HRRN's Equine Forum presented by TwinSpires - March 7, 2026

This is HRN, horse racing's voice.

Game on, dude, reach them!

Game on, dude!

Gonna write his way into the history box!

Game on, dude!

And Mike Smith have won the Santa Anita handicap!

They approached the eighth fold in the Santa Eta Bell,

and Midnight Beatsoo.

Let go, by Smith!

Shoot's clear from 13 squared!

Midnight Beatsoo, after breaking a maiden in the graded stakes!

Now, Comka's two turns in the Santa Eta Bell,

she wins by a little over two lengths.

Welcome to the Equine Forum, presented by Twins Byers.

A hundred yards to go!

Street scents in the given Saturday!

Down to the wire!

It's Street scents in the given Saturday!

It's right back at him!

These two heads of pike!

Two close to call!

Might've been Street scents in a fabulous race,

running time on the board.

One minute, 43 seconds flat for the Tampa Bay Derby.

Midnight hawk battling in second,

but it's all Calla 40 of Chrome as they come from.

They wet nature's proud wings to get to Calla 40 of Chrome.

Absolutely rumping in under Victor Aspenosa.

Santa Felipe was a walk over for Calla 40 of Chrome.

Now, here's Mike Penna.

Good morning once again, everyone.

Mike Penna, Baron of the Backstretch,

welcoming you to the show that launched a network.

It is the Equine Forum.

It is all presented by Twin Spires,

and all right here on the horse racing radio network.

As always, you are listening,

coast to coast across North America,

on Sirius 162, XM207,

along with our terrestrial partners,

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And don't forget too, if you miss any portion of this show

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You can go back to our website,

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wherever you get your podcast,

follow along with the horse racing radio network,

and make us your home,

as we've been rolled down the road

to the first Saturday in May,

which is only eight weeks away,

only eight weeks,

until the Kentucky Derby,

and the stakes are really high

on both coasts this afternoon,

with the Tampa Bay Derby in Florida,

the San Felipe at Santa Anita,

you have 50 points going to the winner

in both of those races.

So a victory in either one,

likely guarantees you a chance

to run for the roses,

50 points, even if you have nothing

in your bankroll right now,

likely gets you into the field.

If you don't run your race today,

it puts a tremendous amount of pressure

on your next start,

where you would absolutely need to run well

in order to punch your ticket.

It's, I say it every year,

this time of the season,

it is horse racing version

of the NCAA's March Madness.

It's here.

Trainer Brad Cox, he knows all

about the ups and downs

that this time of year can provide.

And he says, good as anyone

at guiding his horses

down the road to Louisville.

Again, he watched commandment

telly his third consecutive win,

which places him now

in the upper echelon

of Kentucky Derby contenders.

And maybe he goes to the head of the class.

Now paladin's still out there,

I get it.

And there's some other talented

where you'll renegade.

Certainly we're going to see

Brant later today.

Further ado, another one.

For Brad Cox, who goes

in the Tampa Bay Derby,

the likely favorite this afternoon.

While commandment has done,

he's proven that he can

string big wins together

and do them an impressive

fashion.

He's exciting.

Now today, Brad's hoping

that further ado will follow suit

and take care of business

in the Tampa Bay Derby.

Further ado already has

ten points in the bank.

So a second place finished today,

which we get him another 25,

giving him a total of 35,

puts him right there

on the Derby bubble.

And he still has one more

preparation to go, which

wouldn't necessarily be a win

and you're in in order to get in,

because you have 35 points.

So anything above that

gives him a good chance to get in.

So it takes the pressure off,

even if he finishes second today.

But you're the favorite

in the Tampa Bay Derby.

You don't want to put that

pressure on you

in your next start

when you can guarantee your spot

with a victory today.

And Brad's in great shape.

Todd Plutcher is in good shape.

We'll see him in the Tampa Bay Derby.

Chad Brown is in great shape.

We'll see him in the Tampa Bay Derby.

Bob Bafford, as I mentioned,

sending out Brant and the San Felipe.

That's a horse with a lot of promise.

Which of those trainers

that I just mentioned

is most likely to win

this year's Kentucky Derby.

Is it Todd Plutcher?

Is it Chad Brown?

Bob Bafford or Brad Cox?

That is my poll question for you here

on this Saturday morning.

When you take a look at what,

and by the way, you can go vote

on our social media pages at

HRN on X Horse Racing Radio Network

on Facebook, another way

to weigh in on that poll question.

And if you don't do social media,

go mic at horseracingradio.net

to let me know your thoughts,

and I'll pass along the results

as we move throughout the program.

Which of those trainers currently holds

the strongest hand, if you will?

I just told you about Brad Cox

in some of his top three year olds.

How about Todd Plutcher,

nearly class president

and a renegade?

I guess would be his top three.

Chad Brown, Paladin,

Cana Leto, what's he,

five to two second choice today

in the Tampa Bay Derby?

And Gotham winner, Iron Honour.

Not bad.

And then Bafford with Brent Boyd Cherokee Nation.

Maybe the most approved there.

Some serious ability,

but they have to deliver and prove

that they belong in this conversation

with horses like Paladin

who have already proven themselves,

class president,

who has now proven himself nearly.

Listen, all of those horses

we talk about it every week,

they still have more to prove.

But at least to this point,

we know Paladin can run.

We know class president

can handle the distance, can run.

We know Brad Cox is sitting there

with a pretty good hand.

We command it and further ado.

But again, they have to further ado,

particularly has to prove that he's

developed from two to three

when he returns in the Tampa Bay Derby this afternoon.

It's an interesting question.

When Dale and Tim join me at the end of the program,

1030 Eastern, our final segment here today,

I'm going to ask him that question.

As a matter of fact,

our friend Shane and North Carolina

who submits a question for that show almost every week

came up with that.

So I'll give him his credit.

I think it's a great question.

Which trainers holding the biggest triple threat

at this point?

Could be pleasure.

Could be Chad Brown.

Could be Bob Baffert.

And Brad Cox looking to get him into the mix

with a couple of talented runners, too.

So make sure you weigh in on that poll

question for us here this morning.

Brad Cox.

That's not the only race he's running in today,

of course, at Tampa Bay Downs.

He also has disco time,

another talented runner,

in the Grade 3 Challenger Stakes.

He has Distino Dioro in the Hillsboro Stakes,

Grade 2, which is the ninth race

on the program at Tampa Bay today.

And then it's Santa Anita.

It's Big Cap Day at Santa Anita.

The Big Cap this year

is not the Big Cap we're used to seeing, right?

Not historically.

This is a race that has incredible history.

It has had some of the greatest horses

we have ever seen in the sport of thoroughbred racing.

Win it.

And even if they didn't win it,

they competed in it.

And there's some of the biggest names

in our sport, historically.

Not this year.

Brad sends out just a touch in the Big Cap.

Just a touch is a really nice horse.

Just a touch has never won a Grade 1 race.

Maybe today is the day.

After the defections of Skippy Long Stocking

and Westwood,

just a touch is not going to be a favorite

and a five horse Santa Anita handicap.

And when you really,

when you really dive into it,

it's hard to see the Santa Anita handicap

continuing to be what it once was

when you're offering a purse of just $300,000.

Now you're offering a Grade 1 status,

but the money's not there.

Not when you're talking about

all of the other opportunities that are out there

for horsemen.

The Pegasus World Cup.

Dubai World Cup.

We'll talk more about that in just a minute

with the situation in the Middle East.

What's going to happen there?

The Oakland handicap coming up.

There are plenty of other opportunities

that are going to offer more money.

The Saudi Cup.

They're going to offer more money

than what you're going to get in the sand.

And that's why this year's field

doesn't have a runner in there

that's ever won a Grade 2 or a Grade 1.

But it is still a Grade 1.

And it is still and historic race

and it is still a fantastic race to add to your resume

if you can find a way to win it.

One of the cool stories in there

outside of Brad Cox

and just a touch

is trainer Aggie Ardonas

who is going to try to win it

with Vodka Vodka.

What a cool story this would be.

Aggie is also sending out

Am and Joy in the Grade 1

B-Wayne Hughes beholder mile

earlier in the program.

And that's a short field

so it goes as race number 4.

Both of the Grade 1s lacking in numbers.

But Am and Joy,

California Bread Champion

trying to find a way

to get to the highest level

with that win in the Grade 1.

Behold their mile this afternoon.

Vodka Vodka trying to do the same.

And with only five horses

in that big cap now

they are going to have a

little world beater if you will.

Vodka Vodka has a shot

and what a cool story it would be.

You are going to hear

from both Brad Cox

and Aggie Ardonas

later in the program.

Brad set to join me

right around 940 Eastern

at the end of our number 2.

Aggie will join me just before Brad

right around 920 Eastern.

I am going to talk about

the area which takes place

at Oklahoma today.

I am going to do that with Dan Ward.

Majestic Oops is entering

in there going to try to take

down the champ Nitrogen

who is a huge favorite

on the morning line

and will likely be a huge

favorite when the gates open.

She figures to be a handful.

Can Majestic Oops find a way

to play the role

of the Giant Killer this afternoon?

Dan Ward would be doing the same thing.

He will join me here on the program.

And then we will talk more about big

cap day and all of the races

associated with that program.

All the stakes races. Jeff Chapman

does a great job handicapping at

Santa Anita. He will be with me

on the show today as well.

So here is your full lineup

for you here this morning.

Eric Campbell back from the

National HBPA. The CEO

they just finished their national

HBPA. He is going to join me

coming up in a few minutes after

this first break. We will get a

chance to talk about some of the

topics which are hot button topics

at that conference. Dan Ward

at 835 talking about the Isari.

9 o'clock is Jeff Chapman.

920 Ag Your Donas.

940 Brad Cox with this week's

Kentucky bread conversation.

Plenty of things to get into

with Brad who himself is a Kentucky

bread growing up in the shadows

of those twin spiders of church

with Ashley Anderson comes your

way at 10 o'clock Eastern time.

Begin hour three.

Kurt Becker stroll through

racing history at 1020. March

is considered optimistic month.

So Kurt that would be fun

with his first story of March

here in 2026.

To focus on a horse name

optimistic gal.

Nobody weaves the story

together like Kurt Becker.

So you won't want to miss that at

the end of the day.

So I'm going to start with

I ask they answer it is a busy

show we're talking about big

racing coast to coast and even

in between. We'll get to it in

just a few moments but first.

This week's Mojo Racing impossible

trivia question lead

Delapean has it for you right now.

Thank you Mike. This week's

impossible trivia question is

brought to you by Mojo Racing

partners get your Mojo work in

this week's race.

The goal is the oldest living

Kentucky Derby winning horse.

And how old is he?

No Googling will give out the

answer at the end of the show.

Yeah maybe maybe not the most

impossible I'll get I will give

you a hint here this morning on

this one. This horse recently

celebrated a birthday.

Maybe it didn't need the hint

but if you did I hope it helps

you get your Mojo work in the

next year.

Eric Campbell back kicks us off

next. This is the equan form

presented by Twin Spires on

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Race to Twin Spires where you can

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Boy we're prohibited for turns to

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Must be 18 or older, 21 and older

we're applicable for help with a

gambling problem called 1-800-Gamler.

Cool more stallion Corniche.

A $1.5 million OBS

April sale topper by quality road

and a two time grade one winner.

But it's Corniche!

He's just to go!

Corniche wins the Breeders Cup

and titles are also in question.

Moved $22,000, the

basket's most robust.

It's no surprise as 72 yearlings

sold for an average of over $170,000

with a top price Colt of

720,000 in a top price

Philly of 525,000.

Corniche, standing for only $15,000

at Coulmore's Aschford Stud.

The road to the Kentucky Durby

Virginia Derby will be run as a road to the Kentucky Derby points race.

Last year's winner, American Promise, went on to run in the Derby and Preakness.

Join us for a history-making day that also includes the $250,000 Virginia Oaks, a Kentucky

Oaks points race.

Colonial Downs Spring Meet runs March 12th through March 14th.

Host time 1230 Eastern Thursday and Friday, noon Eastern on Virginia Derby Day, Saturday

March 14th.

You're listening to the equine forum on HRN, presented by Twin Spires.

Time of the day.

Trevor Demen, bringing them home 15 years ago.

2011 game on dude capturing the first of his three.

Santa Anita handicaps, boy was he good.

game on dude among this year's field that's for certain but some competitive

horses and we're gonna talk about that race moving throughout the program

here today you know and that's not a knock on the other horses when I say no

game on dude among that group the game on dude I'm shocked he's not in the

Hall of Fame I've given him my vote the last couple of years when he's been

nominated he's nominated again this year I will vote for game on dude to be in

the Hall of Fame he's brilliant what a fantastic career for game on dude you

win three big caps and all the other races that he was able to win it's just

shocking to me that he's not in the Hall of Fame yet I'll do my best to get

him in there when I cast my vote again this season Eric Camelback is the

CEO of the National HPPA I'm pretty certain he would agree with me that

game on dude should be in the Hall of Fame what do you think Eric absolutely

not only game on dude I'm still trying to get his sire in there we need to get

awesome again in there but yeah having having raised game on dude I wouldn't

expect in that I'm sitting there getting goosebumps thinking about Bill Graves

God rest his soul he came down and we looked at yearlings down as a Dean of

South and he was he was one of my crop that year and I was very proud of him just

thought he was gonna be a really good race horse and and I think just the

fact that we did we did cut him and that was good because he he was one

tough sucker but man he was a hell of a race horse yeah game on dude awesome

again you're right I mean how on earth is awesome again that Hall of Fame I don't

know I I joke back and forth with Tom Law all the time and Jill Bern of course

was right there with with that whole run with awesome and yeah yeah but yeah

keep trying for game on dude he was he was something special Eric what a

week you had in hot springs Arkansas and I know you're still still there yeah

and I appreciate you I appreciate you getting up early with me here this

morning too to handle this segment but I wanted to look back at some of the

key points that were discussed in some of the highlights of the National HPPA

conference which just concluded this week tell me a little bit about some of

the things that stood out to you my friend well thank you Mike it's it has been a

great conference you know it's always difficult putting these things together

and knowing how timely panels will be or sometimes not be so you know we get

lucky every once in a while and and really nailed timing on a lot of these

panels but you know once again we had a we had a panel that kind of focused on

where we are with the horse racing integrity and safety act and some of the

litigation but also some of the progress that's been made so that panel was I

think well you know very well accepted and then you know we we had a really

fun panel with Marshall Graham Tom Van Berg and Robbie Medina just talking

about you know the perspective of owners and trainers that you know might

not be household names but you know where they are in this environment and and

you know the struggles but the positives and really really had a fun time with

that panel was you know having ever doubts in here is the keynote speaker was a

big highlight for me just because I think you know there's a lot going on in

the industry some some out in the public some behind the scenes but it's a really

good time for collaboration and I think Everett is bringing kind of you know

a new perspective to the jockey club which which I appreciate I've known

Everett for many years he was very supportive of it awesome again in

particular with his farm there in Kentucky so I think that was a good good

timing for both of our organizations to kind of have that have that time for him

to be that the keynote was was good timing and then of course everyone's

talking about now the the prediction market wagering I think is certainly

what is an emerging threat as what I kind of tagged some of the some of the

perspectives of our panel were really spot on we have to be prepared as an

industry to look at any any creeping that they may do into our industry so

that that was that was also extremely good panel that was well received Eric

expand a little bit more upon that what what exactly is prediction market

wagering and what effect could it have on horse racing so that the scenario

that's going on now you're seeing across the country is they call it prediction

market I always throw in the word wagering because if you can and some of your

listeners I'm sure if not many of them have gone on and seen calcium as an app

and you can make a wager on different things throughout the world that are

going on right now whether it's you know will a hurricane hit at a certain spot

yes or no it it started oh yeah I said I don't know how many years ago but it

really started as a campaign prediction tool and those those poles that you

see a lot of times on election nights where they talk about the percent of

winning in this that and the other and it it really started there so now what

they've done is starting to creep into you know normal every day life and also

sports and so when you see a bet on you know which which which app is going to

be downloaded during derby week right that was that was one that they did last

year and they give you four choices you you know put your money in just like

any other ADW and you have it there and you make a wager and then now all the

sudden you see multiple states suing because they are not following or

adhering to states right or states rules and regulations with result to

gambling and they have this veil of what they think is protection because they

feel like they're only governed by federal regulations under the CFTC and

so when you look at horse racing fast forward now to horse racing where I

think but you know very few but we are one of the only industries that would

be protected under a federal bill and of course that's the Interstate

Horse Racing Act so having that panel explain probably better than I did what

prediction markets is and how we need to be prepared to protect horse racing

whether it be through litigation but also there are opportunities you know

that's the other side to look at is you know is there a partnership that we

can develop a revenue sharing model and have prediction markets available you

know as a wager within horse racing so it's it's something for us to keep an

eye on as an industry one of the things that Everdobson and I strongly agree

on is is watching and making sure prediction markets and those companies don't

start to creep in to horse racing without having a revenue sharing model

like you would any other ADW signal hmm so when when we joke around about hey

that guy would bet on two birds sitting on a wire to see which one is going to fly

off first now it's a real thing yes literally literally yeah you know and when

I say they were they're kind of crossing the line and I'm sure some of your

listeners probably even no more than I do about it but they crossed the line a

little bit last week in particular with the the pending war or the war going on

in Iran right now there was actually a prediction market wager on one of the

hiatolas being killed and that's where you know you start to think about okay

that that's a little yeah too much and and so they they've actually gotten into a

bit of trouble with that one and so we'll see how that pans out but you know

you can imagine there's no there's no restrictions on or I should say

protections for you know a 17 15 14 year old kid getting on there they don't

they don't follow the same rules that responsible gaming entities have to

follow and that's what's making another problem you mentioned the keynote

addressed from jockey club chair Everett dobson Everett and much of the

jockey club has been in the crosshairs of owner micro poly on social media

in recent months tell me about his message what did he want to get across in

his speech I think the message really revolved around the understanding that we

have to come together as an industry on certain things but it's okay to

disagree I mean obviously he knows very well that that the national HVPA is

in litigation with the horse racing integrity and safety act but even himself

said at his address during the jockey club roundtable back in the summer there

are things that that need to be fixed with his especially when it comes to the

fees and the charge that that they are putting on the industry and that's not

sustainable but the collaborative nature of his message I think rang true with

all of my audience and understanding that now the jockey club is not there to

dictate they are there to cooperate and work with other entities and he was

pretty open about the fact that he needs the time to get around and talk to

everybody obviously the jockey club has been on a certain direction from you

know 40 something years but it's not going to be easy to just turn tides and

make changes he needs the time to get his hands around everything that's

going on now but yeah he didn't and nor did I expect him to address the

attacks from micropoly whether you think they're warranted or not I think that

it just proves that in this day and age you have to be pretty transparent and

open up and understand what everybody else is going through so from that

standpoint I appreciate might you know making things come to light and

having you know everyone in the industry understand that today today's a new

day you know the industry needs to be moving in a better direction and here's

some things we can do to change Eric what things do you take away from the

conference that can I don't know steer the industry in the right direction

almost immediately where there are a couple of things that that you could point

to well I think you know collaborating around making sure we have

protections over this prediction market wagering that's something that needs to

be done immediately and I think is being done I've spoken to Tom Rooney about

this and obviously with Everdops and there are people that we need to be

prepared to litigate or come to the table with these folks quickly so they

don't have a negative impact on horse racing for me that was very apparent the

other thing too and I didn't touch on this yet but the panel that we did on

artificial intelligence obviously AI has been around for a long time but how does

it help our industry at a great panel including John Julia owner breeder from

Pennsylvania but AI is his world and those are the things with you know Kyle

McDonald was up there with echo base those are the things that you know can

help us now and understanding AI and make the industry more efficient so that

that is another thing that I feel will come out of here and be something that we

can grasp on to very quickly Eric I've got to get to a commercial break here in

just a minute but I don't want to let you go before I ask you about my man

Jinx fires who spent the full hour with me on trainer talk a couple of weeks

ago and it was so much fun so inspirational Jinx fires is what horse racing is

all about and he was honored as an HBPA living legend I tell you it was very

emotional I said from the stage I had met Jinx when I was I believe I was 15 you

know growing up here in North Louisiana and working Oklahoma on in Louisiana

down as a kid it it was pretty special for me when we told him that we were

recognizing him as a living legend we did not know that it was going to be his

last year of training so that was pretty much a shock but to have gosh his his

whole family from from Rivervale Arkansas he even joked from the stage that

hope nothing happened in his hometown because all the people were here in the

room but his his family was just so emotional and it was it was just an

amazing amazing thing and I and I have to give a shout out to Nancy Holtis who

who interviewed him from the stage and and she she's amazing at being able to

coordinate a discussion like that and the emotion you know Jinx broke up a couple

of times and you can see the tears and and it was just a very special time for

a very special man who's who's had a very special career and it's touched so

many lives now the podcast of that trainer talk conversation available on our

website and your favorite podcast platform so do yourself a favor go back and

listen to Jinx he was fantastic as was Eric Campbell back here this morning Eric

appreciate the visit brother enjoy the rest of your day we'll talk soon thank you

Mike appreciate time you got it Eric Campbell back CEO of the National HBPA

time now for your legends of the turf segment short commercial break when I

come back we stick with Oakland Park in hot springs Arkansas Dan Ward joins me to

talk about majestic oops trying to take down nitrogen in the Isari later

today that's next after your legends of the turf in late July of 1964 a well

match for you'll answer the call to post for the running of the Brooklyn hand to

cap over 10 for longs in that stellar field were Kelso with Milo Valenzuela in

the saddle gun bow with Walter Blum at the controls and iron peg with the shoe

woolly shoemaker up there were eight total starters but the consensus was that

the race would be decided among these three and consensus profiled in what turned

out to be a memorable performance by the eventual winner a lot happened during

the race and a lot happened before as the eight horse field was loaded into the

gate Kelso knelt down on his stall as they're preparing to pray rather than

getting up on his feet he reared back and sat on his haunches it seemed totally

out of context for the grand old champion who had been common both the paddock

and during a parade to post but for whatever reason he was rank indeed at the

gate in fact a starting gate went slightly as skew as he went to his knees

Kelso had entered himself in the very same way while in training in California

once before and that haven't cost him the winter of racing when valenzuela and an

assistant starter finally got Kelso righted starter George Cassidy got the

field away immediately and in good order Kelso broke alertly enough but by the

time the field had gone barely an eighth of a mile he had dropped well back into

seventh place by the stands they went and on into the clubhouse turned with

gun bow under Walter Blum setting the pace and breezing along uncontested

while increasing his lead around the turn and on into the back side gun bow opened up a margin

so commanding it looked like a one horse race with the rest of the field far in a rears iron

peg the suburban winter under shoemaker had been the one that figured to prompt the pace

but he had all he could do to just keep close enough to have gun bow in sight you couldn't find

the rest of the field with a sheriff's warrant by the time they had gone five for a long

Kelso was so far back that valenzuela began whipping him to try to close some part of what

was a monumental gap to gun bow and there was half the race yet to be run gun bow reeled off

sensational fractions on the front end and no doubt a great man in your crowd stole a look at

the tele timer to check the fractions at the top of the stretch with still a quarter of a mile left

to run it was all over but the yelling with the only remaining question to be answered was what

the final margin of victory would be and of course the final time. Blum was in the proverbial

cat bird seat for the entire trip opening up a lead of seven then nine ten and finally twelve

lengths the winning margin he had never faced any kind of a challenge at all for the entire ten

for longs the final time was the expected sensational 159 and 3 until this race gun bow became

the first and only horse who have ever clock less than two minutes for the distance in New York

Kelso appeared to have suffered no effect from the incident at the gate returning after the race

in good shape with no soreness it was very simply that gun bow head had his day and a five star

effort indeed it was July 1964 in the running of the Brooklyn Handicap. Race to Twin Spires where you

can unlock a twenty five dollar risk free bet just use the code HRRN25 when you sign up and if

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It's time now to shine the spotlight on the darlie taking the reins performer of the week

he points him in the right direction and he is gone steel sunshine looks like he needs room to

try to get into second he just found that room to try to outrun flying lamb but the goal street

mile is a strong park for night's bridge he's an eight length winner night's bridge the son of

Darlie Stallion nightquist tellied his fourth consecutive victory with that emphatic win

in the grade three Gulfstream Park Mile it was his third consecutive graded victory night's

bridge registered a one twelve buyer second highest only to sovereignty's one fifteen over the last

year and a half he is now pointing to the grade one Churchill downstakes on Derby Day and that

brilliant win makes night's bridge your darlie taking the reins performer of the week

Darlie Stallion nightquist the sire of three graded stakes winners already in twenty twenty six only

not this time has more learn about nightquist and all the Darlie Stallions by visiting darlieamerica.com

you're listening to the equine forum on HRN presented by Twin Spires

glory head in the red blinkers has a head in front a sternious right there to her inside not

asked for a vest yet then a dead and counting outside for the stretch drive his third three team

as they come off the turn glory head a sternion and all out drive and here comes majestic oaps

majestic oaps let loose between horses by Francisco area and majestic oaps has taken the lead with

a fur long to go a sternious second then a dead a third then glory head coming to the finish

majestic oaps confidently handled here could not have won this easier in two thousand twenty six her

first start of the year is a win and a decisive one in the american beauty majestic oaps doing it

nicely welcome back to the equine forum presented by twins spires might penna

bearing in the backstretch with you up until 11 a.m. eastern that was met dinnerman with a call

of the american beauty an impressive victory for majestic oaps to kick off her six year old

campaign for trainer Dan Ward she's back in action today but the waters much much deeper

is she ready for the assignment when she steps into the starting gate today she will look to her

left and she will see champion nitrogen from the barn of mark Cassie that will be her assignment today

can she find a way to get past nitrogen and everybody else we know she's talented we know she's

in great hands with Dan Ward and Dan Ward is with me now here on hrrn Dan appreciate the visit

the big concern right now is the weather here because i got the door close you want to listen to

uh oh it is raining so hard and they got lightning and they got a tornado warning so they announced

the track will not open before nine for training but sometimes it gets to be nine and they say we're

not going to open so hopefully it gets better but i mean right now we can't do anything you know

what's the forecast for this afternoon is this supposed to move out no no they say two and a half

inches um today but it feels like two and a half inches and well

i mean it is raining so hard i can't believe it oh my goodness well hopefully everybody stays safe

in the hot springs area that's that's priority number one my friend right right absolutely

what did you make a majestic oops's performance in the american beauty

it's a good starting point you know we gave her time off and um it's easier to get her ready to run

six four longs than try to train her to go long first time back and we know she can sprint so

she can finish like that uh going two turns if she settles the first part the only

disappointing races last year where once she was you know kind of kind of sent along and chasing

and didn't have the finish but if he can get her to settle going along which he did the time he

wrote or he covered her up like a turf horse had her in behind horses and then we need tipter

out she just took off so we need that kind of a patient ride the first part of the race and then

she can produce that finish Dan have you heard any talk of the races potentially being canceled

today because of that weather no no they'll do everything they can here to run and uh which

would just not allow in training now because of the lightning but hopefully that that lets up it's

it's it's very early and um i mean if it was like it is right now they wouldn't be running because

it's really running hard and the lightning is it's not safe so yeah yeah see what happens well

well considering that it looks like there could be a wet track for the azary later today um you

look back to her effort June 14th of last year on a sloppy track once you won the lady secret

monmouth boys you ran away with it that day right right and she she actually here we were running

i believe there's an allowance race it was sealed and then they harrowed it i don't know if they

called it muddy but i think that counts as one of her off track wins also and she can run it

on anything when she's informed and and she gets the kind of trip where she's relaxed the first part

and then you know produce in fact good finish dan you think okay well maybe the off track

would work to our advantage when you look at nitrogen but then you see when she ran on a sloppy

track at saratoga last June in the wonder again grade three she wins by 17 lengths

i guess they decided to make her a main track for us after that but no she's got really good form

and she's a very good horse and um you know we respect her and we're gonna we're gonna give it our

best i i think a race last year that we won the stake here we were going against a big favorite

who's your filling we kind of trapped her down there on the on the inside and got the jump on her

and and ideally you know you never know how it's gonna come out but we'd like to get the jump on her

tell me about the decision to go to the azary this year

you know they were originally thinking about the the matron and the the gold this year is to get

a graded stakes win and the matron is not graded and the owners also have a part ownership in

hall and ice who's gonna run in that race so we decided to to give her a try here she likes the track

she's in good form and the last race proved that she gets printed so we can go in any direction

after this race but right now she's really good and and we'll give her a shot

dan how special is this mayor bend to you to your career uh i know you've got a and a steam

background but how cool is this bend to have her alongside you

especially cal bread you know i was in california until 2020 and the way she's she's developed has

been very special and she's just a joy to work with really really easy to work with and she's

very happy right now she loves the cold weather she loves this track and we're looking for a good race

if people don't know what i'm referring to dan when i talk about your background you

spent 22 years working alongside the late hall of famer bobby frankle then you joined the barn

of hall of famer jerry hollandorfer and worked alongside jerry so you've learned from some of

the best i don't think correct me if i'm wrong i don't think bobby frankle gets the do that he

deserves when we start talking about the greatest of all time bobby was as good as they get

well the the thing about him is um you can't you can't put any limitations on him you can't say he

can't work with claimors he can't work with two-year-olds he can't work with grass horses he can't

work with europeans he can do it all you know we we work with all types of horses when i started

with him i was i was a claiming barn and then we got some good horses dirt horses horses came from

europe that were turf horses and we turned them into dirt horses he could do everything

what things did you take away in your time working with bobby and working with jerry that

help you as you are now training on your own others good things about about both you know bobby was

very very sharp you know knowing knowing when horses were doing well and and not doing well

and he was patient and he gave the time and everything in jerry very very hard worker

knows how to read the the book and where to run the horses and we take good care of them and

we i've worked with a lot of good horses so you know songbird and unique bella and before that

with bobby the first Judd Mon horses we got market tree and exporn and two saw and some nice horses

you know you you take care of all of them the same but but um

again they're all different you know this filly here is it is very small 15 hands you can train her

like you you train a big horse so did you get the same care but the training is different from

horse to horse try to look at your goal with each horse and the best way to get them there

because they're all different so how how do you train majestic oops stand to get the most out of her

she puts a lot into the gallop so you don't need to work that much we worked her four times

she was off from november to that race in February she had four works in two three eights and two

halves and just one works since the last race and uh we let her finish and that's been working well

for the past year and hopefully it works well one more time in the azary coming up this afternoon at

at oakland park it's a solid race again the champion nitrogen in there just here inside

tell me a little bit more about the ownership involved with majesticoops you said they're

they're also involved with another big time horse so tell me about majesticoops owners

well the breeder was the owner originally some lunch table and he's so 90% of her before the

molly pitcher and we've got a group with medallion racing agave racing Evan trauma and agave

owns part of hall and ice and i believe she's gonna run into matron that's the plan with her so

we're gonna you know you don't want to run against her she's very good and very good on this

track and we're giving her we're trying to get the graded wind today while she's good and she's

on a track that she likes and now's now's our time to take a shot and we get we get weighted

properly because the race is last year that she won we found ourselves carrying top weight most

of the time we gave seven pounds and who's your filly we gave weight to randomize when she

beat her we gave way to a cult when she won the lady secret so we're in with 19 and last year

it seemed like every race she was carrying 24 so i think now's the time for us to take our shot

yeah and the man aboard francisco arietta has has had a lot of success with majesticoops they just

seem to click together yes yes if he can get her to you know just turn it off the first part of the

the race and not pull and then he can do that he's a very good rider and he really likes the sauce

dan listen i want to wish you all the best this afternoon i hope she runs a monster race for you

stay dry stay safe and i'm sure we'll catch up again down the road

thanks for having me you got it dan ward one of the real nice guys in the sport of thoroughbred

racing i always enjoy catching up with him and here he is trying to to play the giant killer role

this afternoon and you say wait a minute Baron majesticoops is three to one on the morning line

it's not that big of an upset well yeah it kind of is when you're going up against the champion

nitrogen uh and the way that she looked the last time we saw her on a sloppy racetrack in the

grey three wonder again winning by 17 lengths and i know it was a three horse field and she towered

over those two rivals but she handled the slop just fine and she comes into this race off of that

win in the grey three by a koa which sets her up beautifully for this run in the azary

and i know marty is just thrilled with the way that she is doing

should be a fantastic race majesticoops will have to run the race for life as she's going to

to do that but you hear dan talk about her and he truly believes that she has a shot

to be in the mix if she can stay covered up relax and make that run that we're accustomed to seeing

her do and and do it going around two turns at a longer distance that win last time out

in the american beauty was six for longs but as dan said a good starting point for majesticoops

fun race should be a good one by the way post time for that azary and dan said that even though

it's pouring now and there are tornado warnings in the area he said there was no talk of

canceling racing at oakland this afternoon which is good hopefully that track drives out

enough and it's a safe track for all five forty four eastern it's race nine on the program that's

four forty four local time in hot springs arc and saw post time for the grade two a zary

when i come back i'll get you ready for our number two we'll have this week's edition of

calling all three year olds presented by spend thrift and we'll begin to look ahead to races

like the big cap and the Tampa Bay Derby that's next on the equan form on the horse racing radio

network woodford feed where tradition merges with technology family on since 1940 and providing

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did you receive a call or message that mentioned social security and demanded immediate action

did the caller know your social security number or other personal information and tell you

that your social security number had been used in connection with the crime did you feel worried

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threaten you demand your personal information or instant payment email or text you pictures or

documents or use a real government officials name to gain your trust social security does not

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use these forms of payment because they are hard to trace do not be fooled hang up ignore them

report this criminal activity to the social security administration office of the inspector general

at oig.ssa.gov and rely here outside the Perez family home just waiting for the and there they go

almost on time this morning mom is coming out the front door strong with a double-armed kid carry

looks like dad has the bags daughter is bringing up the rear oh but the diaper bag wasn't closed

diapers and toys are everywhere oh but mom is just nailed the perfect car seat buckle for the

toddler and now the eldest daughter who looks to be about nine or ten has secured herself in the

booster seat dad sits the bag closed and they're off but looks like mom doesn't realize her coffee

cup is still on the roof of the car and there it goes oh that's a shame that mug was a fam

favorite don't sweat the small stuff just mail the big stuff like making sure your kids are

buckle correctly in the right seat for their agents eyes learn more at NHTSA.gov slash the right seat

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Thursday evenings 6 to 7 p.m. Eastern is the brisnet.com call-in show it's your chance to call in

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this is HRN where racing comes to talk they're all in line and they're all spend-thrift farm

presents calling all three-year-olds with Bobby Newman there were three important Kentucky Derby

qualifiers in the U.S. last weekend on Saturday Gulfstream Park featured the great two fountain of

youth commandment son of into mischief was sent off the slight favorite off his resounding win in

the moochomacho man previously he settled mid-pack behind a solid early pace made his move on the

far turn and use the inside path the out game lightly raised chief wallaby for the win at aqueduct

the great three got them saw eight Kentucky Derby hopefuls going a one-turn mile Chad Brown's

iron honor was the odds on favorite despite only having one prior start but he was too much for

the more experienced crown the buckeye in winning by a length while well clear of everyone else

he's now two for two and likely headed for the wood memorial then Sunday at Oakland the great two

rebel featured Bob Baffert's litmus test versus the return of Kenny McPeaks blackout time

but down the lane it was class president and silent tactic stealing the show they battled all

the way to the wire with class president narrowly holding on for the win all three of last weekend's

winners earned 50 Kentucky Derby points there are two more 50 pointers today at Tampa the great three

Tampa Bay Derby features the return of graded stakes winner further ado for trainer Brad Cox

he faces eight others including cannelletto talking and the puma and at Santa Anita the great two

San Felipe sees graded stakes winners brand and so happy clash in a battle that also includes

potente and secured freedom next week the focus shifts to colonial downs and the half million dollar

Virginia Derby which is also worth 50 points to the winner i'll be back with this week's top five

list right after this word from spendthrift cyber knife was a very talented horse from day one fast

horse able to carry it around two turns looks a tremendous amount like gun runner saying ability and

talent holds the track record in the Haskell you want an impressive fashion beating a very good

group of horses excited about him passing on his durability his soundness and his talent we could

definitely be a breeze shaking style multiple grade one winner cyber knife standing at spendthrift

this week's top five list of Derby contenders looks like this number five renegade looked

awesome breaking is made in the sand Davis and it looks like extra distance is his friend number

four nearly improving pleasure trainee look great in the holy bull he's pointing to the Florida

Derby at Gulfstream on March 28 for his next start number three commandment big wins in the

Mucho macho man and fountain of youth he's another Florida Derby probable number two further ado

followed up a monstrous maiden win with a nice score in the Kentucky jockey club he runs today in

the Tampa Bay Derby and number one is paladin keeps improving and now has 60 Derby points all but

guaranteeing his spot in the Kentucky Derby he has one more race scheduled before that though the

bluegrass at Keyland on April 4th that's your calling all three year old segment presented by

spendthrift the breeders farm now talented group we'll find out the answers to all of the

questions coming up in just eight weeks when we get to the first Saturday in May which of these

trainers is most likely to win this year's Kentucky Derby is it Todd Plutcher is it Chad Brown

is it Bob Baffer or is it Brad Cox those are your four choices on this Saturday morning you can

go to at hrrn on our x-page to cast your vote you can do that too on Facebook course tracing

radio network on Facebook or if you don't do social media email the show and let me know which

of those four trainers most likely to win this year's Kentucky Derby right now 48% of HRN

nation saying it's going to be Todd Plutcher narrowly over Chad Brown with 38% Bob Baffer just 10%

Brad Cox only 4% keep the votes coming and I'll update you later in the program Sally Ellen

our good friend at country life farm up in Maryland says Brad Cox Chad Brown Todd Plutcher how about

other Steve Asmoson Bill Mott maybe hmm yeah maybe one of those two is the one standing in the winter

circle wouldn't be all that big of a surprise would it but for right now for the purposes of this

question here this morning you get those four choices let me know your thoughts hey your travels

no doubt if you're a horse racing fan we'll likely take you through Kentucky at some point in

the coming weeks in the coming months and if that's the case you want to make sure you get your

reservations now at Tonys of Lexington I've been telling you about it for years on this program

the best stake you are going to get anywhere and I mean anywhere it's fantastic you want a great

meal you want to impress your friends you want to bring them to a beautiful place great atmosphere

Tonys of Lexington the place to go give them a call right now make your reservations we'll

may wait a little bit until they actually open but get in touch with them and make sure you make

those reservations and get in at Tonys of Lexington and you will not be disappointed I promise you

that they're on Main Street right behind Rapp Arena also too this is the time of year to start

planning your spring seating and your fertilizers also all the weed management in your pastures

and there's only one place to go woodford feed in Versailles Kentucky I had the chance to stop in

there yesterday they do fantastic work great people they'll get you anything you need they can

answer all of your questions they're incredibly knowledgeable Bob Cleveland the owner my friend

Greg Dotson who works over there just hooked me up this past week and took care of me with some

things that I need for my farm they do great great work and if you're a horse farm it doesn't

matter how big how small where you're located here in Central Kentucky they'll get it out to you

whatever you need for your spring seating and planting and fertilizer needs if you need lime

they've got that too whatever it is they will take care of you at woodford feed in Versailles

make sure you tell them that the Baron told you to stop in and they'll take great care of you

I promise you okay um our two getting set to come your way next we're going to talk about

the big day at Santanita big cap day Sant Felipe day beholder mile day a lot of big races coming

up there four greatest stakes two of those are grade ones when I come back to kick off hour two

you're going to hear from Jeff Chapman who does a great job handicapping the races at Santanita

we'll walk through all those greatest stakes Aggie or Dones is going to join me at 920 and at 940

Brad Cox with this week's Kentucky bread conversation plenty to get into with Brad

here in hour number two that's all straight ahead right after this 10 second pause

for station identification this is the horse racing radio network where racing comes to talk

this is the equine forum presented by twin spires

one hour down two to go here on this week's edition of the equine forum presented by twin

spires kicking off the month of march yeah our first show in the month of march here 20 26 and

happy to have you along for the ride eight weeks away from the run for the roses plenty to talk

about in hour two and in hour three I mentioned Jeff Chapman said to join me from Southern California

momentarily Aggie or Dones at 920 Brad Cox 940 10 o'clock Eastern begins hour number three

the twin spires triple play and Ashley Anderson will join me to give you three races to watch

and wager on this afternoon with twin spires Kurt Becker stroll through racing history at 1020

that's a cool story about a horse name optimistic gal that you won't want to miss and then at 1030

I asked the answer with Dale Romans with Tim Wilkin get a chance to talk to them about some of the

hottest topics in the sport today and one thing I'm going to bring up to them is about the trainer

that currently holds the strongest triple threat if you will of Derby contenders it's a question

that was submitted to the show by Shane and North Carolina is it Todd Pledgeur with nearly class

president and renegade Chad Brown with paladin canneletto and iron honor or Bob Baffert would

branch boy Cherokee Nation I think it's a really interesting question and I'll see what

have to say about that coming up at 1030 Eastern time plus we'll play a round of buy or sell

it's one of our favorite games to play when we get to I asked the answer and I'm going to ask

them if they're buying or selling the Gotham winner iron honor how about the fountain of youth

winner commandment he's probably a buy I think he's a buy for most people runner up chief wallaby

what do you do with him is he a buy or a sell off of his effort I think it was a fantastic run

in his two turn debut and then he have class president who upset the rebel for Todd Pledgeur

last weekend are Dalin Tim buying or selling the rebel winner and then silent tactic who listen

he's never been worse than a second in five career starts and he once again was game and defeat

in the rebel he's a nice horse from Mark Cassie are Dalin Tim buying or selling silent tactics we'll

talk about that when we get to that segment 1030 Eastern time here this morning I ask

they answer I know who has some answers for us here this morning on what's happening at Santa

Nita that is Jeff Chapman does a fantastic job he joins me now live from Southern California up

early on this big cap day Jeff good morning good morning you guys got me up bright and early for

this I love it yeah I listen I'm sure that you know quite often on on a day like this big

cap day it's hard to sleep the night before because you're so pumped up for the good racing there

are four graded stakes on the 11 race program two of those are grade ones this afternoon tell me

what's happening at the great race place yeah like you said we've got obviously headed by the big

cap of we got four graded stakes races we've got the beer festival today on the apron and whether

is probably maybe 74 75 degrees sunny should be a wonderful day we love these big days out at

Santa Nita and I'm ready to rock and roll my friend I've actually been up for about an hour two

cups of coffee in I'm ready to talk all day did I hear you say beer festival yes beer festival

I'm in for a couple of days I'm in I love it come get this I'll give you all the

various like let me tell you we're ready to go I assume you're going to get a great crowd for

that too yeah no we should we should have a huge crowd today and everybody's looking forward to it

they've got some motorcycles in the infield and food trucks so there's a lot going on at the

great race place today yeah and of course I mentioned the big cap which is now down to just five

horses it's not the big cap field that we're used to seeing historically anyway but it's still a

grade one race still 300,000 bucks on the line why don't we start with the first of the four

graded stakes and let's talk about the grade one b-wayne Hughes b-holder mile it's race number four

because again a bit of a short field 434 eastern 134 Pacific the post time tell me a little bit more

about what we're going to see in the b-holder mile yeah like you said kind of a small field right

to start us off they put this race early so it's not in the late to cry over the pick six obviously

I think Splendora's got them over a barrel four to five on the morning line look she's going to be

what one to five maybe and she's all class she she can sit she can you know she's one what's

four to row and I think she's going to make short work of this field for Bob backert once again

taking down the b-holder mile coming up later in the program after this segment agiordona

is is going to join me and we're going to talk about almond joy who is the california bred

three-year-old female champion from last year this is a tough assignment for her does she have

any chance at pulling off the upset in the b-holder mile you know I don't think she has a chance

to pull off the upset but I'll tell you what she's done such a terrific job I mean you think

with almond joy and also vodka vodka she's got these horses running and winning often obviously

this is a big step up you know bots they've gone into open company the last couple times they

did take down the Tory Pines at grade three I think this horse hits the board at least and I'd

love to see agiordona at least run second or third in a couple of these races what a terrific

job you know one of our girls Jessica over in our social media did a little sit down with her

and I talk to it agiord for a few minutes yesterday at the women summit she's just over the

moon and obviously she's done what a great job with just limited stock and what a great story

and I just hope she keeps keeps the momentum rolling what a wonderful woman and and a great

trainer obviously Jeff as you mentioned Splendora kind of has him over a barrel she's four to five

on the morning line in that b-holder mile for Bob Baffert she comes in on that four race win streak

if if Splendora doesn't run her race which horse do you point to in here and say this is the most

likely upsetter I would probably say the five bless the broken for Brad Cox coming in I mean

this horse is second off the layoff source ran one one of stakes and then ran well in in the

Kentucky yokes obviously running in a third and you know Brad Cox does very well 29% second off

the layoff 29% plus three you know 31 to 60 days I think this he's got this horse going to sit

just off and for some reason Splendora runs her C plus game maybe I think blessed the broken

or maybe hopefully I'm enjoy runs a huge race so I think it's it's the four on top and maybe

the five in the one filling out the exacter of the tribe again that's race number four the the

B-Wayne Hughes B-holder mile race eight is the second of the four greatest stakes and it's a good

one it's the grade two San Felipe my line of 16th on the main track this one essentially a win

in your end for the Kentucky Derby you get 50 Derby points if you can find a way to win it what do

you think who wins it all right so obviously all eyes are going to be on brand right has it

ran since October but the horses looked very impressive in those three races ran third in the

Breederskept Juvenile I'm gonna look another way obviously Brandt's gonna be odds on in here

I'm gonna go towards the three secured freedom for Kim Yachtine this is a big giant horse wants

no part of of one turn obviously one six for at six furlongs then went to the Bob Lewis was caught

very wide switch leads kind of late down the lane I still think this horse is learning a little

bit green but I do think this horse has a ton of talent I think he he wants to run all day so

the longer the better big giant beautiful look at horse at eight to one I think secured freedom

is worth a play here to upset the apple cart and you know I'm hoping we get maybe five to one

on secure freedom maybe four to one somewhere in that range what do you make of the other Bob Baffert

runner potente well look Bob you know that was impressive first time out you know got bet down

obviously in odds on I work I watched one of the work since work very easy Bob's known to do

things like this I think the upside is huge on potente so it wouldn't be surprised I would be

surprised one bit of potente ran a huge race here I mean obviously they paid what 2.4 million

for potente so they're looking for bigger and better things down the line obviously two turns

should should hit this this horse right between the eyes as well so I think potente is going to run

well and and I think potente has a big shot here but I'm still I've been on this secured freedom

train since I watched the force run early and hopefully today's the day do you give any chance

to so happy from the barn of mark lat it would be an emotional victory for him it's going to be an

emotional day regardless he's still dealing with the passing of of his wife and trying to get over

that grief so happy undefeated two for two what do you make of his chances undefeated two for two

is looked very impressive ran a big number and sit in the San Vicente obviously the story would

be wonderful right so yeah if this horse wins you know that would be amazing for the family and

everything that that they've gone through lately that the what concerns me just a little bit

is the workout watching it on first TV on February 22nd which is going to eventually take

me into another race but this horse worked in company with me Hermana Ramona obviously me her

or Hermana Ramona is an older horse I didn't like the work so much I thought so happy got a little

bit tired I know what me Hermana Ramona's older but me or Hermana Ramona is also a turf horse I

just think maybe two turns isn't going to be so happy spread I might be wrong but I'm a play

against here even though I you know obviously like we talked about earlier it would be a wonderful

story and I'll be the first person to you know be in the winter circle and congratulating them if

so happy runs a big race and wins this but I just not sure that horse was all out in that work I

know it says 111 and they got the bullet but I always watch it how they do it rather than the time

and I I'm a little bit against that work so I'm kind of taking a pass today I'm so happy

walking through the greatest takes races at Santa Anita this afternoon with Jeff Chapman he's up

early on the west coast to be with us we certainly appreciate that Jeff the next race the

grade two Frank E. Kilro mile one mile on the turf and this is where we do find me Hermana Ramona

tell me a little bit more about this race okay obviously you know if you look at this race it's

absolutely loaded with speed I mean El Patente wants to go El Patente may be can sit a little bit

but Cabo spirit likes to leave me boggo is just all speed final boss likes to go to the front it's

just amazing how much speed we we found in this race so if you look through that it looks like it's

going to set up for me Hermana Ramona maybe Almond Harris or gas me up possibly even astronomer who

hasn't won since 2023 so we're not going to look there so I'm going to look at me Hermana Ramona I

did like the work I know the source hasn't ran since June of 2025 marked lap there's another good

story to get them ready I love the work as we just talked about it February 22nd I see this

we're sitting fifth or six and I think this sets up perfectly for a closer so I would say by two

eight horses in here would be me Hermana Ramona and gas me up who's also going to be running late

and I also think it sets up for Almond Harris coming from off the pace you know Al Patente is

going to get that if El Patente who likes to win races can sit just a little bit maybe you

know he can get the trip from all the speed but he likes to go so it just looks to be like it sets

up for one of those three closures so I'm looking at one two four that would be me Hermana Ramona

gas me up and Almond Harris from off the pace the race it just looks like it's loaded with speed

and they're going to be rolling early yeah yeah it does there is a lot of speed in here El Patente

translates to the powerful and very well could prove to be too powerful for this group but he's

going to have to overcome some other company on the front end if he's going to get it done here

this afternoon all right Jeff one more to talk about it is the big cap the Santa Anita handy cap

mile and a quarter on the main track race number ten seven forty three eastern four forty three

local time at Santa Anita in southern California down to five horses who walks away with the top prize

yeah unfortunately let's get the long stocking not making it and then Westwood getting scratched

and we're down to five horses and this is another race that's you know it's not let's say one of

the best renditions of the Santa Anita handicap uh you I think obviously just the touch is the

class of the field but there are question marks here I mean can can just a touch go this far

just a touch is actually never won a graded stakes uh that being said like we just talked about

I think this is a weak field and um I think just a touch just unclass alone it's just better than

these horses I would surprise me if somebody else won though but I don't know who to go to next so

I think that maybe by default just a touch and maybe it obviously a very talented horse

you know ran second to see early on in the in the bluegrass I think just a touch is just too good

in here yeah just the touch will likely be the favorite in this spot now with those defections

and he has run some really solid races and maybe today is a day that he adds a great one to his

resume Jeff uh what else is going on at the great race place today do you have another race that

you like or other wagers that you're looking forward to this afternoon you know I'm gonna now

you said that I'm I'm gonna give you one obviously look through the card earlier right and I'm

gonna I'm gonna give you one horse that a price that I think is very interesting in a maiden race

we're gonna go back to race six which is a maiden special weight going six and a half I think

there's some talented horses in here bob bafford has the morning line favorite memory the nine

horse at two to one and is very very talented ran against worked against patente the last time

who we just spoke about but but I'm gonna lean towards the rail horse I know there I know there's

bit some gaps in the works but this first time or for bob bafford at ten to one on the morning

line don't love the rail draw but maybe that's why we're going to get the good price this horse

had a huge workout a couple back with stronghold an iron man cow I think there's a lot of talent here

and at ten to one hopefully breaks well take some gate to wire and we get we get a nice payoff

here with the first time or you know with everybody who talks about the the bigger price of the

two baffords but I just think the talent is here and at ten to one is worth a play yeah I love

it yeah a little value there on this Saturday morning any special wagers tied to big cap day

you know obviously we the the big wagers we always like out here now are you know the the

early fix five is always you know popular the late pick five of course but with the with the all

turf pick three that's the three dollar wager you get the 15% low takeout and also the late pick three

as well which is the three dollar bet and those things that they've gone over well very well here

but the 15% takeout and the payoffs have been terrific so I always look to play I'm kind of

leaning in towards the late turf pick three and hopefully we can have a big score on a big day

at the great race place and you know hopefully I've been up and I said I've had a couple cups of

coffee I didn't realize I got before 45 hopefully I haven't been babbling too long but you got me up

and pumpkin ready to roll for the rest of the day. Jeffrey another great appearance appreciate

you taking the time and getting up on this here this morning enjoy every race that is going to be

part of a great big cap day this afternoon good luck at the windows my friend we'll talk again soon

appreciate it thanks for the time have a great day. All right you got it yeah Jeff Chapman

walking through all of those big races coming up and Aggie Ordona set to join me next we're

going to talk about her California bread champion Philly I'm enjoy um who goes in the beholder mile

we're going to talk about vodka vodka who tries to pull off a bit of an upset in the big cap later

today we'll do that in the next segment but I I want to pass this along if you missed it at the

top of the show our mojo racing and possible trivia question for this morning I don't know if

this is as hard as some of the ones we've given out but you still have to think a little bit

who is the oldest living Kentucky Derby winning horse and how old is he that is the part that makes

it a little tricky keep that one in mind get your mojo working the answer will be revealed at

the end of the show right around 10 55 Eastern this morning Aggie Ordona's next this is the

equan forum presented by Twin Spires on HRRN race to Twin Spires where you can unlock a $25

risk free bet just use the code HRRN 25 when you sign up and if your first bet does it win Twin

Spires will refund your account up to $25 wagering on the app as fast with free pass performances

insider picks and power plays every day you wager to inspire download that today to earn your

$25 risk free bet boy we're prohibited for terms of conditions visit Twin Spires.com must be 18 or

older 21 and older we're applicable for help with a gambling problem called 1-800 gambler the

National HBPA is continuously working to protect the health and welfare of horses by advocating

and funding research to help reduce equine injuries lobbying for a national testing lab to oversee

and establish absolute uniform laboratory protocols advocating for every track to undergo an annual

independent surface assessment passionately supporting off-the-track thoroughbred retirement

facilities and adoption groups and so much more see additional HBPA initiatives at national

hbpa.com the road to the Kentucky Derby once again passes through colonial downs on Saturday March 14

the $500,000 Virginia Derby will be run as a road to the Kentucky Derby points race

last year's winner American promise went on to run in the Derby and Preakness

join us for a history making day that also includes the $250,000 Virginia Oaks a Kentucky Oaks

points race colonial down spring meet runs March 12 through March 14

host time 12 30 Eastern Thursday and Friday noon Eastern on Virginia Derby Day Saturday March 14

you're listening to the equine forum on HRN presented by Twin Spires and here comes the threat

Oman Joy has struggled up on the far outside and as close again as they come into the final

furlong it is still so there she was trying to pull off the upset here Oman Joy comes to take

her on on the outside these two down to the wire together and Oman Joy and Kentis Omo

win the Tory Pines vodka vodka looking for a scene finding it now one from the outside extreme

outside is Kerry gold and in behind words is Cardiff crack vodka vodka comes to take the lead with

a 16th to go and finishes fuller on vodka vodka and Kentis Omo winning the night gap

Larry Colmas Frank Miramati doing the honors Oman Joy vodka vodka both impressive

victories recently for trainer Aguio Ardoniaz who joins me now live from Southern California

they're both in action this afternoon and both in with a realistic chance in their races today

Aguio appreciate the visit oh it's a pleasure to be here Mike it's such a wave of energy going

through San Anita right now with the big races and some good horses coming in and the biggest

day of my career for sure two great ones and one day what unbelievable I have to tell you my wife

was so excited when I asked you to join me on the program because she likes nothing better than

kicking back with a vodka and an Oman Joy I think it's a perfect day I'm loving out with your wife

I think she got it right on yeah she she loves the names and listen Oman Joy is more than just

a really clever name boy she can really run this this is a good filly and and it took her a few

races to really put it together she's a little bit of an airhead it took her a while to learn

you know breaking from the gate but once she got her game on what a ride we had with her in

2025 with five in a row and the Tory Pines was was the highlight and and and and then represented

well at Keenan we were proud of her she ran a big race a little traffic trouble I mean minuscule

but with all the good luck that we've had with her I cannot complain Aguio we haven't seen

Oman Joy since October at Keenan October 18th when she was fourth in the grade two Raven run

what did the past few months been like for her well we turned her out for six weeks six weeks it

was a little more six or seven weeks and for no other reason then then just a giver a mental

break and and put a little more weight on her she she started after a year a great campaign she

was she was growing and adding weight every single race but towards the end of the year after

the Ravens run I said nice she's starting to go the other direction I want a good four-year-old

so let's let her recoup and we centered Kingfisher Farms for six weeks and she came back bigger

and stronger we put about a hundred pounds on her gave her a month of jogging and then cranked her

up and and ready to roll well you didn't mess around either you bring her right back in a grade one

against the likes of Splendora and some other talented fillies what led you to to bring her back

in this spot was this always the goal Mike don't get me wrong if there was a mild Calbread

dirt race should be in it should be in it but I do prefer her on the dirt I do want to focus on

routing her and and this is the race that's available in our time frame and when the horse is

ready that being said I'm not afraid to try to take big swings that's that's in my nature I love

swinging being one once in a while and if she gets a piece of this I'd be thrilled if you know

but I winning it I don't think it's I don't think it's out of the question this is a good fillies

she's going to be a better fillying as a four-year-old and and four-year-old fillies they tend to

blossom there's something about that year when they make that transition I compare it to you know

from they're not high school girls anymore they're they're now college athletes and and maybe a

little bit better and and their bodies change and their their mind matures and and it's a great

year to be a four-year-old Aggie take me back to August 30th of last year at Delmar when

I'm enjoy wins the grade three Torrey Pine your first greatest states victory as a trainer what was

that day like well the fun with I'm enjoying every race we're like boy I know she's good but can

she can she break her maiden on the dirt yes she can now I know she's good can she win a stake yes

she can well can she can she get the mildest yes she can every race we went up there with a few

questions and then of course at the end of it well do you think she's good enough to beat Bob

Bafford can she beat open company can she can she win a grade six so we never walked over there feeling

like we had this she was she was having to prove herself every step of the way and she kept rising

to the occasion so we began to expect you know for her to rise to the occasion um and did she ever

she she put on such a performance that day with another perfect ride by Kent the Sorma who's been

flawless and and been such a pleasure to have on the team um that I mind blowing just just the

magnificent day I her ownership group all of us including myself were all I would um

50 and up and we were standing in a group in the tunnel at Delmar and we're watching the race

and you would have thought it was like retro back to Jane Fonda that we were a bunch of teenagers

in like an aerobics class we were jumping in the air jumping in the air no one would ever say

that these were some uh in in the later years of our life uh it that's the energy that um

enjoy has given us hey age is just a number Aggie it's only a number yes it's all in the mind

tell me about the owners of almond joy the the champion philly california bred chill thank you

let me say this three-year-old philly of last year just went to the CTP bid bid dinner uh on monday at

lameridian here across the street from sananita what a great night what a what a celebration of

calbrids and so proud to be honored for a three-year-old philly of the year she was nominated for

horse of the year we were in and running for that um but um maybe this year we can we can get the

whole big shebang um the owners were there and and enjoying every moment of it connie and jerry

breaker bred this mayor and um are have become my my dearest friends they we we feel like family

they are two of the finest people that i've met a a marriage that would should it a billboard

for what marriage should look like they support each other love each other they're both great uh

lovers of the game both great handy capers that's the only time there might be some squablin they

they argue over over their picks um they're they're all in as far as horse racing goes and

what what a pleasure what a pleasure to have them you mentioned kent to sorma when you get a guy

like this the hall of famer who has won so many big races over the course of his career when you walk

into the paddock uh i assume you don't have to tell him very much right uh we sometimes talk about

the lakers in the paddocks i mean we but no there's not much to tell kent i i mean i couldn't be more

confident when i leg him up i i mean i honestly i feel like i i i'm i'm sending out michael

Jordan and and a pickup game in the neighborhood when when i've got kent on my team well you'll get

to leg him up twice today not just on i'm enjoy in the b-wayne hues b-holder mile but then you come

back in the big cap with vodka vodka and kent will be aboard once again tell me about vodka vodka

vodka vodka what a what a what a pleasure it is to have him i've had faith in the source from the day

he got off the van uh that this was a good horse it he had some issues earlier in his career um

and we just we just pressed reset on and we kicked him out for five months and brought him back

in and he came in a different horse uh we yelled at him that was that was one of his issues he was

uh wanting to wanting to breed everything so with that with that off of his mind and him focusing

more on his on his business um he's been a hell of a resource uh he he's kind of a tough guy

and and you have to kind of let him call the shots kent as really he rides them both so

differently there's such different personalities for being half siblings and and he treats them

differently he's obviously wonderful with joy and and and treats you like the lady she is and

coxuser and and comforter and and um and with vodka he's got to be careful not to uh tell him too much

what to do and let him do his thing when he wants to go he kind of goes and you saw that on um

what i thought was his best race that was at del mar on breeders cup weekend in that it was just a

one other uh one x allowance race open um still a very tough race uh but but you know it would

it seems almost like an early move but but kent said man he grabbed it and decided to go the

the guy next to me was chirping to his horse vodka heard it and decided to go I let's go it

it's your call you do it this horse runs for the joy of it you can see it in his face he he just

a happy joyful free run and horse the last time he went turf to dirt was was in that race at del

mar that you just mentioned maybe the best race for his career when he won by two and three quarter

lengths coming out of that turf race moving to the dirt he he comes from another turf race on

january 17th where he wins the turf classic and now goes back to the dirt for the big cap was that

by design aggy absolutely yeah i love i love using the turf i think the turf perhaps a little bit

softer on them prefer a little more gentler on horses and and they use different muscles and i

i i i almost use it as a freshener and when they are dirt horses it will go both ways if it's

they're comfortable enough to go both ways uh use it as a prep for their big effort on the dirt so

i think it set him up just right for um our big swing today in the big cap you don't have to deal with

skippy long stocking you don't have to deal with westwood so you have four rivals to contend with

size up the competition you know he ever hear the term uh i'd rather rather be lucky than good

i almost i almost feel that going on with vodka vodka's race with those two direction

defections um um i i really didn't want to take on skippy long stocking i hadn't anticipated him

being in the race so that was a big uh uh eternal luck for me for him to be out um as after that i

i just i don't really worry about the competition i i worry about my own horse and and can't

will manage uh how to ride him in the race um i do see him forwardly placed uh um but but i'll

i'll leave the i'll leave the handicapers to uh take worry about the rest of the horses

Charlie Wittingham Gary Jones Richard Mandela Bob Baffer Bobby Frankl uh just some of the names

of the trainers who have won the big cap in recent in recent years in history um Aggie Ordonia's

maybe the next together Aggie Ordonia's i think it has a great ring to it yeah

can you can you imagine could you ever imagine the chance to see your name alongside those greats

it's not something i have imagined i i i spent years at what what most would consider a minor

leak track uh started out of the big leagues at hialia and belmont with my dad that's where he

rode and trained for a lifetime and and that's where i grew up and and then kind of wandered across

the country landed at golden gate fields and and spent and spent 20 years with with some lower

level horses i wouldn't trade it for the world uh i learned a lot from them uh i i pride myself

on the tlc i give my horses and i those guys need it more than anything the lower level horses

that are just plugging along and in the fourth thousand non-three in the life type races at at golden

gate but when uh you know i made this move to san anita it felt like coming home to to just

another first class track and uh and and and why not why not take aim at some at some big races and

win in the san anita handy cap uh let it dream let it dream agam so glad you bring up the tlc

that you give to each of your horses that is an integral part of your program and it has been

for a very long time what does that look like tell me about the care that you give to them

well my day starts with with tracking them uh just almost like waking up your kids like

is everything okay you know you'd look at their eyes and and and their body and of course the

dinner and and and uh the critical part of are their legs great and sound and cold and good shape

and i start off with with uh believe it or not a yoga class i i stretch my horses i love

stretching my horses i entice them with a carrot i have them bend into the left bend into the right

and then tuck in their head between their knees and it's really a beautiful thing to watch them

how much they get from that they how they anticipate it and sometimes i'll step back in the stall

and watch them and they'll continue on stretching they'll do it down dog and and then arch their back

and uh let a hind leg stretch out behind them i mean it it it begins to encourage them when they

realize just this feels so good and they carry it on it i think it's a great way to start the day

i wish i did it for myself more often i never felt better than when i was doing yoga um but for

right now i'm focusing on the the horses and their yoga uh and and that's just a little one of the

few things but uh i i love the personal connection with the horses that's what makes me tick i mean

i love just pushing my face into their muzzle and the smell of a horse and i love them with all my heart

and i could never be um you know there's different type of trainers there there's there's some

guys out there very successful guys that are almost uh more like a CEO than um then trainer i

mean we're all trainers in different respects but i i almost cringe at the word trainer i'm a

caregiver i'm uh i'm uh i listen to my horses and try and interpret what's going to bring them to

their best and um and work with them instead of telling them i mean i've learned more from horses

and i think i've trained into a horse uh just let them be their best and keep them healthy and happy

that's that's how i go about it aggy here's to hoping that you get to snuggle in the winter circle

with um enjoy and vodka vodka later today at least one but let's go snuggle with both of them

i love it i love it thank you so much mike all right really appreciate it good luck later today

my pleasure have a great one yeah you too so much fun huh how much fun

you want to be pumped up about the sport of thoroughbred racing and and about you want to know what it

what it means just so many people in our game to be around these horses every single day

listen to aggy or donia's so positive so beautiful the way that that she describes

how much she loves just the smell of a horse just snuggling up to the horse

and then the care that she gives each of her horses how about that she puts them through a yoga class

to kick off their day so unique it and it i say it all the time for 99% of the people involved in

racing whether it's in the breeding sheds working on the farms every morning dealing with the

foals working at the sales working at the racetracks for 99% of the people the love of the horse

is what absolutely gets them out of bed every morning and that's certainly the case for aggy or donia's

what a what a fun interview there best of luck to her with almond joy vodka vodka coming up this

afternoon in southern California well Brad Cox is going to be hoping it's not a good day for aggy

or donia's because he's going up against her in both of those races i'll talk to him next with the

Kentucky bread conversation this is the equiform presented by twin spires on h-r-r-n horse racing's

voice race to twin spires where you can unlock a twenty five dollar risk free bet just use the code

h-r-r-n twenty five when you sign up and if your first bet doesn't win twin spires will refund

your account up to twenty five dollars wagering on the app is fast with free pass performances

insider picks and power plays every day you wager twin spires download the app today to earn your

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must be eighteen or older twenty one and older we're applicable for help with the gambling problem

called one eight hundred gambler cool more stallion corniche a one point five million dollar OBS

April sale topper by quality road and a two-time grade one winner but it's corniche he's just to go

corniche wins the breeder's cup juvenile voted champion two-year-old male following his win in

the breeder's cup juvenile it's no surprise his seventy two yearlings sold for an average of

over one hundred seventy thousand dollars with a top-price cult of seven hundred twenty five thousand

and a top-price billy of five hundred twenty five thousand corniche standing for only fifteen

thousand dollars at kumor's ashford stud fans a tremendous day of racing excitement and

entertainment awaits you here are the great race weight stand on the park look at the racing line

we have eleven big races and four big-stakes races highlighted by the big cap presented by Yama

Makasino and Resort at San Manuel my favorite race today is the San Felipe pity so happy against

brand that race is going to be a humdinger and to attack those races we have a tremendous

weight-dream menu that includes the retail only first coast to coast pick five of five dollar

late daily double a three dollar all-terrific three and a three dollar late pick three all with

the low fifteen percent take on don't forget the very popular two dollar traditional pick six

to enhance the big day we have a big cab hat giveaway for our first reward members a family fun

zone in the infield all weekend long in the ever popular fiesta Santa Anita with great food

music in my favorite and Lucia leave it for all the details going to Santa Anita dot com today

come out to the great raceways would you know what to do in a poison emergency would you know

whom to call well the answer is poison help 1-800-222 1-222

poison help is a 24-7 government hotline staff by poison experts it's free to call and available

in over 100 languages every second counts in a poison emergency don't waste it wondering who to

call save poison help in your phone today 1-800-222 1-222 hey this is Bobby Newman

join me every Friday afternoon to dive deep into handicapping the races we'll cover the live

action from some of the biggest tracks in the country talk to some of the major players in the

game and hopefully make a little money along the way you can also call the show to share your

opinions ask a question or two or maybe just vent about some bad beats it's betting with Bobby

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live at horse racing radio.net you're listening to the equine forum on HRN presented by

twin spires and us for to sorrow from back in the field tries to make impressions as they swing

in the highly divine world cup and is mixed oh who goes up to challenge for good stars forever young

has a mighty task ahead of him Wilson to sorrow goes with him in third and fourth hit show running

on from the back but it's mixed oh who hits the lead here with 150 meters left to go mixed

oh but double nil and frankly to hurry and hit show help when it's all too late and hit show

right over the top hit show before it's your ruin and broadcasts in the divine world cup wins

in spectacular fashion mixed oh second over third forever young four-build miracle oh from walk of

stars brilliant victory for hit show in the Dubai World Cup last year his connections now monitoring

the situation in the middle east and they'll make a decision on whether or not to go back to defend

his title shortly Brad Cox is going to join me here momentarily to tell you more about that

and about the other horses that he has running this weekend it is our Kentucky bread conversation

presented by the Kentucky thoroughbred development and breeders incentive funds which paid a record

20 million dollars in awards to breeders participating in the kbif program last year for racing

in 2025 Brad a lot of things on your plate right now my friend not just this weekend but looking

ahead to the Dubai World Cup what can you tell us about the situation with hit show well he's

doing well you know we're happy with where we are from a training standpoint it's just about

you know just getting the personnel over there obviously the horse as well so you know we'll

we'll find out more over the next few days and ultimately have to make a decision I think Saturday

morning on you know whether we're going or not we're planning on going but you know just some

some you know questions not able to quite answer right now and who's going and all that stuff

what are you hearing from the folks at the Dubai Racing Club about the situation there now

you know look I think they're trying to you know hope I hope in things will be resolved by the

middle of our you know hopefully I don't know if I can use the word resolved but you know

quiet and down and you know that planning on having the event you know unfortunately for us we

have to you know go over you know a couple weeks out you know so what we'll see like I said

how everything plays out over the next few days on you know shipping Friday or Saturday I should say

yeah and I can imagine Brad it's a difficult decision for you on a lot of levels but certainly

because of the fact that you do have to send your help over there early yeah yeah so you know once

again still kind of working on that and you know I think I think we're going to be fine you know

think Merceau or transportation's working well with us and trying to get all that organized and

you know I think it's it'll happen I do believe just trying to get every fell the paperwork

passports and all that in line and it's a lot of a lot of behind the scenes stuff what do you

see from Hitcho and his training that that lets you believe he's ready to defend his title well

you know more of the same he's always a good filling horse trains forward good mover

he's I loved his race last time out there at the fairgrounds without it was a perfect prep

and I think it hasn't set up for a big effort so you know he's a really unique horse that he's

you know seems to be getting better as he gets older and he just sturdy dude that brings it

every time very consistent of the mornings and the afternoons so you know once again love the

ways to train Brad I throw out a poll question on the show every Saturday morning and my poll

question today is which of these four trainers most likely to win this year's Kentucky Derby

Pletcher Brown Baffer or Cox and so far Todd Pletcher's leading with 40 percent 20 percent

for Brad Cox I guess not a lot of believers in commandment last weekend I certainly am

yeah I am too um I really really am I thought his race was very impressive and you know you can

die for race any way you won you know the trip they get but the one thing about this horse is

I think he can set any trip and respond when asked and I think that's big I think he showed that

when this first four runs you know he didn't have to be outside it can be inside he can be

outside it can be between horses he can split horses he can come up the fence um

so I think that's worth a lot when you're you know you're you're running against 19 other horses

and obviously we need we need another run before that uh with probably the Florida Derby but uh

you know I'm very very happy with with what we saw from him last weekend and I was obviously a

fan before but I'm a big fan now and I thought I thought his race was very very good the big

question that all of these three roles will have to answer in eight weeks when they get the Louisville

is the mile and a quarter distance what what gives you the confidence that commandment will handle

that assignment that he's able to maneuver in and out of spots that he can you know at respond when

asked from a rider he can you know drop you know just relax when need be um go between horses

don't have to have a certain trip um I thought he broke really well last time you know going to two

turns you never really know when they go two turns especially off three one turn races how

they're going to respond if they're going to break and you know be a little forward going to

the first turn if they're going to even handle it um I thought it was a perfect race from him

um in regards to what we need to see to act you know with moving forward to getting that mile

and a quarter so um you know next steps of mile and eighth and uh you know I think he showed

everything he needed to show from a mental standpoint and uh to to to have the confidence that he

could handle the mile and a quarter I know that you want to win the Tampa Bay Derby this afternoon

but what do you want to see from further ado in this effort returning as a three-year-old?

uh break sharp get involved and stay on um you know I went back and watched

his race last night at uh Keylin and I mean obviously it was a 20-leaf win but you know you

you just want to one won't go back and watch it really close again and you know just the way

stayed on the way gal that uh you did it with ease um you know I obviously don't expect to see

anything like that but you know I do expect him to run very well his works have been very very good

at pace and um you know he's fresh he's running off the layoff hopefully he'll relax um hopefully

brings well and then he'll relax and get into a good rhythm and he can finish up well.

Brad that's interesting that you would go back and watch that race again what what specifically

were you looking for when you went back and watch that Keylin victory um probably just how

quick or how sharp he broke just uh obviously he's his first time going two turns and he broke well

and you know looking for for him to do that uh today they it's you know on paper to me it looks

like a lot of horses that have are gonna you know try to set the same trip and break and be forward um

you know obviously these are horses would not a lot of runs under their belts so they're still

trying to figure out who they are and how good they are but uh you know I think that'd be the

ideal trip based off uh you know some of the early pace figs uh that these horses have shown

to start their careers what are you seeing from him um over the past three months have you seen

development physically mentally or is he is he about where he was um he's always been really good

so it's hard to say oh like he's a tremendous amount better than he was I mean I've said it

several times there's a reason why we took him to Saratoga to start his career he's a really good

warhorse um he showed that at Keeland we moved him over to church hills Saratoga was starting we thought

we'd send him up um and he ran okay first time was a little green and then second time I thought

he improved but um now he's he's he's obviously gotten better he got better as a two-year-old

and I feel like physically he's uh really moved forwarded in in December I thought his coat was

just a little flat and uh maybe you need to put on a little weight and he certainly has over the

last couple months and he looks he looks fantastic and like I said his works have been phenomenal

Brad I want to ask you about the big cap and the beholder mile at Santanita but before we do you

got two more horses running at Tampa Bay Downs and Stakes races today with disco time Distino Dioro tell

me about those two i disco look we're trying to get started to win streak with him um you know

obviously uh you know one of the choices there and the Pegasus things just didn't go quite as

well as we were hoping um uh you know and I'm not really a whole lot of excuse other than maybe

just went a little quick early but you know we'll he's trained well since I thought this would be a

good start or a good race to getting started again and uh let him determine you know exactly what

he wants to do how far he wants to go obviously we have I think six total runs underneath of him

just still trying to figure out maybe what he's best at obviously I think his best rate to race

today was the Dwyer it was around one turn so you know we're still trying to figure out what he's

best at but I think this is a good race to to rebound and hopefully runs runs a big race

just a touch now the favorite likely favorite anyway in the big cap after some defections he'll

face four other rivals and then he had blessed the broken and the beholder mile uh let's start with

just a touch what are you seeing from him that the lead you to believe he gets a grade one on his

resume today well I mean I think he needs a break and go forward um and I mean man he's he's an awful

talented horse and I think to think that he's not one of great to stick this point I mean he's

he's always been you know a really good workhorse a talented horse um obviously we do a lot at him

to start his career with Braggness Maiden straight off to the Gotham on in a muddy track and then

the blue grass he run respectable in all all this races obviously the Derby didn't go quite as

well as we thought but you know you got to start career off to to a good start and then we kind of

hit a hit a wall there with him um in the Derby the Iowa Derby didn't go quite as well he rebounded

came back last year and I mean he look I think he's a great one talent it's all about um

you know having things go his way and you know look I think he's in a great spot today there's

a reason why he's three to two morning line and uh but he has to go out there and he has to get it

done um and uh you know I feel like our team's done a good job uh getting to this point basically it's

up to him he needs to pull through today how about blessed the broken uh big ask cross country

obviously facing a uh very good Philly and uh Splendora uh but training well thought

her race off the layoff was really really good she's had plenty of time to recover from that um she's

really training well leading up um but like I said I think some things would have to really fall

into place uh for to get the win but I think you know she's very very capable you know getting

getting a placing and and she's doing well Brad this is our Kentucky Brad conversation this

particular segment here on Saturday morning you yourself Kentucky Brad growing up right next to

Churchill Downs uh we've talked about this in past segments here but just what is it about

that program in Kentucky now that that just makes everybody want to be there

well I mean it's the money I mean you know you know we're right you know $100,000

or $100 plus thousand dollar major races uh you know and and allowatrices and you know a great

stake schedule so look it's it's um it's it's an unbelievable program it offers um you know a lot of

races throughout the year obviously dirt turf we have to synthetic in the wintertime they're

turf waste so you know it's good year round racing um good purses um obviously and uh it's

it's it's amazing program and you know it's very healthy racing good field size good competitive

racing and for a four and five day week racing between Keenlyn Churchill and Kentucky Downs has

done race a lot but it's it's a very competitive meet and we have turf as well so and Alice Park

so um it's good healthy racing and just very fortunate to be a part of it yeah and those rewards

for Kentucky breads winning races all over the country all over the world doesn't hurt either

right yep fantastic stuff Brad at busy day for you I'll let you go my friend always

appreciate the time uh good luck with all those races and listen safe trip over to Dubai with

hit show in the team thanks Mike talk to you soon you got it Brad Cox here with this week's Kentucky

bread conversation you know a record twenty million dollars in awards was paid to breeders

participating in the Kentucky thoroughbred breeders incentive fund program last year for racing

in 2025 KBIF has provided more than a quarter of a billion dollars to breeders of Kentucky breads

winning eligible races worldwide since the program was implemented in 2005 Kentucky remains

when the leading racing jurisdictions paying out two hundred thirty nine million dollars in

combined association purse and Kentucky thoroughbred development funds for an average of one hundred

twelve thousand six hundred forty eight dollars per race think about that in an average field size

of eight point eight in twenty twenty five make sure your horse is KTDF and KBIF eligible to secure

your share of lucrative awards worldwide for more information on thoroughbred racing and breeding

in Kentucky visit Kentucky breads dot com or register KBIF dot com I'm back to take a look at a

historical date and racing history or two when I return this is the equiform on the horse racing

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you're listening to the equine forum on HRN presented by Twin Spires

getting ready for hour number three not a lot of time here as we transition for historical

dates and racing history but i will look back on yesterday march 6 1965 the day the jockey early

fires rode the first winner of his brilliant career and tomorrow march 8 1985 the day that

christmas caron rode his 4th thousandth career winner hawkley in the fifth race at santa nita

christ ended up with 7141 career wins 11th all time two hours down one to go here on the equine

forum presented by twin spires stay with me hour three straight ahead right after this 10 second

pause for station identification this is the horse racing radio network

you

this is HRN horse racing's voice

approach the eightfold in the santa eater bell and midnight be to let go by smith shoots clear

from 13 squared midnight be to after breaking her maiden and a graded stakes now conquers two turns

in the santa eater bell she wins by a little over two weeks welcome to the equine forum presented

by twin spires 100 yards to go on street sets in the given Saturday down to the wire

it's street sets in the given Saturday is right back having these two heads of fire to close the call

might have been street sets in a fabulous race running time on the board one minute forty three

seconds flat for the Tampa Bay Derby midnight hawk battling in second but it's all california

chrome as they come from they wed nature sprout wings to get to california chrome absolutely

rumping in on the big to ask for no sir San Felipe was a walk over from california chrome now

here's Mike penna welcome back hour three of the equine forum presented by twins fire is Mike

penna baron of the backstretch happy to have you with me on this first Saturday in the month of

marches we edge ever closer to that first Saturday in May I know many parts of the country still a

little on the cool side and um that thought though should warm you up on this Saturday morning

and I hope it has I hope the conversation over the first two hours of the show has helped to warm

me up a little too because we spent a lot of time talking about big cat day San Felipe day out in

california it's santa and eat it we spent time talking about the Tampa Bay Derby and of course

these are mistakes down at oakland uh if you missed any portion of the first two hours of the program

head back to the website horse racing radio dot net that's where you can listen to this show

and all of our podcast for every show they're all there for you on our website and on your favorite

podcast platform so wherever you get your podcast type in horse racing radio network and follow along

with us all year long especially this time of year as we lead up to the Kentucky Derby because

there was so much to talk about in thorough bread racing and if you can't tell i'm pretty fired

up about it here this morning lots to get to an hour three it begins with the twin spires triple

play ashley anderson will be here momentarily to give you three races to watch and wager on with

twin spires on this Saturday afternoon curvebacker stroll through racing history coming up at 10-20

cool story about a horse by the name of optimistic gal so stay tuned for that and then at 10-30 we wrap

up the show final segment as we do every single week it is with i asked the answer dale romans

team welcome they'll be here to tackle some of the spots hottest topics will play around

of uh... like it love it or hate it will also play a game of fire sell with them coming up to talk

about some of the top derby prospects on the road to louisville but without further ado we say hello

to ashley anderson in this week's twin spires triple play hello ashley good morning happy big cap day

Tampa Bay Derby day a zary day lots to be excited about a whole lot to be excited about yes it's a

huge Saturday yeah it's massive coast to coast and really looking forward to it you know we we

seen some really good performances along the road to the Kentucky Derby and the Kentucky oaks for

that matter to and you have to expect we we may see another one or two this afternoon that

to give us another horse to get excited about

absolutely in the Tampa Bay Derby especially we have further ado who's going to be making his

three-year-old debut and he won the Kentucky jockey club coming off he had a twenty length made and

went and then came back to church all down and won the Kentucky jockey club so he's coming in

with the high profile but we also have a chat brown runner in there who has a lot of hype around

them so i think the Tampa Bay Derby could potentially have a huge Kentucky Derby

contender emerge from that race today and in the Tampa Bay two we have some bafford runners in

there but trying to play against them actually just i like to do that just for fun

well you got to look for value you're not going to give value most of the time betting on

bob bafford in greatest stakes in southern california so you have to look for value that's what we're

going to do in our three races coming up here this morning you selected races 10 11 and 12

from Tampa Bay Downs and for good reason twin spires has some special offers

yeah we have the road to the Kentucky Derby ten dollar betback offers so you get a bonus bet

up to ten dollars back on your first win wager of your horse minutes the second or third and select

races add tracks along the road to the Kentucky Derby today at Tampa Bay Downs it's going to be

races 10 11 and 12 so i'm covering off three of those and then at sananita we have races eight

races eight and ten so the sandflip bay and the sananita handicap all right let's jump in with

the ladies the florida oaks grade three per se of two hundred thousand it is race number ten

this afternoon at Tampa Bay Downs myelina sixteenth on the turf course post time five o'clock

eastern big field too how'd you see this one i did i go over with number five dandana who last

out made her turf debut going seven and a half for longs and was last in the opening stages

and then closed to finish third with a one eleven late pace rating on brisnet now in two star

she's shown she's a late closer and she was likely compromised by a slow pace in her turf debut

but i expect a hotter pace here today we have the eleven for patrick being cone likely to go to

the front and shreda vows runner the number two alone times shows a lot of speed i think the

three Abigail will press the pace so with a hotter pace and added ground i expect huge improvement

second turf start for dandana and she's getting played me in proud of board and working out

very well at goal stream ahead of her second start off the layoff so i thought it was good value

there you get five to one on the five and i think the late closer has the potential for a really

good setup in this race yeah pace makes the race is the the the saying that we often hear when we

look at and especially turf races too right if you get a fast pace on the turf most most most

most likely i can say that uh you're going to see a horse coming from off the pace to get the top

price yeah definitely definitely the case with a lot of dirt races too but i think in turf races

you see it happen a lot and even in sprints you see five for long sprints you can see a late

closer comes from out of nowhere yep yeah there's no doubt about dandana six to one on the morning

line you know james scully was out of me here last weekend ashley and and he declared this

a no chalk zone so we we can't be taking chalk in these spots here today i agree and we were on

the twin spires jerry on thursday and james reference that again we actually none of us went

with chalk in our three selection our three races that we discussed so i like to stay away from

the chalk zone as much as possible and i'm trying to do that today too dandana offers some value in here

how about number seven time to dream who is five to two on the morning line and

looking at the back class angle with this philly it would appear as if five to two would be a good

price if you can get it on this toddler pletcher runner so for me personally i have to toss time

to dream simply because i was burned in the judgment and then when you saw the way she ran in

the juvenile philly's turf i was lost in faith in this horse and i think five to do do short for

me after especially with the judgment just the way that that horse that was a weird race there was

a huge long shot that won that day and time to dream and is that finishing a length and third

but i'm just not feeling as confident in this horse maybe there's improvement off of four

months layoff but i think this is a good chance to play a different horse here because i need to

see more i need to be i almost want to be proven i want time to dream to prove me wrong and then

maybe i'll consider this horse in the future Ashley you sound like a grizzled bitter horse player

i was burned in the judgment by this horse you know but that that's a thing i mean i i know a lot

of times if if i play a horse and you know it gets in trouble let's say i'll give it a second shot

and then if it has no excuse i'm like all right i'm done with you i i just can't do it anymore

yeah i mean you gotta learn from your mistakes and sometimes those horses come back around but

i'm gonna wait and see what time to dream okay looking for value in race number 10 at Tampa Bay

Downs number five dandana six to one on the morning line Ashley's top pick how about the

Tampa Bay Derby that's race 11 five thirty five eastern the post mile into sixteenth for the three

year old boys essentially a win in your in for the Kentucky Derby four hundred thousand bucks on

the line two who wins this one so i just thought very negatively about a roboly horse and now i'm

gonna talk positively about one power shift number five who is seven to two on the morning line

now you have a Chad Brown runner who's gonna be coming from the outside who's gonna go straight

to the front in caniletto five to two further ado i talked about who is a very heavy favor

morning line favorite here nine to five who is coming off back to back wind but i thought this

was a good chance to play a horse that's gonna come from a little bit farther back power shift

is still a maiden but was barely beaten on debut and top lecture the trainer has six wins in

this race the Tampa Bay Derby so that's another feather in power shift cap but looking at that

debut performance had a ninety eight breath net speed figure the highest last race speed figure

among this field and recorded a 103 late pace rating this horse is eligible to improve

in a second route race bred to go long the constitution cult who's out of a stakes winning

quiet american mayor of course quiet american sired real quiet the derby and preekness winner

in nineteen ninety eight and i think power shift gets a good set up here to come from a little bit

further back and you get a better price and you're gonna get on caniletto as well as further ado

now if you want a big price i also think hulk amania could be and play at least to hit the

board here this is a cult that went on debut at Tampa Bay downs going seven for longs and trainer

wet bagman doing very well at Tampa so i thought hulk amania big price if you want to throw big

price in there but more realistically power shift shows a lot of upside to me and coming in as

a maiden but just barely coming in as a maiden in the street actually i've often

looked at Tampa Bay downs and said the surface is different than other race tracks in south Florida

Gulfstream in particular right and if you handle the surface well then you can say okay this

is a horse we should look at their next start when they come back to Tampa Bay downs if a horse

is running there for the first time like further ado is going to try doing it can be a little bit

more challenging and maybe a dicey or play is that another reason that you take a shot against them

for me further ado is a horse that okay every time i try to play against this horse i've

been wrong the horse one by twenty like it comes back to being better another one of these

but i think you can look at that with Brad Cox he's good with shippers let's be honest like he's

a twenty seven percent winner with horses that ship it and this further ado has been working out

very well at pace in park but there is a chance that running first time over Tampa Bay downs

doesn't do as well so there are plenty of horses in here that have form over Tampa Bay down surface so

if you're looking for a reason to potentially shy away from further ado or even cannellado neither

of them have run at Tampa Bay downs but you do have the puma has some form over this track and there's

a couple others including my pick that has run very well over Tampa Bay down so it's certainly

possible that further ado just doesn't like the track and I suppose we'll find out today

yeah interesting group but actually we'll take number five power shifts seven to two

John Velaska's Todd Plutcher they never want to race together have they they're always

and of course the Repole colors going aboard power shift later today we'll see if if that

could be a little bit of an upset in the Tampa Bay Derby all right actually one more to get to race

number twelve it is the finale on this program here today maiden special wait for the three-year-old

ladies mile in the sixteenth on the turf another good sized field here probably some value to be had I

would assume I think so this is an interesting field that we have a couple Chad Brown runners

in here again and they're short prices but one is coming off a very lengthy layoff of more than

seven months and making their U.S. debut and then you also have a first-time starter the eight fun

flows gonna have I'd rather to use junior aboard and then the eleven is gonna have Flavian proud

aboard so very very good jockeys that are aboard to Chad Brown runners here but looking at the

variable of the long layoff or the first-time start I thought there was a chance to go for value and

I landed on the ten considering me first who's trained by Bill Mott the source was running over

Tampa Bay Downs turf last out and was beaten the neck that day but didn't have the cleanest trip

was bumped at the start and then bumped again in later stages of the race now going to be racing

on lay six the second time and making her second start off a layoff which high percentage for Bill

Mott you're gonna have junior Alvarado picking up the mount and this horse has the highest last

race speed rating actually tied among the field it's a 71 it's not the highest speed figure here

but this is a field made up of a lot of first-time starters or some horses trying turf for the first

time so I'm gonna take a horse that already has run well over the turf and specifically campus turf

five to one on the morning line so again sticking with the theme of a no-chalk zone here on the

Twin Spires triple play consider me first junior Alvarado aboard for Bill Mott the topic of

Ashley in race number 12 so it races 10 11 12 let's recap the three selections Ashley race 10 you'll

take number five Dan Donna at odds of six to one race 11 the Tampa Bay Derby you'll go with Todd

Putscher Johnny V number five power shift at seven to two and it race 12 number 10 consider me first

it odds of five to one and we started this segment talking about the promotions with Twin Spires

on these three races let's hit that again before I let you go right we have that rose the Kentucky

Derby $10 bet back offer so again a bonus bet up to $10 back on your first win bet if your horse

finishes second or third in races that Tampa Bay down it'll be races 10 11 and 12 and then

St. Anita races eight and 10 we also I wanted to quickly say we have a number of tournaments going

on today plus a two thousand dollar late pick five hit it and split it at St. Anita and then I

wanted to quickly mention two that twins buyers is now available in Mississippi so we're excited

to support our Mississippi horse players yep that's really cool I like that that's fantastic news

you mentioned earlier that you were playing against Bob Baffert in the San Felipe later today

do you want to reveal your pick and who's going to beat Bob Baffert in that race

so I went with the three secured freedom who is trained by Tim Yachtine going to come from off the

pace I think the two and the three they're both going to have potentially similar trips here the

two is trained by Dan Blacker and if you watch the Twin Spires jury the two is Darren Speck I want

with the three you're getting great value on both the two is 12 to one the three is eight to one

but looking at the fact that brand I'm assuming goes out to the front the five the ten day for Bob

Baffert as well at least went to the front last time and on debut but I don't know what the

plan is who who Bob Baffert actually wants to get the lead but both those horses will be

forwardly placed as well as the seven so I thought once again I'm going with an off the

base runner here and secure freedom I think has a lot of upside coming out of the great three

Robert B Lewis and gonna be trying to route for the second time so yeah I went with value here

to try to beat those Baffert runners a bonus play for you here this morning on the Twin Spires

quadruple play on this Saturday morning Ashley appreciated as always good luck with those

selections and all the races you're going to play this weekend and again we'll encourage everybody

to make sure they're taking advantage of those promotions at Twin Spires and that they're betting

all the races they're going to play with Twin Spires have a lovely weekend you two all right

Ashley Anderson Twin Spires quadruple play here this morning a bonus bet for you uh Kurt Becker

stroll through racing history coming your way next but if you missed it in the first couple

of hours of the program this is your Mojo Racing and possible trivia question for this Saturday morning

who is the oldest living Kentucky Derby winning horse and how old is he that's your question for

this morning uh you can go to our social media pages and put your answers in there you can

email the show and let me know your thoughts to that question but get your Mojo work and see if

you can come up with it I will reveal the answer to this week's impossible trivia question coming

up at the end of the show right around 1055 Eastern lots to get to Kurt Becker stroll through

racing history Dale Tim still to come at 1030 Eastern this is the equine forum presented by Twin

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we're applicable for help with a gambling problem called 1-800-Gamler the road to the Kentucky Derby

once again passes through colonial downs on Saturday March 14th of $500,000 Virginia Derby will

be run as a road to the Kentucky Derby points race last year's winner American promise went on

to run in the Derby and precness join us for a history making day that also includes the $250,000

Virginia Oaks a Kentucky Oaks points race colonial down spring meet runs March 12th through March 14th

host time 1230 Eastern Thursday and Friday noon Eastern on Virginia Derby Day Saturday March 14th

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favorite race today is the San Felipe pity so happy against brand that race is gonna be a humdinger

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equine forum on HRN presented by Twin Spires

hello I'm Kurt Becker thanks for joining me as I take another stroll through racing history

presented by Keenland Greg in Illinois asked us recently if we would feature a filly named

optimistic gal on the stroll as he fondly remembers watching her run at Keenland in the 1970s

and since March is optimism month we figured there was no better time to highlight the filly with

the optimistic name fold on April 29th 1973 in Kentucky optimistic gal was a dark bay or brown

filly by sir ibert she was from his second crop and she was the first full out of hopes ahead

by traffic judge her american bread sire was horse of the year in the united kingdom while her

damn one twice and 17 starts and earned less than seven thousand dollars consigned by breeder

birch from lender to the summer yearling sales in 1974 optimistic gal caught the eye of trainer

lee roe jolly who was shopping for fillies for clients burt and dianna firestone jolly liked

the fact optimistic gal was a lovely filly as he put it and she had an absence of bold ruler

naz rule in the arco blood which would make her perfect for breeding someday to triple crown winter

secretariat in whom the firestones own shares purchased for fifty five thousand dollars optimistic gal

would make her debut as a juvenile in 1975 and racing in the name of missus birch from firestone

would win her first two starts by a combined margin of nearly ten links following a grade one

placing in the sorority at mom with park behind dearly precious she would win the grade three at

a rondack at saratoga for her first takes victory cruising under the wire nearly ten lengths to

the good another runner up finished to dearly precious in the grade one spent away made the latter

the front runner for the eclipse award for champion two year old filly but dearly precious

concluded her campaign soon thereafter while optimistic gal began racking up graded stakes wins

in her absence there was a win in the grade one mage run under jockey braulio by aza by six

and a half links in september followed by a victory in the grade one for zet by three and three

porters links on october 4th then on october 18th on a sloppy track at keenland she ramped home in

the graded alcibiades by a margin of twenty one links optimistic gal added another grade one win

on october 25th taking the salima at laurel race course for jockey daryl mccard she got the mile

in a sixteenth and one minute forty two and four fifth seconds missing the track record by just

one fifth of a second despite that late season flurry of successes by optimistic gal voters named

dearly precious champion juvenile filly of 1975 the fact dearly precious had won both head-to-head

meetings between the fillies was enough to carry the day optimistic gal returned to the races in

april of 1976 and opened her season with back-to-back wins at keenland including a score in the grade three

ashland 13 days later she captured the one hundred second running of the kentucky oaks at church hill

downs after finishing runner-up as the favorite in all three legs of new york's filly triple crown

and after finishing sixth in the grade three test dates at serratoga optimistic gal regrouped from

that four race win list streak to take the grade one alabama at the spa by sixteen links with eddie

maple aboard optimistic gal got the mile in a quarter in two minutes one in three fifth seconds

making for the fastest running ever of the race to that date the race itself dating back to eighteen

seventy two and optimistic gal wasn't done three weeks after the alabama optimistic gal was sent

to delaware park for the grade one delaware handicap jolly chose to skip the gazelle where his filly

would have carried 124 pounds against three year olds in new york instead opting for the delaware

event against older to get a five pound break in the wait for age race with eddie maple once again

in the saddle optimistic gal went to the post as the two to five favorite and got the ten four

longs in two oh one flat becoming just the seventh three year old to win the race in thirty nine

runnings for the final start of her career optimistic gal returned to keenland where she was already

three for three lifetime for the twenty first running of the grade one spinster the day was

described as dismal and rainy and the track was sloppy crag perrette was named to ride and he

had visited the firestone sparm in virginia a few days earlier to study film of the filly's prior

going to the post as the two to five favorite optimistic gal made her move on the final turn

and was on top by ten lengths turning for home she was handwritten to the wire from there to win

by a margin of five lengths optimistic gal concluded her racing career with thirteen wins and

twenty one starts including six grade one victories for earnings of six hundred eighty six thousand

dollars but she was once again denied by eclipse award voters at the end of the year as losses to

a fillet named ravadir in both the coaching club american oaks and the ruffian stakes resulted

in the latter claiming championship honors it had been a remarkable racing career nonetheless

for optimistic gal who would produce fourteen folds but just one stake source as a brood bear

prior to her death in nineteen ninety nine at the age of twenty six it has been fifty years since

optimistic gal raced the racetrack yet folks like Greg and southern Illinois remember her well

they have never forgotten the graceful and first of all filly or the visually impressive victories

which made her a champion in the hearts of her fans please join me again next week when i

take another stroll through racing history presented by keenland for hr rn i'm Kurt Becker

nobody weaves a story together like Kurt Becker my thanks to Kurt for that story if you missed

any of Kurt's stroll through racing history segment check out the stroll through racing history

page on our website horse racing radio dot net and you can listen to all of those shows and don't

forget to about our weekly brisnet dot com call and show six to seven eastern every Thursday with

Bobby Newman and James scully it is your chance to call in and talk racing with our experts every

Thursday six to seven eastern here on hr rn coming up next i asked the answer with del romans and

tomb woken this is the quim form presented by twin spires on the horse racing radio network

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and older we're applicable for help with a gambling problem called one eight hundred gambler

a keenly in session topper from the first crop of the all conquering vacoma

Jonathan's way was touted by purchaser john moinehan as quote one of the best looking horses you'll

ever lay your eyes on out of an undefeated steaks winning juvenile daughter of indian charlie

jonathan's way is a complete outcross through his first five generations and comes from the

immediate female family of the great dina former brilliantly talented with the pedigree and

physical makeup to be commercial dynamite jonathan's way a future stallion star standing at

every stud think about it the road to the Kentucky Derby once again passes through colonial

downs on saturday march 14th of five hundred thousand dollar virginia derby will be run as a road

to the Kentucky Derby points race last year's winner american promise went on to run in the derby

and precness join us for a history making day that also includes the two hundred fifty thousand

dollar virginia oaks a Kentucky oaks points race colonial down spring meet runs march 12th through

march 14th host time twelve thirty eastern thursday and friday noon eastern on virginia derby day

saturday march 14th this is i ask the answer on the equine forum on hr rn

moving up on the outside and challenging his chief wallaby dropping back his rockies balboa

they reach the first finish line top of the stretch mark on the outside chief wallaby lays down

the challenge to solitude dude commandment with a big opening toward the rail the red sea parts for

commandment and he's charging after chief wallaby to the first finish line commandment on the inside

chief wallaby to the outside commandment with the momentum chief wallaby makes him earn it commandment

chief wallaby commandment wins the fun of you it's commandment for the money narrowly over chief

wallaby second solitude dude third then bravaro and fifth for the high five Napoleon solo 143 and one

pd yellow with the call of the fountain of youth the third consecutive eye opening victory for

commandment who is surely a buy for most kentucky derby handicapers but our down and ten sold on what

they've seen from the talented son of into mischief plus with foreign horses now able to earn

points for the kentucky derby has the time come to consider increasing the size of the derby

field and nira and woodbine have partnered to create the empire trillium series we tell you

if we like it love it or hate it all of that coming up on another loaded edition of i ask the

answer with trainer dail romans and turf rider tim wilken all presented by the university of

looble equine industry program in the college of business and all starting just 30 seconds from right

now the spark turns into a dream and your dreams fuel a love that will last a lifetime turn your

passion into a career with experienced guidance a thorough study of equine business as well as

opportunities to get your hands dirty and put your mind to work located in the heart of course

country let your passion fuel your profession at the uofl equine industry program apply today

dail tim ready to roll a mix of listener submitted questions a couple i came up with

guys we're going to start with one of our favorite games to play here on the show it is buy

or sell and we're going to look back at the the races from last weekend as they pertain to the

Kentucky Derby picture we will start with gotham winner iron honor who ran his record to a perfect

two for two with his win in last Saturday's gotham tim wilken buy or sell i'm selling this one

and only because just the history of the gotham and as it pertains the derby and we've gone over

seems like a hundred thousand times but there's only the one gotham winner that's ever won the derby

that was secretary it since 1980 49 horses have exited the gotham there's only the two second place

finishes out of all those i mean chad is it isn't a nice horse though but don't get me wrong and

and chad brown places and sources just as well as anybody in the game where he you know the

schedule he puts them on and it looks like he's going to go to the wood next and um

but it seems like chad has used the wood for a prep for the pretence rather than the derby but

with cloud computing i mean early voting was the winners but uh you said two the nine horses he's

running the derby he's only ran in the gotham twice that was highly motivated was third in the gotham

ninth in the derby and then shagoff in 2016 to one the gotham and then we're good and finished so

you know i think this is a nice horse i think he's going to do some good things later on but i

don't think it's going to be on the first set of the day at least by nightquist out of a blame

mayor that's a pretty good pedigree if you want to go mile in a quarter not bad not bad

i'm selling too i just only use good enough don't think the races good enough don't there's better

horses out there they'll yeah puts him in the horn let's sail all right well how about a race

you participated in last week on the fountain of youth the winner commandment rattled off a third

consecutive victory in impressive fashion for trainer Brad Cox are you buying or selling commandment

del romans fine i'm buying the first two finishes in the race i think they're both talented horses

we talked last week how much the best uh of all the races this this race was and uh it lived up to

its feeling they give it to them there it is the cash register rings for del romans buying

commandment and runner up chief wallaby who is going to be my next horse to talk about anyway

Tim how about for you so they'll jump the gun he's he's way ahead of the game today no he's a

i didn't get my didn't get my chin chin until late well i'm buying commandment for sure

i mean uh that fountain of youth put you know he impressive win he just um

he just looks like it in the two turn race he just looked like he's going to get better is

the distances increase so you know i'm i don't see anything i don't see any holes right now in

him how about chief wallaby well if you buy commandment you got to buy chief wallaby i mean he was

he was a game as they come second where's my where's my where's my sound

thanks Lee but i mean he's you know that he that was his second start after breaking a maiden

and go mad with he wanted to get some questions answered in that race and he got him answered and

you know i'm not going to go against him who i think is one of the best trainers we've ever had

and um i i i think that he's going to be have a lot have to have have some things to say as we go

deeper into the triple crown season all right i'm going to tie these next two horses together

because they were one two in the rebel last weekend class president upset winner of the rebel for

Todd pletcher and the mark Cassie trained silent tactic who has never been worse than second and

five career starts he was once again game in defeat in the rebel last weekend Tim buy yourself class

president and silent tactic well this might seem weird but i'm going to sell class president and

buy silent tactic there you go i mean silent tactic has been very consistent i mean class president

ran a bang up race winning by a nose and that eight and eight to one um you know i think he's uh on

the lower end of the Todd pletcher three year olds but sound tactic i mean the mark that mark

Cassie sends him out and he always shows up so i think he's he has more of the upside in my opinion

you sell them both

yeah not good enough move turn the page don't need to go on the beach though they're just not

good enough to make the derby horses an impact on the derby okay all right we're gonna find out

hey my opinion right it will find out let's have a poll about it there you go

you know that love says pull we'll rank them down why don't we rank them

yeah all right we'll rank them seventeen and eighteen whatever we're ranking

yeah i think you should do a ranking on what are the best polls out there right

because you love the world i'll do that yeah there's only one poll he cares about right now

sure you're racing attack you don't really care about that it's too early for that

running for office like run into race they've got to line them up and see what happens

so let them go vote and see who wins we don't need all the polls

well this next question is really interesting it stays with the three year old Shane and

North Carolina are good friends amidst this one he's trying to get back in your good graces Dale

i'll talk about that in a minute which trainer currently holds the strongest triple threat

of derby contenders is it Todd Pletcher who has nearly class president and renegade

Chad Browne paladin canna leto who is five to two on the morning line the Tampa Bay Derby

and iron honor or is a bob baffer with brant boyd and Cherokee nation who was impressive

last week as well Tim what do you think an interesting question from our pal Shane

you know i'd be when you have what we first weekend in march second weekend in march it's

it's still too early to say who has the best of of the three year olds but from what we've

seen so far and if you go by the points which is uh you know everyone has to get points

to get in the derby you'd have to say right now that Chad Browne right because he paladin has 60

points iron honor has 50 even though not wild about him can't let about not any but um he might

after today he may he may but you know and you know Todd nearly only has 20 points renegade has 25

but nearly was impressive winning the holy bull by five and change lengths renegade on the same

davis we saw a class president did last week and you know i think you got to give an incomplete grade

to baffert because brant has nine points Cherokee nation three boy doesn't have any i mean brant

has run in the sand for leap a day and boy i believe it's going to run in the derby next week

in Cherokee nation we might not see him till the center needed derby so as far as the who would

be holding the good hand right now point wise i guess you'd have to say Chad Browne because he

says the most points but what i do and paladin is the horse that i like um he's my number one

picking the nti rapole so i'm going to say she had brown for right now

Dale bob baffert's not going to be happy timmy didn't go with him

no but you know how to sit there thinking you sure lucky you don't have to take till pay

Tim by the word it's all that right he talks so long i forgot what the question was

well if we paid you by the word you'd be going out collecting cans

yeah you're right but that's because i got off an airplane don't do any research and i do want

to thank you for carrying the show today because i have no idea what we're going to talk about

but that is a very interesting question i and that's one i was thinking well Tim was talking

that i wish i had looked up and paid attention to and i want to go back and research it but

off the top of my head i'll go with Chad i think Chad's got a very strong hand but that's an

interesting he's got the top three horses we got to figure out some way to make a bet on that

i mean it could it could it could be in flux it could change every week it could it could it be

interesting it's like a you know bend the futures well i mentioned that our friend Shane is trying

to get back in Dale's good graces last week Dale said that's it he's not getting the barn tour when

he goes to the Kentucky Derby for his for his birthday gift that his wife has bought for him

Shane really wants to do that with you Dale so he feels bad about not asking you about the

fountain of youth in your horse last weekend so he wants to know if you can give him an update on

project ace now he's really in the doghouse uh-oh you know the project case had a little injury

and he's off the derby trail and i had just stopped thinking about it Shane don't even bother going

to the derby yeah well i mean yeah don't even come say your tickets go to stubble you'll make some

money this poor fella he just keeps doubling down he just dig it hold it we'll try again i was

gonna let him off the hook already because he asked such an interesting question but now he's

really backing the doghouse i had just quit writing about that so if he's in the doghouse he will

be back and he will be back and win the traverse so we'll worry about that this summer if he's in the

doghouse of the door lock well not yet he can still get i don't hold grudges to him you know that

i do know that but you know sometimes the punishment has to be given out right he's got a few more

chances he's got a few more chances to get back on Dale's good side yeah one good question every

backhand it just pick a horse that's still in training will you Shane exactly all right well let's

say hello to the Hall of Famer Nick Zito and Dale and Tim get to tell me if the following statement

is right or wrong yeah right or wrong am i right what are you saying right or wrong guys this comes

from our friend Tom and St. Louis and he says hey there always seems to be a solid three-year-old or two

who finds themselves on the outside looking in when the derby field is drawn with spots not being

given to foreign horses is it time to consider increasing the size of the derby field to 23 you would

have 20 the top American qualifiers three foreign qualifiers what do you guys think would a move

like this be right or wrong who's asking this question Tom and St. Louis that might be the

worst dumbest question we've ever had everybody in the industry trying to fight to cut it back

and change the whole dynamic of it i'm fighting to hold it for 20 at 20 because of the history and

this guy wants to make it 23 no but there's never going to happen just to just spend a lot of money

on a 20 horse gate and i'll cover it's good 23 they did run it 21 or 22 one time I remember

when somebody sued they didn't get in they just made them run 1981 they ran 21 21 yeah

mystical ruler was a horse on the outside that wanted to get in they sued and let him in

Freddie worked trained him written by Kevin worked my good friend

you know you know you don't like the idea of a three horse auxiliary starting gate

no nothing about it don't like anything about it it's you know five minutes of talking about

this is five minutes of our life will never get back to me what do you think I just think you know

I don't know maybe Tom was uh into the rows that a wine or something when he wrote up this question

because I mean I you know 20 horses is in my opinion way too much you know but since 75 okay

that's when they limited it to 20 and since since then they've only had 20 horses 14 times

I mean it's you know it's a stampede but it's what it is and you know it's you put three more

horses in there I just think you're asking for trouble um you know and I and I get why they have 20

because you know a lot of people want to run in the Kentucky Derby and I get that but you know

it's it can be it could be such a dangerous proposition remember the alley schema race um

um it's it's I love I love the Kentucky Derby but I hate the fact that you know I mean it's almost

like it's an accident waiting a half and I 20 horses a lot of horses but um put making it 23

that would be insane well Tom we love your questions normally but apparently today this one

didn't go over very well try again next week my friend and keep those questions coming we still love

we do love Tom he's he's with us every single week here on the show so we know we can give him a hard

time he's a good guy all right guys appreciate it we're gonna do that segment right or wrong next

week as part of I asked the answer we do it every week with the Hall of Famer Nick Zito how about

this one guys this week Naira and Woodbine announced a new partnership in which the two companies

will create the Empire Trillium series it's a 14 race program of stakes restricted to New York

or Canadian bread foals worth $3.2 million in purses here's the way it works eight stakes will be

contested on the Topeta surface at the New Belmont Park between December of 2026 and February

of 2026 and then six more stakes are going to be run at Woodbine between April and July of 2027

we often talk about thinking outside the box this is a creative concept so I'm going to ask you

Tim Wilkins do you like it do you love it or do you hate it I like it anything that's going to

increase the exposure to racing is a good thing and this should increase the exposure to

racing and it's a boost for the Northeast region and it's um I mean it's you're gonna have

owners and breeders and trainers and everyone I think will be interested because you know

money talks in this game and they're putting some good money up and I don't I don't see any

negative at all for this series I think it's a great idea and can applaud uh okay uh Woodbine

and the Naira who put it together I think it's going to be great I don't know if it's going to be

great but it's a nice idea to try that it's not a novel idea though if you look at Frank Stoney

Cadd is the uh competition of California against Florida breads and I like that I thought that

that went well for a few years and then the breeding programs in both states have kind of

duendled so much I don't think you get enough horses but if they get enough horses it'll be a great

idea but what's it called again? The Empire Trillium. Contillium. No Trillium. What's that mean?

Oh. I can understand that. Yeah, I'm like good with that. Where did they come up with this thing?

You might understand the Empire part in our state but is that something to do with Canadian

things? That's what I'm asking is that a Canadian term that we don't know about?

They could have called the Empire Terrace race or something. Yeah the only time I've ever heard

the term used it had something to do with plants or something but oh here you go. Lee says a plant

with a solitary three petal flower above a wall of three leaves native to North America and Asia.

And Asia. What's it got to do with horseries? Yeah, we're going to have to come up with that.

Ask Naira. Ask Wood by one. I'm going to call Mark Holiday when we hang up and ask you.

There has to be another meaning to the word. If somebody knows that it's attitude. That's what

comes up. Yeah, the flower has to have some meanings to Canada. Is that their national flower or something?

Don't know. I don't know. Well, stay tuned. We'll let you know next week. I got it. I tell you what,

the Trillium stakes as a Canadian thoroughbred horse race run annually Wood by. Maybe that's what it is.

Right. I don't know. I still don't make make sense to name a series after a race.

We'll hit the reason that there's a reason that race run at Wood by this problem named that. We've got to

get to the bottom of it. Well, you know what? I'm not going to make it a priority.

Timmy, thank goodness for Steven and Rochester, New York. He submitted a topic that we can move on to

at this point in the show. And Steven loves when his man Tim Wilkin shows off his researching skills.