2012 Derby/TC Trail -- News and updates

[LarrytheK]

My tri construction for this derby....Much different than most derbies....

4 X 5 X 10

3 X 4 X 12

5 X 5 X 9 DEEP POCKETS PLAY

3rd could go to any of 14
4th could go to any of 16

[Matt Converse]

How many total horses will be in that tri box?

Six or seven depending on how they look over the next fews days.

[Secretariat Forever]

@SteveHaskin: He gets wound up. He threw a shoe on the van and tore off a small chunk of his hoof. But blacksmith fixed it up

[I sent Steve the photo and asked if CC does this often. ;-)]

Glad it wasn't anything more serious!!

I'll Have Another looked absolutely gorgeous getting off the van at Churchill -- this horse looks ready to roll!

He is a very handsome boy, arguably the best looking horse in the field.

Great. Here I was trying to justify leaving Bodemeister out of most of my bets, and he goes and throws down The Work. Gonna have to go buy a dartboard...

Hearing from David Grening (via Welsch) that Gem's work was actually pretty good given the conditions, El Padrino's was not.

Looking forward to seeing Creative Cause and Daddy Nose Best tomorrow.

Dang. Might not be liking his chances much anymore, especially since that work was even on his favorite kind of track! Glad to hear Gemologist got over it well.

[Secretariat Forever]

Welsch impressed too:

@DRFWelsch: Bodemeister 5f. 59.48 out 1:12.13 double out 1:25.57 splits 24.73 36.39 extremely impressive

And presumably from the official clocker at CD:

@DerbyMedia: Bodemeister (#KyDerby) 5F 59.60 w/ Jemima's Pearl. Start 4 back, neck in front. Bode: 36.40, 48, 59.60. Out 1:12.20, 1:25.40, 1:39.80.

FWIW, Privman describes the track as "hard mud."

Jay Privman ‏ @DRFPrivman
Bodemeister very, very good 5f in 59.48 on DRFWelsch watch. Impressive gallop out, too. Optimizer went well enough, 1:00.47. #kyderby

Churchill Downs PR ‏ @DerbyMedia
Bodemeister (#KyDerby) 5F 59.60 w/ Jemima's Pearl. Start 4 back, neck in front. Bode: 36.40, 48, 59.60. Out 1:12.20, 1:25.40, 1:39.80.

Sounds like Bode doesn't mind the mud! And I would really like to see the video for this work!

[second_glance]

Sounds like Bode doesn't mind the mud! And I would really like to see the video for this work!

I think I posted this somewhere, but if you go to his website, you can see a bit of it at least.

[Secretariat Forever]

I think I posted this somewhere, but if you go to his website, you can see a bit of it at least.

thanks! He looked really good!! Martin said "oh yea he's ready" and then "go bode go" haha!

[Secretariat Forever]

http://www.drf.com/news/kentucky-der...id-day-earlier

One day after Union Rags turned in a sharp workout at Churchill Downs, the other potential favorite for the 138th Kentucky Derby next Saturday, Bodemeister, threw down the gauntlet with a brilliant piece of work over a muddy surface.

Bodemeister worked five furlongs in 59.48 seconds, according to Daily Racing Form, then continued boldly on the gallop out for another three furlongs and completed one lap around the track in 1:40.26. The track was rated muddy, after a fierce storm Saturday night, but it had a very firm bottom.

[second_glance]

thanks! He looked really good!! Martin said "oh yea he's ready" and then "go bode go" haha!

He's a very good young horse. If he had a different trainer, I might even root for him. ;-)

[EquineAnne]

Ya, I'm assuming when he blew the shoe, it took some hoof with it. It happens.

Thanks Jen. Do you think he got a bit excited during the flight and wigged out? I know I do sometimes...Poor thing, he doesn't know what's going on. Probably better he doesn't.

[tcw]

On a different note, the weather forecast looks good at this point, with lows forecast in the 60's and highs in 80's, with only a 10% chance of rain on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday (race day). Hopefully it's a dry/fast track next Saturday.

[EquineAnne]

I'll Have Another looked absolutely gorgeous getting off the van at Churchill -- this horse looks ready to roll!

I saw that. He's literally a stunner. Beats UR by a country mile, IMO. And UR is hot.

[EquineAnne]

He doesn't look relaxed in that photo, either, not with a lip chain and a tight hold. Not that it makes a difference what he is except on May 5 in front of 150,000 inebriated souls.

Piph, I've heard of this "lip" chain. Is that what Dynaformer had? Also, what distinguishes as a lip chain?

[Insane Crazy]

Piph, I've heard of this "lip" chain. Is that what Dynaformer had? Also, what distinguishes as a lip chain?

It goes under the lip. ;-)

[EquineAnne]

Yes Matt. He is as good a candidate to bounce or regress off Blue Grass best and sustained run he made three weeks out as any horse is in the race off last prep, and his work yesterday indicates he is regressing. He looked awful in deep stretch, shortening stride. Nor is it his best surface.

Nor does he deserve any comparison to Barbaro, who beat his year's competition in 2006, not this year's 2012 crop and was still a better horse on turf as well as he ran on dirt.

I love reading every word of this banter between you two and all of the others. Soooo darn interesting. Thank you.

[EquineAnne]

Six or seven depending on how they look over the next fews days.

Could you explain how you do that? How do you play a trifecta with 6 or 7 horses? I don't understand betting at all. I don't understand wheels or any of that. If someone has a link to a site that explains it, I'd appreciate you sharing it.

[EquineAnne]

It goes under the lip. ;-)

As opposed to? Sorry for the greenery.

[Skywalker]

As opposed to? Sorry for the greenery.

As opposed to?

Just look at any picture of a horse where the chain doesn't go under the lip. The lip chain really controls the horse. Some horses need it quite often, some just when they are feeling frisky. It isn't rare to see horses with a lipchain. Here is Zenyatta without a lip chain, but you see how it could be slipped down and turned into one, although that is not exactly true here.

http://isntso.files.wordpress.com/20...atta.jpg?w=500

As for Dynaformer, it must have been a nightmare trying to get a lip chain on him. Might take your finger off. I think they had some type of mask for him.

[LifeAtZen]

Piph, I've heard of this "lip" chain. Is that what Dynaformer had? Also, what distinguishes as a lip chain?

Dynaformer just had a chain through his halter most of the time (like the one Zenyatta has in that photo that Skywalker posted). Since he could be so cranky, it was easier for the handlers to clip a lead onto the already-established chain than try and feed it through his halter every time.

[Huaka]

Video of some contenders working on the track. There's a full video of Bodemeister's work here.

[Somnambulist]

Could you explain how you do that? How do you play a trifecta with 6 or 7 horses? I don't understand betting at all. I don't understand wheels or any of that. If someone has a link to a site that explains it, I'd appreciate you sharing it.

You can put as many horses as you want in the first, second, and third spots. So if you like horses 1, 3, 5, 8, and 9 in a race, you could for example, bet 1 to win, 3, 5 and 9 to place and 8 to show. The bet would just cost a decent amount more, and more if you box it.