The Videos
I'm still putting together the recent work tabs and will post them at the end of the week with the aim to identify the fittest horses and then see how they do in the race.
Meanwhile we've been treated to daily reports and videos--see the KY Derby Website--and it's time to watch 'em and make up our own personal Steve Haskin reports about dappling coats and flowing strides. The most crucial time of prep for any race tends to be in the preceding two weeks. In the history of preparation for big races we seem primarily in this period to be past the late '80s and '90s were "conventional" type trainers would pronounce their horses "fit" a week or so before the race and largely do nothing into the race. The most recent example of this was Giacomo. John Shireffs does a decent job of training and then mucks it all up by doing almost nothing the last 4 or 5 days into the race. Works when you get extremely lucky, I'm supposing.
Here is an RR "seeing" report, and I do generally tend to believe what I see:
1. Adriano: unimpressive. 'bout all I can say.
2. Anak Nakal/Cool Coal Man, precisely what I'd expect. Is N. Zito getting a bit defensive perhaps when he opines "condition-wise, you can't ask for horses more conditioned"?
3. Cowboy Cal/Monba: Both of these horses flash enough talent to be dangerous. They're walking Monday for the second day in a row. I'd be shocked if those exercise rider powerpuff works on Saturday get anything but "up the track", but, they look good.
4. Big Brown: waiting to see him.
5. Big Truck: was struggling with that :59 work today. Scratch him. Something about Barclay Tagg and his training.
6. Tale of Ekati: this seems a real nice horse. Contender.
7. Bob Black Jack: seems overmatched physically.
8. Colonel John: man among boys.
9. Court Vision/Z Humor. Same thing with both. They're nice horses that needed to be moved up in training. Never happened.
10. Dennis Of Cork: Impressive! The 4f today was almost 7f. Will need to look at this one again.
11. Eight Belles: I hope L. Jones does get the "sign from god" and runs her in the Oaks.
12. Gayego: Second best pedigree? Impressive horse that needed to do more?
13: Pyro: Has Grade I type scope. Definite threat!
14. Z Fortune: same as Pyro. Looks pretty good to me.
15. Recapturetheglory: hard to judge. would like to see more. something missing, perhaps.
16. Smooth Air: Northern Dancer type without Norther Dancer conditioning. Next Derby Bernie, keep your thermometer at home and work your horse.
17. Visionaire: a cut below.
Summarizing: I was impressed with: CJ, Smooth Air, Z Fortune, Pyro, Monba and Cowboy Cal, Gayego, Dennis of Cork, Tale of Ekati. There's BB and Recapturetheglory still Qs on appearance, and the rest I'd throw out purely on appearance and seeing their breezes. Will see how all this comes together later.
Training:
My horses conducted light riderless work on Monday as preliminary to Art's speed work tonight + tack work. I'm heading to the farm.
Meanwhile we've been treated to daily reports and videos--see the KY Derby Website--and it's time to watch 'em and make up our own personal Steve Haskin reports about dappling coats and flowing strides. The most crucial time of prep for any race tends to be in the preceding two weeks. In the history of preparation for big races we seem primarily in this period to be past the late '80s and '90s were "conventional" type trainers would pronounce their horses "fit" a week or so before the race and largely do nothing into the race. The most recent example of this was Giacomo. John Shireffs does a decent job of training and then mucks it all up by doing almost nothing the last 4 or 5 days into the race. Works when you get extremely lucky, I'm supposing.
Here is an RR "seeing" report, and I do generally tend to believe what I see:
1. Adriano: unimpressive. 'bout all I can say.
2. Anak Nakal/Cool Coal Man, precisely what I'd expect. Is N. Zito getting a bit defensive perhaps when he opines "condition-wise, you can't ask for horses more conditioned"?
3. Cowboy Cal/Monba: Both of these horses flash enough talent to be dangerous. They're walking Monday for the second day in a row. I'd be shocked if those exercise rider powerpuff works on Saturday get anything but "up the track", but, they look good.
4. Big Brown: waiting to see him.
5. Big Truck: was struggling with that :59 work today. Scratch him. Something about Barclay Tagg and his training.
6. Tale of Ekati: this seems a real nice horse. Contender.
7. Bob Black Jack: seems overmatched physically.
8. Colonel John: man among boys.
9. Court Vision/Z Humor. Same thing with both. They're nice horses that needed to be moved up in training. Never happened.
10. Dennis Of Cork: Impressive! The 4f today was almost 7f. Will need to look at this one again.
11. Eight Belles: I hope L. Jones does get the "sign from god" and runs her in the Oaks.
12. Gayego: Second best pedigree? Impressive horse that needed to do more?
13: Pyro: Has Grade I type scope. Definite threat!
14. Z Fortune: same as Pyro. Looks pretty good to me.
15. Recapturetheglory: hard to judge. would like to see more. something missing, perhaps.
16. Smooth Air: Northern Dancer type without Norther Dancer conditioning. Next Derby Bernie, keep your thermometer at home and work your horse.
17. Visionaire: a cut below.
Summarizing: I was impressed with: CJ, Smooth Air, Z Fortune, Pyro, Monba and Cowboy Cal, Gayego, Dennis of Cork, Tale of Ekati. There's BB and Recapturetheglory still Qs on appearance, and the rest I'd throw out purely on appearance and seeing their breezes. Will see how all this comes together later.
Training:
My horses conducted light riderless work on Monday as preliminary to Art's speed work tonight + tack work. I'm heading to the farm.
posted by rather rapid at
5:03 PM
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