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. ;)

Nicanor not quite able to fill his brother's horseshoes.

Well, he had an excuse. A good excuse. But Nicanor didn't get the job done today. Not that I was expecting him to. Funny that he went off at even odds, though. Definitely getting the support from sentimental Barbaro fans who know nothing about horses or racing.

He finished 10th in a field of 12 in his debut. Apparently they are saying he grabbed his quarter (injuring himself) at the break, so Edgar (jockey) eased him back around the final turn and just let him finish without pushing him. Not sure I believe that because watching the race it seems like Edgar is still actively riding him ... but oh well. Either way, it wasn't meant to be. Hopefully he'll come back from the injury in good shape, but it will probably take some time for him to heal depending on how severely he broke through that quarter. They didn't really say. I'll be watching to see what they do with him next. The chart does list him as being bumped at the start, so I know they'll give him another shot if they can. He's probably off the Derby trail though, if nothing else because of the injury. Kinda sad for Matz, Prado and the Jacksons.

http://racing.bloodhorse.com/article/49033.htm



Maybe Lentenor, Barbaro's next little brother, will fare better. He seems to have a stronger build and he is maturing nicely from what little I've seen. Highly doubt any of them will match what Barbaro did, but we're going to end up watching them no matter what. The media and the fans can't help their fascination with the Barbaro family, and for good reason.

Warrior's Reward - a long shot at 30-1 - was quite impressive though, and I am thrilled for Calvin Borel! Who didn't fall in love with Calvin in 2007 when he was astride the Triple Crown trail with Street Sense? Kinda makes me hope he'll have another shot this year. He is probably the most underrated jockey in the business. His rail-riding style is always exciting to watch.















Albertus Maximus (above) was pretty impressive in the Donn Handicapp, and it will be exciting to see him travel to Dubai for the World Cup this year. He's looking fantastic; certainly has matured into a nice 5-year-old!

Saratoga Sinner (below) was quite an upset in the Holy Bull, but what a race that was! Was it a fluke? Dunno. Might have to keep an eye on that one. I was also impressed with Bear's Rocket who held strong under Kent Desormeaux to place after running pretty strong fractions and leading the race basically all the way from the gate to the 16th pole.















Still keeping my eye on Old Fashioned. Really looking forward to his next race. If he can continue to dominate, he is my early Derby pick. For sure. Been studying his two-year-old career and I've found that, even though he is a front-runner ... he can run with fast fractions or moderate. So I think he might have a shot. We'll have to see how the rest of the three-year-old crop develops ...

Imperial Council and Capt. Candyman Can are two more that have recently appeared as blips on my Derby radar. Gotta watch them as well. It's gonna be a busy season!