DERBY, OAKS OR BUSTED
THE ROAD TO NOWHERE
By
Whirlwind
We began this journal a little over a year ago, with high hopes and great expectations leading to the Derby and Oaks. It has been an interesting year with the super juveniles last year and leading up to this year’s Bluegrass Derby and Oaks. Perhaps we were set up for failure by the extremely high expectations we had after winning the 2006 Derby, Black Middle Flower, New Yorker and St James Tavern on the turf. We had five runners in the gate for the Derby last year and it looks like we will be lucky to get one or two this year.
To recap: we bred many fewer juveniles last year, primarily using breeding points and the many retired mares we had access to. We also made a conscious decision to breed them with distance and stamina pedigrees and start most of them running later in the year and to limit the amount of races to insure fresh horses in the spring. In 2005, the juveniles went pedal to the metal right out of the gate and we were rewarded with two juvenile Eclipse’s and a couple more nominations but wear and tear is a very real thing as well as racing in group races in every outing. Virtuoso, Rhibus, NALL, Super Gold and a couple of others were toast by the time the fall rolled around. Have we succeeded? The jury is still out and we won’t really know until the end of the year, it appears we will have many later blooming horses that are just starting to get really good and they will be pointed for the late summer 3 year old races and hopefully the major races in the fall leading up to the Breeders Bowl. Think of it as the Neil Drysdale/Mack Miller patience is a virtue school of thought versus the D Wayne Lucas/Bob Baffert training and racing philosophies. An interesting sidenote is that we appear to be loaded with turf runners this year, both colts and fillies and I could say that we had already won a Derby and the European classics were the goal this year, but…..I would be lying through my teeth. I would still like to be the first trainer to win 2 Derbies and 2 Travelers.
For the Derby, it looks kinda slim, Psychotic Gold just needs a good prep or two and he will draw into the field. Intruder has become quite frustrating with his inconsistencies and will need to win a lock race to make the field. ANGELS OF DARKNESS(War Chant x Fappiano x Pleasant Colony)2tohold- has made great forward progress this year and appears to be putting it all together in his last couple of races, but he also would probably need to win a lock race to make the field. BIODYNAMIC(Dixieland Band x Forestry x Arazi)super11- showed great promise but has had trouble going routes and will be returned to sprints, much like we did with Bermuda, and he will probably win a lot of races for us.
The outlook for the Oaks is a bit brighter. PRAVDA(Kingmambo x Pleasant Colony x Danzig)super10- is a career 6-3-1-1, graded stake placed, a stake winner and #24 in the division. She has been screaming for 9 furlongs and should start getting the extra ground in her next races. FETISH(Cryptoclearance x Danzig x Storm Cat)super26- A stake winner on the dirt with a race record of 8-3-0-4. The more distance she gets the better she will run. She is one race away from the big time. GROWLING(Kingmambo x Forestry x Royal Academy)super7- Trying to get her back on track after a good juvenile season, she goes in Gd3 in Ontario this week and we will see where we go from there. WHEELS OF STEEL(Cryptoclearance x El Gran Senor x Riverman)worldwide- a two-turn stake winner, who went badly off form but appears to be getting good at the right time. She is 2 for 2 on off tracks and we should probably use that to an advantage.
We seem to have a better group pointing to the English classics on the weeds. With the Guineas and the Derby, there are a bit more opportunities for different style horses. Funny thing about some of these horses, several of them were bred for the dirt but didn’t come alive until we put them on the turf. THE HEDONIST(Powerscourt x Miswaki x Private Account)super15- is ranked #10 in the turf classic division and probably is as tired of looking at Mambo Wildcat’s ass as I am. He needs a win to build confidence and then get ready to go up against jockeymax’s colt once again. I ZIMBRA(Empire Maker x Danehill x Secretariat)gradeone- He was one of the original group I started with last February and makes a return to the journal. He is 5-2-3-0 since switching to the turf and has already won a 9 furlong stake. He is a bonafide contender for some of the 12 furlong races. BREATHE(El Prado x Unbridled x Deputy Minister)harvey- With a record of 7-1-4-2, he is an ultimate sucker horse, but he made a big jump forward, when he was switched to the turf. He immediately responded by breaking his maiden and not looking back. He always runs an honest race and will face stakes company in his next outing. SILENCERS(Kingmambo x Danehill x Pleasant Colony)super1- He is 5-2-2-1 in turf routes since switching surfaces and has already won a stake at 9 ½ furlongs. One more good outing and he will be a bona fide Darby contender. FRENZY(Forestry x Grand Slam x Sadlers Wells)super9- He has become a different horse since switching surfaces to the turf. If he can learn to harness his speed, he will be a very dangerous Guineas runner. He goes in a stake in Wyoming this week.
On the distaff side: WANG CHUNG(Beat Hollow x Jade Hunter x Dynaformer)super3- She is #14 in the turf classic division and a graded winner. Distance doesn’t appear to be a problem for her and she looks like she is going to be a very good race mare. ROCK THE KASBAH(Rock Of Gibraltar x Deputy Minister x Troy)gradeone- She is the daughter of two time Eclipse nominee, West The Escort, and a multiple stake winner. She is rounding nicely into form and the 1000 Guineas will be her goal. FOUGHT THE LAW(Empire Maker x Danzig x Seeking The Gold)Ritchie- She is 5-3-1-0 since moving to the lawn including a stake win. She goes in a stake this weekend in New York with the Guineas hopefully on her schedule. HARD KNOX(Kingmambo x Seeking The Gold x Private Account)super20- A perfect record since switching to the turf, 2 for 2, sprinting and a good route of ground. On an upswing, she goes in stake in Pennsylvania this weekend, and then we’ll see where she goes from there.
Seven weeks until the big dances begin, enough time to get another race or two under the belt and separate the pretenders and the contenders. Hopefully there will be a reason for another installment and story to tell that first week in May…. Even a bad day at the track is better than a good day anywhere else…jmc