Road to the Derby – 3/14/17

Another weekend has passed and the road to the Derby is murky and cluttered. That doesn’t mean it won’t come clean in the wash and we’ll see as far as an Irish Spring commercial. Only time will tell. – You need to keep to task and watch the replays, comb over the charts, and read about the morning workouts. With only 53 days until the Kentucky Derby, you’ll want to focus on not who has peeked, but who has shown solid efforts and has more in the tank for the next couple months. Here are some prep races from the past weekend. Keep them handy and refer back to them when you’re in question. – Best of luck from your friends at WinningPonies!

 

Tampa Bay Derby – 1 1/16

Ten runners lined up to battle the even-money favorite Tapwrit. This son of Tapit had the look of a colt getting good at the right time in the Sam F. Davis against the ultra-tough McCraken. – “Mac” was sidelined with an ankle injury for this effort and if you liked him you would have to love Tapwrit by those rules. At (1-1) he looked like a gift and at the 3/4 when the timer hit 1:10.2, he inhaled the field. Jose Ortiz went to the stick to keep his head in the game. Strong effort race fans, and you’ll want him on your short list of horses to watch. I’ll worry about the long distance a little later, and we’ll keep track of his work tabs and where he points from this effort. – The cuppy surface at Tampa gets runners “legged up” and ready to roll. Think of it like jogging on the beach and you have to work twice as hard. – The owners feel he has plenty to learn, and training straight to the Derby may not be in the cards. Don’t be surprised to see him one more time before Louisville. – I hope it’s not the Bluegrass, as it seems like everyone is pointing to Keeneland to grab one of the last shots at points.

 

San Felipe – 1 1/16

A compact field of seven went to post with Mastery the (4-5) favorite. – Mastery was a perfect 3/3 and the son of Candy Ride was seeking to give Baffert his 6th win in the race. – Well, he did just that and Mike Smith had to get after him as he looked a bit lazy at the top of the stretch and immediately went back to work impressively. The 80th running was bitter sweet when we watched the young runner strut his stuff. – Smith jumped off shortly after the wire sensing something wrong with the colt. – As of 8:33 a.m. today, The Paulick Report had reported he had surgery and all went very well. He has returned to his stall in Baffert’s barn. Only time will tell, and we hope he comes back fit and ready. If we see anything close to this effort, he’ll be double tough.

 

 

You’ll want to be sure to check back with Winning Ponies. – We offer stories, blogs, free selections and the Winning Ponies Internet Radio Show with John Engelhardt. You’ll hear from the movers and shakers in racing and the best handicappers and connections pointed to the Derby. Winning Ponies offers up the best in racing data that will show you how the race takes shape. The E-Z Win Forms won’t tell you who to play but clearly identify who fits the race and why. They are easy to use and color coded with handy icons to make handicapping the races easier and profitable. – Some data goes out 48-72 hours in advance and tells you who to play at the windows. WinningPonies offers up-to-the minute changes in real time and if the track gets a dose of rain or changes, no sweat ! – You can change the track condition tab for a whole new set of E-Z Win Forms tailored and ready to adapt. If you’re playing late and want to purchase, you’ll only be charged for the races used. Most data providers charge the same price for all races even if there is only one left on the card.

If you’re still not on board, be sure to check out the results section. WinningPonies will post results as soon as the race is official and show how the E-Z Win Form selections fared. Nothing better than following along before jumping on board. But don’t wait too long, as you’ll miss out on a great wagering opportunity. This is a great time to be following the races and with over $1,712,821 in exotic payoffs to date, you’ll want to download your data and be ready to do battle. – Best of luck from your friends at WinningPonies!

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