Beyond The Crown – August 17

The performance of the week was turned in by Sidney’s Candy in the Grade 2 La Jolla at Del Mar. The John Sadler trainee set blazing fast fractions, put away Macias, and kept on going in a visually impressive turf debut. He stopped the clock in a track record 1:39.67 and will probably remain on the grass for the foreseeable future.

I typically give my top ten members a mulligan, and Kentucky Derby hero Super Saver had his in the Preakness. The Pletcher trainee drops off the list after a disappointing effort in the Haskell. Ditto for Ice Box after flopping in the Belmont Stakes and Haskell. Fly Down threw in a clunker in the Jim Dandy and deserves another chance.

I will continue following the current crop of three-year-olds through the Breeders’ Cup in my Beyond The Crown series. Now that the Triple Crown is over I will open up my list to include more fillies, sprinters, turf horses, and late bloomers.

I will begin my 2011 Derby list in late summer/early fall. Speaking of next year’s Derby, Horse Racing Nation has built a Facebook page for top juvenile prospect Kantharos.

Horse Racing Nation has a Facebook page, and we also built pages for some of the 2010 Triple Crown series contenders. Click on the provided links below to view the aforementioned pages.

1. Lookin At Lucky (Smart Strike) – The Preakness hero is the clear leader of the 3yo pack following a decisive win in the Haskell. Got sick after his Monmouth win and will pass on the Travers.

2. Paddy O’Prado (El Prado) – Big wins in the Colonial Turf Cup and Virginia Derby. The Grade 1 Secretariat (Aug 21) is up next.

3. Sidney’s Candy (Candy Ride) – Ran out of his mind in the La Jolla. The rising turf star will probably target the Breeders’ Cup Mile.  Facebook Page.

4. Trappe Shot (Tapit) – Solid runner-up effort in the Haskell. He could go next in the Aug 28 King’s Bishop or Travers.

5. Blind Luck (Pollard’s Vision) – The Kentucky Oaks queen got up late in the July 10 Delaware Oaks (G3). The G1 Alabama (Aug 21) is next.

6. Devil May Care (Malibu Moon) – Back-to-Back Grade 1 wins in the Mother Goose and Coaching Club American Oaks. A date with Blind Luck in the Alabama is looming.

7. First Dude (Stephen Got Even) – The Preakness runner-up, and Belmont/Haskell show finisher loves to hit the board and the gem of consistency remains eligible for an entry level spot. He’s pointing to the Travers.

8. Discreetly Mine (Mineshaft) – Impressive score in the G2 Amsterdam at Saratoga. He’s the one to beat in the G1 King’s Bishop on the Travers undercard.

9. Concord Point (Tapit) – Captured the Iowa Derby and West Virginia Derby in his last pair.

10. Fly Down (Mineshaft) – Belmont Stakes runner-up flopped in the Jim Dandy. He is expected to go next in the Travers.