Author Archives: Peter Applebee

Happy Derby Day!    With the Baffert trainees ineligible to run, the Derby would appear to be a two horse race between Sierra Leone and Fierceness. However, in a twenty horse field plenty of things can go awry. The Turf Classic features a Euro vs. American match-up with a Charlie Appleby trainee taking on an uncoupled Chad Brown entry with a strong Shug runner.  Race 11 The Turf Classic – Grade I  One Mile and One Furlong on the Turf for Four Year Olds and Upward   Integration: In the Makers Mark Mile he couldn’t run down Master of the Seas as he was wide on the far turn…

Happy Wood Memorial Day!  Today we get our first big race day of the year in New York with four graded stakes headlined by the Carter Handicap and the Wood Memorial. It’s a nice full field of thirteen in the Wood.  Trivia question: Who is the Carter Handicap named for?  Race 4 – The Carter Handicap  – Grade II  Seven Furlongs on the Dirt for Four Year Olds and Upward  Castle Chaos: Was very good two back in the Fred Hooper where he was wide the whole way and just missed (97 Beyer). Tired in the slop last out in the Stymie. Inside draw should help to establish…

Happy Florida Derby Day!  The Florida Derby headlines a monster card at Gulfstream Park where there are five graded stakes races.  Trivia Question: The Florida Derby has produced fifteen Kentucky Derby winners, who was the most recent?  Race 11 – The Gulfstream Park Oaks – Grade II  One Mile and a Sixteenth on the Dirt for Three Year Old Fillies  Power Squeeze: Has won three in a row including the Cash Run (82 Beyer) and then the Suncoast Stakes at Tampa with a nice inside trip. Inside draw should allow him to establish position for a stalking trip. Piece of it. Do Gooder: Broke her maiden in her…

Happy Louisiana Derby Day!  The top two finishers in the Louisiana Derby will punch a ticket into the Kentucky Derby given the points that aren’t being awarded to the Baffert trainees who are winning the SoCal preps. The Fair Ground Oaks features four runners coming out of the Rachel Alexandra Stakes.  There is an all stakes late Pick 4 and I have put together a caveman ticket which is detailed below.  Trivia Question: Which jockey has won the most renditions of the Louisiana Derby?  Race 11 – The Fair Grounds Oaks – Grade II  One Mile and One Sixteenth on the Dirt for Three Year Old Fillies   V…

Happy Holy Bull Day!  Gulfstream Park has four graded stakes, led by the Holy Bull, where the top five finishers will receive Kentucky Derby qualifying points (20-10-6-4-2).   Trivia question: Name the only horse to win the Hutcheson, the Florida Derby, the Blue Grass, the Met Mile, the Dwyer, the Haskell, the Travers, and the Woodward – all in the same year.  Gulfstream Park Race 11 – The Kitten’s Joy – Grade III  One Mile and One Sixteenth on the Turf for Three Year Olds  Hammerstein: Broke his maiden last out (66 Beyer) in his first effort on the turf with a professional stalk and pounce move. By Oscar…

Happy Pegasus Day! Gulfstream Park has seven graded stakes races headlined by the Pegasus Turf and Pegasus World Cup. While these contests lack a superstar, we have excellent betting races with full fields. Trivia Question: What was the former name of the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes? Race 12 – The Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes – Grade I One Mile and a Furlong on the Turf for Four Year Olds and Upward 1. Atone: Defending champion of this race in what was his only win of 2023. Never quite found that form again in 2023, that included a third place finish in December in an allowance…

Happy Cigar Mile Day!  It’s inexplicable that the Cigar Mile has been reduced to a Grade II.  Recent winners of the Cigar include Stay Thirsty (Travers), Flat Out (Suburban twice, Jockey Club Gold Cup twice), Tonalist (Belmont, Jockey Club Gold Cup twice), and Maximum Security who won two Grade Is even after he left the Jason Servis barn.  How a race with those winners can be reduced from a Grade I to a Grade II is beyond me, but yet here we are.    But that grading change reveals a bigger issue. The Met Mile is now the only Grade I dirt mile race in North America for three…

Hapy Red Smith Day!  Today we have two graded stakes on the turf at the Big A, both with big competitive fields. The Pebbles has some nice up and coming three year old filly turf milers, and the Red Smith is oversubscribed with a number of salty veterans.    Trivia Question:  Who was Red Smith?  Race 6 – The Pebbles – Grade III  One Mile on the Turf for Three Year Old Fillies  Implicated: Started brightly last year breaking her maiden and wining the overnight Chelsea Flower Stakes with a 74 Beyer. Came back last month off a year layoff in N2X company for Chad Brown and she tired…

Happy Breeders’ Cup Day!  Christmas comes a touch early today for horse players as we have nine Breeders’ Cup races headlined by a very competitive Classic.     Race 8 – Breeders’ Cup Turf– Grade I  One Mile and One Half on the Turf for Three Year Olds and Upward  Shahryar: Has only raced twice this year with a fifth in the Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan and a no show eleventh in Japan in the Sapporo Kinen. In the Sheema Classic he dwelled toward the rear and made sustained run for fifth – but was no threat. Passing. Onesto: Was a strong third in the Arc de Triomphe…

Happy Future Stars Friday!  Welcome to Future Stars Friday – we have five Breeders’ Cup races today featuring two year old fillies and colts.   Race 8 – Breeders’ Cup Juvenile – Grade I  One Mile and a Sixteenth on the Dirt for Two Year Olds  The Wine Steward: Just missed in the Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland where he was bested by Locked (92 Beyer). That narrow loss was preceded by three straight wins to start his career which included wins in the Bashford Manor and New York bred Funny Cide Stakes. Steadily improving speed figs puts this one right there and his ability to rate helps as well.…