Well, I knew the Lane's End (Grade 2 at a mile and an eighth) was being run at Turfway Park today; but, I didn't focus on it and decided to just watch instead. I don't think we saw the Derby winner at Turfway today.
Hard Spun (Mario Pino) was the morning line favorite; but, got sent off as the 5/2 second choice behind Twilight Meteor (Edgar Prado), sent off also at 5/2. Poor Edgar, he had a favorite, just like last week, that backed up through the lane to finish out of the money. Edgar--what's going on??? Hard Spun was never far off the blistering pace set by longshot Starbase (Terry Thompson). After a quarter in 22-3/5ths and a half in 47-1/5th; it was no wonder Starbase was nowhere to be found at the end. The reason is when you run such quick fractions on a spongy PolyTrack surface, it is very tiring. Thus, Hard Spun stalking the pace in 3rd before taking command at the top of the stretch and then winning by 3 widening lenghts looked impressive. 12-1 Sedgefield (Rafael Bejarano) closed from mid-pack to get 2nd; while 13-1 Joe Got Even (Miguel Mena) closed from far back to take 3rd.
Because of the very forgiving surfact at Turfway Park, it's hard to get excited about Hard Spun. However, if you're looking for a potential closer (and you know I love closers), Joe Got Even closed impressively. I just would like to see it on a dirt surface versus the sponge-like goo that is the PolyTrack.
May the horse be with you,
The Artist Formerly Known as Racetrack Lenny
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Saturday, March 17, 2007
And The Results Are? Not Too Green!
Now I know why I still work for a living! An interesting day that made the Derby stand-out even murkier than it already is.
The Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby was won by 6/5 Street Sense ridden by Calvin Borel. Borel, who is known as an "on the throttle" jockey, actually stalked the pace and was all out to have Street Sense prevail by the scantest of noses over 3/5 favorite Any Given Saturday. I wasn't crazy about Street Sense because of the long layoff; but, he was impressive. Now we know that both Street Sense and Any Given Saturday have a lot of fight in them. Their stretch duel brought back memories of Affirmed and Alydar, that's how close it was. Could Street Sense break the Breeder's Cup Juvenile jinx? Maybe. Distinguished Kiss, ridden by Jeffrey Sanchez, was far, far back early and closed to get a "suck-up" 3rd. He didn't show enough closing power to me to make me want to get nuts about him for the Derby. We'll now need to see if this tough race took anything out of the top 2.
The Grade 3 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park was won by 5/2 Curlin ridden by Robby Albarado. He was much the best winning with authority by 5 widening lengths. Officer Rocket, sent off at 3/1, ran well to get second. My pick, Teuflesberg, ridden by Stewart Elliott, finished 3rd at 5/1. He came out flat-footed out of the gate and perhaps getting him hustled up into contention may have taken some starch out of him. Favorite Flying First Class, ridden by Edgar Prado, got into a speed duel with XChanger (John Jacinto, up) and paid the price as he flew coach down the stretch. He beat 70/1 Sumac. Curlin sure looked good and he made it look easy--look out.
The Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita had one scratch in Tap It Light, making for a 5 horse field. Favorite Air Commander, 6/5 with Garrett Gomez and Cobalt Blue, 2/1 with Victor Espinoza put on quite a show with the nod going to Cobalt Blue by 2 lenghts. Level Red, 4/1 with Aaron Gryder rounded out the triple. Todd Pletcher's Grapelli, 9/2 with Richard Migliore is likely to be left in the barn come Derby day. He finished last in a very pedestrian effort.
Stay tuned for upcoming Prep races and the chance to lose more money!
May the horse be with you!
The Artist Formerly Known as Racetrack Lenny
The Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby was won by 6/5 Street Sense ridden by Calvin Borel. Borel, who is known as an "on the throttle" jockey, actually stalked the pace and was all out to have Street Sense prevail by the scantest of noses over 3/5 favorite Any Given Saturday. I wasn't crazy about Street Sense because of the long layoff; but, he was impressive. Now we know that both Street Sense and Any Given Saturday have a lot of fight in them. Their stretch duel brought back memories of Affirmed and Alydar, that's how close it was. Could Street Sense break the Breeder's Cup Juvenile jinx? Maybe. Distinguished Kiss, ridden by Jeffrey Sanchez, was far, far back early and closed to get a "suck-up" 3rd. He didn't show enough closing power to me to make me want to get nuts about him for the Derby. We'll now need to see if this tough race took anything out of the top 2.
The Grade 3 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park was won by 5/2 Curlin ridden by Robby Albarado. He was much the best winning with authority by 5 widening lengths. Officer Rocket, sent off at 3/1, ran well to get second. My pick, Teuflesberg, ridden by Stewart Elliott, finished 3rd at 5/1. He came out flat-footed out of the gate and perhaps getting him hustled up into contention may have taken some starch out of him. Favorite Flying First Class, ridden by Edgar Prado, got into a speed duel with XChanger (John Jacinto, up) and paid the price as he flew coach down the stretch. He beat 70/1 Sumac. Curlin sure looked good and he made it look easy--look out.
The Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita had one scratch in Tap It Light, making for a 5 horse field. Favorite Air Commander, 6/5 with Garrett Gomez and Cobalt Blue, 2/1 with Victor Espinoza put on quite a show with the nod going to Cobalt Blue by 2 lenghts. Level Red, 4/1 with Aaron Gryder rounded out the triple. Todd Pletcher's Grapelli, 9/2 with Richard Migliore is likely to be left in the barn come Derby day. He finished last in a very pedestrian effort.
Stay tuned for upcoming Prep races and the chance to lose more money!
May the horse be with you!
The Artist Formerly Known as Racetrack Lenny
Friday, March 16, 2007
Will St. Paddy's Day Be Green???
We'll be looking for a little green tomorrow at 3 major Derby prep races.
The Tampa Bay Derby (Grade 3), to be run at Tampa Bay Downs at a mile and a sixteenth, attracted a field of 7. Favorite Street Sense (Calvin Borel) is listed morning line at 4/5. Not a very inviting proposition. Yes, he did win the Breeder's Cup Juvenile by 10 lengths; but, this is his first start in 2007 and he will be overbet. Also, I expect a fast pace in the race. Calvin Borel is a "full throttle" rider and will have Street Sense out there either on or close to the lead. I think Street Sense may need a race and to get anything less than 5/2 seems a bad bet. Who to bet? Any Given Saturday. Ridden by John Velasquez and trained by Todd Pletcher, Any Given Saturday has been running well and has been drilling bullet workouts leading up to this race. He is morning line listed at 9/5. If he stays there or floats up a bit to 2/1 or 5/2, he is the pick. There are two others that are quite intriguing. All I Can Get is a Michigan bred (yes, Michigan) who is morning line listed at 8/1. Shipping down to Florida for this race may seem crazy; but, they wouldn't do it unless they thought he had a shot. The other longshot is Delightful Kiss to be ridden by Jeffrey Sanchez. Hobeau Farm owns Delightful Kiss and Hobeau rarely sends out horses onto the Triple Crown trail unless they felt they had something. So, at 12/1, he's worth a stab at a few bucks. The Bet: $2 Exacta- Any Given Saturday over All I Can Get and Delightful Kiss. $2 Exacta All I Can Get and Delightful Kiss over Any Given Saturday. $2 WPS- Delightful Kiss. Total $14.
Let's move on to the San Felipe Stakes (Grade 2) at Santa Anita at a mile and one sixteenth. This race drew a short field of 6 and is pretty wide open. Air Commander (Garrett Gomez) is the morning line favorite at 8/5 with Cobalt Blue (Victor Espinoza) close behind at 9/5. Trainer Todd Pletcher has yet another Derby hopeful in Grapelli (Richard Migliore) who is morning line listed at 3/1. Todd Pletcher has at least 6 horses ready for the Derby; so, we'll give him the edge in this one and take the 3/1 odds. The Bet: $2 Exacta wheel- Grapelli over All. Total $10.
For our finale, let's look at the Rebel Stakes (Grade 3) at Oaklawn Park, also run at a mile and a sixteenth. The Rebel has been a key race for the Ky. Derby over the past several years. Smarty Jones comes to mind. The Rebel drew a field of 9 and there is value in this race. The morning line favorite is Flying First Class (Edgar Prado) at 2/1. Trained by D. Wayne Lukas, you know D. Wayne will have his charge primed and ready to go. Prado flying in for the mount is a huge plus. I also like Teuflesberg (Stewart Elliott). Teuflesberg has been an "in & outer" and at 9/2, is worth a play. His connections are serious about the Derby. To round out our trifecta, local horse Xchanger (John Jacinto) at 10/1 could prove to be the "horse for the course". The Bet: $2 Exacta box: Flying First Class, Teuflesberg and XChanger. $5 WPS- Teuflesberg.
May the horse be with you!
Racetrack Lenny
The Tampa Bay Derby (Grade 3), to be run at Tampa Bay Downs at a mile and a sixteenth, attracted a field of 7. Favorite Street Sense (Calvin Borel) is listed morning line at 4/5. Not a very inviting proposition. Yes, he did win the Breeder's Cup Juvenile by 10 lengths; but, this is his first start in 2007 and he will be overbet. Also, I expect a fast pace in the race. Calvin Borel is a "full throttle" rider and will have Street Sense out there either on or close to the lead. I think Street Sense may need a race and to get anything less than 5/2 seems a bad bet. Who to bet? Any Given Saturday. Ridden by John Velasquez and trained by Todd Pletcher, Any Given Saturday has been running well and has been drilling bullet workouts leading up to this race. He is morning line listed at 9/5. If he stays there or floats up a bit to 2/1 or 5/2, he is the pick. There are two others that are quite intriguing. All I Can Get is a Michigan bred (yes, Michigan) who is morning line listed at 8/1. Shipping down to Florida for this race may seem crazy; but, they wouldn't do it unless they thought he had a shot. The other longshot is Delightful Kiss to be ridden by Jeffrey Sanchez. Hobeau Farm owns Delightful Kiss and Hobeau rarely sends out horses onto the Triple Crown trail unless they felt they had something. So, at 12/1, he's worth a stab at a few bucks. The Bet: $2 Exacta- Any Given Saturday over All I Can Get and Delightful Kiss. $2 Exacta All I Can Get and Delightful Kiss over Any Given Saturday. $2 WPS- Delightful Kiss. Total $14.
Let's move on to the San Felipe Stakes (Grade 2) at Santa Anita at a mile and one sixteenth. This race drew a short field of 6 and is pretty wide open. Air Commander (Garrett Gomez) is the morning line favorite at 8/5 with Cobalt Blue (Victor Espinoza) close behind at 9/5. Trainer Todd Pletcher has yet another Derby hopeful in Grapelli (Richard Migliore) who is morning line listed at 3/1. Todd Pletcher has at least 6 horses ready for the Derby; so, we'll give him the edge in this one and take the 3/1 odds. The Bet: $2 Exacta wheel- Grapelli over All. Total $10.
For our finale, let's look at the Rebel Stakes (Grade 3) at Oaklawn Park, also run at a mile and a sixteenth. The Rebel has been a key race for the Ky. Derby over the past several years. Smarty Jones comes to mind. The Rebel drew a field of 9 and there is value in this race. The morning line favorite is Flying First Class (Edgar Prado) at 2/1. Trained by D. Wayne Lukas, you know D. Wayne will have his charge primed and ready to go. Prado flying in for the mount is a huge plus. I also like Teuflesberg (Stewart Elliott). Teuflesberg has been an "in & outer" and at 9/2, is worth a play. His connections are serious about the Derby. To round out our trifecta, local horse Xchanger (John Jacinto) at 10/1 could prove to be the "horse for the course". The Bet: $2 Exacta box: Flying First Class, Teuflesberg and XChanger. $5 WPS- Teuflesberg.
May the horse be with you!
Racetrack Lenny
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
The Gotham & Louisiana Derby
You can thank Google for my being unable to give you my selections for the Gotham Stakes and the Louisiana Derby. I had suggested betting $18 and you would have collected $16.40 for a net loss of $1.60--not a disaster compared to last year. Maybe Google will send me the $1.60.
Let's take Aqueduct's Gotham Stakes (Grade 3) run last Saturday at 1-1/16th miles. To read the tout sheets, you felt as if you needed a jeweled crown to place on the head of Summer Doldrums, the even-money favorite who had won by 5 widening lengths in the Whirlaway last month. As we all know, running the race must precede the coronation. The horse wearing the crown after the Gotham was Cowtown Cat- another Todd Pletcher trained horse. Cowtown Cat (Ramon Dominguez) hugged the rail while no worse than 4th all the way until he took over in mid-stretch to win by 2-1/2 lengths. The final time was a very pedestrian 1:44-3/5. Derby hopeful Wollaston Bay (Shaun Bridgmohan) set a slow pace and then weakened to finish 7th. So much for his Derby hopes. Wafi City (Alan Garcia) showed some true grit by taking the lead at the 3/4 pole and yielding late to the winner. Wafi City, sent off at 13-1, managed to hold second. As for Summer Doldrums (Mike Luzzi), he ran a really flat race running 3rd most of the way and showing some interest very late in the race. He surely was a bounce candidate and I expect better in the Wood Memorial on the day before Easter.
Meanwhile at the Fairgrounds in Louisiana the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby was run. Sent off as the public choice at 8/5, Circular Quay (John Velasquez) won the mile and one-sixteenth mile contest by 2 widening lengths in 1:43 flat--compared to the slow Gotham. Derby hopeful Ketchikan (Larry Melancon) set the pace and could not hold off the late running Circular Quay.
Tough time of year to pick; but, we do our best.
May the horse be with you,
Racetrack Lenny
Let's take Aqueduct's Gotham Stakes (Grade 3) run last Saturday at 1-1/16th miles. To read the tout sheets, you felt as if you needed a jeweled crown to place on the head of Summer Doldrums, the even-money favorite who had won by 5 widening lengths in the Whirlaway last month. As we all know, running the race must precede the coronation. The horse wearing the crown after the Gotham was Cowtown Cat- another Todd Pletcher trained horse. Cowtown Cat (Ramon Dominguez) hugged the rail while no worse than 4th all the way until he took over in mid-stretch to win by 2-1/2 lengths. The final time was a very pedestrian 1:44-3/5. Derby hopeful Wollaston Bay (Shaun Bridgmohan) set a slow pace and then weakened to finish 7th. So much for his Derby hopes. Wafi City (Alan Garcia) showed some true grit by taking the lead at the 3/4 pole and yielding late to the winner. Wafi City, sent off at 13-1, managed to hold second. As for Summer Doldrums (Mike Luzzi), he ran a really flat race running 3rd most of the way and showing some interest very late in the race. He surely was a bounce candidate and I expect better in the Wood Memorial on the day before Easter.
Meanwhile at the Fairgrounds in Louisiana the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby was run. Sent off as the public choice at 8/5, Circular Quay (John Velasquez) won the mile and one-sixteenth mile contest by 2 widening lengths in 1:43 flat--compared to the slow Gotham. Derby hopeful Ketchikan (Larry Melancon) set the pace and could not hold off the late running Circular Quay.
Tough time of year to pick; but, we do our best.
May the horse be with you,
Racetrack Lenny
Welcome To The Former "Racetrack Lenny" Blog
Through the miracle of modern technology, I have had to set up a Google account and it decided not to transfer my old "Racetrack Lenny" blog along. So, if you want to see my old blog, you will have to go to it-if you remember the address. Sorry about that; but, it may be a bad thing--there weren't many winners given out last year. :)
The thing that truly sucked about Google's involvement was that you had to migrate to a Google account or you had no blog. You couldn't post to your old blog. You could get into the blog with your password; but, once you did, you were prompted to create a Google account. So, I got the hint and created a Google account.
Here's hoping Google crashes like a deck of cards.
Racetrack Lenny
The thing that truly sucked about Google's involvement was that you had to migrate to a Google account or you had no blog. You couldn't post to your old blog. You could get into the blog with your password; but, once you did, you were prompted to create a Google account. So, I got the hint and created a Google account.
Here's hoping Google crashes like a deck of cards.
Racetrack Lenny
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)