Earnings Picture entering Weekend Stakes..
 

4/10 (KEE): G1 Toyota Blue Grass ($750k)

1. $450k
2. $150k
3. $75k
4. $37.5k

1 Odysseus -- $180k. 4th improves position, 3rd+ assures Derby.
2 First Dude -- $22k. Needs to win to make Derby.
3 Stately Victor -- Needs win.
4 Make Music for Me -- $215k and 20th. Any money improves position. 3rd+ assures Derby.
5 Codoy -- Hubley says this is his Derby.
6 Pleasant Prince -- $162.5k. 3rd improves position. 2nd+ assures Derby.
7 Paddy O'Prado -- $101k. 2nd+ assures Derby.
8 Aikenite -- $218k and 19th. Any money improves position. 3rd+ locks up Derby berth.
9 Interactif -- $270k and 16th. Assured of Derby berth.



4/10 (OP): G1 Arkansas Derby ($1MM)

1. $600k
2. $200k
3. $100k
4. $50k

1 Super Saver -- $164k. 4th improves position, 3rd assured Derby.
2 Dublin -- Assured of Derby berth.
3 Noble's Promise -- Assured of Derby berth.
4 Northern Giant -- $127k. 3rd improves position, 2nd assures Derby.
5 Uh Oh Bango -- $188k and 21st. 4th improves, 3rd+ assures.
6 New Madrid -- Needs win.
7 Berberis -- Needs win.
8 Line of David -- Needs win.
9 Pulsion -- $80k. 2nd assures Derby.

Weird stuff can happen. If Interactif runs out, and we get some unexpected results in these two races, it's entirely possible Interactif would be bumped out.

I think a 3rd and 180k will get Pulsion in.

I considered that but a bunch of exacting results would have to fall in place for that to happen and $270k not be enough to get in...

It won't. (Without injuries and defections.)

Injuries and defections always happen. Always. I expect A Little Warm to be in the gate on Derby Day as well.

Didn't Flying Private make the Derby gate somehow last year? Blech.

The last horse in was Nowhere to Hide with $55k...

I opined that Odysseus wasn't safe yet with $180k after the TB Derby and that still looks to be the case if he falters on the poly.

Hindsight is what it is, but I don't get why they wouldn't have sent him to Oaklawn.

Regardless, at least we have a couple remotely interesting betting races this weekend in so far as Derby preps go. Who was the last horse to win the Derby coming off a Blue Grass score?

Blue Grass win or Blue Grass race?

Street Sense won 3 years ago..

Win. I'm aware of Street Sense's accomplishments.

Its been a while since the Derby winner won the Blue Grass. I sure cant think of one.

Strike the Gold

If you were a fan of Dave Johnson, this is vintage:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjzkgHT0euI

One of my favorite derby winners

19 years since a Blue Grass winner won the Derby. Why is it a GI race again?

Gosh... Look at that! 6 horses. They had 6 horse fields back then? That must have been the first time there was less than 12 in a stake ever. I thought every stake had full fields in the good old days...

Last prep on synthetic Derby runners:
(1st SAD) Pioneerof the Nile 2009 2nd by 6
(2nd SAD) Chocolate Candy 2009 5th by 13
(5th BG) Join in the Dance 2009 7th by 15
(1st BG) General Quarters 2009 10th by 17
(2nd BG) Hold Me Back 2009 12th by 20
(1st LEX) Advice 2009 13th by 21
(3rd SAD) Mr. Hot Stuff 2009 15th by 23
(1st SAD) Colonel John 2008 6th by 13
(10th BG) Pyro 2008 8th by 14
(2nd BG) Cowboy Cal 2008 9th by 15
(5th BG) Visionaire 2008 12th by 19
(9th BG) Cool Coal Man 2008 15th by 28
(2nd SAD) Bob Black Jack 2008 16th by 28
(11th KEE) Big Truck 2008 18th by 44
(1st LE) Adriano 2008 19th by 46
(1st BG) Monba 2008 20th by 54
(2nd KEE) Street Sense 2007 1st by 2
(1st LE) Hard Spun 2007 2nd by 2
(1st KEE) Dominican 2007 11th by 18
(3rd KEE) Zanjero 2007 12th by 18
(5th KEE) Great Hunter 2007 13th by 20
(4th KEE) Teuflesberg 2007 17th by 33

22-1-2-0 overall record

While the Blue Grass has marginalized itself plenty since the advent of Poly, winning a final Derby prep and then the Derby isn't exactly the criteria for Gr. I status.

Since 1990...

Blue Grass: 5 Derby winners
Street Sense (2nd)
Thunder Gulch (Unpl.)
Sea Hero (Unpl.)
Strike the Gold (WON)
Undridled (3rd)

Arkansas Derby: 3 Derby winners
Smarty Jones (WON)
Grindstone (2nd)
Lil E. Tee (2nd)

Wood Memorial: 4 Derby winners
Funny Cide (2nd)
Monarchos (2nd)
FuPeg (WON)
Go for Gin (2nd)

Santa Anita Derby: 4 winners
Giacomo (Unpl.)
Charismatic (Unpl.)
Real Quiet (2nd)
Silver Charm (2nd)

Florida Derby: 6 winners
Big Brown (WON)
Barbaro (WON)
Monarchos (WON)
Thunder Gulch (WON)
Go for Gin (Unpl.)
Strike the Gold (2nd)
Unbridled (WON)

Well, yeah, but that kind of wasn't my point. Between 1995 and now, the Blue Grass has basically been a meaningless race in so far as the Derby goes, though Bluegrass Cat and Street Sense both ran there.

The Florida Derby's placement on the calendar is so schizo, I'm not sure what one can take from the six winners they've produced since 1990. All of those horses save Big Brown and Barbaro ran another prep before the Derby, no?