Barbaro's The Boss

- The Belmont Stakes is scheduled for June 10, and after watching Barbaro's dominance of the Kentucky Derby, is there anyone who doesn't think that the almost-annual Triple Crown Watch won't resume there this year? The flip side of one prep in 13 weeks is this: Has there ever, at least in our recent memories, been a horse in such a prime position, both in terms of form and freshness, to sweep the Triple Crown? Though we're still basking in the excitement of his performance yesterday, the Preakness seems like just a formality now, doesn't it? For one thing, who out of the 19 horses in his wake is going to be running to face him again in two weeks?

Well, Brother Derek, for one. "He ran real well and I was happy with him. We'll have, I think, a lot better chance in the Preakness with the tight turns, and utilize our speed a little bit." {LA Times] OK, well, besides him? Bob Baffert? The two plodders who finished 3rd and 4th can't really think they'd do any better in a shorter race, would they? (Though the prospect of a similar finish in the second leg could be enough) Showing Up was pretty impressive running 6th, but I don't imagine his (and Barbaro's) owners would want to ruin their own Triple Crown bid. (And did you know that Roy and Gretchen Jackson are also the breeders of the undefeated George Washington, who won the 2000 Guineas in England yesterday?? They sold him for $2.1 million.)

- When Bluegrass Cat came along to complete the exacta, I imagine that some viewers of The Works were pretty happy. Barbaro was clearly the star of the mini-series (and was picked by three of the four hosts), but Bluegrass Cat had also left a very favorable impression by way of his last couple of gallops, and he had drawn the attention of the boys, and even the Head Chef, who now knows who Barbaro is.

- I'll be back with more on the race, but I just have to mention the late money on Sweetnorthernsaint, who went off as the 5.50 to 1 favorite. I've never seen a horse get bet late like that in stakes races like he did yesterday and in the Illinois Derby. He gets bet down on last flashes as if it's the 6th from Monmouth on a Thursday. It was impressive enough in the Illinois race, but with all the money in the Derby pool, one can only imagine how much it took to do that. They lost, by the way.

- Speaking of George Washington, the 2000 Guineas was his three-year old debut. With Barbaro winning so dominantly with just that one little prep in three months, how long before somebody tries that here? Be back with much more on the Derby later. I may have to go to Belmont today to try to get back on track, handicapping wise. Having the last four finishers on my Derby tickets, two of them prominently, is the type of thing that merits getting right back on the horse. So to speak.