By Brian Mulligan
Courtesy of TCBets.com
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In all the years I have followed the Kentucky Derby, and we are going back to Venetian Way under Bill Hartack in 1960, there has never been as many daylight prep winners as this season. It really is kind of crazy.
Some people like to judge a current crop of 3-year-olds prematurely, that is before they get a chance to run against older horses in the fall. Sure, you can project about one crop or another and how potent a group may be but the crux of the matter and the final analysis will not be anywhere near close to finished until sophomores have to prove themselves against the elders.
As a projection, it may not be a bad idea to figure this year?s crop will do just fine.
Numbers can lie and you can pretty much make up anything under the right set of figures. But there is no doubt about the margins of victory in some of this year?s Derby Preps.
The latest and the last in the group came last Saturday when Don?t Get Mad punished his Derby Trial foes by 7 convincing lengths. He did it in a visually impressive fashion coming from far back and over coming a traffic jam to cash. The win over the track, and any win over a track that is new to a horse, is huge. It just validates that the horse can handle a particular surface. The figure he earned was still 22 points below the Wood winner.
Add this performance to the other monster races this spring and you have a Derby that is as wide open as ever. First and foremost you had the Bellamy Road coming out party in the Wood. All he did was cash by 17 and a half in a super race that broke a 32-year-old record set by Derby winner Riva Ridge. And Ridge did it as a 4-year-old. Road has a long stride and is huge and if he does not regress, and he just might, he is the legit chalk on Saturday. The way he won, not being asked and far from fully extended, only makes him more potent. The 120 Beyer he received is reserved for super horses.
The next most impressive prep may have been the Arkansis Derby win by Afleet Alex. Not convinced he was beating anybody but he showed a nice turn of foot. Then you have Greeley?s Galaxy?s near 10-length Illinois Derby score. Again, the competition will be much, much tougher Saturday, and if he gets a chance to run his owner will have to part with a cool $200,000. But he did win under hand urging only.
Bandini may have been the recipient of a perfect trip when he posted the 103 Beyer in the Blue Grass. He tracked in third while a bit wide against an inexperienced horse of Frankel?s and a pure speedball.
The Santa Anita Derby was tainted. It was tainted because of the fiasco surrounding even money flop Sweet Catomine. Nobody wants to parlay to a Kentucky Derby win more than Jeff Mullins, who has been under a microscope for almost a year now. And he says his horse is getting better and better and you can?t take that lightly. But they were all kind of together in Arcadia and at this point Wilko could be the wise guy horse this weekend. The runner came home in :22 and change in a work a couple of days ago and that?s the way you need to finish.
Don?t toss Noble Causeway just yet. He has some things to overcome, like the 5-week layoff and the fact he has not yet won a stakes, but he is by a super horse Giant?s Causeway. His dam won nearly $100,000 and dam?s dam is kin to 2 stakes winners including a near $600,000 earner. Get ready for the rodeo.
Click Here And Get $125 FREE To Bet The Kentucky Derby At TCBets.com
Courtesy of TCBets.com
Get $125 FREE To Bet the Kentucky Derby
In all the years I have followed the Kentucky Derby, and we are going back to Venetian Way under Bill Hartack in 1960, there has never been as many daylight prep winners as this season. It really is kind of crazy.
Some people like to judge a current crop of 3-year-olds prematurely, that is before they get a chance to run against older horses in the fall. Sure, you can project about one crop or another and how potent a group may be but the crux of the matter and the final analysis will not be anywhere near close to finished until sophomores have to prove themselves against the elders.
As a projection, it may not be a bad idea to figure this year?s crop will do just fine.
Numbers can lie and you can pretty much make up anything under the right set of figures. But there is no doubt about the margins of victory in some of this year?s Derby Preps.
The latest and the last in the group came last Saturday when Don?t Get Mad punished his Derby Trial foes by 7 convincing lengths. He did it in a visually impressive fashion coming from far back and over coming a traffic jam to cash. The win over the track, and any win over a track that is new to a horse, is huge. It just validates that the horse can handle a particular surface. The figure he earned was still 22 points below the Wood winner.
Add this performance to the other monster races this spring and you have a Derby that is as wide open as ever. First and foremost you had the Bellamy Road coming out party in the Wood. All he did was cash by 17 and a half in a super race that broke a 32-year-old record set by Derby winner Riva Ridge. And Ridge did it as a 4-year-old. Road has a long stride and is huge and if he does not regress, and he just might, he is the legit chalk on Saturday. The way he won, not being asked and far from fully extended, only makes him more potent. The 120 Beyer he received is reserved for super horses.
The next most impressive prep may have been the Arkansis Derby win by Afleet Alex. Not convinced he was beating anybody but he showed a nice turn of foot. Then you have Greeley?s Galaxy?s near 10-length Illinois Derby score. Again, the competition will be much, much tougher Saturday, and if he gets a chance to run his owner will have to part with a cool $200,000. But he did win under hand urging only.
Bandini may have been the recipient of a perfect trip when he posted the 103 Beyer in the Blue Grass. He tracked in third while a bit wide against an inexperienced horse of Frankel?s and a pure speedball.
The Santa Anita Derby was tainted. It was tainted because of the fiasco surrounding even money flop Sweet Catomine. Nobody wants to parlay to a Kentucky Derby win more than Jeff Mullins, who has been under a microscope for almost a year now. And he says his horse is getting better and better and you can?t take that lightly. But they were all kind of together in Arcadia and at this point Wilko could be the wise guy horse this weekend. The runner came home in :22 and change in a work a couple of days ago and that?s the way you need to finish.
Don?t toss Noble Causeway just yet. He has some things to overcome, like the 5-week layoff and the fact he has not yet won a stakes, but he is by a super horse Giant?s Causeway. His dam won nearly $100,000 and dam?s dam is kin to 2 stakes winners including a near $600,000 earner. Get ready for the rodeo.
Click Here And Get $125 FREE To Bet The Kentucky Derby At TCBets.com
