Kevin Kilroy joins Dan Issel & Louie Rabaut on ESPN Louisville to preview the Stephen Foster at Ellis Park. A look at all the runners, and a glance at the rest of the late sequence.
Stephen Foster Preview w/ Kevin Kilroy (@TrustYourLuck)
Full Transcript
We welcome to man is Davis. Kevin Gilroy joins us here at
his little Louie here at ESPN. 680, 1057 at trust your luck on
Twitter, he's always wearing a hat.
He sleeps in a hat, man. You need to know this.
And he hasn't a fully, shaved, his face since the age of
eleven. Kevin.
How are you this morning? I'm gonna go grab a hat.
Actually don't have one on right now.
He's ready. It's easy enough.
I'm not sure if I have it in my office here.
Dan Lewis, how you guys doing? Things have me off?
Okay, Kevin Kevin. Is that the word First
introduction you have ever. I hope not people get me better
than that. Geez, but much worse things in
the world and we're had everywhere.
I go Kevin and Dan have history. They were in the derby draft
together, this year. Yeah.
Hanging out for, at least a mile away.
Yeah. I think who did win that a guy
named Dan Issel had Maids with the eighth.
You think how about you very much?
Thank you had Maids. I had To Phil's.
I had disarmed. I mean, what was the criteria
there? I feel like I've had some no
better efforts into Phil's, obviously, ran the better race.
So we can count that too, right. Hey Kevin, we have to say on
this show. We always acknowledge that Dan
drafted. Raef lafrentz in the top five
and so whenever he can win a draft, we let him have it.
You understand me? We love to have fresh.
So we're going to let him have this one yet.
I'm a day. We have that in common too cab
Your Lovin Jayhawks. Oh, yeah.
Yeah. Dan is, Dad's personal friends
with Bill self. So, we had bill on during a
derby week and all that kind of stuff.
We, I went I made Kevin. I made my very first trip to the
fog in February. They played West, Virginia won
by yeah points. And, and I Made missed mr.
Self, they gave me four, Kansas t-shirts and so I made, I made
the mistake of wearing one of the Kansas t-shirts to the gain
and was shown on national TV. And so I, I will never for the
rest of my life. I will never live that down.
You can't go back. So I'm just going to no no, no,
I'm all-in. Absolutely.
All in rock charcoal. These are coming in, I'll talk
to you. How about the fog, a mirror.
It talks about it, but you can't beat that place to see it to see
a lot. I got to grow up going there.
It's it's a special gift. All right.
Well, he's boys. Kevin kill Reagan at trust.
Your luck on Twitter, you can go find his stuff there.
You can also find him now as our newest contributor to first gen
Sports 1st 1st Gen sports.com, Kevin's doing a weekly pieced
and that I really like called they didn't know.
And so in horse racing when a horse goes from a long odds to
assure Todd's, we say well they knew their everybody knew and
they didn't know is Kevin's. Most recent work with us and it
points out where we might have missed the obvious Trends in.
Bedding and different things with horse racing, he'll be
doing that every week, but he also has to Stephen Foster
preview up at the site as well. Ellis Park hosting, its first
ever grade 1 Kev because of the obvious track issues at
Churchill Downs. In the move out to Henderson
makes the race a little bit different in my mind.
Does it change much for you? Yeah it definitely does me the
way that Ellis Park has been playing been so speed.
Favoring, it will get in all the handicappers heads for sure.
And now we've got the extra wrinkle of The weather coming
through. It looks like it's sunny there
right now but I know the tracks still wet and it looks like
maybe for rain is in the forecast.
So there will be a couple uncertainties which would
hopefully create a little bit of volatility there and some good
prices to go after, you know, horse like proxy.
I think at Churchill, he's in the best form of his, his ninth
career so far and he would have been much more lives at
Churchill and I think all the way gets the rail which is a
good spot to be on that track. I think coming from off the
pace. Be tough for him in this one.
Yeah, Ellis Park. It's been it's been speed,
favoring. And but I still had, I want to
go, what do you guys think this to speed bias?
Number 3 is 12 1, the morning line, Luis saez, chooses to ride
him, instead of those are the guy Last Samurai, hilly, road
last time. It seems like you should be able
to get a good trip and go to the lead and the price might be
right. I'm still, I think it might be a
little bit of under leg because everybody is hit to the speed
bias of the track. It would be a A fitting Punch
play to bet this poor. Same speed bias on the speed
bias track, but I think he's not going to take another step
forward. I think we've seen him move
forward nicely and three races in a row and I'd be surprised to
see him be able to compete with some of these really classy top
Runners from the division, but he has to think about that speed
bias. Well, you know, it's certainly
something you have to look at, but it's been, it's been my
experience that if you start putting too much emphasis on the
track bias, it's going to jump up and bite you.
I still think you make an interesting point, Kevin,
because I think only two horses in this race have ever raced it
at Ellis Park and that's West will power.
And Last Samurai and they both have one race there and it's
Certainly is a different track than Churchill for sure.
I'm kind of thinking this might be the Brad Cox pick for.
I think, I think he's got, I think Brad's got a great shot of
winning, all four of these steak races.
What do you think? Yeah, I think he's been a little
bit of cold though, recently. I mean at Ellis, you know, for
him, right? He's 13 out of 16.
Just a, you know, a bigger, 19 percent, but in these big races
is born. Has been firing to get it done
very well but of of those four races, West willpower, I give I
give the best shot to for sure. I mean, that last race and all
these Runners are exiting common races in one way or another.
Whether it's the the blame or the Pimlico special, or the obon
handicapped. But the alley sheep, I think
it's the one that we really want to focus on West will power, got
the lead there and he, you know, had smile Happy who broke right
to his outside with able to From every step of the way and
talking to Pratt after that race.
He said, you know, my horse ran better than he did when he won
the New Orleans classic and just fold it from being pressured, by
smile happy. And this time, they reverse, we
got West will power braking to the outside of smile happy and I
wouldn't be surprised to see Kratts break in sharp.
Give a little bit troubled, a smile happy there and get a
better trip that he did. Last time, I think he runs
better with a Target early, just pressure and somebody else and
then making a big move and gaining Confidence from that.
So I do give Wes willpower, huge shot but that smile happy his
form is unlockable. He might be sneaking up as the
top runner in the in the division it's a murky division.
Right? Who's the best older male going
long and smile happy. If he wins this one dominantly
he'd be at the top of the cliff, the list from being.
Yeah, I was last three races. The only one where he didn't,
quote unquote fire. Was that a shorter distance was
out of miles? Obviously this is a horse that
wants to go a little bit further as well.
That's the five smile happy some of the horses we were talking
about proxy is Kevin pointed out drew the rail.
He's the one tomorrow speed bias.
That 12:48 horse that Kevin likes and frankly a lot of
people like his speed bias, the three horse for.
I'm okay, Louis sighs. Has he mentioned?
I was there. Kevin and I know five other
people who were standing right next to me at Pimlico for that
Pimlico special, who are still convinced that speed by his won
that race, that's Rattle and Roll.
If you think, if he picks Us off that race.
What do you think he is on the morning line here, if he's not
12 to 17 one? I think he's the one horse that
actually picks off a Rattle and Roll.
I'm saying theoretically if he wins that had Bob is he's more
like a second one kind of horse. Yeah, yeah.
Yeah. Oh absolutely.
I was surprised the Rattle and Roll at 12:56, you know, he's
been running big races when in them in a row, but hasn't taken
a huge step forward in terms of looking at the numbers and speak
bigger, sir grass all that. Yeah, I think so.
I mean, but yeah, baby Bisons game there and battle roll
seemed like he was going to just pass them, you know, by multiple
lengths, but he dug in and huge huge way.
So What a difference in those make.
If it does give you Value there. And you really do feel like he's
the one to get it done. You got science upper best
finisher in the game. In my opinion, there's something
there. But I do think it's a big class
test. I do think we've got two of the
best in here with less World, pirate smile happy.
And I'd be surprised to see speed by its get it done, but I
won't be surprised to see him hang around for a piece with the
way the tracks been playing. And that's kind of the way I'm
thinking about it is really using those three runners
aggressively, my Exotics using Westville, power smile, happy
and kind of interchangeable between the to, I do want to
give the nod a smile happy with my win money as long as the
values, right? But you speed bias in that third
or fourth position and a super vechta and some of the other
logicals 2:00 up for a piece, try to make a big swing with a
pretty, you know, pretty precise ticket so that it's a low cost
but give me a good payout. Kevin.
Let's talk about some of the other races on the card.
The eighth race is afford to lie, Mile, and an eighth grade 2
for 400 thousand dollars. And as I said earlier, the 825
Morning Line. Favorite is a more a who is
coming out of a couple of grade 1 races aside from a more Ada
give anybody else a shot in that race.
Yeah there's some forceful runners in here that Hardy
Constitution has been looking well for Josie We've got
Pauline's Pearl has been disappointing ripeness, put some
good efforts together and see the assets as Barn has been has
been hot as they get. Let's see, you know, those two I
think are interesting but I think I'm a single in here.
Against a more, a with royal take charge that Al stall.
Four-year-old Philly, lightly raced, three wins at a four
tries one, second place finish and was racing down the
fairgrounds there look fantastic.
Like beat non-violence, who will see Ron today.
I believe running over at Ellis Park and couldn't get it done
against jump into the fire but was the favorite.
There looks great in that next one of over jungle juice and I
think really poised to take another step forward at a good
price. So that's a type of a situation
where entices me to play the pick five, pick six, pay for
whatever, I use this Runner with, but well, take charge.
I think could be sneaky here. We're going to get a good price.
You're the last six winners of this race.
She dares the devil Le true ska midnight.
Bisous be late blue prize in Forever unbridled.
If the graded Stakes committee has ever gotten a race wrong,
it's this one. This is a great one.
No questions asked because the winners of this race are some of
the finest Phillies and mares that we've had the last decade.
It's, I really don't understand that.
Being at Ellis, does change things a little bit here.
I think that if the track sweat at all, Kevin, I think you lean
into the old. The old reliables here and in a
more a inning Pauline's, Pearl to 6 and the 5 here just because
they do have good wet numbers are able to run that off.
There are you worried at all about the class step for a
horse, like royalty charge, which is a degree, the looking
at take charge row half there was, it was a nice Stakes
Winner. I'm not a class guy too much,
I'll use it if it finds me value as an angle, but I really like
looking at the figures more and just looking at third ratsy and
These Runners compare you guys look at look at their graph.
It's a sheet of that that I like to look at to to get a good
sense and maybe get a little bit of different narrative that I'm
seeing with the buyers or is that speed figures.
But more has been running to the last two and of course the lower
the number, the better with their grass and will take charge
ra7 finishing second to back step forward nicely to a 3 in
that last effort and you know they've got a nice deal with
patterns where they project whether they're going to run a
new best figure or like matchup. But they did before and 41% the
time Runners with this pattern, run a new top and a new top
definitely puts real take charge in the mix.
So I like the form and looking at the form of projecting
forward to find Value more that I liked meeting on class or even
what a race horse. Had done the last race, so, but
I'm always been fantastic. That was a tough ride last time
from being off, the pace should be more forward in this one and
you know, and cock Giroux, we trust but I'm gonna take a swing
again. Louis?
What was the mayor's name? Blue point.
That one. The fleur de lis.
Oh, blue. Prize Booth.
Yeah, yeah, ironically, her was the one who ran that very close
second in the, in the distaff last year.
Yeah, ironically, her very first.
Foal is in today at at Elmo, she went through the fasig-tipton
sale and xox tables bought. I think they gave five million
dollars for or and her first, foal is in a maiden race today
at Ellis. How about that?
Okay, the next race, the ninth race tomorrow on sale, in which
you ran in the, she won the distaff at us and indeed I
apologize. God is the Wise.
Dan a mile is 16th on the grass grade 2 for 400 thousand
dollars. And Again, Brad Cox has the
morning line. Favorite.
Kevin, does anybody beat set piece in this race?
You know, set-piece look good and I last win but also run Kill
the find trouble coming from from office from the back.
So I'm I don't want to completely fade but I do want to
use some of these prized horses that I think could be
interesting to hear what this number two touch Revenge 12:40
on the morning line seven-year-old been on the dirt
for the past few been sprinting. We look at the turf numbers and
they fit their clothes. We see Sharp bullet Works coming
in. I love seeing that when I see an
equipment change like hers, all liquors off.
Off face Kelly last time you know when the best Runners out
there and just we do seven lengths back, couldn't get it
done there, but we're moving back to the turf.
Francisco Ariat has been riding fantastic Cuts revengeance,
super interesting to me can't cope.
I think probably put it together.
Last out, Cowboy Justice seems interesting Harlan estate kitten
set so I really want to spread with those price horses and for
the majority of my money and I can see says he's getting dust
to I don't want to completely pay that writer.
Man, I went out. It's funny what you?
What you like and don't like, I like a different long shot.
Play hear it, play action, pass the five, I love Tyler, getting
back aboard here. I think she looked tired.
I should say, not ready to run the full mile last time out.
We get her second off the layoffs here.
I think that the 242 lifetime at Ellis is really attracted to me
as well just because so many of these horses because we're
talking about this upper level of grated company haven't run at
Ellis in the way that we're going to be seeing them this
week and play action pass keeps Tyler in the eye.
It's your love that his percentage analysis year has
been really great. And so I think he'll be able to
time this race really well and dropping back to 118 in the
weight. As well has won twice at that at
that amount. And so interested to see if she
can get the kind of excuse me, he can get that kind of trip
that I think he can just a four-year-old here.
I think is going to figure it out this year might be one of
those lost by two and a half lengths last time out in that,
that race you mentioned with Camp, hope who I thought I agree
with. You really put it together that
race. Can we see play action pass put
it together here at 12:48? My guess is is that set?
Piece is going to win the race and I'll have to use someone
like like him underneath, Dan, where Julian here?
Yeah, this just a single. I'm gonna I'm gonna spread in
the other three races that guy in the pic for.
So I'm singling play action pass by the way, owned by coach Bill
Parcells his August dong farm. And so, that's where the Neo
sleazy. You got a horse to bet on them?
That's where he came from. But now I'm I just, you know, if
you're going to if you're going to spread in some of these other
races, you got to find a single someplace and this was my single
here. Do you have a quick pick for the
last race? Kevin.
The, the tap into and 25k, they're going a mile, it's 43,
year-old Phillies. I think it's another one that we
want to play against that, that favor and I think I should Gary
is going to get bet hard look good and eat too much.
Last time. We got back.
Basically the whole field looks like.
Turquoise it to step forward Saturday.
I think this is a sneaky feed Margolis horse on the rail there
and working lights out, and he takes a while with his horses.
He doesn't have them ready to roll in the first few starts.
I think there's a fifth start and go into distance.
That makes such a pedigree. It's a Fein Heavenly Sunday
looks great. Last time.
Girl named Charlie has trip excuses, the past two and
Calhoun brought stand up a gold over to the turf last race.
Those me the second time of the turf makes sense.
If we see another step forward, With that one.
So I'm going to take a swing against your gear in that leg as
well with those those five price horses.
I know, it happened we found a little bit short there but those
are the five that I like. I'll be interested to see the
for wonderful lady. Who's four to one in the line
again with Tyler and Brendon. Walsh one last time at Churchill
in that optional claimer, that you mentioned where Santa Fe
gold tried to turn for the first time under vents on Chamois know
who is not a board here, but we pick up Tyler, which I'm not mad
about. And so third start North,
America should be ready to go in.
This one. Did you land on anybody here?
You know, I was pretty chunky in this.
I thought that the five horse. Excuse me is your aura.
You know what, last year, broke his broker Maiden at Saratoga.
Yep. As a two-year-old and and came
back and and just got dusted in the in the Breeders Cup race but
Wonder first first start back, she'll be, you know, making her
second Start of the year. So I thought her and Brad Source
kind of stood out here, like we don't hold the Derby against
horses. We tend not to hold those
Breeders Cup. Juvenile races against horses
that are he's Kevin. Kilroy, he's at, trust your
luck, he's off first gem Sports as well, right?
For us doing all that stuff. Is preview, is called the
Stephen Foster preview smile, happy and West willpower
rekindle their Feud. Kevin, we appreciate the time,
you and I are going to be hanging out the next little bit
preview in Ellis over the next couple of shows.
But I think instead of doing that, you should probably just
come on this show. So I have less prep to do
appreciate you. Appreciate you.
Enjoy the Stephen Foster. Kevin.
Thank you. I will thank you.