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

NY Stays True to Stay Thirsty

Travers Stakes - Stay Thirsty

Stay Thirsty continued his dominance at the New York tracks in the Travers Stakes on Saturday. Winning for his fourth time in four tries on New York tracks, Stay Thirsty now has a Grade 1 win to add to his resume. Whether it's running in the state of NY or just being a late bloomer on the track, the three-year-olds finally have a leader of their division that has put some distance between himself and the rest of the field. By no means is he a lock for the Eclipse Award, but he definitely is the heavy favorite heading into the fall.

Summer is all but over and fall is right around the corner. The races for just the three-year-olds are dwindling down and the Breeders' Cup is almost two months away. October 1st is the next anticipated stakes race and it should be very intriguing indeed. Stay Thirsty and the rest of his age group will be running against the four, five and six-year-olds for the first time in their careers in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. He also will look to go an impressive five for five on New York tracks as the next race is back at Belmont.

*Stay Thirsty was the only horse that finished in the money who was pegged for the exotics. Ruler On Ice would have completed the super, finishing fourth. Shackelford faded earlier than expected, all the way back to eighth. Coil never fired, finishing a disappointing last. 

Midsummer Classic

                                                      Travers Stakes

Summer is slowly starting to wind down, but before it bids farewell, Saratoga brings us the famed Midsummer Classic this weekend. Ten horses enter the gate this coming Saturday and one will either emerge as the leader of the three-year-old class or make this unpredictable class even that more unpredictable.

Coil, Ruler On Ice, Shackelford and Stay Thirsty have the stage set for one of them to come out on top heading into the fall. This might be the last prime opportunity for one of them to put some distance between them and the rest of the class, because the next time you see these horses take to the track, it will most likely be against older, more experienced horses. It definitely sets up be an exciting race and lets hope one of these colts finally steps up and takes the lead in this deadlock division.

Exotics:

Coil 3-1:

Late bloomer showing he can run with the best after running down Shackelford in the Haskell. Bred for the distance, so 1 1/4 mile shouldn't be a problem. 

Ruler On Ice 6-1:
Proved he can handle the distance with a win in the Belmont. Got beat in the Haskell, but might prefer the longer distance.

Stay Thirsty 5-2:
After lackluster performances in the Florida and Kentucky Derby, has come back to impress in the Belmont and Jim Dandy. Tough horse to peg other than he loves to run in NY. If he continues the trend, will be tough horse in this race.

Shackelford 9-2:
This horse keeps hanging around and will just not go away. Heart of a champion that gives it his all every race. This distance is stretching his limits, but definitely not writing him off.

Up Next: The Travers

Haskell Stakes

Move Stay Thirsty and Coil to the top of the list. The winners of both the Jim Dandy and Haskell Stakes races this past weekend, showed that they are serious contenders in this years three-year-old crop. Both colts took home their second stakes win of the year and look to separate themselves from the rest of the pack here in a few weeks as they square off in the Travers Stakes.

With many of the top colts out this summer due to injury, it allows the likes of Stay Thirsty, Ruler on Ice and Coil to capitalize on their opportunity. A win in the Travers by any of these three colts would certainly put them in the lead for the Eclipse Award that will be given out at the end of the year.

- Picks in the Jim Dandy did not pan out as we went against the favorite Stay Thirsty.

- Had Shackelford in the Haskell, but he couldn't hold off Coil down the stretch.

Summer Classics (Con't)

                                                                          heatwave.jpg

The middle of summer is upon us and the three-year-old races are heating up once again. The two stakes races this weekend are going to give us a clearer picture of who belongs in next month's Midsummer Classic as well as the Breeders Cup Classic.

Jim Dandy (G2)


Exotics:

Alternation: Did not run in any of the triple crown races. Showed promise by coming from behind and taking the G2 Peter Pan after running a disappointing 5th in the Arkansas Derby. Look for him to step into the spotlight, finish in the money and upset the ML favorite, Stay Thirsty.

Brilliant Speed: Has finished in the money 5 out of his 6 starts. The only race that eluded him was the Kentucky Derby. Likes to come from behind as well and should add another finish in the money to his resume this coming Saturday.

Haskell (G1)


Exotics:

Shackelford: With a see-saw year for the three-year-olds, it's his turn to be the front runner of the group again. The Kentucky Derby and Belmont proved to be too much for this gritty horse, but the mile and an eight distance seems to be right in his wheelhouse. With a spot in the Breeders Cup Classic on the line, look for Shackelford to capitalize on the opportunity this coming Sunday.

Pants On Fire: Another horse that has talent who skipped the final two legs of the triple crown races after finishing a disappointing 9th in the Kentucky Derby. Already has proven he can run with the best by beating the runner-up in the Derby, Nehro back in March at the Louisiana Derby. Look for him to step back into the spotlight Sunday and don't be surprised if he comes away punching a ticket to the Breeders Cup Classic in November.

Post New York Monster

Looks like the race for top three-year-old just got blown wide open after that race yesterday. The favorites entered the ring and looked like they couldn't even compete with the New York Monster. The anticipated heavyweight fight between Shackleford and Animal Kingdom looked more like a featherweight fight as Animal Kingdom never had a shot after stumbling out of the gate and Shackleford faded down the stretch once again. It was the 24-1 shot, Ruler On Ice who came out on top, being only the second gelding since 1985 to take the Belmont Stakes.


Emoticons

So, here we are the day after the race, puzzled, confused, mystified, or you can just fill in the blank with your own adjective. Looking back at the past performances, I'm left scratching my head as to how the top two finishers (abysmal speed ratings heading into this race) overcame the monster and the rest of the field.

Does past experience on a sloppy track really come into play that much (if yesterday taught us anything then definitely)? If Animal Kingdom had not of stumbled out of the gate and almost thrown his rider would he have taken the race with ease (probably so)? You can play the what if game all you want and question your picks till you drive yourself crazy. All you can do is try to learn from the race, forget about your loses and move on to the next one. Like I told my friend who was heckling me for my blown picks this past race, "You can't win 'em all or I wouldn't be having to go into work on Monday morning."

The Triple Crown races are over, which will give me and my wallet a breather for a month or so. There is still an exciting summer ahead as most of these three-year-olds prepare themselves for the $1 million Travers Stakes, also known as the famed Midsummer Classic at the end of August. Not to mention, NBC teams up with Saratoga starting at the end of July to televise seven weekends of horse racing coverage all the way through Labor Day. Check back in July and I will have my picks for some stakes races this summer leading up to the Travers.

The New York Monster

                               Source: www.belmontstakes.com


Well, the kids are out of school and the temperatures are already climbing into the 90's in most parts of the country. Which means that Summer is upon us and the Belmont Stakes is only a few days away. A dozen horses take the post this coming Saturday to take on the monster trip in New York. Out of the twelve, the top seven finishers in the Derby are back for a rematch (the first time this has ever happened).

Many are dubbing this a rubber match between the Derby winner, Animal Kingdom and the Preakness winner Shackleford. Even AK's owner Barry Irwin and Shakleford's trainer, Dale Romans have already taken verbal jabs at each other this week. With the Triple Crown out of the picture, this is shaping up to be a heavyweight prize fight, with the winner holding a slight edge of being the top three-year-old heading into the Summer.

2011 Belmont Stakes Picks:


Exotics:
Animal Kingdom: 2-1 ML favorite, just as he was in the Preakness. Since this horses first race on dirt he has taken off and not looked back.

Nehro: Finished second in his last three races. Improved speed ratings each time out. Coming in fresh off a five week layoff.

Mucho Macho Man: He was Mr. Consistency until the Preakness three weeks ago but threw a shoe. Finished third in the Derby and was closing on Nehro.

Master Of Hounds: First race on dirt was the Derby and worked his way through traffic coming from 15th to finish fifth. He is also fresh after skipping the Preakness.

Winner:
Animal Kingdom: Has shown that he is a step above the rest of the field. Closing in his last two races, he was pulling away from the field in the Derby and just ran out of room in the Preakness. Bred for the distance, the Belmont should pose no problems for the Derby winner.

This race is a monster at 1 1/2 miles and has a history of craziness. While I will be confident heading to the window this coming Saturday, I would not at all be surprised to see any of the top seven Derby finishers take this race based on the history of the Belmont. Good luck to all and feel free to leave your comments....

33 and Counting...

Slow break out of the gate left the Derby winner facing a daunting task of picking off 13 horses at a track they say favors the speed horses. Animal Kingdom was out to prove his doubters wrong, that he was no fluke just two short weeks ago. Heading into the far turn, it was time, weaving in and out of traffic, one by one he started picking off his foes. Coming down the stretch, bursting through the field and closing fast, only one horse to pass, that same horse that faded down the stretch in the Derby. It just wasn't meant to be as Animal Kingdom ran out of real estate and ran into a horse named Shackleford that was not willing to give in this time around as he showed he had just enough gas left in the tank to hold on and take the Preakness.

So, here we are, another year, another heartbreak for the horse racing world. While Animal Kingdom did what he set out to do and prove that he was no fluke, it wasn't enough to please the racing fans as they are left disappointed yet again. We now have another long year to wait and see if and when that next three-year-old will emerge and capture that elusive Triple Crown that was last won 33 years ago.

Time still goes on as does the sport of horse racing. The Belmont is the next big stakes race on the card for these young horses and they will have a $1,000,000 purse to chase after. Assuming the top horses come out healthy from the Preakness, lets hope that large purse is good enough reason for the likes of Shackleford, Animal Kingdom, Dialed In and Mucho Macho Man to give us racing fans another exciting race to anticipate in less than three weeks. With Nehro, who placed in the Derby and Jaycito, who was a top Derby contender before he got sidelined with a minor injury, pointing toward the Belmont, it still could shape into another interesting race with a nicely stacked field.

Pegged 3 out of the top 4 in the Preakness. Astrology probably kept some from hitting the super or tri but hopefully you took my suggestions and hit the exacta or better yet had a winning ticket on Shackelford. Check back in a couple of weeks and I'll have my picks for the Belmont.

Round 2: Baltimore

Source: http://www.preakness.com/ 

The draw is done, morning line odds are set and the horses are busy eating hay in their stalls at Pimlico by now. Which means it's almost time for the 136th running of the Preakness Stakes. For only the second time since 1992, there will be a full field that goes to the post come Saturday night. It is sure to be an exciting run for the Woodlawn Vase as 13 horses go stride for stride and attempt to knock off Animal Kingdom from his short two week reign as King of the three year olds.

It's anyone's race as this is considered one of the weaker/uncertain classes of three year old's compared to years past. Although, this may make the race that more exciting as there are a handful of horses that I can see taking the Preakness this year. With five horses coming out of the Derby and nine newcomers trying to show that they belong, grab your popcorn or crab cakes as they are known for in Maryland and get ready for round two in Baltimore.

2011 Preakness Stakes Picks:


Exotics:
Animal Kingdom: 2-1 ML favorite as he should be. Won the Derby convincingly, was pulling away from the field and looked like he could have gone longer if needed to.

Dialed In: Derby favorite disappointed two weeks ago. He is a closer, comes from dead last and 19 horses were just entirely too many to round up that day. We find out if he is a contender or a pretender in the second leg of the Triple Crown.

Mucho Macho Man: The owners of this guy are going to have to seriously start thinking of changing his name to "Mucho Money Man." That's all this horse has done as he has finished in the money 7 out of 8 of his lifetime starts. Enough said.

Shackleford: Almost took the Derby wire to wire. Did not start to fade until the last 1/16 of a mile and guess what, the Preakness is just a 1/16 of a mile shorter than the Derby. Does not have history on his side as Rachel Alexandra is the only horse in the last ten years to win this race wire to wire.

Winner:
Animal Kingdom: Been back and forth on this as I could see any of the above four horses taking this race. He only gets better each race he has run. It's tough to get off this horse as I had him pegged as my dark horse in the Derby.