59 Reasons to watch the Winter Olympics

Can't get into the Olympic Spirit? After sifting through all of the athletes (18 and older - Sorry Grubes), we found 59 worth catching in action, with STATS, and national team and event links on where and when to see them.

**********************************************************************************


  

Janine ALDER

Switzerland

• Gender: Female
• Nationality: Switzerland

• Birthday: 5 July 1995
• Age: 18

• Height: 1.61 m (5' 3'')
• Weight: 53 kg / 117 lbs

• Place of Birth: Switzerland, URNASCH AR
• Place of Residence: -

Ice Hockey

Ksenia ALOPINA

Russian Fed.

• Gender: Female
• Nationality: Russian Fed.

• Birthday: 30 May 1992
• Age: 21

• Height: 1.65 m (5' 5'')
• Weight: 62 kg / 137 lbs

• Place of Birth: Russian Fed., BELORETSK, REPUBLIC OF BASHKORTOSTAN
• Place of Residence: Russian Fed., BELORETSK

Alpine Skiing

 

Jenni ASSERHOLT

Sweden

• Gender: Female
• Nationality: Sweden

• Birthday: 8 April 1988
• Age: 25

• Height: 1.72 m (5' 8'')
• Weight: 71 kg / 157 lbs

• Place of Birth: Sweden, GULDSMEDH
• Place of Residence: -

Ice Hockey

 

Vera BAZAROVA

Russian Fed.

• Gender: Female
• Nationality: Russian Fed.

• Birthday: 28 January 1993
• Age: 21

• Height: 1.58 m (5' 2'')
• Weight: -

• Place of Birth: Russian Fed., YEKATERINBURG
• Place of Residence: Russian Fed., YEKATERINBURG

Figure Skating

  

Christina BERTRUP

Sweden

• Gender: Female
• Nationality: Sweden

• Birthday: 23 December 1976
• Age: 37

• Height: 1.75 m (5' 9'')
• Weight: -

• Place of Birth: Sweden, SKON
• Place of Residence: -

Curling

  

Sophie BOILLEY

France

• Gender: Female
• Nationality: -

• Birthday: 18 December 1989
• Age: 24

• Height: 1.67 m (5' 6'')
• Weight: 57 kg / 126 lbs

• Place of Birth: France, VALENCE
• Place of Residence: France

Biathlon

 

Hege BOKKO

Norway

• Gender: Female
• Nationality: Norway

• Birthday: 5 September 1991
• Age: 22

• Height: -
• Weight: -

• Place of Birth: Norway, RINGERIKE
• Place of Residence: -

Speed Skating

 

Anna CAPPELLINI

Italy

• Gender: Female
• Nationality: -

• Birthday: 19 February 1987
• Age: 26

• Height: 1.65 m (5' 5'')
• Weight: 52 kg / 115 lbs

• Place of Birth: Италия, COMO
• Place of Residence: Италия

Figure Skating

 

Lucy CHAFFER

Australia

• Gender: Female
• Nationality: -

• Birthday: 19 October 1983
• Age: 30

• Height: 1.67 m (5' 6'')
• Weight: 58 kg / 128 lbs

• Place of Birth: Австралия, PERTH
• Place of Residence: Австралия

Skeleton

 

 

Jacky CHAMOUN

Lebanon

• Gender: Female
• Nationality: Lebanon

• Birthday: 21 October 1991
• Age: 22

• Height: 1.75 m (5' 9'')
• Weight: 64 kg / 141 lbs

• Place of Birth: Lebanon, DEIR EL KAMAR
• Place of Residence: -

• Olympic Scholarship participant
• 
  

Alpine Skiing

 

Penny COOMES

Great Britain

• Gender: Female
• Nationality: -

• Birthday: 6 April 1989
• Age: 24

• Height: 1.52 m (5' 0'')
• Weight: 43 kg / 95 lbs

• Place of Birth: Grande-Bretagne, ASCOT
• Place of Residence: États-Unis

Figure Skating

 

Rozsa DARAZS

Hungary

• Gender: Female
• Nationality: -

• Birthday: 3 November 1987
• Age: 26

• Height: 1.80 m (5' 11'')
• Weight: 64 kg / 141 lbs

• Place of Birth: Венгрия, JASZBERENY
• Place of Residence: Венгрия

Short Track

 

Jessica DIGGINS

United States

• Gender: Female
• Nationality: -

• Birthday: 26 August 1991
• Age: 22

• Height: -
• Weight: -

• Place of Birth: -
• Place of Residence: Соединенные Штаты

Cross-Country

 

Justine DUFOUR-LAPOINTE

Canada

• Gender: Female
• Nationality: -

• Birthday: 25 March 1994
• Age: 19

• Height: 1.63 m (5' 4'')
• Weight: 55 kg / 121 lbs

• Place of Birth: Канада, MONTREAL
• Place of Residence: Канада, Montreal, Que

Freestyle Skiing

 

Tiril ECKHOFF

Norway

• Gender: Female
• Nationality: -

• Birthday: 21 May 1990
• Age: 23

• Height: -
• Weight: -

• Place of Birth: Norvège, BAERUM
• Place of Residence: Norvège

Biathlon

 

Tanja EISENSCHMID

Germany

• Gender: Female
• Nationality: -

• Birthday: 20 April 1993
• Age: 20

• Height: 1.70 m (5' 7'')
• Weight: 67 kg / 148 lbs

• Place of Birth: Allemagne, MARKTOBERDORF
• Place of Residence: États-Unis

Ice Hockey

 

Anna FENNINGER

Austria

• Gender: Female
• Nationality: -

• Birthday: 18 June 1989
• Age: 24

• Height: 1.65 m (5' 5'')
• Weight: 64 kg / 141 lbs

• Place of Birth: Австрия, HALLEIN
• Place of Residence: Австрия

Alpine Skiing

Grete GAIM

Estonia

• Gender: Female
• Nationality: Estonia

• Birthday: 21 May 1993
• Age: 20

• Height: 1.71 m (5' 7'')
• Weight: 58 kg / 128 lbs

• Place of Birth: Estonia, TARTU
• Place of Residence: -

Biathlon

 

Un Chi GIM

Korea

• Gender: Female
• Nationality: Korea

• Birthday: 23 January 1990
• Age: 24

• Height: 1.66 m (5' 5'')
• Weight: -

• Place of Birth: Korea, DANGJIN
• Place of Residence: -

Curling

Gracie GOLD

United States

• Gender: Female
• Nationality: -

• Birthday: 17 August 1995
• Age: 18

• Height: 1.63 m (5' 4'')
• Weight: -

• Place of Birth: États-Unis, NEWTON
• Place of Residence: États-Unis

Figure Skating

 

Kseniya GRIGOREVA

Uzbekistan

• Gender: Female
• Nationality: Uzbekistan

• Birthday: 25 November 1987
• Age: 26

• Height: 1.70 m (5' 7'')
• Weight: 65 kg / 143 lbs

• Place of Birth: Uzbekistan, TASHKENT
• Place of Residence: -

• Olympic Scholarship participant
• 
  

Alpine Skiing

 

 

 

Mireia GUTIERREZ

Andorra

• Gender: Female
• Nationality: Andorra

• Birthday: 9 October 1988
• Age: 25

• Height: 1.65 m (5' 5'')
• Weight: 60 kg / 132 lbs

• Place of Birth: Andorra, ANDORRA LA VELLA
• Place of Residence: -

• Olympic Scholarship participant

Alpine Skiing

  

Keltie HANSEN

Canada

• Gender: Female
• Nationality: -

• Birthday: 13 May 1992
• Age: 21

• Height: 1.60 m (5' 3'')
• Weight: 54 kg / 119 lbs

• Place of Birth: Canada, EDMONTON
• Place of Residence: Canada, Edmonton, Alta

Freestyle Skiing

 

Sara HURTADO

Spain

• Gender: Female
• Nationality: Spain

• Birthday: 3 November 1992
• Age: 21

• Height: 1.60 m (5' 3'')
• Weight: -

• Place of Birth: Spain, MADRID
• Place of Residence: -

Figure Skating

 

Ekaterina ILYUKHINA

Russian Fed.

• Gender: Female
• Nationality: Russian Fed.

• Birthday: 19 June 1987
• Age: 26

• Height: 1.57 m (5' 2'')
• Weight: 60 kg / 132 lbs

• Place of Birth: -
• Place of Residence: Russian Fed., KHANTY-MANSIYSK

Snowboard

 

Therese JOHAUG

Norway

• Gender: Female
• Nationality: -

• Birthday: 25 June 1988
• Age: 25

• Height: -
• Weight: -

• Place of Birth: Norvège, ROROS
• Place of Residence: Norvège

Cross-Country

 

Arianne JONES

Canada

• Gender: Female
• Nationality: -

• Birthday: 21 September 1990
• Age: 23

• Height: 1.64 m (5' 5'')
• Weight: 60 kg / 132 lbs

• Place of Birth: Канада, CALGARY
• Place of Residence: Канада

Luge

 

 

Tanja KARISIK

Bosnia and Herzegovina

• Gender: Female
• Nationality: Bosnia&Herzegov

• Birthday: 23 July 1991
• Age: 22

• Height: 1.69 m (5' 7'')
• Weight: 53 kg / 117 lbs

• Place of Birth: -
• Place of Residence: -

Biathlon Cross-Country

 

Stacey KEMP

Great Britain

• Gender: Female
• Nationality: Great Britain

• Birthday: 25 July 1988
• Age: 25

• Height: 1.55 m (5' 1'')
• Weight: -

• Place of Birth: Great Britain, PRESTON
• Place of Residence: -

Figure Skating

 

Tanja KOLBE

Germany

• Gender: Female
• Nationality: Germany

• Birthday: 7 September 1990
• Age: 23

• Height: 1.69 m (5' 7'')
• Weight: -

• Place of Birth: Germany, BERLIN
• Place of Residence: -

Figure Skating

 

Klara KRIZOVA

Czech Republic

• Gender: Female
• Nationality: Czech Republic

• Birthday: 13 July 1989
• Age: 24

• Height: 1.78 m (5' 10'')
• Weight: 70 kg / 154 lbs

• Place of Birth: Czech Republic, ZLIN
• Place of Residence: -

Alpine Skiing

 

Sanna LUEDI

Switzerland

• Gender: Female
• Nationality: Switzerland

• Birthday: 17 February 1986
• Age: 27

• Height: 1.73 m (5' 8'')
• Weight: 65 kg / 143 lbs

• Place of Birth: Switzerland, HEIMISWIL BE
• Place of Residence: -

Freestyle Skiing

 

Kaisa MAKARAINEN

Finland

• Gender: Female
• Nationality: -

• Birthday: 11 January 1983
• Age: 31

• Height: 1.71 m (5' 7'')
• Weight: 58 kg / 128 lbs

• Place of Birth: Finlande, RISTIJARVI
• Place of Residence: Finlande

Biathlon Cross-Country

 

Yekaterina MALYSHEVA

Russian Fed.

• Gender: Female
• Nationality: -

• Birthday: 28 January 1987
• Age: 27

• Height: 1.68 m (5' 6'')
• Weight: 62 kg / 137 lbs

• Place of Birth: Украина, GORODOK, LVOV REGION
• Place of Residence: Россия, KREMENKUL

Speed Skating

 

Erin MIELZYNSKI

Canada

• Gender: Female
• Nationality: -

• Birthday: 25 May 1990
• Age: 23

• Height: 1.69 m (5' 7'')
• Weight: 65 kg / 143 lbs

• Place of Birth: Канада, BRAMPTON
• Place of Residence: Канада

Alpine Skiing

 

Meaghan MIKKELSON

Canada

• Gender: Female
• Nationality: Canada

• Birthday: 4 January 1985
• Age: 29

• Height: 1.75 m (5' 9'')
• Weight: 67 kg / 148 lbs

• Place of Birth: -
• Place of Residence: -

Ice Hockey

 

Silje NORENDAL

Norway

• Gender: Female
• Nationality: Norway

• Birthday: 1 September 1993
• Age: 20

• Height: -
• Weight: -

• Place of Birth: Norway, KONGSBERG
• Place of Residence: -

Snowboard

 

Ingvild Flugstad OESTBERG

Norway

• Gender: Female
• Nationality: -

• Birthday: 9 November 1990
• Age: 23

• Height: -
• Weight: -

• Place of Birth: Норвегия, GJOVIK
• Place of Residence: Норвегия

Cross-Country

 

Taylah ONEILL

Australia

• Gender: Female
• Nationality: Australia

• Birthday: 11 November 1994
• Age: 19

• Height: 1.59 m (5' 3'')
• Weight: 57 kg / 126 lbs

• Place of Birth: Australia, DARLINGHURST
• Place of Residence: -

Freestyle Skiing

Alexandra PAUL

Canada

• Gender: Female
• Nationality: Canada

• Birthday: 16 September 1991
• Age: 22

• Height: 1.61 m (5' 3'')
• Weight: -

• Place of Birth: Canada, TORONTO
• Place of Residence: -

Figure Skating

 

Noelle PIKUS-PACE

United States

• Gender: Female
• Nationality: -

• Birthday: 8 December 1982
• Age: 31

• Height: 1.78 m (5' 10'')
• Weight: 72 kg / 159 lbs

• Place of Birth: Соединенные Штаты, PROVO
• Place of Residence: -

Skeleton

  

  

Nadja PURTSCHERT

Switzerland

• Gender: Female
• Nationality: Switzerland

• Birthday: 3 September 1989
• Age: 24

• Height: 1.64 m (5' 5'')
• Weight: 52 kg / 115 lbs

• Place of Birth: Switzerland, PFAFFNAU LU
• Place of Residence: -

Snowboard

 

Eva PUSKARCIKOVA

Czech Republic

• Gender: Female
• Nationality: Czech Republic

• Birthday: 3 January 1991
• Age: 23

• Height: 1.68 m (5' 6'')
• Weight: 57 kg / 126 lbs

• Place of Birth: Czech Republic, JILEMNICE
• Place of Residence: -

Biathlon

Danielle SCOTT

Australia

• Gender: Female
• Nationality: -

• Birthday: 7 March 1990
• Age: 23

• Height: 1.67 m (5' 6'')
• Weight: 57 kg / 126 lbs

• Place of Birth: Австралия, ST LEONARDS
• Place of Residence: Австралия

Freestyle Skiing

Mikaela SHIFFRIN

United States

• Gender: Female
• Nationality: -

• Birthday: 13 March 1995
• Age: 18

• Height: 1.70 m (5' 7'')
• Weight: 66 kg / 146 lbs

• Place of Birth: Соединенные Штаты, VAIL
• Place of Residence: Соединенные Штаты

Alpine Skiing

 

Anna SIDOROVA

Russian Fed.

• Gender: Female
• Nationality: Russian Fed.

• Birthday: 6 February 1991
• Age: 23

• Height: 1.79 m (5' 10'')
• Weight: -

• Place of Birth: -
• Place of Residence: Russian Fed., MOSCOW

Curling

  

Victoria SINITSINA

Russian Fed.

• Gender: Female
• Nationality: Russian Fed.

• Birthday: 29 April 1995
• Age: 18

• Height: 1.66 m (5' 5'')
• Weight: -

• Place of Birth: Russian Fed., MOSCOW
• Place of Residence: Russian Fed., MOSCOW

Figure Skating

 

Ekaterina STOLYAROVA

Russian Fed.

• Gender: Female
• Nationality: Russia

• Birthday: 25 April 1988
• Age: 25

• Height: 1.76 m (5' 9'')
• Weight: 55 kg / 121 lbs

• Place of Birth: -
• Place of Residence: -

Freestyle Skiing

 

Zuzana STROMKOVA

Slovakia

• Gender: Female
• Nationality: -

• Birthday: 21 May 1990
• Age: 23

• Height: -
• Weight: -

• Place of Birth: Slovaquie, LIPTOVSKY MIKULAS
• Place of Residence: Slovaquie, Liptovsky Mikulas

Freestyle Skiing

 

Eveliina SUONPAA

Finland

• Gender: Female
• Nationality: Finland

• Birthday: 12 April 1995
• Age: 18

• Height: 1.73 m (5' 8'')
• Weight: 63 kg / 139 lbs

• Place of Birth: -
• Place of Residence: -

Ice Hockey

 

Susanna TAPANI

Finland

• Gender: Female
• Nationality: -

• Birthday: 2 March 1993
• Age: 20

• Height: 1.76 m (5' 9'')
• Weight: 63 kg / 139 lbs

• Place of Birth: Finlande, LAITILA
• Place of Residence: Finlande

Ice Hockey

 

Hannah TETER

United States

• Gender: Female
• Nationality: United States

• Birthday: 27 January 1987
• Age: 27

• Height: 1.70 m (5' 7'')
• Weight: 60 kg / 132 lbs

• Place of Birth: United States, BELMONT
• Place of Residence: -

Snowboard

 

Triin TOBI

Estonia

• Gender: Female
• Nationality: Estonia

• Birthday: 3 June 1995
• Age: 18

• Height: 1.60 m (5' 3'')
• Weight: 64 kg / 141 lbs

• Place of Birth: Estonia, TARTU
• Place of Residence: -

Alpine Skiing

Rebecca TORR

New Zealand

• Gender: Female
• Nationality: New Zealand

• Birthday: 15 March 1990
• Age: 23

• Height: 1.73 m (5' 8'')
• Weight: 65 kg / 143 lbs

• Place of Birth: New Zealand, TAURANGA
• Place of Residence: -

Snowboard

 

 

Panagiota TSAKIRI

Greece

• Gender: Female
• Nationality: Greece

• Birthday: 12 May 1990
• Age: 23

• Height: 1.70 m (5' 7'')
• Weight: 58 kg / 128 lbs

• Place of Birth: -
• Place of Residence: -

Cross-Country

  

Tessa VIRTUE

Canada

• Gender: Female
• Nationality: -

• Birthday: 17 May 1989
• Age: 24

• Height: 1.65 m (5' 5'')
• Weight: 50 kg / 110 lbs

• Place of Birth: Канада, LONDON
• Place of Residence: Канада

Figure Skating

  

Valentina WALLNER

Sweden

• Gender: Female
• Nationality: Sweden

• Birthday: 30 March 1990
• Age: 23

• Height: 1.70 m (5' 7'')
• Weight: 65 kg / 143 lbs

• Place of Birth: -
• Place of Residence: -

Ice Hockey

 

Anna WILLCOX-SILFVERBERG

New Zealand

• Gender: Female
• Nationality: -

• Birthday: 9 April 1992
• Age: 21

• Height: -
• Weight: -

• Place of Birth: Nle-Zélande, TAKAPUNA
• Place of Residence: Nle-Zélande

Freestyle Skiing

Alena ZAVARZINA

Russian Fed.

• Gender: Female
• Nationality: Russian Fed.

• Birthday: 27 May 1989
• Age: 24

• Height: 1.75 m (5' 9'')
• Weight: 60 kg / 132 lbs

• Place of Birth: -
• Place of Residence: Russian Fed., NOVOSIBIRSK

Snowboard

  

Skip to Mylute

So a shorter entry today, lads. I've run this race around 100 times in my head over the last few days, and there are two variables that do not change for me. The first being that Rosie Napravnik hits the board this time. She'll be the closer that keeps closing; passing tiring horses while Orb gallops out a few lengths in front of her. The cameras will catch Tom Amoss giving her a genuine nod of approval while she pats her colt hard on the shoulder. The connections will be happy, and several exotic wagers will be completed... and that will be the day for Mylute on Saturday.

Call it burying the lead, but I tend to focus on Rosie and Mylute's finish when I'm picturing things, instead of Orb's. In the snapshot in my mind, they are in the middle of the frame and Orb has already crossed the line, well off to the right. I don't see anything getting in his way here. It's his race to lose, but he won't lose it. Variable number two unchanged.

I felt like a big chunk of the writers out there really wanted to make something out of him drawing the rail, but at the end of the day nobody really did, because nobody really could. The two to his immediate right - Goldencents and Titletown Five will get out quickly, and he'll be able to hold his line early, possibly even saving a little ground this time. He should really be able to pick his lane by about the 46 second mark, which is when I'm hoping Titletown Five will complete the first half mile.

Make no mistake, Titletown Five is nothing more than a rabbit here, and is completely outclassed. This isn't a speed horse of the Bodemeister or Shackleford ilk, he's an irresponsible entry from D. W. Lukas who is being counted on to set things up from a pace perspective for Lukas's other two entries, Oxbow and Will Take Charge. And honestly, it should work out for both of them. They'll be right there in the mix with Mylute. Those three might even complete the superfecta. But it will work out for Orb as well, and he'll be the key on top of that ticket.

There is some really fun information to look at from @TrakusRacing https://twitter.com/TrakusRacing . I'm not going to plagiarize it all here, but here is the one that I found the most interesting:

"In the Derby, Orb covered the third-most ground of any horse (just less than Frac Daddy and Vyjack, who covered the most). He went 80 feet more than second-placer Golden Soul, and 84 feet more than third home Revolutionary. There are many factors that go into a race’s results, but Orb’s extra ground coverage is remarkable considering the results. Overall, Orb traveled the equivalent of approximately 9 ½ lengths more than Revolutionary, and about 9 ¾ lengths more than Golden Soul, but actually beat both rivals by more than 2 ½ lengths."

For some reason I do worry a little about the shape of the track at Pimlico, the turns just aren't as wide and sweeping. It's got more of that paperclip feel that can force a serious, spread out slingshot off of the home turn, and cause horses to cover more ground and to lose momentum straightening out. Could be a non-factor, or I could be just imagining things; in either case, more ground isn't going to hurt him, and hopefully tiring horses who are forced to fan out won't either.

So what about Itsmyluckyday (9) , Govenor Charlie (8) (yes that's how it's spelled), and Departing (4)? Exactly. What about them? I'm glad that the good Governor isn't being bet down to disgusting odds. Wait...no I'm not! Get as much money as you can in there on him! Sell your house...sell your kids! Look, I'm not going to tell you he's not a good horse, because he is. And a lot of people will look to his past performances to make a case. I think all you have to do is look at his last race, the Sunland Derby win in New-Texico, and you'll see a confluence of unreliable data. Sure he won, sure he set a track record, but so did five other horses on the card that day. What's the old adage... fast horses don't set records, fast tracks do? Well even if I butchered the adage, the sentiment is sound. I don't have a lot of respect for his preps or the speed figures he posts. And people who want to debate Sunland trips to Gulfstream trips, well, you know how to get a hold of me.

Let's get a triple crown this summer. In two weeks, let's be having conversations about a well-rested Revolutionary coming back to face off against Orb, hopefully without having to dissect any horses who have (GB) or (FR) behind their names. But if you have to try to beat me, then pull for Rosie, pull for D. Wayne's strategy to work out exclusively for his barn, or pull for that nice-looking (2) horse... provided you don't mind seeing Rick Pitino celebrate on your television yet another time this year.

Good luck.

To ORB-fuscate matters...

There is no telling what the weather will actually be doing between now and 6:24 p.m. eastern daylight time this Saturday in Louisville. My best information tells me that there is around a 50% chance that the track at Churchill Downs will already be fairly wet, and another 50% chance that precipitation will continue to fall at post time. Fifty percent and fifty percent. That equates to a couple of coin flips in my estimation, and leads me to the two reasons why I will not be getting bogged down in bloodlines to try and determine whose “Muddah was a Mudder.” Reason number one, I am neither smart enough to do so, nor do I have the attention span to delve into that amount of research at this point. And reason number two, when you go back much further than two generations, most of these horses appear to be more inbred than 18^th century British royalty. On an occasion like this, you’d be clamoring to back a horse with Secretariat in his (or her) bloodlines, right? Well, if you place a wager in this race, chances are that you will be. There are fifteen of them.

There are plenty of sites out there that will give you a rail-to-the-outside rundown of each horse with a two sentence blurb about them if that’s something that helps you out. This year, I’m finding myself more focused on the plusses and minuses of major players, and of those who are just on the outside looking in. I’ll probably get more focused on the also-ran’s as the summer unfolds, but I think this one has shaped up to be pretty chalky, so I won’t be taking many flyers. 

In my humble opinion, and for months now, the conversation has begun, if not ended with Orb (16). The Shug McGuaghey trained colt is the morning line favorite, my favorite, and as sure to hit the board as any Derby morning line favorite in recent memory. Drawing well to the outside should suit him just fine, and with original rider Joel Rosario back in the irons, I trust his trip will be managed expertly.

The bottom line is (to quote Jon White); Orb just has zero strikes against him. He has run in and won top notch graded stakes his last two out. He is always poised in either 1^st or 2^nd at the 1/8 pole, and he never loses position past the 1/8 pole. He’s finished impressively at 1 1/8 mi., proving a solid foundation for the distance. He was raced as a two-year old and comes in with seven career starts under his belt, posting Beyer speed figures of 102 and 97 his last two out. No strikes against a horse in a field where just about all you can do is look for strikes if you plan to do any wagering. But there’s one more thing. On paper, there’s another horse that fits that same bill. It’s not your 4-1 second choice, and not your 5-1 third choice. At 10-1, he’s what the odds-makers see as Todd Pletcher’s 2^nd best entry. Ladies and gentleman, I give you Revolutionary (3) and Calvin Borel … in the three hole … just off of the rail. You’ve heard this tune before, no?

The second choice from the morning line comes to you in the form of Pletcher’s undefeated Verrazano (14). He is ostensibly a co-favorite here, but there is one very large, looming question. Can he become the second horse ever to win the Derby without having raced as a two-year-old? This isn’t a small sample size (138), so I lend this fact a substantial bit of credibility. Can he produce a Bodemeister or Curlin-esque effort and pick up a major award? Of course. Can he become only the second horse in 139 years, and the first in over 100 to win the race outright? Unlikely. He’ll be tough to keep off of your ticket altogether, but for the win, I have to side with history on this one until I’m given a reason not to.

 

When you get past those three there is a formidable second tier of contenders, any one of which could step up and make a statement. Java’s War (19), Goldencents (8), Itsmyluckyday (12), and Mylute (6) with Rosie Napravnik aboard, are the best of the rest. I will be including each in all of my exotics, and will definitely be wishing better things for Rosie than I will for Rick Pitino (Goldencents part-owner). Overanalyze (9) and Vyjack (20) are a tick below this group, and I will look to better spots for each of them later in the summer.

The wise guy pick this year seems to be Normandy Invasion (5). He’s expected to draw quite a bit of late money, so if you feel the need to touch your finger to your nose and give someone the knowing nod before putting him on your ticket, then more power to you. Some of the same folks that liked Animal Kingdom are on board, and there’s still plenty of room at 12-1. And while he may hit the board, I won’t be following suit. He’s just a horse with more knocks on his resume than I think he’ll be able to overcome. Like I said earlier, I need a horse that has more races under his belt than I can count on one hand, a horse who has shown a 1-2 presence at the 1/8 poll in the two races leading up to the Derby, and ideally for those races to be prominent graded stakes wins. And though the Beyer speed figures are impressive, Normandy Invasion misses the mark on each of the other three accounts. If you’re a non-winner of two lifetime starts, I’m sorry, but I’m going to make you beat me.

White also noted a group of four that may otherwise be knocking on the door, were it not for one major shortcoming. When you look at things from a straight speed figure perspective, Black Onyx (1), Charming Kitten (15), Lines of Battle (11), and Palace Malice (10) don’t pass the litmus test. None of the four has surpassed a Beyer figure of 93. Sometimes you don’t have to look too far past a statistic like that to feel confident that a horse is outclassed in a given field. Plain and simple, if that’s where you’ve shown that you top out, you’re not going to be able to hang with the top flight of this field.

That leaves Oxbow (2), Golden Soul (4), Giant Finish (7), Falling Sky (13), Will Take Charge (17), and Frac Daddy (18), to sit back and enjoy the spa treatment all weekend. Having said that, one of them will undoubtedly jump up and kill one of my bigger tickets, but what are you gonna do? This is a year where I'm not looking to beat a favorite, it's a year where I'm going to make the field beat me. It just sets up that way, and I can't find any other way around it. 

One more thing about Goldencents though. Jockey Kevin Krigger will attempt to duplicate Mario Gutierrez's feat from last year in becoming the 3rd jockey in the past nine years to win the Derby in his first attempt. More notably however, he will be attempting to become the first African-American jockey to win the Derby since 1902. So while I will have to bite my Jayhawk lip if Goldencents prevails and I'm forced to watch Rick Pitino celebrate in the winner's circle; the bite will be brief and immediately followed by an immense feeling of admiration for Krigger. You never know which storyline will carry us to the Preakness, but I would not be disappointed if Kevin Krigger was a big part of it. 

Good Luck.

Belmont Preview: WWDOD?

Forty-nine more weeks. Then, maybe, another shot. This year there will be no comparisons to Touch Gold denying Silver Charm, or to Real Quiet leading in all but one stride against Victory Gallop. No replays to watch and feel awful for Spectacular Bid or Sunday Silence. And, concurrently, there will be no Big Brown mid-race judgment call, no Eight Belles tragedy to try to stomach, and no Barbaro saga to unfold. Bottom line… to feel cheated today is expected, if not short-sighted. Doug O’Neil, for all he’s been accused of (rightly or wrongly) undoubtedly did the right thing here, and he and his team are to be commended. (WhatWouldDougO'NeilDo?) It’s not as if Affirmed were alive, sipping a glass of champagne with Mercury Morris and celebrating the fact that their records still stood. There are no losers here. I’ll Have Another begins his retirement from racing a few starts early, and there is still a hell of a race to be run Saturday. Potential tragedy averted. All that being said, let’s face it… this sport needs a triple crown winner, and this one just felt right.

So another field of eleven, and thankfully nobody with a (GB) or (FR) behind their name to make my head hurt as I attempt to study past Euro performances and grasp at straws. Honestly, the scratch doesn’t really change much from a handicapping perspective, the weather is nice, and the field is pretty straight forward. I think there are four horses with a shot at hitting the board here, and two with a shot at taking it… so, without further ado. 

Street Life (1) will break from the rail, and might be your winner. The 1-hole will not be an issue for him, as he’ll look to stay out of the scrum early and save his best running for last. He’s a fresh, New York-based horse that circled this race on his calendar months ago, and has been training exclusively at Belmont since April. For his most recent performance, you’ll have to look past the Derby and Preakness (neither of which he entered), to find the Peter Pan Stakes on May 12^th… also at Belmont. If you watch that race and don’t think he wants every bit of a mile and a half, then just stop reading. That day he was the co-third choice at 8-1, running a mile and a sixteenth… you’ll get around the same odds at the Belmont, and he’ll get his best distance.

The first of the two Kenny McPeek entries is Unstoppable U (2). I always look twice when I see a trainer enter two horses, true stable-mates or not. However, I think this is a product of the close proximity I have to Steve Asmussen, and more of a “tell” for him than any type of angle I can delve into across the board (as it were). The issue with Unstoppable U is that he will stop. He’ll get out early, and hopefully set some quick fractions…but he’ll get swallowed up like a tic tac when they flatten out after the far turn. Think Trinniberg…as fast as he can, for as long as he can. Unfortunately, this race is the longest.

Union Rags (3) should go off around 2-1 as the second choice or co-favorite, and rightly so…maybe. If you look back to the Champagne last year at Belmont, you see a horse with plenty in the tank and the ability to deal with trouble in the stretch. If you look at the Derby, you don’t. I say over and over that sometimes you have to throw the Derby out, and when we do that, we’re only left with one question: does he get the distance? I’ve heard from so many folks that want to dub him a ‘miler’, and while I can’t fall into rank there, I don’t think this field and this distance set up particularly well for him. He’s got the talent, and the fight, I just don’t know if he has that extra ¼ mile with what is going to be unfolding around him. I like him to finish out the superfecta, and will probably even box him in a trifecta or two, but I’m just not sold on him being a de facto favorite in I’ll Have Another’s absence. 

The second horse that McPeek has entered, Atigun (4), doesn’t do a whole lot for me… so make sure you place a win bet on him. He doesn’t have the class, and I don’t want to waste too many characters trying to document why. If you need to look past an unimpressive 5^th in the Arkansas, and 11^th in the Rebel, then feel free to. I just can’t make a case.

Your morning line favorite will be your favorite at the gate… and for all intents and purposes, this race is Dullahan’s (5) to lose. He’s fresh, there’s no reason to suspect a let-down with Castellano in the irons, the distance is perfect, and the field won’t push him as wide this time… I can’t find a negative. His works have even been the talk of the track this week – a certified closer running the fastest first two fractions of his career without being asked? I guess if you really wanted to get into conspiracy theories, you could conjure up something about the rider asking for more than was advertised…but who has time for that? (You’d be surprised)

Ravelo’s Boy (6), Five Sixteen (7), and Guyana Star Dweej (8) should just enjoy their time on camera and those fancy Belmont digs for the weekend. I heard one handicapper refer to Five Sixteen’s entry here as nothing more than an “ego trip.” Maybe a little harsh, and if there is anything to be pulled out of him, Rosie Napravnik will find it. Simply put, there are just four or five better horses in here than both the (7) and the (8), and something will have to go terribly wrong with a couple of them for either horse to have a chance of taking home a major award.

Bob Baffert’s entry comes in the form of the Derby Trials place horse, Paynter (9). He’s yet to win a stakes race, and he’s in good company. Five out of the last six Belmont winners claimed their first stakes victory in the same spot. The case for him: he’s lightly raced, and is bred for (and has built up to) the distance; he finished a game fourth in the Santa Anita behind I’ll Have Another and Creative Cause after bobbling at the start; he has great early speed and the potential is there to rate off of Unstoppable U. The case against him: body of work… and I used the words “bobble” and “potential” in making the case for him. How can you have lack of races as both a positive and a negative? The former is trainer-sympathetic, relying on bloodlines and methodology. The latter is ‘wagerer’-sympathetic, and is why the Daily Racing Form exists. In either case, I expect to see the light blue and yellow colors from the Zayat racing stables running fast and early. He’ll be on my ticket; I just hope his tank is big enough to make it worth the while.

Optimizer (10) and My Adonis (12) round out the 2012 field. If you need any reason not to include Optimizer on your ticket, read anything I’ve written before today… or more simply, watch him race. My Adonis probably has just as much of a right to be here (if not a bit more) but his performance level seems to decrease proportionately with increases in class and distance. That being said, he’d be a pleasant surprise to crack the top half of the field, or to jump up and bite someone.

It really should be a great race. You’ll have Paynter and UU getting out early, Union Rags in the mix on the turn and down the stretch, Street Life and Dullahan bringing it home… and Five Sixteen, Guyana Star Dweej, and My Adonis, who will hopefully be more than just traffic. No sample tickets this time. You can see where my head’s at… this is one to enjoy.

The pomp may be gone, but there is still plenty of circumstance to make watching this race and following this field worthwhile. I’ll Have Another will be the story of the day on Saturday, and his connections will answer every question with poise and expertise. There will be all manner of canned retrospectives that the networks are scrambling to revise, and a healthy dose of “what if’s” and “what now’s.” But at the end of the day, the race will have been run. We’ll have a new horse and new connections enjoying their moment in the sun, and I’ll Have another will begin to fill out his dance card. And one more thing is for sure, twenty-five year old Mario Gutierrez’s life will never be the same. He’ll always have I’ll Have Another, May ’12, and he’ll never hurt for a mount again. The parting words from a glassy-eyed Gutierrez before leaving the dressing room on Friday, “He’ll be my hero forever.”