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Originally Posted by To_Close_to_call
Thanks for entertaining a new guys question!
If it were not for the fact that Atoned is running only two weeks before the derby he would be in there also but I think he is being pushed to hard to make the field. To bad they wouldnt just same him up for the Preakness!
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Since you are a new guy, I can understand why you think this. But not that many years ago, two weeks out was a typical time for the last prep. Many horses prepped even later - the Bluegrass S was 10 days out and the Derby Trial really was a trial for the Derby, first on the Tuesday 4 days out, then on the previous Saturday, 7 days out. You go far enough back and the Derby and Preakness were on consecutive Saturdays.
Overseas, trainers still race their charges this way; the last qualifying race for the Melbourne Cup is on the Saturday before the Cup on the First Tuesday in November. Horses not infrequently run twice during the 5 days of Royal Ascot and run well - Baddam won both the big long distance handicaps (2.5 miles and 2.75 miles) a couple of years back. Just today, I saw a mare win a 2-mile hurdle race pulling away, after she won a similar race for mares only YESTERDAY.