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LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Before he ever set hoof to racetrack, Canadian champion Mine That Bird was unfathomable furlongs from being a Kentucky Derby prospect. He stood a little crooked, was too frisky for his own good and was bought, more or less, to be a modestly profitable racehorse for a Woodbine trainer quite adept at that game. Yet there he was on a lazy afternoon yesterday outside his Churchill Downs barn, oblivious to the fuss building for tomorrow's opening jewel of the Triple Crown. Of more pressing concern, really, was the whereabouts of his latest trainer, Bennie (Chip) Woolley, as...

TODAY'S MAJOR KENTUCKY DERBY PREP RACES... Toyota Blue Grass Stakes Grade: I, Purse: $750,000, Distance: 1-1/8 miles Track: Keeneland Saturday, April 11, 2009 @6:00 PM ET Blue Grass packed with questions By Marty McGee, Daily Racing Form, April 09, 2009 LEXINGTON, Ky. - The multitude of questions that surround the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes might well be answered with even more questions. Such is the nature of the Polytrack surface at Keeneland, which two years ago produced the Kentucky Derby winner in Blue Grass runner-up Street Sense but last year gave the Derby its last-place finisher in Blue Grass...

TODAY'S MAJOR KENTUCKY DERBY PREP RACES... Toyota Blue Grass Stakes Grade: I, Purse: $750,000, Distance: 1-1/8 miles Track: Keeneland Saturday, April 11, 2009 @6:00 PM ET Blue Grass packed with questions By Marty McGee, Daily Racing Form, April 09, 2009 LEXINGTON, Ky. - The multitude of questions that surround the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes might well be answered with even more questions. Such is the nature of the Polytrack surface at Keeneland, which two years ago produced the Kentucky Derby winner in Blue Grass runner-up Street Sense but last year gave the Derby its last-place finisher in Blue Grass...

TODAY'S MAJOR KENTUCKY DERBY PREP RACES... 6th Race, SANTA ANITA PARKSanta Anita Derby (TELEVISED LIVE ON NBC, BEGINNING AT 2PM PDT, 5PM EDT) Post Time: 2:40 PM (local time) Distance/Restrictions: 1 1/8 Miles, Dirt, 3 Year Olds, Purse: $750,000 Grade: 1 FREE PAST PERFORMANCES FOR SANTA ANITA DERBY: (direct link to pdf file from EQUIBASE -free/no catch)http://ntra.equibase.com/eqbNTRAGetFreeFF.cfm?trk=SA&rd=04/04/2009&cty=USA&de=D&rn=6 ________________________________________________ 7th Race, HAWTHORNEIllinois Derby Post Time: 4:15 PM (local time) Distance/Restrictions: 1 1/8 Miles, Dirt, 3 Year Olds, Purse: $500,000 Grade: 2 FREE PAST PERFORMANCES FOR ILLINOIS DERBY: (direct link to pdf file from EQUIBASE -free/no catch)http://ntra.equibase.com/eqbNTRAGetFreeFF.cfm?trk=HAW&rd=04/04/2009&cty=USA&de=D&rn=7 ________________________________________________ 9th Race, AQUEDUCT, NEW...

TODAY'S MAJOR KENTUCKY DERBY PREP RACES... SANTA ANITA PARK 6th Race , Santa Anita Derby (TELEVISED LIVE ON NBC, BEGINNING AT 2PM PDT, 5PM EDT) Post Time: 2:40 PM (local time) Distance/Restrictions: 1 1/8 Miles, Dirt, 3 Year Olds, Purse: $750,000 Grade: 1 FREE PAST PERFORMANCES FOR SANTA ANITA DERBY: (direct link to pdf file from EQUIBASE -free/no catch)http://ntra.equibase.com/eqbNTRAGetFreeFF.cfm?trk=SA&rd=04/04/2009&cty=USA&de=D&rn=6 ________________________________________________ HAWTHORNE 7th Race , Illinois Derby Post Time: 4:15 PM (local time) Distance/Restrictions: 1 1/8 Miles, Dirt, 3 Year Olds, Purse: $500,000 Grade: 2 FREE PAST PERFORMANCES FOR ILLINOIS DERBY: (direct link to pdf file from EQUIBASE -free/no catch)http://ntra.equibase.com/eqbNTRAGetFreeFF.cfm?trk=HAW&rd=04/04/2009&cty=USA&de=D&rn=7 ________________________________________________...

Here are a few must-have links for the upcoming Kentucky Derby... (there's even free video of prior races at the site) 2009 Derby Contenders:http://www.kentuckyderby.com/2009/racing-information/contenders Contender PP's (Past Performances):Here is Brisnet's weekly updated PDF past performance file of Kentucky Derby hopefuls:http://www.kentuckyderby.com/2009/racing-information/contender-pps Derby Prep Schedule: (major races leading to the Derby)http://www.kentuckyderby.com/2009/racing-information/preps-schedule For more info at the site (http://www.kentuckyderby.com/), hover your mouse pointer/cursor over "Racing Information" and select from the drop-down menu.