Wasn't 2007 during the abortion of an experiment called synthetic tracks?

no think that started that fall.

Battalion Runner to Wood, One Liner to Arkansas Derby
Dave Grening

With Always Dreaming, winner of Saturday's Florida Derby, and Patch, runner-up in Saturday's Louisiana Derby having secured enough points to start in the Kentucky Derby for trainer Todd Pletcher, Battalion Runner will get his chance to do likewise in Saturday's Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct.

Pletcher confirmed that Battalion Runner, a winner of a maiden and an allowance at Gulfstream this winter, will make his stakes debut in the Wood. Johnny Velazquez will ride. On Sunday, Battalion Runner worked four furlongs in 49.23 seconds by himself over the main track at Palm Beach Downs. He got his last quarter in 24.23 seconds.

Also, Pletcher confirmed that One Liner, undefeated winner of the Grade 3 Southwest stakes at Oaklawn Park on Feb. 20, will return to Oaklawn for the Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby on April 15. Velazquez will ride him in that race.

Pletcher also will run Malagacy, undefeated winner of the Grade 2 Rebel, in the Arkansas Derby.

Tapwrit was to ship Sunday to Keeneland for Saturday's Blue Grass.

Patch was to return to Palm Beach Downs on Sunday and Pletcher will evaluate the horse and talk to owner Brad Kelley before a final decision is made on running in the Kentucky Derby.

Always Dreaming was scheduled to van back to Palm Beach Downs from Gulfstream later Sunday morning. He will be based at Palm Beach until after the Arkansas Derby is run. After that, it is likely Pletcher will consolidate all his 3-year-olds at Churchill Downs to prepare for the Derby.

More later on drf.com

McCraken will need to finish at least 3rd to be sure of having enough points to make the starting gate at CD. A fourth place finish would give him a total of 30 pts, which might be enough. But there are already 15 potential starters with that many points. And lots of horses in the 10-30 point range still have another prep to run.

Reach the World explodes Saturday and heads to Kentucky the horse to beat.

I wonder if anyone from the Blue Grass will bail and go for the easy 10 in the Lexington.

Who do you like in the Santa Anita Derby?

I guess I gotta ask what you like about him other than who trains him? I haven't seen anything special out of the horse so far.

I thought he had a rough trip last time. I know other dt posters felt similiar. This year is ripe for an up and comer. Its him or Battalion Runner.

I'm drawing a line through the Gotham and giving So Conflated another chance.

Battle of Midway and Reach the World are good horses but both are rush jobs that will likely be ruined if they press forward.

Want to give shout out to Mastery who according to the internet is recovering from his leg fracture. Very sad....What a impressive horse. I wish him well.

http://www.kentucky.com/sports/horse...139832168.html

Big field looming.........do you think they gun him to keep him out of trouble ?
I kind of like the Gary/Mary West Baffert runner a bit.

That's an interesting option. The 10 might be enough for Wild Shot who has 17 so far. The other horses (besides McCraken) already have enough points or have too few for 10 to likely help.

He needs to improve a ton to even be in the mix. Bob lost his derby shot when Mastery went down.

Im backing off that a bit. I think Irish Freedom is really live also.

I don't necessarily like the fact that he's in the Santa Anita Derby, but I was anticipating that colt's next start. He was clearly a short horse in the allowance, but I liked the acceleration he displayed with that middle move. Been working up a storm just as he did before his return.

For those that haven't been visiting XBTV, here's the Irish Freedom/West Coast drill that changed Baffert's mind about whom to run. This is a classic Baffert audible, running a horse that's doing well. West Coast just can't get to Irish Freedom, despite being waiting on mid-stretch..

http://www.xbtv.com/video/workout/we...april-2nd-2017

The whole West Coast thing seemed dubious from the get-go. He just broke his maiden in a 3-horse field. How that signifies Derby contender, I don't know. In fact, the horse that ran "3rd" in that race is dropping in for maiden claiming $30K tomorrow.

Re: West Coast rush job.. As Jim Cassidy famously said on air, "We call that an O.D., Owner Decision."

Iliad, an even 5th as the 3-1 Santa Anita Derby favorite, will look to start in the 5/20 @PreaknessStakes per @DougONeill1..