Kentucky Derby 2012: Under the Radar - Went the Day Well
Considering all of the heavy-hitters in this division, Went the Day Well may be somewhat ignored leading up to the first Saturday in May.
Dan IllmanApr 16, 2012
Considering all of the heavy-hitters in this division, Went the Day Well may be somewhat ignored leading up to the first Saturday in May.
Union Rags, the third-place finisher in the Florida Derby and a leading contender for the Kentucky Derby, arrived at Keeneland on Sunday morning after a long van ride from the Palm Meadows training center in Florida.
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El Padrino, whose Kentucky Derby status remains in limbo, worked four furlongs in 49.01 seconds in company with 2011 Travers winner Stay Thirsty on Sunday morning at Palm Meadows.
Dullahan earned a 98 Beyer Speed Figure for his victory Saturday in the Blue Grass Stakes, the Grade 1 race that highlighted a record-setting day at historic Keeneland. Trainer Dale Romans said he believes three horses deserve consideration for favorite in this wide-open Derby: Dullahan, Gemologist, and Bodemeister.
Bodemeister, Secret Circle, and Sabercat, the first three finishers, respectively, in the Arkansas Derby on Saturday, all came out of the race in good order and will share a plane ride to Kentucky on Monday morning to begin final preparations for the May 5 Kentucky Derby.
Though he was the least-experienced horse in the race, the sheer, raw talent of Bodemeister was too much for his rivals on Saturday in the Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park, as Bodemeister romped to a dazzling, 9 1/2-length victory, firmly placing himself among the elite contenders for the Kentucky Derby on May 5 at Churchill Downs.
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Dullahan stamped himself as one of the favorites for the 138th Kentucky Derby and put himself in the record books by rolling past favored Hansen to win the 88th running of the Grade 1, $750,000 Blue Grass Stakes on a warm Saturday afternoon at Keeneland.
Countdown to the Crown returns for a seventh season online as one of the most comprehensive handicapper’s scouting reports of the 3-year-old scene. Posted each Friday at DRF.com from Jan. 6 through the Belmont Stakes, Countdown keeps you apprised of the rising stars of the 3-year-old class.
I’ll Have Another, the winner of the Santa Anita Derby last Saturday, has returned to training at Hollywood Park, trainer Doug O’Neill said.
A crush of horses bearing down from his outside would be something brand new for Hansen. As fast as he is, the nearly white colt has grown accustomed to free-wheeling out front, and never in his first five races has he encountered any such difficulty.