The News Of …

The competitive demise of one time Kentucky Derby betting favorite Uncle Mo appears to have been greatly exaggerated. Following a disappointing third place performance in the Wood Memorial and the revelation that Mo was suffering a gastrointestinal infection he not only fell from the position as betting favorite but was questionable to even race in the Derby at all. That appears to have changed dramatically, with Mo reportedly back to 100% and training well. Mo’s connections are now so confident that owner Mike Repole has boldly claimed that if his horse isn’t the Kentucky Derby favorite he’ll bet enough on him to ‘make’ him the top pick in the race.
What a difference a week or so makes. It was just that long ago that Pletcher and Repole were giving baleful assessments of Uncle Mo’s prospects for even racing in the Kentucky Derby. The general take is that he’d have to have a perfect 19 days of training to even be considered for entry. It got to the point that you almost expected Pletcher to say he wouldn’t run Uncle Mo in the Kentucky Derby unless he spoke up and asked for it a la Mister Ed.
Pletcher is still being coy about Mo’s condition, but Repole has all but said he’dpersonally take the public’s action on the Kentucky Derby if they’re looking to go against his horse. Repole has boldly asserted that if Uncle Mo isn’t the post time favorite that he’ll go to the window strong enough to make him the chalk:
‘If he’s not going off the favorite, I’ll make him the favorite.’

Kentucky Derby.

Louisville, Ky. Lori Hall likes to put her own twist on naming the horses she and husband George Hall race.
So go ahead and chuckle when Pants On Fire is introduced during the post parade for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby.
She came up with the colt’s less than regal name as a nod to his sire Jump Start and some firefighters in Louisiana that the couple has known.
“She has her reasoning behind all the names, whether it’s certain things in the breeding, certain things with friends” – said Kelly Breen, who trains all of the Halls’ horses.
The Halls and Breen are back for their third try at winning the Kentucky Derby. They had two starters in 2009, with West Side Bernie finishing ninth and Atomic Rain 16th.
The couple has been involved in racing since 2004, while Breen went out on his own as a trainer in 2000. Along for the ride this time is Rosie Napravnik, who became a jockey in 2005 and has been among the top riders in Maryland and Delaware.
Napravnik recently became the first female to win a riding title at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans and the Louisiana Derby. Her run to the Fair Grounds title included 110 victories, 31 more than runner-up Shaun Bridgmohan.
The 23-year-old from New Jersey will try to notch an even bigger first – becoming the first woman to ride a Kentucky Derby winner.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kM1k6N6OvSY

Presumptive favorite R Heat Lightning was forced to withdraw from Friday’s Kentucky Oaks due to a possible knee injury which opened up a spot in the field for another entrant. That opened the door for the Steve Margolis trained Street Storm to be included in the field for the marquee race for three year old fillies.
The decision wasn’t quite the “no brainer” that it seems–Margolis and Dan Glick–who heads up the Right Time Racing partnership that owns the filly–had to work out some “strategery” first. They had the option of entering Street Storm in a less competitive but far lucrative race in which she would likely be a favorite or going for the “brass ring” and the 1,000,000 dollars purse of the second biggest race of the weekend behind Saturday’s Kentucky Derby. Option 1 was the 100,000 dollars Edgewood at 1 1/16 miles on the Matt Winn turf course at Churchill Downs earlier in the Oaks card. Ultimately, they decided to “swing for the fences” and entered Street Storm in the Kentucky Oaks.
Glick said that Street Storm’s steady improvement in form obviated entering her in the more competitive and potentially lucrative event:
‘We are going to give it a shot and go for it. She is improving by the day and you don’t get this opportunity very often.’