Ron Correll
Senior columnist
Tracksideview.com

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The speed in Kentucky Derby 135 has been falling by the wayside in the past few weeks. The Pamplemousse, Old Fashioned and Quality Road all have been eliminated from the Derby with one injury or another. Some speed pretenders still are hanging around: Join in the Dance, Papa Clem, Take the Points, Regal Ransom and even Pioneerof the Mile, if the pace is too slow.

(Edited Churchill Downs report)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Square Eddie will not run in Saturday’s 135th Kentucky Derby after reaggravating a cannon bone injury, according to trainer Doug O’Neill.

(Edited Belmont Park report)

ELMONT PARK, N.Y. – Quality Road, expected to be one of the favorites for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby, will miss the race because of continued problems with a quarter crack on his right front hoof, trainer Jimmy Jerkens said Monday morning at Belmont Park.

(Edited Churchill Downs report)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – ADVICE/DUNKIRK/JOIN IN THE DANCE/TAKE THE POINTS – A trio of Todd Pletcher-trained Kentucky Derby “possibles” went through their final serious drills for the Saturday spectacular on Monday morning, putting a “put me in coach” spin on activities Pletcher’s Barn 38.

(Edited Churchill Downs report)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - BE FAIR/TWEETER – Westrock Stables’ Be Fair walked the shedrow at Barn 44 a day after working five furlongs in 1:00.20 in her final major drill for Friday’s 135th running of the $500,000-added Kentucky Oaks (Grade I).  Exercise rider Omar Golon was aboard for the work on Sunday.

(Edited Churchill Downs report)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Unbeaten Eclipse Award champion Zenyatta, a finalist for ‘Horse of the Year’ honors in 2008, is scheduled to arrive at Churchill Downs on Monday, April 27 to run in the $350,000-added Louisville Distaff (Grade 2) on Friday’s Kentucky Oaks Day program at Churchill Downs.

Del Mar Thoroughbred Club release
 
Del Mar will run on a five-day per week schedule in 2009, dropping most Monday cards and shifting some of the races from that day to other programs.  The lone exception to the new Wednesday-through-Sunday routine will be racing on Monday, September 7, which is the Labor Day holiday.

(Edited Fair Grounds report) 

NEW ORLEANS, La. – Fair Grounds will move up the start of its racing season by one week in 2009-10, marking the earliest start to a racing season in the track’s history. The Louisiana State Racing Commission approved Monday a request by Fair Grounds for an 85-day meet in 2009-10. The track’s 138th season will begin on Nov. 6 and conclude on March 28, 2010.

(Edited Keeneland report)

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Keeneland concluded its 2009 spring race meeting, held April 3-24, with total attendance of 240,755, the third-highest in track history.  Despite one less day of racing, total attendance for the 15-day meet was off just 1.2 percent from last year’s total of 243,606 for the 16-day meeting.  The Keeneland record of 244,145 was set during the 2006 spring meeting. 

(Edited Belmont Park report)

ELMONT, N.Y. – When New York’s 2008 Grade 1 season came to an end last November in Aqueduct’s Hill ‘n’ Dale Cigar Mile, trainer Bobby Ribaudo was feeling pretty good. Granted, Marc Keller’s French-bred Bribon ran third in that race, but he was beaten by two solid players in Tale of Ekati and Harlem Rocker. Tale of Ekati emerged the winner by disqualification, and it was only three-quarters of a length back to Bribon.