Aqueduct Saturday | Peter Pan Stakes

It's true, life is good on the horse racing happy hour, hanging

out with a guy named Bobby Hall. My name is Louie Ramo here in

the studios of ESPN Louisville. Hear me 11:50 each weekday,

including tomorrow, 1020. Bob will be back with me hanging

out ahead of Peter Pan day. The final Peter pair in

Aqueduct. We say many things the final

time in Aqueduct these days. Bob, a good morning.

Good afternoon. Good afternoon to you, Sir.

How are you? Good afternoon, Louie.

Always great to talk horses with you.

That'll be a lot of fun. I don't want to bury the lead

ball, Bob, but man, Preakness, next week we could talk horses.

We could do all those things. But hey, you're you're receiving

an award for the third time at the Alibi breakfast.

When I think of things that can only exist in horse racing, Bob,

the Alibi Breakfast is like a top three kind of Wednesday

before the middle jewel of the triple crowd.

It happens at Old Pimlico, that kind of thing.

Obviously not this year, but congratulations, you are.

You are one of my favorites, Bob, to read around, not just a

blood horse, but frankly in all of horse racing and I've

appreciated your work for many years.

I have to imagine for Someone Like You getting an award like

the Woods Award, which is, I mean, it's as good as it gets

for someone in in your position, an incredible honor to be, to be

recognized by your peers. Yeah.

It really is. It's very, very humbling.

I mean, there's really you look at the guys who want it, there's

some really the the, the best, the cream of the crop.

So it's always a always a, you know, just a great thrill and

honor to get it. And you know, I'm getting close

to 70. So I guess in an era of

everybody with cell phones doing video, it's kind of nice

somebody with a tape recorder in their hands if you get a little

recognition every now and then. You have won this award two

other times, including in 2016. American Pharaoh makes it look

easy. And then of course, you won the

2019 with a story called Baffert and the Triple Crown.

Two out of three, eight bad. Just the date, just the title of

that Bob should win an award that was that's that's just good

stuff. Well, I always was a meatloaf

fan, you know, so you know that that always kind of I, I always

try to work that in. I, I, I often have fun with

songs like the two out of three eight bad.

I like it. It never rains in Southern

California comes in quite handy. So used to come in as handy

sometimes. Seems to rain there a lot now

anyway now. They can't even have Malibu Day

on Malibu Day anymore. Yeah, so you know, but yeah, no,

it's like the first two were for Triple Crown winners.

So this is my first non Triple Crown winner.

But I will say there was a lot of drama and excitement in last

year's race. What journalism was able to do

is just really probably maybe the race of the year.

I mean, I just didn't think he could win.

I didn't know if he gets second. I thought maybe Sandman might

get him for second. Never thought he could win the

race. And then all of a sudden, boom,

there he is that that was just just an impressive, totally

impressive race. It's an unbelievable moment

looking back Bobby. And you know where that at at

Pimlico, where that incredible overlook we had from the the

press box there, great spot to watch races at old Hilltop.

And he's on the rail stuck with two other horses and I'm

watching a very good horse at Gossgar just kick away and I

mean full speed ahead. Luis Saez, perfect ride on him

and he gets out of that thing and and you know, I made the

case on Blood Horse Monday right before the the Belmont.

I mean, journalism saved the Triple Crown last year by

himself, by running and all of them by being competitive and

all of them. I mean, he saved it last year

and and God bless him because that run in the Preakness,

you're right, it was probably the the performance of the year.

It really was and and yes, I think he did because it it

certainly heightened the excitement for a rematch with

sovereignty. And you know, look, I'll be

frank, I did not vote for sovereignty for course of the

year because I just felt when he had he took the advantage.

He took the easy road to go to the to the Belmont Stakes.

I mean, I, I do respect what people say about their horses

with the two weeks rest and such.

But you know, no one's showing me that it's, it's a total

detriment to the horse. The horses can do it.

If you manage your horse properly, they can do it.

It's yes, everybody wants to go a certain route.

And you know, this is the one thing horse racing has that the

entire nation look at the numbers, look at the numbers of

the people who watch the, the, the Kentucky Derby and, and you

know, like 24 million or something.

And then they say, oh, we had a record for the yokes.

Well, if you look at the yokes, it said last year's Oaks got

about 600,000 people watching. So you kind of get an idea on

what the kind of crowd horse racing is the, the Triple Crown.

People have to get together and realize this is valuable.

And now I do understand this year that horse really probably

was not going to win the Preakness.

He's not really set up for Laurel or Pimlico, whichever 1

you want. You know it's going to be a

Laurel, but that late style doesn't seem to suit.

But I just think I'd be very surprised to see what happens if

people, if they really make a big serious purse adjustment to

the Belmont and the and the and the Preakness, if all of a

sudden horses are trained a little different and attitudes

are different. You know, I had someone at the

station here come up to me this morning and say, man, I've never

heard you talk about what you would do with the Triple Crown

schedule. And Bob, I don't have a good

answer. And it's because I don't know

that if we changed anything that the actors would act

differently. It's so.

They want to they the only way you might get some sort of

change from the horsemen might be if you make it on a monthly

basis. And that would just kill.

I mean, people lose, they lose interest in things and you know,

if you're going to space it out, I mean, people get upset when

there's like 3 days between an NBA final.

So I mean, you know, you see what the average sports fan and

that's who you really gearing the Triple Crown for.

And you know, look, I know Naira's willing to maybe move

one week now that might help. I mean, one of the key things in

the background people don't talk about a lot can't inject a

horse. If you ran in the Derby and go

in the Preakness, you need 15 days.

You can't do it. That's why some of these guys

are just not coming back on them.

So maybe the third week might help that way.

But I think, look, people, you offered $20 million and people

went to Saudi Arabia in the middle of a war.

So, you know, I understand and I and I and look, I understand

people are careful with their horses.

I just, I look, look at what Bob Baffert has done with his

horses. He does very well on two weeks

rest. Wayne Lucas went from the Pat

Day mile and won the Preakness and then his horse won the

Pennsylvania Derby later in the year.

I, I mean, it's horses. They are durable animals.

A breed does not, you know, I mean, they are a Hardy breed.

I, I remember talking to the people who do the ragas and

sheets during the when Rick Dutrow was running on 3-4 days

rest and I asked him, how do you, how do you calculate?

Now they're the guys who consider the fathers of the

spacing. They said when the horse comes

back on like a week or more than something like that, they give

him the same number. That's from Lynn Friedman, who

is one of the godfathers of the sheets.

He gives them the same number. They project that that the horse

will come back, replicate his number.

Now, you probably got to give him some rest after that, which

might make the Belmont tough, but still, if you have the right

horse, Justify did it, American Pharaoh did it, and they did it

within what, 11 years ago? Twice in 11 years.

It's not impossible. It, it's just the willingness.

And look, I, I, I understand what they did with what they're

doing with, you know, with golden tempo.

But you know, you kind of wish you couldn't.

You know, like I say, I, I do understand.

I just think sometimes if if you know what what they always say,

I'm waiting for the horse to tell me.

Sometimes they get the idea the decision is made beforehand.

Yeah, no, I think that's right. I want to address a couple of

comments I've seen on the Internet, Bob, which is

something I shouldn't do. But the idea that that Whit

Beckman shouldn't ship Ocelli for the Preakness is the dumbest

comment I've seen in horse racing online stuff in a long

time. Of course he should go.

Of course he should go if the other 19 best 3 year olds are

not showing up at Laurel Park. You send your horse for the

Grade 1, you just go do it. I'm sorry.

I actually, I'm not sorry. You just do it.

And Bob, I, that one will drive me nuts.

So I'm hoping we'll get the full announcement either today or

tomorrow that Ocelli is in fact headed to Laurel Park.

I'm also very hopeful that someone you mentioned in a few

paragraphs ago and Bob Bafford will very much consider crude

velocity for the Preakness as well.

Yeah, I mean, people say, oh, that's not Baffert style.

I said, what do you mean? He when he wins the Derby, he

seems to always win the Preakness.

So, you know, that's that's not it.

And as I say, Lucas showed us just a couple of years ago, you

could do the path go from the path day mile to the Preakness.

You could do it, you know, and again, when you look at the

field, I mean, look, let's be honest, one of the reasons maybe

part of stuff I'm saying who is your star in the Preakness?

A maiden, I mean, you know, Sally is a maiden.

And, you know, I mean, if that's your leading attraction, I can

understand why 15 people want to run.

And you know, sometimes you do like like last year, maybe

journalism would have won in all three, but I think 1 sovereignty

did not go when they felt they had the right horse.

That was a Gimme that I said they're going to be 3 to 5 in a

field of non winters of two and that you know that that's a

large part of what they did. I think a Sally's making

definitely the right move. Go strike while the iron is hot.

Your horse is coming off a good effort.

If it didn't take too much out of them, go and you know, what

do you really think with your maiden with five weeks rest for

you and everybody else, you're going to out finish them again?

Are you going to get that fast pace that really helped him.

So I I think that's definitely the right move for him.

And I'm surprised some of the other horses who maybe were kind

of close don't want to come back.

Yeah, it's disappointing for sure because I do think of some

of those like a commandment out of the Brad Cox part.

We've seen him turn, you know, catching freedom around a couple

years ago, finished in the money in the Preakness.

I, you know, I, I, I'm hopeful we'll hear a couple of other

names, but frankly, I'm not sure that we will.

And no, I, I think it's embedded in people's mind that we've got

to have a certain amount of rest.

And I, I, I just, as I say, yeah, sometimes you do need it.

Look, I'm not, I'm not, you know, I'm not going to say if

your horse is exhausted, you got to run them.

I, I mean, you know, there are, you got to do look out for the

horse, but I'm not sure if running back in two weeks is

completely detrimental to horses.

I I mean the American Pharaoh did it and you know, he looked

pretty darn good and the Breeders got classic when he

won. The Haskell a month later, Bob.

You know, I'm just saying you, it can be done.

I think it can be done. I I, I, I just think, you know,

look, if you want to look, sometimes you have to accept the

horse racing. You're going to get beat.

Your horse is going to get beat. That's not the worst thing in

the world. I totally agree.

Your horse is going to get beat. I mean, look, I, I, I, I'll say

the, the most impressive race I ever saw from Seattle slow was

when he got beat, when he got beaten the Jockey Club Gold Cup.

He ran the one of the greatest races you ever want to see, but

he got beat. But still your respect for him

went way up. Look at American Pharaoh, what

he gave the sport in the Travers by running and getting even

getting beat. That was probably the the

workout when he attracted 20,000 people to Saratoga for a morning

workout, a Friday morning workout.

Greatest scene in horse racing I ever saw and I never will see

anything to match that. Sometimes you got to be willing

to take the chance. Don't harm the horse.

I I'm not, I'm not certainly advocating that, but I, I, as I

say, I, I think sometimes decisions are looked at you.

Sometimes you you're coming to a decision a little quickly.

Give it some real time, give it some thought and and and as I

say, if it's if it's money that it takes or the spacing, but

will one week, I'm not sure. Yeah, I'm not sure.

And if you do that, then what do you do and it doesn't work?

Yeah, the logical sporting thing here, Bob, is to go 3 weeks

between each because you want to keep them more compact than is

the normal schedule because then it's still a difficult thing to

do over the Triple Crown span. But Chad, Chad probably be dead

in the face when I asked him about about emerging market over

Derby. Oh no, I like this.

I want six weeks between races for my horses.

Yeah. All he would do is go OK, Derby,

Belmont, six weeks apart. Great, great.

So why would I even want to change the Preakness if they're

just going to do that anyway? I.

I don't know. See that's the point They want

to get into like a monthly basis.

So now and Naira will not go to July 4th, they will not go to

July 4th. They should.

That is, you know, even if Fox tells them, I think they'd say

no, no, no, no, we can't, we can't do that because they do

know if the Preakness, the Derby winner doesn't win the

Preakness, no one will care about the Belmont Stakes on July

4th. They know that.

So you know, it, it, it's, look, it's a difficult question you

got to go through. But I, I, I think the three

parties and I'm saying all three have to come together and

realize and the sport, this is our signature event.

It's not just the Kentucky Derby.

It is a series, the series that people will follow and you can

build new fans. My affection for the horse

racing started when I went to see Canyon Arrow, try for the

Belmont, try for the Belmont Stakes.

He didn't do it, but I became a fan.

These these are the things that the people in the sport have to

look at and say, look, we've got the golden goose here with the

Triple Crown. Let's not screw it up.

Let's people have to have to do it.

As I say, Will it take money? I don't know.

An extra week? I don't know.

But somehow they got to reach something and you just can't

keep having it. That the Belmont, the Derby

winner is going to skip the freakness.

Middle pick 5 is going to be our target here on Saturday.

Bob. An interesting card at Aqueduct.

A pair of turf races to close. We won't quite get there for

that, but Peter Pan Day itself and I wanted to ask you kind of

a different question before we get into the handicapping here.

The Peter Pan long time ago was a grade one for a couple of

years. Most of its life has been a

grade 2, has been downgraded to a grade 3 in recent years, but

Ioffer the following evidence that it's actually a grade 2.

Here are the last couple of winners, Hill Rd. and Aquarian

Archangelo, We the People, Promise Keeper, Country Grammar

and Global Campaign have all won this as a grade three.

That sounds like Grade 2 company to me, Bob.

Yeah, I think it is. It is a lot of New York steaks

that really have been short shifted through changes and some

that don't get. I like I say, the Remsen should

be a Grade 1. I, I, I don't understand the

criteria using if you're not going to take a look at the

horses that have run in that, especially now this year too,

you got Renegade, you had Paladin.

You know that they might have been, you know, I mean, Paladin

would have been the favorite in the Derby if he stayed healthy.

I don't think there's any question about that.

So yeah, it really is a, you know, as I say, I'm not sure

what's the true measuring stick because sometimes, well, you

don't have this the size of the fields, well, not big fields of

California either, and I see some great ones.

Out there so. Let's be frank about some of

this stuff. And I think you got to give, you

know, I'm just not sure what the real basic criteria is.

The cigar miles should be a Grade 1.

I don't I don't see why that's not.

And you know, whatever people say, like, you know, in the

wood, the wood is the only grade 2 out there.

So when you do that, well, why are you going to go to the wood?

You're going to go to the grade ones.

I mean, I've had trainers tell me the race, it's only a grade

two. I'm not going.

They want to run in grade ones. So of course.

When they should, by the way. Of course they should, right?

Well, they should, but I'm just saying that downgrades the race.

Once you do that, you kind of perpetuate what you did because

trainers aren't going to run because it's Grade 2 unless it's

a totally inflated purse. All right, let's get after it.

Race 5 kicks off this middle a pick 5 Bob.

We'll go to the optional claiming ranks here, $55,000 on

the claim price, $88,000 purse. 6 furlongs on the dirt Philly

and mare side of things. Just wanted to ask, is this the

two horse race that the morning line would suggest between the

two horse here in Army Gal or three minute by minute?

It sort of looks that way. I mean, you know, you got Army

gal looks like he went she you know, she started going a little

off in the last race. Linda gave her some time off

works have been good looks certainly shows that if she gets

back to her top speed figure, she's going to be a contender.

Chad's horse bringing Pratt on it first time made in winter.

You know, I mean with some of Chad's horses, they don't get

the big speed figure in their debut, but then they run big

second time out. So I think, you know, those are

the two logical horses. Linda always has to like usually

an uncoupled stablemate you might want to look at.

I thought Paula Star two could be worth a look.

That's a horse with a good amount of speed.

And you know, I think that had a useful comeback race.

Manny Franco sticking with the horse that must might be able to

get in there, maybe split them, maybe get the third.

But it looks like 3 those three horses to me.

Kadena was third in that group. She is 3 for 9 lifetime.

She'll break from the rail. Not a lot of success her last

two races, but did have some good efforts before that.

Is this level a little bit too high for her, you think?

Yeah, I'm not sure. Yeah, I think, I think it's a

little bit tougher for her. You know, she she has a say.

She's one of those contenders who could maybe get into the

exotics, but I certainly am not. I'm not really looking at her as

someone who could pull off and upset to win.

The Nay Root is up next. It'll be race six pick.

Pick a six time here. Excuse me at at Aqueduct.

It's a $1.00 traditional pick six there, 6 furlongs on the

dirt in the Nay Root. A grade 375 on the line here.

Bob and Radio Red, I wanted to ask you about we'll break from

the inside. This is a Danny Gargan trainee,

one of the Haynesfield last time that is a state bred steaks, but

did it an impressive 137 and one.

It's the kind of speed one O 9 and change over the five

furlongs that I would want to see in a race like this.

How high level is that is? Is the speed enough to overcome

or is that a little bit of a class?

Ask here for Radio Red. It's a bit of a class ask.

I mean, I mean, when you look at open company, he he did win in

an allowance race and I'm winners of 1 is stepping up to a

grade 3. They're pretty good.

Some of these are kind of salty. They're kind of good horses.

I, I think, I think he's going to have to class up and really,

really run a career best I think, to beat this field.

Yeah, winner previously at Aqueduct. 5 * 4 times in second.

Ten overall finishes in the money over 14 lifetime starts.

Others in this field, though that are catching the morning

line makers notes include the Tom Fool runners and the Carter

runners. Between those two races, which

one do you think was a little better of an indicator of what

might happen on Saturday? Well, I mean, I think the Carter

was the better race. I mean it had the better horses

it had. It did have book em Dano, you

know, but again, the question is those two horses, you know,

point doom and book em Dano aren't running.

So you know it. It doesn't mean that say one of

the some of the horses from the Tom fool may not come back and

win. I mean, I do kind of like I

think 1900. I, you know, I, I think that

horse I've kind of, when I see in the PPS a little bit when the

tracks wet, not really his best race, not an awful race, but not

his best. We get some dry weather.

I'm thinking he might be, he might be the one to beat.

He's getting, he's getting Flavy and Pratt in the stakes race.

That's pretty good. Great stakes for Tom Morley,

he's won for his last 11 but as you mentioned, Flavy and Pratt

off to a great start again at Aqueduct 2 for his 1st 84.

Second place finishes so far half his races are there, but

those second place finishes pay plenty of bills as well.

Nehru as a trainer, my gosh, when you go through his list of

wins did win the Belmont Stakes in 1957.

Can you name the 1957 Belmont Stakes winner?

Gallant man Oh. Man, if you're right about that,

1957 was gallant man Bill Shoemaker John Nehru.

Final time Quick 1226. Well, because of neighbor that

reminded me. But you know, and I will say I

wasn't there. I wasn't there.

My buddy Terry Finley at West Point Stable, we were talking

about the history of the Pimlico Special and he was talking about

Seabiscuit and said, well, you remember that one, Bob?

I said Oh no. Piblico special, I swear to God

in. 19 And in June of 1957, I was about a mile away from

Belmont Park in diapers. So, you know, let's, I won't go

beyond that. But yes, I was on 227th St.

Little little too young to be brought to the races.

Bobby E Hall, there you go. All right, moving on to race 7

to other graded stakes. Here's the great to Ruffian

contested at a mile on the dirt course there.

If you're unfamiliar with Aqueduct, that's a one turn mile

over the dirt there. Phillies and mares forward up

and here $200,000 on the line. Do you have a Ruffian memory?

You have to. No, I mean come.

On Bob, I'm just kidding, all right?

At least I'm honest. At least I'm honest.

I'm not sitting there on my phone looking through and going

Oh yeah, yeah, I remember. No, you know, if you have

mentioned something to me, I might say, Oh yeah, I can

remember, but off the top of my head, sorry.

Not a rough view member. That's all right.

You know me. I'm a little surprised.

Saffy Joseph trainee coming out of the double dog dare.

Of course, in the colonial that split Sandy Bottom a couple

backs. Avachi's going to get the mount

here as Tyler Gaffe. Leone going to stay in Kentucky

for the weekend. Chad Brown trying inefficiency

in this spot, stepping integrated company for the first

time. Dry powder.

We'll see if she makes the trip from the Latroia and that would

be quite a quick turn around there.

I'm going to guess she's not going to run Bob.

But of those two sort of favorites, are we leaning on

them or is there maybe an Irish Maxim or dazzling move in your

future? I I, I kind of lean toward the

two favorites. I mean, I agree.

I mean, you hate to beat chalk all the time, but it it does.

These are smallish fields that we're talking about and some of

the horses look like they're just in there to make the race.

You know, look, he Enumia really ran a nice race in that the

double dog dare, if I'm saying it all right, run a real good

race against good company. Definitely going to be a main

factor and and if anybody's going to I think beat her

certainly inefficiency unbeaten for unbeaten for Chad in the two

in the two starts. One very easily.

Looks like she's going to be a stakes contender.

I would say between those two, you, you're looking pretty good.

I thought. I thought the one was a couple.

I'm not. You know, I was actually talking

to the owner of dry powder Algol.

They're not sure. They might run, they may not.

Maybe they might wait for an eraser at Laurel the following

week because they are sending Napoleon Solo down there for the

for the Preakness. But you know, they might run.

I mean, the one thing with dry powder and even the other one, I

was kind of looking at Kaziar. There's a lot of speed in this

race. So you know, if dry powder goes,

she might be able to close into it.

She might get a pretty good pace to to close into.

Same thing with that Casiar on the rail.

You know, she showed some potential early in her career.

Might get a set up. I mean the rail isn't a great

spot in the mile shoot, but if she's going to come off the

pace, it's not as detrimental. So I think, you know, I think

it's the two favorites, they both have speed.

So, you know, if you're going to try to beat them, I think you

would definitely don't look for a horse to try to outrun them.

Maybe 1 to come to catch them in the final final 70 yards.

What do you make of Irish Maxima here?

She's 7 for 10 on on good, No, on dry, go on dirt, frankly,

comes in out of parks. You know, it's the service

Pennington combination that we see so often in their group when

they ship. They tend to win here.

Do you give her much of a shot? I certainly wouldn't totally

discount her, but I think the problem is she's not not really

used to running a mile. She's on the lead and she's not

she's going to get pressure. I mean, that's the thing.

I mean, look, sometimes these jockeys, they let somebody go

and then that's it. I just think looking at looking

at these horses and the field, the main favorites are not going

to be far off her flank. So I think that's going to make

make it a little bit more difficult for her.

Irish Maxima Grade 3 winner in the Distaff at Aqueduct last

April. That was at 7 furlongs.

She'll have to go the full 8 here in the Ruffian Grade 2 Race

8 or seems to be race 7 on the card Saturday at Aqueduct.

We move on to race 8 and it is on the grass here.

The take the A Train Stakes 6 furlongs on the outer turf

course. 3 year old Phillies in this $150,000 on this on this

one. Surprised at all that the horse

coming off the synthetic is the favorite here.

Bob. Well, let me let me let me start

with this. I think this will be the last

edition of the take the A train because you can't take the A

train to Belmont Park anymore. It basically maybe got to take

the E, switch to the E and the F and then maybe at 179th St. take

the bus and get across to and instead Turnpike across the

street and then walk. So I don't know, I would think

maybe take the LIRR, we'll replace it.

Yeah, there you are. Yes.

So this this this might be historic.

Is there a turf sprinter that they should name this race

after? Definitely.

I mean, there should be. I mean, I think it was kind of a

novelty to kind of a novelty to, you know, all right, for our

Subway Denzians will will name a race after them.

But yeah, I'm sure over the off the top of my head, it's not

there. But there would certainly a lot

of a lot of turf sprinters that we can we can honor with this

race. I mean, I think, you know,

they're going to have a lot of new stakes and I think they

might want to rename. I've already mentioned to Andrew

Offerman, the director of racing, we need a Queens Village

Stakes. I agree with me.

You know, Queens Village is the town next to Belmont Park.

We get races after Sheepshead Bay, Garden City, Montauk,

Queensville after training the heart and soul neighbor.

We need that. My hometown needs some

representation at the new Belmont Park, and then I've

already said my piece there. So anyway, so take the Adrian.

Next year, the Queens Park Sprint.

Is that what we want? Is that what we're doing?

We'll have to maybe I don't know about me, if there might be a

good turf sprinter. I think just something I'd like

to say maybe in New York Red stakes.

I'm fine with that. If you were born in Queens

Village, you a New York Brad. I mean, I, you know, we take our

pride in our heritage here. So I may be in Connecticut now,

but I was New York, Brad. So anyway.

But yeah, no, I'm not with going in.

Like with the Cadenza, not really that surprising.

Certainly has shown an ability to win on the turf.

And the synthetic, I think she's going to be a good factor.

You know, sometimes it is, look, the speed ratings and figures

that you get on the synthetic are not the same as you're going

to get on the turf. You generally find a little bit

of the difference. So as much as she's showing you

some really pretty good speed figures, you may not may not be

able to replicate it on the turf.

Sometimes they get better. I mean, you know, it is a

question of that, but they are not you.

They are not the same speed figures.

You cannot just say if you ran an 81 on the buyer on the

synthetic, you're going to run an 81 on the turf.

So you know that that's the type of thing that might might have

you looking elsewhere. I actually I kind of like

there's a long shot just Pilford where it's coming in.

This is a horse from the Mid-Atlantic Laurel Mike

Trombetta bringing in his own jockey.

This is a horse's show. I think, you know, showed some

promise last year. It's been working out very well

at the Fairhill and you know, that could be the kind of horse

that maybe springs a nice little upset here.

I mean, I think, you know, I I just say I wouldn't toss out

Cadenza, but I think, you know, you could look for a horse like

that just pilfer to maybe give you a price.

And you know, in blaze, the horse from Miguel Clamont wanted

to debut with a really impressive close speed figure.

Doesn't really excite you, but you know, I think we've seen

sometimes those speed figures in maiden races can be a little bit

deceiving and the horse has a little bit more ability than

what you saw on the on the speed figure.

Yeah, I'm going to put a blaze on top for me, Bob.

I'm going to try that one as my my on top horse here.

I just look what, once in a while horses just have

confidence coming out of those maiden winds, right.

And like you said, you know, especially that first time on

the track, Bob, if they're willing to do that work to pass

horses, almost always a great sign for the second start.

It's so excited about that one getting out there.

Yeah, I'm fascinated by Cadenza and frankly, Bob, I think

Cadenza's the kind of horse that starting next year or this year,

however you want to look at it, that horse will stay in New York

the whole year. They're.

Synthetic horse, they'll just stay.

They'll just stay at Belmont. I'll be serious.

That's actually the kind of horse that if you're, if you're

choosing, if you're Brad Cox and you've got a serious table

already at Turfway, you can spread them out to to Belmont.

I would not be surprised by that.

Yeah. I mean, a lot of it's going to

depend on the kind of book that they put together for all the

horses. You know, are you going to have

the kind of races to suit these horses?

That's the question. And then, you know, the other

question is how much of A campaign do you give the horse

this year? I mean, if she starts struggling

now, yeah, maybe put her away and then try her in the winter

in New York. But, you know, that's the one.

That's the that's the question horsemen are going to face with

some of a horse like this. Do you go now or do you point

for the winter? Because if you certainly run her

and run her head and knock her head against the wall all year

may not have much by the winter. So sometimes it is the planning

of what you're going to do with these horses.

Time to move on to the Peter Pan, and Bob's been on the show

enough, he knows that it's time for a ridiculous version of buy

or sell. Can win or cannot win the race.

Peter Pan, of course, one of the great works of literature, Bob,

that all of us grew up around. Lots of theories about the dark

nature of Peter Pan, of course, many of the animated things.

So of course, if you don't win the race, Bob, we're going

Captain Cook. You got to go with Captain Cook.

Not a good guy, all the things, but I had to debate Bob.

This was a very important thing for me that I spent at least

three minutes on today, is who is the protagonist for this?

Do we just cop out and go Peter Pan, or do we go with someone

else? And if we're going to make

Captain Cook the bad guy, and he's the obvious 1, you got to

go crocodile. It's not even a question.

So we're going Crocodile if the horse can win, and we're going

Captain Cook if he can't. Bob, Are you ready to play?

Yeah, I like that. I wasn't sure if you're going to

go with Tinkerbell. It was on the table.

She was on the table for sure available but not utilized this

year, maybe next year, Bob. All right, when we run the Peter

Pan at Belmont next year, Grade 3 Milan and 8th if you're.

Unfamiliar Crocodile. Good.

Captain Hook. Captain Hook Bad or Crook?

Wait, you had Crook? Did I write Crook?

I saw Captain Crook and I thought that was the thing to

the horse. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Good point. No.

OK. So Captain Hook.

Yeah, Captain Hook. That's right, Captain Hook.

There we go. All right.

Yep. Captain Hook or the Crocodile.

There are $200,000 in the pool for this one.

Grade 3 Peter Pan, Milan, an eighth on the dirt there.

If you were unfamiliar with Aqueduct, that means they start

at the same place at which they will finish.

This is for three-year olds. You get a spot in the Belmont

starting gate if you win this race.

It's a bit like the Federico Tessio in Maryland ahead of the

Preakness Stakes. Trendsetter will break from the

inside. Kazushi Kimura keeps them out

after they win in the Lexington. Last year we met Gosser in the

Lexington Bob and he turned out to be a nice horse.

What do we think of the number one here, Trendsetter?

He's crocodile. I would say that.

I mean, that was a really good effort in the in the Lexington.

And, you know, I think things turned out that Worth might have

been able to run in the Derby if they wanted to with the way all

the points went and everything, even with with the 20 or

whatever. But yeah, he ran a nice race,

should be well set up for this horses in New York now getting

ready. You know, as I say, I think he

looked good enough in the Lexington and some of his other

races they keep using a little, you know, sometimes he's on the

all weather, sometimes he's on the dirt, seems to be capable of

running on any surface. So I think he'll I think things

will work out. He's got the rail.

He's going to be able to save ground around the two turns.

Definitely one of the top horses in the field. 8 lifetime starts,

only four of them on dirt. Three wins in those races for

the horse. Breaking from the rail in

Trendsetter again. Kazuchi Kimura in to ride him.

Azam will break from the two nice number at 12:50.

Comes out of a maiden win at a mile to one turn mile at

Gulfstream Park. Jose D'Angelo shipping in for

this one. I love that he takes as many

shots as he does. Bob, what do you say about Azam

in the Spot A. Little bit I'm going to I'm

going to go with because it's a small field, so we can have a

little bit of variety. I'm going to say Captain Hook.

I I think this this is not there's a couple of good horses

in there going to face a lot of speed and there's going to be

some speed in the race going trying to go two turns off A1

turn maiden win. I'm just I'm I'm not I'm not

totally sold. I the speed figures have been

getting better, but they really got to step up a lot more to get

there. So I'm more tempted in this

field to say, give it the Captain Hook.

Did we not debut, but was DQ D out of that spot?

Has been in maiden company his entire career.

So technically one of three, but really two of three in maiden

company. Is Azam coming in?

Jose Loscato picks up them out there.

Growth equity for Chad Brown. You're likely morning is your

morning line favorite, but you're also you're likely post

time favorite comes out of a maiden win at the mile distance

at Aqueduct. We'll have to go the two turns

here. Flavi and Pratt rides.

I'm assuming crocodile for you, but boy, there's there's still

questions here, aren't there? I, I would, I would say

crocodile. I'm I'm, I mean, as I said,

we've seen these moves out of Chad where he moves the horses

from Maiden company into stakes. He just doesn't do it to keep,

you know, have some action. He he, he's, he's here for a

reason. I would say I like the way the

speed figures have gotten better with each start.

Really look good last time. I think this, you know, could

definitely is definitely I would say the horse to beat in the

field because of the you know, the the tactical speed that he

has and you know, speed figures getting better is everything

pointing to a big effort by for him on Saturday, especially once

again, Flavian Pratt aboard. Flavian Pratt will ride the son

of Nyquist Wildcat Air on the damn side, my dear Venezuela is

the damn for that one. Bull by the horns will break

from the four. A son in essential quality, and

his kids are acting a lot like he did.

Bob running very well in distance races on the dirt.

Winner of the Rush Away, though on the synthetic last time

Saffy's horses, when they win, they come back to win at 23%, so

no problem there. This is what we saw in the

Fountain of Youth. Does have a win over the dirt

and a maiden effort at a mile of Gulfstream Park.

What do we make? A bull by the horns. 8:00 to

1:00 in the morning line here. Mike.

A husband's in town to ride. You would have to put him as a

Captain Hook. I mean, there's some talk he may

not go in the race. They might be thinking about the

Preakness. I mean, everybody in the world

seems to be so. But I mean, you know, again,

nice, nice effort in the in the rush away where he beat trend

center. But again, that was an old Sir

or weather surface. The one time they tried him in

the dirt against good company, much better company than you'll

see here in the fountain of youth.

He really was no factor. Given some of the uncertainties

about him, I'm going to, I'm going to put him on Captain

Hook. Captain Hook for the trainee of

Safi Joseph Junior. Talk to me, Jimmy.

My pick in the Wood Memorial. Look good at the beginning, Bob,

and then didn't by the end of that race.

Ran 8th and that one did win the Withers by 11 lengths before

that back in the spot essentially second off the

layoff. I like that angle for sure for

Rudy Rodriguez, Crocodile, Captain Hook for you.

I think at 9:00 to 5:00 it might be a play against for me.

Well, there's different things, there's different ways to look

at it. I think in terms of can he be a

factor, I would definitely say crocodile.

If he's going to go off at the 9:00 to 5:00, I would definitely

put him Captain Hook. So I'm going to I'm going to,

you know, this one copping out a little bit.

But you know, if you're talking about betting the race now, may

you know, maybe in your if you're making a a sequence bet,

you may want to include them, but you definitely don't want to

bet him to win. I don't, I don't think that's a

fair price, but at least if you're going to get value with

some other horses, you might look what happened in the wood

was he drew the two posts, which is normally isn't bad, but in

the one was Napoleon Solo and the two of them went out and and

they were the two big speed horses.

So being side by side that sort of negated the ability for one

of them to kind of maybe sit back a little bit.

They both went at it. They went 22 and change in the

first opening quarter. Both of them were not there at

the finish. So he's going to have a much

better time here. There's not a, there's not a

tremendous amount of speed. It's a small field.

I, you know, he's, I would think he's going to go out to the

front, might hang around. It's going to be a question of

how, how fast the pace is. But we're going to see, I mean,

again, he won the Withers. But yes, that was a February

race at Aqueduct. This is a, this is a mistake,

said Aqueduct. They're different animals.

He's going to be tested. He has the speed where again, if

he doesn't get challenged, maybe he gets brave on the lead but as

I say, I'm not, I'm not as keen on him with the odds.

Golfy will break from the 6th. We see Kendra Carmouche listed

here for Gustavo Rodriguez. This one one last out at the

mile distance at Aqueduct at second win at the track.

Did win previous to that in a maiden 50.

This is one we saw going a mile and an eighth before in a maiden

effort and way way up the track in December.

What do we make of Golfy's chances here?

Give him the hook, Captain hook. I mean this one playing for

50,000 two starts ago. Speed figures aren't awful.

But again, the key when you when you're looking at the scenario

of the race, look at the this horse has speed that you know,

if you got talk to me Jimmy, you don't you don't want speed.

If this horse was a closer, you might be more inclined to say,

yeah, maybe he could pick up a piece in a small field.

Brutal pace. But if he's going to be part of

the pace, I, I don't see him as being one of them who's going to

hang around to the end. So we'll give him give him the

hook. All right, we have crocodiled,

we have hooked of the Peter Pan runners.

If we're filling out our pick 5, how funnily are you?

Are you 2 horses here? Are you one horse here between

trendsetter and and growth equity?

Would you include both or would you just include one?

I'd include both. I would live in it to two

depending on how. Again, depending on how deep you

know. Again, the construction of your

ticket is a key part of it. If you're going to go deep in

some of the other races, I would feel content with the two.

Maybe if you didn't go that deep on your ticket, maybe you might

want to go a little deeper here, maybe include talk to me, Jimmy,

just in case to give you a little bit of a payoff to cover

yourself. I mean that that's how I always

look at it. You want to you want, you want a

ticket that covers you for the right options.

You don't want to get too cheap sometimes, but you know, if

you're going to if you're going to spread any other races, yes,

I'd say the two those two favorites look like the ones to

me that you'd have the best, the best value and the best chances.

Make sure you check us out at the homepage.

Of course horse racing. happyhour.com would really

appreciate you jumping on with there.

I'll put together a pick 5 for this this version of of the

show. Make sure that you see my pick

five there. And I wanted to put this up as

well. Next Friday we are going to be

and it's not going to allow me so I'll just talk about it.

But next Friday, we'll be at Jimmy's Seafood there in

Southeastern Baltimore. We're not giving up our spot to

do our annual Preakness seminar. So come on out and hang out with

us starting at 7:30. We will leave the Black Eyed

Susan and navigate the traffic of a 500 people on that Friday

and get back up to Baltimore to hang out with you at Jimmy's.

Come on by. We'll have a cigar for you and

all the good things there as well.

Bob, really appreciate it, man. Congratulations again on the the

award at the Alibi breakfast and all of that.

And will I see you at the Preakness?

Oh yes, I'll be there. We'll be there.

Well. Good.

You're going to have to put up with Bob again on this show, so

I'm Lou Rebellious Horse Racing Happy hour.

We're headed to Laurel next weekend.

We hope you'll join along. Have a great weekend.