Picking Winners – The Kentucky Oaks

Key:  K is Kat Kubik; R is Rick Francis; B is Bob Hill

1 – It’s Tea Time (Trainer: George Arnold and Jockey: Alan Garcia) 15-1
K:  Dirt experience would be helpful but she looks like a good one who’s improving by leaps and bounds.
R:  First try on dirt, near miss in tough Ashland, and moving up the speed scale makes her dangerous.
B:  Lightly raced daughter of Dynaformer was…

Michele Blanco
Calder Race Course

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Most racing fans in the nation and others worldwide Saturday will be focused on the simulcast of the 136th running of the Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs, and a highlight of the ‘live’ 12-race program at Calder Casino & Race Course will mark the first 2-year-old races to be run in Florida this season, one colt with a family connection to this year’s ‘Run for the Roses’ field.

(Edited Hollywood Park report) 

INGLEWOOD, Calif.  - Cat By The Tale, who chased Tuscan Evening in her two most recent starts at Santa Anita, is the likely favorite in the $100,000 Wilshire Handicap on Saturday at Hollywood Park.

Jon Forbes
NYRA/Belmont Park     

ELMONT, N.Y. – Grand Couturier and Interpatation, winners of the last two renewals of the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational, will cut back in distance and face a contentious field when they commence their 2010 campaigns in the Grade 3, $100,000 Fort Marcy at Belmont Park on Saturday.

LEADING RIDER TYLER BAZE PADS MARGIN WITH FOUR WINS

(Edited Hollywood Park report)

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Trying two turns for the first time, Golden Itiz verified himself a 3-year-old to watch with a runaway victory on Wednesday at Hollywood Park.

Graham Ross
Arlington Park

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – A year ago in May, when Virginia Tarra’s Giant Oak won the 75th running of the Arlington Classic, the impressive manner of his score suggested that the Giant’s Causeway colt might go on to win the Grade II American Derby in July and Grade I Secretariat Stakes in August to become the first Mid-America Triple winner since Robert Schaedle III’s Honor Glide accomplished the feat in 1997.

 ‘FIRST LADY OF OAKS’ DESIGNATION AT OAKS 136
 
Darren Rogers
Churchill Downs

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Continuing one of the newest traditions of the Kentucky Oaks, Churchill Downs will honor Kentucky Oaks winner Rachel Alexandra as the 2010 First Lady of Oaks.

Lookin At Unlucky – Today’s Trip Worse than the Santa Anita Derby

Bob Hill
Staff writer
Tracksideview.com

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – If you saw the Santa Anita Derby and thought that Lookin At Lucky had a bad trip you should have seen what happened at the post-position draw Wednesday for the Kentucky Derby.  Until the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile race in November, Lookin At Lucky was undefeated.  His connections drew the far outside post for that race, and he suffered…

Ron Correll
Senior columnist
Tracksideview.com

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Reigning Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra gets her shot at redemption Friday when she enters the starting gate for the 25^th running of the Grade 2 La Troienne for fillies and mares at Churchill Downs.

Ron Correll
Senior columnist
Tracksideview.com

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Endorsement became the latest contender in the Kentucky Derby chase to fall by the wayside when he suffered a non-displaced lateral condylar fracture of the right front ankle during his final workout for the race Wednesday morning at Churchill Downs.

Endorsement is owned by WinStar Farm and trained by Shannon Ritter.
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Tracksideview.com
Endorsement, with trainer Shannon Ritter up, heads to the track for his workout Wednesday morning.…