Last Horse Tampa Bay Derby Name Highlight For NBC

Horseracing Betting Lines

New Orleans, LA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mr. Bowling, ridden by Robby Albarado, held off Z Dager Saturday to capture the $175,000 Lecomte Stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course. It was the three-year-old's first start in almost three months. The mile and 70 yard event is the first of three stakes at the New Orleans track for Kentucky Derby probables. The $300,000 Risen Star Stakes follows on Saturday, February 25 and the $1 million Louisiana Derby concludes this section of the Derby Trail on Sunday, April 1.

Owned by Brereton Jones, Mr. Bowling moved forward entering the far turn and was caught three wide around the final turn. Almost half the field was across the track at the top of the stretch.

Mr. Bowling was able to find room between horses as Z Dager and jockey Shave Sellers made a late surge. Albarado was able to get his horse to the wire first, posting a head victory over Z Dager with Shared Property another half- length back in third.

"He has been training very well since he got here," said Jones recently. "We're very happy with him. Obviously, Mr. Bowling likes this track a lot, but we also want to think he's just getting better. He seems to be maturing more and more every day. He's a son of the young Gone West sire Istan whose horses are just getting to the races. I have several Istans in my barn, and they all look like they can run."

Mr. Bowling returned $9.20, $4.80 and $4.00. Z Dager paid $4.80 and $3.60, and Shared Property paid $3.80 to show.

Mine That Bird parlayed a pair of losses at Sunland Park in late February and March to win the Derby in 2009. Two years ago, Super Saver won on the slop at Churchill Downs after losing the Tampa Bay Derby and the Arkansas Derby in March and April, respectively. Last year, the lightly raced Animal Kingdom prevailed off two preps - an entry-level allowance loss on Mar. 3 followed by a win in the Spiral on Mar. 26.

As one can see, it doesn't really matter if the horses win or not prior to the Kentucky Derby. The key is to have enough graded earnings before the beginning of May to guarantee a spot in the Run for the Roses.

Another key attribute for a Kentucky Derby winner is a victory or a close second in a 1 1/8-mile race. Animal Kingdom (2011), Big Brown (2008), Barbaro (2006), Smarty Jones (2004), War Emblem (2002), Monarchos (2001), and Fusaichi Pegasus (2000) all won going nine-furlongs.

Giacomo at least had a pair of nine-furlong attempts finishing third, beaten 1 1/4-lengths as the 8-5 favorite in the Sham, and then running fourth, beaten by two in the Santa Anita Derby. Mine That Bird was 13-1 when he ran fourth, beaten 3 1/4-lengths in the Sunland Derby. It is imperative to finish first, second, third, or fourth, in the final prep race as the last horse to win the Derby finishing fifth or beyond was Iron Liege some 55 years ago.

With most of the Kentucky Derby entrants coming to Churchill Downs with fewer and fewer starts, a horses' pedigree is a vital way of narrowing down the field to a more manageable number.

Hansen's sire Tapit has produced a ton of solid runners, including Trappe Shot, Tapizar, and Stardom Bound, but not many have won past nine-furlongs. His dam side, going back a few generations, lacks any sort of stamina to make up for his distance-challenged sire line.

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