Memorial Day Monday - May 30 - American Racing Preview

3:05 p.m. ET - Monmouth 6th - Skip Away - Two lightly raced four years old try to restore reputations after losses - Godolphin's Tahitian Warrior and Estate of Edward Evans' Christmas for Liam who was dueled into defeat in the Westchester and Pletcher has opted for this softer spot rather than trying the Metropolitan. Tahitian Warrior was scratched out of this race.

3:59 p.m. ET - Lone Star 4th - 15th Ouija Board - 6 year old mare Wasted Tears shoots for her 3rd consecutive Ouija Board win off six month layoff.

4:09 p.m. ET - Calder 9th - Memorial Day Handicap - Nine SoFla stalwarts meet in the traditional Calder Memorial Day feature with the head of the SoFla older division - Tackleberry - taking on the nation's best later in the day in the Metropolitan.

4:27 p.m. ET - Lone Star 5th - 15th Valid Expectations - Baffert sends the Pegram owned Irish Gypsy in from SoCal and is listed at even money on the line. Local hopes Gleaming, Cosmo Gal or Tin Top Cat provide significant competition to the shipper.

4:55 p.m. ET - Lone Star 6th - 15th Dallas Turf Cup - Ramsey barn's Dean's Kitten and the Asmussen trained Expansion are the two morning line favorites with Schramsberg looking to do the Connolly-Dallas Turf Cup double to claim top Texas older male turf honors.

4:59 p.m. ET - Churchill 9th - 8th Winning Colors - Sassy Image is 4 for 5 at Churchill for Preakness winning trainer Dale Romans and owner brother Jerry. Marty Wolfson's Stephanie Got Even returns to 6 furlongs in her 3rd start for new connections and there are many others in here with a shot.

5:23 p.m. ET - Lone Star 7th - 13th Cinemine - Morning Line has this down to two - Stall-Dilschneider's Aide who gets back to dirt and the WB Calhoun trained local hope Grandacious.

5:26 p.m. ET - Belmont 9th - 17th Sands Point - Winter Memories makes her 2nd three year old start and faces five tough rivals led by undefeated Naples Bay for Cox-Clement connections.

5:33 p.m. ET - Monmouth 11th - Violet - Clement's Denomination tries to return to winning ways facing Red Oak's Unbridled Essence on her home course.

5:49 p.m. ET - Belmont 10th - 118th Metropolitan - Per usual, a superb renewal of one of America's greatest races. Four New York breds led by Grade I winner Haynesfield in field of 11 - may be a recurring theme with addition of slot money for NYRA. Trainer Cam Gambolati seeks to renew Memorial Day glory 26 years after Spend A Buck's $2 million dollar bonus win in the Jersey Derby. Pletcher has 3 entries, Asmussen with 2 and Luis Olivares only needs Tackleberry.

5:51 p.m. ET - Lone Star 8th - 15th Lone Star Derby - Race run on turf for first time and larger field of 9 will run with no standouts but representatives from Ramsey (Derby Kitten), Farish (Close Ally), Shah-Baffert (Uncle Sam), and Doug O'Neill (Thirtyfirststreet) barns.

6:19 p.m. ET - Lone Star 9th - 15th Lone Star Park Handicap - Baffert's Game On Dude returns to site of his Lone Star Derby win last year facing Asmussen trained Thiskyhasnolimit and West Point's perennial stakes challenger Awesome Gem who ran 2nd in the race last year.

7:15 p.m. ET - Golden Gate 8th - Berkeley - 8 year old Cal bred legend Bold Chieftain tries to win race after finishing 2nd last year facing an eclectic bunch included SoCal shippers Mobilized and Uh Oh Bango (in his turf debut) and San Francisco Handicap wire to wire winner Our Nautique for Hollendorfer.

7:35 p.m. ET - Hollywood 8th - 59th Los Angeles Handicap - three Cal breds favored in here - Amazombie, Cost of Freedom and M One Rifle who have all taken turns beating each other in the past year.

8:05 p.m. ET - Hollywood 9th - 45th Gamely - Spendthrift's Malibu Pier and the Moss' Cozi Rosie renew their rivalry with Dubawi Heights added to the mix making her first Grade I start after winning the Wilshire in last. Hopefully Eclair de Lune will show more life for Arlington's Dickie D. than the miserable showing of Goldwaki on Saturday in the American Handicap.

Saturday, May 28 - North American Racing Preview

4:36 p.m ET - Woodbine 8th - 56th Eclipse features return to Woodbine of Wertheimer & Frere's Exhi who went two for two at the strip last year. Solid six horse field also includes Kinghaven Farms' Fifty Proof and last year's Eclipse winner Southdale.

5:17 p.m. ET - Belmont 9th - 53rd Sheepshead Bay has six sold betting entries led by Godolphin's Hibaayeb, Team Valor's La Luna de Miel and the former South American wonder horse Belle Watling who gets back to a more suitable long distance grass race.

5:29 p.m. ET - Churchill 10th - 74th Louisville Handicap has 5 year old mare Keertana taking on nine male challengers with the most formidable one appearing to be the German bred Musketier trained by Roger Attfield.

5:37 p.m. ET - Arlington 8th - 75th Arlington Matron has wide open field of 10.

6:08 p.m. ET - Arlington 9th - 77th Arlington Classic will be run on yielding turf with three scratches (#8,#10,#11) with favored Wilcox Inn defeating Animal Kingdom in his first start and not winning since.

7:35 p.m. ET - Hollywood 8th - 72nd American Handicap - Sidney's Candy return to the turf facing usual SoCal middle distance turfers including Liberian Freighter and The Usual Q.T. with one new face - Goldwaki - a former Wertheimer & Frere colt bought by Richard Duchossis in his bid to win the 2011 Arlington Million. This is Thorograph's Race of the Week and Jerry's crew doesn't like Sidney's Candy or Goldwaki.

www.thorograph.com

Sagamore Farm and the return of the Cerise Diamonds

New York Times had a nice story on Sunday on Under Armour founder Kevin Plank and his efforts to rebuild the historic Sagamore Farm in Maryland.

Love how the famous cerise diamonds that were part of Alfred Vanderbilt's racing silks have been incorporated into the silks for the new Sagamore.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/22/sports/under-armour-founder-works-to-restore-sagamore-farm.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=sagamore%20farm&st=cse#

http://www.blackburnarch.com/pubs/Mid-Atlantic%20Sagamore.pdf

Sunday, May 22 - US Racing - Slim Pickings

Not a single race worth $100k today in the United States - Woodbine is offering $125k on the New Providence for 3 year old fillies. The Three Coins Up purse at Belmont (9th race - 5:17 p.m. ET) offers a mile and a quarter grass race with familiar names of Grassy, Bold Hawk, and NY bred Wishful Tomcat. Emerald Downs has a matchup of the past two Longacres Mile winners (Noosa Beach and Assessment) in the Governor's Handicap over six and a half furlongs (6th race - 7:50 p.m. ET).

Global Racing - Sunday Morning

A sweep of top quality international action this morning:

The sublime mare Goldikova made her six year old debut a winning one taking the 133rd Prix D'Isapahan at Longchamp by a neck as 3-5 favorite under regular pilot Olivier Peslier - her second consecutive win in the stakes. William Hill has made her 5-2 favs to win her fourth consecutive Breeders Cup Mile at Churchill in November.

Six year old Singapore sprinter Rocket Man finally wins the KrisFlyer International Sprint at Kranji after running 2nd in the race the previous two years. Rocket Man ran away from the field in the stretch to win by four and three quarters lengths as 1-5 favorite. The world traveler Gitano Hernando won the 11th Singapore Cup at 13-1 in the Chechen national colors of President Ramzan Kadyrov.

At the Curragh, Coolmore's So You Think - former Bart Cummings trained Australian super horse - won the 50th Tattersalls Gold Cup by four and a half lengths as 1-7 favs and is now the heavy favorite (7-4 to 5-2) for King George VI & Queen Elizabeth at Ascot in late July. Coolmore and trainer Aidan O'Brien also took the 89th Irish 1000 Guineas running 1-2 with Misty For Me and Together.

Barry Irwin Is Right

Perhaps Barry Irwin's fifteen minutes of fame is over. Perhaps he will never again have the stage to espouse his views on the industry.

But he must given his due. He bred an excellent Derby winner who just came up short in the Preakness. His emphasis on international racing and pedigrees - drug free mind you - is where the sport needs to be in North America. He has discovered many top level horses. Just today at Kranji, Gitano Hernando won the 11th Singapore International Cup - a horse discovered by Team Valor who won the Goodwood at Santa Anita with him and later sold him to current owner Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov. At Longchamp today, the Team Valor owned Brigantin won the Group II Prix Vicomtesse Vigier at 10-1 over a little more than a mile and seven furlongs.

We need more people like Barry Irwin in this sport - even if he is a bit of a jackass.

www.teamvalor.com

Jerry Brown's Preakness Picks...

Aren't posted on his website but his feelings towards Animal Kingdom and Dialed In can be gleaned from article earlier in the week in the NY Post.

Jerry usually gives us his Preakness perspective as Race of the Week on Thorograph website - especially after giving us a "stinker" like his Derby Analysis:

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/horse_racing/one_expert_bet_against_kingdom_WSRX5UNsKfNEB0njJebZVJ

Preakness Storyline Guide

Astrology - Part of potential "Dead Men Exacta" with Dance City - owner Jess Jackson passed away in April

Norman Asbjornson - Local connections win with longshot Pa-bred sired by Derby-Preakness winner who died after paddock incident last September - part of potential "Dead Sire Exacta" with Astrology (AP Indy)

King Congie - Trainer won Preakness with Bernadini in ill-fated Barbaro year and jockey seeking redemption after yanked late from mount on eventual Derby winner

Flashpoint - Sharp owner/trainer combination will be in the lead and strictly one to catch

Shackleford - Derby frontrunner faces tougher competition early today

Sway Away - Wiseguy horse with jockey who was taken off eventual winner last year

Midnight Interlude - If Baffert hasn't given up on him, why should you?

Dance City - Part of potential "Dead Men Exacta" - owner Edward Evans died in December

Mucho Macho Man - Barn has won only 3 of 56 in 2011 - first female Preakness winning trainer

Dialed In - Derby redemption for beaten fav and five million dollar bonus to boot

Animal Kingdom - the trail to the Triple Crown grail continues

Isn't He Perfect - Longshot winner for Guyana native trainer Doodnauth Shivmangal

Concealed Identity - Local connections hit it big at old Hilltop with a Maryland bred - old Preakness storyline

Mr. Commons - Zenyatta trainer doesn't ship East often - must take long look despite poor draw

Crist Preakness Pick - Dialed In

http://www.drf.com/news/preakness-picks-dialed-can-turn-tables-animal-kingdom

Beyer picks Animal Kingdom in Preakness

http://www.drf.com/news/preakness-should-play-animal-kingdoms-strengths

Brad Free Type Post

Have you noticed that the Juddmonte horses aren't running nearly as well in the United States since Bill Mott took over the stable upon the death of Bobby Frankel at the end of 2009? Good example is the 5 year old mare Acronym who ran a distant 4th in the Monmouth Beach today. Under Frankel as a 3 year old, the filly broke her maiden at Santa Anita and proceeded to win her next two allowance-optional claiming starts at Saratoga and Belmont. Then Mott took over and in the past year and a half has only coaxed a single front running allowance win at Keeneland out of the mare. No Black Type for her. There are many more examples like this and a thorough comparison would be interesting. Not to say that Mott isn't still a capable trainer but any comparison with Frankel will put him in a bad light.

Woodbine Racecourse has hands-down the best simulcast presentation.

The introduction of Betfair in California would likely result in ante-post markets for many races. Based on the Cal-bred Bench Points' win in the Barrera today, would anyone say "Bench Points has a quote of 15-1 for the Cal Cup Classic in October"?

On Saturday on the Roger Stein show he went off on Brad Free after Free wrote something negative about Stein's stallion Terrell.

By the way, Stein said on his Saturday radio show that Michael Baze was a "tortured soul" who was "devastated" by losing the mount on Nehro to Corey Nakatani after his 2nd in the Louisiana Derby.

Someone should listen to Stein's show and post transcripts of it like they do for Rush Limbaugh and Howard Stern. Hmmm....

Future of American Racetracks?

According to Thoroughbred Los Angeles radio show on Sunday morning, there were more than 7,000 at Santa Anita on Saturday for the 3rd Food Truck Festival in 2011.

Racing in Southern California on Saturday was taking place at Hollywood Park where a crowd of 4,397 attended per Equibase to watch Old English Rancho's Acclamation take the Jim Murray Handicap for the second successive year.

Sunday, May 15 - North American Racing Preview/Review

Best races across the continent today:

Churchill - 3rd (12:47 p.m. Central) - Backtalk is out leaving field of four - all very salty sprinters 5 & up with familiar names of Zayat's Riley Tucker, Cash Refund, Chief of Affairs and River Bear.

On sloppy strip, Cash Refund wins duel against Chief of Affairs and always holds Riley Tucker at bay in the lane. Any one of the top three could be seen again in the BC Sprint at Churchill in November.

Woodbine - 8th (3:27 p.m. Central) - 12th running of the La Lorgnette - Josie Carroll trainee Inglorious tries to return to winning circle in her 3rd start of her 3 year old campaign after two losses at the Fair Grounds. She is listed as even money favorite in morning line and faces six rivals including Spooky Kitten who Dale Romans claimed off of the Ramseys at Keeneland in April and is immediately placed in a stakes race.

Inglorious is imperious winning as 3-5 favorite. She is the obvious ante-post favorite for the Woodbine Oaks on June 5 and then may be pointed towards the Alabama at Saratoga on August 20.

Churchill - 9th (3:59 p.m. Central) - Alw NW1X or NW2 for 3 year olds - full field of 12 is great betting race with possibility of emerging star for 3 year old events later in year.

9-5 favs Wilburn wins holding off Infrattini late to give trainer Steve Asmussen his 400th winner at Churchill Downs. Both likely to return in the Matt Winn at Churchill on Foster Day.

Hollywood - 3rd (4:03 p.m. Central) - 18th running Lazaro Barrera Memorial has five 3 year old runners over 7 furlongs - two from the Baffert barn and West Point's Runflatout makes his 3rd start after flopping going long as 5-2 in the San Felipe.

6-5 favorite Bench Points rally late to nail stalker Runflatout on the line with both Baffert colts off the board. Be interesting if connections move Bench Points back to two turns in the Swaps on July 9 or point towards Triple Bend at 7 furlongs on July 2.

Monmouth - 10th (4:03 p.m. Central) - Monmouth Beach - Six runners highlighted by Live Oak's Successful Song ridden by Edgar Prado away from riding at Belmont and Juddmonte's Acronym coming off an optional claiming win at Keeneland.

Three horses hit the wire together with 7-2 frontrunner CC's Pal coming back at the end to hold on over Sweet N Sour Nina and Successful Song and give the Derek Ryan trainee her first win since last June.

Belmont - 9th (4:17 p.m. Central One Count Stakes - mile and a quarter prep for the Brooklyn Handicap on June 10 features 2010 Belmont Stakes winner Drosselmeyer attempting to win first start since in his third race of 3 year old campaign while facing five rivals.

Post time for race moved up due to incoming rain at Belmont. "Drosselmeyer a victor once again at Belmont Park" is Tom Durkin's call as the 2010 Belmont Stakes winner gets his first win since that day over a game frontrunner Birdrun in a Bill Mott stable Civil War. Expect Drosselmeyer in the Brooklyn Handicap on June 10.

Latest Preakness Betting

Here are the latest odds on the Preakness from UK betting (where ante-post betting is conducted regularly and in a civilized manner):

Animal Kingdom 7/4

Dialed In ranges from 11/2 to 6-1

Mucho Macho Man 11/2 to 7-1

Dance City 6-1 to 12-1

Shackleford 8-1 to 10-1

Flashpoint 12-1 to 16-1

Midnight Interlude 16-1 to 20-1

Mr. Commons 16-1 to 20-1

Sway Away 14-1 to 20-1

Astrology 20-1 to 25-1

King Congie 25-1

Concealed Identify 16-1 to 20-1

Norman Asbjornson 33-1 to 50-1

Isn't He Perfect 50-1 to 66-1

HORSES IN TRAINING - EXPECTED NEXT STARTS FOR TOP HORSES - MAY 14

Acclamation - 5yo h - Warren - EW Johnston - Whittingham - Hollywood - June 11

Acting Happy - 4yo f - R Dutrow - Jay Em Ess - turned out for summer - return for fall campaign

Alternation - 3yo c- D Von Hemel - Pin Oak

Amazombie - 5yo g - Spawr - Spawr & Sanford - Triple Bend - Hollywood - July 2

Animal Kingdom - 3yo c- Motion - Team Valor - Preakness - Pimlico - May 21

Atta Boy Roy - 6yo c - Lund - Schaefer - working for return at Turf Paradise through April

Awesome Feather - 3yo f - Chad Brown - Stronach - uncertain return - retirement likely

Awesome Maria - 4yo f- Pletcher - Robsham - working at Belmont

Behkabad - 4yo c - Royer-Dupre - Aga Khan

Better Than Ever - 4yo g - Laxon - Jupiter Stable -

Big Drama - 4yo c - Fawkes - Queen - in light training - possible for defense of Sprint Smile - July 10 Calder

Bind - 3yo c - Stall - Claiborne -

Biofuel - 4yo f - Baker - Brereton Jones - main summer goal - Delaware Handicap - Delaware Park - July 16

Black Caviar - 4yo m - Moody - Wilkie, Errett Bloodstock, et al - Doomben 10,000 - Doomben - May 28

Blind Luck - 4yo f - Hollendorfer - DeDomenico, Carver & Hollendorfer -

Bourbon Bay - 5yo h - Drysdale - Heerenspergers -

Boys at Tosconova - 3yo c - R Dutrow - Jay Em Ess - at Emerald Farm - return to Dutrow barn in summer - fall campaign to be planned

Bribon - 7yo g - Pletcher -Derrick Smith - no recent works since start in Barbados Gold Cup on March 5

Buena Vista - 5yo m - Matsuda - Sunday Racing - Victoria Mile - May 15 - Tokyo Racecourse

Byword - 5yo h - Fabre - Juddmonte -

Canford Cliffs - 4yo c - Hannon - Heffer Synd, Roy, et al - Queen Anne - June 14 - Royal Ascot - then Sussex - July 27 - Goodwood

Cape Blanco - 4yo c - O'Brien - Coolmore -

Capt. Candyman Can - 5yo g - Wilkes - Rausch & Zell

Carlton House - 3yo c- Stoute - The Queen - Derby - Epsom - June 4

Champ Pegasus - 5yo h - R. Mandella - Diamond A Racing & Vargas -

Cost of Freedom - 7 yo g - Sadler - Barber -

Crown of Thorns- 6 yo h - R Mandella - B. Wayne Hughes - Metropolitan - Belmont - May 30

D'Funnybone - 4yo c - R. Dutrow - Pompa - True North - Belmont - June 10

Dialed In - 3yo c - Zito - LaPenta - Preakness - Pimlico - May 21
Dick Turpin - 4yo c - Hannon - Manley - Prix d'Ispahan - Longchamps - May 22

Dream Ahead - 3yo c - Simcock - Dasmal - possible for Irish 2000 Guineas - Curragh - May 22 - aimed at stakes in 2nd half of 2011

Duke of Mischief - 5yo h - Fawkes - Lieblongs - working at Calder

Espoir City - 6yo h - Adachi -

Fabulous Strike - 8yo g - Beattie -

Fantasia - 5yo m - Sheppard - Strawbridge - working for Belmont or Saratoga return

First Dude - 4yo c - Baffert - Dizney - main goal is BC Classic - Churchill - Nov 5

Flashpoint - 3yo c - Ward - Peachtree - Preakness - Pimlico - May 21

Fluke - 6yo h - Ascanio - Bozano - Shoemaker Mile - Hollywood - July 2

Frankel - 3yo c - H Cecil - Juddmonte - St. James Palace - Royal Ascot - June 14 - then Juddmonte International - York - August 17

Gayego - 6yo h - Suroor - Godolphin -

Giant Oak - 5yo c- Block - Virginia Tarra Trust - Foster - Churchill Downs - June 18

Gio Ponti - 6yo h - Clement - Castleton Lyons - working at Belmont - Manhattan - Belmont Park - June 11

Goldikova - 6yo m - F. Head - Wertheimers - Prix d'Ispahan - Longchamps - May 22 - then Queen Anne - Royal Ascot - June 14 - long range goal is defense of BC Mile - Churchill - Nov 5

Good Ba Ba - 9yo g - Schutz - Yuen -

Havre De Grace - 4yo f - L Jones - Fox Hill Farms - main summer goal - Delaware Handicap - Delaware Park - July 16

Helleborine - 3yo f - Head-Maarek - Juddmonte - Poule d'Essai Des Pouliches (French 1000 Guineas - Longchamp - May 15

Ice Box - 4yo c - Zito - LaPenta - working at Palm Meadows through April

Life At Ten - 6yo m - Pletcher - Candy DeBartolo - working at Belmont

Machen - 3yo c - Howard - Courtlandt -

Maclean's Music - 3yo c - Asmussen - Stonestreet -

Midday - 5yo m - Cecil - Juddmonte - Coronation Cup - Royal Ascot - June 3 - main target BC F&M - Churchill - Nov 4

Moonlight Cloud - 3yo f - Fabre - Strawbridge -

More Joyous - 4yo m - Waterhouse - Singleton -

Mucho Macho Man - 3yo c - K Ritvo - Reeves & Dream Team Racing Stable - Preakness - Pimlico - May 21

Overdose - 7yo h- Ribarszki - Mikoczy - Temple Stakes - Haydock - May 21 - then King's Stand - Royal Ascot - June 14

Payton d'Oro - 5yo m - Larry Jones - Ferris & Presley - working at Del Park - likely to be pointed towards Delaware Handicap - Delaware Park - July 16

Plum Pretty - 3yo f - Baffert - Peachtree

Poet's Voice - 4yo c - Suroor - Godolphin

Presious Passion - 8yo g - Hartmann - Generazio - working at Monmouth

Presvis - 7 yo g - Cumani - Marinopoulos - Singapore Airlines Cup - Kranji - May 22

Rail Trip - 6yo h - Dutrow - Jay Em Ess Stable - working in New York - will be ready for start in June or July

Rainbow View - 5yo m- Shepherd - Augustin - no recent works

Recital - 3yo c - O'Brien - Coolmore - Derby - Epsom - June 4

Red Desire - 5yo m - Matsunaga -

Redding Colliery - 5yo h- McLaughlin - no recent works - was training at Palm Meadows during December

Regal Ransom - 5yo h - Suroor - Godolphin -

Reve d'Essor - 3yo f - Matsuda - Sunday Racing -

R Heat Lightning - 3yo f - Pletcher - Robsham -

Richard's Kid - 5yo h - Baffert - Zabeel -

Rocket Man - 6 yo g - Patrick Shaw - Crabbia - KrisFlyer International Sprint - Kranji - May 22 - then possible for Golden Jubilee - Royal Ascot - June 18

St. Trinians - 5yo m - Mitchell - Capen & Chavers - working at Hollywood Park - Milady - Hollywood Park - May 21

Saamidd - 3yo c - Suroor - Godolphin -

Secret Gypsy - 6yo m - Werner - Richland Hills -

Sidney's Candy - 4yo c - Hollendorfer - Craig - Hollywood Gold Cup - July 9

Smiling Tiger - 4yo c- Bonde - Klein & Lebherz - Metropolitan - Belmont - May 30

Snow Fairy - 4yo f - Ed Dunlop - Anamoine Limited - Pretty Polly - Curragh - June 25

So You Think - 5yo h - A. O'Brien - Coolmore - Tattersalls Gold Cup - Curragh - May 22 - then Coral - Eclipse - Sandown - July 2

Switch - 4yo f - Sadler - CRK Stable -

Tackleberry - 4 yo c - Olivares - Metropolitan - Belmont - May 30 - working at Calder

The Factor - 3yo c - Baffert - Bolton - Woody Stephens - Belmont - June 10

The Usual Q.T. - 5yo h - Cassidy - American Handicap - Hollywood - May 28

Trappe Shot - 4yo c- McLaughlin - Mill House - True North - Belmont - June 10

Turbo Compressor - 3yo c - Pletcher - P&G Stable - being pointed for Haskell -Monmouth - July 31

Turbulent Descent - 3yo f - Puype - Blinkers On Racing Stable - Acorn - Belmont - June 11 - then Test - Saratoga - August 6 - longterm goal - BC F&M Sprint - Churchill - Nov 4

Twice Over - 6yo h - H. Cecil - Juddmonte -

Twirling Candy - 4yo c- Sadler - Craig - no works in a month - next race TBD

Uncle Mo - 3yo c - Pletcher - Repole - at WinStar Farm - next start TBD

Vineyard Haven - 5yo h - Suroor - Godolphin - will return as 5 year old

White Moonstone - 3yo f - Suroor - Godolphin -

Wigmore Hall - 4yo g - Bell - Hawtin - Singapore Airlines Cup - Kranji - May 22

Witty - 5yo m - Mandella - Claiborne Farm & Dilschneider - injured - out until 2011

Wooten Bassett - 3yo c - Fahey - Brady & Cosmic Cases - Poule d'Essai des Poulains (French 2000 Guineas) - Longchamp - May 15

Workforce - 4yo c - Stoute - Juddmonte - Brigadier Gerard - Sandown - May 26

World Domination - 3yo c - H Cecil - Juddmonte - King Edward VII - Royal Ascot - June 16

Animal Kingdom and the American Triple Crown

I have Fred Stone's "The American Triple Crown" painting displayed prominently in my home. I pretty sure that Andrew Beyer has the same painting displayed in his home based on my recollections of an interview done with him.

The painting displays the eleven American Triple Crown winners from Sir Barton in 1919 (when the term "Triple Crown" had not yet been coined to 1978 when Affirmed was the last horse to win the series. Each year at this time time - immediately after the Kentucky Derby - I gaze at the painting (which I had Fred Stone sign at Hollywood Park one day) and wonder if this is the year that the painting will become obsolete - when it will no longer be an accurate portrait of the all American Triple Crown winners.

There have been eleven "near-misses" since Affirmed. Starting with the next year - 1979 - when the great Spectacular Bid supposedly stubbed his hoof on a safety pin in the Belmont to the epic failure of Big Brown in the 2008 Belmont, eleven have entered the starting gate in the Belmont with a chance to make Stone's painting obsolete. None have made it - the closest being the Baffert trained duo of Silver Charm-Real Quiet who were run down in the shadow of the wire.

So there have been 11 American Triple Crown winners and 11 Near-Misses in the 32 years since Affirmed last won the Crown. 9 of the 11 Triple Crown winners were homebreds raced in familiar racing colors of Samuel Riddle, Belair, Calumet, John Hertz, King Ranch, Meadow Stable, and Harbor View. Only 2 of the 11 Near Misses were homebreds - Thomas Mellon's Pleasant Colony and the Chapmans' Smarty Jones.

This trend reflects the change in racing ownership away from owners who bred and raced their horses to a racing industry dominated by commercial breeders. No one could make a reasonable argument that horse racing has benefited from this change and a plausible case can be made that this change has been the most significant reason for the decline of American thoroughbred breeding and racing in the past half-century.

And now we have Animal Kingdom - a homebred conceived originally in the mind of Barry Irwin - head honcho of Team Valor. In many ways, this horse is a "throwback" - from the breeding to the training methods of Graham Motion - to the methods which the nine homebred Triple Crown winners from 1930 to 1977 were bred and trained. The most glaring exception - of course - is the small number of starts that Animal Kingdom has made to reach this point of his career - five starts. The nine homebred Triple Crown winners raced an average of more than fourteen starts up to their first Triple Crown series win. The two homebred Near Misses had nine (Pleasant Colony) and seven starts (Smarty Jones) after winning the Kentucky Derby.

Five starts and the Derby is won by Animal Kingdom. Big Brown had four starts after his Derby win. This is the question that all the wiseguys will be focusing on during the next week - the potential for a "bounce". This is why Animal Kingdom will not be Jerry Brown's top choice for the Preakness and the Rag heads are already chiming in: "Chances are, he did nothing more than put together a knock-out number that will result in a big bounce in Baltimore" - Bob Ehalt in his Ragozin Insider column in Thoroughbred Times Today (May 14, 2011).

The "Baltimore Bounce" angle is the dominant question on how a horseplayer views the Preakness next Saturday.

The DRF's Glenye Cain Oakford writes an excellent story on the breeding behind Animal Kingdom in this week's DRF Saturday supplement:

http://www.drf.com/news/irwin-wins-kentucky-derby-maverick-way

Black Caviar - 13 is Not Unlucky

The great sprinting 4 year old mare Black Caviar continued her unbeaten career winning the 29th BTC Cup at Doomben Racecourse in Brisbane, Queensland on a beautiful autumn day in front of a crowd of more than 20,000 - biggest crowd at the track since Gunsynd's farewell in 1973.

Black Caviar deservedly has her own website which has all the details:

http://www.blackcaviar.net.au/

Barry Irwin is Done Talking

“This is going to be my final comment
on that, okay? What I said was
true. The timing was not very good.”
Team Valor International President
Barry Irwin, in the Louisville Courier-
Journal, on comments he made on national
television in the moments after
Animal Kingdom won the Kentucky
Derby about past trainers lying to him

Barry also he wasn't going to talk anymore about the Velazquez-Albarado switch on Down The Stretch radio show this morning. Roger Stein also discussed it this morning on his show.

Do you think he will talk to NBC Sports about it this week in the run up to the Preakness?

The "New" Daily Racing Form

No list of the day's races and entries for many tracks (including Arlington on Saturday in my edition).

No significant coverage of global racing by an expert like Alan Shuback

No Peb cover drawing for the Kentucky Derby

Barry Irwin - Additional Interesting Remarks

I do believe that one of the storylines that will be developed over the next two weeks until Preakness Day will by Barry Irwin and his rather controversial remarks about parts of the horse racing industry. When a guy who wins the Derby and has a tear in his eye says "I got tired of trainers lying to me", I think it's a legitimate story.

There are plenty of racing industry actions that deserve criticism. But Irwin has earned widespread condemnation within racing - Indian Charlie had a cartoon in his pre-Derby edition that seems to represent many racing people's opinion of him:

http://www.indiancharlie.com/2011/05/05/friday-saturday-may-6-7-2011/

A few other remarks by Irwin at the Derby post-race press conference - the first one I would agree with completely:

ON INTERNATIONAL RACING:

"Well, I've always liked international racing, even when I was a turf writer. It's more interesting. I'm the kind of guy that gets bored very easily. I need a lot of different things to do.

Following international racing is a lot of fun. I also think that we have not done enough importing of horses and blood lines from other places where horses don't run on drugs and horses legs are not manipulated and horses, basically, are bigger and tougher, stronger and sounder.

And we have won a couple of big races now in the last six months, we won the Breeders' Cup with a horse that was out of a mare that I brought from South Africa, and this is a horse that I bought in Germany.

In Germany, you are not allowed to breed a mare that has ever raced on drugs, Lasix, Bute, nothing. So when you buy some stock from there, you know you're getting something good. So that's where I'm coming from."

ON RACING OWNERSHIP PARTNERSHIPS & RACETRACKS:

"I think this was a big weekend for the partnerships, Peachtree, Todd won a race today we won this. I hope these racetracks pay attention to the partnerships and treat us a little better than they have been treating us."

Barry Irwin and Horse Trainers

Immediately after winning the 2011 Kentucky Derby with Animal Kingdom, Barry Irwin was interview by NBC's Bob Neumeier. Neumeier asked Irwin why had had shifted all of Team Valor's horses (including Animal Kingdom) under Graham Motion in November - his response was "I was tired of trainers lying to me. I wanted a guy to tell me the truth."

At the Derby post-race press conference, Irwin expanded upon his earlier remark:

"Well, it's a combination of things. This is my 25th year racing horses for a syndicate. I started in 1987. And I've done this a long time. I'm 68 years old. I've reached the point where I still want to work hard, so then I don't want to have 18 trainers. I don't want to hear stories from 17 trainers every day.

Unless you're there and you have one guy on your team that's on your side, you're not going to get the truth. And I reached the point where I was fed up with it. I also wanted to have my horses trained off‑site from the racetrack, because racetrack life for a horse isn't any good. And we found Fair Hill, which is, I wouldn't say it's a paradise for horses, but it's the closest thing to a European training center that we have in America.

We have had horses with Graham for the last three years. I asked him early last year if he would train horses for us on a private basis. He didn't want to do it. So we waited about six, seven months, after he had a little more chance to work with me, and I asked him again, and he decided to do it, and then we decided to go that way.

It's hard to find one guy that can train every kind of horse, but I think Graham comes pretty darned close. We gave him a young two‑year‑old by the same sire as Animal Kingdom and he ran second is first time out of Keeneland, four and a half furloughs. Any guy that can win a Derby and run a horse four and a half furloughs is my kind of guy."

Barry Irwin Knows Racing History?

At the post-Derby press conference, Team Valor's Barry Irwin stated according to the official transcript:

"The other thought is, I like to try to make history if I can, and we made a lot of history today. This is the first horse that came to win this race with only four previous races, since Exterminator in 1918, the first horse to win after a six‑week layoff since Needles in 1956 so that means a lot to me."

Big Brown won the Derby in 2008 off a mere three starts.

Zayat Stable at the Derby

Jay Privman in DRF had good article on Ahmad Zayat in their Derby preview issue

http://www.drf.com/news/kentucky-derby-zayat-knows-ups-and-downs

Zayat has now had a horse that at the top of the stretch looked like the winner in two of last three years - Pioneer of the Nile in 2009 and Nehro this year - before being caught in the final eighth of a mile. In 2010 they had Eskendereya who was Derby favorite who was withdrawn a week before the race.

A book could be written on Derby hard luck stories and it would include a chapter on Zayat's past three years.

2011 Derby Storylines

Here are the storylines for Derby 137:

Archarcharch - 70 year old trainer Jinks Fires in his first Derby charge, 50 year old Jon Court (trainer's son-in-law), Arkansas owners who rebuffed offers to buy horse pre-Derby. Great story.

Brilliant Speed - Live Oak's To Honor and Serve was top 5 for Derby in winter book - 2nd stringer takes the prize for Campbell Soup heir

Twice the Appeal - Calvin wins again

Stay Thirsty - Pletcher/Repole combo wins race after scratch of 2 year old champion and winter book favs Uncle Mo on the day before the race

Decisive Moment - Trainer Juan Arias wins race like his namesake with Canonero II forty years ago and 52 year old Kerwin "Boo Boo" Clark wins race on his first mount.

Comma to the Top - Will he or won't he horse wins with 49 year old P Val twenty two years since his first win on Sunday Silence.

Pants On Fire - Jockey Rosie Napravnik becomes first female to win the race

Dialed In - The confirmation of the arrival of a great horse and the tears flow from trainer Nick Zito on his 3rd Derby win

Derby Kitten - Last horse to get into race wins it for his exuberant owner Ken Ramsey

Twinspired - 45 year old jockey Mike Smith wins his 2nd Derby

Master of Hounds - "foreigner" in race shows further demise of American racing

Santiva - no idea on this one - will probably win

Mucho Macho Man - first female trainer Kathy Ritvo wins race after heart transplant. Watch for the full-length movie in 20 years.

Shackleford - wise guy horse wins it for local trainer Dale Romans

Midnight Interlude - trainer Bob Baffert wins his fourth Derby to break the streak of no unraced 2 year old winning race since Apollo in 1882

Animal Kingdom - provides redemption for jockey Johnny V (after losing mount due to Uncle Mo fiasco) and trainer Graham Motion (who lost top contender Toby's Corner this week)

Soldat - trainer Kiaran McLaughlin wins race to redeem 2nd with Closing Argument in 2005

Nehro - backrupt owner Zayat Stable wins big one with comebacking Corey Nakatani to redeem for Zayat's Eskendereya - last year's Derby runup favorite

Watch Me Go - first female trainer wins race for longtime owner/breeder Gilbert Campbell

Three horse are grandsons of AP Indy - 1992 Derby runup favorite scratched on day of race and recently pensioned - Stay Thirsty, Pants On Fire, Nehro.

Take your pick.

Stay Thirsty, my friends.

Deservingness of Derby Win

Winning the Kentucky Derby should always be the privilege of horsemen and horsewomen who deserve the honor based on their time and service to the racing industry. Winners like Sea Hero in 1993 for trainer Mack Miller and owner Paul Mellon, Unbridled in 1990 for trainer Carl Nafzger and owner Francis Genter, and Swale in 1984 for Claiborne Farm.

So with this in mind, I have rated this year's Derby field based on "Deservingness" - a purely arbitrary ranking based on my own perspective:

Archarcharch - Local favorite for 70 year old trainer Jinks Fires making his Derby debut with son-in-law Jon Court in the irons and owners who rejected selling a top 3 year old to "foreigners". This is a very worthy team.

Brilliant Speed - Charlotte Weber has one of the finest homebred racing operations in the country running Live Oak Plantation since 1995.

Watch Me Go - Gilbert Campbell is a longtime Florida breeder who also has a solid homebred racing operation.

Dialed In - Robert LaPenta has been building his top-notch racing stable for a decade and has suffered 3 year old disappointment in the past with War Pass.

Derby Kitten - Ken and Sarah Ramsey are long-time racing benefactors and homebred owners

Animal Kingdom - Barry Irwin - chief honcho of Team Valor - maybe an arrogant, abrasive individual but he has been involved in racing for over 20 years.

Master of the Hounds - Coolmore already has one Derby winner with Thunder Gulch in 1995.

Johnny Come Latelys - Arnold Zetcher, Mike Repole, Lori and George Hall and Ahmad Zayat can all be included in this category. They are not worthy of Derby Glory yet.

Jerry's Thoughts

As always, Jerry Brown provides his informative opinion on Derby-Oaks 137. His key contenders:

Derby - Archarcharch, Soldat, Mucho Macho Man, Pants On Fire

Oaks - Joyful Victory, Zazu, Kathmanblu & Her Smile (who Bobby Flay purchased based on Thoro-Graph recommendation)

Jerry doesn't think much of Dialed In or Uncle Mo.

Jerry and The Derby

Always enjoy listening to Thoro-Graph's Jerry Brown's comments on Derby and Breeders Cup days via his annual online audiovisual seminars. Derby/Oaks seminar is not up yet.

I'm going to forecast which horses Jerry will look favorably on in each race:

Derby - Santiva, Soldat, Stay Thirsty, Pants on Fire

Oaks - Daisy Devine, St. John's River, Kathmanblu

Alan Shuback Dismissed from DRF

The global correspondent for Daily Racing Form since 1993 - Alan Shuback - has parted ways with the publication. Shuback often had controversial views towards American horses vis-a-vis their European counterparts (voting for Goldikova for 2010 Horse of the Year for example) but he obviously knew the racing world very well and I will miss his writing in the Form and DRF.com.

Daily Racing Form continues to match the decline of the industry they are covering - dismissing a quality writer like Shuback and no longer printing the entries for smaller racetracks in the Form.