Fair Game to All

Four preps this weekend, two in Kentucky, one in Lousiana and one in New Mexico. I'll also preview a couple of other stakes races that will be running.

First at Turfway Park,

8th (4:40)
Rushaway S.
1 1/16 Miles (All Weather Track) | Open | 3 Year Olds Stakes | Purse: $100,000
Prg. # PP Horse Jockey Trainer Wt. Claim $ Equip. Med. ML
1 1 Activity Report Borel C H Lukas D Wayne 117 LA 4-1
2 2 Lonesome Street Velasquez C Maker Michael J 115 LA 5-1
3 3 Exhi Baze R A Pletcher Todd A 115 LA 6-1
4 4 Pathoki Prescott R Stevens Lowell T 117 LA 20-1
5 5 Positive Split Solis A McPeek Kenneth G 115 Blk-On LA 8-5
6 6 Instant Message Sterling L J Jr Margolis Steve 117 LA 5-1
7 7 In the Paint Decarlo C P Gorder Kellyn 115 LA 8-1
8 8 Max Silverhammer Pompell T L Denzik, Jr. W J 117 LA 12- 1

I was debating weather to include this race in the preview tonight, and decided to do so, as Activity Report was in this race. I really don't know anyone in this field other then Activity Report. However, normally the winner goes onto the Bluegrass. In 07, Dominican upset Street Sense in the Bluegrass after winning the Rushaway in the race before Hard Spun's Lane's End win.

9th (5:12)
Lane's End S. (G2)
1 1/8 Miles (All Weather Track) | Open | 3 Year Olds Stakes | Purse: $500,000
Prg. # PP Horse Jockey Trainer Wt. Claim $ Equip. Med. ML
1 1 Connemara Baze R A Pletcher Todd A 121 LA 9-5
2 2 Doubles Partner Decarlo C P Pletcher Todd A 121 LA 10-1
3 3 Chief Counsel Torres F C Mott William I 121 LA 12-1
4 4 Kettle River Lopez J Harty Eoin 121 LA 8-1
5 5 Ranger Heartley Baze M C Sadler John W 121 LA 6-1
6 6 Outlaw Man Solis A McPeek Kenneth G 121 Blk-On LA 8-1
7 7 Northern Giant Borel C H Lukas D Wayne 121 LA 5-1
8 8 Letsgetitonmon McKee J Asmussen Steven M 121 LA 20-1
9 9 Dean's Kitten Velasquez C Maker Michael J 121 LA 5-1
10 10 Vow to Wager Lebron V Romans Dale 121 LA 20-1

Connemara is the deserving favorite in this race. The 3/4 brother of Lion Heart's won in California in his prep for this race. Kettle River and Dean's Kitten both where good two year olds, never count out a Lukas horse. However, I'm going with Doubles Partner. He beat Lentenor in an allowance race, before the latter finished fourth in the Florida Derby. He maybe a bit underrated here, but I'm willing to give him that chance. Not a hundred percent sure he'll be Derby bound (same goes for Connemara), but he's my pick for this race.

10th (4:48)
Louisiana Derby (G2)
1 1/8 Miles | Open | 3 Year Olds Stakes | Purse: $750,000
Prg. # PP Horse Jockey Trainer Wt. Claim $ Equip. Med. ML
1 1 Hotep Husbands P Frostad Mark 122 L 30-1
2 2 Mission Impazible Maragh R Pletcher Todd A 122 L 8-1
3 3 Fly Down Lezcano J Zito Nicholas P 122 L 8-1
4 4 The Program Nakatani C S Baffert Bob 122 L 10-1
5 5 A Little Warm Cohen D Dutrow Anthony W 122 L 4-1
6 6 Ron the Greek Graham J Amoss Thomas 122 L 6-1
7 7 Discreetly Mine Castellano J J Pletcher Todd A 122 L 7-2
8 8 Island Soul Albarado R J Asmussen Steven M 122 L 20-1
9 9 Stay Put Theriot H J II Margolis Steve 122 L 10-1
10 10 Wow Wow Wow Jacinto J Lukas D Wayne 122 L 30-1
11 11 Mister Marti Gras Bridgmohan S X Pessin Neil L 122 L 30-1
12 12 Backtrack Sellers S J Scherer Gary 122 L 30-1
13 13 Drosselmeyer Desormeaux K J Mott William I 122 L 5-1

While the speed held up today at the Fair Grounds, anything can happen tomorrow. This race is loaded with speed which helps my pick of Ron the Greek to rebound from his Risen Star loss. Discreetly Mine, I have that feeling will be a very nice miler like his big brother Discreet Cat. Hotep, could win this race, go to the Derby and then go the Queen's Plate (he's Eye of the Lepord's little brother). This is the last chance for Drosselmeyer and he got stuck with the outside post. Keep an eye on Mission Impaziable who like Ron will be coming off the pace. Wow Wow Wow, I think is a no no no here.

Finally Sunday at Sunland:

12th (5:45)
Sunland Derby (G3)
1 1/8 Miles | Open | 3 Year Olds Stakes | Purse: $800,000
Prg. # PP Horse Jockey Trainer Wt. Claim $ Equip. Med. ML
1 1 Storming Saint Contreras L Dominguez Henry 122 L 8-1
2 2 Nacho Friend Bravo J Breen Kelly J 122 L 9-2
3 3 Conveyance Garcia M Baffert Bob 122 L 9-5
4 4 McKenna's Justice Tohill K S Hartman Chris A 122 L 15-1
5 5 Endorsement Albarado R J Ritter Shannon 122 L 10-1
6 6 Classical Slew Baze T C O'Neill Doug 122 L 6-1
7 7 Fog Alert Juarez A J Jr Taylor Brant L 122 L 12-1
8 8 Guiltbyassociation Enriquez I D Fincher Todd W 122 L 20-1
9 9 Tempted to Tapit Cohen D Klesaris Steve 122 L 3-1

If you told me a year ago that the winners of the Coolmore, and KY Derby, plus the runner up of the PA Derby would come out of this race, I would be laughing. One year and tons of head scratching later, this is the big dirt race from the west. Conveyance and Tempeted to Tapit are def. the two horses to beat. Nacho Friend is also an interesting horse in here, however I'm going with Storming Saint. He won the Borderland Derby via DQ over his stablemate who happens to be owned by the same connections as Mine That Bird (Storming Saint is not owned by Team MTB). However, Conveyance is undefeated and I expect him to win here. I won't be suprised if he's upset though.

A few other stakes this weekend, the Sunland Oaks which Gabby's Golden Gal won last year, the New Orleans Handicap featuring Stones River, Unbridled Belle's half brother. That's the preview for this weekend. The recap post will be going up on Sunday with the next live chat on Monday! I will have a mini-review of Rachel's Story the new HRTV Inside Information on Weds or Thurs of next week. I haven't decided yet.