Here’s a schedule of key prep races for the 2010 Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown season. The list will be updated as the season progresses. If you notice any errors or omissions, please let me know.

KY Derby & Triple Crown Prep Race Schedule

Date	Track	Stakes Race	Distance	Winner
Dec 4	Delta Downs	Delta Jackpot (G3 - $750K)	1 & 1/16 miles	Rule ($4.00)
Dec 19	Hollywood Park	CashCall Futurity (G1 - $750K)	1 & 1/16 miles	Lookin At Lucky ($2.60)
Jan 1	Tampa Bay Downs	Tropical Park Derby (G3 - $100K)	1 & 1/8 miles (Turf)	Fly by Phil ($49.00)
Jan 2	Aqueduct	Count Fleet ($65K)	1 mile, 70 yrds	Laus Deo ($22.80)
Jan 9	Gulfstream	Spectacular Bid ($100K)	6 furlongs	A Little Warm ($5.40)
Jan 16	Santa Anita	San Rafael (G3 - $100K)	1 mile	Conveyance ($2.60)
Jan 16	Tampa Bay Downs	Pasco ($75K)	7 furlongs	Uptowncharlybrown ($3.40)
Jan 16	Golden Gate	California Derby ($100K)	1 and 1/6 miles	Ranger Heartley ($13.80)
Jan 18	Oaklawn Park	Smarty Jones ($100K)	1 mile	Dryfly ($5.20)
Jan 23	Fair Grounds	Lecomte (G3 - $100K)	1 mile, 40 yrds	Ron the Greek ($17.60)
Jan 23	Gulfstream Park	Holy Bull (G3 - $150K)	1 mile	Winslow Homer ($9.60)
Jan 30	Turfway Park	WEBN Stakes ($50K)	1 mile	Kera's Kitten ($13.80)
Feb 6	Aqueduct	Whirlaway ($100K)	1 and 1/16 miles	Peppi Knows ($17.40)
Feb 13	Santa Anita	Robert B. Lewis (G2 - $150K)	1 and 1/16 mile	Caracortado ($11.00)
Feb 13	Tampa Bay Downs	Sam F. Davis (G3 - $225)	1 and 1/16 miles	Rule ($4.00)
Feb 15	Santa Anita	San Vincente (G2 - $150K)	7 furlongs	Sidney's Candy ($6.20)
Feb 20	Oaklawn Park	Southwest (G3 - $250K)	1 mile	Conveyance ($5.60)
Feb 20	Turf Paradise	Turf Paradise Derby ($100K)	1 and 1/16 miles	Dixie Commander ($46.60)
Feb 20	Gulfstream Park	Hutheson (G2 - $150K)	7 furlongs	D'Funnybone ($4.20)
Feb 20	Gulfstream Park	Fountain of Youth (G2 - $250K)	1 and 1/8 miles	Eskendereya ($9.80)
Feb 20	Fair Grounds	Risen Star (G3 - $300K)	1 and 1/16 miles	Discreetly Mine ($7.00)
Feb 20	Golden Gate	El Camino Real (G3 - $150K)	1 and 1/8 miles	Connemara ($4.60)
Feb 27	Laurel Park	Miracle Wood ($70K)	7 furlongs	Don't Blame the Cat ($4.60)
Feb 27	Sunland Park	Borderland Derby ($100K)	1 and 1/16 miles	Storming Saint ($5.60)
Feb 27	Turfway Park	John Battaglia Memorial ($100K)	1 and 1/16 miles	Vow to Wager ($48.60)
Mar 6	Santa Anita	Sham (G3 - $150K)	1 and 1/8 miles	Alphie's Bet ($19.00)
Mar 6	Aqueduct	Gotham (G3 - $250K)	1 and 1/16 miles	Awesome Act ($7.70)
Mar 13	Oaklawn Park	Rebel (G2 - $300K)	1 and 1/16 miles	Lookin at Lucky ($4.20)
Mar 13	Tampa Bay Downs	Tampa Bay Derby (G3 - $300K)	1 and 1/16 miles	Odysseus ($6.00)
Mar 13	Santa Anita	San Felipe (G2 - $150K)	1 and 1/16 miles	Sidney's Candy ($9.60)
Mar 20	Laurel Park	Private Terms ($70K)	1 mile	Plantation ($5.40)
Mar 20	Gulfstream Park	Florida Derby (G1 - $750)	1 and 1/8 miles	Ice Box ($43.40)
Mar 20	Gulfstream Park	Swale (G2 - $150K)	7 furlongs	D' Funnybone ($3.00)
Mar 27	Turfway Park	Rushaway ($100)	1 and 1/16 miles	Exhi ($19.20)
Mar 27	Turfway Park	Lanes End (G2 - $500K)	1 and 1/8 miles	Dean's Kitten ($15.00)
Mar 27	Fair Grounds	Louisiana Derby (G2 - $750K)	1 and 1/8 miles	Mission Impazible ($16.20)
Mar 27	Meydan	UAE Derby (G1)	1 and 3/16 miles	Musir ($5.40)
Mar 28	Sunland Park	Sunland Derby (G3 - $800K)	1 and 1/8 miles	Endorsement ($25.40)
Apr 3	Aqueduct	Bay Shore (G3 - $200K)	7 furlongs	Eightyfiveinafifty ($3.20)
Apr 3	Aqueduct	Wood Memorial (G1 - $750K)	1 and 1/8 miles	Eskendereya ($3.00)
Apr 3	Santa Anita	Santa Anita Derby (G1 -$750K)	1 and 1/8 miles	Sidney's Candy ($9.60)
Apr 3	Hawthorne	Illinois Derby (G3 - $500K)	1 and 1/8 miles	American Lion ($8.60)
Apr 10	Oaklawn Park	Arkansas Derby (G1 - $1M)	1 and 1/8 miles	Line of David ($36.30)
Apr 10	Keeneland	Bluegrass (G1 - $750K)	1 and 1/8 miles	Stately Victor ($82.20)
Apr 17	Keeneland	Lexington (G2 - $300K)	1 and 1/16 miles	Exhi ($41.80)
Apr 24	Churchill Downs	The Derby Trial (G3 - $200K)	1 mile	Hurricane Ike ($13.80)
Apr 24	Aqueduct	Withers (G3 - $150K)	1 mile	Afleet Again ($51.00)
May 1	Churchill Downs	Kentucky Derby (G1)	1 and 1/4 miles	Super Saver ($18.00)
May 8	Belmont Park	Dwyer Stakes (G2)	1 and 1/8 miles	Fly Down ($9.20)
May 8	Lone Star	Lone Star Derby (G3 - $200K)	1 and 1/16 miles	Game on Dude ($4.40)
May 15	Pimlico	Preakness (G1)	1 and 3/16 miles	Lookin at Lucky ($6.80)
Jun 6	Belmont Park	Belmont Stakes (G1)	1 and 1/2 miles	Drosselmeyer ($28.00)

Graded Stakes Earnings (24 Apr 2010)

#	Horse	Total Graded Earnings	Jockey	Trainer	Next Start
1	LOOKIN AT LUCKY	$1,480,000	Garrett Gomez	Bob Baffert	KY Derby
2	NOBLE'S PROMISE	$738,000	TBD	Ken McPeek	KY Derby
3	RULE	$645,000	Ramon Dominguez	Todd Pletcher	TBD
4	SIDNEY's CANDY	$630,000	Joe Talamo	John Sadler	KY Derby
5	LINE OF DAVID	$600,000	Rafael Bejarano	John Sadler	KY Derby
6	MISSION IMPAZIBLE	$473,434	Rajiv Maragh	Todd Pletcher	KY Derby
7	ICE BOX	$457,500	Jose Lezcano	Nick Zito	KY Derby
8	STATELY VICTOR	$451,112	Alan Garcia	Michael Maker	KY Derby
9	ENDORSEMENT	$400,000	Robby Albarado	Shannon Ritter	TBD
10	CONVEYANCE	$386,000	Martin Garcia	Bob Baffert	KY Derby
11	AMERICAN LION	$378,000	David Flores	Eoin Harty	KY Derby
12	DUBLIN	$373,208	Terry Thompson	D. Wayne Lukas	KY Derby
13	DEVIL MAY CARE-f	$363,000	John Velazquez	Todd Pletcher	KY Derby
14	SUPER SAVER	$363,832	Calvin Borel	Todd Pletcher	KY Derby
15	DISCREETLY MINE	$355,000	Javier Castellano	Todd Pletcher	KY Derby
16	DEAN'S KITTEN	$326,475	Cornelio Velazquez	Michael Maker	KY Derby
17	INTERACTIF	$307,950	TBD	Todd Pletcher	TBD
18	AWESOME ACT	$285,000	Julien Leparoux	Jeremy Noseda	KY Derby
19	AIKENITE	$267,806	Garrett Gomez	Todd Pletcher	TBD
20	PADDY 'O PRADO	$250,950	Kent Desormeaux	Dale Romans	KY Derby
21	HOMEBOYKRIS	$250,500	Joel Rosario	Dick Dutrow	KY Derby
22	JACKSON BEND	$230,000	Calvin Borel	Nick Zito	KY Derby
23	BACKTALK	$225,916	Miguel Mena	Thomas Amoss	KY Derby
24	MAKE MUSIC FOR ME	$218,750	Mike Smith	Alexis Barba	KY Derby
25	PLEASANT PRINCE	$189,278	Julien Leparoux	Wesley Ward	TBD
26	EXHI	$180,358	Robby Albarado	Todd Pletcher	TBD
T27	A LITTLE WARM	$180,000	David Cohen	Tony Dutrow	TBD
T27	SETSUKO	$180,000	Rafael Bejarano	Richard Mandella	TBD
29	CARACORTADO	$153,000	Paul Atkinson	Michael Machowsky	TBD
30	YAWANA TWIST	$147,000	Edgar Prado	Dick Dutrow	TBD
31	CONNEMARA	$139,357	Russell Baze	Todd Pletcher	TBD
32	SCHOOLYARD DREAMS	$137,500	Ramon Dominguez	Derek Ryan	TBD
33	EIGHTYFIVE INAFIFTY	$131,514	Ramon Dominguez	Gary Contessa	TBD
34	FIRST DUDE	$97,500	Ramon Dominguez	Dale Romans	TBD
35	DROSSELMEYER	$94,500	Kent Desormeaux	Bill Mott	Preakness

Derby & Oaks Future Wager Pools:

Future Wager Pools

Derby Pool #1	Feb 12-14
Derby Pool #2	Mar 5-7
Oaks Pool	Mar 5-7
Derby Pool #3	Mar 26-28

Derby Future Wager - Pool #3

#	Name	Trainer	ML	Final
1	Aikenite	Todd Pletcher	50-1	58-1
2	Alphie's Bet	Alexis Barba	15-1	46-1
3	Awesome Act	Jeremy Noseda	15-1	13-1
4	Caracortado	M. Machowsky	20-1	27-1
5	Connemara	Todd Pletcher	20-1	77-1
6	Conveyance	Bob Baffert	20-1	19-1
7	Discreetly Mine	Todd Pletcher	20-1	44-1
8	Dublin	D. Wayne Lukas	15-1	18-1
9	Eskendereya	Todd Pletcher	5-1	5-1
10	Homeboykris	Richard Dutrow	50-1	72-1
11	Ice Box	Nick Zito	12-1	19-1
12	Interactif	Todd Pletcher	20-1	26-1
13	Jackson Bend	Nick Zito	30-1	46-1
14	Lookin at Lucky	Bob Baffert	6-1	9/2
15	Make Music For Me	Alexis Barba	30-1	40-1
16	Noble's Promise	Ken McPeek	12-1	19-1
17	Odysseus	Tom Albertrani	20-1	18-1
18	Pleasant Prince	Wesley Ward	20-1	38-1
19	Rule	Todd Pletcher	20-1	30-1
20	Schoolyard Dreams	Derek Ryan	30-1	44-1
21	Sidney's Candy	John Sadler	15-1	22-1
22	Super Saver	Todd Pletcher	20-1	35-1
23	Tempted to Tapit	Steve Klesaris	50-1	45-1
24	The Field	All others	8-1	9/2

Derby Future Wager - Pool #2

#	Name	Trainer	ML	Final
1	Aikenite	Todd Pletcher	50-1	57-1
2	American Lion	Eoin Harty	30-1	38-1
3	Buddy's Saint	Bruce Levine	12-1	16-1
4	Caracortado	M. Machowsky	12-1	19-1
5	Connemara	Todd Pletcher	20-1	46-1
6	Conveyance	Bob Baffert	12-1	28-1
7	D'Funnybone	Richard Dutrow	20-1	38-1
8	Dave in Dixie	John Sadler	30-1	22-1
9	Discreetly Mine	Todd Pletcher	30-1	37-1
10	Dublin	D. Wayne Lukas	15-1	10-1
11	Eskendereya	Todd Pletcher	12-1	5-1
12	Jackson Bend	Nick Zito	20-1	47-1
13	Lookin at Lucky	Bob Baffert	6-1	9-1
14	Nextdoorneighboor	M. Machowsky	30-1	99-1
15	Noble's Promise	Ken McPeek	30-1	26-1
16	Odysseus	Tom Albertrani	50-1	25-1
17	Radiohead (GB)	Richard Dutrow	20-1	19-1
18	Rule	Todd Pletcher	20-1	20-1
19	Setsuko	Richard Mandell	50-1	65-1
20	Sidney's Candy	John Sadley	20-1	33-1
21	Super Saver	Todd Pletcher	20-1	24-1
22	Tempted to Tapit	Steve Klesaris	50-1	63-1
23	Vale of York (IRE)	Saeed bin Suroor	30-1	42-1
24	The Field	All others	7/2	3-1

Derby Future Wager - Pool #1

#	Name	Trainer	ML	Final
1	Aikenite	Todd Pletcher	30-1	54-1
2	American Lion	Eoin Harty	20-1	41-1
3	Buddy's Saint	Bruce Levine	12-1	10-1
4	Concord Point	Bob Baffert	30-1	99-1
5	Conveyance	Bob Baffert	12-1	33-1
6	Dave in Dixie	John Sadler	20-1	28-1
7	Drosselmeyer	Bill Mott	20-1	20-1
8	Dryfly	Lynn Whiting	20-1	46-1
9	Dublin	D. Wayne Lukas	15-1	20-1
10	Eskendereya	Todd Pletcher	20-1	22-1
11	Jackson Bend	Nick Zito	12-1	27-1
12	Lookin at Lucky	Bob Baffert	8-1	8-1
13	Make Music for Me	Alex Barba	50-1	99-1
14	Maximus Ruler	Clark Hanna	50-1	76-1
15	Noble's Promise	Ken McPeek	15-1	36-1
16	Ron the Greek	Tom Amoss	30-1	31-1
17	Rule	Todd Pletcher	12-1	24-1
18	Stay Put	Steve Margolis	50-1	49-1
19	Super Saver	Todd Pletcher	15-1	20-1
20	Tiz Chrome	Bob Baffert	20-1	37-1
21	Uptowncharlybrown	Alan Seewald	50-1	34-1
22	Vale of York (IRE)	Saeed bin Suroor	30-1	26-1
23	William's Kitten	Michael Maker	30-1	54-1
24	All Others		5/2	3/2

Worth the Wait – Derby Dozen Volume VIII

Last modified on 2010-04-29 16:52:33 GMT. 8 comments. Top.

The time is at hand to finally see who’s the best three-year old in the land. And then the next day, they’ll run the KY Derby. (rim shot please)

For bragging rights (or shame if their horse finishes last), here’s our top Derby picks:
LOOKIN AT LUCKY – Geno, Carly, Rob, Jessica, Brian A.
AMERICAN LION – Dylan
AWESOME ACT – Brian Zipse
ICE BOX – Steve
JACKSON BEND – The Turk
NOLBE’S PROMISE – Norm

At the suggestion of Ms Carly Kaiser we added a new wrinkle to our Derby Dozen poll this time: we’ll also predict last place, or the “Brancusi Award” as Norm (TKS) recommended. Now “picking the caboose” as Geno likes to say, is not something I usually do in public; but for the Derby I’ll make an exception. Heck, maybe this will catch on and next year Churchill will make it a real wager. But CDI doesn’t pay us to come up with ideas so let’s just keep this under our hat.

Special thanks to our over-worked and under-paid Derby Dozen panel:
Rob from Amateurcapper
Brian from Railrunner
Carly Kaiser
Geno from EquiSpace
Jessica Paquette
The Turk
Dylan Jarmulowicz
The Zipster from Zipse at the Track
Norm from The Knight Sky Racing blog
Steve from WirePlayers.com

WirePlayers Derby Dozen Volume VII

Last modified on 2010-04-13 23:56:44 GMT. 10 comments. Top.

A single vote separates our top two Derby contenders with one legitimate graded prep race remaining (Saturday’s Lexington Stakes at Keeneland).

Of Pletcher’s six likely Derby entrants, four made our illustrious Derby Dozen list. Though his 0-for-24 Derby record doesn’t bode well, he’s never had a horse dominate like ESKENDEREYA.

I don’t pretend to know for sure who’ll win, but one thing I know is that NBC will focus their Derby coverage on ESKENDEREYA and LUCKY. That is, when they’re not covering d-list celebs wearing funny hats and drinking mint juleps, and random “pageantry.” Which will leave viewers all the more perplexed if one of the 20-1 shots nobody ever heard of comes rolling home.

Oh well, if that 20-1 shot happens to be ENDORSEMENT, I know one guy who will be very, very happy.

Our multi-talented Derby Dozen panel: the only thing they agree on is they love horse racing.
Rob from Amateurcapper
Brian from Railrunner
Carly Kaiser
Geno from EquiSpace
Jessica Paquette
The Turk
Dylan Jarmulowicz
The Zipster from Zipse at the Track
Norm from The Knight Sky Racing blog
Steve from WirePlayers.com

Down to the Nitty Gritty, Derby Dozen Volume VI Isn’t Too . . . Shabby

Last modified on 2010-03-31 23:57:31 GMT. 9 comments. Top.

Right now the WirePlayers Derby Dozen is a two horse race between west coast-based LOOKIN AT LUCKY and east coaster ESKENDEREYA. Charging hard is ODYSSEUS, who joins AWESOME ACT and NOBLE’S PROMISE in the second tier. Saturday’s Wood Memorial and Santa Anita Derby will prove if “Lucky” and “Esky” are truly the dominant contenders our poll suggests.

The other end of the poll is still muddy. ENDORSEMENT occupies the 12 hole after winning the Sunland Derby of all things, but SIDNEY’S CANDY, JACKSON BEND, and MISSION IMPAZIBLE were just shy of cracking the list.

Studying the final preps may provide some Derby handicapping angles. Horses losing their last prep, but who showed improvement and/or had a troubled trip may offer betting value. After all, you want your selection to run well in their final prep, just not too well.

Our multi-talented Derby Dozen panel: they love horse racing and not just for the four digit payoffs.
Rob from Amateurcapper
Brian from Railrunner
Carly Kaiser
Geno from EquiSpace
Jessica Paquette
The Turk
Dylan Jarmulowicz
The Zipster from Zipse at the Track
Norm from The Knight Sky Racing blog
Steve from WirePlayers.com

Derby Dozen Volume V Has Arrived

Last modified on 2010-03-18 02:15:44 GMT. 7 comments. Top.

After spending two weeks in second place behind ESKENDEREYA after the previous poll, LOOKIN AT LUCKY reasserted his dominance over the WirePlayers Derby Dozen.

Although he only beat NOBLE’S PROMISE by a whisker, you can argue LUCKY’s victory was more impressive than ESKENDEREYA’s romp in the Fountain of Youth. LUCKY got jostled on the backstretch and stumbled badly. Both LUCKY and Garrett Gomez regained their composure and out-dueled NOBLE’S PROMISE and Robby Albarado down the stretch. Of course, I had NOBLE’s PROMISE to win so I was none to pleased with the outcome, but it was a heckuva race. Ditto for the Tampa Bay Derby.

At the other end of the poll, our friend DROSSELMEYER is languishing in the twelve hole. How he does in the next race will determine if he’s a legitimate Derby contender. Bill Mott is one of the class acts in horse racing and a few voters are giving his colt one more shot.

Many thanks those who’ve contributed time and brain power to the Derby Dozen. Please peruse our list and let us know your opinion.

Our esteemed Derby Dozen panel: not all of them scream at the TV when their horses are running down the stretch, but I’m sure some of ‘em do.
Rob from Amateurcapper
Brian from Railrunner
Carly Kaiser
Geno from EquiSpace
Jessica Paquette
The Turk
Dylan Jarmulowicz
The Zipster from Zipse at the Track
Norm from The Knight Sky Racing blog
Steve from WirePlayers.com

Want More? Here’s WirePlayers Derby Dozen Volume IV

Last modified on 2010-03-31 01:19:03 GMT. 14 comments. Top.

And Eskendereya storms to the lead! The Fountain of Youth was impressive, but there’s plenty more prep races where that came from; at least I hope.

The most anticipated race in the next two weeks may be the Rebel Stakes on March 13th at Oaklawn. It’s where we expect to see Lookin at Lucky and Noble’s Promise for the first time at age three and the first time both race on God’s own dirt.

Until then, please consider Volume IV of the WirePlayers Derby Dozen, thoughtfully crafted for your reading pleasure.

Special thanks to the voting members of the Derby Dozen panel. They prove the adage that “none of us are as smart as all of us.”
Rob from Amateurcapper
Brian from Railrunner
Carly Kaiser
Geno from EquiSpace
Jessica Paquette
The Turk
Dylan Jarmulowicz
The Zipster from Zipse at the Track
Norm from The Knight Sky Racing blog
Steve from WirePlayers.com

It’s Just Me With WirePlayers Derby Dozen Volume III

Last modified on 2010-03-31 01:19:36 GMT. 8 comments. Top.

Here’s Volume III of the WirePlayers Derby Dozen. Though we’re a little bummed Monday’s Southwest Stakes got cancelled, that just means Saturday is going to be even more jam-packed with Derby prep race action.

If you remember way back when In Derby Dozen Volume I, Lookin at Lucky had a commanding lead. But the lack of a defined prep race schedule allowed Buddy’s Saint to narrow the gap considerably. With only 3 points between them, they’re basically neck and neck. A win in Saturday’s Fountain of Youth Stakes will most certainly put Buddy over the top. But the Fountain of Youth will have the toughest field he’s faced to date, by far.

Can’t wait to watch, and bet!

Voting members of the Derby Dozen panel (these people live and breathe horse racing):
Rob from Amateurcapper
Brian from Railrunner
Carly Kaiser
Geno from EquiSpace
Jessica Paquette
The Turk
Dylan Jarmulowicz
The Zipster from Zipse at the Track
Norm from The Knight Sky Racing blog
Steve from WirePlayers.com

Hey You, Here’s Derby Dozen Volume II

Last modified on 2010-03-31 01:20:08 GMT. 17 comments. Top.

Loaded down with insights like a lead balloon, here’s Volume II of the WirePlayers Derby Dozen. Despite the similar title, this isn’t a low-rent rip-off of Steve Haskin’s “Derby Dozen”. Although Haskin does a fine job, we’ve assembled a diverse collection of ten bloggers, twitterers, and horseplayers from around the country to weigh in on the Derby preps.

Hopefully you’ll find a few pearls of wisdom, but then again there’s no guarantee. So checkout our ranking of the top 12 Derby contenders and let us know if we’re full of it, or not.

Special thanks to the Derby Dozen panel who’ve taken time out of their busy lives to offer their perspectives. Voting members:
Rob from Amateurcapper
Brian from Railrunner
Carly Kaiser
Geno from EquiSpace
Jessica Paquette
The Turk
Dylan Jarmulowicz
The Zipster from Zipse at the Track
Norm from The Knight Sky Racing blog
Steve from WirePlayers.com

Don’t Run, We Got Derby Dozen Volume I

Last modified on 2010-03-31 01:21:00 GMT. 9 comments. Top.

An eclectic group of bloggers and twitterers (or tweeters?) got together to rank their top 12 Kentucky Derby contenders. It’s kind of like an AP poll except that, since we’re opinionated, we added our two cents in a comments section. As the prep season progresses we’ll vote every two weeks until the Derby. Here’s results from poll #1:

Voters:
Rob from Amateurcapper
Brian Appleton from Railrunner
Carly Kaiser
Gene Kershner from EquiSpace
Jessica Paquette
The Turk
Dylan Jarmulowicz
Brian Zipse from Zipse at the Track
The Knight Sky Racing blog
Steve Munday from WirePlayers.com

Here’s a previous iteration of the WirePlayers Derby Dozen from Dec ’09; but this was just based on one man’s opinion.

KY Derby / Triple Crown

Schedule of 2010 Kentucky Derby Prep Races