Horse racing newsletter: Kentucky Derby preps are over

POSTERIZE controlled the pace into and around the turn, coaxed into the stretch, urged right-handed in the furlong grounds while drifting out some and remained clear. HANDSOME CAT stalked the leader outside a rival, chased three wide through the turn, finished willingly but could not threaten the winner. OWNING chased on the inside, saved ground to stretch and held the show. SINGLE ME OUT tracked the pace along the fence to the turn, moved out into the two path around the bend, kept to task in the final furlong but needed to find more in deep stretch. LITTLEBITAMEDAL sat off the pace while off the rail, went four wide around the bend and could not offer the needed response.

PHANTOM DANCE stumbled leaving the gate, recovered to vie for the lead inside a pair of rivals into the turn then took control around that bend, set a pressured in the two path, fought with PAPALE leaving the second bend, shook free at the top of the stretch and drew off. PAPALE bobbled at the start, vied three deep into the clubhouse turn then stalked outside the top pair, bid three deep around the final turn, challenged the winner into the stretch but was no match in the drive. LONE SCOUT off a bit slow to begin, was taken in hand around the first turn, continued to pull and went between rivals on the backstretch, chased in the two path into the far turn then angled further off inside, flattened in the final furlong but finished a clear third. ROYAL ORB vied between into the first turn then pressed the pace from outside into the backstretch, lost contact with the winner past the five-sixteenths and tired in the stretch run. MY SUMMER DREAM stumbled in the beginning, stalked from inside then came off the rail into the stretch and had little left.

LUCKYS LAST STAND bumped inside rival at the start, set the pace inside of GORDY'S BODY, cleared rivals past the five-sixteenths and drew away under mild urging. GERLACH'S angled outside the top pair early, bid three deep around the turn, chased the winner into the stretch and proved second best. GORDY'S BOY pressed the pace from outside, between at the five-sixteenths, chased a bit off the rail into the stretch, angled out with a furlong to go and weakened. SIR WILLIAMS DREAM bumped with outside rival at the start, chased along the inside into the turn, angled out and went around NO MALICE on the bend, came four wide into the stretch and filled out the superfecta. NO MALICE chased the top pair from inside, dropped back and came off the rail on the turn and tired.

CHOLLIMA stumbled in the beginning, drifted in and bumped rival early, went to the front and set the pace inside a pair of rivals, cleared around the bend and inched away and padded the lead late. YOUR ROYAL COIL showed early speed outside a pair of rivals, chased the the winner three wide into the stretch, could not summon the needed late kick but stayed on to best the rest. BELLA RENELLA off slow to begin, angled out early, wen three then four wide on the turn, kept to task in the lane and held the show. STORMIN RANGER bumped early by CHOLLIMA, chased from inside, lost ground around the turn and kept on to earn a minor award. IT'S A RIDDLE pressed the pace between foes, chased the winner two wide leaving the turn and faded. SAVING SOPHIE tracked outside a rival up the backstretch, went four wide into the turn, five wide into the stretch and failed to menace.

TOWING in range early off the inside, entered the stretch three to four wide, struck the front mid-stretch, dueled with PRINCE MAGICIAN in the late stages and prevailed in a photo. PRINCE MAGICIAN chased off the inside, angled out on the turn and exited the bend four to five wide, rallied widest and dueled with TOWING late but missed on the line. STIR THE POT broke in and bumped rival at the start, sped to the front, cleared outside rival up the backstretch, led a bit off the rail into the drive, yielded to the top pair and held the show. MOON MISCHIEF bumped at the start, tracked from inside then two wide into the lane, kept to task between rivals late but needed more. COUNT ALEXEI up close early outside the pacesetter, chased two to three wide into the stretch and flattened out. DANCING IN PARIS stumbled at the start, dropped back early, took the turn two wide and never got involved.

COLT FICTION vied for the lead three deep briefly then dueled outside of HOWBEIT to the stretch, dug in the last sixteenth and proved best. HOWBEIT vied for the lead between then dueled with COLT FICTION from inside, battled through the turn and into the lane, drifted out through the stretch, got outkicked in the final sixteenth but was clearly second best. TIZHOTNDUSTY raced off the pace, came out and bumped rival entering the stretch and gained the show. GOLDEN STAR ROCK stalked outside a rival then came three wide into the drive and weakened. CALIFORNIA STREET trailed early then went outside a rival on the backstretch, angled out on the turn, got bumped by TIZHOTNDUSTY entering the stretch and could not rally. WRECKING CREW vied for the lead briefly before dropping back to stalk the top pair, traveled along the inside then two wide into the lane and weakened.

TRUTH SEEKER went two wide around the first turn then moved inside, traveled a bit off the rail into the lane then angled to the fence, bid inside the leader and took over past the eighth pole, dueled with CONQUEST COBRA in the late stages and held off the late charge from the runner-up. CONTAGION traveled along the inside early then angled out into the backstretch, exited the far turn three wide, tipped out at the top of the stretch, rallied outside the top pair and missed. CONQUEST COBRA bumped leaving the gate, hustled to the front and cleared early, challenged around the far turn and cleared again into the stretch, lost command inside the eighth pole but fought back through the final furlong and finished gamely between rivals late. COLOSI traveled off the rail while in range, came three wide into the stretch and flattened out. CAUSEIDIDITMYWAY broke in and bumped rival, was closest in pursuit in the early stages, bid outside on the far turn, chased between rivals into the lane and weakened. SWAMP SOUFFLE was knocked into rival and clipped heels at the start, came four wide into the stretch and tired. FOLLOWING AN INQUIRY, THE STEWARDS DISQUALIFIED CAUSEIDIDITMYWAY FROM FIFTH TO LAST FOR SHIFTING IN AND CAUSING SWAMP SOUFFLE TO CLIP HEELS AT THE START, COSTING HIM A CHANCE AT A BETTER PLACING.

LAMBEAU bobbled soon after the start, sped to the front, set the pace inside then got pressured on the backstretch, vied with a trio of rivals into the far turn, cleared again entering the stretch and held gamely in deep stretch. BOLD ENDEAVOR traveled three wide into the first turn, chased outside the top pair then went three deep into the far turn, could not keep up with the leader into the stretch but finished well and gained ground on the winner late. HEYWOODS BEACH went four wide into the clubhouse turn, stalked outside on the backstretch, bid four deep on the far turn, failed to sustain the momentum leaving the bend, chased willingly outside the top pair and finished a clear third. TAISHAN stumbled badly, almost losing the rider at the start, raced along the inside then moved out on the backstretch, angled out around the far turn, entered the stretch five wide and bested the rest. ROYAL ACT went three wide into the first turn, sat off the pace near the back of the pack, angled out and came six wide into the drive and passed tired rivals. EKKLESIA checked off heels while between rivals on the first turn, chased off the rail and three wide into the lane and could not rally. SASH (GB) up close early then pressed the pace from outside near the halfway point, started to weakened between rivals near the five-sixteenths and had little left for the drive. CHARLITO raced along the inside in mid-pack, tipped out into the stretch and weakened.

ENSLEYS DREAM vied for the lead from inside, took over at the seven-sixteenths, shook free into the stretch and held well under right-handed encouragement. MEDUSA'S GAZE raced mid-pack up the backstretch, went five wide into the turn then angled to the three path, steered back out in upper stretch, rallied and got up for second. KIND BUT SHE LIES got bumped by outside rival leaving the gate, chased three wide into the turn, exited the bend four wide, took aim at the leader in the stretch, could not find the needed response in deep stretch and got edged for the place. BRIO IS AWESOME vied for the lead outside the top pair, chased the leader two to three wide into the stretch and stayed on to secure a minor placing. LULU D' ORO bobbled at the start, raced off the pace, four then six wide around the turn and kept on through the final furlong. BEST OF SHOW bumped with rival in the beginning, trailed early along the inside, saved ground moved a bit off the rail into the stretch, tipped out in upper stretch and produced a mild rally. BIG AL'S PRINCESS bumped with outside rival at the start, settled off the pace, went three wide into the turn, angled five wide leaving the bend and proved no menace. SEASON TO REMEMBER tracked off the rail, came five wide into the drive and weakened. EVENING ANCHOR showed early speed then dropped back to chase and angled to the inside, saved ground to the stretch and tired. MOLOKINI vied for the lead between rivals into and around the turn, could not keep pace past the five-sixteenths pole and gave way in the lane. PHILLIPS LANE broke in and bumped rival at the start, raced wide up the backstretch, angled into the three path on the turn while losing ground, eased in the stretch and walked off.