Derby Prep I

The road to the Kentucky Derby has officially begun! Yesterday's running of the Grade II Hutcheson Stakes at Gulfstream Park in Florida is usually viewed as an early prep for the Derby even though it is only 7 furlongs long.

Yesterday's race went off on a sloppy track and was won by a long shot: Smooth Air who seemed to favor the mud. The three year old colt hung in there gamely and won by a length. To me, he looked perfectly positioned at the top of the stretch. He made a move between horses and seemed to finish strong, although his jockey did whip him a bit to get him into "gear."

I usually don't like to see a horse whipped but at this time of the year it is all about lack of experience, which was very evident in this race. Horses veer, look around and often fail to perform without some, often not so subtle, techniques to get their attention. To his credit, Smooth Air did not seem to mind getting mud kicked up in his face which was unprotected by blinkers or a shadow roll.

Much too early in the game to predict whether or not this horse can go the distance but the race for Kentucky will start to get interesting between now and mid-March with the Florida and California horses staking their claims to run for those roses.