BloodHorse Monday 5/25/26 | Golden Tempo to Lane’s End

All right, welcome in holiday edition of the program.

Horse racing takes only one day off.

You understand me, people. Welcome in a Memorial Day

edition of the program alongside Sean Collins.

My name is Louis Ribot. Thanks for hanging out with us

on yet another edition, apparently the 68th.

Edition. I think so Ish.

A blood horse. Disappointed me as a Star Wars

fan 2 episodes ago. You didn't start off episode 66

by saying like execute episode 66.

OK help me out. I don't get that reference.

In the Revenge of the SIF, when execute order 60 got it, OK,

that's an age difference. They even brought it.

I know I didn't realize you didn't realize it because I

brought it up before and I was like, you should say this and

you didn't and it disappointed. Me got it.

All right. Well, disappointment to start

the show. Speaking of disappointment, Sean

less wise than he was this time last week.

How did how did old oral surgery go?

It actually you're speaking this is I know you.

Texted me the same day. I couldn't believe.

It I know I actually I probably I got lucky.

I probably went through the easiest wisdom tooth removal in

history. Listen I so my mouth is pretty

weird. Not all my teeth developed in so

luckily I only had the top 2 wisdom teeth.

They popped popped them right out.

I had no pain at all for the entire aftermath of it and no

issue with that at all. I was able to talk right after.

I have full memory of the second I got out of the chair.

I didn't say anything stupid, which really disappointed.

My that is very disappointing. But yeah, I made it through all

right. A little less less wisdom now as

we're moving into the Belmont than I had for the first two

jewels of the Triple Crown, but. By the way, any what's out

there? Less wisdom.

Great name for a horse. Yes, I agree.

Get out there and less wisdom. It's probably a turf sprinter.

Less wisdom, right? Yeah.

Something like that. Yeah.

Anyways, All right, So no, but interesting time of year.

We're always in this weird flux between the Triple Crown races.

Unfortunately, three of the last five years we haven't had even a

chance of a Triple Crown to talk about.

But we're in an era certainly of, of incredible stallions, and

I mean unbelievable stallions up and down.

We think about the, you know, I'm not even going to mention

anybody, you know, they come to mind over and over and over

again. But we've also had great

performances on the track leading to some of these horses,

you know, heading off to the breeding shed as well.

We wanted to bring in Bill Farish today from Lane's End,

who happens to have a trio of those or more, if you will,

there at Lane's End. Bill, good morning, Happy

Memorial Day. Thanks for joining us.

Good morning, guys. How are you today?

We're doing very well, yeah. Going well at Lane's End as

well, yeah. The whole thing, yeah.

I know a lot, a lot of good things happening over there at

Lane's end right now, huh Bill? Well, yeah, it's an exciting

time for sure. And we've had at a a Derby like,

like we haven't had before and it was, it was incredibly

exciting. Well, you mentioned the Kentucky

Derby there. Obviously just a couple days ago

it was announced that Lane's End will be the home of Golden

Tempo, the Kentucky Derby winner, when he retires to stud

at the end of his racing career. Just take us through a little

bit of how that all came together.

Well, he's a bit of a family horse, even though he was bred

and raised at Claiborne. His owning ownership group, the

Phipps family, it's my my wife's sister-in-law and and family are

the Phipps family. And and so it was very much of

AA family affair Derby day and he was a horse I'd absolutely

had to have. And it it's, it's really

exciting to, to be able to announce that we've, we've got a

deal done. You said he's a horse that you

absolutely had to have. What was it about him either

going into the Kentucky Derby or that you saw in the Kentucky

Derby that made him, you know, a must have stallion for the

lane's end roster? Well, he's, you know, Curlin

started here. Smart strike was a lane's end

stallion. So so it's a sire line that

we're obviously intimately familiar with.

And on the bottom side, Corona's by Bernardini, who's by AP and

E. So, you know, it's just his

lanes in top and bottom on his on his breeding and then just

the the whole family involvement.

My kids wouldn't have talked to me again if he'd gone somewhere

else. I.

Was talking with Bill Farish from Layton's end.

You know the the Golden Tempo story involves someone that you

just mentioned in in Daisy Phipps Paluto.

I mean just the hearing that Phipps name in the in the

Kentucky Derby winner's circle. What did that mean to Bill

Farish? It was, it was really special.

I mean, to see those black and cheery silks going to the line

at, at the Derby that had never happened.

And it was a, a real tribute to the, to their family, the way

they've carried it on. And you know, it's, it's hard to

put into words what that meant. What's the experience like for

you as you're watching it unfold?

You know, maybe not directly involved with the horse, but

being like the next group of people adjacent to the horse and

watching, you know, the Phipps family and everybody else

involved at the horse celebrating.

What is that moment like? You know, kind of seeing, seeing

people that you're friends with, seeing people that you're close

with have such a big moment like that winning the Derby.

Well, that's a great way to put it because that's exactly where

I was, where I was sitting. And it was, it was great.

I mean, we had it with Orb in a very similar way.

But and, and you know, that was, that was certainly a fantastic

day as well. But this was this was a little

more special because the kids are older and and they're all

able to appreciate a lot more. And then two weeks later, you

guys have the excitement of watching the Preakness Stakes

unfold with Napoleon Solo, who is a son of Liam's Map, one of

your stallions there at Lanes. And just what was that

experience like, seeing Liam's Map get himself a classic winner

during this during this year? It was really great.

I, you know, he was a very, very good 2 year old and just hadn't

come back to, to that 2 year old form this year.

But I just had a feeling, and I think a lot of people did that

he was going to run a big race. And you know, Liam's map is just

keeps getting it done with deterministic and I mean, so

many other good horses that he's been able to sire.

So, so it's to see him get a classic winner was really,

really cool. And you know, it it it was

bittersweet for Vinnie Viola, obviously, because he was he, he

beat his horse, but he's by his horse.

So, So I think, I think he was just as happy as if he won the

race himself. Well, Napoleon or Williams map

getting a classic win with a horse like Napoleon Solo here.

Obviously you mentioned Deterministic, who's been a

multiple Grade 1 winner on the turf.

He's got Burnham Square who won his grade one on the dirt and

looks like one of the powerhouses in the turf division

this year. Just how versatile of a stallion

is he, and how much does how much is adding a classic winner

in the Preakness really increase his value as a stallion moving

forward? Well, I think it gives breeders

the confidence that he can sire any type of horse.

You know, that he can, that he can get a classic winner, he can

get a top turf horse. You know, he fits so many

different types of mares. He's it's amazing really,

because you know, until he came along, no sign of Unbridled Song

who would. It was so brilliant and such a

great sire really had had had any success at all.

And so to to see him, he he's a different type of unbridled

song. You know, he's not a big,

growthy, lengthy horse. And I think that's, I mean,

that's what track attracted us to him in in the beginning.

And, and luckily it's it's played out, you know, he's he's

just, he's so popular with breeders.

He's at a price point that people really like and and he's

just having a tremendous year at stud this year.

Talk with Bill Farish down there at lanes and and Bill, talk us

through the two weeks. You hear that full effort is

going to have to scratch out of the Kentucky Derby, but then all

of a sudden you've got Napoleon Solo back with a serious shot in

the Preakness. What was the emotions of those

two weeks like when, you know, man, we might have had the Derby

started, but hey, we end up with a Preakness winner.

Yeah, I mean, it was, it was incredible.

You know, it was not what the build up wasn't, wasn't like,

you know, we we really thought this was going to happen.

So so it was a bit of A and, you know, a surprise not only was a

Derby a bit of a surprise, but but then the previous was as

well. So, and it's, it's exciting to

see that it sounds like Napoleon Solo is going to go to the

Haskell, which makes all the sense in the world for him.

And so the the 2 won't, won't hook up in the Belmont, which

makes me happy. And so maybe the traverse is

where where they'll they'll meet.

How much are you guys, you know, on a on a daily basis just

looking through, seeing where all the stallions have their

runners for the day, How how much rooting is there in a race

like the Preakness when you see Napoleon Solo turn for home,

just what is that experience like for the team, you know, at

the farm kind of watching all this unfold?

You know, I wouldn't say it's like the same as owning it, but

it's very close. I mean, it, it's the, the whole

team is, is behind the horse for sure.

And you know, it's, it's just exciting to see, You know, it's

a little bit like being a parent.

You, you have all these, all these offspring out there to

root for. And, and when one pulls off a

Derby win or a Preakness win or anything like that, it it's it's

big for the farm. I think we'd be remiss not to

ask about a horse that's selling like crazy.

His name is Flightline. At least his progeny are selling

like crazy. Is it going even better than you

all thought it would go at sales?

I'd say it is I, I'm, I'm not surprised by the sales.

Obviously I was surprised by the $10.5 million sale.

But but I, but it, but other than that, I'm not really

surprised by how well they've sold because they've, they've

looked the part and everything else.

I, I think what's most exciting to me is how they're training

now and just the word I'm getting from so many different

trainers And we, we've got a few ourselves that were just

absolutely ecstatic about how they're doing at the moment.

So, you know, that's, that's what's really exciting to me,

the closer you get to, you know, what we're all praying for,

which is is success for him to pass along that incredible

talent. That's what it, that's what it

feels like. It feels like we're getting very

close. Well, you mentioned all all that

excitement into, you know, going into these horses debuts and

because of that we haven't seen too many in the 2 year old sales

and too many progeny of Flightline because of the fact

that a lot of people want to hold on to them and race them

themselves. Eric Mitchell had a great piece

up in the Blood Horse Daily this morning and is on the Blood

Horse website as well, kind of diving into flight lines

offerings. Here he is leading all all the

first crop sires with his two year old sales with an average

of 2,329,167. And then even if you remove the

10 1/2 million dollar horse. Even Bill made a face at that.

Even Bill reacted. Yes.

Even if you remove the the 10 1/2 million dollar horse, his

average is still the highest at 695,000.

I said first crop stallions of all stallions because the gun

runner is second behind him at 544,000.

But when you see those kind of numbers, especially for a horse

who whose progeny has not hit the racetrack yet, just what do

those numbers mean? And just how does that really

separate flight lines excitement as the stallion compared to

really anything else that we've seen over the last couple

decades? Well, you know, I, I don't know,

but like you said, we haven't seen anything like this for our

first year horse to, to lead the total table.

It's one thing to be the top first year horse, obviously, but

but to, you know, as you pointed out at the very beginning of the

of the show, it we've got some great stallions in this country

right now. I mean really, really great

stallions. And I'm just hoping he can be in

that elite group because you know, and I can mention them,

but the gun runner and and and the mischief and you know that

they're just I know I'm going to leave, leave key ones out, but

they they are really dominant stallions.

Obviously not this time is is in that group and if he can join

that group, that would be huge. And you know, he's obviously

going to be a dirt stallion, I would say.

And and that's something that that we need with with Curlin

getting up there in age, you know, we need another top, top

dirt stallion. Obviously there's a lot of

excitement building toward his offspring debuting, but as we're

as we're kind of moving into the 2 year old season now as more

options are popping up, right, you're starting to feel, is

there any stress that's coming with this and just hoping that

they perform to the level of expectations that they have.

Absolutely, absolutely. I mean, I, I think that, you

know, the sales results increase some amount of stress because

you, you know, the hype is, is, is, is huge.

And to live up to that is tough. And yet for any, any horse that

starts at a big stud fee, it's very hard to live up to that

stud fee. And you can, you can go through

the years and, and look at the, the horses that, that started

very high and you know, they, they might have had success, but

not at the elite level. And it's, it's, it's very tough

to maintain that people go sour on them very quickly if they

don't live up to to the hype. I want to ask about that 10 and

a half million dollar colt now named Zadon, but he was

consigned by Lanes and you guys bred him in partnership,

partnership with the seltzers and then you sold him as a

weanling as part of their dispersal.

Just what, what do you remember about him and did you see the 10

1/2 million dollar price tag coming somewhere down the line?

If I had, he would not have sold.

No, he was very, he was a very nice full, you know, he he, you

know, he brought a big number as a fault.

I mean that that's even by the flight lines early standards.

That was a very, very solid sale.

It was a full share. It was just Seltzer's mayor.

So it was, it was, they were, they were, as you pointed out,

selling everything. So it wasn't like, you know, we

chose him as the, the right time to sell or anything because he

would have been a top yearling. And I I think the initial plan

was to resell him as a yearling, but but he had a little glitch

in his sales prep and and so they pointed him for the 2 year

old sale and and that turned out to be a pretty good move.

Sounds like it. Once in a while do you just walk

the stallion barn and look at the roster there and just kind

of does it just make you smile? Bill?

Is that is that something that you're allowed to do?

Can you just walk? Oh, there's total list.

Oh, there's connect. Like do do you ever just go do

that? Is that something you just do on

a Thursday or something? I do go do that, but I don't do

it and smile. I in this business, you're all

you're just worried about the next 1.

So it's, it's, it's, it's gratifying, you know, that to,

to see the number of horses that are that are making it or have

made it. And then some of the young

horses that we have in the barn for sure.

But you it's, it's like a basket college basketball team or

anything else. You're always looking for the

next ones. And it's so competitive in the

stallion market. You know, with such a small

number of stallions standing in central Kentucky now compared to

20 years ago, It's, it's very, very tough to to land the top

ones. Well, Speaking of the next one,

I'll circle us back to the beginning of this conversation

with Golden Tempo. He's coming up on a run in the

Belmont Stakes. Now that he's the deal's done,

it's official that he's going to lanes.

And how big would adding a Belmont win to his Kentucky

Derby win be for you guys when you're trying to market him in

the future? Yeah, whether it's the Belmont,

the Travers Breeders' Cup Classic wouldn't be bad II any

of those races would be huge because, you know, just to sort

of confirm his form from the from the Derby, I think is

important for breeders to see. And I I think he's just gotten

so much better since the Derby. Just watching him.

It's it's pretty amazing. So, so I really think people are

going to see something that they don't expect to see.

I think it'll be a little closer to the pace.

You know, there won't be a 20 horse field and they won't won't

be way back like that. So I think I think it's going to

be very exciting. All right, Bill, Bill Farish

down there at Lanes, I'd appreciate you jumping on the

program today. We hopefully will have reason to

talk after the Bellmount or after the Traverse or something

like that. We'll catch up with you down the

line. I hope so too.

I'd love to do it. Thanks for having me today.

There you go. Thank you.

Thank you, Bill. All right, Bill Farish down

there at lanes end the stallion roster.

I mean, it's just it's this is fun to me because I this is

almost I want to be clear. I know these are real horses

because I've seen almost all of them in person.

But in my mind this is just like a like like I'm 10 years old

again and this is a comic book. Oh, I'm going to go walk to a

barn and there's going to be candy ride and Archangelo in

connect and I don't know flight line.

How many flight line races did you get to see in person?

I went to two of them. I was at his Met Mile and his

Breeders' Cup. Class.

Those are pretty good ones, yes. I know, I know the only one that

I could be like, man, I wish I was there for that one is his

class. But no, it was really cool.

I just remember being at Belmont and obviously, you know, the

Belmont Stakes was coming up, so that was exciting.

You know, I'm a big Rich Strike fan, so I was excited for it to

see him come back, but boy, I forgot.

It was that year, I know. But boy, that the excitement

going into the Met mile that year, I have to say I've all

time I've been, I've been quoted on the show before.

I'm not the biggest fan of the Met mile.

That was the one year I was like super hyped for the Met mile

because I just wanted to see flight line.

I was so excited for that was his first start of the year.

And so I, I was just so excited that I was be able to see him.

And then one at the moment for me with him came at the Breeders

Cup a few days before and he was coming out on the track And I'm

standing there like usual, taking my video of him as he's

standing there on the track just waiting to go out there.

And like just and seeing him, like looking around and taking

in all the scenery and everything.

Like I just had a moment where I was like, wow, this horse is

something else. He's different.

Yeah. And I've, he's different.

I've held on. I've held on to that.

And I've tried to find that and other horses sometimes when I'm

around them. And I haven't really found it to

that level yet of any of the horses that I've seen since.

But you could just tell just standing near him that he was

something. Different only only other horse

I can think of that had the I'll take it to you kind of

provenance. It was torpedo Anna.

Yeah, she just had that take on all comers.

I'm ready to go race essentially at any point.

She just had that kind of thing. But flightline was different

You're right. He was almost stoic yeah.

Is that a good way to is that a good word he was almost like a

statue. Exactly.

And then he got on the. Torpedo Anna wasn't going to

stand still. But she was arrogant.

She was in the best way. And she.

Showed it off. She absolutely did no the very,

very best way. So that's what I thought of

there. But I mean like Quality Rd. is

just hanging out, Senor Buscador is just hanging out, Twirly

Candy is just. Hanging.

I love this book. And you look at that Stallion

roster and then like in a field over there, Zenyatta.

Thanks the Bill, for hanging out with us all the program that

way. It's now time for our weekend

recap presented by our friend Alex Smallwood over there at

Christie's Bluegrass. Of course, we appreciate him

hanging out with us each and every week on the program.

And we got a, a, an interesting one over the weekend at

Churchill, for example, in the kirtana.

And by the way, I, I did this on Friday on my radio show.

I'm going to do it again here. I was very critical of the

length of time that it took for the turf, of course, to get put

back in place at Churchill Downs when it was going on.

OK. So, OK, so.

No, no, when it was going on. You meant like last week, not

what I missed last week. I thought I was out for the

wisdom tooth surgery, but I didn't think I missed that much.

Not on this show, never on this show because because by the way,

the fact that it's going to be firm today, Sean and we've had

biblical records amounts of rain around here is, is the, is the

statement of the century about the, the turf course and how

well it's doing right now. So no, they they, they have

shored it up, whatever the issues were.

And and more, more than that, The thing is awesome.

They they have a great turf course now at Churchill Downs.

So all of those things, but the Kirtano overnight stakes

Argentine bred wins it now. When you think South American

racing, do you think turf racing?

I do not. Now usually the horses we see

come up from there and the ones running, running on the dirt,

right? Right.

Is there a world in which, and you just heard Bill say it, by

the way, we've got to dirt the stallions right now in the in

the central Kentucky area. We need more stallions.

We need more good stallions. Is importing horses potentially

something we should be looking at more often on our side of

things? I wish we did it more You, you

go back to like the 1930s or something.

You see, like they're importing not not necessarily for the

racing, but they're importing stallions from like England and

trying to get different bloodlines different, you know,

specialties into, into the breed essentially.

And it is something that I wish we did a little more often now.

The problem with our horses is we are the primary dirt country

in the world. You know our that England's not

going to be wanting to stand one of our top Dirkas or anything

like that. Can't make a trade that way.

Yeah. So it's like you can't really

make that kind of trade. But I do wish, like maybe we

tried to get some more of like the top European turf runner,

like try to get a Derby winner, try to get a, you know, a

Guineas winner over here and, you know, just spice things up a

little bit. I think that would be

interesting. You see like a Carl Spackler

standing at lane's end. That's a horse that I, if I were

able to own horses, but I do this instead is, is the kind of

horse that I would be massively fascinated by.

I, I watch that horse. He won a lot.

That's the kind of horse I would want in my stallion barn.

It's very interesting. But no, just just the overall

thought and where my brain went with this, Sean, is, and we've

done a lot of this kind of talk on the show is the Japanese and

how they're building their dirt stallion rosters and how they're

building out their program. I wonder if we won't start to

see more reciprocity actually. So instead of us saying, oh,

there goes Chrome, oh, there goes whichever sire you want to

name overseas, we'll hear. Hi, Actually, we're, we're

importing A sire from Japan because we think he might be

really good over here. I wonder if that won't start

happening now. It's going to take some time,

right? Obviously those things take

time. Might be 5-10 years before we

see that sort of thing. But I do wonder, I was thinking

about that as Ira, now that I've mentioned the horse, I should

tell Ira Stark won the race on Saturday.

That was a dirt horse almost exclusively running in.

I mean, I mean in in Argentina and Uruguay, that kind of thing

gets up here, tries the turf. I'm just wondering if there

isn't a way for us to fill the gates a little bit more through

that way. I don't.

Know yeah, I hope there is. And it would be cool to see some

of those Japanese horses coming over here and standing over here

too. I do think that.

Well and frankly. They do such a good job over

there with the breeding in Japan especially like trying to, I

mean, the whole thing was Sunday silence was we kind of given up

on him over here. And they were smart about which

mayors they bred him to make up for some of his perceived

lackings. And so that really kind of

helped to, I mean, you saw what he did for the breeding industry

over there in Japan, just completely revolutionized it.

The winner of the Japanese Oaks this weekend had him on the top

and bottom of the pedigree on both sides.

He's such a big influence over there.

And it'd be cool if we could, you know, kind of maybe select

some of these Japanese horses that are running well over

there, bring them over here, especially on the grass side,

because you know, their their dirt program is building and

it'll be at the top level I think in a couple of years.

We're already seeing them do well in the dirt forever young,

obviously, like they don't have a lot of grade one races over

there in Japan on the dirt. That's why TO Elvis came over

here. I'm trying to get the grade one

over here. How'd that go?

It went pretty well, yeah. And so as that builds, maybe,

you know, we'll look more at the Japanese dirt horses.

But it would be great to grab one of these, you know, top

notch turf horses from over there and bring them over here

to the US and stand over here, I think.

That'd be great. I also think as the world gets

flatter and flatter in horse racing, especially those of us

who care about dirt racing deeply like we do on this show,

we need to embrace those countries that are embracing

dirt racing. And if that's Japan and that's,

you know, the Argentinas, the Uruguay's, the Chile's of the

world, that those need to be our partners, then we need to work

on those things. And so it isn't just, oh, how do

we fix the problems here? And we only have to fix them

from within. Now you can't do breeding and

then genetically shrink the pool.

Yeah. That's not a good idea.

We actually need to expand the pool a little bit.

So I'm interested in those kinds of conversations moving forward.

I just, I thought of that with Ira start passing the line

first. I was like a lot, by the way,

but like, what? What, what are we missing here?

What is there? Is there something that we could

do? Can we play this out in a

different way where those programs get involved with ours?

I I simply don't have all the answers on that end, but I

thought it could be interesting. Get get all the answers this

week. Come back next week.

Come back next week. With the whole week we have the

answers. Next week find out, next week

we'll find out that. But Q Tata Saturday, any big

takeaways other than Iris Stark might actually be a horse to

watch in this division? No, yeah, I think the the mile

and a half trip good great for her.

And so this is always an interesting division each year

kind of these longer turf Phillies and mares.

And I know she kind of got the pace all of herself, but you

know, they, I mean, they don't usually go that quick and

serious as. Anyway, Virgil Colada Tyler was

up on the lead with her too, right?

Trying to press the pace there, press the pace.

They went 49 or whatever, but like, you know, press the pace

as much as you're going to press it.

I thought she responded really well though.

Yeah, and, and she looked good coming down the lane.

And so I think, you know, this is a always kind of one of those

divisions where it seems like everybody kind of beats up on

each other. It's like kind of trading who

runs well. But now that she's had some time

to get, I mean, she's had several starts in the US now,

and this was by far her best performance.

And if she can keep building off of that, I think she'll run well

in these races throughout the year.

I guess what's the big race in this division right now?

Is it the the race at Kentucky Downs?

The ladies marathon. Almost certainly that or.

Just from the PERS perspective, I know England's got which ones

in April, they just ran the Bewitch, right?

And then they've got another long one.

I think of the fall meet, Yeah, but and then if they think

they're good enough, take a shot.

Beverly D Maybe. Turf in the Breeders.

Cup Beverly DI Guess. I think that didn't they cut

that back in distance. Is that not a mile and three S

anymore? Maybe it is.

OK, I think the Beverly D is the other one that comes to my mind

that isn't Kentucky Downs because I don't I don't believe

there's a ton of these at at Saratoga or whatever, but the

Beverly DI think it's. Still a mile and three

sixteenths. It's looking nice so that.

Might be a little short for her, but I I think you take the shot

if you're not going to Kentucky Downs.

But why would you not take this horse?

Kentucky Downs. I said, I said, did they cut

that back? I guess it's been a mile and

three six teams for a long time. But 2022, when it was at

Churchill, was a mile and an eighth.

That's probably what threw me off.

Got it. OK.

Yeah, you can't really run the Mile 3 sixteenths there at

Churchill Downs, but Horacio Deposkins win there, Jose Ortiz

in the irons because he wins all of the stake races now.

That's his job. Yes, all of them.

People show up, but Jose just wins it.

That's how it goes, yeah. Who's who's he on in the winning

colors? Today, that's a good question.

How do we go? I don't get.

We got graded stakes action, Grade 1 action out of California

today too. You're darn right we do.

Yeah, a nice card, actually, in San Anita.

We joke, but it's a very nice card in San Anita.

All right, so you know who we haven't had on the show in a

long time? Who's?

That is Frank Angst and I got so let's preface this real quick.

It's a holiday, right? Normal people are not working

today. My wife is is not working today.

My children are not in school today.

Normal people are not doing what we're doing.

Frank Angst also not a normal person.

We bring him in now here on Blood Horse Monday, our fearless

editor. Frank, how are you?

Good morning. Well, I also have a cold to be

but. Here I am.

He's. Fighting through the weather got

to someone. Since you asked how I am.

Since you asked how I am. I, I went to the OTB just to get

out of my house last night. I I literally.

Was open yesterday. No, but I I needed to just get

out of my house. Went to the OTB, bet the late

pick four at Santa Anita, bet some Prairie Meadows.

We were betting. Oh, gosh.

Emerald Downs last night. There you go.

Shout out. OK, so yeah, no.

There you go, Frank. I had to get out of the house.

Don't. Rewatch that August podcast when

I was at Emerald Downs Go. Rewatch We did, we did.

We did get out of the house. You know, it's looking at

because yeah, I was feeling well till yesterday.

But we just, you know, I saw the the Knicks were coming to

Cleveland to play that tournament.

You know, it's not a tournament, but the NBA Eastern Conference

finals game, Game 3. And the tickets were like really

reasonable. So it's like instead of watching

this on TV, we all went up and watched it.

It was I didn't really have a dog in the fight, but it but a

terrific game and Bronson was just just an unstoppable force

right now. He's really amazing to watch.

I. Think this is the best Knicks

team of my lifetime? I'm not exactly, No, I think

it's the best one of my. Lifetime.

Let me cut in here as a as a Knicks fan, as a as AI will say,

a lifelong Knicks fan. But when it when it came to the

Yankees, the Giants and the Knicks growing up, there was one

team I obviously did not pay attention to because they so

terrible. Yeah.

So I don't know how to react right.

Now, since the turn of the century, this is easily their

best team. It's not in the car.

Well, and I said to my dad when they won the NBA Cup, I was

like, I was like, I know this is we got a ring.

I was like, I know this is stupid, but this is the only

time in my life they're ever going to win anything.

And so I'm going to, I'm going to get back and enjoy this.

And now one went away from going and they look like they've kind

of beaten the soul out of the Cavaliers at this point.

So hopefully we can get the job done tonight.

Move on, is Frank Eggs the Knicks fan?

And how did that happen? No, I, as I said, I didn't have

a dog in a fight. Got it.

It was, it was a game I would have watched on TV just for

entertainment. So I was like, let's just go up

and watch it. So if that's if those tickets

are reasonable, can somebody else go write the recap of the

winning colors and I'll go quickly up to Cleveland right

after? This set up for that there you

go. Oh man.

Well, Frank wanted to have you on this week.

Plenty going on in the sport you heard by the way, you were in

for a part of the the our discussion with with lanes in

there. Anything stand out to you there?

I mean, these flight line prices, I mean even even bills

are surprised. By that was good, Yeah, it's

just yeah, it's really impressive because a lot of

times you see the prices do well when the horses it's first year

it's done and then they might go down a little bit the the

interest level is what I'm saying.

But but not with Flightline. It's the excitement continues to

build, which it's been great. We're starting to see the amount

of two year old races kind of this is the time of year where

it's steadily starts to pick up. We haven't seen one of the

flight lines hit the track yet. Is that just an indication that,

you know, usually we see the better two year olds kind of

start popping up in the summer. Is that an indication that

everybody's thinks they have something special here and

they're trying to, you know, wait and let them develop and

make sure they're fully ready to go before they start them?

That that would be my guess, yes.

We did a story a few years ago looking at how the better two

year olds are starting later and later, unfortunately in the

year, and we probably need to look at that again because it

seems like that trend has continued.

You know, certainly it doesn't strike me as a horse that you

would want to start at 4 1/2 furlongs.

So those are some of the options at Keeneland and, and what have

you. So I think it'll be coming

around a bit, no? I, I think it's, I think it's a

good point by Frank is that, you know, I would love to know

Frank, you know, if someone did a statistical analysis.

If you win in April at Keeneland as a 2 year old, do you, how

often do you actually win a three-year old stakes, that kind

of thing? Like can you, can you translate

that success from spring of your two year old year into spring of

your 3 year old year, that sort of thing?

Because so often, as you've pointed out, I mean, we meet the

best horses at the Saratoga, meet now at the Ellis Park, meet

in the summer as well, certainly at Del Mar and those sorts of

things out West. Yeah, I'd be fascinated to see

that, Franklin. My sense is early success

doesn't always translate and frankly, at a high rate does not

translate to three-year old success.

It does doesn't always, but some of the sources out of the four

and a half for long races have gone on and do good things.

And especially if you look at the ones that have gone to Ascot

and such like right right off the off of that win, but some of

them have even come back at 3:00.

It's a, it's a cliche, but you there's a lot of different ways

of having success in this sport for sure.

Yeah, no doubt about it. You were at the you were at the

Preakness with us this year at Laurel Park.

A bit of a different experience for sure, covering a Triple

Crown race with less than about 6000 total people on site.

What did you make of a Laurel Preakness?

I was telling someone the other day, Frank, who asked me about

the experience. The crowd itself in the

grandstand in different places felt like a Pimlico crowd.

It actually felt like I was at both days, actually felt more

like a Friday, more like the the Black Eyed Susan sort of crowd.

How did you take in the Preakness?

Did you enjoy it? What did you make of it?

I, I think management did a good job of knowing the, that they

knew they wanted to provide a certain level of experience and

a good experience for the fans that did show up.

And they, they looked at their facility and said, how many

people can we welcome in and still give that the clubhouse is

this nice clubhouse of any track you'll go to?

It's was completely redone. I guess I don't know, I should

have looked up how many years ago, but yeah, I was going to

say about a decade ago. So that sounds right.

And then they started the same thing on the grandstand and it

didn't get completed. So maybe 1/3 of the grandstand

is nice. And then you have a lot of areas

that are not so nice. If you put people in those

areas, they're going to have a bad experience.

They're going to go on social media and say, you know, this is

where I spent my whole day in some unattractive areas.

So, so I thought they took a reasonable approach, could have

put 1000 more people in maybe, but they, they had the number

about right. And the people that were there

had a great time and it was was a good experience and it put

Laurel in a good light. I thought the racing lived up to

the weekend as well. I mean, it felt like it felt

like a good weekend of racing like we always get it's amazing

previous weekend. I feel like the racing is

always, I know it's listed stakes and great threes and that

kind of in between sort of thing.

But Frank, I, I thought the racing was really good.

The product itself was really good too.

Yeah, you have, I mean, Churchill Downs Derby Week now

you have all those top undercard races and a good chunk of those

horses now come back five weeks later on the Belmont undercard,

undercard for the, you know, Fridays and Saturday.

So that kind of does put the Maryland Jockey Club in a pinch

there. It's unreasonable to think that

they're going to get a lot of those horses they raced Derby

Week. So they really have set their

sights on sort of everybody else, all their grade 3 level

horses and they've done a great it's it's great racing and

competitive racing is what I should say.

And some of these horses take the step up and and move up from

there. But yeah, it's they do a good

job of getting competitive fields, interesting betting

races for sure. And and they, and they go turf

heavy because that's a strength when when when you run your

races at Colonial, you have the fair hill training, you have a

terrific turf course at Laurel. We probably haven't talked

enough about that. They lean into that as well.

And and that typically gets large fields which it which it.

The fields for the turf races were much larger than the than

the dirt races for sure. Following the Preakness in

Maryland was the Fasig Tipton sale kind of the last of the

big, the big two year old in training sales just now that

that any takeaways from the 2 year old sales season here and

what that can maybe translate into as we head back into the

yearling sale market in the second-half of the year?

I mean that the excitement seemed to maintain itself and

and you know at that sale specifically, they did some

different things without how they marketed the horses and

with gallops. So, so that was good to see.

It seems like that momentum is continuing for sure and there

remains to be remains excitement about the future of the sport.

Yeah, it's, it's interesting watching the sales in different

parts of the country have similar patterns, right.

So they're, they're all of them seem to be economically heading

in the same sort of general direction as far as purchase

prices, that sort of thing. Certainly we've talked a lot

about the different legislations and different things that have

led to that on this program. But yeah, it, it, the Timonium

sale itself, Frank, I have, I, I got, I got hit up by an owner

actually of all things, who said, hey, can you connect me

with someone in Maryland? I, I can't compete in these

Kentucky auctions right now. Like I, I can't go these

Kentucky auctions do that sort of thing.

It's interesting to hear even owners at and frankly, his

budget was not, was not tiny tiny either.

I was, I was a bit surprised by that, Frank.

So it's interesting to hear that there may be beneficiaries

outside of Kentucky based on the sales within Kentucky.

Oh yeah. I mean, that's that's what you

want is a strong people go to the level to to where they can

compete and feel like they get value.

So that that's great to hear actually.

Yeah, interesting stuff. Heading to the Belmont here.

How many Derby horses? What would you set the over

under at in this gambling environment?

Young Frank inks. Golly, I haven't looked at it

super closely to be honest 5. That sounds right. 55 and a half

sounds about the right number and you would have to choose if

six are going to make the trip or if five are going to make the

trip. I think that's about right.

I think some of those horses that scratched out, we'll see up

there maybe, I don't know. I guess there's actually a

question of full effort. We'll go there or if he'll run

that way or something. He's going.

He's got to be right. I think he's been given time off

on the Derby. I don't think, I don't think

he's worked since the Derby. OK.

Yeah. But some, you know, some

questions about that, but Golden Tempo returning in the Belmont,

how important is a good showing for that horse in your mind,

Frank? I think that, you know, you want

to see that for sure. The horse has always been right

there, but he finally got the big win, took it well timed,

well timed time to get that big win in the Derby.

So I mean, because he's been a consistent horse, I would

suspect he runs back with another big race.

Not necessarily saying he's going to win, but he always

shows himself well. Right now, looking at it, I

believe that the list of probables for the Belmont has

seven Derby horses. So you're I think that five and

a half, 5 1/2's the good money line right there.

See if they see it. There no, but just in this

field, even Frank, can we talk to a fair amount?

We haven't had you on since, but a fair amount about this

three-year old crop itself. You know, we get the return here

of of the Derby winner. We also get a renegade, A

commandment, etcetera. Is is this perhaps just because

we've had a golden tempo in a Napoleon Solo?

Are we underplaying this three-year old class?

Is there potentially some real real class at the top?

Oh yeah, I mean, I've thought that for some time and it's

great that we get, well, it looks like we'll get the rematch

of some of the top horses from the Derby, so that's great.

No, I mean, Renegade, Renegades Arkansas Derby wins one of the

more incredible moves I've ever seen by a third horse.

And then he basically replicated it in the Derby, just had some

bad luck there. So he's definitely a terrific

horse. I, I don't know how good the the

Florida circuit was this year. I'd like to see a little bit

more from those horses be before I pass judgement there that

that's one thing that maybe wasn't, I mean, and I'm basing

it largely on the Derby, but just didn't see the any of those

horses really step up. Isn't it funny how quickly all

of our opinions changed? Cuz you and I were hyping up the

Florida route going into the Derby and I'm on the same.

Page, It's a Louisiana horse. You settled out.

I know. But.

Who debuted in Florida? But I'm with Frank here too.

After the Derby, I'm starting to look at the Florida ones like

we'll see well. Maybe Gulfstream, not Tampa,

don't do that came out of Tampa. That's no, I I think, I think

Tampa still got I think Tampa still got some nice horses and

frankly, I think we'll see some of those in the Belmont.

I mean, what did Chief Wallaby run fourth in the Derby?

I mean, like what what are we doing here?

I mean, like at some point that way too.

So I do think Frank that we could get, I think we gave some

affirmation or frankly, some new, some new, you know, some

new data points on some of these horses.

Certainly. In the, I mean with, with, I'm

starting with Fairgrounds and, and Arkansas and a little bit on

Aqueduct too, yeah. There's some talk about the Wood

Memorial having not been rated as well as it should have been.

Yes, right. I mean, I think that's

legitimate. It's also a reminder to, and

it's interesting and, and Aqueduct's about to go away and

I'd love Frank's thoughts on this, that Remsen became a

really important predictor race in the last three, 4-5 years,

that sort of thing. It is, it's interesting, is it

not, that it actually ended up being the Wood Memorial, I guess

the Remsen too, if you want to go back and look at the top 2

finishers and that thing. But that Aqueduct ended up being

such an important cog in the last, I don't know, 3-4 years in

the three-year old circuit. Yeah, I mean, obviously there's

great, terrific horses in the New York circuit, and if a

trainer decides, hey, it makes more sense to just stay here and

then ship to Florida, you're going to have a terrific horse

in those races. So yeah, I mean that that makes

sense for sure. Frank, we've got looking past

the Belmont, there's already a lot of anticipation building for

the Stephen Foster and the big match that we're gonna have

there sovereignty White a barrio magnitude Baeza possibly we just

heard over the weekend that possibly journalism might

reroute there. Maybe we got Nicos in there.

You know, it's shaping up to be essentially, essentially a.

Breeders' Cup. Classic minus the. 3 year old I

just I just. Saw it.

I think the big, the big news of this was last week when they

decided they were going to up the purse to $2,000,000.

Just how how big of a how, how abnormal of a move is that?

And especially with it already kind of getting the star power

now potentially getting more star power, potentially swaying

like a journalism or an ISO to come or something like that.

Just how, how different is the Stephen Foster in the middle of

the year this year compared to what we've seen at this time?

Can I ask a, a kind of a Frank may know the mechanism of this

too? I talked with Kevin Kilroy on my

on my show on Friday and he said, well, we've got the money

to spend like it. Like he literally just said that

kind of thing. Frank, do you know, can you

explain the mechanism to our audience where they're able to

to make these changes in purses kind of during a meet like this?

Yeah. I mean, they'll look at the

purse account and what's in there and what's available to

give away. So yeah.

It's that simple, all right. And then there's just the steady

money coming in from HHR that's I'm sure it gives them

confidence that they'll be able to keep this going.

But I mean to me the highlight is we've seen a lot of personal

commitments in the three-year old racing and even 2 year old

racing. You see it put into this older

division. It's fantastic because this is

the second year in a row that we have had a terrific handicap

division and it's I mean, it had been a while since we had a, a

good one until last year. Now we've run it back two in a

row and now we're seeing commitments to those purses that

that's terrific. I mean, you talk about things

that are going to lift the sport, having horses that people

are familiar with from last year's Triple Crown, last year's

three-year olds that did so well in other races beyond the Triple

Crown. That's that's great.

I mean, these are these are all horses that people are familiar

with and are going to tune in to see.

So it's a really positive development for the sport I

think. Yeah.

Last year we saw fierceness in Sierra Leone stick around.

Obviously forever young too when he comes over from Japan.

This year, the fierceness in Sierra Leone retired.

This year. We get to keep sovereignty.

We get to keep journalism, we get to keep by ASA is there.

I mean is this we've been talking forever about we want to

keep the horses in the sport for a longer period of time.

Obviously increasing the purse helps here, but are we may be

starting to see that shift and that change we're now it's going

to be cut. It's going to start looking a

lot more beneficial for the owners of these top three-year

olds to stick around for the for the four year old year.

And how much did getting getting sovereignty and journalism, the

classic winners from the previous year, both sticking

around this year? How much does that do you think

that's really going to help in in the future?

Yeah. And and I mean, we, we really

have to credit something beyond the US is these big

international races, you know, $20 million in the Saudi Cup, 12

million in the Dubai. And then I mean most of these

horses aren't going to race over there and just retire.

Occasionally they race over there and they're purchased and

stay, but most of them come back and I think Churchill Downs has

realized that and said, hey, let's have a big, big money race

where we can bring all these horses together into Stephen

Foster, a horse like magnitude. It's very natural step.

He's had his break since Dubai and now he's coming back here.

So I think that has a lot to do with it for sure, as the big

international purses are the the owners see other options.

You know, like I could immediately go to stud after my

3 year old year or I can come back and have a chance of making

some serious money. That you might not make that

money, that you might not make that much money at stud.

Like it's conceivable if you had a big enough year and did well

in all those races that you can at least it's comparable, you

know, and most owners, they want to race like that's why they got

in the sport. So I, I think we have to credit

the international races with helping to keep these horses

here, to keep these horses racing.

And now it's great to see a track like Churchill Downs

saying how can we do our our little part to, to, to lay into

that and make this a really interesting circuit.

So yeah, if the money's there, let's let's race.

It's interesting Stephen Foster Day has fallen on a those the

night racing at Churchill Downs a couple of times, a gun runner

one under the lights, for example.

I remember it very fervently because it's the largest wind

bed I've ever placed, even though the odds were terrible.

But but I will be fascinated to see the crowd for this one

because I think if you're a racing fan, this is the kind of

Dave Frank where if you live in Chicago, you might figure out a

way to be in Louisville on a Saturday, right?

Like that kind of thing. This.

Is a race you travel. For this is a race you travel

for, and I think it's the kind of day you travel for, Frank.

Yeah, I mean, we're talking about the Stephen Foster before

the Belmont. When's the last time that

happened? So I mean, and I don't think our

opinion's way off. I think that's how a lot of

people are feeling about it for sure.

And I'm interested to see magnitude.

I I have a feeling that he's passed all of them, but we'll

see on the track. Let's go.

I love all of it. It's fantastic.

I love all of it. It's great.

And I mean, I'm, well, those. Horses would be right.

I'm well aware of the talents of the other ones.

It's. Amazing.

It's. An amazing group.

It'll be an amazing race if it all comes together.

Sovereignty is sweeping the rest of the year.

What? If he doesn't win here, what are

you going to do? What's going to happen to you?

You. Have to retire like I might.

I might. It's going to be you and Frank

Co hosting the podcast at that point.

Joe Perez flies in weekly to do the show you.

Know what and it does so these are the things that happen when

you have older horses race is magnitude.

Never really got his shot at three.

He puts on this huge win before the Triple Crown and then he's

injured for some time that now he gets his chance.

So, you know, in an era where horses aren't racing as much,

aren't racing as long, that's where it's great to see these

top horses coming back two years in a row.

You get to see the the plot lines play out a little bit

more. Yeah.

And what would we think of Flight Line without a four year

old campaign? For sure.

You looked at last year and you know Sierra Leone and

fierceness. They didn't win every race they

ran in last year. But don't you?

If you were a breeder, wouldn't you feel more confident sending

your mayor to them after seeing their kids?

There's still continued consistency at the top level.

As a four year old, wouldn't you just feel better?

I watched Sierra Leone never miss the board over and over and

over again. Yeah, I would trust him quite a

bit, Frank. And I think, I think this is a,

this is a small, small factor because, because I think you're

going to go to stud when you think you have the best deal,

but we do. And when you look at our top

stallions, quite a few of them raced at 4:00 and they have

success at 4:00. So I, I, that doesn't hurt

either. It does serve as a reminder of

you don't have to rush these horses off you.

You can people will remember these horses, who they are and

you might even be able to add to the reputation at 4:00.

So I I think that might be a small part of it too as well

all. Right, Frank, we appreciate you.

What should we be watching for at the website?

Oh, I mean that's where you've already put together our Belmont

plan. So that's we're going to get in

the heavy on that. So it'll be a lot of confidence.

Plan for Blood Horse. Look at us.

Look at us growing up and doing plants, Frank.

I like that a lot. But and beyond that though, of

course, just it's really become kind of the mid season

championships is kind of how I look at it, especially on the

dirt side. You don't, the turf races are

terrific. You don't necessarily get all

the international horses that you would have Breeders' Cup.

Well, you don't, but the dirt races, all the top ones are

there. So it's going to be, as as

always, some terrific race days coming up.

Awesome, Frank Angst with us from Blood Horse and

bloodhorse.com. Of course, go check him out at

the side. Dollars and cents, all the good

things he's working on there. Frank, appreciate you, buddy.

Happy Memorial Day to you. Thanks guys.

See you. There you go, Frank Angst

talking basketball with taking his kid up to the queue.

It's a rocket arena now, but everybody calls it the Queue.

Good. Day, Yeah.

I know I need to. Now that I have a reason to be a

basketball fan, I need to brush up.

On telling you bro, it's your Knicks are absurd right now.

No, I know they might be Eastern Conference absurd, but.

No, they got this OK. I like it.

No, no, no. I like to.

Beat the Spurs in the NBA Cup. Like just mail us the trophy.

I mean, whatever that is, yeah, I don't.

Did you see that three last night from half court just

because he felt like it? Dude's different.

They're they defended him to the mid court line.

He still made the three defended him out to the.

Because they're not the Knicks. They're not the Knicks.

I agree with you. They're not the Knicks.

That's true. That's a true statement.

Oh, man, when you think of the great cards throughout the year,

where does the Belmont card rate for you?

Because you're down on the Met Mile, which you shouldn't be

because by the way, I here's the what Frank just said is why you

should love the Met Mile. Frosted doesn't get his flowers

if there's not a Met Mile. And he was.

Awesome, right, that kind of horse, right.

And so like a Metoli, like the horses that have won that met

mile that are I think of as great, great horses who we

didn't get to meet as a three-year old, whatever it

might be, are there. I think of the Belmont card with

what is it six or seven grade ones in a row, top five card

every year in North America. Like no question in my mind.

Since they've been at Saratoga, it's been kind of.

Split up a little bit as. Far as which ones are on Friday,

which ones are on Saturday? So kind of just I'm going to

kind of encompass those two days as one thing.

With for me it's it's it's I still Oaks Derby weekend is

still the top weekend for me. Yes, Breeders' Cup is the second

best weekend for me. Now it's I know it's different

and the racing's better on Breeders' Cup I.

Know Well, yeah, I was going to say I agree I agree that weekend

wise Kentucky Derby weekend is always number one but.

Breeders' Cup Saturday. Quality of racing?

Yes, breeders, be careful. Breeders' Cup.

I'm with you. Be the top card.

I think the Belmont is second as far as quality and when you're

encountering I'll, I'll just keep including it as two days,

Two days for Breeders' Cup, 2 days for Belmont, two days for

Kentucky Derby. I think the Derby's catching up

though. I.

Think the Breeders Cup. No, the Belmont, I think that

we're starting to see, you know, a lot of those races I think are

on the improve. You know, we saw the American

turf get. Up a lot.

Troyenne has been great for many.

A lot of Troyenne's been. Great.

The Alley Shiba was not. It was kind of a secondary

thought for a lot because the handicapped division of what it

was and now it's it's right back here totally.

And I think that. The Churchill Downs has greened

in in seriousness. Well, even, you know, I've been

looking at races like the Churchill Downs Distaffed Turf

Mile and you know, some of these grade twos and grade threes like

the Unbridled Sydney got upgraded to a grade two this

year. It's like we're starting to see

now that now that the purse money's there because of the

HHR, we're starting to see where the races are improving.

And the Churchill Distaffed Turf Mile is $1,000,000 race Grade 2.

And so, so five years down the line, most of these grade twos

on Derby day and grade threes are going to be Grade 1.

So that day miles always considered, you know, one of the

more exciting races of the weekend.

And so the, I think the Derby, I think once all these races

finally become a Grade 1, then I think the Derby and the Belmont

are going to be kind of an equal part.

Because I think the Derby is going to be everybody that runs

on Derby weekend is going to be running on Belmont weekend

because that's going to be the logical step.

If you're a grade one horse on Derby weekend and you run well,

you're going to come back in the grade ones on Belmont weekend.

And so I think that's a real benefit.

And so I think these, I think the Derby, I think the Belmont

still above the Derby at the moment.

And I think it'll be interesting to see now that we've had three

years at Saratoga and I think a lot of people aim for that

because of the uniqueness of it and people just love Saratoga in

general. When it goes back to obviously

it was great at Belmont before too.

But when it does go back to Belmont, if there will be any,

any changes in how, you know, horses are running for that,

especially a lot of those races going around 1 turn, especially

in the dirt. We'll see maybe maybe if that

has any kind of changes and maybe the Derby can surpass the

Belmont at that point for the undercard races.

But now I think that the Belmont, I think what they've

done with the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival has been

fantastic over the last decade and has really made a lot of

excitement around that weekend. And because that was always one

of the problems with the Belmont was that the Triple Crown wasn't

on the line. You know, the weekend was almost

a little bit of an afterthought, but that really made it a must

see weekend no matter what. And it hurts days like today, a

Memorial Day where the Met Mile would have been before the

Belmont Stakes Festival. But I do think overall, I do

think, you know, it sucks that we don't have as many top racing

options outside of some of these big days, you know, but I do

like condensing all these top races into a weekend.

It's just the reality as well. Yeah.

Like we can, we can lament things.

Strong bring the focus on the racing through all this and make

all make all the racing supporting the big races higher

quality and that can really help to pull attention from, you know

the casual sports. Fans well and frankly NBC is

going to be here for the Stephen Foster.

I mean like like there's there's interest in in a sovereignty,

there's interest especially, you know if a journalism runs

etcetera, like there's interest in these horses.

And so my hope is that that look, we, we, we have to be

realistic about this. And I get it.

If you're like me, you went out on a Sunday night to an OTB to,

to, to bet on emerald downs. I get it.

But I'm I'm a very specific kind of person or.

You're like me and you fly all the way out to Emerald Downs on

a different day in August. That's.

A different kind of sickness, but the but no, but the, the we

have to accept and frankly embrace these big weekends as a

way to get more people just in and then just move on with it.

And, and like we know this too, just from being in this.

The Saturdays are what makes the sport as far as revenue and

betting and those sorts of things.

There's no reason to hide from that.

There's no reason to be ashamed of it or something like that.

It's just who we are as a sport. I that's why Belmont day getting

split into two days was so heartbreaking for me because I

love the idea of just this is what I'm doing today.

And like around our house, Belmont Day, we would do Big

Breakfast, like a brunch with the kids almost kind of thing.

And the kids even knew TV inside, TV outside, both on

Belmont. That's what we're doing, that's

what we're watching. We're picking a horse every

race, you know, that kind of stuff.

And now it's split up. And I get why they're doing it.

And you're making a festival, like you said, right?

You're trying to make it a multiple day thing.

Frankly, probably allow some people to go on Friday that

couldn't go on Saturday, right? That sort of thing, which is

good too. So I'm willing to do the give

and take. Doesn't mean I don't miss it.

I'm not going to lament it though, because like I said, we

need to have those big days. We need to, we need to embrace

the big days. Yeah, we need to embrace like,

you know, the the thing that really makes the Derby exciting

is the Derby week. Like how it's just an entire

celebration that entire week and the Belmont's now caught up to

that too whole. It would be amazing if once new

Pimlico is ready, if you know something could be put into

where really turns it into Preakness Week kind of thing,

you know that that would be exceptional and so.

Start televising the Alibi breakfast.

But that's a Scott Wyckoff joke. What's up?

All right. But yeah, but no.

But it's just, it's a great opportunity at the Triple Crown

races to celebrate all this. And if we could get other, if we

could keep the horses around long enough to where we can

start making these massive weekends out of the Stephen

Foster, for example, and all the other great stakes races that

are on that card. You know, if you have a great

Stephen Foster, that's going to benefit all the other races on

the card, too. You know, if Michael McCarthy

decides to send journalism from California for the Stephen

Foster, he's sending other horses that are going to run in

the other races with him kind of thing.

I know he's got a barn here at Churchill too, so he already has

horses here. But like, you know, but it's

that kind of thing where if you're getting the horses

shipping in for the big one, usually the trainers will send

other horses with them to compete in the other races.

And so it just benefits the whole card when you have a big

race like that. But I see pulling up the PPS for

Stephen Foster Preview weekend this weekend here at Churchill.

But before that, I just want to throw a scenario past you.

So looking at the Stephen Foster.

Little scenario talk. So horses that are running in

the Stephen Foster that we could kind of expect at this point,

you have sovereignty White Barrio Magnitude by ASA Skippy

Longstocking, who I forgot to mention earlier.

All of us forget Skippy and it's our fault and not.

His possibly journalism, possibly Nisos hit show if he

runs well enough this weekend, A Dubai World Cup winner.

One of these horses is going to run last.

Somebody has to run last of that field and that's the that's the

excitement of a race like that. Is that.

Yes, thank you for saying that. Yeah, yes, one of these top of

the line, top ten horses in the division are going to have to

run last because there's just that's as simple as it is.

Somebody has to be last. And so that that's the

excitement of this race is you're going to see a superb

racehorse finishing last because just that's how many superb race

horses are in this field. I know there probably is going

to be that random. 80 to 1 long shot that's making his grated

stakes debut thrown in there, maybe less of a chance of that

without. Lucas, I was going to say Wade

Sutter. But so I know that's possible

but. You made my joke.

But come on back, get it together wit all right?

That's just how exciting. That's how exciting this race is

shaping up to be. We're a month out from it and

you can already kind of feel the excitement building for it.

And the increase of the purse only makes it even better.

I'll close with this Sean in in Louisville.

If you're not from Louisville, you're watching this show.

Shut up. We appreciate you.

By the way, like subscribe with all the things.

Give us a review if you're still watching an hour into this

thing. If you if you go to different

stores around town here, they'll sell plastic cups that are

called the unofficial Derby Cup and it has all the last place

finishers in the Derby on that cup.

Do you know whose name is on that list?

I know there's quite a few names on there that are not actually

horses because they just had some fun with it and threw like

random people that they do in there.

Whitmore's on that cup. Whitmore's one of the best

horses I've ever seen do what they do the best.

And when he was at Oaklawn, it probably should be called

Whitmore Park. I know they named the stakes

after him. They should probably call it

Whitmore Park. It's OK to finish last in a race

and it is OK to lose races. It is OK to run third in that

field. It is OK to run 5th in that

field. Now, if you are trying to set up

stallion deals for a horse like Sovereignty or whatever else, I

understand where you would want to.

There's a couple. Of horses in there where if you

finish the last like. But at the same time, I don't

think that if I'm going to say a name, and I don't mean it

magnitude just because Frank said he thinks he's the best of

the group, if he runs like 6th, I'm not going to be like, he'll

never win again. It's over for him.

His babies are going to stink. Like I'm not doing that because

the field's that good. And come on, like, man, I'm

looking at the preview and like rattling rolls in here.

Yeah, he's multiple great at stakes.

Like what are we doing winning? Yeah, how awesome would it be?

He came back and won this race this weekend and the blame

stakes and just we could throw rattle and roll back into the

mix of all this. He's been like the he's just

always been there. He's danced every dance.

He he's coming back from. I guess he I forgot that he ran

in the Ben Ali coming back from Saudi.

So this is the second start back.

A lot of horses need the second start.

Yeah, and so, but man, talk about consistency.

This horse won a grade one in 2021 and here we are in 2026

with him prepping in a race he's won in the past by the way, to

try and get back into another grade one opportunity.

Here we talked. We talked a lot about the

seven-year olds this year in white, a barrio and skipping,

long stalking, rattle and roll. If he could throw his name in

there to be another one of these top 7 year olds.

In a perfect bowl on this episode, he's a son of Connect.

Look at that. Who stands at Lane's end?

Of course, you need to check out the magazine, and the QR code is

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All the beautiful photography and all the great work.

They're at Blood Horse. Get the Italian registry too.

Why not? Speaking of Italians, Yeah, it's

fascinating. Go flip through all those lanes.

Bro, you'll never run out of things to read if you do that.

Will Sean get his wisdom teeth put back in?

Find out next week. The Blood Horse is dedicated to

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