Creator eked out a narrow win over Destin in last Saturday’s 148th running of the Belmont Stakes. But the performance of the day, of the week, of the month and of the year so far was the spectacular victory by Frosted in the 123rd edition of the Metropolitan Handicap. “That race yesterday was just a […]
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It’s a bit difficult to believe that Saturday’s Belmont Stakes will conclude the 2016 Triple Crown series. But, time flies and the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes are in the books. I know that because I have torn mutuel tickets and a zero balance wagering account to prove it. I don’t think I’ve been entirely […]
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The Belmont Stakes is still a week away and it’s already giving me a headache. In fact, this Triple Crown season has been one aggravation after another. The pain in my head started on the first Saturday in May and gained ferocity with the Preakness. Now, as the Belmont approaches, it’s even more intense. And […]
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Race 8: Rocko’s Wheel (#7, 5-1) looks primed for a big effort third start off a layoff. His best races have come routing and after two sprints versus open company, the four-year-old colt returns to his best distance against Cal-Breds. Trainer Phil D’Amato called him his “dark horse” of the weekend during XBTV AM. Songforjohnmichael […]
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The Triple Crown is on ice. Frozen solid. Nyquist’s defeat Saturday at Pimlico guaranteed that and I’m OK with it. Truthfully, I wasn’t emotionally prepared to witness another Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes sweep this year. Granted, if Nyquist had turned the trick I would have been suitably impressed. Winning a Triple Crown is […]
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Nyquist dominated Kentucky Derby foes two weeks ago with the kind of speed and determination top class runners often display. It was his eighth win in as many starts and he became just the second 3-year-old, along with Street Sense, to parlay a Breeders’ Cup Juvenile victory into a Kentucky Derby triumph. He will be […]
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Is it Safe? On the first Saturday in May 2016, at Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY, in the 12th race, 3-year-old colt Nyquist won for the eighth time in as many tries. In the process he definitively defeated the most outstanding collection of sophomore equines gathered anywhere on this spinning blue marble this year. With […]
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If you watched the San Vicente Stakes at Santa Anita back on Feb. 15, it turned out that you got a preview of the Kentucky Derby exacta. Nyquist remained undefeated when he won the San Vicente by 1 1/2 lengths, with Exaggerator finishing second. In this column last week, I wrote: “One scenario I think […]
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Race 9- Shakhimat (#8, 5-1) was very impressive in the Transylvania Stakes last time out and could sneak away from this field on the front end. He has never been better and catches a field without much early speed. Airoforce (#1, 4-1) is a tricky read. His two-year-old form is good enough to win this […]
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Race 7: Hotsy Dotsy (#2, 6-1) ran well in her debut before catching a freak in Enola Gray in her second start. The daughter of Unusual Heat offers upside trying a route and grass for the first time. Her trainer, Scott Hansen, strikes at 30% when stretching horses out to route. Stipend (#7, 2-1) is […]
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This year’s Kentucky Derby is so close you could walk to it. It’s right around the corner, next door to the Kentucky Oaks. And, if you plan on visiting the big race on the first Saturday in May, you’d better bring along a copy of Xpressbet’s Kentucky Derby Wager Guide. Why? Good question. Because you’re […]
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The Beyer Speed Figures going into this year’s Kentucky Derby are relatively low. That is one thing we do know. There were 13 races run in the U.S. this year in which the winner earned 50 or 100 points toward the Kentucky Derby. In 11 of the 13 races, the winner was assigned a lower […]
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The Kentucky Derby is a bit more than two weeks away and that means it’s time to review what we’ve seen at coast-to-coast tracks in preparation for an all-out assault on Derby mutuel payoffs. Loyal readers will recall that this horseplayer annually sets his sights on the Kentucky Derby superfecta bulls-eye. Sometimes we hit it; […]
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The races in which horses can earn points for the 2016 Kentucky Derby are over. It all began when Cocked and Loaded won the Iroquois at Churchill Downs to earn 10 points last year on Sept. 12. The Iroquois was the first of the 34 races offering points to “get into the starting field” for […]
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The way I currently see it, there is a good chance the winner of this year’s Kentucky Derby has a 91007 zip code. On my Kentucky Derby Top 10 this week, No. 1 Nyquist, No. 2 Exaggerator and No. 3 Mor Spirit are all based in California at Santa Anita Park, zip code 91007. No. […]
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