The Florida Derby is One Prep You Can't Miss

re: The Florida Derby is One Prep You Can't Miss

3 CROWN DREAMIN' — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 05:51:03 GMT

Hey, has anyone heard of a 2 yr. old phenom who has been running away from 3,4 and 5 yr. olds since he first stepped foot onto a racetrack? Sure you have. He only has 3 starts, but has equally improved and impressed with each one. This brilliantly simple horse with a simple name was born April 10,2005. He is now, 3 calendar years old today. With all due respect, I've been reading some of your comments concerning this horse, and naturally I agree with the ones that make sense. As for the others, put aside your statistical, analytical, handicappers mentality for just a minute and take this in. Speed favoring tracks are not partial as to which horses they show favor to. You dont need a speed favoring track to break from the 12 post and get good position. You simply need to be fast. Dutrow had said this horse was breezing like a rocket at Palm Meadows. In his maiden race,1:40 1/5, a 12 horse field, going 2 turns at Saratoga. [I still have'nt gotten over that one]. Great horses make their own "good trips". This horse was tagged an "alpha-male" type the first time he worked in company,even with older horses he never wanted them near him, or let them get the better of him. A true stallion, from the same mold as the great Seattle Slew. His talent and ability is what sets him apart from his "wannabe" contemporaries[i.e. War Pass]. I made a trip to GP for the Fla. Derby just to see this horse. TV coverage did not do him justice. Strutting and bouncing around by himself with his neck arched, he was saying to me "I love what I do, and I'm going to be the best at it". It was a beautiful thing to see. When he came back after the race I looked at his abdomen, he wasnt even panting. It's been 30 long yrs.,with a lot of heartbreaks and close calls along the way. But thats the sport that we love. Dont let a skeptical attitude cause you to miss what you've waited so long for. Let this horse remind you, that the glass is still half full. And....

ENJOY THE RIDE !!

re: The Florida Derby is One Prep You Can't Miss

draynay — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 04:06:46 GMT

Yes !!! People site history for the reason Big Brown will not win the Derby. But he is not racing against history he is racing against 19 other horses that need a miracle to beat him. It is very hard to come up with a horse other than Pyro that has any real chance and Pyro will have to pass a dozen or more horses to win. Big Brown is the only logical choice.

re: The Florida Derby is One Prep You Can't Miss

dotcom — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 18:44:05 GMT

Ekati was a half length winner as was colonel john...both didnt look like the winner midstretch...big brown was a beast all the way around the track...Ekati and colonel looked like they peaked in their races...BB the sky is the limit good luck trying to beat him in the derby with those two...Zito should aim for the preakness with war pass hes hopeless at 1 1/4 in the derby...u guys agree??

re: The Florida Derby is One Prep You Can't Miss

draynay — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 03:59:52 GMT

Big Brown a few weeks ago first race first time EVER on dirt ran a 104 Beyer with the rider never moving his hands. All year NO other 3 year old has touched a 104 and you think they have a chance?

Please name for me the 5 horses you think can run a 105 in the Derby and remember Pyro has not passed 95 yet...

By the way Pyro has had 3 chances to beat War Pass and has been whipped everytime... when will you accept the fact he can't beat him?

One more thing... Big Brown has only been out twice and his third time out should be his best and gets 5 weeks of training and rest to make sure he is at his peak.... watch out !!!

re: The Florida Derby is One Prep You Can't Miss

Slew.em.All — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 21:28:28 GMT

Never said he wasn't talented,he obviously is.I'm saying he's beaten suspect horses on a biased track.Barbaro wasn't as head-strong as Big Brown seems to be,they tend to get discouraged when things dont go their way,ala..War Pass.Remember when people thought HE was unbeatable?That being said:the K.D. is a totally different scenario.The only way I can see Big Brown winning is: if he gets an uncontested early lead(highly unlikely),and/or Pyro getting into Really Bad traffic trouble(very possible).Big Browns' handlers are quoted as saying that he does not like to be headed,which means he has to be in front.So,whats going to happen when he's getting pressured throughout the Race?The only serious high-speed cruising horse out there is War Pass,and I'm hoping he wins big next weekend,just to keep the pace honest for the Derby...This is what it's ALL about folks,everyone has their own opinions and favorite PONY for the Derby.And NOW you're predicting he'll"win by 7 or more"!..You've got brass ones draynay.!....to be continued! lol. hey jshandler:is this what you had in mind when you started this blog?Hope you're enjoying this banterring going on buddy.lol...I'm loving it!..

re: The Florida Derby is One Prep You Can't Miss

Johnny — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 21:20:18 GMT

Draynay, first I was wrong in saying your comment was "greatest" performance ever, when you said "one" of the greatest.

It will be interesting to see what happens if Big Brown and War Pass go head-to-head, unless Big Brown plays the stalker. War Pass likes to be on the front end, and I just hope he can go the distance. I'm looking forward to his Wood Memorial, which will tell us if he's truly back. It's now or never for him, so I'm hoping for the best. Go, War Pass!

re: The Florida Derby is One Prep You Can't Miss

draynay — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 19:57:38 GMT

Big Brown will win the Derby and Pyro will finish in the money if he can find a way to somehow pass War Pass. Big Brown is only has to pass one horse and thats the lead horse. Pyro will have to pass 15 or more. Visionaire might be more horse than Pyro we will see very soon. I will also give Tale of Ekati one more chance in the Wood. I am just looking to fill out the bottom of my Tri ticket. By the way... I did watch the Bellamy Road race ...I was there! and his splits were not as fast at a quarter and a half and he came out near the rail not the 12 post.

re: The Florida Derby is One Prep You Can't Miss

draynay — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 18:55:19 GMT

Slew: no horse ever ran that quarter and that fast a half in a mile and a eighth race and won by that margin before the Derby...none. No horse ever! On the same track he ran a full second faster than Barboro just two years ago. Like Barboro, he is undefeated and will remain that way after the Derby. I will enjoy cashing in my Big Brown ticket at the Derby and continue to wonder how you can't see the awesome talent when it smacks you in the face. Big Brown will win by 7 or more.

re: The Florida Derby is One Prep You Can't Miss

Slew.em.All — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 17:35:22 GMT

What did Big Brown do?..beat-up on a field of non-Derby contenders.Obviously you haven't watched Bellamy Roads race, point being that was more impressive looking than Big Browns, and we all know what happened in his Derby race.There you go with splits again, they dont matter much when comparing them with others,every track is different.And I HOPE you're NOT putting Big Brown in the same league as THE BID!

re: The Florida Derby is One Prep You Can't Miss

Slew.em.All — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 17:07:36 GMT

I,for one could care less about Beyers & final splits, especially on a speed favoring track.The only reason Pyros' beyers are lower is because they were crawling the first part of the races,and He"still" came Flying at the End, blowing past everybody like a Rocket.He's improved a lot from last year, has one more Prep to set him-up,and his trainer Assmussen has said that Pyro has out-worked Curlin when breezing/training them together. And I'm pretty sure Big Brown is no Curlin. NOBODY on track for this years' Derby has a Closing Kick like Pyro,thats a fact.It doesn't matter if they go fast or slow,Pyro will be the Fastest when it counts,and thats Down the Stretch.He's tractable, adaptable, has shown to have multiple moves in his Preps and will run on Glass if need-be. Like I said before,if people think Big Brown can set those same "splits" at Churchill,and win,then they'll be in for a Rude-Awakening.!!

re: The Florida Derby is One Prep You Can't Miss

Johnny — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 16:36:30 GMT

To say that Big Brown's performance in the Florida Derby was the "greatest" of any three-year-old in history is stretching it a bit, don't you think? I remember a horse that ran in the 1973 Belmont Stakes and he had a pretty good performance to (lol). I think his hypothetical Beyer figure was 139.

re: The Florida Derby is One Prep You Can't Miss

draynay — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 14:29:53 GMT

Slew... are you kidding me? Bellamy Road? Spectacular Bid in the Bluegrass ??? He ran a 46.3 half and only ran against 3 other horses and your comparing THAT to what Big Brown did?

re: The Florida Derby is One Prep You Can't Miss

cfoxo — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 03:31:39 GMT

Even if GP was 'speed favoring' Flordia Derby Day, Big Brown also went a 135.3 mile on a varient of 24! track...won by almost 12, off a 6 mo lay off..in his second lifetime start. Then proved it was no fluke 03/29.

Face it y'all...the horse is a monster. I just hope his feet stay on.

re: The Florida Derby is One Prep You Can't Miss

draynay — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 03:25:43 GMT

Where do I begin... Slew no horse in history first time at two turns on dirt has put in that type of performance running those splits and winning by that margin ...none!

Even the great Barboro on the same track ran a full second slower before he went on to dominate in the Derby. Big Brown runs a 104 then a 110 Beyer and Pyro has yet to break 100 as a three year old and you think he is in the same league? Wake up! He can't even beat War Pass.

Johnny... It does not matter what post he breaks from in the Derby...he has the speed to be where he wants to be and my guess is he will sit right off the leaders tail which could be War Pass. Factor this... it will be his second time at two turns on dirt and should improve which will put him at a 115 Beyer for the Derby. What horse do you think can keep up with that ? Like I said before, put your money up and bet heavy on those other horses ... forget about what you think you know about racing, the facts are this this horse is something we rarely see he is simply faster and more talented than the others... Big Brown will win the Derby by 7 lengths or more.

re: The Florida Derby is One Prep You Can't Miss

Big Brown... Yea Right!!! — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 02:05:58 GMT

That horse was so juiced up for that race it wasn't even funny. They don't test for drugs in florida but wait until the derby when he comes in dead last because they can't juice him up. War Pass is the real horse. Watch how he bounces back in the wood!!!

re: The Florida Derby is One Prep You Can't Miss

Johnny — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 21:11:16 GMT

Draynay, you're putting Big Brown's Florida Derby performance ahead of some other pretty good horses to say the least.

As far as the KY Derby is concerned, this is a field of 20 horses not 12. What if Big Brown doesn't get an ideal post position? What if he has to break along the rail and gets shut off or in close quarters? Even with his speed, what's he supposed to do then, run "over" horses? Or if he draws post 20, I don't think they're going to lay out the welcome mat for him. He was able to outrun and clear 12 horses in the Florida Derby, but in the KY Derby if he's way outside to begin with, he'd have to outrun more and better horses, including War Pass, before making up any ground; and he'd be expending more energy in a race that's a furlong longer.

No matter where he breaks from, if he gets the lead or sits off it, War Pass will probably be with him, something I actually hope doesn't happen, because if the pace is too hot, that could set it up for Pyro or a closer.

I obviously don't know what the scenario will be, and that's even more reason why I won't take anything, or any horse, for granted, especially in this race. Even the best horse can sometimes be the victim of circumstances.

re: The Florida Derby is One Prep You Can't Miss

Slew.em.All — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 18:23:00 GMT

"Greatest performance",?..Oh please,did you not see Spectacular Bids' Bluegrass win? Bellamy Roads' Wood Memorial? Sunday Silences' Santa Anita Derby? War Emblems' Illinois Derby?..I can go on & on about impressive performances, the fact is he did it on a SPEED FAVORING TRACK!! Like I said, Big Brown is a good horse, but Churchill Downs is NOT Gulfstream Park. A lot of the so-called contenders are falling by the way-side,so by the time all Preps are ran we should have a solid core of Derby Contenders,not to mention the others with no chance.To win the Derby you need everything to go your way.Watch what Pyro does to the solid Bluegrass field!!!

re: The Florida Derby is One Prep You Can't Miss

draynay — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 15:38:25 GMT

Did you people not watch the Florida Derby ? Did you not see the greatest performance of any horse at this age in history? Big Brown bolts from the impossible 12 spot takes the lead in a blistering 45 and change and dominates. Yes we are all aware that things can happen when the gate opens but if you can't see this is clearly the Derby winner barring something strange happening than you know nothing about athlete's and talent.

Big Brown is in a another league than these horses. He has won on turf, dirt one turn and dirt two turn by large margins. Please, all of you pick Pyro, War Pass, or some California horse... it will only make my Big Brown win ticket more valuable.

re: The Florida Derby is One Prep You Can't Miss

WDK — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 00:36:24 GMT

Johnny-I'd agree about the derby.

It's not about whos the most talented, it's about who doesn't get bumped the most. I'd go as far to say that the Derby doesn't really mean a whole lot. With 20 horses it's a matter of luck not talent.

The field should really be limited to 12 at the most. If in fact the derby is the best of the best of 3yo's, then we should treat it as such and stop letting horses in who have no business being there.

re: The Florida Derby is One Prep You Can't Miss

Johnny — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 19:55:05 GMT

I've always been enthusiastic about Big Brown and never said he wasn't impressive; but I also believe in respecting other good horses, and you should know as well as anybody that in this sport, anything can, and often does, happen. The Kentucky Derby, in my personal opinion, is the hardest race to win and it takes a lot of things to go your way, not just natural talent. With a field of 20, and so many things that could go wrong (or right) for a horse, I wouldn't discount anyone.

I'm glad Big Brown ran so huge, and I readily admit that even if "my" horse War Pass wins the Wood, he'll need to turn in a freakish performance for me to put him above Big Brown; and I don't think going lights out in his final Derby prep is the idea. So having said that, Big Brown is indeed the "big horse" coming to Louisville. He has been nothing short of spectacular, and I just hope his feet stay in good shape

(I just heard that Big Brown's Beyer for the race was 106, compared to Barbaro's 103 in 2006).

As for Tomcito, this is a very nice horse, and ran very well considering his lay-off. I think with the extra furlong, Tomcito could be right in there, although he probably won't have the money to get to the party. A comment was also made about the Belmont Stakes, and I think Tomcito would probably be well suited for it, where the big track and distance should play to his strength.

re: The Florida Derby is One Prep You Can't Miss

Slew.em.All — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 19:34:08 GMT

Big Brown is talented,but let's see him run on a regular dirt track and Not speed-favoring Gulfstreams'.Everybody wins on that track if your close to the lead.And dont take the final splits too seriously,they're speed-biased.Churchill Downs is a whole new ballgame.I don't care what people say,but if he runs those same splits at C.D's,he'll end up in Last place,and he for sure will have to face other speed type foes.There's a couple of preps still to come,so we'll see who comes out of those races.My Money is still on Pyro no matter what!

re: The Florida Derby is One Prep You Can't Miss

draynay — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 14:48:04 GMT

Well... what I said would happen did and Big Brown ran away with it and in the process put in one of the biggest performances in the HISTORY of racing... NO HORSE ever ran those splits and won by that margin in racing history when you consider it was his first time at two turns on dirt and first time at the distance. All those first and he nearly set a track record.

I don't know what more you need but the Derby chase is over Big Brown is it!!! I told you.....

re: The Florida Derby is One Prep You Can't Miss

Smittytoo — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 14:36:28 GMT

Big Brown was very impressive in yesterday`s race. He looked as if he could have won by more if not running a bit erratic in the lane. If War Pass bounces back in his next and wires the field, we`ll have what might be a suicide pace in Kentucky. Tomcito didn`t run all that bad for a horse that was off for about five months running on a speed favoring surface. He may not be able to get another prep in time to get the graded earnings required. Maybe the Belmont. I guess Smooth Air will now go to Louisville since he has the money.

re: The Florida Derby is One Prep You Can't Miss

Johnny — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 04:26:38 GMT

Big Brown is the real deal. I had hoped Tomcito would be one of the top two as well, but looks like he just missed out on the KY Derby, albeit with a credible third.

We saw two huge performances today: Curlin and Big Brown. Now I can't wait to see War Pass come back in the Wood.

re: The Florida Derby is One Prep You Can't Miss

wista — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 18:15:40 GMT

There really isn't that much in this race. Think about it! It is now the end of March and in one of the leading preps for the Derby we are banging the drum for a 3 year old from Peru, a potential super star who has run only twice, and a bunch of young, expensive horses who haven't done much lately.

If Dutrow is right then Big Brown will win this easily. If he is wrong, then condider Hey Byrn. He appears to be well-conditioned and is coming up to this race very well. A real longshot could be B.B. Frank. He was claimed from Zito in early February for $62,500 ; won that day, and won a non-winners of 2 rather nicely. It seems he was gelded sometime last year. He was purchased as a yearling for $130,000! Maybe with his mind on racing rather than things romantic, he will realize his potential!