There wasn't a whole lot going on this morning at Belmont. Rain over the past several days had left the track a muddy mess and many trainers were opting not to go out hoping for a better surface tomorrow. Given that the race is tomorrow, you wouldn't expect them to do much beyond a jog or gallop anyway. I only saw two Belmont horses, but I did see a few other good ones this morning so it wasn't a total bust. In the afternoon was the Hill Prince Stakes (G3) at 1 mile on the turf for the 3-year-olds, so I will include a couple of photos from there too.
Wanna Runner came out for a gallop. He will be shipping out Monday for Woodbine to prep for the Queen's Plate on June 25.
Too Much Bling was out to stretch his legs prior to running in the Woody Stephens (formerly Riva Ridge) tomorrow.
2003 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Funny Cide posed for the cameras before taking a gallop. He is expected to ship to Woodbine for the Dominion Day Handicap on July 1st.
Kentucky Derby runner Flashy Bull was out for a bit of excercise.
Outperformance stayed hidden most of the
way around in Friday's 32nd running of the Grade 3, $115,400 Hill
Prince, but he made himself visible when it counted, coming widest of
all to win the one-mile turf event by a length and a half in 1:36.74. Spider Power and Camera were a close second and third while favorite Giant Basil didn't like the soft turf and finished 8th. Results chart from DRF
Trainer Richard Violette Jr. leads Outperformance and Javier Castellano to the winner's circle. He said, "We wanted to take him back and make one run. And I thought we were
in great position to do that after a half-mile. When he kept backing up,
I wondered what the heck he was doing. When I asked Javier (Castellano)
after the race, he said he wasn't handling the soft turf all that well.
He took a hold of him to see if he could give him some support. It
worked. He found a good place to angle out to. He's got that good leg
kick and he's a pretty nice horse. "
Triple Crown quick links:
Top Kentucky Derby Contenders - my list of the top horses headed to the Derby with profiles for each with photos, stats, and link to more info like past performances and pedigree.
Analyzing the top 2013 Kentucky Derby contenders - My annual analysis of the top contenders to try and select a winner by matching each to the profile of a Kentucky Derby winner using many of the more popular angles and statistical trends. This year there were is a 3-way tie for the top spot: Goldencents, Normandy Invasion, and Overanalyze.
2013 Kentucky Derby And Oaks Security - New enhanced stricter rules will be enforced this year. Be sure to read the rules as many have changed and more things are banned. There will still be magnetic wand searches of all patrons and many things are no longer allowed. Check here to make sure you don't bring anything they will confiscate.
Review: Triple Crown Handicapper 2013 - by Jim Mazur. Includes lots of stats for all 3 races and explains how to use a system of statistically derived negative angles to eliminate the "bad" picks.
Review: Kentucky Derby Greatest Moments - Commemorative DVD from Churchill Downs with video from 27 different runnings along with interviews, photos, and historical info. Definitely recommended for any racing fan!
Review: Churchill Downs - America's Most Historic Racetrack by Kimberly Gatto. An entertaining and informative account of the history of the track and it's most famous race, the Kentucky Derby, with lots of photos. Definitely recommended.
