2011 BC Rundown

                                Drosselmeyer

This years Breeders' Cup brought excitement, upsets and continued chaos in the run for Horse of the Year as well as three-year-old champion. The stage was set for Havre De Grace, Flat Out and Game On Dude to take down this years Classic as well as leave Churchill with a lock on the Eclipse Award. All three left with disappointment instead as 14-1 Drosselmeyer came charging down the stretch to edge Game On Dude and capture his first graded stakes win since last years Belmont Stakes. It is now anyone's guess who will claim the award this year.

With Horse of the Year honors up in the air, the three-year-old division isn't any closer to naming a champion after they were outclassed by their older competition in the Classic. If Stay Thirsty, Ruler On Ice or Uncle Mo could have pulled out a victory, they certainly would be be crowned three-year-old champ. Now, Animal Kingdom is back in the picture and could take home the award since none of his foes stepped up and separated themselves in his absence.

The two-year-old champ is down to Hansen and Union Rags, with Hansen most likely leading the race by a nose after that exciting Juvenile race.

As the 2011 racing season comes to a close we are left with more questions than answers. What if Uncle Mo would have had a healthy three-year-old campaign? What if Animal Kingdom wouldn't have gotten clipped at the start of the Belmont? It is going to be interesting to see who claims Horse of the Year honors and who will emerge as three-year-old champion.

Marathon - Afleet Again


*Had Birdrun and Giant Oak as both finished in the money. A.U. Miner pulled up and Meeznah did not take to the dirt well at all. 


Sprint - Amazombie


*Had Amazombie and Jackson Bend as they went 1-3. Euroears and Giant Ryan just didn't fire. 


Dirt Mile - Caleb's Posse


*Hit the exacta with Caleb's Posse and Shackleford. Just missed the Tri as Trappe Shot came in fourth.


Juvenile - Hansen


*Hit the Trifecta with Hansen, Union Rags and Creative Cause. 


Turf Mile - Court Vision


*Had Turallure, Gio Ponti and Goldikova as they all finished 2-3-4. Court Vision spoiled the ex and tri.


Classic - Drosselmeyer


*Had Drosselmeyer. Havre De Grace and Flat Out came up short finishing 4-5. Stay Thirsty couldn't compete.

Breeders' Cup Picks

The end of the 2011 horse racing season is all but coming to a close this weekend as the Breeders' Cup has finally arrived. There are two full days of horse racing as the top horses take to the turf and dirt at Churchill Downs. Come Saturday we will know who the best turf/dirt, sprint/mile horses are as well as who the winter-book favorite is as the top two-year-old's go head to head in the 1 1/16 mile Breeders' Cup Juvenile. The Championships close out Saturday night under the lights with the famed 1 1/4 mile Breeders' Cup Classic. There are several three-year-olds that will try their luck against the older competition as one looks to come away as three-year-old champion. Horse of the Year honors will most likely also be determined as Havre De Grace looks to make history and become the third female in a row to win the award. The Classic usually lives up to its billing and certainly should be an instant horse racing classic.

Saturday, Nov. 5th


Marathon: 1 3/4 Miles


11.) A.U. Minor 3-1

1.) Birdrun 7-2

5.) Giant Oak 9-2

3.) Meeznah 12-1

Sprint: 6 F

5.) Jackson Bend 7-2

1.) Euroears 4-1

2.) Giant Ryan 8-1

7.) Amazombie 5-1

Dirt Mile: 1 Mile

2.) Shackleford 7-2

9.) Trappe Shot 3-1

5.) Wilburn 4-1

8.) Caleb's Posse 5-1

Juvenile: 1 1/16 Mile

7.) Creative Cause 7-2

10.) Union Rags 2-1

5.) Hansen 10-1

4.) Drill 8-1

Cup Mile: 1 Mile

1.) Goldikova 7-5

5.) Gio Ponti 4-1

6.) Get Stormy 15-1

13.) Turallure 8-1

Classic: 1 1/4 Mile

2.) Flat Out 6-1

3.) Drosselmeyer 15-1

10.) Havre De Grace 3-1

9.) Stay Thirsty 12-1

*Make sure to Box all your Exotics....

Breeders' Cup Week

                                                        Headless Horseman

It's Halloween Eve and parents are getting ready for all the trick-o-treaters that will flood the streets tomorrow night while the kids are making last minute preparations to their costumes that they will be wearing to school and door to door throughout the neighborhood. It just so happens that it is also the eve of the Breeders' Cup post-position draw that will be held tomorrow afternoon, 1:00 EST at Churchill Downs.

The week for the "Super Bowl" of horse racing has finally arrived. The best of the best come together from all over the world on the two-day card with $26 million in purses on the line. An exciting element this year is that this will be the first time in Breeders' Cup history that both days of the Championships will finish under the lights. The Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic will cap off the card on Friday night, while the Breeders' Cup Classic will cap off the Championships Saturday night. 

Along with the large purses on the line, there are also honors to be won as the Horse of the Year, Eclipse Award is still up for grabs. The three-year-olds look to close out their triple crown year and be named three-year old champion, while the two-year-olds look to claim top honors as the one chase after as they get ready for the Derby prep races and their triple crown run in the year to come. This week is filled with anticipation and excitement and should lead us up to two exciting days of racing in Louisville on Nov. 4th and 5th. 

*Check back mid-week and i'll have my picks for many of the Breeders' Cup races.

Keeneland

Summer has come and gone. The leaves are turning and starting to fall. There is a cool breeze in the air across the Bluegrass. The month of October has arrived and tomorrow, Keeneland opens for their fall meet in its 75th anniversary year. 


Keeneland is considered Lexington's pastime, just as much as baseball is America's pastime. Founded in 1935 and open for racing since 1936, this race track holds a rich history and is only open two months out of the year, which makes it one of the most prestigious tracks in the country. As stated on Keeneland's website and many would agree, this is "a place that now ranks among venues such as Augusta Golf Course, Wrigley Field and Madison Square Garden as one of the finest sporting locales in the world."


Keeneland is in itself its own island. The atmosphere and landscape that are enough to satisfy. Keeneland is a place where you can go to get away. A place where you can go to relax. A place where you can go to party. A place where you can go that brings back memories and will bring you new ones. A place where you can spend time with family and friends. A place where you can see magnificent animals. A place where you can see thoroughbred racing at its best. A place where you can dream of cashing in and leaving with more than what you came in with. A place, win or lose, where you walk away with a sense of enjoyment. Words cannot do this place justice as you have to experience it for yourself. Horse racing fan or not, you will certainly not walk away disappointed. 


The aura of this race track is only one of the reasons that make this place so special. Opening weekend of the fall meet brings a handful of Breeders Cup prep races as well. The new class of top two-year-olds are ready to showcase what they have as they are preparing for next year's Triple Crown. Saturday brings the Breeders' Futurity which is another "win and you're" in for the (G1) Breeders Cup Juvenile, as these young horses vie to be crowned two-year-old champ. The field is full as fourteen horses will load the gate this Saturday in the Breeders' Futurity and two alternates are in place barring any late scratches. 


Check out HRN for the current Top 250 Two-Year-Old Males: 2012 Kentucky Derby Contenders


Breeders' Futurity Exotics:


5) Majestic City 7-2
Only horse in field that has posted triple speed figures(not once, but twice).  


 7) Shared Property 4-1
Took down the large (G3) Arlington Washington Futurity field on poly by coming on down the stretch. 


11) Take Charge Indy 5-1
Barely beaten out in the (G3) Arlington Washington Futurity. Pedigree suggests distance not an issue.


4) Motor City 15-1
Came from well back in the (G3) Arlington Washington Futurity to finish in the money. 


12) Optimizer 8-1
Only has raced on the turf so will be interesting to see how he moves over to the poly. Can never count out a D. Wayne Lukas horse.


*This field is loaded with talented two-year-olds, so anything can happen. Tough to peg as this is the first time for many of these horses going 1 1/16 mile. 

Post "Super Saturday"

                                                           

 Stay Thirsty                                                                                   Uncle Mo: Kelso


"Super Saturday" set everyone up for a very enticing Breeders Cup next month. Flat Out took the 1 1/4 mile Jockey Club Gold Cup by holding off Drosselmeyer. Game On Dude was able to hold off a late charging eight-year-old, Awesome Gem in the Goodwood. Uncle Mo proved he is back by beating the older horses easily in the Kelso. Havre De Grace, the promising and dangerous filly blew out the rest of the field in the Beldame. Creative Cause beat favored Drill in the Norfolk, most likely setting up a so-called rubber match  in the Breeders Cup Juvenile.

While the Breeders Cup Classic field will begin to form over the next few weeks, it certainly doesn't look promising for this years three-year-old class. Going up against their elders for the first time, Stay Thirsty and Coil both finished third in their races this weekend. They were able to finish in the money but were not a challenge for win or place. Now heading to the Breeders Cup, there will only be more talented horses to contend with. While Stay Thirsty still would have to be considered the favorite for three-year-old champion, he certainly does not have a lock on the award. With the resurgent Uncle Mo, if he chooses to run in the Classic were to somehow upset the expected loaded field, he would be back in the picture for top three-year-old. Don't forget about To Honor and Serve either, who came back from injury to take the Pennsylvania Derby a couple of weeks ago.

As these next few weeks begin to unfold, there certainly will be anticipation leading up to the many showdowns that are going to be watched at Churchill Downs the first weekend in November. In the meantime, check out Keeneland in Lexington, Ky as they open their fall meet this coming weekend.

*Hit the exacta and trifectas dead on in both the Jockey Club Gold Cup and Goodwood this past weekend.

Super Saturday

                                           Stay Thirsty: Top Three-Year-Old

This Saturday might as well be considered the playoffs for the Breeders Cup. We are only one month away from the "Super Bowl of Horse Racing" and this coming weekend brings us some exciting graded stakes races that should give a good preview of what is in store come the first weekend in November. Belmont has a loaded card on Saturday, as well as Santa Anita, as it opens for its fall meet. There are ten graded stakes races that are considered "win and you're in" for the Breeders Cup, if that tells you anything about Saturday's line-up.

The most anticipated race is probably the G1 Jockey Club Gold Cup. The mile and a quarter race is the biggest prep for the Breeders Cup Classic. Although it will be a rather small field it is loaded with talent. Stay Thirsty gets his first crack at the older horses and is eager to show he belongs. While it will be a tough race for him, he certainly doesn't have to worry about losing any ground to any of the rivals in his division.

The rest of the three-year-old class has chosen to go in different directions to prepare for the Breeders Cup. Uncle Mo, who is still coming back from injury has chosen to run in the Mile, G2 Kelso, also at Belmont. Shackelford, will be competing in the G2 Indiana Derby at Hoosier Park. Coil, after his disappointment in the Travers, is heading back to the West Coast for the G1 Goodwood at Santa Anita. Ruler On Ice finished second last weekend in the G2 Pennsylvania Derby to one of the early Derby favorites, To Honor and Serve. It is going to be interesting to see how each of these horses fare and who will eventually meet up in the Breeders Cup Classic.

While the three-year-olds are winding down their season, a new crop of two, soon to be three-year-olds have already begun preparing for their Triple Crown Run. At Santa Anita the G1 Norfolk is another one of those "win and you're in" races for the Breeders Cup Juvenile. These two-year-olds will be tested as they look to go around two turns for the first time. Look for Drill and Creative Cause to give each other a run for their money again as they went 1-2 in the Del Mar Futurity back in September.

*More on the two-year-olds next week as Keeneland opens its fall meet and other top two-year-olds load the gate in the Dixiana Breeders' Futurity.

Exotics:


Jockey Club Gold Cup

1/1a) Flatout/Birdrun 7-5:

Finished 2nd in both the G1 Whitney and Woodward, but was coming on down the stretch. If you have to find a concern about this horse it would be that this is his first race at 1 1/4 mile.

Has traded jabs with Drosselmeyer recently and shown that the distance is certainly not an issue here. With Flatout and Birdrun being paired in the betting, can't go wrong with these two at the window.

5) Drosselmeyer 6-1:
After two disapointing starts following his 2010 Belmont Stakes win, has come back strong trading 1st and 2nd with Birdrun. The win was at 1 1/4 mile.

4) Stay Thirsty 8-5:
On fire the last three races, finishing 2-1-1. Can he continue his torrid pace in his first attempt against the older and more experienced horses.

6) A.U. Miner 10-1:
Using this race as a prep for the Breeders Cup Marathon. Long shot that would not surprise if he snuck in the money. Beat Birdrun last race out in July at 1 1/2 mile.

Goodwood Stakes

8) Game On Dude 5-2
7) Awesome Gem 3-1
2) Coil 4-1

Enjoy The Ride

English major? Nope. Expert Gambler? Not even close. Expert Handicapper? Well, not yet. Just a kid in his 20's who loves to watch the ponies run while trying to come up with a method to the madness (yes, I still consider myself a kid even though that big 30 is not too far around the corner). Growing up in the horse capital of the world I have always enjoyed those warm spring days in April and those crisp cool fall days in October at one of the most prestigious tracks in the country they call Keeneland. Whether it was skipping class back in high school or working my class schedule out in college so I didn't have late afternoon classes or those dreaded Friday classes, you could always find me out at the track come April and October to catch a glimpse of the ponies first hand.

Some say you could not have been born here and not like the sport of horse racing. Maybe it just runs in my blood since I have been told that the track was my grandfathers second home. My uncle has owned horses in the past and I remember going to Churchill Downs and Keeneland to watch them run. That first Saturday in May huddled around a TV to watch the most exciting two minutes in sports every year since I can remember. My dad teaching me how to read a racing program. Whatever it was, these past 2-3 years I have really gotten passionate about the sport (especially the 3 yr. olds). There you have it, that's a little taste about me. Now to what this blog is going to be about....

Source: isavesmart.com

If you are looking for those can't miss horses in maiden, maiden special weight, claiming and starter races then this blog is not for you. I will go ahead and tell you to save your time and look elsewhere. The past few years I have started studying those unpredictable 2-year-olds as they turn 3 and make their way along the Derby trail to try and compete with the best of the best on Derby day. I have not done too bad following these young horses as of late. I decided that I am going to document and share my picks with those who are interested as these amazing animals try and chase after that once forgotten Triple Crown, through the summer, leading up to the Breeders Cup Classic hoping to be named 3 yr. old champion.

I have learned that nothing is guaranteed in life, just like there are definitely no locks in sports. This all pertains to horse racing and this blog as well. I am not going to guarantee anything on here but I do hope to win you and myself some money along the way. So, saddle up and enjoy the ride.......

*Come back next week and I'll have my picks for the Preakness.