I think we need to take a deep breath and give this horse a break. There were three qualifying points preps for the Kentucky Derby last weekend: the Wood Memorial Stakes Presented by Resorts World Casino, the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes, and the Runhappy Santa Anita Derby. With no races on the horizon, it will be interesting to see what Tagg does with Were going to do something different this week. 1. 5 for now, but were talking five-horse photo and he is still the horse I will be betting, but now as an overlay instead of a favorite. He will be on or right off the pace, but how far he can cay his speed is the main question. Read More, Yes, Virginia, there is still a Derby Dozen, as we have been informed that sponsor Shadwell wants to keep it going right up until the week of the Arkansas Derby, so if anyone has any poems, songs, short stories, or any limericks and one-liners they wish to share, send them in. Unlike Pletchers other two Derby horses, Charge It and Pioneer of Medina, who ran five and six weeks prior to the Derby, Mo Donegal had that big effort four weeks out and didnt need to do as much in his work. With the Kentucky Derby moved to Sept. 5, we'll have to be creative with the Derby Dozen, although as of now the major preps will still be run, including all three grade 1 preps -- the Curlin. He showed that with his powerful runner-up effort in the Florida Derby coming off two races in which he made enough mistakes to last an entire career. Yes, Virginia, there is still a Derby Dozen, as we have been informed that sponsor Shadwell wants to keep it going right up until the week of the Arkansas Derby, so if anyone has any poems, songs, short stories, or any limericks and one-liners they wish to share, send them in. You would think hes done too much too soon and likely will regress going a mile and a quarter so soon, especially facing 19 opponents, and like with Justify, who had only three career starts, I will let him beat me rather than bank on him defying the history books. Social Media Policy. He is as honest as they come. 1. 10 Charge It (Todd Pletcher, Tapit Ill Take Charge, by Indian Charlie). But I will be a spectator and just enjoy the show. Yes, Virginia, there is still a Derby Dozen, as we have been informed that sponsor Shadwell wants to keep it going right up until the week of the Arkansas Derby, so if anyone has any poems, songs, short stories, or any limericks and one-liners they wish to share, send them in. Hot Rod Charlie (Doug ONeill, Oxbow Ind1an Miss, by Indian Charlie) He is coming off a very impressive victory in the UAE Derby going 1 3/16 miles and was relentless in the stretch going after the loose on the lead Summer is Tomorrow in what was a two-horse race down the stretch. His first work since winning the March 26 Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby was a maintenance tandem move against first-level allowance horse Guntown. In the Santa Anita Derby he used one gear to run his opponents off their feet early, another to quickly separate himself from the stalking Medina Spirit and Parnelli on the turn, and several more in the stretch as he kept changing leads and surging forward each time. But its in his blood and keeps him young. 3, especially considering he is an undefeated champion and his Blue Grass victory was exactly the prep he needed for the Kentucky Derby, where he no doubt will be favored unless Concert Tour does something exceptional in the Arkansas Derby. One other statistic regarding the Santa Anita Derby: Rock Your World set fractions of :22 3/5, :46, 1:10 3/5, and 1:36 1/5. Brands on May 6. Eased off the pace that day after entering the first turn in a contending position, he ended up getting hung up in traffic and then finished evenly to run behind Smile Happy and Classic Causeway. Derby Dozen: Super Stock Rises Following Arkansas Derby Byron King's Top 12 on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, Presented by Spendthrift Farm. But the owners deserve a shot so here he is. And for that reason I am going to strongly consider him in all exotic wagers and even as a win bet at a huge price. He breezed a half in :49 2/5, staying busy before the serious training begins. Remember, Derby Dozen starts Jan. 21. Past winners of the Derby that had three starts going into the race include Justify (2018), Big Brown (2008), and Regret (1915). Yes, there is still a door on which to knock. Award-winning BloodHorse senior correspondent Steve Haskin unveils his inaugural Derby Dozen this week with a look at his leading contenders for the 146 th Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve on May 2. But this was not a horse running off. Known Agenda (Todd Pletcher, Curlin Byrama, by Byron) He's developed since, winning from pace-pressing positions or by stalking outside, as he did effectively in taking the April 2 Curlin Florida Derby Presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa at Gulfstream Park. 1 Tiz the Law Barclay Tagg Constitution Tizfiz, by Tiznow Despite the Derby Day assault by the Baffert Brigade, he holds on to the No. 6 Taiba (Tim Yakteen, Gun Runner Needmore Flattery, by Flatter). 8 Simplification (Antonio Sano, Not This Time Simply Confection, by Candy Ride). And they did not face strong fields in the Derby. Sign up for our free weekly email newsletters and alerts, filled with race previews and results, news of the week, or breaking news. With no races on the horizon, it will be interesting to see what Tagg does with Read More. Slapped on his right shoulder down the lane after drifting out briefly the turn, he pulled well clear of his company, the twice unplaced maiden Make Way. It all comes down to this: Essential Quality is an undefeated champion who is the most logical No. Once he showed he could rate off the pace you knew the skys the limit. Whenever stakes are carded, such as this years version of the Belmont Stakes (G1), he will be ready, having remained in steady training, breezing five furlongs in We do not collect any personal information and we do not provide any of the information to third-party services. It was his mechanics that drew me to him in those first two starts, and I was surprised how greenly he ran in the Florida Derby. I said a few weeks ago following Tiz the Bombs impressive victory in the Jeff Ruby Steaks on a synthetic surface that I want to see how he trains at Churchill Downs. Though he won the Feb. 12 Sam F. Davis Stakes with style to begin his 3-year-old year, the race didn't draw the apparent quality of the Risen Star hence his placement behind the leading half dozen. PIONEER OF MEDINA is another who is going to win his share of big races and hes been running well against top company, mainly Zandon, Epicenter, Smile Happy, and Zozos. on Monday, May 2nd, 2022 at 8:53 am and is filed under Derby Rankings. In his most recent work, still at Gulfstream, which went late in the afternoon, he was a powerhouse in the stretch and galloping out, and was striding out beautifully. It was no surprise to see a brilliant but lightly raced and untested PREVALENCE struggle on that deep track in the Wood. Its pretty amazing how many horses who really arent need-the-lead types have set the pace in Derby preps, including him, Rock Your World, Concert Tour, Highly Motivated, Medina Spirit, Soup and Sandwich, and Midnight Bourbon. He wants to go and I love his energy level, which is high, but well in control. What are people saying about mexican restaurants near Rowland Heights, CA? This colt has proven his versatility and was 94-1 when he came from seventh and put quite a scare in Essential Quality in the Breeders Cup Juvenile. Like Charge it, he falls in the three-start camp. The usual list of horses who have already established themselves and a separate list in Knocking on the Door comprised of late developers who have only competed in maiden and allowance races and have not yet faced stakes It. Though he was overlooked a bit at 6-1 odds in the Holy Bull, he won't slip past anyone in the Florida Derby. Might as well give him another shot with six weeks to regroup. He looked good at Tampa Bay Downs, but this is a different story, and we know trainer Brian Lynch was not keen on this path. Normally, a good second or third would be encouraging enough, but he has a big class edge, with only a few stakes horses entered, and he . Midnight Bourbon (Steve Asmussen, Tiznow Catch to Moon, by Malibu Moon) Remember, all his previous starts had come in sprints so he should be stronger with that race under him. Think of him as Antares, one of the four white Arabians in the movie Ben Hur. I will be betting him to win, but wouldnt be surprised if he takes a lot more money than you think. Perfect in two starts, he won a mile maiden race by 6 lengths Dec. 11 before stretching out to two turns and whipping outclassed allowance optional claiming company at Tampa Bay Downs Jan. 30, with both victories coming in fast time. By Byron King March 2, 2021 1. Read More, Yes, Virginia, there is still a Derby Dozen, as we have been informed that sponsor Shadwell wants to keep it going right up until the week of the Arkansas Derby, so if anyone has any poems, songs, short stories, or any limericks and one-liners they wish to share, send them in. Read More, Omaha Beach remains at the top, as the last Derby Dozen is posted. With only one easy victory in the slop in five months he needed to have a tough race, and what made this a perfect prep is that he fought hard to beat a very good horse by a neck and most important there was a 5 1/2-length gap back to the third horse. Based on running style and overall. 9. Greatest Honour (Shug McGaughey, Tapit Tiffanys Honour, by Street Cry) Apparently they charge me three timesmore, Stopped in for some tamales since the reviews on this place were good.more, Tapas/Small PlatesAmerican (New)Mexican$$, Damn that mole took me back to Christmas time w the fam when my madrina makes tamales de mole.more, Okay I was recommended this place years ago because my best friend said that the red sauce had good flavor and was super hot (not too common because it's usually one or the other) somore. Sign up for our free weekly email newsletters and alerts, filled with race previews and results, news of the week, or breaking news. But it was a big step up for him and he still was good enough to finish second to White Abarrio, beaten only 1 lengths, despite hitting the side of the gate at the break. Im still not positive a mile and quarter will be his strength, but he ran a sensational race in the Blue Grass Stakes in his two-turn debut, setting all the pace and holding on doggedly to make Essential Quality work like hes never had to work before. This is all about hopes and dreams and we certainly have both.. As I concluded in last weeks comment, He could be special and we very well may be seeing a huge breakout performance on Saturday. That we did. But at this late date Im not sure anyone will let you in. Read More, Tiz the Law remains on top of the Derby Dozen, as much of his competition prepares for the divisions of the Arkansas Derby. They did a lot more working in company and galloping out strongly. 2, but its almost a dead-heat. Xbtv.com video shows both horses being noticeably warm in the South Florida weather. If this colt only had one more start I would rank him higher based on all the positives I saw in his first two starts and the way hes been training at Churchill Downs. All comments and debates are welcome, so let's hear your thoughts, either on Facebook or on the blog,. PROXY Mike Stidham said hes been a puzzle and he had to make a positive visual move forward to continue on to Kentucky, which he didnt. The buzz surrounding him keeps growing with every gallop and workout, and with all the rave reviews there is now a good chance he will go off as favorite, but it still should be close with Epicenter, who has been training at Churchill Downs now for several weeks. BloodHorse news editor Byron King presents his latest Derby Dozen for 2022, with a look at his leading contenders for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve on May 7. This colt is 3-for-4 with his only defeat being a third-place finish in the Kentucky Jockey Club when he shipped for the first time and was surprisingly taken back to draft behind horses. All rights reserved internationally. Known Agenda has already had the top spot and is a horse I have been high on from day one. Last weekend, Epicenter won theRisen Star Stakes Presented by Lamarque FordatFair Groundsto vault to the top of the Kentucky Derby points leaderboard. Though Bob Baffert-trained Newgrange is the favorite in Saturday's Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park, this colt lands in the Dozen and Newgrange does not, owing to Baffert's suspension at Churchill Downs Inc.-owned tracks for medication violations. As for Crown Pride, I love what Im seeing every morning, especially the way they have him accelerating on the turn after crossing the wire. In California, DREAM SHAKE picked up another piece of the purse, but doesnt seem quite ready to move forward in the Derby. He may be more of a Belmont or even Travers horse, but I still feel with a good trip he can make his presence felt in the Derby. 2. Only five horses have run in the Derby with one or two pre-Derby starts. I would check the Mexican markets in your area or maybe even the little. The tamale is whatever since it's probably store bought and mine was a little hard around the edges but the rest of our plates were amazing! Little seems to separate these three talented colts, but this 3-year-old may have the most upside out of what was the strongest prep on the Road to the Kentucky Derby to this point in the year. Here is a Hall of Fame trainer who had the legendary John Henry 40 years ago and is approaching his 90th birthday with a leading Kentucky Derby contender that he bred thanks to his breeding right to the brilliant Candy Ride, who he saddled to a track record-breaking performance in the Pacific Classic. 1. He probably will need points if they do want to give him a shot, so watch for him to show up in Saturdays Lexington Stakes, which would also give him one last shot to get his act together and stop lugging out in the stretch every race. I know he had lots of works before his career debut and Bob Baffert had gotten him very fit, and nothing in racing surprises me anymore. Like several of the lightly raced horses this year he is doing things he shouldnt be doing for a green horse who hasnt figured it out yet. Award-winning BloodHorse senior correspondent Steve Haskin presents his Derby Dozen this week with a look at his leading contenders for the 146 th Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve, now rescheduled for Sept. 5. I was just waiting for him to get that maiden win out of the way, which he did on a similar slow track, and I felt he had a big shot to move forward several lengths in the Wood. He returned to the work tab this past Saturday with an easy half-mile in :51.13 at Palm Beach Downs. Looking past the Arkansas Derby, he ran quickly in a Feb. 19 allowance optional claiming win at Fair Grounds. ~ Steve Haskin, 1 Zandon (Chad Brown, Upstart Memories Prevail, by Creative Cause). McPeek has always been extremely high on this colt and if you can throw out his dismal effort in the Holy Bull Stakes I believe youre looking at a horse firing on all cylinders now and capable of upsetting this race at a big price. After next week everything will be sorted out and we should have a better idea where all these horses should be ranked. 2 thumbs up. Following a workmanlike maiden win at Fair Grounds, he took an allowance optional claiming race by 10 lengths at Oaklawn Park before his promising stakes debut in the Louisiana Derby. 1 spot as we head into the makeshift spring schedule beginning with the Matt Winn Stakes (G3) May 23. But Highly Motivated wouldnt quit. With no races on the horizon, it will be interesting to see what Tagg does with Were going to do something different this week. His third in the Florida Derby is better than it appears coming after he contested the pace between horses. This colt took a leap forward when stretched out to two turns, whipping first-level allowance optional claiming foes Jan. 14, and plenty of spacing leaves him poised for another peak performance. He proved popular last week with future wager bettors off at 17-1 after his April 2 Arkansas Derby win. Though he is more experienced than Taiba, it is not by a whole lot. He will get another chance in Saturdays Arkansas Derby and certainly is still sharp, working five furlongs in company in 1:00 1/5, galloping out six furlongs in 1:13 2/5. So he was coming off of Lasix, and coming off a $50,000 claiming race and a starter allowance optional claimer for horses who had run in a claiming race and he wins the Wood Memorial at 72-1 coming from far back with an powerful stretch run after trailing the field until inside the three-sixteenths pole. Who knows, maybe he was just treading water until he was able to stretch out to a mile and an eighth. Rock Your World (John Sadler, Candy Ride Charm the Maker, by Empire Maker) In his three-furlong work in :34 2/5 at Gulfstream Park he showed off his athleticism by hugging the rail and cutting the corner beautifully turning for home and galloping out . But to his credit he did come home his final three-eighths in a respectable :37 1/5. Get the latest insider news, analysis, entries and results on your phone or sent to your email! Soup and Sandwich (Casse, Into Mischief Souper Scoop, by Tapit) 4 Messier (Tim Yakteen, Empire Maker Checkered Past, by Smart Strike). 2 Epicenter (Steve Asmussen, Not This Time Silent Candy, by Candy Ride). As well as he performed to take the April 9 Wood Memorial Presented by Resorts World Casino, he took advantage of a sweet, ground-saving trip. In short you cannot plan strategy against him. Secretariat.com 2023. Though no match for Zandon's stretch kick in the Blue Grass, he also turned in a performance that suggests he can threaten on the first Saturday in May. But how hes going to win is another matter. After returning, jockey Umberto Rispoli had to tug hard on the reins to get him to pull up. Last weekend, Epicenter won the Risen Star Stakes Presented by Lamarque Ford at Fair Grounds to vault to the top of the Kentucky Derby points leaderboard. And it didnt help that the track was so ridiculously slow. And he is one of few Derby horses who works by himself. In the Florida Derby he reverted back to his old speedy ways due to strategy gone wrong and paid the price, getting caught in the middle of a three-horse speed duel, then a two-horse duel through a rapid Brisnet middle pace figure of 113 before tiring a bit in the stretch to finish third. Read More, The first Derby Dozen for 2020 finds Dennis' Moment on top. But this was a wacky race with the first three-quarters run in 1:12 and the deep closers Rombauer and Keepmeinmind running third and fourth only two lengths off the lead. Best not to discount the UAE Derby Sponsored By Mubadala victor given the dominance of Japanese horses in international racing. He just needs to either try to wire his field or find a stronger closing punch. What did people search for similar to tamales by the dozen near Rowland Heights, CA? He wants to go and i love his energy level, which is high, doesnt. You in ( Todd Pletcher, Tapit Ill take Charge, by Flatter ) he breezed a in... 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