IT'S ANIMAL KINGDOM!! 
NEHRO 2ND, MUCHO MACHO MAN 3RD!

I'm pleased that two of my top three picks finished in the money!  I did a lot better than many of the so-called "experts" who got it wrong 90% of the time this entire Derby Prep season, which started in January, culminating in the Kentucky Derby yesterday!

Nehro seems to be "always a bride", but at second in a race like this, you have to give him a lot of credit.  Finishing second in a race like this is a tremendous achievement!  Well done! 

NBC Sports high-def videos below:







I had hoped Dialed In would be able to pull it off, but we will see more of him and he will get better and better.  He was at a disadvantage for a race like this -- as a deep closer, he's far back, eating the dirt all the way, and of course the field is quite large, accentuating all the negatives.  Nevertheless, he was coming strong at the end, and with a slight adjustment here and there, he could have finished in the money.  I'm looking forward to seeing him in the Preakness, which will be a smaller field (usually), and no matter what, he is thrilling to watch, and he did some pretty remarkable things to get to the Derby.  He's still capable of delivering more thrills, and hope we get to see more of him.  He ran the second fastest last half mile Derby since Secretariat!

Mucho Macho Man did fantastic! He's only 2, won't be 3 until June 15!  What a horse.  And he's huge, 17 hands.  He's still growing and maturing! Most of the horses in the Derby were 6 months older than he, and this early in these horses' careers, that is a huge difference.

What can we say about Animal Kingdom! Totally overlooked by most so-called experts.  He was number 16 on the DRF Top 20.  He was in the Top 10 in one of Steve Haskin's lists, but no where near the top!  As of May 1, Thoroughbred Times poll had Animal Kingdom at No. 8.  Frank Angst, Senior Staff Writer for TTimes, had him at #2.  Steve Bailey had him at #9.  Mike Curry #7.  He was not even on Bob Ehalt's list.  On the lists of the other 5 or 6 writers, most didn't even have him on their lists at all!

If we had all watched his Vinery Spiral win, we might have moved him up on all our lists!  He's also a "closer" but he made his move early and caught the leader Decisive Moment and just ran him down in the Vinery!  In his maiden win, though, he ran as a "stalker", which means he is plenty versatile...he does what he needs to do and how the race shapes up. And, he doesn't seem to have a preference for surfaces!!!  His only start o the dirt was the KY Derby. Plenty to be impressed about this horse. His only two starts of note, other than the Derby, are all we had to judge this horse on prior to the Derby.  It took him two tries to break his maiden. Other than the Kentucky Derby, the only two videos we have are of his win in the Vinery Spiral Stakes March 26, and his Maiden win October 23, 2010.  Watch him as a closer in the Vinery and as a stalker in his maiden. 
Animal Kingdom in the Vinery Spiral Stakes - March 26
Animal Kingdom - Maiden - Keeneland - 10-23-2011

ANIMAL KINGDOM - PAST RACES AND PERFORMANCES 

Date	Fin	Tr	Jockey	PP	Dist.	Sf.	Race
5/7/2011	1st	CD	J Velazquez	11	1 1/4	D	Kentucky Derby-G1
3/26/2011	1st	TP	A Garcia	10	1 1/8	S	Spiral Stakes-G3
3/3/2011	2nd	GP	R Maragh	8	1 mile	T	Allowance
10/23/2010	1st	Kee	R Albarado	6	1 1/8	S	Maiden Sp Wt
9/18/2010	2nd	AP	J Alvarado	9	1 1/16	S	Maiden Sp Wt

Brisnet's Recap - Kentucky Derby
Comma To The Top and Archarcharch injured - Update

Complete Brisnet daily update includes all the action - or everything you ever wanted to know about what happened on May 6 and 7, 2011 in the world of horse racing!
Brisnet's rundown on the big race, including some links for further analysis

KENTUCKY OAKS - May 6 - Plum Pretty
St. John's River and Zazu finish second and third



Brisnet's Recap - Kentucky Oaks
Kentucky Oaks - Thoroughbred Times
Kentucky Oaks Video

One of the favorites won, but not THE favorite!  Plum Pretty went off at 6-1 and the fifth choice in the pari-mutuel betting handle.  St. John's River was second, and Zazu was third (owned by Zenyatta's owners, Ann and Jerry Moss [A & M Records founder along with Herb Alpert]).

St. John's River likely headed to Breeders Cup in November