*Official Triple Crown Thread*

[johnnya24]

Helluva race for Frankel's final outing ... basically a match race on soft ground versus the second ranked horse in the world Cirrus Des Aigles (a horse renowned for staying on very strong on soft ground). Frankel had never raced on ground as soft as this, and he got an awful start ... still never in doubt.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6Sid0fqd_4

This is Cirrus Des Aigles blasting away a Group 1 field on soft ground last month at the Prix de l'Arc meet. This performance brought the odds on Frankel down from 1/10 to 3/10 ... made him almost worth punting on.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSA9EouJ_xw

[johnnya24]

Breeders Cup this Saturday ... Excelebration (the horse Frankel hammered into submission) versus Wise Dan. It's hardly a straight match race, but they are ranked the 3rd and 5th best horses in the world.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/nov/02/excelebration-find-rival-breeders-cup

Anyone got any stats on foreign horses winning at the Breeders Cup? Excelebration might be a good lay ... that's a long way to travel, and Excelebration is more used to running on turf not all-weather. 11/8 is a good lay price in a race that seems more open.

[johnnya24]

Breeder's Cup kinda sucked this year ... only really Groupie Doll lived up to her billing. How good will this horse be next year.

Why on earth Aiden O'Brien keeps putting his useless son on his star horses I've no idea. Joseph O'Brien might be the worst jockey ever ... and he is like 1 stone heavier and a foot taller than other flat jockeys. Insane. He blew the Triple Crown for Camelot, then screwed St Nicolas Abbey and Excellebration here. He's clueless. Same every race ... keeps the horse in the pack, and gambles that another horse doesn't break early and hold.

[revo]

and after winning her 25th consecutive race to start her career, Black Caviar retires unbeaten. I wish she ran here in the US!

[johnnya24]

and after winning her 25th consecutive race to start her career, Black Caviar retires unbeaten. I wish she ran here in the US!

She's likely to be mated with Frankel ...

[B-Fly]

She's likely to be mated with Frankel ...

UMJewMan?

[revo]

With most of the Derby preps in the books, here are the top contenders for the Triple Crown:

Top Tier
Revolutionary
Orb
Verrazano

Next Tier
Normandy Invasion
Overanalyze
Goldencents
Palace Malice
Java's War
Vyjack

Next Tier
Itsmyluckyday
Oxbow
Mylute
Black Onyx
Lines of Battle
Will Take Charge
Govenor Charlie

[johnnya24]

Check this out ...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/video/2013/apr/16/spicer-cub-unluckiest-horse-racing-loser-video

[revo]

Check this out ...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/vide...ng-loser-video

That was absolutely hysterical, and thankfully no one-- jockey, bystander or horse-- got hurt. One for the ages if he had won!

[revo]

Bob Baffert announced today that he will not have a runner in this year's edition.

[revo]

Here's the field for the 139th Kentucky Derby

Kentucky Derby (gr. I)


Post
Horse
Jockey
Trainer
Odds


1
Black Onyx
Joe Bravo
Kelly Breen
50-1


2
Oxbow
Gary Stevens
D. Wayne Lukas
30-1


3
Revolutionary
Calvin Borel
Todd Pletcher
10-1


4
Golden Soul
Robby Albarado
Dallas Stewart
50-1


5
Normandy Invasion
Javier Castellano
Chad Brown
12-1


6
Mylute
Rosie Napravnik
Tom Amoss
15-1


7
Giant Finish
Jose Espinosa
Anthony Dutrow
50-1


8
Goldencents
Kevin Krigger
Doug O'Neill
5-1


9
Overanalyze
Rafael Bejarano
Todd Pletcher
15-1


10
Palace Malice
Mike Smith
Todd Pletcher
20-1


11
Lines of Battle
Ryan Moore
Aidan O'Brien
30-1


12
Itsmyluckday
Elvis Trujillo
Eddie Plesa, Jr.
15-1


13
Falling Sky
Luis Saez
John Terranova II
50-1


14
Verrazano
John Velazquez
Todd Pletcher
4-1


15
Charming Kitten
Edgar Prado
Todd Pletcher
20-1


16
Orb
Joel Rosario
Shug McGaughey
7-2


17
Will Take Charge
Jon Court
D. Wayne Lukas
20-1


18
Frac Daddy
Victor Lebron
Kenny McPeek
50-1


19
Java's War
Julien Leparoux
Kenny McPeek
15-1


20
Vyjack
Garrett Gomez
Rudy Rodriguez
15-1

[Pogues]

I'll take Palace Malice, Orb, and Charming Kitten for the trifecta.

[revo]

Sloppy track today!

Put $50 on Revolutionary to win, $40 on Vyjack to place, and took both in a $5 exacta box.

[Steve]

Sloppy track today!

Put $50 on Revolutionary to win, $40 on Vyjack to place, and took both in a $5 exacta box.

I put $20 on Orb to win and $20 on Revolutionary to show.

[Judge Jude]

bad news for WFAN NY radio listeners - Orb, or "Awb," as he enunciates it, was Mike Francesa's pick to win. Two straight weeks of endless Triple Crown tawk - er, talk - ahead since he picked the winner fpr once.

It it a spawt - guh, sport - that Francesa knows a lot about, and I think he's owned a piece of some haw... - horses.

But these will be some insufferable weeks...