Chasing The Derby: Officer Alex

Summary:

With just a little over a week to go until the Kentucky Derby, when every move and twitch your horse makes is crucial, the last thing you need is a tentative exercise rider. Trainer Eddie Plesa instructed his rider to take an easy 4-furlong breeze aboard Itsmyluckyday at Calder, but he didn’t mean to practically walk. The final time of 53 flat was unsurprisingly ranked the slowest time of the day. Now, Plesa will have to decide whether to give Itsmyluckyday a blowout just before the Derby// On the West Coast, Goldencents also posted a slow breeze, however trainer Doug O’Neill was pleased with the way he settled early and then picked up steam towards the end// Conditions were improved at Churchill Thursday with the track labeled as “good”. Mike Welsch noted Normandy Invasion looked “razor sharp” and other standouts included Orb and Falling Sky. He was also critical of Frac Daddy, noted improvement from Govenor Charlie, and said it was more of the same from the Pletcher contingent. His full report with video can be found below// A nice chart from the Courier Journal tracks the weather and track conditions of all previous Kentucky Derbies// Byron King lays out how he sees the Derby pace shaping up by placing likely entrants in four distinct groups: front-runners, stalkers, mid-pack closers, and deep closers// It’s that time of year when there’s too many features to mention in detail. Look below for stories on Kevin Krigger, Ken Ramsey, Rick Pitino, betting strategies, odds prognostications, the life of a clocker, and more…

Articles:

Kentucky Derby Update 4/25 (Churchill Downs)

Kentucky Derby Workouts: Normandy Invasion continues to impress [Clocker Report Video] (DRF)

Goldencents final workout at Santa Anita before Kentucky Derby [video] (Santa Anita via YouTube)

Goldencents works six furlongs at Santa Anita (Bloodhorse)

Velazquez expects to resume riding Wednesday (DRF)

Must-win situation for Titletown Five in Derby Trial (DRF)

No Kentucky Derby for Officer Alex (DRF)

Kentucky Derby pace scenario a matter of grouping (DRF)

TCI: Kentucky Derby preview 4/25 [video] (Bloodhorse)

‘Wild Card’ Derby Trial no a misnomer (Downey Profile)

Q&A Ken McPeek on his Kentucky Derby chances (DRF)

Pitino horse Goldencents attracting plenty of fanfare in Paris, beyond (KY Forward)

Verrazano and Govenor Charlie aim to change history (The Kentucky Derby Post)
Ken Ramsey’s Kentucky Derby 2013 dreams kindled with colt (Courier Journal)

Vyjack trainer Rudy Rodriguez [video] (Courier Journal)

Falling Sky owner shuttles between Goldman Sachs, prepping longshot Kentucky Derby entry (Insider Louisville)

Getting to know early favorites at Churchill Downs (Bleacher Report)

Derby dreams begain in St. Croix (ESPN)

Pros and cons of the contenders (NBC Sports)

For Kentucky Derby contenders, practice makes perfect (DRF)

Horse tales: A rundown of this year’s Kentucky Derby contenders (LEO Weekly)

Handicapping Kentucky Derby 2013 weather (Courier Journal)

How to take a BIG chance on the Kentucky Derby for less than the price of lunch (Insider Louisville)

2013 Kentucky Derby morning line (Zipse at the Track)

Thursday morning Derby notes and more (Left at the Gate)

A Clocker’s job isn’t easy, but often rewarding (DRF)

Kentucky Derby Contenders- PPs, pedigree info, race replays, more

Updated Kentucky Derby Point Standings 4/23

Works:

Itsmyluckyday- CRC- 4F- 53:00- B- 9/9

Goldencents- SA- 6F- 1.16:20- B- 7/7

Upcoming Kentucky Derby Points Race

Derby Trial (G3)

Churchill Downs

1 Mile

PPs: Click here

Previews: Churchill Downs / Bloodhorse / DRF / Brisnet

Picks: Downey Profile / Bloodhorse THS / Equibase

Rankings:

ESPN Top 10 (ESPN)

Summary:

Champion Shaghai Bobby will apparently have no cakewalk in his 3-year-old debut—at least on paper. Todd Pletcher’s #1 prospect will face a graded stakes winner, two graded stakes placed runners, two listed stakes winners, and several other promising sophomores who could be sitting on a big race. Shanghai Bobby will start on the rail for the Holy Bull (G3), which drew an unexpected field of ten. Full previews and a link to free PPs below// Rick Violette has decided to give recent Jimmy Winkfield Stakes winner Clawback a chance to stretch out. The exact race is undecided, but it very well could be away from New York considering the timing of the Withers (G3) in less than two weeks is not ideal. Wherever he ends up it’s tough seeing Clawback excel at extra distance. Not that people pay attention to a horse’s dosage index much anymore, but a 7.00 is about the highest you’ll find of any possible Derby participant// Violette also mentioned that Carried Interest, who finished second to Overanalyze in his last race back in September, is gearing up for an allowance in February// Bob Baffert was pleased with Flashback’s workout in company at Santa Anita Wednesday morning. The colt is pointing to the Robert Lewis (G2) in a little over a week// The dust has fully settled from Monday’s Smarty Jones Stakes at Oaklawn, and we now have excuses for several of the disappointing finishers. Brown Almighty apparently had a “severe lung infection” and will be given another shot on the Derby trail in either the Risen Star (G2) or Southwest (G3). Officer Alex lost a shoe according to trainer Lynn Whiting, and also suffered a poor break and wide trip. He’ll give him another stakes try as well. All of these excuses could be valid, but it’s not enough for me to back the colts in their next race// Always in a Tiz was arguably the most impressive in the Smarty Jones when finishing a hard charging third after ending up stuck behind horses on the rail. Trainer Dominick Schettino noted he galloped out ahead of the field past the wire, but that’s not always what it’s cracked up to be considering a lot of horses are gearing down. Always in a Tiz’s next race plans remain up in the air// more…

Upcoming Points Race:

Holy Bull S. (G3)

Gulfstream Park

1 1/16 Miles

Time/TV: 5:05 ET/TVG

PPs: Click here

Previews: DRF / Brisnet / Bloodhorse

Articles:

Holy Bull: Big money, few Derby points (The Downey Profile)

Eclipse Award winner Shanghai Bobby: Talented colt makes his pedigree (DRF)

Will the road to Louisville get Shanghaied? (Horseracing Nation)

Flashback works toward Robert Lewis (DRF)