Disappointing Weekend
For a couple of promising potential Kentucky Derby contenders, this weekend’s prep races were a bust: Galloping Grocer, who’d lost only once before, to Rockport Harbor in November’s Remsen Stakes, finished fourth in Saturday’s Whirlaway at Aqueduct; Todd Pletcher-trained Harlington was never a factor in the Risen Star at Fair Grounds. (New York Times)
Comment: Jockey Aaron Gryder’s comment on Galloping Grocer’s performance really struck me. “The last eighth of a mile he wasn’t able to sustain that run. He was off for 11 weeks and, sometimes, a big horse like him needs racing more than training,” he told Bill Finley. I’d guess that’s true of most horses, yet it seems as though many of the Triple Crown nominees are aiming for light prep schedules — several have only two races scheduled between now and May 7, which raises the question of how ready those horses really will be for the Derby.
