ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY AND KENTUCKY OAKS
Randy Howg’s Take Charge Tom tracked the early pace while three wide, engaged the bumping along leaders while still three wide into the far turn and took command drawing away under steady late hand urging from Orlando Mojica to prevail in the Mine That Bird Derby, Sunday, April 6, 2025 going 1 1/8 miles on the dirt for $125,000US. Time for the race was 1:51.00 The race carries no Kentucky Derby qualifying points but Take Charge Tom pocketed $77,500.00US. Robertino Diodoro trainered.
Paulick Report – Heroic Move Scores Comfortably In Sunland Park Stakes For First Win Of Year
April 5
Wood Memorial Stake GII Aqueduct $750,000 1 1/8 miles 100 – 50 – 25 – 15 – 10
UAE Derby GII Meydan $2,000,000 1,900 meters (slightly less than 1 3/16 miles) 100 – 50 – 25 – 15 – 10 Euro/Mideast Road to the Kentucky Derby
Santa Anita Derby GI Santa Anita Park $500k 1 1/8 miles 100 – 50 – 25 – 15 – 10 Five horse Field reduction 75- 37.5 – 18.5
April 8
Blue Grass Stakes GI Keeneland $1,000,000.0 1 1/8 miles 100 – 50 – 25 – 15 – 10
April is the cruelest month, breeding
Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing
Memory and desire, stirring
Dull roots with spring rain
T.S. Eliot
Bloodhorse – Eric Mitchell – Extra Anejo Rolls to First Graded Win in Commonwealth
TDN – Steve Sherack – Put a Circle Around Burnham Square in the Blue Grass
Bloodhorse – Byron King – Burnham Square Flies to Blue Grass Victory
Bloodhorse – UAE Derby Top Two Lead Five Late Triple Crown Nominees
Paulick Report – Wood Memorial Runner-Up Grande Stamps Kentucky Derby Ticket
Bloodhorse – Eric Mitchell – La Cara Coasts To Frontrunning Ashland Victory
TDN – Jill Williams – Street Sense’s La Cara Wins Postponed Ashland at Keeneland
Paulick Report – La Cara Brings Her ‘A’ Game To Earn Kentucky Oaks Berth In Ashland
Bloodhorse – Joe Perez – Grade-1 Placed Ferocious Dies Due to Laminitis
TDN – Santa Anita Derby Handle and Attendance Post Gains; Titles for Classic Meet Awarded
Bloodhorse – Journalism Doing Well After Santa Anita Derby Win
Horse Racing Nation – Ron Flatter – Scenarios: What horses need to get into Kentucky Derby & Oaks
Bloodhorse – Tracy Gantz – Journalism Overcomes Trouble for Santa Anita Derby Win
TDN – Journalism Remains Head of the Class in Santa Anita Derby
Phil has a question:
When the gate sprung open did it look to you like the Baffert jocks had a plan.
Was the Baffert Battalion baffled.
Was the Baffert Battalion bamboozled.
Did they forget who was to go and who was to stay.
Is $3,200,000.00US a lot to pay for a popgun.
Phil’s going to remind you or one of the oldest handicapping nuggets that AI will never figure out.
Are the Bullet works for prep or for show.
Bloodhorse – Bob Ehalt – Rodriguez Ships Cross-Country, Dominates Wood Memorial
Admire Daytona is not Triple Crown nominated yet.
We’ll know by Tuesday if he’s Kentucky bound.
- First closing will be Monday, January 27, 2025 – $600 payment MUST accompany the nomination.
- Second closing: Monday, April 7th, 2025 – $6,000 payment MUST accompany the nomination\\
Bloodhorse – Byron King – Baffert’s Tenma, Silent Law Run 1-2 in Santa Anita Oaks
Bloodhorse – Molly Rollins – Ballerina d’Oro Prevails Late in Gazelle Stakes
Bloodhorse – Byron King – Crunch Time on the Road to the Kentucky Derby
Phil’s take on the Wood Memorial
Bob B. wants to hit the Kentucky Derby with a flourish so he’s sending Rodriguez as fast and as far as he can go. Mike Smith knows how to nurse a front end horse and this field doesn’t look stellar enough to catch him.
Phil’s take on the Santa Anita Derby
Bob B. wants to hit the Kentucky Derby with a flourish and he’d hate like hell to have the $3,200,000.00US horse riding the pine so he’s sending Barnes as fast and as far as he can go. Juan J Hernandez is no Mike Smith when it comes to nursing a horse on the front end but rumour has it that Bob B. has been teaching Citizen Bull about Roller Derby and with Martin Garcia channeling his best Bobby Clark (Phil just threw a change up to the non-Albertans) and the Bull doing his best blocking the closers may have to jump the infield fence if they want by.
Bloodhorse – America’s Best Racing – Bob Ehalt – At a Glance: Preview of UAE Derby
Paulick Report – Full Field Of 12 Pose Tough Handicapping Challenge In Wood Memorial
Paulick Report – The Haiku Handicapper Presented By Sky Racing World: 2025 Dubai World Cup
#1 – Forever Young
Nothing to debate
He is the world’s top racehorse
Towers over field
#2 – Hit Show
He’s found a good niche
Just below the upper crust
Ambitious spot here
#3 – Il Miracolo
Loves a Grade 3 race
This is very much not that
Needs a miracle
#4 – Imperial Emperor
Imposing local
Getting hot at the right time
Now, he tries the world
#5 – Katonah
His San Pasqual win
Looking like an outlier
On spotty record
#6 – Mixto
Teetering closer
To “one-hit wonder” status
Needs to step it up
#7 – Ramjet
Japan dirt star stuck
In Forever Young’s vortex
No signs of changing
#8 – Rattle N Roll
Always had hustle
His ceiling is the question
Never count him out
#9 – Ushba Tesoro
Won in ’23
Runner-up in ’24
Live in ’25
#10 – Walk of Stars
A Saudi Cup dud
After big Carnival meet
Welcome homecoming
#11 – Wilson Tesoro
Ran fourth here last year
Road-tested, clunkers are rare
Exotic option
Prediction
Barring a mishap
Forever Young’s much the best
Nine, eight fill the tri
Bloodhorse – Bob Ehalt – Repole Hoping for a Grande Effort in Wood Memorial
TDN – Keeneland Reschedules Opening Friday And Saturday Cards Due To Forecast Of Severe Weather
The first of April is the day we remember what we are the other 364 days of the year.
Mark Twain
Bloodhorse – Journalism Tabbed in Final Kentucky Derby Future Wager
Bloodhorse – Frank Angst – Gotham Winner Flood Zone Aims to Reign in UAE Derby
Bloodhorse – Byron King – River Thames Favored in Blue Grass; Wet Track Likely
Paulick Report – Journalism, Citizen Bull Meet For First Time In Five-Horse Santa Anita Derby
Bloodhorse – Wood Memorial Celebrates 100 Years of Greatness
Bloodhorse – Sutherland Embracing Dubai Opportunity with Super Chow
Bloodhorse – Byron King – American Promise to Prep for KY Derby in Lexington
Bloodhorse – Queen Azteca Carries Scandinavia’s Hopes in UAE Derby
Bloodhorse – Captain Cook Ready for Wood After Maintenance Work
TDN – Captain Cook Gearing Up for Wood Memorial
Bloodhorse – My Mitole Could Add Blinkers for Wood Memorial
Bloodhorse – Baffert’s Top 3-Year-Olds Work at Santa Anita Park
| RACE 5 : UAE DERBY | |||
| GROUP 2 | US$1,000,000 | 1,900m Dirt | Post Time (5:50pm) |
| Sponsored by Jumeirah | |||
| 1st: $580,000 | 2nd: $200,000 | 3rd: $100,000 | 4th: $50,000 |
| 5th: $30,000 | 6th: $20,000 | 7th: $10,000 | 8th: $10,000 |
| FLOOD ZONE (USA) | USA | Brad Cox | |
| SHIN FOREVER (USA) | Japan | Hideyuki Mori | |
| DRAGON (JPN) | Japan | Mikio Matsunaga | |
| ADMIRE DAYTONA (JPN) | Japan | Yukihiro Kato | |
| DON IN THE MOOD (JPN) | Japan | Teiichi Konno□ | |
| GALACTIC STAR (USA) | United Arab Emirates | Bhupat Seemar | |
| HEART OF HONOR (UK) | United Kingdom | Jamie Osborne | |
| ROYAL FAVOUR (GB) | United Kingdom | Simon & Ed Crisford | |
| UNDEFEATED (USA) | United Arab Emirates | Bhupat Seemar | |
| RAFID (USA) | United Arab Emirates | Doug Watson | |
| QUEEN AZTECA (USA) | Norway | Niels Petersen | |
Bloodhorse – Bob Ehalt – Citizen Bull Training Forwardly for Santa Anita Derby
Bloodhorse – Five Baffert Runners Work at Santa Anita
Bloodhorse – Sand Devil Returns to Work with Wood Memorial in Focus
TDN – Journalism Leads Cadre Of Santa Anita Workers On Sunday
Paulick Report – ‘He’s In The Zone’: Wood Memorial Circled For Up-And-Coming Statesman
DRF – Brad Free – Kentucky Derby: Citizen Bull’s name has some moving parts
Paulick Report – Godolphin Shares Race Plans For Three Kentucky Derby Hopefuls
TDN – Gotham Winner Flood Zone to UAE Derby
Bloodhorse – Sean Collins – Remsen Winner Poster Likely Staying Home For Jeff Ruby
TDN – Citizen Bull, Baeza Work Towards Santa Anita Derby
Bloodhorse – Bob Kieckhefer – Euro/Mideast Road to KY Derby Will be Settled in Dubai
TDN – Cox Making Plans For Gotham Hero Flood Zone And Lightly-Raced Tappan Street
Bloodhorse – Santa Anita Derby ‘Most Likely Scenario’ For Journalism
Bloodhorse – Burnham Square to Target Blue Grass Stakes
Phil M. Stockmen
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