Kentucky Derby-(Louisville, Kentucky) the 152^nd running of the Kentucky Derby is carded as race 12 this Saturday at Churchill Downs, approximate scheduled post time is 6:57PM. The field consists of 20 entrants who are vying to make history having their name forever etched in racing lore. The weather forecast is projecting a dry strip with lower temperatures, should be a fair playing course without a massive speed bias.

Horse racing continues to die a slow death, as an insider yes it’s self-inflicted but also times change. Attendance is down, wagering dollars are down, and gambling can be done in 26 states outside of Nevada and toss in DC area for good measure. The technology of internet gambling means casino and sports wagering can happen in seconds, so how does a game compete 20-25 minutes between races? The answer is it can’t, but the first Saturday in May is and always will be special.

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Preakness Stakes-The 150^th running of the Preakness stakes is carded as race 13 this Saturday at Pimlico Racecourse, approximate scheduled post time is 7:01 PM. The field consists of 9 entrants who are vying for the 2^nd Jewel of the Triple Crown. The weather forecast is projecting isolated showers throughout the week, but Saturday is slated to have 15% chance of scattered showers with very warm temps in 80’s, projected fast track.

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Kentucky Derby-(Louisville, Kentucky) the 151^st running of the Kentucky Derby is carded as race 12 this Saturday at Churchill Downs, approximate scheduled post time is 6:57PM. The field consists of 20 entrants who are vying to make history having their name forever etched in racing lore. The weather forecast is projecting a dry strip with mild temperatures, scattered rain mid-week should not affect track condition, should be a fair playing course.

Handicapping the Derby is artwork, not a science…yes yes we use scientific barometers such as speed figures, pace, jockey, trainer stats etc.. but at the end of the day this is the only race on North American soil where you get this many horses signed on and all horse will be attempting to do something none of them have done which is go a mile and a quarter. Most sports feature event is at the end of the season, NASCAR & Horse Racing display their sports in the spring.

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Preakness Stakes-The 149^th running of the Preakness stakes is carded as race 13 this Saturday at Pimlico Racecourse, approximate scheduled post time is 7:01 PM. The field consists of 8 entrants who are vying for the 2^nd Jewel of the Triple Crown with Mystik Dan trying to become the 1^st Triple Crown winner since Justify controversially did it in 2018. The weather forecast is projecting isolated showers throughout the week, but Saturday is slated to have 85% chance of showers that will affect the track condition.

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Kentucky Derby-(Louisville, Kentucky) the 150^th running of the Kentucky Derby is carded as race 12 this Saturday at Churchill Downs, approximate scheduled post time is 6:57PM. The field consists of 20 entrants who are vying to make history having their name forever etched in racing lore. The weather forecast is projecting potential rain storms Saturday with seasonal temperatures with a 40% chance of precipitation. Note, Friday had consistent rain, track could play “off”.

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The 37th Edition of the Breeder’s Cup with be contested for the 2nd time in Lexington Kentucky, but for the 1st time in this series existence it will be fanless. Interesting as mother nature has put her blessing on the event with the best weather EVER for a BC in Kentucky: sunny, 70’s, and no precipitation on or leading up to the races. Should make for a perfect weekend of racing.

Turnpike Ted’s 2019 Breeder’s Cup Commentary and Selections for Day One

“Future Stars Friday”

Friday, November 1, 2019

Thoroughbred racing ends a tumultuous year with its Breeders Cup Championships, making its 10^th stop at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. After a Kentucky Derby result that went to the court system, and a Triple Crown winner whose drug test was questioned – throwing doubt on whether he should ever been able to race in that series; we end 2019 at the venue where euthanasia made more headlines than the racing results.

Del Mar, which played host two years ago; probably could have done so again, albeit with some complications –  but the “Powers That Be” have decided that they’ll tempt fate and run here anyway. Keep your fingers crossed that the equine athletes can leave this weekend the same way they entered it.

As always, please stay alert for any late program changes and scratches for both days. Off we go. Continue reading →

Before I get started, I’d like to give a shout out to friend Don Tiger and The Equine Investor  (www.equineinvestor.com ) for giving me the opportunity to share my thoughts for the first time with a larger audience. I’ve been reading his commentary for a number of years and hope to justify his opinion of giving me a chance to fill his handicapping shoes for the third leg of the Triple Crown Challenge.  Hopefully, this year’s Belmont Selections will be ‘on the money’. Continue reading →

Preakness Stakes-The 144^th running of the Preakness stakes is carded as race 13 this Saturday at Pimlico Racecourse, approximate scheduled post time is 6:48 PM. The field consists of 13 entrants who are vying for the 2^nd Jewel of the Triple Crown with no Triple Crown bid due to the controversial Derby result. The weather forecast has been dry leading up to the weekend and will remain that way with ideal temps, simply put perfect weather.

Ok so what the Puck happened in the Derby? To quote a famous line from the movie A Few Good Men, “I want the truth!”, to which Col. Jessep responded, “you can’t handle the truth”. Continue reading →

Kentucky Derby-(Louisville, Kentucky) the 145^th running of the Kentucky Derby is carded as race 12 this Saturday at Churchill Downs, approximate scheduled post time is 6:50PM. The field consists of 20 entrants who are vying to make history having their name on a placard in the paddock at the storied Churchill Downs. The weather forecast shows cloudy with mild temps with a 100% chance of rain, Friday’s forecast was for 90% rain so main track likely sloppy with turf yielding, make those adjustments in your handicapping.

It’s perplexing that the only race in the US that has 20 horses go to the gate raced in early spring without fully matured animals has been able to produce 6 straight winning favorites. It’s actually so baffling that I needed to dig deeper into it. Prior to 2012, entrants got into the Kentucky Derby through graded stakes earnings, most viewed the system flawed as horses gathering points on Turf or Sprints or early at age 2 races accumulated enough to make the gate. Starting in 2013, a new point system was implemented called the Road to the Kentucky Derby, this system setup races and weighted these races so that only battled tested performers in the sport’s major prep races earn a spot in the gate. Interesting, since this was implemented all favorites have won. Continue reading →