Sections

Master Of Hounds makes first training appearance, all eyes and ears on Friday Mo decision

Summary:
Master Of Hounds finally took his first steps on the Churchill track Thursday.  It was a very light effort that did not impress onlookers, however his appearance cannot be ignored.  Not only is he big, but he also has a compact yet powerful stride.  Uncle Mo put in a strong gallop, although the chances of him entering the Derby gate seem to diminish by the minute. A decision will be announced most likely early Friday.  Other horses that impressed Thursday morning were Mucho Macho Man (looking better each day), Shackleford (as always), Archx3 (I’m’ still not over the #1 draw), Animal Kingdom (another improver), and Twinspired (not a typo).  The recent reports on Soldat have been glowing, but I saw a horse that was fighting the bit and did not look comfortable// Robby Albarado, who suffered facial injuries from a Wednesday spill, will still be aboard Animal Kingdom in the Derby as expected// DRF does a rundown of where future wagers currently stand.  Decisive Moment leads the way with the best value at 186-1 from pool 1.  Dialed In, the favorite in the Derby, closed at 11-1 in one future pool, and Archarcharch was as high 50-1.  Don’t think futures are a smart bet, however, only 3 out of 110 horses from the Wynn Future Book in September actually made the Derby field// As we have seen during Derby week, the number of articles grows by the day.  Friday and Saturday CTD blog posts will be shorter due to the fact we’ll be at the races.  Be sure to still check out the site for our final Derby picks and wagers along with a unique new handicapping formula// more…


Kentucky Derby Contenders page with free pps, stats, video here

Articles:
·       Kentucky Derby barn notes 5/5 (Churchill Downs)
·       Derby insights (Brisnet)
·       Horse runs out of luck in the Derby draw (Fort Worth Star Telegram)
·       Luck of the draw (The Rail Blog- NY Times)
·       Expect surprises in Kentucky Derby (Sports Network)
·       Kentucky Derby truly wide open (ESPN)
·       Mo than enough of Repole (Gary West Blog)
·       The eleven hole (Garrett Gomez Blog ESPN)
·       Gomez keep roses in focus (DRF)
·       Steve Haskin: The hound of Louisvilles (Bloodhorse Blog)
·       Rosie Napravnik hooked to the thrill of the speed (Courier Journal)
·       Owner Clarke still sold on Soldat (Courier Journal)
·       Animal Kingdom a Team Valor Derby product (Bloodhorse)
·       Yagos stays upbeat despite rail draw (Bloodhorse)
·       Archarcharch was 15 minutes from being sold (Palm Beach Post)
·       No Derby for you (DRF Blog)
·       It’s down the stress they come for race caller (Courier Journal)
·       Derby offers unique wagering opportunities (Big Lead Sports)
·       Derby wagering for the fun of it (ESPN)
·       The ultimate Kentucky Derby (The Rail Blog- NY Times)

Interviews:
·       Julien Leparoux on Dialed In (DRF)
·       John Court on Archarcharch (Bloodhorse)
·       Alan Garcia on Soldat (Bloodhorse)
·       Steve Asmussen on Nehro (DRF)

Handicapping:
·       That handicapping Show: Kentucky Derby (Bloodhorse)
·       Chat Transcript: Kenny Peck (DRF)
·       Andrew Beyer: At Kentucky Derby take Shackleford (Daily Racing News)
·       How I’m betting at this year’s Derby (The Atlantic)
·       Rick Bozich picks (Courier Journal)