Castledale: Small horse conditioned -- or shall we say "treated" -- by pharmacist extraordinaire Jeff Mullins. Excellent breeding for the Derby distance and nice 2-year-old foundation. Problem is, he's only had two races at age three; Sunny's Halo was the last to win the Derby with only two preps at age three, and he had something like eleven starts at two, giving him plenty of bottom. Castledale ran hard in the SA Derby and apparently didn't come out of the race too well. Whether Mullins can get the weight back on him and the energy back into him remains to be seen. I say all of this as a person who has a 125/1 future ticket riding on him.

Friends Lake: Only two starts at age three and a 7-week layoff prior to the Derby. I believe fit horses -- not fresh horses -- win the Derby and thus hate this training pattern. Even though he's beautifully bred for the distance, I can't see him having the stamina to win off the bench. The Derby isn't just another horse race -- it's the single most grueling horse race in America. What's more, FL is a bit of a nervous headcase from what I've read, so he might be frothed and finished by the time he reaches the starting gate at Churchill. Not for me.

Just my take.



Post Edited (04-19-04 11:12)