The Belmont Stakes has lowered ticket prices for this Saturday's third leg of the Triple Crown races, due to the fact that Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist is not running due to illness. Since Exaggerator won the Preakness, folks were looking forward to the mile-and-a-half contest between the two winners. Nyquist spiked a fever a couple of days after the Preakness, and has just begun returning to the training track. But twelve other horses have decided to face Exaggerator on the track called Big Sandy, and the Graveyard of Champions. (Not that a lot of horses have died on the track, but wonderful winning horses have had their biggest defeats here - Secretariat and Man o'War, for example.)
Of the colts running in the third race of the American Triple Crown series, only Exaggerator and Lani will have competed in all three Classic races. Exaggerator finished second in the Kentucky Derby, and won the Preakness; Lani ran ninth in the Derby and fifth at Pimlico. Stradivari (fourth) and Cherry Wine (second) are the colts to run in the Preakness and the Belmont, and not in the Derby. Five other starters in the Kentucky Derby have decided to race in the Belmont, having skipped the Preakness: Creator (thirteenth in the Derby), Suddenbreakingnews (fifth), Destin (sixth), Brody's Cause (seventh), and Trojan Nation (sixteenth).
Of the 13 colts running, 5 are grey or roan, 1 is chestnut, and the rest (7) are bays and browns. All of the colts were bred in Kentucky, except the chestnut Governor Malibu, who is New York bred. Lani is still the single internationally raced colt, having raced in Japan and the UAE. Several sires have two colts running - Giant's Causeway has Destin and Brody's Cause; Medaglio d'Oro has Stradivari and Forever d'Oro; and Tapit has Lani and Creator. Several trainers have two horses entered, also: Todd Pletcher has Destin and Stradivari; Dale Romans has Cherry Wine and Brody's Cause; Dallas Stewart has Seeking the Soul and Forever d'Oro; and Steve Asmussen has Creator and Gettysburg.
Following are the post positions, the horse's name, their coat color, the name of their sire, and their opening betting odds:
1. Governor Malibu (ch) Malibu Moon 12 to 1
2. Destin (grey/roan) Giant's Causeway 6 to 1
3. Cherry Wine (grey/roan) Paddy O'Prado 8 to 1
4. Suddenbreakingnews (bay) Mineshaft 10 to 1
5. Stradivari (bay) Medaglia d'Oro 5 to 1
6. Gettysburg (grey/roan) Pioneer of the Nile 30 to 1
7. Seeking the Soul (bay) Perfect Soul (Ire) 30 to 1
8. Forever d'Oro (bay) Madaglio d'Oro 30 to 1
9. Trojan Nation (bay) Street Song (Ire) 30 to 1
10. Lani (grey/roan) Tapit 20 to 1
11. Exaggerator (bay) Curlin 9 to 5
12. Brody's Cause (bay) Giant's Causeway 20 to 1
13. Creator (grey/roan) Tapit 10 to 1
Lani is the only colt to have raced one 1/2 miles before - and he won that race impressively. I'd like to see Exaggerator win. With all the newcomers, and the horses who took a break since the Derby, I'm not sure who else I 'd bet on.... It'll come down to the horses' demeanor's Saturday afternoon....
Showing posts with label Nyquist. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nyquist. Show all posts
Thursday, June 9, 2016
Wednesday, May 25, 2016
Bits And Pieces
Well, let's see..... Nyquist spiked a temperature the other day, and then his white cell count was elevated, so he has been scratched from running in the Belmont Stakes in New York.
The news around here has been kind of weird... A man was seen shooting a handgun into Boulder Creek where it runs by the Public Library on Sunday. He fired multiple times and was approached by a police team who told him to put the gun down on the ground, several times. He didn't. He was shot by the officers and died in the hospital a few hours later. While the police team were giving the shooter medical assistance, more shots were fired into Boulder Creek, more than a block further east, in Central Park. That shooter was not caught. Beatrice and I showed up at the library at 2:45, and were puzzled by the crime scene tape that was in place by the Creek. We learned later that we had missed the commotion by 30 minutes.
We've had several traffic accidents that have ended with deaths - including an 8-year-old girl riding her bike in front of her house, with her Dad on the sidewalk. A 20-year-old under the influence of drugs ran into two cars stopped at an intersection, and killed two well-known Boulderites. The driver never touched the brakes, according to police investigations.
We've had at least 10 raccoons killed by cars in the neighborhood recently, with at least two more having canine distemper. And a young, but adult, bobcat was found in a nearby park with injuries from an automobile - he didn't survive.
On the plus side, there are more cute foals on Assateague... in both Maryland and Virginia. And my cousin asked about our Native American background - we've had rumors running through the family for several generations, but I've never been able to produce anything as proof positive. I finally, this afternoon, found that a distant great grandmother was identified in the Shawnee Nation Register as an Arrohatok-Powhatan Native American. The family rumors were that this lady was a relative of Pocohantas - but she would have been from a later generation, I think (one or two), unless the older men took young wives... Then, there's a tale of my great-grandmother being 1/2 or 1/4 Cherokee, which I have yet to prove; and the tales of Whealtons and older Chincoteague families having taken local Natives as wives - from among the Accawmacke. Time will tell, I guess.
The news around here has been kind of weird... A man was seen shooting a handgun into Boulder Creek where it runs by the Public Library on Sunday. He fired multiple times and was approached by a police team who told him to put the gun down on the ground, several times. He didn't. He was shot by the officers and died in the hospital a few hours later. While the police team were giving the shooter medical assistance, more shots were fired into Boulder Creek, more than a block further east, in Central Park. That shooter was not caught. Beatrice and I showed up at the library at 2:45, and were puzzled by the crime scene tape that was in place by the Creek. We learned later that we had missed the commotion by 30 minutes.
We've had several traffic accidents that have ended with deaths - including an 8-year-old girl riding her bike in front of her house, with her Dad on the sidewalk. A 20-year-old under the influence of drugs ran into two cars stopped at an intersection, and killed two well-known Boulderites. The driver never touched the brakes, according to police investigations.
We've had at least 10 raccoons killed by cars in the neighborhood recently, with at least two more having canine distemper. And a young, but adult, bobcat was found in a nearby park with injuries from an automobile - he didn't survive.
On the plus side, there are more cute foals on Assateague... in both Maryland and Virginia. And my cousin asked about our Native American background - we've had rumors running through the family for several generations, but I've never been able to produce anything as proof positive. I finally, this afternoon, found that a distant great grandmother was identified in the Shawnee Nation Register as an Arrohatok-Powhatan Native American. The family rumors were that this lady was a relative of Pocohantas - but she would have been from a later generation, I think (one or two), unless the older men took young wives... Then, there's a tale of my great-grandmother being 1/2 or 1/4 Cherokee, which I have yet to prove; and the tales of Whealtons and older Chincoteague families having taken local Natives as wives - from among the Accawmacke. Time will tell, I guess.
Friday, May 20, 2016
The Preakness Runs Tomorrow
Time has really gotten away from me. The second leg of the Triple Crown of American Thoroughbred Racing will be run tomorrow at Old Hilltop, or Pimlico Racetrack, outside of Baltimore, Maryland. The distance is 1/8 mile (or one furlong) less than the Kentucky Derby two weeks ago. There are eleven entries for tomorrow's race, as it was decided that Gun Runner, who finished third in the Derby, would not participate in the Preakness. Nyquist, who won the Derby, drew post 3 in the small field. The entries are, by post position:
1. Cherry Wine, a grey/roan colt bred in Kentucky, sired by Paddy O'Prado
2. Uncle Lino, a bay colt bred in Kentucky, sired by Uncle Mo
3. Nyquist, a bay colt bred in Kentucky, sired by Uncle Mo
4. Awesome Speed, a bay colt bred in Kentucky, sired by Awesome Again
5. Exaggerator, a bay colt bred in Kentucky, sire by Curlin
6. Lani, a grey/roan colt bred in Kentucky, sired by Tapit
7. Collected, a chestnut colt bred in Kentucky, sired by City Zip
8. Laoban, a bay colt bred in Kentucky, sired by Uncle Mo
9. Abiding Star, a bay colt bred in Florida, sired by Uncle Mo
10. Fellowship, a chestnut colt bred in Florida, sired by Awesome of Course
11. Stradivari, a bay colt bred in Kentucky, sired by Medaglio d'Oro
There are three runners from the Derby - Nyquist, the winner; Exaggerator, who placed second; and Lani, the Japanese trained colt who's grandsire is Sunday Silence. Awesome Speed is the son of Awesome Again, while Fellowship is the grandson of Awesome Again. There are the four colts sired by Uncle Mo - Nyquist, Uncle Lino, Laoban, and Abiding Star. Nine of the eleven colts were bred in Kentucky, and two in Florida. There are two grey or roan colts; two chestnut colts; and seven bay or brown colts.
Will there be another Triple Crown Champion this year? We'll find out the possibility tomorrow....
1. Cherry Wine, a grey/roan colt bred in Kentucky, sired by Paddy O'Prado
2. Uncle Lino, a bay colt bred in Kentucky, sired by Uncle Mo
3. Nyquist, a bay colt bred in Kentucky, sired by Uncle Mo
4. Awesome Speed, a bay colt bred in Kentucky, sired by Awesome Again
5. Exaggerator, a bay colt bred in Kentucky, sire by Curlin
6. Lani, a grey/roan colt bred in Kentucky, sired by Tapit
7. Collected, a chestnut colt bred in Kentucky, sired by City Zip
8. Laoban, a bay colt bred in Kentucky, sired by Uncle Mo
9. Abiding Star, a bay colt bred in Florida, sired by Uncle Mo
10. Fellowship, a chestnut colt bred in Florida, sired by Awesome of Course
11. Stradivari, a bay colt bred in Kentucky, sired by Medaglio d'Oro
There are three runners from the Derby - Nyquist, the winner; Exaggerator, who placed second; and Lani, the Japanese trained colt who's grandsire is Sunday Silence. Awesome Speed is the son of Awesome Again, while Fellowship is the grandson of Awesome Again. There are the four colts sired by Uncle Mo - Nyquist, Uncle Lino, Laoban, and Abiding Star. Nine of the eleven colts were bred in Kentucky, and two in Florida. There are two grey or roan colts; two chestnut colts; and seven bay or brown colts.
Will there be another Triple Crown Champion this year? We'll find out the possibility tomorrow....
Saturday, May 14, 2016
A Week Before the Preakness, A Week After the Derby
Here we are, seven days after the Kentucky Derby and seven days before the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico in Maryland. I'm running way behind on my reporting. The complete order of finish for the Kentucky Derby, the full field of twenty horses, was as follows: 1 - Nyquist; 2 - Exaggerator; 3 - Gun Runner; 4 - Mohaymen; 5 - Suddenbreakingnews; 6 - Destin; 7 - Brody's Cause; 8 - Mo Tom; 9 - Lani; 10 - Mor Spirit; 11 - My Man Sam; 12 - Tom's Ready; 13 - Creator; 14 - Outwork; 15 - Danzing Candy; 16 - Trojan Nation; 17 - Oscar Nominated; 18 - Majesto; 19 - Whitmore; and 20 - Shagaf. Shagaf had an excuse for finishing last in the Kentucky Derby; he just underwent surgery to remove bone chips in both his left knee and left ankle. The colt will not run again until 2017.
Barring illness and/or injury, it looks like a field of 12 (possibly 13) for next Saturday's Preakness at Old Hilltop. From the Kentucky Derby, Nyquist, Exaggerator and Gun Runner, the top three finishers will carry on. Lani, the Japanese owned and trained colt, who won the UAE Derby will also continue the Triple Crown trail. The two colts who were on the Kentucky Derby stand-by roster will also run in the Preakness: Laoban and Cherry Wine. Other expected entries are Fellowship, Dazzling Gem, Uncle Lino, Collected, Stradivari, and Awesome Speed.
The owner and trainer of Abiding Star have also expressed interest in running for the Black-eyed Susans. However, Abiding Star is stabled at Parx Racing, and that facility has been under quarantine for EHV since 1 April. Abiding Star has never shown any symptoms of the disease, and Pimlico is ready to accept him, as soon as quarantine is lifted, which is expected on May 16 or 17.
So four colts who raced in the Kentucky Derby will meet with eight or nine colts who did not race 1 and 1/4 miles next Saturday. Then it's on to the Belmont Stakes three weeks later... Will Nyquist win the Preakness next week? Will he be a Triple Crown winner on June 11? He will have to continue racing well, and have great racing luck to do so. Great bloodlines, great training, great jockeys, good racing luck, and a great heart and will to win are needed to win America's Triple Crown.
Barring illness and/or injury, it looks like a field of 12 (possibly 13) for next Saturday's Preakness at Old Hilltop. From the Kentucky Derby, Nyquist, Exaggerator and Gun Runner, the top three finishers will carry on. Lani, the Japanese owned and trained colt, who won the UAE Derby will also continue the Triple Crown trail. The two colts who were on the Kentucky Derby stand-by roster will also run in the Preakness: Laoban and Cherry Wine. Other expected entries are Fellowship, Dazzling Gem, Uncle Lino, Collected, Stradivari, and Awesome Speed.
The owner and trainer of Abiding Star have also expressed interest in running for the Black-eyed Susans. However, Abiding Star is stabled at Parx Racing, and that facility has been under quarantine for EHV since 1 April. Abiding Star has never shown any symptoms of the disease, and Pimlico is ready to accept him, as soon as quarantine is lifted, which is expected on May 16 or 17.
So four colts who raced in the Kentucky Derby will meet with eight or nine colts who did not race 1 and 1/4 miles next Saturday. Then it's on to the Belmont Stakes three weeks later... Will Nyquist win the Preakness next week? Will he be a Triple Crown winner on June 11? He will have to continue racing well, and have great racing luck to do so. Great bloodlines, great training, great jockeys, good racing luck, and a great heart and will to win are needed to win America's Triple Crown.
Saturday, May 7, 2016
Kentucky Oaks & Kentucky Derby Results
As you know, if you've read my blogs before, I do not like betting on a race favorite; so I usually picky long shots and hope for the best.
Yesterday's Kentucky Oaks was talked about as if there could be no other winner than Rachel's Valentina. She has a fantastic racing heritage - her dam is Rachel Alexandra, and her sire is Bernardini. I love her sire; I distinctly dislike her dam. I could never make myself like any foal from Rachel Alexandra.... For some reason, the mare just rubs me the wrong way - and she always has. In any event, I looked at the other fillies in the Oaks, and I picked four that I thought were better than R's V. Looking down the list of starting positions, I chose Lewis Bay, Go Maggie Go, Cathryn Sophia, and Land Over Sea. I was completely surprised when the four fillies I chose finished in the top four spots! Cathryn Sophia finished first, followed by Land Over Sea; Lewis Bay was third and Go Maggie Go finished in fourth - I now wish I had bet the Superfecta, picking the top four finishers!
Rachel's Valentina never seemed to catch fire and really run during the Oaks, but she did finish sixth of fourteen. There was record attendance at the Oaks on Friday.
I have yet to see the complete list of finish for the Kentucky Derby. The betting favorite was Nyquist, who was undefeated, followed by Exaggerator. Of course, I picked three long shots, Gun Runner, Trojan Nation and Majesto. Today, at Churchill Downs, the attendance was lower than last year's - it was only 167,227 today. Nyquist stayed undefeated (I did bet on him in the Breeders Cup last year, when he was a long shot); the betting favorite won the race handily. The second betting choice, Exaggerator, trained by Keith Desormeaux, and ridden by brother Kent, finished second. Gun Runner, who started the morning at long odds, was 10 to 1 when the race began. He was third; and Mohaymen, who had only lost a single race (to Nyquist) was fourth. I don't know where Trojan Nation, Majesto, or Lani (the Japanese trained horse) yet. I will keep you informed....
Yesterday's Kentucky Oaks was talked about as if there could be no other winner than Rachel's Valentina. She has a fantastic racing heritage - her dam is Rachel Alexandra, and her sire is Bernardini. I love her sire; I distinctly dislike her dam. I could never make myself like any foal from Rachel Alexandra.... For some reason, the mare just rubs me the wrong way - and she always has. In any event, I looked at the other fillies in the Oaks, and I picked four that I thought were better than R's V. Looking down the list of starting positions, I chose Lewis Bay, Go Maggie Go, Cathryn Sophia, and Land Over Sea. I was completely surprised when the four fillies I chose finished in the top four spots! Cathryn Sophia finished first, followed by Land Over Sea; Lewis Bay was third and Go Maggie Go finished in fourth - I now wish I had bet the Superfecta, picking the top four finishers!
Rachel's Valentina never seemed to catch fire and really run during the Oaks, but she did finish sixth of fourteen. There was record attendance at the Oaks on Friday.
I have yet to see the complete list of finish for the Kentucky Derby. The betting favorite was Nyquist, who was undefeated, followed by Exaggerator. Of course, I picked three long shots, Gun Runner, Trojan Nation and Majesto. Today, at Churchill Downs, the attendance was lower than last year's - it was only 167,227 today. Nyquist stayed undefeated (I did bet on him in the Breeders Cup last year, when he was a long shot); the betting favorite won the race handily. The second betting choice, Exaggerator, trained by Keith Desormeaux, and ridden by brother Kent, finished second. Gun Runner, who started the morning at long odds, was 10 to 1 when the race began. He was third; and Mohaymen, who had only lost a single race (to Nyquist) was fourth. I don't know where Trojan Nation, Majesto, or Lani (the Japanese trained horse) yet. I will keep you informed....
Sunday, April 3, 2016
Bits and Pieces
I will have reports and photos from the Chincoteague pony Spring Round-Up shortly, and plan to post a lot of photos, thanks to many friends. I will definitely credit the photographers, if they identify themselves!
I'm finally starting to feel as if my spring sap is being to run. Waking up with a good humor and looking forward to getting my jobs done. Unfortunately, I also just looked at my calendar, and the only day I do not have anything scheduled to do is April 24th. I guess that will be my day off this month.
Horse racing - Nyquist and Mohaymen raced each other for the first time in yesterday's Florida Derby. Mohaymen met his first defeat, finishing fourth, with Nyquist the winner by 3 1/4 lengths. (Mohaymen had been the betting favorite.) ... Jockey Calvin Borel, three-time winner of the Kentucky Derby, has announced his retirement. .... The great race mare Zenyatta celebrated her 12th birthday on Friday. She has a "foal watch party" going on, as she is due to deliver a new foal by War Emblem at any time.
Today, one of the most iconic and world renowned businesses began. The Pony Express was only in operation for 19 months, with the inaugural rider starting his journey on 3 April 1860. The Pony Express was closed on 26 April 1861, two days after the completion of the transcontinental telegraph line. The route ran between Saint Joseph, Missouri and Sacramento, California. Using the regular mail, delivery time from one place to the other took 21 days. The Pony Express guaranteed delivery in 10 days - and charged a whopping $2.50 per letter. It's hard to imagine those days with no radio, no television, no transcontinental railways or telegraph. (Just think how today's children would respond to a time without cars, telephones, computers, televisions, airplanes, and instant communication!)
I'm finally starting to feel as if my spring sap is being to run. Waking up with a good humor and looking forward to getting my jobs done. Unfortunately, I also just looked at my calendar, and the only day I do not have anything scheduled to do is April 24th. I guess that will be my day off this month.
Horse racing - Nyquist and Mohaymen raced each other for the first time in yesterday's Florida Derby. Mohaymen met his first defeat, finishing fourth, with Nyquist the winner by 3 1/4 lengths. (Mohaymen had been the betting favorite.) ... Jockey Calvin Borel, three-time winner of the Kentucky Derby, has announced his retirement. .... The great race mare Zenyatta celebrated her 12th birthday on Friday. She has a "foal watch party" going on, as she is due to deliver a new foal by War Emblem at any time.
Today, one of the most iconic and world renowned businesses began. The Pony Express was only in operation for 19 months, with the inaugural rider starting his journey on 3 April 1860. The Pony Express was closed on 26 April 1861, two days after the completion of the transcontinental telegraph line. The route ran between Saint Joseph, Missouri and Sacramento, California. Using the regular mail, delivery time from one place to the other took 21 days. The Pony Express guaranteed delivery in 10 days - and charged a whopping $2.50 per letter. It's hard to imagine those days with no radio, no television, no transcontinental railways or telegraph. (Just think how today's children would respond to a time without cars, telephones, computers, televisions, airplanes, and instant communication!)
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