Woodbine Jockeys Make Their Kentucky Derby Predictions. (Yes, Chantal Likes Chocolate Candy!)

Night racing got underway at Woodbine on Wednesday and I took full advantage of a beautiful evening to speak to the jockeys about their picks for the Kentucky Derby. Though it may come as no surprise that Chantal Sutherland is a bit sweet on Mike Smith and Chocolate Candy, Sutherland also spoke very highly of two other California horses, namely, I Want Revenge and Pioneerof The Nile. Patrick Husbands, Woodbine's leading jockey, won three races on the evening and declared Pioneerof The Nile as the Derby winner on Saturday. Bet against Patrick at your own risk.

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It is fitting that we start this Derby review with Patrick Husbands since he's always in front when it matters most. Husbands reflected, "To be honest I was at Santa Anita and I saw the Bob Baffert horse and I love him. The only problem is running on the sand. But, you know, my dad always said a good horse can run anywhere. He's a horse I really like."

Chantal Sutherland will be backing Chocolate Candy but also spoke excitedly regarding the chances of her Jockeys co-star Joe Talamo.

Chantal under the lights at Woodbine.


"I have to go for Chocolate Candy because of Mike but...to be honest, I love I Want Revenge and Pioneerof the Nile. Those are the three that I like. It's sad to see Quality Road out of it because he's a nice horse. You know The Wizard? I watch him all the time and his analysis was Chocolate Candy. The way that Mike says he's (Chocolate Candy) been working on the dirt, he loves it. Mike doesn't get excited about a whole lot of things. Legitimately, he gets excited about Zenyatta and that's about it."
With regard to Bob Baffert's horse, Sutherland offered,"Pioneerof The Nile just looks like he's handling the dirt better than the poly. I mean, he handles everything but when they had the combined works side-by-side on TV, (synthetic versus dirt) it was pretty impressive."

I asked Sutherland if she uses Twitter and pointed out that Talamo has been Tweeting up a storm. Sutherland responded, "How do you Twitter? I don't even know. I should get on that." After a brief explanation of the uses of Twitter, and believe me that describing Twitter can be a struggle, Sutherland provided the following Tweet-worthy nugget. "We had dinner with Bob Baffert two nights ago, " said Sutherland. "I was in Louisville and just got back today. We were hanging out with Joe and he's just having a ball. Joe is just so excited. It's cool to see."

Sutherland was close to getting a mount in the Derby herself having been the regular rider of Mine That Bird throughout 2008. Unfortunately, the owner decided to go with the experience of Calvin Borel. Sutherland, with her usual cheery smile, commented, "They gave me the call and then one of the owners decided they wanted Calvin Borel. He's won the Derby and has experience. That's okay, I'm getting closer though."

Tyler Pizarro is enjoying a successful start to the 2009 meet and is so focused on the task at hand that he's more worried about the Woodbine weekend than anything happening in Kentucky.

A big smile from a focused Tyler Pizarro.


"To be honest, I haven't had a good chance to study the Form really. I've just been concentrating on our big horses coming up this weekend. It's a big open race for sure, " said Pizarro. After much pressuring, Pizarro laughed, "I'll say the five horse. Two dollars to win on the five." Bear in mind that Pizarro was not looking at the Form when he made his "pick." So, for all you hunch players out there looking for a dartboard horse, Pizarro's arrow landed smack dab in the middle of Hold Me Back.

Just three wins shy of 2000 for his career, it's safe to say that Jim McAleney knows a thing or two about winning. Jimmy Mac has picked I Want Revenge to win the Derby.

Jimmy Mac predicts a win for I Want Revenge.


"Quality Road was the horse I really liked. I felt a mile and a quarter would be his biggest test. I thought he was the most talented horse," stated McAleney. Since we have to pick someone, Jimmy Mac decided, "I have to fall back on I Want Revenge. My wife Kimberly is quite astute. She doesn't watch a whole bunch but when she does watch, she picks up a lot. She was the first one to put me onto him and that would the one that I would go with." As I stood at the scales watching the replay of the previous Woodbine race with McAleney, the jockey continued his Derby review with an analysis of Dunkirk. "I was really disappointed in his last race. If you watch closely, Garret Gomez didn't have anything barely. He was niggling and pressing and to me that's usually a horse that's not peaking for whatever reason. When Gomez set him down I think talent got him close to Quality Road but I don't think you'll see him run his best race. Pletcher was complaining about the track being rock hard in Miami and and you can bet it's going to be rock hard on Derby day."

Top jockey Emma-Jayne Wilson, who became the first female to win the Queen's Plate when she steered Mike Fox to victory, struggled to choose between Friesan Fire and I Want Revenge.

Emma-Jayne Wilson remembers the explosive Friesan Fire from her Louisiana off-season.


"I haven't even looked at the Kentucky Derby as of yet, "said Wilson. "They're all pretty impressive. It's unfortunate that Quality Road is going to be out, he's a real good horse. I Want Revenge was impressive last time out. Friesan Fire, from down south, I was down there for his last race and he was pretty impressive too. There's a lot to choose from. I haven't sat down and narrowed it down just yet." As I conducted the interview, the loudspeakers were blaring, "The Kids Are Alright' by The Who. Maybe we'll take that as an omen and pick Talamo's horse on Wilson's behalf.

Jockey Anthony Stephen was impressive Wednesday evening wiring an allowance race with Slated Promise.

The cool and confident Anthony Stephen.

Stephen was to the point with his answer to the question of the day. "Dunkirk, because I'm a big fan of Edgar Prado," smiled Stephen. The well-spoken jock also reminded me why I should do these interviews before the race when he advised with regard to Slated Promise that, "I knew i was going to win this race. He's been training really good and I rode him last year. The only question was the night racing. It was his first time at night but he ran well."

Emile Ramsammy has been enjoying a fantastic campaign winning from all angles for various outfits. However, this hard working journeyman could not be pinned down for his Derby pick.

You'll get 110% effort in every ride from Emile Ramsammy.

"I haven't been following the Derby trail at all," said Ramsammy. "I'd be lying to you if I told you I'd been following." After I advised that my day job is at a law firm and I hear lies all the time, Ramsammy still wouldn't budge. "Let me look it over," sighed Ramsammy. But after much badgering, Ramsammy said wearily, "Keith, I just can't pick a number. I need to study this." Fair enough, I'll assign front running Regal Ransom to the hard working veteran as Ramsammy is at his best when on the lead.

The final word goes to the man who always gets the final word at Woodbine, track announcer Dan Loiselle. The man with the golden lungs is predicting 2009 to be the year of the (Go)Dolphin.

Loiselle predicts Desert Party will SURGE to the lead at Churchill on Saturday.


"Godolphin is going to win a Derby one year and I think maybe this might be the year," boomed Loiselle. "I like Desert Party. I think he'll come from off the pace and he'll be a price." After I bring up the potential lone speed factor of Regal Ransom, Loiselle admitted,"That's my dilemna. I like him a little too. If he gets loose on the lead, it's tough to go in front for a mile and a quarter, but if he gets loose on the lead he might be tough. He also might set it up for Desert Party."

There you have it. The consensus amongst Woodbine jockeys is that a healthy Quality Road would have won the Derby but instead we'll see a tough battle between Dunkirk and Pioneerof The Nile down the lane before both are passed late by Twitterin' Joe Talamo and I Want Revenge.