Monthly Archives: March 2013

On Saturday, May 4, the 2013 Kentucky Derby will be run at Churchill Downs – the 139th annual Run for the Roses.

While that date might seem well into the future, it’s never too early to start handicapping the field and looking at hoses that might make some noise come May.

This year, the Derby has instituted a new points system for qualification into the big dance. Stakes races will increase in value as we get closer and closer to May 4, meaning the “stakes” actually get higher with each race.

So while Derby positions are still left to be determined, a pretty decent picture is coming into focus with regards to contenders and pretenders. The Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard is jammed with points and futures are already in play.

So let’s take a look, shall we?

Kentucky Derby Contenders

All Others, 5/1

No, that’s not the name of a horse – it’s a way for bettors to play the field. Also referred to as the Mutuel Field, this includes all three-year-old thoroughbreds other than the 23 individual horses on the Derby future’s pool.

It’s not an overwhelming surprise that All Others leads the way right now. April represents a big month for stakes races with certain fields offering up as many as 50 Derby points. That means the field could take a dramatically different look on a week-to-week basis, hence why people might play the field.

Verrazano, 7-1

Verrazano is a product of the Let’s Go Stable, a racing partnership started by brothers-in-law Kevin Scatuorchio and Bryan Sullivan in 2006. The duo has enlisted the services of super-trainer Todd Pletcher to handle Verrazano, and that’s partly why the odds are already in the horse’s favor – Pletcher won the 2010 Kentucky Derby with Super Saver and led all trainers in monies won for the 2011 season.

Verrazano has shown good form as of late, winning the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby Stakes on March 9. At the time of writing he currently sat sixth on the Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 50 points.

Vyjack, 10/1

Vyjack comes from the Pick Six Racing stable (David Wilkenfeld) and is the first horse Wilkenfeld ever purchased. Fun fact: the name comes from his parents, Vivienne and Jack.

Wilkenfeld has enlisted the services of Rudy Rodriguez as his trainer and the pair has worked well together, especially in March. Vyjack shot right near the top of the leaderboard thanks to a big win at the Grade 3 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct on March 2.

Itsmyluckyday, 10/1

Itsmyluckyday is still riding high on success from earlier this season – he captured the Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream back in January, snagging a bunch of points in the process (currently sitting 20th overall.)

A lot of Itsmyluckday’s hype probably stems from his trainer, Eddie Plesa Jr. A former assistant for the legendary Stanley Hough, Plesa Jr. has over 2,000 career victories and was inducted into the Calder Hall of Fame in 2006.

The annual Run for the Roses is set for Saturday, May 4 at Churchill Downs – yes, it’s the 2013 Kentucky Derby.

This year’s Derby features an innovative new point system, which places extra emphasis on stakes races as we head closer and closer to May 4. As such, the field of competitors continues to evolve on a weekly basis – and with that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the horses making news as we near the ’13 Derby.

Hornung’s Making Waves with Titletown Five

— NFL Hall of Famer Paul Hornung is getting pretty excited about the Derby – and letting the world know it.

The former Heisman winner at the University of Notre Dame and four-time NFL champion with the Green Bay Packers raised some eyebrows this past week when he said that winning the Kentucky Derby with his three-year-old colt, Titletown Five, would be the biggest accomplishment of his career.

“This would be the greatest day of my life, if I had the opportunity to walk out in that winner’s circle, and to thank the people of my hometown,” Hornung said on a national racing teleconference. “Just imagine, a hometown boy winning the Kentucky Derby.”

Hornung is a Louisville native (he played high school football at Flaget High) who brought in some major star power to back Titletown Five – specifically, fellow Packers great Willie Davis and one of the Packers’ current board members, Ed Martin.

As it stands right now, Titletown Five needs some solid prep race results to even qualify for the Derby. Pundits figure he’ll need to finish either first or second in the March 30 Louisiana Derby,  his first race after a four-month layoff due to a knee chip.

Will Take Charge and Oxbow Put on a Good Show

— Legendary trainer D. Wayne Lukas had a solid performance this past weekend as his horses finished first and second in Oaklawn’s Rebel Stakes.

Heading into the stretch, it seemed as though Oxbow would run away with the title but he was usurped along the final leg by Will Take Charge, who won by a head at the line.

With these two horses in tow, Lukas is going to be a major player come Derby time on May 4. While he lacks the sheer volume of challengers as, say, Bob Baffert, the 77-year-old Lukas has a decided edge when it comes to winning on the big stage.

Lukas has four Derby titles on his resume and given he’s three years shy of his 80th birthday, would be the oldest trainer to capture a Derby crown should he win the ’13 race.

Mac Might be your Man on Saturday

— Keep an eye on Mac the Man this weekend at Saturday’s Grade III Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati Spiral Stakes.

Trained by former Lukas employee Jeff Greenhill, Mac the Man whipped off back-to-back stakes wins at Turfway Park this past winter and is considered a real sleeper pick not just for this weekend’s race, but the Derby as well.

With the first week of March having come and gone, we’re drawing closer and closer to the annual Run for the Roses – yes, the 2013 Kentucky Derby from Churchill Downs, to be held on Saturday, May 4.

Today, we’re going to do things differently with our Kentucky Derby contenders update. As you may know, the Derby has instituted a new points system this year – points are awarded in stakes races leading up to May 4, with the point value increasing on a weekly basis.

Essentially, the closer we get to the Derby, the higher the stakes become (no pun intended. Okay, slightly intended.)

As such, we’ll take a look today at the top of the Road to the Kentucky Derby Leaderboard (currently available for viewing at KentuckyDerby.com) and review some of the most notable names on the list.

I’ve Struck a Nerve (51 points)

The big news out of the racing community this week was that a ‘minority’ share of I’ve Struck a Nerve – the sophomore son of Yankee Gentleman – has been sold, according to trainer Keith Desormeaux.

“I don’t know too much about it, and I don’t know how the word got out so fast,” Desormeaux said in a press release. “The only thing I do know is that I’m still the horse’s trainer, and that’s nice.”

Desormeaux said he’s “very appreciative” of the fact he was kept on to train I’ve Struck a Nerve, who shot to the top of the Derby Leaderboard following his upset win at the Grade II Risen Star Stakes on February 23.

Next up for Desormeaux and I’ve Struck a Nerve? The $1 million Louisiana Derby on March 30.

“The horse is doing fine,” Desormeaux said. “He’s getting very fit and we are looking forward to running him.”

Vyjack (50 points)

Vyjack basically punched his ticket to the Derby with last Saturday’s win at the Gotham Stakes. The 2-year-old gelding is being trained by former jockey Rudy Rodriguez and looks to be a major player on May 4.

When asked how good Vyjack might be, owner David Wilkenfeld offered up some serious enthusiasm.

“He’s shown he has unlimited potential,” Wilkenfeld told the Kentucky Courier-Journal. “According to Rudy and his brother, he can run all day.

“I think if he stays sound, there’s a lot more untapped potential.”

Orb (50 points)

Orb sits tied with Vyjack on points thanks in large part to an outstanding showing at the Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream on February 23.

It marked the third-straight race in which Orb came from way back to claim victory, making a great charge and holding off pre-race favorite Violence to win by a half a length.

Trained by longtime horse-man Shug McGaughey, Orb has emerged as one of the favorites for the Kentucky Derby – even though McGaughey tried to play it cool after wining Gulfstream, telling reporters “not to worry about the Kentucky Derby” given he’s never won one.

Orb’s jockey, however, was singing a different tune.

“He was going along nice and smooth,” John Velasquez told the Associated Press following the Gulfstream victory. ”I actually had to ride him pretty hard from the half-mile to the quarter pole to keep position and I hoped it wouldn’t take anything out of him for the stretch.

“But it actually worked out great.”

We’re into March and that means one major thing in the horseracing community – just two months remain until the 2013 Kentucky Derby gets underway at Churchill Downs. Over the past two weeks, a series of stakes races have been run as horses and trainers look to qualify for the annual Run for the Roses, but there are also a number of important races on the horizon in terms of jockeying for position.

Let’s take a look back and forward…

— There were some big developments out of Palm Beach, Fla. on the weekend as Rydilluc, a Gary Contessa trainee, captured the Palm Beach Stakes in impressive fashion by outlasting Charming Kitten and Reporting Star.

While the purse was nice ($150,000), there were no Derby points awarded for this race, meaning it was mostly about show, status and claiming a spot as a legit contender heading into May.

It was also a chance for Contessa to talk up his colt, who is now 3-for-3 in his turf starts this season and showing true star potential.

“You see what he looks like turning for home with the stride he’s got,” Contessa told Bristnet.com. “He’s an amazing horse.

“At the top of the stretch(…) he kicks in like that and draws off [and] my heart is in my throat. That’s what keeps us getting up in the morning – a horse like this. It’s going to be fun getting to the bottom of it and find out exactly what he is.”

— Looking ahead, the second week in March promises to be a major one for two horses on a number of Derby watch lists: Verrazano and Flashback.

Both are undefeated this season and will put their records on the line against strong fields at Tampa Bay Downs. For Verrazano, Tampa Bay will be his first start going around two turns – meaning a lot of eyes will be on both the horse and jockey John Velazquez, who will have to show he can ratio Verrazano’s speed right from the start of the race.

Verrazano is from the Todd Pletcher stable and you have to think Pletcher will have a small bit of desire coursing through his veins as he tries to capture the Tampa Bay race for the first time in nine years. He’s had three favorites run over the last three years (Spring Hill Farm in 2012, Brethren in 2011 and Super Saver in 2010) but all three disappointed at Tampa Bay, failing to win or place.

As for Flashback, he’ll likely be the favorite heading into Tampa Bay. The Bob Baffert-trained colt has finished second in each of his last two runnings.

— Away from the track, the Kentucky Derby unveiled this year’s 2013 Pegasus Pins on Friday at an event at Louisville’s Hard Rock Café.

The pins sell annually for $5 with proceeds accounting for 25-30% of the Derby’s annual revenue. They serve as admission-like tokens to a variety of Derby events and, according to the Louisville Courier-Journal, more than 300,000 are sold annually.

We’re into March and that means one major thing in the horseracing community – just two months remain until the 2013 Kentucky Derby gets underway at Churchill Downs. Over the past two weeks, a series of stakes races have been run as horses and trainers look to qualify for the annual Run for the Roses, but there are also a number of important races on the horizon in terms of jockeying for position.

Let’s take a look back and forward…

— There were some big developments out of Palm Beach, Fla. on the weekend as Rydilluc, a Gary Contessa trainee, captured the Palm Beach Stakes in impressive fashion by outlasting Charming Kitten and Reporting Star.

While the purse was nice ($150,000), there were no Derby points awarded for this race, meaning it was mostly about show, status and claiming a spot as a legit contender heading into May.

It was also a chance for Contessa to talk up his colt, who is now 3-for-3 in his turf starts this season and showing true star potential.

“You see what he looks like turning for home with the stride he’s got,” Contessa told Bristnet.com. “He’s an amazing horse.

“At the top of the stretch(…) he kicks in like that and draws off [and] my heart is in my throat. That’s what keeps us getting up in the morning – a horse like this. It’s going to be fun getting to the bottom of it and find out exactly what he is.”

— Looking ahead, the second week in March promises to be a major one for two horses on a number of Derby watch lists: Verrazano and Flashback.

Both are undefeated this season and will put their records on the line against strong fields at Tampa Bay Downs. For Verrazano, Tampa Bay will be his first start going around two turns – meaning a lot of eyes will be on both the horse and jockey John Velazquez, who will have to show he can ratio Verrazano’s speed right from the start of the race.

Verrazano is from the Todd Pletcher stable and you have to think Pletcher will have a small bit of desire coursing through his veins as he tries to capture the Tampa Bay race for the first time in nine years. He’s had three favorites run over the last three years (Spring Hill Farm in 2012, Brethren in 2011 and Super Saver in 2010) but all three disappointed at Tampa Bay, failing to win or place.

As for Flashback, he’ll likely be the favorite heading into Tampa Bay. The Bob Baffert-trained colt has finished second in each of his last two runnings.

— Away from the track, the Kentucky Derby unveiled this year’s 2013 Pegasus Pins on Friday at an event at Louisville’s Hard Rock Café.

The pins sell annually for $5 with proceeds accounting for 25-30% of the Derby’s annual revenue. They serve as admission-like tokens to a variety of Derby events and, according to the Louisville Courier-Journal, more than 300,000 are sold annually.

The month of February is a big one with regards to the Running of the Roses. Each year, a series of important stakes races happens across America as horses and trainers fight for a spot in the Kentucky Derby – and this year, with Churchill Downs revamping its point qualification system, the prep races have more value than ever.

With that said, let’s take a look at which horses are making noise as we count down to the 2013 Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 4.

Grade II Fountain of Youth Stakes, Hallandale Beach, Fla.

The big story here was Orb, a Shug McGaughey-trained colt that has now won his last three starts after a stellar victory at Hallandale Beach. Orb knocked off one of Todd Pletcher’s prized Derby contenders – Violence – in the 1 1/16-mile Fountain of Youth, and instantly became a favorite for Churchill Downs in the process.

“If he keeps improving, maybe he’ll be something,” McGaughey said of Orb following the race, clearly trying to keep a low-profile heading into the Florida Derby on March 30.”He’s come so far over the winter. My people have done a great job with him.”
The Associated Press, which keeps a running ‘power rankings’ of Top 10 Derby Contenders, now has Orb in the No. 5 slot.

Grade II Risen Star Stakes, New Orleans, LA.

In a result that stunned the horse racing community, 99-1 longshot I’ve Struck a Nerve edged Code West at the wire to wow the New Orleans audience. Trained by J. Keith Desormeaux and ridden by James Graham, I’ve Struck A Nerve was something of an afterthought heading into this race, especially since pre-Derby favorite Normandy Invasion (trained by Chad Brown) was in the field.

Unfortunately for Brown, Normandy Invasion broke poorly and was never a factor in the Risen Star. But that set the stage for I’ve Struck a Nerve, the Louisiana-bred horse, to pull off a stunning upset that even took his trainer by surprise.

‘I can’t believe it,” Desormeaux said. ”We’ve always thought highly of the horse. The expectations were we would finally get a clean trip at that distance. He’s never had a clean trip around two turns.”

I’ve Struck a Nerve earned 50 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby, which should be enough to earn him a spot in the field.

Withers Stakes at the Aqueduct, New York, NY.

While it was a race that happened earlier in February, it was still an important one because of who emerged the winner – Revolutionary, another horse from the Pletcher stable that’s expected to factor heavily at May’s Kentucky Derby.

Revolutionary split apart from Escapefromreality down the stretch to capture the Aqueduct crown, giving him 10 qualifying points to the Derby (which it looks like he’ll have no trouble qualifying for now.)

Revolutionary now joins the likes of Shanghai Bobby, Violence, Verrazano and Overanalyze as Pletcher horses that you can expect to see in May.