Denis sparkles in drill under Borel

[Kasept]

Denis of Cork just posted what will likely be the day's most talked about work at the Downs ripping 5f in 1:00.0 and galloping out the final quarter in a shade over :22.0.
Under Calvin Borel, the David Carroll trainee went easily for a half mile (48.0) without urging before being asked for the sharp finish. Borel had difficulty pulling the colt up.

Ohhhhhhh!!!!!!

Googily googily goo!! Look out world!!!

[ShadowRoll]

Originally Posted by Kasept

Denis of Cork just posted what will likely be the day's most talked about work at the Downs ripping 5f in 1:00.0 and galloping out the final quarter in a shade over :22.0.

Under Calvin Borel, the David Carroll trainee went easily for a half mile (48.0) without urging before being asked for the sharp finish. Borel had difficulty pulling the colt up.

Thanks for this. The final works at Churchill have become a crucial part of my Derby handicapping.

Did you see it, Steve?

[Thunder Gulch]

Galloped out the extra two panels in .22.0???Wow

[Kasept]

Originally Posted by Thunder Gulch

Galloped out the extra two panels in .22.0???Wow

Wrote that wrong.. Final quarter on the gallop out. There may be a fraction on that too. I didn't hear the clocker clearly except for the '22' part.

[Kasept]

Originally Posted by ShadowRoll

Thanks for this. The final works at Churchill have become a crucial part of my Derby handicapping.

Did you see it, Steve?

Yes. Was at the barn before and after and on the frontside for the spin. Silly me thought that many would be interested in hearing about it firsthand minutes after it was completed... But yet another DTer with a bizarre hard-on for a trainer seems to indicate there isn't interest and I needn't bother to report anything from here.

[2 Dollar Bill]

Steve,
Any other (possible) derby horses working /on the grounds @ C.D. ?
Thanks for the report.

[Scav]

Originally Posted by Kasept

Yes. Was at the barn before and after and on the frontside for the spin. Silly me thought that many would be interested in hearing about it firsthand minutes after it was completed... But yet another DTer with a bizarre hard-on for a trainer seems to indicate there isn't interest and I needn't bother to report anything from here.

You need to report this stuff here, at least the smart players will be recognizing the information as noteworthy....

[Scav]

Steve, real quick, and let me start this comment with I know little about works, except for the ones I used to see on TVG when they have The Works

Was Borel really after him in the stretch, like with the whip or did he just shove him / show him the whip and he took off?

[Kasept]

Originally Posted by Scav

Steve, real quick, and let me start this comment with I know little about works, except for the ones I used to see on TVG when they have The Works

Was Borel really after him in the stretch, like with the whip or did he just shove him / show him the whip and he took off?

Whip was in his back pocket.
I was at the finish line and only heard Calvin smooching at him.

[Scav]

Originally Posted by Scav

You need to report this stuff here, at least the smart players will be recognizing the information as noteworthy....

And Coach, this isn't calling you dumb or not a smart player....

Originally Posted by Scav

And Coach, this isn't calling you dumb or not a smart player....

I really don't care if it is. I'll call anyone who wagers on this horse derby day an idiot.

[IrishofNDMan]

Originally Posted by Kasept

Denis of Cork just posted what will likely be the day's most talked about work at the Downs ripping 5f in 1:00.0 and galloping out the final quarter in a shade over :22.0.
Under Calvin Borel, the David Carroll trainee went easily for a half mile (48.0) without urging before being asked for the sharp finish. Borel had difficulty pulling the colt up.

Awesome update, keep em coming!

[CSC]

Originally Posted by Kasept

Denis of Cork just posted what will likely be the day's most talked about work at the Downs ripping 5f in 1:00.0 and galloping out the final quarter in a shade over :22.0.
Under Calvin Borel, the David Carroll trainee went easily for a half mile (48.0) without urging before being asked for the sharp finish. Borel had difficulty pulling the colt up.

Great info, I like horses that start slow and finish fast rather than start fast and finish slow...thus final times on works never tell the entire story esp in longer races that require stamina. This was useful.

[tiggerv]

How much stock are you guys really putting into these workouts? I understand wanting to see a workout for a first time starter to determine if the horse has any talent or to check the fitness of a horse off a long layoff. What I don't get is the importance of 1 workout for a Derby horse that has proven race form. I mean even Hacker Craft apparently can put in a good workout. It doesn't mean I am going to bet him or claim him (sorry Chuck). Am I supposed to jump on the Court Vision bandwagon because he can work a 46 even though his proven race form says otherwise? Even a horse like Colonel John who has never run on dirt...how much is a 3F breeze going to tell you? I guarantee that there will be a lot of jockey and trainer speak about how much he loved the surface no matter what he does. I have never heard a trainer say a horse has been working like crap before a race.

Someone school me on how you are interpreting this data because I won't even look at it.

[sumitas]

To answer your question, none.

Originally Posted by tiggerv

How much stock are you guys really putting into these workouts? I understand wanting to see a workout for a first time starter to determine if the horse has any talent or to check the fitness of a horse off a long layoff. What I don't get is the importance of 1 workout for a Derby horse that has proven race form. I mean even Hacker Craft apparently can put in a good workout. It doesn't mean I am going to bet him or claim him (sorry Chuck). Am I supposed to jump on the Court Vision bandwagon because he can work a 46 even though his proven race form says otherwise? Even a horse like Colonel John who has never run on dirt...how much is a 3F breeze going to tell you? I guarantee that there will be a lot of jockey and trainer speak about how much he loved the surface no matter what he does. I have never heard a trainer say a horse has been working like crap before a race.

Someone school me on how you are interpreting this data because I won't even look at it.

Uh sir...

This isn't the time, nor place for making sense.

Move along now.

[slotdirt]

I would suggest with all the whacky synthetic tracks out there, how a horse works over Churchill's strip is more important than ever in terms of how a given entrant might perform in next weekend's big race. I know I'm paying attention to these works more so than I have in the past.

[ShadowRoll]

Originally Posted by tiggerv

How much stock are you guys really putting into these workouts? I understand wanting to see a workout for a first time starter to determine if the horse has any talent or to check the fitness of a horse off a long layoff. What I don't get is the importance of 1 workout for a Derby horse that has proven race form. I mean even Hacker Craft apparently can put in a good workout. It doesn't mean I am going to bet him or claim him (sorry Chuck). Am I supposed to jump on the Court Vision bandwagon because he can work a 46 even though his proven race form says otherwise? Even a horse like Colonel John who has never run on dirt...how much is a 3F breeze going to tell you? I guarantee that there will be a lot of jockey and trainer speak about how much he loved the surface no matter what he does. I have never heard a trainer say a horse has been working like crap before a race.

Someone school me on how you are interpreting this data because I won't even look at it.

A good clocker's report is worth it's weight in gold. It's not so much the raw times, but how the horse looked -- whether he's eager, how he carries himself, how he runs the different portions of the work, who's on him, who works with him, if there's any interaction with other horses, how he finished up, whether he was blowing when he got done and how he cooled off.

I've said this several times before, but I got burnt at Barbaro's Derby when I didn't use Bluegrass Cat on my tickets because his last prep race was a clunker, despite the fact that I liked him earlier in the year. I remember very clearly listening to ATR while I was driving from PA to Kentucky, and someone on the show (probably Steve) reporting just how good Blugrass Cat looked during his works at Churchill.

[Kasept]

Originally Posted by tiggerv

How much stock are you guys really putting into these workouts? I understand wanting to see a workout for a first time starter to determine if the horse has any talent or to check the fitness of a horse off a long layoff. What I don't get is the importance of 1 workout for a Derby horse that has proven race form. I mean even Hacker Craft apparently can put in a good workout. It doesn't mean I am going to bet him or claim him (sorry Chuck). Am I supposed to jump on the Court Vision bandwagon because he can work a 46 even though his proven race form says otherwise? Even a horse like Colonel John who has never run on dirt...how much is a 3F breeze going to tell you? I guarantee that there will be a lot of jockey and trainer speak about how much he loved the surface no matter what he does. I have never heard a trainer say a horse has been working like crap before a race.

Someone school me on how you are interpreting this data because I won't even look at it.

The workouts and physical appearance of Derby starters on THIS track should be of great interest. In the last couple of years they pointed out impending big efforts from Street Sense, Barbaro and Bluegrass Cat, as well as poor efforts from any number of runners. Read Mike Welsch's and Steve Haskin's workout reports for some clues as to how the runners are getting over the track and looking generally. I also expect to have several top dawn patrol types on ATR next week.

I can tell you specifically that Bluegrass Cat, whom I hated, blossomed as Derby Week progressed two years ago, his coat going from dull and lifeless the weekend before to glistening by Thursday. I ignored it, though Haskin kept telling me he was coming in right, and it cost me the all the exotics as I had included Barbaro, Jazil and Steppenwolfer but excluded BluCat.

You're looking for horses that are showing signs of being at the peak of fitness... and that is something that needs to be observed. Since many can't view it, relying on people like Gary Young, Welsch and Haskin as your eyes certainly doesn't hurt.