For The Record

[justindew]

Hello everyone. My name is Justin Dew. Many of you have commented on a issue regarding Hard Spun and a blog entry that I posted on KentuckyDerby.com during Derby Week. I wanted to clear up a few things for those of you who are interested.

First I would like to thank Steve Byk for having me on the show. I enjoyed doing it. For those of you who have not met Steve, he is a first class guy and a lot fo fun to talk to.

I would like to say that I regret my decision to blog about a conversation that took place between myself and a private clocker. An official Churchill Downs website was/is not the place for that kind of "reporting". It was a mistake to write about that conversation, and I will make sure it does not happen again.

I don't mind being called names like "douchebag" and 'idiot" and "moron". I have been called a lot worse in my life, and I can take it. However, I would like to correct a few things that are being incorrectly stated in this forum.

1) At no time did I attempt to pass off the clocker's opinion as my own. I made it very clear in my blog entry that a clocker had told me that Hard Spun was "sore and stiff, and has not been training very well." This information had a profound influence on my wagering strategy, and that is why I wrote about it. At the time I wrote the blog entry in question, I had not even seen Hard Spun, nor had I claimed to have seen him.

2) Both I and the clocker in question knew exactly where Hard Spun was stabled. In my email box, I received a list twice a day that told me where every Derby contender was stabled. It was widely known that Hard Spun was at Keeneland. The clocker in question had seen his workout at Churchill Downs in mid-April, and had seen him train in the mornings at Keeneland. I will admit that the way I wrote the blog entry made it sound that Hard Spun was currently stabled at Churchill Downs. That was also my fault, and the result of poor wording by me. However, Hard Spun's location was not really the point of the blog entry. The point was that a private clocker had told me that the horse was sore.

3) Even though Curlin had not worked on the day that I wrote about him, he was on the track. In fact, I saw Curlin just about every day. I wrote about my opinion on the way he looked on the track. Those words were based on my observation.

4) The blog entry regarding Hard Spun was taken down because Churchill Downs correctly decided that the official Kentucky Derby website was not the place for that kind of "reporting". I agree with that decision 100%.

5) The comments that are/were left in response to my blog entries on KentuckyDerby.com are not screened. In fact, if one was to go back and read all of the comments left on my blog entries, he would see several that are critical of me and my observations. I will say that during Derby Week, the website received a lot of traffic, and many people wrote me to say they were having trouble leaving comments. But neither I nor anyone else was screening anything.

That's about all I have to say. I am very sorry that my blog entry caused such an uproar. That was really the last thing I wanted to do. If anyone wants to email me personally, my address is justindew76@yahoo.com .

Thanks.

[blackthroatedwind]

That was very nice, but I have to take exception to one thing you wrote.....Byk is scum....and I think we all know that.

[Cajungator26]

I apologize for calling you an idiot, Justin... shouldn't have posted that without hearing both sides.

This is what I was curious about (more so than the Hard Spun comment):

Do You Like Hard Spun? I Did Too.
Saturday, April 28, 2007

"A different clocker told me that both Curlin and Zanjero have looked excellent, and seem to handle the surface very nicely. That bolsters my opinion of Zanjero, although I still can't see myself playing Curlin for previously discussed reasons."

Just out of curiosity, how could a clocker know how they were handling the surface before they actually worked over it?

By the way, I used Zanjero as well.

Once again, I apologize for the nasty comments.

[justindew]

Cajungator,

All of us in attendance for morning training during Derby Week saw just about every Derby contender on the grounds at some point every morning. Accoring to clockers, an experienced eye does not need to see a horse go through a timed workout to determine if that horse handles the surface.

[ArlJim78]

others can tell from a tv screen, or so I'm told.

[brianwspencer]

Originally Posted by ArlJim78

others can tell from a tv screen, or so I'm told.

Better than in person, I humbly believe.

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by ArlJim78

others can tell from a tv screen, or so I'm told.

Only the most sophisticated.

[philcski]

Originally Posted by ArlJim78

others can tell from a tv screen, or so I'm told.

Those with degrees from Tits McGee School for Blind Beuticians can tell just from grooming the horse whether he'll handle the surface.

[Rupert Pupkin]

Originally Posted by ArlJim78

others can tell from a tv screen, or so I'm told.

I think you can tell much better on television than in person. In person, you get to see it once. On television, you can replay it 50 times.

It's just like when there is an inquiry on a race. Do you think the stewards could make a decision from seeing the race live? Of course not. They watch the video over and over and then make their decision.

You can see much better when you get to watch multiple times on television.

[Cajungator26]

Originally Posted by justindew

Cajungator,

All of us in attendance for morning training during Derby Week saw just about every Derby contender on the grounds at some point every morning. Accoring to clockers, an experienced eye does not need to see a horse go through a timed workout to determine if that horse handles the surface.

Interesting... thanks for the info.

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Who was the private clocker?

I've heard from a more creditable source (CajunGator) in a private discussion, that Chelokee might have a foot bruise.

But hey, we all learn sooner or later that the best handicapping judgements we can make, will always come from information that is already available to us...and not from backside gossip or buzz. That's just the way it is.

[justindew]

I will not reveal the name of the clocker. But trust me, you've heard of him.

[Cajungator26]

Originally Posted by justindew

I will not reveal the name of the clocker. But trust me, you've heard of him.

Same guy who loved how Circular Quay and Scat Daddy were training?

[Cajungator26]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

Who was the private clocker?

I've heard from a more creditable source (CajunGator) in a private discussion, that Chelokee might have a foot bruise.

But hey, we all learn sooner or later that the best handicapping judgements we can make, will always come from information that is already available to us...and not from backside gossip or buzz. That's just the way it is.

I didn't say he had a foot bruise CURRENTLY. I was told that he had one before the Derby and would not have run regardless of whether or not he was able to get in last minute. Very funny on the creditable source comment.

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by Cajungator26

I didn't say he had a foot bruise CURRENTLY. I was told that he had one before the Derby and would not have run regardless of whether or not he was able to get in last minute. Very funny on the creditable source comment.

The sad part....you probably do have the clocker trumped from a creditablity standpoint.

All bets are off if it's Bruno De Jullio though....nothing like an Italian man who supports dozens of charitable causes.

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by Cajungator26

I didn't say he had a foot bruise CURRENTLY. I was told that he had one before the Derby and would not have run regardless of whether or not he was able to get in last minute. Very funny on the creditable source comment.

Matz has confirmed all you told me.

Story was just posted on DRF.

[kentuckyrosesinmay]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

Who was the private clocker?

I've heard from a more creditable source (CajunGator) in a private discussion, that Chelokee might have a foot bruise.

But hey, we all learn sooner or later that the best handicapping judgements we can make, will always come from information that is already available to us...and not from backside gossip or buzz. That's just the way it is.

This is correct. I've heard it as well from the same reliable source. He would have skipped the Derby whether he had gotten in or not. Matz moved him back to Fair Hill during that time as well. Don't know how much training he missed though.

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by kentuckyrosesinmay

This is correct.

Well we can all sleep comfortably tonight.

[declansharbor]

I commend you for coming on here to clear things up, as I don't yet have sirius satellite..

[Samarta]

I don't mind being called names like "douchebag" and 'idiot" and "moron". I have been called a lot worse in my life, and I can take it. However, I would like to correct a few things that are being incorrectly stated in this forum.


2) Both I and the clocker in question knew exactly where Hard Spun was stabled. In my email box, I received a list twice a day that told me where every Derby contender was stabled. It was widely known that Hard Spun was at Keeneland. The clocker in question had seen his workout at Churchill Downs in mid-April, and had seen him train in the mornings at Keeneland. I will admit that the way I wrote the blog entry made it sound that Hard Spun was currently stabled at Churchill Downs. That was also my fault, and the result of poor wording by me. However, Hard Spun's location was not really the point of the blog entry. The point was that a private clocker had told me that the horse was sore.


Justin,

I was probably one of your biggest critics when the events around this blog and my attempted responses on the Derby website took place. If I offended you in any way I apologize. My problem with the blog was two fold...the first was the fact that no matter what the intent of the article was, it all changed was you said "since his arrival at Churchill." I know that in situations like the Derby, you rely heavily on "heresay" but to throw out a comment like that on one of the potential favorites and to mistakingly report his location put you behind the eight ball. Then when I tried to respond on the Derby site and at first my response appeared to go through but was not visible on the site and then I attempted to repost and I received an error message that said I was not authorized to post...well I got a little cranked up....it was an unfortunate incident and all is good as far as I am concerned....all could really be forgiven if you give me a Preakness bomb.....