Author Archives: Penny

Oaklawn Ends

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Oaklawn Park closes today with the running of The Arkansas Derby. My pick is Ride on Curlin.

Mister Pollard dead heated for 2nd in the $100,000 Bachelor Stakes (3 yr. olds going 3/4) getting beat a half length for it all and having to go wide circling the field. The race went 3/4 in 110.06.  He was 95 to 1. His first start of the year was a Stakes Race in March when he stumbled at the half mile pole and the rider just rode him in. We aren’t sure what happened exactly , but he was bumped while switching leads which is the only thing we could figure out that would have caused the stumble. He came back with only three shoes and we felt quite lucky that the missing shoe was his only problem.

Moving on to Keeneland’s spring meet followed by Churchill Downs’ opening in two weeks and Indiana Grand’s opening in three weeks.

 

 

Derby Talk

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I guess this weekend decided who is the Derby favorite, California Chrome, the horse with the questionable pedigree for a mile and a quarter. I am sure the press will feed on that. There is only one major prep left and I don’t see anybody overtaking the “favorite” role.

They busted a couple bubbles in New York, which I don’t think shocked anybody. So here we are, 26 days left with one prep remaining. Arkansas Derby, April 12th.

 

 

 

Update from a friend who knows

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FYI.  Churchill Downs has removed all the old box televisions outside on the third floor.  Also, last week, CD finally put in 90-inch high-definition flat screens in the main simulcast center, replacing the old projector screens which were almost invisible in recent years.  New Bose speakers installed throughout the entire stands — ground floor bleachers up to the third floor beams (where tvs were) and ceiling.

Spring………..

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I think winter has finally ran out of snow and ice. This is the first year that I can remember that we didn’t cut the grass by the end of March. The daffodils are just coming out and the forsythia are blooming in Louisville which means it will be another week before they show their yellow blossoms on the farm.

There are only two weeks (April 12th) left of racing at Oaklawn Park. It is still a good place to claim a horse as many of the trainers will go to tracks with lower purse money (Lone Star, Louisiana Downs and Prairie Meadows) so they will be running their horses to try and win a race with higher purse money. There has been over 300 horses claimed at Oaklawn so far this meet. I guarantee they “shook” for over 200 of them. I saw more than one “shake” with over 10 claims in for one horse, and they weren’t all bottom claiming.
Keeneland opens Friday which is really the first day of spring in Kentucky. They run their little 15 day meet prior to Churchill opening on April 26th. Derby fever is upon us. The Derby Festival and all its events begin April 12th with Thunder Over Louisville. There are events daily all the way through the Derby. If you have never been, you should put it on your bucket list and come.
Churchill has a new screen on the backstretch so everyone in Louisville can see everything. So if you are staying downtown, you can watch the races from down there. The bottom of the screen is 80 feet off the ground, and it is 170 feet wide by 90 feet tall. (Talk about over kill.) The third floor however still has those 1980 box TV’s (with only half working properly).
The Derby Field will get more muddled in the next couple of weeks. Some dropping to the wayside and others stepping up. Getting interesting!