Equidaily Racing Journal

2009 Triple Crown Archive

www.equidaily.com

The links listed below make up the full archive of headlines that have been listed here on equidaily.com pertaining to the 2009 Kentucky Derby/Preakness/Belmont

Please understand that as time goes on some links might become inactive. We have no control over that.

They are listed in chronological order by day/date as they appeared in their various publications with the latest being at the top of the list.


>>> Official Kentucky Derby website
>>> Official Preakness website
>>> Official Belmont Stakes website

>>> Triple Crown winners
>>> Triple Crown near-misses -- winners of two legs

BELMONT

2009 Belmont post positions and morning line odds
Post.. Horse...Trainer... Jockey... ML
1 Chocolate Candy Hollendorfer Gomez 10-1
2 Dunkirk Pletcher Velazquez 4-1
3 Mr Hot Stuff Harty Prado 15-1
4 Summer Bird Ice Desormeaux 12-1
5 Luv Guv Lukas Mena 20-1
Post.. Horse... Trainer... Jockey... ML
6 Charitable Man McLaughlin Garcia 3-1
7 Mine That Bird Woolley Jr Borel 2-1
8 Flying Private Lukas Leparoux 12-1
9 Miner's Escape Zito Lezcano 15-1
10 Brave Victory Zito Maragh 15-1
BELMONT STAKES

Belmont Stakes/Triple Crown coverage:
>>> Daily Racing Form
>>> Bloodhorse
>>> TTimes

>>> Belmont area weather forecast

>>> Belmont Stakes day post times and wagering menu
>>> TV coverage: ESPN/ABC to offer seven hours on Saturday

>>> Peb's 2009 Belmont Stakes DRF cover artwork

>>> Free PPs: Belmont Stakes [DRF]
>>> Free PPs: Belmont Stakes [Trackmaster Platinum pdf]
>>> Free PPs: Belmont Stakes [Equibase format pdf]

>>> VIDEO REPLAY: G1 Belmont Stakes
>>> Chart: G1 $1mil Belmont Stakes
>>> Belmont Stakes card payoffs
>>> Belmont Day numbers: Crowd of 52,861 wagers $9,021,196 on-track... All-sources handle $89,705,994 -- record for a non-Triple Crown year

Sat 6/13:

>>> Mine That Bird pointing towards W Va Derby, then Travers
>>> Wesch: I found the Triple Crown series to be a blast for four reasons
>>> Crist: Resist temptation to tinker with Triple Crown

Thursday 6/11:

>>> Haskin: Borel criticized for not taking any Belmont-week mounts -- BUT "It has been learned that the decision was not his, and that he was unable to land any mounts."
>>> Sports Illustrated: "It's too simple to blame Borel."
>>> White: Belmont recap... "Should Borel have been a bit more patient? I think so."
>>> 2009 Triple Crown and its participants: "What could have been better?"
>>> Happy Trails: NY Times' The Rail blog rides into the sunset until next year's Triple Crown season
>>> Chart: The winning Beyer Speed Figures for each of the Triple Crown races since the figs were first published in 1991
>>> Haskell next for Belmont winner Summer Bird
>>> $96 into $960K! Single ticket takes down Belmont Stakes Day P6 with a 1x2x2x2x3x2 sequence
>>> New Mexico op-ed: Mine That Bird brings renown to our region


He's not heavy, he's my br--... Oh, never mind:
>>> Chicago writer Roeper gets the lowdown and finds that Mine That Bird and Summer Bird aren't half-brothers
>>> But wait a minute!... This scribe says, of course they're brothers, "Tell their DNA there's no connection."

Tip o' the cap to handicapper Ellis Starr at NTRA: He slipped past our list of Belmont Stakes selections links from handicappers around the country [still available in the archive, see Sat 6/6], but, while a number of the pundits we catalogued used Summer Bird on top, and others had the top two or three in their mix, Mr Starr is the only public handicapper we're aware of that tabbed the Belmont Stakes finish correctly in 1-2-3 order. Nice job.

Wednesday 6/10:

>>> Garrett Gomez reflects on the Belmont: "I thought Calvin [on Mine That Bird] would be a little further behind, but he was closer to the pace and I was like, 'What the hell are you doing up here with me?'"
>>> Forde: "It's time to face reality and fix the Triple Crown."
>>> Haskin's Belmont Wrapup: The wild and unpredictable 2009 Triple Crown finally is over...
>>> Veitch: Triple Crown recap -- "Let's take a look back at some of the highlights..."
>>> Oops, I won: some people have all the luck!

Tuesday 6/9:

>>> Grening: Belmont business healthy for non-Crown year
>>> Hovdey: The 2009 classic season was played for underdog drama and good-hearted laughs, along with a brief interlude of genuflection
>>> Agriss: "Borel did what he thought was best for the horse and himself."
>>> Don't knock Borel -- he has a high-voltage job
>>> Mine That Bird returns to Churchill
>>> Rachel works at CD on Mon am... Next race still undecided
>>> 3YO Watch: Surgery on Dunkirk for condylar fracture
>>> Sunland expects after-glow from Mine That Bird's Triple Crown efforts, "We're going to be on the radar of the national racing scene from here on out, I would think."
>>> Sports business columnist: "The real winner [last weekend] might have actually been Marylou Whitney and Gainesway Farm in Lexington, Ky."
>>> Scott: Triple Crown thoughts... "A Triple Crown isn't going to save horse racing any more than a car-of-the-year award is going to save General Motors."

More blogger reviews of Saturday at Belmont:

>>> "Here are a few photos of what I found interesting throughout the day..."
>>> "Around the Just A Game is when the MTV kids showed up and began filming; I still have no idea what that was all about..."

Monday 6/8:

>>> Crist: "I think we can all agree that while this Triple Crown was entertaining and dramatic, it was not a vintage year for quality..."
>>> Jerardi: "There is a fine line between confident and cocky... [Borel] may have crossed it."
>>> Gray: "Some will say Borel made his move too soon, but that is not an accurate explanation for the loss."
>>> Kerrison's post-Belmont notes... "Maidens-once-removed are not supposed to win Belmonts."
>>> Jenkins: Desormeaux knew all the things Borel and Woolley couldn't know
>>> Giauque: "What a great Triple Crown it has been, even if I was wrong about everything."
>>> Ziegel: Desormeaux proves to be cool as Ice at Belmont
>>> Jim Dandy, Travers might be in Summer Bird's plans
>>> Chip Woolley: "I didn't realize you could hit a wall like that once you didn't have a reason to get out of bed the next morning. About midnight last night, I told everyone 'I am done. Done. Done.'"
>>> Pletcher reflects on Triple Crown results: "It shows there are a lot of competent trainers all across the country that when given the opportunity with a good horse can get the job done."
>>> Belmont Stakes post-race press conference videos
>>> Fountaine's Triple Crown report card: Woolley, A+; Jackson, D
>>> Rees: Final thoughts on the Triple Crown... 2009's sequence "was a welcome antidote to the bruising the sport took last year."
>>> Ehalt: "Here are a few random thoughts in the aftermath of the Belmont..."
>>> Woolley: "There have been several offers to buy him. We'll see what happens."
>>> Fickle fashion: Mine That Bird t-shirts don't make it from Pimlico to Belmont without a Triple Crown on the line
>>> Sports Illustrated's Couch Slouch decides that: "During its Belmont coverage Saturday, ABC dutifully tried to hype Borel's bid for history, but America wasn't buying it."
>>> USA Today: Saturday's Belmont drew on ABC drew a 5.0 overnight, up 43% from 2007 and 32% in 2006 -- but down 47% from last year when the race had a Triple Crown candidate. One nit to pick: ABC recycling features that had already appeared on ESPN's earlier pre-race coverage
>>> Drape: This time of year, horseplayers tend to dismiss the current crop of 3YOs as mediocre -- "Not me, not now."
>>> Woolley wonders: Where's the AQU racino? "They make $100 million a year in New Mexico. What would New York do? Possibly, one billion..."
>>> NTRA prez: A year later and change is underway, but "It is way too soon to pat our selves on the back."

Bloggers review their day at the Belmont Stakes:

>>> "It’s hard not to consider New York's premier day of racing an unqualified success."
>>> "Thoroughly enjoyable day in the backyard, crowded enough to provide more than enough buzz for the occasion, but plenty of space..."
>>> "I leave you with some Pictures of my Day at the Belmont Stakes..."
>>> Photo gallery: The horses, the crowd
>>> "For me, it was a special treat, bouncing around the vast expanse of Belmont Park."
>>> End of day handicapping recap
>>> "Seemed like a good day in the offing... And, indeed, it was."

Sunday 6/7:

>>> SUMMER BIRD WINS

>>> Belmont post-race quotes
>>> Belmont top four doing well Sunday
>>> TV coverage: ABC earns poor marks for originality
>>> Should Dunkirk have been disqualified?
>>> Winning trainer, "Right now it's just unexplainable. If my career goes nowhere from here, I've got a Belmont win."
>>> Borel: "Maybe I moved a little early. But I don't think I did."
>>> Forde: Borel "rode himself into the sketchy company of other goats of recent Belmont history."
>>> Moran: A premature move at Belmont Park is almost always fatal
>>> Pricci:"It made no sense [for Borel] to have not a single ride on the undercard."
>>> Ziegel: Mine That Bird "who runs his best when he's too far away, was too close this time."
>>> NY Post's Belmont diary with Chip Woolley/post-script: "The whole Triple Crown experience has been fantastic."
>>> For Borel, no win and no regrets
>>> Borel, "I won the first two legs. I wouldn't change it for anything in the world."
>>> Hovdey: In case anyone is keeping track, the score is now Belmont Stakes 2, Kent Desormeaux 1
>>> AP: Desormeaux gets redemption after Big Brown debacle
>>> Desormeaux: A year later, a jockey finds the right horse
>>> West: For Ice and Desormeaux "nothing beats being in the right place at the right time."
>>> Pletcher [Dunkirk]: "He made the lead very easily and we were happy with that."
>>> Kerrison: The last two furlongs of the Belmont Stakes are a killer
>>> Transcript: NY Times' live blog of Belmont Day

Photo galleries:
>>> USA Today
>>> NYRA
>>> NY Times
>>> NY Daily News
>>> Baltimore Sun

Saturday's undercard stakes/RESULTS:

>>> G1 $400K Manhattan Hcp: Gio Ponti
>>> G1 $300K Acorn: Gabby's Golden Gal
>>> G2 $250K Woody Stephens: Munnings
>>> G1 $400K Just a Game: Diamondrella
>>> G2 $250K True North Hcp: Fabulous Strike

Saturday 6/6:

>>> Will pays: Brooklyn-Belmont double

>>> Thoro-graph's Jerry Brown, "Mine That Bird is a legitimate 5-1 shot. But if he is 2-1, he's a bet against."
>>> Daley: Borel will fall short of winning Triple Crown -- here's why...
>>> Privman: Crown's third-act curtain rising
>>> NY Post's Belmont diary with Chip Woolley [Sat]: "...we had aimed at the Belmont probably the strongest of all."
>>> Rees: In this Belmont, a surprise would be no surprise
>>> Forde: Borel suddenly riding rails to stardom
>>> Woolley enjoys first trip to New York
>>> Chip Woolley visits Anna House
>>> Jockeys visit Ronald McDonald House
>>> Zito sticks to plan as he tries to beat the odds
>>> He's not "Boo"-ing -- he's saying "Bor---", oh wait, he is BOOOOing: CNBC's sports business reporter knocks Borel's 'musical saddle' moves in this Triple Crown series... "A jockey Triple Crown better than nothing? Nope. It might be the reason why we have nothing."
>>> Fountaine: Mine That Bird could be the next John Henry

Selections:

>>> Merrow [equidaily.com]: Dunkirk, Mine That Bird, Charitable Man, Chocolate Candy
>>> Byk [Sirius satellite radio]: Most Likely: Mine That Bird, Next Best: Dunkirk, Best Value: Miner's Escape, Super Add: Chocolate Candy
>>> Haskin's [Bloodhorse]: Dunkirk, Mine That Bird, Charitable Man, and Flying Private in a trifecta box and hope Flying Private sneaks in there
>>> Kling [Troy Record]: 1) Charitable Man, 2) Mine That Bird, 3) Summer Bird, 4) Dunkirk
>>> Pricci [Horseraceinsider.com]: 1. Mine That Bird 2. Summer Bird 3. Flying Private 4. Chocolate Candy
>>> West [McClatchy Newspapers]: Dunkirk, Charitable Man, Mine That Bird, Flying Private
>>> NY Post staff selections
>>> Bossert [NY Daily News]: Mine That Bird, Dunkirk, Flying Private
>>> Nahill [North Country Times]: 1. Chocolate Candy 2. Mine That Bird 3. Charitable Man 4. M. Hot Stuff
>>> Nichols [Santa Rosa Press Democrat]: 1. Mine That Bird. 2. Dunkirk. 3. Mr. Hot Stuff. 4. Flying Private
>>> Matthews [Rochester Democrat & Chronicle]: Charitable Man, Dunkirk, Chocolate Candy
>>> Pepis [NewOrleans.com]: Dunkirk, Summer Bird, Mine That bird
>>> Gorg [Minneapolis Star Tribune]: Mine That Bird, Summer Bird, Chocolate Candy, Charitable Man
>>> Linihan [Tulsa World]: Charitable Man, Summer Bird, Mine that Bird, Chocolate Candy
>>> Arnold [NTRA.com]: I will play Miner's Escape and Charitable Man -- and combine them in exotics with Mine That Bird
>>> Brunker [MSNBC.com]: Here's how I plan to attack it: A $5 exacta box with Chocolate Candy...
>>> Powell [BRIS]: I'll use both "Birds" in my exactas and will make a win wager on Summer Bird... and will leave Charitable Man out of the equation
>>> Finley [ESPN.com}: 1. Dunkirk 2. Charitable Man 3. Miner's Escape
>>> Eng [Las Vegas Review Journal]: Dunkirk, Charitable Man, Mine That Bird and Flying Private
>>> Beyer's [Wash Post] horse-by-horse look at the contenders
>>> Drape [NY Times]: Mine That Bird, Summer Bird, Charitable Man
>>> Cronley [ESPN.com]: 1. Dunkirk 2. Charitable Man 3. Mine That Bird 4. Brave Victory
>>> Ragozin sheets: Summer Bird could be value play
>>> Various: Upstate NY media
>>> Various: Top picks of turf writers from around the country
>>> Tuley [DRF]: 1. Brave Victory; 2. Charitable Man; 3. Mine That Bird; longshot: Summer Bird
>>> Wilson [San Gabriel Valley Tribune]: Charitable Man is the pick here, with Dunkirk finishing second and Mine That Bird third
>>> Ehalt [NTRA.com]: My top three, in this order: Summer Bird, Charitable Man, Mine That Bird

Friday 6/5:

>>> Haskin's Belmont Report: OK, I am officially smitten with Mine That Bird
>>> Mine That Bird tried the Belmont strip on Thurs morn
>>> NY Post's Belmont Diary with Chip Woolley/Fri: "He got over the [Belmont] track like he owned it."
>>> Unpredictable Dunkirk a wild card at Belmont
>>> Plonk's Countdown to the Crown notes: "I'd really like to have seen Calvin Borel get some experience navigating Belmont's 12-furlong oval this week."
>>> West: Late charge might leave Mine That Bird behind
>>> A day in the life of Calvin Borel
>>> Popularity, confidence surround Borel
>>> McLaughlin: Borel's "confident, maybe a little overconfident."
>>> Jerardi: Borel, and Mine That Bird, will win Belmont
>>> USA Today: ABC hopes to ride Borel and Belmont Stakes to good ratings
>>> History riding with Borel as he tries for jockey's Triple Crown
>>> Zito's Belmont Stakes record
>>> Fortus: Chip Woolley would really hit the big time with a win in the Belmont Stakes
>>> Pletcher's Dunkirk blog: "I'm optimistic. I'm not one to make bold projections, but I do think Dunkirk will run well."
>>> Ziegel: Belmont will be Dunkirk's latest chance to get it done
>>> Crawford: Mine That Bird finally in spotlight
>>> Miami Herald: Gulfstream stars fare poorly during Triple Crown season
>>> Belmont jockey Garcia 'doing everything right'
>>> Hollendorfer travels east for classic shot
>>> All along, the Belmont Stakes was the target for outsider Summer Bird
>>> Kerrison: Don't sell the longshots short
>>> D Wayne Lukas enjoying his new roles in horse racing... Elder statesman also a prankster
>>> VIDEO: Mine That Bird teams rings bell to open trading at NY Stock Exchange on Thurs
>>> Wall Street Journal: Where Calvin learned to ride... Louisiana's bush tracks let 8YO race seventeen times a day
>>> TV ALERT: Late Show With David Letterman... CBS, Friday, 11:35pm ET, Calvin Borel
>>> Proof that jocks go to bed early... Borel asks girlfriend, "When do we meet Jay Letterman?"

Thursday 6/4:

>>> Izenberg: Triple Crown or no, true horse racing fans will flock to the Belmont
>>> Veitch: Belmont pedigrees
>>> The components of success: Mine That Bird's rise to stardom
>>> Moran: Belmont subplots abound
>>> Photo gallery: Preparing for the Belmont Stakes
>>> Haskin's Belmont Report: Pace -- let's see how this may play out
>>> Balt Sun: Charitable Man turning heads at Belmont
>>> DW Lukas: Change the Triple Crown
>>> Re-counting the game of musical jocks for the Belmont field
>>> Trainer quotes from Belmont Stakes post position draw
>>> Jerardi: Jockey Calvin Borel is biggest star in Belmont field
>>> Don't forget about the other 'Bird'
>>> Borel stays grounded despite spotlight
>>> Diet guru Jenny Craig confident in Chocolate Candy
>>> Mine That Bird's Wednesday arrival at BEL
>>> Migliore: Borel's Derby "was the best ride I've ever seen."
>>> Zito says Belmont is "Mine That Bird's race to lose"
>>> Garrett Gomez blog: "Getting back on [Chocolate Candy] kind of just fell into place."
>>> Six Derby runners back to try the Belmont
>>> Stablemates are long shots, but Zito has history of Belmont success
>>> Transcript: Belmont Stakes talk with Horseplayerpro.com staff, from Wednesday
>>> Desormeaux tweaks Borel's Belmont bravado, "Calvin is naive. Period."
>>> Lundgren: "Mine That Bird looks like a lock Saturday, and Rachel Alexandra’s presence wouldn't have changed that."

Wednesday 6/3:

>>> "Me, Paris Hilton and somebody else," Borel tapes Letterman appearance... Part of whirlwind Monday in NY
>>> NY Post's Belmont diary with Chip Woolley/Wed: "We're going to ride this out through the Belmont and decide where to go from there."
>>> Grening: Dunkirk the Belmont's forgotten horse... Four of past nine Belmont winners skipped Preakness
>>> Haskin's Belmont report: Before you dismiss Lukas’ pair of longshots this year, remember who you’re dealing with
>>> Crist: "Anything better than even-money on Mine That Bird in the Belmont might be stealing."
>>> Ehalt: "It will still be an entertaining race in spite of the skyscraper-like shadow cast by a certain filly."
>>> Wall: Belmont Stakes A-Z... "How do I love the Belmont Stakes? Let me count the ways..."
>>> USA Today: Well-rested Charitable Man looks strong for Belmont
>>> Borel is confident of ride into record book
>>> Drape: Borel has a little Ali in him
>>> Zito looks to upset -- again
>>> Ziegel: Charitable Man could make a run at Belmont Stakes
>>> Hollendorfer looking to add Triple Crown win with Chocolate Candy

>>> Vecsey: Rachel's owners skip Belmont, "Good for them."
>>> $9000 underbidder for Mine That Bird, "I probably would have lost him in a claiming race."
>>> Plonk: Borel worthy of Hall of Fame... "He might as well go out and seal the deal Saturday."
>>> Sick little girl buoyed by namesake -- Rachel Alexandra... Mother, "The way Hal Wiggins took us in was just amazing."
>>> Transcript: Belmont Stakes talk with Horseplayerpro.com staff, from Wednesday

Tuesday 6/2:

>>> Haskin's Belmont Report: Gone are the days when trainers would work their horse at least 7F, more likely 1M or even 9F for the grueling Test of the Champion
>>> Pletcher's Dunkirk blog: "I think Charitable Man is now the horse to beat."
>>> Mine That Bird puts in Mon am work... Borel onbaord
>>> Borel, "We're going to win it, no questions asked."
>>> Kerrison: Jock duel -- it's Borel vs Garcia
>>> NY Post's Belmont Diary with Chip Woolley/Tues: "[Mine That Bird]'s dead fit, and the mile-and-a-half should really suit him."
>>> Mine That Bird and Mr Hot Stuff to arrive at Belmont on Wed
>>> Ice confident in Summer Bird
>>> Chocolate Candy has final Belmont work

>>> Calvin Borel having time of his life... After years of being largely overlooked, jockey getting recognized for being one of the best around

Monday 6/1:

>>> Dunkirk: It's the same old guessing game: Will he or won't he?
>>> NY Post's Belmont Diary with Chip Woolley/Mon: "If we couldn't get Calvin, we had other riders lined up. I could tell you who, but I'm not going to."
>>> Mine That Bird is a favorite for the Belmont, but Charitable Man is drawing attention
>>> McLaughlin [Charitable Man]: "Our confidence level is very high."
>>> Owners visit Mine That Bird at CD... "I am real happy with the way he looks."
>>> Dunkirk, Charitable Man work
>>> VIDEO: Tom Durkin recalls many of his Triple Crown racecalls... "You have to prepare to make it sound appropriate..."

Sunday 5/31:

>>> The Cal-fecta... Ziegel: With shot at personal Triple Crown, Borel is big story at Belmont Stakes
>>> Hovdey: With Rachel out -- it's time to come up with reasons to care about the Belmont Stakes
>>> Rosenblatt: Belmont provides a compelling end to the Triple Crown -- even without Rachel
>>> Trainer Chip Woolley -- he's become a hit in horse racing and in Louisville
>>> Pace could play against Bird
>>> Nichols: "Mine That Bird has the potential to become a huge fan favorite like the last gelding to win a Triple Crown race."
>>> Desormeaux back for another Belmont try... Rides Summer Bird
>>> Zito duo, Summer Bird work on Saturday
>>> '99 Belmont winner Lemon Drop Kid [sire of 2009 entrant Charitable Man], "He's just getting better with age."
>>> Arnold: The time is right to propose changes that will make both a colt and filly Triple Crown/Tiara series worthy of public attention

Saturday 5/30:

>>> 2009 Belmont: "Far from anticlimactic, for there is the possibility to see something that has never been accomplished before."
>>> Kerrison: "Belmont's recent record suggests there is at least a 50 percent chance that a long shot" will win
>>> AUDIO: Belmont trainers interview... Ice, McLaughliin, Pletcher
>>> Borel to try for first-of-a-kind Triple Crown
>>> Weather could affect weekend workout plans
>>> Next up, Playboy?... Rachel Alexandra poses for Vogue
>>> Davidowitz: Things we might have learned from the first two legs of the Triple Crown... And, "I like Charitable Man... to win the 2009 Belmont Stakes."
>>> Belmont fully accredited by Safety Alliance
>>> Transcript: Thursday's NTRA 'Road to the Triple Crown' teleconference... Woolley [Mine That Bird], McLaughlin [Charitable Man], Hollendorfer [Chocolate Candy]

Friday 5/29:

>>> It's official: Rachel's out... No Belmont for Preakness champ

>>> Plonk's latest Countdown to the Crown notes
>>> Drape: Woolley "a hard working, talented horseman."
>>> Pletcher's Dunkirk blog: "I was disappointed (by Dunkirk's 11th-place finish as the second choice in the Kentucky Derby) but after watching the replay, it was pretty obvious to me that he didn't handle the going."
>>> Why Mine That Bird was gelded
>>> McLaughlin, Hollendorfer, Woolley confident
>>> Luv Gov a "tribute" to Spitzer? "We're not trying to poke fun at him... We thought this was a fun name."
>>> Stamina of Mine That Bird will be tested
>>> For Mine That Bird, the Belmont is about strategic speed
>>> Mine That Bird likely for three starts this year after the Belmont
>>> McNamara: "If [Rachel] skips the Belmont and goes back to dominating 3-year-old fillies, she'll be an overwhelming favorite to give Jackson and Asmussen a third consecutive Horse of the Year trophy."
>>> Wilson: Our midseason analysis regarding the race for HOTY

Thursday 5/28:

>>> Haskin's Belmont report: Is Jackson really still undecided about the Belmont, and if he is, why?
>>> Mine That Bird tops TTimes Belmont poll
>>> Borel to get one or the other: Woolley, "We're going to wait until they make a decision on Rachel."
>>> Right Said Fred. Frankie Goes to Hollywood. And... Chip Woolley? One-hit wonders?
>>> Lukas may take two shots at elusive fifth Belmont
>>> Moss: "I'm still not convinced running Rachel Alexandra in the Preakness was the right thing to do."
>>> White: Ranking the eleven filly Triple Crown victories
>>> Today's funny: Blogger's skewed take on NBC's Preakness coverage

Wednesday 5/27:

>>> Serling: Handicapping... Hold your horses -- don't get "married" to a selection too early, "the longer you wait, in theory, the better your chances of being right."
>>> Bloodhorse's Talkin' Horses podcast with Chip Woolley
>>> Mr Hot Stuff: Trainer Harty confident even though horse has won once in eight starts
>>> Mr Hot Stuff fires bullet in prep for Belmont
>>> Mine That Bird jock decision, "We'll announce it [Wednesday] morning."
>>> Tough TC season for Mighty Young Joe: Talamo out, Desormeaux in on Summer Bird

Tuesday 5/26:

>>> Mine That Bird's co-owner, "I don't think [Rachel]'s ready for this after that hard race in the Preakness. I don't want to see her get beat."
>>> Rachel works -- Belmont decision pushed back
>>> Woolley puts Bird's rider decision on hold, "Out of respect for Calvin, we're going to give [the Rachel team] a little bit more time to make their decision what they're going to do."
>>> If Borel were to pick Bird over Rachel, "It'll probably be Robby Albarado [on the filly], who was with us with Curlin."
>>> Jess Jackson, "It's not about winning, about the money. It's about keeping her sound and letting the public enjoy her. It's not necessary for her to go in the Belmont."
>>> Borel aboard Mine That Bird for Mon work
>>> Cronley: Dumb bet -- Deep closers in the Belmont

>>> Jess Jackson throws cold water on possible BC Rachel-Zenyatta match-up, "If [Rachel] runs at all on the plastic, it will be because she's so damn good that she can beat the boys in the Classic, not the Ladies' Classic. (But) I don't want to race on plastic at all. I shouldn't have run Curlin, and I'm not going to run her - unless she has no other frontier to conquer."
>>> The man behind the man: Borel's agent, 65YO Jerry Hissam... It started with a broken air conditioner


Huh, Preak-what-now?!?

>>> Interesting: DRF letter to editor expresses concern over the apparent indifference shown by the audience when David Letterman mentioned the Preakness in his monologue last week, "There was near-silence from the studio audience."

>>> Judge for yourself: Excerpt from Letterman's monologue, 5/18/09


Monday 5/25:

>>> West: Should she, shouldn't she debate -- "flapdoodle is everywhere."
>>> From heart of New Mexico, Chip Woolley Jr's journey might be as unlikely as that of the Derby-winning horse he trains, Mine That Bird
>>> Woolley looking forward to Belmont Stakes
>>> Moran: "It is not possible to move the Preakness out of Maryland without changing dramatically the Triple Crown series itself."
>>> Drape: Write it down: If Rachel Alexandra works well Monday morning, she will be in the starting gate for the Belmont Stakes
>>> Wilson: "Whatever Team Zenyatta decides on, it's becoming quite apparent that she's going to need to take on the boys... in order to be considered for HOTY."
>>> Haskin vs Lukas regarding Belmont's relevance... Haskin, "Isn't it time breeders start breeding stamina back into the horses..."
>>> Crist: "Racing will not cease to exist the next time a horse has an accident in a high-profile event. It will cease to exist if people become too intimidated to run perfectly sound horses in perfectly appropriate races."
>>> Photo: Is this the horse racing version of the NFL, NBA, MLB championship ring?
>>> History: The first American Triple Crown series -- It started in 1907 and ended abruptly in 1908, and it even had a bonus provision for the sweep

Sunday 5/24:

>>> Borel: It's a long way from Louisiana's bush tracks to the top
>>> Mine That Bird's first jockey sings his praises
>>> Summer Bird getting used to surface
>>> Four Belmont contenders breeze Saturday
>>> Former trainer Wiggins thinks the Belmont "is the perfect race for" Rachel Alexandra
>>> Is anyone hotter than Calvin?... Borel wins five at CD on Saturday -- including the featured G3 Louisville Hcp onboard 8YO vet Brass Hat

Saturday 5/23:

>>> Daley: "I feel that if Rachel Alexandra is sound, run her in the Belmont."
>>> DW Lukas: "The time between races is more beneficial to a filly than a strong colt."
>>> Bloodhorse online Q&A with 'Chip' Woolley [Mine That Bird]: Submit a question now
>>> Cain Oakford: They really might have broken the mold when they made Rachel Alexandra
>>> Velazquez to ride Dunkirk in Belmont Stakes
>>> Talamo to ride Summer Bird
>>> Belmont Stakes hopefuls to breeze this weekend
>>> Rider Gomez reflects on Pioneerof the Nile's Preakness, "He was done halfway up the backside."... Also comments on move back to SoCal
>>> World Thoroughbred Rankings: Well Armed is top US runner [tied at #2] on latest update... Mine That Bird, Rachel Alexandra tied in 7th
>>> Rachel's Belmont status?... A source at Churchill told the NY Post, "If they do decide to go [in the Belmont], it'll be [Jackson's] decision... Steve [Asmussen, her trainer] wants no part of the Belmont."
>>> Borel: Concern for Rachel in trot to Preakness winner's circle, "She was catching a heat stroke... I wanted to get her back and get some water on her."
>>> LA Times: Boy vs girls Q&A with John Shirreffs... "If you bump a colt, he bumps back. If you bump a filly, she backs away."
>>> NTRA prez, "Does all of this [Triple Crown] excitement 'save' racing and bring us back to our glory days? I don't think so -- because racing doesn't need a savior."
>>> Del Mar making pitch for Mine That Bird to start in $1mil Pac Classic
>>> Eng: Mine That Bird -- as a gelding has a chance to become a fan favorite
>>> Kerrison: "The new craze that dominates so much of the business -- fresh-is-best and less-is-more -- took a thrashing in this run at the Triple Crown."

Friday 5/22:

>>> Bloodhorse online poll: Should Rachel Alexandra run in the Belmont?
>>> Plonk: "Whom do you want chasing you down the stretch -- Zenyatta or MINE THAT BIRD? Case closed. See you in New York, if healthy, young lady."
>>> McGuire: "If we get [the Rachel-Bird] showdown, if horse racing catches a break that the law of averages demands... [Racing] would have already won."
>>> Wilson: "If Jackson decides the Belmont is not in Rachel Alexandra's future, he should not be vilified."
>>> Scully: "In my opinion, Rachel Alexandra is a special horse capable of amazing feats."
>>> Belmont field taking shape as big decisions loom
>>> Zito pair work toward Belmont
>>> Musket Man headed to Haskell after short 'vacation'

Thursday 5/21:

>>> Mine That Bird rider decsion to be made after Rachel's Monday work
>>> Bird's co-owner: Bring Rachel on!... "We just want the chance to show if we can outrun her."
>>> Rachel gallops over CD strip on Wed
>>> Charitable Man, Miner's Escape and Brave Victory pointed towards Belmont
>>> Winning Preakness ticket: Cash it, or save it?
>>> Sports Illustrated: Rachel Alexander's previous owner told SI that a reported sales figure of $3 million to $4 million for the filly "wouldn't pay the tax on the actual cost."

Rachel Alexandra t-shirt

>>> Rees: Now that is the t-shirt I want to see



Rachel Alexander on cover of Sports Illustrated, 5/25/09

>>> Sports Illustrated's Preakness recap... "Boo might not be too smart," Borel cackled into a phone after the race, "but he knows what he's talking about when it comes to horses."


PREAKNESS


2009 Preakness post positions and morning line odds
Post.. Horse... Jockey... Trainer... ML
1 Big Drama Velazquez Fawkes 10-1
2 Mine That Bird Smith Woolley Jr 9-2
3 Musket Man Coa Ryan 10-1
4 Luv Gov Theriot Lukas 50-1
5 Friesan Fire Saez Jones 10-1
6 Terrain Rose Stall Jr 30-1
7 Papa Clem Bejarano Stute 8-1
Post.. Horse... Jockey... Trainer... ML
8 General Quarters Leparoux McCarthy 20-1
9 Pioneerof the Nile Gomez Baffert 5-1
10 Flying Private Garcia Lukas 50-1
11 Take the Points Prado Pletcher 30-1
12 Tone It Down Desormeaux Komlo 50-1
13 Rachel Alexandra Borel Asmussen 9-5
.

Rachel Alexandra top 3YO, #2 overall in weekly NTRA polls

NTRA poll results, thru 5/17/09


Wednesday 5/20:

>>> Christine: Borel, Rachel already on my Eclipse ballot
>>> Dunkirk, Chocolate Candy work toward Belmont
>>> Mine That Bird jogs at CD on Tues
>>> Decision on Charitable Man's Belmont status to come Wednesday
>>> Plonk: The mainstream "likely won't care much about Rachel Alexandra after the Belmont Stakes in a few weeks. It's not right; it's not wrong; it just is."
>>> West: Borel's popularity can teach racing that it has something to offer that other sports can only envy
>>> Preakness national TV ratings up dramatically
>>> VIDEO: Calvin Borel's appearance on NBC's Today Show Tuesday morning [featuring one of those indelicate, but trademark, morning show shutup-already-we're-outta-time endings]


Filly in the Belmont? Scandalous!

>>> Yeesh... Sports scribe calls for Rachel Alexandra to be retired !!! "Please, Mr Jackson... Don't put this beautiful creature in what could be harm's way."
>>> Ky sports writer: "I hope the filly's connections pass on The Belmont Stakes... nothing she would prove by winning in New York would justify the physical risk that going a mile-and-a-half would inflict."
>>> Moran: "The last thing she needs is another tough race."
>>> Baffert: "As a fan I would love to see her run to see what she is made up of. But as a horseman I know that a mile-and-a-half is demanding."


Tuesday 5/19:

>>> Bye Bye Birdie: Smith bails on the Bird... Committed to same-day ride in SoCal
>>> Haskin's Preakness recap: Remarkable Rachel
>>> Jenkins: "I'll confess it: If she's healthy, I hope she runs."
>>> Mike Smith, "I have no regrets whatsoever."
>>> Comment: Rachel's Preakness the greatest girl-beats-the-boys victory in sports history? Uh, no. In fact, it ranks only fourth at best in horse racing annals
>>> Over 14K attend Remington Park for Preakness simulcast
>>> Bloomberg profiles Jess Jackson
>>> Track officials stand by Preakness infield beer ban... Others critical of decision
>>> You go, Jess! Not afraid to buck industry trends, Jess Jackson is helping to elevate the sport at a time it can use some good PR
>>> Ehalt: If Rachel had skipped the Preakness? The upcoming Belmont "would have been even more memorable."
>>> Ranking Rachel: "It's way too early to compare her to Ruffian, but..."

NBC's Preakness telecast :
>>> Sports scribe deems NBC's Preakness coverage first-rate: "I couldn't pull away... And I fall into the 'nonfan' category."
>>> Agreed: "NBC coverage was super."
>>> And, not so much: "Really -- it was all so boring. There was far too much focus on the same stories over and over."
>>> NBC's press release touting Preakness rating and listing Top Twenty Preakness viewing markets


Will she, won't she?... Should she, shouldn't she?

>>> Rachel Alexandra uncertain for Belmont, but Bird will be there
>>> Finley: My strong guess is that Jess Jackson will run Rachel Alexandra in the Belmont... It's the right thing to do
>>> Blaudschun: Belmont up next for Rachel? Time off before picking summer/fall races "would seem better choices."
>>> Cowherd: America needs Preakness winner to race in Belmont
>>> DW Lukas: "I don't expect her (to run). She's proved her point."
>>> LA Times: Now the question is, will a sport that needs a shot in the arm get that new marquee matchup when the Triple Crown moves to NY for the Belmont Stakes?
>>> Privman: Rematch in Belmont not a certainty
>>> Bloodhorse: Showdown in Belmont a possibility


>>> Official Preakness website
>>> Preakness weather forecast
>>> Triple Crown winners
>>> Triple Crown near-misses -- winners of two legs
>>> DRF: Preakness coverage

>>> Race chart
>>> Video replay: Preakness
>>> Video replay: Overhead of Preakness
>>> Quotes: Post-race news conference transcript w/winning connections... and quotes from connections of other runners
>>> Handle up, attendance way down
>>> Handle comparison: Race-by-race, 2008 vs 2009... Crist, "Makes you wonder how much those missing infield revelers ever really bet."

>>> Free PPs: Equibase [pdf]
>>> Free PPs: DRF

>>> NY Post's Preakness Betting guide... Records, silks, notes on field, and staff selections [Part 1]
>>> NY Post's Preakness Betting guide... Records, silks, notes on field, and staff selections [Part 2]

>>> Early-bird odds: Rachel favored
>>> Will pays: Black-Eyed Susan/Preakness double
>>> Preakness prop bets

Monday 5/18:

>>> Rachel looking good the day after, "She's acting well, and everything checked out this morning."
>>> NYRA hopes for rematch: "If we get those two, it’s going to be huge."
>>> Borel can win jockey's Triple Crown
>>> Smith onboard 'Bird' in Belmont regardless of filly decision, "Mike will ride the horse back."
>>> Stretch duel wowed trainers... Larry Jones: "If she comes back for the Belmont, I want to get me a front-row seat."
>>> Infield clean-up a breeze this year
>>> Clay: Can Rachel be a game-changer for horse racing?
>>> Ford: Now the question is: How will horse racing mess it up this time? Or will the sport finally regain some of the traction with the public that has been lost?
>>> Wall Street Journal: Don't you just want to let Calvin Borel saddle up for every sporting event?... Wins Preakness and America gets misty
>>> Bozich: Is Preakness at Pimlico endangered?
>>> TV: Preakness ratings second-highest in nearly two decades


Will she, won't she?... Should she, shouldn't she?

>>> Rachel Alexandra uncertain for Belmont, but Bird will be there
>>> Finley: My strong guess is that Jess Jackson will run Rachel Alexandra in the Belmont... It's the right thing to do
>>> Blaudschun: Belmont up next for Rachel? Time off before picking summer/fall races "would seem better choices."
>>> Cowherd: America needs Preakness winner to race in Belmont
>>> DW Lukas: "I don't expect her (to run). She's proved her point."
>>> LA Times: Now the question is, will a sport that needs a shot in the arm get that new marquee matchup when the Triple Crown moves to NY for the Belmont Stakes?
>>> Privman: Rematch in Belmont not a certainty
>>> Bloodhorse: Showdown in Belmont a possibility


Sunday 5/17:

>>> Kerrison: Call her Alexandra the Greatest

>>> Woolley: "The Belmont is next for us." [8:30 update]
>>> Mike Smith, "I bet you she doesn't run in the Belmont. I can almost predict it."
>>> Limiting Rachel to filly competition was "hardly a disgrace but surely a waste of athletic talent that knows no gender boundaries."
>>> Next stop Horse of the Year? "That's definitely the goal."
>>> AP: Girls rule!
>>> Veitch: Rachel Alexandra joins an elite list of just ten other fillies to have won a Triple Crown race
>>> LA Times: Women's pride has had its good days, and this was certainly one of them
>>> Cronley: It's obvious one way to attract new people to thoroughbred horse racing is to breed great fillies
>>> NY Times live-blog transcript from on-track: "I crossed the track and waited on the other side for Borel and Rachel to walk back... The crowd was going nuts."
>>> Pricci: "Could it possibly have gotten any better than this?"
>>> Moran: No Triple Crown but "the possibility of the next-best Belmont Stakes scenario."
>>> Novak: Racing wins. "It's about time something like this happened."
>>> Sports Illustrated: A week that began with acrimony has ended with exultation
>>> Update: Potential Rachel entry-box spoiler finishes 7th in Saturday maiden race
>>> Mine That Bird: Derby was no fluke
>>> Chart: Mine That Bird's Derby-Preakness trip comparison
>>> Previous trainer Wiggins catches Preakness from Churchill horsemen's lounge, "I watched it, and I was at ease."
>>> Larry Jones [Friesan Fire, 10th]: "I don't see a lot of excuses for him."
>>> NY Post's Derby Diary with Gary Stute [Papa Clem]: "I got a perfect trip.... I just didn't have enough horse to get the job done."
>>> Schmuck: Previous owners' 'Derby Dodge' will leave us forever wondering -- Could she have become first filly to wear racing's Crown?
>>> Beyer: Borel's ride was "tactical perfection"
>>> AP: Borel "is a maestro in traffic."

INFIELD:

Shots comparing infield crowd 2008 vs 2009
>>> Washington Post captioned these pics: Photos from the same vantage show a typical infield crowd and yesterday's sparse attendance, caused partly by a ban on viewers bringing their own alcohol

>>> Preakness infield -- Only one thing was missing: people
>>> Admission price part of the blame for infield attendance woes? "$60 and then you have to pay extortionist prices for your adult beverages?"
>>> Infield 'hostess' and former wrestling diva Stacy Keibler, "I was like this can't be the Preakness infield."
>>> Notes from the infield: Patron, "We haven’t seen anyone passed out yet -- which is strange."
>>> VIDEO: Preakness fans surprised by beer ban
>>> VIDEO: Preakness infield crowd numbers down

Photo galleries:

>>> Balt Sun: Preakness scene
>>> Balt Sun: The race
>>> Running of the Preakness
>>> Scenes from Pimlico
>>> Fans at the Preakness
>>> Washington Post
>>> NY Times
>>> Seattle Times
>>> NY Daily News
>>> USA Today

Saturday 5/16:

>>> Jerardi: Preakness looms as "the very good version of the perfect storm."
>>> Musket Man, Take the Points and Tone It Down to be late arrivals at Pimlico
>>> Borel: I'd have to fall off to get beaten
>>> Want an American success story? Calvin Borel's living it. A boy who left school at the age of 12 has 30 years later become a man with a Ph.D. in thoroughbreds
>>> NY Post's Derby Diary with Gary Stute [Papa Clem]: "If he gets beat now, I can't blame anyone but myself."
>>> Mine That Bird might look ordinary, but, according to one rival trainer, "I think he's doing better now than he was before the Derby."
>>> Borel thanks connections of Mine That Bird for the Derby opportunity, "If I can't win [the Preakness], I hope he does."
>>> Don't forget Friesan Fire... He flamed out as favorite in Derby but gets new shot
>>> Derby champ out to shake fluke factor... Of the 22 expert handicappers who made Preakness selections in the DRF, not one put Mine That Bird on top
>>> Girl Power at the Preakness!... Sisterhood is betting on the filly to win
>>> AP: Industry should be indebted to the filly and her owners for providing an aura of mystery and intrigue to the middle jewel of the Triple Crown
>>> Preakness is the race for chalk-eating weasels
>>> Trackmaster comment: Triple Crown revamp? "Let's put the idea of the 'old' Triple Crown to rest, and begin a new era - the 'Modern' Triple Crown if you will."
>>> Schmuck: "It might be too late, but [the Preakness] certainly is worth saving."
>>> Forde: Preakness on borrowed time? "The festive scene at Pimlico on Saturday could disappear from Baltimore forever."
>>> Balt Sun op-ed: Is there no way to extend [the racing] excitement beyond one afternoon?
>>> Balt Sun: Neighbors weigh in on fate of Pimlico
>>> Another big Derby score story: Bettor boxes five favorite numbers to hit the $250K super -- he only bets horses three times a year, the Triple Crown races!
>>> Photo gallery: Mine That Bird preps


Rachel at risk?... The debate continues
>>> Ex-pat American now training in France says: "Shake it off, people! Rachel Alexandra, from everything we've seen of her, is a big, strong horse..."
>>> Moss: "Today's thoroughbreds aren't meant to withstand such rigors, so why take the chance with the filly's long-term best interests?"
>>> Hovdey: Fillies are different from colts. Not more breakable, just different
>>> Bozich: Rachel story could turn sour... Horse racing better hold its breath and hope this filly gets to the finish line healthy and happy
>>> Kling: Rachel in the Preakness: Stars should be on the racetrack, not snoozing in the barn

Selections/plays:

>>> Merrow [Equidaily]: General Quarters, Friesan Fire, Big Drama, Musket Man
>>> Byk [Sirius satellite]: Most Likely: Rachel Alexandra, Best Value: Musket Man, Next Best: Mine That Bird, Exotics Use: Pioneerof the Nile
>>> Haskin [Bloodhorse]: General Quarters and/or Take the Points
>>> Wilkin [Albany Times Union]: 1. Friesan Fire, 2. Terrain, 3. Pioneerof the Nile, 4. Mine That Bird
>>> Brunker [MSNBC.com]: A $2 exacta box: Pioneerof the Nile, Rachel Alexandra and Terrain... Three $1 trifecta boxes...
>>> Fortus [Times Picayune]: 1. Pioneerof the Nile 2. Rachel Alexandra 3. Friesan Fire 4. Musket Man
>>> Various: NY Times At the Rail bloggers
>>> Ehalt [NTRA.com]: Friesan Fire, Big Drama, Musket Man
>>> Tuley [DRF]: 1. Mine That Bird 2. Pioneerof the Nile 3. Musket Man, longshot: Big Drama
>>> Menez [Sports Illustrated]: Rachel Alexandra, Big Drama, Friesan Fire, Mine That Bird
>>> Frank [Sports Network]: For those with a $100 bankroll, bet $30 to win on Musket Man, and throw in $10 exactas with...
>>> Various: Albany Times Union
>>> Nichols [Press Democrat]: 1. Pioneerof The Nile. 2. Rachel Alexandra. 3. Take the Points. 4. Musket Man
>>> Gorg [Star Tribune]: Musket Man, Rachel Alexandra, Pioneerof the Nile, Take the Points
>>> Clancy [Hartford Courant]: Take the Points, Pioneerof the Nile, Rachel Alexandra
>>> Pricci [HRI]: If early line odds hold, I will key Pioneerof The Nile first and second with...
>>> Powell [BRIS]: The value will be to bet Pioneerof the Nile to win and then exactas with him on top of Musket Man and Friesan Fire...
>>> Eng [Las Vegas Review-Journal]: Pioneerof the Nile, Friesan Fire, Big Drama
>>> List: Top picks from various racing scribes
>>> Finley [USA Today]: Combine Friesan Fire, Rachel Alexandra and Pioneerof the Nile in exacta boxes...
>>> Kaplan [Sun Herald]: Bet the filly. If you want to dabble in the exacta, box her with Friesan Fire
>>> Drape [NY Times]: Mine That Bird, Rachel Alexandra, Take the Points, Friesan Fire
>>> O'Donnell [Chicago Sun-Times]: Friesan Fire, Big Drama, Papa Clem, Mine That Bird
>>> Finley [ESPN.com]: Put Friesan Fire and General Quarters on top in exactas and use Pioneerof the Nile, Papa Clem and Musket Man underneath
>>> Cronley [ESPN.com]: 1. Pioneer of the Nile 2. Papa Clem 3. Musket Man 4. General Quarters
>>> Illman [DRF]: I'll probably key Big Drama and Papa Clem with Rachel Alexandra and Mine That Bird as underneath considerations

Friday 5/15:

>>> Sports Illustrated: Seldom in recent history has there been a race that brings together multiple angles like Saturday's Preakness
>>> VIDEO: Beyer previews the Preakness
>>> Beyer: Although I almost always look at big races from the betting standpoint, and without sentiment, I will be rooting for Rachel Alexandra
>>> Haskin's Preakness Report: Rachel on display
>>> Fillies have rich history in Triple Crown
>>> Tough-guy image... For Bennie 'Chip' Woolley Jr, this is hardly an act
>>> Privman: 'Bird' not the word on all lips
>>> Jockey Smith gets a sweet ride... Could be in for the ride of his life after Borel abandons Derby winner
>>> Borel's jump to the filly: The real shocker is that nobody is mad at him
>>> Jockey Calvin Borel becomes Preakness focus with new ride
>>> West: Clock strikes midnight for Mine That Bird
>>> New shooters add a fresh element
>>> Don't count Terrain out of Preakness
>>> Pioneerof the Nile out to avenge Derby defeat
>>> Friesan Fire unnoticed in run-up to Preakness
>>> Tone It Down: A Preakness longshot's backstory
>>> O'Meara: When was the last time the Grade I, $1 million Preakness Stakes was this interesting?
>>> Bozich: Rachel story could turn sour... Horse racing better hold its breath and hope this filly gets to the finish line healthy and happy
>>> Kling: Rachel in the Preakness: Stars should be on the racetrack, not snoozing in the barn
>>> NYRA roots for Mine That Bird: Triple Crown bid at Belmont could mean an extra $3mil for NY racing
>>> Arace commentary: Sorry, boys, but favored filly belongs in Preakness
>>> Derby winner's daughter remembers praying as thehorse trailed the field down the backstretch, "Please, God, don't let this horse come in that bad."
>>> Blogger provides a Preakness Alibi Breakfast recap
>>> Mum's the word: Those aren't black-eyed susans
>>> Photo gallery: Pimlico scenes

Thursday 5/14:

It's Underdog vs Supergirl

THE FILLY:
>>> Rival owner: "I don't believe the filly should be in the race..."
>>> DW Lukas: "Believe me, if I had Rachel Alexandra, she'd have been in the Derby... I'd have led her over there and said, 'Boys, just get in the gate. You're in deep crap.' "
>>> Stute, "The best horse I ever saw train was Spectacular Bid... [Rachel] could be right up there with him."
>>> Reilly: In the face of fear and chauvinism and collusion, the very best athlete will get her chance. And isn't that when sport is at its best?
>>> Repeating career-best performance a tough task for Rachel Alexandra
>>> Filly brings 'whole new element' to Preakness... Colts' trainers unsure how they'll stack up vs Rachel
>>> Rachel's asst trainer, "She has good tactical speed and she should be able to get a good position going into the first turn."
>>> Present, future look bright to Team 'Rachel'

...And the rest:
>>> Newsday: Horse-by-horse analysis of Preakness field
>>> Comment: No reason to flip over Borel's switch
>>> Trainer Woolley enjoys escort into town, "It was the first time I had the police leading me instead of chasing me."
>>> LA Times: UFOs seemed more real than Mine That Bird's chances
>>> Md owner just happy to be here with Tone It Down
>>> Taking stock in horse's history... Papa Clem's owner has agent for finding interesting breeding partners
>>> Ziegel: Trainer Chip Woolley insists Mine That Bird can fly
>>> Jess Jackson, "I hope she revitalizes horse racing."
>>> Forde: Jess Jackson has this novel notion. He thinks great racehorses should compete in great horse races
>>> White: Preakness right for Rachel?... And, remembering SoCal stew David Samuel
>>> History: Preakness, the 1870s thoroughbred, steals the show for the most twisted history associated with the second jewel of the Triple Crown
>>> West: Filly vs the boys? Not an extraordinary occurence overseas -- and not unusual in this country once upon a time
>>> The last filly to win the Preakness? Nellie Morse, 1924... Won four days after winning the Pimlico Oaks
>>> Preakness fighting trifecta of potential party-poopers: Economy, bankruptcy and beer ban

Wednesday 5/13:

>>> AP: Filly Rachel Alexandra instills dread in rivals
>>> VIDEO: Mine That Bird leaves CD heading towards Preakness
>>> Mine That Bird arrives at Pimlico
>>> Haskin: Time to put matters back in proper perspective and focus on the Preakness
>>> General Quarters in fender-bender on trip to Pimlico
>>> Preakness weathervane's 100th anniversary... Painted each year with winner's colors
>>> Friesan Fire confirmed for Preakness
>>> Friesan Fire, Papa Clem, Musket Man turn in Preakness works
>>> Two-time Preakness winner Van Berg contacts Gary Stute and recommends no pre-Preakness workout for Papa Clem
>>> NY Post's Derby Diary with Gary Stute [Papa Clem]: "Papa Clem worked slower yesterday than I was hoping for..."
>>> Balt Sun: Papa Clem works as he usually does -- lousy... It could bode well when race day arrives
>>> Musket Man fires bullet at Monmouth on Tues
>>> Jones [Friesan Fire]: "I draw a line through the Derby. He never ran a race like that in his career."
>>> Tone It Down gives the Preakness a local flavor
>>> Borel's switch is about a 'once-in-a-lifetime' horse
>>> Rees: Chip Woolley "becoming a media favorite."
>>> Kerrison: A fierce controversy is swirling over super filly Rachel Alexandra's entry into Saturday's Preakness Stakes
>>> Preakness history: Remembering the controversial defeat of Genuine Risk
>>> Preakness Memory: Magic Weisner
>>> Calvin Borel visited with Jay Leno on NBC's The Tonight Show Tuesday night [episode replay at link when available -- interview about three-quarters into show]
>>> NY Times: Reining in the revelry at the Preakness... Youtube videos of annual infield rowdiness play part in policy change
>>> ...Meanwhile, website called College News laments Preakness' new booze policy: "It's a shame that I wasn't able to make it out to Baltimore before the party got ruined."

Tuesday 5/12:

>>> Plonk: The idea that you have to let Rachel Alexandra race Saturday for the good of the game has no historical credence or long-term business benefit
>>> Fast field taking shape
>>> Borel willing to forsake crowning glory... Agent, "I would like to win the Triple Crown... But we're going to follow that filly."
>>> Kerrison: "So Calvin Borel is going to jump ship. Shame on him."
>>> Undefeated Hull to skip Preakness
>>> Mine That Bird -- the early days: Yearling was a spitfire, "Him and the other Birdstone were tough; they were raping and pillaging all over the place."
>>> NY Post's Preakness Diary with Gary Stute [Papa Clem]: "Papa Clem couldn't have settled into Pimlico any better."
>>> Christine: Rachel Alexandra entry saga -- "Everybody's wrong."
>>> NY Times: Sometimes in sports both sides are so disgusting that you can’t decide which you would rather see lose
>>> Shades of Seabiscuit -- more potential feel-good stories at Pimlico for a nation in need of them
>>> Pioneer set to 'run a big race'
>>> Mine That Bird makes unplanned workout on Man... "We just wanted him to stretch his legs."
>>> Big Drama works at Pimlico
>>> General Quarters, Flying Private work
>>> HUNCH!!!... Orioles great Ripken made Derby score on Mine That Bird
>>> Zast: Triple Crown doesn't require new definition; it cries for a sturdier breed of contestants
>>> Oaks, Derby drug tests come back clean
>>> Chocolate Candy starts Belmont preparations

Monday/Sunday 5/10-11:

>>> Mine That Bird getting no respect
>>> Rachel sharp in Sun am work
>>> Litke: Will rivals be invoking the memory of Woody Stephens ["I might finish last but she'll be next-to-last."] ?
>>> History: Only 52 fillies, including 10 in the past 84 years, have run in the Preakness...
>>> Christine: The filly and the Preakness
>>> Moran: Jackson is an important patron of the sport, but there is something crass about his acquisition of the season's most celebrated 3-year-old filly
>>> Three Preakness candidates put in Sun am works
>>> Balt Sun: Borel enjoying the ride... Jockey's personality makes him fan favorite
>>> Hall of Fame inductee Eddie Maple on Borel's Derby, "It was one of the guttiest rides I have ever seen."
>>> Travel plans set for Rachel
>>> Mine That Bird's obscure team: Who are these guys?
>>> Trainer hoping his prudence in not running Big Drama in Ky Derby is rewarded by a show-stopping performance in the Preakness
>>> Take the Points looking sharp
>>> Dunkirk possible for Belmont Stakes
>>> What crosses the mind of the jocks a Derby winner leaves behind... "It felt like the biggest guy I know kicked me right below the belt buckle," and "I had an instant headache."
>>> Crist: 2009 Sunland Derby -- one of the greatest key races of all time?
>>> They shoot -- they score!!!... Four friends put $96 into Derby super -- collect over $250K!
>>> Comment: Don't criticize Rachel's former owners for making the sale, "The best horse is the horse that's sold."
>>> NY Post Q&A with Calvin Borel: Q: Three reasons why Mine That Bird won the Derby? A: The first reason I can tell you...


Rachel Alexandra to the Preakness: Should she, or shouldn't she?

>>> Beyer: Rachel Alexandra will never have an opportunity as golden as the 134th Preakness. Jackson should seize it
>>> Pricci: Open letter to Jess Jackson, "Running in the Preakness would be a mistake,"
>>> Veitch: While racing may need such a story line, it might not be in Rachel Alexandra's best interest
>>> Ehalt: Rachel should skip the Preakness


Preakness drama plays to conclusion on Sunday
Rival owners consider using entry box to keep Rachel Alexandra out of Preakness. Meanwhile, Marylou Whitney says, "Ladies first," and commits to scratching her horse to get Rachel in... By Sunday evening however the plot had fizzled...

>>> Owners of Derby 1-2 finishers plot to keep Rachel out of Preakness
>>> Jackson: "Triple Crown rules may prevent us from sending her to Pimlico."
>>> Marylou Whitney: Will drop out if her horse is excluding the filly from starting... Husband, "We're for sportsmanship and what's best for the game. It is lady's first for us."
>>> Crist: "A despicable... scheme."
>>> West: Exluding the filly through entry box manipulation "will be an insult to sportsmanship in general and horse racing in particular."
>>> Ziegel: Didn't take "...very long to turn that 50-1 fairy tale into a horror story."
>>> Wilkin: If Rachel Alexandra is denied a spot "something is very wrong with horse racing."
>>> Derby winner's owner backtracks on entry box plot to deny filly a placing in Preakness starting gate, "It just ain't the right thing to do.''
>>> Zayat reconsiders -- Won't keep Rachel out


Saturday 5/9:

>>> Hmmm potential Preakness monkey-wrench in the works?... From TTimes article: Zayat acknowledged that he could throw a curveball into the mix by entering enough horses to exclude Rachel Alexandra from the Preakness. She was not nominated to the Triple Crown and would have to be supplemented to the Preakness for $100,000, and she would have no preference over nominated horses if the race draws more entries than the maximum of 14 starters

Finley: Welcome back, Jess Jackson. We missed you
>>> Full field of fourteen shaping up as a possibility
>>> Borel deems Preakness choice a no-brainer: "This filly is the best horse in the country."
>>> List: Derby winner rider switch? Only happened three times in previous 133 runnings of Preakness
>>> Trend: Preakness has been tough on fillies
>>> Baffert remarks on entry of Rachel Alexandra: "The Preakness was a vanilla ice cream cone, but suddenly it’s become a banana split with all the toppings."
>>> Mike Smith to ride Mine That Bird... And Derby winner might have had Sutherland or Solis onboard in Louisville
>>> Kerrison: Everyone wants to know: Was it a one-race strike, never to be repeated, or the beginning of a fairytale racetrack saga?
>>> Plonk's latest Countdown to the Crown notes
>>> Respect for sire Birdstone, "This is not a one-hit wonder."
>>> DRF: Mine That Bird a longshot since birth

Friday 5/8:

>>> Rachel Alexandra likely for Preakness... Borel to retain mount through 2009
>>> Mine That Bird's trainer: "I can't blame [Borel] one bit if he wants to ride [Rachael Alexandra in the Preakness], can't blame him at all."
>>> Privman: Rachel Alexandra has Preakness trainers nervous
>>> Pioneerof the Nile cleared for Preakness
>>> Tues work to determine Friesan Fire status
>>> Blinkers off for Big Drama, "As he has matured, he doesn’t need them."
>>> Powell: Calvin is our version of Evel Knievel, and it is a sight to behold
>>> Kling: 2009 Derby results fail to answer questions about dirt/synthetic crossover form
>>> Bergstein: Derby win plays differently in Alaska
>>> AP: Mine That Bird goes from oddball to champ

>>> A sampling of front pages from across the country -- Sunday, the day after the Kentucky Derby

Thursday 5/7:

>>> Mine That Bird has eight Preakness challengers -- so far
>>> VIDEO: "Just a couple of rednecks from New Mexico come out there and beat them," Mine That Bird's co-owner Dr Leonard Blach interviewed by local TV
>>> Coa sticks with Musket Man
>>> Prado lands on Take the Points
>>> Velazquez on Big Drama, Leparoux sticks with General Quarters
>>> General Quarters to Preakness
>>> Mine That Bird looks good in Wed gallop
>>> Mine That Bird brings fame to Sunland Park
>>> White: Derby recap
>>> O'Meara: Birdstone screwed us again

KENTUCKY DERBY

>>> Official Kentucky Derby website
>>> Churchill weather forecast
>>> Workout videos
>>> Past Derby charts
>>> Quick list of past Derby winners [through 2007]
>>> Fastest winning Derby times
>>> Video replays: Derby trail preps [click on race name to get to video link for each]
>>> VIDEOs: Past Ky Derby replays [click on 'HISTORY' for list]
>>> Final odds: Pool 3 and exacta [pdf]
>>> Final odds: Pool 2 and exacta [pdf]
>>> Final odds: Pool 1 [pdf]
>>> Free PPs [pdf]
>>> Free Formulator PPs/DRF

>>> DRF Derby coverage
>>> Bloodhorse Triple Crown coverage
>>> TTimes Triple Crown coverage
>>> AUDIO: 'At the Races' with Steve Byk... Weeklong coverage from Churchill, live 4-7pm ET M-F [Online, over-the-air Sirius 126, XM 104, or available in the archives 24/7]

>>> Article profiles five 'essential' websites to help you enjoy the upcoming Derby... Tabs Equidaily as "the single best, most thorough source of horse racing news on the Web..."

>>> NY Post's 'Bettor's Guide' with comments and all pertinent stats for all entrants

DRF Derby chat transcripts:
>>> Andy Beyer
>>> Mike Welsch
>>> Byron King

>>> Louisville Courier-Journal's complete Derby coverage

>>> Chart and payoffs
>>> VIDEO REPLAY: Ky Derby
>>> VIDEO REPLAY: Derby blimp/overhead
>>> Photo essay: How the race was won
>>> 153,563 attend -- the seventh-largest crowd ever
>>> Derby handles declines 5.3%

Wednesday 5/6:

>>> A look back: The best of Derby Week
>>> Straight shooting trainer Woolley before the Derby: "Mine That Bird could run last next Saturday and I'd still have to run last the next two years in a row just to match Todd Pletcher."
>>> Bo-rail's ride: One time might be dismissed as an aberration. But twice?
>>> From Derby to Preakness: How trainers manage a two-week gap
>>> Veitch: Some lasting impressions from the 2009 Derby and the prep season
>>> Trainer of Musket Man eyes Preakness, Haskell
>>> Divine intervention?... Son finds connections to late-father in Mine That Bird -- bets $250 on the longshot
>>> Lukas pointing Derby last-placer towards Pimlico, "We are hopeful the real Flying Private will show up in the Preakness."

Tuesday 5/5:

>>> Haskin's Derby Recap
>>> Clay: Some post-Derby thoughts
>>> Saddled with doubt, Preakness welcomes Bird buzz
>>> 21 line salute -- to Calvin Borel
>>> Christine: "When Borel brought his horse... through on the fence to nail the Derby, it sounded at the Flamingo like Sunday vespers had come a day early."
>>> Bozich: Kentucky Derby 2009 was not a speed race
>>> Unbeaten Hull joins Preakness cast
>>> Desert Party injured, out indefinitely
>>> Sire of Kentucky Derby 2009 gaining respect
>>> Birdstone is one proud papa... Represents generations of the fabled Whitney blood
>>> Scott: Mine That Bird proved once again, in racing anything is possible
>>> TV: Derby's ratings uptick may have been due in part to a huge promotional effort launched by NBC across many of its NBC Universal properties, especially those targeting women
>>> The Derby's top 10 TV markets
>>> Seattle PI blog: You're going to be hard-pressed to find a human being less interested in horse racing than me... So, today, I find myself, to my utter dismay, writing about a jockey
>>> And from Socialistworker.org [!!!]: "Every constituency among fans of horse racing found something to believe in at the 2009 Kentucky Derby."
>>> Balt Sun op-ed: To even pause a nanosecond over entering a healthy animal in the Preakness suggests the owners either suffered a momentary brain-freeze or the race has lost more prestige than previously understood
>>> Legal: Plea deal kept Derby winner's owner protected

Derby Day at other venues:
>>> Saratoga sulky track: "This has been probably one of our five best days ever."
>>> VIDEO: Sunland Park cheers Derby winner
>>> Watching the Derby in Woodbine's kitchen

Monday 5/4:

>>> Photo gallery: Mine That Bird the day after
>>> Pepis: "I think that Mine That Bird has a chance to win at Pimlico."
>>> Ziegel: Mine That Bird won't have much of a shot at Pimlico
>>> Brunker: Derby winner doesn't look like Triple threat
>>> Ehalt: Triple Crown drought will continue
>>> Improbable win: It all started with... a bar fight!
>>> Derby-winning connections give roses to fans
>>> Mine That Bird's connections have interesting history
>>> Mushnick: Borel's post-Derby emotions "like the last scene in Ernest Wins The Derby, II."
>>> Finley: "So why did he win and win in a runaway?"
>>> West: To the Preakness, but first some credit for the little gelding
>>> Crist: Oaks Beyer fig higher than Derby for first time
>>> Preakness is possible for nicked Friesan Fire
>>> Borel: "I learned by Street Sense to be patient -- it's not the first mile, it's not the first half a mile that counts, it's always the last part..."
>>> New sensitivity toward horse safety helped keep I Want Revenge in the barn
>>> Giauque: "Probably the most astonishing finish in the 135 years of Kentucky Derby history."
>>> Kerrison: Faith did it. They had no real expectation of winning
>>> Bozich: Mine That Bird's run was G1 surprise... Long shot's victory amazed owners
>>> Moran: In three weeks, the nobody horse from nowhere could very well be the toast of Times Square
>>> Gomez: "Turning for home on Pioneerof the Nile two days ago, I honestly thought I was going to win my first Kentucky Derby."
>>> Beyer: "In my four decades of covering the sport, it ranks as one of the two most mystifying results in a major stakes race..."

>>> Derby winner likely for the Preakness... Trainer, "The Triple Crown is good for racing, and without the Derby winner, there is no chance to have one."
>>> Derby overnight TV rating: Best in 17 years
>>> USA Today's sports TV columnist: "NBC's early coverage was predictably fluffy and generally served a promotional role for various NBC corporate cousins..."
>>> Two thumbs up?... Sun Times columnist and former Roger Ebert TV partner reports on Derby Day from Chicago-land OTB, "There's only one idiot I know who should have bet on Mine That Bird. Me."
>>> Interesting: From article examining sports TV advertising, "At last weekend's Kentucky Derby, for example, NBC sold spots to Procter & Gamble, Zales and GE Appliances on the premise that the Derby TV audience has more women than men watching."
>>> Tampa Bay meet leaders/final
>>> Beyer: "In my four decades of covering the sport, it ranks as one of the two most mystifying results in a major stakes race..."
>>> Chart: Handle comparison... 2008-2009 Derby card race-by-race [see 6:50pm]

Sunday 5/3:

>>> West: Derby upset is "simultaneously encouraging and maddening, inspirational and devastating, great and horrible."
>>> Forde: "...has to rank as the craziest, flukiest thing anyone has ever seen beneath the Twin Spires on the first Saturday in May."
>>> Clay: "Come on now, this just doesn't happen."
>>> Lopresti: "Horse racing. Boy, how this sport needed a day just like this one."
>>> Sports Illustrated: "No other event in America makes a folk hero quite as quickly as the Kentucky Derby."
>>> Kerrison: "Absolutely stunning, incomprehensible, unfathomable blowout..."
>>> LA Times: "Ranks among the all-time Kentucky Derby upsets."

>>> Calvin Borel: This Derby will forever bear his signature
>>> Calvin Bo-rail: "You got a hole, you got a shot."
>>> BARGAIN!!! Derby winner originally sold at auction for $9500
>>> ...But that owner sold Mine That Bird for $400K
>>> Talamo's ride an emotional one... "I'm not doing bad. But I'm not doing good, either."
>>> Winning trainer before the Derby: "You don't realize how truly special the Derby is until you're here."
>>> Trainer Chip Woolley's 2009 record?... 2-for-33 --- uh, including the Kentucky Derby! "Nobody wanted to talk about my horse."
>>> Trainer Woolley comes out of nowhere to get win, "They'll know me now won't they?"
>>> Brunker: Derby winner stunk in New Mexico preps, but there were signs of potential
>>> Winning owner and breeder: 'Couple of buddies' realize a dream
>>> Winning breeder says he's 'in shock'
>>> Baffert: "I'm really emotional right now because I felt like it was mine. I thought I had a winner."
>>> NY Post's Derby Diary with Tom McCarthy/the day after: General Quarters "came back to the barn choking in mud."
>>> Friesan Fire fizzles, "He didn't want to run."
>>> Pletcher now 0-24 at the Derby
>>> Disappointment on Larry Jones' final Derby
>>> Balt Sun: Preakness sales slow out of the gate
>>> POP QUIZ: Who do you think was the prop bet favorite [at 7-1] to finish L-A-S-T ?!?
>>> Mine That Bird bio info
>>> Anchorage newspaper: Derby win was just another weird twist in the seemingly never-ending saga of the Alaska corruption scandal

Photo galleries/video:
>>> Photo gallery: Derby scenes from USA Today
>>> Photo gallery: NY Times
>>> Photo gallery: MSNBC.com
>>> Photo gallery: Lexington Herald Leader
>>> Photo gallery: ESPN.com
>>> Photo galleries: Louisville Courier-Journal
>>> VIDEO: Scenes from the Derby infield
>>> VIDEO: Celebrity video from Barnstable Brown party

Saturday 5/2:

>>> Derby ML fave I Want Revenge is scratched
>>> This changes everything... Beyer: Scratch "makes the 19-horse lineup look ordinary."
>>> Weather: Oaks spared the soaks, but Kentucky Derby 2009 weather looks iffy
>>> LIVE Derby Day Video from Churchill from Bloodhorse/WLEX-TV

>>> Friday's early-bird betting: Friesan Fire favored... I Want Revenge 3rd choice
>>> Kentucky Derby 2009 a maiden race for six of the trainers... But history gives them a good shot
>>> NY Post's Derby Diary with Tom McCarthy/Sat: "I've got all the confidence in the world in General Quarters."
>>> Randy Moss' 2009 Derby pace analysis
>>> Quality Road a no-go for Preakness
>>> Privman: No shortage of story lines in Derby 135
>>> Friesan Fire must overcome layoff
>>> Derby contenders put finishing touches on preparations
>>> Pinhookers look back with some regret at letting Musket Man go for $15K
>>> Derby has historical ties to Nashville
>>> First-timers and repeaters -- they all want to add the Derby to their resume
>>> Eight Belles to be remembered Saturday
>>> Derby celebs to hang in high-class tent

Selections/analysis/plays:
>>> Merrow [Equidaily.com]... I Want Revenge, Regal Ransom, Friesan Fire, Musket Man
>>> Haskin [Bloodhorse]: "In a nutshell, my main win bet will be General Quarters, with possible savers on..."
>>> Rees [Louisville Courier-Journal]: 1. Desert Party 2. Friesan Fire 3. Hold Me Back 4. Mr. Hot Stuff 5. Pioneerof the Nile
>>> Daley [Lowell Sun]: Pioneerof the Nile, Hold Me Back, Desert Party, Chocolate Candy
>>> Amoss [TVG], Asher [CD], Byrne [CD, West [Fort Worth Star-Telegram]
>>> Crist [DRF]: Derby Day P6 analysis
>>> Drape [NY Times]: Friesan Fire, Papa Clem, Regal Ransom, Dunkirk
>>> Demling [Louisville Courier-Journal]: 1. Friesan Fire 2. I Want Revenge 3. Desert Party
>>> Clancy [Hartford Courant]: I Want Revenge, Papa Clem, Friesan Fire
>>> Byk [Sirius satellite]
>>> Brunker [MSNBC.com]: "I'll put $30 to win on Pioneerof the Nile, and box him in $5 exactas with..."
>>> Kling [Troy Record]: 1) Friesan Fire, 2) Dunkirk, 3) I Want Revenge, 4) Desert Party
>>> Stumes [San Fran Chronicle]: Friesan Fire, I Want Revenge, West Side Bernie, Pioneerof the Nile
>>> Powell [BRIS]: "I'll play Pioneerof the Nile to win with most of my bankroll. I'll then key him in trifectas with him on top of..."
>>> Eng [Las Vegas Review Journal]: "Do I like I Want Revenge to win? I'll try to beat him with two colts I've coveted all spring..."
>>> Nadeau [blog]: "It's Friesan Fire on top of..."
>>> Telias [Sporting News]: 1. Pioneerof the Nile 2. Chocolate Candy 3. I Want Revenge 4. Dunkirk
>>> Kennedy [blog]: I Want Revenge -- I think Dunkirk is the second most likely winner and Papa Clem is the third
>>> NY Daily News staff
>>> Bloomberg: Future Pool 1 bet on I Want Revenge would provide a 1,375% return
>>> Beyer [Wash Post/DRF]: "This much about the Derby seems clear (at least to me): I Want Revenge will win it..."
>>> Computer [USA Today]: Pioneerof the Nile
>>> Various: List of top picks by various writers from around the country
>>> Finley [USA Today]: "For wagering value, Friesan Fire (5-1) and Pioneerof the Nile (4-1) will go off at decent odds."
>>> Various [NY Times wirters/blog]
>>> White [Xpressbet]... If you don't know who Jon has on top -- you haven't been paying attention!
>>> Wing [NTRA]: "That said, [I Want Revenge is] not my main horse in the Derby for betting purposes. That would be..."
>>> Cruguet [Seattle Slew]: "My exacta pick is Desert Party with I Want Revenge."
>>> Ike: I believe one of the top four morning line favorites will win
>>> Levin: My Fab Five for the Derby

Friday 5/1:

>>> NY Post's Derby Diary with Tom McCarthy/Fri: "I want him kicking the barn doors down tomorrow morning."
>>> USA Today: Groundswell builds for 'America's horse' General Quarters
>>> Ken Ramsey doesn't begrudge one that got away... General Quarters was claimed, "I'm tickled to death for the gentleman."
>>> Pletcher has good feeling about Dunkirk/
>>> The New Yorker magazine: The dirt on the Kentucky Derby
>>> Dunkirk's a winner in physique, pedigree
>>> AUDIO: Kentucky Derby talk with Dick Jerardi
>>> Mine That Bird -- Gelding takes a curious path from Woodbine to Kentucky
>>> Kerrison: Some prices in this wide-open field
>>> Clay: Garrett Gomez took tough road to six derbys
>>> LA Times: Garrett Gomez takes success in stride -- still seeking Derby victory however


Andy Beyer talks Derby
>>> VIDEO: Andy Beyer talks Ky Derby


Thursday 4/30:

>>> Rees: Horse-by-horse analysis of the Derby field
>>> Papa Clem breezes three in 33 4/5
>>> Haskin's Derby Report: 48 hours and counting
>>> Chart: How fast they came home in their final prep
>>> NY Post's Derby Diary with Tom McCarthy/Thurs: "I let out a sigh of relief when we got to pick eighth in the post-position order."
>>> Ziegel: Eight Belles' trainer Larry Jones has Friesan Fire running in Ky Derby
>>> 'Jockeys' getting nice ride on TV... Reality series tracks lives of some of them
>>> Baffert's back at the Kentucky Derby - and 'a little wiser'
>>> Loss of Eight Belles in Kentucky Derby follows owner, trainer, jockey of Friesan Fire
>>> NY Times: I Want Revenge heads short list in field of long shots
>>> Photo gallery: CNBC -- Run for the Roses
>>> Kerrison: The Dunkirk dilemma -- talent is there, experience isn't
>>> For Nick Zito, Nowhere to Hide comes from out of nowhere
>>> Hollendorfer wants better luck... Trainer sweet on Chocolate Candy
>>> AP: General Quarters tells a tale to rival Seabiscuit
>>> AP: Baffert focused on Derby, not Hall of Fame
>>> AP: Pletcher hoping to end Derby hex with Dunkirk
>>> Late entrant 'Nowhere' has eager workout
>>> O'Meara: "Son, you’ve got Derby Fever and there’s only one known cure."

Wednesday 4/29:

>>> I Want Revenge installed as 3-1 ML fave
>>> Louisville Courier-Journal asks: Who is your pick to win the 2009 Kentucky Derby?
>>> Win Willy drops out
>>> Nowhere to Hide/Zito in
>>> NBC Plans Week-Long Derby Coverage
>>> NY Post's Derby Diary with Tom McCarthy/Wed: "I was very lucky to get General Quarters, and I've turned down a lot of money to keep him."
>>> NY Times profiles DRF Derby clocker Mike Welsch: "I want to see a workout from a horse that just screams: 'Bet me.'"
>>> Jock Watch: Politics, luck play part in getting Derby mounts
>>> Worth the trip: Fans find Derby experience exceeds expectations
>>> NTRA prez: "Here are some of the best stories I have come across for Derby 135."
>>> NBC's Derby coverage [supposedly] safe from hockey overtime
>>> Celizic: Racing is dying, but we'll always love the Derby
>>> Drugs, what drugs?... Drape: "...only three [Derby trainers] were willing to reveal veterinary records to The New York Times, showing what legal medications their colts were receiving."
>>> Liebman: "If there are Derby gods, this year belongs to Larry Jones."
>>> NJ trainer got to Derby doing it his way... Breen started out in construction
>>> USA Today: Derby Dozen -- Videos and analysis of top contenders
>>> Kerrison: Arab oil baron seeks Derby crown
>>> Novak: Derby happenings
>>> Trainers' dinner full of good humor
>>> Human stories dominate 2009 Derby
>>> AP: Add synthetic to Ky Derby handicappers' challenge
>>> Joe Talamo, 19, is young but has wisdom before Kentucky Derby
>>> Ziegel: Feel-good story of Tom McCarthy, General Quarters, rides into Kentucky Derby
>>> Iavarone: I Want Revenge a great fit for Kentucky Derby

Tuesday 4/28:

>>> Square Eddie drops out
>>> Atomic Rain to take 20th Kentucky Derby spot
>>> NY Post's daily Derby Diary with Tom McCarthy... "Churchill Downs put up some sawhorses outside to keep people back from the barn, but I didn't request them. If I see someone standing out there, they can come in and pet him if they want to."
>>> I Want Revenge fires a bullet
>>> Haskin's Derby Report: Following Monday's flurry of workouts, it was all about I Want Revenge on Tuesday
>>> West on I Want Revenge's workout: "Count me skeptical."
>>> Auction buys are Derby contenders
>>> Derby Jock Watch: 21YO Gabriel Saez onboard Friesan Fire for trainer Jones, "He just has this sixth sense of what's going on around him."
>>> Plonk: Scratch of Quality Road the right decision at the right time
>>> Jenny Craig carries on Sid's Derby dreams with Chocolate Candy
>>> Scott: Four Derby starters with clearly defined roles...
>>> Brunker: Quality Road's Derby exit changes everything
>>> Musket Man almost wasn't entered in Derby
>>> Track surface remains hot handicapping topic
>>> Kerrison: Baffert's got a great shot with Pioneerof the Nile
>>> AP: Young gun Joe Talamo prepping for first Derby
>>> Mine That Bird giving Derby a Canadian flavor
>>> Trainer Kelly Breen calmly approaches first Derby
Animal Planet's Jockeys cast members slated to ride in Ky Derby
>>> Pletcher mulls slew of Derby possibilities

>>> Photo gallery: Larry Jones -- Derby horse trainer
>>> Photo gallery: Churchill backside
>>> Photo gallery: Want Revenge works, photos from morning training

Monday 4/27:

>>> Quality Road out of Kentucky Derby, I Want Revenge moves into fave's role
>>> NY Post's daily Derby Diary with Tom McCarthy: After all these years, to have a horse running in the Kentucky Derby is like hitting the lottery
>>> John Velazquez to ride Mr Hot Stuff
>>> Crist: With Quality Road out of the Derby, what's the toteboard going to look like on Saturday?
>>> Haskin's Derby Report: Monday madness
>>> Finley: Is I Want Revenge's Derby try cursed?
>>> Zast: Beleaguered industry should pray for a winner that's trained by Bob Baffert, Thomas McCarthy, Bennie L Woolley, Jr, or J Larry Jones
>>> Kerrison: Derby Field is wide open this time
>>> Clay: Dubai’s back and better than ever
>>> Derby handicapping: Prep race runners-up can offer interest
>>> Pioneerof the Nile cruises in 1:01 work
>>> USA Today: Pletcher hopes Dunkirk can lift his Kentucky Derby daze
>>> Newsday: Musket Man gives Long Island owner second shot at Derby
>>> Advice, Join in the Dance give Pletcher a triple threat
>>> Friesan Fire sizzles in final Derby work
>>> Chocolate Candy professional in Derby prep
>>> NY Times: Jimmy Jerkens, training in Dad’s footprints, has chance to leave his own

Sunday 4/26:

>>> Prospective Kentucky Derby 135 Field
>>> Derby contenders preview: Why they can win and why they can't
>>> Quality Road update: Monday work will determine derby status
>>> Battaglia still considers Quality Road a ML fave despite hoof problems
>>> Balt Sun: Five horses to watch, three story lines to consider and a look back at the 2008 race...
>>> Wilkin: The essentials: TV alerts, contenders and pretenders and a longshot worth betting
>>> Derby contenders continue preparations
>>> Godolphin pair looking sharp for Derby
>>> Novak: Sheikh Mohammed's quest continues
>>> Rees: This year's Derby candidates offer something for everyone
>>> Old Man and the Horse: Untiring effort finally brings 75YO trainer to Derby
>>> LA Times: I Want Revenge is the presumptive favorite, but surprises are often the defining feature of this race
>>> DRF: Baffert looking for more Ky Derby glory... Pinning hopes on Pioneerof the Nile

>>> Celebrities: 'CSI', 'Desperate Housewives' stars to appear at Kentucky Derby party
Saturday 4/25:

>>> Regal Ransom solid in Sat morn work
>>> History: The Father of the Derby -- Colonel Matt Winn
>>> VIDEO: Interview with Churchill track super Butch Lehr
>>> Quality Road treated, Jerkens optimistic
>>> Friesan Fire's trainer, owner optimistic
>>> Kerrison: Pletcher, Velazquez -- it's each man for himself in the Derby
>>> Kentucky Derby buzz grows as CD meet begins
>>> Summer Bird has pokey workout
>>> VIDEO: Local TV news profiles new Churchill announcer

Friday 4/24 news:

>>> Quality Road's Derby status in doubt
>>> Derby ML fave?... Battaglia, "It's between Quality Road and I Want Revenge."
>>> Powell: Closer look at Derby contenders
>>> Borg: Pioneerof the Nile figures to be even faster on a natural dirt surface!
>>> Privman: Dunkirk trying to break Derby bugaboo -- being unraced as a 2YO
>>> Derby Watch: Baffert, Lukas form unlikely duo... DW, "Heck, there's only two guys in the race this year who have ever won the thing."
>>> Eng: Gomez had tough choice -- but Pioneerof The Nile has plenty in his favor
>>> Derby Watch: Derby-bound horse has Canterbury connections
>>> Derby Watch: From rodeo to Kentucky Derby... Chip Woolley, Mine That Bird both long shots
>>> Derby Watch: Owner/trainer happy after General Quarters works on Thurs
>>> Papa Clem: Hirsch-Stute duo want to team up for Derby success
>>> Derby Watch: Willmot cheering for Square Eddie... Canadian-bred horse entered in Ky Derby

Joe Talamo profile, NBC's Last Call 4/09
VIDEO: Joe Talamo profiled on NBC's Last Call with Carson Daly [How did that guy ever become a talk show host?!? -- but that's a conversation for another day...]

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