(By the way, the defections of Govenor Charlie and Code West leave the Derby Baffert-less. Baffert without a Derby starter...I feel weird just typing it!)
Now, if this horse hadn't been a late nomination, I would have added him to my fantasy stable (which has shrunk to three with defections of Charlie, Flashback, Uncaptured...). Woulda, coulda, shoulda. Anyway, I never count out a horse going from poly to dirt, especially at Churchill Downs. I really liked his Spiral win, which is something I said about Animal Kingdom, the Spiral/Derby winner in '11.
All that being said, he's been training okay. The word "okay" in Derby week is never really okay. I'm hoping he perks up a bit during the week, but right now, Black Onyx doesn't crack my top five. He does seem to be getting over the track well, but the energy seems a bit lacking (due to my faulty internet connection? Hmm...)
Palace Malice...now here's a horse who I never imagined would even be starting in this race. But with drop-outs, he's in pretty comfortably at #12. You know what? I'm happy he's in, especially seeing the above video. Here he is working in company with stablemate Overanalyzed, the winner of the Arkansas Derby. To my eyes, he looks to be doing even better than the Grade 1 winner. Although he's been flying under the radar, this little horse clearly loves Churchill Downs. On top of that, there's a chance of rain on Derby day, and Palace Malice is slowly becoming the go-to mudder in the field...
Anyway, he'll be a nice price and a good horse to put in exotic wagers, for all you gamblers out there. He looks good enough to take a little piece of the pie, if not the whole thing, this Saturday.
Normandy Invasion...now here's the horse everyone is talking about. He's this year's wise-guy horse - a strong second-place to Verrazano in the Wood Memorial and now, he's training phenomenally at Churchill Downs. He's making everything look easy and doing it with good spirit and vigor. I'm becoming more and more sold on him every day. I just hope he isn't one of "those" closers...those closers that seem like they'll make a dent in the Derby but get caught in the traffic or hate the mud in their face.
I have a feeling that he isn't, though.
I must admit, my knowledge of Frac Daddy prior to writing this post was slim to none. Sometimes horses just slip through your fingers - especially my fingers! Anyway, 2nd in the Arkansas Derby behind Overanalyze, which was a slow race on a slow track. But boy, does he look GOOD. He completely overshadows his more accomplished stablemate, Java's War, and that shone through when they worked in company. Plus, he's proven on the Churchill surface with a strong second-place finish to Uncaptured in last year's Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes. I'll be keeping my eyes pealed for this handsome gray son of Scat Daddy.
There was something on Twitter today that I saw along the same lines as, "I didn't think Mylute would have enough points to get in the Derby." Yeah, me neither. That's why I was so disappointed when I saw the little dark colt give his all in a battle against Revolutionary in the Louisiana Derby. That kind of mettle is what I like to see in a Derby contender. Now, he's safely in the Derby field at #15. This horse is nothing flashy, merely workmanlike. He looks pretty decent in the video above, and like Palace Malice and Frac Daddy, there's that nagging thought of "keep an eye out for this colt."
Oxbow! I've had high hopes for Oxbow since his LeComte win. Things haven't gone quite as planned for the headstrong bay colt. That's why I worry so much for him in the Derby; if he draws a bad post position - KNOCK ON WOOD - bad luck will surely come his way. Which black barn cat stepped under his hooves? It would be a shame to happen to this horse. He looks great at Churchill - full of energy.
He's got a Derby-winning trainer, a Derby-winning jockey and races under the stable name Calumet, who won their fair share of Derbies back in the day as well. His pedigree is superb and his attitude going into this race is positive. All he needs is just a little bit of luck. I've never felt so good about all aspects of a horse as I do about Oxbow. Luck be a lady...on Saturday.
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I don't know much about Falling Sky; there's no videos of him posted on kentuckyderby's YouTube page. See, Iowa is a great place to live. But the thing about living in Iowa, especially at this time of year, is that you're not living near Churchill Downs. Not even close. YouTube is my go-to resource for, well, everything about horse racing!
Oh, he won the Sam F. Davis? How quickly I forget...
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Charming Kitten seems to be the forgotten Pletcher, a workmate for his more accomplished stablemates. As for Golden Soul and Fear the Kitten...well, I don't know much about them either. After Oxbow, my knowledge sort of tails off. I need to see them work and I need to review their past races. That can be my Tuesday job! And here I am, feeling like a dolt because I have no idea who Fear the Kitten is.
Anyway...it's Monday of Derby week and I'm already itching for it to be Wednesday for the post draw. I just wanna give a shout out to the ladies. The Oaks post draw is tomorrow and it's shaping up to be a TERRIFIC field. It actually may be even better than the Derby itself...
Tomorrow I may write something; I may not. I'll at least try! Thank you for reading and thank you, as always, for your patience with my learning ways.
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