Category Archives: 2015 Kentucky Derby News

The Triple Crown is in the rear-view mirror, but several of the Kentucky Derby contenders from this spring will continue to make a major impact as they begin to face older horses this summer and fall.

Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner California Chrome got a short break after his disappointing fourth-place finish in the Belmont Stakes, derailing his bid to become just the 12th Triple Crown winner in history.

The colt had won his previous six races including winning the Kentucky Derby at betting odds of 5-2 and the Preakness Stakes at odds of 1-2.

After a break this summer, his trainer Art Sherman plans on running him in a prep race, most likely at Los Alamitos, and then the colt will take on older foes in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita on Nov. 1.

For those that bet on Kentucky Derby online and did not have the winner, there are several runners that could score in the second half of the year.

Danza, who was third in the Run for the Roses at Kentucky Derby odds of 8-1, skipped the Preakness and was pointed toward the Belmont Stakes, but trainer Todd Pletcher was not satisfied with his works and the talented colt got a break, but should come back running later this year.

Kentucky Derby runner up Commanding Curve and fourth-place finisher Wicked Strong could show up in two key stakes for three-year-olds this summer, the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park and the Travers Stakes at Saratoga.

One of the best of the three-year-old-crop is Shared Belief, who did not make an appearance in the Triple Crown due to foot issues. The colt won the Hollywood Prevue and CashCall Futurity last year and won the Eclipse Award for top juvenile.

Back in February, the colt was the third choice in early Kentucky Derby betting at 15-1, but his foot issues knocked him out and he did not make his three-year-old debut until May 26 where he won an allowance race at Golden Gate Fields.

The colt made his first career start on conventional dirt in his most recent outing, the Los Alamitos Derby, and he ran huge, drawing away from Candy Boy to win by 4¼ lengths. Candy Boy had finished third in the Santa Anita Derby and a troubled 13th in the Kentucky Derby in his previous two starts. The colt was the fourth choice in Kentucky Derby odds at 9-1.

Next up for Shared Belief is the Pacific Classic at Del Mar where it will be back to a synthetic surface. The Pacific Classic will be run on Aug. 14, which will be his first start against older runners.

The late developing Tonalist is another three-year-old to keep an eye on. The colt did not make the Kentucky Derby or Preakness, but won the Belmont Stakes in his last start on June 7 at betting odds of 9-1.

His trainer Christophe Clement is pointing the colt to the Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga on July 26, a prep race for the marquee race for three-year olds this summer, the Travers Stakes, which will be contested on Aug. 23 at Saratoga

With the handicap division weaker than in previous years, look for California Chrome, Shared Belief, Tonalist, Danza, Commanding Curve, and Wicked Strong to be serious threats in top stakes during the second half of 2014.

It has been 35 years since Affirmed last won the Triple Crown and over the last three decades we have seen a dozen horses show up in New York to attempt to join the elite club, but all have come up short. This year, California Chrome will seek to become an all-time great by sweeping the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Stakes.

With a modest pedigree, by a sprint sire that stands for just $2,500 out of a mare that was purchased for just $8,000, the colt has already bucked the odds. He has won eight of his 12 career starts and comes into the Belmont Stakes riding a six-race winning streak.

Horse bettors have jumped onboard, making him the 3-5 heavy betting favorite for the race, a 1 ½-mile test where he will face 10 foes looking to derail his Triple Crown bid.

Trained by Art Sherman and ridden by Victor Espinoza, the colt was sent off as the 5-2 betting favorite for the Kentucky Derby and did not disappoint, surging to the lead heading for home and holding off the late running Commanding Curve by 1 ¾ lengths.

Two weeks later in Baltimore the colt was sent off at 1-2 odds and again did not disappoint his backers, winning by 1 ½ lengths over the late rallying Ride On Curlin.

Now it is on to New York where the colt will have a target on his back for the race. He faces a solid field that includes a pair of runners he beat in both Triple Crown races, four runners that ran in the Derby and bypassed the Preakness to be fresh for the Belmont, and four foes that will be making their first start in a Triple Crown race this year.

The second choice in the betting at 6-1 is Wicked Strong, who was fourth in the Kentucky Derby and skipped the Preakness. The colt did not have the best of trips after stumbling out of the 19 post and catching some traffic in the stretch.

Horses losing the Derby and skipping the Preakness have had a good record in the Belmont Stakes. The last two winners, Palace Malice and Union Rags were beaten in Louisville and came back five weeks later to win the Belmont. In fact, since 2000 seven runners have accomplished the feat.

Among the new shooters are the top two finishers of the Peter Pan Stakes – the winner Tonalist and runner up Commissioner.

Tonalist, who is at betting odds of 8-1, took to the sloppy conditions at Belmont Park and won the Peter Pan by four lengths. The colt breaks from the far outside in the Belmont, but figures to be an early pace factor.

Peter Pan runner up Commissioner is trained by Todd Pletcher, who saddled last year’s winner as well as the 2007 winner, the filly Rags to Riches. The colt has a stellar pedigree, by A.P. Indy, who won the 1992 Belmont Stakes, and he is out of a mare that was sired by another Belmont Stakes winner, Touch Gold who won the 1997 running.

Two runners join California Chrome that competed in all three Triple Crown races. Ride On Curlin (12-1) was seventh in the Derby and a fast closing second in the Preakness, while General A Rod (20-1) was 11th in the Derby and improved to fourth in the Preakness.

Completing the field are longshots Matterhorn (30-1), Matuszak (30-1) and Samraat (20-1).

Can California Chrome become the 12th Triple Crown winner? Place your wagers and tune into NBC, with post time for the Belmont Stakes at 6:52pm (ET).