Book Update: It's A Deal

Well, the day that Kerry Thomas and I have waited for arrived last week when we agreed to a book deal with international publisher and distributor Trafalgar Square Books.

Working with Kerry on this book has been an honor and a pleasure. We are thankful to have secured a contract with a major publisher in the relatively short time of seven months since we put the last words on paper.

Kerry and I finished the book last August and here his the blog post where I introduced it to my readers:

A View From The Hoof

Since college, I've always wanted to write a book and it has been a great honor and privilege for me to co-author a book with Kerry M. Thomas, founder of the Thomas Herding Technique.

Kerry is a unique individual who studies the psychology and Emotional Conformation of the horse. His research is cutting edge and, in my opinion, it will someday have a big impact on every aspect of – buying, selling, breeding and training – how the horse is handled. His website is nearing one million hits and he has a good following on Facebook.

The book takes the reader on a journey of discovery of the intimate drama of life in the equine circle. Kerry’s research of horse psychology shows how nurturing the Natural Herd Dynamic of the horse in the domestic environment is vitally important for its health and well being. Emotional Conformation is the most important factor that can determine if the horse has the heart and mind of a potential champion. Behavior triggers and Behavioral Overcompensation can be tremendous obstacles, preventing the horse from living up to its fullest potential.

In addition, the book illustrates how the importance of nurturing the Natural Herd Dynamic of horses in the domestic environment and Emotional Conformation was also important to illustrious individuals such as Federico Tesio and Burchard Von Oettingen, the Director of Germany’s Royal Trakehnen Stud from 1895 to 1911.

The book is finished. Now all we need is a publisher.

Here’s a sneak peak at the book Introduction:

The Magic Within

Often mystical is the nature and flowing beauty of the horse. For centuries mankind has been enticed by the allure, infatuated with the power, and awed by the magic within the spirit of the horse.

Intertwined along the path of life, through many trials, wars, and mass migrations, the human spirit so often has been lifted and propelled by its partnership with the horse. Indeed, prior to modern society, the horse is the stoic and tireless companion that has been a part of nearly every major human movement, war or sporting event our species has ever undertaken. Try to imagine the human race and evolution of societies without the horse. Our world would be much different without the horse. More than any other creature on earth, the horse has been our best friend and companion.

For many in our society, the history of the horse and its partnership with us through the ages is unknown or forgotten. Ask your average horse owner, horse lover or enthusiast, how horses made their first trip across the ocean to America or about the migration paths of breeds into the new world. Ask them if there is an endangered list for breeds of horses. Ask the average racing fan questions about the history of the Thoroughbred and many will have no answer.

We see in the many breeds we have bred all the wonderful horses: the speed on the racetrack, the dance of the dressage, the height of the jump, the ever so expensive accouterments and trappings and we marvel. It is worth marveling at for sure, but pales in comparison to the accomplishments the horse has made in the past: The war horse who helped shape great nations, the big, strong, athlete that also plowed the fields for our crops, the incredible endurance of the horse who carried forth humanity onto the prairie and the cannon across miles of land to forge new worlds and new governments, or to sustain an old government.

It isn’t the image of a horse in front of a cart or on the racetrack that most enthralls us. It is the spirit flaming bright inside each horse that makes them special. Indeed, not only is it this beautiful spirit and grace alone that makes the horse so precious, but rather it is the valor in which the horse stood by us as we moved along our journey of life.

When visiting a battlefield such as Gettysburg, I see the monuments of the great men who fought and died and know that alongside many of them was a trusty horse. Like so many angels, the horse was a refuge of power and safety, a spirited beast standing beside the spirited soul of man, to guide and assist him in the heat of battle.

I see the horse as a true, living and breathing monument in the field of history. Touching the horse is like touching the past. Many generations before us have heard the same sounds, recognized the same smells and all of the characteristics that make up the magic of the horse. For me, this connection is a direct link, a window into the past, a way to touch a small part of the world that was familiar to times gone by – reminding me of who we are and how we came to be at this moment in time.

The horse is not a pet, though it seems easier to assume so. An animal, who has taken such great care of us so many times, deserves to be respected and treated as a companion. If you love your horse, or all horses, as many of us do, it behooves you to appreciate the history of the equine.

The horse has a magic within that enthralls us and captures our hearts with what could be called a spiritual connection. Horses, more than most any other animal, offer all of us an interactive relationship without limits or prejudices. The magic in their large, soft, eyes is full of expression and curiosity and they seem as interested in us and the things we are doing, as we are of them – true signs of companionship.

In my work with horses, I have had the opportunity to socialize them to interact with people, mostly children, afflicted with various physical and mental challenges. The senses of both the horse and child connect to reach far beyond the physical expressions we are accustomed to - breaking boundaries we never knew existed - offering unspoken and enchanting interactions between child and equine that can bring tears to your eyes. In this fleeting moment of time, there is a feeling of deep spiritual connection with the horse. Connecting spiritually is paramount to connecting physically, for the spiritual connection is the higher power that transcends and controls all that follows. The horse today may not be needed as much for pushing forth human evolution, but the cathartic nature of its presence will never be out of season.

Throughout the ages we have looked to the horse to entertain and help us with tasks both spectacular and mundane. Today, the horse is looking to us for help. Inhumane slaughter and unchecked wild lands picked clean of the magnificent Mustang are a few of the problems that plague the equine community.

Is this how living monuments to human history are to be treated?

Preservation of the pure breeds and horses on the endangered species list is the dream of everyone who loves horses. Help surviving in the wild and to be understood and properly taken care of on the farm and racetrack is what the horse needs most from us today.

If we wish to return the full measure of what the horse has given us, we need to reach beyond our own world and embrace the magic within the spirit of the horse.

Sunland Derby Racing Roundup

March Madness and family have me occupied so I’ll make this quick.

The Bellarmine Knights won the NCAA Division II Championship and the Butler Bulldogs are going to the final four. Now if we can get the Kentucky Wildcats there, life will be sweet in the Bluegrass.

Trainer Steve Asmussen sends Astrology to the starting gate today as the 5-2 morning line favorite of the $800,000 Sunland Derby (G3) at Sunland Park.

Astrology’s last race was in November where he finished second in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G), losing by a half length to Santiva. Despite the four month layoff, I like Astrology in this race. I don’t know if he will win but I believe he will be competitive.

In five starts, Astrology has never been out of the money and he boasts a 2-1-2 record. That’s not too shabby and considering what I read at Steve Haskin’s blog that Astrology compiled that record racing with a blocked epiglottis, which has since been corrected with surgery, that’s even more impressive.

Three long shots I like are Supreme Ruler (20-1), Beer Meister (15-1) and Fusa Code (8-1).

Trainer William Fires ships Supreme Ruler in from Oaklawn Park where he compiled a win and a second-place finish going a route of ground in both races. I like the way Supreme Ruler has been moving forward and I like the progression of his Brisnet Speed Figures.

A bullet work out March 16 should have Supreme Ruler ready to run a good race.

Beer Meister has never been out of the money in four starts and he comes into the race with an impressive 2-2-0 record. Last month, Beer Meister won the Turf Paradise Derby by two lengths covering the 8 ½ -furlongs in a sharp 1:41.99.

I like the chart call of that race: BEER MEISTER broke out, trailed the field far back, bid seven wide, closed with a rush to get up late and drew off.

I look for Beer Meister to be competitive.

Fusa Code was one of my picks in the Borderland Derby and I look for him to move forward off of that race.

Vinery Racing Sprial Stakes Roundup

Positive Response heads a field of twelve 3-year-old thoroughbreds Saturday as the 3-1 morning line favorite of the $500,000 Vinery Racing Spiral Stakes (G3) at Turfway Park.

Of all the horses entered in the Spiral, Positive Response has the most seasoning and he comes into the race with a 5-0-2 record in eight starts. I like Positive Response and I've profiled him in previous races. I like him in this race, too, but I don’t like him for the win because I believe 9-furlongs is stretching the limit of his competitiveness.

This will be the second try for Positive Response to run 9-furlongs. In February, Positive Response finished third in the 9-furlong El Camino Real Derby (G3) but a month later trainer William Morey dropped him back to 8 ½ - furlongs in the John Battaglia Memorial Stakes which he won by 7-lengths.

Pomeroy, the sire of Positive Response, was a sprinter and he also is the sire of the speedy Hutcheson Stakes (G2) winner Flashpoint.

Positive Response is a descendant of the Danzig line of the Northern Dancer sire line and since1990 the Northern Dancer sire line has produced six John Battaglia Memorial winners. The Danzig line produced two of those winners.

Animal Kingdom (5-1) is a horse I’ve been very interested in. I wrote about him last December in my 2011 Kentucky Derby Outlook and I’ve been waiting for him to make his stakes debut.

Animal Kingdom is stepping up in class and he only has three races to his credit. But he has a really good pedigree and I believe he has a lot of potential. However, one never knows if these young colts will live up to their breeding.

I like the stable switch to trainer Graham Motion and the change in environment may be indicative of Animal Kingdom’s recent, and only, bullet work out on March 21.

I’m looking forward to watch Animal Kingdom run.

A long shot I like is Beachcombing (12-1) and it appears that he may have the “will to win.”

I like the way Beachcombing dueled with Data Link in the stretch of his last race in January. That was the 3-year-old debut for Beachcombing whose last race as a 2-year-old was in October. Despite the layoff, Beachcombing showed a lot of grit in that race and lost only by a neck.

Here’s the chart call: BEACHCOMBING stalked the pace, rallied three wide to take over soon after entering the stretch, responded when challenged by DATA LINK at the eighth pole, then dueled with that rival and was edged to the wire.

Beachcombing has room to improve off of that performance and I look for him to be competitive.

Despite the habit of drifting out in the stretch, King Congie, the 4-1 morning line second-choice, was won his last three races but was disqualified to third in the Hallandale Beach Stakes.

If King Congie runs like he has in previous races, I look for him to be competitive.

Louisiana Derby Racing Roundup

Trainer Kathy Ritvo sends Mucho Macho Man to the starting gate Saturday as the 9-5 morning line favorite of the $1 million Louisiana Derby (G2) at the Fair Grounds.

Mucho Macho Man’s only bad race was when he made his 3-year-old debut and finished off the board in the one mile Holy Bull Stakes (G3). He came back three weeks later and redeemed that loss with a first-place finish in the 8 ½ - furlong Risen Star Stakes (G2) at the Fair Grounds.

Mucho Macho Man is a seasoned runner - he’s competed at six race tracks - and he comes into the Derby with an impressive 2-3-1 record in seven starts. Jockey Rajiv Maragh returns for the mount and the 9-furlongs should be within his range. I look for Mucho Macho Man to be competitive.

The horse I’m most interesting in watching run, though, is Elite Alex (6-1) who was scratched last week out of the Rebel Stakes (G2) to run in the Louisiana Derby. Hopefully that will pay off as a win would give Elite Alex enough graded stakes earnings to get into the Kentucky Derby (G1) starting gate.

With Afleet Alex has his sire and Unbridled as the damsire, the stretch out to 9-furlongs should be ideal for Elite Alex who came up short going a mile in his last two races.

Elite Alex is a descendant of the Mr. Prospector sire line and since 1990 that line has produced eight Louisiana Derby winners.

A long shot I like is Mavericking (20-1) who, since going to the stable of Neil Pessin, finished in the money in his last four starts.

Pessin has been racing Mavericking at a mile on the turf and he has a 19 percent success rate stretching his horses out from a sprint to a route race – Maverickings last race was the 7 ½ - furlong Grindstone Stakes at the Fair Grounds.

Mavericking’s sire is Empire Maker and his damsire is Lord At War. That’s the same nick Pioneerof The Nile is bred on so Mavericking should be able to handle the surface and distance.

A sharp bullet work out March 6 and Mavericking could be ready to run a good race.

Nacho Business (10-1) is all business on the race track. He won his maiden debut in January going a mile in 1:36.82 and last month he was gaining in the final strides but suffered a narrow loss to Arch Traveler in a 9-furlong allowance race at Gulfstream Park.

Since his debut win in January, Nacho Business he has been working out good. He fired three bullet works leading up to the 9-furlong allowance race and since then his works have been sharp.

Nacho Business is coupled with Pants On Fire so you get two for the price of one. I look for Nacho Business to be competitive.

The Rebel Stakes Racing Roundup

Bob Baffert won his first Rebel Stakes (G2) last year with Lookin At Lucky and he’s hoping to make it two in a row when he sends The Factor to the starting gate tomorrow as the 2-1 morning line favorite in 51st running of the $300,000 guaranteed stakes race.

The Rebel will be the first test for The Factor who has yet to run in a route race but the 8 ½ - furlongs should be well within his scope. However, whether The Factor can flash the brilliant speed he has shown in his last two races and win going gate-to-wire remains to be seen.

War Front, the sire of The Factor, was a champion sprinter but he has proven middle-distance runner on this year’s trail in Soldat who won the 9-furlong Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) last month at Gulfstream Park.

Danzig, the grandsire of The Factor, sired Danzig Connection (1986 Belmont Stakes), Pine Bluff (1992 Preakness Stakes) and Dance Smartly (1991 Canadian Triple Crown winner); and his sire line, mostly through his son Danehill, has produced numerous Classic Champion Thoroughbreds worldwide.

Miswaki, the damsire of The Factor, was mostly a sprinter but he sired Urban Sea – winner of the 1993 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

The Factor is a descendant of the Northern Dancer sire line and since 1990 that line has produced three Kentucky Derby winners, seven Preakness winners and three Belmont winners. Since 1990, the Northern Dancer sire line has produced four winners of The Rebel Stakes.

In the tail-female line, The Factor is a descendant of Bonnie Doon (Family 10-c) and that line produced Sarava (2002 Belmont) and Don Enrique (1907 Preakness).

The Factor definitely has speed and it remains to be seen just how far he wants to run. Nevertheless, with two bullet work outs since his brilliant victory in the San Vicente Stakes (G2), The Factor should be competitive in The Rebel.

Elite Alex (8-1) is a talented young colt I’ve been following for some time. He’s never been out of the money in three starts and he comes into the race with a third-place finish in the Southwest Stakes (G3).

One mile is the farthest Elite Alex has run and he has yet to show the same brilliance of his sire Afleet Alex who also took the Oaklawn route to a third-place finish in the 2005 Kentucky Derby (G1) and a win in the Preakness Stakes (G1) and Belmont Stakes (G1). Afleet Alex finished sixth in the 2005 Rebel but prior to that he had already run in seven races and boasted a 5-2-0 racing record.

Elite Alex is a descendant of the Mr. Prospector sire line and that line has produced 10 Kentucky Derby winners, 11 Preakness winners and 13 Belmont winners since 1990. That line has also produced eight winners of The Rebel Stakes since 1990.

Elite Alex’s damsire is Unbridled, winner of the 1990 Kentucky derby, and he is trained by Tim Ritchey who also trained Afleet Alex.

The running style and pedigree of Elite Alex indicate that he should perform better as the races get longer and a bullet work out on March 6 indicates that Elite Alex may be ready to run a good race.

Sway Away, the 5-2 morning line second-choice, is a young colt I wrote about in my 2011 Kentucky Derby Outlook. In three starts, Sway Away has never been out of the money and he comes into the Rebel off of a fast-closing second-place finish to The Factor in the San Vicente Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park.

Sway Away is also a descendant of Afleet Alex and I look for him to perform better as the races get longer.

Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew is the damsire of Sway Away and Summer Squall is the sire of his second dam Golden Gale. In the first five generations of the tail-female line, Golden Gale is the most accomplished racer with a win in the Beaumont Stakes (G2) and the Opa Locka Stakes.

In Sway Away’s tail-female seventh generation is the outstanding broodmare Late Date who is ranked 12th on Roger Lyons of Pedigree Matters Top 40 Dam Lines of SW’s, 1995 to Present.

Sway Away’s tail-female line descends from Remembrancer Mare (Family 8-f) and that line produced the Belmont winners Rags To Riches (2007), Jazil (2006), Birdstone (2004) and Blue Larkspur (1929).

Jeff Bonde trains Sway Away and he won The Rebel in 2008 with Sierra Sunset.

Archarcharch (8-1) was my long shot pick in the Southwest Stakes and I like him in the Rebel.

With Arch, the sire of Breeders’ Cup Champion Blame, as his sire, Woodman as his damsire and Nureyev the sire of his second dam, the Rebel should be well within the range of Archarcharch and I look to move forward off of his victory in the Southwest.

A bullet work out on March 15, his second since training at Oaklawn, indicates that Archarcharch could be ready to run a good race.

***

Cal Nation is a horse I wrote about in my 2011 Kentucky Derby Outlook. He’s a close relative of Brethren and I really like his pedigree. Tomorrow, Cal Nation makes his second start in a one mile allowance race at Gulfstream Park.

Cal Nation won his maiden debut by 7 ¾ - lengths last month in a 7-furlong sprint at Gulfstream Park and may be too short to make a legitimate run at the Kentucky Derby. But I’m interested to see if WinStar points him to the Preakness or Belmont.

Brethren, Super Saver: Emotional Conformation In The Equine Athlete

Brethren is a young colt I’ve been following since last summer. I wrote about him in my 2011 Kentucky Derby Outlook and my blog about the Importance of Dam Lines.

Needless to say, I, along with many others, was disappointed in his Tampa Bay Derby performance. With these light racing schedules it is difficult to measure the depth of talent of these young colts and I don’t, yet, know what to make of Brethren.

Brethren is talented and he has a nice pedigree but he was never challenged in his previous three races and when challenged at the top of the stretch in the Tampa Bay Derby he eventually folded in the final strides and dropped back to third place, 3 ¼ - lengths off of winner Watch Me Go.

On paper, this year’s Derby is very similar to last year’s where Brethren’s half-brother Super Saver, also with Ramon Dominguez in the saddle, set the fractions and finished third one-half length behind winner Odysseus.

Here are Super Saver’s fractions:

23:52, 47:02, 1:11.74, 1:37.42, 1:44.31

Brethren’s fractions:

23.98, 48.20, 1:12.60, 1:37.10, 1:44.85

Super Saver made his 3-year-old debut in the Tampa Bay Derby which was his fifth race and third graded stakes race. The Tampa Bay Derby was Brethren’s fourth race and his second race in graded stakes competition.

So is Brethren’s performance due to lack of seasoning? Maybe. I just don’t know, though, if Brethren has the same “will to win” as that of his half-brother Super Saver – only time will tell that story.

In my Kentucky Derby blog Super Saver was one of my top picks and I wrote that he had the “will to win” as it was evident in the tenacious performance of his last three races leading up to the Derby.

My friend Kerry Thomas, founder of the Thomas Herding Technique, knows how important it is for a horse to have the “will to win.” He has written numerous articles about Emotional Conformation and the importance of a horse to stay focused during a race.

Here’s an excerpt from his most recent article Discovering The Communicated Equine where Kerry writes about the importance of focus and Efficiency of Motion in the equine athlete:

You don’t want your horse, while running in a race, to react in a way that will compromise its speed and pace and, likewise, you don’t want the ability of a dressage horse to transition from motion to motion to be compromised either. Like the lead horse in the wild, if for some reason your high end equine athlete feels threatened during a competition, for reasons of survival, it will seek safety and withdraw, like a horse melting away from the lead on the racetrack. This is why it so vitally important to nurture mental fitness in high end horses so that they have a sense of anticipation ahead of them, taking the lead and staying on the lead because they're dynamic of intent is to influence what is "just around the bend" (see Training Efficiency of Motion article).

To train for Efficiency of Motion you need to coach, train the horse to anticipate intent. The highest levels of coaching the athlete forward mentally lie within the area of nurturing the high level horse’s ability to anticipate. That can only be accomplished within communication dynamics of the horses in your stable. Without that training, the horses will frequently perform in an inconsistent manner.

Breeding for mental soundness should be one of the primary goals if one hopes to produce a high quality equine athlete. Emotional Conformation trumps physical ability because character traits are what separate herd dynamics within the group – not physical ability.

I haven’t given up on Brethren but he will need to make a big move forward in his next race. As we draw closer to the Derby the picture should become clear as to the depth of talent for all of these young colts.

San Felipe Stakes Racing Roundup

Jaycito will make his 3-year-old debut tomorrow for new trainer Bob Baffert as the lukewarm 7-2 morning line favorite of the $250,000 San Felipe Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park.

Jaycito has not raced in over four months and comes in the San Felipe with a seventh-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) last November at Churchill Downs.

Despite the layoff, I like the trainer switch to Baffert and I like it that he is bringing Jaycito back to distance I believe is more suited to his running style. With Victory Gallop as his sire and Ascot Knight as his damsire, Jaycito should do better as the races get longer.

Baffert won the San Felipe in 1999, 2001, 2004 and 2009 and is currently tied with Charlie Whittingham for most wins as a trainer.

Runflatout, Comma To The Top and Premier Pegasus get the tag as the second co-choice at 4-1 morning line odds.

Of those three, Premier Pegasus is the one I like the most. I wrote about him in my 2011 Kentucky Derby Outlook and he, too, should perform better as the races get longer.

In his 3-year-old debut, Premier Pegasus suffered his only loss in four starts finishing third to speedster The Factor in the San Vicente Stakes (G3) on February 20 at Santa Anita Park. Premier Pegasus earned a 100 Brisnet Speed Figure for that effort and despite the gut-busting pace the race appears to have been a good conditioner.

Premier Pegasus should improve in his second start off the layoff and a bullet work out on March 5 appears to have him ready to run another good race.

Bench Points (8-1) is undefeated in four starts and he’s never run in a route race. But with Benchmark as his sire and Free House as the damsire, the 8 ½ - furlong San Felipe should be well within his scope.

The only race I’ve seen Bench Points run in was the Graduation Stakes and I thought he was impressive in that race. He’s been facing 10-horse fields and with comments like “Split foes,” “Pulled five wide” and “Squeezed at start,” Bench Points appears to be competitive.

At 8-1 or higher, I like Bench Points for a long shot.

Awesome Patriot (12-1) is another long shot I like. Awesome Patriot has not raced in more than two months and he also makes his 3-year-old debut for Baffert.

Despite the layoff, Awesome Patriot seems to be under the radar coming into this race as most of the attention has been on Baffert’s other entry Jaycito. Awesome Patriot’s last race on December 29 was impressive and since then he’s fired several bullet work outs leading up to this race.

If he looks good in the post parade, Awesome Patriot may warrant a small win, place bet.

Tampa Bay Derby Racing Roundup

Brethren is a young colt I’ve been following since last summer. I wrote about him in my 2011 Kentucky Derby Outlook and my blog about the Importance of Dam Lines.

With the most likely scratch Saturday of favored Uncle Mo who is also entered to run in the Timely Writer Stakes at Gulfstream Park, Brethren will enter the starting gate as the morning line even money favorite in the 31st running of the $350,000 Tampa Bay Derby (G2) at Tampa Bay Downs.

Undefeated in three starts, Brethren was impressive in his 3-year-old debut winning the Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3) by four lengths and he looms as the horse to beat in the Tampa Bay Derby.

However, if Striding Ahead (10-1) lives up to his breeding, he could be very competitive.

Hall of Fame Trainer Bill Mott sends Striding Ahead to the starting gate off of an impressive 6 ¾ - length (see video) maiden win last month at Tampa Bay Downs. In just his second start, Striding Ahead appeared to be very professional and focused, covering the 8 ½ - furlongs on a wet, fast track in a time of 1:45.58 compared to Brethren’s time of 1:45.07 in the Davis stakes.

I really like the pedigree of Striding Ahead which qualifies as WOW and reads like a who’s who of Classic Champion Thoroughbreds, important sires and mares. Striding Ahead reminds me of Summer Bird, one of my original WOW horses, in that he, too, is lightly raced and is not nominated to the Triple Crown.

However, a win in the Tampa Bay Derby or a good performance might change that.

One never knows if these young colts will live up to their breeding and I’m anxious to see if Striding Ahead continues to move forward.

Striding Ahead’s sire is Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Empire Maker and Kentucky Derby winner (G1) Unbridled is his grandsire. Important sire, Nureyev, is Striding Ahead’s damsire and Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew is the sire of his second dam.

Helstra, the dam of Striding Ahead, is inbred to Matriarch Rough Shod through two full-sisters and Reines-de-Course mares Thong and Moccasin. Half (16) of the 32 bloodlines in Striding Ahead’s five-generation pedigree are descended from Matriarchs written about by Edward L. Bowen in his books Matriarchs, Great Mares of the 20th Century and Matriarchs Volume II: More Great Mares of Modern Times.

The huge number of Matriarchs in the pedigree of Striding Ahead is an important influence that is not often found in the pedigrees of most horses. If Striding Ahead is nominated to the Triple Crown, I’ll elaborate more, later, about his pedigree.

Since moving to the barn of trainer Chad Brown, Free Entry (7-2) appears to be a horse that is moving forward. In January, Free Entry broke his maiden in his 3-year-old debut and comes into the Derby with two back-to-back wins.

Free Entry earned a 96 Brisnet Speed Figures for both of those races and if he continues to move forward he should be competitive.

Too Experience (8-1) comes into the Derby with an impressive 5-1-0 record in seven starts. His worst effort was a seventh-place finish in the Foolish Pleasure Stakes last September at Calder Race Course. In his last race, Too Experience finished second to Brethren in the Sam Davis.

A bullet work out on February 26 and a sharp work since then should have Too Experience ready to run a good race.

Derby Trail Stakes Racing Roundup: Gotham, John Battaglia Memorial Stakes

Trainer Todd Pletcher sends Stay Thirsty to the starting gate today as the 9-5 morning line favorite in the $250,000 Gotham Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct.

Stay Thirsty is a young colt I was interested in early on as a 2-year-old but he lost a little bit of luster with his fifth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1). A good run in the Gotham could put him back in my favor and top ten list because I really do like his pedigree.

Stay Thirsty almost has what I refer to as a “V” pattern pedigree and that is when the sires on the sire line and tail-female line are Classic Champion Thoroughbreds. Bernardini, A. P. Indy, Seattle Slew, Roberto, Arts And Letters and Cavan are all Classic Champion Thoroughbreds.

Storm Bird, the damsire of Stay Thirsty, is a United Kingdom and Ireland Champion 2-year-old colt and the sire of Storm Cat and Summer Squall. Storm Bird is also the damsire of Thunder Gulch and Commentator.

Stay Thirsty has not raced in over three months but a sharp bullet work out February 27 could have him on track to score his fist stakes win.

Toby’s Corner (5-2) has never been out of the money in four starts and he comes into the Gotham with three straight wins. In his last race, Toby’s Corner graduated in stakes competition with a 2-length win on a muddy track in the Whirlaway Stakes.

Toby’s Corner earned a 103 Brisnet Speed Figure for that effort, the highest figure of all the other nine horses entered in the Gotham, and I look for him to be competitive.

Preachintothedevil (6-1) finished third in the Whirlaway and I look for him to be competitive in the Gotham. Of all the horses entered in the Gotham, Preachintothedevil has the most stakes racing experience and he’s never been out of the money in four starts.

A long shot I like is Starship Caesar (15-1) who ships in from Gulfstream Park. His speed figures have improved with each race and he’s never been out of the money in his three previous starts.

Despite being bumped in the backstretch of his last race, Starship Caesar managed to get up in time for a one-half length win. Since that race, Starship Caesar fired a bullet work out at Calder Racecourse and he may be ready to run a good race.

If he looks good in the post parade, Starship Caesar may figure into my wagers.

John Battaglia Memorial Stakes

Positive Response is the lukewarm 5-2 morning line favorite of the $100,000 John Battaglia Memorial Stakes at Turfway Park but I would not be surprised to see his odds drop lower.

Trainer William Morey ships Positive Response from Golden Gate Fields where he has been dominant. I liked Positive Response in the California Derby and El Camino Real Derby (G3) and I like him in this race too.

Positive Response finished third in the 9-furlong El Camino Real Derby (G3) but Morey drops him back to 8 ½ - furlongs which should be more to his liking.

Positive Repsonse is a descendant of the Danzig line of the Northern Dancer sire line and since 1990 the Northern Dancer sire line has produced six John Battaglia Memorial winners. The Danzig line produced two of those winners.

Pomeroy, the sire of Positive Response, also sired the speedy Hutcheson Stakes (G2) winner Flashpoint and Frank Mitchell at “bloodstock in the bluegrass” has an excellent blog about the success of Danzig sire line colts on this year’s Kentucky Derby trail.

Blue Laser has not raced in over three months and makes his 3-year-old debut as the 5-1 morning line third-choice.

Blue Laser was one of my picks in the Delta Downs Jackpot Stakes (G3) at Delta Downs last November but was pulled up when he encountered traffic problems on the far turn and carried out to the fence by a rider-less horse.

Prior to that race, Blue Laser finished third in his maiden debut and was victorious in two races which included a win in the Grey Stakes (G3) at Woodbine.

Blue Laser is a descendant of the Storm Cat line of Northern Dancer and since 1990 that line has produced three John Battaglia Memorial winners.

His sire, Bluegrass Cat, won the Remsen Stakes (G2) and Nashua Stakes (G3) as a 2-year-old and, as a 3-year-old, finished second in the Kentucky Derby (G1), Belmont Stakes (G1) and Travers Stakes (G1). Blue Laser’s damsire is the 1989 Canadian Triple Crown winner With Approval.

Two long shots I like are Night Party (15-1) and Admiral Perry (5-1)

Night Party has never run in a stakes race but he looked impressive breaking his maiden January 22 at Turfway Park. Starting from post four in the 10-horse field, Night Party got good position going into the first turn, tracked the leader Kathern’s Jewel for most of the race, and pulled away late to win by one length.

Night Party earned an 87 speed figure for that race and should continue to move forward in just his third start.

Admiral Perry comes into the race with two back-to-back wins and ships in from Tampa Bay Downs. His speed figures have improved with each race and his finish times appear to be competitive with the local talent.

Admiral Perry should fit nicely in the bottom of the exotics.