Check out my 2017 Travers Stakes presented by NYRA Bets video analysis for Today's Racing Digest. Entrants include Kentucky Derby 2017 winner Always Dreaming, Preakness 2017 winner Cloud Computing, and Belmont Stakes 2017 hero Tapwrit.
Showing posts with label Cloud Computing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cloud Computing. Show all posts
Friday, August 25, 2017
Saturday, June 3, 2017
Preakness Stakes Video Recap + Belmont Stakes 2017 Preview
Check out my Preakness recap/Belmont Stakes preview video below.
Friday, May 19, 2017
Preakness 2017 Video Preview for Today's Racing Digest
Jarrod Horak previews Preakness 2017 for Today's Racing Digest.
FREE PREAKNESS DOWNLOAD FROM TRD
For fans of Today's Racing Digest, check out the FREE Preakness 2017 download link below:
Sunday, May 14, 2017
Kentucky Derby 2017 Recap + Preakness Preview: Can Always Dreaming Do It Again?
Always Dreaming made his presence felt throughout en route to a sharp victory in Kentucky Derby 2017 last Saturday at Churchill Downs.
The wet fast (sealed) surface did not slow down Always Dreaming and he is now 4-for-4 in two turn events with a combined win margin of 23+ lengths. He gave trainer Todd Pletcher his second Derby win and heads to Preakness 2017 as the strong favorite.
Speaking of favorites, Always Dreaming became the fifth straight chalk to win the Derby, joining Nyquist, American Pharoah, California Chrome, and Orb. The last four Derby winners also share a similar early/pressing running style.
Always Dreaming traveled to Pimlico early to get acquainted with the surroundings and continues to show high energy in his morning activity.
Lookin At Lee overcame the dreaded inside post to rally for the place at 33-1 and was five lengths clear of California stalker Battle of Midway. Two-year-old champ Classic Empire finished a troubled 4th and wins the hard-luck award after getting bumped hard at the start and rallying wide (bumped, carried out stretch).
There are ten probable starters for the Preakness with five Derby participants (Always Dreaming, Lookin At Lee, Classic Empire, Gunnevera, Hence) and five new shooters (Cloud Computing, Conquest Mo Money, Multiplier, Senior Investment, Term of Art).
Royal Mo was supposed to be a Preakness starter but was injured during his final workout at Pimlico on May 14. The injury, a sesamoid fracture to his right front ankle, is career-ending, and he has been sent to New Bolton Center in Pennsylvania for further evaluation.
I will be back next week after the post position draw with final Preakness 2017 thoughts.
Check out my Derby recap + early Preakness 2017 video at the bottom of this blog post.
Preakness 2017 Contenders with Comments by Jarrod Horak
DERBY RUNNERS:
ALWAYS DREAMING (Bodemeister - Above Perfection, by In Excess)
Trainer (Todd Pletcher) - Jockey (John Velazquez)
Comments: The Preakness favorite has no knocks and I picked him on top in the Derby because of his improved 102 FIRE + 148 CPR in the Florida Derby. He owns early/pressing versatility and has never lost a route on dirt. He is a likely winner in Baltimore if able to turn around in two weeks and duplicate his Derby numbers. His sire Bodemeister was 2nd in Preakness 2012.
LOOKIN AT LEE (Lookin At Lucky - Langara Lass, by Langfuhr)
Trainer: (Steve Asmussen) - Jockey (Corey Lanerie)
Comments: Ended up sitting a great inside trip in the Derby and rallied from 16th to finish a clear 2nd. He won’t be 33-1 in Baltimore and other closers are just as capable. His sire Lookin At Lucky won the Preakness in 2010.
CLASSIC EMPIRE (Pioneerof The Nile - Sambuca Classica, by Cat Thief)
Trainer (Mark Casse) - Jockey (Julien Leparoux)
Comments: The 2-year-old champ has had an interesting sophomore campaign to say the least. A quarter crack, a bad back, aborted/missed works, and a missed start in the FOY are just some of the lowlights. He regrouped and won the Arkansas Derby (94 FIRE + 140 CPR) but had everything go wrong on the first Saturday in May (very troubled 4th). The Preakness will be his third start in five weeks and he has yet to run back to his BC Juvenile numbers (100 FIRE + 140 CPR).
GUNNEVERA (Dialed In - Unbridled Rage, by Unbridled)
Trainer (Antonio Sano) - Jockey (Mike Smith)
Comments: He ended up an okay 7th in the Derby after an eventful start and a wide run on the far turn and in the stretch. Always Dreaming also beat him in the Florida Derby as well and he can rebound if he runs back to his 100 FIRE + 156 CPR in the Fountain of Youth.
HENCE (Street Boss - Floating Island, by A. P, Indy)
Trainer (Steve Asmussen) - Jockey (Florent Geroux)
Comments: Went from 19th to 11th under the Twin Spires after a tight break and traffic leaving the five sixteenths pole. He looked good winning a decent renewal of the Sunland Derby (90 FIRE + 145 CPR) and will try to get involved late at Pimlico.
NEW SHOOTERS:
CONQUEST MO MONEY (Uncle Mo - Stirring, by Seeking the Gold)
Trainer (Miguel Hernandez) - Jockey (Jorge Carreno)
Latest Workout: 4f in :48.40 (11/34) at Prairie Meadows on May 12.
Comments: Connections paid $150,000 to make him eligible for the Preakness. The son of Uncle Mo has early/pressing speed and finished 2nd in the Arkansas Derby and 2nd in the Sunland Derby.
CLOUD COMPUTING (Maclean’s Music - Quick Temper, by A. P. Indy)
Trainer (Chad Brown) - Jockey (Javier Castellano)
Latest Workout: 4f in :48.85 (2/32) at Belmont Park (dirt training) on May 13.
Comments: The unraced 2-year-old has only started three times. After winning his sprint debut at Aqueduct on Feb 11, he finished 2nd in the Gotham and 3rd in the Wood Memorial. The Preakness will be his first start away from the Big A.
MULTIPLIER (The Factor - Trippi Street, by Trippi)
Trainer (Brendan Walsh) - Jockey (Joel Rosario)
Latest Workout: 5f in 1:00.80 (8/20) at Keeneland on May 14.
Comments: He smartly captured the Illinois Derby in his fourth lifetime start. The late bloomer is improving rapidly and will probably try to strike from midpack in the Preakness.
SENIOR INVESTMENT (Discreetly Mine - Plaid, by Deputy Commander)
Trainer (Ken McPeek) - Jockey (Channing Hill)
Latest Workout: 5f in 1:02 (15/20) at Keeneland on May 14.
Comments: Graduated around two turns in his final juvenile start and the late runner has been up-and-down this year with his latest start a strong off the pace victory in the Lexington Stakes (102 FIRE + 141 CPR). He appears capable of earning a minor award at Pimlico.
TERM OF ART (Tiznow - Miles of Style, by Storm Cat)
Trainer (Doug O’Neill) - Jockey (Jose Ortiz)
Latest Workout: 6f in 1:13.80 (2/6) at Santa Anita on May 13.
Comments: The late runner exits a 7th in the SA Derby. Before that, he was 3rd in the San Felipe and 4th in the Robert Lewis. Other Preakness closers are more appealing but a 3rd or 4th place finish is not impossible.
The wet fast (sealed) surface did not slow down Always Dreaming and he is now 4-for-4 in two turn events with a combined win margin of 23+ lengths. He gave trainer Todd Pletcher his second Derby win and heads to Preakness 2017 as the strong favorite.
Speaking of favorites, Always Dreaming became the fifth straight chalk to win the Derby, joining Nyquist, American Pharoah, California Chrome, and Orb. The last four Derby winners also share a similar early/pressing running style.
Always Dreaming traveled to Pimlico early to get acquainted with the surroundings and continues to show high energy in his morning activity.
Lookin At Lee overcame the dreaded inside post to rally for the place at 33-1 and was five lengths clear of California stalker Battle of Midway. Two-year-old champ Classic Empire finished a troubled 4th and wins the hard-luck award after getting bumped hard at the start and rallying wide (bumped, carried out stretch).
There are ten probable starters for the Preakness with five Derby participants (Always Dreaming, Lookin At Lee, Classic Empire, Gunnevera, Hence) and five new shooters (Cloud Computing, Conquest Mo Money, Multiplier, Senior Investment, Term of Art).
Royal Mo was supposed to be a Preakness starter but was injured during his final workout at Pimlico on May 14. The injury, a sesamoid fracture to his right front ankle, is career-ending, and he has been sent to New Bolton Center in Pennsylvania for further evaluation.
I will be back next week after the post position draw with final Preakness 2017 thoughts.
Check out my Derby recap + early Preakness 2017 video at the bottom of this blog post.
Preakness 2017 Contenders with Comments by Jarrod Horak
DERBY RUNNERS:
ALWAYS DREAMING (Bodemeister - Above Perfection, by In Excess)
Trainer (Todd Pletcher) - Jockey (John Velazquez)
Comments: The Preakness favorite has no knocks and I picked him on top in the Derby because of his improved 102 FIRE + 148 CPR in the Florida Derby. He owns early/pressing versatility and has never lost a route on dirt. He is a likely winner in Baltimore if able to turn around in two weeks and duplicate his Derby numbers. His sire Bodemeister was 2nd in Preakness 2012.
LOOKIN AT LEE (Lookin At Lucky - Langara Lass, by Langfuhr)
Trainer: (Steve Asmussen) - Jockey (Corey Lanerie)
Comments: Ended up sitting a great inside trip in the Derby and rallied from 16th to finish a clear 2nd. He won’t be 33-1 in Baltimore and other closers are just as capable. His sire Lookin At Lucky won the Preakness in 2010.
CLASSIC EMPIRE (Pioneerof The Nile - Sambuca Classica, by Cat Thief)
Trainer (Mark Casse) - Jockey (Julien Leparoux)
Comments: The 2-year-old champ has had an interesting sophomore campaign to say the least. A quarter crack, a bad back, aborted/missed works, and a missed start in the FOY are just some of the lowlights. He regrouped and won the Arkansas Derby (94 FIRE + 140 CPR) but had everything go wrong on the first Saturday in May (very troubled 4th). The Preakness will be his third start in five weeks and he has yet to run back to his BC Juvenile numbers (100 FIRE + 140 CPR).
GUNNEVERA (Dialed In - Unbridled Rage, by Unbridled)
Trainer (Antonio Sano) - Jockey (Mike Smith)
Comments: He ended up an okay 7th in the Derby after an eventful start and a wide run on the far turn and in the stretch. Always Dreaming also beat him in the Florida Derby as well and he can rebound if he runs back to his 100 FIRE + 156 CPR in the Fountain of Youth.
HENCE (Street Boss - Floating Island, by A. P, Indy)
Trainer (Steve Asmussen) - Jockey (Florent Geroux)
Comments: Went from 19th to 11th under the Twin Spires after a tight break and traffic leaving the five sixteenths pole. He looked good winning a decent renewal of the Sunland Derby (90 FIRE + 145 CPR) and will try to get involved late at Pimlico.
NEW SHOOTERS:
CONQUEST MO MONEY (Uncle Mo - Stirring, by Seeking the Gold)
Trainer (Miguel Hernandez) - Jockey (Jorge Carreno)
Latest Workout: 4f in :48.40 (11/34) at Prairie Meadows on May 12.
Comments: Connections paid $150,000 to make him eligible for the Preakness. The son of Uncle Mo has early/pressing speed and finished 2nd in the Arkansas Derby and 2nd in the Sunland Derby.
CLOUD COMPUTING (Maclean’s Music - Quick Temper, by A. P. Indy)
Trainer (Chad Brown) - Jockey (Javier Castellano)
Latest Workout: 4f in :48.85 (2/32) at Belmont Park (dirt training) on May 13.
Comments: The unraced 2-year-old has only started three times. After winning his sprint debut at Aqueduct on Feb 11, he finished 2nd in the Gotham and 3rd in the Wood Memorial. The Preakness will be his first start away from the Big A.
MULTIPLIER (The Factor - Trippi Street, by Trippi)
Trainer (Brendan Walsh) - Jockey (Joel Rosario)
Latest Workout: 5f in 1:00.80 (8/20) at Keeneland on May 14.
Comments: He smartly captured the Illinois Derby in his fourth lifetime start. The late bloomer is improving rapidly and will probably try to strike from midpack in the Preakness.
SENIOR INVESTMENT (Discreetly Mine - Plaid, by Deputy Commander)
Trainer (Ken McPeek) - Jockey (Channing Hill)
Latest Workout: 5f in 1:02 (15/20) at Keeneland on May 14.
Comments: Graduated around two turns in his final juvenile start and the late runner has been up-and-down this year with his latest start a strong off the pace victory in the Lexington Stakes (102 FIRE + 141 CPR). He appears capable of earning a minor award at Pimlico.
TERM OF ART (Tiznow - Miles of Style, by Storm Cat)
Trainer (Doug O’Neill) - Jockey (Jose Ortiz)
Latest Workout: 6f in 1:13.80 (2/6) at Santa Anita on May 13.
Comments: The late runner exits a 7th in the SA Derby. Before that, he was 3rd in the San Felipe and 4th in the Robert Lewis. Other Preakness closers are more appealing but a 3rd or 4th place finish is not impossible.
Saturday, April 22, 2017
Kentucky Derby 2017 Update: Arkansas Derby Recap
The road to Kentucky Derby 2017 came to a dramatic end on April 15 and 2-year-old champ Classic Empire threw his hat back into the ring with a victory in the Grade I Arkansas Derby.
Classic Empire was the Derby winterbook favorite but lost some of his luster in a flat show finish in the Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park. He came out of that race with a foot abscess and was forced to miss his next scheduled start in the Fountain of Youth Stakes.
Things went from bad to worse when he refused to work twice during the month of March and reportedly had a problem with his back. Trainer Mark Casse said no mas and sent him to Winding Oaks Farm to recharge his batteries. He finally came out of his funk and worked four times without incident.
Fast forward to the Arkansas Derby and Classic Empire settled in midpack from post 2 and rumbled down the middle of the track to beat Sunland Derby runner-up Conquest Mo Money by a 1/2 length, followed closely by Lookin At Lee, Sonneteer, and Malagacy. The top five finishers were separated by a couple of lengths in an ugly stretch run and the BSF came back a mediocre 94.
Classic Empire had every right to lose the Arkansas Derby but the champ stood up and refused to bend. He should be fitter now but can he come back in three weeks and run the race of his life in the Derby after everything that has happened to him this year? He has a very tough task ahead of him.
In other Derby news, Cloud Computing, currently ranked 20th on the Kentucky Derby points list, worked at Belmont Park on April 22 and trainer Chad Brown said that he will skip the Derby and point to the Preakness Stakes. According to Brown, he lacked the seasoning (only 3 starts) to run in the Derby. Untrapped moves up one spot to #20 and is now in the Derby for trainer Steve Asmussen.
Todd Pletcher is still undecided about the Derby status of Malagacy. He is concerned about the ten furlong distance.
Battle of Midway was acquired privately by Don Alberto Stable and WinStar Farm earlier this week. Jerry Hollendorfer will remain his trainer and Flavien Prat will ride him in the Derby. He worked 5f in 1:00.60 at Santa Anita Park on April 22.
Classic Empire was the Derby winterbook favorite but lost some of his luster in a flat show finish in the Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park. He came out of that race with a foot abscess and was forced to miss his next scheduled start in the Fountain of Youth Stakes.
Things went from bad to worse when he refused to work twice during the month of March and reportedly had a problem with his back. Trainer Mark Casse said no mas and sent him to Winding Oaks Farm to recharge his batteries. He finally came out of his funk and worked four times without incident.
Fast forward to the Arkansas Derby and Classic Empire settled in midpack from post 2 and rumbled down the middle of the track to beat Sunland Derby runner-up Conquest Mo Money by a 1/2 length, followed closely by Lookin At Lee, Sonneteer, and Malagacy. The top five finishers were separated by a couple of lengths in an ugly stretch run and the BSF came back a mediocre 94.
Classic Empire had every right to lose the Arkansas Derby but the champ stood up and refused to bend. He should be fitter now but can he come back in three weeks and run the race of his life in the Derby after everything that has happened to him this year? He has a very tough task ahead of him.
In other Derby news, Cloud Computing, currently ranked 20th on the Kentucky Derby points list, worked at Belmont Park on April 22 and trainer Chad Brown said that he will skip the Derby and point to the Preakness Stakes. According to Brown, he lacked the seasoning (only 3 starts) to run in the Derby. Untrapped moves up one spot to #20 and is now in the Derby for trainer Steve Asmussen.
Todd Pletcher is still undecided about the Derby status of Malagacy. He is concerned about the ten furlong distance.
Battle of Midway was acquired privately by Don Alberto Stable and WinStar Farm earlier this week. Jerry Hollendorfer will remain his trainer and Flavien Prat will ride him in the Derby. He worked 5f in 1:00.60 at Santa Anita Park on April 22.
Jarrod Horak’s “Exceptional Eleven" Kentucky Derby 2017 Contenders (Updated 4-22-17)
#1 - ALWAYS DREAMING
#2 - Gunnevera
#3 - McCraken
#4 - Irish War Cry
#5 - Battalion Runner
#6 - Girvin
#7 - Practical Joke
#8 - Gormley
#9 - Classic Empire
#10 - Irap
#11 - Patch
You can read my entire Kentucky Derby 2017 contenders update blog at The Runaway Horse.
* Churchill Downs photo by Stacy Edwards
#1 - ALWAYS DREAMING
#2 - Gunnevera
#3 - McCraken
#4 - Irish War Cry
#5 - Battalion Runner
#6 - Girvin
#7 - Practical Joke
#8 - Gormley
#9 - Classic Empire
#10 - Irap
#11 - Patch
You can read my entire Kentucky Derby 2017 contenders update blog at The Runaway Horse.
* Churchill Downs photo by Stacy Edwards
Friday, April 7, 2017
Kentucky Derby 2017 Prep Race Video: Wood Memorial with Battalion Runner
Can trainer Todd Pletcher win another Kentucky Derby 2017 prep race? Well, he has Wood Memorial morning line favorite Battalion Runner ready to roll at Aqueduct on April 8.
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