Quick Note on Tuesday

Tomorrow, there will be an edit to this post.  I've decided for tomorrow to look at Govenor Charlie, the next horse in my line-up for the Derby.  I wanted to get this post in before midnight, though, so that will come later.  But first:

Three horses worked today at Santa Anita Park, all going a half mile.  Den's Legacy and Super Ninety Nine both clocked 47.20, and Manando was a bit slower, going 48.40.

Thank you for your patience!  It's a busy time of year for many people, including me.  :)

Wednesday edit after the jump...



Recently, Bob Baffert's dark brown trainee took advantage of a fast track and broke a record by winning the Sunland Derby.  Despite the obvious things, like the track was indeed quick and the horses he beat weren't quite at the level of our top Derby contenders, what I saw in Govenor Charlie in winning that race impressed me enough to put him on this list.

This colt is a son of Midnight Lute, a son of almost-Triple Crown winner Real Quiet who won back-to-back Breeders' Cup Sprints in 2007 and 2008.  Sprints, you say?  Despite him running at short distances, trainer Bob Baffert (who just happens to train this son as well) repeated again and again that if Midnight Lute hadn't been plagued with lung problems, preventing proper breathing, he would have been a deadly force at classic distances.  And that is not hard to believe, due to his pedigree.  Midnight Lute is inbred 4x5 to not only Raise a Native but also Dr. Fager, who set records multiple times at ten furlongs.  Also in his pedigree are European legend Sea-Bird and Belmont winner Native Dancer.

Midnight Lute is quite a young sire; Govenor Charlie is from his first crop to race.  Besides the dark Sunland Derby winner, he boasts Mylute, who just finished a game second in the Louisiana Derby, and Shakin it Up, winner of the San Vicente Stakes.

Then there is Govenor Charlie's female family.  He is a son of Silverbulletway, a daughter of Storm Cat.  Does that name sound familiar?  It may ring some bells if only for her famous dam, Silverbulletday.  While Silverbulletway never raced, Silverbulletday was a legend on the track, the champion two year-old AND three year-old filly.  She won races like the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, the Kentucky Oaks, the Ashland, the Alabama, the Gazelle...she was an absolute tour de force on the track and is now a member of the Hall of Fame.  Unfortunately, her broodmare career hasn't gotten off to the best start.  Her only stakes-placed runner is Tice, a gelded son of A.P. Indy now retired in Indiana.

Silverbulletway has done a bit better than her mother, already producing a minor stakes winner by Vindication.  The Storm Cat blood is her biggest help there - his offspring include classic winner Tabasco Cat and other great racehorses such as Cat Thief, Giant's Causeway, Storm Flag Flying, and Bluegrass Cat.  Storm Cat has had the great versatility to sire anything, from sprinters to distance runners.  Silverbulletway is inbred to Derby winner Northern Dancer.  Also in her pedigree is Belmont winner Quadrangle and European champion Ribot.

Govenor Charlie himself is inbred 4x4 to Deputy Minister, a horse who sired Breeders' Cup Classic winner Awesome Again and Belmont winner Touch Gold.  He is also inbred 4x5 to Triple Crown winner Secretariat and 5x5 to famous sire Mr. Prospector.

A Mike Pegram horse, born and bred, this horse showed great patience sitting off the pace in the Sunland Derby.  There have been some murmurs from Mike Pegram about this colt recently, saying that Govenor Charlie might not start in the Derby due to lack of seasoning.  It is true that the colt has only raced three times.  Horses like Big Brown, however, had that lack of experience and overcame that to win the Kentucky Derby.  And sure, there's that Apollo curse - the saying that Apollo is the only horse ever to win the Derby with no races as a two year-old, and all horses unraced as two year-olds are doomed because of it.  Times are changing, though, and horses are being raced less at two, especially future Classic contenders.

I believe Govenor Charlie has what it takes to win this race.  Due to him having enough points to make the race - if he starts - he will not race again until the first Saturday in May.  I look forward to seeing how this young colt does under pressure.  Thanks for reading!  Today, the entries for the Wood Memorial just came out, and the entries for the Santa Anita Derby will soon follow.   Look for a blog post later tonight regarding those!