BloodHorse Monday 2/2/26 | Nearly, Oaklawn Returns

It's the horse racing podcast with the world's most

professional introduction. It is BLOOD HORSE Monday.

His name is Shawn. I'm Louis.

Thanks for hanging out with us on Look, Man.

We are essentially at the one year mark on this program.

I made lunch for you yet again today.

We've got to be. So I took the picture I put on

Twitter, by the way, appreciate everybody that's hung out with

us for a year. If you found us more recently,

it's obviously whenever you found us.

We don't, we don't mind. We're just glad you found us on

the show. But the, the lunch thing I think

is an underrated part of the culture of this thing is that

you come over, you're kind of not aware of what lunch is going

to be. Some days it's lazier.

It's like pizza, you know, whatever.

Today was a nice deli sandwich, for example.

That was very. Good.

All right. How about that?

OK. And then we've got to be in the

neighborhood of 25 to 30 lunches that I've made for you.

No, I don't think we've gone that high.

I think it's that high. You got to remember I was also

missing for like a month. Yeah, but half the shows so.

I don't know. All right.

OK, I'll have to start doing the check.

If if you would have asked me to guess, I would have probably

guessed maybe in the 15 range. OK, all right.

So 5 less than what I described. But then.

It's a big difference between. Maybe the 15's high, I don't

know but. 15's not high. I guess we're going.

To have to keep tracking. We will have to do that.

Check it out at Blood Horse on the socials.

You can find me at Radio Louis Sean's at BH under score S

Collins if you want to go find him on the socials as well.

Thanks for hanging out with us. Early February edition of the

program means Derby preps and lots of different things.

But I thought over the weekend, Sean, you ended up stuck in

Miami for the week. That's why Sean was not in the

captain's chair here in the Blood Horse Studios, but rather

in South Florida. It's funny because anybody who

watched this show last week, I was stuck in the airport last

Monday. I finally got home yesterday.

Yesterday that's exactly took me 6 days of of planes and

different things. You're not alone in this by the

way. I mean unfortunately.

I, I got fed up enough with American Airlines by Tuesday

night that when that flight got cancelled, I was like, you know

what, I'm staying for the Holy Bowl.

And so had you got to see Hialeah Park, got to go to Palm

Meadows Training Center twice, got to go to Gulfstream for

three days, It ended up working out all.

Right. I was going to ask you, Paul

Meadows, did you enjoy it? I've heard Incredible.

Yeah, that's one spot. I've never been to Florida.

It's really. Quiet, very relaxed.

It seems like a great spot to have to have horses.

Got to see Incredible train a few days before Bully Bowl.

Not that the breeze went too well for him.

And then I've got to see Ben Tornado breezing on Saturday as

well. So yeah, it was, it was a good,

it was a good time being. There, it's one of those spots

where you're just going to see a world champion essentially

whenever you're there, right? They're all everybody was so

laid. Back and in a good mood like I

walked out like for example I saw Jorge Brayu for the first

time since what since he ran Scottish lassie in the

cotillion. We just stood there for 5

minutes catching up and laughing, joking around and

stuff. And you know, I spent spent a

lot of time at the D Angelo barn at Riley Mott's barn.

Obviously was seeing those horses as well.

So everybody is is laid back, everybody's in a good mood, you

know, kind of thing. It was everybody's talking about

how cold it was. For when it was like. 5040° for

them. I'm like, try being in Kentucky

right now, 'cause. That's exactly right.

Well, you saw a nearly pick off the Holy Bowl and frankly,

impressively, there's, there's no two ways about it, the

fractions set up this horse to be a contender, certainly at

this distance. You, you look at him.

I mean, if we're if we're getting into the, the nitty

gritty of these horses at this point, which I think of course

we should. So not this time.

So I think we're not worried about distance.

Do you have the same feeling? Yeah, I'm not worried about

distance. And I really liked how, you

know, he was up there on the pace.

They went pretty quick, 22 and 4:45 and 4:00 for the 1st 2

fractions. And he stayed on and he turned

for home and had Bravaro coming up to him and he turned him away

and still kicked on down the lane.

So I really liked that performance.

I thought, I thought it was an incredible performance.

I think he's jumped to the top of my Derby list coming out of

that. I I really, really did like his

performance this weekend and I'm excited to see what he can do

going forward as well. Yeah.

When you were down there, we get the news that Ted and off he's

off the Derby trail. What was the mood like when that

news started to spread? You know, you and I now have

been just since the start of the show in a couple spots obviously

ahead of Derby. Whenever there's a scratch, you

know, we all hear about that. It's a Pan St. stands out from

last year for sure. Obviously we're out in in

California when there's the scratch of sovereignty ahead of

the Breeders Cup Classic. I'm not saying this is at all

similar because it's not the week of and it's not whatever

else, but this wasn't There's a big scratch off the Derby trail

for sure with him. What was the mood like down

South? Yeah, it was funny.

You could you like gradually heard it, like spreading its way

around. So it's like on what was that

Thursday that he ended up scratching?

So I was at Gulfstream. I was at Gulfstream when it was

announced. You heard like maybe like one or

two people because it was toward the end of the card.

I think you heard like maybe one or two people mention it.

And then like Friday, like everybody was talking about the

track on Friday. But it was, it was a sense of

like, OK, Derby's wide open now it's like the the number one

horse did. You not feel that way before.

Personally, I. Personally felt that way, but I

could have not felt that way if he came back and just dominated

in the. Fair enough, view and.

I would have been like, all right, Yep, Like he, I felt like

it was too early to say. It wasn't wide open, but he was

also the kind of horse that if he came back and was.

Turned in that kind of performance, it would have

looked like sovereignty last year.

We all would have bought it, right?

He's the number one. And then we hope there's a

journalism somewhere and, you know, whatever else.

Yeah, for sure. Yeah.

So. But yes, but I think now it's a

guarantee that it's wide open. I think a lot of a lot of people

are like, all right, let's take the shot now.

And then, of course, Todd Pletcher comes right back with

another horse. 2 days. I guess I'll get John Velasquez.

Not a sort of, not this time. I guess that's OK, John.

Velasquez and Todd Pletcher immediately come back with with

another 5-5 to. 3/4 just to smacking people around.

That's great. I look I I'm with you on

essentially everything you said. I don't think there was anything

about Nearly's performance that would make you think that he

cannot repeat it very repeatable frankly and given the very quick

fractions upfront cannon of of course involved with that early,

early on. There's a nice horse himself.

As a fourth, Incredible does run last and it's a horse that you

had a time makings until this race.

And I'm not bringing this up to pick on you in any kind of way,

but what do you what do you make of his performance here?

What do you think the next step is for him?

Because I'll give you, for instance, if I'm savvy, Joseph

Junior, I'm putting Bravaro on the Wood Memorial Trail to get

to the Derby. I think he said he's going

fountain of you've so, but there's still time to go to the

Wood Memorial after. That I would let that horse run

an aqueduct. I've seen him run an aqueduct.

I know what I'm getting from him there.

What would you do with Incredibles at this point?

I'd take him away from Gulfstream.

I talked to Jaime Torres right after the race.

He said he didn't feel like he was getting hold of the track at

all. And that and Riley Mott I think

said the same thing as well. But he told me he's like, this

was not the same horse that I was riding last year.

And he knows him pretty well because he was, he was

exercising him in the mornings back then.

He obviously he's been at Oakland while the horse has been

in Florida. So he hadn't seen him in a

couple weeks and yeah, he he was like, this was not the same

horse that was there last year. So I would get him, I don't know

where you send him, but I'd get him away from Gulfstream for the

remainder of the prep season and see what.

There's plenty of spots like you're, I mean, you're, you're

dancing around where he can go. But I mean, he can absolutely

try Keeneland for bluegrass. He could absolutely go.

I mean if they think. He likes Churchills.

Yeah, just. Need to get him there.

Just got to get him there is exactly right.

And so I don't know if that's fairgrounds or whatever it might

be. But yeah, get him back on that

trail. Cordy Copion wins out West, One

of those you could make the case against kind of runners before

he ran the race looked really great of course out there.

Would you make of his performance?

I see something from him this year.

Yeah, it was impressive seeing him make his way through on the

inside. He was really tight quarters

there. That final time, for how much

traffic there was in a smaller field, I mean, it was, was very

impressive, frankly. Yeah.

And 1st off the bench for him to kind of show show that, just

show the mental aspect of being able to push through that and

still come up with the come up with the victory.

We might have another horse. I, I don't know where you would

send him next. Would you be looking at maybe

the same Anita Handicap trail? Do you think he'd go straight

into that or ease into it a little bit?

But I think he's definitely one of these older horses we'll have

to watch out there in California and see see what comes of it.

Probably British Cup Dirt Mile type if he if he gets back into

that kind of form, right, that kind of thing.

By the way, do not sleep on it. Son of Into Mischief first timer

a week and a half before Justify broke his maiden in 2018.

Potente wins out West under Kazushi Kamura for Bob Baffert

and Bob's first line as soon as they've crossed the line was I

talked to Kamura. This horse wants two turns.

He looked incredibly green and still finished in 110 and

change. I look, I'm not saying I'm just

saying Potente. If we're going to add 1 late to

the Derby trail that hasn't been in steaks company, frankly even

an allowance company. I think Potente is one of those.

Yeah, he fits the bill. And we just talked about

Fletcher and Alaska is immediately getting another

horse. There's into Mischief getting

another trail. With the trail, 3 Bafferts

entered in there and then magically, 2 of them went away

before that race. And then this one just goes out,

gets up the rail. And it's like a little, little

motivation here. I think we know what we got with

is into mischief. Well, let's welcome in.

Our first guest for today's name is Don Little joins us from over

there at Centennial Farms. And I imagine he's in a pretty

good mood today. Don, how are you?

Yeah, everything's pretty good here in South Florida, even

though it's below 60°. But hey.

This is when you could just go to the golf course.

No one's working. You can just sneak on.

It's like, oh, it's under 60. Well, it's.

Definitely much better for you there than it is for us up here

in Kentucky right now with the 30°.

But well, Don, I saw you at Gulfstream on Saturday, the

whole Centennial team celebrating in the winner's

circle. Just what was that moment like,

kind of celebrating with all the different partners after that

big performance? Yeah, kudos to to Gulfstream,

actually, because it was kind of nice.

It was the last race and they brought the champagne to the

winner's circle and I'll just hang out there.

And Johnny hung out in the Centennial silks and Todd and

Tracy stayed around and it made it great.

And there were a lot of smiles. I got to tell you, it's, you

know, the first, the first sort of point race that we were in.

But the feel and the vibe and the excitement and the, the

thrill of victory, so to speak, was, was very present.

And it was a great afternoon. And kudos to the team dad put

together in 1982. That's still together today and

that in the partners that have been with us, the numerous

partners that have been with us for 10 years or longer.

Don Little junior with us, you may he mentions Don Senior

there. Centennial Farms, of course,

talk about talk about Dad, talk about that team that he put

together, who's still around and what it what were those?

You know, everybody's got a little bit of a different story

at their operation as far as those foundational principles.

What stands out from from that founding in the 80s to now?

Well, the one thing that Dad really focused on is our horse

background and the people that he put together or knew.

It was all through friends and family, if you will, through the

polo world. And you know, polo horses today,

polo ponies, you know, the foundation and the all of them

back through history were thoroughbreds.

And Dr. Carl will tell you that he was playing polo in Aiken, SC

as Dad and I were in the spring. And Dad went to Steve and said,

listen, there's this guy by the name of Kat Campbell from

Dogwood Stables. He's been bugging the hell out

of me. And I just decided let's go do

something on my own. And they went to one of the

horses of Racing Age Sales at Belmont way back in 1982.

And here we are. But it was, you know, again, it

goes back to the, the type of people, they were horse people,

they grew up around it, they competed in it.

They, they were born into it. So it's, and then we've sort of

held that tradition. Dr. Carr, who I mentioned is a

veterinarian in his practice, an Achen took care of multiple Hall

of Fame horses 4 ago. Secretariat to name a few was,

you know, Paul Mellon and Neil Howard and Mac Miller, you know,

he was an Achen taking care of those horses and and I just

didn't want to get in the investment business, which was

dad's name business since I played polo as a professional

for many, many years and throughout the world.

And this was my passion, the horse.

And when I decided in 1990 to make it a real business or

whatever, he actually, my father said, are you crazy?

This is really hard. And he was right.

Yeah, right. He was right.

Yeah. He.

Was denied, you know, but again, if you're if you're if you're

winning at A at a Major League Baseball All Star average,

you're still pretty darn good. You know, you're at 20 something

percent. You're you're damn good at it.

And so it's been it's been great.

And my my oldest son, Donald the third is working with us now on

getting the next generation, if you will.

So all is good. Lovett Don Little junior with us

from Centennial Farms. I got to ask you because if you

go to your your resume, we call it Equibase around here, there

are plenty of plenty of Grade 1 winners in there, Met mile

winners, those kinds of horses. You win a Grade 3 over the

weekend and it's on the Derby Trail.

Does that one hit a little different than some of those

other races because it's on the Derby Trail?

I kind of have to play it down, to be honest with you.

I mean, yeah, it was exciting. It was great.

And you know, it's I'm fortunate about what happened to Ted and

you know, Todd's operation. And so we kind of came, came

into focus in my opinion a little bit soon, but we're here.

And it was a great three. You know, it was his first time

around 2 turns. There were a question mark still

and but it was pretty exciting, I have to say, and and more more

exciting. And, and people, people ask me

and when I, when I made a comment at a partner dinner

after we'd won the Jockey Club Gold Cup with Antiquarian last

summer, it said everybody in my son's even said, Dad, you, you

didn't even look at the horse cross of the finish line.

All you did was look at every single partner with a big smile

on their face. And to me, that's the

gratification, to be honest with you, because it is, it's a sport

that creates memories and those are type of memories.

Even though it was a great three, people will remember that

and they'll talk about that. And, and that's the key thing of

this sport. And there aren't any

professional sports. It's changing a little bit that

can offer that to people at a modest level to be at the top of

the game. Well, tell us just a little bit

about this horse. Nearly you guys picked him up at

the at the Keeneland September Yearling sale.

What did you guys see in him then?

What point did you start thinking, alright, this could be

a Derby trail horse And you mentioned there were there were

some questions to be answered and how how did he answer those

this weekend? Well, I think again, you know,

it's that the team that we have at Doctor Carr and Paula

Parsons, who runs a farm in Middleburg, VA, they have very

strict criteria. My discipline in this whole

thing is, you know, there aren't many horses that they put on the

keeper list that I'm, I would second guess by any means.

My discipline is when I stopped raising my hand, you know, that

that, but that's a discipline too, that you got to be aware

of. And but he just had, you know,

as my father used to call it, the look of eagles, had a great

presence, great walk, big hip, big shoulder, nice length of

stride. And I sort of, I do look at the

horses, look at them in the eye, so to speak, and see where he's

looking, how he's, you know, taking in his surroundings and

things like that. And not this time was just on

the bubble of becoming quite a popular stallion.

So, you know, we snuck in at the right time.

We've bought horses first crops of stallions going back to

Fabiano Danzig private account, you know, to help those

stallions careers. Not that nearly is going to make

a big difference and not this time's popularity because he's

got so many of them now, which kudos to the Laos family and

TaylorMade. It's it's you know, but we got

in early, so to speak. And the coolest thing about him

is he wasn't the 1st 2 year old that we sent to Todd.

I think it was the third of third one.

So he got to Todd in Saratoga, but he just looks like something

was there. You know, those are the things

you can't quite explain. But he did everything right

meant. And I think the biggest thing is

the mental attitude. You know, he just did everything

and wanted to train and he we find it was better.

We find that with a lot of them, not these this times, right,

That they're, they're pretty professional.

Seems like he's following in that attack, yeah.

Oh, he's and he's and he's a fighter.

I mean, that's the bottom line. He got slammed like you in his

second in his, you know, second win coming out of the gate and

his allowance before this race and then the breeze before but

before the week before the holy bull, he breathes with class

president and the same thing, you know, class president was on

the outside. He kind of got his head in front

of him a little bit, nearly just pinned his ears and said not

that Hey, buddy. And then just went, you know,

went off we go. I think, yeah, no, he's awesome.

I think I got to ask about an Aquarian.

Is that all right? Can we do that?

Great one winners around here. OK, let's do that.

Dodd in that class last year to have him win the Jockey Club

Gold Cup. And I and I appreciate the story

about, you know, getting to celebrate with the partners and

having that moment with them. I mean, just winning against

that field, though, I mean, come on.

It's as good as it gets. Yeah, that one, it's funny.

I was more nervous in Nearly's Allowance race before the Holy

Bull than I was at an Aquarian Jockey Gold Cup because you

know, Saratoga, I'm there daily and you see the horse train and

he was just so on it, if you will.

And it been training so well since the Suburban.

And yes, there was some misfortune at the start, of

course, but that was his day and he was going to and he and he

showed it. And I don't think he wasn't

going to get beat that day no matter what.

And you know, unfortunately, you don't like the track.

It's it's Delmar. And we gave him a two months

rest at the farm in Middleburg, VA, And he's back had a nice

breeze this weekend. And again, look forward to

getting him back in the entry sometime April, something like

that. Yeah, he's a son of

Preservationist, another top horse for you guys as well.

Won the Woodward Stakes and Suburban Stakes back in 2019.

Just how exciting is it to have a son of one of your top horses

now also being one of your top horses?

And people say, well, what's your best horse or what you're

most exciting? I said Rubiano on Steve Dick's

show this morning. But I have to say that an

Aquarian's not too far behind because he doesn't quite have

the Corinthian record or. You know, Colonial Affair from

the Belmont or things like that, but having a son of a Grade 1

winner of that you also campaigned.

It's pretty unique and it's very rare in this business.

And we are one of the first, if not the only owner, individual

owner to campaign a Grade 1 winner and a Grade one son.

You'll have different partnership groups like maybe

Stone St. and Spendthrift or something like that.

But actual individual list owner, we're one of the.

We might be the only one if I got to look something.

So I got to know with antiquarian a horse like that.

Talk us through the process of deciding to run him again this

year as a 5 year old. Was there any thought, Hey, he's

got his grade one, we tried the Breeders Cup.

Let's send him to stud, you know, to have him, you know,

start his next career was it was the plan, you know, kind of

regardless of what happened to run him as a 5 year old.

Yes, we had that plan right from right middle of last year.

We were going to run him this year, you know, provided

everything came out well and he's fine.

And you know, it's, it's preservation himself.

You know, you I, you talk about patients in this game, which is

not not emphasized enough in my opinion.

It's his dad won his grade one when he was 6 and all of our

best horses, Colonial Affair when he won the Jockey Club Gold

Cup in the Whitney. You know he was a 5 year old

Rubiano, excuse me for you Rubiano, best years versus A5

year old. So you know, we want to keep

we're a racing stable. Yes, we have produced 15

stallions over the years to go to different markets, but we're

a racing stable and people want to have action.

And if we have a horse that's sound and ready to roll, you

know, let's let's keep the legacy going and hopefully keep

a name. Name Guy.

Exactly. Let's.

Racing stable. Let's go.

Come on, get after Josh. Let's get the fans rolling, you

know? This is a racing pod.

You want to talk to Olivia Newman?

That's fine. You want to talk breeding with

Olivia? We'll talk racing on this

podcast very soon. Signals as well.

Yeah, though. Keep them in the entries.

For a few years. So you can create a fan base,

you know, I mean, the, the yes, there is a risk reward in all of

everything that that do. But you know, and being from New

England, it's it's, you know, sports is a quite a tradition, I

must say. And you know, we want to keep

the racing game alive in New England too.

So do we, can we get a commitment here that no matter

what happens with nearly in the Triple Crown, he'll be back as a

four year old? There it is right now, but if

it's possible, the. Answer absolutely.

Racing stable? Well well.

Jumping back to Nearly, you mentioned your success with

Colonial Affair back in the Belmont Stakes in 1993.

You've been part of the Triple Crown before.

You've won a Triple Crown race before.

As you look ahead to what's in Nearly's path, what can we

expect to see from him moving forward if he's going to be

successful? You know, again, it's it's the

the team that's together are horse people.

We do what's right for him. Is the Derby the ultimate goal?

I can honestly say it would be great, but that's not the be all

end all. The goal here is to is to

campaign a Grade One horse as long as we can and it doesn't

have to include the Kentucky Derby to build equity in a

horse. You don't have to win the Derby.

I mean that's just a proven fact.

You can see yes, it helps you in the beginning.

A lot of the horses that have competed in the Derby and been

successful and won the Derby have not gone on to be great,

great stallions. I mean, you just look at the

history and our goal is to create good stallions.

And if we, I mean, I, I would I be upset if we didn't get the

Derby but won the Travers? No, I would not.

I mean, that's, that's one we haven't quite conquered yet.

Wicked Swimming was a nose away, but you know, that's that one's.

That one's almost more of a dream to check that one off 1st.

But. You know, I think if we were, if

we get to the Florida Derby, which we're hopeful we will and

that's the plan, he'd have to run big, he'd have to win or run

a very good 2nd and we're not going to go in the Derby if

we're twenty 19th or 20th in points.

I just it's it's doesn't benefit the horse or the future of his

stud value to do something that if you don't really belong

there. And I think we're all on the

same page there. But if he makes it and wins it.

That's a different story. If he, if he wins, if he wins by

5 like he did in the Holy Bowl and he's the number one point

getter. I I think that's a pretty,

pretty solid decision that we'll be going.

But you know, he's been dominant and he's been a pretty, I'm not

surprised. We knew he had it.

The first race was a surprise, to be honest with you.

I walked into the off of Todd's office at at Delmar on the

Monday after nearly his first race.

I was actually on the at the airport in Boston, getting on a

plane to California and Todd looked at me and the next

morning, So what happened to our horse and I, me, I was on an

airport. I don't know.

You're the trainer and this and that.

But he didn't he didn't have any, you know, it was a real

head scratcher. And you know, certain horses

just take, you know, he didn't quite have what he wanted the

first race and came back and because he was training like a

pro and he's still trains like a pro and he's he's he could be

special. Let's say that I'm not going to

go out of the hall, the way up, but he could be very special.

We're assuming he came out well. Is the Fountain of youth the the

next target? We will skip the font interview,

but OK, we're going to go right to the Florida Derby would be

the plan. All right, there you go.

Well, he's Don Little Junior. You got one more.

I got one more let's. Go.

You. Mentioned this is a question

podcast, not a listening podcast.

Yes, yes, the Patriots. Will win the Super Bowl.

That was the question. That was actually what the

question was I was going to ask you about the Patriots since you

entered New England. Such a such a down couple of

years, right? Oh, it's got to be so long since

you guys had a good team, right? Yeah, you.

You voted in 2019. We haven't been in.

It's only been six years so far, Yeah.

And there are second graders out there that are Patriots fans

that have never seen their team in the Super.

Bowl these poor 7 year olds. I'll tell you these

long-suffering 7 year olds. Yeah, that's exactly.

Right. And having the Bruins probably

make the playoffs again this year and and the Celtics make

the playoffs this year and, and the Red Sox made the playoffs

last year just. It's awful for him.

Luckily, Boston College stinks of basketball.

We'll talk to you later. Thank you.

Oh, man, Don. Little Judy from Centennial.

We appreciate him joining us here on Blood Horse Monday.

We'll save trips for everybody. Don.

Don, don't be a stranger. Hopefully we've got plenty of

occasion to interview you in the near future.

I look forward to it. I'll come in the studio in

person if I have to. What about that studio talk?

There you go, Don. Little we'll have to go find a

third chair. Yeah, we'll have to get.

A third chair get the right great people involved.

Well, Don, appreciate you very much.

Thank you. Thanks.

Guys, there you go, Don Little with us from Centennial Calm

Junior, because the third's already involved.

How about that family, OP? The The longer I'm in horse

racing, the longer I understand why it's the kids of horsemen

who stay in the longest. Yeah, right.

Because you're, you're the weirdo, right?

You're the one who's like, I'll be at the bar at 4:30.

I don't care. Good to go.

The average human being is like, I'm not getting up at 4:00 when

it's -5 out. Like I'm not doing that.

And horse people are like, TRA La La la.

Let's get to a check. Like it's great.

Of course I'm going in. Yeah, what are we doing here?

Yeah, it's exactly right. I got to go see an Aquarion

right now. The oh man, it's the good stuff,

dude. We're racing stable.

I just love that quote. It's as good as it gets.

If I, by the way, if I'm, if I'm his media, you know, his

marketing person, That's what you get at the top of

centennialfarms.com. We're a racing stable.

That's what I would put. Yes, I know, but.

Like look seriously, like how many people have we had should

do that? How many people have we seen in

the past had a horse like an aquarium?

He wins. A Grade 1, they're like, that's

it, we're done. Feel like we just saw it.

But the decision was made early on.

Yeah, he's coming back. Fantastic.

Fantastic. And by the way, I agree with Don

on that day. An aquarium was always winning

that race. The the start it's over.

That is so overblown about how an aquarium ran that day.

He was the best horse on the day period conversation over that

one was very easy to me, so I didn't I didn't bet it right,

but it he was the best horse on that day for sure.

That's a different Those are different parts of the

conversation. Yes, I'm excited to see him come

back. Don alluded to it.

He had his second work back this year, I think yesterday.

So he's starting to get starting to get going, starting to get

himself into shape for the year. Obviously we've we've lost a

portion of that class with Sierra Leone and fierceness

retiring. Obviously we're still forever

young out there, but we won't see him till November.

So he's going to be one of these big players from the older

horses that will still be here throughout the summer tackling,

you know, sovereignty, tackling journalism as they're coming on

board here. The other, the other part of it

is when we talk about the older horses coming back, we talk

about the three to four. Yeah, we don't talk about the

four to five as much. We see the horses like a

journalism, you know, a sovereignty, etcetera that are

in those Triple Crown races. We get by as a whatever, we get

used to them. We see them over and over on

those big stages of those 3 year old races.

And then we go, oh good, they're back for the four year old

races. What what about the four year

old who wins a Grade 1 and they're like, Oh yeah, we're

always coming back. Yeah, that's what I'm talking.

About and don't forget how I mean this, this horse was in the

Belmont in in his three-year old season as well.

So this is a horse that has been, you know, well thought of

for a long time. And so to see him, he's now

going to have the opportunity in some of these New York races.

We'll see where sovereignty ends up surfacing.

But I mean, you got to think he's if you include sovereignty,

he's got to be top three at least older horses that are in

New York, maybe even top two him and sovereignty being being in

that range right now. So he's going to be he's going

to be someone to be heard of. And as I mentioned earlier in

the show, as far as nearly as concerned as very impressed with

his performance and I'm excited to see, excited to see what he

does going forward. But I also like now everybody

who watch or listens to this show knows that I'm a huge Derby

super fan. I was going to say, did Don

break your heart by talking about being OK with winning the

traverse? Slightly, but I do like I do.

OK. Can I ask a different question

then? OK, So by the way, we're going

to talk with Matt Dennerman from Oakland Park.

Up next the the your Derby love. OK.

But him talking about the Travers, did that change at all

for you, having spent a summer at Saratoga now, like, do you

understand, Don a little more? I understand it because he's

from New England. Travers is kind of the so I can

give, I can give him the pass today, you know, but I do like

the, you know, it's one of those things like for me, if I once I

start owning resources. Obviously.

Obviously the Derby's going to be my number one race, but like

the Haskell is going to outrank a lot of.

I get races for me because that's the first one I ever went

to in person. And So what?

You know, winning the Haskell is a dream for me as well.

But but. I love that you were just what I

was going to say. What I was going to say was I do

even. Though.

Even though I do, but even though I, you know, I love the

Derby, I did like hearing him say like, you know, if we're 19

for 20, if I'm the point. Yeah, it's interesting.

Why? Why throw yourself in there so?

Interesting. Let's kind of back off, let's

let him keep developing and not put the stress of being in the

Derby on him, and then we'll be ready for these summer races.

So as those horses go through the Triple Crown, they come out

of it. He's more developed.

He's ready to go when you get. You go straight to the Preakness

or something and you you know it's going to be a 789 horse

field, something like that, and you know what you're getting.

You still got a mile and 1/4 for the bailout this year.

You don't worry. About that, Part 2 and your base

at Saratoga is an operation. I mean, like, yeah, absolutely.

So, so I, I did, I did appreciate hearing that, you

know, the even though if I was in his shoes, if we're 21st in

the Derby, we're still entering and going to try to be rich

strike in my opinion. It's also one thing in on

February 2nd to tell a podcast that if you're 19th in the Derby

standings, you're not going. Then March 2nd, it's just.

Different, but but I do I do appreciate that kind of outlook

though, for sure. And that's something that, you

know, continues. That's something that is needed

to keep the Preakness of Belmont and the other races down the

line interesting throughout the years to have the horses that

weren't in the earlier races that are popping up later on

throughout the year. So I do like that kind of

mindset of, you know, we're not going to try to obviously if he

ends up winning the Florida Derby, we're going to be there.

But if he doesn't, we're sitting on that point bubble.

We're we're going to sit out. We're going to wait and see what

what can come from him going forward and we're going to make

sure that he has a nice long career.

You mentioned the Haskell. Do you know who calls the

Haskell? Oh.

Gee, who is that? Who calls the Haskell?

Let's go find him. Stays bad dinner, man.

He joins us. I'll call the Haskell anytime

soon. He's going to be calling the

Southwest instead this week because of weather and all of

the things. Matt and I were slated to talk

Wednesday and then within about 90 minutes of us setting up our

appointment on Tuesday, the weather gods decided they were

not going to run there in Hot Springs.

It looks like, judging by the cabinetry that mark that marked

that Matt is back in Arkansas. I combined Matt in Arkansas.

That's a bad job by me. Mr. Dinnerman, how are you?

I'm well Louis, Sean, how are you guys doing?

We're. Doing.

OK, I apologize for Louis being. Unable to.

Speak here at the start of this. A little too excited by the

South. I love hearing what you guys

have to say. It's it's entertainment for

free. There you are.

You didn't scare him off by calling him Mark so.

There it is yes Mark and saw with us here from guys he's been

called a lot worse by a lot better.

You understand me? So there you are.

Since we've. Brought it up.

Are we talking? Are we have any early early

thoughts on the Haskell? Any anybody looking good to you?

Yeah, I'm hoping Ted Nafi can make it there.

Maybe he might be, you know, if he if he can get better, who

knows? But yeah.

Fantastic, yeah, Start the debate now on the gym dandy for

two ways. To go to the Haskell, I'm not

just enjoying my. You know.

Southern winter right now. How are conditions are you guys

you guys looking good for for the weekend?

So probably about 5 minutes ago, horses have finally gotten back

on the track. We start training at 1:30 today.

We'll see a normal morning training schedule moving

forward. I would imagine if if not

tomorrow than the following day, but I would think so tomorrow

actually Southwest Day is on Friday and we are expecting a

high of 70°. It will be sunny.

So I think that I brought some of that California, Florida

weather. I've been traveling around a

little bit, brought that back here and it took a little while

to kick in. I don't want to give myself too

much credit, but it looks like this week we are in for very

good conditions. So that's an exciting thing and

we're all chomping at the bit over here.

Ready to get done with this breaking back to Racing I.

Was going to say, and Matt Dennerman with us calls races

there at Oaklawn along with Monmouth, but Oaklawn is what

we're talking about, Sean, The, the, the break.

Obviously Oaklawn making some changes to its schedule in

recent years and to its calendar, I should say.

How did horsemen take that? And getting back to things, how

how's the how have things been received?

I think it's been received OK. I mean the, the horsemen's

Commission, they, they approved this change to have a break.

I know plenty of horsemen wanted to go to four days a week.

We there are numerous factors as to why we didn't go to four days

a week the whole way through. We kept the December meet, we

went three days a week. We're taking this break and then

we're going to go to four. We can actually only run, I

believe it's 68 days based on the law written running that a

year race dates. We could probably figure out a

way to get that changed. But we like to keep this as

boutique as possible. We like to keep the purses up.

And the December meet was has always since we started been

very, very good for us in many different avenues, many

different reasons for for not only racing, but for the entire

plant, for Oaklawn Hotel, Casino, resort racing.

So with that in mind, all these little things, we decided to

take the break when we knew historically the weather was

going to be coldest. Usually we do cancel a few days

a year, every year. This is about the time to do it.

So we went ahead and did that and actually, you know, to a

point work for us because there was one weekend during the break

where we would not have run and now it looks like our weather is

really going in the right direction again.

So I, I think that this is going to be pretty well received and

we're going to be very busy from the next three months.

Well, the Southwest was supposed to be this past Saturday.

That was one of the OR that was the weekend that got bumped over

to this. You mentioned it's going to be

on Friday. They brought back the same card.

We had fourteen horses that had entered in the Southwest.

Have you heard of any, any changes anybody that because of

the change in date that we won't be seeing this weekend or at

least at this point, does it look like we're going to have

the full field intact? I haven't heard anything.

I've heard little whispers here and there that maybe I've heard

that maybe Liberty National might wait for the Risen Star.

I haven't gotten that confirmed, but I've heard that's a

possibility. Not 100% certainty, it's a

possibility there. There's whispers that Baffert

you know he's got butane and litmus test.

Possibly he only runs one but I haven't gotten any confirmation

yet. I would.

I hope that we can keep the 14, but even if we lose a few to

scratches it'll still be a very good race nonetheless.

If I hear anything I'll make sure to tweet it out.

I haven't heard anything definitive as of yet.

Remind me 14 is an acceptable starting gate for you guys that

there's no way he's there? Yeah.

Say that again. So you can start, you can start

14 in your regular gate there, yeah.

We can, yeah. So we can run up to 14 in stakes

races, but anything else we do, the 12 and then two 80s, we got

plenty of those as well throughout the week.

So, but we will fit all 14 if they all delegate to run.

Absolutely. And we've done it.

Plenty of times before. What does it say?

Obviously Oak Lawn has been one of one of the premier places in

the winter over the last couple years.

The first money there has been fantastic.

The Derby Trail there has been producing as well.

What does it say about Oaklawn that we are at the Southwest

Stakes and we have a full field of 14 entrance trying to get on

the Derby Trail? Well, I think it says that first

and foremost, our horsemen are very eager to participate.

Our, the owners want to run here, so big time.

Kudos to them. I mean, we still have to get the

horses. Our racing office led by Pat

Pope, who's a phenomenal racing secretary.

He's, I mean, as good of a racing secretary as I've ever

seen him and his team do a really good job, top job.

But it also goes to show that when the environment's good,

when you put up the money to where people are going to be

interested in running, all these things sort of parlay into a

good product. So as we've talked about, it's a

cycle when it comes to race tracks doing well or not doing

well. The cycle really has gone well

for us here at Oakland. At this point, the management,

you know, you, you look at the history and you realize that

there were some significant changes over the last, I'd say 5

to 10 years that needed to be made in order to improve the

product. They've made those changes and

and the benefits have been shown through the product.

And obviously, like I talked about things being a cycle and

the products good, you're going to get more handle because more

people are going to be interested, more horses are

going to come. It's just a.

Giant Cycle and obviously they've made some very, very

sharp business decisions here in Arkansas to make sure that horse

racing is thriving. So it takes a team effort.

We have a great team. I've worked with a lot of great

people at Oak Lawn. And it also goes to show I I see

horsemen, they are not training, training, training, training.

They're willing to enter in the enter box, which is is very

important. Matt tweeted out the other day

at 3 Colts handicap. By the way, if you've not

followed Matt on Twitter about Sandman drawing it the rail in

his 2026 debut in a other four other than allowance.

OK. And if you want to know Pat Pope

and what you're able to do when Matt all the conditions he just

described good condition in the book, right amount of money and

you know a track that people want to be at.

Here's the field for an allowance.

Sandman Sand Cyro Catching Freedom.

Who's in the old trifecta? The Preakness Winamac Ave.

Classic Car wash track. Phantom Echo again?

Sir Russell or King Russell? Excuse me?

And Sir Grayland? That's an allowance race, folks.

4 Kentucky Derby. Alumni in that race, but Matt,

let's say that I was going to say and Matt, you know it.

I mean, that's, that speaks to, you know, I've talked to

trainers before and they always say things like just keep it

simple, like just non 3 lifers, like whatever you got to do,

just give me the simplest sort of thing.

But when you can get creative like this as well because you've

got the right population, it speaks to what Oakland's doing

and how well it's going. Absolutely.

And that's one thing about Pat and how amazing he does with the

condition. But he gets very creative with

these conditions. And I think that's something

that we, I, I mean, obviously we, we've seen the ratings deal

where Futrax have implemented that.

We need to think outside the box more as a business.

And in order to do that, we can't write condition books like

we did 30-40 years ago in my opinion.

And Pat does not do that. He gets creative and I think we

see that part of the reason the product is so good here is

because of a, the fact that the conditions are different,

they're unique. I mean, obviously we get plenty

of regular types of conditions, but we get conditions like these

and that allows us to be able to run not only more horses, but

horses of different quality. I mean, we run horses for a

$10,000 and we run states races, so and we're at a premier meet.

But we can get big fields and good quality and get a chance

for a bunch of different types of businesses.

We talk about trainers and small businesses.

Some trainers are not going to run against Bob Baffert, Brad

Cox, Kenny Mcpeak, Steve Asmussen, although Steve will

run at any level. But we can get courses from

Remington, Prairie Meadows, Texas, and they can come here

and they can make money and they can be competitive.

Well, looking at this field in the southwest, we'll see whether

or not both Bafferts run or not, or which one does end up

running. But aside from the Bafferts,

some of the top horses that we have in this race are ones that

you're familiar with calling there.

I wanted to ask about the code breaking out of Post 2 here.

He was an impressive debut winner there at Oaklawn.

Just what are your thoughts on him taking this step up in

class? He's always been a very talented

horse. He showed it in the mornings

very early. We have Oaklawn workout videos.

I've watched a few of his works on there before his first race

he had, he had a couple of good ones, one that didn't really

scream off the page to me and he's sort of an in and outer in

the mornings in that way. I've seen him work brilliantly

and I've seen him where he just went OK, he looked OK, but his

work before his first race out of the gate was super, super

sharp. He looked like he was the one to

be going into that race based on that work.

He touted himself in the morning and he showed it.

His pedigree does not indicate that he's going to be a class

distance horse. Good news though, you don't have

to be to win the Southwest. You just got to go a mile and a

16th. I think talent is there to be

good and be a very effective stakes type of horse.

I question whether he wants to go this far.

I feel like my my brain is telling me that he is probably

better suited at one turn, but we're going to find out.

So a very talented horse. I would imagine they're going to

put him close to the pace. When he ran in his first race,

he seemed very ratable and he seemed very relaxed and he

seemed easy to ride and very push button.

So that's going to be a big positive heading into the two

turn race here. Just second time out.

He seems like he has a good mind.

Again, talents there. I personally, as a handicapper,

question whether he wants to do this going a mile on a 16th and

even if he can get the distance, if he's going to be able to be

as good as he was sprinting. It's a lot to ask of him in my

opinion. But I also understand, hey,

you're chasing Derby dreams here.

You got a colt with a very promising future, $1,000,000 up

for grabs. Take a shot.

I understand that 100%. And then Strategic risk is

coming out of that win in the Smarty Jones Stakes, the first

stop on Oak Lawns Road to the Kentucky Derby.

Can you keep it rolling? Can you do it again here in the

Southwest? I think he's got a good chance.

I mean, this horse here, what I've really liked about his last

couple of races is the kick. He's shown.

Here's a real nice burst. He's not a grinder.

I mean, this horse is sort of, you know, put him in a stocking

position. He's got tactical speed, He's

got the best possible running style that a horse can have.

Pretty much put him anywhere. But he's naturally quick enough

in a route to place himself stocking.

And once you push the go button on him, he just appears to

respond instantaneously and he appears to do it pretty easily

with a nice burst. So I like that.

I think the last race, I don't know who he beat that day.

And on top of that, he was close to a slow pace.

They went 24 and change, 49 and change, not fast at all.

Going a mile and a 16 or a mile in the Smarty Jones and this

horse still got the perfect trip.

He sat right off a big long shot.

He wasn't going to win no matter how easy of a lead he got.

This time around, there's going to be more pace, better quality.

So this will, I think this will tell us more about whether he's

legit, whether he's a legit Derby horse or maybe he's just

second tier. We're going to find out in this

race. I think he definitely could do

it, but I do think he's going to have to work very much harder

this time. Matt Derriman with us from down

there at Oaklawn Park ahead of the Southwest Stakes.

We'll talk about Nitrogen's return.

The Bioco in just a second. Matt, I'll quick a quick buy or

sell here. Decode will be one of the two

favorites at post time, or Rancho Santa Fe will actually be

15 to 1. I think, I think, I think, well,

I think Dakota will probably be one of the favorites because.

Of that number. Because of that number, he got a

big number, the most impressive maiden with the fastest maiden

win. I think it was the fat faster

than Cornucopian's maiden win at Oak Lawn and Rebel Day last

year. And we know how good he is.

We saw that this weekend. So I think Decode will get bad.

I think Luis Saez getting aboard for the first time is going to

keep those odds down. And I think Rancho Santa Fe,

although last time tactically maybe you saw what I did, he, I

don't think tactically they put him in the right spot at all.

It was a speed favoring track. Most of the meet in December was

it was a very fair track. But this particular weekend, the

last couple few days of the meet did tend to play towards speed.

They put him dead last. He was keen.

They were holding them. They went 24 and change 49.

He was outside. He didn't save any ground.

I mean, from a tactics perspective, it was just, it

wasn't a good trip. It wasn't the right trip.

And you get Flavian Pratt aboard.

Now, I don't know if that was by design to try to rate them or

just that was an error on, on somebody's part to decide that.

But I also feel like Rancho Santa Fe, I, I think Brad, he's

running his better horses in Florida.

And I think sort of the the the make up is off that although

this horse is decent enough, he may not be at the level that

some of the better Brad Cox horses are and maybe that'll

keep his odds up. Matt, you'll also get to watch

nitrogen break from the outside against another great field in

the grade 3 by a Co. You all have put up a a quarter

1,000,000 bucks for this one. How about that royal palace in

here, pain noir quiet side in just my heels, really, really

nice field here. You talk about those conditions.

You put up enough of a check. Even the Eclipse winners show up

at your place. Yeah, I mean, we saw Torpedo

Anna last year, right? We're on a couple races here.

It's just a total treat to be able to see her on track and in

the car in in, in my experience, obviously nitrogen, you know,

she comes off a really good 2025.

Obviously she's an Eclipse Award winner.

She started her career on grass. They moved it to dirt because

she was so impressive in an off the turf race at Saratoga and

she won the Alabama second in the Breeders Cup.

I think if you try to beat her in a race like this, it's

probably now, but she sure looks like she's just better than

these in here and if she's 8590% she should be ready.

I will say though, that horses here for the last 9-10 days or

so, they haven't been going out on the track.

So it'll be interesting off a layoff.

I, I actually think, in fact, I know Mark Cassie was leaning

towards waiting to the next race before running her in the Apple

Blossom. There's a three race series.

This is the first of the three races.

But he looked at her and he saw that her condition was pretty

darn good and a lot more. She was a lot more condition

than maybe he thought she would have been off the brake that he

took or she took at his farm. So he said, you know what, she's

ready. Let's run her in the by AKOA.

So it'll be very interesting with that in mind to see how fit

she is again. She sort of lost a workout

because we didn't train on the track for 910 days due to the

weather. A lot of trainers, they did shed

row. They jog even maybe a little

gallops in the shed row. We have a equisizer wheel that

horses can jog on as well, so maybe that helped her keep her

fitness. Again, I don't think she needs

to be 100% to beat this field here, but it will be

interesting. Maybe I'm just a making a story

that isn't relevant. I don't know, maybe I'm

overthinking it, but awful layoff.

I I think horses that don't have training, I think those are the

ones that could be impacted the most.

So we'll see. Matt's hoping he gets to call an

upset here as well. Another Philly that.

It's going to be paid water. Another Philly you probably know

pretty well here is running in the Martha Washington Stakes and

counting stars. She won two stakes races at

Oaklawn in December over I think a 13 day period.

She's 5:00 to 2:00 second choice here on the morning line for the

Martha Washington, the hit parade being the favorite and

there for Brad Cox. Just what do you think of that

field? Can counting stars keep the

Oakland momentum going, or? Does Brad have good 3 year old

Philly runners in Arkansas? He does.

I mean, with Brad, the thing about him is it seems like if

his horses are stabled here, they're sort of his C string.

But if they ship in, they're a little more talented.

That's just the last couple years that I've been here And

and hey, Brad will run his very good horses here, but usually

he'll train them either in Florida at the fairgrounds.

That's what I've noticed the last couple years.

So hit parade certainly one that's probably one of his

better three-year old Phillies. But I like counting stars in the

Martha Washington. I just thought her last race

couldn't have been more impressive.

She was Wheeling back in 13 days, never routed before and

just blew the doors off her competition and she always sort

of looked like a Philly. Just physically she was a little

bit on the leaner side. She's not built like a sprinter,

even though she can't Sprint, obviously.

I always thought she'd like routing based on her build,

based on the way she ran and she just toyed with her competition

last time. This is a tougher field, but I

think counting stars is going to be ready to roll.

And On the contrary, with nitrogen counting stars, like I

said, she wheeled back in 13 days.

She won two races in a span of 13 days.

I actually think the brake isn't going to hurt her at all.

I, I think it could actually help a runner like her maybe get

a little bit of that hard conditioning edge off a little

bit, taking a little bit on the lighter side.

So I think Counting Stars is going to be fresh now.

She's going to be ready to run a really good race and stamp

herself as a major player on the Kentucky Oaks trail.

I believe that. All right, Matt, we'll get you

out of here on this. I don't want to share any of our

private conversations, but I know how much you enjoy calling

races and being around the culture there in Arkansas.

If someone hasn't been to Oaklawn before, what would be

the the 32nd elevator pitch to get him to Oaklawn?

I would say, you know what, if you're a hardcore racing fan

that goes around town, sees people with their racing forums,

have waiters talking to you about the pick fives they

played, Oaklawn's the place to be.

People celebrate racing here. I think the tracks that do the

best, like Saratoga, Keeneland, Oaklawn, there is a culture

here. It's not just about putting out

12 horse fields. Betters of course love that and

it's important. We need big fields.

We want the best possible product, but the culture itself

is what drives the local governments.

The townspeople bring generations of fans to the

track. That culture, that positive

culture, that embracing racing, celebrating racing, having a

great day at the races, that is what attracts good crowds.

And of course, with all of that comes the good product.

And I believe that Oakland has that.

In fact, I know Oakland has that.

And if you're a racing fan, you love it because you come here

and people are just having a blast and they're enjoying it.

And you, you see a type of atmosphere like a Saratoga, like

a Keeneland here. And if you like Saratoga and you

like Keeneland, I don't think I have to say any more about

whether you want to be here. Please manage your name and

three cold handicap on the socials.

Matt, appreciate you jumping on. Have a bunch of great calls this

weekend and I hate you that it's going to be 70 there.

So there you go. Yeah.

Well, you know what, we we will, we will save a hotel room of

some sort for you, Louis, if you can get out there, you might

have to pay for it, but we. We.

We will if you guys want to come out, there's nothing stopping

you other than maybe the kids or the wifey, I don't know.

That's it. Nothing.

Nothing at all. Just 4 kids and a wife.

Yeah, a little a little sneak peek.

When the show's over, I probably am going to text you because I

am thinking I'm coming down this weekend so.

OK. We're very excited about that

and. You have recording equipment.

Bring your. Recording equipment for it.

Make some videos, have a blast. I mean it's Friday, but 70° and

then nitrogen is going to be there Saturday, so by the.

Way it was the Southwest getting pushed to Friday and the

nitrogen the next day that made me look at it go you know what,

I could probably go down there for that.

See Louis and see Sean's thinking.

He's offering you a a complimentary you pay for it

hotel room. That's correct.

Yes, you can ride down with me, but.

That's. Hard.

Do you have to not be there? I've never heard that one at.

Parliamentary paid. For hotel room.

You have to pay for it. That's I will.

Pay. For the elevator.

I want to put in a shameless plug real quick.

Thursday through Sunday racing we have 11.1 horses erased all

four days, not including also eligibles.

We also, for those interested, have a handicapping contest that

we haven't had in a long time. We've got two of them on Friday.

We've got the Southwest Showdown, so the Southwest again

is on Friday this year and then Saturday we have the Oakland

Horse Players Championship. You can play online, I believe

it's Express Bet, Twin Spires. It was a on track only contest

that has been changed the past month or so, maybe even a month

and 1/2. So you can play on Twin Spires

and Express Bet and it's going to be a great time.

Great contest as well for both folks who are looking to play it

for both contests. You can go to oaklawn.com For

more information. But we will be giving out not

only cash winnings, but seats to the BCBC, the Kentucky Derby,

handicapping contest, even the NHC over in Las Vegas.

So with that in mind, contest players are going to want to

check it out and you're not going to find a better product

this weekend. He's the president of the Hot

Springs Tourism Association. His name is Matt Dennerman

joined us here on Blood Horse Monday.

Matt, we appreciate you. Good luck.

Deal with this guy. There there are duck tours here

by the way, so I don't have the key to the boat.

If you drive it around, do this I I swear.

I'm not kidding you so. How do you not hurt the?

Key to the boat with all the rubber ducks in your colleague

who? How do they not give you a key

to the duck? Oh my God, I'm going to die

because they're. They don't know what they're

doing. They don't know what they're

doing. You can.

Drive around. You can drive around on the road

and they go to these different landmarks and then it, the the

cart, the bus thing turns into a boat and you go on the water and

it's called Duck Tours. It's like a giant duck.

Yeah. I haven't been on one of those

since I was like 4 years old in Baltimore.

So I think if I do end up down there this weekend, I think Matt

and I got to. Go on one of the duck tours.

If you don't come down here, I'm going to be disappointed in you.

When Matt was at Golden Gate, we used to do, he would man, this

is years ago, but Matt would come on our show and he was like

the only track announcer that would even answer my emails at

the time, right. And Matt would come on and we

would each time he came on, we would do a segment where we

would find like the like the weirdest thing in Berkeley that

we could find in, in California in the Bay Area, right.

And the, my favorite one, Matt, I don't know if you remember,

this was the the Berkeley House of scents SCENTS.

And they even had so like you would open a jar and there was a

different smell and there were like 5000 of these or something.

OK. They had a they had an organ

that if you played a note, it shot a different perfume for

each note. This is burned in my brain.

And now the duck thing very much burned in my brain.

I. Don't even know what duck sense

smells like, but I hope they don't have one of those.

That sounds. Terrible.

We got to start looking for tickets for one of these duck

tours. I don't know when you're

available for to do. That this weekend, but we're.

Going to go do it. Well, there we go.

Well, you know what we're doing this weekend.

Check back next Monday to find out what Matt and I thought of

the. Nitrogen and Duck tour.

See you, Matt. See.

You guys later. See you, Matt.

I didn't get out there to see the Berkeley House of Scents.

It's a bad job by me. It's a bad job.

Is it still? There, I mean, Golden Gate's

not, but you can still go how to.

Imagine the city of Berkeley's still there.

Yes. Yeah, right.

Yeah, Go for the. Super Bowl this weekend and go

visit the House of Scents. I do.

I'm on the because of my radio show, the NFL sends me all their

media releases and and it's just, it's sad to think about

where my career is and these people that are on like

legitimate radio rows at places like the Super Bowl.

Like that's just not me. I'm sitting with you instead.

It's a whole thing, man. But.

You got mad dinner. I get to talk to Mad Dinnerman

and make you sandwiches I mean this is my life in media.

This is it. This is my life in media is

making you sandwiches and you getting to go to these races

while I sit at home with my kids.

I make you the sandwiches. You get to hang out with Dinner

Man and go on duck tours. I.

Sounds like a good deal to me. It's a fantastic deal for you.

I would never change it. Oh man, yeah.

I, I didn't, I didn't get enough of a fill getting stranded in

that area for an extra week. So I'm going to then go to

Oakland. My gosh, is your lady afraid of

you going to Arkansas? Just never coming back?

She's got to be right. Yeah.

She's used to it. She's very used to it at this

point. We have other Derby races to

talk about coming up. Of course, the Southwest, the

Withers is happening in New York and you know, we had.

Also on Friday by. The way on Friday, thank you.

Good, good. A reminder actually that both of

those will be running side by side.

Should be frankly, with Tofoi coming back this week as well it

looks like. This is going to be a great

weekend. It should be unbelievable.

Everybody getting back from back from being frozen away and

snowed away the last couple weeks.

Couple in here that I'm really interested in.

Obviously the Pletcher train greediness, excuse me, is very

interesting, but you know who's in here is my lotta who won that

parks race by a billion and you were there.

I'm excited. How legit is this horse?

Or is this the kind of like we're going to see this weekend?

Yeah, we'll we'll find out Friday.

We'll know. I mean, he he beat two horses in

that race. So I don't want to and they

weren't top tier horses, so I I don't want to extra, you know,

fluff him up this before this weekend.

But I mean, he coasted past them.

So like, if you're going to face two horses and win like the way

he did, that's the way to do it. I remember watching he was third

down the backstretch and went in 11 flick of the wrist from the

rider and he just right past those two and went on for I

think it was like 19 or something, 19 and change length

victory. So I'm very excited to see here.

I think I saw before the race got rescheduled, I think they

were still debating whether or not they were going to run him

in the race this weekend or if they were going to wait till the

Gotham. So I don't know if with the

extra week, I don't know whether to expect him to actually be in

the race. He was entered in the Jerome and

he scratched to run in that race at at parks instead.

So, but I'm, I'm very excited to see what he can do against

against this company in New York if he does end up going.

So hopefully, hopefully he's in the race this weekend.

Hopefully we can see what he's made of here.

Brown's got a pair in here. Chad Brown of runners as well.

Otino comes out of a mile and an eighth win in a in a maiden

special weight. He's also got schoolyard

Superman, which would be my favorite name of a Derby winner

ever, really. Schoolyard Superman.

What's? Your current.

Favorite name? I don't have one.

Well, we got to get you a favorite.

I don't think I do. I disagree.

Cannon arrow two. There you go.

There you. Go That's a good one, The

Caracas cannonball. I I like that horse a lot,

actually. Yeah, it's.

One of my favorite. He's pretty awesome, yeah.

Yeah, they named it. They made a Simpsons episode

about him. Yeah, had he not gotten, had he

not had that foot problem going into the Belmont, he probably

would have taken away some of the shine from Secretariat cause

Secretariat would have been the first Triple Crown winner in two

years. Sam is this weekend.

Should I talk to Ren Carruthers or the urban handicapper

himself, Barry Spears for that one?

Wine. Apple.

That's a good question. The Sam.

The Sam. Do not know the field yet?

Do you remember the Derby top five finisher out of the Sam

from last year? What was it?

The top five finisher in the Derby last year.

Almighty was in the same. Almighty was in the same.

That's exactly right. Last year's winner though was

John Hancock. No more time.

The year before that. We have had good horses come out

of this race, including Class Causeway, Sully Volante.

McCracken was in this race at one point a winner.

Destin ended up winning the Belmont coming out of this race

as well. Hasn't been that way.

I think we saw John Hancock last.

Year he lost the Belmont by nose.

What am I thinking? But we've had yeah, you're good.

As soon as I set it up like that, was not.

Correct. Tapper made me so much money.

That was like 12:50 or something.

I don't get it. It's like, do we know what

tappets do in the Belmont? Are we doing this together?

Yeah. Am I the only one?

Really Cool. What are those rare, those rare

moments? Has Tappet had success in the

Belmont? Who Tappet who?

I hadn't noticed only when like all of them at a mile and 1/2

his. Kids.

But Dustin won a grade one at one point.

He won the Jockey Club Gold Cup, didn't he?

No, he won a grade 2 the the mine shaft, right?

He won the marathon. Oh, the marathon, that's what.

It was, and then, yeah, he won there one in 27.

Marathon, not the mine shaft, Yeah. 3rd in the gym Dandy,

second in the Belmont, 6 in the Derby he was second.

He won the Tampa Bay Derby off of this, but and I I was wrong

again on Tepper. I mean, you're I don't know

what's going on way off on yours.

Yeah, it was creator that he lost by nose too.

That was the wrong Gray that I was thinking of.

But Tepper 2017. Yeah, he was 2017.

At the Irish, well, Kraken was the winner that year in the Sam.

Yeah, should be. Interesting to you can you can

tell I didn't get a lot of sleep last week, but I spent 26

straight hours in that Miami airport Sunday into Monday.

So I'm getting getting all my Triple Crown stats wrong.

That's when you know that I I need some sleep.

I totally lost my page for the Lewis, but the the list of the

winners of the Robert B Lewis is absolutely absurd and so let me

see if I can find that again because that's a bad job by me.

I had it up, but that is this coming weekend out there at

Santa Anita Park. I mentioned earlier in the show.

I think the three-year old to watch right now in California is

potente out of that barn, but citizen bolt niceos Newgate

messier madita spirit, 1000 words and mucho gusto.

Not a bad list. You just.

Opened. SO Louis just opened on his

computer on Equibase, the list of winners of this race.

And the first thing I noticed is just Bob Baffert of the Traitor

for the last 2019. So that was the first thing I

saw was just straight Bob Baffert for seven straight

years. So we'll see if he can do it.

Again, I'll have another Of Course A winner of this race as

well before going on to win the Kentucky Derby in 2012 for Doug

O'Neill and Mario Gutierrez. The second of those Dortmund, of

course, I I think Dortmund's the horse that more people have told

me the first told me the story of the first time they saw him

in person just like his. No, no, but like seriously.

So I this is that's a fun topic. I love that that topic where you

like, you turn the corner and there's a horse and you're like,

oh, that this is different for me.

That was Serengeti Empress before the.

Oaks. She was so different.

I remember her backside. I went, oh, who's who's Derby

horse is that? And they're like, that's

Serengeti Empress. And I went, OK, I'm done

analyzing that race. She's different.

Like that's who's going to win the Oaks.

And she did, thank God, 13 one and the do you know why I

remember that? Because Gandolfo and I both had

that like Gandolfo shout out and who's standing next to us?

Joey K from Churchill was also on her.

We were like the three people the whole place that were on

Sarah getting up for Sunday. I'm like, are we really

questioning Dallas Stewart in this race?

What are we doing? But no, but the the Lewis out

West is where we met Nicos in 2024.

People remember that was his breakout.

Like, Oh my God, what's Bafford sitting on here?

Still the highest speed figure in the history of the race.

But this is a, you know, this this phase of the prep season

where we get into 20 pointers. It seems like 2 spots to me.

We get the most high, high level horses, the fairgrounds at 20

points for whatever reason. And then San Anita, 20 points.

You give me this list, I'll take this list every freaking time on

a 20 point race. It's unbelievable, so it should

be fun. Don't have those entries yet

here on Monday, but we will watch that and recap it on

Monday for you next week. Reminder at this point of the

episode, of course, is that we want you to check out the

magazine, of course. And if you are watching on

YouTube or on Spotify, you can see that QR code at the bottom

of the screen. If you happen to be listening

somewhere else or on these same platforms, check them out at

bloodhorse.com and just click on the magazine tab at the top of

the homepage. You get the Stallion registry as

part of that in that beautiful magazine once a month delivered

to your house. I had Anne Eberhardt on my on

the Kentucky Racing Spotlight on ESPN Louisville recently, one of

our most popular episodes ever. Photographer.

No, but it's and I opened the show talking about this.

There is such A and and I appreciated Don talking about it

as a pro sport. Horse racing has so many things

that other sports don't have and the photos of the athletes

stands out number one amongst all of those things.

Now, obviously that we have animals as the athletes

alongside the humans is a very different thing.

But the photographs of those things, of those moments of the

horses themselves, of the jocks on the horses training, the

mornings, the races, they're all different.

They're all beautiful. And just talking about that with

Anne, even in a radio medium, was super popular with the

listener. So I appreciate Anne from from

Blood or if you want to go find that ESPN louisville.com, but.

I always told people when I gave tours with the Derby Museum,

horse racing is the most beautiful sport in the world to

photograph, no doubt without a question.

Just some some of the shots that you can get with the horses, the

bar and the sunrise in the background they'll.

Think about how people talk about tracks.

They don't talk about the structures.

They talk about the backdrops, right?

They talk about Santa Anita. They talk about being out on the

property, the hill at Keeneland, right?

They talk about Saratoga and the, the, the environs of

Saratoga. Like, they don't talk about, you

know, they talk about the pitching wedge to an ocean, the

Del Bar. They don't talk about.

Oh, yeah, yeah. I love the, I love the, it's the

grandstand that does it for me. Like, no, no.

What's how this works. Now we hear about the Twinspires

of Churchill Downs, but there's something, you know, I even

opened the show talking about this.

There's something about that. Like you walk in on a Friday and

it's 12:30 early pick 3, whatever, you sit upstairs and

you're in a different world for a while.

You just get to be. It's a way it's, it's different.

It's beautiful. There's grass, there's, there's

a pond, there's animals galloping.

I mean, it's just, it's the best.

It really is. Being on track is the best.

That's why I wanted to ask gentlemen about it because I, if

you haven't been to Oaklawn, can't suggest it enough.

Does Sean get back from Oaklawn? Find out next week.

Hold on, I got one more thing got.

To throw. In there I, I want to so we'll

have you do your fun exit in a moment.

I just need to give a birthday shout.

No, no, there's no birthdays. No, he's getting older.

I'm just. Kidding.

Go ahead, one very important birthday shout out.

It is February 2nd, so happy birthday to American Pharaoh,

the Triple Crown winner from 2015.

Got to throw that in there. It's also my friend Trevor's

birthday. Is it?

I was his best man in his wedding.

There you go, also pucks a tiny Phil Got to give him a shout out

from being from Pennsylvania. 6 more weeks of winter.

A real Pennsylvania bread. Did you?

Would you? How terrified would you be for

me to give the wedding toast at your wedding?

Very, yes. That's why you're not doing it.

I think you're crazy not to do it.

I think we'd go viral. You'd be famous.

I'm just. Well, if you if you do end up

doing it, it's going to have to be played on the podcast, so.

Got to get married first. Find out if Matt and I go on a

duck tour this weekend next week.

The Blood Horse is dedicated to the improvement of Thoroughbred

breeding and racing over 100 years.

Don't forget to like, subscribe and save Blood Horse Monday on

all your platforms. For the latest news, analysis

and insights, visit us at bloodhorse.com.

Thanks for listening and we'll see you next week.