Blog

Sevens are wild on Saturday with all three Kentucky Derby preps drawing seven three-year-olds.  While the Tampa Bay Derby is going on in Florida, Oaklawn Park will feature the Rebel and Santa Anita has the San Felipe.

Lookin At Lucky is the 7-5 morning line favorite for the Rebel, but faces a tough task in his first start of 2010.  He was five-for-six during his two-year-old campaign, but an uncharacteristically slow work has created questions.  He does put on the blinkers, which should help, but may be a bet against at low odds.  The probably second choice in the wagering will be Dublin.  Dublin came back in 2010 with a great run in the Southwest and the added distance will only help his chances.  Noble’s Promise is the morning line second choice, but he has not raced on dirt and the distance still is a concern.  Uh Oh Bango is an interesting long shot and has really not run a bad race in his five career starts.  Cardiff Giant should be used in trifectas having finished in the money in nine of 11 starts.

Caracortado doesn’t have the best breeding, broke his maiden at about four furlongs at a County Fair, but he just wins.  He took the Grade 2 Bob Lewis in his last in runaway fashion and the horse he beat two back, Alphie’s Bet, came right back to win the Sham last weekend.  Caracortado, however, does not face an easy field and should again be a square price.  American Lion and Dave in Dixie ran in the Bob Lewis and both should improve in their second start off the layoff.  John Sadler trains Dave in Dixie, but also has Sidney’s Candy and they have opposite running styles.  Sidney’s Candy has always been a talented sort and will try to lead them as far as he can on the stretch out.  Interactif has been impressive, but those races were on turf.  The switch to synthetic shouldn’t be a problem and he will be in a good stalking position.  With Zenyatta in the pick-4 it may be wise to spread elsewhere and hope for a long shot.

14 career wins vs. 11 career wins, 14 straight wins vs. 9 straight wins, $5.4 million vs. $2.9 million.  The numbers would suggest the first horse is better, but many prefer the second.  Of course when you are talking about Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra no one is wrong.  In the middle of the Kentucky Derby trail Saturday marks the return of two of the top stars in the game.  Zenyatta goes for number 15 in the Santa Margarita and Rachel will try to win her 10^th in a row in the New Orleans Ladies.

The Santa Margarita drew a field of nine and there is really no speed in the race.  Made for Magic stretches out off of a sprint and may find herself in front.  Powerofvoodoo is likely to keep the pace honest for her stablemate Pretty Unusual.  The problem here is that they will all have to hold off Zenyatta.  She proved last year at Del Mar that she doesn’t need a fast pace to win and jockey Mike Smith should have her in striking position turning for home. Striking Dancer, Gripsholm Castle, and Floating Heart exit the La Canada and should all be running for second.  The best part is the race starts off the late pick-4 and is part of the pick-6.

At the Fair Grounds Rachel Alexandra is the listed 1-5 morning line favorite, but she will be more like 1-9 come post time.  Rachel may be vulnerable on Saturday because of the layoff and her works haven’t been stunning.  They have been increasingly better and trainer Steve Asmussen admitted she won’t be cranked to 100%.  Unfortunately the others entered aren’t exactly world-beaters.  Rachel should be sitting just off Fighter Wing and Zardana in the perfect spot.  Rachel’s race is also part of late pick-4 and pick-6.

Regardless of the outcome these races should set the two up for their match up at Oaklawn Park next month.

It’s the biggest race in Horse Racing… and BetAmerica.com is going to give you a chance to win a trip to see it with your own eyes! Make no mistake about it, you and a friend will be flown to prestigious Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY, where you will enjoy two nights stay and premium seats to the Kentucky Derby!

Let’s cut to the chase…. from March 11 – April 1, 2010 BetAmerica will host a daily Derby Qualifier (DQ). The winner of each DQ will receive free entry into the Championship Tournament, where they will compete against all the other DQ winners to play for two nights stay, and premium seats to the Kentucky Derby! The entry fee for each DQ will be $5. As with all BetAmerica tournaments 100% of the entry fees will be paid back to the winner as prize money. However, our DQ tournaments will have a little something extra – in addition to each winner receiving free entry into the Championship Tournament, BetAmerica is also going to double the prize money of every DQ tournament, ensuring some excellent prize pools for all participants!

So what are you waiting for – Join a Derby Qualifier today for your chance to see the Kentucky Derby in person!

Tampa Bay Downs is the place for one of the two Kentucky Derby prep races on Saturday with the Tampa Bay Derby.  The other is the Rebel from Oaklawn Park, which will be drawn on Thursday.  In addition to the Tampa Bay Derby the three-year-old fillies also get their chance to shine in the Florida Oaks.  The 12-race card also includes the Hillsborough for older fillies and mares on the turf and the Turf Dash, a five-furlong race on the grass.

The Tampa Bay Derby goes as race 11 and drew a field of only seven.  Rule, the winner of the local prep Sam F. Davis, will not run in this race, but his trainer Todd Pletcher will be represented by Super Saver.  He has not raced since last November, a winning effort in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club.  Super Saver is likely to set the pace from post six just in front of Schoolyard Dreams and Odysseus.

Schoolyard Dreams finished three lengths behind Rule in the Sam F. Davis after tracking him the whole race.  Schoolyard Dreams finished a length in front of Uptowncharlybrown, who is also entered here.  Uptowncharlybrown vied for favoritism with Rule during the betting and was the solid second choice.  He was last early and made an outside move only to stall a little.  Uptowncharlybrown’s races have been increasingly better and his workout on March 7 suggests he is no worse for the wear.  The blinkers go on for a trainer who is 27% with that move the first time.

Odysseus is the horse that could be any kind and there should be a buzz surrounding him come Saturday.  He was second in his debut, and then showed up at Gulfstream to break his maiden before shipping to Tampa to win a first level allowance by 15 lengths.  He was super impressive and is a top prospect for trainer Tom Albertrani and Padua Stables.  The four horses mentioned tower over the other three and each had a speed figure of 91 or 93 in their last.  They are likely to complete the superfecta.

Race nine is the Florida Oaks and drew a bigger field of 10, but as with the Tampa Bay Derby only several horses stand out.  The favorite is likely to come from one of two horses, She Be Wild and Diva Delite.  She Be Wild won the BC Juvenile Fillies last year, but disappointed in her return to the races.  She will probably fair better in her second off the layoff, but her wins have only come on a synthetic surface.  In contrast, Diva Delite has all her wins on a dirt surface and has won four in a row.  In her 14 career starts she has won seven of them and has only been out of the money in one start.  She just knows how to win and has responded to every test so far.

The Hillsborough goes as race eight and the Turf Dash as race 10.  Lady Shakespeare will hope for firm ground after being scratched a couple of times in the last month, but she is not an overwhelming favorite.  Tottie has been very good since coming to North America and is a definite threat.   The Turf Dash is a wide-open affair and features the 2009 Tampa Bay Derby winner Musket Man.  It would be a good win for the connections after losing stablemate Big Truck earlier this week.  They also have Schoolyard Dreams.  It should be a great day at the Oldsmar oval.

At Gulfstream Park on Saturday the theme of the late pick-4 is turf racing.  All four races are on the grass including the Grade 3 Herecomesthebride for three-year-old fillies and the Grade 3 Palm Beach for open three-year-olds.  The sequence gets under with the Herecomesthebride, which goes as race seven.

The race drew a field of nine and each of the nine entrants has a shot of crossing the line first.  The hunch play of the race has got to be Musical Romance.  She did not take to the synthetic track at Ocala, but two back she beat In the Rough, who came back to win the Coconut Grove stakes.  In the Rough is listed at 4-1 on the morning line and Musical Romance is twice that at 8-1.  Check the Label, Upperline, and Khancord Kid all finished behind In the Rough in the Coconut Grove.  Apple Charlotte and Dynazaper are two new shooters and are definite threats.  The trainer/jockey combinations for each of those two are outstanding on the turf.

Two races later is the Palm Beach, which could have had Lentenor and Interactif, but those two will try their luck on the Derby trail.  Bim Bam defeated Interactif in his last by a nose and is the horse to beat in the Palm Beach.  Bim Bam has four wins in nine career starts and has yet to finish worse than third.  He is also a neck away from being three-for-three on the turf.  If Bim Bam doesn’t win then it is anyone’s game.  Mott and Desormeaux again team up in this race with Mutiny and Lethal Combination could be one to watch in his first race in North America for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin.