You have $100

tread · April 11, 2002, 11:59:42 AM

to place a single derby future wager. Who do you pick?

I may change my mind by the time the race happens, but my pick today is:

Perfect Drift

HP · April 11, 2002, 01:31:09 PM

Today my pick is Saarland, based on the incredibly snotty article by Vic Ziegel in today\'s Daily News.

Right now I\'m rooting for Frankel\'s horse to score a frontrunning win in the Wood and for Booklet to stay in so they can both take money and set things up for the winners in May. HP

Phil Mandl · April 11, 2002, 01:31:36 PM

It\'s all about value. One hell of a value wager was Perfect Drift in Pool 2 where he closed @ 91-1. I took much less on him in Pool 3. On Derby Day I\'ll still be looking for value and hoping that Essence or Castle gets overlooked. Essence is one of my Godolphin 7 stars so I\'m in for a
$ 150,000.00 first prize and 7 days and nights in Dubai next March.

HP · April 11, 2002, 02:03:04 PM

Do you have an opinion on the ship-from-Dubai issue, Phil? When I see Castle I think of Powis Castle and get a little heartburn. HP

rail · April 11, 2002, 02:18:05 PM

I\'d put $50 on Saarland. See Derby 1592\'s arguements. Hell, just look at the sheet.

I\'d save the other $50 for the Kentucky Oaks. If Imperial Gesture goes well Saturday in the UAE Oaks, she could pull off the upset over Take Charge.

Phil Mandl · April 12, 2002, 05:51:18 AM

Godolphins\' Kentucky Derby & Oaks bound horses are leaving Dubai on the 17th. As a general rule I have no problems with nor do I see any reasons why the ship from Dubai comprimises a horses opportunity to run to its ability. They are loaded onto a temprature controlled cargo container that\'s loaded into a plane and my understanding is they basically sleep thru the flight. Nothing new here. But every horse is different and I am concerned with how a horse like Essence of Dubai will handle the derby day chaos who tends to be very high-strung and tempermental on his best days.
Who\'s Powis Castle?

HP · April 12, 2002, 06:52:44 AM

I\'ve heard it\'s a big adjustment in terms of track surface. Supposedly the Dubai strip is tiring. Agree with your points on the flight, especially since they\'re coming over early.

Powis Castle was in the Derby years ago. He looked real good at a price and quite a few people in the TG office (I used to work there) liked him. I REALLY liked him. Up the track. HP

Phil Mandl · April 12, 2002, 07:28:29 AM

The dirt surface at Nad Al Sheba was completely re-done back the year before Wordly Manner ran in the derby in 99. The 2 tracks they used to model the new surface after is Churchill and The Fair Grounds. Nad Al Sheba may very well be the most similar track in the world to Churchill\'s.
I don\'t know what if anything was done to the training surface over at Godolphin\'s Al Quoz training center which is about 2 miles from Nad Al Sheba but typically Godolphin trainee\'s will work over at Nad Al Sheba.
The Dubai strip apparantly was on the deep and tiring side on World Cup day maybe from some heavy rains earlier that week. To me both Street Cry and Essence of Dubai\'s performances were very impressive. Hoping Tempara runs to her potential tomorrow. Seems like the Godolphin/Coolmore Euro wars have been extended to across the pond.