After The Wood Memorial

[Tavasco]

For years I\'ve downplayed the graduates of the Wood Memorial moving forward. I learned to do that after betting on some of the high-profile points winners. That strategy left me disappointed year after year. Nothing but steam.

This year I\'m interested in three (3) of this crops luminarys but not the winner.

1) First I like Early Voting as much as he might disrupt the Kentucky Derby with his terrific early speed. But I\'d prefer he entered the Pat Day Stakes. Where I think he\'d win more money.

2) If Morello is healthy I like both him and Charge It to pump up the Derby Verticals.

3. Mo Donegal May beat me but I\'ll pass on him. However, if owner Klaravich Stables, Inc. and trainer Chad Brown do try the Derby Mo Donegal becomes a possible bet at the last minute.

[Molesap]

Totally agree about Early Voting. It seems like in the past few years, the horses that drop out of contention in the last month prior to the Derby have speed. Would love to seem him in the Pat Day Mile as well, but if Chad skips the Derby, he is likely running in the Preakness, hoping for a Cloud Computing type of repeat isn\'t he?

Not a huge fan of Morello at 10f, but he had no shot in the Wood after the poor break.

Charge It was all over the place in the stretch during the Florida Derby - was it that he was tired, green or a combination of both?

I always find it an interesting exercise to look at the time of the Derby preps and see where they fall historically. I understand raw times have little utility, but it is interesting to me that Mo Donegal ran the eighth fastest Wood on record at 9f. For what it is worth, there were at least 50 faster editions each of the Arkansas Derby, Bluegrass and Florida Derby run compared to the 2022 final times. The Santa Anita Derby was the 27th fastest historically. The Louisiana Derby was the fastest, but there were only two other times it was run at 9.5f. Hot Rod Charlie was almost a second and a half faster than Wells Bayou and Epicenter was over a half second faster than Hot Rod Charlie (track record time in this rarely run distance). Here are the Wood Memorial winners and final times at 9f.

Year-Winner-Time
2001-Congaree-1:47.80
2000-Fusaichi Pegasus-1:47.80
1999-Adonis-1:47.60
2005-Bellamy Road-1:47.16
1988-Private Terms-1:47.20
1998-Coronado\'s Quest-1:47.40
1976-Bold Forbes-1:47.40
2022-Mo Donegal-1:47.96
2003-Empire Maker-1:48.60
2002-Buddha-1:48.60
1985-Eternal Prince-1:48.80
1975-Foolish Pleasure-1:48.80
1957-Bold Ruler-1:48.80
1997-Captain Bodgit-1:48.20
1993-Storm Tower-1:48.40
1991-Cahill Road-1:48.40
2018-Vino Rosso-1:49.79
2011-Toby\'s Corner-1:49.93
2010-Eskendereya-1:49.97
2004-Tapit-1:49.60
1996-Unbridled\'s Song-1:49.80
1994-Irgun-1:49.00
1987-Gulch-1:49.00
1981-Pleasant Colony-1:49.60
1978-Believe It-1:49.80
1977-Seattle Slew-1:49.60
1974-2-Rube The Great-1:49.60
1973-Angle Light-1:49.80
1972-Upper Case-1:49.00
1971-Good Behaving-1:49.80
1969-Dike-1:49.60
1968-Dancer\'s Image-1:49.00
1967-Damascus-1:49.60
1966-Amberoid-1:49.60
1959-Manassa Mauler-1:49.60
1995-Talkin Man-1:49.20
1992-Devil His Due-1:49.20
1979-Instrument Landing-1:49.20
1963-No Robbery-1:49.20
1962-Admiral\'s Voyage-1:49.20
2014-Wicked Strong-1:49.31
1970-Personality-1:49.40
2007-Nobiz Like Shobiz-1:49.46
2009-I Want Revenge-1:49.49
2017-Irish War Cry-1:50.91
2012-Gemologist-1:50.96
1989-Easy Goer-1:50.60
1986-Broad Brush-1:50.60
1980-Plugged Nickle-1:50.80
1955-Nashua-1:50.60
1954-Correlation-1:50.00
1953-Native Dancer-1:50.60
1965-Flag Raiser-1:50.20
1964-Quadrangle-1:50.20
1961-Globemaster-1:50.20
1960-Francis S.-1:50.20
1958-Jewel\'s Reward-1:50.20
1956-Head Man-1:50.20
2013-Verrazano-1:50.27
2015-Frosted-1:50.31
1990-Thirty Six Red-1:50.40
1983-Bounding Basque-1:51.00
1982-1-Air Forbes Won-1:51.00
2019-Tacitus-1:51.23
1984-Leroy S.-1:51.40
1983-2-Slew o\' Gold-1:51.40
1974-1-Flip Sal-1:51.40
2006-Bob and John-1:51.54
2016-Outwork-1:52.92
2008-Tale of Ekati-1:52.35
1952-Master Fiddle-1:52.40
2021-Bourbonic-1:54.49

[Ace]

I have Early Voting at 29-1 in Pool 5.  I want him in the gate on the first Saturday in May!

[Tavasco]

Ace Wrote:
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> I have Early Voting at 29-1 in Pool 5.  I want him
> in the gate on the first Saturday in May!


Ace, that\'s the best reason I can think of that the connections send him in the Derby. Further, his sire (Gunrunner) suggests he s/b able to compete @ 1+1/4. His trainer is certainly able to condition endurance horses and whichever Jockey is selected will be able to execute whatever strategy the team comes up with.

My stated thought is entirely conditioned on the colt\'s early speed here to date.

Beyond that, I\'m embarrassed to say that I got TAP\'s FL Derby runner-up? into the Wood group in a senior moment. They were held on the same day, weren\'t they?

Good Luck!

[Ace]

No, the FL Derby was a week earlier.  But I\'m with you, I like Charge It also I\'m pretty sure I bet him in that race.

I don\'t care if Klaravich has had past success with Cloud Computing waiting for the Preakness. Put Early Voting in the gate for the Derby. Who ever remembers the Preakness winner if they don\'t first win the Derby? Unless it\'s a filly. Put the damn horse in the gate. His early speed is key with a couple of other speeds dropping out and yes a Gun Runner colt like him should get the 10F.

[confused]

Is Mo Donegal a bounce candidate?  I don\'t see how the horse isn\'t just that.  Plus, TAP has a fairly deep history of cranking them for the preps and then going flat in the big race.  I\'ll pass on the horse.

I\'m more interested in what this group thinks of Baffert\'s SA Derby winner.  I don\'t give a damn who they LIST as trainer....can a horse with such a lack of seasoning repeat the race or does he bounce also?

[statuette]

Is the vet the same?

[Roman]

I think he has a forward move in him. I like taiba,

[RICH]

my understanding is same vet, and also a baffert assistant in the new barn

[johnnym]

Same owner as Medina Spirit
Just think this Sheik may have an axe to grind

[jbelfior]

johnnym Wrote:
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> Same owner as Medina Spirit
> Just think this Sheik may have an axe to grind


To the extent where he may be running a horse that shouldn\'t be running. No works since the SA Derby. We shall see.


Good Luck,
Joe B.

[johnnym]

Per DRF one work after the Santa Anita was the plan all along.
I'm on the fence about him. He is the fastest horse though.
GL

[Strike]

Interesting. Taiba is an Urdu word --

The meaning of Taiba is \'a woman who loves to repent to Allah for all sins, minor or major, and always prays to God for forgiveness. \'

The owner is the same fellow who owned Medina Spirit. I assume the horse was named before last years\' derby but possibly not... .

[johnnym]

I am at a lost on what to do with this horse regardless of his name.
To much to soon?
Best horse will move forward?
That's the question at approximately 6-1

[Gary Irish]

I cannot believe anyone takes this horse seriously. I would rather lose than play him  (Taiba). The only way he gets anything Derby weekend is if he self-identifies as a filly and runs in the Oaks. And no, I have not seen sheet #\'s.

He is this years Honor A P. To think the ideal trip at Anita will replicate itself at CD is laughable. And I cannot say who I like yet, but Epicenter would be my gun to the head one right now.

The damside family is all Ohio-bred. I remember when Lil E Tee won I said I would never let pedigree determine my pick but still......

\"Christ you know it ain\'t easy\"  -- John Lennon