Suffolk Downs Blog

Jessica Paquette, Racing Analyst

With the dust starting to settle after an exciting Run for the Roses, the question now remains whether I'll Have Another can make it two in a row and begin his bid for immortality with a shot at the Triple Crown.

I'll admit, my innate East Coast bias got the better of me and I didn’t give the West Coast contenders nearly enough credit in the Derby. Both I'll Have Another and Creative Cause proved that the Santa Anita Derby was the key prep this season. I think both the Derby winner and Creative Cause will get overlooked in the Preakness in favor of the brilliant, fast Bodemeister .

Creative Cause had plenty go against him in Kentucky and this colt is the type that is just too quietly consistent to overlook. He is tenacious, battle-tested and will try to turn the tables here.

In several recent years, it was easy to make a case against the upset Derby winner in the Preakness (Mine That Bird, anyone?). This is not one of those years. I'll Have Another is as honest as they come and his three consecutive wins, all against top stakes company, are not flukes. He has made a huge transition from two to three and has been perfectly ridden by Mario Gutierrez. And, as an aside, how cool is it that the great Lava Man is his pony? Both of them have reportedly looked very good at Pimlico this week.

Bodemeister is the horse getting all the buzz and deservedly so after such a staggeringly impressive effort in the Derby. There is no denying this colt has tremendous heart, speed and talent. There is also a very real chance he gets everything his own way out front and that makes him a legitimate gate-to-wire threat. My only knock on him, and the reason I don’t want to take him at 8-5, is that after two monster efforts in a row it wouldn’t come as a surprise if he simply bounced.

Went the Day Well is the big mystery for me. He ran just a dynamite race at Churchill and was arguably moving best of all at the end. It was such a strong performance and he does have the advantage of having had more rest between his final Derby prep (six weeks over Creative Cause/I’ll Have Another’s four weeks or Bodemeister’s three) and the Derby. He might at this point have a little more gas in the tank than his top rivals here. However, he might also need more of a pace to run at than he likely will get.

I do not think any of the new shooters have much of a shot at making an impact here. This group of sophomores is too good and some of the new faces look like they are a notch below at this stage in the game.

So, my selections are:
1. Creative Cause
2. I'll Have Another
3. Went the Day Well
4. Bodemeister

Also on Saturday, do yourself a favor and watch the undefeated Frankel in the Lockinge Stakes (G1) at Newbury. He is the best horse in the world and doing his namesake justice.

Jessica Paquette, Racing Analyst

As many of you know, I am a huge fan of social media in sports. This year, it has really allowed fans unprecedented behind-the-scenes access to the Derby and has managed to make handicapping an already incredibly deep field harder and easier at the same time.

I have thoroughly enjoyed all of the candid photographs, news and opinion and the instantaneous coverage has made me feel like I am right there on the backside of Churchill Downs.

I am blown away by the quality of this crop. Last year, I felt it was very much a wide open race but it was because I thought the entire lot of them were equally average. This year, I feel like a legitimate case could be made for more than half the field and that we could be seeing some true stars on the rise. It is a talented, exciting and multi-dimensional group of sophomores.

Take Charge Indy was my favorite juvenile last season and he has lived up to the potential he showed as a two-year-old, developing into a serious racehorse this year. While he does have tactical speed, he is by no means a one-dimensional front-runner and his gate-to-wire effort in Florida Derby was a masterful ride by Calvin Borel. Speaking of Borel, who would you rather have in the irons on the first Saturday in May?

He has looked the part this week on and off the track. He is a regal, athletic-looking colt who bears a remarkable resemblance to his dam, multiple G1 winner Take Charge Lady and while she hasn’t produced anything spectacular to date, I think this colt is the real deal.

I\'m finding it impossible to leave Union Rags off of my list, though he could again find himself in similar traffic to what added to his third-place finish in the Florida Derby. Even with the traffic issues, the impression that was given was that trainer Michael Matz had him by no means cranked to 100% for that race and he has been training exceptionally well since then. Physically he is as impressive-looking an individual as you will find and could very well be a real star.

Gemologist comes into the Run for the Roses with a five-race undefeated streak on the line and impressive, gritty victory over the highly regarded Alpha to his credit in his last start. He gave a lot of people flashbacks to his sire, Tiznow, in that race and I love seeing a horse go into the Derby after getting a real gut-check and passing with flying colors. He is battle tested and has proven he has the heart to go with his talent and good looks. It is also worth noting he is 2-2 at Churchill Downs, so no question that he likes the track.

And for a bit of a longshot to round out my exotics, I\'ll be using Went the Day Well for the same connections that teamed up for an upset victory with Animal Kingdom last year. I am a major Graham Motion fan and he has been quietly confident in this horse all along. He will get the addition of blinkers today and while equipment changes for the first time in such an important race usually deter me (if it isn\'t broken, why fix it?), I\'ll go with the same logic that landed me on Animal Kingdom last year – in Graham Motion I trust.

Join us on Saturday for Boston\'s Biggest and Best Kentucky Derby Party and best of luck with your selections!

Jessica Paquette, Racing Analyst

"It’s the most wonderful time of the year…"

No, I don't mean Christmas. It's Kentucky Derby week! This crop of three-year-olds is one of the most competitive, interesting groups I can remember and I am so excited to see who emerges as a true star.

On the Oaks undercard, there are several horses I also very much like. As a fan, I am extremely excited to see Wine Princess potentially break her maiden in the opener. She is the third foal from champion mare Azeri and I can’t wait to see what sort of career she has.

In the sixth race, the La Troienne (G2), Plum Pretty is my single of the day. Though we didn’t get to see the match-up with Havre de Grace in the Apple Blossom last time out, she was so much the best and seems to have gotten even better with age, like her pedigree suggests. She is no stranger to the winner’s circle at Churchill Downs and wore the blanket of lilies last year in the Oaks.

In the tenth, the American Turf (G2), Flashy Dresser will put his undefeated streak on the line in his first attempt on the lawn. He has some grass influence in his female family and while this is by far the toughest field he has faced to date, he has done nothing wrong and will get a solid class test here.

The Kentucky Oaks is equally as competitive and has drawn a field of fifteen, with one filly on the also-eligibles list, the aptly-named Oaks Lily.

The filly to beat is Grace Hall who will be trying to avenge a game loss to My Miss Aurelia in the Juvenile Fillies under the Twin Spires last November. She has never been worse than second from six starts and her tactical speed makes her tough.

That being said, my top choice is Broadway's Alibi who is a length away from being undefeated from five starts, with her only defeat coming in her debut. While she likely won’t get everything her own way out front, she may be the quickest of the speed here and has enough depth in her pedigree to handle the distance.

Believe You Can has been lighting up the worktab at Churchill and generated quite a bit of buzz after her last workout. Providing her last workout, five furlongs in :58 2/5, didn’t take too much out of her, she seems like she is sitting on a monster effort.

And Why Not may have some upset potential here. Though at first glance, her form is far from impressive, she did turn in a terrific effort in her lone start at Churchill Downs. With Michael Matz and Julian Leparoux teaming up on Saturday to try for immortality in the Derby, an Oaks/Derby double doesn’t seem out of the realm of possibility.

1.BROADWAY'S ALIBI
2.AND WHY NOT
3.BELIEVE YOU CAN

Stay tuned later in the week for my Kentucky Derby analysis!

Jessica Paquette, Racing Analyst

I decided to take advantage of yesterday’s gorgeous weather and went out to George and Arlene Brown’s Briar Hill Farm to see the latest additions. Spring is nearly here and it means one thing – babies! And really, who can resist a newly born future racehorse, toddling around on impossibly long legs, investigating the world?

When I arrived, the first thing I was blown away by was simply how busy the farm was. Stalls were being cleaned, horses were being tacked up and exercised (the Brown’s have a great ¼ mile training track), the vet was there checking up on mares that had already or were about to foal and even the dentist, who George referred to as the “tooth fairy”, would be by shortly.

Our first stop was to see two very exciting additions to the Massachusetts breeding industry. Stallions Indian Ocean and Wild Desert both recently arrived and will now be standing at stud in Massachusetts, joining top Massachusetts stallion Sociano and veteran Red Scamper.

Wild Desert has some serious credentials. He earned over $1 million on the racetrack and was a multiple stakes winner, most notably winning the prestigious Queen’s Plate at Woodbine in 2005. I was impressed by him physically in person as well – very big, well put together and he has a great shoulder.

The real standout, however, is Indian Ocean. He is just has that intangible “something special” to him and has real presence. Once he got turned out, he stretched his legs a little bit and is a really lovely mover. I already know I like his offspring – the incredibly talented Libby’s Indian is one of his, along with former New England juvenile champ Oceans of Honey – and I am really excited to see what else he produces now that he is here.

The next stop on the tour was to see the potential future Mass-bred stars, the foals. So far, three have been born and many others are expected at any time. Two colts and one filly so far, and it was no surprise who I liked best. I’ve always had a soft spot for the hard-trying Long Hill Glider and his little sister, born last Tuesday by Sociano, may be my next favorite Mass-bred. She is a spunky baby and was bouncing around the paddock, showing off her long legs.

A big thank you to George and Arlene for taking time out of their very busy spring schedule to give me a wonderful tour.

Jessica Paquette

I decided to take advantage of yesterday’s gorgeous weather and went out to George and Arlene Brown’s Briar Hill Farm to see the latest additions. Spring is nearly here and it means one thing – babies! And really, who can resist a newly born future racehorse, toddling around on impossibly long legs, investigating the world?

When I arrived, the first thing I was blown away by was simply how busy the farm was. Stalls were being cleaned, horses were being tacked up and exercised (the Brown’s have a great ¼ mile training track), the vet was there checking up on mares that had already or were about to foal and even the dentist, who George referred to as the “tooth fairy”, would be by shortly.

Our first stop was to see two very exciting additions to the Massachusetts breeding industry. Stallions Indian Ocean and Wild Desert both recently arrived and will now be standing at stud in Massachusetts, joining top Massachusetts stallion Sociano and veteran Red Scamper.

Wild Desert has some serious credentials. He earned over $1 million on the racetrack and was a multiple stakes winner, most notably winning the prestigious Queen’s Plate at Woodbine in 2005. I was impressed by him physically in person as well – very big, well put together and he has a great shoulder.

The real standout, however, is Indian Ocean. He is just has that intangible “something special” to him and has real presence. Once he got turned out, he stretched his legs a little bit and is a really lovely mover. I already know I like his offspring – the incredibly talented Libby’s Indian is one of his, along with former New England juvenile champ Oceans of Honey – and I am really excited to see what else he produces now that he is here.

The next stop on the tour was to see the potential future Mass-bred stars, the foals. So far, three have been born and many others are expected at any time. Two colts and one filly so far, and it was no surprise who I liked best. I’ve always had a soft spot for the hard-trying Long Hill Glider and his little sister, born last Tuesday by Sociano, may be my next favorite Mass-bred. She is a spunky baby and was bouncing around the paddock, showing off her long legs.

A big thank you to George and Arlene for taking time out of their very busy spring schedule to give me a wonderful tour.

Jessica Paquette, Racing Analyst

I cannot believe how quickly the season flew by. It seems like it went from opening day, to the NETWA awards dinner, to the end of the meet in the blink of an eye.

While I do enjoy the little bit of downtime that comes with the end of the season, I felt out of sorts this morning just throwing on jeans and heading out the door at a leisurely pace (faithful assistant Gibbs the Bull Terrier in tow, of course). My brain is so programmed that Wednesday = racing day. Instead, I will spend my day watching the extended Suffolk family compete across the country.

Our leading rider, Tammi Piermarini has escaped the New England cold and will be spending her second winter at Turf Paradise in Arizona. Jackie Davis , an up and coming local star, is back home in New York and I think she is going to have a terrific winter at Aqueduct . Hector Ramos and Dyn Panell are both heading to Laurel , Jordano Tunon has mounts at Parx , Vernon Bush will be at Beulah and David Amiss and Luis Garcia are off to Tampa . It looks like Suffolk will be well-represented from coast to coast.

Looking back on the 2011 season, there are several major highlights for me.

The most impressive performance of the season for me was either when Sassy City defeated a star studded field including Snow Down & Technically Wicked in June or when first-time starter Pennie’s Appeal broke her maiden in an eye-popping last-to-first performance. Both gave me goosebumps. Speaking of, Pennie’s Appeal is running today at Laurel .

Though Sassy City was the real star of the season to me, the group of top older horses was outstanding. Beijing House, Snow Down, Lovethatdirtywater, Technically Wicked, and Southern Rainbow knocked heads throughout the season and handicapping those races was a real treat. How often is it that you get six former champions still competitive at the top level, some years after their award winning season? And I can’t forget Western Tease and his triumphant return to Boston on closing day.

The thing that never ceases to amaze me about Sassy City is the way she has captivated fans in Boston for years. Our slogan this season was that we were “the Hometown Favorite” and she really embodied that. Though she didn’t win the O’Malley in October, fans cheered for her as she walked back to the barns.

Personally, one of the greatest moments of the past year for me was getting to ride my very own OTTB, What a Trippi for the first time and getting to watch him develop into a pretty awesome pleasure horse. It is hard to believe he is the same horse that used to race and win against the best on the grounds – his fastest gear at this point if it is up to him is a slow trot and the only time I see hints of his former life as a racehorse is when he is chasing his friends away from the round bale in the field.

Let the off season begin!

Jessica Paquette, Racing Analyst

The Breeders\' Cup is hands down my favorite event in sports. As both a fan and a handicapper, it is the most anticipated two days of the year for me. Since pre-entries came out last week and official entries came out early this week, my printed out copies have been coming with me pretty much everywhere.

In addition, this Friday and Saturday will mark the conclusion of our 2011 live racing season (expect a retrospective blog next week) and the local cards on both days are deep and competitive. I am as excited about our closing day feature (Technically Wicked vs Lovethatdirtywater vs Western Tease!)as I am about any of the races at Churchill Downs.

Here are my selections for the Breeders\' Cup races.

FRIDAY

JUVENILE SPRINT

In what is likely one of the more wide-open races on the card, SEEKER seems like a logical contender after three competitive efforts thus far in his career. Sire Hard Spun is second in the first-crop stallion standings and fourth overall for success with juveniles and this colt seems precocious and professional. SECRET CIRCLE is the likely favorite and will try to remain undefeated after two visually impressive victories in California. He has run well on conventional dirt and synthetics and his recent workout at Churchill was encouraging. VEXOR rebounded nicely to pull the upset in the Nashua over a similar field last time out and with the exception of one poor effort on a sloppy track, his record is strong.

JUVENILE FILLIES TURF

The European horses always warrant a strong look on Breeders\' Cup Day, particularly in the turf races and this race is no exception. UP (IRE) delivered as the favorite to break her maiden in Ireland last time out and will try winners for the first time here. She is a half-sister to a French juvenile G1 winner and has the pedigree to be an interesting contender providing she traveled well. STOPSHOPPINGMARIA will try the turf for the first time and has the pedigree to excel on the lawn. She is by More Than Ready, a stallion has developed a reputation for producing precocious turf horses - it is worse noting that he sired both Pluck and More Than Real, winners of the BC Juvenile Turf and Juvenile Fillies Turf last year. SOMALI LEMONADE is two for two and has proven that she can win against large fields and overcome adversity and that experience edge could work in her favor. As a local connection, she is a half sister to Sir Taypot, a local horse.

FILLY AND MARE SPRINT My sentimental dollars will be going with TAMARIND HALL as I would love nothing more than to see stallion Graeme Hall get a Breeders\' Cup winner added to his resume. However, she does seem to be a slight cut below the top tier here and the brilliantly fast TURBULENT DESCENT does seem like a very legitimate 6-5 favorite. The only knock against her is that she is unproven at Churchill Downs and it can be a tricky surface. SWITCH was a good second in this race last year, is proven over the surface and will try to avenge that loss.

JUVENILE FILLIES

It is East Coast vs West Coast with the undefeated fillies MY MISS AURELIAand WEEMISSFRANKIE both putting their perfect records on the line. MY MISS AURELIA seemed to get more impressive stretching out to two turns and while she will likely have company out front, she may just be too quick. QUESTING (IRE) a longshot competitor shipping in from Europe is a question mark on dirt but has a precocious, dirt oriented pedigree and has shown enough talent and professionalism to make her interesting if she can transition her turf form to dirt.

FILLY AND MARE TURF

The European contenders are very difficult to look past here, with rivals NAHRAIN (GB) and ANNOUNCE (GB) looking for a rematch of their 1-2 finish in the Prix de l'Opera (GI) at Longchamp. With only four starts, NAHRAIN (GB) will try to remain perfect and undefeated and establish herself as a star on the rise. STACELITA (FR) seems like the leading contender of the United States-based contenders, though she is a new addition stateside and two wins and a third-place finish to her credit since shipping in over the summer. Her two recent victories have been powerful performances and that third-place finish came against top male rivals in the United Nations.

LADIES’ CLASSIC

PLUM PRETTY returns to the site of her greatest career achievement and will try to repeat her impressive triumph in the Kentucky Oaks. Her form since that victory has been competitive and she has been holding her own against similar rivals, most recently defeating IT\'S TRICKY in a gate to wire effort in Pennsylvania. IT\'S TRICKY will try to turn the tables on her rival here and should get the proper pace set up. ULTRA BLEND was a very good second to Zazu, a filly who would have been the likely favorite in this race had she not been forced to miss it. Though at first glance this mare appears to be a synthetic specialist, she has actually done very well over conventional dirt and could have upset potential.

SATURDAY

MARATHON

ELDAAFER came through and pulled off a minor upset in the Marathon last year and will seek to repeat here. His greatest advantage is that he was able to prove last year that he could excel under the Twin Spires and though his form isn’t quite as solid this year as it was going into the 2010 running of this race, he was more ambitiously campaigned this year. MEEZNAH is taking on the boys and while conventional dirt is a question mark for her, the distance certainly shouldn’t be as she has the pedigree to run all day. She has been keeping good company in Great Britain and if she handles the dirt she can hold her own here. BRIGANTIN is another Euro trying dirt for the first time and he, like the filly, will have no problem with the distance.

JUVENILE TURF

STATE OF PLAY is modestly bred but has shown plenty of natural ability and professionalism from two starts to date and will try to remain undefeated in the toughest test so far in his career. He did defeat a quality field, including the highly regarded Dullahan, last time out and will get to prove how good he may be. The Europeans generally warrant a good look in the turf events and this one is no exception. WROTE (IRE) has shown plenty of ability from four starts to date and has been keeping good company overseas. LUCKY CHAPPY (IRE) like Wrote is a son of Breeders’ Cup Turf champion High Chaparral (IRE) and he may have a slight advantage having already had a race in this country. He was a good third and was gaining at the end against a stakes field on the turf at Keeneland and his prior Italian form had been encouraging.

SPRINT

BIG DRAMA, last year\'s authoritative winner of the Sprint, will seek to repeat and remain undefeated this season. He has had only two starts since winning the 2010 installment, one in January and one in September, but his recent victory was sharp and any question about whether he would be fit enough for this race was answered. FORCE FREEZE and Churchill Downs specialist HAMAZING DESTINY round out my trifecta.

TURF SPRINT

HOOFIT (NZ) is an interesting longshot here and is two for two over synthetics since coming to the United States from New Zealand. While his form there was inconsistent, he did earn three victories against what appears to have been quality competition on turf and if he handles the Churchill lawn he has upset potential. CHAMBERLAIN BRIDGE is another 2010 Breeders\' Cup winner looking for his second consecutive victory and this veteran gelding is impossible to throw out here, even though his form is less than it was last year. He is a horse for the course over the local turf and his effort last out was one of his best of the season. Throw in REGALLY READY, who with the exception of that dismal effort two back, has been way too consistent to overlook.

DIRT MILE

SHACKLEFORD rebounded off of a disappointing performance in the Travers to finish second as the favorite in the Indiana Derby and should be primed for a big effort in this race. He has been training exceptionally well, is proven at Churchill and consistently established himself this season as extremely honest and competitive on the front end. A mile should be an ideal distance for the 2011 Preakness winner. WILBURN comes into this race riding a three-win undefeated streak and will try to extend that and earn his fist G1 victory here. He got to coast through relatively soft fractions last time out and may have to step it up here. JERSEY TOWN was third of four in the Kelso last time out but has proven he is capable of keeping G1 company as evidenced by his game triumph in the Cigar Mile last fall. Not super consistent, but an interesting enough longshot.

TURF

MIDDAY (GB) has nothing left to prove in the Filly & Mare Turf, with a victory and a narrow defeat as the favorite to her credit, and will tackle the boys here in her third appearance stateside. She has already proven she can hold her own with Europe\'s best of either gender and appears to be as good this year as she has ever been. AWAIT THE DAWN debuted as a highly regarded juvenile in 2009 and while there have been some gaps since, he proved last time that he can compete with some of the best in Europe and should be a contender. SEA MOON (GB) is from the female family of the brilliant Workforce and this impeccably bred colt seems to be getting better and better with only limited experience so far. He had a rough trip last time and should benefit from that educational experience.

JUVENILE

TAKE CHARGE INDY will need to make a big step forward to prove he is a top tier juvenile but does have the pedigree to improve significantly switching from synthetics to conventional dirt. His dam, Take Charge Lady, was an incredible racehorse who enjoyed major success under the Twin Spires and this colt could be a big surprise. DULLAHAN is, at first glance, better suited for turf or synthetics but it is worth remembering that he is a half brother to Kentucky Derby upset winner Mine That Bird and seems like a young horse that is getting really good at the right time. He pulled the upset last time and warrants a shot here. UNION RAGS has been perfect from three starts and will try to solidify his status as the top juvenile with a win here. He was very professional last time and did seem to show marked maturity from his second to third start.

MILE

GOLDIKOVA. What else can I say? I am first and foremost a racing fan and she is just incredible. This international superstar is going for her fourth consecutive victory in the Breeders\' Cup Mile and will cement her legacy today as an all-time great. Will use her with COURAGEOUS CAT and GIO PONTI.

CLASSIC

With the favorite, UNCLE MO, looking awfully vulnerable and the overall crop of older males being somewhat average, this race could offer some real value. DROSSELMEYER was one of the most talented horses of his crop last year and while he did win a classic, the Belmont Stakes, he has never quite gotten the respect he deserves. His lone victory this year did come against minor stakes company, but he is talented and the distance is not an issue. HAVRE DE GRACE takes on the boys here after back to back victories, including one against male rivals in a terrific performance in the Woodward. This filly is a total superstar and is the one to beat here. TO HONOR AND SERVE shares a trainer with Drosselmeyer and this colt seems to be getting really good at the right time. He was highly regarded as a two year old and while he missed the spring classics, the time off seems to have been beneficial.

Jessica Paquette, Racing Analyst

When I printed out the past performances for the first race on the first day of the 2011 racing season, I saw a horse named Auto City and was immediately interested – he was a gallant old class horse, just the type that I usually root for. It was when I saw his dam that I did a double take and grabbed my cell phone.

I have been fortunate over the course of my career at Suffolk Downs to meet many incredible people and make some real friendships. One of those friendships is with another Jessica, a young woman who has a big heart and a bigger farm and has taken many horses off the track over the past several years, offering them a chance at a happy ever after. She was the first person to assure me I wasn’t crazy when I decided to finally take What a Trippi home and she has done an amazing job helping him transition from a racehorse to a pleasure horse.

The backstory here is that she owned Auto City’s dam for the final stage of her life and that mare had left a deep impact on Jess. Some horses just leave a permanent mark, and Saucy Maisie was one of those special ones. Last summer, Jess lost Maisie and was heartbroken. When I called her and told her one of Maisie’s first sons had wound up at Suffolk, she had to have him. It was meant to be.

So I called Jerome Palumbo, a few days before opening day, not even entirely sure he would remember me from last season. I explained the backstory and told him that whenever he was ready to retire Auto City, I would have a trailer waiting to take him to Maine. Without hesitation, he told me that as soon as he was ready, Auto would be ours.

One month and three races later, he kept his word.

As Mike LeCessee, Trippi’s former trainer, could probably attest to, I can be quite persistent and wasn’t shy about popping by the barn to visit Auto, chat with Jerome and remind him that a big open pasture in Maine was waiting for the gorgeous old chestnut. Jerome obviously had a real fondness for him and I would text message pictures of Auto to Jess whenever I could. He had his mother’s eyes. She sent me a picture of Maisie and the resemblance was uncanny.

Jerome had nothing but praise for Auto City’s class (and with 61 starts, thirteen wins and over $300,000 in earnings, there was plenty of it) and wanted him to go out a winner. On June 20, Auto City finished fifth in what would be his final career start. He may not have made that final trip to the winner’s circle, but in a winning gesture from Jerome he told me to come to the barn the next day to get him.

I picked him up today and as I was walking with him, I explained to him that he would be heading to Maine to meet someone who he meant the world to, even though they had never met. And that my horse has a penchant for chestnuts, so hopefully they would get along well. While I was chatting with Auto, Jerome was sending me text messages wishing his former racehorse well in the second chapter of his life and stressing again how much Auto had meant to him. It is amazing that this big chestnut could touch so many different people’s lives.

On Thursday, we leave for Maine where his happily ever after begins. Maybe in a few months I’ll have some great pictures of me, Trippi, Jess and Auto hitting the trails.

This isn't just a happy ending. It is a happy beginning.

Jessica Paquette, Racing Analyst

I’ll be the first to admit, my excitement this week is more centered around our own opening day than it is about what is going on in Maryland this weekend. Though on Friday, I will be paying attention to the undercard – my little chestnut spitfire, Libby’s Indian, is making her last start before coming back to Boston.

I think the Preakness is wildly bettable and highly doubt Animal Kingdom will get the respect he deserves off of an impressive Derby win, making him appealing again from a wagering perspective.

ANIMAL KINGDOM looked like the real deal in the Run for the Roses and firmly answered any and all questions about whether or not he could transition from synthetics to conventional dirt. Though he is the morning line favorite, with a full field it seems unlikely he goes off as a heavy favorite if he is even the top betting choice come post time, making him likely a value again. Graham Motion is no stranger to Maryland racing and it may work to this colt’s advantage that he was able to return to their home base at Fair Hill and essentially decompress between the Derby and now.

DIALED IN has a lot to gain by winning the Preakness in the way of a $5.5 million bonus if he is able to pull off the Holy Bull, Florida Derby and Preakness trifecta. Along with the financial incentives, there is a certain amount of redemption to be had after a very disappointing afternoon at Churchill Downs two weeks ago. With the field of nineteen in the Derby, he was at the mercy of traffic and trip and with a smaller field here he may be able to return to the form that made him one of the more exciting horses in the crop early in the year.

MUCHO MACHO MAN has a heart-warming story and enough local connection to make it easy to root for him. Couple that with an impressive run in the Derby and he seems like a logical contender. However, horse is so big and because he is a late foal (June), he is likely still both physically and mentally maturing. You have to wonder how much his last race took out of him and whether or not this is the race he regresses in.

ASTROLOGY was one of the horses that was on my early Derby short list last fall after showing some serious talent as a youngster. Though his runner-up effort to Twice the Appeal was hardly flattered in the Derby, he put in a respectable effort in the Jerome and has the advantage over several rivals here in that he is coming in fresh. Another new shooter that is interesting is KING CONGIE after a tenacious effort in the Blue Grass despite a rough trip. It remains to be seen whether or not he can transition to conventional dirt, but he has some off track influence in his pedigree and could be a live longshot if the rain continues.

My picks: 1. Animal Kingdom
2. Dialed In
3. King Congie
4. Astrology

Good luck everyone!

Jessica Paquette, Racing Analyst

I’ll be the first to admit, my excitement this week is more centered around our own opening day than it is about what is going on in Maryland this weekend. Though on Friday, I will be paying attention to the undercard – my little chestnut spitfire, Libby’s Indian, is making her last start before coming back to Boston.

I think the Preakness is wildly bettable and highly doubt Animal Kingdom will get the respect he deserves off of an impressive Derby win, making him appealing again from a wagering perspective.

ANIMAL KINGDOM looked like the real deal in the Run for the Roses and firmly answered any and all questions about whether or not he could transition from synthetics to conventional dirt. Though he is the morning line favorite, with a full field it seems unlikely he goes off as a heavy favorite if he is even the top betting choice come post time, making him likely a value again. Graham Motion is no stranger to Maryland racing and it may work to this colt’s advantage that he was able to return to their home base at Fair Hill and essentially decompress between the Derby and now.

DIALED IN has a lot to gain by winning the Preakness in the way of a $5.5 million bonus if he is able to pull off the Holy Bull, Florida Derby and Preakness trifecta. Along with the financial incentives, there is a certain amount of redemption to be had after a very disappointing afternoon at Churchill Downs two weeks ago. With the field of nineteen in the Derby, he was at the mercy of traffic and trip and with a smaller field here he may be able to return to the form that made him one of the more exciting horses in the crop early in the year.

MUCHO MACHO MAN has a heart-warming story and enough local connection to make it easy to root for him. Couple that with an impressive run in the Derby and he seems like a logical contender. However, horse is so big and because he is a late foal (June), he is likely still both physically and mentally maturing. You have to wonder how much his last race took out of him and whether or not this is the race he regresses in.

ASTROLOGY was one of the horses that was on my early Derby short list last fall after showing some serious talent as a youngster. Though his runner-up effort to Twice the Appeal was hardly flattered in the Derby, he put in a respectable effort in the Jerome and has the advantage over several rivals here in that he is coming in fresh. Another new shooter that is interesting is KING CONGIE after a tenacious effort in the Blue Grass despite a rough trip. It remains to be seen whether or not he can transition to conventional dirt, but he has some off track influence in his pedigree and could be a live longshot if the rain continues.

My picks: 1. Animal Kingdom
2. Dialed In
3. King Congie
4. Astrology

Good luck everyone!