There’s something to say about anything pretty; there’s pretty flowers, girls, pictures, landscaping, but I tell you this, I don’t call many horses pretty. Hansen on the other hand is something else to look at. He is a very pretty horse and have I mentioned he can run!
Taking the Gotham Stakes last weekend with sure brilliance and placing him right on track for the Derby. He learned to relax in the middle of the race, sit behind the leaders, and when it was time to run it was like Dominguez didn’t even have to tell him. He pulled away by three lengths and maintained that throughout the stretch-run.
In behind Hansen was My Adonis, who beat the rest of the field very easily and looks to be on way to securing one of the 20 spots come the first Saturday in May. The big surprise to me about In the Gotham was the payoff of the exactor, even though there were 13 horses in the race, it seemed to be a two-horse race, and the exactor payed $17. If we could only know the future……. Sigh.
Coming up this weekend there are a few more key races and leading horses ready to do battle on the oval tracks. In California, the San Felipe Stakes is being held on Saturday at Santa Anita while at the same time the Tampa Bay Derby will be running. Gulfstream Park also has two three-year old races this weekend, one going seven furlongs, the Swale, and the other over the grass in Miami, the Palm Beach Stakes!
California here we come! And so does a very tough field of 10 horses. Creative Cause stretching back out, Liason after his horrible mishap clipping heals last race, Rousing Sermon looking to continue his closing ways, I’ll Have Another, Empire Way, Midnight Transfer, and Bodemeister. I missed a couple who also have an honest shot to win; the favorite in this race might be 4-1. This tells me it’s a gamblers race to win, you just have to pick the winner cause the payouts in this one should be very nice.
The Tampa Derby on the other hand is not looking quite the same. Projected favorite Spring Hill Farm is looking like the choice and very tough to beat on Saturday for Todd Pletcher. The other eleven horses running will be doing their best to beat Spring Hill Farm to the wire and snap his perfect record this far. The Canadian Connection is back and looking to have as big of shot as any to pull off the upset with Prospective, once again being ridden by Contreas for Casse and already has a race over the Tampa Bay Race Track. Along with other favorites Take Charge Lady and Battle Hardened it will be interesting to see how this one ends up.
Some heavy favorites seem to be set to run their biggest career race at Gulfstream Park Saturday and Sunday. Ever So Lucky with a very impressive last breeze looks to clean up in the Swale Stakes and should be low odds and in my mind victorious in the seven furlong event. On Sunday it’s the Palm Beach Stakes on the grass! Dullahan, another Dale Romans trained horse looks to be his best three years old he’s got. When the wire comes and Dullahan pulls off the victory then a big question for him is how he would handle the dirt course of Churchill downs in the Derby. Another busy weekend, lots of hopefuls, and great cards of racing!!!
…….. And that is the last word
