With the arrival of Big Brown and others from Kentucky and California, all the horses are at Pimlico, with the exception of Saturday arrivals Behindatthebar and Icabad Crane. This will be just an abbreviated report to set things up for Friday's column, in which we'll try to find several value plays to use in the exotics.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
With regular exercise rider Michelle Nevin aboard and dozens of still and video cameras recording every step, the Big Brown galloped 1 1/2 miles May 15 at Pimlico.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Accompanied by two United Parcel Service vehicles, Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) winner Big Brown arrived and entered the Preakness (gr. I) stakes barn at Pimlico Race Course May 14 to begin his quest for the middle jewel of the Triple Crown.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Big Brown will not race past his 3-year-old year as stud plans for the Derby winner are set to be announced May 15, according to IEAH Stables' Michael Iavarone.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Undefeated Big Brown will break from post position 7 as the 1-2 favorite in Saturday's Preakness Stakes (gr. I) as the colt will attempt to duplicate his impressive victory in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I).
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Casino Drive came out of his victory in the Peter Pan (gr. II) May 10 at Belmont Park as effortlessly and professionally as raced in his United States debut. Now, he is ready to tackle the 1 1/2-mile Belmont Stakes (gr. I) June 7.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Entrants make their way to Pimlico; Zito voices concerns for horses and racing.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Derby winner Big Brown is one of 13 3-year-olds entered for Saturday's Preakness Stakes (gr. I). Post positions will be drawn later this afternoon.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Can anyone take Big Brown down? It sure doesn't look like it on paper.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Behindatthebar, Giant Moon, Riley Tucker, Stevil, and Tres Borrachos turn in their final workouts before the May 17 Preakness Stakes (gr. I) at Pimlico.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Ahmed Zayat sent two runners to the Derby who wound up chasing Big Brown home. For the Preakness, Zayat Stables' will send out Riley Tucker, a son of Harlan's Holiday who has earned a shot.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Behindatthebar wasn't ready for a start in the May 3 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) after winning the April 19 Coolmore Lexington (gr. II). But with two more weeks between races under his girth, the Todd Pletcher trainee could be one of the more legitimate contenders for the May 17 Preakness Stakes (gr. I).
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Big Brown's task just got a little - or a lot - easier with the decision of Harlem Rocker's owner Frank Stronach to bypass Saturday's Preakness Stakes (gr. I) and await the $1-million Queen's Plate at Woodbine June 22.
Monday, May 12, 2008IEAH Stable and Paul Pompa Jr.'s Big Brown, a dominant winner of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), had another easy morning May 12 at Churchill Downs as his bid for the Preakness Stakes (gr. I), the second jewel of racing's Triple Crown, draws closer.
Monday, May 12, 2008
As recently as May 4, Eddie Plesa Jr. announced that Hey Byrn would be headed to the $300,000 Ohio Derby (gr. II) at Thistledown.
Monday, May 12, 2008
IEAH Stables and Paul Pompa Jr.'s Big Brown had his presence announced on the Churchill Downs track shortly before 7 a.m. May 11 with a loud clap of thunder. Unfazed, Big Brown went about his morning activity, jogging one mile with Michelle Nevin up accompanied by a pony.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Recapturetheglory, fifth in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), has had his Preakness Stakes (gr. I) plans derailed by a fever. The son of Cherokee Run is officially out, according to co-owner Ronnie Lamarque, who confirmed the news at 2 p.m. EDT May 10.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
A recent agreement with IEAH Stables and jockey Kent Desormeaux has UPS serving as the exclusive marketing partner for Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) winner Big Brown, the delivery company announced in a May 9 press release.
Friday, May 09, 2008
Icabad Crane, who most recently won the April 19 Frederico Tesio Stakes at Pimlico, will be entered in the Preakness Stakes (gr. I), according to the racing manager for owner Earle I. Mack.
Friday, May 09, 2008
Bear Stables' Kentucky Bear was the first Preakness Stakes (gr. I) contender to arrive at Pimlico, while others are scheduled to ship in next week.
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Rick Dutrow, who once ran Golden Man at Monmouth on a Saturday and at Delaware the following day (finishing third and second, respectively), is not thrilled about having to run Big Brown back in two weeks in the May 17 Preakness Stakes.
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Saying "we're there to win", co-owner Ronnie Lamarque announced May 7 that Recapturetheglory, who finished fifth to Big Brown in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), is confirmed for $1 million Preakness Stakes (gr. I) May 17 at Pimlico Race Course.
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
The 134th Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), also known as The Brown Derby, was such a mixed bag of emotions, observations, and conclusions, there is no way to analyze it in the normal manner or find a proper place for it in the history books.
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
The owners of Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) winner Big Brown are close to concluding a deal to sell the future breeding rights in the son of Boundary.
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
With Andy Durnin up and trainer Beau Greely looking on from the grandstand, third-place Arkansas Derby (gr. II) finisher Tres Borrachos worked five furlongs in :59.60 at Churchill Downs May 7 in preparation for a start in the May 17 Preakness Stakes (gr. I).
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
IEAH Stables and Paul Pompa Jr.'s Big Brown, winner of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), jogged a mile under exercise rider Michelle Nevin alongside a pony May 7 at Churchill Downs.
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
With the May 17 Preakness Stakes (gr. I) 11 days away, the field set to test Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) winner Big Brown continues to change as the connections of some of the top 3-year-olds weigh a start in the middle jewel of racing's Triple Crown at Pimlico Race Course.
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
UPS, the company which inspired the name of the winning Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) horse, Big Brown, took advantage of its logo placements on the pants of winning jockey Kent Desormeaux to garner 0:56 of on-screen time.
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
NBC Sports' coverage of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) May 3 was the most viewed Kentucky Derby in four years (Smarty Jones, 2004), and second most viewed in at least 17 years. The race (5:43-6:39 p.m. ET) averaged 14.2 million viewers, up 3% from 2007 (13.8 million).
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Thoroughbred racing treads a fine line between its loftiest peak and its deepest abyss. Once again, celebration and sorrow clashed in the Kentucky Derby.
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Big Brown to return to track Wed. morning; Stevil works for Preakness
Monday, May 05, 2008
Speaking to reporters on the Churchill Downs backside the day after Big Brown won the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), trainer Rick Dutrow Jr. was cautiously optimistic regarding his starter's chances in the Preakness Stakes (gr. I).
Sunday, May 04, 2008
One of the happiest people at Churchill Downs May 3 was Florida pinhooker Eddie Woods.
Sunday, May 04, 2008Early indications are that none of the horses that finished behind Big Brown in his impressive 4 3/4-length victory in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) will move on to the May 17 Preakness Stakes (gr. I).
Sunday, May 04, 2008
United Parcel Service has never made a delivery like Big Brown delivered May 3 at Churchill Downs, romping home by nearly five lengths to remain unbeaten in four starts with a scintillating win in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I).
Saturday, May 03, 2008
A tearful Larry Jones, the trainer of Eight Belles, who broke down in the gallop-out after finishing second in the Run for the Roses, said there would be no second-guessing in what he called an "unfortunate" outcome that couldn't be foreseen.
Saturday, May 03, 2008Favorite Big Brown wins the 134th Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) today. Eight Belles finishes second but is fatally injured immediately after the race. Denis of Cork is third.
Visit Triple Crown Mania on BloodHorse.com for more coverage.
Saturday, May 03, 2008
Just like the morning line suggested, bettors in the advance wagering have installed Big Brown as the favorite for Saturday's Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I).
Friday, May 02, 2008Oaks/Derby daily double players make Big Brown favorite in Saturday's Derby.
Friday, May 02, 2008
This space will not focus too much on Big Brown or Colonel John. The comments and observations that follow are designed to help ferret out some elusive price horses, based on looks, works, and gallops.
Friday, May 02, 2008
HRTV's originally produced show on the Derby contenders. Big Brown and Smooth Air work, Comments from connections about the post positions, Monba and Cowboy Cal on track at Churchill Downs, and an interview with Big Brown Trainer, Rick Dutrow.
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Floyd Oliver digs into the similarities between Kentucky Derby favorite Big Brown and Domino.
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Big Brown, Smooth Air turn in works; Cowboy Cal, Monba get feel for track
Thursday, May 01, 2008
It was only appropriate that the final Kentucky Derby work belong to Big Brown, who showed why he just may be as special as his connections believe he is.
Thursday, May 01, 2008
There's always plenty of hay around the backstretch of any track, so it was a little surprising when we saw a bale arriving special delivery.
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Trainer Todd Pletcher doesn't have the first, second, or third choice in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I). In fact, his horses were assigned odds of 15-1 (Monba) and 20-1 (Cowboy Cal) on the morning line. So, after giving an update on the status of his runners, Pletcher was left to confirm Rick Dutrow Jr.'s confidence in Big Brown during a May 1 press conference at Churchill Downs.
Thursday, May 01, 2008
All systems are "go" for Smooth Air's scheduled start in the Kentucky Derby Presented By Yum! Brands (gr. I), according to the colt's conditioner, Bennie Stutts Jr.
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Trainer Rick Dutrow Jr. sent Big Brown for an easy work over the Churchill Downs surface May 1, and the imposing colt looked every bit the Derby favorite as he took to the track under regular exercise rider Michelle Nevin. Big Brown, installed as the 3-1 morning line choice following the April 30 post position draw, went three-eighths in :35 2/5.
Thursday, May 01, 2008
The connections of 3-1 morning-line favorite Big Brown selected the outside 20 post position for the undefeated colt in Saturday's Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) during the April 30 post position draw held in downtown Louisville.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
HRTV's originally produced show on the Derby contenders. Arrival of Pletchers' horses (Monba and Cowboy Cal), gallops from Big Brown, Gayego, Colonel John, Focus on Adriano - including an interview with trainer Graham Motion, and an Oaks Preview.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008