Two Other Stakes Races on Both Breeders' Cup Days

The big news races at Churchill Downs are the 14 Breeders' Cup races on 2 and 3 November - but there are two other Stakes races being run on the days of the Breeders' Cup races, as well as the regular meat-and-potatoes races that occur daily at any track during a racing meet.  I won't give a run-down of the usual races, but the four Stakes races each have a horse entered that qualified for the Breeders' Cup wait list.  - And I hold the Marathon Stakes close to my heart; it was once a part of the Breeders Cup, but no longer is.  (And I love old-fashioned long distance races - remember, original thoroughbred racing took place over a distance of 5 miles and were run in heats, all on the same day.  These days, we breed for quickness over short distances - but I adore long-distance runners....)
   On Friday, 2 November, Louder Than Bombs will race in the Street Sense Stakes, and Toast of New York will run in the Marathon Stakes (Grade II).
             
     Street Sense Stakes        2 year olds        1 mile (8 furlongs)     $100,000
          Post time:  2:36          Weight:  122 pounds           (All colts; #6 is a gelding)
 1.    Distant Shore (MD)              10 to 1
 2.    Improbable (KY)                   5 to 2
 3.    Trophy Chaser (KY)              3 to 1
 4.    Unionizer (FL)                       8 to 1
 5.    Moonster (KY)                       8 to 1
 6.    Reward the Miracle (FL)      15 to 1
 7.    Manny Wah (KY)                  6 to 1
 8.    Louder Than Bombs              8 to 1
 9.    Marquee Prince                      6 to 1

    Marathon Stakes       3 and up               1 3/4 miles (14 furlongs)    $200,000
          Post Time:   6:43            Weight:   122 pounds        (All entries bred in KY)
 1.    Term of Art   4, c                  20 to 1
 2.    Dabster        4, c                    9 to 2
 3.    Imperative    8, g                  30 to 1
 4.    Finglas    4, g                       20 to 1
 5.    Senior Investment   4, c       20 to 1
 6.    War Story    6, g                    4 to 1
 7.    Big Dollar Bill    4, g            5 to 1
 8.    Honorable Duty   6, g           4 to 1
 9.    Toast of New York   7, g       9 to 2
10.   Rocketry    4, c                      7 to 2

   On Saturday, 3 November, Dak Attack will race in the Cherokee Run Stakes, and Bixby Lou will run in the Chilukki Stakes (Grade II).

       Cherokee Run Stakes        3 year old colts       7 furlongs      $200,000
             Post time:   11:15             (2 geldings; # 4 and # 8.   All bred in KY, except #3 NY, #11 MD)
 1.    Cool Bobby                   118           12 to 1
 2.    Honorable Treasure       118           12 to 1
 3.    Audible                         122            2 to 1
 4.    Smart Remark               118            20 to 1
 5.    Cowboy Creed              118            30 to 1
 6.    Mr Freeze                      120           12 to 1
 7.    Principe Guilherme       118           12 to 1
 8.    Kowboy Karma             118           10 to 1
 9.    Dak Attack                    118           12 to 1
10.   Aveenu Makainu            118           15 to 1
11.   Still Having Fun            120            4 to 1
12.   Super Sol                       118            4 to 1

     Chilukki Stakes        3 and up (fillies and mares)        1 mile      $200,000
           Post time:   6:22          Weight:   121 pounds      (All are KY-bred)
 1.    Moonlit Garden            4               7 to 2
 2.    Awestruck                     4               4 to 1
 3.    Shenandoah Queen       6               7 to 2
 4.    Bixby Lou                     4               20 to 1
 5.    Student Body                4               15 to 1  
 6.    Divine Miss Grey         4                9 to 5
 7.    Berned                          4                8 to 1
 8.    Pricedtoperfection        5                20 to 1

Kentucky Oaks Today, Derby Tomorrow

It was raining early this morning at Churchill Downs, and the main track surface was given a "sloppy" rating, while the turf track is listed as "good."  The weather forecasters say there will be periods of both rain and sun throughout today.   The Kentucky Oaks, the female version of the Derby, is scheduled to leave the starting gate at 6:12 EST this afternoon.  There is a full field of 15 fillies, who will each carry 121 pounds, over the main track for 1 and 1/8 miles.  The purse for this year's Oaks is $1 million...  I'll be listing post position, filly, morning line betting odds, sire, and coat color. All of the Oaks entries were born in Kentucky.
1     Ever So Clever         20 to 1         Medaglia d'Oro    dark bay
2     Lockdown                20 to 1          First Defence       dark bay
3     Mopotism                 20 to 1         Uncle Mo             bay
4     Paradise Woods         5 to 2          Union Rags          bay
5     Jordan's Henny         30 to 1         Henny Hughes     gray/roan
6     Vexatious                  20 to 1         Giant's Causeway   bay
7     Farrell                        5 to 1          Malibu Moon        bay
8     Sailor's Valentine      30 to 1         Mizzen Mast         gray/roan
9     Wicked Lick             30 to 1         Maclean's Music   chestnut
10   Miss Sky Warrior       9 to 2         First Samurai         dark bay
11   Tequilita                   20 to 1          Union Rags            bay
12   Daddy's Lil Darling   20 to 1        Scat Daddy            dark bay
13   Abel Tasman               5 to 1         Quality Road         bay
14   Salty                            6 to 1          Quality Road        bay
15   Summer Luck            30 to 1         Lookin At Lucky   bay

There have been no scratches in the Kentucky Derby field for tomorrow.  Girvin, who has a quarter crack in one hoof, will be wearing glued-on shoes.  Following are the 20 starters, with their jockeys and trainers listed...
1     Looking at Lee         Corey Lanerie                   Steven Asmussen
2     Thunder Snow          Christophe Soumillon      Saeed bin Suroor  
3     Fast and Accurate    Channing Hill                  Michael Maker 
4     Untrapped                 Ricardo Santana, Jr        Steven Asmussen 
5     Always Dreaming     John Velazquez                Todd Pletcher
6     State of Honor          Jose Lezcano                    Mark Casse
7     Girvin                        Mike Smith                       Joe Sharp
8     Hence                        Florent Geroux                 Steven Asmussen
9     Irap                           Mario Guttierrez               Doug O'Neill
10   Gunnevera                Javier Castellano              Antonio Sano
11   Battle of Midway      Flavio Prat                       Jerry Hollendorfer
12   Sonneteer                  Kent Desormeaux            Keith Desormeaux
13   J Boys Echo              Luis Saez                          Dale Romans
14   Classic Empire         Julien Leparoux              Mark Casse
15   McCraken                Brian J Hernandez, Jr     Ian Wilkes
16   Tapwrit                     Jose Ortiz                          Todd Pletcher
17   Irish War Cry          Rajiv Maragh                    Graham Motion
18   Gormley                    Victor Espinoza                 John Shirreffs
19   Practical Joke          Joel Rosario                       Chad Brown
20   Patch                         Tyler Gaffalione                Todd Pletcher

May all the races be cleanly run (figuratively, since there will be mud everywhere), and may no horses or jockeys have any injuries......

The Preakness - and Results of the Black-Eyed Susan

Well, I didn't do very well in picking the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes yesterday.   But I didn't entirely wipe out, either.  Longshot Keen Pauline went to the lead early in the race and stayed there.  Include Betty was running last for most of the race, then came roaring up in the stretch to finish second.  Ahh Chocolate finished in third, after running in fifth place for the majority of the race.  Danessa Deluxe managed to get fourth.  Keen Pauline paid $32.80 for a $2 win bet; Include Betty paid $5.40 for a $2 place bet; and Ahh Chocolate paid $4.40 for a $2 show bet.  The $2 perfecta paid $211; the $2 trifecta paid $1,356; and the $2 superfecta paid $3,253.80.
   The NBC Sports Network will show live Preakness day races, the NBC will take over, then after-race coverage will be by NBC Sports again.  There are eight horses contesting the Preakness Stakes today; all are three-year-olds, all carry 126 pounds over the one mile and three sixteenths.  The purse is worth $1.5 million.  Five of the eight entries ran in the Kentucky Derby, and they will be facing fresh opponents, who did not race two weeks ago.  Here are a list of post positions, horse's name, finish place in the Kentucky Derby, jockey, morning line betting odds and sire:
1   American Pharoah (1st)     Victor Espinoza    4 to 5      Pioneerof the Nile
2   Dortmund  (3rd)                 Martin Garcia        7 to 2     Big Brown
3   Mr. Z  (13th)                      Corey Nakatani    20 to 1    Malibu Moon
4   Danzig Moon  (5th)            Julian Leparoux   15 to 1    Malibu Moon
5   Tale of Verve                     Joel Rosario          30 to 1   Tale of Ekati
6   Badhisattva                        Trevor McCarthy  20 to 1    Student Council
7   Divining Rod                      Javier Castellano   12 to 1   Tapit
8   Firing Line  (2nd)              Gary Stevens            4 to 1    Line of David

Six of the eight colts were born and bred in Kentucky; Danzig Moon was bred in Ontario, Canada, and Badhisattva was bred in California.  There are three chestnut colts and five bays running.  The chestnuts are: Dortmund, Mr. Z, and Badhisattva.
    It would be great to have a Triple Crown champion this year - but can American Pharoah win from the first post position, and with Dortmund in the second slot?  Will D Wayne Lukas surprise us with Mr. Z?  How much did the Kentucky Derby take out of the five colts?   My feelings (which are much good any more) are:  Badhisattva in first; Firing Line in second; and Divining Rod in third.   -  But then, of course, American Pharoah might be able to "Wow!" all of us.