Sports, Ink

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Good afternoon from historic Churchill Downs and Happy Derby Day! Through the first five races the main track was listed as fast and the turf course firm, but the track superintendent downgraded the track to sloppy before the sixth race. The turf course is currently listed as good. It's been raining for a solid two hours and if it continues the Derby looks like it we're going to get muddy.  

So it's time to bone up on your wet track handicapping. In addition, the inside of the track seems to be the place to be through the first five races and speed has been holding. The track was rolled last night and those who have gone to the front have had good fortune so far in the card.  

We had a big upset in yesterday’s Kentucky Oaks, as Princess of Sylmar patiently stayed off the pace and closed strongly to win for trainer Todd Pletcher. There were over 113,800 patrons on hand on Friday to see jockey Mike Smith win his first Kentucky Oaks. The crowd was the second largest in Oaks history.  

My top three picks in today's paper all have decent wet track form and I love that Revolutionary has an inside post. Most likely Oxbow will gun it early and that should open up a nice slot for Revolutionary to settle into along the rail.  

There are some interesting factoids on the jockeys in the big race. The three jockeys with the most Derby mounts that have never won include Robby Albarado (12-0-0-2, Golden Soul), Garrett Gomez (9-0-1-0, Vyjack) and Rafael Bejarano (8-0-0-0, Overanalyze). Will one of them get the monkey off their back this afternoon?  

The most successful jockeys in the race are Gary Stevens (18-3-2-1, Oxbow)and Calvin Borel (10-3-0-1, Revolutionary), the only two with more than one victory riding this afternoon. There are 14 jockeys in the race that never won the Derby and six (Saez, Lebron, Krigger, Trujillo, Moore and Espinoza) that are riding in their first Run for the Roses.

We'll carry you along the graded stakes races leading up to the Derby, so stick around, check back and I'll keep you updated on what's going on at Churchill Downs.

2:05 p.m.: Race 7 is the Grade 1 Humana Distaff, a 7-furlong sprint in the mud. I'm laying off this race and focusing on the late Pick-4 today, but that doesn't mean I don't have an opinion. 2-Rumor looked excellent in the post parade and would be my pick. Mike Smith is hot and he's won this race twice, albeit in 1994 and 1996. Let's try and key her in an exacta box with 1-Jamaican Smoke and 6-Aubby K.

2:20 p.m.: Aubby K ($9.20) was the right answer winning the Humana Distaff, 7-Burban took the photo over 1-Jamaican Smoke for place. Rumor was held back by Mike Smith and a late run could only muster fifth, approximately 2-1/2 lengths behind. On a good note, lunch was delicious. A nice carved roast turkey and a half chicken hit the spot and have us ready for the late Pick-4. I'd go outside to get a mint julep, but some poor planning left my nice black Woodbine windbreaker with a hood back in Buffalo.

Next up is the Grade 2 Distaff Turf Mile for fillies and mares 4-year-olds and up. 8-Marketing Mix has scratched out of the race and that leaves 5-Hungry Island the likely favorite. She's run very well on both good turf and yielding surfaces. I'll also include 10-Stopshoppingmaria, a Repole Stable horse I've followed since her 2-year-old season. She's a speedster and has a trainer who's had a hot hand so far this weekend, name is Pletcher or something like that.

2:28 p.m.: Update on track conditions, the Matt Winn Turf Course was just downgraded from good to yielding. Let's hope they can keep the remaining turf races (including the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic) on the weeds. One likely occurrence will be the scratch of Point of Entry. Trainer "Shug" McGaughey hinted earlier this week he might scratch under the current scenario.

2:35 p.m.: My colleague, Tim Wilkin, who covers horse racing at the Albany Times-Union just tweeted that we've had a quarter-inch of rain so far and more is expected up until 6 p.m. according to the National Weather Service. I should have brought a bigger boat (and that windbreaker). You can also follow me on Twitter (@EquiSpace) if you so choose.

2:50 p.m.: A longer priced horse you may want to consider as just tweeted by the excellent racing history writer Kevin Martin of the Colin's Ghost website, is 2-Channel Lady, whose sire English Channel was pretty successful on wet turf (17%).

3:20 p.m.: 6-Stephanie's Kitten ($9.80) who won the Edgewood last year on Oaks Day continues her Churchill love winning the Turf Mile by a neck over 5-Hungry Island. The late Pick-4 is underway and she's a decent price to start it off.

Here's a look at my work station at Churchill, where I also have the NBC app going on my iPad to watch the national telecast of the Derby (the Caps-Rangers game is scoreless after two by the way).

Next up at rainy Churchill Downs is the...wait for it....Grade 2 Churchill Downs. A little self promotion, don't you think? A 7-furlong sprint on the slop with 9 horses entered. Johnny V is aboard 2-Hierro for Pletcher and 5-Unbridled's Note fancy my top picks and I'll throw 4-Handsome Mike and 8-Trinniberg into a $0.50 Pick-3 play into the Derby.

3:25 p.m.: As I speculated earlier, Shug scratched 9-Point of Entry in the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic, opening up things for 8-Wise Dan.

3:35 p.m.: Hearing a lot of grumbling amongst horseplayers, that Shug waited until after the Pick-4 started. His backers will end up with the post time favorite, wonder who that will be? Uh-oh, the Rangers-Caps game is in OT, meaning Derby coverage might get bumped when it's scheduled to come on NBC at 4 p.m. Oh well, you'll miss a fluff piece or two...

3:40 p.m.: Check that the Caps just scored. Nice shot...now on to the Derby telecast. Guess you're stuck with the fluff pieces now.

4:00 p.m.: Nice win by Delauney ($5.80) at 9-5 in the Churchill Downs with Rosie Napravnik aboard, a horse for the course, he is undefeated in four races under the Twin Spires and won his sixth straight. Sometimes you're the bug and sometimes you're the windshield, today I'm the bug. 6-Pass the Dice and 3-Laurie's Rocket will complete a nice trifecta paying $402 for a $2 wager.

The Woodford Reserve Turf Classic is up next at 1 1/8-miles and most will land on last year's Horse of the Year 8-Wise Dan. If you're looking for a longshot, 3-Optimizer another English Channel with the wet turf angle is an option and 4-Silver Max won last year's Virginia Derby on yielding turf.

4:02 p.m.: NEWSFLASH - It's still raining hard.

4:10 p.m.: Some advance wagering odds on the Derby: 5-Revolutionary (5-1) is the top choice and 8-Goldencents and 16-Orb are the next choices at 7-1. Next on the tote board is 5-Normandy Invasion (8-1), 12-Itsmyluckyday (9-1) and 14-Verrazano (9-1). So six horses under 10-1 at the moment, reminding me of the 2006 Derby that Barbaro won and Sweetnorthernsaint went off as the 5-1 favorite.

4:20 p.m.: Time to venture out and buy a ball cap to watch the Derby. Be back in a few to report on how wet I am. Note to self: Don't leave you're Saratoga cap in the car when rain is in the forecast.

4:35 p.m.: Back from my lid seeking mission and it has eased up a little bit. It appears that most haven't eased up on their spirits intake as I ran into a few "happy" patrons on my way to the concession stand. I also must look like an usher as I was asked directions several times, "No ma'am I don't know where you can find the gentleman in the yellow suit."

4:45 p.m.: Here's a look at my new lid -- have to stay dry for the Derby. Good to hear Pletcher saying he thinks 3-Revolutionary moves up with the wet track. Don't discount 14-Verrazano though, could he go gate-to-wire? It hasn't been done since 2002 when War Emblem took them around for a ride.

4:55 p.m.: It's the 2012 Horse of the Year, 8-Wise Dan at 3-5!  My upset choice 3-Optimizer was second and 1-Middie in third. I hit the trifecta (woot) using the all button in the third hole and Middie just caught 4-Silver Max.  That's a good thing because he's at 26-1 and Silver Max was at 8-1. Better than a sharp stick in the eye. The $2 trifecta paid $139.60, thanks Middie!

5:15 p.m.: It's time for the big one and now we wait. The long delay for the Derby (post time - 6:34 p.m.) is due to the long wagering lines on-track. I'd suggest you make your wagers early if you are using an advance deposit wagering account. I've heard reports of crashes on some of those sites.

5:20 p.m.: My plan is to head over to the winner's circle around 40 minutes to post (MTP) to secure a spot on the rail. We're about a little over an hour to post. Last year I did the walkover with the horses but that's not happening this year.

I'm going to stay with my paper picks and I'll have a couple backup tickets with 6-Mylute and 10-Palace Malice on top of my top three in some exactas.

5:30 p.m.: Some fun stories of how some of the horses got their names:

Goldencents: Named after a website that sells rare coins of some his owners (Pitino's has a piece of this horse).

Frac Daddy: His owners from Montana are involved with fracking, which we all know what that is in Western New York.

Oxbow: Named after oxbow lake, something that is created when the main stem of a river is cut off to create a lake.

Giant Finish: Named after his parents, Frost Giant (sire) and Apocalyptic (dam).

5:40 p.m.: Time to start heading to the track. I hope you enjoyed the live blog and stopped by once or twice. Good luck to all in the Derby, let's go cash some tickets! Back after the race for a quick wrap up.

7:04 p.m.: 16-Orb ($12.80), my second selection, wins the Derby for Stuart Janney III and Phipps Racing Stable. It's the first Derby victory for Joel Rosario in his fourth Derby ride. My top pick, 3-Revolutionary ($5.40 to show) finished third after Calvin Borel took him way back to start the race. They were split by 34-1 long shot 4-Golden Soul who busted up a lot of exotic tickets (including yours truly). We may have a Triple Crown threat on our hands...it's on to the Preakness.  Thanks for staying around and check tomorrow's paper for my commentary on the race.

--Gene Kershner

By Gene Kershner

LOUISVILLE, Ky -- The 139th Run for the Lilies was expected to result in another addition to the Todd Pletcher trophy case. He added that trophy, but it was due to a late closing effort by 38-1 long shot Princess of Sylmar, instead of his morning line favorite Dreaming of Julia in winning the $1 million Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks for the third time in his career before 113,820 at Churchill Downs.

Bumped badly at the start, Dreaming of Julia could not make up the ground loss after getting "creamed" coming out of the gate and finished fourth. Princess of Sylmar, ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith sat behind the hot pace set by speedster Midnight Lucky and 2-year-old filly champion Beholder and pounced in the final 500 yards for the 1/2-length victory.

The win paid $79.60 to win for a $2 wager, $29.40 to place and $14.00 to show. Beholder held on for second and paid $9.00 to place and $5.60 to show. Pletcher had three of the top four finishers with Unlimited Budget finishing third paying $3.80 to show. The $2 exacta paid $727 and the $2 trifecta paid $3,470.80.

The winning filly is a Pennsylvania-bred by Majestic Warrior out of Storm Dixie. The dam was originally scheduled to be bred to Grand Slam, but an injury caused breeder Ed Stanco to call an audible and breed her to Majestic Warrior, a horse whose most significant win was the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga in 2007.

"We talked a lot about passing this and going to the Black-Eyed Susan, but after Ed and I talked a couple of times, we said let's bring her to Churchill and see how she handles the track and she'll tell us if she wants to run or not," said Pletcher. After a poor initial workout on the inside of the track, they breezed her from the outside and saw great improvement and decided to run her in the Oaks. A good decision that turned out to be.

"Dreaming of Julia probably took the worst of it and it ended up comprimising her position," Pletcher said of the rough early start. "She got shuffled back further than she's used to. I thought she ran a remarkable race to continue to close as well as she did and was still gaining at the end, but ran out of ground," said Pletcher.

Smith, who rides regularly on the west coast circuit credited Pletcher with the direction he received on how to handle Princess of Sylmar. "I rode her just like Todd had told me to. To really be patient, when I thought it was time to move, to be even more patient. It was perfect instructions, because we needed every bit of it," the Hall of Fame jockey exclaimed.

She probably wanted to move even earlier than that and I just didn't want to move too soon. I felt that I needed to time it right, Churchill has an extremely long stretch and it all worked out great," said Smith. The jockey also was impressed with second place finisher, who threw jockey Garret Gomez off his mount during the post parade. "Beholder never folded at all. She really dug in and for us to out-run her was incredible," said Smith.

It was disappointing for Gomez and the 2-year-old champion Beholder who had difficulty controlling his filly before the race before the second largest crowd in Oaks history. "She lost it in the post parade. I knew that might jeopardize her performance a little bit. If she didn't pull those antics in the post parade she might have had a chance to win," said Gomez.

Pletcher told those that would listen before the race a hot pace would benefit his filly. "I think if they go fast and Mike is very good at getting horses to settle and make a run with. I said if they go fast early, this filly, it wouldn't shock me. When they threw up 22 and 4 and she was sitting where we wanted to sit, I think it all fell into place from there," said the conditioner.

Sometime a plan comes together, and for Todd Pletcher he proved once again why he's one of the best in the business. 

Gene Kershner, a Buffalo-based turf writer, is a member of the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters Association and tweets @EquiSpace.

By Gene Kershner

LOUISVILLE,Ky. -- Late this morning, the Churchill Downs media department announced the scratch of Black Onyx from the 139th running of the Kentucky Derby. Trainer Kelly Breen announced in a media briefing that the scratch was due to a non-displaced chip in his left ankle discovered this morning after training.  He was to break from the first gate on Saturday. The notification of the scratch was subsequent to 9 a.m. this morning, which left Fear the Kitten, the only horse on the also-eligible list on the outside looking in.  

The 9 a.m. deadline is due to the start of advance wagering on the Kentucky Derby. Churchill Downs announced that the first gate will be left empty with the other horses still breaking from their assigned posts. 

Breen noticed a little swelling in the ankle of the Spiral Stakes winner prior to an early morning gallop. "He trained, he did gallop, he came back he was at a 1 out of 5 lameness and warranted us to take an X-ray where we found that he does have a chip to his left ankle," said Breen. The X-rays were obtained after the 9 a.m. deadline which was not timely enough for Fear the Kitten. "He's back in the barn, he's not feeling all that bad because he just tried to bite me," Breen joked trying to lighten the somber mood in the room.

Jockey Joe Bravo was disappointed but glad that the injury wasn't catastrophic. "I'm just very hopeful that the horse is going to be okay," said Bravo.  This was to be the third career Kentucky Derby mount for the jockey affectionately known as Jersey Joe.  

Gene Kershner, a Buffalo-based turf writer, is a member of the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters Association and tweets @EquiSpace.

Now ... where are those short-sleeved t-shirts?

It's been time to get that particular item out of the closet lately, as we've had absolutely perfect running weather of late. Organizers of this weekend's races must have smiles as large as their faces.

Here's the schedule for the weekend, courtesy of buffalorunners.com:

* NCCC Alumni Association 5K Run, 3111 Saunders Settlement Road in Sanborn, 6 p.m. Friday, 614-5910. It's time to ramp up the schedule for night races, always a good sign. This one has been around for some time.

* Catalyst Race for a Cause, 2745 Seneca St. in West Seneca, 6:30 p.m. Friday, 824-4655.

* Allegany Adventure Runs, various trail runs, Allegany State Park in Salamanca, 9:30 a.m. Saturday 574-0888. With three different distances, there's something for everyone here.

* GBTC Grand Island Half Marathon (News Runner of the Year race), Beaver Island State Park in Grand Island, 10 a.m. Saturday. This is a staple of the running calendar, and a good warmup for the Memorial Day weekend marathon for those who choose to use it that way.

* Running Water 5K, Northtown Center in Amherst, 10 a.m. Saturday, 536-3004. This is an interesting course that feels like it's a long way from big-city life, which makes it an interesting change of pace.

* ARC of Orleans County/Terri Krieger Memorial 5K Run, 189 North Gravel Road in Medina, 2 p.m. Saturday, (585) 589-5516 (x227). Saturday afternoon races are very rare, but this event seems to like it.

One other note - the finalists have been selected in the voting for this year's class in the Western New York Running Hall of Fame. The selections will be announced the day before Memorial Day, better known as Buffalo Marathon day around these parts.

-- Budd Bailey

By Gene Kershner

LOUISVILLE,Ky. -- With the chance of rain in the forecast for Louisville on Saturday, it's time to start thinking about those horses that can handle a muddy or sloppy track. The forecast on weather.com as of 3 p.m. Thursday shows a 70 percent chance of rain for Derby day and temperatures dropping to the low 60s from the temperatures in the mid-70s we are currently experiencing and expected for Oaks day. 

Some of the areas horseplayers should read up on include wet Tomlinson figures included in the Daily Racing Form's past performances, as well as pedigree statistics which can be found in the Brisnet past performances. A look at the field's bloodlines can also provide clues as to a colt's chances in the Derby. The most important item may be how the actual horse has performed on an off track. 

Wet Tomlinson Figures

This measure of a horse's ability on a wet track was the brainchild of Lee Tomlinson who studied past performances of a sample of horses based on how they performed on wet tracks and their pedigrees. Wet Tomlinson score range from 0 to 480 (a perfect score) and experts have noted that a score of 320 warrants consideration of a horse that should perform well on an off-track.  Based on my current Derby spreadsheet, the following horses have the top wet Tomlinson figures in the Derby:  

Three of the top five horses according to the morning line have wet Tomlinson figures that would suggest they will run well on an off track. Three of Todd Pletcher's five entries find themselves in this same top 10.

Pedigree

Some of the bloodlines that are part of the current field can be traced back to horses that have solid wet track influences can be traced to sires such as Mr. Prospector, In Reality and A.P. Indy. 

The horses that are part of said bloodlines include Palace Malice, Revolutionary, Mylute and Orb. You may remember Mylute's sire Midnight Lute won a Breeders' Cup Sprint championship in the slop at Monmouth Park in 2007. Palace Malice's sire, Curlin, won the Breeders' Cup Classic at a mile and a quarter that same year in the slop by open lengths. 

Brisnet Sire and Dam sire Win Percentages

The horses that have the highest sire win percentages on a wet track (noted as" mud stats") as listed in Brisnet past performances in the Derby include (with more than 100 starts): Normandy Invasion (18%), Overanalyze (17%), Falling Sky (17%), Orb (17%), and Will Take Charge (17%). The horses on the dam sire side with the highest percentages based on the same criteria include: Black Onyx (20%), Oxbow (20%), Revolutionary (19%), Golden Soul (19%), Lines of Battle (19%), and Orb (19%). The morning line favorite, Orb (7-2) is the only horse to show on the top of both of these lists.  

Actual Off-Track Performances

Of the horses in the field, four horses have wins on an off-track: Revolutionary, Vyjack, Itsmyluckyday and Falling Sky. Two horses have placed on off-tracks, Palace Malice and Frac Daddy. None of the aforementioned winners accomplished the feat in a stakes race or at a distance greater than a mile. 

Should the track come up sloppy or muddy on Saturday afternoon under the Twin Spires, these should offer some clues to consider when handicapping the big race.  

Gene Kershner, a Buffalo-based turf writer, is a member of the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters Association and tweets @EquiSpace.

By Gene Kershner 

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - - The 139th Run for the Lilies, also known as the $1 million Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks, is the feature race on Friday’s card under the iconic Twin Spires at Churchill Downs. An expected crowd of over 110,000 is expected to crown a new champion in a race for 3-year-old fillies. The race will be broadcast live on NBC Sports Network at 5 p.m. post time is 5:45 p.m.  The Oaks has drawn a field of 10 fillies, and is one of the most talented fields in the race's recent past.

Todd Pletcher, who will send five horses to the post in the Derby on Saturday, also has four Oaks hopefuls, including the morning line favorite, Dreaming of Julia (3-1) running for the Lilies. Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez has the mount on the A.P. Indy filly. Pletcher has won the Oaks twice with Ashado (2004) and Rags to Riches (2007).  

Dreaming of Julia comes off a monster performance in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks, where she won by over 21 lengths over a field of six and posted the highest ThoroGraph figure ever achieved since those speed figures were generated. The big question here is will she bounce off that superb effort? If she doesn't she could run away from this field, as she is well-bred to handle the 1 1/8-mile distance and is coming in third off the layoff for Pletcher.  

Pletcher's next best chance to win will be the Street Sense filly Unlimited Budget (7-2) with jockey Javier Castellano in the irons. She also enters third off the layoff for the Toddster, and comes out of a win in the Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks. She is undefeated in four career races and has progressed nicely in each race. 

Trainer Bob Baffert, who has no entries in the Derby for the first time since 2008, has a bullet to fire in the Oaks. The lightly-raced but very talented Midnight Lucky (7-2), a daughter of two time Breeders' Cup Sprint champion Midnight Lute will try and get Baffert into the Churchill winning circle. She has won her two career races in over 15 combined lengths and will try to duplicate her last effort in the Sunland Park Oaks where she blew away the field. It's a big class jump, but Baffert has Bejarano in the irons and she has been training well over the Churchill track.  

Bill Mott will send out Close Hatches (6-1) who comes off a win in the Grade 2 Gazelle at the Big A, the filly's third consecutive victory in as many starts. Close Hatches also will have the red-hot Joel Rosario aboard who has continued the winning ways in Kentucky where he was the leading jockey at the spring Keeneland meeting. Mott had a second filly entered, Flashy Gray, who he scratched out of the race on Wednesday.  

Mott has Close Hatches in peak condition and isn't worried about the amount of speed in the race. He feels that she'll be there at the end. Her half mile breeze was clocked in 47.40 and Mott did not work her in company. “What you saw is what I expected given her work last week,” Mott said. “We just let her go by herself. She’s aggressive and full of herself so I thought she didn’t need company to breeze with; she’d do enough on her own. I just told [exercise rider] Jo to let her go off smooth, keep it as smooth as possible and to let her have a normal gallop out.” 

One filly to watch is long shot Rose to Gold (15-1) who has the king of Churchill riding in newly elected Hall of Famer Calvin Borel. He worked her four furlongs last Friday thatwas second best of 52 horses at the distance going 47.80. Borel came out of the workout beaming about his filly. “She is awesome. She worked very good, better than last week,” Borel said, referring to the filly’s 48.20 work of last Saturday. “This is just a filly that is getting better all the time.”  

The race has also attracted the 2-year-old filly champion Beholder, who will be racing for the first time east of the Mississippi River. All eight of her career starts have been in California. The Henny Hughes filly may be distance tested, but she has the savvy Garrett Gomez, who won the 2007 Oaks on Rags to Riches, riding her for the ninth consecutive race. 

Post Time Outlook: 1-Dreaming of Julia; 2-Midnight Lucky; 3-Close Hatches

Long shot: Rose to Gold 

The post positions, horse, jockey and morning line odds for the Oaks are as follows: 

Gene Kershner, a Buffalo-based turf writer, is a member of the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters Association and tweets @EquiSpace.

By Gene Kershner 

The post position draw for Kentucky Derby 139 was held this afternoon at Churchill Downs in Louisville, which included 20 entrants that qualified under the new Derby Championship Series points system. The race will be televised nationally on NBC (Ch. 2) on Saturday afternoon during a three- hour telecast starting at 4 p.m.

- Orb (7-2) was declared the morning line favorite and will be ridden by Joel Rosario and trained by Shug McGaughey.

- Second choice on the morning line favorite Verrazano drew the No. 14 position late in the draw, trainer Todd Pletcher breathing a huge sigh of relief with both posts 1 and 2 available when his post was drawn. "It was huge, a great post position draw for us," said Pletcher. He drew outside of the suspected speed horses (Goldencents and Falling Sky) so it is was a big win for the Pletcher barn and Team Verrazano.

- D. Wayne Lukas, seeking his fifth Derby title, drew the #2 post for Oxbow and the #17 post with Will Take Charge. He'll team with 50-year-old jockey Gary Stevens on Oxbow, a combination that has two Derby wins under their belts (1988 and 1995).  

- Pletcher's cast of thousands, actually his other four horses drew as follows: Revolutionary (#3),Overanalyze (#9), Charming Kitten (#15) and Palace Malice (#10).  

- Goldencents drew the 8 hole and will have Kevin Krigger aboard trying to become the first African-American jockey to win the Derby since Jimmy Winkfield in 1902. Things have been coming up roses for owner Rick Pitino, this post position has won 8 times, most recently in 2009 with Mine That Bird.

- Post No. 19 produced its first Derby champ ever in 2012 in I'll Have Another, this year Java's War drew that post this year.

- One post that has never produced a Derby champion is 17, and post 14 hasn't had a winner since 1961. The post that has been in the money the most since 1970 is No. 10, which has hit the board 36 percent of the time. Palace Malice drew post 10 this year and will wear blinkers for the first time. "When he gets close to the lead he tends to loaf, that's why he's putting the blinkers on," said jockey Mike Smith. 

- Fear the Kitten is listed as the 21st horse and will draw in as an also-eligible should any of the 20 horses in the field scratch by 9 a.m. on Friday, when Derby advance betting begins.

If you missed it last Friday, be sure to check out my Degrees of Separation blog and our Derby spreadsheet with facts, figures and the latest information has been updated through today's draw.

Here's a look at the posts, morning line odds as set by Mike Battaglia for the field:

Gene Kershner, a Buffalo-based turf writer, is a member of the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters Association and tweets @EquiSpace.

By Gene Kershner

Happy Derby week, Buffalo! The Sabres are finished playing hockey, the NFL draft is in the books, so we're ready to rev up the Triple Crown coverage here at The News. I'll be heading to Louisville on Wednesday to be on the backside Thursday morning. Our Derby week coverage will include the following:  

Wednesday:
Post Position draw and quotes from key connections (Sports, Ink)

Thursday:
Preview of the Kentucky Oaks (Sports, Ink)

Friday:
Kentucky Oaks post-race wrap-up (Sports, Ink)

Saturday:
Derby advance and selections (Print and online)

Saturday:
Live blog from Churchill Downs (Sports, Ink)

Sunday:
Post-race commentary (Print and online) 

Be sure to bookmark the Sports, Ink horse racing link so you can follow our Derby coverage throughout the week up to the 139th Run for the Roses.  

Derby Notes

There were some interesting twists and turns under the Twin Spires on Monday morning as three horses dropped off the Derby trail and two new entrants have emerged. Bob Baffert announced that Govenor Charlie and Code West would not be running, leaving him without a Derby starter for the first time since 2008.

Todd Pletcher announced that the owners of Winning Cause decided to pass on the race and look to other potential spots including the Preakness, the Peter Pan and the Marine Stakes at Woodbine. Pletcher has also yet to announcewho will be riding Charming Kitten which should be announced on Tuesday, likely to be Edgar Prado. 

The Baffert and Pletcher defections opened two gates for potential starters. Golden Soul, who started  last weekend as the No. 23 horse on the Derby leaderboard, found himself in the race. Golden Soul, the fourth place finisher in the Louisiana Derby, is owned by Charles Fipke, who will also have Blue Grass winner Java's War in the Derby.  

Finally, it appears that the last entrant will be Fear the Kitten, with only 6 points, entered by trainer Mike Maker. Alan Garcia will have the mount on Fear the Kitten, who has finished fifth in his last two races.  [UPDATE: Late entry by New York-bred Giant Finish, trained by Anthony Dutrow, who will ship from Fair Hill on Wednesday and arrive at Churchill on Thursday to claim the 20th and final gate. Thus, Fear the Kitten is now on the outside looking in. - GK]

The big buzz of the Monday morning workouts was the four furlong breeze put in by Phipps' Stables' Orb who went :47.8 at the distance. Working in company with his stablemate Overwhelming, Orb broke off just behind him before pulling even on the turn before drawing away several lengths clear through the stretch.  The Florida Derby winner galloped out five furlongs in 1:00.80.  

Lines of Battle will arrive on Wednesday from overseas and will hit the track on Thursday after clearing quarantine. Jockey Ryan Moore will have the mount for one of Europe's best trainers, Aidan O'Brien on the UAE Derby champion.

There will be plenty of television coverage of the Derby as NBC Sports and the NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) plan over 14 hours of coverage. The Derby post position draw will be televised on NBCSN at 5 p.m. to kick things off.  

If you missed it last Friday, be sure to check out my Degrees of Separation blog and our Derby spreadsheet with facts, figures and the latest information has been updated through Monday's additions and defections.  

Gene Kershner, a Buffalo-based turf writer, is a member of the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters Association and tweets @EquiSpace.

By Greg Connors

It didn't take long for Jason Collins to agree to his first TV interview.

The NBA free agent, in a story published online today by Sports Illustrated, became the first active male player in a major team sport to announce that he is gay.

News came this afternoon that Collins' first TV chat since his revelation will be with George Stephanopoulos on "Good Morning America."

In a Mixed Media column this month, I had speculated about who might do the first interview when this sort of story broke. In my mock broadcaster draft, I had Bob Costas, Anderson Cooper, Katie Couric, Oprah Winfrey, Diane Sawyer and Robin Roberts on my board. 

I whiffed on the Stephanopoulos pick. I guess I overlooked the intangibles of the former White House aide, and the guy does have a great motor.

Collins' story is very much worth reading. A quote on his coming out:

"I didn't set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport. But since I am, I'm happy to start the conversation. I wish I wasn't the kid in the classroom raising his hand and saying, 'I'm different.' If I had my way, someone else would have already done this. Nobody has, which is why I'm raising my hand."

By Gene Kershner 

We're eight days from the Run for the Roses and it's time for the annual Degrees of Separation post where we separate the contenders from the pretenders some fun divisions. I've been putting this list together for the past five years and gave a preview last week during a telephone interview on a "Racing Across America" telecast on Capitol-OTB in Albany with Equidaily's Seth Merrow before today's full unveiling.

It's a light look at the current qualifiers based on the current leaderboard, a week out and before the post position draw to help segregate the horses I'm high on versus the throw-outs come Derby day. Before we jump into Derby 139, let's take a moment to review some of my better (and really bad) quotes from past Degrees of Separation posts.

2009

Mine That Bird: "Slowest of the slow" (Not my best work)

2010

Super Saver: "Really warming up to this one. Pletcher's best chance to wear the roses. Sports Monarchos' sire, his dam sire is A.P. Indy, so he has the pedigree AND the King of Churchill in the irons. Dangerous." (Don't say so myself)

Ice Box:  "If there's a pace meltdown, he will be around to claim a prize." (Make that an ice cold exacta, baby)

2011

Animal Kingdom: "Really loved his move in the Vinery Spiral Stakes, but he looks more like a dynamite turf horse than a Derby champ." (Oops)

Shackleford: "Really would have loved to see him in the Preakness versus the Derby, hope the race doesn't wreck him, looks like a monster." (Bingo)

2012

I'll Have Another: "I dig this horse. His daddy, Flower Alley, had a troubled trip in the 2005 Derby  and is a Travers winner and BC Classic runner-up. Could be my top pick - we'll see how he draws on Wednesday." (Drew 19, dropped him into second tier…ugh)

Bodemeister: "With Baffert, Big Beyers and a Bodacious pedigree, how can you keep him off your tickets. My only worry is he gave his best effort one race too soon. He could be the most dangerous Triple Crown threat of the group." (Close on this one)

So let's get down to business and reveal our 2013 Degrees of Separation for Kentucky Derby 139:

The AMC Gremlin Division: My father bought my mother an American Motors Corporation (AMC) Gremlin back in the 70s and it was a thing of beauty. Bright red, sleek gold stripes, the works. Problem was...it just wasn't fast. These are the  horses that represent this division, and qualify as my throw-outs:

Frac Daddy:  Slow speed figures won't get it done in Louisville. Plus can you really see the name Frac Daddy as a regal Derby champ?

Falling Sky: Don't mind me, just happy to be here.

Vyjack: Nice horse at 8 1/2-furlongs, hope the race doesn't wreck him.

Winning Cause: If he wins, it'll be a losing cause on my end.

The Pamela Anderson Divison: This is the spot where horses have made it to the Derby starting gate by winning on the faux dirt and will most likely not make due on the real stuff under the Twin Spires.

Java's War: Winner of the Blue Grass Stakes (polytrack) with a last to first effort. While I respect him, and will have him underneath (a la Paddy O'Prado and Dullahan) he's not going to win the Derby.

Black Onyx: If he wins, it will be Black Saturday for my wallet.  The Spiral Stakes winner is facing a much tougher group on the First Saturday in May then he did at Turfway.

Charming Kitten: Turf horses love the poly at Keeneland and he qualified via a third place finish in the Blue Grass. (See TwinSpired and Derby Kitten for reference).

The George Costanza Human Fund Division: These are the horses that will be taking in a lot of money and have a little (or a lot of) hype, but will be unmasked in the Derby and I don't see them being a factor.

Mylute: Just like Pants on Fire two years ago, with Rosie in the irons, this horse will garner some action at the windows from the female set. She'll get more prime time than Mel Kiper during draft week as she tries again to become the first female  jockey to win the Derby.

Overanalyze: Can you tell I'm not sold on the Arkansas Derby? Using as a negative key race, if there's such a thing.

Govenor Charlie: As potentially the lone Baffert horse in the field, he could seriously take some cash at the windows. What about Bob?

Normandy Invasion: I don't get what everyone loves about this one? He'll be the wise-guy horse who takes a lot of money at the windows and ends up being a huge underlay. I'm not getting sucked in this year.

The Afleet Alex Divison: Horses that won't win the Derby, but will have to be respected and could hit the board. Those qualifying here have the potential to become a Classic winner down the road in either the Preakness or the Belmont Stakes.

Palace Malice: Late charger who seems to be a Belmont horse to me. I like him very much, and will keep an eye on his draw, his daddy Curlin won the Preakness and was nosed out of the Belmont.

Oxbow: Still waiting for this one to show up. Thinking it may be in the Belmont where he may savor the Test of a Champion.

The Brett Favre Division: The horses that are bound for this division are those I just can't make up my mind on as we sit one week out from the Run for the Roses. Include them, exclude them, indecision has set in.

Goldencents: Like Creative Cause last year: I'm in. I'm out. I'm in. I'm out. Solid pedigree, strong west coast horses this year have me leaning towards including with my top horses. Derby rookie jockey Krigger makes me nervous.

Itsmyluckyday: Could be the fastest of the lot, and sat atop my Derby list for most of the winter. Good chance he ends up on top of my tickets, waiting to see what he looks like on the track next week.

Will Take Charge: There are lots of questions looming that include a long layoff from the Rebel, distance challenges, ran his top during the last race. I think I just talked myself off of him.

Lines of Battle: Qualified in Dubai on the Tapeta and has the best distance Tomlinson in the gate. He has pedigree on his side, just not sure how he'll handle the dirt for the first time. I will most likely hedge by playing underneath in the exotics. 

The Charlie Sheen Division: The horses I think have the best chance at...wait for it...winning!

Orb: Likely favorite after his two big wins at Gulfstream with matching Beyer Speed Figures. He'll be on top of my tickets.

Revolutionary: One of the two Pletcher horses that have made the Sheen for me. Departing flattered him via his impressive win at Hawthorne last weekend, and he picks up the king of Churchill in Calvin Borel in the irons. What's not to like?

Verrazano:  He's either a potential superstar or he's going to finish last and flop badly. I don't think we've seen his best yet and there is definitely another gear available. Best shot in the field for a Triple Crown.

That's a wrap on this year's degrees of separation. It always helps me to flesh out the field this way, as you can't bet 'em all, so this gives me a way to segregate the field prior to the big day.

Gene Kershner, a Buffalo-based turf writer, is a member of the National Turf Writers and  Broadcasters Association and tweets @EquiSpace.