Odds and Ends

No Derby on the horizon for Lexington winner Derby Kitten; the $120,000 winner's share leaves him well short of what would be needed to crack the top 20. One might argue that a stakes win on Polytrack for a horse whose only other win came in a maiden claimer on turf doesn't deserve to be in the race anyway, just as you might argue that a guy who didn't see fit to vote in primaries for 21 years shouldn't be running for president (he was no doubt too busy bankrupting his casinos). But I'm sure that Ken Ramsey would run the horse if he could, and why the hell not this year, really. The horse is improving and Beyered over 90; hell, that should make him a contender this year, even if he's been racing over Donald Trump's hair.

The Jerome, back, though at the Big A, after a year's hiatus, is still a Grade 2, but that's surely based on its illustrious history. For many years, it was the Labor Day feature at Belmont, run in front of 40-50,000 people, and won by the likes of....well, the list of notable names is too long to go into here. Time will tell if Adios Charlie, who earned a Beyer of 98 in his third career start, and his first against winners, will add or detract from the race's legacy. But maybe if NYRA takes some of that slots money and pumps up the purse, it can supplant the Lexington as the main last-chance shot for the Derby, since it is run on natural dirt (though only at a one turn mile for now).

- Pletcher said that Uncle Mo's appetite is "the best it's been since the Wood." But what does that mean? How bad has his appetite been, exactly? "Normally, I maybe would have worked him today, but I decided to give him a couple of more days just to continue to let the medication kick in." What kind of medication, precisely? With what possible side effects? This is really ridiculous. There's enough public money at stake here so that the stewards or the track vet should be the ones issuing medical reports, not the trainer, even if it was one with a totally clean record. But who cares about the public's money anyway?

- In the 5th at Keeneland on Saturday, Jealousofmyboogie ($6.60) was a hot number in his debut start since June, a distant 5th place finish at 11-1 at Monmouth (in a race which has now produced five subsequent winners). Son of the champion sprinter Speightstown is a half brother to the crack sprinter Diabolical, who's a son of the champion sprinter Artax.

10th race first-out winner Et Al ($25.20) is by the fine debut sire Tale of the Cat. This three-year old colt is inbred 5x5 to What A Pleasure through his sons Foolish Pleasure and Honest Pleasure; can't say I've ever seen that in a pedigree before. He's a half-brother to the grassy stakes winner New Edition; and his second dam is a half to Halory Hunter, who won the Blue Grass at the same track, though on a very, very different surface.