Eight Belles & Proud Spell
 

Not good news in the Bloodhorse for those bubble horses with insufficient earnings....


Cindy Jones, assistant to her husband, Larry, said that fillies Proud Spell and Eight Belles both galloped 11/2 miles Wednesday morning. Brereton Jones’ Proud Spell and Fox Hill Farms’ Eight Belles both are probable to be cross-entered in the Derby and the Kentucky Oaks (gr. I). They are scheduled to ship to Churchill Downs Friday and, weather permitting, will breeze Sunday

I'd bet one goes to the Oaks and the other to the Derby.

Regardless what the final decision is, they will still take up two spots at the draw.

This is actually a very good thing overall as it will force Churchill to finally change the Derby entry rules. They will either have to start allowing also-eligibles and/or alter the way earnings are calculated and used for eligibility.

Hopefully they will do both.

I've never understood why they didn't allow a/e's..or at least have a "waiting list" , both still graded earnings based. Was there a reason?

I assume one major problem is it screws with their " Derby Draw " though there is a simple solution to that.....the AEs are automatically assigned posts 21-24. I imagine that connections would rather accept the lousy post than be excluded.

I'm sure they also have concerns about refunds, which in all fairness is a novice-fan protection, but the solution to that is to make scratch time for the Derby Friday morning before Derby wagering begins. I would imagine the connections of fillies that have cross entered in the Oaks would know by then which race they are running in.

Maybe if you are double entered, you don't get the opportunity to take part in the respective post draw, but have to take what is left?

Or change the conditions of the Derby to not allow horses to be entered if they are already entered in another race.

i hope they draw hole #1 and #20

then we'd widdle the field down to 18

-bt-

We are slowly working towards common sense solutions which means it will never happen

Which will happen first: New Derby entry process, or the ability to bet on more than 23 individual horses in the future wager?

Yeah, that seems a no brainer. Once this precendent is set won't every trainer with a top contender enter a filly with earnings and then scratch just to reduce the size of the field?

I think they could both well happen next year. The pools for the Derby futures were very weak......if that doesn't get their attention then nothing will.

They don't have to do that Chuck. They just have to allow for also-eligibles which covers many possibilities.

Thats true but I dont think there is any chance of them adding AE's.

Agree on both points.

I have no problem with either of them trying the Derby, especially in this comical year, but I'd love to have seen a "test run" against the boys a la Winning Colors to have earned the graded money to run.

You should be repremanded for mentioning WC in the same thought as these 2, even in a year like this.

HA!
Not a comparison of talent but rather she EARNED her way into the Derby by destroying the SA Derby, not by racking up $$ in the Fantasy, etc.


Why Moonlight out today?

I like Eight Belles chances. Kushy trips going 1 1/16(at most) vs females and being a being a daughter of Unbridled's Song are things I definitely look for in a Derby winner.