Horse racing newsletter: Reflections on the Kentucky Derby

LALIC (FR) up close early outside the leader then chased two wide into the turn, bid outside around the bend, struck in the front nearing the eight pole and drew clear in the final sixteenth. CAPITAL HEAT sped to the front from along the rail, got pressured around the turn, held a short lead into the stretch, lost command approaching the furlong marker and stayed on to hold the place. TROUVILLE reserved off the inside, went outside rivals past the five-sixteenths, came three to four wide into the drive, took aim from outside but could not find the needed late kick. ROSES AND CANDY pulled and steadied early, raced along the inside then a bit off the rail into the stretch, tipped out in the drive and went evenly late. MAGICAL GRAY stalked off the rail, went two then three wide around the turn and failed to offer the needed response. WIN OFTEN steadied off heels early, dropped back between rivals early on the turn, came three wide into the lane and failed to rally. FREEDOM LASS threw head and came away last, was in tight down along the inside and checked early, saved ground through the bend and also failed to rally. HAND-TIMED.

BIG CITY LIGHTS took control early inside a pair of rivals, cleared both past the five-sixteenths, then powered away under mild urging and was ridden out in the late stages. BARSINI RED attended the pace three deep, chased the winner three wide past the five-sixteenths and bested the rest. ROCK N RYE was off slow to begin, entered the turn four wide, angled out leaving the turn and exited the bend six wide and was along for the show. AGADOR SPARTACUS settled off the pace on the inside, saved ground to the stretch, kept to task in the lane but never threatened. SHERLOCK away quickest at the start, was up close between early, lost ground two wide on the turn and weakened. TAKEITTOTHEBANK chased off the rail, angled into the two path entering the turn, drifted out through bend and came five wide into the drive and weakened. MEDINA MAN hopped at the start, angled in and saved ground on the turn and failed to threaten.

ANONYMOUSLY stalked the pace along the rail, remained patiently ridden through the bend, angled outside the runner-up in the lane, drew alongside nearing the sixteenth pole and wore down rival in the final strides. GYPSY BLU took control quickly, moved to the inside, set all the pace into the stretch, challenged by the winner in the final sixteenth and yielded grudgingly. LAVENDER (IRE) dropped back early, trailed along the inside through the turn, came off the rail late and gained the show. INVINCIBELLA (GB) bobbled at the start, tracked in range from the two path, moved out three wide on the turn and finished evenly. GRAZEN HONOR was forwardly placed outside the leader, chased two wide through the turn and weakened.

ROOKIE YEAR grabbed the early lead, cleared MOON MISCHIEF at the seven-sixteenths, showed the way from inside to the stretch, drifted in a bit mid-stretch and drew off. MOON MISCHIEF prompted the pace from outside early, chased the leader past the seven-sixteenths pole, took the turn two wide and held the place. GUINESSEY tracked four deep early, moved to the three path around the bend and kept on through the final furlong. EL CENTENARIO was off slow to begin, went up to chase between rivals, angled to the two path on the turn and could not rally. SALAH raced off pace, three then two wide on the turn and passed tired rivals. LUCKY RYAN SEVEN settled off the pace outside a rival, advanced three then four wide on the turn and flattened out in the stretch. SUMMER FUN chased from inside to the stretch and faded. BROKEN FINGER chased between foes, steadied near the three-eighths, dropped back around the bend and had little left in the drive.

WHATMAKESSAMMYRUN settled off the pace, saved ground to the stretch, steered off the inside, rallied three deep and drew clear. MOHAWK KING (IRE) was forwardly placed outside the lead, chased two wide through the turn and into the lane, bid outside at the eighth pole, could not match the winner in the late stages but edged HOT BOX for the place. HOT BOX sped to the front and took control of the rail, continued clear into the drive, met challengers in the final furlong and got edged for the place. CHERUBIC FACTOR stalked from outside up the backstretch, went three wide around the turn and lacked a serious bid. TEAM MERCHANTS stumbled crossing over surfaces early, chased from inside, eased around the turn, coasted across the wire and walked off.

LADY ACES well placed behind the top pair, bid outside midway around the turn, gained command at the quarter pole, drifted in and bumped rival in upper stretch then drew away. GINJA broke in a bit at the start, went up to duel from inside, cleared SWEET SOULMATE then fought with LADY ACES the rest of the way through the turn, got bumped by that rival in upper stretch and was clearly second best. OPTIMAS tracked between rivals then angled in near the half-mile pole, traveled along the inside then angled three wide into the lane, drifted inward in the drive and held the show. HIGH CON tracked widest up the backstretch, went four wide through the turn, drifted inward in the stretch and could not find more. RUBY'S ORCHID was off slow to begin, trailed the field from inside to the turn, remained along the fence into the drive and made no impact. SWEET SOULMATE dueled for the lead from outside, could not keep pace around the turn and weakened in the stretch. PUSHINGUPDAISIES chased three wide into the turn, moved into the two path then came three wide into the stretch and came up empty.

LAURA'S LIGHT was closes in pursuit in the two path or a bit off the rail, bid from outside at the quarter pole, put a head in front with a furlong to go and cleared to prove best. SHE'S OUR CHARM reserved in the early going from inside, angled out in upper stretch and rallied for the place. QUIET SECRETARY set the pace from inside, challenged at the quarter pole, held a short lead in upper stretch then relinquished command at the eighth pole and got edged for the place. ROCKING REDHEAD saved ground from off the pace, came out in upper stretch and improved position. BEGUILED raced off the pace in the two path, went between foes into and around the far turn, entered the stretch three wide and lacked a bid. TRICKLE IN broke out, went three wide around the turn, stalked outside a rival then went three deep into the far turn, came three wide into the stretch and tired.

OLE SILVER hustled out of the gate, got brushed into the first turn, set the pace inside a rival, inched away nearing the quarter pole, urged a few times right-handed in the lane, drifted out in deep stretch and remained well clear. PAWNEE up close early from outside, chased two wide leaving the far turn and was clearly second best. BIG BEAUTY brushed with OLE SILVER into the first turn, stalked in the two path then angled three wide around the far turn and failed to produce a bid. TIME FOR EBBY turned head and stumbled at the start, trailed from inside, moved off the rail on the backstretch, angled back to the fence on the far turn and improved position. HOMEHOME hopped slightly and stumbled at the start, raced off the pace, came three wide into the drive and failed to menace. WARRIOR'S MOON stalked outside rivals, dropped back around the second bend and came up empty. SCARLET HEAT went four wide around the clubhouse turn, five wide into the lane and weakened.

LAVA LANE stalked outside the leader or off the rail up the backstretch, drew alongside around the turn, put a nose in front at the quarter pole, cleared at the top of the stretch and widened through the final furlong. QUEEN OF POMPEII tracked the pace from inside, lacked room behind rivals throughout the turn, angled three wide leaving the turn and further out in the stretch, rallied and got up for second. CHAO MAR got bumped from outside then steadied early, angled five wide into the stretch, finished well and missed the place. STARSHIP ENDEAVOR sped clear early, lost command at the quarter pole, chased the winner through the drive and weakened late to lost the minor awards. OUR MISS MILLIE chased outside a rival, bumped with outside foe and shifted out at the three-eighths, chased between through the turn and flattened. BLAZINGBELLABLU bumped with inside rival and steadied early, tracked off the rail, bumped with OUR MISS MILLIE and steadied at the three-eighths, went three deep around the turn and flattened out. BOSSY SOUL traveled near the back of the back, angled to the inside, steered out four wide into the stretch and never made an impact. CLASS CODE chased from inside and faded through the lane.