Fair Grounds Recap – Feb 7th

Fast main track and good turf course. Edge to horses with positional speed on the main. A wire job (5.5 furlongs) and two off the pace types made up the three turf winners.

Patrick Valenzuela booted home a pair on the turf. Shaun Bridgmohan and Steve Asmussen teamed up for two wins on the day.

3yo filly La Gran Bailadora graduated in a dirt route on Sunday. I mention this because she is a daughter of Afleet Alex, and offspring from the promising sire seem to improve with distance and experience. Sire also threw a 3yo maiden route winner (Fast Alex) on Saturday.

On the analysis front, I got home best bet tops Successful Mission ($8.80) and Blue Smoke Bess ($17.60).

Fair Grounds Preview – Feb 8th

A 10-race program will be run on Monday at the Fair Grounds. Pick six carryover of $4,687. Partly cloudy skies are expected with a high temperature of 62.

The featured 8th race is an optional claiming turf route for fillies and mares. More of the Best, Cigar Starter, Pretty Squall, Dancin Perfect, Elision, and Oculuna all faced stakes company in their last starts. This is my Horse Racing Nation free selection of the day.

My daily full cards from Fair Grounds are available through Today’s Racing Digest (free sign up). I also have a Digest free pick page, and my Monday free selection is the 9th race from Fair Grounds.

My MySpace free selection of the day is the 5th race from Fair Grounds.

For those interested in the Ky Derby Future Wager, check out Horse Racing Nation’s new Future Wager page.

Image: Newscom

Fair Grounds Recap – Feb 6th
Fast main track and off the turf. Four wire jobs on the 12-race program. Stalkers and closers nabbed the other eight races, so the track was fair.
Miguel Mena booted home a pair.
The Black Gold Stakes was moved to the main track at five and one-half furlongs. Comedero scratched, and that left Royal Express as the lone speed, and he went all the way over Vito Filletto. Overbet stretch running fav Grand Slam Andre had no chance with the lack of pace and was headed out of 3rd.
Sharp debut tally by Jedidiah in the 4th as …read more

Fair Grounds Recap – Feb 5th
Fast main track and off the turf. Track played fair with Salty Wave (3rd race) the only wire job winner on the afternoon.
Hat trick for James Graham, and Robby Albarado booted home a pair. Tom Amoss, Steve Asmussen, and Bret Calhoun each saddled two winners on the card.
In the Friday optional claiming feature, Cush stalked, pounced, and held off overbet fav Mr. Porter.
On the analysis front, I got home tops Just Another Girl ($5.80) and Seeking Ms Shelley (best bet #2, $10.60). I also tabbed the early double ($14.60), the 3rd race exacta (best bet …read more

Fair Grounds Recap – Feb 1st
Fast main track and good turf course. Early-pressing types best in dirt sprints. Patient types held the edge in routes, and turf seemed to play fair.
Hat trick for Robby Albarado, and ‘Cisco Torres booted home a pair on the sod.
Hotep (3rd race) looked good in optional claiming route tally from off the pace. Canadian bred is now on the road to the Louisiana Derby and may ultimately end up in the Queen’s Plate.
On the analysis front, I got home tops Stacey Lee ($9.20), Dear Jesse (best bet #2, $8.20), Brentwood Bullet ($8.60), and Biglie Smallworld …read more

An 8-race card is on tap at Santa Anita on Feb 3rd. The weather is expected to be partly cloudy with temps in the upper 60’s. There is a pick six carryover of more than $126k, and the Super High 5 carryover stands at $57,019.
The 1st race is a maiden claiming sprint for 3yo’s, and 7-5 fav Southern Defender is expected to improve 2nd time out.
The 2nd race is a claiming route for 4yo’s and up. General Dan looms the target from the rail, but keep an eye on sharp gelding Autocue.

The 3rd race kicks off the pick six, and …read more

Fair Grounds Recap – Jan 31st
Fast main track and off the turf. Edge to early/pressing types in routes and sprints.
Hat trick for Miguel Mena. Steve Asmussen saddled three winners on the day, and Shaun Bridgmohan was aboard for two.
Sam He Be was re-claimed by Michelle Lovell on Nov 27th, and he has clearly found his best stride again. He won a claiming route today and is a threat right back next time.
On the analysis front, I got home tops Snicky ($10.20), Sam He Be (best bet #2, $7.40), and Bud’s Creek (best bet #3, $9.20). I also tabbed the pick …read more

Fair Grounds Recap – Jan 30th
Fast main track and off the turf. Early/pressing types (2 wire jobs) best in the six sprints. No wire jobs in the five routes as patient types held the edge.
Hat trick for Shaun Bridgmohan, and two of his winners were saddled by Steve Asmussen. John Jacinto and Edward Johnston teamed up for two wins on the day.
The Marie G. Krantz Handicap was taken off the turf and run at a mile and a sixteenth on the main track. Bubbler got her nose down on the wire to best Never Retreat, and it was over fifteen …read more

Fair Grounds Recap – Jan 29th
Fast main track through two races, then the rains hit. Sloppy and off the turf for the final seven races. The wet surface yielded three wire jobs as early-pressing types dominated.
Hat trick for Jamie Theriot, and a riding double for Eddie Martin Jr.
On the analysis front, I got home tops Celestial Show ($12.20), Freyja ($8.20), and Built to Precision (best bet #2, $6.20). I also tabbed the 1st race exacta ($45.40), the early double ($34.60), and the 7th race exacta ($22).
Fair Grounds Preview – Jan 30th
An 11-race program will be run on Saturday at the …read more

Fair Grounds Recap – Jan 25th
Fast main track and off the turf. Two sprint wire jobs. Stalkers and closers best in routes.
Riding double for apprentice Jansen Melancon. Michael Stidham saddled two winners on the card.
The 8th race was originally scheduled for the turf, and my top choice Formaggio had a decent grass pedigree. The first timer rallied to win the special weight route affair. Watch for him in first start versus winners.

Big day on the analysis front as I got home tops Tiger Strike ($5.20), Cat Bells ($9.20), Groovinandamovin ($8.60), Formaggio ($16.80), and Little Fred ($10). All three of my …read more

Here is my first Derby Top 10 of 2010. The posts will start to become more frequent as we inch closer to the first Saturday in May. Please click on the name of each horse to view their Horse Racing Nation profile page, which includes news, pedigree, results, and video. Gotta give a shout out to Mark Midland for his assistance on this blog.
In my last Derby post, I stated that a new player (Take Control) had arrived on the scene. Unfortunately, the Baffert trainee has shin problems and needs a few months to recover, so he’s off the Derby …read more