Racetrack Lenny

Bettor, Beware!

Coming from way back, With a City (Brice Blanc) upset Turfway Park's Lane's End Stakes at 48-1. Owner, trainer and jockey have caught Derby fever. Some legitimate Derby contenders (More Than Regal, Sharp Attack, Laity and Silent Times) finished 4th, 8th, 10th and 11th respectively. While the fractions were honest, the front end just stopped proving that a mile and an eighth was beyond their capability. With A City took advantage of the stopping speed to circle 4 wide and surge home winning by a lenghth and a quarter. Before you go putting real money on With A City, keep in mind that Turfway has that funky Polytrack. It is an all-weather surface that is a mixture of sand, rubber and other synthetic materials. It makes for a very spongy track that is very good for horse's hooves and durability. However, it tends to be a tiring track because it is so deep. Churchill Downs still runs on dirt; so, on a faster surface, speed may hold up a little longer. Horses that run well on the Polytrack surface, tend to run well on off-tracks elsewhere (i.e. tracks listed as good, muddy or sloppy). So, keep an eye on the weather for Derby day.

Laurel Park in Maryland ran the Private Terms Stakes at a mile. The winner was the longest shot on the board, Our Peak who closed from way back to win by a neck at odds of 73-1. Fast fractions set up the perfect scenario for this closer. However, look for the entries in this contest to be around for the Frederico Tesio at Pimlico next month. Generally, Maryland horses are looking at the Preakness, not the Derby.

May the horse be with you,

Racetrack Lenny

racetrack lenny went to the post at @ 4:53 PM