Sunday's Musings - Part I

Sunland Park presents their best day of racing today with the WinStar Derby program. Expanding on my previous post - the first race today is for Open Maidens running a mile for 22k. The second race is for New Mexico maidens running 6 1/2 furlongs for 25.3k. The first race has attracted horses from many leading stables - Zayat (winner of the race trained by Steve Asmussen), Dream Walkin, Heligbrodt Racing Stable, and Everest Stable. I don't see any incentive for New Mexico bred maidens to run in the first race - no added money - and none of them did. New Mexico breds may be surpassing Arizona breds but they likely will never catch up with Cal breds.

This time of year I'm always impressed by three year olds horses who have had more than the usual 3-6 starts so far in their career. Examples would be Sky Mom - the Steve Asmussen filly who skipped the tougher 100K Grade III Honeybee today at Oaklawn for the 200k WinStar Oaks - this after winning the local prep at Oaklawn for the Honeybee. She started running at Keeneland last April and has run out of the money only twice in ten starts. Another example would be yesterday's Rebel winner - Sierra Sunset - who won for the fourth time in eleven starts yesterday at Oaklawn. Often these horses who have started more times than usual have more of a foundation under them to compete in the major spring three year old events - at least that is what I surmise.

The San Felipe was an interesting race yesterday and I believe could become a key race which many of the participants run well out of. Bob Black Jack maybe the best three year old sprinter in the country, Gayego would be perfect in 1-turn mile races, and Georgie Boy looks to be a serious Derby contender and the best Cal-bred three year old. On top of the first three, Shediak must be better than his dismal 8th place showing especially on the lawn and Indian Sun lost a few lengths with a poor start and wound up 4th.