4/23: Derby Works & Notes
 

Only one worker this morning but lots od activity. Notes from the past 90 minutes.

GENERAL QUARTERS: 1:01..4, galloped out in 1:16.1 on a track that started the morning quicker than it has been the last couple of days. Simply put, it wasn't a great morning for fans of the Blue Grass winner as he labored through the drill.

SQUARE EDDIE and I WANT REVENGE both made very positive appearences on track while galloping. Eddie is just plain good looking and may have gotten exactly what he needed in the Lexington. Revenge seems to be doing very well and looks better and more energetic every day.

MUSKET MAN jogged maybe 3 miles today as Derek Ryan had him go around 3 times. Long, slow efforts like that are stamina-building and likely explains how the Irishman has induced route success out of the sprint- bred Yonaguska son.

WEST SIDE BERNIE was just out here but disappeared. May have gone to the Paddock for a session.

MINE THAT BIRD just ambled by...

There was an incident involving a Dallas Stewart/West Point worker who was in a tandem drill with two others and spooked at the eighth pole trying to jump the fence. The rider went over, bounced off the rail and hit the ground hard but appeared only shaken. Horse was easily gathered by an outrider.

More as the morning progresses or later as I have to go to Lexington in a bit.

Come on, Steve-o, I need more to feed my mancrush on West Side Bernie!

Sounds like a great morning for his fans.

His price on raceday should be going up.

I think he had to be the clear cut favorite for which horse would get the consensus worst reviews going in.

I know there's concern, alarm, trepidation, et al, but when he went by he looked great. Internally? Who knows? I guess they have to rely on the scans and vet opinions. O'Neill will be getting here tomorrow and I'll talk to him and have him on as soon as possible. I wonder if they will do a scan next week after his final preparations? I'll ask... One thing though, if it was a beauty contest, he'd be a finalist and it would come down to his answer on gay marriage.

Don't know if you heard Leroy Jolley last week, but he told the story how Foolish Pleasure shed frogs on BOTH front feet after the Florida Derby loss from a strange fungal infection or virus. They were not fully healed weeks later for the Wood Memorial win or even 100% for Derby. Could you imagine what the talk would be these days if a horse was coming into the Wood and Derby like that? Jolley said he knew they were in good shape for Derby when Pleasure took the Wood at well below 100% condition.

Did Rachel Alexandra work?

No. Scheduled to work Monday... And actually, unless she came out before 6:45 or after 8:30, I didn't see her. Mike Welsch was watching for her too and didn't see her.

This is HERESY when it comes to the racetrack (training and betting). We all know it's ALL about BLOODLINES. Send them once around the training track in the a.m. and let the breeding do the rest.:rolleyes: Stamina isn't related to conditioning.

Of course, if more trainers bought into this, Roman (and his dosage), and others, would get even less attention than presently.

What's next for you, Steve, exploding the 'doesn't like to run behind/between horses myth'? Or 'doesn't like being inside'?

!!!

Fats,

You realize this will get you removed from Pedigree Ann and Lauren Stich's Xmas card lists? And you can forget that Costa Rican vacation at Dr. Roman's hacienda.

Yep those African long distance runners sure could be amazing sprinter like the Jamaicans if they just trained differently.. Maybe Trackus could help one to run 10f's instead of sprinting...

You can't really believe the drivel above? Sure conditioning matters and can lengthen a horse but I guess Curlin could have been the same horse at 6f's or for that matter a turf star with a different training regiment? Imagine this folks Groovy at 12f's all because he ran up a few hills in Md. for a season...

Fatty stick to handicapping winners, apparently they fertilized the lawn at Prospect Park and the nitrates got into your bloodstream.. You test positive again?

What is Ms. Stich up to these days?

Always look forward to her analysis of the baby races at Spa.. Especially when she narrows the 10 horse field down to 6 likely winners... Whats a 6 horse tri box cost for a buck like 7 million?