Now that Joe Bravo and Jose Valdivia have accepted the rides on Spanish Chestnut and Going Wild the Derby field is beginning to resemble a briar patch.
If there were anymore rabbits entered they would need to move the race to Easter Sunday.
These are two horses who are entering the race having been beaten in their last two races by more than 80 lengths.
Spanish Chestnut\'s trainer Patrick Biancone actually said his horse was being enter based on his own merits. And it was with a straight face.
No wonder Wayne Lukas never flinched when he said he was going on to the Derby with Going Wild, he knew he would have company.
Rumor has it both Joe\'s were offered the ride on Sort it Out and turned it down. They think these two horses give them their best chances to win the race.
SC--
I find it amusing that the dam of SPANISH CHESTNUT is Baby Rabbit.
Some of these trainers have no choice....owners want their horse in the gate. It does not always take brains to be wealthy.
As far as D. Wayne goes...well he\'s D. Wayne. His choice to enter GOING WILD may go down alongside DEEDS NOT WORDS.
Not sure I have ever seen more miler speed in the Derby than this one. Let\'s count \'em...BELLAMY, HI FLY, HI LIMIT, CONSOLIDATOR, SPNSH CHSTNT, GOING WILD, GRLYS GLXY, BANDINI. You have no less than 8 horses (40% of the field) that may be looking to take charge rounding the infamous \"track kitchen\" part of the turn. I cannot see how this 1/2 mile won\'t go any slower than :46.
I now start praying that Alex Solis gets the ride on ANDROMEDA. One of the best 1 1/4 riders in the country...I\'ll take a flyer in the exotics at > 50-1.
Good Luck,
Joe B.
Bellamy Road is officially killed off by both rabbits.
The question isn\'t really how big is his heart, but how big is his stomach.
He is now being asked to swallow TWO RABBITS.
By the way Going Wild worked a bullet in 59 and 3 at 5:30 this morning. Wonder where he will be when they hit first turn.
pletcher says he\'s putting blinkers on flower alley. post draw will be interesting.
The Lukas/Pletcher/Tabor angle with the rabbits can not be understated. All three of them have either worked with each other or for each other.
When it comes time for the rabbits to take their respective left hand and right hand turns and park. You can bet their other runners will know exactly when and be sitting there waiting to move on thru.
Other riders will be be forced to slam on the brakes avoiding two horses who are \"stopping to a walk\".
Better hope they are not on your tickets.
It is pretty obvious that Spanish Chestnut is a rabbit for Bandini. But Lukas is not entering Going Wild as a rabbit. Gimme a break. Read the PP. IF Consolidator is going to run well (very big if in my mind), it will be on/near the lead. He does not want a hotter pace. It will hurt him, not help him.
Lukas is running Going Wild because he is stubborn and will run almost anything in the race. Not to be a rabbit for Consolidator.
When Going Wild makes his inevitable left hand or right hand turn to after he has softened up Bellamy Road, Consolidator will be there to slide on thru.
In wrestling they call this a tag team, NASCAR drivers do it every week.
Both Joe\'s will probably be doing a lot more than just riding their horses, with a fair share of hooting and hollering and screaming, anything to rattle a high strung Bellamy Road.
Which brings me back to a story from another Derby years ago when Showman Angel Cordero struck up a friendly conversation with late rider Chris Antley. The unusual thing is it came about as both of them and their horses straightened out down the backstretch of the Derby.
The conversation went something like this with Cordero aboard Quintana and Antley riding Strike the Gold.
Cordero:How much you sitten on young fella?\"
Antley: \"I\'m sitten on enough\"
Codero: Bet you ain\'t sitten on as much as I am\".
Antley: \"You\'re about to find out. Goodbye!\"
> The conversation went something like this with Cordero aboard
> Quintana and Antley riding Strike the Gold.
>
> Cordero:How much you sitten on young fella?\"
> Antley: \"I\'m sitten on enough\"
> Codero: Bet you ain\'t sitten on as much as I am\".
> Antley: \"You\'re about to find out. Goodbye!\"
>
lol,
Despite having Strikey as my first Derby winner, I never heard of that exchange before. Classic.
I\'ve told this one before, but I love it. I was at Calder watching the 91 Belmont. Depsite being off Lasix I liked Hansel. I was sure he\'d get too big a jump for Strikey to make up. There coming down the stretch and Strikey is eating inexorably into Hansels lead. A boisterous Cuban starts screaming in my ear and slapping his thigh with his rolled up racing form. He\'s yelling \"Chula Strike the Gold, Chula\". I came to believe Chula meant \"faster\" I\'m still not certain. Anyway I\'m really starting to sweat because I have a large bet keying Hansel on top. I\'ve got a very good eye for momentum and I suddenly get the feel that Strikey is gonna run out of ground even though theres about a sixteenth to go. The Cuban is still screaming his lungs out and I got right in his space looked him dead in the eye and said \"He aint gonna get there\".
Money won is twice as sweet as money earned.
You never know with Lukas. I don\'t like Consolidator\'s last race and I don\'t like the way he worked last. Going Wild is another matter. Lukas can\'t be trusted.
Bellamy is a long strider who needs it clear in front of him.One in front and one along side ought to get the job done.Wonder how much of a bonus Bravo gets from Tabor for a job well done.Maybe Tabor takes care of Valdivia as well.These guys aren\'t dopes.They know they can\'t beat a free running Bellamy Road.Silver Charm is on target here.
big18741---
So who are the logical ones to pick up the pieces???
Good Luck,
Joe B.
Tough to say in a 20 horse field pre post draw,but Bailey will try to move first on High Fly if and when he senses trouble with Bellamy Road,and Jr on Bandini will follow him around.Noble Causeway,Coin Silver and Afleet Alex all have chances to run on late depending on trips and traffic.I don\'t have a lot of faith in Jeremy Rose in a 20 horse field where he\'s sitting midpack at best.Trouble will find him.