Friday, March 30, 2007

Like Sands Through the Hourglass

Another week has passed and the horse racing is intensifying. Many excellent races will be held this weekend in vastly different parts of the world. In our little contest, my Benden Weyr stable still clings to a thin lead in our contest.

1 111 Benden Weyr Thomas
Roanoke
2 107 Apache_Rose_Peacock Andrew
Fairfax
3 100 Clifton Pond Stable Rebecca
Lexington
4 99 Antilles Stable Elizabeth
Roanoke
5 93 SCHANUCI John R
Salem
6 66 Hard Spun John W Middleburg
7 25 Lucky Farm Amy

Durham

3/31 Florida Derby I Gulfstream $1,000,000 1 1/8m USA
3/31 Aventura
Gulfstream $175,000 7f HRTV
3/31 UAE Derby II Nad al Sheba $2,000,000 1 1/8m ABC

3
18:15
UAE DERBY SPONSORED BY S & M AL NABOODAH GROUP
1800M(a9F) Dirt


For NH & SH bred 3YO Weight: NH bred 3YO 55kg. SH bred 3YO 59kg

Rail Position: True Safety Limit: 16
Total Purse: 2,000,000 USD
Group 2
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
1,200,000
400,000
200,000
100,000
60,000
40,000
HR
HORSE
WGT
OWNER
TRAINER

Asiatic Boy (ARG) M de Kock

Eu Tambem (BRZ) S bin Suroor

Joe Louis (ARG) I Jory

Greetings (BRZ) P Nickel Filho

Bartola (ARG) J C Maldotti

Day Pass (USA) S bin Suroor

Traffic Guard (USA) J Moore

Jack Junior (USA) B Meehan

Rallying Cry (USA) S bin Suroor

Monzante (USA) R Charlton

Adil (KSA) J Gardel

Seal Point (USA) C Wroe

Victory Tetsuni (USA) H Mori

Folk (USA) S bin Suroor

In the Florida Derby Saturday, there will be a clash. The battle lines will be drawn and several horses should be positioning for a propelling win. Adore the Gold, Scat Daddy, Stormello, and Notional have the best shot to win. Of those, I think we're looking at either Stormello or Adore the Gold. The latter put in a bullet 5f workout (1/25) at Gulfstream 57. 3. Stormello also had an impressive bullet workout Hollywood Park (1/67) with a 5f time of 58.1. My sentimental favorite is Chelokee. I think this horse is ready to step up.

The Aventura looks to be a fascinating race. Although none of the horses are considered to be strong Derby contenders, the field does seem evenly matched with just the right air of mystery.
People looking to score points in our contest most likely won't have any of the horses, but there are jockeys and trainers that may earn a few points for wise stables. Pletcher is entering Our Sacred Honor. This horse has decent speed numbers and may finish in the money, but I think it's unlikely. Pletcher does have a 25% win percentage for his career and this year. Trombetta is also has a horse entered in this race, Street Magician. Trombetta also has a 25% win average this year. Street Magician will be running his third career race. In his last race he posted a 99 speed figure. That's very above average. Can he do it again? Larry Pilotti (19%) took over training Silver Source in February. In that first race under him, Silver Source received a 90 speed rating; that's 30 points higher than any previous race.

Three jockeys to keep an eye on are Prado, Victor Espinoza, and Cornelio Velasquez. Prado rides the already mentioned Our Sacred Honor and Espinoza rides the mysterious Green Vegas. Espinoza commands a 20% career win mark and can be The Force. Cornelio is the leading jockey at Gulfstream so far this year.

If I was losing money on this race, I'd be picking Yesbyjimminy, Street Magician boxed and either Silver Source or Green Vegas to round out a trifecta box. If I wanted to win money in this race, I'd bet on Blue Bullet to win. Bet on Finallymadeit to finish last.

In Dubai, frankly I'm more excited about the non-3 year old races. I want to see Invasor meet Discreet Cat in the $6,000,000 World Cup. Also, English Channel will be racing Lava Man in the $5,000,000 Duty Free. Word has it that in the UAE Derby(3 year olds), Asiatic Boy is the horse to beat. This South American 3 year old (4 year old in North America) has a 6(4-2-0) career record. Second favorite is Eu Tamben 8(7-1-0). This horse will be starting from the far outside. I don't know if that will make a difference. The USA filly, Folk, is the third favorite 5(3-1-0). She most likely will run in the Kentucky Oaks in May instead of the Derby, but you never know. I'm greedily looking for the horse Day Pass 3(2-0-0) to sneak in there for first. Garrett Gomez is one of my two stable jockeys and he has this mount for the race. It's not out of the question.


Enjoy

Thursday, March 22, 2007

Hard Spun


Hard Spun


The Contest

As we enter in to another weekend of racing, it would be important to glance at the leader board in our little family contest.

League Rank Score Stable Name Player Hometown
1 99 Benden Weyr Thomas
Roanoke
2 88 Clifton Pond Stable Rebecca
Lexington
3 87 Apache_Rose_Peacock Andrew
fairfax
4 84 Antilles Stable Elizabeth
Roanoke
5 81 SCHANUCI John Ryd
Salem
6 38 Hard Spun John Wall Middleburg
7 25 Lucky Farm Amy
Durham

While a 12 point lead for Benden Weyr may seem like a large margin, in reality it's not. With the pack stacked within 20 points, this race is wide open. The real question is what's wrong with John Wallace's stable? Wallace is the man who was predicted greatness for Barbaro while that amazing horse was gestating.

The Weekend Schedule
3/24 Private Terms
Laurel Park $100,000 1 mile HRTV
3/24 Lane’s End II Turfway $500,000 1 1/8m ESPN
3/24 Rushaway
Turfway $100,000 1 1/16m TVG

A Closer Look at the Races

Laurel Park - March 24th, 2007 - Race 9
Private Terms S. - Grade:
Estimated Local Post Time: 4:40 PM
Race Type: Stakes
Breed: Thoroughbred
Age Restriction: Three Year Old
Purse: $100,000
Distance: One Mile
Surface: Dirt
Post Horse
Jockey
Owner
Age Sex Weight
Trainer
Breeder
Odds
1
Brass Run (NJ)
Roberto Alvarado, Jr.
Vit Art Pep Stable
3 Gelding 116
Cathal A. Lynch
Smith Farm & Stable
12/1
2
Not for Money (PA)
Rudy R. Rodriguez
Jay Em Ess Stable
3 Colt 116
Richard E. Dutrow, Jr.
David P. Miller & Skymarc Farm
5/2
3
Belly Rub (NY)
Jose C. Caraballo
Alvin Akman, Dove P. Houghton & Andrew Eisenberg
3 Colt 116
Dove P. Houghton
Rhapsody Farm
12/1
4
My Three Boys (PA)

Danny A. Limongelli
3 Colt 116
Steven Krebs
E & D Enterprises
20/1
5
Etude (MD)
Luis Garcia
Fitzhugh LLC
3 Colt 116
Richard W. Small
Fitzhugh, LLC
3/1
6
West Coast Flier (FL)
Jorge I. Duarte, Jr.
Gilbert G. Campbell
3 Gelding 116
Edward T. Allard
Gilbert G. Campbell
20/1
7
Another Vow (FL)
Katie Lee
Aracrest Racing Stables LLC
3 Gelding 116
Flint W. Stites
Wiley Davis
10/1
8
Cherokee Country (KY)
Angel Rodriguez
Victory Thoroughbreds LLC
3 Colt 116
Ramon Preciado
Clarkland Farm
9/2
9
Johnny Z. (KY)
Jeremy Rose
Joseph E. Besecker
3 Gelding 116
Scott A. Lake
Runnymede Farm Inc. & Catesby W. Clay
15/1
10
Saratoga Lulaby (KY)
Dyn Panell
Manfred Roos
3 Colt 116
John Rigattieri
Meadowdale Farm
4/1
The Lowdown
I can honestly say that I don't know much about this race. Some people in our group may pick up jockey points if the have Jeremy Rose or Robbie Alvarado, Jr. There aren't any horse that people are likely to have and with few exceptions, there are few popular trainers. That being said, my pick is Etude.

Turfway Park - March 24th, 2007 - Race 9
Rushaway S. - Grade:
Estimated Local Post Time: 5:15 PM
Race Type: Stakes
Breed: Thoroughbred
Age Restriction: Three Year Old
Purse: $100,000
Distance:One And One Sixteenth Miles
Surface: All Weather Track
Post Horse Name Age Sex Weight Jockey Name
1 Poe Reef (CA) 3 Gelding 115 Alonso Quinonez
2 Dubious Miss (KY) 3 Colt 117 Dean P. Butler
3 Dominican (KY) 3 Colt 115 Rafael Bejarano
4 Trust Your Luck (KY) 3 Colt 115 Kent J. Desormeaux
5 Meritocracy (KY) 3 Colt 115 Edgar S. Prado
6 Passport (KY) 3 Colt 121 Julien R. Leparoux
7 Reata's Rocket (ON) 3 Colt 119 Rajiv Maragh
8 Eighteenthofmarch (FL) 3 Gelding 117 Casey R. Chavez
9 Pink Viper (KY) 3 Colt 121 Channing Hill
10 Skip Code (KY) 3 Colt 121 Patrick Husbands
11 Head to Toe (OH) 3 Colt 121 William D. Troilo
The Lowdown Trust your Luck, Dubious Miss, Reata's Rocket, and Meritocracy. While Dubious Miss is undefeated, I remain skeptical. That's why I believe Meritocracy will take this race. Trainer and jockey points are definitely up for grabs here.

Turfway Park - March 24th, 2007 - Race 10
Lane's End S. - Grade: 2
Estimated Local Post Time: 5:45 PM
Race Type: Stakes
Breed: Thoroughbred
Age Restriction: Three Year Old
Purse: $500,000
Distance:One And One Eighth Miles
Surface: All Weather Track
Post Horse Name Age Sex Weight Jockey Name
1 Highest Degree (KY) 3 Colt 121 Alonso Quinonez
2 Starbase (FL) 3 Colt 121 Terry J. Thompson
3 Sports Town (KY) 3 Colt 121 Shaun Bridgmohan
4 Approval Rating (FL) 3 Colt 121 Patrick Husbands
5 Bullara (FL) 3 Colt 121 John R. Velazquez
6 Forefathers (KY) 3 Colt 121 Julien R. Leparoux
7 Twilight Meteor (ON) 3 Colt 121 Edgar S. Prado
8 Helios (VA) 3 Colt 121 Channing Hill
9 Joe Got Even (KY) 3 Colt 121 Miguel Mena
10 Hard Spun (PA) 3 Colt 121 Mario G. Pino
11 For You Reppo (KY) 3 Colt 121 Kent J. Desormeaux
12 Sedgefield (KY) 3 Colt 121 Rafael Bejarano

The Lowdown
There is no doubt that his weekend will be all about Hard Spun in the Lane's End. Although the intriguing For You Reppo (Troy) is also entered. Maryland's Racing God will be bobbling his way through the mount. Pletcher has two horses in the race, Twilight Meteor and Bullara, so all of the McPeekers in the contest stand to have a real chance at striking contest Horse, Trainer, Jockey trifecta. I'm going with Hard Spun.


Enjoy the weekend.


Thursday, March 15, 2007

Going Green


Well the race has certainly tightened up within our little merry band horse revellers. While Benden Weyr still leads, it is anything but comfortable.

League Rank Score Stable Name Player Hometown
1 80 Benden Weyr Thomas
Roanoke
2 76 Apache_Rose_Peacock Andrew
fairfax
3 73 SCHANUCI John R
Salem
4 72 Clifton Pond Stable Rebecca
Lexington
5 53 Antilles Stable Elizabeth
Roanoke
6 17 Hard Spun John
Middleburg
7 15 Lucky Farm Amy
Durham


Finally this weekend some racces will make it on to ESPN so most of us will have some access.

Oaklawn Park - March 17th, 2007 - Race 10
Rebel S. - Grade: 3
Estimated Local Post Time: 6:04 PM
Race Type: Stakes
Breed: Thoroughbred
Age Restriction: Three Year Old
Purse: $300,000
Distance:One And One Sixteenth Miles
Surface: Dirt
Post Horse Name Age Sex Weight Jockey Name
1 Wannabeinclued (KY) 3 Colt 115 Joe M. Johnson
2 Flying First Class (CA) 3 Colt 115 Edgar S. Prado
3 Sumac (KY) 3 Colt 117 Timothy T. Doocy
4 Teuflesberg (KY) 3 Colt 122 Stewart Elliott
5 U D Ghetto (KY) 3 Gelding 119 Terry J. Thompson
6 Officer Rocket (GB) 3 Colt 119 Luis S. Quinonez
7 Xchanger (FL) 3 Colt 117 John Jacinto
8 Curlin (KY) 3 Colt 115 Robby Albarado
9 Going Ballistic (FL) 3 Colt 119 M. Clifton Berry

Santa Anita Park - March 17th, 2007 - Race 9
San Felipe S. - Grade: 2
Estimated Local Post Time: 4:30 PM
Race Type: Stakes
Breed: Thoroughbred
Age Restriction: Three Year Old
Purse: $250,000
Distance:One And One Sixteenth Miles
Surface: Dirt
Post Horse Name Age Sex Weight Jockey Name
1 Tap It Light (CA) 3 Gelding 116 Michael C. Baze
2 Cobalt Blue (FL) 3 Colt 116 Victor Espinoza
3 Dee Rain (KY) 3 Colt 116 Clinton L. Potts
4 Air Commander (KY) 3 Colt 116 Garrett K. Gomez
5 Grapelli (KY) 3 Colt 116 Richard Migliore
6 Level Red (KY) 3 Colt 116 Aaron T. Gryder

Tampa Bay Downs - March 17th, 2007 - Race 12
Tampa Bay Derby - Grade: 3
Estimated Local Post Time: 5:45 PM
Race Type: Stakes
Breed: Thoroughbred
Age Restriction: Three Year Old
Purse: $300,000
Distance:One And One Sixteenth Miles
Surface: Dirt
Post Horse
Jockey
Owner
Age Sex Weight
Trainer
Breeder
Odds
1
Optimistic Steve (NY)
Jose Lezcano
Robert V. LaPenta
3 Colt 116
Nicholas P. Zito
Ralph M. Evans
15/1
2
Street Sense (KY)
Calvin H. Borel
James B. Tafel LLC
3 Colt 122
Carl A. Nafzger
James Tafel
4/5
3
All I Can Get (MI)
Luis Antonio Gonzalez
Michael McQuade
3 Gelding 116
Gerald S. Bennett
Michael McQuade
8/1
4
Any Given Saturday (KY)
John R. Velazquez
Winstar Farm LLC and Padua Stables
3 Colt 120
Todd A. Pletcher
Racehorse Management, LLC
9/5
5
Most Distinguished (KY)
Daniel Centeno
Live Oak Plantation
3 Colt 116
Nicholas P. Zito
Hindman Limited Partnership L.L.L.P.
15/1
6
Lisselan Muse (FL)
Enrique M. Jurado
Lisselan Farms
3 Colt 116
John Antonio Nazareth, Sr.
Triple A Ranch
30/1
7
Delightful Kiss (FL)
Jeffrey Sanchez
Hobeau Farm
3 Gelding 116
Pete D. Anderson
Hobeau Farm Ltd.
12/1


Sunland Park - March 18th, 2007 - Race 9
Win/Star Derby - Grade:
Estimated Local Post Time: 4:45 PM
Race Type: Stakes
Breed: Thoroughbred
Age Restriction: Three Year Old
Purse: $600,000
Distance:One And One Eighth Miles
Surface: Dirt
Post Horse Name Age Sex Weight Jockey Name
1 Takedown (KY) 3 Colt 122 Glen Murphy
2 Solemn Promise (FL) 3 Colt 122 Mark Guidry
3 Congo Bay (KY) 3 Gelding 122 Ricardo Jaime
4 Forty Grams (KY) 3 Colt 122 Garrett K. Gomez
5 Jack Hes Tops (CA) 3 Gelding 122 Alfredo J. Juarez, Jr.
6 Song of Navarone (KY) 3 Colt 122 Victor Espinoza
7 Law Breaker (FL) 3 Colt 122 Aaron T. Gryder
8 Game of Skill (KY) 3 Colt 122 Ken S. Tohill


The biggest guns appear to be running in the Tampa Bay Derby with Any Given Saturday and Street Sense. This race will definitely shake out the top of the contender list.

The San Felipe seems loaded with horses ready to break out. Tap It Light, Cobalt Blue, and Grapelli all had some preseason hype.

The Rebel has a lot of horses looking for name recognition. Of them I look for Teuflesberg and Flying First Class to be there.

I know nothing about the WinStar other than I'd be surprised if anyone here has a horse running in that race.


If you're in Roanoke and need something to do on St. Patrick's Day, consider heading to Mac and Bob's on Main Street in Salem to hear the dynamic group Beggar's Circus. They will play from about 8 until midnight. You can also catch them at the Roanoke City Market on Saturday afternoon and the Jefferson Center Friday night.

Wednesday, March 7, 2007

Fairgrounds

It's exciting to see our family league filling up. There's still time to join. As of now, my Benden Weyr Stable is holding a slight lead. Considering that I had a ten point head start on most of you, and you must admit that this is already a very tight race.

League Rank Score Stable Name Player Hometown
1 57 Benden Weyr Thomas
Roanoke
2 51 Apache_Rose_Peacock Andrew
fairfax
3 40 SCHANUCI John R
Salem
4 39 Clifton Pond Stable Rebecca
Lexington
5 38 Antilles Stable Elizabeth
Roanoke
6 15 Lucky Farm Amy
Durham
7 5 Hard Spun John W Middleburg

Beware of John W. That horse he's riding is about to 'splode.

There are some big races this weekend.
3/10 Gotham III Aqueduct $200,000 1 1/16m TVG
3/10 Louisiana Derby II Fair Grounds $600,000 1 1/16m TVG
3/10 El Camino Real Derby III Bay Meadows $200,000 1 1/16m TVG

The horse I'm especially watching is Liquidity. He's running in the Louisiana Derby at Fairgrounds. Not being a horse expert, but didn't Fair Grounds get submerged in Hurricane Katrina? I seem to remember seeing it from a distance sitting in the bottom land northeast of the center of New Orleans.

Thursday, March 1, 2007

March Winds

The weekend is almost upon us and there are many excellent races to consider in the Run to the Roses contest. March certainly is coming in like a lion.


3/3Hutcheson II Gulfstream $150,000 7 1/2f HRTV
3/3Fountain of Youth II Gulfstream $350,000 1 1/8m HRTV
3/3 Robert B. Lewis II Santa Anita $200,000 1 1/16m HRTV
3/3 John Battaglia Memorial
Turfway $100,000 1 1/16m TVG


Equibase hasn't listed the proable entrants for March 3 races at Gulfstream yet, but here's a look at who I've read may be racing this weekend there.

In the $150,000 Hutcheson Stakes at Gulfstream this weekend, likely starters include King of Roxy, Bold Start, Forefathers, Storm in May, Spin Master, and Out of Gwedda.

The Fountain of Youth is a stacked race with leading contenders slamming in to each other in head to head competition. Likely entrants include Nobiz Like Shobiz, Scat Daddy, Drums of Thunder, Stormello, Adore the Gold, Delightful Kiss, Chelokee, Johannesburg Star, and Meritocacy.

Equibase.com has these handy tables for free viewing. I've cut and pasted them here for Santa Anita and Turfway to give you an example. You can see more by clicking on the entrants tab at the equibase.com site.

Santa Anita Park - March 3rd, 2007 - Race 8
Robert B. Lewis S. - Grade: 2
Estimated Local Post Time: 3:30 PM
Race Type: Stakes
Breed: Thoroughbred
Age Restriction: Three Year Old
Purse: $200,000
Distance:One And One Sixteenth Miles
Surface: Dirt
Post Horse Name Age Sex Weight Jockey Name
1 Tiago (KY) 3 Colt 115 Victor Espinoza
2 Scat Thief (KY) 3 Colt 115 Michael C. Baze
3 Hurry Up Austin (FL) 3 Colt 115 Jon Kenton Court
4 French Transition (NY) 3 Colt 115 Julien R. Leparoux
5 Saint Paul (FL) 3 Gelding 115 Alex O. Solis
6 Tap It Light (CA) 3 Gelding 117 David Cohen
7 Sam P. (KY) 3 Colt 117 Garrett K. Gomez
8 Great Hunter (PA) 3 Colt 117 Corey S. Nakatani
9 Boutrous (KY) 3 Colt 117 David Romero Flores


Turfway Park - March 3rd, 2007 - Race 11
John Battaglia Memorial S. - Grade:
Estimated Local Post Time: 5:48 PM
Race Type: Stakes
Breed: Thoroughbred
Age Restriction: Three Year Old
Purse: $100,000
Distance:One And One Sixteenth Miles
Surface: All Weather Track
Post Horse Name Age Sex Weight Jockey Name
1 Legacy Reserve (PA) 3 Colt 115 Kendrick Carmouche
2 Rutledge Cat (KY) 3 Colt 115 Alonso Quinonez
3 Joe Got Even (KY) 3 Colt 121 Miguel Mena
4 Eighteenthofmarch (FL) 3 Gelding 115 Casey R. Chavez
5 Dicey (KY) 3 Gelding 115 William D. Troilo
6 Bubber (KY) 3 Gelding 115 Perry Wayne Ouzts
7 Digger (MD) 3 Gelding 115 Justin J. Vitek
8 Catman Running (KY) 3 Colt 115 Willie Martinez
9 Tanyard Hill (FL) 3 Colt 115 Rodney A. Prescott
10 Cobrador (ON) 3 Colt 115 Victor Lebron
11 Approval Rating (FL) 3 Colt 115 Orlando Mojica

Don't forget to activate you five horses in the fantasy contest.