Nick Zito sends two to take home the title

Nick Zito has done it. He’s the one who has clouded the Kentucky Derby picture.

Today’s race was picture perfect as the track played fair all day. The thing that kept us on Miners Reserve was Johnny V’s. win stalking the lead going a mile and an eigth. It was picture perfect from the beginning and we thought that Desormeaux was going to go up in there but decided to teach the horse something about rating.

We understand but we don’t like the strategy because we bet our money.

But they played it right and one thing is for sure — Rule is out at the Derby distance and he can only hurt Pletchers’ other fingers.

Eskendereya looks pretty good at this point. But there’s still plenty of time to think about a possible Kentucky Derby future wager in Pool 3 to hedge our Pool 2 bet. The final running time of the Florida Derby 1:49:19 and :26′s at the end.

Come to think of it maybe the picture isn’t so cloudy after all.

Race of the Day — March 20, 2010

Florida Derby
G1 Purse $750K
1 mile 1/8
Conventional Dirt Track

Sunny tomorrow. High temperature 77.

#1 Soaring Empire — Gambolati can condition a champion and this one is from Flying Passage. His sire won this race in 2003 but was runner up to Funny Cide in the Derby that year.

#2 Lentenor — This one hails from the Matz barn as the full brother to Barbaro who won this race before winning the Derby in 2006. Goes conventional for the first time in his career but appears to be Barbaro’s brother from another mother.

#3 Pulsion — Good to see Biancone winning races in Florida.

#4 Pleasant Prince — Exits FOY when finishing a dismal fourth at long odds. Leparoux rode this horse in his maiden win at Churchill — the running line reads “angled out, closed fast” and Julien hasn’t given up.

#5 Game on Dude — Awesome Again will probably throw a Kentucky Derby winner real soon. This one broke in the air going a mile last time and still beat eight others impressively. WOW!

#6 First Dude – Two dudes in one race and this looks like a desperation run as Romans summons Dominguez from NY. Should lead.

#7 Rule – the luke warm favorite at 5 to 2 and a look at the others entered in here tells us this is the weakest of Pletcher’s hopefuls which makes this a weak Florida Derby.

#8 Ice Box — Another who exits the Fountain of Youth and runs here in the absense of Eskendereya. Beaten by Rule but has a win at the distance.

#9 Miner’s Reserve — Loved this one’s win last month to earn the same number of Beyer points as Radiohead. Can’t imagine Zito wheeling him right back in here after only three weeks rest but Desormeaux knows how to win this even with Zito’s dismal stakes record. WOW!

#10 Best Actor — Son of Rock Hard Ten has his work cut out for him in here.

#11 Radiohead — Dutrow will have no choice but to send to get over several positions towards the rail. There are several who should go inside of him but on Rule probably will. Should control the speed from the outside.

The selections: 9 – 11 – 5 – 8

Clear skies expected for Hallandale, Fl today.

Presious Passion captures the Mac Diarmida Stakes at Gulfstream Park on 2/21/09. Ridden by Elvis Trujillo

Today’s race of the day is from Gulfstream Park in Hallandale, Fl. and we’ve added a weather channel widget to help you plan for the races.

Remember the importance of knowing what the track will be like by starting with the weather.

We’ve already looked ahead for tomorrow’s race and they expect 40% chance of showers tonight but clearing by tomorrow and we expect the G2 Mac Diarmada to go as carded over the distance of 1 3/8 miles on the turf course.

It looks to be a great race!

Last years winner, Precious Passion, competes again only this time he’s not the same guy he used to be. What do you think? Nothing has changed but his age. In his defense his last win at the distance was a gate to wire sprint on a hard Monmouth surface last summer. But after that he ran in the Arlington Million and was soundly beaten by Gio Ponti and others. Signs of weakness emerged in his last race, the McKnight at Calder going 1 1/2 miles, when he finished a disappointing fifth at 4 to 5 odds. That race followed two tough attempts to win gate to wire at Santa Anita winning the Clement L. Hirsch and narrowly being defeated for the ‘crown’ by Conduit in the BC Turf. He’ll be the favorite tomorrow and we hope he is because we’re going to beat him with our free horse racing selection for the race of the day.

Just to mention a few others in the race tomorrow there’s Feel’s All Right for Biancone and it’s good to see Corey Nakatani riding the circuit on a regular basis this year. The horse gets lasix for the first time and it’s classic Patrick Biancone with a young seemingly talented and recently stateside runner from France. Only this time it appears Biancone is doing things the right way again winning with 20% of his runners at GP so far.

Johnny V. can only do one thing with Gabriel’s Hill going 1 3/8 tomorrow and that’s GO! And if he does as expected he’ll put the added pressure on Passion to set the race up for our selection.

Julien Leparoux is perhaps the best rider in America today. He’s young and extremely talented. Tomorrow he rides Expansion for Chad Brown and even though he’s 0 for 6 when teaming up with the trainer — his win in the G2 Red Smith at Aqueduct at tomorrow’s distance gave him the highest last race Beyer Speed Figure and makes him our top selection.

Selections:

8 – 1 – 2 -  7

Gulfstream Park Past Performances

Check out the Race of the Day analysis now! Today’s race of the day is a good optional claiming allowance race bringing together some of last years three year olds like Break Water Edison, Imperial Council, Warrior’s Reward and others.

The field is well balanced and Imperial Council will be the likely favorite at post time.

Good luck!