Racing Beat: March 18

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Fed Biz is off the Derby trail and sidelined indefinitely with a “hind end issue.” I feel ya bro; I’ve had to sideline myself from race training for a similar reason (I’m a freak who tends to sit oddly and have bruised my tailbone in the process… again…). I’m pretty bummed, no pun intended.

Spring Hill Farm is also off the Derby trail after he apparently fractured his knee falling at the start of the Tampa Bay Derby (II). Poor guy, I almost feel bad for making fun of his name. Minus yet another Derby horse for Todd Pletcher, who continues having the worst luck on the Triple Crown trail again this year.

Did anyone catch the “viral marketing video” America’s Best Racing aka the NTRA put out about some fake energy drink at a “Hoof Locker?” Be glad if you didn’t; I can’t believe some get all huffy about keeping the sport’s traditional attributes intact with garbage like that. It has since been removed from YouTube and replaced by “Original Madness”:

Adios Charlie has been retired from racing to Ocala Stud with the selling point of being able to carry his speed beyond a mile. No shit, Sherlock, that’s what Indian Charlies do, but ironically, he was never able to win anything longer than a mile.

One comes in, another leaves: Garrett Gomez will be returning soon, but Paco Lopez is out with a broken collarbone after that bad spill at Gulfstream yesterday. Get well soon, Paco!

While Motor City is out of the Derby picture because he has simply too much catching up to do according to his trainer, the Street Sense vibe is still strong with Broad Brush Stakes winner Street Life, who will apparently go for the Wood Memorial (I) or Arkansas Derby (I) to try to make the earnings cut.

How is Montbrook still $7,500 a season?: A two-year-old son of his brought a sale-topping $470k at OBS. Plus, he’s one of my favorite horses’ dad: Tackleberry!

Who else caught Gemologist’s workout the other day? Oh it was an actual race? Weird.

That awkward moment when… you search for Secret Circle and the image results yield another inaccurate ABC Family show about teenagers.

It was St. Patrick’s Day yesterday, where I thought not about my Irish heritage nor Irish car bombs, but how Paddy O'Prado is adapting to his stud career. Miss that guy.

Looking at the Kentucky Derby earnings list so far, just how many of the top twenty actually intend on starting? I’m seeing a lot of sprinters/milers who aren’t going to last a mile and a quarter.

A bit late on the uptake, but good to see Black Caviar getting a break, even if it does keep her from running against the best in Dubai.

I embrace the thought of the general public becoming more involved in horse racing and betting on horse races… that means more stupid people overbetting favorites that I know aren’t going to win. (i.e. Kentucky Derby 2011 with Dialed InPants On Fire also heavily bet because of his name)

I was overjoyed to find this blog post about breaking a horse to saddle. The guinea yearling for the assignment? One of my old favorites from last year, Headache!!

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