Watch Me Go

Date	Track	Race	Finish	Chart	Distance	Time	BSF	Video
4/9/11	HAW	Illinois Derby	6th		1 1/8 mile	1:51.80	66
3/12/11	TAM	Tampa Bay Derby	1st		1 1/16 mile	1:44.20	84
2/12/11	TAM	Sam Davis	3rd		1 1/16 mile	1:34.51	76

Watch Me Go Owner: Gilbert Campbell Trainer: Kathleen O'Connell Record: 10-4-0-1 Best Beyer: 84 Breeder: Gilbert Campbell Tomlinson Distance Rating: 274* Auction: Homebred Dosage Profile: 8-1-5-1-1 (16) Dosage Index: 2.56 Center of Distribution: 0.88

PROFILE

By Michael Hammersly

Strengths
Has shown late resolve, gamely persevering in the lane to prevail by a neck in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby on March 12 at a hefty 43-1. That outing shows he can outrun his odds and that he has the right type of style for this race. He got kudos for beating what was then a major Derby hopeful in Brethren back into third.
His pedigree says this trip should suit as his grandsire Forty Niner was a game second in this race (just failed to catch winner Winning Colors) and damsire Deputy Minister is well known as a stamina source.

Weaknesses
While his Tampa Bay Derby win was nice, it’s important to note he was 43-1 for a reason – in his race prior he was a non-factor third in the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis at Tampa. It’s also worrisome he did not back up his Tampa Derby effort, finishing a lackluster sixth as the favorite in the Grade 3 Illinois Derby at Hawthorne, where the winner, Joe Vann, wasn’t even nominated to the Triple Crown and runner-up Zoebear was a maiden.

While the Beyer Speed Figures earned by the winners of the major prep races this spring weren’t much, his Tampa Bay Derby tally still received only an 84 rating. His best figure aside from that is 78. In other words, he will need far and away a career-best race to have any sort of say.

Betting Value
His disappointing Illinois Derby effort figures to send him into this at long odds, probably 30-1 or higher. But that may hold some appeal for those thinking he can perform as he did in the Tampa Bay Derby.

PEDIGREE ANALYSIS

By Dan Illman

Sire:
West Acre, an unraced son of Kentucky Derby runner-up Forty Niner, is a half-brother to Grade 1 winner Preach (Frizette, 1 mile), the dam of Blue Grass and Fountain of Youth hero Pulpit. Another half-sister, Yarn, is the dam of Tale of the Cat and grand-dam of Johannesburg. At stud, West Acre has sired graded winners Ivanavinalot (Grade 2 Bonnie Miss, nine furlongs) and Speak Easy Gal (Grade 3 Orchid, 1 1/2 miles on grass).

Dam:
Watch Me Go is a full brother to Asgoodasshelooks, a stakes-placed turf sprinter that did her best racing at five furlongs on grass. He is a half-brother to Lucky Paco, a Grade 3-placed sprinter in Puerto Rico that never attempted a route. The unraced dam is a half-sister to multiple stakes-winning turf sprinter Diamonds Galore, multiple stakes-winner Blitzer (took the Breeders' Stakes at 1 1/2 miles on turf at Woodbine), Do It Fast, second in the Mazarine Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on dirt, and Cozy Star, a stakes-winning miler on grass. The second dam (by Irish Stronghold) was a stakes-winner in Canada

Outlook:
The sire gives stamina to this family, but there is a good amount of speed on the dam side. Watch Me Go may be most effective at distances between 1 1/16 miles and 1 1/8 miles.

THE WIZARD'S PACE ANALYSIS:

This colt has shown speed sprinting in the past, but was also able to rate effectively going two turns. He was just off a moderate pace in both the Tampa Bay and Illinois Derbies and figures to be farther back in this race.