How many legitimate Derby-worthy performances yesterday (2/20)?
 

I'll go first:

One, Eskendereya.

I wouldn't give two cents for any horse I've seen at FG in the Derby. Maybe one will ship in for the Louisiana Derby.

Conveyance has no shot with that running style, and I doubt he is fast enough anyway. I'd take Dublin before him--and I don't particularly like Dublin.

D'Funnybone should do what he does best, which is very, very likely not 1.25 miles.

We can give Buddy's Saint a mulligan given what happened--he gets the Daniel Simpson Day "incomplete" award.

I agree with everything you posted.
Eskendereya was impressive and I guess he'll run and win the Florida Derby.

I would not give up on Dublin as he has talent. I heard he had breathing problems last year and Lucas said they took care of that. He closed well and could build off that race. He has the graded stakes earning so you know he'll be in the Derby.

We're still a long way from the Derby. Preakness, and Belmont. Eskendereya showed he is legit in the FOY, I would have been happier if it happened in the BC Juvy.

The next few month will be interesting leading in to the Triple Crown. I'm hoping to be at Belmont Park with a Triple Crown on the line.

"[I would not give up on Dublin as he has talent. I heard he had breathing problems last year and Lucas said they took care of that. He closed well and could build off that race. He has the graded stakes earning so you know he'll be in the Derby."

He has 4 Kentucky Derby winners, and still has more Breeders Cup wins than any other trainer. He took the Jack Van Berg model and ran with it. He's the trainer that created the whole "super trainer" picture that we see today, and he spawned the likes of Todd Pletcher.....and quite a few others.

Why is it that people can't spell his name correctly? It's a totally meaningless issue, but it still makes me crazy. I see it all over the place and it just drives me nuts.

His name is D Wayne Lukas folks....that's Lukas with a "K". Like him or not, he's more than earned the right to have his name spelled correctly.

and todd pleacher hasnt done much in the derby..

Gotta have them ready in May, not March

I think we saw some very mediocre racing yesterday. I hated Eskendereya, but its hard to bash one that wins by a football field. Albeit against bad horses, and a track that is very unfair. I would give Buddy a second chance eventhough hes a plodder.

SW None of those horses want anything to do with a mile and a quarter.

Risenstar. Slow race. I like Tempted to Tapit and Drosselmeyer because they stayed on. I think Drosselmeyer had some trouble, and I think TT will get a lot out of that race. I cannot knock the loose running leader because he won, but I would take the two behind him to run on with

Its far too early to hang your hat on anything, but it certainly brings Rule, Charliebrown, and the Albertrani into the equation. Along with all the Cali horses who haven't been off the shithetic.

Fair enough on them, as IWR showed last year.

Yeah but Iwantrevenge ran out of his skin both times he ran on the dirt. He was bred for the dirt. Lucky I have major reservations about, and the lesser horses in Cali are the ones Im interested in at this point.

I would pack up Buddy's Saint and head back to NY. He should catch an easy field in the Gotham.

Thats probably exactly what he will do. He said the horse would tell him. I think he told him yesterday

Anyword on 85ina50?

He is currently being pointed to the Rolex Three Day Event in KY.

They all will jump..Voss?

The wildcard horse is the cheap atkinson mount that is undefeated in Cal but has faced the socalled 2nd tier colts outhere. The conections have assured that he will keep the mount. Will they stay in cal and face Bafferts 1st string or take a IWR route and try DIRT? Cant fault the results so far. Is this colt the big story this year or will he fizzle out?

Bruce Levine was considering the Florida Derby for Buddy's Saint....wonder if that is still in consideration

Caracortado has done everything pretty easy. Dam side has a lot of stamina.

The locals looked bad yesterday. I imagine the planes will be packed coming from south Florida and soCal for the La Derby, NO Hcp, and Muniz.

From the 'Not so legitmate Derby-worthy performances in late Feb' file ....

* War Emblem's Risen Star:




* Mine That Bird's Borderland Derby:




What do Mine That Bird and Street Sense have in common? Well, a whole hell of a lot actually ... but .... most dear to my heart ... both of them finished behind Awesome Gem in the Breeders Cup Classic. Awesome Gem! BWAHAHAHAHA!

When and where is Super Saver supposed to return? I know he worked today.

Gotham or Rebel.

Thanks for the quick answer!

My pleasure. Had the Reverend on the other day and it came up.

And thanks for changing your avatar... after nearly 4 years. Our neighbors growing up in Manchester (CT), the MacDonalds, owned a Mister Donut. All the kids in the family (2 girls and a boy) worked in the shop on weekends and smelled like donuts at the bus stop on Mondays. It's an enduring childhood memory.

Mister Donut was much better than their competitor, Dunkin Donuts. The wrong company survived.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mister_Donut

(Ashamed to have doughnut expertise!)

i agree, they probably don't even care he lost. the horse is not fully cranked and had trouble. when i saw him up here last year the horse stuck out compared to the others his age, hes a beast. like someone else said , you want them running in may and this horse didn't need to win yet but he ran a credible closing race.

In addition to the already mentioned Super Saver, CA hotshots Sidney's Candy and Tiz Chrome have been mentioned for that race.

Might actually have a shot at Grade 2 status next year if any of these go on to bigger and better.

Not that it really matters in the current graded earnings structure since a dollar in a G1 equals a dollar in a G3 for the Derby, but wasn't the Gotham a G2 a while back?

Yes. It kind of took a turn for the worst in the mid-90s. The 2000 edition that featured Red Bullet and Aptitude has been the most recently potent Gotham as far as the classics go.

If Mine That Bird can win the Derby off of being 4th at Sunland, there are a lot of horses that can still contend

I loved Dublin's race, ran great off the layoff in a race that was not suited for him. That Mile distance at Oaklawn is very tough to close into and win because of the very short stretch with the 1/16 pole finish line. Very excited to see him next in the Ark Derby.

There is an article on DRF where they are thinking the Wood or FL Derby for Buddy's Saint....can't write this horse off yet after that terrible trip he had off the layoff.

I thought the 2006 Gotham with Like Now, Keyed Entry, and Sweetnorthernsaint was clearly the most impactful version of that race in so far as classic races go.

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