What to watch today – Woodbine racing of course!
also – Churchill Downs – Canadian based and owned and trained SOMETHING EXTRA is the favourite in the Twin Spires Turf Sprint – the 9th race
Kentucky Oaks – the fillies do battle – place your bet on the OAKS – DERBY DOUBLE!
KENTUCKY DERBY UPDATE – EL KABEIR not sound on one foot Friday morning..stayed tuned
This little pocket-sized powerhouse is INCLUDE BETTY a stretch running gal in the Oaks today with Rosemary Homeister riding – STEVE QUEEN PHOTO from horse-races.net
KENTUCKY OAKS – GRADE 1 – 3 year old fillies 1 1/8 miles Churchill Downs
The field and Thoroughblog comments…
LONGINES KENTUCKY OAKS, $1,000,000a, 3yo, f, 1 1/8m
PP HORSE SIRE ODDS
Owner, Trainer, Jockey Breeder Record
1 Forever Unbridled Unbridled’s Song 15-1
O/B-Charles Fipke (KY); T-Dallas Stewart; J-Mike Smith. Lifetime Record: 5-1-2-2, $114,100.
– Canadian owned, she gets Mike Smith for the first time but she has lost to ‘Chatterbox’ three straight times
2 Shook Up Tapit 30-1
O-Regis Racing; B-SF Bloodstock LLC (KY); T-Steven M Asmussen; J-Robby Albarado. Lifetime Record: 5-1-3-0, $123,100.
– Canadian NAT REA has a nice one here. She has trained like a bear from all reports and just needs a well timd ride to get a share
3 Include Betty Include 20-1
($42,000 yrl ‘13 KEESEP) O-Brereton C Jones & Timothy C Thornton; B-Lavin Bloodstock &
Brereton C Jones (KY); J-Rosemary Homeister Jr. Lifetime Record: 7-3-3-1, $303,030.
– toss the grass race she has come from miles back to win her last 3 races
4 Eskenformoney Eskendereya 20-1
($225,000 yrl ‘13 KEESEP)
O-Starladies Racing; B-Ramspring Farm (KY); T-Todd A Pletcher; J-Javier Castellano. Lifetime Record: 9-2-3-1, $151,800.
– Consistently good but looking like she has trouble in the latter parts of longer races?
5 Condo Commando Tiz Wonderful 4-1
($72,000 yrl ‘13 KEESEP) O-Michael Dubb, Bethlehem Stables & The Elkstone Group;
B-Spendthrift Farm LLC (KY); T-Rudy Rodriguez; J-Joel Rosario. Lifetime Record: 6-5-0-0, $748,600.
– Wow, 5 wins in 6 races and her wins have been by 12 lengths, 13, 11, etc. But she is a front runner and the CD stretch is looong.
6 Angela Renee Bernardini 15-1
O/B-Siena Farms LLC (KY); T-Todd A Pletcher; J-John Velazquez. Lifetime Record: 8-2-2-2, $447,000.
– never really went forward after her Grade 1 win at Santa Anita before Breeders’ Cup; Johnny V and Todd but I am looking elsewhere
7 Lovely Maria Majesticperfection 5-1
($5,000 RNA wnlg ‘12 KEENOV)
O-Brereton C Jones; B-Olin Gentry & Thomas Gaines (KY); T-J Larry Jones; J-Kerwin Clark. Lifetime Record: 7-3-3-0, $402,600.
– more good stuff from the riches of Brereton Jones; this one is getting stronger by the race
8 I’m a Chatterbox Munnings 4-1
($30,000 RNA yrl ‘13 KEESEP)
O/B-Fletcher & Carolyn Gray (KY); T-J Larry Jones; J-Florent Geroux. Lifetime Record: 6-4-0-1, $468,614.
– three straight stakes wins at Fair Grounds and a huge Beyer Figure advantage over many of these
9 Money’soncharlotte Mizzen Mast 50-1
($72,000 wnlg ‘12 KEENOV; $135,000 yrl ‘13 KEESEP) O-George & Lori Hall; B-Dr Oscar Benavides (KY); T-Kelly J Breen; J-Paco Lopez. Lifetime Record: 6-2-0-2, $136,750.
– has been only so-so in her 3 races this season
10 Oceanwave Harlan’s Holiday 30-1
($40,000 yrl ‘13 KEEJAN; $120,000 yrl ‘13 KEESEP)
O-Gary & Mary West; B-Popatop (KY); T-Wayne M Catalano; J-Rafael Bejarano. Lifetime Record: 5-2-2-1, $183,600.
– had some trouble when edged by Include Betty in the Fantasy..moving forward
11 Sarah Sis Sharp Humor 30-1
($10,000 yrl ‘13 KEESEP; $20,000 2yo ‘14 OBSJUN)
O-Joe Ragsdale; B-Catherine Rene White (KY); T-Ingrid Mason; J-Gary Stevens. Lifetime Record: 7-3-3-0, $215,000.
– bit of a messy trip in the Fantasy off a big win in the Honeybee, Gary Stevens rides, low Beyer Figures
12 Stellar Wind Curlin 7-2
($40,000 yrl ‘13 FTSAUG; $86,000 yrl ‘13 FTMSEP)
O-Hronis Racing LLC; B-Keswick Stables & Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings (VA); T-John Sadler; J-Victor Espinoza. Lifetime Record: 4-3-0-1, $327,200.
– big numbers, big power from California, big contender
13 Birdatthewire Summer Bird 6-1
($22,000 RNA yrl ‘13 KEEJAN; $37,000 RNA yrl ‘13 FTKJUL; $23,000 yrl ‘13 FTKOCT) O-Forum Racing LLC; B-Lynn & Kathy Jones (KY); T-Dale L Romans; J-Irad Ortiz Jr. Lifetime Record: 7-3-2-1, $346,010.
– no complex here as she went through 3 sales. She is the Gulfstream queen of the winter but needs a bit more power
14 Puca Big Brown 15-1
($90,000 yrl ‘13 KEESEP)
O-Donegal Racing; B-Jerry Crawford & Paul Pompa Jr (KY); T-William I Mott; J-Junior Alvarado. Lifetime Record: 6-1-1-1, $122,832.
– by Big Brown, sire of Dortmund, Third start off the layoff, good, peak race is coming; needs a big more forward in Beyers
AE Peace and War K War Front 50-1
($300,000 yrl ‘13 KEESEP) O-Qatar Racing; B-Sally J Andersen (FL); T-Olly Stevens; J-Julien Leparoux
PICKS – I’M A CHATTERBOX STELLAR WIND – PUCA – SHOOK UP
STELLAR WIND, by Curlin – Very strong in the Oaks – KELLEY CARLSON photo
ROSES ARE RED…
WHAT TRAINER OF A KENTUCKY DERBY CONTENDER began his career at Woodbine?
FEATURE STORY FROM BOSTON HERALD
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Richard Violette Jr. has been a mainstay at Belmont Park, Aqueduct Racetrack and Saratoga Race Course for a few decades, currently serving as the third-term president of the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association while training a highly successful stable of horses.
“I grew up around Boston, but I’m a New Yorker through-and-through,” said Violette, who was born in Worcester and grew up in Lowell.
The 62-year-old horseman, slated to saddle Upstart in tomorrow’s $2 million Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, does have a few lingering allegiances to New England.
“I’m a big Celtics, Red Sox, Patriots, Bruins fan. When you look at it, the last five or six years, they’ve won everything. It’s been really remarkable,” Violette said. “Adding a Kentucky Derby winner wouldn’t hurt.”
While his Derby hopeful is New York-bred, Violette’s roots were firmly planted in Massachusetts, where he attended UMass-Lowell while working as an exercise rider at Suffolk Downs in East Boston.
“I used to have all my classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays and work five days at the track. I’d occasionally take a course if it didn’t require attendance on Monday, Wednesday, Friday,” he said.
Upon graduation with a political science degree, Violette served as an assistant to trainer Emile Allain at Woodbine outside of Toronto for two years before briefly returning to New England to saddle his first official winner, Catch the Action, at Rockingham Park in Salem, N.H., in 1978. He moved to New York soon after to work as an assistant to Frank and David Whiteley and has been entrenched at the New York Racing Association tracks since striking out on his own in 1983
TORONTO STAR
Betting the Derby using history, speed or..puppies?
http://www.thestar.com/sports/2015/05/01/whats-a-good-betting-strategy-for-kentucky-derby.html
