2015 KY Derby - Early Handicapping

 

Note: This blog is non-commercial and was developed for my own personal use to organize my racing viewing activity.  Your comments as to its usefulness to you would be appreciated.  Thanks!

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In the lead up to the 2015 Kentucky Derby, Jeff Siegel, among others will be making predictions based on the experience to date of the many runners who will be vying for post positions come the first Saturday in May 2015.  I enjoy having the information at hand to review the records of various horses.  This post will attempt to organize available information, including providing links to more sites.  These horses have all been added to the Horses To Watch blog:  Horses To Watch blog

 

BloodHorse Race Replays

Equibase

Pedigree Query

Chef-de-Race 2014 Juvenile Stakes winners

Breeders Cup History - 2014 Races

Kentucky Derby site - Contenders - Points

KY Derby Prep Schedule - Replays of completed races

Horseracing Nation's Active Horses      HRN Search All Horses

In addition to active horses, Horseracing Nation has several categories for horses: Top 250 All-Time, Top 250 All-Time Females, Kentucky Derby Contenders, Oaks Contenders,  International Top 500.  It's a fun place to explore, since each horse has a profile and usually has some videos of key races.
Points races for qualifying for Kentucky Derby:  America's Best Racing - Road to the 2015 Triple Crown

 



2015 KENTUCKY DERBY

TOP TEN AS OF 12-5-14

 

Jeff Siegel - HRTV 10-5-14 - Video 

 

 



1
American Pharoah (2012)
Pioneerof the Nile - Littleprincessemma (Yankee Gentleman)
J: Victor Espinoza         T: Bob Baffert
O: Zayat Stables, LLC   B: Zayat Stables
Pedigree   Equibase
Profile on HRTV 9-14-14   
Debut was a dud; broke maiden in the G 1 Del Mar Futurity 9-3-14 by 4 3/4 - Replay
Frontrunner S 9-27-14 - Santa Anita - Replay  Beat Calculator by 3 1/4 Texas Red by 4 3/4 

2
Texas Red (2012)
(Afleet Alex - Ramatuelle (CHI), by Jeune Homme)
J: Kent J. Desormeaux    T: J. Keith Desormeaux
O: Brehm, Erich, Detmar, Wayne, Michaels, Lee, Desormeaux, J. Keith et al.
B: Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC
Pedigree     Equibase
Breeders Cup Juvenile 2014  Soundly beats Carpe Diem, Upstart, Mr. Z and Souper Colossal

3
Dortmund (2012)  C.
Big Brown - Our Josephina, by Tale of the Cat
J: Martin Garcia     T: Bob Baffert
O: Kaleem Shah, Inc.    B: Emilie Gerlinde Fojan
Pedigree    Equibase
Allow Opt Claiming 11-29-14 - Video - by 7 3/4

4
Blofeld (2012) C.
( Quality Road - Storm Minstrel, by Storm Cat)
J: John R. Velazquez
T: Todd A. Pletcher
O: Glencrest Farm LLC and JSM Equine
B: Keats Grove Farm
Pedigree    Equibase
Nashua S - 11-2-14 - Replay  Beats El Kabeir by 5

5
Carpe Diem  (2012
Colt by Giant's Causeway ex. Rebridled Dreams (Unbridled's Song) 
J: John R. Velazquez         T: Todd A. Pletcher
O: WinStar Farm LLC and Stonestreet Stables LLC   B: Coffee Pot Stable
Pedigree    Equibase
Another "brilliant baby" whose 2 year-old campaign resounds with promise.
Breeder's Futurity (video)10-4-14 - Keeneland Beat Mr. Z by 6 1/4
Breeders Cup Juvenile 11-1-14  Loses to Texas Red by 6 1/2, finishes in front of Upstart, The Great War, Mr. Z,  One Lucky Dane, Super Colossal 
MSW - 9-1-14 - Replay - Saratoga 

6
Competitive Edge (2012)
(Super Saver - Magdalena's Chase, by Cape Town)
J: John R. Velazquez   T: Todd A. Pletcher
O: Favreau, Nancy, Psoinos, Kathy and Tabor, Michael B.
B: WinStar Farm, LLC
Pedigree   Equibase
G1 Hopeful 9-1-14  Saratoga - Replay By 5 3/4 over I Spent It
Won MSW by 10 1/4 7-26-14 Saratoga

7
Ocho Ocho Ocho  (2012)
( Street Sense - Winner, by Horse Chestnut (SAF))
J: Mike E. Smith   T: James M. Cassidy
O: DP Racing, LLC     B: Siena Farms LLC
Pedigree    Equibase
BC Juvenile Turf Sprint 11-1-14 - Replay  Wins by 5 3/4
Delta Downs Jackpot 11-22-14 - Replay - Beats Mr. Z. by a nose

8
Mr. Jordan (2012)  C.
(Kantharos - Miss Skeetd, by Cloud Hopping)
J: Gabriel Saez   T: Edward Plesa, Jr.
O: Melin, David, Ellman, Leon and Plesa, Laurie
B: Philip Matthews & Karen Matthews
Pedigree   Equibase
Juvenile Sprint S - 11-8-14 - by 3 - Replay
Smooth Air S - 11-29-14 - by 4 1/2 - Replay

9
Frosted (2012)
Tapit - Fast Cookie, by Deputy Minister
J: Irad Ortiz, Jr.    T: Kiaran P. McLaughlin
O: Godolphin Racing LLC    B: Darley
Pedigree  Equibase
Remsen S - Aqueduct - 11-29-14 Lost the Remsen by 1/2 to Leave The Light On
MSW 10-30-14 - Aqueduct - Replay - Win by 5 1/4

10
Upstart  (2012)


The handsome UPSTART

Colt by Flatter ex. Party Silks (Touch Gold)
J: Jose L. Ortiz   T: Richard A. Violette, Jr.
O: Ralph M. Evans   B: Mrs. Gerald A. Nielsen
Pedigree  Equibase
Breeders Cup Juvenile 2014 - 11-1-14 - 3rd behind Texas Red & Carpe Diem
Maiden win - 8/15/14 - Race replay   Race chart
Stakes win - Funny Cide - 8/24/14 - Race replay
HRTV Horizon - Profile

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Articles/More links
Plesa looks ahead to 2015 with Mr. Jordan and Souper Colossal
Road to the Kentucky Derby - List of qualifying races/points

The Love of the Thoroughbred

Z Princess

Republished in loving memory of Z Princess, daughter of Zenyatta, who was with us from April 20, 2014 to October 28, 2014  - RIP little one.  
 
Weanling daughter of champion Zenyatta dies  Zenyatta: Champion Mother
BloodHorse Feature: Long Live the Queen

And:


Shared Belief

In Honor of Shared Belief whose life and career were shortened on December 3, 2015, when he succumbed to a sudden and deadly attack of colitis. His fans, his owners, his trainer and all of his connections have shared their feelings about the loss of this wonderful champion. Jim Rome, one of the owners, has publicly mourned his "horse of a lifetime" and what it means not only to have been privileged to own such a horse, but what the loss means to him personally: 

"Thoroughbred racing is a sport filled with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Some of the most thrilling and surreal moments of our entire lives have occurred in this sport. Unfortunately, today we have suffered our most devastating. We have lost Shared Belief."

"Immediate shock upon hearing the Champ had passed suddenly turned to extreme sadness. You never really get over something like this, you just hope to get past it. And in time, we will. And we will as a team. All of us together." 

"And truthfully, we have asked ourselves if it’s all worth it. If you truly love the animal and you’re in the game for the right reasons, how could you not ask yourself that question? In other words, as devastating as this loss is, given the chance, would we do it all over again? And the answer is yes."

Remembering Shared Belief - video      
Shared Belief Remembered through Photos
Jungle Racing Facebook page




Loving the Thoroughbred

Zenyatta and Z Princess

When I started seriously following Thoroughbred racing, one of my early realizations was the extremes of the highs and lows of the sport.  I questioned early on how trainers and owners, and others involved directly with the care and training of these magnificent creatures dealt with the emotional extremes, the emotional roller coaster.  If you are afraid of your emotions, if you think it's not manly to cry, then you are in the wrong game.  Some days you get your heart wrung out like a dishrag, and others the joy and thrill of that win that comes at the end of a long road of ups and downs, just sends you over the moon, only to come crashing down again because of a senseless accident or injury that ends a career before it has begun. 


Mucho Macho Man

Yet, no matter how tough the road, I think most would say being involved with the horses is worth the price, that it is addictive in a positive sense, that their lives are enriched by their involvement.  I don't even own a horse, and can't get to the track very often, yet I've had my heart stomped on only to come back for more.  I pulled so hard for Mucho Macho Man for 3 years, that he would one day get to win that big race -- for what reason did I feel so invested in one horse? 

Fort Larned breaks the hearts of Mucho Macho Man's fans in the 2012 Breeders Cup Classic in a thrilling battle to the finish.  Mucho came back and looked like he might get there.


In 2013, Mucho Macho Man gets his revenge in a blanket finish with last year's winner and an invader from overseas, Declaration of War - This win brought tears to my eyes for Moochie.

El Vino - Zenyatta's workmate

Less accomplished horses have touched my heart, as well.  For what reason did a low-level claimer get under my skin and cause me to want to help in re-homing him, or how sad I felt at the loss of El Vino.  I have to tell you, growing up I couldn't even watch a Lassie

Sarbonne - Also worked
with Zenyatta

movie because the sound of that music would cause my throat to constrict and tears would sting my eyes before the movie even began!  Yet, I constantly subject myself to the ups and downs of a sport that is guaranteed to break your heart and the next moment, take you to the highest mountain.  Why am I still here?  Even though my voice is small among so many, I somehow feel I make a difference in bearing witness for each and every Thoroughbred that crosses my path.  To leave the sport would be like abandoning all of them, to saying, they don't matter.  So, I'm hooked, I'm stuck, and gladly so.  In the words of Priscilla Clark in her tribute to Zenyatta:

"If you love Thoroughbred horses you go through life hoping that you can see just one more in whose presence the clouds fall away to reveal the mountaintop. It can take a generation or infinitely longer for such a horse to arrive, a horse that is capable of carrying the human heart. For the last one hundred years we know them all by name, but Zenyatta brought to us a beauty that was a tonic for the soul. She allowed us to believe in the impossible, and it was the light of her being as much as the thrill of her races that got us dancing. Zenyatta was transformative."

A story of redemption.  Recently, a program at Saratoga has garnered much praise in restoring bruised and battered men and women coming back from the ravages of war.  Called the "Saratoga Warhorse", the only way to explain the program and how it works is to watch it in action.  Saratoga Warhorse  A story of redemption and renewal, and hope. 

A trainer's journey to the mountaintop and the depths to which he can plunge.  Story of a Kentucky Derby that changed Bob Baffert's life.

Then, in 2015, Bob Baffert has been carried to the mountaintop one more time. This time he was rewarded -- no, privileged -- to sit atop that mountain and feel the glow of reaching for the stars and having the stars embrace him, and all the connections, of the first Triple Crown winner in 37 years. In the culmination of taking home the prize no other Triple Crown winner has even had the opportunity to try, winning the Grand Slam of racing, the Breeders Cup Classic, Baffert has sometimes been at a loss for words to express his emotions. Often, he has referred to the "spiritual nature" of his journey, as here in the day following the Breeders Cup Classic, he reveals that he is at a loss for adequate words. 



There's no question in my mind that there is a spiritual connection between man and the horse that has existed for centuries.  As I stated in the beginning, my current situation does not afford me much personal contact with the horses.  I have a friend who does eventing and she has a couple of horses that when I feel the need to get up close and personal, I go out just to be around them, to smell that distinctive "horse smell" that to me is intoxicating.  To gaze into those soulful eyes, to rub that soft spot on their nose, to feed them carrots and treats, for me, brings me a sense of peace and order in my life.  There's just no way to explain it, but here's Richard Migliore trying to explain what he feels in the presence of a Zenyatta or a Seattle Slew. 



Yes, Zenyatta is special, otherworldly, even, but, to a certain extent, every horse has the spirit of Zenyatta, of a Seattle Slew.  All carry within them the ability to touch our hearts, to reach into our soul, and to engender a desire to help even in small ways to work towards a day when they all are appreciated and cared for.  They can't all be as accomplished as these two great horses, or of an American Pharoah, or a Shared Belief, but they all deserve to be treated as if they were!

If you want to help, even in a small way, there are many horse rescue and re-homing groups worthy of your support.  A list of organizations and their credentials are listed at Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance.  You, too, can make a difference in a horse's life.

GOODBYE TO HOLLYWOOD PARK

SEABISCUIT'S TRACK RAN ITS LAST RACE ON

Hollywood Park
Program 1956
Courtesy Abigail Anderson

SUNDAY.
The track that opened in 1938 that saw Seabiscuit win the first Hollywood Gold Cup, and saw LAVA MAN and NATIVE DIVER each win it 3 times. The list of famous horses to win at Hollywood Park are a Who's Who of horseracing: Affirmed, Round Table, Gallant Man, Cigar, Skip Away, John Henry, Noor. John Henry won the Hollywood Invitational 3 times.

Trivia question for the future: the last horse to win at the storied 75-year old Hollywood Park? Woodman's Luck nosed out Depreciable in a "spine-tingling" photo finish in Race 11! And, the last jockey? Why Lava Man's pilot, Corey Nakatani rode the winner! ~Deltalady

Losing the land of Lakes and Flowers - Julie June Stewart
Hollywood Park closed its doors in December 2013 and blogger Julie June Stewart was there to say farewell to the track during its final weekend.

Excerpt: Vic Stauffer gave a call for the history books honoring the great legends of Hollywood Park. The crowd strained to hear every word of his call. “As they turn past the barns for the final time, stables that have housed racing immortals like Seabiscuit, Citation, Swaps and Native Dancer, Affirmed, John Henry, Lava Man and Zenyatta.” Suddenly you could hear the horses coming and the crowd cheered loudly. Stauffer’s voice continued as he bravely pushed on through emotion and said, “They turn into the final stretch past the lakes and flowers! From 1938 to 2013; a final eighth of a mile; 75 years down to 12 seconds. A photo finish! Seventy-five great years at Hollywood Park and that’s a wrap.” 

Goodbye forever Hollywood Park and Thanks for the Goose Girls

 Hollywood Park makes plans for auction, moving horse graves
INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Betfair Hollywood Park will be dismantled rapidly after the final day of racing in track history on Dec.  22.

Hollywood Park president Jack Liebau said earlier this week that the track is making plans to hold a general auction of its holdings in January; that some basic equipment will be moved to Los Alamitos, which will host five weeks of Thoroughbred racing for the first time in 2014; and that arrangements have been made to move the graves of the prominent racehorses Landaluce and Native Diver who are buried on the property. The remains of Great Communicator, the 1988 Breeders’ Cup Turf winner, also will be relocated, but a site has not been determined.  Read more at source

Hollywood Park 1956
Courtesy of Abigail Anderson

Final Stretch: The last days of Hollywood Park
After 75 years of thoroughbred racing, Betfair Hollywood Park closed for good on Sunday. Photo gallery and more at source

12 Things You Probably Didn't Know About The Late Great Hollywood Park Racetrack
Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood closed Sunday after 75 years in service. The once grand venue will be demolished and replaced with 3,000 homes and a shopping center. Here are a dozen things you probably didn’t know about the late great track:

• All the proceeds from one race day were donated to the Inglewood YMCA to construct a new building in 1945.

• The clubhouse pavilion is named after longtime patron Cary Grant.  Read more at source

Program 1940
Courtesy Abigail Anderson

AP PHOTOS: Betfair Hollywood Park is closing

After 75 years of thoroughbred racing, Betfair Hollywood Park is closing for good.

The 260-acre track in Inglewood, Calif., that hosted Seabiscuit and the first Breeders' Cup in 1984, will be turned into a housing and retail development starting next year.

 

It's the second major California racetrack to close since 2008, when Bay Meadows near San Francisco was shuttered after 74 years to make way for a similar development.  More photos - read more at source

Hollywood Park's Finale: That's a Wrap!
Echoing crowds of yesteryear and making one last memory, fans flocked into Betfair Hollywood Park for a final time Dec. 22. They were there until the lights went out on the Track of Lakes and Flowers, bringing to an end a golden era of Los Angeles racing.

Located in the city of Inglewood near Los Angeles International Airport, the 238-acre property that opened for racing June 10, 1938, is slated for redevelopment into a shopping center, hotel, and homes.

Paynter: Story behind Story

THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY - PAYNTER AND THE  VOX POPULI AWARD

Today's presentation of the Secretariat Vox Populi award to a horse who only a few short months ago looked like he wouldn't even be alive seemed almost anti-climactic!

It has been one thing after another!

First, the owners of the horse had planned to be on hand to meet the plane bringing their horse back to his trainer, Bob Baffert, in California.  This would have been a huge celebration in and of itself, but also, the owners wanted to be on hand in person to receive the coveted Secretariat Vox Populi award.  At the last minute on Friday, Justin Zayat, the son and racing manager for Zayat Stables sent their regrets, that they would be unable to attend the ceremonies because his father had fallen and sprained his ankle.  He thanked all who voted for Paynter and all who had been instrumental in his even being on the ballot. 

Other plans were changed as well.  The Secretariat Vox Populi Award was presented by Penny Chenery's son today at Santa Anita, as she is under the weather. 

Somehow, these events and details seem mundane when presented next to what has happened to bring us to this point in the story of a brave horse by the name of Paynter!