By Scott Taylor
Omaha Beach (ASSINIBOIA DOWNS)
The morning-line favourite for Saturday’s 145th running of the Kentucky Derby has been scratched.
Our pick, Omaha Beach, was scratched Wednesday night after developing a cough. After his throat was scoped, it was determined by track veterinarians, Omaha Beach was found to have an entrapped epiglottis. Trainer Richard Mandella said his horse will be fine, but he won’t be ready to race on Saturday.
So that means the new favourite at 9-2 is Game Winner, trained by legendary Hall of Famer, Bob Baffert, who will have three horses in the race. With Omaha Beach out, Bodexpress will enter the field and break from Post 20. As usual, it’s a huge field for this year’s Derby.
It also changes our picks. We had Omaha Beach as the winner and will now change our wager to Improbable. Game Winner and Roadster in that order and our long shot is still Tacitus.
There is a Manitoba connection in this year’s race. By My Standards, at 20-1 is the son of former Assiniboia Downs’ favourite Goldencents. Goldencents mother was Golden Works and his grandmother was Body Works, both bred in Manitoba by the late Phil Kives. Golden Works was a multiple stakes winner here in Winnipeg.
Don’t forget, you can watch and wager on the Derby at Assiniboia Downs. A Derby glass will be given away to the first 100 to ask at the desk at the track, starting at 10 a.m. There will be draws for Kentucky Derby merchandise that will take place during the day plus, you can win $100 in wagering vouchers by predicting who will finish first and last in the Derby. There will also be glass giveaways and merchandise draws at all OTB locations as well.
And if By My Standards wins the Derby, the ASD will extend Happy Hour on Saturday. Could be a big day at The Downs.
