Kentucky Derby News

[Bullet Plane]

According to an article posted on drf.com Zedan just filed an injunction on Churchill Downs, inc. to allow Muth to run in the Kentucky Derby.

Why do I get the strange feeling that
Baffert will have another year tacked on to his suspension?

He is going to have to get his "mind right."

[classhandicapper]

This industry has a death wish...one that will probably eventually come to pass.

[zico20]

Originally Posted by Bullet Plane

According to an article posted on drf.com Zedan just filed an injunction on Churchill Downs, inc. to allow Muth to run in the Kentucky Derby.

Why do I get the strange feeling that
Baffert will have another year tacked on to his suspension?

He is going to have to get his "mind right."

Baffert has nothing to do with it, the owner is the one filing the lawsuit.

[zico20]

In a desperation move to make the Derby Hades is wheeling back on two weeks rest in the Lexington. He currently has 30 points and is #19 on the list but will certainly get bumped out of the race after the three big preps today. Orseno is a moron, he should have run Hades back in the FOY, he would have either won or run second and wouldn't have to be in a must win to make the Derby. If he does win then it will be three races in five weeks.

[zico20]

Liberal Arts is also running in the Lexington trying to grab a Derby spot. Huge jockey change from Tyler to Irad! Ten horse field with what looks like a bunch of pretenders. I see a possible straight super in the works or at the very least a trifecta straight.

[burnsy]

Originally Posted by zico20

In a desperation move to make the Derby Hades is wheeling back on two weeks rest in the Lexington. He currently has 30 points and is #19 on the list but will certainly get bumped out of the race after the three big preps today. Orseno is a moron, he should have run Hades back in the FOY, he would have either won or run second and wouldn't have to be in a must win to make the Derby. If he does win then it will be three races in five weeks.

With all that said . Does this horse really have a chance either way ? People get Derby fever when they get a decent horse . I mean , I’m old enough to see that for decades . Grasping at straws even if he makes it . I wouldn’t call him a moron . This horse is useful and he trains him . What’s the difference if he ran in FOY and got the points . A bomb is a bomb and after that FLA derby performance, not even 10 furlongs yet , he’s a bomb .

[bisket]

Originally Posted by zico20

Liberal Arts is also running in the Lexington trying to grab a Derby spot. Huge jockey change from Tyler to Irad! Ten horse field with what looks like a bunch of pretenders. I see a possible straight super in the works or at the very least a trifecta straight.

This is unfortunate. I thought Liberal Arts had the potential to be the best 3 year old this year. I haven’t seen the overhead but Tyler took him out of Ark Derby by taking a hold of him in the first 1/4 mile and backing him away from going between horses. I don’t know if he was rank and the hole wasn’t there, or Tyler was afraid to go through. Arts is a fast galloper and that pretty much killed his chances in that race. I was hoping to see him in Preakness and Belmont. This will pretty much screw up his schedule for the rest of the year. Arts reminds me of Drosselmeyer and I was thinking of getting good odds on him in a few months. I’d say the trainer and owner feel Tyler should have let the horse run instead strangling him and taking him out of contention in the Ark Derby.

[zico20]

Originally Posted by burnsy

With all that said . Does this horse really have a chance either way ? People get Derby fever when they get a decent horse . I mean , I’m old enough to see that for decades . Grasping at straws even if he makes it . I wouldn’t call him a moron . This horse is useful and he trains him . What’s the difference if he ran in FOY and got the points . A bomb is a bomb and after that FLA derby performance, not even 10 furlongs yet , he’s a bomb .

Sure he is a moron. If you are hell bent and obsessed on making the Derby at any cost then you run in the FOY and not have to rely on a top three finish in the Florida Derby. If he didn't think he could come back in four weeks why would he think he can come back in two. He put all his marbles in one bag and it backfired big time. He should NOT run in the Lexington if he wants to do what is best for the horse. If he said "if I miss the Derby with a poor placing in the Florida Derby then that is the way it is." I get that. Now, I do think he is going to run a big race but then will probably struggle in the Derby.

One last thing, I recall 30 years ago I tossed any horse that didn't run in three preps in the new year. It was just so difficult to get a horse ready off of two races. Now only Lucas does it and it works for him. Racing sure isn't changing for the better.

[Parkview_Pirate]

Originally Posted by zico20

...One last thing, I recall 30 years ago I tossed any horse that didn't run in three preps in the new year. It was just so difficult to get a horse ready off of two races. Now only Lucas does it and it works for him. Racing sure isn't changing for the better.

The Derby preps are certainly different than 30 or 40 years ago. Some would say it's changes in training methods or breeding, but it's my opinion that it has a lot to do with drugs and supplements. That includes steroids, treatments for injuries, and race day drugs - both allowed and illegal.

If horses were running on just hay, oats and water, I'd be more inclined to wager on horses with more starts and appearing to round into form. Now I have to guess whether the horse and connections have timed the Derby for a prime effort based on a couple of starts and a point system that has pretty much eliminated cheap early speed. I also believe without drugs and supplements horses that run up the track in the Derby could come back and have some decent efforts in a post-Derby career. Instead we get *many* horses who make their last career start in the Derby.

No system is perfect, and this year it appears we may have a decent crop of 3YOs versus the run-of-the-mill runners so common the last couple of decades. Time will tell. The two chalks look good on paper, but you can't bet the farm when a good trip and better living through chemistry may determine the winner.

[Spalding No!]

They need to do away with the points system & the Japanese/European Roads to the Derby.

Then bring back the auxiliary starting gate, the field wager, & the $5 million VISA Triple Crown challenge.

[bisket]

Originally Posted by Bullet Plane

According to an article posted on drf.com Zedan just filed an injunction on Churchill Downs, inc. to allow Muth to run in the Kentucky Derby.

Why do I get the strange feeling that
Baffert will have another year tacked on to his suspension?

He is going to have to get his "mind right."

This is interesting to me. Every horse that was disqualified from winning the derby, on race day or afterwards, was bought on the cheap. The judge was concentrating on the reasons behind adding another year to the suspension. LOL an indication that he might let Zedan run his horse.... A 2 million dollar purchase. Zedan said the magic words in Kentucky that gets the attention of every farm in the state. "I bought the horse thinking I could run him in the derby" LOL Medina Spirit was purchased for like 25k. Money talks in Kentucky...? lets see what happens next week lol

[omar2]

I thought the horses who were most VISUALLY impressive were FIERCENESS and SIERRA LEONE, also CATCHING FREEDOM and HONOR MARIE.The unluckiest horse so far was PROTECTIVE in the Wood. A Pletcher runner, so we’ll see him run somewhere soon. Read the chart.
Yeah,yeah I know all about the Japan runner but Fierceness reminded me of Fusachi Pegasus back in 2000 when he won the Wood.
Have to wait to see who actually shows up in the “Darby”. Who knows maybe Baffert or Dutrow will show up also, but I think it’s time to implement 24 hour testing before and after All horses in major Stake races!! Any cheaters get Mandatory 2 year suspensions in ALL stake races.
It’s time to ban the cheaters.
Omar

[PhantomOnTour]

Our usual Triple Crown trail poster Boys At Tosconova hasn't made an appearance yet this year

[Raider]

Originally Posted by PhantomOnTour

Our usual Triple Crown trail poster Boys At Tosconova hasn't made an appearance yet this year

Given how close we are to D day, forum traffic is way down. I stopped following the trail, waste of time until the 50pt start. if the 50 and 100 pts are win and your in, why bother

[f2tornado]

Originally Posted by Raider

Given how close we are to D day, forum traffic is way down. I stopped following the trail, waste of time until the 50pt start. if the 50 and 100 pts are win and your in, why bother

Plus too much coincidence or hanky-panky (depending on one's perspective) in recent years. Justify belated SA DQ, Maximum Security Derby DQ, The late running COVID Derby, Medina Spirit with Jimmy Barnes cocktails, D Lukas scratch at the deadline getting Rich Strike in there, the bizarre sequence of events within 48 hours of the start last year where Lord Miles and Forte were forced to be pulled plus Practical Move and Skinner caught a cold.

It always was kind of hard to take the handicapping the race too seriously until after the big preps. Also, while I try to not put too much emphasis on the draw, it does have some impact on capping potential scenarios. And, after the last couple years, it's hard to take capping the race very seriously until the morning of the race.

I like Fierceness a lot here and Sierra Leone is probably a solid #2 but if one or both don't run then it changes complexion of tickets dramatically from a pyramid style to a caveman style since I don't see much separation below that pair.