Just finished the figures for last weekend, and to me the Derby got a lot more interesting. Both in terms of likes and dislikes.

Short fields, changing track speeds and high winds. Throw in fewer horses firing— almost certainly due to no Lasix in graded races— and it’s taking me about twice as long to do big days as usual.

Santa Anita had a card over the weekend where the first one turn dirt race had all first time starters except for one horse that had started once. It was 3 hours til the next dirt sprint, and the track out there has been changing speeds daily. People ask me why I leave boxes.