While you were shopping or watching football last Saturday, the first symptoms of Derby Fever crept into Kentucky.
Way down south in Louisiana, the Fairgrounds staged the first graded stakes for three year old Derby contenders, the Grade III Lecomte.
And your winner:
It's the undefeated Pennsylvania bred Hard Spun.
I know it's early, way way early.
But do we have the second coming of Smarty Jones?
Hard Spun has now won four in a row, including the Pennsylvania Nursery Stakes, a race that was once won by....yes, Smarty Jones.
Of course, Lecomte winners are often forgotten with the blooming of April flowers, but Hard Spun has some talent and he's bred to run a mile and a quarter.
He's one of the last Danzig colts to take a run at the Derby and his broodmare sire, Turkoman was a classic distance horse.
So, Hard Spun takes a place on the Derby futures list. Warm weather is just a dream these days, and so are Derby horses, but Hard Spun owner Rick Porter has the dream alive and well in his barn.
There have even been big money offers from Dubai to buy the horse. Now that will give you Derby fever.
1 Comments
Joe Miele said:
I don't think it's ever to early to talk about the colts preparing for the next Derby. The Breeders Cup sets the stage, but then there's little said about any of them until this time of year. 20-1 the Juvenile Jinx will stay intact.
It's good to see some competition come from outside the KY breeding grounds, even if they're not always successful. Hard Spun certainly has the breeding and name to make an interesting headline day after Derby.
Remind everyone when and how to sign up for the Road To the Roses fantasy derby. It's a great way to keep up with the contenders/pretenders.
I don't think it's ever to early to talk about the colts preparing for the next Derby. The Breeders Cup sets the stage, but then there's little said about any of them until this time of year. 20-1 the Juvenile Jinx will stay intact.
It's good to see some competition come from outside the KY breeding grounds, even if they're not always successful. Hard Spun certainly has the breeding and name to make an interesting headline day after Derby.
Remind everyone when and how to sign up for the Road To the Roses fantasy derby. It's a great way to keep up with the contenders/pretenders.