Kentucky Derby Is One Week Away!

Well, with the Kentucky Derby one week away, there are other interesting happenings in the world of thoroughbred racing, also....   Today, in South Africa, Abashiri became the winner of the South African Triple Crown, with his win the the South African Derby.  The handsome bay gelding is by American-bred Go Deputy, and out of Donya by Elliodor.  Abashiri had won the first two legs of the Triple Crown, being the Gauteng Guineas and the South African Classic.
  Flamboyant Frankie Dettorri rode Galileo Gold, a son of Paco Boy, to the winner's circle at Newmarket in the first Grade I of the season in Great Britain, the 2000 Guineas.  The betting favorite for the Guineas was Air Force Blue, who finished twelfth of thirteen.  Massaat followed Galileo Gold, with Ribchester in third.  Two American-breds, Air Vice Marshal and Kentuckyconnection ended up in fourth and fifth place.
  It seems that the 2016 Kentucky Derby will have a full starting gate of 20 contenders again this year.  After the withdrawal of Cupid, due to a breathing problem, trainer Bob Baffert has only one entry in the Derby, Mor Spirit.  Pedigree analyzers are commenting on the fact there are three entrants each for two stallions in the top 20 entries: Tapit, the grey son of Pulpit, is standing his twelfth season at stud; while Uncle Mo has only two crops of offspring on the track.  The unsung son of Indian Charlie is siring a lot of good horses early in his career.  Tapit's sons in the Kentucky Derby are: Creator, Lani, and Mohaymen. Uncle Mo's sons are Nyquist, Outwork, and Mo Tom.
   You can be sure I'll be writing about the Derby during this week.  In the meantime, here is a list of the top 25 qualifiers for running in the Kentucky Derby.  They are listed by the number of points earned; please take notice that numbers 18 and 19 are actually tied in their point numbers.
1.    Gun Runner
2.    Nyquist
3.    Exaggerator
4.    Outwork
5.    Brody's Cause
6.    Creator
7.    Lani
8.    Mor Spirit
9.    Mohaymen
10.  Danzing Candy
11.  Destin
12.  Suddenbreakingnews
13.  Oscar Nominated
14.  Shagaf
15.  Whitmore
16.  Tom's Ready
17.  My Man Sam
18.  Majesto
19.  Trojan Nation
20.  Mo Tom
21.  Fellowship
22.  Adventist
23.  Laoban
24.  Dazzling Gem
25.  Uncle Lino
     I have listed the top 25 point earners while there are only 20 starting gate spaces.  If you've ever loved, owned, or spent time around horses and/or ponies, you know that strange things can occur.  In the case of these thoroughbreds, a fever, a swelling, a bad step, colic, even a spider bite, can wipe out that horse's one and only chance to be a Kentucky Derby contender.  I do not want to cause bad luck to any horse, rider, trainer, jockey, stable, barn or owner by pointing these possibilities out to the racing public.  I hope that the top twenty horses are all fine and fit, and race well on Derby Day - with no injuries to anyone (equine or human).

Heavy Spring Snow; Creator Wins Arkansas Derby

Well, it started out as rain Friday morning; turned to snow Saturday morning, switched back to a snow-sleet-rain mix yesterday afternoon and evening, and became snow, once again.  The folks up the hill at NCAR, NOAA, and NWS say that Boulder has received 17.1 inches of snow as of 7 a.m. this morning.  That's not counting the rain that fell for 18 hours before the snow - and that's not counting the snow that is continuing to fall….  I've been out banging brooms against tree limbs and bushes, trying to keep the limbs from breaking.
   I took Donn's Touareg home to visit the cats this morning - and was very happy I did.  When I returned to Lynn's, I found that a very large tree limb had broken and was lying where the Touareg had been parked.  It would have easily taken out t he windshield, not to mention damaging the hood and motor….  Glad I took the VW home for a couple of hours!   Also, when I returned, the neighbor across the street was shoveling his walkway, and informed me that his power was off, as were two of the other neighbors'.  I have power at Lynn's - but I don't know if it's reserve from the solar power, or if we just weren't affected by the transformer blowing.
   Christine came home last night to shower and change clothes before leaving for her boyfriend's place again.  She asked me if I had the keys to the Lexus, and I told her that I hadn't seen them since I arrived.  she looked around, then went digging in her Mom's coat pockets and found the keys.  So she took the Lexus last night, and left the Prius.  But I'm really happy I took the car out of the drive to go home this morning.

    A grey colt sired by Tapit won the Arkansas Derby yesterday, but it wasn't Cupid, the betting favorite who is trained by Bob Baffert.  Steve Asmussen trained Creator, another grey son of Tapit into the winner's circle yesterday.  Gettysburg, the Pioneer of the Nile colt, blazed  the first mile's fractions.  Creator was last in the field of twelve, at one point almost 16 lengths behind the leaders.  But Creator ran from last up to first place, and won easily.  Suddenbreaking News and Whitmore, the two geldings in the race, finished second and third.  Creator was sent off at 11 to 1 in the betting.  Cupid, who had trailed Gettysburg through the first furious mile, tired and finished tenth in the field.  Eleven of the twelve starters finished, with Luna de Loco pulling up.

Zenyatta & Her Breedings

Zenyatta won 19 of 20 races under jockey Mike Smith

She was bred to Bernardini first,

and produced

Cozmic One:

Tapit was the sire of

Zenyatta's second foal, the yearling

Ziconic:

 

War Front is the sire of 

this year's foal, a filly,

born Easter morning:

The Moss Family has asked for suggestions from Zenyatta's fans about

breeding her this year.

Giant's Causeway is my first choice.

Medaglia d'Oro is my second choice. 

Zenyatta's New Colt

Tapit is the colt's father...

 

Zenyatta is, of course, the mother...

 

Zenyatta and colt, born at 11:47 p.m. April 1, 2013

 

Zenyatta and her second son