Keeneland Saturday | Byron King

Welcome in my friend Byron King from Blood Horse bloodhorse.com

at BH under score. B King on the socials as well.

Byron, good morning. How are you buddy?

I'm great, Lodi you. I I'm good.

Byron. And I had a serious discussion

about whether this was a radio show or a video podcast today,

because Byron is aware that I work in the video podcast realm

as well. And Zach, I got to say it was a

heartbreaking moment for me because Byron was worried about

his hair, and I haven't had to worry about my hair in many

years. So Byron, you, you ruined my

morning. Yeah.

Thanks. Thanks.

I appreciate you. You're most welcome.

You're most. Welcome.

So we got in this kid. In this Keelan, I didn't shave a

lot of things that I have the benefit of not having to do.

You writers and your unshaven faces, there you are.

The Keelan meets at this point, Byron.

Has anything in particular stood out to you as far as

performances, biases, anything that you might have seen to this

point? I can't say anything has has

leaped out at me on a consistent basis.

If you're talking like from start to finish on that, I I'd

say the racing has been outstanding.

It's been very, very good. And that doesn't really surprise

me in the sense that, you know, Kentucky is going great guns

right now between, you know, the kind of purses that they have.

I mean, people have always wanted through the years to run

at Keeneland. But it's a magical place.

And it's a place that's like a bucket list place where, you

know, if you're an owner, that's where you want to win a race and

to throw in, you know, purses like $350,000 for the Perryville

or $400,000 for the Raven Run. It just draws really, really

good horses. And I think that's what we're

seeing. I think you're going to see a

lot of Kentucky based horses have a lot of success out West

at the Breeders Cup. So I guess that would be my

biggest take away is I think the racing is really, really good.

Yeah, I think at the stakes level especially, it's been very

good. I've been a little caught off

guard by the lack of two year old maiden stars that we've had.

I think we've had water too. But usually I equate the the

Keelan meet with people overreacting just a little bit

to some maid winners. But that's OK there.

The Perryville and the Raven run themselves.

Byron. As I've gotten deeper into my

career in horse racing, I've come to appreciate these races

more where they're age restricted.

They're at a time of year where you know these are the horses

that aren't going to run, say in the Breeders Cup or something

like that. Do you agree with that kind of

sentiment? Yes, I mean these races

essentially are designed, if you think how Keeneland structures

their stakes races, they load the front end right with all the

major Breeders' Cup press because people want to have

about a month or so to have their horse have a recovery.

So where do you fill in the good races for the rest of the meet?

So they've done a nice job, I think of saying, OK, let's put

some like 3 year old only restricted races together to

give people a chance before at this time of year, they get

fewer and fewer opportunities for restricted company.

And, and you make a couple sprints, right, that maybe

aren't going to draw the, you know, the, the mile and a

quarter type horses that might run in the, you know, down at

the, at the Breeders Cup in the classic or something like that.

But anyway, I think these two races really kind of fit that

niche. You know, it's if you've got

restricted races for three-year old sprinters at 7 furlongs, you

know, which is a kind of a tweener distance.

And I think it, it, it serves its serves its purpose.

You know, the, the Raven Run drew the deeper field.

It is the better betting race than the Perryville, which has

only six horses. But both of them have some

really nice horses. I mean, like the Perryville has

the 2-3 finishers from the Allen Jerkin Stakes this summer at

Saratoga, which was, you know, a grade one for three-year olds.

And you've got the horses that were just behind the winner.

So some some good horses are definitely in competition on

Saturday. You brought up the Breeders

copies Byron King. He's from blood horse.

You can find him at bloodhorse.com.

Of course he's the author of the Derby dozen every year and of

course last year had sovereignty on top the entire way.

Good job by him. This is, you know, when you when

you talk about the Perry villain who shipped and the jerkins, for

example, you know, right before that a Breeders' Cup winner is

going to run in $150,000 allowance, a no ball, right?

And then the jerkins itself, as you point out, was a grade one.

It was only 150 more, $1000 for the purse then a grade 3A

Caitlin, right? So it's going to draw those

kinds of runners. Who did you land on in the

Perryville? I really like Captain Cook in

here. I thought he ran much improved

last time. First time running for trainer

Todd Pletcher and Todd is a Hall of Famer.

Obviously one of the best to have ever, you know, apply to

straight as a as a trainer. And I think this horse showed a

lot of improvement. He's a little fresher than

Barnes, who was third in that race.

Barnes came back and ran a somewhat flat race.

So I think he's got a a freshness edge and I think he's

on the upswing. I think they tried him.

You know, both Barnes and Captain Cook were horses that

were on the Derby trail at one point this year.

In fact, Barnes was the Kentucky Derby favorite in the middle of

the winter. You know, he he was quite

promising. People thought the world of him,

but he didn't really take the next step when they stretched

him out to two turns. And, you know, that happens with

some of them. And in the case of Captain Cook,

even though he won, you know, a Derby prep going a mile and an

eighth when he faced kind of graded competition, better

competition in those kind of longer races, he didn't really

produce. But I think maybe what he wants

to do is run these kind of middle distance races.

He's by Practical joke, who was kind of a Miller type and had

some other speed influences and his pedigree.

So I really like Captain Cook in here.

I think he's, I think he's the good.

I'm fascinated by Taylor's version, not because I'm some

kind of Swifty, but rather. Swifty you are, I know it.

He's bit on it. Closet.

There you are. I have an 8, that's right, but

coming out of an allowance at six furlongs at Churchill, the

only blemish really on the schedule or on this horse's past

performances is on debut, which I usually don't hold against a

horse. And then they tried Turf 2 back

in Ellis, I'm sure just for the condition and didn't work.

Goes out against winners last time, goes ahead and gets it

done at Churchill at six furlongs under Corey Lanner.

Who keeps them out here look sort of into mischief.

Maybe just a late bloomer here, Byron, but I that's what I'm

interested in at least. But you mentioned the two

Baffert shipping and were you surprised to see him send 3

three-year olds this year? You know, he's definitely, this

is a bit odd for him. He tends to stay put in

California more often than not. But I think some of the things

that we were talking about here, these kind of being unique races

for for three-year olds when these things are in dwindling

supply, I think caused him to do it.

He also sent some other horses earlier in the meet or one I

should say. He ran third in the Breeders

Futurity with a prospect. So, you know, he will do it on

occasion. Obviously there in California,

there's only so many races to go around and and so forth.

So I think it makes sense for both horses that he sent, and I

think that's why they're here. Byron King from Blood horse with

US maiden special in race 7. It's for two year old Phillies.

How do you handicap largely? What like top two or three

things for you when you're handicapping maiden races like

this? Well, I typically prefer horses

that have had one or two outs. And in fact, I last time out I

played Solemn Val, who's one of the horses in here.

And I thought she was going to improve a lot because she had a

troubled trip first out and she busted out on the lead and I was

counting the money and she puked late and ran third.

But you know, the life of a horse player.

But the she's one of the main contenders in here.

But I usually like those horses that have had, you know, run.

They get that experience that suits them and a lot of times

they will make a forward move and she certainly did, but it

just wasn't good enough. She ran third.

Some of these first timers, you know, one of the tips I always

give people is, you know, nowadays things have really

improved in terms of your ability to find workouts online

and you can kind of review some of these.

You can pull up the KTAS website and that stands for Kentucky

Thoroughbred Association and they have workouts that are free

that you can watch for a lot of horses in Kentucky, as well as

First TV has workouts for horses that say are breezing out in

California and sometimes in New York and Gulfstream and stuff.

So between those things, you have a lot more information that

you didn't have before, because in the old days of just looking

through workouts, you can look through and you might see a

one-on-one for five furlongs. But what does that tell you

really? If if the horse was all under an

all out drive, it's far less impressive than if the the rider

had the horse under a hold and he whipped A workmate.

So you can dig a little deeper. And then of lastly, of course,

you have to consider things like pedigree.

You know, a horse by into mischief just naturally figures

to be better than one that is from by some no name sire,

right, or I also like to look at their auction price.

Is the auction price out outside the the standard for or the

average for that particular sire?

You know, I think a lot of times that points to the horse being a

really good attractive physical, you know, and so those horses

are all the ones you want to upgrade in addition you're.

Going to stick with Solid Vow here.

We trust in Al Stahl here. Yeah, I think I want to try one

more time. Let's go all.

Right, third time let's. Just one gave it up, but you

know, what can you do, you know but does have an experience edge

here. I mean the rest of them are

first time starters so and this horse is very, very speedy.

So I just hope you know she can sustain it a little more.

There you go. When she didn't get bumped at

the start, Hopefully we'll get back to her earlier form.

Byron King with us from Blood Horse.

Do you have a quick pick, perhaps in race 8?

Is there anybody another 140,000 or what's race?

Anybody stand out on that one for you?

Well, you know, I, I kind of was intrigued a little bit by

Feisman, who breaks from the race.

I agree with kind of riding, riding a kind of a hot streak.

I kind of like it when they kind of get going and I always like,

you know, inside posts in in grass races, you know, I just

think it's a tactical edge and at 8 to 1, I think that horses

is pretty intriguing. And I would think, you know, I

just looked up the weather forecast.

We're supposed to get some rain Saturday, but I think it will be

after the card here. So hopefully this turf race will

will remain intact. I don't think the rain's

supposed to come until, you know, the the evening hours.

So hopefully all is well for the turf on Saturday at 4:44 for the

8th. There you go eighth race the

number one Theisman 8 to 1 on the morning line.

Louis size keeps the mount horse last ran at Churchill Downs over

the mile and a 16th same distance here and one and the

optional claiming level moves into the allowance level here

should be really interesting. I was talking with Ren

Carruthers on the happy hour yesterday, Byron, and she was

very unsurprised by this. Zooskar moving to the turf just

based on pedigree. But I was thinking, man, wait

till you're 4 years old to get that guy to move is always

interesting. But the Raven Run is race 9 and

it will be 7 furlongs. We talked about a $40,000 on the

line in a grade 2 for three-year old fillies in here.

And you mentioned a very, very deep field and frankly, Byron,

one that if people, you know, were watching the Kentucky Oaks

Trail, for example, they'll recognize a lot of the runners

here. They will now.

One of them, Quiet Side ran 6th. Simply Joking ran 13th in the

Kentucky Oaks. Both of them I think are horses.

Especially Quiet Side, I think is will prove to be long term a

better sprinter. I think then Router, even though

she knocked out some graded wins and routes, I think you know

everybody much like a Derby prospect, right?

You if you've got a good three-year old coach, you want

to hope that they're going to be a Kentucky Derby horse.

And sometimes they just show distance limitations.

So I think in Quiet Side's case, you know, she weakened in the in

the Kentucky Oaks. I like her coming back in a

Sprint race. I think she looks like she's got

a nice foundation of works under her and should be one of the

main contenders. I think I'd pick her third in

here. Quiet side, simply joking.

It's a little hard to read. I think for me, she's traveling

from California. She's got a change in trainer.

But I think, you know, if you're looking for a horse who's a

specialist at 7 furlongs, you know, that's Ragtime.

Ragtime won the Dogwood at Churchill Downs, was second in

the test stakes. She's only lost once, that being

in the test. So she's 3 for four and a

legitimate favorite. Kind of unique in the sense that

you think of sprinters being really these speedy, you know,

types. And she's a off the pace type

runner, but highly effective at 7 furlongs.

And then so she would be my top choice.

My long shot kind of is delightful.

Claire, who breaks from the rail, she has underachieved a

little bit in her last two, I'd say, relative to kind of what I

thought she would do. But she's reunited with Rosario,

who was aboard her when she just blitzed to maidens at Saratoga.

And I'm hopeful that maybe, you know, the return of Rosario will

bring out the best and delightful Claire.

So she's kind of my 12:50 long shot to watch for.

It's not a bad one there. We've watched the Rigney Racing

folks move up and up and up in the grated stakes there with

Phil Bauer in his barn and so I would not be stunned by that.

What do you make here? A vodka with A twist.

The 12 in this spot didn't obviously ran out of gas in that

Charlestown Oaks over the two turns there.

Came back against older horses in the TCA last out.

I thought she showed really well in that race by her and you give

her much of a shot at 12:50. You know, that's a good point

you mentioned about the TCA. She kind of, you know, it's kind

of a quiet effort because she wasn't in the top three, but she

was only beaten 2 1/4 lengths. I guess I always viewed her as a

precocious type that when time passed, other horses just kind

of surpassed her a little bit. But that last race was certainly

encouraging. I just don't think that she, at

least in my mind when I look at her, you know, she was a horse

that was second in the Breeders Cup Juvenile last year, but then

numerous other races she got beat as the favorite or one of

the favorites. And she didn't strike me as

being as progressive as as some of these other horses.

So I think I would lean in a different direction.

But at the same time, and you picked, you mentioned a 10 to

one shot. So I would I would hate to talk

to anybody off of a, you know, a potential winner at that kind of

a price. So.

Especially these three-year old races.

So it's interesting because she, as you point out, you know other

horses may have passed her development.

She ran in April last year as a 2 year old at Keeneland, right?

So we usually don't see many of those horses still performing at

a high level if they flattened out like she has.

And so it'd be interesting to see if she gets it back

tomorrow. Byron King with us from Blood

Horse. One more race to talk about.

It's race 10 maiden special on the turf.

Another 2 year old race and this is for Phillies again going a

mile. Byron Ren gave me a Patron

silver and the 75 breeding connections is her topic for

this race. Where did you land?

Wow, that's an interesting pick. That patron silver $230,000.

That's a lot of money 15. $1000 yeah.

Yeah, exactly. So that probably tells you this

horse is a is a real good looker and Kenny Mcpeak, who the

trainer there is got one of the best eyes in the game when it

comes to finding prospects at auction.

So I kind of that's that's an intriguing, intriguing angle on

that front there. But in terms of who I would like

in here, I wish I had a super strong opinion, but I, I guess I

might try change the brains for a little bit of grown here.

This one is trained by Doug O'Neill, who trained the sire

Nyquist, who fans will remember of course won the Kentucky

Derby, was an undefeated 2 year old and you know, added the

Preakness as well. So this horse was fourth on

debut at Kentucky Down. So just kind of like what we

were talking about, you know, you get that run under, you get

that needed experience. I can't see why this horse

wouldn't necessarily stretch out effectively.

So I think off that, as we all know, those persons down at

Kentucky Downs were were crazy, crazy rich.

And so that that drew some real talented runners in there.

So I I would definitely lean toward Kentucky Downs runners in

these maiden races on the turf, especially if they figure to,

you know, improve with an out. So I'm leaning in that way.

I know there were some some issues with timing and different

things in the Kentucky Downs meet Byron.

But I got to say the surface just I've gone for several years

now to do some shows down there and with the irrigation system

they have installed now, I think horses are coming out of there

more like they would out of a, you know, a run over a flat

surface. And so I think that's been real

encouraging and a real positive for the for the circuit here in

Kentucky. Yeah, I mean, I, I tell you

what, what I most like about the Kentucky Downs meet this year

was the TV improving so much. I mean, in the old days, yeah.

I mean, in the old days, you had no idea kind of what was

happening during a race because of the unique layout.

I mean, for those that are unfamiliar with it, essentially

if you were to take a picture from a satellite or something,

the course kind of looks it's like a big pair, right?

So it's not this uniform course. It has hills.

You go up, you go down it it's essentially it was, it was

almost like a field that they turned into a race track, you

know? And so there be, you know, you

have 4 out of five horses, one out of five of them just might

not care for the conditions and the, the unique methods of it.

But I, I do think that perhaps what you mentioned that we might

see a little more consistency. At the same time, I think, you

know, if a horse has pretty good form and just didn't fire at

Kentucky Downs, I'm happy to give them a pass as well.

You know, just because it is so much different than every other

turf course. But I do hope that they can get,

you know, the timing in order, because people rely on timing as

a as a means to handicap their races.

And when it's kind of wonky, you know, it, it's it's tough to

tough to put that kind of a much of A handicapping emphasis on

it. So I think it always is better

when it's consistent and people understand that, you know, it

all adds up and that it's legit and, and all those things I

think will help. But one of the challenges they

have with timing is besides putting in a new system, you

know, turf course, especially in their case, they run exclusively

on the grass. So they have to move the rail

out, right. So they try to protect portions

of the course. And that changes where you place

the gate sometimes and and the precise distance and the run up

and all these other kinds of things.

So Long story short, I just. Don't pay as much attention to

the time for Kentucky Brown's race as I would somewhere I

agree, you know, Yeah. That's right.

Yeah, I know. That's exactly right.

He's Byron King, bloodhorse.com, everything he's working on at BH

under score, B King on the socials as well.

Byron, I really do appreciate you jumping on, buddy.

Are you? I never know the true answer to

these things. Are you making?

Are you part of the Blood Horse contingent for the Breeders Cup

this year? I am, I am.

I'm very privileged to be heading out to the Breeders Cup

and covering the races, so we'll be out there for, you know, the

better part of the week leading up to it, so I'm fired up.

All right, well, I will see you at the Turf Rider dinner on

Wednesday then. How about that?

Well. We'll have to do it together.

I'll let's take whatever. I have no idea.

There you go. Thank you, Byron.

There you go. All right, Byron King from Blood

horse at BH under score B King on the socials if you want to

find him, and of course, bloodhorse.com.

But easily the best resource on horse racing for whatever you

want to find. On the other end, we talk with

Lucy. What's the mood in Bloomington?

We find out.