usually, there are a bunch of changes to Derby runners in the last 10 days before the race (Still time for that) but this year there seems to be more movement with the Oaks fillies.
Baffert is passing on the race with his Fantasy winner and now Pletcher said this AM that In Lingerie is passing the race in favor of the Black Eyed Susan.
Pletcher is still leaning toward Broadway Alibi going in the race and BA reportedly pulled away from IL at the end of their breeze yesterday so I suppose that explains the preference for which one is going.
I guess Grace Hall and On Fire Baby will be the two favorites but I don\'t really love either one of them. Grace Hall isn\'t as fast as some of the others on the sheets (i.e. Broadway Alibi) and she also looks like a candidate to go backward at least a bit off the 2.5 pt new top (Tony Dutrow ok but not great off new tops). On Fire Baby has a pedigree that makes it really tough to believe she will get the 1 1/8th. OFB is reportedly training very well and galloping out terrificly in the morning but I still have a hard time playing a Smoke Glacken out of a Gilded Time mare going 1 1/8th. I know Ami\'s Dini has a good looking sheet but I don\'t think she wants any part of this distance (her half by Lemon Drop Kid is a stakes level sprinter and if you are by Lemon Drop Kid and you are a good spinter, that means the bottom side of your pedigree is seriously speed oriented). Also, Ami\'s Dini is not training very well down there (which I wouldn\'t care about if I thought she could get the distance but I don\'t think she can)
so, that would leave me with Broadway Alibi, Summer Applause (whose pattern and pedigree I like alot) and Eden\'s Moon who looks like she could run a new top from Baffert as the three that I think are most interesting and will likely be using in the Oaks/Derby double. I won\'t completely toss Grace Hall and OFB but I prefer them underneath. Welcome Guest has fast paired tops but I have not heard much about her this week so I assume she isn\'t running but that could be wrong.
Jim-- where did you see that In Lingerie is out? Writing the seminar...
DRF Twitter feed
So who should scratch out the oaks covello? Great call on Alpha. Worked in .59 yesterday
Donut: of course you are welcome to your opinion. It\'s just your tone and the way you express things that is VERY OFFENSIVE. Jim is very much a gentleman and well respected. You can state your case without the BS. Good Luck in the Derby. ED B.
Hey pal, you are very strange, but that\'s what makes the world go round. Did it every occur to you they worked Alpha that fast to make up for the lost time Covello described here a few days ago? And is that the best way to prep a horse for ANY race? I liked the horse more before this work. He may be far too eager for a 10 furlong race at this point.