HOT AND SPICY Locks Up First Spot in the Derby!

All Saints Derby – Derby Lock Prep
Grade I
A mile and one sixteenth on the Sloppy Dirt Course
$600,000
All horses, 3 years old
Stakes record – 2008 – Trading Jack(KY), 1:41-2/5, SPF 109.544

One of the spots in this year’s Bluegrass Derby is set. In this weekend’s ALL SAINT’S DERBY which was a Derby Lock race for the the Bluegrass, HOT AND SPICY brought his Cajun spices along and made his early mark as the one to beat in the big May race. With that win he gains an automatic berth for the Derby. Now Trainer Londoner and the Kevoman Stables have to find a way to keep him training and healthy and avoid the ALL SAINTs Jinx which has been spoke of quite a bit this week.

As I had mentioned in my preview, HOT AND SPICY had a nice layoff and tune up before this race and the only thing I worried about with him was the fact that he had never raced on an off track. It sure looked as if he hopes that it is raining cats and dogs the first Saturday in May as he took to it like a duck to water. He has now won five of his last seven and that includes two Grade 1s. He looks like this is a perfect distance for him and although he ran his fastest speed on the off track with a 107 SPF, he has looked great on a fast track as well. His impressive pedigree of AWESOME AGAIN x A.P. INDY x KINGMAMBO out of nice looking broodmare and multiple Stakes winner, A.P. SUPERWOMAN looks like a real winner . HOT AND SPICY , who under one of the track’s top jockeys Romero ran a beautifully strategic race in following behind the glut of early speed. There was a time near the half when he was only five lengths behind the leader and looked poised and ready to go. That is exactly what he did, watching the others tire in the mud and fall by the wayside. He now has over $787k in earnings for trainer Londoner and looks like he is just hitting his stride.. He seems ready for the grueling three year old trail. He improved his rank to number one in all three of the three year old dirt classes.

As predicted, there was not a lot of early speed in the race with the lead taken by and SILVER TONGUED . Neither of these colts could hold up to the fast pace and dropped way down at the finish. TAPTRICAL TED was third and held on in the stretch to capture second although he was no match for our winner. SEATTLE EXPLOIT put up a big charge down the stretch but couldn’t quite catch who finished third. E FIVE who I chose to win because of his rare experience on an off track finished sixth and was never a factor.