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Derby Entrants
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Trainer |
Jockey |
Owner |
Breeder |
: Derby History
A native of Dallas, TX, Pletcher grew up around Thoroughbred racing as his
father, Jake Pletcher, trained Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds. After
graduating from the University of Arizona with a degree in animal science,
he went to work for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas. He stayed with
Lukas for six years, eventually becoming his main East Coast assistant
trainer. Pletcher went out on his own in 1996 and he currently trains for
such powerhouse owners as: Michael Tabor of Coolmore, Aaron and Marie Jones,
Padua Stables, and Eugene Melnyk. In less than 10 years, Pletcher has
conditioned such top-class performers as Ashado, Left Bank, Speightstown,
Strong Hope, Forest Danger, Flower Alley, Balto Star and others. While he
has been very successful since taking out his license, 2005 was a banner
year for the Pletcher stable. He set a season earnings record in 2005 with
his horses winning more than $20.8 million in purses, surpassing the
previous record of $19.1 million set by Hall of Famer Bobby Frankel. With
that stellar year, Pletcher was awarded the Eclipse Award for the second
consecutive year as the top trainer in the land. After going winless with
his first 12 Breeders' Cup starters, Pletcher won two races in the event in
2004: the Sprint with Speightstown, and the Distaff with Kentucky Oaks champ
Ashado. Both would also go on to be Eclipse winners in their respective
divisions. Pletcher's best Derby finishers to date are Invisible Ink, second
in 2001, and a fourth place with Limehouse in 2004. |
Twenty-nine year old Ramon Dominguez, a native of Venezuela, began riding at age 16 in his home country. He moved to the United States in 1995, riding at Hialeah Park in Florida. He won 312 races in 2005, good for fifth place nationally, with his mounts earning in excess of $10.7 million, placing him tenth for the year. He also led the national standings in both 2001 and 2003, when he had 431 and 453 victories, respectively. 2004 saw him score his first Breeders' Cup victory aboard Better Talk Now in the Breeders' Cup Turf (GI). And in 2004, he won the Isaac Murphy Award presented to the jockey with the highest winning percentage (28.3) for the year by the National Turf Writers Association. Dominguez has ridden two Derby starters, Tapit in 2004 and and High Limit in 2005. He has won three riding titles in Maryland, where he currently resides. He splits his riding time between Delaware, Florida, and New York. |
WinStar Farm is a Thoroughbred racing and breeding operation located in Versailles, Ky that is owned by Bill Casner (pictured) and Kenny Troutt. Casner grew up in El Paso, Texas. In 1963, at the age of 15, he started galloping horses at Sunland Park. He put him self through college at Tarleton State University by galloping throughbreds, including champion Cho Croute. Upon graduation Casner embarked on a training career in the midwest. In 1979 Casner left the Thoroughbred industry. He and Troutt founded Excel Communications. Casner re-entered racing in the mid 1990’s through various partnerships. Mr. Casner is currently chairman of the board for the Thoroughbred Owner Breeders Association, vice chairman and co-founder of the Kentucky Equine Education Project (KEEP), and he serves on the board of trustees for Breeders' Cup. He was also a founding board member for The Race For Education Inc., a national scholarship foundation that provides educational opportunities to children of racing’s backside workers and farm workers. Mr. Casner, his wife Susan and their daughter Kayce are residents of Flower Mound, Texas. WinStar farm encompasses approximately 1450 acres after current development is completed the farm will include 10 barns, a state of the art foaling complex, a newly renovated stallion complex and training barn and research lab. The farm is home to the stallions Tiznow, Speightstown, Distorted Humor, Victory Gallop, and Our Emblem. WinStar has campaigned the stakes winners Awesome Humor, License Fee, Mr. Mellon solely or in partnerships and bred 2003 Derby and Preakness winner Funny Cide. Up until the spring of 2005, WinStar employed Elliott Walden as their trainer. Walden retired from training to take a position at WinStar, and at that time the horses were spread among a variety of trainers: Todd Pletcher, Bobby Frankel, Bill Mott, Bruce Levine, Dale Romans, John Servis, Roger Attfield and former Walden assistant Shannon Ritter.
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: Derby History
WinStar Farm is a Thoroughbred racing and breeding operation located in Versailles, Ky that is owned by Bill Casner and Kenny Troutt (pictured). Troutt ia a native of Mt. Vernon, Illinois and a graduate of Southern Illinois University. He has been a horseman for over 20 years and an entrepreneur most of his life. In 1988 he founded Excel Communications, a long distance telephone service company. Troutt serves on the Board of Trustees of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association and on the Board of Directors of the Breeders' Cup. He resides in Dallas with his wife Lisa and their three children. WinStar encompasses approximately 1450 acres after current development is completed the farm will include 10 barns, a state of the art foaling complex, a newly renovated stallion complex and training barn and research lab. The farm is home to the stallions Tiznow, Distorted Humor, Victory Gallop, Our Emblem and Kris S. WinStar has campaigned the stakes winners Awesome Humor, License Fee, Mr. Mellon solely or in partnerships and bred 2003 Derby and Preakness winner Funny Cide. |
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:: 04.29.06 - Bluegrass Cat Trains At CD For Derby - Video Update 
04.21.06 - John Velazquez Could Miss Derby, Oaks After Keeneland Spill
04.15.06 - Sinister Minister Romps In Toyota Blue Grass Upset
04.12.06 - Blue Grass Carries Hopes Of Several Derby Contenders
04.04.06 - Brother Derek, Barbaro Head Final 2006 Derby Futures Pool
03.18.06 - Deputy Glitter Shines In Tampa Bay Derby
03.16.06 - Bluegrass Cat's "Unconventional" Path To Louisville
02.18.06 - Bluegrass Cat Returns Victoriously In Sam F. Davis
02.17.06 - Bluegrass Cat Makes Anticipated Return At Tampa Bay
02.17.06 - Bluegrass Cat Makes Return In Sam F. Davis
01.29.06 - Derby Fans Favor "All Others" In First '06 Future Pool
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DRF Past Performances
Next Race: 05.06 Kentucky Derby (GI)
Future Wager Odds
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Pool # |
Date |
Horse # |
Final Odds |
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3 |
04.06-09 |
4 |
15-1 |
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2 |
03.02-05 |
4 |
11-1 |
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1 |
1.26-29 |
6 |
15-1 |
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Race History :: Graded Earnings: $275,480 (as of 04.15.06) - Race Record: 7-4-1-0
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Date |
Race |
Finish |
Chart |
Recap |
Video |
Comments |
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4.15.06 |
Blue Grass (GI) |
4th |
Chart |
Recap |
Video |
Couldn't make up ground; no threat |
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3.18.06 |
Tampa Bay Derby (GIII) |
2nd |
Chart |
Recap |
Video |
No apparent excuse |
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2.18.06 |
Sam F. Davis |
1st |
Chart |
Recap |
Video |
Solid in seasonal debut |
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11.26.05 |
Remsen (GII) |
1st |
Chart |
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Video |
Controlled pace with wire to wire win |
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10.28.05 |
Nashua (GIII) |
1st |
Chart |
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Video |
Professional in first stakes |
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9.24.05 |
Maiden allowance @ Belmont |
1st |
Chart |
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Video |
Easily, when asked |
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6.04.05 |
Maiden allowance @ Churchill Downs |
8th |
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Debut was a throwout |
Recent Workouts
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Date |
Track |
Distance |
Time |
Rank |
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04.29 |
Churchill Downs |
4 furlongs (fast) |
50.80 B |
53/69 |
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04.09 |
Churchill Downs |
5 furlongs (fast) |
1:01.40 B |
5/26 |
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04.02 |
Palm Meadows |
5 furlongs (fast) |
59:00 H |
1/32 |
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Bluegrass Cat is a son of one of the world's all-time leading sires; Storm Cat. Storm Cat ranked 11th on the 2005 North American leading sires list in terms of earnings, with Grade One winner Grand Reward his leading earner of his 19 stakes winners this past year.
The 23-year-old Overbrook stallion, who will stand for $500,000 this year, has sired 142 stakes winners to date, which is tops in the United States for active stallions. Storm Cat has been the overall leading sire twice and leading juvenile sire seven times in his career. Standing at Overbrook Farm in Lexington, he commands an industry high stud fee of $500,000. In addition to Bluegrass Cat, Storm Cat is also the broodmare sire of leading 2006 Kentucky Oaks contender Folklore. Storm Cat's influence on the breed in the latter part of the 20th century cannot be underestimated, as he has sire champions that are proficient at virtually every age, distance and on both turf and dirt, and his sons and daughters have gone on to successful careers as stallions and broodmares as well.
WinStar bred Bluegrass Cat out of the unraced mare She's a Winner, whom herself was bred by the venerable Phipps racing empire. She's a Winner is out of a grade three winning mare Get Lucky, making her a full sister to the multiple graded winners Daydreaming and Accelerator. Further back the tail female line, her family includes two-year-old champion Rhythm and stallions Private Account and Polish Numbers.
Besides Bluegrass Cat, She's a Winner has also produced Lord of the Game, who won the Cornhusker Breeders' Cup (GII) and the Hanshin Cup (GIII). A success story in his own right, Lord of the Game was claimed for $10,000 in his first start, a race he won by some 20 lengths, on his way to earning over $500,000.
Dosage Index: 3.80
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BLUEGRASS CAT is hard to support in Kentucky Derby 132 after an extremely disappointing run in the Blue Grass and he's lost his regular rider - John Velazquez - to injury though Ramon Dominguez is a more than capable replacement. Still hate to see one coming to this kind of test with declining momentum and while the runner-up finish in Tampa was no disgrace, the horse that beat him that day figures 60-1 or so in this Derby. Wonderful pedigree and the connections know exactly what to do but it is still very hard to get excited about one who is going the wrong way at the wrong time. Needs the race of his life out of nowhere and he may go too close to a wicked pace. Willing to pass this time in favor of others but he should be a solid miler on down the line. |
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Derby Info
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