2012 Triple Crown Prep Schedule, Results
Key prep races and results for the 2012 Triple Crown.
DRF StaffDec 16, 2011
Key prep races and results for the 2012 Triple Crown.
The news that Strike the Gold was euthanized after falling and fracturing a leg this week was sad enough to cast at least a brief shadow over any racing fan’s holiday spirit.
Four also-eligibles will be able to draw into the field for the Kentucky Derby for the first time in 2012 under a new policy announced Friday by Churchill Downs.
The date was 11-11-11, and the blogs were abuzz in the wake of Ever So Lucky’s maiden voyage at Churchill Downs. Why not? A $600,000 sale-topper last May, sired by Uncle Mo’s papa Indian Charlie and trained by a Hall of Famer, the colt made short work of a 6 1/2-furlong event as if it were nothing more than a walk in the park.
Strike the Gold, the 1991 Kentucky Derby winner who became a successful sire in Turkey, died Wednesday after having a heart attack, the Jockey Club of Turkey’s longtime adviser Jean-Pierre Deroubaix confirmed Thursday. Strike the Gold, by Alydar, was 23. He died at the Jockey Club of Turkey’s Karacabey Pension Stud Farm. He had stood in Turkey since 1999.
To get a feel for which horses might be flying under the radar this year, I sifted through past performances and race replays and came up with six horses who have the potential to make some noise on the Derby trail and perhaps in the big race itself.
The Breeders' Cup Juvenile got a 94 Beyer Speed Figure. Thus, this must be a weak group of 2-year-olds. Not necessarily. As much as I love the numbers, they really have been not much help in predicting 3-year-old form.
Six prep races for the Kentucky Derby, including the Wood Memorial, Santa Anita Derby, and Blue Grass Stakes, will be televised live on the NBC family of networks next year as part of an agreement between NBC, racetracks, and The Jockey Club, according to a joint announcement from the companies on Tuesday.
Steven Crist and Mike Watchmaker review the stand out performances, surprises, and disappointments of the 2011 Triple Crown season -- plus, what to expect from this class of three-year-olds this summer and beyond.