Papa Clem did not do enough in his two morning works since arriving in Louisville, so Gary Stute sent him out for a swift three furlong blowout (:34.47). He really needed that stiff move, but I still do not fancy the son of Smart Strike. I thought the Arkansas Derby was weak, and he seems a cut below the best.
Last minute entrant Nowhere To Hide, trained by former Derby winning trainer Nick Zito, had a two furlong move in :25.40. He has finished 4th in all three graded route tries and is overmatched on …read more

A busy Saturday morning at Churchill Downs as the Derby players go through their final moves in advance of the first Saturday in May. Things to look for in Derby works are physical appearance, energy, and the ability to finish strongly. All of the connections will say they are happy, but pay attention to clockers for the real scoop. DRF’s Mike Welsch is on top of things at Churchill, and his daily reports can be found on the Daily Racing Form site.
If you are looking for Derby contender reports, news, and early odds, check out Horse Racing …read more

Wednesday was quiet on the Kentucky Derby front. Square Eddie jogged, and Desert Party visited the starting gate.
Papa Clem galloped and will have one more drill in the near future.
West Side Bernie is expected to work on Saturday.

On Thursday morning, General Quarters breezed five furlongs in 1:01.79. The drill ranked 13th of 30 moves at the distance. He did not finish up strongly in a lackluster work. Julien Leparoux will ride the Tom McCarthy’s Blue Grass hero.
Desert Party continues to make a nice appearance. I liked him when he ran in the US last year and consider him a viable …read more

First it was 2yo champ Midshipman. Then it was Vineyard Haven. Now, Godolphin’s Kentucky Derby hopes ride with Desert Party.
The $2.1 million son of Street Cry will break from post 5 in Saturday’s UAE Derby (UAE-G2) from Nad Al Sheba Racecourse in Dubai.

He began his career with a Polytrack victory at Arlington last June, and he nabbed Saratoga’s Sanford (G3) in his 2nd career start.
After a failed try in the Hopeful (G1), he was shelved and shipped to Dubai, and he has won twice at Nad Al Sheba since, including a good looking 2000 …read more

Saratoga Day 2 recap (July 24th)
Another off track at the Spa on Friday. Main track played fair with a trio of wire jobs in sprints. Elvis Trujillo/Wesley Ward teamed up for a pair of winners, and they just missed the hat trick by a 1/2 length when Easy Ashley got run down late in the 6th. Johnny V booted home a pair, and Steve Asmussen added another win to go with his three on opening day.
Race 7: Graded 3yo winner Visionaire took advantage of a rapid pace to down older 6.5f sprinters. Knights Cross did all of the dirty …read more

Showers and storms lead to a sloppy, sealed main track and no turf on opening day at the Spa. Early/pressing types off the rail fared well, with a trio of wire jobs on the day. Alan Garcia and Cornelio Velasquez both booted home a pair, and kudos to Steve Asmussen saddling a trio of winners. Two wins for Richard Dutrow on the card…
Race 9: Overbet fav (Asmussen) Ocean Colors (Winning Colors) flashed speed on the slower inside but spit the bit (last). She had a muscle spasm as a legit excuse for her poor performance. My top choice Collegiate made …read more