Justify Wins Kentucky Derby; Saxon Warrior Wins English 2,000 Guineas

The first races in both the American and British Triple Crowns were run today.  At Newmarket, in England, the 2,000 Guineas, contested at a mile on the turf, saw trainer Aidan O'Brien take his ninth victory, with Saxon Warrior.  Saxon Warrior is a bay colt by Deep Impact, and out of the Galileo mare Maybe.  Aidan O'Brien's 19-year-old son Donnacha was the jockey, while O'Brien himself was at Churchill Downs with Mendelssohn for the Kentucky Derby.  Saxon Warrior set off at odds of  3 to 1, and ran the mile over a course rated "good" in 1:36.55.  Tip To Win, a 50 to 1 long-shot, was second with Masar in third.

  In Kentucky, three inches of rain fell before the Derby and fell throughout the race.  A full starting gate of 20 colts broke nicely while a crowd of 157,813 watched. The 5 to 2 betting favorite was Justify, a chestnut son of Scat Daddy out of the mare Stage Magic.  Justify is trained by Bob Baffert, and was under the guidance of veteran jockey Mike Smith.  Justify had never raced on a sloppy track, but several other colts in the race had, and those boys had won by impressive margins.  Smith rode Justify out of the gate in a hurry, and settled about 8 paths out from the rail, with Promises Fulfilled in the lead close to the rail.  The first quarter and half-miles were run in jaw-dropping times for a sloppy track - 22.24 seconds for the first quarter, and 45.77 for the half-mile.   
   But Justify just cruised on.  He won the race in 2:04.20 - and without a speck of mud on his face or chest.  This made the fifth Kentucky Derby win for Bob Baffert, and the second for Mike Smith.  Good Magic tried to press Justify at the top of the stretch, under the whip, while Smith just sat still on Justify and pulled away.  Good Magic finished second, with Audible third, Instilled Regard fourth and My Boy Jack in fifth.  And Justify broke to so-called "Apollo curse" when he won the Derby today, becoming the first horse that did not race as a two-year-old in 136 years to win the first leg of America's Triple Crown.
   For a $2 win ticket on Justify, the return was $7.80; for a $2 place bet on Good Magic, one received $9.20; for a $2 show wager on Audible, the payout was $5.80.  Return on a $2 exacta bet was $69.60; on a $1 trifecta it was $141.40; and on a $1 superfecta, the return was $19,618.20.

The full order of finish follows:

1.     Justify     by 2 1/2 lengths

2.     Good Magic  by a nose

3.     Audible   by 2 lengths

4.     Instilled Regard

5.     My Boy Jack

6.     Bravazo

7.     Hofburg

8.     Lone Sailor

9.     Vino Rosso

10.   Solomini

11.   Firenze Fire

12.   Bolt d'Oro

13.   Flameaway

14.   Enticed

15.   Promises Fulfilled

16.   Free Drop Billy

17.   Noble Indy

18.   Combatant

19.   Magnum Moon

20.   Mendelssohn    (Aidan O'Brien's entry)

Gardens and Horse Racing

I'll be watering the garden in a little while - even though we've received some rain, sleet, or snow every day since Thursday.  The sun has been shining each afternoon, along with a nice breeze blowing, and that dries out the raised garden beds.  The peas have emerged and will soon need to be trained to sway slightly over to the support fence.  The carrots, parsnips, strawberries, raspberries, potatoes, celery and herbs are just beginning to break the soil with growth.  The Chinese wisteria had Lynn worried, but I found large numbers of new buds on the branches yesterday afternoon.  I'll try to get some photos taken today...  The birds and squirrels are multiplying like mad in the back yard - especially with all the feeders that Lynn has out.  I'll pick her up this afternoon from DIA, and, hopefully, we won't have another Twilight Zone experience.  I'll get to sleep with my kits tonight.  How grand!
  My kits are out and about, playing in the back yard in the bright sunshine.  And my kidz (local squirrels) are happily munching on pumpkin seeds and walnuts.  I'll be home for a couple of days before I head over to Rosie's for the weekend...  The Grand Jury will meet Thursday night, so I'm hoping I can see the last episode of the Vikings third season late that night, or early Friday.  If not, I'll watch it at Rosie's over the weekend.
  This past weekend, jockey Mike Smith was aboard Shared Belief for the running of the Charles Town Classic in West Virginia.  Shared Belief, along with an English thoroughbred, are rated as the top racing thoroughbreds in the world.  Shared Belief was the betting favorite for the Classic.  But jockey Mike Smith said the horse "didn't feel right" under him, and pulled him up after three-quarters of a mile.  Shared Belief was listed as "did not finish" in the race re-cap.  I want to congratulate Mike Smith; it turns out that Shared Belief had broken his right hip stumbling out of the starting gate.  Had he finished the race, and had the jockey used his whip to urge the horse on, irreparable damage could have been done.  Mike Smith loves to win races.  But Mike Smith cares about his mounts more than he cares about money.  Bless you, again, Mike Smith!
  The starters for the Kentucky Oaks  and for the Kentucky Derby won't be announced until next week.  At the moment, however, it looks as if the Oaks will have eight, or a few more, starters.  They include Birdatthewire, Forever Unbridled, Include Betty, Luminance, Maybellene, Oceanwave, Puca, and Shook Up.  It still looks as though there will be 20 starters, the maximum, for the Kentucky Derby.

Friday's Breeders Cup Races Breakdown (My Picks)

First, Handsome Mike is a scratch from the Dirt Mile race on Friday - he has a swelling in his near fore leg and is lame.  Second, American Pharoah, the Juvenile betting favorite on Saturday, is also a scratch; he, too, is lame, and it's believed to be a deep foot bruise in his left fore.
  I have to admit I haven't been keeping an eye on the races this year - other than a few major stakes races - and I'm completely in the dark about the 2-year-olds who are racing this year.  (I guess I've been too focused on Cozmic One, Zenyatta's first foal, who is in training at Belmont Park.)  There are not many photos available of many of the juvenile race contenders, so all of my decisions this year about the juvies are based on past racing and their pedigrees.  And, since I know that people choose to bet on horses for all sorts of reasons, I always add in birthplace information, color, sex and age. And, if one of my favorite jockeys is riding the horse, you'll be aware of that, also.  As always, if you want more information about any entry, I suggest you visit The Bloodhorse website at   http://www.bloodhorse.com/ .  I am also going to ignore the designated alternate entries that are waiting in line for someone to scratch...
   The first race is the Juvenile Turf; all 2-year-old boys carrying 122 pounds for one mile.  Wet Sail and Hootenanny are geldings; Daddy D T is a ridgling.  Eight were born in Kentucky, three were born in New York, two were born in Great Britain, and Conquest Typhoon was born in Ontario, Canada.  Danny Boy is the only grey (roan) in the field; horses in post positions 2, 3, and 4 are chestnuts; and the rest are bays or dark browns.  Half of the field traces back to Hyperion (and/or *Forli), my favorite bloodline.  (My other favorite is Man o'War, and he is in most American-bred lines.)  I have only seen photos of five of the fourteen entries; the most photogenic is #11, Imperia, a dark brown colt, bred in Kentucky, and at 6 to 1 odds.  Imperia will have Javier Castellano in the irons.  The betting favorite is Hootenanny, a bay gelding, bred in Kentucky, and ridden by Frankie Dettori.  The seond betting choice is War Envoy, a bay colt from Kentucky. Mike Smith is riding Luck of the Kitten, a chestnut Kentucky-bred; Corey Nakatani is aboard Daddy D T, another Chestnut Kentucky-bred; and Julien Leparoux will be in the stirrups aborad the grey, Danny Boy.  Not having seen any of these colts run, and just looking at their pedigrees, these are my choices: Aktabantay (bred in Great Britain), Danny Boy, Imperia, and Wet Sail.  But I also have the feeling that Hootenanny will run a huge race....
   With the scratch of Handsome Mike in the Dirt Mile, the longest shot on the betting board is gone, leaving a field of nine.  Two three-year-olds (Tapiture and Vicar's in Trouble) will carry 123 pounds; the other horses, two 4-year-olds,  four 5-year-olds, and one 6-year-old will each carry 126 pounds.   Pants On Fire is the eldest, and the bay horse is still going strong.  Goldencents, the winner last year, will start from the #1 post position and is the early betting favorite.  Bronzo was born in Chile; Big Bane Theory was born in California, and Vicar's In Trouble was born in Louisiana; the others were born in Kentucky.  Bronzo and Carve are geldings; the other boys are intact.  Tapiture, who will have Rosie Napravnik in the irons, is the only chestnut in the field; all other runners are bay.  Tapiture is also the only horse in the field that does not have Hyperion in his pedigree.  Carve will have Mike Smith in the saddle; Joel Rosario will be riding Golden Ticket; and Joe Talamo is aboard Big Bane Theory.  My picks are:  Vicar's In Trouble (because he's such a small guy), Bronzo, Pants On Fire, and Tapiture.
   Gary Stevens returns to the saddle (14 weeks after a total knee replacement) in the Juvenile Fillies Turf; he'll be aboard Irish-bred Sivoliere.  Each of these two-year-old fillies will be carrying 122 pounds in the one mile race.  Again, there were very few photos for me to look at, so don't expect much...  Of the fourteen fillies entered, Sunset Glow is the only grey or roan; there are three chestnuts - Partisan Politics, Isabella Sings, and Rainha Da Bateria; and the other ten runners are bay or dark brown.  Three fillies were bred in Ireland - Osaila, Sivoliere, and Qualify; one was bred in Great Britain, Prize Exhibit; Conquest Harlanate was bred in Ontario, Canada; Quality Rocks was bred in Florida; the other fillies are Kentucky-bred.  Three of the fillies do not have Hyperion in their pedigree - Tammy the Torpedo, Rainha Da Bateria, and Quality Rocks.  The betting favorite is Sunset Glow, ridden by Victor Espinoza; Lady Zuzu has Julien Leparoux aboard for trainer D Wayne Lukas; and Frankie Dettori is in the irons on Osaila.  I like:  Prize Exhibit, Sivoliere, Lady Zuzu, Osaila, and Nicky's Brown Miss.
   The Distaff for fillies and mares, running 1 and 1/8 miles on the dirt for $2 million....  Eleven females; all bred in Kentucky, except Valiant Emilia, from Peru.  The three 3-year-olds (Unbridled Forever, Ria Antonia, and Untapable) will carry 121 pounds; the eight older mares will carry 124.  Don't Tell Sophia is the eldest racing, at age 6; there are three 4-year-olds (Tiz Midnight, Iotapa, and Close Hatches) while the other four entries are 5 years of age.  L'Amour de Ma Vie is the only grey or roan in the group; Belle Gallantey is the only chestnut; and the rest are bays.  Five of the ladies are descendants of Hyperion; six are not.  Rosie Napravnik is riding Untapable, and they are the betting favorite.  Corey Nakatani is aboard Stanwyck; Jose Rosario is on Close Hatches; and John R Velasquez will ride Unbridled Forever.  My picks:  Untapable, Valiant Emilia, L'Amour de Ma Vie, Close Hatches, and Belle Gallantey.

  As always, know that I do this for fun.  Do not place wagers on my choices and expect to win.  Sometimes my picks are good, and sometimes they stink.  Betting (and any type of gambling) can become an addiction.  Do not spend any money needed for food, housing, or other necessary payments "playing the ponies."  It is not a good idea.

Can Game On Dude Win a Race Three Years In A Row?

Today, Game On Dude will try to become the second three-time winner of the Santa Anita Handicap (Native Diver won the race in 1965, '66, and '67).  The Santa Anita Handicap has become the Santa Anita Gold Cup, however, but changing it's name does not change the race.  It's contested at one and a quarter miles, the USA's classic Derby distance, on a dirt track.  Past winners include Seabiscuit, Noor, Citation, Gallant Man, Affirmed, Best Pal and Cigar. The race itself has a great history, and some of the greatest horses in the world have raced in it.
   This year, Game On Dude, a 7-year-old gelded son of Awesome Again, is trying to tie the winning record of Native Diver.  He will face six opponents, ranging in age from 4 to six.  Since it is a handicap race, the horses will carry different weights; Game On Dude and four-year-old Lideris have been assigned top weight of 124 pounds (2 pounds less than 3-year-olds carry in the Triple Crown races).  Salto Del Indio, a colt bred in Chile, will carry 121 pounds.  The other four entries, aged 4 to 6, will carry 119 pounds:  Fury Kapcori, Clubhouse Ride, Imperative, and Majestic Harbor.
  "The Dude" has won $6.5 million in his career so far; he will be breaking from post number one, under regular jockey Mike Smith.  Joe Talamo, Gary Stevens and Kent Desormeaux are also riding in the race.  Game On Dude likes to run to the front of the pack and stay there - but there are several other "early speed" horses running, so the race might set up for a horse that runs off the pace, a closer.  For more information regarding the horses and their connections, visit:  http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/race/USA/SA/2014/6/28/8/gold-cup-at-santa-anita-s-gr-i
  And, NBC Sports Network will televise the Santa Anita Gold Cup (no longer the "Big 'Cap") live today; the scheduled post time is 4:45 PDT, and the coverage will last an hour, from 4 to 5 p.m. (or 7 to 8 p.m. EDT).  I'll be rooting for The Dude and Mike Smith.

My Favorite Jockeys

Chris McCarron on a jockey collectors trading card in 1980, and, below, hugging John Henry on the gelding's 30th birthday

"Eddie D" - the kid from Louisiana.  Eddie Delahoussaye, above, during his riding career, and below, receiving the Laffit Pincay Award in July

Laffit Pincay, above and below

Actor  and horseman Mark Harmon with jockey Mike Smith, above.  In the 2012 'The Body' issue of ESPN magazine, Mike showed off his 48-year-old athlete's riding body (below).

                                       

Ten Colorado Wildfires; Kudos to Jockey Mike Smith

I laughed myself silly last night - Bea and I watched The Return of the Pink Panther and Revenge of the Pink Panther.  Three and a half hours of almost non-stop comedy left me limp, but smiling.   Rosie was between us, on the sofa, and we were all laughing hysterically.  It was fun.  Rosie is definitely missing her family, and I'm missing spending time with my kits.  Right now, both Lovey and Nedi are out playing in the early morning sunshine.  And, I'll soon be heading back to spend the rest of the day with Rosie... she is very interested in Chocolate and Blackberry, Paulina's young rabbits, but so far she hasn't made any overt moves toward them.  And she and Boo are interacting a little more each day, which is good for both of them.
   Thank goodness for our professional jockeys!  During the Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth Park, jockey Mike Smith was riding Itsmyluckyday.  They were about to make a move on the leaders, when Mike felt there was something wrong with the colt's hind end - it just didn't feel right.  He pulled the colt up on the backstretch, and the horse seemed fine when he went back to his stall.  X-rays of the colt's pelvis, however, showed that the ilium had broken.  Because Mike Smith pulled the colt up, there is a very good chance that Itsmyluckyday will be able to return to racing within the next 6 months.  - And, it's official:  Animal Kingdom, winner of the 2011 Kentucky Derby, has been retired from racing.
   We have more wildfires burning in Colorado, and the Denver metropolitan area, which includes Boulder, is under an Air Quality warning.  Anyone who suffer from asthma, COPD, emphysema, or any types of breathing problems, are being warned to stay inside and not exert themselves.  This is due to the large amount of particulates from all of the wildfires burning throughout our state.  -  (1 & 2) The Big Elk Meadows fire is 95% contained and has burned 604 acres.  It is expected to burn until the first snow, as is the Fern Lake fire.  (3) The Royal Gorge fire is completely contained.  (4) The Black Forest fire is 95% contained, and has cost $8.5 million for fire-fighting so far.  Hot spots are still flaring up, and homes are still evacuated.  (5) The West Fork fire, near the Wolf Creek Ski Area, has burned 3,875 acres, and is less than one mile from the edges of the Rio Grande National Forest.  (6) The Ward Gulch-Rifle Mountain Park fire is 95% contained, and has burned 485 acres.  (7) The Lime Gulch fire, in Jefferson County, has burned 500 acres so far, is uncontained, and homes have been evacuated in a 3 mile radius from the initial report of the fire.  (8) The Wild Rose fire is burning in Rio Blanco County, and has burned 850 acres.  (9) The Bull Gulch fire is burning about one mile east of Table Mountain.  (10) The East Peak fire, near East Spanish Peak (and originally referred to as the Scout Camp fire), is burning in Huerfano County.  It has burned 350 acres, and was first reported by members at a Boy Scout Camp out.  The Camp has been evacuated, but there is no news as yet, as to whether the camping area burned over or not.