NBC Moves Quickly, Picks Up Belmont Stakes

As I wrote last week, thanks to the help of Sports Business Journal, an opportunity presented itself for NBC to broadcast all three races of the Triple Crown after ESPN withdrew from negotiations for the Belmont Stakes. Wasting little time, NBC announced today that it had indeed secured the rights for all three Triple Crown races, bringing the Triple Crown back to the same network for the first time since 2005.

As part of the agreement, NBC will use their sister station Versus to show programming leading up to all three major races. Both NBC and Versus have had the rights to the National Hockey League for the past few seasons.

Coverage for the Kentucky Derby will begin on Versus on the Wednesday before the May 7 race, and Versus will also have pre-race coverage on all three race days. It is not known at this time how much of each undercard Versus will show leading up to the Triple Crown races.

Here are some quotes from some of the parties involved, from The Bloodhorse:


“Everyone at NBC Sports Group is delighted that the Triple Crown has been reassembled,” said NBC Sports Group chairman Dick Ebersol in a statement. “We are now positioned to expand the reach of these iconic events with extensive coverage on Versus.”

Tom Chuckas, president and COO of the Maryland Jockey Club, said in a statement, “We are pleased to renew our broadcast partnership with NBC Sports. It allows us the opportunity to reach more than just sports fans.”

Steve Duncker, New York Racing Association chairman, added, “We are thrilled to return our premier race to NBC Sports, which will be a great partner for the Belmont Stakes.

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Posted in: Triple Crown

Derby Prep Recap: February 19-21

This past weekend provided three Kentucky Derby prep races for horse racing fans that took place south of the border in three different states. In Louisana, the Fair Grounds played host to the Grade II $300,000 Risen Star Stakes in a stakes filled program on Saturday. In California, Santa Anita played host to the Grade II $150,000 San Vicente Stakes on Sunday and on Monday, Arkansas and Oaklawn Park held the Grade III $250,000 Southwest Stakes. Let's break down each race, beginning with the Risen Star:

Risen Star Stakes

Mucho Macho Man recorded his first graded stakes victory in his fourth try, capturing the Grade II $300,000 Risen Star Stakes at the Fair Grounds on Saturday afternoon. With Rajiv Maragh picking up the ride after the devastating injury to Eibar Coa at Gulfstream on Friday, Mucho Macho Man sat near the front and used an impressive stretch run to secure the victory.

Decisive Moment, Mucho Macho Man and Santiva all broke well and controlled the race in the first turn as the field moved over the first quarter in a modest 24.67. The favoured hometown horse, Machen, broke last of them all and settled toward the back of the pack. The three front runners continued to carry the field through the backstretch with Liondrive, who was going off at 99-1. Moving into the turn, Decisive Moment led on the rail as Liondrive, Mucho Macho Man and Santiva all began to line up four-wide across the track into the stretch run. In that stretch run, Mucho Macho Man began to take control and held off a challenge from Santiva to secure the victory. Machen looked like he might be able to make a run at it, but faded off as the line got closer and settled for fourth. Rogue Romance finished third.

This was a good performance for Mucho Macho Man, who earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 94 in the victory. While posting that number is good, Mucho Macho Man will probably need to run a bit better to really get Derby hype. I do like this horse's running style for a race like the Kentucky Derby, however. He sat towards the front most of the way in a race that had a modest pace and really turned it on in the stretch to hold off his competition. This style could give him an effective trip in the Derby, as long as there aren't any horses that run too quickly on the front end. I will be keeping this one on my radar and may even place a wager on him in the second Derby future pool.

San Vicente Stakes

The Factor used his blazing front end speed to capture his second win in a row on the Santa Anita dirt course in the Grade II $150,000 San Vicente Stakes in southern California on Sunday. The Factor was able to hold off a hard-charging Sway Away who finished second, ahead of Premier Pegasus in third.

The Factor, Premier Pegasus and City Cool all shot out of the gate like rockets from the outside to start the seven-furlong sprint. Premier Pegasus moved back a little after the first furlong but City Cool and The Factor were able to open up several lengths on the other three competitors right away. The field remained in the unchanged in the running order as they headed into the turn, but City Cool began to tail off the pace as Premier Pegasus tried to hunt down The Factor. As The Factor began to pull away in the stretch, Sway Away began his run but needed to make up about eight lengths. Although it was an almost impossible task, The Factor began to tire slightly as Sway Away continued to make up ground. But the line came too fast for Sway Away and The Factor was able to just hold him off. Premier Pegasus was unchallenged in the stretch and finished third.

This win was another impressive one for The Factor, who earned a 102 Beyer Speed Figure, but questions are already being asked about his ability to stretch out around two turns. I'm not so sure he'll be able to do it, but trainer Bob Baffert will no doubt try his luck and see if he can condition The Factor to the one mile and one quarter distance of the Derby. One horse I will watch from this race is Sway Away. Despite spotting the field eight lengths heading into the stretch, Sway Away was able to make up ground in a powerful kick for the finish. If The Factor wasn't the one setting the pace in this race, I'm sure Sway Away would have been closer to the front and probably would have won. It will be interesting to see where Sway Away goes next and if he can secure enough graded stakes earnings to make it into the Derby field.

Southwest Stakes

Using the short stretch at Oaklawn Park to his advantage, Archarcharch was able to hold off a troubled J P's Gusto to cause a big upset in the Grade III $250,000 Southwest Stakes in Arkansas on Monday. J P's Gusto found himself in a tough spot right before the stretch run and had to settle for second. Elite Alex, with Calvin Borel aboard, finished third.

In a large field of 11 horses, Brickyard Fast broke the best from the outside and jumped to the front to take an early lead ahead of Grant Jack and Derivative. J P's Gusto sat fifth in the two-wide path, while Archarcharch sat sixth, right behind J P's Gusto in the three-wide path. As the field turned into the backstretch the three leaders held a three-length advantage on J P's Gusto and Archarcharch. J P's Gusto began to set up his own troubled trip as Dominguez moved him down to the rail, while Archarcharch still sat to the outside of him. Archarcharch began to move up along the backstretch and moved into the four-wide path in the final turn, while J P's Gusto continued to sit behind the wall of horses. Two others moved up along the outside, creating a six-wide wall of horses on the lead. With J P's Gusto stuck behind the wall and waiting for space, Archarcharch took control in the middle of the track and began to pull away. J P's Gusto finally found space and split horses, but it was too late as Archarcharch took the victory.

It was an impressive win for the nice looking son of, you guessed it, Arch. Jon Court rode his horse brilliantly to secure the victory, keeping Archarcharch to the outside and clear of any trouble. I think J P's Gusto would have done well if there was more room for him to run, but that's part of the game, especially in the 20 horse Kentucky Derby field. It looks like all three of the top horses from this race could run against each other again on March 19 in the Grade II Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn.

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Gulfstream Helps Pletcher With His Dilemma

Both The Bloodhorse and Daily Racing Form reported yesterday that Gulfstream Park racing secretary Dan Bork has written a three-year-old overnight stakes race called the Timely Writer for March 12th, the same day as the Tampa Bay Derby. The race will carry a non-graded, $100,000 purse and will travel one-mile around one-turn. The Tampa Bay Derby is a one mile and one sixteenth race that travels around two turns.

Mike Repole, owner of the early Kentucky Derby favourite Uncle Mo, and trainer Todd Pletcher have both said that this newly written race is a definite possibility for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Champion, who would avoid a four-hour trip to Tampa Bay. Here's a quote from Repole in the article on The Bloodhorse's website:

“Gulfstream and Tampa are both terrific racetracks and both races are good options for us. The pros of the Tampa Bay Derby is that it’s graded, has a bigger purse, and we know the race will definitely go. The pros of the Timely Writer is that it’s only a 30-minute commute from Palm Meadows to Gulfstream, whereas Tampa is four hours away, and that it’s a one-turn mile, which might be a good place to start back. The bottom line is that we’re going to do what’s best for the horse.”

Something that may have gone unnoticed, however, is that Gulfstream Park may have helped out Todd Pletcher with a dilemma he was facing over the Tampa Bay Derby. Two Pletcher trainees, Uncle Mo and Brethren, were both looking like they would be facing each other in that race, one that could potentially affect Brethren's graded stakes earnings. Now, with a new race for Uncle Mo, who already has enough graded stakes earnings to start in the Derby, Brethren will not have to face a stiff competitor and could snag enough earnings to get Pletcher another starters at Churchill in May.

Although it may seem that I'm coming off as a conspiracy theorist, I don't mind the decision Gulfstream made. Ultimately, Gulfstream is trying to draw attention to their track, by offering a prep race for horses who's spots in the Derby are, for the most part, secure due to the amount of graded stakes earnings they already have. It's almost like a mini Kentucky Derby that will be run at a shorter distance. I just thought that it was a convenient race to be written for Pletcher, who is already training two horses in the top five of the graded stakes standings and now has an excellent chance to secure a spot for a third horse in Brethren. What do you think of this new development on the Derby trail? Leave your comments below.

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ESPN Withdraws From Belmont Stakes Negotiations

Sports Business Journal's John Ourand is reporting today the ESPN has pulled out of negotiations to televise the Belmont Stakes, leaving the door open for NBC to move in and control television rights for each race of the Triple Crown.

According to the article, ESPN released the following statement on why they did not wish to pursue the Belmont Stakes any longer:

"Our contract was up and we elected not to renew. It did not make good business sense to renew so we have moved on and will focus our horse racing coverage on the Breeders' Cup."

While the Belmont Stakes may not be of interest to ESPN, it may be of big interest to NBC. NBC holds the rights to the Kentucky Derby until 2015 and while the Preakness rights are up in the air due to the uncertainty around racing's future in Maryland, NBC would likely be able to acquire those rights as well. All three triple crown races have not been on the same television network since 2005.

I believe this move is win-win for all involved, including the race fans. If NBC acquires the rights for the Belmont, they will have a vested interest in keeping the ratings up for all three Triple Crown races. Perhaps providing extra incentive, potentially in purse money or through some other means, if no horse is in line to win the Triple Crown at the Belmont, NBC will be able to attract the top three-year-olds in the country for all three Triple Crown races. This means great racing in every Triple Crown race, not just the first two.

How do you feel about this development in the Triple Crown on television? Leave your comments below!

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Injury Sidelines Tapizar From Triple Crown Chase

It was a disappointing day for owners Winchell Thoroughbreds, trainer Steven Asmussen and fans of Tapizar, who's Triple Crown dream was dashed today due to a bone chip in his knee. Tapizar will be sent to Kentucky where he will been having surgery on the knee. Noted veterinarian Larry Bramlage will perform the surgery.

Trainer Asmussen and Winchell Racing Manager David Fiske made the announcement on Tuesday, but the recovery looks good for Tapizar, according to the Bloodhorse:

"The chip was discovered on Sunday," said David Fiske, racing manager and farm manager for the Winchell family. "We shot some film on Sunday and got the results back that afternoon, then forwarded the results on the Dr. (Larry) Bramlage at Rood & Riddle. We consulted with him and came up with a plan."

"He wasn't acting like himself before and during the race for whatever reason. Fortunately, the prognosis is pretty good for his return."

Tapizar was considered one of the top California three-year-olds on the trail for the Kentucky Derby before the injury. Tapizar won the Grade III Sham Stakes earlier in the year at Santa Anita and was considered the horse to beat in the Grade II Robert B. Lewis Stakes this past Saturday. Tapizar burst on to the early lead in the Robert B. Lewis at Santa Anita, setting quick early fractions, but noticeably faded in the stretch to finish a distant fourth.

The injury is also a huge blow to Asmussen's Derby hopes, but the trainer still has a couple more Derby prospects in his barn. Astrology won the Grade III Iroquois Stakes and was second in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill Downs last year. Silver Medallion arrived on the Derby trail this past weekend with his victory over Jakesam in the Grade III El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate Fields. It was his second straight stakes win after capturing the Eddie Logan Stakes on turf at Santa Anita on New Year's Eve.

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Triple Crown Nominations Released

Uncle Mo, winner of the Grade I Breeders' Cup Juvenile last November at Churchill Downs, headlines the list of 364 three-year-olds that were nominated to Triple Crown races. The list of horses was released earlier today. In 2010, 366 horses were nominated.

The horses nominated were all submitted before the early nomination deadline of January 22nd. On that date, each nomination would cost connections $600. Currently, there is a late nomination period that is open until March 26th, but nominations during this window will cost connections $6,000. There were six horses nominated in the late nomination period in 2010, bringing the total horses nominated to the Triple Crown that year up to 372.

Along with Uncle Mo, other east coast stars inclue To Honor and Serve, Dialed In and Gourmet Dinner. Headlining the west coast group of horses are Comma to the Top, Jaycito and J P's Gusto.

Four fillies were also nominated including Turbulent Descent. The last filly to win a Triple Crown race was Rachel Alexandra, when she captured the 2008 Preakness Stakes ahead of Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird.

The Triple Crown will start with the 137th running of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 7th at Churchill Downs. The Preakness Stakes will be leg two of the Triple Crown and will be run on Saturday, May 21st at Pimlico. The 143rd running of the Belmont Stakes will represent the final leg of the Triple Crown and will take place at Belmont Park on Saturday, June 11th.

For a full list of the nominees, click here to visit bloodhorse.com.

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Silver Medallion Powers Home In El Camino Real

Silver Medallion came on strong in the stretch and powered past the favorite Comma to the Top in the $200,000 Grade III El Camino Real Derby yesterday at Golden Gate Fields. Shipping up from Santa Anita, Silver Medallion successfully moved from turf to synthetic, winning his second straight start after capturing the Eddie Logan Stakes on New Year's Eve. Comma to the Top saw his five race winning streak snapped. You can watch the replay of this race by clicking here.

Heavily favoured Comma to the Top broke the best from the inside in a field shortened to six due to the cross-entry of Anthony's Cross in the Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita. As the field crossed in front of the grandstand for the first time, however, Jakesam quickly took the lead and began to open up through the first turn. Jakesam continued to lead by a reasonable margin through the backstretch, in front of Comma to the Top and Silver Medallion but the pace slowed as the half-mile was clocked at 48.09. Jakesam's lead began to shrink in the turn as Comma to the Top and Silver Medallion drew closer to the front. Comma to the Top looked to have the lead heading into the stretch but Silver Medallion eventually ended up just in front, as Comma to the Top pushed the two horses to the outside of the racetrack. Jakesam continued to battle on his own along the inside, but Silver Medallion would eventually pull away from Comma to the Top and Jakesam and angle in to capture victory. Jakesam would hold on for second and Positive Response was third, as Comma to the Top faded to fourth.

Silver Medallion moved in the 20th spot of the Graded Stakes Earnings Standings with the victory. The Steven Asmussen trained horse turned out to be the first starter Asmussen has sent to Golden Gate Fields. Despite the victory, Asmussen is still deciding on what to do next with Silver Medallion. Like Anthony's Cross, Silver Medallion could be in line to capture a $5.5 million bonus should he go on to win both the Santa Anita Derby and Preakness Stakes. With that kind of money on the line, you would think that Asmussen may want to give it a shot. Despite the loss, Comma to the Top still has enough earnings to start in the Kentucky Derby. The question that everyone is asking is if Comma to the Top will be able to handle distance, but he clearly faded in the stretch of this race leaving that question unanswered. We will see him next in action in the San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita on March 12th.

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Anthony's Cross Upsets Tapizar To Win Robert B. Lewis

Tapizar tried to play catch me if you can with the field, but ending up going too fast, too early, as Anthony's Cross caught him at the top of the stretch and battled to take the $250,000 Grade II Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita yesterday. Anthony's Cross nudged by runner up Riveting Reason at the finish line to crack the top 20 Derby contenders, with graded stakes earnings of $162,000. You can watch the replay of the race by clicking here.

As most thought he would, Tapizar ran out to the early lead with Anthony's Cross and Quail Hill a few lengths behind as the field progressed through the first quarter that was clocked at an explosive 19.11. Tapizar continued to lead through the backstretch, but his pace slowed down considerably in the second quarter. Tapizar began to see his lead diminish in the final turn as Anthony's Cross began to make his move on the outside and Riveting Reason sat right behind the two in front. Anthony's Cross took the lead two-wide at the top part of the turn and as Tapizar began to fade, Riveting Reason tried running at Anthony's Cross on the outside. Riveting Reason and Anthony's Cross battled back and forth for the lead in the final stages of the race, but it was Anthony's Cross who found just enough to defeat Riveting Reason by a nose. The heavily favoured Tapizar would settle for a disappointing fifth.

With the win, Anthony's Cross is now on to the Santa Anita Derby and will be looking to take that one as well. Should he win the Santa Anita Derby, Anthony's Cross could be in line for a $5.5 million payday if he were to also win the Preakness Stakes. With that in mind, Anthony's Cross may even choose to skip the Kentucky Derby to go for that massive purse. For Tapizar, it's back to the drawing board. Many thought Tapizar was the top three-year-old in California racing, but that title is surely in question now. With only $65,000 in graded stakes earnings, Tapizar will need to make up a lot of ground if he wants a place in the Kentucky Derby. It's still very possible, but it may be a tough task after such a disappointing performance.

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Brethren Turns It On In Sam F. Davis

Brethren arrived on the Kentucky Derby trail in style yesterday, capturing the $225,000 Grade III Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs by four lengths. The win instantly moves Brethren into the Derby picture, as he now sits 21st in the Kentucky Derby Graded Stakes Standings. You can watch the race replay here.

Brethren, winning his three-year-old and graded stakes debut, started from the outside stall in the 10 horse field and immediately moved to the front in the three-wide spot. Ribo Bobo would end up with the lead followed by Brethren in second out of the first turn in a quick first quarter of 23.75. Ribo Bobo and Brethren continued to run 1-2 along the backstretch and the pace slowed down as Ribo Bobo crossed the half mile pole in 48.20 going into the final turn. But it was in that final turn that Brethren turned on the style against this field, blowing past Ribo Bobo and carrying a five-length lead into the stretch. From there on it was a race for second place as Brethren kept his distance from the field to secure the victory. Too Experience was second and Watch Me Go was third.

Brethren will need a couple performances like this one in the future to secure his spot in the Derby, although it's unknown what he might do next. The next logical spot would be the Tampa Bay Derby in March, but Todd Pletcher may steer him away knowing that Uncle Mo will be making a start there. Last season, the 20th spot on the graded stakes earnings standings earned $230,000. Brethren would need another $110,000 in graded stakes earnings to secure that amount, so we may see him in at least two graded stakes races between now and the Derby. With the relative ease that Brethren won this race, he looks like a probable Derby starter.

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Boys At Tosconova Out Of Derby Consideration

After looking like a sure thing for a spot in the Kentucky Derby later this year, news broke yesterday that Boys At Tosconova has been removed from training and sent to a farm in Kentucky. The move back to the farm means that Boys At Tosconova, the runner up to Uncle Mo in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile in November, will not be able to start in the Run for the Roses.

Daily Racing Form broke the news yesterday from Hallandale Beach, Florida, and the article included the following quote from trainer Rick Dutrow:

"He just wasn't right," said Dutrow. "All of the tests we took came back negative. I'm not sure what's bothering him but he just wasn't himself. I originally thought it was a knee, it might have been an ankle. So we'll just back off and let him regroup."

Dutrow and owners Jay Em Ess Stable, Hot Racing Stable LLC and R. Hale Jr., will be very disappointed in this development but they are looking out for the horse and his long term future. If Boys At Tosconova can recover in enough time, we could still see him in at least one Triple Crown race this season. Hopefully we will all see this very good looking prospect recover in the very near future.

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Posted in: Triple Crown

Three Weekend Prep Races Could Alter Derby Landscape

The trail to the Kentucky Derby resumes this weekend and three graded stakes race could have a huge impact on the Kentucky Derby landscape. On Saturday, the El Camino Real Derby will be run at Golden Gate, the Robert B Lewis Stakes will be run at Santa Anita and the Sam F Davis Stakes will be run at Tampa Bay Downs. Let's have a look at each race individually going into the weekend.

El Camino Real Derby

Out of the three races being run this weekend, both the El Camino Real Derby and the Robert B Lewis Stakes could have a huge impact on the 2011 Kentucky Derby. These two races not only carry significant purses earnings for the winner towards the Derby, but they essentially act as quarterfinals in MI Development's $5.5 million Preakness bonus program. With this in mind, one horse who wins one of these races this weekend, may choose to skip the Kentucky Derby if they also win the Santa Anita Derby, for a massive pay day in the Preakness.

In the $200,000 Grade III El Camino Real Derby, Comma to the Top will look to make it two graded stakes victories in a row and solidify his place on the Kentucky Derby Earnings list. There are many doubts about his ability to stretch out, however, as he mainly comes from a sprint pedigree. Expect Comma to the Top to lead from the outset, as going gate to wire may be his only shot to win this race. Another top contender includes Positive Response, a local horse who has won his last three starts at Golden Gate. Positive Response will sit off the lead and try to catch Comma to the Top late in the race. Silver Medallion might be another contender, as he ships up from Southern California for Steven Asmussen. Silver Medallion will come off of the turf after winning the Eddie Logan Stakes on New Year's Eve at Santa Anita.

El Camino Real Derby
PP. Horse. Jockey.Trainer
1. Comma to the Top, C S Nakatani, P Miller
2. Bluegrass Reward, J J Hernandez, S Miyadi
3. Formula Gold, H R Romero, L C Mason
4. Silver Medallion, R A Baze, S M Asmussen
5. Positive Response, J Couton, W E Morey
6. Anthony's Cross, A T Gryder, E G Harty
7. Jakesam, F T Alvarado, J Hollendorfer


Robert B Lewis Stakes

The $250,000 Grade II Robert B Lewis Stakes will be run on Saturday at Santa Anita as the other "quarterfinal" in the MI Developments Preakness $5.5 million bonus program. The winner of this race would most likely face off with the winner of the El Camino Real Derby in the Santa Anita Derby, for a shot at running for $5.5 million at the Preakness Stakes in May. Currently a field of eight will most likely be shortened to a field of six or seven, as both Anthony's Cross and Comma to the Top are cross-entered here and in the El Camino Real Derby. Comma to the Top is running in the El Camino Real and Anthony's Cross' plans are unknown at this time. With a field of six heading to the gate it looks like it's full steam ahead for Tapizar. The winner of the Sham Stakes by quite a margin in his last start last month, Tapizar is going up against a field of generally unproven horses. Out of the field, Riveting Reason, Wegner and Ten Devils may look like horses that could provide an upset, but these horses may just be running to fill out the triactor. Expect Tapizar to take the victory and be pointed towards the Santa Anita Derby in March.

Robert B Lewis Stakes
PP. Horse. Jockey. Trainer
1. Wegner, R Bejarano, B Baffert
2. Anthony's Cross, J Rosario, E G Harty
3. Comma to the Top, C S Nakatani, P Miller
4. Tapizar, G K Gomez, S M Asmussen
5. Ten Devils, J Talamo, R E Mandella
6. Riveting Reason, V Espinoza, M K Cho
7. Quail Hill, M A Pedroza, D E Hofmans
8. Thirtyfirststreet, P A Valenzuela, D F O'Neill


Sam F Davis Stakes

The lone east coast Kentucky Derby prep race this weekend will take place at Tampa Bay Downs in the $225,000 Grade III Sam F Davis Stakes. Winstar Farm owned and half brother to 2010 Kentucky Derby Champion Super Saver, Brethren, looks to be a main contender in this weekend's race. Brethren broke his maiden at Belmont Park in October and followed that up with an Allowance victory at Churchill Downs in November. He has been preparing for this three-year-old season with Todd Pletcher at Palm Meadows and will make the cross-state trip to compete in the Sam F Davis. Brethren's main competition looks to come from Beamer, Monzon and Washington's Rules. Of those three competitors, Monzon is the only horse who has won a stakes race at this point in his career. Should Brethren go on to win the Sam F Davis, it could set up a mini Kentucky Derby preview in the Tampa Bay Derby. Uncle Mo will be running in the Tampa Bay Derby and could meet Brethren as a possible tune up race, unless Brethren's connections decide to take him elsewhere.

Sam F Davis Stakes
PP. Horse. Jockey. Trainer
1. Reprized Halo, F Z Maysonett, M J Azpurua
2. Adulare, A O Solis, G R Arnold, II
3. Washington's Rules, K J Desormeaux, K G McPeek
4. Too Experience, D Centeno, M Passley
5. Watch Me Go, L Garcia, K O'Connell
6. Litigate, J Valdivia Jr., D P Duggan
7. Beamer, L R Goncalves, C A Nafzger
8. Monzon, E S Prado, I Correas, IV
9. Ribo Bobo, D Coa, M J Azpurua
10. Brethren, R A Dominguez, T A Pletcher

Of the three races, it looks like the El Camino Real Derby is the most intriguing. Questions are surrounding Comma to the Top's ability to stretch out to one mile and one eighth and it will be interesting to see if he can answer all of those questions on Saturday. Check back with At The Post on Sunday as we will provide you with the lastest Graded Stakes Earnings Standings and a recap of each of the three Kentucky Derby prep races.

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Posted in: Triple Crown

Dialed In Impressive In Holy Bull Victory

Dialed In came from well off the pace to score an impressive victory yesterday in the Grade III $400,000  Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park. The race was Florida's first prep race for the Kentucky Derby and traveled one-mile around one turn on dirt. Sweet Ducky and Gourmet Dinner rounded out the top three finishers, respectively. With the victory, Dialed In virtually secured a spot in the Kentucky Derby as he banked $240,000 to move to 10th in the graded stakes standings.

Dialed In settled well off the pace in the early going of the Holy Bull, trailing by as much as 10 lengths on the backstretch, while the pace setters went three-wide up front. Black N Beauty ran to the front along the rail but had Leave of Absence and Mucho Macho Man right outside of him as the three horses ran into the far turn. As Leave of Absence dropped off the lead, Gourmet Dinner and Sweet Ducky arrived towards the front, trailing Black N Beauty and Mucho Macho Man in the turn. As the field turned for home, it was just a matter of time before Dialed In hit the front. Shooting like a rocket down the rail, Dialed In swung outside to go four-wide as Sweet Ducky and Gourmet Dinner began separating themselves from Black N Beauty and Mucho Macho Man. Sweet Ducky took the lead with just over a furlong to go, but he was no match for Dialed In, who won the race by just over a length. Watch the race replay below:



With the win, Dialed In moved himself into 10th on the graded stakes standings for the Kentucky Derby and will most likely start in the field of 20 based on this result alone. Sweet Ducky also cracked the top 20 with his second place finish, as he sits 19th with $120,000 and will probably need one or two more in-the-money finishes to secure his place in the Derby.

It will be interesting to watch Dialed In in the coming months as he preps for the Derby. Proven around one turn, I'm interested to see how trainer Nicholas Zito will want to run Dialed In in future races. It seemed like the closing trip worked for him this time, but I'm personally a little skeptical that the strategy will work against a 20 horse field. It is horse racing though and I have been proven wrong many, many times before!

This weekend we will see Gulfstream Park hold another graded stakes race for three-year-olds that could effect the Derby standings. On Sunday, the Grade II $100,000 Hallandale Beach Stakes will be run over one mile and one sixteenth on turf. A $60,000 top prize will be available to the winner, which will no doubt go a long way for several of the horses who are nominated. You can view the full nomination list here and the field will likely be drawn on Thursday or Friday.

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Posted in: Triple Crown

At The Post Graded Stakes Standings

The chase for the Kentucky Derby is beginning to heat up and three-year-old colts and geldings around the United States are beginning preparations to make their run for the roses. A major race in the Derby trail will take place on Sunday at Gulfstream Park in the $400,000 Holy Bull Stakes (Grade III). With such a large purse available to the runners, there will be some shifting in the graded stakes rankings.

With only 20 spots available in the Derby, a large part of who gets in revolves around the Graded Stakes Earnings Standings. At The Post will be your source for these standings in the build up for the Derby, as we have compiled the rankings for every horse who has run in a graded stakes race at some point in their career. Separated by a Top 20 Table and the Rest of the Hopefuls, you can now follow your favourite horses as they rise up or fall down the standings.

Click here to check out the standings as they sit today and follow along throughout the Kentucky Derby prep schedule.

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Woodbine Shipper Lured To Delta Jackpot

Woodbine based and Mark Casse trained, Blue Laser, has been posted as the morning line favourite in the $1 million Delta Jackpot taking place on later this afternoon at Delta Downs. The Winstar Farms owned horse skipped the Breeders' Cup Juvenile for the Delta Jackpot, a race that could guarantee the winner a spot in the Kentucky Derby in May. Another horse who has run at Woodbine against Blue Laser, Classic Legacy, is also in the field, but he will most likely race in California after this one concludes. Since racing at Woodbine earlier this year, he is now in Bob Baffert's barn. Here's how I see the one mile and one sixteenth race playing out today:

Early Pace

As the field breaks from the gate, I see Aces N Kings breaking best along with Rush Now, Bug Juice, Decesive Moment and Sweet Ducky. As these horses set the early pace, Gourmet Dinner, Clubhouse Ride and Dreamsrunwild will probably sit just off the lead, with Classic Legacy and Blue Laser being the early trailors. This whole field will be tightly packed together I believe, with no more than five or six lengths separating the leader with the back.

The Backstretch

As the five horses up front jostle for position on the early lead, look for Classic Legacy to begin making a move towards the final turn. This race will begin to pick up in that turn, and look for the horses on the front end to continue to lead into the stretch. Many of them, like Aces N Kings, have won on the front end with good times at this distance.

The Stretch

I think this race is going to have a great finish, with horses on the front end still being able to contend for the lead. Blue Laser and Classic Legacy will be in the mix, but I'm concerned that their lack of experience on dirt may have an impact on this race. Blue Laser has had some quality works on dirt, so I have to put him ahead of Classic Legacy. I personally like a closer in this race, so I'm going to slide Clubhouse Ride into the top spot, with Bug Juice a close second. I'll put Blue Laser in the third spot, with Sweet Ducky filling out the superfecta.

1. Clubhouse Ride
2. Bug Juice
3. Blue Laser
4. Sweet Ducky

With Woodbine being my home track, I'll be cheering hard for Blue Laser and Mark Casse. It would be great for me personally to see a horse who used most of his two-year-old season to prepare at Woodbine start in the Derby. It's very likely that after this winter and the Derby, we may not see Blue Laser back at Woodbine for the rest of his career. Enjoy the Delta Jackpot everyone and feel free to post your selections in the comment box!

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Posted in: Triple Crown,US Tracks,Woodbine