Czech Derby 2010: Three favorites and three outsiders in the biggest Czech race of the year…
** Grammar tolerance is advised.
It’s summertime again (at least on northern hemisphere). Well, you couldn’t recognize it here in Czech Republic, because warm weather stayed somewhere else…but well, the calendar says it is. And summertime – it is a part of the year, when the horse racing is more beautiful than anytime else. It is the time of derbys, when three years old horses fight for their glory and immortality. On sunday 27th, the Prague racecourse will be full of people, watching the best 3yos in Czech Republic and the strong guests from Slovakia and Poland. I see no reason, why we shouldn’t celebrate this very special day by running 2nd simulated Czech Derby.
When speaking about 2nd sim Czech Derby, it would be fair to remember the results of this same inaugural race. So, last year, we had seen quite easy win of Monsun’s foal – Bostopper (2.32.60 winning time). He had a hard time in following graded and stakes races, couldn’t repeat the nice result from the Czech racecourse. Almost one year after his biggest career success, he finally won again – the dirt allowance race (first after the surface switch) and it seems this could be a new strong discipline of this colt.
Second from the same race – Going West has returned to the shorter distance races and marked one stakes win and even one G3 win over 9F. Good job for this Topicount’s colt. Last year, just four horses participated this race and without offense, the competition wasn’t that strong. Just brief look at this year’s participants suggests that this will be something else. There are “real” graded horses here this time. Let’s look at them deeply, let’s look who could have the biggest chance to grab 60% from the $125,000 race purse…
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1 FLYAWAY ZEPPELIN (KY) |
| There is not enough time for my complaints about how unable and unlucky am I in breeding horses for the turf derbys. Something, I’ve always dreamed about is to have a decent 3yo colt for 10F and longer graded turf races and after four years of playing, I got closer than anytime before. Right now, Flyaway Zeppelin is the best I have for this purpose…so I am very excited, this is my first derby. Yippee! 🙂 On the other hand, Flyaway Zeppelin isn’t the favorite of this race. He is now three in a row allowance winner. After stretching the distance for 9F, he showed significant improvement, and adding more furlongs didn’t really hurt him. Well, last time he returned from the race in ‘little groggy’ condition and he gets some rest after the derby, but right now I believe, he’s ready. I’m in his saddle, so I hope I won’t screw up anything…like setting the pace or something similarly stupid :). |
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2 CORIN (KY) |
| The owner of the last year’s runner-up, Topicount is taking this derby seriously and today, he came to improve his result from 2009 Derby. Corin started his career in dirt races and won two of them over 9.5 furlongs. After winning on the off-track in a big style, his owner realized this could be indicator of his turf abilities and he was 100% right. Corin showed up in two graded races since that time and added two respectable runs to his resume. In the may, it was The Derby Trail (G3) in Newmarket, where he ended second. After that, in famous Adelaide Derby (G1), he was third – four and half lengths behind the phenomenal Weinhard. This horse loves to stay behind the field and there he is waiting for the last couple of furlongs – his progress is amazing! We should all expect to see this again in this derby. | |
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3 CAN U FEEL IT (ENG) |
| Can U Feel It is the only European-bred horse in the couple of Kentuckians. Very interesting, don’t you think? The oddmaker gave him an outsider position. One of the reasons is that last time, he just won his first allowance. Second reason is that his speed marks aren’t that high as the marks of others. But… Last time Willyam sent him to his first long route and enjoyed his almost eight lengths win, which is not such usual in simulation. Well, the truth is that the competition in A-NW1X isn’t always that great, but this horse’s improvement was so significant, that I totally understand his owner – to see how strong he really is. We all are very curious about it. | |
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4 RAHYDEHERE (KY) |
| Rahydehere tried dirt, turf, sprints and routes in his career. After nine starts, it seems that turf and routes are the best option this horse can have. In april, Rahydehere won 8.5F allowance in easy style and his owner decided to move him one step further. This step meant The Ten Gallon Hat stakes over 10F. Rahydehere ended second there, but slightly closing to Columbia Valley (also the participant of this race). Now, he is going derby distance 12F. His bloodlines say go shorter, but the bloodlines are not the only factor. His good finish probably led the owner to try it here. So, let’s watch the race to see, if he shows that again. | |
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5 DYNAMIC DESTINY (KY) |
| Top class bloodlines, Graded II victory from the Knick Knack Juvenile for 2yos, unbeaten record in everything longer than 9F, these are just some of Dynamic Destiny’s characteristics. This Dynaformer’s colt has the biggest amount of money earned and seems very great today. He won last three of his races and his owner punter34 now successfully race him in long turf routes – something what his pedigree suggests. Last time, he destroyed the competition of The SAL’S A THIEF Memorial stakes. The speed was only 86, but he didn’t need to show all of his abilities to win in that race. He already managed 96 in open allowance over same distance like the listed race mentioned (11F). In this race, Dynamic Destiny has to show something more to win, but we haven’t seen him fighting yet…may be we are witnesses of that moment today. | |
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6 COLUMBIA VALLEY (KY) |
| Another Dynaformer to the group Czech derby runners, horse from the ambitious owner and trainer. I’ve already mentioned Columbia Valley in this preview. He won The Ten Gallon Hat in the may, the stakes race over 10F. 10F is the longest route, he tried in his career, but of course this doesn’t need to be an end in his distance abilities. He already has some graded experience (last time it was Manatee Classic (G3)) where he usually ends up in the middle of the field, now it will be probably slightly different. I expect Columbia Valley is going to be a pacemaker as we don’t have enough early speed in this race, but of course the race could show us something else. | |
So these are the horses of the Czech Derby 2010. When I look at them, I see two groups of horses. In the first group, we can see favorites of this race with some stakes or graded experience, in the second group mainly allowance horses, who are trying to find their place in a big company. The first group is going to win this race, the second group is waiting for their failure. Sometimes oddmaker looks crazy, in this race I agree with him totally. In the first group we have Corin(#2), Dynamic Destiny(#5) and Columbia Valley(#6). They all have listed experience and except Columbia Valley, they all have experiences from the long turf division. But Columbia Valley has a pedigree of champion, so I don’t see problem with two extra furlongs. In second group we have Flyaway Zeppelin(#1), Rahydehere(#4) and Can U Feel It(#3). They all showed the potential, they all have a nice future and this could be an entry to it.
I hope this will be an interesting race and I am sure it will actually. The derbys are always like this. I also hope in some kind of surprise, because that is always nice in the big races. To see someone, who wasn’t in the scenario, but now he is there – in front positions (and now I am talking even more about real racing experience, than about this sim race). Anyway, I’m ending same as the last year – thanks to all participants – now for that they decided to choose Czech Derby instead of Irish one. I’m sure, you will enjoy it in a same way :). Good Luck to your sim champions here!
