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Thumb_beertwitternew Mike Beer , 05/06/2018 - DRF Live Posted : May 6, 2018, 12:02 AM

Some quick Derby thoughts

The wet track is a built-in excuse in this race, unfortunately, but there really wasn't all that much to get excited about as far as trips go.  Some thoughts:

Justify is a very good horse. The pace was fast but he stayed strongly all the way and was never letting Good Magic into the race through the stretch - and Good Magic ran an excellent race. 

I loved the ride Javier Castellano gave Audible.  The early bump was inconsequential in my opinion, but there was a very close call for them at the top of the stretch, and it was a gutsy move for Javy to go there (even if he didn't really have any other choice).  They got through it, and Audible put in a game run to just miss 2nd. 

Ok runs from both Instilled Regard & My Boy Jack from out of it, but this race set up well for them. It was a particularly good ride from Drayden Van Dyke on Instilled Regard after getting carried in and bumped at the start.

Hofburg had the most notable trouble in the race.  He was in tight and had to steady more than once from the far-turn all the way around to the top of the stretch, and he wasn't even really fully clear to come running until almost the eighth-pole.  I never understood what finishing with "good energy" was until just now. 

The underrated effort of the 2018 Derby goes to Firenze Fire.  He doesn't want this distance, but he was close to the pace all the way and still doing his best into the upper-stretch before letting go.  He's a good horse.  

I understand what the plan was with Bolt d'Oro but trying to keep close to Justify from the start blew up on them.  He was looking for mommy by the time he reached the quarter-pole.  

I wouldn't be too hard on Mendelssohn even though this turned into a disaster.  The bump at the start, and another one shortly after, did him no favors, but he actually got into a good enough position after that and never looked like he was going to run.  I would actually like to see them leave him here and run in two weeks, even though I doubt I would like him in the Preakness.  

The horse I'm just giving a complete pass to is Magnum Moon.  I didn't like him on the way in, and he clearly didn't run well, but, to me, he never had a chance in this race.  He caused his own trouble by breaking in like that and causing the bumping, but he was one horse who never was able to get into a comfortable position at any point in the race.  I can easily throw this one out and move forward with him, though I wonder if he wouldn't benefit from concentrating on shorter distances right now.  

 

 

 

  

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