Musket Man won his 1st three sprint starts and was hardly disgraced in Sam Davis show finish (post 9) at this distance here last time. He projects a ground saving stalking trip at playable odds. He sports a pair of local bullets for this, and note that he defeated Sam Davis winner General Quarters on Jan 17th. Leading rider Daniel Centeno hops aboard.

Sumo (Fusaichi Pegasus) finished a clear 2nd from disadvantageous outer post in Sam Davis. Graham Motion trainee is on the improve and lands a better post for this. He reunites with winning pilot Jeremy Rose and could easily find the winners’ circle today.

Nowhere To Hide is on the upswing for Nick Zito (pictured) since adding blinkers, and he chose this over the Louisiana Derby. $250k Keenland sales grad has the right stalking style.

Hello Broadway (Broken Vow) did all of the dirty work in Hutcheson return. Barclay Tagg runner tries a route of ground for the 1st time and figures in the thick of things throughout if he handles this tricky surface. He earned triple digit figs in his last two and sports a Gulfstream bullet for this.

General Quarters (Sky Mesa) exits a sharp Sam Davis score (replay below) versus similar, but a few key post switches could leave him losing ground this time.

Bear’s Rocket tried dirt for the first time and promptly finished 2nd in the Holy Bull at the Gulf on Jan 31st. He’s an outside speed presence at the very least.

Warrior’s Reward landed the place behind Todd Pletcher’s promising Derby hopeful Dunkirk at the Gulf last time. Stretch runner should get pace to chase.

Join In The Dance (Sky Mesa) returned from a layoff to finish 2nd behind subsequent Gotham runner-up Imperial Council in a Gulfstream sprint last time. Todd Pletcher’s colt looms the one to catch, but as I stated earlier, it is tough to wire the field at this distance.

Top Seed is once again hung out to dry in outside post. He is 3-3 sprinting and might be better around one turn.

Justdontcallmejeri is a consistent SoCal shipper for Doug O’Neill, who claimed this one for $32k in November. He gives dirt a whirl and remains eligible for an entry level spot.

Perfect Bull drew the rail and goes turf/dirt. He owns the lowest speed ratings and would have to improve leaps and bounds to compete here.

Top 3 Selections: (1) Musket Man, (2) Sumo, (3) Nowhere To Hide

Longshot To Watch: Warrior’s Reward

Photo Credit: newscom.com

Post from: Thoroughbred Fever

Imperial Council ran a quality race to grab the place in his first start around two turns. If you like Shug’s well bred colt, don’t give up on him because the best is yet to come.

Gotham pacesetter and show finisher Mr. Fantasy will either come back for the Wood or shoot for the Illinois Derby.

2o filly champ Stardom Bound did not run fast in her winning Las Virgenes (G1) return in February. Her connections thought she would move forward in the Santa Anita Oaks (G1), but she was life and death to win a multiple horse photo. The Santa Anita Derby is wisely not on her radar screen at this point. She is expected to remain on synthetic ground and point for the Ashland Stakes (April 4th) at Keeneland, and most likely the Kentucky Oaks if all goes well. I look forward to trying to beat her in the near future, and my longshot top Hooh Way almost got her on Saturday.

Friesan Fire is the 5-2 favorite for Saturday’s Grade 2 Louisiana Derby. Lecomte and Risen Star (replay below) winner tries for the local trifecta.

His main rival Patena (Lecomte runner-up), now conditioned by Rick Dutrow, worked a strong 5f in :59-2/5 at the Gulf.

Risen Star place finisher Flying Pegasus will also line up, along with SoCal shipper Papa Clem, Giant Oak, Terrain, Free Country, Uno Mas, Soul Warrior, and Nowhere To Hide.

Rachel Alexandra is heavily favored to win the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2), and she looks like the most talented 3yo filly in the land at this stage.

Early Kentucky Derby fav Old Fashioned recently worked a 5f bullet (:59) in advance of Saturday’s Rebel at Oaklawn Park. Southwest place finisher Silver City is the one to catch again, but I do not know how much farther the fleet sprinter wants to travel.

Hello Broadway is expected to go favored in Saturday’s Tampa Bay Derby (G3). Barclay Tagg’s Gulfstream invader most recently did all of the dirty work in Hutcheson place finish.

Finally, Pioneerof The Nile (pictured) tunes up for the Santa Anita Derby (G1) with a San Felipe (G2) prep on a very busy Saturday.

Photo Credit: newscom.com

Post from: Thoroughbred Fever

How’s Your Halo pulled off a $96.20 shocker in Saturday’s 31st running of the Richter Scale (G2). 2nd choice Ikegai set the pace and clearly held the place. 6-5 fav Tale of Ekati finished a disappointing 4th for the struggling Barclay Tagg.

Also on Saturday, Imperial Council returned in the pink for Shug (replay below), and the lightly raced, talented Empire Maker colt is a 3yo to watch. He should get better with distance/experience.

Any Limit went straight to the front and withstood a stretch challenge from heavy Pletcher fav Game Face to post a 1-1/4 length tally in the 9th running of the Hurricane Bertie on Sunday. Allen Jerkens saddled the winner, and the top two were well clear of Robert Frankel’s Lovely Isle.

Wednesday (2-18-09) preview

Today’s card features a trio of grass races and includes a Pick 6 carryover of $11,962.

Weather: Sunny. High 79.

Race 1: Discreet Empire (6-1) adds blinkers for the 36% Cornelio Velasquez/Stanley Hough team, and the son of Empire Maker can move forward 2nd time out at today’s longer trip. Note that dam has tossed five winners, including a pair of stakes winners.

Race 6: My racingonthenet free selection of the day.

Race 8: My MySpace free selection of the day.

Photo Credit: newscom.com

Post from: Thoroughbred Fever

The Barclay Tagg trainee kicked off his career with a neck victory at Saratoga last August, then finished an okay 5th when thrown to the wolves in the Champagne (G1).

He bounced back with a game place finish behind today’s rival Break Water Edison when last seen in Aqueduct’s Nashua (G3), and this is a perfect starting point for his Derby march.

Break Water Edison had a busy juvenile campaign with four stakes appearances, and he finally got over the hump in the aformentioned Nashua. $525k son of Lemon Drop Kid lands the disadvantageous rail, and note that his worst two efforts last year were from the inside post.

Capt. Candyman Can fired in all three conventional dirt starts last year, and trainer Ian Wilkes is a profitable 20% with this type of returnee. Grade three winner has the pace/speed ratings to compete here.

Salo Jack is 3-3 at this specialty distance, and he could surprise with the main players using this as a prep.

Rocketing Returns is on the upswing for Nick Zito, and he caught a talented crew for his stakes bow.

Bee Cee Cee has lost five straight since beginning his career with a pair of wins. The speedy Z Day rounds out the field, and note that it is a tough task to pull off a wire job at this distance.

Eariler on the card, three-year-old fillies take center stage in the seven panel Forward Gal (G2). Gemswick Park and Frolic’s Dream, the 1-3 Old Hat (G3) finishers, figure to take the bulk of the action. Note that Old Hat place finisher Elusive Heat came back to roll in a big way at the Gulf yesterday.

Photo Credit: newscom.com

Post from: Thoroughbred Fever

The promising Lieutenant Ron landed the outside post and has been installed as the 6-5 morning line favorite for Saturday’s nine furlong $100k Grade 3 Discovery Handicap at Aqueduct Race Track in New York.

The Kiaran McLaughlin three-year-old has won three of his four sprint starts by a combined 20+ lengths, with his lone loss a show finish at six furlongs following a troubled start off a layoff. The West Point Thoroughbreds ridgling son of Graeme Hall makes his graded stakes bow while trying a route of ground for the first time. He is 2-2 at the Big A and will make his presence felt throughout at low odds. He earned triple digit speed ratings in his three wins, and anything approaching that plateau will make him one tough customer. Alan Garcia has a return call.

That’srightofficer is a New York bred with an improving speed rating pattern. He has landed the place in three straight at this distance and could surprise today’s open company under regular pilot Edgar Prado.

Premium Gold is an enigmatic sort. It took him six tries to graduate, and he did it in style at Monmouth. He was dusted in his first start versus winners at the Spa, then came back to roll at that same venue in his next outing. A layoff followed, and he finished 5th in his Pegasus (G3) return. Well bred $400k purchase is versatile and earned a triple digit speed rating in an optional claiming win at this distance.

Big Truck has lost five straight since his upset win in the Tampa Bay Derby (G3). Barclay Tagg is 22% with horses moving from turf to dirt, and Eibar Coa has options with the versatile sort.

Ready Set has been productive in a few similar graded events, including a win in the West Virginia Derby (G3) and a nose defeat in the Pegasus (G3) last time. $800k Keeneland sales grad will be finishing.

Web Gem is 0-10 this year and will almost certainly be overbet for Nick Zito at 9-2 on the line. Well bred $170k Keeneland sales grad is best used underneath if at all. Note that his lone win in 15 outings did occur here.

Wishful Tomcat has won two straight on the grass and four of his last five. Dominguez rides the speedster well, be he could be compromised early and often by the fleet Lieutenant Ron.

Coach Shaw rounds out the field at 20-1, and the consistent late runner is riding a six-race trifecta streak. He reunites with Eddie Castro, who booted him home in August, and the Mark Hennig trainee appears capable of rallying for a minor share.

Photo Credit: Newscom

Below is a YouTube replay of Lieutenant Ron breezing.

Post from: Thoroughbred Fever

Tale of Ekati, currently third on the graded earnings list, is the more formidable of his two charges. The son of Tale of the Cat enjoyed a productive juvenile campaign, and he returned in the Louisiana Derby, a tough spot for his seasonal bow. He never got going in a disappointing effort, but better days were just around the corner.

Next up was the Wood Memorial, and he tracked a fast pace carved out by recently injured two-year-old champ War Pass, and he slowly wore down the speed in a solid effort.

He proved he could track a fast pace and win, but it took more than forty seconds to finish the nine furlong contest, and that does not bode well for his ten furlong chances. He could easily continue to advance, but he would need to improve his stamina significantly to hold off more than one talented off the pace runner. He breezed a solid five furlongs in 1:00-1/5 at Keeneland on April 23rd.

Big Truck is in the same boat as Pyro, as he attempts to rebound from a below par Blue Grass effort. Son of Hook and Ladder breezed four furlongs in forty-nine seconds at Keeneland on April 22nd. Again, it is hard to dismiss a poor final prep when so many quality horses are coming to the Derby in sharp condition.

Post from: Thoroughbred Fever