HRN: Dana Barnes' Derby Hoppertunity

Each time I post a new article on my Horse Racing Nation blog, I post a notice on this blog. These notices include an excerpt from the beginning of that article and a link to the piece. My latest Horse Racing Nation article is. . .


Dana Barnes' Derby Hoppertunity

"Atop a bay colt Dana Barnes sits with the iconic twin spires of Churchill Downs before her. Media surrounds the track, cameras and notepads in hand as they observe the contenders for the 140^th running of America’s signature race – the Kentucky Derby (gr. I). The colt Barnes is aboard, Hoppertunity, is among those hopefuls.

This certainly is not the first time Barnes has been in this situation. Having been an exercise rider for Bob Baffert since 1997, she has ridden each of the Hall of Fame trainer’s three Derby winners – Silver Charm, Real Quiet, and War Emblem. Since Barnes began working for Baffert, the trainer has had twenty-one Kentucky Derby starters.

“Having a Derby horse is every owner, trainer, groom, and exercise rider’s dream,” Barnes said. “We have been so lucky to have been here so many times. There's nothing like the Derby. This next week will get really crazy. We have fourteen horses here so we keep busy. We don't have time to get nervous. The first time I came, I thought I would never have chance to come back. It's pretty overwhelming.”. . ."

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HRN: 2014 Kentucky Derby Hopeful: Danza

Each time I post a new article on my Horse Racing Nation blog, I post a notice on this blog. These notices include an excerpt from the beginning of that article and a link to the piece. My latest Horse Racing Nation article is. . .

2014 Kentucky Derby Hopeful: Danza

For the first time, my Derby Hopefuls will be reaching the pages of Horse Racing Nation rather than the original Past the Grandstand. Derby Hopefuls feature the horses I view as the best contenders leading up to the Kentucky Derby. Each horse spotlighted in a Derby Hopeful will join the 2014 PTG Derby Hopeful roster, found on the right side of this blog (the original Past the Grandstand). Horses will be listed in an order that corresponds to how highly I think of them, with the horse I think most highly of ranking at the top. A horse featured in a Derby Hopeful may be taken off the roster if its performances after its article are published are not up to par or if that horse is taken off the Triple Crown trail, though those articles will remain on my blog.

"He’s the horse that stunned handicappers and fans in one of the final 2014 Kentucky Derby preps of the season – the rare Todd Pletcher long shot that stole a grade one event at odds of 41-1. But Danza will certainly not be overlooked on Saturday in the Run for the Roses. Although still doubted by many, his utter brilliance and stunning physique will keep a fair amount of attention on him as America’s signature race approaches. . ."

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HRN: 2014 Kentucky Derby Hopeful: California Chrome

Each time I post a new article on my Horse Racing Nation blog, I post a notice on this blog. These notices include an excerpt from the beginning of that article and a link to the piece. My latest Horse Racing Nation article is. . .

2014 Kentucky Derby Hopeful: California Chrome

For the first time, my Derby Hopefuls will be reaching the pages of Horse Racing Nation rather than the original Past the Grandstand. Derby Hopefuls feature the horses I view as the best contenders leading up to the Kentucky Derby. Each horse spotlighted in a Derby Hopeful will join the 2014 PTG Derby Hopeful roster, found on the right side of this blog (the original Past the Grandstand). Horses will be listed in an order that corresponds to how highly I think of them, with the horse I think most highly of ranking at the top. A horse featured in a Derby Hopeful may be taken off the roster if its performances after its article are published are not up to par or if that horse is taken off the Triple Crown trail, though those articles will remain on my blog.

"Just a few days out from Christmas, citizens across the nation prepared for the holiday, reuniting with family, watching classic holiday movies, embellishing homes with festive decorations, wrapping gifts, and preparing traditional meals. The air was full of joy and anticipation; after all, it was “the most wonderful time of the year.” But on the evening of December 22, 2014, racing fans felt anything but joy.

It was the final day of racing at Hollywood Park, a track that had housed the names of an abundance of great Thoroughbreds, including Affirmed, Citation, Seabiscuit, and Zenyatta. Despite the seventy-five years of fine racing that had taken place at Hollywood Park, the doors would forever close to the Inglewood, California track. Hundreds of stakes races had been held at the track in its rich history, including the inaugural Breeders’ Cup World Championships and seventy-four editions of the Hollywood Gold Cup, but at 5:39 PM on December 22, California Chrome – a stunning chestnut colt conditioned by veteran trainer Art Sherman – galloped to an impressive victory in the final stakes race ever held at Hollywood, the King Glorious Stakes. Now, a month out from the Kentucky Derby, the colt that captured Hollywood’s final stakes race looks to conquer America’s greatest stakes race. . ."

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HRN: 2014 Kentucky Derby Hopeful: Tapiture

Each time I post a new article on my Horse Racing Nation blog, I post a notice on this blog. These notices include an excerpt from the beginning of that article and a link to the piece. My latest Horse Racing Nation article is. . .

2014 Kentucky Derby Hopeful: Tapiture

For the first time, my Derby Hopefuls will be reaching the pages of Horse Racing Nation rather than the original Past the Grandstand. Derby Hopefuls feature the horses I view as the best contenders leading up to the Kentucky Derby. Each horse spotlighted in a Derby Hopeful will join the 2014 PTG Derby Hopeful roster, found on the right side of this blog (the original Past the Grandstand). Horses will be listed in an order that corresponds to how highly I think of them, with the horse I think most highly of ranking at the top. A horse featured in a Derby Hopeful may be taken off the roster if its performances after its article are published are not up to par or if that horse is taken off the Triple Crown trail, though those articles will remain on my blog.

"Few stallions on the market are more successful than Tapit is now. His progeny have been winning graded stakes races left and right, and breeders have sent some of the most accomplished mares in recent years to the gray stallion in hopes of adding to Tapit’s plethora of stakes-winning offspring. But Tapit’s success story is not over yet.

While siring a Kentucky Derby (gr. I) winner does not define a stallion’s career, it is certainly a main goal. Winning the Kentucky Derby was a task Tapit attempted to accomplish himself, but a ninth-place finish on the first Saturday of May in 2004 left Tapit’s only chance at Derby glory to be as a sire.

The best a son of Tapit has managed in the Run for the Roses was Normandy Invasion’s fourth-place effort last year. Could Tapiture become Tapit’s first Derby winner?. . ."

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HRN: 2014 Kentucky Derby Hopeful: Commissioner

Each time I post a new article on my Horse Racing Nation blog, I post a notice on this blog. These notices include an excerpt from the beginning of that article and a link to the piece. My latest Horse Racing Nation article is. . .

Derby Hopeful: Commissioner

For the first time, my Derby Hopefuls will be reaching the pages of Horse Racing Nation rather than the original Past the Grandstand. Derby Hopefuls feature the horses I view as the best contenders leading up to the Kentucky Derby. Each horse spotlighted in a Derby Hopeful will join the 2014 PTG Derby Hopeful roster, found on the right side of this blog (the original Past the Grandstand). Horses will be listed in an order that corresponds to how highly I think of them, with the horse I think most highly of ranking at the top. A horse featured in a Derby Hopeful may be taken off the roster if its performances after its article are published are not up to par or if that horse is taken off the Triple Crown trail, though those articles will remain on my blog.

"Four years ago, the white and green silks of WinStar Farm – stained by mud – were carried to Kentucky Derby (gr. I) glory by Super Saver and Calvin Borel. One of the most renowned farms in the horse racing industry, WinStar Farm has experienced much success in some of the most important races in the world, including not only the Derby, but also the Dubai World Cup (UAE-I), Breeders’ Cup Classic (gr. I), and Belmont Stakes (gr. I). But surely few victories would taste sweeter than an additional win in the Run for the Roses.

In WinStar’s possession is a talented colt that could grant them that triumph: Commissioner. In just three starts, none of which were at the stakes level, Commissioner has left his mark on the Derby trail. While the well-bred colt still has much left to prove, he is certainly on the right track to Louisville. . ."

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HRN: Derby Hopeful: Top Billing

Each time I post a new article on my Horse Racing Nation blog, I post a notice on this blog. These notices include an excerpt from the beginning of that article and a link to the piece. My latest Horse Racing Nation article is. . .

Derby Hopeful: Top Billing

For the first time, my Derby Hopefuls will be reaching the pages of Horse Racing Nation rather than the original Past the Grandstand. Derby Hopefuls feature the horses I view as the best contenders leading up to the Kentucky Derby. Each horse spotlighted in a Derby Hopeful will join the 2014 PTG Derby Hopeful roster, found on the right side of this blog (the original Past the Grandstand). Horses will be listed in an order that corresponds to how highly I think of them, with the horse I think most highly of ranking at the top. A horse featured in a Derby Hopeful may be taken off the roster if its performances after its article are published are not up to par or if that horse is taken off the Triple Crown trail, though those articles will remain on my blog.

"The result of the 2013 Kentucky Derby (gr. I) was a heartwarming one. When Orb splashed through the mud to attain Derby glory, he granted Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey his first win in America’s most famous race. A Kentucky native, McGaughey has for decades been a household name, conditioning the likes of the champions Easy Goer, Lure, and Personal Ensign. But the garland of red roses had been incredibly elusive for McGaughey. One of the most respected horsemen in the history of Thoroughbred racing, McGaughey had six previous Derby starters, including Easy Goer – who finished second behind Sunday Silence, a horse he would later defeat in the Belmont Stakes (gr. I) – before he ever reached the Derby winner’s circle with Orb.

Could a sequel to this fairytale play out this year on the first Saturday in May? McGaughey has two top Derby contenders in Honor Code and Top Billing, the latter of which has drawn attention without even having competed in stakes company yet. Although back-to-back Derby wins is a rare feat, McGaughey is more than deserving of this accomplishment. Could Top Billing allow him to fulfill that hope? . . ."

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HRN: Derby Hopeful: Cairo Prince

Each time I post a new article on my Horse Racing Nation blog, I post a notice on this blog. These notices include an excerpt from the beginning of that article and a link to the piece. My latest Horse Racing Nation article is. . .

Derby Hopeful: Cairo Prince

For the first time, my Derby Hopefuls will be reaching the pages of Horse Racing Nation rather than the original Past the Grandstand. Derby Hopefuls feature the horses I view as the best contenders leading up to the Kentucky Derby. Each horse spotlighted in a Derby Hopeful will join the 2014 PTG Derby Hopeful roster, found on the right side of this blog (the original Past the Grandstand). Horses will be listed in an order that corresponds to how highly I think of them, with the horse I think most highly of ranking at the top. A horse featured in a Derby Hopeful may be taken off the roster if its performances after its article are published are not up to par or if that horse is taken off the Triple Crown trail, though those articles will remain on my blog.

"The road to the 2014 Kentucky Derby (gr. I) has begun. Each week, more and more Derby lists, displaying rankings of potential Derby horses, are shared by racing enthusiasts and turf writers. We are in all in a pursuit to find the next Derby winner, to zone in on the horse that will stand in glory at Churchill Downs with a garland of roses draped over his – or her -- shoulders. There are few declarations prouder than “I picked the Derby winner.”

Many have rested their hopes upon Cairo Prince, recent winner of the Holy Bull Stakes (gr. II) at Gulfstream Park. The dark gray colt made quite the impression as a two-year-old, but his first performance as a three-year-old left the racing world enthusing about the colt with the vision of red roses in mind. More than three months remain until the Kentucky Derby and as we all know, many things can change before then. However, should Cairo Prince maintain the brilliance he has displayed and perhaps even improve upon it while remaining healthy and sound, he will be a fierce competitor on the first Saturday in May. . ."

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