Grapelli is on your grocery store shelves. Look in the olive oil section.

I thought Lucas had the record w/ 5 in 1986 (Grindstone's win). I dont know if Zito had 5, what year?

Zito had five in 2005.. Bellamy Road(7th), Andromeda's Hero (8th), Noble Causeway (14th), "the great" Sun King (15th), and High Fly (20th)

I think of all of his contenders, Ravel is the most interesting.

I'm not sure what to make of the way he is being brought into the Derby. It seems that Circular Quay would be the horse he'd be most likely to baby since he has a 2 year old foundation, yet he is choosing to bring Ravel into the Derby off 4 or 5 starts. So is there something wrong with Ravel or is Pletcher that confident in him?

I think he's a very fragile horse and Pletcher is just hoping to get him to the Derby in one piece by racing him sparingly.

I'm leaning toward 'something wrong' ... or at least he's likely very fragile.

I wonder how seriously he'll have to think about Rags to Riches at this point after the way she romped in the SA Oaks.

She looked ultra impressive. The HRTV host never bothered to ask Pletcher directly what the plans were after the race. I think she asked Michael Tabor and he was non-committal, but said she would stay on "a road towards the Triple Crown" or something like that. But it sounded like they were leaning towards no.

Can Denman get a new race call? I mean Durkin is creative.

this was on bloodhorse:

Pletcher was asked about running her in the Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I).

“Well, when we first started out, the plan was the Las Virgenes, the Santa Anita Oaks, and the Kentucky Oaks (May 4), but when you get a filly that’s bred like this, that obviously, the further they go, the better she’s supposed to get, it makes you think about other possibilities.

"She’s had a pretty easy race today, so I’d say it opens up the possibility of maybe trying something in between this and the Kentucky Oaks. We’d have to decide what that is. It maybe opens up the option of running her against colts between now and the Oaks. That (next race) might make a decision on whether or not she actually runs in the Oaks.”

"They'd have to sprout wings to catch her" ......is better than..."we have a new leader"..."is straight and strong in the Donn handicap" ( Vic Stauffer )

and Tabor:

She’ll probably stick with the girls, but at the end of the day, you never know," said co-owner Tabor. "But she is nominated to the Triple Crown.”




I'm thinking since he already has Circular Quay, he will want to keep Rags to Riches pointed to the Oaks... unless there's a hiccup in the plan.

Where though? Illinois? They already have Ravel in the Santa Anita Derby and Circular Quay in the Wood.

Good point. How does Pletcher keep this one from bumping heads with all his other 'derby trail' horses?.. especially Ravel and CQ.. and Scat Daddy... and Any Given Saturday... and OK.. that's enough.

I don't think he can really do much to avoid those since if Tabor wants to race her he can't stop him from racing her against other horses he trains with different owners. In the case of Ravel and Circular Quay though it is the same owner so he would want to keep them separate.

Right, I was just kidding around. The Illinois Derby does look like as good a place as any considering the timing of the race. If TP and Tabor want to keep her out west, they'll have no choice but to put her in the SA derby. Like you said, the Wood would mean racing against CQ. So, the next option is the next weekend in either the Blue Grass or Arkansas Derby.. I can't see them going in any race later than that.

She looked like a good thing today.

With the whole fresh horse theory I can't really see them running her on the 16th and having to wheel her back for the Derby in 3 weeks or the Oaks on a day less than that.

Good for the sport or good for the trainer?

I'll still be floored, as someone indicated earlier, if he has 6 go in the gate Derby Day. Several weeks to go yet.