Tuesday Morning Notes
– At Churchill: Tale of Ekati worked four furlongs in :49.40 (“nothing dramatic“) over the main track. Halo Najib, #21 on the earnings list, worked five furlongs in 1:05 over the turf.
– Dutrow’s plan: “After winning the Derby, Big Brown will go to Baltimore, win the Preakness, and then claim the Triple Crown with a win in the Belmont.” If only winning the Triple Crown were that easy; I’m sure we would have had a winner or two in the past 30 years. [Addendum: Joe Drape reports today that Dutrow, now at Churchill, is more subdued.]
– Of course, if Big Brown does win the Derby, certain unsavory subjects will come up for discussion …
– Now proven, synthetic surfaces produce closer finishes:
The change is good for horseplayers, said a Polytrack representative: “Close finishes give the bettor the feeling that they weren’t too far off” (ThoroTimes).
– Average daily handle declined at Keeneland during its recently concluded spring meet, but aided by an additional day and a closing card pick six carryover, overall Keeneland numbers were just 5% off last year’s record handle.
