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The eyes of the horse racing world shift from Churchill Downs to Pimlico Race Course as the Triple Crown players set their sights on the 135th running of the Preakness Stakes on Saturday, May 15.

SBG Global RacebookRace horse trainer Todd Pletcher announced that Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver will stay in Kentucky to prepare for the Preakness and will arrive at Pimlico next Wednesday, May 12, the day of the Post Position Draw.

The son of Maria’s Mon, Super Saver, furnished Pletcher with his first Kentucky Derby victory. Much had been made of the conditioners 0-for-24 Kentucky Derby record heading into the race. On top of that, the four-time Eclipse Award winner lost pre-race favorite Eskendereya to injury less than a week before America’s most famous horse race.

“There were a lot of different emotions,” race horse trainer Todd Pletcher said. “Relief. Excitement. It was extremely rewarding.”

Pletcher, who had three other Kentucky Derby starters, is likely to have a two Preakness entries– Super Saver and Aikenite.

Online Horse BettingOwned by Cot Campbell’s Dogwood Stables, the son of Yes It’s True, Akenite, finished second in a pair of Grade 1 races as a 2-year-old. He is 0-for-4 this year but finished second in the Grade 3 Derby Trial on Apr. 24.

“After the Derby Trial, Mr. Campbell was excited about the way he ran and wanted to take a look at the Preakness,” added Pletcher.

A graduate of the University of Arizona, Pletcher has also become the most successful graduate of Lukas Academy — one of many talented trainers to serve an apprenticeship under Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas. The 42 year-old began working for Lukas in 1989 before going out on his own in 1996.

The teacher will try to deny the pupil a shot at Triple Crown glory. Lukas indicated Dublin, the seventh place finisher in yesterday’s Kentucky Derby, will be Preakness bound. The trainer has saddled a record 34 Preakness starters and is tied for second in wins with five: Codex (1980), Tank’s Prospect (1985), Tabasco Cat (1994), Timber Country (1995) and Charismatic (1999).

SBG Global RacebookRace horse trainer Nick Zito said Kentucky Derby runner-up Ice Box is “doubtful” for the Preakness after a troubled trip for the Florida Derby winner. The son of Pulpit was steadied early in traffic, steadied when blocked nearing the stretch and steadied at the sixteenth pole before swinging outside and rallying to finish 2 1/2 lengths behind the winner.

“I will not make a decision until next week,” Nick Zito said. “But to run the horse off a six-week layoff and to see him have to check three times makes it hard to run back in two weeks and then again three weeks later (Belmont Stakes). If we had won it would have been a different story. You never say never, but it looks doubtful.”

Zito, who is tied for second with 19 Preakness contenders, said Jackson Bend, who was 12th in the Kentucky Derby, is “hopeful” for the Preakness.

Trainer Dale Romans said the Preakness is under consideration for third place finisher Paddy O’Prado.

Online Horse BettingBob Baffert , who had four Preakness winners from 1997-2002, said a decision regarding betting favorite Lookin At Lucky, who finished sixth Saturday, would be made later in the week.

In addition to Aikenite, connections from seven other runners, who did not compete in the Kentucky Derby, have contacted Pimlico with interest in the middle jewel. The potential new shooters (in alphabetical order) are A Little Warm (second, Louisiana Derby); Bushwhacked (second, Lexington Stakes); Caracortado (fourth, Santa Anita Derby); Hurricane Ike (Derby Trial winner), Pleasant Prince (third, Derby Trial); Schoolyard Dreams (fourth, Wood Memorial) and Turf Melody (fourth, Illinois Derby).

Trainer Mike Machowsky worked Caracortado five-furlongs Saturday morning at Santa Anita Park. The gelding stopped the clock in 59.40 seconds, the second fastest work at the distance. The son of Cat Dreams won the first five races of his career, including the Robert Lewis Stakes (G2), but finished third in the San Felipe (G2) and fourth in the Santa Anita Derby (G1) on Apr. 3 and did not have enough graded earnings to land a spot in the “Run for the Roses”.

SBG Global Racebook“He worked great,” said Machowsky. “He has always run well fresh and probably needed a little break. We spent a little time with him blowing an abscess out of his foot so maybe it will work out for the best. I’ll probably work him seven-eighths Saturday. He could be tough with the way he is training.”

Trainer Graham Motion said a final decision would be made on Turf Melody next weekend after breezing at Pimlico. The son of Maria’s Mon, who won an allowance race last November at Laurel Park, has finished off the board in three starts this year, all Grade 3 races.

Trainer and co-owner Jerry Hollendorfer said Blind Luck, who captured the Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Friday afternoon, is not under consideration.

“We think that would be bringing her back too quickly,” Hollendorfer said.

The Preakness field is limited to 14 starters. Fifteen of the last 18 years have seen double-digit starters
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In his pedigree, Make Music For Me has absolutely no stamina whatsoever in relation to most of the rest of these horses. His prep races were all questionable at best, especially a sixth place finish in the Blue Grass Stakes just three weeks ago. At just $218,750, Make Music For Me is the least earned horse in this field, and with jockey Joel Rosario getting his first Derby mount in this race, the equation is set up for a disaster for this three year old.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Advance wagering into the 136th Kentucky Derby suggests the race could produce the longest-priced favorite in Derby history, with Super Saver being the 7-1 choice after $340,544 was bet into the win pool Friday. Only one other Derby starter, Lookin At Lucky at 9-1, was less than double digits.

At the conclusion of the 12-race Friday card at Churchill Downs, four horses were next in line at 11-1 in the 20-horse field: Ice Box, Paddy O’Prado, Devil May Care, and Sidney’s Candy. The longest shot was Discreetly Mine at 41-1, with three horses at 25-1 being the next longest shots.

The highest favorite in race history was Harlan’s Holiday, who was seventh at 6-1 in 2002.

Meanwhile, the lowest will-pay on the two-day Kentucky Oaks-Derby double wager combining Blind Luck as the Oaks winner ends with Lookin At Lucky, with a $1 double returning $11.20. The longest double ends with Homeboykris ($154.60 for $1). Handle was $300,651.

Also, with Rachel Alexandra defeated as a lead-off single on many a Friday pick six ticket at Churchill, the carryover into Derby Day is $154,163. The Saturday pick six, a $2 minimum, runs from races 7 to 12.

Kentucky Derby 136
Post, Horse , Jockey, Weight, Odds
1 Lookin At Lucky , Garrett Gomez , 126 , 3-1
2 Ice Box , Jose Lezcano , 126, 10-1
3 Noble’s Promise, Willie Martinez , 126 , 12-1
4 Super Saver, Calvin Borel , 126, 15-1
5 Line of David, Rafael Bejarano , 126, 30-1
6 Stately Victor , Alan Garcia, 126, 30-1
7 American Lion, David Flores, 126 , 30-1
8 Dean’s Kitten, Robby Albarado , 126 , 50-1
9 Make Music For Me, Joel Rosario, 126 , 50-1
10 Paddy O’Prado , Kent Desormeaux , 126 , 20-1
11 Devil May Care, John Velazquez, 121, 10-1
12 Conveyance, Martin Garcia, 126 , 12-1
13 Jackson Bend , Mike Smith, 126, 15-1
14 Mission Impazible, Rajiv Maragh, 126 , 20-1
15 Discreetly Mine, Javier Castellano , 126, 30-1
16 Awesome Act, Julien Leparoux, 126 , 10-1
17 Dublin , Terry Thompson, 126 , 12-1
18 Backtalk, Miguel Mena, 126, 50-1
19 Homeboykris , Ramon Dominguez, 126, 50-1
20 Sidney’s Candy, Joe Talamo, 126, 5-1

Sometimes, the Kentucky Derby odds-on favorite really is the best horse; sometimes, not so much. In the last decade, the favorite has won the Run for the Roses four times — and finished seventh three times.
Year Favorite Finished
2009 Friesan Fire 18th
2008 Big Brown 1st
2007 Street Sense 1st
2006 Sweetnorthernsaint 7th
2005 Bellamy Road 7th
2004 Smarty Jones 1st
2003 Empire Maker 2nd
2002 Harlan’s Holiday 7th
2001 Point Given 5th
2000 Fusaichi Pegasus 1st
• Overall, the favorite has won the Derby 52 times, finished in the money (win, place or show) 90 times and finished out of the money 45 times.
• The last Triple Crown winner, Affirmed in 1978, was not the Derby favorite. That was Alydar, who finished second.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The top two choices in the Kentucky Derby on Saturday have ‘em surrounded. Lookin At Lucky, the favorite, drew the rail, and Sidney’s Candy, the second choice, drew the outside post in a field of 20 when post positions were drawn on Wednesday for Derby 136 at Churchill Downs.

Devil May Care, the filly who will challenge 19 males, wound up in the middle, in post 11.

The posts for the top two choices are not considered ideal. No horse has won from the rail since Ferdinand in 1986, and no horse beginning from the rail has finished in the money since Risen Star was third in 1988.

“He’s got to break well,” said Bob Baffert, who trains Lookin At Lucky and Conveyance, who drew post 12. “Plan A is to break well. Plan B is we’re screwed.”

Big Brown won from post 20 just two years ago, but he was clearly superior to his rivals. Though 20-horse fields have been the norm in recent years, they were rare in the early years of the Derby. The only other horse to win from post 20 was Clyde Van Dusen in 1929, when there was a walk-up start.

Post 11 also had its drawbacks. Because the Derby field is double-loaded, posts 1 and 11 go in the gate first for the 1 1/4-mile race, then 2 and 12, on down to 10 and 20.

“Eleven is a great position from which to start the race. The only thing I don’t like is that she’ll have to be in the gate a long time,” said Todd Pletcher, who trains Devil May Care and three other horses in this Derby.

Mike Watchmaker, Daily Racing Form’s national handicapper, made Lookin At Lucky the 4-1 favorite, with Sidney’s Candy 5-1 and Awesome Act the third choice at 8-1. He has Devil May Care next at 10-1, followed by Ice Box at 12-1.

Mike Battaglia, the linemaker at Churchill Downs, has Lookin At Lucky at 3-1, and Sidney’s Candy at 5-1. Battaglia made Awesome Act, Devil May Care, and Ice Box co-third choices at 10-1.

Devil May Care is adding blinkers for the Derby, while Lookin At Lucky is having his removed.

Posts were determined in a traditional blind draw, rather than the two-step draft format of recent years. Under the abandoned format, Lookin At Lucky would have had the first choice of posts.

A maximum of 20 horses can run in the Derby. A total of 22 horses were entered. By rule, the Derby field is determined by graded stakes earnings in oversubscribed fields. So two horses — Pleasant Prince and Setsuko — were excluded.

The field was in flux right up to the hours before entries were due. Endorsement, the Sunland Derby winner, went out for a workout Wednesday morning with her trainer, Shannon Ritter, aboard and was timed in 47.23 seconds for a half-mile. But he was limping by the time he got back to the barn, and radiographs revealed he had a fracture in his right front ankle.

“It’s a lateral condylar fracture, non-displaced,” said Dr. Beau Landry, the attending veterinarian. “He’s going to be scheduled for surgery.”

“I feel sorry for Shannon,” said Elliott Walden, the general manager of WinStar Farm, which owns Endorsement. “She’s done a great job with the horse. Hopefully he’ll be back.”

The defection of Endorsement was the second this week for WinStar’s Derby prospects. WinStar, owned by Bill Casner and Kenny Troutt, withdrew Rule earlier in the week because he was not training satisfactorily. WinStar still will be presented by Super Saver, who drew post 4, and American Lion, who got post 7.

Endorsement’s injury allowed Make Music for Me to get into the Derby. Had Endorsement come out of his workout well, Make Music for Me would have joined Pleasant Prince and Setsuko as being excluded from the field because of insufficient graded stakes earnings. Make Music for Me was entered in the American Turf on Friday as a back-up, but now will be scratched from that race.

Make Music for Me will be ridden by Joel Rosario, who had taken a tentative call on Dean’s Kitten, with the understanding he would opt for Make Music for Me if Make Music for Me got in. Robby Albarado, who was scheduled to ride Endorsement, took the vacated spot on Dean’s Kitten.

Pleasant Prince is owned by Ken Ramsey, who also owns Dean’s Kitten. Had Ramsey so desired, he could have failed to enter Dean’s Kitten, allowing Pleasant Prince to move up another notch and get into the field. Instead, Ramsey said Pleasant Prince would await the second leg of the Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes on May 15.

Setsuko looked terrific when galloping on Wednesday morning, and his trainer, Richard Mandella, made several calls Wednesday morning — “Got any news for me?” he said — seeking updates on whether his horse would get in. But not enough dominoes fell. Setsuko is scheduled to run in the American Turf on Friday, and then will be pointed to the Belmont Stakes, the final leg of the Triple Crown, on June 5, Mandella said.

“Doesn’t he look good?” Mandella said. “But what are you going to do? Rules are rules.”

With 20 runners, the Derby’s purse will be $2,185,200, with $1,425,200 going to the winner.

The Derby will be the 11th race on a 13-race card that begins at 10:30 a.m. Eastern. Post time for the Derby is scheduled for 6:24 p.m. The Derby will be shown live on NBC in a three-hour telecast beginning at 4 p.m.

The weather was delightful at Churchill Downs on Wednesday, with a high temperature of 68 degrees under clear skies. But the forecast for Saturday has worsened as the week has progressed. According to the National Weather Service, there is a 60 percent chance of rain on Saturday, including scattered thunderstorms, with 1 1/2 inches of rain expected to fall Friday night into Saturday morning. The high temperature Saturday is forecast to be 75 degrees.
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For the second year in a row, the pre-race favorite in the Kentucky Derby has been scratched with a leg injury, another blow to an industry searching for its first Triple Crown winner since 1978.

Eskendereya, the chestnut colt who dominated the Derby prep season and would have been a 2-1 favorite this week at Churchill Downs, was pulled Sunday from the Run for the Roses by trainer Todd Pletcher because of swelling in his front left leg.

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That leaves the 136th running of America’s signature race without its most talented 3-year-old and probably its best chance at a Triple Crown. Eskendereya won his two major prep races, the Fountain of Youth and the Wood Memorial, by a combined 18 1/4 lengths.

But in his victory at the Wood three weeks ago, Eskendereya wore wraps on his front legs for the first time, a development Pletcher played down after the race. On Saturday, after a routine training session, the horse returned to the barn with swelling from his knee to his ankle.

“We were still kind of hoping for a miracle overnight, and we didn’t get it,” Pletcher said during a news conference Sunday morning. “We looked at and worked on it overnight but didn’t see any improvement. He’s too special of a horse to take any chances.”

Pletcher, who has not won the Kentucky Derby in 24 starts, said the call to Eskendereya’s owner, Ahmed Zayat, was the toughest phone call he has ever made to an owner. Zayat recently declared bankruptcy and is being sued for defaulting on a $34 million loan. Pletcher said he waited a day to speak with Zayat, an Orthodox Jew, because Saturday was the Sabbath.

“Mr. Zayat took it well,” Pletcher said. “He’s a pretty emotional guy. He said the horse comes first. He loves the horse. It was not a phone call I wanted to make.”

Pletcher said he didn’t think the injury was career-threatening but would have to “wait and see.”

“Without a doubt, this is the best horse we’ve ever brought to this stage,” Pletcher said. “His last two races were as good as any 3-year-old has ever run.”

Pletcher will still have several chances to win his first Derby. It’s likely he’ll have at least four other horses in the field (Mission Impazible, Discreetly Mine, Rule and Super Saver).

A year ago, the morning-line favorite, I Want Revenge, was scratched the day of the Derby.

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BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. — As if trainer Todd Pletcher won’t have enough on his mind in the final two weeks
leading up to the Kentucky Derby, with as many as six potential starters in his barn including the
current favorite, Eskendereya, now he has to stress about the weather too.

Pletcher handicapped both the weather forecast and track conditions, then called a couple of audibles
on Saturday when scheduling important workouts for his quartet of Derby hopefuls still stabled at the
Palm Meadows training center in South Florida. The day’s works included five furlongs by Eskendereya in 1:02.25.

Pletcher originally planned on working Eskendereya immediately after the track opened for training at
6:30 a.m. on Saturday and the trio of Rule, Mission Impazible, and Discreetly Mine the following morning.
But with heavy rain in the forecast for Sunday, Pletcher decided to work the entire quartet on Saturday.
Then, after showers pelted the area overnight, Pletcher opted to play it safe and postpone all four works
a couple of hours until after the renovation break.

“Eskendereya was going to work Saturday anyway,” said Pletcher. “I had him on a Saturday schedule prior to
the Wood, and that turned out pretty good. The others would have gone Sunday, but considering the forecast
I wanted to make sure I got their works in over a fast, safe racetrack and not have to toss and turn all
night worrying about the weather.”
The clockers’ stand was overflowing with spectators by the time Eskendereya broke off at the five-furlong
pole under exercise rider Patti Barry shortly after 9 a.m. Eskendereya maintained a steady pace throughout
over a racetrack officially labeled fast but which was perhaps closer to good after the renovation break,
completing his opening quarter-mile in 25.01 seconds and the final quarter in 25.13 into a stiff headwind
before galloping out strong and pulling up six furlongs in 1:15.32.

“That was all I was looking for,” said Pletcher. “He’s a very fit horse, and I didn’t want him to overdo it.
I just wanted to see him get in a good five-furlong maintenance work and a strong gallop-out, and it went
the way I expected.”

Discreetly Mine followed Eskendereya with nearly a mirror-image performance, completing five-eighths in 1:02.22
and galloping out six furlongs in 1:15.66.

Mission Impazible and Rule breezed in company, with Mission Impazible gradually pulling away from his stablemate
in the final sixteenth of a mile after completing five furlongs in 1:02.35 with jockey Chris DeCarlo aboard.
Rule was timed the same distance in 1:02.69.

“Mission Impazible is an improving horse and he went very well,” said Pletcher. “Rule wasn’t as sharp but
that’s how he breezes.”

Pletcher’s top Kentucky Oaks contender, Devil May Care, also worked after the break, zipping five furlongs
in 1:01.06 and galloping out six furlongs in 1:13.56 under DeCarlo. Devil May Care worked with blinkers and
will run with blinkers on for the first time in the Oaks.

All four of Pletcher’s Derby runners and Devil May Care will fly to Louisville on Tuesday and train at Churchill
Downs for the first time Wednesday morning.

Joining Pletcher’s Derby foursome on Saturday’s tab at Palm Meadows was A Little Warm, currently 25th on the
graded earnings list, who worked five furlongs in 1:02 after the break.

Amen Hallelujah, another prime contender in the Oaks, worked five furlongs on the turf between races at
Gulfstream Park on Saturday. Going in company with stablemate Candy Cane over the outer course with the rail
out 108 feet, Amen Hallelujah was timed in 1:03.97 by Daily Racing Form.

The Kentucky Derby gained the services of three more runners last weekend as Line of David, Stately Victor and Paddy O’Prado all collected enough graded earnings to vie for the glory on the first Saturday in May.

Eskendereya, Lookin At Lucky and Sidney’s Candy are the probable top three favorites, but after Mine That Bird pulled off the upset last year, it’s not out of the question for history to repeat itself in 2010.

Once again, horses from California proved how easy a transition it is going from synthetics (or turf) to conventional dirt as Line of David went gate to wire to win the $1 million Arkansas Derby by a neck over Super Saver.

Line of David’s three-length lead around the far turn diminished to just a short head with one furlong remaining, but the son of Lion Heart showed his toughness through the stretch repelling the challenges of both Super Saver and Dublin.

The 17-1 shot, who came into the race off a pair of turf victories at Santa Anita, finished the 1 1/8-miles in 1:49 1/5, only one tick slower than Papa Clem’s victory in last year’s race. However, unlike Papa Clem, who finished fourth in the ‘09 Derby, Line of David ran progressively slower in each additional quarter-mile, ending with his final three furlongs in a pedestrian 38 3/5 seconds. To that end, it’s unlikely he’ll be in contention through the Kentucky Derby stretch, so don’t get too excited about his prospects for victory at Churchill Downs.

Super Saver, who came up a tad short in his second start off the layoff, should improve in the Derby, especially since he finally showed ability to rate. For those backing the Todd Pletcher-trained colt this past Saturday, it must have been a disheartening sight to see him not able to mow down the winner, but don’t discount his chances at Louisville as this race could be a perfect setup for an in-the-money finish next time out.

Dublin finally had a trouble-free trip after ineffective rides in his two 2010 starts. However, it was very discouraging to see the son of Afleet Alex hang through the stretch for the second straight race.

Noble’s Promise, who failed to break well from the gate and never threatened finishing a dismal fifth, was slightly injured at the start of the race and is 50-50 to move forward to Kentucky. The situation appears worse for Uh Oh Bango. The son of Top Hit will be sidelined through the fall with an injured cannon bone.

If Noble’s Promise is a Louisville no-show look for Wood Memorial runner-up Jackson Bend to be in the Derby starting gate.

VICTOR WITH A SHOCKING VICTORY

Stately Victor not only won the fastest Blue Grass since 2001, he dominated the nine-horse field by 4 1/4-lengths at odds of 40-1. It was an amazing feat for a horse that had compiled only one turf victory in seven prior races.

The son of Ghostzapper, although visually impressive, wasn’t facing any top- notch thoroughbreds in the Blue Grass, almost akin to the Florida Derby, a race in which Ice Box rallied to win at 20-1.

Even though the two appear to be the top come-from-behind types in a race loaded with early speed, the fields they knocked off were two of the weakest of the year.

Paddy O’Prado, the second-place Blue Grass finisher, solidified his spot in the Derby, with $150,000 in graded earnings. However, the Dale Romans-trained colt packed it in rather quickly inside the final furlong of the 1 1/8-mile race so it’s extremely doubtful he’ll be able to handle the additional furlong on May 1.

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