Stephen Foster Preview Saturday

Ji-hyun, another sleepy Dusty day.

Keep it locked on Stockton mortgage Sports.

Talk with Dan Issel and Mike Pratt on ESPN 680.

And 1057. Here's Dan and Mike.

Hi, welcome back in Sports, Talk Canada.

Dennis will and Mike Pratt brought to you by Stockton

mortgage Louisville. Sitting in today from Mike

alongside Megan Divine. Two of us are two-thirds of the

horse-racing Happy Hour podcast triumvirate See it words, don't

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Very nice. Good job Luke.

I appreciate you. There you, there you go.

I get are now Lou, it can call me Linda, that's fine.

The I like the on are Compliments, by the way.

It's so many people work in jobs where they don't get positive

feedback, right? They only hear the negatives.

They live in these worlds where their boss is only come to them

when it's when it's negative or their co-workers, or whatever,

it might be. Dennis all the positivity during

the show. I appreciate you go.

I have, I have a child like that.

That, well, she's not a child anymore.

She's almost almost 50. Still here.

I told I told her the other day, every time she has good news,

she calls her mother. And every time she has bad news,

she calls me. So, so she called me yesterday

with some bad news about that. She had started take antibiotics

and had broken out in a rash and she said, but I tried to call

Mom first, and she didn't answer.

Spreading the bad news around. There you go.

Yeah, so first, that's right. So, so Louis, if you think that

when the children grow up and leave home, you won't have any

sleepless nights anymore. That doesn't happen.

Oh, I unfortunately, know that I will, I will get a good night's

sleep when I'm dead. There you go.

Hopefully, he'll that'll have to work out.

But yeah, so this is a Sports Talk stop.

To mortgage Sports Talk, Dan Issel, Mike Pratt, I'm Lou your

boat alongside Mega Divine in for our Friday.

Horse racing segment. I like this tradition.

We've started a. Yeah, I do too.

I love it. Yeah.

And we had a nice enough to join us last week was the very

injured Ron flattered, hopefully he's doing better.

I think I'm on his show this week Megan.

Okay, just a heads up, I'll be on the rod flattered.

There you go. God, which Megan will not listen

to no chance, but you should out there in the world.

Oh my God. That's right.

He does a good job on his podcast but we are here to talk.

Regrets takes day tomorrow or the Arlington day tomorrow

whatever you want to call it at. Churchill Downs, 6 Stakes on the

card, many of them listed Stakes but excuse me, we're going to

talk seven races six takes on the card.

Many of them listed Stakes Megan but higher level horses because

the purse money is there two hundred thousand dollars minimum

for all of the stakes and actually that's what that is.

With an optional claimer the Middle with 127 thousand dollar

purse price when I moved To Kentucky, I think the Dan you

can help me with this. The optional claimer purses were

probably in the 40s so that sound right you?

Oh yeah, take the, the maidens were in the 30s and not to get

sidetracked, but did you see that in September?

Kentucky Downs. Yeah, Amazing Grace has are

going to be a hundred and fifty thousand dollars the highest in

the world Jap Japan. And had that distinction for a

long, long time. And Kentucky Downs has now

surpassed Japan is as far as the purse money for Maiden race is

unbelievably, lucky Downs, a friend of ESPN Louisville, so

happy that there are continuing their, their, March toward

ridiculous, Hong Kong size purses, in a field near testy.

So it's a good for them. If and when I ever get into

racehorses and ownership or buying horses, I'm I think.

I'm strictly just going to look for a tour forces with the Colts

of. Be like, run it, Kentucky Downs

and just however you can. And then like maybe we get into

the Breeders Cup of we have a high level one but just when a

maiden race, the Kentucky, Bounce pay all your bills, I

need you to do. Yeah, exactly Fredo.

These dirt horses are too expensive at the sale on the

turf forces. So we had a, we had a cool

Saturday. Last week, I was able to head

out, Temple City Terror goes back to back of the katana

shorty party wins out it in New York.

We talked about that race in the soaring softly.

And of course, I read flies out to Los Angeles for a day

dominates, it's an Anita and the two great ones out there.

And so I hoping to have another great weekend of handicapped, a

key race, five tomorrow. The great three regret Milan and

8th on the turf. It's 43 year-old Phillies kicks

off that three year old Filly Turf season in a really serious

way. I landed here on on a single

horse I think this is one of those races where you and I

think this is going to be a theme for me the whole day.

I think there's a lot of class running at Churchill Downs

tomorrow going to be around 80 degrees and sunny so not too hot

conditions are going to be really fair and so I think you

either Either you're going to have to pick your spots as far

as where you going to go shorter, where you're going to

spread. I'm going to gamble a little

start to pick for here. I'm going to try to single, I

think all of the numbers point to the favorite mikulak.

The three chat and Tyler has run well against graded companies.

Second off the layoffs, it'll be tempting to include the to

beside herself, pleasure and sighs.

She's only ever one on Lasix though.

So I'm going to go ahead and press the favorite here.

The three in the regret tomorrow.

Yeah, I actually have a two on top there.

I love the fact that she should show a bit of speed here.

I mean the the race to back. Yes it was a great three.

So there's the class question mark right this is a graded

Stakes race. This is a horse to at least of

recently has won a maiden special weight and then an

allowance race but spend a relic was in there really, really nice

for us, four grand motion and yeah she didn't have Lasix that

day but I don't know if it was the competition you know for her

that day if it was the the fact that she didn't get the lead

which I think is probably more. So the case to me, Ooh, she

reads very much like a need the lead horse if she has it, she

gets out there in front, she's happy, she's good to go and

hopefully she can stay out there.

She's a pretty quick course but if she doesn't and she's headed

and she's not able to get her positioning.

That's the issue that you're going to run into with her.

And she kind of throws in the towel.

I mean, I am looking at this card thought.

The only other speed was the five Lola flow, who I just don't

think his fast enough. I don't think she's as fast as

the two were so I see at least of the pace of this short field

being the two words. Hide yourself getting a nice,

nice good start from the gate hopefully and she's just able to

stay out in front and and and hopefully you know finish under

the line that way. So I put her over the three and

then I even put the W, the one walkathon is a potential who is

2 for 2 on the turf. Good pick Meghan, good one, not

only not only has the two races, she's won bin on Lasix.

The two races. She has one was also with Louis.

She has in the saddle and saez is in town tomorrow to ride and

I agree with you. The five horse.

Looks like she shows speed but she's a forty thousand dollars.

Exactly. Not as bad, she's not going to

be able to run with beside herself.

So I am picking beside herself on top, and I've said this

before, our best-looking yearling is by connect, and so

I'll be cheering for knees and UPS to at least hit the board in

this, in this great three-stage. Well, I almost thought about, I

mean, I kind of went back to knees and hips a couple of times

only because it's the adding Johnny V angle, Johnny Velasquez

on like, how much how much does that upgrade?

Our horses form. So I thought about it for a

while so I don't think you're far off there.

I think the the wild card here is candy rain coming out of the

Oaks trying the turf, Keith desormeaux sneaky good, Art to

the, to the, the meat here, 17% winning, eight of his twelve

Runners have hit the board have been in the money to start the

meet here at Churchill Downs. Goes dirt to Turf at 17%.

So I think Kandi raid is your your longer sort of?

Maybe maybe the one that sneaks in and wins this race horse

here, having run in the Oaks previously.

All right, so let's go to the options thing that became.

Okay, I just want to mention like from a betting perspective,

you know, we just talked about every horse in this field, you

know? I mean, it's kind of one of

those where Or maybe it's not as easy as a 725 favorite.

By the time they get to the gates, you know, I don't know

how much action mcculloch's going to take, or sure.

Do you use one of those horses that we just mentioned like

walkathon at 1:51, you know, knees and hips 621 or candy rate

at 421 and try to play it with an exactor, something to get

yourself some value. So, from just, yes, of course,

this is starting off the 50 Cent pick for Churchill Downs, but

just for this race alone. Yes, it's an interesting

thought, because, I mean, again, we just mentioned every horse in

the This field. So it seems like although there

are definitely, there's definitely some class in here

and the case scenario something to be considered.

It may actually be a little bit more wide open than what you

would just assume with a six. Let's call it five because I'm

going to just boot the five horse in here, the force field.

All right so we'll move on to the optional claimer in Race.

Six start of the pick six, it's a mile on the dirt.

The one turn mile at Churchill Downs, three-year-old for non to

lifers. Eighty thousand dollar claiming

price 127 thousand dollar purse megiddo.

Let you go first Yeah, so I thought that this one was a

really interesting race. I mean, we talked about this

time and time again on the horse racing, happy hour if you tune

into our shows. But I think it's important and

if you tune into Fox Sports or TV G or whatever, you know it is

an angle that that is talked about the one turn Mi the old

one turn Mi is such an important thing.

You know, because horses some horses do prefer going the two

turns and some do not the mile distance is different from track

to track at Churchill Downs. Aqueduct.

You have those just one turmoil because they start in that big

extended shoot and then they just have the one turn to go

around before they get to the Finish Line.

Saratoga start in the summer again.

And so and then you have other tracks where you've got a to

turn my land. So it's a mild does not

necessarily mean a horse. Is going to be good at a mile at

every track, and I felt like the three horse sacred.

Samurai was kind of a good example to use in here and

there's a few others. But this is a horse that

typically has been sprinting. So you know, you at first glance

you take a look at and you All right, well this horse is going

from sprinting technically to routing or a longer distance

race but that's not necessarily the case because of the makeup

of this particular track. So I love the fact that he is

trending in the right direction, though.

He won by five lengths last time for Joe Sharp.

You get Luis saez aboard. Whoo, Dan mentioned is just

riding so well right now and it seems like this source is

numbers are going to be really, really important and so I

definitely I've got that one on top and then I followed it with

them, the six awesome Aaron for kind of the same reason.

Because as far as did very well at seven furlongs, you know, to

be fair at Aqueduct finished, a good seconds at a mile and an

eighth, but I felt like this type of a race would really suit

a horse like this. Yeah.

So I think if you you know Horseless Frederick's for me

though. Absolutely, totally agree. 6810

one. A you and I have the same horse

on top here. Most likely winner is a good

Samurai and Improvement. I've got better and better as

the race went last time out at Keeneland.

Joe Sharp is also hitting 40 percent recently Second off

layoffs, Emirates Road. The eight is another to look at

here for me. Try to turns last time you

mentioned this earlier actually in that allows against creative

minister. No one was touching, create a

minister that day it didn't work, it's Ricardo who is

suddenly, by the way, hitting it, 20% this meat, so the

Fantastic housewife, Carlos Santana, Junior, back at,

Churchill, winning those races. I also agree that you have to

include awesome. Aaron checks all the boxes.

I do think a horse like, Durante the, to with Giovanni Franco and

or as I call them Giovanni. And Doug O'Neill is 142 at the

distance with a second training. Well at Churchill Downs.

Five to one on the morning line is an awesome number.

I went three eight six and two here in this optional clever

we're all on the same horse but I am not spreading in this room.

Okay I think say I think sacred Samurai there's just too many

processes. You've mentioned most of them.

Luis saez is riding. Joe Sharp has been on fire but

this horse Came out of the one hole at Keeneland last time out

which I don't. Like I like the fact that there

are a couple of horses inside of them.

Now he won that race by five and a half with a nice number and

War campaign. Who finished second in that race

has since come back to break his maiden.

And this horse was off a bit slow, from the one hole and

still won by five and a half in it with a nice number.

So For me, the three horse is a single.

The one thing I wanted to ask you guys about, I find this very

interesting you just mentioned Santana, Louis, he used to be

asked mucins, go to writer, almost everything that Steve ran

Ricardo road. But have you noticed, how asked,

mucin is starting to spread around to different writers?

He's got the 7 horse in here. With Corey laner e and he's got

the 12 horse with forearms yoru and so I I find that

interesting. It's kind of like Steve's trying

to find his next go to guy got it a little bit of a tiff and

Ricardo having just the Unlucky streak that he had for a while.

It just seems like he could have went on anything.

And so Steve started to spread around then I mean you know,

he's had the privilege let's say I guess Of being one of the top

call, guys, for a lot of Steve's horses for years at Churchill

Downs. And obviously, in the wintertime

at Oaklawn Park. But then Florent Giroux is the

one that got Gunrunner, you know, he's the one that got some

of the top courses to. So, even though Ricardo

technically was the guy, there was another guy who you know

would come in for the big days being so wrong Giroux and kind

of get those Mount. So I think Ricardo got a little

bit, maybe resentful of that and then when he started doing so

poorly, Steve was like, yeah, no, this is a working for us.

So he's kind of spread it around a little bit more like you said.

But what's interesting is, I thought I haven't seen Ricardo

on a Steve asmussen horse, in a long time.

But actually on this card he shows up on yes.

One or two. So it's actually like there.

Well, he's guarding to mend. Yeah, he's doing a little better

but I think there may be starting to mend that

relationship a little bit. Maybe, and I don't know if this

is true but that also could be from the fact that, you know,

Steve was pretty upset with the way that you're all Rosario is

riding epicenter in the derby and the Preakness.

So I think it's kind of one of those things where Steve left

Ricardo for a while, went to Rosario.

And now, he's like, wait a minute, I'm sorry.

And he's starting to come back. So there's all those

interpersonal relationships that really take effect, you know,

when you see these Rider changes or trends, So there you go.

Alright so Dan is singling in the in the in the 6 race I'm

sensing a theme that he thinks Luis saez is going to have 10

wins tomorrow. We shall see race.

Seven starts the pick five, it's the Shawnee violinist 16th on

the dirt for Phillies winning this one.

Yeah exactly. Where it up.

Two hundred thousand dollars we are.

Of course, sponsored by Green Sheet racing on our show and my

dad thumb up of the week. Most likely winner is Pauline's

Pearl in this race. The five by far the best here

showing that the purse money. She can get a check for about

110 120 here. Gimme Army Wife though, in the

second slot ahead of Ava's Grace, if you wanted to play the

Exacta. That's my notes on this race.

I have nothing else to say. Well, II would just gonna say

that my green sheet? Yeah, pinky think he's up for

pick, which is the horse, I think, is most likely to win

regardless of value is Pauline's Pearl as well.

So, both you and I are there. I mean, just the way that she

ran last time on, I think it was Kentucky Oaks day, right?

And Lottery. And She was up against, she

dares the devil and just the way that they battled it out in the

final stages of that race, it was so impressive and I have

such high regard for she dares the devil you know we all kind

of went into that race looking at Pauline's pearls and yeah

well she's gotten most of her big wins at Zia and Houston and

you know wherever right like can she compete with the horses at

let's say the top-tier tracks and she did so she proved

herself there so I agree with you I think Pauline's Pearl with

that last performance. As long as she can repeat, it is

certainly the way to go in here. But I'll take a little bit more

value underneath. I'm going to go with Crazy

Beautiful in the second spot for cutting McPeak.

Who also is having a strong Stellar meet winning at 24% and

him and Brian Hernandez. Team up together to win at the

end about that same number. So I think she's you know, she's

had some tough. I guess she's been in against

some tough forces before mouth that excetera she's chase down

some monsters and had some good minor placings but I think she

saw his talent and still Speed. We must have gone Louis to the

same handicapping school because that I thought Army wife had her

had a real look at this. I think, you know, she she she

felt faced Clary are last year, Malla that Bonnie South.

She's not going to beat Pauline's Pearl, but she soon, I

think you're right. Yeah, but I think she's got a

chance but No, you made the point earlier, Louis, and it was

a good one. That even though most of these

steaks are listed here, you've got you've got graded horses in

all of them. Not very often.

Do you see a horse who has won a grade One?

Last Time Out, come back in a list at stake, like, Pauline

Pearl. Now, there's some other horses,

Ava's, Grace was in a grade one. Last time out.

The same lock troyan, but she didn't win.

But you don't see grade. One winners come back.

The next start in a listed stake, very often.

Well, that's, that's the, to the money to your point earlier

Danielle. I mean, that's what used to

happen at Kentucky Downs, right? Is they didn't have graded

stakes races because the graded Stakes committee didn't give

them any and for a long time and so you just would have these

listed stakes races with myself. Unbelievable.

Yeah, exactly. Unbelievable purses and so you

essentially it was a graded stakes and that's why from weeks

a week, if your horse race. Then we follow along with that

on horse racing happy hour and we do our own ranking of the

race. You know, this would probably

come up as higher than a listed sakes as far as our ranking is

concerned, right? Louis I mean I think it's a

great to exactly. I think there's a few races on

the card today that would that would come up like that.

And so it's something that you know that's the benefit of

following along throughout the year and kind of be like yeah

technically on the form. It just says I was a list of

states rights but that was a hefty, Hefty, Hefty group, and

I'm excited. To talk about what I think is

the most wide open race of the day, which is the Arlington.

The next race is grade, 3, late pick for Starts Here, race 8

Mile and a sixteenth on the turf for four year olds and up, two

hundred thousand dollars here anyway, or excited?

Well, no, not just that, Dan, you need to know the show.

We have, we have drinking real. So the show is essentially a

drinking game and whenever someone does, you know, one of

the things that that triggers a drinking rule.

Everyone has to take a sip of whatever it is that they're,

they're drinking. While they're watching us, are

listening to us on the show and field passes, the five horse

here and field passes one of those horses, all of us.

Have them Dan, you know, he's 84 25 lifetime.

It's not like he's a world beater, but when I've needed him

and short tickets, He's been my guy you know yeah he's one of

those for me because he's become a drinking raw.

Yeah. Right.

So I do have to mention him whenever he goes you know he

wins the Seabiscuit last November out of the West Coast

of the barrel rispoli and you know comes back has not been

very good this year unfortunately and so on fans of

the Pod know I love the five field pass and while he was okay

in that Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational I'm not sure that

he has the same form as a five-year-old.

So I wouldn't be surprised if he picks this one off.

But this is my all race of the day.

Actually, I'm gonna go all six horses in this race.

Wow, okay, I didn't see that coming.

Yeah, I mean, listen with field, paths to Reese's back in the

Pegasus World Cup Invitational. Nobody was going to be carnally.

I'm that's right. And I think that space traveler

is a really excellent and very unlucky horse who finished third

that day and, and feel bad, just never really gotten the race.

I mean, he had a bump start, he was wide.

And I think, you know, Umberto recently, I mean, he just he had

nothing left by the time that they came to the stretch.

And so, And that's a short stretch to.

So he finishes within four lengths.

It's not like he got blown out, I know it was still a blanket

finish. It just he didn't.

Nobody was going to be Colonel Liam.

And then last time that was disappointing to me and in the

race of Laurel the Henry Clark, it was a listed stick to a

surprisingly. He was not the heavy favorite

but it was second choice, but he just finished nowhere.

Now the case could be made that he needed the race.

You know, maybe something happened there for him, he's one

of the examples of a horse. Maybe races better without Lasix

and he did get the basics last time and I think, you know,

Lasix can it helps in a lot of ways with the pulmonary

hemorrhaging, but it also can really dehydrated horse.

And, you know, depending on what the weather was like there was a

really hot day, was it, whatever, you know, how to come

into that he was coming off of a off of a little bit of a layoff.

I think you just kind of say maybe he just needed the race

and maybe today without Lasix, this is more his game.

So I I still think he's down that I'm not willing to give up

on him, yet Ricardo Santana jumps on for the first time.

So, that's interesting. So I've got him and then I've

got admission office. Yeah, keep waiting for him.

Do I know? Yeah, the race ends February of

2021. So this 7 year old gelding,

which is practically ancient for a resource is.

He's coming off a pretty long vacation, but traitor, Brian

Lynch. She was also having an

outstanding meet at Churchill Downs.

When you get 32 percent. Um, breaks horses, back off an

extended layoffs at 28 percent that's like a Chad Brown number.

Yep. You know.

And and he also kind of follows the path of every other he runs

as a gelding for the first time so they finally have yelled at

him as a seven year old, but he has a bad race, a good race of

batteries a good race and if that form follows through he's

on track for a good race, they go and they just yelled at him,

right? That's what I know.

And it's interesting because I get it.

The point of entry breeding, whatever he probably wasn't

going to. A lot this horse clearly still

wants to run if they're doing that, right?

So that's kind of a point to add their Dan, who did you see?

Who do you like here? I too.

Am going to spread a little bit in this race.

I'm not going to use all of them, but my top pick is a

two-horse Flora form. I like, I've now I know two

starts back, get smoke and beat them, but that was his first

start floor forms and almost a year in that Tampa Bay.

He came back at Keeneland and a non-winners are two, and one

pretty easily. Tyler Gap.

Lyon is in the saddle Bill Mott is the trainer.

It doesn't get much better than that.

But the thing I like most about him Megan and Louis is a fact

that he's only had seven starts. And so there's still room here

for improvement. There's still room for him to

run, even better numbers that he's been racing running.

So My pick for the race is the 2 floor form but I to in my pick

for will be using several of these.

Well, he's one of those two that it seems like they either he

just did a run so hard every time that they need to give him

a little bit of a little bit of a break from the racetrack as

you can see in this form because it's just a while between races.

He's not able to string together a sequence.

So either he has been lucky. He do run so hard each and every

time which I think you can see in his form since he's been on

turf, at least he's only finished in the top three.

But what's good about it is that you know, when he was able to

string together, two consecutive races, January 2nd and 2021 and

then February 13th. And that same year, he went

second by half a length to first.

So, I mean that kind of a pattern tells you that hopefully

as long as they've got this horse, right.

And he's able to, you know, clearly he was fine after that

last race and and he's got enough that they entered him

again, especially built Mott who You know, I think it's is not

one of those trainers that would push the horse, right.

He's definitely one of the more conservative guys and so I think

it's definitely a good form for him and hopefully he can follow

that pattern as well and string together to and improve you know

the other two horses we haven't mentioned in this race and this

is one of the features here like the king is a former Derby

horse. Right came out of the Ruby last

year we found out this year that the rubies a good path to the

derby. All the sudden change by Marquez

who was a shocking. 04:22 start the meat here Churchill that is

shocking but gets Luis saez in the saddle.

And so, for example, just finished.

So last four races, let's do this lost by two and a half

lengths in a high-level allowance at Keeneland in a

blistering 140 and one that is an unbelievably fast mile and a

16th over that Turf course, excuse me.

Well second before that third, before that second before that,

never more than three links off of the lead last four races.

That's why I think this is a spread race and all race.

In fact because you pick up saez, maybe he's able to Close

that Gap. Where a horse that's 12:00 to

1:00 in. The morning line is actually

your winner in the Arlington. The other horse we didn't talk

about is get Smokin. I worry about this horse because

I always worry about the Arabian Peninsula, bump, when those

horses come back from UAE or Saudi Arabia or whatever?

Very rarely do they win their first time back in North

America, but this horse has every bit of the credentials to

do that. And the grace Fable is the six

you get Julian leper. Ooh, who's has 999?

Churchill? Downs.

Wins goes for 1000 today. It's got three Mounds today.

It's kind of a cool story. Is one of the local guys here.

Has been good for a very, very long time.

One last time out over the mile course here on therby here in

that what was that called the opening verse listed Stakes here

and so I just think it's a wide open race if that horse could

return to that, he's a go out front and stay out front.

Kind of horse if the the other horses just don't have their

kick that day might be able to do it and that's why I will be

spreading and taking all Here, we will finish up the card on

the other side. But a reminder that Sports talk

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This is sports talk with Mike Pratt, and an ASL and Lou, Ruvo

and Megan Divine on this fine, Friday morning and reminder that

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Housing lender. So, I think the only thing we

didn't do the we should have started to mention at least was

the first race that we talked about the regret was the start

of that middle pick for Megan. Did you have a middle pick for

ticket by chance? No, not prepared.

Okay, I did has he um, no. I'm sorry together.

Worried about the real issue there is that you have Pauline's

Pearl in that sequence, right? And so she's gonna, she's gonna

take a ton of money. And for a reason, she's also the

start of the Five. Just a reminder, though, even in

those pick five versus pick for Wagers, the the take out rates

going to be lower on the pick five, play that late pick five,

rather than the late pick for. Don't worry about Pauline's

Pearl being in there. You're going to get more money

back but the middle pick for starting with race five.

I ended up with a single in the first one with three then

spreading the second race with four horses.

Two, three, six and eight single Pauline's Pearl.

I took all the last if you play it for a dollar it's still only

a $24 bed. So it's a very playable middle

pick for if you Wanted to spread another races, obviously you

could lower that to 50 Cent's, but I think because Paula Deen's

Pearl is in that middle sequence, you're going to have

to play it for a larger denomination.

And so, Dan are you, are you a pic for player at all?

Or are you a pic 5 guy? Both whatever's available

whatever is available usually. Usually I'm a pick five guy,

lose the first leg, and then become a pic for guy.

Yeah, I get that. Yeah, I got that.

You know, what's funny? I think Churchill Downs, figure

that out because For a couple of cards, and I'll have to check

right now for the card tomorrow. They're not doing it tomorrow.

They had tickets where race one was a pick five-star to pick

five race to started the pick for and then race three started,

another pic for, okay? And so essentially what they

figured out was all these people who were out of the pick five

would play this. Those the second race from the

big four. If they missed up the spec and

race, they would play the pig for ya.

I'd raise three. So Dan Issel is not alone in

such behavior and so, the one Nothing I do not play.

Is the pick threes since they went to 50 cents.

I don't think, I don't think the 50 Cent Pick 3 S gives you much

value. The only place I do play the

Pick 3 is in New York because they're still a dollar, right?

In New York. Do you play the the 27th?

Pick sixes. I assume not that are not only

only if there's a mandatory, I'm the same way.

Yeah, yeah, I played one a couple weeks ago only because I

was confident. Three singles at Churchill

Downs. Okay.

It was like a four dollar ticket and it paid 68, boxers.

And that's fine. I'll take eight to one or

whatever. Are, excuse me, absolutely 21 or

whatever. And so that kind of number I'll

take. But you know, usually I don't

because they have the takeout and then they have the roll over

so they take your money twice and so let's go to that late.

Pick 3 which by the way Dad's right?

You should never play a pic 3 4, 50 Cent's played for a dollar or

two dollars. If you're going to play it

starts and race 9. The aristides aristides was whoo

Dan Issel. JD's was the first winner of the

Kentucky Derby. Darn, right?

And the, the nicest room at Churchill Downs that the general

public can get sue. If you if there's a statue right

outside the paddock, there's a statue of aristides and all

round the statue are are plaques of the people who donated to

build that statue and and you got if you donated certain

amount, you got a Statue of aristides yourself.

And if you, if you look, if you look at those plaques around the

statue, you will see mr. And mrs.

Dan and so there we have our little aristides statue on our

mantel. Very cool.

That's really cool. Frankly, the aristides will be

run tomorrow, six furlongs, all the dirt for four and up two

hundred thousand dollars. Like all of the stakes tomorrow

does start that late. Pick 3.

I'll go first here, I'm going to use two I think the five Bob's

Edge and the six top Gunner are the top two here.

I actually think top Gunner, who just want to just ran a listed

sakes. It's six furlongs in a minute 8

and change at Churchill Downs, that is insane sub 1094 the

six-figure longer he's flying right now.

Bob's Edge is capable of coming from Deep Off.

The pace has been running well at Oaklawn.

We've watched those Oaklawn shippers run.

Well, at lots of different places, including Churchill

Downs. So I'm going to shorten The

aristides, I'm going to go six and five Megan.

I'm right there with you with Bob's Edge.

I've got him on top. I think he's just been a horse

that loves Churchill Downs. He's, you know, for or 244 here,

pardon me. He does leave himself maybe just

a little bit vulnerable in that, he is a closer.

So he needs that speed to run at.

I think you're probably going to get that early go from Bango

drawing the rail over their top Gunner also has speed and even

Jalen's journey to has been known.

To be out there in front. So I don't know how much of a

concern it is, but it's something to keep in mind when

you're, you know, identifying the pace projection.

He also is getting quite a bit of class relief here.

I mean, he was then a couple of great threes last time against

Jackie's Warriors, who is an unbelievable horse and then last

time in the Whitmore, he proved himself worthy in that, grade 3

event at Oaklawn Park. So I certainly think Bob's Edge

is is the way to go. I'm shocked to see Adam.

The skits has percentage be only Seven percent right now is

because whenever I'm paying attention, which to be fair is

like in the turf races. He's winning so I guess maybe

that's it. And I mentioned that last week,

I think on our show is, you know, Adam bus gives on a

Brendon Walsh. Horse on the turf, I'm playing

it, but any other scenario? Maybe I get a little bit more

wary. And so this being obviously, a

dirt Sprint race. I'm kind of, like, do I want to

go there? You know, with that much

confidence. I will say I used the six top

Gunner as well. I agree with everything you said

there and he's been Ultra consistent.

The only other horse that I might put in the middle of the

two is Jalen journey and I, you know, maybe it's it's almost one

of those situations where one, you know, too much.

It can really get in the way. Right.

And I know that this is a horse that they really, really liked

for a long time. I mean, when they brought him

over in 2021 and I was over there in Dubai for the golden

Shaheen. So where's that?

They thought I had a pretty good solid chance to do well and he

just finished know where Louis is is a board that night.

And then he came back, you know, as we do see it happen, often he

didn't perform that well in his next race at Oaklawn Park but

that being said he also had a little bit.

I think significant trouble in there and that took up sharply

note is absolutely validated validated.

If you watch the replay and then he's had some okay form, I don't

know what happened at Oaklawn Park on March 25th where I guess

maybe he needed the race. I don't know, Rosario was a

board that day. He doesn't seem to be doing

that. Well, on these athletes and

Horses of You get Ricardo back in the irons.

I just, I think Jalen journey is a better horse than what his for

maybe says. And I think it's one of those

where I think he's really sitting on a big performance.

He likes Churchill Downs, he's one for one here, he obviously

likes this distance, he's run some pretty big numbers before

so it tends to 1. I-i'm going to play him.

Awesome. I think the the wild card here

is the 12:48 pyron who 12 back in a Turf Sprint.

There's clearly something going on because trainer I'll stall

jr. Is going to move him to the dirt

which he does. Well at 19% he is a.

He wins at 21% and stakes races to be fair.

A lot of that is down in Louisiana but trying pyron here

if I was going to play a longer shot I would be looking at piron

whose 448 at the distance lifetime.

What say you Dan Issel? I thought this was an

interesting race, not because a lot of these horses are really

good right now but that a lot of these horses are really bad

right now. Tango who of course, is he's a

horse. For course, he's won six out of

12 Starts. Now, I know that was the first

start last month. The first started in what six

months and he drew the one and was a bit slow to start but he

draws the one again and at age five.

Maybe he's not the same horse Miles Ahead.

Had won three in a row at Gulfstream, including a buyer of

102 when he won the Gulf Stream. The parks print, but then went

to California and got beat 14 links, your horse pyron.

Last timeout, got beat 91 likes a now.

I've been doing this for a long, long time.

I can't recall that they put in the form that a horse, got

beaten, 91 length. Yeah, I mean, usually when the

comment line says, he's they don't put how much how much

exactly just kind of do a dash, you know?

But somebody's got something against this horse because

they're like, no, no, we're pregnant, right?

You got nectar. Ellen, who is cutting back in

distance. His last four races have been at

a mile and you've got Bob's Edge who I guess of the sloppy track

lysed last time out but he got beat significantly.

Top Gunner is going up in class. Long-range toddy has never won

at. Churchill.

I'm going to go with the five horse Bob's Edge.

Hope that At last out performance was because of the

sloppy track. And Jackie Forest enough enough

Pace to run at. Well, there you go.

I agree with you sometimes these these Sprint's kind of surprise

you because a horse just gets out front stays out.

Front Mitchell Merrill's having a really nice every time I watch

this world picks off a race for some reason and he and I Chris

Hartman hitting at 32%. Yeah, they did Decker Island.

So, yeah, there's a lot of there's a lot of little things

to look at. This was the only Stakes race on

the card. I thought, at least for the

races that we discussed that, I felt like was probably an

allowance plus, you know, if we were to downgrade, like, our

version of what we were talking about.

But, you know, to that effect, I think that, that makes it one of

the more competitive races because you just, it's one of

those hands up braces. Like a, is it Bob, or is it

couldn't be anybody else? Wonder if long-range toddy is

eventually going to pick one of these Sprint's off.

Well, the thing about long range, Saudi though, is that and

John Court is an excellent Rider and I mean all credit to him

because he is still Doing very well at age 56.

So maybe something like that. I think I know I can't do it 30

so just but um, you know, you pick up Luis saez.

He was a board last time. And again, that was that race

with Jackie's Warrior. That was a great one.

Clearly that was just he was in way too salty of a race

especially with Jackie's Warrior.

That just takes that grade 12, a grade 1 plus plus on that form

and so if you draw a line through that, I mean, he really

hasn't done poorly. Besides the the few times

they've tried to stretch him out to a mile, which clearly he's

like, nah, I'm not a Miler, please keep me sprinting.

Yep, his form is actually. Okay, so I think with Luis saez

back aboard, the fact that he stayed aboard stays aboard after

that dismal performance there, against Jackie's Warrior, I

think is probably a good indication that this war still

has something left in the tank, and he ran second in this race

last year or excuse me. Yes.

In the aristides last year, in the listed, Right behind mango

who's race last year. So there you go.

Little repeat there, by the way, you say allowance plus I think

with the purses at Churchill Downs that makes it a listed

Stakes essentially because we do have some allowances that feel

like listed steaks. Well yeah, I mean but that's

that's I mean, all credits at Churchill Downs and Kentucky

racing because of the purses. I mean, you've got graded stakes

races out in California that aren't even 200 thousand dollars

sometimes, you know? So it's it's, you know, this

field is just an interesting one because of that, I felt like,

like Dan said, you know, you've got a lot of horses that aren't

doing well. Alright.

Now so it almost feels like this should be kind of an allowance

easy spot for these horses but it's the water is just somebody

in this group Louis before we go to the blame, I want to remind

everybody. And and thank George Timber.

And the bear knows team for bringing lunch by the ESPN

Louisville Studios today. Bear knows has you covered for

all of the big events this weekend?

They're right next to the Yum Center.

So if you're down there for some event stop by, and get a great

pizza carry out, delivery or dine in there are 14.

Three locations in metro Louisville and Southern Indiana.

Yeah, it's that good. Bear knows Pizza.

All right. So Megan Megan Dan I think you

know but I don't know if you know Megan is pregnant and

congratulations. Yeah, we're expecting our first.

It's a little girl, do I think I'm due the day after

Thanksgiving start day. There you go.

Yeah, Clark Jay. I know my husband is the

photographer, Churchill Downs. And so that's a big day.

A for them. I don't know why he's going to

choose either me or this day at the races because I don't know

how he's gonna miss that. If it was a boy, probably

would've had to name it, Clark Megan, your husband is a

photographer. Yeah, my husband said Curtis

Cody for Cody photography, that he wears, all those cool looking

suit. Yeah, yeah, yeah, most

fashionable, man, at Churchill Downs or any other of his 29th

racetracks that he does. That's terrific.

Well congratulations. Thank you.

And so, I brought that up to ask is pizza something.

That's it's okay with the current pregnant belly.

Oh, you know what? Actually, yes, because I am not

that I've had any. So I might have to take some of

the pizza here in the studio today for lunch, from your nose

because I was, we were watching the TV show or movie Whatever

last night and I was watching somebody eat pizza and I had

that moment where I was like, mmm, pizza.

And then like, decided that that's what I needed to have

more than anything in the world. World.

I have a folder in my phone of screenshots of text messages by

wife sent me while pregnant about food because they're so

funny. One of them with that, I will

never forget it just says, OMG barbecue, chips, it's all.

It's a mile and an eighth on the dirt

for four year olds and up again, two hundred thousand dollars

here. The Awaited return of American

Revolution who ran huge last year, winning the cigar mile

only lost last year was in the Pennsylvania Derby to a horse.

You may have heard of on this show everybody drank hot rod.

Charlie look if he's back, he wins.

I'm going to try to play against him here.

I'm going to use the six scalding in this spot for runs.

Four wins this year. A slower developing son of

Nyquist who waited until his four-year-old year, to break his

Maiden. Good job out of the gate, he

barred, by the way, to let that horse develop.

And so I'm going to go six as a single in The blame and try to

beat American Revolution and try to get some money in the late

sequence. Okay.

I am not. I have the, an American

Revolution. I think that his form is pretty

solid, you know, he started out and he ran against open company.

I Keeneland and Maiden special weight, being a New York bread.

He then goes back to to Belmont and he runs in and Florida or

no. I'm sorry, that's Finger Lakes.

Wow, that side, let's call that pregnancy brain and he runs in

some of the New York breadsticks.

Isis does really well fine. That's great.

You rent you on some State restricted races?

Are you that good of a horse, he runs.

Like you said in that very interesting race with hot rod.

Charlie midnight, bourbon Etc. Runs a big number.

But still third beaten. By six lengths comes back in

another New York Red race. But the fact that he was able to

win last time in the cigar mile, I mean, that elevated his form

exactly against open company grade One race.

You know, he was the favorite that day so I think I remember

us talking about that and trying To analyze just how competitive

of a field that grade One race was.

Because I think some of us felt like maybe it wasn't as salty as

we had seen in Prior years. But that being said, Farah jumps

on here, which I'm actually surprised that he Florent isn't

riding on this hard as much as I thought.

Like there were some other horses that I was sure I would

see, you know, flows name on and I didn't in some of these other

stakes races. So that's interesting that he

hangs around to ride this one, but the one horse proxy.

Would be the other one that I was going to go to for Mike

student who I think is an excellent Horsemen and it does

really well with Luis saez. They want at 17% together.

You know, this is technically an easier spot because this horse

is going from grade 3, grade to company, back to a listed Stakes

race. But I think that he's done some

very good running in his career to and he's run up against some

tough horses midnight bourbon mandolin, hot rod.

Charlie, you know, Olympiad two races back who's obviously

showing us how good of a horse. He is And then I think you can

make a case for dynamic one as well.

Third start off to lay off for this one.

They you know put this horse in the Kentucky Derby last year.

Draw a line through that before that he you know he took the New

York path. So he was second in the wood

Memorial and then he's just had kind of some interesting spots.

I don't know what to make of them.

I do like the fact that he to gets that little bit of class

relief you get Tyler Gaffney on a board.

You got Todd Pletcher I think he could be an interesting horse

third, start off the layoff. I'm fascinated that Pletcher

has. Floral on American Revolution

and Tyler on Dynamic one. Hmm.

And that's I is is writing proxy.

Now I think that's more of a dolphin thing, right?

And so sometimes the Giants after, yes, you're right for

ownership groups. I think that's what that is in

this, in this situation but the Pletcher choice of Tyler on

Dynamic one. As opposed to on American

Revolution is very interesting. Where did you land here, Dan?

I'm with you. I landed on scalding.

Okay, there were several red flags, for me for American

Revolution. The one being It's I as who has

ridden him at least two last six times.

That show on The Forum is on proxy.

I know his numbers are terrific but he did get beat six and

three-quarter. Length by Hot Rod.

Charlie the cigar mile that was again, he got a big number but

they came the last quarter in a blistering 26 and 32, which

that's I mean, that's not, that's Aqueduct.

Oh hark, harness horses harnessed.

Horses, go that fast and and it was a very as Megan said, a very

soft cigar mile. Plainsman who finished third in.

There's a brad Cox horse who is a Grade Three listed kind of

horse. I like scalding.

I like scalding because his numbers have improved the last

four starts that that race at Keeneland at a mile.

And an eighth, I thought was very impressive when he beat

two. Horses that are all also in this

field and the line says he hopped at the start, right?

Remember I remember watching that that race so I'm with you

Louis. It's all scalding for me.

Interesting. Alright I did not expect that

usually people just agree with Megan.

No no I'm calling you as well. I just thought there was some

you know, it was an interesting field to talk about because

you've got some of the rematches coming back around and then

you've got the heavy favoritism on the outside with the new New

York bread, you know. So it makes for a really, you

know, albeit only. What is it eight horses in this

field? Which I guess isn't bad.

It's just a really interesting makeup, you know, and I'm

curious to see how these horses do at facing each other, once

again, at a different track. So the the mirror of the regrets

which is 43 year-old Phillies, is the Audubon the last race on

the card at Churchill tomorrow. One mile in an 8 on the turf for

three-year-olds to it was 3rd of June Reminder.

This is Sports Talk. Mike Pratt, Dan Issel.

I'm in for Mike Pratt, my name is Luis Roberto alongside Megan

Divine. We are two-thirds of the

horse-racing Happy Hour podcast Trio.

Mike Gandolfo was in Italy. Doing the thing, just in the

motherland. Eating delicious, food, and

drinking delicious, wine, and whatever else people do in

Italy, that's all I would do is just restaurants and wine.

Instead of scaring. Yeah, that's it.

Can't wait to not be pregnant and do that sounds amazing?

Yeah, I'll fill in the gaps. For you on that.

But the last race here is the Audubon, like we mentioned for

three-year-olds dad's Longshot, pick is in this race.

Go ahead Dan. Yeah, 3rd of June is

Tallahatchie Bridge. A jockey switch Tyler gets off

and floor wrong gets on. And, you know, that's, that's

more with my with my heart than my head.

But I thought this was a pretty wide open race.

I thought you could use a 70 warfront, although Just notice

should has not won a race. It Churchill.

Yeah. So that I don't know.

I don't know about that. You always have to pay attention

to Chad Brown and he goes to Santana.

In this one, with the nine horse, James Jones, I suppose

you could make a case Luis saez on the 10 speaking count.

But I thought for my money, I thought in my pick five, this is

where I'm Really Gonna To spread.

Yeah, I thought the same thing which I kind of I love Pig finds

that end with a race like this, right at a competitive field

where you really can't, you know, figure out if you've got

to have a really solid opinion about a horse on the turf,

especially I love that, Churchill ends the card with

Audubon. I went to the to Grand Sonata

for Todd Pletcher and Tyler Gaffney on, teaming up.

I feel like his form is one of the more consistent in this

group. He obviously loves the turf.

You know, he's going to run. S start off the layoff.

I did not think that last race was Add although the comment

line does say Hong which is not something we like to see a

nursery saying, meaning, he just didn't have any any finished Joe

me, you know, kind of just stayed stale at the end of that

race. And so, I think he can come back

with that Fitness that he got out there at Keeneland and the

Transylvania and, and improve off that, the other orders would

be the nine who you mentioned Dan James Jones with Chad Brown

and Ricardo Santana jr. And then sum of the forces on

the outside to speaking Scout who you mentioned already.

And Major General is an interesting one for me.

I don't know how I feel about him showing up on the turf here

because I felt like he was such a really interesting course, I

loved him going into the Lexington where he finished

second to Tawny port, and I felt like he did really well over

that keemun surface and he's only raced on the dirt.

In his career. They did work him to be fair

over the Churchill Downs, surface on the turf, I'm going

for full arms around the dogs and 50 which isn't anything to

write home about but at least he got his feet on the grass.

It's the kind of how he could get a hold of it with his

stride. So I mean Todd Pletcher is the

Hall of Fame trainer. I guess, why not it, but he does

pick up Ryan and I just Junior who he also never really rides.

So there's a lot happening with Major General that I just don't

know how I feel about. But still, I mean he's he's 82 1

price, so that they like them better than a few others in

here. So and then I, of course, added

your your three horse there, Dan obviously Tallahatchie Bridge,

because there you go. And to be fair, You get for

Roger? Ooh, he sticks around for this

or it's the end of the card and Saki, Joseph, Junior with just a

couple of horses running here in Kentucky, because typically most

of his horses are Florida, he's got a couple of New York Etc.

He's gonna get 22% and placing his horses very well, they are

performing excellently. So I don't think you're far off

there and it for ten to one with flow aboard.

It's a pretty good price. That's that's a horse that's

already won. Over 50,000 dollars as a

three-year-old. They read them for 5 grand.

Those are the kinds of horses, Dan?

Love to have 100 of. So the island on the to Grant

sonatas, well, I just think that coming out of those races, I

think side dogs. One of the more talented

three-year-old, Turf horses going right now, didn't show up

great on Derby day, but I gave the horse a little bit of a

breather here. Todd Pletcher, does that at 24%?

And he and Tyler over seven to start the Churchill Downs, meet

eventually that's going to get snapped as well.

I think Red Run is a really interesting horse here was in

that race on Derby Day, in the American Turf, just wasn't able

to show up gets Less competition here, picks up Julian.

Steve asmussen seems to pick him in very specific spots and they

hit together at a very, very high rate.

So I think if you're going to play a ten-to-one, you're going

to play the Gunrunner, that's red, run here.

Who's been trying to just tried the turf, excuse me and gets

back on again. And, you know, is it okay to

just say, I trust Chad Brown to put horses in Stakes company

because he wins at 22% knees. Really good on the turf and

Scott Brown going to a brow brow, bro. 29% in a very limited

sample size with the Carlos Santana, Junior, who?

If I praise earlier, I should praise now and so I think they

have a shot as well. So I'm actually to six and nine

here. That is James Jones, the the

nine horse. So there you go Dan another,

another Friday handicapping session.

Yeah, that was, that was a lot of fun and it'll be fun to see

Monday morning. How we how we did?

I will know quicker than Monday morning because my TV, EG

account will either be depleted or have the mumps one of the

two. There you go.

Well, thank you Dan. Another good week, hanging out.

I'll see you on Monday. Okay.

Okay, Megan. Thank you very much and enjoy

your weekend. We'll be right back here again.

Monday morning at 10:00 on Sports, talk with Mike, Pratt,

Dan Issel, and Louis Robo, have a great weekend, everybody.