best from this horse for a while. Gallagher brings his horses along slowly, and there’s no reason to think he can handle this challenge.
—John Cherwa
Notes from Churchill Downs
Eighteen of the presumptive 20 starters for the race worked out on Wednesday. Lani, winner of the UAE Derby, worked five furlongs on Tuesday. Oscar Nominated, winner of the Spiral Stakes at Turfway, just arrived at Churchill Downs from nearby Trackside Training Center.
Nyquist surprised everyone by working at 7:15 a.m. instead of the 8:30 a.m. slot reserved for Derby entrants. The Derby favorite galloped two miles, stood in the starting gate and schooled in the paddock.
“We had him out early today because we had so many things we wanted to accomplish,” said Leandro Mora, Doug O’Neill’s top assistant.
Exaggerator trainer Keith Desormeaux used an almost identical routine with his 3-year-old. He galloped 1 ½ miles and stood at the starting gate. Desormeaux said he planned to also take him to the paddock in the next day.
Kiaran McLaughlin, trainer of Mohaymen, is still trying to explain away his previously undefeated colt’s loss to Nyquist in the Florida Derby.
“First of all, it rained,” McLaughlin said. “There was water standing on the racetrack, and where we were on the racetrack was the worst part. We broke from the 9 out of 10. It’s an eighth of a mile to the first turn. “We were very wide and on a spot of the track that wasn’t a good spot to be that day. … We ran 54 feet farther than Nyquist on the worst part of the racetrack.”
Long-shot Trojan Nation looking to make a name for himself in Kentucky Derby
Aqueduct track announcer Larry Collmus calls the Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup races for NBC Sports. He’s also considered the best race caller who doesn’t work in California.
Here’s how he described the stretch drive of the $1-million Wood Memorial about a month ago.
“As they move to the top of the stretch it is Outwork and Matt King Coal and the two of them turn for home together. … And Adventist is closing through an opening on the inside.
“Into the final furlong it is Outwork in front, Adventist trying to go for an upset up the rail. … They will decide the Wood Memorial. Outwork and Adventist. Here’s the wire. Outwork and Adventist bob heads under the wire in the Wood.”
A classic call by a classic announcer. Outwork won the bob, but there was only one problem. It wasn’t Adventist who was second. It was Trojan Nation.
Trojan Nation just wants to run
Lani’s biggest obstacle yet
Former Kentucky Derby contender has an unheard-of legacy in this year’s race
Mike Repole opened the news conference on May 6, 2011, looking both shaken and resigned. A dark jacket was pulled over his shoulders, and a blue baseball cap with the words “Uncle Mo” rested low and heavy on his head.
“When I envisioned this press conference,” Repole said, “it was supposed to be Saturday night at 7:15, not Friday at 8:45. Todd [Pletcher], about a half-hour ago, scratched Uncle Mo and he will not run in the Kentucky Derby.”
The colt had won his first four races, before a disappointing third in the Wood Memorial. Something was going on with the horse but no one quite knew what. Still, he was installed as the favorite for the Kentucky Derby.
A horse is a horse, of course, but what do they think on Kentucky Derby day?
It was the biggest race before the Kentucky Derby, and undefeated colt Nyquist was leading as he headed into the homestretch at the Florida Derby.
Jockey Mario Gutierrez decided to employ a different tactic. He asked the horse to run wide, losing ground, so his chief rival, undefeated Mohaymen, would stay within Nyquist’s sight lines. The confrontation never developed as Mohaymen just couldn’t keep up with the presumptive favorite for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby.
The strategy was based on how they believed Nyquist was thinking rather than the quickest path to the finish line. The colt has not only never lost a race, he has never even allowed another horse to pass him.
The anthropomorphism of animals is ingrained in our culture, but it doesn’t answer the question if horses actually know when they win or even why they are running a race.
Exaggerator looking sharp
Nyquist arrives at Churchill Downs
Danzing Candy folks arrive
Some fun facts about the Derby
Exaggerator lathered up, in a good way
Keith Desormeaux has trouble getting to Louisville
He missed his connecting flight yesterday and then the first flight out today was overbooked.
— Julie Clark, assistant to Exaggerator trainer
Tom’s Ready goes 5 furlongs
Nyquist stands out, but here are some other factors in the race
The field for next Saturday’s Kentucky Derby is not unlike other years, filled with intrigue, doubt and hope. Especially hope.
If you look at the 20 horses scheduled to go to post, you’ll find they’ve run 125 races, with 57 winning efforts. Twenty-nine of those wins were graded stakes. No shortage of talent.
But on paper, there should be no question which horse is the best, an undefeated colt, based at Santa Anita, who has done absolutely, positively nothing wrong. Yet there are doubters.
Exaggerator schools at Churchill Downs
Now who is riding Majesto?
Bob Baffert and jockey Martin Garcia have a falling out just before the Kentucky Derby
Jockey Martin Garcia will not be in Louisville during Kentucky Derby week to assist trainer Bob Baffert in the preparation of his best horses. Garcia was often used by Baffert to work and exercise his horses.
According to Jay Privman of the Daily Racing Form, Baffert and Garcia had a falling out in recent days. Garcia was supposed to work Jimbo Fallon, who was accompanying Mor Spirit, when he ran over the track Tuesday.
Mor Spirit’s regular rider, Gary Stevens, as scheduled, was aboard the colt for Tuesday’s work. Mor Spirit is Baffert’s only Kentucky Derby entrant.
What time does the Kentucky Derby start?
So, you’re planning your day around watching the Kentucky Derby -- and for the record it’s the first Saturday in May, as always, which is May 7 this year -- and want to make sure you are home in time.
In other words, what time is the Kentucky Derby?
If you’re in Louisville, post time is supposed to be 6:34 p.m. If you’re in Chicago that means 5:34, or in Denver that’s 4:34, or here in Los Angeles it’s 3:34.
Triple Crown-winning jockey Victor Espinoza readies with Whitmore
Creator tests the dirt at Churchill Downs
Lani works out at Churchill Downs, preps for Kentucky Derby
Picking the California horses
Gun Runner works at Churchill Downs
Mor Spirit works over the main track at Churchill Downs while prepping for Kentucky Derby
Mor Spirit, the talented late-charging colt for Bob Baffert, took his first breeze over the Churchill Downs track on Tuesday. The 3-year-old son of Eskendreya worked five furlongs in 59.80. It was the second fastest time over that distance of the 18 horses that worked in the morning.
Gary Stevens, the horse’s regular rider, told Churchill Downs publicity that Mor Spirit “loved the work.”
More laurels for Exaggerator jockey
Danzing Candy hopes to enjoy a stay in Louisville
One thing for certain, is if Danzing Candy does well Saturday in the Santa Anita Derby, he’ll have a guaranteed reservation of a nice place to stay in Louisville on the first Saturday in May.
The talented 3-year-old colt for owners Ted Aroney and Jim and Dianne Bashor turned some heads a month ago with an easy win in the San Felipe Stakes against a very strong field. It was his third straight victory in four starts and put him on a path to run in the Kentucky Derby.
But for Aroney, the San Felipe win only brought back a memory that has stuck in his craw for three years.
Exaggerator wins Santa Anita Derby impressively for the Desormeaux brothers
Trainer Keith Desormeaux was worried about his horse Exaggerator after a disappointing third in the San Felipe Stakes a month ago. He even speculated that the horse might be only a miler, rather than a colt capable of running the 1 1/4 miles of the Kentucky Derby.
Saturday, the colt showed his trainer that his fears were greatly misplaced with a stirring rally to win the $1-million Santa Anita Derby by a widening 6 1/4 lengths. By winning the 1 1/8-mile race over a strong field of eight, he put himself squarely in the middle of the Kentucky Derby picture.
“Did I have any doubts as they were going up to the gate?” Desormeaux asked. “No doubt, I had doubts. We had a good pace to run at in the San Felipe, but not a really fast pace. Today, we had a great pace scenario and he took full advantage.”
Nyquist stands alone after the Florida Derby
HALLANDALE, Fla. -- Some thought it a gamble to ship unbeaten Nyquist across the country to face the early Kentucky Derby favorite Mohaymen on his home surface of Gulfstream Park.
As it turned out, it wasn’t much of a gamble at all.
Nyquist, despite a wide trip, dominated as he pulled away toward the finish line to win the $1-million Florida Derby by 3 1/4 lengths Saturday. In addition, the horse’s connections got a $1-million bonus because the horse was bought at the Fasig-Tipton sale at Gulfstream last year.
Mohaymen finished a disappointing fourth. Majesto was second and Fellowship was third.
Expectations are high for Nyquist vs. Mohaymen at the Florida Derby
There were the rumors of a soft tissue injury, called curb, a swelling on the back of the hock. There was the stigma of buying from the first crop of a sire who was known as a miler rather than the classic Derby distance. And the colt was even a tad slower in some of the workouts.
But then there was his look.
“If you were to draw a picture of a horse,” said bloodstock agent Dennis O’Neill, “you would draw Nyquist. He’s the prettiest horse that I’ve ever bought. He’s big and lean and very, very athletic.”
Undefeated Nyquist and Mohaymen to face off in Florida in historic Kentucky Derby prelude
About this time of year, there is no shortage of people who think they have a good sense of what’s going to happen in the Kentucky Derby. This year, for a change, they may actually be right.
A good indicator of what may happen comes a week from Saturday at the Florida Derby at Gulfstream. In a historical rarity, the best horse from the East and the best from the West will run against each other before the Kentucky Derby. And both are undefeated.
There is Nyquist, winner of six and voted top 2-year-old last year after winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, representing the West. He’s the underdog.
From the East is Mohaymen, who has won his five races with such ease that no one is sure how good he can be, although his $2.2-million purchase price as a yearling is probably a good indication.
Danzing Candy pulls a surprise in San Felipe Stakes
Everyone at Santa Anita wanted to see how the underdog story would play out. With a horse stepping up big in class, can he knock off the better-known favorites?
The answer was yes, but it wasn’t the horse most people expected. It was Danzing Candy, not Smokey Image, who pulled the upset in the $400,000 San Felipe Stakes and turned the murky Kentucky Derby picture even murkier.
Ridden by Mike Smith, Danzing Candy broke well as a crowd of 27,259 looked on, took the lead quickly and never gave it up. He beat the late-running favorite, Mor Spirit, by two lengths. Exaggerator, the second favorite, made a monster move on the clubhouse turn but then flattened out, couldn’t run down the winner and finished third.
San Felipe Stakes takes spotlight on Big â€Cap day
It’s not often that a $1-million horse race is viewed as part of the undercard. But that’s what the Santa Anita Handicap has become.
In what has been called the best Kentucky Derby prep race so far this year, the $400,000 San Felipe Stakes will feature two horses that should easily make the Derby field and one that has state breeders hoping for the next California Chrome.
Trying to live up to the rags-to-riches story of the California-bred Chrome has fallen on the shoulders of Carla Gaines, trainer of undefeated Smokey Image.
When it comes to the Kentucky Derby, Cal breds are generally viewed as second-class citizens. But Chrome won the California Derby — as did Smokey Image — and then followed it with a win in the San Felipe, before going on to win the Santa Anita Derby, Kentucky Derby and Preakness.
Nyquist tops Exaggerator by 1 1/2 lengths in San Vicente Stakes
Even those expecting an exciting race in the first meaningful showdown between Kentucky Derby prospects Nyquist and Exaggerator were left speechless.
If you’re familiar with the energy and power that horses use in the final stretch, imagine what it would be like if two horses used that drive for most of seven furlongs.
Nyquist won such a race in a jaw-dropping performance in the San Vicente Stakes at Santa Anita. If Exaggerator had been running against most any other 3-year-old on the West Coast, he probably would have won going away. Against Nyquist, he lost by 1 1/2 lengths.
Unbeaten Songbird is pointed for Kentucky, but not the Kentucky Derby
The word around the racetrack is that the best 3-year-old in the country isn’t even trying to run in the Kentucky Derby.
The assessment is based partly on facts known, partly on the unknown, with a dash of sentimentality.
It’s known that Songbird is undefeated in five starts, having won those races by a total of 28 1/2 lengths. Three of the races were Grade 1 stakes and another was a Grade 2.
What’s unknown is how a still-growing horse could handle the rigors of a full-blown 20-horse charge in May at Churchill Downs, plus all the lead-up prep races considering Songbird’s late birth date of April 30, 2013.
Will Baffert-trained Mor Spirit emerge from Santa Anita prep a Kentucky Derby contender?
The dark-brown horse eased into the paddock at Gulfstream Park. He seemed relaxed in the Florida sun as he walked in front of the makeshift auctioneer’s stand in the area normally used for saddling.
Last year was the first time that Fasig-Tipton, a thoroughbred auction company, held their 2-year-old sale at the racetrack. At the back of the crowd stood two well-known racing personalities: trainer Bob Baffert and Bernie Schiappa, horse owner and racing manager for Michael Lund Petersen.
Terence Collier, the marketing manager at Fasig-Tipton, spoke for about a minute about the credentials of horse No. 29. They were better than decent. Auctioneer Tom Biederman started the bidding at $50,000, and what followed was a chaotic 2 minutes, 35 seconds of high-octane selling.
Smokey Image wins California Cup Derby with new trainer
Sitting at his home in Hurricane, Utah, trainer Greg James had his eyes locked on the television, watching a horse race some 390 miles away at Santa Anita.
His emotions were mixed, though heavily leaning toward happy. He was watching Smokey Image, who until a few months ago had been a fixture in his barn in Northern California, win the $250,000 California Cup Derby.
“I was very happy for him,” James said by phone. “He’s a nice horse. He’s been a nice horse since his first 5/8th [mile] workout.”
“Win” doesn’t quite capture the 3-year-old colt’s performance. He blistered the field of seven by 8 1/2 lengths without ever being asked to run hard. Jockey Victor Espinoza almost slowed him down to a gallop through the stretch.
Michael Wrona hopes Santa Anita is his final port of call
The 3-year-old chestnut gelding rounded the turn for home, taking the lead in the deep stretch during the fourth race on Jan. 9 at Santa Anita.
The race wasn’t important, just 5 1/2 furlongs for horses that had never won. But track announcer Michael Wrona, voice swaddled in an Australian accent, saw it as a moment to add a touch, show some flair, even though it would be missed by all but the most knowledgeable fans.
“Denman’s Call strikes the front at the 16th pole. And Denman’s Call, moving like a winner, races away to beat Cupid by four lengths,” Wrona said.
The phrase “moving like a winner” has long been tied to Santa Anita race caller Trevor Denman, whom the horse was named after. Denman announced his retirement from L.A.’s signature racetrack shortly before opening day after more than 20 years.
Desormeaux brothers’ Derby dream, far from rural roots, may be nearing fruition
Dreams often start in out-of-the-way places. Take, Maurice, La., for example, a place so small it’s not a city or town, but a village.
The 2010 census had it at 964 people, up from 642 a decade earlier. It’s also the home to the “world famous” City Bar Maurice and Meaux Sneaux Shack, where their best-ever snow cones are half-price on Monday and Thursday.
So what are the chances that this little speck of a place, about 10 miles from Lafayette, could be the birthplace of a dream of having a trainer-jockey brother combination start a horse in the Kentucky Derby?