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After a Derby week and recovery time/finals time hiatus, Racing Beat is back to clog up your sluggish Sunday feed!

How cool would it be if Pletcher entered Dreaming of Julia in the Belmont? He commented she wouldn’t be ready for a Preakness run after the Oaks soooo maybe another Rags to Riches attempt? YES PLEASE. (Two-weeks-later-edit: Seems my dreams of Julia is going to happen! Aw yeah!)

Poor Hollywood Park. If I do indeed get that full-time spot in the coming weeks like I hope, I may think about going out there just so I can soak in one of Zenyatta’s old stomping grounds before they tear it down. *Sigh* Who’s good at finding good cheap flights?

Oh Godolphin, getting desperate are we? Still, that was the quickest sentencing I’ve seen… why can’t we do that in the States?

One of the nice things about the Doug O’Neill camp is how much they believe in their horses and are all too willing to send in a possible bomber. But Handsome Mike to Royal Ascot? Against Shea Shea? *shrugs*

If I can save enough money, I have big Saratoga plans this year that involve me staying overnight here. *squee*

A full sister to 2007 Kentucky Derby winner/handsome stud Street Sense has been foaled at Darley America. Unf.

I feel like registering for a 5K mud race after the Kentucky Derby so I can pretend to be Orb mwahahaha if only those poseur races weren’t flipping expensive I might be more serious discussing this.

My mind has been off how Power Broker is moving forward and concentrating more on when Rolling Fog is coming back. Add Power Broker to the Belmont possibles list as well after his recent comeback win.

Some find the Ramsey family to be obnoxious or annoying, but let’s reward them for the fact that they claimed back their gelding Pleasant Prince recently, a recognizable older horse that has made appearances in the Breeders’ Cup Marathon as well as the Classic in the past.

Sweet baby Atigun won his race, but sweet baby Java’s War was dusted. So much sad THIS IS JULIEN’S FAULT YES THAT’S IT.

Add Freedom Child to your watch list for the Belmont Stakes as well as Tenango, who isn’t an “official” possible yet but one can assume things…

Rest in peace to Nehro, my beloved 2011 Kentucky Derby horse I really wanted to see in person, and to Chilled, the “savage” horse who was DQ’d to second in this famous 2012 photo.

Tweet o’ the Week: I love her already (by Istan)

I’ve been kind of dead on updating this week, I realize and apologize. Let’s hope my academic hustlin’ will pay off in the form of a sexy GPA and won’t get in the way of my choosing a Derby winner.

Winning Cause making the Derby quite possibly? Pedigree is tops, but he’s only been winning on Keeneland’s main *shrugs*

I have this idea of booking the school’s green-screen studio space, shooting myself “running away” from something, then chroma-key in a video of Alpha so it looks like he can’t catch me. Get it? Because he’s slow? Kekekeke

Handsome Mike was an interesting bet to win at Keeneland last week, which he did, but not at those goofy odds. Why does he keep getting bettors’ attention?

Goodbye Black Caviar. It’s been nice having you around. There aren’t any words fit enough to describe you. I hope you go to Animal Kingdom.

Glad to be right about something. Departing caught my eye winning like he did without Lasix, but was plagued by bad trips when he needed a better one.

I have no idea who I like for the Oaks.

Wonder what they’ll name the new full brother to Zenyatta.

Pilfer has been bred back To Bernardini. As a To Honor and Serve fan and an early watcher of Elnaawi (by Street Sense), I think this may be the only time I’m interested in a Bernardini spam.

Feeling a bit weird not liking any Zayat horses heading into the Kentucky Derby.

It has occurred to me multiple times that I have yet to see a Kentucky Derby winner in the flesh. The only horse that could change that anytime soon is Palace Malice should he win the roses in the coming weeks…

Dear Bob Baffert, while you’re shipping Game On Dude around to the most prestigious, high-dollar dirt races, please remember the northeast.

Revolutionary and Red Rifle have been workout mates lately. I need a picture of those two.

Tweet o’ the Week: I tried out Gizoogle for a few minutes and look what happened

Spicer Cub. By now you should know his name. I wish Pimlico had Trakus installed so we could have seen how much more ground he ran versus the winner.

Looks like Departing is now a gelding, too.

I canceled a bet I had on 5-2 Apex yesterday at Keeneland… too many horses looked rarin’ to go that day even though he had a turf pedigree. Kind of glad, he finished a trafficked 11th. The other two I liked, #4 Corinthian Summer and #11 Won’tyoualwayswonder, finished 3rd and 9th respectively.

I’m going to have a tough time picking out a horse to single-handedly gush over come the first Saturday of May. I like several about the same right now. Perhaps I need another 3am groveling session like I did for the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

I was watching Thor the other day for the first time and couldn’t help but think of the horse Frost Giant.

Jose Lezcano and Wise Dan = Unstoppable on the [blue] grass?

Eblouissante is set to ship to New York. TRULY THE BEST STATE IN THE COUNTRY FOR HORSE RACING.

I know he’s a Pletcher trainee, but I am still loving Red Rifle, who went 2-for-2 winning by 2 at Keeneland yesterday. Not-so-secretly hoping to see him come to Belmont or Saratoga… he’s such a stunner with that bit of silver in his tail.

I understand why people like to thumb through and make picks at Keeneland yearling sales as a hobby, but why pat yourself on the back if your picks demand huge sales figures? I would think it would be a bad thing if they sold for crazy money that obviously means a poor investment if a lot of people are chasing the same horse. Better to pick a middle range horse that grows up to do well for whomever bought it. That would be bloodstock agent skill… see something others missed!

Unbridled’s Song as sire, Todd Pletcher as trainer, speed to burn, injured before… noooo, I never saw Graydar’s ankle chip coming!

I strongly feel that horse racing fans never truly have a weekend off, even if they work a normal 5-day work week, because you spend your whole day Saturday watching and handicapping and then maybe Sunday you get a break but… yeah… horse racing is like a second job!

Stay Thirsty’s 4-year-old half brother Bocelli (by Mr. Greeley) is getting close to a start with John Shirreffs training. I knew of a Morgan named Bocelli… kind of went straight to stud:

I kind of can’t wait for the day when I can mass-post “GUESS WHAT EVERYONE I CLAIMED A RACEHORSE!” and not give a damn about the ensuing “ermahgerd, so irresponsible!” gossip that follows. I’ll pick grass and put it in a basket to give to said claimer, whisper things to it like I did when I first forayed into gardening, and it will win like crazy!

Speaking of Morgans, runner-up and stablemate to Mizdirection in the Las Cienagas Handicap was Schiaparelli, the dam of one of my favorite Morgans Mizrahi. Maybe this could be a new handicapping angle!

From the pages of his family album, the dam of Java’s War, Java [GB], just foaled a Not Bourbon filly last month in France and is booked to Jersey Town next. Woop!

Tweet o’ the Week

Wow, a ton of awesome horses were born at the tail end of March/April 1… Man o’ War, Secretariat, Drosselmeyer, Wise Dan, I’ll Have Another, Zenyatta… HANDICAPPING BIAS!

Darley acquires an interest in Animal Kingdom. Damn, next thing you know Coolmore will sprout a clue and buy one too! WAIT, THAT WAS ONLY A DREAM!

I wasn’t planning on buying a house anytime soon, nor a building, but really c’mon…

I know I’m a  bit behind the ball on boasting and it probably isn’t worth it, but while I bombed heart-picking most of the Dubai card, my random love for Planteur [IRE] wasn’t unfounded. One of the lowest Timeform ratings and the horse still got third.

The Oaks fillies are so much better than the Derby colts this year that it pains me to think none of them can enter the Derby without official points. LAME!

True story: I was yelling at my computer yesterday watching Normandy Invasion. C’MON C’MON GET SECOND GET SECOND YOU NEED AT LEAST SECOND YEEEEEEEESSSSSSS! I’ve never been so pleased for a horse to get second.

“One more jump, and I could have won the race. His gallop out was amazing.” - Javier Castellano on Normandy Invasion. It’s like he read my article! YES I AGREE WITH YOU JAVI!

Orb or Verrazano for Johnny V? Is it bad I want him to pick Verrazano because if he picked Orb over the undefeated horse it would ruin Orb’s odds?

Calder’s back on! Hopefully it won’t spurt screwy results on a daily basis like Gulfstream.

I hope Code West gets an “in” for the Derby next, since he too is on the bubble. I thought he was a pretty good horse.

Blind Luck and Giant’s Causeway sitting in a tree… with Winter Memories and Street Cry [IRE]. #horselove

Realizing the other day that Funny Cide’s Derby win was 10 years ago. OH MY GOD OLD.

I’m sorry but I still can’t see myself rooting for Goldencents. Never had the feels for him, he beat out Bern Identity in the Delta Jackpot (III), and his jockey’s post-San Felipe tantrum is still crisp in my memory.

Tweet o’ the Week

HAPPY EASTER EVERYPONY! Here’s to hoping I can cash out big-time on post-Easter candy sales this year. I’ll be up early tomorrow anyway.

I heard a number of good things about the sale-topping $1.6 million Bernardini colt at Fasig-Tipton last weekend. Regardless, he’s apt to be another regret for Robert LaPenta. DID YOU LEARN NOTHING FROM BUYING EASTER GIFT? (Although that one only cost him $90k)

I am just about all moved back in at this point, but I have rational fears that my dad will “clean” for me in here so I put a sign on the Derby Handicap prizes that says “DO NOT TOUCH.” What happens? He moves the box out of my room like he was going to do something to it! Yes I just about flipped out on him. Yes, this is the main reason why I can’t wait for the contest to be over. NOTHING IS SAFE HERE!

I ship Black Caviar and Animal Kingdom.

Awesome Feather has a new full brother! EEEEEE

It’s April tomorrow and you know what that means… one more month until May! Oh, and the Derby Dozen profiles. Gotta keep that tradition rolling. I’m thinking Orb will be the first of the top 12 I will cover.

Believe it or not, but yesterday I was actually rooting AGAINST Bourbon Courage in the Nola ‘Cap. I had put down Mark Valeski as my pick to beat Graydar, which he almost did dammit. On that note, I can’t believe the butthead handicappers that were dissing Marky as being “way too slow” to be a factor.

The amount of grr that emanated from my vocal cords when Dubai played the Australia anthem instead of the American one after Animal Kingdom’s win.

My laugh echoed across the seas when He’s Had Enough was sent off at 8-1 odds in the UAE Derby. Time to pack up the tack, people. He’s had enough.

Unlimited Budget vs. Midnight Lucky vs. Dreaming of Julia. This is going to be one delish Oaks.

Part of me is glad I don’t have to handicap the Wood Memorial this week for the Derby Handicap. Verrazano is the big horse of the race and I want to beat him so badly but I don’t know! But Normandy Invasion is still looking scary good… Vyjack too…

There’s a gray two-year-old filly over at Woodbine named No Soup for You (by Alphabet Soup). *adds to virtual stable*

Tweet o’ the Week

Glad to know I got to see Agave Kiss race before she was retired. I really liked watching her races online, a filly with a lot of power. She’s booked to Tapit for her first foal.

ALSO GLAD: moody sprinter Hamazing Destiny.

Sounds like I might get to see the beautiful Cerro [IRE] in the Belmont Stakes this year!

Someone needs to be at the track all the time to photograph all these horses. I hate watching a big stakes and having no idea how pretty some of these underdog losers and victors are until afterward. Why are only famous ponies photographed? :/ Anyway, Black Onyx is pretty.

Orb won’t have many excuses to lose the Florida Derby with Merit Man setting the pace.

Getting people to love and watch horse racing is like getting people to love and actually read books. “TRY IT YOU’LL LOVE IT!… No you ought to try it this way… it gets better after the first hundred pages!”

Pure poetry in race calling: “Brutal power wrapped in an elegant machine!” Perfect for Black Caviar.

Something that drove me crazy this week: “handicappers” dismissing certain horses on the Derby trail because they took 4 or 5 times to break their maiden. Hello? Ever heard of late bloomers? Oxbow needed time to get good. I don’t recall who said it specifically.

The 2013 running of the Bourbonette Oaks will live in infamy preceded by “Fathead.” No.

I used Twilight Eclipse and Excaper in the Kent Stakes (III) last year, so naturally I was miffed when he decided to win in world record time yesterday.

Count on me to not want one of my most beloved Derby contenders from last year, Sky Kingdom, to win over Calidioscopio [ARG] yesterday. His Marathon win was one of the most exciting (and profitable) for me personally.

A full sibling to Zo Impressive is in the works! Zoftig is back in foal to Hard Spun for 2014! I miss “Zo.”

Tweet o’ the Week:

Happy St. Patrick’s Day all! If you’re Irish, might I recommend betting today?

I get that he has a win streak going, but who on earth would supposedly offer $3 million for Vyjack? He’s a gelding and his trainer just got suspended for not one, but two doping offenses. I would have taken the offer.

The new Derby Hopefuls tee is being designed right now, with some 140 horses making the cut to have their name on the final product. I would have thought by now I would have a better idea of what horse(s) to illustrate, but I don’t. This may take a little longer…

Remember Champ Pegasus? He’s back at Santa Anita.

Yup, I pretty much called Verrazano going to the Wood… Pletcher is dividing and conquering with his surviving company. Unfortunately I am unlikely able to go because of work… I would be showing up for Normandy Invasion.

I hope to talk about the Dubai World Cup in a soonish post. I think Dullahan has a decent shot, but this year I find myself again liking Planteur [IRE]. We shall see.

I didn’t pay much attention to the Azeri (III) yesterday, and I’m sad now that I didn’t. Tiz Miz Sue was too serious a horse to go off at 9-1.

Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf winner Perfect Shirl (a daughter of Perfect Soul [IRE]) will be bred to More Than Ready for her first foal. I’ll be excited for that one to hit the grass.

I had Zaikov down on the February Derby Top 10, but removed him when the list of interesting prospects was getting too long. I eliminated a few others from that shortlist, mainly because they hadn’t raced yet.

In my down time, I’ve finally gotten around to watching Jockeys (on Netflix). The show premiered on Animal Planet while I was away at school and didn’t have a TV or anything. Crazy how much has happened since those episodes were filmed.

Salty Strike and Medaglia d’Oro… UNF! What’s up with some of my fave mares going to dis guy? (Better choice than Bernardini at any rate)

Maybe I should avoid liking horses until Derby Day. They all seem to throw in the towel. Here’s hoping Hear the Ghost doesn’t let me down. Glad to see Oxbow was still in the mix yesterday. Den’s Legacy could be a force, too. All three I have liked for a good while. A few others I have an eyeball on, including Departing.

Joyful Victory finally snags a G1. Crazy things do happen.

My girlfriend Dayatthespa is recovering from a cut on her tendon that was bad enough to need stitches. Come back soon to me, baby.

[Sad to say no “Tweet o’ the Week” picked out… icky schedule…]

Rockingham Park in New Hampshire (on the border with Massachusetts) is favored to take in a gambling license should legislation for expanded gambling pass. Millennium Gaming of Las Vegas aims to bring Thoroughbred OR Standardbred horse racing back should everything fall into place. GOOD, WE NEED MOAR PONIES IN NEW ENGLAND.

“Jockeys” is on Netflix? *finally gets to watch*

Fort Larned’s barn nickname is “Big Ugly” haha. That one I didn’t have to read much into to find out why… he’s so recognizable with his big flat face at the track, but as you can tell by my icon picture he’s so happy to be there it’s hard not to like him.

Barretts sales inspires more eye-rolling as Coolmore dumps hundreds of thousands. One top-seller is a Malibu Moon. You won’t catch me investing that much in a two-year-old, never mind a Malibu Moon.

Someone needs to buy me a green screen. I want to “predict” winners like a meteorologist predicts the weather. CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF UPSET IN KENTUCKY THIS SATURDAY… damn, that’s a pretty good idea *saves* *goes to Ebay* Honestly it’s not like I have to be that accurate.

Ive Struck a Nerve is off the Derby trail with an injured ankle. I don’t feel any different.

Florida people are nuts for not taking advantage of the Gulfstream trackside buffet breakfast… IT’S $8. I paid something like $16.99 for the Saratoga one… not that I regret because I don’t but just pointing out the bargains going on!

I think Golden Soul could win the Belmont.

*GASP* I also liked Hear the Ghost in the paddock prior to his maiden win where he was an also-eligible at ridic odds!

Beholder’s madre Leslie’s Lady, also the dam of red-hot freshman sire Into Mischief (sire of Goldencents and Vyjack), will be bred this year to Eskendereya. #unf

Coil now has a half sister by Smart Strike!

Next race I’m really interested in seeing… the Spiral, actually. I’m really surprising myself this year.

Tweet o’ the Week: Havre de Grace’s newest little sis has a moon instead of a star marking…

I just got done learning about the Pareto Principle in message design class the other day, also known as the 80-20 rule. It states that you spend 80% of your time/money/energy/other output on 20% of the same people, while the other 20% is spent on the other 80%. Sounds about right for this blog… I give 80% of my energy spent on this blog to text posts which satisfy only about 20% of you, though I think that 20% is a generous estimate. /photo whores

There should be a Midnight Lute named Midnight Loot. I’d like that.

Ok, Vyjack deserved to win the Gotham, but like I said, this Derby trail is largely empty and we don’t see anything until mid to late March when those distances start getting longer. I’ll have more to say once my thoughts settle and I look at my Derby list again this week, but to end things with just a few small words: I hope a gelding wins the Derby.

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m waiting with bated breath for the Tampa Bay Derby (II): Purple Egg, Java’s War, Verrazano.

Hooh Why had a date with Leroidesanimaux the other day. Future UNF grass racer.

Another one of my Saratoga ponies wins!: Gunderman won a 9-furlong Gulfstream allowance race yesterday. He finished last in the Palace Malice maiden race at Saratoga in a field that also included Apex and Hightail. He definitely needed more than 6 1/2 furlongs.

Two horse racing tumbleloggers had their birthdays recently: thoughtsonracinglifeandmore (Reinier) and rememberruffian (Paige). Yey!

Derby contender Uncaptured has been looking good in his recent works after a funky little layoff. His qualifying race target? The Spiral. Of course… synthetic…

The only thing I liked about Ive Struck a Nerve handicapping the Risen Star was the fact that his breeder is Brereton Jones, breeder of Mark Valeski and Believe You Can. Pure class obtained without trendy pedigrees more often than not, and proved very well again last week. *Marks down a note* Now for Smitten to make some more magic happen!

Now that Orb has won, I think back to the day I chose to like Violence the best out of that one good Saratoga maiden race. I still like Violence better since I don’t like Malibu Moons. Nope.

Favorite claimer! 7-year-old $5,000 claimer Smarty Bull is set to return to the races under John Servis at Penn National on March 6! She’s the morning line favorite in Race 3.

Look out world, Ruler On Ice is looking fierce to start the year. Glowed in his winning debut allowance and just registered a whopping :57 and change work over Belmont’s training track. Here’s to hoping we’re in for another year of great geldings.

I’m okay with Revolutionary going to the Louisiana Derby (I) as a final prep. The Wood Memorial (I) is just too much bad juju for me to let him go there.

Went the Day Well didn’t run well in his return, but I still maintain that he could have won the Belmont had he not been injured.

Tweet o’ the Week: This should be posted on the wall of every business

Midnight Interlude sold and to stand in India. I didn’t even know they were into horse racing (I could assume so, but… I don’t know, it was just off my radar).

I said it once, but I’ll say it again: BLACK CAVIAR!

So a Scat Daddy colt wins the El Camino Real (III), which is synthetic, again this year. Why is everyone acting so shocked?

I hope your butt feels better soon, Rachel Alexandra.

Horses love to win once I give up on them… Pacific Ocean and now State Flag, a Street Cry [IRE] I bet on last Belmont Day in a grass race. Dah!

Upcoming Derby race blurbs: Treasury Bill has my rooting interest in the (too short) San Vicente (II), and Always in a Tiz for the Southwest(II)! Still, kind of a boring duo in comparison to the upcoming Risen Star (II) in 6 days. Unf unf Proud Strike! Palace Malice! Normandy Invasion! Oxbow!

Very nice! Days after mentioning her and her young stablemate (Miffed) in my Oaks list, Phil Simms trained Don’t Tell Sophia to launch a drawing-away, 6 1/2 length upset win in the Bayakoa at Oaklawn! This older mare was sold as a yearling for a mere $1,000!

I’m judging you if you rank Verrazano overly high after that ONE race… at 6 1/2 furlongs… loose on the lead setting sprinter-like fractions… IN EARLY FEBRUARY WITH NO 2-YEAR-OLD STARTS. Look at this info and then back at me, look at his family and back at me, look at his trainer and now back at me.

Of course I watched it for Fortify, but Soft Falling Rain [SAF] wasn’t too shabby in the UAE 2000 Guineas (UAE-III). The winner is by an unraced Ontario stallion and out of an unraced Giant’s Causeway mare and is currently undefeated in 6 starts.

I liked her lots early on, but Bustle got a horrid trip to be 3rd in her most recent race… unfortunately, a $20-$25k claiming at Gulfstream.

For those who believe in herd dynamics influencing racehorses, I wonder if baby “Princess” will think she’s a palomino.

Tweet o’ the Week: Still got that royal blue halter