Horse Racing Blog Posts by Post Time Pete

Verrazano is a More Than Ready and Enchanted Rock colt. He's won all four of his career starts, including the Tampa Bay Derby (G2) and he Wood Memorial (G1), and will most likely go off as the favorite in the Kentucky Derby. Plus, he's named after the named after the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, and being from Staten Island, well, that's just cool.

Hear the Ghost is a Ghostzapper and Rehear Gelding. He won the San Felipe (G2), but unfortunately his trip to the Kentucky Derby was cut short by a knee injury.

Mylute is a Midnight Lute and Stage Stop colt. His place in the Louisiana Derby (G2) helped him garner enough points for a run in the Kentucky Derby. Jockey Shaun Bridgmohan rode Mylute in the Louisiana Derby and was also aboard him for a 7th place finish in the Risen Star (G2). His connections have deciced to make a change for the Kentucky Derby, giving the mount to Rosie Napravnik.

Oxbow, a Awesome Again sired and D. Wayne Lukas trained colt, has enough points to run in the Kentucky Derby. The question is, does it matter - can he win? Sure, longshots have won before and any horse can wake up and decide to run that day - but will Oxbow?

Uncaptured is a Lion Heart and Captivating colt trained by Mark Casse. He got off to a solid start as a 2 year-old, winning six of his first seven races, including the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2). His most recent race was a disappointing 10th place finish in the Blue Grass (G1) which appears to have him off the Derby trail for now.

Flashback is a Tapit and Rhumb Line colt. He won the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G2) back in February and followed that up with second place finishes in the San Felipe (G2) and the Santa Anita Derby (G1). It will be up to trainer Bob Baffert and owners Gary and Mary West to determine if he rides in Kentucky on the first Saturday in May.

Goldencents is an Into Mischief and Golden Works colt. He won the Sham Stakes (G3) and the Delta Downs Jackpot (G3), but his most impressive victory was a win the the Santa Anita Derby (G1) on April 6th.

Shanghai Bobby is a Harlan's Holiday and Steelin' colt. He won his first five races including the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1), Champagne Stakes (G1), and Hopeful Stakes (G2). He finished second in the Holy Bull Stakes (G3), but his latest trip was a disappointing fifth in the Florida Derby (G1).

Java's War was listed #17 on the Kentucky Derby contenders list as of April 1st, but his win yesterday in the Blue Grass Stakes (G1) leapt him into the top 3 or 4 and, barring an injury, he's a lock for the Kentucky Derby. He's a War Pass and Java colt with a place in the Tampa Bay Derby (G2) and a show in the Breeders' Futurity (G1). By far, his imost impressive race was his last-to-first win in the Blue Grass Stakes (G1) yesterday.

And down the stretch they come....the prep races that is. We're three weeks away from the first Saturday in May, which means the final frenzy of Kentucky Derby prep races are in full swing. The two big races today are the Arkansas Derby and the Blue Grass Stakes.