"He Runs Like a Moron"

You got to love Gary Contessa’s honesty. Talking about Fort Drum’s victory on Sunday in the Times Square division of the NY Stallion Series, Contessa (who took over the three-year-old from Todd Pletcher on January 1) said: “He runs like a moron. He ran like a two-year-old making his first start. I have never seen a horse run this stupid and win.” Alas, so true, but what a character this son of Wiseman’s Ferry is! I for one can’t wait to see him again.

Aqueduct is very good to me on Sunday, it seems. After hitting a sweet $200+ exacta last weekend, today I nailed a $208.75 payout on a $1 trifecta bet with Queen of Protocol (8-1), Pastel Gal (1-1) and Deities Day (18-1) in race 9. Well on my way to paying for the bathroom redo that awaits me this summer.

Good to see Ready’s Image working out well in advance of his return; he posted a bullet 5f work (58.60) at Keeneland on Sunday.

Watching Santa Anita via Twinspires.com on Sunday while writing final exams and getting together lectures for the final week of class, I couldn’t believe it when I heard Supah Blitz was entered in race 8. Last time I heard, this eight-year-old son of Mecke (by Maulin, by Foolish Pleasure) was enjoying stud duty in Florida. Well, it must not have worked out, because he was entered—for a $32k tag—by trainer Doug O’Neill off nearly a THREE YEAR layoff! First time on the artificial surface and what does he do? Makes an excellent rally around nearly the entire field on the last turn, and gets up for third! With Jeff Mullins claiming him (for Les Blake), can we assume he’ll be showing up next to run victoriously against stakes company? That appears to be Mullins’ modus operandi of late.

On the other hand, poor Scrappy T failed to place in AOC at Penn National on Saturday, finishing a very distant fourth, over 10 lengths back of Hesabully. From Triple Crown placed to running at Penn National…what a long fall for this warrior.

Derby update and comments on this weekend’s races on Monday.