Point Determined Looked GOOD Today

[RaceIsClosed]

I think he's the Derby winner.

He was gaining ground sharply at the end, and looks like he'll love the extra month and the extra furlong, while Brother Derek wired a short field and may be peaking. In the Derby, he'll have to contend with many rabbits while Point Determined (who has great Triple Crown breeding) should be huge in the lane.

Top that off with the 9-1 or so he'll go off at and I'm psyched.

[Tee]

I thought he looked pretty good after the San Felipe. I shared just about the same sentiment with a horse-playing friend of mine in regards to Point Determined being a Derby contender.

PD didn't do anything today to make me really change my mind. Although I won't call him the derby winnner just yet. :)

[Skanoochies]

Man I saw a different race than you did. Bejaraano was whipping PD left handed all the way in the stretch,and he was passing A.P.W. alright, but Solis was just shaking the reins and waved the stick under BD`s chin a couple of times and had him reined in at the wire. I don`t think PD would have caught BD if they ran around another time. IMO. :)

[JPinMaryland]

No, I mean yes, I mean "no" the other horses are never going to catch brother derek. At least not in Calif.

I like Pt. Determined and had him in the exacta my only hit of the day. BUt....gee I am not so sure he knows he's supposed to get out in front of those other horses. He's won what? one race?

He looks like a pretty big sucker, probably due to that Turkoman blood so I can see why the comment that he would run big in the lane. Yeah I guess. DId Turkoman wear blinkers? I thought Pt. Given did.

I too want to believe Bro. Derek is peaking but gee look at his PPs. He wins like every race. I havent seen a bounce in there. So.....who knows, he seems the most consistent.

I have no way to know he'll love an extra furlough let alone a month off. How do peopele know these things? Maybe Bro. Derek, really REALLY LOVES a month off?

[RaceIsClosed]

No, I mean yes, I mean "no" the other horses are never going to catch brother derek. At least not in Calif.

I like Pt. Determined and had him in the exacta my only hit of the day. BUt....gee I am not so sure he knows he's supposed to get out in front of those other horses. He's won what? one race?

He looks like a pretty big sucker, probably due to that Turkoman blood so I can see why the comment that he would run big in the lane. Yeah I guess. DId Turkoman wear blinkers? I thought Pt. Given did.

I too want to believe Bro. Derek is peaking but gee look at his PPs. He wins like every race. I havent seen a bounce in there. So.....who knows, he seems the most consistent.

I have no way to know he'll love an extra furlough let alone a month off. How do peopele know these things? Maybe Bro. Derek, really REALLY LOVES a month off?

These horses are like Olympians in that they have to peak at the right time. Some peak too early, others too late. Even Smarty Jones had literally nothing left in the stretch of the Belmont (the cartilege in his hooves was all but gone according to an interview with his vet). I see Brother Derek and he seems to just have matured a little more quickly, but I didn't see anything today that would indicate further improvement is likely, and the horse has some major downsides for the price. Point Determined reminds me a lot of Funny Cide, and Brother Derek a lot of Empire Maker. Lots of runner-ups in the preps move forward on Derby day.

Pedigree? Point Given is the sire.

Remember Lost in the Fog? He lost the BC Sprint last year because for the first time, he didn't face one horse with a triple-digit Beyer, but a succession of them harassing him from the get-go. Brother Derek is going to have to deal with speedballs dueling to :45 and change, 1:09 and change, with Barbero sitting just off the suicidal duel, and Point Determined a little far back. Barbero will likely finish off Brother Derek turning for home, but he will be softened up for Point Determined, and Brother Derek will finish fourth behind that AP horse that finished second today, and you have a cold superfecta.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

[kenwoodallpromos]

If you mean AP Warrior, I will be shocked if he makes it to the Derby. I think he is due for a long rest.
It will be interesting to see if you add anything after the Arkansas Derby.

[JPinMaryland]

Turkoman is Pt. GIven's damsire or whatever they call it. He's in the pedigree too. He gives him that turkish blood.

[Princequillo]

How can any candid appraisal of the Derby field fail to mention this guy. His win in the Illinois Derby stamps him as the horse to beat come Derby day. He crushed a decent field in unbelievable fractions on a dead surface: nine furlongs in 23.7, 24.4, 25.1, 24.44, and 12.08. The early fractions are interpolated (accurate within a 1/5th sec), the final two fractions are exact.

SNS had none the best of it, having to cross the field from the outside post and going wide into the first turn. Not to diminish Brother Derik's win, but BD will have to show a new dimension to withstand what I call long speed and late kick of SNS. Add the talented Barbero in here and we have a real great race coming in May.

[classhandicapper]

How can any candid appraisal of the Derby field fail to mention this guy. His win in the Illinois Derby stamps him as the horse to beat come Derby day. He crushed a decent field in unbelievable fractions on a dead surface: nine furlongs in 23.7, 24.4, 25.1, 24.44, and 12.08. The early fractions are interpolated (accurate within a 1/5th sec), the final two fractions are exact.

SNS had none the best of it, having to cross the field from the outside post and going wide into the first turn. Not to diminish Brother Derik's win, but BD will have to show a new dimension to withstand what I call long speed and late kick of SNS. Add the talented Barbero in here and we have a real great race coming in May.

I agree. I thought he was sensational in that race. IMHO, that was the most impressive prep to date. Naturally, there are a few more races to be run, several weeks to pass, post position draws etc... and a lot could happen, but IMHO, he's a very major contender.

[RaceIsClosed]

How can any candid appraisal of the Derby field fail to mention this guy. His win in the Illinois Derby stamps him as the horse to beat come Derby day. He crushed a decent field in unbelievable fractions on a dead surface: nine furlongs in 23.7, 24.4, 25.1, 24.44, and 12.08. The early fractions are interpolated (accurate within a 1/5th sec), the final two fractions are exact.

SNS had none the best of it, having to cross the field from the outside post and going wide into the first turn. Not to diminish Brother Derik's win, but BD will have to show a new dimension to withstand what I call long speed and late kick of SNS. Add the talented Barbero in here and we have a real great race coming in May.

I like Barbero because he's undefeated and trained by Michael Matz (former equestrian trainer, not the type obsessed with winning the Derby, very high % guy like the last two trainers from the PA/Del area to win it), but Point Determined has the presence of a champion and of a horse who has a lot more in the tank than he's shown in his recent starts. He was gaining fast at the wire, which means some Beyer points were left in reserve for next month and that extra furlong. I think he's being prepped perfectly, and the public tends to overbet horses like Brother Derek, who will also prove difficult even if he duels.

SNS will wear Brother Derek down on the lead in the Derby, setting it up for Barbero and Point Determined, with Brother Derek classy enough to get third or fourth and a closer likely to split them.

[plainolebill]

If there is a pace war in the Derby I'm pretty certain that Barbero will smoked too. I don't see any signs in his pps that he can lay 5 lengths off the pace and make a big move.

[RaceIsClosed]

If there is a pace war in the Derby I'm pretty certain that Barbero will smoked too. I don't see any signs in his pps that he can lay 5 lengths off the pace and make a big move.

Yeah, those pace-tracking horses from the Delaware Valley don't do much. Well, if you don't count Smarty Jones and Afleet Alex.

Check out Michael Matz as a trainer before you throw Barbero out.

[Observer]

Michael Matz is an awesome horseman .. no way I'm throwing out Barbaro. And I liked Point Determined's race .. he has room for the right kind of forward progression on Derby day.

[kid4rilla]

PD has enough buzz to get him bet down to 3rd choice. I have a substantial pool 3 play at 13-1, which should definitely be better than his PT odds, so I couldn't have asked for the race to unfold any better Saturday. He was getting to BD, but not until he completely wrapped up.

[RaceIsClosed]

PD has enough buzz to get him bet down to 3rd choice. I have a substantial pool 3 play at 13-1, which should definitely be better than his PT odds, so I couldn't have asked for the race to unfold any better Saturday. He was getting to BD, but not until he completely wrapped up.

He was +1650 at Pinnacle!

[Two Bucks To Win]

Too many unknown factors to consider. No one knows:

Weather conditions
Post positions
The track bias at Churchill
Results of prep races still to be run
Workouts in the days leading up to the Derby
Who will actually run
Jockey assignments

[Stevie Belmont]

Brother Derek was even running at the end. Point Determined galloped out past Derek, but he stopped long before that point.

[how cliche]

Point Determined is a strange bird. He appears to me to move up and down on the turns and to run level on the straights. I like him for the belmont.

[RXB]

I don't follow KD preps much, but I did see the early PP's in last week's Form and it sure looks like most of the top contenders are confirmed frontrunners or pressers. (And my definition of a presser is a horse that is right up near the pace, not stalking it.)

I saw the Illinois Derby and the winner sure looked impressive, but he's another one that seems to need to be right in the early action.

However, I haven't seen a decent closer yet in this crop. Not one.

[RXB]

Oh, and one other thing: if Barbero wins the KD, I'll be very surprised.