Zipse’s Kentucky Derby Daily – Day 63
I am liking
Mucho Macho Man’s chances for the Kentucky Derby more with every passing day,
so much so that he has moved all the way up to #2 on my personal Kentucky Derby
list. Now events over the past few days are causing me to like him and root for
him even more. Last month’s impressive victory in the Risen Star at the Fair
Grounds verified the belief I had in his potential since last Fall. After
running too close to a strong pace in a race too short for him in Gulfstream’s Holy
Bull, trainer Kathy Ritvo shipped the son of Macho Uno to New Orleans sans blinkers,
and the big leggy colt looked great. She has now confirmed that Mucho’s next
race will come in the $1 million Louisiana Derby on March 26. Another two-turn
race over a track that he likes six weeks before the Derby should serve as the
perfect lead-up to Louisville.
Now as far
as the rooting goes, did you hear what Mucho Macho Man’s principal owner Dean
Reeves did on Thursday night? As reported by Mike Welsch of DRF, Reeves
presented injured jockey Eibar Coa a check for $18,000 at Memorial East Regional
Hospital in Hollywood, Florida. That amount equals what Coa would have earned
if he had been able to ride Mucho Macho Man to victory in the Risen Star. Coa
missed the mount when he fractured a vertebra in a riding accident the day
before in Florida. Coa is reported to be in good spirits, and is looking
forward to transferring from his hospital room to a rehabilitation center very
soon.
As a
believer in Karma, I am compelled to believe that good things are coming this
colt’s way. The fact that he is developing into his large frame and is full of
talent doesn’t hurt one bit either.
[I have Mucho Macho Man at #2, but the HRN Community has him down at #6 on the 2011 Kentucky Derby Contenders ... who is right?]
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With most
Derby watcher’s eyes intently transfixed on Aqueduct’s Gotham Stakes, and then
Dialed In’s race on Sunday, the one prep race actually run in Kentucky this
weekend, the John Battaglia Memorial, is in danger of being forgotten. It will
not be by me. Turfway’s Battaglia is topped by a couple of colts coming from
very different places. The Mike Maker trained Twinspired is coming off a dominant
victory over the Turfway surface in the WEBN Stakes. If the son of Harland’s
Holiday is to continue his winning ways at the Northern Kentucky track, he will
need to deal with some salty invaders, including my top pick, Positive
Response.
Positive Response
has made the long trip to Turfway Park from Northern California’s Golden Gate
Fields. The winner of both the Gold Rush and California Derby has run nothing
but good races including last month’s sneaky good, 3rd place finish
in the El Camino Real Derby. Positive Response is proven over a synthetic
surface which he will see in the Battaglia, and should hold a class edge over
Twinspired, and likely 3rd choice, Blue Laser. I expect him to take
this and move on to the track’s marquee event, the Spiral, as one of the
favorites.
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In other
Derby doings…
-Beware of
The Fed Eased as a longshot capable of giving favorites Stay Thirsty and Toby’s
Corner all they can handle in today’s Gotham.
-One of my
top Derby prospects Sway Away turned in a leisurely 5f work at Santa Anita
yesterday in 1:02.80. Now I await the decision on whether he will stay in
California or head to Arkansas on his way to Louisville.
Past Performance provided by Brisnet.com