2013 Preakness Picks

2013 Preakness Online Betting

Ryan Patterson — Sat, 18 May 2013 15:39:06 +0000

Is your question where to bet the 2013 Preakness? Well, the answer is that you should bet it online, with TVG!

TVG WILL DOUBLE THE ODDS OF THE HORSE YOU BET IN THE PREAKNESS IF YOU MAKE THE BET FROM A MOBILE DEVICE!

Betting the Preakness online with TVG is fun and easy. Short for Television Games ,TVG is one of the leaders in the horse racing industry. Let’s take a look at five of the best reasons to play with TVG.

#1 Safe & Secure: TVG is owned by BetFair, which is one of the largest gambling companies in the world. TVG is licensed in Oregon and your bets are 100% safe and secure.

#2 Power Figures & Free Picks: Take it from me as a professional handicapper; the free picks on TVG are legit. I’m not sure who the man behind the curtain is, or how the picks are made, but they are very reliable. If you’re a novice handicapper the speed figures and free picks at TVG are going to be your best friend. Trust me on this one!

#3 Easy To Use: Without a doubt, TVG is the easiest to use of all the horse betting sites on the internet. Their interface is very user friendly and provides easy access to horse racing odds, will pays and other imperative information. Placing a bet is very easy using their wager pad.

#4 Great Deposit Options: Getting money into your betting account is very easy thanks to a plethora of deposit options. They accept every major credit card as well as bank wire and ACH.

#5 Convenient Withdrawal Options: Once you hit a big trifecta, getting your money from TVG is easy. They can ACH cash into your bank account, send you a check, or you can pick it up at your local track a few minutes after cashing. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Don’t let any grass grow under you feet. Sign up with TVG today and claim your$125 sign up bonus! It’s easy; just click the banner above.

2013 Preakness Picks & Selections

Ryan Patterson — Sat, 18 May 2013 15:06:25 +0000

2013 Preakness Picks

Pimlico is off to a fast start and we have already nailed the first winner!

My 2013 Preakness Picks (Full Card) are still available, but you had better hurry. Time is clearly running out!

This is one of my favorite cards of the year and my Preakness selection is my highest rated play in the history of this website. In fact, I have called my shot and guaranteed he will enter the winners circle after the race.

Folks, this one is going to pay handsomely and you do not want to miss out. That’s why I’ve decided to offer selections, just for the Preakness. The following is included. Just click the words “Preakness Picks” in blue to get started!

Preakness Picks ($25)

TOP PICK to WIN
Exacta
Trifecta
Superfecta

2013 Black-Eyed Susan Picks, Odds & Analysis

Ryan Patterson — Wed, 15 May 2013 12:09:29 +0000

2013 Black-Eyed Susan Picks

The 2013 Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes features dual favorites in the form of Grade 1 Ashland Stakes winner Emollient and Santa Oaks place filly Fiftyshadesofhay.

Neither will win the race, but by the end of this article you will know who the victor shall be.

**Check out our GUARANTEED Preakness Stakes Pick!**

Manuka Honey (Borrego x Al Max Diner by End Sweep) 10-1: Speedy filly is likely to send to the lead from the rail under Edgar Prado. In the end, she will prove to be a cut below the best in here. Talent isn’t the only issue though; she figures to start shortening stride in the stretch, or sooner, as she is closer to a sprinter than a router. John Terranova trains for Curragh Stables.

Lady Banks (Successful Appeal x House of Soviet’s by Housebuster) 30-1: No chance whatsoever to be in the winner’s circle. A drop to a listed stakes race going less than seven furlongs will bring out the best in her. Julian Pimental rides for James Lawrence.

Fiftyshadesofhay (Pulpit x Quiet Kim by Real Quiet) 2-1: This one is in with a shot, but the price will be too short. She is bred top and bottom to appreciate the distance and she’s got plenty of early lick. Trainer Bob Baffert is throwing the blinkers back on, but she has had them before and it is hard to see that giving her a big boost. Joel Rosario picking up the mount isn’t likely to help her much either. As good as Rosario is, and as hot as he is right now, Rafael Bejarano is just as good. I recognize her ability, but reject her at a short price.

Petit Trianon (Latent Heat x Love Ballad by Yankee Victor) 20-1: Isn’t fast enough and doesn’t have the pedigree to stay the distance.Victor Carrasco rides for Juan Vazquez.

Walkwithapurpose (Candy Ride x Lightning Lydia by Broad Brush) 5-1: The local Maryland-bred filly owned by Sagamore Farm won five races in a row before the saddle slipped and she finished third in the Grade 2 Gazelle Stakes behind winner Close Hatches and runner-up and next out Kentucky Oaks winner Princess of Sylmar. That was her first time in a route race and she figures to be even better the second time around. I love that she has been working at Pimlico. Note that her BRIS speed figure has gone up every time she has raced except for last time, but we can attribute that regression to trying two turns for the first time and the saddle slipping. I’m looking for a career best effort that will be aided by a fast pace for her to fire into. Ignacio Correas trains and Jose Lezcano picks up the mount.

**Check out our GUARANTEED Preakness Stakes Pick!**

Maracuya (Big Brown x Jealous and Jaded by Jade Hunter) 8-1: I’ve bet this filly in both of her wins and I expect big things from her in the future; just not the immediate future. It’s possible that she could get a piece and gaining some black type ought to be enough for the connections. Ralph Nicks trains for T/C Stable LLC & Johns Martin Et Al. John Velazquez retains the mount.

Emollient (Empire Maker x Soothing Touch by Touch Gold) 9-5: Can she win this race? Why yes, of course! Is she worth backing a short price? Not at all! Her last out win was made to look impressive by the virtue of her adaptation to Poly Track combined with an easy lead. She has neither of those in her corner for the Black-Eyed Susan and could start backing up badly just as she did in the Gulfstream Park Oaks. Bill Mott trains for Juddmonte International and Mike Smith is in to ride.

Toasting (Congrats x Ponderway by Prized) 20-1: This one is much better than she looks. I like her win at Gulfstream two races back and she has potential to move forward with the addition of blinkers and extra distance. Live long shot to hit the board at a big price.

Marathon Lady (Graeme Hall x Abuela Esther by Crater) 12-1: Trainer Steve Hobby brings this lass in after a third place finisher in the Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn. Before that she was a sharp second place finisher in the Bourbonette at Turfway Park. She just doesn’t really leap off the page when I look at her, but I wouldn’t totally dismiss her for the exotics. Alex and Joann Lieblong are the owners. Robby Albarado gets the mount back after missing it in the Fantasy.

I feel pretty good about taking a shot against the favorites here. Both have a few things making them vulnerable. WALKWITHAPURPOSE is offering good value at 5-1 and figures to get a dream setup. Like I already stated, I’m looking for a career best effort from the daughter of Candy Ride.

Horse Racing Tips For Day One At York’s Dante Meeting

Ryan Patterson — Tue, 14 May 2013 23:48:22 +0000

Another big midweek for online betting as we look to York for the Dante meeting. Wednesday, which is day one of this meeting, has some great action in store for us with the Group 3 Musidora Stakes and the Group 2 Duke of York stakes.

The main question mark about Wednesday’s racing will be about the ground. At the time of writing the ground is good to firm and although plenty of showers are forecast around the country before racing the forecast for York isn’t too bad and in all likelihood the ground will be close to good on Wednesday meaning no excuses for anyone.

The Musidora Stakes is a recognised Oaks trial and one of the favourites for the Oaks lines up here in the form of Liber Nauticus. The Sir Michael Stoute trained filly won her only start last year beating some useful types and she should come into her own this season over middle distances. Only one other runner comes here straight after a successful debut and that is the John Gosden trained Woodland Aria but she doesn’t look as promising as Sir Michael Stoute’s filly. The highest rated filly in this field is Indigo Lady and she’ll probably appreciate some more rain and looks likely to run well but it’s very difficult to oppose Liber Nauticus here. If she’s too short on the day then perhaps an ante post bet for the Oaks at around 5/1 would be a better play before the race as if she shortens for Epsom she will offer a free betting opportunity.

The Duke of York stakes sees the reappearance of Mince who looks a filly to follow this season, having progressed into a Group 3 winner on her latest start having begun the season in handicaps rated 85. Her easiest win of last season came at this venue and it would be a surprise if she has finished progressing so she’s the one to beat in this sprint. Gordon Lord Byron is respected but might find things happening a bit quick here whilst Society Rock was beaten first time out in this last season and might be one to look out for again at Ascot next month. Therefore it could be another filly that gives Mince most to do, Sir Henry Cecil doesn’t have Frankel this season but his Tickled Pink could be competing in Group 1 races later in the season having made light work of a Group 3 last time out. Her style of racing should be suited to York.

As usual at York the classier races are surrounded by some very competitive handicaps and the opening race on the card is a 14 runner 10 furlong handicap. The likes of First Mohican and Lahaag could be well ahead of their handicap marks but they also have questions to answer after poor runs last time out so it could pay to go with Spifer, for whom the betting offers
should have generous odds. He finished behind Clayton (also runs here) last time out at Epsom but it was extremely difficult to come from off the pace that day and Spifer was also badly hampered in the race. His previous two races mark him down as a well handicapped runner as he finished second behind Robin Hoods Bay three runs ago and that horse went on to finish second in a Group 3 next time out whilst Spifer’s next run saw him finish just a length behind a subsequent Group 2 winner. Clayton might just be the horse to follow Spifer home having run well in some of the hottest handicaps of last season.

2013 Preakness Picks

Ryan Patterson — Tue, 14 May 2013 05:14:02 +0000

2013 Preakness Picks

Only once in the six year history of this website have I guaranteed a horse would win a race.

That horse, Divine Park, won the Metropolitan Mile and paid $6.50 to win over the favored Commentator.

That was in 2008 and in 2013 I’m ready to make a guaranteed Preakness Stakes pick.

That’s right; I’m guaranteeing that my pick will win the Preakness Stakes in 2013.

BUY NOW

The second jewel of the Triple Crown has been very good to us in recent memory.

Last year this website had winner I’ll Have Another as the top selection to win the race and we cashed the Pick 5 for $1,485.05. We were alive to two horses in the final leg, with the other being runner-up Bodemeister.

I have never been more confident that a horse will win a race as I am in my Preakness selection. This means we will have plenty of room to spread and cash on the Pick 4 and Pick 5 wagers!

You can play along for just $40 and you will be provided with plenty of bang for your buck. In addition to receiving a stone cold lead pipe lock to win the Preakness Stakes, you will get the following.

2013 Preakness Picks ($40)

Top Pick to win EVERY race at Pimlico on Saturday
Pick 4 selections
Pick 5 selections
Assorted exacta, trifecta and superfecta selections

What if I’m wrong? Well, fat chance of that happening.

My 2013 Preakness Pick is as sure as the sun rising and setting. However, on the off chance that I am wrong you will receive the free Belmont Stakes and Breeders’ Cup picks as well as next years Kentucky Derby.

I’m laying a lot on the line here. Most importantly, my reputation. I wouldn’t be doing this if I wasn’t supremely confident that a win is coming.

In fact, I will let you know that every dime I make selling picks for the Preakness will be placed to win on my top selection. I am that confident!

Are you ready to win in the Preakness Stakes? Don’t miss out this year! Click “Buy Now” below to get rolling!

BUY NOW

2013 Kentucky Derby Picks

Ryan Patterson — Fri, 03 May 2013 22:45:57 +0000

2013 Kentucky Derby Picks

Kentucky Oaks day was tremendous for Keeneland Dan. He cashed his best bet of the day, Authenticity ($12.40), and crushed a home run with top pick So Many Ways ($17.40) by nailing down the $1,471.80 trifecta.

Wait, it gets better.

Dan started the Oaks/Derby Double and Oaks/Woodford Reserve/Derby Pick 3 with long shot Princess of Sylmar ($79.60)!

His record speaks for itself.

Dan’s Kentucky Derby record includes straight win bets on the following recent winners.

Funny Cide ($27.60)
Smarty Jones ($8.20)
Street Sense ($9.80)
Super Saver ($18)
Animal Kingdom ($43.80)

You can’t do much better than five of the last ten Kentucky Derby winners with big prices like Funny Cide and Animal Kingdom. That’s why Keeneland Dan is a professional player.

We couldn’t be more excited for his Kentucky Derby Picks. The card is tremendous and we are ready to knock it out of the park just like we did on Oaks Day.

Are you ready to crush the Kentucky Derby with Dan? Get his 2013 Kentucky Derby Picks now!

Betting Kentucky Derby 2013 online

Ryan Patterson — Fri, 03 May 2013 18:27:08 +0000

Still looking for a place to bet the Derby? Look no further than the official partner of the Derby, Twinspires.com. It is one of the safest and easiest places to bet horse racing online. New players get a $100 sign up bonus, so don’t wait! Here are some great reasons to play online.

No crowds! Food is nearby and wont cost an arm and a leg and there is no line at the bathroom. Well, not at my house anyway. You have to like that!
Easy betting from your mobile phone. Even on the go, your Twinspires.com account is at your fingertips. Don’t have online internet? No fear, you can call in and place bets with a live telephone operator.
Free BRISnet past performances. This is the best horse racing information available.
Real-time racing information including, odds, will-pays, program changes, and track conditions.
Live video allows fans to watch every race that they bet.
Features like conditional wagering will make sure your bet is place under if a horse is above a certain number. For example, if you want to bet Horse X at 5-1 and he goes off at 3-1 the computer will cancel the wager if you request it to do so in advance.

I know where I’m betting the 2013 Kentucky Derby; Twinspires.com. You should too! Just click the banner above or either of the 3 links in this post to claim your $100 sign up bonus!

Kentucky Oaks Picks

Ryan Patterson — Thu, 02 May 2013 13:41:57 +0000

Kentucky Oaks Picks

Keeneland Dan is ready to take reel in another $10,000+ hit in the Kentucky Derby Click HERE to get his picks!

The 2013 Kentucky Oaks could be the deepest and classiest edition of the race yet. Almost every single entrant in the 11-horse field has a chance to enter the winner’s circle. It’s Lillies for the Fillies on Friday before we get down to business in the Kentucky Derby on Saturday!

Silsita (20-1) While a very nice filly, she is probably biting off more than she can chew in this spot. Todd Pletcher trains and Gary Stevens will be in the irons.

Midnight Lucky (9-2) Talk about world class connections; Bob Baffert has already won this race twice with Silverbulletday and Plum Pretty. Jockey Rafael Bejarano is riding as well as anyone in the country right now. The filly herself has been totally unchallenged in two races and was last seen crushing the Sunland Park Oaks. Inexperience is her biggest enemy.

Beholder (7-2) This filly probably isn’t getting enough respect. Let’s not forget, she is already a champion as she won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. Since, then she has won three of four races and has looked untouchable in two of them. She is just another example of why this is the deepest Kentucky Oaks field of all time. Richard Mandella trains and Garrett Gomez retains the mount.

Unlimited Budget (7-2) You like undefeated horses? Well, then this might be your filly. She hasn’t lost in four tries and hasn’t really been challenged either. Distance could be the biggest question for her, despite having already won at nine furlongs. Her win at the distance was on the lead, as a two-year-old and against three other horses. The bottom half of the pedigree is from Valid Appeal and he is a sprint influence. Her sire, Street Sense, is a Kentucky Derby winner. If she can stay strong through the final furlong she is as good or better than anything in this race. Todd Pletcher trains and JJ Castalleno will ride.

Seaneen Girl (30-1)In a normal Kentucky Oaks field, this filly would get some attention. However, in the deepest edition in the history of the race, she will be relegated to outsider status. We know she likes the track as she won the Golden Rod last year, but has only raced once since. That was a third place finish behind Unlimited Budget. Last year’s winning jockey, Rosie Napravnik, picks up the mount for trainer Bernard Flint.

Princess of Sylmar (20-1) Looked incredible on the inner track at Aqueduct before trying to match strides with Close Hatches in the Gazelle and relenting for a second place finish. That race was on a bit of a layoff, so she could be sharper this time. However, it would take a supreme effort from the Todd Pletcher filly to register a win. Popular jockey Mike Smith will pick up the mount.

Pure Fun (30-1) This could be the best sleeper in the race. Ken McPeek’s filly won on this main track by 9 1/4 lengths last year and has looked tremendous in training all week long. Jockey Julien Leparoux does very well with closers and should get plenty of pace to fire into with this daughter of Pure Prize.

Dreaming of Julia (3-1) Todd Pletcher with another one here and she could be called the “Big Bad Wolf”. The race she ran in the Gulfstream Park Oaks is unlike anything we have seen all year long and she earned huge speed figures from every service in America. The pedigree is there, the connections are strong and the talent is obviously there. A win from this lass would surprise no one.

Rose to Gold (15-1) How could you not love this girl? She was purchased for just $1,400 and has already earned over $700,000. We last saw her in the Fantasy Stakes where she won for fun on the lead. Calvin Borel’s filly has already won twice over a wet track and could get a chance to do so again on Friday. Sal Santoro is the trainer.

Flashy Gray (15-1) SCRATCHED

Close Hatches (6-1) Has improved with every race since breaking her maiden. The Gazelle Stakes win she turned in was spectacular. Trainer Bill Mott has retained Joel Rosario, who could be the hottest jockey in the world right now. The works have been off the charts and the backside is buzzing about her chances. She is one of several with a big shot to win.

Keeneland Dan is ready to take reel in another $10,000+ hit in the Kentucky Derby Click HERE to get his picks!

Kentucky Derby 2013 Update 4/29

Ryan Patterson — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 20:11:44 +0000

BLACK ONYX (No. 11) – Sterling Racing’s Black Onyx jogged one mile under exercise rider Aurelio Gomez during the Derby and Oaks session. The Rock Hard Ten colt is officially dark bay or brown but appears black. His coat and overall striking appearance has made him a favorite with fans, especially photographers, who gather to admire the Spiral Stakes (Grade III) winner as he grazes behind Barn 41 each morning.

“He’s an eye-catching horse, with his color and everything else,” trainer Kelly Breen said. “He’s put on a little weight since the Spiral and he looks good.”

The Spiral was March 23, six weeks out from Saturday’s Kentucky Derby. Although few trainers would draw up a 42-day layoff between starts by choice, the Derby success of 2011 Spiral winner Animal Kingdom rendered old assumptions about spacing irrelevant.

“Part of racing goes by individuals and this horse looks like one that could use the time in between,” Breen said. “It just happens to be that way. You pick out a race and you happen to win it and if we didn’t win it we wouldn’t be here.”

CHARMING KITTEN (No. 18)/OVERANALYZE (No. 5)/PALACE MALICE (No. 12)/REVOLUTIONARY (No. 6)/VERRAZANO (No. 2)/WINNING CAUSE – Trainer Todd Pletcher’s Derby lineup shrunk by one Monday morning when his Lexington Stakes (GIII) winner Winning Cause was withdrawn from consideration for Kentucky Derby 139.

The Giant’s Causeway colt had worked earlier in the morning – and worked well – but at a news briefing with the media in Churchill Downs’ new Media Center at 10:30, Pletcher said it was a no go for his chestnut charge.

“I spoke with the owners and we decided the best way to go for him would be to sit back and give other races consideration,” the trainer said. “If we ran him Saturday, that would be his third race in a month, and we felt that that would be too much. We don’t know yet where he’ll run next but there are several races under consideration, including the Preakness, the Peter Pan and even the Marine at Woodbine, because that’s on the Polytrack.”

All three of Winning Cause’s victories thus far came on Keeneland’s Polytrack surface.

Working at 8:30 following the track renovation break in company with the undefeated 3-year-old Red Rifle, Winning Cause under exercise rider Humberto Zamora was timed in :48.20 for the half-mile, a tick faster than his partner.

Thus it appears that Pletcher now will start five horses in Saturday’s classic, matching his five-horse feat of 2007, while equaling the five-horse entries saddled by Nick Zito in 2005 and D. Wayne Lukas in 1996.

Two of Pletcher’s other Derby horses stretched their legs following the break with gallops around the Churchill oval. Blue Grass Stakes runner-up Palace Malice and the Blue Grass third, Charming Kitten, both went strongly on the fast surface as they continued their preparations for the 10-furlong Derby. Palace Malice will be handled Saturday by Hall of Fame rider Mike Smith. No rider has been named for Charming Kitten yet.

“We’ve got somebody in mind, but it isn’t official yet,” Pletcher said.

The conditioner’s other three Derby hopefuls – Overanalyze, Revolutionary and Verrazano –walked the shedrow.

“Touch wood,” Pletcher said, “they’re all doing well and we’ve only got the regular things to do – gallops, trips to the paddock and gate — for the rest of the week.”

CODE WEST/GOVENOR CHARLIE – Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert said Monday that the owners of Code West and Govenor Charlie have decided not to enter their colts in the Kentucky Derby.

Baffert, a three-time winner of America’s biggest race, will be without a Derby starter for the first time since 2008. He has a record of 3-3-2 from 23 starters since 1996. Last year, Bodemeister finished second and Liaison was sixth.

Mike Pegram’s Governor Charlie had his training interrupted for a short time in mid-April because of a minor foot bruise. The Midnight Lute colt won the Sunland Park Derby (GIII) on March 24. After talking with Pegram, Baffert scrapped plans to breeze Govenor Charlie Monday and sent him out for a routine gallop.

“I’m going to wait. I sat down with Mike and we said let’s not push it and get him right,” Baffert said. “There are other races. It’s tough to miss it, but if you don’t think you can run 1-2-3, I just don’t want to run. I know there have been some longshots (that have been winners), but I didn’t feel it. You have to feel it. I didn’t feel that we were going to be competitive. That’s why we passed on it.”

Gary and Mary West’s Code West breezed in company Sunday and Baffert recommended to the Wests that the Lemon Drop Kid colt pass on the Derby. Sunday, Baffert said that the Wests’ Power Broker would be skipping the Derby, too.

“Gary West is a realistic kind of guy,” Baffert said. “He wants to be in the right spots. His horses are nice horses, but they are slowly coming around. They’re going to get better for the summer and he didn’t want to waste a run.”

FALLING SKY (No. 17) – Newtown Anner Stud, James Covello and Joseph Bulger’s Falling Sky galloped approximately six furlongs under exercise rider Cassie Garcea Monday morning at Churchill Downs.

“He’s a good feeling colt. It looks like he came out of the breeze really well. He’s hitting the ground great,” trainer John Terranova said. “He galloped from near the quarter pole to about the five-eighths pole. It was just to stretch his legs a little bit. It was a light day, first day back after he walked yesterday.”

Falling Sky, the Sam F. Davis (GIII) winner who worked five furlongs in :59.60 on Friday, will have routine gallops up to Saturday’s Kentucky Derby. Terranova likely will school the son of Lion Heart in the paddock this week.

“He’s handled himself well in the paddock each time we’ve run him. Of course, it will be different for all of them. It’ll be a scene that they’ve never seen before and ever will see again,” Terranova said. “It’ll be something, but he handles himself well. He’s a smart colt.”

Luis Saez is slated to ride Falling Sky, who finished fourth after setting the pace in the Arkansas Derby (GI) last time out.

FRAC DADDY (No. 14)/JAVA’S WAR (No. 4) – Magic City Thoroughbred Partners’ Frac Daddy and Charles Fipke’s Java’s War came to the track together at 8:30 a.m. during the Derby and Oaks session. Arkansas Derby (GI) runner-up Frac Daddy galloped with regular exercise rider Hugo Garcia up, while Blue Grass Stakes (GI) winner Java’s War jogged two miles under Marvin Abrego.

“Java is kind of a lighter-framed colt so we gave him an easier day,” said Phil Bauer, assistant to trainer Ken McPeek. “We’re thrilled with the way they came out of their works. They have plenty of energy so we’re on to tomorrow.”

Frac Daddy will be ridden Saturday by Victor Lebron, a native of St. Croix, Virgin Islands, making his first appearance in a Kentucky Derby. The 28-year-old began galloping horses on his father’s farm at age 14 and first dreamed of becoming a professional jockey after watching the Derby on television.

“It’s a privilege to ride in the Derby,” Lebron said. “Not every rider gets the opportunity to ride in it and I feel honored, especially for Kenny to give me a shot. It’s a dream come true; everybody dreams about it but not many get to do it.”

Lebron has been getting on Frac Daddy since the week before the Arkansas Derby and has kept a close watch on the Scat Daddy colt’s progress, stopping by to see him every day regardless of whether he’s scheduled to exercise him.

“Since Oaklawn, looking at him, he’s filled out and body-wise he’s gotten bigger,” Lebron said. “He’s gotten a lot stronger, way stronger. He’s been a way different horse since landing here. He got way stronger than what he was over there. He’s just been getting tougher and tougher.”

Frac Daddy has a stubborn side to him. This morning, he refused to be escorted from the track after his gallop, repeatedly turning his head out of the pony rider’s reach each time she stretched out to grab his halter.

“Usually he’s like that,” Lebron said. “He’s high-spirited. He’s real active about everything. Sometimes he can get a little hot because he’s always doing something. He’s on the go-go-go, all the time. But that’s just him – high-spirited.”

GOLDENCENTS (No. 3) – Santa Anita Derby (GI) hero Goldencents galloped at Churchill Downs Monday morning under exercise rider Jonny Garcia, looking strong and moving the same way for his trip around the main track during the Oaks/Derby-runners-only time between 8:30 and 8:45.

Trainer Doug O’Neill took in the exercise standing trackside with a band of his “Team O’Neill” posse and gave it his seal of approval. Saturday he’ll try to pull off the back-to-back Derby Double (he won it last year with I’ll Have Another), a feat accomplished only six times before.

Goldencents will be handled by California-based Kevin Krigger, who is not a newcomer to Churchill. He won five races here during the fall meet in 2004.

O’Neill has 15 horses under his care at Barn 45 and plans on running between 10 and 12 of them in various races during the coming week. Krigger will ride them all with the exception of two. They would be Renee’s Titan in the Eight Belles Presented by Xerox (GIII) on Friday and Handsome Mike in the Churchill Downs (GII) on Derby Day. Those two runners will be handled by Mario Guitterez, the young rider who became a household name last year when he did the driving for I’ll Have Another in the Run for the Roses.

GOLDEN SOUL (No. 19) – Defections on Monday of Govenor Charlie, Winning Cause, Code West and Tiz a Minister from the possible field for the Kentucky Derby assured a spot in the starting gate for Charles Fipke’s Golden Soul.

Dallas Stewart trains Golden Soul, who moved up to the 19^th spot on the Derby leaderboard.

“I’m very happy,’’ Stewart said. “I’m so happy for the horse to get the opportunity. I’m happy for Mr. Fipke. He’s going to have two horses in there. I really think (Golden Soul) is going to represent us well.’’

Fipke bred and owns Golden Soul and Java’s War.

Golden Soul, the fourth-place finisher in the Louisiana Derby, galloped a mile and a half Monday.

“You want to maintain,’’ Stewart said of what he’s doing with Golden Soul this week. “You don’t want to necessarily get them fit, but you want to keep them sharp, continue to take it to them, prepare them. You’ve got a day or two here – Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday – back off Thursday and Friday, something like that. … You just have to see. You like to see them pick it up earlier in the week, then kind of take it down a notch Thursday and Friday.’’

Stewart said he hasn’t decided on a jockey but has “a couple in mind.’’

ITSMYLUCKYDAY (No. 10) – Trilogy Stable and Laurie Plesa’s Itsmyluckyday galloped 1½ miles under exercise rider Peter Shelton at 7 a.m. Monday at Churchill Downs.

“He loved it. He bounced all the way around the racetrack. He handled the surface really well – that’s what I liked the most about it,” Shelton said. “His energy level is 100 percent.”

Trainer Eddie Plesa Jr. traveled to Louisville from his Calder Race Course base on Monday and is expected to send Itsmyluckyday to the track following the renovation break Tuesday morning.

Itsmyluckyday captured the Gulfstream Park Derby and Holy Bull (GIII) at Gulfstream prior to finishing second behind Orb in the Florida Derby (GI). His exercise rider said he expects the son of Lawyer Ron’s running style to be well suited to the Derby.

“He has tactical speed and a big kick when you ask him,” Shelton said.

Shelton said Itsmyluckyday makes his job easy.

“He’s not like a lot of horses that really want to go on the bit. He just holds the bit enough so you can keep a perfect balance with your body,” he said. “You don’t even have to move on him. You just have to move your wrist and he switches his lead; you move your other wrist and he switches his lead. That’s hard to find horses like that. He loves to train.”

Elvis Trujillo has the mount aboard Itsmyluckyday.

MYLUTE (No. 15) – Gold Mark Farm and Whisper Hill Farm’s Mylute took to the Churchill Downs track for a light jog shortly before 6 a.m.

“It was a light day,” trainer Tom Amoss said. “Tomorrow will be a busier day; he’ll do a full gallop tomorrow.”

Amoss remains confident that Mylute is prepared to put forth a peak effort in the Kentucky Derby. What remains to be seen is whether that will be enough to make an impact.

“I’ll be frank,” Amoss said. “He’s going to have to run the best race of his life to be competitive Saturday. But when it comes to the Kentucky Derby, that same statement applies to the other 19 in the race. Somebody’s going to really step forward and the one that does is going to be the winner.”

One point in Mylute’s favor – at least for those who still believe it’s a point that matters – is his extensive experience as a 2-year-old. The Midnight Lute colt is one of three Derby probables with seven starts as a juvenile. Four of those came against stakes company.

“It took a long time for him to show me that he was a proper horse so a lot of those starts were important in terms of his learning curve,” Amoss said. “He was never a horse that broke well from the gate and a lot of times that cost him his races. It took him a long time to catch on and understand racing. Even in the Louisiana Derby, he passed the winner, Revolutionary, inside the sixteenth pole, but he still didn’t quite understand. He hasn’t quite shown that killer instinct you need to be a top racehorse. But he learned from the Louisiana Derby just like he’s learned from each of those races.”

NORMANDY INVASION (No. 13) – Following his routine, trainer Chad Brown had Fox Hill Farms’ Wood Memorial (GI) runner-up Normandy Invasion trot on the track Monday morning, two days after breezing five furlongs in :59.

Brown, 35, is all business as he prepares to saddle his first Derby starter. The Mechanicville, N.Y., native picked up some Derby experience during a tour as an assistant for the late Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel before opening his own stable in 2007.

“I’ve been here before. I’m excited, but I keep an even keel,” Brown said. “We’ve got so much going on every morning that I really don’t have time to dwell on it much.”

ORB (No. 1) – Stuart Janney III and Phipps Stable’s Orb breezed four furlongs in :47.80 under exercise rider Jennifer Patterson Monday morning at Churchill Downs. Working in company, Orb broke off just behind stablemate Overwhelming before pulling even on the turn and drawing clear by several lengths through the stretch. The Florida Derby (GI) winner galloped out five furlongs in 1:00.80.

Joel Rosario, who is slated to ride Orb in the Derby, was aboard Overwhelming, a 3-year-old maiden who was clocked in :48.60.

Orb posted the fifth fastest half-mile workout of 43 recorded Monday morning after turning in fractions of :23.80 and :35.80.

“I wanted to work him a half-mile to put him in the game. He left his workmate pretty easily and finished up well. He’s had a little bit of a tendency in his races when he’s made the lead he thought he’d done enough. So we wanted him to finish and go by the other horse and he did it,” trainer Shug McGaughey said. “Jenn was happy, so that makes me happy.”

Orb pleased his Hall of Fame trainer with his professionalism during his morning outing.

“Churchill is a bit different sometimes, so I was hoping this is what I’d see,” he said. “I’ve been a little bit nervous hoping he’d work well, and I think it did go well. He dropped his head and walked home the way you’d want him to and he didn’t break a sweat. She (Patterson) felt he didn’t get out of a high gallop.”

Since shipping in from the country setting at Payson Park in Indiantown, Fla., the son of Malibu Moon has adapted well to his new and busier surroundings.

“He went to the gate Friday; that went perfect; he went to the paddock Saturday night and that went perfect, as well as you could expect the first time over there, especially at night. He’ll go again on Wednesday,” McGaughey said. “He’s fit in here as well as I could expect. As of right now, I’ve got no qualms. We have four, five more days to go.”

If all continues to go well, Orb will be only the second Kentucky Derby starter for McGaughey since he saddled Easy Goer for a second-place finish behind Sunday Silence in 1989. A native of Lexington, Ky., McGaughey has always dreamed of winning the Kentucky Derby.

“It’s on top of my list and it has been for a long time. Even though we haven’t been here that many times, every year when we get a bunch of 2-year-olds, I’m hoping that one of them will be the horse that can give us the opportunity,” said McGaughey, who saddled Saarland for a 10^th-place finish in 2002. “All we want is the opportunity. I feel what will be will be when race day comes.”

McGaughey isn’t trying to hide his feelings now that Orb is providing him a solid opportunity.

“I’m excited. I have been since the Florida Derby. We came here with the idea that we’re going to be excited and try to have fun with it. I know Wednesday or Thursday, the nerves are going to set in – not that they weren’t last night anticipating this morning,” McGaughey said. “I’m having a good time. I’m comfortable in Louisville. I’ve stabled at Churchill and was in this barn (No. 43). I lived here for three or four years.”

OXBOW (No. 16)/WILL TAKE CHARGE (No. 9) – Calumet Farm’s Oxbow, ridden by jockey Gary Stevens, and Willis Horton’s Will Take Charge, with exercise rider Rudy Quevedo aboard, had five-furlong workouts Monday morning for trainer D. Wayne Lukas.

Oxbow’s time was :59.80, the fastest of 34 workouts at the distance. His fractions were 11.80, :23.40, :35.20, and :47.40, and he galloped out six furlongs in 1:14.80.

Will Take Charge’s time was 1:01, the 12^th fastest of the morning. His fractions were :11.60, 23.20 and 35.20. Will Take Charge galloped out six furlongs in 1:17.40.

“A work’s a work,’’ Lukas said. “I’ve always said we put a little too much emphasis on works. When you do it at 8 in the morning, it’s a lot different from the afternoon, but it’s a barometer of where you’re at with a horse in a lot of ways. As a trainer you get a chance to evaluate maybe the energy level of where you’re at, the soundness, all the things that go into maybe winning the darn thing.

“I don’t get caught into it so much, but I told Gary in the tack room here, I said, ‘59-and-4 to a minute would fit me today,’ and that’s my opinion – I didn’t discuss it with the horse at all – and he hit it right on the head, which I know is an accident, but it was good. Will, I thought worked a little bit slower, but Rudy was afraid. I’d pretty much beat up on him in there about going too fast this close (to the race), so less is always better. Always better. If you’re going to err on any side of a work, you always err on the slow side, never err on the fast side.’’

Stevens, 50, will be riding in his 19^th Derby but first since 2005. In January, Stevens came out of seven-year retirement.

His three Derby victories include two for Lukas – on Winning Colors in 1988 and Thunder Gulch in 2005. Silver Charm (1997) was Stevens’ other Derby winner.

The experience factor – you cannot downplay it in this one, with 20 horses especially,’’ Lukas said of having Stevens on Oxbow. “I would be very concerned in the race about somebody that had never ridden one. There are some in there, and I’m not second-guessing Doug O’Neill with a first-time guy, or anybody else. But experience is big.’’

“It never gets old,’’ Stevens said of participating in the Derby. “It’s no different than from when I was here for my first Derby, except I know what it’s all about. I don’t prepare for it any differently now than I did was I was 23 years old, but it’s exciting, and it’s exciting going in there knowing you have a chance.”

Stevens expressed gratitude for the support he has received from trainers and owners since he returned to riding.

“Wayne called me back in January after I’d ridden for just the first week, and he said, ‘I’ve got a couple of colts that I think you’ll be wanting to ride one of them the first Saturday in May.’ And here we are. He’s a Hall of Famer for a reason, and his record in the Derby speaks for itself.’’

Lukas, who was listening, took a wad of bills out of his pocket and acted as if he would hand money to Stevens. “Don’t let me interrupt, Gary,’’ Lukas said. “Just roll with it.’’

TIZ A MINISTER – Trainer Paul Aguirre confirmed via text to Churchill Downs officials that Tiz a Minister will not run in the Kentucky Derby.

“Owner has decided not to go,” Aguirre texted.

Tiz a Minister, owned by S.A.Y. Racing (Stephen Young), ran third in Saturday’s Snow Chief at Betfair Hollywood Park.

VYJACK (No. 8) – Trainer Rudy Rodriguez said Monday that images of Vyjack lying down and sleeping in his stall show that the Pick Six Racing gelding has settled into his new surroundings in Barn 4.

Rodriguez and owner David Wilkenfeld are able to monitor security cameras in and around the stall and Rodriguez had a picture on his phone of Vyjack on the ground.

“It’s good. He’s not nervous. He’s relaxing and enjoying himself,” Rodriguez said. “That’s a big plus, I think. You want your horse to be able to relax and be comfortable.”

Vyjack galloped 1 ½ miles under Rodriguez at 8:30 a.m. during the training period reserved for Derby and Oaks horses.

“He’s doing pretty much the same thing that we do back home,” Rodriguez said. “He’s doing everything we ask of him and he’s very, very comfortable. I’m kind of surprised myself, but I’m very happy where we’re standing right now.”

Vyjack opened his career with four consecutive victories and finished third in his fifth start, the Wood Memorial (GI) at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Kentucky Derby 2013 Picks: Frac Daddy, Normandy Invasion, Palice Malice & Mylute

Ryan Patterson — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 20:01:11 +0000

The Kentucky Derby is almost here and this is the penultimate Kentucky Derby contenders video from myself and Jarrod Horak. I highly encourage watching this video to get a feel for these horses. Below are a few more notes on them!

Frac Daddy: Has been tearing it up since arriving at Churchill Downs. He truly loves the place and relishes gliding over the surface. He is a big, strong and powerful colt that has a world of talent and could sneak up on people. Do not discount his chances!

Normandy Invasion: Continues to do very well and could be coming into his best race. Chad Brown has managed him perfectly. He will be at mercy of the pace, so hopefully for his backers he can get something to fire into.

Mylute: This midpack closer hasn’t made much noise at Churchill Downs, but I think trainer Tom Amoss likes it that way. He is flying under the radar and could be the horse that makes the superfecta pay very handsomely.

Palice Malice: Son of Curlin is bred to run all day and will race with blinkers on. I liked his most recent work and will not be surprised if he gives a good showing in the Run for the Roses.

2013 Preakness Picks

2013 Preakness Online Betting

2013 Preakness Picks & Selections

Preakness Picks ($25)

2013 Black-Eyed Susan Picks, Odds & Analysis

Horse Racing Tips For Day One At York’s Dante Meeting

2013 Preakness Picks

That’s right; I’m guaranteeing that my pick will win the Preakness Stakes in 2013.

BUY NOW

2013 Kentucky Derby Picks

Betting Kentucky Derby 2013 online

Kentucky Oaks Picks

Keeneland Dan is ready to take reel in another $10,000+ hit in the Kentucky Derby Click HERE to get his picks!

Keeneland Dan is ready to take reel in another $10,000+ hit in the Kentucky Derby Click HERE to get his picks!

Kentucky Derby 2013 Update 4/29

Kentucky Derby 2013 Picks: Frac Daddy, Normandy Invasion, Palice Malice & Mylute

Click here to get our 2013 Kentucky Derby picks!