Racing! News, notes and some free stuff

Hello, my name is John Cherwa and welcome back to our horse racing newsletter as Santa Anita almost gets on a regular schedule.

Let’s go to some news and notes and some free stuff as we head to five consecutive days of racing.

--Bob Baffert offered little clarity as to what’s in store for his developing 3-year-old McKinzie. He told Steve Andersen of the Daily Racing Form that McKinzie would run one or two more times before the Derby and that he may keep him here or ship him out of town. You can read Steve’s story by clicking here.

You need to remember that Baffert sent American Pharoah to Oaklawn Park (where they are erecting a statue of him) before his Triple Crown run.

Now, I would never question the genius of Baffert, who has won 12 Triple Crown races, including four Kentucky Derbies plus winning the Triple Crown, but a legitimate question to ponder is does he want to run his colt against Bolt D’Oro, who is aimed for the San Felipe and Santa Anita Derby?

It also doesn’t hurt that Baffert has the equally talented Solomini in his barn. Solomini, who has already raced and lost to Bolt in the FrontRunner Stakes, beat McKinzie in the Los Alamitos Futurity, but was disqualified to third for interfering with a different horse.

Most trainers don’t like to run two of their horses for the same purse money. Neither do the owners.

Baffert will make the right decision based on the physical and mental makeup of his horses. And, if Bolt and McKinzie both emerge as the top two horses, you know the Derby folks (if they can stifle their arrogance that the Derby doesn’t need any special angles) would relish a first-ever meeting of those two colts. Everyone will be writing that angle. Put that one in the bank.

Reminds me of when many (including me) doubted the wisdom of owner Paul Reddam and trainer Doug O’Neill (whose vote with Paul is really only 49%) shipping undefeated Nyquist to face undefeated Mohaymen in the Florida Derby two years ago. Nyquist smoked Moyhamen, who has remained winless since that day. Now, there was a $1-million bonus that played into things, but at the time did it make sense to have the best of the West run against the best of the East before the Derby? If you were Reddam and O’Neill, the answer was yes.

Whatever happens, with an eternity to go, the West looks pretty strong for this year’s Derby.

--Sunday’s controversy on the boutique races written for trainers with 20 or fewer horses will continue to languish as it heads to the California Horse Racing Board. This means it’s time to take out a huge hourglass and be ready for a lot of flipping. It’s not entirely the CHRB’s fault as it has to set hearing dates and public notices and all the things that keep things from being railroaded through. (Now, any railroading has to be done in slow motion.)

On Sunday, the qualifications of three trainers to run in that race were called into question, especially after one of those trainers won the race. We’re still sifting through all the evidence and will have a look in Friday’s newsletter at the heroes (if we can find one, yeah, there is at least one) and villains in what can happen in racing when someone tries to do a good thing.

--You know the old expression, you get what you pay for, well this FREE newsletter continues to shatter that bromide, be it the charts and trip comments or the winning picks of Bob Ike and Ed Burgart. Both are on fire in their respective meetings. Ed even went three for three last week.

(My comments are worth the amount you pay for this.)

Well, Rob Henie, the brains behind our weekly handicapping lesson, has this offer for subscribers of this newsletter. Go to either of his websites—eastcoasthorseracing.com or https://westcoasthorseracing.com/ — go to “contact us” tab and it sends you to an email you can send to Rob and his staff. Say you are a subscriber to this newsletter and they will send you a free copy of that day’s report.

The ECHR is for Gulfstream and the WCHR is for Santa Anita. This is a very limited offer, only a couple of days. And limit one to a customer. It’s a $19 savings. What do you have to lose … or what do you have to win?

--And while we’re in the mood of giving away free things, there is an online publication out of Canada done by Larry Simpson called PONIES 24-7. And, first of all, it’s free. Just click here for the latest issue. Much like this newsletter, Larry’s idea is to build interest in the sport through alternative forms of publishing.

This current issue has some fascinating Q&A’s and one overly long and pointless one with a certain newsletter writer. Take a look.

Santa Anita preview

The best part of Thursday’s eight-race card is a $92,218 pick six carryover which could swell the pool to half-a-million. In addition, morning-line maker Jon White has only one horse at 8-5 (Revenue Virginius in the six-horse fourth) and one at 2-1. That means the betting should be spread around and it won’t take but a couple of longshots to send things into chaos. (Can you say another carryover?)

The card is good if you are a filly or mare, 4 and up, or are a claimer. In fact, five races are written somewhere along those lines. There are only two turf races, the first and third, meaning they are probably saving the course for the following four days of racing.

The field sizes are pretty good, except for the fourth. In sequential order, they are: 10, 7, 10 (2 also eligible), 6, 14, 8, 9 and 10. If there is a feature it would be the fifth, which is a maiden starter for 3-year-old fillies. It has a $54,000 purse with 14 starters.

Bob Ike’s SA play of the day

FIFTH RACE: No. 12 Gracious Me (5-2)

A full field of 14 are entered in this maiden special weight for 3-year-old fillies but morning-line favorite Gracious Me should be very tough if she repeats her good debut effort at Los Alamitos. She chased home the winner at 22-1 that day but will be a whole lot shorter price today for the hot combination of Vladimir Cerin and Kent Desormeaux.

Sunday’s result: Red Livy ($4.60), bet down from 7-2 morning line odds, dominated her opponents in wire-to-wire fashion to close out the card.

Bob Ike is a Partner/VP of Horsebills.com and the proprietor of BobIkePicks.com (full-card picks, 3 Best Plays and betting strategy).

Final thought

Still looking to jump the circulation of this newsletter. Can’t beat the price. If you like it, tell someone. If you don’t like it, then you’re probably not reading this. Either way, send to a friend and just have them click here and sign up. Remember, it’s free, and all we need is your email, nothing more.

Any thoughts, drop me an email at my new address johnacherwa@gmail.com or feed my ego by following me on Twitter @jcherwa.

And now the star of the show, Thursday’s entries.