"Runnin'Mother": A Preakness Review

“That is a runnin' mother.” Calvin Borel in the jockeys' room after the Preakness.

That pretty much sums up the Preakness. Rachel Alexandra outran the speed and held off the closers in an impressive performance. It was all the more impressive when Calvin Borel stated after the race that Rachel Alexandra had difficulty handling the track and we hadn't seen her best effort in the race. I thought the most interesting part of the race was watching Rachel Alexandra in the lead down the backstretch. If you can find a replay watch her ears. She's running with her ears pricked, but she has one ear swiveling around to track Big Drama to her inside while the other ear is tracking Friesan Fire to her outside. She knew exactly where her competition was and she wasn't about to let them go by. Too bad we won't get to see a repeat performance in the Belmont next week. Her connections announced Friday that she will skip that race in favor of some R & R. She's also taking advantage of the downtime to pose for a photo spread to run in the August issue of Vogue. I'm not sure what a Vogue photo shoot of a horse will entail – artfully draped saddle towels? Provocative poses involving leather bridles and hay bales? The mind boggles.

Meanwhile Preakness runner up Mine That Bird continues to prepare for the Belmont. Rachel's vacation did allow Calvin Borel the opportunity to get back on his Derby winner. Mike Smith already had a commitment to ride a horse in a California stakes race on Belmont day. He also rides the fabulous race mare, Zenyatta, for the same connections, so he's not about to screw up that arrangement even to ride a Derby winner in the Belmont. Now we have the unlikely prospect of a jockey going for a Triple Crown by riding two different horses. It's been that kind of year.

Some other familiar faces will return for the Belmont - Dunkirk, Summer Bird, Chocolate Candy, and Mr. Hot Stuff from the Derby, and maybe Flying Private as well. Meanwhile Nick Zito has a couple more under the radar horses stashed up at his training facility in Saratoga. So hang on folks we're not done with the drama yet.

In the 13ARFTCHC several people had the Preakness exacta and have overtaken Joey to form a lead pack. There's another pack bunched closely behind. You can find your results in the chart below.

I'll be back later this week with the entries and post positions for the Belmont Stakes. Until then May the horse be with you.

~The Annoyed Handicapper

The Annoyed One on The Preakness

"The Derby is a race of aristocratic sleekness, for horses of birth to prove their worth to run in the Preakness."
– Ogden Nash

Yes, it’s time for our yearly snippet of Ogden Nash verse and our visit to “Old Hilltop”, Pimlico Racecourse. Enjoy it while you can, folks. Magna Entertainment, the owner of Pimlico and several other racetracks is in bankruptcy proceedings and there are rumors the tracks will be sold and the Preakness may have to move. If this is the end of an era we’re certainly going out with a bang. We have the 50-1 Derby winner returning to prove that race was no fluke, but he’s going to have to do it without his Derby rider who has ditched him for a filly. We have the aforementioned filly who was the star of Derby weekend after winning the Kentucky Oaks by over 20 lengths. We have six other Derby horses, including the well-beaten favorite, looking to avenge their loss. And we have the usual new faces looking to make an impression.

I've listed the entries and the usual factoids and unsubstantiated opinions about each of the horses below. Remember the race at Pimlico is 1 3/16 miles long – slightly shorter than the Derby. While Pimlico is often thought to favor early speed horses, closers often do well in the Preakness too. The weather forecast currently calls for a chance of an isolated thunderstorm with highs near 80­° F.

Big Drama – He last raced 7 weeks ago when he won the Swale Stakes in a new track record, unfortunately he was DQ’d to 2^nd for bumping in the stretch. He’s never raced further than 1 1/16 miles and his pedigree might be a bit light in stamina in the closest generations. He’s only raced once this year due to an injury he sustained back in January. He’ll be racing without blinkers for the first time. He should be one of the pacesetters in the race.

Mine That Bird – He appears to have come out of his Derby win in good shape. He had a very nice workout at Churchill Downs on Monday and then got another van ride to get to Pimlico. Observers say he’s been looking really fit this week. Trainer Chip Wooley thinks that they have now found Mine That Bird’s preferred running style as a come from behind horse. Of course Calvin Borel, the jockey who piloted that brilliant come from behind trip in the Derby has dumped his Derby winner for the filly. Now admittedly he’s really just honoring the commitment he made earlier in the year to ride Rachel Alexandra in all her races, but this Derby winner-jilting sure does make for some interesting headlines. Mike Smith picks up the mount.

Musket Man – He’s been training at Monmouth Park in New Jersey since his 3^rd place finish in the Derby and he put in a bullet work there on Tuesday. He’ll be vanning to Pimlico on Saturday morning. Jockey Eibar Coa was also the regular rider for Big Drama, but decided to stick with Musket Man for the Preakness. Coa will probably try to repeat his Derby ride where he sat about midpack behind the leaders.

Luv Gov – He’s named after Eliott Spitzer, former governor of NY, who resigned after it was revealed that he was a customer of a prostitution ring. Luv Gov is trained by D. Wayne “I’ve won 5 Preaknesses and don’t you forget it” Lukas. The horse has raced 10 times, but just won for the first time in his last race. He’s never run in a stakes race and he’s never raced farther than 1 1/16 miles. His win did come on a sloppy track on the Derby Day undercard, so maybe D. Wayne is arranging for a convenient downpour as the horses come on the track Saturday. The pedigree does have plenty of stamina.

Friesan Fire – He finished 18^th in the Derby as the favorite, but he had a pretty bumpy run, stepping on his own foot and sustaining several cuts on his legs. The cuts have healed though and he posted a very sharp workout at Pimlico on Tuesday. While his pedigree has quite a bit of stamina he’s never actually won at any distance longer than 1 1/16 miles. This will be his 2^nd race back off a 7 week layoff which often means a good showing from a horse.

Terrain – Appropriately enough given his name, he’s a very well traveled horse. He’s run 8 times at 7 different tracks. He won 3 times last year, but has spent the last several months running 3^rd or 4^th to horses like General Quarters, Big Drama, Friesan Fire, and Papa Clem. Julien Leparoux rode him in his last 2 races but decided to stick with General Quarters for the Preakness. Jeremy Rose picks up the mount on Terrain. They should be closing from the back of the pack at the end of the race. The pedigree is not chock full o’ stamina, but he ought to be able to get 1 3/16 miles reasonably well.

Papa Clem – He’s been taking it easy after his 4^th place finish in the Derby. He had a rather leisurely workout at Pimlico on Tuesday but he’ll have a 1/8 mile blowout on Friday to perk him up a bit. He should be stalking just off the pace just like he did in the Derby. Trainer Gary Stute’s father, Mel, won the Preakness in 1986 with Snow Chief. Gary would love to win the race with his father watching on Saturday.

General Quarters – He came out of the Derby in great shape so owner/trainer/groom Tom McCarthy decided to head for the Preakness. After a leisurely workout at Churchill Downs on Monday he was vanned to Pimlico. Thank goodness he did because we were running the risk of having no Polish horses in the race. His speed figures have been indicating he’s on a good race – not so good race pattern and he’s due for the good race this time. Jockey Julien Leparoux is sticking with him over Terrain. Look for them to try to stay fairly close to the leaders.

Pioneerof the Nile – He finished a gritty 2^nd in the Derby after looking like he was home free at the top of the stretch. On Monday he had a very sharp workout at Churchill Downs then shipped into Pimlico. He still hasn’t raced on a dry dirt track. He’ll probably be stalking the leaders like he did in the Derby. His owner, Ahmed Zayat, along with the owner of Mine That Bird were the folks who floated the idea of entering extra horses in the race to fill out the field and exclude Rachel Alexandra. After receiving a great deal of criticism they both reconsidered.

Flying Private – Can he go from last place in the Derby to first place in the Preakness? Trainer D. Wayne “I’ve won 5 Preaknesses and don’t you forget it” Lukas seems to think it’s possible. Flying Private had a nice workout at Churchill Downs on Monday and then shipped to Pimlico. His best race was 3 back when he ran 2^nd to Hold Me Back on fake dirt. He’s actually only won 1 race in his career. His pedigree might be a little light on stamina up close, but he is a Polish horse.

Take the Points – His last race was 6 weeks ago when he ran 4^th in the Santa Anita Derby behind Pioneerof the Nile and Chocolate Candy. He’s been training well at Belmont Park for the last couple of weeks. Trainer Todd Pletcher thought about running in the Derby but decided to wait for this race instead. The pedigree has some stamina but it’s mostly 3 – 4 generations back. His dam’s name was Ginger Ginger. Former Maryland Riding God, Edgar Prado, has the mount. Look for them to be stalking the pace.

Tone It Down – There’s always a local horse. He ran 3^rd in the Frederico Tesio Stakes at Pimlico 2 weeks ago in his first stakes race. Former Maryland Riding God, Kent Desormeaux picks up the mount after the connections dumped Current Maryland Riding Demi-God, Mario Pino. Kent will be going for back to back Preakness wins. He’ll probably try to be on or near the lead with Tone It Down, but they’ll have to break sharply and get it going quickly to keep ahead of Rachel Alexandra just to their outside. His pedigree indicates he should get the distance ok.

Rachel Alexandra – She was the runaway winner of the KY Oaks two weeks ago without being asked to run by Calvin Borel. Some people think she didn’t have much competition in the race, but she beat the ones that were there by over 20 lengths. Since the Oaks she has been sold to Jess Jackson (Kendall-Jackson winery, owner of Preakness winner, Curlin) for an undisclosed amount and been transferred to a new barn with a new trainer, new groom, etc. Now she’ll be running against the boys for the first time at a longer distance than she’s raced before. That’s a lot of new stuff to deal with, but she doesn’t seem to be a horse who rattles easily. In the crowded paddock at Churchill Downs she stood quietly on Oaks day while a little girl patted her on the nose. She’s a big filly with stamina in the pedigree and a great deal of tactical speed. It will be interesting to see if Calvin tries to get her a rail trip from the far outside post position.

There’s the field. It’s the usual assortment of short-priced horses and long shots. In the 13ARFTCHC Joey has broken alertly to take the lead with the rest of us tightly bunched behind him as we head into the Clubhouse turn. Who will make a move to catch him? Send me your three picks by post time on Saturday (approx. 6:14 pm), and we’ll see. We’ll also find out if we‘ll have a Triple Crown prospect to look forward to, or maybe find out the girl’s all that. Or just maybe we’ll get another 50-1 shot to come in. Hey, the new Star Trek movie is really good so it appears long shots are paying off all over the place this month!

My picks will be:

Pioneerof the Nile – I always dance with the one what brung me.

Friesan Fire – ditto

Rachel Alexandra – I love her for her mind.

May the horse be with you.

And also with you.
Lift up your bridle.

We lift them up to the jockey.

Let us shower tokens upon the jockey, our commander in the field.

It is right to give him thanks and painted daisies.

~The Annoyed Handicapper

I remember the night I danced with Shamans.

Here We Go

Submitted for your approval...the field.



The field has been blown apart this week with Rachel Alexandra joining the men. For a while, the boys fought the movement to include the filly, but their misgivings gradually seeped away.

Saturday, Rachel Alexandra will be able to run freely- unencumbered, liberated, relieved.

Will she leave the boys in a heaping pile in the paddock stalls?


Seriously, I can't see any horse touching the filly. If she can bounce back after the Kentucky Oaks, she should dominate. Of the others, Pioneerof the Nile has shown true consistency. Musket Man is always in the mix as is Papa Clem. Friesan Fire had a perplexing trip in the Derby. I have to seriously question bringing him to this race considering how badly he was abused in his last.

Big Drama has always had potential, but little to show. General Quarters has been inconsistent. Terrain has shown promise.

The rest? Not so much.

Relax. Dump your work load.

Go for it. It's all good.

Preakness Picks

Here’s my look at the Preakness field. I’ve taken a line from The Annoyed Handicapper and carefully crafted my own original thoughts. All odds are morning line odds from Friday, but I believe the odds on Big Brown are now something like 3-10.

Macho Again (20-1) – Won the Derby Trial three weeks ago and earned a nice speed figure.

This is an intriguing long shot. His performance in the Derby Trial was …nice. (I have a hard time writing that word without thinking of one of my favorite South Park scenes… I know it doesn’t really fit the situation, but it is …nice.)

Tres Borrachos (30-1) - He ran 3^rd behind Gayego in the Arkansas Derby five weeks ago.

I watched that race and was not impressed.

Icabad Crane (30-1) – He’s the only horse in the race who has run at Pimlico. He won the traditional Preakness prep race, the Tesio Stakes, 4 weeks ago after prevailing in a tough stretch duel.

Home course merits consideration. But there is too much to overcome.

Yankee Bravo (15-1) In his last race he was 4^th behind Colonel John in the Santa Anita Derby. Before that he was 3^rd behind Pyro in the LA Derby.

This horse has been disappointing me all year. I fully expected a better effort in the Santa Anita, but he didn’t deliver. He’s an all-American out of the money finisher.

Racecar Rhapsody (30-1)–He’s finished 4^th in his last 3 races behind Z Humor, Adriano, and Behindatthebar among others.

He finished far behind horses that finished far behind Big Brown.

Big Brown (1-2) – The Derby winner has been taking it easy at Churchill Downs – jogging, an occasional gallop, nothing too strenuous.

Beyond Chalk. Big Brown won me over in the Derby. With only four races under his belt, he’s proven to be a true force against a weak class.

Kentucky Bear (15-1) –. Last out, Kentucky Bear finished 3^rd in the Blue Grass Stakes behind Monba after going 9 wide into the stretch.

The Blue Grass was perhaps the most bizarre race of the year. Watch the move by Stevil in the stretch. He just came up empty. KB was strong but couldn’t match the two horses that lost to Big Brown in the Derby.

Stevil (30-1) –In his last race he was 4^th in the Blue Grass Stakes behind Monba and Kentucky Bear after a troubled trip.

Watch the move by Stevil in the stretch. He just came up empty. Heard that before? I’m wondering if Stevil gets a clear trip if he can be more of a factor. That being said. The Bluegrass was 1 1/8. The Preakness is slightly longer (1 3/16). Stevil gave everything he had at 1 mile and had nothing more. How much did the bad trip take out of him?

Riley Tucker (30-1) - He does have improving speed figures and finished a nice 3^rd behind Behindatthebar in the Lexington Stakes last out.

If he had a Z in his name it would be Zero Factor.

Giant Moon (30-1) – He ran a game 4^th behind Tale of Ekati in the Wood Memorial after pressing the pace. That was 7 weeks ago and he has been training well at Belmont Park since then, including a bullet work on Tuesday.

I want to like this horse. He ran a very strong 4^th in the Wood. That was another unusual race…fast, with a rabbit pushing War Pass to speedy fractions. Tale of Ekati came on to nip him at the wire. Court Vision just got a head in front of Giant Moon at the line as well. This is a sleeper horse.

Gayego (8-1) –They wanted to give him some recovery time after his 17^th place Derby finish in which he shied away from the crowd going past the stands the first time and ended up running over top of several other horses.

I didn’t think he was that impressive in the Arkansas Derby and he proved that by slinking in in 17^th place in the Derby. He did have an outside post, but so did Big Brown. I just don’t see him suddenly become better than he’s shown.

Hey Byrn (20-1) – He won the Holy Bull Stakes at the Preakness distance of 1 3/16 miles in his last start.

No respect. Nobody respects this horse. He was a favorite in the Florida Derby, but was bombed by Big brown losing by over 17 lengths. He looked excellent, however, in his last race, The Holy Bull (Now raced on the undercard on Arkansas Derby day at Oaklawn). Can he recapture his early unproven praise?

So here’s my projected order of finish:

1. Big Brown

2. Giant Moon

3. Kentucky Bear

4. Hey Byrn

5. Stevil

6. Gayego

7. Macho Again

8. The rest

Like others, I reserve the right to change my picks right up until post.

~Newt

Late Scratch

Behindatthebar has scratched from the Preakness tomorrow due to a bruised foot. Todd will need to go take in an Oriole game.

If you picked this horse in our little contest, you'll need to email the Annoyed One with a new pick.

Preakness Field

Greetings all,

It’s Preakness time again, but this year’s field seems a bit different than usual. You know how I usually include in this write up the Ogden Nash quote, "The Derby is a race of aristocratic sleekness, for horses of birth to prove their worth to run in the Preakness?" Well, apparently the vast majority of the Derby field didn't get the memo about continuing on to the Preakness. The Preakness race field consists of two Derby horses and 11 new faces. More and more the Triple Crown Trail seems like those years where the Saturday Night Live cast has one talented comic and the rest of the cast are just taking up space. Yeah, I think we may be looking at Big Brown and the Not Ready for Prime Time Players this year. Of course that doesn't guarantee Big Brown will win. Just think about last year. How was Street Sense going to lose? Then Curlin came along to nip him at the wire. In 2000 Fusaichi Pegasus was the surest Triple Crown lock there had ever been. He lost to Red Bullet in the Preakness. Even when you know, you never know.

I've listed the entries and the usual factoids and unsubstantiated opinions about each of the horses below. Remember the race at Pimlico Racecourse in Baltimore is 1 3/16 miles long – slightly shorter than the Derby. While Pimlico is often thought to favor early speed horses, closers often do well in the Preakness too. Weather forecasts are calling for rain showers on Friday, but clearing skies and wind on Saturday. The track should be fast by Preakness post time of 6:15 PM.

Saturday's Preakness Stakes Entries & Post Positions

[Click on chart for larger image]

Macho Again – Won the Derby Trial three weeks ago and earned a nice speed figure. In his only start longer than a mile he ran 7^th behind Adriano in the Lane’s End on the fake dirt at Turfway Park. His connections didn't actually decide to run in the Preakness until this past Sunday. He might like a little moisture in the track since his fastest workout came on a muddy track. His preferred running style is to stalk the pace. Trainer Dallas Stewart was an assistant to D. Wayne Lukas during many of Wayne’s 5 Preakness victories. French ex patriot jockey Julien Leparoux has the mount.

Tres Borrachos - His name is Spanish for “three drunks.” He’s winless in 3 starts this year, and has a total of 1 lifetime win. He does have steadily improving, if somewhat unspectacular, speed figures in his last few races. He ran 3^rd behind Gayego in the Arkansas Derby five weeks ago. Since that race he’s had some nice workouts at Churchill Downs. He should be one of the frontrunners in the race. He’s a Polish horse and has some nice stamina sources, including Triple Crown winner, Affirmed, in his pedigree.

Icabad Crane – He’s the only horse in the race who has run at Pimlico. He won the traditional Preakness prep race, the Tesio Stakes, 4 weeks ago after prevailing in a tough stretch duel. His speed figures do show an up and down pattern and it looks like we’re due for a downer this time. He is stabled at the Fair Hill Training Center in MD which is about an hour’s drive from Pimlico. Trainer Graham Motion will van the horse over to the track on Saturday morning. He’s a closer, so look for him to put in a big run from the back of the pack. He’s also won on a muddy track.

Yankee Bravo – In his last race he was 4^th behind Colonel John in the Santa Anita Derby. Before that he was 3^rd behind Pyro in the LA Derby. He’s been stabled in California all spring and shipped into Pimlico on Wednesday. He’s had some nice workouts lately, particularly his last one which was a nice long 7 furlong work in a good time. He’s another closer and does seem to possess a pretty decent closing kick. He actually began his career in England last year before he was bought by his current owners.

Behindatthebar – He won the Lexington Stakes on Keeneland’s fake dirt 4 weeks ago with a good closing move. He could have run in the Derby, but his connections felt that the Derby would have given him too many races in too short a time, so they waited for the Preakness. He’s only raced on real dirt once and he finished 5^th behind Tres Borrachos among others. He’s been training on real dirt at Belmont Park lately and doing well. The pedigree is a little on the speedy side, but there’s some stamina on his mom’s side. Todd Pletcher only has one horse in the race instead of his usual 4 or 5, so I’ll be curious to see how he passes the time in the saddling area – crossword puzzles, Sudoku, video games on his cellphone?

Racecar Rhapsody – He’s another one of the entrants who is winless this year and possesses only one lifetime win. He’s finished 4^th in his last 3 races behind Z Humor, Adriano, and Behindatthebar among others. He does have some nice workouts at Churchill Downs since his last race. He’s one who might really like a muddy track. Jockey Robbie Albarado won last year on Curlin. Owner Jerry Carroll also owns the Kentucky Speedway and includes a checkered flag motif in his racing silks.

Big Brown – The Derby winner has been taking it easy at Churchill Downs – jogging, an occasional gallop, nothing too strenuous. He arrived at Pimlico on Wednesday evening, Rick Dutrow plans to blow him out a couple of furlongs (a fast ¼ mile workout) on Saturday morning. That’s some old school training right there. He did blow him out 3 furlongs a couple of days before the Derby too. Some trainers say it opens up a horse’s lungs and gets them on their toes. Dutrow has managed to simultaneously say his horse is invincible against the rest of the nags in the race, and give him an excuse that he’s coming back after only two weeks rest and might bounce. Political spinmeisters got nothing on him. This will be a homecoming for Dutrow who grew up on the Maryland tracks working for his father, successful trainer Dick Dutrow. Kent Desormeaux is a former Maryland Riding God himself.

Kentucky Bear – Big Brown aside, connections of all the horses have made no bones about the fact they are basically running in the race for the second place money. Kentucky Bear’s trainer, Reade Baker, is a notable exception. I quote, “Let’s not put Big Brown in the Hall of Fame too soon,” Baker said. “He was the best of the horses in the Derby, and the filly gave him a heckuva run. He beat those horses, but it certainly doesn't make him better than anyone else (in the Preakness).” Strong words from the trainer of a horse with 1 win in 3 lifetime starts. Last out, Kentucky Bear finished 3^rd in the Blue Grass Stakes behind Monba after going 9 wide into the stretch. He does have the appearance of an improving horse though. He’s also been in residence at Pimlico longer than any of the other horses, having arrived almost 2 weeks ago. He’s gotten in a nice workout over a sloppy track while he’s been there, but his pedigree might be a little light on stamina.

Stevil – He’s another of the “winless this year and possesses only one lifetime win” brigade. In his last race he was 4^th in the Blue Grass Stakes behind Monba and Kentucky Bear after a troubled trip. “Shoeless” Nick Zito has kept him stabled at Churchill Downs and he’s had some decent workouts. John Velazquez will be his 5^th different jockey in 7 total starts. He might like mud. His name rhymes with “weevil” which I think is a bit unfortunate as it conjures up visions of destructive pests and Virginia Tech AD Jim Weaver.

Riley Tucker - Ahmed Zayat left his “Z” horses at home for the Preakness and instead entered a horse named after trainer Bill Mott’s son. I’m not sure if that means anything other than the fact that at least I won’t keep mixing the horse up with a similarly named stablemate as I type this. OK, you can all say it with me this time, “he’s winless this year and possesses only one lifetime win.” He does have improving speed figures and finished a nice 3^rd behind Behindatthebar in the Lexington Stakes last out. He appears to be willing to run up front or lay off the pace. He also might move up on a wet track. Former Maryland Riding God, Edgar Prado, will be inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame this summer.

Giant Moon – He ran a game 4^th behind Tale of Ekati in the Wood Memorial after pressing the pace. That was 7 weeks ago and he has been training well at Belmont Park since then, including a bullet work on Tuesday. His speed figures have been improving (if you throw out the really low fig he got running in the fog at Aqueduct where he finished 9^th in the Gotham behind Visionaire.) Trainer Richard Shosberg wasn’t happy with the outside post position. He’s worried his horse will have to run too fast too early to get position on the Clubhouse Turn. Jockey Ramon Dominguez is another Former Maryland Riding God and knows Pimlico well.

Gayego – His connections didn't decide to run until this past Tuesday. They wanted to give him some recovery time after his 17^th place Derby finish in which he shied away from the crowd going past the stands the first time and ended up running over top of several other horses. After that he pretty much lost interest in the whole process. Can’t say as I blame him, but he’s feeling good now and he gets another chance to validate his nice Arkansas Derby win. Look for him to try to get position near the front, but it will be difficult from his outside post position.

Hey Byrn – He won the Holy Bull Stakes at the Preakness distance of 1 3/16 miles in his last start. Before that he was a distant 4^th behind Big Brown in the Florida Derby after being bumped hard at the start. Trainer Eddie Plesa says Hey Byrn has tactical speed that he can use to get position going into the Clubhouse Turn. Hey Byrn made the 20 hour van ride from Calder Race Track in Miami on May 12. Originally he was going to run in the Ohio Derby, but owner Beatrice Oxenberg will celebrate her 87^th birthday on Friday with family in the Baltimore area and decided to combine that with watching her horse run on Saturday. Hey Byrn is named for her late husband, Bernie.

There’s the field – Big Brown and the Not Ready For Prime Time Players.

Don't forget to check the ARFTCHC blog. Thom will be posting his analysis, and I’ll post these field notes on it. You guys can post your comments and picks there for everyone to see too. You’ll find the blog at http://arftchc.blogspot.com/ .

In the 12ARFTCHC Jacqueline and Peter Andre have the lead on the rest of us who are bunched tightly as we head down the backstretch. Who will make a move to catch the leaders? Send me your three picks by post time on Saturday (approx. 6:15 pm), and we’ll see.

My picks will be:

Big Brown – well, duh …

Giant Moon – lacking any other inspiration I look to the heavens

Yankee Bravo – maybe he’ll improve on real dirt

I reserve the right to be shallow and change any of these picks if I see a pretty pony in the post parade.

May the horse be with you.

And also with you.

Lift up your bridle.

We lift them up to the jockey.

Let us shower tokens upon the jockey, our commander in the field.

It is right to give him thanks and painted daisies.

~The Annoyed Handicapper