Feb. 22nd works/breezes

Pioneerof the Nile, Stardom Bound, The Pamplemousse ...

All looking fantastic ...

The Pamplemousse!

OK I spoke too soon. ;)

The Pamplemousse definitely was the star of the day today! Wow!

He made it look too easy in the Sham. Just one more to keep on the radar.

No doubt about it. A gray is probably going to win the Derby this year, keeping with the whole "4-year-gray" streak. The only hard part is going to be figuring out which one!

Capt. Candyman CAN'T?

Well, that was disappointing.

Capt. Candyman Can finished a well-beaten fourth in the Fountain of Youth today.

Quality Road (right) was VERY impressive to win!

Even Beethoven ran well to come from last in the stretch to grab the third spot.

Theregoesjojo wasn't bad either in second, especially with that wide run around the turn.

Not really expecting any major players to come out of the other races today. We'll see ...

ESPN to air key preps ...

All is quiet on the Triple Crown front at the moment while there is a normal gap between major prep races, so in the meantime I was happy to learn that ESPN hasn't completely abandoned the sport of kings!

The network will be covering some of the major upcoming Derby preps starting on March 21st.

With Larry Jones pointing Old Fashioned toward the Arkansas Derby, I'm especially looking forward to seeing that race live!

Is it too early to have my Derby horse?

I still want to see what develops with horses like Stardom Bound, Pioneerof the Nile, Friesan Fire and even Capt. Candyman Can before I make it official ... but after the Southwest today I think I'm pretty set on Old Fashioned!

He just has something special, no doubt about it! Sure it was mainly two-horse race between Old Fashioned and Silver City the whole way ... the rest of the field never really came close to the front ... but he showed that he has heart. So far this horse can run just about anything down, in any fashion, and he still comes away looking like he doesn't even break a sweat. Just. Wow. Let's see how he comes back from this.

Weeding out the competition ...

It's getting more and more difficult to weed through the names, as it does every year. Overwhelming, really.

Looking at the list of 401 Triple Crown nominees alone will make you cross-eyed!

If you pay attention to the first Future Wager, Old Fashioned and Capt. Candyman Can (right) are both co-favorites right now at 10-1. But a closer look and you'll see that the REAL favorite is every other three-year-old that didn't make the cut, at 5-2. Just one more sign that we're way too early in the game to be picking sides.

One thing is for certain, however. We will know a little more after this holiday weekend is over. More specifically, we will know more by the time Monday evening rolls around.

I think it is safe to say that I won't be the only one paying close attention to how Old Fashioned runs in the Southwest on Monday! If he wins, no matter how he does it ... I'm gonna have a hard time bumping him off the top of my list for anyone!

She did it!

OK, I'll admit it. I got a little nervous. She got boxed in. She moved a little earlier than she normally does. But she prevailed! Boy did she ever! What an exciting race that was!!!! What a champion!



Let's see what she can do against the boys!

Stardom Bound + Big Brown = Champion!

Well they aren't wasting ANY time!

Stardom Bound is already booked to Big Brown following her retirement!

No matter what the rest of her career looks like, I have a feeling that foal is going to have very high expectations.

You can bet I'll be keeping an eye out for him/her in a few years!!

Just imagine what the potential will be!

Old Fashioned BULLET!

Just skimming through this article on Patena, I learn that "at Oaklawn Park Thursday, Old Fashioned, who arrived at Hot Springs recently, turned in a bullet half-mile breeze in :48 2/5, the fastest of six works at the distance."

WOW! That's one heck of a breeze!

What I wouldn't give to see video of that!

In and out ...

Well, Saratoga Sinner is out of the Triple Crown bid. So much for that amazing performance in the Holy Bull. He looked promising too, but there are plenty of others to consider ... as always. Hopefully he'll heal up OK and they won't push him too hard. I know all too well, from very personal experience, what chipped knees can mean for thoroughbreds.

Seems even Square Eddie is facing some setbacks, which bums me out a bit because his last work was a nice one. Since horses don't have "shins" I'm assuming they're referring to either a digital extensor tendon injury or something more serious with the cannon bone (though I hope not). They could also be referring to his tibia, but less likely. Not a huge thing to miss 30 days this early in the season if that's all they're planning on and it's just a sprain or swelling of some sort. He could still rebound, but it definitely hurts his career and his development - physical and mental - toward preparing him for any chance at the Derby. Then again, look at what Big Brown did last year. Won't count Eddie out just yet. Still, it's not a good sign.

Finally some news on Midshipman (and Vineyard Haven) from Dubai. They are doing well and getting ready for their three-year-old debuts. I'm hoping the one they are planning to send back to the US is Midshipman, personally I think he is the most promising but I'm only basing that on his performance in the BC Juvenile. Since we haven't seen anything from either horse since they've been shipped overseas it's hard to judge, so clearly they know better what they are working with.

It's sounding more and more as though they might just be thinking about pointing Stardom Bound towards the Derby instead of the Oaks. And I quote ... "Her new connections have said they could tangle with males in the Santa Anita Derby (gr. I) this spring." So we might see a filly running with the boys this year again after all! Should definitely be exciting to see what she does on Saturday in the Las Virgenes!

Also looking forward to Pioneerof the Nile (right) making his three-year-old debut this Saturday in the Robert B. Lewis Stakes. Just one more to keep an eye on. There will be a few good horses in that race ... I Want Revenge, Brother Keith, Bittel Road, etc. ... so it should be fascinating to see who comes out on top.

The Risen Star should be another good race on Saturday. Lots of good horses there, or else a lot of equal quality horses. We'll find out. Friesan Fire, Indygo Mountain, Giant Oak, Uno Mass, Flying Pegasus. Take your pick.

They are already making Old Fashioned the early favorite for the Derby, which I hate since right now he's the one I'm focused on. I typically avoid the favorites, but then again the past few years have usually seen several co-favorites so we'll see. Plus Big Brown, Street Sense and Barbaro all were early favorites at one point or another ... and I typically stuck with them right along even after their support wavered. Eh, it's worked out for me so far. Looking forward to his Feb. 16th debut, and wondering if we'll hear anything about the breeze he was supposed to have this morning or not.

The list is going to get VERY long, as it does every year around this time, but hopefully by late March or early April it will start to thin out as the best horses rise to the top. ;)

More girl power?

The more I watch Stardom Bound, the more I wonder whether or not they will point her toward the Derby or the Oaks.

Just look at this flawless workout she had yesterday:



She is maturing beautifully. She has a fantastic closing style, just like Zenyatta. She was brilliant in the BC Juvenile Fillies and just as spectacular in the Oak Leaf. Never out of the money (never worse than 2nd)!

Granted. She'd have to get the perfect trip in order to take the Derby ...

Then again, considering so many of the top three-year-olds seem to be front runners, she might be able to just sit at the back of the pack all by herself and wait for the huge wall to just break down in front of her!

It's been 21 years since a filly has taken the Derby (RIP my beloved Winning Colors). We almost saw it last year, but witnessed tragedy instead with Eight Belles collapsing after her impressive second place finish. Of course we had Rags to Riches winning the Belmont in 2007, not sure anything can ever top that brilliant moment - especially considering she beat the "almighty" Curlin in that thrilling stretch duel! Zenyatta was, and is, a pleasure to watch - but sadly she missed out on the fame of the Triple Crown races.

Who knows. Maybe Stardom Bound can get the job done. What would be really something is if a filly could go ALL the way. Whether she heads to the Oaks or hits the Triple Crown trail, one thing is for sure. The greys are looking mighty strong this year!!

Looking forward to her three-year-old debut this Saturday! Let's see what this girl can do!