Bits and Pieces

Before I jump into more Derby and Oaks thoughts, I would like to pass on some exciting news happening here at ZATT headquarters… ZATT the Magazine is ready to launch! A personal dream of mine is just days away from becoming reality. The online magazine will launch this Friday morning at http://www.zattmag.com/. Look for many of the features you have come to expect on this blog, as well as much, much more. Special thanks to Issue #1 contributors: Steve Haskin, Bill Pressey, Ciaran De Barra, Claire Novak, Kate Hunter, Kerry Thomas, Sid Fernando, Marti McGinnis, Eric Kalet, Marti Guzman, Cecilia G. Felix, Jamie Newell, Patrick Sheehan and Sue Kawczynski. ZATT the Magazine promises to be bigger and better than I have ever done before, and it truly is “For the Love of Thoroughbred Horse Racing!” I am honored to announce that I have been named the Thoroughbred Racing in New York (TRNY) Member of the Week. This is a sensational Facebook group run by the most creative man in the business, Ernie Munick. As Member of the Week, I was able to write a piece on how I fell in love with horses and racing. I plan to publish the piece on ZATT soon, but in the meantime, please check it out at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8466519122#!/topic.php?uid=8466519122&topic=19510 If you are not yet a Facebook member or a TRNY member, join up, it is most worthwhile. ZATT on the radio - I will be previewing Churchill’s huge weekend, Derby et al, on Steve Borstein’s daily sports show. The show airs live from Steve’s studios in Farmington, NM... home of Chip Woolley, trainer of Mine That Bird. It can be found live on this website http://www.foxsports1340.com/. Click on the "listen live" button on the center of the home page .... the show is called "First Sports with Steve Bortstein." My time slot is scheduled to be Friday, Oaks Day, at 9:30am EST. It is a live show, so be sure to tune in Friday morning! OK! Now back to business… One of my favorite, if not my favorite, bets of the year is the Oaks-Derby Double. Derby action can begin early and what better way to begin, than starting your bet off with a win in the Kentucky Oaks. I have had some big scores with this bet in the past, and once again, I am looking for a solid payoff this year. At the time of this writing, Devil May Care is still possible for either race, but I am guessing that the Derby will be the choice. So with that in mind and barring any last minute changes, here is my Oaks-Derby play: Kentucky Oaks (2) - Blind Luck (the favorite, but a must play) and It’s Tea Time (a quickly developing Dynaformer filly with some nice odds.) Kentucky Derby (7) - Awesome Act (my top play with the odds), Lookin at Lucky (the one to beat), Endorsement (the now horse), Devil May Care (the filly has a shot), Mission Impazible (might be ready to peak), Super Saver (Borel on a Churchill horse…beware), Sidney’s Candy (not sure, but he might be this good), There you have it…14 combinations with many of them likely to pay well into the triple digits. Good luck!

Derby? Oaks? I’ll Take Rachel

What a weekend! The Derby, the Oaks and a heaping handful of other graded stakes will create a cornucopia of racing delights for anyone that calls themselves a fan of Thoroughbred horse racing. In a two day stretch, Churchill Downs will sport no less than a dozen stakes races. Clearly there is no place better to be this Friday and Saturday, than a few miles off the banks of the Ohio River, and under the historic twin spires. Everyone knows the headliner. It is the Kentucky Derby, the Run for the Roses, the First Saturday in May. Quite simply it is the most famous race in the world for our equine stars. Its feminine counterpart, the Kentucky Oaks, plays a supporting role to the Derby with class, style, and historical significance. When a sophomore filly crosses the line in the Kentucky Oaks it cements her place in history. This year, Derby and Oaks aside, there is something else big brewing in Derby City. ***The remainder of today's column can be found on Youbet.com*** Click Here

Eskendereya Out

For the second consecutive year, the early Kentucky Derby favorite is out. Eskendereya, the strong favorite for Saturday's Kentucky Derby, has been removed from consideration from the run for the roses because of swelling in his left front leg. Bad news for his connections, and fans especially, but it is also bad news for any race fan that wants to see the best horses compete in the world’s most important race. Seriousness of the injury is not yet known, but for Saturday, the deal is done. Eskendereya is out of the Kentucky Derby. The rumor mill was rampant yesterday when the word leaked out that Eskendereya would not work out at all this weekend. Fueling the speculation, was the fact that Eskendereya was the only Pletcher horse not to have his front bandages removed in his stall. The rumors were true, and the bad news was clear to the trainer by this morning. The swelling, which extends from the ankle to the knee, was worse than yesterday and meant that Eskendereya has no chance of being at his best in six short days. One possible ramification of the disappointment, could be that Pletcher’s star filly, Devil May Care, is even more likely now to run against the boys. With the defection of her more publicized barn mate, Devil May Care can now enter the Derby with her regular rider, John Velazquez in tow. A difficult decision may be a whole lot easier now for Team Pletcher. A small consolation, but this could prove to be very good news for a stable that right now has to be in a little bit of shell-shock. For Pletcher, this is a major blow for the hugely successful trainer who is already saddled with a Kentucky Derby albatross. Zero for twenty four, and maybe after today’s news, you can say and counting. Eskendereya is the colt that Pletcher calls the best he has ever brought to Louisville, and now he will not be saddling one of the race favorites. The good news for Mr. Pletcher is with his embarrassment of riches, he still may have a horse that can break his much publicized losing streak. Mission Impazible, Super Saver, Devil May Care, are you ready to step to the plate? Don’t be surprised if the answer is yes and today’s great disappointment is replaced with the greatest joy a trainer can celebrate in six days time. Photo by Sue Kawczynski

Time Trials at Churchill Downs

With a name like the Derby Trial you figure the race would be an important stepping stone to the Kentucky Derby. In the past, that was the case. The Derby Trial used to mean something. It was a common occurrence to see the Derby winner come out of the Derby Trial. Horses like Black Gold, Assault, Whirlaway, Citation, Ponder, Dark Star, Iron Liege, and Tim Tam, prepped for Kentucky Derby glory, and in some cases even a run at the Triple Crown, in the Derby Trial Stakes. But alas, times have changed. No longer in vogue to run horses so quickly back, the Derby Trial stopped becoming a major prep race. Although in more modern times it has been a reasonable prep for the Preakness or Belmont Stakes…maybe the Preakness Trial would be a better name. There still is reason to be hopeful that a Derby Trial runner could someday again where the roses. With the recent overflow of horses wanting in to the Kentucky Derby, and the accompanying graded stakes earnings rule, the Derby Trial may become a sort of “last chance saloon” for potential Derby contenders. ***The remainder of today's column can be found on Youbet.com*** Click Here

Should She Oaks or Should She Derby?

The Devil is down in Kentucky, she is looking for a classic to win…but which classic? Devil May Care, my personal top pick for the Kentucky Oaks, is also being considered for the Kentucky Derby according to trainer Todd Pletcher. As the horse I am looking forward most to seeing in the Oaks, the news was a little disappointing.  But with the recent successes, against the boys in our classics, of Rags to Riches, Rachel Alexandra, and Zenyatta, it should come as no surprise. The daughter of Malibu Moon will be evaluated by Pletcher in the coming days, and then he and owner John Greathouse of Glencrest Farm will make the decision. This big decision raises many questions. Ultimately who makes the final decision on where she runs? Usually that is the owner, but not always. If it is Greathouse, does he value a good shot in the Oaks more than a much bigger roll of the dice in the Derby? I could not blame him if he wished to take the ultimate plunge and go for the gusto on Saturday. If it is Pletcher who decides, does he want to pass on a good shot in the Oaks, and a very possible win in both races, to give himself one more bullet in an already loaded arsenal for an elusive Kentucky Derby win? Devil May Care could raise Pletcher’s entrants to the staggering number of seven, including certain favorite Eskendereya, but she would be his only runner in the Oaks. It would seem that depending on who makes the decision, the answer could be different. Just how good is the filly, Devil May Care? This question will be a lot easier to answer in a week or so, but I think she may be worth all this talk. Devil May Care had enough class to win the prestigious, Grade 1 Frizette Stakes last Fall. What made the win especially noteworthy was that she was making only her second lifetime start. After two losses with big excuses in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies and the Silverbulletday Stakes, she bounced back with an eye catching score in the Bonnie Miss Stakes in her last start. She appeared a bit green in that win, as if she is still learning. Her third race of the year, whether it be the Derby or the Oaks, may be the race Pletcher has her really ready to roll. Will she appreciate the extra distance found in the Derby? Pletcher maintains that one of the main reasons he and the owner are thinking Derby is because of the longer distance. From the very beginning, Pletcher has said Devil May Care wants to run all day. He was certainly right about Rags to Riches wanting a distance, and what better chance to prove his belief than in the Kentucky Derby. Another question would be who would ride her.  If she were to enter the Derby, I have strong suspicion that she would need a new rider. John Velazquez already has a fair horse to ride in Eskendereya. Is this a factor in the decision making? And finally, if she were my filly what would I do? The answer may surprise you, I know it surprised me. As a fan, I want to see her run in and win the Kentucky Oaks, but as an owner, I honestly believe I would opt for the Derby. As I have mentioned, I consider her the horse to beat in the Oaks, and I would not have her in the top five (she would be in my top ten) of my Derby selections. That chance would be good enough, though. A chance at winning the Kentucky Derby is awfully hard to pass up…don’t you think?

Who Am I ???

*I finished first in seven out of twenty five lifetime starts over my four-year racing career. *My three biggest victories came within a span of just eight weeks. *I was bred in Kentucky and owned by a successful Chicago businessman. *I was ridden by a total of eight jockeys and had a different rider for each stakes win. *My Run for the Roses ended in a middle of the pack finish. *I never won a Triple Crown race, but I did beat the Preakness and Belmont winners. *I had two trainers, one was an American and the other came from the land of the Beatles. *All of my four stakes wins came in the same season, and three of them were of the grade 1 variety. *In my best season, I won six times out of thirteen starts. *My first grade 1 win was won as a longshot, in my last grade 1 win, I was an odds-on favorite. *I raced at twelve different tracks in my career and in distances ranging from five furlongs to a mile and a half. You should know by now … Who Am I ???