Kentucky Derby 151 Week | Brian Nadeau

Just want to welcome in a friend of the show, a guy that we

talked to ahead of all those big days down at Gulfstream Park.

And now we're going to ask him how he thinks they'll fare this

coming weekend. His name is Brian Nadeau.

He's out there at Gulfstream Park, and we welcome him back on

to ESPN 680 at 1057. Brian, good morning.

Happy Derby, man. Lily, what's up man?

Happy Derby to you too. Good to hear from you.

Thanks for having me on. Yeah, no problem at all.

Of course, at Brian under score J under score Nadeau on Twitter.

Find him on Capital OTB as well. Am I too loud or too low?

No, I need it. You need more.

Crank it up. Yeah.

Oh, crank you. Up.

I need to hear Brian. Brian, what's up, man?

Kelly Francois alongside Really, Jackie, How about that?

Yeah, good to hear a lot of. Yeah, man, obviously a

disappointment around here for sure.

Went to pantry, had to be scratched out of the Kentucky

Derby. Let's just do that real quick.

Would you have given him a serious shot the Derby had he

been able been able to run? Yeah, he was definitely one of

the ones right. He is the kind of running style

that that would put him in a theoretically the right spot off

the far turn and comes in off a a breakthrough win at A at a

true 9 furlong. So it's it's just a real bummer

for for the connections and a horse that was, yeah, for my

money at least, clearly on the short list.

Yeah, he was going in the right direction for sure.

We saw in that Florida Derby sovereignty under Manny Franco

and not Junior Alvarado. Still run a very, very good

race, just didn't get to the line in time against it to Pan

Street. Are you getting Mage vibes from

a couple of years ago from him as a second place finisher that

can absolutely win the Kentucky Derby?

Yeah, I like him, Lily. I think he's in a good spot.

He's my pick in the race. I really wish I had something

kind of fun and sexy for you, but I just, I don't see that

this year. I certainly don't want to say

they weren't trying in the Florida Derby because that would

that would be dumb for a grade $1 million race.

But I feel like if you watch the race, you can see maybe he

wasn't cranked to the gills because there was another Derby

to worry about. And they they were, you know,

they, they got in with the fountain youth win.

And that was so kind of sort of surprising the way he he won and

did it off the bench. And and then you would have

thought maybe the Florida Derby was the big money Ron and, and

they didn't need it anymore. They didn't have to have him

fully cranked. And so I like his pattern here

in that they could kind of sort of back off a little bit in the

Florida Derby and he still ran so well to be second, maybe a

little further back in the in terms of where he he should have

been in terms of the flow of the race, because, you know, Japan

St. got first run and that was it.

But I like the way he finished up.

He was 5 wide on on both turns. You know, he ran a big he's he's

he paired ones up on the thorough graphs.

So I feel like he's poised to run his best race on Saturday.

So and he's going to be a better price than the favorite.

So and to me on paper, there's a lot of speed in the race.

I do really think it sets up for him pretty good.

Louis. Brian Nadeau joins us from

Gulfstream Park at Brian under score J under score Nadeau on

Twitter. I just tweeted out that he is

joining the show, so you can go follow him from the tweet at

Radio Louie. Of course, for everything that

I'm doing on Twitter, you know, yeah, sovereignty comes in.

He's looked really comfortable on the track here.

Bill Mott even had to kind of pull him back a little bit.

He was so excited in the works earlier.

He was so, so sharp and they were almost, you know, it was

almost like his best form was almost two weeks ago, Brian.

So I do think the, you know, the five weeks between sets him up

very well. Michael Bannahan from Godolphin

seems very, very confident as well.

But I wanted to ask you about some of these other races.

You know, one of the things that we've kind of lamented in our

sport the last couple of years is that these especially on the

male side, on the colt side of things, these great horses all

get retired after their three-year old year.

And all of a sudden we get these races like the Ali Sheba on on

Friday, which is going to, you know, show us a fierceness and

most wanted a locked in a Hall of Fame.

I mean, just sort of generally for the sport.

And I know we talked about this before, Brian, but it's, it's

just nice to see these guys back on the on the PPS and in a race,

isn't it? Yeah, I think that's a great

call, Lily. You know, four horses that that

have every right to kind of throw down throughout the year

and and maybe stake their claim for for horse of the year.

It's great to see fierceness come back at 4 after such a huge

campaign last year in a giant run in the in the Breeders Cup

Classic to to end his campaign. It was unfortunate we didn't get

to see him at Gulfstream Park, but we did get to see locked

this this year and locked ran a credible second in the in the

Pegasus after a you know, they're off you lose kind of

trip at the start from a bad draw.

And what did he parlay that into to to the big cap.

So I can't wait to see it. You know, in terms of the race

on on Friday, I think locks in a little bit of an odd tough spot.

I guess they just needed to get a race into locked.

It doesn't seem like 8/8 and 1/2 furlongs is really his going to

be his jam this year. So maybe they just needed to get

a race into him. And I kind of think the

brilliance of fierceness will be a little too much for the at

that distance for locked. But yeah, it's great for the

score. And Hall of Fame has certainly

developed into a really, really nice force for Steve Asmussen.

So that's a fun one to kind of wet everybody's palate for the

for the big one on Saturday. Yeah, I, I mean having four

horses in there with 100 plus buyers and their last races,

that kind of thing. It's just the kind of quality

we've wanted for years and now we're getting it and I'm just

really excited. Is that a fierceness kind of

single for you or do you think a horse maybe like the most wanted

or certainly in the case of a locked or Hall fame, do you

think they could push him on Friday?

I think it's a good spot for his his return, as good as those

other horses are, Hall of Fame. I I would need to see more of.

I know he ran well in the New Orleans classic, but that was

kind of like a little bit of a merry go round race with touch

upon A star just freaking that day and Sierra alone.

Sierra Leone clearly wasn't. You know, that was a means to an

end to get him going. I think Pierce just gets a lot

of the best of it tomorrow tomorrow, right.

And oh, by the way, he's the best source anyway, you know, So

I think he's in a good spot to come back tomorrow.

Yeah, no, that's right. Brian, the doe joining us from

down there at Gulfstream Park. Find on Twitter Brian under

score J under score the doe in the next race in the Grade 1 LA

Troy yen will see the return to Churchill Downs of Torpedo Anna.

Do you do you allow yourself to be a fan of horses?

Do you allow yourself to just love watching a horse that gives

you an honest effort like she does every time?

Yeah, I mean, if you're not a fan of her, you should find

something else to do. I think that's that's that's

first and foremost and the job Kenny Mcpeaks done with her.

And just the fact that, you know, Kenny so old school and

and and you have to respect that he's he's kind of like a old

school. Dewayne Lucas.

He's got a good horse and she's informed, but we're going to run

that good horse and we're going to put we're going to put her in

the spot son. And her traverse was was heroic.

She did everything but when I thought that was great to see.

And you know, just the fact that she's back as a four year old,

that's awesome because you it's it's essentially exactly what

you just talked about in the alley Sheba.

The fact that she's back at four, I think is is great, but I

also kind of think I don't think she has to win tomorrow.

She I know they haven't certainly gotten to the bottom

of her in either Oakland race, but those are not overly fast

races. She's back on three weeks rest

and I'll tell you what randomized looks like she's

training phenomenally well. Her works at work.

She was working in company with Raging Sea and she was I know

the times are all the same, but she was much better than raging

sea for for my money. And I think she's in a very

interesting spot being drawn outside torpedo Anna.

She's going to take the race to her.

I know you could see a little bit of a personal Ensign maybe

where, you know, she blasts off early and and what she did video

Matic. But I think she's going to run a

big race and I'm going to play her in the lot.

Troy Anne. I think it's a good spot for her

and I just I've been really impressed with the way she's

training. And you know, again, it's some

sometimes you you got to run fast Louie and torpedo Anna

again. I know they haven't gotten to

the bottom of her or anything like that, but nobody's

confusing her races with overly fast this year.

So seems like could be a little vulnerability tomorrow.

Yeah, definitely. Brian, I think I'm sorry, Louie,

you just cued to me. I have no idea what's going on.

But no, I think a. Bad job by the producer.

I apologize. Also, when you, you know, you

talk about how this Philly is off the layoff in general.

And I mean, I'm going to excuse her for that August 2023 effort

because I mean, we're talking about a little bit of a

different individual here. But typically with this one, I

like, you know, I think this one coming off or the layoff is

going to be all right as well. Yeah, without a doubt.

I, I, I don't disagree with that at all.

And I I think that that something went amiss there

because we haven't seen her since.

But the fact that she's back in this race off that kind of

layoff working so well with with these connections.

I always say that horses like this and there's a just

countless of them on the card. They don't they're not here to

start their year by by chance. It's it's for a reason.

And the reason is more than just to to get the owners a box seat

on Derby or Oaks Day. It's because they're, you know,

they're, they're pointing to this race.

Ryan Adele with us from down there at Gulfstream Park 5G.

George Weaver does get the win in the Gulfstream Park Oaks if

she gets in the starting gate tomorrow.

What do you think she needs to win that race?

And what do you think she how does she match up with, say, a

good cheer Lacara, you know, maybe even a ballerina de Oro in

this spot? How do you think she matches up?

Yeah, I actually thought I saw she was coming out.

Yeah, I think she's coming out for Dave Grening.

She was the biggest. She was a huge play against for

me. If she's in there, I just don't

feel like Louis. I don't feel like she's a true

two turn 9 for a long worth yet you have to remember our Oaks at

a mile and a 16th is a short stretch finish line race.

And Annie what you getting in the Kentucky Oaks?

So I think that that that would that would be very, very testing

for her. And and so she was going to be a

big play against for me. I have nothing clever and I just

think good cheers too much racehorse.

But you mentioned Ballerina Doro.

I'm punching that one. That's my straight exacta

because I know she's slow, but she wants every bit of nine

furlongs. There's going to be speed in

there. And that's just my straight

folks. Exacta good cheer over over

Ballerina Doro. Yeah, I think simply joking is

going to set the fractions and whoever, whoever does the best

job of getting a trip right behind her is probably going to

win that one. I did want to ask you about

Saturday. We're with Brian Nadeau from

Gulfstream Park about the Churchill Downs.

It'll be Race 8. It's a great one here.

Obviously we see mind frame in here and we're we're seeing him

really excel, Brian, in these kinds of races.

That one turn mile, that sort of distance seems to be something

that's going to work for him. I imagine we'll see him in the

Met Mile in, you know, about six weeks here or whatever, or five,

two weeks ago. What do you make of his chances

in this spot? We see a book of Daniel.

We see a return of Nisos, obviously Mullikin on the

outside. This is a loaded field man.

Yeah, this is a loaded field. I saw Nisos's name.

I said why? Like that Alicia's alive.

I couldn't believe it. And there you go.

They're picking that spot to come in off that kind of layoff.

Yeah, my frames, listen, his comeback was solid.

I'm I'm going to tell you what, he's going to have to run a

whole heck of a lot better than he did in the Gulfstream Park

Mile. And I'm sure he don't get me

wrong, but as good as Steel Sunshine is, he's a cool horse

that we we've had the privilege of seeing.

He's a multiple graded stakes winner.

He's also 30 to one in this race if he was in it.

So Mind Frame is going to have to run a whole heck of a lot

better. He was inside for much of the

way in the Gulfstream Park Mile. That was not a good spot to be

on the main track on that day, Fountain Youth Day.

But he came off of it late. He was.

He won that race on class. He wasn't overly threatened.

He went about his business and did it.

He will have to run, for my money, several lengths better on

Saturday. I think he's got a little bit of

vulnerability. I can't wait to see Nicos.

I have no idea what you're going to get from him.

I haven't even heard his name in over a year Boy, what a

fascinating entry. He's got to be the most

fascinating entry of the entire weekend for my money.

Look, him Dano, so cool, isn't he?

And he's got a great finishing rider in Paco to drag him home.

This is a war on Saturday and I think it's, I think it's to me,

it's a bit of a spread race even extra.

Aneo finally ran fast and he's got a world of potential.

He's interesting to me as well. So if I had to make a pick, I

think I'm always a sucker. I didn't even mentioned the

horse I might probably pick on top.

I'm always a sucker for two turn horses cutting back, and I know

Banishing has never done anything outside of Oakland

Park. It's significant, we'll say.

I love the foundation he brings into the race.

He's going to be a square price and he should trip out too.

So he's very interesting to me at which should be a square #2.

Yeah, you go, you look back and he's got that distance covered

horse for course there at Churchill Downs back in last

fall. Yeah, it was just an allowance

optional. But at the same time you've got

it especially with this Churchill surface.

And Brian, we've had just a touch.

We haven't had as much rain as we thought we were going to

have. So that's I mean, I think

because of that, you really have to take that into consideration

in this in this race. And I think, you know, you go,

you bring up a great point on Vanishing.

And I mean, he's just done so well at Oakland.

But I do love. Yeah, you didn't.

You guys are there. So I guess the weather is

certainly the big bugaboo. I was talking to Zach off the

air. He said 95% chance of rain on

Saturday. So I don't know what that's

going to do. But I at least me personally, I

can't really handicap for that. I'll move horses up if I see

that they've, you know, handled an off track.

But that just puts another kind of monkey wrench into the

equation. But yeah, the Churchill Downs is

as good an undercard race as there is on the card. 2 Coming

out of Gulfstream in the American turf.

I'll do these very quickly. B Bago comes out of a win in the

Colonel, Liam up the track in the Transylvania, but we get

Classic, of course, coming out of winning the Cutler Bay.

Which of those two, if you had to bet one, do you think is more

likely to hit the board? B Bago or Classic, of course, in

the American turf. Classic, of course, and I know

that probably sounds dumb because he's he's 20 to one, but

just for everybody, the the Gulfstream Park turf courses has

just been a highway. Louis, you and I talked about it

a lot and you saw the the horses that have wired at Gulfstream

are so vulnerable leaving Gulfstream.

And I don't need to point anymore to the Transylvania with

Bebago at 7:00 to 2:00 doing his thing on the front end and just

absolutely getting shot in the stretch.

So the running style of Classic of course flatters him more than

Mivago for me. We already asked you about

sovereignty in his Florida Derby.

Do you have a Kentucky Derby pick at this point?

Maybe a top three or something like that.

Yeah, I mean, he is my pick, Louie, for a couple different

reasons. He's going to be a better price.

You listen, if they run the race 10 times, journalism is supposed

to win at six. I don't think anybody is arguing

he's not the best horse, but there's not four other horses in

the race. I think that's just an

absolutely huge deal. He found trouble in A5 horse,

Santa Anita Derby. There's now 19 other horses in

the race. He's never shipped out of the

California. It's he's going to be just who

knows what's going to happen. It could be bumper cars.

It's likely he's going to catch an off track for the first time

and he's going to be you know, what is he going to be 3 to 1,

seven to two. So it's just too much for me.

I have 2A's and that's it. It's sovereignty and and

journalism and that's it. I think Sandman will pass a

whole bunch of horses and get a piece.

I think just ask that can do it as well.

I, I, I really wish I had something super duper clever for

you. I this is not that's not the

Derby for me this year, sadly. Maybe I'd give a horse like

Final Game, but for Brad, for Cox, a chance to run in the

money at a big, big number because he'll he'll, he'll close

and he's got a dirt pedigree. Well, there you go.

He's Brian Nadeau down there at Gulfstream Park again, Brian,

under score, J under score Nadeau.

You go find that at Radio Louie as well.

Go follow him there. The work at Capital OTB as well.

Hey, Brian, I always appreciate you jumping on buddy.

Let's catch up this summer and be well.

Maybe I'll see you in Baltimore in a couple weeks.

That sounds good. No, I'm not going to make the

trip to Baltimore on and Samantha will be there.

I'll be holding down the sport that Gulfstream.

You can see me in Nashville. Somebody's got to work.

Samantha is going to go be, you know, glitterati and you got to

work. That's right.

That's how this works. Yeah, so you can see me in

Nashville. You can see me in Nashville next

week for Pearl Jam if you want. But that's that's as Far East as

up the coast I'm getting. But Louis, it's always a

pleasure to hear from you. And Callie, I miss you when it

was an added pleasure to hear from you as well.

So enjoy The Dirty. All right, thank you, Brian.

All right, there you go. Brian Nadeau joined us from

Gulfstreet Park. Quick break here.

We'll talk to Ben Roberts on the other end.

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next.