War Pass Returns

[The Commander]

I am confident of him beating PYRO in the Derby.PYRO has not yet finished ahead of him at any distance.I will not decide my Derby selection until May.

That is fair. I kind of feel the same way. Pyro has had 3 shots and really hasn't been close.

[glahn]

Mel, if you want to make another bet, and are interested in Derby futures, I'll give you 1 tick better than pool #2 (i.e if he settles at 5-1, I'll give you 6-1). But we'd need to keep the size small.

[mel4600]

Niatross and Mel,

Are you super confident that War Pass will beat Pyro or super confident that War Pass will win the debry? 

I think War Pass is a great horse but just can't see him holding on for 10 furlongs.

Commander,

Steve agrees with you and I have already bet him. Pyro looked great in his last race and I question the caliber of horse he ran against when it was a crawling pace and the front runners could not go on. Any 2 year old that can get a 113 beyer fig at 1 1/16 miles is something special. I have to see someone beat him.

[mel4600]

Mel, if you want to make another bet, and are interested in Derby futures, I'll give you 1 tick better than pool #2 (i.e if he settles at 5-1, I'll give you 6-1). But we'd need to keep the size small.

Is the bet cancelled if he does not run in the Derby? If it is let me know how large a wager your willing take and I will decide on the amount. 

[The Commander]

Commander,

Steve agrees with you and I have already bet him. Pyro looked great in his last race and I question the caliber of horse he ran against when it was a crawling pace and the front runners could not go on. Any 2 year old that can get a 113 beyer fig at 1 1/16 miles is something special. I have to see someone beat him.

I agree with you Mel. The 113 beyer is super impressive, I put alot of weighting on beyers when making my derby choice(s). In addition, Pyro has had 3 shots at War Pass with no luck.

[glahn]

Is the bet cancelled if he does not run in the Derby? If it is let me know how large a wager your willing take and I will decide on the amount. 

Of course not! Otherwise it wouldn't be a proper futures bet, heh heh.

But this raise a good point. The head-to-head bet is only good if both horses run in the Derby, right?

[mel4600]

Of course not! Otherwise it wouldn't be a proper futures bet, heh heh.

But this raise a good point. The head-to-head bet is only good if both horses run in the Derby, right?

I'll let you make the call. I'm game for every race they run as 3 year olds. Let me know.

[glahn]

I'll let you make the call. I'm game for every race they run as 3 year olds. Let me know.

Yeah, only if they both leave the starting gate at the Derby.

[mel4600]

Yeah, only if they both leave the starting gate at the Derby.

Derby only it is for $50. Good luck.

[CLOCKERbiggestal]

There are ONLY two serious contenders for the derby this year.

WAR PASS speed vs PYRO close. No one else even in the picture. :-)

I'd give the edge to WAR PASS. But PYRO will make him work for it.
However I'd take the speed hoss here. And for those who say he doesn't have the pedigree
to make 10F neither did Smarty. LOL.

Speed kills. :-)

CBA

[The Commander]

Only two other horses are entered in The Tampa Derby. How is that for ducking and dodging?

[glahn]

There are ONLY two serious contenders for the derby this year.

WAR PASS speed vs PYRO close. No one else even in the picture. :-)

I'd give the edge to WAR PASS. But PYRO will make him work for it.
However I'd take the speed hoss here. And for those who say he doesn't have the pedigree
to make 10F neither did Smarty. LOL.

Speed kills. :-)

CBA

I don't think this year is as clear cut as last year was, when the only contenders for the win were, in my opinion, Street Sense and Curlin.

[big wally]

Only two other horses are entered in The Tampa Derby. How is that for ducking and dodging?

According to this article more will be entered ,,, bridge Jumpers will be out in full force
 
Brandon Benson/NYRA photo
by Jeff Lowe

Whirlaway Stakes winner Barrier Reef will not participate Saturday’s Tampa Bay Derby (G3) after missing a few days of training at Payson Park due to a minor injury.

“He grabbed himself behind coming off the track the other day in the mud,” said Rick Mettee, the United States assistant to Godolphin Racing trainer Saeed bin Suroor. “It’s nothing serious—he’s going back to the track [on Wednesday]—but he missed his scheduled workout the other day. I spoke with Saeed, and he said ‘Let’s just pass this race.’”

Mettee said no decision has been made on an alternative race for Barrier Reef, who was transferred to Godolphin after his victory in the Whirlaway on February 2 at Aqueduct for owner Darley Stable.

Barrier Reef was not among the early nominees for the Triple Crown. The late nomination deadline is March 29.

The defection leaves Atoned and Big Truck as perhaps the leading rivals for champion War Pass in the 1 1/16-mile Tampa Bay Derby. Atoned has not raced since his second-place finish in the Remsen Stakes (G2) on November 24. Big Truck finished second in the Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay on February 16.

Stakes coordinator Duane Christo said local horses Dynamic Wayne, Gentleman James, and Song of Greatness are likely for the Tampa Bay Derby. Cigar Man, Golden Spikes, and Stormin Yank also could join the field.