Race 9: $25 WPS 6
Race 10: $25 WPS 10
Race 12: $25 WP 1

Race 1: 1, 9, 6, 8, 5
Race2: 9, 3, 7, 5, 8
Race 3: 8, 7, 13, 4, 12
Race 4: 6, 4, 8, 5, 3
Race 5: 3, 5, 14, 11, 2
Race 6: 8, 9, 2, 6, 7
Race 7:  10, 1, 6, 4, 8
Race 8: 3, 5, 6, 7, 4
Race 9: 4, 3, 6, 5, 1
Race 10: 10, 8, 4, 7, 1
Race 11: 4, 2, 9, 1, 5
Race 12: 1, 9, 8, 4, 2
Race 13: 8, 12, 1, 9, 2

Race 9: $25 WPS 10
$25 Show 4

Race1: 1, 2, 5, 3, 4
Race2: 8, 2, 4, 7, 10
Race3: 1, 5, 3, 2, 7
Race4: 4, 1, 6, 12, 5
Race5: 6, 9, 8, 3, 4
Race6: 3, 2, 1, 6, 4
Race7: 1, 7, 6, 2, 5
Race8: 2, 3, 4, 9, 1
Race9: 10, 8, 4, 1, 5
Race10: 2, 6, 3, 7, 5

I'm so so excited by this colt.  I think this is the easiest Derby winner to get behind since Barbaro.  Ya know, Big Brown had the Dutrow thing, Mine That Bird was a fluke, Animal Kingdom had the Barry Irwin thing, I'll Have Another had the O'Neill thing...how can you not want this guy to take it all the way?  How poetic is it that it is 40 years since Secretariat who was a coin flip away from being owned by the Phipps.  I'm bathing in the KoolAid now, I'm on this bandwagon all the way now.

Just keep in mind, Orb can close on slow fractions just as well.  The Florida Derby ran a half in 48.2 and 6f in 1.12.  Departing and Mylute look like the biggest threats IMO

Haha now this is true.  I did this until I discovered the lillies, which is a cranberry vodka concoction.  I'll just go with that.

I'm sure she has a much thicker skin than I ever will, mostly because sports fans are often the absolute worst online, but I guess it just shocked me how closed minded these people were.  I love racing, I love racing's traditions  but I also love good marketing and a diversified product.  You think the Super Bowl halftime show would be a buzz topic is Up With People still performed?  Sure it's great, but sometimes it's good to give a little bit to another side of your sport and change an event from popular to insanely popular.

I'm not sure how many of you are on Twitter, but if you are, and follow a lot of horse racing people, you have probably noticed the Michelle Beadle discussion.  Beadle was the blonde broadcaster on Derby day that did more of the fashion, celebrity and silly pieces in between the races.  In the past few days, she has been harassed on Twitter by members of the horse racing community who feel as though her presence was unnecessary, mocking of the traditions of the Derby and immature. 

Personally, this is seriously pissing me off and making me embarrassed to be a fan of the sport.  Beadle was a self-admitted newcomer to the sport, coming from covering entertainment news on Access Hollywood with a crossover into sports coverage as of late.  In my opinion, she did a great job covering the EVENT side of the Derby with a few minor mistakes made about the actual racing (she referred to Lines of Battle as the 37-1 favorite at one point), but brought a fresh, funny side to the coverage.  From my perspective, she was much better and much more fun than Neumeier and Battaglia fake arguing about their picks. 

What is bothering me is the response horse racing has had.  Is this a representation of the way horse racing is welcoming new comers?   Are we telling people to play by the rules or go find a door?  Do they realize how fragile the sport's fanbase is? 

There are a few facts horse racing fans need to take into account before criticizing everything.

1. The model of a day at the races is completely different from any other sport.  This includes network coverage.  Every other sporting event is a longer game with little down time.  Horse racing is 95% downtime, 5% actual action.  When a broadcast is 2 to 3 hours long and they feature one, even two, races, that's only 2 or so minutes of actual racing, a max of five to ten in the paddock and less than five in the post parade.  That leaves a broadcast of the Woodford and Derby, for example, with a max of 34 minutes of racing action.  The rest must be filled with racing commentary and coverage of the event itself, which for most people includes the fluff stuff like juleps, hats, dresses, roses, etc.
2. Racing can only benefit from an association with fashion.  Look at the successes in horse racing: Triple Crown races, Breeders Cup, Del Mar, Keeneland, Saratoga.  What do they all have in common?  They are destinations and events to be seen at.  This will bring a lot of people.  Even if only 5% of those people return, that's a number that didn't exist before.
3. Some of racing's traditions suck.  Juleps are horrible drinks.  A lot of people berated Beadle for saying so, saying she was attacking the hollowed tradition.  If our sport is dependent upon mint leaf floaties in bourbon, we have bigger problems than ever.
4. Finally, people need to grow up and realize their presence and voice can be equal parts negative and positive.  I am almost sure Beadle will never voluntarily go to the races again after the reception she has had here.  Is it worth it?  Is the uppity attitude benefiting anyone? 

What do y'all think?  I'm fired up about this so I apologize for the rant, but this is very disturbing to me. 

Sloppppy.  Seems like the track is playing fair, but I would look for a horse that stays clean and is just off the pace.

Race 8: $25 WPS 5
Race 9: $25 WPS 5
Race 10: $25 Show 4
Race 11: $1 Exacta: 3, 5, 16, 19/3, 5, 6, 12, 16, 17, 19=$24

We'll tip that extra buck to the scorers (wish I actually could tip you guys more....and real money..., thanks for all you do!!!!!!!!!)

Race1: 3,1,5,2,6
Race2: 5, 1, 2, 6, 8
Race3: 3, 6, 5, 1, 7
Race4: 12, 5, 13, 3, 6
Race5: 8, 5, 4, 12, 3
Race6: 8, 2, 4, 6, 1
Race7: 2, 6, 8, 3, 1
Race8: 5, 3, 7, 8, 2
Race9: 5, 8, 9, 3, 4
Race10: 8, 9, 4, 6, 2
Race11: 16, 5, 19, 18, 12 (Last Place: Oxbow)
Race12: 8, 2, 9, 6, 4
Race 13: 12, 2, 11, 8, 1

I'm having the same prob DS.  I've got Orb, Java's War, Revolutionary and Normandy Invasion in my "can win" list and then my "can finish second" is a wholllle lot longer

Agree on Normandy.  It's too close to the big day and too big of a day to have that happen. 

I'm having a lot of trouble tossing horses.  So far, I have managed to cut:
 Golden Soul: can't do it
 Giant Finish: even if he wins I wouldn't regret not betting him
Oxbow: His training has seemed a bit off and the inside draw makes me think he's going to be closer to the pace than he needs to be
 Falling Sky: just outclassed I think
 Black Onyx: I just don't see him doing it
  
I am on the verge of cutting:
 Lines of Battle: I think the trip is too much for a race like this
Goldencents: I just have this feeling Falling Sky will hook him and burn him up
 Palace Malice: I dunno, he just doesn't do it for me.  I feel like the synthetic surface might have moved him up a bit and he will end up outclassed here
 Overanalyze: Starting to think the ARK Derby wasn't that good.  I suppose you can make the argument that he is improving, but I feel he's just not up to it
Vyjack: i want him to win.  I think he's awesome, but I think if he couldn't win the Wood, he doesn't do it here.

Finally, I'm real close to moving Verrazano off my "has a shot to win" to throwing him completely.  He's not real mature and seems to wait on horses, which will nip him in the Derby.  He has looked a bit off lately getting lathered on the neck the last two mornings.  Granted, I don't know if that's normal for him, but it just seems a bit off.  

Now, if it rains like it's supposed to.....I have no idea.

This is the best place I've found for Derby works.  They have his posted for today.  Be warned, you can waste a lot of time here:
http://www.kentuckyderby.com/workouts