Kentucky Derby Blog

This weekend will be great week for summer horse racing fans! There are two $1M Graded 1 Stakes this weekend at Saratoga and Del Mar. Here the race details and post time, post position, and Morning Lines.

The Travers Stakes
$1M The Travers Stakes Post time, Post positions and race details at Saratoga
1 1/4 Mile, 11th Race (5:45)
A field of 12 was entered Aug. 20 for the $1 million Travers Presented by Shadwell Farm at Saratoga Aug. 23. That the morning-line favorite, Pyro, is 7-2 is demonstrative of the wide-open nature of the Travers. Belmont Stakes (gr.I) winner Da’ Tara is 8-1, which is reflective of his last-place finish in the Jim Dandy (gr.II).

The Steven Asmussen-trained Pyro ran second in the Jim Dandy at Saratoga July 27. The Travers field also includes Jim Dandy winner Macho Again, who is 6-1 in the morning-line. Online Travers Stakes odds are available at Bodog Racebook. For DRF’s Past Performances for the Travers Stakes, click here.

PP Horse           Jockey          Trainer             ML
1 Tale of Ekati    Prado E S       Tagg Barclay      20-1
2 Colonel John     Gomez G K       Harty Eoin         8-1
3 Da' Tara         Garcia Alan     Zito Nicholas P    8-1
4 Tizbig           Velasquez C     Jerkens H Allen   30-1
5 Macho Again      Leparoux J R    Stewart Dallas     6-1
6 Cool Coal Man    Velazquez J R   Zito Nicholas     15-1
7 Amped            Chavez J F      Zito Nicholas P   30-1
8 Harlem Rocker    Coa E M         Pletcher Todd A    4-1
9 Mambo in Seattle Albarado R J    Howard Neil J      5-1
10 Tres Borrachos  Baze T C        Greely C Beau     15-1
11 Pyro            Bridgmohan S X  Asmussen Steven    7-2
12 Court Vision    Desormeaux K J  Mott William I    12-1

The Pacific Classic
Mast Track and Well Armed have won the two most recent major stakes for older horses on the main track in California. Mast Track won the $750,000 Hollywood Gold Cup on June 28, and Well Armed won the $300,000 San Diego Handicap at Del Mar on July 19.

They will meet for the first time in Sunday’s $1 million Pacific Classic at Del Mar. The race distance of 1 1/4 miles, and their similar running styles, will pose a test.

$1M Pacific Classic Stakes Entries and race details at Del Mar, 10th Race at 6:30
1 1/4 Miles, Open for 3 Year Olds And Up Post
# Horse          Jockey          Weight
1      Awesome Gem    Baze T C          124
2      Mostacolli     Mort  Espinoza V  124
3      Zappa          Garcia Alan       124
4      Surf Cat       Flores D R        124
5      Barcola        Nakatani C S      124
6      Go Between     Gomez G K         124
7      Well Armed     Gryder A T        124
8      Mast Track     Bejarano R        124
9      Delosvientos     Rosario J       124
10     Student Council  Bridgmohan S X  124
11     McCann's Mojave  Garcia J A  124

Jess Jackson announced Tuesday that the reigning Horse of the Year will next run in the $500,000 Grade I Woodward on Aug. 30 at Saratoga.

The Woodward Stakes is a Grade I stakes race and is one of the premier races for older thoroughbred horses in the United States. Named for prominent racehorse owner, William Woodward, Sr., it is run at 1⅛ miles (1811 m) on the dirt for a purse of $500,000.

Jackson said a return to the Classic this year is possible, although he remains unconvinced that the synthetic track at Santa Anita where the Breeders’ Cup will be held is the right surface for his horse. Jackson said there remains a good chance Curlin isn’t in his last year of racing — and if he returns next year at age 5, attempts at a turf championship is possible. However, for a top stallion prospect like Curlin to keep racing, potential purses for older horses must go up, Jackson said.

The Woodward has also been suggested as a possible future racing site for Big Brown, although Jackson sounded skeptical a matchup was imminent.

This is from Betting On The 2008 Breeders’ Cup World Championships , Articledashboard.com. This article gives a good outlook of 2008 Breeders’ Cup and betting tips. I hope you enjoy!

The 2007 Breeders’ Cup Classic turned out to be a tight race between favorite Street Sense, who won the 2007 Kentucky Derby, and Curlin, who won the 2007 Preakness Stakes.

2008 Breeders’ Cup is the highly anticipated race between 2007 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner, Big Brown, and Curlin, who was rumored to run in the Arc de Triomphe in place of the Breeders’ Cup Classic. However, a second-place finish at the Man O’ War Stakes at Belmont Park in early July has left that trip to Paris up in the air; but neither Big Brown nor Curlin have been inked to meet up at Santa Anita Park – as of yet.

That being said, at this point in the race it’s more important that you understand how to bet on the Breeders’ Cup rather than who to bet on the Breeders’ Cup. Read the details.

Curlin finished second in his first test on a grass course. Red Rocks, who won the 2006 Breeders’ Cup Turf, took the lead in the stretch and defeated Curlin by 2 lengths in the $500,000 Man o’ War Stakes at Belmont Park on Saturday.

Curlin has dominated on dirt, winning nine times in 12 starts.

The Man o’ War was a chance for the connections to see if the 4-year-old colt could compete with top turf horses, with an eye on running in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, Europe’s premier race, at Longchamp in Paris on Oct. 5.

Those plans are less certain now.

“We just didn’t see that late kick from him today,” majority owner Jess Jackson said. “I don’t know if that was because he is still getting used to the turf, or what. My feeling right now is that he needs another turf test. We know what he can do on dirt, and that is always an option.”

Steve Asmussen, Curlin’s trainer, said, “I don’t want to rush to judgment.”

Man o' War Stakes Results and Payouts
Pgm Horse         Win   Place Show
6 Red Rocks (IRE) 14.40 4.00  2.90
7 Curlin                2.50  2.10
1 Better Talk Now             2.70
$2 Exacta (6-7) Paid $32.00, $2 Trifecta (6-7-1) Paid $76.00

Curlin will run in the $500,000 Man o’War Stakes over the turf at Belmont Park on July 12th, part of a plan by the owners that would make him the sport’s all-time leading money winner. Curlin has won nine of 12 career races on the dirt, including the Preakness and the Breeders’ Cup Classic last year and the Dubai World Cup in March. After his last victory, in the Stephen Foster Handicap on June 14, trainer Steve Asmussen said the 4-year-old colt would be pointed to the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in Paris on Oct 5.

Curlin is unbeatable! Curlin won easily Saturday in the Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs in his first North American start this year. With Robby Albarado aboard, Curlin took the lead after the second turn and cruised from there. Einstein was second, with Barcola third. The Steve Asmussen-trained 4-year-old earned his fifth straight win, including the US$6-million Dubai World Cup in his last start in March. Curlin ranks top in the thoroughbred rankings by earnings so far.
Watch the race replay!

Stephen Foster Handicap Results and Payout

Pgm Horse      Jockey               Win   Place  Show
1   Curlin     Robby Albarado       2.80  2.20   2.10
4   Einstein   Julien R. Leparoux         3.80   3.20
9   Barcola    Jesus Lopez Castanon              6.00

Horse of the year Curlin most likely will run in Churchill Downs‘ June14 Stephen Foster Handicap, a $750,000, Grade I stakes. The son of Smart Strike, who is trained by Steve Asmussen and ridden by Robby Albarado of Louisville, finished last season by winning the $5million Breeders’ Cup Classic. He started his 4-year-old season with two wins in Dubai, including the $6million Dubai World Cup.
Owner Jess Jackson said the 11/8-mile Stephen Foster is the probable next start if the horse is fit.