Derby Update
Minister Eric resurfaces at Santa Anita in an allowance race ($52,000) on the dirt at a mile and one sixteenth. Quite a good effort despite finishing 2nd. A finish eerily similar to his 2nd place finish in the Breeder's Cup. Sent off as the 7/5 favorite, he was 5th in the early going and then steadily was gaining on the outside. 2nd choice,and Derby hopeful, BoomzeeBoom went wire to wire winning by 1/2 a length. Minister Eric ran out of room but it was 8 lengths back to Dream Place who was sent off at 5/2. Obviously, a much improved effort off that inexplicable claiming race of 2 weeks ago. So, where does he go from here? Minister Eric's connections have not announced their plans for April yet. Stay tuned.
Other Derby news: Action This Day had a workout yesterday running 5 Furlongs in a very swift 59 seconds flat. SwingfortheFences and The Cliff's Edge both worked out 4 and 5 furlongs respectively. Times were 48-4/5 for SwingfortheFences and 1:01-4/5 for The Cliff's Edge. Nothing spectacular but enough to keep them fit.
Derby Update - Lane's End, Rebel Stakes
The Lane's End at Turfway Park saw the much heralded debut of Birdstone with Jerry Bailey up. The fans bet with reckless abandon making Birdstone the prohibitive 3/5 favorite. He finished a lethargic 5th beaten nearly 11 lengths. His trip around the track was somewhat of a saunter, quite dismal. The surprise winner was Sinister G with the immortal Paul Toscano up. Sinister G at 16/1 combined with Tricky Taboo at 55/1, Little Matth Man at 10/1 and That's an Outrage at 18/1 produced a Superfecta that paid $106,848. The only Derby hopeful doing any serious running at the end was Little Matth Man who came from last to be 3rd. This is a one-run stone closer who can win if there is a meltdown on the front end and he has a super trip. Seldom do those horses win the Derby; but, stranger things have happened--remember Gato Del Sol??
Finally, the Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park was the only formful race of the weekend. Despite Philadelphia Park shipper Smarty Jones having won 3 straight, the fans sent him off at a generous 7/2. He won for fun-by 3 widening lengths. Stewart Elliott was up and he seems to have the mojo with this pony. Look for Smarty Jones to be a serious contender on Derby day. Purge, another Derby hopeful, led most of the way as the 2/1 favorite but could not hold off Smarty Jones.
Oh, and Minister Eric? No published workouts since his last race. We think he is napping comfortably.
Gotham Run
3 great races this weekend that continued to muddle the Derby picture; but, I think a potential "star" (Smarty Jones) may have emerged.
The Gotham run at 1 mile at Aqueduct on 3/20 sent Eddington off as the favorite with another Derby hopeful Redskin Warrior a close 2nd choice. The track was listed as "Good" but it looked more muddy than good to me. In any event, suicidal fractions of 21-3/5 and 43-3/5 cooked anyone near the front. Redskin Warrior was a well beaten 5th running out of gas at the head of the stretch. Pomeroy got 2nd beaten 2-1/4 lengths while favorite Eddington did rally past tired horses to get 3rd beaten 3 lengths. The surprise winner: Saratoga County at 8/1. His connections have sworn off the Derby saying Saratoga County can't get a mile and a quarter. His next start-The Lexington Stakes.
Derby Prep Races
A weekend that featured the Florida Derby, the Santa Anita Oaks, The San Felipe Stakes & the Tampa Bay Derby created a lot more questions that it answered. For those that relish betting favorites and keying everything around them, that home equity loan is starting to look pretty good by now.
Contenders Halfbridled, Action This Day, St. Averil, Read the Footnotes, Tapit and The Cliff's Edge all went down to defeat. Halfbridled finished 2nd and looked pretty flat in doing so. The positive is that her losing time was better than some of the other winners! Action This Day was a badly beaten 7th in the San Felipe and was never in the race--maybe Action another day. The long awaited debut of St. Averil came in the San Felipe where he lost by a nose hair. If this horse is Derby bound, Terrill Baze has to go. Preachinatthebar won the San Felipe in very gutsy fashion and has re-established himself as a contender.
As predicted by me (I am tapping myself on the back) Read The Footnotes bounced all the way to the Moon. That tough, tough race in the Fountain of Youth took out a lot more starch out of him than thought. He ran a very flat 4th at even money (ouch). Look for him to possibly come back stronger in the Wood Memorial.
Tapit was a well beaten 6th in the Florida Derby. I guess those one mile workouts took a bit out of him. Friend's Lake was the winner of the Fla. Derby at 38-1 odds and puts himself in the Derby picture. Go figure. Finally, the Cliff's Edge was third and while not bad, it sure didn't look like an impressive 3rd.
I've gone 4 paragraphs without mentioning our sentimental Derby choice- Minister Eric. That's because I'm absolutely baffled at why his connections entered him in a 6-1/2 Furlong OPTIONAL CLAIMING race. That's right- a CLAIMING race!! Obviously, his connections aren't thinking Derby---and they ran him on the turf--and he finished a lackluster 3rd. Luckily (or maybe unluckily) he was not claimed. The 3rd Derby futures book came out today and Minister Eric has dropped to 52-1. I have $30 on him at 38-1 and another $30 at 34-1. I took a pass on today's odds. A horse that finishes 2nd in the Breeder's Cup obviously has some talent; so, what do the owners/trainers know that we don't?? Maybe Minister Eric will Preachatthebar and tell me himself!
Oh, well, turn the page.
San Rafael and Louisiana Derby
2 major prep races this weekend which established more questions than answers. The San Rafael Stakes at Santa Anita yesterday and the Louisiana Derby today. Both were won by one-run closers- Imperialism (pictured) winning the San Rafael and Wimbledon prevailing in the La. Derby. Both closed from way, way back to win.
Unbelievably fast paces cooked the favorites in both races. Lion Heart the favorite in the San Rafael, actually was leading but just got nailed at the wire by Imperialism. A little better rating during the race may get him the win next time. Definitely one to watch. Lucky Pulpit, another highly touted Derby contender, finished a dismal 8th, beaten 14 lengths.
In Louisiana, Pollard's Vision who is looking to race the first Saturday in May didn't do badly. Off at 6/1, he was always within 2 lengths of the front and actually got the lead at the top of the stretch before tiring late. He got beaten 2 lengths--but this race went 22-1/5 for the first quarter and 45 to the half. Not too many near the lead were around at the end. A better ride next time gives Pollard's Vision a better chance.
And what of Minister Eric? Yet another weekend where he did not race. He had a 6 furlong workout on Thursday 3/4 in 1:14- 3/5. Not sensational but again he finished the last 3 furlongs faster than the 1st 3. He has the look of a closer. Richard Mandella better find a spot for him soon. Hard to win the Derby off workouts alone.
Halfbridled has a workout this week at 1 mile. Her time was 1:38 which is really good. Wonder what the owners/trainers have in mind putting that kind of distance in her this early--could they be looking to the Belmont??
Can you imagine a Minister Eric/Lucky Pulpit exacta? We can.
