Oaklawn Park 7th--Monday

John Greenhaw

Most people just assume that Gary Stevens is in Hot Spring to ride Z Royal in the Southwest. Not so--I am told. #4 GOATS TOWN, 7/2, is just one win away from being Lukas runner in the Rebel and beyond. Word I get is that Stevens will send him out to the front and try to control moderate fractions while looking for #2 Hoffenmein to come late. The Goat may hold on at a price.

Suggested exotic play
ex bx 2---4
tri 2/4---2/4---5/7

#5 is first time gelding Blanket Of Ice and #7 Zimmerman is first off claim for hot Van Berg stable.
Rain overnight but not much. Track will be fine. Cold and overcast but still going to be a great day of racing! I'm headed that way now!

GOOD LUCK TO ALL!

DiscreetCat

Worth mentioning, Hoffenheim is coming off a drill (in which he was outworked) with a promising Euro import named Moonlight Drive, entered in today's 3rd @ Santa Anita,

And incidentally, when's the last time Baffert had a Euro import? Like never?

Polamalu43

I'm told that Moonlight Drive is really training well on the dirt, to your point. I wonder if this turf prep may be a springboard for a possible dirt prep for the derby.

dirtyshirt

DiscreetCat wrote: »

Worth mentioning, Hoffenheim is coming off a drill (in which he was outworked) with a promising Euro import named Moonlight Drive, entered in today's 3rd @ Santa Anita,

And incidentally, when's the last time Baffert had a Euro import? Like never?

Yeah very curious to watch that one run today...

dirtyshirt

Moonlight pretty nice, pretty nice price IMO for out working a Derby type horse in Hoffenheim. Baffert must still like Hoffenheim at 1 1/4 and wants to see how he ships... In case they need late points.

DiscreetCat

Polamalu43 wrote: »

I'm told that Moonlight Drive is really training well on the dirt, to your point. I wonder if this turf prep may be a springboard for a possible dirt prep for the derby.

Very interesting point. Especially considering the Baffert thing.