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Your Guide to KY Derby Glory – WirePlayers Derby Dozen Volume I

Steve — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 04:12:49 +0000

Yes friends, it’s here again, Derby Road. While hopeful owners, trainers, and jockeys well . . ., jockey for a spot in the Kentucky Derby starting gate, we’re here passing judgement with our Derby Dozen list. Sure, we offer the perfunctory 1 to 12 ranking you’ll find most anywhere, but our list offers opinions by opinionated people. If you pay attention closely you may just find a few nuggets of wisdom buried within (but no promises!).

At this point, no one knows which horse will win the Derby and it doesn’t really matter. What’s important is forming your own opinion about which horses might win the Derby and identifying those that are maturing and peaking at the right time. By following the Derby Preps closely you’ll have insights you can turn into cold hard cash come May 5th.

Follow the Derby preps using the handy dandy schedule on our KY Derby page and check in on our Derby Dozen list (we’ll vote every three weeks) to see if our opinions line up with yours. Putting the time in now may payoff later.

Special thanks to our expert Derby Dozen panel:
Brian Zipse from Horse Racing Nation
Rob from Amateurcapper
Derek Brown
Carly Kaiser
Geno from EquiSpace
The Turk
Tencentcielo
Tony Bada Bing from A Leg Up
Paul Mazur
Dylan Jarmulowicz

2012 Kentucky Derby Prep Race Schedule

Steve — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 04:31:32 +0000

This is my 2012 Kentucky Derby prep race schedule. There are many like it, but this one is mine. The Kentucky Derby is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life. The Kentucky Derby, without me, is useless. Without the Kentucky Derby, I am useless.

Ok, ok, enough with my bastardization of the rifleman’s creed. At WirePlayers we’re kicking off our annual Kentucky Derby prep race coverage and here’s a handy schedule of key races. It will be updated as the Derby prep season progresses.

And stay tunned because next week we’ll debut this year’s WirePlayers Derby Dozen – guaranteed to satisfy and mystify.

2012 KY Derby & Triple Crown Prep Race Schedule

Date	Track	Stakes Race	Distance	Winner
Nov 19	Delta Downs	Delta Jackpot (G3 - $1M)	1 & 1/16 miles	SABERCAT ($18.00)
Dec 17	Hollywood Park	CashCall Futurity (G1 - $750K)	1 & 1/16 miles	LIAISON ($12.20)
Jan 7	Santa Anita	Sham Stakes (G3 - $100K)	1 & 1/16 miles	OUT OF BOUNDS ($22.60)
Jan 16	Oaklawn Park	Smarty Jones ($100K)	1 mile	JUNEBUGGED ($14.80)
Jan 21	Fair Grounds	Lecomte (G3 - $175K)	1 mile, 40 yrds	MR BOWLING ($9.20)
Jan 28	Laurel Park	Dancing Count S. ($100K)	6 furlongs	BEGGARTHYNEIGHBOR ($5.40)
Jan 29	Gulfstream Park	Holy Bull (G3 - $400K)	1 mile	ALGORITHMS ($7.00)
Feb 4	Tampa Bay Downs	Sam F. Davis (G3 - $200K)	1 and 1/16 miles
Feb 4	Aqueduct	Withers (G3 - $200K)	1 and 1/16 miles
Feb 4	Santa Anita	Robert B. Lewis (G2 - $250K)	1 and 1/8 mile
Feb 4	Turfway Park	WEBN Stakes ($50K)	1 mile
Feb 11	Gulfstream Park	Hutheson (G2 - $150K)	7 furlongs
Feb 18	Golden Gate Fields	El Camino Real (G3 - $200K)	1 and 1/8 miles
Feb 19	Santa Anita	San Vincente (G2 - $150K)	7 furlongs
Feb 20	Oaklawn Park	Southwest (G3 - $250K)	1 mile
Feb 25	Fair Grounds	Risen Star (G2 - $300K)	1 and 1/16 miles
Feb 25	Laurel Park	Miracle Wood ($100K)	7 furlongs
Feb 25	Sunland Park	Borderland Derby ($100K)	1 and 1/16 miles
Feb 26	Gulfstream Park	Fountain of Youth (G2 - $400K)	1 and 1/16 miles
Mar 3	Turfway Park	John Battaglia Memorial ($100K)	1 and 1/16 miles
Mar 3	Aqueduct	Gotham (G3 - $400K)	1 and 1/16 miles
Mar 10	Gulfstream Park	Swale (G2 - $150K)	7 furlongs
Mar 10	Santa Anita	San Felipe (G2 - $250K)	1 and 1/16 miles
Mar 10	Tampa Bay Downs	Tampa Bay Derby (G2 - $350K)	1 and 1/16 miles
Mar 11	Gulfstream Park	Palm Beach (G3 - $150K)	1 and 1/8 miles (turf)
Mar 17	Oaklawn Park	Rebel (G2 - $500K)	1 and 1/16 miles
Mar 17	Laurel Park	Private Terms ($100K)	1 mile
Mar 24	Turfway Park	Rushaway ($100K)	1 and 1/16 miles
Mar 24	Turfway Park	Vinery Racing Spiral (G3 - $500K)	1 and 1/8 miles
Mar 25	Sunland Park	Sunland Derby (G3 - $800K)	1 and 1/8 miles
Mar 31	Gulfstream Park	Florida Derby (G1 - $1M)	1 and 1/8 miles
Mar 31	Meydan	UAE Derby (G2 - $2M)	1,900 meters (~9.5 furlongs)
Apr 1	Fair Grounds	Louisiana Derby (G2 - $1M)	1 and 1/8 miles
Apr 6	Keeneland	Transylvania (G3 - $100K)	1 and 1/16 miles (Turf)
Apr 7	Aqueduct	Bay Shore (G3 - $250K)	7 furlongs
Apr 7	Aqueduct	Wood Memorial (G1 - $1M)	1 and 1/8 miles
Apr 7	Santa Anita	Santa Anita Derby (G1 -$1M)	1 and 1/8 miles
Apr 7	Hawthorne	Illinois Derby (G3 - $500K)	1 and 1/8 miles
Apr 14	Oaklawn Park	Arkansas Derby (G1 - $1M)	1 and 1/8 miles
Apr 14	Keeneland	Bluegrass (G1 - $750K)	1 and 1/8 miles
Apr 21	Keeneland	Lexington (G3 - $200K)	1 and 1/16 miles
Apr 21	Aqueduct	Jerome (G2 - $200K)	1 mile
Apr 28	Churchill Downs	The Derby Trial (G3 - $200K)	1 mile
May 5	Churchill Downs	Kentucky Derby (G1)	1 and 1/4 miles
May 19	Pimlico	Preakness (G1)	1 and 3/16 miles
Jun 9	Belmont Park	Belmont Stakes (G1)	1 and 1/2 miles

Gasping for the Wire – Derby Dozen Volume VI

Steve — Wed, 04 May 2011 23:25:02 +0000

The Derby prep season is usually a war of attrition and this year holds form. In fact, we had our final vote just before Derby contender TOBY’s CORNER backed out due to an injury. What remains is a race with a rather ordinary field and few clear standouts.

It looks like DIALED IN will take most of the money as arguably the most consistent performer of the bunch and he gets the final #1 ranking in our poll (which we understand is highly valued among all the Derby connections). However, we’re a deeply divided group as 7 of the 20 starters received 1st place votes. And then there’s DECISIVE MOMENT who’s 50-1 on the morning line, but sneaks into the Dozen by virtue of TOBY’s withdraw. Can he sneak into the winner’s circle. Well, I know at least one guy who thinks so!

Special thanks to our tireless Derby Dozen panel:
Brian Zipse from Horse Racing Nation
Rob from Amateurcapper
Derek Brown
Brian from Railrunner
Carly Kaiser
Geno from EquiSpace
Jessica Paquette
The Turk
Tencentcielo
Tony Bada Bing from A Leg Up
Dylan Jarmulowicz

UNCLE MO Gets Taken to the Wood Shed – Derby Dozen Volume V

Steve — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 02:44:16 +0000

A topsy turvy three weeks has muddied the Derby picture somewhat. UNCLE MO’s surprising loss to a seemingly overmatched field in the Wood Memorial last weekend had some blaming trainer Todd Pletcher for his conservative training approach. Or maybe MO just isn’t a 9 furlong horse, never mind 10. He’s by Indian Charlie after all; a sire known for churning out milers, not classic distance runners.

Given all the uncertainty, our panel exercised some leniency and only dropped UNCLE MO one spot. A handful of voters even kept him as their #1 pick. UNCLE MO’s score may be the result of having no clear cut Derby favorite as six horses in our top twelve received #1 votes; and someone (I won’t name who), gave DECISIVE MOMENT a #1 vote which account for his entire point total.

With the Derby only four weeks away, looks like we’re in store for a wild ride.

WirePlayers Derby Dozen Volume IV – No Spin Zone My Ass

Steve — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 01:57:37 +0000

Back from a trip to Sal Sagev and still trying to find my bearings – my head is in a daze and my knees are a little wobbly. Between throwing dice, firing back irish car bombs, and stuffing my gullet with $7 steaks, I found time to watch the Rebel Stakes.

THE FACTOR’s performance impressed enough of our Derby Dozen panel voters to rocket him to #4 on the list garnering 3 first place votes. Others were not as impressed. I didn’t toss him a single vote and Chris Hernandez, it seems, put THE FACTOR on his list just so he could rag on him.

Before betting the mortgage payment on May 7th, keep in mind he was lone speed on a speed favoring track. He looks like this year’s CONVEYANCE and I figure he’ll be done at the quarter pole in Louisville. But I’ve been wrong before, many times in fact, so we’ll just have to stay tuned to see what happens.

Until then, enjoy “the Dozen” . . .

Thanks to our Derby Dozen panel who made this possible:
Brian Zipse from Horse Racing Nation
Rob from Amateurcapper
Derek Brown
Brian from Railrunner
Carly Kaiser
Geno from EquiSpace
Jessica Paquette
The Turk
Tencentcielo
Tony Bada Bing from A Leg Up
Dylan Jarmulowicz

The Golden Sheen of Derby Dozen Volume III

Steve — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 23:56:00 +0000

Here’s the WirePlayers Derby Dozen shinning like a rock star in the distance. You try to reach for it, but it’s beyond the grasp of mere mortals. And if you were to fully comprehend the full power of this list, it might melt your mind.

This isn’t to say it’s greatness is beyond reproach. For instance, six of the twelve ranked horses ran in either the Risen Star or Fountain of Youth. Too many? Perhaps. Especially considering there’s not a single nominee out of the Southwest. And since Southwest Airlines will carry me to Vegas for the big dance, I should at least give them some props. It’s gonna be epic!

WirePlayers Derby Dozen Volume II – Getting DIALED IN!

Steve — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 22:34:27 +0000

We know it’s dang early, but DIALED IN just demonstrated a powerful turn of foot. Not on Gulstream Park’s main track, but more importantly, in our Derby Dozen poll.

What would a WirePlayers Derby Dozen poll be without insightful commentary and opinions from our esteemed panel. And for good measure, I added my own addled thoughts. Is this information you can take to the windows? Sure. Then again, there’s no guarantee you’ll get anything back, but maybe you’ll have some fun and isn’t that what it’s really all about? And forgive me if I gloat, but there was a brief mention in our last edition about a certain Zito-trained maiden winner who was set to pop. And if you paired him with SWEET DUCKY in the exacta you’d have a little more change riding on your hip. And I’m not a “I told you so” kind of guy, but hey, I told you so.

Many thanks to our Derby Dozen panel!
Brian Zipse from Horse Racing Nation
Rob from Amateurcapper
Derek Brown
Brian from Railrunner
Carly Kaiser
Geno from EquiSpace
Jessica Paquette
The Turk
Tencentcielo
Tony Bada Bing from A Leg Up
Dylan Jarmulowicz

It’s Back – The 2011 Derby Dozen!

Steve — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 23:39:52 +0000

Buckle up folks, here comes Volume I of the 2011 WirePlayers Derby Dozen. I’ve enlisted friends from the blogosphere, Twittersphere, and Facebookosphere to track the leading Kentucky Derby contenders. With so many “Derby Dozen” lists out, why is this different? Because this one is “crowd sourced” – well, kinda anyway. It’s not based on one person’s opinion, but many persons’ opinions. Like the BCS poll, but without the artifice and manipulation.

The KY Derby is like Christmas for horse racing fans and you have to start planning early if you want to enjoy the full experience. I start getting ready for Christmas early too, in fact, my tree’s already up!

Take a look at our list and allow me to draw your attention to #12, DIALED IN. He’s running in an Allowance at Gulfstream Park on Friday and if the price is right, I might have a few of my dollars riding on his backside. If he’s on the Derby Dozen next time then I won; if he’s not, well, the less said, the better.

Worth the Wait – Derby Dozen Volume VIII

Steve — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 16:43:15 +0000

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

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

Steve — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 01:03:34 +0000

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

Steve — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 22:04:51 +0000

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

It’s Just Me With WirePlayers Derby Dozen Volume III

Steve — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 11:10:54 +0000

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