Kentucky Derby

War Pass was not allowed to get the lead and he seem to hate that - 1-9 poke LAST :eek:


Decent performance by winner Big Truck
 
War Pass got a bit of a bump coming out but was beaten out of sight.

Would not write him off though after one bad run... something may be amiss.
 
"He got into a good position in the backstretch, but when Cornelio asked him, nothing happened," said trainer Nick Zito before rushing back to the barn with War Pass.

"He had a little fever earlier this week, but we thought he'd be okay," said Robert LaPenta, the owner of War Pass. "He's a great horse, but he just wasn't himself today."

Velasquez said he was squeezed from the outside on both turns and felt War Pass just didn't handle the track.
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Didn't read any pre race reports and wonder if "little fever" was reported to the great betting public :rolleyes:
 
From DRF.com

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Nick Zito still had no explanation Sunday for the performance of War Pass, who was eased to the finish line as the 1-20 favorite Saturday in the $300,000 Tampa Bay Derby. The loss was the first in six starts for the Eclipse Award winning 3-year-old.

“All the preliminary tests we've done are good," Zito said. "He scoped clean after the race, his airways are great, and he had no infection. He seems fine although he did have some cuts on his left leg when he came back that he probably sustained when jostled around leaving the gate. We'll take some x-rays and run some additional tests and see what happens this week. If everything passes, we'll go on from there."

Zito said if all goes well over the next several weeks, War Pass could still make his next start in the Grade 1 Wood at Aqueduct on April 5.

"If all the tests are negative and he's doing okay, he'll go back into training and work, and if he doesn't work good then forget about it," Zito said. "Hopefully he'll move on from this race, and we'll just be able to put a line through it."
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Big Brown was very impressive yesterday in the G1 Florida Derby. He has only run 3 times and continues to improve.

Next two weeks will tell a lot as we have the final major preps for the KD to be run on May 3rd

05 Apr Wood Memorial (gr. I) Aqu $750g 9

05 Apr Santa Anita Derby (gr. I) SA $750g 9

05 Apr Illinois Derby (gr. II) Haw $500g 9

05 Apr Bay Shore(gr. III) Aqu $150g 7

06 Apr Lafayette Kee $100a 7

12 Apr Holy Bull(gr. III) GP $150g 9.5

12 Apr Toyota Blue Grass(gr. I) Kee $750g 9

12 Apr Arkansas Derby (gr. II) OP $1,000g 9

19 Apr Coolmore Lexington (gr. II) Kee $325g 8.5
 
Forgot to mention earlier that you need to keep an eye on track conditions for Aqueduct, anyway, just to let those interested know, it's Muddy

Also, Racing World has not aired US racing for a while now, so if you want to watch the Santa Anita Derby go to http://calracing.com/ for live feed

Aqueduct, Hawthorne are on ATR
 
Good stuff...and so we can start concentrating on the flat now (bar a weeks drinking at Punchestown)!!!.

Going to really try and follow the American season as well this year.
 
Missed the race but sounds like War Pass might have been found out for stamina? Not sure Big Brown has anything to worry about from that lot.
 
Really impressed with Colonel John in the Santa Anita Derby tonight. Settled really nicely, travelled well and then stayed on all the way to the line. The type of horse that should really appreciate the trip in the Kentucky Derby as well. Lovely-looking horse to boot. Reminded a lot of his sire Tiznow actually.

Suppose it was nice to see War Pass back to his best at Aqueduct as well. Problem is he's so one dimensional- if he can't get to the lead he's done with. Got pressured into going a suicidal gallop tonight, but only just got chinned. Certainly won't get an easy lead at Churchill and can't see him staying either.
 
War Pass reminded me of Hard Spun there. Able to sustain vicious fractions but a complete lack of versatility looks likely to hinder him.
 
Think the only time was by accident in his previous race when he finished last at 1/20 (has that ever happened before?).

That Colonel John performance was pretty spectacular. Absolutely rattled home.
 
Colonel John is definitely growing on me and i can see him running a big one in Kentucky Derby



edited to add


Racing World was back on 433 last night, so all being well, we'll be able to watch Holy Bull from Gulfstream and Arkansas Derby from Oaklawn at weekend on google box
 
Big Brown has got Speedfigures advantage, but there has to be doubts about trip


Would be interested in reading Venusian and Steve M dosage thoughts and what they think regarding 10f for this fella
 
I cannot have Big Brown in the Derby. Completely wrong profile for the race. He hasn't been in a battle, he has only raced three times and I don't think he was up against much in the Florida Derby.

I am no Venusian or Miller, but a rudimentary look at his pedigree wouldn't give much hope of him staying more than a mile in top company.

Boundary is a sprinter, who gets sprinters and milers.

The dam was a sprinter, but is by Nureyev, so there is a bit of hope.

Northern Dancer appears twice in the third generation, but both parents being sprinters and his style of racing make me think he won't get the 10f.

BIG BROWN (USA) b. C, 2005 DP = 4-7-23-2-0 (36) DI = 1.67 CD = 0.36

I think this means he has a good chance of getting 10f, but I gave up on dosage a while ago.
 
Big Brown doesn't have a pedigree which suggests that 10f will suit him.

His sire, Boundary, was a sprinter who tends to get similar types. His dam appeared to be a sprinter as well. Although BB's inbred to Damascus, there's little evidence in his more recent antecedents that Damascus's "stamina genes" are the ones that have endured.

He certainly won the Florida Derby (9f) convincingly enough but I think a few of his peers will get him over 10f.

Another thing to bear in mind is he is basically an unsound horse, hardly surprising considering the way he's bred and there has to be a chance that something will go wrong with him.
 
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