KDFW - Remsen - KyJC

Turkey day has passed so why not make some future bets this weekend. Thanksgiving 2013 marks the first time that the Kentucky Derby Future Wager (KDFW) is open for betting on the two-year-olds. This future wager pool was introduced back in 1999 but had always waited until February to kick off. It's never too early to start throwing around Derby hopefuls and the added pool this year should generate buzz and excitement, months in advance of the actual race. Wagering on the first pool closes before the two historical Derby prep races go off at Aqueduct and Churchill Downs on Saturday.

The  Remsen (G2) is the most anticipated of the two preps and will certainly test the stamina of these guys as they try the 1 1/8-mile distance for the first time in their young careers. Honor Code, the 9-5 morning-line favorite, is making his first start since missing out by a neck to Havana in the Champagn (G1) almost two months ago. He looks to join the likes of Johnstown, Carryback, Northern Dancer, Pleasant Colony, Go for Gin, and Thunder Gulch, all who have taken down this race and then gone on to win the Derby the following year.

The Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) is the other big prep and these two-year-olds would love to be back here in May. On paper this group entered Saturday are not as highly touted as the Remsen field, largely because only one horse in the KyJC is listed in the early KDFW pool. Almost Famous is that horse and is the 6-5 favorite on the morning line. He is entering in here off a six-length victory against allowance company over this track just three weeks ago. Five past winners of this race have also captured the Derby, with Super Saver being the last to do so in 2009.

It is tough enough to attempt and pick the Derby winner on the first Saturday in May but to try and do so before these unpredictable juveniles even celebrate their third birthday is borderline insane. But where there's a chance to make money, why not take a shot in the dark. It will be interesting to see how many of the 23 that are currently on the list will even make it to the starting gate five months from now. I wonder what the over/under is on that bet...

Remsen(G2) 1 1/8m
(3:49 EST)

4 Honor Code 9-5
Son of A.P. Indy should have no problem with the added distance and will be coming from the clouds to run down the leader. Tough not to back this colt out of McGaughey's barn after two impressive starts to begin his career. Won't be shocked if he gets beat but will be there at the end to make it interesting. 

1 Noble Moon 6-1
Wild card in here that will be the third-betting choice and might get overlooked a bit. He broke his maiden in his debut by wiring the field and came from last to finish third in Nashua (G2) over the track earlier this month. Despite a not-so-good trip, he still improved his BRIS Speed figs in his second start and it will be interesting to see where he is placed in this race early on. Could pull off the upset with a decent price over his head. 

9 Cairo Prince 2-1
Looks to remain undefeated after coming off a win here at Aqueduct in the Nashua four weeks ago. Made a nice move to take control of the last race and his pedigree suggests he will like to go longer. One of three in here that has just as good a shot as the other two. 

$30 Remsen Bankroll

$6 WPS: 1 = $18

$2 TRI BX: 4,1,9 = $12

Kentucky Jockey Club(G2) 1 1/16m

(5:35 EST)

$2 EX BX: 1,2,6 = $12

KDFW Pool #1

$50 W: All Others 4-5

Others to consider:
Shared Belief: 31-1
Tamarando: 29-1
Tap It Rich: 20-1

*Cashed $153.30 on the Breeders' Cup thanks to hitting the exacta in the Juvenile and tabbing Mucho Macho Man to win the Classic. 

2013 Breeders' Cup Preview

                                                                   Breeders' Cup

Santa Anita Park is the place to be this upcoming weekend as the top thoroughbreds from around the country/world converge on the Breeders' Cup to square off in 14 races, spread out over two days. With Eclipse awards, huge purses, bragging rights and winning tickets all on the line you couldn't ask for a better weekend of racing.

The three-year-old champion is down to just two colts heading into November. Palace Malice would have to be at the top of the list going into the Classic with wins in both the Belmont and Jim Dandy and also finishing second to Ron the Greek in the Jockey Club Gold Cup just last month. The son of Curlin will attempt to do what his daddy did seven years ago and that is win the Classic as a three-year-old, something that has only been done twice in the last 12 years. A good performance in the Classic should be enough to claim three-year-old honors.

If Palace Malice fails to show up then Will Take Charge, who is also in the field of 12, has a shot to move to the top of the division. Will Take Charge was off the board in all three of the Triple Crown races but has come on as of late to capture the Travers and Pennsylvania Derby his last two times out. Moreno ran second to Will Take Charge in both of those races and is the only other three-year-old entered in here. He did not break his maiden until June and would have to come away with a win to even enter the conversation of top three-year-old. If Will Take Charge hits the board on Saturday he might be hard to deny the Eclipse, but if he were to pull off the upset then that is who would be your three-year-old champion.

The two-year-olds have been running since the summer but a true leader has yet to emerge out of this group. The Juvenile is set with a full field of 14 on Saturday and it could decide the two-year-old champ. Recent maiden winner Tap it Rich is the juvenile to keep an eye on as he makes his stakes debut. Honor Code, the highly touted son of A.P. Indy, who just missed out by a neck in the Champagn, to 5-2 Juvenile favorite Havana, stayed home in New York and did not make the cross country trip.

Fillies Juvenile 1 1/16m
(3:05 EDT)

Sweet Reason (Leah Gyarmati) was made the 5-2 morning-line favorite for good reason and would be entering in here undefeated was it not for an awkward start in the Frizette last out. If she gets a good break this time around, the daughter of Street Sense will be very tough to beat. The Del Mar Debutane winner, She's a Tiger (Jeff Bonde) hopes to break well from the outside post and will try get to the lead or as close as possible. Lost by a head in the Chandelier last time out in a race run over this track and is certainly dangerous. Untapable (Steve Asmussen) captured the Pocahontas at Churchill at the beginning of September in her second career start and tries to remain perfect. Artemis Agrotera (Michael Hushion) put up some solid pace/speed figures in her first two starts and pulled away in the end of the one mile Frizette last out, so the added distance should not be a problem. She is another filly in here that looks to escape this race without a blemish on her record.

9 Sweet Reason 5-2
10 She's a Tiger 6-1
7 Untapable 5-1
1 Artemis Agrotera 3-1

$20 W: 9

$2 EX BX: 9,10,7,1 

$1 TRI: 9 w/ 10,7,1 w/ 10,7,1,4,6

Juvenile 1 1/16m
(5:43 EDT)

Tap It Rich (Baffert) broke his maiden impressively in his racing debut earlier this month here at Santa Anita after hopping at the start and breaking last. Look for him to step forward off his last race and should be one to watch not just on Saturday but on the 2014 Kentucky Derby trail as well. Havana (Todd Pletcher) is the 5-2 morning-line favorite after wiring the Champagn but will have to overcome post 13 to remain undefeated. The winner of the FrontRunner, Bond Holder (O'Neill) will likely be coming late to try and hit the board. New Year's Day (Baffert) exits a nice maiden win in which he beat Bond Holder back in August. Has been working well over the track and if he gets the distance, will be in the mix at the end. 

6 Tap It Rich 6-1
13 Havana 5-2
5 Bond Holder 8-1
4 New Year's Day 8-1

$20 W: 6

$2 EX BX: 6,13,5,4

$1 TRI BX: 6,13,5,4

Classic 1 1/4m
(8:35)

Mucho Macho Man (Katherine Ritvo), the runner-up by just a half-length in last year's running of the Classic may be the one posing in the winner's circle in 2013. Posted a 4 1/4-length win in the Awesome Again over this track last month and looks to be in top form at the right time. The 8-5 morning-line favorite, Game On Dude (Baffert) exits an 8 1/2-length runaway win in the Pacific Classic at Del Mar. He will try to redeem himself after last year's disappointing seventh-place finish, which is his only loss at Santa Anita to date. Has won seven times in eight starts here and is very dangerous. Palace Malice (Pletcher) continues to improve and mature with each race he runs. Obviously he would have to run the race of his young career to win on Saturday, but don't write off this three-year-old because it is not out of the question for him to pull off the upset. Fort Larned (Ian Wilkes) the upset winner of the 2012 Classic is tough to overlook especially with his early speed. 

6 Mucho Macho Man 5-1
9 Game On Dude 8-5
8 Palace Malice 10-1
7 Fort Larned 6-1

$5 WPS: 6

$5 WPS: 8

$2 EX BX: 6,9,8,7

$1 TRI BX; 6,9,8,7

Happy Halloween & Happy Winnings!

Midsummer Classic Preview

The historic 144th Travers Stakes is set up for quite a showdown this Saturday at Saratoga. The famed Midsummer Classic/Derby will feature the Kentucky Derby, Belmont and Haskell winners to determine which three-year-old will be atop this wide-open division heading into the Fall.

Orb looks to bounce back from sub-par performances in the Preakness and Belmont and add his name to the short list of horses that have taken down both the Derby and Travers. Palace Malice attempts to push his winning streak to three after winning the Belmont and Jim Dandy. One loss Verazanno tries to build off his two run-away wins in the Pegasus and Haskell after flopping in the Derby and skipping out on the other two Classics. Preakness winner Oxbow unfortunately will be absent, as he has been ruled out for the remainder of the year. The resumes from those horses alone should give an indication about how good a field this is that will load the gates Saturday. While last years dead-heat will be tough to top, the talent in this year's race could certainly bring another instant classic.

It's anyone's guess on how the two-year-olds will perform this time of year as there has yet to be a multiple-stakes winner of any magnitude. The Hopeful (G1) at Saratoga on September 2 will hopefully shed some light on who will be the early front runner in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile later in the year. There is also the Del Mar Fututity (G1) on September 4 to watch out for.

Travers Stakes (G1)
8/24 Saratoga @ 5:46 EST

8 Palace Malice 5-2
Took this guy some time but he has finally come around after winning back-to-back graded races. That Derby fiasco seems like a distant memory by now and this son of Curlin only has room to grow. Has already proven he can handle the classic distance, so look for him to continue his run on Saturday and emerge as the division leader. 

2 Orb 4-1
Derby winner is the only one in here that has won at the distance. Won five in a row before disappointing starts his last two times out and can't be forgotten about. With some time off after running third in the Belmont, he should be refreshed and ready to challenge the best of his class once again. 

3 Verrazano 2-1
Will be the one to beat after coming off impressive performances following his no-show in the Derby. Can be beat as his 9 3/4-length win in the Haskell might have been inflated just a bit by Oxbow's injury and the distance is a question mark. He is good, but is going to have to prove it on Saturday with a win against the top three-year-olds. 

5 Will Take Charge 10-1
Winner of the Rebel (G2) disappeared in the Triple Crown races and came back to finish runner-up in the Jim Dandy. Would have to take a huge leap here to pull off the upset but figures to be around at the end considering he doesn't run into too much traffic. 

$75 Travers Bankroll

$27 W: 8 = $27

$2 TRI BX: 8, 2, 3, 5 = $48

*Hit $61.10 from Palace Malice's win in the Dandy to cover the bank but came up empty in the Haskell when Oxbow was injured in midrace and couldn't complete the exacta with Verrazano. 

Three-year-olds return for Summer

                                                                    Haskell Stakes

The last time most of the top three-year-olds were on the track together we witnessed 13-1 longshot Palace Malice capture his first stakes by pulling off the upset in the Belmont. That left the three-year-old picture in a disarray heading into the Summer with a different winner in each of the three Triple Crown races.

After an almost much needed two-month hiatus from the grueling Triple Crown trail, most of them return to the track in this weekend's Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) at Saratoga and Haskell Stakes (G1) at Monmouth Park. The winners will look to emerge and be at the top of this unpredictable division heading into the Midsummer Classic known as the Travers Stakes at the Spa next month on August 24.

The Jim Dandy runs on Saturday with a field of 10 entered which features four that have already run against each other in the Kentucky Derby. The son of Curlin, Palace Malice looks to pick up where he left off last time out after finally finding his form in the Belmont and will be the one to beat.

The Haskell is slated for Sunday with Verrazano heading a field of seven. After finishing a disappointing 14th in the Kentucky Derby he came back to capture the Pegasus Stakes (G3) by 9 1/4 lengths over this track last month. Preakness winner Oxbow is the second choice and looms dangerous at the 1 1/8 mile distance.

The Kentucky Derby winner, Orb has opted to skip the premier preps and is poised to return for the Travers. This means that the three-year-old picture will not come into focus until after the Summer starts to wind down as we truly will not know who is the head of the class until they all square off against each other on the same track. After this weekend we should have a better idea of the top five unless another up and coming three-year-old steals the spotlight.

The two-year-olds are also underway as they try to make an early name for themselves. Wired Bryan took the Sanford Stakes (G2) by 5 1/4 lengths and will be the likely favorite for the Saratoga Special (G2) next month. Keep an eye on these up an comers as many are just starting to break their maidens.

Jim Dandy Stakes(G1)
7/27 Saratoga @ 5:45 EST

5 Palace Malice 5-2
Belmont winner had no chance in the Derby with first time blinkers. Finally found his form last time out and might not have shown his best yet as he continues to grow. If he wins (like he should) or comes in the money Saturday it sets up for a dynamic showdown with Orb and the Haskell victor in the Travers next month.

8 Mylute 7-2
Still looking for his first stakes win but finds a way to be there close at the end. Posted three triple BRIS Speed ratings in a row and should be refreshed after some time off following his runner-up in the Preakness.

4 Moreno 10-1
Took him 10 tries before breaking his maiden but ran away with the Dwyer (G2) by seven lengths when stepping up in class earlier this month. This field is far superior to anyone he has run against, so he will have to run the race of his career to pull off the upset but certainly shouldn't be written off your exotic tickets as this could be one of those late blooming three-year-olds. 

2 Code West 6-1
Missed out by a nose in the Risen Star (G2) but came back to finish sixth in the Louisiana Derby (G1) in his only try at the distance, which took himself out of the Derby picture. Winner of the Matt Wynn (G3) last month can't be counted out but 1 1/8 miles may be too much for him to tackle.

$50 Jim Dandy Bank

$26 W: 5 = $26

$1 TRI BX: 5,8,4,2 = $24

Haskell Stakes(G1)
7/28 Monmouth Park @ 6:18 EST

5 Oxbow 2-1
Continues to get no love by the bettors and oddsmakers after being made the second choice on the morning line. Won the Preakness going off at 15-1 odds and finished second in the Belmont at 10-1 odds. This guy has one speed but when he gets going he is dangerous and the 1 1/8 mile distance is right in his wheelhouse. Look for him to dictate the pace and roll home to victory. 

7 Verrazano 9-5
Only one blemish on his resume is the Kentucky Derby and you can make all kinds of excuses for him in that race. His dominate performance last time out showed that his 6-5-0-0 record is no fluke and will try to pass Oxbow in the stretch on Sunday.

3 Golden Soul 8-1
Runner-up in the Derby was never a threat in the Belmont but don't discount him. Difficult to see him winning the race but will be coming late to try and fill out some exotics.

$50 Haskell Bank

$18 W: 5 = $18

$10 EX BX: 5,7 = $20

$2 TRI BX: 5,7,3 = $12


*Did a bankroll for the first time in the Belmont and if you played the $60 Tri ticket you got $465.50 at the window. Tabbed Revolutionary for the win but he faded to fifth in the stretch and is now taking a break until next year.