Posted on 04/10/2021 2:26:33 PM PDT by ETL
Television coverage begins at 7PM EDT, on NBCSN (NBC Sports)
Unbeaten Concert Tour wins the Rebel by 4 1/4 lengths [at Oaklawn Park]
A one-sided Arkansas Derby victory could make him the favorite for the May 1 Kentucky Derby.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. â The Kentucky Derby favorite could be decided at Oaklawn Park on Saturday when Concert Tour attempts to remain unbeaten in four starts in the Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby.
Juvenile champion Essential Quality, undefeated in five starts, is the early favorite for the May 1 classic at Churchill Downs.
But Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert is not concerned with such details three weeks out from the Derby, a race he has won six times. HeâÂÂs simply focused on the moment at hand with Concert Tour, who will be a heavy favorite Saturday.
âÂÂWe want to get a good race,â he said. âÂÂWe want to have a positive race. ThereâÂÂs six horses in there, and when thereâÂÂs a short field thereâÂÂs usually a lot of trouble. EverybodyâÂÂs watching everybody.âÂÂ
Concert Tour is one of three members of Daily Racing FormâÂÂs Derby Watch in the Arkansas Derby. The others are Caddo River and Hozier. The field for the mile and an eighth race is completed by Get Her Number, Super Stock, and Last Samurai.
The Arkansas Derby, the final major prep for the Kentucky Derby, is the richest of four stakes on a 13-race card that has an early post of noon Central. The first four finishers in the Arkansas Derby will earn Kentucky Derby qualifying points on a scale of 100-40-20-10.
Concert Tour secured a spot in the Kentucky Derby starting gate last month, when he picked up 50 points for winning the Grade 2, $1 million Rebel at Oaklawn. He was making his first start at two turns and his first start outside of Southern California. He won the race in hand by 4 1/4 lengths.
âÂÂI think heâÂÂs running to his pedigree,â Baffert said of the homebred son of Street Sense he trains for Gary and Mary West. âÂÂHeâÂÂs got a great pedigree â and athleticism. HeâÂÂs always shown from Day 1 that he was pretty special. The good ones tip their hand.âÂÂ
Concert Tour won his career debut in a maiden special weight over six furlongs Jan. 15 at Santa Anita. One start later, he became a Grade 2 winner in the San Vicente, run over seven furlongs at the same track Feb. 6. Concert Tour showed speed in both races, and led throughout in the Rebel.
âÂÂHeâÂÂs quick,â Baffert said. âÂÂHeâÂÂs really quick on his feet.âÂÂ
Concert Tour broke from an outside post in the Rebel and will again from gate 5 on Saturday under regular rider Joel Rosario. There is speed to the horseâÂÂs inside in Caddo River and Get Her Number.
âÂÂRosario will just have to play the break,â Baffert said. âÂÂWeâÂÂll see what happens.âÂÂ
Hozier, also trained by Baffert, was second in the Rebel in his stakes debut. Like Concert Tour, he flew into Arkansas on Wednesday. âÂÂHe saved ground last time and came running late,â Baffert said of Hozier. âÂÂHeâÂÂs come back and worked well. HeâÂÂs getting better.â Martin Garcia has the mount from post 3.
Caddo River was the Rebel favorite off a more than 10-length wire-to-wire win in the Smarty Jones in January at Oaklawn. He was asked to sit off Concert Tour in second in the Rebel before finishing fifth. Trainer Brad Cox said tactics will change Saturday. âÂÂWe are going to be more aggressive the early part of the race,â he said. âÂÂWeâÂÂre hoping, obviously, to perform better than we did in the Rebel. He appears to be at his best when the rider can just kind of drop his hands and let him run free. He didnâÂÂt rate kindly, pulled too much, so weâÂÂll let him do his thing early and see how it goes.âÂÂ
Cox has been pleased with Caddo RiverâÂÂs works leading into the Rebel. âÂÂHe gives you a lot of confidence,â he said. Florent Geroux has the mount from post 2.
Get Her Number was seventh in the Rebel. He also could employ new tactics, according to his trainer, Peter Miller. âÂÂIâÂÂm thinking he wonâÂÂt be as far back this time,â he said. Get Her Number was fifth in the early stages of the Rebel before encountering trouble in the stretch. The start was his first since he won the Grade 1 American Pharoah on the front end last September at Santa Anita. âÂÂI think heâÂÂs a fitter horse,â Miller said. âÂÂWith a race under his belt, seasoning, I think weâÂÂll see an improved effort.â Get Her Number will break from post 4 under Francisco Arrieta.
Super Stock was fourth in the Rebel while making his first start since October. Last year, the horse ran second to Essential Quality in the Grade 1 Breedersâ Futurity at Keeneland. Ricardo Santana Jr. has the mount on Super Stock, a horse Hall of Fame horseman Steve Asmussen trains for his father, Keith Asmussen, and Erv Woolsey.
Last Samurai exits a fifth-place finish to Essential Quality in the Southwest on Feb. 27 at Oaklawn.
Oaklawn plans to open its infield Saturday on an afternoon forecast to be sunny and in the low 70s. Patrons will be treated to an appearance by champion Whitmore in the Count Fleet and the seasonal debut of By My Standards in the Oaklawn Mile.
https://www.drf.com/news/concert-tour-heavily-favored-stay-perfect-arkansas-derby
Thanks for this. I will watch
Nobody understands how things work. Doesn’t anybody know about the tax umbrellas?
VIDEO: 2021 Florida Derby(FULL RACE REPLAY) | NBC Sports [~2 min]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7eSAdYoQ3I
Here they are again...
Are you on the correct thread?
Or have you just had 5 too many Sam Adams?
source:
https://www.horseracingnation.com/news/Free_PPs_now_available_for_the_Arkansas_Derby_123
You’re welcome.
And if you don’t get NBCSN (NBC Sports, not regular NBC), you can always watch the replay later tonight or tomorrow on YouTube. Just do a search for “2021 Arkansas Derby” at YT. I’ll probably post a direct link to the replay here.
way better than march madness
Probably upsets the libs that the horses don’t kneel.
his mudder was a mudder, his faddah was a muddah...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=22&v=icq2KvONMPA&feature=emb_logo
good , I hope the get horse plop in their mint julep...
hey I grew up around the track, I know my ****
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