Derby fever? · 22.04.08

I’ve not written much about the upcoming 2008 Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown series, unlike other racing bloggers. This is mainly due to the fact that those other bloggers are writing almost daily about the prep races, the horses, and their trainers, jockeys, and owners — and I have little or nothing to add at this point. Also, this is a new site that is still evolving as I find my editorial “voice”.

So far, my focus has been on my Stayers’ Watch series, and to a lesser extent on the upcoming season at my hometown track, Hastings Racecourse. My attempts at handicapping those stayers’ races have shown, to say the least, mixed results. However, I like to believe that they help, in some small way, to draw other on-line racing fans’ attention to those races which showcase the stamina and durability that seems to be increasingly lacking in modern top-class Thoroughbreds. As for Hastings, opening day is this Saturday, and I expect to be there, along with my wife and daughter and anybody else I can convince.

Do I have “Derby fever” now? Well, I don’t know. Last year’s juvenile champion and early Triple Crown favourite, War Pass, is now out. Another early choice, Pyro, who looked so strong when running at the Fairgrounds in New Orleans, ran so poorly in the Blue Grass Stakes that many observers are questioning his ability. Big Brown won the Florida Derby very impressively — but he has only three lifetime starts and suffers from quarter cracks, so is an iffy proposition. Ditto Colonel John, who won the Santa Anita Derby — undefeated on an artificial surface, but he’s never run on real dirt. And the “mystery horse” from Peru, Tomcito, has not yet shown that he has what it takes to win at the top level in North America — although it would have been a great story if he had.

Tale of Ekati has the “Canadian angle”: he’s owned and bred by the discoverer of the Ekati diamond mine in the Northwest Territories. He also ran a big race in the Wood Memorial, running down War Pass in the final strides. He has the talent — but with only two races this year, will he have the conditioning to win on “first Saturday in May”?

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What do you think?

  1. Every year the pretenders are exposed: those colts ahead of the curve at two who maxed out in their development. This year will be not exception. Now that War Pass is out, there are still a few that will be show they can’t get 10 furlongs the first Saturday in May.

    — Dr. T Yatcak · Apr 24, 01:54 PM · #

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