Favorite for 2 Year Old Eclipse Awards About To Make His 3 Year Old Debut In Run To Bluegrass Derby

Half A World Away has had an absolutely amazing 2 year old season and is early favorite for this year’s Triple Tierra because of his astounding wire-to-wire victory in the BB Juvenile and hasn’t disappointed since so there is not much bad to say about him now, and The Silver Fence Derby Grade III All horses, 3 years old, A mile and one sixteenth on the Fast Dirt Course, Purse : $150,000 will decide whether he can stay that way, or whether he will dramatically change, in either a very positive or negative way.

Before we get to know more about this champion and whether he can go longer at an even faster pace, let’s look at his competition, and see whether it is really that far behind him, and whether one of them has had a race that could compete. Now, it is off to the races, and off goes the road to the Triple Tierra, the prize of all prizes, the king of all kings, and the biggie of all bigs:

Numero uno is the Spanish named horse Gonzalez Sergio(IRE) owned by the manni164 camp. This son of Swain (IRE) has kept getting better and better and has the advantedge of being one of the few horses who has proven sucess at coming from over 5 lengths off the pace to win. Is on a red hot racing run with 3 wins out of past 4 starts and a second place in the other one, two of the wins coming from stakes races. Needs to improve probably about 10 sp’s to win this race, but certainly has the capability of finishing well at nice odds of 13/1 and maybe even win the race if the pace is fast enough. Isn’t that easy to crossout and is my favorite longshot in the race, don’t underestimate.

The horse who is going to be flying to the front from post two is going to be boogie’s colt Lockitineddie, who currently is only 3/4 of a length worse than being an undefeated horse. As one of the least experienced runners in the race will have to overcome that hard hurdle, but is armed with an on the verge of triple digits sp in his last race, his motto of “Always Improving,” not the horse but you know what I mean, and his sire by the name of Smarty Jones, who if I remember correctly went undefeated until the Belmont Stakes late into his 3 year old season. Boogie is obviously confident in this horse to put him against the first graded 3 year old field assembled of the year that preps for the Triple Tierra. It looks like Boogie made a very good decision in doing it as the horse looks hungry for extra distance in the Road To The Triple Tierra and has an extremely good chance of winning. Should be much lower than 8/1 odds, but I guess that isn’t bad if you are a bettor in this race. Good luck to boogie in the 199th race for that stable, and should be a very good one.

PP3: Otto Empire– Gallorette is prepping this horse for by far the hardest race he has ever been in, and reminds me a lot of Lockitineddie other than the fact that Otto is undefeated and is not quite as big a fan of speed as the former of the two, and how interesting, they both happen to be the same odds. Anyway, like Empire Maker his father, he likes any distance that is long, long, long. Gallorette is hos ping this race is long, long, long enough, and Gallorette has Exhibit A to prove he likeis s 8.5 furlongs, and that is his race record. Just raced a 95 sp in last race, just like eddie by the way, and it was a firmiliar 8.5 furlongs, the same distance in this race. Him and eddie had the same time at the same distance with the same sp, and are less than $2,000 in money difference, and both have three races under their belt. These brothers from another mothers I can tell you one thing that they differ in, and that is where they will finish on Saturday, unless they tie, but please don’t start bringing that whole other issue up, I might get dizzy!

Fourth in the lineup is the Australian bred Process, who wouldn’t be on this beautiful green grassed Earth if it weren’t for kaif013. Never won a race, never was in a graded race, and never raced a high 90s sp, but certainly isn’t a horse that deserves to have a quick “x” next to his name. Positives are the horse has a very good amount of experience and biggest loss was by only two lengths in whole career, and seems to like sunny California. Four stablemates are running this week but kaif013 is probably looking at this horse the most, and be warned, we will see this name again in coming weeks win, lo se, or draw. Very good shot and will be one of biggest closers in race.

5 is Mine Go Easy who is definitely showing early signs of greatness just like his dad Mineshaft. He has one place and a win in stakes competition and in 5 starts has a very nice looking record of always coming one or two at the wire. Epcotlen5 is finally sending this horse over a mile and looks to improve a few points and it looks like he has a 50/50 chance at least of getting a high 90s, or even early 100s sp. He is another closer in the race and his best position ever at the first quarter was 7th, which was two races ago. The farther back he is, the better for Epcotlen5’s bank account. Great horse with a great chance.

6. Number 1 dirt classic rank with over $1,000,000 already is Half A World Away, owned by foxvbullet, and is looking for even more cash lying around to take for his owner. Just finished second in the DelPenn Day Eruption Handicap, and finished a close second. His only other 8.5 furlong race was the Breeders Bowl Juvenile, G1, and is if you didn’t know the biggest race for two year old colts, and he won by a comfortable margin. His wire-to-wire style has only let him down three times in eight starts, and gets a 31% rider on board. Has never broken into the universe with a triple digit sp, but was extremely close three times straight to doing so. This horse is “just looking for 3 bps I think.”… …….NOT!!!!!!

Seventh PP was given to priceless’ A.P. Brutus T. Highest sp was an 82 in 7 starts, and needs to really improve to win this. Maybe his new rider and his new age could help him sky rocket higher, but has only been off 5 weeks and the last time he did something like that was with an 82. Only win came in maiden by 1/2 of a length, and two stakes race places. Unlikely winner but not impossible, out of the best three year olds and four year olds half weren’t good at two.

San Pellegrino is coming off a close second place in the Movieland Futurity, Grade One. That was not his only 8.5 furlong race though, he also had another second place run in another stakes. Coming from usually about 10 lengths off the pace, he looks like he is improving with distance, and loves California. His few negatives are that he sometimes is too far back and so he narrowly misses and his sp’s might be a tiny bit too low. Talented horse who like many in here have a pretty good shot at this big check for first place.

Vuja Day is the most experienced horse by a few races in here. His last race was with a 94 sp, and did it in a Grade 3. Two races ago he started 18th and ended up getting up to a very tight second, also in a stakes race. He will be a bit held back at the start and don’t expect to see him until the end. His only Grade One however, was a seventh place up in British Columbia, but this is only a Grade Three let’s not forget. One could certainly argue though that the field makes it certainly seem like a Grade One, but anyway haulinoats has a strong horse with a stronge chance.

PP10 went to 5 for 9 Mascotte Vici, most recently a 91 sp in his last stakes. Although 11/1 odds make the horse seem not that good, when you actually check his record it isn’t that much behind many of the others in here. Is yet another closer in this grade 3 event and has only lost distance in the final quarter once in his lifetime. 20% M Peters takes the mount and will give this horse the best he has, and the horse will have a very good chance if he does the same.

It’ssssssssssssssssssss Bigtate time! Bigtate Fort is going out of his barn trying to pull a 34/1 upset in here, but has a tough time ahead. Interestingly, the horse has a very unique statistic about him, and that is that he never raced on the dirt. 16 sp’s lower than the best of Half A World Away, but dirt can work miracles. 0 in 5 jockey on board and will be interesting to see the plan in here changes yet again for this good looking 3 year old.

Finally, twelveth is El Corzador going out for thebaker2. Came 5 1/2 lengths worse than Half A World Away in the Eruption a few weeks back and looking to see if new jockey and age will help. Has won two races in short life, one msw and one stakes. The one stakes was a strong 95 and Eruption was 91, so looks like he will stay in form. 7/1 odds are a bit misleading, but the horse has been able to overcome some major obsticles before, nice price.

PP Horse ID Horse Owner Jockey Odds

1 96614 GONZALEZ SERGIO(IRE) ruby9 J Jacobson 13/1

2 32818 LOCKITINEDDIE boogie T Verdin 8/1

3 106362 OTTO EMPIRE gallorette T McGriggs 8/1

4 97253 PROCESS(AUS) kaif013 T May 9/1

5 104612 MINE GO EASY epcotlen5 MC Mac 7/1

6 59502 HALF A WORLD AWAY foxvbullet C Winter 3/1

7 17789 A.P. BRUTUS T priceless J Star 19/1

8 97853 SAN PELLEGRINO super12 J White 9/1

9 97406 VUJA DAY haulinoats P Lambert 6/1

10 90588 MASCOTTE VICI mgstables M Peters 11/1

11 72631 BIGTATE FORT bigtate02 C Kubiak 34/1

12 40885 EL CORZADOR thebaker2 S Takahashi 7/1